I think frogs are cute, big eyed, hoppy little creatures, full of energy. :)
Change is not easy but hopefully you will soon feel this was a good choice. Welcome to the Villages. I hope you find happiness here.

20 IS really slow but I think it is the usual speed limit for residential streets. Some of our streets are so busy that it is hard to think of them as residential streets.

Thanks Bucco
 

Great thread. I agree that The Villages is becoming an end destination for vacationers or those looking for a getaway from the real world.

No one has mentioned the growth and metamorphosis of TOTV. I remember the rough and tumble of the virtually unmoderated political forum. I remember delightfully stimulating and thought provoking posts by Kahuna, Billethkid, Bucco and a litany of others from all political persuasions and ideologies. Most of us were in it for cerebral exercise. Care had to be taken to research your position as exhilarating challenges could always be expected. I learned a lot from some very intelligent, informed Villages TOTV posters. One example was a regular poster who was very successful in the banking industry. He shared some brilliant, articulate, insider assessments on current events that prompted some to alter their opinions. It is sad when that kind of opportunity for informed enlightenment has passed into oblivion. It is lost to all but a few TOTV old-timers.

I remember the TOTV political forum morphing from an open forum to a closed forum that you had to register for. Probably a casualty of political correctness taken to a fault. I could never understand the critics of lively debate protesting to the moderators about the spirited content of a forum they had voluntarily signed into. Kind of like a nosey voyeur climbing a ladder to his neighbors bedroom window and then reporting to their landlord that he didn't like what he saw and demands they be evicted.

While memories of the sometimes raucous old political forum slowly fade, I hope that the new moderators strike a balance that allows for some passionate, colorful opinions outside the mainstream. In other words, I hope they don't sanitize the forums into boring, politically correct banter for the masses............(provocative thought provoking pause).

Thanks for an interesting thread. I hope this post passes muster and doesn't wind up in the great "deleted file" in cyberspace.

Have a great day in The Villages!

Thank You
 

I agree I remember those forums, they were great

Boy what a great post.

I cannot leave it go without saying it was nice to "see you" again and you bring back many great memories.

The Political up until about a year ago was such a fantastic learning tool for me.......that banker you mentioned and I disagreed many times, but I looked forward to his outlook on some issues that I found problem areas.

And yes before those who are on here only to cause dissension and not to learn anything, it was a fun learning experience.

I understand the administration stance, but for some reason the guns were and are aimed at the wrong folks. Some know how to play the game.

But, that forum caused me more reading, more study than anything I can recall. Disagreeing was NOT a bad thing....so often, WHICH IS FORGOTTEN, you would come back on and admit that you just learned something.

This is one of the changes in The Villages I do not like....folks with attitudes like those who just want to....I think the word is FLAME. It is a real shame.

Thanks for the post and the memories and please adminstrator..nobody is expressing political thoughts and nobody is bashing anyone, and nobody is bashing you. This is on topic as it is one part of The Villages that I miss very much.

Nicely scripted post. I also have fond memories of the forum as well. I think the problem was that only those of one opinion was allowed access without getting ganged up on and hence the only fair action was to eliminate the forum. I do miss it, but know closing it was the right thing to do.

Yes, I understood that you were just making an observation. No offense taken at all. Good thread. Thanks.

Coming recently from up in MD where we have a similar forum tool, I did not understand having to sign up for Political forum, if you don't want to read it, just don't go there. Here the Religion forum was the biggest fighting ground, has died down now as people have let everyone to their own beliefs and discuss without name calling. This version allows one to hide posts from certain people, we can screen the "nut jobs" up here.

We need a forum for exercising ideas and keep the grey cells sharp, as Hercule Poirot would say.

We need to watch our funds if the Second Depression comes as many predict. Where to stash funds to continue to be able to pay for this beautiful place.

P.S. anyone else getting virus warnings and not being able to return to next page. When I had the checker off, my PC crashes. Back to packing and taking some old books to library.

I sent a PM to the Admin on that very subject. In the last hour there have been deletions I have questioned.

I was one glad to see political disappear..because of just a couple really vicious posters. But now I want it back. Even if it is relegated again to op-in.

I hope I don't get banned from speaking out about this.

I am reluctant to agree with you on this for one reason. I fear the vicious posters you refer to would return.

The original topic was changing times in The Villages, not just TOTV. Posts have wandered almost exclusively into discussion of the closed political forum.

How about discussing changes in medical care, entertainment, age/origin of new residents, more/fewer seasonal residents, activities, lifestyle program, etc.?

Time to broaden the theme back to where this thread started.

Moderator

We came here the first time in 2004. The difference from every place else we tried in our search for the perfect retirement home was that The Villages offered wonderful homes with the feel of a resort that included hundreds of things to do that you would find in a resort or a cruise ship. Yet, with the neighborhoods, it is also like a home town. 9 years later and it has only gotten better. We are all so blessed to have this opertunity.

Great to hear!

we wanted to buy early since you never know if your retirment will be there when you need it. and our home will be paid for when we come full time....and can use our home before our health goes down hill..so if that means we use our home couple months out of the year..it not much different than having a cottage up north that you only use few months of the year

It is groundhog day EVERYDAY! So much fun.