A NIGHT AT THE CHART ROOM

 

Yesterday began with an early morning visit to the bank. Then immediately home. I spent the entire day inside working on tomorrow’s TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour.

Great topics! With all the foolishness going on world wide, how could it not be! Stories like a tiny Eurasian country that announced its Presidential election results the day before the election, the shut down, Catholic Bishops out of line, and an update regarding the Vatican bank corruption scandal.

Plus, ATM changes, additional government waste examples, chemical weapons destruction in Syria, Greece considering grabbing personal bank accounts (shades of Cyprus), the great Social Security theft, global warming and walruses, and more.

The show airs 10 in the morning my time. It can be seen from Key West all the way up to Boca Raton via television on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Worldwide via the internet. www.weyw19.com.

My first stop last night was Don’s Place.

A new bartender/barmaid. I am not sure which is the politically correct designation. A lovely young lady. I am embarrassed to say I do not recall her name. Next time.

Spoke with Jimmy. Where is Joanie, I asked. In Colorado. Her only son is getting married. Have a wonderful time, Joanie! For the past year, she has spoken to me on several occasions about the type and color of dress she should buy. I listened.

Hershel, Stan and Frankie at Don’s, also. Bocce discussed. We play tonight.

The Chart Room was the hit of the evening! I met and chatted with old friends and new friends. David, Peter and Emily friends of old. I am always happy to be with them.

Several of the new friends were women. No disrespect to the others, but Raylene  touched my heart! She was waiting to meet me. She told me she reads my blog every day and watches my TV show on You Tube. Thank you, Raylene!

Raylene and her husband Gary are from Garden City, Kansas. Five children, five grandchildren. They visit Key West once a year. This trip they rented a small private home in Old Town.

Raylene has been a county treasurer back in Kansas for 27 years. Gary is a general contractor. He builds the big ones. Hospitals, colleges, schools, office buildings, etc.

Gary is on his way to being a true Key Wester. He has not shaved since he arrived. He is half way to a beard.

After Raylene and Gary left, I chatted with Sarah and Chris. From Nashville. Sarah is a librarian in a middle high school. Chris, a corporate pilot. Interesting people. They are staying at the Casa Marina.

It seemed like I was moving down the bar. I finally got to talk with Dave and Nadene. Parrotheads! Obviously love Key West and Jimmy buffet. They have visited Key West many times. They hail from Columbia, Maryland.

Dave is a retired printer. Nadene is employed by Liberty Mutual as an administrative assistant. They have two boys.

Dave’s time if filled with the Parrothead world and the PT Cruiser world. Dave paints cars to reflect Key West. Air brushes most of them. His private vehicle is a 2004 PT Cruiser GT Turbo. He drives it around Columbia and all over the country to PT Cruiser events. Dave custom air brushed his personal PT Cruiser to reflect his passion for the Jimmy Buffet/Parrothead life style.

Dave has a website re his car and Buffet/Parrothead activities. You may want to take a look. www.HemisphereCruiser.com.

For me, it was a long night. Went directly home from the Chart Room. Had something to eat and then to bed.

Enjoy your day!

 

STACKING GROCERIES

 

It was 1951. I was 16 years old and worked in a super market after school.

Baseball was the big sport in the U.S. at the time. The National League season had ended in a tie. The New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers. On this date in history, the one game that would decide it all was being played.

I was wearing my working attire. A large white apron. Quietly replenishing Campbell’s Tomato Soup on the shelve. The radio was playing. We were all listening to the game. The whole world was.

It was the top of the ninth. Brooklyn winning. Bobby Thomson at bat. He hit a 3 run homer. Everyone went crazy. It was not that we all were Giant fans. It was the excitement of the moment.

I have never forgotten that day.

A supermarket. The one I was working at was called McHarris. Two Syrian brothers owned and operated it. They taught me a lot.

Supermarkets in 1951 were not as they are today. What was large then, is small now. The McHarris store was about three times the size of the Fausto’s off Duval.

Two other things come to mind. The Campbell’s Tomato soup was 3 cans for $ .10. My salary was $ .16 2/3 an hour.

It is overcast this morning. It rained extremely heavy for about 20 minutes. Bocce is tonight. Unless the sun comes out soon, I doubt we will be able to play. The courts will still be wet. The best that can be hoped for is that there are no puddles. Then we will play. However, the courts will be very slow. I do not like slow. I prefer a fast court.

Tonight’s bocce game is a money game. The side bet we have with four other teams. If we play, it will be a drinking fun time. A bottle of Polish gin is involved. If we proceed, I will tell you the purpose of the Polish gin and how it played out.

I walked again yesterday. Just around Key Haven. There is no question about it. A little exercise goes a long way in reducing weight. I started another diet Monday. Just cutting back and walking. The scale this morning indicated minus 4 pounds. It is a combination of the two that is responsible. I am eating about 25 per cent of my normal diet. Not easy. Plus walking on a more regular basis than normal. A bit farther each day, also.

Yesterday afternoon was spent preparing for tomorrow’s TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. I have more work to do this afternoon.

The topics are coming together. The government shut down obviously will be one. I have decided to add on a weekly basis for a while examples of government waste. Generally interesting and in some instances so bad they are funny.

Greece and the Nazi party a must. The heads of the Nazi party are being arrested and thrown into jail. Instead of killing the movement, I fear the arrests have planted the seeds for revolution.

Other topics include a Key West price war, Lancaster, Pa. as capital of the United States for one day, a U.S. militarized internet, Venezuela maltreating the U.S., and more.

The more will include the story of a man who is terminally ill. Cancer. No chance for recovery. Grows his own marijuana to kill the pain. He and his family were raided by the police. He was thrown in jail for 42 days. He was released from jail because the drugs he needed to control the pain were costing the county too much money. He was sent home to do what he had been doing.

The show is at 10 in the morning my time. Available on television from Key West through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Available on the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com. The show is You tubed and can be seen anytime. Enter Lou’s Legal hour.

Last night was my Duval crawl. I was out on the road.

Stopped first at Captain Tony’s. Always loved the place. Old and dingy. Always packed with tourists. Rarely a local. The customers all acting a bit crazy.

Then to Sloppy Joe’s. Packed, also. Tourists. Not having as much fun as those at Captain Tony’s.

I walked upstairs to the clothing optional bar on the roof of the Bull. Advertised as a place for people who like to party without their clothes. At least 5 years since I had been up there. It too was quiet. It has always been quiet when I am there. The only nudity I saw was the bar maid’s bare breasts. I cannot win.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BANKS SUBSIDIZED

 

Every now and then, I come across something that rubs me the wrong way. It happened last night.

I discovered a recent Huffington Post article regarding banks being subsidized with tax dollars. My initial impression was so what! Banks received stimulus monies. The article had to be about that.

It was not.

Turns out U.S. banks are being subsidized by the government. Free handouts. The money comes from tax dollars. Where else? It amounts to 3 per cent of every tax dollar.

The claim is the money is required for research. What research, I could not determine.

The 3 per cent amounts to $87 billion a year. It averages out to $722 per family.

Even the big banks are so subsidized. The five wealthiest banks in the U.S. are J. P. Morgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs. It was reported that these five banks receive three quarters of the $87 billion.

Blew me out! It gets worse, however. The article indicated that without the taxpayer subsidy, the banks would not show a profit.

Running at a loss, need a taxpayer subsidy to be profitable, and still pay exorbitant bonus’s to high level management.

I cannot understand.

A busy day ahead. A haircut and manicure this morning. Probably lunch at Blossoms. Tonight, bocce.

Tomorrow morning, my TV/internet show airs. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. In addition to the bank subsidy issue, I will share some large wasteful government spendings, that Lancaster, Pa. was once the capital of the U.S., the recent U.S. arms treaty, Egypt’s Muslim brotherhood, Obamacare, a medical first, Pope Francis, and more.

Join me. Ten in the morning my time. The show airs via television from Key West up through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. It is available world wide via the internet. www.weyw19.c0m.

Enjoy your day!

 

I DID IT AGAIN

It was after 6 last night and I was working away at friday’s tv/internet show. The phone rang. It was Don of Don and Chris. They were back in Key West for a few days. We had made tentative plans to meet at the Chart Room. Where was I? I begged off. Told him I had spent most of the day babysitting and never got to work on the show.

He told me Chris was concerned I was sick because I had not published my blog yesterday.

I forgot! This is the second time in two weeks it has happened. Old age is setting in!

Plain forgetfulness. In the seven years I have been doing the blog, I do not think I have missed more than six times.

My excuse a simple one. I had a 9 in the morning appointment with the foot doctor. No time to do the blog before. I intended to do it afterwards. Afterwards for the blog never came. Lisa telephoned and asked me to babysit. Robert and Ally were off from school. They take all of my attention when I am with them. The blog never entered my mind.

My apologies.

Chris was not the only one concerned. I went to my emails and found….. where is the blog?…..are you sick? inquiries from all over. Crete, Portofino, Falmouth, Toronto, Des Moines, and Syracuse. It is nice to know people care.

The grandkids and I did Pepe’s for lunch. Robert and Ally had never been there.

Tina bartends at Don’s outside bar several evenings. I discovered she also waits tables at Pepe’s. Has been doing so for 8 years. Some days she is up at 6:30 in the morning and not to bed till after 2 in the morning. Those days when she works both places.

Typical Key West. Everyone works 2-3 jobs.

I told Robert and Ally the pirate story associated with Pepe’s. I do not know if they believed me. Robert made mention that the construction of the building appeared more recent than the 1700s. An observant young man.

By the way, my foot appears healed. Boot and everything off. I have had no pain for a week. Ever since boot, etc. put on. Doctor says it was a tendon injury.

Late in the afternoon when I was free, I started working on friday’s show.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour will be an especially good one this week. I am taking on the super markets. The prices keep going up. Corporate America now owns and operates huge ag-farms. Special laws have been passed to protect them from lawsuits for the food products they produce. Interesting information! Surprising!

I will also be discussing how lousy our economy is for the 99 per cent, some interesting Saudi Arabia information, how we upset Brazil, why Larry Summers dropping out was good for America, and more.

Join me. Ten in the morning Friday my time. Via television from Key West through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

This morning’s Key West Citizen announced front page that Diana Nyad would be Grand Marshall of the Fantasy Fest Parade. Diana is the woman who recently swam from Cuba to Key West.

Bocce tonight! I can play! I missed not playing last weed. Besides the game, the comradeship combines to make bocce a fun evening.

The Seven Mile Bridge is a part of US 1. A part of the bridge was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1935. One of the worst. A category 5. Hundreds killed.

A portion of the old part of the bridge remains standing. The State has been caring for it. People use it for walks and biking. A popular place.

The State wants our county, Monroe County, to take over the bridge. Renovate and maintain it. The initial cost is projected at $62 million. I say, forget it! Let the bridge remain the State’s responsibility. And headache.

Enjoy your day!

AN EXCITING DAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Join me. You will enjoy.

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

PAIN!!!!!

My yesterday was not normal. I was in pain. PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!

The worse ever? I do not know. The previous big time bad occurred when my back went out and I suffer spasms for several days.

I have occasionally of late been getting a pain in my lower right ankle. On the outside to the rear of the ankle bone. A sudden sharp pain. Extreme. However, it went as soon as it came so I gave it no concern.

Yesterday, it came big time! From about one in the afternoon to late evening. Off and on. A wild pain in the area described. Lasted from 20 seconds to a couple of minutes. Let me say…..It hurt, I hurt!

After a while, a residual pain developed. The heel. It hurt to just walk to the bathroom.

This morning so far, nothing.

I called my doctor. I have a 4 o’clock appointment.

Due to the pain, I never left the house. I did not read or write. The pain was disconcerting. I could do nothing.

Ergo, I have nothing special to report. My day was spent in bed waiting for the next shot of pain to occur.

Let me share one thing I am sick of. Listening to the Syria talk. A mess!

Tonight, I have two things on the agenda.

I am babysitting. I will be with Robert and Ally from 6 to I do not know when.

I will be doing my Tuesday blog talk radio show, also. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I will be doing it from Lisa’s home. I will pack up and bring everything with me.

Robert, Ally, and Jake all go to bed at the same time. 8:30. Lisa says the grandkids can stay up till 9:30 to watch me do the show. Jake will probably be with us. I hope he does not bark.

Robert and Ally have been with me a few times when I have done my TV show. They quietly sit on high stools behind the camera and watch. After the show concludes, I let them get on camera a bit. They can see themselves on a screen. We take turns making believe the show is live. We interview each other. They love it!

Tonight’s blog talk radio show is interesting. I will mention Syria briefly and what I think about where we are at. Then some global cooling. You read it correctly. Cooling. The Artic was much colder last year. The ice bank grew. A bit about Saudi Arabia and their permitting death row prisoners to fight in Syria. Saved them from death by the sword. Plus more.

Join me at 9 this evening. A quick moving half hour of timely topics. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

LATE!

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!

DOMESTICATION AND WHITE BREAD

I have been divorced enough years that I have become domesticated. I can do for myself. Which includes simple cooking.

Since my return from Europe, I have gotten into poached eggs. I do them well. My problem has been the bread. As with most, I only eat whole wheat or bran bread. Neither offers the same taste with poached eggs as with the white bread my mother and former wife used.

I went to Publix yesterday to buy a loaf of white bread. White American bread as it was called back when. Guess what? There ain’t no white bread! Not quite true. I did find two different brands of sliced white American bread. That’s all! Everything was whole wheat or some sort of bran. There was no Wonder Bread on the shelves!

White bread has been successfully demonized!

I bought a loaf of the white. Made poached eggs immediately upon returning home. I was correct. White bread was required. The taste was magnificent! Reminiscent of old!

Spent a part of yesterday finalizing this morning’s tv/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Ten this morning my time.

The past week has been crazy news wise. Ergo, a lot of goodies to talk about. Like the terrorists newest ploy breast implant explosives. Also, an exploration of transgenderism as induced by Bradley Manning. Interesting topics!

The show is available on television from Key West through Miami-Dade Counties via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

Bocce last night. We got killed! Badly! Lost all three. Only scored one point in the second game. The saving grace is that we were beaten by the Hell’s Rangers. Even their name was daunting. They were #1 in the Thursday League last season and #2 overall in the playoffs.

Have to hurry. Need to review my notes for this morning’s show.

Enjoy your day!

TV/INTERNET SHOW AT 10

I am up before everyone this morning. 5:30. The Key West Lou Legal Hour at 10 this morning. I have to review my notes in final preparation for the show.

This will be my first show in nine weeks. My absence due to the European trip.

Join me at 10. I guarantee you will enjoy! On television from Key West through Miami-Dade County. Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyew19.com.

Lunched at Hogfish yesterday. Several people asked about the trip.

Jenn came in. She was on the run. Looking for a waitress/bartender job. Her present employer is closing down in a month. Jenn is a terrific person and hard worker. Anyone out there in need of good help, give a holler.

Bocce last night. First match of the new season.

The courts were a bit wet. Especially ours. The sun does not hit it during the day. I would describe the texture of the clay as close to muddy.

We played.

We won the first game 16-5. I played the first game. I was the worst player on our team. The softness of the court slowed my ball. I had difficulty adjusting.

We lost the second game. 16-7. I did not play.

I do not know what happened with the third. I knew I had to be up early this morning. Ergo, I left before the third game was over to get home to bed.

We played Larry’s team. It was a money match. Larry and Don were absent in New Orleans. The games were quiet without Larry. Chris tried to take over the role of shouting, etc. It was not the same. Chris is too nice to be Larry.

Enjoy your day!

KEY WEST LOU TV / INTERNET SHOW

 

Good morning!

A beautiful Key West morning. Everything as it should be. God is in His Heaven, all is right with the world.

This morning the Key West Lou Legal Hour. Ten my time. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy the hour with me.

Since I spent a week in Washington, I had only yesterday to prepare. Generally, I spend a bit of time each day.

The show starts with the Snowden surveillance disclosures. Then some Washington stories. You will especially enjoy Connie Picciotto’s tale. Revealing college graduation figures. Some homeless background. Especially two Florida stories I doubt either you or I knew about.  Another unusual Catholic Church announcement. And more.

Join me. 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.

Besides working on this morning’s show, I spent yesterday running errands.

I was out on the town later earlier than usual. Well before 5.

I started with my old friend the Chart Room. Jean Thornton, Sheila, and Peter at the bar. Emily bartending.

A Chart Room update. In my one week absence, things happened. Discouraging things. Free hot dogs are no more. The peanut barrel was empty. A different kernel was being used to make pop corn.

The bottom line. When you pay $90 million for something, you are entitled to do what you want. Including eliminating free hot dogs and peanuts and serving a cheaper pop corn. The problem is that eliminating each eats away at the Chart Room’s ambiance and character.

What next?

I was at the Hot Tin Roof before 6 for dinner. I chatted a while with congenial and able manager Joseph. Jean Thornton and a pack of women showed up. They enjoyed a drink at the bar and were off to Marquesa for dinner. An excellent restaurant.

There was  a madness to my early evening. I wanted to watch the Miami/San Antonio game at 9. I was in bed at 8:30 with the television on. The tv was still on when I woke at 3 this morning. I never saw any part of the game. I fell asleep before 9.

Such is life.

Enjoy your day!