DrFishfinder

How is it you can tell this person that this forum is about expressing opinions, and then in the same sentence, tell them if they don't like it, to get off the board? Don't they have the right to express their opinion about yours? Or is this a one-way street?

But it is shared by those of us who prefer to look at the positive side of things and maintain hope. There is a different coaching staff along with some new players as well as players returning from injury. Speaking for myself, I am eliminating the DJ era from this year's equation. Gailey has a history of maximizing the strengths of his QB's and I expect better production out of whoever is under center. Gailey is also an offensive minded coach, which DJ never seemed to have much interest in or aptitude for. Those that want to can carry the baggage of the last several years into this season if they so choose. I'm looking forward to a tougher, more disciplined and smarter team. I don't expect them to make the playoffs, but I think this will be a team that no one takes lightly by the end of the season. I could be completely wrong, but I think we'll be proud of this team by the end of the year. And if I'm wrong, all ya'll (which is plural, BTW) can say, "I told you so."

Thank you. I've mentioned this a couple of times and have been referred to as a heretic by both camps.

You should sell the movie rights to this. Good stuff!

Ride on Billy. Ride on, brother.

Must have been the crappiest parking job, EVER.

Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no. Um...no.

I am doubtful of the "overemployed" label. I don't think companies would have structured their business plans to have more employees than financially necessary. I can tell you for sure, GE didn't. Companies are not spending any money that they don't see as absolutely 150% necessary and in many cases in my side of business, they know they need (not want) my products and have told me so. But....they are simply handcuffed by CapEx budgets that have been slashed to ribbons by upper management. So in my case, which is security, they eliminate security altogether and in essence, drive from Florida to Alaska without a spare tire and hope for the best. If nothing happens, they're okay. If something does happen, they're screwed. These days, for a lot of companies, that is an acceptable risk whereas prior to the crash, it would not have been. In my wife's case, people are indeed hiring, but as I said, unemployment is such they can get someone twice as qualified for 1/2 the salary.

Actually, a psychologist friend told me that this was more a definition of neurotic.

Well, I'm not so sure about your first sentence, John. "These days", unemployment is 12% in Florida and I know a bunch of people, my wife included, that simply cannot find jobs. Any jobs. Companies are shutting down, storefronts are vacant, entire shopping centers have closed up, businesses are cutting back to skeleton staff. Would they want to sit at a bench for 8 hours a day assembling widgets? No. Would they do it now? Absolutely. My wife has been unemployed for 2 years and she is a full charge book keeper. She has sent out hundreds and hundreds of resumes for anything and everything. Right now, companies looking for AR/AP/Book Keeper can get an unemployed CPA for less than the going salary of the AR/AP/Book Keeper. More than I meant to say, but this one is very close to home with me.

heh. I wonder what ABC's got left? Dancing with the Kardashian's Chef's Apprentice?

The manufacturing jobs your great uncle and grandfather (and mine) had are being done with far, far cheaper labor overseas and/or are being automated. Whether "we" value these types of jobs or not, the fact is that the cost of goods and labor overseas is far, far cheaper than in the US. It's almost impossible to produce a product in the US that can compete in price, with a comparable product produced overseas. Not unless someone is willing to pay the price differential. So those manufacturing jobs simply cease to exist in the US; either from the outright demise of the company or the relocation of the company to another country. I worked for GE for 6 years. You either make the numbers that GE gives you, or they either shut you down or carve you up and sell you off like pizza slices.

Correcto-mundo. Cheaper labor is a given. Other countries are unlikely to play by the same environmental rules that the US does, unless they are forced to. A)Who is going to force them? B)What is the "Or Else What?" clause. (abide by the rules, "Or Else XYZ.") In my business, products from overseas are a fraction of the cost of whatever US made products are still available AND are so comparable in quality and functionality that the cost differential is absurd.

Ham-handed, arrogant futhermuckers. May Dick Jauron become head of programming for ABC.

Well.....how megalomaniacal of ABC to exercise such ham-handed editorial license for our tender psyches! Jeezus H Christ on a Bicycle. Couldn't they sit the uck-fay down for once and just appreciate what they had for the last 6 years without stomping around in the wet cement like a bunch of 4 year olds?

like the Gilmour avatar, btw. One of the most under-appreciated guitarists, imo.

I agree. In fact, arrest Howard.

Did anyone else besides me look at the TV listings last night with a huge sense of loss? It was like driving past my best friend's house only to realize he's no longer there, and won't ever be, again.

It's hard to imagine that the oil spill can make business much worse than it already is in Florida, which was at 12% unemployment for April 2010. Only 4 states (Cal, Mich, Nevada, Rhode Island) had higher unemployment rates. My wife has been out of work for 2 YEARS. And it's not like she has some highly specialized, fringe skill....she's a full charge book keeper. She has applied for hundreds of jobs. Employers can snatch up an unemployed CPA at well below a book keeper's salary. So the oil spill is a giant nothing in terms of impacting southeast Florida.

Bingo. Look at Flacco's numbers when Balmer made it to the 2008 playoffs. Basically a caretaker QB with a smothering D. Can the Bills do the same? Dunno. But teams can be very successful with a "decent" QB, good running game and a stifling D.

....and exactly what is Mr. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje doing with himself these days? Tearing up the movie & TV industry?

Not sure if there's a weaker QB corps in the league or not, but assuming TE does win the starter job, he has to get back whatever it was he lost, and probably then some. If Trent's the guy, I'll be behind him until it becomes apparent he's not getting "it" back.

His "confidence" absolutely MUST translate onto the field. I don't think TE is going to get any more chances with the Bills. This is it. Hey....I'm pulling for him....or whoever is the starting QB. But unless one of 'em REALLY steps up, they'll just be holding the ball until next year's draft.

There is better stuff on TV than there was during the Three's Company era, to be sure. Haven't seen much I would classify as "good stuff," but that's just me. Lost hit me in a spot that nothing else has come close to. Several spots, actually. I think you're right about movies. I just watched Legion, for example. An angel with a buzz-saw-mace thingy? I hurl in the producer's general direction.

I'd rather watch the Three Stooges. Actually, I love those guys.