From the Maineline to the Connecticut Shoreline, people across the six New England states are often lauded for their friendliness, world-class universities, and outstanding seafood. However, get a group of three of us outside of our ancestoral homeland and we are flat out obnoxious. This weekend I attended the Red Sox/O's match-up in Baltimore and it was quite the sorry state of affairs.
The crowd at Camden Yards on Saturday was the sixth largest crowd EVER recorded at Oriole Park. Of the over 48,000 fans who attended Saturday's game, at least 3/4 of them were Red Sox fans. If you've ever lived in Europe, after being there for a while you automatically cringe when you spot a jeans-and-sneaker wearing American loudly complain that the McDonald's in Tulsa is soooo much better than the McDonald's in London. That's kind of how I felt on Saturday.
It didn't used to be this way. Every August for the past five years Mom and I have visited the Troll in Baltimore to catch the Sox/O's series. Baltimore is only 7 hours from Boston and because they play a weekend series, and because Baltimore is only an hour from DC, it really is a great opportunity to check out the Sox and our nation's capitol. While Red Sox fans have always dominated the Yard during these series, we were for the most part very gracious guests. Sure some of our fans had a few too many Coors Light, and we definitely over-powered the home crowd by chanting "Let's Go Sox" when the monitor urged us to say "Let's go O's", but it wasn't anything like this weekend.
I personally think that this Red Sox Nation thing has gone a little bit too far. While I'm not the most rabid baseball fan you'll ever come across, I've always rooted for the Sox, even when there wasn't very much to root about. For the majority of my lifetime the Sox haven't been very good. Any year that they would scrape by into a Wild Card spot was considered a successful season. During this time (especially on a week night) they could barely draw a crowd to Fenway, never mind sell out an opposing team's ballpark.
For the first time in a long time the Red Sox are a very good team. As fans we travel with them, root for them, and have managed to sell out Fenway Park for the last 300+ home games. We pony up $85 for ok seats, $8 for a beer, and are completely arrogant about how die-hard we are for the home team. One of my favorite things to do is to watch my Mom try to have a conversation with an extremely drunk "fan" who claims to be a wicked hard core about his Sox. She'll ask him really basic questions about historic Sox games and they haven't got a clue. She won't admit it, but I think this is her way of fucking with the Red Sox Nation pledges.
Historically, New Englanders have always followed the Old Town Team in a civilized and dignified manner. We might lightly badger fans from the opposing teams (especially the Yankees) but we were never the drunk, elitist fans that we've recently become. Friendly rivalry is one thing, acting like a complete asshole is another. The Orioles may not be the best team in the American League East, but they did manage to sweep us 2-1 in this series.
Not to jinx it, but the Red Sox obviously can't be this good forever. Therefore, we shouldn't let this current wave of success go to our head. Like it did for the Bruins in the 70's and the Celtics in the 80's, the other shoe will eventually drop on the Boston Red Sox. In other words, just because we know that everything about Boston is superior to any other city, we needn't rub it in our opponent's faces. Rather than chant that the "Yankees Suck", let's just be happy that at least for the moment, the Red Sox don't.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Wow! I am a avid reader of the msn.com homepage so I was shocked when I discovered this article describing the tax technicalities of hiring a day laborer.
In my area of Massachusetts I don't generally see illegal immigrants/legal immigrants/plain 'ol Americans soliciting day jobs outside the Home Depot but I've heard that it's definitely more common in other parts of the country. The article by MSN describes the steps you as an "employer" must take if you plan to hire one of these folks.
After selling payroll in a city with a large immigrant population for three years, I would bet my bottom dollar that I am more knowledgable about this topic than any corporate accoutant or attorney. This article is peppered with inaccuracies, which I assume is MSN's way of encouraging their readers NOT to hire one of these folks.
Personally, I would never invite a random dude I found in a Home Depot parking lot into my home to do random fix-it work but obviously plenty of people do or else this wouldn't be a thriving industry. I also recognize the fact that people who do this type of work are people who actually want to WORK in order to earn a living for their families. Legal resident or not, there is something extremely admirable about a person that would subject themselves to this type of humiliation and hard labor in order to provide food for their children.
The inaccuracies I found in the article that prompted me to blog about it:
1. You do not need to withhold or match FICA (social security and medicare) for day laborers UNLESS you plan to hire them for an indefinite period of time. Since these folks are generally hired to perform one or two specific tasks, they would probably not fall into the "employee" category.
2. As independant contractors, they would not need to fill out W-4 or I-9 forms.
3. If you plan to pay an individual worker (not a company) over $600 in a given calendar year (in the article they said $50 a month to make the threshold seem lower) you will need their name, address and social security number. Technically you would need to issue them a 1099 (similar to W-2 form you receive from your employer).
4. Even if they WERE considered employees (which they're not), you as the "employer" would be responsible for checking their visas and dealing with the higher tax implications. For example, someone receiving a paycheck on an H-2B (technical worker visa) would be taxed at a higher rate than an American citizen. They do this in order to encourage American companies to hire American citizens over legal foreign workers. The article fails to mention this.
5. The article was correct when they mentioned that a worker could sue you if they get hurt on your property. Then again, so could a guest you invite into your home that injures themselves on your stairs.
A simple, legal way to get around all of this is to "rent" them tools by bumping their pay and backing out the rental fee. In almost every state, a worker who provides their own tools is considered an independant contractor. When was the last time you withheld taxes on the contractors you hired to re-do your kitchen, paint your house, or landscape your yard?
Of course I'm not a tax professional so this is merely my educated opinion, not actual legal advice. However, it really irks me when journalists aren't forthcoming due to their own anti-immigration agendas. I say make them all legal and then tax them. The nay-sayers constantly complain that these workers aren't assimilated into American culture so why not let them share our tax burden - it's the American way.
In my area of Massachusetts I don't generally see illegal immigrants/legal immigrants/plain 'ol Americans soliciting day jobs outside the Home Depot but I've heard that it's definitely more common in other parts of the country. The article by MSN describes the steps you as an "employer" must take if you plan to hire one of these folks.
After selling payroll in a city with a large immigrant population for three years, I would bet my bottom dollar that I am more knowledgable about this topic than any corporate accoutant or attorney. This article is peppered with inaccuracies, which I assume is MSN's way of encouraging their readers NOT to hire one of these folks.
Personally, I would never invite a random dude I found in a Home Depot parking lot into my home to do random fix-it work but obviously plenty of people do or else this wouldn't be a thriving industry. I also recognize the fact that people who do this type of work are people who actually want to WORK in order to earn a living for their families. Legal resident or not, there is something extremely admirable about a person that would subject themselves to this type of humiliation and hard labor in order to provide food for their children.
The inaccuracies I found in the article that prompted me to blog about it:
1. You do not need to withhold or match FICA (social security and medicare) for day laborers UNLESS you plan to hire them for an indefinite period of time. Since these folks are generally hired to perform one or two specific tasks, they would probably not fall into the "employee" category.
2. As independant contractors, they would not need to fill out W-4 or I-9 forms.
3. If you plan to pay an individual worker (not a company) over $600 in a given calendar year (in the article they said $50 a month to make the threshold seem lower) you will need their name, address and social security number. Technically you would need to issue them a 1099 (similar to W-2 form you receive from your employer).
4. Even if they WERE considered employees (which they're not), you as the "employer" would be responsible for checking their visas and dealing with the higher tax implications. For example, someone receiving a paycheck on an H-2B (technical worker visa) would be taxed at a higher rate than an American citizen. They do this in order to encourage American companies to hire American citizens over legal foreign workers. The article fails to mention this.
5. The article was correct when they mentioned that a worker could sue you if they get hurt on your property. Then again, so could a guest you invite into your home that injures themselves on your stairs.
A simple, legal way to get around all of this is to "rent" them tools by bumping their pay and backing out the rental fee. In almost every state, a worker who provides their own tools is considered an independant contractor. When was the last time you withheld taxes on the contractors you hired to re-do your kitchen, paint your house, or landscape your yard?
Of course I'm not a tax professional so this is merely my educated opinion, not actual legal advice. However, it really irks me when journalists aren't forthcoming due to their own anti-immigration agendas. I say make them all legal and then tax them. The nay-sayers constantly complain that these workers aren't assimilated into American culture so why not let them share our tax burden - it's the American way.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
You Learn Something New Everyday
While I often spice up my vocabulary with Boston vernacular (wicked, jimmies, bubbler, etc), I am quite aware that using such phrases in other parts of the country will render strange looks from the natives. However, until today I had absolutely no idea that "fudgicle" (frozen, chocolate-flavored treat on a stick) is actually spelled with an "s". Furthermore, throughout most of the universe it is pronounced as "fudgSicle".
I've tried saying "fudgSicle" out-loud and it sounds like I'm slurring. You know what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks: at this stage in my life I think I'll just let this one slide.
But seriously, did anyone else know about this? More importantly, have you ever given the fudgicle/fudgsicle debate even a moment's thought? Is this just a Boston thing or is it prevalent throughout the Northeast?
I've tried saying "fudgSicle" out-loud and it sounds like I'm slurring. You know what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks: at this stage in my life I think I'll just let this one slide.
But seriously, did anyone else know about this? More importantly, have you ever given the fudgicle/fudgsicle debate even a moment's thought? Is this just a Boston thing or is it prevalent throughout the Northeast?
Monday, August 6, 2007
Living La Vida Lindsay
Lindsay Lohan has reportedly checked herself back into rehab, this time in Sundance, Utah. New DUI, new rehab stint, new state? Unlike Britney, Paris, and Nicole, seeing Lindsay go through this type of turmoil almost breaks my heart. I got as hooked on Lohan almost as quickly as Lohan got hooked on coke the moment I saw her in the Parent Trap. It's a cold day in LA when a remake is actually better than the original and sweet, innocent Lindsay Lohan managed to mop the floor with Hayley Mills' original 1960's performance.
Of course, Mean Girls was really the movie that launched her into a huge Hollywood star. If she wasn't an actress, this middle class Long Island girl would probably be spending her weekends babysitting or hanging out at the Roosevelt Fields Mall. It was downright refreshing to see an average American girl playing an average American girl on the big screen. I think the fact that she looked so girl-next-door made millions identify with the characters she played.
Off-screen, Lindsay's life was anything but typical. One's gotta wonder if having a jailbird dad and a party-girl mother means that her life was headed this way all along. Surely this country is teaming with 21 year olds who have a penchant for alcohol and nose candy. However, most of these 21 year olds didn't have the added pressure of having to support their families by making blockbuster films.
There is no doubt that if Lindsay Lohan continues to live her lifestyle that she'll be dead in 20 years. Though it's highly likely that she'll be spending some time in prison for DUI, the short sentence she'll receive will likely do little to scare her straight. At 21 years old the world is your oyster but it is also a frightfully lonely place. Stimulants may numb the depression and emptiness she feels inside, but it can never kill her pain entirely.
Lindsay has been burdened with making all of her own decisions for a long time, and she is about to relenquish that power to a judge. And we, her devoted fans, are along for the ride. While we read about her plight in People and on the Internet, it's pretty sad that this glamorous fantasy is Lohan's nightmarish reality. I honestly hope that she will manage to get through this. It will obviously be a major uphill battle for Lindsay but I am rooting for America's favorite girl-next-door.
Of course, Mean Girls was really the movie that launched her into a huge Hollywood star. If she wasn't an actress, this middle class Long Island girl would probably be spending her weekends babysitting or hanging out at the Roosevelt Fields Mall. It was downright refreshing to see an average American girl playing an average American girl on the big screen. I think the fact that she looked so girl-next-door made millions identify with the characters she played.
Off-screen, Lindsay's life was anything but typical. One's gotta wonder if having a jailbird dad and a party-girl mother means that her life was headed this way all along. Surely this country is teaming with 21 year olds who have a penchant for alcohol and nose candy. However, most of these 21 year olds didn't have the added pressure of having to support their families by making blockbuster films.
There is no doubt that if Lindsay Lohan continues to live her lifestyle that she'll be dead in 20 years. Though it's highly likely that she'll be spending some time in prison for DUI, the short sentence she'll receive will likely do little to scare her straight. At 21 years old the world is your oyster but it is also a frightfully lonely place. Stimulants may numb the depression and emptiness she feels inside, but it can never kill her pain entirely.
Lindsay has been burdened with making all of her own decisions for a long time, and she is about to relenquish that power to a judge. And we, her devoted fans, are along for the ride. While we read about her plight in People and on the Internet, it's pretty sad that this glamorous fantasy is Lohan's nightmarish reality. I honestly hope that she will manage to get through this. It will obviously be a major uphill battle for Lindsay but I am rooting for America's favorite girl-next-door.
Friday, August 3, 2007
The odds are stacked against you, Massachusetts
Is it just me or does anybody else think that this is just a really bad idea?
This week the sleepy western Massachusetts town of Palmer joined Middleboro, East Boston, and New Bedford to claim their share of casino glory. After centuries of being driven out by the white imperialist, pols from Boston Harbor to the Berkshires are welcoming the newly federally recognized Wampanoag tribe into their communities with open arms. Despite the fact that casino gambling isn't even legal in the Bay State, the 351 cities and towns of this Commonwealth are hedging their bets by guessing that it's only a matter of time before they receive their highly anticipated Indian casino revenues. If being sucked up to in this manner this isn't poetic justice for the once strong Wamps, the same folks who's ancestors kept the Mayflower Pilgrms alive, then I don't know what is.
Not a day goes by when the sun doesn't rise, set, or that I'm not subjected to no less than dozen ads from neighboring Connecticut casinos. From watching the commercials, you'd be convinced that Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun was packed with good looking wealthy people, all there for a bit of fun and the "wonder of it all". The truth is unfortunately a lot more depressing.
There are lots of people who can set out for the day with $10 in their pocket and play nickel slots for an entire afternoon. When the $10 is gone, they pack up and leave for the day. For them it's entertainment, a fun diversion from their everyday normal lives. Most of us have the willpower to leave the slots after the machine has sucked up our $10. However, how many of us have the willpower to leave while we still have $5 in machine credits?
Gambling is a terrible affliction that ruins countless lives, most of whom can least afford it. Don't believe me? Walk into any convenience store on a Saturday and you can watch folks spending their entire afternoon in front of the Keno screen. Casino gambling, Keno, and scratch tickets drain its victims dollar by dollar through the lure of instant gratification.
Legalizing gambling in Massachusetts would be a grave mistake, one which would have a very adverse effect on the communities who can afford it the least. Our poorer communities are being sold down the river by casino insiders who are not going to be able to deliver on their promises of better paying jobs and lower crime. Politicans from Newton, Dover, and Wellesley are simply sighing in relief that at least a casino isn't going into their town.
If our policians put as much effort into attracting legitimate businesses to set up shop here as they do attracting casinos, perhaps our state wouldn't be ranked #39 out of 50 according to Forbes magazine. With casino gambling still on the table, we've got to know when to hold 'em/when to fold 'em/when to walk away/and when to run. Any good poker player would advise you to quit while you're still up. It's about time that we folded on casino gambling.
This week the sleepy western Massachusetts town of Palmer joined Middleboro, East Boston, and New Bedford to claim their share of casino glory. After centuries of being driven out by the white imperialist, pols from Boston Harbor to the Berkshires are welcoming the newly federally recognized Wampanoag tribe into their communities with open arms. Despite the fact that casino gambling isn't even legal in the Bay State, the 351 cities and towns of this Commonwealth are hedging their bets by guessing that it's only a matter of time before they receive their highly anticipated Indian casino revenues. If being sucked up to in this manner this isn't poetic justice for the once strong Wamps, the same folks who's ancestors kept the Mayflower Pilgrms alive, then I don't know what is.
Not a day goes by when the sun doesn't rise, set, or that I'm not subjected to no less than dozen ads from neighboring Connecticut casinos. From watching the commercials, you'd be convinced that Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun was packed with good looking wealthy people, all there for a bit of fun and the "wonder of it all". The truth is unfortunately a lot more depressing.
There are lots of people who can set out for the day with $10 in their pocket and play nickel slots for an entire afternoon. When the $10 is gone, they pack up and leave for the day. For them it's entertainment, a fun diversion from their everyday normal lives. Most of us have the willpower to leave the slots after the machine has sucked up our $10. However, how many of us have the willpower to leave while we still have $5 in machine credits?
Gambling is a terrible affliction that ruins countless lives, most of whom can least afford it. Don't believe me? Walk into any convenience store on a Saturday and you can watch folks spending their entire afternoon in front of the Keno screen. Casino gambling, Keno, and scratch tickets drain its victims dollar by dollar through the lure of instant gratification.
Legalizing gambling in Massachusetts would be a grave mistake, one which would have a very adverse effect on the communities who can afford it the least. Our poorer communities are being sold down the river by casino insiders who are not going to be able to deliver on their promises of better paying jobs and lower crime. Politicans from Newton, Dover, and Wellesley are simply sighing in relief that at least a casino isn't going into their town.
If our policians put as much effort into attracting legitimate businesses to set up shop here as they do attracting casinos, perhaps our state wouldn't be ranked #39 out of 50 according to Forbes magazine. With casino gambling still on the table, we've got to know when to hold 'em/when to fold 'em/when to walk away/and when to run. Any good poker player would advise you to quit while you're still up. It's about time that we folded on casino gambling.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
How to ride the T (according to Dad)
Around the age of 15, a New England girl discovers that the $1 B-run cinema and Dunkin Donuts of Stoughton, MA is no longer a requisite of an exciting weekend. She figures out that all of those signs on Route 24 do (sorta) in fact lead to Boston and is curious about the World that She Knows (FYI: in 1995 she is also obsessed with Collective Soul).
My father worked in Boston for 29 years and is a hardened veteran of Tip O'Neil and his dream of an underground construction project that rivaled the ancient city of Rome. Fed up with a construction project that turned out to be a the largest in the history of western civilization (the Big Dig) he started taking the T, Boston's answer to mass transit.
T riders are eclectic to say the least. White collar professionals and college hippies ride side-by-side on Boston's subway and commuter rail system. Boston has the oldest subway system in America and much like ancient Rome, all lines on the MBTA lead to Boston.
At the precious age of 15 the Troll and I decided that we were ready to do battle where the Red Line meets Quincy Adams. Our mom grew up in tony Chestunut Hill, where taking the T in town was as much as a right of passage as one's first Neiman Marcus charge card. Luckily our Dad had no qualms about sending us into Boston/Cambridge at such a young age but obviously since he grew up in a tougher neighborhood a bout of hazing was required.
Dad: "So, you girls think that you're old enough to ride the T?"
Troll and I: "Yeah, Dad, it's like, so not a big deal".
Dad: "Ok, let's pretend that we're on the T now". Sitting in the kitchen, staring us down
Troll and I: We say nothing but slowly look up
Dad: "Who THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT???"!!!
Us: "huh?"
Dad: "What, do you two have a fucking staring problem?"!!! "Your eyes are to remain on the ground or staring straight towards nothing! You are NOT TO LOOK AT ANYBODY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND??? THEY WILL FUCKING END YOU!".
Us: "Ok, we get it....".
Needless to say, I haven't had much of a need to take the T since I graduated high school. However, since most of my friends haven't discovered the joy of the South Shore suburbs, I am required to go into Boston at least once a week in order to maintain any semblance of a social life. I recently discovered the fact that people in my 'hood pay big bucks to live within a four minute walk of an MBTA station (ok, I guess it was always there so it's kind of arrogant to say that I just "discovered" it since it's been there longer than Nay's been alive; also, I sooooo drive the quarter of a mile). For roughly the price of my sanity (believe me, it's rather cheap these days) and parking I can get from my condo to Back Bay station in exactly 21 minutes.
Tonight I took the T in to meet Nay and my life was significantly less complicated. I didn't have to worry about parking or sitting in an hour+ of traffic. In fact, I could work until almost 6pm and not worry about traffic, my alcohol consumption, or whre the hell I was going to park for > $30.
Will I be taking the T all the time? Heck, no. As my friend Attorney Lee puts it "the problem with mass transit is that it's for the masses". But for those random happy hours after work, it's not a bad option.
As of yet, I've never been physically or mentally harmed in the way that dear 'ol Dad prepared me for while riding the MBTA. While this may (or may not) be directly link to the fact that I choose not to hang out in his stomping ground of North Quincy, it's nice that he prepared me for a life of sitting straight, looking forward, and not talking to anybody (even those poor suckers who ask me for directions). All in all, the T's not a bad option, and I'm lucky that I have a less frustrating option available than making the 14 mile drive into Town.
Over a decade ago my dad taught me a valuable life lesson about riding the T, one that I will never forget. I feel compelled to pass it on because while subways the world over may be a nicer, "greener" option than driving, it's still really important to be aware of your surroundings. As we do battle with rising gas prices, a damanged environment, and expensive garage prices, it's important that we explore all of our options, no matter where we live. In the meantime, I look forward to meeting everyone at South Station/Back Bay via the 5:57 Providence/Stoughton train.
My father worked in Boston for 29 years and is a hardened veteran of Tip O'Neil and his dream of an underground construction project that rivaled the ancient city of Rome. Fed up with a construction project that turned out to be a the largest in the history of western civilization (the Big Dig) he started taking the T, Boston's answer to mass transit.
T riders are eclectic to say the least. White collar professionals and college hippies ride side-by-side on Boston's subway and commuter rail system. Boston has the oldest subway system in America and much like ancient Rome, all lines on the MBTA lead to Boston.
At the precious age of 15 the Troll and I decided that we were ready to do battle where the Red Line meets Quincy Adams. Our mom grew up in tony Chestunut Hill, where taking the T in town was as much as a right of passage as one's first Neiman Marcus charge card. Luckily our Dad had no qualms about sending us into Boston/Cambridge at such a young age but obviously since he grew up in a tougher neighborhood a bout of hazing was required.
Dad: "So, you girls think that you're old enough to ride the T?"
Troll and I: "Yeah, Dad, it's like, so not a big deal".
Dad: "Ok, let's pretend that we're on the T now". Sitting in the kitchen, staring us down
Troll and I: We say nothing but slowly look up
Dad: "Who THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT???"!!!
Us: "huh?"
Dad: "What, do you two have a fucking staring problem?"!!! "Your eyes are to remain on the ground or staring straight towards nothing! You are NOT TO LOOK AT ANYBODY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND??? THEY WILL FUCKING END YOU!".
Us: "Ok, we get it....".
Needless to say, I haven't had much of a need to take the T since I graduated high school. However, since most of my friends haven't discovered the joy of the South Shore suburbs, I am required to go into Boston at least once a week in order to maintain any semblance of a social life. I recently discovered the fact that people in my 'hood pay big bucks to live within a four minute walk of an MBTA station (ok, I guess it was always there so it's kind of arrogant to say that I just "discovered" it since it's been there longer than Nay's been alive; also, I sooooo drive the quarter of a mile). For roughly the price of my sanity (believe me, it's rather cheap these days) and parking I can get from my condo to Back Bay station in exactly 21 minutes.
Tonight I took the T in to meet Nay and my life was significantly less complicated. I didn't have to worry about parking or sitting in an hour+ of traffic. In fact, I could work until almost 6pm and not worry about traffic, my alcohol consumption, or whre the hell I was going to park for > $30.
Will I be taking the T all the time? Heck, no. As my friend Attorney Lee puts it "the problem with mass transit is that it's for the masses". But for those random happy hours after work, it's not a bad option.
As of yet, I've never been physically or mentally harmed in the way that dear 'ol Dad prepared me for while riding the MBTA. While this may (or may not) be directly link to the fact that I choose not to hang out in his stomping ground of North Quincy, it's nice that he prepared me for a life of sitting straight, looking forward, and not talking to anybody (even those poor suckers who ask me for directions). All in all, the T's not a bad option, and I'm lucky that I have a less frustrating option available than making the 14 mile drive into Town.
Over a decade ago my dad taught me a valuable life lesson about riding the T, one that I will never forget. I feel compelled to pass it on because while subways the world over may be a nicer, "greener" option than driving, it's still really important to be aware of your surroundings. As we do battle with rising gas prices, a damanged environment, and expensive garage prices, it's important that we explore all of our options, no matter where we live. In the meantime, I look forward to meeting everyone at South Station/Back Bay via the 5:57 Providence/Stoughton train.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
No Phone, No Vonage, No Internet, Not a single luxury
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