That high school Obama spoke at Sunday night?

[Nevernose]

49. It's a great town IF

It's a great town IF you're prepared for it, and most people aren't. If you enjoy public services, keep going. We're low on library space per capita, parks per capita, police per capita, and most of the other bad lists. Three of the nation's top twenty most dangerous zip codes are here in town (all of which I live and/or work in). Second to Baltimore in murder rate, but Nevada is number one per capita as a state (at least the last time I checked). We're dead last in school spending, although -- despite what you may read -- having a pretty good public school system. Fairly liberal Clark and Washoe counties, hamstrung in the legislature by the rural counties -- one of which is the same size as Massachusetts, and only has 500 residents (400 miners and 100 hookers). Las Vegas, at least for a while, was the meth capitol of America, and still ranks extremely high on drug use. Nevada leads the nation in teen pregnancy, teen smoking, and high school drop outs. Lowest per capita in bachelor's degrees. What do the 9/11 bombres and the OK City bombers and the Manson Family have in common? Las Vegas (and a lot more killers, too).

Last year we were the only district out of the nation's largest ten that made AYP. A bullshit test, but at least we passed it. This desert, once you get outside the city, is the most amazing place on Earth. In a six hour drive, there's the Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Zion, Cedar Breaks, Sequoia, Death Valley, Great Basin.

This is a place filled with schemers and dreamers, junkies and whores, get-rich-quick lunatics and fly-by-night con men. There is no support system for the failures, and no sympathy. This is a cruel, vicious, heartless city, founded on vice and run by corruption.

And I love it here -- and try and make it a better place.