BIG SATURDAY…..LABOR DAY WEEKEND

A big day today! Saturday of the Labor Day Weekend. America will be partying.

Two major happenings in Key West.

This is the weekend of the Key West Brewfest. Beer galore! Everywhere! People will be consuming.

The Brewfest is well planned. More events than you would have thought. Everything involves beer, of course. There is a beer school, beer breakfasts, beer dinners, beer seminars, beer brunches, a beer football tailgate party, beer parties otherwise, and a beer tasting festival.

Key West is packed this weekend. Some to merely enjoy the island and its waters. Others to enjoy the Brewfest.

Boating will be exceptionally heavy this weekend. I am sitting on my deck composing this blog. Boat after boat has gone by and is going by me. Big and small. People already partying on the boats. They are heading out either to fish or enjoy a day at one of the keys.

Key partying is popular. Most boaters have their special key. It is for them a private gathering place. Friends in other boats will join them. The boats are beached. An all day cookout ensues. The beaches are lovely. The water clear. The booze flows. A good time is had by all.

I will do a bit of the Brewfest today. I will not be boating. No one invited me.

The major event in my day involves Syracuse football. It begins! Syracuse is playing Penn State at 3:30. The game is being televised on ABC and ESPN2. Penn State is an 8.5 point favorite.

All I can say is…..Go ‘Cuse! We love you!

As reported yesterday, due to technical difficulties my tv/internet show was not broadcast. However, I did do a recording which at some point this week will appear on You Tube.

I now have my own You Tube account. It is under Lou’s Legal Hour. Three weeks of shows are already posted. Take a look. Again, Lou’s Legal Hour.

I spent most of yesterday afternoon and into the early evening writing next week’s KONK Life column. A New Way To Wage War. Cyber war is not the wave of the future. It is already here. Computer hacking will be as volatile and painful as bombs and missiles.

This past week’s hacking of the New York Times website by the Syrian Electronic Army turned me onto the topic.

I was tired when I finished writing the article. It was not within me to take a shower and get dressed to go into town. Instead, I cooked a light meal and went to bed early.

I will make up for last night’s absence today.

Enjoy your day!

WHERE DO I BEGIN…..

Several disjointed items to share.

Today’s blog is being done even later than yesterday. I was up and out very early this morning. A friend was in distress. Needed help. When I returned home, there was only time to shower and rush to the TV studio to do my show.

It was a terrific show! One of the best I have prepared!

No one got to see it, however.

Technical difficulties. Audio was good. No visual, however.

It was decided to record the show. Different equipment from televising. I started again. The show has been recorded. It will run on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19 at 4:30 saturday afternoon and 3 sunday afternoon.

Sorry the show did not air today as scheduled.

A special sorry to Valarie from Delaware. Valarie wrote and said she would be watching the show. Valerie, I hope you can get to it this weekend.

The lead item in the show was the hacking of the New York Times website. Even more important than Syria from my perspective. I view hacking as the new way to wage war. The issue is sufficiently heavy in my mind that I have decided to do next week’s KONK Life column on it.

Bocce last night! We won all three games. Everyone was on. The courts swift. We destroyed the opposition. Humbled them.

You will recall we were destroyed last week. Badly. The team we decisively beat last night killed the team that beat us last week two weeks ago.

That’s bocce!

At the present, my television show is available in 325,000 homes. Beginning next week, that number increases to just under 600,000. My station is expanding its coverage area up through Boca Raton.

As you may recall, my tv/internet show is You Tubed. It has been You Tubed as part of the station and Jenna’s shows. I have graduated. I now have my own You Tube account.

Because of name problems, I cannot use Key West Lou as the site name. Lou’s Legal Hour is the title/name. Merely go to You Tube and enter Lou’s Legal Hour. There will be my shows standing alone. The past three weeks are in. Earlier shows will not be entered. However, they still can be viewed by entering the Key West Lou Legal Hour and searching for them from the station’s other shows and Jenna’s shows.

Please do not let me confuse you. Lou’s Legal Hour is solely for the purpose of going to my You Tube account. It has no other purpose. Key West Lou lives on!

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

LATE!

Wow! It’s late! I am starting today’s blog at one in the afternoon. Got delayed this morning in a long business meeting.

Yesterday started with a manicure and pedicure. Tammy and her family moved into their new home last week. Tammy was all excited!

What appeared to be a new mother and baby were at Lee Nails, also. The baby was tiny. I figured two weeks old. The mother told me three weeks. The young mother looked beat. Dark circles under her eyes. You could tell she was up all night with the baby.

The baby was good. Slept the whole time. Probably why she does not sleep at night. The baby was sleeping on Mom’s breast while she was getting a pedicure.

Then to the Plantation Coffee House to read the newspapers. I still cannot get the New York Times on my tablet. Apparently the hacking problem is not yet fully resolved.

Last night began with Don’s Place. Not for long. Don’s air conditioning was kaput. Had one drink. Chatted with Don, Hershel and Stan. Bocce the topic. Obviously. We have to do better when we play tonight. We lost all three games last week. Lost them badly.

The Chart Room was next. I went from a sleeping baby to a sleeping dog. A baby dachshund. Thirteen weeks old. Half Jake’s size.

The dog slept on the bar in front of his mistress the whole time. He sleeps at night, also.

It was time to eat. I decided to go to John Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub. I had not been there in a while.

What a business! Here it is summer time. This month and next are Key West’s slow time. Yet John never had less than 30 customers during the two hours I was there. Not to watch sports necessarily. They were eating and drinking and having fun.

I enjoyed a cheeseburger and a drink.

The waitress impressed me. I was sitting at a table. She was working the bar and some of the tables. She had to move her ass! She did! Her name was Anaits. Originally from Venezuela.

I received an e mail this morning from the Egyptian Travel Minister. He was encouraging people to visit Egypt. Good luck!

The rest of my day is set. I have to finish preparing tomorrow’s tv/internet show. When done, take a nap. Play bocce tonight.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour will be discussing some interesting goodies tomorrow morning. Like Bruce Manning, the politics of transgenderism, the Syrian problem, Russia and Saudi Arabia screwing around in the background of the Syrian situation, China owning all panda bears in U.S. zoos, Florida seriously contemplating drug tests for high school athletes.

Plus Neil Armstrong, George Clooney being a descendant of Abraham Lincoln, a 54 year old Montana school teacher who got 31 days in jail for raping a 14 year old student three times, the hacking of the New York Times web site, bottle nose dolphins dying in huge numbers, a recent New Jersey appellate court decision making a person who knowingly texts an auto driver liable for injuries arising from an automobile accident, Switzerland building drive in sex boxes for prostitutes, and a new poll which shows 29 per cent of the people blame Obama for the poor federal response to Katrina.

And more. All interesting.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour airs at 10 friday morning my time. It can be seen on television from Key West through Miami-Dade County. Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

Enjoy your day!

WE LIVE IN CHANGING TIMES

I have gained a few pounds since I returned from Europe. It is not the eating. It is the lack of exercise. I walked a lot on the trip.

Guilt has been added to the pounds. I decided to walk yesterday. Did the Home Depot for a while.

I have been writing three books at one time for the past couple of years. One is a series of short stories. I wrote a new short story yesterday afternoon. It is the tale of a deaf man who heard for the first time at age 40. Touching.

Following which I spent some time reviewing and finalizing my notes for last night’s blog talk radio show. It is all in the refining.

The show went well. I had some technical difficulties at the beginning. Started about 3 minutes late. It could be me. Sloan will be here this afternoon and we will run through the get on the air process again.

Topics last night included transgenderism as a civil rights issue, the Syrian problem which began as a civil war and now has the added dimension of being an oil battle between certain world powers, China owning all pandas in U.S. zoos, and Florida’s proposal to urine test high school athletes.

If you missed the show last night, it is archived and available 24 hours a day. Merely go to www.blogtalkradio.com, hit the archive button and enter Key West Lou or Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

We live in changing times. Dramatically changing times. I fear that most world leaders and people do not realize it. There is a danger in failing to recognize changes which are rapidly occurring.

Two examples.

Syria. I say the United States should stay out. That is not the point of this comment, however. It is that our major support is from two nations who are no longer world powers. Great Britain and France. We are the only big guy left among the three. We must open our eyes and form alliances also with real major powers. The world is not only changing, it has changed.

The New York Times. I could not get into the Times on my tablet yesterday. I found out in the evening that it was off the air because it had been hacked. Hacked by the Syrian Electronic Army. The same army that successfully hacked in the recent past the Financial Times, the Washington Post, and Huffington Post. The same Army that sent out Twitter messages from Obama and Oprah Winfrey supporting Syria’s Assad.

The Times hacking and others mentioned are clear examples that wars need not be fought on battlefields to be effective.

Enjoy your day!

CHINA OWNS EVERYTHING

Joyous news! The giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a baby panda that survived! Weighed just under 5 ounces. Amazing that such a huge mother delivered such a small baby.

It is reported mother and child are doing well.

The delivery was at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

This is one of those did you know items. Were you aware…..China owns all pandas in United States zoos? China does. As well as us. The United States owes China so much money. We will never be able to pay it back.

Stopped at the Bank of America ATM yesterday. Out of order. I tried the drive in one and fortunately it worked. I was down to $2. I can recall an occasion when all of Bank of America’s ATMs in Key west were down. A tragedy.

Interestingly, Bank of America does not own and operate its ATMs. Nor do most banks. Brinks owns and operates them. I found out once when the ATM would not return my card. Bank of America was no help.

Stopped at Salute around 5 for a drink. A change moment.

Good crowd! Busy! Especially out doors.

I was impressed at the cost of my drink. $6 for a Beefeater on the rocks. Good sized. A bargain in Key West. Most places are in the $8.50-$10.00 range. Except for Don’s Place. $4.50.

Stopped next at Don’s. Only 5:30. Nate bartending. Only 4 people at the bar. I did not know any of them. Chatted with Nate a bit and left. Did not have a drink.

The Chart Room was next. Mary bartending. Me and tourists.

I enjoyed the parting conversation between two couples. They had made plans to meet tonight at Garden of Eden. They were all giggly and excited.

I have only been to the Garden of Eden twice in the many years it has been open. It is a clothing optional bar for adults on a roof top on Duval. I am a voyeur. I was disappointed. Never saw anyone without clothes! Not even a topless woman!

Since Larry Smith has stopped playing, I have not been to the Wine Galley. I walked to the back side of the Pier House to visit last night. The outdoor hostess asked if she could help. I asked if the Wine Galley was open. She said, yes. It is our formal dining room. She insisted on entering with me.

What a joke! A sad one.

The room is the same. Except for three tables and the piano. Gone. The room was deserted. It smelled strongly of disinfectant.

She was gracious. Asked if I wanted a drink. A bartender had suddenly appeared. I said thank you, but no. It would not have been the same.

The front page of this morning’s Key West Citizen had a photo of the drone the Mosquito Control Board is trying out. Small. Weighs only 2 1/2 pounds. I was impressed. Our Mosquito Control Board does a hell of a job. Were it not for them, people would find it difficult to reside in the lower Keys.

Another lapus lingua. I referred to Bradley Manning recently as Bruce Manning. Second time in a week I have made a mistake. The prior one was referring to George Clooney as Robert Clooney.

Dementia must be setting in.

Tonight Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. At 9. One half hour. Fast moving and interesting. Revealing on occasion, also. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I intend to speak about Bradley Manning and transgendedrism, China owning all pandas in the United States, and a proposal to urine test all high school athletes in Florida.

Join me.

Enjoy your day!

STATUE OF LIBERTY

The Statue of Liberty has been in view the past few days. The Barclays Golf Tournament was played in New Jersey directly across the river from New York. Many of the television shots of the players had the Statue of Liberty in the background.

Imposing!

I visited the Statue of Liberty twice.

The first time was when I was 4 or 5 years old. My father took me. I remember the mob of people, the elevator, the long walk up a spiral staircase, the heat, and finally reaching the crown. The arm and torch were closed off.

My father had to lift me so I could look out of one of the small windows surrounding the crown.

A memorable occasion for a young boy. Here I am more than 70 years later and can still remember as if it were yesterday.

The second time was when I was a father. I took my four children to visit the Statue of Liberty. They were early grammar school age at the time. Unfortunately, all we could do was take the boat ride over and walk around the island. The entire Statue was off limits to visitors. I cannot recall why. I believe my children never the less were impressed with the majesty of the Statue.

Visited the Chart Room last night. JJ, Sheila and Frankie at the bar.

JJ asked me about Le Grand Bleu. I mentioned Le Grand Bleu in one of my blogs while on the Greek isle Amorgos. A French movie, part of which was filmed on Amrogos. JJ had come across it and recalled my having mentioned it. Today on Amorogos there is a restaurant by the name. Every wednesday evening, the restaurant plays the movie for free outdoors to induce persons to patronize the restaurant.

A family of three came in. The father was a big man. Like 6’6″. Big chested, also. A dark black beard. Big black eyes. His wife was very short. Around 5’2”. Pudgy and wore round steel rimmed glasses. The third person was their son. A teenager.

Just prior to the family arriving, two men came in. One was with the U.S. Navy and stationed in Key West. I believe he was an officer.

The big guy father of the family announced in a booming voice…..We are Russian!

We were all immediately interested in the family.

They were vacationing in Key West.

The Navy man said he once had a beer with a Russian in Korea. The father immediately came back with…..North Korea? The Navy man said no, my recollection is South Korea. Pusan.

With that, the mother said….Let’s go. And away they went saying their good byes as they left the Chart Room. It was a quick exit.

I pondered. How many Russians have I actually met? Few, when I thought of it. I know some from the former Soviet states. I have a close friend from the Ukraine. However as to real Russians, maybe only this family and one other.

The one other was Alexander Kerensky. He was Russian born and taught me Russian history for one year at Manhattan College. He was a most interesting professor. Especially as concerned the Russian revolution. He had been part and parcel of the revolution.

Kerensky was the second Prime Minister of free Russia. The Russia that existed after the Czar had been deposed. He was the boss.

Following the Revolution, the Russians were divided into two groups. The Whites and the Reds. Kerensky was a White. The two groups were not of the same thinking. Civil war began.

Eventually, the Reds took over. They were also known as Bolsheviks. The Reds were led by Vladimir Lenin.

Kerensky had to flee Russia. His life was in danger. He eventually made his way to Germany. When the Nazis gained power, he left Germany for England. Then he made it to the United States.

I took Kerensky’s course in 1956. Kerensky was teaching at Columbia University. He would take the subway to Manhattan College twice a week to teach the course.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesday means Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. Nine in the evening on the internet. A fast moving interesting one half hour show. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

One of tomorrow’s topics involves Bruce Manning and transgenders. There is much that most people are unaware of regarding transgender persons. The discussion promises to be an eye opener.

Enjoy your day! It looks like a rainy one in Key West.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE MANAHER!

Big night last night! A surprise birthday party for Stephanie Manaher.

Her sixtieth. I know it is not normally considered good taste to reveal a lady’s age. I doubt Stephanie would mind in this circumstance. Sixty is a milestone. A day to reflect and be proud of husband, children, grandchildren, friends, and material accomplishments.

Stephanie has them all! God has been good. He helped her make it through disappointments as well. Last night was Stephanie’s time to look back and say to herself…..I did it!

It was a great party! As stated, a surprise. Stephanie’s three daughter were present. One from Chicago. Her grandchildren. Guests from out of town and locally. The locals included Stephanie’s fellow teacher friends. She has always been particularly proud of them and her association with them. I have always thought teaching was Stephanie’s escape time from Don.

The party was at the outside bar at Don’s Place. Great food. Excellent company. Terrific music. Larry, Christine and Alex did double duty. They were guests and entertained as well.

It was a family and friends evening. Everyone warm and happy. A rare time.

Congratulations, Stephanie! May you live another sixty years and be as vibrant and happy as you were last night!

MASTER OF MY FATE…..CAPTAIN OF MY SOUL

I came across this quote in yesterday’s Key West Citizen. it was buried on a back page. Easy to miss. The quote is by William Ernest Hemley. The purpose in sharing it is that there may be a person out there who could use the boost it gives.

“I am the master of my fate; the captain of my soul.”

Hope it helps someone.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour was yesterday morning. The show went well. I was pleased. The material was excellent and flowed easily. Post show comments revealed the breast implant explosive situation and the implications of Bradley Manning’s transgenderism garnered the most interest.

I have decided to write next week’s KONK Life column on the issue of Bradley’s transgenderism. Contrary to what a U.S. Army spokesman said yesterday, taxpayers will be paying for his hormone therapy and sex change operation. You can bet money on it!

Jenna was at the television station. I had not seen her for well over two months. First, I was away in Europe and then she in Los Angeles on vacation. It was good to see her.

Crystal engineers my show. She was at the studio, also. Does a terrific job.

Two lovely women taking caring for me. I am a lucky man!

Truly being back in Key West involves visiting places I frequent and enjoy. I had already done the Chart Room and Don’s Place. For lunch yesterday, it was Blossoms. I was really home! Cuban cheese toast with tomato and a cup of Cuban coffee.

Ran into Michael Dennis. One of Key West’s leading authors. Michael has published several books. Good reading!

The Chart Room last night. The ravishing Emily bartending. Sheila, Katherine and Sean there, also.

Met Tom from Annapolis at the bar. He is a lieutenant with the fire department and also a nurse. A nice guy. He was spending a few days at the Pier House. Yesterday, he had gone out fishing. Caught several different fish. The Pier House restaurant gladly cooked them for him.

Then to Don’s Place. Chatted with Erika, Hershel, David, Ron, and Michael. Most bocce team mates. David our captain. Ergo, bocce the item of discussion.

We played lousy thursday night. The whole team. We know it. David was pointing out the errors of our ways. In a nice fashion, of course. Like how the worse game he has ever saw was our 16-1 loss in the second game. Hershel and I played in the second game.

I started having trouble with my cell phone and tablet on the European trip. Could not keep them charged. Was getting all of six hours on the cell phone.

I went to Verizon. Was told I needed a new battery. Bought one. Cell phone still would not hold a charge.

Sloan suggested earlier this week that perhaps my cord had become defective. I have several and use them interchangeably. I went out and bought some new cords.

I am into the fourth day of my cell phone charge. Wonderful!

I share the cord information in the event any of you are experiencing a similar problem.

Enjoy your day!

DOMESTICATION AND WHITE BREAD

I have been divorced enough years that I have become domesticated. I can do for myself. Which includes simple cooking.

Since my return from Europe, I have gotten into poached eggs. I do them well. My problem has been the bread. As with most, I only eat whole wheat or bran bread. Neither offers the same taste with poached eggs as with the white bread my mother and former wife used.

I went to Publix yesterday to buy a loaf of white bread. White American bread as it was called back when. Guess what? There ain’t no white bread! Not quite true. I did find two different brands of sliced white American bread. That’s all! Everything was whole wheat or some sort of bran. There was no Wonder Bread on the shelves!

White bread has been successfully demonized!

I bought a loaf of the white. Made poached eggs immediately upon returning home. I was correct. White bread was required. The taste was magnificent! Reminiscent of old!

Spent a part of yesterday finalizing this morning’s tv/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Ten this morning my time.

The past week has been crazy news wise. Ergo, a lot of goodies to talk about. Like the terrorists newest ploy breast implant explosives. Also, an exploration of transgenderism as induced by Bradley Manning. Interesting topics!

The show is available on television from Key West through Miami-Dade Counties via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

Bocce last night. We got killed! Badly! Lost all three. Only scored one point in the second game. The saving grace is that we were beaten by the Hell’s Rangers. Even their name was daunting. They were #1 in the Thursday League last season and #2 overall in the playoffs.

Have to hurry. Need to review my notes for this morning’s show.

Enjoy your day!

BRADLEY MANNING WANTS TO BE A GIRL

Just when I think I have heard it all, that I can not be surprised, something occurs to prove me wrong.

This morning on the Today show it was announced that Bradley Manning wants to be a female. He said in a written statement read that he wishes to be referred to from this point forward as Chelsea and hopes to immediately begin hormone therapy.

Manning is 25 and was sentenced this past week to 35 years in jail for leaking 700,000 pages of secret government information. He was considered by many to be a hero rather than a wrongdoer.

The only advice I have for Manning is to watch out when he is in prison.

Worked a bit yesterday on tomorrow’s television/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Compiled interesting information. Bradley Manning, of course. Then the Muslim treatment of Christians in Egypt, breast implant bombs, Obamacare and spousal coverage, Pope Benedict’s God told me to resign statement, ingesting tapeworms to lose weight, insulting the office of President, Rudolph Valentino, The Butler, and more.

Join me. Ten Friday morning my time. On television all the way up the Keys and through Miami-Dade County on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

I guarantee you will enjoy the show.

Spent a significant portion of yesterday working on my first book to be published. A reality in the making.

Worked with Sloan for two hours organizing and editing material for the book.

Babysat from 5 to 7. Enjoyed the time immensely with Robert and Ally. We talked about school, teachers, Jake and Monopoly. I heated their dinner and sat and chatted with them as they ate.

Jake and I continue to have problems. I think it is my voice. If I forget and speak loudly, he feels threatened.

The grandkids wanted me to play Monopoly with them. I agreed. By the time the fight was over as to who was going to be banker, who got what piece, and the board set up, Lisa returned. I had to go. We agreed to play another time.

Drinks and dinner last night at the Yacht Club. I was heading for Don’s and the Chart Room, stopped into the Yacht Club for a drink, and never left.

Bocce tonight. I hope. It has rained heavy the past two days. It has already rained heavy twice this morning. In between, the sun shines bright. It is going to take a lot of sun today to dry the courts.

Enjoy your day!