My Brain Exploded At Target

This past week I had to go purchase $2,000.00 worth of gift cards for work at the local Target.  Two weeks before I planned my purchase, I called to let them know that I would be coming up so they could have the cards ready to go.  The day came and off I went.  When I got there I went directly over to the Customer Service desk, told them who I was and that I was here to pick up my cards.  Of course, the girl at the desk knew nothing about it.  After she frantically looked around, she got on her walkie talkie and contacted 3 other employees who also knew nothing about it.  Right then I knew I was in trouble.  About 2 minutes later, two more employees came over and apologized for the SNAFU.  They said that they could get them together in about 5 minutes and could I wait.  Sure, why not.  As they quickly scanned in the cards, I made chit chat with them and they proved to be very nice people.  Finally, after the last pack of cards was scanned the girl behind the counter hit total.  BAM!  $2,000.00.  I handed them a check and I thought I was in the clear.  She ran the check through the register and then I got the deer in the headlights look.  "Oh", she said.  It says the check could not be processed.  I thought, ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!  I asked why and she said this happens when they try to process a large corporate check and all she had to do was call headquarters.  I thought OK, no problem.  Oh was I wrong. 

Within the next 3 minutes, there was a guy behind the desk with the phone in his hand and the same deer in the headlights look.  He then walked over to me with the phone and said that the person on the other end wanted to speak to me.  I took the phone and on the other end was what sounded like a guy with an Indian accent.  I thought again, ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!  The first words I heard were I am sorry but we cannot process your check.  I asked him why and he said, "The amount of the check is too high".  At this point, I could feel the pressure building directly under my skull cap.  I said to him, "This is the most insane thing I have ever heard".  He said that my company had no history of check cashing and this check is too large.  I then asked him how large of a check would suffice and he said $100.00.  At that point, I started to grind my teeth as the employees behind the counter braced themselves for the explosion.  At that point I loudly spoke into the phone and said, "Are you telling me that your company is going to turn down a one time $2,000.00 purchase.  His answer, :"Yes".

At this point I had had enough.  I asked for his supervisor and he was happy to connect me.  Next came the supervisor.  You could tell he was in charge because of his cold and callous attitude that he exhibited right from the start.  I explained my problem and he assured me that they could not cash the check.  Again I mentioned that this was a $2,000.00 purchase and that I worked for a national media company.  Do you think he gave a rats ass, NO!  I then asked him how many people come into the Wilkes-Barre store to buy this many gift cards in one shot.  Of course he didn't know but I did.  NONE!  After about 5 grueling minutes of trying to understand why these idiots were not allowing this transaction I told him that he just most likely blew at least another $6000.00 worth of future gift card purchases.  Of course, he didn't care.  Totally frustrated, I tried to hang up the cordless phone but could not find the button to do so.  I handed it to the guy behind the counter and said, "Here, I can't deal with this!"  After several seconds of trying to gain my composure, the people behind the counter told me that they thought this was crazy and that they were sorry.  I though to myself, you are correct.  This may have been the most insane thing I hve ever encountered.  In today's sagging economy, how can a retail business turn down a $2000.00 one time purchase?  Even as I write this GRIPE, I can feel the pressure building in my brain.  I just can't get a grip on why?  WHY?  WHY?          

The Sandusky Trial - Final Thoughts

Now that the dust has settled and the verdicts have been rendered, here are my final thoughts on the trial of Jerry "The Sandman" Scumdusky.

What this guy did goes way beyond what most people can comprehend.  He not only sexually molested young boys, but he used their vulnerability to lure them into his devious den.  Scumdusky also used and most likely created his charity The Second Mile as bait to troll for his victims.  To me, this is the lowest of lows.  This guy used the trust of people in his charity for his own sexual purposes.  No one can stoop lower than this.  One of our Gripers asked if  "The Sandman" was the biggest sexual molester in history?  The answer is no, not even close.  Dean Schwartzmiller was charged and convicted of performing over 36,000 sex acts with 60 children over a period of 30 years.  MSNBC labeled him the biggest sexual predator of all time in the U.S.  Then there was Dwight York, the founder of "The Nubian Ministry".  York was tried on over 200 counts of sexually molesting over one dozen children including a 4 year old girl.  Prosecutors wanted to charge him with over one thousand counts but feared a jury could not comprehend that many.  Finally there is California teacher Terry Bartholome.  He was tried and convicted on 45 counts of rape and child molestation of his 3rd grade students.  He claimed he was besieged from all sides by sexually curious 3rd graders.  In my opinion, "The Sandman" will rank in the top 10 of all time.

So what about Penn State?  Right now they are preparing for the barrage of civil cases that the victims will file.  I guess it would be safe to say that tuition will go up next semester.  Former Penn State President Graham Spanier recently files a suit against Penn State so he could retrieve emails that went between him and "The Sandman".  It appears that he is posturing for a trial.  In my opinion he and all of the others that knew about this atrocity and turned a blind eye should be tried, convicted and sent to the crow bar hotel where the light is striped.  If they knew about it and did nothing, they are guilty of the same crimes that Scumdusky was convicted of.  And what about Joe Paterno?  Can a dead person be tried?  The answer is no.  He would not be able to face a jury of his pears unless they dug him up and propped him up in the courtroom.  Of course that is not going to happen.  In my opinion Joe was haunted by this for the short time he lived after it all came out.  It will be interesting to see what unfolds over the next several months.  It appears that the healing out in Beaver Valley will take a bit longer than they thought.      

The Sandusky Trial - GUILTY!

After about 21 hours of deliberation, the jury in the Jerry "The Sandman" Sandusky trial brought back a verdict.  The words guilty were uttered by the jury foreman 45 times as "The Sandman" watched in horror. 
Guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Guilty of indecent assault. Guilty of endangering the welfare of children.  Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.  There were only 3 counts that he slithered out of and as the jury foreman belted out the not guilty verdicts it seemed as if disgust filled his voice.  Once the 48 verdicts were rendered, Judge John Cleland said "Mr. Sandusky, you have been found guilty by a jury of your peers."  Scumdusky stood there motionless with the old deer in the headlights look as the truth was driven home with the slamming of the judges gavel.  His left hand was placed casually in his pocket while behind him his wife, Dottie, three adopted sons and an adopted daughter either shook their heads at the jury or openly wept.  Moments later, Sandusky gave a quick wave to his family as he was led out by sheriff's deputies. Judge Cleland will formally sentence him in about 90 days.  The maximum "The Sandman" could spend in prison would be 442 years, almost 7 lifetimes of the average human being.  Sandusky will be held at the local jail until he can be evaluated by the state prison system and assigned accordingly. He is expected to wind up in protective custody, away from the general population, for his own protection. That likely means 23 hours a day in a 6-by-8-foot cell. In other words, a concrete box of hell.

"He was prepared to go to jail tonight," Amendola said. "Mentally prepared. He's not scared. I think given the circumstances of the case and how the trial was going, he knew this was coming.  "This is not a surprise. This is what everyone expected."  Amendola said Sandusky's one regret was not being able to "tell his story" from the witness stand. His 33-year-old adoptive son, Matt, determined during the trial that Jerry abused him as a child. He made himself available as a prosecution witness. Matt couldn't be called, however, unless the state had introduced the incidents on a cross-examination of Jerry Sandusky. It was too much for the defense to risk.  "Even though Jerry, Dottie and the other kids deny Matt's allegation, it would've been explosive," Amendola said. "There was no way Jerry could testify without Matt being called."  When it was finally over, they walked Scumdusky out the back door of the courthouse and to a waiting sheriff's vehicle, just 50 yards downhill from where they used to hang criminals in the courtyard of the old county jail.  Back then they'd invite as many people as they could fit to ring the gallows and bear witness. Those that couldn't gain admission would climb the roofs of local houses to watch the execution from high above in this old tightly packed, Victorian downtown.  That was the 1800s, but things haven't changed so much; just five miles from here, at the Rockview prison, is the state's execution chamber. And in Bellefonte tradition, a crowd gathered to jeer and scream Friday night behind the courthouse, to let their venom ring around Sandusky's head for eternity.  Happy Valley, indeed.

Now that the verdict is in just let me say I came up short on the total number of guilty verdicts which were rendered.  The jury of "The Sandmans" peers threw the book or should I say the entire series of books at him for what he did.  Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.  It rang out 45 times!  This scum sucking sexual predator was not only guilty of what I described above, he was also guilty of terrorizing the poorest and most vulnerable of that area's youth. Guilty of abusing his fame as a former Penn State defensive coordinator. Guilty of conducting a charade of charitable work to supposedly help children.  He was Guilty of the worst possible deception against humanity.  To sum it up, this low life, fore flushing sack of shit lured in helpless children so he could force his sexual will on them by using the aura of his position at Penn State.  He deceived these children, deceived his family, deceived his friends, deceived his co-workers and deceived the university.  In no more than 90 days, his sentence will be handed down which will put this "bad man" in prison for the rest of his life.  Finally, the trial is over.  Some say it is closure for the victims.  I say there will never be closure.  The horror's will satin the lives of his victims, their families and the community forever.

Tomorrow, I will give my take on what should be next in Happless Valley! 





   

The Sandusky Trial - New Allegations Arise

As the jury in the Jerry "The Sandman" Sandusky sexual molestation case deliberated into the evening before suspending until 9 a.m. Friday ET, the case was rocked by a late-breaking allegation.  Matt Sandusky, Jerry and Dottie Sandusky's 33-year-old adopted son, released a statement through his attorney saying the trial had sparked painful memories of being abused himself by the former Penn State defensive coordinator.  It was reported on Yahoo.com that Matt had become so convinced of his own abuse that he called prosecutors earlier this week and expressed a willingness to testify against his father. He'd started the trial on the defense witness list.  "This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy. There will be no further comment," his attorney said in a statement first reported by the Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News.  Defense attorney Karl Rominger cited a gag order to Yahoo! Sports when asked about Matt Sandusky's allegations and whether it impacted the decision to not have Jerry testify.  "I wish there wasn't a gag order because this is something we'd like to address," Rominger said.

This new allegation brings up a few questions.  One, why didn't special deputy attorney general Joseph E. McGettigan III call what would've been a blockbuster witness against his father, who faces 48 counts for abusing 10 boys over a 15 year period?  The answer, he couldn't.  At least he couldn't without risking the defense being able to call for a continuance that may have delayed the trial for months and caused the reseating of a jury and the potential retrying of a case the state feels very strong about.  Matt Sandusky's revelations came too late. He wasn't included in the original indictment, meaning he couldn't be a prosecution witness without the defense arguing that they need time to prepare for the new charge.  Two, is this the reason "The Sandman" did not testify?  The answer is possibly.  The only way for Matt Sandusky to become a witness would've been if Jerry Sandusky had testified in his own defense. Then on cross-examination, McGettigan could've addressed the potential abuse and later called Matt Sandusky as a rebuttal witness but not as an alleged victim.  That may have played into the defense's decision to not put Jerry Sandusky on the stand, which defense sources say wasn't made until Wednesday morning, just hours before it rested its case.

The Sandusky Trial - And Now We Wait

The defense rested on Wednesday without Jerry "The Sandman" Sandusky taking the stand.  I was somewhat shocked to see that he did not testify on his own behalf, however not surprised that Atty: Joe Amendola rested the defense without "The Sandman" speaking.  Thursday brought closing arguments and in the courtroom Dottie Sandusky was joined by three of the family's five adopted sons and their lone adopted daughter in Centre County Courthouse.  None of the Sandusky children testified on their father's behalf.  Isn't that interesting?  If your father was being charged and tried wouldn't you do everything in your power to help him especially if in your mind he was innocent?  Damn straight! At about 2:00 pm, closing arguments ended and the jury was sent to deliberate the fate of "The Sandman". 

Mike McQueary

Late Thursday night, after six hours of deliberation, the jury asked to review the testimony of former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary.  It's McQueary who alleges he walked in on Sandusky molesting a boy in a locker room shower in 2001. They also asked to see the testimony of Dr. Jonathan Dranov, a friend of the McQueary family to whom Mike detailed what he saw on the night of the event.  The two have told differing stories about what Mike said that night, although there also were many similarities.  McQueary's testimony is central to the charges involving Victim No. 2 and is considered the state's strongest non-victim witness. His testimony is over two hours long, however, so with the request coming in about 8:30 p.m., Judge Cleland suggested the jury hear it in the morning.  The jury will be sequestered at an area hotel during deliberations. They are expected to start up again Friday at 9 a.m., without knowledge of the lingering and expanding Sandusky alleged victim list that has stirred up passion about the defendant they can put away for over 400 years.

And Now We Wait.  We wait for the verdict to come down on what may be the biggest child molestation case ever to be tried in the state of Pennsylvania.  As I promised, here is my prediction on the verdict.  Jerry "The Sandman" Sandusky or as one Griper called him, Jerry Scumdusky will be found guilty on 20 to 32 of the 48 counts.  Yep, that's it!  Because of the jury asking for the McQueary testimoney, I think they are carefully looking at a discrepancy which makes me think they will find him not guilty on the charges involving Victim #2. The jury will also find "The Sandman" not guilty on the charges involving Victim #4.  While on the stand, #4 admitted to lying to police and his own lawyer claiming he would, "Deny it forever".  I'm not sure how many years "Scumdusky" will get, but it will be enough to keep him off the streets for the rest of his miserable life.

The Sandusky Trial - Dottie Takes The Stand

The trial of Jerry "The Sandman" Sandusky continued today with Dottie Sandusky, wife of "The Sandman" taking the stand.  Dottie testified that her husband never had inappropriate contact with the boys who stayed at their home.  She said that their life has always been a busy one, with her husband’s coaching schedule and charity work. But when he was home, she said the boys from her husband’s charity would go with him to football games and then sleep over. Dottie Sandusky says she remembers most of the men who testified during the trial that Jerry Sandusky abused them. She said there was no inappropriate contact. She also said that the basement where the boys would stay wasn’t soundproof. That contradicts one man’s testimony that he screamed during an assault but couldn’t be heard.  The defense also put psychologist Elliot Atkins on the stand who testified that  he had diagnosed Sandusky with histrionic personality disorder after talking with the former Penn State assistant football coach for six hours.  People with the disorder often interact with people in inappropriately seductive ways and don’t feel comfortable unless they’re the center of attention, Atkins explained.  Historically more women are inflicted with this condition than men.  Also called to the stand were several more character witnesses who testified on the behalf of "The Sandman".

Defense Attorney Joe Amendola grilled two state police investigators who interviewed the alleged victims.  He questioned the investigators about what details they shared during those interviews, in particular with Victim 4.  Amendola asked retired Cpl. Joseph Leiter if investigators told interviewees about others who had stepped forward.  “In some of our interviews ... we did tell them,” he said.  Asked why, Leiter said it was to let possible victims know they were not alone.  “Each of these accusers was very, very seriously injured, and very concerned, and we had told them — especially prior to going to the grand jury — that they wouldn’t be alone, that there were others,” Leiter said.  He also said that did not include sharing individual accusers’ recollections of abuse, such as specific sex acts.  “We never told them what anyone else had ever told us,” he said.  But Amendola later read Leiter portions of an interview transcript in which the investigator told the accuser that others had reported abuse that progressed to oral sex and rape.  Victim 4, now 28, testified last week that Sandusky sexually abused him in the locker-room showers and in hotels for five years while trying to ensure his silence with gifts and trips to bowl games.  On the stand, he admitted that he lied to police and his own lawyer about the alleged abuse, saying he had “denied it forever.” But he testified calmly and firmly, saying Sandusky performed oral sex on him and sent him “creepy love letters.”  The man’s attorney, Ben Andreozzi, also was called to the stand and asked about a discussion he had with investigators during a break in an interview with his client.  On a difficult-to-hear recording of the discussion, Andreozzi and Leiter can be heard talking about the investigation while the accuser is out of the room.  Andreozzi acknowledged to jurors that a guilty verdict in Sandusky’s trial could have an impact on his client if he files a civil lawsuit, but he told the court that hadn’t been decided yet.  Andreozzi also denied coaching his client on what to say to investigators.

The defense appeared to catch one of the investigators in a lie after recalling him to the stand.  Trooper Scott Rossman said that he hadn’t spoken to Leiter about their testimony after he first left the stand Tuesday, but Leiter said they had talked about it.  Meanwhile, another witness told jurors she knew Victim 4 through her brother and that he had a reputation for “dishonesty and embellished stories.” The woman, who said her brother was the alleged victim’s best friend, is an Iraq war veteran who suffered a brain injury before she was discharged.  The defense also called former New York Jets linebacker Lance Mehl, who played for the Nittany Lions in the 1970s.  “We all looked up to him as a class act,” Mehl said when Amendola asked him about Sandusky’s reputation.  Earlier Tuesday, Amendola told reporters to “stay tuned” to find out if Sandusky would take the stand himself, comparing the case to a soap opera. Asked which soap opera, defense attorney Joe Amendola initially said “General Hospital,” then “All My Children.”

From my perspective, the defense team is doing a good job with placing a reasonable doubt into the minds of the jurors.  Their strategy is to discredit the witnesses for the prosecution while building up the public perception of "The Sandman".  I find it amusing that all of a sudden Sandusky has been diagnosed with a condition that makes him act like a sexual predator.  The medical staff here at the R2G thinks that this is a bunch of hogwash.  Of course our staff has not been able to examine "The Sandman".  Their quick visual inspection says, "No way Jose'"!  After the 2nd day of defense testimony, I think this thing is up in the air.  Right now it looks like 50/50.  Lets see if "The Sandman" himself takes the stand this week.  It should be interesting!  I will give you my prediction on the verdict when both the jury goes into deliberations.    

 

 To Read More Go To http://www.timesleader.com/stories/Update-Jerry-Sanduskys-wife-takes-witness-stand-at-trial,165467#ixzz1yHhznP83

The Sandusky Trial

The legal team for Jerry "The Sandman" Sandusky started their defense of the former Penn State coach today by calling character witnesses to the stand.  Defense attorney Joe Amendola in his opening remarks stated that he will show how the stories of accusers have changed over time, that they were prodded and coached by investigators and prosecutors and that some are motivated to lie by the hopes of a civil lawsuit jackpot, and to paint Sandusky's interactions with children as misunderstood and part of a lifelong effort to help, not victimize them.  Defense attorney Joe Amendola pressed the accusers for dates and locations, details of their involvement with the kids' charity Sandusky founded, arrests or drug problems, contacts they had with Sandusky in the years since the alleged abuse ended and the terms of representation deals with civil lawyers. At least six said they told incorrect or incomplete stories in early contacts with police and three testified that some of the details only came back to them in recent years.

Dick Anderson

 Former Penn State assistant coach Dick Anderson, who worked with Sandusky for several years, testified that he and other members of the football staff were present when Sandusky brought young boys into the team’s showers.  He said he never witnessed anything inappropriate.  “If Jerry would bring someone in with The Second Mile, they had been working out, for whatever reason they came in, it was not uncommon ... with the other coaches in the shower as well,” Anderson said.  Anderson, who coached at Penn State from 1970 to 1983 and again from 1990 to 2011, adults and children often shower together at gyms. He noted, for example, that it’s not unusual for him to be in the showers with boys at the YMCA.  All of these character witnesses said "The Sandman" had a wonderful reputation with the community.

It appears that the defense is trying to put a reasonable doubt into the minds of the jury by bring forth the incorrect dates and times.  Hell, if I was getting sodomized by "The Sandman" I wouldn't remember times and dates.  I would be trying to forget the entire thing!  All of these kids were violated physically and mentally by this sexual predator who claims he was doing nothing wrong in the showers and in the basement of his home.  The defense team may have nothing more than this diversionary tactic to throw the way of the jury.  Day 2 of the defense comes tomorrow. 

The Sandusky Trial

The prosecution is about to rest in the trial of former Penn State coach Jerry "The Sandman" Sandusky".  Some of you have probably wondered why I have not posted here on the R2G sooner concerning my thoughts on this trial.  The fact is, I have been keeping my fingers on the pulse of this thing and it's heart beat is at full throttle.  I have stayed away from Griping about this trial only because of how hideous the testimony has been over the last week or so by the kids, now men that "The Sandman" bellied up to in the showers at State College.  After reading these stories from the alleged victims, I can only think that the old statement is true when you say, "If you drop the soap in the shower, don't bend over to pick it up".  These pearls of wisdom stand true if "The Sandman" is in the shower.

In case you have been marooned on Pluto for the past 4 days, and by the way I still think Pluto got a bad rap from our scientists, nine of the victims who claim "The Sandman" sexually assaulted them took the stand to give their horrid stories of rape, molestation and sexual misconduct by the former coach.  The testimony has been graphic as well as disturbing.  Accuser #8 testified yesterday that the abuse began with fondling and forced oral sex and led to several instances of rape in the basement of Sandusky’s Centre County home, where he spent more than 100 nights and where his muffled screams went unanswered by Sandusky’s wife, Dottie, who was upstairs. He said he figured the basement must be soundproof.  “He got real aggressive and just forced me into it,” said the young man, now 18 and a recent high school graduate. “And I just went with it — there was no fighting against it.”  He said under cross-examination by Sandusky lawyer Joe Amendola that the attacks sometimes left him bleeding but that he never sought medical attention.  “I just dealt with it,” he said.

This type of testimony goes on and on and on for 4 long days.  It was so disturbing that Judge John  Cleland told the jurors that there would be no court on Friday and they were to return on Monday.  Frankly, As I write this Gripe I am getting sick to my stomach.  If this man, a man of former prominence in the Penn State world, the college football world, actually committed these acts he is being accused of, I say string him up by the penis and let the squirrels nibble his nuts off.  What he is accused of ranks in the top 50 of all time crimes against humanity as far as I'm concerned.  By the way, where the hell has the NCAA been in all of this?  Christ, if a player sells a Big 10 pin or trades some stuff for tattoo's, he gets suspended for 5 games and the school gets sanctioned.  It appears that the NCAA is turning a blind eye to the Penn State football program or are they just waiting for this trial to be over.  My guess is these yellow-bellied, no good pond scum sucking cowards will levy no punishment on the Jitney Lions program for what has happened. 

On Monday, the defense team will take center stage in this play of perversion.  I can't wait to see what kind of defense they throw against the wall on this one.  I also wonder if we will see an appearance by "The Sandman" himself on the stand?  We can only wait and see.  I will keep you all posted as the trial progresses.

Starting on Tuesday, day by day Gripes on "The Sandusky Trial.

 

I'm Itchy....It's The Tick!

Gus "The Gobbler" & "The Tick"

Our old friend Thom "The Tick" Greco is back in the news along with his uncle "Gobblin" Gus Genetti.  It seems that "The Tick" and his favorite uncle are going to put $250,000 into the old Penn Patio building on North Pennsylvania Avenue.  The dynamic duo will take this old building and turn it into the Genttti / Oysters wedding showroom.  WHAT!  WHAT! ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!  A wedding showroom!  What the hell is a wedding showroom.  I thought you only displayed high end cars in a showroom.  According to "The Tick", passers-by will be able to see exactly what a Genetti / Oysters wedding looks like.  On display behind 10 foot windows will be sheer curtains, tables, chairs, decorations, seat covers and a 1957 White Rolls Royce.  I can only assume it is the one that is currently on display in Genetti's window on East Market Street.  Gus "The Gobbler" was quoted as saying, “This is one of the most exciting projects I've ever been involved with”.

Well "Gobblin" Gus, if this is one of the most exciting projects that you have ever been involved with you must have been brain dead for the past 40 years.  This project is a JOKE!  "The Tick" claims that North Pennsylvania Avenue is the gateway to the downtown and this wedding showroom will set a "positive tone for drivers as they pass by".  The only tone this is going to set is the loud blare of we are closing this dump in a year or two because no one is coming in.  Let's face it, these two parasites are dumping a quarter of a mill into what most people would think is a loser.  My guess is they have something else planned.  If "The Tick" is involved, he will run this into the ground like he does everything else.  He will eventually close the wedding showroom and then rent out the space to some unsuspecting new business owner.  He will then swindle them for every penny that he can, throw them out and then pass on paying the taxes.  The city and county will belly up like they usually do and forget about the taxes while the WB Chamber wastes grant money on buying the building only to tear it down 10 years from now.  It's a vicious cycle when "The Tick" is involved.

I think you all know what I think.  No one in this valley should patronize anything "The Tick" is involved with.  He is nothing but a parasite, sucking the blood or should I say money from the already gushing veins of the area.  This project is in no way, shape or form good for the city of Wilkes-Barre.  The only thing it's good for is to line the pockets of Gus "The Gobbler" Genetti and Thom "The Tick" Greco.  When I read about this project my skin began to crawl and I began to itch.  It may be from a "Tick" bite. 

The Future of Our High School Grads

This is a happy time throughout NEPA with the high school graduations of thousands of students.  Both boys and girls dawn their caps and gowns for this glorious event while parents snap picture after picture of their proud graduate.  There will be lots of graduation parties where family and friends gather to honor the new high school graduate and to shower them with gifts and praise.  It is a joyous time of celebration and yes, it should be.  Thirteen years prior to their graduation, they were little 5 year old's going to kindergarten for the first time.  During these 12 years, they have had to endure many teachers, some good and some not so good.  In fact, some were most likely useless sacks of you know what that had no business stepping foot in a school.  They had to endure the jump from elementary school to middle school, which is like a jump to hyper-idiot-space.  During their time in middle school, they had to endure at least one episode of being verbally or physically attacked by some knucklehead who made it his or her job to bully as many kids as possible.  When they made it through what could be a miserable time, they were now ready for high school at the age of 14 years old.  They were now thrown into the fire where they had to compete with 18 year old thugs.  Many of our kids were like lambs being sent to the slaughter.  However, they make it through and are now getting that high school diploma.  The "Get Out Of Jail Free" card that paves the way to college.

Oh, college!  This is where our kids can really make a difference.  This is where they will specialize in a field that they chose when they were 17 years old.  At this age do we really think these kids know what they want to do for the rest of their lives?  Probably not.  They are guided into a field by state sanctioned tests and by high school guidance counselors who really don't give a rats ass what they do once they leave high school.  Our children pick a college and off they go, oblivious to what is in front of them for the next few years.  They will meet new people, they will learn how to study on their own and they will rack up a mountain of debt through the use of college loans.  Hell, no one can really afford to go to college these days without burying themselves in debt.

According to CNN Money, the average college loan debt that students start their adult lives with is $25,250.  Now that is the average.  If your child attends a university like Wilkes, they will rack up and average debt of $41,234 per semester for a resident student or $164,936 for their 4 years , which actually makes me wanna puke.  If your kid is a genius and attends Harvard, they will be looking at borrowing up to $62,950 per year or $251,800 for a 4 year degree.  All of this debt is immediately heaped onto our brand new college graduate and will remain with them for at least 10 years of their lives.  What a way to start their adult lives out in the real world.  They are up to their eyeballs in debt before they even find a job in the field that they have been educated for if they find a job.  It just doesn't seem right.  In many cases, these new graduates desperately take mindless positions outside their fields just to pay the bills.  Also in many cases, they actually never find a job in the field that they just went into massive debt for.  Its a crime against the young!

To sum it up, congratulations to all of you high school graduates and their parents out there.  You should all be proud of what you have accomplished over the past 12 years.  It was a difficult road to hoe and you made it through.  If you are going to further your education, I want to wish you good luck in the future.  You are going to need it!       

The Smith Debate

There seems to be a debate going on right now concerning White Supremest, skinhead, Nazi Steve Smith. This debate has carried over to radio talk shows and water coolers all over town.  Some people have contacted the R2G to say that I was incorrect with my noting that Smith was elected to the Republican Committee with one write-in-vote, his own.  It appears that information is floating out there stating that he actually had three write-in-votes.  It is now time to put this debate to rest once and for all.  I just went to the Luzerne County Board of Elections returns which are posted on their web site  and came up the official results.

http://www.luzernecounty.org/county/departments_agencies/bureau_of_elections/election-night-results

Steve Smith was elected to the Republican County Committee in the 4th Ward of Pittston City with a total of 1 write in vote.  It was incorrectly reported by several sources that he received a whopping three votes.  This is official, right from Luzerne County itself.  The fact is that 2 people are elected from the 4th Ward in Pittston where Smith was victorious along with George C. Carmean who received 2 write-in-votes.  No one was actually named on the ballot for this post.  It appears that being elected to this position with 5 votes or less is very common.  If you look over the many voting wards in Luzerne County you will find that many people were elected to the Republican County Committee with 5 votes or less.  This means that any schlep rock can get elected in Luzerne County and believe me they do!

Only In Luzerne County

It totally figures.  It could only happen in Luzerne County.  No, I'm not talking about arrests of politicians.  No, I'm not talking about useless spending of millions of tax payers dollars.  What I am talking about here is the election of Republican Steve Smith to the counties GOP Committee.  You are now most likely asking yourself, "What is wrong with this"?  Let me tell you.  Steve Smith is a lifelong white supremacist with close ties to neo-Nazi groups and groups like Aryan Nations.  The web site thinkprogress.org posted a story on May 31st linking Smith to these groups.  Herr Smith was elected this past April to the GOP Committee post and quickly went on the web site White News Now to inform his supporters of victory.  Only in Luzerne County. 
thinkprogress.com also reported that, The Southern Poverty Law Center has documented Smith’s participation with known skinhead organizations like Keystone State Skinheads, (now Keystone United) which he co-founded in 2001. And his racist activism extends far beyond violent rhetoric as well, into actual violence:

In March 2003, he and two other KSS members were arrested in Scranton for beating up Antoni Williams, a black man, using stones and chunks of pavement. Smith pleaded guilty to terrorist threats and ethnic intimidation and received a 60-day sentence and probation.

Smith is also an active member of local Tea Party groups, a network that he used to gain support for his bid for the committee seat. According to the SPLC, Smith referred to the Tea Party as “fertile grounds for our activists.”  In case you don't know some of the stats on Luzerne County, here they are. According to the  2010 census, over 320,000 people live in Luzerne, many in the county seat of Wilkes-Barre, a large city of over 40,000 people. And in an interesting twist with the election of an anti-immigrant bigot, Luzerne County saw the nation’s largest county-level increase of Hispanics between 2000 and 2010.  However, Pennsylvania is in the top 5 of having anti-semetic groups.  This fact along with the increasing rise in minorities living in the county makes for a ticking time bomb of violence.

All I have to say here is ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!  Only in Luzerne County could we vote in a skin-head scum bag Nazi to an elected position.  Only in Luzerne County can a guy like this get voted in with one write in vote.  Yes, you read that right, one write in vote!  That tells me that no one else ran and this dirt ball voted for himself.  What a way to get elected.  It figures though, that no one else had enough guts to jump in and run against this clown just so he would not get elected.  The fact is that the Republican Party in Luzerne County is a joke.  Over the years they have had multiple opportunities to dethrone the mighty Democrats and failed to do so. The Democratic Party in Luzerne County is so corrupt, many of their leaders are either in the crow bar hotel or have spent recent time vacationing there and the Republicans still can't win an election.  I guess the bottom line here is that no one with any smarts wants to get involved in Luzerne County politics.     

New York Mayor Declares Slurpageden

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced this past Wednesday that he will propose a ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts in the big apple.  The New York Times reported, "The proposed ban would affect virtually the entire menu of popular sugary drinks found in delis, fast-food franchises and even sports arenas, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited under the first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March".  This insane ban would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes, or alcoholic beverages and would not apply to beverages sold in grocery stores or convenience stores.  “Obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the United States, public health officials are wringing their hands saying, ‘Oh, this is terrible,’ ” Mr. Bloomberg said in an interview on Wednesday in City Hall’s sprawling Governor’s Room.  “New York City is not about wringing your hands; it’s about doing something,” he said. “I think that’s what the public wants the mayor to do.”  In New York City, where more than half of adults are obese or overweight, Dr. Thomas Farley, the health commissioner, blames sweetened drinks for up to half of the increase in city obesity rates over the last 30 years. About a third of New Yorkers drink one or more sugary drinks a day, according to the city. Dr. Farley said the city had seen higher obesity rates in neighborhoods where soda consumption was more common.

ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!  Are we living in communist Cuba here?  The public wants the city to ban large drinks?  I think Mayor Bloomberg has lost his freakin' mind!  This ranks right up there with New York's ban on trans fats and smoking.  People want to fill their bellies with Ultra Large drinks and they want to eat unhealthy foods.  Hell, its what makes us tick.  Since when does the government need to restrict what we eat or drink.  I for one do not want a governing body of any type telling me what to do.  I thought it was a crime when many states passed the mandatory seat belt law.  Don't get me wrong here, I wear a seat belt every time I get into a car.  However, I don't need the government telling me that I have to wear one for my own safety.  I also don't need them telling me that I can't slurp down a 32 ounce soda either.  This crap really sends me over the edge.  Next we will be told that we can only take 22.6 breaths a minute or we will incur a fine.  If I was a vendor in New York, I would resist this ban with every fiber in my body.  I would sell huge drink containers and promote two 12 ounce drinks for the price of one.  People could then pour both into their huge drinking vessel.  To sum it all up, we have to hope that this insane ban will not catch on and spread like a plague.  Could you imagine the turban marts around here not being able to sell "The Big Gulp".  They would all go out of business.  Hell, it would be "Slurpageden".