LOOKIE LOU

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My name has been misappropriated. A public agency has a program which encompasses Lou in its title. Lookie Lou. The agency is the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. FWC for short.

Lookie Lou involves state wildlife officers searching for violations, safety errors, etc. while out on a separate mission. Ever vigilant.

Yesterday for example 29 Cubans successfully made it to American soil. Good for them! They set foot on Loggerhead Key. The FWC went out to pick them up. On the return trip, the FWC crew came upon fisherman with four undersized snappers and also made several boat safety stops.

Lou is universal. A name from the ages. I have used it for eight years as Key West Lou, 79 years as Lou. The FWC has been in business since 1999. I do not know when the FWC started Lookie Lou.

My blog talk radio show went well last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I had a good time doing the show.

No boots on the ground appears to have drawn the most comment. Obama says no U.S. boots on the ground. The European and Arab nations who have joined with the U.S. to combat ISIS have all said no boots on the ground from their end. All willing to provide air assistance. Nothing more.

Who fights the war then? Unless nuclear bombs are used (which I cannot conceive the U.S doing), a war cannot be won by air action alone. Soldiers on the ground are always required.

My conclusion was and is that military contractors would be hired by the U.S. to do the fighting. Mercenaries. Solely in the beginning and partially later on if American ground troops are sent in. My question was why have we not been told this? The government should be honest with the American people. Lay it all out now. The good, bad and indifferent.

A physiotherapy session yesterday. I was not impressed with the treatment. Be that as it may, I threw my back out while doing it. The therapy exercises were extremely simple. One short movement however and my back hurt! Hurt all night and still hurts this morning. I am back to where I was.

My back hurt, I felt sorry for myself. Decided I was entitled to a treat. My lunch was a chocolate milk shake at 2Scoops. Didn’t help my back. Did help my state of mind.

Some afternoon time was spent in final preparation for last night’s blog talk radio show.

The line re saturday’s Syracuse/Maryland game has changed. It dropped from 2 to 1 1/2. Syracuse still favored.

I know I am sticking my neck out. However, I think Syracuse walks away with this one. By a significant number. I was impressed with Syracuse’s play against Central Michigan last week.

Enjoy your day!

 

JAMES FENIMORE COOPER

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Today is the birthday of James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851). A famous American author. Penned Leatherstocking Tales. His most well known work, The Last of the Mohicans.

Cooper spent most of his life in Cooperstown. The same community in upstate New York that today is the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. His father founded Cooperstown. A community which sits on beautiful Otsego Lake.

Cooperstown is a 45 minute drive from my hometown of Utica.

Father and son Cooper were men of wealth. The elder having come by it the old fashioned way. He worked for it. His son inherited substantial monies at age 21. Nevertheless, the younger Cooper worked hard. First as a seaman and then as an author.

Father Cooper built the family home on Otsego Lake. He called it Otsego Hall. His son James lived there after his father’s death. The home at some point burned down.

It was replaced in later years with what today is known as The Fenimore Art Museum. I have  visited the building many times. As an attendee at cocktail parties and as a tourist. The home sits on a small hill overlooking the lake.

A rural village and farm were constructed nearby. It is called Farmers’ Museum. America, 1845. A whole village. Small buildings for a doctor’s office, a lawyer’s office, a grocery store, a blacksmith shop, a home, a farm, farm animals and more. Very real.

The buildings and furnishings are the same as they were in 1845. People back then were smaller than today. The beds and furniture reflect the difference in size from today. Even the smallest of us would be too big for the beds.

The Farmers’ Museum is the home of the Cardiff giant. All 10.45 feet of him. The Cardiff giant was a hoax. Someone had this giant constructed from wood and other materials. The body was planted on a farm. “Accidentally” dug up a few years later. Touted as the discovery of a prehistoric man. It was several years before the statue was deemed not for real. It has no place at the Farmers’ Museum, but there it lies. I found the Cardiff giant interesting.

My father took me to visit the Farmers’ Museum. I took my children and most of my grandchildren.

On one of the visits, it was me and twin grandsons Mathew and Michael. They were 4. We passed a horse who at the moment had an 18 foot erection. Their eyes bulged. I said nothing. Just hurried them along.

A little later, we were in the Museum’s drug store. This was the time of the Clinton/Lewinsky matter. A radio news show was discussing the matter. Matthew looked up at me and said…..Poppa, he did something wrong. Didn’t he? I responded…..Yes, he did.

An observation. Cooperstown is small town America. Yesterday preserved. The Baseball Hall of Fame and the Fenimore sites have made the community neither touristy nor tarnished. Much of its condition is due to the care and attention provided by the Singer Sewing Machine family. They have resided in Cooperstown for years. It is their community. They are proud of it. They have controlled building on the lake, kept the area pristine clean and sparkling. Nothing happens with out their blessing. They are to be complimented for what they have preserved and achieved.

Yesterday was a normal Key West sunday. A visit to Walgreens and Office Max. Lunch outside at Salute’s. A mahi mahi sandwich and the sunday papers. A couple of hours at Don’s Place watching professional football. Don was in all his glory as Buffalo won. Spent a bit of time working on tuesday’s blog talk radio show. Dinner in the evening with Lisa and the family.

Enjoy your day!

 

CHICKENS OF KEY WEST…..THE STORY

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Good morning world!

I feel great this morning. Slept well. The best in ten days. Even my back feels good. I suspect that is why I slept better and am vitalized this morning.

I am into my 26th year of Key West. First as a tourist. Then as a regular vacationer. Then as a home owner. And now for eight years as a full time resident. In all that time, I have been under the impression that the chickens roaming the streets were the result of a City Commission folly.

As the story was told to me early on, the City fathers imported a number of chickens to add to the local color. The politicians did not realize that chickens are sensuous beings and propagate. I think the gestation period is 28 days. Soon the chicken population was and continues to be out of control.

A new story has come to my attention as to the source of the chickens. This one has to do with Cuban immigration. In  the 1950s, many Cubans escaped Castro’s revolution. They came to Key West to work in the booming cigar industry.

They brought with them chickens. For meat and eggs. And for cockfighting.

Over time, many of the chickens escaped or were released. The supermarkets became larger. It was cheaper and easier to buy chicken and eggs at the market.

Chickens have no known predators in Key West. Now generations later, they still roam Key West streets. Running freely here and there.

More Beatles lore.

This morning’s Key West Citizen, in its Florida Keys History section, reported that during and following the Beatles visit at the Key Wester Motel, people wanted to buy anything the Beatles had touched or used. Including the pool water they swam in.

Did my blog talk radio show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Most of the show involved income inequality. Seems to have been well received based on the post show comments.

Some of the facts exposed included net worth. Since 2007, the average net worth of most Americans has dropped 43 percent.

There was another time when Americans were faced with a 1 percent / 99 percent situation. In 1928, one year before the Great Depression.

Another interesting tidbit involved a babysitter’s pay. A babysitter’s average hourly nationally is almost twice the national minimum wage. More than that in Key West from what Lisa tells me. She pays $20 an hour for a babysitter.

KONK Life hits the stands at 5 this afternoon. I have an extended article in this week’s publication titled Income Inequality. Take the time to read it. You will the column interesting and revealing.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BEATLES AND KEY WEST

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There was a time…..Yes, the Beatles came to Key West…..By accident…..Not planned.

The year 1964. The Beatles were flying to Jacksonville to do a show. Hurricane Dora was on its way to Jacksonville, also. The Beatles plane was diverted to Key West.

The exact day, I am not certain. Today’s Key West Citizen suggests 9/9. I searched the internet a bit. I came up with 9/10 and 9/11 also. Some articles suggest the Beatles were here a couple of days. Others, merely overnight. One of the articles has them arriving around 3 in the morning.

I suspect the Beatles were in Key West more than 24 hours. They broke loose!

They were staying at was then the Key Wester Motel. Gone now, replaced by a Hyatt facility. The Beatles at some point found the Key Wester bar. They took their instruments and played and sang for hours. Word spread they were in town. Other musicians showed up after their work day ended and played with them.

The articles are consistent that the Beatles did a bit of drinking. They became inebriated. One of them is described as having made love to the toilet bowl. Something most of us have experienced on one occasion or another.

Whatever, the Beatles enjoyed Key West. The locals enjoyed the Beatles.

It was fortunate their plane bypassed Jacksonville. Dora hit Jacksonville hard. Five dead and over $2 million in damage.

I have not mentioned JJ in ages. A friend. Formerly a bartender at the Chart Room. JJ now bartends at the Galleon. JJ’s wife’s picture is in the Key West Citizen today. Ann Jonas. She is Citizen of the Day. The brief article mentions that she and JJ will be celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary this week. Congratulations! I only met Ann once. JJ obviously many times. He always spoke of Ann as if he were deeply in love. Obviously he was and is.

Turtles in the news again. Sharks, also. Our friends and foes in the sea.

There was a recent newspaper article concerning the two. A world wide study was completed. Apparently man has been killing off too many sharks. Sharks kill turtles. With fewer sharks, the turtle population has over grown.

Turtles eat seagrass. Sharks do not. Little fish live and eat in and off the seagrass. In some areas such as Bermuda, the seagrass is down to nothing. The turtles responsible. Scientists are trying to figure out a way to diminish the turtle population.

It does not appear there is a similar problem in Key West. Our seagrass is in full bloom. Our ocean conservation people are interested in protecting both sharks and turtles. We even have a Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

Since the study was world wide, does it have any validity as regards Key West and the rest of the Keys? I don’t know. Perhaps. I am sure some of our ocean people will be playing close attention to the situation over the next several years. In the meantime, there is no plan to kill a portion of the turtle population. I hope there never is.

Scotland votes soon re independence. The people will vote. They want to disconnect from the United Kingdom/England.

The southern states wanted to and did the same thing in the U.S. back in 1860-1. State legislatures voted to secede. Lincoln stood up to them. The Civil War occurred. You know the rest.

Re Scotland, the people are voting as opposed to their elected representatives. Does it make a difference? Will the Queen and Parliament stand by and permit the secession? It seems like everyone is waiting for the vote to take place before taking a public position on the issue.

My back problem has returned, though not as bad.

Because of my back, I have been late with certain of my writings. I did not do my KONK Life column which publishes tomorrow till Sunday. The article is titled Income Inequality.

My blog talk radio show is this evening. I did not get to preparation till yesterday. Spent all day working on tonight’s show. A significant portion will concern income inequality. The reason is there are so many interesting sidelights to the issue. Some pieces of information most of us might not have known.

Join me this evening. I guarantee you will enjoy the show. Nine my time. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.  www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

ANTS IN THE COFFEE POT

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Live on a sub tropical island like Key West and inevitably you will run into all kinds of bugs, insects and other creatures. Recall last week. It was a rock lizard who had taken up residence in my home.

This week it is ants. The tiny tiny small ones. Almost invisible to the naked eye. They are in my Keurig coffee maker. The one that uses small K-cups.

Five or six days ago, I noticed the ants swimming around in side water holder on the unit. Ugh! The thought immediately occurred that I might have drunk some in the previous 24 hours.

My problem. These little ants are impossible to get out of the Keurig machine. Everything has been done. Anna washed everything three times. No help. I finally placed the water unit in the dishwasher. That did it for the water unit! Ants gone.

The ants still are in the main unit. The part I cannot put in the dishwasher. There are fewer, but still there. I went to TERRO two days ago. The best ant killer in the keys! Not this time.

There are not nor have there been ants on the kitchen cupboard on which the coffee machine rests. Only on and in the machine itself.

I am at wit’s end. Guess I will be throwing out the coffee maker and buying a new one.

I have also been suffering withdrawals symptoms. No coffee, no caffeine.

My blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou went well last night. I finalized the show during the day. Added a section on Steven Sotloff who had been beheaded earlier in the day.

Only six subjects covered. All heavy.

Post show comments indicate the topics were equally liked/enjoyed. First time. Another first time was no one disagreed with me. A big first time!

Dinner at Roostica before the show. Two pieces of Italian sausage. Delicious! Ran into Ray Sigsimondi. A good guy. He came to Key west about the time I bought my home here 16 years ago. He plays a mean electric guitar. I miss his playing with Larry Smith on occasion at the Wine Galley.

The Key West Citizen had a heart warming front page story this morning.. It concerned Julie Johnson who was in Key West for several hours. She was traveling through on a cruise ship. Julie is 46 and blind since birth. Her friends were going to take a bike tour around Key West. She wanted to go, also. She found bicycle provider Lloyd Mager. He provided a tandem bicycle as the solution. Lloyd drove and Julie had the back seat. She pedaled along and took in the sounds and smells of Key West.

Lloyd makes stops so the tourists can enjoy first hand many of the special delicacies Key West has to offer. Julie got to enjoy key limes, sea grapes, touching a turtle and animals. Everything everyone else on the tour was doing.

God bless Julie! God bless even more Lloyd Mager who was here in Key West and knew exactly what to do to make Julie’s experience the pleasure it was.

My back, my back, my back! What a pain! Spasm! It is causing my shoulder to hurt because of the strange movements I make. Especially in bed.

Enjoy your day!

FOREVER FAMOUS

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I went to Smathers Beach yesterday morning. Not to sun or swim. To attend the plaque dedication in Diana Nyad’s honor. A good sized crowd present.

Last year, Diana swam from Cuba to Key West. Without the aid of a shark cage! The swim itself a  first ever feat. She did it at age 64. Another feat.

A plaque was dedicated honoring her and the event. In addition to the plaque, Diana was made an honorary Conch. A bigger tribute than the plaque!

My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me for a fast moving interesting half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Nine my time.

Topics tonight include the question why the U.S. bombed Somalia over the weekend instead of Syria, a police officer who believed he did not have to follow the Constitution in making arrests because he claimed Obama was not following it, personal data of thousands of Homeland Security personnel hacked, an exploration of whether the U.S. is becoming a third world country, U.S. Tripoli abandoned embassy pool being used by jihadist militants for fun and pleasure, Monsanto and American justice, Russia/China gas line construction  begins, Berlin trying to build one church to house 3 religions: Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Plus more.

It was mid sunday afternoon yesterday. What to do? Decided to take Robert and Ally to No Name Pub for a late lunch. They love the place! They were not home. At the beach.

Decided to go alone. I had visions of a Philly cheese steak sandwich. They make the best!

It was the car top down and my baseball cap on backwards.

I enjoyed the sandwich. Sat at the bar. Chatted with people around me. A typical Florida Keys time in a back woods bar.

Bad sleeping night! My back started up again. Could not get comfortable. Caused me to place too much strain on the injured shoulder when I turned.

Enjoy your day!

A LIZARD IN THE HOUSE

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There was a lizard in my kitchen yesterday. I was not sure at the moment precisely what it was. However, no question it was a member of the lizard family.

I was working at the counter in the kitchen on tonight’s blog talk radio show. I happened to look up. There at the far end of the kitchen was this reptile of old sitting. I yelled hoping to scare him. I did. He scooted off as fast as he could.

I had seen him/her before. For a couple of months, in my garage. Running around. I was not concerned. Figured it was a good neighbor. Ate the bugs.

Somehow junior got in my kitchen. Probably the other day when I left the door connecting the house and garage open in order to bring in the groceries.

The garage was ok for the reptile. Not the house itself.

I opened the door to the deck and got a dust mop. The lizard was hiding behind a plastic garbage bag. In ten seconds, prodding him delicately, I had the lizard out the door and running like hell!

The body of the lizard was 6-8 inches. Plus, a curled tail of 4 inches. Light to dark green in collar. Sort of fat. The body was like a thick cigar. About 1.5-2 inches in diameter. The body smooth.

What was it? At first I thought a gecko. A member of the lizard family, also. Too large and the color too dark. Then I considered an iguana. A lizard, also. No way. None of those things sticking out of the head and body.

Keith and Jenn stopped over for a while. I told them about my lizard experience. Did they know what it was? No. However, an hour later Jenn e-mailed me and said a rock lizard. She gets the prize! I looked rock lizard up on the internet and there it was. There are many species of rock lizard. My visitor fit one of the pictures.

Can you imagine waking in the middle of the night with one of those things running across the bed covers?

I finalized my blog talk radio show for tonight in the morning. Half the show will be dedicated to unholy police activities in recent years. A discussion of beheadings. My thoughts on chasing IS into Syria.

Overall, an interesting and thought provocative show. Join me. You will enjoy. Nine in the evening my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Ray the pool man came over in the morning. Fixed the motor. No big deal. A joint blew out. Pool wall needs a little something to cover the seam opening. This will be done sometime in the next few days.

Lisa and the grandkids took me to dinner last night. Roostica. Robert and Ally did the pizza dough thing at the table. I helped to flatten the dough even more after they were done. Robert showed me how to do it. You make your hand into a fist and pound.

Three pizzas were ordered. Lisa wanted pizza also. The grandkids’ pizza was the same size as an adult one. I wanted baked ziti and wings. We had too much food!

I took the leftovers home. I could have a pizza party with what is in my refrigerator. I did. This morning. I had a cold slice for breakfast. First time in years. Delicious!

This is primary day in Key West. Those of you here be sure to vote. Primary races for Mayor, Judges, and School Board.

I have the second half of my physical today at 1. I get the test results from last week and the Doctor herself will do today’s prodding. My internist is Dr. Jackie Lefferts. I have a lot of respect for her ability. I remember the year she told me I had a heart condition. I told her she was crazy. She was correct. A year later, she told me I had a new and separate heart problem. Again I told her she was wrong. Again, she was correct.

I respect her judgment.

Enjoy your day!

ANNUAL PHYSICAL

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I had the first part of my annual physical yesterday. Two hours. I will complete the physical next week with Dr. Jackie Lefferts herself. Yesterday, her staff mauled me over.

I have been doing an annual physical since I was 32. Now, 79. A lot of years. I was very sick when 31. Spent four months in bed. Turned me into a hypochondriac of sorts. I worry about my health probably more than most persons.

Physicals have developed over the years. Longer. More detailed.

We started with a urine sample. The nurse used to hand me the bottle and I understood what it was for. Now I get questioned first. Will you be able to do it?

Then an eye test. My eyes have been a problem my entire adult life. I jokingly always say I can’t see. A semi-true statement. I find as one ages, the eyes get better. Yesterday, I did the eye test without glasses and missed not one letter.

Blood pressure, weight, oxygen. My weight a disaster! Blood pressure under control. All the pills I take work.

An EKG. Followed by some kind of a test where both the nurse and I could hear my blood flowing. Tested at both ankles and arms. It was a gusher!

My blood next. I hate giving even a small amount of blood. When I was 21 and ready to marry, New York required a blood test. I passed out. Ever since, I think I am going to pass out again. I look the other way and close my eyes.

It has been years since blood has been taken from my arm. The veins are too soft and move around. It is now from the back of my hands.

The final test involved blowing hard into something. Purpose I assume was to test my lung capacity. You blow till you think your eyeballs are going to pop out.

Two hours of fun. None of it bothered me. However, I was tired when we were finished. I return next week for the results and some doctor prodding.

Stopped at Lisa’s afterwards for breakfast. I was starving.

As a result of the physical work up, I was late doing the blog. Started around noon.

Spent a bit of time in the afternoon fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. All Ferguson! The show went well. I hit a lot of points big time radio and TV people do not touch. If you wish to listen, the show is archived and can also be found on Facebook and Key West Lou.

Per my usual tuesday pre-show custom,, dined at Roostica’s. Delicious buried in oil wings. Megan came from behind the bar to wait on me. She has taken me under her wing.

One of my observations re Ferguson is that a grand jury had not heard the case yet. Today one will start. I do not understand why we are now 11 days post the shooting and no arrests. If black Michael Brown had shot the white police officer, he would have been indicted by now and sitting in jail awaiting trial.

IS is crazy! They love to behead people. I read yesterday that IS beheaded 700 people in Syria the past two weeks. Last night’s news blew me out when I read IS had beheaded an American reporter who they have held captive for two years. Then posted the video on the internet. the reason given was in retaliation for the American bombings recently in Iraq.

Sick people!

Enjoy your day!

JOIN ME TONIGHT ON BLOG TALK RADIO

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Tuesday. Time once again for my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. This evening at 9. Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Most of the show will involve Ferguson and the militarization of our police forces. I have been talking about the militarization problem for two years. I was beginning to think I was a voice in the wilderness. Now everyone is into it.

Specific topics will include how police officers killed more Americans than terrorists in 2011, the New Orleans police officer who turned off her body camera before shooting a man two times, the shoot first/question later attitude of most police departments, and how Ferguson is a preview of the future.

Late with the blog again today. I spent the morning at my doctor’s office getting my yearly physical.

Great dinner companions last night! Tom and Fran Dixon from Buffalo. Lovely people.

We had drinks before dinner with their daughter Frances and son in law Jeremy. Both 30ish.

I was introduced to another generation. Both have served in the military. Jeremy in Afghanistan. Frances as an expert in getting food supplies to people who need them.

They are out of the service now and live in Northampton, Massachusetts.

They volunteered to serve because of 9/11. I sat in wonder as I listened to Frances explain how she was so moved by 9/11 that she decided to enter the service as soon as she was out of college.

The two are representative of a new generation. They are givers. They seek to help. Not like the generation before them. The baby boomers who expected everything to be given to them with nothing owed in return.

I have a busy afternoon. Have to finalize tonight’s blog talk radio show.

Enjoy your day!

SUNDAY…..DAY OF REST

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Sunday…..Day of rest! I bought it yesterday. I rested till dinner time.

The only interruption, not really an interruption, was when Lisa and the family showed up. They had been to Sugarloaf dropping off Cameron at his mother’s. Cameron was returning to FSU yesterday.

Robert and Ally are starting school today. All excited! These kids love school!

My rest time was not lying around necessarily doing nothing. Though it did take up a portion of the time. I read a bit. The FDR book. The Mantle of Command.

This week’s KONK Life column has to do with the surrender of Singapore without a fight and the refusal of Indian and Australian troops to assist the British if there was to be a fight. I became aware of the circumstance while reading the FDR book. It motivated further research and resulted in the column.

Dinner at Roostica. Me and the FDR book.

Yesterday was also my 57th wedding anniversary. Rather would have been were I still married. We only made it 52 years. For some inexplicable perverted reason, I celebrated the 57th at Roostica’s. There are still memories.

Ferguson, Missouri again last night. The National Guard had to be called in. The mess is getting worse with the looting and destruction. On the other hand, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The police militarized assault at the beginning struck the match that got the thing started.

Ferguson reminds me of the 1950’s Hungarian Revolution.

Government will win in  the end. That is the way it is. At what price, however?

Enjoy your day!