HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA!

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Happy birthday Lisa!

It is my baby’s birthday. The last born. A joy in my life.

The crocodile off Smathers Beach bothers me. Actually, scares me. I fear someone is going to be bit or worse. State wildlife authorities apparently do not share my concern.

Crocodiles are an endangered species. State officials should capture the beast and remove it from our waters. Key West Citizen photos show the croc floating along the beach shore.

State officials refer to the crocodile as a juvenile. Only three feet long. Looks a hell of a lot bigger in the pics. State officials tell us adult crocodiles are meat eaters. Juveniles, not. However, we are warned to keep our distance.

We are also told the croc will move on after several days. It has already been here several days!

Arrogance, laziness, and stupidity best describe the action of state officials in this matter.

This is my pick on government morning.

The Congressional subcommittee questioning Cecile Richards yesterday a disgrace. The Republican members. A kangaroo court. Richards the President of Planned Parenthood.

I was ashamed of my government for its conduct.

I am against what planned Parenthood has done re the sale of fetal tissue and body parts. For profit, I suspect. Never the less, Richards was entitled to respect. Not being bullied.

Somewhere along the line Congress has forgotten what governing was meant to be, how to govern.

I spoke concerning the subcommittee’s conduct on my blog talk radio show last night.

Yes, I am on a soap box this morning!

George Will’s turn.

His column regarding Pope Francis is carried in this morning’s Key West Citizen. Disgraceful! He wrote extremely disparagingly about Pope Francis. I have never read anything by him assaulting Putin or Assad in a similar fashion.

Why is the Republican right/conservative element so fearful of this 78 year old man of God? He speaks the truth.

Is it because he speaks for the 99 percent and not the 1 percent?

Trump’s tax plan. If it does not scuttle his candidacy, I don’t know what will.

I have an early airport run shortly. I have happily become the neighborhood taxi service.

Enjoy your day!

CANNOLI

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A sweet start to the morning. Cannoli.

Roostica has become my tuesday evening dining spot. Roostica basically around the corner. I do not like to travel far from home before my blog talk radio show.

I desired a sweet after dinner. Unusual for me. Amanda suggested cannoli. It has been years since I enjoyed cannoli. I decided to go for it!

Absolutely delicious! Shell crisp, filling a soft chocolate. Told Amanda that when I was a little boy, I used to help my mother make cannolis.

Pre-school. Three to 5 at the time. We lived third floor front. I mention the location of the family abode to assis in visualizing. Top floor. Boiling hot in the summer. Roof flat.

We were Italians. My mother born in Italy. My father here of Italian born parents. My mother cooked Italian. What had been brought over from the old country.

My mother made cannolis. I helped her. A big deal for me at the time!

I remember the dough making. I was permitted to roll some. Then the round sticks around which the dough was wrapped. Sort of like a hot dog. A bit shorter and thicker. Technical name for the round wood sticks dowel rods. Solid and cylindrical.

The rods were easy to pull out after the cooked dough had cooled and crisped.

Then came the filling. I was allowed to help filling the shells. Ricotta. Sweetened ricotta. Then to the ice box for cooling. Note, not refrigerator. The ice man came every two days with a large block of ice. When ready to be eaten, the cannolis were sprinkled with confectionery sugar.

Delicious to eat! Great taste!

Cannolis are not Italian by nature. Their ethnicity Arab. The Muslims controlled and administered Sicily from 831 AD to 1072 AD. They brought cannolis to Italy. The Italians took to the dessert and it spread the length of Italy.

The Arabs considered the cannoli a fertility symbol. Perhaps because the cannoli was first made/discovered in a harem in some Arab country.

Amanda is now six months pregnant. She excitedly showed me an ultrasound imaging picture of her son. He is growing. Amanda is growing. No question she is pregnant. Beaming also!

My blog talk radio show last night. My show controversial. Some comment afterwards. Especially those not agreeing with me.

One of the topics last night was Planned Parenthood. Recent videos have revealed that fully intact aborted babies were being sold. Along with fetus tissue and body parts. A fully intact aborted baby has to be 7-9 months.

I took the position on the show that Planned Parenthood was wrong, that the entire situation was SICK!

A loyal blog talk show listener is a mature woman living in Ithaca, NY. She follows me religiously. Reads also my blog and KONK Life columns. As you will read, she definitely disagreed with me.

I quote…..”I’ll tell you what’s sick–you and your ridiculous gullibility as to the Planned Parenthood fraudulent accusations. I’ve turned off konk radio–I can’t take it anymore.”

I have commented previously re Planned Parenthood and the selling of fetus cells and body parts. The reaction by women has been ten fold. A woman I know well in Key West stopped me on the street, looked me directly in the eye, and in an agitated firm tone said…..Stop picking on Planned Parenthood!

The situation was revealed some 2-3 months ago. Planned Parenthood says they have done nothing wrong in selling aborted parts or now the whole of aborted babies nor selling for a fee. The matter is now in the courts, before Congress and certain State legislative bodies.

This year’s Fantasy Fest parade and Halloween fall on the same evening. Certain City Commissioners wanted Halloween moved from October 31 to November 1 to accommodate the parade and purportedly protect the children. A vote was taken last night. It failed. Both will be held the same evening.

I do not see it as a problem. Most kids do not watch the parade. Trick or treating is done in neighborhoods and not on Duval.

I look forward to today. My screw off day after four consecutive days of research and writing.

Enjoy your day!

BEST LOVE STORY EVER

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I give thought to what my lead comment should be each day. Generally a Key West or heavy news item. Today, love.

Today is the birthday of Emily Bronte. Her earth time the first half of the 19th century. She wrote Wuthering Heights. Started the book when she was 27. For me, Wuthering Heights is the greatest love story ever written. Heavy.

Cathy and Heathcliff. A wrenching tale. Lovewise and otherwise.

Wuthering Heights was made into a movie in 1939 starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. Olivier won the Academy Award that year for Best Actor.

Today’s Morning Joe ran a video of New Hampshire voters big on Donald Trump. Interesting. They view Trump as the American man. Their responses reflected their belief that Trump understood their problems and was going to fight for them. He was not the typical politician.

Coud he really get the nomination? Be elected?

A tough day yesterday. Sciatica still bothering me. It had been a week. I decided to try the anti-gravity treadmill. Kept it on low hoping to work out the back pain. No way! I lasted 9 minutes. Had to stop.

Hurried over to Dr. Jackie Lefferts. Need a steroid shot! Got one. Took most of the day to take effect. Did so gradually. Not like the last time when in two hours I was pain free. Ok this morning. Will be on steroid pills a few days. Maybe I could get a professional baseball contract.

The Chart Room first last night. A decent crowd. Mini lobster fishpersons.

Then to Hot Tin Roof for dinner. Tried pork shank for the first time. Oh, so good! I will be ordering it again the next time there.

Suarez should get the death penalty or life in jail. He is the 23 year old Stock Island man who made a back pack nail bomb. His intent was to bury it at night under the sand on a Key West beach. The bomb could be detonated away from where it was buried.

FBI and local authorities were on to him from April. Finally arrested him two days ago when he was prepared to do the dirty deed.

Suarez was arraigned in federal court in Miami yesterday. His lawyer said he was not a “terrorist.” Merely “…..troubled and confused.”

Kill him! He was going to kill and maim people of all ages enjoying our beaches.

Yesterday was day 1 of Lobster Mini Season. I did not see many boats from my deck. Where 10-15 would be sitting, there were no more than two.

The weather was perfect for diving. Water calm. Sun shining.

Nothing better than diving for a few lobsters, running the boat into shallow water, cooking the tails on a grill on the boat soaking them in butter, standing in the shallow water and eating by hand the delicious buttery tails. Knock off a few cans of beer. Then dunk your whole body into the water to clean off.

Ran into Sheila on my way into the Chart Room last night. Why are you picking on Planned Parenthood, she asked. She was referring to my KONK Life column re Planned Parenthood selling fetus cells and baby parts. It was not the place to talk. I was late for a dinner date. I told her we will talk another time.

Before all women dump on me, let it be known I have always been a supporter of Planned Parenthood, believe in a woman’s right to choose, support abortion rights and birth control. However when an organization sells parts of the fetus/baby aborted, it is another story. Illegal to begin. Also I cannot believe a woman who is about to undergo an abortion understands that the body parts will be sold, if the woman is told such at all.

Right turns into wrong under the circumstances.

This week’s KONK Life column is Harry Truman’s Mother In Law. It hit the stands yesterday. This morning it was linked to my Key West Lou website.

Enjoy your day!

TRAINWRECK

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Went to the movies last night. Saw Trainwreck. Thought it was a wreck.

I went to view the movie because of all the hype it has been receiving. A great funny show. Contemporary sex. I was not impressed.

The first third of the movie I had trouble staying awake. The rest of the movie had its funny parts. If contemporary sex is as was represented, I have missed out on a lot. I am sure I have. It is a different world.

LeBron James is in the movie. He has a significant part. Plays himself. He is an actor! No question about it. The man has talent in a second field. The thought occurred during the movie that his performance was worthy of an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

I was right on. This morning’s news reports James signed a major Hollywood contract yesterday.

Trainwreck was the last stop of the evening. Prior to the movie, I enjoyed an early dinner at Tavern ‘n Town. Michael Emerson entertaining. Enjoyed his singing.

Hot Tin Roof’s Joseph came in for dinner. Went over to his table to say hello. I like Joseph.

Across the bar from me were two Key West lovelies I seem to be running into frequently of late. Sisters Mary and Jeneane. Friends from the Pier House. They were with a woman of Asian extraction. A beauty.

My morning began with the anti-gravity treadmill at Body Owners. For whatever reason, knocked me on my ass yesterday. I was dead all afternoon. Spent the afternoon in bed after lunching at Hogfish. I thought food would pep me up. It did not.

I plan of visiting the Farmers Market at lunch time today. The refrigerator is empty. I want to buy a few Farmers Market items before heading over to Publix.

Hemingway Days continue. Hemingway boxed. Enjoyed mixing it up. He encouraged other Key Westers to box. Neighborhood boxing matches were held at Blue Heaven. Hemingway refereed them.

In addition to fishing, boxing, and writing books, Hemingway wrote poems. As part of Hemingway Days, there will be a reading of his poems tonight at Blue Heaven. The program titled Papa’s Poems. Early. Like 5 o’clock.

Anna reports she had a great meal at Mythos last night. Mythos roasted a baby goat on a spit. Anna says it tasted like lamb. I believe it. Mythos did a goat for me on my last visit to Amorgos.

My KONK Life column re Planned Parenthood and the sale of fetus body parts hit the stands last night. It is available throughout the Keys today. I linked it to my Key West Lou website this morning. keywestlou.com. Read it and believe!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

HAPPY HUMP DAY

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I have been visiting Key West for over 25 years. Bought a home 17 years ago. Been a Florida resident 9 years.

Never heard the term hump day till my Key West days. Thought it meant that wednesday were set aside in the Keys for sex. How nice, I thought. It was only a few years ago when I mentioned the sex thing in this blog that I was made aware it represents the middle day of the week.

I do not recall hump days in upstate New York. I live and learn.

A happy hump day one and all!

Key West weather continues to be outstanding. Warm/humid every day. One problem. Insufficient rain for this time of year. July brings summer weather. Rain every day. Not long in duration, however consistent. Every day. No rain every day this July. We could use it. Otherwise, a problem.

I spent some time yesterday morning shopping for baby clothes on Duval. A gift package. Hard to find quality baby clothes in Key West. Several stores. Basically, all selling the same. Guess I will be going to the internet.

Lunched at the Cuban Coffee House. Ran into Bobby. He’s been in Key West longer than me. I first met him 25 years ago when I was visiting. The last time I saw him was five years ago at the Casa Marina for July 4th fireworks.

It was good running into him. He was going to Peter Diamond’s for a haircut. Peter’s barber shop is next to the Cuban Coffee House.

Yesterday afternoon  was spent researching a bit further for last night’s blog talk radio show. Then fine tuning the material.

Reaction to the show was as I expected. Post show comments indicate a furor with the recent revelation that Planned Parenthood has been selling the cells of aborted fetuses and actual body parts of partial born aborted fetuses. My KONK Life column this week is devoted to the abomination.

This week Key West celebrates Hemingway Days. 125 plus Hemingway look alikes in town. Another city is celebrating a similar event, except for Santa Claus. Copenhagen this week is holding its annual World Santa Claus Congress. More than 125 Santa Claus’ in attendance. Their purpose to study Santa Claus problems. This year the issue is too many cookies. The kids leave Santa so many cookies that Santa is gaining weight.

Today’s Hemingway Days events include Meet the Papas at Sloppy Joe’s at 5:30. The Key West Marlin Tournament kicks off. $50,000 in cash prizes. Last night was meet the Hemingway look alikes at Sloppy Joe’s. Key West is into Hemingway days!

There is a company on the internet called Car Decal Geek. Love the name! The company makes vinyl decals and stickers for cars. They have a section depicting Key West. Terrific! It’s all there! Everything!

Car Decal Geek is a Michigan based company. A growing company. Take a look at their website for some great decals.

Enjoy your day!

MAN ON THE MOON…..WOW!

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Today marks a remarkable event in history. The event being the most memorable of my life. Impacted me. Man on the Moon!

On this day in 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon. I was 34 at the time. It was late night. Around midnight. I was excited. A human walking on the moon. The thing science fiction movies were made of. Not reality. Yet, it was about to happen! Live on TV in front of my eyes.

My four children were all under 10 at the time. I woke and got them all out of bed to watch. I wanted to view this moment in history. It meant nothing to them. They were merely amusing their crazy Dad. To this day, when I ask if they recall watching the event on TV, none do.

I am now 80 and nothing has matched or exceeded Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.

Today has a special significance for Key West. Mel Fisher found the mother lode of the Atocha in 1985. Changed his life! His family’s life! Jean Thornton’s life!

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that I had been researching Margaret Sanger for this week’s KONK Life column. As I dug further, it became obvious that the recent story re Planned Parenthood selling aborted fetus baby parts superseded it. Ergo, I wrote Planned Parenthood Sells Aborted Fetus Baby Parts. Margaret Sanger gets a paragraph near the end of the column. The article publishes wednesday in KONK Life.

I was half asleep watching the British Open when the phone rang. It was Dee. Hello, how are you, etc. It was close to dinner time. I asked if she wanted to meet me at Roostica. She said ok. Meet you there in an hour. Dee lives on Cudjoe Key.

A nice dinner. Dee good company most of the time. An intelligent woman, she is interesting to talk with. She has a doctorate in Psychology and teaches at Boston University.

Olga working. My new waitress friend. She gave me a beaming smile and wave as I walked in.

It was work day around the house yesterday. For Keith and Jennifer. Not me. Keith attacked the jungle outside my house. Everything grows swiftly in the heat. The trees, bushes, etc. need to be trimmed 1-2 times a year. Jennifer was cleaning up inside. Anna is in Poland vacationing for two months and Jennifer has been helping out in her absence.

Anna’s story similar to Tammy’s. She is another who has succeeded in achieving the American dream.

Anna and her husband immigrated from Poland many years ago. Today, her husband is the Chef at Cafe Sole, one of Key West’s top restaurants. Anna cleans homes. The job may not sound dignified. The money is. Anna is busy all the time.

They have their own home. They vacation two months with their children every two years in Poland.

I love Anna’s sundays. She refuses to work. She goes to St. Mary’s in the morning and spends the rest of the day at Fort Zachery Taylor Beach.

Hemingway Days begin tomorrow. Will run through sunday. I look forward to having a god time at certain events.

Anna e-mailed me. She is settled in on Amorgos. I envy her!

I have spent much time on Amorgos. Made many friends. I was the only American on Amorgos most of the time. People would stop by to meet me. I was an oddity. They had never met an American.

Anna’s e-mail made me feel good. People were asking where Louis was.

Mythos owns my favorite restaurant on Amorgos. He and his daughter were wondering what happened to me, was I ever going to return. I would spend my afternoons at Mythos’ place sitting outside in the shade writing. Antonio at the restaurant next door wondered when I would be back. He prepared the best smelts! Just like my grandmother made. Elini whose home I stayed at was wondering if I would ever return.

Flora on Amorgos again. Cleaning rooms for the summer. An Albanian school teacher otherwise. I wrote a short story about Flora three years  which I published in my book. The title…..Flora’s Story. A sensitive tale.

The Greeks are taking a beating in the media these days. They are made to look lazy and careless. The island people are neither. They are simple happy folk living life as their forefathers did 100 years ago.

Enjoy your day!