Thinking of working for the Pacific Northwest Lab and Richland

[rymandev]

Thank you moderator! It's unfortunate when we find a thread veering off from the subject of the original post or question, and especially when people transition to the baiting and insult.

BrokenGopher, you responded with, by far, the most restrained reply I think I've ever witnessed on a forum board. Kudo's to you!

It's true in my earlier post (pg 1) that one feature mentioned in the long list of activities here was boating on the river, and stopping off at Cedar's for rum barrels, but I didn't expect this to be the lone activity culled from the list and skewed to be floating and drinking beer.

The original question was whether there were any activities in the area for a young, single guy. I provided a list of activities readily available. A consistent rant I've heard, year in and year out, is that there's nothing to do in the Tri Cities. I'm always amazed to hear this! It seems that the people I hear this from believe that the only activities available are those printed in the Calendar section of the Herald! That being said, I could list 30 things happening on any given weekend and these same people respond "but I'm not into (insert activity here)!"

For the relative size of the area we have a diverse circle of clubs and groups, we get a decent amount of out-of-town shows...often sparsely attended. We bring in broadway tour shows and the venue is a quarter sold- thus, no more shows! But we've still had 3 of the 4 guys from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour here in the past 18 months, Jeff Dunham, LeAnn Rhimes- I mean c'mon! That's nothing you wouldn't expect to see in Seattle or Portland, and we certainly can't support that type of entertainment every weekend.

I've lived here and in larger cities, from Seattle to Orange County. When I was in my 20's and early 30's I never had a problem finding lots of diverse things to do here, with people across a broad slice of backgrounds and educational levels. Big city or smaller like here, there's advantages and disadvantages. Trying to compare Seattle to the Tri Cities is an exersize in futility.

[nutleynut]

This is a provincial town with small town thinking. Don't let people fool you. As an example of the thinking here, my wife got a German Shepard with first generation East German bloodlines (from a kennel near Seattle). The stud was known throughout Europe. She walks with her neighbor who has a mutt. She puts an american flag kerchief around the dog's neck and brags about how proud she is that her mutt is pure USA. Like our dog is some Nazi. I've never seen such stupid thinking, and it is not uncommon here.

I don't know what else to say chief. That is one of your many insulting remarks I am sure you would never say face to face to any of the people you so blithly place these labels on. You are the one offended by her opinion. You are the one who thought her pride indicated your dog was a nazi. you are the one who hates the Tri cities.
I just defended a defensless person who from my experience of living in the tri-cities is probably a very nice lady who would be shocked and mortified at your perception and probably apologise profusely for the (your) misunderstanding. You should reread your post. You come off as a pretentious snob. I still don't see why you must insult this woman and the entire population of the tricities because they don't meet your personal standards or somhow let down your expectations. You're in a new place try to learn instead of judge.
My repost to your original post, and this one is on subject as far as I am concerned since I am addressing what you said about the people of the tricities abd the quality of life there.
I have lived all over this country, in large and small cities and the tri cities is the only place I have ever been where there is true tolerance and acceptance by the general populace of any and every person who comes there with good intent.
I'm glad I missed the folderall but I also recomend my detractors go back and look at what was said and it will become clear that it is you who are the closed persons to make such sweeping judgements and to claim that I am speaking to "scientists" as if that had anything to do with anything.
Finally it is a well known fact that all pure breeds are genetically defective and prone to disease and physical disability as the result of the inbreeding that is necessary to create such an unatural animal.

[rymandev]

Originally Posted by BrokenGopher

I live in the TriCities and work for Battelle. I've been here for about 2.5 years.

People like to brag that we have 300 days of sunshine. On average, it may be true. How many days are left? For the last three months I've seen the sun maybe 6 times. Otherwise it's just dreary and overcast. Today we had dreary and a fog that settled to the ground. Give me snow and sunshine anyday.

Give up your idea of culture and clubbing. I've been to world ballet, for example, and I pass by the ballet school several times a week, and I have to say, it is not world class. People who say this are delusional.

I'd have to say that 2.5 years is probably not a proper length of time for an accurate representative sample of the climate in a given city or area.

The past few weeks has been unusually dreary and overcast, as all my friend's and co-workers have observed. It's definitely been colder, and colder for a longer number of days in a row, than I can remember in a while. I don't mind the cold, but if I wanted this lack of sun I'd live in Seattle again! That's ok. I've told people that it means we're using up our non-sunny days all at the beginning of the year!

As to the local ballet company, my exact statement in my reply on page 1 was "...a nationally recognized ballet company here that attracts world-class guest dancers for their performances (some of whom are alumni of the Academy)..." which you will notice does not state it to be "world class". I would however, be hard-pressed to do a drive-by of a ballet company's building, no matter how many times, and be able to categorically render an opinion, based upon having attended "world ballet" performances, on its status as a world-class organization. That would be, on my part, an unfortunate derision of the caliber of entertainment provided by these young people, and a belittling of the dedication to their craft. The Mid-Columbia Ballet IS nationally recognized by their peers as a high-quality organization, has alumni who have gone on to national and world-renowned ballet companies, and returned to perform here, and had guest dancers who were international stars of ballet. They consistently have members who win awards in national and international competition. I've been in the building only to buy tickets for performances, and dance myself only when electrocuted. I can, however, read both the newspaper and the program at the performances of the company, so know this much about them. That being said, I don't believe my statement of their quality makes me delusional.

I don't believe I'm a "rah-rah" kind of resident. I recognize the flaws of the area as well as the benefits. I think we should offer opinions to the original post regarding the area based upon experience of the activity or business or whatever. Making broad statements of what "people are like here" based upon one or two people (or their dog), or even worse on the rants of a couple of people on a forum, is hardly going to render a representative picture of the residents of the area.

Cheers!

[ABK]

Originally Posted by nutleynut

I don't know what else to say chief.

Than don't. Repeatingly insulting BrockenGopher who was so nice in his replies to you doesn't make this thread very helpful for anybody including the OP.

That is one of your many insulting remarks I am sure you would never say face to face to any of the people you so blithly place these labels on.

Stop your unfair assumptions and insinuations. Again, with your post you are just perfectly illustrating the close mindness of the local community.

I just defended a defensless person who from my experience of living in the tri-cities is probably a very nice lady who would be shocked and mortified at your perception and probably apologise profusely for the (your) misunderstanding.

See my comment above.

You should reread your post. You come off as a pretentious snob.

So do you. Only that you come off as a redneck.

I have lived all over this country, in large and small cities and the tri cities is the only place I have ever been where there is true tolerance and acceptance by the general populace of any and every person who comes there with good intent.

Then you are not like the general populace here because the words 'true tolerance' and 'acceptance' definitely can't be used to describe yourself.

...claim that I am speaking to "scientists" as if that had anything to do with anything.

The majority of people in this thread are from PNNL so your home cooked logic can't appeal to them in the discussion.

And, FINALLY, the gem of your entire post that obviously had nothing to do with the tread discussion but just illustrated your way of thinking Let me break it down for you.

Finally it is a well known fact WELL KNOWN BY WHOM? PLEASE PROVIDE SOME STUDIES that all pure breeds are genetically defective HOW? PLEASE PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF GENETIC DEFECTS THAT APPLY ONLY TO PURE BREDS and prone to disease and physical disability PLEASE PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF CANINE ILNESSES THAT DON'T AFFECT MIXES as the result of the inbreeding INBREEDING BY WHO? TRI-CITIES' BYBs? that is necessary to create such an unatural animal DEFINE NATURAL.

It was a pleasure

[ABK]

Originally Posted by rymandev

I'd have to say that 2.5 years is probably not a proper length of time for an accurate representative sample of the climate in a given city or area.

If somebody is 2.5 years miserable because of the weather than yes, it is a proper length. I'm not so affected by the weather but I must agree that it's very grey and overcasted around here, and windy too.

a belittling of the dedication to their craft.

You hit the nail on the head here. I'm very happy that the kids are having fun (I have seen their performance, actually) but this is like you said, CRAFT and not ART. It's the same like putting two beads together doesn't make a person a jeweler but just a craftsman.

I agree with your posts and I don't think you are a 'rah'rah' kind of resident like the nutleynut above. It's just that this area is not for everybody and since we live in a free country everybody has the right to voice their opinion and their views without being called names.

[rymandev]

Originally Posted by ABK

I agree with your posts and I don't think you are a 'rah'rah' kind of resident like the nutleynut above. It's just that this area is not for everybody and since we live in a free country everybody has the right to voice their opinion and their views without being called names.

Thanks, ABK. I keep an eye on a number of forums, some related to my job and others to keep an ear to the ground on the happenings and opinions of the area. Hmm, now that I think about it, they all kind of relate back to the job I suppose. Unfortunately, almost all forums have a tendency to be hijacked by a relative few with anger managment issues and they find the relative anonimity provided by online discourse to be conducive to their venom. It results in "flaming" of other posters who's opinions don't match their own. Some of them "troll" and post just to get a rise out of people, and some are so off-balance that their posts are even kind of scary.

Like I said earlier, it's best not to judge a community, Tri Cities or any other, by the relative few posters to a forum. On City-Data, one can get answers to information relating to demographics, etc. as regards a town, but it's best not to draw conclusions of the area residents' political or socio/economic leanings from a few posters opinions!

And, yes, I seem to have noticed an inordinate number of PNNL people in these forums, which is great. I've grown up around them, my folks worked for Battelle for a short while each, and I've friends out there as well as had clients from there. Great company that's donated a vast amount of money into the community's charities and community organizations. Did you know that since coming here in 1965, they've contributed over $19.5 million to civic and philanthropic corporate organizations in the area? Holy greenbacks Batman, we've been lucky to have them here!