News California indoor Mask Mandate is lifted

[Emmanuel]

Yeah I changed the thread title since the indoor mask mandate statwide got extended till next month.

That will likely be the only extension since Omicron nationwide has been predicted to peak as early as the end of this week in some areas like NYC with others to follow within 2 weeks.

The Omicron wave of infections in the US will peak by January 21, expert projects

Cases are projected to peak within the first one to three weeks of January, according to modeling by an expert at Columbia University.

www.businessinsider.com

"Our projections depict a rapid surge of cases nationally that peaks at record high numbers during the first one to three weeks of January," he wrote Thursday."

"New York City is likely to hit its peak by the end of the week, Shaman wrote, with other cities following in the next two weeks. The wave will likely produce a record number of new cases, "but a smaller fraction of those cases will require hospitalization," in part because more Americans are vaccinated now than ever before."

 

[Professortango1]

There are a ton of factors going into migrations going on. COVID plus broadband speeds created a perfect storm where people who had longed been paying high dollars to work in economic hubs like New York, LA, Chicago, etc now no longer needed to remain there to work remotely. Previously, working remotely wasn't a viable solution for most Americans due to mediocre internet speeds. With the internet being as universally speedy across the county, working remotely is now a business model that many businesses are sticking with.

So, make roughly the same amount of money and no longer have to be forking over high rent/mortgage rates, it makes sense to relocate to poorer states. If the trend sticks, we might likely see people leaving Texas to look for cheaper communities in 10-20 years. It isn't a reflection on government and oversight or laws, just numbers. I can sell my California home for $300,000 and move into a home twice the size in a flyover state and still make the same working my day job. If I didn't work in entertainment/education as a side hustle, I would have made the move, but the opportunities I need are still very much tied to large urban centers at the moment.

 

[Professortango1]

I recall that, funny how many people say they want diversity but only if everyone’s exactly like them.

You can want diversity while also wanting to reduce the number of majority voices in a collective.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

You can want diversity while also wanting to reduce the number of majority voices in a collective.

I’m sure that’s true in some cases but the poster in question lived in CA and was openly saying fewer white conservatives was a good thing... they wanted more majority voices and fewer people who think differently than the CA majority.

I’ve always found it ironic the cities that scream diversity the loudest are usually the most segregated cities in America while the ones that stay relatively silent on the subject are usually the most integrated.

 

[Lilofan]

There are a ton of factors going into migrations going on. COVID plus broadband speeds created a perfect storm where people who had longed been paying high dollars to work in economic hubs like New York, LA, Chicago, etc now no longer needed to remain there to work remotely. Previously, working remotely wasn't a viable solution for most Americans due to mediocre internet speeds. With the internet being as universally speedy across the county, working remotely is now a business model that many businesses are sticking with.

So, make roughly the same amount of money and no longer have to be forking over high rent/mortgage rates, it makes sense to relocate to poorer states. If the trend sticks, we might likely see people leaving Texas to look for cheaper communities in 10-20 years. It isn't a reflection on government and oversight or laws, just numbers. I can sell my California home for $300,000 and move into a home twice the size in a flyover state and still make the same working my day job. If I didn't work in entertainment/education as a side hustle, I would have made the move, but the opportunities I need are still very much tied to large urban centers at the moment.

$300K home in CA? where, farmland USA, McFarland?

 

[Disney Irish]

$300K home in CA? where, farmland USA, McFarland?

I can't speak for that particular poster, but you can find homes for $300K (or even less sometimes) in the Sierras and small rural towns in Northern California. Obviously it wouldn't be in a metro area like LA or the Bay Area, but it can be found if you're willing to live outside those areas.

 

[Professortango1]

I can't speak for that particular poster, but you can find homes for $300K (or even less sometimes) in the Sierras and small rural towns in Northern California. Obviously it wouldn't be in a metro area like LA or the Bay Area, but it can be found if you're willing to live outside those areas.

Mine is in Riverside. Bought it for $140 almost a decade ago. It's now valued at a little over $300.

 

[Disney Irish]

Mine is in Riverside. Bought it for $140 almost a decade ago. It's now valued at a little over $300.

I don't know the real estate market in that area like I do in NorCal. But it makes sense, Riverside is does have some rural areas from what I remember that have more affordable houses.

 

[Professortango1]

I don't know the real estate market in that area like I do in NorCal. But it makes sense, Riverside is does have some rural areas from what I remember that have more affordable houses.

Not rural at all. I live just outside of the downtown area in a neighborhood of older homes. The area of town isn't the best and the homes need work, but go for about $300,000-$500,000 depending on size and work put into them.

 

[truecoat]

Not rural at all. I live just outside of the downtown area in a neighborhood of older homes. The area of town isn't the best and the homes need work, but go for about $300,000-$500,000 depending on size and work put into them.

I'm sorry but this flyover state isn't going to get you double a house for 300 grand, unless you live in a shack.

 

[TP2000]

$300K home in CA? where, farmland USA, McFarland?

Because I've been on Zillow this weekend, I just checked...

There is exactly one (1) home in all of Orange County that is currently listed for less than 400,000. And it makes it by only fifty bucks. It's listed as an "ALL CASH SALE ONLY" (their words and all caps) with a "court probate involved" that may tie things up for a bit.

But for $399,950 you can get this 771 square foot two bedroom, one bath charmer built in 1915. ("Pre-war" in this case means before World War I. But at least after the Spanish-American War.)

And so long as you can do "ALL CASH" and wait out the probate hearing, I imagine a good talker could get them to also throw in those Christmas lights on the porch. Monthly costs for this dream of home ownership including mortgage, property tax, and home insurance is $1,750.

Or, you could move your family out of California. Here's a hot market in a popular city; Memphis, Tennessee. There are hundreds of homes for sale under $400K in the Memphis metro area.

Here's an average one; 10 year old home, 4 beds, 3 baths, 2,500 square feet in a great school district and near shopping/dining. The monthly cost with all taxes and insurance is $1,816, or $66 more per month to live in that Fullerton home above. (Due to slightly higher property tax in Tennessee, and higher insurance costs for this larger and more valuable home.)

However, gasoline is selling at the Costco station in Fullerton right now at $4.19 for a gallon of regular. Gasoline is selling at the Costco station near this home in Memphis for $2.95 for a gallon of regular. If you filled up the 23 gallon tank on a Toyota Camry twice per month, Tennessee's dramatically lower gas taxes would make up for that extra $66 you'd save by living in that Fullerton home.

Oh yeah, and there is no state income tax in Tennessee. None.

GasBuddy - Cheapest Gas Station Finder App with Money Saving Benefits

Download the free GasBuddy app to find the cheapest gas stations near you, and save up to 40¢/gal by upgrading to a Pay with GasBuddy fuel rewards program.

www.gasbuddy.com

 

[truecoat]

Because I've been on Zillow this weekend, I just checked...

There is exactly one (1) home in all of Orange County that is currently listed for less than 400,000. And it makes it by only fifty bucks. It's listed as an "ALL CASH SALE ONLY" (their words and all caps) with a "court probate involved" that may tie things up for a bit.

But for $399,950 you can get this 771 square foot two bedroom, one bath charmer built in 1915. ("Pre-war" in this case means before World War I. But at least after the Spanish-American War.)

And so long as you can do "ALL CASH" and wait out the probate hearing, I imagine a good talker could get them to also throw in those Christmas lights on the porch. Monthly costs for this dream of home ownership including mortgage, property tax, and home insurance is $1,750.

View attachment 613034

Or, you could move your family out of California. Here's a hot market in a popular city; Memphis, Tennessee. There are hundreds of homes for sale under $400K in the Memphis metro area.

Here's an average one; 10 year old home, 4 beds, 3 baths, 2,500 square feet in a great school district and near shopping/dining. The monthly cost with all taxes and insurance is $1,816, or $66 more per month to live in that Fullerton home above. (Due to slightly higher property tax in Tennessee, and higher insurance costs for this larger and more valuable home.)

View attachment 613036

However, gasoline is selling at the Costco station in Fullerton right now at $4.19 for a gallon of regular. Gasoline is selling at the Costco station near this home in Memphis for $2.95 for a gallon of regular. If you filled up the 23 gallon tank on a Toyota Camry twice per month, Tennessee's dramatically lower gas taxes would make up for that extra $66 you'd save by living in that Fullerton home.

Oh yeah, and there is no state income tax in Tennessee. None.

GasBuddy - Cheapest Gas Station Finder App with Money Saving Benefits

Download the free GasBuddy app to find the cheapest gas stations near you, and save up to 40¢/gal by upgrading to a Pay with GasBuddy fuel rewards program.

www.gasbuddy.com

Everything comes at a cost. Quality of life stats put Tennessee much lower than California.

 

[TP2000]

Everything comes at a cost. Quality of life stats put Tennessee much lower than California.

But what exactly is "quality of life"? What's being used as a benchmark for those things? And what does the middle class cubicle drone making $75K per year in Fullerton get compared to the middle class cubicle drone making $75K per year in Memphis?

We've seen what the dollar buys for housing, as seen starkly above. We've seen the cost of gas in Fullerton vs Memphis, as but one example (groceries, restaurants, utilities, etc. are others).

The literacy rates are telling. California has a much lower literacy rate than Tennessee. Kind of pops the bubble that Californians are always the smartest ones in the room, doesn't it?

California Adult Literacy Rate = 76.9%
Tennessee Adult Literacy Rate = 86.8%

But aside from basics like literacy, or unchangeables like weather... are we to believe the middle class citizens of suburban Memphis are saddled with some cloud of decay and depression that doesn't exist in Fullerton? Yes, western Tennessee has four distinct seasons and it's not always sunny and 75 like it so often is in Fullerton. But what else?

What do the good people of Memphis labor under, what horrible curse are they saddled with that the person living in Fullerton doesn't have to worry about? What does $4.19 per gallon at the Fullerton Costco buy that they can't get for $2.95 per gallon at the Memphis Costco?

U.S. Literacy Rates by State 2024

worldpopulationreview.com

 

[Bullseye1967]

Everything comes at a cost. Quality of life stats put Tennessee much lower than California.

I own a house in the fastest growing region in the US, in middle TN. There must be some reason everyone is moving there. Our crime rate is low. Our schools are good and the cost of living is definitely low compared to where people are moving from. We don't have much Opera. What are your thoughts??

 

[TP2000]

I own a house in the fastest growing region in the US, in middle TN. There must be some reason everyone is moving there. Our crime rate is low. Our schools are good and the cost of living is definitely low compared to where people are moving from. We don't have much Opera. What are your thoughts??

No one likes Opera. Seriously, no one likes it. Some people go to the Opera because they paid for the subscription to the performing arts center, but no one actually likes it.

Opera is just the thing you sit through until you get your tickets for the Philharmonic or South Pacific.

The irony there is that Tennessee is home to the Grand Ole Opry, a bastion of American culture and a national treasure in its own right.

EDIT: Memphis has an Opera company. And both a modern Opera House, and an older and far more charming historic theater that doubles as an Opera House and Philharmonic theater. I'd bet just like California, at least half the people sitting in the Opera audience aren't having a good time. They're just there because their date looks nice and they get to go to a steakhouse for dinner afterwards.

Opera Memphis: Dedicated to Opera, Dedicated to Memphis

www.operamemphis.org

 

[Bullseye1967]

No one likes Opera. Seriously, no one likes it. Some people go to the Opera because they paid for the subscription to the performing arts center, but no one actually likes it.

Opera is just the thing you sit through until you get your tickets for the Philharmonic or South Pacific.

The irony there is that Tennessee is home to the Grand Ole Opry, a bastion of American culture and a national treasure in its own right.

EDIT: Memphis has an Opera company. And both a modern Opera House, and an older and far more charming historic theater that doubles as an Opera House and Philharmonic theater. I'd bet just like California, at least half the people sitting in the Opera audience aren't having a good time. They're just there because their date looks nice and they get to go to a steakhouse for dinner afterwards.

Opera Memphis: Dedicated to Opera, Dedicated to Memphis

www.operamemphis.org

I was dragged to the Opera at TPAC in Nashville once. I am not a fan, but we do for those we love. It was a bar on Broadway afterwards, not a steakhouse.

 

[TP2000]

I’ve always found it ironic the cities that scream diversity the loudest are usually the most segregated cities in America while the ones that stay relatively silent on the subject are usually the most integrated.

That has been my exact experience.

I went to a Lesbian wedding up in Seattle a few years ago, the summer before the pandemic started. Both the pre-wedding family barbecue two days before and the wedding reception were packed full of extremely liberal people. They were all lilly white, all comfortably upper-middle class, and they were all very close minded. The vocabulary and phrasing they all used was so forced and so rigid that I found it hilarious. Almost no one seemed happy. The whole thing was just stifling.

When I got home to far more "conservative" OC, I found myself at a party shortly after I got home. The place was full of different races and different thoughts. No one cared if you used the wrong adjective or pronoun. People laughed out loud, at themselves or at others. It was liberating in both thought and vocabulary.

 

[denyuntilcaught]

That has been my exact experience.

I went to a Lesbian wedding up in Seattle a few years ago, the summer before the pandemic started. Both the pre-wedding family barbecue two days before and the wedding reception were packed full of extremely liberal people. They were all lilly white, all comfortably upper-middle class, and they were all very close minded. The vocabulary and phrasing they all used was so forced and so rigid that I found it hilarious. Almost no one seemed happy. The whole thing was just stifling.

When I got home to far more "conservative" OC, I found myself at a party shortly after I got home. The place was full of different races and different thoughts. No one cared if you used the wrong adjective or pronoun. People laughed out loud, at themselves or at others. It was liberating in both thought and vocabulary.

This opens up a completely separate conversation about the topic of diversity that I just know we cannot get into. but if I were to bullet my points (some of which we're in complete agreement):

• Racial groups and political factions are not monoliths. To the latter point, research has shown liberalism to be much more individualistic in ideals than conservatism, which tends to be more collectivist in thinking.
• TP2000's story reflects one of the hottest talking points regarding diversity: who is leading the conversation. In pockets like Seattle, San Francisco, and even Silver Lake, within liberal circles there's been a whitewashing of the conversation around diversity. Meaning calls for diversity are largely not being made by the demographics that are being the most impacted. I call it the colonization of representation but that's just me being trite.
• What this means is yes, in a place that leans more left but skews more white, you're going to experience this troubling dissonant conversation where lily white coastal elites heavily lean into liberal cliche behaviors and talking points, policing language and other performative actions, not because they believe it's actually making a difference (or maybe they do, I don't know), but because it makes them feel better and that they accomplished something. Meanwhile, minority groups across race and gender identity are left trying to identify true actionable steps which typically involve something greater than saying "Latinx."

And I say this as a Black gay man from Los Angeles.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

But what exactly is "quality of life"?

I always chuckle with the quality of life argument because it’s 100% subjective.

I thoroughly enjoy CA for about 3 days and then I can’t wait to leave. If I could camp out in a beach community and never have to leave it I’d live in CA but the second I need to go anywhere by car I’m reminded why I’ll never live there. Too much traffic, too many aggressive people, too many homeless people (even around DL now)… unlimited natural beauty but surrounded by all the problems every massive city has.

Some people thrive in that environment, other (like me) hate it… thankfully we have options. My ideal half million person city would be torture for people that like the hustle and bustle of a big city like LA or SF.

 

[Dear Prudence]

I always chuckle with the quality of life argument because it’s 100% subjective.

I thoroughly enjoy CA for about 3 days and then I can’t wait to leave. If I could camp out in a beach community and never have to leave it I’d live in CA but the second I need to go anywhere by car I’m reminded why I’ll never live there. Too much traffic, too many aggressive people, too many homeless people (even around DL now)… unlimited natural beauty but surrounded by all the problems every massive city has.

Some people thrive in that environment, other (like me) hate it… thankfully we have options. My ideal half million person city would be torture for people that like the hustle and bustle of a big city like LA or SF.

what hustle and bustle of SF? It's literally abandoned.