2/24    NM is where they do all the latest/greatest scientific breakthroughs
        relating to physics and what not, and it's also a place where really
        smart scientists live. Here is my question. How the heck do they
        [the gov] keep all these brilliant minds in one of the most boring,
        ugly, and inhospital places in the U.S.?
        \_ there are far more physicists on the east and west coasts in total.
        \_ what are you smoking?  Santa Fe & Taos are nice, and there is lots
           of nice stuff to do around Los Alamos if you're a person who
           appreciates the outdoors...
           \_ There are lots of scientists in Albuquerque, too, Sandia
              National Laboratory is there, as well as some of Air Force
              Research Laboratory.  And Albuquerque is not exactly a peach
              of a city.  Still, it's livable, and it's nice to be able to
              have a job and afford a house.  Many other locations of labs
              such as LLNL and LBL have real problems with housing.
              \_ LLNL is in the middle of nowhere.  You can get housing there.
                 \_ Not according to scientists who've tried.  Sure you can
                    get housing further away, but then you have to deal
                    with all that traffic going into Silicon Valley EVERY
                    FUCKING MORNING.
                    \_ What does SV have to do with LLNL?  Do you have any clue
                       where the lawrence LIVERMORE national lab is located?
                       If your scientist friends are so fucking stupid they're
                       looking for LIVERMORE housing in the SV area then they
                       are far too stupid to work in a lab.  I live near the
                       LIVERMORE lab and I've looked at housing in LIVERMORE
                       and the towns around LIVERMORE and there's plenty of
                       housing in the LIVERMORE area.
                       \_ Livermore is not really cheap anymore, but Tracy
                          sure is.
                          \_ Livermore is a mix of cheaper older housing and
                             newer expensive-but-very-nice-for-what-you-paid
                             housing.  Apartments are always available for the
                             single nuclear scientists out there.  Tracy is
                             nearby, cheap, and the next up-and-coming town in
                             the area.  There are also several other new
                             developments for those with more money all within
                             20 minutes of LLNL.  A single person can get
                             Livermore housing.  A family person can get
                             decent housing within 20 minutes.  A person of
                             moderate means can get anything in the area, a lot
                             it is very nice.  I'm still baffled at the SV
                             comment.  SV is not the center of the universe.
        \_ The govt wants to make sure that there are no hot chicks for
           the scientists to sleep with, so that the details of the next
           generation nuclear devices don't slip out of their mounts in bed.
                \_ for some reason I think this is a more plausible
                   explanation than the first two.
                    \_ You think wrong.  There are hot women here.  -PeterM
                       \_ They're all spies.  The MiB will be visiting you and
                          your NKD 'girlfriend' this evening.
                          \_ Oooh!  Threesome!
                             \_ Sort of.  More like an orgy of pain at their
                                secret love nest in Cuba.
        \_ Probably because aside from the gov, there just aren't that many
           places hiring these kinds of scientists. Working for the gov is
           bound to be more relaxed too.
           \_ More relaxed than what?  I talked to some contractor types
              recently about their working environment.  I've got a "todo"
              list with 20+ items and all of them are "important".  The
              contractor has a "todo" list of maybe 5.  I'm juggling a lot
              of stuff all the time and people are constantly coming to me
              for help.  I do not feel relaxed, I feel harried.  --PeterM
              \_ No one works hard for the government.  That's the point.  If
                 you feel harried try working in industry where even if you
                 and everyone else works their ass off and does a good job you
                 might still lose the contract, your job, or the whole company.
                 I've done government work.  It's totally slack.
                 \- the port of oakland != research lab
                    \_ whats the port of oakland have to do with anything?
                 \_ I told you, I talked to contractors who work in industry.
                    It's as I said, I'm more harried than they are.  It's to
                    the point where I think industry would be MORE relaxed.
                    I make no claims about gov't in general though.  We are
                    on a different system here.  We get paid according to
                    what we produce:  I got a 10% incentive pay increase
                    last year, they make an effort to make pay proportional
                    to production:  anyone who wants more money can get it
                    by working harder and/or better.
                        --PeterM
                    \_ Contractors don't work anywhere.  Talk to full timers.
                       If you're one of the very few people working hard for
                       the government then you missed the whole point of
                       government work.
                 \_ so do you get a busy sex life also?  or are they also on
                    your to-do list?
                    \_ So-so.