Really? What does that phrase or title or word mean to you?

Again, off Google:

"A sad pathetic excuse for a male; not necessarily of Italian descent, but most likely; usually native to the New York/New Jersey Tri-State area."

I'm of German decent, I feel much better than "a sad pathetic excuse for a male." I believe that my friends would agree with that. I'm willing to bet, I've won more fights, using my brain, with our Union and in my personal life, than you've even considered joining. Never lived in the Tri-State area.

"A slang term for a lower-class or working-class urban Italian-American. The guido stereotype is multi-faceted. Originally, it was used as a demeaning term for Italian-Americans in general. More recently, it has come to refer to Italians who conduct themselves as thugs with an overtly macho attitude. The time period in which it obtained the latter meaning is not clear, but some sources date it to the 1970s or 1980s."

I AM a working class (blue collar) person that drives an aluminum tube from point A to point B. I think one of the most interesting beliefs or concepts in Aviation (held only by pilots) is that pilots are "white collar" workers, like Doctors, Attorneys, etc.

There is, obviously, little upper level education required, pilots don't make business decisions and they leave their work at the airport. It's the highest paying job, with the least amount of responsibility, I can think of. If you're able to live through one of your flights, everyone else does too. Makes it sort of a self-serving goal to not crash. Did I mention I'm not Italian or from the East Coast? Also, I don't live in an "urban" location.

“It’s a derogatory comment,” DiMino said in an interview with The Star-Ledger last week “It’s a pejorative word to depict an uncool Italian who tries to act cool.”

I don't try to act cool, but I'm way OK if members of the IBT think I'm uncool. Still not Italian or urban. Do you, by chance, know what the word "pejorative" means? It's "having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect." Like racist. Misty, are you racist towards Italians?

"As for living up to the rest of the stereotype, Sorrentino shrugs it off. “It just so happens that some of the clubs we’re going to down here on the East Coast, you will see a fist-pump here and there. A lot of people on the East Coast have spiky hair. I used to be a fitness model. I don’t really feel the need to defend myself for having a six-pack.”

I rarely do fist pumps, I don't have enough hair to have "spiky" hair, and I haven't had a "six-pack" for 25 years. Still not from the East Coast.

"Carries the connotation of a person who is humorously uncultured and has a thuggish and overtly machoattitude and an unyielding pride in his Italian ancestry. Common in Northeast areas such as Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, New Jersey, South Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Rhode Island and Southwest Connecticut."

What's REALLY funny is I would be hard pressed to come up with a better description of the IBT as a whole and 747 specifically than "humorously uncultured and has a thuggish and overtly macho attitude."

"Common in Northeast areas such as Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, New Jersey, South Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Rhode Island and Southwest Connecticut."

Man, this area "growed like Topsy" [Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Published in 1852] also Arbitrator Dana E. Eischen, Final Decision and Award in the SLI matter concerning CHQ, L4, ALPA and FAPA, published, 2011 ("grew like Topsy" - is he nuts or what?). For the record, I'm not from, nor I have spent a significant time in, any of the aforementioned mentioned Cities or States.


So, Misty, is that really the word you wanted or do you think you might want to spend a week or two thinking of a better antonym or insult?

"Guido" - I am confident that you can do better. Next time, try running it by your wife, girlfriend or significant other prior to posting or perhaps just give it some thought all by yourself.

Happy to be a Company Man. Have a good evening you, you, you NON-Company Man you. See what happens if you don't try very hard or think very much.........