TODAY’S DOLLARS YESTERDAY’S BULLETS

Posted on by

Physics teaches us that each and every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The rule applies in international politics as well.

Russia stole Crimea. The United States and other nations sanctioned Russia. The thought was the sanctions would bring Russia to its knees. It did not happen. No one took into account Putin’s boldness.

Russia’s economic life depends on the sale of its oil and gas to other countries. Retaliation for Crimea included cutting off some of those lines. No problem for Putin. He turned in another direction. Asia. In six months, he has cut new oil deals with North Korea, South Korea,and China. He is presently negotiating a major gas deal comparable to the China one with Japan.

Another part of the United States’ retaliatory strategy was to freeze the bank accounts of Russian citizens in the United States. The big Russians.

No problem again for Putin It was announced this week that Russia was removing money it had in U.S. banks. Russia had $21.6 billion dollars sitting here. Russia thus far has pulled out 61 percent. Only $8.4 billion remains.

That is not all.

In the past several months, Putin has been negotiating mega contracts for Russian state owned oil companies with major oil companies. Exxon Mobile and BP recently signed such mega contracts with Russia’s Rosneft.

So much for major companies supporting Obama’s decisions arising out of Ukraine problems. The same oil companies that eat big time off the American people and benefit from favorable laws that Congress has passed to their benefit. To the benefit of the big oil companies and to the detriment of the American people.

Wars will continue to be waged in remote places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine with guns, bullets, tanks and other machines of war. Major countries such as the United States, Russia, England, France, and others, will fight each other with dollars. Each is fully aware of the devastation that a fighting war would bring. The major countries do not want blood and guts on their streets. Economics can be used to destroy a nation as effectively as war.

The issue/concept has been bothering me and so I burden you with my thoughts this morning.

The best of my yesterday was the Heat/Spurs game last night. Great basketball!

Enjoy your day!

FROM INTERNET SHOW TO BP RELATED DOLPHIN DEATHS

Posted on by

Yesterday’s internet show a winner! The Key West Lou Legal hour was back to normal. The trip is yesterday’s news.

I was bombarded following the show with e mails and telephone calls. People telling me what topics interested them most. Yesterday’s were the two stories concerning Presidents.

The John Holland story. Holland was a forefather of FDR and the two Bushes. Said a better way, FDR and the two Bushes are Holland’s descendants.

The other involved Grover Cleveland. Cleveland was the Democratic candidate for President in the 1884 election. Politics back then as dirty as today. It came out during the campaign that Cleveland had a 10 year old illegitimate son. He was supporting both the son and his former mistress. The Republicans came up with a tidbit for the campaign: “Ma, Ma, where’s my
Pa? Gone to the white House, ha, ha, ha.”

Cleveland won the election. I doubt he could today.

Visited Lisa for a while after the show. Robert somewhere in middle Florida with the cancer survivor group and Ally at day camp. Lisa and Corey pick up Robert today in Miami. The family will be a unit once more.

Then a visit to the dentist. A minor problem.

Last night started with the Chart Room. Big crowd. Many locals. Emily, Sheila, Captain Peter, Sean and Katherine. Hemingway Hank was back with his wife Patricia. Hank was proudly wearing a medal around his neck. For the ninth year, he has been selected as a finalist in the Hemingway Look A Like Contest. Hope he wins. He’s due.

Met Billy and Cindy Schott.

Billy is a true blue loyal reader of this blog. Every day. He and Cindy were married last year at this time on Smathers Beach. Key West is in their blood. Billy occasionally e mails me. He was at the Chart Room last night to meet me.

Billy and Cindy are from the Austin, Texas area. Billy was a kicker for the 1971-1975 Texas University football teams. Later, he played pro ball with the Houston Oilers. Today, he works for the Big 12 as a TV liason. Off season, his responsibilities incude collecting urine samples for testing. He might be described as the Pee Commissioner of Texas.

Cindy is an art teacher and also has her own catering business.

I spent my whole time at the Chart Room with them. Interesting and nice people. I suspect that since they were married in Key West, they will continue to visit each year at this time.

Dinner was at the bar at the Hot Tin Roof. Great food, as usual. I had chicken. I had had it before and liked it. The breast is splayed, grilled, and then quickly seared in a light oil. Magnificent!

A packed house at the Hot Tin Roof, also. Joseph and Valerie were kept busy.

The new Publix opened thursday where Albertson’s used to be. It was pushing 11 in the evening. I decided to stop by and see it on my way home.

The store is set up just as Albertsons was. I knew none of the employees. I suspect they were all former Albertson employees.

Publix is going all out in the customer war with Winn Dixie. Visitors since the opening get a lovely bouquet of flowers. Baskets emptied by an employee at check out. Carts delivered to your car with the groceries by an employee. It will not last. However, it is a nice touch.

I purchased nothing so I received none of the benefits described.

There has been an increase in dolphin deaths in the Gulf area. A significant increase. 186 washed up on shore in a three month period. More than half young ones. Calves. This is occurring in the area between Louisiana and western Florida. The dead dolphins are grossly underweight and anemic.

Some experts attribute the deaths to the BP spill and the cold waters of the last two years. They zero in on the BP spill as a causing factor because tests indicate the dolphins were undernourished and anemic before the cold waters came. It is thought that the BP spill screwed up the dolphin food chain.

BP came out last year and said everything A-OK. Worry not folks. I said no way could such a mammoth problem be cured in such a short time. The effects of the spill would be felt for years. The dolphin problem is an example.

A brief comment regarding the Colorado movie house shootings. There are two schools of thought on how to avoid such a situation. One is better gun control. The other is everyone should carry a firearm for protection purposes. Shoot the bad guy before he shoots you.

The right to bear arms has been clearly recognized by the courts in the past few years. Most people seem to have missed these decisions. In some states, people may openly carry a fire arm. Some college campuses permitt students to do so.

Those against guns walk around with the misconception that laws are in place to protect them from weapon bearing individuals. They are clearly wrong. While they slept, the NRA did its job.

Let me say what I have said before on my show and in writing. Twenty years from now we will be a gun bearing society. Just as in the Old West.

My day is going to be busy. I have to work through the trip photos so they can be posted in due course.

Enjoy your day!