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Posted: 3/10/2005 7:50:31 AM EDT
So I had an informal chat with a higher-up at Livermore Nat'l Lab, and he invited me to come out for an interview. He wants to expand his division, so assuming I didn't make a total ass of myself, I believe that the chances of an offer would be decent. The only reason I would consider it is because the atmosphere seems to be a lot more productive than at my current job.
The problem is that I fucking hate San Francisco (no offense  ). I've visited Berkeley several times  , and I couldn't wait to escape. It's my understanding that CCW permits are almost impossible to get; has anybody succeeded in getting one? No cans in CA, right? Probably a no-go on bringing the ARs in? That blows goat balls. Are there any redeeming qualities? Can you have scary toys if you somehow manage to scrounge up LE creds?
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Posted: 3/10/2005 7:51:09 AM EDT
[#1]
You should know better.
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Posted: 3/10/2005 8:05:19 AM EDT
[#2]
Well, it is a nice area. Great weather. Surf in the morning, then drive four hours east to go skiing in the afternoon. And once you're clear of the Bay Area, it's all red counties.
BUT -- the politics do SUCK. They don't like our type and would rather we just not exist. Middle America is a thorn in their sides. However, much to their chagrin we are around and we stick it to them whenever we can. You're right though; no cans, no AR's (the FAB-10's don't count!), no AK's, no anything that could be fun ... unless you're gay, then you're a protected ... nay ... a privileged species! Should you move? Sure, spend a year or two. You might like it. Your pay will most probably be higher and if you saved that up, you could return to NM a much richer man to buy more toys (since you couldn't buy them here anyway). While you're here, you could help us out by bolstering the pro-2A position! |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 8:26:32 AM EDT
[#3]
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Posted: 3/10/2005 8:57:03 AM EDT
[#4]
Not my thing, but thanks anyway.  So the best answer I've heard is the weather... Northern NM has great weather, too... Salary...I think Los Alamos and Livermore are comparable. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 9:23:51 AM EDT
[#5]
If they don't raise your salary significantly you will be taking a major hit. Some years ago (before we had even met) my wife was offered a job in SF working for a computer game company. After calculating the difference between the Austin, TX and SF, CA cost of living, she decided the 30% pay increase would simply result in the same standard of living she currently enjoyed, but she would then be stuck living in California. She remained in Texas...Good luck, whatever you decide to do. Alpine |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 9:32:19 AM EDT
[#6]
ummm....don't do it.
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Posted: 3/10/2005 9:46:24 AM EDT
[#7]
The asshats in the San Fran chamber of commerce, or whatever the hell is the governing body over the city, has a proposel slated to ban handgun ownership within the city.
Made some pretty big news back about a month ago when it was popping up. Doesn't talk about a buy back program or anything like that, forget CCW. Forget that stupid fucking city all together, you'll be better off. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 9:49:33 AM EDT
[#8]
I'm a fourth generation Californian and I'm not sure I could recommend somebody moving there without a very very significant salary increase. 30% is the minimum. Livermore may be similar in Summer weather but not in winter. NO SNOW, etc.
Until and unless things change greatly overnight, yer toys can't come (legally) and I spect from the kind of work you do, a major dust-up that might affect any clearances is not advisable. Now if you could work a 50/50 each place I'd say go in a shot. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 10:11:56 AM EDT
[#9]
As a native Californian, I'd have to say that's pretty much it. Also, we have a lot of nice outdoorsy stuff., mountains, desert, etc. I'd mention the beach, but not in NorCal. Besides the political stuff, the biggest downside to living here is there's just too many people. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 10:20:18 AM EDT
[#10]
I live in Livermore. It is not San Francisco. It is an old ranching town that has been bought up by wineries and real estate developers. There are still cattle ranches here but they are slowly but surely being bought out for megabucks.
There's a good mix of real cowboys, urban cowboys, yuppies and nerds. A lot of the scientists from the lab live here. The local traffic is bad. It gets worse as you move closer to the real bay area. Traffic WILL get much worse in the future. Guaranteed. Home prices are up. Way up. My little 32 year old, 3 bedroom/1 1/2 bath, 1023 sq. ft. crappy rancher currently goes for around $525,000.00!!! It's a great neighborhood though. New homes in Livermore are very expensive, around $700,000.00 to start out, going well into the millions. Real estate has grown an average of 20.5% in the last year in the bay area. Much higher percentage in the good areas, like Livermore/Pleasanton/Danville/San Ramon etc. Great for sellers, terrible for buyers. Lots of new housing out in the central valley (Tracy/Manteca/Modesto/Stockton). Prices for nice, new homes out there start around $300,000.00 (I could be a bit low?) for a house in Stockton and can easily move way up into the mid $500,000.00 range. But the commute over the Altamont pass can be really bad! And it is getting worse every day. No real crime out here in the tri valley area, YET. At least, not compared with the western end of the east bay area (Oakland/Hayward/San Leandro). I like it here. But only because I bought my house 10 years ago. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 10:29:18 AM EDT
[#11]
Oh, forgot to add that CCW is a bit easier to get out in the red counties. But if you move to Alameda County (where Livermore is) you can just about forget about it. It is possible, but highly unlikely.
ClassIII, SBR's, suppressors, probably not gonna' happen. And any CA DOJ classified "assault weapons" will have to be left out of state or modified to conform to CA law. Except the AR's and AK's. They cannot come into the state with you. And you can't bring your hi caps in either. At least, not legally. I'm sure that I'll think of something else to add to this already depressing post. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 10:43:21 AM EDT
[#12]
If you move intoa real gay neighborhood you better first read Tucker Max's story here
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Posted: 3/10/2005 11:22:47 AM EDT
[#13]
Check out this link. Clicky
It's a cost of living calculator. If you're making 100k in Los Almos, you will need to make 120k in Livermore to live the same. If making 70k there, you'll need 85k to live the same. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 12:31:26 PM EDT
[#14]
friends don't let friends move to the Gay Area. Just don't do it, whatever increase in pay you get will be negated by %900 when trying to find a place to live. The gun shops are a shadow of their former self, and you'll be considered a weirdo among the sickos if they find out you're a gun owner.
About the only plus I can think of is if you like food from different countries, but you have to go to the right ones or you'll get a "bonus" a couple of hourse later.  The drivers here really suck also and if you get hit, more often than not they don't have insurance and don't speaky english. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 12:44:40 PM EDT
[#15]
Everything is more expensive here. If you do decide to move, buy a house out in the boonies and commute into work. You'll get more freedoms and housing won't cost as much, and depending on how far away from work you move, you might end up in a red county with a pro-CCW stance.
Weather is nice, but it's not enough to keep me here. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 1:01:06 PM EDT
[#16]
since this is an AR15 site i'll assume you own one and probably other guns and it is part of who you are. if so, be ready to be pissed of f alot about the politics here. if you can do without your firearms CA is a graet place to live. Alot of diversity in the geography, people, weather(nice or really nice) culture, beuatiful girls ect. But there is not a day that goes by that i don't think about moving, if i could only find a place. Did i mention all the hot chicks?
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Posted: 3/10/2005 1:42:41 PM EDT
[#17]
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Posted: 3/10/2005 3:43:54 PM EDT
[#18]
yeah, but you'll have fabulous drapes in your house! 
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Posted: 3/10/2005 4:04:10 PM EDT
[#19]
If I was already established in another state I would not move here, especialy if your life revolves around guns.If the job pays a lot more you could always move here and then back in a few years.There is a lot of money to be made here. My house has went up 240,000 in the last 3 years.If you bought a house and stuck it out for a couple years. You should be able to make a couple hundred thousand, you could take back and spend on NFA.
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Posted: 3/10/2005 5:46:09 PM EDT
[#20]
 You can look forward to some of the most incredibly high real estate prices on the planet, rotten traffic, and some really bad crime areas. No full autos, no suppressors, no NEW AR's bought in, no high caps magazines. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 5:51:42 PM EDT
[#21]
Don't do it.
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Posted: 3/10/2005 6:11:00 PM EDT
[#22]
If you were living close to the state border, I would suggest living out of state and commuting in, the bay area is not though, and no way you would commute that far every day.
Weather is nice, but not worth it in my opinion. You could always go somewhere real nice for a vacation once a week and be totally satisfied. Money is the only reason to come here. Family is the reason I stay here, but money is the only reason anyone should want to come here. The reasons have already been stated, so I won't be redundant. One last thing, if you do decide to come in, you might look into moving onto the edge of a neighboring county. I'm really familiar with the bay area, so I can't give any valid suggestions, but there are some places you could move and get CCW and still keep part of your rights.  In all seriousness, unless you were going to make bank very rapidly, I would not advise moving into the state for any extended period of time. But do visit us, and bring lots of non-roster hand guns with you to sell too
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Posted: 3/10/2005 6:31:03 PM EDT
[#23]
Are you for real? Move to Butt Plugger town? Just take every weapon you own and demill it. Cut it in half and use it for a flower vase.
Really....how much money does someone have to pay you for you to hate life. As a matter of fact.....just cut your johnson off and get it over with. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 6:31:57 PM EDT
[#24]
The fucks' wrong with you?? Moving to California on purpose?? |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 6:34:57 PM EDT
[#25]
++++++++++++++11111111111111111111111 |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 7:26:23 PM EDT
[#26]
Traffic sucks ass, way too crowded. I'm around LA so I'm somewhat used to the traffic, SF sucks even more, at least here we don't have to pay toll.
Get a nice car, that way you won't mind being stuck in traffic as much. Lots of taxes, but then that's a CA thing. Pay lots of taxes and get little service. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 7:48:20 PM EDT
[#27]
Just to dog pile on... I live here and can't wait to leave. I couldn't imagine affording a home here. In the area around the lab homes are over $500k minimum and double that if you want something decent. You actually can get ccw if live in Ukiah or the mountains somewhere, but not a snoballs chance in hell in the bay area. Traffic is wacky out of control here. You even hit traffic on the weekends. Taxes in CA are outta control and they keep adding new ones. They are constantly searching for ways to rape you. It costs THREE DOLLARS to cross a bridge here, which I have to do every day. And they are talking about raising it another buck or two. The GG bridge already is $5 to cross. Property taxes are nuts cause the home prices are. State tax is about 10% and over 8% in sales tax, plus they are constantly adding parcel taxes and different fees for things.
The good: the weather is the best in the whole country. Recreation opportunities are too many to count. Great roads if you are a biker. Many hot women. People aren't quite as much of jerks as they are in LA. Unless they are offering you about $200k a year I wouldn't even consider it as you would not be able to afford housing. |
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Posted: 3/10/2005 7:57:11 PM EDT
[#28]
perhaps pnl.gov is hiring in your area? They're in Eastern Washington - lots of land, CCW, all that goodness.
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Posted: 3/10/2005 9:26:33 PM EDT
[#29]
Diane Feinswine has. Bitch. If you want CCW, try Orange County. Our sheriff is more lenient. |
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Posted: 3/11/2005 1:46:51 AM EDT
[#30]
I'm queer and I'd not move there!
Their laws re: firearms are bad, and it sounds like they will get WORSE, not better. Plus if you aren't looking at a MINIMUM +50% wage increase, it's not EVEN worth thinking about, doubly so if you are NOT queer (and that's what it sounds like.) Good luck. Hope you don't do it. But best of luck if you do. |
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Posted: 3/11/2005 1:54:12 AM EDT
[#31]
weather is nice, but thats about it!
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Posted: 3/11/2005 2:01:01 AM EDT
[#32]
Personaly I like San Fran. Beautiful place, great weather, and great resturants and bars.
I don't care for the entire gotta live the lifestyle thinking of most people nor the fact that all everyone talks about is their home value and what the recent upgrade was. I could really care less if they got new carpet or who their plastic surgeon is. I especially don't care for their hatred of guns and people who associate with guns. Of course, I'm talking macro. We have some fine members that live in the area. I highly suggest you pick up a realistate book before you accept that offer. It would have to a loo loo of an offer to offset the cost of living from NM to SF. Tj |
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Posted: 3/11/2005 5:37:59 AM EDT
[#33]
 Ok, that clinches it.  |
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Posted: 3/11/2005 5:40:20 AM EDT
[#34]
Not really serious about it. I just wondered if there was something I was missing in my hate of the area. I figured with all the ARFCOMmers around, it couldn't be too bad, right? Wrong, I guess.
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Posted: 3/11/2005 11:38:32 AM EDT
[#35]
people lost money on there homes at the same rate not so long ago. |
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Posted: 3/11/2005 3:27:44 PM EDT
[#36]
Right now Kalifornia real estate is way overvalued, and will be corrected.
The price of a decent home by the lab, will probably start at about 750,000 and up. I have not seen the elusive 500,000 dollar deal in Livermore in the last year or so. A forty year old fixer will probably be around 550,000, but this is a fixer upper. The job market in Kalifornia is great, but if your income is not at least 200,000 a year , don't waste your time. Getting into a house will be difficult, and you would have to gamble on the equity right now. Anyone who has bought their house five years or earlier, are sitting pretty and have a ton of equity. Livermore is great, I live in the country part of Livermore, and can walk out my back door and shoot my guns on my own range. I am ten minutes from town, far enough away that i never have to see my neighbors taking a crap in their bathroom but close enough not to be inconvienced for shopping. The gun laws suck, and if guns are a big part of your life the evil assault weapons have to stay behiind, and the neutered ones aren't worth owning for the price. The closest you can come to a "assault weapon" is the M1A with no pistol grip or flash hider. Good Luck. |
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Posted: 3/11/2005 6:13:11 PM EDT
[#37]
Remember, we also have great EARTHQUAKES. The Bay area is earthquake country.
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Posted: 3/11/2005 7:55:14 PM EDT
[#38]
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Posted: 3/11/2005 9:09:41 PM EDT
[#39]
Actually I used to live in the tri-valley area (Danville, San Ramon and Pleasanton) area and I love it. There are a reasonable among of conservative Republicans. Downtown Danville and Walnut Creek is quite pleasant. The real estate price is still high but not as bad as San Francisco or South Bay.
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Posted: 3/11/2005 9:53:10 PM EDT
[#40]
In the early nineties housing in Walnut Creek for a 4/3 went from about 350-400k peak in the late 80s to about 220k in 92. The correction may not seem large now, but it was a 30%-40% drop at the time. |
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Posted: 3/11/2005 11:32:06 PM EDT
[#41]
Wasn't just WC, either. |
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Posted: 3/11/2005 11:59:06 PM EDT
[#42]
I can not fathom why you would ever want to move here. LLNL sucks as far as DOE sites go. But you are probably a physicist (SP?) and will get catered to no matter where you go so its up to you. Leave all your toys in NM though as they are not welcomed here. Especially if you work at LLNL or LANL you wouldn't want to lose your clearances over assault weapons.
Quality of life is not bad there but I still think you'd be much much happier staying at LANL. |
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Posted: 3/12/2005 12:19:58 PM EDT
[#43]
Real estate crapped out in mid 1990, low point at 1992. That boom started in 1987. That was the second time. The first bust was 1980, when the prime interest rate hit 18%+. The real estate boom started in 1975 for that one. Economic history is the investors friend. |
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Posted: 3/12/2005 4:18:28 PM EDT
[#44]
 Are you crazy?
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Posted: 3/13/2005 6:00:36 AM EDT
[#45]
Yes, but let's leave that out of it.
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Posted: 3/13/2005 11:33:24 AM EDT
[#46]
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Posted: 3/13/2005 12:59:28 PM EDT
[#47]
If you move to CA your ding-dong will fall off and you will grow a mangina. The only exemption is if you are military stationed here.
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Posted: 3/13/2005 8:09:30 PM EDT
[#48]
your a fucking idiot if you move here, unless your getting a 50% raise stay the hell out!!! and dont worry i am not just trying to keep this place to myself... Im on my way out right now
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Posted: 3/13/2005 8:48:43 PM EDT
[#49]
Let's think about this.................
New Mexico = Clean air assault weapons less traffic good home prices lower cost of living better laws fewer people not a gay liberal democratic state. California = Gays Higher housing costs Gays High gas prices Gays Higher cost of living Gays liberals Gays Democrats Gays Bad air/Pollution Gays Traffic congestion Gays Screwed up laws Gays NO ASSAULT WEAPONS/NO AR-15's/AK-47's And did I mention GAYS ! (Read between the lines...........) |
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Posted: 3/13/2005 8:54:39 PM EDT
[#50]
All right, CA guys, thanks for the wave-off. I think it's pretty clear now.
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