The flavor finally returned!

Yesterday for me was the 18th day since coming off self-quarantine. Prior to last night, I had been out only 4-5 times.

Last night not only was I out, I had a good time! The old days prior to the virus had returned!

My evening was to start at 6. Don and Chris were meeting me at the Pier House Beach Bar for a drink and then out to dinner.

I was early. Discovered Jean and Joe Thornton at the bar enjoying an early diner. Jean was wearing a crazy Kentucky Derby hat.

The lovely Janine was bartending. She has worked the Beach Bar more than 20 years.

Chatted with Jean and Joe till Don and Chrs arrived. Jean was enjoying stone crabs. Reminded me yesterday was the season’s last harvest. She offered me a claw.

Don and Chris presently live near Syracuse. We met in Key West many years ago and have become good friends.

Poor Don! He had a foot problem far worse than mine. He was somewhere in the U.S. on business. Wisconsin if I recall correctly. He fell on a curb. Broke bones between knee and ankle, the ankle itself, a bone in his foot, and tore ligaments.

Good job, Don!

It has been a long recovery. He is better. Walks without assistance. He showed me a photo of the screws they removed from his leg. Heavy hardware.

We stayed at the Beach Bar and watched the Kentucky Derby with Jean and Joe and everyone else.

The Derby was exciting, as always. Two things impressed me.

Medina was the seventh horse trained by Bob Baffert that won. Baffert is the guy with the headful of white hair. He is now the Tom Brady of racing. No one else has won 7 times.

Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim and wife Julie were also in attendance. They met 27 years ago at the Kentucky Derby.

Boeheim also owned a “piece” of one of the horses running. Hidden Stash. Boeheim owns “two hairs of the tail.”

Actually, he does own a piece of Hidden Stash. Syracusan Adam      Weitsman owns Hidden Stash and for real gave Boeheim a small piece of the horse.

Unfortunately, Hidden Stash finished way back in #14 position.

Jim and Julie watched Hidden Stash make a run for the roses. As mentioned earlier, Jim and Julie met at the Kentucky Derby 27 years ago. Coach yesterday said, “It’s great to be back!”

I doubt Boeheim is into horse racing in any fashion, other than described herein. I have known him personally since 1981 and horse racing is not part of the man.

Bob Kastner came over to say hello mentioning he had met me a couple of times at the Chart Room and reads this blog every day. Thank you, Bob. I may have misspelled his name. If so, I apologize. He also introduced me to his wife.

The Derby over, it was time for dinner. Don had made reservations at a new restaurant. The Belmare.

Many Key West restaurants closed because of the pandemic. The Commodore was one. Sad. I had been a customer on and off for over 20 years. The best prime rib in town!

The Commodore was on the second floor near Alonzo’s. On the first floor was the famous and busy Boat. The  Boat is gone. Replaced by a hamburger restaurant owned by a movie star whose name escapes me. Both the Commodore and the Boat were owned by the same person.

The Belmare is top shelf. High end. Attractive. Decor basically the Commodore with minimal changes.

Don and Chris had eaten at the Belmare the previous evening. It was so good they wanted to go a second night. Don has a gregarious personality. Met many staff through him including Lucy the manager and bartenders Matthew and Kim.

Food and service were excellent. I enjoyed a piece of grouper, Don a lobster mixture, Chris the same except with shrimp.

Enjoyed Don and Chris’ company. We had not seen each other in over a year.

Such was my evening. Like the “old” days.

Don, Chris and I parted ways after dinner. Me to my car to go home. Don and Chris to Duval to party.

This afternoon an easy one. A manicure and pedicure at 2 with Tammy.

Enjoy your Sunday!

I was fortunate to make the acquaintance of several new persons this season. I say “fortunate” because due to the COVID-19 problem there were fewer people in Key West.

Two of those persons were David and EB Berger. David is a retired anesthesiologist. EB is short for Ennid. EB a nickname that has followed her for years. She is a retired attorney.

A charming and interesting couple.

David’s professional career was in the New York metropolitan area.

David and EB own a home in Key West.

During one of our conversations, David mentioned he had dome some writing a few yeas ago. For his pleasure alone. Never published any. I asked if he would send some to me. He did.

David was retired by the time coronavirus hit. He wrote concerning his impressions. What follows is a piece he wrote in the third month of the virus in April 2020.

I thought it worthy of sharing. He titled it Battle Lines.

BATTLE LINES

The Coronavirus pandemic has been an unprecedented stress on health care delivery. There are more patients, sicker patients, requiring more resources than seems possible. The specter of health care workers becoming infected has introduced an element of fear that most practitioners have never even imagined. As a recently retired anesthesiologist, I have stayed in touch with my colleagues in the New York metropolitan area to get a gauge on their day to day existence.

I have heard accounts of many health care workers who are conflicted on whether they should enter the fray or whether to sit this one out for their own safety and for the safety of their families. I myself wonder what I would do if I were not retired, with multiple risk factors and luckily isolated in a relatively safe zone. I know of several people who are sitting this one out, but just as many who have had to step up their hours as well as the intensity of work to meet the challenge.

We see accounts of health care workers in urban hospitals who are overwhelmed physically and emotionally, who are realistically fearful of getting sick because there is inadequate personal protective equipment for all practitioners. I’m sure these accounts are true, and am hard-pressed to understand how these situations developed. My heart goes out to those people who are sent to war without weapons.

Fortunately, the health system which I was associated with has exceptional resources, and I have not heard horror stories from my colleagues. The gist of what I have heard is that my colleagues are treating this just like any other challenge they have encountered in their careers. This challenge is unquestionably unique as the sheer unrelenting volume and intensity of disease has never been experienced except during wartime. The challenge is met through established channels of cooperation and decision making. That is because health care is a team effort. It requires resourceful administration and emergency planning. It requires the cooperation of multiple hospital departments in order to deploy services where they are required as well as to develop novel solutions to problems on the fly. It requires the dedication of health care workers to work harder and longer than they ever have before. In the trenches, teamwork is the only thing that gets people through the day and the only thing that gives people strength to get up and do it again the next day.

Today I saw a Facebook video from my hospital of a patient who was being discharged from the hospital after 17 days in the ICU. The entire hospital staff was lining the walls wearing masks and applauding the patient. There was a shedding of tears, but no hugs, just an occasional gloved fist-bump.

Everyone has seen a video like this. The difference for me was that I know this guy. He has worked at my hospital for 30 years and every person in the hospital knows him. In a week where many patients were dying despite the heroic efforts of the entire staff, he survived. It was a moment of victory in a season of death. The loss of countless patients was put in perspective by one friend who was saved. Health care workers must find a sense of detachment in order to stay sane. For a moment, that detachment was overwhelmed by the fact that health care is very, very personal. That experience provided the motivation to keep on going.

David Berger MD

Key West

April 2020

David has a talent. He should write more.

Staying with doctors for a moment, I visited Dr. Norris yesterday. He wanted to check how the gout problem was coming along. I had telephoned him to complain the pain had left me days ago. However, the swelling of the foot and ankle was getting larger. Extremely so.

Saw the good doctor. Gout is gone. My problem now is water retention. I have been on water pills for years. He took me off them 2 weeks ago. Something to do with getting rid of the uric acid.

The swelling extends up through my calf.

I am back on water pills. Can’t wait for the “swelling” to go down. The swelling is so significant I am unable to wear my normal every day shoes. The foot would not fit. I was back to crocs.

I also gained 5-6 pounds during this time.

It is amazing how many people have had gout. It has monopolized many of my written and face to face conversations recently.

Found a new place for lunch. Actually, to get a sandwich at any time.

It is called The Moose Pit. Located at the back of the Moose Lodge building on Eisenhower.

It is absolutely nothing appearance wise. Typical old fashioned Key West. A hole in the Moose building for cooking. Seating outside at several picnic tables. Each covered with a huge umbrella.

I make a point. Expect nothing fancy. It is the food that will return you to the place.

The specialty of the house is Pit Beef sandwiches. Seven variations. The meat, cheese and a dressing.

The sandwich on a huge soft roll. I had the Pit Beef with cheddar and house made island sauce. At least 2 inches high. $10! The best deal in town.

I have to believe 98 percent of the people in Key West are upset with the cruise ship bill passed by the Florida House and Senate. It is on its way to the Governor for signing. He will sign it. I would be shocked if he did not.

Following are 3 comments in this morning’s Citizens’ Voice critical of what has occurred.

“Yes, Republican Senator Jim Boyd stated that his bill to over turn the cruise ship referendums would ‘protect’ Florida citizens, but from whom? Key Westers voted for the referendums and the cruise ship crowd got the State legislature to vote for them!”

“Big money wins today (most are not local) as they get to have the daily mega ships come into our port.”

“Where do I sign up to greet cruise ships with “Unwelcome signs?'”

The stone crab season ends tomorrow. As a practical matter today as there can be no harvesting after May 1.

Stone crabs…..One of the world’s greatest foods. The season is from 10/1 to 5/2.

An interesting election today in Texas.

A Republican Congressman from Texas died and this election is to fill his seat. Twenty three candidates running. Includes the dead Congressman’s wife. No party distinction. All 23 run on the same line.

The victor must receive 50 percent of the vote. If not, there will be a run off between the highest two.

Texas has not elected a Democrat to the seat since 1983. However, the numbers have been getting closer and closer. In the most recent election, the Congressman won by only 3 percentage points.

Texas has been moving Democratic. This may be the time for a politically significant result.

Joe Manchin. I am not saying I am tending to dislike him. I have reached that point already.

Excuse the vernacular, the man is a pompous self-serving ass.

Biden needs every Democratic vote to achieve his goals for America. One Democratic Senator voting with the Republicans and Biden’s proposed legislation is defeated.

Manchin has already said loud and clear he will not vote to eliminate filibuster. In addition, he now advises he does not support statehood for Washington D.C. nor a bill to overhaul federal elections.

Big day today! The Kentucky Derby! The race is scheduled to start at 6:57 pm.

Today represents the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby. A 2 minute race. It is considered the  greatest 2 minutes in sports.

Don and Chris are back. Been a while since we have been together. I am meeting them tonight at 6 at the Pier House Beach Bar.

I wish the Pier House would reopen the Chart Room!

Enjoy your day!

One of the themes of DaThomas Paine’s “Common Sense” is that there needs to be a balance between man’s pursuit of liberty and the government’s responsibility to maintain order for the common good.

The great thing about America is that everyone is allowed to have their opinion. Exchange of opinions is what defines a democracy. Democracy, atits best, is the distillation of the spectrum of opinions and the establishment of a compromise which accommodates that span of ideas. In most eras of American history, this democratic process has worked, primarily driven by statesmen who serve the common good.

The First Amendment right to free speech is the cornerstone of our national ethos. Nonetheless, I was dismayed to see protesters in multiple states take to the streets to oppose the self-isolation orders imposed by their state and local governments, at the direction of the federal government. Even though I cannot fathom the logic of their protest, I fully support their right to express themselves.

As a retired physician from the NY metropolitan area, I know that many, many people are dying of Covid-19 and that my colleagues are stretched to their physical and mental limits trying to manage this disease. I understand and empathize with the fact that many people have been badly injured, both emotionally and financially. I also understand that not every part of the country is affected to the same degree by the pandemic and that easing of self-isolation rules will roll out at different rates across the country.

What I cannot understand or tolerateis that in congregating without any regard to the spreading of disease in direct violation of rules formulated to keepthe disease in check, these people are putting themselves AND OTHERS in danger by ignoring basic common sense. Social distancing was instituted because the disease is spread from person to person by contact that is by no means intimate. Furthermore, people may not get sick for a very long time after they are infected and are infective; some do not get sick at all. The only way that this disease can be checked without an effective vaccine is by avoiding contact with other people. VERY SIMPLE. Do not gather in crowds to express your opinion. Use social media, traditional media and contact your representatives. Do not risk other people’s lives because you are overdue for your haircut. Do not block health care workers from getting to work.

Lastly, the behavior of politicians who have politicized these protests and egged on the protesters is contemptible and misinformed. The concept that lives must be sacrificed for the economic recoveryis beyond common decency.

At this moment, the solution to opening the country involves widescale testing of the entire population, both for Covid-19 positivity (active infection) as well as blood testing for antibodies to the virus (indicative of active or previous infection). In combination, these tests can better approximate the extent of disease so far (current estimates are likely far below the real infection rate). People who have reliable evidence of prior disease and who have recovered can reasonably reenter the economy without risking others. Careful analysis of the data derived by pooling these results can help us understand how the virus travels and how to identify regions at imminent risk.

Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” remains valid in modern times. This pandemic will continue for the foreseeable future. We all need to continue to use self-discipline, common sense and the guidance of scientists rather than to rush blindly into reopening the country.

David Berger MD

April 2020

I was excited about wednesday’s blog. Title and main topic had to do with Key West winning the cruise ship war. I was so excited, I could not wait to write it. I did the cruise ship portion tuesday evening following Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

It appears that things changed in Tallahassee about the same time as I was writing that Key West West had beaten the State and cruise ships.

I never went back wednesday morning to check if the result was still as I had written the night before. I have learned a lesson. I should have. Things can change. The House bill was amended and resubmitted again. This time time to pass.

My apologies.

The bill has been sent to Governor DeSantis. He has 30 days to act on it. If he does not, the bill automatically becomes law.

Something stinks!

The story will play out as time goes on. The result could be embarrassing to certain persons involved. Pay for play may be involved.

Assuming the bill becomes the law, Key West is left with no alternative but to appeal. Grounds for a successful appeal might lie because Key West is the only port affected by the legislation.

Carry on the battle Key West! It still remains possible for David to beat Goliath!

A recent Citizens’ Voice commented on the political screwing Key West is taking: “So, late at night, one day before the session ends a very specifically worded amendment is added to a bill that was seemingly dead. Politics at its dirtiest and most demeaning.”

Busy day yesterday. Had to be in Cudjoe. Forgot what a long drive it can be. Traffic was heavy. The drive no fun.

A stop on my way home was fun. A late lunch at Geiger Key. The lovely Lucy bartending.

Yesterday, I mentioned Willie Nelson and Huckleberry Rose. Today I note Willie Nelson is 88 years old. Happy birthday to one of America’s greatest entertainers!

Today a significant one in American history. The U.S. and France concluded negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase. The parcel so vast in doubled the size of the U.S. The U.S. negotiated a steal. Total cost $15 million. Less than three cents an acre.

It was not the “skillful” negotiations by the U.S. that accomplished the “steal.” Nor an possible impending war between France and Great Britain nor a possible blockade of France by Great Britain.

Concededly French problems. However, inconsequential in the total scheme of things.

It was the mosquitoes on the island of Haiti that motivated Napoleon to “give away” Louisiana.

Haiti belonged to France. There was a slave revolution. A tiny prick in France’s side. Though exasperating to Napoleon.

Napoleon ordered his brother in law General  La Clerc and a large contingency of French troops to New Orleans to improve French defenses there. However, Napoleon ordered Le Clerc to first stop in Haiti and end the bothersome slave revolution.

Napoleon and Le Clerc knew nothing of he dangers of mosquito caused yellow fever. The natives never got sick. They had developed an immunity over the yeas. The French had no such immunity.

In was 1802. Le Clerc’s first year in Haiti. He lost 6,000 troops to yellow fever. Even Le Clerc came down with yellow fever and subsequently died while still in Haiti.

Late in 1802, Napoleon sent 20,000 additional troops under General Rochambeau to Haiti. In one year the General returned to France with only 3,000 troops. Seventeen thousand died on Haiti.

Napoleon had it! He wanted nothing more to do with the new world. He instructed his staff to sell all of the Louisiana territory to the U.S. He did not care for how much. He was through with the Americas.

The bottom line the U.S. “stole” Louisiana from Napoleon. Obviously not so.

On this day in 1939, the New York World’s Fair opened in Flushing Meadows, Queens.

Some time after it opened, my father took me to the World’s Fair. I was  at the time 4 years old. I have certain, though not all, recollections of the visit.

Three things stick out in my mind even today. The world globe, monument, and ride through the City of the Future.

The names of the globe and monument were actually Perisphere and Trylon. Both imposing structures.

I recall clearly the Futuramic Ride through what was described as the City of the Future. The event itself not the reason why. It was the ride on a padded bench through the city.

I believe the Perisphere and Trylon stand to this day.

Increasing food prices continue in the news. I spoke of  the issue yesterday.

Today, there appeared an article that noted increasing food prices would continue and reach such a high elevation  and that social unrest would follow: “We are edging closer to a Biblical price increase scenario.”

I don’t buy the disaster situation. Every pending crisis has the same scenario. The end of society/the world as we know it. Such never seems to occur, however.

A doctor visit at noon. The goiter problem. My right ankle continues to be “huge.” Spoke with Dr. Norris on the phone and he said to come in today as he has to see the ankle before deciding what, if anything, has to be done next. The super pill prescribed killed the pain, but has not affected the swelling.

Enjoy your day!

We’re into a Willie Nelson/Dyan Cannon situation.

Recall their 1980 movie Honeysuckle Rose. A terrific film. A bit of a tear jerker. The movie’s best song was There Must Be Two Sides To Every Story. The key line for my purposes this morning “two sides to every story.”

Center Academy is a New York City private school. Pre-K to fifth grade. Three hundred students. Tuition $30,000 each year per student. Cash flow close to $1 million per year.

Leila Center and her husband are co-founders of Center Academy. Leila e-mailed employees saying the school would not employ people who had been vaccinated against COVID-19. You read the last sentence correctly. If an employee had the shots, he or she were out of a job.

A day or two before the e-mail, she had a video conference call with faculty and staff  in which she said in effect vaccinated persons could no longer be employed.

Her reason was a complaint by one parent who said her child was having headaches and the headaches were caused by association with persons who had been vaccinated. Leila also claimed she checked with three doctors who agreed there could be adverse results to children who came into contact with persons vaccinated.

I throw up my hands!

In recent years, I have complained how the Catholic Church had gone too far right.  The Catholic Bishops Conference was in bed with far right organizations.

The Catholic Reporter ran an interesting article this morning re the Church’s alliance with MAGNA. The article claimed the Church’s support of Trump in many instances had caused a large number of Catholics to exit the Church.

It is the same story over again. Too many prelates wanting to exercise political power as well as religious. Forgetting priests belong in the pulpit and not the political sphere.

Biden’s State of America Address last night was different. Different in a favorable way.

He reminded me of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his fireside chats. Soft and easy. Considerate. He also reminded me of Ronald Reagan who speeches were likewise special. Though coming from a different political perspective.

Biden compared January 6 to the Civil War. Many Republicans who work on the other side like Cruz, Hawley and Lindsay sat smugly listening to Biden. They reminded me of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee who left the Union to support the Confederacy.

It was strange to watch the Address with so many seats empty. Coronavirus protections were enforced. Masks and social distancing.

Rudy Giuliani. Is he in deep shit trouble? Time will tell. What goes around comes around.

I went out last night. Enjoyed. Slept well after. Feel terrific this morning.

I attended the Sons and Daughters of Italy meeting. I have not in 2 years.

First, the location. The Stock Island Yacht Club. First time. Way out on Stock Island.

Beautiful. Perched on the open harbor. The food spectacular.

I sat with an old friend and 2 new friends last night.

Santa Claus one. He looks like Santa. Was Santa Clause to Robert and Ally in their early years. Learned something interesting about Santa Claus. He is a U.S. Army retiree. Spent 7 years in Europe as NATO’s Chief Chef.

Two ladies sat with us. I never met either before. Ansh and Charlene. Vietnamese. Own and operate a small nail salon near Winn-Dixie.

My three cohorts at the table all attend the Vineyard Church in Big Pine. I have to try it some Sunday. Sounded interesting.

We had a fun table.

Not all police are bad.

Chy-Niece Trachr was driving down a highway. A police officer stopped her. As she was searching through her purse for her license, etc. the police officer said forget them, I am not giving you a ticket. I stopped you to tell you your brake lights are not working and you should get them fixed.

Chy-Niece went into a tirade. She explained she had the brake lights fixed one month earlier at Firestone. She returned complaining her brake lights still did not work. Firestone said it would cost her an additional $600 to check the wiring. She didn’t have the $600.

The officer had her pop the trunk. He checked things out. Found no problem. Had Chy-Niece open the hood. No problem there either. Got on his hands and knees and checked connections under the dashboard. Again no problems.

The officer was unaware Chy-Niece was recording everything. She went to the station the next day and explained to the officer’s superior what had occurred, had him play the recording, and told him how pleased she was with the officer.

I don’t know if the brake lights have been fixed. However Chy-Niece was one happy camper.

One of America’s most embarrassing moments occurred on April 9, 1975.

The U.S. war with the Vietnamese had ended in failure. The Vietnamese Army was rolling into Saigon. Before the day was over, they were at the gates of the U.S. Embassy.

The last Americans and persons loyal to the American position had entered the Embassy for safety.

At some point during the day, it was obvious the Embassy was going to be over run. Everyone had to be evacuated. The plan was to have U.S. and CIA helicopters remove persons from the roof of the Embassy.

Seven thousand persons were so removed and flown to U.S. carriers out to sea.

Near the end of the evacuation, the Vietnamese soldiers were breaking through the barriers and shooting at persons on the roof. The U.S. Marines did a magnificent job protecting everyone.

One negative, however. How embarrassing for the strongest nation to end its long war beaten by the enemy and escaping from the Embassy rooftop. I was embarrassed and sad at the same time. The scenario did not make sense to me.

Enjoy your day!

Ho, ho, ho, the little guy won!

It was David v. Goliath.

Beaten was a major attempt to reverse the will of the Key West populace. It took everything Key West had. The Mayor, Commission and private citizens. All had their shoulders to the wheel.

The mountain moved!

Key West’s three successful referendums to limit cruise ships remains intact. The victory came at the last minute. Remindful of Yogi Berra’s “it ain’t over till it’s over.”

The Florida legislative season ends friday. The Senate bill had already passed muster. The House was to vote on it this past monday or tuesday. Late in the afternoon on monday, the sponsor of the bill pulled it. It will not be resubmitted this term.

Had it passed the House, the Governor would have had to sign it by this coming friday.  The burden is no longer his.

The proposed changes may pop up again next year or in some subsequent year. I doubt it will in the immediate future.

Some behind the scenes background which perhaps lends understanding to the bill being pulled. An if it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, looks like a duck, it is a duck scenario developed.

I am not sure if the following was part of or the most significant in the political judgment process. It might have had no influence at all.

Mark Walsh lives in Delray Beach. A wealthy man. He owns the largest pier in Key West. Referred to as Pier 12 Development. Walsh will lose big dollars if the pier is underused as it now is and will continue to be.

At some point immediately before or after the legislative session began, Walsh companies donated $995,000 to Governor DeSantis’ war chest.

The 995,000 number strange in itself. Why not 1 million dollars?

The  donation was combined by drawings from 11 of Walsh’s companies. Another strange item.

DeSantis is considered Presidential timber in the 2024 election. Most polls have him #1 at the present time.

He has had several embarrassments in recent months. Would the Walsh companies’ contributions have been another?

The bill’s sponsor in the House said the bill in effect contained technical difficulties.

Believe what ever you wish. What happened is yours to decide.

Several year ago, the British company Oxitec was a gigantic pain! Oxitec wanted to use the lower keys to test a new chemical mosquito killing formula.

Qxitec laid out specifically where the spraying from the air would occur. Those living in the areas were infuriated. Those not, could have cared less.

One place to be sprayed was my street. My home. The street only one block long. I envisioned the plane flying down the street towards my house and contaminating everything with a chemical yet to be danger tested.

People got together, had the problem put to a public vote and won. Oxitec left town.

One of the leaders in the moment opposing Oxitec was Ollie. A Chart Room friend. Loved by everyone. He has been employed for many years by a keys sewer system. He is chemically knowledgeable.

Oxitec has returned. This time to test a new formula on the upper keys. Of course, the people silent the last time are infuriated this time. Such is amusing.

I recall several writing letters asking what we in the lower keys were concerned about. The spray testing was a good thing. Mosquitoes a major Keys problem.

The shoe is on the other foot now.

An interesting side light.

Bill and Melinda Gates are among the most wealthy in the world. Bill the retired computer genius.

In June 2018, it was announced that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was in the process of disbursing $4.1 million to Oxitec. The purpose of the money to develop a new strain of mosquito.

I have always respected Bill Gates, his success and his many significant charitable gifts over the years. I find it hard to believe he would financially support what is scheduled to happen shortly in the upper keys.

Whatever, my suggestion is the new formula be tested somewhere in Africa and Brazil where the previous one was with little success. Keep the testing away from U.S. soil.

The cost of groceries has steadily risen for many years. A recent study indicates the cost of groceries is the highest it has been in 8 years.

Economists see a major price surge soon. Futures are up suggesting the same.

The study included what today are regarded as basics. Things like bread and pizza dough, meat and soda.

The rise in grocery prices has been described as “relentless…..pushing a basic meal beyond the reach of millions of poor families who were already struggling to get by.”

Contributing to price increases are higher freight costs and packaging.

Many are on Biden’s back constantly. Unfairly. Raising issues to embarrass him. Some of the issues are as a house built on sand.

Villanova University Law School sponsored a recent conference on the challenge Joe Biden’s presidency posed to the Catholic Church. The conference emphasized the need to deny Biden Communion.

An issue being heavily promoted by the Republican right.

Biden is accused of outright support for abortion. From my perspective, he supports a woman’s right to choose. There is a difference.

In any event,  the is solely between Biden and God.

An NCP political columnist said the three speakers did not understand what they were talking about. The three were relying on Canon Law. The columnist said at issue was Roman law. They also were not aware Canon Law is open to a variety of interpretations.

The Communion Biden attacks are a real “problem and a frightening one.”

I have visited Milan several times. Historically significant as for example Rome.

I wanted to see everything!

One was the Esso gas station girder from which Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were hung.

It was on this day in 1945 that Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were captured and shot by Italian partisans while trying to escape to Switzerland.

The bodies were taken to the Piazzele Loreto in Milan the next day. An Esso petro station was located in the Piazzele. Their bodies were hung upside down from a girder on the station’s roof. The Milanese defiled the two bodies disgustingly thereafter.

I went to see the Esso station. It no longer existed. The Piazzele had been redesigned after World War II and the station was gone.

I will be out again tonight. Sons and Daughters of Italy meeting at 5. Then home to watch Biden’s State of the Union Address.

Enjoy your day!

The Good Book says “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17.

There are some who are forgetful of the mandate. Even those who wear the collar and frock. A Catholic priest, for example.

I view such persons as “nuts.” Mentally depraved.

The Catholic Church wonders why fewer and fewer attend Mass. Why many Churches have closed.

Two reasons therefore. The extreme rules of Catholicism and priests who promote non-existent rules.

The “hero” of this story is Father James Altman of St. James The Less Catholic Church in La Croce, Wisconsin.

He frequently attacks Catholics who are Democrats.

Father Altman is anti-vaccine. He believes vaccines are useless and anyone who imposes virus-related protocols will burn in the “lowest levels” of hell.

Father Altman writes in the St. James Church Bulletin that a “vaccine is an experimental use of a genetic altering substance that modifies your body – your temple of the Holy Spirit.”

The Bulletin article warned that it is “diabolical” for anyone to shove or compel someone into getting a shot and making “you nothing other than a guinea pig.”

He also wrote, “God is still the best doctor and prayer is still the best medicine.”

Father Altman spoke at the recent Palm Sunday Mass. He said COVID-19 protocols are “godless” and “Nazi-esque controls.” He called “Democrats godless” and warned they would go to hell if they did not repent.

Father Altman’s Bishop is William Callahan. He apparently has his hands full with Altman. He opposes Altman’s words. However, he recognizes that times are different but that does not give anyone permission to use a religious post as a “tool of condemnation.”

Yeas ago, a Bishop could shut Altman down. Not today. The Catholic Church is equally divided on most issues. A Bishop’s power is not what it was.

The cruise ship war continues.

The bill was supposed to come up today for vote. It would have passed with no difficulty. As Donald Trump might say, the vote was “rigged.” It then would have gone to Governor DeSantis for signing. The signing must be done by friday.

The bill was pulled yesterday afternoon with no reason being given.

A fortuitous occurrence might be the reason why.

Pier B Development is a large concrete dock in Key West. Can handle the largest of cruise ships. The owner of Pier B Development is Delray Beach resident Mark Walsh.

It was revealed in the past few days that Walsh had made a political contribution to Governor DeSantis earlier in the year in an amount just under $1 million. Nine hundred ninety five thousand dollars to be exact.

Whether the revelation of the donation had anything to do with the bill being pulled, I do not know. The facts require additional information.

It has been obvious from the beginning that little Key West was not playing on a level field. Tallahassee was deaf to Key West’s arguments. The cruise ship lines and businessmen were carrying the day.

It is going to be interesting to see what happens between now and friday.

I wrote about Mae West twice in recent days. My second writing mentioned John Wayne. He carried a small part as a villain in West’s first film She Done Him Wrong. I mentioned Wayne would not become a star for 5 more years. It was his performance in Stagecoach that made him a star.

I watched Stagecoach on TV yesterday. The John Wayne of Stagecoach was the same heroic figure we all came to love and respect in his subsequent movies.

It was exciting to watch Wayne and Stagecoach knowing the film was his entry into stardom.

Read this morning that Key West is one of the U.S.’s ten top vacation spots for this summer. Number 6 to be exact.

Does not excite me. Means more people on a small island that already cannot handle the burgeoning crowds.

It continues to amaze me how long it takes to repair hurricane caused damage.

Irma was 9/10/2017. Repairs still not complete. It was announced this week that work was to begin to repair damage caused by Hurricane Irma to Keys bridges.

I was out last night! Dinner with Jean and Joe Thornton at La Te Da. We had a wonderful time!

Jean was out without her crutches. Ankle taped. Moved around well.

Jean and Joe were self-quarantined as I was. We discussed how a year or more of not going out screws a person up a bit. They are past the problem. They have been out every night so far in Key West and that odd feeling is behind them.

I need to go out more.

As to be expected, the dinner was excellent. I enjoyed crispy duck.

Except for one person, I knew no one. Apparently tourists or new Key West home owners. The one person I knew was Tom Luna. One of the most respected persons in Key West. A good guy!

You will recall Tom and Rick Dery in  Aqua’s Dueling Bartenders for years. It was good to see him again. He is bartending at La Te Da.

Tuesday night again. My Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou show. Nine my time. A fast moving half hour.

Join me. Listen to me rant and rave as to my likes and dislikes. Guaranteed you will enjoy! www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

I open this morning on the intellectual side of things. The classics, Plato, Aristophanes and Aristotle. A step back never hurts. An education in itself.

History repeats itself and society can learn from it. Something man forgets.

Universities have been moving away from the classics. Hard to believe. The study of eh classics produces thinking minds. Some great.

I suspect the reason for the drift is money. Universities are businesses. They run themselves like a corporation. Students are a significant source of their income. If students avoid studying the classics, the University loses money.

If particular courses fail to make money for the university, such courses are eliminated from the curriculum.

Americans want everything yesterday. Students part of the group. Why study the classics when a computer or engineering degree can reward their four years with significant instantaneous income. Classic majors don’t pay well. At least at the beginning. They do provide some with substantial income in later years.

The Washington Post published an article in point 4/19/21. The article by Cornell West and Jeremy Tate titled: Howard University’s Removal of Classics Is A Spiritual Catastrophe.

A passage: “Academia’s continual campaign to disregard or neglect the classics is a sign of spiritual decay, moral decline and deep intellectual narrowness running amok in American culture. Those who commit this terrible act treat Western Civilization as either irrelevant and worthy of prioritization or as harmful and worthy only of condemnation.”

A step back in time and the thoughts of Plato, Aristophanes and Aristotle. Michael Hudson on 4/23/21 wrote about lust for money. The article titled: Plato, Aristophanes and Aristotle on Money-Lust, 399-380 BC.

The thrust of the article to the effect that man’s lust for money is destructive and not necessarily healthy: “Delphi’s warning that lust for monetary silver (philarguria) was the only thing that could destroy Sparta was evolved by Plato, Socrates and other philosophers accusing wealth addiction of leading to greedy and hubristic behavior that impoverished society at large. Creditors were singled out for reducing debtors to bondage and taking their land.”

Watched the Academy awards last night. Did not enjoy the show. I hope it was done the way it was because of the virus and next year will return to its old format.

Rumor has it that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is considering retirement. Could be. He is 82 years old.

If such occurs, it will provide Biden and Senate Democrats with the opportunity to replace him with a young Democratic Moderate/Liberal.

Accidents happen, especially in war time. During World War II, Key West was a strategic location. U.S. Naval vessels were in frequent use of the port. The Germans were aware and constantly had submarines patrolling waters 40-50 miles off Key West. The U.S. Navy laaid out a mine field to interfere with the submarines and any surface vessels.

On this day in 1942, the USS Sturtevant left Key West via the Northwest Channel. The Sturtevant ran into the U.S. Navy’s mine field and sunk with the loss of 17 men.

It was April 26, 1986. On that day, the worst nuclear disaster up to that time occurred in Chernobyl. A reactor at a nuclear power station exploded. Radioactive contamination covered most of Western Europe.

Sometime in 2000, a woman visited my Utica office with her baby.  The baby about 7-8 months old. An unusually lovely baby.

One problem and the reason for the visit. The baby was born with one of her arms missing above the elbow.

Her husband was not with her. He refused to seek possible legal help for his daughter because he felt he would be blamed for the baby’s  defect.

I knew nothing about injuries arising out of Chernobyl. Explained it to the mother. We would look into the situation and advise her.

I spent the next 2 months working on the case. Actually to determine if there was a case. I was in communication with the best minds regarding various aspects of Chernobyl. Spoke with scientists, doctors and lawyers in Italy, France and England.

For a multitude of reasons, I became convinced there was not a viable case. As did the best minds on the issues in Europe. It was a sad day when I advised the mother I could not help her daughter.

She took it well. The baby now about 9 months old, laughing and gurgling on her mother’s lap.

I did learn one thing for sure. Her husband was responsible. He was correct when he could not face the situation.

The father had been working and living 14 miles from the explosion. It was established by the time I was researching the matter, that a male’s testicles and other reproductive organs were the cause. The radioactivity somehow infected men as indicated.

The law teaches us there is a right for every wrong. In this case there was not.

Big evening tonight. Dinner with Jean and Joe Thornton at La Te Da. Thrilled I will be seeing them. More than a year since I have. They self-quarantined for over a year in their home in Birmingham.

Jean had her own disaster saturday night in Key West. She is on crutches.

Jean and Joe ride their bikes around Key West. Never a car. Their Key West home in Truman Annex.

Jean was walking her bicycle to the street to ride to a wine tasting. She somehow tripped on the curb.

Pain in the ankle was immediate.

Jean a tough lady. Thought it was nothing and would go away.

She did the wine tasting. Then to Vino’s for another wine. Then to OnlyWood for dinner. She was finishing her wine there when she went into a cold sweat and passed out.

The next thing she remembers is being carried out of the restaurant on a stretcher and the ride to the hospital in the ambulance. The ambulance sirens screaming as it sped to the hospital while a medic was working on her.

Fortunately, no fracture. A bad sprain. She is on crutches.

We are going to look good tonight. Jean on crutches and Louis with a cane!

Enjoy your day!

A CNN headline this morning: India Sets COVID-19 Infection Record For Fourth Straight Day With Hospitals Desperate For Oxygen.

What a way to die!

The India situation so bad the crematoriums are unable to handle the bodies.

What more proof do the non believers require to recognize the virus is real? Perhaps the experience itself might awaken them if they were gasping for breath. Not die. Merely share a similar experience as those who are dying.

Not all police officers can be bad. There are no absolutes. There is some form of good in every group.

Visualize the bad apple cop in the barrel. One to a barrel. Yet not that way. With all the shootings and deaths, there has to be a number of bad cops. More than one in a barrel. Tough demented guys.

Cops get bad news on a regular basis. Deservedly so. Note however there are some good police officers. There stories may not get out because the bad deeds overwhelm the good.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, police departments across the nation functioned under an Officer Friendly Program. Today no more, except in unique situations.

This story isn’t about an Officer Friendly. Rather is about a friendly officer. His name Donald Rizer. A Sheriff’s Deputy in Hillsborough County, Florida.

His department had received a motorcycle safety grant. He was out seeking motorcycles and/or drivers not operating properly. He pulled over a motorcyclist for an illegal exhaust. A young man.

Rizer’s body cam was operating at all times.

Rizer asked the person if he was ok. He responded in a shakey voice, “I had a terrible experience last week. Riger responded, “We’ll talk about it. You’re not going to get a ticket.”

“I saw my friend die in front of me.”

They talked. Rizer calmed the young fellow down. Advised him to keep focused on the road.

Rizer wrote up a warning about the exhaust pipe, however. He provided the warning and a safety list. In addition and the point of this story, Rizer wrote his personal cell phone number and gave it to the cyclist with the admonition, “If you ever need to talk.”

The young man, “You’re the first person I can actually talk to.”

Bottom line: Not all police officers are bad. Concededly too many. More like Rizer needed.

Rizer was interviewed the next day. He said, “The biggest tool in anybody’s belt is in my opinion your ears. The ability to listen, let someone speak.”

Mae West is suddenly in my life!

Recall I wrote about her a few days ago. Her first movie She Done Him Wrong. Cary Grant her co-star. The dialogue raunchy.

Turned on the TV upon waking this morning. It was on one of the movie channels. Lo and behold, there was Mae West. I had caught the last few minute of the movie.

In the scene was a shifty looking character. Spoke not. Looked like the villain in silent films. Thin mustache and beady eyes.

Looked like John Wayne to me. It was.

He apparently was a nobody in the film. Mentioned rarely in reviews of the movie.

The year was 1933 and Wayne had not yet achieved stardom. It took him another five yeas and Stagecoach.

The dialogue primarily uttered by Mae West. Doubt it would fly under today’s movie restrictions. Pre-Code anything was proper.

Her lines sexy. Very sexy. Racy dialogue turned into innuendo and double entendre.

I learned in my quick research that although the movie had two of the greatest screenwriters of the day, it was Mae West who revised and rewrote the script to include the dialogue she wanted.

Recall she was paid by Paramount $5,000 a week. She could write and say anything she wanted!

Matt Gaetz. What goes around, comes around. He bad mouthed so many people. He stands alone today. No “friends” running to support him.

The purported incident with a 17 year old girl has blossomed into all sorts of inquiries. None good.

One which recently came out involves a 2018 Bermuda trip to the Bahamas with several young women. The implication suggests the ladies were paid for.

There is a further news report suggesting the trip was part of an effort to illegally influence Gaetz with regard to medical marijuana.

If there is truth to any of the allegations, Gaetz has a troubled road before him.

I seem to continue being mentally disposed to staying in evenings. The quarantine obviously affected me.

Friday and saturday evenings good times to be out on the street. I opted each evening to remain in. Read and watched some TV.

Glad I am locked in to have dinner tomorrow night with the Thorntons at La Te Da.

Enjoy your sunday!

The handwriting is on the wall. The State will win the battle. At this point. Does not mean the war.

The cruise lines, politics, and certain local businessmen have called in the IOUs. To the legislators, dance with us on this issue.

The City will be left with one alternative. Appeal!

The City has already spent a ton of money on the referendum and the fight since. More money will have to be spent. Do the right thing. The City owes the voters that much.

If the cost of an appeal is a concern, think of all the money pissed away when the City makes contract mistakes, overpays someone, etc. Don’t blow it here. Be on the side of the righteous. Those who put you in office.

What galls me is even some of our State representative(s) initially supported the cruise lines, etc. Till some one brought to their attention they did not know what they were talking about.

Another galling aspect is the excuses being given on the floor of both State Houses. The real reason for the battle with the cruise lines is it is not being described properly by the shipping magnates to State representatives.

Let’s not get screwed. This is a battle that must be fought. Regardless of cost.

It will also send a message. Don’t tread on little Key West! The town can be a David when required.

On April 23, 1982, the Florida Keys seceded from the Union. The reason being the Border Patrol having established a road block at Florida City to check the citizenship of everyone leaving Monroe County.

Dennis Wardlow was the primary defector. He had become the Prime Minister of the new naton. Aptly named the Conch Republic.

The Conch Republic seceded the same day it was formed. Surrendered that same day shortly after seceding. Demanded reparations and financial assistance.

Big trees from little acorns grow! The creation of the Conch Republic has become a big deal. Offices, flags, passports, a navy and air force, etc.

Each year a big celebration is had celebrating the event. From my perspective, the best part of the celebration is the War between the Conch Republic and the  U.S.

The Conch Republic fighting from pirate ships. Their crews dressed as pirates. Throwing rotten tomatoes, heads of lettuce, etc. at the U.S. vessels. The vessels being modern ships of today’s U.S. Coast Guard.

Jets from Boca Chica fly over to engage the Conch Republic’s bi-planes. The Conch Republic bombing the Coast Guard vessels with unfurling rolls of toilet paper.

The celebration is a perfect example as to what Key West is all about. How we live and act.

I wish the Pier House would hurry and reopen the Chart Room. I am out in the world again and miss my old hangout.

I met and chatted with many people every night at the Chart Room. About 10 years ago, a tourist who was the Chief of Police of some community in the midwest.

From 1962-1965, I was General Counsel to the Police Conference of New York Inc. Two years out of law school when I got the job. Had an Albany office. I was a registered lobbyist.

One of my primary tasks was getting legislation passed that would protect police officers. It was the beginning. Protections did not exist. Today, police have formal unions representing them. The unions have been successful in getting laws adopted that we did not even think about in the early 1960s. Like qualified immunity, for example.

The Chief and I had an interesting 2 hour discussion in the Chart Room. I was shocked by the stories he was telling me. The black problem. How dangerous it was to be a policeman. Etc.

A different world had developed. The world that exists today. The world which hopefully now is in a state of flux because of the conviction in the Floyd case.

I believe Biden is doing a good job. Fighting the forces of evil so as to make the U.S. a better place to live. Also, to correct many Trump created problems.

I sense a different problem developing, however. Is the U.S. going to spend itself into oblivion? A trillion here, a trillion there. It adds up. Soon the U.S. debt payments per year will exceed the country’s next most expensive budget item.

My sense is Biden hopes/anticipates increasing corporate taxes as one way of paying the bill. The other is to get programs such as infrastructure moving. Increased wages alone will increase tax collections.

Never forget what Biden is facing today as regards money was faced by Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he first took office. The depression at its peak.

He had programs pushed into law. Each required the government to spend heaps of money.

Republicans knocked him constantly. He was going to bankrupt the nation.

Roosevelt succeeded and Biden can too.

The U.S. yesterday lifted its “pause” on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Ok to use. Safe.

The facts support the result. Thus far, nearly 8 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine shots have been given. Are you aware of the number of the number of the 8 million persons who developed blood clots? Fifteen!

As U.S. officials said yesterday, the benefits of the shot far outweigh the risk of a rare blood clot disorder.

The question at the moment is how the public will react to receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. There are 9.5 million doses siting on shelves waiting to be used.

Enjoy your day!