Musings on California

STINSON BEACH, Calif. - After being in California for two days now, I've got more than enough material for a comparison between Michigan and here. And as nice as the San Francisco area is, I'd take Michigan any day.

In fact, I came up with a top 10 list of reasons why. Except I subtracted two because the weather has been great and so has the food. So top eight then.

1. Cost of living - I saw a house that would go for about $140,000 in Lansing being listed for $1.2 million in Marin County, just north of San Francisco. Absurd.
2. The wine - Yes, being near to Napa and Sonoma has its perks, but when the guy at the wine retailer tells you you can't get a Pinot Noir that tastes like Pinot for under $25, it makes one thirsty for home, where you can get a solid pinot for about $12.
3. Nonsense legislation - We may have some dandies, but nothing like Calif. SB 1499, which would ban the sale of foil balloons. You know the kind, which say things like "Happy Birthday". Apparently they're an environmental hazard if they fly away.
4. Nonsense on top of nonsense legislation - Because the legislators already saw fit to require that the balloons are tied down by weights. One would think the folks in California didn't have anything better to address, like:
5. Wildfires,
6. A massive water shortage due to overpopulation and
7. Smog, also due in part to overpopulation.

Lastly, one doesn't see signs like the one below, warning against great white sharks, when one goes swimming in Michigan.

Comments

[JDS]

You have got to be kidding me ... This is satire, right? Yeah, San Francisco is great but it's no Lansing.

[Populista]

Yeah, I wouldn't want lots of high payingjobs in a diverse economy, either. Thank goodness for Michigan.

[JRS]

No mention of possible killer earthquakes in San Francisco? How
could you miss that obvious one.

SF's cable cars compared to Lansing's fake looking thing on wheels, sorry no comparison, SF wins.

Fine dining, things to see and do,
the Golden Gate Bridge etc. SF wins big time over what Lansing has to offer.

Songs: "I left my heart in San Francisco" vs. "Dancing in Lansing" (I'm sure some out there will remember that song).

SF wins big time on music.

Cost of living, Lansing wins big
but I guess you get what you pay for....

[boots2]

Okay, Derek was comparing California to Michigan, not S.F. to Lansing. But talking about S.F., what about that fantastic transportation system! With one (cheap) ticket, you can board a bus, tram, trolley, subway or train; plus you can transfer back and forth between these to get right to a destination. Take that, Lansing!

And the diversity: instead of our boring suburbs and McMansions, S.F. has its different ethnic neighborhoods, which still retain a lot of their individuality. Oh yes, there's also the great restaurants and theater; beautiful historic buildings; friendly, laid-back (and some kooky) people; beaches, huge parks; and great weather and scenery.

Did I forget anything?

[boots2]

Yes I did:

So, Californians care about the environment. Silver foil balloons end up in the ocean and fish die from swallowing them. I don't think banning them is crazy. I think it's crazy that Michigan allows private industry to haul away the sand from our sand dunes, though.

[Michael Motta]

Actually boots2, Lansing has the "best transit system in North America":
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/07/20/lansing-mi-has-best-transit-system-in-north-america/