I was surprised this evening to read the blog about John Patrick! I had just gotten off the phone talking to my mother about the Patrick's this evening.

I was born in Everett in 1938. My parents were personal friends with Jim and Nadine Patrick. Jim was John Patrick's brother.

Jim Patrick ran a small printing business on a steep side-street in Everett, south off Hewitt Ave. I went to high school with Dick Patrick, Jim's son. Dick had a attractive sister, Carol, who married a guy with the last name of 'Turnipseed'; not sure where they live now.

John and Jim Patrick's mother was a published poet with a repected reputation in Snohomish County in the 1920-30's. So far I have been unable to find any of her work.

My folks met the Patrick's through my Dad's sister Violet Wold (deceased). It was Nadine Patrick, Jim's wife, who taught my Mother, Florence, how to drive in Everett.

We used to visit Jim and Nadine Patrick's house on north Oaks Street in Everett during the 1940' and early '50's. The Patricks had about the first TV set in Everett. I was amazed to watch the Channel 5 indian test pattern until the 'Lux Playhouse' program came on for one hour in the evening.

I had met John Patrick a couple times. Once at his cluttered house in Snohomish and at his brother's print shop in Everett. I remember John Patrick's messy old fashion gootee beard and sort of a wild demeanor and manner of speaking in 'staccotto' phrases. I remember everything John Patrick said seem to have an 'edge' to it, like a finger to the eye. He was a dower man with no discernible humor. I heard his reputation around Snohomish and Olympia from my folks and often saw his name on the ballot running for high office. I knew John Patrick had written a couple books when a younger man: 'Yankee Hobo in the Orient' and ibid 'Don't Let the Repairman Get You'.

This photo of an art installation created in the 60's and on display in L.A. right now ran on the front page of the NYT Arts section. Notice anything hyper-local?

Suppression of House Churches Strengthened Before Party Congress

According to the China Aid Association (CAA), before the 17th Communist Party Congress, Beijing strengthened control over the activities of house church members. Police also arrested house church members from their usual gathering places, such as Uyghur.

Before the October 1, long holiday, Mr. Xu Haiyong, a house church member in Beijing, was warned by police not to organize a gathering or leave home without reporting to the police. Mr. Xu told Radio Free Asia (RFA) last Friday, "The police just left less than half an hour ago, (he) warned me to report to him first before going out during the long holiday, no rally allowed, and no gathering also."

New House Church Regulations
According to a CAA report on September 28, many house church members in Beijing have been requested to meet with police and received a warning; they were either forced to cancel their gathering, or leave Beijing. The report also mentioned that police had announced a new policy to control the establishment of house churches.

According to Beijing Evening report at the beginning of September, the police announced a new house leasing regulation, there are five new restrictions, including not renting houses to people carrying on illegal religious activities. Mr. Xu said, although followers in Beijing won't be affected badly because of this regulation, it will certainly affect followers who come into Beijing.

Xu further explained, "There is a church in Fengtai District, Beijing. Their members are mainly migrants from Henan Province; they rented a house by themselves. When police patrolled the area, they found out the house was being used for a church gathering. The police located the owner and asked him to terminate the lease, then warned him to avoid this kind of rental before the 17th Party Congress and 2008 Olympics."

"It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers.
 In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until it was too late.   Accordingly, I am readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I will, in turn,   do my best for the Cause by writing editorials - after the fact."

 Robert E. Lee, 1863

C.

I think this article in the NYT has lessons for towns like Shelton that are creating a hostile environment for undocumented immigrants.

RIVERSIDE, N.J., Sept. 25 — A little more than a year ago, the Township Committee in this faded factory town became the first municipality in New Jersey to enact legislation penalizing anyone who employed or rented to an illegal immigrant.

[snip]

Within months, hundreds, if not thousands, of recent immigrants from Brazil and other Latin American countries had fled. The noise, crowding and traffic that had accompanied their arrival over the past decade abated.

The law had worked. Perhaps, some said, too well.

With the departure of so many people, the local economy suffered. Hair salons, restaurants and corner shops that catered to the immigrants saw business plummet; several closed. Once-boarded-up storefronts downtown were boarded up again.

[snip]

“I don’t think people knew there would be such an economic burden,” said Mayor George Conard, who voted for the original ordinance. “A lot of people did not look three years out.”

What is on your mind this rainy day?