KEY WEST WEATHER FRIGHTFUL

The weather is frightful. Key West experiencing its first cold spell of the season. Sixty degrees last night. Sixty one degrees at the moment. Today projected a high of 65 and low of 59.

I feel sad for the tourists who are here this week. The cold spell will run through thursday. They ae making the best of it. Buying Key West sweat shirts and hanging out at the bars day and night. Still fun!

When I went out last night, my mind was buzzing with Frank Sinatra’s rendition of Let It Snow. The specific line…..The weather outside is frightful.

We who live here have thin blood. The heat does it. Anything under 74 cold! I appreciate it sounds strange. That is the way it is, however.

I turned on the heat 2:30 this morning. First time in the new house.

The fire alarm went off. For 15 minutes. I did not smell smoke so was not concerned. Small particles of soot came flying out the vents.

Turned heat off. Grabbed an extra blanket. Never got back to sleep. Not caused by the noise, cold, etc. Merely woke and could not get back to sleep.

Terrific!

Made me wish I had a body to sleep next to. Body heat  works.

Someone due here in an hour to check the system out.

My only stop last night the Chart Room. Packed. The weather forcing everyone inside. Everyone having a good time. Noise level roaring.

Shaun bartending. Just Returned from a visit home in Minnesota. Minus 10 degrees. Real cold!!!

On the way out, met Jenn and Holly. Jenn stopped me to say she reads the blog. Makes my heart feel good every time I hear it. I believe Jenn lives in Key West and her friend Holly visiting.

Big party tonight! The Sons and Daughters of Italy Christmas party. At the Doubletree. Last year was my first Christmas party with them. One terrific time!

A few Trump observations.

Yesterday, Obama compared Trump’s actions to those of Hitler. Some commenting today on TV were offended. Open your eyes! The man is! He is authoritarian and totalitarian. Democracy rapidly declining. Troubled waters ahead.

Pakistan supposedly our ally. Friend. Till Trump. Keep in mind, Pakistan is a nuclear nation.

Pakistan announced yesterday that its Air Force had been ordered to shoot down U.S. drones. Pakistan claims the drones are violating Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Yes. The real reason however is that Afghanistan sits next door to Pakistan. U.S. air power flies over Pakistan to get to Afghanistan. When the bombs fall, some fall on the Pakistan side of the border. Killing Pakistanis.

In August, Trump publically spoke harshly of Pakistan.

Pakistan has reached a point many other nations have. The United States cannot be relied on.

UN Under-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman returned recently from North Korea. He opined re North Korea: The “world’s most dangerous security issue, and must be resolved fast and diplomatically to avoid war.”

Trump spoke yesterday in Mississippi. The bastion of black love. Trump paid tribute to the “brave men and women of the civil rights movement.”

What a whore!

Demonstrators nearby carrying signs. One read: “No Trump, no hate, no KKK in the USA.”

Keep up the good work, Mr. President!

Modern day pedophilia did not end with the Catholic Church. It keeps rearing its ugly head.

Recently, Alabama’s Moore.

More recently, the Director of Music Publishing for Walt Disney. John Heely. Sixty eight. He has been with Walt Disney since 1981.

Three minors. One for four years.

A religious man. His Twitter bio reads: “Disney concerts and living to glorify God in all things.”

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

VIOLENCE BEGETS VIOLENCE

Dallas last night. St. Anthony and Baton Rouge a few days earlier. Multiple black killings by police officers the past several years.

You know the facts. I want to share a few sayings that from my perspective apply to the Dallas killings: Violence begets violence. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. You hit me, I’m going to hit you back harder. What goes around, comes around.

The problem is now totally out of hand.

One positive: Cell phone cameras.

A couple of items involving Key West notables.

Ernest Hemingway. Beloved Key West resident for ten years. Hemingway was wounded this day in 1918. Severely wounded. He was 18 years old. An ambulance driver with the Red Cross. Stationed on the Italian-Austrian front.

A mortar shell landed nearby. Some were killed, others wounded. Though severely wounded, Hemingway carried one of the other wounded out of danger. Hemingway had no recollection of the event afterwards. The Italian government awarded him a medal for valor.

John Spottswood. A Key West icon. His name will be remembered for all time as one of those who made Key West great.

Spottswood was a four term sheriff and a four term state senator. Also, a big Democrat. He owned at one time the Casa Marina and La Concha hotels.

He fathered four sons. All successful business persons today. All contributors to the Key West scene.

I only know one. Robert Spottswood. And, his wife Elena. Two better people do not exist. First class in every respect.

Interestingly, the Spotswoods today own the Marriott Beachside. One of Key West’s finest hotels. Robert is responsible for the management of the Marriott Beachside.

PT-109 was being filmed in 1962. The story of John Kennedy during World War II. The movie was filmed on Munson Island. Today known as Little Palm Island.

John Spottswood owned Munson Island at the time.

As a side note, Cliff Robertson played Kennedy. Many years later, I was privileged to meet Robertson. He was ancient in appearance. Clear in mind. Dapperly dressed.

He was in Key West to head up an international fund raiser for the Mel Fisher Museum. He was Honorary Chairman.

Oxitec. The British company that wants to test their genetically modified mosquitoes in Key Haven. They found another guinea pig. The Cayman Islands. The testing begins next week.

This does not mean the Key Haven test is dead. Don’t know.

Yesterday morning, it was a haircut with Lori. Her husband’s name is Jamie.

Then a walk. I did it in Home Depot. Air conditioned. The humidity outside too heavy.

My column in KONK Life this week is Who Pays for Booze and Balloons? The financing of national political conventions. It is estimated each convention will cost $100 million this year.

The column hit the stands yesterday. It was linked to my Key West Lou website this morning. www.keywestlou.com. It also was run in this morning’s KONK E-Blast.

Enjoy your day!

365 DAYS TILL NEXT BIRTHDAY

First day of a new year in my life. Number 82. God willing, I will be here at this time next year.

My thanks to all who said Happy Birthday in one fashion or another. This blog has made me friends all over the world. It warmed my heart hearing from you.

Day yesterday a quiet one. Started with lunch at Cuban Coffee Queen. Cuban cheese toast and a large cold Cuban coffee. Nothing better!

Did some quiet reading in the afternoon.

Happy birthday dinner at Lisa’s. A great meal. Terrific cake! White with chocolate frosting. The cake light, the frosting the best. Robert picked out the frosting at Publix. His favorite. A Hershey product. Thick tasty chocolate.

Robert and Ally an extra special gift for me on such an occasion. Imagine, an 81 year old grandfather with grandchildren 12 and 11.

Robert and Ally are into birthdays. Especially, Ally.

It was still early when I left Lisa’s. Went over to the Chart Room. Glad I did. Finally ran into David. I have not seen him in weeks. John bartending.

Then home to bed and an early sleep.

The Congressional committee examining FBI Director James Comey today is wrong. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

Beware my friends. Whether Republican or Democrat, this type oversight is unAmeriican. Dangerous to all.

The system said no charges warranted. That is the end of it. A disgruntled opposition party should not use their review power. I don’t care how much oversight the committee has. In this instance, a step too far. This crap went on in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Onward! The course of police shooting blacks in the U.S. St. Anthony, Minnesota and Baton Rouge, Louisiana this week. Government control of police departments is out of control. The police are becoming misguided vigilantes in blue. The next step if not stopped will be Klu Klux Klanners in blue.

There has been an immigrant problem ongoing the past few days in Minneapolis. In an upscale neighborhood. Million dollar homes. The media relatively quiet re reporting the situation. The biggest Minneapolis newspaper totally silent.

Twenty to 30 Somali immigrants have been harassing the neighborhood. Threatening to kidnap and rape women. One woman was told rape was ok because Sharia law says it is legal. The intruders shouting “Jihad!” Cars driven on sidewalks and lawns. Bottle rockets being shot.

Leaves me speechless. Leaves you speechless also. The unbelievable occurring.

Enjoy your day!