END THE WAR

Not Iraq. Not Afghanistan. The one going on in the Comments section of this blog. Grow up guys. you are all dumping on one woman. Does it take all of you to prove one female wrong?

Talk politics, issues, etc. Not the crap that seems to have taken over.

It makes me wonder. Those commenting about real issues provide some great reads. Really. I am impressed with the quality of most of the comments. The give and take terrific…..re real issues. Keep it up and walk away from Diana.

I appreciate Diana is hard to take on occasion. So are some of you guys.

I like Diana. Consider her a friend. Difficult though she may be. When she is off and running, I look the other way and do not hear.

She has been in Key West 3 weeks. Leaves tuesday. She has rented a condo for a year so will be back and forth.

In three weeks, I have been with her two times. For dinner each time. The first night she arrived and last night. Both evenings enjoyable.

Diana easily makes friends. Don’t laugh. Obvious when she makes friends. People open up to her immediately.

Diana is an outstanding researcher, developer of the facts. She has given me a hand on a couple of things. She knows how to dig.

What amazes me is Diana is not sharp tongued. Though she does come over that way in her comments. She is soft spoken. Amazing the difference between reading her and speaking with her.

Drinks first last night at Louie’s Backyard. Diana does not drink. A cheap date in that regard. Stopped afterwards at VFW for a sandwich. Diana does not eat. A shrimp cocktail. A cheap date foodwise, also.

By the way, Diana does not require me to defend her. She is capable of doing such very well on her own. As some of you have already discovered.

I just gave Diana 300 words. Have non-Diana information to share. Must do so swiftly. Tammy’s for a manicure later in the morning.

My lesbian wives Donna and Terri are taking me out to dinner tonight. A fun evening ahead.

I cannot keep up with them. I will go home immediately after dinner. They make an evening of it. Aqua, the Monkey Bar, etc. Till the wee morning hours.

Venezuela continues to go down the tubes. The citizens continue to suffer. Again, I ask why they have not revolted in the past four years.

First out of toilet paper. Then food. Now doctors and medicines.

Thousands of doctors have left. To surrounding countries. Most to small nearby islands. The toilet paper, food, etc. had something to do with it. However, it was the authoritarian government headed by Maduro that motivated them. They are making less money. Feel safe and secure for themselves and their families, however.

In the past year, maternal mortality rose 66 percent. Infant mortality, 30 percent. Malaria, 66 percent. Diphtheria is soaring.

Shortages of insect repellents, vaccinations, and public health funding the primary reasons.

The infant mortality rate is higher than Syria’s for the same period of time. Hard to believe!

In a recent medical malpractice case in Pennsylvania, a jury returned an $870,000 verdict. The patient was to have his right testicle removed. The doctor removed the good left one.

Early in my practice, I was peripherally involved in a similar malpractice case. The patient had cancer in one eye. The eye had to be removed. The doctor removed the good eye.

Terrible! It happens, however. Roughly 2,000 times a year the wrong limb or organ is removed.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BEGINNING OF THE END…..

June 6, 1944. D-Day. Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy. American, British, and Canadian. One hundred fifty five thousand strong. Within 11 months, Germany would surrender.

This past weekend, Trump and company publicized this week would be a national tour by Trump to share with the people his infrastructure plan. To privatize infrastructure.

I support infrastructure remediation. I do not support privatization.

Instead of infrastructure, Trump appeared in the White House yesterday morning telling us about his plan for privatization of air controllers. I figured tuesday would find Trump into infrastructure.

Apparently not to be. At least not today. Trump news this morning says he wants to work on healthcare and the budget first.

Why the switch?

Aqua first last night. Tom Luna and Rich Dery singing as only they can. Destiny their guest performer. A knock out voice, also.

Liz at the bar. With girl friends Josefina and Mary. First time i have seen Liz in a few weeks. She is still with cane. Looking questionable whether her second hip surgery worked.

Photographer Larry Blackburn at the bar. We exchanged hellos and shook hands.

Then down the block to Bourbon Street. Wanted to hear Bria sing. No Bria. Discovered she has left for New Hampshire for the summer.

I was disappointed. Not for log, however.

Rocky Bottom was filling in for Bria. A terrific entertainer!

Bourbon Street is a gay bar. One of the top ones in Key West. Rocky Bottom, a female. Kept the guys entertained. Her tip bucket filled up rapidly.

Rocky Bottom sings to a different tune. A little wild. One song had fuck every other word. She sang the tune not sensuously. Hard and tough!

Joe Schroeder opened Bourbon Street twenty plus years ago. He was looking to establish a Beads, Boys and Booze operation. He succeeded big time.

Stopped at the VFW for a bite to eat on the way home. The VFW is open to the public. Prior military involvement not a requirement for admission.

I was at one end of the bar. A mature couple came in and sat at the other end. About a dozen people at the bar.

The new guy bought for the bar. He knew no one. His first time in the VFW. His name Mark and he was from Michigan.

On my way out, I stopped to thank him and shake his hand. He said, “Thank you for your service.”

I never served.

My meal was meat loaf. Mother’s cooking.

You can tell the humidity is heavy. Glasses fog up immediately when you get out of an air conditioned car.

Tomorrow at 10 am at the Custom House, Dr. Cori Convertino is giving a walking lecture telling the story of Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway. Dr. Convertino is the KWAHS curator who devoted months putting the Flagler Railway exhibition together.

Coomey appears before a Congressional Committee thursday. Too much hype. Expectations running high. Too much may be expected. Certain of his testimony will be classified. Additionally, Special Counsel Mueller may limit what Coomey may reveal.

We shall see.

The emblem of the Democratic Party is the donkey. From whence did it come?

Andrew Jackson was running for President. The Party’s mascot at the time was the Rooster. Shades of Key West 175 years later.

Jackson’s opposition used a play on Jackson’s name to make fun of Jackson and his followers: Jackasses. Donkey in due course became the more tasteful replacement for Jackasses.

The Rooster did not completely die. The Democrat Rooster remains to this day on ballots in some states.

Tonight, my podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Usually, I list topics to be discussed in the evening in the tuesday morning blog. Not this week. With Trump out there, things change hourly.

The past few weeks, I have spent my tuesday afternoons adjusting my topics to fit breaking news. Today, I am waiting till one to formulate tonight’s program.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

DRINKING LIBERALLY

I attended a Drinking Liberally meeting last night. Met my expectations, failed to meet my expectations.

Drinking Liberally is a political and social organization were self-identified liberals and progressives gather in bars to socialize and talk politics. It is national. Hundreds of local organizations.

I never knew of the group’s existence till last week. Saw a small notice in the Key West Citizen advising its next meeting. Did some quick research. Decided to attend.

The meeting was last night at VFW on Northern Boulevard. Five to 6:15.

I was disappointed in the drinking portion. Conservative rather than liberal. More water drinkers than alcohol.

I was impressed with the meeting itself. Grass roots. Most attendees senior citizens. With one exception. A young man about 25.

Topics covered many issues. Too many. The organization is still seeking its way. It will get there.

I was impressed with the ladies. Participated to the fullest. Greater than the men in attendance. No bashful women in the room.

The group meets the first thursday of every month at the VFW at 5. I plan on continuing. The comments were revealing.

Then to the Chart Room. John bartending. David came in. Always enjoy David’s company.

Paul showed up with a friend. Paul was merely showing the room to his friend.

Met Elaine and Ken. Elaine an exquisite beauty. Involved deeply in charitable work. Especially, the American Cancer Society.

Ken a semi-retired oncologist.

Elaine and Ken married 57 years. Award winning! Two children, 4 grandchildren.

Periodic visitors to Key West. Usually stay at Marquesa.

Ken shared an interesting experience. He was a senior at Northwestern Medical School. Senior students were sent to the homes of the poor to provide services. One was baby deliveries.

Deliveries performed right at the home. Stirrups required. Two coke bottles for each foot covered with a shower curtain. To insure a germ free environment , newspapers were laid under and over the mother to be.

Elaine and Ken leave today. Hope to run into them the next time they visit Key West.

Devin came in. I did not recognize him at first. We met several months ago in the Chart Room. I wrote about him at the time.

Devin is 40ish. From Illinois. He and his brother own and operate a large farm. They know what they are doing. Get their product grown and sold. They work with the major food corporations. Did not fight them as the food cycle changed.

Devin has a Key West condo. He is back for several months. I am sure we will run into each other again.

Tom and Fran Dixon arrived last night. we get together sunday. They left their home in cold and snowy Buffalo for the heat of Key West. In for a surprise. A cold front coming in. Monday, tuesday and wednesday. Monday evening a low of 57. Cold!!!

The Key West Citizen reported this morning of a bull shark problem in the Key West Bight. Three have frequently been seen. Divers and boaters concerned. Scared. Especially divers who clean boat bottoms.

One female, two males. The female 8-9 feet long. Weight estimated at 500 pounds.

The female was some how hooked and netted. Dragged 6 miles out and released. It is assumed the two males will leave the area. They apparently were enjoying the comforts of the female. They will leave seeking female companionship elsewhere.

Robots/artificial intelligence. Not discussed enough. A danger already arrived and anticipated to spread big time over the next five years.

I have spoken and written about robots taking over human jobs for a year. Few seemed concerned. I was beginning to think I was a voice in the wilderness. I was extremely disappointed the issue was not discussed during the Presidential campaign.

Recently, a word here and there in the media. Finally.

I shall speak to the issue the next several days. A few words.

A recent study by economists at major universities concerning middle class jobs interesting. Bottom line: Where robots take routine middle class jobs, those workers drop out of the work force. They leave the job market entirely or are pushed into low paying employment.

The study links unemployment with automation.

An interesting study observation: Robots don’t just co-occur with unemployment, they cause it.

As I have previously commented, robots and artificial intelligence already quietly replacing human jobs. Some auto assembly lines no longer use humans. Work done by huge robots. McDonald’s testing automated kiosks to take orders. Anticipated that in 18 months, the McDonald drive in window will have a robot handing you your order and change.

Tractor trailers being tested for driverless operation. Uber testing driverless cars in two states.

Foxconn is the major manufacturer  of the Apple I Phone. One million two hundred thousand employees. One million of which work at factories in China. Already let go 60,000 employees at one plant. Replaced by robots. Working towards all plants going robot by 2020.

Query: Where will robot unemployed humans find work? Requires attention.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

FISH AND MUDDY WATERS

I live and learn.

This morning’s Key West Citizen has an interesting front page article re the weather. The cold a given. Significant waves. Waves outside the reef this weekend will be 11-14 feet. Winds 25-30 miles per hour.

Few fishing boats going out. Water too rough. Fishing questionable.

This is what I learned. Weather makes water muddy. Fish cannot see the bait.

I am not a fisherman. Many of you are. Many, not. The information is for non-fisherman.

The weather still cold. The cold front will continue. Through the weekend. The weekend to be colder and windier. Temperature at the moment 63 degrees. High however will be 73.

I am recovered. Went out yesterday. Felt fine. It was good to return to the world. My everyday world.

Decided on lunch at Harpoon Harry’s. Wednesday lunch is their turkey special.

The block on Caroline where Harpoon Harry’s is located blocked off. Big time road construction. Just what I would expect during the tourist season. The busiest street in the waterfront area blocked off.

The parking lot across the street full.

Went to 5 Guys instead. A healthy cheeseburger awaiting me. With fries.

Then to Publix. Spent some money. Not only was I out of food, I was out of paper products. Ran into Stan and Clare.

Last night Don’s Place. Felt good to be there. Chatted with Don and David. The three  of us to VFW for dinner. VFW is becoming a wednesday thing for Don and me.

Sounds like a big night. it was not. I was home at 8:30.

Some things I do not understand.

Pope Francis is getting a hard time from the Vatican hierarchy. The Cardinals who elected him Pope are now fighting him at every turn. The Cardinals are traditionalists. They do not agree with the changes the Pope wants to bring about.

Sometimes it is hard to breath fresh air.

I was listening to a radio talk show yesterday. The issue was gun violence. It was mentioned that Wal-Mart is the largest seller of guns in the United States. I did not know. It was further mentioned that Hillary Clinton sat on Wal-Mart’s board for eight years. I did not know this either.

Sarah Palin should go home. Her family needs her.

Soon after getting the VP nomination, we learned she had a pregnant unmarried daughter. Trump brings her out recently to support him. Soon after, we learn her son was  more recently arrested for hitting his wife in the face.

Her recent speeches contain many incoherent comments.

She brings baggage.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

TALENTED DEVON

Devon is a woman of many talents, attributes and skills. One of Key West’s leading bartenders. Works her trade at Don’s place. Absolutely beautiful!

Turned out Devon is also expertise in handwriting. Penmanship. A talented calligrapher. I did not know. Doubt many were aware. Don was, however.

The reception area at the wedding was rather large. Don asked Devon to create a yellow brick road. She turned to calligraphy. Prepared small signs of various sizes directing guests to food, drink, dessert, guest book, etc.

The final product lovely. Blended with everything. Without question, helpful.

Before writing about Devon, I googled handwriting. There is a whole section on “girly handwriting.” The name must have been born generations ago. It would not fly as politically correct today. Hillary Clinton might refer to it as sexist.

Wednesday is my screw off day. It is my friday. I write steadily and do radio shows from friday through tuesday night.

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. I know I am redundant. However, I love the machine! The machine is the only one in the lower Keys. It was a wise moment when Heather, who owns Body Builders, decided to buy it.

Rushed home after the machine to be interviewed on the KONK News Radio Show by Don Riggs. Riggs and I generally chat for about 30 seconds before I am on air. Don does his part of the show from Phoenix.

Don mentioned how impressed he was with the column. Especially the civil war aspect. I said, Don you have the wrong column. What you have is this week’s column which is not yet even published. It hits the stands tonight at 5. The column Stay Out Of Civil Wars/Fight Wars To Win.

We are talking about the article Political Sexcapades.

I told Don say hello and turn it over to me. No problem. The show ran well. Don got involved towards the end after he heard me expound for a while.

This week’s column is now available throughout the Keys. Stay Out Of Civil Wars/Fight Wars To Win. It also was linked this morning to my Key West Lou website.

Last night began at Don’s Place. First day he felt recovered from the wedding. Besides the wedding, Don had a ton of out of town guests that stayed on a few days after the wedding. He was constantly the good host.

It was Don, Stan, Clare, and Mickey. Mickey was part of the Don’s Place group till several yeas ago when he moved to Phoenix to work. He is vacationing this week in Key West.

We all went to the VFW afterwards for a bite to eat.

Syracuse has a new football coach. Dino Baber. He spent last season as head coach at Bowling Green. He is originally from Hawaii. I wish him well.

The weather broke yesterday afternoon. The sun came out. We had not seen it for 3-4 days. The high today will be 75. Warm weather through sunday.

I wore long pants only one time.

The Key West Citizen editorial this morning is right on. It talks about the dangers regarding how large Key West is becoming tourist wise.

I occasionally make a mistake which some readers call me on. Properly so. The best of the best err, also. The editorial mentions Tennessee Williams’ Night of the Iguana movie starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Taylor was not in the movie. The female stars were Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr,  and Sue Lyon.

Germany is suffering from its own wrong move. Taking in a million plus immigrants last year. Rapes and sexual abuse were predicted. Such occurred New Year’s eve.

What is to be done re this immigration problem. It affects us all. It is not an easy problem to resolve. My position remains the same. I  do not want them in the United States. They are unhealthy for me, you and the rest of our country.

Enjoy your day!

JUSTICE?

A Saudi millionaire was acquitted of raping a teen in London. He said he tripped and accidentally penetrated her.

Juries are finding it difficult to find guilt world wide. Many police/black killings in the U.S. and now this in England.

Justice is moving farther and farther away.

The anti-gravity treadmill in the morning yesterday. I am increasing the miles. A tenth here, a tenth there. Ever upward. I worry I may be pushing myself.

A manicure with Tammy at noon. She is representative of the Asian female mind.

When she lived in Vietnam, the man was king. Women were nothing. Everything was done for the man.

It is different in the United States. She is free. Independent. Can do what she wants.

I am happy Tammy’s husband did not marry her in Vietnam. They met here in Florida. He knew he was not getting an old country woman.

Don’s Place first last night. After a chat or two, we headed to the VFW. Don wanted to go. Stan and Claire, also.

Don was captured as soon as we walked into the VFW. The Commodore grabbed him and took Don around introducing him. Then a former Commodore came by and took Don away to introduce him to some others.

Stan knew many. Turns out he is a former Navy man who was stationed at Bocca Chica. He worked as a cook for the VFW for a while. It was old home week for him.

No one I knew, except Schmegly from last week. One more person, also? When I walked in a white haired gent introduced me to his wife. As his barber. I smiled and walked on. He was seated nearby. A little later he caught my attention and said…..My barber!

I felt bad disappointing him. I told him I was not his barber or a barber. He left with a puzzled look on his face. Made me feel bad I was not his barber.

The VFW was having a party. for one of its members. A 92 year old World War II veteran. He fought the war in a submarine.

The birthday cake was delicious.

This week’s KONK Life column The President Could Not Spell is available in two places this morning. One is KONK Life which is on the stands. The other is my Key West Lou website (.keywestlou.com) where it is linked.

Enjoy your day!

PIGS

I am upset this morning. Venting time.

Pigs does not refer to the four legged kind. Rather, those two legged. Man.

Two items in this morning’s Key West Citizen tick me off. Both have to do with the constant gouging of Key West Citizens.

One article concerns Stock Island’s Sunset Marina. Slip fees are being raised $5 a foot. The fees were raised last year also.

Most live on a boat because it is cheaper than buying or renting a home. Significantly. However with slip prices shooting up as they are, such will eventually no longer be true.

The other concerns towing fees.

The City Commission wants to raise towing fees from private properties by 35 percent. Increase other items also. Like allowing towers to charge up to $135 an hour where extraordinary effort is required. Everything will be extraordinary!

People are forced to leave Key West. More and more each year. They cannot afford the cost of living. The cost of living is much like the hills and steps which confront me in Greece and Italy. Everything up, nothing down.

Salaries contribute to the problem. Most are low paid hourly jobs. As time progresses, it is inevitable that a shortage of available employees will occur. Then, salaries will go up.

Getting back to the towing situation, the City Commission should be ashamed the way it handles Key West’s parking problem. It takes space away and raises parking fees for the limited space available. People are forced to park where ever they can. Such results in towing.

My yesterday began with a doctor visit. Another kind. Doctoring almost an every week thing. Then to Publix for a few things.

I had to hurry home after Publix. I was scheduled to be interviewed for 15 minutes on KONK News by Don Riggs. I had moved the time up to 12:45. Just made it.

Don and I had an interesting discussion re the Holocaust and the survivor Helen Sperling.

The evening was the best! The VFW on Northern Boulevard for dinner.

A big sign sits in front of the VFW building. Public Invited. I decided to try it. Glad I did.

Food good. Prices reasonable. Company excellent. A different breed of Key Westers. Veterans. They openly enjoy themselves. A happy group. They did their time in the military. Most fought. They have earned the right.

Met Schmegly. Spelled correctly. Looks like a thin santa Claus. A magnificent beard.

Schmegly has spent thirty years working Mallory Square at Sunset. Initially making creatures for children out of ballons. He considers such work an art. Today, he plays a banjo or guitar and sings.

Schmegly also walks Duval later in the evening playing the banjo. He refers to himself as a troubadour.

He makes his living from tips.

Schmegly’s real name is Richard Sloat. I never did find out how he got Schmegly out of Sloat.

He looks like an old timer you would find at Schooner Wharf.

Lighted Boat Parade tonight. An experience. Watch it from Schooner Wharf.

Tomorrow, the Parade of Paws. In the morning. Starts at Higgs Dog Park. Santa Claus will be there. The dogs will parade.

Key West loves dogs. Not only do we have Dog Park, we also have a Dog Beach. One of the best beaches in town. Right next to Louie’s Backyard.

A Saudi Arabian Prince referred to Trump as a “disgrace to America.” The Prince should talk. The pot calling the kettle black.

Saudi Arabia has much to answer for. The largest number of beheadings a year. No competition world wide. They abuse women. Do not permit them to drive. If an adulteress, stoning the penalty. Or, let a family member kill her and not prosecute the family member.

Enjoy your day!