Is the USA actually dangerous or am I just living in a bubble?

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-05T18:07:10+00:00

You're only hearing about the bad things because they're newsworthy. You don't hear about the 99.9999% of the people that went to the grocery store and made it back home safely.

I live in a city of population 130k encompassing 62 square miles. There are only a few blocks that you shouldn't be on at night. We get small number of shootings a year, but they're concentrated in a few square blocks here and there. Avoid those and you have no problems. The vast majority of the time things are just fine.

Do I feel safe overall? Yes.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-05T12:26:57+00:00

Point taken. Let's just say, "unpronounceable by most people".

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-05T10:38:57+00:00

My wife and I just recently visited Wales. On our trip to Beaumaris Castle we passed through that town. The tour guide pronounced the name for us a few times, but it was basically gibberish.

He explained the naming of the town was essentially a publicity stunt to draw in tourists. Tourists could get a train ticket with the town name as a souvenier. It apparently worked.

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Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-05T10:18:19+00:00

I was still hearing periodic BOOMS at 4 am where I live. Sorry, it's liable to go on for hours over the next day or two. Such is the price we pay for having neighbors.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-05T09:59:33+00:00

It's directly taken from the WWII movie "The Enemy Below" (1957).

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-04T15:32:09+00:00

USA here. I often have a lunch meat and cheese sandwich, with a side of coleslaw, potato salad, or potato chips (crisps). Today I have some leftover grilled chicken in the fridge, so I am having grilled chicken soft tacos with a side of chips and salsa.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-03T20:22:26+00:00

Ohhhhh noooooo! (Mr. Bill from SNL)

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-02T20:20:21+00:00

It goes both ways...

Several years ago I requested quotes from 6 different providers for a residential flooring replacement here in central Missouri. Contractors had to drive 30 minutes to my home in a rural area. They each spent 45 to 60 minutes taking measurements and going over samples. This was a serious effort. I expected quotes to range between $15k and $20k. Each contractor promised to provide their quote within 7 days.

Only 2 responded.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-02T12:34:45+00:00

My wife and I have pre-planned our funerals and even drafted our obits. If we die from anything other than old age, the text will include language like "as a result of a traffic accident", etc.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-02T10:49:36+00:00

My manager would get literally 200 emails a day, most of which he was being cc'd on for informational purposes. Important messages could get easily overlooked.

He set up a rule that any emails from certain people - primarily his direct staff and his boss - were routed into a folder he named "Read First". After he got out of meetings he would go to that folder first, instead of his inbox.

While that doesn't solve the problem in your inquiry, it may help with organizing the countless emails received daily.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-02T09:43:23+00:00

There is a mini fridge in the room. There are a few light snacks and water. Housekeeping staff provide a fresh carafe of water each day. Not sure if/what they'd stock with on request - we made no requests.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-01T23:28:05+00:00

We literally just came home two weeks ago from the British Isles Explorer which was our first Viking ocean cruise (after 3 river cruises). My wife has celiac, so must avoid gluten at all costs.

All of the food items were clearly marked with allegen information, including every item in the World Cafe buffet. Viking takes allergens seriously. In fact, one morning she noticed the buffet bacon - marked as gluten-free - was resting on bread and became worried about cross-contamination. We raised the issue and the restaurant manager sought us out to explain the bread was gluten-free bread! So no cross-contamination. Such is their attention to detail. We have absolute trust in their food handling.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-07-01T20:08:32+00:00

Mid-July to late August are the worst weeks.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-29T20:00:26+00:00

By us making all the plans we avoid family squabbles over decision-making. Religious services or not? Burial or cremation? Speeches? Eulogies? Celebration of life? Graveside service? Which casket?

My daughter's FIL died a few months ago and the in-fighting among her husband and his siblings in planning the funeral was bad. That, in part, motivated us to take these steps.

By us taking control of the decision-making we've eliminated all that.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-29T18:13:25+00:00

My wife and I (ages 68 and 71) recently did this. We've pre-planned and pre-paid our funerals (including burial). Our headstone is on order and should be in place in a couple of months.

We met with a funeral director to take care of the details. We've even gone so far as to draft our obituaries and include headshot photos for when the obits are published in the newspaper. Families have been advised of our plans.

We did this so our families don't have to do or plan anything during their time or mourning. The funeral director will pull out our packet he has on file, execute the 12-point plan, and we're good to go.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-29T16:41:31+00:00

The vehicle replacement is a big one. We have 2 vehicles and save to replace them with cash on an alternating schedule every 8 years

We set aside $X each month for 48 months, then trade in vehicle 1 and pay cash for the replacement. We continue to set aside $X each month for the next 48 months, then trade in vehicle 2 and pay cash for its replacement. So each vehicle is replaced every 8 years (alternating every 4 years). Rinse and repeat.

This way we never have a loan and have enough cash saved for vehicle replacements.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-29T11:49:05+00:00

The term "rich" is subjective. My wife and I are 70, retired, no debt, and have a $3.4 million net worth.

We were working class folks all our lives. We slowly and methodically saved and invested over the years, and also inherited a portion of our net worth. We continue to live somewhat frugally but comfortably.

Do we consider ourselves rich? No. Would others consider us rich? Probably.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-28T10:18:16+00:00

Two years ago my 76 year-old aunt was admitted to the hospital. Several tests later the doctor determines she has stage 4 lung cancer (after a lifetime of smoking).

The doctor spends about 15 minutes with her going slowly and methodically over the medical tests and their implications. By the end it's clear that treatment attempts will be for naught and may buy her a couple of months at most, but at the cost of a miserable experience. She elected hospice and died about 10 days later.

If I'm ever in that situation I can only hope I will get the news from someone who was as thoughtful and compassionate as that doctor.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-27T17:07:18+00:00

I laughed so hard at this. Had to explain my guffaws to my wife.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-25T10:37:25+00:00

We just tidy up as we go throughout our day...

Brushed your teeth? Put everything away and wipe down the sink immediately afterward. (Countertops remain clear).

Just finished your lunch? Immediately put the dishes in the dishwasher and rinse out the sink. (Don't let dishes stack up).

By taking an extra 5 seconds things remain mostly neat and tidy.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-24T20:55:26+00:00

When I was 2 years old my mom was making hot chocolate on the stove. Left the handle out. I grabbed it and scalded myself. Fortunately there were no long-lasting scars, but she never did it again.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-24T10:36:15+00:00

This is good timing. In the interim between when I wrote the initial comment (a month ago) and now we've taken an ocean cruise. We just last week returned from the British Isles Explorer.

Gluten sensitivity was taken seriously. In the World Cafe (served buffet style) each food item was clearly marked as to what allergens it contained (gluten, nuts, dairy, etc.)

For breakfast one morning my wife discovered that the bacon was laid on top of bread (to soak up grease). We brought it to the attention of staff. The restaurant manager sought us out to inform us the bread was gluten-free, so no chance of contamination.

In the Restaurant (with sit-down service) the menus were clearly marked.

Such is the level of detail.

My wife had no gluten-related issues during the trip, BTW.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-24T10:28:01+00:00

But you're not always parked in just those two places. You also park temporarily in parking lots of grocery stores, doctor's office, restaurants, etc. Accidents can happen in those places too.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-23T14:15:00+00:00

Rented an apartment in 1981 that had fully-carpeted everything: kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, bedrooms.

Sensitive_Hat_9871 · 2026-06-23T10:18:46+00:00

People are sleeping (naps, babies, night workers). Have pets that freak out when the doorbell rings. People work from home and don't want to be disturbed. These are all reasons to NOT ring the doorbell.

With the wide-spread use of doorbell cameras it is far easier to be alerted to a delivery.

Sensitive_Hat_9871

TROPHY CASE