EZEtoGRU

Sure...I get all that.  Even with the current service, it only takes 20-23 minutes to get from DC to BWI on Acela and only about an additional 10 minutes to get to Baltimore city center.  The elevated rail would save what?  10 minutes?  
I seriously doubt there is a compelling & realistic business case to spend how many billions such a route.  

Even elevated has a massive footprint. The supports need ti be fairly close together. The eminent domain issues are enormous in a densely populated area.

Brightline is not true "high-speed rail," it just goes at the higher end of regular rail speed.
We can't do high speed rail here anywhere you'd really want it because there are tens of  billions of real estate in the path you'd need to lay it. Barring a natiral disaster or world war demolishing all those buildings, it's not going to happen except maybe in stretches of desert. I don't know why people don't get this. China can tell people to leave their homes and pound sand. Europe was devastated and then rebuilt. The U.S. would have to buy homeowners out at market rates. That's a showstopper. 

Racial minorities and immigrant groups are also feeling compelled to move (in cases where they are able) due to recently imposed legislation in their home state.  I guess it amazes me that in 2023 in the US,  minority groups in certain states feel they have to move to a new state in order to feel safe, accepted, and live an authentic life.  This is not a normal thing to be occurring in a developed nation in 2023.    

Zac Efron and Brother Dylan 

Are you sure?
In Louisiana, where the pediatric cardiologist and his family feel unwelcome, 53% of adults say homosexuality should be accepted and 36% say it should be discouraged.
In Missouri, where a woman and her transgender daughter feel unwelcome, 57% of adults say homosexuality should be accepted and 36% say it should be discouraged.
If my math is correct, it seems that minority rules in the two communities cited by the OP.  

Yes. You're missing the point that in all communities: Majority rules.

"Flee" ?
My mother said they would just drive their friend to the neighboring State. Get the abortion and drive them home.
It's an abortion, not the gas chambers.
Inconvenient perhaps but hardly the end of the world. At least you had that option.

Haven't been able to get this question out of my mind.  I keep wondering why the person who doesn't welcome me would want to live near me.  Isn't he also free to move somewhere else?  Are his ties to the community stronger than mine?  Does he have more furniture than I do?

If I were to look for a sign of an unhealthy society, I don't know that I'd look much further than people having to uproot their lives to get away from people they don't like or who don't like them.  The success of our species is based in large part on our ability and desire to work together to do things we couldn't do alone.  When did it become a great thing about the US to tell others to 'Just go.'?  
No doubt I'm overlooking something.  One of these days I may wake up and decide to move away from everybody who doesn't welcome me.  I may even leave a note saying I'm sorry for bothering them.
But that day is not today and, if someone chooses to leave to get away from me, I sure hope the door doesn't hit him in the ass.  
 

Yep.  That section between Miami and FTL crosses very busy roads and the train goes quite slow.  I've been on it 2 or 3 times already.  Service was fine and they have shiny new stations in both cities.  Every time I have been on it, the loads were very lite.  I do remember thinking at the time that I would not be surprised if the train (at least on that segment) would likely be involved in quite a few accidents.
To me, it really is not a true high-speed train.  Real high speed trains mostly go under/over road traffic to maximize speed and safety.  That has not been provisioned for on the segment I travelled on.  North of FTL, I have no clue it the train has less interaction with road traffic.  
I'm also curious how profitable an operation it is or will be.  
I wish them well.  I'm all for increasing rail travel in the US when possible and practical.  

It's interesting you mention this.  After seeing the recent thread about Mintboy, I had a look at the selection for the Detroit area.  Yuck!!!  A large number of very average to unattractive guys I wouldn't be interested in even if they were for free.  It was shocking to see how many unappealing guys are putting themselves out there as escorts.

Racial minorities and immigrant groups are also feeling compelled to move (in cases where they are able) due to recently imposed legislation in their home state.  I guess it amazes me that in 2023 in the US,  minority groups in certain states feel they have to move to a new state in order to feel safe, accepted, and live an authentic life.  This is not a normal thing to be occurring in a developed nation in 2023.    

Racial minorities and immigrant groups are also feeling compelled to move (in cases where they are able) due to recently imposed legislation in their home state.  I guess it amazes me that in 2023 in the US,  minority groups in certain states feel they have to move to a new state in order to feel safe, accepted, and live an authentic life.  This is not a normal thing to be occurring in a developed nation in 2023.    

This is an important article about the real life impact anti-LGBTQ legislation in various states is having on LGBTQ families and their decision to move to more accepting states.   There is also the critical angle of the professional void one of these moves can leave in the departed state. 
These are not rare or unique cases.  This article covers one family leaving Louisiana for New York and another leaving Missouri for Colorado.  However one only need to google the topic to find many instances of people choosing to move (or considering a move) from a less-tolerant state to a more accepting state due to recent legislative changes.  Not surprisingly, many of these stories cover LGBT folks having left or currently living in Florida.
The purpose of starting this thread is not to discuss the politics/legislation which was the impetus for these moves.   Instead we should focus on the impact on people's actual lives and folks feeling compelled to leave the state they once loved.  
One of Louisiana's only pediatric cardiologists has left the state over anti-LGBTQ legislation | CNN
WWW.CNN.COM When Jake Kleinmahon and his husband, Tom, decided to move back to New Orleans in 2018, they had plans to live there forever.  

This conversation has me looking for Aldi! Found two relatively close, I'll be checking it out soon.

Your post from a few months ago:  - Stop complaining. 

I'll do the TL:DR cliffnotes

1. Had the best assortment of guys I've ever seen at one of their parties
2. Had some of the hottest Ive seen at their parties
3. Good crowd keeping the guys working (at least while I was there, I left before midnight)
4. the free Vodka Bar kept the guys VERY friendly
5. The state of Florida may be the literal worst, but the type of sexually laid back straight guy type who just likes to party and be eager and make some decent coin too? That state is VERY good at churning those guys out and a number of them were there yesterday lol
6. Some guys from the spunk parties who aren't allowed to do much at that particular party were there and they must have a lot of pent up energy b/c they were free to be themselves.
7. I had 4 dances with 4 different guys and there were AT LEAST 4 others I would have loved to have a dance with (which is shocking to me b/c I'm pretty picky) but alas, I'm a good Christian and needed to be home to get some sleep for work the next day and besides, my refractory period ain't what it used to be LOL!

I guess I'm slime🤷🏻‍♂️

There are several TSC stores close to the house...one only about 10 minutes away.  We live in a rural/small town/farming-type area so it makes sense.  I have never been as I assumed it had only farming/tractor items for sale.  One  thing that had raised a red flag for me regarding TSC was on some of their local TV advertising.  I don't recall the exact words they used but they were something along the lines of PATRIOT/LIBERTY/FREEDOM or some such thing.  When I hear those types of terms in advertising it's a major turn-off for me so I choose not to patronize the businesses that use them.
This thread has caused me to reconsider my position.  I did some research this morning and I see that TSC sponsored a drag show in Waco Texas in recent years.  They caught major flack for it too (which is not surprising in small city Texas).  I'm not sure why they chose to sponsor the show but I applaud them for doing it.
Sometime in the next few weeks I think I will venture in and see what's on offer.  However if I see guns for sale and lots of camouflage clothing for men...I'm outa there!

So after the Aldi post,  I thought I'd ask  how many here shop at TSC  (that's Tractor Supply Company).    I enjoy the place and always cash in at the right time.

Many years ago, a friend moved to Germany to marry his partner.  He asked the lady at the corner grocery for a box of plums that were stacked behind her.  The box she gave him contained a couple plums that were past their prime.  He asked her if he could pick his own box.  Nein!, she told him, Somebody has to eat them. 😁
Personally, I'd rather have plums that are slightly overripe than the purple billiard balls at my local Safeway.  I understand that some fruit is bred to look good even after going through a large complex distribution system.  Flavor, texture and perhaps nutrition take a back seat to eye appeal at the point of sale.  I wonder if US customers are less interested in how something tastes.  That was all that mattered where I grew up, near a major farming community..
I really appreciate all the contributors to this thread!  And I'm sure hoping for an Aldi or Lidl to open near where I live.  😋

The produce (and milk) isn't bad when you get it, it just seems to go bad more quickly. I'll buy it there if I plan to eat it in the next day or so. 

Wow.  Thanks for the very thorough input.  The questionable produce and meat at ALDI seems to be a common theme.  I'm reasonably happy with the produce I get at our local grocery store so I'll likely stick with that.  Meat is a different story.  I'm not very happy with meat I get anywhere anymore.  Maybe ALDI won't be a solution for the meat problem either.  Bread is another problem.  After you spend time in Europe and eat the bread there, bread in the US just doesn't measure up.  So hard to find decent white bread around here.
I'll definitely check out some of the items you have recommended.  I'm looking forward to checking out the store when it opens...I'm assuming in the next 60 days.  Oh...and I'll remember to to take a quarter!  Thanks again!!

I consider myself a victim when it comes to an ALDI...lol       We have one about 6 miles from my home.   I've never been in there as my perception says it is a place more expensive than a typical grocery store.     Perception may not be reality.     I should take the time and get my butt in there and check it out.   Even if more expensive,  there are things that can override the perceptions and make it worth it for me to go in there.

The reason behind the quarter is because they don't staff the store as much as regular grocery stores which is also why their prices are lower. They don't have cart attendants so they want to make sure the customers bring the carts back themselves. They do pay their employees more though. The starting wage for employees here at Aldis by me just went up again to $18.50 an hour. Regular grocery stores usually start out at $15 or $16 here.