The LuLac Edition #939, Sept. 13th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: 13 QUESTIONS LOGO.

13 QUESTIONS

1. DO YOU THINK THE 911 CEREMONIES HAVE BEEN MORE SUBDUED THE LAST FEW YEARS?

NO, I THINK THEY ARE SOMBER AND APPROPRIATE. AS WE VIEW MORE TIME IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR THOUGH IT IS IMPERATIVE WE CONTINUE TO EDUCATE ALL AMERICANS ABOUT THAT DAY.

2. I KNOW YOUR BOY IS GOVERNOR ED, TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT HIM, FIRST WILL HIS LEGACY BE DIMINISHED BY TRYING A VETO WITH THIS BUDGET AND IS HE LOSING SOME WEIGHT?

FIRST OFF THE GOVERNOR CAN DO NO HARM TO HIS LEGACY BY DOING A VETO ON THIS BUDGET. COOKED UP BY A BI PARTISAN BUNCH OF JOKERS WHO ARE HALLOWEENING AS STATESMEN AND STATESWOMEN IT WILL REMOVE 6,000 KIDS FROM THE CHIP PROGRAM AND MAKE CUTS OF 147 MILLION DOLLARS IN EDUCATION FOR THE NEEDIEST CHILDREN IN THE COMMONWEALTH. TARGETED AREAS WERE EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION AND LIBRARIES. AS FAR AS HIS WEIGHT, HE IS LOSING SOME OF IT AND REPORTEDLY LIVING ON PEPSI ONE. I HOPE HE’S INCLUDING IT WITH WATER TOO BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, H2O HYDRATES.

3. OBVIOUSLY PAUL, RINGO AND YOKO SIGNED OFF ON THE PRODUCT BUT HOW DO YOU THINK JOHN LENNON AND GEORGE HARRISON WOULD RESPOND TO THE BEATLES ROCKBAND VIDEO?

I REALIZED THIS WHEN I TOURED THE WOODSTOCK MUSEUM IN AUGUST AND SAW THE EXHIBIT OF THE JOHN AND YOKO HOTEL ROOM IN TORONTO WHERE THEY DID THEIR FAMOUS “BED IN” IN 1969 AND WHERE “GIVE PEACE A CHANCE” WAS RECORDED. ONE THING LOST IN THE DEATH OF JOHN LENNON WAS THE FACT THAT HE KNEW MARKETING. HE KNEW HOW TO USE THE MEDIA AND KNEW THE ROLE THE BEATLES HAD IN AMERICAN POP CULTURE. SO I THINK LENNON WOULD BE THRILLED THAT HIS MUSIC WOULD NOT ONLY BE LISTENED TO BY ANOTHER GENERATION BUT ACTUALLY PERFORMED. HARRISON I’M SURE WOULD BE FLATTERED BUT ALSO HAPPY THAT TECHNOLOGY RECREATES THE BEATLES LEGACY CONSTANTLY.

4. HOW’S SCHOOL?

DAUNTING.

5. CARE TO EXPLAIN THE “YONK-UP” FROM YOUR SEPT. 5th EDITION?

WE ALL GET FRUSTRATED. I CAN UNDERSTAND THE ANGER SOME PEOPLE FEEL NOW BUT AS I NOTED AFTER I ESSENTIALLY CHANGED THE EDITION SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND TRY TO VIEW THINGS IN A CALMER MANNER. I DON’T THINK IT’LL HAPPEN AGAIN. THE INTERESTING THING I WILL REMEMBER IS THAT IN THE OLD DAYS, AFTER YOU WROTE A LETTER YOU COULD ALWAYS TEAR IT UP. NOT SO WITH THE SEND BUTTON OR PUBLISH BUTTON IN THIS CASE.

6. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE LUZERNE COUNTY REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN ERROR WHEN HE SENT A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR REGARDING A NEW ELECTION FOR THE SHERIFF?

THAT’S INSIDE BASEBALL TO POLITICAL PEOPLE LIKE US. NO HARM DONE. AS A MATTER OF FACT IN ITS MOST SIMPLISTIC TERMS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC SAW A DEMOCRATIC SHERIFF RESIGN, AND A REPUBLICAN OFFICIAL ASKING A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR TO DO SOMETHING. I THINK IF YOU ASKED THE AVERAGE MAN IN THE STREET, THEY’D HAVE NO CLUE.

7. WHY ARE YOU SUCH AN ASS?

AHH, A QUESTION BOTH MY PARENTS WENT TO THEIR GRAVES PONDERING. I THINK MAYBE BECAUSE I HAVE A MORTAL FEAR OF BEING A JERK.

8. WHAT CAN BE DONE IN REACTION TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE’S AWFUL PERFORMANCE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS?

GET SOMEONE TO RUN AGAINST EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IN THEIR PRIMARIES. MAKE THEM WORK FOR THAT SALARY, PER DIEM AND CAR ALLOWANCE INSTEAD OF HAVING A FREE RIDE. I MEAN NEPA IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE WE ELECT A STATE REPRESENTATIVE WHO OWES BACK TAXES AND THEN GIVE HIM NO PRIMARY OR GENERAL ELECTION OPPOSITION.

9. BEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY IN YOUR ESTIMATION. NO TIES, NO FUDGING, PUT ‘EM IN ORDER.

OKAY, SAN FRANCISCO, SANTA MONICA, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, PITTSBURGH, DENVER, CLEVELAND, BUFFALO, BOSTON AND DETROIT. THAT’S MY LIST.

10. FAVORITE BALL PARK FOOD?

SOFT PRETZEL AND CRACKER JACKS.

11. DO YOU THINK THE NATIONAL GOP HAS REGAINED A FOOTHOLD DUE TO HEALTH CARE REFORM?

WITHOUT A DOUBT. THEY DO WHAT REPUBLICANS ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL DO BEST, THEY PIT “US” AGAINST “THEM” AND USE A LOT OF MISINFORMATION THAT GINS PEOPLE UP. IT IS VERY HARD TO HAVE A CIVIL DEBATE WITH THESE PEOPLE. BUT YOU CAN BOOK IT THAT THEY WILL WIN SOME CONGRESSIONAL SEATS BACK BECAUSE THEY HAVE PUT THE DEMOCRATS OFF MESSAGE. ALSO, YOU CAN’T BLAME THE GOP FOR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OBAMA MISTAKES ON THIS HEALTH CARE ROLL OUT. FOR A STAFF THAT DID VERY WELL IN A CAMPAIGN, THESE GUYS WERE KNOCKED OFF BALANCE. I MEAN THEY MIGHT DO WELL TO WATCH A FEW OLD EPISODES OF “THE WEST WING”.

12. DOES THE OBAMA HEALTH CARE PLAN GO FAR ENOUGH?

NOPE. LOOK AT OUR EDITION ON MONDAY SEPT. 14TH AND HEAR WHAT TWO DOCTORS IN THIS AREA HAVE TO SAY. I THOUGHT THE PRESIDENT GAVE TOO LITTLE TO EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW THE DEMOCRATICALLY CONTROLLED CONGRESS HAVE ACCEPTED GOP AMENDEMENMTS TO THE BILLS BUT YET HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY, NOT ONE GOP VOTE IN SUPPORT OF ANY BILL. THAT’S JUST HARD TO UNDERSTAND. THE PRESIDENT AND THE DEMOCRATS SHOULD REMEMBER TWO AXIOMS, “GO BIG OR GO HOME” AND “IF YOU DON’T STAND FOR SOMETHING, YOU’LL FALL FOR ANYTHING”.

13. WHAT WAS THE WORST THING YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE 80s BESIDES REAGNOMICS AND BIG HAIR?

AIR SUPPLY.