HOGFISH SHORTAGE AROUND THE CORNER

Hogfish have been overfished!

Fishing bans go into effect September 1. Limited harvest in Key West waters. Commercial fishing banned till January 1. Recreational banned in federal waters till May 1.

Local fishermen knew the ban was coming. Will affect their incomes.

Hogfish the most popular fish for eating in the Keys. Bobby Mongelli’s restaurant on Stock Island named Hogfish. I only eat hogfish when I am there.

Mongelli said he has been aware, has made efforts to obtain hogfish from other sources. Expects to run out of hogfish on occasion never the less. Prices will go up a bit. He will be paying more for the hogfish from other areas.

My podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou last night. Covered a range of topics. Only half the show dedicated to Trump. Fifty percent too much. However, he is the news these days everyday.

Fortunately, Trump’s rally was scheduled for 10 pm my time. Got to watch all of him!

Typical campaign rhetoric. The man is not stable. I worry even more after watching him last night. He scares me and should scare you. The man who has his finger on the nuclear weapon button.

Interestingly, the Phoenix rally was the first of Trump’s 2020 Campaign. A bit early? Why? Money? Does he pay or a PAC?

The wall. I am sick of the wall. It will never be. Neither practical nor cheap. The House will never approve the spending. If the House does, it will only be a token of what is required.

Trump threatened last night to close down the government if he does not get the wall in the new budget. The wall is another Trump campaign promise that will go unfulfilled.

Key West bars come and go. Some come and never leave.

Lazy Gecko sat next door to Sloppy Joe’s for 17 years. Did a good business. Until recently when someone new bought the building. A rent hike Lazy Gecko could not afford.

Gecko out. New owner coming in. Building gutted and under renovation at the moment. Opening anticipated early in October. Bar/restaurant will be called Duval Central. Inside, Island City Stage. Top musical performers will be brought in to entertain.The desire is to turn the place into a great music venue.

I find the desire strange. The whole island is a great music venue.

Why was the Christopher Columbus statue in Baltimore sledge hammered to the ground a couple of nights ago? The statue was erected way back in 1792.

Turns out Columbus was a slaver.

He made three trips to the New World. Became involved in the slave trade on the second and third trips.

The second trip he captured and brought 1,600 West Indian natives to Spain. Many died on route. Queen Isabella kept a number to row her galleys. Some were returned.

Good bye the Columbus Day Parade in New York City.

A confusing topic. Complicated. How far back do we go in failing to honor for other deeds those associated with slavery?

Forget not George Washington. A big time slave owner. The slaves took care of Mount Vernon, helped run Washington’s whiskey distilleries. Rename Washington, D.C.? Remove Washington’s picture from the dollar bill?

There is a saving feature in Washington’s case. He ordered in his Will that all his slaves receive their freedom.

Johnson and Johnson. Many baby back ends covered with its baby powder at diaper change time.

Some women apparently have used Johnson’s baby powder their entire lives as part of feminine hygiene. Powdered their bodies including the genital area with the talcum powder following bathing.

It took a while. However, there is now the possibility the baby powder is a carcinogenic. May be causing ovarian cancer in women who have used the powder for a number of years.

Monday, a 63 year old California woman received a $417 million dollar judgment based on the scenario described.

Not the first case to come to trial. Four others. Three resulted in multi-million dollar verdicts. One thrown out by the court.

Not the type of lawsuit the public should turn its nose up to. Over 400,000 similar cases pending.

A calamity yesterday. My water was turned off for nonpayment of the bill. $28. I was without water most of the day.

In defense, I never got the bill. It went to my old address. Never got to me, even though I placed a change of address order with the Post Office back in June.

I paid the $28 bill by phone at 1. Plus a $60 turn off/turn on fine. Asked if I would be turned on before 4. Was assured even sooner.

Came 6 and I still had no water. In spite of having made several calls advising water not yet turned on. Assured man was in the area and I was next on list or he would be there shortly.

I don’t think anyone was directed to turn the water back on.

I only received proper attention just before 6. The water board was closed. A fellow named Patrick was handling the emergency desk. He had no record of me. However, he said he would have it taken care of right away. He did. Within a half hour, I had water.

My account is now on automatic pay.

Enjoy your day!

FATHER, I CANNOT TELL A LIE…..I CUT DOWN THE CHERRY TREE

 

Our President lies.

Yesterday, I set forth Proverb 17:7 to show from a religious perspective it was wrong for a leader to lie. Today, reference is made to American history.

All of us learned about George Washington and cutting down the cherry tree. Children still learn from it.

It never happened. The story is a myth. However one that has taught most of us that people should speak the truth, not lie.

The verbiage has variations. “Father, I cannot tell a lie…..I cut down the cherry tree.” “Father, I cannot tell a lie…..I barked the cherry tree.” “Father, I cannot tell a lie…..I damaged the cherry tree.”

Mason Locke Weems was a writer. Not very successful. In 1800, he wrote a book which was followed by multiple editions. He made things up. To make his works interesting and sell.

The 1806 edition contained the cherry tree story. Weems had Washington 6 years old at the time.

Though Weems’ tale is a fabrication, it continues to teach that everyone should speak the truth. Even Trump.

Stephen Miller is an aide to Trump. His office near the President’s in the White House.

I have spoken poorly of Miller in the past. Deservedly so. He is a propagandist. I have likened him to Joseph Goebbels.

Miller took questions today at the White House before the press corps. He was pitching Trump’s new proposed immigration law. It would cut immigration in half from its present level. It would also require immigrants to speak English before they could be admitted.

CNN’s Jim Acosta asked several piercing questions about the English requirement. His father immigrated from Cuba in the 1960’s unable to speak English.Things got heated. At Miller’s end. He apparently did not like Acosta’s questions. Raised his voice. Implied Acosta was ignorant.

My grandfather came from Italy at the age of 12 in the very early 1900’s. He could not speak English. My grandmother came over later as a teenager. Sixteen. She did not speak English.

My grandparents had eight children. One died. They raised them to be good honest citizens. My grandfather worked his way up in a knitting mill to a supervisory position. His English in due course beautiful. Smooth. Articulate.

My grandmother never learned to speak English. She did not care. Her responsibility was to take care of her husband, children and home. Later, to help care for her grandchildren.

My grandmother raised me in my early years. I spoke Italian before English.

She was a loving woman. Exuded warmth. To be hugged by her was everything.

Lived every day the same way. Her husband, the young ones and her home.

She was up at 5 each morning. Made her husband’s breakfast and got him off to work. Still early. The kids not yet up.

She cleaned her whole house every morning. The kitchen always amused me. She would wrap a clothe around a broom and do the ceilings first. When she was done washing the floor and it had dried, she covered the floor with newspapers.

Neither of my grandparents would be allowed into the United States under the proposed law. I might have ended up a lawyer in Italy instead of here.

My point. They were good people, good citizens. Made their contribution. Their children and grandchildren, also.

I spent a quiet day reading. Waiting for my ankles to go down. Nothing yet.

I will be out of here early this morning. I have to take Terri to chemotherapy.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

CHARACTERS AND CONVERSATION

No question, Key West has its share of characters. Generally locals.

The description character not meant to be disparaging. It merely reflects the unique nature of Key West society.

Don’s Place is a venue where the conversation merits recognition. Perceptive, interesting, amusing, etc.

Ten years ago, I told don we should put together a show. One originating from Don’s Place. I suggested a corner of the outside bar. Light it up. Place several customers at the corner. Have them talk for two hours. Nothing special. whatever they chat about normally. Film it all.

The two hour film would be edited to a half hour. Then we would try to get it aired on TV.

A guaranteed winner!

Don said no. I could not convince him.

Someone has finally decided to try it. Take advantage of the unique snappy dialogue that can be found among Key West locals.

The Dive Shop on Northern Boulevard is behind the move. The creators Tom Jackson, a 30 year Key West resident and Rich Vaughan, a former Key West resident now living in New York City.

The stars Key West stereotypes. Played by locals and New York actors.  The title Lost Reef Adventures.

Shooting begins July 27.

Good luck, guys!

My day yesterday began with an early afternoon manicure with Tammy. Fortunate I had an appointment. Standing room only Saturday afternoons for nails.

Then to Urgent Care to have my back x-rayed. I still have pain in the ball on my left foot. Beginning to bother my left calf because I favor my left foot. The pain is less every day, however.

Diana Millikan back in town!

We had dinner together last night at the Waterfront Brewery.

Diana has leased a small condo on Northern Boulevard for a year. She will be playing a snowbird. Back and forth. Present trip till late this month.

Good conversation. Diana is a devoted Trump supporter. One of the blind. She refuses to see. The man is crazy.

Why England three times with the terrorists in  three months? Strange. Whatever, I hope the terrorists remain on the European side of the Atlantic.

The pending English elections might be the reason. Next thursday. Could it be the terrorists are trying to show that Theresa May is not doing a good job in protecting the English people?

If so, they have failed. She and her team have come up a winner each time following an attack.

The 19th Amendment was passed this day around 1918. Gave women the right to vote.

I am a student of history. I find it amazing that men have always tried to keep women down. Treat them as second class citizens.

Women have had to fight every step of the way. They still are fighting men who oppose their right to control their own bodies.

The wives of such political leaders should deny their husbands marital rights for a period each time they do some asinine  anti-female thing.

George Washington was not always a winner.

Young George was 22 and a Lieutenant Colonel in 1754. Helped build Fort Necessity in the Ohio Valley. A shack more than a fort.

The concern was for the French Canadians coming down and trying to take over what was then a British Ohio Valley.

Washington was unable to defend the makeshift Fort Necessity. He surrendered to the French and their Indian friends.

The defeat blossomed into the Seven Years War which began two years later.

Enjoy your Sunday!

MARTHA WASHINGTON AND BESS TRUMAN BIRDS OF A FEATHER

John from the Chart Room had a night off. We did dinner together at Hot Tin Roof. Good food and good company! As usual, the Hot Tin Roof was packed.

I asked in yesterday’s blog…..Where was the U.S.S. Vinson? It was supposed to be in North Korean waters. Nothing had been mentioned as to its location for almost two weeks.

My inquiry was premature by several hours. Yesterday afternoon it was announced the Vinson had arrived in Korean waters and was engaged in war games with South Korea. TV this morning is showing videos of the Vinson and smaller vessels in Korean waters.

Today, there is a Coast Guard cutter named the U.S.S. Mohawk. Stationed here in Key West. Yesterday, yesterday being 1859-1864, there was a screw steamship in the Navy named the U.S.S. Mohawk.

I write about the Mohawk of old because yesterday was significant in its history. An event which ultimately became even more significant in Key West history.

In 1860, the Mohawk was operating against pirates and slavers off the east coast and in the Caribbean. On April 28, 1860, the Mohawk captured the slave ship Wildfire. The Wildfire carried 530 slaves from Africa. The crew and slaves were delivered to Key West.

The crew was imprisoned. The slaves placed in a compound under the protection of the Mohawk’s Marines.

Subsequently, vessels of the United States captured two more slave ships. The slaves on each were delivered to Key West and placed in the same compound as those from the Wildfire. Total number of slaves exceeded 1,200.

What to do with the slaves? Obviously return them to Africa. Where in Africa, however? Ultimately decided to relocate all of them to Liberia, a country in Africa. President James Monroe had as a practical matter returned previous slaves to Liberia. Liberia was a welcoming place for returned Africans. They created a new society.

Not all the slaves confined in Key West were returned. Some had died. Two hundred ninety five. They were buried on Higgs Beach. Many years later in recent times, their graves were discovered. A small monument sits on Higgs Beach recognizing the final resting place of those who did not live to return to Africa.

The Mohawk continued functioning till 1864 during the Civil War in defense of the United States. The Mohawk is the reason Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortuga’s and Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West remained in Union hands.

Beat up from combat, its boilers to badly damaged, its general condition unfit for further fights, the Mohawk was sold in 1864.

It was renamed the Alliance and remained in commercial service till 1869 when it was wrecked at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina.

Martha Washington and Bess Truman may be described as birds of a feather. Neither was happy her husband became President and each was less than supportive of her husband during his days as President.

Bess Truman’s story is more familiar to us. Perhaps because of its closeness in time.

Note the many trips by President Truman to Key West. Eleven. Consumed 175 days. Bess was with him only a few times. While Truman was living and working in Washington, Bess was home in Independence. She preferred the company of her Independence lady friends.

Martha’s questionable helping hand less known.

Washington was sworn in for his first term as President in New York City on this date in 1789. Martha was not with him. She was back in Mount Vernon.

Washington was tired/beat up prior to making the trip from Mount Vernon to Washington. He was trying to close down the business end of Mount Vernon. There were bills to pay. He had a difficult time arranging for a loan to cover them.

Martha was not happy he had agreed to become President. She was tired of public life. Wanted to live the rest of her days in Mount Vernon as a domestic wife. She abhorred politics. She refused to join her husband in New York City for the inauguration.

A comment or two on Washington’s inauguration.

His inaugural speech was important to him. He had several persons helping him. One by one in succession. Over a period of several months. He was displeased with every rendition. He finally called in James Madison for help. Madison spent a week at Mount Vernon helping Washington knock out the final draft.

There was a reception following Washington’s swearing in. It is recorded that Washington mentioned to some in attendance that democracy was fragile. He hoped what they had created would survive.

It did. Still fragile, however. You never know what could happen. Especially in the sensitive times we live in.

Enjoy your Sunday!

GEORGE WASHINGTON 2ND RICHEST PRESIDENT

Trump the richest President. No question about it. Who second?

George Washington.

Washington was worth $525 million. He owned land, businesses, a distillery, and slaves. His Presidential salary nothing to be ashamed of. Negotiated I assume by him. His salary annually was 2 percent of the U.S. budget.

Fine tuned my podcast show in the afternoon. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Most of the show was to be Trump and Judge Neil Gorsuch. My show was ready to go at 3. Had to wait. Show time not till 9.

Then everything hit the fan in Washington. More Trump problems. Involving some of his campaign team members. The Judge’s questioning before the Judiciary Committee put on hold.

All hell was breaking loose.

I reworked my show plan to accommodate the news.

Re Trump, he is a man sitting on a sunny beach not aware that a tsunami is approaching. The coming disaster inevitable. He in the middle of it.

Money laundering originating in Russia creeping into the news. Watch for it. The money laundering reached British and American banks.

Judge Neil Gorsuch a winner! I was impressed! A legal mind!

Though he is a conservative, he will vote liberal if the case calls for it. My impression.

Newly appointed Supreme Court Justices sometime change sides. The conservative votes liberal.

Eisenhower’s opponent for the Republican nomination in 1952 was California’s Governor Warren. A black hearted Republican. Nothing in his history to indicate anything else.

Warren was appointed Chief Justice. He immediately turned. Warren was one of the most liberal Justices in our nation’s history. Eisenhower lamented the one mistake of his Presidency was nominating Warren to the bench.

Then came Justice Souter. A small town Republican lawyer who was fortunate to become a New Hampshire Judge. A conservative one. Appointed to the Supreme Court, a metamorphism occurred. He became a dependable liberal vote.

I have been into pythons for five years. The Everglades replete with them. They are now moving into the Keys. One or two made it to Key West.

The State failed to timely pay attention to their growing numbers. Pythons frequently engage in sex. They have overrun the Everglades. The actual number unknown. Cannot be determined.

Experts claim eradication impossible. Too many. The aim to date has been to mange the python problem. Impossible. They reproduce faster than they can be killed.

Now comes Florida State Senator Artiles. He wants the State to pay private contractors to go into the Everglades and kill pythons.

A guaranteed exercise in futility.

Robots. One of my favorite topics for a year. They are here and more coming in increasing numbers. Human jobs will be lost.

Arabs are smart. The Dubai Police Force announced that they will begin using robots for certain police work beginning in May. They expect that by 2030, 25 percent of the force will be robots.

Mark Twain and his friend Thomas B. Reed spent this day in 1902 in Key West. Reed was Speaker of the House of Representatives at the time. They were on their way to Cuba. Party time.

Jimmy Walker was a famous New York City mayor in the roaring 1920’s and into the early 1930 Depression years. He became too friendly with the mob. Under investigation, he ran off to Europe with his wife.

Betty Compton his wife. Somehow she got to Key West in later years. On this day in 1941, Betty Compton divorced Jimmy Walker in a Florida Circuit Court sitting in Key West.

Harry Truman. One of Key West’s favorite persons. Truman loved Key West. Key West loves Truman.

On this day in 1951, Truman completed a three week vacation at the Little White House and returned to Washington.

Enjoy your day!

FRUSTRATING EVENING

Can’t win!

My blog talk radio show was scheduled for last night. For the third consecutive week, a screw up at Blog Talk’s end. Technical difficulties. My  show did not get out.

Pisses me off. Time spent preparing the program. Then nothing to do with it. Most material quickly aged. Cannot be used the following week.

Sloan working on the problem today. Hope if finally gets resolved.

My apologies to all who tried to listen and heard nothing.

One advantage gained last night was that I could watch Trump’s Address to Congress.

I was not impressed. More form than substance. He spoke in a subdued tone and read from a prepared script. Looked Presidential. Does not necessarily make him Presidential.

Substance was lacking. Barking up the wrong tree in many instances. A number of factual errors.

I am not going to waste my time or yours being specific. Whether pro or negative Trump, you picked up on them also.

The Key West City Commission has had its way once again. Yesterday groundbreaking for the Truman Waterfront Amphitheater took place. Completion expected by the end of September.

We shall see. More importantly, what will we see after completion? Will it be used with regularity? Will it cause all kinds of neighborhood problems?  Etc.

I am for an amphitheater. I believe the City Commission has jumped too fast. Much home work yet to be done.

My good friends from Iowa. Tom and Cindy. Two of the greatest people I have had the good fortune to meet in Key West.

Tom and Cindy live in Iowa. Travel frequently.

What follows was motivated by my President John Tyler story yesterday.

Tom e-mailed he and Cindy were visiting Virginia 20 years ago. Visiting Cindy’s sisters and old historical properties.

Went down a back road. The area referred to as Sherwood Forest. Lovely home before them. estate style. No sign signifying whose home.

Tom did not expect to meet Robin Hood. However, he was curious. Went up and looked through a window.

A man came out. What are you doing, who are you, etc.?

Turned out the occupant of the home was President John Tyler’s grandson. Tom says he is still alive today.

Tom is a history buff. All excited to meet Tyler’s grandson. John Tyler lived during George Washington’s time and here he was talking to his grandson.

Crazies pop up all the time. Through all time.

On this day in 1692, the Salem Witch Hunts began. Before a stop was put to the craziness, more than 150 men and women were accused of Satanic practices. Nineteen men and women were executed. Eighteen by hanging and one by crushing.

Nice neighbors!

Would you believe, even a baby was accused of being a witch.

Even worse, the State got involved. Two special courts were set up to hear the witch cases. For a while, every one believed Satan was about.

My evening fixed. Dinner and a movie with friends. The Academy Award winning movie.

Enjoy your day!

THE THORNTONS…..HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Jean and Joe Thornton…..Happy Anniversary! Forty years!

The event was celebrated with a small group of friends last night at Berlin’s. Janyne one of the party.

Bria payed Jean and Joe lovely compliments and then invited them to dance as she sang.

A lovely couple. A Key West loved couple.

I was at Berlin’s last night with Jenna for dinner.

At least two months since I’ve seen Jenna. She is always working, on the road or running.

She spent Christmas in Indiana with the family. Followed by a week in New York City as Reuben’s guest.

Jenna…..Always beautiful, always striving.

I think Anna and Everett were at Berlin’s also. Shamefully, I did not recognize them. Realized as I was leaving they were new found friends from Aqua and the Chart Room this past week.

My apologies.

Exciting days coming at the end of the month. Exciting to me.

From 1/30 to 2/2, three World War II planes will be on exhibit in Key West. Three planes that helped win the War. Three planes I played with during the War years. Making models.

The B-24 bomber, B-25 bomber, and the P-51 Mustang fighter.

The place, the Key West Airport.

The planes are on a 110 city tour.

Syracuse/Pitt at noon today. Syracuse a 3 point favorite. The game not available on TV. I had wanted to watch the game with Dan Reardon. When your team sucks, TV ignores your team.

On this day in 1789, George Washington was elected the first President of the United states. Only white men who owned property were allowed to vote. Voting restrictions existed even back then. Its purpose then and now to protect the turf of those who are part of the so called establishment.

More re the robot invasion.

IBM Watson has designed and produced robots to replace insurance claim workers at a Japanese insurance company. Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance.

Thirty four human insurance claim workers will be replaced. Beginning this month. Replaced by the IBM Explorer AI robot.

The robots will scan hospital records and other documents to determine insurance payouts, factoring injuries, patient medical histories, and procedures administered.

The robot cost $1.7 million. Plus maintenance of $128,000 a year.

Fukokou will realize a savings of $1.1 million per year on employee salaries. Providing a return on its investment in less than two years.

In addition, productivity is expected to increase by 30 percent.

Just the beginning! Time is now to worry about how human employees replaced by robots will be transitioned. Actually, yesterday was the time. We are always late.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

CAN’T WIN

I can’t win!

I continue abusing my body.

Broke a little toe again. Last night. This time on a foot of the bed.

Spent most of yesterday writing this week’s KONK Life column: The New Prostitution. Popularly referred to as the girlfriend experience. Young ladies. Older affluent men. Most college girls. Looking to pay tuition, college debt, rent. Some to buy designer clothes. Some just for fun.

The dollars big.

It is the new way regarding sex solicitation and activity. No pimps, no walking the streets, no standing on street corners, no brothels. All done one on one via the internet.

The article interesting and revealing.

I wanted to get out after I finished the column. Opted for Louie’s Backyard. Sat at the deck bar in the shade. Enjoyed a couple of drinks while looking out over the ocean.

The war continues between the Key West community and the hospital. The Lower Keys Medical Center. The hospital is owned by Community Health Systems. A major national health conglomerate.

The conflict proper. The hospital is taking advantage of its patients/customers.

A David and Goliath battle. A small community taking on a major medical corporation.

Immigrants in the news daily. A problem for most countries. Big time.

All cannot be labeled as bad. The proof is in the pudding.

Alexander Hamilton was an immigrant. A poor immigrant. He came to the colonies looking for a better life. He came from the Caribbean island of Nevis in 1773. His age young. Either 16 or 18.

Three years later, he was fighting in the Revolution. George Washington took a liking to him. Considered the young Hamilton an economic genius. Washington was correct. Hamilton was a key figure at the Constitutional Convention. He also guided the new nation for many years economically.

Disturbances have been occurring in France. Increasing in intensity. The basis for the conflicts are immigrants and terrorism.

The head of France’s Security Services recently advised that if the problem persisted, it could lead to a civil war. Lead by France’s far right.

I worry about something happening in the U.S. Not from the immigration/terrorist problem. From the black/police problem. The past week evidence. Dallas could have turned into a major eruption. The weekend protests likewise. The wood is dry. Only a spark required to create a conflagration.

Enjoy your day!

 

BUSY DAY

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. Still going slow. Cut the speed and time by 50 percent.

David Wolkowsky was not at Body Owners. He is sometimes there. Others, not. He is on the treadmill before me.

David is 96. I worry when he does not show up.

Shot down to the Cuban Coffee Queen after working out. Cuban coffee and a steak sandwich. Sat an extra hour reading the newspapers.

Spent the afternoon preparing for tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Interesting topics. A brief review of the Kentucky primary results. Followed by comments concerning Trump’s attitude and women, that Melania would be the first first lady to have posed nude, Trump’s tax returns, and Hillary’s transcripts.

Also, the FBI enabling Church leaders, social workers and community leaders to  spy on you and me, Obama at war longer than any other President, whether Zika is another Ebola, Hillary’s two $100,000 a plate fundraisers the same evening, and more.

My blog talk radio show has taken off. In only two years. I now have advertisers. Like GEICO, Walgreens and Amazon.com. Surprising!

Started my evening at Aqua. Monday the bartenders sing at cocktail time. Always enjoyable. Looked for Chart Room friend David. Not there.

The bartenders sang Where The Boys Are. They meant boys!

The song brought back memories of the early 1960’s spring break movie of the same name. Dolores Hart one of the stars. A young beauty. She made ten films. Starred as leading lady in each one. With male stars such as Elvis Presley, Stephen Boyd, Montgomery Cliff, George Hamilton and Robert Wagner.

Then at age 24 left the movie business. Entered a nunnery. Still there all these years later. Now, the abbess of her order.

Got into a discussion about Sal Rapisardi and his parents with one of the bartenders. Sal and his family were successful business people when I first came to Key West. I bought the parents’ home.

Sal was a graduate engineer from RPI. Smart. Never worked as an engineer. Motels, bars, night clubs became his specialty Especially those appealing to the gay community. At one time, he and his family owned Atlantic Shores and La Te Da.

Sal opened Diva’s on Duval. Diva’s was the predecessor of Aqua. It all started with Sal.

Sal now lives in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Lisa dated Sal for a while. I told her to marry him. He was a nice guy, rich and straight. A winning combination. Especially in Key West.

My suggestion fell on deaf ears.

Duffy’s for dinner. I am turned on to Duffy’s prime rib.

Jennifer hosting. Jana managing. Kari waiting. Mark bartending.

Mark is Mark Yeoman. Learned that several years ago he tried his hand at painting. A success! His work sold successfully at Joy Galleries. In the four figures. He showed me photos of some of his works. Magnificent!

On the way home, stopped for a nightcap at Don’s Place. Boomer bartending. Duffy’s Kari and Boomer have lived together for years. Both nice people.

Syracuse University announced the Carrier Dome is getting a new roof. Cost, $105 million. Another $100 million for overall improvements. At the same time, major improvements would be done to Archibald Gymnasium. Cost, $50 million.

Impressive numbers.

Joining the ACC has to be the reason. The move from the Big East to the ACC was done for economic reasons. Apparently working out as intended.

George Washington. No one will argue he was not a smart man.

The British were taxing the colonists several years prior to the Revolution. On this day in 1769, Washington argued the impropriety of taxation without representation. The tyranny part would come several years later.

Today, we have taxation with representation. I see no difference between 1769 and today.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving one and all! May God’s blessings fall upon each of you.

Love thanksgiving! Love the meal! Love the family time!

Last year, I was dieting. Did not partake of much that covered the table. This year, not dieting. I plan on pigging out.

What I am about to share will blow your mind.

The Pilgrims and Indians did get together for three days in 1621. Did they dine or fight? Historians not sure.

What is sure is that following the first years of Plymouth settlement, the settlers and Indians were at each other’s throats. More the settlers than the Indians. They did not get along. Money initially the problem. Who owned the land? The settlers thought it was theirs. The Indians disagreed.

Massacres became common place. The settlers massacring the Indians. In large numbers. In 1637 near Groton, Connecticut, the settlers massacred 700 Pequot tribe members. Men, women and children. In one morning. Clubbed and shot them to death. Few Pequots escaped.

As a side note, the Pequot tribe today owns Foxland Casino and Hotel in Connecticut. Larger than the Pentagon, the facility generates from gambling alone billions a year.

Settlers/colonists continued raiding Indian villages and killing the occupants for well over a hundred years. Slavery was in vogue. Women and children over 14 were herded into slave boats carrying 500 and transported to the West Indies where they were sold.

At one time, Indians were captured and beheaded. Shades of ISIS. Our predecessors did it! In a Stamford massacre, the heads were kicked up and down streets as if soccer balls.

In 1779, George Washington as head of the Colonial forces ordered a General Sullivan to eradicate the Iroquois Nation. The Iroquois had supported the British. They were a thorn in Washington’s side. Eradicate meant kill. Thousands were. The Colonial troops scalped the dead bodies. The scalps were later sold for profit.

Following every Indian massacre, the settlers/colonists would party. The party was one of Thanksgiving because they had won. Such Thanksgivings were common  place.

When Washington became President, he thought there were too many Thanksgivings. Such did not reflect well on the new country. Ergo, Washington declared there would be one Thanksgiving Day a year. The excuse given was to celebrate the new Constitution. In reality, to cut back dramatically on the number of Thanksgivings being celebrated because of the Indian genocide.

Syracuse playing basketball in the Bahamas tournament. Beat Charlotte yesterday 83-70. Syracuse looked good most of the game. They faltered on occasion in the second half which made the game closer than it actuality was.

Today, Syracuse plays Connecticut. A former Big East opponent. Syracuse’s first test of the new season. Game at 3:30 this afternoon on ESPN.

Key West pisses money away. The City Commission authorizes all kinds of mucho expensive studies and generally pays more than expected for everything they do.

This morning’s Key West Citizen reports the City will be spending $754,000 on furniture. New furniture for the new City Hall. A disgrace! A waste! None of the old furniture to be used, Regardless of condition. The $754,000 figure excessive. The sellers have to be making big commissions and profit.

When will the City Commission begin spending taxpayer dollars as if such were their own money?

Eat much! Enjoy the day!