Sunday, March 17, 2013

The LuLac Edition #2381, March 17th, 2013

Our “Maybe I’m Amazed” logo. 

MAYBE I’M AMAZED 


MAYBE I’M AMAZED…………that according to a report in the Citizen’s Voice this past week, the amount of money to rent either a house or decent apartment was about $740.00. The average wage is way below that. How in the name of God can a family, especially one starting out afford to live? Despite the platitudes of the politicians, this is an economically depressed area that holds a bleak future for people who try and do the right thing. And as always, the local Chamber of Commerce big shots are nowhere to be found when it comes to economic development. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……….that as I watch the County Council Meetings on Service Electric TV filmed by Video Innovations, I am struck by the passion of some of the public speakers who decide to take up their time and address issues of concern. And unlike other governmental bodies in this area, there is great respect and restraint shown by the Luzerne County Council. Chairman Tim McGinley has set an even handed tone of firm, respectful leadership that is sorely lacking elsewhere. The meetings aren’t American Idol (Thank God for that) but are a true public service.
Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran. (Photo: AOL.COM) 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……….that the Cardinal who made the announcement of the new Pope, France’s Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran seemed scared out of his wits as he announced the selection of Argentina’s Jorge Bergoglio. He was tentative and after he made the announcement, (at least from my perspective) he stepped back and kind of had a look on his face expressing , “Hey, I had nothing to do with this vote” as the crowd processed the surprising information. This is as similar to when Pope John Paul II was chosen in 1978 where the crowd was unfamiliar with the choice of Poland’s Karol Wojtyla, the first Polish Pope and the first non Italian in four hundred years. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED………….that the gestation period for a goat is only five months. And equally amazing is that goats only have bottom teeth but not top teeth. So if you see them eat an apple, they will attack it with their bottom teeth arching their mouths upward. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……….that in the Citizen’s Voice Friday, there was a report about the animal who killed Prison Guard Eric Williams a few weeks ago. Apparently the drug gang member was in solitary confinement when he was in an Arizona jail. When he came to the facility in Pennsylvania, he could roam with the other inmates. A prison official quoted in the story said that prison officials gauge the needs of the inmate when how to decide where they will be housed. THE NEEDS OF THE INMATE? What about the needs of the Prison Guards whose lives are in jeopardy every day? THE NEEDS OF THE INMATE? We are a ****ed up country when it comes to Crime and Punishment”. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED………that since the election of Benedict VIth, we now have Podcasts, Twitter, Ipads and other electrical devices. You have to give it to the Vatican. They know how to keep a lid on this process even with this new technology. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED………that the average human dream lasts only two to three seconds. If that’s the case, then why are the dreams I have so fact filled and vivid? Does it mean that my thoughts are racing at a millisecond rate? It might be true because when I wake up from a dream or particularly a nightmare, my heart is racing. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED………that I understand that the new Pope was caring for an elderly sick relative when he was a Cardinal in Argentina, that he enjoys opera and the tango. I liked Benedict a lot because of his traditionalist bearing. He was a throwback to the Latin Mass of my Catholic youth. This new Pope reminds me of the John XXIIIrd model where there will be more surprises than not from Francis I. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED………that Cardinal Dolan of New York is the head of Catholic Communications in the United States. I found it fascinating listening to the Catholic Radio Channel on Sirius Radio this week. It is a great mix of fun, information, serious religiosity as well as personality. It definitely has the Dolan charismatic stamp on it. As a Catholic and Radio guy, I am impressed. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..that Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, a much discussed Vice Presidential possibility in 2012 said he is reversing his stand on gay marriage. Portman’s son came out in 2009 and Portman evolved on his position. Prior to this he was against gay marriage. I am not cynical about Portman’s reversal. It had to be a journey of soul searching and thought that very few of us are challenged to go through. But is it going to take a gay son or daughter in every member of the GOP Congress to change this very basic position? When it’s under your own roof, then its acceptable but in the abstract, it is an abomination. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that it has been estimated that when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, she circled the globe about 39 times! That’s more times around the earth than the original Mercury 7 astronauts who had a combined 34 orbits around the earth. Granted they were a bit higher…but still. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..that anyone would ever book a Carnival Cruise. The recent news about toilets overflowing, lack of food and water as well as power outages causing lack of air conditioning tells me something is terribly wrong with Carnival. Plus I think that with the sheer number of passengers on each cruise (with 5,000 or more passengers, I mean picture the entire City of Pittston and Borough of West Pittston populations on a boat) is way too much to handle efficiently. Once upon a time, I sold cruises for a living but I’d be hard pressed to recommend one now. Especially Carnival.
Stacey Keebler. (Photo: Hairstyles Blogsite) 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED………..that actor George Clooney has ended it all with former WWE Wrestling character Stacey Keebler. Keebler also was on “Dancing With the Stars”. I’d hesitate to dump someone who used to kick ass, fictional or otherwise for a living. 
MAYBE I’M AMAZED………that Saturday night, I was listening to a vintage edition of the Art Bell program from 1995 on WILK overnight. Bell said that the Democratic party embraced those people who wanted to be dependent on the government. He said the GOP was the party of the free thinker and the entrepreneur. A caller to the program then said the GOP was the party of the rich only and didn’t care about the little guy. Eighteen years later, nothing seems to have changed. That is amazing.

10 Comments:

At 5:42 PM, Anonymous JUNCTION said...

Dave, my heart felt sympathy to Eric Williams family.
But to shed another angle on this situation.
We all want to reduce the size of the government. That is a great idea. But we must pay the price when that happens. Shrink the federal government and the overall budget.
Than as we already see that the state and local governments getting less funds to operate.
That being said there are lees prison guards being hired because of lack of budget monies at all levels.
At the fed prison where Eric Williams was stabbed to death I was told it is like 300 to 1 ratio of prisoners to guards.
How woud you like to work in that ratio of daily life and death working enviorment.
More has to be done to protect all people working in or present day prison systems.
Let us hope that Erics death was not in vein.
May he rest in peace.

 
At 5:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"decent apartment was about $740.00."

Since you did not define average Mr Yonki it will be hard to assuage your whine.

I'll try. OK let's see:

1976 $180.00 was the equivalent of $740.00 today.

Our beloved locals raised assessments on everyone 3 years ago.

You gotta give the landlord/owners a level of profit that makes his investment risk worthwhile. If not no one builds appartments to rent.

It's a b!tch trying to collect or evict slacker tenants. Sometimes you eat the loss to limit the loss.

You really need a lesson in market forces and how they are affected by governments, taxes, regulations, societal preferences and options, as well as cultural imperatives and characteristics.

Please don't take off on a minimum wage rant. Maybe that dweeb isn't worth minimum wage - he'll have to up his game to be of value - and live with Mon & Dad until he does.

 
At 8:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Stacey Keebler is a tall one Yonk!

 
At 6:33 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What were the reasons for the war in Iraq?

 
At 4:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

art bell back on the radio

since when by the way stacey keebler i am free put with the high rent in this area i cannot aford to take her out to dinner.

 
At 4:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

stacey is a sweet girl

lets put her in office in this area and see if she gets a raise

 
At 7:37 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

5:52 PM

There is a lot of thought between the lines dude.

NOBODY seems to think about inflation in their equation. Inflation is a deciding factor in a lot of decisions and comparisons. Unfortunately our politicians rely on inflation for so many things. Both parties - all the time.

Check it out Yonk - it will eat up your savings OR give you a false sense of security.

 
At 4:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Clooney must be a homo

 
At 11:42 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Clooney is not gay. And btw, they stopped using homo as a term long ago. Get up to speed. Unless of course you are a homo and the double standard of you being one is okay for you to say but not for me. I heard on the news that the two Clooney and Stacey were spotted together after the split was reported. BUT the Yonk has not been heard from since he posted this photo so I hope our boy has not gone off the rails. Some men love power, others money, in Yonk’s case, TALL.

 
At 7:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

okay then Clooney is a fudge packer.

 

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