Thursday, August 30, 2007

The LuLac Edition #296, August 30th, 2007
















PHOTO INDEX: MY GIRL MARIA SHARIPOVA SET TO DEFEND HER U.S. OPEN TITLE, ROB NYEHARD AND JOE THOMAS OF WILK RADIO'S SPORTS SATURDAY SHOW HEARD AT 10AM AND THE LATE ACTOR DAVID JANNSEN WHO STARRED AS DR. RICHARD KIMBLE IN THAT TV CLASSIC, "THE FUGITIVE".


POP CULTURE EDITION


TV


Forty years ago this week, the running stopped. The award winning TV series The Fugitive did something never done before in network television history. ABC ran a two part cliff hanger that chronicled the fate of Dr. Richard Kimble. The program ran on August the 29th and wrapped up all the loose ends in the 4 year on going saga. Here is the link from YOU TUBE to the climax of that final episode, forty years ago this week.


THE U.S. OPEN


Mrs. LuLac has already opened up her big sack of ridicule as I stay glued to the TV set cheering on Maria Sharipova in her quest to retain her title. It will be an interesting week for the defending champ who has been hampered with nagging injuries. But I'm sure she'll acquit herself well.


THE BRONX HAS BURNED


The ESPN special on the 1977 Yankees has ended and it did not disappoint. What was very special was the juxtaposition of ABC TV file film as well as the insertion of the characters. The effort by ESPN was impressive, this being their first venture into a mini series. What was fascinating for me was how crazy and topsy turvy this entire season was standing on its own, forget the 1977 Mayor's race, the Son of Sam, the death of Elvis and the blackout. The Yankees provided more than enough excitement.


JOE AND ROB


A gem on the local radio has been Sports Saturday on WILK Radio. Hosted by Rob Nyehard and Joe Thomas, the show is an oasis in the land of syndicated sports radio locally on the AM dial. WILK will begin to run high school football this week, while Nyehard will take to the TV airwaves to broadcast the exploits of the local high school athletes.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The LuLac Edition #295, August 29th, 2007






PHOTO INDEX: ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, IMMIGRANTS IN THE FIRST DECADE OF THIS CENTURY PROCLAIMING THEIR INNOCENCE.

IMMIGRATION

or......

"wish I wrote that!"

Anna Quindlen from Newsweek wrote a wonderful article on the Immigration issue facing small towns like Hazleton. As a matter of fact, she even mentioned the All American City a few times. As a writer, I respect the trade. I'll compliment a good article. But in this case, after reading this column, I was envious at her thought process at first. Then I was glad someone articulated this issue in terms anyone could understand, if not agree with. It's worth sharing, so here it is from Newsweek's Aug 20-27th issue.

Some people talk about immigration in terms of politics, some in terms of history. But the crux of the matter is numbers. The Labor Department says that immigrants make up about 15 percent of the work force. It's estimated that a third of those are undocumented workers, or what those who want to send them back to where they came from call "illegals."
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that one in four farmhands in the United States is an undocumented immigrant, and that they make up a significant portion of the people who build our houses, clean our office buildings and prepare our food.
All the thundering about policing the border and rounding up those who have slipped over it ignores an inconvenient fact: America has become a nation dependent on the presence of newcomers, both those with green cards and those without. Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York testified before a Senate committee that they are a linchpin of his city's economy. The current and former chairmen of the Federal Reserve have favored legal accommodations for undocumented workers because of their salutary effect on economic growth—and the downturn that could follow their departure. Business leaders say agriculture, construction, meatpacking and other industries would collapse without them.
Last year the town of Hazleton, Pa., became known for the most draconian immigration laws in the country, laws making English the official city language, levying harsh fines against landlords who rent to undocumented immigrants and revoking the business permit of anyone who employs them. There was a lot of public talk about crime and gangs and very little about hard work in local factories and new businesses along the formerly moribund Wyoming Street. In that atmosphere, those with apartments to let and jobs to fill could be excused if they avoided any supplicant with an accent. Oh, the mayor and his supporters insisted that the laws were meant only to deal with those here illegally, but the net effect was to make all Latinos feel unwelcome.
When the law was struck down by a federal judge, there was rejoicing among Hazleton's immigrants, but some said an exodus had already begun. Longtime residents seemed to think that was just fine. This is part of a great historical continuum—the Germans once derided the Irish, and the Irish trashed the Italians—but it is a shortsighted approach. Economists say immigrants buying starter homes will keep the bottom from falling out of the housing market in the years ahead. Latinos are opening new businesses at a rate three times faster than the national average. If undocumented immigrants were driven out of the work force, there would be a domino effect: prices of things ranging from peaches to plastering would rise. Nursing homes would be understaffed. Hotel rooms wouldn't get cleaned.
Sure, it would be great if everyone were here legally, if the immigration service weren't such a disaster that getting a green card is a life's work. It would be great if other nations had economies robust enough to support their citizens so leaving home wasn't the only answer. But at a certain point public policy means dealing not only with how things ought to be but with how they are. Here's how they are: these people work the jobs we don't want, sometimes two and three jobs at a time. They do it on the cheap, which is tough, so that their children won't have to, which is good. They use services like hospitals and schools, which is a drain on public coffers, and they pay taxes, which contribute to them.
Immigration is never about today, always about tomorrow, an exercise in that thing some native-born Americans seem to have lost the knack for: deferred gratification. It's the young woman in New York City who splits family translation duties with her two siblings. Her parents showed extraordinary courage in leaving all that was familiar and coming to a place where they couldn't even read the street signs. Does it matter if they don't speak English when they have children who aced the SAT verbal section and were educated in the Ivy League? It's the educated man who arrived in the Washington, D.C., area and took a job doing landscaping, then found work as a painter, then was hired to fix up an entire apartment complex by someone who liked his work ethic. He started his own business and wound up employing others.
Does it matter that he arrived in this country with no work visa if he is now bolstering the nation's economy?
The city of Hazleton says yes. And if towns like Hazleton, whose aging populations were on the wane before the immigrants arrived, succeed in driving newcomers away, those who remain will find themselves surrounded by empty storefronts, deserted restaurants and houses that will not sell. It's the civic equivalent of starving to death because you don't care for the food. But at least everyone involved can tell themselves their town wasted away while they were speaking English.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

The LuLac Edition #294, August 28th, 2007










PHOTO INDEX: FORMER LBJ AIDE WALTER JENKINS, CIRCA 1963 AND IDAHO SENATOR LARRY CRAIG.


A FLAMING FIASCO


Senator Larry Craig of Idaho has found himself in trouble because of a police report where he allegedly touched another man in a Minnesota men's room. Now I realize there's not much to do in Minnesota but perhaps the Senator might have better occupied himself. I don't know about this fascination with Men's Rooms, my mission has always been to get in, get out and not talk to anyone while I'm there. Even my male buddies who I go to dinner with, whether it be dogs or pasta (we used to frequent strip clubs when we were younger and dumber) go to the lav alone while another guy waits for the other. I don't know, kind of a code, we just don't want to be in that neighborhood with each other. Mrs. LuLac feels sorry for the Senator because she feels he can't get his stories straight. All of this Men's Room stuff harkens me back to the 1964 election when an LBJ aide named Walter Jenkins was arrested in a D.C. toilet and was arrested with propositioning someone. He resigned and the incident was labeled as nervous exhaustion. When I read between the lines and tried to ask my father about this, he gave the quintessential 1950s male doublespeak, avoiding any discussion of any type of sex, he just shrugged and said, "the guy was nervous and exhausted. Case closed. Ask your mother."
Now we are a bit more enlightened but not by much. The Senator's fellow members are incensed they were blindsided by this story, the Senator himself has blamed the media and his own judgement and has vowed to fight. Craig is a three term Senator in a deep red state where Democratic Liberal Frank Church once reigned. They'd like him to go away quietly. Perhaps he can use the "nervous and exhausted" line.
Me, I don't care what anyone does as long as it doesn't impact my life in a negative manner. And I'm not outraged that Craig, a family values guy is a hypocrite on this issue. Most politicians are and I give them a pass on that. I'm sure there might be a male right wing State Lawmaker somewhere in America railing against gay marriage or the video of San Francisco Lesbians #1 out there on a Chamber floor with a Victoria's Secret teddy under his Brooks Brothers suit. I don't care. But the least one of them can do, including Craig, (I predict his next move is to find Jesus like Michael Vick did) is to add the old Seinfeld line, "not that there's anything wrong with that!" From YOU TUBE, a classic. If we couldn't laugh about this stuff, we'd be crying all the time.

Monday, August 27, 2007

The LuLac Edition #293, August 27th, 2997












PHOTO INDEX: WILK'S NANCY KMAN AND KEVIN LYNN, THE HUNTLEY AND BRINKLEY LOGO, KRZ'S SHADOE STEELE WITH ACTOR ROBERT CONRAD.


TEAM CONCEPT


A local media blogger recently felt, in his opinion that Nancy Kman should step down during her illness from the renowned "Nancy and Kevin" show on WILK. While this fellow blogger has some interesting ideas and concepts, this isn't one of them. The team of Kman and Lynn has given AM radio a tandem that can only be matched by FM's Daniels and Webster. One is diminshed without the other. Both balance one another despite similar political views. When Huntlety and Brinkley stop being a duo in 1970 when Chet Huntley retired to Montana, things were never the same at NBC. With Nancy ill, Kevin soldiers on and does well. That's because he is a professional. But tandem broadcasting is rare, it never works. Just ask the number of teams WARM Radio tried out in the 80s and 90s. WILK's Nancy and Kevin works as a team, much like its sports team of Neyhard and Thomas. WILK's morning team has become part of the morning fabric of NEPA and dare I say, part of the pop culture. Nancy Kman giving up the show is not an option. Her limited appearances are the breaths of fresh air needed in talk radio. We wish her well in her recovery and we wish her years of being part of the team with Mr. Lynn. To suggest that Kman step down is an insult to her courageous health battle she is in but also, less importantly to the listeners who depend and enjoy the conflicted bantering and meanderings of Nancy and Kevin on WILK.


SHADOE IN THE WILD WEST


We all grow up as fans of a TV show, but rarely do we get to meet our childhood TV icons. KRZ's Shadoe Steele did so recently by meeting The Wild Wild West's Robert Conrad. Mr. Steele and his lady friend Barbara had dinner with the actor as well as visiting his home in sunny California. You could tell by his expression in the photo that it was a dream come true for Shadoe who has interviewed just about every entertainment figure under the planet. Congrats to Shadoe on this celebrity fete..............now if only I can get him to help me track down Geena Davis!!!


COMING SOON: FRANK CROSSIN SENIOR'S REVOLUTION

Sunday, August 26, 2007

The LuLac Edition #292, August 26th, 2007











PHOTO INDEX: THE LATE WYOMING AREA SCHOOL DIRECTOR JAKE SOBESKI.

P.J. WANTS OUT!


My cousin P.J. Pribula is not real happy with the doings on Exeter Council. So he wants to resign. But at first they wouldn’t let him, then when the Council called the meeting, P.J. wasn’t happy with the meeting time. So as it stands now, P.J., who won the council seat by a few votes, is still on Council. Here’s a report from the Times Leader’s fine reporter, Bill O’Boyle.


EXETER – Only three of the seven council members showed up at a special meeting called to consider the resignation of Councilman P.J. Pribula.
Pribula wasn’t one of them and council lacked the necessary four needed for a quorum. The meeting was canceled.
Solicitor Peter J. Moses said the meeting will be held at 6:15 p.m. Monday prior to council’s regularly scheduled work session at 7.
Councilmen Richard Murawski, Daniel DeRoberto and Richard Turner attended the meeting. Joseph Pizano, Denise Adams, Joseph Esposito and Pribula were absent.
Murawski directed borough secretary Debra Serbin to advertise the new date and time for the special meeting to comply with the Sunshine Law.
Moses said state law mandates that an elected official’s resignation be accepted by the governing body.
“Because he’s an elected official, council must accept the resignation or he would remain on council,” Moses said. “He could miss every meeting and still be on council because he was elected by the people.”
If Pribula’s resignation is accepted, council would then need to fill the spot. Pribula did not run for re-election this year. His term expires Dec. 31.
Pribula said he didn’t agree with council’s decision to schedule the special meeting for 12:30 p.m. – a time he feels precludes most interested residents from attending due to work and other commitments.
“This was the first meeting this council has ever had at that time,” Pribula said Friday afternoon. “They didn’t want the public to witness the vote.”
Pribula claims that there are two factions on council. He said he is aligned with the three absent council members. He predicts that the vote on his resignation will not be unanimous.
“I can make the motion, but I can’t vote on the motion,” Pribula said. “It looks like it will be a 3-3 vote.”
Pribula was asked why he is resigning if three other council members want him to stay and would pave the way for the formation of a majority.
“It has become routine for myself and other members of council to be excluded from meetings with developers and other governing bodies,” Pribula said in his letter of resignation. “Given the fact that I am consistently shut out by those members bent on minority rule and my concerns for the governmental practices, I have no option other than to tender my resignation.”
At council’s last meeting on Aug. 7, Pribula made a motion to resign from council, but it died due for lack of a second. Pribula said he will be at Monday’s work session but wouldn’t say if he will attend the special meeting.


JAKE’S DAUGHTER SNUBBED


Deceased Wyoming Area School Board Director Jake Sobeski’s daughter was snubbed by the local Democrats and the GOP when she was denied the nomination for the fall election. Sobeski, who served on the Wyoming Area school board for thirty years, some with my uncle, Timmy Pribula died in the spring. His daughter, Cheryl Sobeski Reedy was appointed to fill the vacancy. The powers that be named the football stadium after the late Sobeski but refused to give his daughter the opportunity to run for her own term. Instead they replaced her with West Pittston resident Sam Aritz. The theory was that the organization wanted a representative to run from every town. This is nothing new in Wyoming Area politics. But that long established applecart might be upset because Sobeski Reedy is planning a write in campaign. And as Lackawanna County Commissioner Bob Cordaro proved in the spring, with the new voting machines, it’s pretty easy to write a candidate’s name in for election.

Friday, August 24, 2007

The LuLac Edition #291, August 24th, 2007














PHOTO INDEX: GOVERNOR ED RENDELL, THE BEATLES CIRCA 1964 AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE EDDIE DAY PASHINSKI.


STEADY EDDIES!!!


GOVERNOR RENDELL


You have to love Governor Rendell. He proposes taxes, the Legislators say no but the public doesn't blame Ed, they blame the Legislature! Even though the concede taxes went up under the Governor, the Legislature gets lower marks than the Executive branch. Pennsylvania voters are more likely to blame the legislature than Gov. Rendell for partisan fighting that left some major issues unresolved and a budget stalemate that prompted the furlough of about 24,000 state employees. But the legislature gets more credit for keeping new taxes out of the budget, according to a poll released yesterday.
Also, while 53 percent of the state's voters approve of Rendell's overall performance, a larger majority says the state's tax situation has remained the same or worsened since the Democrat took office in 2003, the poll by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut shows.
Partisan differences left several key initiatives in limbo - including a statewide smoking ban and an ambitious plan to promote alternative energy and conservation - when lawmakers left for their summer recess on July 17. The $27.2 billion budget finally was passed two weeks into the new fiscal year, and Rendell said the state would pay workers who had been idled by the one-day furlough.
Forty-seven percent of the respondents said the partisan gridlock was mostly the legislature's fault, while 21 percent blamed the governor and 20 percent said they shared responsibility. Blame for the furloughs also was tilted toward the legislature - 43 percent, compared with 35 percent for Rendell. Sixty-two percent said they believed a budget agreement could have been reached without the furloughs.
State taxes were cited most frequently as Pennsylvania's most important problem, followed by the economy, crime, education, health care and mass transportation, according to the telephone survey of 1,160 voters conducted from Aug. 14 through Monday.
Respondents gave the legislature more credit than Rendell - 42 percent to 34 percent - for keeping new taxes out of the budget. Fifty-eight percent said the state's tax situation was about the same now as when Rendell took office, while 28 percent said it had worsened.


EDDIE DAY PASHINSKI


Newcomer Eddie Day Pashinski is hard at work in Harrisburg. As a candidate, some detractors made fun of Pashinski's pearly whites but the guy is serious when it comes to prevbentative care for kids and oldsters. State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Luzerne, is one of the lead House Democrats who is supporting legislation that would provide expanded routine dental services for school children and senior citizens in nursing homes in Pennsylvania.
The House is considering legislation (S.B. 455) that would create a new position of public health dental hygiene practitioner. Under the bill, dental hygienists would be required to complete 3,600 hours of practice under the supervision of a dentist and acquire medical malpractice insurance. That would allow them to perform dental services such as radiological procedures, teeth cleaning and filling.
The Luzerne County lawmaker is credited with introducing similar legislation (H.B. 1257), which is part of the Prescription for Pennsylvania eight-part package of “scope-of-practice” bills.
Pashinski is eagerly promoting the Senate’s dental hygiene bill that would help low-income residents. “My main concern is to change the law in order to provide more dental services to school children and senior citizens in nursing homes in Pennsylvania,” Pashinski said.
Pashinski said dental hygienists are an important part of Pennsylvania’s health-care system. “This bill would allow dental hygienists to practice to the fullest extent of their training so they can provide proper dental care to people who are less fortunate,” Pashinski said.
The legislation is modeled after one of the governor’s scope-of-practice proposals. The scope-of-practice proposals include legislation that would expand the ability of physician assistants, certified registered nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and nurse midwives to provide routine health care in Pennsylvania.


40 YEARS AGO


This weekend, 40 years ago, the Beatles performed their very last concert in America playing before a packed house in San Francisco. From the summer of '67, the year you were in musical heaven, courtesy of YOU TUBE, the Beatles and "All You Need Is Love". Here's the link:

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

The LuLac Edition #290, August 22nd, 2007









PHOTO INDEX: STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN YUDICHAK MAKING A POINT IN LAST YEAR'S DEBATE AT LCCCC AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE PHYLLIS MUNDY.


YUDICHAK PROPOSES


At a time when businesses, school districts and families are confronting ever-rising insurance costs, a Luzerne County legislator believes it'stime to create a state Office of Consumer Advocate for Insurance. Rep. John T. Yudichak, D-Luzerne, has introduced House Bill 1121, which would create an independent advocate within the state attorney general's office with its own legal staff and the power to go to court if it decides that is necessary. "Consumers just can't get answers," Yudichak said. "The time is ripe to take up this issue." The House Insurance Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill at9:30 a.m. Aug. 30 in Room 140 of the Capitol. "Answers and accountability -- we don't have that now," said Yudichak, expressing special concern about the rising cost of health insurance."We need an independent watchdog, an advocate with resources." His model for the insurance advocate is the state Office of Consumer Advocate, which represents customers of regulated utilities before the state Public Utility Commission and in the courts. State Consumer Advocate Irwin Popowsky and his staff of lawyers are partof the attorney general's office and share certain resources such as a personnel office. Popowsky said the consumer advocate is nominated by the attorney general, but once confirmed by the Senate, is independent. His decisions are not subject to review by the attorney general, and he has his own budget. Insurance consumers do not have an independent agency to advocate for their interests before the state Insurance Department. The department is charged with looking after the interests of both consumers and the insurance industry. The Insurance Department has an Office of Insurance Consumer Liaison headed by Cynthia Fillman, but it was created by executive order of Gov. Ed Rendell and has no legal staff. "I don't know if we have a position on the bill," Insurance Department spokeswoman Roseanne Placey said. "[Fillman] is going to testify on how we interact with consumers at the present time." Fillman cannot go to court on behalf of consumers, Placey said. Sam Marshall, a spokesman for the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania, questioned the need for an Office of Consumer Advocate for Insurance within the attorney general's office. "Isn't that why we have an Insurance Department?" he asked. Marshall said state regulation of insurance companies has always aimed at making sure the insurers deal fairly with their policyholders. "Do you need an insurance consumer advocate? Yes," he said. "But that responsibility is being fulfilled, and fulfilled well, by the Insurance Department."
Stay tuned on this one. Yudichak sees a great issue that may have overwhelming political implications.


MUNDY CAN HELP


Representative Phyllis Mundy's office can help you apply for CHIP. CHIP offers free and low-cost insurance. The Children's Health Insurance Program provides free health insurance to all uninsured children and teens (up to age 19), regardless of family income.
For many families, CHIP is free, with no copays or monthly premiums. Families with higher incomes may qualify for low-cost or at-cost CHIP, and will have low monthly premiums and copays for some services.
CHIP coverage includes prescription drugs; routine checkups; immunizations; diagnostic testing; emergency care; dental, vision and hearing services; and mental health.
To find out if your child qualifies,
click the CHIP button on my Web site or contact constituent service office at (570) 283-9622. Her staff can assist you with the necessary forms.
How time flies, it was more than 17 years ago when Mundy won her seat over GOPer Scott Dietrick. I interviewed Mundy on my Radio Show on WBAX during the campaign and it only seems like yesterday.

Monday, August 20, 2007

The LuLac Edition #289, August 20th, 2007





PHOTO INDEX: JOHN EDWARDS, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER AND LACKAWANNA COUNTY COMMISSIONER ROBERT CORDARO.


AND THE BEAT GOES ON


So Robert Cordaro, after much soul searching is back on the ticket. A.J. Munchak is thrilled, so is the county GOP chairman who can go back to what he does best in terms of party affairs: nothing. Coming as no surprise is the fact that two political gadflys who have never made a name for themselves are going through the court system to knock Cordaro off the ballot. Man this is getting exhausting. But as stated here previously, I truly believe with all my heart that this election has to be held on its merits, the merits of the 4 candidates and not two wanna bees who are using legal ploys to nulify the debate. On a lighter note however, you've got to see the YOU TUBE piece put together by the imaginative staff of the Scranton Times regarding this part of the campaign. Here's the link:
click and then hit "Mystery Date" on the right side.


RUNNING FOR VEEP


When I'm watching the Democratic debates, I can't help but think there are a few candidates running for Vice President. Joe Biden, most likely the most qualified man in the Senate to seek the Presidency is not burning any bridges. And John Edwards seems to be running for Vice President, saying things like "we're all in this together" and "any Democrat is better than this administration". Bill Richardson who has the best, varied resume since George Herbert Walker Bush would be an ideal running mate but seems to be runningafoul of the pack with his comments on complete withdrawl from Iraq. Right now, the front runners, Senators Clinton and Obama are getting little serious grief from the middle tier candidates. And I think there's a practical reason for that.


EVERYBODY HAS A BINSACK!!!!!


One of Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson's top organizers in rural Nevada resigned Thursday after the campaign learned he had worked for a brothel and was wanted on a felony arrest warrant in California.
Kristian Forland, the campaign's eastern Nevada field director, is being sought by Los Angeles County authorities for failure to appear on four counts of writing bad checks. Forland also was arrested twice, once last year and again last month, in his home of Elko, Nev., on a similar bad check charge out of Las Vegas.
In both arrests, Forland posted bail and was released. It's not clear from court records if the case was resolved.
Forland also was investigated by Elko police after women working at Mona's Ranch, a legal brothel, complained he was shorting them on their pay. An investigator described Forland as "at best a manager of the property," according to a June 2006 police report obtained by the AP.
No charges were filed.
Forland said the bad check charges have come out of business transactions gone bad. Forland said he has hired a lawyer who is working to resolve the California case.
As for the brothel, Forland said he worked for a defunct investment group that briefly ran the bordello.
Forland was listed as the resident agent and officer for Mona's Ranch LLC from September 2004 to October 2006, according to the Nevada secretary of state's office.
Forland was hired this month as Democratic hopefuls competing in the state's first early caucus began turning their attention to solidly Republican rural Nevada, where Democratic organizers are a rarity.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

The LuLac Edition #286, August 18th, 2007





















PHOTO INDEX: BILL WALSH, PHIL "THE SCOOTER" RIZZUTO AT THE 1980 YANKEES OLD TIMER'S DAY FROM A PHOTO I TOOK THAT DAY, TOM SYNDER, MERV GRIFFIN WITH GUEST JEAN SHEPHERD AND FORMER PHIL, MET AND YANK BILL ROBINSON.


TRANSITIONS




BILL WALSH



Bill Walsh, the imaginative and charismatic coach who took over a downtrodden 49ers team and built one of the greatest franchises in NFL history, died at the age of 75, after a three-year struggle with leukemia.
A master of using short, precisely timed passes to control the ball in what became known as the West Coast offense, he guided the team to three Super Bowl championships and six NFC West division titles in his 10 years as coach.
It took far more than an innovative offense for Walsh to become one of the most revered figures in Bay Area sports. He handled NFL drafts adeptly and polished his management style by studying the leadership of Civil War and World War II generals. When it came to cutting veteran players whom he thought were on the way downhill, he could be ruthless.
The 49ers had been wrecked by mismanagement and unwise personnel decisions under former general manager Joe Thomas when owner Ed DeBartolo Jr. cleaned house in 1979. Walsh, who had led Stanford to two bowl victories in two seasons as head coach, took a 49ers team that had finished 2-14 in 1978 and built a Super Bowl champion in three years. It was one of the most remarkable turnarounds in professional sports history.
His teams would win two more Super Bowls (following the 1984 and 1988 seasons) before he turned the team over to George Seifert, who directed the 49ers to two more championships ('89 and '94). Walsh set the foundation for an unprecedented streak in the NFL of 16 consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins.
Walsh also was responsible for 8 other Super Bowls won by coaches he mentored through the “Walsh Tree”. People like Mike Holgrem, Steve Marinucci and Mike Shanahan benefited from his tutelage.



BILL ROBINSON


Bill Robinson, who played on Pittsburgh's 1979 World Series championship team and was working as the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league hitting coordinator, died recently. He was 64.
Robinson was in Las Vegas to visit the Dodgers' minor league team and was supposed to meet De Jon Watson, Dodger director of player development, to drive to the ballpark together.
But Robinson failed to show up at the appointed time and he was found dead in his hotel room, Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch said. The official cause of death was pending, he said.
Robinson was in his second season with the Dodgers after spending four years on the Florida Marlins' coaching staff, where he served as hitting coach for the 2003 world champions.
He was hitting coach for the New York Mets from 1984-89, including their 1986 World Series title.
Robinson played in the majors from 1966-83, with 1,127 hits, 166 home runs and 641 RBI as an outfielder for Atlanta, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. He batted .264 with 24 homers and 75 RBIs for the Pirates in '79.
Robinson also served as a minor league hitting coach for the Yankees and was a minor league coach and manager in Philadelphia's farm system. He managed in the Venezuelan League and was an analyst for ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" in 1990-91. I had the opportunity to meet Robinson when he was playing for the Phillies. Always a gentleman, straight forward in his answers to the media and very loyal to the organization and team he was representing.



TOM SNYDER


Tom Snyder, the late-night talk show host whose free-form program and intimate interviewing style influenced a generation of broadcasters, died in his Tiburon home nearly two years after he announced he had chronic lymphatic leukemia.
Snyder, who was 71, died from complications from leukemia.
Best known for his 1973-82 stint as host of NBC's "The Tomorrow Show," which aired after Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show," Snyder showed that the wee hours of weeknight mornings didn't have to ceded to B-grade movies and reruns. There he showed how conversation -- be it goofy, serious, provocative and occasionally edgy -- could be compelling on its own.
With the camera pulled in tight on his face, the screen filled with the cigarette smoke from the host and often his guests, Snyder created a living-room atmosphere that allowed conversation partners such as John Lennon or Howard Stern to relax in ways they didn't on other programs.
Born in Milwaukee, Wis., Snyder began his career as a radio reporter there in the 1960s before anchoring local television news broadcasts in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. In 1973, long before the advent of 24-hour news channels and cable television, Snyder began "Tomorrow," and late night was never the same.
Working live without a script and talking directly into the camera, Snyder created an arresting image for the late-night audience on "The Tomorrow Show." Conversations would veer from Snyder offering his personal opinions to hard-hitting questions, to him displaying photographs from a July Fourth barbecue he attended.
Through the years, he hosted a parade of guests -- including Charles Manson -- that few prime-time programmers would touch. Several of his legendary interviews -- with the makeup-wearing band Kiss and the punk rockers the Plasmatics, who once blew up a car on his show -- live on the video-sharing site YouTube.com. There fans can still see Snyder, wearing a tie tucked under a V-neck sweater, smoking and laughing and jousting with the provocateurs of the era.
Over the years, Snyder's mannerisms -- from his chain-smoking, to his staccatoed form of questioning, to his booming guffaw of a laugh, which surfaced frequently at his own jokes -- became part of the cultural conversation, thanks to Dan Aykroyd's spot-on Snyder impersonation on "Saturday Night Live" in the mid-1970s. "Tom got a kick out of it," said his longtime lawyer and agent Ed Hookstratten.
Snyder's NBC show left the air in 1982, and his spot was taken by another late-night ground-breaker, David Letterman. After stints as a newscaster in New York, a nationally syndicated radio program and his own program on CNBC, Snyder returned to network television, thanks to a man who long idolized him: Letterman.
In 1995, after Letterman moved to CBS and was given control to create what would appear in the time slot after his, he invited Snyder to host "The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder." It ran for three years on CBS.
Since WBRE TV did not carry Snyder’s show when I was in college, signing off at 1AM after The Tonight Show, I’d sometimes stay down at King’s College in the Student Center to catch a Snyder feed from Channel 3 in Philadelphia. There were no VCRs then, but the drive back home was worth it to see Snyder in his prime.



MERV GRIFFIN


Merv Griffin, the big band-era crooner turned impresario who parlayed his “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune” game shows into a multimillion-dollar empire, died at the age of 82.
Griffin died of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his family that was released by Marcia Newberger, spokeswoman for The Griffin Group/Merv Griffin Entertainment.
From his beginning as a $100-a-week San Francisco radio singer, Griffin moved on as vocalist for Freddy Martin’s band, sometime film actor in films and TV game and talk show host, and made Forbes’ list of richest Americans several times.
His “The Merv Griffin Show” lasted more than 20 years, and Griffin’s said his capacity to listen contributed to his success. The Griffin show was a staple in my household growing up. His guests included show biz types but also political people like Bobby Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Martin Luther King. Griffin had his show in New York city and my cousin’s grandmother, Lena Petrilla got an opportunity to see the show live and even got on camera during the opening segment. I remember us in the family living room at my cousin Robert Yonki’s home seeing his “grandma” live on Merv. Griffin also came to the Wyoming Valley making an appearance for the United Fund (now the United Way of Wyoming Valley) at one of their fundraising events. He also owned at one time WBAX Radio hiring Jim Ward as his GM. Griffin made frequent visits to the area when he owned the radio outlet. Merv moved his show to California in the mid 60s and did it with a prime time special that Westinghouse offered to local stations. WDAU ran the program and Griffin ended the show singing the song “Softly As I Leave You” with a montage of New York city landscapes featured. I vaguely remember the early game shows but one of my first recordings that I owned was a Decca single by Merv of an obscure Irving Berlin tune, “I Keep Running Away From You”. I preserved it by getting it burned on CD and play it often much to Mrs. LuLac’s chagrin. “Irving Berlin had a few clunkers” she’d say when I crank Merv up. Here’s a link from YOU TUBE of Griffin on the Freddy Martin Show doing his signature tune, "I've Got A Lovely Bunch of Cocanuts”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td4uqWTDt9w&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eothercrap%2Ecom%2F2007%2F08%2Fyoutube%2Dmerv%2Dgriffin%2Dlovely%2Dbunch%2Dof%2Ehtm
When Griffin entered a hospital a month ago, he was working on the first week of production of a new syndicated game show, “Merv Griffin’s Crosswords.”
In recent years, Griffin also rated frequent mentions in the sports pages as a successful race horse owner. His colt Stevie Wonderboy, named for entertainer Stevie Wonder, won the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in 2005.



PHIL RIZZUTO


"Holy cow!" made Phil Rizzuto famous.
Popular as a player and beloved as a broadcaster, the Yanks shortstop during their dynasty years of the 1940s and 1950s died Monday night. "The Scooter" was 89.
Rizzuto had pneumonia and died in his sleep at a nursing home in West Orange, N.J., daughter Patricia Rizzuto said Tuesday. He had been in declining health for several years.
"I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. "He epitomized the Yankee spirit -- gritty and hard charging -- and he wore the pinstripes proudly."
Rizzuto was the oldest living Hall of Famer and his Cooperstown plaque noted how he "overcame diminutive size." At 5-foot-6, he played over his head, winning seven World Series titles and an AL MVP award and becoming a five-time All-Star.
"When I first came up to the Yankees, he was like a big -- actually, small -- brother to me," said Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who frequently visited Rizzuto in his later years.
Rizzuto's No. 10 was retired by baseball's most storied team, and the club will wear his number on its left sleeves for the rest of the season.
The flags at Yankee Stadium were lowered to half-staff before Tuesday night's game against Baltimore and a bouquet was placed by Rizzuto's plaque at Monument Park. The team planned a moment of silence and a video tribute.
Yet it was after he moved into the broadcast booth that Rizzuto reached a new level celebrity with another generation of Yankees fans.
Rizzuto delighted TV and radio listeners for four decades, his voice dripping with his native Brooklyn. He loved his favorite catch-phrase -- exclaiming "Holy cow!" when Roger Maris hit his 61st home run -- and often shouted "What a huckleberry!"
In an age of broadcasters who spout statistics, Rizzuto was a storyteller. He liked to talk about things such as his fear of lightning, the style of an umpire's shoes or even the prospect of outfielder Dave Winfield as a candidate for president.
"He didn't try to act like an announcer," Hall of Fame teammate Whitey Ford said. "He just said what he thought. It added fun to the game."
Rizzuto liked to acknowledge birthdays and anniversaries, read notes from fans, talk about his favorite place to get a cannoli and send messages to old cronies. Once he noticed old teammate Bobby Brown -- then the American League president -- sitting in a box seat and hollered down, trying to get his attention.
"He would keep getting in trouble with WPIX for announcing birthdays and anniversaries," Patricia Rizzuto recalled.
In the last year of my father’s life, we watched a lot of baseball. My favorite Rizzuto moment was when he did a promo for the Three Stooges which followed the game on WPIX at that time. He yammered on and said, “You know I like that Curly, he’s always getting hit but he bounces back, Oh Bill White, was that a home run, did I miss a home run, well Holy Cow! I better stop talking about those Stooges." In 1980, I met Rizzuto at the Old Timer’s game at the Stadium and took the photo you see in the Index. He was pumped up that day, being with his old friends once more on a ball field. With the latest flap over interest rates going on in America, check out this commercial he did for The Money Store.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDQHQkuv9l0
A memorial service is scheduled at Yankee Stadium at a time and date to be determined.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The LuLac Edition #285, August 16th, 2007














PHOTO INDEX: THE DYNAMIC DUO OF RICHARD
MILHOUS NIXON AND ELVIS AARON PRESLEY,
CONGRESSMAN PAUL KANJORSKI, DEM. OF
NANTICOKE. AND THE BABE, GEORGE HERMAN
RUTH WHO DIED 59 YEARS AGO TODAY.

KANJO ON THE MOVE



U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke,
hasscheduled three town
meetings.
The only scheduled forLuzerne County
will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug.

28 at Ashley Firemen's Memorial Park,
160 Ashley St.Ashley.
The others will be
held: Aug. 23, 7-9 p.m.,Columbia
County Conservation
District Ag
Service Center, 702 Sawmill Road, Bloomsburg;
and Agu. 30,
7-9 p.m., East Stroudsburg
University campus,Lower Loung, Danbury

Commons, Normal and Green streets.

For more information, call Kanjorski's offices at
825-2200 or 496-1011.



ELVIS' DEATH AT 30



It was a hot, muggy overcast day in
Northeastern Pa. I was working the
2pm to
10pm shift at WVIA FM and WVIA TV.
My job was to do hourly news
updates on the
radio and thencohost a terrible classical
music show at
4pm called "Mostly Pops". It was
known uncharitably as "Mostly Pits"
I
was wearing a green pair of platform shoes
(it was the 70s) and I was
getting ready to
prepare a newscast. The huge UPI machine was
in the
hallway that separated the FM Studios
from the TV station. Approaching
the wire,
I saw the word PRESLEY come up on the top of the
teletype
sheet. I shrugged, thinking it was no
big deal. A divorce, paternity suit,
something
like that. Then the bells started to ring and
I knew that this
was a full fledged bulletin.
I opened the box up and read the news,

"PRESLEY DEAD AT 42". Just then, Bill Kelly,
(now the GM of WVIA TV and FM) was strolling
through the hallway to get
to the Control Room.
"Anything new?" he asked. "Elvis Presley
just died"
I responded. Kelly was stunned
and we both stood there reading the

details.
That night, all three
networks ran TV specials on the King. I
watched.
We all watched. I became a Presley
fan after I was a Beatles/4 Seasons
/Temptations fan.
Working backwards
on Presley's career, I
discovered his early stuff

later than the "Suspicious Minds",
"Kentucky Rain" genre. It was still

fascinating. As the years
passed, Presley became a combination icon,

cartoon character and profile of pity.
I had always thought that if
Elvis had
donned a tux rather than a jumpsuit,
(like Bobby Darin did)
like Wayne
Newton wanted him to, perhaps he might
have saved his life.
Elvis was a mirror
image of America, exciting, pioneering,
talented,
excessive and in the end,
enduring. No one knows for sure why
he was the
"one", why he
touched so many people and became the King.
But he did and
thirty years later, the legacy
continues, with the magic, the blemishes
and
the unfilled promise.
Elvis is our constant,
our touchstone for the 20th century.
The fact
that he's being remembered into the
next is not surprising at all.
It's
how Kings are remembered,
for years after their reign has ended.




THE BABE!!



We cannot forget Babe Ruth either.
He died 59 years ago
on this day and will
forever
be remembered as the greatest
baseball player of his era. Ruth's
wake
was held at Yankee Stadium, the house
that he built. With the death of

Presley on the same day, Ruth's demise
sometimes gets overshadowed. Not here!





THE WB CHAMBER




So they say the Wilkes Barre Chamber has
caah flow problems. I wish the
new director
Todd Vonderheid luck with this mess.
The shortfall came
because of the Chamber's
investment in properties in the downtown.
The
new director justified this by saying
that Wilkes Barre drew an additional

500,000 people to the downtown with the
investments.Fine, but the job of the

Chamber is not to prop up a downtown and
be a tourism office, there's one

of those already, the job of the Chamber
is to bring indecent paying jobs
for its
residents. We hope Vonderheid's
restructuring will focus more on
that
than helping developers get rich and
then have empty buildings sit.





YEAH TOM!!!




Kudos to Mayor Tom Leighton for not
jumping on landlord Pat Gildea's "offer"

to donate some of his run down
properties to the city. The Mayor
showed a
great deal of foresight in not
jumping at the ploy. He bought them,
let
him fix them. If Mrs. LuLac and I want
to fix something at the house, we
don't
ask council for a tax break.It's time for
this "welfare plan" for
landlords who
can't keep up with their over
consumption to stop.





YOU'RE TO BLAME



And how about those mortgage companies
now going under because people can't
make
the bloated payments of interest rates.
A few have had the nerve to blame

the consumer. Yeah, blame the poor
homeowner who only wanted a little bit

of the American dream while you were
bleeding them like first class
shylocks.
The next group
I want to see get their comeuppance
are the
credit card companies who soak
consumers with obscene interest rates
and
then are shocked when people default.
True story, an acquaintance went

bankrupt in May of '06. In October
of '06, Capitol One offers him a

credit card with a limit of $11,000.
Shameful.





Monday, August 13, 2007

The LuLac Edition #284, August 13th, 2007



PHOTO INDEX: 45 of "13 QUESTIONS" BY SEATRAIN.


13 QUESTIONS

We're starting a new feature here on the LuLac, it's called 13 questions, named after that obscure semi hit from 1971-72 by a group called Seatrain.
Every month on the 13th, I will answer 13 questions. When I was a sub in some school districts in the early 90s, every Friday I brought in this box with signage on the side that simply said, "ASK DAVE". It was an exercise only for Junior and Senior classes and the rule was they could ask me anything. Dangerous? A little bit, once we got past the scatalogical references and questions about who I would or not do in the actress world, the thoughts were pretty interesting. Anyway, since I get a lot of e mails and comments, I try to moderate most of them, there are questions I get that don't fit into a catagory. So, we made one, 13 questions on the 13th of the month. To participate in this, all you need do is send me an e mail at Yonkstur@aol.com or yonkstur@ptd.net and in the message line put 13 questions. And as Jackie Gleason used to say, "Away We Go".

1. IF YOUR GUY GORE DOESN'T RUN FOR PRESIDENT, WHO WOULD YOU GO WITH FOR THE DEMS?

SENATOR CLINTON.

2. IN YOUR ESTIMATION, WHO WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE POLITICIAN LOCALLY IN YOUR LIFETIME?

THERE WERE A FEW, DAN FLOOD OF COURSE, HIS RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. SOME SAY IF HIS FRIEND GERALD FORD HAD BEEN RE-ELECTED IN 1976, THERE'D BE NO INVESTIGATION OF DAN. JUST A HUNCH THERE. WILLIAM SCRANTON SENIOR, ALL THROUGH MY LIFE HE WAS A PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER. HE JUST NEVER TOOK THE STEP AFTER 1964. JOE CORCORAN IN LACKAWANNA COUNTY, HE CAME WITHIN 2OO VOTES OF A 6TH TERM. AND FRANK CROSSIN, SENIOR WHO PULLED OFF ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPSETS IN DEMOCRATIC/LUZERNE COUNTY POLITICAL HISTORY. IN A FEW DAYS, WE'LL PUBLISH AN ARTICLE ABOUT THAT 1979 ELECTION OF CHANGE.

3. YOUR FAVORITE PLACES FOR PIZZA?

IN ORDER,
VICTORY PIG.
SERPICO'S (IT HELPS TO HAVE THE YOUNG WAITRESS SMILE AT ME)
ALFREDO'S, SERVICE IS SLOW, DO A TAKE OUT OF THE SQUARED.
GROTTO. CONSISTENT TASTE.
PIZZA BY PAPPAS. NOW ONLY IN SCRANTON, I LIVED ON THAT STUFF WHEN I WAS AT KING'S.

4. HOW DID YOU ACQUIRE YOUR LOVE FOR THE POLITICAL PROCESS?

MY DAD TOOK ME TO SEE JOHN KENNEDY'S MOTORCADE IN PITTSTON DURING THE 1960 ELECTION, I WAS SMALL BUT KNEW IT WAS IMPORTANT. THEN IN 1962, MY DAD TOOK ME TO A RICHARDSON DILLWORTH RALLY FOR GOVERNOR. I HAD AN UNCLE ON THE WYOMING AREA SCHOOL BOARD WHO TOOK ME TO MANY COUNTY FUNCTIONS AND ALL MY UNCLES AND DAD WOULD TALK POLITICS, FOOTBALL AND BASEBALL. IT STUCK.

5. ANY FUTURE POLITICAL FORUMS? WERE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE COUNCIL ONE?

TO ANSWER YOUR LAST QUESTION, YES, VERY SATISFIED WITH THE MEDIA COVERAGE, CANDIDATE INVOLVEMENT AND THE LOGISTICS OF IT. WE'RE WORKING ON SOME THINGS NOW BUT WE NEED A NON PARTISAN LOCATION AT A CHEAP PRICE.

6. SINCE YOU WRITE BOOKS, HOW COME YOU NEVER FOCUS ON POLITICS?

GOD WILLING, THAT'S IN THE WORKS.

7. COKE OR PEPSI, BURGER KING OR MCDONALD'S, LEMONAIDE OR LIMEAIDE, BOXERS OR BRIEFS?

COKE, MCDONALD'S FOR BREAKFAST, BURGER KING FOR THE JUNIOR WHOPPERS BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT MASCOT IS FREAKING ME OUT, THE PLASTIC KING, I HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT HIM, LIMEAIDE AND NO COMMENT. ONLY MRS. LULAC AND GEENA DAVIS (IN MY DREAMS) KNOW FOR SURE.

8. HAVE YOU EVER SWITCHED PARTIES?

YEP, 1981 WHEN SOME PEOPLE WANTED ME TO RUN FOR MAYOR OF PITTSTON, 1987 WHEN I WORKED FOR THE COUNTY AND SWITCHED TO THE GOP, ONLY TO HAVE FRANK TRINICEWSKI SWITCH TO MY PARTY IN 1988, AND IN THE SPRING OF 2004 TO VOTE FOR ARLEN SPECTER AGAINST PAT TOOMEY. SWITCHED BACK TO THE DEMS BUT HAVE VOTED FOR EQUAL NUMBERS OF DS AND RS.

9. WHY DO YOU HATE PRESIDENT BUSH SO MUCH?

I DON'T. I JUST THINK HE WAS THE WRONG MAN FOR THE JOB. HE BOTCHED SO MUCH POLITICAL CAPITAL WORLDWIDE AFTER 911, IT IS TOTALLY UNFORGIVEABLE. I BELIEVE IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER 100 YEARS TO UNDO THE DAMAGE HIS ADMINISTRATION DID. I DON'T HATE. IT'S TOO EXHAUSTING.

10. EVERYBODY HAS A LIST OF FAVORITE PRESIDENTS, HOW ABOUT A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO NEVER MADE IT?

HUBERT HUMPHREY
AL GORE
NELSON ROCKEFELLER
ROBERT TAFT
ROBERT KENNEDY
WILLIAM SCRANTON
JERRY BROWN
JOHN HEINZ

11. FAVORITE BOTTLED WATER?

AQUAFINA.

12. FAVORITE LTN. GOVERNORS OF ALL TIME?

MALCOM WILSON, NEW YORK GOVERNOR ROCKEFELLER'S SECOND IN COMMAND FROM 1958 TO 1973, MIKE CURB OF CALIFORNIA AND ALSO THE MIKE CURB CONGREGATION, ILLINOIS' SAM SHAPIRO WHO LABORED UNDER OTTO KERNER, WILLIAM SCRANTON JUNIOR WHO DID VERY WELL UNDER THE PRESSURE OF THREE MILE ISLAND AND MARK SINGEL WHO INCURRED THE POLITICAL WRATH OF GOVERNOR CASEY FOR CHANGING HIS STANCE ON ABORTION.

13. WILL YOU TUBE INFLUENCE THE 2008 RACE FOR PRESIDENT?

IT ALREADY HAS, JUST ASK VIRGINIA'S GEORGE ALLEN.

Friday, August 10, 2007

The LuLac Edition #283, August 10th, 2007










PHOTO INDEX: THE BLOGGER AND HIS MOM WHO WILL CELEBRATE THE 47TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER 39TH BIRTHDAY SATURDAY AND LACKAWANNA COUNTY COMMISSIONER GOP NOMINEE (AGAIN) ROBERT CORDARO.


BOB'S BACK


Robert Cordaro is back on the GOP ballet for Lackawanna County Commissioner. The county GOP organization nominated him on Thursday night. I say keep him there and have candidates who are not viable in the party stop with their court challenges. Let Cordaro and Munchak run on their records, let the voters in the County give them a thumbs up or a thumbs down. If Cordaro is again forced off the ballot, then a possible Democratic victory will be as hollow as President Bush's win in 2000. Let both teams run on the records, the proposals for the future and even their own personal characters. Let the debate begin, but let it start in the fresh air of the campaign trail and not in some musty courtroom.


COMMENTS


We are getting tons of comments on our commentary on Mrs. Curley's legal problems. (Bob Curley's mom, not the killer wife, just so you don't get confused.) We are doing our best to moderate some comments and publish them. Others, well we just have to not let them see the light of day. But I have to say this, Mrs. Curley's story touched a nerve among my readers.


DO NOT CALL!!


Pennsylvanians are reminded that they need to re-register for the state's 'Do Not Call' list. It was in the late summer of 2002 when Pennsylvania residents started registering their phone numbers on the state's Do Not Call list, which prevented unwanted calls from telemarketers. By September of that year, more than 2 million signed up. But now it's time to re-register, something that many people may not have been aware was necessary. On Wednesday, state Attorney General Tom Corbett kicked off a public awareness campaign, designed to remind consumers what many have either forgotten or never knew: The 2002 law set Do Not Call registrations to expire after five years. Corbett told reporters, "For those people who were in the first 2 million Pennsylvanians to register in the summer and early fall of 2002, you must re-register by September the 17th of this year, or your number will be dropped from the Do Not Call list on November 1st.""It is important to remember that although your number may be registered with the Do Not Call list there are exceptions under the law that allow telemarketers to call your home," Corbett said. These exceptions include calls from, telemarketers who have had an established business relationship with you within 12 months preceding the call, tax-exempt charitable organizations, veterans' organizations chartered by the U.S. Congress and calls made on behalf of a political candidate or political party, or telemarketers calling at the express request of the residential telephone customer. Corbett said that the law also prohibits telemarketers from blocking their telephone numbers from a person's caller ID device. More information is available by calling 1-888-777-3406, or online at
www.attorneygeneral.gov <http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/>
Mrs. LuLac put us on the do not call list and I have to say it has been quite peaceful. But once in a while a call will sneak through and I'll get into gear by doing one of the following:
1. Reciting the lyrics to "Red Rubber Ball" by the Cyrkle.
2. Saying "Hut Set Ralston On the Rillerah" a song title from the 40s that was actually used as code in WWII.
3. Screaming, "Senator Barkley and I are going to win this election and make those Republicans like it" in my Harry Truman imitation. The line was from his nomination speech in 1948.
4. Saying, "Is that you Carlisle, are you finally coming home to you ma and pa from Canada? That war is long over boy, come home to us. Then I break into a rendition of the late Lee Hazlewood's "God Bless the U.S.A". If they're still on the line after that, I'll do a few stanzas of Kenny Roger's "Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town".
GOOD TIMES!
By the way to get you in the mood to get your name on the DO NOT CALL LIST, how about a little banana phone!

Thursday, August 09, 2007

The LuLac Edition #282, August 9th, 2007












PHOTO INDEX:
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
KAREN BOBACK.

REP SETS EVENT


Rep. Karen Boback (R-Columbia/Luzerne/Wyoming) will host a free Child Safety Expo from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16. at the Lake-Lehman Junior/Senior High School in Lehman.
“This event will be an opportunity for both children and parents to learn about what they can do to avoid dangerous situations and stay safe," said Boback. “Believe it or not, many people do not consider the dangers children face on a daily basis until it is too late. Teaching children how to handle the dangers they may encounter in their daily lives - such as how to deal with strangers, what to do if there is a fire, or what to do if they encounter a strange dog - can make all the difference."
Children in kindergarten through sixth grade, along with their parents, are encouraged to attend the expo, which will feature law enforcement, emergency responders, health care professionals and other state and local agencies.
“I am excited about the various interactive vendors we will feature at the expo," said Boback. “There is just so much information available for parents, but it is scattered and can be difficult to find. This is a way to bring the information that parents need to protect their children together in one place."
For more information regarding the expo, contact Boback’s office at (570) 836-4777 or (800) 278-3930. Information is also available on Boback’s Web site at RepBoback.com.
Boback has been very active in her district setting night time calling hours as well as hitting all of the crucial population spots in her district.




WHY PEOPLE HATE LAWYERS



So Bob Curley's mother was persuaded to sue in a civil court for damages against her former daughter in law, JoAnne Curley. The family wanted to go after the killer with a wrongful death suit but a bankruptcy judge threw it out. Is that bankruptcy judge soft on crime? Does he hate the Curley's? Does he have an in with JoAnne Curley? Nope. Get this. Mary Curley's attorney, Michael Mey, disputes the ruling of the Judge. Maybe the Judge even disputes it too and wants an Attorney to argue so he can make a ruling. But he can't because Mary Curley's lawyer never got a chance to argue the merits of the issue because a court motion challenging the claim was filed several days past the deadline. That led Thomas to dismiss the challenge on a legal technicality. This is typical of the lawyers in Luzerne County. We laugh at Bob Cordaro for messing up his election form, at least he got it in on time. But county lawyers can't even get the correct dates in order to file a motion or even argue a case on time. Don't you hire a lawyer to advocate for you? And then when they screw up, they hide behind legal crappola to save their sorry asses. Oh, the deadline should have been exteneded. Right. There are very few Luzerne County attorneys (there are a few good ones I grant you that) any one of us would trust with our lives. Most are incompetent, intelectually barren and just plain lazy. We wish Mrs. Curley and her family luck. Because of her stellar legal representation, too bad we have to. In the meantime, legal consumers have to seperate the cream of the crop from the slugs. Oh, and by the way, if you ever want to file an employment discrimination case in Northeastern Pa., forget it. Attorneys will run away from that one so fast, you'd think there was a fleet of ambulances ahead of them.



Wednesday, August 08, 2007

The LuLac Edition #281, August 8th, 2007







PHOTO INDEX:
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT,
32nd PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.

FDR'S RUN AT 75

Back in early 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was a longshot for the Presidential nomination. A man felled by polio, Roosevelt was bucking the party establishment plus the considerable power of an old friend who mentored him in New York politics, Al Smith. Smith felt entitled to the Democratic nod after being beaten by Herbert Hoover in 1928. Roosevelt's bold campaign was one of firsts, he was the first to fly across the country to Chicago to give his acceptance speech, the first to vigorously campaign by rail and the first to introduce an oratorical style that mixed conversation with high level public speaking. When Roosevelt said the line,"a New Deal for The American people" in his nominating speech, it became a clarion call not only to the Democratic party but the country. It has been 75 years since the speech, the convention, and the election. Most of the participants if not all are dead. But the historical memories of that golden year still resonate. Let's pick up in the summer of 1932. Later in June, the Democrats assembled in the Windy City, but the mood was entirely different than the GOP convention. Several prominent figures had been angling forthe nomination, including Alfred Smith the former governor of New York and the presidential nominee in 1928, and Texan John Nance Garner, the Speaker of the House and the favorite of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. The frontrunner by this time, thanks to skillful maneuvering by campaign manager James A. Farley, was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, sitting governor of the Empire State. Roosevelt had entered easily onto the political stage by capitalizing on his distant relationship to Theodore Roosevelt and gaining further notice by marrying the former president's favorite niece, Eleanor. Franklin Roosevelt had served in the New York assembly and during World War I was selected by Woodrow Wilson to be the assistant secretary of the Navy. In 1920,Roosevelt was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, but was swept under by a Republican tide that continued throughout the decade. His rapid rise was stopped short by infantile paralysis in 1921, an illnesst hat required years of therapy and steely determination to resume political life. Roosevelt managed to gain the nomination on the convention's fourth ballot. A disappointed Smith, Roosevelt's former friend and politicalally, was unable to overcome his bitterness and would oppose Roosevelt and his programs in the future. "Cactus Jack" Garner was the vice-presidential nominee, but would later remark that the office"wasn't worth a bucket of warm spit." The Democratic platform, while avoiding many specifics, presented asharp contrast to their opponents in calling for: A "competitive" tariff designed for revenue, not for protection; a "sound" currency, but no mention was made of adhering to thegold standard; extensive banking and financial reform, including regulation ofthe stock exchanges; support for veterans' pensions; aid programs for farmers; a reduction of federal expenditures and a balanced budget. In an effort to create an air of urgency, Roosevelt broke with tradition and did not wait for formal notification of his nomination from the convention. Instead, he boarded a plane and flew to Chicago, where on July 2 he delivered an acceptance speech in which he stated, "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for theAmerican people." The "new deal" tag was later applied to hislegislative offensive to combat the nation's economic ills and was a grateful nod to TR's "square deal" of 30 years earlier. Throughout the summer and fall, Roosevelt waged a vigorous campaign and traveled more than 25,000 miles by train, hoping to lay to rest any concerns about his health. Crowds gathered in towns and villages to greet the ever-smiling and optimistic candidate, and brass bands played Happy Days Are Here Again at nearly every stop. As the weeks went by,Roosevelt gradually and sketchily laid out the basic form of the NewDeal, drawing on the ideas of his closest advisors - dubbed the "brainstrust" by reporters. One recurring theme was Roosevelt's pledge to help the "forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid." Hoover began his campaign convinced that the return of prosperity was at hand. He was initially content to allow surrogates to take his message to the voters, but as fall approached and the economy remained in thedoldrums, the president took to the stump. He was sharply critical of Roosevelt's inclination to have the federal government act to solve the nation's problems. He viewed such solutions as contrary to American tradition and believed that only free enterprise would restore prosperity. Shortly before election day, Hoover warned that if Roosevelt were elected, then "the grass will grow in the streets of a hundred cities, a thousand towns; the weeds will overrun the fields of a thousand farms...." Both candidates used the radio to reach the voters during the 1932 campaign. Hoover's addresses were logical and competently delivered, but lacked enthusiasm. Roosevelt, by contrast, had a magnificent radio voice and was able to convey a sense of competence and hope to the listeners. In the end, Hoover had the impossible task of defending failed policies and strategies. The Democratic victory took on landslide proportions,prevailing as expected in the Solid South and the major urban areas, but also doing well throughout the West. The triumph spread to both houses of Congress, where the Democrats achieved sizable majorities, and to the governors' mansions and assemblies in many states. The electorate had clearly provided the president-elect with a mandate for change. Relations between Hoover and Roosevelt had been and remained chilly. Several times during the campaign, Hoover sought public reassurances from Roosevelt that, if elected, he would not undertake untraditional initiatives. Hoover believed that the business community needed to be reassured and, when Roosevelt refused to commit himself, Hoover believed his opponent was undermining the nation's chances for recovery. In early1933, Hoover renewed his requests for pledges from the president-elect during the so-called lame duck period prior to the inauguration. A major banking crisis had developed, but Roosevelt again declined to detail his plans for the future. When Inauguration Day arrived on March 4, the president and president-elect rode together down Pennsylvania Avenue in stony silence. Roosevelt waved enthusiastically to the crowds while Hoover stared straight ahead, convinced that a national disaster was about to occur.


Election of 1932


Candidates Electoral Vote, PopularVote
Franklin D. Roosevelt (N.Y.)John N. Garner (Texas) Democratic 472 22,821,857
Herbert C. Hoover (Cal.) Charles Curtis (Kansas) Republican 59 15,761,845
Norman M. Thomas (N.Y.) James H. Maurer (Penna.) Socialist 0 881,951