[stupac2]

Washington, I almost always agree with your posts, but your first paragraph seems just a bit myopic to me.  I don't want to use words like provincial and elitist, so won't.  "If you live in, say, Palo Alto . . . ."  The vast majority of Californians can never hope to be able to live in Palo Alto.  Or on the beach in Malibu, Newport Beach, marina Del Rey, or San Francisco's Marina District, so using areas like those as examples of why California is such an attractive place to live is ridiculous.  Your argument may not impress a working couple who leave their children for 16 hours per day to commute 4 or 5 hours/day on gas among the most expensive in the continental US, pay relatively high taxes, pay relatively high energy costs to live in the 90 dregree heat, and send their children to ineffective schools where their perhaps incompetent teacher is protected by a very strong union.  Unlike some, they wouldn't have time to shop at a japanese market if one were down the street so their poorly educated kids get fat on fast food.  They do, however, get to bask in the pride of knowing that their governor and legislature will, someday, provide high-speed rail from Lancaster to Sacramento.  Who knows?  Maybe one day their grandchildren may find a way to drive to Lancaster so they can take a bullet train to Sacramento.

Things are great.  Only negative curmudgeons would ever think of leaving.

He was only talking about temperature, which is basically the same in Palo Also as it is in, say, East Palo Alto. Or Oakland. Or Santa Cruz. Or whatever, as long as you're close to the ocean or the bay it doesn't get all that hot.

If you live in, say, Palo Alto, you almost never need to turn on a heater

Is that really true? Roble, the only dorm in which I ever lived, had radiators, and my recollection is that we used them very regularly from late November through the end of February.

Depends on the structure. I pretty much never had my heat on in Stanford's dorms or in the apartment tower I lived in after graduation, but my current duplex might as well not have walls in winter. Things built in the 20's just don't have enough insulation...

I think a modern house would be able to handle "it's cool, but I can just put on a sweater" through most of the winter here without much trouble.

[stupac2]

Washington, I almost always agree with your posts, but your first paragraph seems just a bit myopic to me.  I don't want to use words like provincial and elitist, so won't.  "If you live in, say, Palo Alto . . . ."  The vast majority of Californians can never hope to be able to live in Palo Alto.  Or on the beach in Malibu, Newport Beach, marina Del Rey, or San Francisco's Marina District, so using areas like those as examples of why California is such an attractive place to live is ridiculous.  Your argument may not impress a working couple who leave their children for 16 hours per day to commute 4 or 5 hours/day on gas among the most expensive in the continental US, pay relatively high taxes, pay relatively high energy costs to live in the 90 dregree heat, and send their children to ineffective schools where their perhaps incompetent teacher is protected by a very strong union.  Unlike some, they wouldn't have time to shop at a japanese market if one were down the street so their poorly educated kids get fat on fast food.  They do, however, get to bask in the pride of knowing that their governor and legislature will, someday, provide high-speed rail from Lancaster to Sacramento.  Who knows?  Maybe one day their grandchildren may find a way to drive to Lancaster so they can take a bullet train to Sacramento.

Things are great.  Only negative curmudgeons would ever think of leaving.

He was only talking about temperature, which is basically the same in Palo Also as it is in, say, East Palo Alto. Or Oakland. Or Santa Cruz. Or whatever, as long as you're close to the ocean or the bay it doesn't get all that hot.

If you live in, say, Palo Alto, you almost never need to turn on a heater

Is that really true? Roble, the only dorm in which I ever lived, had radiators, and my recollection is that we used them very regularly from late November through the end of February.

Depends on the structure. I pretty much never had my heat on in Stanford's dorms or in the apartment tower I lived in after graduation, but my current duplex might as well not have walls in winter. Things built in the 20's just don't have enough insulation...

I think a modern house would be able to handle "it's cool, but I can just put on a sweater" through most of the winter here without much trouble.