KEY WEST…..BEST OF THE BEST IN 3 TRAVEL ADVISOR CATEGORIES

Key West #1 in three Travel Advisor categories. A WOW!

Most Excellent Place to Travel Worldwide, Most Excellent Cities for Restaurants, and Most Excellent Cities in the World. Described as “cream of the crop” re Most Excellent Place to Travel Worldwide.

I frequently complain too many people, tourists, cars and bicyclists. Whatever, Key West is doing it right as far as tourists are concerned.

Congratulations to all who make it so.

Last night Dueling Bartenders at Aqua. Tom and Rick singing. Tiffany guest performer. Tiffany is this year’s Fantasy Fest Queen. A beauty with a marvelous voice. Always a smile.

Then to Hot Tin Roof for dinner with Dorothy and Carmen. They were to have left yesterday. Decided to stay an extra day. Dorothy called and asked that I join them for dinner.

Excellent food, excellent company.

Carmen originally from Costa Rica. A typical Latin beauty. Hair pulled tight. Lovely complexion. A bright smile.

Tonight’s the night! My podcast show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. A multitude of topics to discuss. The week has been busy. Nine my time. Join me for a quick moving half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

The hurricane Beryl has fizzled as was expected. Remaining some extra rain for certain areas over the weekend.

Poor Puerto Rico got hit by Beryl. Just enough rain and wind to cause some power shortages and water damage. Normally would be considered nothing, except that Puerto Rico is still recovering from last year’s hurricanes.

A new hurricane. Chris. Stronger than Beryl. Expected to turn and fail to hit land.

Brett Kavanaugh Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court. An ultra conservatist. His appointment guarantees a conservative court for the next 30 years.

Not right. Supreme Court Justices were originally appointed because of judicial/legal ability. Not political philosophy. The Court can no longer be a neutral arbiter that checks the two elected branches if political philosophy controls.

Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life. A good job! One problem. “Life” when the Constitution was framed different from life today. When the Constitution was framed, life expectancy for a free white male was 35 years. Today, 70-80 years.

Someone should take a look at the historical difference. A solution considered. Instead of life, make the appointment for a specified number of years. Like 18, for example.

We should be true to the Constitution in all respects.

Marlow Nance in a recent Opinion piece wrote in discussing Trump, We’re “on the cusp” of “losing the American constitutional republic forever.” He added in another section, Putin is Trump’s “handler” and we’re in a “Benedict Arnold moment.”

Two professors in a recent Times Opinion asked, “If the Supreme Court is nakedly political, can it be just?”

Justice is supposed to be blind. Lady Justice stands blindfolded. Not anymore.

Think about it.

The Thailand cave rescue complete. As of this morning, all 12 boys and their coach rescued. Three Navy Seals and a doctor yet to be removed.

A marvelous result! People gathering from all over the world to pitch in. Reportedly 1,000 helpers. Politics not involved.

Trump left on his European trip this morning. One of the stops is London on July 12.

Trump is less than loved by the English people. London’s Mayor is allowing a giant orange balloon depicting Trump as a baby in a diaper. It will be flown close to Parliament. Part of a “Stop Trump” protest.

Several years ago, I wrote a KONK Life column re the Scopes Trial. Also known as the Monkey Trial.

The trial began on July 10, 1925. It took place in Dayton, Tennessee. Scopes was a young school teacher charged with teaching evolution in violation of Tennessee state law. The law forbade teaching man evolved from the ape.

The trial became a big deal. International notoriety. Clarence Darrow defended Scopes. William Jennings Bryan appeared for the prosecution.

The trial was a fraud. The Dayton city fathers were looking for a way to publicize their small town. Increase business. Perhaps a tourist business. They arranged the scheme. Everyone involved was in on it, except for the two lawyers.

I fail to understand why when the trial is mentioned these days, rarely is the fraud aspect disclosed.

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Winston Churchill, July 10, 1940.

Hitler began the Battle of Britain 3 1/2 months earlier. Night time bombing raids on London. He thought he could bring England to its knees. He thought wrong.

The English had 600 planes and the Germans 1,300 at the start of the Battle. The English beat the hell out of the Germans. After 3 1/2 months, Hitler had enough. He was losing his air force. He had not thought it possible. Just like that he ceased the night raids. Sent his remaining air force to the Russian front.

Winston Churchill’s words complimented the bravery and talent of the English pilots.

New York City has a new attraction. Called glamping. Those participating, glampers. Locals and tourists alike.

New York City took a part of Governor’s Island and made it into a tent city/camping ground. Top shelf, first class. Great tents, real beds, etc. The tents go from $220 to $850 per night. The air clean. The night time view of the City spectacular.

No BOB again today. I cannot continue blaming BOB. My fault. I have so much other information to share that I do not get around to finishing the Bum Farto story. Soon, I promise.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

83rd BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY’S NEWS

My 83rd birthday came and went too soon. Hopefully, I will be here to celebrate my 84th next year. Sounds foreboding. There is always a concern at this age.

A nice day.

The many Happy Birthdays received appreciated. The internet a wonderful thing. Keeps us connected and remembering each other.

Lisa and family woke me early. All on the phone singing Happy Birthday Poppa! A good way to begin the day.

Celebration time not over. I am having dinner with Lisa and the family tonight. By special request, my cake will be white with chocolate frosting.

Last night, Donna and Terri took me to dinner. We celebrated at Tavern ‘n Town. George and Artie were with us. A good time.

It was still early when dinner ended. Decided to stop at the Chart Room for a drink. Glad I did. Ran into Dorothy Downs. We talked quite a while.

Dorothy’s husband Maurice passed on last year. He was a Miami orthodontist. They had homes in Miami and Key West.

In previous meetings, we never chatted more than five minutes. Last night, quite a while. Turned out to be fortuitous. Dorothy discovered I was a nice guy. She told me she always thought I was arrogant. I probably was. Time softens us.

Several times yesterday, I heard people talk about the new hurricane on its way. Beryl.

I can see concern is going to set in early this hurricane season. Irma left people with a touch of fear.

Beryl is not coming anywhere near Key West. It has been described by the weather folk as a tiny one. About 1,000 miles south of the Lesser Antilles. It may run over Puerto Rico. Should not be a problem. Predicted to be winds of 40 mph at that time.

This morning’s Key West Citizen notes in its Keys History section that the John Kennedy World War II movie PT-109 was being filmed at Munson Island. Cliff Robertson played the title role.

Let me add some additional local color. Munson Island is today known as Little Palm Island. One of the world’s most famous and expensive resorts. It was wiped out by Irma and is still under reconstruction. It will return!

The island at the time was owned by John Spottswood. A Key West legendary figure. Sheriff and State Senator for many years.

President Kennedy was in Key West checking out fortifications during the Cuban missile crisis. Spottswood accompanied him. They were already friends. Hollywood had decided to do the movie. A search for a location was underway. Spottswood suggested Munson Island. The rest is history.

EPA administrator Scott Pruitt finally resigned. About time. He probably contributed to the swamp condition more than any other Trump appointee.

The man replacing him not much better. Andrew Wheeler. Wheeler is a former coal lobbyist. He spent much time working for Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla). Inhofe denies climate change. Refuses to accept it exists.

Trump has appointed another winner!

The blind cannot see. Or if sight is possible, then as Forrest Gump   was wont to say…..stupid is as stupid does. I refer to the tariff war with China. Should not be. The irresponsible brain child of Donald Trump.

In one year’s time or less, two major U.S. industries will take a big hit economically. Jobs lost big time. Soybeans and lobsters.

The U.S. is the biggest supplier of soybeans to China. Several farm States depend on selling their soybeans to China. China’s attitude is don’t screw with us. China is already entering into agreements to purchase soybeans from Brazil.

China is a major importer of U.S. lobsters. Multi-millions of dollars involved. Maine and Florida lobsters. The lobster industry will be destroyed. This includes Florida’s spiny lobsters. Many are fished off the Keys.

I have said this before and repeat it again. Recall when Hoover became President. The stock market was at an all time high. Booming. Hoover for some unfathomable reason decided the U.S. should impose tariffs with regard to certain countries. Within one year, the Great Depression of 1929 was upon us.

Expect no less from what Trump has initiated.

Water is sacred. Not enough. Insufficient concern unfortunately. The U.S. must watch how it uses its water.

Recall several years ago California. Bottled water companies were buying municipal water big time. The companies got a break cost wise because they were buying in bulk. Homeowners paid a hell of a lot more for water than the bottled water companies per unit.

Governor Brown has been working on the problem.

Today, the problem has reared its ugly head in Chiapas, Mexico. Coca Cola the culprit. Coca Cola bottles and sells water.

Wells are the primary source for water. Homeowners dig down only so far. Accustomed to getting all the water they needed. Coca Cola comes in and digs wells deeper. Significantly deeper. Cause the homeowner wells to go dry.

Coca Cola’s bottled water has now become the water supply for homeowners.

The following sickening. Occurred in a Houston school. Twenty two sixth grade girls were in a music class. Fifty dollars was missing. School administrative officers were called in. A resource officer, also.

The resource officer said, “Girls like to hide things in their bras and panties.”

A strip search followed. Each girl was separately taken into  a bathroom with a nurse. The nurse checked around the panty waistbands, loosened bras, and lifted the girl’s shirts so that the young ladies were exposed shoulder to waist.

Parents were never called for permission. Some of the girls asked to call their mothers first and were denied permission.

What possessed the principal. assistant principal, nurse and resource officer is beyond me. Some things your gut tells you cannot be done.

The girls sued. The court threw out their case. Said the facts did not permit a lawsuit. An appellate court decided otherwise this week. Ok to sue the bastards! Not reported in such indelicate language, of course.

My KONK Life column is on the street. This weeks title: Hurricanes and Key West Cemeteries. Irma got me into hurricanes with both feet.

BOB says you must wait another day.

Enjoy your day!