So...can anyone tell me what Alabama is like?

[Thumpalumpacus]

He has spoken! lol

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

[commonsense822]

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.

[wolf39us]

LOL

[Thumpalumpacus]

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.

[Plu]

Alabama sounds like the south africa of the US.

[WitchSabrina]

He has spoken! lol

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

[Savior2006]

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.

[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?

[Thumpalumpacus]

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.

[ThePilgrim101]

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.

[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 is there. Drop joshuas3521 a PM. Unless my memory fails me (and sometimes it does) he was at UAB a couple of years ago.

[ThePilgrim101]

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.

[PopeyesPappy]

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.

[Thumpalumpacus]

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

[SvZurich]

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.