I came across this article as I continued to procrastinate on my dissertation. It talks about a random survey that apparently proves that tourists are unwilling to pay a premium to travel environmentally friendly.
They interview someone called a “town evangelist” from a tourist town near Panama City (a “town” that I had never heard of) called Alys Beach *note, the webpage breaks the first cardinal rule of webpages–playing music is the default setting of the homepage*
One of the many slides of Alys Beach. Trust me, our tourists are not this young and sober simultaneously
A fellow southerner sent me this Washington Post article about how southerners view the Presidency of Barack Obama.
While he was jokingly incredulous about the actual existence of the article’s main protagonist, it roughly encapsulates the feelings of the white south. A range of emotions, from blaming general (but not specific) racism, to a general belief that Obama doesn’t “understand” the south.
As your hapless hosts all freeze to death in the midwest this week (i took a friend to the airport this morning, and it was -11 without windchill), even our old stomping grounds is experiencing some harsh cold. But, it was obviously written by a northerner because of his use of “y’all” and not “ya’ll.” It’s days like these that make me wonder why I ever left.
This is the second in a series of articles about the economic history of the south. Read the first post here
(quick note-this entry is currently longer than the dissertation chapter I’m working on)
The second period of Southern Economic History, at least where I am arbitrarily cutting it up, starts with the rise of the Constitution in the 1790s. One of the most debated historical topics concerns the Constitution and whether it was written by altruistic statesmen, or opportunistic rich white men. That debate underpins the south’s role in the growing national economy, but I’m not really qualified to waste an hour of your time explaining it.
Suffice to say that although southern statesmen signed the Constitution, there were some issues with the document that would have long term effects on the South’s ability to influence national politics. The structure of the legislative branch would eventually decrease the south’s importance (the Northwest and Southwest Ordinances meant that the South would never have a Senate majority, and the agreement on counting slaves as 3/5 of a person was the only factor that kept southern states competitive in the House). At the same time, while Southerners kept control of the Executive Branch during the so-called “Era of Good Feelings” (the Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe administrations outside of the War of 1812), the Federalist Marshall Court also chipped away at the “Democratic-Republican” ideals of these Southerners.
Who had two thumbs and was a southerner who highly valued independent yeoman farmers? This guy.
I came across an article on Yahoo that hearkened back to our musings on the problem of obesity in the south.
Aside from the idea that poverty and obesity have some form of positive correlation (a definite change from a time before heavily processed and refined foods, say the early 1970s), this article argues, indecisively, that decreases in income will result in direct changes in how individuals eat. At the same time, it calls out the South, which includes 9 of the 10 states with the fastest growing rates of obesity and diabetes.
(this post comes to you from Panama City, FL…the land that internet largely forgot–Happy Holiday)
I don’t fly home often. Port Columbus Airport is an efficient airport, and while not a hub does generally get the job done for a reasonable price (even if one ignores Columbus’s shortlived center of operations for discount airline Skybus). In fact, this is only the third time in 4.5 years I’ve flown from Columbus to Panama City, and the third time I’ve ever flown into Panama City (PFN) from anywhere in my entire life.
Click to read more…
In my procrastinating, i came across this article on Yahoo! about dying from environmental phenomena across the country.
It featured this map
Lighter Shade of Pale.
It brought home a lot of the things we’ve talked about in the south. While the western Great Plains seem to be the most dangerous, with a mix of winter and severe weather, the south ranks in the next most dangerous group, led primarily by a death category called “other.”
First, I was prompted to think about “obesity” as a southern problem. Obviously, people who are in worse physical shape will be more likely to suffer in bouts of extreme weather, especially ones that knock out the power.
But I wonder why for many of these regions, “other” constitutes between a third and a half of all deaths. Can we get a little more precise here?
For instance, I remember going to a museum with my campers down in South Florida, that had a map to show how rare shark attacks were, but did so by comparing it with lightening strikes. Of course, they did not mention that Tampa Bay is the lightening strike capital of the world for meterological reasons I don’t understand. Interestingly enough, Panama City was the only area where shark attacks outnumbered lightening strkes. Besides, every tourist season, there are a number of drownings because tourists don’t understand rip currents (and are more likely to swim in dangerous conditions). Hell, last summer, there was a drowning a week in the central Emerald Coast for about two months. This might be an attack on PC’s lack of lifeguards, but I wonder if they are counting at at all.
I guess its time for me to lay out all my cards and start earning my keep around here. One of my academic fields is economic history, and I believe that one of the ways that the south is most different than the rest of the country has to do with its particular economic experiences.
A historical map. As if you didn't know what the Southeast looked like.
I plan to make this analysis in three parts. In this outing, I will discuss southern economic history into the early nineteenth century, taking us through the Colonial periods, essentially setting up what will happen when King Cotton ascends to the throne in the wake of the early national period. My next issue will take the story of cotton through to nearly the 20th century, and I’ll conclude with a story of the past 100 years.
Click to read more…
Jeff has started us up by discussing three of the panhandle’s natural wonders.
Although I take exception to his determination that the Emerald Coast, and the world’s most beautiful beaches are bound to the east by Sandestin. Point of fact, Panama City’s ABC affiliate, WMBB TV is so named because of the acronym World’s Most Beautiful Beaches. If you can’t trust the call letters for a TV station, what can you trust?
Insert your favorite line from "Network" here.
By bringing together both the natural and built environments, the wonder that is the Panhandle is readily apparent, so, without further ado…
Sonny, if you’re out there listening, we have a desperate plea for you … your good name is under attack. Your delicious barbeque and joyfully unadorned restaurants are slowly being consumed by invasive parasites. Not the food kind of course, because that’s just gross. No, I mean the kind of parasites we call “brand managers.”
Not too long ago I had a very disturbing experience in a place that called itself a “Sonny’s.” When I entered, I expected the familiar comfort of being herded into the “entrance line,” and being promptly steered to my table by a woman who could fill my sweet tea overflowing. But this is not what I got, in any respect.
Instead of the classic entry/exit lines, I instead was confronted with something blasphemous: a sports bar serving alcohol! “Oh god” I thought, “somehow I’ve confused the parking lot for Sonny’s with some other restaurant.” But no, Mr. Tillman, I had not made this mistake. Right on every table was your old familiar smiling face.
My Old Friend Sonny
As I was seated at my table by a tattooed man, I was treated to an unfolding panorama of such horror it rivaled the works of Hieronymous Bosch. Transmogrified before my eyes was a bastardization of one of my favorite childhood places.
Jeff, Brian, and I all decided to do southern music posts, and Jeff has already put up a number of classics, ranging from old school blues to The Man in Black. However, I am not a fan of most music considered “Southern.” As a rule, I don’t listen to country performed after 1980 (but my iTunes isn’t bursting with Hank Williams or Gene Autry, either), cannot really get into jazz/blues, and do not listen to a lot of bluegrass or even southern “gospel” music that Jeff has mentioned in this space (I blame Catholicism). To be honest, I’m a little closer to…
"I'm a rocker through and through. Here's a list of my favorite bands: AC/DC, Van Halen NOT Van Hagar, Skynyrd, Def Leppard..."
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