I live in CA but I didn't realize how bad it's gotten

[Bateshorn 9905]

5 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

I had good experiences the times I visited California. Of course, I was couch-surfing both times so I was insulated from the price of housing. All I need to make California attractive as a full-time home is 52 friends who will each let me couch-surf for a week.

I loathe Northern California. SF is a fucking dump.  I've enjoyed Southern California many times.  LA is a fucking insane food town.  I couldn't afford to live there, but I certainly don't mine visiting on putting on a few lbs.   I've always like San Diego the best, tho, although the last time I was there I was kinda shocked by the homeless and filth in the Gaslight.  Like, we bailed early from a bar because we were a little worried about late night crime.  Has a very Dirty Sixth vibe these days.

[RDCanecutter 26281]

2 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

I loathe Northern California. SF is a fucking dump.  I've enjoyed Southern California many times.  LA is a fucking insane food town.  I couldn't afford to live there, but I certainly don't mine visiting on putting on a few lbs.   I've always like San Diego the best, tho, although the last time I was there I was kinda shocked by the homeless and filth in the Gaslight.  Like, we bailed early from a bar because we were a little worried about late night crime.  Has a very Dirty Sixth vibe these days.

I liked Berkeley. Kinda reminded me of Birmingham. It was also fun to tell Berkeley-ites that their town reminded me of Birmingham. Which it honestly did. They could not conceive that that might be a good thing.

[Born to Run 6568]

I loathe Northern California. SF is a fucking dump.  I've enjoyed Southern California many times.  LA is a fucking insane food town.  I couldn't afford to live there, but I certainly don't mine visiting on putting on a few lbs.   I've always like San Diego the best, tho, although the last time I was there I was kinda shocked by the homeless and filth in the Gaslight.  Like, we bailed early from a bar because we were a little worried about late night crime.  Has a very Dirty Sixth vibe these days.

Not you specifically, but people love to shit talk California without spending anytime there. It's a huge state with a varied climate and culture. Way up north it's more like Oregon. Central Valley is like Texas. Foothills have a shitload of Cowboys and rodeo culture.
Something for everyone- housing costs aside.

I can't stand anything in Southern California that isn't a few blocks from the beach. Just endless miles of suburbia and traffic. Hate LA. OC is not my scene but could dig San Clemente except for all the ex jarheads.
However I love Bay Area. 1 hr to amazing surfing year round. 3 hours to the mountains or amazing backpacking. Tired of the bay area weather? Drive a few hours. And prices are coming down...

[YChang 3431]

9 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

 And prices are coming down...

Really? Where have you seen this trend? I have family/friends striking out looking for homes in San Jose and Oakland respectively. My cousin finally decided to buy a new development in Novato. And one friend moved from Alameda to Benicia. And when I l left ~2 years ago... "affordable" was out in Livermore and beyond. But I'm with you... for me California living is Northern California. I liked visiting LA/SD but can't imagine wanting to live there. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by YChang

[DonkeyCigars 144]

I love San Diego. Love it. SD proper, Carlsbad, La Jolla, Del Mar, etc. I spend more time than I should every year in SD.

OC/LA - Generally enjoying visiting- can take it in doses.

San Jose/SF, etc. - Nope. Can't stand it, but work makes Bay Area unavoidable.

[Fudge Nuggets 19151]

2 hours ago, C-Man said:

You can say that again. My wife's uncle lives in Bakersfield or something. He's a failed everything in life -- "graduated" from law school, couldn't pass the bar; owned an insurance agency and that tanked, had a car dealership (or something) and that tanked; his wife (father-in-law's sister) drank herself to death. Just a shit show. He shares some horrific shit on social media and considers himself a "thinker." My wife blocked him.

Based on the number of lawyers running around it must take some real skill to fail the bar exam.

[Horn 35]

Dave Whiteman: Max, I think it’s time you stopped all this screwing around and started to learn the hanger business.
Max Whiteman: I don't like hangers. Dave Whiteman: You don't like hangers? It’s hangers that clothe you, and it’s hangers that feed you! 

[We’reTexas 1469]

8 minutes ago, YChang said:

Really? Where have you seen this trend? I have family/friends striking out looking for homes in San Jose and Oakland respectively. My cousin finally decided to buy a new development in Novato. And one friend moved from Alameda to Benicia. And when I l left ~2 years ago... "affordable" was out in Livermore and beyond. But I'm with you... for me California living is Northern California. I liked visiting LA/SD but can't imagine wanting to live there. 

Yeah idk what that guy is talking about. Bay Area burbs and Oakland/Berkeley have been on fire during COVID. SF actually has come down a bit in some aspects.  
 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11810]

Texas was settled by outlaws and yeehaws.  Oklahoma by land thieves, until they Okied to California.  California by those who were crazy enough that they kept running until they either ate each other in the mountains or had to stop because of the ocean.  

Edited May 6, 2021 by Judge Roybeanbag

[Pancho 44486]

2 hours ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Jenner running as a Republican makes no sense to me at all. Maybe I just don't understand CA Republicans, but I would think what you describe above (a rationalization of something heinous to protect someone you like or respect) would not be afforded to Jenner by most republicans. But maybe not living in California I am out of the loop and they actually will support this.

Well you underestimate the amount of LGBTQ persons who identify as conservative/Republican. It’s more than you think. Some of those very same LGBTQ folks who identify (identified?? Past tense) as conservative actually post on this website.

How they are LGBTQ and Republican, I don’t know. You’d have to ask them but it’s neither surprising nor uncommon.

[Bateshorn 9905]

Just now, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Texas was settled by outlaws and yeehaws.  Oklahoma by land thieves, until they Okied to California.  California by those who were crazy enough kept that they kept running until they either ate each other in the mountains or had to stop because of the ocean.  

What’s the line from Levelland? “In the great migration west, they either lost a wagon wheel or lacked the ambition to go on.”

[Judge Roybeanbag 11810]

1 minute ago, Bateshorn said:

What’s the line from Levelland? “In the great migration west, they either lost a wagon wheel or lacked the ambition to go on.”

That would describe most of the Midwest.  Here is as good a place to stop and take a shit as any.  

[Js1 85110]

3 minutes ago, Pancho said:

Well you underestimate the amount of LGBTQ persons who identify as conservative/Republican. It’s more than you think. Some of those very same LGBTQ folks who identify (identified?? Past tense) as conservative actually post on this website.

How they are LGBTQ and Republican, I don’t know. You’d have to ask them but it’s neither surprising nor uncommon.

Some of the most selfish, self absorbed people I know who act like they are the most oppressed people on planet Earth are good looking white gay men.   They fit the current Republican Party ethos perfectly. 

[Sbbruin 21737]

1 hour ago, Sawbonz said:

He’s able to lick his balls. How bad can it be?

Reminds me of the old joke- why does a dog lick its balls?

 

Because he can.

[Gil Bang 25898]

31 minutes ago, Born to Run said:

Not you specifically, but people love to shit talk California without spending anytime there. It's a huge state with a varied climate and culture. Way up north it's more like Oregon. Central Valley is like Texas. Foothills have a shitload of Cowboys and rodeo culture.
Something for everyone- housing costs aside.

I can't stand anything in Southern California that isn't a few blocks from the beach. Just endless miles of suburbia and traffic. Hate LA. OC is not my scene but could dig San Clemente except for all the ex jarheads.
However I love Bay Area. 1 hr to amazing surfing year round. 3 hours to the mountains or amazing backpacking. Tired of the bay area weather? Drive a few hours. And prices are coming down...

No shit.  Merle, Buck, and a shitload of cowboys, ranchers, dairymen and oilfield workers.  
The Central Valley of CA is as shitkicker as it gets anywhere. 

[seven 1366]

4 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

That would describe most of the Midwest.  Here is as good a place to stop and take a shit as any.  

Bad video but Ron white has a great bit on this 

 

[washparkhorn 9935]

3 hours ago, Js1 said:

It’s also just taxpayer money. Fiscal conservatives don’t care. They can’t win when it matters, so they’ll waste money to try to do it in an off year and pray on low turnout. 

Amen.

"Four-hundred million dollars. That’s one estimate for how much the election to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom could cost taxpayers this fall.

. . . Think of all of the good you could do with this money,” she said of the $400 million figure, naming hot meals for students and homeless shelters as options. “We’re going to have to spend a lot of public and private funds for something that is very unlikely to succeed.”

The sum is the same amount Newsom earmarked for school-based mental health services in his 2021-22 state budget proposal, and more than the $353 million he proposed for workforce development.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/01/hey-california-taxpayers-guess-how-much-the-newsom-recall-election-is-going-to-cost-you/

TLDR

[washparkhorn 9935]

20 minutes ago, Pancho said:

Well you underestimate the amount of LGBTQ persons who identify as conservative/Republican. It’s more than you think. Some of those very same LGBTQ folks who identify (identified?? Past tense) as conservative actually post on this website.

How they are LGBTQ and Republican, I don’t know. You’d have to ask them but it’s neither surprising nor uncommon.

Classism unites them.

[Helobious 9481]

I have family in the San Jose area. Never been to SoCal, only NorCal. SF/Oakland is a scenic dump, but I do enjoy the other areas. 
 

I was pretty shocked to see how democratic San Diego voted last election, and most all the elections before. In my head I thought it was the main Republican stronghold in CA given the heavy military industry there. 

[Bevo 13527]

1 hour ago, Born to Run said:

Not you specifically, but people love to shit talk California without spending anytime there. It's a huge state with a varied climate and culture. Way up north it's more like Oregon. Central Valley is like Texas. Foothills have a shitload of Cowboys and rodeo culture.
Something for everyone- housing costs aside.

I can't stand anything in Southern California that isn't a few blocks from the beach. Just endless miles of suburbia and traffic. Hate LA. OC is not my scene but could dig San Clemente except for all the ex jarheads.
However I love Bay Area. 1 hr to amazing surfing year round. 3 hours to the mountains or amazing backpacking. Tired of the bay area weather? Drive a few hours. And prices are coming down...

You must be high. I had trouble selling my starter-home in Capitola for $350K in 2000. It is appraised at $1.6 million now, for a fucking starter home on a 5000sqft lot with an apartment complex across the street. How fucking much do you think prices are coming down - 25% where my starter home is at $1.2 million? LOL. And just for laughs, do a single family home search in Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, and Cupertino under a million dollars. Nothing comes up - ie there is not a single house for sale in the area for less than a million.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Bevo

[RDCanecutter 26281]

1 hour ago, Js1 said:

Some of the most selfish, self absorbed people I know who act like they are the most oppressed people on planet Earth are good looking white gay men.   They fit the current Republican Party ethos perfectly. 

Uh, I'm not gay and I'm not Republican but I guess, uh, thanks for the other stuff.

[Guest Lobo]

I'm a little gay and a little Republican.  

Anecdotal and all, but I know 4 gay men who worked for, or were appointed to prominent roles, by Bush 43.  2 of them are also Hispanic.  3 of them still work in Republican politics today, 1 of whom went on to serve as an extremely high ranking member of the Dept. of Commerce.  If I can think of 4 just in one little corner of politics, there have to be tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ conservatives.  Likely in the hundreds of thousands.  

[Js1 85110]

Aaron Schock was a Republican elected official for 10 years and voted against numerous bills protecting LGBT rights or marriage equality.  He came out 5 years after leaving office.

Although, like we didn't already know

[washparkhorn 9935]

3 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

I liked Berkeley. Kinda reminded me of Birmingham.

For a moment - I thought you were comparing Birmingham, Alabama to Berkeley.  Then I remembered you are a Europhile. Whew.

Birmingham, England is not a bad comparison to Berkeley, California.

(edit - I love the ladies in Birmingham, AL and relative progressive spirit of place. A blueberry in a bowl of raspberry soup).

Edited May 6, 2021 by washparkhorn

[Born to Run 6568]

Really? Where have you seen this trend? I have family/friends striking out looking for homes in San Jose and Oakland respectively. My cousin finally decided to buy a new development in Novato. And one friend moved from Alameda to Benicia. And when I l left ~2 years ago... "affordable" was out in Livermore and beyond. But I'm with you... for me California living is Northern California. I liked visiting LA/SD but can't imagine wanting to live there. 

My bad. I had several friends take advantage of a price dip last summer in the city when prices dropped dramatically.
Prices have already corrected.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

2 hours ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

Based on the number of lawyers running around it must take some real skill to fail the bar exam.

Ask Kamala.

[workswithseed 2037]

6 hours ago, Js1 said:

It’s also just taxpayer money. Fiscal conservatives don’t care. They can’t win when it matters, so they’ll waste money to try to do it in an off year and pray on low turnout. 

No one falls for this BS anymore. 

Lol, how's the train working for ya (I know you don't live there.). It's California mindset. Spend till the cows come home. Look at DC, it's no better.

Edited May 6, 2021 by workswithseed

[DonkeyCigars 144]

23 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

For a moment - I thought you were comparing Birmingham, Alabama to Berkeley.  Then I remembered you are a Europhile. Whew.

Birmingham, England is not a bad comparison to Berkeley, California.

(edit - I love the ladies in Birmingham, AL and relative progressive spirit of place. A blueberry in a bowl of raspberry soup).

He was comparing Berkeley to Birmingham, AL dude.

[washparkhorn 9935]

6 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

He was comparing Berkeley to Birmingham, AL dude.

 

[washparkhorn 9935]

10 minutes ago, workswithseed said:

Lol, how's the train working for ya (I know you don't live there.). It's California mindset. Spend till the cows come home. Look at DC, it's no better.

California with the best infrastructure in the United States.

California Republicans: Our roads are horrible and we need to build more.

[Fudge Nuggets 19151]

14 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Ask Kamala.

I'll be sure and do that when we summer together this year in Lucerne.

[Fudge Nuggets 19151]

2 hours ago, washparkhorn said:

Amen.

"Four-hundred million dollars. That’s one estimate for how much the election to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom could cost taxpayers this fall.

. . . Think of all of the good you could do with this money,” she said of the $400 million figure, naming hot meals for students and homeless shelters as options. “We’re going to have to spend a lot of public and private funds for something that is very unlikely to succeed.”

The sum is the same amount Newsom earmarked for school-based mental health services in his 2021-22 state budget proposal, and more than the $353 million he proposed for workforce development.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/01/hey-california-taxpayers-guess-how-much-the-newsom-recall-election-is-going-to-cost-you/

TLDR

Take it out of police budgets.

[Brisketexan 104628]

3 hours ago, RDCanecutter said:

I liked Berkeley. Kinda reminded me of Birmingham. It was also fun to tell Berkeley-ites that their town reminded me of Birmingham. Which it honestly did. They could not conceive that that might be a good thing.

I have long thought that Elizabeth Berkley is rather attractive...

But, you know, she spells her name differently than the city, so maybe she doesn't belong here.  But I'll leave her here anyway, because reasons.

[workswithseed 2037]

1 minute ago, washparkhorn said:

California with the best infrastructure in the United States.

California Republicans: Our roads are horrible and we need to build more.

California Republicans are mostly Keynesian politicians. The worst kind.

[Underdog 28457]

3 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

Reminds me of the old joke- why does a dog lick its balls?

 

Because he can.

Yup

[Fudge Nuggets 19151]

30 minutes ago, workswithseed said:

California Republicans are mostly Keynesian politicians. The worst kind.

We know you lot prefer them Hitler politicians.  They kind of suck.

[workswithseed 2037]

2 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

We know you lot prefer them Hitler politicians.  They kind of suck.

You lot? Which lot? 

[RDCanecutter 26281]

1 hour ago, washparkhorn said:

For a moment - I thought you were comparing Birmingham, Alabama to Berkeley.  Then I remembered you are a Europhile. Whew.

Birmingham, England is not a bad comparison to Berkeley, California.

(edit - I love the ladies in Birmingham, AL and relative progressive spirit of place. A blueberry in a bowl of raspberry soup).

Are you trying to tell me they named a town in England after one in Alabama? That's crazy talk.

Can't type more, I have to be in Leeds and Sheffield before 5.

[RDCanecutter 26281]

1 hour ago, washparkhorn said:

For a moment - I thought you were comparing Birmingham, Alabama to Berkeley.  Then I remembered you are a Europhile. Whew.

Birmingham, England is not a bad comparison to Berkeley, California.

(edit - I love the ladies in Birmingham, AL and relative progressive spirit of place. A blueberry in a bowl of raspberry soup).

The "Bright Blue Dot in A Red State" sticker was created by a woman in Birmingham (the real one, in Bama.)

Not that Bham would be very blue compared to Berkeley, but it wasn't politics that brought on the comparison because I was crashing with hippies and hippies are the same everywhere. What did it was that in Berkeley I was in a tree-shaded neighborhood full of boho bungalows, with a big green hill above it. Which if you know Birmingham, is pretty much Avondale or a few other neighborhoods.

[LTbear 4161]

4 hours ago, Born to Run said:

Not you specifically, but people love to shit talk California without spending anytime there. It's a huge state with a varied climate and culture. Way up north it's more like Oregon. Central Valley is like Texas. Foothills have a shitload of Cowboys and rodeo culture.
Something for everyone- housing costs aside.

I can't stand anything in Southern California that isn't a few blocks from the beach. Just endless miles of suburbia and traffic. Hate LA. OC is not my scene but could dig San Clemente except for all the ex jarheads.
However I love Bay Area. 1 hr to amazing surfing year round. 3 hours to the mountains or amazing backpacking. Tired of the bay area weather? Drive a few hours. And prices are coming down...

I lived in Cali for 6 years. It sucks. If it had 10% the population that it has, it would be absolutely amazing, but it doesn't, so it sucks.

3 hours to the mountains from the Bay? Sure, in theory, if you drive at 2am. But that drive has taken me 8-11 hours at times because of the fucking hordes of people. 

Way northern Cali - around Redding and further north - is livable, though there is the drug problem. The Trinity Alps are great. 

The eastern side of the Sierra is also nice, if you can find a career out there.

 

[workswithseed 2037]

7 minutes ago, LTbear said:

 

Once more please

[Biff Tannen 45497]

1 hour ago, RDCanecutter said:

The "Bright Blue Dot in A Red State" sticker was created by a woman in Birmingham (the real one, in Bama.)

Not that Bham would be very blue compared to Berkeley, but it wasn't politics that brought on the comparison because I was crashing with hippies and hippies are the same everywhere. What did it was that in Berkeley I was in a tree-shaded neighborhood full of boho bungalows, with a big green hill above it. Which if you know Birmingham, is pretty much Avondale or a few other neighborhoods.

I randomly stopped for the night there on the way to Maryland this past summer and I was shocked at how nice it was, compared to what I was expecting. 

[Willfully Horn 7915]

2 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

Ask Kamala.

Give it up for a claim that checks out as being true. Props.

[washparkhorn 9935]

2 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

Bay Area takes it up to 11, and it’s cold

Truth, especially at Candlestick - where it was arctic in the summer when the wind was blowing. 

Spoiler

It’s late May, 1986 in San Francisco. Everywhere else in the Bay Area, it’s a comfortable 70 degrees or more at sunset. But not at Candlestick Park. 

So this writer is prepared. Along with most of the other 29,000 fans in attendance for a Giants game, I know what’s coming: The chilly marine air accompanied by the icy, unrelenting winds that seem imported straight from Alaska. Seated halfway up the top level along the right-field line, I’m wearing a thick wool sweater my father bought me when he was traveling through St. Andrews in Scotland—a place which, like Candlestick, is known for its blustery, biting summer weather. If the sweater’s warm enough for St. Andrews, it’s got to be warm enough anywhere. But not at Candlestick Park. 

Stay warm, I tell myself. Concentrate on the game. Think about Hawaii in between innings. Drink something warm—that’s it, find a vendor carting hot chocolate for sale. Unfortunately, everyone else is thinking the same thing. After all, I’m not the only one with one eye on the game and the other on the next hot chocolate vendor to emerge from the concourse. Because when he does come out, he’s instantly mobbed like a pop star helplessly descended upon by teenage girls. So I have to consider making the long walk myself to the concession stand and hope that there’s hot chocolate left to sell. Anyplace else, that walk would be easy—so long as your knee joints aren’t frozen by the Arctic wind gusts. But not at Candlestick Park.

Visitors who came straight to San Francisco and, by glacial extension, Candlestick Park often needed a lesson in Bay Area microclimates. It’s rather remarkable; on a summer evening at Candlestick, it could feel as cold as Green Bay’s Lambeau Field in January—and yet, at the same moment just 30 miles to the east in Livermore Valley, residents kept the AC blasting while temperatures dangled near 100 outside. 

Howard Cosell didn’t heed the lesson. During the 1984 All-Star Game at Candlestick, the grandiose-talking Cosell started bitching on air about the wintry conditions in the ABC TV booth. Al Michaels, his play-by-play partner who once did broadcasting for the Giants and understood the local atmospherics, tried to convince Cosell that while they were shivering, people some 10 miles down the peninsula were comfortably barbecuing outside in short-sleeve shirts and shorts. Cosell didn’t buy it. He went on with the bitching. Michaels kept trying to sell him. “Howard, I’m telling you,” he continued with a rich grin only a local could needle an Easterner with, “right now, they’re kicking back in their backyards and enjoying the warmth.”  https://thisgreatgame.com/ballparks-candlestick-park/

But it's a beautiful region of the country. I loved living there for a few years.

[workswithseed 2037]

 

Howard sounds like these people when they get to the bay area.

[RDCanecutter 26281]

1 hour ago, longhornmatt said:

Look, I don’t mean to be condescending to you, simple Alabama man, but I demand you retract your statement, stop comparing Berkeley to a city from the podunk place where you live, and admit that it can only fairly be compared to a more cultured place across the pond where the soccer hooligans read Chaucer.  

With all due respect, of course.  It’s nothing against you and your place.  I like Faulkner, although I’m sure he is more appreciated in Berkeley or the real Birmingham in England than he is in your quaint “Birmingham”.

I gather that you want me to do something, but many of the words you use are big, and I do not sense their meanings.

[RDCanecutter 26281]

55 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

I randomly stopped for the night there on the way to Maryland this past summer and I was shocked at how nice it was, compared to what I was expecting. 

Sorry about that. I was supposed to slash the tires of all outsider folk cars that day, but I got to layin around like I do, and plum forgot.

[StassneyHorn 6540]

Just chiming in to say Cabo Bob’s is better than any Mission burrito that I “had to have” the week I was in SF.

the truffle edibles sold by the school nearby were nice though. Didn’t get laid tho

[Gil Bang 25898]

6 minutes ago, StassneyHorn said:

Just chiming in to say Cabo Bob’s is better than any Mission burrito that I “had to have” the week I was in SF.

the truffle edibles sold by the school nearby were nice though. Didn’t get laid tho

Wrong color bandana in your back pocket?

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Insulting all of Cali is kind of funny, but ah well.  You just need to pay attention to the map.