Unless you are as old as I am I'll bet you've never heard of "Wrong Way, Corrigan." About 76 years ago, on July 17, 1938 at 5:15 AM a 31 year old pilot, Douglas Corrigan, climbed into the cockpit of his airplane and flew from Brooklyn New York for Los Angeles. At least he had reported before leaving that Los Angeles was his destination that morning. Instead a little after takeoff the plane turned sharply over the Atlantic ocean and disappeared into…
The tragic loss of the Malaysian airplane brings us face to face with death. We are all familar with death in some form whether it is a friend, spouse, family member or even a loved pet. Unfortunately, the kind of support the survivor gets from family and well intentioned people isn't helpful. Sometimes people think they are doing a favor by encouraging the survivor to get over the death and move on, but they have no idea what that person…
My maternal grandfather Peter (Petar) Babarovich was born April 12, 1861 in the village of Splitska on the island of Brac in the Adriatic Sea. He died in Anacortes, Washington March 5, 1935 see: https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2012/03/peter-babarovich-1861-1935.htm I was born on February 21, 1935 and he died on March 5th of that year. I had no opportunity to know this unique man. He and my grandmother had seven children all of whom, except my mother Mary, were born in on a small island Brac off the…
I am in the process of going through old files in an effort to become organized. What follows are some of the thoughts found in the materials. Maybe something here will entertain or even educate you. I found then worth saving. In June 1994 Parade magazine carried an interview of the late actor Robert Mitchum. When asked about his past reputation he didn't apologize. Instead he said: "Hey, I live way I wish. There are always people who will object….
In November of 2002 the New York Times published a story about two women in rural Alabama who were killed in a head on collision on a clear dry afternoon on highway 25. Traveling at 60 mph they died instantly, but their passengers survived. One of the drivers was Sheila Wentworth who had left her home at 4 pm on Sunday with her nephew heading North on highway 25. By coincidence, the other driver, Dorris Hall, left her home at 4:00 PM as well…
Dr. Dexter Johnson was an internationally recognized radiologist born December 6, 1931 and died February 4, 2003. He graduated from the University of Washington medical school. He began as a general practice physician in Lynden plus residency time on the medical staff at the old State mental hospital in Sedro Woolley. He did a residency in radiology at Mayo's and practiced in Montana for several years until moving back to Seattle. We were close friends who both worked on purse seine fishing…
i'm writing this on Super Bowl Sunday so here are some facts you could easily live without ever knowing about them, but I'll share them anyway. Did you know that in the 1960s Congress granted the NFL a tax exempt status? Section 501 (C) (6) of the Internal Revenue Code provided a tax exemption. It applied to "business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, and professional football leagues." According to the Arizona Republic newspaper Pro football is the most popular…
Today, January 24th, is the annversary of the death of a great coach and mentor to me, William Taylor. I've published a full account of my high school relationship to this great coach and his profound influence in my life: https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/01/william-taylor.html Many of us can point to one person or perhaps several people who played significant roles in our life. People who made the difference at a tipping point in our lives. Someone whose words or actions changed our attitude…
There is a website that has some inspriational stories http://www.thestoreofinspiration.com Here's one that has particular meaning to me at age seventy nine (in February): A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward my basement ham radio shack. What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it. I turned the dial-up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in…
Today's post has no real purpose except to publish some notes I've made while reading before I lose them. Nothing profound here, but some are interesting or amusing perhaps. Here are a few of the notes: "I married beneath me – all women do." Lady Nancy Astor If you have wondered where the expression "crossing the Rubicon," referring to decisions of great significance originated, it's from Roman history. Julius Caesar made his military reputation with his campaigns in Gaul and became a popular hero. However, back in…
