pokey [email] said at 6:46 PM 03-16-2004: I can't handle winter anymore. I hear fresno is the "midwest of california." I won't move til next year, though.
lylyin said at 4:08 PM 03-16-2004: I went to san fran last spring. I fell in love. it's a bit expensive though. if you have the dough you should go. oops. didn't mean to rhyme.
myriam said at 4:21 PM 03-16-2004: I say YES, although I don't know you. I am from SF and I love it and miss it dearly. I know many people that have moved there and love it.
Just remember, though... living in California is bizarre.
loren [email] said at 4:27 PM 03-16-2004: Do it do it do it do it. We will have art sleep overs and crawfish boils and photo booth shakedowns and did i mention kelly can cook and you can be at one with the Vespa scene and goddamn the weather is nice 80's in SF today yay andi heard that guy Josh smells and the arcade convention is here and summer computer camp is here and hell I'M here and soon my brother will be here and i'll teach you how to fly mad kites and fucking burittos man and fuck snow and fucking Arnold man and theres an insane art scene here and you know you want to i'm sick of hearing you talk about it just do it already what's holding you back fool! phew.
loren [email] said at 7:40 PM 03-16-2004: yes. apparently the season has started and it's a good one. Probably won't happen til the first week in april.
Emmaleigh said at 12:42 AM 03-17-2004: I had some yummy crawfish in NO recently and it had all spice in the boil. I HIGHLY recommend adding allspice to the boil!!!
of course I bought the crawfish so I couldn't tell you how much to add or anything, but it was yummy.
josh [email] said at 5:02 PM 03-16-2004: I have dibs on Ben's room. Actually, if Ben moves out and no Killogger moves in, I would most likely move to Baltimore or DC.
Pinky said at 9:24 PM 03-16-2004: I loved DC til I moved there. It sucked the life out of me. Everything was gray, and people were so unfriendly. There seems to be a major lack of middle class, and of industry, and of permanent residents. All these things made me feel gloomy.
rick [email] said at 9:53 PM 03-16-2004: It is gray and there is snobbery in some circles and I would say for sure that it needs more permanent residents but . . . .
IT ALSO HAS EASY ACCESS TO THA DIRTFARM CREW
That trumps pretty much anything any other city has.
cecil [email] said at 5:07 PM 03-16-2004: I think it's a good move. It's a fun city if you're not from there. I lived there until I was 23 and I got super sick of it. But I always have a great time when I visit. There are plenty of reasons to live there, but it's full of wackos and people who think San Franciscans are a superior race.
myriam said at 5:33 PM 03-16-2004: yes. plus california is seriously isolationist. when you live there, you really, really lose track of the outside world--you can't help it. plus, you'd be amazed at how tired you can get of sunshine. nothing ever, ever changes in california, even though at first glance you might think it does. and the people--while not superficial, per se--aren't generally interested in deep discussions--they just don't *care* about too much.
so. those are the down sides. it's important that you hear them too.
the people are really, really nice, though... but after awhile you want to scream because NO ONE will talk about anything serious or too deep. no one cares about politics, or religion, or stirring questions of depth... they will listen politely if you do, but they will refuse to engage themselves. they will just say, "oh, yeah... i know what you mean..." and look vaguely away.
it's worse in the south... in SF--in the city--it seems to be a bit better, but this is STILL the case with most of the people you meet. but they are WAY nicer than east coasters.
pokey [email] said at 6:39 PM 03-16-2004: Everyone in SF, that I know, is excessively self-absorbed. It gets annoying until you adjust and become self-absorbed, yourself. Then it's all good. Just don't ever expect anyone to do what they say they will, or be where they say they will at the time they say they will, and all will be well.
tim said at 6:54 PM 03-16-2004: That's a little over the top. We're not all superficial. I just think us "californians" are a little more casual than the other people. And as for the weather...You can never have too much sun. I get to wear shorts year-round and it's awesome. Cold weather sucks, hot weather sucks, humid weather sucks.
myriam said at 11:16 AM 03-17-2004: yes. i was trying to be over the top to stress the bad points, so ben knows what he's considering.
whenever i consider moving somewhere i always need to hear both sides.
i am a californian, have lived extensively in both parts of the state, and yes, what i am saying is more heavily weighted toward the south. (where it is ALWAYS HOT.)
no humidity is an extreme positive in my opinion.
umm... otherwise i still stick by my story. the majority of people you meet, up and down the state, are very nice flakes. there is nothing wrong with that.
even those who are "activists," of where there are far more in the bay area than down south, are sort of dogmatically blinded by their convictions--and thus they will talk in depth (once again, without really listening) on that one subject about which they care and pretty much ignore the rest. **in my experience.
i have had much more satisfyingly deep and wide-ranging conversations--with real, thoughtful points raised, and real consideration given to both sides of each issue--on the east coast.
tim said at 12:35 PM 03-17-2004: You know, I was going to argue this further, but my boss just served everyone here bagels with green cream cheese to celebrate St. Patrick's day.
loren [email] said at 7:04 PM 03-16-2004: Wow, i'd have to argue ya on both points... the weather first. We JUST got done with the most insane rainy season i've seen here. The weather most definitely changes in SF. San Diego is another story. But the beauty of it is that the best weather season lasts the longest. Short winters long spring/summers to get outside and do stuff.
and as for people not wanting to have political/religios/stirring conversations... wow. LA maybe, but SF? No way. Every loon on the bus wants to have a political conversation. SF/Berkeley/Santa Cruz are some of the most activist oriented communities in America. LA and SoCal however, you're right on the money.
You did mention it's worse in the south but that just hasn't been my experience here in SF the past 7 years.
cecil [email] said at 8:00 PM 03-16-2004: True, there are plenty of Nor-Cal people who want to have political conversations, intellectual conversations, but I think a lot of them just like to hear themselves talk, they want to be right, they want to validate their viewpoint. In L.A. I think people are more introspective, interested in personal persuits rather than attemting to change the world to fit their agenda. Here, there is more power in making a film or music that speaks to individuals than in arguing a legislative point. I think California is more about living by example.
amanda [email] said at 5:12 PM 03-16-2004: Ben, you should really move to wherever Tyler and I move to. Right now, that looks to be one of the Carolinas, Oregon, or Washington.
marcia [email] said at 6:17 PM 03-16-2004: even though i barely see you, it would be sad to see you go. BUT, on the up side, it would give me an excellent excuse to go to san fran more often since i do love that city.
cecil [email] said at 8:02 PM 03-16-2004: Wherever you move, when you get there please toss your hat in the air and sing "I'm gonna make it after all."
luster [email] said at 11:25 PM 03-16-2004: yah ben you should fuckin move there. fuck snow and all that bullshit... you need to be swimmin in the sunshine and some west coast wimmin! you should make josh go too...
yoshi said at 12:50 AM 03-17-2004: Ben you should totaly move out here and ill move back to D.C. and i still will never meet any of you because im a hermit and well.... yeah make the move!!! (really sucks when you loose your train of tought midsentence)
