2020-08-31 18:20
Should we be concerned about illegal rioting, looting and arson in America cities? Yes, of course. Has there been a failure at all levels of government to deal effectively with the situation… Read More
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The candid observations of life, politics and religion
2020-08-22 22:44
While going some documents I found my original membership card for the Washington State Bar Association. It was dated 1959. I was a 24-year-old brand new lawyer in 1959. I had proudly gone t… Read More
2020-08-01 20:52
There is a virtual unlimited supply of nonsensical claims and arguments that have been made by president Trump, but two of the recent are truly noteworthy for being logically inconsistent an… Read More
2020-07-24 22:37
The year I graduated from high school in Anacortes, Washington, my maternal grandmother Marija Babarovich died. Her story of immigration is one of great courage and sacrifice that I have des… Read More
2020-07-17 17:07
In 2008 a television miniseries about John Adams, his political life and his role in the founding of the United States was televised. Actor Paul Giamatti played the role of John Adams. It is… Read More
2020-07-08 15:32
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… Read More
2020-06-23 17:04
Unless you have been living in a cave, everyone knows about what was called the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" (CHAZ)" and is now known as the "Capitol Hill Occupied protest (CHOP)." The cit… Read More
2020-06-22 20:29
My paternal grandfather, Nicola Luvera, was born in Valanidi, Calabria Italy November 23, 1860 and died in Anacortes, Washington on July 4, 1956. His father, Paolo Nicola and mother Rosa Luv… Read More
2020-06-01 18:40
Mondays killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis was another in a long list around the country of questionable killings by police officers of citizens, especially African American citizens. Th… Read More
2020-05-31 17:35
In 1999 the World Trade Organization held a convention in Seattle. But, the convention meeting was quickly overshadowed by street violent protests outside the hotels and convention center. T… Read More
2020-05-28 17:35
Ken Burns created a PBS documentary "Country Music" in 2019. The documentary includes the story behind the lyrics of the song, "Where've you been?" The song was released in 1989 and recorded… Read More
2020-05-19 19:32
Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post wrote a column “Don’t ever be the first to stop applauding.” It dealt with the standing ovations for Joseph Stalin out of fear of s… Read More
2020-04-22 18:32
The dying man’s last wish was to see his son who was in the Marines serving in Iraq. Then one evening a tired and anxious Marine walks up to the man's hospital nurse. Her heart leaps b… Read More
2020-04-14 20:38
Just when I had made up my mind not to write about the coronavirus or President Trump, Mr. Trump has done it again. I can't sit silent when he once again attacks reporters for asking relevan… Read More
2020-04-12 21:28
For entirely too long the news has only been on two subjects: Donald Trump's press campaign conferences which only bear a resemblance to corona virus news and all the negative reporting the… Read More
2020-03-24 21:09
America’s founding fathers created a government of checks and balances to prevent absolute concentrated power in any one person or group They created a federal system that differentiat… Read More
2020-03-14 21:46
The virus has taken over the news which is understandable given the seriousness of the situation. There is a problem when politics become involved in health. The president measures the virus… Read More
2020-02-25 23:17
My maternal grandfather Peter (Petar) Babarovich died the year I was born - 1935. He died on March 5th of that year and I was born in February of 1935 so I never knew this unique man. Nonno… Read More
2020-02-21 18:44
I woke up this morning on February 21, 2020 and first thanked God for being alive after which I realized it was my 85th birthday. I am amazed how fast these years seem to have gone by. Harry… Read More
2020-01-26 17:13
I fully agree everyone has the right to the opinion Donald Trump's actions don't justify removal from office through impeachment. However, everyone should be also obligated to comply with th… Read More
2020-01-25 00:10
IS IT CHRISTIAN TO DECIDE THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS? The New York Times ran an article "Evangelicals Closing Ranks with President" regarding evangelical support for Donald Trump after a Chr… Read More
2020-01-15 22:13
Retired Pope Benedict is at it again, undermining the authority of Pope Francis. Now he has co-authored new book “From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of… Read More
2020-01-04 19:19
My sister Phyllis Luvera Ennes died on January 7, 2013. She was the oldest of the three children with Anita Mayer in the middle and I as the youngest. For my previous post about Phyllis see… Read More
2019-12-26 22:47
I watched the movie The Two Popes and enjoyed it very much. I also recognized that much of the dialogue was accurate and the script had taken liberty with how to present the viewpoints of th… Read More
2019-12-21 00:03
Our best Christmas wishes to each of you, your families and those with whom you have special relationships. To my friends who celebrate a significant religious holiday: Hanukkah Sameach or H… Read More
2019-12-20 10:18
PHYLLIS FLIPPA LUVERA 1870 - 1946 My grandmother - dad's mother - died December 20, 1946 in Anacortes. She was an Italian grandmother who looked and sounded like what an Italian grandmother… Read More
2019-12-12 20:50
Someone has said: "coincidence is God's way of being anonymous." Brett Lunsford, who is the director of the Anacortes Museum, recently sent me a photo of my mother and I standing next to a 1… Read More
2019-11-27 22:16
Last Thursday, November 21, we flew from Seattle to Cabo, Mexico to stay at the luxury five-star hotel, the One and Only La Paimilla. While we had to get up early, our trip through security… Read More
2019-10-29 19:50
Democratic front-runner Joe Biden was denied communion by a priest at a South Carolina Catholic church over the weekend. Biden, a lifelong Catholic, stopped by Saint Anthony Catholic Church… Read More
2019-10-16 21:02
I'm nor sure why I watched another Democratic debate last night. Having watched the previous debates, I didn't expect to learn anything helpful. Yet I decided to watch it anyway. It's sort o… Read More
2019-10-14 21:17
In February 1497 a monk named Girolamo Savonarola led a movement to collect items they thought might entice people to sin or neglect their religious duties. He and his followers collected su… Read More
2019-10-01 23:00
We just returned from Scottsdale. Unfortunately, we were only there a very short time. Not enough time to make contact with friends. The trip was primarily one for completing needed projects… Read More
2019-09-17 02:58
We all know the extraordinary record regarding the crowd of people Donald Trump has selected for administration posts and praised as exceptionally qualified for the position only to fire the… Read More
2019-09-06 16:29
On Wednesday of this week President Donald Trump sat in the oval office holding up a map which he claimed confirmed his earlier assertion that Alabama was in the path of Hurricane Dorian eve… Read More
2019-08-20 22:29
We have just returned from Sonora Resort. This beautiful resort is located on Sonora Island in British Columbia, Canada. Sonora is off the North end of Vancouver Island. Lita and I left on T… Read More
2019-08-01 17:42
I wouldn't call the two nights a "debate." A debate involves people in disagreement about the same subject who are given equal time to convince judges which side has the correct position on… Read More
2019-07-21 20:31
According to a New York Times op-ed by Paul Krugman, we as a nation are suffering from an "epidemic of infallibility." No one, president or not, wants to admit to wrongdoing, at least not pu… Read More
2019-07-07 08:20
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… Read More
2019-06-24 18:20
On June 5, after the legislature passed new abortion laws, Catholic Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the diocese of Springfield Illinois issued a "decree" ordering that Illinois legislative members… Read More
2019-06-22 18:13
Regarding the news about a missile strike on Iran after it destroyed our drone, Donald Trump has tweeted and told the media this story: "We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night o… Read More
2019-06-04 22:18
Our trip to France began on Sunday, May 19. We had a 7:30 PM flight from Seattle to London Heathrow Airport. We arrived at 12:45 PM on May 20. Our connecting flight from London to Nice Franc… Read More
2019-05-06 18:16
We leave in a few days for the French Riviera for a couple weeks visit. We have been to this area often in the past, but this trip we are locating there as our central location. The Cannes F… Read More
2019-04-28 22:15
I read things that strike me as interesting and save them for reasons I am not fully sure about. I have no message for you from them, but here’s a collection of a few of them. • M… Read More
2019-04-13 18:10
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people… Read More
2019-03-25 16:48
If you haven't seen the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? which traces the life of TV host Fred Rogers and his television program of that title I recommend it to you. The documenta… Read More
2019-03-11 22:37
The concept of karma teaches a cause and effect function in life. Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and future happiness, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad k… Read More
2019-02-20 22:06
In a recent edition of a national Catholic publication, The National Catholic Register, a Catholic monsignor, Father Charles Pope, wrote a column he entitled “Abortion Supporters Must… Read More
2019-02-16 18:14
In an article by Elizabeth Goitein in the January/February 2009 Atlantic Magazine a “national emergency" declaration was explained. The article pointed out the premise underlying emerg… Read More
2019-02-02 23:42
You know how it is. You meet an older person you know and you greet them with "Well, how are you anyway?" only to be subjected to a long description involving bowel movements, illness or a d… Read More
2019-01-23 22:07
Prince Machiavelli once said: "politics has no relation to morals." Nor does it appear to have any relation to logical thinking and honest reasoning as far as president Trump, Mitch McConnel… Read More
2019-01-22 22:28
On January 24, 2002 William "Bill" Taylor died in Anacortes. He was one of Anacortes's most successful basketball coaches. He also was a positive influence in so many young men's lives, incl… Read More
2019-01-10 18:33
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone can be blind to the truth because of their bias about their position on an issue. It’s a fact that almost all politicians are regarded as untrustworth… Read More
2018-12-26 23:02
Let's start the discussion of President Trump's demands of Billions of dollars for a wall with what is a billion? Well, a billion seconds ago it was 1959. A billion minutes ago Jesus was ali… Read More
2018-12-24 22:01
Lita and I wish everyone a peaceful and enjoyable holiday season. From November 1st each year, until January 15th there are about twenty nine holidays for seven of the world's largest religi… Read More
2018-12-15 20:20
PHYLLIS FLIPPA LUVERA 1870 - 1946 My dad's mother died December 20, 1946 in Anacortes. She was an Italian grandmother who looked and sounded like what an Italian grandmother should. she spok… Read More
2018-12-14 19:44
Randy Kinnard is an outstanding plaintiff’s trial lawyer in Nashville Tennessee and a Vietnam veteran. He’s also a friend of mine. He recently sent as a gift a small device which… Read More
2018-12-03 23:33
Abortion, gun control, climate change and terrorism are all red flag issues which are certain to cause controversy and dispute in conversations. The most recent issue that has been covered i… Read More
2018-11-21 18:21
Old friends are gold.” That was the theme of the reunion luncheon for our law firm paralegals held at the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle on November 22nd. Lita arranged the entire affa… Read More
2018-10-22 20:50
Today is the anniversary of the death of my father, Paul Nicholas Luvera Sr. Born on March 25, 1898, he died in Anacortes, Washington on November 4, 1990 at the age of 92. I've published det… Read More
2018-10-21 21:37
My tolerance and ability to think rationally about our Washington DC political situation is being tested daily by the continuous news about Donald. Consequently, I'm writing about something… Read More
2018-10-09 16:34
I was so disturbed by the unjudicial demeanor and conduct of judge Brett Kavanaugh at the senate hearing that I used the wrong name several times in my last blog. The outcome was preordained… Read More
2018-10-03 17:51
Like someone who drank more than they should have and paid the price the next day, I watched too much of the confirmation hearing involving judge Kavanaugh yesterday. It was disturbing enoug… Read More
2018-09-28 17:13
Like someone who drank more than they should have and paid the price the next day, I watched too much of the confirmation hearing involving judge Kaufman yesterday. It was disturbing enough… Read More
2018-09-25 18:00
In 1980 the late Roger Dangerfield starred in a movie Caddyshack as the character Al Czervik. Dangerfield portrays everyone's worst nightmare for his lack of social skills, total insensitivi… Read More
2018-09-17 19:26
Motivation In the 1929 Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day Georgia Tech fumbled the ball and California’s Roy Riegel picked it up and ran it back 65 yards, but in the wrong direction. Af… Read More
2018-09-03 18:42
American Catholics are increasingly skeptical of how the Pope is handling sex abuse in the church, according to the Pew Research Center. Less than half say he is doing a "excellent" or even… Read More
2018-08-23 19:48
Harry Follman died on Saturday August 18th at age 93.Services will be at 11 am Salem Lutheran church in Mount Vernon. Harry was admitted to the bar in 1951, eight years before me. We first k… Read More
2018-07-30 14:44
This year's annual Skagit Pioneer picnic will honor my mother's family, the Babarovich family as Pioneer Family of the Year. It takes place on Thursday August 2nd as the 114th Annual Pioneer… Read More
2018-07-30 14:05
My maternal grandmother Marija Babarovich was born September 9, 1863 and died on August 5th, 1953. She died the year I graduated from high school in Anacortes, Washington. Her life story is… Read More
2018-07-29 21:11
In February of this year I lamented the apparent demise of honesty in American government, with particular focus on our president. http://www.paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2018/02/publi… Read More
2018-07-20 16:30
Here are a few random things I've read recently that caught my interest. Perhaps you'll find them of interest as well. The Babushka Lady There is an unsolved mystery regarding the 1963 assas… Read More
2018-07-01 21:42
The Archdiocese of Seattle publishes Northwest Catholic magazine. In its last issue was an article entitled Humane Vitae Turns 50 by Sarah Bartel (www. drsararhbartel.com) she has a doctorat… Read More
2018-06-18 19:49
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… Read More
2018-06-16 18:31
2018-05-25 09:06
Over the past years Lita and I have made numerous trips on the seaborn cruise line ships. This year we are flying from Seattle to Amsterdam and continuing on to Lisbon Portugal in late May… Read More
2018-05-06 20:24
I was going through the wonderful Anacortes Museum (https://www.anacorteswa.gov/333/Museum) photo collection and was reminded of my own life growing up in Anacortes. I was reminded of the li… Read More
2018-05-02 22:32
Thomas Joseph Tobin is an American Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church at Providence Rhode Island. He was born in 1948 and after studying in Rome was ordained to the priesthood in 1973. Pope… Read More
2018-04-24 18:11
In 1918 a 47 year old Japanese man, Tokichi Ishii, was hanged for murder in Tokyo. The story of his life and conversion to Christianity has been written by the man himself, while waiting in… Read More
2018-04-15 21:54
There can be a lot of wisdom in stories created for children and in the form of fables passed from one generation to another. Here are just a few examples I believe represent learning experi… Read More
2018-03-23 21:41
For the uninformed, a demolition derby typically consists of five or more cars that compete to win by the drivers deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another until there is only one… Read More
2018-03-22 11:30
My father in law, Hollis Barnett died on March 22nd 1990. He was a unique and wonderful man. You can read about his extraordinary wife Betty Barnett and more about this couple who I grew to… Read More
2018-03-10 22:20
I was amazed to read that a conservative political analyst and commentator, Mona Charen, was loudly booed at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in March of this year. This i… Read More
2018-03-03 23:46
My maternal grandfather Peter (Petar) Babarovich was born April 12, 1861 in the village of Splitska on the island of Brac in the Adriatic Sea. He died in Anacortes, Washington March 5, 1935… Read More
2018-02-23 20:19
We have had a recent history of tragic mass shootings. Here are a few of the more deadly attacks. December 2, 2015 14 killed, 22 injured San Bernardino, CA June 12, 2016 49 killed, 58 injure… Read More
2018-02-12 20:18
It is not an exaggeration to point out that the president, his staff, Congressional leaders and appointed agency heads are continually exposed for their lies, political hypocrisy and evasion… Read More
2018-01-31 18:28
As a retired trial lawyer who spent the majority of his adult life studying communication skills, I was curious to view the response by Representative Kennedy to the president's state of the… Read More
2018-01-18 00:43
On January 24, 2002 William "Bill" Taylor died in Anacortes. He was one of Anacortes's most successful basketball coaches. He also was a positive influence in so many young men's lives, incl… Read More
2018-01-15 23:10
I was listening to Willie Nelson sing the song There is Nothing I Can Do About it Now on my car radio and thought about the wisdom that used to be written in poems and short stories, but are… Read More
2018-01-08 23:12
Skagit County Attorney David Lowell sent an end of the year message as President of the county bar association. He enclosed this story of an experience of Paul William "Bear" Bryant. Bear Br… Read More
2017-12-20 09:32
Betty Barnett was my wife Lita's mother who died December 20, 1985. I've written about this remarkable woman many times. See http://www.paulluvera.com/weblog/2013/12/my-mother-in-law-elizabe… Read More
2017-12-17 09:25
Nick Petrish died in Anacortes on December 19, 2011. We had a long friendship. We went from grade school through high school together.We worked together from 1977 until his illness in 2011… Read More
2017-12-16 19:42
Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland wrote: “But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I&rs&hell…Read More
2017-12-16 09:31
My dad's mother died December 20, 1946 in Anacortes. She was an Italian grandmother who looked and sounded like what an Italian grandmother should. she spoke no English and was a wonderful c… Read More
2017-12-03 21:07
Between 1776 and 1788 Edward Gibbon, an English historian, published six volumes The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He discussed the reasons for the collapse of the Rom… Read More
2017-11-24 21:39
Happy Thanksgiving. There is much to be grateful for in each of our lives. I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving. We arrived in Scottsdale six days ago. Diane and her husband Tim, along with Di… Read More
2017-11-11 18:28
This is a follow up to my last post about the trip to South Africa. On our return, we flew from Sigita in Kruger National Park after two weeks of viewing and photographing the animals in Sou… Read More
2017-11-01 22:32
Today is the anniversary of the death of my father, Paul Nicholas Luvera Sr. Born on March 25, 1898, he died in Anacortes, Washington on November 4, 1990 at the age of 92. I've published det… Read More
2017-10-16 16:27
On Thursday, October 19 we flew from Seattle to Dubai on Emirates air. With travel upgrades we were able to enjoy the benefits of first-class travel on Emirates. The airlines provides a chau… Read More
2017-10-08 14:04
You've read about Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, also known as Diogenes the cynic." He wondered around ancient Greece carrying a lantern searching for an honest man because he believed the… Read More
2017-10-01 23:25
In early September 1814, Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer and amateur poet, accompanied Col. John Skinner to negotiate a prisoner release with several officers of the British Navy. Duri… Read More
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