IT’S A SMALL WORLD

Yesterday, interesting.

Started the day with Lori. Haircut time. I was in the chair less than 5 minutes. We covered a multitude of sins during the time. It has always been so during the 20 years she has been cutting my hair.

Radio show with Laurie Thibaud at 4. Station 105.7 FM, WGAY FM.

Party Time!

We get better together every week. Exchange thoughts about everything. I enjoy doing the show with her.

The station’s owner was in. Michael Stapleford. Not sure where his permanent home is. He has taken an apartment in Key West since opening the station.

Fiftyish.

Talk about it being a small world, Michael and I have similar roots. He was born and raised in the Utica area. St. Luke’s Memorial Hospital. Raised in nearby Clinton. His Dad a physician. Ob-gyn. Practiced at the Slocum-Dixon Clinic.

It gets better.

Michael went to Syracuse. Graduated from Newhouse. He had to be smart to get into Newhouse. One of the finest communication schools in the country.

Today, I do a small show once a week with Laurie at a radio station he owns.

The show over, I walked across the street to the Pier House. The Chart Room, of course.

Great time!

Ted from Cazenovia at the bar. My retired court clerk friend. He is in Key West till the end of the month.

Farmer friend Devin came in. A midwest farmer taking a beating because of Trump’s tariff war with China.

Further down this blog, I have written a bit about the farm industry being in a coffin waiting to be buried if the tariff war with China is not soon resolved.

David showed up. I was surprised. David was a Chart Room regular every evening. Now, I am lucky if I see him once a month. He tells me Aqua’s Side Bar is his new watering hole.

As I was leaving, ran into Boomer and his wife. Boomer a long time bartender at Don’s Place. I was glad to see them both. Don’s Place has fallen off my places to imbibe so I have not seen Boomer in well over a year.

I told him to say hello to Don for me.

Funny, Don called me 2 weeks ago. First time we have spoken in 2 years. We stopped seeing each other for reasons other than a falling our. Don called yelling over the phone, “Louis, we have not seen each other in a long time. We have to go out to dinner. I’ll call you.”

I’m still waiting. If he does not call by next week, I will call him.

The big event of the evening was Syracuse/Baylor at 10. The first game for both teams in March Madness.

My concern was whether I could stay up that late to watch. I am in bed and asleep most nights by 9. I made it through the first half. Looked at the computer this morning to see who won. It was not Syracuse. Baylor beat Syracuse 78-69.

I am glad the season is over. Too much to take. We won some games we should have lost. We lost games we should have won.

A depressing season.

Power went out this morning. Not for long. Took forever for my computer to kick back on. Wi-fi not connecting. Ergo, I am behind with the blog.

Looking forward to tonight. Dinner with friends at the Conch Republic. The company good. Even better, the meal. Stone crabs. Preceded by oysters.

Dinner companions Donna and Terri, Andrea and Joe, and Barbara.

Two famous people who were in Key West this date in separate years.

In 1902, Mark Twain. Here only for a day. On his way to Cuba.

In 1951, Key West’s beloved Harry Truman. He left for Washington after spending 3 weeks on vacation. Stayed at The Little White House, of course.

This day important for another reason. Not because a particular person was here. Rather a national event occurred. Today’s Key West would be a depressed town economically with out it.

It was 1933. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Beer and Revenue Act. The new law legalized the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Can you imagine Duval Street without bars selling alcohol. The town would be deserted.

Trump continuously destroys the good in whatever he attempts.

The farm crisis one example.

America’s farmers were basically doing well. Especially in the midwest. They were in the modern swing of things. Many doing business with China.

Trump decides China is not treating the U.S. fairly. He begins a trade war. I recall him saying trade wars were good. He would straighten China out. The U.S. would make more money as a result.

Trump thought the Chinese would back down. He knew them not. Trump was publicly spitting on another major power. An Asian one. Asians always concerned about saving face also.

We have been in the tariff war with China for several months. Trump keeps indicating resolution around the corner. Never comes.

The result is America’s farm country is in a casket. A casket waiting to be lowered into the ground. Buried.

Farmers are suffering their worst economic crisis in 30 years. They cannot sell what was grown. Fortunately, soybeans and corn can be stored. No cash flow, however. No money to meet interest payments. Some losing their farms.

Three causes involved: Low commodity prices, trade war pressures, and record flooding.

The effect of U.S. farmer problems is upending economies around the globe. Trump’s “booming economy” has not touched the farmers. Trump’s trade war with China is killing the American farmer.

A little warm heartedness called for after sharing the American Farmer’s plight.

When I was younger (a long time ago), saturday afternoon was spent at a local theater watching the movies. A double feature, series, and cartoon.

The cartoons were Walt Disney at his best. The one’s starring Porky Pig utilized the same sign off each time. It would be Porky smiling and waving his arm from one side to another saying “That’s all folks!”

For me, that’s all for today. Enjoy it!

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