Even though I was born in New York State, lived near “the city,” as some call it, spent a lot of time when I was very young in Manhattan, then moved to the Adirondacks, then the Mohawk Valley and Plattsburgh, I am still surprised more than not by how diverse the state is. New York City is a very small part of it. Very, very small. And there are areas most New Yorkers know little about, like Ellicotville/Otto/Salamanca south west of Buf. Then there are areas near Mass that few know about. Spent some time promoting and working there. Of course there’s so much more than that.

It’s an amazing state and doesn’t deserve the bad rap NYC sometimes gives it, or southerners. Of course some of the city-iers have given it back for years. I swear, when it comes to ignorance, some of the most in this country are those who live close the NYC, have never gone anywhere else, and think NYC is the only place of any worth on the planet. Given the option of living the rest of my life out with them, or true southern hicks, I think at least consider final oral hygene with a double barrel 12 guage instead.

I hear that’s how Hell is populated.