Our little Napoleon has been the constant friend and companion of Lita and me for fifteen years. He suddenly became sick on Thursday and progressively got worse over the next couple of days. We took him to the vet who felt it was serious so we transfered him to an emergency animal care clinic where tests were done. Blood work and ultra sounds plus other testing was done and repeated. It turned out to be a serious problem. Lita and…
I've read everything George Lakoff, Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, writes. His website www.georgelakoff.com and his writings at www.rockridgeinstitute.org should be read by every thinking American. Of course, the fact he is a progressive who is against tort reform and dislikes the policies of George Bush only make him even more intelligent in my eyes. His latest book The Political Mind is outstanding. His description of how people think, why people vote against their…
I've been seeing more and more promoting of candidates for president as the election gets closer in religious circles including my Catholic church. I object to the religious right or the Catholic church promoting one candidate over another on the basis of the candidates moral beliefs to the exclusion of the candidates qualifications to deal with the problems facing America As far as I am concerned every church in the US should have it's tax exemption revoked if it advocates a political…
We are in Aspen for a meeting of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Getting here wasn't easy. We got up at 3:30 AM in Gig Harbor to make our flight to Denver and then to catch the commuter to Aspen on United. The flight was uneventful, except for the grown man behind me on his cell phone who has never learned the definition of "go" as opposed to "said" and sounded like a teenage school drop out. The Aspen…
"Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job" President Bush told then FEMA director Michael Brown after Bush had flown to the Gulf Coast a few days after Katrina. It turned out that was an very wrong evaluation of Brown’s work who was soon after relieved of his position. Tens of thousands of empty trailers are stored on vacant lands, in industrial parks and a warehouse. They were purchased by FEMA to assist in disasters. FEMA has 8,420 brand new, fully furnished,…
Drew Westen on the Huffington Post blog (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drew-westen/from-nuanced-to-principle_b_119810.html) suggests that Obama might have replied to Pastor Rick Warren on the abortion issue better than Obama's response. He says he might have said: "We need to find the common ground on abortion, reflecting our shared moral beliefs, not the beliefs that divide us. We are all united in the belief that we should do everything we can to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, teen pregnancies, and abortions, starting with instilling in…
A 92 year old man died in a nursing home near Bristol in England on July 21st. He died only a day before his 93rd birthday. His name was Eric Dowling. That would not be very significant news, except for the fact that Mr. Dowling was the leader of a mass escape from a German prison camp during World War II. Seventy six Allied prisoners escaped from Stalag Luft III prison camp on March 24, 1944. They escaped in a…
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…
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.
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…
