For anyone interested, I came across a surprisingly coherent, rational, and friendly thread (at least the first half) regarding the alleged pilot shortage: http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...tage-well.html

Of particular interest was this study on the shortage, one of the most comprehensive I've seen. It paints a fact-based picture that if you want to get to a major, you should statistically be able to. For your consideration:

http://www.northshore.edu/cms/file/a...bor-supply.pdf