best city in america

[clifp]

In the 80s lots of states/cities were trying to jump start their high tech industry by stealing companies and workers from Silicon Valley.

They'd often develop multi page advertising supplement for the newspaper or regional edition of technology magazine.

I got a kick how they various states handled the weather issues (which was pretty much always worse than Northern California). IIRC, the folks in MN highlighted the Average day time temperature which being in the 50s didn't seem so bad.

Thinking back would you really want to hire an engineer who fell for such stupid statistical trick?

 

[CuppaJoe]

In the 80s lots of states/cities were trying to jump start their high tech industry by stealing companies and workers from Silicon Valley.

They'd often develop multi page advertising supplement for the newspaper or regional edition of technology magazine.

I got a kick how they various states handled the weather issues (which was pretty much always worse than Northern California). IIRC, the folks in MN highlighted the Average day time temperature which being in the 50s didn't seem so bad.

Thinking back would you really want to hire an engineer who fell for such stupid statistical trick?

Even Northern California gets spun. I did a few projects at a well-known company headquartered in Oakland. They recruit management trainees with BAs and MBAs out the ten best business schools. One day my group went to lunch at a trendy spot. On the car ride over they were telling how they show potential employees around: We drive them this way, not that way, go around the lake instead of the direct route, drive by (unfortunate choice of words, I'll leave it) the rose garden, point out the museum and other points of interest.

They have an unwritten perk which I don't know how they explain to job seekers but I've seen it done many times. The company finds a way to send new employees back east to work and more importantly to spend time with their love interests and families--three/four times a year.

Any magazine worth its salt would put that company high up on a list of the best places to work. I've also seen that anyone who survives the management training program can pick their next Fortune 500 company, and I've seen many of them pop up in easier-to-recruit locations.

 

[mb]

In the 80s lots of states/cities were trying to jump start their high tech industry by stealing companies and workers from Silicon Valley.

They'd often develop multi page advertising supplement for the newspaper or regional edition of technology magazine.

I got a kick how they various states handled the weather issues (which was pretty much always worse than Northern California). IIRC, the folks in MN highlighted the Average day time temperature which being in the 50s didn't seem so bad.

Thinking back would you really want to hire an engineer who fell for such stupid statistical trick?

I liked the billboard with the picture of a large grassy space filled with trees with a caption that went something like this:

"In Silicon Valley they call this a park. In Minnesota we call it a backyard."

I'm pretty snobbish on this but any place where I have to shovel snow or where it is regularly over 90F or where humidity is significant is eliminated as my "best place to live!"

MB, in a location where the 10 day forcast has a predicted high of 82F a low of 56F with a 20% chance of rain (which I think is highly exaggerated since in my 25 years in the area I doubt there has been more than a cumulative total of 1" of rain duing the entire month of August) and who is looking forward to a 50 mile bike ride through the northern California oaks, manzanita and redwoods tomorrow.

 

[Ronstar]

Spent yesterday in #3 Naperville, Il. I know they have good schools, good weather maybe 6 mo's a year, but traffic is a nightmare within 60 miles of Chicago. I can think of a lot of better places.

Generally I would prefer the sunbelt weather, but the midwest is holding its own this week.