The LuLac Edition #1236, July 13th, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: 13 QUESTIONS LOGO.

13 QUESTIONS

1. THINGS ARE PRETTY QUIET ON THE CORRUPTION SIDE IN THE COUNTY. ARE THE FEDS TAKING A BREAK?

I UNDERSTAND THE INVESTIGATION IS ON GOING, PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING, SOME EVEN SINGING ARIAS AND THE PROBE IS FAR FROM OVER.

2. THERE ARE SOME WHO SAY THE CORRUPTION PROBE IS A NEGATIVE IN TERMS OF ATTRACTING NEW INDUSTRY HERE? DO YOU AGREE?

C’MON. SINCE COAL DIED HERE IT’S BEEN THE SAME OLD SONG. VARIOUS REINCARNATIONS OF CHAMBER INITIATIVES FAILED TO BRING IN A REALLY WHOPPER INDUSTRY THAT WOULD PAY PEOPLE A DECENT WAGE. THERE WERE SOME INDUSTRIES HERE BUT THEY ARE NOW JUST REMNANTS. WE BUILT AN ARENA, WE BUILT A STADIUM, WE BUILT AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IS SET IN A PRETTY NICE NATURAL HABITAT. AND WE STILL CAN’T CLOSE THE DEAL. TO USE THE CORRUPTION PROBE OR WORSE YET TO SAY WE SHOULD END IT TO GIVE THE CHAMBERS A PASS FOR NOT DOING THEIR JOBS IS JUST PLAIN SILLY. IT WILL ONLY EMPOWER THEM TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER GO NOWHERE RAH RAH SELF CONGRATULATORY EFFORT THAT WILL GO NOWHERE. I CAN JUST SEE IT, “LUZERNE COUNTY: CLEANED UP, DUSTED OFF AND READY TO HIRE”. PLEASE!

3. WHAT DO YOU WATCH ON TV FOR THE SUMMER?

NOT MUCH. MAYBE “MADMEN” IF IT RETURNS BUT REALLY NOT THAT MUCH HOLDS MY INTEREST WHEN YOU HAVE THE HEAT, THE SUN AND THE SUMMER.

4. WHEN YOU WERE IN COLLEGE DID YOU EVER GO ON SPRING BREAK?

YOU’RE KIDDING ME, RIGHT? I NEVER HAD THE TIME OR THE MONEY TO DO THAT. I DID SPEND SOME SUMMER THOUGH IN WILDWOOD AT A PLACE CALLED THE BOLERO MOTEL. LOTS OF SUN AND BEACH BUT NO SPRING BREAK.

5. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER ON THE OFFICE AND DO YOU WATCH THE SHOW?

YES I DO. I THINK MY FAVORITES ARE CREED AND STANLEY.

6. YOU SEEM TO BE A LITTLE ROUGH ON YOUR BOY ED RENDELL THESE DAYS? WHY THE CHANGE?

RENDELL WANTS TO BUILD THIS LEGACY AS THE EDUCATION GOVERNOR. FINE I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT IF HE REALLY WANTED TO BE THE “EDUCATION” GOVERNOR, HE WOULD HAVE TRIED TO OVERHAUL THE SYSTEM ITSELF. THERE ARE OVER 500 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE, EACH WITH ITS OWN LITTLE FIEFDOM OF POWER AND EACH WITH ITS OWN SET OF FUNDING RULES. HE’S THROWING MONEY AT AN ENTITY THAT HAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN YEARS. AND MEANWHILE HE’S SHORT CHANGING LIBRARIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES THAT ROUTINELY GET BY ON LESS MONEY. I GUESS IT’S LIKE THE OLD STORY, THE RICH GET RICHER, THE POOR GET POORER BECAUSE THE POOR PROVED THEY COULD NOT DROP OVER AND DIE WITH LESS.

7. AS A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF ROCK 107 WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CHANGES THERE?

LOVED DANIELS AND WEBSTER INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY. BUT AFTER 25 YEARS, YEAH A CHANGE WAS OVERDUE. I THINK THERE ARE FEW RADIO STATIONS AROUND ANYMORE KNOWN AS INSTITUTIONS AND THE NEW TEAM IN THE MORNING AT 107 WILL TAKE TIME TO JELL BUT WILL HOPEFULLY CONTINUE THE TRADITION. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT WORKING THERE WAS THAT PEOPLE I MET ON SALES CALL TREATED THE ROCK 107 STAFF IN ALMOST REVERENTIAL TERMS, LIKE THE OLD WARM JOCKS. IT WAS PRETTY AMUSING. BUT I THINK THEY’LL DO OKAY. I DO WONDER THOUGH IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CHANGE HAD WEBSTER NOT MADE THE MOVE TO WILK. SOME SAY YES, OTHERS SAY NO. STILL WISH THEM THE BEST OF LUCK.

8. WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR BEST THINKING FOR WRITING?

BELIEVE IT OR NOT IN CHURCH. AND ONCE IN A WHILE SOMETHING I SEE WILL TRIGGER A THOUGHT AND THEN I’M OFF TO THE RACES.

9. THE ALL STAR GAME IS TONIGHT. MOST VIVID ALL STAR GAME MEMORY.

TWO. ONE WHEN I WAS JUST 7 COMING IN FROM PLAY TO WATCH THE GAME THE BIG KIDS WERE TALKING ABOUT. THAT WAS 1961 WHEN THE TEAMS PLAYED 2 GAMES. SITTING IN FRONT OF THE TV ON A BLAZING HOT DAY WATCHING THE LIKES OF ALBIE PEARSON AND OTHERS PLAY IN THAT ’61 GAME. THE NEXT ONE WAS IN 2008. I HAD JUST HAD MY SURGERY FOR COLON CANCER AND WAS IN AND OUT UNTIL ABOUT 8:30PM. I WAS STITCHED UP AND TUBED UP BUT WAS AWAKE FOR THE WHOLE THING. MY ROOM MATE TONY (WHO HAD THE SAME SURGERY) AND I HAD THE GAME ON AND WE WERE BOTH UP UNTIL IT ENDED AFTER 15 INNINGS. THE MARLIN’S DAN UGGA KEPT ON HITTING INTO DOUBLE PLAYS AND MAKING ERRORS AND THE THING WENT ON FOREVER. WHEN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE DEFEATED THE NATIONAL 4 to 3 I SAID TO TONY “YOU SUPPOSE WE’RE THE ONLY TWO GUYS IN WILKES BARRE UP WATCHING THIS THING?”. TONY, AN LCTA BUS DRIVER BY TRADE SAID, “US AND A COUPLE DRUNKS TRYING TO STAGGER HOME”.

10. WHY DON’T YOU CAN THE YEAR 1966, NOTHING WENT ON IN THAT YEAR?

I’M THINKING ABOUT REFINING THAT FEATURE. DON’T WANT TO DUMP ON THAT YEAR YET THOUGH. I’LL KEEP YOU POSTED.

11. THE POLLS YOU TAKE ON YOUR SITE, WHERE’D THAT IDEA COME FROM?

MRS. LULAC.

12. THE YANKEES PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCER BOB SHEPHERD DIED THE OTHER DAY. EVER MEET HIM? HOW ABOUT GEORGE STEINBRENNER?

NO BUT I DID GET TO SEE HIM WORK AT YANKEE STADIUM WHEN I WAS IN THE PRESS BOX THERE IN THE EARLY 80s. IT WAS LIKE WATCHING A LEGEND IN ACTION. GREAT MEMORY. AS FAR AS STEIINBRENNER GOES, SAW HIM ONCE IN THE STADIUM. DURING THE 1980 PLAYOFFS AGAINST KANSAS CITY, I HAD A PRESS PASS AND WAS SET TO ASK HIM A QUESTION. THE YANKS WERE DOWN 2 TO 0 AND EVENTUALLY WERE SWEPT BY THE ROYALS THAT NIGHT. I WAS STRUCK BY HOW SHORT HE SEEMED TO BE UP CLOSE. WORE A BLACK SUIT, STARCHED WHITE SHIRT, HAD AN ENTOURAGE HIM AND LOOKED ANGRY. I FELT DISCRETION WAS THE BETTER PART OF VALOR AND LET HIM PASS.

13. IN YOUR BOOK 26 RULES WHICH I BOUGHT FOR MY NIECE THIS GRADUATION SEASON, YOU OUTLINE YOUR FAVORITE SONGS. WHICH SONGS DO YOU INSTANTLY TURN OFF ON THE RADIO WHEN YOU HEAR THEM AND CAN YOU PLAY THE SEATRAIN SONG?

FIRST OFF THANK YOU FOR BUYING MY BOOK. THE SONGS I TURN OFF INSTANTLY ARE "HANKY PANKY" AND "MONY MONY" BY TOMMY JAMES, "PLAYGROUND IN MY MIND" BY CLINT HOLMES (WHO IRONICALLY HAD A KILLER TALK SHOW IN THE 90s ON WOR TV) "SEASONS IN THE SUN" BY TERRY JACKS, "PROUD MARY" BY CREEDENCE AND THE TURNERS, "OLD TIME ROCK AND ROLL" BY BOB SEGER "BUILD ME UP BUTTERCUP" BY THE FOUNDATIONS (LOVE THE REST OF THEIR STUFF THOUGH) AND ANYTHING BY AIR SUPPLY. AND BY REQUEST, SEATRAIN.