The LuLac Edition #5, 773, September 20th 2026

 

 

BAD NEWS 

FRIENDLY'S UNDER 100  

A casual-dining chain known for its ice-cream desserts, burgers and family atmosphere that once operated roughly 850 restaurants has dwindled to fewer than 100 locations in 11 states.

Friendly's was founded as the "Friendly" ice-cream shop in Springfield, Massachusetts, by "spunky" brothers Prestley and Curtis Blake in 1935 — at the height of the Great Depression, according to the company's website.

The two young entrepreneurs — Prestley was 20 years old and Curtis was just 18 — sold double-dip cones for 5 cents.

In 1940, they expanded with a second location and began offering food, with hamburgers among the first additions to the menu.

By 1951, there were 10 Friendly restaurants operating in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and by 1974, that number had grown to 500 restaurants across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

 

 

GOOD NEWS

CARNEGIE DELI BACK

I write this as I prepare for a medical procedure that requires a 48 hour fast of solid foods.

Yeah, that’s the one.

When I used to go to the Carnegie Deli my mainstay was the Pastrami and corned beef on rye, heavy on the mustard with a raw onion. But just in case you were unaware the Carnegie Deli is  back.

Carnegie Deli’s back after a 10-year absence — and not a New York Minute too soon. 

Historic West Midtown without pastrami on rye was like a ballpark without hot dogs.  Starbucks and contemporary eateries like Locanda Verde and high-end chocolate shop Laderach have none of Carnegie Deli’s pickle-barrel aura.

I didn’t much care when the Carnegie shut down a decade ago. It was popular mainly with schmaltz-loving tourists who wouldn’t know pastrami from prosecco.

ut its surprise revival this month at 834 Seventh Ave. — once the site of its longtime rival the Stage Deli, which closed in 2012 — means a helluva lot more now. It puts a little bit of old-time magic back in fast-changing West Midtown, which needs all the retro vibe it can get

The reborn Carnegie Deli has better pastrami and chicken soup than its predecessor did. Service by friendly waitresses is a big improvement over the crusty “whaddya have” of yore.

It all happens amidst vintage, “Wall of Fame” photos of showbiz stars that recall the films and TV shows shot at the original Carnegie like “Broadway Danny Rose.” There’s thankfully no music of the cliched “New York, New York” school, but jazz standards like Horace Silver’s “Song For My Father” and numerous Miles Davis classics.

They’re sweet notes for Seventh Avenue in the 50s that’s still recovering from COVID-19.  The former Wellington Hotel is being demolished for a fancy new inn. Restaurants such as Petrossian, Redeye Grill, Rosie O’Grady’s and Molyvos are gone.

The Carnegie revival — not to be confused with unrelated Midtown places called Carnegie Diner — could  have been a fake-nostalgia stinker. The original Carnegie Deli sign over the entrance and the wall photos  would mean zip if the food poorly channeled the past.

The LuLac Edition #5, 772, September 19th, 2026

 

MAYBE I'M AMAZED

Our” Maybe I’m Amazed” logo

FOOTBALL SEASON

NOTRE DAME

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….. The Fighting Irish have played in blue jerseys with gold helmets and highlights for much of their history. Key team symbols include their fight song, the "Notre Dame Victory March", and the Notre Dame Leprechaun mascot. Former Judge Joe Cosgrove of Pittston was once a Notre Dame mascot.

MAYBE I'M AMAZED....Irish assistant Knute Rockne became head coach in 1918. During his 13 years, the Irish won three national championships, had five undefeated seasons, won the Rose Bowl in 1925, and produced players such as George Gipp and the "Four Horsemen"  Rockne's offenses employed the Notre Dame Box and his defenses ran a 7–2–2 scheme.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that George Gipp and Curley Lambeau were in Rockne’s backfield.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……Gipp died at age 25 on December 14, 1920, just two weeks after Walter Camp elected him as Notre Dame's first All-American. Gipp likely contracted strep throat and pneumonia while giving punting lessons after his final game on November 20 against Northwestern. Since antibiotics were not available in the 1920s, treatment options for such infections were limited and they could be fatal even to young, healthy individuals. Rockne was speaking to Gipp on his hospital bed when he was purported to have delivered the famous "Win one for the Gipper" line.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED………The national champion 1924 team included the "Four Horsemen" backfield of Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley, and Elmer Layden The line was known as the "Seven Mules". The Irish capped an undefeated, 10–0 season with a victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……Sleepy Jim" Crowley played halfback from 1922 to 1924. After a brief career as a professional football player, Crowley turned to coaching. He served as the head football coach at Michigan State College from 1929 to 1932, at Fordham University from 1933 to 1941 and at the North Carolina Pre-Flight School in 1942, compiling a career college football record of 86–23–11. Crowley also coached the Chicago Rockets of the All-America Football Conference in 1947. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1966. Jim was a native of Scranton.

MAYBEI’M AMAZED……that after playing a few games with the Packers, Crowley went on to coaching, In 1939, Crowley coached Fordham in the first-ever televised football game. The Rams defeated the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets by a score of 34–7.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….after Rockne, Former Saint Louis head coach Heartley "Hunk" Anderson was promoted from assistant coach and took the helm of the Irish after Knute Rockne's death, leading them to a record of 16 wins, nine losses, and two ties. Anderson was a former Irish player under Rockne and was serving as an assistant coach at the time of Rockne's death. Notre Dame finished 6–2–1 in 1931.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….Notre Dame has made 45 bowl game appearances, winning 23 and losing 21, with one game vacated.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..Notre Dame has rivalries with several universities. Although the Fighting Irish compete as an independent, they play a national schedule that includes annual or otherwise regularly scheduled rivalry games. Army, Boston College, Michigan, Michigan State, Navy, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Stanford, and USC are among Notre Dame's rivals.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that since the NFL began drafting players in 1936, 495 Notre Dame football players have been selected by NFL teams. Additionally, Notre Dame has had 65 players selected in the first round of the NFL draft, including five overall number one picks. Of the 46 Super Bowls competed, as of 2012, only 14 teams have won the event without an Irish player on the roster.  Looking at both participating team rosters, there have only been five Super Bowls that did not feature at least one former Notre Dame player on either team's roster – Denver vs. Atlanta, 1999; Dallas vs. Buffalo, 1994; Washington vs. Denver, 1988; Dallas vs. Denver, 1978; and Baltimore vs. Dallas, 1971. Eleven former players have won multiple Super Bowls: Mark Bavaro, Rocky Bleier, Nick Buoniconti, Eric Dorsey, Dave Duerson, David Givens, Terry Hanratty, Bob Kuechenberg, Joe Montana, Steve Sylvester and Justin Tuck.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..Notre Dame had several notable players and figures with ties to the University of Notre Dame have played for or coached the Green Bay Packers throughout the franchise's history.Prominent Packers Who Played for Notre DamePlayer PositionNotre Dame Era Packers Career / Curly Lambeau Founder / Player-CoachPlayed under Knute Rockne Co-founded the Packers in 1919 after attending Notre Dame

.Paul HornungRunning Back / Quarterback1956 Heisman Trophy WinnerDrafted No. 1 overall in 1957; key star of the 1960s Lombardi championship teams

.Aaron BanksOffensive Lineman2017–2020Drafted by the Packers in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Equanimeous St. BrownWide Receiver College standout Selected by Green Bay

 in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.Dorsey  Levens Running BackPlayed at ND / Georgia Tech Drafted in 1994; won Super Bowl XXXI and made the Pro Bowl with Green Bay

.Derrick Mayes Wide Receiver All-American honors Drafted in the second round of th. 

The LuLac Edition #5, 771, September 17th, 2026

 

TRUMP GOES NUTS ON

THE SUPREMES

President Donald Trump ranted against the Supreme Court on Truth Social Tuesday after the justices rejected his administration's attempt to overhaul mail-in ballot voting procedures just weeks before the midterm elections.

The Supreme Court's ruling prevents the administration from forcing states to adopt standardized envelope designs and online voter eligibility lists under threat of having the Postal Service refuse ballot delivery.

Trump-appointed justices Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch voted with the majority to reject the request, while conservative justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas publicly dissented.

In his post, Trump condemned the justices he appointed as being “a shell of their original selves” and accused the high court of being “bullied and cajoled by the Radical Left into making decisions that have set America back at least a hundred years.”

The exaggeration. The pettiness. The absurdity is still breathtaking. Did he who uses mail in ballots really think this Supreme Court was going to sully their already shaky reputations by upending a scatter brained scheme two months before an election?

While the Department of Justice and the U.S. Postal Service claimed the rules aimed to standardize election mail, election officials nationwide warned the policy would grant the postal agency unconstitutional authority over election administration.

Trump calls Sam and Clarence legends, the rest GAGH BAGE!  

 

ARE WE READY FOR

THE 25^th

AMENDMENT

YET?

With Trump’s take on AI, people are wondering what his game is. President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about artificial intelligence on Truth Social, claiming the technology needs only a strong president rather than regulatory guardrails.

Trump labeled opposition to AI and data centers as a conspiracy, ignoring warnings and calls for safety measures from major industry leaders.

The president used his posting spree to address gas prices, defense reports, and political opponents while reiterating promises of a $5,000 dividend for voters.

Trump's refusal to consider AI regulation sparked renewed demands from critics and commentators to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll found that 57 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of artificial intelligence.

 

 

STATEMENT FROM RACHEL WALLACE ON SCHUYLKILL COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTING CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE

POTTSVILLE, P.A. – Following the Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce’s announcement that the Chamber will host a debate in the lead-up to this November’s election in PA-09, Rachel Wallace released the following statement today:

“Dan Meuser has a lot to answer for, from his votes to raise our health care costs and to end local control on data centers to his stock portfolio outperforming Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

“Since Dan Meuser has never held a town hall and doesn’t live in our Congressional district, this is a rare opportunity for people to actually see him and hear his explanation for why he votes against the interests of our part of Pennsylvania.

“I look forward to sharing my vision for lowering costs, fighting fraud and corruption, and bringing people together to solve local problems in this debate.”

 

TRUMP SAYS HIS $5,000 DIVIDEND CHECKS FOR EVERY AMERICAN ADULT ARE ‘100 PERCENT’ HAPPENING

The president claims he can dole out the money without congressional approval, despite Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson saying otherwise

President Donald Trump claims his offer to give $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans keep control of Congress is "100 percent" on track — and that he knows “exactly how” to come up with the budget-busting amount of cash.

Trump was pressed by reporters about the proposal — which Democrats have called an attempt to bribe voters ahead of November's midterm elections — before leaving Ireland, where he attended a golf tournament at his D

“The $5,000 checks are going forward,” he said Sunday at Shannon Airport in County Clare.

When asked if he way to fund the plan, Trump insisted, “I know exactly how we’re going to pay it” before quickly changing the subject.

“You know, it’s interesting on that because everybody said that the great Big Beautiful Bill will never happen. It happened. They said that the 1776 for the military — $1,776 — would never happen. And it happened. They were paid,” the president said. “And now they say, ‘Oh, the $5,000.’ The $5,000 is going to happen, 100 percent.”

At one point, Trump boasted that the U.S. was “taking in so much money in so different ways, including the tariffs,” which experts say are fueling inflation, as is his war against Iran, now in its seventh month.

The president also said he didn't want to give Americans the money before the elections because if Democrats win, “our country will be in shambles and they won’t be able to do it.”

“If the Democrats get in, they won’t be able to pay it. With me — I’ve always made money. Now I make a lot of money for the country,” said Trump, who reported at least $2.2 billion in income while in office last year.

Experts have said Trump's proposed payments would total more than $1.2 trillion, on top of a fiscal 2026 budget deficit that the Treasury Department pegs at nearly $2 trillion.

During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union that preceded Trump’s remarks, Johnson called the one-time payments “a creative idea” that “got a lot of people excited.”

“Of course, the devil's in the details. We have to figure all that out,” he said. “But I think what he was articulating there...is that he's saying that, if you want more money in your pocket, you have to keep Republicans in charge.”

 

WHAT CAN 33.4

BILLION DOLLARS BUY?

Restoration to Medicaid cuts, SNAP benefits, maybe a sane Health Care plan? Well because of this Iran war, the Trump administration is doing what he did best as a “businessman”.

BANKRUPTING OUR DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

A Department of Defense inspector general report revealed that President Donald Trump's Operation Epic Fury assault on Iran cost $33.4 billion in its first four months.

The military campaign spent $22.3 billion on munitions alone, resulting in strategic inventory shortfalls and industrial resupply bottlenecks.

Iranian retaliatory strikes destroyed four F-15E fighter jets and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones, while damaging an F-35A jet and several other aircraft.

Defense experts warned that depleted long-range missile stockpiles could pose severe readiness risks in a long-term conflict with China.

The ongoing military operation has caused at least 18 U.S. military deaths, injured over 750 service members, and inflicted $184 million in damage on U.S. diplomatic premises.

Let that sink in.

 

 

KASH, KENNEDY AND BESTIALITY?

 

When I first started LuLac after twenty years ago, I never dreamed I’d be using the word bestiality in any story. But here I am doing exactly that thanks to Kasah Patel and Senator John Kennedy.  FBI Director Kash Patel defended changes to the bureau's hiring standards during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, arguing that the policy revisions were designed to ensure victims of human trafficking and abuse are not automatically barred from serving in law enforcement.

Patel faced pointed questions from Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, about reports that the FBI had modified rules governing applicants with histories involving prostitution, human trafficking and bestiality-related incidents. Patel faced pointed questions from both Democratic and Republican members on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday about the apparent staffing crisis at the bureau, including from GOP Senator John Kennedy, who explicitly asked, “You’re not telling us today that if a human being had sex with an animal, that they can still be an FBI agent?”

No, Patel said. He argued that newly loosened hiring standards are meant to protect survivors of human trafficking and people who were forced into acts of bestiality, not open the agency to offenders.

“All of this stuff has really hurt the FBI. It’s really hurt the FBI,” Kennedy said. “Why would you, in light of the context, and what we’re going through — we’re having a hard time attracting agents, good quality agents we all can trust, because so many people, fairly or unfairly, think in order you have to be an FBI agent now, your political point of view matters. Why would you even get into bestiality?”

Patel then tried to answer before the senator offered an example.

“If Joe participated in bestiality, not as the animal but as the human, don’t you think he oughta be disqualified?” Kennedy said.

Patel said that person would be disqualified from the bureau if they “voluntarily” engaged in bestiality, but not if they were trafficked.

How do you involuntarily do it?” asked Kennedy, who suggested that the hiring language was recommended to Patel by other FBI employees.

“I say this with respect,” Kennedy said. “The person who recommended it, why didn’t you just say, ‘What planet did you parachute from?’”

The investigation, launched by top Democrats on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, follows a letter to Patel from Republican Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, who demanded that the FBI director answer questions about luxury cars, his use of government aircraft and whether he reimbursed taxpayers for personal travel.

 

GOVERNOR SHAPIRO ATTENDS AFSCME CHAPTER 13'S RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OF PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION, HIGHLIGHTS FIRST COLA INCREASE FOR PENNSYLVANIA'S RETIREES IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS

Governor Shapiro Delivers Remarks at the AFSCME Retiree Chapter 13 Annual Convention

Governor Josh Shapiro joined AFSCME retirees at Best Western Premier The Central Hotel and Conference Center in Harrisburg to highlight the first cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for pre-Act 9 retirees - public servants like teachers, local law enforcement, and firefighters who retired before 2001 - since 2002. Secured by the Governor in the 2026-27 budget, this COLA will ensure these public servants can enjoy the retirement they have earned and deserve after decades of service.

 

MEDIA MATTERS 

 

ALI, SHADOE, 

 

GRECO, MY FRIENDS AND 

 

IN DEER LAKE

An exclusive local sports documentary titled "In This Corner - Deer Lake" exploring Muhammad Ali's legacy in Pennsylvania is currently streaming on the WNEP-TV Channel 16 app (WNEP+) and at WNEP.com. I had the opportunity to attend a showing of the film last night in Wilkes-Barre.

The film chronicles Ali’s camp in Schuylkill County where he trained for his championship fights. The film is a gem featuring 3 of Ali’s daughters who said that they were all  inspired by his effort to be the best. A comprehensive interview with local entrepreneur Thom Greco whose relationship with The Champ dates back to 1971 and never before seen interviews with Ali.

Here’s me with the brainchild behind this project, Shadoe Steele, aka Rusty Fender among other aliases and Mr. Greco.

I had a wonderful time sitting with Mrs. Pat Murman and her daughter Christa from Duryea,. We reminisced about the Junction, the Holy Rosary church, Shadoe’s/Rusty’s daily nutritional meals, and Duryea today. So glad to catch up with them.

There’s the brainchild in action enthusiastic  as always,   Representative Jim Haddock and me, and a clip of Kevin Lynn whose sports coverage of Ali was significant and prominently  mentioned in the film.

 

 

 TIME TO FALL FOR WVIA AGAIN 

This week WVIA radio is doing their pledge drive.  Public Media has become part of the fabric of the media scene. WVIA programming is informational, entertaining and timely.

You can help by joining the Insider Society, $84.00 a month. Your investment of $1,000 plus will keep the news coming and the station thriving in spite of funding cuts from the current.

Or you can do a monthly investment of  $120.00 AYEAR OR $10.00 a month and get a 60th anniversary. WVIA Public Media hat. Here I am with Nora Dillion with said hat.

 

WVIA NEWS 

 

WALN

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River.

 

THE LAURIE CADDEN SHOW

Tune in every Saturday morning at 9am for The Laurie Cadden Show on WILK FM 103.1 and AM 980 and 910. Laurie’s program has been a northeastern Pennsylvania mainstay every Saturday. Tune in to hear her insights and take on local issues as well as entertaining and informative interviews.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

 

BEATLE EDD’S FAB FOUR MUSIC HOUR

Tune in every week to the Home of Rock and Roll for a jam packed, unpredictable hour starting at 9am Sundays. Host Edd Raineri gives you facts and great music from the immortal Fab Four on ROCK 107.

 

THE LULAC TIME MACHINE

STAR TREK @ 60

September 1966

Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry and owned by Paramount, which began with the series of the same name and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. Since its creation, the franchise has expanded into various films, television series, video games, novels, and comic books, and it has become one of the most recognizable and highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

The franchise began with Star Trek (The Original Series), which premiered on September 6, 1966, on Canada's CTV network.[4] In the United States, it debuted on September 8, 1966, on NBC. The series followed the voyages and crew of the starship USS Enterprise, a space exploration vessel built by the United Federation of Planets in the 23rd century, on a mission "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before". In creating Star Trek, Roddenberry was inspired by C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series of novels, Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel Gulliver's Travels, the 1956 film Forbidden Planet, and television westerns such as Wagon Train.

The Star Trek canon includes The Original Series, several subsequent television series, and a film franchise; further adaptations also exist in expanded media. After the conclusion of The Original Series, the adventures of its characters continued in The Animated Series, and six feature films. A television revival beginning in the late 1980s and concluding in the mid 2000s saw four spinoff series: The Next Generation, following the crew of a new starship Enterprise a century after the original series; Deep Space Nine and Voyager, both set in the same era as the Next Generation; and Enterprise, set a century before the original series in the early days of human interstellar travel. The adventures of the Next Generation crew continued in four additional feature films. In 2009, the film franchise underwent a reboot, creating an alternate continuity known as the Kelvin timeline; three films have been set in this continuity. The most recent Star Trek revival began streaming on digital platforms in 2017 with series set at various points in the original continuity: Discovery (seasons 1–2) and Strange New Worlds set before The Original Series; anthology series Short Treks; Picard, Lower Decks and Prodigy set during or after the Next Generation era; and Discovery (seasons 3–5) and Starfleet Academy set in the 32nd century.

Star Trek has been a cult phenomenon for decades. Fans of the franchise are called "Trekkies" or "Trekkers". The franchise spans a wide range of spin-offs including games, figurines, novels, toys, and comics. From 1998 to 2008, there was a Star Trek–themed attraction in Las Vegas. At least two museum exhibits of props travel the world. The constructed language Klingon was created for the franchise. Several Star Trek parodies have been made, and viewers have produced several fan productions.

Star Trek is noted for its cultural influence beyond works of science fiction. The franchise is also notable for its progressive stances on civil rights. The Original Series included one of the first multiracial casts on American television.

In early 1964, Roddenberry presented a brief treatment for a television series to Desilu Productions, calling it "a Wagon Train to the stars". Desilu studio head Lucille Ball was instrumental in approving production of the series. The studio worked with Roddenberry to develop the treatment into a script, which was then pitched to NBC.

NBC paid to make a pilot, "The Cage", starring Jeffrey Hunter as Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike. NBC rejected "The Cage", but the executives were still impressed with the concept and made the unusual decision to commission a second pilot: "Where No Man Has Gone Before".

While the show initially enjoyed high ratings, the average rating of the show at the end of its first season dropped to 52nd out of 94 programs. Unhappy with the show's ratings, NBC threatened to cancel the show during its second season. The show's fan base, led by Bjo Trimble, conducted an unprecedented letter-writing campaign, petitioning the network to keep the show on the air. NBC renewed the show, but moved it from primetime to the "Friday night death slot", and substantially reduced its budget. In protest, Roddenberry resigned as producer and reduced his direct involvement in Star Trek, which led to Fred Freiberger becoming producer for the show's third and final season. Despite another letter-writing campaign, NBC canceled the series after three seasons and 79 episodes.

But the popularity continued in syndication and this cancelled series spawned thirteen television series make up the Star Trek franchise: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Short Treks, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, Strange New Worlds, and Starfleet Academy. All series in total amount to 968 episodes across 52 seasons of television. Then thee were the movies and the conventions. To this day Star Trek is part of pop culture as well as American history but in September 1966 the number one song in LuLac land and America was “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes.