HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERNEST HEMINGWAY

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July 21, 1899. Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois. A great day for literature, a great day for Key West.

Hemingway is part and parcel of the fabric of Key West. Visible in many ways 365 days a year. At the moment, Hemingway Days. Today, the famous Running With The Bulls. Get down to Sloppy Joe’s around one. Watch the Hemingway Look a Likes assemble and then run with the bulls.

Dinner last night at Donna and Terri’s. Good drink, fantastic meal and their special company as always.

I learned last night I too have to adjust to Terri’s blindness. There are occasions where two persons can communicate merely by looking at each other. Realized I cannot do it any longer with Terri. She can’t see me. I must speak to engage her.

How awful it must be for Terri.

Terri is not permitting the problem to keep her down. She sings tonight at Blue Heaven. From 6:30-9:30. Jean Thornton and I are having dinner tonight at Blue Heaven. Specifically to enjoy Terri.

The present Key West Cemetery has been in existence since 1847. Many of the graves are unmarked. The Cemetery is attempting to identify the occupant of each grave. A tedious almost impossible function.

When identification is complete, the Cemetery will establish a search engine on the City’s website.

Give a helping hand to the Cemetery. If you know someone who is buried in an unmarked grave, contact the Cemetery and let them know.

The Key West Citizen’s weather person continues to amuse me. Today, partly sunny and mild. Described as “…..nice day to hit the beach.” Tomorrow’s verbiage the winner. Partly cloudy and humid. Described as “…..think Saturday with a little sweat.”

Two quotes have caught my attention.

A Mark Twain one in the Comment section to this blog: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”

The other, I cannot recall where I came upon it. Wrote it down to share with you, however: “The House and Senate are ostriches burying their heads in the sand.”

Both quotes related to Trump in some fashion.

I did my Key West Lou Live show on Facebook earlier this morning. Titled: God Is A Republican?” Religion and politics. The harm religion can cause when involved with government. The Evangelical influence today.

Take a look. You might enjoy. You also might not agree with me.

Rome burned this month in 64 AD. Much of Rome destroyed. Nero rebuilt it.

Some claim Nero started the fire because he wanted a new and more modern Rome. Most historians disagree. Though Nero did want a new modern Rome.

A false story also exists that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. He did not. The fiddle had not yet been invented in 64 AD. Nero was 35 miles away at the time of the fire.

Nero did use the fire to his advantage, however. He disliked Christians. Considered them a danger. He used the fire as an excuse to arrest, torture and execute hundreds of Christians. Most were fed to the lions or burned to death.

Nero used as an excuse that the Christians had caused the fire.

BOB still tired. Working, however. Fantasy Fest next.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

IRAN AND AMERICAN INDIANS HAVE MUCH IN COMMON

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Trump got his way yesterday. He withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear agreement with Iran. Chaos will result. Problems arise. Hopefully Iran and the remaining nations to the anti-nuclear pact can keep things on the straight and narrow.

Iran and the American Indians have much in common. The U.S. could not maintain agreements with either. Deals were made to be broken. Agreements kept only as long as it served the U.S.’s interest.

Honor becomes meaningless under the circumstances. A nation’s word, a person’s word, has to have meaning….. You can stand by me, I keep my word.

Trump’s walking away from the deal could also be part of a march to war with Iran. Some Republican Congressmen favor it. Saudi Arabia and Israel definitely. Both nations have sucked up to Trump big time since he became President.

I was beginning to feel sorry for Michael Cohen. Did I make a mistake! He is not merely the poor lackey of Donald Trump. Not when he is sitting on $4.4 million plus.

The question now is did he get to keep most of it? Or did it move into other hands?

Religion and government are like oil and water. They do not mix. The recent House/Speaker Ryan situation with House Chaplain Father Conroy a perfect example.

Washington Post opinion writer E. J. Dionne, Jr. wrote on May 5 concerning the event. Dionne commented, “The House Republican leadership was more inclined to push out a chaplain than to impose accountability on a President who is a proven liar and trashes the rule of law for his own selfish purposes day after day.”

Jennifer Rubin wrote in an opinion on December 15, 2017 that the religious right was not doing much for religion. Re evangelicals, she wrote that the group has become a politicized clergy who have made the word evangelical “toxic and divisive.”

American history took a back seat yesterday. A proud historic day forgotten. Buried beneath Trump tripe.

I refer to V-E Day. Yes, yesterday was Victory in Europe. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945.

Such days must be remembered and celebrated. Otherwise, we forget who we are. Or should it be “who we were?”

Poor Venezuela. I have been following Venezuela closely since Maduro became President some five years ago.

The country is economically depressed. Inflation rampant. Paper money worthless. Food worse than scarce. People starving. They ate their pets long ago.

Maduro survives because he has the army and Venezuela’s congress behind him. All on the take. All benefiting while babies do not have milk.

Things have become so desperate that bartering has replaced currency. Things are swapped.

A haircut costs 5 bananas and 2 eggs. A cab ride a carton of cigarettes. A restaurant meal several packages of paper napkins. A spot in a parking lot a freshly baked baguette.

Medicine for humans hard to come by. Many are being treated with dog medicine.

Diapers are equivalent to a bar of gold. Pirates bring them in from Trinidad to trade.

While such is occurring, Venezuela continues to have the largest oil reserves in the world. Somehow Maduro has never been able to make the oil work to the benefit of his people.

Last night, my podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

It was a fast moving half hour. From V-E Day to Iran and Stormy Daniels.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

DUELING BARTENDERS THE BEST LAST NIGHT

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NO BLOG TOMORROW. I have an early morning physical scheduled.

Some evenings are better than others. Last night was the case. Dueling Bartenders outstanding. Tom Luna, Rick Dery, and this year’s Fantasy Fest Queen at their best.

Catherine with me. Many friends. Liz back from a Tampa Hospital. Looking better than ever! Josefina with her. Also her friend George who is visiting. A former law school Dean as was Liz. June. Joe Lyles.

Dined at the bar at Antonia’s. Lamb chops. Delicious!

Diet stuck at 20 pounds (my scale). Probably 24 on heart doctor’s. I see my internist for a physical in the morning. He will not believe the loss.

Two biggies tonight.

Syracuse/Wake Forest at 7. The first round of the ACC Tournament. Being played at  Brooklyn’s Barclay Center. Syracuse should win. Has to win tonight and two more games in the tournament to have a shot at a NCAA Tournament bid.

I can watch the game at 7. When finished at 9, I shall hurry to my office to do my 9 o’clock scheduled podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Everything on the agenda for discussion. Join me for a quick moving half hour of what I think about this and that. You may not agree. Guaranteed you will find it interesting, however. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Key West was the home of cigar making for more than 50 years. Nearness to Cuba the reason. Workers immigrating from Cuba to work in Key West cigar factories. Cuban tobacco considered the best in the world easily available from Havana.

Cigar making in Key West hit its zenith in 1890. Over 100 million cigars made.

There is a small cigar park behind the First State Bank Building on Simonton. Properly called Gato Park. E. H. Gato was the owner of one of the largest cigar making operations in Key West.

A cigar has stood in Gato Park for years. It needed repair. Work done. The reconstructed cigar will be unveiled at a ceremony wednesday night beginning at 5 and running to 8. Cigars, rum, and Cuban dancing on the agenda in addition to the unveiling.

The newly restored cigar sculpture is purported to be the world’s largest.

Another party friday evening. This one bigger. Going to be huge. Kate Miano’s campaign kickoff event. Kate is running for Mayor.

Six friday evening at the Gardens. Guaranteed fun.

I have been avoiding this issue. However it is time to comment. Perhaps it will generate discussion and responsive comments.

Religion is dying. No question about it. It has been gradually dying for more than 50 years. Churches, synagogues, etc. closing. Diminishing attendees.

Houses of worship today the home of the elderly. Nostalgic in their beliefs. The young at the other end of the spectrum don’t go to a church of any kind. Some do not believe. Others consider religion not relevant. More and more persons becoming atheists.

Christianity is at its root idolatry. People turn from their idols when it stops raining.

Will the drift from God and religion be cyclical? I don’t know. It should be. Most things are. Perhaps at some point man will rediscover his need for an Almighty.

I close with Three Trump items.

Trump irrationally burst out his tariff program thursday. A nonsensical position born of ignorance.

Many claim a tariff war will cost the U.S. jobs. One example has already surfaced.

Sweden’s Electrolux announced in January it was doing an expansion to its Springfield, Tennessee plant. Adding on 400,000 square feet. Cost $250 million. Work to begin in the Fall.

Following Trump’s erratic tariff announcement thursday, Electrolux announced it was putting the expansion on hold. It will not proceed till it knows the figures the Trump plan will kick out and whether it is financially feasible to proceed. Electrolux believes Trump’s decision will give an economic advantage to foreign manufacturers.

Jobs gone! No construction workers! No new employees working in the added 400,00 square feet.

The way to bring jobs back to America, Mr. President!

Electrolux likes doing business in Tennessee. It has another plant in Anderson which makes Frigidaire Freezers. Electrolux began a $200,000 million expansion of the Anderson plant one year ago. The expansion will continue as the addition is near completion.

Birds of a feather flock together. Netanyahu was in Washington yesterday visiting with Trump. Both are under investigation. We know of Trump’s problems. Netanyahu’s involve corruption, bribery, and fraud.

As Trump leads us down roads that scare me, Netanyahu is no different. He has changed Israel. In most instances, Israel is no longer the victim. It is the perpetrator.

The U.S. will be constructing a new building to serve as the new embassy in Jerusalem. It is a temporary facility. Intended to be replaced some time in the future with one containing all the knobs and fancy features.

The budget for the temporary/new embassy was submitted to Trump. One million dollars. Trump said too much. He shaved it down to $250,000.

I question how safe our embassy persons will be in the $250,000 edifice. Will sufficient safeguards exist? Will all survive an attack?

Penny pinching at the wrong time and in the wrong place.

Enjoy your day!