$1.3M? How about 1.3M tires?

According to the Salem Evening News our federal government recently spent $1.3 million on constructing new I-95 signs along Route 128. The bulk of the expense went towards digging up dirt and laying down cement foundations for the Interstate signs. Naturally most of the digging was done during the winter when snow and frost makes this task a trillion times harder (and likely more expensive) than necessary.

When giving directions to people who aren't familiar with our roads I specifically call the road Route 128 on purpose - just because I know that it will confuse the shit out of them. Directions from Dedham to Braintree is just one classic example (128 south to 128 south?).

Local customs aside, the real question is has anybody from the federal government actually bothered to drive up and down the 128 section of I-95? The rednecks down in Florida drive on a flawless 10 lane I-95 while we massholes get stuck with a pothole riddled embarrassment. Traffic's bad? Enjoy your wide stretch of road through the middle of nowhere, North Carolina. In Massachusetts you can save time on your 60 minute/15 mile commute along I-95 by driving in the breakdown lane. From the bottom of my heart I really must say, thanks for nothing federal highway funds. I'm sure those new Interstate signs will look real swell in some BU dorm room.

It Has To Be Said

Two horrific events rocked the American Jewish community this week: the indiscriminate shootings by a psycho at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC and the very public anti-Semetic remarks by Obama's former preacher Jeremiah Wright. Hate crimes of every variety have been ticking upwards lately so I'm not exactly shocked that despite the post-WWII decades of singing Kumbaya, that anti-Semetism is still alive and well in this country. I am, however, a bit surprised (though not totally shocked) at the way the media has been handling the entire matter.

Racist websites that preach intolerance are all over the Internet. Fine. If someone wants to do some initial legwork (and probably have their IP address tracked) to find this type of shit then all the power to them. However, for mainstream websites to report on the events in DC and Wright's speech and then publish excerpts of their hateful rants online is ridiculous. People who might never feel compelled to visit a neo-Nazi site can now nod along with the anti-Semetic rhetoric on CNN, MSNBC, etc without fear of being labeled a bigot.

Everyone knows that Jeremiah Wright is an anti-Semite so there is absolutely no need to give his remarks the type of bully pulpit they've received this week. Ditto for the very tragic shooting at the Holocaust Museum. My heart goes out to the family of Officer Johns, who's life was taken from him unmercilessly by a convicted racist criminal. One can assume that anyone who would walk into a Holocaust museum with a weapon and murder an African-American security guard is both a racist and an anti-Semite. To report that James von Brunn was a member of several hate groups without publishing his quotes, thoughts, and opinions simply would've been enough.

Pahkcah02 on Unions

Starting Monday, Boston Globe guild workers will stand by and watch their salary be cut by 23%. Forced between a rock and a hard place, the union sold out their members livelihood for perks that don't exist in most of the private sector. It's a good thing that those guild workers still have their lifetime job guarantees. After all, with the new pay cuts they'll likely be working until they hit the grave.

During my time at UMass I took a few labor relations classes, and despite my conservative way of thinking, I am not totally against organized labor. After all, the early 20th century labor movement is responsible for giving us OSHA laws, child labor laws, overtime regulations, and, (my personal favorite) the weekend. However, somewhere in the midst of social justice and worker solidarity came the gripping wave of entitlement.

The union labor movement is socialistic in nature, so the Guild members can't be surprised that their personal financial hardships were cast aside for the perceived good of the majority. Singling out workers for layoffs may be all too common in the non-union world but that's generally not the way it goes down in a union shop. In this economy most workers say that they would prefer pay cuts to layoffs until they find out that their new take home pay requires a major lifestyle overhaul.

The economy is horrific and employers are using it as a free pass to degrade their employees with pay cuts, furloughs, and wage freezes. Rather than use the power of work shortages to force the Globe to fix their broken business model the Guild bent over backwards to appease management. Rest assured that the 23% pay cut is a band aid for the larger problems that plague the New York Times group. Until the real issues are solved pay cuts will continue, workers will be shed from other departments, and overall morale will erode.

Until American management gets back to basics and figures out how to run a profitable business model based on modest but steady returns then we're all doomed. The workers at the Boston Globe may live to fight another day but the esprit de corps of New England's flagship paper is likely gone forever. The only way these workers will get any sense of justice is to pay it forward by actively looking for new employment. Finding a new job won't be easy, and it definitely won't happen overnight, but it's becoming apparent in the 21st century that the only labor union worth paying dues to is yourself.

How Massachusetts Is That? I'll Let You Decide....

New Englanders are a special breed. Studies show time and time again that we are smartest, fittest people in the nation and are therefore de facto role models for those lesser Americans in the South and West. Take for example this week's decision on Beacon Hill to hold a closed door session on ethics reform (of all things!). Apparently the fact that Sal DiMasi became the third Massachusetts House speaker in a row to be indicted is a bit of an inconvenience. You see, when the Red Sox win three games in a row we call that a streak. When three Massachusetts house speakers in a row are convicted criminals we call that business as usual. On a scale of 1-10, how Massachusetts is that? I'll give that one a solid 4.

Facing the worst budget crunch in the history of western civilization, our elected Representatives had a crucial decision to make this week: get rid of two Suffolk county hack holidays and save $5 million a year -or- keep the holidays that nobody aside from government employees (or the rest of the state outside of Suffolk) actually observe. I'm not sure if you caught the YouTube clip of this debate on the State House floor but Jack Hart's argument for keeping Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day so that the children of South Boston could appreciate their "history" (FYI, the Americans lost the Battle of Bunker Hill) was as incoherent as it was laughable. The MBTA is on the verge of bankruptcy and our roads are riddled with potholes large enough to house a family of four. We may be broke, but at least a $5 million hack holiday will live to fight another day. How Massachusetts is that? I'm giving that a 7.

Our shiny new 25% sales tax increase will shortly apply to liquor purchases. As you may know, liquor is already taxed, but that tax is already built into the price (like gas). Starting this fall lucky Massachusetts consumers will continue to pay the liquor tax, plus an additional 6.25% sales tax. A tax on a tax - it may be clever but exactly how Massachusetts is that? How about an 11?

Running Just As Fast As I Can

I was never what one might describe as a "runner". While I enjoy sports as much as the next Gen Y suburbanite, sweating profusely while running insane distances never really did it for me. My running hate on was developed early in life, probably around the same time that other kids decide that they hate math, broccoli, or liberals. As a determined individual I don't believe in screwing up a winning formula. Not when the "yeah, I'm not a runner" line has been working beautifully for me since at least the second Reagan administration.

A few years ago I dropped 30 pounds and I'm happy to say that I did it all without running. I learned that staying in peak fighting weight means slashing calories, upping exercise, and not chasing potato skins with 20 oz beers. A 950 calorie Weight Watchers lifestyle may not be sustainable, but getting my ass on a treadmill every few days definitely is. After pounding away on the elliptical for the past 2 months I knew that I had it in me to run for at least 30 minutes. Today I challenged myself to finally do so.

I certainly won't be breaking any running world records, well, ever, but today I sweated away 3 miles in 35 minutes. Sure I had to take a few walking breaks while completely schvitzing like a chazeri. However, considering I've never run 3 miles at once (or 3 miles total since high school), I'm pretty damn proud of myself.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to slam 800mg of Motrin for my aching, still out of shape, body.

D-Day Flicks

In a few short days we will be memorializing the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the largest coordinated attack in the history of the world. Less than one year after the Allies invaded the beaches of Normandy, an entire continent was lifted from the oppressive grip of Nazism.

Hundreds of movies have been made in tribute of the men and women who fought the Axis in World War II. In honor of D-Day, here are a few of my favorite:

Empire of the Sun: A Steven Speilberg classic! Empire of the Sun is an autobiographical account of an English teenager's coming of age in a Shanghai internment camp.

Bridge on the River Kwai: A lot of WWII flicks showcase the Germans as the evil villians (Because seriously? They were!) but the Japanese weren't so swell themselves. Bridge on the River Kwai is a glamorized version of the horrific conditions Allied POW's were subjected to when taken prisoner by the Imperial Army.

A League of Their Own: Sure the Second World War was devastating, but sometimes it really was fun and games. With the men off to war, A League of Their Own is the story of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League that existed during and immediately after WWII.

Europa Europa: A Jewish orphan is adopted by the Wehrmacht, becomes a Nazi war hero completely by mistake, and sent to an elite Hitler Youth academy. This German/Russian film (with English subtitles) is one if the more bizarre (but true!) tales of WWII.

The Tuskegee Airmen: I loved this film, and not just because Malcolm Jamal-Warner played a hot pilot. African Americans are shamefully discriminated against at home, but that doesn't stop these American heroes from becoming one of the most decorated units of the War.


So go ahead - treat yourself to a Netflix night. The best part? No matter how many times you watch these movies, we still win!

Speaking Spanglish With Manny

After living in this condo complex for almost four years, Manny the Maintenance Guy, has been a daily constant. Because we both hang out here all day, I often see him out and about and working hard to make this place a nice place to live. A native of the DR, when I first met Manny his English wasn't that great. Over the past few years I've helped translate stuff and even taught him American phrases like "busting your balls" and other idiosyncrasies. He's also helped me with my Spanish.

Today I saw him after I was a bit frustrated about the fact that the washing machine ate all my quarters and then refused to work. Our cultural exchange:

Pahkcah02: Manny, la lavadora esta muy decompuesto!

Manny (in English): Yeah, it's a fucking piece of shit. Did you break it?

Pahkcah02: No....

Manny: Did you rock it back and forth to try to get your quarters back?

Pahkcah02: Um, I might have.

Manny: I did too. It didn't work.

Pahkcah02: Yeah, but now it doesn't work at all and then it started leaking so at least I turned the water off.

Manny: (totally not impressed with my handy-woman skillz): Thanks

Pahkcah02: De Nada.

Note: that was a classic example of Manny busting my balls.