Key West continues to be home to writers. It has always been. Still is. Will be in the future. Something unending about the attraction writers have for the Keys.

Even the young are involved.

Books & Books at the Studios of Key West is sponsoring an event saturday October 14 titled the Great Works Speaking Competition. The theme is to “bring the written words of life through the power of reading and performance.”

Performance is the key word.

Participating Key West and Lower Keys high school students will each select a written work by a Key West author to read. The reading will be nuance based. The students will add facial expression and body language to the readings. Thereby adding additional life to the written words.

Prize money substantial. The highest scoring student will receive $750. Second place, $500. Third place, $250.

Each participant will receive a Letter of Recognition and a line on their college resume.

The door to enter has not yet closed. Telephone 305-320-0208 for particulars. Visitors welcome.

The event is made possible through the generous donation of Key West snowbirds Fred and Joanne Klein.

Trump started the bleach ingestion remedy to combat coronavirus. It did not go far in the U.S., though some did try and became sick.

Bleach as a remedy has been silent for quite a while. Till now. It has reappeared in Bolivia.

Yes, doctors are injecting bleach to treat COVID in Bolivia.

Somehow bleach got successfully peddled as a “preventive” and “cure.” The belief in bleach is also spreading through Latin America.

Bleach has found legitimacy. Many doctors/clinics sponsor and provide the bleach remedy. Including hospitals.

The bleach composition is a mixture of chlorine dioxide (a bleach used to disinfect swimming pools and floors) and saline. A 12 hour drip is required.

In addition to being used intravenously, it also comes in spray form.

The Bolivian government supports its use as an alternative treatment for COVID.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Pan Am Health Organization are both opposed to its use.  The organizations have listed all kinds of problems, including death.

Epidemiologists in Bolivia are against the use of bleach. They attribute the bleach’s popularity to Bolivian people looking for easy solutions.

Epidemiologist Rene Soria Saucedo said, “We have enough on our plate with COVID alone, but now we are seeing even more complicated cases because people have consumed chlorine dioxide. It’s a burden on the health system that’s not manageable in this country.”

There are those who require organ transplants. Not all have been vaccinated. Those not vaccinated have placed themselves in the same position as those who were working and refused. Get vaccinated or you’re out of a job! Re those awaiting transplants, get vaccinated or you are off the waiting list.

The problem is occurring across the U.S.

The reason therefore simple. Even more compelling than the worker who refused to be vaccinated. All transplanted organ recipients are required to take immunosuppression drugs to prevent their bodies from rejecting the new organ as foreign. The problem is immune suppression drugs also make recipients highly susceptible to becoming infected  with coronavirus. The increased risk of dying is 20-30 percent.

William Healy turned 50 this week in 1856.

Maria Gutsens was Matron of Mercedes Hospital in Key West for 23 years. On this day in 1934, she received the Cross of the Order of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, the highest honor given by the Cuban government.

Maria remains well known even today.

The former hospital is on Virginia Street. It is an apartment complex today. Many who have stayed at the apartment complex over the years claim they were awakened in the middle of the night by a strange happening. A nurse was standing by their bed holding a hand or touching their foreheads. Most so touched were sick.

Upon awakening, the “ghost” disappeared. It is believed the nurse is Maria’s ghost.

I came across an interesting line concerning Facebook’s 7 hour outage earlier in the week: “The day Facebook went dark.”

A good title for a book.

I am beginning to think Texas may be the future of America.

Texas is the second most populace state in the U.S. Frank Bruni in a recent New York Times opinion piece wrote, Texas “has become a provocative theater of performative defiance and a laboratory for imposing the will of the minority on the majority.”

Steven Pedigo in another New York Times opinion piece viewed Republican Party representatives a small minority in Texas. Lacking in numbers to even qualify as a majority of Texas Republicans.

Re the elected representatives, Pedigo wrote they are “backward looking, exclude huge swaths of Texas’ citizenry and run against the grain of many of its new stakeholders’ values.”

Texas is representative of the “new” Republican Party. Those who have been elected as Republicans. Laws recently passed and lawsuits arising suggest to me Texas may be where a for real revolution could begin. One similar to but harsher and longer enduring than the insurrection of January 6.

Street demonstrations will swiftly turn into shooting and knifing confrontations.

One motivation to revolt is the lack of stability. The new Texas abortion law a perfect example.

A law passed that does not make sense and should not have been. A federal lawsuit was immediately brought opposing the new law. A detailed court decision recognizing all the wrongs inherent in the law came down within a few days.

A very few days later, a 3 judge appellate court reversed the injunction by the lower court and reimposed the full force and effect of the original law.

The 3 judge appellate panel is of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The next step will be for the entire Fifth Circuit Court to hear the case. I assume it will be swift and a decision forthcoming in 2 weeks.

Then regardless who wins at that level, the next step will be the U.S. Supreme Court. The place where several Justices has been champing at the bit to reverse Roe v. Wade.

My concern is the instability of the law. The abortion case has been through 3 steps of litigation in less than 10 days. Each time the court reversing the lower decision.

People cannot live with such instability.

They also cannot live where it is obvious what the final decision will be and the adverse effect it will have on most of them.

It is almost guaranteed the full Fifth Circuit will uphold the Texas law. It is the most conservative circuit court in the U.S. A total of 16 judges. Five Trump appointees.

My sense is many elected Republicans think the people they represent are stupid. Many ordinary citizens believe the federal court system has been contaminated by far right conservative judges and Trump appointees. Many of today’s judges don’t care what the people think. They are only concerned with how to word and approach their decisions to reach the result desired.

The United States cannot sustain itself with such leadership.

We are heading for an abyss.

Enjoy your day!

Our nation is falling apart. Four years of Trump ignited the blaze. Congress bought into Trump’s craziness. Biden has his hands full with both at the moment.

Normally, we could look to the Supreme Court as the sensible body of government. That too has eroded.

Woe is we!

The Supreme Court is moving especially fast in a downward slide. Americans know little about the Justices. Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to write about each of the nine.

It is important to know the nature and background of those making monumental decisions concerning our lives.

Today, Associate Justice Anthony Alito Jr.

One of the worst, one of the most dangerous.

Alito is a brilliant legal mind. However, it runs in the wrong direction. Contrary to what is good for the American people. I will attempt to spell out his shortcomings during the course of this blog.

Alito was appointed by George W. Bush. Took his seat on the Supreme Court bench January 31, 2006. He is now a 15 year veteran of that Court.

Prior to the Supreme Court, Alito was a Judge on the Federal Appellate Third Circuit for 16 years.

Alito’s total judge time 31 years. For some, too many years. The job affects some mentally. They come to believe themselves omnipotent. Know everything. Know what is best. Can’t be wrong.

Alito is the second Italian-American on the Supreme Court. Antonin Scalia the first. Both great legal minds. However, their thought processes running in the wrong direction.

As with Scalia, Alito is “considered one of the most conservative justices on the Court.” I agree. In fact with Scalia now gone, he is the most conservative.

Alito is proud of his far right conservative thinking. He describes himself as a “practical originalist.”

As expected, he is a member of the Federalist Society. A group that supports neither liberal nor middle class causes. The Federalist Society is a group of conservative and libertarian lawyers and legal students interested in conservative legal theory.

Alito had his problems before the Judiciary Committee. He is compared to Clarence Thomas and Robert Bork in that regard.

Re abortion, Alito said before the Committee he would look at abortion with an open mind. However, he would not state how he would rule on Roe v. Wade if that decision were to be challenged.

His record shows a willingness to support government actions that abridge individual freedoms. However such willingness is not to be expected in COVID decisions. Alito spoke before the Federalist Society on November 20, 2020. He commented about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alito bemoaned what he called the “loss of liberties,” saying, “We have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced for most of 2020.” He called the pandemic “a Constitutional stress test.”

He appears concerned about the adverse criticism he and the Court are receiving re the Texas abortion case which came before him for a quick review. He referred to the “shadow docket” criticism as “silly” and “misleading.”

Alito noted the term shadow docket was coined in a 2015 law review article. It was adopted by “journalists and some political figures” in order to convey the idea that “something sneaky and dangerous” is going on at the high court when it rules on emergency appeals seeking the Court’s intervention. He said, “The picture is very sinister and threatening.” He claimed, “There is absolutely nothing new about emergency applications.”

He made it clear from his perspective that the shadow docket was not a “dangerous cabal” that resorts to “sneaky and improper methods.” That to consider such “feeds unprecedented efforts to intimidate the Court or damage it as an independent institution.”

Some interesting numbers re use of the shadow docket.

In the 16 years from 2001-2017 under Bush and Obama, the shadow docket was used a total of 8 times. The results 4/4. Whereas under Trump in 4 years, it was used 41 times. Twenty eight of the applications were successful.

Alito appears to be in “legal conflict” with Chief Justice Roberts. Alito favors broad decisions. For example, Alito would rather decide against Roe v. Wade than have a minuscule decision which avoids the issue of ruling against Roe totally.

Alito’s philosophical approach is to “destroy.” Roberts is to “preserve.”

Alito is like a race horse with blinders. He drives straight ahead without recourse if he believes his legal decision should rule the day.

Alito views Roberts’ decisions as more political than legal. Obama’s decision re Obamacare being an example. Roberts came up with the “insurance” approach in deciding with the majority.

Scalia was the first Justice to come up with the far out conservative method of deciding cases. Alito, the second. While Scalia was alive, Alito picked up the nickname “Scalito.”

There is a simple way to describe the Scalia/Alito approach to deciding most cases: The Constitution must be interpreted as things were when it was adopted in 1789. Such is “strict construction.” Such also the basis why Alito describes himself as a “practical originalist.”

I have never bought it. Things are not the same today as they were back then. There were no automobiles or planes. No corporations as we know them today. Etc. Think for yourself how things were so different in 1789 than they are in 2021.

How then can you fit today happenings into yesterday in applying the law to be followed?

I went to law school 1957-60. I was taught the Constitution was a living breathing document which changed to fit the times. Nothing is as it was. Change is one of the two constants in life. The other, death.

It is a difficult world we are living in.

Alito’s personality enters into the matter. Supreme Court Justices are invited to attend a President’s State of the Union Address. They come in robes and get front row seats.

Attendance is not mandatory. The Justices come I would assume as respect for the event.

During one of Obama’s Addresses, Alito disagreed with something Obama said. The cameras happened to be on the Justices at the moment. Alito’s lips could be seen moving in disagreement with Obama.

Of course, the matter was front page news the next day. Alito has never returned to a State of the Union Address since. Like it was someone else’s fault. The fault lie with Alito. He should have kept his mouth shut.

Enjoy your day!

The Supreme Court has represented the ultimate in the law. Revered. Respected. Till now. Its shortcomings have become overwhelming. People are losing faith in the institution.

Properly so.

The powers to be who “make” Supreme Court Justices are primarily at fault. They have spent more than 50 years working to change the composition of the Court. They stuck to their game plan.

They succeeded!

The Court now unquestionably 6-3 conservative. Actually, far right conservative. Rigid in its interpretation of the law. Its decisions heavily favoring corporations, the wealthy, and white America.

Nothing is forever. The 50 year plus subterfuge that brought the Court to this point is becoming increasingly evident.

The pendulum always swings back. The trip has begun. It may take 20 years, but it will occur.

The very recent Texas Federal District Court decision re the new Texas abortion law represents nothing short of an open rebuke to the Court. It formally made evident what has been known for a long time. Something was wrong at the highest levels of the law in the U.S.

The Supreme Court has always been protected by a wall of it could do no wrong. It was omnipotent. Even if you disagreed with a decision, it must be the correct one. The Court in its divine wisdom never erred.

Cracks have been appearing ever so slightly in the past 10-15 years in that wall. So slight they were difficult to see. Now distinct and clear.

There is dissension on the Court. Not healthy. However in this instance welcome. The Court is and has been sick. Time to make it healthy again and return it to its proper place in the governmental hierarchy.

Evidence that things are not kumbaya within the Court are the three recent appearances by far right Justices explaining nothing was wrong with the Court, their decisions were by the book, etc. In the past two weeks, Justices Alito, Thomas and Coney have separately made such appearances.

The U.S. government at every level needs a housecleaning. What is happening now is the beginning.

Enjoy your day!

Toilets were not prevalent 2,500-3,000 years ago. A spot in the woods, a hole in the ground, wherever one found himself, were the usual places for excreting human waste.

A handful of wealthy had what would be considered toilets by today’s standards. They were a rare luxury.

Recently, a private toilet 2,700 yeas old was discovered in Jerusalem.

The toilet was constructed from limestone. A cubicle was built within which the commode itself sat. The seat of the toilet was a flat piece of limestone. A round small hole in the middle. A deep septic tank beneath the limestone seat. Very deep.

Inside the cubicle were 30-40 bowls. The vessels were used to hold aromatic oils and incense. Early air fresheners for those using the facility.

Expensive to construct. Only royalty and the very wealthy could afford one.

Some were constructed next to the dining table. Do not ask why. I do not know. Others away from the place of dining and surrounded by lush gardens.

Interestingly, 1,000 years later the Misnah and Talmud discussed the various criteria  that defined a rich person: “To be rich is to have a toilet near his table.”

YouTube has banned all content stating “vaccines are ineffective or dangerous.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mercola’s channels were immediately deleted.

The Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church” recently issued its report re the French Catholic Church and sexual claims. The Commission was appointed by the French Catholic Church. The report exceeded the numbers previously thought abused.

The situation rampant, the numbers unbelievable.

The report indicated more than 216,000 children were abused. The time frame lengthy. Seventy years. Most abuses occurred between 1950 and 1968.

Responsibility was laid heavily upon the French Catholic Church itself. The report indicated the Church was more interested in protecting itself rather than the children. The report further indicated the abuse was systemic and not limited to a few black sheep that strayed from the flock.

The delay in the Church seeking the investigation and report was severely criticized. The report said the Church should be made to state the reason for the tardiness. Suggesting the Church to its shame had nickel-dimed the problem.

I have a distinct recollection of Irma. Many in the Keys do.

I soon after wrote a book concerning Irma: Irma and Me.

Irma made landfall more than 4 years ago on September 10, 2017.

Would you believe repairs/restoration are still ongoing. An issue I have written about several times over the years.

Canal restoration has taken significant time. The canals were loaded with debris following Irma.

Money the problem. Canals are not the only item awaiting completion of repairs.

Work on the canals had to stop earlier this year because money had run out. Monies  have been found allowing restoration to begin again.

One of the sickest and most creepy stories involving Key West became public on this day in 1940. The story true. The main characters Carl Tanzler von Cosel and Elaine Hoya Mesa.

Carl was in love with Elaine. She was much younger than Carl. Elaine died. Carl was heart broken. He arranged for her funeral in the Key West Cemetery.

Some time later, he dug up her body and brought her remains to his home.

He kept her in his bed for 7 years. Used wax and chemicals to keep up her appearance.

His actions were finally discovered after the 7 years. It was on this date in 1940 that Carl was arrested.

He was never tried nor convicted. What he had done was not a crime at the time.

Carl later disappeared from Key West.

Last night was Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. A most interesting show. Covered a multitude of items and issues.

Join me this coming tuesday for my next show. Guaranteed you will love my quick half hour of ranting and raving. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

Panicsville struck yesterday!

I was revising a chapter in one of the books I hope to publish when I had to check something on Facebook. No Facebook!

A major calamity! Say what you want about Facebook, it nevertheless is a site/platform many use.

Called Sloan to fix the problem. Not realizing Facebook’s whole system was out. Could not reach Sloan. Her phone was dead. E-mailed her. No response.

Jokingly thought the Anti-Christ was coming.

Turns out Facebook was down throughout almost its entire system: 1.84  billion experiencing the same problem I was. Only one problem. I did not know that till this morning.

Facebook was down 7 hours.

Read this morning that Facebook apologized.

Instagram and WhatsApp were also down.

Yesterday’s outage was Facebook’s longest since 2008.

Nobel Prize winners were announced yesterday. Trump failed to win once again.

Trump has been nominated for the Peace Award the past 3 years or more. No big deal. Anyone can be nominated. Only requirement is the nominator must be a person of prominence.

I assume Trump is grossly disappointed today. Will he claim the Nobel election was rigged? He has experience at that sort of thing.

An overflowing of sympathy for Krysten Sinema. Whether friend or foe, many are upset a woman followed her into a ladies rest room to admonish and question her.

I think the sympathy coming her way is miss directed. Sinema is a woman who avoids questions and persons asking them. If she answers, her response is a flippant one.

The woman who followed her into the ladies room was a former Sinema election supporter. She wanted to know why Sinema was not conducting herself per her campaign promises.

Sinema’s male cohort in certain respects is Joe Manchin. A wannabe. Eleven years in the Senate. Who heard of him till this year? He has become daily front page news.

Manchin keeps breaking with Democratic Party leaders on almost every issue of importance. The news this morning is he broke with party leaders over strategy re the debt ceiling issue.

He has become “Mr. Negative.”

It is time the Democratic Party starts giving Manchin that which he gives the Party. He wants to be the opposition, let the Democrats be the opposition to everything he supports. He’ll come around. He won his last election by the narrowest margin ever.

Manchin also mentioned yesterday his continued opposition to anything over $1.5 trillion re the social infrastructure bill.

Manchin raised an additional opposition measure yesterday. Out of the blue, he said the social infrastructure package must include a prohibition forbidding the use of federal funds for abortion. He said, “The Hyde Amendment is a red line.”

The New York Times ran an interesting Opinion piece yesterday by guest writer Donald Ayer: The Supreme Court Has Gone Off the Rails. I agree.

I have been researching the issue and will be sharing some specifics in a few days.

October is Italian American Heritage Month. Italian American heritage is part of the Growing Up Italian book I keep revising.

I have visited the Vatican several times. And still have not seen all there is to see. One of the things visible at all times at the Vatican are the Swiss Guards. Majestic in their conduct and finery.

The COVID pandemic and vaccine mandating have affected the Swiss Guard.

Note thousands pass through the Vatican every day. The Swiss Guard is a small contingency. The Vatican mandated the Swiss Guard had to be vaccinated to retain their positions. Three refused. They are no longer part of he Swiss Guard.

The Vatican’s mandate required each Guard member to possess either a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or the results of a negative COVID test.

Big night tonight. My Tuesday Talk blog talk radio show and the wild card game between the Yankees and Red Sox.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou at 9. A quick moving half hour show. Provides me the opportunity to rant and rave.

Please join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

At 9:30, I shall rush to the TV to watch the balance of the wild card game.

Enjoy your day!

Misdeeds have a way of confronting us. Sometimes in unusual places.

In addition to playing Senator, Krysten Sinema teaches a college course in Arizona.

A video on Twitter sunday showed protesters at the school following Sinema into a ladies room. They had asked to talk with her. She told them: “Actually, I am heading out.”

Whether a call of nature or in an attempt to avoid the protesters, she walked into the ladies bathroom and then a stall.

One of the protesters was Blanca. Standing at the entrance to the bathroom, Blanca said to Sinema: “We need to hold you accountable to what you told us, what you promised us that you were going to pass when we knocked on doors for you. It’s not right.”

Words follow us. Especially promises. In this instance, Blanca felt Sinema’s promises made were not promises kept.

The U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term each year on the first monday in October. Today.

I ask…..What will the 6-3 conservative Court screw up this time?

Today is National Taco Day.

Though not referred to as such, Steve Thompson must be considered the Taco King of Key West. He made his fortune in tacos. Opened his first taco store in Key West in the early 1970’s. Followed by several others throughout Florida.

Happy Taco Day, Steve!

On October 3, 1995, O. J. Simpson was acquitted following a lengthy trial.

His defense team was composed of the legal greats of the time.

One was Johnnie Cochran. Pure brilliance!

In summation, Cochran uttered a famous line that is recognized even today: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit!” He uttered the line several times during summation. Even to trying the glove in question on his own hand.

A single black leather glove had been found at the scene of the crime. A similar black glove was found outside Simpson’s home. DNA revealed the one outside Simpson’s home contained the blood of Simpson’s wife, the man she was with, and Simpson himself.

When Simpson was arrested, he had a cut on his hand.

Simpson was required to put the glove on during the trail. Lo and behold, it did not fit. Not even close.

All of which led to…..”If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit!”

And acquitted Simpson was.

A popular theory is that though the glove was bloodied at the time of the crime and for a limited time thereafter, a lengthy time expired between finding the glove and the trial itself. The theory assumes the blood seeped into the fibers of the leather and caused the glove to shrink.

A New York Times article today by David Leonhardt contains an interesting observation. Titled: COVID IS IN RETREAT. The article observes new COVID cases in the U.S. have fallen by more than a third in the past month.

In spite of all the furor, vaccine mandates are getting results.

Not all who protested they would quit rather than take the vaccine, when push came to shove they changed their minds. Most of the vaccine holdouts got the shots proving they would rather receive the shots than lose their jobs.

Coronavirus has resulted in a new language term: Vaccine hesitancy.

I prefer football to baseball. Ergo, I watched the Tampa/New England game last night rather that the 2 baseball games. Brady looked good. Tampa won 19-17 in a well fought game from both sides.

Other than on the field, the game was a love fest. Brady was back! Everything kumbaya!

New York and Boston won last night’s baseball games. Their one “wild card” game tomorrow night. I probably will watch the end of it following my Tuesday Talk blog talk radio show.

Enjoy your day!

We all know Kyrsten Sinema is one of the U.S. Senators representing Arizona. A Democrat. Front page news re the social infrastructure. She and Joe Manchin birds of a feather in that regard.

Very few know the real Krysten Sinema. Today’s blog will hopefully expose the real Krysten Sinema.

She is her own person. Dances to her own tune. Definitely different from others.

Revealing a person is easy. Merely set personal beliefs and things accomplished. Outs a person’s true nature.

She voted against the $15 minimum wage. Strange for a person who grew up living in a gas station. She refuses to eliminate the filibuster.

The sense is she is trying to be a maverick. In the John McCain style.

She is against any tax increase on corporations and the wealthy,

There is a definite backlash developing against her in Arizona. Many Arizonians who voted for her are now sorry they did. They feel she does not care for them. She is lucky she does not have to run again till 2024.

Most of her fundraisers are at the behest of and sponsored by business lobbying groups.

New York Times opinion writer Maureen Dowd wrote about Sinema in a 10/2/21 piece. Titled: Sinema Stars In Her Own Film. An article from which I shall be picking.

Dowd begins the Opinion with comments about both Sinema and Joe Manchin: “We have gotten ourselves in a perverse situation where Sinema and Manchin rule the world.”

“As Hemingway wondered in The Snows of Kilimanjaro, what are those leopards doing at this altitude?”

“Democrats were incited at Sinema – again on Friday” when she flew back to Phoenix in the middle of nail biting negotiations on the scope of Biden’s social policy bill.” Sinema’s excuse was she had a doctor’s appointment concerning her ailing foot. She failed to note she also had a fundraiser in the evening at a fancy Phoenix resort.

Dowd adds insight to some of Sinema’s proclivities.

The woman is an athlete. Nicknamed the “Ironman Triathlete.”

Sinema openly describes herself as “bisexual.”

She claims no religion. She was sworn in as a Senator on the Constitution, not a Bible.

Dowd views Sinema as a Republican in Democratic clothing.

Sinema frequently is injured because of her athletic endeavors. Dowd describes her in those situations: She “limps through the Senate like a silent film star.” One top Democrat described her as ‘The Greta Garbo of Congress.”

Dowd writes Sinema is not shy about drawing the spotlight  “swathed in fur stoles, bedecked in pink, purple and mint colored wigs, bedazzled in glittering stilettos.”

It gets better.

On one occasion, she presided over the Senate in a pink sweater reading “Dangerous Creature.”

She put a picture of herself on Instagram following her “defiant thumbs down” over the $15 minimum wage, “sporting a hot pink newsboy cap, matching oversized glasses and a ring that exposed the statement ‘Kiss Off,’ but jn a more vulgar way.”

Sinema “dyes the front of her hair purple or whatever.”

Dowd reports Sinema grew up in a “gas station.”

Dowd raises the question whether Sinema is “simply being opportunistic?”

Dowd observes Sinema “fights for corporate power and lower taxes for the wealthy and getting more money for pharma,” but does not say it. Her actions reveal it, however.

In her closing paragraph, Dowd succinctly spells out what is at stake in the U.S. and implies Sinema does not understand: “Americans are hurting, and everything is on the line.”

Enjoy your Sunday!

Brief mention was made this morning of the one and only drive-in theater ever in the Key West area. It was on Stock Island and opened January 1, 1953. Now long closed.

Brought to mind my experience with drive-ins. They were a part of my life for a number of years.

I began going to drive-ins when I got my driver’s license. Seventeen years old. Oh, the joy it brought!

One went not for the movie. Rather to neck.

Then there came the time one was married and with children. Difficult for young parents to go out. So we took the children along. Yes, to the drive-in. They were dressed in their pajamas when we left the house.

Following some soda and pop corn, they were ready to sleep. Parents came prepared. Pillows and blankets on the back seat. We put the kids to bed.

Mom and dad did not neck. We could do that at home. It was good to get out, however. We cuddled.

Cars were made for necking and cuddling in those days. The front seat was wide. Today’s front seat counsel was not part of the front seat.

Drive-ins are returning. Suddenly appearing across the country. The result of the COVID pandemic. Safe and secure. One article claimed correctly that drive-ins were “a safe way to escape from the realities of coronavirus.”

A bit of Key West.

On this day in 1953, Key West began a program to inoculate younger than 15 with gamma globulin to protect them from paralytic cancer.

Parents did not complain. They were happy to see their children protected.

How times have changed!

On this day in 1950, Tennessee Williams bought a house at the corner of Duncan and Leon Streets. The price $13,000. Today, somewhere in the area of $1 million. Subsequent owners have kept the property pristine pure.

The time was 71 years ago. Duncan was the last street in Key West in that area. Sprawling salt ponds in front. Williams said he bought the house because he always wanted to walk out his front door and see water.

No water to see today. Key West expanded that area. Blocks of homes now to the front of the Williams’ home.

Lisa lives 1 1/2 blocks from the William’s home on Duncan. When Williams bought his home, Lisa’s was part of the salt ponds.

Williams’ Duncan Street home was his residence for 34 years.

William Hackley’s entry for this day in 1856 contained what has been an ongoing complaint of his. The “new” sewing machine he bought several months earlier.

A “lemon.” He continues to have problems with it.

A week ago, he reported it was working ok. Today, on the bum again. The wheel is not working properly. He suspects the cotton might be too rough.

The Dairy Queen is one of the most popular places in Key West. It is located on United just below White Street.

Built in 1951. Still going strong 70 years later.

I used to go frequently when Robert and Ally were small. Now I go alone stopping in on a hot day for a small soft chocolate cone. I have to eat swiftly. Even in the cool of the air conditioned car, the ice cream melts rapidly.

Kenny Chesney performed in Key West last night at the Key West Theater. His live show simultaneously ran on Sirius XMO.

Chesney bought a lovely huge home on Caroline Street about 10 years ago. Did not stay long. Sold it after a short period of time. He was upset someone was checking his mail to see who was writing him, etc. The information then spread throughout Key West.

Chesney was inflamed at what he properly considered an invasion of his privacy and put the house up for sale.

Southern Florida is where stone crabs propagate and live. Their only residence world wide.

I love stone crabs! Consider them the finest of meals. If I were to be executed tomorrow and had my wish for a last meal, it would be stone crabs.

There is an annual Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet. It is a southwest Florida tradition.

Takes place in Everglades City at the Rod and Gun Club.

The blessing is a tradition that began centuries ago in Mediterranean fishing communities. The purpose of the blessing to ensure a safe and bountiful season.

A festive family party day. Floral petals are strewn on docks along side the boats, a coconut guava cake contest, a frog jumping contest, food and live music.

Strange things happen. One occurred today.

I read Google News religiously every morning. One of the news items this morning was Trump had sued Twitter in a Florida federal court to compel Twitter to restart his account. He claims Twitter was “coerced” by members of Congress.

The facts are Trump was removed from Twitter in January based on Twitter’s belief Trump was “a risk of incitement to violence.”

The lawsuit has been referred by one person as a drunk shouting “let me back in the bar.”

Google News relied on two non-USA news sources. The Jerusalem Post and WION. The Jerusalem Post name speaks for itself. WION is India’s global news network.

Something was not right. Why didn’t Google reference any American sites? Were there any?

I checked. The usual American sources were all over the internet with the news. Strange that Google for whatever reason relied on The Jerusalem Post and WION.

Nothing wrong with it. A change, however. My curiosity is piqued. Why?

Arkansas Senator Krysten Sinema not a popular lady today. Not even in her home state Arizona.

Some interesting media comments re how she is viewed at the moment.

“She is the biggest radical in Congress.” “Corrupt.” “Scoundrel.” An obstructionist “sacrificing…..the future itself.” “Snake in the grass.”

Sinema and Joe Manchin have been heaped upon jointly. Joyce Behar of ABC’s The View: “They will be the ruination of this nation. Those two.” They “must be brought to task.” Democracy “is really on life support right now because of these two people.”

There are many dictators or wanna be dictators in power today. One is Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. He announced his retirement from politics yesterday. The Philippine Constitution bars a second term.

He refuses to run as Vice President in effect as Putin did several years ago when he was confronted with a similar problem.

One thing he is correct about: “The overwhelming sentiment of the Filipinos is that I am not qualified.”

Speculation is his daughter will run for President.

Duterte is definitely unpopular. The primary reason his 5 year program of killing extra-judicially suspects in the “war on drugs.”

People like Trump and DeSantis should be proud. COVID deaths have topped 700,000.

Syracuse/Florida football this afternoon at 3:30. Can’t wait! Syracuse a 4.5 point underdog.

Enjoy your day!

A genius of a businessman. Henry Ford. It was on this day in 1908 he introduced the Model T automobile to the world.

A gigantic success.

Ford mass produced them. Produced them to sell cheaply. He had a vision. He saw a market for cars affordable to middle class Americans.

Success was his. Everyone’s, actually. Most people were now able to own their own cars.

Ford is credited with “Fordism.” The mass production of not only automobiles. The mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for his workers. Ford paid his employees well. They were his first customers. They could afford to buy the automobiles they helped produce.

“It ain’t over till it’s over!! Famous words of Yogi Berra. Later turned into a song made popular by Starship and Lenny Kravitz in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

The term applies to coronavirus also. Too many people are under the impression the worst is over. They walk the streets without masks. Engage in crowds without social distancing. Travel all over the U.S. and world.

Bad! The worse is not even close to being behind us.

This weekend in Key West the perfect example. The town will be jam packed. Few if any mask wearers. Crowding. Everyone placing themselves in a position of jeopardy. Many failing to have been vaccinated.

How many more must die or become seriously sick before they understand?

I am sick of Washington and the way it is handling these bills. Ergo, I will speak little of the problem today. We all know and understand what is happening.

I do have one observation to make, however: Joe Manchin is an asshole!

Came across an interesting article by Erin Blackmore in the Smithsonian Magazine – History: Five Women Veterans Who Deserve To Have Army Bases Named After Them.

The thrust of the article is the U.S. Army has 10 installations named after Confederate generals and zero named after women.

Last week, I mentioned I stopped by the Eaton Street Seafood Market. Enjoyed a large lobster roll. Maine lobster roll.

Someone commented he thought I was wrong re the Maine part. He believed the rolls were made with Florida lobster.

Bothered me. I have been eating Maine lobster all my life. Generally during vacations on the Jersey Shore, northern coast of Long Island, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod.

There is decidedly a taste difference between Maine and Florida lobsters. Not intending to be a snob, my preference is for Maine lobsters. Their taste unique.

I decided to check to see if I was wrong.

First the internet. Looked up the Eaton Market. Five different sites. Six mentions of the type of lobster served. Five Maine, one Florida.

Yesterday was a doctor visit. Stopped on the way home at Eaton for a lobster roll. A chalk blackboard in front of the door. “Maine Lobsters.” Asked the woman working inside. She said Maine lobsters. In fact, looked at me as if I had insulted her employer.

I am glad it was Maine lobsters I was consuming. Everything is changing in my life. Some things have to remain the same.

Enjoy your day!