“As a native son, I can truly attest to that. In the time that I was raised there, I don’t think there was a better place on earth to be a kid.”
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My favorite video to demonstrate what we have lost in California AND as a nation. Call me soft, but this one always gives me a lump in my throat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QCZ_bv9aLc
Unfortunately, I cannot get You-tube as I have an older modem. However, I was born and raised in this state a long time ago; probably even before you. A lot of what happened in California resulted from national events and some of the bad things happened due to the people trusting their state representatives and not paying attention. California’s real problems are social and political and this is impacting the economy.
I was a pre-teen when "Don't Worry Baby" came out. Listening to it brings back a flood of wonderful memories of my home state. The Beach Boys provided the soundtrack to one of the best times of my life.
And you're right. It's tragic that we seem to have lost the heart and soul that was expressed in their music. For now...