SPRING BREAK MADNESS

Posted on by

March is Spring Break time. The college kids storm the beaches. Key West jumps for 3-4 weeks.

The madness in the title is not attributed to the college students. Rather to Key West Commissioner Tony Yaniz. He wants to bring the Spring Break Court back.

I can recall ten or better years ago when spring breakers descended in mass upon Key West. They did not seem bothersome, except it was no time for locals to hit the beaches. The collegians covered them completely. Duval merchants were happy. Business boomed in the evenings. The motels happy, also. Rooms were filled, even though their might be ten people to a room.

Key West city fathers at the time decided that a different way of handling what they perceived as wrong doing was required. If the kids got in any trouble, they would be hauled before a special Spring Break Court. The punishment for whatever wrongdoing was generally eight hours the next day cleaning Key West streets.

My sense at the time was that there was an extra effort to apprehend alleged wrongdoers. There was a special court to deal with them and it should be kept busy. It was.

The Spring Break Court worked so well that college students stopped coming to Key West. Word spread rapidly through the college grapevine. Key West was not a good place for spring breakers.

Only a handful kept returning. Significant business was lost. The Spring Break Court had done its job well.

In recent years, college students have started returning. No where in the numbers they had years ago. But it is obvious more are on the way.

Key West Commissioner Tony Yainz wants to bring back the Spring Break Court. I believe he is wrong. Leave well enough alone. Let the usual police/court system deal with any problems. Permit the chicken that lays the golden egg to return. The college students were never that great a problem.

My blog talk radio show went well last night. Comments since the show aired indicate listeners were most interested in government waste. Items in the new Farm Law, the $5.4 million the State Department spent on new exquisite crystal glassware for U.S. embassy parties, and the $100,000 outhouse in Alaska seem to have attracted the most attention.

The Farm Law issues are dealt with in detail in my KONK Life column this week.

Tonight, Syracuse/Pitt. Going to be a tough game. Syracuse beat Pitt by several points at the Carrier Dome a couple of weeks ago. Tonight’s game is at Pitt. Difficult! The spread is 1.5 points, in favor of Pitt.

We shall see.

The game is at 7. I will be watching it at John Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Bar.

Finally, bocce returns! Tomorrow night!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

TERRIFIC NIGHT!

Posted on by

I was uncertain whether to go out last night. I thought I might just sit back and do some pleasure reading. Going out won over staying in. Glad it did.

Started the night at the Chart Room. Mary bartending. I was surprised to see Charlotte. Charlotte is from North Carolina and had returned home about two weeks ago. I thought she was not due back for a couple of months.

There is a reason for her returning to Key West so soon. Her boy friend. Skip Sher. Skip is a  new Key West radio celebrity. He does a music/talk show on 104.9 from 6 to 10 evenings. Charlotte told me she intends to move to Key West full time and should be down here in about three months. A welcome addition to the Key West family!

It was a big night at the Chart Room. Nate was there with friends. Nate my team golf partner when I played. Nate a Don’s Place and Schooner Wharf bartender.

An old friend Ron John at the bar, also. Plus Sean, Key West’s premier newsman.

Charlotte and I had a long and enjoyable conversation. I suggested she try Burger Fi. She said she intended to meet Skip there for dinner. I agreed to join them.

Burger Fi was booming. As I thought it would be. By the way, the season has arrived. No question about it. Tons of people.

Skip came in. He had left his program airing with recorded music. However, he had to return soon. He asked if I would come over later to join him on his show. I agreed.

While at Burger Fi, met Steve Lieber. He is director of Franchise Sales for Burger Fi. A nice guy.

Dougie was bartending once again. He told me they had just turned out 200 burgers in an hour. Impressive!

Skip left. Charlotte and I remained for a while chatting.

Then to the 104.9 studio. It was like the whole world was there. Met some new and interesting people. Jack Allen Terry who I already knew. He is a bartender at Hot Tin Roof. Bobbie who has run the Southern Guest House the past ten years.

And Gary Ek. A most interesting individual!

Gary is a radio man, also. His show starts at 10 when Skip’s ends. His show is from 10 in the evening till 6 in the morning. Wow!

Gary’s radio moniker is Soundman From Hell. His show is also available on the internet at www.thexkeywest.com. Gary has been doing blog talk radio for seven years. If I can stay up late enough one evening, I have to listen to Gary’s show.

I ended up a guest on Skip’s show. Two times last night. One with Skip alone, the other with Skip and Gary. Some Key West chatter followed by heavy political commentary.

I enjoyed myself very much!

As I was leaving, Gary was pitching my book The World Upside Down to his audience and that it was available for purchase on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

A terrific evening chock full of interesting people!

Tonight…..my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine o’clock. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Fast moving and timely topics. Tonight I will be revealing some shocking aspects of the new $1 trillion Farm Law, new examples of governmental waste including a $100,000 outhouse in Alaska, UN criticism of the Vatican, NSA spying on Congress, freedom of speech and speed trap warnings, and more.

Again, please join me for a fast moving half hour of political commentary. I might even throw in a bit of Syracuse basketball. Syracuse plays Pitt tomorrow night.

Enjoy your day!

 

SUNDAY NIGHT SYRACUSE BASKETBALL

Posted on by

The games do not get any easier! Tough on the stomach! Syracuse won again last night. Beat Clemson 57-44. What bothers me is we are not blowing anyone out. Syracuse may not all season. Boeheim has a new strategy this year. No more running. Wait for the shot. Slow the pace.

As long as it works, so be it.

A tough game coming up wednesday. Pitt again. This time at Pitt.

I watched the game with Dan and Lisa. They had a couple of Skaneateles friends with them. Dan and I suffer alike during the games. We moan and groan.

Stopped at Don’s Place after the game. Got into the new farm law with one of the customers. He was knowledgeable. Disagreed with me. An interesting conversation.

I had spent the better part of the day writing this week’s KONK Life column. New Farm Law…..A Gravy Train. Guaranteed you will enjoy the article. It’s an eye opener.

The Syracuse game was at 6. I was out of Don’s Place by 9. Stopped at Publix on the way home. Sunday night at 9 is a good time to shop. Next to one in the place!

Tomorrow night my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine o’clock. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I find that my agenda for the show keeps changing right up to show time. Things keep happening. I want the show to be as current as possible. One item that will definitely be discussed is the new farm law. There are some bad things about it which don’t seem to get shared with the American public.

Enjoy your day!

 

THE BEST OF YESTERDAY…..MIKE AND TINA

Posted on by

The best part of my yesterday was dinner last night with Mike and Tina. Key West friends I have not seen in several months. We had dinner at Deuces Off The Hook Grill.

Mike and Tina are world travelers. They fly worldwide doing business for their clients. They related to me a recent family trip to Italy. Tina was born in Italy. They went back to visit her Mom. Mike took his parents along. A good time was had by all! They did some traveling. Visited Switzerland. They were away a whole month.

Tina told an interesting story. They were somewhere in Italy and there was a traffic screw up. The Italians were blaming the Americans….They did not know how to drive. The mob was unaware Tina was born Italian and understood the language. She got out of the car and ripped them new butt holes.

An ugly american? I think not.

I was hurt. They have not ordered my book The World Upside Down. I hope they will now. Speaking of buying the book, Billy Schott wrote that he and Cindy received their copy from amazon.com yesterday.

On the way home, I stopped at Don’s Place. Good company. Stan, Clara, Hershel, Erika, and Stan and Hershel’s sister who has just moved to Key West.

I spent most of my day at the computer. Researching further the farm bill. I will be writing the KONK Life column later this morning. Read the article! It is revealing! You will be shocked at who eats off the law.

Tonight, tonight…..Syracuse basketball. At 6, Syracuse plays Clemson. Syracuse is undefeated, Clemson has lost 6 games. I will be watching the game at Lukas’ Sports Pub. Syracuse fans join me!

I worry about every game at this point. Someone is going to beat Syracuse. Could be any team on the right night.

Enjoy your Sunday!

THE BEST OF KEY WEST

Posted on by

Key West has many beautiful, intelligent, today women. Two of the very best are Amy Culver and Jenna Stauffer. Both celebrated birthdays yesterday.

Amy’s bash was at Salute’s during cocktail hour. Jenna’s a dinner party later on at Tavern ‘n Town. I intended to go to both. Made it to neither. My apologies to the  ladies.

Amy and I have known of each other for many years. It is only recently we have become personally acquainted.

Amy’s background is dramatic. The only way to describe it.

Mangoes on Duval was her baby. She made it what it is. She sold the restaurant several years ago.

Amy is big into Africa. Somewhere along the way, she discovered Africa. Not the civilized portion. The deep dark jungles and the poor natives who reside in them. She visits Africa yearly. I fear some day she may not return. Her trips are somewhat dangerous because of the areas she visits. Amy is Director of the Busara Project, a not for profit to help Africans. Her African connection has also resulted in a business venture. She designs and organizes customized African safaris.

My friendship with Amy really developed with my interest in Dominique D’Ermo. I have been researching a book about him for more than a year. Amy knew D’Ermo well. So well that she was one of those asked to eulogize him at his funeral service in New York City.

Jenna, my love! Strikingly beautiful. Talented. The world her oyster.

Jenna is relatively young. She has accomplished much. Television her forte. She presently is General Manager of WEYW-TV in Key West, where she also hosts the Good Morning Florida Keys talk show. Prior to her time in Key West, Jenna was the sports anchor at WNCT-TV in Greenville, North Carolina. She always reminds me she wore heels while running up and down the football field interviewing people. No flats for her. She was woman!

Jenna and I became friends about the time she first arrived in Key west. She worked with me on the Key West Lou Legal Hour at KONK Broadcasting. Taught me some of the tricks of the trade. Later, she produced my television show at WEYW-TV.

One of you who follow my blog wrote and recommended a new restaurant on Duval for the best burger ever! Your name escapes me. I apologize. I went back through the multitudinous comments and could not locate yours. Thank you for suggesting it, however. I tried the restaurant yesterday.

Go! Run! Do not miss it! Once you go, you will return on a frequent basis. I intend to.

The place is called Burger Fi. A burger joint with a touch of class. Inside and out dining. A great place outside in the back. A bar. A full bar. Hard stuff, beer and wine.

The place could be a shack. Though it is not. The important thing is the quality of the burger. The best I have ever eaten! Puts 5 Guys to shame. I had a double Angus cheeseburger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and Burger Fi sauce. Delicious! Plus a diet coke.

There is a 20 per cent locals discount. Big! My total bill was $7.47. You cannot eat cheaper and better!

I met Dougie. The bartender. He has been returning to Key West for ten years during the winter. He comes to Key West by way of California.

Burger Fi is located at 221 Duval. The same block and on the same side as Sloppy Joe’s. Across the street from the Bull.

Burger Fi also has several TV sets. I may do a Syracuse basketball game there.

Tonight, I am having dinner with friends I have not seen in months. Mike and Tina Mazzorana. Their Key West home is by the cemetery. Tina picked the place to dine. She says it has become her favorite. New. It is a small place on Simonton, near Gary the Plumber. Dueces Off the Hook. I look forward to the experience.

Forget not my book! The World Upside Down is available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

EARTHQUAKE AGAIN

Posted on by

I was surprised when I walked into the Chart Room last night and Emily asked me about the earthquake. What earthquake? Turns out there was another one about 8 miles off the coast of Cuba wednesday night at 10:20. About  seven miles below the water’s surface. I who read the newspapers all the time had failed to read yesterday’s Key West Citizen. I was unaware.

The earthquake was a 5.1 on the Rector scale. Apparently no damage anywhere. I did not feel it in Key West. Nor did Emily and others at the Chart Room last night.

I have a concern. Earthquakes in this area are uncommon. Now there have been two off the coast of Cuba in a month. Do these two earthquakes portend something? Is there a big one in the making? Should we be concerned about a tsunami?

Don’t laugh! So far the weather media has not discussed this aspect. I am not overly concerned. Such thoughts occur to me, however.

Conch Republic Admiral Frankie was part of our bar discussion last night. Besides the earthquake, the discussion involved the Olympics and skiing. Turns out Emily was/is a skier and a pretty proficient one at that. I thought she was born and raised in Key West. Not so. She was born in Indiana, spent time in Virginia and elsewhere. She developed her skiing prowess in those places.

Before heading to the Chart Room, I stopped at Christine’s opening night of her art exhibit. Christine Cordone has risen to a new level. She now has people in her paintings. I was impressed. Her water colors warm the heart and brighten a room!

Ralph Kiner died yesterday. A baseball great! Played many years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then spent even more years as the Mets broadcaster. He is a Hall of Famer.

My recollection goes back to the mid to late 1940s. Baseball was everything. My buddies and I used to spend some summer afternoons sitting around on the floor in someone’s living room listening to major league baseball games. One of our heroes was Ralph Kiner.

Listening is the operative word in the previous paragraph. There was no television back then. It was radio!

Enjoy your day!

CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE

Posted on by

I ate last night at the Beachside Cafe. It is part of the Southernmost complex. Sits on the Atlantic. I could taste the salt in the air.

Ordered a cheeseburger. As I devoured it, my mind went back to the Dennis Drug Store. Corner of United and Siminton. Gone several years now. A bank in its place.

I occasionally stopped by for lunch. A cheeseburger, of course. Bar stools at the counter and oil cloth covers on the tables. A from yesterday place.

Dennis had gained notoriety because of Jimmy Buffett’s Cheeseburger in Paradise. He wrote the song with Dennis in mind. He was a customer.

Don’s Place first last night.

Met Hershel’s sister. An attractive woman. Apparently here visiting. Chatted with Don. Talked with Jimmy. Said my hellos to Grant, Clara, Stan, Tony, and more.

While I was talking with Don at the bar, Dan showed up. My Skaneateles/Syracuse friend. He stopped in to say hello. Saw my car in the parking lot. Was on his way to the gym next door. As I was leaving Don’s, I decided to walk over and see how hard Dan was working out. I caught him seated at a table reading a magazine. His back was to me. I said…..Uh, uh, caught you doing nothing! Dan turned around. He was soaking wet. Sweaty as could be. Water running down off his forehead. He had just finished some machine. He was working out!

The Chart Room was relatively quiet. Emily, Che, Sean, and I talked. We agreed we all missed Peter. We are concerned about his well being.

I spent yesterday afternoon researching next week’s KONK Life column. It is going to be about the recently passed farm bill which is on its way to the President to sign. There is no question the President will sign it.

I consider the bill a rip off in many respects. A disgrace. Devious. You will find my thoughts interesting.

Christine Cordone has an exhibition this evening of her water colors. In her senior years, she has become a Key West fixture in the art field. Her exhibit is at the gallery next door to Harpoon Harry’s on Caroline. I will be there.

My recently published book continues to be on sale. The World Upside Down can be ordered from Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

HELP!

Posted on by

I have a problem and can use some feed back. It involves my blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Three weeks running, the audio appears to be screwed up. Some told me last night was ok the first 15 minutes and then started jumping from high to low and back to high again.

If any of you listened in, send me a comment/contact here to tell me of your experience. If you were unable to hear the show live and listen archived, let me know your experience, also. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Many thanks.

My day started with a haircut by/with Lori. She has been cutting my hair for 15 years. Whereas I have decidedly aged, Lori looks the same as she did 15 years ago. A lovely woman!

Spent some time afterwards reading the newspapers at the Plantation Coffee House. Such a relaxing place!

Dinner at Roostica. Lasagna. It has become a tuesday night pre-blog show event.

I noticed Duval was quiet yesterday. Lori’s was quiet. So too was Roostica. I asked Patty where the people were. She said this was an expected slow week.

It was not slow on the roadways with the bikers! This you will not believe. I was driving up one of the one way streets toward Duval. Came to an intersection. I had the right of way. Cross traffic had stop signs.

About 20-25 bicyclers were on the side street. I kid you not. That many! They ran the stop sign and made a left turn into my street. They were riding against me. Fortunately, I was able to stop as they rode by me on both sides of the car. Laughing, of course. Enjoying themselves.

Idiots! Said respectfully. I love  tourists!

Burmese pythons are in the news again. A true Florida problem. Especially in the Everglades. A bit in the Keys. The actual number is unknown. Quite high, however. The experts say there are so many that it is impossible to eradicate them. They eat people. Last year, one slid into a house and baby crib and devoured the baby.

A Miami Herald article said that in addition to the Burmese python, there are eight other invasive constrictor species. The article suggested something has to be done. The experts have not been able to come up with a solution. A present questionable solution involves banning their importation into Florida. A drop of water in the ocean, a grain of sand on a beach.

I question the judgment of some activist groups. In this instance, an animal rights group.

We all know Lolita. Many of us have seen her perform. Lolita is the giant whale at the Sea Acquarium in Miami. She has been there for 43 years. An animal rights group wants her freed into the ocean, returned to her natural habitat. After 43 years of being cared for like a baby, I question how long she would survive. Sometimes people carry their “good desires” too far.

Enjoy your day!

I’M LOSING IT

Posted on by

No one can deny Syracuse basketball is big in my life. So how did I miss that Arizona lost saturday?

When I walked into the Sports Pub last night to watch Syracuse/Notre Dame, John Lukas yelled out a Congratulations! For what, I asked. Syracuse is #1. How? Syracuse was voted in #1 ahead of Arizona because of the Duke win?

No, Arizona lost to California saturday night.

I live on the internet. Including the sports sites. I read the newspapers. Sundays, the Key West Citizen and New York Times. This past weekend, I failed to read the Times. The Citizen rarely carries little of national importance. There was no Arizona lost in the sunday paper.

I felt like an ass. I thought…..Louis, you are really slipping!

Then Skaneateles Dan showed up to watch the Syracuse/Notre Dame game with me. I told him how I did not know about Arizona losing. He said I should not feel bad. He had just learned that morning (monday).

Maybe its the weather in Key West.

I did not expect a Syracuse blow out last night. Syracuse had to be dragging after Duke. In addition, it is hard to get up for the next game after a big one. Syracuse won. That was all that was important.

It was a big night at the Sports Pub for Syracuse fans. Met a whole new bunch. Bob from Rochester. Shawn originally from Saquoit which is like one mile from Utica. He also was either a Town of Paris legislator or County legislator or both. Steve and Lynn from Sidney, Ohio. Snowbirds. Six months in Sidney, six months in Key West. Finally, Kathy from Ohio. She proudly showed me a picture of her and Boeheim which was taken during the Big East last year in New York.

Turns out Steve reads this blog religiously. Thank you, Steve. Hope to get to know you and Lynn better since you spend so much time in Key West.

Tonight, my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine o’clock. An interesting and revealing half hour of current event chatter. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics tonight will include Iceland’s 4 per cent unemployment, Mexico surpassing Japan as an auto exporter to the United States (thank General Motors for one), sport commissioner salaries similar to those of bank presidents, increasing police brutality, and more. The more is always interesting. Things will happen today that will tickle me and I will discuss them in the evening. The show evolves till show time!

Enjoy your day!

 

THE GREAT FRENCH FRY COOK OFF

Posted on by

The Syracuse / Duke game was everything last night. While I watching it, Don and Herschel were in a french fry cook off. Cutting the potatoes, cooking them and sampling them all around.

Who won? Don cut his larger and cooked them in peanut oil. Herschel’s were a bit smaller. He cooked them crispy. He cooked them in lard.

The lard made the difference. Anything bad has to taste good! Congratulations Herschel! Don, you live to fight another day.

Now for the game.

We were watching the game outside behind the outside bar. Skaneateles Dan and Lisa were with us. They own a restaurant. They paid special attention to the way the fries were cooked.

Don is a gentleman. He knew how important the game was to me. He had all four TV sets tuned into the Syracuse game. Together with audio!

It was a game of games! Syracuse by 2 points. 91-89. You had the feeling you were viewing a Final Four Championship game. Two different basketball styles. Two different ways of playing. Two big time coaches. A WOW!!!

Even Dick Vitale spoke well of Syracuse last night.

We play Duke in two weeks again at Duke. Another knock out game in the making.

Syracuse is now 21-0.

I am in a hurry this morning. I have to get out of the house. The realtor is having an open house.

If you have not bought my book yet, please consider doing so. I know you will enjoy it. The World Upside Down. The title alone should be enough to tweak your curiosity. The book is available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Enjoy your Sunday! Enjoy the Super Bowl tonight!