The unexpected is always to be expected. Life changes in a split second.

Kasie Hunt is one of the finest TV news journalists I have had the privilege to watch over the years. A mere 36, success found her early. Properly so. Talented, knowledgeable, articulate and lovely. Success hers first at MSNBC. She recently moved over to CNN.

Kasie began having headaches in March. Underwent all kinds of tests. It became obvious something was there. It slowly kept growing. Finally, surgery last week.

A small benign brain tumor was removed.

Kasie described the whole situation as “pretty surreal.”

She is recovering at home. Another six to eight weeks anticipated.

She cannot lift anything heavier than 10 pounds. The thing she misses most is picking up and hugging her 30 pound son Mars.

Mars is a sharp young man. He knows his mother is sick. Points to her head and says “boo boo.”

The place to be this afternoon in Key West is Books & Books at The Studios of Key West. A competition involving high school students. The students will read passages by a Key West author with one difference from a usual book reading. They will improvise during the reading.

Each will in some manner act out the words being read.

The event is sponsored by Key West snowbirds Fred and Joanne Klein of New York City.

I had planned on attending. Appears doubtful at the moment.

It has been ages since I have taken a fall. Last night an “almost.” For whatever reason, the last step got to me. I caught myself going down. The only damage was a twisted left ankle. More sore this morning.

Parking is difficult at The Studios on the corner of Simonton and Eaton. Even with a cane, walking will be too much.

Fred and Joanne are watching on Zoom from New York. I will try to do the same from here.

Fantasy Fest is on the horizon. Soon to arrive. Sort of like “shrimp boats are a ‘comin, their sails are in sight.”

Fantasy Fest runs from 10/22-10/31. Abbreviated this year due to COVID. All public events like the Parade have been cancelled. The only things that will be open and rocking are the bars. Parties every night.

Though there will be no parade, visitors will arrive to party. There are very few communities that permit adult parties.

I believe it wrong that the City did not take steps to close everything down. COVID infecteds will arrive. More than arrived will leave. A significant number of locals will also be infected.

Not worth it!

The Sanders/Manchin battle continues. Sanders had an Opinion piece published in a prominent local West Virginia newspaper. He chastised Manchin big time for failing to support Biden’s agenda re social infrastructure. Manchin came right back saying in effect…..West Virginia is my state. Stay out!

Kyristen Sinema is having her problems in Arizona. Not made public till this week.

Sinema has been opposing Biden on his social agenda also. She and Manchin seem to be vying for King and Queen of their high school ball.The news has been reporting Pharma and financial institutions have been throwing money into Sinema’s coffers like their is no tomorrow. As the money comes in, she continues to oppose Biden’s program.

Arizona Democrats are not blind. They see what is occurring and have become “brutally” opposed to Sinema.

It’s all in the numbers.

Sinema presently has a 25 percent approval among Arizona Democrats. Mark Kelly her Democratic compatriot 85 percent.

Amazing! Two Democrats from the same state. One going down the tubes politically. The other revered.

Biden’s popularity among Arizona Democrats important also. He has an 85 percent Democratic rating.

Sinema is lucky she does not have to run again till 2024. Already Arizona’s Democratic Party is considering possible primary opponents.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) blasted Supreme Court Justice Aloi re his recent Notre Dame speech where he complained of recent attacks on the Supreme Court.

Whtehouse commented re the speech, “You have fouled your nest, not us.” Whitehouse’s words were specifically directed at Aloi’s comment that the Supreme Court was undeserving of recent scorn.

Whitehouse’s retaliatory comment was to the effect the Court deserved the scorn. The Court had created the situation.

Whitehouse also said Republicans have always depicted Democrats of judicial activism. The shoe is now on the other foot. Republicans are the party of judicial activism.

Whitehouse viewed Aloi as being “touchy.” Whitestone said there is a reason. Aloi’s fingerprints are all over this “pattern of judicial activism.”

Whitehouse concluded, “The Court that Dark Money Built has squandered the benefit of doubt.”

I watched Syracuse/Clemson last night. Syracuse lost 17-14.

Syracuse’s record 3-4. Three recent games have been close. Syracuse lost all 3. The winner in each game was decided in the last few minutes. Which means Syracuse could have won the 3.

What I am about to say is terrible. However, I blame Coach Dino Babers for the 3 loses. My conclusions based on bad calls the coach made in the final minutes of each game.

Babers has been coach at Syracuse 5 or 6 years. He has had only 1 good season. The team went 10-3 in 2018. Last year, Syracuse’ record was 1-10.

I doubt Babers will be around next year. Only one thing can save him. To win all of Syracuse’s remaining games.

Enjoy your day!

Former President Clinton has been in a California hospital most of this week. Still remains. Should be out in a few days.

He was “bad sick.” Suffering from a urinary track infection that spreads into the bloodstream. Described in most instances as sepsis. Sepsis represents the bodies’ extreme reaction to an infection.

Sepsis is life threatening. Causes a chain reaction throughout the body. Forty to sixty year old elderly die from it.

Medical reports indicate Clinton is “on the mend…..and in good spirits.” The reports do not detail what he went through. I know. I had the problem 2 times.

My 2 problems occurred in my 40’s.

The first time I was at work. Suddenly, I was freezing from the waist down Followed by tiredness. My urge to urinate existed, with one problem. Nothing came out.

Called my urologist and was off to the hospital. Doctor said don’t worry. We’ll drain you and you will feel better once you piss. He thought I had some sort of blockage.

The two nurses putting the tube in my penis I knew. They thought it was funny. I did too actually. Even they were assuring me when the tube was in, the urine would gush out.

Tube was in. Nothing came out, except for a small cotton like ball.

Even I knew I was in trouble at that point.

My doctor returned with test results. Said don’t worry. You have sepsis. Here is what’s going to happen. You are going to get even sicker today. You will get sicker for next 4 days. Worse each day. Then on the fourth day the turn around will occur. You will start feeling better and walk out of the hospital on the seventh day.

Encouraging.

The cause of my problem was I was not emptying out my bladder when urinating. Not intentionally. For whatever reason, my bladder was retaining some urine. Urine I guess is like wine. While sitting in the bladder, it ferments. Then somehow gets out into the rest of the body. If I recall correctly, even into the blood stream.

I ended up in bed with all kinds of tubes in both arms. Heavy antibiotics the primary drip.

The doctor was correct. I was sicker with each passing day. Felt like my body was sinking into the mattress. Actually thought I was going to die.

Then came day 4. I began feeling better. I left the hospital on day 7. Returned to work the next day feeling fine.

A year or two later, the same basic problem occurred. Fermentation not the problem this time.

My PSA came back well over a 4.0. Actually, 11.4. Doctor’s immediate reaction was I probably had cancer of the prostrate.

A biopsy of the prostrate was done. Horrible! I won’t describe the process. However to get at the prostrate, the doctor had to go through the colon wall. The openings resulting permitted shit from my colon to get into the rest of my body.

Sepsis again. Everything the same. The 7 day treatment.

I did not have cancer. The biopsy can have negative readings. Mine was a negative one, thank God! My reading today is 1. something.

I feel sorry for Clinton. Glad he is on the mend. Glad the doctors caught everything immediately.

The South rides again.

I wrote earlier this week that Texas is the America of Tomorrow. Assuming Texas cannot be stopped now with all the crazy laws they are passing.

The last 2 days, the new Texas abortion law has been in the news. A Fifth Circuit 3 judge panel decided yesterday in a 2-1 vote that the law as passed and signed would continue in force and effect till decided on by the Supreme Court.

A highly unusual move where a Constitutional question is involved. Lower courts generally rule in support of the law. Not here. Texas has not been following years old procedure in anything it recently has been doing.

The Constitutional issue involves Roe v. Wade. Still the law of the land.

A new problem arose yesterday.

Texas has new “guidelines” for how teachers should vett books in a school’s library. Both sides of an historical issue are to be taught. Truth/falsity immaterial. Opposing viewpoints must be examined.

The issue in this instance the Holocaust.

A superintendent in north Texas advised her teachers if any book discussed the Holocaust, books should also be on the shelves explaining the counter thoughts. The issue one of race. Truth again not the issue. Share both sides and do not question the propriety of the false side.

Must be the wind Texans inhale!

No question as to the truth of the food shortage coming. One reason being the vessels sitting out on the water that do not have enough help to unload them. The foodstuffs being carried are limited or not available. Things will only get worse between now and Christmas.

Due to my self imposed quarantine, I have a “shopper.” Going on 3 years. Each week there are 1 or 2 items not available. This week 3.

I eat DelMonte peas in the small can. No DelMonte peas Had to settle for a similar size small can with a brand name I never heard of. I have no recollection of ever seeing it on the shelf either.

Yogurt a similar problem.

Plastic spoons, forks and knives. Forget it! Third week unavailable. Plastic microwavable plates. The same thing.

The cause the pandemic. Not enough workers to unload the vessels.

The purported scarcity of workers an issue for another day.

There was no blog yesterday. Sorry. Two doctor visits in the morning. I was exhausted when I got home. Amazing!

Enjoy your day!

An outstanding American professional basketball player is Kyrie Irving. Plays guard for the Brooklyn Nets.

Irving was drafted in 2011. He was a first round pick. He was the #1 pick overall.

Irving has refused to be vaccinated.

Based on his refusal, the Nets have banned him from all games.

A significant hit for Irving. He earns $380,000 each game he plays. He will not be paid for home games. However, he will be paid for road games though he will not play in them. Some technicality involved that creates the situation.

Highly admirable Irving is willing to lose big time money for something he believes in. Is he all there in doing so? Recognize Irving believes the world is flat.

A significant number of U.S. citizens are overweight. Obesity affects American pets. The reason therefore is they are over fed and under exercised.

Same problem as with many pet owners.

A recent study reported an unusual quirk re pet obesity. The study found overweight pets had thin owners. Overweight owners had thin pets.

A silent Trump coup moves on. The ground work being laid for Republicans to win in 2022 and 2024. Republicans are fighting the battle in the trenches. Not at the ballot box. Their plan to win elections at the lowest level by having people in place who will do Trump’s bidding when the time comes again to challenge every ballot.

Sort of the way Hitler did it in the Germany in the late 1930’s.

Michigan recently announced some low life elected official has demanded an “investigation” of the 2020 Presidential election. Note not termed an “audit.”

Two reasons an ‘audit” would look foolish. Biden won Michigan by 154,000 votes,  The other, feather have already been two audits. Biden won both. No fraud discovered.

What an “investigation” involves I am not quite sure. At this point I have to believe Trump and his henchmen will be standing around, looking at each other, and asking what do we do now?

The silent creeping coup attempt can only be defeated one way. Democrats have to get down and dirty with Republicans. Fight as Republicans do. Go for the jugular at all times. Make the opposition slowly bleed to death.

Democrats must stop being “statesmen.” They must become gutter fighters for a time.

The first place the Democrats must stand and wage a quick bloody war is with the 1/6 Committee subpoena issue. Go for it! Push the Justice Department to move swiftly. Get the courts to to do likewise. There are ways to get to a “fast docket.” Democrats must refuse to be bogged down by Republicans who play by procedural rules to slow down every investigation, etc.

This is a war. They must recognize it as such.

In addition to the 1/6 investigation, other agencies of government must get involved in other happenings. They must move before Republicans do. Democrats must learn to anticipate.

The Federal Criminal Code is full of all type crimes. Accuse everyone who commits a wrong and prosecute them.

The American people must see the Democrats playing not as hard as the Republicans. Rather as vicious and dirty. Within the confines of he law, of course.

Again the 1/6 investigation must be recognized the first place Democrats become “new fighters.” The Democrats must go after Trump and his followers with the force and speed of Hitler’s blitzkrieg when he invaded Poland.

Fun time last night. I did my Tuesday Talk show. Hit hard on timely issues. Much as in today’s blog.

Enjoy your day!

Janet is one who consistently reads my blog. Opinionated. Generally, intelligently.

Janet commented yesterday to my recent blog: Why?…..I Don’t Understand.

Her comment speaks for itself.

“People take their kids on a metal tube that goes 500 miles an hour at 36,000 feet without ever ‘doing their own research’ about who made the plane, who last serviced it, or even reading about the physics of air travel. They just trust that ‘big airplane’ knows what it is doing.

Cut the crap stupid!”

Texas Governor Abbott continues on his roll. His long “15 minutes.”

In his recent announcement, Abbott barred all coronavirus vaccine mandates in Texas, including private employers.

His statement claimed Biden is “bullying” people with his COVID comments and handling.

A Trump stalwart is Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wi).

Southwest Airlines cancelled most, if not all, of its fleet over the weekend. Some two thousand planes. The reason pilot “sick outs.” Pilots not sick, but wish to make a point to management.

The pilots are opposed to what they describe as “imposed mandates.” Get vaccinated or lose your job.

Johnson supports the pilots. I would have expected nothing less. He describes the walk out the “Great Rebellion” over vaccine mandates. He added, “Stop the mandates before more damage is done.”

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association has sued their airline employer in federal court re the imposed mandate.

Some view the walk out as only the beginning. Intimating other airlines may follow.

Benny Johnson is an 18 year Southwest pilot. He said, “This is the single bravest thing I have seen in years. God bless them pilots. The heroes we need right now.”

Johnson views the confrontation as one involving “freedom of choice issues.”

A 10/10/21 Zerohedge article claims: “The U.S. is finally a banana republic: The top one percent now own more wealth than the entire middle class.” The situation represents “unprecedented wealth inequality.”

The last time such a situation existed was prior to the Great Depression.

The Key West Airport has outgrown itself for the third or fourth time in the years I have lived in Key West. Key West is at the point again where too many planes are coming in and going out.

A vastly remodeled airport is planned. Construction to soon start.

Hurricane Irma occurred just over four years ago on September 10, 2017.

Today for the first time I learned the air control tower has been down as a result of Irma. It cannot be used.

Air controllers are working across the tarmac in a tiny trailer and can’t see planes coming in and out.

How safe is that? Especially with the significant increase in air traffic.

A Citizens’ Voice comment this morning concerns the airport: “Dear airport noise/traffic complainers: You fools bought an overpriced house on an island where the airport is at most 2 miles from your house! Get over yourself!”

Tuesday again. Tonight my blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Please join me. I rant and rave for a half hour re things that bother me. Helps relieve my concerns and frustrations. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

Trump did his Iowa rally this weekend.

MSNBC interviewed some attendees afterwards. Two elderly couples, each in a separate interview. One couple appeared in their 60’s, the other in their 70’s. Both couples were in Washington on January 6. They attended at Trump’s behest.

Both couples Ma and Pa Kettle All-American types.

Their stories the same. They saw nothing that was shown on TV. In effect questioning the validity of the filming of the insurrection. As far as they were concerned, everything was peaceful.

Were these people blind to the truth? Did they feel compelled to lie on behalf of Trump? Whatever, I don’t know. And, I don’t understand!

Most would argue our government is falling apart. Many reasons, many causes.

One is our elected representatives. The garbage they utter.

The most recent example Senator Rand Paul: “Be afraid of your government.” A watch list of dissenters “already exists.” It is being prepared by the Biden administration.

The list began being prepared as a result of January 6.

As a result of January 6, I would expect Biden’s people to prepare such a list. Insurrectionists are enemies of the government. Our government. Yours and mine.

“Dissenters” sounds like Rand made up terminology. More appropriate names might be “insurrectionists” or “troublemakers.” By labeling the list “dissenters,” Rand does not go one step too far. He goes several.

He misleads.

Eighteen year old Timothy Simpkins entered a school in Arlington last week. He shot several. Two remain hospitalized. A 15 year old boy and 25 year old teacher. One clinging to his life.

Simpkins was arrested. Within 24 hours he was released on a $75,000 bail bond. The same day he, his family and friends partied at his home.

Another situation I do not understand.

The purpose of bail is to assure a person charged will return for trial. Another to assure such person does not go free and in this case shoot others.

Simpkins should have been kept in jail till his case is concluded. He sounds to me like a danger to society. His crime in committing the shooting sounds sufficiently dangerous that it is reasonable to assume he could attempt a similar crime while out on bail.

The Simpkins bail handling another example of the erosion within our justice system.  What motivated the judge to approve such a low bail in an attempted murder case? The cost of the bond is significantly lower than $75,000.

Another problem is Simpkins has not been charged with attempted murder. Some lesser crime. Why? It’s like if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is a duck!

Gay sex is legal today. Without it, gay marriage would not be permissible. Gay is another word for homosexuality.

African-American Mark Robinson is a candidate for Lt.Governor in North Carolina. He said homosexuality is “filth.” He also referred to transgenderism as “filth.”

Robinson refuses to resign.

The price of gasoline is going up.

I realized it last week when I had to fill up. Cost me $20 more than normal.

I learned the reason for the gas increase from the media this weekend. Crude oil has gone up and is expected to keep rising..

My sense was correct.

Beware! The cost of food is, also. Most are already aware. As with filling the gas tank, people have to purchase groceries every week. The increase is evident at the checkout counter.

If you enjoy an oat cereal for breakfast, the increase will be larger than with other breakfast cereals. Canada is the biggest exporter of oats. The U.S. is Canada’s largest customer.

Canada experienced a severe heat wave this summer. It caused a serious drought which destroyed much of the oat crop.

The proof that such will occur has already been experienced in the futures market. Oats are at a new record high. Such will soon affect the supply chains to consumers.

Except for a small handful of states, the COVID rate has dropped dramatically in the last month. Even in Florida.

I watched Dr. Fauci on TV yesterday. He said the virus is dropping and suggested the worse could be behind us. He was concerned however that a significant number of persons remained unvaccinated.

Fauci even thought it was safe for children and their parents to celebrate Halloween by going door to door tricking and treating.

Assuming the downward slide continues, Key West will not totally benefit from it. The last 10 days of October have been kept sacred for years for Fantasy Fest. Key West’s Mardi Gras. An adult party.

The City Commission has banned all public events. Such being those it has control over like the Parade. The Parade brings a minimum of 60,000 persons to Duval Street for the event.

The City however has no control over the bars and restaurants. Many have their own parties/celebrations in the evenings. Several major bar events will be going on each evening.

Visitors will come to Key West just to attend those parties. Big time adult fun. Which will cause COVID to party also. I have a feeling 2-3 weeks following Fantasy Fest, the numbers of newly afflicted will rise in Key West and the home towns of those who came to party.

Some may come to die.

Enjoy your day!

Whenever I have mentioned the Supreme Court this year, the responses have been powerful. There is a growing sense of dislike, discomfort, fear, of the Court. Understandably so.

This past week I decided to write about the present members of the Court one at a time. Randomly. The first was Associate Justice Anthony Alito. The responses to the blog the strongest I have received to any subject.

People have become aware of what once was the silent branch of government. They have come to realize the immense power the Court has. They realize the power is unbridled and can do harm instead of good.

Today’s blog concerns the Supreme Court again.

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote an opinion piece on the Court 10/9/21. Titled: The Supreme Court v. Reality. Dowd closely follows the court. This is one of many articles she has written on the subject.

Today’s blog is a series of quotes taken from her most recent article.

“Ordinarily staid and silent Supreme Court justices have become whirling and dervishes of late, spinning madly to rebut the idea that Americans are beginning to regard the court as a dangerous cabal of partisan hacks.’

“No one is beginning to think that. Many of us have thought that for a long time.”

“Supreme Court justices in the words of Shakespeare “doth protest too much, methinks.”

“Bloom came off the robe” in 2000 when the court “threw the game on Bush v. Gore, voting 5-4 to stop the Florida recount and anoint a Republican president.”

Bush gave us “20 years of quicksand in Afghanistan.” A disaster in many ways. Friday’s headline: “Son of Afghanistan’s former Defense Minister buys $20.9 million Beverly Hills mansion.”

“The right wing justices may as well embrace their reputation for hackery…..in this blockbuster year” with abortion and second amendment on the table “they are going to make rulings that will drive people crazy, rulings that will be out of sync with what most Americans believe.”

“So please, conservative cabal, don’t pretend you’re not doing this out of ideology.”

“America, can we have term limits? Justices should not be on the court for 30 years, or into their late 80s.”

“Chief Justice Roberts, who did not want the court to be seen as too extreme, has lost control because there are five more rabid conservatives running over him.”

“Ignore the charade of the parade of justices protesting that they are pure and neutral Nobody’s buying it. We all know it’s a disaster if the country’s going one way and the court’s going the other.”

“The Least Dangerous Branch, as the court was once known, has become the Most Dangerous Branch.”

Some of Maureen Dowd’s thoughts from yesterday. She is right on.

Problems at the Supreme Court level grow each day and metastasize like cancer. The time for solutions at hand. The usual ones may not work. Time to start thinking outside the box.

Enjoy your Sunday!

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!