Chuck the Duck

I understand the moral arguments from both sides of this issue.  I really do.  However, 70+% of all Americans already heave health insurance through an employer provided program.  That doesn't count the large numbers of Medicare and Medicaid, as well as those with individual policies.    

I am sick and tired of the governement telling me what I can and cannot do, especially with my money.  I mean, where does it end?  The long term effects of this ruling can be rather scary when taken to the extreme.  Pretty soon, the government will mandate that everyone in America must buy a car made by an American owned company and mfg'd in the US or face a penalty at the time of purchase of a foreign car of $x because it is in America's interests to keep manufacturing jobs in the US.  This ruling basically says the government can mandate anything they want against individual citizens if the penalty they attach to non-compliance can be considered a tax and there is a legitimate government concern as a basis for the legislation.  

I have health insurance through my employer.  But if they were smart (and cared only about the bottom line), they would force all 1000+ employees to go and get their health insurance through the public exchanges as the company would save money by paying the penalty rather than the premiums for each employee (I work for a good company with a very good health insurance plan).  Ironically, it would then be cheaper for me to pay the 1% of salary max. penalty for individuals provided in the law than it would be for me to buy comparable insurance to what I have now.  So, therefore, in theory, this law could burden the system even further by making people like me go without insurance when I already have it.

It is amazing how few news outlets do their own investigations and simply regurgitate the same scandelous story and hide behind the fact that they report the original author as the source of the baseless and incorrect information they are perpetuating.

What that b!tch meant to say was, "I was probably like 'Let's go Ranjas!' and, as I was screaming with my whiny voice directly in the ear of the guy in front of me, he told me to shut the f^$k up and I was like 'go f^$k yaself!  Don't ya know who I yam, I'm the Khloe Kardashian of Toms Rivah you dumb mothaf^cka!"  And then he spit on her.  Plus, she shouldn't be that offended considering she's used to getting a guys bodily fluid splattered all over her face, except the fluid she's used to isn't saliva.

In all seriousness, the spitting (if it actually happened) is over the line.  No need for that.  With that being said, I'm glad she had a miserable experience and hopefully she never returns to the Rock.

Time to show the killer instinct and finish this thing off right.  NO excuses.  Just win.

LET'S GO DEVILS!!!

Guilty as charged.  In fact that's the best thing about the Trapezoid rule.  It will forever be tied to Brodeur and will force his puckhandling to be mentioned whenever debating Brodeur's career and his relative standing among the greatest of all time.

They'll probably get rid of it the day after he retires.

I;m not the one who did an interview with pictures taken at the game with PuckDaddy within 12 hours of the game.

Somebody's jealous!

I happily and regretfully eat all my negative words tonight folks.
But still, they got lucky, they have to play with that urgency through periods 2 and 3 in Game 7.

Were we watching the same game?  They didn't get lucky.  They dominated that game.  If anything, the puck bouncing in off of Poni on the first goal, and the complete blown call on the Kovy trip that directly led to the 2nd is more unlucky than anything else.  They controlled the play all night long.  They DESERVED that win.

Reading this thread made me laugh.

What are the chances here that the Devils move on and end up playing Rangers second round. It seems to me that this is quite likely.

Seems highly likely unless Washington plays well and can upset Boston in the first round.  I think both the Devils and Rangers take Round 1 in 6 games.

The problem he has is that this investment in downtown that is coming in drips and drabs does nothing for the quality of life for the citizens, it gives them some opportunities for service industry jobs but that's about it.   So he has to be enraged and JVB is an easy target because he's a dead man walking.   He has to play this act, it makes him look like a moron for people who KNOW, but like you said, the people that don't know, it looks good, he's fighting the man.

Still have no idea why this even went to court, there was no way they were going to win.

I couldn't agree more.  If nothing else, the ruling helps the City by ensuring the Devils remain in Newark for likely the remainder of its lease even if they go into bankruptcy and are sold.  That means they get to "tax payroll" of the Devils and continue to collect 75% of all parking tax revenue from events at the arena over the life of the lease.  Meanwhile, the Devils get to play in their home arena practically rent free, and get to keep all concession and all non-hockey related revenue generated by the arena, which Booker claimed was $11 million last year clear of all taxes and expenses.  Nowhere in this country (and probably Canada as well) will the new owners of the team find more favorable business conditions than the Devils have with this deal, not to mention the large media rights contract they have with MSG+.

The construction of the arena may have bankrupted JVB and the City of Newark, but I really can't see how a new owner taking control of the team and arena clear of most, if not all current debt (in the event of a bankruptcy), can't make this team profitable.

I personally can't stand Micheletti (partially b/c I'm a Devils fan and partially b/c he sucks).  He acts like everything and everyone is out to get the Rangers, and they can do nothing wrong.  When they lose, it's because they played poorly and he gives no credit to the other team.  A soft dump from center is a great save by the Queen, and when the puck clangs off the post behind him, it's because of that metro's perfect positioning that forced the shooter to hit the post.

However, Rosen and JD are/were no better.  I think being a complete unabashed homer is a requirement of that job.  You can't criticize the team, at any cost, and must make it seem like they are a collection of Greek Gods that can piss lightning and crap thunder.  

Overall, all 3 area teams have pretty good announcers compared to some of the other clowns in the league.

There is no doubt that Brodeur wouldn't have won the same amount of games playing on a crappy team (no one would).  But there also isn't any doubt that the Devils wouldn't have won the number of games, division championships, Eastern Conference championships and Stanley Cups as they have over the past 20 years if they didn't have Brodeur in net.  The guy has been a rock, rarely missed a game, and was/is the model of consistency from that position.  We have been privileged to watch him play for all these seasons.

but he is still the President of the United States, and it's a great honor to be respected by the office of the Presidency.  

While I am no fan of President Obama, I agree with this sentiment.  You may not respect the man or his political beliefs, but you need to respect the Office.  Thomas probably should have gone.  But, is this a big deal?  No (although the political media is making it out to be one because its an election year and it gives them something to talk about other than Newt's 12 ex-wives).  What pisses me off is, if you have the balls to refuse the invitation, then have the balls to stand up and say that you are a Republican and do not believe in the President's policies, want to take this opportunity to make a political statement (which this clearly was), and don't want to be in his company.