We have just returned from a fishing trip to British Columbia, Canada. We stayed at the king Pacific Lodge which is floating hotel. It is, in fact, described as a luxury wilderness hotel on their website. The hotel is moored at Princess Royal Island and is a Rosewood resort hotel. Accessible only by float plane, the hotel is located within an area called The Great Bear Rainforest. It is about 56 miles South of Prince Rupert and close to Ketchikan,…
The Bush administration’s abysmal record regarding the Environmental Protection Agency has been consistently pro business and anti environment. I’ve reported on the gag orders, incompetent appointees and out and out suppression of scientific facts at this agency under this administration. See previous post: (https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/enviorment/index.htm) Now it has been revealed that the EPA has instructed it’s managers that they must refuse to talk to senate investigators, reporters or even the EPA’s own internal inspector(Http://seapttlepi.newsource.com/national/372626_epa29.html) The executive director of Public Employees for…
I have two extraordinary sisters, Phyllis Ennes and Anita Mayer, both of whom live in the town where we were born and grew up, Anacortes. They have both accomplished many wonderful things in their lives and both were recently involved in honors. Phyllis is receiving the 2008 Anacortes Patron of the Arts honor Friday July 25thand is featured in a front page article in the Anacortes American this week: http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/anacortes_patron_of_the_arts_ennes_efforts_still_inspiring_children/inspiring_children/ In 1973 she became the leader in advancing arts in…
Margaret Carlson (http://seattlepi.nwsouce.com/opinions/371647_carlson22.hml) has written in the Seattle PI about Gina Gray. She was the public affairs officer for Arlington National Cemetery who was first demoted and than fired for her activities in trying to ease restrictions preventing media coverage of burials for families of deceased soldiers. The three perpetrator’s behind the Iraq blunder, Bush, Cheney and Rumstead, following Karl Rove’s advice, created tactics to avoid public objection to the invasion of Iraq. In addition to outright lies and false documentation, the…
In an article about a West Seattle woman who recently died it reported that she was an “avid democrat.” It said that not long before she died paramedics questioned her to test her lucidity. They asked the standard question: “who is the president of the United States?” The article said she rolled her eyes and replied: “George Bush. But, not for much longer.” I just pass the news along. I don’t write it.
I’ve just finished a book written by Jane Leavy, Sandy Koufax. I had admired Sandy for his good character and his amazing pitching skill. He became famous when he refused to pitch in the opening game of the 1965 World Series because it was Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. A private man, he refused to cooperate with the author of the book and referred to her as a “CPA” (a certified pain in the ass) In…
A friend sent me an E-mail with photos and the story about the Billingraph Gardens located in Theodore, Alabama ( http://www.bellingrath.org/).).The 65 acre garden estate is filled with beautiful flowers in a landscaped setting. The Bellingraph estate is a 10,500 square foot home built in 1935 by Walter and Bessie Bellingraph. The gardens were first opened in 1932. I found the story behind the Garden’s even more interesting. Walter Bellingraph (1869-1955) and his brother purchased a franchise to sell Coca-Cola…
Seven years ago today, on an early Friday morning, July 7th 2000, my mother Mary Thelma Babarovich, died in her sleep at the San Juan Care Center. Her death was not unexpected. After all, she was born on December 28, 1905 and was ninety four years old when she died. She had been in failing health for some time. Her passing was, in fact, a personal blessing to her as she had been ready for a number of weeks. My…
I just finished a couple of books. One, Pilot Error by Phaedra Hise is a book about a small plane crash in October of 1998 which killed the pilot. A lawyer, Ron Sinzheimer, was flying a Grumman Traveler from Albany, New York to Provincetown Cape Cod when it went down in the ocean as he approached the small airport in bad weather. The book describes the pilot and outlines the details of the flight in a way that keeps your…
The news reports that Pope Benedict has named Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis to the Vatican Supreme court. As a result he will be made a cardinal and move to Italy. I am not surprised that Pope Benedict picked the nation’s most conservative, right wing Catholic Bishop for the position and has decided to make him a cardinal. They think alike. I have expressed my opinions about Pope Benedict and Archbishop Raymond Burke both of whom have exhibited ultra conservative moral…
