Kevbeau

If you qualify, I highly recommend USAA. Their rates are highly competetive and their customer service has been top notch.

We run ito the exact same issue in my company. The concept itself falls apart when they force it down to the micro-level. If you're in a group of high-performers, you're all hosed. And if you're the person keeping your group respectable, you basically end up busting your but for that extra 1%, while your cowrokers either take up valuable oxygen, or are smart enough to realize that quality of life is more important. Either way, it's created a culture of where your true top 20% employees jump to other divisions/groups every two years as it's the only way to make strides financially. I

:w00t: You can teach skating, shooting, stickhandling, passing, hockey sense & vision....but balance....it can't be taught!

They are. They're recorded by the off-ice official crew, which are employed by the NHL. The NHL has a definition of what a "recordable hit" is and even distributes video and commentary during the pre-season, but hits are easily the most subjective stat (with give/takeaways probably being second.)

Don't know if you pulled the trigger yet, but I highly endorse Honda/Toyota. As Weave said, Toyota may have slipped, but their engines are still excellent. Also, having experience working with a Japanese company in the past, they're fixated on quality to a fault. Old Car - 2000 Honda Accord; 270,000 miles. I bumped a lady who slammed her breaks on during a merge and the insurance co. totaled it. In the interest of disclosure the transmission did tear itself up at 92,000 miles (known defect), but Honda replaced for free. Besides that only routine maintenence and wear parts. New Car - 2008 Acura (Honda) TL; 70,000 miles. No issues, only routine maintenence and speeding tickets so far. Wife's Car - 1999 Lexus (Toyota) RX300; 170,000 miles. She treats it like crap and thing keeps asking for more. It's had some minor issues (I curse the Japanese engineer who designed that engine layout) but is still running strong. Truck - 2008 Toyota Tundra; 42,000 miles. I love everything about this truck. It replaced a Ford F-250 V10 that I got 190,000 miles out off, but the amount of work I had to do on that truck....let's just say the neighbor's kids picked up some new words for their vocabulary. My entire family owns Ford. Brother is employed by them. I'll admit they've come a long way in the last couple years, but it seems like there's always something wrong with them. Nothing major, but it seems they're in the shop every four months or so with minor stuff. Just crappy gap tolerences (noise), trim disengaging, stuff of that nature. I believe Ford is heading down the right path, they just need to do a little cleanup. I had some experience with Mazdas in the past (more than a decade ago). Great mechanicals, suspect electrical in my experience. I will never buy a Dodge for as long as I live. Wife's (gf at the time) Avenger was the biggest POS car I've ever had to deal with. I'm sure they've improved, but that car left me scarred.

I find playing in the South that a lot of guys new to the game emulate what they see on TV...especially with the stickwork. They've never really been coached properly or play in a truly organized league. Funny thing is they're usually the first to blow-up mentally when it happens to them.

Used to be able to zip out at lunch for a little stick time. Unfortunately most my co-workers are of the Northern transplant variety and know very well what a rink is, as a lot of their kids play....although to your poit, I have used the "tournament weekend and will be on the ice a lot" excuse before.

That's another one. If you hit someone's pet, have the common decency to stop and see if the animal is ok/can be helped.

I have a love/hate releationship with technology. Productivity compared to a couple decades ago must be astounding. My current job is a blend of Strategy/Finance, and I can't imagine doing it without the data sources at my fingertips and the power of Excel/Access/etc to spit out analysis. Although I would imagine it was a lot easier to BS or go on a gut feel back then. Now the bad...I'm burning vacation so I don't lose it at the end of the year, but I end up working anyway. I don't remember how I functioned without a smart phone or laptop, but it's not always a good thing that someone has access to you 24/7....and they know it, so you can't really provide a plausible excuse for not handling questions/isues. Plus, I'm sort of in that middle ground where I have responsibility, but I'm not important enough to ignore people. Our leadership team is always preaching that vacation is for down time, but it's just fluff.

Why does the bus (MARTA here in Atlanta) need to stop evry 200 feet. Can't people walk a couple blocks? And why do people buy 350+HP cars and then drive at or under the speed limit in the left lane? Stupid 1% :devil:

I was watching the game. Letang had already started to lean into his check and Burmi turned into the boards. I usually disagree with the Pens announcers, but they had this one right. IMO he shouldn't get more than the 2:00 they gave him last night. There has to be some aacountability when a guys sees a player coming and decides to turn his back to him anyway.

I had to pitch a price increase to one of our larger customers today due to an unfavorable commodities enironment. As I'm standing in their reception area, MSNBC or something is on in the background giving a blow by blow account of the DOW tanking today and the softening commodities environment.... coupled with growth in China slowing. CUSTOMER X: "Good to see you again, what is it we need to talk about today?" ME: "M***** F*****!?!"

Everything is negotiable. If they really like you (and they're a solid business) they'll find a way to get you in. Use additional vacation as leverage. If they offer 8-10K less shoot back 5K less but +1 week of vacation. On a side note...and maybe I'm off here....but the Buffalo "home town" discount has always made me shake my head. I haven't lived in Buffalo for 15+ years now, but occasionally I'll throw a resume up there just to see what's going on. What I've found (and again this about 3 interviews over the span of a decade) is that the offers aren't even close to what I can make elsewhere. And twice I've been told "we can get someone else cheaper." That's the one that kills me. It shows how shortsighted the business is. The propensity to save a buck on salary instead of getting the right person who can have a noticeable affect on your bottom line. (Not saying I'm the right person :thumbsup: ) I only mention it, because I've discussed with other Buffalo ex-pats who've run into the same thing, and a couple well placed HR folks who have told me it's a known entity.

:clapping:

In Georgia people stop at blinking yellow lights. I'd sayt least half the people driving have no idea how to handle them. Also, I kid you not, the drivers test is given in a parking lot and not on the actual road....and is cancelled if it's raining.

Some 80+ year old lady hit my wifes car in a parking lot Sunday as we were loading groceries into it. Basically she was pulling into a spot and all of a sudden accelerated. Tried to drive off and some guy who saw the whole thing blocked her escape with his truck. No visible damage to our car even though she bumped it pretty good, so my wife didn't ask for insurance/info/anything despite my repeated suggestions we call the cops so it's at least on her record when she kills someone. Crazy ##### wasn't even apologetic and spent most her time cursing out the guy who blocked her escape.

I almost never post in this forum, but lately I'm finding myself wanting to rent Falling Down. To keep the work gripes moving....... The Lean Cuisine ArmyTM. The gaggle of Supply Chain hens that occupy the same floor as me at work. They'll spend hours in the break room cackling away. Making a mess....and apparently not a damn one of them seem to know how to make a pot of coffee when it runs out. I don't have to work with them, so I can't speak to their value to the company, but the seriously are in the damn breakroom every time I go in for a drink. Not to mention.....who the hell microwaves fish? The whole damn floor stank for hours. Also, remember people.... Use your directionals when driving. I'm trying to get my integrated shock collar bill pushed through the House, so might as well get used to it now. And really? Is it that freakin' difficult?

2008 Acura TL 2008 Toyota Tundra 1999 Lexus RX300 1999 F250 (v-10) I had an Accord I took took to almost 300K, so I'll be a Honda loyalist until they give me a reason not to. The Lexus has been the wife's daily driver for 10+ years and is still running strong. The Tundra is phasing out the Ford as our hauler.

That's all right. You haven't lived until the dog craps on the floor and the damn Roomba tracks it all over the freakin' house.

Only smoke a handful a year. friend turned me onto Padron 64's a few years back. Know I like them, so stick with them (usually maduros). Grab a 26 ocassionally.

Every goal is reviewed in the booth. If the Video Judge sees something he can have the referees notified.

I saw them filming this not far from our house (SW of Atlanta). I thought I had come across a horrific car accident until I saw the camera booms.

"Fighting that guy is like punching rocks" Boulton on fighting Chris Neil

He looked relieved to me. Just drifted to the boards and all his linemates headed over smiling.

Atlanta's biggest issue is the location of their sporting venues. Both the Thrashers & Braves draw well on weekends, but the casual fan doesn't want to deal with downtown/midtown traffic nightmare to get there for a 7:08 start. Couple that with a less than mediocre team for a decade..........The ECHL team up in the northern burbs does extremely well. They should have built the arena in Marrietta or Dunwoody. Butler was STOUT night. Breaking up odd man rushes, saved a possible goal and played with physicality. Only disappointing moment for me was nobody called Eager on his d@#$ move...he wound up on Miller when he got the double minor, clearly knowing the play was dead as soon as he touched the puck. Not against the rules, but still a d@#$ move.