What Is The Worst Town In Nebraska? (Omaha, Lincoln: colleges, vs.)

[aerahrtlu]

You people crack me up! I love C-D.com! Haha

[amosite]

Sudo Nymm's post brings up so many questions.

How does 9/11 have anything to do with moving to Ogallala?

Why would someone who has such a high opinion of themselves move to Ogallala, a town with no ballet, etc...

How can a "senior engineer" not find an engineering job or even make enough money to move out?

[Cornhusker]

Originally Posted by Sudo Nymm

Through a series of misadventures which began with 9/11, I now find myself
stranded in Ogallala, Nebraska. As the local folklore has it, I am not the first
wayfarer to be imprisoned here, unable to make enough money to escape.

After nearly a year in this miserable, godforsaken splotch of ignorant rednecks,
I am seriously considering throwing myself under the next express train.

I love opera, ballet, classical music, theater and the fine arts in general. And,
no, you dumb farmers, I'm not gay. I'm educated, cultured, sophisticated, and
hate the fact that there is no one here with whom I can share the joy I knew
at seeing Barishnikov dance. Only a few miles from here a young man was
tied to a barbed-wire fence and beaten to death for holding unpopular opinions.
I recently asked a co-worker (I work in a factory, since this town has no need of
a senior engineer) if he thought Obama would win the nomination, and he replied
"O-what-a?"

I've lived abroad. I even spent four years in a third-world country. But I've
never even been in a place where people are so hell-bent on ignoring the world
at large. Mention Iraq, and you get "Well, I dunno 'bout that'. Mention Bush and
lay down the facts about his lies, and you get "Well, he's the President". If you
can't talk bass fishing, high school sports or who died yesterday, you can't
carry on a conversation in this hellhole that goes by the name of Ogallala.

Fortunately this town (like the entire state) is dying. The downturn in the
economy (thank you George and his rich banker buddies) will sound the death knell for many stilted, unprepared, head-in-the-sand rural communities. When ethanol becomes an evil rather than a godsend, these whining farmers who claim they can't live on twenty times the net income I make will get their comeuppance,
and Nebraska will become the Dust Bowl it so richly deserves to be.

The state legislature is busy making laws to keep young people in the state, to
prevent the "brain drain". Well, guys, all I can say is that anybody with a
three-digit IQ, an ounce of gumption and five dollars has already left this "land
of losers" and the rest of us are saving up.

There's a beautiful, fascinating, mind-bending world out there, and I'm gonna
get back to it (or catch the next Union Pacific express, face-first), 'cause I can't
live here. Living here isn't living. It's just hiding. It's ignorance. It's stupidity.
It's cowardice. It's like living with Neanderthals cowering in a cave.

I've been around the world, and Ogallala is the worst place I've ever been.

I’ve been to Ogallala, used to hang out there in my youth.
It's not that bad of a town, but it's true it doesn't have any of that high brow entertainment you like.
It's a small town, of course they don't have that stuff.
I'd think a sophisticated world traveler who thinks himself intellectually superior to lowly Nebraskans should be able to figure a way out of this predicament.
I’m quite sure they are tired of listening to you complain too, maybe they’ll take up a collection to start you on your way.
Wouldn’t hurt to ask.

[mattpoulsen]

Sudo Nym,

Please. You turn the thread concerning towns in Nebraska into an indictment of conservatives and the Bush administration. As for Ogallala not being similar to the places you have been in the past, umm, why is that relevant??

I'm educated, sophisticated, and I also have been all over the world. Heck, I even have a Ph.D., have spoken at Cambridge University and have met several Nobel Prize winners. I realize that's totally irrelevant to the issue of Ogallala, but I figured since you were trumpeting your superiority then I was supposed to do the same.

The one thing I've learned with my experience is that the people of Ogallala (or any other place) are no more or less fair than people in NY, LA, Paris, London, Chicago, Omaha, or anywhere else your narrow mind could dream up.

In fact, rather than persecuting an entire town because they tend to be conservatives why don't you open up you extremely condescending mind a little bit and realize that you are no more privy to the inner workings of the Bush administration than anyone else.

You simply sound like a person who is pissed off at the world and wants to blame it on someone else. I'm no fan of Bush, but at what point do you stop blaming him for all of your problems? So, is it your fault or the City of Ogallala's fault that you're a "senior engineer" who moved to a town that has no market for an engineer? You know...Denver is only about 4 hours away. I would think someone with your level of intellectual prowess could figure out how to get from Ogallala to Denver. As far as you picking out one guy who didn't know who Obama was...well I'd just ask: Do you know what "anecdotal" means??

So, what exactly are you short on?? Is it the three digit IQ, the $5, or the gumption? If its the $5 I'm willing to bet those on the board would gladly loan you the cash. However, based on your rantings, I fear that its not the $5 you're lacking.

[ColeSD]

Originally Posted by Sudo Nymm

Through a series of misadventures which began with 9/11, I now find myself
stranded in Ogallala, Nebraska. As the local folklore has it, I am not the first
wayfarer to be imprisoned here, unable to make enough money to escape.

After nearly a year in this miserable, godforsaken splotch of ignorant rednecks,
I am seriously considering throwing myself under the next express train.

I love opera, ballet, classical music, theater and the fine arts in general. And,
no, you dumb farmers, I'm not gay. I'm educated, cultured, sophisticated, and
hate the fact that there is no one here with whom I can share the joy I knew
at seeing Barishnikov dance. Only a few miles from here a young man was
tied to a barbed-wire fence and beaten to death for holding unpopular opinions.
I recently asked a co-worker (I work in a factory, since this town has no need of
a senior engineer) if he thought Obama would win the nomination, and he replied
"O-what-a?"

I've lived abroad. I even spent four years in a third-world country. But I've
never even been in a place where people are so hell-bent on ignoring the world
at large. Mention Iraq, and you get "Well, I dunno 'bout that'. Mention Bush and
lay down the facts about his lies, and you get "Well, he's the President". If you
can't talk bass fishing, high school sports or who died yesterday, you can't
carry on a conversation in this hellhole that goes by the name of Ogallala.

Fortunately this town (like the entire state) is dying. The downturn in the
economy (thank you George and his rich banker buddies) will sound the death knell for many stilted, unprepared, head-in-the-sand rural communities. When ethanol becomes an evil rather than a godsend, these whining farmers who claim they can't live on twenty times the net income I make will get their comeuppance,
and Nebraska will become the Dust Bowl it so richly deserves to be.

The state legislature is busy making laws to keep young people in the state, to
prevent the "brain drain". Well, guys, all I can say is that anybody with a
three-digit IQ, an ounce of gumption and five dollars has already left this "land
of losers" and the rest of us are saving up.

There's a beautiful, fascinating, mind-bending world out there, and I'm gonna
get back to it (or catch the next Union Pacific express, face-first), 'cause I can't
live here. Living here isn't living. It's just hiding. It's ignorance. It's stupidity.
It's cowardice. It's like living with Neanderthals cowering in a cave.

I've been around the world, and Ogallala is the worst place I've ever been.

Ask anyone who's ever talked to me for more than five minutes about me and my family's experiences in Nebraska. It's no secret what my feelings are.

Having said that, this is probably one of the rudest things I've ever read on this site for about twenty reasons.

Though some of it has validity, mostly about Steven Haataja's murder, which is a genuine concern, one is left to wonder why you would lower yourself to moving to a city without a ballet in the first place.

[SCGranny]

Well, guess what? I have a three digit IQ, and I am well-educated, involved in politics for the last thirty years as a successful campaign manager and speech writer. I have also been a newspaper reporter, firefighter, EMT. I direct my county's "First Steps" organization, that helps parents prepare their preschoolers for school, provides them with monthly reading material for each child age birth to 4 YOA. I also work with handicapped kids on my local military base. I grow my own vegetables, and own a greenhouse where I promulgate tropical and unusual varieties of plants. I have been an elected official for the past 6 years, and have grown my town from 1 square mile to 50, through annexation and sustainable development practices that do not impact my local environment. I am also the Disaster Prep representative for the area. I am an artist with the local county Art association; my latest creation on display was a fiberglas mermaid that won several prizes. I attend formal black tie balls and silly dress-up balls, am a member of the Symphony Supporters, and love ballet and opera. I also hunt and fish and ride horses whenever I can. And - I am looking to move TO Nebraska. Why?

Because much of what I see in your much touted high-class world is artificial and put-on, pure phoniness and hype, pure one-upmanship and viciousness. I see people with degrees who cannot, will not, be educated in realities, who constantly put down and insult decent hard-working people in their quest for a feeling of superiority. I see frustration, anger, angst, and ennui, as well as a fear of hard work and a definite bitter encroaching feeling of entitlement - i.e., "The world OWES me a living". Their miserable lives are always someone else's fault, their gains are always due to their own rudeness and pushiness and one-upmanship.

The people whom I have met both on this forum and by email and phone in ND, SD, and NE have all been warm, welcoming, down to earth, fun people with a great sense of humor and a willingness to help and be helped. Blunt honesty and fair play are how I have been treated, both of which I appreciate.

I have traveled extensively, and I can honestly say that I have been able to fit in anywhere, make friends anywhere, because I follow one simple rule - I treat others with the same respect and concern that I wish for. Many people will never be happy anywhere, no matter who or what amenities surround them, because they are not happy with themselves.

I look forward to being a part of whatever community into which we retire/settle, simply because I am willing to put my knowledge, talents, and happy spirit to work to benefit my neighbors and new friends AS WELL AS myself. This I have found is the only way to be happy.

PS I cannot wait to give away my silk and satin dresses and pumps, and put on jeans and flannel shirts again!

[Dave1215]

Originally Posted by SCGranny

Well, guess what? I have a three digit IQ, and I am well-educated, involved in politics for the last thirty years as a successful campaign manager and speech writer. I have also been a newspaper reporter, firefighter, EMT. I direct my county's "First Steps" organization, that helps parents prepare their preschoolers for school, provides them with monthly reading material for each child age birth to 4 YOA. I also work with handicapped kids on my local military base. I grow my own vegetables, and own a greenhouse where I promulgate tropical and unusual varieties of plants. I have been an elected official for the past 6 years, and have grown my town from 1 square mile to 50, through annexation and sustainable development practices that do not impact my local environment. I am also the Disaster Prep representative for the area. I am an artist with the local county Art association; my latest creation on display was a fiberglas mermaid that won several prizes. I attend formal black tie balls and silly dress-up balls, am a member of the Symphony Supporters, and love ballet and opera. I also hunt and fish and ride horses whenever I can. And - I am looking to move TO Nebraska. Why?

Because much of what I see in your much touted high-class world is artificial and put-on, pure phoniness and hype, pure one-upmanship and viciousness. I see people with degrees who cannot, will not, be educated in realities, who constantly put down and insult decent hard-working people in their quest for a feeling of superiority. I see frustration, anger, angst, and ennui, as well as a fear of hard work and a definite bitter encroaching feeling of entitlement - i.e., "The world OWES me a living". Their miserable lives are always someone else's fault, their gains are always due to their own rudeness and pushiness and one-upmanship.

The people whom I have met both on this forum and by email and phone in ND, SD, and NE have all been warm, welcoming, down to earth, fun people with a great sense of humor and a willingness to help and be helped. Blunt honesty and fair play are how I have been treated, both of which I appreciate.

I have traveled extensively, and I can honestly say that I have been able to fit in anywhere, make friends anywhere, because I follow one simple rule - I treat others with the same respect and concern that I wish for. Many people will never be happy anywhere, no matter who or what amenities surround them, because they are not happy with themselves.

I look forward to being a part of whatever community into which we retire/settle, simply because I am willing to put my knowledge, talents, and happy spirit to work to benefit my neighbors and new friends AS WELL AS myself. This I have found is the only way to be happy.

PS I cannot wait to give away my silk and satin dresses and pumps, and put on jeans and flannel shirts again!

That variety of things like silk/flannel or ballet/hunting, teamed with community involvement/betterment will fit perfectly in most Nebraska communities... so welcom in advance.

I know you've said this before, so for the benefit of others, just don't go into the small towns with an attitude of changing or helping them, just come in and be part of the community - then there is generally not an issue of acceptance or getting involved.

[SCGranny]

Thanks, Dave! and ditto.
I serve the people, they are not there to serve ME.
I don't want to change a thing. Not. One. Thing. If I move there, there has to be a reason. Why would I change that reason, and ruin it for not only me but everyone else? That's just dumb.
One of my new friends has already invited me to join the local arts council when we move in. Another here has already invited me and hubby to join the star gazers in Valentine in July if we move in time. You bet we will! We will move to a place to appreciate it for its beauty, its individuality, and to help preserve not only what we moved there for, but why others live there.

It will have to be a place where I can still ride my horse down the street, though!

Here's hoping all the whiners and complainers move and leave in disgust to torment other places with their superciliousness, and leave us to enjoy each other's redneck comfortable company!

[Dave1215]

Originally Posted by SCGranny

One of my new friends has already invited me to join the local arts council when we move in. Another here has already invited me and hubby to join the star gazers in Valentine in July if we move in time. You bet we will! We will move to a place to appreciate it for its beauty, its individuality, and to help preserve not only what we moved there for, but why others live there.

Nebraska has a great support for the Arts, so you should have lots of opportunity. When you arrive, don't forget to venture up to both Omaha and Lincoln for arts trips, people are suprised what's available once they start uncovering it.

[ColeSD]

Originally Posted by Dave1215

That variety of things like silk/flannel or ballet/hunting, teamed with community involvement/betterment will fit perfectly in most Nebraska communities... so welcom in advance.

I know you've said this before, so for the benefit of others, just don't go into the small towns with an attitude of changing or helping them, just come in and be part of the community - then there is generally not an issue of acceptance or getting involved.

I'm stressing the word "generally" as I read this.