amadeus
Bishop of Bio-Dome
Crap! You beat me to it.You have done humanity a major disservice Shane.
(Ask about) California
- Thread starter .Shane.
- Start date
Fair enough, but I think you'll agree that on matters of weather people vote with their feet and their vacation dollars. Guess what, winter in MO is not leading that list.
That's probably the biggest issue facing us, yet its ignored in the main because its complicated and not particularly sexy.
NV, for example, has a much higher growth rate per capita and its bone dry as well. Aridity is perhaps the defining element in the history of the Western states.
Yeah, its a bit much.
Our back yard lawn is a 25 by 10 foot strip that big enough to play catch on. The rest is dominated by 3 fruit trees.
Can you explain the following Soundgarden lyrics:
I just looked in the mirror
Things aren't looking so good
I'm looking California
And feeling Minnesota
What's so bad about looking California?
Maybe RMSharpe can pipe in regarding what is so bad about feeling Minnesota.
I just looked in the mirror
Things aren't looking so good
I'm looking California
And feeling Minnesota
What's so bad about looking California?
Maybe RMSharpe can pipe in regarding what is so bad about feeling Minnesota.
Drewcifer
Agent of Karma
Looking stupid and feeling like crap is the translation. The Minnesota part is apparently a reference to midwinter depression. This was from an interview of Soundgarden that was in the fanzine Your Flesh back when the song came out. Most of the Seattle grunge bands spent a lot of time in Minneapolis when they were starting out, there is some sort of weird connection between the two cities.
Venice is pretty much a tourist trap, albeit a fun one. I like to think of it as a guilty pleasure.
LA is a pretty interesting place. Was just down in Orange County visiting my mom this weekend. Took the kids to Knotts Berry Farm.
Well, true and not true. That's true of SF, yes, which is why SF resembles an Eastern city in terms of being vertically built. However, San Jose, LA, and SD, while (eventually) ringed w/ mountains have as more sprawl than you can possibly imagine.
This is horribly true of the Central Valley. Small cities like Fresno and Modesto, for example, just keep building in all directions.
Masquerouge
Deity
LA is a pretty interesting place. Was just down in Orange County visiting my mom this weekend. Took the kids to Knotts Berry Farm.
We did an architectural tour of downtown LA this Christmas and it was really nice. Lots of interesting buildings!
But I'm afraid that as long that I go there without someone familiar with the area I'll miss the really interesting stuff. Like, where to eat, blah blah blah.
Given the current threads about Southern/Northern prejudices/stereotypes etc... and my own general interest in this forum again, I'll open this one up for questions.
Hope the mods don't mind, but these types of threads seem to be useful.
Hope the mods don't mind, but these types of threads seem to be useful.
philippe
FYI, I chase trains.
do you know of any good californian wines that are exported to europe?
Do you know anything about the wine industry in california?
Do you know anything about the wine industry in california?
Fetus4188
Deity
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2004
- Messages
- 3,629
My dad (New York native) has been pretty involved in getting the lacrosse thing going in the eastern SF Bay Area. It's getting pretty big for the middle school to high school ages. It's a fun contact sport in a season that doesn't conflict with soccer or football, which is where a lot of the ideal lacrosse type athletes come from.
edit: just realized I said something of this sort 2 years ago :doh:
I'm going to have to agree with masq about the roads, I think the Sacramento area may be an exception, perhaps because the politicians don't want crappy roads for themselves. California roads are consistently in much worse shape than the rest of the country. I believe it's just another of many symptoms from a government that refuses to invest in infrastructure.
I suppose I should ask a question.. What's your favorite part of the state (to live in)?
Death_Machine
Slaytanic Warrior
I actually have an honest answer for this. After I earned my degree I thought about going into teaching for a bit. I spent about half a year as a substitute teacher just to see if I wanted to invest the time and money to go back and get a teaching credential.
1. The amount of illegal aliens in the school system congest it and slow down the learning because they have to teach English at the same time they are trying to give a basic curriculum.
2. They are more worried about a social agenda (day of silence and promoting a gay lifestyle, tolerance for illegals, ect.) and simply letting students slide because the administrators don't want any conflict with parents. The teachers aren't the problem, it's the worthless administration.
Liberalism in action.
I was going to gloat about my 100MB connection (vs. Masq's 20MB), but then I saw that the thread was 2 years old 
.Shane. did any of the energy rebate policies convince you, or anyone you know, to install solar power? And what is viewed as the viable 'common sense' solution towards illegal immigration? It doesn't have to be a 'solution' obviously, merely something that would really help.
.Shane. did any of the energy rebate policies convince you, or anyone you know, to install solar power? And what is viewed as the viable 'common sense' solution towards illegal immigration? It doesn't have to be a 'solution' obviously, merely something that would really help.
Dr.Mindbender
King
I like the song Californication by RHCP. It has a less minimalism in the lyrics than the Soundgarden one (one of my favorite band btw.)
To think of it, the song does show how influential California can be by being the base of many entertainment industries that actually produce how we collectively feel and think about arts, beliefs and institutions in all of United States (and in some cases, the world); whether it is a good thing or bad thing.
The Last Conformist
Irresistibly Attractive
Who was Caliph Orn, anyway?
I don't know much about it. BUT, a guy who recently started in my dept. used to work for a warehouser.
If you can name a few CA wines that are sold where you are, I'll ask his opinion of them.
I love where I am now. About 10 miles SW of Sac. Within a 3 hour driving radius, I have Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, the Bay Area, Monterrey, Santa Cruz, all kinds of lakes, rivers, recreational areas, etc....
It is a bit hot here in the summer, but at least its a dry heat.
I do fine the Central Coast, starting at Half Moon Bay and running south to Santa Barbara to pretty idyllic, climate wise.
Its interesting and perplexing. We're one of the richer states, but do poorly in this department. Contrary to what the troll said, its not the illegal immigrants or some liberal agenda, otherwise our higher education system would be similarly poorly performing. He gets partial credit for his statement about placating parents, but from what I understand that's an American cultural issue (happens in other states too) not a California one.
So, we have this contrast where our K-12 is consistently at the bottom, but you won't find a better public system of higher education, maybe in the world. We have 3 tiers (US, CSU, CC) of schools to fit the differing needs of the citizens of the state.
I do think that all interests are entrenched too much to get anything done at the state level. As you can imagine, in such a large steate there are a lot of districts that do well, fortunately, our kids live in one of them.
Maybe if Michelle Rhee turns the DC schools around, we can put her in charge of the CA system.
In terms of solar, I'm getting close. I met a guy at family camp this year who just started a new career in the LA area doing solar installations. There are some technologies out there that will make it even cheaper coming out, so I hope to take the plunge in a couple years.
Agriculture is a massive part of this states industry. Like it or not, illegal immigration is necessary to provide the cheap food that so much of us eat. Legal immigration for this industry does not provide enough labor. I've lived here, essentially, my whole life. I've never met or known anyone who felt they lost their job to an illegal.
I took a wine tour recently and have been trying to become a little more "cultured" about wine, and have some friends that are wine connoisseurs (i.e. winos), so I like to think I know a little about it.
1) Not every good wine comes out of Napa. Sonoma and Mendocino county also have great wine, because the grapes absolutely love it. Actually, Sonoma county was where wine started in CA, but prohibition ruined it and Napa took off after it got started again.
2) It starts with the grapes; good wine comes from good grapes. California has an old line of French grapes that are amazingly well suited to our climate, so we have a lot of good wine.
3) Some of the fancier "organic" wineries try to make their wine naturally preserved by using the natural acidity of the grapes instead of using artificial chemicals. If you live somewhere that requires bottles to list the % of sulfides, try a wine with less sulfides as this means the wine has less added chemical preservatives.
4) I can't name all the good wines out here but just try them out. Try smaller wine companies; smaller companies means less mass produced grapes and they can maintain quality over the grapes and the process better. I.e. if all you have out there is Berringer or Mondavi, by all means try it but seeks something a little less well known.
5) The cheaper the wine the more mass produced the grapes, and sometimes you have no idea where the grapes come from.
6) Some good wineries have "wine clubs" where you pay a fee per month and they send you bottles of select wines that they don't sell in stores. Like Moshin, they were amazing and I can personally say their Reisling and their Syrah are frikkin good!
Now some generalities:
- Boxed wine actually preserves wine better, and is also better for the environment. Unfortunately wine makers don't want to box their wine because people have negative associations with it. (Thanks Franzia!)
- Same with corks- artificial corks are better and don't spoil wine. In fact screw caps would be the best. 10% of all wine gets "corked" or spoiled due to an infection via the cork. That's why they pour a little bit of wine for you in the restaurant- if it smells like wet dog take it back and usually you can tell immediately by smell alone if it is corked.
- Not all wine gets better with age, depends on the wine.
RalofTyr
King
I've lived in Orange County most of my life, except for the few years I lived in Santa Monica/Westwood etc.
Here are a few things I noticed.
LA and OC are not mixing pots. They are actually many different cities with many different ethnicities all living in their own areas, such as Little Saigon and Santa Ana.
The weather is absolutely wonderful, in fact, I can ride my bike year round and wear shorts and sandals too.
I can sense the changes in the weather. I can sense fall in approaching. August is usually hot, with end of August being really hot, except for this year, the Orange International Street Fair had pleasant weather. Fall brings the Santa Ana Winds and increased smog levels and a rain storm or two. December to March is the Monsoon season, were it will rain with storm after storm for a few weeks in that time. Spring will come, the hills will be green until the lack of water eventually turns them brown again. There will be one return of the Santa Ana winds and a rain storm or to until the Summer, which has overcast mornings and sunny afternoon until it wears off. Known as June Gloom. Every afternoon, the seabreeze kicks in and cools of the land.
The Mortgage melt down has hit this town hard, as the Mortgage Industry as big here. There are many people looking for work and lay-offs all the time. I have Real Estate Agents and Ex-Loan officers working for me.
Rents and housing prices are beyond the means of the people's income levels. It is not unheard of for people to work a full and part time job to get by. Some pay 90% of their monthly income for rent. It's not that bad. You can have a perfectly happy life out here if you learn to share. Out of college, I would rent a room, usually ran between $450 and $600.
There are more people leaving Orange County than coming in.
Transplants. There are people born out of state that moved to Orange County. They are quite annoying at times as the . .. .. .. .. . a lot, specially about the Mexicans.
The Orange Curtain; A mythical veil that protects Orange County and it's residents from the "Evils" of LA. My friends, who have never left Orange County, insist on it's existence and how much better it is here than in LA. Because Brentwood's a total dump compared to Irvine. This "Orange Curtain" as extends to people in South Orange County, who think living in an outrageously expensive track condo, with five feet between you and your neighbor, surrounded by a gate, will protect all!!!
Traffic, it's bad. Even in Orange County. It used to take an hour to travel 13 miles to work. I can ride my bike there in less time than it takes to sit on the 5 during rush hour.
I avoid the Orange Crush during Rush hour.
Roads; Depends on the city/County. Santa Ana has horrible roads, yet Irvine has wonderful, well paved roads. Santa Monica and West LA had adequate roads whereas Compton had roads that were torn up. It's because no body really cares about Compton or Santa Ana enough to allocate funds to repair the roads, basically.
Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP); I think you'd have to apply for a new one for if you enter the state of California with your out of state permit. A CWP is easy to get, you just have to go before a panel and explain why you need one and as long as you're not an ex-con or clearly a raging psycho, you can get one. Usually, people that have a legitimate need, such as a jewelry store owner would get one rather than a guy that's afraid of minorities.
Law Enforcement is rather lax. I've gotten pulled over numerous times on my bike while coming back or to a bar at night. They'll pull me over, check for warrants, ask what I'm doing out at night and if I have a job, then let me go on my way.
Half the people in Orange County are total flakes and unreliable. Roommates will bail out before the rent's due. Employees I hire won't show up to work and dates won't show up either or return calls etc.
Here are a few things I noticed.
LA and OC are not mixing pots. They are actually many different cities with many different ethnicities all living in their own areas, such as Little Saigon and Santa Ana.
The weather is absolutely wonderful, in fact, I can ride my bike year round and wear shorts and sandals too.
I can sense the changes in the weather. I can sense fall in approaching. August is usually hot, with end of August being really hot, except for this year, the Orange International Street Fair had pleasant weather. Fall brings the Santa Ana Winds and increased smog levels and a rain storm or two. December to March is the Monsoon season, were it will rain with storm after storm for a few weeks in that time. Spring will come, the hills will be green until the lack of water eventually turns them brown again. There will be one return of the Santa Ana winds and a rain storm or to until the Summer, which has overcast mornings and sunny afternoon until it wears off. Known as June Gloom. Every afternoon, the seabreeze kicks in and cools of the land.
The Mortgage melt down has hit this town hard, as the Mortgage Industry as big here. There are many people looking for work and lay-offs all the time. I have Real Estate Agents and Ex-Loan officers working for me.
Rents and housing prices are beyond the means of the people's income levels. It is not unheard of for people to work a full and part time job to get by. Some pay 90% of their monthly income for rent. It's not that bad. You can have a perfectly happy life out here if you learn to share. Out of college, I would rent a room, usually ran between $450 and $600.
There are more people leaving Orange County than coming in.
Transplants. There are people born out of state that moved to Orange County. They are quite annoying at times as the . .. .. .. .. . a lot, specially about the Mexicans.
The Orange Curtain; A mythical veil that protects Orange County and it's residents from the "Evils" of LA. My friends, who have never left Orange County, insist on it's existence and how much better it is here than in LA. Because Brentwood's a total dump compared to Irvine. This "Orange Curtain" as extends to people in South Orange County, who think living in an outrageously expensive track condo, with five feet between you and your neighbor, surrounded by a gate, will protect all!!!
Traffic, it's bad. Even in Orange County. It used to take an hour to travel 13 miles to work. I can ride my bike there in less time than it takes to sit on the 5 during rush hour.
I avoid the Orange Crush during Rush hour.
Roads; Depends on the city/County. Santa Ana has horrible roads, yet Irvine has wonderful, well paved roads. Santa Monica and West LA had adequate roads whereas Compton had roads that were torn up. It's because no body really cares about Compton or Santa Ana enough to allocate funds to repair the roads, basically.
Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP); I think you'd have to apply for a new one for if you enter the state of California with your out of state permit. A CWP is easy to get, you just have to go before a panel and explain why you need one and as long as you're not an ex-con or clearly a raging psycho, you can get one. Usually, people that have a legitimate need, such as a jewelry store owner would get one rather than a guy that's afraid of minorities.
Law Enforcement is rather lax. I've gotten pulled over numerous times on my bike while coming back or to a bar at night. They'll pull me over, check for warrants, ask what I'm doing out at night and if I have a job, then let me go on my way.
Half the people in Orange County are total flakes and unreliable. Roommates will bail out before the rent's due. Employees I hire won't show up to work and dates won't show up either or return calls etc.
