KEY WEST CHICKEN’S SHADOW

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Someone reported in this morning’s Citizen’s Voice: The Key West chicken saw its shadow yesterday, which means six more weeks of tourists.

Skipped the anti-gravity treadmill yesterday. It competed with a doctor visit. Followed by Walgreens and Publix.

Did my blog talk radio show last night Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Cost of a college education a winner!

Mentioned the attack on college loans was misplaced. The universities themselves should be attacked. High administrative and professorial salaries, new buildings. Chastised the federal government also. The U.S. is averaging $40 billion a year as their piece of the action re college loans. A finder’s fee, a commission. I do not know what it should be called.

I thought I could watch the first half of the Syracuse/Virginia Tech game on TV last night. It was not to be. Not available in Key West at all. Dan Reardon called me a few minutes after 8 asking where the hell was the game! I told him the sad news.

An exciting game missed. Syracuse won 68-60 in overtime. Syracuse loosing by 7 points with 1 1/2 minutes to go. Tied the game and blew Virginia Tech out in the overtime.

A case of legionnaires disease discovered in Key West. A resident. He is now hospitalized in Miami. Health officials in a quandary where he got it. Investigation on going. No further cases reported.

Stepin Fetchit. Spelled correctly. Never heard of him. This morning’s Key West Citizen notes Fetchit was born this day in 1893 in Key West. His real name Stephen Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry.

Fetchit went on to become a comedian and movie star. Big in the 1930s. First African-American to achieve such a height. The first American black actor to become a millionaire.

Thirty five years ago, I was in Rome. With the family and my parents. A memorable one month trip.

My then wife and daughters were shopping on the Via Condotti. The Via Condotti is Rome’s most expensive commercial street. Especially for clothes and other female paraphernalia.

At the time, the dollar was strong. One American dollar was worth 2,200 lire. Legalized thievery whenever you bought something.

My wife said give me $3,000 and I promise you the girls and I will not bother you for clothes for a year. $3,000 turned into lires made a person a semi-millionaire!

While the ladies were shopping, I walked around. I hate shopping.

At one end of the Via Condotti are the Spanish Steps. Next door to the Spanish Steps was a two or three story building. Sign said Keats-Shelly House. I went in. An experience!

John Keats was a respected poet during his time. His time was not long. He died this day in 1821 at the age of 20 or 21. In the bedroom on the top floor. In a room next to his bedroom were a number of artifacts and writings that were his.

I came across a rumpled sheet of paper titled A Thing of Beauty Is A Joy Forever. The lengthy first stanza. Encased in glass.

The poem well known even today. Keats’ most famous work. I had studied the poem in college in a third year English class.

Viewing the hand written poem brought tears to my eyes. I was viewing a document for the ages.

Enjoy your day!

KEY WEST TOP LUXURY MARKET

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Forbes reported that Key West is the top luxury market in the United States. Stated more simply, means Key West hotel rates are the highest in the United States. Hotel rates have increased every month the past 64 months. Record increases! Occupancy rates excellent.

Beware. Lest the hotels kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

The gay community revitalized Key West beginning around 1985. What is today was begun by them. Key West had become a ghost town of sorts after the Navy pulled out in the 1960s. The gays turned things around.

Key West’s gay community has been dwindling. Slowly, but surely. It has become a community of the older generation. Fewer young gays have been vacationing here or making Key West their home.

One reason is the cost of a hotel room and the cost of purchasing a home. Through the ceiling! So the gay community visits or settles now in Miami and Fort Lauderdale where prices are more reasonable.

The big hotels are no longer locally owned. They have been bought up by the huge corporate chains. The chains are profiting. The workers are not. They still worker for meager wages. Many leave. More will as they cannot afford to live in Key West.

We talk of the need for affordable housing. There would not be such a need if workers were paid a living wage.

A work day for me yesterday. Pleasure work. Other than an hour with Sloan, the day into the early evening was spent researching this week’s KONK Life column. I will write it today.

I have not decided on  the title yet. The substance will have to do with the rich financing elections. How big money today controls elections. We live in an era where elected politicians become the feudal serfs of the money class. Which means they no longer represent us.

Yesterday’s blog indicated a photo of Jenna and Dr. Chapman was part of it. No photo. I do not know how to correctly add and center a photo. Sloan does it for me. I forgot to ask her when she was here. Someday it will be entered for no other reason than to have everyone view the lovely Jenna and Key West’s icon Dr. Chapman, the victim of a raw deal.

Love women and their go for it attitude when there is something they support. Breast feeding in this instance.

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. No one has to be told of the health benefits to mother and baby. There was a time when breastfeeding was frowned up by the medical community. My four children were born in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Each time my wife advised doctor and nurses she wanted to breast feed. Each time they brought the new born to her saying…..Oh, we forgot…..the baby has been bottle feed…..you cannot breast feed.

No longer the case.

This month there are a number of Big Latch On events. A descriptive title. Women across the country will gather together in a certain area and all breast feed at the same time. Two such events are already scheduled for the Florida keys. It is hoped the Latch On’s will encourage further breast feedings.

Legionnaires disease back in the news. Sixty five recently reported cases in New York City. Four persons died this weekend already.

Legionnaire’s disease derives somehow from the water droplets in an air conditioning system. The disease is a form of bacterial pneumonia. In New York City, it has been traced to a Bronx hotel and a certain hospital.

Enjoy your Sunday!