World AIDS Day was celebrated in Key West yesterday. At the AIDS Memorial at the entrance to the White Street Pier.
Key West remembers the AIDS victims. All loved. Sadly gone.
Key West jumped in to help in the early days of the epidemic. AIDS Help came into being. A special friend Dee Raniuk was part of AIDS Help for 20 years. AIDS victims became her life’s work.
Dee was raised on the Cape. Earned herself a PhD in psychology. She could have worked anywhere with the degree. For significant dollars. Instead, she opted to work with AIDS victims in Key West. She dedicated herself to them.
Dee is now retired from AIDS Help. She has a second home on Cudjoe Key. Tragedy has befallen Dee. Not AIDS. Something just as bad. She is a cancer victim.
The past two years have not been easy for her. A couple of operations. A lot of suffering. Cannot eat. Only drink. And not alcohol. Her drugs too powerful. A couple of sips of wine and Dee is off the wall.
I love Dee. I am glad she has been a part of my life in recent years. I hope she continues to be.
Yesterday afternoon was spent fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Did the show in the evening.
For some reason, I had more material than normal. Twice as much. Not certain why. Perhaps more things happened this past week. Whatever, I got them all in. I can’t wait to listen to the archived edition later this morning. I am concerned I might have talked a bit too fast.
Santa Claus and Don’t Pee On Me were two interesting topics.
A shopping mall in New Jersey decided to charge to see Santa Claus this year. Built a special house within the mall. North Pole thing. Children charged $35 each to talk to Santa Claus. Family fee was $75. Only lasted 5 days. The public outcry was too much. Now free. As it should be.
Don’t pee on me interesting. Apparently, people have taken to peeing outdoors in large numbers worldwide. Generally against a wall. The result an enduring disgusting smell.
Cologne and San Francisco among those with the problem. In San Francisco, party goers and the homeless. In Cologne, men in general.
The solution, a special hydrophobic paint. The walls were painted with the urine paint. It caused urine splashed against a wall to be returned to the peeer (such a word?) at the same angle. The peeer pissed on by his own excretion.
In Cologne, warning signs: You pee on me, I pee on you.
Another item discussed is the new $313 million cloning plant being built in China. Primarily to clone cows. Not enough beef available for China’s middle class.
This morning I saw a news report that the director involved with the cloning plant says humans can be cloned. Now. Today. Public reaction is the only thing prohibiting it.
My column in KONK Life this week is The Eiffel Tower. A biography. KONK Life hits the stands today.
Syracuse/Wisconsin tonight in basketball. Hope Syracuse continues its winning style.
Read an article about Tiger Woods. Doubts he will play golf next year. His back and a nerve condition. His exercise is presently limited to walking.
I feel badly for Woods. At some point, he may have to make the decision to pack it in. Retirement no shame. It will take years before another golfer achieves his accomplishments.
Today, screw off day for me. Other than this blog, nothing to write, no show to prepare for. It will be be an easy day for me. Not sure what I will do, except for watching the Syracuse game tonight.
Enjoy your day!