Hey, completely off-topic, but if in fact you live there, which city in Australia has a climate most like, say, Los Angeles or San Diego? You know, nice and temperate year-round, with low humidity?

Given how the Obamessiah is just trashing our dear ol' USA, wife and I are looking for options. And we already speak the language (well, sort of).

http://www.vegasusers.com/whereareyou/

Always intrigues me your Map - In the UK we need a BIGGER country! We're at risk of sinking under the weight of White DOTS!?!?

Kelso? Can you something about those Text Codes?

Cheers

Grazie

Thank you Chienworks! :-)

Hi Riredale, I've never been to the USA, but I'm kinda guessing that Sydney might be your closest comparison. I'm guessing though, that your political problems extend beyond 1 person, and pretty much most people who WANT to be a politician, shouldn't be there. ...same applies here!

Sydney is pretty similar to San Francisco but all our big cities are on the coast so summers are pretty humid. I think Adelaide is a bit milder in summer but it's a pretty small city.

As for Obama, nothing I know of that he's done wasn't done and dusted decades ago down here. We've got taxpayer funded national health and very strict gun controls.

Bob.

I was commenting to someone yesterday how surprisingly non-political the Vegas Forums have been and now this post from Riredale about the "Obamessiah"...

...and then there are the money changers... ;-)

if we start talking politics here i'll be the first to walk out the door. it's enough we have politicians in the first place, and in second place they're ALL (well, the vast majority) money grubbing, power hungry wa*kers .- who simply AREN'T worth talking about...

as for their policies - they're all the same - we end up paying one way or the other....

So, Leslie, by walking away you are expressing a "No-Party" Party? Interesting, making a political statement by, allegedly, not making a political statement. Kinda heard of this somewhere before . . . . ?

It's tough this stuff.

Grazie

Well, Adelaide (where I grew up) has a summer of low humidity and high heat. Very transparent skies, so the summer sun burns quickly. Melbourne (the most liveable city in the world) has pretty nice summers, good culture, but you can't plan an outdoor event far in advance with confidence that it won't rain; wouldn't have said it was humid, but obviously it has those moments. Doesn't rain as much as Sydney in quantity, but does it more often. Although climate change seems to be reversing that trend.

"Melbourne (the most liveable city in the world) has pretty nice summers, good culture, but you can't plan an outdoor event far in advance with confidence that it won't rain; "

It has rained (drizzled) on and off the last couple of years but I still haven't forgotten the 9 years of drought and water restrictions, so I don't mind. I certainly don't envy and I do feel sorry for those suffering the bush fires west of Sydney. We had our turn a few years back.

Perth has more predictable weather, sub tropical (slightly closer to the equator than Sydney.)

As for the politicians, why swap the devil you know for the devil you don't know? Some entrepreneur has recently worked out a way to make money by juggling preferences for splinter groups such as the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts’ Party and the Sex Party so that they can get elected to the senate despite only a handful of first preference votes.

Having experienced both LA and San Francisco, I would equate Sydney to LA and Melbourne to San Francisco in terms of climate and culture. To be honest, if I were to go to the US to live, I would choose Portland or Seattle, two of my favourite places.

Geoff

Seattle is great.
Rains 300 days of the year (the last being a quote from "Sleepless in Seattle").

i live in paradise - 4 distinct seasons, all of which can go to extremes thus ensuring you appreciate the best bits ;-)

my third continent - and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

grazie - i'm a conservative tree-hugger - whatever that means ;-) the sort of person who can argue about the pathetic government we have no matter who's in power since my 'policies' would never be mainstream for any party catering to the 'majority'.

"Seattle is great. Rains 300 days of the year"

Back in the 1960's it was common for comedians to sell LP vinyl Record Albums of their comedy performances. Comedian Bill Cosby did a skit on his experience living in Seattle, that included a mention of the notorious perpetual cloud cover the city lives under. He joked about how the people are so frightened when the clouds separate and the Sun shines through, they sacrifice a calf on a rock to the "Evil Sun".

[I]To be honest, if I were to go to the US to live, I would choose Portland or Seattle, two of my favourite places.[/I]

+1 for Portland over Seattle. Portland runs about 10 degrees F warmer than Seattle. We have income tax (9% nominal rate, between 7-8.5% effective rate) but we have no sales tax.

But Kimberly, Mt. Hood isn't nearly as exciting as Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier. 8^)

@GaryJames:

Yes but we have . . . um, make that had . . . the World's Largest Sitka Spruce Tree.

Having lived in Seattle for the past 45 years I've come to love the rain. Interestingly there is less rainfall in Seattle than in Chicago. What characterizes our weather is the unrelenting gray sky most of the year. When it does rain it's usually a light drizzle or a heavy mist, not the deluge that characterizes Mid-West and East Coast rains.

I was offered a job in Australia many years ago, in Armidale. Had it been in Sydney I'd have moved there immediately. In 1974 it was one of the most beautiful cities I'd ever seen, peopled by some of the friendliest folk I'd ever met. Armidale was a bit too "bush," however.

Jack

John Cline: Sorry, you're right. In fact, I left the forum in disgust a few years back because of political and religious content. It's very mellow now by comparison.

Allow me to rewind and just say that many folks are fed up with the strange times here in the States, and are wondering what it's like to live elsewhere. I've always had a positive impression of Australia. Wife has this thing for New Zealand, for some reason. I don't think she's ever even eaten mutton.

As for Portland, nice summers, gray, cold, drizzly winters. Lots of very big trees everywhere. Extremely fresh air and water. Lots of counter-culture people. In fact, there's a popular bumper sticker that says "Keep Portland Weird" and they mean it.

EDIT: Skiing year-round on Mt. Hood near Portland, though in the summer it's like skiing on a snow-cone. Saw a show about the upcoming catastrophe regarding Mr. Ranier up in Seattle. She's behind schedule, and when she blows, it will be like Pompeii for Seattleites, or so they say. But down in LA where I grew up it was earthquakes. Out in Kansas people probably die from boredom. So it's always something.

Just moved back to Adelaide after almost forty years away. Doesn't seem to have changed a bit!! Back then they called it "the Athens of the South". Having spent a few years living in the Athens of the north, I'd say Adelaide is a lot quieter.