Paul Luvera Journal

By now everyone knows the disgraceful conduct of a little known Republican Congressman from South Carolina, Joe Wilson, during the President of the United States speech to a joint session of Congress. Heckling the President of the United States during a speech to the joint sessions of Congress is unprecedented in the history of Congress. Worse then the shouted interruption, calling the President a liar, during such a speech, is rude, insolent and discourteous. When it is done by a…

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On August 7, 1919 the local Anacortes newspaper reported that William Jennings Bryan had stayed in Anacortes where he gave a lecture in a big tent. He was entertained by Will A. Lowman and his wife who drove him to Mount Vernon where he gave another lecturer. Lowman was a local well known Anacortes figure. He was an Anacortes pioneer. When the Bank of Anacortes failed his business, Lowman Manufacturing Company went into receivership and he turned to fishing for a…

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John Carabba died Monday July 14, 2009 at the Island Hospital in Anacortes. He had fallen on the Friday before and fractured his hip. He never woke up from the surgery. He was eight three years old. Last December John had been given the Spirit of Island Hospital award in recognition of his dedication in support of the hospital in which he died. Starting in 1979 John had been a founding member of the Island Hospital Foundation. His background was…

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We leave Lisbon this morning for Madeira and the lovely Reid Palace Hotel. Yesterday, Saturday, we explored Lisbon. With a driver we drove the narrow cobblestone roads lined with parked cars bumper to bumper. How they get out with bumper to bumper parking is a mystery. We visited a flea market where I've have  never seen so many things I didn't want. Our driver pulled into a parking area where two men tell him it is private and he can't park…

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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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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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In 1998 Gary Kinder published Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea. It was a compelling story about the sinking of an actual ship. (http://www.shipofgoldinfo.com/) The story really began in California, in 1848, when Captain John Sutter was managing thousands of acres of land known as Sutter’s Fort. He was looking for a place for a lumber mill. A location was found and construction began The damming of the stream resulted in the discovery of gold and the California gold rush…

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We are in Scottsdale, Arizona. A place noted for year around sunshine and warm weather. This Thanksgiving it is dark, overcast and raining. It rained off and on all night. Lita and I have brought children. spouses and grandchildren here for Thanksgiving. We put over thirty people in the Westin Kierland Hotel and Resort here. They brought swimsuits and sun tan lotion when they should have brought umbrellas. Last night we had a family gathering and dinner inside. It was noisy,…

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I’ve finished Michael Streissguth’s book Eddy Arnold on this trip and enjoyed reading about the great country western singer. He started out on the Grande Ole Opry and evolved into a more contemporary singer. He remained a very decent human being and a devoted husband his whole life. He sang and performed with all the great country western entertainers of that time. I was reminded in this book of the Oprey’s Minne Pearl screeching: “How-Dee! I’m just glad to be…

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In 1960 the black and white film Never on Sunday was issued staring Melina Mercouri as a Greek prostitute who refused to work on Sunday. She later married the director who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. The daughter of the mayor of Athens, she was expelled from Greece during the period of the Greek military junta. Later she was elected to Parliament and became cultural minister of Greece during the 1980’s. She died in 1994. So, why am I…

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