Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/05/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 01:21 PM 5/20/05 -0700, Douglas Herr wrote: >Adam Bridge <abridge@gmail.com> wrote: > >> <http://www.adambridge.com/Photos/2005/05/19/_L3U2504.jpg> >> <http://www.adambridge.com/Photos/2005/05/19/_L3U2536.jpg> Yup, American Goldfinch >> <http://www.adambridge.com/Photos/2005/05/19/_L3U2565.jpg> >> <http://www.adambridge.com/Photos/2005/05/19/_L3U2599.jpg> >> <http://www.adambridge.com/Photos/2005/05/19/_L3U2625.jpg> > >> <http://www.nps.gov/pore/> > >These photos - a half-hour from San Francisco - are another answer to the question "why anyone would live in such a lunatic world as that which you seem to inhabit?" =============================== Doug I am a 1968 graduate of Novato High School in Marin County and was born in California, unlike most of you would are praising it to the skies. I spent a lot of time at Point Reyes and there was an epic camping trip three of us took right after graduation -- and only one of us still resides in the state, the other two of us being located around 140 miles apart on the East Coast. California is a state of lunatic politics, idiotic social developments, grand self-importance, and not much else. The weather is just plain boring in the populated parts of the state. The laws are simply offensive to anyone holding the most basic concepts of personal liberty and responsibility as being of any import. The state's infrastructure has failed to keep up with the population growth. &c &c. I do like four real seasons and the uncertainty of knowing whether next week will bring us a blizzard or a hurricane, though both are rather uncommon in these gentle foothills of the Appalachian mountains. We enjoy a heavy rainshower when we get it, as we are not forced to endure a four-month monsoon, and we enjoy a sunny day when it comes as it can be a rarity. Spring means something here, as it only comes once a year. Und so weiter. Our cost of living is minimal. My house is worth around $400,000 here, and is regarded as a bit of a mansion by local standards, albeit it is in a transitional part of town. A similar house in San Francisco would probably bear an honest freight of a million or two. Hell, if I lived in California, I'd probably have to work for a living instead of being able to spend days on end goofing off on the Internet. And we do not endure canyon fires killing people and earthquakes and houses sliding into the seas during a rainstorm. And we do not have to put up with a police officer citing us when we flip someone off for doing something stupid in traffic. Around here, you do that at your own risk, as many of the locals do carry firearms, but so be it: I rarely flip someone off, and I have never been shot at, so I guess it is a wash. Variety is truly the spice of life. I am delighted that there are folks who wish to reside in my natal state but, such a residence is not for me, and so be it. Marc msmall@aya.yale.edu Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir! NEW FAX NUMBER: +540-343-8505