Here is my rendition of talks between the NHL players and owners:
Players Union: Give us more of the revenue.
Owners: No.
Players Union: I guess will talk next week then.
Owners: Sure.
End of Act I
Monday, October 8, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Flying Cars Part Deux
I was playing Mass Effect 2 which takes place a couple hundred years from now or so and flying cars are everywhere and much to my horror in relation to my last blog post, flying cars get shot at and nearly crash land!
I realized though that there is a way around the problem of policing the sky.
So, let's say there's a check stop in the sky where police are checking for drunk drivers, or pilots.
If someone freaks out and decides to b-line it any direction because it's the open sky we are talking about, the only way to prevent that is if there is a system in place that keeps the vehicle on the same 'path' and does not allow any deviation.
This would mean that the driver would actually have limited control, and rightly so, because we don't need maniacs doing donuts in the sky and flying cars falling out of the sky in random spots.
Imagine the infrastructure required for that kind of air way system.
In the movie Minority Report, vehicles are extremely slender and go up and down buildings and can be taken over by the police.
Perhaps that scenario is more realistic as a junction between cars on the road and cars in the air.
That's enough for this rant.
I realized though that there is a way around the problem of policing the sky.
So, let's say there's a check stop in the sky where police are checking for drunk drivers, or pilots.
If someone freaks out and decides to b-line it any direction because it's the open sky we are talking about, the only way to prevent that is if there is a system in place that keeps the vehicle on the same 'path' and does not allow any deviation.
This would mean that the driver would actually have limited control, and rightly so, because we don't need maniacs doing donuts in the sky and flying cars falling out of the sky in random spots.
Imagine the infrastructure required for that kind of air way system.
In the movie Minority Report, vehicles are extremely slender and go up and down buildings and can be taken over by the police.
Perhaps that scenario is more realistic as a junction between cars on the road and cars in the air.
That's enough for this rant.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
What's that in the sky? A flying car!
I realized driving home today that it would be so cool to be able to push a big red button and see my car sprout wings and cold fusion powered rockets to propel me home ...
Then I realized everyone else would want the same thing as me and the sheer logistics of flying cars sobers you up real quick.
It is a chore to manage traffic on the ground, just imagine all the cars on the road flying.
How do you police the air?
Not to mention that gravity makes things fall ... fast.
The flying car has been featured in movies like Bladerunner and the Fifth Element, and I read years ago that the flying car had been tested and works.
Perhaps I shouldn't be so cynical, but I think that the movies is the only place we will be seeing mass use of flying cars until technology has really advanced, road rage doesn't convert into air road rage, and the internal combustion engine finally goes the way of the dinosaur on a large scale, no pun intended.
That's all this for rant.
Then I realized everyone else would want the same thing as me and the sheer logistics of flying cars sobers you up real quick.
It is a chore to manage traffic on the ground, just imagine all the cars on the road flying.
How do you police the air?
Not to mention that gravity makes things fall ... fast.
The flying car has been featured in movies like Bladerunner and the Fifth Element, and I read years ago that the flying car had been tested and works.
Perhaps I shouldn't be so cynical, but I think that the movies is the only place we will be seeing mass use of flying cars until technology has really advanced, road rage doesn't convert into air road rage, and the internal combustion engine finally goes the way of the dinosaur on a large scale, no pun intended.
That's all this for rant.
Monday, October 1, 2012
NHL Lockout in Canada
I've started ranting and raving about imposing term limits on municipal, provincial, and federal politicians of up to eight years like in the US.
It is interesting to note that the eight year mark was not some studied and statistically agreed upon number for someone to be president in the US, but that the first US president, George Washington, stepped down after eight years because he didn't want to hold onto the highest position of authority any longer than that.
I digress to say that it is time for Gary Bettman to step down as commissioner of the NHL.
Come on, three work stoppages in the last what, 15 years?
And this last one is befuddling to me.
The NHL is a billion dollar plus a year industry.
The NHLPA wants a bigger cut of that billion plus dollars.
If Sydney Crosby has a multi year contract worth over a $100 million, it would seem that the players are the greedy culprits again, since the last bone of contention was the players association resisting the league imposing a salary cap.
Well, Sydney Crosby's blockbuster contract is the exception and not the rule player salary wise, and yet for the casual fan like me, I can't wrap my head around a couple of things.
1. Why do the players want/need more money?
2. Why do the owners want/need to hold onto their current cut of revenues?
From my perspective, all I see is two sides who aren't in dire financial straits wanting more money then they could individually need for two lifetimes.
It has nothing to do with stability, safety, or fairness.
Sure there have been other strikes and lockouts in other professional leagues from basketball to football, but the NHL seems plagued by playground territorialisim.
That's enough ranting for now ...
It is interesting to note that the eight year mark was not some studied and statistically agreed upon number for someone to be president in the US, but that the first US president, George Washington, stepped down after eight years because he didn't want to hold onto the highest position of authority any longer than that.
I digress to say that it is time for Gary Bettman to step down as commissioner of the NHL.
Come on, three work stoppages in the last what, 15 years?
And this last one is befuddling to me.
The NHL is a billion dollar plus a year industry.
The NHLPA wants a bigger cut of that billion plus dollars.
If Sydney Crosby has a multi year contract worth over a $100 million, it would seem that the players are the greedy culprits again, since the last bone of contention was the players association resisting the league imposing a salary cap.
Well, Sydney Crosby's blockbuster contract is the exception and not the rule player salary wise, and yet for the casual fan like me, I can't wrap my head around a couple of things.
1. Why do the players want/need more money?
2. Why do the owners want/need to hold onto their current cut of revenues?
From my perspective, all I see is two sides who aren't in dire financial straits wanting more money then they could individually need for two lifetimes.
It has nothing to do with stability, safety, or fairness.
Sure there have been other strikes and lockouts in other professional leagues from basketball to football, but the NHL seems plagued by playground territorialisim.
That's enough ranting for now ...
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