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Hey guys,

So, I've started the whole "I want to dedicate my life to science" thing and may possibly have the chance to go to Alabama and so some wacky thing called "spend the next decade there doing work for minimal pay."

Is anyone from there or has anyone here lived there and could give a poor, black atheist some insight? The only thing I know about it is from elementary school which only talked about its racism circa 1962.

Help please?

Oh my... I've been there several times and I can't think of many worse places for a black atheist.

All of the states in America and you chose Alabama...

That's like an Evangelical going to San Diego  :-D

(//http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/attachments/non-diving-related-stuff/134285d1346369438-2012-sec-football-sisterbabyalabama.jpg)

I went there a few years back because my mother who is a retired teacher got invited to a wedding. When people use the word "sticks" that is an understatement. If there is more than two buildings in a location they consider that a city.

But states like that need science and reason, maybe they'd grow more if they would pull their heads out of their theocratic asses.

Quote from: "wolf39us"All of the states in America and you chose Alabama...

That's like an Evangelical going to San Diego  :-D

I haven't chosen anything yet =P

I may be down there in a bit for an interview, but I'm trying not to prejudge. The folks I've talked with so far have seemed pretty nice.

Quote from: "ThePilgrim101"

Quote from: "wolf39us"All of the states in America and you chose Alabama...

That's like an Evangelical going to San Diego  :-D

I haven't chosen anything yet =P

I may be down there in a bit for an interview, but I'm trying not to prejudge. The folks I've talked with so far have seemed pretty nice.

Point taken.

You have been warned  :Hangman:

I've never been there, myself.

The few Alabamians I've met seemed like nice folk, but I'd definitely visit first if I were in your shoes.

Quote from: "wolf39us":Hangman:

Given my demographic, that hangman is my fear.

The FSM made Alabama so Tennesseans would have someone to look down on.

Run. Flee. The madness is all-encompassing, you cannot hope to survive. Oh, and the weather sucks, too.

Added poll for the fun :-)

Alabama is a great state, wonderful people, good bbq, hunting fishing all kinds of hiking and biking. A great place to live......unless yer black, or an atheist, god forbid a black atheist.

Just driving through Alabama gives me the creeps. I am in a mixed race marriage, and I would not be comfortable living there.

Quote from: "ThePilgrim101"Is anyone from there or has anyone here lived there and could give a poor, black atheist some insight?

From what I hear it's a third world country packed with dangerous animals, people and diseases that will try and kill you at the first opportunity.

Make sure you get your shots before you go anywhere near there.

Quote from: "Davka"The FSM made Alabama so Tennesseans would have someone to look down on.

Run. Flee. The madness is all-encompassing, you cannot hope to survive. Oh, and the weather sucks, too.

QFT/

Plenty of people in Alabama have pointy white hats in their closets.

[youtube:lzjk66ke]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8St7jj1iFw[/youtube:lzjk66ke]

Maybe something in Huntsville with NASA.  Otherwise, HELL FUCKING NO TO 'BAMA!

//http://globalgrind.com/news/mississippi-and-alabama-want-interracial-marriage-illegal-details

Quote21 percent of those in Alabama felt that that interracial marriage should be illegal.

Just gonna put that one out there.  Not frowned upon, not wrong, ILLEGAL.

I was once told that Alabama was renowned for a preoccupation with wrasslin' and ass-raping.... assuming there's a difference.  :shock:

I have family in Alabama, and there's fireworks. Other than that, I'd stay away unless you were going to Birmingham or one of the college towns. Alabama is where we in Georgia go to feel better about ourselves.

@Skeletal,

It would be in Birmingham, yes.

Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"I was once told that Alabama was renowned for a preoccupation with wrasslin' and ass-raping.... assuming there's a difference.  :shock:

The only difference is what channel it's on.

Quote from: "ThePilgrim101"@Skeletal,

It would be in Birmingham, yes.

I haven't been in Birmingham since the 70s.  But it was a great town back when I was there.  I hope it only improved since.  I wish you luck.  Will you get to go visit and peek at it?

Im sure its like anywhere else. I live in Oklahoma and know to avoid more rural sections of the state. Stay in larger cities and you should be alright.

Who the fuck voted Neutral?

I'm genuinely curious.   :popcorn:

I'm in the run dude, run category. The words black, atheist and Alabama is a very dangerous combination.

Quote from: "SvZurich"Who the fuck voted Neutral?

I'm genuinely curious.   :popcorn:

LMAO
Not me.  I voted RUN.  (I'd have marked the box 'RUN HARD' had it been an option)

Quote from: "SvZurich"Who the fuck voted Neutral?

I'm genuinely curious.   :popcorn:

I did.

He has spoken! lol

Quote from: "wolf39us"He has spoken! lol

I just think that one ought to make a decision based on facts.

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"

Quote from: "wolf39us"He has spoken! lol

I just think that one ought to make a decision based on facts.

We don't like y'all neutral voting kind round here boy.

LOL

Quote from: "commonsense822"

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"

Quote from: "wolf39us"He has spoken! lol

I just think that one ought to make a decision based on facts.

We don't like y'all neutral voting kind round here boy.

You don't say.

Alabama sounds like the south africa of the US.

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"

Quote from: "wolf39us"He has spoken! lol

I just think that one ought to make a decision based on facts.

(//http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h321/SabrinaTheInkWitch/d34b3bbe.jpg)

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"

Quote from: "wolf39us"He has spoken! lol

I just think that one ought to make a decision based on facts.

I agree with you. I think the OP should do a good long visit before settling on a decision. Though honestly, personal biases NOT withstanding, I can't see an open black atheist have any sort of any success in Alabama, or really any of the Deep South states.

Alabama is like every other state in the nation in that some parts of it are better than others. Some of the people suck and some of them don't. Huntsville where I'm from is a nice place. There are lots of professionals, jobs for professionals, reasonable cost of living, generally friendly people and a mild climate. It's a nice place to live. The mobile area is nice too. Especially if you like the beach. The Gulf coast is beautiful in that part of the country.

Birmingham also has its plusses and minuses. I've never spent a lot of time there, but most of the people that are familiar with the area love it. So a lot of the answer to your question is going to depend on what, where and why? What's the job? Where in town? Why the shitty pay?

Quote from: "Savior2006"I agree with you. I think the OP should do a good long visit before settling on a decision. Though honestly, personal biases NOT withstanding, I can't see an open black atheist have any sort of any success in Alabama, or really any of the Deep South states.

Perhaps, perhaps not.  I haven't lived in Alabama.  I know that the parts of the South I have lived don't necessarily comport with the stereotypes people have, and so I would advise anyone to not trust online advice from people who probably haven't been there, but to rather check it out for themselves.

A lot of people might be surprised to realize how deeply endemic hate-crimes are in a place like Southern California, because they have a stereotype in their head of a liberal corner of the country -- but believe me, there are good and bad people everywhere.  Living with a black gal, and having a multiracial family, I've seen enough racism in California to make me realize that image is just that -- image.

Quote from: "PopeyesPappy"Alabama is like every other state in the nation in that some parts of it are better than others. Some of the people suck and some of them don't. Huntsville where I'm from is a nice place. There are lots of professionals, jobs for professionals, reasonable cost of living, generally friendly people and a mild climate. It's a nice place to live. The mobile area is nice too. Especially if you like the beach. The Gulf coast is beautiful in that part of the country.

Birmingham also has its plusses and minuses. I've never spent a lot of time there, but most of the people that are familiar with the area love it. So a lot of the answer to your question is going to depend on what, where and why? What's the job? Where in town? Why the shitty pay?

That's kind of what I was thinking, but again, I just have irrational fears because I've been brought up on public education that doesn't tell me more than "that state was once a bit of a dick."

I suppose there's no harm in saying what the interview is for: I'm interviewing for one of their PhD programs, at Alabama-Birmingham, and would ideally like to work with a professor there who is putting out some really interesting research (depending on how well our research interests will mesh. It's not a snug fit, but I also don't want to work with someone who does *exactly* what I want to do because then there is no forced growth), and I'd take the shitty pay because it's standard living wage for PhD students =P

Also, they have eight MR scanners. Eight. Sure, some of them are only 1.5 Tesla but those 3 Tesla scanners are so...mmmmmmmm.

UAB is a decent school. Not the prettiest school and not in the best part of town. They have a long history of involvement with materials science research in space. One of the few universities in the country to have their own experiment on the shuttle in the Spacelab/hab era. They also get a lot of research funding. Lawrence DeLucas (//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_J._DeLucas) is there. Drop joshuas3521 a PM. Unless my memory fails me (and sometimes it does) he was at UAB a couple of years ago.

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"

Quote from: "Savior2006"I agree with you. I think the OP should do a good long visit before settling on a decision. Though honestly, personal biases NOT withstanding, I can't see an open black atheist have any sort of any success in Alabama, or really any of the Deep South states.

Perhaps, perhaps not.  I haven't lived in Alabama.  I know that the parts of the South I have lived don't necessarily comport with the stereotypes people have, and so I would advise anyone to not trust online advice from people who probably haven't been there, but to rather check it out for themselves.

A lot of people might be surprised to realize how deeply endemic hate-crimes are in a place like Southern California, because they have a stereotype in their head of a liberal corner of the country -- but believe me, there are good and bad people everywhere.  Living with a black gal, and having a multiracial family, I've seen enough racism in California to make me realize that image is just that -- image.

Thanks Thump!

That's my stance as well.

I mean, hell, I go to school in one of the most liberal places in New York right now and the implicit racial antagonism that comes off is hard to miss. There are issues everywhere, but it's hard to divorce preconceptions from behavior unless you actually go get evidence  on something.

We posted at about the same time so I wanted to make sure you didn't miss my post about getting in touch with joshuas3521.

Whatever you decide, Pilgrim, I wish you the best.

Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"A lot of people might be surprised to realize how deeply endemic hate-crimes are in a place like Southern California, because they have a stereotype in their head of a liberal corner of the country -- but believe me, there are good and bad people everywhere.  Living with a black gal, and having a multiracial family, I've seen enough racism in California to make me realize that image is just that -- image.

True.  When I moved to Lancaster, CA in high hopes in 1989, I was shocked to discover a place more proudly backwards and hateful than my native Shreveport, LA.  I remember people telling me to avoid one girl because she was a n*gger lover.  Sweet girl.  She preferred black men because they treated her nicer than white men.

Quote from: "PopeyesPappy"UAB is a decent school. Not the prettiest school and not in the best part of town. They have a long history of involvement with materials science research in space. One of the few universities in the country to have their own experiment on the shuttle in the Spacelab/hab era. They also get a lot of research funding. Lawrence DeLucas (//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_J._DeLucas) is there. Drop joshuas3521 a PM. Unless my memory fails me (and sometimes it does) he was at UAB a couple of years ago.

Research funding is always a good reason to pick a school. I've had several schools and programs this year express an interest, they just didn't have any funding to take me on.

That said, I can't wait for the interview. They have *so* many neuroimaging toys. I worked at Maryland for a couple years and thought that a single MRI, an MEG, and EEG stations were awesome. UAB has like five different centers for various neuroimaging, a hospital with eight MR scanners, and they're getting a completely new laboratory run by David Knight which is going to be principally for fMRI.

For those kinds of benefits, I can deal with the intense heat.

Quote from: "SvZurich"True.  When I moved to Lancaster, CA in high hopes in 1989, I was shocked to discover a place more proudly backwards and hateful than my native Shreveport, LA.  I remember people telling me to avoid one girl because she was a n*gger lover.  Sweet girl.  She preferred black men because they treated her nicer than white men.

Yep.  And the skinheads in Ventura, where I lived for two decades, were involved in at least two racially-motivated murders in the last eight years.

I've never been to Lancaster, but the ex- has some family out there.  The culture out there, from what I hear, is still atrocious.

Fortunately for Palmdale, the Lancaster City Council goes out of its way to inadvertently convincing businesses to locate in Palmdale instead.

It's all desert shithole to me.  :)

Quote from: "ThePilgrim101"For those kinds of benefits, I can deal with the intense heat.

Yea it's going to be toasty in B'ham come July and August. On another note Birmingham is just a few hours drive from Memphis, Nashville, Atlanta and the beach. So it isn't hard to get out of town for a couple of days to do something else.