Leaving the USA - or staying and fighting...

[Taverner]

I have often toyed with the idea of moving North to Canada. They have an excellent health care system, an even better educational system, no war in Iraq and an overall smarter population than the US. I love to ski (and Whistler is paradise on Earth for the alpine skier,) love the outdoors and don't mind paying taxes, as long as they're used for something good (like health care and education instead of bombing the shit out of countries most Americans can't find on a map.)

HOWEVER, I've come to the conclusion I don't want to make that vote with my feet quite yet...

I'm a first generation Californian, and proud of it. My kids are second generation, and my wife a transplant from Oregon. California should be a sense of pride for us, and it is for me. Where else can you grow anything in the ground with minimal problems from both Nature and the Government? Where else do the Mayors just start marrrying gays en masse just because its the right thing to do? Where else do the Republicans fear the Democrats? Where else can you buy Tequila at the same store you can buy the limes and salt to go with them?

California is the land of Milk and Honey. Like Bill Maher said, even our trees give us free fruit.

Now I could move to Vancouver BC and get an experience close to California...BC is a progressive Province, and in many many ways surpasses California. However, October in BC is cold. Really cold. Like, under 40 F cold. Here in CA it will probably never drop below 60 F during the day, and if it does the sun will heat up the house so I won't have to turn on the heat. In fact, I've gone all summer with a broken AC, that I have no intention to repair. Even on the hottest days, ceiling fans and strategic window openings have taken care of me. And this is near the Central Valley.

And as for the USA, it's worth fighting for. It is. Any place that gave us Lincoln, The Kennedys, The Roosevelts, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Spike Lee, Orson Welles, Steely Dan, The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Madeline Murray O'Hare, Albert Einstein, Bagels, Pizza and Hot Dogs (and the list goes on...) can't be all that bad.

[LaraMN]

1. "Really cold. Like, under 40 F cold"

I am laughing at you, now.

:rofl:

That said, my nine y/o has a conscientious objector "file," has for a couple years, and if I thought he'd get drafted as a young man, I would pack up and leave in a heartbeat.

Otherwise, I'd rather stay and be a pita.

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Same here...

:rofl:

[Gormy Cuss]

12. I knew Taverner would wimp out once he put weather into the equation.

Like many Californians he's a complete wimp in cold weather unless he's on a ski slope.
:rofl:

[Taverner]

13. Yeah yeah yeah

But if we were meant to live in cold weather, we would have evolved a layer of fur :P

[KitchenWitch]

3. I have to laugh too!

[Jimbo S]

4. That's -40 C to you, not -40 F

Keep in mind Canadians are more progressive, hence the use of the metric system (which the OP would have to learn).

BTW, -40F = -40C :)

[Taverner]

7. The metric system makes more sense

Unfortunately, I can't do in-head conversions. When I lived in Thailand, I could talk in metric, but couldn't convert to save my ass.

[Jimbo S]

11. We honeymooned in Toronto

I had fun using the metric system to mess with my wife.

Mrs. Jimbo: "What does 28 degrees mean? What is it in 'American'?"
Jimbo: "WTF do you mean by 'American'? Oh yeah, 28 degrees means 'bring a sweater'." :evil:

Most conversions come easy to me, except for barometric pressure. It was a brain teaser for me coverting kPa to in. Hg. Off the top of my head I know 1 atm = 760 mm Hg and 1 atm = 14.696 lbs/sq. in. Now *you* do the math. LOL.

[Eurobabe]

5. Left.

And it's WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY colder than 40F where I am in the winter. Or at least it should be, but global warming screwed us and our ski season last year. We seem to be making up for it though, July 30th it was only 57F during the day, and about 40F at night. Great sleeping weather.

[SteppingRazor]

6. America gave us Albert Einstein?

Who knew? I always thought he was from one of those countries over there in Europia that I can't find on a map. ;)

[billyoc]

8. I'd have more fun here in an internment camp.

All the cool people will be there anyway. :evilgrin:

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. Problem is

you can't just up and move to Canadia because they have all these "requirements" — like, you have to be employable in a field that's sorta important there. You also get points for speaking French, even if you want to move to B.C. :shrug:

How dare they not just accept anyone into their cold, beer-soaked, goal-tending bosom. :grr:

[Taverner]

10. Yeah I've looked into their point system

Wifey and I have grad degrees, speak languages other than English and have marketable technical skills they are looking for specifically, so as long as I'd be willing to pay the fees I could get resident status.