The LuLac Edition #463, April 18th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: WILK'S STEVE CORBETT, POPE BENEDICT XVITH AND OUR 1968 LOGO.

THE FUTURE OF BLOGS

The grand old man of all local blogs, Wilkes-Barre Online did a review of the local blogs still standing. There is a perception in this area, and it is a true one that there are many political blogs. But most have started rapidly and then ended just as fast. There is talk that blogging is just going to be a passing fad and if you look at the entire spectrum of dead blogs out there, you might be right. But five are still standing and I’m proud to count myself as one of them. I took a different approach to the science, having had a newspaper, radio and TV background as well as a Major in Communications and Government. My concept was to comment, mildly provoke and educate. Wilkes Barre Online reviewed all of us recently and as always I thank him for his candor, honesty and erudition. Here’s what he had to say about us, the last ones seemingly standing on our own without a radio station or newspaper behind us:
Lu Lac comments the political goings-on in two counties, which is no small task. And he’s also the local political historian. His “1968” posts remind me every time that I was correct in ignoring politics until my thirties. Different time, different name, very similar results. He’s opinionated, but never mean-spirited.
Then there’s Gort. Frankly, he’s way too partisan for my tastes, but he can be objective when he’s not repeating talking points. He tries to make nice with those who visit his site and he demands some civility and decorum from his readers when they leave comments. He’s a dinosaur, in that, he’d have to be called a responsible blogger. But he needs to admit the error of his sporting ways and kneel before my New York Football Giants helmet.
Another Monkey? A breath of fresh air these days. Not limited to one or a few topics. Thing is, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into when you visit this site. Today it’s politics. Tomorrow music. Then next day it’s the Carpenter Bees terrorizing him in the backyard. And the very next it might be how beautiful it can be when celestial bodies collide, or how his car sucks. Very prolific and talented writer.
Things at Kings is almost indescribable. It’s eclectic, it’s memories on parade and it’s observations from the front window when the snow flies. Never controversial, but always there.
Kayak Dude’s site is devoted to Don’s passion--The Susquehanna River--and a few other related topics on occasion. He’s a smart guy, a tireless guy, a well-read guy and a very reasonable guy. Just don’t go throwing any sort of illogic at his beloved river, though. Ain’t gonna float.
One he missed was Rant, here’s his link: http://zenspoliticalrants.blogspot.com/.
My mission, coming up on two years this May 6th and close to 500 editions, is to be fair, original, educational and opinionated. The fairness comes from my days in news in radio. Original for me is to share my thoughts trying to filter the combination of newspaper, cable TV, Radio talk show hosts, other bloggers and the endless stream of e mail press releases. Education means trying to put things in local historical perspective, in effect saying that if we ignore our political history, we are doomed to repeat it. Opinion is simply my beliefs that I’m sure will find more disagreement than unanimity. But I wouldn’t trade some of my reader’s comments for anything. They are almost as funny, talented and gifted as all the other bloggers listed above, excluding myself.

WVIA’S ELECTION SHOW

Bill Kelly hosted “A State of Pennsylvania” this week which featured 4 local journalists. The topic: “Election ’08, did the local media get it right?” They were Bill O’Boyle of the Times Leader, Borys Krawczeniuk of the Scranton Times, Coulter Jones of the Citizen’s Voice and Steve Corbett of WILK Radio. The show was interesting because Bill Kelly just sat back, asked probing but quick questions and let the boys rock and roll. Steve Corbett took him to task because there were no women on the panel. Corbett, a self proclaimed feminist (and only a former boxer can make that statement in the Hill neighborhood and still have his teeth) told Kelly he should’ve tried harder. I’m sure Mr. Kelly and his staff did, but a few names, Renita Fennick, Nancy Kman, Sue Henry, Jennifer Learnes Andes, Jill Knopka, and Bianca Barr might have been a start. Maybe the WVIA staff did not want to duplicate the companies represented. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt but at one point I thought the lack of a female presence reminded me of the old WDAU TV days where only “the men” weighed in on important issues. Bill O’Boyle was magnificent in the way he explained his role as a reporter as opposed to being a columnist. With refreshing honesty, he mentioned that trying to write an opinion column on the issues he covered as a reporter was “stressful”. His more less articulate and egocentric brethren would never make that statement. Krawczenuik proved why he is fast becoming at a young age the dean of local political reporting with his cogent comments. Coulter Jones, the youngest of the group in experience recounted his coverage of the 10th Congressional race which sparked a discussion about money in politics. Jones also said that bloggers just ran press releases and most times essentially did not vet or break news stories. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, okay, when bloggers print it after confirming three sources it's a rumor, when newspapers do the same it's an AP award? Kelly was wonderful in keeping the discussion focused on the issue at hand but I’m not sure we’ll get the answer to the show’s main topic, “did the local media get it right?” We’ll find out Tuesday. As a blogger (oh my, now where’s that darn press release from WVIA TV!!!!???) and political junkie, I enjoyed the show immensely. But I couldn’t help think of the old joke that if the Lord decided he was going to scoop up the panel, the studio audience and the entire WVIA building into paradise, the headline in the next day’s newspaper would be, “Steve Corbett and 50 others go to heaven”.

PB XVITH IN THE BRONX

Mrs. LuLac and I will be in the House that Ruth built Sunday to see Pope Benedict. I am struck by this Pope's willingness to embrace American Catholics and do something his predecessor did not do, apologize for the church sex scandal. We'll give you a full report on the event.

1968

Forty Years ago this week, Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford removes General William Westmoreland as Vietnam commander, kicking him upstairs to become Army chief of staff and replacing him with General Creighton Abrams…….. In the Pennsylvania primary, held on April 23rd, Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy carried the county with 11,041 votes, Presidential write in votes (McCarthy was the only one on the ballot) went to Robert Kennedy, 1161, Hubert Humphrey, 391, Lyndon Johnson, 224, George Wallace, 96, Richard Nixon, 29, Ronald Reagan, 2, and Barry Goldwater 1 on the Democratic side. On the GOP side, Richard Nixon had 940, Nelson Rockefeller, 387, Ronald Reagan, 76, William Scranton 22, John Lindsey, 16, Barry Goldwater ,4, Raymond Shafer, 2, and Charles Percy, 1. In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Congressman John Dent beat incumbent anti war Senator Joseph Clark in Luzerne County but Clark won statewide…..Grace Sloan beat back June Reynolds for State Treasurer and William Cercone beat John Hannum for Superior Court Judge. Robert Casey, Senior was unopposed for Auditor General. On the GOP side, Hannum beat Cercone for the Superior Court primary, insuring the two would face off in the general election. Richard Schweiker was unopposed in the GOP Senate primary as was Warner Depuy for Auditor General, and Frank Pasquerella for State Treasurer….in Luzerne County, Congressman Dan Flood won the primary on the Democratic side as did his fall foe, Stanley Bunn who captured the GOP nod……In the race for state reps, there was little primary opposition with Frank O’Connell beating back Quentin Walters in the 5th, now the 120th, and Democrat Fred Shupnik prevailing over Eugene Ziomek on the Democratic side in the old 4th, now the 119th…….Delegates elected to the GOP convention in Miami were John S. Fine and Margaret Sordoni, on the Democratic side, 4 were elected to go to Chicago, they were Michael Lyons, Sergio Bartoli, Lea Csala and Joseph P. Noterman…..in Wilkes Barre James McClellend, a native of Western Pa. was named head of the city recreation board…at St. John the Baptist school, a mock election was held for President among the 7th and 8th grade classes, winners were Robert Kennedy on the Democratic side while Nelson Rockefeller won the Republican vote….and forty years ago in America and LuLac land the number 1 song was that insipid ballad by Bobby Goldsboro, “Honey”. With regrets, from YOU TUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_O_KePRKfY.