STATE OF THE UNION / TUESDAY TALK WITH KEY WEST LOU

 

I can’t win. Tonight at nine is the State of the Union address. My blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West L is at the same time. How can I compete with the President! 30 million people will listen to the President. Overwhelming in comparison to the 2000 that would normally listen to me. Actually, I expect everyone to listen to the President. I am sorry I will not be able to do so because of the show.

As far as my audience is concerned, it is not that bad. The interesting thing about blog talk radio is that the show is archived. It is available for listening at any time during the week following the show. What happens is that a handful of people listen to the show at nine on Tuesday evenings. 99% of my listeners are those who listen to the archived version during the week. Interesting.

For those who will listen at some point in time to my show, I will be discussing issues including the disclosure that a majority of working age Americans are on food stamps for the first time,  Ukraine out of control, the miss distribution of wealth, Monsanto’ and toxic toxins purportedly killing human embryo cells, JP Morgan’s CEO Dimon receiving a 74% raise to $20 million, Huckabee’s stupid statement about a woman’s libido, and more.

Kelly Mc Gillis continues to leave her impact on Key West. The star of  Top Gun settled at one point in Key West. She became owner of several restaurants  with her husband Fred Tillman. They are since divorced. She has no current relationship with any of the restaurants. One still maintains her name, however. Kelly’s. Mc Gillis has not stayed away. She sponsors an annual  flag football team competition for women. Called the Key West Classic. A three day event. It was held this past weekend with its usual success.

My day yesterday started with a visit to the dentist. I am back! The implants were getting loose. It was to be expected. I thought whatever was involved would only include tightening up some of the sockets, etc. However a portion has to go to the lab for  some type of adjustment. Which means that from eight o’clock tomorrow morning to eight o’clock Thursday morning, I will be without teeth. Comforting! I will not leave the house nor will I see anyone during those 24 hours!

Dan, I will not be watching the Syracuse/Wake Forest game with you at Don’s Place tomorrow night as a result.

Pete Seeger died. The American folk singer. No question about the label fitting him. Not only was he a great singer, he also was a political activist. Amongst the songs he is best known for are Where Have All the Flowers Gone? and If I Had a Hammer.

I’ve said this before. As I get older, I feel I have been a part of history. Seeger was during my time. Though a little older than me. Every time someone from my past, whether directly or indirectly related, passes on, I feel a special loss.

I started last night at Don’s Place. Had to talk to Jimmy for a while. I chatted with David. Met Roberta. Roberta is David’s new lady friend. We had a nice talk. She knows Lisa well.

Then it was to the Chart Room. Glad I went!

Charlotte was there! Charlotte from North Carolina! I love her! She visits Key West every three or four months.

Charlotte will be coming down to Key West more frequently,  she told me. Her boyfriend, who I met some three months ago, has obtained employment in Key West. He is a radio announcer. He has a show on 104.9 BX. Charlotte is all excited. This means in due course she will be moving to Key West permanently.

It was fraternity reunion night! A group of fraternity brothers were celebrating their 20th reunion. Fraternity brothers of Delta Sigma Phi. They were here with their lady friends and wives having a great time. They told me they have gotten together every year for 20 years to celebrate. God bless them!

I was driving home and decided I was hungry. I did not want to eat too much. I stopped at the Chinese restaurant in the Sears Shopping Center for a bite.

My recently published book The World Upside Down came up in conversation twice yesterday. First with my dentist. He reads my KONK Life column religiously every week. He asked where the book could be purchased. I told him on the Internet. Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com. The book came up again last night with Charlotte. She was not aware it had been published. She will be ordering it.

Enjoy your day!

MONDAY IN KEY WEST

 

Pleasant weather. Makes you feel good to be in Key West

Walked again yesterday. Parked the car again at the airport. Instead of walking along Smathers Beach towards 1800 Atlantic, I walked in the opposite direction. Towards Flagler

What a difference turning around made! An equally exciting view as the Smathers Beach walk. This time the time shares, restaurant and fort on the other side of the road. Another flavor of Key West.

Lunch was at home. Had to be. I am on a diet and have to prepare certain foods.

I spent the early afternoon working on friday’s TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Initial topics prepared include teen emergency contraception, Toys ‘R Us and a stupid gender discrimination case, Euro banks in trouble, Germans want to link tax Google, woman arrested for riding a manatee, sex toy industry big in China, and Alaskan waste.

Remember to watch the show, if you can. Friday morning at 10 my time. Airs on TV two ways. Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. The show is available from Key West through Miami-Dade County. The show can also be seen via the internet world wide. www.tvchannel19.com.

I played grandfather later in the afternoon. Took Robert and Ally to swimming practice. They are on a swim team. Practice is at the college.

I felt sorry for them. The air was cool, the water cold. The pool is not yet heated. Robert and Ally came hurrying over after practice was concluded. I had huge towels and jackets with hoods for them. Wrapped them immediately. Robert said it was cold. I felt bad for the both of them.

Drove them home. Visited with Lisa and Cory for a while. Did not stay for dinner. I can only eat special diet food.

I arrived home famished. Prepared and gouged  my meal  down. A very small pizza and one cup of grapes. Not enough food. That is the price I must pay for having overdone for quite a while.

Diet or not, I still have to get out. To see people. To socialize.

I headed over to Hogfish. Two diet Pepsi’s at the bar and the good company of some local fishermen.

The Key West Citizen reported Kelley McGillis flag football would be returning to Key West. I knew Kelley McGillis socially back when I first bought a home in Key West. Then she divorced and left. She returns on occasion for flag football and Womanfest.

For those who might not recognize the name, Kelley starred in many movies. Two of her most famous were Top Gun with Tom Cruise and Witness with Harrison Ford. Yes, that lovely woman!

Old movies are my forte. Love them. Woke this morning and watched a part of Treasure Island. A 1932 movie based on the Robert Louis Stevenson book.

The star was a boy. Jackie Cooper. The same Jackie Cooper I would spend time with years later at La Costa. Cooper’s movie career  had concluded. I think his last movie was as the editor in a Superman film. When I knew him, racing was his thing. He owned and raced horses.

Enjoy your day!

PAN AM WORLD AIRWAYS

I was up and at ’em early yesterday. Did my blog promptly. Then walked.

It was a big time walk. From Duval Square to Mallory Square and back. Criss crossed some of the side streets. The humidity was heavy. Too heavy. I had to take a break three times. Each time found a business with air conditioning with a place for me to sit for a few minutes.

Spent the afternoon researching and writing. Spent the evening working on friday’s internet show. I have two glass sliding doors in my kitchen. Open onto the deck and pool. The ocean about 50 feet away. There is a counter next to the sliding doors. It is where I work when I work inside.

Last night was exceptionally pleasant to work from the counter. The humidity was gone. There was a breeze coming in off the water.

I was researching a small South American air line that got started in 1920. I found it. But I found something even more important. A part of Key west history.

Pan Am World Airways. Commonly known as Pan Am.

Pan Am became one of the world’s largest international carriers. Then hard times hit. It filed for bankruptcy in 1991.

Pan Am was born in 1927 in Key West. Its first headquarters.

There was sentiment at the time that the United States needed a central American airline. To protect its economic Panama Canal interests. Ergo, Pan Am got started. The new airline provioded air mail and passenger service Key West to Havana, Cuba. The United States government provided the air mail contract thereby making the dream possible.

A problem developed. Pan Am had no aircraft landing rights in Cuba. It was obvious some heavy hitters were required to convice Cuba to grant the landing rights.

Threee of the primary founders of Pan Am were Majors at the time in the United States Army Air Force. Majors Hap Arnold, Carl Spaatz, and John Jouett. Arnold and Spaatz went on to become two of the most important U.S. generals of World War II.

Money and influence were required. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and Averell Harriman were the backers. Harriman went on to become an important part of the administrations of several U.S. Presidents. He also served as Governor of New York.

The aforementioned individuals worked out the Cuban landing problem.

The new airline required a headquaters. In Key West. It was located in a white two story building on a corner on Whitehead Street. That building today is the home of the famous Kelly’s Restaurant.

Pan Am began business with one airlplane. An eight seater.

Some 25 odd years ago, Kelly Mc Gillis and Fred Tilman, then married, opened Kelly’s Restaurant in the former Pan Am headquarters. The restaurant is still there today doing a flourishing business.

Kelly Mc Gillis was of movie fame. Movies like Top gun, Witness, and The Accused.

I knew Kelly and Fred back when. Primarily from social gatherings. After Kelly and Fred divorced, Fred kept the restaurant. He also became my neighbior in Key Haven. Lisa and Fred are friends. Fred catered Lisa’s wedding. Did a great job!

That other airline I was searching for turned out to be a German airline out of Columbia which started in 1920. The German airline and the Panama Canal were the influences which gave birth to Pan Am.

Such is the story of Pan Am and Key West. Interesting.

Enjoy your day!