ALLY GRADUATES TODAY

Posted on June 3, 2014 by keywestlou

Grandaughter Ally having a big time! Her ninth birthday Sunday past! Today, she graduates from third grade at Montessori. Without getting into the whys, Montessori graduates their kids from the third and sixth grades. Ally is all excited! So am I! I will be there.

Gym and trainer yesterday. Day 3. Harder each day. Still not as bad as first day in December. I woke this morning with neck spasms. Not often. However when one hits, wow! Hope I am better by tomorrow morning when I have another hour with the trainer.

The gym yesterday was 11-12. I went straight home and to bed afterward. I was exhausted! The workout tires me out big time.

Spent last night working on tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me for a quick paced half hour of interesting and revealing items. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics tonight include the government wanting to close all Social Security field offices, the government’s big return on student loans, Medicare’s new ruling that sex change surgery now covered, why the price of food is so high and continues to rise, the human organ trade, and more.

Larry and Christine Smith are talented and well respected Key West entertainers. Christine is also a noted artist. Their daughter Journey lives in Hawaii. She is visiting. Mother, father and daughter will appear together next Tuesday evening at Virgilio’s. Journey is a musical talent in her own right.

Larry told me a trip to Europe is planned for the near future. First stop will be England to visit John and Ali. Then here and there in Europe. One stop will be Camogli on the Italian Riviera. I love Camogli, having been there several times. Apparently it is one of Journey’s favorite places and she wants to show it to her parents.

My friend Dee from Cape Cod and Cudjoe Key has an interesting family. Her uncle (her father’s brother) was baseball great Stan Musial. Turns out movie star and Oscar winner of yesteryear Jack Palance was a close friend of her grandparents. He used to winter one to two months with them at their Florida home each year. Dee posted several photographs of her grandparents and Palance on Facebook yesterday.

Dee’s grandfather is still alive. 100 years old, blind and lives alone! The family is of Ukranian heritage. As was Palance. All tough people. Worry not about Ukranians protecting themselves against Putin and his thugs.

You have discerned from my writings the past three years that one of my favorite places world wide is Courmayeur. A small village in northern Italy sitting half way up Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps.

A beautiful community. Out of books. Swiss chalets, streets without vehicles, high end shops, warm people. A money town. Must be the local government wanted outsiders to know Courmayeur as a ski town. A referendum was held to rename the town Courmayeur-Mont Blanc. Voted down overwhelmingly. Properly so.

Two Key West eateries changing hands. Square One has been sold. Presently closed for renovations. Finnegan’s to close June 19. The new owner plans renovations also before reopening.

Sad to see the proprietors of both places moving on. Good people who significantly contributed to the odyssey known as Key West. Square One’s Carmelo and Carolyn will remain in Key West. They still own and operate the Bottle Cap.

A stupid study of no significance was worthy of comment on Morning Joe and in the Key West Citizen today. The study revealed that female named hurricanes were worse than male ones.

One of my favorite poems is Casey at the Bat. The opening line fits every sports occurence wherein one’s team loses. “There is no joy in Mudville, Mighty Casey has struck out!” How many times I have used the line to refect Syracuse defeats.

Today is Casey at the Bat’s birthday. 126 years old. It was first published on this date in 1888 in the San Francisco Examiner.

Enjoy your day!

MY MEMORIAL DAY

Posted on May 27, 2014 by keywestlou

Memorial Day this year was not as in past years. No cookout, no party. I was forgotten. Unloved. If there were any parties, no one invited me.

I decided last week that this body of mine needs work. It has to be tuned. Otherwise, I am going to be in trouble big time health wise. So yesterday I returned to the gym. The same one that caused my major rib problem back in December.

This time with a new trainer. His name is Albert. A young fellow. From the Dominican Republic. Married to a Conch. She is with child.

He had been admonished by my former trainer Dan to go easy with me. I also brought a note from my doctor. Dr. Lefferts said beware, Louis takes blood thinners and bruises easily. He also has brittle bones.

At 78, I felt like a little kid bringing a note to his teacher.

Albert worked me for an hour. Not as bad as my other first time when I popped the rib. I survived. My next appointment is tomorrow.

I spent the rest of the day working on tonight’s blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine o’clock. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. If you miss the show at 9, it is archived immediately following the show. The next day it is available on You Tube, also.

Tonight’s interesting topics include CEO salaries at an all time high, Putin on the move, the Euro Union ordering member nations to cook their books, Greece wanting to sell 110 of its best beaches to pay Germany, Germany suggesting Greece sell Acropolis, the Parthenon, Mykonos, Santorini, and other islands in 2o10 to pay Germany, General Motors slow in recalling over 2 million cars, and more.

Interesting material. A fast moving half hour show. Guaranteed, you will enjoy!

My gym workout was at 11. By 3 in the afternoon while working on tonight’s show, I was exhausted. It was the workout. It had caught up with me. I was also a bit sore here and there. Nothing bad. I went to bed. Stayed there except for a sandwich a little later. Slept well thereafter.

Enjoy your day!

MINIMAL REGATTA A KEY WEST TRADITION

Posted on May 26, 2014 by keywestlou

Yesterday was the 23rd Annual Minimal Regatta held in Key West. The race takes place in the harbor in front of Schooner Wharf. The race is also known as the Schooner Wharf race.

The requirements for the race say it all. Teams of six must create/build a vessel. Vessel construction is limited to one sheet of plywood, two 2 x 4s, 1 roll of duct tape, and 1 pound of fasteners. Makes for less than a sturdy vessel. Most never make it to the finish line. They sink beforehand.

One more example of Key West being a playland for adults. As it should be.

The race gained national attention this year. I woke early this morning. At 5:45 am on MSNBC’s First Look was 20 seconds of the race and sinking boats.

Today is Memorial Day. To commemorate our war dead, to recognize the sacrifice they made.

Not all war dead are remembered. I refer to those present and former military members who have opted to commit suicide.

Since January 1 of this year, 1,892 active members of the armed forces have committed suicide. The Veteran’s Administration additionally claims 22 veterans take their lives daily.

A new scenario. War dead were war dead. Few were suicide victims. Recent wars have changed the situation.

There is a further sadness. Military benefits are not generally available to families of suicide victims.

Another blot on how we take care of our men and women in the military and our concern for them thereafter. Hopefully with the VA hospital disgrace on the front burner, we will give more than lip service to those who are fighting and have fought for us.

Yesterday, for the second day in a row, I worked on the Greece book. It is taking time. I am getting there, however. I am still on Santorini. I was getting a manicure from a Grecian beauty and discussing Greece’s economic woes.

Dinner last night was Roostica. Sunday, “gravy” is the special. Spaghetti with meatballs, sausage and pork. Delicious. The sauce is typical tomato. However, it is called gravy.

I never heard gravy used till Roostica opened. Roostica cooks southern Italian. My Mother was born in southern Italy. My father’s people came from southern Italy. My former wife’s people from Sicily. It was always sauce! I never heard it referred to as gravy.

By whatever name, it was good!

My blog talk radio show tomorrow night. Nine o’clock my time. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

You may wonder why I always add “my time” when advising the time of the show. The reason is that my listeners are world wide and have to figure out what time my 9 is for them.

Topics of interest include Greece announcing it is selling 110 of its beaches to raise money, Hewlett-Packard’s announcement it may be cutting 16,000 jobs, Great Britain so desperate for soldiers that it is taking 16-18 year olds, Russia and Iran preparing to announce that Russia will be building 4-8 nuclear reactors for Iran, how while we sleep Putin marches on, Detroit being labeled as a third world country because 1 out of every 3 pregnancies ends in abortion, and more. Interesting material. Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Insanity is everywhere. Affects many. KONK Life publisher Guy de Boer and I have been missing each other the past several days. Re my next week column involving present day crucifixions. I heard from him this morning. He has been without internet service.

Guy is camping in the Everglades. A bit away from civilization. He has to be crazy! Normal occupants of the Everglades include crocodiles and Burmese pythons big time! He is lucky a python has not wrapped itself around him and kissed him good night!

Enjoy your day!

DRINK OF THE DAY

Posted on May 20, 2014 by keywestlou

Key West has the reputation of being a drinking town. The reputation is warranted.

Last night, I viewed an off the wall example of alcoholic consumption. At the bar at Hogfish while I was having dinner.

A sort of big weathered guy came up to the bar and stood next to me. It appeared he was there just to order and then return with the drinks to where ever in Hogfish he had come from. His order was a double screwdriver, a double shot of tequila, and a double shot of Grand Marnier.

Erin was bartending. A different Erin. Not the one from La Trattoria.

Erin served him the drinks. They were sitting on the bar. He asked for a lime. I figured for the tequila. As he was handed the lime, I casually mentioned to him how it would be needed after knocking down a double tequila. He looked at me. Said nothing. Merely grunted.

He picked up the double shot of grand marnier, gulped half of it down and poured the rest in the screwdriver. He did the same with the double shot of tequila. Then he picked up the lime and squeezed it in the drink looking over at me as if to say…..You got it now? And walked away.

A drinker! No question!

My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. A quick half hour of revealing material. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I will be touching on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki symposium I wrote about in yesterday’s blog, as well as Islamic justice, global warming and the Nomad way of life, a Florida couple fined for feeding the homeless, the spike in meat prices, the 59 Nigerian boys killed, General Motors coming out on top with a mere $35 million fine, Gaddafi and Mubarak, and more.

WESTERN EDUCATION A NO NO / SEXUAL SLAVERY OK

Posted on May 14, 2014 by keywestlou

Needless to say, the 300 young girls abducted in Nigeria is disturbing. Watching the scenario play out difficult to understand.

First, it took two weeks for the international media to pick up on the event. After the oh how terribles, the four week search has yet to find and recapture the girls. Whereas millions were spent and are still being spent on the Malaysian plane that went down, the dollars to find these youngsters does not compare.

The 5/13/14 Miami Herald had a column by Frida Ghitis on the abduction issue. Ghitis is a world affairs writer for the Miami Herald. Certain portions of Ghitis’ column were directly to the point informationwise and otherwise.

Re the Islamic radical group Boko Haram responsible for the abductions, she wrote: The group’s name Boko Haram means “Western education is a sin…..but …..the kidnapping and selling of girls – most likely into sexual – is somehow acceptable.” She further wrote, “The gang of radicals want to impose…..their twisted version of Islamic law, Sharia.”

Why do I write about this situation. Simply, it bothers me. As it must you. The girls are reportedly 3-17 years old. Even if all were women, it would be bothersome. Certain interpretations of Islamic law permit young girls to be married and permit sexual slavery. Such situations in Nigeria and the Middle East are religiously motivated and/or justified.

How can the Western world combat such beliefs which are in direct contradiction to their own? I do not know. The problems reflected have been ongoing for many years. Attempted solutions in the past have failed. The differences may not be reconcilable.

Enough. Off the soapbox!

It was Blossom’s for lunch yesterday. I was the only customer till I was leaving. I lunched there two weeks ago and noticed fewer customers. I suspect a problem.

One problem is the new owners are not making the sandwiches the same as the former ones. The former ones made them as they had been prepared for some 20 years at Paradise Cafe. There is an old adage…..Never screw around with something that works.

My Cuban toast with tomato is never the same. Different size, never enough butter, sometimes on the cool side, not always crushed. The same with the Cuban coffee. Sometimes warm, sometimes luke warm. Never hot.

A greasy sandwich to eat. Fingers become licking good. Two napkins before, only one now.

I have not had the courage to share my experiences with the new owners. They seem so happy and confident in what they are doing. As a result, I have gotten into the habit of going to Blossoms for lunch less frequently.

I spent the afternoon fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. The show went well. I spent the first half beating up Tim Geithner, banks, big corporations with off shore deposits, and insurance companies. Deservedly so.

Robert’s picture was in the Key West Weekly. There were a series of photos of the miniature golf event last week. Robert and a classmate were responsible for erection of hole 9. The hole was described as “…..one of the most artistic.”

A proud grandfather am I.

Enjoy your day!

A TALKING NIGHT

Posted on May 13, 2014 by keywestlou

Last night was different.

I went to Tavern ‘n Town for dinner. Grabbed a newspaper and sat at the bar. The bar was crowded. Surprising for a monday night in off season. Only one empty seat at the bar. It was mine!

Was sipping my first gin and reading the newspaper. The menu sitting on the counter to my side. A brief glance at the menu was all I got. I spent the entire evening chatting with new and old friends. Never got to eat.

I was sitting next to a charming couple. David and Pam. Their first time in Key West. They were staying at Marriott Beachside. They hail from Roswell, New Mexico. The home of the first UFO crash.

Dave was inin the paper business. Retired now. Was a dealer of paper towels, toilet paper and the like.

Dave and Pam drove to Key West from Roswell. They stopped at several places on the way down the length of Florida to Key West. They are looking for a place to stay for a month next year and if they like, perhaps permanently.

I explained to them you cannot just stop and go. It is necessary to stop and stay and then return and return some more. You must be sure before you buy.

They have only been in Key West a few days. They missed much of what they should have seen. I suggested they do the one month thing here next year to see if they like Key West enough to eventually settle here.

Then an angel descended upon me! Lee Anne. I have not seen Lee Anne in a couple of years. She was with her realtor friend Suzanne. We talked quite a while.

Lee Anne’s condominium in Truman Annex comes to mind. One of the loveliest in the complex. A beauty.

Spent the daytime yesterday working on the Greece book. My first days in Santorini. The cave I lived in, the donkey trail, and the volcano. Only the view of the volcano. I have not yet reached the part of my ill fated attempt to climb the volcano.

David Kaufelt recently passed on. A Key West resident who loved and lived Key West. A man who touched many lives.

My blog talk radio show tonight! Listen in! Nine my time. A quick half hour covering political and social matters requiring a bit of exploring. Many things discussed are revealing. Eye openers. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Amongst other things this evening, I will be discussing some excerpts from Tim Geithner’s recent book. Did he miss things! He failed to see what was to be seen! Blinded by his bank background and bank friends.

I will also be talking about a Spanish judge who sent the CEO of a large bank to jail for wrongdoing. The CEO was out in days. The Judge, also. He is now in court fighting for his job and reputation. A good guy getting screwed!

Also, the recent federal court decision finding drug testing of Key West municipal employees unconstitutional.

Enjoy your day!

CRUCIFIXIONS RETURN

Posted on May 6, 2014 by keywestlou

Good morning!

The start of another magnificent Key West day! Not a cloud in the sky. A good breeze. Too early for the humidity. A God is in His Heave, all is right with the world moment.

My blog talk radio show tonight. Nine o’clock my time. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. A fast moving half hour commentary on things happening world wide. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Some heavy topics. Revealing, also. Like the return of crucifixions. Hanging Christians on crosses to die because of their faith. Happening now in Syria and Nigeria as part of the conflicts in those countries.

I am also going to touch on the goblin shark that visited Key West waters this week, Monroe County cracking down on employee smoking, top US companies having the most accumulated offshore profits, big banks laundering drug money, the world’s first married lesbian threesome, and more.

Last night was Montessori!

Grandson Robert and classmates had constructed a 9 hole miniature gold course. Took them a month. Even made the putters. The task was in preparation for a Montessori fundraiser. $5 a head to play.

I brought Don with me.

Impressive is the only way to describe what we saw and experienced. The holes were mechanically set out. Tough! No kidding! I picked up after 5 strokes on some holes. Don played his usual solid game. He even pared one hole.

Each hole represented some historical fact. One hole was Rome, another Egypt, and so forth.

The kids did a great job!

It was dinner afterwards at Hot Tin Roof. Don’s wife Stephanie joined us. It was fun time. We laughed throughout dinner.

Enjoy your day!

ITALIAN WEDDINGS

Posted on April 30, 2014 by keywestlou

Bob Saraceno is a producer from Buffalo, NY. He sent me a You Tube video yesterday. Italian Weddings. Stars comedian Sebastian Maniscalco. Of Italian heritage, obviously. Only an Italian could tell the story he did.

The video concerns Italian weddings of yesterday. Like from my generation and before. They were all the same.

Ninety nine per cent of the gifts were cash. Who knew about registering. Who knew or needed china, crystal and silver. We were neither affluent nor knowledgable about such things.

The gift was cash! At the reception, the envelopes were kept either in a satin bag or a white decorated box. The box had a slit in it like a mail box.

After the reception, the parents took the envelopes. They opened them in private. A book was kept. Each guest’s name was listed and the amount. This was so the parents would know what to give when they went to a wedding involving the other person’s family.

After the wedding reception, we went upstairs to a suite we had rented to change. My wife and I were leaving immediately for a Miami honeymoon. In August. What did we know!

My father and father in law were in the living room at the desk. The envelopes were spread on top. Each was being opened. The amount announced and entered into two books. One for my father and one for my father in law.

It was 1957. I was 22, my wife 19. We had no money for a honeymoon. I had just graduated from college and was three weeks from entering law school. I needed some money from the envelopes to finance the honeymoon. I told my father I needed some money. He said I could not have the money in the envelopes or on the desk. They were not done counting and recording. I said I was broke. He said I had to wait till they were done.

My wife and I had a plane to catch. I grabbed a bunch of unopened envelopes and my wife and ran out the door. Shouting behind me to my father that I would make a list and send it to him. Which, I did.

I spent yesterday afternoon fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Then drove over to Rosstica for a quick dinner. Meatball sliders. Consistent with the Italian tenor of this blog.

Did the show last night. Love doing it.

The topics were basically twofold. Poverty and Russia. Post show comments liked them both. No disagreement with anything I said. At least not yet.

The Second Annual Humphrey Bogart Film Festival is this weekend. Starts thursday in Key Largo. Bogart and Bacall’s son Stephen will be there.

I have seen the movie several times. Great! Loved the hurricane scenes.

Surprisingly, the movie was not filmed in Key Largo. Except for some background filming, the film was shot on a Warner Brothers sound stage in Hollywood.

Two legal items came to my attention today which I would like to comment on.

Widow Eileen Battisti owned a $280,000 home in Beaver, Pa. She paid her taxes late.
Forgot to pay $6.30 in interest. The City took her home and sold it. She went to court to get her house back. The Judge said no. The City did everything right in taking and selling the home. She was $6.30 short so the city was correct.

The other matter involves a death penalty study which just came out. It stated that in every 25 executions, 1 is of an innocent man.

That is why I have been against the death penalty all my professional career. I worked in the system. The criminal justice system is not perfect. Innocent men go to jail. Some are executed as per the study.

As to the widow who lost her house over $6.30 in unpaid interest, her situation proves the point I have been making with some regularity. Our justice system no longer works as it should. Her situation is one example. Recent Supreme Court decisions another.

Enjoy your day!

MADONNA AND CHILD

Posted on April 29, 2014 by keywestlou

Jack Baron’s art is as Key West as Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway’s writings.

This morning’s KONK Life E-Blast published a story about Joy Gallery’s soon to happen Jack Baron exhibit. Some fifty pieces. I am excited! I own 14 pieces. Several will be for sale.

E-Blast ran a picture of one of Baron’s more famous works. The Black Madonna and Child. Black is how Baron described the painting. The Madonna and Child is my painting. The first I ever bought from Jack. The picture on E-Blast presented the piece well. Jack was a genius when it came to painting!

Key West weather continues to be outstanding! 85ish with a touch of humidity. Blue skies and water. Nary a breeze. A special time in Key West.

Sloan was here quite a while in the late afternoon. We are having mechanical problems with my blog and commentary which are being carried on E-Blast. We will have them worked out in due course. The problems exist because I am a pain in the ass. I require perfection!

The Chart Room first last night. Enjoyed Jean and Victor’s company. I learned two very close friends will be leaving Key West in two weeks. I am not at liberty to share their identity with you at this time.

I continuously write and talk about food and the prices thereof. I also frequently refer to genetically modified organisms.

Publix bananas have always concerned me. I would buy them green today and they would be browning tomorrow. The label said Chiquita.

The last two times I bought bananas at Publix, they were not green. There were no green ones. Only yellow. I was stuck, I thought. They would spoil even sooner.

The recent bananas had no Chiquita label. No label, in fact. Whatever, these bananas are still yellow 3-4 days later. I suspect genetically modified.

Tonight, Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. Nine in the evening my time. A quick paced half hour of political and social goodies.

Tonight, topics like 49 million underfed people in the United States. Muslims and Jews now entitled to halal and kosher food in food banks in case of an emergency, five reasons why poverty is on the rise in America, the Brits revealing they will not send troops to Ukraine, Russia’s presence in the Arctic, China becoming the most Christian nation in the world, and more.

Join me. You will be glad you did. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-com.

Sunday’s bocce continued to bother me till around four yesterday afternoon. Wow! I was beat!

Enjoy your day!

A TYPICAL KEY WEST DAY

Posted on April 23, 2014 by keywestlou

Yesterday was a typical Key West day. What is typical? Not a do nothing day. Such would be referred to as a nothing day. A typical day is one where you do a few things. No sweat or strain things. All pleasurable. All which move the day along in a tortoise fashion.

The morning was quiet at home.

Lunch was outstanding! Food and company wise. I had a luncheon scheduled with my publisher, Shirrel Rhoades. We met at Azur. A one hour lunch turned into almost a two hour one. We were enjoying each other.

Shirrel has a distinguished background in the publishing field. Two notables include his time as Publisher of Marvel Comics and as a Vice President with the Reader’s Digest.

Shirrel wants me to write more books. I had planned on it so we were in accord. I see at least three more by the end of the year. Growing Up Italian, of course. Also a follow up to the The World Upside Down. Shirrel believes a series is in order.

Greece. Recall my first trip to Greece. The plan is to put together the day to day blog reporting for the month I spent in Greece. There will be added material to some to better portray the perils that confronted me. Pictures, too. The book will be fun doing.

I rarely dine at Azur. One does not eat there. One dines. The food commands dining. Why I rarely eat at Azur, I do not know.

For lunch, I had a steak sandwich. Sounds simple. Was not. It was a rib eye pan fried in oil and parsley on a fantastic roll. I repeated myself several times to the waiter and Shirrel how good the sandwich tasted!

Then drove over to Lee Nails. I was overdue for a manicure. It is always a pleasure to share time with Tammy. A beautiful smart hard working young Vietnamese woman.

The place was busy. I mentioned it to her. She said it had become busy just before I walked in. Prior thereto, quiet. The pedicure chairs were mostly occupied. Several ladies were getting manicures.

It has never bothered me to sit among the ladies and get a manicure and/or pedicure. It must be my feminine side.

Stayed in the rest of the afternoon. It was decision time. The subject for my COMMENTARY column in next week’s KONK Life. I am not certain yet. However, I seem to be leaning to something on the genius Putin is showing at the present time and our reactions. The reactions seem to be ineffective.

My blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou was last night. Fun time. I love doing the show!

Two areas seem to have garnered the most interest. One was my dissertations on Putin and Ukraine. The other, the increasing cost of food.

The Courmayeur landslide I reported yesterday is still a problem. The fall is unstable. It consists of dirt and rocks. The fall started below the snow line. It continues to slide and creep down the hillside. A portion of Courmayeur has been evacuated. The tunnel connecting Italy and France was closed several times.

No one is certain yet what to do.

There have been two other significant mountain slides in recent days. The avalanche on Mount Everest and the mud slide in Washington State.

Nature rearing its ugly head!

Enjoy your day!

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