GOOMBAY

Finally! It’s here. Goombay. The beginning of Fantasy Fest. Two days of Bahamian/Caribbean food, calypso music, dancing and art.

The event celebrates the heritage of Key West’s large Bahamian population. Bahamians are an integral part of the Key West community.

There is a special area of Key West known as Bahama Village. That is where the partying will take place tonight and tomorrow. The length of Petronia Street from Duval southward.

A good place to start is 801. A couple of drinks to prepare you for the several block walk ahead.

Goombay is named after goombay goatskin drums. Played by slapping hands. The drums generate a certain rhythm.

Alcohol consumption part and parcel of Key West. It seems more than anywhere else.

In 1884, there were 22 saloons in Key West. A lot. The population 5,000.

Moving ahead to 1886, Key West was booming economically. There were 18 cigar factories and 614 horses. Horses part of the measure of a successful economy.

By 1889, Key West was the largest and wealthiest city in Florida.

A sad day yesterday for America. Elijah Cummings died. A U.S. Congressman for 23 years. Presently Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. One of the committees investigating Trump.

A real American. Always a smile. Unless someone tried to tread on him or an issue he felt strongly about. Then his temper flared.

May he rest in peace.

Trump’s mishandling of Syria will take at least 20 years to correct.

Many issues, many items to be considered. One item the 50 Cold War nuclear bombs sitting at an airfield in Turkey. B-61 gravity bombs.

They are U.S. bombs. Should things get more strained than now with regard to Turkey, can we pull the 50 bombs out?

Not easily. What I am about to share I found in only a few places. If anyone comes up with something different, let me know.

The 50 were placed at the air base oh so many years ago as part of NATO’s deterrence strategy. My understanding is the 50 bombs cannot be removed without the unanimous consent of all 28 NATO members.

I may not know for sure. Trump and his advisers should.

Trump confuses me. First, he told us that the 1,000 American troops had been pulled out of Syria. Within 24 hours. Several days later, we learned it was only 50 and that the remaining U.S. troops were in harm’s way.

Trump had a rally last night. He said not 50, 28.

Does Trump know what is going on? Does anyone close to him know?

Turkey’s President Erdogan has made a fool of Trump. And they were supposed to be buddies!

He has walked all over the U.S. thanks to Trump.

Trump says a “cease fire” has been accomplished. He referred to it “a great day for civilization.”

The cease fire is only for 5 days. To give the remaining Kurds time to get out of the danger zone. After that, nothing is certain.

Turkey says the agreement is not a “cease fire.”

Which means that based on one telephone call with Trump, Erdogan in about 10 days has outfoxed Trump. Erdogan won. With Trump’s help, the Kurds will be out of northern Syria.

All the result of Trump’s superior negotiating talents.

Trump created the problem, made the wrong decision, lost, now claims “victory” based on a “cease fire” that Turkey claims is not.

Keep it up, Donald. You are doing a good job of destroying the credibility of the U.S. worldwide.

I wrote about the village of Fucking in Austria yesterday. Simply because of the village’s unusual name.

A commenter from Pennsylvania brought to my attention that Pennstylvannia had a community named Intecourse. Not as bad as Fucking. Nevertheless, suggestive.

My interest was piqued. I have learned that where there is one of something, there generally is more. I did a little digging.

Lancaster County is located in Pennsylvania. Home of the Amish! Home of Intercourse.

Not Intercourse alone. Also, Bird-In-Hand, Blue Ball, Fertility, Lititz, Mount Joy and Noodle Doosie.

Over the years, I have periodically researched Mennonites. Always intending to write a book about them. Probably never will get to it.

Whatever, the Mennonites are very much a sexually oriented group. Outside what might be considered normal/proper. Don’t know if the Amish are the same.

Let the music from West Side Story dance in your head for a moment. Loving, lovely.

Recall the young Natalie Wood starring.

West Side Story was a modern version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet which inspired the play and then movie.

Suicides ae on the rise in every age bracket. Sad.

A recent study revealed teen suicides on the upswing. Suicides in the 10-24 age bracket rose 56 percent between 2007 and 2017. The fastest rate of growth for any age group.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

3 comments on “GOOMBAY

  1. There is NO cease fire, fighting going on right NOW.

    Trump is trying to take credit for somethigthatisn’t true, can you believe it?

  2. Yaaba-Daaba-Doooooo! Fantasy Fest has started… music, dancing and the art. I especially love all the “artwork.” You know… the “art” that parades down Duval. In typical Key West fashion, it’s time to let it all hang out.

    Alas… this year I won’t make it. I’ll be hunkering down here in the Northernmost Caribbean (tropical storm Nestor is approaching.) So I’ll just have a frozen concoction to help me hang on and fantasize about all the artwork I’m missing.

    Kokomo Man

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