Arizona!

About a month ago, we packed up the shop and moved to Phoenix to pursue a number of number of things. We said goodbye to quite a few good friends and to a city that had been pretty good to us. Oddly enough, every time we told someone in Orlando where we were going, we were constantly met with questions about Arizona's immigration law. Being the offspring of an immigrant myself, you'd think that I have a fervent anti-Arizona statement to share with you.

But I don't.

Granted, we still don't have a solid grip on this city yet, but it seems like the certianly-illegal population in Arizona pretty much keeps to themselves. They live in neighborhoods with obviously Spanish names like Guadeloupe, Mesa, and... erm... Queen Creek. Besides the ever watchful eyes of the speed cameras and police cruisers adorned with scanners that automatically check the license plates of nearby vehicles, its pretty much like everywhere else. Except that virtually every non-human creature here is poisonous. And it's completely run by conservatives. And it's filled with frighting old people. So it has become clear that I haven't moved to Arizona. I've moved to Afghanistan.

It's not all bad though. I'm told that East Phoenix is a bit more heterogeneous, and that I can even grab a double-double there without getting the stink-eye for being over the age of 20 and not being married, having children, etc. I've also been told that I ought to look into California, where if you can endure being smashed betwix the grinding gears of Communism you can take advantage of a wonderousley liberal lifestyle and nobody will care. So long as you wear protection — at all times, don't own a gun, don't smoke, don't offend the rights of animals, and bend over backwards to share the "privileged" rewards of your hard work with our country's largest population of meth addicts, you can do pretty much whatever you want. So long as you have the money for it.

On a positive note, the weather is great and the city hosts four great sports teams with sports guys who do... sports things. I can also go skiing in the mountains should I decide to drive two hours (literally) up. There is also a huge assortment of national parks, including a canyon that I have been told is grand..

The part of Phoenix that tickles me is that this city is filled with tech industry, from semiconductor companies to dot-coms that got tired of California's crap and relocated to Phoenix a decade ago. In a way, the private sector has been slowly boycotting California for ages. A boycott of Arizona over a silly immigration law (that already exists in three other states) is honestly a day late and a few billion dollars short.