Ogre

I did a semester at Clarkson U in 1990. The whole time the numbers didn't seem to make sense to me. I have to work how long to pay for this? I then learned that Merck and Pfizer were the most likely placement for chemical engineers at that time. No interest in either. That's when I stumbled upon my current profession. I could do 40-50k on a thirty six week year and blah blah benefits. Twenty-plus years in, I am twelve years from retiring at 60k/year. At nineteen that was all blah blah benefits. In retrospect, I made the right call even though I have worked my nuts off. My point is that the American Dream is not dead. It's on life support. The sad thing is that all it really needs is a transfusion of fresh blood. I take part in organizing. Kids don't want to hear about benefits and retirement. They are told that a degree is the only way. Without going off on a tangent, this is still the land of opportunity IMO. The American worker is now and has always been the most productive on the planet. We hear rumors of there being work that Americans won't do. That is a farce. It's an excuse to pay a person peanuts. The same argument was made a hundred years ago by the industrial leaders of the day. Pay an American a good wage and they''ll do the work and do it better than anyone. We all have a responsibility in securing the future of our American Dream. It involves voting, activism(both individual and collective) and tolerance/respect for those whose life situations have excluded them from higher education. Removing the social stigma from certain lines of work is the beginning of legitimizing that work, which in turn creates a demand that has a direct effect on wages. Shipping manufacturing overseas was a deliberate blow to the middle class IMO. My studies of labor history(one of my favorite classes to teach) leaves me no doubt of that. I have never worked in manufacturing, but grew up in an area where it was the main avenue to the Dream. There is still manufacturing in that area but the wages have degraded significantly. Everyone agreed to lower pay to keep their job from sailing overseas. It is a sad plight that plagues our middle class and it does not have to be this way. IMO if the problem is to fixed, it will be done collectively by the people and for the people... Sorry. I don't mean to rant.

I honestly believe Murray will match any other teams offer as long as it isn't ridiculous in $ or term and I don't see anyone making that type of offer. It seemed to me that Murray would have given him a more substantial look this past season if Nolan would have given him the TOI. I agree that there's no way he goes back to Russia. It's like Frank Stallone says.."that country is so fun king ugly..."

It breaks my heart to hear big money cry foul. Even though the vast majority of Americans have forgotten labor's history(or never learned it to begin with) I can assure that big money hasn't. They cry because they know. When the common person allies with other common people, their strength grows exponentially. These modern day "Carnegies" and "Morgans" see this power daily in the eight hour workday just to name one example. Here's another. "The weekend. Brought to you by organized labor." Big money doesn't cry because they are losing money. They cry as they lose power and influence. As far as promoting "business friendly" administrations, they saw the growth of the common workers determine when FDR summoned organized labor to streamline factory productivity. The common worker did what "leaders of industry" could not do and in turn promoted the very ideology that was despised by big, powerful business. These men would rather reduce their profit than their influence. America needs a new Mother Jones. America needs to bring manufacturing back here, to this country. I try to buy only "made in the USA". I'll gladly pay an extra $2 for a package of socks made in the USA. It gives me a good feeling to know that I am supporting an American's job.

I'd like to see Grigorenko get a full year in Buffalo. Play him on wing if you must. I feel he has above average talent and I'd hate to see another team benefit from our development. I don't see a problem with room for him as I think Reinhart spends the majority of next year on the Amerks squad. Judging from his locker room clean out interview, that seems to be where he expects to be next year. Also, very nice work on these roster reviews. I think they are great!

:w00t: :blush: Made me use the googles to see if it was a real beverage. I will make my wife watch this. :ph34r: I will also get her some. :flirt:

Whoot! No secret that I'm no fan of Cassidy. I'd be all smiles to see Cunneyworth make a return. Don Stevens...Been here for ages..Nice guy, I love the guy and hate to be mean but... I think he could flatten Tokyo with that godzilla head of his. :o :blush: Don, if you ever read this...I'm sorry.

None of these guys have solid NHL talent. As far as the Amerks go... No to D'Amigo. I hate to admit it but I'd rather have Luke back before I'd take D'Amigo. Varone has some nice offensive play but disappears for multiple games. He isn't consistent enough. Dalpe, though, I'd take on my Amerks' roster. Good speed and a decent two way player.

I haven't heard anything on St. John's post AHL plans. It is one hell of a trek. Aren't the Newphies in their own time zone as well?

The Bulldogs move to St. John's is temporary. There is a new arena under construction in Laval, Quebec that is slated to open for the fall of 2017. Montreal's affiliate will then move from St. John's to Laval. Couldn't be any better for the Habs. Laval is right across the river.

I love to feel the wind blow through my three eyebrow hairs. Makes me feel alive! I used to hear the Powder comments all the time until Gotham came out. Victor Zsasz is my doppelgänger. The guy that worked the front desk at the hotel I stayed at for my last conference called me Mr. Zsasz the whole week. Much cooler than Powder.

It's my punishment for being so damn handsome my whole life *as he slicks his lush eyebrows back*.... D'oh! That used to be MY move! In all seriousness, the eyelashes are the real prize. One can get sick of every random thing flying into ones eyes. Safety glasses do the trick but aren't all that stylish.

It's no secret that alopecia can be a bitch. After 4 years of this Powder look-a-like nonsense I have finally begun to sprout eyelashes and even an eyebrow on my left eye! I don't expect any big changes but GD!.... Someone noticed that I have an eyebrow! Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to have TWO of them!

It is sad to me personally that in our over stimulated, Hollywood induced sense of reality world that we need the sensationalism to expose an injustice. It is sad that it took things like the Haymarket Affair to expose the injustices involved with the failure to impose an eight hour work day all those years ago. Today it is the norm, brought about by "peaceful" legislation. If our everyday society needs violent unrest to change policies on things that should be basic human rights...then I guess we need to change our governing body. That seems far easier than changing our form of governing. I grew up a stones throw from the Akwesanse at the height of their tire burning, police threatening tirade in the 80's. It set them back socially and economically for decades. Sometimes the peaceful approach eludes our senses.

With all due respect. Peaceful protests promote a peaceful solution. The alternative, violence, breeds more violence. The disparity between philosophies needs to be addressed by society or the cycle will continue. "Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it"... George Santanya....BTW...the past is very violent.

I am a 20 year member of a local trade union. Mine is the one that builds your high rise and bridges. Or anything really big for that matter. I serve my organization as an officer, apprentice/journeyman instructor, OSHA trainer AND I still work in the field. With the tools and the men. Meetings, classes and work leave me with little free time. I don't post much because I'm usually exhausted. I feel a duty to do all these things because it is such a dangerous trade. People deserve to be well trained to keep themselves safe. We owe it to their families, the trade and those that hire us. I feel a duty to make every person I train the best of the best. I feel a need to make every project I'm on the best of the best. Old farm boys like me wouldn't have it any other way! I encourage all young people to give us a look as a career. We will train you. We will expect a high level of excellence from you. We will send you out to do some of the hardest yet coolest work you could ever do. Every day is an adventure. We will give you health care, annuity and a pension. You will also have no problem with being tired enough to sleep. :P Most guys retire by 55 so we are always looking for smart hard working people. I can actually see the end of my career coming in 12 years! :beer:

I'm glad to have Jack.... I feel bad for Mcdavid...going to hockey hell... But it's a nice night and I've fired up the celebratory cigar. We won.

This kid is smart.

Sam is faster than he has seemed in the junior games I've watched. Great instincts. A couple no look passed flubbed but that's ok. Seemed to get muscled out of a few plays. Let him gain some weight and get up to pro speed and watch the hell out. Grigo has that same full ice awareness. He and Sam on the PP was the best I've seen at blue cross all year by far.

Holy Snap! Gionta is here signing atuographs tonight. This the biggest crowd I have ever seen! They may just sell this one out!! Sam is supposed to be in the line up tonight....

It's just Revan's face gear. Plageius is alive. He played sidious and vader. They've started the empire for him. He now rules unchecked, or so he thinks. He has taken Solo's son as an apprentice. Kylo's "mask" is a gift from the master. Luke guards Revan's tomb waiting for his nephew to return for the darkest secrets of the Sith...

How could you ignore the EU? I would like to Disney go all the way back to the Exiles one day.

I have been all wound up with all of the rumors flying around. I hope they mirror the EU stuff. Kylo's face gear looks a lot like Revan's. Luke sounds like the optimist that he has always been. I can't wait to see him go all yoda-like on some inquisitors.... Or maybe Plagueis?

My wife runs ticketing at a local venue. Scalpers buy up tickets and resell on stubhub for a ridiculous price. It's sad to see people over pay two to three times when they could get seats as good or better from the box office itself. It makes her(and me) sick to see these predators jack up prices. It's a growing problem and this seems like an attempt to keep ticket prices in check and not so much an exclusion thing. It not only hurts ticket buyers but promoters and performers as well. Who wants empty seats at a venue simply because someone bought hundreds of seats they can't sell for 200% profit?

I would prefer to see Sam in an Amerks sweater for Fan appreciation Friday than whatever merchandise they have planned for the season ticket folks... I'll take a Calder for next year though...thank you very much....

I've never expected any of the PTO guys to stick around let alone any of those ATOs. It is nice to see a GM pull the trigger and give some different guys a go....though... What do you think about Hart? He has looked decent...Peters has looked far better than I expected..