BOCCE…..A SLOW START

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I love bocce! Everyone that plays loves bocce! However, it can be frustrating at times!

We cannot seem to get it going. Last night was our team’s second week. We lost 2 and won 1 game. The same as last week. We are consistent, at the least. We play well, but do not win. Captain David is trying everything to find the correct mix that will lead to victory.

Maybe we do not drink enough. We play sober.

I had a haircut at 10 with Lori. Then it was over to the Plantation Coffee House for several hours. The realtor had called me to say he had several people to show the house to. Which meant I had to get out.

I took my computer and notes with me. I was at the Plantation Coffee House from 10:30 to 3 working. A pleasant atmosphere. Quiet. Food and drink readily accessible. Nice people occasionally saying hello or nodding hello. I wrote yesterday’s blog from there. Accomplished a lot of other work.

This morning’s Key West Citizen had a front page article on the Charles Eimers affair. Eimers was the Michigan tourist who was arrested on Thanksgiving Day and died several days later while still in police custody. State investigators were in Key West interviewing the police officers involved.

The Eimers matter deserves investigation. Eimers had 10 broken ribs and other injuries when he died. The question is when did the injuries occur and why. Time will tell.

Duke lost 74-66 to North cCrolina last night. Syracuse plays Duke tomorrow night at Duke. It has all the makings of a terrific game. Syracuse presently #1 and Duke #5. The game is at 7. I plan on watching it at Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub.

Yesterday tired me out even before bocce. I had to be up early and out of the house. Which meant I had to tidy the place up quickly for those coming to look at the house. The several hours spent at the Plantation Coffee House were intense. I never stopped

Today is going to be another story. Slow and easy. In a few minutes, a shower. Then some property I want to look at on Stock Island. A former club  is now a marina. I understand the marina is beautiful.

I plan on a quiet lunch at Hogfish. Outside in the shade with the newspapers. Tonight I am out! Where, I am not yet sure.

Enjoy your day!

VANQUISHED!

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It had to happen. It did. Last night. Syracuse lost! Boston College won 62-59.

The irony of the whole thing is Syracuse was undefeated going into the game. Boston college had lost 19.

Syracuse did not play like #1 ranked team. Fair missed too many of his usually easy shots. Cooney rarely got the opportunity to shoot a 3. I think he made 2 out of 4 three point attempts.

Duke saturday night. Going to be a hell of a game if it is anything like the first one which Syracuse won 91-89.

I watched the game at Don’s Place. Plenty of support. David sat next to me to watch the game. Don, Jimmy, and Dougie were supportive during and after the game.

Visited my heart doctor yesterday afternoon. Nothing wrong. It was three month check up time.

My physician is Dr. Mc Ivor. I continue to be impressed with the Doctor and his staff.

Dr. Mc Ivor has moved his offices. Into the BB&T Building on Kennedy. A beautiful suite of offices! The medical equipment awesome!

This morning’s Key West Citizen reported a migrant windsurfed from Cuba to Key West. He landed on the Reach beach. It appears he left at 9 tuesday morning and arrived sometime wednesday morning.

Unfortunately, three started the trip. The other two appear to be lost. The Coast Guard is searching for them.

I admire the windsurfer. It took guts. His venture also crystallizes an issue. Lets get on with relations with Cuba. Yesterday is 50 years ago. I cannot blame the Cubans of that day for being pissed. But it cannot go on forever. Castro is out of power and probably will soon die. His brother Raul is not in the greatest of health.

I have a hair up my butt again. Involves banks once again. Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

Venezuela is in turmoil. Protests/demonstrations daily. It is only a matter of time before the incompetent/inept President Maduro is out of power. A statement by President Obama suggests he supports the protestors. He recently said the United States condemned the violence of the Maduro government and the throwing out of Venezuela of three American diplomats. Maduro took the position the United States was supporting and perhaps supplying the rebels.

On my blog talk radio show this past tuesday, Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou, I set forth how certain American banks were attempting to make money out of the upheaval. Goldman Sachs wanted to loan the Maduro government $1.68 billion. Bank of America $3 billion

I referred to the banks as whores. My impression has not changed in the past 36 hours. The banks are working deals when a significant portion of the Venezuelan people are suffering under Maduro. To make it even more contemptuous, the banks are in apparent opposition to President Obama’s stand. The banks support Maduro, the President the protestors.

The banks should keep their noses out of what constitutes  the foreign affairs of the United States. They should not be acting in opposition to the President, whose position is the position.

The banks do not care about anything. Their lack of respect for the 99 per cent and the President in this circumstance is obvious. When they get too big for their britches, the mighty fall.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

OPENING NIGHT AT BOCCE

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You win some, you lose some. We only won one game last night.

Played Larry Smith’s team. A money game/a blood match. We won the first game 16-15. A battle! We lost the second game 16-15. Another battle! They out did us in the third game.

I played the second game. I was not up to par. I was not getting the ball there. The courts were damp from the rain and I did not have enough umph  to get to the polina.

Captain David has redone the parings. No longer will I be playing with Frankie. Keith is my new partner. We will work well together. Keith had a good evening last night.

I spent some time yesterday afternoon at the Plantation Coffee House. Had lunch there. Coffee and a toasted bagel. Read the newspapers. Chatted with Diane.

Before I forget, Happy Valentine Day! I have no one to give candy and flowers to at the moment. I am uncertain whether I will be out tonight. This is the busiest night for restaurants in Key West. Like New Years Eve.

After the Coffee House, I headed over to see Tammy. It was time again for a manicure and pedicure. Ran into Martha Robinson. I had not seen her for a while. A charming lady. One of Key West’s leading citizens.

Stopped at Publix on the way home. Needed food again. Basics. Bananas, grapes, strawberries, bread, and milk. The wrong time to shop. Too many people. Only four empty carts available when I arrived at the store.

Ran into Karen at Publix. Another person I have not seen in a while. She congratulated me on my book The World Upside Down. Said she had been trying to buy the soft cover edition. Each time she looked, there was a waiting period/backlog of 4-6 weeks. I suggested she order it and wait. The backlog has been that way since about a week after the book came out. I told her to check amazon.com and barnesand noble.com.

Italian politics is back in the news. Prime Minister Enrico Letta is resigning as of today. His own party dumped him. Mark what I am saying. Burlusconi will be back! Not soon, but soon enough. Not as an elected official. Rather as the power behind the throne.

I love talking politics with my Italian friends. Every politician they do not like  they refer to as Mafiosa.

Italy presently has 45 per cent unemployment. The highest in 40 years. It is right behind Greece on the poor economy list.

I have a bug up my ass again. A situation has developed in Connecticut. The State passed a gun registration law. It went into effect. A very low percentage of known gun owners registered their weapons. We are noyttalking about handguns. The law covered those modern day machine gun types.

Very few  gun owners registered the guns per the law. An act of civil disobedience or does it border on anarchy? Interesting.

A society cannot survive where its members decide for themselves which laws to follow and which not.

Syracuse/North Carolina State tomorrow. We should win. My recollection is North Carolina has lost 8 games. Syracuse, none. But…..Syrcuse is due. Most Syracuse wins have been close this season. I wish we would win one going away. My heart cannot take these last second (note not minute) victories.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

IT DID NOT RAIN ON SYRACUSE

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What a night! What a game! Snow and rain falling on most of the country. But not on Syracuse! Syracuse beat Pitt 58-56 at the buzzer. There was joy in Mudville!

Tyler Ennis threw in a 3 pointer from 35 feet at the buzzer with two Pitt defenders on him. A beautiful high arcing shot. Wonder of wonders!

I had given up with two minutes to go. It was a Pitt win. Pitt was up by one point with 4.4 seconds to go. Who expected Ennis’ shot? Probably only Ennis. He said in an interview after the game that he thought the ball was going in as soon as it left his hands. He was not bragging. He is not the type. Just telling how it was.

Saturday, North Carolina State.

It started raining during the game last night. The heavy stuff. Continued all night. I had to drive the boulevard on the way home. Big time flooding. The street in front of my home flooded, also.

It is not raining now. However, very overcast.

Bocce season starts tonight. I doubt we will play. There could be a boat race on the courts at the moment.

Some things are aggravating! Some things are wrong! I am not talking about the rain soaked bocce courts. I am talking about Comcast.

It was announced on TV this morning that Comcast is buying Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion. Comcast already owns 100 per cent of NBC. The new acquisition will make Comcast a giant among giants.

Mergers and buys of this type should not be permitted. Our country is more and more owned, controlled and operated to satisfy the needs of corporate giants. Once there were laws prohibiting these mergers. They are still there, but now ineffective. New laws are required. Such will not occur. Not with a Washington dominated influence wise by corporate America.

I had to smile. The CEO of Comcast was asked in an interview this morning why Comcast was so successful.  Service, he said. Bullshit! Comcast provides the worst service in Key West. I know and every one else that subscribes to Comcast knows. There is an erosion at Comcast’s base which is eating away at its foundation. Giants topple when they forget how they became big.

Enjoy your day!

SPRING BREAK MADNESS

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March is Spring Break time. The college kids storm the beaches. Key West jumps for 3-4 weeks.

The madness in the title is not attributed to the college students. Rather to Key West Commissioner Tony Yaniz. He wants to bring the Spring Break Court back.

I can recall ten or better years ago when spring breakers descended in mass upon Key West. They did not seem bothersome, except it was no time for locals to hit the beaches. The collegians covered them completely. Duval merchants were happy. Business boomed in the evenings. The motels happy, also. Rooms were filled, even though their might be ten people to a room.

Key West city fathers at the time decided that a different way of handling what they perceived as wrong doing was required. If the kids got in any trouble, they would be hauled before a special Spring Break Court. The punishment for whatever wrongdoing was generally eight hours the next day cleaning Key West streets.

My sense at the time was that there was an extra effort to apprehend alleged wrongdoers. There was a special court to deal with them and it should be kept busy. It was.

The Spring Break Court worked so well that college students stopped coming to Key West. Word spread rapidly through the college grapevine. Key West was not a good place for spring breakers.

Only a handful kept returning. Significant business was lost. The Spring Break Court had done its job well.

In recent years, college students have started returning. No where in the numbers they had years ago. But it is obvious more are on the way.

Key West Commissioner Tony Yainz wants to bring back the Spring Break Court. I believe he is wrong. Leave well enough alone. Let the usual police/court system deal with any problems. Permit the chicken that lays the golden egg to return. The college students were never that great a problem.

My blog talk radio show went well last night. Comments since the show aired indicate listeners were most interested in government waste. Items in the new Farm Law, the $5.4 million the State Department spent on new exquisite crystal glassware for U.S. embassy parties, and the $100,000 outhouse in Alaska seem to have attracted the most attention.

The Farm Law issues are dealt with in detail in my KONK Life column this week.

Tonight, Syracuse/Pitt. Going to be a tough game. Syracuse beat Pitt by several points at the Carrier Dome a couple of weeks ago. Tonight’s game is at Pitt. Difficult! The spread is 1.5 points, in favor of Pitt.

We shall see.

The game is at 7. I will be watching it at John Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Bar.

Finally, bocce returns! Tomorrow night!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

I WAS ENGAGED TO HER !!!

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I spoke with Larry Smith yesterday morning on the phone. Asked if he knew Mary Angel Coploff. Her name had come up the night before at the Chart Room as being his friend.

Do I know her, Larry exclaimed! I was engaged to her!

It is a small world indeed. Mary lives in Pennsylvania. Larry told me not only are he and Mary still friends, her husband is one of his best friends!

Bocce party last night. Don’s Place. Strictly for the five teams that play their own competition during the bocce season. A side bet sort of thing. The best bocce party yet! Good company, good food. What more could be desired.

The sliced tenderloin was exceptionally good. David cooked it on an outdoor grill. I had two helpings.

Inside and out were packed with bocce partiers. Larry Smith showed up. He is doing good. He is now walking with the aid of a cane. His legs are straight. He had the worse case of bow leggedness I had ever seen!

Larry brought Kathleen Peace with him. Everyone loves Kathleen! Everyone misses her! She has moved to northern Florida. She is visiting Key West for the weekend.

I joined a health club yesterday afternoon. WeBeFit. It is located on First Street. In Doc Covan’s building. I can see my psychologist and trainer at one time. Joking, of course. Though I probably have always needed a psychiatrist/psychologist, never did it. doubt that I will at this age.

I start my actual workout on Tuesday. three days a week. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Hopefully, my body will become beautiful.

I am signing an increased number of the book each day. Humbling and interesting.

The book is The World Upside Down. By yours truly, Louis Petrone. It is available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Enjoy your day!

A BAD BOCCE NIGHT

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There is no joy in Mudville…..Mighty Casey has struck out!

So it was with bocce last night.

Let me put it in perspective.

It was a money game. The championship game in effect of the 5 team mini league we have within the big bocce league. We were tied for first place with the team we played. Whoever won 2 out of 3 games, won it all!

It wasn’t us. We lost all three.

That is not what made it bad. Defeat is easy to handle. It was how we lost in the first game that bothered us. We were winning 13-3. We lost 16-15.

Says it all!

Momentum, the tempo, was set. We lost the next two also. Though with dignity.

My day started yesterday with a Lori visit. Needed a haircut and beard trim. Then to the Plantation Coffee House. Said hello to Diane and read the newspapers.

The afternoon was non eventful. Stayed home researching and writing. However, did it outside under the shade of the tiki hut. Every now and then, I would dunk myself in the pool to cool off. Sometimes laid out a but till the sun dried me off.

It is Friday. The weekend is here. I have nothing planned. Such a weekend normally turns out to be pretty good. We shall see.

No TV/internet show this morning. I have been replaced for a live showing of the power boat races. I return next Friday.

Enjoy your day!

ALL HALLOW’S EVE

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This is the big day! Rather, evening! It’s Halloween!

It is the night before the Christian holy day of All Saints Day.

In days of old, hallows was an interchangeable word with saints. They meant the same. Today was called All Hallow’s Eve. Over time, All Hallow’s Eve became shortened to Halloween.

Halloween’s beginnings are clouded. There is no certainty as to time and where. Many different stories. Suffice to say, Halloween has both Pagan and Christian roots. Its date of beginning covers centuries.

When I was young, my father walked with me as I went door to door tricking or treating. I did the same with my four children. I used to  stand in the shadows on the street as they went to the doors.

Lisa does the same with Robert and Ally. I generally join them. Not tonight. Bocce.

I worry when driving Halloween night. Key West children are all over the place. In the roads, also. Lighting is not the best in  Key West nor Key Haven where I live. Caution is the order of the day.

Great baseball game last night! I rarely watch baseball. I did last night. Glad I did. I was particularly impressed with the third or fourth inning where Boston got all those runs. I felt bad for St. Louis. Even with 2 out, Boston kept getting hits. St. Louis had to be saying mentally…..guys, stop…..get it over with!

My day out consisted of a trip to the bank. An exciting day.

I spent time preparing for my TV/internet show  tomorrow. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. A ton of topics. The problem this week is selection. So much has happened.

I plan on stressing poverty a bit. I feel its is exploding in our country. Plus, some NSA observations including bugging the new Pope, General Motor’s continued screwing of the American public, an example of why Golf Channel analyst Brande Chamblee is an ass, additional shocking examples of governmental waste, and more.

The show is 10 in the morning my time. Airs on television Key West through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Airs on the internet worldwide. www.weyw19.com.

Also You Tubed in case you miss the show.

I bought a printer at Office Max more than a year ago. A fancy one with all of the buttons. I should have purchased the cheap one. I have never been able to make it work. Nor has Sloan nor anyone else I asked to help.

I went to a pro yesterday. A nerd. Within minutes the machine was operational. Amazing!

I have been dieting again. The story of my life. Up and down for 50 years. I know, not healthy.

I started a different type diet this time. I am just cutting back. Eating little. Around 1,000 calories a day. Walking, also. Though still not as much as I should.

I feel like a good boy. I have lost 10 pounds in 16 days.

Enjoy your day!

GOOMBAY

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Fantasy Fest returns! It starts today!

The opening event is Goombay.

Takes place in Bahama Village. On Petronia Street. Petronia runs off Duval.

A Caribbean festival. Food galore.  Music from gospel to reggae. Everyone friendly.

Goombay runs several blocks. Food, beer and trinket stands on both sides of the street. People crowded down the middle between them. The bodies, heat, and cooking make the street hot hot!

I will be going tonight. This is Don’s night. He entertains his friends. We will cab from Don’s Place to 801. 801 is at the entrance of Goombay on Duval. A gay bar. We will stop there for a drink or two first. Then the walk down Petronia. We eventually end up at the outside bar at Blue Heaven where the rest of the night is spent.

A fun time.

The ants returned. Yesterday. Not in the kitchen. Upstairs in my bedroom!

I woke and was watching television from my bed. I keep an extra laptop in my bedroom. It sits on an ottoman where it charges when not in use. I picked it up and returned to bed to read the news and check my messages. Opened the laptop. That was it! Little ants came out all over the place! Not only were they between the two main pieces, they were coming out of the keyboard and every hole on the laptop.

Worse yet, into my bed. Running all over the sheets.

I leaped up and ran and put the computer back on the ottoman. That is when I saw hundreds of little ants all over the ottoman top. Centered on an open pack of Newport menthol cigarettes. The box top was open. Two cigarettes inside. The ants were attracted to the menthol cigarettes.

First things first, I ran back to the bed. Ripped the sheets off the bed. Shook them right there. A mistake because I shook them onto the carpet. At least I got them out of my bed!

I had some extra TERRO ant traps. Placed them on the ottoman and on the ground nearby where the ants were scurrying. They were running in a line down the side of the ottoman over the carpet to a small opening between a glass sliding door and the wall.

The whole scenario disgusting!

The computer was a problem. I brushed the ants off the keyboard. Did not help much. They were coming out of every orifice. What to do? I ran into the bathroom and put the laptop in the middle of the jacuzzi. Placed some TERRO house traps in the jacuzzi. A mistake, however. TERRO makes the ants eat whatever is inside the houses. Then the ants return to their nest and contaminate the rest of the ants. These ants were stuck in the deep shiny Jacuzzi with nowhere to go. Then they started climbing the sides.

I got ’em! I turned on the hot water. It took several soakings and about a half hour. At the end hey were either dead or down the drain.

I took the laptop out of the Jacuzzi before hand, of course. There were still some ants coming out of the laptop. I placed it on the floor near the path the ants were taking with a TERRO house nearby.

I had bocce last night. When I returned home, there were no ants to be seen anywhere. I did not try to turn on the computer.

This morning still no ants. Good! Nothing coming out of the computer at this time. However, I still have not turned it on. Oh yes, I vacuumed the laptop’s keyboard and holes this morning. Just in case. I will let you know tomorrow if the laptop is working.

Bocce last night. We won only 1 game. Lost 2. Played the Donkeys. It was what  we refer to as a money game. The Donkeys hee haw their opponents if they do wrong. We received a lot of hee haws last night.

Lori is a physiotherapist. She plays for the Donkeys. Last night was her night! She was spectacular! One of the reasons we lost.

Between the ants and bocce yesterday, I fine tuned this mornings TV/internet show. I have already done the show this morning. I will discuss it with you in tomorrow’s blog.

To my friends outside Key West, come on down! Join us for Fantasy Fest. It lasts 10 days. The last three are the best. Includes the big parade. There will be 80,000 people in town for the parade. I often wonder how the island does not sink. I also wonder where they all sleep. There are not enough rooms in all of the Keys to handle such a crowd.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

IT CAN’T GET ANY BETTER

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It can’t get any better. I refer to the weather. Key West is blessed this fall. Beautiful days.

At the moment, I can see the outside. I am sitting inside my kitchen looking out over the water and everything else. The water is still. As is the air. A small white cloud here and there. God is good type weather!

Makes me feel good.

I walked yesterday. Outside. On South Roosevelt Boulevard along the Atlantic Ocean. A bit humid. Made me sweat. My tee shirt was soaked when I was done.

Ate at Roostica on Stock island last night. Went specifically for the Wednesday night special. Baked chicken and potatoes. Just like Mom made!

Tomorrow morning is my TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. I spent time yesterday off and on working on the show. Interesting topics. The Washington fiasco, of course. Plus, my thoughts on the Alec Rodriquez situation.

Add to these two topics, the origin of the cocktail, women not persons under Canadian law till 1929, food stamps and the shut down, cameras soon to be on shelves in super markets, a recent study suggesting Oreos as addictive as cocaine and morphine, my continuation on government waste, and more.

The show is at 10 in the morning my time. It is available from Key West through Boca Raton on television via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

The government shut down and debt limit problems were disgraceful. The Republicans should be ashamed. Especially, Tea Party members. Reports indicate the shut down cost the economy $24 billion. Take it out of the pay of the Tea Party members in the House of Representatives.

Will it happen all over again in 2-3 months? I hope not. You never know however when it comes to politicians.

Bocce tonight. I am anxious to play.

Frankie, aka Frankie the Plumber, is generally my partner. The best player on our team. One of the best in the league.

Frankie had heavy heart surgery more than six months ago. Died twice on the table.

When he returned to playing bocce, he had lost it. He was not the Frankie of old when it came to the game. We felt sorry for him. He had to be bothered by it, though he never said a word.

I am happy to report Frankie is back! The past few nights we have played, he has been the Frankie of old. I am happy for Frankie. I am happy for the team. We need him!

Enjoy your day!