TONIGHT THE POPE, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE AND CHERNOBYL

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Tonight, my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

I spent most of yesterday preparing for the show. Topics include Pope Francis continuing to upset the Vatican old guard, the President of France saying no to the new trade pact over GMOs, a return to Chernobyl 28 years later, the U.S. dropping birth rate since 2007, Wall Street trying to put taxpayers on the hook for bad derivative trades, China buying up Detroit properties, and more.

The show tonight at 9 my time. Please join me. I guarantee you will enjoy the comments, even though you may not agree with some. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I was up early yesterday morning. Visited Dr. Lefferts to get my latest blood test results. She noted a possible kidney problem on the last one. The new test showed the kidney to be normal. Fortunately. At my age, I am always concerned.

I have to vent. Price of prescription drugs again. I had to pick up a 30 day supply of the blood thinner prescribed for me. $121. And I have one of the best AARP supplemental drug programs!

There is no generic. The blood thinner came out in 2009.

It is the donut again. You who are over 65 will especially understand. I have been in the donut since June. I telephoned the insurance company last month. They said I could get out of the donut if I paid $4,000 odd dollars.

The drug companies and insurance companies continue to rip us off. Neither Obamacare nor anything else helps. The drug companies have continued to receive basically a free ride under Obama.

The weather up north has started going bad again. A northeaster coming in. Wind and snow. Whenever it is cold up north, we feel it in Key West. The high today maybe 70. Tonight, 59. Cold! Comparable weather the next two days.

My diet is working. Seven weeks in two days. Nineteen pounds. I am proud of myself!

The diet is my own. I may publish a book when I have concluded. The Key West Diet.

Mark Howell is a Key West author of note. He has an interesting article on Tennessee Williams in this morning’s KONK Life E-News Blast.

One of the special things about living in Key West is the people who lived and worked here. Especially, authors. Tennessee Williams’ home of 40 years is on Duncan street. Friends now own it. They restored the house. It is magnificent in a quiet sort of way. Lisa lives 1 1/2 blocks down the street. Every time I drive past the house, I get a thrill. The same for when I drive past Hemingway’s home on Whitehead.

The women of Saudi Arabia may be able to vote for the first time next year. They started complaining big time in 2011. Even drove cars in defiance of the regime as part of the protest. The King gave in re the vote. They still are not allowed to drive cars however.

The vote is more than symbolic than anything else. They can only vote in local elections for local officials.

Most of the religious hierarchy are opposed to the vote. King Abdullah could have given them the right in 2012. However, he opted to grab a few more years to placate those against his decision. I would not be surprised if next year comes and for some reason the right to vote is delayed again.

I close today’s thoughts with Vera Schiff. Vera is in her 80s. Originally from Pennsylvania, she has lived in Key West as a snow bird forever. She is sweet and top shelf. Throws a great party. She is known as the Auntie Mame of Key West. She also contributes quietly and unselfishly to a multitude of charities.

It was announced this week that Vera is going to receive the Unsung Hero Award. A Key West big deal! She is much deserving.

Enjoy your day!

DIET DONE

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The diet was becoming increasingly difficult. Especially this week. I lost not a pound.

I was becoming sick of not leading my normal life. Going out, eating and drinking. Having fun.

Yesterday afternoon, I said screw it! I am done! End of diet.

I was at it for 2 months. Lost 23 pounds. Not as much as I wanted to, but as much as I could.

A yesterday afternoon experience contributed to my decision. I tried on clothes I had not worn in a couple of years. They fit!

Another 5-10 pounds would have been great. My enthusiasm and will power had waned, however.

I ate and drank at the bocce banquet last night. Two drinks. Plus, a small piece of filet mignon, a tablespoon of mashed potatoes, a bit of gravy, and a small piece of bread. I woke this morning and went to the scale as per my usual custom. I had lost a pound!

Later this morning, The Key West Lou Legal Hour. My TV and internet show. A good one!

Things like who is really behind the NRA’s adamant position, why haven’t the ten injured Americans air lifted out of Benghazi told their stories of Benghazi publically, freshman Congressman having an average net worth in excess of $1 million, Bush’s Secretary of the Interior getting a new personal bathroom that cost $220,000, why Rick Santorum should not be President, the story of a woman who orgasmed constantly for 19 years and committed suicide this past week, the Boeing 787 story, and more.

The show airs at 10 am my time. Available on television via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19 through and including Miami-Dade county. Available world wide on the internet. www.tvchannel19.com.

Bocce banquet last night at Don’s Place. Everyone there! Good to see them all! Fun!

This Lance Armstrong thing is amazing. Are sport heroes no longer pure? What a disgrace.

Morning Joe spent 15 minutes this morning discussing Armstrong’s confession. Consensus was that Armstrong was and is a sociopath. Interesting. There are many sociopaths in today’s society that destroy others’ lives for their own personal gain. With no remorse.

Africa is becoming international. We do not need another military involvement. Do what is necessary to get the American captives out. Then stay home! We have been in enough of these fights in recent years.

Again, watch my show this morning if you are able.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BACK TO DIETING

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Back to dieting.

Last night was my one cheat. Whether a guilty feeling or what, I did not enjoy my Christmas eve meal that much. Ergo, I opted not to eat Lisa’s big Christmas morning breakfast.

Glad I made the decision. I felt better almost immediately. Lisa understood.

Spent my afternoon resting. Watched some TV, researched a bit. One of Christ’s movies was on the Turner Channel. The one Jeffrey Hunter starred in. Robert Ryan made a terrific John the Baptist.

I decided to go to the movies last night. Les Miserables. I felt like Joseph. There was no room at the movie. Sold out.

I went home. Will try another evening this week.

My friday TV/Internet show is coming together. Some great material to discuss. Obviously more  about the Second Amendment and the NRA. Included thus far also is how Chicago Airport’s O’Hare got its name, the Indian bus gang rape, Romney’s transition bill presented to the United States for payment in the amount of $8.9 million, Christmas in the colonies, and Greece and the rebirth of a neo-Nazi party.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour is 10 in the morning my time on fridays. Airs on television throughout the length of the Keys and all of Miami-Dade County via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Available on the internet worldwide at www.tvchannel19.com.

Join me on friday. Always a good show.

Key West had a cold spell for about three days. It is gone. The day time temperature yesterday was 80 degrees. The night time 74.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

BLOG RADIO TALK SHOW/ TV-INTERNET SHOW…..BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

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Blog talk radio not the easiest thing to put together. Wow!

Making progress, however.

For anyone to call in / find the web page – two different ways to gain access.

The first is www.blogtalkradio.com. On the bottom of the page is a SEARCH box. Runs the length of the page. Enter: Key West Lou or Key West Lou Blog Talk Radio. That will bring you to my page. There you can hit the appropriate button to listen and, if you so desire, to call in.

The other method is more simple. Facebook carries a Blog Talk Radio Show link. Click on it and follow the instructions.

If you have problems, let me know. It will not be the site’s fault. It will be mine. It make take a week or two to get the mechanical kinks out of the way.

If you wish to call in…..I went over this a couple of days ago. I do it again.

Two ways.

www.blogtalkradio.com  to the web site. SEARCH Key West Lou or Key West Lou Blog Talk Radio. Then telephone 646-478-56731. Your call will be placed in order as received. I will respond to the calls in the same order.

The other is to use Skype. Those outside the U.S. will probably go this route. It is free. There will be on my page a “Skype to Talk” button. Click on it. Of course, you need Skype installed on your computer in order to use it. Skype is free. Download and register a Skype account at www.skype.com.

Sorry to bore you with all the detail. Necessary, however.

Friday, I do old hat! The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Ten in the morning my time. On television from  Key West through Miami-Dade County via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. For internet viewing world wide, www.channel19.com.

In addition to the topics set forth during the week, I am also going to talk about Putin and Russian  people who put money in off shore accounts so as not to pay taxes. Putin is after the off shore people. Putin claims $1 trillion is involved. I am confident that Putin and the Russian way of getting things done will remedy the situation a lot faster than we ever will in the United States.

Amazing. None of the big guys anywhere in the world want to pay taxes. From the United States to Russia to Greece to Italy and many more countries. It is difficult to run a government with out cash flow. No different than a business.

I walked yesterday. Home Depot, again. It was muggy. Muggy this morning also. Key West is enjoying unbelievably good weather for this time of year.

The diet is going well. Lost another pound. That makes 15 in 18 days.

I intended to go out last night. I needed to go out. I never made it.

Sloan came over at 5. We worked on  blog talk radio till 7. I was shot. Went to bed!

That’s it for today.

Enjoy your day!

 

DIET AFFECTING MY LIFE

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Dieting has its shortcomings. Really no fun. Gluttony must be corrected, however. Dieting becomes a necessity.

Success is keeping me going! I have been on the diet 17 days. Lost 14 pounds! Big! Easy to do. I eat next to nothing.

The diet affects my social life. Which in turn affects what I write here. Difficult to go out when dieting. At least for me. Temptation all around. I am weak and easily succumb. Which means…..I have little to report about exciting Key West. Sorry. I shall return.

Yesterday was hotter than normal. I believe the temperature hit 80 degrees. I needed to turn on the air conditioning for a while. The heat also affected my walking. I walked inside. Home Depot. Cool.

Home Depot was my only excursion out of the house yesterday.

I need to get out. I am starting to feel confined. Need people…..socialization. Maybe tonight.

I spent a good portion of my inside yesterday working on Friday’s TV/Internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Came up with some interesting topics for discussion. Such as the Florida python hunt, Congressman Darrell Issa the richest man in Congress / like $450 million, Italy’s Mario Monti to resign / will Silvio Berlusconi return?, the 73 year old man finally sentenced for killing a 7 year old in 1957, the Elizabeth Rudavsky story, the European Nation winning the Noble Peace Prize, Google legitimately avoiding $2 billion in taxes with a Bermuda banking account, a burglar who called 911 to save himself from a gun totting homeowner, and more.

The movie Lincoln has or soon will be opening in Key West. Key West is one of the last communities to get it.

I started last night reading a bit about the movie. All of a sudden I was deep into Lincoln and the Civil War. Too interesting to stop reading. Lincoln was wily crafty politician.  I spent four hours reading the article.

Enjoy your day!

SANTA LAST NIGHT

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Santa Claus arrived last night! At the annual Yacht Club Christmas party for the kids.

Robert and Ally were there. It was their party.

I am beginning to suspect they may know. They were rather quiet and lacking in enthusiasm.

I continued my diet while everyone else ate a terrific meal. Switched. Two diet Cokes. And a cup of decaf.

The diet is working. I am into it. Thirteen pounds in two weeks.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour this morning. Ten my time. On television throughout the Keys and Miami-Dade County. Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. On the internet world wide. www.tvchannel19.com.

Join me. A good show.

One of the topics to be discussed is the withdrawal from their present positions of Dick Armey and Senator DeMint. Another topic  is a plan underway to place cameras and microphones in TV sets in your living room and bedroom for the benefit of advertisers. A decided no no.

Have to move to get to the TV station on time.

Enjoy your day!

XMAS TIME IN KEY WEST

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Key West’s Christmas season kicks off this week.

Thursday night is the Yacht Club Christmas Party. For the young. Santa Claus will be there with gifts.

Saturday is the Christmas Parade. Long. As with Macy’s, Santa Claus is on the last float. This is one of Key West’s best events. For young and old alike. All ages enjoy.

The Lighted Boat Parade is December 15. Sponsored by Schooner Wharf, it is a fantastic event. Many many boats will be dressed in Christmas lights. Ingenuity knows no bounds. Several times, I have done the Parade while on one of the boats. A party! Food and drink, music and dancing. Plus, cold! Out on the open water this time of the year, it is very cold. Boat people that night wear everything and then more.

The Parade can also be watched from shore. Two to three thousand will be watching and drinking and partying.

Robert and Ally are members of a swim team. The team is having its first meet Saturday morning. Robert and Ally will be swimming. Exciting!

My day out yesterday was simple. The bank and paid some bills.

The rest of the day was inside. Worked on Friday’s show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Read more of the Ulysses Grant book. I am up to 1858. Grant was a failure. As a soldier, businessman, and farmer. Generally lived poorly.  Hard to believe that shortly he would be the North’s most successful general and later President of the United States.

The diet keeps me in. Away from food and booze. I avoid the near occasions of sin.

The diet has been working well till this morning. The scale said I had gain a pound. From 12 pounds lost to 11. I am not discouraged. Part of the dieting process.

Syracuse basketball!

Syracuse won again last night. Beat East Michigan 84-48. Syracuse is now 6-0. Even better, Syracuse is ranked #4 in the country.

The Orange played sloppy, especially in the beginning of the game. Eighteen turnovers.  Sutherland who scored 35 points in the last game, only scored 4 last night. On the positive side, three Syracuse freshman were in the double figures.

It is still early in the season. I question the ability of this year’s team. The Big East games after the first of the year will tell the story.

Sloan will be in late this afternoon. We are doing another practice blog talk radio show. It’s getting there. The show will be questions, answers, and exchanges between me and the caller.

A chill in the air this morning. Overcast, also. It will clear and be warm later.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BOCCE REPORT

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Not a bad day yesterday! The bocce playoffs.

This was our team’s third trip to the playoffs. It is like any other sport. You have to be there a few times before you can win.

We had not defeated anyone in our first two playoff appearances. Yesterday, we did!

Our noon game was against the #4 team from the Tuesday night league. We are #4 in the Thursday night league. The win was convincing. We won 16-4 and 16-5.

Wild!

At six, we played the #1 team from the Monday night league. They are the best of the best. Won everything last year. Lost only 2 games this year. In addition, Monday is considered the toughest league.

They destroyed us. By scores similar to those by which we won in the morning.

They were exceptional! Precise! Blasters! Whereas we worry about making one point, they were always figuring how to get two or three points from one shot.

It was a pleasure watching them win, even though it was against us. I complimented an opponent after a particularly good shoot. He said it took years of practice.

My team members are overall pleased. We move up another notch each year. At some point, we will be there.

My diet continues. I am into day 9. I will not tell you how much has been lost. You will think I am crazy.

The diet does affect me. I am slower than normal, dull and tired all the time. But the diet is working!

I got to watch the last 4 minutes of the Alabama/Georgia game. Must have been a thriller!

Key West weather this morning is perfect. An all blue sky. A bright sun. A touch of breeze.

During bocce yesterday, the weather was as it should be this time of year. Tee shirts and sweat in the morning. Sweatshirts and a bit of a chill in the evening.

Enjoy your Sunday!

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

THE DIET

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Dieting is such a pain in the ass!

It got to me yesterday afternoon. Only the third day. Weak! Big time! This morning the same thing.

It will pass. Another day or two. In the meantime, I drag.  As I said yesterday, the penalty for overindulging.

I walked yesterday. The airport. The four lanes in the parking garage, back and forth. Shaded, cool. Occasionally I would walk up the ramp outside where departing persons are dropped off.

I seem to have this thing for walking in garages.

Lunch was home. The diet lunch. No Blossoms or Harpoon Harry’s for a while.

Early afternoon did more work on friday’s show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Additional topics include 3 months in jail for having sex in a cab in Dubai, a Swedish woman who slept with human bones, the saving of a baby accidentally and unknowingly flushed down the toilet while the mother was sitting on the toilet, Italian markets without business, and more.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Friday mornings at 10 my time. Worldwide. TV via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. The internet via www.tvcomcast19.com.

Later in the afternoon worked on blog radio. I had a test show to do at 5. Some additional preparation was required.

Yes, I am going to do a blog radio show. Will start in about two weeks. I am presently contemplating making it a talk show. People can call in free from where ever, world wide. Details will be provided in due course.

I hope the show works, is a success.

I love the Turner Classics Channel. Great old movies! Yesterday was a favorite. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Starred Laurence Oliver and Merle Oberon. Strong! Dark! Touching!

Enjoy your day!