Texas vs. California

[Taverner]

Versus

[Tektonik]

1. Who the fuck wants to go to Texas?

:P

A better poll would be: West Coast vs. East Coast (with the West triumphing over the East).

[Taverner]

4. But those Texans seem convinced they live...

...in the greatest place on earth.


Whereas we Californians actually do live in the greatest place on earth, and we are tepid about the whole thing.

"Yeah California's nice...9 months of sun, beautiful people, jobs, beaches, mountains, pot nearly legal, great restaraunts in LA and SF, historic arcitecture, great museums...but the traffic! It's horrible!"

[Les BOOGIE]

45. we've got all that + lower cost of living & traffic not quite as bad

and usually our killers get the needle

yours walk

OJ
Robert Blake

+ we don't have Michael Jackson

[Taverner]

54. Well Texas takes the attitude of "kill em all let god sort em out"

So I'd rather the guilty walk than the innocent get the needle, thank you...

[Les BOOGIE]

64. As long as they don't move to your town, huh? n/t

[Taverner]

67. I dunno...OJ and Blake have no reason to kill again

Why not?

Besides, they are going to "give the needle" to Peterson....

[Shell Beau]

10. I don't live in Texas but I like it. There are some beautiful places there

[kedrys]

12. Hey, to some of us, living in Texas is a subversive act

Besides, there's so much material to work with down here if one of your favorite hobbies is baiting theocons... :P

[TX-RAT]

2. Before we start guessing who voted for TX.

It was ME.
I've loved this state for over 50yrs, I'm not gonna change now.

[Taverner]

8. Understood :)

I do have a question though...what is it about Texas that makes its denizens love it so much? I'm not a Texan, and perhaps thats why I don't "get it" but what is it?

It always bothers me that Californians here whine so much about the state - I love California and think we need more state pride here...

[crispini]

18. Because "ornery" is a key component of Texas character.

:evilgrin: I think that's got something to do with it, anyway, although I'm not sure what.

[TX-RAT]

26. what is it about Texas that makes its denizens love it so much?

Good Question,

I hope some other Texans help me on this.

As for myself, it's the people. Drive down any road in west TX and watch the other drivers, if their from TX be prepared to wave back. You break down on the side of the road, the first vehicle that shows up will stop and help. If a funeral procession is coming down the road, be prepared to stop, and make damn sure you take your hat off. Big sky, big Thunder storms, and beautiful sunsets. Great weather, most of the time. Oh! and it helps to have a appetite, for Mexican food, and Brisket.

I've been to California many times, my brother was the County Marshall in San Diego, before he retired. It's a beautiful state from San Diego on up. My only complaint would be the traffic. Thats why my brother moved to Payson AZ after he retired.

[Taverner]

35. I noticed that

Even in the cities, people in Texas were friendly, and would start up conversations on the fly. This never happens in San Francisco. It happens in Oakland tho - not sure why there but it does.

And yes, the BBQ was awesome.

And in the Austin area, I found a lot of liberals who were loud. Here in Cali, you never see any stickers, and we often take our Blueness for granted. Perhaps thats why Der Gropenator got elected - we all assumed there's no way he'd win.

[CoolOnion]

69. "Here in Cali, you never see any stickers..."

"...and we often take our Blueness for granted. Perhaps thats why Der Gropenator got elected - we all assumed there's no way he'd win."

Exactly how it started here, Taverner. We took it for granted that Texas would always be Democratic; Karl Rove slipped in, rallied the christo-fascists, then this nobody baseball manager was President.

Take a tip from Texas--keep your voters energized and never, never, never take anything for granted.

[CoolOnion]

68. ...what is it about Texas...?

Cool places to http://hippiehollow.nocloths.com/">"hang out", lots of sunshine without the earthquakes, low cost of living...

Instead of tearing us down, fellow Dems, help us http://democracyfortexas.org/">take it back!

[Kathleen04]

3. California, most def.

California vs. New York and you'd have something cause I call both home, Texas is just the layover in between. ;)

[Taverner]

But New York and California is apples and organges

New York is the great city of NYC, and then...upstate New York. Although it's beautiful there, its not nearly as remarkable as the Sierras and Central Coast of CA. However, NYC is better than SF and LA put together...

[Kathleen04]

15. I can agree w/ that assessment

I'm from Southern California..about 90 mins from Los Angeles..and LA for me has always been somewhere you try to avoid. Right now I live about 10 months of the year in Long Island, and Long Islanders have a connection to NYC that just doesn't exist between Southern Californians and LA. Of course NYC is definately greater than LA, in my opinion, no contest.

I love visiting Northern CA though, especially the Tahoe area and can't say that I've spent any significant amount of time in Upstate NY though I know there's beautiful countryside up there.

Sorry to hijack the CA vs. Texas debate. :)

[Lindsey]

17. Texan by birth, Californian by choice...

I've lived in CA for 18 years and simply LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it here. To me, it just doesn't get any better.

[Les BOOGIE]

48. Bumper Sticker: Welcome to Texas, Now Go Home

:) :) :)

[sundog]

5. i love california

other than md & nm, it is the state i have spent the most time in :)

[GOPisEvil]

6. I like both states. But, for now, Texas is home, so it got my vote.

Warts and all, it's home.

I do love CA though.

[Taverner]

9. could it be Salt Lick 360?

:P

[GOPisEvil]

29. That places still cracks me up.

Upscale BBQ? :shrug:

[Taverner]

31. With Pressed Linens no less....

My Aunt Molly was there and she loved it...but then again she is the epitome of "latte Liberal" from Seacliff, SF

[newfaceinhell]

7. California

Just because it's my former home state.

[jandrok]

11. I've been to Cali......

...and even considered moving there when my company wanted to transfer me to our Valencia branch. I spent a couple of weeks staying at a nice hotel in Santa Clarita. Loved Cali. Loved the people, loved the weather, loved the ocean. I had a great stay.

Thing that kept me from moving was the sheer expense of living there. Housing prices in SoCal are freaking outrageous, and the houses are right on top of each other. A 3-bedroom, 2-bath starter home in a so-so neighborhood would have cost me upwards of $350,000-400,000, and I would have been able to knock on my neighbor's door by sticking my hand out of my window.

Everything else out there cost about the same (although you also have state income tax), but the housing is way out of whack. I didn't even mind the freeways. Having lived in Houston for many years, I can tell you that traffic is worse there.

I would have needed a HUGE raise just to make ends meet out there. I really don't know how you folks do it.

Besides, I live in the Hill Country. This area of Texas is beautiful, and I really love living here.

[Taverner]

13. "Creative Financing"

Basically a lot of Intrest only loans

[crispini]

16. Gosh, yes, I have a friend who lives in San Diego

and she's got a little condo for 350k and she won't even begin to start paying the principle for like three years. :scared: That just freaks me the hell out.

[jandrok]

30. I didn't want to go that route....

And I did take a serious look at relocating. I would have had good job stability, but the housing market took the steam out of me.

I figure that I can visit anytime. I had a great time fishing when I was out there. We drove up the PCH and visited some little town past Santa Barbara called Gaviota. We fished off of the Gaviota pier, drinking cold Tecates and having a great time. It was picturesque. LOVED it.

Just couldn't afford to live there.

[Taverner]

37. Gaviota is amazing

Theres a litle smokehouse off the pier area there that does amazing smoked fish. Run by a Portuguese family thats been there since the 40's.

[jandrok]

49. Cool. I'll have to try it if I'm ever there again.

That was a great day. I loved the contrast between the mountains on one side, and the sprawling Pacific on the other. I have some good video of watching some dolphins swimming off of the pier. I didn't catch much other than a big stingray, but I had a wonderful time.

Also spent a little time in a town called Fillmore that I liked. We might have considered living there because of it's proximity to Valencia, but I knew that my company was moving it's branch (consolidating, actually) to Ontario, which is on the other side of Los Angeles. Fillmore was cool,though. Drove past a bunch of orange groves and Lake Piru.

I really do want to go back and visit. I'm always hounding the management to let me head out to Ontario for a week or two. The folks out there always need training, or so I keep telling myself.

[Tektonik]

14. 350-400K for a house is cheap now

:crazy:

[jandrok]

23. Scared the hell out of me.....

Housing in the Austin area is bad. We're one of the most expensive real estate markets in the state, but it ain't nothin' like California.

We ended up getting a nice place out in the sticks in a small bedroom community about 25 miles outside of Austin. I paid $130,000 for 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, a detached two-room workshop with running water, and 2.5 acres of wooded land, with a dry creek running through it. I have my own personal forest, and I can walk down to my creekbed and find fossils with the kids.

[Taverner]

32. I have a 10 x 50 spot behind my house

that I call my backyard....

And this is in the suburbs!

But on the other hand, I can have Thai food delivered at 2am...

[luvLLB]

61. San Antonio, the biggest small town in the country..love it..love it.

[SmileyBoy]

19. Neither. Both suck serious ass.

Gimme an insignificant state in flyover country anyday.

[Tektonik]

22. How can you not like CA?

It has everything any person could ever want: hot weather, cold weather, beaches, mountains, deserts, three huge metro areas, lots of forests and farmland...

Anyone should be able to find an area in CA that they would like.

[SmileyBoy]

24. I hate any place that everyone loves.

Any place that everyone is flocking to is not my cup of tea. I don't want to live in a state where there are millions of people living within a short distance from me.

[Tektonik]

34. Go live deep in Norcal or in the northern part of the Mojave Desert

Then you'd be far from everyone :P

CA and Texas are both enormous states, and it's not hard to find a secluded rural area.

[Terran]

59. Common mistake #1:

"All of California looks like Los Angeles."

Dude, everyone lives on the coast, or almost everyone. There are thousands and thousands of square miles of small-town rural California, begging for a hermit like you.

[Terran]

20. Okay, never been to Texas

but I lived in Cali until I was 34. I can't imagine it's anywhere even close. How many dozens of places does California have that you could easily call heaven?

[Taverner]

28. "places does California have that you could easily call heaven?"

Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, Mount Shasta, Lake Shasta, Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz, Point Reyes, Pinnacles National Monument, Mono Lake, San Francisco in Fall, Big Bear, Highway 280 by Woodside, Stanford University...

No no place I'd call heaven :eyes:

[Ladyhawk]

43. And Yosemite and Big Trees and Big Basin State Park...

...yawn. Those places are so ugly. :D I'm sorry, but I've traveled across a lot of the US on a bus and there is no place like California. As far as natural beauty, California pownz you.

[Terran]

51. Yeah, that's what I meant

(sorry if not clear)--clearly California has an almost unlimited supply of them. But not Stanford. Go Bears.

May I just add a personal favorite? The beach at the border of Santa Monica and Malibu, where that popular old seafood restaurant is. Last time I was there was Dec. 26, 1999, around sunset. Heaven.

Also: Berkeley in springtime.
Also: North coast at the town of Gualala. Total heaven.

Edit: gods, I reread my earlier message and I see how badly written it was was. I meant, I can't see how TEXAS can even come close (to California). :silly:

[Taverner]

56. LOL

Wee al mack tipohs

My personal fave was being in La Jolla around the dog days of summer for a friends wedding. The nights were third-world hot, and the humidity was everywhere, yet you could smell the flowers all through town.

The sunset was amazing as I sat watching the waves crash against the rocks and I ate a salmon burrito with lime and rice. MMMMMMmmmmmmm :)

[Terran]

57. Oh, I love La Jolla

I think some people's problem with Cali is that they think the whole state looks like Los Angeles; in decades past, that was a positive, maybe not so much now (it's all about perceptions).

Here's another one:

Day after Christmas, 2003, downtown Pasadena, strolling the new outdoor mall. Exquisite day after rains, exquisite urban design, handsome unpretentious people all around me. Later, mountain side in the San Gabriels, looking down on Altadena and Pasadena on the clearest day in history. A dense forest of urban trees with the ocean in the distance.

I have a theory that in the 20th century, California drained off all the "beauty" genes from America's gene pool, as well as a lot of the "smart" genes. Everyone who wanted to be famous and do great things went there, and took their genes with them. This also applies to the world at large, to an extent. Because there sure aren't a lot of beauty or smart genes in Missouri where I live now, let me tell you, and every time I return to California I notice how damn good looking everyone is.

[Taverner]

65. However...I will add there are some hotties in Texas

When in Austin I noticed quite a few beautiful people there...again I was near UT and that might have skewed the data a little...

[derby378]

21. Hmmm...

In Texas, you can own an assault weapon and not that many people will freak out over it.

On the other hand, in California, you can openly declare yourself an atheist and not that many people will freak out about it.

Texas has Austin. California has San Francisco.

Texas has the Big Bend. California has Death Valley.

Texas gave the world Bill Hicks, Kathy Bates, and Tommy Lee Jones.

California gave the world Drew Barrymore, Weird Al Yankovic, and Tim Burton.

On the down side, California gave the word Richard Nixon. Texas gave the world Karl Rove.

Back to the good stuff:

Route 66 runs through both states.

California has the Pacific Coast Highway. Texas has the Alamo.

California has those mighty sequoia trees. Texas has the Alamo.

[sasquatch]

25. They're both America on steroids

One votes for Pukes and one for the Dems.

[SmileyBoy]

27. I couldn't have said it better myself, sasquatch.

[carolinayellowdog]

33. Which state should be voted off the island in Survivor? Texas!

That was my answer to the online poll which asked that question a few months back, but it was the second most frequent reply, after
California.

[derby378]

36. Only thing is, you'll need our electoral votes come 2008

We tried real hard to embarrass * here in Texas, but we're still gaining momentum here. Come next Presidential election, we hope to show the Union where our true loyalties lie as Texans.

Remember, Texans may have an independent streak, but we suck at being truly independent. We tried that once - didn't work out so good.

[Taverner]

40. If you guys go Blue in 2008

I will personally clean up trash along Route 66 in Texas...or do restoration at the Alamo...or whatever you Texans come up?

[Tektonik]

38. Should we have a DU survivor thread invloving states of the union?

:P

[Aiptasia]

39. This former Texan and Californian says....

Both suck, but for much different reasons. If I had to choose one, it'd be the lesser of two evils: California.

At least Southern California has it's pluses as well as their minuses. Having lived in Houston, there are only minuses to living in Tejas.

[Taverner]

41. But what about San Francisco?

The most amazing city by the bay...

[VelmaD]

42. Obviously Texas...

because I'm there. :)

[Taverner]

46. No skiing in Texas

;)

[grace0418]

44. I think we should ship all the repukes to Texas then

let them secede. Take BushCo with 'em of course, he can be their freaking king for all I care. Sure there are some cool things about Texas that we'd be giving up and it would suck for all the liberals who live there who'd have to move. But think of the positives. We'd be rid of the fascists. They'd probably kill each other over all their hypocrisy that the couldn't blame on liberals anymore. And we'd be free to enjoy the other 49 states in peace.


...sigh...

[pmbryant]

47. Don't make me choose

I love them both.

I've now lived in Texas for 6.5 years, beating out my time in California by half a year.

I would probably choose California, all else being equal, but I do very much enjoy where I am now, in central Texas.

--Peter

[DrGonzoLives]

50. Texas

will not be flushed away into the ocean by the Big One. It also doesn't have Hollywood.

[1956]

53. As a NativeTexan

I can't wait to get back! My family and fiends are all there. Stuck in a beautiful part of Virginia, however, I miss the friendly folks,the lower housing costs,MUCH better weather, so much, really.
One of you forgot to mention -Janis Joplin,Carol Burnett,Sissy Spacek, to name a few!
I can't imagine living in Ca. I did visit there in the early 80's, and enjoyed my stay, but the outrageousness of housing prices, and the smog level would really turn me off. Nice place to VISIT.
AUSTIN is VERY progressive. Lived there for a few years.
And for those of you who might think that there are a lot of BUSH'S DELAYS, etc. Let me post again, the Good,Bad, and Ugly reside in every state! Still I'm totally embaressed by the Shrub!!!
Oh! Also no income tax(state)!!I absolutely Love TEJAS and always WILL!!

[CitySky]

52. I'm FROM Oakland CA but live in TEXAS now

and I voted for TEXAS because I'm SO DANG PROUD of our hardworking

TEXAS DEMOCRATS!!! It's hard to be a Dem here. So quit yer yammering, come on down, put on your boots, and help us out!

[Fleshdancer]

63. Exactly!

Texas Democrats kick serious ass! I've never seen a group as committed, over-worked, and under appreciated than TX Dems and yes, we could use more national support. :toast:

[Gothmog]

55. Texas

[Spacemom]

58. I'm not surprised California is in the lead

Of course I voted Texas. :D

I think California is more liberal, so there are probably going to be a disproportionate number of Californians here at DU.

[crispini]

60. I think you're right, but note one interesting thing ---

the Texans have almost 5,000 more posts in their state forum than do the Californians. Goes to show, we've got some hardworking Democrats down here. :7

[Fleshdancer]

62. Austin, Texas is one of the greatest cities in the country

I'm from here but had to leave for 5 years to fully appreciate how cool my hometown really is. And for all you who disagree without ever setting foot here...well, don't knock it until you've tried it buddy. :P

[davidinalameda]

66. like there's a choice

let's see

duh!