BREAKFAST AT SCHOONER WHARF

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I was up early yesterday morning. I had to be at Lisa’s by 8:30 to babysit. Robert, Ally and Jake were waiting when I arrived. Jake went in the cage. Robert and Ally in the car.

We discussed where to have breakfast. I decided to give them a special treat and take them to a new place. Schooner Wharf.

About fifteen members of the breakfast club were at the bar. My friend Angus bartending. I called over to him. We waved, including Robert and Ally.

We sat at the row of small tables with white plastic chairs next to the boardwalk. Docked boats were less than 10 feet away.

The closeness to the boats and the large number of boats blew the grandkids out. They got excited each time one pulled away from its dock.

Robert and Ally had pancakes. I, eggs benedict. Screw the diet!

The pancakes came with bacon. Robert asked if it was the real stuff. Their mother Lisa is all health foods. She serves turkey bacon.

Robert was on a one week trip for cancer survivors last summer. The one sponsored by Miami Children’s Hospital. Kids 6 to 16 make the trip. About 30 of them. Some as Robert are cancer survivors. The others still in treatment. The purpose of the trip is to celebrate life by those who are cured and give hope to the others that they too can be cured.

On the trip, Robert had real bacon for the first time. Pork bacon. Loved it! Lisa will not buy it. It is still turkey bacon at home. however when out, Robert wants the real stuff. He asked me, is it for real? Yes, I told him. Go for it!

Robert has Ally hooked on it also. She too had bacon with her pancakes.

After breakfast, I took them home. Showed them Poppa on TV via You Tube. One segment. Eight minutes. Had them listen to one 30 minute blog talk radio show. They were good about it. Asked a few questions. When the showing were concluded, Ally asked if they could go play now. I realized they were being kind and humoring me while watching.

Interestingly, Jake sat there watching and listening also.  Perhaps he liked it.

My afternoon and early evening were spent watching the Syracuse/Clemson game. A disaster! Clemson won 49-14. Not worth going through the details. Except to say the Syracuse defense was impressive in the third quarter. They held Clemson to 6 rushing yards most of the quarter. Then the roof fell in again!

The Vegas line was 14 points. I write earlier this week that if Syracuse lost by 14 points, it would be a victory. I projected a 30 point defeat. I was close. It turned out to be 35.

Clemson deserves to be ranked #3. A fine team. A great quarterback. The team could end up #1 in the nation.

I am glad Syracuse moved into the ACC with its football program. There are several good teams in the league. Top 10 and top 20 teams. Syracuse will have to up its game to play at their level. which is good. Syracuse will and some day we will be ranked #3 striving to be #1.

One final observation. Syracuse’s quarterback is green. Only a sophomore. He will be much better next year and dynamite his senior year.

The ankle pain came back last night. Horrible! Again this morning. I am sitting here with the big black boot on.

A reminder. My Friday TV/internet show The Key West Lou Legal Hour is available on You tube. In case you missed the show, it can be viewed there. Go to You Tube and enter Lou’s Legal Hour.

I telephoned Jenna this morning. No answer. She is a big Church goer. Left her a message to call. I would like to see Gravity tonight with her.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

 

GOVERNMENT WASTE

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People want to know! They should know! Where their government is wasting taxpayer dollars.

I decided to talk a bit each week on my TV/internet show about tax dollar waste. Provide a few examples.

Yesterday was the first day of this new portion of the show. Besides the story I enjoy repeating about the U.S. Senate’s private barbershop which loses $500,000 a year, I threw in three other juicy morsels. One had to do with the House of Representatives approving a $2.6 million study to determine how to teach Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly on the job. A winner!

The House is the outfit that recently voted to cut $40 billion from the food stamp program.

Feed back following the show indicated the waste examples garnered the most interest. Easy to understand.

The Chart Room first last night. Emily bartending. I enjoy her company. Even more, her popcorn. The best!

Chatted with Peter and Sheila. Sheila will be off to the Mexico/Cancun area wednesday for a few days. Good for her!

Sean and Katherine came in. They have been traveling frequently of late. I told Sean enjoy it. When the first baby comes, it is all over! He laughed.

Met an interesting couple. Ian and Kaylin from Scotland. Actually, the Island of Erin. It is off the west coast of Scotland. Ian is a builder and his wife works with him in the office.

Scotland. He must play golf, I thought. I was wrong. Ian does not play golf, even though there are seven golf courses on his island.

Ian, Kaylin, and their family have visited Key West often over the years. They are Key Westers at heart.

I sat a while in the Pier House lobby. Reading the newspapers. A comfortable setting. I have done it several times lately.

The next stop was Don’s Place. Bocce partner Frankie was there. He looks good. You will recall he had a couple of heavy heart surgeries several months ago. Died on the table during one of them. He just returned from three weeks in Mexico. The trip did him good. He looked like the Frankie of old.

Chatted with two of the guys from the team we beat thursday night. Good people. We agreed the water soaked clay decided the match, not talent. It was throw the ball and hope it gets somewhere near the polina. In some instances, three feet was a victory. We were luckier than they were. They drank more Polish brandy than we did, also. A contributing factor to our victory. A planned one. Hershel deserves the credit. It was his idea.

Decided on Outback for dinner. No room at the inn. Including the bar. I figured at least a 1/2 hour wait. Not my cup of tea. Instead walked down to the Chinese restaurant nearby. A mistake.

I enjoy Chinese food on occasion. I ordered the wrong dish. I wanted orange chicken. I got screwed up and ordered lemon chicken. A disaster!

Lemon chicken consisted of thin slices of white meat buried in fat. The final product resembled small pancakes. A similar color, also.

Awful! I ate half the meal before giving up. The lemon chicken did not give up. I was uncomfortable till 4 this morning.

I am interested in seeing the new movie Gravity which opened this weekend. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Sandra is an astronaut who breaks way from the outside of her ship or something while fixing it in outer space. The story is about her floating around and what experiences she had. The big question being did she survive. The movie is in 3D. Has to be terrific! The reviews all say it is a winner.

Saturday evening is not the right time to go to the movies. Too many kids. I am going to shot for tomorrow night. Probably will invite Jenna to join me.

Syracuse/Clemson this afternoon at 3:30. On ABC or NBC. Hope the game is aired here in Key West.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

HOLE DRILLING

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I have reached the age where I realize how little I know. A very recent discovery was drilling holes in bocce courts to enable the rain water to run out.

It was around 2 yesterday afternoon. It had been raining heavy since sun up. The bocce courts had to be flooded. I got a call at 1 that the water was up to the top on each court.

The sun was very hot after it stopped raining. Perhaps we might play, I thought. I drove over to the courts at 6.

No water to be seen anywhere! We were going to play. How, I asked. The courts were flooded 5 hours ago.

The City of Key West apparently now has a drill to remove the water.

Bocce courts are made of clay. Clay is hard. It does not absorb water easily. Beneath the clay, lies a bed of stones. The drill was used to make several holes on each court through the clay and into the stones. The water drained down and out.

One problem remained. The clay was still wet. A bit heavier than wet sand. Such meant the courts would be slow. They were.

The bocce ball had to be thrown three times as hard to reach the polina. Skill was out the window. Luck played a great part.

We won all the three games! We were very lucky, indeed!

It was a money match. Hershel brought a bottle of Polish brandy. Our opponents were known to enjoy shots. Hershel liquored them up. Whether it had an effect on the outcome, I cannot be sure.

I had one shot. Too sweet for me. It affected me in the middle of the night. I woke at 2 with a splitting headache. It took me till 7 to get rid of it. I attribute it to the brandy and not the gin I consumed.

Spent yesterday afternoon fine tuning this morning’s TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. I did the show this morning. This blog is being written after the show.

I spent a lot of time on the government shut down. I did a segment on cause and effect. The long range causes which led to the shut down. Things like two wars, American businesses moving overseas, permitting banks to become too big to fail or prosecute, etc. Nothing just happens. It is a series of events over a long period of time which have lead to today’s problems.

May Deasy works as bookkeeper at the TV station. A nice person. I have known her for years. She served me with a new cup for my coffee at the station this morning. Mary had a cup made with the station’s logo and Lou’s Legal Hour printed on it. Thank you, Mary!

Tomorrow, Syracuse/Clemson. I hope! What more can I say?

Every few years a less than adequate Syracuse team beats a top 10 school. I recall some 25 years ago. I used to attend every Syracuse home football game. That particular Saturday, I could not. I was sitting in Mount Carmel Church in Utica at a family wedding. The game was  going on during the ceremony.

Many people had small radios pressed to their ears. I was one of them. Go Syracuse!

Syracuse beat Nebraska that day. Nebraska was ranked #1 in the nation.

It has been a long week. A lot of reading and writing. In addition, the Polish brandy last night. I am tired.

I am going to spend this afternoon in bed watching golf. The Presidents Cup.

Enjoy your day!

 

STACKING GROCERIES

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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!

 

 

CONCH REPUBLIC ANNEXES USA

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Marty (the other one) is a loyal blog reader. He emailed a suggestion apparently motivated by the government shutdown and American life in general.

Words of wisdom.

Marty suggested the Conch Republic annex the United States. His reasons were simple. Leadership would be easier. People’s attitudes lighter. Americans would start enjoying life for a change.

Right on my friend!

The vote has been tabulated. The people heard. The ballot question yesterday as to whether Key West participate in a free study to determine the feasibility of dredging the channel to accommodate larger mega cruise ships went down to defeat. Significantly! By 3-1. 74 per cent of the people voted against it.

Hooray for democracy!

There is a lady named Anna who once a week comes by. She cleans the house and washes and irons. For the past eight years. Anna is not responsible for the outside. A task in and of itself. I either hire some one to do it or do it myself.

Yesterday morning, I felt energized. I was in a work mood. I did a bit of clean up of the deck.

Palm trees can be a pain. Fallen coconuts and palm branches. Took care of them. The deck at one end was covered with what looked like berries. I do not know what they really were. Living on the ocean, you never know what is going to be blown in. I swept up the berries. I finished by hosing the deck and furniture.

An ambitious undertaking for Louis!

I was still full of energy. Sex would have been good. Decided to walk. Drove to Duval Square and parked the car. Walked towards the Atlantic Ocean. Past La Te Da. Down to the Southernmost Complex. Through the Southernmost grounds. Across the street onto the Reach’s grounds. Through them. Then did the return trip the same way.

Took all of 25 minutes. Felt like an hour or more. The humidity was heavy! Very heavy! My tee shirt soaking wet. I did not think I was going to make it back to the car.

Stopped at Publix on the way home. Needed bananas and strawberries. They are staples to me.

Spent the afternoon fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Made a sandwich for dinner.

Afterwards, went upstairs to lie on the bed and watch Chris Matthews. It was 7 o’clock. I fell asleep. I woke at five minutes to 9. The radio show begins at 9. I ran downstairs, turned on the computer and did all the things necessary to get on air. As I connected, I heard…..Your show goes live in 10 seconds.

A close call.

It was an easy show to do. What with the governmental shutdown and governmental waste. I threw a little Greece in and the half hour was over.

I have stayed in the past few nights.  I have to get out tonight. I will get out tonight.

Enjoy your day!

ELECTION DAY KEY WEST

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Key West dances to its own tune even as regards elections. Local elections have their own day. Separate and apart from that early November voting time.

Today is election day in Key West. The mayoral race and other local offices.

This election day is particularly important. There is a question on the ballot. It has to do whether Key West should go forth with a study to determine if the channel could be dredged, its expense, etc. The study will cost Key West nothing.

There is a major move underway to dredge the channel. The reason is so the channel can support the mega cruise ships constructed and to be constructed. At this time, Key West channel cannot.

Money comes into play if the channel is dredged. It will cost Key West millions of dollars to do it.

I am opposed first on environmental grounds. Leave nature under the water alone! Additionally, I do not believe the cruise ships sufficiently support Key West’s best interest. Yes, some benefit big time. However, I am one who would like to see the tee shirt and other seedy establishments leave the port area. Return Key West to its natural habitat!

Birthday party last night! Lisa’s. Happy birthday dear daughter once again!

The best laid plans…..Lisa planned a dinner from Syboney’s. Cuban food. When she telephoned, the line was disconnected. We ended up eating two large pizzas. I am not a fan of Cuban food. I was happy.

Blowing out the candles and singing Happy Birthday! is always the best. The grandkids are into it big time. Especially Ally.

You all know I am enamoured with Greece having spent two summers in a row there. You will further recall my writing at length over the past year regarding Greece. I was especially concerned with the Nazi party. The Golden Dawn Party. I wrote a column several weeks ago about how scary it was and my fears for the future of Greece.

The Greek government in the past 48 hours has been arresting leaders of the Golden Dawn Party.  The arrests are an attempt to rid Greece of a political party that does not support the party now in power.

An Araminta Wordsworth wrote an article today in the National Post regarding what is going on in Greece. I am going to repeat one paragraph. It is right on with what I wrote in my recent column, though she says it better and in fewer words.

“Economic collapse, mass joblessness, uniformed paramilitaries, street violence, political assassinations and, now, a round up of opposition MPs–euro wracked Greece is beginning to feel eerily like Weimar Germany.”

Clemson at Syracuse saturday. Big time football. Clemson undefeated and ranked #3 nationally. Syracuse unranked and 2-2. The Vegas line is 12.5 points. I will consider it a Syracuse victory if we only lose by two touchdowns!

I hope I have to eat my words and Syracuse beats the hell out of Clemson!

On this day (10/1) in 1890, Congress passed a bill authorizing Yosemite National Park in California. On this same 10/1 day in 2013, Yosemite National Park closed because Congress failed to approve spending that would have kept it open. Part of the governmental shut down.

Blog talk radio tonight! My show! Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Join me at 9 for a fast moving half hour of current commentary. I definitely will be discussing the government shut down and government waste. Plus more. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

If you miss the show tonight, it is immediately archived and can be enjoyed to at any time. www.blogtalkradio.com.

Enjoy your day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA

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Happy birthday daughter Lisa! Love you dearly!

This is #49 for Lisa. She will not be offended that I mention the number. A father could not have a better daughter. She has been the best! I am a lucky man.

It took four days for us to come up with her name. We expected a boy. Previously, we had a boy and two girls. It was time for another boy. His name was to be Louis. Since it was a girl, we were unprepared!

Lisa’s middle name is Marie. It was easy to arrive at. It rhymed with Lisa. Lisa Marie.

Lisa was born while we were remodeling our home. Typical of construction, the job was two months behind. Lisa came home with the work not quite complete. No furniture yet. Workmen busy. Lisa received her first meal from her mother while sitting on steps inside the house. We had beds and a crib. That was it!

Lisa always was mine. My little girl. Even now at 49.  She showed me great love and attention. From her early years and into adulthood, Lisa would frequently jump in bed with me on a weekend day, cuddle up, and tell me how much she loved me.

She was the fourth of four children. I believe parents tend to be easier and more lenient with each successive child. Which means we imposed on Lisa the least with regard to rules to be followed. I believe she took advantage. She was a hellion. The ultra conservative Lisa of today compares little with the high school and college Lisa.

I discussed on Friday’s TV/internet show the number of arrests in the U.S. each year. Something like 12.2 million. The unusual thing was that only 500,000 were for serious crimes. Over 11 million were for minor misdeeds. Misdemeanors. Of that number, 80 some odd per cent were for drug possession. More than half the possession crimes related to pot.

The U.S. has 5 per cent of the world’s population. However, we have 25 per cent of the persons jailed world wide. An abnormally high number. The reason being that our mind set for more than half a century has been to jail most drug offenders. Even those carrying small amounts of marijuana.

I pointed out it costs $85,000 a year to maintain a prisoner in jail. A lot of money. Especially in these difficult economic times.

A news article this morning stated how much it cost per prisoner for New York City to maintain its jail Rikers Island. $167,731 per inmate. My figure was an average. Rikers has to be on the very high side.

I had to get out my KONK Life column  for next week. It took all of my Sunday!

The article will be published next Thursday. Its title is Governmental Waste…..Buried On Our Backs.

I shared some wasteful activities discovered. What I revealed is a mere drop in the bucket. I was motivated to write concerning the topic because of the House’s cutting $40 billion in food stamps this past week, breakfast food for children coming off the table, Republicans wanting to get rid of Obamacare, etc. Plus the cries for reductions and/or abolishment of Social Security and Medicare. The poor, young, sick, and elderly are under attack!

Some of the wasteful examples included a U.S. Senate barber shop that runs $500,00 in the red each year, a $2.6 million study on how to train Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly, a credit card abuse by the U.S. Postal Service involving a charge of $13,500 for a dinner party at a Chris steakhouse, the Pentagon spending $998,794 to ship two $ .19 washers from South Carolina to Florida, $500,000 authorized to promote specialty hair and beauty products for cats and dogs, $97,000 for floating outhouses for Oregon fishermen, and $386,000 for a study on how best to massage rabbits.

There is more in the article!

Congress and branches of government are wasting tax dollars at the same time there is a movement to deny the least of our citizens the benefits needed to properly survive.

Tomorrow night Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. I will be discussing the government shut down amongst other things. Plus, the wastefulness already described.

Join me. A quick half hour of interesting material. Nine in the evening my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

 

SATURDAY…..STARTED SLOW, FINISHED FAST

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Outstanding weather this morning! Again , no breeze. Is it a sign of anything?

My yesterday started slowly. However, I did enough last night to make up for it.

I wrote my blog late in the morning. After having laid around in bed a couple of hours longer than normal. Made myself a sandwich. Read a bit. As I was reading, I noticed how tired I was getting. It was just after 1. An unusual time for me to be tired. I did the normal. I went to bed. Slept till after 4.

Whatever the reason, it was a good sleep and I felt much better afterwards.

Don’s Place first last night. Several bocce team members there. Hershel, Stan and Erika. Nate and Michael, also. Bocce was the topic of conversation. Whereas I believe we have to concentrate more with every shot, Hershel believes we have become complacent. Whatever. We are talking about the problem which is good. Hopefully, it will help us win.

Then to the Chart Room. JJ and Peter for company.

JJ had some beans that were soaked in apple cider. Good! No, great! He buys the apple cider, cooks the beans himself, then puts them in the apple cider to soak. Great flavor!

I was hungry. Where to eat? What did I want to do?

I decided I would like to watch the Alabama/Old Miss football game. Not at home. From somewhere crowded with people yelling and screaming. I went to John Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub. I sat at the back bar, enjoyed fish and chips, and watched an excellent game. Old Miss looked good in the first half. Not in the second when Alabama ran away with the game.

I was impressed with the number of people in the place. Absolutely packed! Everyone drinking and eating. I told John how pleased I was that his investment was working out. He had a gleam in his eye. If anyone deserves success, it is John.

Syracuse did not play yesterday. A week off. Next week Clemson! Number 3 in the country. It would be terrific if Syracuse won. Though I doubt it. I expect the Vegas line to be 30 points at least.

I have to comment on the Washington situation. They are all crazy! Lunatics! Like kids playing at a game. They forget people’s lives and pocketbooks are at stake.

Silvio Berlusconi is up and at it again! He is a shrewd politician. Here I am complimenting him when he is doing the same thing the Republicans are here.

A Court decides this week if Berlusconi keeps his legislative seat. He has two felony convictions. Berlusconi must be nervous. He sent a letter to his followers yesterday. An Italian  friend wrote me about it. He wants everyone to come to Rome tomorrow or the next day. He will pay everyone’s way. To demonstrate on his behalf. He wants the Court to recognize his power and back off.

Berlusconi’s party is a close second in power. Italy’s President is of the opposing party. The President cannot stay in power if Berlusconi yanks his party’s support away. It is coalition government. Berlusconi has threatened to have his party’s five cabinet members resign. The result would be turmoil. A new election would be required.

Politicians everywhere play hardball. Whether the U.S. or Italy, if you do not play the game their way, they threaten to take their football and go home.

A local criticism. Regarding the Key West Citizen. I have recognized of late that Key West’s only daily newspaper publishes little if any  news of major public events. I especially noted it this past weekend when the Poker Run got next to no mention. I think two photos.

From what I gather, it is all over money. Apparently, Key West’s weekend events do not or are not paying to run ads. Advertising!

The situation is a shame. I do not know who is right or wrong. The public is screwed, however. Locally and nationally. Many read the Key West Citizen via the internet. Key West has a special place in many hearts.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

FIRST SNOW

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I woke this morning to learn that Montana has the distinction of being the first place in the U.S. where snow fell this year. Last night. The pics on TV showed heavy stuff.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour was yesterday morning. My TV/internet show. The topic that garnered the most interest surprised me. It was my dissertation regarding Pope Francis and his evidencing that he is a flaming liberal. I thought my comments regarding Congressional waste would be #1.

All comments concerned the Pope. Not one about Congressional waste. Could be people are so fed up with Washington that they pay little to no attention to anything about them any more. On the other hand, the Pope is a breath of fresh air. He appears to be energizing peoples of all faiths.

Per my usual custom, I visited the Chart Room first last night. Emily was back from vacation. It was good to see her. I like Emily. Even more, I like the popcorn she makes. A little extra butter and a bit more  salt. Emily spent ten days vacationing on a hilltop in Ashville, North Carolina. She showed me some photos and videos she took with her cell phone. A beautiful place!

Sheila and Corey at the bar. An English family at the table. I did my hellos. They were leaving so I could not get any background information on them. I wish they had stayed longer. I would have enjoyed talking with them.

Then a drink at Don’s Place. Don, David, Michael and John in attendance. Don and I spoke of bocce. What else! We lost all 3 games thursday. I think we are in last place. Should not be. We are a better team. A much better team. One of our problems may be we know we are good. Ergo, we do not concentrate with each shot. We toss the ball figuring it will go where it is supposed to. It does not.

Bocce continued to haunt me. I went to Publix. After 9. Quiet. A good time to shop. I ran into two different ladies at opposite ends of the store who play bocce on thursday nights, also. Of course, they wanted to talk bocce. One proudly said we won all three games thursday. The other, we won two out of three. I humbly responded each time we lost all three. Tough!

I am distressed by this morning’s news regarding Greece. I find the Greek Nazi party, the Golden Dawn Party, totally reprehensible. Bad people. However they were legally elected. The third largest group in the Greek Parliament.

The government arrested the head of the party and 17 other high party officials yesterday. Warrants out for 20 others. The arrests were without question politically motivated. The leaders were arrested for basically being bad people.

I continue to believe from my early Catholic education that…..The end does not justify the means. You just do not go out and arrest the opposition. It is the same as has been happening in Egypt. What has occurred could unleash unrest on the streets and violence. Plus whatever else .

The Euro Commission and Euro Central Bank are said to have been consulted prior to the arrests and were in support of them.

I fear bad events are in the making.

Yesterday’s Key West Citizen had an interesting item in its Keys History section. On yesterday’s date in 1955, there was a motel price war in Key West. A bad one! Prices really low! Eight motels had signs up saying free rooms to tourists.

It would never happen today!

I was playing around on the computer researching Key West history. There was a Louis in Key West at one time who owned a department store on Duval. In the early 1900s. A. Louis. He owned the Bee Hive Department Store.

A lovely day outside. Sunny and bright. A blue sky. No breeze. The water still. Can’t wait to get out.

Enjoy your day!

 

WIRELESS ZONE

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My divorce from Verizon at the K Mart shopping center was finalized yesterday. I was fed up! I am not going into all the details as to why. You have heard me complain enough the past two years.

I discovered another Verizon store in the Winn-Dixie shopping center. It is called the WIRELESS ZONE. Do not walk. Run when you need cell phone assistance. My sense is the people are good.

The place is locally owned. I met one of the owners who was kind enough to take care of me. His name is Manny Rioseco. He dealt with my problems professionally and politely. He was unhurried. He dug deeper into my cell phone that anyone had in the past. The phone is working today. I hope it continues to work. My tablet a sudden problem, also. I am not sure yet if the problem is resolved.

Manny also told me I was entitled to just under$100 a month off on my monthly billing. Why didn’t the other Verizon tell me in any of my many visits to them?

My new friends…..Manny Rioseco and the Wireless Zone.

I have already done my TV/internet  show this morning. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. One of my best! If you missed the show, it is You Tubed. You can catch it beginning tomorrow. Enter Lou’s Legal Hour.

I get pissed off on occasion. A report just came out that the median family wage has gone down over the past five years. Add to it the House of Representative’s recent action passing a bill to eliminate $40 billion from the food stamp program.

I countered with some things Congress does to spend money inappropriately. In other words, wastefully. Like the US Senate. This a…..Did you know? The US Senate has its own barber shop. It is called Senate Hair Care Services. The barber shop is run with taxpayer dollars. It runs a deficit of about $500,00 a year. It has lost $5.25 million over 15 years.

Hooray for the Senators! They get next to free haircuts at taxpayer expense. They are required to pay $3.50. All the while, the median family wage has gone down, $40 billion is being cut in food stamps, and free breakfasts for children is being eliminated.

A shade of another color. The House of Representative members who want to do away with Obamacare get the very best medical free as Congresspersons.

Our elected representatives are caring people!

My yesterday was busy.

Started with a haircut with Lori. Always pleasant. Then a manicure with Tammy. Another delightful experience.

Tammy and her husband recently bought a new home on Seidenberg. Big! Tammy and I chatted about it yesterday. She recalled her life in Hue, Vietnam. She said when it rained outside, it rained inside. The whole family lived together in a small abode. The bathroom was an outhouse. Cold and scary at night.

It was Blossom’s for lunch. New owners! Five days. I wish them well. I enjoyed my usual Cuban cheese toast with tomato and a cup of Cuban coffee.

I spent what ever free time I had working on my book which is soon to be published. The World Upside Down. I am working with the publisher now editing, etc.

Bocce last night. We lost all three games. Something is wrong. This is the third consecutive season we have sucked. I see a meeting coming. Don and David will ask the team members….. What are we doing wrong? Hours will go into the discussion and hopeful resolution.

Remember the Kim I mentioned last weekend. I met her and her male counterpart last weekend at the Chart Room. Kim is a bocce player. She played against us last night. A terrific player! Always on the money! Killed us with every shot!

Enjoy your day!