Buffalo Wings

That's why I always have my ipod... Crappy morning - overnight road work on I-87 southbound towards Albany spilled into the early rush hour and caused huge backups. Then some person didn't check their blind spot and almost side-swiped me. Then I get into work and our server admins are arguing with me about how the network isn't configured right causing problems for users, combined with my mother calling me because her PC is having what seems to be significant problems. Oh yeah...that tool that sits next to me hasn't shut up all day long and decides to slam his fist on his desk multiple times because he couldn't figure out how to edit a spreadsheet. On top of all that, I have to come back into work an hour earlier than I thought because it fits the schedule better for our vendor's technician. :censored: :wallbash: :doh: In the end, I didn't get into an accident...I solved the problem with my mother's PC...the server admin found a config error...my co-worker finally asked me about the spreadsheet thing, which I fixed for him...and I'll get extra comp time for the work I'm doing later. I guess dealing with the BS and getting my BP up worked out in the end. :flirt:

Thank you...I was wondering if it was just the lighting from the Bell Centre or if the equipment mgr just left the whites hanging in the window to fade.

This is totally bizarre... I didn't even see this thread yesterday when I was online, but had a dream last night that Miller was traded to the Capitals. :o They've always had a good team, but their goaltending was never elite (as someone said about Chicago). That move would make a lot of sense if the Caps were in the top 8, which they aren't. [cue Twilight Zone music]

I totally get that. It was only 24 hours (actually, about 22 - they just wanted three meals and a night of sleep) and the whole time, I felt fortunate that I didn't have to do this all the time. We'll see what the results yield, but now that I'm done with it, I'm quite relieved.

Get it right...it's Pi Day. :P I've had acid reflux for years and just recently started a cough that's probably because of it. The doc sent me to a gastroenterologist who did an endoscopy on me last month. That wasn't so bad because I was knocked out for it. But since it didn't show anything unusual, they had me do a manometry and I'm currently on a 24-hr pH monitor. Basically, the manometry is sticking a tube through your nose & down your throat and having you swallow liquids to check the esophagus muscles and measure any acid from the stomach. I gagged three times. At least the liquids were grape gatorade and banana-flavored jello. Yummy. The 24-hr monitor is the same thing, except it's a smaller tube (about the size of a spaghetti noodle) that is taped to your nose and runs down the esophagus. Just knowing it's there has made me gag a few times and I feel like something is stuck in my throat that I can't swallow no matter how many times I do so. Since the tube is attached to a machine that records everything, I feel like I'm carrying an early 1990s mobile phone with me. The only good part about all of this is that my boss went through the exact same stuff several years ago. He understands and is letting me work from home instead of taking a sick/vacation day. But I wouldn't wish this on anyone. It's borderline torture - even the wife has made fun of me a couple of times. I've got about 2 hours left of this thing...I've survived so far, but sleeping with this stuff was difficult and I'm doing all I can to stop the dogs from jumping on me.

I wouldn't call it "seriously insane", but I did like that style. The red third jersey from those years is by far my favorite. I like the current blue. The old blue is too light for me. I think people make too much of the throwback idea and kinda overdo it, if you ask me.

I honestly, truly do like my job, but I've pretty much reached the end of my rope with a co-worker. He's been with us for 13+ months, but was not only new to the data comm industry, but new to the IT industry as a whole when he started. He graduated from a local tech school where he supposedly learned the basics of networking, but has shown otherwise. For the past several months, he's continued to make mistakes and taken networks down that require others to clean up...including mistakes that he makes over & over again. About 2 months ago, the 4th member of our team left the company, so it's pretty much just me that's stuck with him. Worse yet, his personality is that of a tool...he's loud, tries to be part of the conversations in the office, but usually says something stupid, and has virtually no common sense. He spends more time flirting with the females in the company (face-to-face and over email) than actually sitting down to read up on documentation and maybe learn something. And yes, in the 13 months he's been here, he has yet to show me that he can learn something about data networks. Not to mention, he doesn't try to figure something out on his own...he just wants the answer. Apparently, he's been handed things his entire life. The last straw came when my boss asked me yesterday to take over a project that was clearly mishandled by this guy (as if I didn't already have 14 things on my plate). Luckily, I was able to clean things up within 24 hours and get everything done correctly. My boss understands and is trying to relieve us of this situation, but that's in a limbo state right now. It's simply wearing on my patience.

Lord Stanley, here we come!! :worthy:

Years ago, I decided there's not necessarily a curse, but some sort of order in the universe where certain teams are supposed to win and others aren't. This came when I watched my favorite college hockey team (Union) lose again to their arch rival (RPI) in the playoffs, even when they were favored to win. I then watched the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the playoffs. It was at that point, when I realized that some form of order wasn't allowing underdog teams to win. Then it all changed...we know about the Red Sox, but Union last season finally took it over the top by winning the ECAC Championship and reaching the NCAA Frozen Four. My point is that things will get better...it'll probably get worse before they get better (I know - how much worse can it get?), but it will get better.

Touche. Sometimes the right coach with the right players can make things work, however. I'm not saying that will be the case here, but there's enough talent on this team for them to be winning much more often than they are.

This. I've seen coaches do this for years - sit the guys who aren't showing effort. In theory, that motivates the whole team. I've even seen coaches scratch a popular/star player because he wasn't putting forth a good effort. It sends a message. If Rolston does this, he'll earn the respect of the players and fans.

About the only reason the lackluster play would disappear is because the players would think they're playing for their jobs. Maybe they don't fear that - or ever will, for that matter - because they have contracts with guaranteed money and agents and a union....or whatever. Coaching changes in mid-season have worked for some teams in the past (it got them to the playoffs, at least), so maybe we'll see something over the course of the next 2 months. To be honest, I don't know what to expect...but I certainly didn't expect a miraculous turnaround in the first game. This happens everywhere...even in "the real world". I've seen plenty of people in my career cover things up, point blame at another group, or (worse yet) blame someone who recently left the company so that they wouldn't look bad.

Boy...one game under Rolston and we're all a flutter about how to change the team again. :wallbash: I agree that they didn't look any different last night and it's frustrating to watch, but did we all really think this team would suddenly change overnight just because the coach is new? Did anyone think that maybe Rolston wants a game or two to evaluate how he should run things? He just joined the team on Wednesday afternoon and barely has had any time to talk to the players, much less coach them. Let's give the guy a chance before we fire him, too.

After I left WNY, I didn't have much of a chance to follow them up until 1993 - the year they swept Boston in the first round, then got swept by the Habs in the Adams Div finals. I remember Muckler's teams, but barely remember Ted Sator's teams. I had forgotten that Nolan coached them for 2 seasons...I just remembered the 96-97 playoff team. It's just going to be hard for me to associate this team without Ruff, yet I agree that the right decision was made.

I'll take it...at this point, we need something - ANYTHING - to change. The product on the ice is stale, as if the players aren't motivated and are only playing for a paycheck. The only two we've seen show something are Vanek & Miller...perhaps Ott, as well. I'm at the point where the organization needs to do something for the sake of change.

I think it was something along the lines of "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results". This describes this organization to a T. I would have thought we'd see changes when TPegs took the reins. One would hope that those changes come once this team misses the playoffs again this year.

Glass shoves Foligno into Fluery, then gives him crap for running into his goalie.

Sloppy play by a tired line...and Pominville.

Derek who?

Ott!!!!

Thank you!!

They've been doing this for years. Either not enough people have complained or NBC doesn't care. It got so bad during the last winter Olympics, my wife turned it off.

Amen, sister!

You're assuming your power doesn't go out. What I hate is when the forecasters call for such a storm and the grocery stores are MOBBED the day & night before...as if it's the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas. Almost every store in this area runs out of bread, milk, and beer the day before a predicted big storm. At least one meteorologist had the sense to tell everyone to relax and only go to the store if you're almost out of the essentials, but the media loves to scare everyone around here into thinking this is the beginning of the apocalypse.

I haven't read through this whole thread, so I can't comment on specific things. That said, just seeing the product on the ice is (at minimum) enigmatic, if not plain-old disturbing. These guys played a hell of a game against the Bruins - not a dominant effort, but showed some heart and didn't give up when they fell behind...twice. To me, it was the most impressive I've seen them in a few years when they needed to be. But apparently, it was just the Bruins that motivated them. The absolute stinker in Montreal and the horrible effort Sunday just show me that they don't seem to have the motivation. These were both bad losses, which I'm seeing more and more of over the past few years. If you can explain to me how they didn't show up in Montreal after such an invigorating and emotional win in Boston, then please jump behind the bench and fix this team. I've always like Lindy and loved his style of play when he played...but I think it's time to move on. It's stale. Someone mentioned stupidity being the idea of doing the same thing and expecting different results - it's also insanity.