Shamu

Better yet how did MNF work out for Alex Smith? He may have just become the backup. Might turn out to be like Wally Pipp who took a day off and was replaced by Lou Gehrig.

Hot!...............The cheerleaders I mean.............No disrespect to the troops!

Make no mistake, PawPaw will be listening and be filled with pride.

It's not over yet.............. http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/11/19/twinkie-hostess-brands-union-judge-orders-mediation/

http://www.laosgpsmap.com/ho-chi-minh-trail-laos/

Damn, where did Pennywise go from my first post? Back in the sewers? Any of you read Steven King's "It". He was the clown going after Chile

Shared.

Perhaps it was Pennywise from the Steven King novel "It"?

Looks like a Husqvarna, it just might do it. Give it time, we Swedes are slow learners.

All I know is I like the sport better than boxing but as with other events I will not buy Pay Per View if that is where this fight is to be shown. A few to many different groups for me to fully understand who is best.

I believe if I were paying for the health care plan I had, prior to qualifying for Medicare, for my wife and myself it would have been around $1,000.00 per month. I was fortunate to have excellent coverage with token co-pays for doctors visits, prescription plan, eye, ears and dental care. This continued in my retirement until I qualified for Medicare and then it became a secondary insurance. I was on the retirement benefit plan for over 13 years before going on to Medicare. I was most fortunate. Thank you UAW.

No sympathy from me, I was up for work at 4:00 AM for so many years that even now as retiree I am hard pressed not to be up before the sun makes an appearance or to sleep more than 5 hours.

Just a holiday reminder that December 17 is Free Shipping day for many merchants. In this economy every penny counts, don't forget that little ones grow into big ones. $0.01 can grow $1.00 buy saving. Canadians will have to use a different coin denomination for an example since they no longer have the penny. http://www.freeshippingday.com/

I doubt that a lot of participants in this dialogue realize how much unions have benefited the American worker, even those that now are anti-union. The unions dragged everyone's standard of living up, union or not. Our standard of living, across the board, would not be where it is today if not for unions. Because of unions the standard of living has improved for every single American worker, union or not. Not being Canadian as is Johnny Dos I cannot fairly offer an opinion on the impact of unions in Canada. However I am not a union radical, I believe in fair negotiations for a fair wage and benefits. Neither side should be greedy. It starts with recognizing the company must make money or there will be no jobs, the plant will close. If it can be determined that the company is profitable the negotiations should be for fair wages and benefits equating to a fair share of the profits. Unionism started on a battleground between workers and management. And make no mistake, were it not for unions every workers status, union or non-union, would be much less than it is today. Now the playing field is much more level and in many cases the union and management recognize that they need to cooperate with each other in order to survive. Common sense with both union and management needs to apply, not a hostile attitude by either party.

If it were to go to politics as a registered user you would not see it. Besides, it's not political, it's more about the economy driving the actions of both management and unions and a very real situation here in Philly for the Hostess employees.

@ Harry; Your position may work in a right to work state or a non-union shop. However in union shops you are bound by contract which in turn requires the management and union to negotiate. Many companies have been much more open about the companies financial position in order to resolve contract disputes. Also understand the workings of some union contracts and I will reference auto workers. Did you know that Ford, Chrysler and GM were at one time restricted from outsourcing any work to non-union supplier shops by contract? So if you were to be a supplier to the auto industry, even in a right to work state, you had to allow your workers to be unionized. From personal experience I am familiar with a major supplier located in Kentucky, a right to work state, that had to allow unionization in order to retain work from Ford. I am not saying I agree with it but it's just how it was. Unionize or lose all Ford work which would essentially close the plant. Some of you might be amazed at the controls the Big 3 can exercise over the supplier industry. And believe me the supplier industry is big. It can go right down to if your employees are wearing their safety glasses or not. That is not to say all workers had to join the union but I believe they still paid the dues and received a contract usually closely based on the lead contract negotiated with one of the big 3 depending on who was selected for the initial contract negotiation which set the pattern for others in the industry to follow. I also readily admit I am 15 years removed from active contract negotiations and much has changed. I did however see a much closer relationship between union and management start to take hold as both sides realized they both, in some way, needed each other and needed to find common profitable grounds.

Dont worry. Alot of native English speakers struggle talking about politics in English. I agree, we can confuse ourselves with BS or just the desire to disagree with whatever is said.

First understand that I am a retiree of the United Auto Workers union just so you do not think I am coming from a biased position. I also served as an elected union official. Very often unions are their own worst enemy through restrictive job classifications and even the seniority system which allows drones to continue to work while more competent union members are laid off. Unions are not without fault in jobs leaving this country for more a more favorable economic position. Unions members need to realize that the company must make money and must remain competitive with non union or foreign competition. Until the two sides realize they need each other to succeed we in the U.S. will continue to lose work to non union shops and foreign competition. A good start would be opening the books for a fair and honest review of the companies competitive position, in it's industry, prior to contract negotiations or demands. And don't even get me started on public service employees who hold students and the general public hostage with their demands. PS; I would add since you are from Germany that some of our old school journeymen German Tool and Die makers were among the best tool makers I have ever encountered. Their work ethic was outstanding and they knew how to teach an apprentice. Pride in craftsmanship set them apart. You just don't see it like that anymore. I still can see them in their bib overalls and bow tie along with outstanding personal care of their tools.

Hostess Foods filing for bankruptcy. Could it be the end of the Twinkie? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jKw6xX6Ztc

Well, does a Honda 650 Enduro dirt bike count? No pics on Photobucket or this laptop to post. I also have a Harley 2003 Ultra Classic in 100th Anniversary colors but I am sure that does not qualify as a "sport" bike but it is a bike. I need to get a pic of my Honda on to Photobucket.

Be thankful for the life you gave her and the memories you have to cherish. Be thankful that you can at least have a choice to let her go painlessly when the time finally comes. It's an act of kindness. And think about getting a new puppy. Not replace her but to build their own new place in your family.

I do not think it will be resolved until a case goes before the Supreme Court. Until then it will be a legal battleground payday for lawyers. Gotta think the lawyers just love this situation.