BECAUSE I AM A MAN

Posted on by

Dueling Bartenders was its usual terrific show last night. Always good.

Tom Luna bartending. He never dresses. Lovely Goddess Galore. A sometimes dresser. Dressed last night. And, Beatrix Dixie. Always dressed.

Beatrix is perfection in every way.From a padded ass to padded boobs. Look real!

I noticed Beatrix’s fingernails were not done. Surprising since everything else was perfect. Her nails looked like a ditch digger’s. I said nothing to her.

However her nails reminded me of a another drag queen working at La Te Da several years ago. Her/his name escapes me. Dressed to perfection. Lousy nails. Just like Beatrix’s. I asked why his nails were not done in view of everything else being perfect. He said: “Because I am a man.”

To some a lifestyle. To others, a job.

Spent a good part of the afternoon prepping for tonight’s blog talk radio show. A good one!

Topics include the Presidential campaign, hurricane Matthew, a Chamberlain/Trump comparison, South Carolina-ZIKA and bees, local governments paying bills with police fines, veterans’ corpses rotting in Chicago VA hospital, Assange ready to letting go with another 10,000 e-mails (perhaps today), Greek police and pensioners collide, how elite Europeans set Greece up for a fascist takeover, a secret US government airline that flies out of commercial airports.

Plus, New York Times not having paid any taxes in 2014, a Bush daughter attended a Paris Clinton fundraiser, a German mayor beaten unconscious after he revealed a plan to accept more refugees, why governments and banks want to eliminate your cash, the rich burying gold bars in Swiss banks as an alternative to bank deposits, and more.

Join me at 9 my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. A fast moving half hour. Revealing information.

A heart doctor visit late yesterday afternoon. I had been exhausted tired. Ass dragging. Thought it might be my beta blocker. Dr. McIvor cut my daily dosage in half two weeks ago. His concern was my blood pressure might go out of whack.

I returned yesterday to have my blood pressure tested. The same. Good. No longer tired, also.

Stopped at Don’s Place before Aqua. Chatted with Jimmy and Toni. Missy bartending.

After Aqua stopped at the Chinese restaurant for dinner. I had a yearning for Chinese. Rare. A cup of egg drop soup and two egg rolls. Plus, a diet Coke. Cost, $6.50. Amazing!

Until recently when she retired, Dr. Jackie Lefferts was my primary physician for ten years. Her nurse Patti Cabrera weighed me, checked my blood pressure, etc. She also gave me shots over the years. some in the butt.

Patti, a lovely person. I especially love her because she read my KONK Life column.

Dr. Lefferts recently retired. Patti did also after 50 years of nursing.

This morning’s Key West Citizen recognized Patti in its Familiar Faces section. A well deserved tribute.

Suicides seem to be with us more in recent years. Military and veterans committing suicide at the rate of 20 a day. A primary reason, the 3-4 tours of duty we have imposed on our military the past 15 years. Blood, gore and death have a way of catching up.

General Eisenhower in 1943 warned of the risk of shell shock. He defined shell shock as prolonged exposure to combat. Men break down, he said. Some commit suicide.

The problem with us again. The solution a larger military. The only way to get it is a draft. No one wants to recommend it.

The Vice-Presidential debate this evening. Starts at 9. Because of my podcast, I will miss the first half hour.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

SOME KEY WEST INFO

Posted on by

Current Key West information.

Marriott Beachside is an exciting hotel. Perhaps the most exciting in Key West. Marriott announced it is adding to its facilities. Marriott guest facilities. A marina and a boat taxi service to downtown Key West.

Melody has been a Key West fixture for more than forty years. An exemplary entertainer. A lovely voice. She is leaving Key West. Sad. She is moving to Ashville, North Carolina.

Wednesday evening Melody will be giving a good-bye performance at The Little Room Jazz Club.

The Key West Brewfest has been ongoing this week. Ends sunday. Venued at the Southernmost Beach Resort. Saturday afternoon through evening the 1400 block of Duval will be closed for street partying.

On this day in 2013, Diane Nyad completed her record swim from Cuba to Key West. One hundred ten miles. She walked out of the water at Smathers Beach to the cheers of hundreds.

The hurricane season is upon us. Hermine doing its dirty deed in northern Florida and soon along the eastern seaboard up to New York City.

There was a more devastating hurricane in 1935. This date in 1935 was Labor Day. A class 5 hurricane hit the mid keys. Four hundred killed. The Overseas Railroad wiped out never to be rebuilt.

My yesterday began with a visit to my primary care/internist physician. Dr. Jackie Lefferts has cared for me for 10 years. I received good and bad news yesterday. Your health is good, I am retiring in one month.

One of the problems of aging. At 81, I have outlived certain of my doctors or seen them retire.

Change bothers me. Most people. A doctor change especially. Dr. Lefferts and I have come to understand each other. I am not the easiest of patients. She can be a tough doctor.

I consider her an excellent diagnostician. She has helped me over the years. Discovered problems early before they might have become serious.

Early on, she told me I had a heart condition. I told her she was crazy. How could I have a heart condition? I fought her on the issue for a year before I agreed to see a heart doctor. I had a heart condition. It has slowly gotten worse. I am alive, however. Were it not for Dr. Lefferts, I might not be here today.

Drove over to Lori’s for a haircut after meeting with Dr. Lefferts. Lori recently did a three day Bahamas cruise with girl friends. Actually, a bachelorette party. Big time fun, she said. The men did a fishing trip to Islamorada.

Then lunch at the Cuban Coffee Queen. No Ruby. A new guy doing her job. A young man. From England. Only here one month so far.

My KONK Life column this week is New Face In Price Gouging And Political Influence. It appears in this morning’s E-Blast.

When 99L was in the news last week, we were told it would be named Hermine if it turned into a tropical storm. It did not as it passed near Key West. Turned out to be nothing. 99L went out into the Gulf. Then turned around and headed northeast towards northern Florida. It hit north Florida yesterday as a class 1 hurricane.

The first hurricane to hit Florida in ten years. May it be ten years before another hits.

I must make a Trump observation. There are those of you that will disagree with me.

I have written and spoke of the following for 1 1/2 years.

Trump is a bully and thug as was Hitler. Hitler made the Jews the cause of Germany’s problems. We know what happened to the Jews.

I believe the immigrants of today are the Jews of yesterday. Trump is using immigrants as Hitler did the Jews.

Some say I am obsessed with Hitler. It is not obsession. It is recognition of a fact. History repeats itself. Unless we have learned from it.

Trump seems to attract fleas. Disruptive people. Not necessarily for the common good. It was announced yesterday that David Bossie has become Deputy Campaign Manager for Trump. Bossie’s name may not be familiar to you. His organization is. He is President of Citizens United.

I spoke briefly about North Korea President Kim Jong Un on my podcast broadcast tuesday night. Merely for background purposes, I mentioned the President not only kills his people in large numbers, but also those high in government. For bullshit reasons. Summary death.

Kim Jong Jin was 63. A Vice-Premier of North Korea. Jong Jin slouched during a Parliament meeting at which Jong Un was speaking. He was executed. His slouching was considered an act of dissent under North Korean law.

This whack has nuclear weapons. Can you picture he and Trump having a dialogue? Followed by Trump misrepresenting their conversation after the meeting. As Trump did with the Mexican President re the wall.

Enjoy your day!

COMET GOING HOME

Posted on by

I wrote about Comet back in December. He did not have a name at the time. He was a 90 pound loggerhead sea turtle found off No Name Key. He could not dive. There was a fishing hook lodged in a rear flipper and his intestines were impacted.

It was off to the Marathon Turtle Hospital. The Hospital named him Comet.

After some love, antibiotics, squid, and other fish, Comet has recovered. Gained ten pounds in the process.

Time for Comet to go home. To the ocean.

Saturday at noon, Comet will be released. The place Higgs Beach behind Salute’s. Join in giving him a rousing send off.

I am beginning to think turtles are as much loved in Key West and the lower Keys as Harry Truman.

Yesterday was an early morning visit with Dr. Lefferts. No problems. Routine visit.

Then to my friend, the anti-gravity treadmill. An experience! I am impressed at my speed. Never tired while running on the treadmill. When it is over, exhausted!

Spent the afternoon researching further and fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show.

Gave in. Predicted Donald Trump unstoppable. God help us!

Spent half the show talking about Saudi Arabia. Our “friend” of many years is twisting and turning. All kinds of things happening re Saudi Arabia.

One is the Saudis are flexing their muscle. Talking big. Viewed as a major player in Syria. Biggest importer of firearms in the Middle East.

My message as with Trump. Beware!

Made mention that Saudi Arabia passed a new law in 2014 which is being enforced. Atheists are considered terrorists. Penalty, death. Nineteen percent of Saudi’s population are atheists.

Atheists have been designated terrorists because they do not believe in the Koran. Koran says this is your religion. The atheists have turned their backs on the Koran and religion.

Such goes beyond death to the infidels. Infidels believe in something. Some god or religion. Atheists, nothing.

Accident prone am I. Broke a toe getting up from my desk last night. Hit it against the desk. No big deal. But, it hurts! Cancels the treadmill for a few days.

I discussed at length yesterday the School Board’s poor handling of the $21,000 theft from day care. This morning’s Key West Citizen’s main article on page one involved the State Attorney’s report. Not enough evidence to charge anyone.

The report bothered me. Not because no charges. Rather, the report named the individual suspected to be responsible. The thief. In detail. In spite of insufficient facts to charge her.

My experience in New York was the prosecutor would issue in a case that had received notoriety a simple…..Insufficient facts to support an indictment.

Glad today wednesday! Past few days tough. Now have wednesday, thursday and friday off.

Enjoy your day!

KEY WEST ALOE

Posted on by

On this day in 1971, Frank Romano and Joe Liszka opened the Key West Aloe store on Front street. They called it Key West Fragrance & Cosmetics. However, the shortened Key West Aloe took hold and the store became so known.

I initially disliked the store. A woman’s place! Perfumey! Too pretty! Over a period of time, the very essence of the room captured me. I would enjoy entering just to walk around breathing in the sweet aromas and enjoying the subtle colors of everything..

I never got to know Frank Romano. I do have a large Jack Baron painting of him. Bought it at a charity auction many years ago.

I was fortunate to get to know Joe Liszka the last couple of years. A nice guy. Great sense of humor.

Now both gone. As is their Front Street store. Frank and Joe sold out many years ago. The new owners over the passage of time closed the sales store on Front Street and the factory on Green Street.

Stopped at Publix yesterday. Just to pick up a few things. The wrong time. Packed! Thanksgiving shoppers! A lot of stop and go in the aisles. Each crowded.

Publix had to have had a good day. The carts overloaded with holiday goodies.

Spent yesterday afternoon preparing for my blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. A quick hard hitting half hour. Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

One of the topics tonight will be excerpts from this week’s KONK Life Column. Muslim Refugees…..No. I go beyond the terrorist issue. I go where France, Britain, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands are today. They have accepted Muslim immigrants in large numbers the past several years. Their experience is lesson enough to close the door to these refugees.

Before you accuse me of being anti-Muslim, uncharitable and un-American, read the column which publishes tomorrow in KONK Life.

Other topics tonight include a couple of Trump items. His approval of waterboarding and the media capitulating to his rants. Some little known facts thrown in about Thanksgiving. Not nice. And more.

Winter is moving into Key West. The nights are chilly. Around 70-72. There was a chill in the air this morning when I went outside to get the mail. The days are warm. Around 78 degrees. No humidity.

Perfect weather from my perspective.

My annual physical this afternoon. Dr. Jackie Lefferts will be prodding me.

Syracuse’s football season ongoing. Syracuse plays Boston College saturday. Boston College a three point favorite.

I am not sure where the game is being played. Obviously every other year in Boston. For years, I made the trek with several other couples for the game. A fun weekend. Though always cold. We dressed appropriately for the games. Hats and gloves included. An outdoor stadium.

We usually stayed at the Harborside or Harborfront Hotel. Lovely. Ate well, partied well.

A must for at least one meal was the Sail Loft Restaurant. On the water. Not fancy. Fresh Maine lobsters to die for. Great fried clams.

Has the Reply problem been corrected? I know it has for some. I want it to be for everyone. If any of you are still having a problem, write and let me know at louispetrone@gmail.com.

Editing blog to add: Great White shark seen off Marathon.

Enjoy your day!

BOCCE…..ONE WIN

Posted on by

Great bocce last night!

We won 1 out of 3 games. I mentioned yesterday morning we would be happy with one victory. So no complaints this morning.

The interesting thing is all the games were relatively close. We held our own against the best.

No question, this has been the best season ever for us. Not a fluke. We have gotten consistently better over the years. Our game has moved to another level.

The loss will probably not affect our 3rd place standing.

Next week is the last night of this season.

Had a follow up visit with Dr. Jackie Lefferts yesterday afternoon re my fall. I still have occasional pain when I move certain ways. A muscle/ bruised rib injury. I am mending. Pain 75 percent better.

An interesting development. More and more locals who attended Fantasy Fest this year are complaining about the nudity and sex. The people I am speaking with are not goody two shoes. They are fun people, out on the town most evenings. They found the conduct bothersome. Thought the problem generated from the swinger involvement.

I will be interviewed between 12:20 and 12:40 this afternoon on KONK News. 104.9. The discussion concerns this week’s KONK Life column Dracula in the Operating Room. Love the title!

Trump continues to make questionable statements. Whether they will affect his standing remains to be seen.

Trump is big on immigration. He said he is going to use a deportation force to remove the 11 million illegals from the United States. Sounds to me like the Gestapo rounding up Jews in Nazi Germany.

Trump relies as authority for what he wants to do with what Eisenhower did with 1.1 million illegal immigrants in 1954. Eisenhower used a deportation force. I like Ike. He screened up in this instance, however.

Ships were used in some instances to move the illegals. A Congressional investigation following the deportations described one ship as an “18th century slave ship” and “penal hell ship.”

What has begun at the University of Missouri and spread to Yale and Ithaca College bothers me. Protests, demonstrations and revolutions have in recent years been led by the young. Many, if not most, college students.

The demonstrations against the police re black killings and now these college demonstrations involve young demonstrators. I worry that at some point one might get out of hand and ignite a national conflagration. Don’t say no. Things are not as they should be in every area today. Nothing is impossible.

Enjoy your day!

VIETNAM LIVING MEMORIAL

Posted on by

There are certain times in our lives that are heart warming and uplifting. Rare. Yesterday was one.

The Vietnam Living Memorial was dedicated. I missed the dedication in the morning. However made the party from 4-7 in the afternoon.

An experience.

There had to be a 1,000 people. Most seniors. Sixties and seventies. White haired, bald, bearded, paunchy. Smiling , laughing and high fiving each other.

The Vietnam War ripped our country apart. Most were opposed to it. President Johnson wanted it. I have always believed he wanted to be a great war time President as Roosevelt had been.

When the Vietnam veterans returned home, there were no welcoming parades, slaps on the back. No thank yous. They never received credit for having put their lives on the line for their country.

Today, the U.S. as a people have come around to recognizing the wrong done. The veterans are from the 1960 thru early 1970 era.

Key West said thank you, we love you, to the Vietnam veterans yesterday with the dedication and then party at Bayview Park.

Six black granite stones with the names of the 362  who served stand proudly. As proud as the veterans celebrating the event yesterday.

After the Vietnam party, I headed to the outside back bar at Aqua. Knew Mark Watson would be bartending. Mark was recently crowned Fantasy Fest King. Enjoyed chatting with him a while.

Then to Tavern ‘n Town for dinner.

The bar quiet. A lovely lady appeared and sat several seats away. We started chatting. When I had finished dinner, I asked if I could move over.

An interesting person. Her name, Anush. Sparkling eyes. Originally from Armenia, she now lives in London. Vacationing in Key West. She is a cyber security consultant.

We talked quite a while of many things. Agreed to meet for dinner friday evening.

It was back to book writing yesterday afternoon. Knocked out another Growing Up Italian chapter. Revised and edited it several times before I was satisfied.

It is about medical attention in the late 1930s. Home bred. Who went to a doctor? Who could afford a doctor? Someone in the family always knew what to do.

I was 4. We lived third floor front. Something like Clorox was bought by families to clean clothes and whatever else. It was called bouledine. An Italian word. I am not sure I am spelling the word correctly. I googled and could not find what I was looking for. If any of you know, please e-mail me.

In any event, the bouledine came in gallon jugs. My mother gave me an empty jug and told me to place it in the hall with the other empty ones.

The hall was long. I was running. I fell. The empty bouledine bottle cutting the palm of my right hand below the thumb. A large piece of glass sticking out of the wound.

My mother screamed. My Uncle Frank came running up from the second floor. Uncle Frank was carpenter. He took care of the problem

He took a large bread knife and worked the glass out. Cutting me a bit in the process. Then took a needle and thread and sewed the wound.  One inch long. Took four stitches. A scar remains today. The four stitches obvious.

Covered the area with mercure com. Everything was covered with mercure com in those days. I do not think it is sold anymore.  He wrapped my hand in a clean white cloth. I was the hero on the block the rest of the day.

Dracula in the Operating Room was linked to my Key West Lou website this morning. keywestlou.com.

I have an afternoon visit with the doctor. A follow up visit to my fall last week.

Bocce tonight. Big game! We are in 3rd place. We play the #1 ranked team. They are exceptionally good. Superior. Are first every year. If we win one of the three games, we will consider it a victory.

Enjoy your day!

 

BEST LOVE STORY EVER

Posted on by

I give thought to what my lead comment should be each day. Generally a Key West or heavy news item. Today, love.

Today is the birthday of Emily Bronte. Her earth time the first half of the 19th century. She wrote Wuthering Heights. Started the book when she was 27. For me, Wuthering Heights is the greatest love story ever written. Heavy.

Cathy and Heathcliff. A wrenching tale. Lovewise and otherwise.

Wuthering Heights was made into a movie in 1939 starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. Olivier won the Academy Award that year for Best Actor.

Today’s Morning Joe ran a video of New Hampshire voters big on Donald Trump. Interesting. They view Trump as the American man. Their responses reflected their belief that Trump understood their problems and was going to fight for them. He was not the typical politician.

Coud he really get the nomination? Be elected?

A tough day yesterday. Sciatica still bothering me. It had been a week. I decided to try the anti-gravity treadmill. Kept it on low hoping to work out the back pain. No way! I lasted 9 minutes. Had to stop.

Hurried over to Dr. Jackie Lefferts. Need a steroid shot! Got one. Took most of the day to take effect. Did so gradually. Not like the last time when in two hours I was pain free. Ok this morning. Will be on steroid pills a few days. Maybe I could get a professional baseball contract.

The Chart Room first last night. A decent crowd. Mini lobster fishpersons.

Then to Hot Tin Roof for dinner. Tried pork shank for the first time. Oh, so good! I will be ordering it again the next time there.

Suarez should get the death penalty or life in jail. He is the 23 year old Stock Island man who made a back pack nail bomb. His intent was to bury it at night under the sand on a Key West beach. The bomb could be detonated away from where it was buried.

FBI and local authorities were on to him from April. Finally arrested him two days ago when he was prepared to do the dirty deed.

Suarez was arraigned in federal court in Miami yesterday. His lawyer said he was not a “terrorist.” Merely “…..troubled and confused.”

Kill him! He was going to kill and maim people of all ages enjoying our beaches.

Yesterday was day 1 of Lobster Mini Season. I did not see many boats from my deck. Where 10-15 would be sitting, there were no more than two.

The weather was perfect for diving. Water calm. Sun shining.

Nothing better than diving for a few lobsters, running the boat into shallow water, cooking the tails on a grill on the boat soaking them in butter, standing in the shallow water and eating by hand the delicious buttery tails. Knock off a few cans of beer. Then dunk your whole body into the water to clean off.

Ran into Sheila on my way into the Chart Room last night. Why are you picking on Planned Parenthood, she asked. She was referring to my KONK Life column re Planned Parenthood selling fetus cells and baby parts. It was not the place to talk. I was late for a dinner date. I told her we will talk another time.

Before all women dump on me, let it be known I have always been a supporter of Planned Parenthood, believe in a woman’s right to choose, support abortion rights and birth control. However when an organization sells parts of the fetus/baby aborted, it is another story. Illegal to begin. Also I cannot believe a woman who is about to undergo an abortion understands that the body parts will be sold, if the woman is told such at all.

Right turns into wrong under the circumstances.

This week’s KONK Life column is Harry Truman’s Mother In Law. It hit the stands yesterday. This morning it was linked to my Key West Lou website.

Enjoy your day!

MEA CULPA

Posted on by

I screwed up!

Recall that tuesday evening, I could not get the Syracuse/Wake Forest game on TV. The game was at 8. I went to bed and fell asleep. Woke around 10:20. Tossed around a bit. Suddenly recalled the game. I was anxious to know the score.

I went downstairs to the computer. A basketball game is normally 2 hours. I assumed the game was over. It was not. Anyhow, I came up with a score that showed Syracuse losing by 1 in overtime. Not correct! The game was still on and the score represented the game to that point.

I marked down on my pad the score and that Syracuse had lost. Such led to my tirade in yesterday’s blog about good bye NCAA and hello NIT.

Sorry. Mea Culpa.

Surprisingly, only one person commented on what I consider was a big time error. Don of Don and Chris. Normally when I misstep, the world crashes down on me.

Worked with Sloan late in the afternoon. Some of you will be pleased with what has finally been accomplished. My KONK Life weekly column will be available on keywestlou.com starting today. Now.

The column can be found under the second narrative title at the top of the page. Click it. The phrase Key West Lou KONK Life Column will repeat itself. Hit on the repetition. The second line. And you will be there!

I cannot advise the day the column will appear each week. It depends when I write it. Any day wednesday thru sunday normally. It will be available on keywestlou 1-2 days later.

The column will be archived. Starting with this week’s article. Rank Insubordination. Concerns the NYCPD and Mayor de Blasio. My right wing readers will be tickled by it. Not favorably. I expect a slew of comments tomorrow morning from  them.

Dinner last night was at Tavern ‘n Town. Ran into Dr. Jackie Lefferts and husband Michael in the lobby. Jackie is my internest. Good people!

Weddings have been held for years on the beaches of Key West. Especially Smathers Beach. Lovely to behold. Part of the Key West ambiance. The couples marry and leave the beach.

The City of Key West is not happy unless it taxes everything. Where ever a dollar can be made, the City will be there.

The City has been concerned with the private use of public property. Any use of public property is private. Think about it.

Wedding planners are a key component of the Key West way of life. At a recent meeting, the wedding planners agreed to pay the City a fee and also carry liability insurance to indemnify the City. In return, the wedding planners could use the beaches and Bayview Park to marry people. The wedding planners were also promised a better beach clean up and a 2nd bathroom facility on Smathers Beach. The City will also maintain  a list of “qualified and licensed” wedding planners.

Once regimented, always so. Wedding planners have come under the thumb of the City and will remain there forever. In future years, they will be imposed upon more.

Sissy Spacek’s new Netflix show Bloodline will be available sometime in March. People have been asking me when.

I believe that any action has an equal and opposite reaction. The tide may be turning against New York City’s PBA President Patrick Lynch.

Lynch has been President for many years. The last time he had an opponent was 12 years ago in 2003. A slate of officers have announced they are running against Lynch and his ticket in the June elections. Their position basically is that they do not care about an apology from the Mayor. They believe the PBA should be more concerned with their grievances and problems. Proof again that all politics is local.

Bocce party tonight. Our end of the season bocce banquet. Will be fun!

Enjoy your day!