Ok. I would like to know something. This place has MANY a people sprawled across practially all four corners of these United States. What do you all think of the State of California? The land, the populous, etc. Take me, and any other people you know that live here in this state and think broader terms. Think the population in general. Go ahead and stereotype. I mean it. Even with stereotypes, there is a hint of truth behind them. Be honest.

Here's why I ask. In thinking about the wroughts brought by a swirling mass of air and water we have dubbed "Katrina," I got to thinking. We Californians don't know **** when it comes to meterological disasters/woes/mishaps. The last tropical cyclone to strike California was back in the 30s and it was only a mild tropical storm. Tornadoes are an incredible rarety here. I think I can recall a grand total of four in my lifetime. Heavy rainstorms are sporadic. Real rainy seasons like last winter happen every score or so. The last big earthquake to strike the state was 1994. *knock knock knock* Earthquakes from then on out have either been underwater or small enough that it only makes me stumble to the ground. Maybe knock over a picture. Heat waves. When (Southern) California gets a heat wave, we drain the ENTIRE power grid by all of us turning on our air conditioners. The temperatures get up to what mid 90s to 100s. That's an average summer day in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, yada, etc, et al. The opposite. Believe it or not, snow can be found in the state of California. But to get to it, you must hike to about 5,000 ft. The last time it snowed in the lower areas was back in the sixties. I think about 1/2 foot fell in total. It melted the next day...or so my dad tells me.

But in all of reality, we Californians are incredibly spoiled when it comes to the weather. We never ever really have to worry about tornado warnings, hurricane watches, frost/freeze advisories. The weather is about 65-80 F all the live long year. And here's my theory. I think our "perfect" weather has gotten to our heads. We have become so detached from the rest of the nation meteorologically that it's just unfathomable for us to think of a sight of a swirling mass of low pressure on our doorstep. Think. Just how would we react if a category two storm were to strike Orange County. There would be rank pandemonium and chaos. I also think that our "perfect" weather has also been a factor to the arrogant/holier-than-thou attitude that I've perceived in this state. "My weather doesn't change all year long. I live in a perfect climate. I'm smart enough to not live in a place where my home is blown down." See where I'm going. So that brings me to the question I posed at the beginning. I want to see if my theories have some substance.

My fellow Californians, do you have the sense that I do? Or am I way out in left field?

*braces for next earthquake*

Cali is one of the only states I'm considering to specialize after my medicine training. One of the reasons is actually the weather, as you pointed out, which is very important to me and is actually of emotional relevance to me. You have Berkeley, Stanford and UCLA, some of the top universities in the US - of the entire WORLD. I hear a lot of women are absolutely stunning there as well. All work and no play makes T a dull boy. Plus, California is not central USA, which I like.

Not sure if this answered the question - in which case sorry dude! It's late and I'm gone, mentally. I know it's cool to get an outsider's perspective on your home land, so I felt obliged to respond.

Well, as a Southern Californian I definately consider us spoiled when it comes to weather. I also believe (basically) in "My weather doesn't change all year long. I live in a perfect climate. I'm smart enough to not live in a place where my home is blown down." and I think it's a perfectly valid mindset. I do travel quite a bit and have been to at least half of the contiguous United States as well as Germany (and minor stops in a couple other European contries). I do have a decent perspective on what weather is like elsewhere (I've been in close proximity to two tornadoes, a few blizzards and plenty of heavy storms) and I can say there's no where else I'd rather live. Heck, I drove over 8000 miles within a month at the beginning of summer (California -> Vegas -> Salt Lake City -> Mount Rushmore -> Oklahoma -> Arkansas -> Texas -> California, and California -> Seattle -> California) so I've recently been to places with less than ideal weather.

I live at something like 2000 feet above sea level, and we get snow/hail that lasts maybe 10 minutes once every 5 years or so. Earthquakes are nothing compared to tornadoes or hurricanes and I'm glad they are all we have to deal with. As long as you're a Californian who leaves the state every so often, you should have at least a decent appreciation for what other areas have to go through. All that said, it's currently 86 degrees INSIDE the house I'm in, with air conditioning going full blast and many ceiling fans on. It's 100 outside, easy. There was a power flicker earlier, probably from the power grid being over-taxed. My computers are unhappy because of the heat and I'm sweating. =(

Also, I find it annoying when people call California "Cali." =P

QM

P.S. - Snow Skiing when it's 70 degrees out is awesome.

i lived in sacramento for a year. it was actually eastern sacramento. a little city called citrus heights. i LOVED it!!! i love cali. i miss it. and the people.

California is the ultimate role model for what a state should be like. I want to be in Cali now. Going to work there after grad def. I love it cause of the people.

I used to live in Orange county... now I'm in NYC.

Damn, man, the weather in so cal... unbelievable... it's like it has one season with small variations: Spring, colder spring, and warmer spring.

The only disaster we have are earthquakes... so far so good since Northridge. I hope it continues that way. But yeah...

I don't think it effects the attitude though.

We love you too ubuu <3 <3

whew man i was scared to look in this thread at first, but im glad to see that in general you all have a good opinion of cali. i like it here myself even if it is a little expensive to live here. :p

I lived in Pacifica (just South of San Francisco) for 6 months during the winter/spring. It rained a lot and got sort of cold. Where I live it can get down to -2F (-19C?) so it wasn't that bad. I was in one small earthquake while I was there... by the time I could wonder why the window were vibrating, it was over.

The people were surprising. The stereotype is that SF is a big urban hippie commune, but really I mostly encountered rich liberals, homeless people (a ton), tourists and college students. Overall the people were alright. Some of the tourists were downright disturbing, but they don't count. I liked being able to go to a restaraunt without cigarette smoke, but having anti-smoking commercials every single tv break became annoying.

I don't mind people saying "Cali" so much, but when they say just "Cal" it makes me laugh. The spelling is different, but that pronunciation (kal) in Russian means.. er.. excrement. So seeing people walk around with it written on hats and shirts was funny.

California rules.

Hehe, I always knew there was a legit reason I could dislike "Cal." When someone wears something that says "Cal" on it, it's in reference to UC Berkeley; Cal is a really old nickname for it.

QM

I have that sense, but at the same time, I don't find it a bad thing .. hahah. I would gloat about being spoiled like that.

California does rock. woooo *high five*

Well, it's very expensive, there are way too many people, and it has a bunch of incredibly stupid laws. Call me when those things are fixed and I will move there.

Hey, that's my university people are represnting, and it sure as hell isn't crap.

I'm biased, being from and living in California, but I too find the climate here quite awesome. It never gets too hot or too cold, at least on the coast. There's a wide range of suburban and rural settings. I can go to the beach and the mountains. I can go hang out in a big city or take a 2 week back packing trip out in the wilderness. Urban areas a culturally diverse, which makes for a lot of fun thigns to go see, palces to eat, intersting people, etc.

Cali is a nice place to live in terms of weather. We don't really have 4 distinct seasons, we just have a rainy season and a dry season like some tropical countries.

I could never live in Cali - awesome weather, but horrible gun laws.

I don't want to spark a debate, though..so ignore me.

The gun laws aren't that bad. No "assualt rifles" and no .50 rifles, but that's pretty much it.

[QUOTE=Darth Evad]i lived in sacramento for a year. it was actually eastern sacramento. a little city called citrus heights. i LOVED it!!! i love cali. i miss it. and the people.[/QUOTE]

I live about 30-45 minutes away from Citrus Heights.


And I feel the excat same way, JediGandalf, I have alwasy thought I was lucky to live away from almost all exterme weather.

In all honesty, I love California, however I have lived here my entire life, and only went out of state two times. So I want to friggin leave.

My California likes:
The Weather.
I love how tolerant it is as a whole of almost any type of person.
How I am less than a day away from the beach, and less than a day away from snow and mountains.
Really close to Oregon (Only state I've visited, LOVE it there.)
The Diversity.

My California dislikes:
EXTREMELY CROWDED! (At least any where I have been.)
The Weather. (You get tired of the sameness.)
I have to share a state with L.A.
The Fact that I have been here my whole life.
I have to share a state with L.A.
The public transportation. (At least where I live.)
I have to share a state with L.A.


So yeah, that was a really really unorganized post.

The last real snow, maybe, but it has definately snowed since then. May not hit the ground, but I've seen in snow in the Oceanside area (just south of Camp Pendleton (sp?), close enough that we didn't know if it was an earthquake, or the Maries playing with their toys)

I really like california. I lived in L.A for two years and in saratoga for the last ten. I love the beach, and ilove the sierra nevada. I also love frisco. Nor cal is different from so cal and i like nor cal better, with the exeption of the beaches. Oronge county has some great beaches, but they are being destroyed. People build their homes in the edge and hope they don't fall into the sea, and so they build sea walls. They aer ugly as heck and they are making the beaches less sandy and wide. L.A is just so crowded and dirty. So much smog and it is so cramped. Plus the drivers are jerks. Where i live know is perfect, it is around 5 degees cooler in the summer and 5 degrees warmer in the winter than so cal. I also like the fact that california usueally votes for a democratic president, and the bay area is even more democratic.

On the weather issue, cali is great. We get less than 4 t-storms a year where i live. But if you go the the sierras you get one every afternoon. So there is a variety.

Bottom line: I like it here and I don't want to leave.

the one thing i couldn't get used to (although over time i probably would) is the weather. after 40 or 50 straight days of clear perfect weather, no clouds and i mean NO clouds, i was jonesin' for some overcast afternoons or a thunderstorm that would roll in and out in the evening. both jenn and i were missing the clouds big time.

[QUOTE=Darth Evad]the one thing i couldn't get used to (although over time i probably would) is the weather. after 40 or 50 straight days of clear perfect weather, no clouds and i mean NO clouds, i was jonesin' for some overcast afternoons or a thunderstorm that would roll in and out in the evening. both jenn and i were missing the clouds big time.[/QUOTE]
We have a weather phenominon called "June Gloom" here along the coast of San Diego. For usually the entire month of June (some of May and July) the coast is covered in a low marine layer (stratus) that does not go away. It has literally been day after day of continuous cloud cover. The sky is a montonous gray. For the entire month of June is just sucks. It really does bring down your mood. For the rest of the year, there is this marine layer over our heads but it burns off by midday.

My friend went to california and said there are a lot of fat people who need electric wheelchair scooter type things to get around because they get too tired after standing up and walking to the door.

What about a 30mm Gattling Gun like the one found on the A-10, mounted on the back of a Hummer.

"By all means, turn me into a child star. Perhaps I can move to Californ-i-ay and wrangle me a three-way with the Olsen twins."

Yeah, I hated California when I visited.

Plus, you guys don't exactly have the best weather either. You get massive smog in the downtown areas, and of course, you have massive forest fires and ACID RAIN.

On top of that, the cost of living there is one of the highest in the country, traffic is abominal, and the ocean can be downright cold sometimes.

The only good thing about Cali. is Thrawn42689. And maybe a few others things, like the occasional good movie.

In short, there are many good things about Cali, but it is overrated.

Schming = futureposted.

I miss my San Diego weather....

Well, on the weather, and apatheticness towards Orleans, I dont' think you could write off the entire state. There are a minor number of people who genuinely care and are going there to help, but for the most part people here see it as just another event on the news. Then again, I'm pretty sure you could say the same about people from any other state.

Hats off to Texas though. They seem to be doing more than Louisiana is for its own people.

As for California in general, weather is nice. I live in Daly City (outside of San Francisco), and a lot of days in the fall/winter/spring it's kind of overcast... Kind of boring and mundane - sucks all the life out of a day. I think Oregon or Washington would be nicer places to live weather-wise (I like the rain).

But I'd like to say that California is one of the most politically-biased states in the country. In San Francisco it's liberal-or-die. Even schoolteachers will bite students' heads off. A lot of complaining by people who, for the most part, can't be bothered to make any progressive change themselves.

IMHO, that's pretty bad. Also, I hear concealed carry permits aren't too easy to get.

I'd love to have some California weather, though...especially in February when I'm freezing in NH. :p

I've been all over the country and I love it here. Im about 30 miles inland from San Francisco, and weather is great, never have smog, just about anything I could ever want is within a short distance. For a price, dont get me wrong.

wtf do you need assault rifles for? :p

Personally, I think Nevada and Arizona have you beat for the weather... I don't like coastal living because there's the slightest hint of humidity. I like it to be nice and dry... and hot.

Winter gets down to a "chilly" 72 degrees in southern NV and AZ... It's beautiful. And summer... a toasty and comfortable 110 max. It's great.

Same thing here...reminds me a little too much of Santa Fe (minus the crowded part) and I really don't like Santa Fe. But everyone I know in California is/seems nice. Well except that one girl. I liked the San Diego weather a lot...not too hot (usually) and I guess I was there during the "June Gloom" so it was loverly!

I was born in California! It was pretty cool.

Awesome, albeit far more republican than anyone gives them credit for being.

Because I can?

You need them because you can need them?

Been to San Diego a few times to visit my grandparents. Nice place. Wouldn't mind living there. But I'm comfortable here in Missouri, former Meth Capital.