LATE!

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Wow! It’s late! I am starting today’s blog at one in the afternoon. Got delayed this morning in a long business meeting.

Yesterday started with a manicure and pedicure. Tammy and her family moved into their new home last week. Tammy was all excited!

What appeared to be a new mother and baby were at Lee Nails, also. The baby was tiny. I figured two weeks old. The mother told me three weeks. The young mother looked beat. Dark circles under her eyes. You could tell she was up all night with the baby.

The baby was good. Slept the whole time. Probably why she does not sleep at night. The baby was sleeping on Mom’s breast while she was getting a pedicure.

Then to the Plantation Coffee House to read the newspapers. I still cannot get the New York Times on my tablet. Apparently the hacking problem is not yet fully resolved.

Last night began with Don’s Place. Not for long. Don’s air conditioning was kaput. Had one drink. Chatted with Don, Hershel and Stan. Bocce the topic. Obviously. We have to do better when we play tonight. We lost all three games last week. Lost them badly.

The Chart Room was next. I went from a sleeping baby to a sleeping dog. A baby dachshund. Thirteen weeks old. Half Jake’s size.

The dog slept on the bar in front of his mistress the whole time. He sleeps at night, also.

It was time to eat. I decided to go to John Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub. I had not been there in a while.

What a business! Here it is summer time. This month and next are Key West’s slow time. Yet John never had less than 30 customers during the two hours I was there. Not to watch sports necessarily. They were eating and drinking and having fun.

I enjoyed a cheeseburger and a drink.

The waitress impressed me. I was sitting at a table. She was working the bar and some of the tables. She had to move her ass! She did! Her name was Anaits. Originally from Venezuela.

I received an e mail this morning from the Egyptian Travel Minister. He was encouraging people to visit Egypt. Good luck!

The rest of my day is set. I have to finish preparing tomorrow’s tv/internet show. When done, take a nap. Play bocce tonight.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour will be discussing some interesting goodies tomorrow morning. Like Bruce Manning, the politics of transgenderism, the Syrian problem, Russia and Saudi Arabia screwing around in the background of the Syrian situation, China owning all panda bears in U.S. zoos, Florida seriously contemplating drug tests for high school athletes.

Plus Neil Armstrong, George Clooney being a descendant of Abraham Lincoln, a 54 year old Montana school teacher who got 31 days in jail for raping a 14 year old student three times, the hacking of the New York Times web site, bottle nose dolphins dying in huge numbers, a recent New Jersey appellate court decision making a person who knowingly texts an auto driver liable for injuries arising from an automobile accident, Switzerland building drive in sex boxes for prostitutes, and a new poll which shows 29 per cent of the people blame Obama for the poor federal response to Katrina.

And more. All interesting.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour airs at 10 friday morning my time. It can be seen on television from Key West through Miami-Dade County. Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

Enjoy your day!

CHINA OWNS EVERYTHING

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Joyous news! The giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a baby panda that survived! Weighed just under 5 ounces. Amazing that such a huge mother delivered such a small baby.

It is reported mother and child are doing well.

The delivery was at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

This is one of those did you know items. Were you aware…..China owns all pandas in United States zoos? China does. As well as us. The United States owes China so much money. We will never be able to pay it back.

Stopped at the Bank of America ATM yesterday. Out of order. I tried the drive in one and fortunately it worked. I was down to $2. I can recall an occasion when all of Bank of America’s ATMs in Key west were down. A tragedy.

Interestingly, Bank of America does not own and operate its ATMs. Nor do most banks. Brinks owns and operates them. I found out once when the ATM would not return my card. Bank of America was no help.

Stopped at Salute around 5 for a drink. A change moment.

Good crowd! Busy! Especially out doors.

I was impressed at the cost of my drink. $6 for a Beefeater on the rocks. Good sized. A bargain in Key West. Most places are in the $8.50-$10.00 range. Except for Don’s Place. $4.50.

Stopped next at Don’s. Only 5:30. Nate bartending. Only 4 people at the bar. I did not know any of them. Chatted with Nate a bit and left. Did not have a drink.

The Chart Room was next. Mary bartending. Me and tourists.

I enjoyed the parting conversation between two couples. They had made plans to meet tonight at Garden of Eden. They were all giggly and excited.

I have only been to the Garden of Eden twice in the many years it has been open. It is a clothing optional bar for adults on a roof top on Duval. I am a voyeur. I was disappointed. Never saw anyone without clothes! Not even a topless woman!

Since Larry Smith has stopped playing, I have not been to the Wine Galley. I walked to the back side of the Pier House to visit last night. The outdoor hostess asked if she could help. I asked if the Wine Galley was open. She said, yes. It is our formal dining room. She insisted on entering with me.

What a joke! A sad one.

The room is the same. Except for three tables and the piano. Gone. The room was deserted. It smelled strongly of disinfectant.

She was gracious. Asked if I wanted a drink. A bartender had suddenly appeared. I said thank you, but no. It would not have been the same.

The front page of this morning’s Key West Citizen had a photo of the drone the Mosquito Control Board is trying out. Small. Weighs only 2 1/2 pounds. I was impressed. Our Mosquito Control Board does a hell of a job. Were it not for them, people would find it difficult to reside in the lower Keys.

Another lapus lingua. I referred to Bradley Manning recently as Bruce Manning. Second time in a week I have made a mistake. The prior one was referring to George Clooney as Robert Clooney.

Dementia must be setting in.

Tonight Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. At 9. One half hour. Fast moving and interesting. Revealing on occasion, also. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I intend to speak about Bradley Manning and transgendedrism, China owning all pandas in the United States, and a proposal to urine test all high school athletes in Florida.

Join me.

Enjoy your day!

STATUE OF LIBERTY

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The Statue of Liberty has been in view the past few days. The Barclays Golf Tournament was played in New Jersey directly across the river from New York. Many of the television shots of the players had the Statue of Liberty in the background.

Imposing!

I visited the Statue of Liberty twice.

The first time was when I was 4 or 5 years old. My father took me. I remember the mob of people, the elevator, the long walk up a spiral staircase, the heat, and finally reaching the crown. The arm and torch were closed off.

My father had to lift me so I could look out of one of the small windows surrounding the crown.

A memorable occasion for a young boy. Here I am more than 70 years later and can still remember as if it were yesterday.

The second time was when I was a father. I took my four children to visit the Statue of Liberty. They were early grammar school age at the time. Unfortunately, all we could do was take the boat ride over and walk around the island. The entire Statue was off limits to visitors. I cannot recall why. I believe my children never the less were impressed with the majesty of the Statue.

Visited the Chart Room last night. JJ, Sheila and Frankie at the bar.

JJ asked me about Le Grand Bleu. I mentioned Le Grand Bleu in one of my blogs while on the Greek isle Amorgos. A French movie, part of which was filmed on Amrogos. JJ had come across it and recalled my having mentioned it. Today on Amorogos there is a restaurant by the name. Every wednesday evening, the restaurant plays the movie for free outdoors to induce persons to patronize the restaurant.

A family of three came in. The father was a big man. Like 6’6″. Big chested, also. A dark black beard. Big black eyes. His wife was very short. Around 5’2”. Pudgy and wore round steel rimmed glasses. The third person was their son. A teenager.

Just prior to the family arriving, two men came in. One was with the U.S. Navy and stationed in Key West. I believe he was an officer.

The big guy father of the family announced in a booming voice…..We are Russian!

We were all immediately interested in the family.

They were vacationing in Key West.

The Navy man said he once had a beer with a Russian in Korea. The father immediately came back with…..North Korea? The Navy man said no, my recollection is South Korea. Pusan.

With that, the mother said….Let’s go. And away they went saying their good byes as they left the Chart Room. It was a quick exit.

I pondered. How many Russians have I actually met? Few, when I thought of it. I know some from the former Soviet states. I have a close friend from the Ukraine. However as to real Russians, maybe only this family and one other.

The one other was Alexander Kerensky. He was Russian born and taught me Russian history for one year at Manhattan College. He was a most interesting professor. Especially as concerned the Russian revolution. He had been part and parcel of the revolution.

Kerensky was the second Prime Minister of free Russia. The Russia that existed after the Czar had been deposed. He was the boss.

Following the Revolution, the Russians were divided into two groups. The Whites and the Reds. Kerensky was a White. The two groups were not of the same thinking. Civil war began.

Eventually, the Reds took over. They were also known as Bolsheviks. The Reds were led by Vladimir Lenin.

Kerensky had to flee Russia. His life was in danger. He eventually made his way to Germany. When the Nazis gained power, he left Germany for England. Then he made it to the United States.

I took Kerensky’s course in 1956. Kerensky was teaching at Columbia University. He would take the subway to Manhattan College twice a week to teach the course.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesday means Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. Nine in the evening on the internet. A fast moving interesting one half hour show. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

One of tomorrow’s topics involves Bruce Manning and transgenders. There is much that most people are unaware of regarding transgender persons. The discussion promises to be an eye opener.

Enjoy your day! It looks like a rainy one in Key West.

MASTER OF MY FATE…..CAPTAIN OF MY SOUL

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I came across this quote in yesterday’s Key West Citizen. it was buried on a back page. Easy to miss. The quote is by William Ernest Hemley. The purpose in sharing it is that there may be a person out there who could use the boost it gives.

“I am the master of my fate; the captain of my soul.”

Hope it helps someone.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour was yesterday morning. The show went well. I was pleased. The material was excellent and flowed easily. Post show comments revealed the breast implant explosive situation and the implications of Bradley Manning’s transgenderism garnered the most interest.

I have decided to write next week’s KONK Life column on the issue of Bradley’s transgenderism. Contrary to what a U.S. Army spokesman said yesterday, taxpayers will be paying for his hormone therapy and sex change operation. You can bet money on it!

Jenna was at the television station. I had not seen her for well over two months. First, I was away in Europe and then she in Los Angeles on vacation. It was good to see her.

Crystal engineers my show. She was at the studio, also. Does a terrific job.

Two lovely women taking caring for me. I am a lucky man!

Truly being back in Key West involves visiting places I frequent and enjoy. I had already done the Chart Room and Don’s Place. For lunch yesterday, it was Blossoms. I was really home! Cuban cheese toast with tomato and a cup of Cuban coffee.

Ran into Michael Dennis. One of Key West’s leading authors. Michael has published several books. Good reading!

The Chart Room last night. The ravishing Emily bartending. Sheila, Katherine and Sean there, also.

Met Tom from Annapolis at the bar. He is a lieutenant with the fire department and also a nurse. A nice guy. He was spending a few days at the Pier House. Yesterday, he had gone out fishing. Caught several different fish. The Pier House restaurant gladly cooked them for him.

Then to Don’s Place. Chatted with Erika, Hershel, David, Ron, and Michael. Most bocce team mates. David our captain. Ergo, bocce the item of discussion.

We played lousy thursday night. The whole team. We know it. David was pointing out the errors of our ways. In a nice fashion, of course. Like how the worse game he has ever saw was our 16-1 loss in the second game. Hershel and I played in the second game.

I started having trouble with my cell phone and tablet on the European trip. Could not keep them charged. Was getting all of six hours on the cell phone.

I went to Verizon. Was told I needed a new battery. Bought one. Cell phone still would not hold a charge.

Sloan suggested earlier this week that perhaps my cord had become defective. I have several and use them interchangeably. I went out and bought some new cords.

I am into the fourth day of my cell phone charge. Wonderful!

I share the cord information in the event any of you are experiencing a similar problem.

Enjoy your day!

RETURN TO NORMALCY CONTINUES

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I love being back in Key West!

Things continue to return to normal. Which means I am going out and enjoying myself in Key West fashion. My Key West state of mind has returned.

Did the Key West Lou Legal Hour yesterday morning. Just me and Crystal. Mary Deasy was at the studio. Jenna deserted me. She was in Los Angeles enjoying an extended weekend. We spoke long distance Thursday night.

The Nazi/Greek story impacted most people. I received the most comments regarding the issue post show. Basically, people were shocked that a Nazi oriented group can be gaining power again.

I had to go grocery shopping for the third time this week. The cupboard was bare when I returned from Europe. Anna had thrown everything out.

Bought a lot of fruit. Including figs. I cannot tell you how many figs I ate in Greece. In Santorini and Amorgos, my landlords brought me fresh figs daily. Large and plump. Everyone has a fig tree on the Greek isles.

I enjoyed three figs for breakfast this morning. Hope they are not fattening!

Sloan and I spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon organizing some of the material I will be using in my first book to be published. I will be working further on it today.

Later in the afternoon, I enjoyed an old time favorite of mine.

Mario Lanza was a big time singer back in the 1950s and 1960s. He sang great love songs and opera. He made movies. One was with Ann Blyth. It was the life of Enrico Caruso.

My grandfather turned me on to Caruso. He had a victrola. The one with the dog next to its name on the inside of the top cover. The victrola was big and black. It stood at least four feet tall. It was not run on electricity. It had to be hand cranked. Just like automobiles of old.

My grandfather had a collection of Caruso records. He played them constantly. I would be with him. His playing the records with me sitting along side him developed a love in me for Caruso’s singing. Which made me appreciate later in life the great voice of Mario Lanza.

It was the Chart Room and Hot Tin Roof last night. Enjoyed the company of Emily, Sheila, Jean and Stephanie, amongst others. Stephanie looked especially stunning.

I chatted a bit with Joseph at the Hot Tin Roof. I ordered a book he recommended from Amazon yesterday. I am anxious to start reading the book. It is a heavy political work.

Someone last evening filled me in on my team’s final bocce game thursday night. You will recall I was tired and left to go home to bed after the second game. We won 16-15. Can’t get any closer than that! We won 2 out of 3. Not a bad start.

When I returned from Europe a week ago, the downstairs air conditioning unit was blowing hot air. Sub-Zero came and fixed it. I got up this morning, it was blowing hot air again. I do not know about Sub-Zero’s weekend service.

Enjoy your day!

SHIRREL RHOADES

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I had lunch yesterday at Azur with an extremely interesting man. Shirrel Rhoades.

After an exciting life in that other world, Shirrel retired to Key West. Busy his whole life, he needed to fill in his time a bit doing something productive. Sitting around and contemplating his navel was not an option.

Shirrel delved into his bag of experiences. One was publishing. Shirrel started a publishing business in Key West. Actually two. One is Absolutely Amazing e Books. The other The New Atlantian Library.

Shirrel’s publishing concept is simple. He publishes via e mail. As more and more people leave hard copy and go to the internet to read, he may be at the forefront of the transition’s publishing phase.

His background varied and professional. Shirrel has been a writer, publisher, professor, film maker, and movie critic. He has held high level executive positions with the Reader’s Digest, Marvel Comics, The Ladies Home Journal, and Harper’s Magazine.

He was the man who brought us the Captain Marvel comic book for many years.

I enjoyed Shirrel’s company.

I enjoyed Azur, also. I do not eat there enough. The food is outstanding. I am still on my Italian trip kick. I enjoyed a dish of rigatonis.

Stephanie Manaher was having lunch with some lady friends. Stephanie is a school teacher and wife to the infamous Don of Don’s Place. A lady.

Last night was the Chart Room. I was there for several hours. JJ bartending. Peter and I talked most of the time.

Peter can be found every morning at Fort Zachary Taylor Beach. He has a special spot near the tree line on one side of the Beach.

Female turtles have been coming onto the beach, digging large holes, and depositing their eggs. Then covering the eggs with sand. The mother is then gone, never to see her young ones.

It takes 60 days for the eggs to hatch. Each female drops about 100 eggs. Three or four will survive the hatching, trekking and swim out into the ocean.

There was a hole nearby Peter. It had been there for more than 60 days. The Park Rangers carefully removed the sand from the turtle nest in order to determine what was going on. Turns out nothing. No eggs. Whatever the mother may have done, it was a dry run.

Met an interesting couple. Cory and Brieanna. Vacationing at the Pier House. They hail from somewhere on the Florida mainland. Nice people.

Cory is an insurance broker with Allied Solutions in Boca Raton. His company deals with insurance programs for financial institutions such as banks and credit unions. Brieanna is a doctor. She specializes in end of life problems. She does much work with Hospice.

Tonight, I return to the air! After nine weeks! Blog talk radio. Nine this evening. One half hour. The entire half hour will be devoted to the rising Nazi power in Greece. You will be amazed by what I learned on my trip!

Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

JET LAG

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It finally hit me big time. Jet lag! It is 2:30 in the afternoon and I am just getting to today’s blog. My head is not functioning, my body tired.

Interestingly, today is the first day I have knowingly experienced it.

I tried working on this week’s KONK Life column this morning. Good luck! No way, Jose!

I have been pacing myself since my Wednesday night return.

Yesterday, I worked a while with Sloan. A pleasure to have her!

Then visited the grandkids. I had not seen Robert and Alley in two months. They just returned from a two week vacation at their grandparent’s home in north Florida.

Both grew. Especially Ally.

They make me feel good.

Laid in bed and watched some golf. Hope Jim Furyk wins. I met him several years ago at the Indian Casino outside Utica. Turning Stone. He was staying there a few days with his family. Soft spoken. A regular guy. He has won 16 times on the tour. One of the wins a major. He has not won in a few years. A win here would be big. It would guarantee him a place in the Golf Hall of Fame.

The Chart Room was packed last night. Like sardines in a can.

Saw JJ, Peter, Jean, and Sheila. Met Dori, a friend of Sheila’s.

Though I was not able to observe, Dori has some sort of disability. Ergo, she has a specially trained dog to assist her. I met the dog.

Big!!!Bigger than that!!!

A great dane. Great being the operative word. He had to be the biggest dog I have ever seen.

White with black spots. Like a Dalmatian. It would take at least four Dalmatians to make one of him.

Very quiet and reserved. Sat by Dori. Never moved in spite of the people mulling around. Then laid down behind Dori’s bar stool.

When I went to leave after kissing Sheila good bye and meeting Dori, I stepped on the dog’s paw. He never moved. Lucky me!

A bug and fish are in the news.

The lower Keys has a Mosquito Control Board. It does an excellent job. Without the Board, living in Key West would be primitive.

This year the Board started introducing something into the mosquito population that made the males sterile thereby preventing the females from getting pregnant. Pretty smart, I thought. The results of the endeavor are not known yet.

Starting late in August, the Board is going to experiment with drones. Planes without pilots.

Water pooling is a natural habitat within which mosquitos breed. The drones will fly around and identify the locations so personnel can go out and get the pools cleaned up.

The Keys mosquito guys do not screw around!

Now comes a crocodile. The croc has been named Crocodolly. Keynoter recently reported the following.

Crocodolly is eight feet long. A female. She has been showing up in an area off Plantation Key since 2010. She has been captured three times. Tagged the first time so there is no question it is the same crocodile. The tag on her tail is #5 in case you run into her.

Crocodiles are endangered species. Each time Crocodolly was captured, the authorities took her far out into Florida Bay. Crocodolly returned each time. Like the dog that can find its way home from many miles away.

The people of Plantation Key do not fear her. They look forward to seeing her in their canals.

Crocodolly has over 400 friends on Facebook.

What a world!

I am back on the air Tuesday night. Blog talk radio. Nine in the evening. A quick interesting half hour. Greece and the growing power of the Greek Nazi Party will be the topic. Join me. I guarantee you will find the talk revealing. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your Sunday!

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME…..

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I appreciate I am being repetitive. However, there is no question about it. There is no place like home!

For whatever reason, I missed Key West the past two months while running around Europe. Missed family, friends and haunts. It is good to be back!

I write this blog each morning from my kitchen counter. I sit by the glass sliding doors to the deck and ocean. Always open.

It poured heavy this morning. Stopped just a few minutes ago. It was a pleasure to hear, smell and taste the rain. Key West rain! Ain’t nothing like it anywhere!

Jet lag is still with me. Not bad. However, consistent. It will probably last another 3-4 days.

Because of the heavy head caused by the jet lag, I hung around the house by day yesterday. Did a bit of writing and a bit of sleeping.

Last night started with the Chart Room. At 5, it was only Emily and me. She makes the best popcorn in town!

A group of guys came in. One was Carl Grooms. A relatively new face in Key West. He has been here 1-2 years. Last night was the first time we met.

Carl has an interesting background. His parents were in the diplomatic service. He did not reside in the United States till he was 15. He graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy. Joined the Navy. Became a jet pilot. Retired early. Went to the Wharton School of Business for his Master’s. Now into business for himself.

Wharton makes bankers. Banking did not interest him. He went into computers and the internet. The business which he operates from Key West is known as Flying Fish Apps. He and his team have created an app that will direct everyone where to drink, eat, events, music, etc. as it happens in Key West. Press the button and you have it all! An exclusive Key West where to go, what to see app. Go#2thekeys.com.

I wish Carl good luck! He is committed. He cannot miss.

Don’s Place was my next stop. David and I sat together chatting. Bocce the big item of discussion. The new season starts thursday.

Don came in. He had just returned from his annual one month summer vacation in Indiana. It was good to see him again. Unquestionably one of the nicest guys in Key West.

Don enjoys a beer or two or more a day. However, he does not drink at all while in Indiana, except when he plays golf. He played golf three times. It was back to beer for him last night!

Mikey was bartending. It was good to see him again. I like his wife better.

I go back to work Tuesday night. My blog talk radio show will be live again. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. A quick half hour of interesting chatter. I can tell you now that most of the show will be devoted to the increasing power of the Nazi party in Greece. The media does not talk about it. I do not know why. The situation is real and frightening.

During the eight weeks I was gone and off the air, there was no blog talk show. My old shows are archived, however. As indicated in the past, few listen to my show at the appointed time on Tuesday evenings. However around 2,000 listen to the archive during the week. Even in my absence the past two months, from 600 to 1,000 listened to an archived show at some time each week.

Sloan. A wonder! She was my girl in Key West while I was away. Anything I needed or thought should be done was an e mail message to her. Sloan performed admirably. She handled everything efficiently and expeditiously.

Thank you, Sloan.

Enjoy your day!

HAPPY 45TH BIRTHDAY CHART ROOM

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It was happy birthday time yesterday! The Chart Room’s 45th!

The Pier House may have changed/been remodeled over the years, but never the Chart Room. It is as it was in the beginning. Looks the same as when Jimmy Buffett sat in the corner singing for change.

So many people. I only knew about 20.

Charlotte came in. From North Carolina. She visits Key West 3-4 times a year. The Chart Room is her favorite haunt.

I screwed up. You recall I mentioned the peanuts were gone, but some beauty was lying in the barrel instead. I failed to recognize the lady. It was Charlotte! Sorry.

Charlotte came especially for the birthday celebration.

Marty did not come. I felt bad. Marty introduced me to the Chart Room.

Never saw Che. Everyone wanted to know where he was. I assume he showed after I left.

Met Mike from Liverpool.

I went to the bar to pay my tab. The gent sitting to my left asked if I was Key West Lou. We talked a bit. He is Mike from Liverpool, England. He is in the restaurant and bar business. He reads my blog every day! Thank you Mike. It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope our paths cross again. Keep reading!

JJ was bartending. He greeted me with a gift. A box of frozen hot dogs! Hot dogs were available free last night as they have been for years. However no more under the new management. Last night was a one shot deal. The last shot.

I left around 6:30. Decided to eat at the A & B Lobster House. The last time was a couple of years ago.

A & B is a top shelf operation. I enjoyed the Maine lobster appetizer at the bar. Filling. No dinner required afterwards.

Met some one new at the A & B. Gage. The bartender. He is originally from New Hampshire.

I was home early. Wanted to watch the Heat game. Again fell asleep. I woke with two minutes to play. I was shocked at the score.

I just found out I am having dinner Saturday night at Lake Maggiore in Italy. Hemingway’s Lake Maggiore from A Farewell To Arms. At a restaurant on the very small island of Pescatori. The island sits on Lake Maggiore.

My hometown Utica had  a Pescatori’s restaurant. I have to assume Pescatori the owner back when must have come from Pescatori Island. Most Italian immigrants took as their last names their home town or province.

There is a service at one today for my friend Cathy. At La Trattoria. It will be sad.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Which means…..Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Blog talk radio. The show a mere four months old. Two thousand people a week follow the show. Amazing!

Join me for a fast paced half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

FORD THEATER

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This is my last morning in Washington. I return to Key West today.

Though I began yesterday under the weather, by early afternoon I felt fine.

I took a walk. My hotel is within 2-3 blocks of most things. I ended up at the Ford Theater. The place where Abraham Lincoln was shot. The theater is now part of the National Park Service.

I did the tourist thing. I waited in line.

Upon entering, a sadness overcame me. I felt as if I was visiting a friend on view at a funeral parlor.

The theater was much larger than I had anticipated. It seats roughly 800. On the night of the shooting, it held 1,700. There was an upper area where those not financially well off could watch the play. Standing rom was $.25. Seats were $1 each. Box seats $6-$10 each.

Lincoln was seated in a box with his wife and friends. There was no Secret Service protection. It did not start till 1901. Lincoln did have one police officer guarding him. However, his function was to protect the President on his trip to and from the theater. Not while at the theater.

The villain John Wilkes Booth was friend of the theater owner John Ford. He was a familiar face at the theater. Booth was also known to the President. The relationship was described as friendly.

Booth shot the President. One bullet. It entered behind the left ear, traveled through Lincoln’s brain, and lodged behind his right eye.

Lincoln, still alive, was removed to a boarding house across the street. The Petersen House.

Lincoln was a tall man. Six feet four inches. The bed was not large enough. He had to be laid diagonally.

Lincoln wore a great coat to the theater that evening. A three quarter coat. He had purchased it at Brooks Brothers.

Lincoln died the next day, never having regained consciousness.

Someone besides Booth had to be punished. So thought the people who stood in the street between the Ford theater and Petersen House. They decided to tear down the brick theater building. Federal troops were called to protect the building.

I left the Ford Theater more knowledgeable and more sad.

The Petersen House still stands across the street. I could have toured the room Lincoln was taken to. I could have viewed the bed he rested on. It was not in me. I had had enough of Lincoln’s death.

I treated myself to lunch at the Willard House’s outdoor café. A beautiful setting. Sits on 14th Street, just around the corner from Pennsylvania Avenue. The weather was perfect. The huge trees a dark green shading the café. I had a leisurely lunch while enjoying the Washington Post.

Last night was Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. I did the show from my hotel room. A first! I was excited. It worked.

Next week I leave for an extended European trip. Italy, Greece and France. I shall be able to broadcast the blog talk radio show from where ever I am. The shows should be terrific! I am excited.

Last night’s show was a travelogue of my Washington trip. At the beginning however, I felt compelled to comment on the surveillance news of the past few days. I refer to the government having access to our telephone call numbers and e mails, tweets, etc. A big brother scenario of a size never before attempted.

I view this overview as surveillance out of control. Protection against terrorism is important. There must be a balance, however. Our liberties must be protected at the same time. I believe…..To protect our freedom, we must safeguard our freedoms.

I will dwell on the issue further during my Friday tv/internet show, the Key West Lou Legal Hour.

Sunday or Monday night is the Chart Room anniversary party. Forty five years. I will be there!

Enjoy your day!