Paul Luvera Journal

Johann Hari wrote a compelling post on work conditions in China earlier this month. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/and-the-most-inspiring-go_b_672993.html. His report includes such facts as the estimate that as many as 600,000 people are killed as a result of their work or work conditions in China each year. He describes the typical working situation as giant factory-cities from which the people rarely leave. Work hours average from 7:45 am to 11:00 pm. They are required to buy from the company canteen. At the same…

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That's the title of an article that was recently published by the Catholic News Service. Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops has written that the Sunday sermon or homily should not be longer then eight minutes which is about the average listener's attention span, he says. The bishop also urges preachers to spend the appropriate amount of time to "craft a well-prepared and relevant sermon for Mass." Among the general guidelines, he also suggests that a…

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When I was a child growing up in Anacortes, Washington, there were two movie theaters in town. One, the Empire Theater, at 7th & Commerical Avenue, was directly across from our family’s grocery store. The building is there, but the theater hasn't operated in many years. Today, Burton Jewelers occupies the area which was the lobby and ticket office. Since I was too young to work at the store they would take me with the family to our family grocery store, but, I…

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We left our hotel in Positano and drove for an hour and a half to the Naples Airport on Friday. The weather was clear and cool. The Naples airport is small and easy to get around. Security was quick and we ended up at our gate with much time to spare. The intercom continuously is broadcasting flights and flight departures with gate changes in Italian and English. The door alarm would go off for no reason. Frantic calls to someone…

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In logic there is a "black swan" concept. In its simplest terms it refers to the fact a proposition is scientific only if it can be proved false. That idea was made popular by Karl Popper. For example if we see a white swan we know there is at least one white swan, but it is conjecture to conclude all swans are white. The fact is that finding one black swan would falsify the conclusion all swans are white means it is capable…

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My friend Jeff Tolman is a lawyer in Paulsbo, Washington. We are talking about a town with about 7500 people and a strong Norwegian heritage about 1.5 hours from Seattle if you take the Bremerton ferry to get to this charming town on Puget Sound. Jeff has been a friend for many years. He is very creative. Many years ago he decided that the Paulsbo Bar Association, consisting of hand full of lawyers at the time, should hold an annual legal seminar…

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On Good Friday, April 2, 2010 there was an enormous explosion and fire at the Tesoro Refinery at March Point, near Anacortes. Five people died and two survived with serious burns. Several families involved have hired my law firm along with a Texas law firm to represent them. When the media reported the families had contacted lawyers there were those who were critical of the families for doing so.  Let me respond to that criticism by saying the refineries are very familiar to…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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