I AM WOMAN

Two items of historical significance occurred this date, though in different years.

The year 1972. Helen Reddy’s brilliant song I Am Woman hit the top of the pop charts. A work for the ages. Perfect for the burgeoning women’s movement. One of its beginnings.

I Am Woman’s words involved personal empowerment. Identified women as a class unto themselves.

The song still with us today. Reflected in the sexual harassment issue facing society today.

Women have come a long way!

The other event of historical significance occurred in 1854. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s The Charge of the Light Brigade was published. The charge having occurred at Balaklava during the Crimean War.

I first read the Charge in high school. It resonates with me to this day. “Into the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred / …..Their’s not to reason why / Their’s but to do and die.”

Dinner at Donna and Terri’s last night. Donna cooked special for me. My diet. Pieces of beef. Delicious.

Terri looks better each time I see her.

The Lighted Boat Parade was scheduled for tonight. Canceled. Rescheduled. The weather.

Raining like hell already. Temperature has already dropped. Sixty nine at the moment. High will be 72. Mid to high 60s during the canceled Boat Parade. Sixty two when I wake tomorrow morning.

The cause has to be the snow storm moving northeast out of Texas. Key West will not experience snow. Don’t think we ever have. However, we are being hit with the outer limits of the storm. Cold and rain.

The Lighted Boat Parade has been rescheduled for next saturday.

The cold spell will be with us till thursday.

The Sheriff’s Animal Farm’s annual Christmas event tomorrow. One to 3. Wear a sweater or jacket.

What would Christmas be without Larry Smith? Larry’s annual Holiday Jazz Concert friday at The Studios of Key West. Always an enjoyable event. I will be there.

Wife Christine will be singing as only she can.

Leave well enough alone! My words directed to the Catholic Church.

Pope Frances announced he wants to reword the Lord’s Prayer. After 2,000 years!

His concern is with “Lead us not into temptation.” Claims it sounds like God is leading us into temptation when in reality it is the devil.

Blames the problem on the translations of the Lord’s Prayer over the years.

The Lord’s Prayer is part of the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christian traditions. Basically as presently worded.

There has been a movement in the Church towards the change for several years. Frances lending his support by his announcement.

The Catholic Churches of France and Spain have already adopted the change.

I remember years ago when the Catholic Church changed the Mass from Latin to English and mandated Church goers sing during services. I believe the Catholic Church lost half its followers because of the two changes.

God help Donald Trump! He needs it.

His very recent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is having immediate consequences. Three days of fighting in the streets between Israelis and Palestinians. The violence is escalating by day. Yesterday, rockets from Gaza into Israel, retaliatory air strikes by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

Trump is bristling to get us into a war.

Richard Cohen in a recent article in the Washington Post made several interesting comments re Trump: He “has made us a meaner, smaller people.” “Moral principal has been replaced by political cowardice.” “This is America’s darkest hour.”

Eugene Robinson writes for the Washington Post, also. He recently wrote that the Party of Lincoln has devolved into the Party of Trump. The GOP today belongs to Trump.

The Republican Party no longer can claim the mantle of honesty and purity.

Displaced boats in the lower Keys because of Irma exceeding the number anticipated. Thought to be 1,300. Up to 1,500 already raised and cleared. More to go.

Overall in Florida, 2,069 boats have already been raised.

Irma did its job!

The State immediately began replacing trees following Irma. The trees are replanted close to each other. We have learned that planting trees close to each other helps them survive strong wind storms. The trees break the wind and protect each other.

Syracuse/Colgate at 2 this afternoon. Syracuse will win.

Irma and Me’s sales numbers good. Higher than expected at this point. I am pleased.

Irma and Me is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KoboBooks.

Thus far, Irma and Me is the only book written re a person’s experiences involving Irma.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

USS KEY WEST

The Key West Citizen showed a partial picture of the submarine USS Key West front page this morning. The replica was part of the Veterans Day Parade yesterday.

The picture tickled my interest. I researched the USS Key West.

There have been three USS Key Wests over the years. The first was a steamer during the Civil War. The second a World War II frigate. The third the submarine represented in the parade.

The submarine was launched in 1985. The vessel has spent its entire career in the Pacific. Remains active.

I have been dieting since monday. Satisfied so far. However, I have had to control myself. Have remained in every evening. As explained in an earlier blog, I have to avoid the near occasions of sin for me. Food and drink. I am weak.

Tonight, I am going out. I miss people. Need to have their company. Need to converse.

Syracuse basketball began this week. Syracuse beat Colgate 83-55. Not to get excited about. The first several games each season are played against teams of lesser quality. Warm up games.

The lesser talented schools come to the Carrier Dome knowing they will be beaten. Not a problem for the school’s administration.

The superior college pays a stipend to the less able one to take the beating. Dollars sufficiently significant to induce the lesser talented school to participate.

Syracuse football today. Against North Carolina State. Each team 4-5. North Carolina a seven point favorite.

Syracuse may lose. Our extremely talented sophomore  quarterback Eric Dungey may not play. He was injured in last week’s Clemson game.

On this day in history 1948, 25 convicted Japanese war criminals were sentenced, Seven received death sentences. One, Tojo. The trial took 30 months.

One of my law school professors was Robert Miller. I took two of his classes. Criminal Law and Evidence.

Miller had an interesting background. He was one of the defense attorneys in the trial. He occasionally peppered our classes with stories from trial.

In the 1970s and 1980s, I visited La Costa frequently. A health spa. I called it a fat farm. People went there to lose weight and tone up their bodies. Easy to do on 800 calories a day and a 9-5 exercise regimen.

La Costa is located outside San Diego.

Movie stars took advantage of the program. People like William Holden, Rodney Dangerfield, and Arlene Dahl. Repeat customers, we became friends.

William Holden died this day in 1981. I got to know him well during our visits. Alcohol was a no no. We would sit together in a quiet lounge drinking Perrier and smoking cigars in the evening.

Holden was a gentleman. Water volleyball was one of the exercise activities. Twice a day. Holden was always the first out of the pool to retrieve a ball.

He was short. Surprisingly so. Like 5′ 6″ at best. Maybe 1 or 2 inches less. I asked how he always looked so tall in the movies. Always equal to or taller than the ladies he would kiss. He laughed.

Back in those days, bottled Coca Cola came in wood cases. Cases would be stacked one upon the other. He stood on the cases, thereby conveying his tall appearance.

The USS Constitution is the oldest U.S. vessel in service. The Constitution had two contacts with Key West.

The story begins with this installment 11 based on Key West Rotary history.

At the December 31, 1931 luncheon meeting of the Key West Rotary, Commander Louis G. Gulliver was guest speaker. He was the commanding officer of the Constitution.

The Constitution had arrived that morning in Key West. It was located at the foot of Duval Street.

The Constitution had been reconditioned at a cost of $12 million. Earlier in 1931, the Constitution began a three year 90 port visit.

That morning alone in Key West, over 500 people had already visited the Constitution.

The Constitution was a wood hulled three masted frigate. Long in history even in 1931. George Washington had named the Constitution. Her first engagements were in the quasi-war with France and the defeat of the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.

The quasi-French War interesting. The U.S. owed France money. The French Revolution occurred. The U.S. refused to pay the Revolutionary government. The U.S. position was that the money was owed to the King’s government which no longer existed.

During the several years of Revolutionary government, the U.S. and France warred. Never on land. Only on the sea.

The Constitution was highly successful. Captured many merchant vessels and sunk five battleships.

There was a move in the late 1920s to decommission the Constitution. It was in terrible shape. Need refurbishing big time.

The public cried out a loud no. Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote a poem in tribute to the vessel. Many believe Holmes’ poem contributed greatly to the saving of the Constitution.

Today, the Constitution is being reconditioned once again. A three year restoration at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Massachusetts.

There is another connection with Key West. Not a big deal. Significant nevertheless.

A model of the USS Constitution under glass is located on the second floor south porch of The Little White House.

The 200th anniversary of the Constitution took place in 1997. On July 21 in Boston Harbor, the Constitution proudly sailed in an armada of tall ships. The Constitution rang out a 21 gun salute during the sail.

I was there in Boston Harbor. Exciting. Moving.

I was on my son in law Mark’s boat. Us and a thousand other vessels. So it seemed. Celebrating an American day!

Enjoy your day!

STAR TREK MISSION 50 YEARS OLD

Who would have believed it? The new TV show that first appeared on September 8, 1966. A futuristic show. Called Star Trek, it is still remembered. Fifty years later.

I suspect it is so because the show itself and its characters were believable. There was a quality of honesty. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock examples. Some civil rights thrown in. Recall the different types and colors of those appearing in the shows.

Spent several hours yesterday researching this week’s KONK Life column. I will write it this afternoon. The article involves, surrounds, and emanates from the Star Spangled Banner. It has everything. Francis Scott Key, the burning of Washington, anti-Union blacks, a reluctant British Admiral, a cautious President Woodrow Wilson, and professional football player Colin Kaepernick.

I look forward to writing the column.

Intended to have dinner last night at the Marriott Beachside. Good luck! The bar and restaurant were packed.

Where to go? I did not want to drive into the downtown area. There was a DUI roadblock from 8-3 on Northern Boulevard at the intersection with Bertha and Palm.

Decided to try La Trattoria Oceanside. Glad I did.

Ate at the bar. Most of the time alone. There was time to chat with the bartender. Stephanie. A nice person. Enjoyed her company.

Stephanie is from Long Beach, New York. Long Island. She has been in Key West three years. The snow drove her down here. Understandable. If I never see snow again, it will not bother me.

She has traveled. Spain and London.

We talked politics a bit. Key West real estate. Local restaurant operators. La Trattoria on Duval. And other things.

Stephanie is a personality. I look forward to her company the next time I dine at La Trattoria Oceanside.

Bocce is into two weeks of the new season. Don’s Place is tied with three other teams for first place. Records 5-1.

Hell’s Rangers is one of those teams. Always dangerous. Always good. Don’s Place plays Hell’s Rangers next thursday. A blood bath, guaranteed!

The college football season is upon us. Syracuse beat Colgate friday night 33-7. Winning a big deal. However, not so big when the opponent beaten is considered. Colgate is a Division II school, whereas Syracuse a Division I.

There was a time…..

Colgate was a national champion. Always in the running. A major college team. National Champion in 1916 and 1932.

Syracuse became more powerful and Colgate less. By the end of World War II, Colgate was a second rate team. Syracuse was beating Colgate consistently.

The last time Colgate beat Syracuse was 1950.

Syracuse was National Champion in 1959. Ernie Davis time. Syracuse beat Colgate that year 71-0.

Following the 1961 season, Colgate announced it would not be scheduling Syracuse again.

Friday night therefore was special. Two old foes meeting again after a long lapse.

The two teams have played 66 times. In spite of Syracuse’s dominance in more modern times, Colgate still leads the series 31-30-5.

For some reason, most of the games were played at Syracuse. Many in the old Archibald Stadium.

I remember Archibald clearly. My Father used to take me to Syracuse games back then. From the time I was 8-9 through my high school years. Archibald was not a covered facility. No dome. My recollection is it was cold and rainy for each game. And muddy. Anywhere one walked, it was at least six inches of slop.

All fun, however. I thank my Dad for having exposed me to the experience.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DON MANAHER

Wednesday for me is as friday for most others. The end of the work week! Time to take a few days off.

Friday through tuesday are research, writing and radio days. Nine thirty tuesday night ends it for me. The time my blog talk radio show concludes.

Wednesday is a do nothing day. Love it! Some celebrate wednesday as hump day. For me, a screw off day.

Happy birthday Don Manaher! Finally, 40! Ho ho!

Big birthday party tonight at Don’s Place. Seven o’clock. Great entertainment. Larry, Christine, Kathleen, and Ray amongst others. Don’s children and grandchildren. Son in laws to be. And the best of the best, wife Stephanie.

A big time Christmas event this evening. The Lighted Bike Parade. Bikes thoughtfully decorated. Riders, also. Parade itself starts at 6:30 from Bayview Park. To Mallory Square and back to Bayview. Partying  at Bayview begins at 5. Santa Claus has promised to be there.

Spent yesterday researching further and fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. A multitude of sins covered. From Helen Sperling and the Holocaust to Pittsburgh police who refuse to be drug and alcohol tested.

An early dinner at Roostica. Love Bobby’s food! Last night sausage covered with peppers and onions in a red sauce. Five pieces. Plus, great bread. All for $10!

Hurried home to watch the Syracuse/Colgate basketball game. Syracuse supposed to win. Colgate nowhere the same class. Last night was Syracuse’s 50th consecutive victory over Colgate.

The score 78-57. Syracuse was supposed to win that big. The team looked better than their last game. Not there yet, however. Rebounding continues to be a problem. Each team had 32 rebounds.

It was Mike Hopkins’ first college victory. He is the acknowledged Boeheim successor. May he have a 1,000 victory career!

One of the most strenuous and exasperating days for me is when I have to renew my drug coverage and supplemental hospital plans. Comcast easier to communicate with.

Monday, I did the drug plan. AARP sponsored United Health Care Plan. Only took an hour this year. Only had to talk to four different people. Waiting between them forever.

I have to do the supplemental hospital renewal. Same company, a different phone number. Tried monday following the drug plan renewal. Hung on the line a good 15 minutes waiting for a body. Listened to suck music. Finally, a recorded voice told me it was better if I tried between 7 and 9 in the morning. I have yet to get to it.

Sea turtles a loved species in the Florida Keys. Everything is done to protect them. We even have a Turtle Hospital. The Turtle Hospital this past weekend hosted the Annual Sea Turtle Workshop. Over 120 attendees. From as far away as Italy.

Enjoy your day!