MURDERERS, ASSASSINS, INFILTRATORS…..JAPAN OVERREACTS

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Fire ants are part of our Key West existence. You cannot be here any length of time without being bitten.

For Japan, it is a new experience. Nary a fire ant till May 20 of this year. They came in on a cargo ship hidden away in cargo boxes. Shortly thereafter, more arrived in a different vessel. Now fire ants immigrate to Japan with frequency and reproduce once there.

The Japanese are not handling the fire ant invasion well.

A Japanese newspaper reported early on that a fire ant epidemic in the United States killed 100. Obviously erroneous. Corrected, but the damage had been done. The Japanese people are convinced fire ants are murderers, assassins, and infiltrators.

An over reaction big time.

Additional sanctions have been levied by the U.S. against 13 high ranking Venezuelans.

Stupid!

Maduro and his government may be bad people. However, it is for the Venezuelan people to change the government. Not the U.S.

Thousands protest. The streets are jammed. In the hundreds of thousands. However, the people stop there. They do not go to the next step and take up arms to depose Maduro.

It is their problem, not ours. Especially when the Venezuelan people are not willing to fight for themselves.

When will we learn to keep our noses out of another country’s business?

McCain showed his independence and courage last night with his no vote. I take back any negative statements I made a few days ago re his failure to stand up when the first vote was taken.

Where did this Anthony Scaramucci come from? He is an embarrassment to our government and to the people of the United States.

I am personally embarrassed. The man is Italian-American as I am. He is a throwback to the 1920-1930’s.

Now for my yesterday.

Dropped the car off to be detailed. Needed a thorough cleaning.

Walked over to Lori’s at the other end of the block for a haircut.

Needed to kill an hour after the haircut while the car was being finished. Stopped into the Sunshine Grill for lunch. Where Mattheson’s was formerly located. On White Street, across from Fausto’s.

Great food! Go!

Diner type food. Wholesome.

I enjoyed a Reuben. One of the best I have ever eaten.

Checked the menu out. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Very reasonably priced. My next visit will be for dinner some evening soon.

Met Karen. The front house manager. Charming and lovely.

The bill carried a comment on the bottom: Eat here or we both go hungry.

Made sense.

Picked up the car. Seven years old. Looked new inside and out.

Dinner was with Donna and Terri last night. Terri had to work late. I stopped at their home and enjoyed a drink and political chatter with Terri. Yesterday was definitely a Trump day!

Terri is more than a vocalist. She understands. Everything. Our conversation ran deep.

Donna finally arrived. Her ass dragging. It had been a 12 hour day.

We had dinner at the New York Pasta Garden. Donna and Teri enjoy the place. Last time I was there was 20 years ago with three of my grandchildren. I thought the food was terrible. Never returned! Last night’s meal was excellent.

I had egg plant parmigiana and pasta. The parmigiana with my Mother in mind. She used to make it frequently.

John owns the Pasta Garden. He also owns the Ocean Grill across the way. Word on the street is he is in the process of buying Camille’s.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

2016 REAL ESTATE SALES DIP

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Running late. Slept late. Feel good.

This morning’s Key West Citizen ran a major story regarding real estate sales. They fell in 2016.

Since 2009, real estate sales have increased each year over the previous year. Not 2016. Key West sales dropped 17 percent. Sales in the lower Keys outside Key West 8 percent.

There is a message. Real estate prices are not realistic. People have become aware. Prospective buyers are reluctant to spend the dollars required to live in  Paradise. Especially when they can buy better and significantly cheaper on the mainland.

More and more homes were listed last year with asking prices of $1 million and more. Some, several hundred millions of dollars.

What’s the saying…..Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg. The goose is being killed. By piggish exorbitant prices.

The next to feel this experience will be the hotels. Tourists will go elsewhere. To Florida vacation sites with cheaper hotel facilities.

I have seen the high price impact over recent years. People staying in high end hotels going to their rooms at dinner time with a pizza and six pack.

Next to suffer will be the restaurants. High prices and smaller portions will not be tolerated. Even alcohol costs.

All will happen because Key West became a pig. A gluttonous one.

Treated myself yesterday morning. Eggs benedict at Camille’s. Sat at the bar. Read the Sunday papers. First time in a couple of years I have been to Camille’s.

Last night, Don and Chris. My friends from the Syracuse area. Both world travelers with their work. Don primarily South Korea and China. Chris, Europe and Asia.

They are snowbirds. Visit 3-4 times a year. Love Key West!

They had a major announcement for me. They are getting married! Wonderful! Both around 50. This will be a second marriage for both. Two better people cannot be found. Last night, two happier people could not be found.

The wedding to take place in Key West. March 24. That’s next year. Chris advised that it had to be that far ahead. Venues not available that fit into their schedules.

We met at the Chart Room first for a drink. Then to the Hot Tin Roof for dinner. A good time throughout the evening. We chatted about everything. Especially Syracuse basketball. Die hard fans as I.

Dinner over, I headed home. Don and Chris left me to take a walk down Duval. The difference in our ages responsible for our different paths.

My Facebook quickie video had to do with matelotage yesterday. Sailors marrying. In pirate days. Gay marriages. Generally the French. The English and Spanish frowned on homosexuality.

Rules/laws applied. If one partner was killed, the surviving partner automatically was given his share of the bounty.

The gay marriage bit began in the early 1600’s. Sex partners were scarce. Pirates in port would import for a time a ship load of prostitutes from another island.

Final Four tonight. How exciting can it be?

Cow Key Channel Bridge Run yesterday. A new record. Fourteen seconds. The previous, 21. A tough 350 feet to travail.

Key West has advised Lyft to cease and desist. Otherwise, drivers will be arrested. Per local law passed last year to protect taxi drivers to the detriment of the public. The Bubba system in operation.

Leotards. Credit therefore attributable to The Daring Young Man On the Flying Trapeze.

Jules Leotard graduated from law school. Decided not to practice. Wanted to be an aerial acrobat. Not yet known in those days.

He joined the circus. Invented the aerial trapeze in 1859. Two years later, The Daring Young Man On the Flying Trapeze was written in recognition of his aerial activities.

Leotard’s clothing was loose and dangerous while doing his aerial act. The clothing also failed to show off his exceptional physique. He designed what today is known as the leotard. Tight fitting with long sleeves. Initially called a malliott. Twenty years later, became known as a leotard in honor of its designer.

Trump says the U.S. is ready to act alone on North Korea if China does not take a tougher stand against North Korea’s nuclear program.

Suggests a pre-emptive strike.

Scares the hell out of me!

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Secreting unpaid tax dollars a big business. There are 214,488 offshore tax haven entities.

Enjoy your day!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBERT!

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Grandson Robert was 12 years old yesterday. God bless!

The celebration might not have been. Robert was born with cancer of the liver. The tumor was larger than his liver. He had two major operations in the first eight days of his life.

God was good!

Lisa cooked a Happy Birthday sunday dinner and a birthday cake. The meal outstanding! As to the cake, very little left. Robert had a sleep over the night before. The guys pretty much devoured the cake.

Ally’s birthday is in two weeks. Yesterday, she looked beat up. Had a bad stomach bug the day before.

Summer vacation around the corner. We talked about what they will be doing. One thing will be Seacamp on Big Pine. An educational sea camp. The kids are excited.

Spent yesterday writing this week’s KONK Life column. Heroin Will Survive New Drug Bill. It is a followup to my article three weeks ago Afghanistan and America’s Heroin Addiction.

The new column hits the stands wednesday.

The first heroin column appears on E-Blast this morning.

My picture on E-blast took me back for a moment. I have not seen it in years. It was taken during my first Greece trip five years ago. I am sitting at a table at my favorite restaurant writing my blog. The bearded Louis.

Stone crab season ended yesterday. A good season. Stone crabs galore. I enjoyed every one I ate. To me, the best of foods. I always say if I knew my meal was to be my last one, I would order stone crabs.

Movie star Roy Scheider had a home in Key West. Scheider of Jaws and French Connection fame. Puchased 630 Dey Street in March 1982. His winter home.

Everyone does everything in Key West.  Scheider was a regular at Camille’s when it was on Duval. He was frequently seen at the breakfast bar chain smoking.

Fausto’s is celebrating its 90th birthday. Its main store today on Fleming, just off Duval. A family business. Quality foods. Surprising however that it has lasted so long. Means whatever they sell has to be good.

I am anti-Trump. No question. I may even be anti-Clinton. I may not even vote.

That being said, the New York Times on saturday did a number on Trump. An unfair one. Front page. The article’s thrust was how Trump behaved with women.

The article should never have been written. It lacked substance. All it proved is Trump can occasionally be an asshole with his mouth.

Trump deserves an apology.

Enjoy your day!