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California isn't quite the cesspool I'd assumed.

Evil ATFEvil ATF Member Posts: 1,195 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited October 2001 in General Discussion
I just got back from my trip to LA and Santa Monica. Quite an interesting trip. One of the things that struck me as unusual is that the National Guardsman who patrol my local airport (Portland International in Oregon state) carry the M9. In LAX, they were walking around with their M-16's. Quite a show of force! I hope they had some special ammo in those puppys and not standard issue ball ammo, or it could turn into a PR nightmare if they actually have to use those things.I stopped by a restaurant called "Lobsters" on Pico in Santa Monica: The absolute BEST meal I've ever had! I'm not even a big seafood fan, but the lobster was to die for. Interesting people in southern Cali. It was like a freak show, only I didn't have to pay. However, I certainly wish I'd known about the "No Smoking Indoors" law down there ahead of time. After a particularly grueling day with distributors, I decided to let my hair down and have a few in the hotel lobby. I sat down, ordered my drink and some chow and lit up. I didn't think anything about there not being any ashtrays nearby, since this seems to be the SOP for bars nationwide. They just get one to you as soon as your ash gets a little long. Well, I got a nasty look or two from people nearby, but just chalked it up to Californian courtesy. When the waiter brought my drink by, he almosst had a coronary right there on the spot. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?""Uhhhh....waiting for my food?""You can't smoke in here!""Uhhhhh....this IS a bar, right?"The fella angerly pointed to the shiny plaque on the wall quoting some California Code about smoking indoors. I felt like a real * at that point, so I just went up to my room and ordered room service. All in all, it wasn't too bad of a trip. I just wish I could have hooked up with a few shooters in the area while I was down there. Maybe next time.
Got President? Evil in 2012!
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Comments

  • metzmetz Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You just didn't stay long enough. Give it time the hatred will grow. I used to live there, most beautiful country around is the western slope of the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada is a personal favorite. 'course then theres the people. Too damn many and way to opinionated. They will make a law about anything and nothing and if your opinion differs you are wrong. Coming from one of the more culturaly diverse states I figure the "state of confusion" is a disease. I keep hoping for the big one so I can buy some beach front property on the Pacific in Tahoe.Andy
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  • ED PED P Member Posts: 190 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Evil,If you ever get back out to Santa Monica and want to see a freak show, go out to Venice Beach on a weekend. It's a 10 minute drive from LAX, on the northern border of Santa Monica and Southern border of Venice.Last time I was there, one guy was handing out free photocopies of what he said God told him were the "new" 10 commandments to everyone on the walking path, another had a giant green pyramid around is neck and was pushing a theory that the U.S. is satanic because of the Pyramid with the eyeball on our currency, and a third guy was handing out free vegetarian cookbooks (good quality, hardbound) and telling people it was their lucky day, but when I got back to my hotel and opened it, the first 80 pages were on why I should become a Hiri-Krishna.Another guy was selling t-shirts with a silk screened t-shirt of an advertisement for a hydraulic pig butchering device, with a cycle time of 1.2 seconds per unit.Not to mention babes in thongs on the rollerblade path, and plenty of rollerblade rental places to rent and join them.Venice beach, worth checking out. Maybe it's a not such a bad idea if we limit their firearms afterall...
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  • Judge DreadJudge Dread Member Posts: 2,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That means they drained it first before you Visited?
    I judge Thee!, Not for what you are , but for what you say !
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  • ghotie_thumperghotie_thumper Member Posts: 1,561 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Life in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia isn't all bad. The shopping and stores and food are top notch. The gun laws absolutely stink. I'm hoping hunting will last until I retire, then I'm looking for greener pastures. If tv Kalifornia stay in the southland. If you want my California get north of Redding Ca., The political and environmental climate changes from the left to the RIGHT about there. Rivers, mountains with lots of trees, hunting and fishing, it's all good up here. Unfortunately the south seems to be drifting north. Just looked at a nice 5x5 bull elk yesterday right along the roadside. If we could only get the state of Northern California/Jefferson, established things would be pretty sweet around here.
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    With regards to the weapons carried by the national guardsmen. It is possible that the one's with the M-16's weren't MP's. Not all soldiers are issued M9's. Hell, I was in the Reserves and my Military Police Port Security unit only had M-4's with the exception of the one M-9 that was carried by the Commander. They were sent out as rapid response to the terrorist threat and there probably wasn't time to issue M9's and train all of the security units with them.With regards to the ammo...it was probably ball. Sorry to disappoint you. MP's in the Army carry ball ammo while on patrol/security duty. I'm sure it isn't different in the scenarios that you witnessed.
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  • TRIGGERSGHOSTTRIGGERSGHOST Member Posts: 59 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    As far as the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia.I grew up in the Napa Valley. Was a nice place to live till all those damn grapes came along.My Mom had a creek in Her back yard with plenty trout,bullfrogs,crawdads,bluegill and once in awhile a steelhead.Good place to swim to.One year Me and other kids built a dam.City got word of it,and tore it down.Had the Napa river with catfish,and striped bass.When I was about 13 or 14 use to go out to the Imola State mental Hospital dump and shoot rats with My Winchester model 67 22 rifle.Also use to shoot at rabbits in the fruit orchards of the hospital.They had had people all over the place picking fruit,payed no mind to Me.use to ride our bikes up valley to Conn Dam to go swiming in the summer time.Was about 20 miles from home.lots of places to hunt and fish.Not any more,damn grapes everywhere.Went back there this summer to do some work on My Mom's house(earthquake damage)Took a ride up to St.Helena to visit grandmas grave.We are driving up Hy.29,when some moron in front of Me slams on his brakes,and sticks a camera out the window of his car,and starts shooting pictures of the damn grapes.Sees Me looking at him,and starting yelling, grapes,wow grapes.Can You see the grapes too? At this point I embrasses My Mother by telling the Man,if You want to look at f$%king grapes go to Safeway.Anyway back in the 50s and 60s the Napa valley was a nice place.I guess I was real lucky growing up where I did.Then those damn grapes came.Dad Horse Walking
    Remember everybody looks good 5 minutes before the bar closes.
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