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Month: March 2008

Shakespeare & Eliot Sptizer

Shakespeare & Eliot Sptizer

P.I. Columnist Chi-Dooh Li recently wrote about "arrogance and infallibility" referring to New York former governor Eliot Spitzer and others. In discussing hypocrisy, Li referred to Shake speare’s measure for Measure. The play involves a character, Angelo, who rigidly enforces morality laws while secretly carrying on in an immoral way. It does have some wonderful lines about hypocrisy: "O, what may man within him hide, though angel on the outward side!" Again, in Act III Shakespeare writes: "The jury, passing…

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THE LONELY QUEEN OF THE NORTH -The German Battleship Tirpitz

THE LONELY QUEEN OF THE NORTH -The German Battleship Tirpitz

The German battleship Tirpitz was launched in 1939. In World War II she was sent to Norway to be used to attack naval commerce of allied shipping in the North Atlantic. She was regarded as a serious threat by the British and their allies to supply shipping which was vital to the British in particular. The Germans moored the ship in a narrow fjord where underwater nets were rigged to prevent submarines from entering and anti aircraft guns protected her…

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SEN. JOHN McCAIN, NOT CONTENT WITH IRAQ FIGHTING RATTLES THE SWORD ABOUT IRAN

SEN. JOHN McCAIN, NOT CONTENT WITH IRAQ FIGHTING RATTLES THE SWORD ABOUT IRAN

Today’s Seattle PI editorial comment on Iran is on point regarding the increasing drum beat regarding Iran. As it points out, on Sunday Face the Nation Sen. Lindsey Graham called Iran "The cancer of the Mideast" and Republican hopeful Sen. John McCain, has repeatedly blurred the lines between al-Qaida in Iraq with Iran. We forget the history of America’s role in that region. As the comment notes, we orchestrated the coup in Iran overthrowing an elected leader and re-installed the…

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SWINDOLL’S BOOK OF STORIES

SWINDOLL’S BOOK OF STORIES

Charles R. Swindoll has collected stories and quotes in his book The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart. He talks about a story from Robert Coleman’s book Written in Blood involving a young girl who had a disease and needed a transfusion of some of her brother’s blood to overcome it. The doctor explained the need to the young boy and asked "Would you be willing to give your blood to your sister?" The boy hesitated a minute and said: "Yes,…

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FRED McFEELY ROGERS & PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED US IN LIFE

FRED McFEELY ROGERS & PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED US IN LIFE

Christopher de Vinck has written an interesting article about the late children’s TV host Fred Rogers in the March 21st edition of the National Catholic Reporter. Fred McFeely Rogers, who died February 27, 2003 had been the host of an internationally successful children’s television show Mr Rogers Neighborhood. What I didn’t know was that he was also an ordained Presbyterian minister. I had remembered reading somewhere that Rogers had been a Marine and war hero, but this turns out to…

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The Country Humor of Jimmy Dean

The Country Humor of Jimmy Dean

I’ve finished an easily read book Jimmy Dean’s Own Story which does not represent an intellectual challenge, but which has it’s amusing moments. He’s subtitled it "Thirty Years of Sausage, Fifty Years of Ham." Some passages I thought worth repeating include his comment about having been brought up in the Seth Ward Baptist Church in a small town in Texas. He said about that religious experience: "I’ve always maintained that being a Baptist won’t keep you from sinnin’ but it’ll…

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COMPELLING AND INFORMATIVE TALKS

COMPELLING AND INFORMATIVE TALKS

Two of the talks at the legal convention we are attending were particularly notable. One was by James Comey who is now Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Lockeed Martin Corporation. He is a the former Deputy Attorney General of the U.S. and former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He was responsible for prosecutions of the mob and for high profile white collar crime such as Enron and Martha Stewart. A very bright and entertaining…

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OBSERVATIONS OF A TRAVELER

OBSERVATIONS OF A TRAVELER

Lita and I are in Maui attending the annual International Society of Barristers convention. We arrived last Friday. I attend the morning talks and we drop in to the social affairs, but are really just relaxing after the trial. So, here are some random observations so far The first night we attending a welcome cocktail party and were introduced to a couple from Washington D.C. He told us that he had worked for the CIA for some six years and…

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THE JURY DELIVERS A VERDICT OF JUSTICE

THE JURY DELIVERS A VERDICT OF JUSTICE

After 5 weeks of trial and four days of deliberation the jury delivered it’s verdict for $40,100,000 for the family as well as a verdict of damages for the hospital where the heart by pass surgery took place. It correctly found that the Edwards Life sciences Corporation should be punished and an example set. It reviewed the massive amount of exhibits and considered the weeks of testimony during a careful consideration of the case before deciding the result. This is…

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AN INSPIRING STORY OF GRATITUDE

AN INSPIRING STORY OF GRATITUDE

Reporter Charles Hanley has written a fascinating story about a WW II incident that is worth repeating. Fred Hargesheimer, who is now 91 years old was a 27 year old pilot in the Southwest Pacific during WW II. On June 5, 1943 he was flying a photo reconnaissance mission when suddenly a Japanese plane approached from the rear with bullets firing. The left engine on his plane burst into flames & quit. He yanked on the release but the canopy…

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