California

California’s been good to me. Hope it don’t fall into the sea. Sometimes you got to trust yourself. It ain’t like anywhere else. It ain’t like anywhere else. – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “California”

SJ Merc: California taxpayers who hate filling out tax returns might be in luck next tax season. If their tax returns are simple enough, the state will offer to fill out the forms for them. All they’ll have to do is sign — or click online — and pay what’s due. Deeming last season’s experiment with the “ReadyReturn” a success, the state Franchise Tax Board voted unanimously on Wednesday to roll out the program to more taxpayers next tax season.…

NYT: A 23-year-old California man who the F.B.I. said volunteered to kill Americans after he received training at an Al Qaeda camp in Pakistan was arrested today along with his father and two others. Hamid Hayat and his father, Umer Hayat, 45, of Lodi, Calif., were being held on charges of lying to federal authorities because each had denied that Hamid Hayat had attended the training camp for about six months during 2003 and 2004, according to an F.B.I. affidavit.…

I’ll be back home again, on California soil. Off to CT tonight, and to Montreal for the weekend. Have a good weekend.

So I get the fact that gangsta rappers aren’t the brightest of cats, but still — being that “California Love” is about the whole state — I guess it’s rather revelatory that “worldwide” constitutes from Long Beach to Rosecrans (a street in Compton). In other words, about 15 miles. Famous cause we program worldwide Let’em recognize from Long Beach to Rosecrans.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger speaking at a news conference on Friday. Is this really what he looks like when he speaks? Goddamn. No wonder his poll numbers are down.

I will be gladly waking up to the California sunshine.

Four weeks from exactly right now, I will be on a plane back to Oakland.

Ok, this is the new final list. Kathy reminded me of the Clapton, and I really didn’t like the Too Short song. I’m still willing to listen to other songs, but I’m pretty sure this will be the final list. Thanks again to everyone who contributed. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – California Gipsy Kings – Hotel California Tony Bennett – I Left My Heart in San Francisco Bad Religion – Los Angeles is Burning Beach Boys – California Girls…

Ok, so I finalized the list. Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – California Gipsy Kings – Hotel California Tony Bennett – I Left My Heart in San Francisco Bad Religion – Los Angeles is Burning Beach Boys – California Girls Chris Isaak – San Francisco Days The Decemberists – Los Angeles, I’m Yours Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication The Mamas and the Papas – If You’re Going To San Francisco Arlo Guthrie –…