HAPPY JULY 4TH

Happy 4th of July! A day of American pride. Independence day.

To my readers living in foreign lands, this is the day in 1776 that a group of men signed the Declaration of Independence. The written document by which the colonists declared their independence from England. An act of courage by these men. They were now traitors. Never the less, they stood tall.

Arthur continues to vent as it leaves North Carolina. Turned into a #2. Could have done more damage than it did. Fortunately, Arthur is a swift moving hurricane. Hits and gets out. Surge is still a concern.

I find Key West weather at the moment absolutely amazing. Quiet. Nothing is moving. There is not a speck of wind. Yet 800 miles north, Arthur is blowing up a storm.

A big day in Key West. A big day in every community across the United States.

Party time here in Key West. One of the events is the 6th Annual 4th of July Pub Crawl. Key West celebrates everything with a pub crawl! It will be attended by local military personnel. Those making the bar stroll will be attired in red, white and blue. The crawl starts at 2 at Schooner Wharf.

Tonight, fire works! Always a big event in Key West. Per custom, off the far end of the White Street Pier. Everyone will be there!

Last night for me began at Don’s Place. Don has been away for several days. A family reunion in Buffalo. He returns sunday. I chatted with Jimmy, David, and Hershel. Exchanged hellos with Grant, John, and Erika. Michael was bartending.

Jimmy and I were into golf again. His head is totally immersed in the game. We also talked about what precipitated the Revolution. I thought the Boston Tea Party. Jimmy said the Massachusetts Massacre. I suspect both had something to do with it.

Then to the Chart Room. Emily bartending. Looked good! Chatted with Che, Ollie, Sheila, Frankie and others.

As I was leaving, ran in to David. David showed me his leg. Something bit him more than a week ago. It happens in Key West frequently. Whatever it was gave him an infection. David said it hurt like hell and he is medicating. I told him he should not complain, the bug probably died after biting him.

David is one of Key West’s best people.

Stopped at Burger Fi for a cheeseburger. I was not very hungry. Lucas was bartending.

Met Scott from Boulder, Colorado. He is visiting with his wife. Cindy is her name. I met her later in our conversation. They are in Key West with their 13 year old daughter. Scott is in property management.

The family is staying at Casa Marina. Their room $420 a night. Wow! Next weekend, it will be half the price.

I asked about the pot situation in Colorado. Recreational marijuana is now legal. I was surprised at Scott’s response. Thought he would be enthused about it. I view it like gay marriage. It is something whose time has come.

Scott is concerned. Apparently, there are problems. Pot comes in many forms. One is candy bars. It is suggested that one square at a time be eaten. Teenagers are getting hold of the candy bars and eating the whole thing at one time. With adverse consequences. Alarming. Better control is obviously required.

Enjoy the 4th!

US SOCCER HAS ARRIVED

U.S. soccer has arrived. No question about it. The team has distinguished itself.

What made me a believer was what I viewed at Roostica last night while having dinner. The TVs were on. The game playing. Each time the U.S. team did something good, the people jumped up and cheered. The same reaction I experienced three years ago at an outdoor cafe in Athens while watching Greece play in a European soccer tournament.

When I was a youngster, there was no soccer. We knew nothing about it. Everything was baseball and football. When I was a young lawyer in Utica, I noticed that some immigrants had created a make shift field just outside the city limits and were playing soccer. I thought at the time the game would never fly. How wrong I was!

My compliments to the U.S. team. They distinguished themselves. They also garnered respect for their country.

When I woke yesterday, I thought I would be tired and achy all day from my exercise routine on monday, I was not. First time the day after was ok. I must be making progress. I go again this morning. I hope I am in as good shape tomorrow as I was yesterday.

A good show last night! I love doing blog talk radio!

The Hobby Lobby Supreme Court decision disturbed me. It was wrong. I chatted about the case for half the show. This corporate person thing the Court has relied on in the Hobby case and a couple of years ago in Citizens United is neither good nor proper.

What of the rights of the Hobby Lobby employees who are being denied their right not to have their religious beliefs infringed upon? They may find abortive contraceptives not inconsistent with their beliefs. In the end, the Court gave deference to the five people owning the company over the 7,000-8,000 female employees Hobby Lobby has.

There is a bit of hypocrisy involved also. Hobby Lobby sells toys. Most the toys are purchased in China. A China that has a one baby per family limit, recommends contraception, and mandates forced abortion whenever there is a second pregnancy.

Hobby Lobby should buy their toys elsewhere. Or is money the compelling factor? Perhaps they cannot buy them as cheap elsewhere. Religion appears not to come into play on their part as regards China purchases.

One other consideration. When our forefathers wrote the Constitution, they were concerned with people having the right to be whatever they wanted. Whether Calvinist, Puritan, a Knox follower, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Catholic, Jew, or what have you. Sperm, the egg, the uterine wall, a woman’s vagina…..none of these things came into consideration. I believe we have gone many steps too far as regards Constitutionally protected religious rights.

Additionally, the framers of the Constitution did not appear to intend nor did they spell out one person’s right to impose his/her religious beliefs on another. And that is precisely what Hobby Lobby does.

Olivia de Havilland turned 98 yesterday. A beautiful woman when a young actress. A beautiful woman in her senior years. She played the younger sister in Gone With the Wind and Maid Mariam in Errol Flynn’s The Adventures Of Robin Hood. She also won two Academy awards.

The gym at 11. Albert is Dracula in gym clothes.

Enjoy your day!