GO BOEHEIM!

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Sometimes an event occurs which outshines all others which happened on the same day. An event which causes all others to fade in comparison.

Such occurred yesterday. Not the Syracuse/Duke game standing alone. Nor Syracuse’s defeat 66-60. It was Jim Boeheim going berserk with ten seconds to go in challenging a ref’s call.

I know Boeheim. I have watched him coach more than 30 years. I have played golf with him. We have had dinner together. He is not the expressive person we saw running around last night on the court. His conduct will be remembered for years to come.

I thought the referee’s call was a bum one. I have watched the video of it at least a dozen times. The defender was moving. Fair was already in motion. What was done was done, however. There was no way to rectify the call.

I am glad Boeheim blew up. Shows us the man does feel. He is not the ice cold coach many perceive him to be.

This whole situation is probably good for Syracuse. Syracuse lost two this week. The pressure of when are we going to lose is off Syracuse’s back. The team can go out and enjoy!

The thought has occurred to me since last night how terrific it would be if Syracuse and Duke could meet in the Final Four championship game. It would be a game of games!

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

GEIGER KEY

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Bobby Mongelli owns Hogfish. Bobby Mongelli owns Roostica. Bobby Mongelli owns Geiger Key. The man is a genius! He deserves the success he is experiencing.

I lunched at Geiger Key yesterday. Keith is Bobby’s friend. Keith told me Geiger Key just got its liquor license. I had not been to Geiger Key in ten years. It will not be that long again.

The place is another Bobby Mongelli winner! A shack sitting on the edge of ocean  wetlands. A perfect site. Mongelli has expanded the seating considerably from what I recall ten years ago.

The food was the same as Hogfish. Exactly. Why change what works. I enjoyed fish and chips. Hogfish, of course.

The place is another Key West fun place. The people kept coming in. I could not believe the volume.

When I was last at Geiger Key ten years ago, I was with Howard Livingston. He was then a Chicago industrialist. Beardless, no mustache, no long hair. A conservative American!

We were both with our then wives. Time does bring changes. Howard has since divorced and remarried. To wonderful Cyndy. I too am divorced. Still alone, though.

We danced that night. Guess who was playing? Yankee Jack! His dog lying quietly in front of him.

Geiger Key is about ten miles up from Key West on US 1. There is a Shell station and large convenience store on the corner of Geiger Key Road. Take a right. About 1-2 miles down the road is the restaurant. About a 1,000 yards off the road. You will have to look for it.

I needed gas. I got it at the Shell station just mentioned. Explain the following to me. Regular was $3.70 a gallon at the Shell station at Key Haven. At the Shell station at Geiger Key Road, only $3.55. Ten miles made for a 15 cent difference? How we get ripped off!

Prior to going to Geiger Key, I took a ride on Stock Island. I was looking for the Stock Island Marina. Everyone is talking about it. Lovely! Terrific! Want to dock my boat there! All favorable comments.

I found the place way down on Shrimp Road. It was everything people had said. There are very few places on Stock Island that can be described as lovely. The marina is one of them.

I forgot yesterday to mention an interesting experience at bocce thursday night. I cut my index finger. By the nail. It kept bleeding. I did not have a band aid. I was drinking a Beefeater on the rocks. I stuck my finger in the cold gin. The bleeding stopped! Just like that! A new found cure! Additionally, my drink was now cranberry and gin. I threw it away, of course.

Matteo Renzi is the new Prime Minister of Italy. Latte resigned. Renzi was previously a mayor. He is 39. Renzi and Latte are of the same political party. Latte’s own party dumped him.

It will be interesting to see if Renzi can pick Italy up out of its economic doldrums.

A Milan friend wrote yesterday that American bonds are selling well in Italy. A recent thing. Italy is supposedly in recovery and is considered in some circles to be an emerging market. Another reason for the Italian investment is that South America is no longer considered a good place for one’s money.

I got into fracking yesterday afternoon. Spent several hours researching Florida and fracking. Fracking appears to be on the horizon. It is coming. Sooner to Florida than most think. Three counties are already doing it. Collier, Hendry, and Santa Rosa. Not yet Monroe.

I have a concern.

I am not opposed to fracking. We need cheap fuel, we need jobs. With appropriate safeguards, problems should be minimal. There will be problems. Nothing is without. The government has to strictly oversee and control the fracking.

My concern has to do with transparency. A bill recently came out of the Florida House’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee. The bill exempts from public disclosure the chemicals used in the fracking process. An immediate red flag! The public should be aware. Specify the toxins. Then all can make sure appropriate safeguards are put in place. To legislate silence is to tell Floridians that there is a problem and the government does not want you to know about it.

The people’s right to know continues getting kicked around.

Tonight, tonight…..Syracuse and Duke. At Duke. Seven o’clock. Should be a battle. It is a test of Syracuse, especially after Syracuse’s defeat this week at the hands of Boston College. I will be at Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub watching the game.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BOCCE…..A SLOW START

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I love bocce! Everyone that plays loves bocce! However, it can be frustrating at times!

We cannot seem to get it going. Last night was our team’s second week. We lost 2 and won 1 game. The same as last week. We are consistent, at the least. We play well, but do not win. Captain David is trying everything to find the correct mix that will lead to victory.

Maybe we do not drink enough. We play sober.

I had a haircut at 10 with Lori. Then it was over to the Plantation Coffee House for several hours. The realtor had called me to say he had several people to show the house to. Which meant I had to get out.

I took my computer and notes with me. I was at the Plantation Coffee House from 10:30 to 3 working. A pleasant atmosphere. Quiet. Food and drink readily accessible. Nice people occasionally saying hello or nodding hello. I wrote yesterday’s blog from there. Accomplished a lot of other work.

This morning’s Key West Citizen had a front page article on the Charles Eimers affair. Eimers was the Michigan tourist who was arrested on Thanksgiving Day and died several days later while still in police custody. State investigators were in Key West interviewing the police officers involved.

The Eimers matter deserves investigation. Eimers had 10 broken ribs and other injuries when he died. The question is when did the injuries occur and why. Time will tell.

Duke lost 74-66 to North cCrolina last night. Syracuse plays Duke tomorrow night at Duke. It has all the makings of a terrific game. Syracuse presently #1 and Duke #5. The game is at 7. I plan on watching it at Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub.

Yesterday tired me out even before bocce. I had to be up early and out of the house. Which meant I had to tidy the place up quickly for those coming to look at the house. The several hours spent at the Plantation Coffee House were intense. I never stopped

Today is going to be another story. Slow and easy. In a few minutes, a shower. Then some property I want to look at on Stock Island. A former club  is now a marina. I understand the marina is beautiful.

I plan on a quiet lunch at Hogfish. Outside in the shade with the newspapers. Tonight I am out! Where, I am not yet sure.

Enjoy your day!

VANQUISHED!

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It had to happen. It did. Last night. Syracuse lost! Boston College won 62-59.

The irony of the whole thing is Syracuse was undefeated going into the game. Boston college had lost 19.

Syracuse did not play like #1 ranked team. Fair missed too many of his usually easy shots. Cooney rarely got the opportunity to shoot a 3. I think he made 2 out of 4 three point attempts.

Duke saturday night. Going to be a hell of a game if it is anything like the first one which Syracuse won 91-89.

I watched the game at Don’s Place. Plenty of support. David sat next to me to watch the game. Don, Jimmy, and Dougie were supportive during and after the game.

Visited my heart doctor yesterday afternoon. Nothing wrong. It was three month check up time.

My physician is Dr. Mc Ivor. I continue to be impressed with the Doctor and his staff.

Dr. Mc Ivor has moved his offices. Into the BB&T Building on Kennedy. A beautiful suite of offices! The medical equipment awesome!

This morning’s Key West Citizen reported a migrant windsurfed from Cuba to Key West. He landed on the Reach beach. It appears he left at 9 tuesday morning and arrived sometime wednesday morning.

Unfortunately, three started the trip. The other two appear to be lost. The Coast Guard is searching for them.

I admire the windsurfer. It took guts. His venture also crystallizes an issue. Lets get on with relations with Cuba. Yesterday is 50 years ago. I cannot blame the Cubans of that day for being pissed. But it cannot go on forever. Castro is out of power and probably will soon die. His brother Raul is not in the greatest of health.

I have a hair up my butt again. Involves banks once again. Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

Venezuela is in turmoil. Protests/demonstrations daily. It is only a matter of time before the incompetent/inept President Maduro is out of power. A statement by President Obama suggests he supports the protestors. He recently said the United States condemned the violence of the Maduro government and the throwing out of Venezuela of three American diplomats. Maduro took the position the United States was supporting and perhaps supplying the rebels.

On my blog talk radio show this past tuesday, Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou, I set forth how certain American banks were attempting to make money out of the upheaval. Goldman Sachs wanted to loan the Maduro government $1.68 billion. Bank of America $3 billion

I referred to the banks as whores. My impression has not changed in the past 36 hours. The banks are working deals when a significant portion of the Venezuelan people are suffering under Maduro. To make it even more contemptuous, the banks are in apparent opposition to President Obama’s stand. The banks support Maduro, the President the protestors.

The banks should keep their noses out of what constitutes  the foreign affairs of the United States. They should not be acting in opposition to the President, whose position is the position.

The banks do not care about anything. Their lack of respect for the 99 per cent and the President in this circumstance is obvious. When they get too big for their britches, the mighty fall.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

CAPITAL ONE CREDIT CARD HOLDERS BEWARE

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In the present era, banks continue to be whores.

A perfect example is Capital One. Capital One is one of the largest bank distributors of credit cards world wide.

A new addition to Capital One’s contract was announced/discovered yesterday. The contract between Capital One and the card holder is all those pages one receives once a year in the mail from Capital One. Small print, both sides of a sheet. Somewhere buried is something new between Capitol One and its card holders.

It provides that Capital One can contact a cardholder anytime it wants, including “personal visits.” The personal visits are “…at your home and at your place of employment.”

Simply stated, Capital One has added to its many rights, the right to walk into your home unannounced at any time. Further, bother you at your place of employment.

The IRS and police cannot enter your home without a search warrant or some type court order. The Fourth Amendment prohibits illegal searches and seizures. The Fourth Amendment applies only to governmental interference, however. Capital One is not the government or a government agency.

Additionally, Capital One’s new rights are predicated on a contract. A civil matter. The courts have not been favorable in recent years to the public in confrontations of this nature. The court decisions generally have held the contract controls.

If Capital One can do it, I am sure the other credit card companies will follow suit. Be prepared for a new guest at the dinner table. The bill collector.

I spent yesterday afternoon finalizing last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I enjoyed doing the show last night. There were a lot of other goodies to talk about in addition to the Capital One issue.

Between final preparation and the show, I ran off to Hogfish for an early dinner. Sat at the bar and chatted with my fisherman friends. These guys are the true old time fisherman. Teeth missing, bearded, weather beaten faces.  Theirs is another world.

Syracuse basketball again tonight! This time against Boston college. Syracuse a 16 point favorite. Means nothing based on recent games.

Syracuse remains undefeated at 25-0. Boston college is 6-19. We should beat their asses! But…..who knows anymore? Syracuse seems to play to the level of its competition.

We should win.

Saturday is Duke. What a game that will be!

I will be watching the Syracuse/Boston College game at Don’s Place tonight. Join me, my Syracuse fans.

Enjoy your day!

GROWING UP ITALIAN

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My next book is Growing Up Italian. Completion is still a long way off. Yesterday afternoon, I worked on two chapters.

One had to do with a serious ear infection I got at about 3 years of age. No emergency rooms in those days for the poor. The doctor came to the house and operated on me on the kitchen table. After knocking me out with chloroform, of course.

The other was the time I came down with scarlet fever. Around age 3 again. A communicable disease. The building we lived in was quarantined. I still remember the big sign on the front to stay out. I was shipped off to the county hospital. We were on whatever was welfare those days. I was placed in quarantine.

Enjoyed the Chart Room last night. Personable Mari bartending. One of the nicest people in Key West.

A vacationing couple came in. They were from Saratoga Springs. I piped up I was from Utica. The communities are about 90 miles apart. They mentioned the gambling mogul Stevie Wynn was looking at Saratoga Springs for a casino. I shared with them that Wynn was born and raised in Utica.

There was a fisherman seated at the bar. He, Mari and I spent quite a while talking. Chickens came into the conversation. Key West chickens. They complained about the noise the roosters make. I shared with them a piece of information I came up with a couple of years ago while writing a column on Key West chickens. When a rooster coc-a-doodle-dos, he is looking to get laid. He wants sex and is announcing to hens nearby that he is on his way. Watch chickens when a rooster coc-a-doodle-dos. The hens generally run the other way!

I wear crocs. I have been wearing them for years. Probably have gone through a dozen pairs. I rarely wear shoes.

The sole wears down to smooth rubber after a while. Dangerous if the ground is wet. Slip and fall easily. The breaking of a bone always a danger. My crocs were in that condition.

There is a croc store on Duval near Irish Kevin’s. I stopped in after the Chart Room and bought a pair. Had the salesperson snip off what ever was holding them together and put on the new ones on to walk out with. I asked him to throw the old ones away. He said they did not throw them away. They are saved and shipped to Africa for use. I suggested a worn croc was dangerous. He agreed, but said something on their feet was better than nothing.

The crocs were $35. When they first came out 5-7 years ago, the same pair was $65.

When I left the croc store, I was only 3-4 doors away from Burger Fi. I opted to dine at Burger Fi. Dougie the bartender was off. I sat at the bar. Enjoyed a brisket burger. Went big time. Brisket is $2 more than a regular burger. Also ordered onion rings. I had tasted the fries the last time and was not particularly impressed. The onion rings were to die for! The best I have ever eaten!

Burger Fi is a busy place. There are two ordering lines. There were at least 10 people in each line the hour I was there. And the lines move. The place is a gold mine.

My blog talk radio show tonight at 9. Join me for a fast moving half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. A topic for sure involves more revelations regarding the Farm Bill. Plus, Beijing an environmental mess, how St. Valentine’s Day came to be, Connecticut and gun registrations, and more.

Enjoy your day!

 

AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY

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Spent the evening at home yesterday. I was watching  TV from the comfort of my bed. The Turner Classic Channel ran the 1951 hit movie A Place in the Sun. The movie starred Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Cliff and Shirley Winters. A great movie! Cliff and Winters received Academy Award nominations for their performances.

However from my perspective, it was not the movie itself that was important. It was what had given birth to it. Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy.

It was 1906. Chester Gillette had impregnated a young lady of lesser means. He was in love with another. A woman of means. He took the poor girl friend out in a rowboat on Big Moose Lake in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. The boat capsized. The young lady drowned. Gillette was tried for her murder and found guilty. He was electrocuted in 1908.

The events of the tragedy occurred in places I am very familiar with. The Adirondack Mountains are an hour’s drive from my home town of Utica. I have visited Big Moose Lake many times. The trip to Big Moose Lake was an overnight one for Gillette and his lady friend. They stayed that night in Utica.

Big Moose Lake was/is located in Herkimer County. Herkimer County adjoins my home county of Oneida. The Herkimer County Court House is located in Herkimer. Herkimer is all of a 15 mile drive from Utica.

The court room where the trial took place still stands. The same as in 1908 when the trial took place, except for the ceiling. I have been told the ceiling was a colorful masterpiece. For whatever reason, it was covered over.

I tried many cases in my  forty plus years career as an attorney in that court room.

Gillette was electrocuted in the Auburn State Penitentiary in Auburn. I tried some cases in Auburn, also. Auburn is the city where my Syracuse basketball friends Dan and Lisa grew up.

While in prison, Gillette kept a diary and wrote letters to his sister. The diary and letters were donated to the Hamilton College Library. Hamilton College is in Clinton. A mere 15 mile drive from Utica, also.

Many were my connections with Hamilton College. A first class liberal arts institution. I was privileged to represent Hamilton College in several significant lawsuits. I attended many weddings, parties, lectures and special dinners at the College over the years.

Yesterday was another open house. I had to disappear for several hours.

My weekly KONK Life column was due to be sent to the editor. I took my computer and notes with me to the Plantation Coffee House. The column was previously researched during the week. It only remained to be written. It took just under four hours to put together.

The article is about St. Valentine’s Day. A bit of the beginning and a bit of the end. How it got started and where it is in Saudi Arabia today. Its beginnings may surprise you.

I lunched while at the Coffee House. A toasted bagel with cream cheese and a cup of coffee. Good!

Then to Don’s Place for some Sunday afternoon fun. I was looking for Toni. She is a die hard Kentucky fan. I wanted to commiserate with her. Kentucky lost Saturday night. Toni was not there.

A good crowd. Chatted  a bit with Don, David, Stan, and Dougie while watching some Olympic hockey. Everyone giving me a hard time about Syracuse. Lucky, lucky, lucky! Who was I to argue with them. I let them talk. Everyone is waiting for that first defeat. Me, too.

Needed some groceries. Stopped at Publix on the way home. Ran into Susan. A former St. Paul’s Church choir/musical person and Thursday night bocce player. A lovely Key West woman inside and out!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

TEAM OF DESTINY?????

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It happened again last night! Syracuse won a squeaker in the last few seconds. It was Syracuse over North Carolina State by one point. 56-55.

Tough on the heart!

Too many close games this season. Extremely close. I think there have been eight close games. All eight could have gone the other way and Syracuse would not even be ranked.

Whatever, we are 25-0. There has to be a message in that number of wins and no defeats. Could it be…..Team of destiny?

It was a screwed up basketball day yesterday. The game was scheduled for 3. I was at the Sports Pub at 3. No game. No one could figure out why. I headed over to Don’s Place to see if he had the game. No game. Toni figured it out using her I phone. The game had been pushed up to 7 because the North Carolina State team had just arrived. They were supposed to have  come in the night before.

I returned to the Sports Pub for the 7 o’clock tip off. Still could not get the game. John Lukas spent a good 15 minutes on the phone with his provider. They knew from nothing. No game continued.

John happened to mention there was a way to bring in whatever national channel was carrying the game. He did not know how. He needed a TV/computer guru. A lovely blond spoke up and said she understood what had to be done. She did. Five minutes later we were watching the game.

The lovely lady was Keegan from Rochester. A die hard Syracuse fan, she was enjoying the game with Jeremy. Also at Keegan’s table were Jackie and Bard. I assume from Rochester or Syracuse. All family.

I love Jackie! When I introduced myself, she said…..I read your blog every day! Thank you, Jackie! It was a pleasure meeting you. Hope we run into each other again soon.

I mentioned I had recently published my first book. Keegan was interested in the title, how to obtain it, etc. I told her it would be in the blog in the morning. The book is titled The World Upside Down. Available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Though I used both Key West Lou and Louis Petrone as my names, the book sellers are using Louis Petrone as the author. Tie it in with the book’s name when searching.

My good friends Dan and Lisa were sitting with me for the game. Dan and I seemed to be moaning in unison. The games are not getting any easier. Dan and Lisa have house guests. Dave and Karyn from Auburn or Baldwinsville. I am not sure which. Born and raised in one and now live in the other. Wherever Dave and Karyn are from, they were nice people. I suspect we will all be together for the Boston College game Wednesday night.

I stopped at Don’s place on the way home. Don’s place had the game. They watched it on ESPNews. Don does not have the basketball package, John does. You figure it.

It was hip, hip, hooray! The bar knows I am a Syracuse fanatic. I sat a while and had a drink with Stan and Clara.

When I was driving into Key West for the 7 o’clock game, there was a sight to behold! I came in via the North Roosevelt Boulevard. Palm trees had been planted along the way. About every 40 feet. Tall and straight. Strange palms. The scene beautiful! Made me think the aggravation has been worth it.

I have to get out of my home later this morning for several hours. The realtor is having another open house. I will be taking my computer with me. I have to write this week’s KONK Life column. Either at the bar at Don’s Place or the Plantation Coffee House.

Enjoy your Sunday!

OPENING NIGHT AT BOCCE

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You win some, you lose some. We only won one game last night.

Played Larry Smith’s team. A money game/a blood match. We won the first game 16-15. A battle! We lost the second game 16-15. Another battle! They out did us in the third game.

I played the second game. I was not up to par. I was not getting the ball there. The courts were damp from the rain and I did not have enough umph  to get to the polina.

Captain David has redone the parings. No longer will I be playing with Frankie. Keith is my new partner. We will work well together. Keith had a good evening last night.

I spent some time yesterday afternoon at the Plantation Coffee House. Had lunch there. Coffee and a toasted bagel. Read the newspapers. Chatted with Diane.

Before I forget, Happy Valentine Day! I have no one to give candy and flowers to at the moment. I am uncertain whether I will be out tonight. This is the busiest night for restaurants in Key West. Like New Years Eve.

After the Coffee House, I headed over to see Tammy. It was time again for a manicure and pedicure. Ran into Martha Robinson. I had not seen her for a while. A charming lady. One of Key West’s leading citizens.

Stopped at Publix on the way home. Needed food again. Basics. Bananas, grapes, strawberries, bread, and milk. The wrong time to shop. Too many people. Only four empty carts available when I arrived at the store.

Ran into Karen at Publix. Another person I have not seen in a while. She congratulated me on my book The World Upside Down. Said she had been trying to buy the soft cover edition. Each time she looked, there was a waiting period/backlog of 4-6 weeks. I suggested she order it and wait. The backlog has been that way since about a week after the book came out. I told her to check amazon.com and barnesand noble.com.

Italian politics is back in the news. Prime Minister Enrico Letta is resigning as of today. His own party dumped him. Mark what I am saying. Burlusconi will be back! Not soon, but soon enough. Not as an elected official. Rather as the power behind the throne.

I love talking politics with my Italian friends. Every politician they do not like  they refer to as Mafiosa.

Italy presently has 45 per cent unemployment. The highest in 40 years. It is right behind Greece on the poor economy list.

I have a bug up my ass again. A situation has developed in Connecticut. The State passed a gun registration law. It went into effect. A very low percentage of known gun owners registered their weapons. We are noyttalking about handguns. The law covered those modern day machine gun types.

Very few  gun owners registered the guns per the law. An act of civil disobedience or does it border on anarchy? Interesting.

A society cannot survive where its members decide for themselves which laws to follow and which not.

Syracuse/North Carolina State tomorrow. We should win. My recollection is North Carolina has lost 8 games. Syracuse, none. But…..Syrcuse is due. Most Syracuse wins have been close this season. I wish we would win one going away. My heart cannot take these last second (note not minute) victories.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

IT DID NOT RAIN ON SYRACUSE

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What a night! What a game! Snow and rain falling on most of the country. But not on Syracuse! Syracuse beat Pitt 58-56 at the buzzer. There was joy in Mudville!

Tyler Ennis threw in a 3 pointer from 35 feet at the buzzer with two Pitt defenders on him. A beautiful high arcing shot. Wonder of wonders!

I had given up with two minutes to go. It was a Pitt win. Pitt was up by one point with 4.4 seconds to go. Who expected Ennis’ shot? Probably only Ennis. He said in an interview after the game that he thought the ball was going in as soon as it left his hands. He was not bragging. He is not the type. Just telling how it was.

Saturday, North Carolina State.

It started raining during the game last night. The heavy stuff. Continued all night. I had to drive the boulevard on the way home. Big time flooding. The street in front of my home flooded, also.

It is not raining now. However, very overcast.

Bocce season starts tonight. I doubt we will play. There could be a boat race on the courts at the moment.

Some things are aggravating! Some things are wrong! I am not talking about the rain soaked bocce courts. I am talking about Comcast.

It was announced on TV this morning that Comcast is buying Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion. Comcast already owns 100 per cent of NBC. The new acquisition will make Comcast a giant among giants.

Mergers and buys of this type should not be permitted. Our country is more and more owned, controlled and operated to satisfy the needs of corporate giants. Once there were laws prohibiting these mergers. They are still there, but now ineffective. New laws are required. Such will not occur. Not with a Washington dominated influence wise by corporate America.

I had to smile. The CEO of Comcast was asked in an interview this morning why Comcast was so successful.  Service, he said. Bullshit! Comcast provides the worst service in Key West. I know and every one else that subscribes to Comcast knows. There is an erosion at Comcast’s base which is eating away at its foundation. Giants topple when they forget how they became big.

Enjoy your day!