List 100 things that make Living in America Great.

ENough said. Si se Puede.
We did it people!

Living in America is great today. We had a great election, AND I have heard of none of the rioting etc that the police were actually prepared for.

I feel a HUGE weight off my shoulders. SO proud to be American today.

http://www.reviewstream.com/reviews/?p=3968

I think this concept has been repeated in many cities, but I’ve never seen it in Europe.

The laundromat/Bar combo.

Ours had a pool table and video games. It made for a better time doing laundry. I think it’s a good enterprise. (Though I am not a fan of drinking to excess…)

started in Chicago in 1968

http://www.specialolympics.org/Special+Olympics+Public+Website/English/About_Us/History/default.htm

Now, teams from all over the world compete and enjoy the spirit of competition and camraderie. But it started in the USA.
Special Olympics isn’t just for kids. People from age 3 up to age 70 and beyond can play. Participation teaches much more than the rules of the game. It helps these people learn social skills, coordination, fitness and gives them a place to have a lot of fun. Everyone gets to matter here.

Concieved in Manhatten in 1966. First show aired in 1969. The Childrens television workshop production of Sesame Street has been responsible for much learning and has spread all over the world…
I love that over the years this show has continues to address issues important in current events, in a way that makes sense for kids, and even some adults.
Rock on Sesame St.

So, I will admit, I’m shockingly disappointed and angry with what happens in the white house currently.
But, I am pleasantly happy when basic things happen each day that are related to having a functioning Government:

My Garbage is picked up with my recycling each Monday.
A nice lady brings me my mail regularly.
Some pot holes in my neighbourhood have been repaired.
Most people keep their mean and nasty dogs on leashes so they can’t torture the kiddies in the park.
We have lovely parks that are clean and have soft places for kids to land.
I have yet to wake up to someone trying to loot my house and cut my phone line here.
So while the current Administration in the White House, is not so great, having a functioning government is something I am pleased about. Maybe I should say having a functional local government.

Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Highway Beautification Act of 1965 (HBA) into law on October 22, 1965.

It regulates all sorts of things, like the size that signs can be, etc.

In the past decade or so, many states have started to really add to the highways by planting wildflowers. THis is very pretty, and it also reduces mowing, reducse air pollution, provides wildlife habitat, while enhancing the aesthetics of the local highways.
pretty cool.

American born organization. http://www.habitat.org/history/65-76.html

Not only does this organization provide safe, clean, decent housing for many in the US, it provides the same now in many many places in the world.

Having a safe, clean and decent place to live can open the door for so many other opportunities in life….

This organization also gives wonderful opportunities for volunteering, learning new skills and making a difference.

OK, so often these places are made fun of as not so great, and not as prestigious as Harvard, Yale or Ball State University.
But they get the job done. Many Many Many excellent compassionate nurses, dental technicians, surgical technicians, and Nurses aids are trained each semester at Community colleges. In addition, those guys that take care of all those pesky overflowing toilets, and exploding refridgerators get training there. And while learning to ix your car, a student can also take a class in Russian dance, or French, thus broadening horizons.
Yes, they often have “ugly Campuses” and the professors aren’t always overly published…but there is learning there, and at a more affordable price for many….

I LOVE this place, though it has been a while since I’ve been in the neighborhood, I think it’d definitely a place that makes America Great.
There is no way anyone could not love this place, which is why of course it has been an independent small business success. I used to go everyday, for an everything bagel toasted dry and a very nice cup of joe… (cost about 1.95 for both)I used to share a table with a variety of folks, a fellow student, a professor, and often an older person from the community.
Even now, when I come in after being away well over a year the owner still remembers my name, and what I studied at school which surprisingly make me feel very special and nice…I don’t know how he does it.
Starbucks simply cannot compare.
I was mightily disappointed when I moved away to Chapel Hill and failed to find a place that was as inclusive of all people, most of their independent coffee places seem to cater to one aspect of the population, and do not have a broad appeal. We’ve started to go to Caribou, but the packaged approach with preprinted advertisements from HQ, and the cutsey napkins, are less appealing than Matt greeting me each morning…and some darn fine coffee to boot.
Greensboro may not be the mecca of culture, but Tate St Coffee is amazing, and something I really and truely miss…
http://www.tatestreetcoffee.com/

unbeknownst to many American in the US we have a Law, EMTALA
Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. WHich means that if someone presents to the ED for a problem or in labor, we must provide appropriate care within our scope including a medical screening exam and treatment, regardless of a persons ability to pay…

Although this has led to some abuse and overcrowding on the ED’s in the nation, I still think this particular piece of legislation is one of the things that does make living in America great!