Portland "unhappiest city" (Green: best cities, house, buy)

[We're All Aliens]

Originally Posted by Foreverking

Seriously folks, I think you all are trying to justify BS. Dont the majority of you feel better when its sunny out. all I heard while I was there on the 90 sunny days a year were "wow, its a beautiful day, too bad I gotta work" .

Just admit it, there is nothing wrong with admitting that 9 months of mostly cloudy weather year after year starts to get to you.

I am one of those that is relieved to have cloudy days! I am melaninly challenged and happy for a bit of reprieve from the sun.

While living in Honolulu for 7 years, almost everyday when I went outside I had to wear a wide brimmed hat, dark sunglasses, long sleeves and 50 + spf or else I would be burned to a crisp. Here I just throw on my coat and go.

Besides, overcast days make for better photography. The colors are richer and peoples faces are not shrouded in long shadows from the sun.

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by Foreverking

Seriously folks, I think you all are trying to justify BS. Dont the majority of you feel better when its sunny out. all I heard while I was there on the 90 sunny days a year were "wow, its a beautiful day, too bad I gotta work" .

Just admit it, there is nothing wrong with admitting that 9 months of mostly cloudy weather year after year starts to get to you.

Sure. But isn't it making a huge leap from feeling a little jolt or thrill on a gorgeous day, whatever your definition of that day is, to being unhappy? And for me, it really does depend on what level of "sunny" you're talking. My favorite kind of day is in the 70s with a fair number of big white fluffly clouds. Besides which, feeling that little thrill when seeing a lovely day is a momentary thrill. It's not something that affects my whole day. And certainly not my life.

And no, there is nothing to admit. The supposed 9 months of "mostly cloudy weather" does not get to me.

[lilypad]

I have been pleasantly surprised this winter by the number of sunny days comparatively. When I was here in the 90s, seemed like it was cloudy and rainy for 9 mos of the year. Global warming?

[dpgtfc]

Originally Posted by John Shaft

The law says 18. 17 is legally underage. Jail bait still = pedophilia.

No comments on the ethics, but jail bait is NOT pedophilia. Pediphilia is sex with pre-pubescent youths.

Sex with post-pubescent youths is called simply being a sex offender and not BY LAW pedophelia. I don't care about how you feel about sex offenders, but saying somebody that is 22 sleeping with a 16 year old is as bad as some 30 year old man sexually molesting an 8 year old is rehensible.

There IS a difference, and sleeping with a minor is NOT pedophilia. Sleeping with a pre-pubescent (14-15 and younger) IS. Watering down the seriousness of pedophilia with horny teenagers infatuation with older men is sickening.

Addendum: A somewhat close friend of mine has a sex offender status. He started dating this girl when they were like in 9th grade, and she was in 8th. 1 year and a couple months apart. It just so happened that when she was 16 and a few months from 17, he turned 18. They had sex during this period and their parents turned them in. It wasn't rape, she was just younger. They are CURRENTLY married, but he has to live with his charge. There is no way he was a Pedophile. Yet if he ran for office, somebody could dig that up.

(I know nothing about your mayor, but your FACTS are wrong)

[John Shaft]

Originally Posted by dpgtfc

Addendum: A somewhat close friend of mine has a sex offender status. He started dating this girl when they were like in 9th grade, and she was in 8th. 1 year and a couple months apart. It just so happened that when she was 16 and a few months from 17, he turned 18. They had sex during this period and their parents turned them in. It wasn't rape, she was just younger. They are CURRENTLY married, but he has to live with his charge. There is no way he was a Pedophile. Yet if he ran for office, somebody could dig that up.

Fair enough, but your example sounds like a high school couple with an unfortunate tiny age difference. That's not even in the same neighborhood of 17/18 yr old and a man in...what, his early 40s? But I will concede the point that sex with minor != pedophilia.

[subsound]

I think it's just that pedophilia has such a wide range, if an 18 year old had sex with a 6 year old it's the same moniker as a 40 year old having sex with a 17 year old...even though honestly there's not much difference to me between 17 and 18, while there is between 6 and 18...that it starts to lose something. Honestly I've known people who are 30 and are more innocent then 17 and 17 more adult then 21....Generalizing monikers is pretty annoying IMHO.

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by Foreverking

Seriously folks, I think you all are trying to justify BS. Dont the majority of you feel better when its sunny out. all I heard while I was there on the 90 sunny days a year were "wow, its a beautiful day, too bad I gotta work" .

Just admit it, there is nothing wrong with admitting that 9 months of mostly cloudy weather year after year starts to get to you.

Im in sunny FL and want to get the hell out.
I want clouds most of the year. It fits my moods.

[Foreverking]

Originally Posted by meltinjohn

Im in sunny FL and want to get the hell out.
I want clouds most of the year. It fits my moods.

Florida..yeah thats an exception to the rule. The humidity ruines all the fun with the sun. I lived in Orlando for 2 months. I hated that place. Pass go and collect 200 dollars on that move. You will like the Pac NW.

Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, and the Medford area of Oregon, are spots that will make you feel better in the sunshine.

The South really is undesirable in many many ways, too many to list here.

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by Foreverking

Florida..yeah thats an exception to the rule. The humidity ruines all the fun with the sun. I lived in Orlando for 2 months. I hated that place. Pass go and collect 200 dollars on that move. You will like the Pac NW.

Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, and the Medford area of Oregon, are spots that will make you feel better in the sunshine.

The South really is undesirable in many many ways, too many to list here.

Humidity and sunshine = bad mix for me.
Now I realized the place I lived before (PA) wasnt that bad when I was hurrying to get out. The winters were the only thing bad and the unemployment rate ( at the time when some places had a good economy too). PA was not that good by any means as the winters sucked but compared to the county I live in in FL (Manatee), it doesnt look so bad.
If theres anything I learned is that you never move anywhere based on how many supposed jobs a place has just because you see more chain stores vs one that doesnt. I find when you look within yourself, you can move to a place with a high unemployment rate and still feel much more at home (Like PDX not being that good in a favorable economy vs the better rates FL were getting jobs at BEFORE). I find you have to be where people are most like you that live the lifestyle closest to you for the most happiness or else its an evil picture the government can play by presenting the "rosiest" places to the american people with more chained stores, more sprawl and all it does is promise **** in the long run. You lived in FL, Im sure your aware of the boom they had back in 2003 or 04 and then it slid from there. It was the hot spot to buy homes because value was supposedly going up but the government knew there was a glitch and could sell it off to the american people. Its a deceiving picture at those times. Now that the entire country is seized, that should send a message to look to move to places that are like you the most, not what appears to be the best economically.
As far as the south goes, it sucks big time. FL is probably the most tolerant state there and that doesnt even say much.
You cant possibly compare Portland area rednecks to the rednecks in the south. Sure ignorance exists but I look at the NW redneck as a PBR/Rainier drinker vs the Natty Ice/Icehouse the southern rednecks drink. NTM I see the Oregon/Pac NW rednecks as lumberjack hippie Red Green types more, not the Larry the Cable guy types so much unless you head east maybe near Utah.

[Hans64]

All of these City Lists posted with authority in Business Week and Forbes are absurd. Their purpose is to create buzz and sell magazines. A year from now Portland will be on Business Week's MOST LIVEABLE CITIES list. Absurd.