The GOP's Death Knell? Nah! Not Even Close!

Once again media types and their friends on the left (aka interchangeable parts) are forecasting the total collapse of the Republican Party. And once again, the rumors of the party's demise are greatly exaggerated. Here's why:

1) McCarthy's departure ain't so bad.

Kevin McCarthy -- a silver-haired, buttoned up brahmin -- was not the best image for the party in the first place. And he often came across as imperious and dismissive. That image problem might (and we stress might) have been surmounted if there was actual substance -- if things actually got done. But, turns out there wasn't much substance either.

2) This will all be quickly forgotten.

No, this certainly won't be an issue in next year's elections. In fact, it won't even be an issue in this year's elections. Voters don't really care much about this internecine warfare. They've got bigger, more relevant things on their minds -- things that they're damned angry about; things that actually warrant their anger.

3) It'll likely be resolved next week.

It'll be over. A McCarthy replacement will emerge. Who will it be? We don't know. What we do know is that McCarthy's successor will almost certainly be better than McCarthy himself. And this will give the GOP a clean slate, a new image and a fresh starting point. Hey, Americans love new, clean and fresh, right?

4) The GOP is where the action is.

The Republican Party is where the excitement is right now and it's a whole lot more interesting than the feckless Democrat brand hobbled down as it is weary and dreary old leaders whose initiatives are either hopelessly outdated or laughably kooky. The GOP is where the young upstarts and the new ideas hold sway. Indeed, it looks a helluva lot more like the future than the alternative.

5) They blew it; they were responsible.

McCarthy, McConnell and other establishment Republicans (think Rove and Chamber of Commerce types) raised millions of dollars from their friends last time around (don't they always?) and promised us a Big Red Wave. What we got instead was a dubious blush dribble. Damn! They didn't deliver. They pay the price!

And one more thing:

Right now, the GOP is keeping democracy alive. What's happening now among Republicans is democracy in action. It's the way things are supposed to be. And, quite frankly, it's exhilarating! The Democrats? They're busy building an authoritative state that mandates your every thought, word and action -- a world of group think that is nothing less than horrifying!

OMG! These Numbers Are DEVASTATING!

Marquette Poll: Who would handle the following issues better?

The Economy: Trump 52% (+24) Biden 28% Border Security: Trump 52% (+24) Biden 28% Inflation: Trump 50% (+23) Biden 27% Creating Jobs: Trump 49% (+19) Biden 30% Foreign Relations Trump 43% (+5) Biden 38%

Take Heed, Everybody: THIS Is For Real!

Italian American Heritage Month: Donte DiVincenzo

Donte DiVincenzo

Pro basketball star Donte DiVincenzo earned his chops on the court first at Salesianum School in Wilmington, Delaware where he led the team to two consecutive state championships and then, of course, at Villanova University where he was part of two NCAA championship teams (2016 and 2018) and was named NCAA's Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2018. In the 2018 championship game Villanova defeated Michigan, 79–62. In that game, DiVincenzo scored 31 points for Villanova. DiVincenzo was dubbed the "Big Ragu" by a sportscaster  following his last-second tip in a game on January 29, 2017, which gave Villanova the win against the University of Virginia. 

In 2018 DiVincenzo was selected with the 17th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks, the second of four Villanova players drafted that year. Since then DiVincenzo has played for the Sacramento Kings, The Golden State Warriors and is now with the New York Knicks.

Donte's parents are John F. DiVincenzo and Kathie DiVincenzo. Donte reportedly inherited his love of basketball from his father, John.

The father and son would watch basketball together religiously as Donte was growing up.  Donte's ethnicity is Italian through and through, hence "The Big Ragu," nickname Donte wears like a badge of honor.

A Glimpse Into The Furure . . .

 

NJ Veterans Homes: Investigation Long Overdue!

New Jersey State Senator Kristin Corrado is calling for a special legislative committee to be formed to investigate the findings of a recent report by the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation (SCI) that revealed shocking failures at the veterans homes in Menlo Park and Paramus.

Sen. Kristin Corrado is calling for a special legislative committee to be formed to investigate the findings of a recent report by the SCI that revealed shocking failures at the veterans homes in Menlo Park and Paramus. (SenateNJ.com)

“The SCI report is devastating and the Murphy Administration must be held accountable for the appalling treatment of our nation’s heroes,” said Corrado (R-40). “In fact, this is the second report issued by an investigative agency in the last month that once again highlights Governor Murphy’s leadership failures.”

The 43-page DOJ report, released on September 7, revealed failures at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus throughout the pandemic. The DOJ even accused the state of “unreasonable harm and risk due to inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care, in violation of the U.S. Constitution.”

Similarly, the SCI report emphasized the DOJ’s findings and outlined how staffing issues, lack of protective equipment, and communication breakdowns contributed to a complete collapse of services.

“Basic services that have existed in business settings for nearly twenty years, like Wi-Fi, were literally not available at the Paramus facility. Instead, the staff was forced to use mobile hotspots to conduct meetings with government health officials,” added Corrado. “Menlo Park even used an analog phone system, which created significant problems because phone numbers couldn’t be easily changed when residents were moved to different rooms—which meant relatives couldn’t contact them.”

“During the pandemic, I, along with my Republican colleagues, repeatedly called for investigations,” said Corrado. “The fact of the matter is, the Legislature could have done something to protect our veterans but Democrats refused to investigate the issue at every turn.”

Senator Corrado sponsors S-67, which is a bipartisan bill that would establish the Office of Inspector General for Veterans’ Facilities to investigate complaints at State-run veterans’ homes

Italian American Heritage Month: Camille Paglia

Camille Paglia

Author, social critic, avowed feminist, scholar and professor, Camille Anna Paglia was born in1947 in Endicott, New York, to Pasquale and Lydia Paglia, who immigrated to the United States from Italy. 

Her book, Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson, published in 1990, became am international bestseller. She is a professor emeritus of humanities and media studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. 

She is also the author of Sex, Art, and American Culture, Vamps & Tramps: New Essays, The Birds, a study of Alfred Hitchcock and Break, Blow, Burn: Camille Paglia Reads Forty-Three of the World's Best Poems. She has been a contributing editor at Interview magazine and has written articles on art, literature, popular culture, feminism, and politics for newspapers and magazines around the world. She has also been a frequent guest on TV, radio and podcasts.

She has been variously called the "feminist that other feminists love to hate," a "post-feminist feminist," one of the world's top 100 intellectuals by the UK's Prospect Magazine, and by her own description "a feminist bisexual egomaniac." The fiery professor is never without an opinion, never anything less than provocative and never, ever dull.

It's been reported that she is currently at work on a new collection of essays, among other things. She's also starred in the short film "Dr. Paglia" (1992), directed by Monika Treut.

On Economy, GOP Ratings Soar As Dems Tank!

 

WOW! Take a look at this: Gallup Poll shows all-time high in voters preferring Republicans on the economy. This series started in 1951, so this is a 72-year high!

Time For 'Blessing Of The Animals' . . .

The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul will mark the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi with a blessing of the animals in the courtyard located in front of the Cathedral Chapel on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

This prayerful celebration commemorates Saint Francis of Assisi’s love for creation and for all of God’s creatures.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

7:00 p.m.

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul 

1723 Race St

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Reverend Brandon Artman, Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral Parish, will preside over the blessing. Following the Liturgy of the Word, he will bless pets of all kinds and distribute special medals. The celebration will conclude with light refreshments for both owners and pets.

Please note owners must leash their pets or keep them inside of their cages.

Background on Saint Francis of Assisi and the Blessing of Animals

The Blessing of Animals dates back more than 800 years ago to the life of Saint Francis of Assisi (1181–1226), the Patron Saint of the environment and animals.

In Laudato Si (“Praise be to you, Lord”), Pope Francis describes Saint Francis as “A mystic and Pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature, and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.”

To read the Holy Father’s encyclical released in 2015, please visit https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html.

Note: To learn more about the Blessing of Animals at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, please visit http://www.cathedralphila.org.   

Italian American Heritage Month: Walter Lantz

Walter Lantz

Walter Benjamin Lantz, the legendary creator of animated movies is best known today as the man who gave us Woody Woodpecker.

But less well known is Walter Lanza. Yes, Walter Lantz was born in New Rochelle, NY to Italian immigrant parents Francesco Paolo Lantz (formerly Lanza) from Castiglione, Cosentino, Italy and Maria Gervasi (changed to Jarvis to avoid prejudice) from Calitri. Walter's father ran a grocery store. His mother, Maria, died while giving birth to Walter's younger brother, Michael Lantz. Walter's father, Francesco, soon became physically incapacitated leaving Walter to run the grocery store at a young age.  

According to Joe Adamson's biography The Walter Lantz Story, Lantz's father was given his new surname by an immigration official who anglicized it. Walter Lantz was always interested in art, completing a mail-order drawing class at age 12. 

While working as an auto mechanic, Lantz got his first break. Wealthy customer Fred Kafka liked his drawings on the garage's bulletin board and financed Lantz's studies at the Art Students league in New York. Kafka also helped him land a job as a copy boy at The New York American newspaper. Lantz worked at the newspaper and attended art school at night.

As the video below shows, Lantz eventually made his way to Los Angeles, made good contacts, set up an animation studio and created cartoons for Universal. He imaginatively created several memorable characters but it was Woody Woodpecker that gave him the breakthrough that brought him fame, riches, four Academy Awards and a place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Over and over, through numerous cartoon shorts and movies, Woody won the day. And, though Lantz is no longer with us (he died in in 1994 at the age of 94) the iconic woodpecker lives on, thanks in part to licensing.

Through grit and persistence, Walter Lantz surmounted a hardscrabble upbringing to build a successful life and career -- a career that brought joy and laughter to millions around the world. His journey is a testament the the indefatigable spirit and irrepressible imagination of Italian Americans.