Do you have a question? Just ask! Q: Thanks for all the tips and advice on the road! I bought the Przewalski jacket and I cycle regularly as the temperatures have not dropped too drastically yet. Another question, any suggestions when a driver excessively honks and swears that I should stay off the road? I stopped at a red light next to a guy and didn’t know whether to fight or run. —Jennifer, Ohio
A: You’re fast becoming a bad-ass biker! You’ll want to use caution both physically and mentally this early to ensure you make it to summer. Therefore, as Fr. John Majeski said on an episode of All in the Family, “Step away from the presence of the foolish man when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge,” meaning, don’t waste your time arguing with an idiot. • • •Q: Was the request from the LGBTQ+ community to participate in the New York Pulaski Day Parade accepted? I read that the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee rejected their request to parade again. This created a huge uproar. – Suzie, NY A: Thanks for your question Suzie. I’m not sure about the application process for NYC’s Pulaski Day Parade and I have no idea which groups applied. I guess any group should have a Polish nexus to begin with. Yes, I read about the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day parade decision. As you know, I prefer not to take sides in a debate, but rather to offer a fair objectivity. I think the reason given for the denied application is that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade supports Catholic teachings. Hmm, let’s see, if LGBTQ+ people are rejected because their sexual orientation is against Church teachings, shouldn’t Catholic protesters who use contraception be banned, incidentally the latest statistic indicates that 80% of Catholics use contraception contraception, since contraception is against Church teaching? Damn, how about we ban all those Catholic protesters who are divorced, for the same reason? Hopefully one day humanity will evolve enough to realize that a relationship with God is primarily personal, secondarily institutional, and therefore marching under a spiritual banner should reflect that personal, not institutional, relationship. Sadly, no matter how much they try to do good, and they do, all religious institutions in the world make the mistake of wanting to control this relationship. Guidance, rules and regulations are needed and can be offered, but essentially spirituality is personal.• • •Q: I appreciated your question and answer with Donna about Biden’s hypocrisy. In her State of the Union address, all she had for him was a low unemployment victory. My wife still pays a pretty penny for a dozen eggs. – Tom, NYA: You know Tom, I’m not so sure it was a win. What good is a low unemployment rate if prices are skyrocketing? People have jobs, great, but where does their income go? It’s like you’re working to keep the lights on and the furnace going. I’ve said it before, the longer this economic nightmare continues, the greater the chances that an independent candidate emerges from the carpentry and wins the White House in 2024, similar to how Trump won in 2016. • • •Q: Who were you going to the Super Bowl? – Michael Jr., NYA: It was a no-brainer my friend. Even though Philadelphia sported the same green and white colors as my alma mater, with Kansas City sporting the Polish white-on-red colors and its head coach named Andy, you know who I rooted for! I also didn’t appreciate the live broadcast camera close-up of a Philly coach spewing nukes at a penalty flag. It carries the class act of Cowboys head coach Tom Landry, who wore a suit, tie and hat and had a high degree of dignity on the field. Nice game though! • • •Q: Super Super Bowl, I thought. But I guess the halftime show defined the current state of sympathetic entertainment in this country. – Stephen, NYA: The double use of that word is appropriate! The second half was exciting, even though I never thought I’d see a boy carrying the ball intentionally fall under the goal line so as not to stop the clock. Wow, you never saw that in the old days. The halftime show? Eh, I guess even contemplative and heartfelt songs are old-fashioned. • • •Q: I would like to know if you recognize the Polish military officers in the photo I sent. My mother used to give flowers to these officers as a child, I believe in the 1930’s in Buffalo. Her maiden name was Tess Norys. She died and we found this in a box full of stuff. – Dan, NY A: Ok Dan, I’ve circulated your photo (not pictured) and let’s see if anyone replies. We have a few historical gurus in our reading audience, so stay tuned.
