Today was a great day in college football! The gators lost to GA southern, Baylor and Oregon, and of course I was present for another gigantic FSU victory (with the last 20ish points put up via the third string).

It'll be interesting if anything comes of the Winston thing. It all sounds a bit fishy, but I'm definitely biased. :)

Carl is a good debater but he is misinformed on so many issues. He still thinks PAC is a RED/BLUE issue and like many others, he is his own worst enemy. He is crafty at dodging questions and issues. He has a small cult following but most see him for the tool that he is. I'm sure I will wake up to a sentence by sentence bullet point response from him.

Yes. A good football day, unless you are T.

T, I know your pain as my alma mater employed Tyrone Willingham.

He rewarded us with the distinction as the only FBS team to go winless for a season and the longest losing streak at 0-13.

Anyway, condolences from the APC crowd.

Buzz:

FWIW, I'm in the same furlough group as you, and I didn't take Scambo's posts the same way you did. Seemed to me he knew guys were out, in general, a good, long while. He was just saying that IF a furloughee were out from an airline for only a couple of months and never came back, that might be a meaningful stat as it related to the desirability of his/her airline for employment. However; once you start racking up the furlough years, especially 5, 8, 10 etc, it is less indicative of the desirability of the company, and more because that guy has had to move on with his life and his current gig is good enough to not leave.

Having said that, I agree with everything else you said. My little anecdotal story:

A few years into our furlough, I'm riding as a paying pax on DAL. I don't know if we still had those furlough I.D.s (remember those?) I stopped by the cockpit to say hello and mainly to see if there were any good rumors. After I gave my quick intro including the fact I was a DAL furlough, the captain wheels around in his seat and says "I didn't know we still had guys on furlough!" The number was still above 1000 at that point. I remember the green slips as well. I also remember the COBRA payments, and that was much appreciated. You get this large of a group and you're gonna have all kinds.

I know what you mean. I almost changed the channel with about a minute left cause I was sure the vols had it locked up. Then, WT EFF?:eek:

Carl

Not to be picky but your numbers are way off. I was almost exactly in the middle of the furloughed south group and came back 3 years to the month. There were guys back on the property about 6 months before me, still a long time but at not anywhere close to 5 years...

4 years, 9 months here.

Jay,

Thanks. Your first paragraph was exactly what I meant. Just the same, while I am not the most empathetic tool in the shed, Buzz makes some good points. When LD was furlough coordinator, I sent him job leads and mil re-entry info...it was stuff he probably already had, but one thing I think Buzz is correct about: The rank and file did not generally keep the furloughees in their hearts and minds...generally....broad brush.

I was right there with you Buzz. Being furloughed gives a total new perspective on unity and what people are made of because it becomes apparent in those tough times. I think our group is no different than the greater population when looking out for self-interest. Our whole culture/pilot group have moved toward short-term thinking just as wall street. The greater good has been lost on "what's in it for me." And "BTW I want it right now, if not yesterday!!" It will take great leadership or crisis or both to change it. I agree with you that Carl gets it.

Well if we are sharing stories-- My most memorable stories was when the chief pilot in DFW called security to escort me and another furloughee out of the DFW pilot lounge following our last flight. Needless to say I was surprised. Talk about the walk of shame, I would say that single 10 minute event is my most memorable experience at Delta.