How much do you remember about 2010?
Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 12:01AM 
Why are these men laughing? Ex-Mayor Joe Kuzminski and Admiral Joe Sestak share a hearty chuckle over....what? at some political shindig.It's been a crazy year, and what wild tidings will 201 bring?
Will you still have a job? Will you be able to stay in your home? Will this blog continue to be irreverent and snarky?
No, no, and yes.
For now, let's look back at 2010 and see if you can score big with tbese multiple-guess puzzlers.
1. Reading Eagle Company kicked off the new year by
a) handing its managers big, fat bonuses
b) firing Larry Orkus
c) sucking up to Albert Boscov to land a huge printing del
d) all of the above
2. 1,538 is the magic number of
a) signatures to get on the ballot to challenge for Mike O'Pake's Senate seat
b) Reading residents without an arrest record
c) overtime hours logged by a city cop each year
d) fans attending an average Reading Royals game
3. Berks County residents were thrilled and delighted when camera crews came to town to film an episode of TV's
a) "America's Most Wanted"
b) "Intervention"
c) "Deadwood"
d) "Extreme Makeover"
4. A Boyertown High student made national headlines at a Phillies ballgame when he
a) was tasered by cops after running onto the field
b) gobbled down 25 of Greg Luzinski's "Bull BBQ"
c) vomited on Shane Victorino
d) hacked into the scoreboard and posted a bulletin that Roy Halladay needs Tommy John surgery
5. Vice cops busted the leader of prostitution ring who went under the moniker
a) Banana Republican
b) Harley Queer
c) Aqua Buddha
d) God
6. According to the FBI, the number of cities more dangerous than Reading is
a) zero
b) only Newark and Detroit
c) too depressing to report
d) 40
7. Alarm bells went off when parents discovered that young people were drinking
a) grain alcohol, straight, no chaser
b) a mix of booze and caffeine
c) wimpy cocktails with an umbrella sticking out
d) Reading tap water
8. City council members were miffed when Mayor McMahon did not attend an important budget session because
a) he was in Peru
b) he had tickets to a Taylor Swift concert
c) he was lobbying in Harrisburg for stricter gun laws
d) he was playing with his new iPad and forgot the time
9. Mayor McMahon hopes to revitalize the city by creating a new midtown arts district that shall be known as
a) Cracktown
b) Ricktown
c) Boscovtown
d) Artes Centro de la Ciudad
10. Movie fans were shocked to see that director M. Night Shyamalan had cut from "The Last Airbender" scenes that were shot around
a) Seventh & Franklin
b) Reading Regional Airport
c) Blue Marsh
d) the Pagoda
11. Reading may be able to pull itself out from the yoke of bankruptcy thanks to
a) Act 47
b) Act 69
c) Method acting
d) raising property taxes 800%
12. Reading School Director Keith Stamm shocked his colleagues by asking another board member if he was
a) going to pay for pizzas for everyone
b) a high school dropout
c) immature and petulant
d) dyslexic
Taylor Swift and others on "The Pinnacle of Berks" in this startlingly realistic artist's deiction13. Former Lower Alsace Supervisor Tom Orth celebrated 2010 in a big way by
a) being acquitted of charges he kicked a cop in the nuts
b) receiving federal stimulus money for his towing business
c) striking up a partnership with Jon Gosselin to do a TV series on the bars of Berks
d) earning recognition as one of the county's top businessmen in the newspaper's "Pinnacles of Berks"
14. Failed gubernatorial candidate Sam Rohrer thought he might get a boost when he was joined on the stump by
a) a hologram of Ronald Reagan
b) Ron Paul
c) Levi Johnston
d) Joe the Plumber
15. When Elton John returned to the Sovereign Center, his contract specified he must be provided with lots of
a) condoms
b) flowers
c) Dom Perignon
d) corsets
16. The Reading Eagle was stung when several of its advertisers were busted for serving as fronts for
a) crack dens
b) sweatshops
c) distribution centers for Four Loko
d) houses of prostitution
17. Judge Scott Lash ticked off two lesbians very much when he would not
a) seat them on a jury to decide a domestic-violence case
b) grant a restraining order against one, then joked, "There's nothing hotter than a good cat fight"
c) issue a divorce to end their Massachusetts marriage
d) allow them to adopt an infant
18. Tim Holden may have put Barack Obama in a sour mood when he voted against health care, but the congressman delighted the president when he
a) delivered a case of Yuengling beer to the White House to cover a bet with the Canadian prime minister involving the Winter Olympics hockey final
b) acted like a good sport after Joe Biden gave him a wedgie in the Rose Garden
c) laughed when Obama referred to him as a "horn dog" instead of a "blue Dog" at the White House Correspondent's Dinner
d) agreed to sit down for a shot of boilo on the White House lawn to settle matters
19. City residents wondered what the cops were thinking when they
a) tipped off criminals that the department lacks the manpower to conduct major vice and drug investigations
b) deployed all their forces to wrangle aging Deadheads at a Sovereign Center concert
c) revealed they may retire en masse next year to collect lucrative benefits
d) all of the above
20. City Hall had egg on its face after it was discovered
a) weather seer Lester Boyer had told them two feet of snow was coming and the streets department still didn't have the salt trucks ready
b) somebody had stored rental applications, checks and all, in a recycling bin
c) Fritz's Island had a sprung a leak, but Joe Eppihimer's plumbing team wouldn't plug it unless they're paid upfront
d) the city was still spending $500K a your to try to fix the Y2K bug
ANSWERS: 1-d; 2-a; 3-d; 4-a; 5-d; 6-d; 7-b; 8-a; 9-b; 10-d; 11-a; 12-d; 13-a; 14-d; 15-b; 16-d; 17-c; 18-a; 19-d; 20-b
2010 in Local News, Politics, Satire, Snark
Reader Comments (39)
II'M SO THRILLED ABOUT OBAMMIE'S VACATION, I COULD JUST SHIT!
HOW ABOUT YOU, SHIT-ASS MOLDY?
By: Mark Tapscott 12/29/10 5:04 PM
Editorial Page Editor
Hawaii Reporter
President Obama and his family are enjoying a delightful Christmas vacation
with friends and family in the chief executive's home state (?) of Hawaii.
Nobody questions a president's right or need to take take away from the White
House, but an investigation byHawaii Reporter has turned up some eye-opening
nformation about the costs and other aspects of the Obama get-away.
Just consider these estimates on part of the costs of the latest Obama Hawaii trip:
* Mrs. Obama’s early flight to Hawaii: $63,000 (White House Dossier)
* Obama’s round trip flight to Hawaii: $1 million (GAO estimates)
* Housing in beachfront homes for Secret Service and Seals in Kailua ($1,200 a day
for 14 days): $16,800
* Costs for White House staff staying at Moana Hotel: $134,400 ($400 per day for 24
staff) – excluding meals and other room costs
* Police overtime: $250,000 (2009 costs reported by Honolulu Police Department)
* Ambulance: $10,000 (City Spokesperson)
TOTAL COST: $1,474,200
But that $1.47 million figure leaves out a number of signficant costs that simply could
not be calculated by Hawaii Reporter:* Rental of office building in Kailua on canal
* Security upgrades and additional phone lines.
* Costs for car rentals and fuel for White House staff staying at Moana Hotel (Secre
Service imports most of the cars used here to escort the president).
* Surveillance before the president arrives.
* Travel costs for Secret Service and White House staff traveling ahead of the President.
White House spokesmen insist Obama's vacation expenses are in line with those of previous
presidents, which may well be true, but, since the government refuses to disclose many
important details about any presidential journey, nobody can know for sure.
There appear to be reasons to suspect the Obamas' trip could have been done for less,
according to Hawaii Reporter."They could have chosen a less expensive and more secure place to stay such as a
beachfront home on the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station – just a two-minute drive away
from the Kailuana Place property where they are now," according to Hawaii Reporter.
"The president visits the military base daily to workout, bowl with his kids or enjoy the more
private beach there. He also could have stayed at a home 15 minutes away on the beach fronting
Bellows Air Force Base as President Bill Clinton did."
But Obama and friends opted instead to secure use of three luxury beachfront places, including
the “Winter White House” – or Kailua home that the president rents two weeks a year.
That facility, Hawaii Reporter, noted, normally rents for an estimated $3,500 a day or $75,000 a
month, according to the web site Gadling.com.
The latter describes the place as a “7,000 square foot home [that] features 5 bedrooms, 5 ½ bathrooms,
a media room with surround sound, a kitchen suited for a master chef, a dining room and great room,
a secluded lagoon-style pool with tropical waterfalls and a lavish island spa. The ocean lanai and garden
lanai showcase ornate landscaping and stunning views of Kailua Bay and Mount Olomana.”
Sure beats my vacation at Rehoboth Beach!
Rehoboth Beech? Luck you! I have to sit in my
back yard on N.9th Street, and have someone spray
me with a garden hose!
"Mary E. Young: O'Pake connected with people"
Ah yes, the money bone is connected to the graft bone;
the graft bone is connected to the political patronage bone;
the political patronage bone is connected to the campaign
money bone; the campaign money bone is connected to
the boys in the cigar smoke filled back room bone-heads.
Seems to be a heck of a lot of "connecting" here!
c) sucking up to Albert Boscov to land a huge printing deal
It's what Eisenhower talked about;
the paper and Al Boscov supporting each other
in mutually benefiting ways.....
He is basically paying them to KISS HIS ASS,
which they do a damn good job at.
They take every cent of the money,
and have been for years.
Not saying Al Boscov is not a self-made man deserving of accolades.
But there is more than meets the eye to 'Our City Reading'..
The paper plays it like it's Saint Al saving the city,
and makes 'Our City Reading' more about propping up Al Boscov,
and less about saving the city.
Which is probably the reality of the situation.
<16. The Reading Eagle was stung when several of its advertisers were busted for serving as fronts for:
d) houses of prostitution>
AS IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW IT WHEN THEY WERE RUNNING THE ADS.
Pretty hypocritical of such a beacon of morality,
who likes to shove religion down the throats
of their dwindling readership.
Running ads for "Oreintal Massage Palor..."
or whatever it was called,
in the guise
it's some kind of legitimate business.
They were knowingly accepting money
to promote prostitution.
Real classy newspaper we got here.
9. Mayor McMahon hopes to revitalize the city by creating a new midtown arts district that shall be known as
d) Artes Centro de la Ciudad
IT WILL BE PLACED ADJACENT TO THE BULL FIGHTING RING.
HIZZONER IS TRYING TO SIGN MICHAEL VICK AS RING MANAGER.
IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT MAYOR MARSHMALLOW
CAN SHOOT THE BULL!
Fox News, Republicans, the Tea party talking heads like to drone on about "HIGH DEFICITS"...."OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING"...."COUNTRY GOING BANKRUPT"..."THE DEPT WILL BANKRUPT THE COUNTRY"....on and on....
But Republicans showed their true colors in their "compromise" with Obama.
There was one issue NOT on the table they were HELLBENT on keeping in place, that they WOULDN'T BUDGE..........KEEPING TAX RATES LOW FOR THE WEALTHIEST 2% OF AMERICANS.
They proved that preserving wealth 4the wealthy is what they are about, and a more important priority 2them than any DEFICIT the country might have to face.
Fox News and the Tea Party stood by and said nothing, proving themselves to be totally DISINGENUOUS.
I'm sick and tired of hearing the same old doom and gloom from these HYPOCRITES when they had a chance to step to the plate and do something about it, but chose to stay on the sidelines and BOW to the Republican power structure, which exists to preserve and represent BIG MONEY, by exploiting fear and hate to the stupid and the gullible, which is a sizeable portion of the electorate.
10 crushed to death in SAfrica bar stampede...
Someone shouted Obammie came home!
January 1, 2011 | Unregistered Commente ranonymous
LOOKS LIKE A NEW YEAR FOR DUMMIES!
DID YOU GET A LINCOLN LOG SET FOR CHRISTMAS?
"Clinton, Chavez have a 'friendly' chat..."
"Hill" flew down there to check up on HER investments.
Probably buying pig bellies futures. Or, maybe some oil
futures (if that is OK with Soros!)
"Bushyager, who has done cleaning work and other odd jobs, moved into
government-subsidized housing in September. As he enjoyed his meal at a
large table with friends, he said the New Year's Day dinner was much appreciated.
"The meal is really good, except I'm wondering where the sauerkraut is," he said. "
GEE ROSS, SORRY ABOUT THE SAUERKRAUT. NEXT YEAR WE WILL PICK YOU
UP IN A "GOVERNMENT -SUBSIDIZED LIMOUSINE! LET ME GET YOUR ADDRESS
CORRECT. DID YOU SAY REFRIGERATOR CRATE 15, UNDER THE PENN STREET
BRIDGE. GOTCHA. AGAIN, OUR APOLOGIES, AND NEXT TIME WE WILL HAVE A LITTLE
BRAND, IN A SNIFTER, READY FOR YOU.
BYE THE WAY, ROSS ... DID YOU REALIZE THAT "GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED" GOODIES
IS COMING OUT OF MY WALLET. GOVERNMENT DOESN'T PRODUCE SHIT!
These do-gooders, like the speckled hen bunch, Salvation Navy,
Food Banks, Homes for knocked up broads, are ALL ENABLERS!
ELIMINATE ALL THIS WELFARE CRAP, AND THE WORLD WILL BE
A BETTER PLACE!
OH, AND DID I FORGET TO MENTION, OBAMMIE AND HIS SLUGS WITH
173 WEEKS OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION, SECTION 8,
REPARATIONS FOR SLAVES, ETC.
Those Shitbaggers...oops, I mean Tea Baggers are a bunch of hypocrites. All they do is drone on and on and on about the Democrats....well, I haven't seen those damn shitbaggers,....oops, I mean Tea Baggers do one thing for this nation.
Fox News, Republicans, the Tea party talking heads like to drone on about "HIGH DEFICITS"...."OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING"...."COUNTRY GOING BANKRUPT"..."THE DEPT WILL BANKRUPT THE COUNTRY"....on and on....
*** And what have the Pelosicrats and Nanny Staters done over the past four years??????????? 'Nuff said. Another liberal nanny stater who evidently lives in their liberal land of make believe. Typical dumb HYPOCRITE liberal.
Still stuck in STUPID - vote Democrat!
If you're happy with the Obumble administration you're either a mexican border jumper or a mental patient.
You can see by the approval rating that 46% still approve of Obumble. That means that Pelosicrats are going to back him even when he is against them. How does it feel to have a president that HATES you??? ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,haaaaaaaaaaa
"HIGH DEFICITS"...."OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING"...."COUNTRY GOING BANKRUPT"...
"THE DEPT WILL BANKRUPT THE COUNTRY"..
ALL OF THE ABOVE, THANKS TO OBAMMIE AND HIS LIBERAL BLOOD-
SUCKING VAMPIRES. A.K.A. THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS!
when he was joined on the stump by
d) Joe the Plumber
OH? STUMP? I THOUGHT YOU SAID STOMP!
WHOOPS ...
10:58 AM ET
By: CNN's Gabriella Schwarz
(CNN) – The incoming House Oversight and Government Reform chairman on Sunday tried to clarify his recent remarks to Rush Limbaugh where he called President Obama "one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times."
Rep. Darrell Issa said he meant to say the Obama administration instead of the president.
somebodys got that (w)right!
If you're happy with the Obumble administration you're either a mexican border jumper or a mental patient.
January 2, 2011 | Liberals are losers
I'd be happier of the GOP would actually put forth some decent candidates in 2012, and also if they would explain to me how they are going to cut taxes and reduce the deficit without making cuts to the defense budget, Medicare, and Social Security.