GREEK FERRY BOATS

The last 24 hours have told the story of the Greek ferry boat on fire. Over 400 passengers. 110 still not rescued. Cold temperatures and cold seas. A fire below. Sufficient to melt rubber shoes on the floor above. Boat leaning. Not enough life boats.

I received an e-mail from Eleni on Amorgos yesterday. She owns the house where I stay when in Amorgos. She shared the ferry boat story with me. She was afraid it might be a Titanic in the making. I heard from her before any significant number had been rescued.

Five reported dead so far.

The only way to get from one island to another generally in Greece is by ferry boat. They are water buses. I have been a passenger on many. My concern each time was safety. Mine, first.

They pack 400-500 people on one boat. 3-4 stories. Vehicles on bottom floor. Everyone sits. Has to be 20 seats across.  Narrow isles. Leading to another narrow aisle. Leading to a narrow staircase. One way in, one way out.

I used to think how am I going to get off this thing fast if I have to. Impossible!

Greek waters are rarely mild. Not like Key west in the summer when the warm weather makes for a calm sea. Greek waves are crushing. The boat up and down in huge dips. Two thoughts constantly in mind. Try not to get sick. What do I do if a wave breaks through the huge windows?

A watery grave.

Life boats. Definitely not enough. Never. Ten, maybe 20. On many boats, inflatables.

A crew that did not seem to care. Get the passengers on and off quickly. I mean quick! The boat was moving rapidly before I was ever in a seat. Then getting my ass in a seat became a feat in itself.

I loved Greece! I love Greece! Except for the ferry boats.

Yesterday, walked Smathers Beach. Otherwise laid around and napped. Watched the Syracuse/Long Beach State game at 4. Syracuse won 85-67.

The Charles Eimers police protest took place yesterday. The Key West Citizen reports about 40 participated.

Crime pays! In a sort of round about way.

Timothy Poole is a registered sex offender. He likes little boys. Poole recently won the lottery. $3 million. His net in pocket $2.2 million.

Two young boys he molested have elected to sue him. Brothers. Lawsuit winners! With money available to pay any judgment awarded them to boot!

Enjoy your day!

WHAT A GOOD BOY AM I

I feel like Little Jack Horner. Remember, he sat in the corner eating his pumpkin pie, he put in his thumb and pulled out a plum,and said what a good boy am I!

I wrote again yesterday. Six hours. Drafting and redrafting six chapters for the next book in what my publisher calls The World Upside Down series. A lot of writing! I took three chapters from the unfinished rough draft of Growing Up Italian for the book. I wrote them a year ago. I am sure The Bakery one fits the Italian book. The other two I was not sure.

The Bakery is about little me and my grandmother going to the bakery a couple of blocks away twice weekly. One time for the empty flour bags. The next for the sliced bread ends. Each free.

A different chapter I call Grandpa Asserts Himself. About my grandfather in his 90’s saying in effect to the world…..Go screw yourselves! Wait till you read and how he did it.

The third is titled What Is That Noise. The story of a 40 year old man who heard the wind in the trees for the first time.

I also wrote three chapters concerning Greece. The substance of which you all may have read before. From a different slant, however. The topics include Santorini’s beauty, my inability to make it to the volcano, writing in Amorgos, and  my walk to Acropolis/Parthenon.

A good day! I deserve a medal!

The new water tank was installed. By my former bocce partner, Frankie the Plumber. I was able to shower at home before going out. You cannot appreciate what a luxury hot water is till you are without.

It was Hot Tin Roof for dinner last night. Nostalgia time again. My mother. I enjoyed mussels. A dish I rarely order. My mother loved mussels!

Fantasy Fest in a couple of days. You can feel it in the air. Taste it. The locals getting excited. Yes, locals participate. Many enjoy costuming. Some have a different costume for each day. A big time party!

The humidity is basically gone. Still warm, however. Moving towards a dry heat. Temperature still in the mid 80’s by day and mid 70’s by night.

The things I learn. Germany announced it no longer will charge tuition to attend any state run university. No tuition applies to foreign students as well. All an American would need is to know how to speak German and the price of a plane ticket to Munich.

To we in the United States, Germany’s free tuition sounds like a big deal. It is. However be aware, it was only $630 a semester before.

Which brings me to Syracuse University. Re football, Not the expense of attending. Which exceeds $50,000 a year for room, board, and tuition. Syracuse plays Wake Forest saturday. Something must be wrong. Syracuse is favored. By 3-4 points.

I have a busy day today. Haircut at 9:45, A lengthy business meeting at 10:15, a visit to my heart doctor at 1:30, and bocce in the evening. Love it! All part of my life here in Key West.

Enjoy your day! Continue Reading

TIME FOR STONE CRABS

Stone crab season opens today. The season runs from October 15 to May 15. I consider stone crabs the best of foods. If I were to be executed and had one last meal, it would be stone crabs.

I was first introduced to stone crabs in the early 1960s in Miami Beach. Where else but Joe’s Stone Crabs! I have been addicted ever since.

Local fisherman are not sure whether it will be a good season or bad. They never know at the beginning. Two months into the season they will.

Fantasy Fest had an early beginning this week. Not in Key West. In Marathon. A 60 year old man was arrested for running up and down US 1 bare ass.

The Pier House recently remodeled its beach bar. I lunched there yesterday. The remodeling was not extensive. It involved redoing the wall behind the bar. The wall is now covered with a huge wood panel with some insignificant design. Pretty. Not beachy, however.

I spent the whole afternoon writing. Two days in a row. I am into it.

Growing Up Italian has been set aside for the moment. My publisher insists on another World Upside Down work. The World Upside Down is becoming a series. I have promised to have it out forthwith.

I can see already the book will be a third longer than the first. I have decided to sneak in a couple of the Growing Up Italian and Greece book chapters. They will fit. The Growing
Up Italian has so many chapters already that it will probably end up a series, also.

I needed a taste of old time Key West. It was dinner at Hogfish at the bar. Chatted the time away with fishermen typical of days gone by. Bearded, somewhat toothless, extremely thin, bronzed and weathered. I enjoyed a comical time discussing the mundane.

Last night was Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I love doing the show! I appreciate all who listen.

Post show comments indicated the ebola portion garnered the most interest. All I said was cool it. Every one getting excited. McCain wants an ebola czar, a nurses’ union wants better training, Afro-Americans are saying the man from Liberia died because he was black. The last item bothers me. Not every issue is a black issue. Saying it is does not make it so. Keep playing the black card and eventually a legitimate cause will not gain support.

Friday night Goombay. Two days away. Fantasy Fest around the corner.

Enjoy your day! Continue Reading

THE SHAME OF IT ALL

ABC News ran photographs on the internet yesterday of some of the children who have come over the border into Texas. The 52,000.

Here is what I saw.

Children sleeping on bathroom floors, in orderly fashion next to each other. More sleeping on shower floors. Not in orderly fashion. On top of each other in many instances. The floor in each room reported to be concrete. Nothing between the kids’ bodies and the concrete. Some standing crowded almost like sardines in what was described as a holding room.

The news report stated the areas where the children were held were fenced in  by chain link and barbed wire. It was further reported that the children are only allowed 30 minutes outside each day to play.

ABC’s report further indicated that many of the children still appear dehydrated and hungry. The report also stated some of the children were sick and could not eat.

Is this how we treat children in the United States? Regardless of how they arrived here?

This is not a Republican/Democrat thing. This is a humanitarian crisis. Political differences and hatreds should be set aside. We are duty and conscience bound to react. To do the right thing. To be God like. To help the children.

The President says he needs $3.7 billion of immediate money to take care of them. Congress is making strange noises. The usual noises. We are hearing every reason why the money should not be made available.

I listened to Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, being interviewed on TV yesterday. He disgusted me. He not only was against providing the money, he appeared infuriated that the President had even asked.

I could not help but think how Senator Johnson would react if some of the children were his grandchildren.

We should be ashamed. We will be ashamed big time if the money is not appropriated.

In the meantime, it was announced yesterday that Congress will be adjourning for a five week vacation starting August 1. Congress does not work enough as it is. Especially the House of Representatives. They only work tuesday, wednesday, and thursday each week. This was the brain child of Eric Cantor who was recently defeated in a primary.

I am still without wheels. Parts did not come in from Miami. Hopefully, today.

Being stuck home has its advantages. I worked on my Greece book most of the time. I am happy to report big progress. I have completed the second draft. Will start editing over the weekend. I am confident I will have it to the publisher this month.

The Key West Citizen’s World Almanac section had an historical note of interest yesterday. Fifty years ago Key Westers were complaining that the Key West Country Club was charging $3.50 on weekends for a round of golf. What a joke! Today it would take 25 to 50 times more, depending on which fee structure applied. Those must have been the days!

Too many telephones, too many cell phones in the Keys. As of 6/1/15 there will be a new area code. An additional one. The 305 will still be available. The new code will be 786.

I seem to learn something new each day. Sometimes several items. China has a one baby per couple policy. Get pregnant a second time and forced abortion applies. I discovered yesterday that Vietnam limits the number of new borns, also. Two to a couple.

Abortion is obviously in play. Contraception has to come into play. Our recent Supreme Court decisions would not fly in China or Vietnam. I doubt if any have complained on religious grounds. Go along, get along. Actually stay out of jail or worse.

Enjoy your day!

FEATURED HOST

I am sort of land locked. No car yesterday. Ergo, confined to home. All day and night.

Not a bad day, however. I got to work on my Greece book. I have avoided moving forward on it for three weeks. No particular reason. I have read that the hardest thing for an “author” to do is sit down to write. I got lazy. The daily blog, the weekly KONK Life column, and my blog talk radio show eat up a lot of time and energy. I love doing all three and would not eliminate any one. I have to allocate my time better.

I have completed reviewing the first 16 days of the Greece trip. There are a total of 31 days. It is exciting! I am reliving the trip all over again. Day 16 was one of the Mykonos days. It was also the day I got hit by a car and thrown over a three foot stone wall. A hit and run. The bastard never stopped.

I sent Guy deBoer next week’s KONK Life column today. John Paul Jones Part 1. Part 2 will be published the following week. Hope you enjoy both parts! John Paul Jones was an interesting person.

Sloan stopped in late in the afternoon. We plugged away at a couple of things. I am not computer literate. I need a Sloan.

I have been doing Blog Talk Radio for two years. Love doing the show! It is a quick half hour of Louis expressing his thoughts on political and social issues. The half hour requires 10-12 hours weekly of preparation. Which I enjoy! I was a lawyer. Lawyers research.

Blog Talk Radio advised me this week that I have been elevated to Featured Host. The designation is noted on my blog talk radio page. Additionally, I will be listed picture and all as a Featured Host on Blog Talk’s home page. Do not be impressed. Blog Talk is a big operation and has many hosts. Featured Hosts number about one hundred.

Blog Talk indicated the reason for the designation being applied to the show was two fold. A growing audience and the quality of the subject matter presented.

I like it. Thank you Blog Talk Radio.

It has been seven months since The World Upside Down was published. Would you believe…..it is still selling! Worldwide. The book is available for purchase on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

One of my favorite Key West events each year is Hemingway Days. Next week! July 15-20. The best part from my perspective is the Hemingway Look A Like Contest. There will be 125 plus contestants. Most return each year. Hoping to win, but really to share in the fun of the event.

My car is supposed to be ready tomorrow. I hope so. There is a degree of loss of freedom in not be able to hop in your car and take off.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

DON’T SLEEP ON THE JOB

Do not fall asleep when you are supposed to be working! It happened to me last night.

I had an early dinner at Lisa’s. She had me home by 6:30. My blog talk radio show was scheduled for 9. I had time to kill.

Normally, I get ready mechanically at 8:30 for the show. Then at 8:45 connect in with Blog Talk Radio. By 8:50, I am ready. I have 10 minutes to kill till show time. I spend those 10 minutes reviewing my notes for the show.

A few seconds before 9, a female voice comes on. For my ears only at that point. YOUR SHOW BEGINS IN FIVE SECONDS……5 4 3 2 1. There is a brief pause and then the voice returns. This time everyone can hear. WELCOME TO BLOG TALK RADIO!

Back to Lisa dropping me off at 6:30.

I decided to watch some TV. I had two hours to kill. I laid on my bed and inadvertently fell asleep. When I woke, the room was dark. I thought I had enjoyed a deep long night’s sleep. Then it hit me! I slept through the show! I hit the light. It was 8:59. One minute to show time!

The race was on.

I rushed like hell in that minute to show time.  Down the stairs. Completed the 8:30 and 8:45 preliminaries. As I connected with blog talk radio, I heard…..YOUR SHOW BEGINS IN FIVE SECONDS.

God was with me.

I enjoyed an early dinner with Lisa. My car is at the repair shop. Joe’s Auto Repair on US 1. He took care of my Mercedes when I brought it to Key West 4 years ago. I had dropped the Volkswagen off in the morning. He called later and explained the problem. Needed parts from Miami. The car would not be ready till thursday. Which means I am stuck at home till then.

No problem from my perspective. I will hang home for a couple of days and hopefully get my book writing caught up. I am behind.

Yesterday morning, I still had the car. I stopped at Lori’s for a hair cut. She leaves tomorrow for three weeks on Long Island and in Maine. Then I delivered the Volkswagen to Joe’s. He provides good service. Had one of his men drive me home. The car will be delivered to my house on thursday.

I completed writing next week’s KONK Life column. JOHN PAUL JONES Part 1. I had to break it into two parts. There was much to write. Part 1 involves the good he did. Part 2 will follow one week later. Part 2 will center on his shortcomings, most of which are generally unknown, yet nevertheless interesting.

Ain’t no frightful weather in Key West! Another dramatic morning. Another quiet and still morning. Peace abounds. Beauty everywhere.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

THOMAS CLINTON

The weather!

Worthy of being mentioned first. Continues to be outstanding. Everything still this morning. Nothing moving. The silence deafening. If there is a negative, it is the humidity. Heavy. Key West is experiencing August/September humidity late in June.

Made a new friend yesterday. Tommy Clinton. His name sounds much like one half Thomas Jefferson and the other half Bill Clinton. A nice guy. A charming personality.

I was at the bar at Don’s Place when Tommy came in and sat next to me. He carried a large camera with him which he laid on the bar. Expensive, I asked. Not really, he said. And so started the conversation.

You can find Tommy on Facebook. He goes under two names. One is Tommy Clinton-Key West. The other was something like Tommy Nikon. Not correct, however.

Tommy is a retired government employee. Retired after 30 years. Now lives full time in Key West. Rides his bicycle around Key West everyday taking pictures. He claims he takes upwards of a half million a year. He even took one of me at the bar.

He has a track record. He has published five photo books.

I have a new friend.

Before Tommy came in, I was talking with Jimmy and John. Jimmy has recently returned to golf. He is in to it. He explained thumb position, wrist position, stand tall, bend over with your ass out, hit the ball this way, hit it that way, etc. Once again, no question. Golf is back in Jimmy’s life!

After Don’s Place, I headed over to La Te Da. Enjoyed dinner at the outside bar. I sat in the corner and listened to the back and forth talk between the locals and tourists.

Earlier in the day, I stopped to see Dr. Jackie Lefferts. My right shoulder continues to hurt. No change. It has been three weeks since I fell. She thought it might just be some sort of internal bruising. Sent me for an x-ray. I do not have the x-ray result yet. We talked of the possibility of a rotator cuff tear. We shall see.

Spent part of the day writing next week’s KONK Life column: EPA…..Government Shutdown?

I received a happy birthday e mail from June Hudson this morning. My birthday is next week. June was all excited. She leaves today for Italy with a granddaughter. I told her to keep an eye out for Larry, Christine and Journey.

My friend Anna reports that Athens is quiet. No where near the number of tourists that usually are there this time of year. Significantly more stores closed on Athen’s busiest commercial street. No beggars to be seen. No people, no money. The lack of beggars is a sure indication things are dramatically worse. There were beggars all over the street the times I visited Athens.

What am I going to do today? I don’t know. My day will develop as it goes. Whatever, Key West is always a pleasure.

Enjoy your day!

 

MYKONOS

Yesterday was quiet and constructive. It may appear I did little. Trust me, it was a lot.

Started with a morning haircut with Lori. Then to Home Depot for a long walk. Long means twice around the building. Forty minutes.

From early afternoon to 8 last night, I worked on the Greece book. The island of Mykonos. I have been delinquent in not spending as much time recently as I should have. I was hoping to get it to the publisher by the end of this month. No way. It will be July now. Definitely.

Eight for me is too late to go out. By the time I showered again and made the trip into town, it would have been 9. It was bed for me. With all the TV movies available, none appealed to me. So I read for about 3 hours. A new book on Hillary Clinton. HRC. This is not the book Hillary wrote. It is one written by others about her. Interesting so far. I am into her time as Secretary of State. Hillary was a smart woman. Skillful in nurturing relationships.

The history corner on page 2 of the Key West Citizen made mention yesterday of a 1956 De Soto 4 door sedan. Brought back memories. In 1956 while attending Manhattan College in New York City, I drove a taxi cab. It was a De Soto 4 door sedan.

The car was large. All cars were big back then. Nothing like today’s New York City cabs. Huge back seats. Legs could be comfortably crossed.

An observation, night time cab driving in New York City was an education in itself.

The history corner triggered another memory. It mentioned that on yesterday’s date in 1991, the last Soviet troops left Hungary. The same year I was driving a cab in New York, the Hungarian revolution took place. It was the young people who revolted. They had to get out fast when the revolution failed.

The United States took many in and sent them to several colleges throughout the country. One of those colleges was Manhattan. I was fortunate to make friends with them. Became a close friend of one.

The story they told of how the revolution occurred was interesting. The revolution was spontaneous. No one really thought or talked about one.

The young people drank beer. Some nights for fun, they would throw the empty beer bottles at the Russian tanks, laugh and run off.

The Russians started shooting back. The empty beer bottles became molotov cocktails. The revolution had begun.

Enjoy your day!

 

MY MEMORIAL DAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!

MINIMAL REGATTA A KEY WEST TRADITION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By whatever name, it was good!

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy your day!