MEET MICHAEL SWEENEY

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Before I get into Michael Sweeney, let me tell you how great the weather continues to be. Warm and cool at the same time. A perfect breeze coming in off the ocean.

Met the talented Michael Sweeney yesterday.

I have decided to dress up my blog talk radio show a bit. A significant number listen. I have no formal introduction. After a welcoming statement, I start talking. I wanted more. A musical introduction. Talked with Larry Smith. A musical genius. He said we need equipment and engineering, I got the guy.

The guy was Michael Sweeney.

We met at Sweeney’s studio complex on Stock island mid afternoon. We were there into early evening. We finally came up with something we all liked. I do not have the final product in hand. Sweeney is polishing it in the vernacular of his business.

I am neither musically nor machinery inclined. What Sweeney was doing was impressive. Sweeney would add drums, take away the trombones, up the audio, move the music back a step, etc. All with special equipment. The final product sounds like I have a whole symphony behind me.

It was a lot of work. All to create a six second introduction.

Lori cut my hair thursday. Tammy gave me a manicure yesterday. Both places seemed to have more business. The increased activity was evident. Both attribute it to two things. The snowbirds are beginning to return. The locals have more spending money because of Fantasy Fest. Ladies hold off getting their hair and nails done when cash flow is limited.

The Parrot Heads are in town. Tons of them. Difficult to realize, however. Parrot Head headquarters is at the Casa Marina. Ninety five per cent of the Parrot Head activities are at the Casa Marina. The Casa Marina eats, the rest of the community benefits little.

They did go off campus yesterday. The Parrot Heads left the Casa Marina for their Margaritaville Street Festival. In front of Margaritaville on Duval and at the intersection of Duval and Fleming. Music and everything. My friend Howard Livingston and his Mile Marker 24 group played.

On this day in history, November 1, 1939, the Key West Naval Base was reactivated. It was established in 1823. The 1935 Labor Day hurricane wiped the base out. The government did not reopen the base till this date in 1939.  World War II obviously made the base busier. Interestingly, the Key West population increased during those years primarily because of the base’s presence. Key West’s population in 1940 was 13,000. In 1945, it was 45,000.

My pool broke this morning. I was hearing strange noises. Went outside. The water level in the pool was down a couple of inches. Followed the noise. Something wrong with the motor. A cap blew off the top and water was spraying out. I could not turn the pool off as I normally do. The lever was frozen. Finally got everything to shut down by throwing the pool breakers.

Enjoy your day!

A WHALE AND ALASKAN WASTE

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The two items in the title are totally unrelated. Both interesting, however. I wanted to give each its just due.

I am on a diet. Generally people in Key West give dieters the same advice. Swim, eat only fish, and drink plenty of water.

I came across a comment yesterday that fit the advice and showed the error of the advice.

A whale swims all day, eats only fish, drinks water, and is FAT!

Walked again yesterday. This time did the hotels. Each day a different place so I do not get bored.

The Casa Marina and the Reach. Plus up and down and around blocks in between.

Both hotels lovely. Especially the Casa Marina. A jewel! Neither crowded. Must be the time of year. A good time to visit. Prices cheaper.

I worked on friday’s TV/Internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Still have some fine tuning to do. The show is a good one. They all are. We live in a crazy world and I report the craziness I discover.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour airs on two separate TV channels. From Key West to Miami-Dade County. Comcast Channel 87 and U-Versa Channel 19. The show is also available world wide on the internet. www.tvchannel19.com.

The show is one hour and begins at 10 in the morning my time.

I published another Amazon Kindle article yesterday. Abuse of Power. Involves a three year old and the police.

Now to Alaskan waste. You are not going to believe what I am about to share.

Alaskans appear to be smart people. They may decry the federal government. However, they are adept at securing federal funding. Generally for irrational purposes.

The bridge to nowhere became household words when Sarah Palin was running. A bridge as long as the Golden Gate Bridge. Problem was the bridge went nowhere. The projected cost $398 million. Federal stimulus dollars had been allocated for the project.

After the election, Sarah Palin withdrew Alaska’s plans to build the bridge.

The Alaskans did get the federal government, however. They built the Gavina Island Highway. Cost $25 million. Note it is built. The problem is the highway was to connect to the bridge to nowhere. No one uses the highway because there is no bridge to connect to.

It has to make one wonder how much oversight from Washington is involved in the stimulus program. The highway and the monies for the bridge to nowhere were either approved and/or disbursed during Bush 2’s administration.

Now comes the airport in the middle of nowhere. The place is Akutan, Alaska. Alaska got approval to build a $75.5 million airport to service Akutan.

Akutan has 75 full time residents, 5 boats, and 1,000 seasonal workers. They needed the airport like a hole in the head! The money approved, but not disbursed. I doubt it ever will.

The airport was to be built on an island six miles across the Bering Straites from Akutan. Rough and turbulent waters. A means was required to get customers from Akutan to the airport. No problem. About $13 million was approved. Part of the $75.5 million package. To build/acquire some  kind of hoverboats as they were called to transport people back and forth.

We are not done yet.

It was decided a harbor was needed somewhere in Alaska. The harbor was built. Cost $29 million. The problem was there were no roads to connect the harbor to the town. Some one forgot to provide electricity and water to the harbor, also. Because no road and the other problems, the harbor is not used.

These monies are all stimulus dollars. Under both Bush and Obama administrations.

I see two problems.

Oversight with regard to the stimulus dollars does not appear to be effective. Perhaps non existant in some instances. What a waste of money! Taxpayer dollars!

The other problem is that Alaskan officials are pigs. Smart pigs. They knew these projects were not ready for use nor feasible. Nevertheless they went ahead and applied for the monies. Their explanation is that they were planning for the future.

No wonder as a Nation we are in economic trouble. Washington should watch its dollars as we do ours. We know they do not. I am not opposed to stimulus. All I ask is that it be used where it will do the best and immediate good. Immediate being the operative word.

Enjoy your day!

 

The runways were to be