TRUMP AND FEMA YET TO REPORT FOR DUTY

Michael made landfall wednesday. Trump has yet to visit. FEMA boots on the ground few, if any.

A devastated people need to see their leader face to face. A visit/his visit would provide encouragement. Uplifting. Those affected need to see him.

Where is Trump? In different States most evenings conducting rallies to Make America Great Again and in anticipation of the November 6 elections.

Take your time Mr. President. The people of northern Florida are not going anywhere. In and out of the Panhandle next to impossible. However, Mr. President you have a helicopter. You can go everywhere. You should have been in Mexico Beach instead of Lebanon, Ohio.

FEMA. What is FEMA doing? What has it done so far? FEMA’s absence is obvious. FEMA’s boots on the ground are needed.

Instead, I see FEMA head Brock Long on national TV yesterday from Washington with a slew of other agency heads telling America what a good job they were doing. Shades of Bush 2, Brownie, and Katrina.

Talk is cheap at a time like this. Basics are needed. FEMA has to get them in. Water, food, ice, power, and shelter. Food and water immediately. Ice soon thereafter. To cool the body externally and internally. Power a given. No air conditioning, cooking, refrigerators operating, etc. without. Shelter. Something. Even a tent. It will be tent cities at first.

These people need help, not bullshit.

Irma hit the Keys last year. Heavy damage in some areas. Damage still exists in certain areas. As with many north Floridians, I evacuated. Eighty percent of Key West left. Irma was coming straight for us as a category 5. Fortunately, at the last minute it took a twist and went over Key West as a category 1. Sixteen miles up US 1 it became a 4. Destruction heavy from Cudjoe Key north to Marathon.

I wrote the only book re Irma. My personal feelings in getting out of its path, difficulty in avoiding Irma all the way up Florida, 12 days with friends in Birmingham, Alabama. The trip back. The destruction I saw coming down US 1. Key West’s desolation. Like the town had died. Difficulties the first few weeks. Difficulties yet to be resolved. Etc.

If you want to feel first hand what I did and what Michael’s ravishes have caused, read my book. Not technical. Personal. You will feel. It is available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Dinner last night at Andrea and Joe’s. The lady is a cook! Baked breaded chicken, mashed potatoes heavy with butter and sour cream, her home made butter, warm bread, etc. Dessert, cheese cake likewise home made.

I made it a pina colada night. Joe’s pina coladas brought me back to Aruba’s beaches. He is the master pina colada maker.

It has been off season in Key West. All over come friday. Tourists will bury the town. As many as 60,000 the night of the parade. I don’t know where they sleep.

Goombay is friday and saturday. Then Fantasy Fest for a week. Goombay for the kids. Fantasy Fest for adults.

Wisteria Island back in the news. The Blue Paper yesterday, the Key West Citizen today. The government is suing present owner Roger Bernstein. To settle title. The federal government says it owns the island. Bernstein says he does and his family has for years. Been paying taxes on the island for 50 plus years.

My friend David Wolkowsky was involved at one point. David “owned” Wisteria Island. He was not sure, but had bought it at some point from a third party.

It was 1967. David was constructing the Pier House. Wolkowsky borrowed $20,000 from Bernstein to build the Pier House’s bathrooms. The note was secured by Wolkowsky with Wisteria Island.

Bernstein would not extend David’s time to pay. He took title to the island in satisfaction. David not being sure the title was good, gave a quit claim deed which Bernstein accepted. A quit claim deed says in effect I am not certain I own the property. If I do, you get good title. If not, you get nothing but a worthless piece of paper.

The federal government’s claim in the lawsuit is based on things that happened in the 1820’s and 1920’s.

David passed on a a few weeks ago. I am sure David is smiling in his grave. Smiling at Bernstein who refused to extend his time to pay, took his island, and now may end up with nothing.

Bernstein for years has wanted to develop a resort hotel on the island.

No Syracuse football today. A bye week.

I am into ghosts.

Last night when driving home from Andrea and Joe’s, I passed the Hemingway House. No traffic. I stopped in the middle of the street. A light in an upstairs window. Did not see Hemingway.

A weird ghost story follows.

Amethyst Realm is 28. She lives in Bristol, England. She is employed as a spiritual guidance counselor.

She claims she has had sex with ghosts. Somewhere in the area of 20. Prefers them to men.

The first time was 13 years ago. She and her husband had moved into a new home. New to them. The first time she felt an “energy.” It became physical. She felt pressure on her thighs and neck. A heavy presence on her body. She could feel someone breathing on her and stroking her.

She claims a 3 year affair with the first ghost. Till a night when her husband came home and saw a “shadowy shape” on top of her. The ghost swiftly departed, never to return.

Since then, she claims experiences with at least 20 different ghosts.

She wants to get pregnant by a ghost. She has researched “phantom pregnancies.” Claims a ghost can impregnate. The problem is carrying the fetus to term.

I came across several other similar stories. One by a man.

Psychotherapists claim such sex experiences are hallucinations. They occur as one is falling asleep. The time between awake and sleep.

Sex with a ghost a step too far for me. On the other hand should I ever actually meet a ghost, I might change my mind. If there are ghosts, it opens the door to the possibility.

Donna and Terri taking me to dinner tonight.

Enjoy your day!

 

HOUND DOG

This day in 1956 a big one in the entertainment industry. Elvis Presley appeared on the Milton Berle Show.

First time Presley’s entire body was shown. No guitar to cover his pelvic area. His infamous gyrating pelvis finally visible to the whole world. Prior to that evening, Presley’s hip action was considered scandalous. Tight assed America decried his stage actions.

Presley exhibiting full body form sang Hound Dog.

The song as well as Presley were both more popular after the Milton Berle Show. America had seen all of Presley. Loved his voice. Loved his gyrations. The country turned around. Presley was on his way!

Last night began at Aqua. Dueling Bartenders.

Tom Luna and Rick Dery their usual outstanding selves. Destiny the guest performer. Destiny is this year’s Fantasy Fest Queen. A lovely face and a lovely voice.

The bar pretty well packed. Spoke with Edie and Julia for the first time. Regulars at Dueling Bartenders. We had a nodding acquaintance. Jean Thornton formally introduced me to them last night.

Edie and Julia warmed my heart. They read this blog every day! Love them!

Also singing away with everyone else were Liz, Mary, Josefina, Linda and Don.

Time to eat. Where to go? An easy choice. Antonia’s. Not only for the good food. Nicolle the bartender an attraction in herself. A very hospitable person.

The yellowtail was delicious. Perfect for my diet.

Nicolle’s love of her life is Darragh. He bartends at Blue Heaven. Met him for the first time at my book signing a couple of months ago.

Marsha was sitting to my left at the bar. She has been a Key West resident 7 years. Works at Key West Bait & Tackle.

Mother of three, grandmother of 3.

Marsha was especially proud she has no need for a car. She lives in Old Town and gets around easily on her bicycle.

Good for her! No car payment, no insurance bill.

To my right at the far end of the bar sat another lovely lady. Jenn Stefanacci. I asked if I could join her. She said yes and I moved down. I had coffee while she was finishing a pasta dish.

Jenn works at 223 & Co. and TBD Bar.

One trait women possess. They dislike a cheating husband. History teaches men to beware a woman scorned.

This morning’s Blue Paper reported A Key West story containing such elements.

A husband was napping sunday on a couch. His wife got into his cell phone. Came across a message on his cell phone from an ex-lover. The message was three years old.

She lost it.

Hit him repeatedly with her fists. Turned on the burners and threw a towel in the oven in an apparent effort to burn down their abode. Worst of all, she chased her husband with a kitchen knife threatening to “gut” him.

She has been charged with battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

A teaching comment in this morning’s Citizens’ Voice. The solution to kicking poverty and becoming rich: “We were so tired of being poor we went down and registered as Republicans, then bought a house on Shark Key and a yacht. Never thought it would be that easy.”

Brought a smile to my face.

Monsanto has to be one of the  most hated corporations in the world. Some countries will neither permit Monsanto to plant nor sell their products.

Putin threw them out of Russia about 5 years ago. The U.S. has been in bed big time with Monsanto. Primarily made possible by our Congress which has passed a ton of laws favorable to the company.

After thursday, there will be no more Monsanto. The U.K.’s Bayer is buying/merging with Monsanto. Bayer has assured the name Monsanto will never be used again. Bayer has further assured the European Union it would neither produce nor sell Monsanto type products in Union countries.

European comment has been big re the sale/merger. Some have described the coming together as a “deadly wedding.” Others, “diabolical.”

The Philadelphia Eagles were invited to the White House. Most players declined the invitation. Trump retaliated. After being informed of their not coming, he withdrew the invitation. Sort of after the fact.

Instead, Trump claims a group of 1,000 will visit the White House in the place and stead of the Eagles. They and Trump will stand for the National Anthem which Trump assures will be played loud and clear.

Trump fails to understand the issue is not paying honor to the flag and National Anthem. It has to do with black discrimination and the many falsehoods the President speaks. Some people are getting fed up.

A further example is Giuliani. One of the President’s attorneys. He has been all over the media lying and exaggerating various issues of the case. Giuliani appeared at Yankee Stadium last week. He is often there. His seat is front row behind home plate.

Giuliani was booed when the public address system announced his presence.

The public is slowly waking up.

Tuesday again. Love tuesdays! I get to do my podcast show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Wild! I say what I want. Offer opinions many do not agree with. Whatever, the show is a fast moving half hour full of all kinds of issues affecting us.

Join me. I guarantee you will enjoy. Nine o’clock my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!