CHICKENS OF KEY WEST…..THE STORY

Good morning world!

I feel great this morning. Slept well. The best in ten days. Even my back feels good. I suspect that is why I slept better and am vitalized this morning.

I am into my 26th year of Key West. First as a tourist. Then as a regular vacationer. Then as a home owner. And now for eight years as a full time resident. In all that time, I have been under the impression that the chickens roaming the streets were the result of a City Commission folly.

As the story was told to me early on, the City fathers imported a number of chickens to add to the local color. The politicians did not realize that chickens are sensuous beings and propagate. I think the gestation period is 28 days. Soon the chicken population was and continues to be out of control.

A new story has come to my attention as to the source of the chickens. This one has to do with Cuban immigration. In  the 1950s, many Cubans escaped Castro’s revolution. They came to Key West to work in the booming cigar industry.

They brought with them chickens. For meat and eggs. And for cockfighting.

Over time, many of the chickens escaped or were released. The supermarkets became larger. It was cheaper and easier to buy chicken and eggs at the market.

Chickens have no known predators in Key West. Now generations later, they still roam Key West streets. Running freely here and there.

More Beatles lore.

This morning’s Key West Citizen, in its Florida Keys History section, reported that during and following the Beatles visit at the Key Wester Motel, people wanted to buy anything the Beatles had touched or used. Including the pool water they swam in.

Did my blog talk radio show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Most of the show involved income inequality. Seems to have been well received based on the post show comments.

Some of the facts exposed included net worth. Since 2007, the average net worth of most Americans has dropped 43 percent.

There was another time when Americans were faced with a 1 percent / 99 percent situation. In 1928, one year before the Great Depression.

Another interesting tidbit involved a babysitter’s pay. A babysitter’s average hourly nationally is almost twice the national minimum wage. More than that in Key West from what Lisa tells me. She pays $20 an hour for a babysitter.

KONK Life hits the stands at 5 this afternoon. I have an extended article in this week’s publication titled Income Inequality. Take the time to read it. You will the column interesting and revealing.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BEATLES AND KEY WEST

There was a time…..Yes, the Beatles came to Key West…..By accident…..Not planned.

The year 1964. The Beatles were flying to Jacksonville to do a show. Hurricane Dora was on its way to Jacksonville, also. The Beatles plane was diverted to Key West.

The exact day, I am not certain. Today’s Key West Citizen suggests 9/9. I searched the internet a bit. I came up with 9/10 and 9/11 also. Some articles suggest the Beatles were here a couple of days. Others, merely overnight. One of the articles has them arriving around 3 in the morning.

I suspect the Beatles were in Key West more than 24 hours. They broke loose!

They were staying at was then the Key Wester Motel. Gone now, replaced by a Hyatt facility. The Beatles at some point found the Key Wester bar. They took their instruments and played and sang for hours. Word spread they were in town. Other musicians showed up after their work day ended and played with them.

The articles are consistent that the Beatles did a bit of drinking. They became inebriated. One of them is described as having made love to the toilet bowl. Something most of us have experienced on one occasion or another.

Whatever, the Beatles enjoyed Key West. The locals enjoyed the Beatles.

It was fortunate their plane bypassed Jacksonville. Dora hit Jacksonville hard. Five dead and over $2 million in damage.

I have not mentioned JJ in ages. A friend. Formerly a bartender at the Chart Room. JJ now bartends at the Galleon. JJ’s wife’s picture is in the Key West Citizen today. Ann Jonas. She is Citizen of the Day. The brief article mentions that she and JJ will be celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary this week. Congratulations! I only met Ann once. JJ obviously many times. He always spoke of Ann as if he were deeply in love. Obviously he was and is.

Turtles in the news again. Sharks, also. Our friends and foes in the sea.

There was a recent newspaper article concerning the two. A world wide study was completed. Apparently man has been killing off too many sharks. Sharks kill turtles. With fewer sharks, the turtle population has over grown.

Turtles eat seagrass. Sharks do not. Little fish live and eat in and off the seagrass. In some areas such as Bermuda, the seagrass is down to nothing. The turtles responsible. Scientists are trying to figure out a way to diminish the turtle population.

It does not appear there is a similar problem in Key West. Our seagrass is in full bloom. Our ocean conservation people are interested in protecting both sharks and turtles. We even have a Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

Since the study was world wide, does it have any validity as regards Key West and the rest of the Keys? I don’t know. Perhaps. I am sure some of our ocean people will be playing close attention to the situation over the next several years. In the meantime, there is no plan to kill a portion of the turtle population. I hope there never is.

Scotland votes soon re independence. The people will vote. They want to disconnect from the United Kingdom/England.

The southern states wanted to and did the same thing in the U.S. back in 1860-1. State legislatures voted to secede. Lincoln stood up to them. The Civil War occurred. You know the rest.

Re Scotland, the people are voting as opposed to their elected representatives. Does it make a difference? Will the Queen and Parliament stand by and permit the secession? It seems like everyone is waiting for the vote to take place before taking a public position on the issue.

My back problem has returned, though not as bad.

Because of my back, I have been late with certain of my writings. I did not do my KONK Life column which publishes tomorrow till Sunday. The article is titled Income Inequality.

My blog talk radio show is this evening. I did not get to preparation till yesterday. Spent all day working on tonight’s show. A significant portion will concern income inequality. The reason is there are so many interesting sidelights to the issue. Some pieces of information most of us might not have known.

Join me this evening. I guarantee you will enjoy the show. Nine my time. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.  www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

BEATLES’ GEORGE HARRISON

Several years ago in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, a memorial pine tree was planted. Dedicated to George Harrison of Beatles fame. The tree recently died. Killed ironically by beetles.

I have mentioned repeatedly on my radio show the drought problems world wide. A severe drought area is Southern California. The drought has weakened vegetation such as the pine trees. Thereby making pine trees such as the one dedicated to George Harrison susceptible to a beetle onslaught.

It was the gym first thing yesterday morning. Me and Albert. The exercise does not get easier.

Albert and I have some interesting conversations while he is brutalizing me. Yesterday it was the privatization of jails. Albert brought it up based in a television show he had watched the night before.

I have a bit knowledgeable concerning the situation. I did a television show on it two years ago. Jail privatization is not a solution. One reason is dishonesty. Man’s desire for easy gain reaches the highest levels.

A particular county in Pennsylvania had privatized its jails. Two Family Court Judges started sentencing high school kids to 4 to 14 days in jail. For minor stuff. Like talking back to a teacher. One was a girl student with straight A’s. Her four days in jail screwed her up mentally.

The increase in sentencing by the two Judges was noted. An investigation ensued.

Turned out the two Judges were on the take. The jail operators were paying them a stipend for each child sent by them to their jail. Both Judges are now doing long term sentences in jail themselves.

Just one reason I am opposed to privatization of jails.

Music again. Yesterday, it was Frank Sinatra at the gym. The whole hour. His singing made it easier for me to accept what was being done.

I took a late afternoon walk. In the heat and humidity. Parked the car at Square One and walked down Duval to the Southernmost Complex and the Reach. Two of the prettiest spots in Key West.

My return trip found me at the outside bar at La Te Da. I needed water. The water was followed by a drink. I was comfortable. The people at the bar interesting. I decided to have an early dinner.

Normally, I enjoy the lacquered duck. Outstanding! I did not want a full meal, however. I opted for a cheeseburger instead. Turned out to be just as heavy. Though good!

Heard from my friend Anna yesterday. She was in Kusadasi, Turkey. Apparently a short boat ride from where ever she was staying in Greece.

I must write my column for KONK Life today.

Enjoy your day!

 

BEYONCE AND THE BEATLES

 

What a beautiful morning! Nothing moving. Zero wind. No clouds in the sky. All is peaceful and quiet. I cannot even hear the water.

The cold spell is gone. Today will be 75. The rest of the week 75.

I watched the Grammys last night. Not a show I normally would watch. However out of deference to my yet lingering cold, I stayed in all day. First time I viewed the Grammys.

Beyonce is lovely and talented. Her butt incredible. Not for national television however. Call me a prude, but I thought her dancing was too seductive. As I understand it, Beyonce has a huge teen following and I am sure they were all watching last night.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr excited me. My generation. I recall seeing the Beatles the first time they appeared in the United States. It was on the Ed Sullivan Show. They were an instantaneous hit.

My afternoon was spent writing this week’s KONK Life column. Homosexuals Lost In History. It publishes wednesday. You will find it interesting.

Apparently the Fantasy Fest nudity laws are to be changed again. Before I go any further, there is no inconsistency on my part. The Grammys went world wide into homes with teenagers and children. Fantasy Fest is an adult party where there are few if any young ones.

I enjoy seeing bare ass women or almost completely nude women. I find nothing wrong with Fantasy Fest. It is advertised as an adult party. That is what it is. People come to Key West to express themselves as they do not back home.

Key West has a handful of religious fanatics who are vocal. They are the squeaky wheel. They are heard every few years. This appears to be one of the years. New laws will be passed. They may be violated. Generally unintentionally. There may be arrests. A furor will arise. In the final analysis, justice will be done and the charges dismissed.

Tomorrow night my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. I understand there were audio problems during last week’s broadcast. Sorry. I did not know. I have no way of knowing while the show is being aired. Hopefully the problem will have been rectified by tomorrow night’s show.

Enjoy your day!

AN EXCITING DAY

Yesterday was far from exciting. The title misrepresents the day.

I went to the doctor for my ankle. I left his office with a soft cast from my toes to just below my knee. Covered with a couple of ace bandages. And a large black boot. The boot goes from my toes to just below my knee, also.

I have to live this way for one week. Boot comes off when I sleep and shower. One good thing. No pain since I got wrapped up and booted.

For those of you who have worn such a boot, you know it is heavy and uncomfortable.

Doctor said no fracture, no bone chip, no gout, and no shingles. Also, no arthritis. My thanks to all of you who were concerned and suggested such maladies. The doctor believes it is a nerve problem. Two nerves run right over the pain area.

I had planned on going out last night. It became too much work to get ready. I have to shower wearing a garbage bag kept tight with duck tape. I went to bed instead.

I have to record my tv/internet show this afternoon at 2. The TV station has yet to correct the cable problem preventing a live feed.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour will run at 10 tomorrow morning my time. As always, interesting topics. How I see the world. Subject matter will include my take on Syria, Obama blinked, Putin looking good, a chicken airlift, food stamp recipients up 13 million since Obama first took office, Chinese have language and sex problems, the Beatles and Key West, and more.

Join me. You will enjoy.

The show is available on television from Key West through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. On the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

The show is also You Tubed 24 hours a day. Enter Lou’s Legal Hour.

No bocce tonight. One, I would get clay all over my toes, cast, and boot. The other is I would probably fall over at some point.

Enjoy your day!

BEATLES AND KEY WEST

The Beatles spent two days in Key West back in 1964. Not for an engagement unfortunately. The reason given is that they were on their way by plane from Montreal to Jacksonville. They were to appear during the half time show at the Gator Bowl. Hurricane Dora was about. It ultimately swept across the middle keys and northward.

Due to the purported Hurricane Dora change of stop, the Beatles never got to appear at the Gator Bowl.

Such was reported in the History of the Keys section of the Key West Citizen this morning.

There is more to the story.

Florida was still segregated in 1964. The Gator Bowl provided only segregated seating. The Beatles informed the Gator Bowl people they would not appear if the crowd was segregated. The Bowl personnel agreed to the Beatle demand.

Bowl seating was not the only segregation problem. Jacksonville’s hotels were segregated, also. A demand was made that the hotel cease its segregation practice at least for the game. The hotel refused.

It is claimed the Beatles resolved the problem. They used Hurricane Dora as an excuse and had their plane diverted to Key West. From which they could not timely leave to make the Gator Bowl game.

The Beatles made their first American appearance on The Ed Sullivan show. The Ed Sullivan Show was the biggest thing on television at the time. It was February 1964. If an act appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, they were not just good, they were exceptional.

Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles to America in February 1964.

He also introduced another who became a big time celebrity. Elvis Presley. On today’s date in 1956, Elvis appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

I was fortunate to have seen both the Beatles and Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show. America was glued to their sets for each performance.

Elvis’ appearance was a bit strange. Elvis sang standing with a guitar. He rotated his hips in the Elvis Presley fashion. Some at the time thought his hip action was inflammatory and immoral. The Catholic church being one.

When Elvis performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, the camera only caught him from his midsection up. Midsection being above his hips.

We have come a long way!

Yesterday was National Grandparents Day. How many knew? I did not till the family wished me a Happy Grandparents Day last night.

Grandparents Day has been a national holiday since 1979 when Carter signed it into law. The movement to establish a National Grandparents Day began in 1961. It was led by a Hermine Beckett Hanna.

The reason I mention Hanna is that she lived in upstate New York. A familiar locale to me and many of my friends. When I was attending law school at Syracuse University, I delivered milk in the morning starting at 4:30 for Marble Farms Dairy to its customers in North Syracuse.

Sunday dinner was with Lisa and the family. Jake continues to love me. I sat on the couch to read the newspapers. He jumped up and laid beside me with his head on my leg.

I stopped at Don’s Place afterwards. It was close to empty. The pro football crowd had left.

Tomorrow night I do my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me at 9 in the evening. One half hour of interesting material. The subject matter will obviously include Syria. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!