The LuLac Edition #536, August 13th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: 13 QUESTIONS LOGO.

13 QUESTIONS

1. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT JOHN EDWARDS AND HIS RECENT REVELATION?

FIRST OFF, I ALWAYS HAD AN UNEASY FEELING ABOUT THE GUY. WHEN HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004, I THOUGHT HE WAS UNQUALIFIED GIVEN HIS SINGLE TERM IN THE SENATE. (LOOK WHAT WE HAVE RUNNING NOW, A GUY WITH A HALF A MINUTE IN THE SENATE!) SECOND, I WONDER ABOUT THOSE $400.00 HAIRCUTS TOO. THIRD, I ALWAYS FELT THE GUY WAS WAY TOO SMOOTH AND POLISHED FOR MY TASTES. FOURTH, TALK ABOUT THE “WHAT IFS” OF HISTORY. HAD HE NOT RUN IN IOWA, IT IS POSSIBLE SENATOR CLINTON MIGHT HAVE FINISHED A CLOSE SECOND OR EVEN FIRST, CHANGING THE DYNAMICS OF THE ENTIRE 2008 CAMPAIGN. I FEEL BAD FOR HIS WIFE, THINK HIS COMMENT THAT “SHE WAS IN REMISSION” WAS RIDICULOUS AND FEEL THAT HIS BEING RELEGATED TO THE JUNK PILE OF HISTORY IS A FITTING PLACE FOR HIM.

2. WHY DO MEN FEEL COMPELLED TO LOOK ELSEWHERE EVEN WHEN THEY ARE IN COMMITTED RELATIONSHIPS?

I THINK IT’S BECAUSE WE’RE ALL (AT LEAST MOST OF US )ARE DOGS. AND WOMEN GOD BLESS ‘EM WILL FALL FOR A LINE, WHETHER IT BE PROFERRED BY A MATINEE IDOL LIKE J.F.K. OR A GRANDFATHER TYPE LIKE IKE. I’VE BEEN OPEN ABOUT MY PERSPECTIVE ON THIS AND PAST FAILINGS BUT HERE’S SOMETHING OUT OF A NOVEL THAT I THINK SUMS IT UP.
“FEMALE BEAUTY GETS TO ME. I DON’T THINK I’M ALONE IN THAT. IT GETS TO ME LIKE A WORK OF ART GETS TO ME. IT GETS TO ME LIKE A REMBRANDT OR A MICHELANGELO. IT GETS TO ME LIKE THE NIGHT VIEWS OF PARIS OR THE TURQOISE SUNSETS OF AN ARIZONA SKY. MY THOUGHTS WERE NOT ILLICIT. THEY WERE, I RATIONALIZED, RATHER ARTISTIC.” THAT’S THE BEST EXPLANATION, OR JUSTIFICATION I CAN COME UP WITH COURTESY OF AUTHOR HARLEN COBEN IN HIS BOOK “THE WOODS”.

3. YOU WROTE ABOUT THOMAS DEWEY. HOW MANY TIMES DID HE RUN FOR PRESIDENT?

THREE. ONCE IN 1940 IN A HALF HEARTED ATTEMPT TO WIN THE NOMINATION THAT WENT TO WENDELL WILKIE, 1944 AGAINST FDR AND OF COURSE IN 1948 AGAINST HARRY TRUMAN.

4. FAVORITE SPORTSCASTER OF ALL TIME? AND 60s BASEBALL ICON: MARIS OR MANTLE?

TOUGH. LOVED PAT SUMMERALL AND TOM BROOKSHIRE IN THE 60S, THOUGHT HOWARD COSELL WAS THE KING, AND ENJOYED MEL ALLEN, JOHN STERLING, MICHAEL KAYE, JOE NUXHALL, HERB SCORE, VIN SCULLY AND CHARLIE JONES. BILL WHITE AND THE SCOOTER WERE ALSO BIG FAVORTIES. AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE NO FAVORITES, I’M ALL OVER THE PLACE ON THIS ONE. AS FAR AS MARIS AND MANTLE, C’MON, THESE GUYS WERE SUPERSTARS WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. I LIKED MARIS A TAD BETTER BECAUSE EVERYBODY LOVED MICKEY AND I WANTED TO BE DIFFERENT. MY FAVORITE YANKEE THOUGH WAS CLETE BOYER BUT I KIND OF FAVORED MARIS EVER SO SLIGHTLY BECAUSE HE WAS A FORMER INDIAN. BY THE WAY, TODAY IS 13 YEARS SINCE MANTLE’S DEATH.

5. YOUR BOOK “A RADIO STORY” IS A GREAT READ. IS THAT AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL? MANY OF THE POSTS SEEM TO SAY THAT. AND I’M NOTICING THAT SOME OF THE POSTS ARE USING THE NAMES OF YOUR CHARACTERS. DO YOU FEEL FLATTERED OR STALKED?

IT IS A WORK OF FICTION. THAT’S ALL I’LL SAY. FLATTERED. I’D LIKE TO THINK THOSE USING THE NAMES FEEL A CERTAIN KINSHIP WITH THE CHARACTERS AND I’M GLAD THEY LIKE MY WRITING.

6. DO YOU EVER REGRET NOT GETTING INTO GOVERNMENT SERVICE?

GOD YES! I COULD BE COLLECTING TWO OR THREE PENSIONS BY NOW.

7. KEVIN LYNN OR STEVE CORBETT?

BOTH ARE EXTREMELY TALENTED, OPINIONATED AND PERFECT FOR THE FORMAT, STATION AND TIME SLOTS THEY RESIDE IN. IF IT WAS A HORSE RACE, I’D SAY IT WAS A “PHOTO FINISH”.

8. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF GEORGE BUSH GOING TO THE OLYMPICS?

DESPITE MY FEELINGS ABOUT THE GUY, I THINK HE NEEDED TO GO. I KNOW MANY COMMENTATORS SAID HE SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME BUT CHINA IS A TRADING PARTNER, THERE'S BILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND FOR HIM NOT TO GO WOULD BE A “DISS” TO A GOVERNMENT WE DON’T NEED TO TORK OFF RIGHT NOW.

9. YOUR THOUGHTS ON JOHN McCAIN PURSUING WIFE NUMBER 2 WHILE STILL MARRIED TO WIFE NUMBER 1?

PERSONAL DECISIONS MADE YEARS AGO THAT RESULTED IN A SUCCESS OR FAILURE (AND IN THIS CASE IT WAS A SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT WIFE #1) ARE NONE OF MY BUSINESS.

10. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE JOB IN BROADCASTING AND MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT?

WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I DID THE OVERNIGHTS ON WVIA FM DOING A CLASSICAL MUSIC SHOW. AS IT IS WITH YOUTH, YOU DON’T APPRECIATE IT UNTIL YEARS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I ENJOYED THAT JOB VERY MUCH. A LOT OF AUDIENCE INTERACTION AT NIGHT. PEOPLE CALLING, TELLING YOU WHAT THEY WERE DOING. MY MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT CAME ON THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR COUNTRY’S BIRTHDAY. JOHN KELLY, WHO DID WEEKENDS ON WVIA FM WAS SLATED TO TAKE THE AIR AT MIDNIGHT ON THE FOURTH. NOW THIS WAS A CLASSICAL FORMAT AND JOHN HAD AMERICAN ARTISTS LIKE COPLAND, GERSHWIN AND BERNSTEIN LINED UP. BUT AT MIDNIGHT, HE OPENED UP THE MICROPHONE AND SAID, “TODAY, JULY 4TH 1976 IS THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THIS NATION. MY NAME IS JOHN KELLY AND I’M ONE OF AMERICA’S NATIVE SONS”. THEN HE PLAYED ARLO GUTHRIE’S “CITY OF NEW ORLEANS” TO START THE SHOW. I STILL GET CHILLS REMEMBERING IT.

11. FAVORITE SPORTS IN THE SUMMER GAMES?

WITH THE ABSCENCE OF MARIA SHARIPOVA, I HAVE TO GO WITH WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL.

12. KANJORSKI OR BARLETTA? CARNEY OR HACKETT?

BOTH RACES ARE TOSS UPS FOR REASONS I INDICATED ON THIS SITE. WE MIGHT HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY GOES DEMOCRATIC AND WE ELECT TWO REPUBLICANS TO THE HOUSE. IT CAN HAPPEN.

13. LOVED YOUR YOU TUBE VIDEOS. HOW DO YOU START WORKING ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

FOR ME, I PICKED A SONG I COULD VISUALLY PUT IMAGES IN AND THEN WROTE THE CONCEPT DOWN ON PAPER. I ALSO GOT AN EXPERT TO WALK ME THROUGH IT AND HELP ME. GLAD YOU LIKED THEM. THE LULAC POLITICAL LETTER VIDEO WAS SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION. THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST ONE WAS MY NEED TO CREATE A HISTORICAL RECORD. I WANTED TO NOTE FOR ALL TIME HOW MUCH THAT CHURCH, AND ANY CHURCH IN THIS CENTURY UNDER THE CHOPPING BLOCK OF A DIOCESE MEANT TO ITS PEOPLE, PAST AND PRESENT. BY THE WAY, HERE ARE THE LINKS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6lEXSEQnDk LULAC, AND THE BAPTIST, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qVjWyBNOqw.