Why do yall get so excited over new stores/restaurants? (Howe: fit in, subdivisions)

[Hyun-Soo]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Keep hurling the insults. Says a lot about you.

Location: Van by the river...
Says a lot about you as well..

Anyways,
Sapphire, please open your mind. How does tearing up the countryside for more shopping centers make the world better? You think consumerism is a good thing? Our world is extremely strained with all of the resources we keep using up.

[Hyun-Soo]

Originally Posted by Mister

Count the number of times you've mentioned stupid Americans, fat Americans and the "fact" that the world hates us in this thread.

Once for the 'stupid American'... I was referring to the attitude of many Americans, not American people

What other way should I describe that attitude?

[SARCASM] "Oh good American attitude!!" "Go and cut down that forest for a 1000 home subdivision and let's go plant a huge strip mall right next to the other shopping center we already have there" [SARCASM OFF]

[sapphire]

Apparently you are not a Chris Farley fan....that's OK. I happen to be, and I don't need your approval. Stupid attitude? That's OK, too.

Do we have too much "stuff"? Yeah, I suppose some people do--they seem to need a new storage facility every 2 miles or so. I've never used one, but I like to live with less junk in my house. And yeah, I'll admit that "tearing up the countryside" is not "making the world a better place" necessarily. So what now? Get on a message board and hurl fat insults at people I don't even know in order to instill some sort of change? Um, no thanks, and you should know that's not working.

So, like I said, where's your solution besides all of us selling our homes in the 'burbs and living downtown with you? Surely you've got more to bring to the table--let's hear something fresh from you. Rather than hating on people because of all the things you think we are doing wrong, offer up some suggestions that make sense to us.

[Hyun-Soo]

First of all, people are never going to learn unless you tell them firmly that this our problem. If you consider the comments I've written as insults, you really need to toughen up. Why would you consider something someone has written on the internet an insult?

Anyways, there are a lot of people who frequent these forums and I just wanted to hear their opinion on this. You all mirror the opinion of San Antonio it seems..

Never did I say that we should abandone the suburbs and start living downtown. What I meant was that we don't need to keep building and building shopping centers all over the sprawling edges of town. There is plenty of cheap, safe land to build on in the city limits but people want to live out in the hill country and damage that precious area.

I guess there isn't really a way to stop sprawl in San Antonio with all the people moving here... Like someone said earlier, this city was built for the car. There isn't any character in the suburbs. However that doesn't mean there is a way to change our direction.

Also how many restaurants do we need? We should really cut down on all the restaurants going up. No wonder this city is one of the fattest in the nation.

^^ Yeah I know everyone is going to shoot me down for that one. *GASP. San Antonio is one of the fattest cities in the US. Why is everyone so quick to back up obesity?

[Mister]

Originally Posted by Hyun-Soo

Also how many restaurants do we need? We should really cut down on all the restaurants going up. No wonder this city is one of the fattest in the nation.

Do you have facts to prove that the number of restaurants is directly related to a city's obesity rate? It seems to me that the restaurant density in cities like Paris and New York is greater than here in San Antonio. If anything, I'd say there's a greater correlation between obesity and poverty than obesity and restaurants.

What a concept: poor people who are overweight. It seems counter-intuitive.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by Hyun-Soo

First of all, people are never going to learn unless you tell them firmly that this our problem. If you consider the comments I've written as insults, you really need to toughen up. Why would you consider something someone has written on the internet an insult?

Anyways, there are a lot of people who frequent these forums and I just wanted to hear their opinion on this. You all mirror the opinion of San Antonio it seems..

Never did I say that we should abandone the suburbs and start living downtown. What I meant was that we don't need to keep building and building shopping centers all over the sprawling edges of town. There is plenty of cheap, safe land to build on in the city limits but people want to live out in the hill country and damage that precious area.

I guess there isn't really a way to stop sprawl in San Antonio with all the people moving here... Like someone said earlier, this city was built for the car. There isn't any character in the suburbs. However that doesn't mean there is a way to change our city.

Also how many restaurants do we need? We should really cut down on all the restaurants going up. No wonder this city is one of the fattest in the nation.

^^ Yeah I know everyone is going to shoot me down for that one. *GASP. San Antonio is one of the fattest cities in the US. Why is everyone so quick to back up obesity?

Was there a solution in there somewhere?

[Hyun-Soo]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Was there a solution in there somewhere?

This is what we need to find out. I put in some suggestions to stop sprawl but the problem is applying it to San Antonio.

[Love2begreen]

Originally Posted by Midorigreen

I think the majority of people do what they can to support small, independant businesses. This has to be balanced with what their budget, amount of free time, and their priorities allow. If the city were built differently - say, from day one....it might support more families living closer to the city center but.....what's done is done. You are asking people to give up something they have always known and.....these types of changes take time.

I don't think it's fair to criticize others for embracing what they CHOOSE to embrace. By lecturing others or by coming across as condescending, the point (and it IS a valid point) is lost. If you want things to change, lead by example and wait for others to take notice.

Personally, I do the best I can. I drive a hybrid and conserve as much water and energy possible etc. That said, I HATE being made to feel guilty for not doing more. Alternatively, I take note when I see someone going out of their way to make a difference and it inspires me to do more and try harder. I guess my point is that one might make more of an impact by preaching less and DOING more.

I LIKE the way you think act and be in the world. Are you aware of perchlorethylene?

[rd2007]

enough with the name calling and insults. The OP obviously has a very narrow view of everything and wants us to be like him/her. This will be perfect in a place like china or iran. Please visit them and learn that your opinion is simply just that... and then call your parents and ask them why they didn't teach you any manners!

[Midorigreen]

Originally Posted by Love2begreen

I LIKE the way you think act and be in the world. Are you aware of perchlorethylene?

Thank you! And....yes, I have heard of it.....