Finally Some Outrage

Can someone please explain to me why New York City must supposedly accept congestion pricing to recieve some absurd number of millions from the Federal Government? Something doesn't sound kosher, since when do the Feds stipulate that poor working shlubs must fork over $8 and $21 at a time to enter their own city?

I know some of my Manhattan readers readily aprove of this new tax on the middle class. Why not? If I chose to live in a smog filled and over crowded enviornment, I too would like the idea of less cars. But that is not the issue. Simply put, this is the City government being Manhattnocentric all over again. Same thing happens when the snow falls and its gets cleared in the city first. Same reason all roads lead to Rome. The money is being minted there and screw all of the little cogs in the wheel that make it all work. Well at least I was happy to see a few brave city council members vote against the proposal. How any single outer-botough politician voted for this is scandalous and needs to be investigated. Let's just hope someone in Albany can turn away from the bribery.

Speaking of cars, a buyer has been found for my blue car. I am torn. I really don't need two cars but this one particular vehicle has come to define me. It's old, has rust spots and belches noxious fumes but it's also tough, reliable and a thing of beauty to the right eye. I don't know, should I sell it? It might be my last chance to do so at a good price? Then again it costs virtually nothing to maintain but how long will everything keep from breaking down? And this is the year it becomes old enough to forgo emission inspections alltogether. What's your advice?

Sign Of The Times

I agree with all of the sentiments I have been reading from the comments section. The shit is about to hit the fan. Coming home today from Upstate I stopped at the Ramapo rest area on the NY State Thruway. I was shocked to see who was working the counter at McDonald's. Children! No shit, not high schoolers, but junior high 12 to 14 year olds. At first I thought to myself "how old am I getting?", but then I heard the murmurs of the other people on line with me. "Are those Junior High students?" or "This country is going to shit, who the fuck let's their children go work at a McDonlads counter?" and "This is an outrage". People were fuming. The kids behind the counter didn't seem to mind the commotion but they were also woefully unprepared for the realities of life in this adult world. When one irate customer started making a fuss about some perceived slight, all the kids could do was shrug their shoulders. The whole scene looked like something out of a Dickens novel. Children who should be playing video games and skateboarding with their friends were now thrust into some kind of proto-industrial revolution nightmare like the textile mills of the 19th Century. What the fuck happened to employment laws? What is the minimum age to work amongst highway tramps, rest stop area degenerates and serial killers?

Working Poor

When I worked as document reviewer/temporary attorney I was always surrounded by hip young attorney's. At one point I pulled out my cassette Walkman and my coworkers nearly fell on the floor laughing. These were guys with the latest MP3 players and Blackberries so my old Panasonic technology made me look like a club wielding caveman. Not so at the new job, with government workers being as poor as they are no one looks at me cross for having museum worthy audio equipment. I look around at the office and people have radio cassette players on their desks. Some listen to disc players with enormous headphones and the one person with an MP3 player is the head attorney and his unit is a cheap ass model made by Coby that you could probably get at a bargain bin at Target or Toys R Us. I feel right at home, no need to keep up with the Joneses. The other day I had a conversation with someone about LP's, but not because I was talking to some pretentious Williamsburg hipster, but simply because we both never had enough faith or money to make the complete format switch.

Daytona 500

When I was a kid watching stock car races all of the drivers looked like regular guys. They were paunchy, losing their hair, some older, some fat. Funny thing happened when NASCAR became big in the last 10 years. Suddenly all of the Richard Petty's and Cale Yarborough's were replaced by young drivers with matinee idol looks. The second big money comes into contact with something that is televised the look changes. Big money can't afford regular guys driving the cars, now we need Dale Jarred, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhradt Jr. to sell T-shirts, mugs and posters. Nothing new here I guess. Same thing happened to wrestling and music. Budweiser physiques of King Kong Bundy and Meatloaf gave way to pretty boy video stars and steroid abusers.

Working Poor

Thing is, the file room with peoples important documents and social security numbers is open and accesible but it's the bathrooom that has a combination lock! Actually, everything is under lock and key. If I want a pencil I have to requisition it. I thought I understood, one look around me and I see why employee theft is a concern. But the other day a new realization came over me. Another department was renovating their offices in the building. The construction crews were taking out the old furniture and furnishings to the curb. Before the garbage men could haul away the old chairs, broken lamps and stained coffee tables the city employess attacked the trash like a pack of hyenas with a fresh wildebeast kill. Suddenly it became clear to me, why all of the neighboring restaraunts were cheap and crappy, why my co workers knew all the sale days at Costco, why coupons could be found on everyones desk. They are all poor. It's true, say all you want about benefits and job security, and that's all nice but these people get paid shit. What good is all of that if you have to rummage through garbage at the end of the day?

Doing Right Ain't Got No End

I had this dream the other night. I was watching a pair of Bald Eagles hunting. Turns out they were hunting the red shouldered hawk I saw recently in the back yard. The hawk then landed next to me for protection and didn't go away until it was all clear. He also brushed me with his wing as if he was saying "thank you brother" for the help.

Maybe it's not the same thing but the other day I was leaving work when this scraggly looking thing came up to me and asked to buy a cigarette off of me. As I gave her the butt she took it with a shaking hand and said "Thanks a lot mister, it's the first cigarette I've had today, I just got out of jail". That seemed about right, she looked the part and my job is near the courts. I gave her the cigarette and told her "Well, in that case, then this one is one me. Enjoy".

Passings

Of all the people that died in 2007 it is Richard Jewell I feel the most for. Here was a man basically killed by the government for no reason whatsoever. If you recall Richard was the security guard who saved a bunch of lives at the Atlanta Olympic Park bombing. To thank him the FBI leaked that he was a suspect. From then on the mans life was a living hell. I remember watching the national evening news when Dan Rather stated "The investigators found suspicious things in Mr. Jewell's basement like duct tape and nails". Wha? Who the fuck DOESN'T have some tape and nails in his house? I felt bad for the guy from then on. When the Feds and the papers finally cleared him years later the damage had already been done. Richard Jewell died in 2007 at the age of 44.