The LuLac Edition #1179, May 13th, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: "13 QUESTIONS" LOGO.

13 QUESTIONS

1. AFTER FOUR YEARS DOING THIS, MY QUESTION IS THIS: HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO WRITE EVERY DAY?

NORMALLY IT’S NOT TOO BAD. I CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT OF MATERIAL TO WORK WITH. AND ON DAYS WHEN I HAVE NOTHING, SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING SO CRAZY I JUST HAVE TO COMMENT ON IT. MY MODE OF EXPRESSION IF YOU WILL HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE WRITTEN WORD. AND I AM JUST COMPULSIVE ENOUGH THAT I NEED TO DO THIS AS PART OF MY LIFE. AND IT WAS VERY THERAPEUTIC COMING BACK FROM THE CANCER SURGERY. AS LONG AS PEOPLE KEEP READING, I’LL KEEP WRITING.

2. HAVE YOU MET LOU BARLETTA, DO YOU LIKE HIM AND DOES HE STAND A CHANCE AT BEING OUR NEXT CONGRESSMAN?

I’VE MET THE MAYOR A NUMBER OF TIMES. I HAD THE HONOR OF SHARING AN ANCHOR DESK WITH HIM ON WYLN TV NEWS. THE GUY IS LIKABLE. HE ALSO HAS A THICK SKIN. YOU CAN BASH HIM ON THE ISSUES BUT LOU UNDERSTANDS IT IS A DIFFERENT POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OPPOSING HIM, NOT A DIFFERENT PERSON. I’VE SEEN HIM REV UP A CROWD AND HE IS GOOD FOR THE LOCAL GOP. HE CAN BE OUR NEXT CONGRESSMAN IF PAUL KANJORSKI GETS RENOMINATED IN THE PRIMARY. A COREY O’BRIEN WIN WOULD PUT THE MAYOR AT A DISTINCT DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE O’BRIEN COULD RUN AS THE CHANGE CANDIDATE.

3. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUNDAY MORNING NEWS SHOW?

I TAPE ALL OF THEM, EVEN FOX. MISS TIM RUSSERT THOUGH.

4. ANY PLANS FOR SUMMER VACATION THIS YEAR?

I HAD ENOUGH VACATION LAST YEAR THANKS TO THE FOLKS AT BLUE CROSS. NO, I’M GOING TO SHOW UP FOR WORK EVERY DAY, TRY TO GET THE THIRD BOOK PUBLISHED AND IN THE STORES AND TRY TO FINISH THE OTHER PROJECTS I GOT GOING ON.

5. I SAW THE OTHER DAY THAT YOU WERE PROMOTING THE MAYOR OF EXETER'S FUNDRAISER, YET YOU BITCHED AND SCREAMED WHEN SHE TOOK OFFICE. EXPLAIN.

NO EXPLANATION NEEDED. I KNEW HER GRANDFATHER, THOUGHT HE WAS A GREAT GUY. THINK SHE’S A GOOD PERSON TOO. BUT I DISAGREED WITH THE WAY SHE CAME TO OFFICE. I STATED IT. SOME PEOPLE AGREED, SOME PEOPLE DIDN’T. BUT THE FACT IS SHE’S THERE IN OFFICE NOW AND NOT CAUSING ANY HARM AND IN FACT IS DOING SOME GOOD THINGS, LIKE THIS FUNDRAISER. NOT TO COMPARE CASSANDRA COLEMAN WITH BOBBY KENNEDY, BUT I THOUGHT THE WAY BOBBY KENNEDY CAME TO HIS OFFICE WAS NOT A GOOD THING FOR AMERICA, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OR THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION. IT WAS NEPOTISM TO THE HIGHEST ORDER. BUT ONCE HE GOT THERE, HE DID A VERY VERY GOOD JOB IN STARING DOWN THE DEMONS OF SEGREGATION IN THE SOUTH. SO IT’S NOT HOW YOU GOT THERE, IT”S WHAT YOU DO ONCE YOU’RE THERE.

6. DO YOU EVER GET REALLY DRUNK IN YOUR LIFE?

YES ONCE. I WAS AT A WEDDING WITH MY FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE. IT WAS AT THE HOTEL STERLING AND WE DRANK EVERYTHING. I REMEMBER LEAVING THE STERLING HOTEL WITH MY FRIENDS. I REMEMBER A WAITRESS IN DENNY’S. HER NAME WAS CLAIRE. I REMEMBER KEN CURTIS PULLING INTO THE WARM PARKING LOT ON A SUNDAY MORNING AND HIM NUDGING ME AS I SLEPT ON THE HOOD OF MY KELLY GREEN CAMARO. I WAS 21. NEVER DRANK HEAVILY AGAIN.

7. HOW’S YOUR BUDDY JILL KONOPKA DOING?

REALLY WELL. SHE’S IN NEW ENGLAND DOING NEWS STORIES AT WSFB HARTFORD CHANNEL 8. SHE IS VERY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED TO SEE HER ON A NETWORK SOME DAY. IN ADDITION SHE IS ALSO PURSUING HER MASTERS DEGREE AS WELL AS ENTERING A “DANCE WITH THE STARS” TYPE FUNDRAISER. JILL ALSO IS INVOLVED IN THE BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS PROGRAM THERE. SHE IS THE BEST. AND THE WEIRD PART ABOUT THIS IS I MET HER BECAUSE OF AN INCIDENT SHE HAD WITH MAYOR TOM LEIGHTON DURING A BIG SNOW STORM IN THE 2007.

8. THE GOVERNOR’S RACE, WHICH CANDIDATE DO YOU THINK IS MAKING THE BIGGEST IMPACT?

TWO. ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE STATE SENATOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS IS CREEPING UP BEHIND DAN ONORATO. HIS ADS ARE CREATIVE, HE IS ENGAGING AND JUST MIGHT COME OUT OF PHILADELPHIA WITH A SIZABLE LEAD. DON’T FORGET ED RENDELL BEAT BOB CASEY JUNIOR BY CARRYING ABOUT A DOZEN COUNTIES IN 2002. IN A 5 MAN RACE, WILLIAMS MIGHT SURPRISE SOME PEOPLE. ON THE GOP SIDE SAM ROHRER MIGHT SHOW THE STRENGTH OF THE TEA PARTY PEOPLE IF THEY TURN OUT. ROHRER IS REALLY WORKING VERY HARD AND IF HE CAN CHANNEL THE ENERGIES OF THESE NEWLY CHARGED VOTERS INTO PULLING THE LEVER FOR HIM, IT WILL BE A STATEMENT.

9. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE POSTERS WHO SAY YOU FAVOR AND FILTER COMMENTS ABOUT WILK?

THE ONLY THINGS I FILTER IS A COMMENT THAT IS DENIGRATING TO THOSE PEOPLE PHYSICALLY. THEY ARE ALL BIG BOY AND GIRLS AT WILK AND DON’T NEED DAVE YONKI PROTECTING THEM FROM THE SLINGS AND ARROWS OF OPINION.

10. A FEW WEEKS BACK YOU WROTE ABOUT “NEW COKE”. HOW DID YOU REACT TO IT BACK THEN?

I WAS ANNOYED. I GREW UP WITH COKE AND TAB AND I WROTE TO THE COMPANY. I WAS GLAD THEY BROUGHT IT BACK. MY DRINKS OF CHOICE THESE DAYS ARE IN ORDER OF CONSUMPTION, DIET COKE, AQUIFINA WATER, DIET SNAPPLE PEACH AND WHEN I WANT TO SPLURGE ON EMPTY CALORIES, A CLASSIC COKE.

11. WILL THE LOCAL BLOGGERS HAVE ANOTHER GET TOGETHER FOR THE FALL?

I’M CERTAIN OF IT. HOPEFULLY I’LL BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING THIS FALL. GORT AND JOE VALENTI DID A GREAT OB SETTING IT UP AND I WAS THRILLED TO MEET THE CANDIDATES, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE STAFFERS AND THE POSTERS.

12. AS A BIG LAW AND ORDER FAN, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RECENTLY REVAMPED CHANGES ON CRIMINAL INTENT? AND WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON “LOST”?

FIRST “LOST”. I “LOST” INTEREST IN IT AFTER THE FIRST YEAR. TOO MUCH TO FOLLOW. I MEAN IT WAS SO CONFUSING I JUST GAVE UP. MRS. LULAC WATCHES IT, I DON’T. I STILL THINK THEY ARE IN PURGATORY AND TRYING TO FIND A WAY OUT. GOOD, EVIL, BLAH BLAH BLAH. ON LAW AND ORDER CRIMINAL INTENT , THEY HAD TO DOWNSIZE AND IT MADE SENSE TO KEEP JUST ONE TEAM STARRING JEFF GOLDBLUM AND SAFFRON BURROWS.
NEXT WEDNESDAY ON LAW AND ORDER “SVU” WATCH FOR SHARON STONE’S CHARACTER TO BE KILLED OFF. AND HERE’S A PIECE OF “LAW AND ORDER” TRIVIA, ERIC BOGOSIAN (WHO PLAYED CAPTAIN DANNY ROSS IN “CI” ) PLAYED A PROMINENT ROLE IN THIS EARLY 1980s MUSIC VIDEO. YOU”LL ALSO SEE STEVE WINWOOD MAKE A CAMEO IN THE VIDEO ALONG WITH JIM CAPALDI.


13. DO YOU EVER JUST GET SICK AND TIRED OF ANSWERING THESE STUPID 13 QUESTIONS QUESTIONS?

NEVER. KEEP “EM COMING.