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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Small town America 2
#26876545 - 08/12/20 09:22 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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This past weekend I went on about a 10 hour drive to Ruidoso, New Mexico. So I went through extremely remote and desolate parts of Texas and New Mexico.
Drove through something like twenty (give or take) remote outposts that were decaying into oblivion. A lot of these "town" had populations of less than 200 and were hours away from any decently sized town.
It was really sad, honestly. Broke my heart riding through those places. The vast majority of the businesses that once were operational at some point in time were vacant and falling apart in advanced stages of utter decay. Some of the roofs had even collapsed in altogether. Some homes still had people living in them but many homes were also clearly long ago abandoned.
The creepiest thing was how many homes I saw along the way that almost looked like someone was living in them -- but the windows were gone or boarded up, and the roofs had partly collapsed or some walls had fallen away. And there'd still be a car or two in the driveway. That was the creepiest thing. But obviously these vehicles weren't functional, as they were rusted out and appeared to have not been driven for many years. A few cars were still even parked in the garage. It was like scenes out of an apocalyptic movie.
Those places...it's almost impossible for them to make it out there. To thrive. There's barely any work/jobs there because there are extremely few businesses. People want to hang on and stay in those towns, as depressed as the towns may be -- because that's their home. So they stay. What really saddened me was that you could see clearly that they have tried to start businesses for the few people in town (like a bbq joint, a diner, some random storefronts, etc.) but almost all ultimately failed at some point and were abandoned to decay because nobody in the town has money to spend. Nobody driving through (like myself) stop by to support the very few businesses they have that are still alive.
Like I drove by a handful of roadside fruit stands in the middle of nowhere but instead of stopping by and spending some money there to help them out I just ended up back home in Dallas last night only to order a few things from earth overlord Jeff Bezos and go to the huge chain grocery store across the street. Meanwhile those poor people out there in the middle of nowhere can afford to even keep their homes from literally falling apart around them.
Anyway TLDR: seeing dying small towns kinda made me sad but by tomorrow I'll have forgotten about them completely and will be back to helping feed all the mega chains here in city so their CEOs can trade in their old yachts for new ones
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
Edited by Niffla (08/12/20 09:46 AM)
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 4
#26876546 - 08/12/20 09:23 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Here's some small town decay porn 




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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 3
#26876564 - 08/12/20 09:30 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
Edited by Niffla (08/12/20 09:32 AM)
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the strander
Explorer



Registered: 06/16/20
Posts: 138
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 5
#26876596 - 08/12/20 09:47 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Darn, heartbreaking. Did you take the photos? They're sadly beautiful.
I often think about our species' urge to keep going bigger and more. A company isn't doing well just because its profits are steady and its customers are satisfied; businesses must EXPAND; sales plans and revenues must INCREASE quarter after quarter, year after year.
How is that sustainable?
I think it is a toxic idea that is leading society down a bad path. Because companies must expand to be considered worthwhile and respected, they eat smaller companies up to get more and more market share. Smaller companies or businesses have no choice to be eaten up when their competition hits critical mass and gets so much market share they can't make a profit.
At the bottom, there's little room anymore to be a small business that pays the bills and provides a useful service to the community. The need for the biggest companies to keep getting bigger chokes them out, even when the big companies really don't need the business they're stealing from the little guys to make a profit.
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
the strander said: Darn, heartbreaking. Did you take the photos? They're sadly beautiful.
No I didn't -- those are photos I just pulled off the internet. I should have though because I drove by about a million of them this past weekend. And when you go through the "towns" if you blink they're already well behind you in the rear view mirror.
But yeah strander, good post and I agree.
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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trees


Registered: 02/08/09
Posts: 9,194
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26876732 - 08/12/20 11:20 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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You ever wonder what if you were born into one of those small towns. Would you realize it? Whenever i drive through these small unknown ghost towns i stop at the gas stations and stuff and always wonder about the person working in there, how bizzarre it is to me that they were born and raised in that super desolated ghostly place, do they know whats outside? Have they ever left that place? What do they do for fun after work? I try my best to imagine a day in their life in their shoes.
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larry.fisherman
shoulda died already


Registered: 11/03/12
Posts: 36,294
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Re: Small town America [Re: trees] 2
#26876737 - 08/12/20 11:24 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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We have these things with wheels and they drink gasolines and go vroom vroom they help you get places . I imagine that's how life works outside of the city.. it's amazing those animals even manage to survive out there, in the wild.
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Crazy_Horse
I’m Rick James, bitch!


Registered: 08/15/16
Posts: 13,283
Loc: Hampsterdam
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26876761 - 08/12/20 11:41 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Those people need paint.
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blewmeanie



Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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Quote:
the strander said: I often think about our species' urge to keep going bigger and more. A company isn't doing well just because its profits are steady and its customers are satisfied; businesses must EXPAND; sales plans and revenues must INCREASE quarter after quarter, year after year.
How is that sustainable?
I think the other side of that line of thought is, what makes you think it should be sustainable? Everything has a life cycle.
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
Posts: 38,323
Loc: subtropics
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Re: Small town America [Re: trees]
#26876793 - 08/12/20 12:10 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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I lived in rural OK for 4.5 years, and grew up in Texas from the 60's. Some of those small town people absolutely HATE bigger/big cities and despise ANYTHING that has to do with progress or renovating, gentrification and so on. They like the small town and want it to stay that way.
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Re: Small town America [Re: trees]
#26876799 - 08/12/20 12:16 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
trees said: You ever wonder what if you were born into one of those small towns. Would you realize it? Whenever i drive through these small unknown ghost towns i stop at the gas stations and stuff and always wonder about the person working in there, how bizzarre it is to me that they were born and raised in that super desolated ghostly place, do they know whats outside? Have they ever left that place? What do they do for fun after work? I try my best to imagine a day in their life in their shoes.
Who knows. Night life (lol) obviously doesn't exist out there. But I'm sure they find ways to occupy their time. Someone sober could do a lot of reading. Spending time in their garden if they got one. I'm sure they sit around watching a lot of TV. Judge Judy everyday probably.
If you're out there and aren't into being sober then there's always the hardcore alcoholic thing one could do. And of course another small town favorite past time -- meth. Although those seem to be favorite past times of many large cities as well.
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
tyrannicalrex said: I lived in rural OK for 4.5 years, and grew up in Texas from the 60's. Some of those small town people absolutely HATE bigger/big cities and despise ANYTHING that has to do with progress or renovating, gentrification and so on. They like the small town and want it to stay that way.
I actually get why they hate cities. Heck I hate cities too at this point. I'm so over cities. (been living in cities my entire existence). Now I'm not saying I want to go live out my days in a decaying, falling apart town of 200 that is against progress. But a little place like Ruidoso that is gorgeous and has amazing views and endless nature & outdoor opportunities? YES. Please.
But cities...they're polluted. Crime infested. The traffic is atrocious. There are plenty of cool things that cities provide too obviously, but the drawbacks are definitely pretty immense IMO.
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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Jokeshopbeard
Humble Student

Registered: 11/30/11
Posts: 26,088
Loc: Deep in the system
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 1
#26876810 - 08/12/20 12:27 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Niffla said: I actually get why they hate cities. Heck I hate cities too at this point. I'm so over cities. (been living in cities my entire existence).
I feel you there brother. I had a ten month break when I lived in the middle of nowhere, Australia, back in '17, and I've had no desire to ever live in a city again since.
-------------------- Let it be seen that you are nothing. And in knowing that you are nothing... there is nothing to lose, there is nothing to gain. What can happen to you? Something can happen to the body, but it will either heal or it won't. What's the big deal? Let life knock you to bits. Let life take you apart. Let life destroy you. It will only destroy what you are not. --Jac O'keeffe
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blewmeanie



Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 1
#26876812 - 08/12/20 12:28 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Downtown in a decent sized small town is where it's at. You can still walk around, and there are places to go, but crime and other stresses of the city are non-existent.
It's hard to make a living like that though. I hope this coronavirus work from home trend never ends. As soon as I find out it's permanent, I'm buying a house in a small town.
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26876815 - 08/12/20 12:29 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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That said if you give me the choice between city life and a dying, depressed town in the middle of nowhere west TX or wherever then I have to of course go with the city and all its evils that come with it. For obvious reasons.
I do think it would be an interesting experience though to live in one of those decaying towns for like 3 months...just to see how daily life is in their world. Which is obviously worlds away from living in a metropolis.
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
Jokeshopbeard said:
I feel you there brother. I had a ten month break when I lived in the middle of nowhere, Australia
I have no problem at all with middle of nowhere, and would unquestionably prefer it to city living -- so long as it has great outdoor opportunities. Then I'm gold. And I'm assuming pretty much anywhere in the outback has wonderful nature everywhere around at your disposal.
But man some of these decaying and dying towns in TX where it's dry and arid and savagely hot -- and then combine that with the decay of those poor towns and it is really, really depressing.
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
Edited by Niffla (08/12/20 12:34 PM)
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ONE OZ SLUG
-


Registered: 05/22/13
Posts: 17,839
Loc: TX
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 1
#26876824 - 08/12/20 12:34 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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I'm sure you can still get drugs in a dilapidated building that says "drugs" on it just fine
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blewmeanie



Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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I lived here for a little bit when I was younger.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_Hash,_Kentucky
A dog was the mayor.
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the strander
Explorer



Registered: 06/16/20
Posts: 138
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
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Re: Small town America [Re: blewmeanie] 1
#26876830 - 08/12/20 12:36 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
blewmeanie said:
Quote:
the strander said: I often think about our species' urge to keep going bigger and more. A company isn't doing well just because its profits are steady and its customers are satisfied; businesses must EXPAND; sales plans and revenues must INCREASE quarter after quarter, year after year.
How is that sustainable?
I think the other side of that line of thought is, what makes you think it should be sustainable? Everything has a life cycle.
True. Unfortunately I don't think we're talking about this just at the level of an individual business. I think it applies to the entire species. We can't keep getting bigger and bigger and doing more and more.
In 100 years Google and Amazon are going to own everything, due to their quest to get bigger and bigger as fast as possible. It will not be good for us.
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
blewmeanie said:
A dog was the mayor. 
was this him
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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the strander
Explorer



Registered: 06/16/20
Posts: 138
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
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Re: Small town America [Re: trees] 1
#26876835 - 08/12/20 12:40 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
trees said: You ever wonder what if you were born into one of those small towns. Would you realize it? Whenever i drive through these small unknown ghost towns i stop at the gas stations and stuff and always wonder about the person working in there, how bizzarre it is to me that they were born and raised in that super desolated ghostly place, do they know whats outside? Have they ever left that place? What do they do for fun after work? I try my best to imagine a day in their life in their shoes.
I think you do know once you get old enough.
The ghost towns would not be fun to live in. But before they were ghosted, there's a lot to be said for living in a small town. I lived in a small town until I was 10 and, part of me wishes my family had stayed there. I live in a city now, and although having access to lots of experiences can be cool, I'm happiest doing things with friends in my own neighborhood, a town in and of itself.
Edited by the strander (08/12/20 02:19 PM)
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
the strander said:
In 100 years Google and Amazon are going to own everything, due to their quest to get bigger and bigger as fast as possible. It will not be good for us.
Yep.
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
the strander said: there's a lot to be said for living in a small town. I loved in a small town until I was 10 and, part of me wishes my family had stayed there. I live in a city now, and although having access to lots of experiences can be cool, I'm happiest doing things with friends in my own neighborhood, a town in and of itself.
Yeah even though they seem to be a dying breed these days, there are still neat, small towns that still do well. And even thrive. They've figured out how to make it work for them and their community. And I guarantee their residents on average are so much happier and significantly less stressed than your average big city resident.
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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blewmeanie



Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26876846 - 08/12/20 12:47 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Niffla said:
Quote:
blewmeanie said:
A dog was the mayor. 
was this him

This is the current mayor.
http://www.rabbithashhistsoc.org/the-mayor/buy-votes/
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
Posts: 38,323
Loc: subtropics
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Will you be here 100 years from now? Do you have kids or want them? If not, then fuck it all and let's go out in a blaze of big city life glory!
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Crazy_Horse
I’m Rick James, bitch!


Registered: 08/15/16
Posts: 13,283
Loc: Hampsterdam
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26876878 - 08/12/20 01:09 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Niffla said:
Quote:
blewmeanie said:
A dog was the mayor. 
was this him

I would vote for him.
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
blewmeanie said:
This is the current mayor.
http://www.rabbithashhistsoc.org/the-mayor/buy-votes/

Brynn looks like he'd sell his soul for a vote
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
Posts: 38,323
Loc: subtropics
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I was trying to avoid this, but ya'll made me do it!
Small Town John Mellencamp Well I was born in a small town And I live in a small town Probably die in a small town Oh, those small communities All my friends are so small town My parents live in the same small town My job is so small town Provides little opportunity Educated in a small town Taught the fear of Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another boring romantic that's me But I've seen it all in a small town Had myself a ball in a small town Married an L.A. doll and brought her to this small town Now she's small town just like me No I cannot forget where it is that I come from I cannot forget the people who love me Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town And people let me be just what I want to be Got nothing against a big town Still hayseed enough to say Look who's in the big town But my bed is in a small town Oh, and that's good enough for me Well I was born in a small town And I can breathe in a small town Gonna die in this small town And that's probably where they'll bury me
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Amanita86
OTD Keymaster


Registered: 09/26/12
Posts: 89,464
Loc: hades
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 2
#26876907 - 08/12/20 01:24 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Niffla said: Here's some small town decay porn 





Those gas pumps are a good example... those buildings make me want to sneak through all those long forgotten places and see what kind of shit got left behind. Run over it with a metal detector or what have you.
Some of those places get sad, there’s a similar mental decay you see in cities where everyone just resigns to doing drugs and alcohol and you see a lot of high school pregnancy type shit. Real sad stories. I lived in a nowhere place for a few years and I swear the place was cursed. Lots of deaths and suicides and horrible stories of people who just kind of gave up, like they forgot the whole world isn’t the same as that exact town. It’s like the swamp of sorrow in The Neverending Story... people just forget and give up.
Anyways, as illegal as I imagine it probably is I’d still like to go snooping around in some of those old forgotten places and see if any cool shit got left behind.
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Orange clock, pencil "They threw me off the hay truck about noon..."
*Mark 15:34  Gam zeh ya’avor...
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blewmeanie



Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
Posts: 38,323
Loc: subtropics
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OMG no! I posted JCM because the title only. I really do not like that song, but rock on it if you like. Country music = to me. Glad you're back posting regularly though.
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Re: Small town America [Re: Amanita86] 1
#26876922 - 08/12/20 01:36 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Amanita86 said:
Anyways, as illegal as I imagine it probably is I’d still like to go snooping around in some of those old forgotten places and see if any cool shit got left behind.
Same here, man. I always get the urge to pull over and walk through some of these. Never do, though. I need to though one of these times.
Quote:
Amanita86 said:
Some of those places get sad, there’s a similar mental decay you see in cities where everyone just resigns to doing drugs and alcohol and you see a lot of high school pregnancy type shit.
Heck even the physical decay. Look at Detroit. Look at a little bit of this video.
There are bad parts of every city too that are rampant with decay (although that video of parts of Detroit is about as extreme as you'll ever see)
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
Edited by Niffla (08/12/20 01:39 PM)
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Crazy_Horse
I’m Rick James, bitch!


Registered: 08/15/16
Posts: 13,283
Loc: Hampsterdam
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26876944 - 08/12/20 01:55 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
Posts: 38,323
Loc: subtropics
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 2
#26876947 - 08/12/20 01:56 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Ghosts up in those old small town buildings. You should have done an EVP session niffla.
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CookieCrumbs
Fucked off to the pub


Registered: 12/10/11
Posts: 14,146
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 1
#26876954 - 08/12/20 01:57 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Most of the boomer generation of my family grew up in rural appalachia or its small towns.
My mom's family was largely isolated on small farms. You had a bread winner (my great grandfather usually) and the wife and kids stayed worked the farm. Who couldn't drive. So visiting town was really special for them. Visiting other towns was an event.
My grandpa taught himself to drive at 12. He saved his brother's life with that knowledge when my great grandfather was at work and his mom couldn't drive. My little 12 year old grandpa drove his mom and brother to the hospital when my great uncle had a horrible accident with an axe.
Sadly... the way of these people seems to be to suffer in silence. I only heard this story by my great uncle at my grandpa's funeral. I knew my grandpa was a wildly ingenuitive special man but I regret that so much was lost with him.
Just as I watched him get old and die I'm watching that little town and the surrounding land do the same as the coal mines continue to shut down.
Much of my extended family that still live in the area are living off of welfare and black lung payouts (horrible disease many up there have and the payouts are disgraceful.) The vast majority of people living up there are doing so on welfare or disability. The only jobs up there are manual labor. So most folk work them until they get hurt or sick and can't work them and then live below the poverty line.
It's just sad.
Proud self sufficient communities that suffered from the isolation that made them self sufficient. And they suffer silently. You see the symptoms more than you hear the stories.
My mom and my uncle inherited the farm they were born on. If my uncle doesn't have any kids it will be split among me and my brothers. We keep talking about what we want to do with the land and keep only vague ideas and putting the due by date further and further back because you basically need to be ready to retire self sufficiently in order to move back there.
Also my great great great grandfather sold the mineral rights to the land. Which were harvested a couple years ago. so not only can we not get the full value out of it... it's also alot harder to do alot with land that's been mined.
I can't blame him though, that's just what happens up there. It's called an extraction economy. Companies move in, make jobs, extract the minerals, and leave. And they don't really care about the people they leave there.
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Free time is the only time
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
tyrannicalrex said: Ghosts up in those old small town buildings. You should have done an EVP session niffla.
Quote:
CookieCrumbs said: Most of the boomer generation of my family grew up in rural appalachia or its small towns.
My mom's family was largely isolated on small farms. You had a bread winner (my great grandfather usually) and the wife and kids stayed worked the farm. Who couldn't drive. So visiting town was really special for them. Visiting other towns was an event.
My grandpa taught himself to drive at 12. He saved his brother's life with that knowledge when my great grandfather was at work and his mom couldn't drive. My little 12 year old grandpa drove his mom and brother to the hospital when my great uncle had a horrible accident with an axe.
Sadly... the way of these people seems to be to suffer in silence. I only heard this story by my great uncle at my grandpa's funeral. I knew my grandpa was a wildly ingenuitive special man but I regret that so much was lost with him.
Just as I watched him get old and die I'm watching that little town and the surrounding land do the same as the coal mines continue to shut down.
Much of my extended family that still live in the area are living off of welfare and black lung payouts (horrible disease many up there have and the payouts are disgraceful.) The vast majority of people living up there are doing so on welfare or disability. The only jobs up there are manual labor. So most folk work them until they get hurt or sick and can't work them and then live below the poverty line.
It's just sad.
Proud self sufficient communities that suffered from the isolation that made them self sufficient. And they suffer silently. You see the symptoms more than you hear the stories.
My mom and my uncle inherited the farm they were born on. If my uncle doesn't have any kids it will be split among me and my brothers. We keep talking about what we want to do with the land and keep only vague ideas and putting the due by date further and further back because you basically need to be ready to retire self sufficiently in order to move back there.
Also my great great great grandfather sold the mineral rights to the land. Which were harvested a couple years ago. so not only can we not get the full value out of it... it's also alot harder to do alot with land that's been mined.
I can't blame him though, that's just what happens up there. It's called an extraction economy. Companies move in, make jobs, extract the minerals, and leave. And they don't really care about the people they leave there.
Wonderful post. Thank you, Cookie. Yes it's sad and looks like you know firsthand. It really did break my heart driving through them.
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HAIL OUR NEW OTD KING
Edited by Niffla (08/12/20 02:05 PM)
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CookieCrumbs
Fucked off to the pub


Registered: 12/10/11
Posts: 14,146
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This building was in the town center owned by wealthy extended family of mine. It's now a museum that sees maybe a handful of visitors a week.

The town has the fortune of possibly surviving as a roadside diversion and supply center on the way to some rather beautiful parks and nature reserves in the state.
But everyone knows it's just one highway away from complete doom. As most of the nearby towns can attest.
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Free time is the only time
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blewmeanie



Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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the strander
Explorer



Registered: 06/16/20
Posts: 138
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
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Quote:
tyrannicalrex said: Will you be here 100 years from now? Do you have kids or want them? If not, then fuck it all and let's go out in a blaze of big city life glory!
No, I won't. But since we have brains capable of imagining the future and planning for it responsibly, it seems lame to just not do that for the sake of a handful having ungodly amounts of money today. Money that doesn't buy them a proportionate amount of happiness over a certain threshold.
I also just don't understand the urge to always do better and more and bigger. I have a small place to live for just myself. I don't feel like I'm missing out because it's not a mansion. I have enough money to live comfortably. I'm actually considering looking for lower paying jobs that will be less stressful because I'd prefer happiness over more money.
Every company I've worked at had a job I liked at first, and then the company was sold, or taken over, or they brought in a new team to make things work better for when the company got bigger... and every time one of these things happened, the job I liked turned to shit.
I honestly don't understand why we can't learn to be happy with what we already have. It's just not in my nature, so while I recognize it, I don't relate to it at all.
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tyrannicalrex
Strange R



Registered: 04/24/03
Posts: 38,323
Loc: subtropics
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I agree, and I am in a place I thought I would never be in and very grateful and humble about it. How much is enough? Some people just want more and more and more! I came from being poor. Section 8 housing, food stamps, lawn furniture for living room furniture at one time. The aluminum and plastic strips ones. So I do know what it's like to be without. As little as we had we were still better off than others and I won't/don't ever forget that. The house I'm in now is a mansion to me, but would be little to some people. I grew up in apartments and moved almost every year or two. Been in some bad places.
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
CookieCrumbs said:
The town has the fortune of possibly surviving as a roadside diversion and supply center on the way to some rather beautiful parks and nature reserves in the state.
That's another thing about driving through these tiny remote outposts that saddens me.
Sometimes you'll see signs promoting the town. Almost pleading with drivers to stop by. To stop and eat. Or pick up some little knick knack. At least some gas. Just any transaction out there means a lot more to them. It's sad to me I guess because the reality is I'm sure the vast majority of people traveling through will not stop and will never see that town again.
I think the next road trip I make I'm going to make it a point to stop and spend some money.
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CookieCrumbs
Fucked off to the pub


Registered: 12/10/11
Posts: 14,146
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 2
#26877217 - 08/12/20 05:15 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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It's illegal to go through property but people do it. I like watching urban explorers on YouTube sometimes. I can scrounge up some links if you want.
But anyway it's not illegal to walk on the road or sidewalk. I recommend.
I've walked through alot of small towns and I love town centers, degraded or not. I can imagine that was so many peoples lives. On a bustling Saturday or after church lets out and families are talking with each other about seeing a movie at the old theater or getting a meal at the local diner.
Those old theaters are super cool. Back before VCR and home video. Back before cable TV. Back when seeing a movie was a big deal, theaters reflected that.
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CookieCrumbs
Fucked off to the pub


Registered: 12/10/11
Posts: 14,146
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 1
#26877369 - 08/12/20 07:00 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Sorry dude been firing one offs around work and shit today.
Yeah those people appreciate your dollar more than any city or chain. I've chatted with some super cool peeps in little towns. Often in little shops and diners you get the chance to chat with the owner and that's always cool. Never met one that wasn't chill.
I must sadly admit little town USA was never my destination, not even my own family's town. Just places I stop on my way to other places. Do try to make that little stop though.
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zZZz
jesus



Registered: 12/28/07
Posts: 33,478
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MY LOVE
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Fiery
Sword of Fire


Registered: 12/24/12
Posts: 36,574
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26877596 - 08/12/20 09:31 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Niffla said: This past weekend I went on about a 10 hour drive to Ruidoso, New Mexico. So I went through extremely remote and desolate parts of Texas and New Mexico.
Drove through something like twenty (give or take) remote outposts that were decaying into oblivion. A lot of these "town" had populations of less than 200 and were hours away from any decently sized town.
It was really sad, honestly. Broke my heart riding through those places. The vast majority of the businesses that once were operational at some point in time were vacant and falling apart in advanced stages of utter decay. Some of the roofs had even collapsed in altogether. Some homes still had people living in them but many homes were also clearly long ago abandoned.
Sorry all that desolation upset you,
but what I see is a place to get land for cheap with access to electricity and water.
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Led Zeppelin
Tripper


Registered: 05/17/10
Posts: 3,962
Last seen: 3 years, 4 months
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Re: Small town America [Re: Fiery]
#26877694 - 08/12/20 11:22 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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its all about small cities with not much else around them, and growing up with them. then just dip out when they get big. I wonder what the next small city like that is....
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starfire_xes
I Am 'They'



Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 21,590
Loc: Dallas with all the assho...
Last seen: 7 months, 1 day
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26877728 - 08/12/20 11:55 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Niffla said: This past weekend I went on about a 10 hour drive to Ruidoso, New Mexico. So I went through extremely remote and desolate parts of Texas and New Mexico.
Drove through something like twenty (give or take) remote outposts that were decaying into oblivion. A lot of these "town" had populations of less than 200 and were hours away from any decently sized town.
It was really sad, honestly. Broke my heart riding through those places. The vast majority of the businesses that once were operational at some point in time were vacant and falling apart in advanced stages of utter decay. Some of the roofs had even collapsed in altogether. Some homes still had people living in them but many homes were also clearly long ago abandoned.
The creepiest thing was how many homes I saw along the way that almost looked like someone was living in them -- but the windows were gone or boarded up, and the roofs had partly collapsed or some walls had fallen away. And there'd still be a car or two in the driveway. That was the creepiest thing. But obviously these vehicles weren't functional, as they were rusted out and appeared to have not been driven for many years. A few cars were still even parked in the garage. It was like scenes out of an apocalyptic movie.
Those places...it's almost impossible for them to make it out there. To thrive. There's barely any work/jobs there because there are extremely few businesses. People want to hang on and stay in those towns, as depressed as the towns may be -- because that's their home. So they stay. What really saddened me was that you could see clearly that they have tried to start businesses for the few people in town (like a bbq joint, a diner, some random storefronts, etc.) but almost all ultimately failed at some point and were abandoned to decay because nobody in the town has money to spend. Nobody driving through (like myself) stop by to support the very few businesses they have that are still alive.
Like I drove by a handful of roadside fruit stands in the middle of nowhere but instead of stopping by and spending some money there to help them out I just ended up back home in Dallas last night only to order a few things from earth overlord Jeff Bezos and go to the huge chain grocery store across the street. Meanwhile those poor people out there in the middle of nowhere can afford to even keep their homes from literally falling apart around them.
Anyway TLDR: seeing dying small towns kinda made me sad but by tomorrow I'll have forgotten about them completely and will be back to helping feed all the mega chains here in city so their CEOs can trade in their old yachts for new ones

hey Niffla. Why didnt you come by? I live nearby.
Edited by starfire_xes (08/13/20 12:02 AM)
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cannabinated



Registered: 01/03/13
Posts: 14,743
Loc: Outside
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west virginia is basically a museum
so much rich history of immigrants and poc catching black lung and getting massacred by robber barons who refused to pay 
thanks to mechanization during the civil rights era, blacks and whites, who fought together for medicaid, minimum wage, and social security, failed to become united as the smart ppl left for better work
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cannabinated



Registered: 01/03/13
Posts: 14,743
Loc: Outside
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same street
theres a lot of beautiful sights along the ohio river
centuries old industry. marvelous architecture.
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cannabinated



Registered: 01/03/13
Posts: 14,743
Loc: Outside
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to me theres no more perfect place than Appalachia.
but its demise is directly linked to corporate greed and false promises provided by big wigs that still goes on.
the land is the most rich in the world and the people collect cans to survive
these people are being conned into giving away billions of dollars that dont get taxed and go directly to a dozen ppl
whole towns are having their gall bladders removed because of toxic flooding from fracking and mining, yet they still argue its worth it cause their whole families were coal miners and its the only thing left.
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starfire_xes
I Am 'They'



Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 21,590
Loc: Dallas with all the assho...
Last seen: 7 months, 1 day
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New Mexico gets a third of the revenue from gas amd oil.
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IF THE NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN BECAUSE THE MUSIC'S TOO LOUD, TURN IT UP SO YOU CAN'T HEAR THEM BITCH
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
starfire_xes said:
hey Niffla. Why didnt you come by? I live nearby.
Where about are you these days starfire?
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
cannabinated said:


same street
wow
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starfire_xes
I Am 'They'



Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 21,590
Loc: Dallas with all the assho...
Last seen: 7 months, 1 day
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26878319 - 08/13/20 11:08 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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You saw that mountain in Ruidoso. I an in Alamogordo. It is a two-bit shit hole.
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Oh shit okay you're by white sands national park then right?
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cannabinated



Registered: 01/03/13
Posts: 14,743
Loc: Outside
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla]
#26878411 - 08/13/20 12:08 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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starfire_xes
I Am 'They'



Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 21,590
Loc: Dallas with all the assho...
Last seen: 7 months, 1 day
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 1
#26879253 - 08/13/20 09:19 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yea. I know all the good places. I trip 50 miles in the desert every time I trip, up to the mountains. It is always cool. I go to Ruidoso a lot, especially the casino.
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IF THE NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN BECAUSE THE MUSIC'S TOO LOUD, TURN IT UP SO YOU CAN'T HEAR THEM BITCH
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starfire_xes
I Am 'They'



Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 21,590
Loc: Dallas with all the assho...
Last seen: 7 months, 1 day
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Re: Small town America [Re: Niffla] 1
#26879255 - 08/13/20 09:20 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Actually no, that isn't the white sands. It is a really a pile of blow.
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IF THE NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN BECAUSE THE MUSIC'S TOO LOUD, TURN IT UP SO YOU CAN'T HEAR THEM BITCH
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Niffla



Registered: 06/09/08
Posts: 46,482
Loc: Texas
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Quote:
starfire_xes said: Yea. I know all the good places. I trip 50 miles in the desert every time I trip, up to the mountains. It is always cool. I go to Ruidoso a lot, especially the casino.
Man that sounds amazing, tripping out there. New Mexico is legit, man. Elite level outdoors opportunities. I was driving around some of the camping areas on the side of this mountain tucked away pretty deep and it was awesome. And the camping spots were so far away from each other so you'd have complete privacy. A+ stuff.
And I wanted to check out the big casino -- looks amazing. But it was still closed for covid...although I did hear that they may be opening it back up real soon.
The main street in Ruidoso was lit, too. I didn't expect that (I guess because of covid). The streets were full with people, and all the rental cabins were occupied with droves of people hanging out on the patios. It was awesome...will be back for sure. I'll have to hit you up next time I roll through.
Quote:
starfire_xes said: Actually no, that isn't the white sands. It is a really a pile of blow.
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