The LuLac Edition #434, March 7th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: RETIRED GREEN BAY FUTURE HALL OF FAMER BRETT FARVE, GREG SKREPENAK AS AN OAKLAND RAIDER, THE CLINTONS DURING THE LEWINSKY SCANDAL WEATHERING A MARITAL STORM, (NOTE CHELSEA SEPERATING A CONTRITE BILL AND OBVIOUSLY PISSED HILLARY) AND OUR 1968 LOGO.

HILLARY’S “LADY” PROBLEM

In my many conversation with women in my workplace and beyond, invariably the Presidential race comes up. Now I work in a building with 900 employees. They are all smart, educated, opinionated, a majority of them are women. When the issue and topic of discussion comes to Senator Clinton, there is a big division. The women I talk to over 45 are all for her, want to see the historical significance of the first woman President realized in their lifetimes. They speak of the struggle to be taken seriously in college at the tail end of the 60s and into the 70s. Pragmatic, these women applaud Senator Clinton’s path to the threshold of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The women under 45 point to her opportunism. They regard her marriage as a stopping off point to power. They tell me that the Lewinsky scandal proved what a power hound Hilary was because she stayed with her husband despite the infidelity. Most commonplace is the assertion that Mrs. Clinton stayed with the Mr. because she wanted a deal to pursue her own career after her husband’s day was done. Take it from one who knows, there is nothing sinister about a partner staying with a person who has strayed. To stay with a person, to mend bridges and try to rebuild the trust and stick it out is admirable. I’m then told, “You aren’t running for President, are you?” Well, neither is Bill Clinton either. Once a marriage vow is broken, it is never forgotten. But it can be forgiven. That forgiveness could even build a stronger union. Senator Clinton has addressed the “Bill” and “hurt” issue. She has eloquently stated how she rebounded, how they, as a couple rebounded from the infidelity. Her challenge is to persuade those young women that a marriage has high and lows. That you don't throw the marital baby out with the bath water, or raise a child without a dad just to make a point about their hurt feelings. A friend from the 80s, now a successful tavern owner Gerry Flaherty once told me, “marriage is like a store. You open it up for business everyday and if things are good, fine. But if there’s a hurricane or storm, you don’t ever walk away”. It is evident the Clinton’s have done that, stayed through the storms like countless couples. It is to the credit of the women in the relationship who stick with the belief that marriage is an effort that requires patience and belief in the power of imperfect love with vows made by less than perfect people. Senator Clinton never walked away from her marriage, that tells me she’s not going to walk away from her commitment to building a better nation. The women over 45 know that, let’s hope that the gals under that age finally embrace the Clinton union for what it is, two people trying to make it work every day.

TICKETS ANYONE?

So in the newspaper today we are told Greg Skrepenak and Sam Guesto recieved tickets to entertainment events doing business with the county. Maryanne Petrilla said she’d never accept those things and Steve Urban was horrified that something like this can be even offered. When I was a sales rep at Rock 107, whenever there was a client just on the edge, we’d spot them some tickets to a concert, a game or an event. Heck when I worked at WARM we ran bus trips to Phillies games for clients. You bought a package, your family went to the old ballgame. In a corporate box no less. Your favorite team was the Steelers? Just what size are you for that Black and Gold parka? I just happen to have it in my trunk as a “thank you” for being such a great customer. When 107 took ads from strip clubs, one Christmas I entered the venerable “Grandview” in Moscow bearing an oversized poinsettia grown near an atomic power plant. One of the dancers asked if I was giving her the plant, “Nope" I said, "I’m looking for the only lady wearing clothes”. That happened to be the manager. Personally I see nothing wrong as a taxpayer with Skrepenak and Guesto accepting tickets to events offered by vendors. If they are willing to give, then there is also nothing wrong with asking if they could get more. The county is a business and if people are going to get on Skrep’s case for this, then let’s take a close look at all the liquor and largesse that goes through the Judge’s Chambers at Christmas time. The vendor is providing a service he is paid for and if he has to offer a little SWAG (radio station term for “Stuff We All Get”) so be it. In the meantime, let the newspapers look at the Judiciary's gifts. Me? Let them have the vendors knock themselves out. It might bring the prices down. From my view, I'd rather see Skrep and Guesto cheering at a Grand Funk Concert rather than seeing the merits of a legal case decided on the brand of Irish Cream pro-offered as holiday cheer.

BRETT

It was Christmas 1993. The Packers were playing the Detroit Lions. Wayne Fontes has survived being fired again by William Clay Ford. The last time the Packers were in the playoffs was when Lynn Dickey got them there in the strike shortened season in the early 80s. A young Quarterback, Brett Farve was running around erratically in the game. I told Mrs. LuLac and anyone in the room who would listen that if Favre threw a last second touchdown, he’d get a career wide pass from any criticism from me. He threw an impossible ball, the Packers scored and won and returned to the playoffs. Never once did I criticize his interceptions or crazy throwing again. He gave me as a fan respectability for my team and a Super Bowl. As an author, I used the 1998 Super Bowl he lost as a back drop to my story. I cheered when he won, ached for him when his dad died and wife got sick, couldn’t understand how he got high on vicoden and half expected his retirement. When he threw that last interception against the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game, Mrs. LuLac asked if I was disappointed. All I said was, “Christmas 1993…..he has a pass with me”. From You Tube: one more time, “We/I /Love Brett Farve!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8HAzI63X8Q&feature=related.

1968

A conference of gold traders and bankers in Basle, Switzerland, fails to stem panic selling of the British pound and US dollar…………Minnesota Senator Gene McCarthy’s challenge to President Johnson in the New Hampshire primary starts to get some notice…..In Pennsylvania Mines Secretary H. Beecher Charmbury announced a 1.2 million dollar grant to control mine water…..In Luzerne County in 1968 there were 97,184 Republicans, and 77,571 Democrats, in the old 6th district there were 14,927 Republicans and 13,898 Democrats…..and at St. John the Baptist school in Pittston rumors of a removal from office of class President David Yonki ran rampant as supporters of the Junction Boy spread word about the possible coup and in 1968 in the U.S. and LuLac Land, The 1910 Fruit Gum Company had the number one song with “Simon Says”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksR0si3ZloY.