It has started to get cold here in the deep south. I use the term deep south with some misgivings, because I never know exactly what the term means. It seems to be safe to say that Georgia is the deep south, but people in Louisiana might disagree. I have a hard time with Louisiana being the southeast, because it isn’t very “east” – but I don’t have any reason . I feel comfortable with Georgia being the center of the Southeast, but that doesn’t help with what is the deep south. Geographically, Florida would be the deep south. But, many folks don’t consider Florida part of the south at all – even though parts of it are simply continuations of Georgia and Alabama, and it isn’t fair to leave them out. I am more familiar with the states that border Georgia to the East and north, and less familiar with the western side of the South Eastern Conference, so I don’t know how Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana fit into the whole deep south.
I had someone from Louisiana tell me that unless I grew up south of I-20 that I wasn’t southern. The house I grew up in is actually about a mile south of I-20. I am always amazed by southerners who want to exclude people. I am learning that it is human nature to want to exclude people, and I know that I am as guilty of it as anyone, but I find it fascinating. I don’t think people in the south are worse about this than people other places, people just like to think we are.
Today it is chilly and overcast, and I love this kind of day, even if it is simply for the contrast of the bright pretty sunny days. I can’t believe it is already Thursday. I am looking forward to this weekend. I hope everyone is having a beautiful day and a spectacular week.
the thin line between optimism and delusion... 
By that logic, people in Miami are more legitimately southern than anyone from, say, Aiken, SC. In my time here and at Virginia, I must say that I’ve never heard people make dumber arguments than when they’re trying to determine who’s “really Southern.” Really, what’s the point? It’s about as boring and redundant as rappers trying to figure out who’s “more ghetto” or “keepin’ it real.” It doesn’t make anyone prima facie a better person, or more fun to hang out with, etc., etc. In reality, just about every suburb and so forth in America is so similar, I find that anyone who only chooses to hang out with “southerners” is just using geographical terms and a non-existent cultural paradigm as an excuse to be an asshole. Granted, people at Kroger tend to be more friendly here than in Pennsylvania, but there are good friends I’ve made here that wouldn’t let me get past first round of rush as an undergrad because I’m from Pennsylvania. Everyone’s allowed to have their choice of discriminatory factors in who they want to be friends with and stuff, but I think “don’t be a dick” is a pretty credo to go by. Not much more you need than that.