AQUA IDOL…..LYNDA FRECHETTE

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The driving force behind Aqua Idol is Lynda Frechette. She and others, the driving force behind the Waterfront Theater.

Aqua Idol is the annual fundraiser to assist the Waterfront Theater. Takes money to keep a theater going. Especially an excellent one!

Aqua Idol is Lynda’s baby! Runs several consecutive tuesdays. The best singers from the lower keys participating to raise money for the Waterfront Theater.

Want an enjoyable evening? Stop at Aqua tonight at 6. The best of the best awaits you.

Stopped at Aqua last night for Dueling Bartenders. No Tom Luna. Understand he is taking three weeks off. Rick Dery holding down the fort with two other vocalists. A typical great evening.

Liz and her lady friends part of the audience. Joined them. Afterwards, Liz and I had dinner at Michael’s. Liz stopped me from ordering desert and coffee. She had it planned for home. Her home. Finished the evening at Liz’s with great carrot cake, ice cream and coffee.

My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Join me for a quick half hour of interesting and challenging topics. Guaranteed you will not be bored. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Picture in this morning’s KONK Life: Sheila Cullen and Howard Livingston. A spectacular duo! The pic taken at the Southernmost Castaways fundraiser last friday night.

Love Eugene Robinson! Pulitzer Prize winner, Associate Editor and columnist for the Washington Post and a regular on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

Robinson and his wife Avis have been vacationing in Key West the past several years. Last year, he spoke behalf of the Key West Friends of the Library. I missed it. He is scheduled to do it again this year.

At the Key West Theater. March 6 at 6. Arrive early. Line long. Doors open at 5:30. Free.

Water an interesting problem in the days of William Hackley. On this date in 1856, Hackley reported he could not bathe. Water foul. He could take a shower bath, however.

Raises the question in my mind as to whether bathing was done with well water. Does not seem possible. Key West is at ocean level. Nothing but ocean water a foot down.

Was the shower bath by accumulated rain water? Or, previously collected well water?

Whatever, I would like to know. If any of you have the facts, share with the rest of us.

Poor Trump. He is being mocked. In Austria. It is carnival season. Costume shops are selling Trump wigs. A popular item. Most shops sold out.

If Nixon had not screwed up with Watergate, he would be considered one of our great Presidents. A key item would have been his trip to China. He arrived in China this date 1972.

Nixon began the process of re-establishing diplomatic relations with China. A major feat!

On this date in 1848, Karl Marx, together with Frederick Engels, published The Communist Manifesto. What would become the Communist bible. the last few sentences of the work saying it all: “The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. they have a world to win. Workers of the world, unite!”

Without Marx, there would not have been a Lenin. In 1917, Vladimir Lenin led the world’s first successful Communist revolution in Russia.

Though no longer the case, by 1950 nearly half the world’s population lived under Marxist governments.

This is the best! Alexander Lukashenko is the long time President of the European nation of Belarus. He is reputed to be Europe’s last dictator. A thug, he steals elections, sends opposition politicians to forced labor camps. He even arrested  a one armed man for clapping.

Belarus is in recession. Not enough tax dollars coming in. Hundreds of thousands out of work or working little. Lukashenko refers to them as social parasites. They are not paying their fair share to run the government.

So…..He is taxing the unemployed! During a recession!

Anyone who works less than 183 days a year is required to pay $250 in compensation for lost taxes.

Less than 10 percent of those required to pay have paid.

Enjoy your day!

CITIZENS’ VOICE

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The Key West Citizen at page 2 prints the Citizens’ Voice each day. A place where readers can complain about anything and everything.

A comment this morning: “On Big Pine, the Key deer are endangered, but in Key West the locals are far more endangered. Enough!”

My good friend Sheila Cullen is responsible for the column. It is her responsibility to sift through the many comments received and select those she deems worthy of publication. She takes her job seriously.

As Sheila constantly tells me, she tries to select both sides of an issue for print. I smile each time. She sounds fair and balanced like FOX. Fair and balanced she is. FOX she is not.

I did some background digging re the place where the Paris shootings took place. Bataclan. General consensus is ISIS attacked because of France’s participation in Syria. The Times of Israel suggests another reason in addition. Israel/Judaism.

Bataclan was owned for 40 years by a Jewish family. In 2011, a high member of ISIS is reported to have said, “We plan an attack against the Bataclan because its owners are Jews.”

The group playing at the time of the attack were the Eagles of Death Metal. The group played in Tel Aviv’s Barby Club in July.

The family sold Bataclan in September. They now live in Israel.

Merely sharing.

Fine tuned my blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou for broadcast last night. I threw in the Bataclan story just shared. I also shared some portions of this week’s KONK Life column Sex Tales of Old. Post show comments indicate the Betsy Ross and Ben Franklin stories the most popular.

KONK Life hits the news stands today. Read my column Sex Tales of Old. A change of pace article. I had to get away from the heavy stuff.

The Comment section of WordPress was buried yesterday with multiple Chinese I don’t know what. Could not translate, so do not know what was said. Turned out to be spam. Sloan cleaned the section up and hopefully we will not be bothered by the problem again.

My evening was busy. Syracuse/St.Bonaventure basketball 7-9. Tuesday Talk at 9. I caught all but the last minute of the game.

Syracuse won 79-66.

I was not impressed with Syracuse the first three quarters. I had bad vibes. A poor basketball season? Syracuse then turned it around with 15 minutes to go. Went on a 34-14 run.

Recognition must be given St. Bonaventure. An excellent team. Especially good for a small school. I was impressed.

Love that Syracuse is now in the ACC. I no longer have to run around town finding a place with a TV carrying the Syracuse game. Every Syracuse football and basketball game thus far have been televised and were available to me in Key West. I watch the games from home and couch.

The Havana Thunder Challenge is having a hard time getting off this week. Winds too strong and waves too high. Three boats left yesterday and made it to Havana. Three more plan on leaving thursday. Nine have withdrawn from the event.

That I am not a fan of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been obvious. I was unaware till this morning the group was active back in 1966. At that time, the Bishops eliminated the rule against eating meat on friday.

You have no idea the fear imposed on me by the no friday meat rule. I was 7, 8, 9 years old while the rule was in force. Occasionally, I would cheat and have a slice of bologna or something on friday. On saturday, I would stand in line waiting to go to confession scared as hell. In Church! I was afraid of what the priest was going to say to me because of my sin.

My wrongdoing generally ended up in three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.

Point. The meat thing was a man made rule and could be changed. Much of what the Pope wants to correct/change today involve man made rules. The U.S. Conference of Bishops hold hard in opposition to the Pope’s position.

Wednesday is screw off day for me. My heavy research and writing days are saturday through tuesday. Wednesday, my first day free from responsibility.

Love wednesdays!

Enjoy your day!

 

SHEILA CULLEN

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Sheila Cullen is part of the Chart Room round table. The place where several of us resolve Key West and world problems several nights a week.

Sheila is on the staff of the Key West Citizen. One of her responsibilities is the Citizens’ Voice column which appears daily on page 2. It is the place where readers can give vent to that which is aggravating them. Some comments are favorable and laudatory, though a rarity.

The comments sent in for Citizens’ Voice publication are numerous. Too many for all to be printed. Sheila’s job is to read all and decide which are to be published. She tries to do a good job. Actually, she does. So many letters and so little space.

One thing Sheila is proud of his her fair and balanced approach. If there are two sides to a story, she endeavors to publish both.

One of the comments this morning was right on…..Politicians are like baby diapers, they need to be changed often and for the same reason.

A perfect choice, Sheila!

This is a Key West Citizen morning. Bottom right hand corner of the comic page carries The World Almanac. Things that occurred this date in time. One of the items involves birthdays of the famous, dead or alive.

This morning Engelbert Humperdinck was listed. His years 1854-1921. Could not be! I know Engelbert Humperdinck. A singer of international fame back in my days. The 1960s and 1970s. Must be a mistake, I thought.

It was not. Turns out the Engelbert Humperdinck listed was for real. He was a famous German composer. Including operas. One of his most famous Hansel and Gretel.

The more recent Engelbert Humperdinck was and still is an English pop singer. His real name and the name he initially performed under was Arnold George Dorsey. His manager said Arnold needed a new name. So he took the original Engelbert Humperdinck’s.

Both men successes. Both big time during their respective eras.

I started my yesterday on the anti-gravity treadmill. The best thing I have done exercise wise in years. I go a bit faster each day.

Then to the Marriott Beachside Beach Bar for lunch and the newspapers. Simon bartending. Originally from Poland, he has resided in Key West 11 years.

Simon likes to travel. He does it as often as possible. His goal is to see the world. He returned two weeks ago from Hawaii.

I spent the afternoon preparing for tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Interesting topics. Most, revealing.

Topics include Congress failing to fund the U.S. Navy sufficiently so that we are now way behind China and Russia in naval vessels, the Eurounion willing to pay African countries 1 billion euros each to take back immigrants, a new study bolstering the bad effects of Roundup, food stamp use dramatically on the rise under Obama, a one month old new Middle East war the American media fails to report, Illinois not having the money to pay a $250,000 lottery winner, and more.

Join me at 9 my time for a fast moving half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Last night, the Chart Room first. Sheila Cullen, Jean Thornton and I the round table group. Met Dan. He is the new political cartoonist for KONK Life.

Jean and I had dinner at the bar at Hot Tin Roof. It has been a while since we dined together. A most charming woman. Found gold and emeralds when diving with Mel Fisher years ago. Has not worked since. Enjoys life.

Obama in Alaska today. A global warming trip. The issue needs to be emphasized and I am glad Obama is doing it.

The President announced yesterday that Alaska’s Mt. McKinley was being renamed. to Denali. Republicans are up in arms. Let me share the facts and you make up your mind.

Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain in North America. When McKinley was running for President back in the late 1890s, the mountain was named after him. A political move. McKinley never visited the mountain before, at the time or thereafter.

The people of Alaska have historically referred to the mountain as Denali. The High One, The Great One. In 1975, Alaska by law renamed McKinley Denali. The people of Alaska preferred it that way.

Sounds to me like an ok judgment by the President.

Enjoy your day!

RAIN BARRELS

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Good morning!

I am up extra early this morning. Implants screwed up yesterday. I have a very early dental appointment for repair work. A twist and turn of a small wrench here and there, and all should be well.

California has present day water problems. A drought. A big one. Key West suffered a drought 12-15 years ago. Water rationing rules went into effect. The community supported the effort and did the necessary. Like only watering lawns two days a week at specified times, washing cars only one time per week, etc.

The Key West rationing took hold. Some still practice water conservation to this day. One practice is the use of rain barrels.

Rain barrels collect and store water for yard irrigation and car washing. The process saves on water and sewer bills.

A Monroe County agency is conducting a rain barrel making work shop Sunday at Bayview Park at 11 am. Where to get barrels, how to build one, how to collect and store water, etc. The barrels hold 55 gallons of water..

My dear friend Sheila Cullen got into the rain barrel thing several years ago. She attended a class, put together a barrel, etc. Sheila lives in a third floor/rooftop condominium. She has an extensive outer balcony. To go along with a green thumb. Sheila grows all kinds of vegetables. The garden watered by her rain barrel.

California would do well to learn from Key West and Sheila. One reason California’s problem is as large as it is involves time. California waited too long to get a hand on the problem. They let the problem get away from them. Key West and Monroe Country recognized the problem early and went after it.

My blog talk radio show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. An out of normal issue captured the most interest. Chimpanzees. Hercules and Leo are two chimps held captive and used for research purposes at a State University of New York campus. An animal rights groups claims chimpanzees are legal persons. So deemed because chimpanzees are autonomous and intelligent. A Manhattan Supreme Court will decide the issue.

Do not laugh. Recall that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a corporation was a person. At least chimpanzees live and breathe.

My column this week is Drought and Water Profiteering. The article publishes today in KONK Life. Read it, if you have the opportunity. It is an eye opener as to who will profit from California’s water shortage.

Enjoy your day!

CHARLOTTE IS BACK

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I generally can be found at the Chart Room at cocktail time. Last night was different. I did not arrive till 9:30. Emily was shocked to see me.

I am glad I decided to stop in for a late night drink. Seated at the bar was the lovely vivacious Charlotte. Charlotte from the Carolinas. Charlotte who has lived on a boat for years. Charlotte worked for United Health Care. I used to beat her up with my United Health Care complaints.

The same Charlotte who is and has been in love with Skip. Skip is well known to Key West. He is a premier radio announcer and entertainer. Charlotte was with Skip at the bar.

Turned out they were visiting Key West last night. Sort of. Skip is now affiliated with an Islamorada radio station. They are living in Islamorada. Charlotte is looking for a job. She has an interview monday with the local Chamber of Commerce.

Charlotte runs. A marathon runner. Travels all over the country to participate. Oh, were I she. My body would look terrific.

A month from now Charlotte is running in a 50 mile marathon. From Marathon to Key West. She figures it will take her about 12 hours. It would take me 12 days! I admire her.

Prior to my Chart Room visit, I went to the movies. Saw Woman in Gold at the Regal Cinema. An excellent movie! I recommend it. Helen Mirren was her usual outstanding self.

I had a distasteful experience before the movie started. Buy pop corn, soda and candy was on the screen. I was chatting with the person next to me. There were a total of six of us in the theatre.

All of a sudden, I hear a voice yelling at me. A gentleman two rows behind and on the other side was upset that I was talking. I was talking quietly. However, apparently too loud for him.

I turned around and immediately apologized. He continued his ranting and raving. I politely said I apologize a second time. The guy would not stop. I was ready to say…..Asshole, go f–k yourself! I bit my tongue instead and turned around. He kept mouthing off another 30 seconds.

There is poetic justice in this world. Just before the movie started, about 10 ladies of senior vintage came in. They sat in two rows ahead of the bellower. They talked from the minute they sat down and throughout the movie. Bozo said nothing. He was screwed!

Lunched at Geiger Key. A beautiful setting!

Gasoline prices perplexed me. The Shell station on the boulevard was $2.75 per gallon. The Shell station at Key Haven $2.80. The Shell station at Geiger Key $2.65. Does not make sense.

Sheila Cullen’s brother died. Sad. Sheila is in Indiana for services. I feel bad for Sheila. I can’t wait for her to return so I can wrap my arms around her for a few moments.

The casserta I received is becoming a problem. I love the stuff! It is killing my diet, however. I ate it three times yesterday.

The casserta received was huge. I have only consumed 25 percent so far. I intend to freeze the rest to make it more difficult for me to get at it.

Today is memorable in history. On this day in 1942, Doolittle led American bombers over Japan. Our first significant retaliation of World War II. A dangerous…..you might not return…..type mission.

Enjoy your day!