Birdy

+$40/hr is over-paying for a game of euchre. I feel pretty confident in that. We've grossly over-payed, they grossly under pay, and here we are today.

A cousin of a friend works for Crossroads International Canada who have a plane going down this coming Tuesday. There's 17 of them, and I guess for every one of them, there's also an armed soldier flying too. Each person gets their own security system to keep them and their supplies safe. Scary!

If you're a Bell or Rogers cell phone client, you can text the word "Haiti" to 45678 and $5 will be added to your next monthly bill going to the Salvation Army's effort. http://www.nowpublic.com/world/salvation-army-text-give-haiti-text-haiti-45678-2556660.html

Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible is one of my all time favourites!

I'm sure it does boil down to the particular union, Esau, and i'm sorry for being so quick to judge them all together. I guess it's what a person is exposed to, and down in these parts its primarily the teachers unions and the UAW that get all the air time. I've listened to guys who got paid $40/hr tell stories about working for an hour, meeting quota and then sitting around playing euchre for the other 7. Or rolling on out after than hour, coming back after the 7 and punching out. It's this kinda thing, and the recent demise/decline of industry that puts a bad taste in one's mouth. I've always wondered if we didn't overpay (yes, i think $40/hr for these factory jobs was overpaying) our factory jobs, would our industry have been so desperate to look to Asia/Mexico/etc for cheaper labour in the first place? I don't know... I'm all for safe work places and appropriate compensation, but I think in a lot of cases that I've been exposed to, what's deemed 'appropriate compensation' has been drastically exaggerated. In comparison to similar jobs in non-unionized work places.

No worries, Esau. Not saying that in this case, but it is something I kinda think from time to time. The one thing that I've heard in the past from union-members and that really doesn't sit well with me is the bullying for votes that goes down. My mom tells me all the time about people saying to her 'you better vote yes'... and then being afraid to say she voted no. That, and if you really wholeheartedly don't believe in the strike, you can't do anything about it. That kinda irks me. Being forced to participate in something you don't agree with. I guess i'm way too much of an opinionated beeyatch to keep my mouth shut in those circumstances. But it's not really fair... or progressive.

And that's cool, DEM. I guess where the lack of sympathy lies is that some folks don't have the option to walk off the job, demand better circumstances, and come back the next day with a pay increase. That, and don't have the opportunity to PR the shit out of their stress levels to suit their cause.

Damn straight, bro!

Striking isn't quitting, Kev. I don't want to quit. And I don't hate my job. But if i could strike to force our board of directors to give me what I want, and to realize all of the bullshit I have to deal with, that would be great! Job security, ya know? If i walked off the job today in protest of something I thought was unfair, I probably wouldn't have a job tomorrow. Unfortunately with no union, I don't have that option. So, I suck it up, bring it up on a yearly basis in a polite manner, hope for the best and carry on. And for what it's worth, I didn't say there's no stress related to the teaching profession. I merely commented on what I'm exposed to with my roommate and mom, report card season, and putting in the extra three hours a night to get it all done. When I examine my own job, working till midnight, sometimes waking up in the middle of the night stressing that i forgot/needed to do something, having my phone ring 24/7 and come in to work to 250 new emails for the day, bosses yelling, clients demanding, i think i'd much rather be in my roomates or moms shoes. And, I'm sure Schwa can stick up for himself, but i wholeheartedly agree that teachers DO seem to bitch more than other professions. Might be shocking, but i have been in a room with other groups of people in a similar profession to allow me to make that comparison.

haha not uninformed PT. nothing i said in the above is uninformed, it's all first hand knowledge. and for what it's worth, it's hard to be 'sensitive' in these cases, considering everything else that's going on in the world.

Amen, Schwa! I live with an elementary teacher and have a mother whose a college professor. Sometimes i want to bash my head against a wall listening to them. Especially when the one I live with complains she has to work until 7 at night. Christ! I don't get out of this place sometimes until midnight, and even later. And I come in on Saturdays, Sundays, etc. For free! If i had the chance to strike, i tell you! It makes it really hard to take pity on teachers when I know what kind of hours I put in in comparison. Report card season is an absolute nightmare. Those three days of putting in extra time to get the marks in! C'mon! Stressed? Puhleeze. I don't know much about salary caps for public school teachers, but I do know how much money my mom makes. And I'll just say that striking for more money whatever the case seems like an f'ing joke to me. She voted no because she agrees. In comparison to other professions and hours and effort that go into them, she makes out pretty damn AOK. It's hard to pity teachers with their mandatory salary increases, job security, summers off, two weeks at Christmas and days here and there to 'regroup and refocus'. edit to add: No offense teachers! Just sayin'!

Whoa! So sad!

ooh Barcelona! love it! be careful out there Meggo! But if something happens, I'll make you a Chatham legend as promised! haha

C-towns thinks this show doesn't have anything on moe.down!

I'm all over this!

Pollyanna!

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shitty goaltending!

I'd say you should get both. They're both great albums.

Deepest Condolences. Very sad news.

The BJ auctions are an enormous advertisement. I'm pretty sure the bulk of their income comes from sponsorships, not the actual sale of cars.

I wish Jon-Rae was my BFF!! Sojourner

Deer Tick! Which, coincidentally, made my year.

Damn straight, Backbacon!! Support Canadian enterprise! www.rmauctions.com We host an auction at the Arizona Biltmore the same time as BJ's auction in Scottsdale.