In 1934 the first Master tournament was held. It was so new it wasn’t even called the Masters. Two co-founders, Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones, disagreed on the name and it ended up being called the "Augusta National Invitation Tournament." It was played under that name through 1938 and the next year became known as "The Masters." In 1934 Horton Smith won the tournament. He was nicknamed "the Missouri Rover" and he beat Craig Wood by only one stroke at…
You’ve probably read or heard about the "cathedral of Junk" in Austin, Texas. I happened to be listening to public radio http://www.npr.org/ when an interview with the creator, Vince Hannemann, age 47, was broadcast. I hadn’t heard about it before the broadcast, but it was unusual enough I thought I’d check the internet about it. In an article in Roadside America http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/7816 it says that this arrangement of junk is in Hannermann’s back yard and was constructed over time using…
There has been a flood of international allegations of priest sexual abuse in the news. Allegations of clergy sexual abuse began making the news in 1985 and since then the allegations have waxed and waned until the latest European complaints have surfaced. What makes the German allegations significant is the role played by the present pope, Benedict. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and in his previous position as an archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1981, Benedict played a central role…
A well written commentary entitled Strange Bedfellows by Chris Grygiel was published at the Seattle PI Blogs http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/199041.asp March 22nd. It dealt with the ill-advised political decision of the Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna to join a lawsuit to block the comprehensive health care bill passed by the House. The governor responded to his attempt to try to sabotage the law by saying: "I completely disagree with the Attorney General's decision and he does not represent me," the governor said. "This…
I've previously written about Allison Fisher, know among pool professionals as "the duchess of doom" for an exertaordinary playing ability (October 2006) Now there is "the black widow," Jeanette Lee. She won a gold medal in American pocket billiards in the 2001 World Games in Japan and since thjen has won titles and awards in some thirty national and international contests. Born in Brooklyn in 1971, Lee is half Korean standing 5'8" tall with beauty that has caused her to be named…
My sister, Phyllis Ennes has created a book of recipe’s using our mother Mary Babarovich Luvera's collection, Mary Luvera's Kitchen. It was a family labor of love involving my sister Anita Luvera Mayer and others including Phyllis's two daughters, Dorothy Ennes and Martha Ennes, my daughter Susan Chiabai and even my son Nick Luvera. There was a very limited printing of the book intended for the family primarily, but there are some extra copies available. It may not be of interest to…
My father in law, Hollis Barnett died on March 22nd 1990. He was a unique and wonderful man. You can read about his extraordinary wife Betty Barnett and more about this couple who I grew to love very much. https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2009/12/betty-and-hollis-barnett.html.html On the anniversary of Hollis's death I offer these remembrances. Hollis Hall Barnett died in Puyallup, Washington on March 22, 1990 at the age of 83. Hollis was born in Buckley, Washington on May 3, 1907 and spent his younger years at Mt. Rainier National Park…
I hope I am not violating a copyright or personal ownership ethic, but our friends Pat Kennedy and his wife Fawn (Janet) Liddle write so descriptively of their adventure travels that I thought they ought to be shared. They live close to the entrance to Mount Raineer National Park and each year they go on a new adventure. They should write a book they do such a good job of taking you there. Here is their last e-mail from India: March…
Clearly, across the country, there is one primary concern among people and that's the economy: Jobs and taxes. Until that is the main focus and dealt with in a way that is seen as forceful leadership, it's political death for incumbents. George H.W. Bush was seen as unbeatable in 1992, when James Carville coined the phrase "It’s the economy, stupid." Carville posted a sign at campaign headquarters in Little Rock that said: "The economy, stupid" along with other slogans. That…
In my continuing list of people I would like to have known, but never met, here's a man I wish I had known. I am struck by the story of the unique life of this man I had never heard about until I read the following obituary. Imagine a husband and wife being sent to Auschwitz in two separate camps, yet both surviving and then being reunited. What a wonderful and unique outcome. And, that is in addition to his achievement of his…
