ScottFromWyoming wrote: 

Thanks for sharing Scott.  That's a very uplifting, inspiring story.

Incidentally, there is a growing literature in economics on 'happiness' that credits Social Capital as key to 'happiness'.  Clearly, Powell is rich in Social Capital.

I'd like to say similar things about where I live in Greater Vancouver.  The view is great; people are polite, but distant; drive-by shootings and murders are increasingly common place.  The Social Capital is being weakened by a fast pace of growth and forced pace of 'diversification' in a modern politically correct version of 'first-come, first-serve'.

-westslope

 Painted_Turtle wrote: 
Just what we need...another "mine's bigger" argument! 

 Inamorato wrote: 

well...actually large Twineballs seem to be rather popular

I just read a Wiki about another, this one reportedly built by millionaire J. C. Payne of Valleyview Texas.  He sold it to Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum

 phineas wrote: 
We seem to have a case of dueling OCD monuments.

 Inamorato wrote: 
Is that what they're calling OCD these days?

 Painted_Turtle wrote: 
Some people just don't understand what a triumph of the human spirit the World's Largest Twineball is, I guess.

 phineas wrote: 

..or be forced to play a playoff game of whack-a-mole

 Inamorato wrote: 

...why do I get the feeling that I should never, ever have brought up the subject of the Twineball  its' always been considered so controversial

Seeking ugly women for Outback's lonely hearts 

By KRISTEN GELINEAU 
Associated Press Writer

The situation may not be quite as dire as Molony noted. According to the 2006 census, males made up 52.6 percent of the town's population of nearly 20,000.

And several local women said there aren't a lot of gems to be found among Mount Isa's men, either.

"We've got a saying up here that the odds are good, but the goods are odd," 27-year-old Anna Warrick told The Brisbane Times.

 winter wrote: 

"I'm not trying to be mean! I'm just being honest!"

JustineFromWyoming wrote:
Not even close.

You just know he's sitting in his office, scratching his head and furrowing his brow in a futile effort to understand. "What? I'm trying to help, you ungrateful cows!"

 winter wrote: 
Sometimes, it's just reassuring to hear that I'm not the dumbest person walking the soil...

JustineFromWyoming wrote: I believe the word we are all looking for here is "FAIL".

What an idiot.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - A plea for lovelorn female "ugly ducklings" to move to a remote Australian mining town to reverse a shortage of eligible women has landed the local mayor in hot water.

Mt Isa Mayor John Molony was refusing to apologize on Monday for angering local women with a suggestion that "with five blokes to every girl, may I suggest that beauty-disadvantaged women should proceed to Mount Isa," in north-west Queensland state.

"Quite often you will see walking down the street a lass who is not so attractive with a wide smile on her face. Whether it is recollection of something previous or anticipation for the next evening, there is a degree of happiness," Molony told the Townsville Bulletin newspaper last week.

"Some, in other places in Australia, need to proceed to Mount Isa where happiness awaits. Really, beauty is only skin deep. Isn't there a fairy tale about an ugly duckling that evolves into a beautiful swan," Molony said.

The mayor said he was "telling it like it is" in a testosterone-laden town more famous for cowboys and mining lead, silver, copper and zinc than for match-making, sitting atop one of the world's biggest underground mines.

"I'm a bloke who respects women. I believe we should look after women. I'm told men outnumber women here by five to one. If that's the case, then perhaps it's an opportunity for some lonely women," Molony said.

Fellow council members and the local chamber of commerce said they had been swamped with phone calls from both women and men complaining about the mayor's remarks.

"It paints the women here as second rate and suggests the men will settle for anything. I think it's quite disgusting," Mt Isa domestic violence worker Shirley Slann told the Courier Mail newspaper on Monday.

 Painted_Turtle wrote: 
I'll bet they don't teach Intelligent Design in Darwin, MN and that they'd like to have Twinemen play at the school dance.

phineas wrote:
Nice save.

 winter wrote: 
Ha! I was going to say "Two —- they were twins. It's a ball of twins...."

But then I realized that if I posted that I'd have to leave the forum.

zipper wrote:


Two ex-girlfriends and a really irritating milkman, I bet.

Painted_Turtle wrote:
Ha! This reminds me of this time that a couple of morning DJ's from this L.A. station took a cross-country road trip which they christened the "Yup, there it is!" tour. They located and stopped at all the ridiculous national claims to fame such as this. As a matter of fact I recall them doing a remote from this very site as well!

Painted_Turtle wrote:
A politician's son with nothing better to do?  Now I'm wondering how many bodies are hidden in there.