Pet Blogging

One of the things I love about the blogosphere is people posting pictures of their pets. Most of it is cats but we also have dog lovers out there. This is a pic of our last guy that died in 2001 but will never be forgotten. We tortured him at Christmas and he enjoyed every minute of it. His name was Gorby. When I lived in England the tabloids nicknamed Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev Gorby. I thought that sounded like a name for a dog instead of a President. So when I got a dog I named him Gorby. I also had a cat named Indira Gandhi but that's another story.

I had some of the best and worst times of my life with Gorby. When I was dating Mrs G I introduced them and he went up to her for a belly rub then burped in her face. Of course she fell in love and we were married shortly after. He was an escape artist always digging his way out of the yard to go cruising for bitches. One time I was out looking for him and glanced in my rear view mirror to see him chasing my truck. So I stopped and he hopped right in. He loved to go for a ride. Another time he found his way to a dairy farm and rolled in manure. Lucky for him I had a pick up to take him home instead of tieing him to the bumper to get him home. Another time when I took him to the park and he disappeared and after spending 3 or 4 hours looking for him I went home to find him on the porch. And so on. So many memories.

Coming soon will be the adventures of Humphrey and Ptolemy.

Other pet bogs I enjoy are Ol' Froth and Carl documenting the adventures of Thumpber. If he would just let the cat out of the bathroom. Jacq has some cats but you might not get to see them because she has a super secret site. Another Monkey tells us a love story about Haley.

But nothing can top T-Bogg's Thursday Night Basset Blogging.

Tax relief or Corporate Welfare?

Given a choice what would our represenatives in Harrisburg opt for?

Pa. House OKs slots funds for new arena

The state House voted 121-77 today in favor of a new slots-funded economic development program that will supply $8 million a year that's needed to build a new hockey arena in Pittsburgh.

Slots revenue eyed for projects

Supporters of a proposed cargo airport in the Hazleton area are eyeing slots revenues to help pay for the $500 million project. State Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township, inserted a $16.5 million authorization for the cargo airport in a new House bill listing projects under the Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund.

It doesn't surprise me that this new big pot of gold is just too tempting for our tribunes of the people to resist. Rapid Edward sold this idea to us saying that revenue from the slots parlors would be used to reduced property taxes. I haven't seen my property taxes reduced and the Governor now wants to raise the sales tax with a promise to reduce property taxes that would create yet another pot of money that can be raided. How many more taxes will be proposed with the promise of reducing school taxes only to be diverted to another purpose?

Mitt Romney abused the family dog

Romney's Cruel Canine Vacation

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The reporter intended the anecdote that opened part four of the Boston Globe's profile of Mitt Romney to illustrate, as the story said, "emotion-free crisis management": Father deals with minor — but gross — incident during a 1983 family vacation, and saves the day. But the details of the event are more than unseemly — they may, in fact, be illegal.

The incident: dog excrement found on the roof and windows of the Romney station wagon. How it got there: Romney strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station wagon for a twelve hour drive from Boston to Ontario, which the family apparently completed, despite Seamus's rather visceral protest.

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He put the dog on the roof of the car! What kind of an asshole does something like that? The dog was literally scared shitless.

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This story immediately reminds you of the scene in Vacation when Chevy Chase drives away with the dog tied to the bumper and when I first read it I didn't believe it. I found it hard to believe that anyone would treat their dog like that and his family let him get away with it. When we go to the beach in about 2 weeks our guy will be in the back seat wearing his seat belt and a good chunk of the stuff we pack will be for his benefit.

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A few days ago Josh Marshall thought that Rudy Giuliani bailing on the 9/11 commission to speak to groups about 9/11 for a nice fee was the kind of story that could end his campaign but it hasn't gained much traction. But this story could be the end of Romney if the MSM picks up on it. Republican or Democrat, abusing an animal pisses people off.

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Of all the Republican candidates for President he has to be the worst. He puts down the state he was Governor of for just 4 years and has changed his position on just about every hot button social issue to pander to the religious right. Earning the label Republichameleon from Andrew Sullivan.

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Thanks to Pandagon for the pic.

Meyers High School is sinking

This drawing from 1935 at Capt'n Clint's Place shows that the school hasn't changed much.

WILKES-BARRE – Plans to renovate Meyers High School should be scrapped, an architect told the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board Monday, throwing a likely knockout blow at efforts to preserve the venerable building...the building foundation has settled in spots up to four times more than expected, creating situations where the floors can drop by up to six inches from one side to the other.

The original plan to renovate the three city highs schools will have to be revamped. The fact that the school is not worth saving is going to upset a lot of people, including my Mom, who went there.

The idea of the neighborhood school died a long time ago and this is just another one that will go by the wayside. The recent Catholic school closings follow a long list of elementary/high schools closings. My academic career started at Courtright Ave grade school and when that building fell apart I went to the brand new Dan Flood Elementary School that opened in 1969. It was built on the Coughlin HS baseball field next to the Guthrie school football field which had been previously closed. We got a new new grade school but lost the baseball field where I learned to play the game. A bad trade in my opinion. In 1972 the state mandated a consolidation of school districts that got the number down to just 503. I don't know how many there were before that. I remember that the whole west side had to attend the Wyoming Valley West HS instead of schools in Luzerne, Kingston and other towns. Not counting how many grade schools were closed. So going off to 7th grade at the Plains Junior High School I had to take a bus for the first time in my life. Before that I always walked to school. Plains Jr. HS is now a IMU facility and most grade schools of my youth are closed. Enough reminiscing.

We are told that the best way to teach our kids is in small classes but the trend of the last few years has been to build mega-schools. Spending $35 million to renovate a high school that may drown doesn't make much sense and we will see what other problems the architects will find with GAR and Coughlin. Coughlin HS on N Washington St was designated a KOZ zone a few years ago so you know that they will find some fatal flaw in that campus and GAR is just in a bad place.

I think every candidate in the last School Board election ran on a promise to keep all 3 city high schools open. Frank Pizzella may restore some order to this group or he might just have everybodys legs broken.

Lackawanna Wonderful

A few days ago someone sent me this video. I didn't know what to make of it since I'm not that familiar with political players of our neighbors to the north. I asked the anonymous emailer to add some context but he/she never responded. The Scranton Times provides an explanation.

YouTube posting portends vicious commissioners race

A buddy of Republican county Commissioners Robert C. Cordaro and A.J. Munchak showed up at the fundraiser for Democratic Lackawanna County commissioner candidates Mike Washo and Corey O’Brien that was attended by Gov. Ed Rendell. His mission was to spot Republicans that were attending the event and when he was spotted he let out a a highly offensive, racially charged statement in reference to the fundraiser attendees. Charles Costanzo's firm processes county worker compensation claims, and he and Mr. Cordaro are good friends. The workers’ comp contract is a matter of public record. Both said they are longtime friends.

When Costanzo spots the video camera he flips them the finger and says "go suck a big black cock." Costanzo says he 's not a racist. “I’m not a racist by any means,” he said. “I totally regret what I said, but I didn’t think I was going to play to the world.”

All this is bad enough but the clip is set to Godfather theme and some of my Italian friends are up in arms. Constanzo is threatening to sue whoever posted the video for making him out to be a “gangster.”

This might be the biggest intertubes dustup since Bernie Kieklak said some stupid things at Lehigh Valley Ramblings .

The Big Ten network vs. Comcast

My fellow Penn State fans should be on alert.

Big Ten network to carry PSU

I don't know who to mad at in this one. Since Comcast took over from Adelphia they have cut 2 stations from my basic cable. The WE network is no big loss but the elimination of UPN-57 means I don't get the Phillies games on the weekend. I'm listening to it on the radio right now.

But until Comcast comes to an agreement with the Big Ten 3 Penn State football games may be out of reach. Unless you want to pay extra for them.

The burgeoning Big Ten Network, which is slated to launch nationally in August, announced Tuesday it will broadcast the Nittany Lions’ season-opening game against Florida International on Sept. 1, as well as the third game of the campaign, Sept. 15 against Buffalo. Both are scheduled for noon kickoffs at Beaver Stadium.

And a confrence game is also slated for this new channel.

Just after Comcast took over from Adelphia I had 3 cable/ISP outages within 2 weeks. Coincidence? I'm not sure. The NY Times has a rundown.

Comcast is not the only company I don't like. Any monopoly sucks. My battles with the Pennsylvania Water Company are wearing me out. But I will continue.

Eventually the Super Bowl is going to be on pay-tv with commercials.

YCOP targets Eachus

Radio ads urge no new taxes

A statewide radio ad campaign by a conservative group is advocating no new taxes and targets six state representatives including Democrat Todd Eachus of Butler Township.
The campaign launched by the Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania takes aim at Gov. Rendell’s proposed $27.3 billion budget.

You can listen to the ad here.

Eachus hits back asking “What are they hiding behind? I want to know where the money is coming from.” The Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania is categorized as a 501C4 social welfare/civic youth organization and does not have to disclose a list of donors. Blog buddy Chris Lilik of GrassrootsPA fame is the President of YCOP and says Eachus is blowing hot air. Lilik believes people have the right to free association and shouldn’t worry that when they support a cause that donation will be made public. “We have almost 1,000 donors,” Lilik said. “People have donated five or 10 dollars to our organization so (Eachus’) claim is just preposterous.”

In the speculation department I got this in the email:

I've been hearing a lot of anti Eachus spots on the radio, similar to the Anti Carney ads. Is there anyone in that district on the R side considered viable? Is it possible this is what Barletta may be going after??? As say a stepping stone to the Gov race in 2010???? Just curious, I haven't heard of a R out there and the attack ads on Eachus resemble the Carney stuff...

I'm sure Barletta has his sights set on something higher up than state rep but you never know. But it's an interesting question. Why go after Eachus? Please tell us Chris.

Corporate welfare at work

Iridium Industries in East Stroudsburg was raided by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and 81 suspected undocumented workers were detained and face deportation.

According to the Pocono Record:

Plastics manufacturer Iridium Industries has benefited from more than $9 million in taxpayer dollars through government economic development programs.

There's enough in this story to piss off just about everybody.

I'm outraged by all the tax giveaways to every company that promises a few jobs and the state and local governments being in the finance business and they don't even hire American citizens. What are the capitol markets for? If you want to start or expand a business most companies have to go to the bank, issue stock or float a bond.

The Lou Barletta crowd will object to tax dollars going to a company that hires illegal immigrants but will rejoice that they will be kicked out of the country.

Steve Corbett points out that it will cost a lot of money to deport these people when before they were paying taxes and some of them will come back anyway.

The temp agency dodge is called out on The Pennsylvania Progressive.

Some people feel safer.

So in the end the owners of the company or the temp agency that has not been identified will not face any sort of penalty. So after the dust clears they will go back to their same business practices because they can.

Please have your IDs ready

Somehow I doubt if anyone under 17 has any interest in political blogs. Well maybe there might be a few kids out there that are as goofy as I was when I worked in my first political campaign at the tender age of 15.

h/t to Carl

The White House Cafe

I usually don't write about crime and punishment in the local area, especially in Wilkes-Barre, because sadly there is so much of it. I could probably do a blog just about the police blotter. The latest outrage is that there was another killing outside the White House Cafe on Hazel St. and the locals want it shut down.

CV: Five shootings in 27 months, two dead, eight wounded, one stabbed. This is not acceptable in any city,” said Abbott Street resident Mike Martin. “This presents an obvious clear and present danger to people who live in the neighborhood.”A man died and two other people were wounded after a fight outside the city tavern on Sunday. The bar is a nuisance and neighbors don’t want to live in constant fear anymore, Martin said.

I can't say that I blame them. If this was going on in my street I would want the place padlocked. It may happen this time.

But there is a political component to the situation. Luzerne County Judge Chester Muroski's family has owned the bar for decades. Muroski’s daughter and son-in-law now own the place but they live in Philadelphia. And the perception is the place has gotten a pass because of his involvement and local law enforcement and politician's don't want to cross him.

There are many other bars in the area that get more visits from the police but it's usually just beer muscles and our local constables can usually calm down the situation. The Woodlands has had many incidents over the last few years that involved shootings and stabbings but nobody is demanding that they be shut down. The fact that many political fundraisers are held there probably has nothing to do with it.

There are many accusations that the bar is a haven for drug dealers that are unproven. Why many of the patrons carry guns can be explained that they are American citizens just exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. If more people carried guns we would all be safer, don'cha tink?

I can't argue with Mark who says we should teach our children well.

All in the Kanjo family

Rep. Kanjorski has a lot of nephews- Above Average Jane

He sure does. Jane pointed this story out last night and it showed up in the CV this morning via The Politico. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington published a comprehensive list Monday of the leading 337 members of the House who have employed their relatives in some capacity or whose family members have become registered lobbyists.

Our own Paul Kanjorski gets a mention as does 2 other PA Congressmen John Murtha and Bill Shuster. This practice doesn't bother me as much as the earmarks for Cornerstone Technologies that directed taxpayer money to a company that was run by the same nephews that he put on his campaign payroll. No laws were apparently broken in the Cornerstone fiasco but it sure doesn't pass the smell test.

Hiring your relatives to work on your campaign comes across as unseemly but not illegal. After all his last few reelection efforts consisted of writing checks to Ed Mitchell. I'd like to get a job like that. Paying yourself rent from campaign contributions for office space gives the appearance of another conflict but again is technically legal. Kanjorski claims he loses money on the arrangement and gave a lame excuse that he fears important mail from the Federal Election Commission might get lost if he moved. Why do I have more faith in the post office to forward mail than he does?

It's Rose Tucker

WNEP: Luzerne County has a new commissioner and she is a familiar face.
Former commissioner Rose Tucker was named to the post Monday. Tucker, a Democrat from Nanticoke, takes over for Todd Vonderheid who resigned to take a job with the chamber of commerce.

It's no surprise that Skrep got his pick and Rose has always been a team player. Many people were pulling for former state rep Tom Tigue and the other candidates never had a chance. And speaking of not team players Steve Urban and Bill Jones are running against each other instead of the Democrats.

Luzerne County Republican Chairwoman Lynette Villano tries to put a good face on it in a CV story. She points out that the Republicans hold 2 of the row offices and expect to retain them. But they couldn't even find candidates to run for judge, district attorney or coroner. Red O'Brien will give Mary Dysleski a run for the money with 2 long time employees confessing to pocketing large sums of money from The Recorder of Deeds office. But I think Barry Stankus should be reelected as sheriff over Michael Savokinas especially if sore loser George "Nipper" Nowakowski mounts the write-in effort that he is threatening to do.

Bill Jones says the county GOP “is in total disarray.” Hard to dispute that. Most people I talk to blame Lynette for the state of the local Republican Party. That's probably unfair as this bunch has been dysfunctiona lfor a long time. And Urban is floating a conspiracy theory that the Dems are backing Jones to get rid of him calling Jones a RINO.

Another edition of Queer eye for the blog guy

Recent links to Gort42 include Columbia Blue and Alex Urevick-Ackelsberg's blog that wants Al Gore to run for President. I agree with Alex that Gore would be our best candidate. I'm in the anybody but Hillary camp right now although I would vote for her in the general election. The only Republican that I like is John McCain which is why he won't get the nomination.

Some of our local bloggers have been quiet:

Danny

Mayor McCool

Doc Leonardi

Some tell me that they will be back.

But the big news today is that Dr Rick is back. He will entertain us with tales why Liberals are evil, Fox News is the truth and rehash Ted Kennedy jokes about driving and swimming.

And NEPA Blogs has been updated.

We miss Dr. Rick

He sent me a joke tonight:


A man walks into a bar and orders a 12-year-old scotch. The bartender, believing that the customer will not be able to tell the difference, pours him a shot of the cheap 3-year-old house scotch that has been poured into an empty bottle of the good stuff.

The man takes a sip and spits the scotch out on the bar and reams the bartender. "This is the cheapest 3-year-old scotch you can buy. I'm not paying for it. Now, give me a good 12-year-old scotch."

The bartender, now feeling a bit of a challenge, pours him a scotch of much better quality, 6-year-old scotch. The man takes a sip and spits it out on the bar. "This is only 6-year-old scotch. I won't pay for this, and I insist on, a good, 12-year-old scotch."

The bartender finally relents and serves the man his best quality, 12-year-old scotch.

An old drunk from the end of the bar, who has witnessed the entire episode, walks down to the finicky scotch drinker and sets a glass down in front of him and asks, "What do you think of this?"

The scotch expert takes a sip, and in disgust, violently spits out the liquid yelling "Why, this tastes like piss,"

The old drunk replies, "That's right, now tell me how old I am."

Make a deal with God

Luzerne County Commissioner

Eight people have applied to fill out the term of Todd Vonderheid who quit before his term was up to move on to the Chamber of Commerce. So now he can lobby the various local governments to grant tax breaks for economic development projects that promise "good jobs." He knows the lingo; KOZ, LERTA, etc. and will use his knowledge of local government to get more tax forgiveness for our local titans of industry. I'm not going to miss this half of the Bond Brothers.


The eight are:

• Charles V. Hatchko, a retired corrections officer from Jenkins Township


• Tom Tigue, a former state legislator from Hughestown


• Rose Tucker, a former county commissioner from Exeter


• Antonio Rodriguez, retired teacher from Hazleton


• Thomas Dombroski, a consulting firm president from Kingston Township


• Beth Ann Wenner, an educator from Freeland


• Thomas P. Cooney, a Jenkins Township resident and the development director of the A+E Group Inc.


• Bob Kadluboski, a towing contractor from Wilkes-Barre

It's either going to be Skrep's Favorite Rose Tucker or everybody else's choice Tom Tigue. Our county fathers in the form of 9 Judges will make the decision Monday. Should be an interesting meeting since some of our jurists don't have a high regard for each other and they all seem to have problems with Ann Lokuta.

My pick would be Wilkes-Barre's favorite tower Bob Kadluboski just for the entertainment value.

Bob brings a lot to the table. He has rammed his tow truck into suspected criminals and apprehended a fleeing felon at gunpoint showing his commitment to fighting crime. When his dogs escaped from his compound and mauled someone he defended them proving he is an animal rights advocate. When you have to deal with him after he towed your car a you get a lesson in customer service. He placed an ad before the last election without disclosing who paid for it, and the paper that published it let him do it, affirming his commitment the first amendment. He wears great sunglasses and listed getting Commissioner Greg Skrepenak to lose weight as one of his top goals on the vacancy application paperwork

Obama Girl

The latest independent YouTube foray into the 2008 Presidential campaign. It's not approved by his camp but it doesn't hurt. Thanks to Oliver Willis for pointing this out.

WWE explodes in Wilkes-Barre Twp

It was all part of the act but the WWE's website is sticking with the fiction that Vince McMahon is dead after his Limo exploded outside the Wachovia Arena. You can even watch the video after sitting through a commercial. Rory Sweeney had the real story online at the Times-Leader site about 6PM. It's been many years since I found myself (unwilling) stuck in front of a TV watching these loud mouthed assholes. This stunt only lowers my opinion of these "entertainers." The TL has over 250 comments on this story. Many of them from outraged parents.

Photo from Sport911.com
h/t to PSoTD

Lupas punts

More Delays in Selenski, Weakley Trials

The Luzerne County district attorney's office filed appeals Tuesday to the state superior court in the case of Selenski and Weakley. Those appeals mean another year or a year and a half before the men head to trial.

If this case ever comes to trial it will be long after Dave Lupas starts wearing black robes. He leaves it to Jackie-Mo to clean up another one of his messes.

Apologizing for unleashing hate

I found this at the Voice of the People website:

We at Voice of the People have nothing, I repeat, nothing to do with any hate, white power, nationalist, or Aryan group. It has been brought to our attention that some of these groups have been copying and pasting text from this web site and posting it on their web site! We have absolutely nothing to do with that. It is not what we are about and we do not endorse any stealing of our text and writings for any of these groups use or self gain. This has nothing to do with race this is simply standing up for the laws of our U.S. citizens. This is legality vs illegality.
Thank you,
Voice of the People

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