TONIGHT THE POPE, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE AND CHERNOBYL

Posted on by

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!

TOUCHES OF KEY WEST

Posted on by

The Hemingway Look A Like Contest ran well into the evening saturday night. At Sloppy Joe’s. 131 contestants. Wally Collins, a Phoenix restaurateur won.

I do not know how many years Collins has been a contestant. The word on the street is it takes at least 10 years of participating before anyone is seriously considered. My friend Hank from Melbourne has been trying for 21 years. Has not made it yet!

Hemingway and Key West go hand in hand. He lived in Key West from 1931-39. Wrote To Have and Have Not and A Farewell to Arms while here. Worked on parts of other novels.

Tennessee Williams was another outstanding writer who made his home in Key West. From 1949-83, he lived at 1431 Duncan Street. One and a half blocks from where Lisa now lives. While visiting and not yet having settled in Key West, Williams wrote a first draft of A Streetcar Named Desire. He wrote it in 1947 while staying at the La Concha Hotel on Duval. The La Concha stands to this day.

During the Civil War, Florida seceded. Key West however remained in Union hands. The Union had a naval base and military personnel here.

A Conch today is a person who was born in Key West. A much respected designation. Those who came here to live but were not born in Key West, and have resided in Key West for seven years, are known as Freshwater Conchs.

The term Conch has a far deeper history. The first Conchs were persons of European ancestry who immigrated from the Bahamas. They came in increasing numbers beginning in the 1830’s.

By 1889, Key West was the largest and wealthiest city in Florida. The salt and salvage businesses though good were starting to decline. Cigar making was on the rise.

Key West was isolated prior to 1912. No railroad or highway. Water the only access. In 1912, Henry Flagler completed his railroad to Key West.  Flagler’s Overseas Railroad. Much of the railroad was destroyed by the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. It was never rebuilt.

US 1 was completed in 1938. A highway connecting Key West with mainland Florida. Called the Overseas Highway.

The one person close in Key West fame to Hemingway is Harry Truman. Truman spent a total of 175 days over a course of 11 visits while President. He stayed at a part of the Naval Base which is now Truman Annex. The building was known as the Little White House. It is now listed on the National Registry.

The Naval Base was first established in 1820. It remains to this day. Spread around and significantly smaller. At its strength, it had 15,000 military and 3,400 civilian personnel.

Cruise ships first docked in Key West at Mallory Square in 1984.

Key West is reputed to be the southernmost point in the United States. Close, but not actually. Ballast Key which is a privately owned island to the south and west of Key West is the southernmost point.

Cuba is a mere 90 miles from Key West. Closer than Miami which is 155 miles from Key West.

Hurricanes are always a concern. Yearly. Generally in the fall months. Though some on occasion a bit earlier. Wilma in 2005 and Georges in 1998 were the two worst hurricanes in recent years.

Hope you found these bits of information interesting.

Enjoy your day!

 

ROSE TATTOO HOUSE UNDER RENOVATION

Posted on by

I sleep with the television on. It probably comforts me. If I wake in the middle of the night, I merely have to look up and I am into a movie till I fall back to sleep again.

I woke at 3 this morning. Playing was The Rose Tattoo. A 1955 hit movie. It starred Anna Magnani and Burt Lancaster. Magnani won the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance. The story takes place in an Italian-American neighborhood in Louisiana. Most of the movie takes place in a house.

The movie was not made in Louisiana. It was shot in Key West on Duncan Street.

Tennessee Williams had written the Broadway play. He later helped with the writing of the movie. Williams lived in Key West some 40 years. His home was on Duncan, also. One block from The Rose Tattoo house where the shooting took place.

The Rose Tattoo house was forgotten for many years. Rarely lived in. Permitted to run down. It was difficult to see from the street because of the huge uncared/uncut foliage which had grown.

I drove down Duncan recently. On my way to daughter Lisa’s home. Lisa lives two blocks from the Rose Tattoo house and one block from the Tennessee Williams home.

I was shocked and pleased at the same time! I could see the Rose Tattoo house. The foliage was down. Even better, the house was under what appeared to be total renovation. A beautiful home! A jewel uncovered! A large swing around porch. The outside already painted white. It will make a wonderful home when completed.

Did my blog talk radio show last night. I enjoy doing the show. I enjoy the opportunity to pontificate. I received several telephone calls immediately following the show. Two topics were of primary interest to the callers. The bit about Greece wanting to sell 110 of its beaches to help pay its Euro Union debt. The other involved the 1,800 plus suicides this year already of those in the military.

Per my usual custom, I grabbed a bite at Roostica before the show. I am continually surprised at how good the food is. And, reasonably priced. I had three meatball sliders last night. Huge meatballs.  A small salad came with it. I had to force myself to finish the last slider. Cost: $7. Need I say more!

This morning’s KONK Life E-Blast has an article concerning the construction of the new City Hall on White Street. The Glynn Archer school building is being renovated for the purpose. The thrust of the story was that everything was moving along well and within projected costs. The project was at the stage where interior demolition had begun.

I worry about renovating old buildings. I dealt with many in my former life as an environmental attorney. Asbestos and other problems rise up which were not contemplated in initial estimates. There is always a surprise. With surprise, costs shoot up.

I am sure that the architects involved took into account any asbestos removal and other such problems. However, there is always that surprise.

I wish the City and project good luck and hope the inevitable does not occur.

Back to the gym this morning at 11! I survived monday. Should today, also. I never made day 2 back in December when I first tried.

Enjoy your day!

 

PATRICK “PATTY CAKES” HAYES

Posted on by

I am alive and almost well. Blood pressure ok. My back has 20 per cent to go. However, the back is sufficiently better that I am able to move around experiencing only an occasional twinge of pain.

I am stir crazy. I have been confined to bed and home a few days. Have to get out! Tonight!

Today’s KONK Life E News Blast features a picture of one of Key West’s most beloved persons. Patrick Hayes, aka Patty Cakes. Patrick was at a charity fundraiser yesterday afternoon at Square One and shed his dreds to help with the fund raising. They were almost down to his butt. I will not say Patrick looked good in them. From my perspective, he did not. He was like a wild man from Borneo. I am glad they are gone. The Patrick I knew has returned!

Patrick is a good friend. For more than 20 years. He is also Lisa’s friend. Her best friend after her husband. Patrick is also unofficial godfather to Robert and Lisa. They know him well and love him, also.

Patrick tells the story that he came to Key West straight and ended up gay. He lived with Les for many years. Les made Patrick an honest person two years ago. They ran off to Iowa and married. I attended their wedding reception on Shark Key when they returned.

Patrick seems to have worked forever as Square One’s bartender. He is pure goodness and always available to lend a helping hand.

I am having dinner tonight at Square One. I look forward to seeing the new Patrick with normal hair.

On this day in 1956, Italian actress Anna Magnani won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The movie was The Rose Tattoo. The screenplay and movie were written by Tennessee Williams when he lived in Key West.

The Tennessee Williams’ home is on Duncan Street. Two blocks from Lisa’s home. A lovely well maintained house presently owned by my friend Evan Roberts.

The Rose Tattoo was filmed in Key West. Probably at Tennessee Williams’ insistence. The house it was filmed in is on the same block as the Tennessee Williams home. Williams is at one end and The Rose Tattoo home the other. The filming  took place in Key West and on the same block as Williams’ home probably for Williams’ convenience. All he had to do was roll out of bed in the morning and walk less than 100 yards to his place of work.

I do not believe Key West had anything to do with the movie. Magnani played a Sicilian widow. Her co-star, the great Burt Lancaster, a lusty truck driver.

Williams insisted Magnani have the starring role. He said at the time she was “…..the most explosive emotional actress of her generation.”

Burt Lancaster was one of the outstanding male actors of his day. His day being in my life time. He was a contemporary of Kirk Douglas who is still alive. Lancaster was a man’s man and played such roles. He died about 15 years ago. I was disappointed that many younger than me were not aware of who he was. How soon  a great can be forgotten!

The Rose Tattoo house has not been well maintained at all. Run down. Someone started renovating it two years ago. However, it appears the renovations stopped in their early stages.

Syracuse won its first game in the big tournament yesterday. Easily defeated Western Michigan 77-53. Tomorrow at 7, Dayton.

Notice how calm I am.

Enjoy your day!