Sunday, December 31, 2006

The LuLac Edition #121, Dec. 31, 2006
















PICTURE INDEX: JAMES BROWN, THE KING OF SOUL, WILK TALK SHOW HOST KEVIN LYNN AND HANK WILLIAMS SENIOR.

LYNN TO P.R. POST?

So I roll out of bed this Sunday morning and turn on the TV. Scrambling to get my bearings, I turn on the TV, get myself ready for the day and grab myself a TAB out of the fridge to jumpstart a day of company, NFL and bringing in the New Year. As I rumble down the hall, I hear a voice saying that "WILK talk show host Kevin Lynn will be relocating to Hazleton where we will become good friends. I will then name him Public Relations Director for the city of Hazleton". HUH??????? As I got to the living room, I looked at the TV and the voice turned out to be Mayor Lou Barletta making his annual tongue in cheek predictions for WLYN TV 35's "Viewpoint-Year In Review-Year Ahead" show. I was both happy and sad that I wasn't dreaming. Happy because I believe we've had enough surreal politics for this year already but sad because if it were true, man would that be interesting. Barletta also predicted he'd be making side trips to Iowa and New Hampshire to test the waters for a higher office bid.

JAMES BROWN

James Brown died last week and was honored in a series of ceremonies this week. Brown took soul music to the mainstream and in a way inflicted it on many unsuspecting citizens of the United States. He was an outstanding entertainer. Although I never saw one of his shows, those who did said it was a high energy act. Regular contributor Pete Cassidy sent this e mail regarding James Brown:
How many people do ya know who ever saw James Brown live. Kathy did when she was 14 at the Cleveland Arena. No small thing for a little white Cleveland chick in 1965. Imagine how she stood out in the crowd!

HANK WILLIAMS SENIOR

Pete Cassidy and I generally have long political discussions which morph into music debates. He recently told me a story about the circumstances and the mysterious time line surrounding Hank Williams' Senior's death.

1952 or 53

Sometime around midnight on the last day of the old year,
or the first day of the new year,
somewhere between Knoxville, Tennessee and Oak Hill, West Virginia,
the passenger in the back seat of the baby blue, fifty two Cadillac convertible
passed away.
Exactly where and when will always be a mystery.

What we do know is that it was cold and lonesome out on the highway that night and it was most likely snowing.

A kid named Carr was at the wheel, Charles Carr, hired in Montgomery, Alabama two days past. It had been a long forty eight hours for the seventeen year old Auburn University freshman. Forty eight hours he’s never yet spoken much about and most likely never will.
The passenger was Hank Williams, already a legend literally on the road to becoming a myth. Dead on the way to a New Years day matinee in Ohio. A date he couldn’t afford to miss a long way from home. One thing for certain, Hanks back finally stopped hurtin’ and he was a no show in Canton next day.

Hank Williams had just turned twenty nine in September. Born with great talent and a severe congenital back condition, he was never a stranger to pain. His star burned white hot for a few short years and it seems he lived at the speed of light. He set the standard for all the hard livin’, self destructive young rockers to follow and he set the bar high! His life was a complicated mess! His music was simple. He captured feelings with words. Happy, sad, and especially lonesome, when Hank sang ‘em, you could feel ‘em. He was the first singer/songwriter star and he’s been lookin over the shoulder of every would be tunesmith who’s picked up a guitar and taken pen in hand for over half a century now. That’s a long shadow.

The Cadillac is in the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Hanks buried not far away.

http://www.xaust.com/hank/homepage.htm

Lonesome Highway

Here’s what I think went down. Hank viewed the trip as a potential bender and got started early way back in Montgomery. Couple a pills, shot of morphine and a whiskey chaser for the road. More pills, more booze and two more shots of morphine in Knoxville. Prob’ly a heart attack at the Andrew Johnson Hotel and back on the road dead or near dead before he got out of town. A scared seventeen year old kid at the wheel. A kid who should have taken Hank straight to the Knoxville Hospital, but a kid who shouldn’t have been in this predicament in the first place! Somebody in Montgomery had to know that the last place on earth Hank needed to be was on the road . Some adult who cared enough to stop this ride before it ever started. One doctor with any sense at all, and Hank saw at least three during his final forty eight hours. One person who loved him, but maybe by then he’d run them all off. Hank Williams last ride was just the final stage in his suicide, but did it hafta’ be so damn lonely?



The LuLac Edition #120, Dec. 30, 2006














PHOTO INDEX: L.A. TARONE, HOST OF WLYN TV 35's TARONE SHOW AND WILKES BARRE TAXPAYER ADVOCATE AND COUNCIL CANDIDATE WALTER GRIFFITH.


TO TAX OR NOT TO TAX

City Council recently sat down with community business leaders to propose an assessment for police protection, city upkeep as well as keeping the downtown spruced up. In the plan set forward in late December, the particulrs would be that city businesses would have to pay a surcharge in addition to their regular taxes to upkeep the downtown renewal. City taxpayer advocate Walter Griffith sent me the entire document on this thing. Because of the holidays, I didn't get a chance to get through it until now. But here are my thoughts and questions:

TAXES: Aren't the people in business paying city taxes right now and wouldn't another voluntary contribution seem to be a double tax? Gus Genetti's curious observation that there are 100 things that might be wrong with it but he'll support it anyway is something I just don't understand. This is the same guy, who with his brother Bill in the 80s opposed a dedicated room tax for tourism development because hotel guests might not want to pay that extra money. This blind faith is astounding to me. However in a way it is admirable because it shows Genetti's dedication to the city. Other businesses opined that the fee would seem to be a double tax and if they are required to pay it, it's clear to me that the cost of it will be passed on to consumers.

THE CITY: I give the city an "A" for trying to get a handle on budgeting money for services. Times are different and cities have to start thinking out of the box in order to get things accomplished. But with all the empty store fronts in town now which need to be filled up, is proposing a fee for businesses a major selling point for a pizza shop, hair salon or stationary store to relocate to the city? And I guess I wonder how the city will collect the fee? Through the existing taxing agencies that might charge a percentage or worse yet, creating an in house bureau that would become another arm of city government?

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS: How much are they paying for the upkeep of properties? I always thought that when you rented a facility, whether it be an apartment, store front or home, the landlord always picked up the cost of maintainance? Are the real estate developers who charge businesses a hefty rent check getting a pass?

PAST HISTORY: I have lived through the Committee of 100, Wilkes Barre 2, The The Downtown Merchant's Association, The Downtown Wilkes Barre Business and Professional's Association, The Downtown Development Committee as well as the Downtown Business Council. In forty years, the businesses took it upon themselves to promote the city as well as convene meetings to get public support from city officials. Major events like the Luzerne County Bicentennial, the 1976 Bicentennial, the Great American Race in 1986 and 1988 all had help and support from the city administration. To me, it is a twist that now it is the city coming to the businesses asking for financial support. And if this fee passes, will the city give the businesses a cost accounting of the services?

FAIRNESS: You saw the "I Believe" sign and you believed. So you opened up your bagel shop and now the guy across the street is moving in but had KOZ money. He won't be taxed. Is that fair?

COUNCIL'S ACTIONS: They tabled it at the last meeting. We need more facts, a better breakdown of how this is going to happen and an elimination of at least 50% of Gus Genetti's concerns. Wilkes Barre can move forward but within the budget parameters it has right now. Unless there is a clear demonstration that services will be enhanced, this thing should be studied long and hard with full, multiple public hearings.

LA TARONE

One of the best editorials on the death of President Ford was given by WLYN TV 35's L.A. Tarone. Tarone's editorials are seen and heard every Friday at around 5:20PM on Wilkes Barre Service Electric station 21. Tarone also appeared on a Year In Review show that was outstanding along with WLYN TV veteran Don Pachance.

FIORUCCI FOR

COUNTY COMMISSIONER

A long time Democrat before becoming a Green in 2000, Fiorucci said he will run for County Commissioner in the 2007 primary as a Democrat."After seeing what happened to Romanelli in his bid as a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, getting the signatures required to run as an Independent is just too risky," said Fiorucci.Mario Fiorucci earned an MA in government from Georgetown University in 1982. He had graduated with honors from College Misericordia in 1980. He returned to the area after working in the brokerage business from 1983 to 1995. His interest in regionalization and Home Rule government started with articles he wrote for his free public interest newsletter..In 2005, Fiorucci was a candidate for mayor of Sugar Notch. The race was widely covered by the press and local TV news. More recently, Fiorucci has assessed the skills and management capabilities of local elected officials in various municipalities. Then in a 2006, PBS State of Pennsylvania forum, titled "Small town mayors, Big city challenges," he engaged the panel in a discussion of his theory that "without significant regionalization or consolidation among municipalities, a community college-based program of continuing education for elected officials should be established."In response, the mayor of Sunbury concurred by stating that "as its’ been alluded to here, it (management by part-time elected officials) just doesn't work." The mayor of Kingston also said "a professional manager is necessary to solve the problem."In assessing major county related issues, Fiorucci thinks the proposed $100 million prison proposal should be put on the ballot as a bond funding vote. He would also consider private prison management in an effort to control costs and pay down prison issued debt.Regarding regionalization, Fiorucci wrote widely about establishing ‘Tax-Base Sharing’ programs among all municipalities. He also thinks that "Municipal Service Districts"should be enacted to create 'functional consolidation' among municipalities. A MunicipalService District would consist of five or more contiguous towns that have a combined population of more than 20,000.Past articles or letters to the editor by Fiorucci can be found on Google by searching for:"Mario Fiorucci, Sugar Notch." He can also be reached at (570)-819-0721..

ALL ABOUT MARIO

Mario Fiorucci
Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania, US
Luzerne County Green Party founding member, Mario Fiorucci, will seek the office of Commissioner for Luzerne County as a registered "Independent." A life long resident of Sugar Notch, Mr. Fiorucci achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1973 and was the assistant Scout Master for old Troop 417 in 1976. He more recently served the N.E.P.A. Council of Boy Scouts of America as a member of the Gathering of Eagles committee. Mr. Fiorucci was a 1977 graduate of L.C.C.C. and a 1980 graduate of College Misericordia in Dallas, PA. with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He also earned a Masters degree in political science from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1982. During his studies at Georgetown he interned for Congressman Adam Benjamin and worked on several presidential campaigns. For the next eighteen years he was employed in the financial services industry in New York City and in N.E.P.A. when he returned in 1996. Mr. Fiorucci was responsible for re-introducing the concept of regionalization of municipal services when he began writing and speaking upon the subject in 1999 via his free public interest newsletter, the Town News.

Friday, December 29, 2006

The LuLac Edition #119, Dec. 29, 2006
















PHOTO INDEX: WBRE TV'S JILL KONOPKA WHO ANCHORED THE NEWS ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT AND BISHOP JOSEPH MARTINO WHO WILL BE GETTING A LETTER OF SUGGESTION FROM THIS BLOG EDITOR.

POST CHRISTMAS RANTINGS

Now that Christmas is over, allow me to give you the Holiday Wrap Up from the LuLac clan. I was going to do this right after the big day but the death of former President Ford took precedence over these thoughts.

A LETTER TO THE BISHOP

I’m going to write a letter to Bishop Martino with a suggestion concerning Christmas Masses for Roman Catholics. I want the Bishop to set up a program for practicing Catholics that will give them special dispensation from attending Christmas Eve and Christmas day services. Here’s how it would work. If a Catholic reaches 98% attendance during a church year, he or she will be awarded a special pass from going to church on Christmas or will be able to attend church on Christmas at an undisclosed time made available only to the Catholics who reached 98% attendance during the year. The attendance would be tracked by video surveillance in the church and/or by a special parish tracking mechanism that would record attendance.
My reasons for this came to a head when we attended Mass on the Christmas Eve vigil. This Mass, along with Midnight Mass is when everyone attends church. On the surface this should be a good thing but unfortunately it is not. The problem with Christmas Mass is that people who haven’t been inside a church in years attend. Most of these people have no clue how to act in a church. When I was young, I was taught that when you entered a church, it was a sacred place to reflect and think prior to the service. Especially on a high holy day like Christmas, you were supposed to sit in silent anticipation reflecting on the holiday, your good or bad fortune and the significance of the day. But this is the new century and for a majority of Catholics I saw and heard on Christmas Eve night, the event was not about the solemn Christ child……..but ALL ABOUT THEM. Here’s what I heard around me on Christmas Eve night in my church.
1. A whiney young teenage girl, about 16 who should’ve known better went on for twenty two minutes about the stitches in her mouth from dental surgery. It was a relentless catalogue of the surgery, the pain, the tightness of the gums, the way she was forced to spit and the pills she had to take for the pain. This girl could out symptom a lonely, senior citizen hypochondriac in a nursing home. Eighteen minutes in, my wife reached into her purse and put in earplugs.
2. The mother of the whiney teenager who should’ve known better begins to talk to the daughter about various operations relatives have had telling her that hernia operations are the worst.
3. Also from the same pew behind us was a discussion about what each was giving someone for Christmas. “You spent $700 on that skank, are you kiddin’ me?” At that point, I took a notepad out of my suit coat and began to take notes. This was too unreal to believe.
4. In front of me, a young girl asked her uncle why zip codes existed. Why she picked this time on this day is anyone’s guess.
5. Next to the young girl was a middle aged side of beef who said the following, “I’ll be damned if she’s gonna come over my house and start that shit with me. As far as I’m concerned she can go to hell”. She was in the fifth row just a few feet from the alter.
6. In the first two non designated rows of the church pews, (the first three rows were roped off for the procession of the children) two men sat with their arms draped across the seats and chatted about the availability of parking, the Plains Christmas lights and various and sundry subjects.
7. Up ahead toward the front there was a pretty young blond woman who seemed to be concentrating on something. “Prayer” I thought finally. No, her intensity was dedicated to moving the gum from one side of her mouth to the other.
8. A dad armed with a digital camera steadied himself to get the shot of one of his young darlings coming down the aisle. But before doing so, he loaded up with a few sticks of Juicy Fruit.
Now you are most likely saying that I’m a self righteous busy body who should’ve been paying attention to his own spiritual needs instead of eavesdropping on the folks in church. You are most likely saying that I am a sinner and should not be throwing stones at these people, that as a fellow Catholic I should be more inclusive and proud that my fellow brethren came back to the flock.
Let me address that. First, I am a sinner. I have skeletons and demons that could fill a warehouse let alone a closet, and I regard myself as not the perfect Catholic. I go to church, I try to concentrate on the subject at hand and try to reflect on why I’m there. It is one of the few places in the world where I do keep my mouth shut, subjugate my ego and personality because going to church is sacred, not secular. And you act differently in a sacred situation than you do in a secular one. It’s a thing called respect.
As far as being a busy body and eavesdropping, that was easy because I had no choice. These conversations about the dental surgery, the $700 gift for the skank, the zip codes and parking were all presented not in a whisper but in “mall conversation”. It was as if these discourses took place at the Mall instead of a church on the most sacred day of the year. Going to Mass on Christmas has evolved from being a sober, soft reflective holiday to a secular event. At first, I thought I was being too tough on my fellow Catholics but two things nailed it for me,
1. The gum chewing and
2. the total immersion into self that I witnessed at this Mass.
Prior to the holidays I caught the Bishop on TV with Dan Gallagher. I am not a regular watcher of the Catholic Channel but the Bishop had some interesting things to say about modern day Catholics. One of them was the fact that many young Catholics are choosing to not get married and live together. And that the only time they attend Mass is when they have to whether it be for the kids at Christmas, Communion or Confirmation. The Bishop made the point that after Confirmation, he may never see those kids or parents ever again. And on Christmas Eve, I got to thinking about what he said. The people who attend Mass once a year really have no reference point as to how to behave in a sacred setting. That is so because many are not familiar with the true grounded spirituality of why you should go to church. And if that’s the case, then why should the Catholics who take their religion seriously, respect the solemnity of the feast day and go to a Mass not only on Christmas Eve or Christmas but every Sunday have to put up with this boorish behavior on the big day? The sad part is that if you called any one of them on it, the gum chewers and the mall talkers would get insulted because they think being there is enough. After all, it’s all about them and not anyone else.
I have major faults, and many of my mistakes and flaws have publicly been chronicled. I am no saint. But at least when I enter a church, my life with all of its silliness, problems and minutia ends for the length of that church service. I, in effect try to give myself to God by thinking and reflection. And failing that, (which I often do) I just keep my mouth shut and don’t cause my wife or anyone near me such annoyance that they have to resort to earplugs to enjoy or “get” the service.
Politically I always said I don’t want everyone to vote because I never want to put my future as a citizen in the hands of uneducated morons who have no grasp of the issues. Sadly, I have come to the same conclusion that not everyone belongs in a church service, even if it’s on Christmas Day, if they can’t respect the tradition, the liturgy and the sprit of why they are there in the first place. If that makes me a bad, “non inclusive Catholic”, then add that on to the others sins I’ll be burning off in Purgatory. And if no one down there believes me about the horrendous behavior of some of my fellow church goers at Christmas 2006, I’ll simply say, “Need proof? I took notes!”

THE NEWS ON CHRISTMAS

WNEP TV did a pretty neat thing on Christmas Eve. They did stories of the year about people in their newscast.
Jill Konopka had the Christmas Day anchor duties on WBRE TV and did a very admirable job reporting the hard news events of the day. She is one of WBRE TV’s best field reporters.

TV PROGRAMMING

When Christmas night comes around, essentially the TV networks seemed all out of holiday cheer. The big lead up to the holiday had various and sundry specials on but when Christmas Night rolls to a close, there’s not much. A few years back, Cable Networks ran the Godfather trilogy non stop). Thank God for the NFL.

SANTA’S STOCKING

Hope you got everything you wanted for Christmas this year. Most relatives bestowed on me gifts of alcohol this year from bottles of Francis Ford Coppola wine to Bailey’s. (Normally, I can always count on a Green Bay Packer, Cleveland Indian or since 2004, Buffalo Bills article but perhaps having seen WBRE TV’s Amy Bradley interview me on TV at the Yankee Gift Store at the Stadium, maybe they thought I handled the sports thing myself). Apparently one gift giver told me that State Stores in the area did not have the new Bailey’s that had caramel or mint chocolate. She told me that one lady threatened to call Governor Ed about the mistake. One wag in the store yelled from behind a few boxes of cheer, “Call him at Lincoln field, he ain’t gonna be back in Harrisburg until the Eagles are done!” I have no idea why I got so much alcohol this year but I am grateful for the thought and the gift. And since this is the blog day where bloggers are supposed to drink themselves silly, hey I’m stocked up and ready to go.

RESTAURANT REVIEWS

Had dinner at Nona’s, the old Groggge Shop and Martini’s. Food was good but the service was real slow. The place wasn’t crowded so I began to wonder why the wait staff kept on running around like chickens with their heads cut off! Also ate with a buddy up at La Trotteria in Scranton. It was a few days after Christmas and he was remembering how an uncle, since deceased made a pasta dish with olive oil, and anchovies for Christmas Eve dinner. He mentioned it to the waitress and they whipped it up for him in a flash.

PASSPORT

We went to the Courthouse to get our Passports. I never had one but if we ever need to fly to the Caribbean again, (fat chance of that happening) we’ll be prepared. The Courthouse employees in the Pronthonatary’s Office were great. The tree in the rotunda was beautiful but from our vantage point you could see the water damage on the ceilings. Anyway, the back area of the courthouse is still unpaved and looks and feels like the lunar surface. But all in all, it was a nice day to visit and accomplish something.
Maybe I can get myself a federal grant to study the forms of government in Jamaica, St. Thomas or the Domincans and do a study on that for the feds. With apologies to Joe Leonardi, let’s see, where’s Kanjo’s phone number……….




FRIENDS AND FAMILY


Spent a wonderful Christmas Eve night with the in laws. Normally I make my pasta with butter sauce and lobster but this year decided not to since we had an abundance of the traditional Polish-Slovak-Italian foods for the vigil meal. Instead I brought the desert which were these incredible Italian cookies made by my friends down at the Sanitary Bakery in Nanticoke. After unwrapping presents, we chatted and made our way back home. I am always struck by the solitude of Christmas Eve, Christmas morning. Everyone seems to be where they are supposed to be for one evening.
On Christmas morning we stopped at my mom’s who did everything in her power to try and feed us. We snacked on some cheese and ham and unwrapped gifts. My nephew Troy gave me his traditional gift of a certificate to Sabatelle’s Market in Pittston where I selectively buy really sharp Provalone cheese during the course of a year.
We then did dinner at the in laws and watched the Eagles-Cowboys game. This was quite a Holiday sacrifice since my brother in law Kenny (unlike my other brother in law Owen) is devoid of any passion when it comes to the NFL. My nephew Todd received a call saying that his apartment in Daytona Beach was safe despite the tornados they had there earlier in the day. That surprised us all but when we got home and put on the Miami game, it was pouring rain.
Tuesday night I exchanged gifts with my friend Dana. On Wednesday I had lunch with my buddy Frank in Scranton and on the way home, despite the plethora of cookies and food this holiday season, I saw the “Hot Donuts” sign on at Krispy Kreme and went in for just one. (Really, just one! I’m not lying here!)
My friend since first grade, David is set to touch down and visit Sunday. I got him a U.S. Open Tennis racket. Before my accident, we used to attempt to play regularly. I think I bought it in the hopes of someday thinking we might be able to do so again.
The media buddies have been in touch during the season. My buddy Fitz from 98.5 KRZ ordered 4 of my new books which were supposed to be out as stocking stuffers for Christmas but because of production problems never got finished until the 23rd of December, Greg Strom, my former boss at WARM and fellow Packer fan now in Wisconsin was in touch, my friend Pat from WNAK/Lite 94 called to wish me a Merry but then put in a plug for me to come and consider working at his shop, and I was treated to Sue Henry on WRKC FM the Saturday before Christmas playing holiday tunes. My good friend Shadoe Steele also had a wonderful holiday program on KRZ too.
My two former bosses from the call center in Salisbury, one a Lesbian Democrat in a very committed relationship, the other, an arch conservative Republican with a policeman/husband and two kids checked in too.
I have yet to contact my child hood friends Paul, Bruce and John from Florida who is now much to his chagrin known as John from Pittston but that will come along.
My cousin Paula called to thank me for a DVD I found on the internet of the old Bell Telephone Christmas show featuring marionettes. Anyone under 48 who sees it doesn’t remember it but we included that in the annual Christmas CD we give to relatives.
Pete Cassiidy sent some great pieces that we will run near New Year’s Day and my friend Jim from Colorado was suffering through his second blizzard in just one week. A former resident of Kingston, he was stunned at the lack of snow here as I’m sure the new owners of Sno-Mountain are too.
So that’s the post Christmas wrap. A few weeks ago we opened up some cards and they had the sender’s annual Christmas letters in them. Mary Ann really doesn’t care for them because she thinks they tell too many people too many things about the sender. It occurs to me that in this post, I sent the entire world one of those Christmas letters she so detests. Oh what the hell, she doesn’t read my blogs anyway! But I’m glad you do!

Thursday, December 28, 2006

The LuLac Edition #118, Dec. 28, 2006

















PHOTO INDEX: BASEBALL CELEBRITY JOE GARGIOLA AND PRESIDENT FORD AWAITING THE '76 ELECTION RETURNS, CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER JOHN EDWARDS, THE FRONT OF A FORD FOR PRESIDENT BROCHURE AND A HAND CARD FOR 11TH CONGRESSIONAL GOP NOMINEE IN '76 RICHARD MUZYKA.

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS


PAST AND PRESENT

1976-LUZERNE COUNTY

As the late President Gerald Ford is being remembered for many things he did in his short tenure in office, political observers are talking about the heroic efforts of the 1976 Ford Presidential race. Down 30 points in the polls, Ford more than made up that deficit and came within a few percentage points of actually winning the Presidency. (See LuLac Edition 117 for the actual numbers).
The 1976 Luzerne County Ford organization was headed by George Gwilliam, Junior of Luzerne County. Gwilliam came from a political family firmly entrenched in the GOP with his father serving as Clerk of Courts from 1963 to 1967 and his grandfather holding 4 terms in office as Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds. Gwilliam got involved in the Ford effort by contacting officials from Harrisburg who put him in touch with the campaign’s regional director. After that initial conversation, things started to move. Setting up headquarters on the ground floor of Dan Flood Towers (how’s that for irony) the local Ford/Dole committee peppered the county with thousands of signs. It looked for all the world to see that this was a heavily registered Republican area. But in fact, Luzerne County was totally dominated by Democrats at that time. On the county level, the only GOP office holder was the minority Commissioner Steve Yanoshak. Gwilliam told me that the strategy from the statewide Republicans was to conduct a vigorous campaign in the county with the intention of making inroads into the Democratic majority. (Remember at the time, the state was controlled by a Democratic Governor, Milton J. Shapp). To that end, the local group utilized the power of signage, held various rallies and conducted the last car caravan in the county touting the Ford/Dole effort.
While there was no appearance from the top of the ticket, Senator Bob Dole did make an appearance at the airport, stayed overnight at the Ramada in Clarks Summit where Gwilliam and his crew had to make arrangements for not only the Vice Presidential nominee but the national press corps that needed 100 rooms.
Gwilliam also received help from many college and high school students too. One of them, 16 year old Marc Holtzman, a die hard Reagan Republican who had opposed the Ford candidacy in the primaries came to the forefront and aided the Luzerne County effort. Gwilliam said that Holtzman spoke many times on behalf of the Ford/Dole effort. So despite a close race that Reagan lost, his supporters backed Ford to the hilt in that 1976 race.
According to Gwilliam, other Republicans involved in that campaign were Marge Davison Matisko, Representative Frank J. O’Connell, Kingston politico Scott Diettrick, (who would one day hold the O’Connell seat), Forty Fort GOPers Jim and Christine Phillips, and Richard Muzyka, a Hazleton resident who ran against Congressman Flood in that race.
Gwilliam, more than thirty years later has fond memories of that campaign and the enthusiasm that race engendered for voters of Luzerne County.

JOHN EDWARDS ANNOUNCES

Former Vice Presidential Democratic nominee John Edwards announced his candidacy for President in 2008. Edwards is a one term Senator from North Carolina who is charismatic and handsome. He balanced the ticket in 2008 with John Kerry very nicely and has a full blown organization in Iowa, one of the first caucus states.
The campaign of Edwards, 53, the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, accidentally went live with his election Web site a day before his planned announcement today using Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans as a backdrop.
The slip-up gave an unintended double meaning to his campaign slogan on the John Edwards '08 Web site: "Tomorrow begins today." Aides shut down the errant site but could not contain news of the obvious.

Even though Edwards voted for the war as a Senator he has since said it was a mistake. Edwards seems to have staked out the populist wing of the Democratic party pledging to raise taxes on the wealthy and end tax cuts for that segment of the American electorate.


Wednesday, December 27, 2006

The LuLac Edition #117, Dec. 27, 2006










FORD PHOTO INDEX: TWO BLACK AND WHITES OF FORD DURING HIS ADMINISTRATION AND A COLLAGE OF HIS TENURE IN OFFICE. THE PICTURES WERE AS LISTED IN ORDER:
1. Soldier in Vietnam, Dirck Halstead, 1975.
2. Ford in Japan posing with a Geisha, David Hume Kennerly, 1975.
3. Barbara Jordan, Cactus Yearbook.
4. 1976 Bicentennial logo, Cactus Yearbook.
5. John Wayne and Gerald Ford in a campaign parade, Wally McNamee, 1976.
6. President Ford and his family, David Hume Kennerly, 1974.
7. President Ford conceding to Jimmy Carter, Dirck Halstead, 1976.
8. Ford/Dole campaign button, Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, Austin, Texas.
9. Barry Manilow performing at UT, Cactus Yearbook.
10. Ford 1976 campaign sign, Cactus Yearbook.
11. Alex Haley signing his book at UT, Cactus Yearbook.


PRESIDENT FORD DEAD AT 93

Gerald Ford died last evening at the age of 93. To me, his passing brought back many memories of that era. A college student at King's during that time, I remember when Ford was picked as President Nixon's Vice President to replace Spiro Agnew. Nixon, then under fire for Watergate wanted to pick a safe candidate that would get through the Democratic House of Representatives and the Senate. Ronald Reagan was too far to the right, Nelson Rockefeller too far to the left. Other consensus candidates were named, most notabely Pennsylvanians William Warren Scranton, a former Governor and Senator Hugh B. Scott, then the Senate Minority Leader. I remember reading a Newsweek article where Nixon derided Ford's credentials by smirking and saying, "Imagine Gerry Ford sitting in this chair". At the time, Ford had served 13 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, roughly the same amount of time that our local Congressman Dan Flood served. Local party wags said, "Imagine Dan Flood becoming President". Ford was thought of as a benign, caretaker Vice President who would hold the party base together while Nixon tried to ride out his term. That was not to be. With the release of the Watergate tapes and the new developments regarding the Nixon administration, Ford assumed office on August 9th, 1974.
He pardoned President Nixon which I thought was the right thing to do at the time. Rock ribbed Republicans however believed it ws the wrong thing to do. People in the local GOP came out for the Ford/Dole ticket but there were GOPers I knew who voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976. That election was razor thin and Ford lost by only a few electoral votes.
In later years, I followed Ford's progress, bought a few biographies of him and enjoyed his moderate stances on the issues. Locally, Ford came in to Wilkes Barre to campaign for Marc Holtzman in that famous 1986 Congressional race.
In the late 90s, Ford recieved the John F. Kennedy Profile In Courage Award for his pardon of President Nixon. The foundation felt it was an act of political courage that most likely cost him his Presidency. He was a man of action and principle.
We have a few more articles on the unique side of the life of President Ford.

ELECTION OF 1976

The U.S. presidential election of 1976 followed the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It pitted incumbent President Gerald Ford against the relatively unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter. Ford was saddled with a slow economy and paid a political price for his pardon of Nixon. Carter ran as an outsider and a reformer and won.

THE DEMOCRATIC FIELD IN 76
Democratic Party nomination
Democratic candidates
Birch Bayh, U.S senator from Indiana
Lloyd Bentsen, U.S. senator from Texas
Jerry Brown, governor of California
Robert Byrd, U.S. senator from West Virginia ("favorite son" candidate)
Jimmy Carter, former governor of Georgia
Frank Church, U.S. senator from Idaho
Fred R. Harris, former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, former candidate for the 1972 nomination, and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, U.S. senator from Washington, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and former candidate for the 1972 nomination
Terry Sanford, former governor of North Carolina
Milton Shapp, governor of Pennsylvania
Sargent Shriver, former ambassador to France, first director of the Peace Corps and the Office of Economic Opportunity, and 1972 vice-presidential nominee
Adlai Stevenson III, U.S. senator from Illinois ("favorite son" candidate)
Morris "Mo" Udall, U.S. representative from Arizona
George Wallace, governor of Alabama, former candidate for the 1972 nomination, and 1968 American Independent Party presidential nominee
During a primary season with a long list of candidates, Carter rose from being unknown nationally to become the front-runner. Starting in the first nationally prominent Iowa caucuses, where he came in second to "uncommitted", he quickly won the New Hampshire Primary and every primary then on except Massachusetts, which was won by Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson. By the time of the Nebraska primary, won by Frank Church, Church and Jerry Brown began to gain momentum during the later primaries as leaders of the "ABC" (anybody but Carter) movement. But Carter's nomination became a fait accompli by the time of the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
The tally at the convention was:
Jimmy Carter 2278
Morris "Mo" Udall 329
Jerry Brown 300
George Wallace, 57
Mrs. Ellen McCormack, a housewife 22
Frank Church, 19
Hubert H. Humphrey 10
Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, 10
Fred R. Harris 9
Milton Shapp 2
Robert Byrd, Cesar Chavez, Edward M. Kennedy, Barbara Jordan, and Jennings Randolph of West Virginia, 1 vote each.
The vice presidential tally, in part, was:
Walter F. Mondale 2837
House Speaker Carl Albert 36
Ronald Dellums 20
Fritz Efaw 12
Barbara Jordan 17
Others 53

THE REPUBLICAN FIELD IN '76

Republican candidates
Gerald Ford, incumbent President of the United States
Ronald Reagan, former governor from California
Incumbent President Ford, appointed to the vice-presidency after the resignation of Spiro Agnew and then elevated to the presidency by the resignation of Richard Nixon, was the only U.S. president never to have been elected president or vice president. His policy goals were frustrated by Congress, heavily Democratic after the 1974 mid-term election and infuriated by his decision to pardon Nixon for any criminal acts he committed or may have committed as part of the Watergate scandal.
Reagan and the conservative wing of the Republican Party faulted Ford for failing to do more to assist South Vietnam (which finally collapsed in April 1975 with the fall of Saigon) and for his signing of the Helsinki Accords, which they took as implicit acceptance of Soviet domination over Eastern Europe. Conservatives were also infuriated by Ford's negotiations with Panama to hand over the Panama Canal.
Reagan began to openly criticize Ford starting in the summer of 1975, and formally launched his campaign in the autumn. Although Ford narrowly won the New Hampshire primary, Reagan won primaries across the nation, resulting in the closest primary season in American history. Reagan, who was unable to gain a majority of superdelegate votes or overcome fears that he was too inexperienced and too conservative, withdrew from the race at the end of the Republican Convention in Kansas City, but was permitted to address the delegates—virtually overshadowing Ford's own speech—and convinced Ford to drop Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, who was seen as too liberal, in favor of Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. But part of this decision had already been made in 1975, by Rockefeller himself, who said he would not run for vice-president with Ford in 1976.

Primary results
Won by Ford
fifteen states, including:
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Vermont
Florida
Oregon
Ohio
New York
New Jersey
Won by Reagan
Twelve states, including:
North Carolina
Texas
Alabama
Georgia
Nevada
California
Indiana

Convention tally
President Ford 1187
Ronald Reagan 1070
Elliot L. Richardson 1
President Ford chose Senator Robert J. Dole of Kansas as his running mate, the vice presidential tally, in part, was:
Bob Dole 1921
Jesse Helms of North Carolina 103
Abstaining 103
Scattering 132

General election Campaign

Ford and Carter in debate
Jimmy Carter ran as an honest outsider and reformer, which many voters found attractive in the wake of the Watergate Scandal. President Ford, although personally unconnected with Watergate, was seen by many as too close to the discredited Richard Nixon administration, especially after Ford granted Nixon a presidential pardon.
When Carter left the Democratic National Convention, he held a thirty point lead on Ford. However, as the campaign continued, the race tightened. In late September and early October, Ford made a dramatic surge in the polls, almost eliminating Carter's lead. This surge is usually credited to a few events of that time. First, Carter promised a "blanket pardon" to Vietnam draft dodgers in a speech before the American Legion. Next, Playboy magazine published a controversial interview with Carter in which Carter admitted to having "lusted in his heart" for women other than his wife, which cut into his support among women and evangelicals. Finally, on September 24, Ford performed well in what was the first presidential debate since 1960.
There was a second debate on October 7. Whilst discussing the Helsinki Accords, Ford stumbled when he stated that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration." He added that he did not "believe that the Poles consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union", and made the same claim with regards to Yugoslavia and Romania. [1] Ford compounded his error by refusing to retract his statement for almost a week after the debate; conservatives who had been lukewarm to Ford's candidacy were particularly appalled. As a result of this blunder, Ford's surge stalled and Carter reopened his lead in the polls. On November 2, Carter narrowly won the election.
A vice presidential debate between Robert Dole and Walter Mondale also hurt the Republican ticket when Dole asserted that military unpreparedness on the part of Democratic presidents was responsible for all of the wars the U.S. had fought in the twentieth century up to that point. Dole, a World War II veteran, noted that a Democrat was President when the United States entered a conflict from World War I to the Vietnam War, and he added that the number of U.S. casualties in "Democrat wars" was roughly equal to the population of Detroit. The remark cemented Dole's reputation as a mean politician.
Carter was the first Democrat since John F. Kennedy in 1960 to carry the states of the Deep South, and the first since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 to carry an unquestionable majority of southern states; in fact, he carried all but Virginia. It would be sixteen more years before any Southern state endorsed a Democrat for president, when Bill Clinton, himself from the south, ran for president in 1992 (although Carter carried his home state of Georgia in his unsuccessful bid for re-election in 1980).
Had Ford won the election, the provisions of the 22nd amendment would have disqualified him from running in 1980, because he had served more than two years of Nixon's remaining term.
The 1976 election was the last time that a Democrat managed to obtain more than 50% of the popular vote in a Presidential Election. It was only the second time since 1944 that this had happened.

Results


James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr.
Democratic
Georgia
40,831,881
50.1%
297
Walter Frederick Mondale
Minnesota
297
Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.
Republican
Michigan
39,148,634
48.0%
240
Robert Joseph Dole
Kansas
241

THE REAL STORY

OF REAGAN/FORD '80

In Detroit, the story was less than met the camera's eye
"Gerald Ford will be his selection as his vice-presidential running mate ... They are going to come to this convention hall tonight to appear together on this platform ... to announce that Ford will run with him."
And that's the way it was, according to Walter Cronkite. At least that's the way it was at 10:10 Wednesday night. Within 15 minutes, CBS floor correspondents began hearing that the deal was coming unstuck. At 11:54 Dan Rather's worried voice crackled across the network's internal radio system. "Tell the anchor booth to be very careful," he said urgently. "There's something very strange going on here."
Indeed there was. At that very moment, NBC Correspondent Chris Wallace was walking between the New York and Pennsylvania delegations. He recalled afterward: "One of Reagan's regional political directors came careening down the aisle, ashen-faced, shouting, 'It's Bush! It's Bush!'" Wallace turned to a second source for confirmation and put the story on the air without waiting for a camera.
One of the most frenzied nights in the history of television news had come to a curious climax. In the end, the journalists emerged intact, reporting as fast and accurately as they could under the circumstances. Said NBC's Wallace, 32, son of CBS's Mike: "It was one of the most remarkable moments of my life." Almost forgotten in the euphoria was the fact that the networks had been dead wrong about Ronald Reagan's ticket mate for hours—and that they were not alone.
Thirty-two years after the Chicago Tribune ran its infamous headline proclaiming Thomas E. Dewey the presidential winner over Harry Truman, an early edition of the rival Sun-Times blared: IT'S REAGAN AND FORD. Both the Associated Press and United Press International swallowed the Ford story—and swallowed their pride later in the night with corrected versions. Eastern radio and television stations using the wire-service reports on their 11 o'clock newscasts got burned. So did the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer and the Shreveport (La.) Times, all of which had a Reagan-Ford ticket for part of their press runs.
The possibility that Ford would join the ticket gained momentum Wednesday morning after Rather reported on CBS radio that Reagan had "indicated to some leading powers in his party that his preference" was the former President. Reports of meetings between Ford and Reagan were aired on the evening news shows. At 7 p.m. Rather went on TV live with the strongest story up to then, saying that Reagan was not going to consider anybody else "until he gets a final, unequivocal, new no from Ford." Rather took pains to note that his sources did not think Ford would accept.
As Rather finished his report, Ford walked into the CBS anchor booth for a previously scheduled interview with Cronkite. It turned out to be a remarkable conversation, somewhat reminiscent of Cronkite's electronic diplomacy in 1977 bringing together Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Ford opened the possibility of returning to Washington if he had "a meaningful role across the board." He added, "Before I can even consider any revision in the firm position I have taken, I have to have responsible assurances."
Barbara Walters of ABC rushed to the CBS booth to line up Ford for an interview of her own. Rumors raced through the hall fueled by television reports, which were in turn fueled by the rumors on the floor. Three politicians and two journalists told Reagan's floor whip, Congressman Robert Michel, that the presidential nominee was about to arrive with Ford. "Where did you hear that?" Michel demanded. Someone replied that Dan Rather had reported it. Michel tried to call the Reagan suite and G.O.P. Chairman Bill Brock, but could not reach either. Then he ran smack into Rather, who immediately phoned his producers to report that Michel was trying to set up a meeting with Brock. Said Bill Kovach, Washington editor of the New York Times: "It was a hall of mirrors out there."
When the rumors cleared, many print journalists suggested that the networks had been reckless—and some network executives were inclined to agree. Said Roone Arledge, president of ABC News: "A lot of information was being passed on by questionable sources." But Cronkite thought otherwise: "The Reagan people got too far out on a limb. They passed the word in the hall that the deal was set. If we were out on a limb at all, it was by taking that at face value."
Well, maybe. But more cautious reporters would have avoided that limb by checking their facts a bit harder before going public. Network reporters who did seek confirmation of the rumors seemed not to hear when their interview subjects expressed doubts. In the end, it was NBC, which got scooped on the Ford boomlet, that had to backtrack least. David Brinkley congratulated his floor correspondents at the evening's end: "I think you were alone, alone in not being taken in."
The press could not blame its errors Wednesday on lack of manpower. Upwards of 12,000 newspaper, magazine, radio and television people were in Detroit to watch 1,994 delegates ratify Reagan's nomination. The networks together spent some $30 million to send nearly 2,000 staffers, along with more than 500 tons of office and technical equipment, 90-plus cameras and hundreds of miles of cable. A.P. and U.P.I, each had more than 150 people on hand, and major dailies such as the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post had more than 30. NBC News President William Small reviewed his 600-member team at a "pep rally" before the opening gavel and quipped, "If King George had an army this large, we'd all be working for the BBC."
Many of these people went to Detroit out of nostalgia for the days when, as H.L. Mencken put it, conventions were "as fascinating as a revival or a hanging." Nowadays the party gatherings are tightly managed and have about as much suspense as an Elks lodge meeting. But they remain a rite of passage for younger journalists and a reunion for battle-scarred veterans of the campaign trail. Said Wally Pfister, a former ABC producer who is now a broadcast consultant to the G.O.P.: "Everybody gripes about what a dull convention it is and how there are too many people out here to cover it. But if they were left at home, they'd jump out the window."
Those who thought most seriously of jumping worked for the home-town Free Press (circ. 602,000), which had its ambitious convention coverage plans dashed when delivery-truck drivers went on strike two days before the opening gavel. The paper had prepared a special section on the convention and was hankering to go head to head with the afternoon Detroit News (circ. 631,000) in front of the national press. Said Executive Editor David Lawrence Jr.: "We're numb."
With little to chase except their own tails, the assembled newshounds churned out a stream of obvious stories about vice-presidential possibilities, Reagan's family, the mood of the Republican Party and the state of Detroit's renaissance. Boston Globe Columnist Mike Barnicle interviewed some hookers and members of the Black Dragon Motorcycle Club. Said he: "I'm writing about anything but politics. I mean, when you put something in the paper, you want people to read it, right?"
The journalists also turned on one another like a bunch of hungry cannibals. A report that Dan Rather was staying in a "six-bedroom English Tudor mansion with a heated pool, a cook, a gardener, a maid and nearby tennis courts" at $7,000 a week was picked up by other news organizations. Rather was livid: "It's not a mansion; it's a house. There's no garden and no cook." He said he was sharing it with another CBS staffer, and the network produced a lease showing that it cost a mere $6,500 for two weeks.
Many of the television luminaries in Detroit were better known than the people they were covering. Rather and NBC's Tom Brokaw were besieged by gawkers and autograph seekers everywhere they went—even on the convention floor, where Brokaw cut a dashing figure in gray-and-blue running shoes. Carol Wallace of the New York Daily News polled the rubberneckers in the lobby of the Detroit Plaza Hotel and found that Cronkite was the main attraction, ahead of Ford, Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor and Wayne Newton. Even so, visiting reporters felt vaguely silly interviewing one another. Cracked 60 Minutes Executive Producer Don Hewitt, chief floor producer for CBS in Detroit: "There's only one thing dumber than us being here. And that's you being here writing about us being here."
One of the genuinely new press stories at this convention was the fact that local TV stations were sending their own people rather than relying on the networks' phalanxes. Only a handful of local stations covered past conventions. This year more than 150 made the trip. The new, lightweight minicams have made it technologically easier for the locals to come, and the brass-knuckle competition among stations has made it imperative. Said Pfister: "News has become such a big profit center that they're willing to spend a lot to keep their ratings up."
As they looked for news, all three networks padded their coverage with pretaped features and with live wisdom from special commentators. Bill Moyers, Jeff Greenfield and James Kilpatrick had a sparkling chemistry on CBS, and Syndicated Columnist George Will, one of four print people signed by ABC, is worth listening to any time. On NBC's morning Today show, Syndicated Columnist David Broder Sand the Washington Star's Jack Germond provided their usual informed analysis, but the ballyhooed commentary by Independent Presidential Candidate John Anderson was tepid.
ABC, which had abandoned gavel-to-gavel coverage in 1976, returned to the fold this time. But the paucity of real news in Detroit raised questions about whether conventions should be covered so exhaustively. Fewer than half the homes watching TV last week were tuned to the convention; the top audience was Wednesday, when 54% were watching. Asked about this, network executives trot out Cronkite's dictum that the quadrennial spectacle is an important "civics lesson." Arledge of ABC, however, sees an end to the full nightly coverage. "It doesn't make any sense," he said. "It just shows how we can flex our muscles by putting our cameras in front of everything that moves."
What bothered some viewers was the capriciousness of the networks' intrusions on the convention. Frequently, they interrupted speeches in mid-sentence for floor commentaries that were no less boring—or for commercials. "Everybody under stands the need for commercials," said Columnist William F. Buckley. "I mind much less yielding to Wheaties than I mind yielding to pundits."
There was much grousing about overkill last week, but as CBS'S Hewitt pointed out, "I don't think I've been to a political convention when we all didn't say we were never going to another one." The Democratic ses sion in New York City next month has special significance: sit will mark the end of Walter E Cronkite's 28-year stint as the 5 CBS convention anchorman. "I think we'll know in a week or ten days how that one's going to shape up," said Cronkite eagerly. "We could have a beauty there."

TRUMAN DIED
ON SAME DAY

President Harry Truman died on the same day as President Ford, December 26th. Truman died in 1972.

FORD TRIVIA
As of November 12, 2006, Gerald Ford is the oldest President of all time, surpassing Ronald Reagan.
Gerald: Truth is the glue that holds government together. Compromise is the oil that makes governments go.
From 1974 to 1977, his Secretary of State was Henry Kissinger.
He threw out the first pitch in the 1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
In 1976 he was the Chair of the Group of Eight (G8), which was held in San Juan, Puerto Rica.
He is the only living person who was a part of the Warren Comission, which was set up to discover the truth about John F. Kenndey's assassination.
He is the only President to have two assassination attempts made on him. They happened witin seventeen days of each other in 1975.
He is one of the few only children to serve as President.
Since the death of Ronald Reagan on 5 June 2004, Ford has been the oldest living former President.
He held the Grand Rapids congressional district seat in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1973.
He has four children; Michael (born 1950) John "Jack" (born 1952), Steven (born 1956) and Susan Vance Bales (born 1957).
He married Betty Bloomer Warren on October 15th 1948, at Grace Episcopal Church, in Grand Rapids.
He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at the University of Michigan.
He is the only President of the United States whose parents have been divorced.
He is a member of the Episcopalian church.
He was a member of the American Republican party.

Quotes of Gerald Ford

In all my public and private acts as your president, I expect to follow my instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that honesty is always the best policy in the end.
I'll know I'm getting better at golf because I'm hitting fewer spectators.
A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.
The Constitution is the bedrock of all our freedoms; guard and cherish it; keep honor and order in your own house; and the republic will endure.
I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots, so I ask you to confirm me with your prayers.
The political lesson of Watergate is this: Never again must America allow an arrogant, elite guard of political adolescents to by-pass the regular party organization and dictate the terms of a national election.


FORD WHAT IFs

1960-If Nixon had chosen Ford in the 1960 Presidential race as Vice President, Nixon might have carried Michigan and won the Presidency. No Kennedy, no Johnson, no Dallas on Nov. 22nd.

1976-Had Nixon not been pardoned or had Ford kept Nelson Rockefeller on the GOP ticket, he might have carried New York, thus winning re-election. It also did not help that in 1975 when New York City was on the verge of bankruptcy, there was that famous NY Daily News headline that read: FORD TO NYC: DROP DEAD!

1980-Had Ford become Reagan's running mate, there would be no Vice Presidency of George Bush and therefore no Bush Presidency.




Saturday, December 23, 2006

The LuLac Edition #116, Dec. 23, 2006






















PHOTO INDEX: A YOUNG WOULD BE BLOGGER WITH SANTA (BOTTOM PHOTO) NO DOUBT DISCUSSING THE EISENHOWER ADMINISTRATION'S TRADE POLICY AND A YOUNG WOULD BE LIBRARIAN (TOP PHOTO) PONDERING JUST WHAT TYPE OF GIFT SHE MIGHT WANT SANTA TO BRING. WHEN MY MOM SAW THESE TWO PICTURES OF MYSELF AND MY WIFE (TAKEN IN THE 1950s) SIDE BY SIDE A FEW YEARS BACK, SHE COMMENTED, "LOOK! YOU GUYS WERE BOTH THE SAME BACK THEN, MARY ANN MAKING A THOUGHTFUL, INTELLIGENT DECISION AND DAVID LOOKING STRAIGHT INTO THE CAMERA PLAYING TO THE CROWDS!"
YIKES!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS MOM!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF TO SPEND WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. SO THERE WON'T BE ANY DAILY UPDATES. BUT IF YOU'RE BORED, THERE'S ALWAYS THE ARCHIVES. THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED OUR EFFORTS SINCE MAY AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME IN THE NEW YEAR TOO. STAY SAFE, HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY AND WE'LL CATCH YOU ON THE 27TH OR SO OF THIS MONTH.

A FEW HOLIDAY LINKS

Not kilbassi links. My friend Sean sent me a few funny links from Hallmark that can occupy your time if need be. Sean worked with me for over two years and we wasted many hours of company time utilizing these links. It's good to know someone keeps holiday traditions alive.
http://www.hallmark.com/ECardWeb/ECV.jsp?a=4937102174375M160054515Y&product
http://www.hallmark.com/ECardWeb/ECV.jsp?a=5585322170378M160061442Y&product_id
http://www.hallmark.com/ECardWeb/ECV.jsp?a=4701232173373M160048871Y&product_id=


Thursday, December 21, 2006

The LuLac Edition #115, Dec. 21, 2006



PHOTO INDEX: HEARD OF AN ANGEL ON TOP OF A TREE? HERE'S ONE AT THE BOTTOM OF A TREE. FESTIVE!

COUNTDOWN TO

CHRISTMAS EDITION


UNDER YOUR TREE?

Well, sometimes you just get gift cards or cash. Or as the picture above indicates, something or someone non returnable. If you get some Christmas loot, here are some ideas on how to spend it. Keep in mind, these are personal Yonki favorites and I am not getting (damn!!!!) any renumeration for promoting these goods.

SANITARY BAKERY-This is one of my all time favorite places. The cookies, cakes, pies and breads are fresh, tasty and are way less expensive than other local bakeries. On Wednesday and Fridays, they feature the wonderful square cut pizza with that sweet sauce. Here's the link:
http://www.sanitarybakery.com/

MITCHELL & NESS-If you like old time sports, especially baseball and want to advertise just how old and out of date you really are, Mitchell and Ness has fine quality sports goods from the golden era. http://www.mitchellandness.com/default.aspx

POLO-Signature clothes that are stylish but steady. They'll outlive you. Everything from shoes to hats, top to bottom. http://www.polo.com/frontdoor/index.jsp?videoflash=false&flashversion=8

WOLFERMAN'S BAKERIES-See a pattern here? Anyway, this long standing catalogue business has huge signature English muffins and pastries that you can enjoy yourself or give as gifts to friends. The packaging is unique and you get your order fresh! http://www.wolfermans.com/

HERSHEYS-Forget Godiva and that San Francisco brand, Hersheys is the real deal. It'll melt in your mouth, your hands.........everywhere. It's the best. http://www.hersheygifts.com/HDG_Home.aspx?X=1&source=google&campaign=branded.

BARNES & NOBLE-Best selection of anything ever written. DVDs and Cds too.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/index.asp?r=1&popup=0

MUSIC GENRE-Need a download? This is the place to find it.
http://www.musical-genre.com/eddie_rambeau.htm

DONNA KARAN-The pants and suits are overpriced, the cologne smells like bug spray but the ties and shirts are things of wonder. http://www.donnakaran.com/control/main

ESPN STORE-If you are a fan, you have to see this website. Baseball, NCAA, NFL, NBA, NHL, minor league baseball, the ESPN shows and personalities, it's all a click away.
http://www.espnshop.com/home/default.cfm?SID=9062&cm_mmc=ESPN-_-Shop%20Link-_-null-_-null

THE FM KIRBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS-You can use that Christmas swag for some great shows upcoming in 2007. The Kirby is an intimate setting to see a superstar who will only be too glad to entertain you. http://www.kirbycenter.org/

CAFE PRESS-If you are a political junkie and want political junkie wear, from past candidates (Edwards, Clark, Kerry, Kucinich), heritage candidates who have passed on (want a Bobby Kennedy coffee mug?) to future candidates, (Hillary, Rudy, McCain, Obama, Conde, even dare we say it, Rendell!), this web site is definately for you. Here's that incredible, politically incorrect but very proper link: http://content.cafepress.com/newsletter/20061211_politics.html

Those are eleven sites you might want to visit to pamper yourself, reward yourself or just top off your Holiday season.

HOLIDAY SEASON?

STOP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!

That's the message former WARM Radio personality Harry West conveyed in a letter to the editor in a local newspaper. Here's what Harry had to say:

We’ve taken political correctness too far during ‘holidays’
Happy holiday! Holiday?
Whatever happened to the Christmas season? I see ads in the newspapers and hear spots on TV and radio talking about the holiday season. Hey! It’s Christmas! Why are some people afraid to wish a Merry Christmas?
We have a slew of holidays: Easter, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, even Martin Luther King Day, but only one Christmas. If I didn’t know better I would say the inquisition has invaded our shores to make sure we become politically correct and play down Christmas.
Enough is enough! I would like to take this golden opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa. So sue me!
Harry West Kingston


CHRISTMAS SONGS
Here are my top 10 Christmas songs of all time. Note: they change every holiday season, but here's this year's list:
10. That Holiday Feeling Steve and Edie.
9. I'll Be Home For Christmas Fats Domino.
8. White Christmas...Darlene Love.
7. Merry Christmas Darling....Carpenters.
6. Hot Christmas......Squirrel Nut Zippers.
5. Dominick the Donkey....LouMonte.
4. Christmas Shoes.....Newsong.
3. Jingle Bell Rock......Bobby Helms
2. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree/Papa Noel...Brenda Lee
1. Hey Santa........Wilson Phillips.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

The LuLac Edition #114, Dec. 20, 2006








COUNTDOWN TO

CHRISTMAS EDITION

INTRODUCTION

All my life I have been blessed with the talent to tell a story and put it down on paper. While the things I write will never win a huge literary prize, I'm quite satisfied with my abilities, when they are lauded and most especially when they are criticized. That's an advantage of being a writer.
Another part of being a wordsmith is that we get to judge our peers and sometimes compare our writing to another author's. Sometimes, not always you will hear a newspaper guy or an author say, "God, I wish I wrote that!" That's the case with the article "Santa A Better Man Than I". WRitten in the mid 80s by Ed Ackerman of the Sunday Dispatch, the column chronicles one small group's attempt to provide a wonderful Christmas for a poor family and the aftermath of that good deed. When you finish the artcle, you'll have mixed emotions and may not be able to come to an agreement of its content and conclusions. But as a fan of the written word, you may come away with my initial thought, "God, I wish I wrote that!"
Without further delay: Eddie Ackerman's "SANTA A BETTER MAN THAN I".

SANTA A BETTER MAN THAT I

ALTHOUGH HE HAD A HECTIC NIGHT OF PICTURE TAKING AHEAD OF HIM, KENNY FEENEY COULDN’T DRIVE AWAY JUST YET. HE WAITED A FEW MOMENTS LONGER WATCHING THE POOR CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE YARD ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHERE HE PARKED.

IT WAS BITTERLY COLD THAT DECEMBER AND THE KIDS SHIVERED AS THEY PLAYED. NO GLOVES. NO HATS. NO BOOTS. BADLY WORN COATS.

KEN SAT AND WATCHED. HE THOUGHT ABOUT THE WARMTH INSIDE HIS CAR. THE RICH RED VELOUR INTERIOR. THE CHRISTMAS HIS CHILDREN WERE GOING TO HAVE.

WHAT WERE THESE KIDS DOING PLAYING AROUND THAT ABANDONED HOUSE, HE THOUGHT? WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS?

THEN THE DOOR OF THE RUN DOWN HOUSE OPENED SLIGHTLY AND A FRAIL WOMAN STUCK OUT HER HEAD CALLING THE CHILDREN INSIDE. IT WAS THEIR BEDTIME.

“GOD NO” THEY CAN’T LIVE IN THAT SHACK” KEN HEARD HIMSELF SAY AS HE SCANNED THE PAINTLESS WOODEN WALLS, THE PARTIALLY CAVED IN ROOF AND THE WINDOWS WITH CARDBOARD WHERE GLASS ONCE WAS.

AT THE SAME TIME KEN REALIZED THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS WOMAN BEFORE. HARDLY OLDER THAN HE, MAYBE EVEN YOUNGER, SHE LOOKED TWICE HER AGE. HER FACE WAS LINED AND WEARY LOOKING, THE KIND OF FACE THAT HAD LONG AGO FORGOTTEN HOW TO SMILE, HARDLY EVER HAVING REASON TO. SHE COULDN’T HAVE WEIGHED A HUNDRED POUNDS.

“SHE’S THE LADY FROM THE SALVATION ARMY” KEN THOUGHT AND RECALLED AN INCIDENT FROM A FEW DAYS EARLIER.

AS THE DISPATCH PHOTOGRAPHER, KEN FEENEY IS ASSIGNED TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION OF THE NEEDY RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS EACH YEAR. IT WAS DURING THIS ASSIGNMENT THAT HE GOT HIS FIRST GLIMPSE OF THIS POOR WOMAN AND HER FLOCK OF CHILDREN.

KEN NOTICED HER STRUGGLING TO CARRY THE HEAVY BOX OF FOOD THAT MEANT CHRISTMAS TO HER FAMILY. “CAN I CARRY THAT FOR YOU, M’AM” KEN ASKED FORGETTING THAT, AS USUAL AT CHRISTMAS, HE WAS BADLY PRESSED FOR TIME.

“THANK YOU” SHE SAID WITHOUT LOOKING UP,”THAT’S MY WAGON PARKED OUTSIDE”.

IN THE PARKING LOT, KEN SAW A BROKEN DOWN OLD FORD STATION WAGON. “LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE IN A JUNKYARD” HE THOUGHT AS HE HEADED FOR IT WITH THE BOX OF GROCERIES.

“NO NOT THERE”, SAID THE WOMAN, “OVER HERE”.

SHE WAS STANDING BY A RUSTY LITTLE RED WAGON, THE KIND KIDS PLAY WITH.

SOMEWHAT SHOCKED, MOSTLY EMBARRASSED, KEN QUIETLY PLACED THE BOX IN THE WAGON, AND THE WOMAN WALKED OFF WITH HER CHILDREN TRAILING BEHIND HER. KEN THOUGHT HE’D NEVER SEE HER AGAIN, BUT THERE SHE WAS, CALLING THOSE POOR LITTLE ANGELS INTO THAT RUN DOWN SHACK.

KEN WATCHED AS THEY DISAPPEARED INSIDE. AND HE KEPT LOOKING FOR A FEW MOMENTS LONGER. “I DON’T CARE WHAT IT TAKES” HE THOUGHT AS HE FINALLY PULLED AWAY, “THAT FAMILY IS GOING TO HAVE A CHRISTMAS”.

YOURS TRULY FIGURED INTO KEN’S PLANS AS DID THE ENTIRE DISPATCH STAFF AND OUR FAMILIES. AS IT TURNED OUT, THAT CHRISTMAS (1976) MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE BEST CHRISTMAS ANY OF US HAD.

KEN RELATED THE STORY TO ME AND THE TWO OF US PRESENTED IT TO THE REST OF OUR STAFF. IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS BUT IT DIDN’T MATTER. WE ALL KICKED OURSELVES INTO HIGH GEAR. KEN’S ADOPTED FAMILY WAS INDEED GOING TO HAVE A CHRISTMAS. AND ALL OF OUR FAMILIES WERE GOING TO PLAY A ROLE.

MY MOM DUG OUT ALL OF THE TOYS SHE HAD BEEN SAVING FOR HER FUTURE GRANDCHILDREN (MOST WERE LIKE NEW) AND WRAPPED THEM UP FOR “KENNY’S KIDS”. SO DID EVERYONE ELSE AT THE DISPATCH. THOSE WHO HAD NO USED TOYS OFFERED TO CONTRIBUTE MONEY. PEOPLE WHO KNEW US AND GOT WIND OF WHAT WE WERE DOING DROPPED OFF TOYS AND MORE MONEY.

OUR OBJECTIVE WAS SIMPLE-TO GIVE ONE FAMILY THE TYPE OF CHRISTMAS OUR FAMILIES WERE USED TO HAVING. WE DIDN’T DREAM OF FEEDING AND CLOTHING EVERY POOR KID IN PITTSTON. “KENNY’S KIDS” WERE OUR ONLY CONCERN.

“TREAT THEM AS WE’D TREAT OUR OWN” WAS OUR MOTTO. SO EVERY GIFT WAS NEATLY WRAPPED WITH COLORFUL PAPER AND RIBBONS. THE USED TOYS WERE CLEANED UP TO LOOK LIKE NEW AND WE PUT BATTERIES IN TOYS THAT NEEDED THEM. WITH THE MONEY WE COLLECTED, WE BOUGHT NEW ONES.

KEN AND I TOOK THE CASH AND HEADED TO KRESGE’S ON CHRISTMAS EVE. WE GRABBED ANYTHING THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE, INCLUDING A PILE OF WARM STOCKING HATS AND MITTENS. WE EVEN PICKED UP COOKIES AND CANDY AND A WARM WOMAN’S ROBE-“MOM” NEEDED A GIFT TOO.

WE LOADED ALL THE GIFTS INTO BIG GREEN TRASH BAGS-WE HAD FOUR OR FIVE FULL ONES. ANY MONEY THAT WAS LEFT OVER, WE PUT INTO A CHRISTMAS CARD AND TAPED IT ON TOP OF ONE OF THE BAGS.

JUST AFTER DUSK ON CHRISTMAS EVE, KEN AND I MADE OUR RUN. WE PULLED UP IN FRONT OF THE OLD HOUSE AND POPPED OPEN THE TRUNK OF KENNY’S CAR. EACH OF US GRABBED A BAG AND PLACED IT ON THE PORCH. AS WE PUT THE LAST ONE DOWN, ONE OF THE CHILDREN HAPPENED TO PEEK OUT THROUGH THE TORN CURTAIN. SHE LET OUT A SQUEAL AND SUDDENLY THE DOOR FLEW OPEN AND LITTLE KIDS CAME DASHING OUT, TEARING OPEN THE BAGS.

KEN AND I DIDN’T HANG AROUND BUT AS WE WERE GETTING IN THE CAR, WE HEARD A SOUND THAT NEITHER OF US WILL EVER FORGET. SOMEONE ON THAT PORCH LET OUT THE LOUDEST “YAHOO” WE EVER HEARD.


AS HAPPY AS WE FELT THAT LAST CHRISTMAS, WE HAD TROUBLE GENERATING THE SAME ENTHUSIASM A YEAR LATER. SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER OF 1977, KEN AND I AGAIN TURNED OUR THOUGHTS TO THE LITTLE CHILDREN. BUT IT WASN’T THE SAME.

“WILL WE DO IT AGAIN?” KEN ASKED.

“I SUPPOSE SO. LET’S SEE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE THINKS.”

PERHAPS IT WAS THE LACK OF SPONTANIETY, BUT THE IDEA WHICH HAD BEEN EMBRACED WITH SUCH ENTHUSIASM THE YEAR BEFORE, NOW SEEMED LIKE A PAIN IN THE NECK TO EVERYONE. PEOPLE STILL GAVE A FEW DOLLARS, BUT IT WASN’T THE SAME.

THEN THE BOTTOM FELL OUT.

ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE WOMAN WHOSE CHILDREN HAD MOVED KENNY SO, CALLED THE DISPATCH OFFICE. SHE DEDUCED THAT IT WAS WE WHO PLAYED SANTA CLAUS THE YEAR BEFORE AND SHE WAS CALLING US TO TELL US THE VARIOUS SIZES OF HER KIDS IN CASE WE WERE PLANNING TO PURCHASE ANY CLOTHING.

MOST OF THE STAFF HIT THE ROOF. “THE NERVE OF THAT INGRATE”.

THE PHONE CALL DID COME AS A SHOCK, BUT TO ME IT ONLY POINTED TO THE DESPERATE CONDITION OF THIS POOR FAMILY. WHEN YOU’VE GOT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, THERE ISN’T MUCH POINT IN HAVING PRIDE.

OTHERS DIDN’T SEE IT THAT WAY. “DON’T ASK ME FOR ANYTHING THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR I WAS GLAD TO GIVE, BUT NOW SHE’S CALLING TO PLACE AN ORDER…………..”

IT WASN’T THE SAME AT ALL.

I APPROACHED SOME FRIENDS IN THE PUBLIC WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND BECAME EVEN MORE DISMAYED. THEY KNEW THE FAMILY I WAS TALKING ABOUT-------ALL TOO WELL. “SHE’S GETTING EVERY KIND OF HANDOUT AVAILABLE” ONE SAID. “SHE’S A PROFESSIONAL WELFARE CASE. YOU DON’T KNOW THESE PEOPLE LIKE I DO.”

STILL, WE COULDN’T BACK OUT NOW. WORSE THAN NEVER HAVING A GREAT CHRISTMAS WOULD BE HAVING ONE ONCE AND THEN NOT AGAIN. WE OWED THESE LITTLE KIDS.

FORTUNATELY, OUR CHRISTMAS SPIRIT TOOK OVER. HEARTS MELTED, POCKETS OPENED. OUR FUND GREW AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY AGAIN.

THEN THE SECOND SHOE FELL. THE WOMAN CALLED BACK. “MY SISTER AND HER KIDS HAVE IT TOUGH TOO, SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE SIZES OF HER KIDS TOO”.

SOME OF US STARTED TO FEEL FOOLISH. WHAT HAD WE STARTED?

IT WAS TOO LATE TO COLLECT MORE MONEY. IF WE WANTED TO GET TOYS FOR BOTH FAMILIES, WE’D HAVE TO DIVIDE THE MONEY WE HAD AND DO THE BEST WE COULD. SOMEHOW, WE MANAGED. THROUGH SOME SHREWD SHOPPING AND LAST MINUTE CONTRIBUTIONS, WE FILLED MORE BAGS THAN THE YEAR BEFORE AND MADE OUR CHRISTMAS EVE DELIVERIES TO BOTH HOUSES.

THIS TIME, WE FOUND NO ONE HOME. WE LEFT THE BAGS ON THE TWO PORCHES AND DROVE HOME. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR HAD MADE. THERE WASN’T EVEN A “YAHOO”. AND GOD, WE NEEDED A “YAHOO” THAT YEAR.

AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, I WENT BACK TO MY FRIEND IN PUBLIC WELFARE. “WHAT DID I TELL YOU?” HE SAID. “NEXT YEAR, THEY’LL CALL YOU AND GIVE YOU FIVE MORE FAMILIES. THEY’LL DRIVE YOU NUTS”.

“IS THIS HOW SANTA CLAUS STARTED?” I ASKED.

“THESE PEOPLE WOULD DRIVE SANTA CLAUS NUTS TOO” HE SAID. “THAT LADY GETS WELFARE CHECKS FOR ALL THOSE KIDS AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A NEW KID THERE EVERYTIME I GO OVER. SHE DOESN’T HAVE A HUSBAND…BUT THERE’S ALWAYS A MAN AROUND…A DIFFERENT ONE EACH TIME. SURE, IT’S A SHAME. YOU FEEL SORRY FOR THE KIDS. BUT WE DEAL WITH THIS STUFF EVERYDAY. THAT LADY THINKS I’M HER PERSONAL SERVANT. SHE CALLS ME WHEN A LIGHT BULB BURNS OUT AND IS MAD IF I DON’T RUN RIGHT OVER WITH A BULB”.

“WHAT SHOULD I DO?” I ASKED.

“DROP THE WHOLE THING” HE SAID, “DON’T BE A FOOL”.

I THOUGHT ABOUT HIS WORDS QUITE A BIT THAT WINTER. EVEN DROVE BY THE HOUSE A FEW TIMES. BUT WINTER BECAME SPRING AND I SOON FORGOT ABOUT “KENNY’S KIDS” AND ALL THAT HAPPENED THE TWO PREVIOUS CHRISTMASES.

NOVEMBER ROLLED AROUND QUICKLY AND AS USUAL ONE DAY THE PHONE RANG AT THE DISPATCH OFFICE. “IT’S THE LADY WITH THE KIDS” THE RECEPTIONIST SAID WITH THE CALLER ON HOLD.

“WHO?”

“YOU KNOW, THE LADY THAT WE GAVE THE CHRISTMAS STUFF TO. WHAT SHALL I TELL HER?”

“TELL HER”, I BEGAN AND THEN STOPPED. THROUGH THE WINDOW I COULD SEE THAT IT WAS GREY AND OVERCAST OUTSIDE. AN EARLY SEASON SNOW WAS IMMINIENT.

“TELL HER…..TELL HER THE GUY THAT USED TO DO THAT DOESN’T WORK HERE ANYMORE”.

I WASN’T LYING. THAT GUY WAS GONE FOREVER.

AND AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR, I REALLY MISS HIM.