TORTURE

One of the issues I discussed last night on my blog talk radio show was torture. The issue was whether the U.S. is a torturer. My thought was that if we do torture, then we are. The act of torturing in itself is a manifestation of what we are. Of what we have become. We have changed as a people since 9/11. Changed in many ways.

This morning’s KONK Life News E-Blast carries an excellent article on torture by Rick Boettger. Titled Yay! We’re Not Nazis. I recommend it to you. Boettger covers torture from a different perspective than I did on last night’s show. His observations however are right on.

My yesterday was spent fine tuning last night’s show.

Syracuse football in the news yesterday. What I am gong to share does not seem possible. Syracuse’s football attendance at home games this past season was up 6 percent. An average of 40,447 fans. Syracuse was #2 in increased attendance percentage wise. Florida State was first.

The increase accomplished with a 3-9 record. Amazing!

There is an internet video of Boeheim’s interview following the Louisiana Tech game. He was tough. He was indicating that his players are weak on basics. Like catching the ball with two hands. Things that should not have to be taught at the college level. I recommend the video to you. Easy to find on most Syracuse basketball sites.

The plane that would not fly. Sounds like the title to a book. Actually, it is in reference to Orville Wright and the first powered plane to fly. Today is the anniversary of the first flight in 1903. On the  100th anniversary of the inaugural flight in 2003, a ceremony was held at Kitty Hawk. The replica plane failed to fly!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

SUNDAY

Some days are better than others. Satisfying and relaxing. One where nothing in particular occurs. My yesterday.

I spent the morning on the deck reading, sleeping and thinking. Seated in a plastic Adirondack chair. The wind off the ocean was cool. The sun, hot. My body warm.

I wanted to get out for a short time. Had to be home by 4 to watch the Syracuse game. I was still in a meditative mood. Decided to go to Schooner’s Wharf. I had not been there in the afternoon in a long time.

It was typical Schooner’s Wharf. Half tourists, half locals. The locals more of the fishing crew. Looked like transplants from Hogfish. I had two diet Pepsi’s and watched the people and water. The view of the boats/yachts parked in the marina to the front of the bar. A pleasant sight.

Syracuse/Louisiana Tech. I was wrong yesterday when I portrayed Louisiana Tech as an easy foe. They are one hell of a team! Were last year also. Won 29 games!

Syracuse won by two points. 71-69.

It was the best game Syracuse has played this season. Offense and defense both good. As was Louisiana Tech’s. Cooney made some threes and driving shots. Ended up with 25 points. Joseph still the weak one. He plays like a high school senior who is star of the team. He shoots too much. His shoots generally bad. He does not pay attention. The ball was either stolen from him or taken by Louisiana on a bad pass several times.

The last 10 minutes of the game saw Cooney as the point guard. A smart Boeheim move. However, Boeheim needs Joseph as a point guard. I hope he improves before the first of the year.

A new airline to service Key West. Sea Island Seaplanes. Naples to Key West and return. $210 one way. A one hour flight. A four seater.

There presently exists a ferry Key West to Fort Myers and Marco Island and return. Both next door to Naples. A 4 hour trip. $149 round trip, $89 one way.

I do not see the new airline making it. Too much money. The ferry ride I am told is comfortable. A large vessel. I suspect something like the ferry boats I take when I am hopping from one Greek Isle to another.

The finger. Often given. Not nice. Tie it together with f–k you at the same time. Even worse.

But, lawful.

The place Cobb County, Georgia. A police officer was questioning a suspect. A woman went by on her bicycle and gave the officer the finger and said f–k you. The officer went after her and arrested her for disorderly conduct. She spent 24 hours in jail. Part of the time in solitary confinement. Judge threw the case out. Free speech. Constitutionally protected under the First Amendment. She sued for false arrest. Cobb County recently settled with her for $100,000.

I wrote a column for Amazon Kindle about three years ago concerning the finger. A federal court had ruled at that time it was free speech. The f–k you can get you into trouble however as disorderly conduct if people hear it and are disturbed by it.

I suggest neither form of communication be used. Good taste an involved factor also.

Enjoy your day!

BOAT PARADE PICS FANTASTIC

Key West’s Christmas on the water! The Lighted Boat Parade last night.

Pictures are available for viewing in today’s KONK Life News E-Blast. Colorful beyond imagination! Boats decorated the best yet.

Today’s Key West Citizen does not carry any of the pics unfortunately. The Citizen goes to press early. Pics will probably appear in tomorrow’s edition.

I ran around in the afternoon yesterday shopping. Nothing special. Not gift time yet. Christmas shopping is generally a last minute thing with me.

Last night, it was dinner at the bar at Roostica. It kept me away from the DUI check point.

I rarely agree with a Key West Citizen editorial. Generally too far to the right. Also, I suspect most of the editorials are not written locally. This morning however I was overly joyed with the editorial page.

The editorial itself was obviously locally written. It had to do with the new food truck ordinance as proposed. The editorial was right on. It views the proposed ordinance as government run amok.

George Will is an intelligent thoughtful writer. He writes for the Washington Post and is seen regularly on television. It is rare I agree with him. He is too far to the right. However, I wholeheartedly agree with his column carried on the Citizen’s editorial page today. It concerns itself with over criminalization. I agree with everything he wrote wholeheartedly.

Since I am into the newspaper thing this morning, I suggest you read this week’s column written by me in KONK Life. The American Dream…..gone, Gone, GONE. It is on the stands all over the keys at the moment. I suggest the column to you because I believe it covers an important topic which perhaps we do not give enough thought to.

Syracuse basketball at 4 this afternoon. Syracuse plays Louisiana Tech. The Tech tells you this is intended as a warm up game for Syracuse. However based on the way Syracuse has played thus far in the pre-season, I do not know. Syracuse is a 7 point favorite.

I am not sure where I will be watching the game. Home, Don’s Place or the Lion’s Den. First time you have heard me mention the Lions Den. JDL’s Big Ten Sports Pub was sold.  I do not know who the new owners are.  I have not seen John Lukas yet to offer my congratulations and sorrow.

I seem to be into the Key West Citizen this morning. It’s the Citizen’s fault. They finally came out with an edition that has many positives from my perspective.

There is a local column in this morning’s Citizen having to do with the holidays. Christmas trees are a part of th article. It was mentioned that some people today were going into the woods to chop their tree down because it was cheaper. Cheaper now, but not when I did it!

Some forty years ago, I cut my own tree down two consecutive years. On a nearby hillside was a Xmas tree farm. You could go on and cut your own down. The cost was expensive! Probably 3-4 times more than buying it cut already from a street vendor.

Appreciate the snow is deep this time of the year up north. Utica is in the foothills to the Adirondack Mountains. The Xmas tree farm was on one of the initial foothills. Cold like you would not believe! Mouths covered with scarfs. Scarfs sticking to a person’s lips.

I thought it would be exciting for my children. They were all under 10. One or two might not yet have been in school.

Away we went. So many trees! We could not decide on the one we liked best. We kept walking. The more we walked, the farther we got from our car. I had with me a hand ax. We found the tree. Everyone was happy. I had to chop it down at the base. I had never wielded a hand ax before. George Washington I was not. It was a difficult task. A couple of swipes did not do it. The branches were cutting across my face. The ice cold wind blowing. I soon hated the whole idea.

After success at chopping the tree down, I had to drag/carry it to the car. The car seemed like 10 miles away. The kids helped me. We had high ceilings. The tree was  big. 8-9 feet tall and wide.

The kids and I did it again the next year. I seemed more adept with the ax. Still the entire event was a pain! Only to me. The children were thrilled. Which made it worth while.

I never did it again after the second year. Enough was enough.

Enjoy your Sunday!