MORNING STEW #13

A Morning Stew day it is! A lot to cover this morning.

Terri White has God on her side. At this very moment Donna is taking her home from the hospital. Yesterday, it was discovered she had a 99 percent blockage in one of her blood vessels. A stent was placed. Shortly, she will enjoy her home once again.

The Key West Citizen in its Today in History section is doing a daily William Hackley. Notes from his 1831 diary.

Today mentions that the night before he was visiting a friend, Major Glassel’s home. They took tea and played whist under a large mosquito bar in the house’s chamber.

I was not sure what a “mosquito bar” was. Looked it up. I should have known. It is a wooden frame covered with netting to keep out mosquitoes. As described elsewhere, it was/is the human defense against blood thirsty mosquitoes.

Note that 1831 was well before the introduction of screens for windows and doors.

The Truman Amphitheater is reflecting success. Shows scheduled. People attending.

Sunday, Slightly Stoopid James appeared with his group. A blues, funk and reggae styled band.

Four thousand watched and whooped it up. Mostly younger/millennials. Their music.

I have yet to see a show. I must attend one. One consistent with my music from another day.

One of my favorite Key West people is Christine Cordone. She and her husband Larry Smith friends for 25 years.

Christine is triple talented. She sings. Alone and with Larry. A star on the Key West scene.

She paints. An artist. Watercolors. Began around 10 years ago. A gallery was impressed and began featuring her work. Her first showing a sell out the first night. Her work continues to be in demand.

A school teacher. Thirty years. The last 22 as a kindergarten teacher. One time Teacher of the Year. She is now retired.

On saturday June 15 at 8 in the evening, the Little Room Jazz Club will sponsor a show recognizing Christine’s 30 year career in the 3 areas. Christine will sing and talk her way through the 30 years. Larry and a number of Key West musicians will back her up.

Christine is the perfect Renaissance Woman. A lifetime of work. Three different careers.

Go to her show! It will be over the top! Christine is the best!

Trump is out of his mind. He lacks respect for everyone. Even those equal in stature to him. I refer to China’s President Xi.

The China/U.S. tariff war is ongoing. Appears it will get worse before better. Could continue multiple years.

There is a G-20 meeting later this month in Osaka, Japan. Trump announced that if Xi fails to attend, he (Trump) will add additional tariffs on China. The tariffs will go into effect immediately. There is $300 billion not yet tariffed by the U.S.

Trump has once again thrown the gauntlet down to China. I do not understand how the leader of one great nation can threaten/insult the leader of another great nation.

China is considered the #2 power in the world. Economically and militarily. I suspect it could have moved into #1 spot. The U.S. now #2.

Trump is pissing on Xi and China. You do not do that to another power. In fact, it should not be done to anyone.

China has moved ahead of the U.S. the past 7 years. While we were fighting wars we should not have been and expending military monies on those wars, China was building its military forces. Its naval war vessels mostly new. Its missile and radar works perhaps developmentally ahead of our own. China has built islands with airports thereon in the China Sea where not even islands existed before.

China has gotten ready over the years for whatever might occur.

Trump is spending military budgets of $700 billion and $760 billion the past 2 years in an attempt to catch up.

Russia stands with China.

If there were a war, I don’t know how many countries would stand with the U.S. Trump has alienated our “real” friends in less than 2 years.

The amusing part of this mess is that Trump says he has a “great relationship” with Xi. If so, why the tariff war?

Last week, Mexico City announced it was decriminalizing sex work. A nice way of saying prostitution.

New York State may be doing the same thing.

A bill was introduced yesterday in the New York State Legislature to make it legal to engage in the consensual sale of sex. The bill also vacates prior convictions for sex work.

A coalition has formed to push the decriminalization bill. The group is called Decrim NY. The women involved take the position that sex work is work. It pays more than a normal job for most and helps them and their families subsist.

Prostitution is no big deal in New York at the present time. It is only a misdemeanor punishable by up to 3 months in jail and a fine up to $500.

The Johns are also susceptible presently in New York. Men soliciting sex can be arrested and face prison and fines also. The bill would eliminate the charge.

America is experiencing an oil boom. It will continue to do so for many yeas to come. At the same time, OPEC is in retreat. Going downhill. OPEC hit a 5 year low in May.

I continue to be happy when OPEC suffers. Saudi Arabia the moving force in OPEC. The Saudis are our friends. They gave us $4 a gallon gasoline and many believe were behind 9/11.

One of the blogs I read frequently is the Justice Building Blog. Yesterday’s was titled Appeasement. I share with you certain portions. They are self=explanatory.

Pre-World War II, countries capitulated to Hitler’s demands The result, World War II.

“The lesson from pre-World War II Germany is that bullies will go as far as the nations around them allow them to go.  Dictators will manufacture a crisis, and then seek to resolve it, earning the praise of their citizens.”

“President Trump declares an “emergency” at the U.S./Mexican border. Claiming there is a crisis, Trump threatens ruin upon the Mexican economy, threatening to raise tariffs 5 percent a month on Mexican products unless Mexico capitulates to Trump’s demands. Friday, the Mexican President appeased Trump, acquiescing to his demands.”

“The thing about history is that you never know where a dictator who manufactures a crisis will pop up. Even tragically, as President of the United States.”

“What we do now will be judged as harshly by history, as history now judges Chamberlain and other European leaders in 1938-1939.”

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou tonight at 9. Join me. Listen to my sincere expressions about everything I believe is being screwed up in the world. You may not agree. However, I guarantee you will enjoy. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

 

5 comments on “MORNING STEW #13

  1. The China/U.S. tariff war is ongoing. Appears it will get worse before better. Could continue multiple years.

    That may be true but it will have to continue without Trump at the helm, he goes to the curb in Jan 2021.

  2. If there were a war, I don’t know how many countries would stand with the U.S. Trump has alienated our “real” friends in less than 2 years.

    Fear not, Trump is a master deal maker… I’m also certain Trump will send his two brave patriotic sons into battle as a display of good faith and “skin” in the game….lol

  3. There were 3 major “super powers” in Orwell’s 1984. In the book they kept shifting alliances with each other and making war on the odd man out. Was that prophetic or what?

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