Mark Driscoll on Joplin, MO

So currently, I am reading Mark Driscoll's book, "Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons From an Emerging Missional Church" (great  book, btw, I would highly recommend it!) and I came across a very humorous analysis he gives about Joplin, MO.

"We have added a number of new elders. One of them is a very bright young man in his twenties named Mike, who moved from Joplin, Missouri, to Seattle to work at Microsoft. I have taught at conferences in Joplin a few times and must report that it is among the most peculiar places on earth. First every item on every menu at every restaurant comes covered in gravy. Second, the town is filled with large fireworks stands because rednecks apparently like things that blow up. Third, the big emloyer in town is FAG ball bearings, and the town is filled with large white billboards that simply say FAG in large black letters (I am not making this up)." (page 156)

Having lived in southwest Missouri my whole life, and currently living in Springfield (only an hour from Joplin) I can personally attest that all three of these are true, and I can also attest that Joplin is certainly one of the weirdest places I have visited as well. Pastor Mark, if you ever read this blog post, here are a couple things you need to know:

1. Spend most of your time in Springfield if you come here; too much time spent in Joplin will make you crazy.

2. Fireworks are fun, and we do like to blow things up. There's not as much to do with our free time here as there is in Seattle.

3. We are not all rednecks in SWMO, and I enjoy making fun of them as much as you probably do.

4. About FAG bearings...well, actually, I don't think I need to say more. You pretty much covered that.

What places do you think are weird? What things about those places make them weird?