Phew!  I had a heart attack when they announced it would be 4 on 4 for overtime.  US has the faster team so I thought we were in trouble.

There was a game somehere...?

Oh yeh. that one

My little ones weren't born when we won the last, so we had a very fun p.m.  What a game!

Nice to get that OT goal; and by Crosby no less.  The streets of Calgary were deserted during the game.  A great event

hey peeps!

just popping my head in to say hi

sorry i havent been around much....still not working so keeping my eyes away from anything that costs money

all the best - hope you are all well!

Al

killjoy32 wrote:hey peeps!

just popping my head in to say hi

sorry i havent been around much....still not working so keeping my eyes away from anything that costs money

all the best - hope you are all well!

Al

Hey Al
Hope things improve for you soon.

ShaneG.

Plaag wrote:
Hey Al
Hope things improve for you soon.

ShaneG.

meh i am fine. its nice actually having a life, rather than grinding away all day. just need to figure out how to do that AND have cash at the same time

best

Al

Ugh.
I was on a televised forum/debate for the Town Council positions in my town this afternoon. At 43, I was the youngest guy there, and other than myself, the candidates were of three types: the Washington wannabes who spouted tired old political gibberish they picked up watching TV debates, the incumbents who vigorously defended wasting millions of dollars on pet projects, and brain-dead overdressed political cannon fodder. I was told I stood out like a sore thumb in a GOOD way; I told no lies, twisted no information, and came across as an intelligent, informed, stand-up guy who had no backdoor political ties or agenda (not my words).
I've been here just under two years; the rest of the candidates have been here at least 15. Supposedly that works in my favor; I am told that people like the idea that I haven't been here long enough to have been corrupted, and I would bring a new perspective to old problems. I think I have a good shot at winning my district, which would eventually throw the council into a tizzy. I can't be bought, have zero interest in self-service, and won't hesitate to out anyone who I catch screwing the town in any way.
My question is this: Am I unique? Is this REALLY what small-town politics is like; a bunch of old men scratching each other's backs at taxpayer expense? Or is it that the larger a town gets, the more corruption and loser politicians it is exposed to? Derry is not huge (34K residents), but it is the fourth largest town in New Hampshire. I've never been deep into town politics anywhere else, but I do know that the smaller towns I've lived in did not seem to have the waste and fraud I've seen here.
On a scarier note: If this is truly what town politics are like, I can't even begin to imagine what Washington is like. After today, just thinking about the concept of the nation being led by people of this caliber scares the soft-serve shit out of me. This country needs a political enema something fierce.

My thoughts:

1)  Politicians are a mixed bag - generally more eccentric than the rest of the population.  They have to be eccentric to want political office in the first place.  Some of them are outright wierd and some are balls-out stupid.

2)  Small town politics are about small problems and small people.

3)  Insider deals are how things get done in any organization.  An insider deal is "corrupt" if it is not the deal I wanted.

4)  People always say they want a plain talking, straight shooter who has no special interests and always tells the truth.  However....

5)  People actually don't want plain talk, they resent straight shots, they have their own special interests at heart and the truth is seldom popular and almost always inconvenient.

6)  We tend to elect politicians who promise to cut taxes, increase efficiency, blah blah blah....  Politicians who cut taxes have to cut services.  Politicians who cut services lose votes.  Politicians who lose votes don't get re-elected.

Accept it or go mad.

PaulKM wrote:It was an excellent game.

I thought it was pretty good.  I watched it, and quite enjoyed the game but it was only the fifth or sixth ice hockey game I have ever watched.  The first one being the US vs. USSR game in 1980 at the Lake Placid games.  I remember sitting at my grandmothers kitchen table watching it on an old black & white TV.  I probably didnt see another hockey game until my twenties.  And the majority of my hockey knowledge comes from playing NHLPA '93 on my Sega Genesis.  

It was nice that Canada won the last gold medal of the Vancouver games.  It is only fitting.  I'm just glad the game was close and not a huge blowout like a lot of the games were.