The LuLac Edition #1118, Mar. 13th, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: 13 QUESTIONS LOGO.

13 QUESTIONS

1. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ROLE OF FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA?

I THINK SHE IS SUBJUGATING HER INTELLIGENCE A TAD BY NOT BEING TOO CONTROVERSIAL. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN IS A GOOD THING AND HER WORK WITH KIDS IS ADMIRABLE. AS THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY MARCHES ON SHE MIGHT BE GIVEN A BIGGER ROLE.

2. ST. PATRICK’S DAYS PARADES, YOU LIKE THEM?

THEY’RE OKAY. WHEN I WORKED FOR ROCK 107 IT WAS REQUIRED YOU MARCH IN THE PARADE. 107 ALWAYS HAD A MEMORABLE FLEET. MICHAEL NEFF USED TO MARCH IN A YANKEE UNIFORM WHEN WEJL/WBAX CARRIED THE YANKEES SO THAT WAS FUN. WHAT WAS REALLY GREAT WERE THE POST PARADE GET TOGETHERS AT THE VARIOUS LITTLE BARS AND SOCIAL CLUBS JAY DANIELS KNEW. THAT WAS A GREAT TIME.

3. WHEN YOU WERE A KID WHAT CITY DID YOU VISIT OFTEN, WILKES BARRE OR SCRANTON?

WILKES BARRE MOSTLY BECAUSE THE BUS WENT STRAIGHT DOWN RIVER ROAD. IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME THEN WHERE 3 10 YEAR OLDS COULD HOP THE BUS FOR A DIME AND SPENT THE DAY IN WILKES BARRE FOR UNDER TWO BUCKS.

4. WHY DO YOU THINK ANY OF THE CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR THIS YEAR IN THE STATE SEEM TO HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY TRACTION?

PART OF IT IS NO ONE IS ON TV. 8 YEARS AGO AT THIS TIME ED RENDELL AND BOB CASEY WERE GOING DOLLAR TO DOLLAR ON TV. RENDELL ACTUALLY STARTED HIS ADS IN 2001. I THINK NO ONE KNOWS WHO THESE GUYS ARE. PERSONALLY I LIKE JACK WAGNER BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WAGNER AND ONORATO, TWO FORMER AND CURRENT RIVALS CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT.

5. ANY THOUGHTS ON THE TALK SHOW WILK HAS ON SATURDAYS WITH THE TWO WOMEN BEFORE THE SPORTS SHOW?

I THINK I HEARD IT ONCE OR TWICE AND WASN’T GETTING IT. IT JUST SEEMED TO BE A “I AM WOMAN, LOOK I HAVE A JOB” TYPE THING. WASN’T IMPRESSED.

6. THEY SAY BLOGS ARE ON THE DECLINE BECAUSE OF TWITTER. THOUGHTS?

I DON’T TWEET. I USED MY FACEBOOK PAGE TO PROMOTE LULAC AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH OLD CLASSMATES, RELATIVES AND FORMER COWORKERS. (THOSE INTERESTED ENOUGH TO KEEP IN TOUCH). I THINK TWITTER WOULD BE GOOD FOR BREAKING NEWS BUT EVEN THOUGH I’VE BEEN ACCUSED OF HAVING A BIG EGO, I DON’T THINK PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR A BLOW BY BLOW LIFE OF DAVID YONKI CHRONICLED. MY BLOG WAS TAILORED TO BE LIKE A DAILY REPORT ON POLITICS AND POP CULTURE. AND I THINK TWEETING IS THE LAZY PERSON’S WAY OF TRYING TO PROVE THEY ARE LITERATE, FUNNY AND WITTY. LIFE IS MORE THAN CAPTIONS. SAVE THAT FOR THE CARTOONS.

7. WHEN YOU WERE A KID, DID YOU READ COMIC BOOKS?

YEAH I WAS A BIG FAN OF ARCHIE. THE ACTION STUFF I NEVER GOT INTO. I ONCE READ A POLITICAL COMIC, I THINK IT WAS PART OF THE CHUCK WHITE SERIES THAT TALKED ABOUT A THOMAS PETTIGREW. THE STORY FOLLOWED THIS GUY RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 1976. THE SURPRISE AT THE END WAS THAT HE TURNED OUT TO BE A BLACK MAN. PRETTY LIBERAL AND CUTTING EDGE FOR 1963.

8. WHERE WERE YOU AT THE LAST WILK TALKERS SHOW ON 44?

MEETING WITH OUR ACCOUNTANT TO GET OUR TAXES DONE. IT WAS THE FIRST CHANCE I GOT TO DO THAT SINCE THE NEW JOB.

9. HOW’S THE NOVEL COMING?

IN THE HOME STRETCH. THE COVER IS FINISHED, ONE MORE EDIT CHECK.

10. CHELSEA LATELY OR CHELSEA CLINTON?

LOVE ‘EM BOTH. BUT CHELSEA (HANDLER) LATELY'S SHOULDER BLADES, YIKES.

11. WHAT ADVISE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE WANTING TO ENTER THE BROADCAST BUSINESS, PARTICULARLY RADIO?

DON’T. IT'LL BREAK YOUR HEART.

12. HOW DO YOU REACT TO SOME OF THOSE VICIOUS COMMENTS PEOPLE WRITE ABOUT YOU ON LINE?

I DON’T. I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE HAVE NO CLUE WHERE I STAND. MY POLITICAL VIEWS CAN’T BE PIGEON HOLED. THEY ARE A CONTRADICTION IN EVERYTHING POLITICAL. BUT THEY’RE MINE.

13. WHY WAS 13 QUESTIONS LATE?

TRUTH NE TOLD, I FORGOT ABOUT IT. THANKS TO MY BI SEXUAL FEMALE FAN/POSTER FOR REMINDING ME.

PHOTO INDEX: OUR INTERVIEW LOGO.

INTERVIEW

With St. Patrick’s day parades upon us, I sought out a political old timer who talked about Paddy’s day past.
Q: How long have you been attending events for St. Patrick’s Day?
A: (Laughing). Too long.
Q: Why is there such a conjoining of politics and the Irish?
A: Because the Irish were the first ethnic group who used their political power to get jobs, then ultimately power itself.
Q: How many Friendly Sons dinners have you attended?
A: Easily over 500 in my lifetime.
Q: Most memorable?
A: Bobby Kennedy in Scranton right after his brother died. Very, very emotional.
Q: A lot of people say that the great response he got here convinced Bobby Kennedy to go out on his own. Do you believe that?
A: Yes with all my heart.
Q: Are you a member of the Friendly Sons?
A: Nope, I’m not even Irish. I just go to the dinners. I’m like you, a political junkie. I even saw you at one in the 80s. Some lady was cutting the meat for a guy at your table. The poor boy was looped.
Q: Oh I remember that. I was in the Killer Bees Softball League and that guy’s wife worked in the hotel. Yeah he had a tough time navigating. How was I behaving?
A: Don’t remember.
Q: If you had to rank the people who put the best dinner on, how would you do that?
A: I like the Pittston dinners because they always got the heavyweights in the 60s because of Dan Flood and his staff guy Mike Clark. But I like all of them.
Q: Should they let women in to these dinners and offer them membership in the Friendly Sons?
A: I don’t have a dog in that hunt. I go for the food and the speakers or viceversa.
Q: Can’t get you to make a comment?
A: No.
Q: Do you wear a tux?
A: Naw I wear a tie three or four times a year. The banquets are those times unless someone dies or someone gets married or the missus asks I do so.
Q: Do you wear a garish green tie?
A: Nope. I told you I’m not Irish.
Q: But you should get into the spirit?
A: I do, I go and celebrate. Don’t need a (expletive) tie to do that.
Q: Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Many, many more.
A: Thanks and may the speakers keep coming and educating us all.
Q: It just occurred to me that you might be one of the few people who are actually sober enough to hear the speakers?
A: (Laughing). Yeah, ain’t that something!