VOODOO

I mentioned Italy’s immigration problem in yesterday’s blog. Based on personal observation and as reported to me by my friend Anna who lives in Novara. Novara is near Milan.

Anna reads this blog everyday. She responded to yesterday’s blog with a long e-mail. I share excerpts from it. Italy’s immigration problem is different from ours in certain regards.

Italy’s immigrants are primarily from Africa.

“Italy is going down and down…..March the 4th election: right wing will win. Italy is fed up with politicians, mainly of the present government, democrats who packed Italy of immigrants mainly negros and mainly crooks, delinquents. It seems some do voodoo rites!!! Last week in Macerata negros killed, in a flat, an 18 year old girl, chopped her body with knives and machetes, washed them putting the pieces in 2 suitcases and abandoning them faraway in the country. But there was not her heart and bowels!!! Eaten??? A voodoo rite??? Soon after, a crazy white young man in order to revenge the girl, went around downtown Macerata and shot 6 negros injuring them seriously. I could go on…..”

Anna’s husband died several years ago. He served as a national Senator for years and then 8 years as a member of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet. At one time, she sent me a photo of her husband and Gorbachev their heads joined together in what appeared to be a serious conversation.

Spent a couple of hours at the Chart Room last night. John bartending.

Lovely Morgan at the bar. My charming 26 year old friend. A big hug. We talked alone at the round table for two hours.

An amazing young lady. Whoever is fortunate to win her over is going to get a great wife. She’s a keeper!

Friend Sandie at the bar. She introduced me to her visiting friend Janie from Philadelphia. Go Eagles!

As I was leaving, ran into Devon at the bar. I see Devon about once a year. A farmer from the midwest. Owns a condo in Key West.

Devon is a smart farmer. He and his brother own a huge farm. They did not fight the big corporations that entered the agriculture business. They joined them! Happy they are. The right move. They have prospered.

Diana Millikan is off somewhere. She travels the world. She e-mailed me yesterday. One of her Hilton Haven Road neighbors told her there were gun shots around 4:30 in the morning. There were. This morning’s Citizen reports a man staying at the Banana Bay Resort was shot in the leg.

No arrests yet.

Irma hit September 10. Its effects still with us.

The canals remain impacted with house, boat and tree debris. Non-navigable. Nearshore waters, likewise.

Monroe County has entered into a $6 million contract with Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection to begin a clean up.

Many still are without homes. The homes either completely destroyed or the owners do not have funds yet to rebuild. FEMA and the insurance companies have been unreasonably slow in making payments.

These people have to live somewhere. Some in tents. Others in hotels. FEMA announced yesterday that they would extend hotel time at FEMA’s expense another month till March 3. There will be further monthly extensions. This part of the Irma problem not being resolved.

Mom’s Tea Room. I have written several times about Mom’s Tea Room. A Key West house of prostitution. Alice Reid the madam.

On this day in 1941, the body of working girl Cecilia Thompson Trunk was found in Mom’s. An apparent suicide. On the same day in 1952, another body found. Rita Brown, an apparent suicide also.

Mom’s was a busy place. A big U.S. Navy clientele. The Navy had many stationed here. The Navy did not like Alice or Mom’s. Morality and venereal disease the reasons. They closed Reid’s place a couple of times. A smart woman, however. She would pop up in another location. Closed finally in the 1950’s, never to open again.

Same sex marriage. Its time had come. The world accepting/falling into place. One nation at a time. Till now.

Bermuda reverted.

Bermuda’s law recognizing same sex marriage was less than one year old. Bermuda’s President signed a new law yesterday banning same sex marriage. A reversal. A win for bigotry.

Those of the same sex can live together with all the same rights and benefits as if married. The new relationship called a domestic partnership. The title married neither available nor recognized.

Have to hustle. A haircut with Lori at noon.

Enjoy your day!

 

DESTRUCTION FROM WITHIN

Wisdom from the lips of Abraham Lincoln: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

So much for what is going on in Washington.

Monday night is Dueling Bartenders time at Aqua! There I was sitting with Liz and Mary enjoying the singings of Tom Luna and Rick Dery.

Liz looked her best in a long time. She has been recovering from several illnesses. A sparkling woman at 83. A new hairdo. No more cane. Like being born again!

Then to Tavern ‘n Town for my Atkins diet meal. A juicy prime rib. Nothing else. No veggies,etc. Seventeen pounds lost so far. Next level, 20.

Glad I stopped at Tavern ‘n Town. Met Pam. A major fan of my writings. We had never met before. Seriously excited. I was afraid she was going to have a heart attack!

Pam, it  was my honor to meet you. May we run into each other again!

Pam was with Paul. And Lynda and Bob Frechette. Lynda introduced me to Pam. The four were having dinner together.

I was seated at the bar. Heard Louis from behind me. It was Aaron and Karen. On their way to the Randy Roberts show at the Tennessee Williams Theater.

One more. As I was finishing my coffee. Melissa Kendrick. I have not seen Melissa in a couple of years. Melissa is the President/CEO of the Mel Fisher Museum.

She was excited. Properly so.

On August 8, 2010, a gold bar valued at $550,000 was stolen from the Museum. The thief or thieves never apprehended. Till the past few days.

Melissa told me she had received a call during the day from the authorities. The thieves had been caught. One in West Palm Beach. The other, Rio Linda, California.

No word yet as to whether the gold bar had been retrieved.

The gold bar was an important exhibit. People could touch and lift it. The bar was secured in such a fashion it could not be stolen. It was.

The bar was discovered in 1980 by Mel Fisher. It was from the Santa Margarita. The Santa Margarita sunk in a 1622 hurricane off the Florida Keys.

As I was sitting at the bar, I marveled at what I saw.

Getting old and looking old are two different things. For example, some at 80 look 60. Others at 80 look like they are ready for the grave.

An elderly couple were dancing by the bar. For the whole hour and a half I was there. One song after another. Rarely sat. If they did, only for a sip or two of wine.

Looked 100! Old and bent. Dressed today, however. The lady in shorts. The man’s clothes up to date sporty.

The two obviously enamored. The touchings, holdings and smiles.

They knew all the dance moves. Especially the woman.

God bless them! May we all achieve what they have. The ability and desire to dance and enjoy our way through the years.

The William Tell overture in the background, the masked man on his horse shouting “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!”

The Lone Ranger!

I knew the Lone Ranger, his Indian friend Tonto and horse Silver from the radio till the late 1950’s. Then television into the late 1960’s. My children as children, the 1960’s shows.

I mention the Lone Ranger because today is the birthday of the show. It debuted this day in 1933 on a Detroit radio station. The Lone Ranger became one of the most popular western heroes of the 20th century.

He personified all that was good and noble. He did not smoke, swear, or drink alcohol. He used grammatically correct speech. He never shot to kill.

Television was relatively new in the early 1950’s. The Lone Ranger became ABC’s biggest hit.

Key West has a Tonto. A different sex from the Lone Ranger’s Tonto. I have known her 20 years. She works the outside bar at La Te Da.

Trump’s State of the Union at 8 this evening. My podcast at 9. I suspect my podcast will be more interesting. I will be listening to the State of the Union address, never the less.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou at 9 this evening my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Interesting topics. Some eye opening revealing. A fast moving half hour show.

Grab a drink, sit back and enjoy.

The best of days to you!