Jim

Here we go again. NJ does have a serious pension problem. If you look at the liabilities it adds up to about $35k per household (in today's dollars - more in the future) - and there is a lot of them in NJ! One of the items Christie proposed was to have state employees contribute 1.5 percent of their salary towards paying their health care. The unions went ballistic. Something has to change to alter an unsustainable system. Look at pg 3 of this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/magazine/27christie-t.html

FYI - I thought I would close the loop here. I ordered this: Bob Kandiko's North Cascades Traverses! http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/1485261/86152bae2d034fbb485997fd4e7c5f63#author-bookshelf In short - it's disappointing. While the photos look crisp online the printed version is not - surprisingly fuzzy and poor color tones. The choice of fonts and backgrounds for the narrative is odd and difficult to read - the maps are not sharp either. Good idea - poor quality product. I've completed projects in desktop publishing that look much better than this effort. I would not recomend the book.

While I think there are some tweaks needed to public employee contracts - primarily in benefits - the Wisconsin ploy is over the top and clearly not related to budget issues.

Uh, yea. But the article you posted specifically addressed employers who were putting unemployed folks at the bottom of the candidate list. What is your point about that? Or was there any?

Not quite sure what the point is. Do you want a bill to force employers to consider unemployed people first? Yea - if you have a job it's often easier to get a job - nothing new. Do we need to get the economic engine going - you bet. I'm looking for a good technical staff person right now. Doesn't matter if they are employed or not - I'm taking the best qualified .

Had an old car in D.C. Used to leave it parked unless heading out of the city and used the bike - fastest way to get around by far. The kids stole the standard radio out of my '73 bug and once there were footprints up the hood, on the roof, and down the back. But some good Samaritian did plug up my gas line that popped off with a stick - rather than torch it. Very interesting city and with a sharp contrast between the haves and have-nots.

Having worked in DC for several years I gotta agree on the efficiency of the Metro - with an exception. A chicken or egg thing - but if you are in a "better" neighborhood you are more likely near a metro station than not. If not, then you're on the Byzantine bus route schedules, which are a myrid of leftover routes from a gazillion different private lines. Quite a contrast in riders going from metro to bus. Going back for a week for meetings and a conference - looking forward to visiting the o' Adams Morgan hood, hanging w/friends, and eating some good food.

A valued colleague is leaving my workplace - husband got a great new job in the Bay area. Looking for a nice book as a farewell - they are both climbers/skiers. Thanks.

You're correct. I shouldn't judge the temper of the general opinion of climbers based on the posts here. Not being a local I think I will just STFU. Cheers.

Not to belabor the point - but it's a wide range and not "minor variations". For instance the policy at the Gunks is no bolts -period; while a different atmosphere prevails at Smith - all for good reasons. From the small sample I see here - most folks appear to be ok with the line in question given its location.

IMO - then different standards might apply. The same standards do not apply to the Gunks, Smith, Index, or Rummy, for instance. I'm not a local, but as usual, I think that history and majority rule is the norm.

Seriously. I mean it is Beacon and NOT the Valley for crying out loud. Let the locals figure it out. Plus - without some outlet in the winter Ivan is going to drown a student or two in the hallway water fountain.

Never climbed a Beacon. Would be afraid to given the fervor of falcon and bolt advocates. I might do something bad!

IMO - the bottom line is that there always have been and always will be selected subsidy of transportation. But it seems we should be moving to those elements that result in the best return for transportation, business, energy/greenhouse gas, and community benefits.

uh-huh http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F2091EFB345D10738DDDAA0994DA405B8684F0D3

Exactly. What a concept - actually PLANNING for infrastructure, business, and community together. The hodge-podge of sprawl that is the result of lack of planning is quite evident on the fringe of most suburbs.

That's a good one! Those guys with the robes, camels, and curved swords will be showing up any minute!

I send my tax money there!

Which free and democratic Middle East regime might you be referring to?

Can't say I can provide any insight for which political group will rise to the top after all this, but the reason the Brotherhood, or any other political group, had no traction was 'cause they got beat to a bloody pulp if they showed any organizational skill.

If that's what you got out of my brief post and refernce to the book - that's not what I was trying convey. You'll have to pick up the book and read it - I'm not going to try and summarize such a complex analysis here. But Armstrong does a a very detail analysis that is worth the trouble to wade through the issues. That you, somehow, have gained enlighment, and the rest of us have cultural blinders on, is going down a familar path I'd rather not purse.

I'm no fan of religion in general but one striking issue with Islam is that it has not gone through a reformation process and seems to be stuck in a particular brand of fundamentalism - at least how it is practiced in much of the mid-east. I'd encourage you to read this: http://www.amazon.com/Battle-God-Karen-Armstrong/dp/0345391691 The next question then of course - is why are the fundamental Christians in the US not blowing things up? It's a complex issue that Dr. Armstrong wrestles with.

Washington Politics. It's like Hollywood for ugly people!

Actually he said before the fall he was training for a trek: But after he fell he decided to climb it! What the heck - figured he had good luck.

Definately the biggest issue. See below. For the Marmot Dam removal I worked on the geomorph guys estimated that it would take 10 years for the sedimient behind the dam to get flushed out of the system - it took 1 year.