Most people would be honored to have a former President as their next door neighbor. Every former President, except for Donald Trump.

A Mar-a-Lago neighbor says Trump is prohibited from making Mar-a-Lago his home.The neighbor’s attorney sent a letter to the Town of Palm Beach and the Secret Service which said in part: “Mar-a-Lago is a social club, and no one may reside on the property.”

Mar-a-Lago was originally owned by Marjorie Merriweather. In 1985, Trump purchased the property with the goal of turning the private residence into a business.

Trump signed an agreement with the Town of Palm Beach in 1993 allowing him to turn the private property into a business. A club. That which it is today.

Certain conditions attached to the agreement.

No one could reside at the property.The property had 10 guest rooms which could be rented. Rented only by members who could stay no more than 21 days a year. The 21 days was divided into 3 stays that could not be used consecutively.

Trump supposedly is a member. His attorney was asked in 1993 if Trump would reside at Mar-a-Lago. Trump’s attorney said, “No, except that he will be a member of the Club and therefore entitled to the use of guest rooms.”

The issue of Trump staying at Mar-a-Lago for longer than 3 non-consecutive weeks was not raised as a matter of respect during Trump’s 4 years as President.

Neighbors however are “fed up” with the traffic, noise, etc. a Trump Mar-a-Lago brings with it. Ergo, one neighbor is raising the agreement and saying in effect he does not want Trump for a neighbor.

The attorney’s letter hinted the people are fine with Trump being a Palm Beach resident, but not at the golf club.

Donald has 2 reasons to be unhappy re Mar-a-Lago. He put Melania in charge of renovations for their personal residence. When he saw the finished product, he was unhappy with Melania’s efforts. Now even if he were happy or could make himself happy re the renovations, a neighbor does not want him as such. And the neighbor may have valid grounds for the Town of Palm Beach to block Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump has to be a very unhappy camper. First, he loses the election. Then 60 out of 61 lawsuits. Finally, he may have no place to live after January 20.

Police enforcement over the years has consistently gone a step too far.

A new move has been discovered in Florida. Police are keeping a secret list of children in middle school and high school with bad grades labeling them “potential criminals.”

The Pasco County Sheriff’s office has such a secret list. A list of students who could “fall into a life of crime” based on a student’s poor grades.

Strange when you consider that in the U.S. a person is considered innocent till proven guilty. Florida is accelerating the prosecution process without regard for the Constitutional rights of the child.

A couple of examples where Florida’s program flies in the face of reality.

Thomas Edison was kicked out of school at the age of 12 for poor math grades and an inability to concentrate.

Steve Spielburg temporarily dropped out of high school. When he later returned, he was put in a “special-ed” class.

The purpose of Florida’s program is to recognize at an early age an “at risk” student. It is part of what is called  the Early Warning System.

Some things which require a student to be placed in the Early Warning System include the following. Any one of which finds the student’s name placed thereon.

A D on a report card. Missing school more than 3 times in a quarter. Witnessing domestic violence. Having a parent in prison. Being the victim of abuse or neglect. There are others.

Police would rely on any one or more of the preceding to prematurely label a young person. Chilling!

Many are now labeling the COVID-19 pandemic as World War III.

Bombs and bullets are not required to label a happening a world war. A proper measure is number of deaths.

The enemy is the STRS-OV-2 virus which causes COVID-19. Deaths now exceed 350,000. Deaths are occurring at a faster rate than German and Japanese bullets used against Americans in World War II.

If the virus were actually a shooting war, everyone from top government officials to persons on the street would be working and fighting to defeat the enemy. Since a virus is the killer, the concern is not the same. All Americans have to start treating coronavirus as the killer it is. To view it as a shooting/bombing attack on the U.S.

I was without air conditioning for 3 days. From thursday morning till last night. Horrendous! I had forgotten what it was to live without air conditioning.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Angelica needs a kidney!

I first became aware of Angelica Harris last November. I dedicated the title and opening topic of my 11/24/20 blog to Angelica’s problem. I also spent about 10 minutes discussing it on an afternoon talk show I was doing at the time.

I have 70,000 subscribers. Angelica has been beating the keys on Facebook and Instagram.

No kidney yet!

Her need was discovered in August. Doctors told her it could take up to 5 years for a match. Angela lucked out. Within one month a match was found in a California woman. Unfortunately, the donor had a history of kidney infections and the kidney turned out not to be usable.

Angelica is on the United Network for Organ Sharing. I believe the first match was discovered via the organization.

My message today. Lets move our asses! How I don’t know. Keep your eyes and ears open. Speak of Angelica’s problem with your friends.

We must find Angelica a kidney!

The Great Curfew Rebellion crumbled. I worried Key West was neither trained nor equipped to handle any curfew altercation that might occur New Year’s eve.

I was wrong. We all should be proud. The City also in backing what was obviously an unpopular restriction. Between the passing of the ordinance and its enforcement, the City seems to have accepted their responsibility. Good for them! We all live and learn. I congratulate the City on a job well done.

Curfew was 10 pm. Everyone off the streets by 10:30. Thousands of tourists out and about.

I didn’t think the police and other officials could do the job. It took till 11:10 for Duval to be empty. No problem. It got done. The time frame in enforcing the ordinance still slight.

The active protesters were young white men. One called a police officer a “Communist” while standing in front of Sloppy Joe’s at 10:30. He persisted in violating the ordinance. The police found him out and about again at 2:06 am and arrested him.

Arrests estimated at 6. Joe Walsh one of them. Joe Walsh a prominent person in Key West. Owner of several restaurants.

Restaurants were to close at 10. Walsh kept Fogarty’s open. Open in clear defiance. His outdoor restaurant was packed. Walsh was finally arrested following several requests that he comply.

Fogarty’s was the only restaurant that defied the 10 o’clock curfew.

Those arrested were taken to the Stock Island jail where they were fingerprinted and mugged. Violation of the curfew ordinance is a crime. A misdemeanor.

Some have way out concepts of what Key West actually is. Perhaps our fault in the way we advertise and the way we have conducted ourselves in the past.

One young man told a passerby that he came to “Key West because there is no rules.”

The protesters had a degree of organization when they wanted to openly defy the law. Unfortunately for them, so also did the police.

A group of young mainly white men created a human barrier at Sloppy Joe’s. They stood in the street at the corner of Duval and Greene facing down Duval.

The police came down Duval towards them on motorcycles. They in a straight line and close to each other also. Every 20 feet, the police stopped for a few minutes. Then continued for another 20 feet and stopped again. So they continued down Duval towards the protesters.

When the police and protesters were 10 feet apart, three mounted police officers entered upon the scene. They maneuvered the horses between the two and approached the protesters.

The protesters moved swiftly away from the horses. Then 2 City street cleaners entered Duval at Sloppy Joe’s and moved down Duval together. They are huge, throw up dust, and then water to clean the streets. No one was going to fool with the street cleaning machines.

At which point the rebellion was over. The protesters never formed again.

Very few of those enjoying the evening before and after the curfew were wearing masks. Forget about social distancing. An impossibility.

During the protest portion, the protesters were chanting “USA, USA, USA” and “We’re not going to take it.”

Pru Sowers in the Key West Citizen described the evening best. The evening was “more whimper than a riot.”

I obviously was not out. Day #331 of my self-quarantine. My information regarding Duval and New Year’s eve comes from 3 excellent sources. The 2 front page columns of today’s Citizen and Jean Thornton.

Jean and Joe are still self-quarantines in Birmingham. They watched the action in front of Sloppy Joe’s via Sloppy’s webcam. Even saw Joe Walsh’s arrest via another webcam.

Trump’s complaining fashion is consistent. He continues to decry the Presidential election. Fraud everywhere. Yesterday, he went after the run off elections taking place in Georgia tuesday. Described them as “illegal and invalid.”

When you are on top and in control, few will dispute you. When the end is near, supporters fall along the wayside in increasing numbers.

Trump is close to being out. His power ends January 20. His ass kissers and followers will be significantly diminished.

The loudest example so far. The Senate this week overriding Trump’s veto of the defense bill. Significantly: 81-13. First override of a Trump veto in 4 years.

Trump’s days sowing chaos and undermining national security will not be possible in any significant fashion. He will have become yesterday’s news.

When you’e out, your’re out!

Another Trump inspired lawsuit has been thrown out of court. Representative Gohmert’s suit against Vice President Pence re overriding the electoral vote.

The Federal Judge ruled the plaintiffs had suffered no specific damage, Congress did not have the legal right (standing) to sue, and plaintiffs’ lawsuit presupposed what the Vice President would do.

Another victory for the good guys! Sixty one lawsuits. Trump or his people won only one.

History will recognize Trump as responsible for COVID-19 being as bad as it has become in the U.S. Trump should be proud. He has blood on his hands.

There are now 20 million confirmed cases. Close to 350,000 dead. One model suggests an additional 115,000 will die in the next 4 weeks.

Thank you, Donald!

Enjoy your day!

A trying last night ending what has been a trying last year.

All Key West midnight drops were cancelled. A 10 o’clock curfew in effect.

Turns out, all but one. Sushi went down in the Red Shoe for the 24th consecutive New Year’s eve. Not at midnight, however. At some point before 10 pm.

The drop took place not on Duval. Rather from the back area of Bourbon Street. A beautiful place in itself. Rarely seen except by gays. It is open to everyone the two nights of Goombay.

A large area. Sushi came down from the second floor on the back side. A bar and pool below. Tables and chairs throughout the remaining massive area.

The number of persons permitted to view Sushi was limited. Social distancing was enforced. Don’t know about masking.

I had a curiosity as to the the size of the Duval crowd and whether the police were able to handle the curfew. Called several local friends who I thought might have been on Duval. The calls made at 7 this morning.

No happy campers at the other end of the line. I woke them all. No one had gone to Duval.

Nothing in the morning papers.

The story too late to print apparently.

Yesterday day 331 of my self-quarantine. Obviously did not go out. Was in bed asleep at 9.

My sleep time not comfortable. Kept waking. The air conditioning broke around 8. Good luck getting an air conditioning person on New Year’s eve.

I started in bed. Went downstairs and back and forth between a barcalounger and wing back. Neither helped. Hot was hot!

On this day in 1997, Jimmy Carter and family spent New Year’s at the Little White House. The former President became thrilled with Key West and the lower Keys in general. In subsequent years, he stayed with friends on Summerland Key.

Howard Livingston’s home on the same street as the home the Carters stayed in. Howard would tell me when they were there. His yearly trips to Summerland were kept secret, except from near by neighbors.

It continues to amaze me. Carter was one of our worst Presidents. Nothing went right for him. Note Trump far worse. No comparison between the two.

Carter has become the best former President in retirement. The man is amazing! Now in his 90’s and still going strong.

The Casa Marina Hotel 100 years old today. Opened New Year’s eve 1921. Room with bath $9. The physical land 6 acres, including 1,200 feet of beachfront. Purchase price for the land $1,000.

A right on comment in the Citizens’ Voice this morning: “My hope for the New Year is that instead of yelling at our selfish visitors to wear their masks, I could go back to yelling at them to stop urinating in my driveway. Isn’t life in Old Town grand!”

It appears Governor DeSantis is guilty of another wrongdoing. Respectfully, the man is a disgrace.

He has who gets the vaccine at what time all screwed up. Actually, he left the decision to the respective areas. There is no set method. Each does it their own way.

The number of vaccine doses were far less than anticipated.

As of monday, Monroe County had received 800 doses. Three hundred twelve were administered on monday. Who is to go 2nd, 3rd and 4th all screwed up.

Moderna the vaccine received.

There is also a dramatic decrease in the number of doses Florida has received. Trump’s fault. He claims the federal government’s responsibility ended with delivery to the states.

Passes the buck all the time.

There was a time when the cigar was King in Key West. For example, on this day in 1905 there were 20 cigar factories employing 1,527.

The man is never happy. I refer to Trump, of course.

He returned from Mar-a-Lago early. Yesterday. Deserted Mar-a-Lago where 500 people expected to party last night with the President and Melania.

The reason given is that Trump has spent his entire time at Mar-a- Logo unhappy, complaining, etc. He believes not enough is being done for the electoral ballot confrontation  in Congress on January 6.

He is back to fix things. January 6 may be his last hurrah in the election fight.

It appears Trump is also unhappy with Melania. He delegated the responsibility to her to renovate what is to be their home in Mar-a- Lago after January 20.

He did not like the job she did.

I have a question, a concern. Was Melania paid? Forget not that Ivanka received significant consulting fees from her father.

If paid, from what account and what was the money purportedly paid for if not the renovation.

On this day in 1954, NBC broadcast the first coast to coast colored TV event. The Tournament of Roses Parade.

Colored TV did not sweep the nation rapidly. Why, I do not know.

It was a day 3 years later in June 1957. Earlier that day, I had graduated from Manhattan College. Dinner for family and guests afterwards was at the Stella D’Oro restaurant a few blocks away.

Stella D’Oro was and still is the famous Italian cookie maker. They had a lovely large up scale restaurant sitting in front of their plant.

Suddenly, everyone was moving swiftly to the bar. I went also to see what the excitement was all about. The bar was showing a colored TV program.

Most of us watching had never seen colored TV before. I stood in awe.

Happy New Year! May it be a better one for all of us.

I have never seen Duval as crowded as it was at 2 yesterday afternoon. Good luck to the police having everyone off the streets by 10:30 tonight.

I was downtown because of a doctor visit. Thought I’d take a look at Duval. What a look! Nothing but people.

Traffic bumper to bumper going both ways. Creeping. Took forever to travel 2 blocks. I got off as soon as I could. Went to Whitehead to get out of Dodge.

Let me share what I observed. Note I took into consideration it was raining. Still the biggest crowd I have seen, rain or no rain.

People waiting to get into the Clam Shack went all the way down to Antonia’s. It was the same the 2 blocks I traversed. Everyone waiting in the rain in long lines to get into sandwich shops for lunch.

No social distancing. Little mask wearing. About one third.

Lots of families.

It was reported last week that the hotels were at 93 percent capacity when the curfew was announced. A few days later, it was reported 50 percent had cancelled. Then yesterday it was reported the hotels were 80 percent occupied. Not bad. Still making money. Ninety three percent meant about 50,000 tourists in for the weekend. Eighty percent drops the number by 10 percent. Forty thousand people still a lot.

Hemingway House. The line was around the corner almost down to Duval.

The Southernmost Point. The line was down to Duval.

In all instances described, it was raining heavy and light all the time. People not concerned. Joking, laughing, enjoying themselves.

The Key West police will have their hands full tonight. Duval will be extremely crowded. Probably will not look any different than previous years. Local police will need the help of the Sheriff’s Department and smaller police forces from up the road communities.

The mass ain’t going to move easily.

January 6 I fear will be a day that will go down in history. Could be remembered as Pearl Harbor is.

It is the day Congress convenes to certify the Electoral College vote.

Usually routine. Actually a ministerial act. Not this year, however.

To call for discussion requires one member of the House and one member from the Senate to protest. They have committed. There will be a contenuous floor debate. To no avail. The Rubicon has been crossed. The die set.

The one Senator required to initiate a floor debate is Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri. Well thought of. Not one of the wild ones.

Then why is he the “spoiler?” McConnell has even given up. Biden has been duly elected. He wanted all the Republicans to vote in a perfunctory manner. Lost Hawley.

Hawley wants to run for President in 2024. Some think he made this move to ingratiate himself with Trump and Trump’s supporters.

Hawley’s position is elections should be investigated by Congress. Pray tell, where in the Constitution is it so stated? Appears to me Hawley is making his move with Giuliani providing the legal basis.

This bullshit should have stopped long ago. We are as close to stepping over and becoming a third world country as can be. A next step could result in open conflict.

There have been 60 lawsuits re the election issue. Trump won only one. He had good lawyers! What a joke! More than 90 federal and state judges heard the cases and found no fraud.

Trump the major rabble rouser. He tweeted asking his supporters to come to Washington on January 6 to protest. He said, “See you in DC!”

Proud Boys are coming. Trump supporters. Far right, near fascist, limited to male membership only.

They carry guns and knives. Several people were knifed at the last protest Proud Boys attended. They are thriving on the legitimacy Trump has given them over the past several months.

I have a concern. Trump’s people protesting could lead to some sort of riot. I can visualize Proud Boys and other Trump supporters invading the halls of Congress and the Chamber itself.

My friends, we are that close to tyranny of such a nature. Be not blinded. Democracy is on the line.

Violence could also occur on the floor of the 2 houses of Congress, the combatants being elected legislators physically attacking each other.

Don’t say no. It has occurred more than 90 times already in the history of our country.

Things wee so bad in the 19th century that Congressional persons went to work carrying pistols and bowie knives. And sometimes used them on colleagues.

Some examples.

The best known fight took place on the Senate floor on May 22, 1856. House member Preston Brooks entered the Senate chamber. He was a pro slavery Southerner.

He walked over to Senator Sumner and hit him on the head with a cane. He then proceeded to beat the anti-slavery Senator into unconsciousness. Brooks walked out of the Senate with no one stopping him.

The fight was one of the many tensions within the country over the issue of slavery.

In 1838, one Congressman killed another in a duel which arose because of politics. In 1838, an insult to a Congressman was considered an insult to his political Party.

Serious business. A matter of honor.

Two congressmen, one a Whig and the other a Democrat, who had no personal disagreement or dislike for each other, were designated to represent their respective parties.

The duel took place on February 24, 1838. Rifles were used. Neither man a good shot.

They missed each other in rounds 1 and 2. In the third round, Congressman Graves was shot and killed.

At 2 in the morning in 1858, the House was still in session. A “full fledged sectional fight” took place on the floor.

A southern Representative grabbed a northern Representative by the throat. The northern Representative was black. While choking the northern Representative, the southern one said he would teach the  “black representative puppy” a lesson.

An all out brawl developed. Fists utilized. About 30 Representatives involved.

Lets move into the 20th century.

A debate was taking place on the Senate floor involving Philadelphia Island. Senators Benjamin Tillman and Senator John McLaurin were both Democrats and represented South Carolina.

Tillman accused McLaurin of “treachery” for voting with the Republicans re the Philadelphia Island annexation. Tillman said McLaurin did so because he was promised governmental patronage for South Carolina.

Words flew. Tillman attacked McLaurin. Other Senators not involved were hit by the combatants during the fray.

Both were later censured by the Senate.

An almost “today” event. March 4, 1955. House of Representatives.  Democratic representatives Thomas Downey and Dornan involved.

Vietnam was long over. Dornan called Downey a “draft dodging wimp” because he had a medical deferment during the war.

Words continued to be exchanged. An additional personal issue came into play which had occurred 2 years earlier.

While meeting on the House floor and during the “wimp” issue, they began tie grabbing and choking each other. Dire threats were made.

Immediately following the dispute, Downey complained to Speaker Tip O’Neill. Many considered Downey so doing as childish.

The next day, O’Neill condemned the behavior of both saying: “You can settle this on the street, but don’t settle it on the House floor.”

Can any of these type activities happen today? Absolutely! The two parties hate each other. Half the country believes Trump almost as their cult leader. Trump is encouraging physical engagement as he continues to cry ballot box cheating.

Could happen January 6. Hopefully not.

Enjoy your day! An early Happy and Prosperous New Year to each of you!

Late tuesday, Federal Judge King decided the legal challenge to Key West’s New Year’s curfew.

The Key West law stands. Constitutional challenge by Andrew Day for temporary restraining order was denied.

Judge King decided the case on its merits. I thought he would throw it out on technical issues like “standing” and/or “no damages.”

Instead the Judge immediately went to the heart of the matter.

Judge King ruled Key West has a “substantial government interest in preserving and protecting the public health of its citizens.” Further indicating the prohibition is not indefinite. Merely New Year’s eve weekend for a total of 24 hours.

In an early morning article yesterday, the Miami Herald identified Day as a bartender. The Miami Herald in its late afternoon news release identified Day’s wife as a bartender also.

Day’s claim was that he lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic.

I compliment the Mayor and City Commission in taking a position they believed correct and standing by it. In previous conflicts with bar owners, the Commission would rule and then back off or water down its original order. This time the Mayor and City Commission stood tall.

Some things are hard to believe. Gallup does an annual survey to determine the “Most Admired Man in America.” This year’s winner Donald Trump.

Wow!

Obama had previously been the Most Admired for 12 consecutive years.

There is a “Most Admired Woman in America” category also. Michelle Obama was the winner for a third consecutive year.

Does anyone tell the truth? We know Donald does not.

Two prominent nations and their leaders have joined the liars group. China and Russia.

A China CDC study revealed Wuhan’s coronavirus infections were ten percent higher than reported.

Russia admitted its coronavirus death totals were three times higher than reported.

Trump’s friends Xi and Putin must be upset by the revelations. As Trump has in the past. Florida Governor DeSantis joins the pack. He tried to fudge the number of cases. Wanted a lower the number reported. The  civil servant told to do the dirty deed was terminated or quit when she refused. The matter went public.

Today’s blog is shorter than normal. I have a doctor’s appointment this morning.

I am beginning to think that between doctor visits and hospital testing I support the Key West medical community. Not directly. Actually Medicare and my supplemental carrier.

Enjoy your day!

I have some concerns regarding the lawsuit brought by an Andrew Day against Key West re the New Year’s Eve curfew. Federal Judge King will be hearing the matter this morning at 10.

You will recall from yesterday’s blog, I could find no one who knew Day as a Key West bar owner. He never claimed to be one in his Complaint. However, he was going through a lot of expense just to be a good citizen.

I could not find anyone either who knew Day personally.

How did the man get involved in the lawsuit? Bothered me. Something was amiss. He had gone a “far stretch” for a “concerned citizen.”

Day is either a concerned citizen or fronting for someone or some group. Nothing wrong if he is. Except people have a right to know.

Day has no pecuniary interest in the bars remaining open. Bar and/or restaurant owners do.

Legally, a question arises as to “standing” and “damages” if Day is to succeed.

Standing involves being a recognizable person under the law to bring a lawsuit. One man alone is not sufficient to bring the type of lawsuit here. If he were a bar owner (s), perhaps so. As an individual citizen standing alone, not.

Generally a person must have sustained some damage to bring a lawsuit. What damage has Day sustained? Other than not being able to bar hop at midnight New Year’s eve.

Day fails in both the standing and damage positions required to maintain a lawsuit. Merely an observation. I could be wrong. I have been wrong on other occasions in my lifetime.

By this time tomorrow, we should know.

Philip Esformes was considered the King of Medicare Fraud. He was convicted last year of Medicare fraud. To the tune of $1.3 billion. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Trump commuted his sentence this past week.

Chabad-Lubavitch is a Jewish orthodox movement. Adelph Institute is some sort of affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch. Both are favorites of Jared Kushner.

Esformes’s family donated $65,000 to Adelph Institute in the several years following his indictment. A number of others donated to Adelph Institute purportedly with Esformes in mind.

Esformes had an excellent lifestyle. He used the money fraudulently  obtained to pay escorts, purchase a $1.6 million Ferrari, purchase a $360 million Swiss watch, and pay a bribe to get his son admitted to the University of Pennsylvania.

The PPP program was part of the CARES Act. The government provided x number of dollars to a business. The purpose of the loan was to permit the business to meet payroll. Keep its employees employed.

If the business used the money for its intended purpose, there was no obligation to repay the government. If it failed to do so, the monies had to be repaid plus 1 percent interest. A cheap loan.

Omni Hotels and Resorts International received $76 million in PPP loans. Paid not one penny to its employees. In fact, laid many off.

Omni has said it will return to the government what it owes plus the interest. A cheap loan by any standard.

A Swedish group has been studying the affect of human medications on Keys bone fish. The pharmaceutical drugs generally going into the toilet via human excretions, then through wastewater treatment, finally being released and/or leached into nearby waters.

Bone fish from Key  Largo to Key West part of the study.

The study consisted of only only six bone fish. Study findings were the bone fish that had been exposed to human anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications had changed their behavior. The bone fish were more active, fed and migrated faster, engaged in more risk taking behaviors, and were less sociable.

It was also discovered the dosages found in the bone fish were high enough to affect humans.

I was involved in the second largest environmental case in 1981. The only one previously larger was Love Canal.

I represented 2 corporations that had contributed to hazardous substances which end up in a garbage dump that was now leaching substances. My clients had paid several million dollars to commence the clean up. The remediation was on going and would cost millions more.

I sued 603 potentially responsible parties on behalf of my two corporations in order to get my clients reimbursed for the monies they had already paid and were obligated to further pay.

Note the lawsuit was 40 years ago.

It was a known fact that home used pharmaceutical drugs contained hazardous substances. No one up to that time had given serious consideration to those same hazardous substances ending up in a landfill. Working with our scientists, it was determined that most people disposing of unused drugs would merely throw them in the garbage. They ended up in the landfill and contributed to the landfill’s contamination.

The knowledge a big deal back then. Today, common place.

My blog talk radio show tonight at 9 my time. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me for a fast moving half hour. Guaranteed you will enjoy my ranting and raving. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

We have become an extremely litigious society.

Key West finally understand the responsibility theirs was re the spread of coronavirus. The Commission passed weak laws and then failed to enforce even them. The bar and restaurant owners were running the City. The City Commission quaked every time the bar and restaurant owners complained.

The City Commission has another responsibility besides accommodating bar and restaurant owners. The health of its people. Key West has the highest number of COVID-19 cases than any other Keys community. No other City even close.

Key West was facing a 50,000 person tourist onslaught for New Year’s weekend. Hotel reservations were at 93 percent.

The tourist have been coming weekends to party because their home communities in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties will not permit them to do so as they could in Key West.

Key West had become the Dodge City of Florida.

The 10-6 nightly curfew was passed. Bars and restaurants closed at 10. People off the streets by 10:30.

Almost immediately, the hotels experienced something like a 50 percent cancellation.

Key West bar or restaurant owner Andrew T. Day decided he was not going to take the curfew sitting down. I do not know the name of his establishment. I could find no one who did know. I am not suggesting he is not such an owner. Rather that I am ignorant as to the name of the business he runs.

The lawsuit was filed thursday or friday in federal court against the City of Key West, Mayor Johnston, and City Manager Veliz. A high powered Miami lawyer is representing Day.

Day claims the New Year’s emergency curfew order violates his First Amendment rights to free speech and peaceful assembly. The Complaint alleges Day’s “rights are being taken away from the plaintiff for 8 hours per day for three consecutive nights.” He seeks a temporary restraining order for the New Year’s weekend.

I have not seen the City’s responsive papers yet. I assume it will claim the City has an obligation and a right to protect it citizens from coronavirus.

Today is monday. Thursday, New Year’s Eve. The Judge will have to decide the case via a temporary restraining order between now and then. Day seeks an order till trial that his rights have been violated, he can remain open, disregard the curfew, etc.

Similar cases have been brought throughout the United States the past few months. Decisions have come down on both sides of the issue.

Back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, the criminal element seeking to bring in marijuana to U.S. shores did so via planes and boats. The marijuana bales became known as “square groupers.”

The game is on again!

In addition to marijuana, cocaine.

Last wednesday, a fisherman came upon a 75 pound bale of cocaine 15 miles south of Sugarloaf Key. Street value $850,000.

The fisherman turned the cocaine over to the Sheriff’s Department who in turn transferred it to the U.S. Border Patrol. The Border Patrol has responsibility for the cocaine catch.

In 1989, the Joint Interagency Task Force South was established. It is headquartered at the Naval Air Station in Truman Annex. Its major responsibility is illicit drug trafficking. Its roster includes the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the FBI.

The Coast Guard fills the top leadership position. A Coast Guard Admiral is presently in charge of the Interagency Task Force.

Is drug trafficking returning to the Keys in the same volume it was 30-40 years ago? I doubt it. However the government must be vigilant to make sure it does not.

I appreciate one bale of cocaine does not make for a resurgence of the problem. However there have been several other episodes in recent months.

Bales of marijuana were found in August and September washed up on Keys shores. In July, 50 pounds of cocaine washed up near Grassy Key. Early in July, 29 bales of cocaine were discovered in waters off Marathon. In October, 30 pounds of marijuana were discovered in waters off the Keys.

Paul Waldman of The American Project recently wrote what 2020 revealed to us. The title of the article: What A Miserable 2020 Revealed About America.

The thrust of his article can be summed up in one sentence from it: “It exposed an impotent political system, a deadly mythology of rugged individualism, and a Republican Party without shame.”

It appears 63 year old Anthony Quinn Walker was responsible for the Nashville Christmas Day bombing.

Walker a self employed computer guru.

It appears the explosion was Walker’s way of committing suicide.

Except for Walker himself, no one was injured or killed. The property devastation extensive covering several blocks. As if the area had been bombed by planes in war time.

The 8 police officers who roused residents that there was to be an explosion are heroes. Unquestionably. Make note, it is good to have an incident of consequence where the police did their job, were on top of the problem, and saved many lives. No blacks shot in the head or chocked to death.

The 8 officers consisted of 6 whites, 1 black, and a female.

They are heroes because they knew they only had 15 minutes or less to get everyone out of the buildings. They had to move their asses and make each resident immediately understand to move or die.

A job well done!

Enjoy your day!

Trump’s most recent exhibit of callousness and non caring is his failure to sign the stimulus bill. The unemployment program portion expired yesterday. Twelve million people affected. The other stimulus matters will die in the next few days or if Trump opts to veto the bill.

The government closes down monday if the bill is not signed. Certain federal civil servants will be out of work.

The man neither cares for nor understands anyone. He is blind to consequences.

Then there are Trump’s recent comments re Melania.

His former model wife has yet to appear on the cover of a fashion magazine since becoming first lady. Trump claims as a model Melania is the “greatest of all time.”

Both husband and wife appear unhappy that women of color have appeared and Melania never.

Michelle Obama was frequently featured.

Then there is Beyonce. She was Vogue’s September 2018 cover. Upset the Trump’s.

Beyonce a Haitian and woman of color. The photographer for the shoot was a young black photographer. His first time shoot for a major publication.

Trump’s recent comments made at a time when the American people are in deep financial distress and the coronavirus is the worst yet. Trump’s head was into Melania and a fashion magazine cover spot.

Melania is a beauty. Carries herself well. Standing on those virtues alone, she should have been on several covers. What Trump fails to understand is a substantial number of Americans neither like nor respect him. That is why Melania was not on Vogue nor any other fashion cover while Trump was/is in the White House.

Melania also does not have the sweetest of dispositions. Although fewer than her husband’s, Melania has made some tasteless comments not expected from a first lady.

For both, how does the saying go? Ye reap what you sow.

I pondered for comment purposes what President was worse than Trump. Turns out none! My conclusion. Many considered others.

I did a little research into the “others.” George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, James Buchanan, Ulysses Grant and Herbert Hoover. Each had been labeled by one person or another as the “worst.”

I decided no President has been worse than Trump. Most angels in comparison.

I came down on one equally as bad as Trump, however. Herbert Hoover.

Hoover’s track record leading up to the Presidency was outstanding. His White House tenure the opposite.

Hoover was recognized and respected. A famed humanitarian. He fed Belgium and northern France during their occupation in World war I. He kept food flowing to Europe even after the U.S. joined the War. He is recognized as having saved 9 million lives. Though a strong anti Bolshevik, he helped feed 18,000 Russians.

In the early 1920s, Franklin Delano Roosevelt said Hoover would make a great President. Less than 10 years later when Roosevelt was running against Hoover, Roosevelt labeled Hoover as “the man who doesn’t care.”

Roosevelt considered Hoover heartless, failed to see the misery all around him, and unequal to the task of rescuing the U.S. from the Great Depression.

Hoover was callous.

An example his sending the Army to violently disperse World War I veterans camping out in Washington and demanding their bonus payments.

Hoover was paranoid.

He was always railing about conspiracy theories. He pushed the Senate to investigate Wall Street firms for intentionally driving down the stock market in an effort to hurt him politically.

Hoover was willfully blind.

He refused to believe his own experts about the scale of economic devastation.

Hoover didn’t care.

He didn’t care about the ravages of the Depression and ordinary Americans.

By 1932, everything came to a head. Hoover recognized his failings. Roosevelt was shouting them from the rooftops every day. Hoover offered some corrective policies. However, it was too little too late.

It reached the point where the “country was convinced that Hoover…..was a cold hearted man, indifferent to suffering. A man who everyday proved he cared only about himself.

Hoover lost the election. To this day some 88 years later, the country still views him as it did  back then. He was so bad that even history could not redeem him.

As it will be with Trump.

The Hoover-Trump comparison understandable. Hoover’s short comings similar to Trump’s. Birds of a feather. Two men the U.S. could have done without.

Enjoy your Sunday!

It’s raining iguanas. The cold spell affects them. They are falling off trees.

Iguanas are cold blooded reptiles. Their bodies go dormant when the weather gets too cold. Sluggish when the temperature drops below 50 degrees. Cold below 40 degrees. Cold stuns them and they drop to the ground.

Not dead. Always alive. Merely out of it till the weather becomes warm again.

I am not fond of iguanas. I am aware of no one who lives in the Keys who is. They are a destructive reptile. Eat landscaping. Devour expensive flowers.

Another habit is they enjoy defecating in pools. Not cheap to drain, replenish the water and bury the water in chemicals.

Iguanas are far from man’s best friend.

On the other hand, considered good food in certain countries. Many in Central and South America eat iguanas on a weekly basis. The taste is comparable to chickens.

The State of Florida finally decided this year that iguanas had become a problem. One that had to be dealt with. Too many. Easily reproductive.

The story is comparable to Florida’s Burmese python problem. The State decided too late there were too many. Florida admitted several years ago that the pythons could not be totally eradicated.

I view the iguana problem comparable. Already too many. The State has decided too late to do something. In the next few years, the State will admit it can only mange iguanas and not eradicate them.

COVID-19 has dramatically affected Key West’s tourism business. As it has throughout the country.

I have several concierge friends. One called yesterday to wish me a Merry Christmas. She had worked the day at her concierge post in the hotel. The same one she worked at last year.

She was discouraged. Her numbers discouraging. Where last Christmas day she took in $4,500, yesterday only $130.

I always say, “Harry Truman loved Key West and Key West loves Harry Truman.”

Truman made 11 trips to Key West when President. Total days 175. Key West was his vacation spot of choice.

The 33rd President of the United States died this day in 1972. He was 88 yeas old.

Key West will never forget one of our country’s greatest Presidents.

I attended a Catholic college. Took a 2 semester course on the New Testament. Since, I have always thought I knew well the New Testament.

Learned last night I was wrong.

We are all familiar with Isaiah’s sentence: “For unto us a child is born.” I thought that was it. Not. Only the introductory portion of a much longer sentence.

Isaiah 9:69. “For unto us a child is born; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Certain of the appellations sound modern day. Titles some rulers give themselves, or their people give them.

Senator Rand Paul is a horse’s ass. Not sometime. All the time. He knows everything.

The Senator is well educated. A Duke University medical degree.

He always seems contrary.

He was recently interviewed on a Breitbart news show. His Breitbart appearance makes sense. Breitbart is also off base on most things.

The Senator made it clear he was anti-mask, social distancing and washing hands. He views such restrictions as “submissions.” Anti-Constitutional.

His position none are helpful in controlling coronavirus, vaccine is the only help.

He noted that incidents of the virus went up exponentially after the mandates were suggested/imposed. He noted people are dying in increasing numbers.

One comment was that clothe masks are useless. The N95 is the only one that works. The interviewer of course agreed with him. Thought a clothe face mask was no better that cutting up one’s underwear and wearing it as a face mask.

One of the Senator’s most striking statements was “They want you to submit to their will.”

Who is “they?”

The Key West Citizen’s Editorial page cartoons continue to get better. This morning’s gives evidence of how the world changes.

Two persons in the cartoon. Both wearing what appear to be t-shirts with writing on each. The first cartoon is labeled Pre-Covid. The wording: “HUGS NOT DRUGS.” The second labeled Present Day. The wording: “DRUGS NOT HUGS.”

How the world changes. In this instance in less than a year.

I read this morning that U.S. billionaires increased their wealth by $1 trillion since lockdowns.

I am curious whether they will pay any taxes for 2020.

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday was my 324th day of self-quarantine.

Christmas is not a time to be alone.

I began my evening early. Cocktails with Cathy in Seattle. We made a great combination. Me with my ribs and she with her back. Cathy indulged, I a small glass of wine.

We finished our Christmas Eve at 8:30 my time. I immediately went to bed and fell asleep. Woke at 11:30. Christmas a half hour away so decided to stay up.

Something was required to celebrate. Christmas cookies and tea. Cathy had mailed me a huge container of home made Christmas cookies.

I pigged out on them. About 10. Delicious, but filling.

TV sucked. Very few Christmas shows as such at midnight. Other than a mass from the Vatican, all regular reruns.

Returned to bed and sleep at 2. Woke at 5.

I have always enjoyed Christmas cookies. My former wife made them big time. Each one a delight!

She began baking December 1. Stored them in one of our refrigerators. Ended up with the whole refrigerator full.

My problem early on was I would grab a few each day as they were done. Then really pig out Christmas Eve.

The few turned into too many. Not healthy. Not comfortable.

I devised a plan that I followed for well over 30 years. I would select one day before Christmas and it became my cookie day. Somewhere around December 20. That day all day enjoyed my wife’s cookies. I would not touch one before that day nor one afterward. Not even Christmas eve and day.

My Christmas cookie collection is not what it was. Fortunately, Cathy blessed me with a big sized container. Lisa just called. She is on her way over with her cookies.  Guaranteed to be good. She makes them as her mother did.

One thing I could never understand. My wife made so many cookies because she had to deliver bags of them to her lady friends. They exchanged. She received in return from her friends bags of the same type cookies.

I thought the whole thing was an Italian custom. I did a little research last night. The practice of women exchanging cookies goes back to the 1800s. There were “cookie exchanges.” A large place/hall where women went and exchanged cookies with other women. The big exchange is now a home visit.

Today’s blog is somewhat like a Morning Stew.

A few news items that attracted my attention this morning.

Headline of one article: Trump’s Gift to the American People Chaos.

Trump yesterday issued a warning to Republicans who did not back his election fraud claims: “I will never forget!”

Cold this morning. Temperature will be going down today. Mid afternoon temperature will be 63 degrees.

There was a Christmas Eve concert last night at Notre Dame in Paris. Still very much damaged, though under repair. The musicians and choir wore hard hats.

We enjoy many Christmas traditions. They have evolved over the years. I am going to touch on Christmas trees and mistletoe.

Keep in mind that many of today’s traditions had their beginnings centuries ago and were part of pagan festivals. Yes, the Christmas tree and mistletoe are pagan derived.

The Christmas tree tradition began with the Romans. So many years back.

There was a Roman holiday known as Saturnalia It was around the same time that Christmas is celebrated today. Wild. Involved feasting, drinking, sex and exchanging gifts.

The Romans began hanging small ornaments on trees outside their homes. Each represented a god. Either Saturn or a family’s patron saint.

During the 16th century, the Romans began bringing Christmas trees into their homes. They decorated them with ornaments similar to those already described.

Credit for lights on a tree goes first to Martin Luther. He added lighted candles.

Understand that the decoration of the trees and moving them inside did not give the trees a Christian or good status. Jeremiah 10: 1-5. Recall the Christmas tree was born of a pagan event.

From candles to electric lights took place in 1882. Edward H. Johnson was Thomas Edison’s friend and partner in Edison’s Illumination Company. He hand worked 80 red, white and blue light bulbs and wound them around a Christmas tree.

It worked!

The next year electric Christmas tree lights were in most New York City homes!

The mistletoe. A lovely modern day Christmas experience. Anyone standing beneath a mistletoe receives a kiss from another.

The mistletoe is a symbol of fertility and life. In winter when all trees are bare, the mistletoe stays green. Continuing to happily grow on bare tree branches.

It is a parasitic plant. Grows only on trees. Not in the ground or in a pot. While growing on a branch, it sucks the nourishment out of the tree that it requires to live.

The mistletoe and romance of a sort go back to the Celtic Druids in first century AD. The mistletoe then and now is primarily grown on branches of willow, apple and oak trees.

The Druids were not interested in kissing. Their goal sex!

In wintertime, the men would chase the ladies around the trees bare of leaves. The only thing growing were mistletoes. It was a game. The men wanted to catch the ladies and the ladies wanted to be caught.

Recall because the mistletoe was a symbol of fertility and life. Under the mistletoe was a proper place to engage in frivolous sexual activity.

The mistletoe itself was considered to have an erotic quality. White berries grew from the bottom of a mistletoe. The whole berries represented testicles. Oozy white juice fell from the berries. Came to be referred to as “oak sperm.”

The sexual nature of the mistletoe was engrained in society. The act of cutting a mistletoe down was considered by the Celtic Druids as “symbolic castration.”

A quaint reflection today is that the custom of kissing beneath a mistletoe carries with it an echo of Pagan penis worship.

By 1784, the English were beginning to kiss beneath a mistletoe. Kissing can be found in the first book of “A Christmas Carol” published in 1843.

Kissing had become the game of the day.

The word mistletoe is derived from 2 Anglo-Saxon words. “Mistel” which means dung and “tan” which means a twig or stick. Together they translate into “poo on a stick.” Not very romantic.

Enjoy Christmas Day!