Those of us who live in Jersey often ask ourselves this question.

After all, we have:

Temperatures that range from tropical to Arctic,

Constant traffic jams, unless you wish to travel between 3 and 4 in the morning,

State budgets that increase by leaps and bounds, even while the current tax base (i.e. the so-called “rich”) and the future tax base (young, upwardly mobile families) are fleeing the state as if it were 1939 Germany,

A state government that is every bit as corrupt as some third-rate banana republics,

Governors who are laughed at across the nation,

A state government that is downright hostile to business development,

Crippling income, sales, and property taxes, and

Sheeple who insist on perpetuating the mess by electing the same lemons every year.

And now, just when you thought that living here couldn’t be any more daunting, we have a terrorist cell whose members are prepared to die in Fort Dix while in the process of killing as many American soldiers as possible.

But wait, Jimbo. We have 126 miles of beautiful beaches, which is a good thing, no?

Ooops! Never mind. It seems that at least one of our best beaches is closed because, so far, a thousand pounds of unexploded tank and anti-aircraft shells have been found in the sand. Make those sand castles at your own risk, peeps.

The answer: We live here because, by nature, we are idiots thrill seekers.

‘Scuse me; I need a refill.