JayB

I'm all for improving the health care system, but am not sure that what you propose would actually do that any better than modifying the existing system to remedy that problems associated with it. But that's an old discussion. Dmjua: With regards to infant mortality rates - are you confident that all of the nations are using the same set of criteria to classify pre and post natal mortality? If a baby is born premature, is under a certain weight, and dies before a specified period after birth - the death will show up as an infant death, rather than a stillbirth in all countries? If so, you may wish to consult the literature, and then ponder what effect national differences such as these may have on the statistical record.

The North Face of Shuksan might be worth looking into as an alternative if the snow conditions are favorable. Probably a more pleasant outing than LR this time of year for most parties, I'd imagine. You might also want to consider taking a look at Mount Hood.

Do you serve up this diatribe when handing over the espresso, or do you just smile and say "Have a nice day" and hope they'll toss another quarter in the tip jar?

I think you'd rather enjoy figuring this one out on your own, comrade, and I'd hate to deprive you of that opportunity. If there's any place that's conducive to reading, it's Bellingham in the winter. Bon chance.

Did he have any particularly relevant insight into this collection of turds as it relates to the actual historical record?: meddling socialist engineers always trying to "solve" some problem with big gov't and only creating more problems... which of course they will "solve" with big gov't. repeat. meanwhile Archie pays more taxes Recognizing of course that: A. He's dead B. We're talking about the US. The oblivio-irony of this post issuing forth from the personification of his central thesis amuses..

You burn quite a few more calories chasing down a whale than you do chasing down a cheeseburger or a brick of welfare cheese. Death by starvation wasn't terribly uncommon. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9D01E7DD173CE433A25752C1A9639C94649ED7CF&oref=slogin

Adding skiing/climbing towns to the database would be my first suggestion. Lacking that - folks should feel free to chime in with post climbing/skiing bars/pubs/restaurants for the benefit of their fellow climbers. The Tav in Ellensburg, and The Brick in Roslyn (or maybe it's Cle-Elum) have been pretty sweet. -Alternatives to Gustav's in Leavenworth would also be worth compiling. -How about places on the way to/from Tieton? -Heading to/from Mt. Rainier and/or Crystal?

Raymond Aron is sighing wearily in his grave....

"High Five'n White Guys" and "The Lame List," also get high marks.

Nothing can match the genius of "Sluggy..."

My goal is to insure that's all that gets broken. I'm sure that Halford would approve of the studded tires I'll be installing at the end of the month, if not sooner...

The burned hand teaches best...

"It's been eight years since a new episode of "Almost Live" came out. Up-down-up-down monorail, drunken driving council candidates, the Sonics owner's feet of Clay and civic paralysis -- all became vital local issues. But they also represent something more. They are missed opportunities, unwritten bits. Here was the target-rich environment where "Almost Live" made its mark for 15 years. Even so, Keister isn't so sure that the issues today -- as good as they remain -- could prop up the show once famous for its parodies of local politics, neighborhood stereotypes, Seattle quirkiness and anything regarding Renton or Kent. The city has lost its oddball manner and its regional distinction, he said, in ways that have muted much of "Live's" local flavor. Former "Live" cast member Nancy Guppy agreed. "I don't know if it could exist now," she said. Everything is becoming more homogeneous, with condos stacked on Subways, luxury markets, Pottery Barns. Said Guppy: "I'm not sure who cares about the local thing -- the Seattle thing." Or as Keister put it: "Ballard was old Scandinavians. Fremont was hippies. Capitol Hill was gay. Kent was where whites of modest means moved to escape Seattle school busing. Bellevue was the same for the rich. "Today, you can make a joke about Ballard but it's a bunch of wealthy people who work in the information industry. You make a joke about Wallingford and it's a bunch of wealthy people who work in the information industry. Fremont? That would be a bunch of wealthy people who work in the information industry. "And Belltown is a bunch of wealthy people who live in luxury condos ... who work in the information industry."

I run red lights, ride the wrong way on one way streets, cross at random places and commit a gazillion other violations so long as doing so doesn't force motorists to change their speed or direction.

Is this just a change that you've wanted to make for a while, or because the job-market for life scientists in Seattle is just so incredibly abysmal and will be for the indefinite future?

Thanks, that's useful information, but unfortunately for me I think that the Edge Card is limited to residents of BC/WA. Are the gas coupons on the table this year for sure. With the value of the Dolero being what it is relative to the Loony, that'd be pretty important when deciding whether to hit Whistler or Utah.

There's also the issue of striking targets where you know there will be civilians. If all of AQ's leadership were sitting in a building, and had five or six of their family members with them, then striking that building means passing an immediate, trial-free death sentence on people that are not guilty and by themselves pose no threat. Seems like this morally worse than torturing people who you have even the slightest reason to suspect are or have been engaged in acts of terrorism. Seems to me like our distaste for using painful interrogation techniques is significantly greater than our distaste for ordering an airstrike on a compound full of terrorists that may or may not have civilians in it. I wonder why this is.

That's what I understood from the article. I think that they have the power to do so, but may or may not use it at their discretion. If housing values drop, I'd be amazed if they didn't goose the rates to keep revenue constant.

One word. Levees. I'm confident that with enough public funding they'll be able to design and build a system at least as sound as the system that's protected New Orleans for decades. With Florida's well earned reputation for efficiency, honesty, and competence behind such a project, what could go wrong.

Plenty to go around. You'll also have the opportunity to pay for rebuilding many thousands of homes in coastal Florida with values well in excess of a million dollars since they couldn't afford *both* the Beemer and pay the premiums necessary to adequately underwrite the risk. Thankfully, the state stepped in agreed to provide coverage at rates well below those necessary to cover the risk - and has set aside reserves that vastly inadequate - so instead of private insurers footing the bill, Florida will go bankrupt and you'll get the chance to chip in. In normal circumstances, you factor the cost of insurance into the cost of owning a home, and as one goes up, the other goes down. Instead of the owners of a private asset having the price of the risk associated with that asset incorporated into the value, it's transferred to others via this mechanism. Ditto for this attempt to prop up the value of expensive homes by the public assuming the risk associated with financing them. It's just a shame that the Federal Government didn't take more aggressive action to do the same for stock investors, and agree to underwrite the difference between any given stocks actual value and the value it had at the peak of the market.

You are in fantasy-land here dude. The only time that cyclists can realistically occupy a lane of traffic without enraging motorists and prompting them to make dangerous passes in congested conditions is when they can move at the same speed as traffic, which only happens in cases where you're descending a significant grade. No amount of cyclo-activism is ever going to change this. As a cyclist, you're significantly more exposed to death or severe trauma than you are in a car, so if you're smart you do what you need to do to prevent getting hit without endangering other users of the roadway. Sometimes that means obeying the law to the letter, other times that means ignoring it - depends on the situation.

Should help boost housing prices, though... "Q: Could governments go back now and collect the property taxes that I-747 prevented them from collecting before the ruling? A: No. But the ruling could be retroactive in a sense. Under state law, cities, counties or other local governments can "bank" unused property-taxing authority. Under I-747, for instance, if a government used only 0.5 percent of the 1 percent increase authorized by the law, it could reserve the remainder and use it the next year. Noble has said it appears local governments could contend they had banked much more — the difference between their actual increases and the rate of inflation — for each of the past five years. In addition to seeking an increase of up to 6 percent next year, they could attempt to raise property-tax collections by that total "banked" amount as well, he has said."

The worst part is, the farm bill on the table now is mandating ethanol consumption that's several fold higher than present levels. The funny thing is that the present regime of tariffs and subsidies for corn ethanol still isn't at a threshold necessary to render the vastly more ecologically sound and efficient cane-ethanol uncompetitive. Instead of taking the hint, look for subsidies and tarriffs to spiral upwards. It would make more sense all around to just forgo the formality of actually growing the corn or making the ethanol, and just send direct payments to all of the parties concerned to do nothing - then remove the subsidies and tariffs. Also - if we're going to convert food crops to energy, I'm willing to bet that it would be far more efficient to burn them and distribute the resulting energy via the electrical grid. Don't even bother to separate anything - just mow down the fields, toss them in the hopper and incinerate away. Woo-hoo, "Energy Independence!"

Ever seen the heartwrenching scene unfold when the tax-attorney wants to finance a million dollar home, but no one is willing to lend him the money? It's awful, and thankfully, the Federal Government may soon be poised to do something about it, by raising the limit on loans that GNMA and FNMA can buy to one million dollars, thus fulfilling their mission to promote affordable housing for *all* Americans, not just those with household incomes of ~$140,000 per year or lower. If legislation raising the conforming limit passes, you can not only help him obtain access to credit at below market rates, you can assume fractional ownership of the distressed debt that he leaves behind if he defaults. Beautiful. "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If Congress decides to temporarily lift the $417,000 cap on mortgage loans eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, then a reasonable level might be $1 million, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Thursday. Charles Schumer, the New York Democrat who chairs the congressional Joint Economic Committee, asked Bernanke what his thoughts would be on a new upper limit for those loans, and Bernanke replied, "A million."

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