CHELSEA CLINTON

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The mystery has been solved! Chelsea Clinton was in Key West in recent days. Peter was correct that he saw her jogging at Fort Zach beach.

Key West Golden Girl Jean Thornton is home in Atlanta at the present. She knew. She emailed me yesterday to say Chelsea Clinton was in Key West to interview Judy Blume for NBC.

I believe I was the only one to publicize her presence. The newspapers even did not know. I spoke with one. I was told they could not verify her presence.

Two significant points are to be made. Peter has good eyesight and always believe Peter.

The more interesting question is who is Judy Blume? I never heard of her. I say this with shame. I googled her. She is a big deal. Must be if she was interviewed by the likes of Chelsea Clinton.

Judy Blume has had a home in Key West for years. She is an authoress. She has sold more than 80 million books. Her books have been published in 31 languages. The most famous was Tiger Yes, which also was made into a movie. It reached #3 on the New York Times Best Seller List. She is also a two time cancer survivor.

I asked the Chart Room regulars if they knew or had heard of her. The oracles of Key West lore. None had, except for JJ. He knew who she was and his wife knew her personally.

I felt less ashamed at that point.

It is amazing. You think you know everyone. None of us really do. I would like to meet this woman. I probably will.

It is not strange that another author of prominence would have settled in Key West. The home one time of Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee  Williams.

I walked the seaport yesterday. Bustling with tourists. It is a good season!

Afterwards, I stopped at the Plantation Coffee House. Enjoyed a cup and read the newspapers. The place was crowded. On the porch and inside. Another example of the large number of tourists in town.

Then spent a few hours at home preparing for this morning’s blog talk radio show.

Last night, it was the Chart Room first. Sean, Katherine, Che, Peter and JJ. Katherine and I had an interesting discussion about generations and what each expected from life. The boomers representing the age of entitlement. I enjoyed her perception of her generation’s expectations. I am not sharing them yet. I want to have a further conversation with Katherine on the issue first. I was finishing my second drink and my memory is a bit hazy.

I was hungry. Decided to eat out. A treat! Desired a prime rib. Headed to Outback. Too early. The place was crowded. No seats to be had anywhere, not even the bar.

I walked a 100 feet to the Chinese restaurant. Why not? It had been a long time. I destroyed myself. I could not get enough. My taste buds were alive.

Remember the five weeks I spent in Greece last summer? I visited Athens and four Greek isles. I reported getting stuck 3 extra days on santorini and 6 days on Armogos because the ferrys were not running. The seas were too high.

Today’s news carries a story about the Greek ferry boats. The ferry boat employees have been on strike for six days.

Understand that the ferry boats connect the islands. Most do not have airports. It is the boat or nothing. The ferry boats serve the Greek isles as the subway serves New York City.

The ferry boats also carry necessary supplies such as food, gasoline and other every day necessities. In some instances, even water.

Without the ferry boats, inconvenience and possible disaster.

The employees are on strike for pay arrears and monies they have lost because of austerity measures. It all has to do with the euro and Germany. More than half of Greece is unemployed. Things are tough. Going from bad to worse.

A side observation involves the Greek Nazi party. It is known as the Golden Dawn Party. On the rise in Greece. Won seven per cent of the vote in last November’s elections. It is thought if the elections were held today, a mere three months later, the Nazi party would come in a strong third. In a country where coalition government is the way, such gives the Nazi party big time clout.

The party operates similar to Germany in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Anti-Semitic, anti-immigration, convinces its followers Auschwitz was not a bad place. One of the party’s messages is speak Greek or else. Immigrants are beaten. Their homes and places of business vandalized.

These things bother me. That is why I share them with you. As a people, I believe we must be more aware of what is going on in the world. A global existence today. The problems of a far away nation may be ours tomorrow.

Syracuse beat Notre Dame last night 63-47. I did not watch the game. I did not know it was on.

The new national rankings came out yesterday. Syracuse is still in the top ten. Ninth and 10th in the two polls. I was surprised. I thought surely Syracuse would drop to 12-14. It only means most of the top teams are having problems. Misery loves company.

Verbose today. Sorry. I had much on my mind that I wanted to share.

Enjoy your day!

NO ONE SNEEZED

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Once you have lived in Key West a few years, you can pretty well predict the weather. Not just by day. By parts of a day, also.

Yesterday however I was wrong! Way off!

The morning had started warm. Then it suddenly got cold and breezy. I predicted it would shortly turn warm again. The weather would sneeze and the tropical sun return.

No one sneezed.

It was cold all day. High probably 70. During the night, the temperature was 62. At the moment it is 63. The high for today is projected at 72 and the low at 63.

I was out last night. Wore long pants and a sweatshirt.

I spent a couple of hours chatting with friend Captain Peter at the bar of the Chart Room. Sheila was leaving as I arrived. Emily bartending.

Peter and I have become bar buddies. Good! It is always a pleasure to chat with Peter.

Peter shared with me two interesting things he observed on tuesday.

Peter spends his days at Fort Zachrey Taylor beach, assuming the weather is good. Tuesday it was. He always sits in the same spot. Everyone knows him.

From his beach perch, he sees can see the length of the beach.

The jelly fish are in. Peter says they are not jelly fish. They are Portuguese Man of Wars. Who am I to argue with him.

The strong wind coming in off the Atlantic has caused the Man of Wars to be thrown up on the beach. There they lie. Even though dead, their tentacles still sting. A poison shoots out.

A tourist decided to pick up one of the Man of Wars. A mistake. Her finger got stung. Then she committed another error. She put her finger in her mouth and tried to suck the pain out. A no no. The poison will cause the mouth to swell. Followed by difficulty in breathing.

As Peter was running to help the woman, one of the park rangers arrived ahead of him. The ranger had a bottle of vinegar. He quickly had the woman fill her mouth with the vinegar. Vinegar prevents and/or reduces the swelling.

The woman walked away A-OK.

Peter made another observation from his beach chair. He saw a young lady walking and running down the beach. NBC TV cameras filming her. The beach had been cleared ahead of her apparently for safety as well as room reasons. Peter was permitted to remain where he was. Someone said he is here every day and is ok.

Sound mysterious? Not really. Peter claims the young lady was Chelsea Clinton. Makes sense if it was. She is a special correspondent for NBC. The only problem is yesterday’s newspaper and other media made no mention of her presence. I telephoned Key West’s great investigative reporter Sean Kinney to see if he knew. He knows everything. No answer. No call back as yet.

Cindy and Steve came into the Chart Room later. Cindy has been Jimmy Buffet’s Key West secretary for years.

She and Steve have recently adopted a dog from the dog pound. Cindy was carrying the dog. She told us it was a rat terrier. It was bigger than normal. A pleasant contented animal. Cindy says since they got their new friend, she has found a couple of dead rats on  her property.

On the way home, I stopped at Outback. Ate a whole meal again. This time lamb chops. I thought I was going to devour the bones, also. I fear I am pushing my luck food wise.

This morning AT 10, my TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. I have selected some interesting topics for discussion. Listen in and enjoy.

The show is available via television from Key West through the whole of Miami-Dade County on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Available world wide via the internet. www.tvcomcast19.com.

Enjoy your day!