Phoenix, Arizona: Nutshell and Ten Observations

Nutshell: Red state. Half of all vehicles are SUVs and half the SUVs have George W. bumper stickers. A place for middle class folk to buy super-cheap homes large enough to convince themselves they are engaging in upward class mobility. Most people are religious, most commonly Mormon.

P.H.X. Top Ten List: Based on my personal, biased and limited experience living in Phoenix, Arizona. Perceived through my personal, biased and lengthy experience living in Berkeley, California.

10: First two numbers of temperature during every hour of every day.
9: Ice-cold Gatorades consumed every couple hours just to compensate for fluids lost through sweat.
8. Average number of police cars with someone pulled over every time I venture out of my air conditioned safe-haven.
7: Out of 8 times those pulled over appear to be of Hispanic origin.
6: Family owned small businesses the chain-store invasion hasn't destroyed.
5: Days it took me to realize my water heater wasn't activated. The water was warm, so I didn't notice.
4: Wal-Marts per square mile.
3: Realtors have given me bad directions to a home they were trying to rent me.
2: Standard scapegoats: Hispanics and Muslims.
1: Man's unusual mixture of emotional intensity and intellectual capacity. He retained the imagination most people eventually disregard as youthful naivete, and yet reality doesn't escape his maturity. Seems more alive than most people I've met - I think that's what it is.

All things considered, I'm left thinking there's no better place to live.