The LuLac Edition #1149, Apr. 13th, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: OUR 13 QUESTIONS LOGO.

13 QUESTIONS

1. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RAID AT RAY MUSTO’S HOUSE?

I WAS SURPRISED. MUSTO HAS NEVER BEEN ON THE RADAR FOR ANYTHING SHADY AND UNLESS SOMETHING HAS CHANGED THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A HINT OF SCANDAL. BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER, THE FBI JUST DOESN’T SHOW UP AT ANYONE’S HOUSE FOR FUN AND THE ITEMS TAKEN IN THOSE GARBAGE BAGS CAN BE PROBLEMATIC. BUT WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING NOW AND TO SPECULATE WOULD DEMEAN THE SENATOR’S OTHERWISE STELLAR REPUTATION OF PUBLIC SERVICE.

2. HOW DO YOU THINK JOHN WEBSTER WILL DO ON WILK?

I THINK HE’LL DO FINE. HE’LL CERTAINLY BRING A NEW PERSPECTIVE TO THE PROGRAM AND I THINK WILL BE MORE OF A WISE ASS (RUSH LIMBAUGH’S WORDS, NOT MINE) THAN KEVIN LYNN EVER WAS. BUT THE WAY HE’LL DO THAT IS TO BE LESS ABRASIVE. YOU PUT ANY SEASONED BROADCASTER IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC AND THEY’LL DO WELL. WHETHER THEY CONNECT WITH THE AUDIENCE IS ANOTHER MATTER. BUT JOHN WILL NOT HAVE THAT PROBLEM CONNECTING.

3. IS IT TRUE THAT FBI AGENTS ARE RENTING OUT ENTIRE FLOORS OF ROOM IN HOTELS IN DUNMORE AND SCRANTON?

I UNDERSTAND THAT IS THE CASE. THESE GUYS ARE HERE TO STAY FOR A WHILE. MAYBE SOME OF THE “BASEBALL ANNIES” THAT FOLLOW THE MINOR LEAGUERS AROUND WILL FIND A SUDDEN ATTRACTION TO THE “G MEN”. WHEN JAY LENO ENDED HIS FIRST “TONIGHT SHOW” RUN, HIS CLOSING SHOT WAS OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON HIS SHOW, MET, DATED, GOT MARRIED AND HAD KIDS. I’M KIND OF THINKING THAT AS THESE SCANDALS GO ON AND ON FOR YEARS, YOU MIGHT GET THE SAME SOCIO THING GOING ON HERE.

4. WHAT DOES THE YONK SNACK ON DURING THE DAY AT WORK?

A DIET COKE TO START THE DAY, A SMALL PACK OF COMBOS TWO HOURS LATER WITH AN AQUAFINA. MY LUNCH IS BRAN FLAKES, YOGURT AND STRAWBERRIES ALL MUSHED TOGETHER, AND MY RAMP UP TO THE DAY’S END IS A DIET SNAPPLE AND A TAKE 5 CANDY BAR. SAME THING EVERY DAY.

5. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BOY BENEDICT AND THE CHURCH SCANDALS?

I THINK HE AND THE PREVIOUS POPES WERE VICTIMS OF A HUGE UNWIELDY BUREAUCRACY THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. THE GREATEST SIN OF THE CHURCH BESIDES NOT WEEDING OUT THE ABUSERS IN A TIMELY MANNER WAS DEALING WITH IT SO DARN SLOWLY. THAT GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT LEADERS CONDONED THAT BEHAVIOR.

6. THIS GOVERNOR’S RACE ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, WHERE IS IT GOING?

WHO KNOWS. YOU HAVE TWO GUYS FROM THE WEST ONORATO AND WAGNER. I LIKE WAGNER. I THINK THE GUY CAN RUN A DECENT CAMPAIGN AND AS AUDITOR GENERAL CAN DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM THE TOUGH PARTS OF THE RENDELL ADMINISTRATION AND EMBRACE THE GOOD. THE ENTRY OF ANTHONY WILLIAMS INTO THE RACE COMPLICATES JOE HOEFFEL’S LIFE BECAUSE WITHOUT HIM HE WAS THE ONLY GUY FROM THE EAST. WILLIAMS IS BEING TOUTED AS A SPOILER TO HOEFFEL BUT IN REALITY HE IS ADOPTING THE 2002 PRIMARY STRATEGY OF ED RENDELL WHO CARRIED ONLY A FEW COUNTIES TO BEAT BOB CASEY. RIGHT NOW THIS THING IS SO JUMBLED YOU’D BE CRAZY TO TRY AND MAKE THE CALL.

7. GOOD STORIES IN THE LOCAL PAPERS ON BLOGGERS. WAS THAT EXPECTED?

NO NOT REALLY. BUT IT GIVES PEOPLE AN INDICATION THAT PEOPLE IN THE POLITICAL WORLD ARE TAKING US SERIOUSLY. PROFESSOR TOM BALDINO SAID, “Many bloggers just write anything irrespective of the facts and some are just ideological or partisan rants. ” THAT MAY HAVE BEEN TRUE A FEW YEARS AGO BUT THOSE RANTING BLOGS ARE LONG GONE BECAUSE THEY HAD NO STAYING POWER. I’LL SAY THIS, THERE ARE BETTER WRITERS OUT THERE WITH BETTER SKILLS AND IDEAS THAN MINE BUT NO ONE IS GOING TO OUT WORK ME WHEN IT COMES TO PUTTING TOGETHER A WRITTEN PIECE THAT WILL INFORM AND ENTERTAIN. WHEN YOU RANT, THAT ANGER ROBS YOU OF YOUR CREATIVITY. I WAS ALSO PLEASED TO SEE DR. TERRY MaDONNA CREDIT BLOGGERS FOR SOMETIMES LIGHTING THE MATCH ON A STORY. IT IS SOMETHING I’M PROUD OF AND I HOPE PEOPLE KEEP READING.

8. I DISAGREED WITH KEVIN LYNN VIOLENTLY. HAYED THE GUY BUT THE WAY HE WAS FIRED WAS BRUTAL. IS THE BROADCAST BUSINESS THAT CUTTHROAT?

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING FIRED BY THE MAFIA AND THE MEDIA IS THAT THE MEDIA LETS YOU LIVE. IT IS BRUTAL. YOU ARE A COMMODITY. LOOK AT WYOU TV’S INTERACTIVE NEWS, BOOM, GONE. BROADCASTERS HAVE ALWAYS PANICKED. THEY THINK THAT BY FIRING SOMEBODY OR MAKING CHANGES THEY ARE BEING PROACTIVE. MANY TIMES THEY FIRE FOR THE SAKE OF FIRING PEOPLE. IN 2000 WHEN I WAS FIRED FROM CITADEL BROADCASTING I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LET GO ON A MONDAY BUT TOOK THE DAY OFF BECAUSE IT WAS MRS. LULAC AND MY ANNIVERSARY. SO THEY FIRED SOMEONE ELSE. TUESDAY I RUINED THEIR PLANS BECAUSE I GOT STUCK AT A MEETING IN TUNKHANNOCK. BY THE TIME I GOT BACK EVERYBODY WAS GONE HOME. SO THEY FIRED SOMEONE ELSE. WEDNESDAY WAS GOING TO BE THE DAY BUT A CO WORKER AND FRIEND OF MINE GUMMED THE WORKS UP BY RESIGNING AND GOING DOWN TO FOX 56. THEY COULDN’T HAVE TWO GUYS GO ON THE SAME DAY. SO I CAME IN ON THURSDAY AND I KNEW I WAS A GONER. IN BROADCASTING WHEN THEY LET YOU GO, PEOPLE RUN AWAY FROM YOU IN THE HALLS, THEY DIVERT THEIR EYES AND PUT THEIR HEADS DOWN. IN MY CASE I HAD AN INKLING IT WAS COMING. BUT THE WORST CASES SCENARIOS ARE THOSE HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE WHO GET IT AND ARE STUNNED. IF THERE WERE A BETTER WORD TO DESCRIBE IT THAN BRUTAL, I’D USE IT.

9. WHAT ARE YOU READING NOW?

JUST STARTED “GAME CHANGE” FOR FUN, “INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT PROCEDURES” FOR SCHOOL AND “PLUMBING ESTIMATING METHODS” FOR WORK. PLUS MY ESPN MAGAZINE, GQ AND NEWSWEEK. I’M ORDERING A BOOK ON THE 1960 PITTSBURGH PIRATES SEASON TOO. THIS YEAR IS OF COURSE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT TEAM.

10. DO YOU DO FARMVILLE ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE?

NO BUT I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO DO. I BARELY HAVE THE TIME TO UPDATE IT AND LOOK AT IT. I HAVE A TOUGH TIME UNDERSTANDING HOW PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY ON IT.

11. ANY NEW FEATURES COMING UP ON LULAC?

YES. I HAVE DECIDED TO TRY OUT A FEW NEW ONES. YOU’LL BE SEEING THEM SOON.

12. BEST LOCAL CONCERT YOU’VE EVER SEEN?

YOU’D THINK I’D SAY THE 4 SEASONS BUT THAT’S A DISTANT THIRD TO THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL CONCERT AT THE ARENA IN OCTOBER OF 2003 AND TONY BENNETT IN 1986 WHEN HE WAS JUST GOING BACK ON TOUR AT THE KIRBY.

13. WHAT GADGETS ARE ON YOUR SCREEN SAVER AT WORK?

CLOCK, BASEBALL NEWS TICKER, TEMPERATURE IN MOUNTAIN TOP AND MONTEGO BAY. WAS THRILLED LAST WEEK WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IN BOTH PLACES READ 83 DEGREES. THANKS JOSH HODELL, SNEDECKER AND KRISTI CAPELL.