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Yeah, like THIS'll be an easy question to answer.

We want to move. However, we don't know which city we want to move to... imagine that. My primary motivation in making this decision is to get to colder climates in order to help my mate cope with her depression. I know that's an extremely simple-minded and naive reason to make a big move, but I've been wanting to get out of Florida for a few years anyway and figured this just tells me that I should be finally getting a move on. The job market sucks, the housing market is worse and I'm sick to death of people ramming their political views down my throat like it's part of the food pyramid. So, a-moving we will go.

Criteria: First off, there must be a thriving job market, especially for one who's got plenty of experience in digital communications and production tech, but no degree. Being degree-less is actually not a big deal when it comes to remedial tech jobs, but these are usually only available in heavily commercial operations such as theme parks or TV stations. Since I've been doing TV news for the last few years, I figure I should look for a city with a market somewhere above the 30's. Secondly, the rent has to be reasonable because, let's face it, It's going to be leases and thin walls for the first year or so.

The rest of this stuff is ancillary but will, ultimately, probably make up my mind about where to go.

Geek-friendly. I've heard that Nashville is actually quite a nerdy town despite the nooses-'n'-pitchforks preconception that others have of it, and if you take exception to that then, well, blame your grandparents. I've heard the same of Portland, Minneapolis (!) and Chicago (minus the hick stigma)... but both Portland and Minneapolis are freakishly frigid and Chicago is an above-ground sewer. Also, any town with a "San" is out of the question because most of those are in CA and any job that I could land over there wouldn't afford me a decent living out in a state where just a hamburger costs what I'd normally pay to gas up my beater. Same goes for Seattle or any city in Washington, for that matter. And there's still the weather to consider. Has to be colder.

Ideally, I'd also like to resume my pursuit of higher education, so I guess a decent graphically-oriented school would be a plus. I think think, though, that this criteria would be married to living in a geekville, so consider that an afterthought.

Okay, I think that pretty much sums up what I'm looking out for. Is this too unrealistic? Or can any of you guys give me a decent sizing up of cities that you've lived in?

I have quite a few more reasons beyond cost of living to not live in CA, no offense. As much as I'd love to live in a place like, say, San Diego or Santa Cruz, my wallet would suffer just as much as my sanity barrier in dealing with all of that culture shock... I think. Not sure, but not willing to place a $2,000 a month bet on it either.

Humidity! I live in the arid maw of Hell itself! Are you telling me that Texas is worse than the mid 90's in January?

I only have one concern about the climate in Texas, but it's not the meteorological one; how's the political climate over there? I've had co-workers tell me that they'd endured no small amount of bullshit from insular cops that pull guys over for having long hair to... well, your Hell Houses also spring to mind, among other things that I can't immediately recall. The only visit that I've ever made to that state was when I was in middle school so my memory can be relied upon. Is it that backwards?