JIMMY BUFFETT…..JAMAICA MISTAICA

I continue to live and learn.

Chart Room good fun last night.

John mentioned he would be gone for 2 weeks. Vacation. Jamaica.

I am still reading Peter Schweizer’s Secret Empires. Came across a line yesterday that stated Jamaica was corrupt. Time frame maybe 10 years ago. Suggested John beware.

Kevin and Holly were chatting with us. Kevin and John both stated Jamaica was corrupt. As are many of the smaller islands. They then told me the Jimmy Buffett story and his plane having been shot at in Jamaica because the gendarmes thought it belonged to drug smugglers.

First time I was hearing the story.

It was January 16, 1996. Twenty two years ago. Buffett had his own plane. A Grumman HU-16 Albatross flying boat. Buffett named it Hemisphere Dancer.

Buffett has a commercial pilot license. He was flying the plane that day. On board were U2’s Bono, his wife Ali, their 2 children, and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.

Buffett was either landing near Negril or taking off. No formal record of the flight nor landing registered. They had stopped or were stopping to enjoy the “best” jerky chicken in Jamaica.

Jamaican authorities suspecting drug smuggling began shooting. The plane took several hits. Fortunately, no one injured.

Jamaica apologized several weeks later.

Buffett wrote a song about the incident titled Jamaica Mistaica. A stanza: “Come back, come back to Jamaica / Don’t chu know we made a big mistake / We’d be so sad if you told us good-bye / And we promise not to shot you out of the sky.”

More dialogue at the Chart Room.

Kevin and I were at it re the Democrats and Republicans. He a die hard Trump fan. Fortunately, we are friends. Even when our voices raise on high. However, we both think the other does not know what he is talking about.

John said he had a ton of fresh tuna. A customer had given it to him. Cleaned. John had frozen it.

Let’s have a party!

Monday at 4.

Kevin and John asked me to bring along Donna and Terri. Ran into them later at Blue Macaw and they were excited. Except, Donna cannot make it. She will be working. Terri becomes my date.

Enjoyed a drink with Donna and Terri at Blue Macaw. Terri was in a bad way. Extremely sorrowful. Down in the dumps. Donna, likewise.

Terri had starred in Nunsense 1 and 2 with Rue McClanahan. Most of you will remember Rue as Blanche Devereaux on the The Golden Girls. The TV show that ran 1985-1982.

Rue died in 2010. However, a British Company is doing a series about her. Terri was interviewed by a British representative of the company long distance yesterday for 2 hours. About her relationship personally and professionally with Rue.

The interview weighed heavily on both my ladies last night.

Syracuse football back! Play Wagner this afternoon. A small college. Syracuse a 25 point favorite. Hope I can get the game on TV. I subscribe to the college game channels. Unfortunately, they do not carry all of them.

Tonight another dinner party. At Joe and Andrea’s. Donna and Terri invited also. Afterwards to Blue Macaw where Terri will be singing with Larry Baeder.

Hurricane Florence. She’s coming! So say the weather people. Still far off. If it hits landfall in the U.S., it will be sometime mid week.

Florence has diminished in strength from a category 4 to a tropical storm. Professionals say it was expected. However at some point, Florence will increase in intensity and return to hurricane status.

Landfall somewhere along the North American shore. Governor Cooper of North Carolina has already declared a state of emergency. He’s not screwing around.

Florence may decide not to make land. The alternative is a hard right turn into the Atlantic. Too soon to tell.

I watched Obama’s speech yesterday afternoon. Simply stated…..Vote! God helps those who help themselves.

A step back in history. On this day in 1974, President Ford pardoned Richard Nixon. Ford claimed his motivation was to end the national divisions created by the Watergate scandal. The Nation had to be reunited.

Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed or participated in while in office.

I agreed with Ford then. I continue to agree with him.

Unfortunately, not everyone felt as I did. Many harbored ill will towards Ford because of the pardon. It cost him the election when he ran.

Enjoy your day!

 

KEY WEST BEWARE…..GILLEAN AND ROZALYN IN TOWN

Met them last night! Two lovelies from Virginia Beach! Gillean and Rozalyn!

At the Blue Macaw.

Lovely fails to describe them sufficiently. Beautiful! Early 30’s. Arrived yesterday. Staying till tuesday. Guarantee they will leave their imprint on Key West.

Gillean in marketing. Rozalyn a nurse.

They already had a list of must do/see things. Garden of Eden at the top of the list. Gillean can’t wait to go topless. Excited.

Both experienced divers. Plan on exploring the reef.

I suggested several places to play, eat and drink. Rozalyn put them all into her cell phone.

I suspect I will run into them. The Garden of Eden the best spot. However, I have not been on the roof in years. My heart no longer can handle the three flights of steep stairs. If I could make it, my heart probably would not be able to handle what I would see up there.

Hopefully we will see each other again sunday morning at the Hard Rock Cafe brunch. Terri and Larry Baeder will be singing. Guaranteed monday at Dueling Bartenders.

Started my yesterday at Sandy’s Cafe for lunch. Then to Publix. I really needed groceries!

Some reading in the afternoon. Still going through Madeleine Albright’s Fascism. I highly recommend it. She traces modern day authoritarian figures beginning with Mussolini and Hitler. Leads up to Trump.

The Chart Room first last night. John bartending. One of Key West’s great personalities.

Met 2 guys. One from Scranton. The other originally from Albany, his wife Rochester. My home town Utica in the middle.

They were headed over to Michael’s for dinner.

Met Dion. Another lovely. An evening for lovely women!

Dion from Jamaica. I have visited twice. Many years ago. We talked about then and now. Interesting.

A tragedy yesterday. Of monumental proportions. Donna and Terri had Bear neutered. His testicles snipped. Horrendous! The mere thought bothers me.

Bear not a happy camper last night.

David Wolkowsky keeps popping up the past couple of weeks. My friend will be 99 saturday. A small party of 25 planned. I am invited. Can’t wait. An intimate event as only David can arrange.

David is Mr. Key West. If not for him, the Key West of today would not exist.

David bought a key 10 miles off Key West in 1974. Ballast Key. He constructed a magnificent home. All the amenities, although 10 miles off shore.

In his earlier days, he entertained big time at Ballast Key. World and national figures including British Prime Minister Edward Heath and Leonard Bernstein. His forever friend Jimmy Buffett a frequent guest.

David’s menu always the same. Champagne, hot dogs and chips.

A move is underway to rename Ballast Key to David Wolkowsky Key. This past week, the Monroe County Commission approved the change. Next, the approval of the federal government is required. The U.S. Board of Geographic Names. If they approve, the change will take take effect 5 years following David’s death.

Things never get better in Venezuela. Yet Maduro survives. Amazing.

The economy is in the shit house. Has been for several years. People do not have enough food. Several years ago, they ate their pets and zoo animals. People have trained themselves to eat every other day. Even babies.

Desperate times bring on desperate deeds. Many Venezuelans have turned to piracy. Old time piracy. Blackbeard’s type. Venezuelan pirates are rampaging the Caribbean in the vicinity of Trinidad and Tobago. Attacking yachts and fishing vessels.

Criminal chaos unleashed.

One victim who survived a pirate attack reported his group were doused with hot oil, hacked with machetes, and thrown overboard. Following which their boat was taken.

Manafort’s trial goes to the jury today. He spent a lot of money on items associated with the good life. Ten thousand dollar custom made suits an example.

Manafort has been sitting during the trial dressed to the nines, except he wears no socks. Turns out as a prisoner he can only wear government issued white socks. He is in court wearing magnificent suits and shoes. No socks! White socks do not go with his attire. He would rather go without.

The U.S. does not belong in Syria. Never the less, we are there. As is Russia and several other nations. All want a piece of the pie, ultimate control, etc. Russia and the U.S. till recently on opposite  sides. Trump however has us moving closer to being in bed with Russia.

Putin believes Russia will be involved with Syria for the long term. Hopefully forever. He is pulling a Hitler trick to assure such. He is after the Syrian youth.

Beginning this year, Syrian children will be permitted to attend Russian military academies in Russia. The first group begins September 1. The Syrians permitted to attend are the children of Syrian war heroes. Those who died in the long bloody Syrian conflict.

The intention is to develop the children into the military elite of the Syrian Arab Republic. Within 15 years, a sufficient number will have made it through the program and will control the Syrian military.

All Russian brain washed.

The program has been approved by a Russian governmental decree. Means Putin approved. It is referred to as “adaptation training.”

Hitler did something similar with the Hitler Youth. Hitler’s attitude then and Putin’s now: Get them while their young!

Enjoy your day!

 

HUGGING ROBOTS

Robots are taking over the world. With a shocking quickness. Silently, however. Sneaking up on us.

Robots are working assembly lines, in warehouses, cleaning homes, even making love.

Now comes the hugging robot. Five years in development. The goal to design robots to give hugs humans will love.

Makes sense. People love to give and receive hugs.

Success almost here. Hugging robots being fine tuned at this stage.

Yesterday busy. Especially during the day. Many errands to run.

Squeezed in lunch at Sandy’s Cafe.

Last night, the Chart Room.

Packed. Surprising. Key West is into off season.

Jean Thornton’s birthday was being celebrated. Many celebrating with her.

Barb, whoever you are, where were you? You wrote and asked to meet me and if I would sign your copy of Irma and Me. I replied ok. Chart Room wednesday at 6. I was there. Apparently you were not. I asked several women if they were Barb. No Barbs. Bartender John was asked to look out for you also.

What happened?

On the way home, remembered I had not eaten. Stopped at Five Guys. Two cheeseburgers lettuce wrapped. No fries. A diet meal.

Another doctor visit this afternoon. Part of getting ready for my Cleveland Clinic visit. Following the doctor visit, I will be stopping by Liz’s for a drink and some interesting conversation.

My KONK Life column a couple of weeks ago concerned Black Caesar the Keys Pirate. Today Port Royal, a Caribbean pirate haven.

Port Royal was a small island off Jamaica. Six thousand five hundred residents. All one way or another involved with piracy.

The island headquarters not only for piracy, but also smuggling and debauchery. It has been described as the “most wicked and sinful city in the world…..one of the lewdest in the Christian world.” In other words, a fun place.

On this day in 1692, 3 powerful quakes hit Port Royal. A large tsunami, also. At one point, half the island was under 40 feet of water.

Port Royal’s population 6,500. Three thousand died that day. Thousands more in the days following the quakes.

Port Royal could not be rebuilt. People thought it was built on coral like Key West. Turned out not to be. Strictly dirt. The mud remaining prohibited rebuilding.

Undaunted, the pirates moved operations to Jamaica itself. Built a new city. Called it Kingston. Today, Jamaica’s largest city.

Trump is a historian of note. Written with tongue in cheek, of course.

Yesterday, he did it again. While he and Trudeau were having a heated telephone conference re the tariff issue, Trudeau asked how Canada could be a security threat to the United States. Trump’s reply was to the effect that Canada had burned down the White House.

Canada did not put the White House to the torch. It was the British. During the War of 1812. At a time when Canada was not even a nation. It did not become one till 1867. During the War of 1812, it was a British colony.

A year earlier, the U.S. had invaded Canada and burned down York. York today Toronto. The British were burning down the White House in retaliation for the Americans having burned the British colony of York.

The interesting and generally unmentioned story of the White House and its burning involves Dolley Madison. Dolley was the wife of then President James Madison. The White House had been evacuated. Dolley remained with a handful of workers.

Her concern was the portrait of George Washington. She did not want it to fall into the hands of the British.

The painting was screwed into the wall. The screws would not come out. Dolley ordered the frame broken and the canvas removed.

It was only then that she swiftly departed to avoid capture.

When word got out of her courage and the saving of Washington’s painting, Dolley became a national heroine.

A hundred years later, some historians claimed Dolley was not the person who saved the painting. She had long fled. It was some house slaves led by a Frenchman overseer type.

The Dolley Madison heroine story is considered more reputable.

Before I receive a ton of e-mails, Dolley is spelled correctly. The “e” is part of her name.

I sometimes wonder what Trump studied in college. It is obvious he did not read history books.

Enjoy your day!

 

JUDY WOOD…..HEART ATTACK

One of Key West’s nicest persons is Judy Wood. Always a smile and a cheery hello. Judy is one of the bartenders at Tavern ‘n Town.

Last week, Judy had a heart attack. In Winn-Dixie. She is presently in intensive care at the Lower Keys Medical Center.

A prayer is in order.

A tough lady, lets hope she makes it.

Last night was Tavern ‘n Town for me. Bobby Nesbitt time.

The three ladies at the corner of the bar closest to Bobby Nesbitt. Lizabeth, Mary and Josefina. They  must show up at 3 in the afternoon to get the seats. A brief hello and peck on Liz’s cheek.

I sat at the other end of the bar.

Liz came over later to chat. A lovely lady. A knock out. In a black dress. Sexy. A compliment to her 82 years.

Lori and her husband arrived for dinner. Lori has been doing my hair at least 15 years. I had a full head when we started. Always sweet. Takes care of Lisa and the grandkids, also.

Met Jamis. She was sitting one seat away at the bar. An empty seat between us. Stayed empty the entire two hours we were together.

Not sure if I liked her.

Her background not a problem. She presently lives in Apollo Beach, near Tampa. A retired high  school teacher. In Key West for a second time. Other in 1993. Considers herself a Key West virgin. Three children. One with the Federal Reserve. Another an Army major. The third in cyber security.

She turned me off early on when she indicated a dislike for Joe Paterno. Thought he deserved what he got. I have always believed he got screwed.

She got into the conversation at some point that she was a Trumpee. She described herself as such. She sees no danger in a Trump victory.

She said she was waiting for her son. He was upstairs. They were staying at the Beachside. She telephoned him several times. No answer. Must be sleeping, she said. Had a menu. Never ordered. She was waiting for her son. I am not sure if she had more than one drink.

The empty seat bothered me. They are at a premium. If one asked if the seat was taken, she said her son was coming.

The son never appeared nor could she make contact with him.

I question whether a son was ever to appear. I think she wanted an empty seat next to her so she would not be crowded.

Twice I opted to stop talking with her. I found her aggravating. The first time I turned away and went back to reading the newspapers. The second time occurred when I was taking some info for my blog. I forget what she said. Closed my notebook, turned away and said she would not be in the blog. I was not being humorous. She had struck a sensitive cord for whatever.

Her tuned  changed immediately. She obviously wanted to be in the blog. And so she is. Getting more space than entitled. Yet so deserving as she pissed me off. Not easy to do.

Notre Dame walloped Syracuse 50-33. Notre Dame a top team. I was impressed. Everything about the team great. Syracuse had flashes of brilliance. Not enough yet. Not there yet. This season turning out to be a tune up for next year.

Sloan’s picture was in Facebook. With her twin sister. Did not know she had a twin. I was astounded. Could not tell them apart.

Hurricane Matthew not nice. Reached a category 5 yesterday for a brief time. Now back to a category 4. Still heading for Jamaica. Next Haiti. Then Cuba.

A 4 or 5 will do massive destruction. A 5 a total wipeout. Nothing left standing. Key West included. I hope Matthew turns back to sea before hitting the keys.

Immigrants a problem of sorts even in the 1855 days of William Hackley. A local election. Hackley did not vote. The “foreign element is too strong.” Key West had a population of 2,000. Only 200 hundred white. The rest he described as not native born Americans.

The campaign is turning into a sex-along. What about jobs, the economy, Syria, etc.? Even immigration has been forgotten.

Trump’s fault. He apparently relishes in sexual discourse.

On an early morning TV news show today, a video of Trump was shown. Re something he said yesterday. He spoke of Bill Clinton’s misdeeds. Then suggested Hillary had her problems. Suggesting he might have to get into them.

The man is disgusting.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

My bocce team is doing well without me. Tied for first. 11-1.

This week’s Keynoter has an excellent article on lice. The little bugs that end up in children’s hair. Especially during school times. I remember the problem with my kids. Most recently with Robert and Ally a few years ago. Ally especially. Lisa was patient and spent hours combing and picking the bugs out.

There is now in South Florida a chain for lice treatment and removal. Appears successful.

I was impressed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lice under study all the time. We are now into super lice. The super lice are resistant to usual medical/chemical treatment.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

SLOAN IN DUBLIN

Sloan arrived in Dublin. Followed by a night’s sleep, she is now enjoying her first day of sightseeing.

Sea gulls. Many sea gulls where she stayed. Noisy. Sea gulls in Key West, also. Sloan commented she never hears them here.

Dinner last night alone at the bar at Hogfish. Continues to be less than full. It’s September.

Finished Orange Is The New Black yesterday. Enjoyed the book. Different from what I had anticipated. Women’s federal jails not replete with lesbian lovemaking and brutal fights. Rather a place of endless time waiting to complete a sentence. Little help or concern by guards or other security officers.

I read the book six years after its publication. It is also a TV series into its third or fourth year. I have not seen any of the TV shows.

The author did wrong and spent 13 months in jail paying what society viewed as her debt. Had to be awful. The one rewarding factor is the success of the book and TV series. The thirteen months brought her a life time of economic security. A fortunate result.

Hurricane Matthew now a 4. Wow! Deadly! Approaching Jamaica.

My day ahead a perfect one! Syracuse/Notre Dame football at noon. Notre Dame a 9.5 point favorite. Tonight, dinner at Tavern ‘n Town and Bobby Nesbitt. Lizabeth, also. She will be with two lady friends. Lizabeth has been a Bobby Nesbitt follower and friend for years.

Poor William Hackley. He is into his third day of hemorrhoids. He refers to them as piles. So bad today that he could not walk.

I appreciate his pain. Mine were horrible some 40 years ago. Finally required surgery. Wish I had had the surgery months earlier.

Yesterday was the first day of the Ryder Cup. I was not aware. Do not know how I missed it. They are playing in Minnesota.

The US up 5-3 as a result of yesterday’s playing. Not so good. They were ahead 4-0 at the end of the morning rounds. Europe came back big time in the afternoon.

I will be watching parts of the Ryder Cup while watching the Syracuse game.

I was fortunate to see a Ryder Cup 20 plus years ago. In Rochester. All four days. Stayed at a hotel filled with NBC guests. A friend worked for NBC. Used the Oldsmobile tent. A client was an Oldsmobikle dealer.

NBC picked up my hotel tab. I was bundled in with all their guests. NBC also provided bus service to the golf course.

The only way to go! A sponsor hotel and tent.

Disney World opened in 1971. Cost $3.50. Today, one day for 10 year olds and up $105.00.

Today, a big day in baseball history. On this day in 1961, Roger Maris hit his 61st home run. Breaking Babe Ruth’s record which had existed for years.

A required observation. Maris did it, and Ruth before him, without the benefit of steroids or drugs.

Enjoy your day!