And yes Mexico closed the border on us....
Really? I guess that they're having a hard time enforcing the border. A golf mate's daughter and new husband just spent their honeymoon near Cancun flying from the U.S. I know another couple currently in Cabo for a few days with plans to return to the U.S. soon. Perhaps the Mexican government will develop some empathy for their northern neighbors who are equally as unsuccessful.
Joel Lahrman,
One wonders why you put up with the many shortcomings of Texas and Texans. Why not just load up your belongings and return to your more agreeable, enlightened environs of NoCal? I think I know the answer, but certainly a man of your extraordinary abilities and keen political perceptions can find a way to earn a living in a safer, more progressive state.
I survived SoCal for two years, albeit in the then red Orange County before Sacramento rigged the elections. Like you here, I was generally unhappy with the political situation there, but had the good sense of high-tailing back to Texas where I felt more at home. 10 years later I see the whole thing, moving there and returning, as a win-win situation for my family and both states. I am sure that my CA friends, most of them trying to make ends meet in the private sector outside entertainment and Silicon Valley, weren't cheery about my incessant whining against enabling a strong one-party system and the effect it would have on their quality of life.
To leave the natural beauty and great climate of coastal CA is no easy thing. I can understand the reluctance and would counsel anyone contemplating a move to search their souls deeply before pulling the trigger. And if they go through with it, they might brush up on their manners in preparation. Texans are genuinely friendly and generous, but they are also practical as they are proud and they don't take kindly to people insulting them subtly or otherwise, or blowing smoke up their ass.