Etc...

Must be willing to work nights

There are bloated bureaucracies, and then there's the county council of Staffordshire, England. It has just created a $53,418-a-year job for a room darkening facilitator. A what? Well, someone to go around and make sure that the lamps and computers in county buildings are turned off at the end of the day. It seems Staffordshire residents were complaining about lights burning and screens glowing needlessly after hours. The councillors ran the numbers and determined that the new position would pay for itself because, at the current rate of consumption, the electric bill was expected to rise by $1.8 million in three years. Did no one object to the move? Yes, one councillor wondered why county employees couldn't just be ordered to log off and flick all the switches before going home.

It seems safe to say that Money magazine has thrown readers a curve by selecting Moorestown, N.J., as America's Best Place to Live for 2005. Most readers may never have heard of this community of 20,000 residents, which has a volunteer fire department and is a short drive from Philadelphia. In ranking 100 cities and towns, Money looked for places where residents enjoy higher than median income, a major airport is within 60 miles, real estate is appreciating, schools are good, and houses are affordable. An average single-family home in Moorestown goes for $375,000, which isn't bad for the pricey Northeast. The magazine also liked the town's charming Main Street and sense of community. Money magazine's top places to live :

1. Moorestown, N.J.
2. Bainbridge Island, Wash.
3. Naperville, Ill.
4. Vienna, Va.
5. Louisville, Colo.
6. Barrington, R.I.
7. Middleton, Wis.
8. Peachtree City, Ga.
9. Chatham, N.J.
10. Mill Valley, Calif.