DAVID’S DAY AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY

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As suspected, I never made it to Don’s Place to watch the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. By 9, midnight seemed days away. Instead, I went to bed.

Not all was lost, however. I was watching a James Bond movie. Half asleep. All of a sudden, my eyes opened wide. There was the Hemingway House. I watched Bond and two guys chasing him go through the front gate, run up the outside stairs, tussle in a second floor room, Bond jumping off a second floor porch and leaping over a wall as he made his getaway.

The movie was License To Kill.

The only scene in the entire movie shot in Key West was the one I described. The rest of the film was made elsewhere. It does not seem financially feasible to have brought cast, crew and equipment to Key West to film an episode that took less than two minutes. Money must be cheap in Hollywood. Or, was back then.

I spent a couple of hours in the afternoon with Sloan. I am from a different generation. Getting this blog linked and everywhere it must go takes a talent I have not. And which I have not been able to learn. I would be lost without her.

I did get to watch the Kentucky Derby. An exciting 2 minutes! I have been lucky to have attended all major sporting events, other than a World Series game and the Kentucky Derby. Some, several times.

I received an e-mail this morning from David Taylor of Owensboro, Kentucky. David has been a loyal blog reader for a long time. I got to meet him Easter time at the Chart Room. David, his wife, his Dad, and friends.

David wrote about his one time experience at a Kentucky Derby. I share it with you.

It was back in 1974. The day Secretariat ran and won. David had to be in college then.

He was watching the game from the infield. He described it as not a place for the faint of heart. It was hot. He had removed his shoes and shirt. He recalls seeing Secretariat go by. Only his legs. He witnessed a naked man shimmy his way to the top of the Churchill Downs flag pole.

Ready to leave, David discovered his shoes and shirt gone. Not to be found.

David said though it may have been the shortest two minutes in sports, it was the place to be that day.

I envy you, David. A suggestion. Get back there once more! Twice if you can! Enjoy the best life has to offer whenever circumstances permit. The clock never stops running.

I have to get this week’s KONK Life column out today. I still am not sure what I will write about. I have three possible topics. Ivory soap. There is a story in Ivory soap. Then there is the issue of jail gangs. A growing power in this country. They control outside activities at the same time they are in jail. Finally, Baltimore, Ferguson and most recently Denver police problems. Something along the line that Baltimore is the beginning, not the end. There will be elsewhere further improper police activities resulting in demonstrations, riots and disruptions.

One comment re the Baltimore arrests. A smart move. A tactical one. If the arrests had not been made, Baltimore would have burned that night and for several days thereafter. I doubt the charges will stick, however. They do not fit the facts. One reason being we still do not know many facts. Facts, not assumptions, are required to charge a person.

There will be some convictions. In the final analysis, any convictions stand a good chance of being overturned on appeal.

So there is no misunderstanding, the State’s Attorney did the correct thing in ordering arrests when she did. It was a practical decision to save the community from further harm. It was not the lawyer thing to do from a legal perspective. Sort of a race to judgment. I suspect at least a week more was required to collect additional facts and evaluate what charges should be brought.

Enjoy your Sunday!

BEST OF THE BEST

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Larry Smith out did himself last night. The show he put together at The Studios of Key West his best yet. There were some 200 people in attendance. Many dancing in the aisles at the end of the show.

With 24 performers entertaining, it is hard to point out that one or the other was the best. They were all good! No, spectacular!

I noticed the crowd consisted primarily of seniors. I being one of them. Many of the faces familiar. We were people who have followed Larry and his music for 20 some odd years here in Key West.

I enjoyed myself.

Big sports today! The Kentucky Derby and the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight.

I have not followed the horses this year. Ergo, I know nothing of those running. The race is at 6:24 this evening. I shall be watching from the comfort of my home.

The fight is a major event! The battle has been described as the fight of the century and the super bowl of boxing. The gate is predicted to be more than $400 million. The fighters will each walk away with $100 million pay days.

The fight begins late. Very late for a guy who is generally in bed asleep before 10 most evenings. Fight time is between 11 and midnight. The actual time depending on the undercard.

My initial reaction was to ignore the fight and go to sleep. I ran into Don last night. He has bought the fight for TV. It will be aired at Don’s Place. No charge. I spell out the no charge thing since some places in Key West are charging $100. The Marriott Beachside being one.

My plan is to stay up late and watch the fight at Don’s. Hope I make it!

One observation. A lot of puff for the fight. Like it is the best of the best. I cannot agree.

I recall fights over my lifetime that were equal to if not better than tonight’s. The three Tony Zale/Rocky Graziano middleweight championship fights in the late 1940s. Several Joe Louis battles. Don’t forget Sugar Ray Robinson.

Fights after World war II and before the advent of television were on the radio. Same procedure for the producers as today. Except instead of pay TV, there was pay radio. Which was not available in homes.We used to go down to the lobby of the Stanley Theater in Utica to listen to the fights. The lobby was large and always packed. The Stanley never charged.

We had a boxing champion in the family. Sort of. My Uncle Frank’s brother Bushy Graham was bantamweight champion some time in the late 1920s or in the early 1930s. He also fought one or two times for the featherweight championship.

Boxing was big for Italians from 1920 forward as it provided them a chance for the better life. If they were successful, of course.

Enjoy your day!

TONIGHT…..STUDIOS OF KEY WEST

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Larry Smith is friend and foe. Foe formerly on the golf course and presently the bocce courts. Tonight, Larry has prepared what I am sure will be a great evening of music. He has assembled 24 of Key West’s finest entertainers for what what I can guarantee will be an outstanding show

Larry can be anal. Especially when he is working. The show is two hours. Two segments. One hour each. A 15 minute break in between. Larry assures me the 24 entertainers will comfortably fit into the two available hours.

I believe Larry. He has everything down to the minute. He has been working on this show for a month. Woe anyone who screws it up!

Join me tonight at Larry’s show. Eight o’clock at The Studios of Key West.

No bocce last night. It was a bye night. Time for those teams who had games cancelled to play them. We had none cancelled.

I substituted the Chart Room and Hogfish in the place of bocce.

David was sitting alone at the round table when I entered the Chart Room. I sat with David about two hours. I enjoy his company.

The previous day’s flooding entered into the conversation. The flooding was gone by evening. The worst was early afternoon when the tide was high. By evening it was low tide. The storm water system was able to handle the problem at that time.

We talked about Che. Che is the only Key Wester I know who is older than me. I believe he is 83. Che is one of the last two persons alive who has his name on the Chart Room bar where some of his ashes will be interned.

No one has been able to find Che for three weeks. No answer at his apartment door or on his telephone. His car gone. Strange. Turns out Che was in a Miami hospital recovering from pneumonia. He is now home

Che, stay home!

Ollie stopped in. Ollie has been a leader in the fight opposing genetically modified mosquitoes. The ones that were to be tested on my home island, Key Haven. He and his group has been successful in obtaining a delay of the vote scheduled for last week. No date was scheduled for the next vote. Good job, Ollie!

Hogfish for dinner. I sat at the end of the bar, enjoyed hogfish and read the newspapers. No one talked to me and I did not attempt to initiate conversation with anyone. I was content to sit and read.

I had physiotherapy in the morning. Wow! Still tires me out. Big time! I basically spend the hour standing on one or two feet in strange positions with my eyes closed. Hard to balance with the eyes closed. Grueling. The sweat runs off my forehead.

Enjoy your day!

IT RAINED!!!!!

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It rained! Did it rain yesterday! Five inches of rain. Winds 45 mph.

After a manicure with Tammy, I decided to drive over to Don’s Place. Many of Don’s customers work in outdoor trades. It would be a no work day for them. They would be at Don’s. I sensed a fun afternoon ahead.

It was not to be. It was pouring. Don’s parking lot and every parking space for two blocks around were full. No way was I going to walk in the deluge coming down. I went home.

I stayed home the rest of the day and evening.

The rain was continuing and I knew the streets would be flooded. Some badly. I have an innate fear that someday my Volkswagen is going to float away on one of the flooded streets.

Key West has a relatively new storm sewer system. It gets rid of the flooded street water faster after the storm stops. During the storm however, it cannot handle the rain. It has to do with the fact that Key West is at sea level or just above.

I was correct about the street flooding. This morning’s Key West Citizen has pictures of it.

Alcohol and Key West. Key West is part of Monroe County. Monroe County extends the length of the Keys. The Citizen reported this morning a study done by the University of Washington. The study examined Florida’s 67 counties to determine which county had the highest level of local resident drinking. Note, local resident drinking. Monroe County won out. Or, perhaps lost.

The result does not surprise me. Down here it is the social thing to do.

George Washington was sworn in President this day in 1789. The first President of the new country. Technically speaking, he was not.

The thirteen colonies operated as the United States following the Revolution. The colonies were formally joined together in 1781 with the adoption of the Articles of Confederation. The Articles governed our country for eight years until the Constitution was adopted.

Under the Articles, the head of the government was the President. Formally known as the President of the United States in Congress Assembled. Congress elected the President at that time. Washington was the first President under the Constitution as we know it.

John Hanson of Maryland was the first President under the Articles. There were six more after him.

Copies of Letters by Washington show Washington referring to Hanson as President.

My KONK Life column Chimpanzees Are People Too was published this morning on my Key West Lou Facebook site. It is linked from KONK Life and available for reading.

Enjoy your day!

 

CHIMPANZEES ARE PEOPLE TOO

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It had to be expected after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United. Remember the decision. Corporations are people too. Poor decisions open the door to bad law. Law School 101.

Several lawsuits have been brought in New york State in recent months to have chimpanzees declared “persons.” Once a chimp is a person, it has the inalienable rights of life and liberty.

Do not think such a result impossible. The Dred Scott decision in 1857 said Negroes were slaves. Neither person nor people. There was a time in history when women and children were considered property. Then, the Citizen United decision.

Leading the fight is Stephen J. Wise, an attorney and animal rights advocate. He has been at it for 30 years. Only recently has he minimally tasted a degree of success.

Chimpanzees are part of the Great Ape family. Part of the biological family Hominidae. The Great Ape family consists of humans, bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. Note humans are included. All have two similar characteristics. They are intelligent and autonomous.

Though not part of the Great Ape grouping, elephants, whales, and dolphins are also considered intelligent and autonomous.

I suspect Attorney Wise has proceeded thus far only on behalf of chimpanzees because such “clients” were readily available. Success with chimpanzees would eventually lead those others named being considered persons also. One animal/fish at a time, of course.
 

Four chimpanzees and three lawsuits thus far.
The first involved Tommy. A 26 year old chimpanzee. He resides in Gloversville, N.Y. in a small shack owned by a man who sells and rentsreindeers. Tommy’s room is a small concrete cage in the shack. The shed is located on an old trailer lot.
 

Tommy’s owner says he is well cared for. Tommy has a colored television set.

 
Then came Kiko. A former Hollywood performer. He was known theatrically as “The Karate Chimp.” Kiko is owned by a New York couple and lives in a cage.

 

Now the real stars of the three litigations. Hercules and Leo. They are locked up at the New York University at Stony Brook. Hercules and Leo are used for locomotion research.

 

The New York Courts in the Tommy and Kiko cases came to the same result, differently arrived at. One Judge said in effect not my headache, let the appellate court deal with it. The other said chimpanzees could not be persons because they did not have the mental capacity to make decisions involving conformity to the law.

 

Both cases are on appeal.

 

Attorney Wise’s argument in the lack of mental capacity case is what about humans in society who cannot choose to conform to the law. Those who lack capacity. People such as infants, coma patients, those with profound disabilities, severe brain damage cases, and dementia.

 

Attorney Wise sought a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of Hercules and Leo. A writ of habeas corpus requires a person to be released from unlawful imprisonment. The key word is “person.”

 

A Manhattan Supreme Court Justice signed an order for habeas corpus. “Person” was a part of the language in the order signed by the Judge. The case was set down for a May 27 hearing. Soon thereafter, the Judge signed an amended order striking out the words writ of habeas corpus. The hearing still will be held, however.

 

One hundred fifty years ago, Darwin said the difference between man and other animals is one of degree, and not of kind. “Other animals” and “degree”
being significant verbiage in Darwin’s statement.

 

The issue is not local. It has already been dealt with in some fashion worldwide.

 

Switzerland in 1992 amended its Constitution to describe animals as “beings” and not “things.” New Zealand in 1995 granted basic rights to the members of the Great Ape species and forbade the use of animals in research and teaching. Germany in 2000 amended its Constitution so as to guarantee rights to animals.

 

Balearic Island, a province of Spain, in 2007 granted “personhood” to Great Apes. Spain’s Parliament in 2008 passed a resolution saying Great Apes have a right to
life and freedom.

 

Finally in 2010, the European Union on behalf of its 28 member nations banned the testing of Great Apes.

 

A new and not new ball game. New in the United States. Blame the chimpanzee cases presently in the courts on Citizens United. Attorney Wise relies strongly on if corporations can be people, then so too chimps.

 

Two thoughts. The first is there is as much humanity in a chimpanzee as there is in a corporation. Perhaps more. Second, what a waste of time and expense.