THE SHAME OF IT ALL

ABC News ran photographs on the internet yesterday of some of the children who have come over the border into Texas. The 52,000.

Here is what I saw.

Children sleeping on bathroom floors, in orderly fashion next to each other. More sleeping on shower floors. Not in orderly fashion. On top of each other in many instances. The floor in each room reported to be concrete. Nothing between the kids’ bodies and the concrete. Some standing crowded almost like sardines in what was described as a holding room.

The news report stated the areas where the children were held were fenced in  by chain link and barbed wire. It was further reported that the children are only allowed 30 minutes outside each day to play.

ABC’s report further indicated that many of the children still appear dehydrated and hungry. The report also stated some of the children were sick and could not eat.

Is this how we treat children in the United States? Regardless of how they arrived here?

This is not a Republican/Democrat thing. This is a humanitarian crisis. Political differences and hatreds should be set aside. We are duty and conscience bound to react. To do the right thing. To be God like. To help the children.

The President says he needs $3.7 billion of immediate money to take care of them. Congress is making strange noises. The usual noises. We are hearing every reason why the money should not be made available.

I listened to Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, being interviewed on TV yesterday. He disgusted me. He not only was against providing the money, he appeared infuriated that the President had even asked.

I could not help but think how Senator Johnson would react if some of the children were his grandchildren.

We should be ashamed. We will be ashamed big time if the money is not appropriated.

In the meantime, it was announced yesterday that Congress will be adjourning for a five week vacation starting August 1. Congress does not work enough as it is. Especially the House of Representatives. They only work tuesday, wednesday, and thursday each week. This was the brain child of Eric Cantor who was recently defeated in a primary.

I am still without wheels. Parts did not come in from Miami. Hopefully, today.

Being stuck home has its advantages. I worked on my Greece book most of the time. I am happy to report big progress. I have completed the second draft. Will start editing over the weekend. I am confident I will have it to the publisher this month.

The Key West Citizen’s World Almanac section had an historical note of interest yesterday. Fifty years ago Key Westers were complaining that the Key West Country Club was charging $3.50 on weekends for a round of golf. What a joke! Today it would take 25 to 50 times more, depending on which fee structure applied. Those must have been the days!

Too many telephones, too many cell phones in the Keys. As of 6/1/15 there will be a new area code. An additional one. The 305 will still be available. The new code will be 786.

I seem to learn something new each day. Sometimes several items. China has a one baby per couple policy. Get pregnant a second time and forced abortion applies. I discovered yesterday that Vietnam limits the number of new borns, also. Two to a couple.

Abortion is obviously in play. Contraception has to come into play. Our recent Supreme Court decisions would not fly in China or Vietnam. I doubt if any have complained on religious grounds. Go along, get along. Actually stay out of jail or worse.

Enjoy your day!

FUN LAST NIGHT…..BIG TIME

 

The title could be misleading. It sounds like I might have got lucky. I did not. Nothing changes.

First, yesterday morning. I did my TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Post show comment suggested the first topic discussed as the most interesting. I chatted about a recent Huffington Post survey. The question was whether Congress should be drug tested? Should Congressional members be required to periodically pee in a cup? The survey was extensive. Seventy eight per cent said yes. Seven percent no.

We should go for it! If Congress requires persons in entitlement programs and certain unemployed to be drug tested in order to receive benefits, they should required to pee in the cup also. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander!

My evening was outstanding. Started early. Too early perhaps. It was a drinking night. I am no longer accustomed to as many as I put away last night. I am surprised I slept so well and woke with no hangover.

I stopped first at the Hot Tin Roof. I wanted to autograph my new book The World Upside Down for John, the General Manager. This autographing thing is new to me. A bit humbling.

Then it was the Chart Room. I was to meet Cheryl and Roger for dinner. I enjoyed a drink with Frankie first. Then with Cheryl and Roger. Then another. Met a nice lady. Nancy. A nurse from the Boston area who recently purchased a condo in Key West.

At 8, Cheryl, Roger and I moved over to the Hot Tin Roof. An excellent meal, as usual. We all ate the same entre. Unusual. The special. Mushroom ravioli covered with an alfredo sauce. Good! Drinks also, of course.

Back to the Chart Room after dinner for a night cap. Turned out to be several. I was on a roll.

I did everything bad. Even smoked. I was bumming cigarettes from Ollie.

Alicia, David, and Sheila came in at one point. Alicia’s Dad owns the popular Fairvilla in Key West. An adult toy emporium. Alicia leaves tomorrow or Monday. I hope I run into her one more time before she leaves. She does not live in Key West.

We were sitting at the round table. Several Pier House guests joined us. All nice people. My recollection is they bought two rounds and Roger one or two more. I am not bragging. Just sharing. That much consumption is highly unusual for me. Even worse, I was not feeling it.

The Pier House guests were fun.

There was Dan and Heather. From southern Jersey. He owns a mechanical engineering business. She a stay at home Mom raising three children and a husband.

There was also Tom and Chrissy from Myrtle beach. Tom is in human relations. Chrissy a for real doctor. Her specialty is family medicine.

Another  lovely lady with them. Joan from Myrtle Beach. A waitress.

Heather and Chrissy have been friends for years. They were both celebrating their 40th birthdays yesterday.

It was a late night. Long past my bed time when I finally hit the pillow.

Tonight is one of Key West’s best events. The Christmas Parade. Floats galore. Santa Claus riding into town on the last one. Candy being tossed to the children at curbside. I will be there with my grandchildren Robert and Ally. Would not miss the parade and being with them for the event.

Enjoy your day!

 

IT CAN’T GET ANY BETTER

 

It can’t get any better. I refer to the weather. Key West is blessed this fall. Beautiful days.

At the moment, I can see the outside. I am sitting inside my kitchen looking out over the water and everything else. The water is still. As is the air. A small white cloud here and there. God is good type weather!

Makes me feel good.

I walked yesterday. Outside. On South Roosevelt Boulevard along the Atlantic Ocean. A bit humid. Made me sweat. My tee shirt was soaked when I was done.

Ate at Roostica on Stock island last night. Went specifically for the Wednesday night special. Baked chicken and potatoes. Just like Mom made!

Tomorrow morning is my TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. I spent time yesterday off and on working on the show. Interesting topics. The Washington fiasco, of course. Plus, my thoughts on the Alec Rodriquez situation.

Add to these two topics, the origin of the cocktail, women not persons under Canadian law till 1929, food stamps and the shut down, cameras soon to be on shelves in super markets, a recent study suggesting Oreos as addictive as cocaine and morphine, my continuation on government waste, and more.

The show is at 10 in the morning my time. It is available from Key West through Boca Raton on television via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

The government shut down and debt limit problems were disgraceful. The Republicans should be ashamed. Especially, Tea Party members. Reports indicate the shut down cost the economy $24 billion. Take it out of the pay of the Tea Party members in the House of Representatives.

Will it happen all over again in 2-3 months? I hope not. You never know however when it comes to politicians.

Bocce tonight. I am anxious to play.

Frankie, aka Frankie the Plumber, is generally my partner. The best player on our team. One of the best in the league.

Frankie had heavy heart surgery more than six months ago. Died twice on the table.

When he returned to playing bocce, he had lost it. He was not the Frankie of old when it came to the game. We felt sorry for him. He had to be bothered by it, though he never said a word.

I am happy to report Frankie is back! The past few nights we have played, he has been the Frankie of old. I am happy for Frankie. I am happy for the team. We need him!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

FRIDAY NIGHT BABYSITTING

 

This morning is not just spectacular, it is glorious! Perfect. Even the birds are chirping.

I worry it is a prelude to what might be coming. Hurricanes. The season begins soon.

Babysat last night. Lisa and Corey went out to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary.

Where to go for dinner? The grandkids and I talked about it for a half hour. They are knowledgeable and experienced. We went from IHop to Turtle Crawl to the Half Moon Raw Bar to Matthesson’s to Harpoon Harry’s.

Harpoon Harry’s won out.

Dinner was great. Robert and Ally ate their usual. Cheeseburgers and french fries. I was in a breakfast mood. Ham and eggs.

We walked the waterfront afterwards. Robert is easy to deal with. Ally can be a problem. She is a free spirit. She climbs and walks on anything she can find. A mound of dirt, a concrete abutment, a raised curb. I am in constant fear she is going to fall and break an ankle.

We decided on ice cream. Dairy Queen. A gold mine! We had to wait 15 minutes in line before being able to order. Robert spoke right up. He wanted a double fudge chocolate shake small with a cherry on top. Got it out all in one breath! Ally ordered some crazy colored ice cream with chunks of chocolate. Poppa settled for a small cone of chocolate.

All night we talked. Constantly. About everything. The most exciting from their perspective was that Robert is going to get Cameron’s bedroom. Cameron is off to college in August. Robert and Ally presently sleep in a bunk bed in the same room. Robert is thrilled. So is Ally. This means she will have her own room, also. She told me Mom and Dad were getting her a new bed and desk.

Yesterday morning’s Key West Lou Legal Hour went well. Post show comments indicated Senator Coburn and Venezuela garnered the most interest.

Venezuela has a shortage problem. Toilet paper. A serious one. I read a story of a woman who looked for two weeks before she was able to buy some. Venezuela uses 125 million rolls a month.

The number by the way staggered me. How much do we use in the USA monthly?

I commented in yesterday’s blog regarding the crocodile who was recently shot in the head and killed in the Keys. A big deal. Crocs are an endangered species by law. I thought much ado was being made. They even had a beach front service at which the crocodile was eulogized by the Vice Mayor. He described the croc as having been assasinated.

The comments received yesterday and this morning are the most I have received on any subject. Amazing! Most disagreed with me. Protect crocodiles was the cry!

I wrote my column for next week’s KONK Life in the afternoon. Titled it Three Disgraces.

The first was Major Nidal Hasan. He shot and killed 13 soldiers and wounded 30 others at Fort Hood in 2009. While shouting God is Great! He is still in jail waiting trial. He is receiving full pay. $70,000 a year. Total so far $278,000.

The second was the Republican House of Representatives voting 37 times to repeal Obamacare. One vote was enough. The process costly. $1.5 million wasted so far.

The third involved tax avoidance. Apple’s CEO appeared before a Congressional committee this week investigating tax avoidance. Apple saves $102 billion a year with off shore accounts. All legal. My thrust was Congress should not be putting the CEO on the hot seat. They belonged there! They were the ones who listened to corporate America’s lobbyists over the years and passed the necessary legislation permitting tax avoidance.

You may find the entire article interesting when it is published next week.

Yesterday’s Key West Lou Legal Hour was recorded and is being rerun this afternoon at 4:30. Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19.

Enjoy your day!

 

BOB BURTON GONE

 

Bob Burton passed on over the weekend.

Bob was one of Key West’s nicest people.

I first met Bob and his partner Jack Baron 25 years ago when I started coming to Key West. They ran the Jack Baron Art Gallery in Duval Square together. Jack did the painting. Bob handled the business end.

I loved them both. There was no other way to feel about them.

Jack died several years ago. I am confident Jack was waiting to greet his life long partner at the Pearly Gates. Probably chastised him for taking so long.

I was privileged to be invited to their 48th, 49th, 50th, 51st and 52nd anniversary parties. Outstanding! Although same sex marriage was not yet legal anywhere in the United States, these two gentlemen considered themselves married all those years.

May Bob rest in peace.

Yesterday morning was spent working on this morning’s blog talk radio show. The Key West Lou Talk Show. Then I was off to Higgs Beach. The temperature was 80 degrees.

I did not wear a bathing suit. Too cold for me! I was in a tee shirt and shorts. Eighty is warm to the tourists. They fly down for a few days. Their blood is still thick from the northern cold weather. Mine is not. I experience cold easily. Strange as it sounds, eighty is cool to me this time of year.

I sat in my sand chair for 1.5 hours and read. Tourists all around me running in and out of the water.

I am presently reading two books at one time. I am still reading the one about President Grant. I am also into a book on Eisenhower titled Ike’s Bluff. It was the Ike book I was reading on the beach.

The more detail I read about the various lives of our Presidents, the more I wonder why anyone would want the job. Grueling. Crushing. The pressure never lets up.

Picked up the virus infected computer. Virus gone. I was worried. Thought the computer was gone.

Then to my heart doctor for a routine visit. Everything A-ok.

I have written in this column, in a KONK Life article, and discussed it on my TV/Internet show. Pythons!

The State of Florida sponsored python hunt is now up to 800 participants. I think the State and hunters are crazy. They remind me of the people who went out in all size boats to capture the great white shark in Jaws. The python hunt scenario is a disaster in the making. A hunter is going to get shot by a fellow hunter or crushed by a python. Guaranteed!

Completed another Key West Lou Blog Talk Radio Show this morning. Amongst other things, chatted about a woman’s vagina and an incestuous relationship. Nothing bad. But real and truthful for sure.

I suggested that a woman’s vagina is more regulated than assault weapons. Think about it. I am correct.

As regards an incestuous relationship, one of sorts exists between the military, the military industrial complex, and Congress. Right on, again.

The statistics/analytics were available to me immediately following the show. A number listened in. No one called in, however. Please, I am trying to develop a talk show. I need you to participate. It costs nothing and gives you the opportunity to be heard.

The stats told me something interesting. People listening to the blog talk radio show are reading this blog for the first time. I would like it to work the other way, also. Go from Key West Lou to the talk radio show.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

BLOG TALK RADIO COMING

 

If anyone asks what you do when it appears there is  nothing to do, tell them to look at me.

I am going to do a blog talk radio show. It will be known as the Key West Lou Talk Show.

I have decided to start slowly. A one half hour show. Tuesday mornings at 7. My time.

Your computer is the radio. Turn it on and tune me in. Listen to the show while you eat breakfast, shave, etc. Just as you do now with the TV that you are not actually watching.

A current events show, I will make my position known. Listeners can call in, make a statement, disagree, ask a question, whatever. If it works, the airways could get hot!

Initially,  I can handle five call ins.

If the show works out, I will be thinking time change and a longer show. The time could stay morning, be mid afternoon, dinner time or late at night. It will be my option. Yours, also. I will be asking for input.

Next week, I will provide the particulars as to how to call in.

Sounds like a fun time in the making.

When I was a practicing attorney with a large staff, all personal matters were taken care of for me. Now I am like every one else. I am my own staff. Difficult to handle on occasion.

Yesterday, I wanted to renew my medicare supplemental policy and my drug policy. Both are with AARP sponsored United Health Care. Each renewal required its own call. One comapny, two separate divisions.

The drug renewal call kept me waiting 3.5 hours on the phone before a human came on. That is how it works. If you want to do business with them, you dance to their tune. The medicare supplement was not so bad. Only a half hour.

Disgraceful. United Health Care makes a ton of money. There should be no problem in putting on another 50-100 telephone sales persons.

Those four hours spent waiting conmsumed my afternoon.

I did get out to walk in the morning before the phone calls. The Marriott Beachside parking garage. Open aired. Four levels. Up and down for a half hour.

My diet is stalemated. I lost a ton the first 10 days. Twelve pounds. Gained a pound yesterday. From this point forward, I suspect the loss will be 2-3 pounds a week. I will be happy with that.

Going out to dinner tonight! How? I am on a very restrictive diet. Easy. I plan on eating my diet meal before I leave. While dining, I shall limit myself to two diet Pepsis and a cup of coffee. All the time talking with my guest Stephanie Kaple, the Island Shoe Girl. She will be stuffing herself. I will hate her by the end of the meal.

Congress in disarray. Cannot agree on anything. Has been this way for years.

This is not the first time. Two other occasions come to mind. I am sure there were more.

From 1840 to 1861, the issue was slavery. Whether new states and territories would be free or slave. As bad as the economic issues are today. So bad that one political party disappeared and a new one appeared in its place. The one that nominated Abraham Lincoln.

Another occasion was most of the 1930s. It all started with Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s election. The Republicans thought he was going to ruin the country with  his socialistic plans. Things like Social Security. Bad blood and bad talk were rampant.

The bottom line is we are living under circumstances that have occurred in the past. The Nation will survive. It always has.

I would be comfortable however if these asses in Washington would get their acts together and get things done in a more orderly fashion. The items they favor are not of such importance that they should threaten the country. There are round holes and square holes. A round item will not fit in a square hole and vice versa. Both parties rely too rigidly on their basic philosophies.

I visit the doctor again this afternoon. One of those things cut off my body a couple of weeks ago came back bad. More has to be removed. No big deal. I am not concerned.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday morning the TV news, TV talk shows, and internet news were bombarding us with a $5.5 billion default by the U.S. Postal Agency within 24 hours. This morning nothing. Not on TV. Only a brief back page article on the internet.

The Post Office is still going to default. At midnight tonight. The government does not seem concerned. The default will not affect the day to day operations of the Post Office. Congress goes into recess Friday for the month of August. Congress takes the position that the problem can await resolution till it returns in September.

A disgrace! An example of Congressional irresponsibility! First in passing the 2006 law that primarily created this postal crisis. Second, in failing to timely correct the problem.

Whatever happened to pride. This is an agency of the United States government. There should be no waiting. The problem should be resolved now instead of four weeks plus from now. The Washington genius’ know what they are going to do. They should do it now and avoid embarassing the government.

I am beginning to think that not paying bills on time is no longer considered an item of shame. If the U.S. governemnt can do it, why not the people. The economy would really fail if everyone payed their bills one month late.

I walked yesterday morning. In the blistering humidity. My tee shirt soaking wet when I finished.

Then to the Plantation Coffee House. No coffee. A bottle of cold water. Diane working. I also had one of her blueberry muffins. She bakes them herself. Delicious.

I was getting ready to leave the house last night for the Chart Room when Dotti called. She has recently returned from Mexico.

Meet me at the Commodore and I will buy you dinner, she said. OK by me. Rarely does anyone purchase my dinner. Especially a beautiful lady.

I met Dotti at the Commodore a half hour later. We drank, ate and laughed. Dotti is an old friend from Key West who married and ran off to Mexico to live several years ago.

It has been at least four years since I dined at the Commodore. The food was terrific! Better than I remembered it. I enjoyed a delicious prime rib. I plan on returning soon.

I rarely get to the end of Front street where the Commodore is located. It is only two blocks from the Chart Room, but out of the way. Front Street dead ends at the Commodore.

There has been much talk of late of the Boathouse. Everyone has told me it is near the Commodore. The Boathouse has become a new and exciting place to drink and eat. I had never been there nor seen it.

Turns out the Boathouse is directly under the Commodore. Boathouse first floor, Commodore second floor.

What a lovely place! Made for the oceanfront. It sits on the ocean. Open aired. The place was packed. Looked like fun. I must try it soon.

Donna and Terri have been here since late afternoon Sunday. I rarely see them. Our bodies operate on different time schedules. I have seen Terri for a total of 30 seconds. Donna 5 minutes. Show biz people!

Two major figures passed on in the past 48 hours. Tony Martin and Gore Vidal.

Tony Martin was 98. A popular singer in the 1940s and 1950s. Married to two different Hollywood stars. First the singer Alice Faye. Then the dancer Cyd Charisse.

I remember and enjoyed Martin’s movies. All good time happy ending ones.

Gore Vidal was 86. A novelist, playwrite, and political commentator. He was often described as a political troublemaker. He called them as he saw them! He was a non conformist and controversial. More of his irritating type are needed in today’s world.

May they both rest in peace.

Enjoy your day!