MORNING STEW #31

I have several days of notes that have not been shared. Today’s the day. Morning Stew #31 on Sunday!

In the Key West of the 1970’s a favorite bar was the Old Anchor Inn on Duval. Victor Lathum was a bar owner in Key West in those years. He told an interesting story involving the Old Anchor Inn.

The Anchor was “just as bizarre as it could be. It was the kind of place that one bartender would open the beer cooler to get a beer out and find the other bartender curled up asleep on top of the beer, because it wasn’t air conditioned in there and the beer coolers were cool. It was just total insanity.”

Gustave Eiffel’s name is familiar to all. A French engineer who designed and oversaw the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

He is less well known for the Statue of Liberty that sits in the New York/New Jersey harbor.

The chief internal engineer died. Eiffel was hired to replace him. He designed a metallic skeleton for the statue. One that relied on the skeleton instead of weight to support the cooper skin which was was to become the Statue of Liberty.

The Statue was constructed totally in France. Then broken down and packed in marked boxes. Shipped to the U.S. where the Statue was reconstructed.

Years later, Eiffel became involved with the Eiffel Tower. He was the head honcho in its construction. Everything his responsibility, his judgment!

Construction began in 1887 for the 1889 Universal Exposition to be held in Paris. Twelve thousand components involved in the construction, not including rivets. Rivets numbered 2,5000,000.

The construction was a marvel in material economy. As tall and large as it is, if melted down the Tower would only fill its basin to a height of 2 1/2 inches.

Near the top of the Tower, Eiffel constructed a small apartment. For his private use after the Tower had been completed. It was elegantly furnished.

The apartment still exists. Can be viewed by tourists.

Great white sharks summer in Cape Cod waters and winter in Florida waters. They have been returning to Keys waters this past month.

We know because a tagging system has been implemented. The sharks are captured, named, tagged and returned to the ocean. Then, easy to follow.

Ironbound is the most recent Great White to be reported. A 12 foot long male. Weighing 998 pounds. This past week he was found traveling south of Key Biscayne, near Miami.

Ironbound was last traced in northern waters on October 3. He was off Nova Scotia. He has since traveled 1,473 miles.

Trump can’t get the whistleblower off his mind. This past week in 3 separate tweets he identified the whistleblower. He left the third up only a few hours before removing the name.

It is against the law to reveal the identity of a whistleblower. Trump however is protected. As President, he is not subject to arrest for a violation of federal law. The whistleblower statute involved is a federal law.

Trump was warned this week not to reveal the names by White House Counsel Phil Cipollone and Ivanka and Jared Kushner. He listened to no one.

Christmas has come and gone. No “Christmas gift” yet from Kim Jong Un. May he forget about it. Could be. He is like Trump in that regard. A lot of bluster followed by nothing.

Kim has achieved one thing. He has placed the U.S. on military alert. Better safe than sorry.

Trump is changing his tune re Kim. When the Christmas gift was threatened, he was not concerned. Said he and Kim were friends.

A few days ago, Trump advised that he was prepared to retaliate if necessary by the use of all type weapons. Including nuclear. Is Trump crazy? One nut dealing with another. Kim might think if Trump could do it to us, we better do it to the U.S. first.

A scary world we live in. Trump has made it worse. More volatile. He defecates on everyone. Plays the thug and bully. Never thinks first about that which he speaks. Never worries about the after effect.

Casablanca is rated the best film ever produced or very near the top of any listing. A great 1942 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

The film ran on the Turner Classic Film Channel Friday afternoon. I watched it. Always magnificent! The best!

Two years ago when at the Thornton residence in Birmingham as escapees from Irma, we all watched Casablanca on TV one day. Most of the escapees were women. The ladies and Jean knew every line in the film. Uttered most before even said. And did they cry! I could not believe the affect the movie was having on them.

Syracuse/Niagara last night. Syracuse won 71-57.

Next week, the ACC season will be in full swing. The games Syracuse must win. Going to be an interesting season!

As one gets older, the mind begins to thing about death. Is there really an afterlife? Am I going to see my parents and grandparents? The Bible says I will. My extended Catholic education says I will.

I am beginning to doubt. I don’t know. I have been reading much concerning an afterlife. Such readings obviously include references to Catholic Church history and God.

Two interesting ones.

Charlemagne once “force converted” 10,000 pagans. Then executed them. The 10,000 died as Christians. Christians who had no time to sin. Such guaranteed their passage to Heaven.

How about this one.

Religious ideologies are always particularly dangerous. For the simple reason that one cannot admit God was wrong because God can’t be wrong.

I read in the Citizen yesterday that Jimmy Carter and his family spent New Year 1996 in Key West. His family entourage involved 32 persons.

I tried to determine if Carter or any of his party stayed at the Little White House. Could not.

I do know this. In later years, Jimmy Carter and wife could be found enjoying New Year’s eve on Summerland Key. Apparently at the home of a friend. I am aware of this because Howard Livingston’s first Summerland home was on the same block where Carter would stay.

The Atlantic carried a pointed article yesterday by David Frum: A Gangster in the White House.

If the shoe fits, wear it.

Frum was concerned that on 3 occasions Trump had tweeted the whistleblower’s name.

An interesting passage in the article: “Doubt Trump will not be bound by any rule, even after he has been caught. He is unrepentant and determined to break the rules again – in part by punishing those who try to enforce them. He is a President with the mind of a gangster, and as long as he is in office, he will head a gangster White House.”

Pleas note my blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou will not air tomorrow night. New Year’s Eve. Everyone enjoy the evening!

Enjoy your today, also.

26 comments on “MORNING STEW #31

  1. Can anyone here cite a federal law prohibiting disclosure of a whistleblower’s name? I can’t find one. A 1998 law pertaining to the intelligence community says the IG should not disclose a whistleblower’s name. But that does not prevent anyone else from doing so.

    • The answer is simple. From Wikipedia:

      The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(8)-(9), Pub.L. 101-12 as amended,

      is a United States federal law that protects federal whistleblowers who work for the government and report the possible existence of an activity constituting a violation of law, rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority or a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety.

      Since Wikipedia isn’t trusted by all, you can download the full document here:

      govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-103/pdf/STATUTE-103-Pg16.pdf

      There are more, but these 20 pages should keep you busy for a while.

      Enough

      • Good Wikipedia info on whistleblower rights, but nothing that makes it unlawful to reveal identity. Consider this quote from an analysis by ABC News:
        “The law doesn’t specifically bar members of Congress or private citizens from revealing information like the whistleblower’s name…”

        • It may not be specifically illegal, however I don’t think ABC news should be considered the authority or arbitar of that decision. Even so, it is at the Very least a morally repugnant act of a vengeful and vile man. It plays directly to his character and to anyone who would support or in any way approve of it. May he suffer for this beyond just one more chink in his reputation as a subhuman scumbag. One more reason for any reasonable person on this earth to rally for his demise in every possible way!

        • Perhaps you didn’t read the 20 page documnent with a legal mind toward the remifications of what it contained. There are additional references in that document that should make it clear.

          I think it is better to analyze the document, and other sources, rather than listing a single ABC source without a providing us with a link to check out. You know… trust, but verify.

          Enough

            • You are totally obfuscating the point of this. What Trump did by “outing” this whistle blower was reprehensible and wrong. Totally beneath the dignity of a president of the United States. Any ‘facts’ about it’s legality are absurd and an argument only YOU are trying to make for political reasons.

              Decency is not always legally definable.

              Calling Jesus a pig, or a faggot isn’t illegal, but it is reprehensible and it is PUNISHABLE.

              • Trump, Trump,Trump. Why does everything have to be about Trump? I never mentioned Trump in my comments here. I was merely asking if a whistleblower’s identity is protected by statute. Apparently it is not.

                  • A reminder to all blog posters. If you cannot offer an intelligent response, then just post a string of insults and name calling. It will make you sound oh so smart and clever. Everyone will be impressed. Really.

                    • wow – that is sooooooooo “Patrick” of you and not just on your telltale condescending attitude, but your arrogance in thinking YOU get to set ANY of Lou’s blog rules.

                      Not only is your comprehension of the topic, rather poor, so is your comprehension of the replies equally bad. Calling you a ‘snowflake’ is appropriate every time you whine when you don’t get your way and really have no better argument to continue apart from claiming to be maligned.

            • Au contraire. Federal law DOES make it ilegal for the President or other person in the government.

              Since it’s unlikely that you read the first document, I thought you would never read beyond that. But just in case, here is the document that should make it all clear.

              haventyouhadenough.com/wordpress1/title-5-united-states-code/

              Once you have read the first document and perused the 1052 pages of this one, then pay particular attention to sections 2301, 2302 (b) (8), 2302 (b) (9), 9701, and 9702. Then we can discuss just how many laws Trump has broken.

              ENOUGH

              • You simply do NOT get it, do you? The issue is not whether blowing a whistle blower’s cover is legal or not, except maybe to you and that seems only to change the subject and divert or dilute the very real outrage of our president from having ratted him out, and in such cowardly way. Trump won’t be prosecuted for this, but he could be impeached for it. More importantly his voter base could and should be disgusted by this and oust the bastard. Trying to get everybody to look up if it is legally prosecutable is wasting EVERYBODYs time and only a half clever BS dupe.

                • The original poster said, “Can anyone here cite a federal law”, so that is I did. It shows federal law making it clear that Trump’s “outting” the whistleblower is wrong. Just another example of how imoral Trump is.

                  However, you are correct. There is outrage over the whistleblower, as there should be. He indeed “ratted out” Trump. That’s because Trump is an imoral rat.

                  While he won’t likely be removed from office for that, there is no doubt that Trump’s “Do us a favor” was wrong. Very few think it was otherwise. I praise the whistleblower for having the large round male organs to stand up to Trump and show him for what he really is.

                  Enough

                  • I doubt I am the only one who thinks you answered your own question in what was essentially a set up, just to get your own tired alternate political agenda going.

  2. Trump knows what his cult would do to the whistleblower. That would serve to eliminate the possibility of any future whistleblowing.

  3. Trump is a different kind of gangster, he’s nastier than most, more petty and far more insecure. He’s also way less smart, nearly ALL successful gangsters make it a point to stay out of the public’s eye, particularly those real estate gangsters of NYC. Trump is the opposite. He loves the limelight and performs most of his crimes there, where everybody can see them and then complains on why everybody else is ruining HIS reputation.

  4. Erick Holder has yet to answer a Congressional subpoena issued for illegal gun trading which resulted in the death of a federal agent. He was a great example as an AG for trump to follow and members of the swamp.

    • Your Eric Holder BS is at a whole another level of false equivalency with inaccurate, misleading and incomplete information.

      Your wasting everybody’s time when there are bigger fish to fry, like the president of the united states has been impeached for significant cause. Try and find the equivalency with that instead of twisting the truth or torturing the world with your 5th grade logic.

    • errrrr, you do know that HRC got more actual votes than Trump, don’t you? Seems to me the American people actually preferred her, than him. Can’t you get anything tight, looser.

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