A school board budget committee in Bellevue, Virginia voted to eliminate fourth grade entirely. The committee decided it was “the best path forward” announcing: “We believe the school’s budget will be much healthier if we cut all fourth grade students entirely.”

A school board spokesperson said, “A clear choice. Each of the 500 fourth graders cost $10,000 a year.” The spokesperson added, “Sadly, with each fourth grade student sucking up valuable finite resources like teachers, textbooks, lunches, and desks, we’ve been operating in the red…..eliminating an entire elementary school grade will improve our school for the remaining  first, second, third and fifth graders.”

The spokesperson added after the board saw the improvement in test scores that eliminating fourth grades had achieved, the committee also opted to cut all students at the school as well.

Published in The Onion last night. Popping up all over the internet this morning. Written in The Onion and here with tongue in cheek.

Florida has been suffering a housing crisis of significant magnitude. Ian has made it worse. Dramatically so.

Key West suffered its third fire in a week. At the Roosevelt Garden Apartments. Displaced 14 persons. Six units involved. Two totally destroyed. Four inhabitable, but will have to be repaired first.

The fires a contribution to Key West’s housing problems.

Steve Thompson, Logan’s Lobster House, Alaska, and Jimmy Buffett.

Logan’s Lobster House was at the end of Simonton Street. I enjoyed Stu Logan when I went there to eat. Steve was a big man and he loved to talk. Live lobsters in a tank for everyone to gawk.

He said he spent his summers in Alaska every year, but the rest of the time he was here. I told him my brothers were commercial fishermen there. After that we had many stories to share.

Stu hired Jimmy Buffett to play. I’m sure it was his busiest day.

Latest Mar-a-Lago news of interest.

The Washington Post reported that in February Trump attorney Alex Connor refused Trump’s request that he advise the National Archives all documents had been returned. The Washington Post also reported Trump himself packed the boxes with the documents himself at the White House prior to their being shipped to Mar-a-Lago.

Two evidentiary points that will assist in burying Trump.

Trump is sue crazy. He keeps the courts busy. Fortunately, the court system is free. Probably why he uses it so frequently.

Trump brought a new lawsuit. He filed a $475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN. In all likelihood, a waste of public dollars in the final analysis.

He should be charged for ALL costs for abusing the free court system, judges and staffs. The man is eating up tax dollars like crazy. Does not phase him in the least. Recall how many times he bragged he was too smart to pay taxes.

Enjoy your day!

The U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term this morning. In addition to arguments, the newest Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will be inducted. Another female thorn to aggravate Justice Alito.

Alito is the scurve who authored the decision which repealed Roe v. Wade. He has been riding a high since.

One liberal female Justice he finds especially aggravating. Elena Kagan. Bess Levin in a 9/29/22 Vanity Fair article spelled it out. The article titled: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, Last Seen Obliterating Abortion Rights, Wants Liberal Female Colleague To Shut Her Mouth.

Alito apparently believes critiquing his action “crosses an important line.” Levin describes Alito comments re Kagan as “medieval.”

Kagan comments upsetting Alito include her belief that half the population are being treated like second class citizens, the Supreme Court is losing connection with the people, and the Court is legislating when it decides cases today rather than acting as an umpire. He is upset with Kagan’s position that the Court is imposing its personal preferences on society. Going a step further, Kagan’s belief the Court is inflicting one party’s ideological views in its legal decisions.

Alito recently commented in a Wall Street Journal interview re Kagan’s positions: She is saying or implying the Court is an “illegitimate institution questioning our integrity crosses an important line.”

Levin spells out Alito’s Wall Street comment thusly: In effect what Alito is saying is he “wants Elena Kagan to shut her liberal mouth, which is not only some anti-free speech bullshit but a conservative way for him to ignore the fact that he shares a large portion of the blame for the widely held view that the Court has no integrity.”

Kagan is supported in her positions by female Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Today a third is being added to the group, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Not yet a majority. However stick to your guns ladies. Alito believes he is above criticism. Especially well founded criticism from women. Alito not only cannot stand criticism, he abhors its female source.

Enjoy your day!

Everyone I have run into since Ian passed by Key West say the same thing: “We’re lucky.” Truth be told, I agree.

Sloan was here yesterday removing the fallen foliage round the house. She is my helping hand in every regard. She echoed what everyone else was: : “We’re lucky.” She had an addition, however. Recall I had difficulty sleeping the night Ian slowly blew over and it rained like hell. The mere sound and knowledge of the event exhausted me.

Sloan added to it: “The house shook.” Her house. During the night while she was in bed.

Let me explain the why of “we’re lucky.” Irma.

Irma was a category 4. It was aimed straight at Key West. For several days prior to landfall. Never deviated. That is why I left 5 days before its anticipated landfall. Prior to hitting, it had been projected as a Category 5.

Irma was narrow compared to Ian. Just before reaching Key West, it deviated west slightly. Enough to avoid a major impact to Key West. A hurricane is wind. My sailing experiences have taught me wind is fickle. Never know when it is going to turn one way or another. Irma avoided Key West. However came back over the Keys 20.5 miles later. Landfall and significant destruction to Cudjoe Key.

That experience remains locked in the minds of Key Westers.

Lets turn now to Ian.

Ian a big storm. Could be the largest ever.  The meteorologists claim it was anywhere from 500-1,000 miles wide. It passed by Key West 30 miles west of the Dry Tortugas. The Dry Tortugas are 70 miles west. Which means Ian passed Key West 100 miles to the west. No big deal considering Ian’s width. It could easily have swung east, made up the 100 miles and left Key West buried in debris and perhaps death.

Note also the hype was Ian was going to make landfall at Tampa-St. Petersburg. Deviated at the last minute and hit Fort Myers. Fort Myers is 144.5 miles to the south. The Irma, Key West, Cudjoe Key scenario on a larger scale.

“We’re lucky.”

Seventy one years ago on this day in 1951, the City Planning Board approved a zoning change for the Dairy Queen to build on United Street near White Street. Still standing and busy. Continues to give pleasure to so many, including Louis, Robert, Ally, and Lisa.

Guy DeBoer reported yesterday that Spirit was on a jack stand ready to be hauled to a repair yard. Total exterior damage was visible for the first time. One side beat up. The other, nothing.

Major damage to hull, bottom of keel and a tick on both sides of the rudder. More than Guy had anticipated. However, fixable. Guy in going to begin the repairs himself.

For those on in their years like me, a Phyllis Diller quote is in order: “I’m at an age where my back goes out more than I do.” So true it is.

Putin and Trump both have a propensity for saying and/or doing the wrong thing.

The Putin way. Ihor Murashov is the head of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine’s largest. Russian troops stopped his car Friday, blindfolded him, and took him to an undisclosed location.

The Trump way. Trump called for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s death. Trump posted late Friday on his Truth Social Platform: “He has a DEATH WISH.” Why suggesting McConnell’s death? Why perhaps subtly encouraging his MAGA followers to kill McConnell? For agreeing to a deal to fund the government through December.

Many states have gun buy back programs. New York is one.

Kim lived a 6 hour drive from Utica, my home town. He drove to the Utica Police Station to have some guns purchased by the State. The program applied to real guns and those that appeared to be real.

Kim had 110 phony guns. They were 3D-printed guns. He had received the computer program for Christmas from which he made the “guns.”

Kim sold the 110 guns to the State for $21,000. He received from the State 42 gift cards worth $500 each.

The State negotiated the amount to be paid him. The State was reluctant to pay the full value for 110 guns printed out on a computer.

The whole thing made the Attorney General’s office uncomfortable.

Since the sale to Kim, the State has adjusted the program so 3D weapons would not be honored. The State after paying out the $21,000 felt it had been exploited.

Syracuse beat Wagner 59-0 yesterday. Syracuse was favored by 55 points.

I’m surprised by the size of the victory. I expected a significant Syracuse win. Not 59 points, however.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Lisa, my baby. Fourth and last child. Fifty eight years old yesterday. Happy birthday my love!

Ian ain’t showing no respect! Only way to describe the situation. Traveling all over. Puerto Rico and other islands. Florida, South Carolina and other states. Leaving behind devastation, ruin, and death.

Why so bad? Global warming involved? Difficult to say. There have been other hurricanes as bad. Andrew and the Hurricane of 1935 for example.

Even as a Category 1, Ian with its water damage is wreaking havoc in South Carolina.

I got out of the house yesterday. Some errands to run and wanted to see what Key West looked like.

Damage nowhere similar to Fort Myers and other areas. Which I knew would be the case. We were lucky.

The streets were different. Many areas covered in brown. Looked like hardened shit. The only way to describe it. Note the damage was foliage. I assume cars drove over it turning it into brown mulch which dried. Time and rain will wash it away.

Tree branches and leaves laying on the roadside. People already cleaning up. More than I would have thought. In some places, tree trunks sawed into pieces lying with the branches and leaves. In other places, a piece of wall or two and some furniture which I assume had been soaked when water entered a home.

I ran into no flooded streets. Of course, Ian had visited 2-3 days earlier.

About a 100 boats displaced. Appeared to be live-a-boards.

I did not go near the beaches. I had been forewarned the road running by Higgs was buried with sand. Smathers with concrete. Not sure yet if parts of the Boulevard or sidewalk running along Smathers was ripped up.

I went to Bank of America to get cash. The ATM out of money. Went inside. Packed. I left. Never saw so many in the bank at one time. I really did not need cash that bad. My cards would do if I spent any money.

The building across from Bank of America which was on fire wednesday morning destroyed. Doubt any part is salvageable.

Traffic was heavy everywhere.

Stopped at Lisa’s to wish her a Happy Birthday! She was tied up on a conference business call. Shared a few words with Jake and went home.

The Key West Citizen has changed its name. Effective today it is Keys Citizen. Understandable. Money. The paper has published less and less about Key West in recent years. Cut its publication to 4- 5 days a week. Now it will cover all the Keys with one paper. Publication days will continue to be limited.

Ian had to cause a lot of turmoil for the ocean population. I was and continue to be concerned about the turtle hatching population on the beaches. Thousands gone forever.

I doubt the reef itself is attractive today. Should take a few days for the water to calm down.

Steve Thompson wrote of the beauty of the reef in the 1970’s.

My first time to the reef was just too cool. White sand beach we pulled onto.

It was like floating in a giant orange castle. Bright colored fish floating by with no hassle. The water was so clear it was like outer space. Everything moving at a slow space. Couldn’t believe no one was around. Just the reef, the fish, and not a sound.

I never saw it that bright again. I’ll remember that dive till the end.

Guy is making progress. Spirit back on a flatbed today. The flatbed will take Spirit to a repair yard. There it will remain during repairs. At the moment, Guy plans to remain and work on the repairs himself.

Syracuse/Wagner 5 pm today. Syracuse a 55 point favorite.

Hope there are no surprises.

Enjoy your day!

A touch of humor in these moments of extreme pain.

Bare Assets on Truman is a gentlemen’s club. Its BARE ASSETS sign stood in its parking lot on Truman. The sign did not make it. Ian apparently has LGBTQ problems. Does not like strip clubs.

When it rains it pours. More appropriately stated, when it rains Key West experiences fires.

While Ian was pounding Key West, the town had 4 fires. Two of significance.

The first was reported yesterday. The  retail/residential property on Flagler. The second occurred last night at the Key West Airport. Started in a hanger and spread to several others. Engulfed a helicopter and sea plane. Five private planes were were able to be saved.

The cause is under investigation.

My Mother was a diabetic. It killed her. Her case an extreme one. She had to shoot herself in the stomach twice a day.

Mom never complained about anything. Except, the daily injections. To her it was a cross she was bearing.

An announcement yesterday indicates diabetics are on the threshold for relief. A drug taken orally is on the horizon.

A capsule has been developed at MIT which has the capacity to travel through mucous in the GI tract. Insulin is protein based and until this time protein based pills were unable to travel through mucous in the GI tract.

Ginni Thomas appeared before the January 6 Committee yesterday for close to 4 hours. She answered all questions posed. Though some of her answers were on what might be described as the whacky side. She insisted the election was stolen from Trump by Biden’s people.

She is the wife of Supreme Court Justice Thomas. She insisted she never discussed public/court maters with her husband. Hard to believe. The woman is a liar. She and the game her husband play contributes to the growing lack of confidence the people have in the Supreme Court.

Many bodies are cremated.

I never gave much thought to what the final product consisted of. Assumed it was the entire body that made up the ashes. Recently learned not so. The ashes are the body bones burned down. Other burned body parts go down a drain.

A new form of embalming is slowly gaining notoriety. Embalming with water. The corpse is dissolved in water. Called “aquamation water” aka “alkaline hydrolysis.”

The body is placed in a pressure vessel which is then filled with a combination of water and potassium hydroxide. Heated to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Boiled for 6 hours till all that is left is liquid and bone. The liquid is drained off. The bones crushed. As with cremation, it is bone residue which is given to survivors.

The liquid drains into the sanitary system. Can be used also to water a garden or other green spaces.

Cost cheap. Once the undertaker has purchased the machinery, the procedure an inexpensive $116.40.

The Mayo Clinic has been using the system/process for years.

The Catholic Church opposes its use. As it initially was with cremation. The U.S. Conference of Bishops in 2011 announced it was “unnecessarily disrespectful of the human body.”

Water embalming is legal in 19 states.

Putin on the move again this week. Two new developments.

One involves damage to the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Putin claims sabotage. As does the rest of the free world. The saboteur? Putin, of course. Though he denies it and blames Germany, the U.S., etc.

The other, the formal “annexation” of 4 parts of Ukraine today. Putin making a big deal of the signing which is scheduled for today. The vote of the people earlier this week was around 90 percent in favor. Of course, done in front of a gun barrel and witnesses.

Putin at some point will run out of games to play. He will be left only with the nuclear option. I find it hard to believe he would play the card. Death and destruction for all concerned. Russia, Europe in general and the U.S. The simpler and less deadly solution is for the Russian people to drag Putin out of his office onto a public square and hang him.

Neville Chamberlain screwed up big time this day in 1938. He sought to avoid war, to appease Hitler. The Munich Pact the result.

Chamberlain viewed it as “peace with honor” / “peace in our time.”

What it really amounted to was total capitulation. Within months, World War II began.

Enjoy your day!

Ian represents nothing less than nature at its worst. With a destructive path that will continue into early next week.

Key West was spared. Other Florida areas not. TV viewings of Ian’s force and destruction borders on the unbelievable. Water rolling on shore. Filling many first floors. In some areas, second floors. Ian’s power so great it sucked water right out of a river and major waterway. Unbelievable. Cars floating. Soon bodies.

The most moving event I viewed on TV this morning. I do not recall where. However, a family apparently opted to stay. Their home 2 stories. Viewing showed husband/father on second floor. Water waist to chest high. He was talking to some TV personnel safely in a studio somewhere. The man was talking about trying to get on the roof. Unable to do so. There was an open window next to him. TV people were telling him to get everyone out and find something to hold on to that would float till help could arrive.

Help of course hours away. Not part of the conversation.

As the talk was ongoing, there was a rapid swoosh of water and the screen went blank. My feeling is the man was washed out the window. Probably drowned. His family. Don’t know.

Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run yesterday. Tied Roger Maris’ record set in 1961.

I remember the 1961 season. I was a young lawyer at the time. Maris and Mickey Mantle both played for the Yankees. Both were leading the home run race. Maris slightly in the lead most of the season. A couple of home runs ahead.

The country followed the race with attention and excitement. Maris ultimately won with 61.

I hope Judge gets a few more home runs in the final days of the season. Records are made to be broken. Maris’ has held the record for 61 years. Time for a new top gun.

Bad enough Ian imposed itself on Key West this week. So did a major fire.

Just before 6 yesterday morning, a joint retail/residential structure burned. Total loss. Forty residents without homes. All commercial businesses without a home, also.

The building is located at 3201 Flagler. Directly across the street from Bank of America.

Syphilis is on the rise in the U.S. A recent study showed a 26 percent increase in the one year period 2020-2021. The increase of special concern. Twenty-twenty had marked the lowest number of cases ever.

The concern extends to the unborn also. The same study noted a 24 percent increase in congenital syphilis. Fetuses in the wombs. Born dead or soon after birth.

Last week I wrote of an increase in venereal diseases. STDs.

Contributing to the problem is we are becoming an increasingly sex conscious nation. I’m not arguing with the increased desire. Enjoy! Sex is pleasurable. Experts suggest AIDS/HIV not the concern it once was. People feel freer to enjoy.

Experts also believe a lack of public investment a cause. Money not being appropriated to assist in minimizing the affliction.

There is a cure. Penicillin. No vaccination is available.

The experts further indicate that syphilis has become such a non problem over the years, that many of today’s doctors do not even recognize it when they see it.

Syracuse/Wagner saturday at 5 pm at Syracuse. Syracuse 4-0, Wagner 0-3.

Syracuse a 55 point favorite. If I were a betting man, I would bet Wagner. Fifty five points a hell of a spread!

Enjoy your day!

I am tired. Exhausted. The feeling amusing. I never left the house during the night. Nevertheless, Ian beat me up.

A strange storm. Ian never made landfall in the Keys. However, it passed by Key West as a Category 3. Somewhat less than 70 miles to the west. Wind speed reported as 120 mph.

At 5:30 this morning, Ian was reported to be 20 miles south southwest of the Dry Tortugas.

Technically, a tropical storm and surge.

The winds during the night were loud. One blast after another. Then a constant boom. Rain non-stop. Heavy.

I only got 2 hours sleep. That’s why I’m tired. The booming and banging.

Never uncomfortable. Either in bed or downstairs in an easy chair. Never lost power. TV and internet with me throughout the evening.

Lisa lost power at 8 last night. The power authority told her they were not sending out repair crews till this morning. The winds and rain too dangerous to work in the dark.

When the sun came up this morning, I went on the front porch. Damage inconsequential. From my viewpoint, could see neither branches nor trees down. Only tons of miniscule pieces of foliage.

Media warnings advise Key West will continue to suffer today the effects of a tropical storm and surge, even though Ian has moved past Heavier this afternoon. At the moment, merely wind. No rain.

The only significant activity/damage I saw was on Facebook last night. Huge water sprays over the Southernmost Point, a large tree and metal light pole lying across Whitehead Street.

The word this morning is Fort Myers will be the point of impact. Ian presently a Category 4. Two points short of a 5. Expected to be a 5 when it hits later today. Ian is moving very slowly.

I have seen the effects of many hurricanes over 30 years. Andrew the worst. A 5. Nothing was left standing. If Fort Myers suffers the same damage, it will have to be totally rebuilt.

Irma was the second worse result. Boats on the streets and highways. Cars and houses in the ocean. Nothing normal. Including the large refrigerator sitting 20 feet up on a couple of tree branches.

The January 6 House Committee was to hold a hearing today. It has been cancelled. The reason given was Hurricane Ian.

I do not accept the reason. The past few days, various members of the Committee have appeared on TV. Each’s certainty as to what was to be presented and to what extent lacked certainty. I sensed something was amiss. I suspect more has arisen and the Committee was not ready.

Whatever the reason, I hope they do have a public presentation before the November election. There is so much more the public needs to know. From a Committee that has been boldly and frankly honest and revealing.

As the world turns. Trump’s world.

Trump has had difficulty finding attorneys to represent him. One reason is he does not pay his legal bills.

He needed a top notch attorney for the Mar-a-Lago matter. Finally found one. Chris Kise.

Kise drove a hard, but proper bargain based on Trump’s track record of not paying his attorneys. He demanded and received up front $3 million. In return for which he resigned from his law firm. No question he would be devoting full time to Trump.

The retention and financial payment was made less than one month ago. Kise is no longer Trump’s Mar-a-Lago attorney. He has been relegated to benchwarmer status.

Seems Kise was instrumental in recommending Judge Dearie as Special Master. Says it all.

The word is Kise is now one of Trump’s legal team for whatever Trump may have need of him.

Say a prayer for those remaining in the Fort Myers area. Many will die.

Ian is a strange duck. The cone a good 70-100 miles to the left of Key West. Yet, we are experiencing rain and wind inconsistent with a normal hurricane.

Five o’clock yesterday afternoon, Ian was heading west of Cuba. Not there yet. Suddenly Key West had a big time rain burst. Heavy. I looked outside. The rain was so heavy, the houses across the street were cloaked in gray. Then the rain took on what is typical in a tropical storm. Began blowing sideways. Horizontally.

The scenario took all of 6-7 minutes. Then over.

I was wondering. Ian is miles away and slated never to come near Key West. Why all this excitement with Ian still reaching out for Cuba?

The same thing this morning. Periodic rain. Sometime extreme as it was at 5 yesterday. Some rain blowing sidewards. The blasts 5-10 minutes.

This evening, Ian is scheduled to pass Key West on the left. Roughly 100 miles west. Yet all day and while it is passing, Key West will be subjected to heavy tropical winds and rain.

Tampa area going to take the beating. Could be a 4 when it hits. I wish them well.

I am being selfish. However, I hope Key West retains power. I would miss TV and the internet.

Detroit is going to have a Vincent van Gogh exhibition next month. October 2-January 22. At the Detroit Institute of Arts. It will be the largest U.S. showcase of van Gogh’s works in more than 20 years.

Seventy of the artist’s paintings and prints will be exhibited. Additionally works of Cezanne, Gauguin, Matisse and Stella will be shown.

Exciting! Very exciting!

The last time I saw a van Gogh exhibit was 30 years ago at the Metropolitan in New York City.

The world knows the sad and mentally demented life van Gogh led. Nevertheless, he was a genius. Poor all his life. He only sold one painting the entire time.

Book banners having a field day. Shamefully so.

Over 1,600 books were banned last year. In schools. The movement to ban certain books in schools continues. The literary field’s Salem witch hunt. One hundred thirty eight school districts in 32 states participated in the bannings.

The bannings: LGBTQ themes 41 percent, sex involvement 22 percent, race and racism 21 percent, and 40 percent featuring major characters of color.

Behind the bannings and promoting them big time are advocacy groups. The attacks calculated.

It has become evident that Ukraines are warriors. Interestingly, women make up more than a fifth of Ukraine’s military.

Assume Russia loses the war with Ukraine. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman in a recent article asked: “How will the U.S. right handle the revelation that sometimes tough guys finish last?”

Putin placed himself in the position he is in. Success is slipping through his fingers. I suspect he believes oil will save his ass. Assuming he can hold on through the winter. His hope is European and other nations dependent on Russian oil will have to abandon Ukraine and support Russia in order to save their populations from freezing.

Hope springs eternal. I do not see the type capitulation Putin requires. The world knows he is a “decided loser.” He made his bed and will have to sleep in it.

The U.S. and other nations who have the capacity are already planning how to provide necessary energy to Russia’s present customers.

The entire time I have been writing this morning, Ian has been spitting on the Keys. The sound and its variations have turned into a symphony.

Enjoy your day!

Yareni Rios-Gonzalez is a 20 year old young lady.  She was in Platteville, Colorado. It was September 19. She had been pulled over by police who were responding to a report of a woman “menacing with a handgun” while driving.

Yareni was arrested, handcuffed, and locked in a police car which was parked on railroad tracks.

Suddenly, Yareni saw a train barreling towards the police car in which she was locked inside. She “tried frantically to get the officers’ attention.”

A video clip shows a police officer standing outside the car moving away as the train plowed into the vehicle. Yareni had been in the police car approximately 2 minutes before the train struck. The train plowed into the police car with her in it.

Yareni is lucky she was not killed. Though she did suffer serious injuries: a head injury, broken arm, fractured sternum, 9 broken ribs, broken teeth, and injuries to her back and legs.

A second video showed one police officer asking another mere seconds later, “Was she in there.” Another officer responded, “Oh my god, yes she was.” The other officer responded, “Oh, fuck.”

No charges have been filed as yet against Yareni.

In a time when police slayings are commonplace, this one is different. Race was not involved. Yareni’s case is one involving simple negligence. Stupidity on the part of the police officers leaving her in a locked police car on railroad tracks. The negligence is the vehicle being left on railroad tracks.

Ian still in the news. Has not reached Florida yet.

Nothing has changed since yesterday’s blog. Landfall between Tampa and the Panhandle. A Category 3 or 4. Will miss Key West and the Keys by 100 miles or more.

The media is still pumping danger to the Keys. This morning’s 6 am report: “Tropical storm warning remains in effect…..Locations affected – Key West – Sugarloaf Key -Big Pine Key.”

I thought yesterday and did till a couple of hours ago that the media has been overplaying/dramatizing Ian and Key West. Till I stepped on the porch. It was the calm before the storm.

Before a hurricane or tropical storm hits, nothing moves. Not a branch or leaf. No breeze. Nothing. It has always been that way. Such is how it is now. Which means significant winds, surges and rain may be visiting the Keys this evening. Not enough to have warranted leaving. Enough however to cause a bit of concern when it does happen.

One thing I forgot to mention when purchasing groceries for a storm. Failed to mention plastic spoons, fork and knives. Otherwise would be eating the chocolate putting, jam, etc. Arab style with my fingers.

Governor DeSantis is almost as good as Trump in getting his name flouted on the media. His notoriety reached a national scale with his flying immigrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard.

David R. Lurie wrote a right on opinion piece 9/21 in The Daily Beast titled: The Performative Sadism of Ron DeSantis.

Some interesting comments, observations in the article.

“The GOP – under Donald Trump and perhaps soon under his would be successor, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis – is rapidly becoming a party centered upon tormenting and humiliating the vulnerable.”

“Cruelty and humiliation have been central to his grievance and political activities.”

DeSantis “expected that the Vineyard’s residents would recoil from the desperate asylum seekers, allowing FOX News’ viewers to savor both the suffering of the migrants and seeing the ‘libs’ exposed as hypocrites.”

Surprise! DeSantis discovered there are good/nice people in the U.S., even those living on a monied island.

DeSantis hit the publicity bell big time. His Vineyard gambit was his “national coming out party as a political sadist, and gained him unexpected attention.” MAGA and far right Republicans loved it. DeSantis loved it. Gained him support for his much desired 2024 Presidential run.

Berlusconi, Putin and Portofino.

Three days ago, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was severely criticized for defending Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Berlusconi claimed Putin was “pushed…..only wanted to replace Zelensky with a government of decent people.”

In my 2/26/2022 blog: Putin Is A Small Man Of Five-Six Saying He Is Five-Seven, I described Putin as being affected with Napoleonic megalomania.

I briefly described the relationship between Putin and Berlusconi. It was not the first time. I had discussed it in a blog or two years earlier.

I had the pleasure of visiting Portofino several times. Berlusconi had a magnificent home in Portofino. I would sit on the water admiring his home, landscaping and huge yacht. He lived well!

Berlusconi and Putin were close friends. So close that Putin’s daughter spent a whole summer at the Berlusconi home in Portofino. It also was reported that Putin built a home next to Portofino’s, though smaller in scale.

Berlusconi was an astute politician in his day. He has to be in his 90’s now. His reputation with young ladies and tax avoidance did him in politically. Putin has had a ladies man reputation also. It was rumored the two may have partied together.

Which brings me to Giorgia Meloni, the newly elected Prime Minister of Italy.

Italy is governed by coalition. I can’t recall any political group ever having sufficient votes for a majority. Meloni’s party is the Brothers of Italy. The party is rooted in a post-war movement that rose out of Mussolini’s fascists.

Meloni’s party previously never received more than 9 seats in the vote. This week it garnered somewhere in the 20’s. Italy opting to take a ride with fascism again

Berlusconi’s party similarly rose out of Mussolini’s fascism, though a different party. To put a winning coalition together, Meloni has joined with two other parties. One being Berlusconi’s. She has put together 44 percent of the seats needed. Enough to win.

It is expected Meloni will be close friends with Putin through the Berlusconi relationship.

Italy is the third largest economy in Europe. Besides being rightist, Meloni is anti-Euro. Should Italy pull out of the Euro, she will screw up the European economy even more than it is at the present time.

It is also thought she will not be as supportive to Zelensky’s Ukraine as her predecessor was.

Meloni a decided addition to Europe’s turmoil.

Enjoy your day!

Good bye Ian. Glad to see you are going to pass us by.

First off, I have to concede I was panicking. The weather releases concerned me. Key West was as close to the center of the cone as possible. Even when the cone began drifting westward, Key West remained near center.

Now Key West is totally out of the cone. God bless! Hooray!

Many Key Westers shared my concern. My grocery person Jaqueline told me yesterday morning Publix was crazy. People grabbing everything they could off the shelves. A few Key West friends called. They said the talk in town was crazy…..looked like we were in for it.

Then everything changed.

I should have known better. So should everyone else. The reason for the panic was again the cone. Too large, too soon. I hope some discussion follows and the cone problem does not occur again. It was the media over reporting, over dramatizing an event.

Two things came out of this scenario for me. One good, one bad.

My car got some minimal updating. The good.

The bad is I have groceries, most of which I do not normally eat.

I purchased groceries based on what I would need if I remained. In 30 years, I have only left twice. Georges in 1998 and Irma 5 years ago. So I am aware that when one stays, the person remains without electric power. Means no electricity. No water a problem also. The first two items to go.

Food planning involves what need not be kept refrigerated or cooked. My choice potato chips, pretzels, crackers, peanut butter, jam chocolate pudding cups that need not be refrigerated, Hershey chocolate bars, American bread and bananas. My normal diet only includes the bananas and the American bread. I also purchased 6 cases of water. Twenty four 16 ounce bottles to each. Plus 36 16 ounce bottles of Diet Pepsi.

I already have flashlights and candles.

All left for me to do was fill the bathtub with water. To flush the toilets.

American bread because it lasts a couple of weeks without turning green. Store made bread molds fast.

I am not disappointed that Ian will not be visiting. I do feel a sympathy for those he will, however.

Steve Thompson tells the story of a bar called Monster. Way before my Key West time. An interesting place however in the late 1970’s and into the early 1980’s till AIDS hit.

In the late 70’s Seth and Sven opened the Monster Bar. It was the foremost Key West hangout by far.

Some of the hottest girls were there every day. They didn’t get harassed cause it was mostly gay. The local studs said they were friends of Schwinns. To get past the doorman cause they couldn’t pronounce Sven.

All the best bands and entertainers were there. Everyone partied without a care. Famous people from all over the Keys. The Village People and every celebrity.

It seemed like there was no end in sight. Then someone shot Seth in the head one night. Thank God he survived and was able to come back. But no one was ready for the next whack.

It was now the eighties and everything was opening up. When locals were getting sick going, “what the____?” Nobody knew what was going on. But everyone knew something was wrong. AIDS scared everyone to death as it should. And that was the end of Monster for good.

Ian obviously a concern to many in Florida. Over on the east cast at Cape Canaveral for the third proposed launch of Artemis I scheduled for this coming Tuesday. Canceled again. This time due to a hurricane scare rather than the previous two hydrogen problems.

This is the final day of the Presidents Cup.

The U.S. leads 11-7. Twelve single matches scheduled. Needed to win 15.5 points.

The International team closed the gap yesterday by winning 3 of the last 4 matches. It seems like an impossible task for the International team to win 8.5 points today. Means win 8 matches and tie 1. Compared to the U.S. only needing 4.5 points. However one never knows. Hope springs eternal. Never say never. Though I doubt the Internationals will even come close.

Enjoy your Sunday!