tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38348902388725937332024-02-20T15:33:41.873-05:00Clever TitleErichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-90490665031333882992019-12-19T14:04:00.003-05:002019-12-19T14:04:20.201-05:00The Last Jedi Critique Response<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">I think most of the criticism Star Wars - The Last Jedi are pretty spurious. I’ll tell you why. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-a88b1e31-7fff-6c6e-6cfc-709ed58052c9" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">On the day I am going to see Star Wars - Rise of Skywalker I’m rewatching The Last Jedi. When I first saw TLJ on opening night, I really liked it. Over the next few days I was shocked with all the online hate it was getting. I felt from the start that most of the criticism was pretty bunk.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Anyone is allowed to not like a movie, just like anyone is allowed to like it. There are some movies that I really love, that are generally not well-received. For instance, I absolutely love the first Pacific Rim movie and I understand why a lot of people would probably think it’s a silly movie. Their opinions don’t deter me from liking it anyways. So of course people are allowed to not like The Last Jedi. That should go without saying, but I did anyways.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">In TLJ they made story decisions that were controversial, and I get it. Some I agree with. One of the criticisms of The Force Awakens was that it was too derivative of A New Hope. I almost totally agree and still </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">really</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> like TFA. I think there is stuff about Starkiller Base that is pretty bad. It has to get super close to a star, and consume all of its matter. Somehow they do it without melting the icy surface, or affecting gravity. Also they call it a sun. That’s silly. When we refer to planets around other stars, we don’t say other suns. Why does Finn see the destruction of planets likely lightyears away from the surface of Maz’s planet? And what they did with R2D2 makes no sense. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">But this isn’t a critique of TFA. The point is all Star Wars movies make story decisions that are controversial. It doesn’t make them terrible movies. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Now, I think Disney made a conscious decision when they had TFA mirror ANH. They wanted to ground their new trilogy in the classic trilogy. They wanted to nail the Star Wars aesthetic, and boy did they. That to me was almost the most important thing they needed to do with that movie. It’s a thing the Mandalorian has </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">absolutely</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> nailed. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">So, after they made the ANH homage, they moved on to creating a more unique movie in TLJ. I give Disney a lot of credit for the bold decisions they made in the movie. TLJ was dreaded to be an Empire Strikes Back clone. And while it might mirror some of the tone, and broadest of themes (solo Jedi padawan training with with a hermit Jedi Master, a small band of rebels under siege from facist foes), the story cannot be said to be an ESB clone in any way. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">One of the things I’ve enjoyed about the sequel trilogy is the telling of new Star Wars story. They made a decision to relegate the Expanded Universe to Legends, and move on fresh. They could have adapted those stories to the big screen. And while millions of books readers would have loved seeing Mara Jade, the Solo twins, and many other characters on the big screen, I like that we get to be surprised. And the EU is not gone. The books still exist, and I would not put it past Disney to some day adapt some of the works into cartoon movies, the way Marvel and DC adapt a lot of their comics. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">I think the thing that Star Wars fans have grappled with (maybe without knowing it) is we had the Original Trilogy for almost four decades before TFA. We had the Prequel Trilogy completed for a decade. The OT was hallowed ground, memorized by fans. The PT, even before it was made, told a story that we knew the broad strokes of. The Clone War happened. Anakin Skywalker was trained by Obi Wan to be a powerful Jedi. He fell to the dark side, battled Obi Wan on a volcano, and became Darth Vader. The details remained to be filled in, but there were no major surprises. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The Sequel Trilogy is ALL surprises. I think that’s difficult for some fans, especially fans of the EU. Those feelings are valid, and maybe Disney didn’t prepare for it the way they should have. But I think fans should try to become less rigid, and appreciate that we’re getting Star Wars on the big screen, 5 movies in 5 years! Maybe my suck-it-up-buttercup attitude is more of the same polarized-fan-divide coming forth. Disney faces an impossible task of pleasing all fans, but I think they are giving it an honest attempt, and fans should cut them some slack. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">And now finally onto answering some of the direct criticisms. First of all there absolutely was a targeted smear campaign run on the movie and it’s Rotten Tomatoes score. Whether is was from Russian or Right Wing trolls (is there a difference anymore?) almost doesn’t matter. It happened, and many clung to it like a gundark on the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Millenium Falcon’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">hull. Disney made the movie with critiques on the military industrial complex, the amoral ultra wealthy, and a jab at the patriarchy. If you’re a right-winger and don’t like those themes, then there’s nothing to be done for you. Move on and find a space opera set in a capitalist utopia if that’s what you’re looking for. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Having said that, the Canto Bight sequence seems like a pointless side quest. And while it might not be central to the story, they made the decision to include it for thematic reasons. The story is about accepting and overcoming failure and fighting injustice. And the entire sequence is just visually stunning. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Next, is </span><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Broken Luke</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">. He’s the opposite in many ways to his EU character. But I like his theory that the Jedi need to end. They totally blew it in the prequels, and in this story Luke himself blew it, trying to restart it. Their dogma is rigid. And finally the prophecy of the one to bring balance to the Force was there. Clearly it wasn’t Anakin. And if balance means both sides of the scale are equal, how can it have been Luke? He overthrew the Sith with the light side. I think this trilogy needs to use a grey force user, someone wielding both the light side of the Force, and the dark. Maybe a new group to replace the Jedi, say a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Skywalker</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">?</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Yoda said to Luke in ESB </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">“Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will.” I think that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">has</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> to be proven wrong in this trilogy. The complaint about Luke is that after defeating the Emperor, he regressed and it destroyed his character arc. Now, while this is not George Lucas’ Sequel Trilogy, he had planned one, and this is the one we’ve gotten. If there is to be a Sequel Trilogy, the story can’t have ended in RotJ. It didn’t because the one to bring balance to the Force hasn’t done it yet. Whether that’s Rey, or Luke, who as a Force ghost can still do it in my opinion, remains to be seen. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">So this is the path they chose for Luke, and I support it. It wasn’t what I envisioned, but I think it’s fine. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Now unto what I think are minutiae nit-picks.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The Bombers’ Bombs falling in the vacuum of space.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> They were under artificial gravity on the ship and would fall when released. But also, can’t the rails they were stacked in have </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">pushed </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">them out the bottom of the ship? Jeez, come on, this critique is petty. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The Slow Chase</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> - I honestly don’t see the problem. They can’t go to hyperspace, because they’ll only end up back where they are, hounded by the First Order, now with less fuel. While it might appear slow on screen, in space they’re moving </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">incredibly </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">fast, and accelerating! All the ships are at full throttle on their sub-light engines. When a ship runs out of fuel, it’s quickly overtaken by the First Order. That is why they show it by having the ships list. Maybe the filmmakers could have shown this in a better way, but watching it for the first time it made absolute sense to me. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Leia’s Marry Poppins moment</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> - She’s floating in the vacuum of space. There is literally no resistance other than her outward momentum keeping her from moving through space. Also, SHE’S A FORCE USER! It’s literally magic! I think using the Force to pull herself back into the ship through a vacuum is among the lesser Force tasks someone could accomplish!</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Finally on these last few points, criticizing this series for </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">science</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> choices is just silly. There are laser swords, space wizards, and made up elements with magical properties in the story. Some of these criticisms just don’t stand up when you look at the entirety of the story. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Poe’s Mutiny and Holdo’s decision not to tell him the plan</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> - He was just demoted for disobeying a direct order, and getting dozens of people killed. He should have been jailed! And why in the galaxy would the Admiral share her plans with such an officer. He just showed he’s not trustworthy. And she’s the commander. She is under no obligation to share her plans with anyone! There have been spies all over in Star Wars. She was absolutely right not to share them with him. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">So Poe follows up his earlier insubordination with a mutiny? When Leia woke up and ended it, she realistically should have </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">executed</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> him, not stunned him. The decision not to is the only one that doesn’t make any sense to me. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Finally, the </span><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">jokieness</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">. I laughed a lot when I saw this movie. I think the decision to make Hux into a punching bag the whole movie removed a lot of the fear factor from his character. Going into TRoS, I would consider him a major potential possible for turning on Kylo Ren. The “your mother” joke didn’t bother me. Luke throwing the lightsaber over his shoulder was shocking. I envisioned for 2 years what happened in that moment, and never once did I imagine anything close to that. I like being surprised. The sea cow milking scene was one of the few scenes in the movie I thought I could have done without. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">If these scenes and jokes bothered other people, I get it. I like a Star Wars movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The prequels were sorely lacking in genuine humor. The humor in the OT is one of its strengths. Humor in these movies is a fine line. Sometimes they’re going to fall short one way or another. I’m willing to give them a pass when they narrowly miss it. I don’t want a humorless drama. Nor do I want a Star Wars comedy. Give me another Space Balls if you want to do that. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">This isn’t a comprehensive list of all the critiques. But I feel I’ve covered most of the big ones. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Ultimately I think it comes down to are you </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">really</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> a Star Wars fan? The OT has its die-hards, but it’s not perfect. Some of the acting and dialogue in ANH is not great. The ewoks in Jedi were loathed by many fans. Empire is perfect and I will not debate that. Many hated the changes in the Special Editions, Han shot first!. The prequels are rough! Both Anakin actors did the best with what they had, but George Lucas should have brought on script writers and directors the way he did with Empire and Jedi. </span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">I think to say that The Last Jedi is the movie that destroyed the franchise after The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones is absolutely disingenuous. </span></div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-11251248003246184752018-09-29T23:50:00.001-04:002018-09-30T00:21:15.911-04:00Kavanaugh<p dir="ltr">Republicans 2 days ago: Dr. Ford is a brave and credible witness. I would like to thank her for coming forward and telling her story. BUT THE DEMOCRATS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR BRINGING THIS WITCH HUNT FORWARD AND DESTROYING JUDGE KAVANAUGH'S LIFE! But seriously Dr. Ford, wow she was really credible. It took a lot of moxie to come up here and say what she said. BUT THE GOD DAMN DEMOCRATS! HOW DARE THEY PLAY POLITICS WITH HER honest and really heartfelt testimony! THEY SHOULD'VE KEPT HER TRAGIC DEPICTION OF TEENAGE SEXUAL ASSAULT CONFIDENTIAL! I must be honest though, she's really attractive. I mean she's a looker. AND HOW DARE THE DEMOCRATS TRY TO SLOW UP THIS LIFETIME APPOINTMENT TO THE NATION'S HIGHEST COURT <u>FOR</u> EVEN ONE DAY FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION into dr. Ford's really brave and harrowing accusations. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-73643252209177172562018-06-07T21:20:00.001-04:002018-06-07T21:20:57.008-04:00Cord Cutting<p dir="ltr">We've tested Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and YouTube TV since cutting the cord. I definitely like YouTube the best. We have a Hulu subscription, but haven't tried Hulu Live yet. I imagine it would be popular because Jaime and Audrey use Hulu more than other apps. </p>
<p dir="ltr">As for YouTube TV: First of all they offer a free month trial, where the others do a free week. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Second they have an app on my TV which is a great app and well supported. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Third the streaming on mobile devices works much better than the other apps. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-46584475601262095572018-05-13T22:55:00.001-04:002018-05-13T23:09:21.017-04:00Conference Finals<p dir="ltr">The Capitals took a 2-0 series lead against the Lightning tonight, with their second road win. The Caps have outscored the Lightning 10-4 through two games. Are we seeing the weakness of the Atlantic division? Or is this just an example of a team in form versus a team that has rested?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Winnipeg just played a brutal 7 game series against Nashville. The Jets dominated game 1 with a single day of rest 4-2 against a well rested Vegas Knights. The Knights cruised through the first two rounds with dominating series wins against Los Angeles and San Jose. Then Vegas rested for almost a week before the third round. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Regardless, a <u>Winnipeg</u> Washington Cup Finals will be a fun series to watch. I'm definitely rooting for Washington.</p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-67332439491038879592018-05-13T06:18:00.001-04:002018-05-13T06:18:42.640-04:00Mothers<p dir="ltr">Everyone likes to say they truly appreciate and respect mothers, especially on Mother's Day. But sometimes I think it's said but not really understood. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The sacrifice women make to become moms is enormous and rarely given its due in our society. Seriously. Children are a gift, and a blessing. But women make sacrifices to bring them into this world. First they sacrifice their bodies. Our society judges every choice they make and puts unfair pressures on them. In order to be the best moms they can be they often sacrifice their careers. They make less money than in the careers that men typically choose. They give more time to their families than men do, and their employers hold it against them. They often do an unfair amount of house work and child rearing. They are the glue that holds our society together and it would crumble into anarchy if left solely to men. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So while you're honoring the moms in your world today, take a moment to think of additional ways you can honor them tomorrow and the rest of the year. They deserve more thanks than we can give them. <br>
</p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-57454769156731885772018-03-22T07:58:00.001-04:002018-03-22T08:12:23.281-04:00Atrocities<p dir="ltr">I often see comments sections of political debates comments go something like this: </p>
<p dir="ltr">"Christianity, throughout history, has committed far more atrocities than any other religion. I thought that was common knowledge." That's a claim I'm not sure about. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Christians will reply something to the effect of:</p>
<p dir="ltr">"What about the Nazis?"</p>
<p dir="ltr">Atheists:</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Hitler was a Christian! Here's a meme!"</p>
<p dir="ltr">Christians:</p>
<p dir="ltr">"He was a charlatan that used Christianity. Nazis we're actually occultists!" Meme return fire! "Now add in Stalin and Mao and atheists killed way more than Christians."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Atheist meme!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Christian meme!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Atheist meme!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Christian meme!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Can we all just agree that any ideology that results in people committing atrocities should be shunned? For fucks sake! Why is this so hard to grasp? </p>
<p dir="ltr">One way to ensure we don't start committing genocide <u>against</u> each other is through political compromise. We need to support our political institutions and compromise! And I don't think this necessarily means the left selling out to the current batch of extreme right wingers. But it can be the left embracing the moderate middle. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I think people are yearning for clean, uncorrupt public servants willing to fight special interests. I look forward to someone finding that path to power. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-91827894736193048102018-02-07T08:53:00.001-05:002018-02-07T08:53:29.373-05:00Fake News<p dir="ltr">Fake news: Hillary Clinton is running a child sex ring out of a Washington DC Pizzeria basement. Evidence for it: cryptic messages pulled from otherwise innocuous emails about ordering pizza. Evidence against it: Pizzeria doesn't have a basement! Common sense. You might not like her, and think she's bad for the country, but come on! Acting on that rumor a guy went in there and fired an AR-15. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Real news: Donald Trump sexually assaulted nearly two dozen women. Evidence for it: similar first hand accounts from women who don't know each other of the incidents that often times are corroborated by pictures and schedules showing they were together. Trump has decades of interviews admitting to lewd behavior with women. ALSO DONALD TRUMP ADMITTED HE SEXUALLY ABUSED WOMEN ON VIDEO! Evidence against: Trump says it's fake news. It's not. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Get your shit together America. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-53613912890644173072018-02-04T06:30:00.001-05:002018-02-04T06:30:23.813-05:00Messed up dream<p dir="ltr">While sleeping last night I was dreaming and laughed out loud. Because I talk in my sleep and Jaime tries to egg me on to say silly stuff, she asked me what was so funny. She woke me up and I told her to leave me alone! The benefit of her asking is that I remember what the dream was. I will now share it with you. When you read this you'll probably think that I am making it up or somehow embellishing. I promise you this is the dream I had. Exactly.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I was watching a movie or TV show. I'm not sure which. It was a dark comedy staring Ellie Kemper (Erin from the Office and Kimmy Schmidt) and Jimmy Fallon. The premise is they're a couple living together and planning a spree killing. Oh, and this is a musical. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So they're in their house, singing a song about how they're ready to go on a rampage, while Gary Coleman is installing blinds on their windows. Yup, Gary Coleman. They sing their song about how this is going to be THE BEST DAY! And when they finish Gary Coleman walks out from behind the couch. They'd forgotten he was there while they were singing the song, you see, because he's short and they couldn't see him. </p>
<p dir="ltr">That's when I laughed out loud. Welcome to my mind! It's either a hilarious, or a scary place to be depending on whether or not you like dark, sometimes totaly inappropriate, comedy. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-86756313740554031542017-09-07T23:08:00.001-04:002017-09-07T23:08:54.323-04:00A warning for Antifa<p dir="ltr">The following is a comment I posted on a Facebook thread to people advocating violent protest, and anarchist revolution on Facebook. I've edited it a bit and added some more thoughts here and there.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">Our country and world have problems. No one is denying that. But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. </p>
<p dir="ltr">There has never been a safer time to live on this planet than today. There are less wars now than at any time in recorded history. There are less people living in extreme poverty than at any other time. The technological advancement that has made that possible has been brought about by capitalism. We can regulate it the way we have in the past to make it work better for more people. But ultimately capitalism is better than the alternatives. </p>
<p dir="ltr">And even though we've suffered a setback to progress, to say that institutionalized racism and sexism can't be brought about by non-violent protest is just plain wrong. Women didn't fight a guerrilla war to gain suffrage. The Civil Rights Acts of the 1960's didn't come about through anarchist action. To say we can only fix our problems by dismantling the apparatus of state is naive, bordering on childish fantasy. </p>
<p dir="ltr">If we dismantle the state, protections for the most vulnerable among us will crash down. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Answering right-wing violence with violence plays into the Alt-Right's hands. It validates their conspiracy that they're under attack. It vacates the moral high ground. It drives sympathetic potential supporters away. In the end wearing black masks and fighting Nazis in the streets will hurt your cause more than it helps. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It also makes our country look like the Weimar Republic, where fascists regularly fought Communists in the streets. When that apparatus of state fell, it didn't end well for anyone. The Nazi party never received more than 37% of the vote, yet it was enough to seize power in a fractured country. Trump's approval rating stands at ~35%. We can consolidate the discontent <u>around</u> a moderate liberal opposition. Or we can fracture further among left and radical left. The result will be a midterm win for Trump, and likely another 4 years in 2020. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-56091788063470152342017-06-03T02:19:00.001-04:002017-06-03T02:59:34.155-04:00Cancer Part 2<p dir="ltr">After leaving the hand surgeon's office I drove home and called my wife and mom to tell them what I just heard. I was in complete shock. When I got home my wife and I began looking up my cancer. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Google is a cruel mistress. The results were terrifying. My cancer is an exceedingly rare and aggressive cancer. There are only a few hundred cases globally documented of my cancer. Testimonials we found were from people who had it spread to their lungs, and some who died from it. Others had parts of their hands or feet amputated. </p>
<p dir="ltr">A short while later the hand surgeon called. He apologized for missing my appointment. He said he was prepared to see me on my original appointment date. He told me he was somewhat familiar with the cancer, and that it would most likely require at least a partial amputation of my finger to get negative margins. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The next day I went to work. I was able to get intake paperwork faxed to Roswell Park Cancer Institute. I was frustrated because it was a Friday and I wasn't able to get an appointment booked before the weekend. I worked Saturday and Sunday because I figured I was going to need my leave in the near future, and work would distract me. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Sunday night after work, my wife went to bed and I sat on the couch Googling my cancer. I read too many websites, and looked at too many pictures of amputated fingers. I became so upset my stomach turned and I got up to vomit in the bathroom. I almost passed out. I had to lay on the floor with my feet on the couch to get blood back in my head. Eventually I made it to the bathroom. I then endured a nearly sleepless night. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Needless to say I would NOT recommend Googling serious illnesses. If you need info, go to the NIH site to get basic info and STOP! If you need more, get it from your doctor, or have a trusted and medically knowledgeable advocate read up and advise you. Going down the Google hole is not good for the already stressed out mind. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The next morning I dropped my daughter off at school and stopped at the coffee shop when my phone rang. I recognized the number as a Roswell Park number. When I answered a female voice told me she was calling from Roswell and confirmed my ID. She then asked how I was doing and I answered truthfully. I was terrible. She then told me that she was my friend's wife, that she came in and my file was on her desk. She said she would help me get registered and get an appointment. I was so happy and relieved I almost cried. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I had an appointment for that Friday with the head of Roswell Park's Soft Tissue department. Knowing I was in, and in good hands was a huge relief! </p>
<p dir="ltr">I then went to Lowe's to grab a few things. When I left I decided to stop by my personal physician's office to see if he could review my file and provide advise. He graciously did. He told me I was doing all the right stuff and gave me a script to help with sleep. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Next I called an advocate for 9/11 First Responders. She works for Mount Sinai and was very helpful getting my claim started. She advised me that first responders often are developing rare cancers and she strongly recommended​ that I file. </p>
<p dir="ltr">All in all I started that Monday a stressed out wreck. But by 10 or 11 am I had made a lot of progress and was feeling like I was taking control, or at least starting to. I then went home and installed a closet organizer for my wife, whose birthday it was that day. </p>
<p dir="ltr">-------<br>
I went to my first appointment at Roswell Park on Friday October 21. My wife and Aunt, who is a Hospice nurse, came with me. The doctor meet with us for over an hour. I have never seen a doctor give their time so freely, and with not a hint of impatience in my life. It was really remarkable. He answered every question we had and gave us a lot of information. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Unfortunately he said that the first doctor's diagnosis that the finger would need to be partially amputated was correct. Further he recommended removing a lymph node for biopsy to rule out spread to distant organs. </p>
<p dir="ltr">He told us that having the site treated with liquid nitrogen probably helped keep it small. The first surgery also probably removed all the cancer, but since the biopsy results showed positive margins, he felt the amputation was necessary. </p>
<p dir="ltr">He felt the recovery would be fairly straightforward, and that I probably wouldn't need therapy after. He scheduled my surgery for November 2. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-24008365644062739592017-01-02T08:13:00.001-05:002017-01-02T08:55:12.221-05:00Let's go Buffalo?<p dir="ltr">The Buffalo Bills' 2016 season ended yesterday with another embarrassing loss. They finished 7-9, and for the 17th consecutive season missed the playoffs. It's also their 21st season without a playoff win. The Bills currently possess the longest playoff drought in all of American sports. Including MLS, that's 133 teams.</p>
<p dir="ltr">They have finished the session with 6 to 8 wins 13 times during the drought. That's not nearly good enough to get in the playoffs, but it's also not bad enough to obtain a high draft pick for the desperately needed franchise quarterback. It's the worst kind of mediocrity.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Bills will now be looking for a new coach and quarterback in the offseason. Their drafting has been consistently terrible, yet they still retained their GM Doug Whaley. Also not losing their job is team president Russ Brandon, who happens to be a former team GM. By MANY accounts Brandon still is GM in effect, or at very least meddles in football operations on a daily basis.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Possibly more disheartening is that Russ Brandon is now also the team president of the Buffalo Sabres. On the day the Bills' season ended the Sabres sat in last place in their division, and are charging hard for a 6th consecutive season without a playoff appearance. </p>
<p dir="ltr">In 2000, when they Bills had made the playoffs, but lost in their first playoff game for the second consecutive season, their president and GM John Butler was kicked to the curb. Yet for some reason Russ Brandon has lasted nearly 20 years with the Bills. He has been there in some capacity during every year of the playoff drought and even seen promotions despite continued failures. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Ultimately the blame now lies with Kim and Terry Pegula. Their honeymoon with both teams is long over. It hurts to say it. They seem like very nice people, and are probably doing their best. They may have saved the Bills from relocation, but for what? At this point being a Buffalo sports fan is an exercise in self flagellation. Until a complete firing of the entire executive staff of the Bills is administered by the Pegulas and a new staff composed of football people <u>is</u> hired, I will expect no change. Fans should stop giving them their cash and demand change immediately. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-15425802588387106912016-11-14T21:31:00.001-05:002016-11-14T22:02:08.269-05:00Cancer Part 1<p dir="ltr">About a year or so ago I started to notice a pain under the fingernail on my right middle finger. At first I thought it was a sliver under the nail. It bothered me, but only occasionally. A few year ago I definitely had a sliver under that same nail. So this seemed like it either happened again, or the sliver from last time was still there and coming back to bother me. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Fast forward a few months and the pain under the nail was now a bump under the skin at the very tip of my finger, close to the nail. I again thought it was the sliver, now being pushed out of my skin. The pain was worse, but only when I hit the very spot on something. </p>
<p dir="ltr">A few months went by and now the skin on the tip of my finger changed color. The skin changed from the normal, semi transparent color, to a more off-white opaque color. Now I was more concerned, as this obviously was not a sliver. </p>
<p dir="ltr">In May 2016 I went to a dermatologist. The growth on my finger was really starting to get painful. The slightest touch could send a jolt up my hand. When I called for the appointment the doctor I saw last time, for something else, did not have any available appointments for over a month, so I booked an appointment with her physicians assistant.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">May 5th I met with the dermatologist and her physicians assistant. Each of them looked at the growth and agreed it was a wart. I was only a little surprised. I've had warts on my feet before, and this did not look like a wart to me. But I never really challenged the diagnosis. They were the doctors, and what did I know?</p>
<p dir="ltr">The physicians assistant froze the growth with liquid nitrogen. She told me to wait a week and treat it with Compound W wart remover. I did, and did. I had a follow up appointment scheduled in one month just in case the wart persisted.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">On June 8th the growth was still there. The physicians assistant was surprised to see me back, but said it's common for warts to be stubborn, especially in hard to treat places, like under a fingernail. She treated it with nitrogen again and gave me the same directions, wait a week and treat it with Compound W. We scheduled another follow up, just in case. </p>
<p dir="ltr">July 7th I returned to the office, we finally seemed to be making headway. The growth was still there, but much smaller. The physicians assistant froze the small spot that was left and gave me the same instructions, wait a week and treat it with Compound W. We scheduled a follow up for August, but she seemed confident we wouldn't need it. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I waited the week, but before 4 days had even passed the growth was as big as ever. In hindsight I remember thinking that even though the growth was small on the surface, I could feel a large lump underneath. I kicked myself for not telling her at the last appointment. I think this is the month I hugged my wife and gasped in pain when my finger touched a fold in her shirt. </p>
<p dir="ltr">In August our family was getting ready to travel to London, England and the growth was really bothering me. My next appointment was weeks later and I was dreading traveling with my finger in that shape. I called the office but was told there was no way they could see me before we left. So the trip to London was spent pasting Compound W on my finger every night, and keeping it covered with a bandage at all times. The smallest bump was excruciating. But generally speaking, it was a minor annoyance. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I returned to the office after the trip, August 23rd, really frustrated. I was so tired of this ordeal. I wanted the physicians assistant to try something new. Clearly freezing and Compound W was not working. I wanted her to burn or cut it out. She wanted to give it one more try. I agreed, but asked her to make sure she froze it completely and deep. I definitely mentioned that I felt it deep under the skin. I said "I don't care if you have to freeze the entire tip of my finger, I want this thing gone.“</p>
<p dir="ltr">She froze it more than any prior visit. My hand entire hand hurt for an hour after the appointment. I began to wait the week before treating it with Compound W. Each previous time the growth hardened and turned a light brown color. It either peeled off or was absorbed into my skin. This time a large scab developed. At the end of the week the scab partially peeled off around the edges. In the center though it didn't seem to be healing. It wasn't drying up the way scabs usually do. Eventually it opened up in the center and started oozing blood. But when it did, it wouldn't clot the way I'm used to. It would just ooze blood until I covered it. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It would bleed anytime I changed the bandage, or banged it on anything, which I did 10 times a day. At work I would shift the car into drive and clip the radio receiver. I would smash it doing yard work, or just about anything else. Eventually it began to morph from an open scab into a bloody growth. My wife recognized it immediately as granulation tissue, or a granuloma. </p>
<p dir="ltr">When I returned to the dermatologist on September 20th, she confirmed what my wife suspected, it was a granuloma. She seemed to genuinely feel bad about the diagnosis and my ordeal. She advised me that unfortunately she could not treat it. She referred me to a hand surgeon. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I saw the hand surgeon, again a physicians assistant, a few days later. He confirmed the diagnosis of a granuloma, but would not perform any procedures in his office, as I begged him to do. He treated the growth with silver nitrate sticks. He gave me a week's supply and told me to come back.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">The silver nitrate sticks turned the tip of my finger black and burned the granuloma. After a week my finger looked like charcoal. My mother was horrified by it when I showed her one morning. I went back to the hand surgeon on September 29th. He said the granuloma was pretty much gone,  but they can come back. Also it looked like the silver nitrate was burning down into the wart tissue. He scheduled me for surgery the following week to remove the entire thing. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I was elated that the ordeal finally seemed to be ending. On October 4th I went into the Buffalo Surgery Center where I met the hand surgeon for the first time, about 15 minutes before surgery. He explained that he was going to remove the main growth, which they would send for biopsy, just in case. He would then scrape out the rest of the wart tissue. I could expect a stitch and not too much pain. </p>
<p dir="ltr">They surgery was fairly quick. I was awake, under a local anesthetic. He informed me when he removed the biopsy portion, and moved onto scraping out the rest. After a bit he said he was scraping the bone, which horrified me. I almost passed out and a nurse came over to try to keep me awake. In the end the doctor removed over a centimeter of tissue from the tip of my finger and had to use three stitches to close it up.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">I had a large bandage on my finger for two days. It was uncomfortable, but not too painful. Motrin at night was more than enough. When I took the bandage off for the first time I was pretty shocked at the appearance of my finger. The tip was flat and had 3 stitches running side by side, and through the nail. The stitches were disolvable. The doctor said he wanted to see me in 10 days, but I hadn't yet scheduled the follow up.  </p>
<p dir="ltr">On Monday October 10th, Columbus Day, I got an automated call from the the hand surgeon reminding me of an appointment for Friday October 14th. I didn't remember making this appointment, and still think I never did. On Tuesday I called back to reschedule the appointment for Thursday afternoon, a non-work day. It was scheduled for 3:30 p.m., after I pick my daughter up from school. But as the receptionist said "bring your daughter. It'll only take 10 minutes." </p>
<p dir="ltr">I brought her in and we waited longer in the waiting room, and then in the examination room, than I did in any of my previous appointments, including the surgery. Again the physicians assistant entered. We talked while my daughter sat next to me, playing on my phone. He looked at the incision, which was in decent shape. The stitches had all come untied and I snipped them at the nail and skin with nail clippers. He poked and prodded it for a minute while I asked him how it would fill out and return to its previous appearance. He said it most likely would. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Then he rolled his stool over to the computer screen and said "I want to show you something." When I came close his whispered "I didn't want to say it out loud with your daughter in the room." With his right hand he was pointing at the screen which displayed my biopsy results. Just above his finger were the words "papilary digital eccrine adenocarcinoma." </p>
<p dir="ltr">I was stunned. I said "is that what I think it is?" He said "yeah, I'm sorry." My hand went up to my face and I sat down on the examination table. I asked "what do we do now?" and he said something about consulting with the doctor. I asked "do I need to see an oncologist?" And he said "I don't know. I've never heard of this cancer. I was just reading up on it for 5 minutes before I came in here to talk to you." <br>
</p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-8917894789345694332015-02-05T09:29:00.002-05:002015-02-05T09:32:32.449-05:00Snow-holes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.themobilityresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/grinds-my-gears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" src="http://www.themobilityresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/grinds-my-gears.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit;">I feel like I'm having the opposite of an old man, get-off-my-lawn moment. It's a civic pride, stop-being-an-asshole thing.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't stand people who push the snow from their driveways into the street. It is so blatantly disrespectful to their neighbors. Half of the streets in South Buffalo right now are one lane roads. Plow crews are busy and people are trying to get to work and school, but some are too lazy to turn the nozzle on their snow blowers to the side so it stacks on the lawn. The selfish and petty nature of some people is astounding. It should not surprise or disappoint me but I guess it conflicts with my nature so much it probably always will.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's like the people at my daughter's school who pull in the driveway to pick up and drop off. Paperwork went home at the beginning of the year saying do not pull in the driveway. There are kids walking through and buses trying to get in and out in a timely manner. And trying to get a spot on the street can be a pain in the ass. There are hundreds of kids all trying to get in the school at the same time. Add together all the cars and buses, plus normal morning traffic and the front of the school is chaos. Now, there are handicapped spaces in the lot. So before I continue this rant, I'm perfectly ok with people utilizing the handicapped spaces. What makes me wish death upon them is when its just a mom or dad in a hurry that don't feel like looking for a space in the street, or walking a city block to drop their kids off. And worse are the people who do it everyday. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In order to strike a sense of common decency in people it requires someone to speak up. And doing so is usually met with "Mind your own business asshole!" You're right, it's not my business, IT'S EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS! Be a neighbor. Participate in this society! </span></span></span>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-74688260201078098792015-02-03T22:04:00.000-05:002015-02-03T22:04:00.911-05:00My 25 Most-Listened-To SongsSince I started using Google play music about a year ago these are my top 25 most listened to songs:<br />
<br />
1. A Living, Breathing Piece of Defecating Meat - Cattle Decapitation<br />
2. Dead Set on Suicide - Cattle Decapitation<br />
3. Blodtørost - Kvelertak<br />
4. The Firat Commandment of the Luminaries - The Ocean<br />
5. Firmament - The Ocean<br />
6. Mjød - Kvelertak<br />
7. Mesopelagic: Into the Uncanny - The Ocean<br />
8. Forced Gender Reassignment - Cattle Decapitation<br />
9. Offernatt - Kvelertak<br />
10. Sightless Wisdom - Arsis<br />
11. Killing Birds with Stones - Intronaut<br />
12. The Welding - Intronaut<br />
13. Fossegrim - Kvelertak<br />
14. Your Disposal - Cattle Decapitation<br />
15. Kingdom of Tyrants - Cattle Decapitation<br />
16. The Axe - Gojira<br />
17. Bathyalpelagic I: Impasses - The Ocean<br />
18. Behold (God I Am) - Allaegon<br />
19. Steps - Intronaut<br />
20. Milk Leg - Intronaut<br />
21. Ulvetid - Kvelertak<br />
22. Sultans of Satan - Kvelertak<br />
23. Swallowed by the Earth - The Ocean<br />
24. Metaphysics of the Hangman - The Ocean<br />
25. Rumbrave - Murder by Death<br />
<br />
I find the list interesting, The Ocean and Cattle Decap were bands I discovered shortly after using the app. I'm confident saying that a few years ago not one band, with the exception of Gojira, would have appeared on this list. I wish there was a way to both keep the tally running and reset it so I could do a similar list next year while also maintaining an all time play count.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-11718996351830978982015-01-14T08:33:00.001-05:002015-01-14T08:33:14.321-05:00The Black and White World <p dir="ltr">This morning on our way to school Audrey asked me if I knew what show was on on Mondays. I guessed three or four times and gave up. She told me she didn't remember the name. So I said give me hints. These are the hints:</p>
<p dir="ltr">-He lived in a black and white world. <br>
-He had brown skin. <br>
-He died from a killing thing. <br>
-He won a medal for helping people. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So I guessed Martin Luther King Jr. YEAH! That's it. She said they watch a show about him every Monday. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-60381931824857176452013-11-24T12:13:00.001-05:002013-11-24T12:13:16.742-05:00Right-To-Work Fallacy <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
When reading up on the Taft-Hartley act and its creation of the Right-to-work state I began to wonder, where do the states that are right-to-work fall in a list of the poverty rate? I also wanted to know where high union membership states fell on the poverty list. </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
Before you continue reading I will say I'm not mathematician or statistician so I tried to keep the numbers simple. I know numbers can be picked and choosed to match one's argument but I tried to keep it to within the scope of the above question. </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
There are 24<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>right-to-work states<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>today. 15 are in the bottom half of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>states by poverty rate. Even worse, in the bottom 11 states by poverty rate, 9 are RTW. Of the bottom 10 states by poverty rate, only West Virginia and New Mexico are not RTW states, but are 18 and 35 in union membership respectively. 5 states have right-to-work in their state constitution, 4 of them are in the bottom 10 by poverty rate. The average place on the poverty list for a RTW state is <strong>30.85</strong>.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
Now I acknowledge this isn't a perfect argument.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Michigan just joined the RTW list in 2012, so the true effects of RTW haven't set in yet. 3 of the top 10 states<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by union membership are in the bottom 25 by poverty rate. Not one<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>top 10 union membership states are in the bottom 10 for poverty rate. The average place on the poverty list for a top 10 union state is <strong>18.5</strong>. </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
By contrast the lowest 10 states by union membership have 5 states in the bottom 10 for poverty rate and are an average <strong>33.8</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>on the poverty list. </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="cursor: default; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="4" style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="638"><strong>Right to Work States</strong></td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166"><strong>State</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"><strong>Number by Poverty %</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"><strong>Bottom 10 Union %?</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"><strong>Poverty %</strong></td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Utah</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">7</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">41</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">9.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Virginia</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">8</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">47</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">9.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Nebraska</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">10</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">9.5</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Idaho</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">12</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">9.9</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Nevada</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">17</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">10.6</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Wyoming</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">18</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">10.6</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Florida*</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">19</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">11.1</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">North Dakota</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">20</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">11.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Iowa</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">22</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">11.3</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">South Dakota</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">26</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">44</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">11.8</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Michigan</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">27</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">12</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Kansas</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">31</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">12.5</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Indiana</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">32</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">12.6</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">North Carolina</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">34</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">50</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">13.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Gerogia</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">37</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">49</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">14.4</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Tennessee</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">40</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">42</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">15</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">South Carolina</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">41</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">48</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">15</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Arizona*</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">42</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">15.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Oklahoma*</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">44</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">15.6</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Arkansas*</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">45</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">15.9</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Texas</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">46</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">46</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">16.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Alabama</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">47</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">16.7</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Louisiana</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">49</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">45</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">18.3</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166">Mississippi*</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">50</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">43</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157">20.1</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="166"> <strong>Average</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"><strong>30.58</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="157"><strong>13.2 </strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
*Constitutional Amendment for Right-to-Work Poverty rate is 0.6% above national average.</div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="cursor: default; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="4" style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="638"><strong>Lowest 10 States in Union Membership</strong></td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169"><strong>State</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159"><strong># by union %</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163"><strong># by poverty %</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148"><strong>Poverty rate</strong></td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">Utah</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">41</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">7</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">9.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">Tennessee</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">42</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">40</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">15.0</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">Mississippi</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">43</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">50</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">20.1</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">South Dakota</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">44</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">26</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">11.8</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">Louisiana</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">45</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">49</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">18.3</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">Texas</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">46</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">46</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">16.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">South Carolina</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">47</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">41</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">15.0</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">Virginia</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">48</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">8</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">9.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">Georiga</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">49</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">37</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">14.4</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169">North Carolina</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159">50</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163">34</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148">13.1</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="169"> <strong>Average</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="159"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="163"><strong>33.8</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="148"><strong>14.2%</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
Poverty rate is 1.6% above national average.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="cursor: default; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="4" style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="638"><strong>Top 10 States in Union Membership</strong></td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171"><strong>State</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158"><strong># by union %</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162"><strong># by poverty %</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147"><strong>Poverty rate</strong></td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">New York</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">1</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">38</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">14.5</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">Hawaii</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">2</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">5</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">8.6</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">Alaska</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">3</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">13</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">10.0</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">Washington</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">4</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">15</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">10.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">Michigan</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">5</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">27</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">12.0</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">California</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">6</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">35</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">13.2</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">New Jersey</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">7</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">2</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">6.8</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">Connecticut</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">8</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">9</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">9.7</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">Nevada</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">9</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">17</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">10.6</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171">Illinois</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158">10</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162">24</td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147">11.5</td></tr>
<tr><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="171"><strong>Average</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="158"></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="162"><strong>18.5</strong></td><td style="cursor: text; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 8px;" valign="top" width="147"><strong>10.7%</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
Poverty rate is 1.9 % below the national average.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">References</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
“Right to Work Law” Retrieved on November 24, 2013 <a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law</a> (November 20, 2013)</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
“Union Affiliation by US State” Retrieved on November 24, 2013 <a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_affiliation_by_U.S._state" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_affiliation_by_U.S._state">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_affiliation_by_U.S._state</a> (June 20, 2013)</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">
“List of US States by Poverty Rate” <a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_poverty_rate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_poverty_rate">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_poverty_rate</a> (July 12, 2013) </div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-6315488355589584792013-10-21T23:12:00.004-04:002013-10-21T23:36:41.323-04:00SchoolI started this night very stressed about my workload for school. I was beginning to think that taking 4 classes was WAY too much. After a few hours of hard work, I handed a paper in and reviewed my course schedules. I'm feeling much more confident in my ability to handle this. It still won't be easy, but I'm feeling better now. I just need to keep at it and I'll get through this.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-71558618966178820772013-09-04T22:35:00.000-04:002013-09-04T22:35:53.154-04:00New Sabres third jersey<a href="http://1.cdn.nhle.com/sabres/images/upload/gallery/2013/09/3rdJersey4-PG_slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.cdn.nhle.com/sabres/images/upload/gallery/2013/09/3rdJersey4-PG_slide.jpg" width="213" /></a><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][1]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">First of all what I like. </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0].[0]">I like the colors. I don't mind that the front is yellow and back is blue. I like that the primary logo is front and center. I like the number font and the loof of the back. </span><br data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0].[1]" /><br data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0].[2]" /><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0].[3]">What bothers me are the vertical white stripes on the sleeves and collar and the grey ends of the sleeves. </span></span></span></span><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The Buffalo wor</span><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">d mark on the front is unnecessary. The combination of the word mark, blue/yellow line and multicolored collar make the chest area of the jersey look crowded.</span><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0].[3]"> </span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0].[3]"><br /></span></span>
<span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[0].[3]">My biggest problem with the jersey design is the lack of hockey jersey stripes (horizontal waist and sleeve stripes).</span></span><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0].[0]"> To me, a hockey jersey should <b>ALWAYS</b> have horizontal waist stripes. </span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0]"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0]">One question I have is what will the back of the jersey look like when there are two numbers on it? The Ott jersey doesn't look like it will have enough room. If the edges of the numbers break onto the yellow I don't think I'll like it. Same with the Captain and Alternate letters on the front. If they are over the blue/yellow border I think that will look awkward and messy. I don't see how they'll fit otherwise, especially now that the letters have crossed swords under them.</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BSSvS6TCQAAdSIo.jpg:large" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BSSvS6TCQAAdSIo.jpg:large" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0]"><br data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0].[2]" /><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0].[3]">I'll hold final judgment until I see it on the ice. I doubt I'll ever hate it, but neither will I love it. I wasn't a huge fan of the 40th anniversary jerseys either. </span><br data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0].[4]" /><br data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0].[5]" /><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0].[6]">For me the perfect Sabres jersey would be their current home and away with the primary logo on each side of the shoulder yoke. Want a third jersey? Wear the white Winter Classic jersey. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5cbdr].[1][4][1]{comment10151656262221309_27593713}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2].[0].[3].[0].[6]"></span></span></span></span></span></span>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-78123591160395497182013-05-07T11:15:00.001-04:002013-05-07T11:15:17.249-04:00Ron RolstonSo Pegula is still the owner. Darcy is still the GM. Rolston is still the coach.<br />
<br />
I don't really know how to feel about the team. I understand how you can come to almost any conclusion. What I do know is Darcy inherited a good team that had a lot of problems. He put the finishing touches on them fell 2 wins short of The Cup. Then he totally rebuilt the team from scratch and fell 4 wins short with what some call the greatest Sabres team ever. He did it with an owner who said the team had to make money.<br />
<br />
Now the financial restrictions are gone and the team is in free fall! A majority of the fan base wants him fired. I could understand why. To some not firing Darcy makes Pegula look wishy-washy.<br />
<br />
At this point I think it's best if we all just chill. None of us is going to make Terry Pegula fire Darcy Regier. Not Bucky Gleason. Not Mike Harrington. And certainly not a fan or a blogger. Just take a deep breath. Enjoy the beautiful summer weather. See what move Darcy pulls off on Draft Day and hope for the best.<br />
<br />
For me right now I'm emotionally uninvested. I care, but not that much. I'll renew my mini-pack next year. I'll watch all their games. I'll root for them to win every game and make the playoffs. I'm still a fan but I'll need to see where things go before I really get excited for the team.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-60987148739372612442013-04-05T11:54:00.001-04:002013-04-05T13:29:32.032-04:00Good going America<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/03/25/gun-control-heats-up-as-congress-heads-home/">Gun control heats up as Congress heads home | </a><a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/03/25/gun-control-heats-up-as-congress-heads-home/">MSNBCMSNBC</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Senate Republicans threaten to filibuster all <u>g</u>un control legislation. Even if it does pass the Senate, good luck in the House. The  NRA says no legislation will pass. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So even with no assault weapons ban and no mention of high capacity magazines Congress is still going to pass no gun legislation. So no tracking of sales. No expanded background checks. </p>
<p dir="ltr">We all live in the Wild West. We are all savages, ruled by paranoia and irrational fear. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Public mass shootings are the cost of freedom. We're only as free as we are badass.  Liberty requires that you be always be prepared to defend it with lethal force. The Bible was wrong. The meek shall inherit a violent death. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Good going America. </p>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-2179492193638764092012-12-15T19:52:00.001-05:002012-12-15T19:52:05.385-05:00<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">They say "knives kill people. Should we make them illegal?" There are 5 knives that are illegal in New York State. They are gravity knife, switchblade knife, pilum ballistic knife, metal knuckle knife and cane sword. Also any knife or dagger with intent to commit a crime is illegal.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">They say "cars can be used to kill people. Should cars be illegal?" You have to get a license to operate a car. You have to register the car and get insurance. Cars are used to transport people. Knives are used to prepare food. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Guns are used to kill things. Plain and simple.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Why can't we pass more stict gun control laws?</span></span>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-82822270168485890682012-12-14T15:14:00.004-05:002012-12-14T15:33:03.618-05:00Guns<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/14/shooting-reported-at-connecticut-elementary-school/?hpt=hp_t1" style="background-color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">27 dead. 18 Children and 9 adults gunned down in Connecticut school massacre</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;"> </span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kget.com/media/lib/15/1/2/6/1267ce7b-a1af-4dec-9831-e79fbad1b1c7/Original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://www.kget.com/media/lib/15/1/2/6/1267ce7b-a1af-4dec-9831-e79fbad1b1c7/Original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If we can't talk about gun control on a day like today, when can we? We are a nation of children. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-spokesman-today-not-day-gun-control-talk-190639428--politics.html">We are told</a> you can't talk about it during or immediately after tragedies. Then no one does in between. The NRA rule the debate meanwhile there are over <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/NCHS/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_19.pdf">12,000 gun murders in this country every year</a>. Four 9/11's every year and we do nothing about it.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span id=".reactRoot[8].[1][2][1]{comment4693097321849_5286568}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]" style="line-height: 14px;">And where do the guns come from? They're stolen them from legal fun owners. If less guns are legally owned, then less guns are stolen. If you want to own a shotgun for hunting and home protection, fine with me. You want anything else? Join a militia or shooting club and they should remain there, locked in a secure armory vault. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br id=".reactRoot[8].[1][2][1]{comment4693097321849_5286568}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[1]" style="line-height: 14px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">Mental health is a HUGE problem. As long as there are hundreds of millions of legal and illegal guns in this country, no amount of legislation is going to prevent insane people from obtaining and committing masacres with guns. That's why I tend towards less guns. It's impossible to know in each and every person weather or not they have the potential for a mass murder in them. So let's err on the side of caution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"> </span><br id=".reactRoot[8].[1][2][1]{comment4693097321849_5286568}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[8]" style="line-height: 14px;" /><span id=".reactRoot[8].[1][2][1]{comment4693097321849_5286568}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[9]" style="line-height: 14px;">I'm a realist though. We can't wave a wand and get rid of them all. So we should slowly close the spigot and aggressively bring in illegal guns. Let's aim for 20 years and 90% of all guns. As guns on the street both legal and illegal begin to dwindle then institute the actual Second Amendment. It says:</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; line-height: 18px;">"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">It mentions militia and state before arms and doesn't say anything about personal or home protection.</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I think the government absolutely has the right and duty to strongly regulate who can and cannot possess guns and what type should be allowed. I would argue for less and very few respectively. I also think anything not used for hunting should be kept locked in a gun club or militia armory vault.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 14px;">NRA talking points are tired, logically flawed and easily defeated. But b</span><span style="background-color: black; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ecause of money the NRA can ruin a politicians career and make any talk of gun control political suicide. And there is nothing a politician values higher than his own skin other than easy money.</span></span>Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-66075260299642946592012-12-11T22:34:00.002-05:002012-12-11T22:34:37.746-05:00NHL Lockout 3<br />
This entry was sparked by a Facebook conversation with a friend after reading <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8732678/donald-fehr-nhl-lockout">this</a> Grantland article.<br />
<br />
League revenues have increased 50% in the time since the 2004 lockout. Revenue was $2.2 billion in <a href="http://www.japersrink.com/2007/05/2006-2007-nhl-revenue_14.html">2006</a> and up to 3.2 billion in <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/19788627/report-nhl-commissioner-gary-bettman-made-nearly-8-million-in-201112">2012</a>. Revenue is up 52% from 2004 pre-lockout.<br />
<br />
Average player salaries:<br />
-2003-04 1.8 mil,<br />
-2005-06 1.4 mil (they didn't give up anything? Remember revenue went up 7% that season)<br />
-2006-07 1.9 <a href="http://proicehockey.about.com/od/collectivebargainingfaq/f/nhl_salaries.htm">mil</a>.<br />
-2011-12 2.4 <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ycn-10423863">mil</a> <br />
<br />
So that's a post lockout increase of 71%. It's a pre lockout increase of 33%. After the league's 52% increase it's a wash to me.<br />
<br />
If you're worried about the fans I don't see how, for a moment, you can be pro-owners. It is after all a LOCKOUT! It's not a player strike. The owners could have negotiated while the season played out. The players offered to do just that. The lockout, especially a season long one, is the nuclear option. The owners hit the button without hesitation or diplomacy.<br />
<br />
I cannot say it enough, the league has been making <b>RECORD REVENUE</b>!<br />
<br />
This isn't 2004. The game isn't dying. It's got issues but nothing life threatening. If anything, it's healthier than ever. This move by the owners is completely unjustified. And this is a negotiation. Instead of talking and exchanging proposals, the NHL execs and owners storm out of every meeting like petulant children.<br />
<br />
I don't give a shit about egos. There's a lot of egos at fault in this debacle. The players aren't blameless. They've already lost a lot more money than they're negotiating over. Both sides have.<br />
<br />
And like the original Grantland article says the owners don't exactly risk the money it seems like they do. The city of Buffalo owns FNC and let's the Sabres do with it add they please. Glendale, AZ built an arena for the Coyotes and now gives the league $25 million a season for the privilege of letting the Coyotes stay.<br />
<br />
Players on the other hand are the on<span style="font-family: inherit;">es blocking shots, bare knuckle boxing and risking their brains for the owner's teams. They deserve a seat at the table, a voice in negotiations and fair split of the revenue. </span><br />
<br />
The owners set the salary cap. They signed the long term contracts. They allowed their GMs to do those things. Now we're to believe it's solely the players to blame for putting pen to paper? Was the Devils owner blameless in the Kovulchuk contact cap circumvention<br />
<br /><br />
In this lockout the fans will lose no matter what the outcome is. If the owners win you surely don't think they'll lower ticket prices or find another way to pass savings on to fans do you? No, they get to keep more of our money. If the players win, they get to keep more of our money. If there is another lost season I'm sure the fans will be expected to make up the lost revenue over the next few seasons. Oh they won't say it. We won't ask either. It'll happen though. <br /><br />In the end the tickets cost more every year. The beer costs more every year. Parking costs more every year. The jerseys cost more every year. Watching the games on TV cost more every year as NBC passes the costs paid to the NHL onto fans by way of higher fees to cable providers which causes our cable bills to rise. Property taxes go up as teams demand more luxurious accommodations in arenas that they keep the profits of. No matter who wins, we lose. Oh, we get to watch our beloved sport and teams. We get something out of it. But as the costs continue to rise we grumble and pay. But we never ask questions or consider not paying.<br /><br />In all of the numbers I quoted above, league revenue and player salaries, both increases have far out paced inflation. Trust me, I believe both sides are greedy, I just happen to think its the owners who are greedier this time.Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-69677669248395980642012-12-06T21:21:00.002-05:002012-12-06T21:23:12.746-05:00NHL Lockout 2<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8721794/nhl-labor-talks-break-just-one-hour-thursday" style="background-color: black; color: white;">This</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> is infuriating! </span><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The NHL is clearly not negotiating in good faith. The two sides sit down and talk and </span><u style="background-color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: red;">EVERY</span></u><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> (if it was possible for that word to be burning with my hatred it would be) proposal the players submit, the league arrogantly dismisses. Instead of saying we'll take this, no to this or come up here down here, they jump up like petulant children and walk out. Then they give some short press conference and bitch that the </span></span></span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">players aren't speaking the same language. At least the players are speaking.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />This is obviously how the owners became the billionaires they are today; by grabbing and snatching for every red cent in sight, elbowing and bullying everyone around them. </span></div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3834890238872593733.post-77822535728840798322012-11-14T15:22:00.000-05:002012-11-14T15:22:19.499-05:00NHL Lockout<div>
I'm having a terrible dilemma. I love hockey, the NHL and specifically the Buffalo Sabres. The league reportedly made over 3 billion dollars last year. The TV contract is the most lucrative in league history. More fans are watching NHL games than in a generation. The Winter Classic is an unqualified success. The NHL is doing great business these days. <br />
<br />
But the NHL is locked out. Again. The players and the league are fighting over how to divide the revenue. As people like to say it's millionaires fighting billionaires.<br />
<br />
As I said above the league doesn't face the systemic problems it faced in 2004. Most of the teams are doing fine. 10-12 teams are doing amazing business. The game itself has some issues. Predatory hits and fighting are still causing players to suffer brain injuries. The league has some issues but nothing that justifies burning another season in a lockout.<br />
<br />
So my dilemma is this. How do I not run back to the NHL after it resumes? Watching Sabres games is one of my favorite things to do. Since my childhood I've loved watching my team. I have a Sabres mini pack. I have their logo tattooed on my leg.<br />
<br />
How do I get my hockey fix and tell the NHL it is <b>NOT</b> OK to lockout again? When the NHL fights its players like this it's the fans who get hurt. Yet they do it because they know we'll run back with our wallets open.<br />
<br />
They won't stop until the fans take money from the owners. </div>
Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01073971894717807864noreply@blogger.com0