THE BEST OF BOB

BOB tiny, but powerfully interesting.

Today BOB takes us back to the Key West days when honest and powerful citizens discovered marijuana was the path to easy money. Big money.

Integrity took a back seat.

Key West’s location made it a perfect place to bring marijuana into the country. The Business as it was known developed. A cottage industry. No ties to organized crime. Simple small town folks making an extra dollar.

Boats and planes dropped bales of marijuana into the ocean. The bales became known as square grouper. Locals would boat out and pick up the bales. The bales were brought into Key West and unloaded next to the Coast Guard dock. Then taken home and left in front yards and on roof tops to dry.

An open industry. No one concerned about getting caught.

After dried, the bales were put on a U.S. Mail tractor-trailer for delivery to Miami. The Mail vehicle made the trip every day.

Arrangements were made prior to each trip to accommodate the Sheriff’s Department. If not made, the U.S. Mail vehicle was stopped and fined half the marijuana load.

This scenario went on quite some time. Eventually, the federal government became aware. The “federales” cracked down on the operation. Arrests were made. Trials. Some prominent Key Westers received jail time.

Such the next part of the story. Referred to by BOB as the Afro Sheen Caper. For another day.

Spent last night with Cheryl and Roger. Former Key West snowbirds now living in Cape Coral.

We started the evening at Aqua for Dueling Bartenders. Tom Luna and Rick Dery their usual great selves.

Then to Antonia’s for dinner.

I was surprised how packed Antonia’s was. We are into off season. Restaurants generally empty. Not Antonia’s last night. It must be Antonia’s summer time special. Pasta $10 a serving.

We got the last table.

I like Cheryl and Roger. Interesting people. Sincere. Call it as it is.

A good time was had. We sat and chatted a while after dinner.

I am getting hooked on the Key West Citizen weatherman. Today’s prediction, 89 degrees. In fine print below: “…..afternoon t-storms; bad hair day.”

The bad hair day I found intriguing. Must refer to the humidity. Not a problem for me. My head is shaved bald.

Robots back in the news! A new IBM artificial intelligence creature debated last week in San Francisco two of the world’s champion debaters. The robot held his own. The topic was made known at the start of the debate. No prior preparation for the two human debaters and the robot.

Yesterday’s Justice Building Blog commented on Trump’s announcement that he wanted to close down the immigration courts. Merely arrest and deport. No hearing, no due process.

Such would mean we are a nation of men, not laws. Exactly what we have not been. The Occupied America writer wrote “…..we are occupied by a narcissistic man of limited intelligence, his followers who are equally self obsessed, lacking in self esteem and poorly educated. And the power we fight is nothing less than evil ignorance seeking to end our democracy.”

The looming trade war nothing less than a disaster, also. For the world. The U.S. already hurt. Harley-Davidson’s announcement yesterday that they were moving to Europe. To remain in the U.S. under the tariff percentages being discussed would mean a loss of $100 million a year.

Thank you, Donald Trump!

The EU says the world is heading for a “trade apocalypse.” The World Trade Organization is facing an all but certain demise.

Good job, Mr. President!

All because of one man who does not know what he is doing. I fail to understand how Trump keeps his followers.

On this day in 1956, Congress approved the Federal Highway Act. Thirty billion dollars to construct 41 million miles of interstate highways.

The bill was actually Eisenhower’s baby. He conceived  it and got everyone to work together in a bipartisan effort to bring it to realization. The Highway Act is considered Eisenhower’s greatest domestic achievement.

The bill passed the Senate with one dissenting vote. The House passed it by voice vote. Eisenhower signed it into law three days later.

Cooperation by both parties, the two legislative houses, and the President. Not today! We live in a different world. One bred from hate and evolving because of evil.

A side note. I benefited from the new law. The summer of 1957 found me between college and law school. I drove a dump truck on a highway project outside Rome, NY.

Tonight, podcast time! My podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine, my time. A quick half hour of me venting. My likes and dislikes. Many topics discussed are eye openers. Hidden from public view.

Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

19 comments on “THE BEST OF BOB

  1. Ike saw the German Autobahn and liked it. I heard that our interstate highways are required to have straight sections that can be used for emergency airfields.
    Canada just fully legalized pot, only the second country to do so, Uruguay being the first.

  2. Thanks for posting the ISBN for BOB. I ordered it already. I’ll try to post my “BOB story” again, but this time I’ll try posting in segments to see what happens.

  3. The first time I went to the Chart Room, I quickly looked around and saw a metal tab attached to the bar with the name “Bob” inscribed on it. I sat down there and announced to the bartender, Emily at the time, “This must be my place… it has my name on it.”

  4. I fail to understand how Trump keeps his followers. Quote from today’s article.

    Yes, liberals cannot conceive that Trump followers may have the right idea on how to govern this nation.

    No, liberals are not right and conservatives are all wrong. It’s a mixed bag.

    This inability of either side to understand the other, is tearing the country apart.

    • “This inability of either side to understand the other, is tearing the country apart”

      I call nonsense, we disagreed just fine for the past 153 years without coming close to another “civil war”….Trump is tearing this nation apart ON PURPOSE and enjoying every minute of it.

    • I believe ‘I’mNotLou’ has this right – completely. THIS administration is abnormal and obviously so.

      It is far from true that the opposition to Trump is coming from just liberals, even if that what Trump and his blind followers want everyone to believe (his side “good” everyone else “liberals”). Many, many of those who oppose him are true conservatives and many others are actually Republicans (free Republicans). I personally am a conservative and have always voted Republican. I am embarrased by being lumped with those who want to call themselves conservatives but really are not (they’re really just Trump supporters) and will no longer vote or support Republicans. I will support and vote only for the principals I believe are best for me and this country, regardless of party labeling and I urge anyone else reading this to understand and adopt this mindset and principle and not be ‘brainwashed’ in to thinking otherwise. One thing I see in those who are NOT trump supports, is they don’t REQUIRE you to lie to yourself. I like that.

  5. The Trump way is the result of the convergence of several factors in play in our World today, including worldwide overpopulation, the rise of the robots and automation in the workplace, climate change, extended human lifespans, and large scale human migrations caused in part by the aforementioned issues.

    • Lofty ‘claptrap.’Reality shows that the “Trump Way” is mostly driven by self enrichment, political payback, and debts owed. To say otherwise is being blind to reality, or total political captivation/motivation/delusion.

  6. HD has said it is willing to accept a loss of 100 million. The company sales in this country have been down over 12% recently and have increased in Europe by 6-7%. They have thinking about reducing labor for a number of years.
    They have been making bikes in Brazil since about 2000, India since about 2009 and have a plant near completion in Thailand.

    Free trade would be nice if it was also free for America, which it has not been.

  7. Hilarious to watch Trump labeling Harley Davidson as the opposition. Any bets he’ll try and label (libel?) them as Liberals or even Democrats? Hard to imagine all of those HD guys in denim and leather vests putting up with being lumped in with the traitor NFL kneelers. How about the damage done with pictures of Bikers on TV burning their American Flags? These are interesting times indeed.

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