Good morning. The blog will be offline for a few days while I get my computer up and running again. However you can still catch me daily on Facebook live! I will be posting my videos as usual! And remember Tuesday Talk tomorrow at 9pm. Hope you can join me.
What do dog ticks, crocodiles and Boeing have to do with each other? Absolutely nothing. Thought it made for an interesting title.
Dog ticks came to my attention when reading William Hackley’s diary entry for this day in 1856. He took dash for an ocean ride on the steamer Jasper. Dash had ticks.
Salt air cure dog ticks? A quick google told me no. Salt water does cure fleas. Maybe Hackley had ticks and fleas mixed up. Even in 1856, tick removal required tweezers.
This morning’s Citizens’ Comment made mention of the crocodile that now lives at the Key West Golf Course. My recollection, a Nile crocodile.
I was under the impression crocodiles are harmless to humans. Especially, Nile crocs. Not so.
Crocodiles and alligators alike enjoy feeding on humans. Crocs 4 feet are attracted to human babies and children. The size leads the crocodile to believe the baby/child is an animal.
Crocodiles 6.6 feet and over prefer adult humans.
The above info the result of a quick google search, also.
So…..Those that tell us not to worry about the 7-8 foot Nile crocodile living on the Golf Course may be wrong. Could be wrong. Whatever. Be on the safe side and keep a safe distance.
Five months ago at a Boeing plant in South Carolina, Trump and Boeing’s CEO enjoyed a kumbaya meeting. Trump announced he and Boeing had an understanding. No more jobs to go elsewhere. Jobs to remain. Plants to be built in the United States.
Boeing’s CEO was excited. Exclaimed…..We have a seat at the table!
Since that time, it has been announced that Boeing is building or planning to build plants in China, Saudi Arabia and India. It was further announced yesterday that just under 200 employees were going to be let go at a North Carolina plant.
So much for Trump fighting for every last job.
When the plant building became evident in the three foreign countries, the Boeing CEO said he was misunderstood five months ago. His comments were only to the effect that employment rolls would not be diminished . Job numbers would remain the same. No promise was made to increase the numbers.
I did not hear it that way.
New news this morning on Morning Joe. A Washington Post investigative reporter guest appeared. New cyber war information had been released moments earlier in a Post announcement. The information was not in this morning’s paper.
One of the steps taken by Obama was to somehow infiltrate late in December Russia’s cyber sources that provided the means to hack into the Presidential election. The U.S. had the capacity to destroy the technology involved.
Obama left the decision to Trump to decide when or if. Trump has and has had the information and decision making power since his inauguration.
Trump has the ability to pres the button. He has not. Nor has he even mentioned Russia and the election. Why?
My yesterday began with a visit to my heart doctor. Routine.
Late afternoon, I stopped at Louie’s Backyard. Meditation time. Sat looking out over the water thinking about this and that while enjoying a couple of drinks. Louie’s Backyard has one of the most relaxing water views in the Keys. A God is in His Heaven, all is right with the world feeling.
Big day for the ladies June 23, 1972. Title IX was enacted into law. Banned sex discrimination in federally funded educational institutions.
A boon to female college athletes!
No Key West Lou Facebook Video the past two days. Sorry. Back on track this afternoon.
Enjoy your day!
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!
If ever a community is in need of Uber and Lyft, it is Key West. Taxi service slow, vehicles filthy. Locals and tourists alike do not receive the door to door service they are entitled to. Uber and Lyft would assist in relieving traffic congestion.
Uber tried a couple of years ago. Key West’s Bubba system won out. Taxi owners won. Uber left.
The Florida House of Representatives had a bill filed this week structuring requirements for online car service. Considered the beginning of getting Uber and Lyft on the streets of all Florida communities. The bill still has the State Senate to go through and then must be signed into law by the Governor.
Lyft is testing the waters. The bill is not required. However, municipalities have been using the excuse of waiting for State direction before allowing Uber and Lyft to provide service.
The Key West story.
Lyft is testing the waters. A Lyft vehicle has been operating in Key West since thursday. Only one.
How will Key West react to this solitary Lytle vehicle? Stop the service? Arrest the driver as they did with Uber? Let this sole driver slide into the signing of the new law?
My one day time trip away from home yesterday afternoon was to Publix. Prices continue to edge up. Amazing! We soon will have to raise our own produce and animals for slaughter (said with tongue in cheek).
I question how people can continue to afford groceries. Especially in a stagnant income situation.
Spent most of the day lying around. Being lazy. Read, slept, watched TV.
Wonderful evening! Enjoyed the company of Tim and Linda at the Hot Tin Roof. Both Madison County, New York residents. Visiting Key West. Ted lives in Cazenovia. Linda in a small town outside Canastota.
Ted is a former Court Clerk. Linda worked in the judicial system. Ted here for a month. Staying at the Banyan. Linda visiting for a week. Both good company. Enjoyed Linda, especially.
We started at 7. We were one of the last tables to leave. The sign of a great evening.
Weekends are unusually busy at the Hot Tin Roof. Extra help hired for the weekends. Most, young immigrants. Hard working! Impressive!
I do one Facebook video a day. A Key West Lou one. Number of followers increasing. Dramatically.
Interestingly, most blog readers are not video followers and vice versa.
One of the Sunday morning talk show commentators made what I consider a comically true statement re Trump. Something to the effect…..If Trump wants to find he is #1 in everything, he should buy a mirror.
Those of you who comment do so at your own risk. Some days are brutal. Today, not. An excellent review of healthcare problems. Zeroing in on one party payer, Medicare, and supplemental plans.
Enjoy your Sunday!
The northeast is getting crushed under tons of snow. Most places closed down. Definitely work places and schools.
Means the family is together for a whole 1-2 days.
Time for mom, dad and children to talk to each other. Yesterday, yes. Today, I do not know.
My yesterday goes back roughly 50 years. I loved the 1 or 2 snowstorms a year. Closed the office down before the big storm hit. Went home to join the wife and kids.
No computers, laptops, or cell phones back then. People had to talk to one another. Lite the fireplace and we sat around all day. Chatted about this and that. Played cards and games. Even ate together.
Hot chocolate time, also. My wife prepared hot chocolate. It fit the day.
Today, I sense everyone is engrossed in their computers and cell phones. Even mom and dad. Little personal communication.
Everything has changed. Except for the snowstorm.
I was all over Duval Street last night.
Started with the Chart Room. Should have skipped the place. A drunk obnoxious older woman got on my case. Insultingly. Loud. I don’t think I had said ten words to her. All polite, of course.
She had a hair up her ass. Even her husband could not get her to shut up.
I finally laid a bill on the bar and walked out.
The Chart Room has a new bartender monday-wednesday. Paul. Last employer, the Gecko.
He should have handled the situation. He did not.
John, Emily of days gone by, etc. would have first asked her politely to calm down and if she did not, called security.
I left without even finishing my first drink.
Headed over to Aqua. Should have gone there in the first place. Dueling Bartenders evening.
Tom Luna back. He has been gone for three weeks.
Met Ed. Retired here. We had similar backgrounds. We arrived to this stage of our lives by different paths. But, got here!
Ed a Long Island person. Went to Bowling Green. A track man. He was familiar with Manhattan College which I attended. Manhattan had a terrific track team back then.
Basketball his game, also.
Ed was in ROTC. Took a commission. Did a year in Vietnam. Left the service a captain.
His other life spent as a high school principal.
Today, Ed serves as Adjutant Commander of the VFW on North Roosevelt Boulevard. The one with the good cooking, as he described it. He was correct. I occasionally stop by.
Walked over to Bourbon Street from Aqua. Wanted to hear Bria sing. She starts at 8. I was too early. Two drinks away time wise for me. Too much.
Hunger beset me. Stopped at Mangoes. First time at the new Mangoes. Remodeled beautifully.
Sat at the bar. Met Peter who was sitting next to me. Peter interesting. Originally from Chelsea. For the unaware, part of New York City.
Peter works at Fogarty’s by day.
Enjoyed Peter’s company.
I did not enjoy my meal. Disappointed. Ordered nothing special. Wings. Tough. Over cooked. Difficult to bite, difficult to chew.
I am going to give Mangoes a break and not say I don’t recommend it. A place that beautiful can’t be serving poor food. I will be trying it again soon.
Service was excellent.
The new health care plans sounds like a winner. Fourteen million without coverage in one year. Twenty six million in ten years. Lowers taxes for the rich. Hits the old hard. Many will end up with insufficient care at a time when they most need care. Premiums and deductibles high.
My Facebook video I will be doing in a couple of hours will succinctly express my feelings.
Enjoy your day!