Conversation Heard in DC

[johngalt]

True story of a recent conversation amongst friends in DC...


Friend of friend: I was in the middle of nowhere at this park this weekend. Suppose to be famous for some big battle or something.

Friend: Really, where was it?

Friend of friend: Somewhere north of here. Nothing around for miles. They said it was really important!

Friend: Do you remember the name of the place?

Friend of friend: I can't remember the name off the top of my head. Apparently it was the turning point of a war or something.

Friend: You mean Gettysburg?

Friend of friend: Oh yeah, that's it! I think?


True story! Took place 90 miles south of Gburg. Fact is - like the letter in the paper mentioned - the majority of people outside Gburg have absolutely no clue whatsoever. The majority of people are not history buffs. The majority of people in the US (probably over 99%) don't give a hoot about Gburg. Never will. I would bet $10,000 that 90% of people in the US could not located Gburg on a map within 20 miles. Look at it this way, NCG went on both a national and international propaganda campaign.... and outta 300 million US and 6+ billion global... they rounded up 8k members on Facebook. And yet Violent Quark and other outside cronies are spending their life trying to influence what happens to private property that should be determined on the local level. And everyone already knows Blueberry Susy is just a self-indulged media whore on a crusade of self proclaimed importance. Pretty pathetic existence!

[johngalt]

The point of the story is... it's an enormous world... and as much as we love our area, it's just not that important in the grand scheme of the universe. Really, it's not! I'm perfectly fine with people not know where Gburg is located or knowing history. Most of NCG just has an inferiority complex or god complex or delusion of preserving history or desire to feel important or some other disorder....

[HoneyBadger]

For the past 12 years I've had the opportunity to speak with people from every state in the country - and probably 40% have never heard of Gettysburg.

Many people who have heard of Gettysburg don't know anything about the Civil War but they know that something happened here.

[MattC]

Sept 20, 2010 19:02:49 GMT -5 johngalt said:

True story of a recent conversation amongst friends in DC...


Friend of friend: I was in the middle of nowhere at this park this weekend. Suppose to be famous for some big battle or something.

Friend: Really, where was it?

Friend of friend: Somewhere north of here. Nothing around for miles. They said it was really important!

Friend: Do you remember the name of the place?

Friend of friend: I can't remember the name off the top of my head. Apparently it was the turning point of a war or something.

Friend: You mean Gettysburg?

Friend of friend: Oh yeah, that's it! I think?


True story! Took place 90 miles south of Gburg. Fact is - like the letter in the paper mentioned - the majority of people outside Gburg have absolutely no clue whatsoever. The majority of people are not history buffs. The majority of people in the US (probably over 99%) don't give a hoot about Gburg. Never will. I would bet $10,000 that 90% of people in the US could not located Gburg on a map within 20 miles. Look at it this way, NCG went on both a national and international propaganda campaign.... and outta 300 million US and 6+ billion global... they rounded up 8k members on Facebook. And yet Violent Quark and other outside cronies are spending their life trying to influence what happens to private property that should be determined on the local level. And everyone already knows Blueberry Susy is just a self-indulged media whore on a crusade of self proclaimed importance. Pretty pathetic existence!

I can tell you that after I moved here I would talk to people back home in Jersey and, save my parents and sister, everyone would start the conversation with, "So how's Virginia?"

I would say, "It's Pennsylvania."
They would say, "Really?"
I would say, "Yes"
They would say, "I guess I thought it was in Virginia because that's where all that George Washington shit is."
I would say, "So how are things with you?"

I am not exaggerating when I say that everyone I talked to had that conversation with me. It was almost like there was a script. The only thing that changed was the George Washington line. A few would say, "I thought it was in Virginia because that's where all the Civil War Battlefields are." Unfortunately, it was too few that knew Washington was dead by this war.

[MattC]

Sept 20, 2010 19:19:49 GMT -5 johngalt said:

The point of the story is... it's an enormous world... and as much as we love our area, it's just not that important in the grand scheme of the universe. Really, it's not! I'm perfectly fine with people not know where Gburg is located or knowing history. Most of NCG just has an inferiority complex or god complex or delusion of preserving history or desire to feel important or some other disorder....

Here's what I think it is. I was watching their Matthew Broderick video today (I'm responsible for most of the 2000 views since I have been studying it for a parody. It's an ambitious idea so it probably won't see the light of day). Anyway, as I watched it, I think I slipped into the minds of the participants (save the actors who are liars by trade. Think about it). It was a scary place. It was also a sad place. They are fighting out of fear. Not the fear of the park being incrementally developed over time, but the fear of what will happen in their minds when the casino opens up. While there are 6 exits off of 15, and several other approaches to the town and Park from northeast to southwest, the NCG type of person, though they may take those ways into the area, will still feel disgusted, or sick, or as if the battlefields themselves are tarnish because, "somewhere out there", a casino is close by.

In other words, they're afraid of how their mind will perceive things rather than any actuality that may come from it. That's why the arguments they make are weak and easily poked with holes. First, it's all speculation and conjecture. No one, on either side, really knows how much crime it will bring. We could guess based on the stats from PA towns that have a casino already. Or we can make it up like Violet does. NCG has no other choice but to make things up. The facts and stats don't jive with their desired outcome.

The reason they have no choice is because it's an emotional stance that they have. They can't come out and say, "I'm against the casino because I'm afraid of what I will think of the battlefield just by knowing that there's a casino on a road that I choose not to travel on." People would laugh at them, and rightfully so. Therefore, they have to concoct theories and doom and gloom predictions all disseminated by "experts" like Violet, Keith Miller, et al, ad nauseum. To the NCG mind, bullshit flowing from the mouth of someone with no shame about being pompous and arrogant on TV, like Keith, convinces the viewer that they must be right. Or phony baloney studies about far-off Vicksburg by Violet make the average Joe, who is either too lazy or too busy to research for themselves, think that where there's smoke there's fire. What they don't realize is that the fire burning is a pile of Buffalo chips.

And then there's the videos. They get professionals to "donate their time" to make them. That makes the recipient of such a message believe that this must be an important issue and that these people on the No side must have the right message. All it means is that they have the right connections and aren't afraid to use them.

Just a thought.

[HoneyBadger]

Professionals - hah. I couldn't hear most of the video (thank you Lord). Matthew Broderick - Sarah Jessica Parker's husband and not much else in my book. Sam Waterston is an actor I used to respect but now - he just makes crappy commercials. I didn't even recognize the other people in the video. Of course, Jean Siderio's massive head took up a lot of space and Violet and Dani were ooohing and aaahing and cooing over the piece of crap.

Damned impressive stuff.

[Jayhawk]

Sept 21, 2010 10:54:22 GMT -5 MattC said:

Sept 20, 2010 19:02:49 GMT -5 johngalt said:

True story of a recent conversation amongst friends in DC...


Friend of friend: I was in the middle of nowhere at this park this weekend. Suppose to be famous for some big battle or something.

Friend: Really, where was it?

Friend of friend: Somewhere north of here. Nothing around for miles. They said it was really important!

Friend: Do you remember the name of the place?

Friend of friend: I can't remember the name off the top of my head. Apparently it was the turning point of a war or something.

Friend: You mean Gettysburg?

Friend of friend: Oh yeah, that's it! I think?


True story! Took place 90 miles south of Gburg. Fact is - like the letter in the paper mentioned - the majority of people outside Gburg have absolutely no clue whatsoever. The majority of people are not history buffs. The majority of people in the US (probably over 99%) don't give a hoot about Gburg. Never will. I would bet $10,000 that 90% of people in the US could not located Gburg on a map within 20 miles. Look at it this way, NCG went on both a national and international propaganda campaign.... and outta 300 million US and 6+ billion global... they rounded up 8k members on Facebook. And yet Violent Quark and other outside cronies are spending their life trying to influence what happens to private property that should be determined on the local level. And everyone already knows Blueberry Susy is just a self-indulged media whore on a crusade of self proclaimed importance. Pretty pathetic existence!

I can tell you that after I moved here I would talk to people back home in Jersey and, save my parents and sister, everyone would start the conversation with, "So how's Virginia?"

I would say, "It's Pennsylvania."
They would say, "Really?"
I would say, "Yes"
They would say, "I guess I thought it was in Virginia because that's where all that George Washington shit is."
I would say, "So how are things with you?"

I am not exaggerating when I say that everyone I talked to had that conversation with me. It was almost like there was a script. The only thing that changed was the George Washington line. A few would say, "I thought it was in Virginia because that's where all the Civil War Battlefields are." Unfortunately, it was too few that knew Washington was dead by this war.

It's not just people in NJ. During the summer of 1987, I was working for a company that went around and did large carpet laying jobs in different parts of the country. I was at South East Connecticut University in New Haven. We stayed on site and during the evenings were bored out of our minds. I used to go to the guard shack and talk to the guard. Upon learning that I was from Kansas, he,in all seriousness, asked "Do you still carry guns because of the Indians?" I thought he was joking until I saw the hurt expression on his face when I laughed. I apologized and went on to explain that we were thoroughly modern in every way.

[MattC]

Sept 22, 2010 8:18:23 GMT -5 Jayhawk said:

Sept 21, 2010 10:54:22 GMT -5 MattC said:

I can tell you that after I moved here I would talk to people back home in Jersey and, save my parents and sister, everyone would start the conversation with, "So how's Virginia?"

I would say, "It's Pennsylvania."
They would say, "Really?"
I would say, "Yes"
They would say, "I guess I thought it was in Virginia because that's where all that George Washington shit is."
I would say, "So how are things with you?"

I am not exaggerating when I say that everyone I talked to had that conversation with me. It was almost like there was a script. The only thing that changed was the George Washington line. A few would say, "I thought it was in Virginia because that's where all the Civil War Battlefields are." Unfortunately, it was too few that knew Washington was dead by this war.

It's not just people in NJ. During the summer of 1987, I was working for a company that went around and did large carpet laying jobs in different parts of the country. I was at South East Connecticut University in New Haven. We stayed on site and during the evenings were bored out of our minds. I used to go to the guard shack and talk to the guard. Upon learning that I was from Kansas, he,in all seriousness, asked "Do you still carry guns because of the Indians?" I thought he was joking until I saw the hurt expression on his face when I laughed. I apologized and went on to explain that we were thoroughly modern in every way.

My God. That has my stories beat. Although my cousin did think Lincoln was the head of the Soviet Union during the Civil War. So, stupid people are lurking in every corner, I guess.