The culture of the DFW suburbs really is mind-bending when I visit there. I think they take it to an extreme, but living at the limit of one's means as a social norm is commonplace. Row after row of hermetically sealed high-ceilinged air-conditioned houses; multiple daily trips to the densely-packed stores, meticulous lawns.

Actually, in their previous house they kept the dog in one bedroom, where it crapped and peed on the carpet for years, while the rest of the house was a showplace. Personally, I'd rather have a bag of potatoes in the closet than a bedroom with a urine-soaked carpet, but that's just me.

Anyhow, I think that a place like DFW will really be hit once things start being less dependable.