For me it's a sad thing because of those sentimental childhood memories. California and believe it or not, Hollywood, LA, the summers in The Hollywood Hills, California was 'freedomland'. We were kids and barely teenagers at most so its not like we knew anything but what we experienced ourselves but to my mind, California was where anyone could go to do anything and become anyone. It did have a 'magic' feeling. a family friend even wrote a song about 'California Dreamin' and it really did characterize the feelings of that era, that time, the 'zeitgeist' so it was a popular song.
As an adult, I looked into a business opportunity in Southern California. We just did the first-looks, the first layer of analysis and never even finished that because.. ..because even at the glancing review of rules, regulations and taxes it became some kind of joke with waves of conditions, rules, restrictions, hidden double-back retro-fitted, pretzel taxes, opposite-world rules over every brick, lock and 'open sign' for that matter.
We didn't get far enough that I could even explain half the problems and bailed on the whole idea. No more California dreamin' and I have no idea who the hell would purposely subject themselves to that.
and since then, friends in California tell me "Oh.. its gotten much worse since then!" wtf?
I think this must be how NFL addicts here feel. Even today, I just happened to watch a video from California, although I couldn't say the exact locations, to my amazement, it looked unchanged from my childhood. To my mind that is 'Freedom World', that was that place where we were surprised how low the taxes were and we felt like anyone could do anything. It was, to our minds, Maximum USA. That WAS 'MAGA' for us before it was a thing to say.
This is why divorce is so difficult. It's why separations hurt, Its why we get sad and yet I have to realize those days are over, that was the past, the imagery, the smells, that sunshine, those sounds are now of a fascist world, an intolerant world, a very expensive high-taxes world. :(
For me it's a sad thing because of those sentimental childhood memories. California and believe it or not, Hollywood, LA, the summers in The Hollywood Hills, California was 'freedomland'. We were kids and barely teenagers at most so its not like we knew anything but what we experienced ourselves but to my mind, California was where anyone could go to do anything and become anyone. It did have a 'magic' feeling. a family friend even wrote a song about 'California Dreamin' and it really did characterize the feelings of that era, that time, the 'zeitgeist' so it was a popular song.
As an adult, I looked into a business opportunity in Southern California. We just did the first-looks, the first layer of analysis and never even finished that because.. ..because even at the glancing review of rules, regulations and taxes it became some kind of joke with waves of conditions, rules, restrictions, hidden double-back retro-fitted, pretzel taxes, opposite-world rules over every brick, lock and 'open sign' for that matter.
We didn't get far enough that I could even explain half the problems and bailed on the whole idea. No more California dreamin' and I have no idea who the hell would purposely subject themselves to that.
and since then, friends in California tell me "Oh.. its gotten much worse since then!" wtf?
It has gotten a lot worse...smdh
I think this must be how NFL addicts here feel. Even today, I just happened to watch a video from California, although I couldn't say the exact locations, to my amazement, it looked unchanged from my childhood. To my mind that is 'Freedom World', that was that place where we were surprised how low the taxes were and we felt like anyone could do anything. It was, to our minds, Maximum USA. That WAS 'MAGA' for us before it was a thing to say.
This is why divorce is so difficult. It's why separations hurt, Its why we get sad and yet I have to realize those days are over, that was the past, the imagery, the smells, that sunshine, those sounds are now of a fascist world, an intolerant world, a very expensive high-taxes world. :(