GROSS DISAPPOINTMENT

I waited for 60 Minutes all week. Finally, last night. Stormy Daniels being interviewed live. Her attorney had kept us on edge for two weeks. Revelations to be made! Facts exposed!

I would describe her appearance as gross disappointment. Her attorney had promised too much and delivered too little.

As a result, my sense is that Daniels’ California civil suit is not strong. Her attorney is trying to force a settlement before depositions.

On the other hand, there is the question as to whether the $130,000 paid was a political contribution. Could involve a violation of the Election Law.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Never fails.

Saturday’s March For Our Lives an outstanding success. I thought it difficult for the NRA and gun supporters to counter. I should have known better. NRA supporters came out with a retort yesterday: “Saturday’s student-led March For Our Lives event was nothing more than a globalist-funded communist campaign in which the marchers themselves partook in trampling not only their own constitutional rights but the constitutional rights of their fellow countrymen in an outright push to further ban, suppress, and limit the Second Amendment…..”

Communist supported…..trampling on constitutional rights…..globalist funded.  Strong language. The Titanic going down and its short wave radio not working.

Some of the high schoolers will vote this year. Many more in 2020. All thereafter. The end of the NRA’s influence. Amazing! Brought down by a bunch of kids!

Everyone knows the students were assisted organizationally and with funding. What we saw saturday not possible without both. Why the NRA would complain, I do not understand. They have been taking in mega bucks for years from gun manufacturers and using it to dupe the American public.

Financial supporters of the March included George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Lyft, Women’s March Organizers, and Gabby Gifford’s Courage to Fight Gun Violence. There was a benefit concert Every Town for Gun Safety. A GoFund Me account raised $3.5 million.

Final Four next. Loyola-Chicago, Kansas, Michigan and Villanova. Big time! Exciting!

I was fortunate to attend four Final Fours. Three when Syracuse played, one just for the pleasure of it. Each an experience, each fun.

In March 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald published his first novel. This Side of Paradise.

He and his wife ran off to Paris thereafter. Fitzgerald became close friends with Ernest Hemingway. They drank their way through the bars of Paris. Still worked, however. While in Paris, Fitzgerald finished The Great Gatsby.

Something I never knew. Fitzgerald was named after his ancestor Francis Scott Key who wrote The Star Spangled Banner.

March 1953 a significant time also. I was a senior in high school. Polio aka infantile paralysis was a dreaded disease. Afflicted many, killed many yearly. Of major concern.

I recall a female high school friend who came down with polio.

She was sent to a special sanatorium high in the Adirondacks for two years till recovered.

Our President at the time Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been struck down with polio in 1921. It left him partially paralyzed the rest of his life.

Fear of the disease came to an end in March 1953 when a Dr. Jonas Salk announced he had discovered a polio/infantile paralysis vaccine. Salk’s vaccine saved thousands from the dreaded disease. To the extent, polio/infantile paralysis is rarely mentioned these days.

Several times over the past few years, I have written and spoke of Afghanistan. Not so much the war itself. Rather the successful and ever growing opium poppy fields which produce heroin. Ninety percent of which ends up on the streets of the U.S.

Rachel Blevins published an article March 25, 2018 concerning the why and where with alls of the problem. She claims the war has made poppy growth possible and imposed on our streets the worst heroin epidemic ever in U.S. history.

It seems the war has contributed to the success of heroin sales. At the time of the 2001 invasion, there were 189,000 heroin users in the U.S. In 2016, the number had increased to 4.5 million.

Heroin deaths are up 533 percent from 2016 alone.

Since 2016, Afghanistan areas under opium poppy cultivation have increased by 63 percent.

Bottom line. The war is protecting and encouraging the poppy growers. When is the last time you heard of a poppy field or poppy growers having been bombed? In a country that has been bombed to hell.

Something is amiss. Money has to be changing hands. In the meantime, we are experiencing the worst opioid epidemic in the history of the U.S.

Dueling Bartenders tonight at Aqua. Love Dueling Bartenders. An opportunity to have a couple of drinks, listen to great music, and sing along when the mood hits me.

Enjoy your day!

RUM CAKE

Last night pleasant. Made new friends and saw old friends at Tavern ‘n Town.

Allen and Mel. Sitting to my right. Live on Cudjoe Key. Interesting backgrounds. Allen retired from the U.S. Navy. Mel the rum cake lady.

Mel owns and operates a business that makes rum cakes. Flavors galore. The Conch Republic Rum Cake Company.

I could tell from Mel’s comments that her rum cakes are popular. I am ashamed to say I never have tried one.

One of the places where sold is the Farmers Market at Bayview Park. Thursdays at noon. I am a frequent visitor. To buy Greek bread and honey. I ignore the other tents. No more. Next thursday, I will be at Farmers Market searching for Mel. I am anxious to taste her rum cakes.

Seated to my left, another great couple. Marybeth and Jose. Visitors from Port Lee, NJ. On second thought, more than visitors. Snowbirds a more apt description.

Marybeth and Jose were married in Key West 15 years ago, Have returned many times since. They were married at the Hemingway House. Recalled the officiate who married them. Linda Mendez.

Marybeth is self-employed. As a retail and marketing consultant. She gave me some tips re further blog exposure. Jose is engaged by a clinical laboratory.

We are having dinner together tomorrow night.

Ran into two old friends. Melissa and Madeline. Hugs and kisses. Melissa is the Executive Director of the Mel Fisher Museum. Madeline the former Executive Director. Both ladies have provided superior leadership to the Museum.

Three weeks ago, my KONK Life column was Afghanistan and America’s Heroin Addiction. I feel like a voice in the wilderness finally heard. One of my complaints was the U.S. government and media’s failure to pay attention to the country’s worst drug addiction problem ever.

Congress finally came out with a bill  to address the problem last week. More than heroin. A multitude of drug problems. It is expected Obama will sign the bill when it reaches him.

The bill as proposed sucks. It does not go far enough. Not even close. Instead of eradicating the problem at its source, it band aids it here at home. The story line the same as our lack of success with the marijuana and cocaine problems over the years.

Ergo, my column this week will involve the failure of the government to properly address the heroin problem. My comments will be right on.

I spent yesterday afternoon completing the research. I will write the column this afternoon. It hits the stands wednesday.

I read an informative yet depressing article in yesterday’s
Wall Street Journal concerning art. My favorite works are by the impressionists and modern artists.

The major auction houses had sales this past week. Paintings by relatively unknown artists drew the biggest bucks. Art lovers gambling for bigger bucks in the future.

There was significantly less interest in impressionistic and modern works. The sales figures in those two areas were described as “…..limp to lackluster.”

Today a big day in grandson Robert’s life. He is 11 years old. Happy birthday Robert! Poppa loves you.

We do the cake and happy birthday singing following dinner tonight.

Enjoy your Sunday!

BACK TO BODY OWNERS

Today, I return to my beloved anti-gravity treadmill. At Body Owners. It has been more than three months since I last worked out on the machine.

First, it was a broken toe. Then, chest pains. I plan on starting slow. I am going to let the machine do half the work.

Sunday yesterday was the same as always. I wrote my KONK column. Took a little longer yesterday. I had research to complete. The title: Afghanistan and America’s Heroin Addiction. The problem overwhelming.

What stands out is most are not discussing America’s heroin addiction. Do you recall any of the primary candidates mentioning it?

The column publishes wednesday.

Dinner last night at Roostica. Spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce as my grandmother made it.

I intended to go to Publix afterwards. Absolutely nothing to eat in the house! I was too lazy. Have to get there sometime today.

Big Key West week ahead! The Key West Songwriters Festival. Twenty first year. Wednesday through sunday. More than 100 participants. Singers and music emanating from every nook and cranny. A music lovers delight!

My Canadian friend Suzan Hebditch leaves this morning. One of the items we discussed over dinner friday night was the immigration issue. Suzan believes the U.S. is screwing up. Disgracefully so. Besides her Canadian friends, she is in constant touch with many Europeans. All think we should be doing our part and taking in more immigrants.

I disagreed. This is an unusual group seeking asylum. I believe taking more than the 10,000 projected for this year would throw our lives and economy into disarray. Not a selfish position from my perspective. We have to be concerned for our own first. God bless Germany who is willing to take in one million more.

Sounds like I am American First. Not so. No way. However, I find nothing wrong with being concerned for me, mine, and my country re this point.

Suzan can be emotional. Strong in disagreement. Did everything but hit me.

On this day in 1933, the Loch Ness monster was sighted. Its first modern day sighting. Is the monster for real?

Enjoy your day!