Ok kids, so I have been missing in action for five years now, and it is dawning on me that I am missing out on some serious social developments, especially with regard, but not limited to, Southern California (my home area/state). I would like straight answers to the following questions. I have placed this in IMHO because we will probably have more then 1 correct answer/opinion.
I met some tourists last week, they said they came from the Echo Park district in Los Angeles. When I left (Feb ’98) that was gang land. They said “not any more”, after 9/11 lots and lots of people went west from N.Y. and now even the areas of L.A. thet were considered um… marginal are now expensive, Places like West L.A. are very high rent now a days. Is this TRUE? What’s rent like around L.A. these days?
How much is a pack of cigarettes now a days? I know you cant smoke indoors anymore but are smokes really $5 a pack at the 711?
How much does gas cost?
what does Bling Bling mean – specifically and in general.
Is it VERY hard to find work?
Have the police calmed down any?
Have the gangsters calmed down any? Hows the crime situation in general?
You have new money now? Sakagewa (sp) dollars and quarters for each state? Dollars printed in blue? (FTR here in Brazil each denomination is a different color and each one has an endangered animal theme, very cool I can assure you)
9.Kids are now souping up “rice burners”? Huh? Like nissan Centras and stuff – REALLY?!?
Any thing else I need to brace myself for brfore my visit in June?
I’m Canadian, but Canada gets domestic US media in great quantity, and we’re intimately affected by events in the States, so we watch the US intently.
My impression is that the 9/11 attacks led to an extreme change in the US psychology, possibly greater than that caused by the Vietman War. The US seems to be considerably more inward-looking yet outward-acting that it has been for a long time, perhaps since the Spanish-American War. The US sensibility has also sharply diverged from that of most of its traditional (last fifty years) allies and neighbours. I don’t know how long this will last; eventually things will swing back towards the centre, but it’s a prickly time meanwhile.
There is also great rearrangement of certain government functions, notably those related to intelligence, policing, borders, and security, with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (www.dhs.gov). I don’t know what this means in day-to-day life though, but it seems to imply greater police coordination, if not greater formal power. My impression is, “War on Drugs squared”, domestically, but I could be wrong. I know there’s been an upswing in border incidents on the Canadian border.
I’m not from California, but maybe I can help with a few of these.
I don’t smoke, but they’re expensive. Five might be a bit much. Prices are up for a lot of things, and cigarette taxes are definitely up.
For you? At the moment, it’s probably a little under two bucks a gallon.
It’s a hip-hop thing. Basically it means shiny jewelry, especially diamonds, I think. Don’t worry about it.
No. It’s impossible.
Holy crap, you must be kidding. Not a chance.
It’s not really new money. The Sacajawea dollar never caught on; the only place I see it is vending machines for subway cards. The dollars are still the same color, though the artwork has gotten uglier. People call the new look “monopoly money” sometimes; the portraits of the presidents are bigger and off-center. Yuck. We may actually be in for colorful money soon. Plenty of normal-style quarters are still around, but 4 new quarters with designs representing the states (in the order they joined the Union) replacing the eagle have been coming out every year for about four years. Some are cool. Won’t really affect your life.
Hope you weren’t attached to that Constitution thing. Laugh if you want, you’ll see if you stick around.
Reality shows are huge here now, maybe you know that.
Seriously, watching the news may be kind of a shock. After September 11, FOX News began to get very popular; it’s now the leading cable news network ahead of CNN. FOX is quite openly conservative, so the other channels (CNN, MSNBC) have tried to copy it and are kind of moving in the same direction. The Democratic Party has changed its name to “The Republican Party.” Okay, that’s only pratically true.
People think Vin Diesel is an actor now.
If you don’t want to hear about Jennifer Lopez’s love life, you might as well stay out of the country.
I wouldn’t particularly disagree with our Canadian friend’s assessment. America is a nation that’s been hurt, and despite the whole “move on with your life and keep shopping” thing that was pushed after September 11th, people are kind of… on edge. In a way. Most of the time, not much seems different, but occasionally it comes up.
A lot of people are more sensitive to criticism of the country. They’ll complain about Bush’s mangling of the economy, but talking shit about the war can meet with decidedly negative responses (depending on who you’re with, of course. You can probably get away with it in Cali and NY as much as anyplace.)
You’re going to see American flags EVERYWHERE. The backs of people’s cars, storefronts, lawns, everywhere. A lot of bumper-sticker type slogans, too. These colors won’t run, united we stand, slavery is freedom, you know. Okay, not so much of the last one, but you get the idea.
And don’t forget to tell Janx about the apes. Holy cow, but those things are getting vicious now. They control the media, which is why you haven’t heard anything about them. It’s the feces throwing that really gets to me, though seeing them eat their own lice is kinda repulsive. Um, excuse me, there’s someone at th–
I don’t really know about West LA and gang stuff, but rent is expensive. As I’ve only been out here for almost a year, I can’t really compare it to what it used to be. Prices vary, but $1,000 for a nice one-bedroom or an ok two bedroom seems to be the average.
Smokes are $3.85 at my local AM/PM. Some places do charge over $5 though. You’ve got to shop around.
Gas was $1.83 at the AM/PM.
I refuse to talk about “bling bling.”
It depends on what kind of work you’re looking for.
I think the police have calmed down a bit. They leave me alone, anyway.
Don’t know much about general crime rates, but I’ll bet Google does. I’m far too lazy to go and look.
Somebody else answered this above. Again, FTLTGAL.
Yup. Makes me laugh.
I don’t think so. And it is pretty easy to find bars that let you smoke (illegally) inside. Just got to look around.
Oh, and bring bannanas. Lots and lots of bannanas…
Well, someone has to fully explain what bling-bling means… might as well be the dorky white guy in his mid-20s who’d wear Chuck Taylors every day if he could.
It comes from hip-hop culture, referring to someone who’s all decked out with rings, chains, jewels, etc. The phrase “bling-bling” is the “sound” all that stuff makes because it’s sparkling and shining. (Imagine that we live in a cartoon universe for a moment and you’ll get the idea.). However, the “bling-bling” is the name for all that stuff, collectively, on a person.
This has led to the verbal “bling-blingin’” or the phrase “all blinged out.” Note, the term has been appropriated by horribly white people like me, and thus is now often said with tongue firmly in cheek.
Since you seem mostly concerned with CA, this may not matter to you, but in NJ you can occasionally get cigarettes for under $5 a pack. In NYC they are about $7. Oh, and you can’t smoke in bars & restaurants in NYC now either.
Regarding 9/11, the answers will vary, but for many of us who were nearby or witnessed things first hand, life in general will never, ever be the same again. Ever.
They were right about Echo Park…it has been slowly becoming a little bit more upscale over the years. Most of all, Echo Park, and Silverlake, have become more arts communities of LA than they used to be. Silverlake is hip now, by the way. Echo Park is coming along with Silverlake…because the once artsy West Side is so expensive and full of yuppies that the ‘real’ artists have flocked inland. Rent is ridiculous on the west side and it is high (for what you get) almost everywhere else. If you don’t have much to splurge on rent, you can always try the valley.
Gas is too much now…I just filled up at the cheap station in the valley last week for something like 1.98/gallon for the cheap stuff.
The gang situation did calm down, but then a couple of months ago it exploded into violence again (there was one weekend earlier this year with many, many murders). The new police chief of LA (from New York) is trying to take out the gangs the same way he did the mafia. I’m nore sure what’s going on right now though, because all the news has been focused on Iraq. I feel pretty safe going around town, but I’ve never felt that frightened unless I’m walking alone in a bad neighborhood in the middle of the night or something.
Oh yeah, they are trying to make downtown LA nice too. They have gutted out a lot of the old historic buildings (that were total slums) and turned them into artist loft style condos that rent for 1100 a month (and higher).
We have a subway that is somewhat useful now!
“rice burners” are big. Someone actually wanted to buy my little 94 Civic coupe with 200,000 miles on it the other day! That’s been going on for five years though…
The new money isn’t all that different…you’ll barely notice.
Finding work isn’t too hard, at least in my case, when you are in a big city like LA. I guess, depending on what you do, it could be difficult.
I had this Idea and was bracing myself for it, since I am not a criminal I’ll just have to grin and bare it.
** Marley23 ** wrote:
About the Bling Bling, I have only just herd the expression this past week, here on the SDMB, it’s not the first time I have been made aware that things are passing me by there in the US by seeing references here on the boards. I don’t know weather to laugh or cry about your spoiler.
And…
I have been getting this Idea, between the litigious society, the politically correct nazis and the government who finds you guilty without due process (who gets to fly - and why) I cant say I have been in any hurry to get back. But I must also say that the USA is the greatest country in the world, I only hope that with time tranquility will return. That, and I miss my mommy.
Ah HÁ! So this is why I see so much “FOX bashing” in the pit - How weird - FOX, the socalled 4th network/upstart/never last, is giving CNN a run for it’s money! That’s rich!
Vin WHO? Seriously, I never herd of this person, could someone 'splane me please.
** Marley23 ** wrote:
I’m seeing this from my mom and dads letters and phone calls, e-mail gurgles and sentiments here on the board, I think I know what you mean.
** DeadlyAccurate ** wrote:
Suspicions confirmed.
** lightingtool ** wrote:
Now we are talkin’…
I lived around Hollywood and Normandy then after the quake we moved out to west LA around Santa Monica and Bundy, rent on a 1 bedroom in 98 in W.L.A. was around $900.00 Hollywood was around $750.00 +/- Is it radically different now?
That’s going on 4 bux!, Ill bring a supply with me.
When I left smokes at the cheepie gas were 2.50 a pop.
That’s not as bad as I had imagined, gas here goes for around the equivalent of $2.50 a gallon ( 1.99 Brazilian per liter).
Check!
Not looking for statistics so much as the general perception of the crime rate, Sheesh, I live in São Paulo, lets talk about CRIME some time, Google has a LOT to say about it.
Now why would this be? We have several varieties here, in fact, on my street there is a tree, you can get them for free, should I bring you some?
** SNenc ** wrote:
Well thank you ** SNenc ** this explains a lot, this is also why I see this word(s) used in conjunction with “ricers”. “all blinged out.” - Heh Heh…
** MLS ** wrote:
I caught that, I have a sister who lives in Brooklyn. My heart goes out to you.
** Spectre of Pithecanthropus ** wrote:
Could we quantify “horrendus” ? like, say, a one bedroom in my old hood (see above) going for $2500 now a days? (BTW, I’m only toying with the idea of moving back, nothing definite - this is mostly to be ready for when I visit.
** Laurasia ** wrote:
When I left Silverlakes and Los Feliz were pretty hip, as when I lived in Hollywood, so I guess the hipper/artsy areas are just growing. I remember Echo park was a GNARLEY place!
Thanks all! I still am interested in any further insights, I’m going into L.A. to visit, then Santa Barbara, then Up to Seattle (by way of Bakersfield) all to visit family. Is king City still a speed trap?
Actually, all the politically correct people are now ignored, reviled, and considered traitors who must be rounded up and shot. At least, that’s the impression I get from the outside looking in.
Political correctness is publically reviled, but that only means so much. Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the country had a tarp thrown over a statue of justice because there was an exposed breast…
Political correctness is publicly reviled, but that only means so much. Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the country had a tarp thrown over a statue of justice because there was an exposed breast…
You know, if things are getting this * anal *,maybe I should just stay put.
This rant of mine from the pitsome months back will illustrate just how disgusted I have become with the wussification of America, but like I said, I miss my mommy so I’m going to visit anyway, maybe even move back. Though you guys are scaring me.
Okay, okay. I admit the above was sort of inaccurate. Ashcroft didn’t do that for PC reasons, he’s extremely un-PC. He did it for religious reasons: he’s very, very Christian, as is George W. Bush. This actually leads to a host of other issues, but they’re not entirely unrelated. Being PC is about shielding people from inappropriate things, and so is this.
And what, pray tell, is “unchristian” about an exposed breast? See this is why we have so many perverted sex offenders in the states, people like this guy cant face their own desires, or even acknowledge they exist due to a history of puritan sexual repression.
I know why he had it covered, because he always had “impure” thoughts about that statue, it always made him sweat, and his pants would bulge, and all the other kids would laugh at him, so he resolved to become a politician and cover the bad bad unchristian statue so it could bother him, er… US no more! But at night, he still has secret dreams of ripping the clothes off that statue with his teeth and throwing her on the bed and, and, and… Then he wakes up sweating again! See, its a vicious cycle!
Actually, bling bling was originally coined as a vocalization of the sound a cash register makes. Anything expensive is bling bling.
It should also be noted that it’s absolutely ridiculous to be annoyed by or roll your eyes at this term. NO ONE uses it seriously. It’s a completely tongue-in-cheek at-least-half-joking-in-its-most-serious-usage term.
