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Month: December 2008

WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST AND THE CISTERCIAN ABBEY

WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST AND THE CISTERCIAN ABBEY

The National Catholic Reporter (http://ncronline3.org/drupal/ on December 12th had an article by Margot Patterson about the Trappist Monks who are rebuilding a Spanish abbey stone by Stone in Vina, California. The unusual part of the story is that it involves the reconstruction of the Cistercian abbey which had been located near Madrid, Spain at Santa Maria de Ovila and which was purchased by William Randolph Hearst. This abbey was built between 1190 and 1210. The monks carved the stone and built the abbey in Moorish Spain….

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EPILOGUE TO THE CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE

EPILOGUE TO THE CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE

We had another night of rough seas getting to San Maarten. The worst of the seas yet. There were winds the whole week we were on the ship. The food and the service on the Seabourn is like none on any ship we have been on. It is beyond excellent. The places they stopped at before arriving at Stan Maarten I would have paid not to visit they were of such little interest. But, we missed the snow, had a good time…

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REPORT FROM ANTIQUA AND THE SEABOURNE

REPORT FROM ANTIQUA AND THE SEABOURNE

We are in Antigua tied to the pier after another night of rolling and tossing in rough seas. It was formal night and to negotiate the ship you needed to hang on. So it was a group of people in tuxedos and elegant dress staggering around like intoxicated people.  Across from us is a very large Carnival line ship the Victory. I assume they have already disgorged hundreds of people into this small port town. We are at St John’s…

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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE SEABOURN PRIDE DECEMBER 25, 2008

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE SEABOURN PRIDE DECEMBER 25, 2008

Merry Christmas to all from the island of Jost Van Dyke in the Caribbean. A small island with only a handful of residents it features "Foxies" a well known bar frequented by boaters in the area, a police station and a few wooden building offering food and tee shirts. There is electricity and a paved road, but little else. The bay is filled with visiting boats as this is a favorite unspoiled place for boaters to visit. We are at…

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CHRISTMAS EVE ON THE SEABOURN PRIDE DECEMBER 24, 2008

CHRISTMAS EVE ON THE SEABOURN PRIDE DECEMBER 24, 2008

  The trip from Grand Turk to St. John in the U.S. Virgin islands was unpleasant. Strong winds created large waves and the sea was alive with white caps everywhere. The vessel rolled and pitched as the waves hit her from every angle. Our speed was reduced but it was still necessary to hold on when walking. We were able to eat dinner and make it back to our room holding on to the rails along the wall. Sleep was…

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ON BOARD THE SEABOURN PRIDE

ON BOARD THE SEABOURN PRIDE

Monday December 22, 2008 we tied to the dock at Grand Turk, Caribbean islands. We sailed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the Seabourn Pride departing Saturday about 5:00 pm on a Christmas in the Caribbean to arrive at this island. The ship was built in 1988 in Germany and is 439 feet long with a 63-foot beam. Her top speed is 18 knots driven by 10,000 horsepower diesel engines. She has room for only 212 passengers and the crew numbers…

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GLAD WE ARE IN PALM BEACH AND NOT SEATTLE

GLAD WE ARE IN PALM BEACH AND NOT SEATTLE

I am feeling smug about the fact that we are in Palm Beach Florida reading about the cold and snow storm back home. From our balcony I see people in the ocean swimming and others around the pool. On my computer I’ve watched the video of traffic problems, closures and bad weather. We were supposed to fly out on Friday, but as the reports got worse about what was expected we instead took the red eye at 11:30 at night…

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ABSOLUTELY NOBODY AND OTHE POLITICAL MAVERICKS

ABSOLUTELY NOBODY AND OTHE POLITICAL MAVERICKS

In 1993 Absolutely Nobody died. That is, David Powers died in Oakland, California. You see in 1991 Powers legally changed his name to "Absolutely Nobody" and then ran for Lieutenant Governor of Washington State. His central theme was that the position was unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer money. The one time manager of a Winchell’s doughnut shop was working for a U-Rent when he ran for the office. Powers said that  "My friends and I got to talking last…

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KAMIKAZE PILOTS AND THE USS INDIANAOPOLIS

KAMIKAZE PILOTS AND THE USS INDIANAOPOLIS

I’ve just started a book In Harm’s Way a book about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis written by Doug Stanton. The book was made into a movie by the same title. It was directed by Otto Preminger and starred John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Patricia Neal. The book discusses Kamikaze attacks. For an excellent summary of the history of Kamikaze pilots see Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze The term "kamikaze" can be translated "God wind," "God speed," "light wind," or "Divine wind," but…

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DECEMBER 7, 1941 PEARL HARBOR IS BOMBED AND AMERICA ENTERS WORLD WAR II

DECEMBER 7, 1941 PEARL HARBOR IS BOMBED AND AMERICA ENTERS WORLD WAR II

On this day,December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor Hawaii and America entered World War II. I remember the day very well. It was a Sunday and I was in grade school. The war is so very real to me because it happened during my childhood and the memories are clear. So many young men and women too, lost their lives. It was such a huge matter that it enveloped the entire country, the people and the news. It…

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