WHO PUSHES THE CART?

Yesterday, a Key West day all day. Rare.

The most important event was taking Terri grocery shopping at Publix. Donna is out of town for a week.

Terri could not take herself. She is not driving any more. Her eye sight is failing.

I volunteered.

I had a concern. How was Terri going to maneuver around the store. The first thing that struck me was whether she could direct the cart.

I asked her: Who pushes the cart?

Her response: I PUSH THE CART!

Sorry I asked.

We shopped. Pleasantly.

Next, she wanted to stop at CVS to pick up a prescription. I did not even bother to go in with her. I was confident she could handle it.

Love Terri!

Terri was the third scheduled event for the day. I started earlier with a haircut with Lori. It takes all of 2 minutes to cut my hair. She never wants to charge me. I give her $20.

Ran into Lori later in the evening. I was having dinner at the bar in Roostica. There was Lori and her husband at the end of the bar. A good looking couple. We chatted a bit.

Stopped at Sandy’s Cafe for a quick lunch after the haircut. Sandy’s and Lori’s are like 5-6 doors apart on White Street.

Then, it was Terri’s turn.

I had one more appointment following Terri. A manicure with Tammy.

Tammy always a pleasant experience. Admire what she and her husband have accomplished developing their business Lee Nails.

Business was slow. The season over.

Last night, a lecture sponsored by KWAHS at the Custom House. A history of Duval Street from its beginnings to 1970. I was disappointed. Insufficient detail.

Always a smart ass or two in the audience. Three or four asked questions whose answers were known to God alone.

I was early for the lecture. Ran into Karen who was early also. We went across the street for a drink.

A pleasant half hour. Karen and I have not talked alone that long in 15 years.

Then to the Chart Room.

Packed! John busy!

I stayed a couple of hours. I was the only local. Unusual.

Met two charming ladies from New Jersey. Their 16th year visiting Key  West. Doing it up big. An ocean front room at the Pier House.

One a hospital comptroller. The other, retired.

I am always interested in how people feel about Trump, did they vote for him, etc. Apparently neither I nor the questions are offensive. People are happy to share their thoughts.

The retired woman a Trump supporter. Voted for him and thinks he is doing a great job. Making up for Obama’s failures. She was also thrilled with her retirement account. The market is up.

My stomach was growling. Time to eat. Stopped at Roostica’s on Stock Island on the way home. Great Italian food at reasonable prices. Seated at the bar next to me was Jim Clark. I have not seen him in a while.

We first met at bocce. I used to hate playing his team. Jim good! He shot first for his team. The polina always long, always down the middle. His ball on top of it. I always followed him. Rarely did I get close.

Jim into into social media, advertising, etc. He publishes Best Key West Restaurant Menus.

The weekly KONK Life publishes an internet paper daily. KONK Life E-Blast.

My column this past week in KONK Life was Black Caesar…..Keys Pirate. It was run this morning on E-Blast. Unusual. I suspect the column was a filler.

Sometimes a piece of news leaves you feeling empty. Following is one that did.

Scott Peterson was a Broward County Deputy Sheriff. He was the deputy on the scene at the Parkland high school shooting three months ago. The only one. He heard the gun shots and ran to them. He never opened the door to enter the school. He remained frozen outside.

Peterson recently retired after 25 years on the job. He is 55 years old. His pension $104,000 a year.

We worry about China and trade wars. Meetings at the moment in Washington between the U.S. and China.

China has been struggling with a declining birth rate over the years. The matter has become of concern to the government. One which limited families generally to one child per couple.

All of a sudden, the U.S. is experiencing a similar problem. The birth rate hit an all time low in 2017. Three million eight hundred thousand. Two percent lower than 2016, the lowest ever recorded in 30 years.

The cause is attributed to economics. Although 2008 is behind us, economic uncertainty remains. Such concern does not bode well for those wishing to have children.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

TRUMP MACHIAVELLIAN

On this day in 1469, the Italian political philosopher and writer Nicolo Machiavelli was born. Friend and foe at different times of Cesare Borgia and the Medici family.

Machiavelli most famous effort is The Prince. The book’s hero an amoral calculating tyrant for whom the end justified the means. A man who believed diabolical expediency was proper activity in the world of politics.

“Machiavellian” has come to be recognized as an action undertaken for gain without regard for right or wrong.

Is Trump Machiavellian? If the shoe fits, he should wear it.

I think it does.

A busy yesterday. Sandy’s Cafe for lunch. Ran some errands. Picked up some groceries at Publix.

In my old age, grocery shopping has become an event. Run into friends, make new ones. I become increasingly knowledgeable regarding the increasing excessive cost for food. Some without sufficient means, cut back on their drugs. Others I am sure, food.

Spent a couple of hours last night at the Chart Room. My place! Good friends!

Last night John, Sheila, David, Holly and Kevin.

Kevin steadily recovering from his terrible scooter accident. Looks better. Extensive plastic surgery was required to his face. His skin smooth like a baby’s skin. His mental acuity better. A lucky man.

Kevin complimented his wife Holly extensively. His strength. How she was there for him all the time. I was happy for him.

In my lifetime, I have found many spouses are not helpful or do not stay around when the other is be felled by some adversity. I recall one wife who told me when her husband was into a long term non recoverable illness that she had not contracted for “this” when she married him. She divorced her husband.

This morning’s Citizens’ Voice contained an interesting comment. Reflecting that things change with time.

There was an era when Key Westers wanted ships wrecked on a reef so they could profit from the ship’s cargo recovery. No mention at that time of reef damage.

Today, the profit in such an occurrence arises out of the damage to the reef, not its cargo.

I mentioned last week in this blog and on my podcast that Rudy Giuliani was over the hill as far as representing Trump was concerned. No insult intended to a once a distinguished professional. However, he had not seen the inside of a court room in 20 years.

I was correct. Look at the mess he made on Fox News last night.

On this day in 1946, Japanese War Crimes Trials began in Tokyo. Twenty eight military and governmental officials.

Tokyo was not the only place where Japanese war criminals were tried. The Japanese had committed heinous crimes through out most of Asia. Outside Japan itself, more than 5,000 were tried and found guilty of war crimes. Nine hundred executed.

The 5,000 needed defense counsel. Many U.S. attorneys heeded the call for assistance. One was Robert Miller.

I was fortunate in later years to have Miller as a Professor in  law school. I studied criminal law and evidence under him.

A sharp guy. Extremely intelligent. Benefited his students even more by tying his lectures occasionally into one of the war crime trials he had defended.

Busy day again. Haircut, lunch and a manicure. Who knows what tonight will bring.

Such a life!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

LAST SUPPER…..MINE

I viewed last night’s dinner as my Last Supper. Till tomorrow night. Today, liquids only.

Tomorrow morning, a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I have had them before. The procedure nothing. Knocked out. The prep today the problem. You who have had the procedure understand. Those who have not, your time will come and you will understand.

I enjoyed lamb chops at Antonia’s. The lovely Nicolle bartending. As I think about it, I was enjoying lamb chops last monday at La Trattoria when it became necessary for Carrie the bartender to Heimlich me.

One of the reasons for the procedures tomorrow.

After Antonia’s, It was Publix. I had to buy various liquids to consume today. No food till tomorrow afternoon.

Prior to dinner, I stopped at Aqua. my usual monday evening haunt. Dueling Bartenders. Tom Luna and Rick Dery great. My friend Liz sitting on the other side of the bar enjoying them also. Liz looked great! A new hairdo.

Due to the fun time I shall be enjoying today and tomorrow, some activities/events have been cancelled. My Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou podcast will not be aired this evening. Nor this blog and my Key West Lou Live video tomorrow morning.

Paraphrasing General Douglas MacArthur, I shall return thursday.

Big Pine is 30 miles up the road. North on US 1. Got killed by Irma. Still recovering. Many yet homeless.

Sunday another disaster befell its residents. A raging wildfire. Still burning yesterday. Thought to be under control, but will not be sure until today runs its course.

Smoke covering the Key.

Local, state and federal forestry personnel battling the flames. Fire crews brought in from all the agencies. Including a helicopter which dropped 500 gallons of water at a time.

As of last night, 100 acres already burned. Strong winds encouraged the fire. Dried vegetation left over from Irma fueled it.

A tough fire to fight. The firefighters would put out one area only to find another had begun elsewhere.

Fortunately, losses limited to one house and one garage. No lives.

William Hackley became a part of our lives 2 years ago. Hackley lived and worked in Key West prior to the Civil War. He kept a diary. The Key West Citizen found portions of it and has been reporting Hackley’s life on a daily basis.

I have read 99 percent of the articles. Hackley is moving. Leaving Key West. He has been packing for a couple of weeks. Somewhere along the way, I must have missed a diary entry. I do not know why he is moving.

While in Key West, Hackley and his family enjoyed the life of the well to do. Hackley an attorney holding various positions.

I did a little digging and came up with Hackley’s life after leaving Key West. Only 10 years. He died during a yellow fever epidemic while living in Memphis in 1867.

Hackley left Key West in 1857. Settled in Joliet, Illinois for 6 years. Ran into financial difficulties. Moved to Memphis, Tennessee.

From 1863-1865, Hackley worked as a special agent for the US Treasury and as a cotton agent. In 1865, he became a special agent of the Treasury Department responsible for gathering cotton which had belonged to the Confederate States in Mississippi.

A yellow fever epidemic of great proportion struck in 1867. Hackley infected. He died in Memphis from yellow fever in 1867.

Trump making noises about immigration again. The “caravan” immigrants from Honduras and Guatemala trying to reach the United States. Most seek asylum. They have the necessary paperwork prepared for presentation to US officials at a border point.

Trump announced in recent days that the “caravan” was reaching the Tijuana crossing into the United States. He ordered the Department of Homeland Security to deny them entry.

Typical of Trump, he made it sound like barbarians were at the gate.

Not so.

The initial group leaving Honduras and Guatemala totaled 1,200. Families, many with children and babies. All walking.

The group reaching Tijuana 50. A handful. With papers.

Trump is going to deny them entry without even a proper review of their papers. Some or all just might qualify for entry.

Trump is a big man physically and a big man in every other respect. A giant. He is beating up little people.

Enjoy your day!

.

 

 

 

GOOGLE NEWS SURPRISED ME

Google News surprised me this morning. Carried my blog from yesterday: How To Find My Podcast Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou.

Front page, right hand side, about 3 inches down.

I then went to Google Local News. There it was again!

Each article carried the blog address: .keywestlou.com.

Understand, yesterday’s blog contained no brilliance. I thought people weren’t finding my podcast. Ergo, dedicated the blog to being a direction finder.

I’ll have to do another information piece some day. Yesterday’s got the blog and podcast more exposure than ever before.

Dentist time yesterday afternoon. Dr. Lindner.

I have implants. Ten years now. Expensive and painful when done. Once a year, I visit Dr. Lindner to check them out. Everything, including x-rays. Took about an hour. All was well.

The Chart Room first last night.

John bartending. We chatted about Don and Chris’ wedding. John and I sat together.

John said Bridget was still in town. She was Ollie’s date at the wedding. Ollie flew her in from Chicago. A charming woman. An excellent dancer.

Kevin and Holly at the bar. Kevin looked much better. Every time I see him, the improvement is visible. Kevin had a bad scooter accident.The fact he spent 24 days in intensive care and had to be operated on several times says it all.

Met Myrtice and Fred. Visiting from St. Simons Island, Georgia. Visit yearly.

I mentioned to Myrtice that she had a strange name. She agreed. Carried with pride, however. It was her mother’s name.

Myrtice is a retired hairdresser.

Fred owns a glass company. Recently celebrated his 40th year in business.

Interesting people. They will be here a few more days. Hope I run into them again.

Then to Mary Ellen’s. I craved a toasted cheese sandwich. Mary Ellen’s the best! Three thick layers of cheese.

On the way home, stopped at Publix to pick up a couple of low carb items.

Two days ago, I was thrilled to announce I had lost 29 pounds. Could not wait to hit 30. Thirty is not to be. This morning the scale indicated I had lost 2 pounds more. Thirty one pounds to date.

The way the diet is working is strange. I have twice gone 2-3 weeks without losing a pound. Then, 3 or 4 pounds in a week.

Whatever way, I will take it.

A change in leadership at the Key West Citizen has taken place. A new acting publisher and one other operational figure. John Kent Cooke, Jr. and Thomas Kent Cooke.

Newspapers in general have had a hard time in recent years. Readers are going to their computers and cell phones for the news.

I suspected the Citizen was in trouble when several months ago the paper went to one edition for saturday and sunday. At the same time, printing was moved to Miami.

Every community, large or small, needs a local daily newspaper. A daily newspaper is the soul of the community. Additionally, a weekly is not timely enough. People want to know what is going on on a daily basis.

I wish the Citizen well.

The #MeToo culture is warranted. About time. However care must be taken in pursuing the men charged. There has to be some sort of due process.

Some women lie. Mistruths are not confined to males alone.

The perfect example to keep in mind is the Duke lacrosse team in 2016. The team had a party. A young black stripper said she was sexually assaulted. All 46 team members were suspended.

The 46 denied the charge. All 46 voluntarily gave DNA samples. No semen from the 46 was found in the lady.

The District Attorney prosecuting the case was running for election. He disregarded the DNA results. The lady involved kept changing her story. The District Attorney failed to advise the Judge of the changes.

The District Attorney indicted 3 of the players.

Something was amiss. The State Bar took over the case. The Attorney General was assigned the prosecution. After proper inquiry, the Attorney General had all charges dismissed. The victim had lied. She had never been assaulted. The District Attorney was disbarred and convicted of criminal contempt for making misleading statements to the Judge.

Forty six lives affected. Three most seriously. Because the “victim” lied and the prosecutor was more interested in being elected than telling the truth.

In the Catholic tradition, today is Holy Thursday.

In my youth (later grammar school and high school years), it was the custom to visit as many Catholic Churches as you could in the community. The Blessed Sacrament was displayed. Generally on a small side altar. The altar was cloaked in white flowers and greenery.

People would stop into a Church, kneel, say a prayer, and then move on to another Church.

The Catholic community came out in mass. Neighbors and friends passing each other on the streets. Sharing a warm hello and Happy Easter!

I assume the Churches still celebrate Holy Thursday as described by me. I wonder however whether people throng to the Churches as they once did.

I doubt it. Religion is dying.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDY BLUME

One of Key West’s most admired and respected persons is world famous author Judy Blume.

Today is Judy’s birthday. Happy birthday!

My daughters knew Judy Blume before me. Well before me. In their formative teen years. Judy wrote young adult novels. For the growing young lady. Issues like menstruation, self esteem, etc. She also wrote children’s books and adult novels.

Her books have sold over 80 million copies world wide and have been translated into 30 languages.

Judy and her husband George Cooper were instrumental with others in bringing Books & Books @ The Studios to Key West.

Judy can be found daily at Books & Books assisting visitors in making book selections.  Stop in today and wish her a Happy Birthday! Stop in any time to say hello.

Sunday means The Gardens. Kate Miano’s fabulous place.

I stopped by last night. Shocked! The most people I have ever seen attending the event. Ninety nine percent snowbirds. They have returned! Love Kate’s sunday party!

On the way home, stopped at Publix. I consistently run out of food frequently. Perhaps I never purchase enough at one time.

The past few days, I have had a desire for capicola. An Italian meat treat! Tasty. Bought a pound last night.

Capicola’s story interesting. More interesting, I made capicola while employed at a meat packing plant while in college.

Let me share my knowledge of capicola with you.

Capicola brought over from Italy. Referred to as capocollo in Italy.

Purchased at the store in its finished form as a fatty pork/ham cold cut surrounded by red pepper. Thinly sliced. The fat gives the meat a unique flavor.

Capicola is made from the pig’s muscle running from the neck to the fourth or fifth rib of the shoulder or neck.

The next few steps in the process not the same. Location alters the processing somewhat.

After cutting, the meat I dealt with was placed in huge jars of brine. Not sure the precise nature of the brine. Some said red or white wine, garlic and herbs. My recollection is that the room where the barrels were stored smelled good!

The brinning room was a large refrigerator. Not freezing. Merely cold. The room very large.

Row after row of the barrels. The barrels huge. Five or six feet tall. At least four feet wide. Made of wood.

The meat was marinated in the brine quite a while. Exact time, I do not recall. When the meat was ready for casing, the barrels were transported into another huge room.

That is where I came into the picture. My job was to stand on a ladder and remove the meat chunks one piece at a time. Did it with a meat hook. Had to be careful to put the hook into the right place on the meat. Otherwise, the meat would appear damaged and I could get fired.

I wore rubber gloves. No thin plastic gloves as we have today. My hands hot inside the gloves. The reason being the cooking ovens were in the same room and immediately next to where I was working.

I took the hooked meat off the hook and rolled it by hand in a large pan containing red pepper. Then I threw the piece on a large table below me. There a dozen or so workers were placing the meat in casings. Hands and small machines required for the operation.

The pepper would get in the gloves. Between the pepper heat and heat from the ovens, the skin began flaking off my hands. I was transferred to another job.

Once cased, the product was placed on huge trees and then sent into the huge ovens to cook. The ovens each the size of a room. After cooking, removed and allowed to hang several days to cool before delivery to stores for sale.

The owners of the meat packing house were good people. Employees were permitted to eat any of the meats produced for lunch. We normally went for the capicola or hot fresh ham warm as it came out of the ovens. A feast!

Syracuse survived yesterday against Wake Forest. Won 78-70. Syracuse has to win almost all of its remaining games to make the NCAA Tournament.

Trump coming out with his infrastructure plan today. $1.5 trillion. He has the ideas, but not the money. I understand he will suggest the federal government put  in 20 percent. The rest to be paid by the States, local governments, and private investment. The last meaning selling or leasing roads and bridges to private corporations.

The Feds do not have the money. However, I believe it has to come primarily from the federal government. It always has. The States and local governments are broke. Where would they get the money?

Private sector participation a no no from my perspective. It would be like using mercenaries to fight our wars, contracting out various federal jobs, and privatized jails.

It does not work. As we are slowly finding out, costly and full of improprieties and wrongdoing.

Trump is looking to private corporations to fund most of the repair/reconstruction work. I have seen how this works in Italy. The roads and bridges are beautiful. No pot holes anywhere. Most roads tolled. Expensive to travel. The toll charges not cheap. As a result, most Italians look for narrow country roads to travel.

Another Trump folly, mistake, not thought out plan, in the making.

Enjoy your day!

LOST REEF ADVENTURES

Yesterday being sunday, I decided to breakfast out. Went to one of my favorite haunts. Harpoon Harry’s. No room at the inn. People standing outside waiting to get in.

Walked one block to the Gulf. Enjoyed breakfast at Turtle Kraals. Sat outside. Excellent view of marina boats.

I have written about Turtle Kraals and the area it is situated several times over the years. At one time, it was the heart of Key West’s thriving turtle industry.

The industry long gone. A few old buildings remain. Turtle Kraals may be one of them. There is a much smaller building about 50 feet away. A one story wood structure. Now a turtle museum operated by the Mel Fisher Museum.

I took a walk after breakfast. Not far. Across the street. To Lost Reef Adventures. Sloan’s partner of many years Nick owns the place.

Lost Reef Adventures is a full service dive shop. Sits plum in the middle of the Historic Seaport. Snorkeling, scuba and a sunset cruise daily. Also, a one day scuba course is available for those interested.

Lost Reef Adventures has been in business for 30 years. Operators and staff safety conscious reliable locals.

Then to Publix. Out of food again. Purchased more diet food. Loss now 18 pounds.

Publix was packed. It was obvious most were last minute shoppers preparing for Super Bowl. Moving fast through the store.

Publix must have anticipated a large demand for already cooked chicken wings. All kinds were packaged and ready for sale.

Yesterday’s Super Bowl can only be described as a great game. Thinking about it, most of them are. The Eagles finally won. 41-33.

The Eagles always a small step behind. Making them that much better. It showed in the final score.

Tom Brady continues to amaze me. Forty yeas old and going strong. Said he will be back next year.

The Eagles quarterback was the team’s back up one till December when the starting quarterback was injured and out for the season. He was a Tom Brady yesterday. Voted MVP.

Good for him!

I mentioned last week or the week before that a political party that runs candidates like Alabama’s Roy Moore is doing a disservice to the country. Every nut will think he is qualified to run.

Several are running. One is Arthur Jones of Illinois. The district he is running in contains a part of Chicago.

He has no opposition. Filing for the Republican primary passed in December.

Jones is openly anti-Semitic, a racist, supporter of the radical left, and a neo-Nazi. He denies the Holocaust. Claims it is an international extortion racket.

Jones will lose. The district is overwhelmingly Democrat. Some day however, these nuts will begin winning. Then more problems for our country.

Crazies believe it is ok to run for office. Trump’s election the reason. He is not the most stable of individuals. His policies lacking. Their belief being if Trump can be elected President, I can be elected to Congress!

God help us!

Speaking of Trump, he did it again! Lied!

Trump claims his State of the Union address drew the highest number of viewers in history. False. The First State of the Union speeches by Obama, Bush 2, and Clinton drew more.

Trump concerns me for a number of reasons. In addition to his frequent misrepresentations. The most recent is his belief that the country needs something to happen to unify it. To me, that means war. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 the best unifiers ever.

In recent days, Trump has also said North Korea needs a “bloody nose.” Do unity and giving North Korea a bloody nose go hand in hand? Is Trump getting ready to bomb North Korea?

Enjoy your day!

 

MY COUNTRY, ‘TIS OF THEE, SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY…..

My Country, ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty…..Let freedom ring!

No more. We’re losing it.

Democracy is being sacrificed on the altar of Donald Trump. Politicians more concerned with expediency rather than correctness.

Yesterday, Napoleon Bonaparte Broward. Today, Stephen R. Mallory.

Mallory of Key West fame. Confederate fame, also. Key West’s famous Mallory Square is named after him. His bronze bust sits in the Key West Memorial Sculpture Garden. One of 39 recognized for having had a major impact on Key West.

He was a United States Senator from Florida 1851-1861. During that time, he was Chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs.

He joined the Confederacy when Florida seceded. He served as Secretary of the Navy for the Confederacy during the entire Civil War. He did an excellent job for the Confederacy.

He fled Richmond at the end of the War, was captured, imprisoned, and charged with treason. After one year, he was paroled by President Andrew Johnson.

Mallory rarely if any time returned to Key West. He settled in Pensacola where he practiced law til his death.

I spoke of the Mallory/Confederacy problem last year when the move to remove statues, proclamations, etc. of Southern supporters arose. I asked: Should Mallory Square be renamed? Should Mallory’s bust be removed from the Garden of honor?

My answer then simple. The same today. Leave well enough alone. Broward, Mallory, and all the rest part of American history. Good, bad or indifferent.

History should neither be altered, destroyed nor removed.

Attended the Key West Craft Show yesterday afternoon. Covered half the length of Whitehead. Everything on exhibit, everything for sale. Great craft!

The Craft Show has been ongoing more than 30 years.

I bought my first Jack Baron painting 20 years ago at the Craft Show. A black Madonna and Child. $3,500. My wife at the time said I was out of my mind.

I still have the painting, as well as many other Baron works. It gives me joy every time I look at it.

Visited with Diana Millikan at cocktail time at her Key West home on Hilton Haven Drive. Her tiny condo sits on a canal.

Diana and I have been working on a book together for ever so long. It seems to be taking forever to complete. We are still at the research stage. The novel intended is a history of Key West prostitution. All the way back to 1660.

Diana just returned from a trip to Haiti to attend the funeral of a friend. She was down with dysentery for three days. She said she drank bottled water. Turned out the water was bottled in Haiti with Haitian waters.

Then to the Chart Room. Shaun bartending. Quiet.

Heard a cruise ship could not dock yesterday. Wind too strong.

Spoke with Tom and Fran Dixson in Buffalo last night. They recently returned from a cruise to Cuba. Leave soon for a 2 week tour of Rome and southern Italy. They are traveling with a Buffalo area seminary. The trip includes an audience with the Pope.

Too much on  my mind sometimes. I thought the Syracuse/Pitt game was tomorrow night. It was saturday night. Missed it. Syracuse won 60-55.

Next game wednesday evening against Georgia Tech at 8. I will not miss it.

Donna called last night. They made it to Tampa. Donna hurting bad. Going to find a Tampa orthopedist today.

Terri’s testing began at 6:30 this morning. I wish her well.

New Orleans has Mardi Gras. Key West, Fantasy Fest.

Beads have been clogging New Orleans’ catch basins for years. To the point, water ain’t moving. A bead removal project underway. Estimated 93,000 pounds of beads (46 tons) to be removed. Sixty four thousand catch basins. Cost: $7 million.

Will Key West ever be so afflicted? Hope not.

We have been complaining about Russian interference in our elections. Putin has turned the tables on us. He is complaining of U.S. meddling in the Russian elections to be held March 18. The pot calling the kettle black.

There is no need for any country to attempt to influence Russian elections. Putin either kills or jails the opposition before the election.

We take automobiles for granted. To drive or ride in. There was a time when autos were new, however.

William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States. He was the first American President to ride in an auto. September 1901 in a Stanley Steamer.

Enjoy your day!

 

TONIGHT…..ANDREAS FRANKE

A special exhibit tonight. At Seven Artists Gallery on Simonton. Vienna artist Andreas Franke. A passionate diver. His preference underwater art.

Seven Artists’ jewelry designer Jennifer Badry responsible for Franke’s exhibition.

Show time 5:30-8:30.

I am familiar with Franke’s work. Outstanding! Worth seeing.

Busy day yesterday.

Started with lunch at Harpoon Harry’s with Guy de Boer. KONK Life and KONK E-Blast publisher.

Guy an old friend. Responsible for my writings, etc. Got me started 12 years ago with a KONK Life column and Internet talk show.

Guy is helping promote Irma and Me. In the very near future, Louis  will be featured in a front full page picture advising the publication of Irma and Me, together with a short article inside. Guy did a similar scenario in 2014 when I wrote my first book The World Upside Down.

A good friend.

After lunch, Guy took me to a back yard to see the boat he is repairing. Actually, rebuilding. A 36 foot power boat. The vessel a victim of Irma. Another boat was thrown into one side. The other side slammed into a dock. The boat a mess.

Guy fears not. He works daily on putting the boat together. Per his explanation of what he was doing, it was obvious he was familiar with the repairs.

He got the boat for nothing following Irma. It was heading for the junk yard. Guy took it off the owner’s hands.

A major job! The boat is a mess.

Spent the afternoon reworking Growing Up Italian. Been working on it 4 years. Four rewrites. My next publication. Hopefully by Easter.

The Chart Room last night.

Key West is normally quiet following New Years till the first of February. Not this year. Key West continues to be packed this week. The season is here!

The Chart Room was body tight. I was lucky to get a seat when I came in. Someone in front of me was leaving.

Old home week. Sheila, David, Steve and Cindy. And Jean and Joe Thornton. My Irma saviors. I spent 12 days at their home in Birmingham escaping Irma.

I was not aware Jean and Joe had returned. Turns out they have been here a week already.

While I was working on Growing Up Italian in the afternoon, a call came in from Jean. I did not answer. I did not want to interrupt my thought wave. They come and go so I have to be careful. Retention difficult in my old age.

I forgot to call Jean back till I was in the Chart Room at 7. Made my apologies. Jean said she and Joe would be with us shortly.

The reason Jean had called was to invite me to dinner. She had cooked one of her specialties. Chili and corn bread. To compensate, she brought a container of chili with her to the Chart Room. My lunch today.

Met a very interesting fellow at the bar. Paul. From London. We spoke for at least an hour. London, the U.S., travel, business, etc. To bad he leaves today. We agreed we hoped to meet again when he returns next year. This was his fourth visit to Key West.

Today, he leaves for Majorca. He and his wife have a vacation home there.

Then a quick stop to Publix. Out of diet food.

I have been at the diet since November 27. Cheated only Christmas eve and Christmas day. I am not losing. Stuck on 10 pounds since mid December. Depressing. I am losing inches. Clothes loser. Wearing clothes I could not get into.

Today going to be another busy one. A pedicure and manicure with Tammy at 1. Dinner tonight with my lesbian wives Donna and Terri. Donna cooking. Pot roast!

A couple of Trump comments.

Fire and Fury seems to be doing a number on him. If only 20 percent true, still devastating.

The book has opened a Pandora’s box. Brought Trump’s mental stability to the fore front. Dangerous for him. I have considered the President a nut since the primaries. He is not equipped to be a President.

It was announced yesterday that Trump had opened east and west coast waters to oil drilling. A disaster in the making. One big spill and environmental ruination for years to a vast portion of ocean.

The oil drilling thing an example of Trump sucking up to and pursuing the interests of big business.

Another Trumpy. Trump told us the huge corporate tax cut would add thousands of jobs. Comcast announced yesterday it let go 500 employees.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

COREY MALCOM…..INDIANA JONES OF KEY WEST

This morning’s Key West Citizen had a front page story that made me proud. Half the page. Huge photo. Title of the article: Corey Malcom…..Indiana Jones of Key West!

My son-in-law!

Indiana Jones fits him.

Corey grew up in the corn fields of Indiana. Today, his home the depths of the Caribbean.

Corey has been chief archaeologist at the Mel Fisher Museum for more than a quarter century. Worked hand in hand with Mel Fisher initially. He is an expert regarding the slave ship Atocha. He is a slave trade expert.

More than merely an expert. He is the only one possessing significant knowledge in the area of Caribbean slave ships. He writes several times a year for National Geographic. Appears on the History Channel.

He is the best husband, father, and son in law. For real.

Animals know. Jake follows Corey everywhere at home. Sleeps next to him during the night.

Last night was Aqua first. Dueling Bartenders time with Tom Luna and Rick Dery. Even Christmas carols last night. All of us joining in.

Jean at the bar. I was surprised. She was supposed to fly home to Birmingham yesterday. Delta through Atlanta. She was rebooked to wednesday.

David! I had not seen David in months. It was good to see him. In one of his rare moods. Singing along with Tom and Rick on most songs.

Liz was there. A few weeks since we have seen each other. Always good to see her. She was with Josefina.

Still dieting. A solid 10 pounds off so far. I am plateaued. Doing Atkins. The diet says ok to drink gin or scotch after two weeks. No carbs. It was three weeks last night. I had a Tanqueray on the rocks. Sipped it half way down over a period of two hours.

Stopped at Publix on the way home. Out of food again. Diet food. Picked up a few items. Atkins is an expensive diet to be on.

Tonight, Syracuse/Buffalo at 7. Syracuse should win. I will be able to watch the game before my 9 o’clock blog talk radio show.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou a fast moving half hour where I cover a multitude of sins. Join me. Interesting, eye opening and challenging. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Impeachment in the air. It was in the air in 1998, also. Clinton was impeached this date in 1998. Basically for his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

I considered attempting to bring Clinton down with Lewinsky at the time a low blow. Even would today. She wasn’t complaining. The Republicans were.

Lewinsky was 22 at the time. Many think younger because she was an intern when the affair started. Later, she worked in the Pentagon.

I felt sorry for Clinton. He was a harasser. Most of his predecessors in the Presidency had been also.

I felt sorry for Lewinsky. Still do. Her life destroyed because of the affair. The relationship involved oral copulation. Never actual intercourse. People remember her as the young lady on her knees. Even so many years later.

Her mother not quite right. Her daughter was in the throes of the investigation/scandal in 1996. Her mother Marcia Kay Vilensky wrote a gossip type book. The Private Life of the Three Tenors. In the book, the mother hinted she had had an affair with Placido Domingo.

Capitalizing on her daughter’s misfortune. The worst!

Reverse pedophilia. That is what I call it. Where the adult is female.

It is not only men who are perpetrators. I wrote a couple of weeks ago about a similar situation.

The most recent involves Andrea Barber. A 29 year old Oregon school teacher. At the time of her arrest, she had reduced her work hours to part time.

Andrea was married.

The school involved a religious one. Pedophilia and religion seem to go hand in hand in recent years.

The affair started in 2016 when the student was 15. They met on a regular basis. Mostly at her home. She even provided her paramour with marijuana.

The school the Logos Christian Academy. In its bio of Andrea, she is described thusly: ” Andrea has always felt called to work with youth and is very excited that God opened the door for her to be part of the Logos team.”

My good friend Larry Smith performs his annual Christmas show friday night at 8 at The Studios of Key West. Holiday Jazz Concert. Always enjoyable. I will be there.

Enjoy your day!

 

CANADIAN NIGHT AT THE CHART ROOM

The Chart Room was packed like New Year’s Eve last night. Everyone!

My biggest following after the U.S. is Canada. Two separate groups last night. Each religious readers of this blog.

First spoke with Dan and Nancy. They approached me. Advised we had talked in the Chart Room several years ago. Nancy reminded me at one time I was interested in the name of the RCA little dog. The Master’s Voice. She had written me it was Nipper.

They live in Canada one hour north of Detroit. Staying at Banyan Court. Yearly visitors to Key West.

I did not initially recall them. Not til her husband advised he had worked for DOW Chemical. Then the meeting came to mind.

Nice people. Glad they said hello.

As soon as Dan and Nancy left, Jackie and Conrad came by. Canadians, also. Accompanied by Jackie’s sister Donna and Jackie’s daughter.

Jackie I remembered as soon as she related our background. We had not met face to face before last night.

Jackie wrote to me the day Irma hit. Twenty years earlier, she had purchased a toe ring in Key West. Wore it religiously for the 20 years. It cracked the day of the hurricane.

She wrote she was having it fixed. Thought there was an omen involved re Key West

Jackie got the  repaired toe ring back the day the County reopened to visitors following Irma. She wrote again she had it back and was wearing it. Intimating the return of the ring and reopening of Key West had something to do with each other.

I wrote about Jackie and the toe ring episodes.

Last night, she was live in Key West. It was a pleasure to meet her! And her family, also.

Jackie reads me every day. Her sister Donna, also. Love them!

Spoke with Conrad. He and Jackie are frequent visitors to Key West. Conrad said his family has been coming since 1993. They own a condominium at the Galleon.

John bartending. Kevin and Sheila at the bar.

The conversation got into Matthew McConaughey. A major star. In Key West for two weeks making a movie to be released next year. The Beach Bum. McConaughey the beach bum, of course. Movie name Moondog. A marijuana addict.

I left the Chart Room too early wednesday night. Kevin walked Duval around 9 hoping to find the star filming an episode which had been scheduled for Duval.

He saw him! As did his daughter Kati. She videoed him and sent the video to Facebook and her Dad. Kevin showed it to me last night.

McConaughey was attired in a dress, white sneaks, and a sail boat captain’s cap. He was pushing a wheelbarrow full of pot in large cellophane bags. He was eluding the police. He was filmed running from Sloppy Joe’s to St. Paul’s Church and back.

Kevin said when the filming/run was over, McConaughey stood in the middle of Duval laughing his head off.

Naval aviators were in the Chart Room, also. In flight gear.

The Navy is involved in a celebration. The 100th year celebration of Key West Naval Aviation. The first flight was in December 1917. A mere 15 years after Kitty Hawk.

There were more at the Pier House.

I went out to the Beach Bar to get something to eat. Lovely Meri bartending. The Beach Bar can be lonely at night. Not last night. NORMAL had a party earlier. Many were still hanging out at the bar.

NORMAL is short for the National Organization For The Reform of Marijuana Laws. Partying they were. Imbibing. One of the members playing his guitar and singing marijuana ditties.

My day was a bit busy.

Saw my eye doctor. My new glasses a disaster. Seeing clearly impossible up close and at a distance.

He checked the glasses out against his prescription. The right eye lens had three errors. Three situations not consistent with the prescription.

No wonder I could not see!

Immediately went to the optician’s. The man I was dealing with was out sick. I talked with his partner. She thought I was trying to hustle them. It was obvious from her questioning of me. I said, hold up! I’m leaving. I will be back monday when your partner is in.

Then to Publix for diet food. It does not last long. I am on Atkins. High protein, low carb. Protein expensive. Spent $60 for three small bags of edibles.

I am on day 11 of the diet. Eight pounds so far.

I hate dieting! Pure deprivation!

A little later, I was sitting with Tammy. My weekly manicure.

Yesterday’s Key West Citizen editorial page contained an interesting phrase referencing the sexual harassment era we suddenly find ourselves in: “Ghost of harassment past.”

Enjoy your day!