The LuLac Edition #1899, January 13th, 2012
13 Questions logo.
13 QUESTIONS
1. What is wrong with America?
Jeez, nothing like starting out big huh? Well I think for one thing we do a lot of talking but rarely do we follow up on improving society. There are too many talkers and not enough listeners. The second thing going on is that there is a great disparity in classes. And that has gotten worse because of the hero worship we have for people whose only claim to fame are that they are rich. They become famous for simply that. It strikes me as odd that the 99 per centers will celebrate these people, watch them on TV and even try and emulate them. But these celebrities don’t give a rat’s ass about the people who glorify them. Our national attention span is pretty much shot too. If a candidate doesn’t say it in a minute or less, we’re on to “The Bachelor”. Bottom line is we have to fix ourselves before we can fix government. We’ve got to study, think, then get involved. We have to get away from the attitude, “I got mine, now get yours”. I hope that’s enough of a start for you.
2. Your thoughts on Newt Gingrich please?
I think he missed his time. Gingrich should have run in 2008. At that time Barack Obama was not as skilled in debating and even in campaigning as he is now. Even with his baggage, Gingrich could have presented his experience vs. Obama’s lack of it in that campaign. Plus Gingrich who was out of office since ’97 could have distanced himself from the Bush/Cheney version of conservatism. He could have disassociated himself from every aspect of the Bush years and could have formed a coalition of rock ribbed, deficit hawk conservatives (they call them Tea Party people now), Republicans who did not want a Democrat and people who thought Obama was inexperienced. Timing is everything and he missed his chance in ’08. I have no doubt in my mind that had he run in 2008, President Gingrich would be running for his second term.
3.What grade do you give the new County Council in Luzerne County so far?
A minus. They all seem to be working together and have a big job to get this thing off the ground.
4. Are you upset that a local person is not in the final ring of finalists for County manager?
No. Because the way this area is, everyone is related to someone in some shape or form. I think they did a good job by picking from the outside. Can you imagine the uproar if a Doug Pape or a Red O’Brien was a finalist? The way that the Vice Chairwoman Linda Houck explained it was satisfactory to me.
5. Okay Yonki, Linda Ronstadt or Carly Simon?
Tough one. I’d go with Ronstadt because she seems less complicated and needy than Carly Simon.
6. Tom Corbett is cutting the state budget again. Do you think this will hurt him politically?
In the short term, yes. In the long run, no. He is doing it early in his term and if the revenues start to flow at a greater rate, he can restore some of those cuts and look like a hero. Don’t forget, some of the cuts are not cuts, some of them are just a freeze on what people will get in the next year.
7. Did you read the latest book on the first lady and the President?
No. I have no interest in it at all. The writer last spoke to her subjects in 2009. That’s a problem in my book if you can’t get a reaction.
8. Is it me or does Fox News make it a prerequisite for their panel people and reporters to wear very short skirts?
Nope, it isn’t you. You won’t see my girl Candy Crowley on Fox News I’ll tell you that!
9. What do you think of the looting in West Pittston?
Every time I see something like that I think of Paul Kanjorski. Kanjorski made no apology for being a supporter of government. Back in 1972 during and after the Flood, the National Guard was called out to curb looting. The Guard was patrolling long after the waters receded. The Guard now is winding down from the Iraq War but there are still people serving in Afghanistan. If it were a different time, there would be more police and guardsmen to take care of this situation. But as Kanjorski opined many times, when federal programs suffer, there are consequences. And the lack of protection for these homes in West Pittston is an example of how government functioned in 1972 vs how it is operating today. My thoughts though about looters: shoot them with a stun gun that will paralyze them for a month, keep them in a hospital ward and feed them once a day with a tube. After that, let them think about how precious movement of their limbs are and maybe they’ll keep their mitts off other people’s stuff. Oh and if they are good patients after a week, I’d then issue catheters to them.
10. How are your Packers going to do against the Giants this week?
I’m holding my breath. The Pack has some emotional issues going on because of a death in their coaching family. But the Giants seem like they are on a roll and can be very, very dangerous. They remind me of what the Packer team was like last year, getting hot at the right time and then running the table.
11. As far as your writing goes, have you ever considered working on a period piece and if so, what era?
Yes I have. The era would be WWII. I have an idea but it hasn’t hit paper yet.
12. Any comments on the Firetruck controversy with Mayor Leighton?
Well he did get the fire trucks and that’s a good thing. I would have given credit to the donor in some way. What I don’;t understand is how this donation came all the way from a California firm. I mean what is the connection there? Don’t we have the Luzerne Foundation for that type of thing? Leighton is going into his third term and I think it is ironic that he still has to defend stuff from a few years ago (even before his re election to term #2) even after winning big.
13. What are your thoughts on the Scranton Times story about Bob Cordaro and Chuckie Costanza not testifying at his trial? Was there jury tampering?
Nothing would surprise me. I thought it odd that Costanza got himself out of jail for the day and then decided not to testify. Did Cordaro have a relative of Chuckie’s in the courtroom sitting next to Steve Corbett? This is one twist after another. The entire Cordaro/Costanza/Munchak saga is like a bad and unfinished Paul Sorvino movie! Maybe me and one of my fellow posters will develop a “treatment” and submit it to big Paulie with a couple of bottles of homemade sauce. We’ll also need half a million too………………….
posted by David Yonki @ 12:06 AM
9 comments
9 Comments:
Students,
If Mr. Yonki will permit me, I would like to answer a few of the 13 questions.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA?
Well, students, all I can say to many Americans is that the questions is very simple to answer---look in the mirror. Mr. Yonki had made some valid points and I would add a few more.
First off, when a nation loses its moral footing it loses its soul. We have lost our imagination and ingenuity in deference to persuing the easy way out.
The youngsters expect all to be handed over to them on a silver platter with no payment required. And their endless search for a scapegoat for their many mistakes has a fallout all its own.
How many of you in this classroom would prefer a welfare check to a paycheck simply because of the fact that the welfare check is a few dollars extra? You need not answer---ALL OF YOU!
And I may surprise you all when I lay the fault for this sorry behavior on my own generation. Many of my brethren, upon returning from WWII were confronted with a far different world than the one we knew prior.
Ice boxes became electric refrigerators, coal stoves became electric stoves, radio gave way to television and music gave way to the screech of rock and roll.
We were able to come upon our technological dreams far faster than we were able to manage them. We indulged our children and they responded by refusing to serve their nation at wartime. And now they have grown children (many in this classroom) who are even more spoiled and self centered. Back in my day it was a privelige to have your father loan you use of the family car. Today it is a rite of passage for a young punk to have a car purchased for him/her by the parents.
I would caution these parents....do you truly think that little JOhnny or Susie is going to love you all the more simply because you indulge their every whim. Trust me, once you get into your golden years, and your medical condition becomes a "hassle" to them, you should expect them to shove you into a nursing home. And you shall be lucky if they even visit you on Christmas (then again, you probably would be lucky if they don't come at all). Children will only respect a stern parent---I know for one, that neither of my children would dare shove me into a nursing home as I had instilled both the fear and respect of God into them. I shall address the lunacy of Dr. Spock in a future lecture.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON NEWT GINGRICH?
Unfortunately, Speaker Gingrich's time has passed and I concur with Mr. Yonki's assertions. Nevertheless, history shall recall him as a formidable figure in the conservative movement and I predict that President Romney will make some use of the Speaker's talents (perhaps Secy. of State?).
IN closing, we are now coming upon a three day weekend. I know that you all will be taking a high interest in the football games of the next few days. I caution you to behave when you go to your local waterhole. If you drink or do your drugs, please, by all means walk and do not drive home. I fear not for the irresponsible drunk/drug riddled driver, but for his innocent victims.
Something to think about this morning. I shall see you all in class next week (most of you anyway--hangovers and all). Until then,
Class Dismissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a comment on the days previous post concerning the WILK radio ratings slip.
For one thing, the station has too many damned commercials. But more important, is it really a necessity to give us the weather/news upsdates every half hour? If perhaps, they would limit it to an hour it would be better. I figure out of each half hour of broadcast time you probably get about 15 minutes of actual talk time.
Talk radio is okay, but it also can become redundant. ANd it does seem as if the hosts are sometimes grasping for straws to find a appealing subject for callers. Kind oflike that old Buck Henry skit on Saturday nite live.
Dont read him anymore, but gotta ask. What does OPA stand for or indicate? Thats my Question.
He is apparently daily now. Watch out, Yonks or it will become the Prolac Letter!
"Old Piss Ant" works for me.
Waverly Bob
IN RESPONSE
Dont read him anymore, but gotta ask. What does OPA stand for or indicate? Thats my Question.
He is apparently daily now. Watch out, Yonks or it will become the Prolac Letter!
"Old Piss Ant" works for me.
YES BOB, THANKS FOR REMINDING ME. WE WERE GOING T MAKE IT PART OF 13 QUESTIONS BUT PLUM FORGOT. PROFESSOR, WHAT DOES OPA STAND FOR? INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.
"We were able to come upon our technological dreams far faster than we were able to manage them."
- Spot on!
Life is management in it's purest form.
I'll go with Carly Simon. She wrote most of her songs, Linda wrote very few. And somehow Carly's songs seem to be amazingly universal.
"...Ronstadt because she seems less complicated and needy than Carly Simon."
Yonk doesn't care about their songwriting skills. He was clear about his preference.
Imagine him at the computer trying to ignore her editing suggestions while asking: "Sweet Baby Dave? Does this sound better with an added 7th?"
Both good, but Simon was sexier and as mentioned wrote her own material almost exclusively. I'm sure she was troubled and needy, but that often goes hand in hand with real creative talent.
Havent heard from Ronstadt in a "Long long time".
Yonk, if you're going to give that Nutty Professor all that space, the leasst you can do for us is to give us a "pass" button so we can click and go.
Your rating of the county Council should be a simple minus. These folks have done absolutelynothing but say no to Pribula's plan. Does anybody understand that they have done nothing? As for not p;icking a local person, I have to wonder why you use the wxample of O'Brien and Pape as the only options? There are some very good municipal mangers working here as well as NE PA in geneeral. There are people with great managwement records who also know the area and know how to get things done. I read Pribula's resume and I do give him credit for trying but there is nothing in his background to qualify him for the task at hand. We need a strong leader who can explain in very strong terms what must be done and stop being so concerned about what the public thinks. When were the general public ever satisfied with government? Just do the job.
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