WHERE IS IT GOING?

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Where is it going?

I refer to the Congressional Hearing which began yesterday. The Obama tapped Trump’s phone issue put to rest. The other not. The Russia/Election/Trump team involvement issue.

I watched with great interest. The last time I saw such somber faces at a Congressional hearing were the Nixon impeachment proceedings. The Republicans were relatively quiet. Shocked perhaps. Their man a deer in the headlights of a car.

Where will it end? How will it end?

Walked Duval yesterday morning. First time in quite a time. Not much foot traffic. I was walking around 10. Always interesting to see Duval waking up.

Last night, Dueling Bartenders at Aqua. With Donna and Terri. As soon as we walked in, Tom Luna handed Terri a mike.

It was Tom, Rick and Terri singing. Nothing better.

On the way home, my stomach began growling. Needed to eat. My choices Submarine, McDonald’s, or Outback. Decided on Outback. I was hungry. Desired a full meal.

Tonight the Grand Finale of Aqua Idol. Lynda Frechette’s brain child. Her baby. Without her, Aqua Idol would never have been a success.

The grand winner selected tonight. Down to four finalists. Aqua will be packed. Show begins at 6. Suggest you arrive at 5 to get a seat.

I have not seen Aqua Idol in a couple of years. My podcast show tuesday evenings at 9. I am fine tuning the show at 6 when Idol begins.

Join me tonight for an interesting show. Topics will include the Trump fiascos, the Congressional hearing, Russia, etc.  www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Other topics, female genital mutilation, white people sub-human, China harvesting body organs, and more.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979. President Carter told them to get out. If not, the U.S. would boycott the Olympic games to he held in Moscow in 1980.

The Soviet Union did not get out. The U.S. boycotted the games.

The 1984 Olympics were held in Los Angeles. The Soviet Union boycotted the Los Angeles games.

Remember Oxitec? Oxitec is on the march again.

This morning’s Key West Citizen reported Oxitec and Houston are talking. The talks include Harris County.

Oxitec has not yet tested its product anywhere in the U.S. Looks like Houston will the place. The local mosquito control board is working closely with Oxitec.

Houston has no documented ZIKA cases where the ZIKA was locally acquired.

Enjoy your day!

HIS WORDS AND LETTERS…..SPECIAL

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Two years ago, I wrote an article for KONK Life involving Tennessee Williams and Frank Merlo. Merlo was the love of Williams’ life. The relationship tender and then tumultuous.

Tennessee Williams’ birthday is being celebrated this month. Many activities. One last night at Studios of Key West. His Words and Letters. Words and letters written to Williams’ closest female friend, Maria Britneva. Substantially involving the Williams/Merlo relationship.

Merlo’s influence on Williams is reflected in the fact that Williams wrote his finest works during their time together. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Rose Tattoo, and Night of the Iguana.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. A production well done.

Williams also wrote The Glass Menagerie. The Glass Menagerie was playing across the street at the Key West Theater while I was enjoying His Words and Letters.

Prior to the Williams’ show, I enjoyed La Concha’s happy hour while browsing the Sunday newspapers.

One of the items mentioned in yesterday’s Key West Lou video on Facebook involved outhouses. Details immaterial here. Final video comment was that Hemingway had the first indoor plumbing in Key West. Put in his home on Whitehead when he purchased it in 1931.

Bad day at Black Rock. Two basketball giants felled at the NCAA Tournament. Louisville and Duke.

So it goes

Congressional hearings begin today re Russia’s interfering in a U.S. Presidential election. Not the first time. Occurred once before. The election of 1796.

John Adams and Alexander Hamilton running for President. Great Britain and France had just concluded a war against each other. Bad feelings rampant in each country.

For some reason, U.S. support was important to each nation. John Adams, with the support of George Washington, backed Great Britain. Hamilton, France. Hamilton’s position was that France’s assistance during the Revolution mandated U.S. support.

France threatened open warfare with the United States if U.S. support was not forthcoming.

Adams was elected President. No war occurred.

I mentioned yesterday that Florida reported the screwworm problem was no more. A tried and true process had defeated the maggot type insects. The release of sterile screwworm flies. One hundred forty million since October.

Jean a female loggerhead turtle found sick in December. Taken to Marathon’s Turtle Hospital. She was impacted.

The hospital named her Jean. Cared for Jean till friday. A recovered Jean was released back into the ocean at Sombrero Beach.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

THE WALL…..BILLIONS OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS

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Recall Trump’s words during the campaign…..We are going to build a wall and Mexico is going to pay for it.

Government contract notices listed on a federal website ask for proposals for construction of the wall by March 29. The wall to be 30 feet high.

Trump’s budget as sent to Congress requests monies this year. Tax dollar monies to commence construction of the wall. Described as a down payment. $2.6 billion.

Allocated between a pedestrian wall and vehicle barrier. Broken down, $6.5 million a mile for the pedestrian fence and $1.8 million a mile for the vehicle barrier.

Estimated cost for the entire project vary depending who is being asked. Anywhere from $12-21 billion.

I thought Mexico was going to pay for the wall. Trump has changed his tune. We are going to build and pay for it and then pursue Mexico for reimbursement.

Good luck!

The Syracuse basketball season ended yesterday. Syracuse lost to Ole Miss 85-80. I’m glad it’s over. Most of the games were painful to watch.

I watched yesterday’s game. Same story. We did not have it together. Took forever to make the first three pointer. Defense not what it should have been. Etc.

Villanova lost! Wow! Winner of the Final Four last year. Number 1 seed overall this year. Wisconsin beat Villanova 65-62. Such is the beauty of the NCAA Tournament. You never know when a lesser team is going to be up enough to beat a favorite.

Villanova was my choice for #1. Saw the team as the big winner.

Dee took me to dinner last night at Berlin’s. Two pound Maine lobsters. Delicious!!!

Dee just returned from Bali. Interesting stories to tell.

The William Hackley saga continues. His 8 day clock was not working. Would run down before 8 days up and was not keeping accurate time. He brought it to be repaired.

The verbiage immediately brought to mind 5 Day Deodorant Pads. Such was the name of a deodorant that hit the market in the early 1950s. Small circular pads soaked with deodorant.

I was in high school when 5 Day became popular. Used it. Did I use a deodorant before? Don’t recall. I do not think many, if any, used deodorant till the early 1950s.

Did we all have body odor before deodorant became popular? I do not recall.

Another interesting question was whether people did not daily bathe back then. Otherwise, why the 5 Day name? My mother made sure I took a bath every day. We did not have a shower.

The Studios of Key West has an interesting show scheduled for 8 tonight. I hope to make it.

It will be a reading and discussion of Tennessee Williams’ love letters.

Williams was gay. Had several lovers over the years. One was Frank Merlo. I wrote a column for KONK Life two years ago re the relationship. I thought Merlo to be the greatest love of Williams’ life. Williams wrote his best works during the 14 years they lived together in Williams’ Key West home and a New York City apartment.

The greatest love theory was mine. I am curious what I will hear this evening.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that the recent battle with screwworms has been won. The flesh eating maggot problem eradicated.  Florida’s deer population, among others, saved. Especially the little deer living in Big Pine and on Little Deer Key.

Credit be given where credit due, Florida is on top these things.

Two significant Key West events March 25.

The last season tour of the Key West Cemetery. Three separate tours that day. Make a reservation. Always crowded. Attend if you never have. The history of Key West reflected on the stones. Also, some interesting quips by the deceased. My favorite is…..I told you I was sick.

Equality Florida is having its 20th Annual Gala. From 5:30 to 8:00. At the Gardens Hotel. A perfect venue for the event.

Equality Florida is Florida’s largest and most powerful gay rights organization.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

DEVIANT KEY WEST SEX

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Getting to the blog late today. Sorry. The bed was comfortable when I woke. Spent extra time in  it. Then at 11 watched Syracuse play Ole Miss. It is a little after 1 pm that I start today’s blog.

Deviant sex everywhere. What could it be in Key West? Not much not been experienced here. Something new?

Sort of.

Jennifer Rahe Hickman from Mason, Ohio is 42 years old. She and her husband were lying around the Southernmost Beach Resort pool enjoying drinks. Decided to return to their room for sex.

Room got noisy. Crying could be heard. Loud enough for the police to be called.

The police found the husband sitting on the bed crying. His wife had bitten his left forearm. Jennifer was yelling that her husband was “using her.” And, that she was “going to f–king kill him.”

The husband was lucky she did not bite him somewhere else.

Jennifer was charged with misdemeanor battery.

The police report appears to have been written with tongue in cheek. The report read that Jennifer was from Meanville.

Syracuse lost to Ole Miss. The better team won. I am glad the season is over.

Love corn beef and cabbage. Only eat it on St. Patrick’s Day. Other times a Key West restaurant serves it, the meat is generally a few days old and tough.

Decided on Bogart’s. The oldest Irish restaurant in Key West. A first time visit.

Donna and Terri with me.

I called in the morning to be sure they would have corn beef and cabbage. Was assured they would. The cook had been in since 6 cooking.

I wanted to make a reservation. They did not take them. However I was assured if we got there by 6, there would be no problem. The crowd not expected till after 7.

Whoever I was talking with was wrong. Arrived at 6. Had to fight my way in.

Tables on Casablanca terrace next door. We lucked out. It was catch as catch can. We walked up to a table as a group was leaving.

We ordered corn beef and cabbage. Waiter came back. We just ran out.

Sometimes you can’t win for losing.

My lesbian wives and I had a good time in spite of the disappointment. We ate off the menu and drank.

This morning’s Key West Citizen in its History Section noted that on this date in 1909 someone living at a house on Virginia Street died of leprosy. The Fire Chief had the house and its contents put to the torch.

I googled to see what I could come up with re leprosy and Key West. The first item to appear on the googled page was Leprosy / Key West Lou.

I wrote about the subject in my 10/13/16 blog. I had forgotten.

At the time, Diana Millikan sent me an article on the issue. It formed the basis for my blog.

I do not recall the date of the article Diana sent. However they were not burning houses and contents any longer at the time.

Leprosy is the Biblical plague of all time. However as I wrote, became not a problem at some point in time.

A large number of leprosy afflicted had lived in Key West. At one time, as many as 100.

Leprosy not catchable one person to another. Not person to person contagious. All Key West leprosy cases were contacted outside the area.

Leprosy is spread by armadillos. For real. No armadillos ever found in the lower Keys.

Leprosy is treatable today. The drug Putome was discovered in 1942. The cure for leprosy.

Trump and Tillerson best temper their words lest we end up in a war involving North Korea and who knows who else. Provocative talk not helpful. Diplomatic conversation the key.

The State Department had its budget cut by 31 percent. Enough diplomats remain available to talk to prevent a shooting war?

Enjoy your day!

 

 

PERHAPS UNFAMILIAR IRISH LORE

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We do not want these people. They are poor, disease ridden, will take jobs from Americans, strain welfare budgets. They are criminals and rapists. Practice a strange religion. They send us their worst.

Sounds like Trump talking about the Mexicans coming over the border and Muslims seeking entry to the United States.

Not Trump.

The way Americans were talking about the Irish who began immigrating to the United States around 1845.

The Irish were not liked. Feared to an extent.

The Irish did not come here to be free. They came to eat.

Disease had killed off the potato fields. Potatoes the mainstay of the Irish diet. Lunch and dinner. Sometimes, even breakfast. Estimated Irish men consumed 14 pounds of potatoes a day.

They brought with them Catholicism. Feared by Americans. The Papacy considered evil. Conspiracy theories rampant. The Irish would capture women. Hold them in convents. Priests rape the women. Babies born will be strangled.

You can’t make it up.

The cry became America for Americans! Return America to what it was. Which meant get rid of the Irish.

One hundred seventy years later. The Irish are assimilated. Admired. Respected. They have succeeded in every area of society. Thirty two million strong. Ten percent of the population.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone celebrates. Everyone Irish.

The world knows St. Patrick’s story. Not all, however. I share with you an episode not well known.

St. Patrick was a child of the Fifth Century. He died this date in 461 A.D.

He had returned to Ireland. A bishop, he did all the things history attributes to him. His aim to Christianize the pagan Irish.

He was successful. Success brought with it many who were jealous of the elevated position he had achieved in Irish society. His own fellow Christians.

Women were attracted to him. He Christianized many. Some were wives of kings and others of influence. A number of the ladies left their husbands to enter the nunnery. Such not appreciated by the husbands.

Wealthy women gave him expensive gifts.

He baptized many. In the thousands. Charged a fee to perform the baptisms. Similarly for ordinations. Many became priests. He charged for the ordination of each.

St. Patrick ingratiated himself with kings and judges. A gift here, a gift there.

Sounds like a religious politico. The Christians who forced his trial thought so. They also believed he sought his bishopric with personal gain in mind.

The decision of the trial not specifically known. History rarely recorded in those days. However, St. Patrick himself in Declaration or Confessio spelled out what was required to be done by him to satisfy those against him.

St. Patrick agreed to return gifts which wealthy women had given him, stop accepting payment for baptisms, stop accepting payment for ordinations, and stop giving gifts to kings and judges.

He did. Then returned to his calling Christianizing the Irish.

Enjoy your day! Drink not too much green beer!

 

DOGFISH DEMANDS HOGFISH RENAME TO SPEARFISH

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It’s called growing pains. Microbreweries/minibreweries have been gaining in popularity in recent years. Competition arises. The older guys don’t like the newer ones. Pressure arises. Pressure brought by the older companies upon the newer companies.

Hogfish have been around since time immemorial. Fished with a spear.

Dogfish have been around equally long. A  shark species.

A company in Delaware whose name contains Dogfish wants local Florida Keys Brewing Co. to change the name of one of its beers. Hogfish. To avoid confusion. Don’t want people ordering Hogfish thinking it is a Dogfish brew.

Ridiculous. I do not see it in this situation. No one has a singular hold on fish names. Especially under these circumstances.

Florida Keys Brewing may be considering capitulation. I can understand. Legal costs in such a case can be burdensome. Especially for a relatively new company.

I would take one last shot at the problem. Florida Keys Brewing should tell Dogfish they will change Hogfish to Spearfish if Dogfish changes its name to Shark.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander!

Chart Room last night. Drunk lady not there. I assume she was a tourist. I had never seen her before and hope to never see her again. Bill bartending.

Ran into Ted. Ted from Wampsville, NY. How many of you have heard of Wampsville? Wampsville is a small community in central New York. County seat for Madison County.

Ted is a fellow lawyer. Spent most of his career as a court clerk. A responsible position. The brains behind the judge.

Ted has vacationed in Key West for years. This year for a whole month. Retired.

The past two years, Ted has stopped into the Chart Room looking for me. Our paths did not cross. We exchanged cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses to avoid such a problem in the future. We intend to have dinner together before he leaves.

Ted and I exchanged legal talk. I tried cases in the Madison County Courthouse over the years. I enjoyed the conversation. Lawyer talk. A while since I have had someone to do it with.

John was outside at the Beach Bar. Visited him. Cold!!! The Beach Bar sits on open water. Low 60s with 20 mph wind.

Met Brian and Shanon at the Beach Bar. Nice people. From Columbus, Ohio. I love Columbus. Spent many a day working there on Nationwide matters.

Brian a realtor. Shanon in HR work.

First time in Key West. Having a great time!

On the way home, stopped at Publix. Cupboard really bare. Spent twice what I normally do.

Watched a bit of the Syracuse/UNC-Greensboro game. Syracuse won 90-77.

William Hackley still having dental problems. 1856 had to be a painful year. He was up most of the night with intense teeth pain. Went to Dr. Walton’s office in the morning. Dr. Walton “sacrified” his gums and “cut down to the roots.”

Dentistry years ago not as it is today. Pain!!! I recall my visits in the late 1930s and 1940s. Today, almost painless.

I can imagine how painful it had to be in 1856. Dentistry? Or, butchery?

The North Roosevelt Boulevard cross-walks continue to be in the news. Someone wrote to Citizens’ Voice re the danger: “Next to all the cross-walks on North Roosevelt Boulevard should be kiosks where you can buy life insurance.”

Something bothers me. I am a liberal at heart. As most of you are aware. I believe conservatives generally are on the wrong track.

The Key West Library is permitting its facility to be used at noon today for a two hour meeting. The group the Florida Keys Indivisibles. Political. Democratic at heart. Popularly referred to as bird doggers.

The organization is an activist training seminar. Speakers I assume trained provocateurs. The cry to organize and oppose. Require legislators to attend a town meeting, attend town meetings yourself, tie up with similar groups across the etc.country, be confrontational,  etc.

Will the rhetoric of the campaign ever cease?

Sounds like a guerrilla training camp to me.

Bocce tonight.

Have to hustle. A haircut with Lori at noon.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! COLD! COLD! COLD!

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The northeast was hit big time by snow yesterday and last night. Barbara telephoned from Utica. Twenty four inches. Bridgewater 20 miles away more.

That takes care of the snow.

The cold applies to Key West. Yes, I complain. Whenever cold up north, cold here. Though significantly less. Low 60s during the night. Sixty six at the moment. High expected 69.

Anything under 74 cold to we locals. Our blood thin from living in warm weather.

I have not yet turned the heat on. Perhaps tonight when 59 degrees is projected.

Spring break time in Key West. Some brave college students will be on the beaches. Most will  spend the day in bars. Party time!

The snow up north cancelled Syracuse’s game in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse was to play UNC-Greensboro in the opener of the NIT.

My time out yesterday was a 2 hour lunch break. Cuban Coffee Queen. Cuban cheese toast, Cuban coffee and the newspapers. I love sitting at the Cuban Coffee Queen and reading. A  quiet peaceful place.

Watch my new video show on Facebook. Find it under Key West Lou. Yesterday’s topic was Make America Sick Again. Trumpcare.

I cannot take credit for the title. Heard Eugene Robinson mention it.

I will be doing today’s video in a couple of hours. No title yet. Subject matter involves the money the US has spent in Afghanistan over 15 years with no appreciable results. Moe than the U.S. spent with the Marshall Plan in rebuilding Europe following World War II.

My podcast last night at 9 concerned Trump’s tax returns. How legally Congress could subpoena them if it so desires. Rachel Maddow was on MSNBC at the same time. Her show concerned Trump’s tax returns. She had two pages of his 2005 return.

I caught Maddow’s show in the middle of the night on a rerun.

The Battleship Maine is part of Key West history. The vessel left Key West for Havana. Many of its Naval dead rest in our Key West Cemetery. A special monument erected in the cemetery, also. The monument dedication was attended by 10,000 persons.

Today’s Custom House was a recently constructed federal building in 1898. On this date in 1898, the Battleship Maine Court of Inquiry began.

William Hackley’s story continues. One item in today’s diary mentions that he spent some time reading Household Words. Curiosity struck me. What was Household Words?

In the 1850s, Charles Dickens edited Household Words. A literary magazine. Serialized novels amongst other things. The work provided Dickens with some income while he was working on his own novels.

The title Household Words comes from Shakespeare’s Henry V…..Familiar in his mouth as household words.

Staying with Shakespeare for a moment, today is March 15. The Ides of March. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. A soothsayer told Caesar as he was walking to the Forum…..Beware the Ides of March.

Caesar’s best friend was Marcus Brutus. He was the first to stab Caesar. In the back. Caesar looked over his shoulder and saw Brutus. Caesar uttered…..Et tu, Brute.

Only Shakespeare could write the lines. The power of simplicity.

One other item of significance occurred on this day. This time 1917. Russia’s Czar Nicholas II abdicated. Civil War followed. White Bolsheviks and Red Bolsheviks. The Reds communists. The Reds won.

I view Putin as the grandson of the Russian Revolution.

Enjoy your day!

 

SNOWSTORMS ONCE FAMILY TIMES

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The northeast is getting crushed under tons of snow. Most places closed down. Definitely work places and schools.

Means the family is together for a whole 1-2 days.

Time for mom, dad and children to talk to each other. Yesterday, yes. Today, I do not know.

My yesterday goes back roughly 50 years. I loved the 1 or 2 snowstorms a year. Closed the office down before the big storm hit. Went home to join the wife and kids.

No computers, laptops, or cell phones back then. People had to talk to one another. Lite the fireplace and we sat around all day. Chatted about this and that. Played cards and games. Even ate together.

Hot chocolate time, also. My wife prepared hot chocolate. It fit the day.

Today, I sense everyone is engrossed in their computers and cell phones. Even mom and dad. Little personal communication.

Everything has changed. Except for the snowstorm.

I was all over Duval Street last night.

Started with the Chart Room. Should have skipped the place. A drunk obnoxious older woman got on my case. Insultingly. Loud. I don’t think I had said ten words to her. All polite, of course.

She had a hair up her ass. Even her husband could not get her to shut up.

I finally laid a bill on the bar and walked out.

The Chart Room has a new bartender monday-wednesday. Paul. Last employer, the Gecko.

He should have handled the situation. He did not.

John, Emily of days gone by, etc. would have first asked her politely to calm down and if she did not, called security.

I left without even finishing my first drink.

Headed over to Aqua. Should have gone there in the first place. Dueling Bartenders evening.

Tom Luna back. He has been gone for three weeks.

Met Ed. Retired here. We had similar backgrounds. We arrived to this stage of our lives by different paths. But, got here!

Ed a Long Island person. Went to Bowling Green. A track man. He was familiar with Manhattan College which I attended. Manhattan had a terrific track team back then.

Basketball his game, also.

Ed was in ROTC. Took a commission. Did a year in Vietnam. Left the service a captain.

His other life spent as a high school principal.

Today, Ed serves as Adjutant Commander of the VFW on North Roosevelt Boulevard. The one with the good cooking, as he described it. He was correct. I occasionally stop by.

Walked over to Bourbon Street from Aqua. Wanted to hear Bria sing. She starts at 8. I was too early. Two drinks away time wise for me. Too much.

Hunger beset me. Stopped at Mangoes. First time at the new Mangoes. Remodeled beautifully.

Sat at the bar. Met Peter who was sitting next to me. Peter interesting. Originally from Chelsea. For the unaware, part of New York City.

Peter works at Fogarty’s by day.

Enjoyed Peter’s company.

I did not enjoy my meal. Disappointed. Ordered nothing special. Wings. Tough. Over cooked. Difficult to bite, difficult to chew.

I am going to give Mangoes a break and not say I don’t recommend it. A place that beautiful can’t be serving poor food. I will be trying it again soon.

Service was excellent.

The new health care plans sounds like a winner. Fourteen million without coverage in one year. Twenty six million in ten years. Lowers taxes for the rich. Hits the old hard. Many will end up with insufficient care at a time when they most need care. Premiums and deductibles high.

My Facebook video I will be doing in a couple of hours will succinctly express my feelings.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

FIDEL CASTRO VISITS KEY WEST

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I am into Fidel Castro this morning. Accidentally, inadvertently.

I became interested in Castro and Key West in the years prior to his becoming the head of Cuba. Not much to report. A scarcity of information. Surprising.

My initial interest was not Castro. It was the old stone house on the corner of Reynolds and South Streets. Actual address 1401 Reynolds. The structure today gray. Constructed from now dirtied coral.

Called the Old Rock Coral House. Year built hard to pin point. I would say 1933.

Castro was the revolutionary in 1956. In the mountains, not Havana. In need of money, he visited Key West hoping to raise funds here for the revolution. He also hoped to excite young men to join him in the cause.

He had an additional reason. He wanted to speak from the second floor porch of La Te Da where Jose deMarti had once spoken and excited some to return to Cuba with him. I could find no record that Castro spoke at La Te Da. His speech was at the San Carlos Institute.

Castro remained in Key West 10 days.

Castro was in Key West one other time. In 1948. He had married and honeymooned in Miami for 10 days. Then somehow to New York City. Not an overt revolutionary at the time. Merely a young man. The couple stayed in New York City for a time.

Castro purchased a 1947 Lincoln while in New York. The turn on for him were the electric windows. A new feature at the time. He drove the Lincoln from New York to Key West. Then he, the wife and Lincoln on the ferry to Havana. I could not determine if Castro stayed overnight in Key West.

A little more Key West lore. The Henry Flagler Overseas Railroad.

Its inaugural trip January 22, 1912. A massive Key West celebration. One event mired the joy of the day. A pick pocket was in the crowd. Earned a good day’s pay.

Syracuse did not get selected for the NCAA Tournament. The call proper. They did not deserve to be in. Their play did not warrant an invitation.

Instead, Syracuse will play in the NIT. They are the 1st seed in the NIT. I wish there was a way to say no to an NIT invitation. Good manners and money prevent such. I view the NIT for second class citizens. Those not good enough to play in the big show. True. However, difficult for me to accept.

The US Attorney fiasco will remain in the news for another week. The news this morning is that two days before the letter to 46 US Attorneys asking for their immediate resignations, Trump personally had given a pep talk to all of them on a conference call.

My Sunday spent being lazy. Read, slept and watched TV. The exception, dinner at Roostica. Lemoncello wings.

Enjoy your day!

 

EARLIER ERA DISCRIMINATION

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Racial discrimination an in your face item today. Trump’s attempts to limit/stop Muslim immigration an example.

Today, it is Muslims. At another time, the Chinese. The year 1888. On this date in 1888, the U.S. passed a law forbidding Chinese laborers from entering America. Note the word “laborers.” Merchants, extra smart persons and seafarers not included.

California was the tender spot. Over 100,000 had come in. The Anglo cry was they were taking up the white man’s jobs and causing wages to be low.

By 1888, some Chinese had become successful. They owned and operated laundries and restaurants. Both considered women’s work up to that time.

The U.S. continued to discriminate against and exclude laboring Chinese till 1943. The middle of World War II. The Chinese were our ally and such blatant racism could not be permitted to continue.

Spent a little time yesterday reading about turtles and the Florida Keys. A tale of love.

Sloan came by mid afternoon. I called her. Needed her. I wanted to improve on my new Go Live videos on Facebook. Two problems. Quickly resolved.

Big night! Jenna at Berlin’s. We had not seen each other for several weeks. It was catch up time.

Jenna is absolutely amazing. Her professional life continues to develop. Her income accompanies the success.

She was excited I was doing FB videos. She was watching them. She quickly shared with me two things I could do to make the videos better. Love her!

Compared to Jenna, I am a rank amateur when it comes to social media, FB, video, etc.

She shared with me a recent exciting experience.

Jenna has been running the past year. I should be so thin! She has competed in several 5Ks. Comes in 1st or in the top 5.

She works out with Dante. Another thin creature. His abs pronounced.

Jenna ran a short video on FB of her and Dante standing waiting to run. Eleven thousand views! Wow! Even she was surprised. She could not figure out why the video became instantaneously hot.

Would I love to have 11,000 views!

Bria stopped by. Lovely! Enjoyed her singing afterwards.

Tennessee Williams time.

This afternoon at 2 at the Tennessee Williams Gallery at 513 Truman, a talk about the making of The Rose Tattoo. Starred Anna Mangani and Burt Lancaster. Filmed in Key West in a house 2 doors from Williams’ home. The movie based on a Tennessee Williams story.

One week from today at The Studios of Key West, a presentation involving Williams and Frank Merlo. Williams and Merlo were lovers. They lived together in Key West and elsewhere for years. I believe their love letters the basis of the show.

I wrote about the Tennessee Williams and Frank Merlo relationship in an article in KONK Life three years ago. The emphasis was on the influence that Merlo had on Williams life and writing.

The State of Florida took like a 100 years to complete the reconstruction of North Roosevelt Boulevard. The State screwed up re the cross walks. How to long to spell out. If you live in Key West, you know.

Too many accidents at the crosswalks. Serious injuries the result.

The State has been screwing around about correcting the situation. Nothing definite from them.

City officials are trying again. The State has to come in and fix. It is a State highway. Even if the State agrees, I can tell you it will be an additional 2-3 years to get to it because of funding. Not in the budget or proposed budget.

Harry Truman loved Key West and Key West loves Harry Truman. On this date 1950, the President arrived in Key West for a one month vacation. A working one. At the Little White House.

I am fortunate to live on this island. Warm most of the time. Experienced enough snow while living up north.

New York City got hit by a major snow storm in 1888. Began this date. Forty inches in 36 hours. The City was isolated for days. An example being that messages to Boston had to be routed through England.

Here I go again with robots and autonomous intelligence. It is not sneaking upon us. It has. And no one is talking about where those human employees being replaced by robots, etc. will work.

The issue is not bringing jobs back from Europe, Asia and Mexico. Such an issue 20 years ago. Over the next 3-4 years, it will be the robots taking over.

And no one talks about it. Not even Trump who professes to know everything.

California plans to permit no driver vehicles on its highways by the end of the year. No steering wheel, no pedals, no driver.

A biggie beginning at 5:30 today. The NCAA Selection Show. I do not expect Syracuse to be selected.

Enjoy your Sunday!