I’m not the only geek here. Therefore you are right in that I am not the only one who would enjoy Stargate, Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis and anime.

And, I know, I am not the only one here living in a big city. The feeling I get is, I am the only one who loves the big city and would feel uncomfortable in the wilderness.

Jeanette Isabelle

I love the big city, and I mean the Old World kind, not the sort of sprawl that passes for big cities in the US. Walking, taking the train, not so much driving on 200-lane highways. Lots of culture -- museums, theaters, opera houses, concert halls. The only addition that'd make it perfect would be a nice indoor range (complete with a café) like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyq90LEZe4k

Also public martial arts training places (budokan) like in Japan.

Naturally, this city should be located in close proximity to the ocean so I can scuba, surf, or sail. I don't spend very much time in the wilderness.

Sorry that you cannot see the movie

The movie is about freak weather storms gathering up to produce a massive tornado on Chicago area at the same time that sonmeone hacks into the power system and shuts it down. It becomes messy but a few souls keep trying to fix things as they crumble

I liked the movie because it had a little bit of everything : politics, family issues, work ethics, corruption, and off course : being prepared for the worst.

That is quite a shooting range! Considerably more elaborate than my local spot. Any idea of the prices?

I prefer living in a reasonably small town on the edge of an urban center. Right now I am a mile from the beach, and 60 miles from Los Angeles, with all its good points and bad points. The nearest officially designated wilderness area is about a 45 minute drive, and rural, undeveloped land is within walking distance. Some of the best scuba diving I have ever seen, mostly kelp forest, is available at Channel Islands National Park, right on my doorstep. On a good winter day, it is quite possible to surf and ski on the same day. The local rock crags aren't that great for climbing, but they are adequate.

My feeling is that the hazards of a wilderness are insignificant compared to those of the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex, where I was raised. Happiness was Dallas in my rear view mirror....

I have been here seven years this November and I thought I was the only one who loves the big city.

The Metroplex did not start out old school. With steady growth [new buildings are being added and old buildings are torn down to build taller ones], DART expanding its light-rail system, MATA expanding its streetcar line, the city of Dallas building its own streetcar line which will connect with the MATA streetcar line, people are moving to downtown and there are rumors of removing an old highway because it’s taking up valuable land, I see a future where people get to where they want by walking and taking the rail.

Jeanette Isabelle

"Survival" discussions tend to be biased towards the wilderness kind, though this forum has shown more tolerance for the urban kind. On some other forums, the thought of cities can result in a deluge of defensive complaints from some frightened people: about how dangerous cities are, about the "demographics" (code word for minorities), about the political differences, etc. Hello! Help me out here with my survival question, will you?

I think quite a few people here live in an urban area (Dagny comes to mind, though I have no idea where she keeps her tear drop trailer and park her car). Many live in the suburbs. I'd think that some suburbs are densely populated enough that in terms of finding survival resources, they have very similar concerns as the urban center. I live in a small town, and it drives me nuts.

It's not good that you feel isolated on this forum. Maybe we just aren't loud enough when some people complain about city living? Let's complain about the wheat fields, the endless starry nights, the men chewing straw!

As for Hikermor's question, I have no idea about the actual cost to shoot at MSZU. It's in Ulm, so you'll have to add a plane ticket on top of the admission. I checked their website and, while it lists costs for classes and even some firearms, it doesn't seem to say anything about, say, shooting clay or renting a 200m lane. Their website is at:

http://www.mszu.de

The German version, with more information, is at

http://www.mszu.de/wurfscheibenhalle

There is a number. You can call if you'd like.

It sounds like you live in a fun place, Hikermor. I'm envious.

As for the German range, maybe I'm being pessimistic, but I don't really see something like that in the US, even in the most "gun-friendly" states. Some people just aren't very well behaved, and they're likely to cause damage to such a building. (My gun club has a shed. Some jerk decided to shoot it up one day. Sometimes people shoot calibers that the range cannot accommodate.) Some people are well-behaved, but they are such tremendously bad shots that they make you nervous to shoot around them.

I wonder how they do it over there in Germany. Even if they allow only generally well-behaved, trained people in there, there's bound to be a few bad apples.

Just curious... Would the old highway be the Central Expressway?

That is what I like about this forum. It’s okay to be a city gall and love the big city life.


Stay out of bad neighborhoods, stay out of dark places even in the good part of town, seek safety in numbers and know your area or at least know what to look for. If you drive, don’t let your tire pressure drop below 30 p.s.i. [this avoids a blowout], know your engine [your engine light should not have to say you are low on oil, you should already know it] and keep a flashlight, tools and engine fluids in your car.

Jeanette Isabelle

No. Spur 366 between Interstate 35E and Interstate 345.

Jeanette Isabelle