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!

 

KEY WEST AND SECESSION

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The mini series North and South that I watched on TV over the weekend got me back into the Civil War. Where did Key West stand during that time?

A strange situation. Florida seceded. After Lincoln’s election and before he was sworn in. Technically, Key West would have had to also. As a practical matter, Key West was in limbo. It had seceded as a part of Florida, yet remained in Union hands because of a U.S. military presence that already was in Key West.  The U.S. Navy.

The Navy had a fort to go with it. Fort Zachery Taylor. To protect Fort Zachery Taylor and discourage a Confederate attack, two mini forts were built . East Martello and West Martello. They were connected to Fort Zachery Taylor by railroad tracks needed to carry munitions.

The Civil War never made it to Key West. Fighting never occurred.

The people of Key West however were sympathetic to the Confederacy. Many flew Confederate flags over their homes. The two sides however were able to get along and live together.

I spent yesterday morning researching and writing. My afternoon was involved with two lengthy meetings followed by a visit to the Plantation Coffee House.

My blog talk radio show was last night at 9. The show was well prepared. Interesting topics. Like Pope Francis and my thought that he is a flaming liberal (a good thing), economic issues including the attempt to cut back on food stamps while the median household income has fallen in the past five years and a Senate give away occurred which was not proper from my perspective. I also hit on the Kenya mall attack and the fact that it included as terrorists two American and one British citizens. I talked about the toilet paper crisis in Venezuela, how there are too many arrests in the U.S. for minor crimes, and a stupid remark by a U.S. Senator.

A terrific show! Except no one heard any of it, except for the first five minutes! I did the whole show thinking everything was ok. It was only afterwards when the emails and telephone calls came that I realized I was off the air five minutes into the show! I still do not know why. Frustrating.

Theodore “Fats” Navarro was born in Key West. He left town as soon as he finished school. The world awaited him. He became a highly regarded jazz trumpet player. Perhaps the best of his era. He was paid mega dollars for his performances.

Drugs and tuberculosis did him in. He died in his 20s in New York City. He had a sister Delores who was born in 1932. I understand she still lives in Key West.

Earlier this week, a Jean Marie Lindor was sentenced to 24 years in prison. His crime was his involvement in fraudulent BP oil claims. Lindor lived in Homestead. There is always some one who attempts to take advantage of a sorrowful happening.

Enjoy your day!

 

THE ROSE TATTOO

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The Rose Tattoo was a mid 1950s movie. Starred Burt Lancaster and Anna Magnani. Lancaster was a big time hero type Hollywood star of that era. Magnani was an Italian star.

Magnai played a wild woman in the film. Lancaster loving and submissive to her. An unusual role for Lancaster. The movie won Magnani the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress.

The significance of the movie is that it was filmed in Key West.

Hal Wallis was the producer. During this week in 1954 he was in Key West scouting locations for the film.

The selected site was a small house on Duncan Street.

Duncan Street is key here.

Tennessee Williams wrote the play from which the movie was derived. Williams lived two blocks away on Duncan at the time. My lovely Lisa lives on Duncan today. Her home is three blocks from the Rose Tattoo house and two blocks from Tennessee Williams’ home.

The Rose Tattoo house still stands. Run down. Covered with unkept shrubbery. I believe it is presently a rental.

The Tennessee Williams house is owned by others now. The house looks terrific.

A lovely morning here in Key West. Sun shining. A few white clouds. Water green.

I spent my day time yesterday researching and writing. The writing has altered my life style. Most of my days lately are spent inside typing away.

It was the Chart Room last night.

Merri bartending. Notice I have spelled her name differently. One of my readers emailed me and told me her name was not spelled M A R Y. It was M E R R I. I asked Merri last night if it was so. Yes, she said. Merri is a loyal blog reader. I asked why she never told me I was misspelling her name. She said it made no difference to her.

Sat next to Brian. First time I met him. A Key West local. He works for a boat towing operation. An interesting business! I learned much from him. His company comes out to get you if you run out of gas or get stuck on a sand bar. They also do salvage work.

I wanted Italian for dinner. Stopped at Roostica on Stock Island on the way home. Enjoyed baked ziti. I have thus far eaten three pastas at Roostica. Lasagna, spaghetti and ziti. The pastas were all good. The sauce leaves something to be desired. Too light. Tends to be watery. I enjoy a thicker and more bodied red sauce. My Italian upbringing!

Roostica has been open less than a year. It is a gold mine. Always crowded. I must be the only one the sauce bothers. Actually the place is more of a pizza restaurant than pasta one.

You will recall when I returned from Italy in August, I flew Delta from Atlanta to Key West and seated next to me were Paul and his daughter Katlyn. Paul was a reservist and also a fire lieutenant in the keys. Katlyn a high school student. We had a great time. The conversation most enjoyable.

At the Key West Airport, Paul introduced me to his wife Tracey.

As I was eating, a woman came over and said hello. It was Tracey. She called over to Paul and Katlyn. Nice people all. I was happy to see them again.

Show time tonight! Blog talk radio! My show!

Join me at 9 for a half hour of interesting chatter about world events. Some topics eye openers. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

TOM DIXON IN CHINA

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I received an email this morning from my friend Tom Dixon. He, his charming wife Fran, daughter, son in law and son in law’s parents are in China. Good for them!

Tom told me they have been in four cities. All sold Beefeater Gin. He and the family have become accustomed to Beefeater martinis. Good once more!

Tom is an interesting guy. He comes from Buffalo. Still lives there. Visits Key West 3-4 times a year. He owns a piece of the Ocean Key House. A Syracuse fan. I enjoy his company immensely. I enjoy wife Fran’s company also, though she does not make all the trips.

Yesterday was Meet the Press time. I spent my morning in bed watching the political talk shows.

Lunch time found me at Higgs Beach. I needed sun. My body was looking white. My eyes required a bit of relaxation, also. Watching the bikini clad ladies.

Two hours was enough for me. I headed downtown to Duval. Poker Run festivities were still ongoing. I walked several blocks. Some had magnificent motorcycles parked one after another. I enjoyed a late lunch at one of the food stands. An Italian sausage sandwich.

Sunday dinner once again at Lisa’s. Jake went crazy when I came in. He is doing it again. I fear he is going to attack me. Then it is over and we are friends. Robert was doing last minute homework. Ally playing games on her tablet.

I changed my mind on the column for this week’s KONK Life. I wrote yesterday and early this morning about Pope Francis and why I believe he is a flaming liberal. Written with respect and admiration. Relatively short. If you have the opportunity to read it, I suspect you will agree with my characterization of the Pope.

I just heard from Dee. She is up in Boston teaching. I had not heard from her in several weeks.

Anna emailed me from Camogli. She spent yesterday in Portofino. Her son and my friend Antonio has been trying to reach me via Skype. He is working somewhere in southern Italy at the moment.

The weeks run by fast. Tomorrow is tuesday again. Tomorrow night my blog talk radio show. I will be chatting about the Pope, guns, and I don’t know at the moment what else. Join me. The show is a fast moving half hour. Nine in the evening at www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

GENETICALLY MODIFIED SEEDS

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Finished my tv/internet show prep yesterday afternoon. The main story to be presented involved supermarkets, ag-farms, genetically modified seeds, increasing cost of groceries, and laws protecting the grower as opposed to the consumer. Guaranteed interesting!

Did The Key West Lou Legal Hour earlier this morning. Spent a lot of time on supermarkets, genetically modified seeds and Monsanto. If you missed the show, it is You Tubed. Will appear beginning next Friday. Enter Lou’s Legal Hour. All other shows available now on You Tube.

No bocce last night. Some of the courts had 3 foot in diameter puddles. All had water soaked clay at the ends. Too bad because I was psyched to play.

It was six o’clock and no where to go. Decided on Don’s Place. Stayed and drank with my team mates.

When I rose this morning, there was a full moon shining on the water off my deck. Beautiful! A God is good event.

Key West gets a lot of strange demonstrators. Far out types.

This morning I observed at the intersection of US 1 and Northern Boulevard a man sitting on a folding chair on the intersection’s island. His hair was green. His face covered with a dark gray cloth. Made him look like one of the combatants in the Syrian War. He had in his lap what appeared to be a gas mask.

I assume he was there to protest the chemical weapons problem in Syria.

Enjoy your day!

I DID IT AGAIN

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It was after 6 last night and I was working away at friday’s tv/internet show. The phone rang. It was Don of Don and Chris. They were back in Key West for a few days. We had made tentative plans to meet at the Chart Room. Where was I? I begged off. Told him I had spent most of the day babysitting and never got to work on the show.

He told me Chris was concerned I was sick because I had not published my blog yesterday.

I forgot! This is the second time in two weeks it has happened. Old age is setting in!

Plain forgetfulness. In the seven years I have been doing the blog, I do not think I have missed more than six times.

My excuse a simple one. I had a 9 in the morning appointment with the foot doctor. No time to do the blog before. I intended to do it afterwards. Afterwards for the blog never came. Lisa telephoned and asked me to babysit. Robert and Ally were off from school. They take all of my attention when I am with them. The blog never entered my mind.

My apologies.

Chris was not the only one concerned. I went to my emails and found….. where is the blog?…..are you sick? inquiries from all over. Crete, Portofino, Falmouth, Toronto, Des Moines, and Syracuse. It is nice to know people care.

The grandkids and I did Pepe’s for lunch. Robert and Ally had never been there.

Tina bartends at Don’s outside bar several evenings. I discovered she also waits tables at Pepe’s. Has been doing so for 8 years. Some days she is up at 6:30 in the morning and not to bed till after 2 in the morning. Those days when she works both places.

Typical Key West. Everyone works 2-3 jobs.

I told Robert and Ally the pirate story associated with Pepe’s. I do not know if they believed me. Robert made mention that the construction of the building appeared more recent than the 1700s. An observant young man.

By the way, my foot appears healed. Boot and everything off. I have had no pain for a week. Ever since boot, etc. put on. Doctor says it was a tendon injury.

Late in the afternoon when I was free, I started working on friday’s show.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour will be an especially good one this week. I am taking on the super markets. The prices keep going up. Corporate America now owns and operates huge ag-farms. Special laws have been passed to protect them from lawsuits for the food products they produce. Interesting information! Surprising!

I will also be discussing how lousy our economy is for the 99 per cent, some interesting Saudi Arabia information, how we upset Brazil, why Larry Summers dropping out was good for America, and more.

Join me. Ten in the morning Friday my time. Via television from Key West through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

This morning’s Key West Citizen announced front page that Diana Nyad would be Grand Marshall of the Fantasy Fest Parade. Diana is the woman who recently swam from Cuba to Key West.

Bocce tonight! I can play! I missed not playing last weed. Besides the game, the comradeship combines to make bocce a fun evening.

The Seven Mile Bridge is a part of US 1. A part of the bridge was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1935. One of the worst. A category 5. Hundreds killed.

A portion of the old part of the bridge remains standing. The State has been caring for it. People use it for walks and biking. A popular place.

The State wants our county, Monroe County, to take over the bridge. Renovate and maintain it. The initial cost is projected at $62 million. I say, forget it! Let the bridge remain the State’s responsibility. And headache.

Enjoy your day!

PAIN!!!!!

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My yesterday was not normal. I was in pain. PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!

The worse ever? I do not know. The previous big time bad occurred when my back went out and I suffer spasms for several days.

I have occasionally of late been getting a pain in my lower right ankle. On the outside to the rear of the ankle bone. A sudden sharp pain. Extreme. However, it went as soon as it came so I gave it no concern.

Yesterday, it came big time! From about one in the afternoon to late evening. Off and on. A wild pain in the area described. Lasted from 20 seconds to a couple of minutes. Let me say…..It hurt, I hurt!

After a while, a residual pain developed. The heel. It hurt to just walk to the bathroom.

This morning so far, nothing.

I called my doctor. I have a 4 o’clock appointment.

Due to the pain, I never left the house. I did not read or write. The pain was disconcerting. I could do nothing.

Ergo, I have nothing special to report. My day was spent in bed waiting for the next shot of pain to occur.

Let me share one thing I am sick of. Listening to the Syria talk. A mess!

Tonight, I have two things on the agenda.

I am babysitting. I will be with Robert and Ally from 6 to I do not know when.

I will be doing my Tuesday blog talk radio show, also. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I will be doing it from Lisa’s home. I will pack up and bring everything with me.

Robert, Ally, and Jake all go to bed at the same time. 8:30. Lisa says the grandkids can stay up till 9:30 to watch me do the show. Jake will probably be with us. I hope he does not bark.

Robert and Ally have been with me a few times when I have done my TV show. They quietly sit on high stools behind the camera and watch. After the show concludes, I let them get on camera a bit. They can see themselves on a screen. We take turns making believe the show is live. We interview each other. They love it!

Tonight’s blog talk radio show is interesting. I will mention Syria briefly and what I think about where we are at. Then some global cooling. You read it correctly. Cooling. The Artic was much colder last year. The ice bank grew. A bit about Saudi Arabia and their permitting death row prisoners to fight in Syria. Saved them from death by the sword. Plus more.

Join me at 9 this evening. A quick moving half hour of timely topics. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

LIGHTS OF KEY WEST

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Key West is a small island. Both in size and population. 1 1/2 x 4 miles. 29,000 people. The population triples during the season and on special occasions.

For a relatively tiny place, big things happen in Key West. Like yesterday. Diane Nyad completed her 100 mile plus swim from Havana to Key West.

A fete! The swim took her through waters infested with sharks and jelly fish. She had to contend with turbulent tides.

The trip took Diana just under 53 hours. She said afterwards that it was early morning, still dark, when all of a sudden she could see the lights of Key West. It heartened her. She was about 10 miles from Key West at the time.

Diana’s accomplishment is a big deal! She is the first to complete the swim without a shark cage. She is 64 years old. This was her fifth try over a period of 35 years. It took that long for her to be successful. Neither the swim nor success were easy.

Diana came ashore around 2 yesterday afternoon at Smathers Beach. She appeared tired. She was sunburned. She was also thrilled.

A huge crowd awaited her on shore and in the water. People of all ages. Even babies. Boats of all sizes. Cruise ships stopped or deviated their course so as not to interfere with her swim.

There were television and other cameras all over the place.

Diana made a brief statement. Her message was threefold. Never give up, you are never to old to chase your dream, and the swim looks like a solitary sport, but it was a team effort.

Everyone, including the President, sent immediate congratulations. Most Tweeted. National television last night and this morning carried her story and pictures of Diana coming ashore in Key West.

An impressive achievement! God bless you, Diana! You made us all feel good.

Now to Greece.

It was announced yesterday by the Greek government that as of September 1 stores were permitted to sell outdated food. The only exceptions were meat and milk products. The outdated foods had to be sold within a specified time. They were to be sold at reduced prices.

That is how bad things are in Greece! People cannot afford normal process for food. It is hoped this will help. Additionally, the stores cannot sell many items because the people have no money. The program supposedly will also help the store owner.

A disgrace when a government permits the sale of what may be bad food.

Today is tuesday. Tonight, my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Three certain topics are the Greek food situation, Syria, and computer hacking as a new way to wage war.

Join me. The show is a fast moving one half hour. Nine o’clock is the start time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

WHERE DO I BEGIN…..

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Several disjointed items to share.

Today’s blog is being done even later than yesterday. I was up and out very early this morning. A friend was in distress. Needed help. When I returned home, there was only time to shower and rush to the TV studio to do my show.

It was a terrific show! One of the best I have prepared!

No one got to see it, however.

Technical difficulties. Audio was good. No visual, however.

It was decided to record the show. Different equipment from televising. I started again. The show has been recorded. It will run on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19 at 4:30 saturday afternoon and 3 sunday afternoon.

Sorry the show did not air today as scheduled.

A special sorry to Valarie from Delaware. Valarie wrote and said she would be watching the show. Valerie, I hope you can get to it this weekend.

The lead item in the show was the hacking of the New York Times website. Even more important than Syria from my perspective. I view hacking as the new way to wage war. The issue is sufficiently heavy in my mind that I have decided to do next week’s KONK Life column on it.

Bocce last night! We won all three games. Everyone was on. The courts swift. We destroyed the opposition. Humbled them.

You will recall we were destroyed last week. Badly. The team we decisively beat last night killed the team that beat us last week two weeks ago.

That’s bocce!

At the present, my television show is available in 325,000 homes. Beginning next week, that number increases to just under 600,000. My station is expanding its coverage area up through Boca Raton.

As you may recall, my tv/internet show is You Tubed. It has been You Tubed as part of the station and Jenna’s shows. I have graduated. I now have my own You Tube account.

Because of name problems, I cannot use Key West Lou as the site name. Lou’s Legal Hour is the title/name. Merely go to You Tube and enter Lou’s Legal Hour. There will be my shows standing alone. The past three weeks are in. Earlier shows will not be entered. However, they still can be viewed by entering the Key West Lou Legal Hour and searching for them from the station’s other shows and Jenna’s shows.

Please do not let me confuse you. Lou’s Legal Hour is solely for the purpose of going to my You Tube account. It has no other purpose. Key West Lou lives on!

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

STATUE OF LIBERTY

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The Statue of Liberty has been in view the past few days. The Barclays Golf Tournament was played in New Jersey directly across the river from New York. Many of the television shots of the players had the Statue of Liberty in the background.

Imposing!

I visited the Statue of Liberty twice.

The first time was when I was 4 or 5 years old. My father took me. I remember the mob of people, the elevator, the long walk up a spiral staircase, the heat, and finally reaching the crown. The arm and torch were closed off.

My father had to lift me so I could look out of one of the small windows surrounding the crown.

A memorable occasion for a young boy. Here I am more than 70 years later and can still remember as if it were yesterday.

The second time was when I was a father. I took my four children to visit the Statue of Liberty. They were early grammar school age at the time. Unfortunately, all we could do was take the boat ride over and walk around the island. The entire Statue was off limits to visitors. I cannot recall why. I believe my children never the less were impressed with the majesty of the Statue.

Visited the Chart Room last night. JJ, Sheila and Frankie at the bar.

JJ asked me about Le Grand Bleu. I mentioned Le Grand Bleu in one of my blogs while on the Greek isle Amorgos. A French movie, part of which was filmed on Amrogos. JJ had come across it and recalled my having mentioned it. Today on Amorogos there is a restaurant by the name. Every wednesday evening, the restaurant plays the movie for free outdoors to induce persons to patronize the restaurant.

A family of three came in. The father was a big man. Like 6’6″. Big chested, also. A dark black beard. Big black eyes. His wife was very short. Around 5’2”. Pudgy and wore round steel rimmed glasses. The third person was their son. A teenager.

Just prior to the family arriving, two men came in. One was with the U.S. Navy and stationed in Key West. I believe he was an officer.

The big guy father of the family announced in a booming voice…..We are Russian!

We were all immediately interested in the family.

They were vacationing in Key West.

The Navy man said he once had a beer with a Russian in Korea. The father immediately came back with…..North Korea? The Navy man said no, my recollection is South Korea. Pusan.

With that, the mother said….Let’s go. And away they went saying their good byes as they left the Chart Room. It was a quick exit.

I pondered. How many Russians have I actually met? Few, when I thought of it. I know some from the former Soviet states. I have a close friend from the Ukraine. However as to real Russians, maybe only this family and one other.

The one other was Alexander Kerensky. He was Russian born and taught me Russian history for one year at Manhattan College. He was a most interesting professor. Especially as concerned the Russian revolution. He had been part and parcel of the revolution.

Kerensky was the second Prime Minister of free Russia. The Russia that existed after the Czar had been deposed. He was the boss.

Following the Revolution, the Russians were divided into two groups. The Whites and the Reds. Kerensky was a White. The two groups were not of the same thinking. Civil war began.

Eventually, the Reds took over. They were also known as Bolsheviks. The Reds were led by Vladimir Lenin.

Kerensky had to flee Russia. His life was in danger. He eventually made his way to Germany. When the Nazis gained power, he left Germany for England. Then he made it to the United States.

I took Kerensky’s course in 1956. Kerensky was teaching at Columbia University. He would take the subway to Manhattan College twice a week to teach the course.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesday means Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. Nine in the evening on the internet. A fast moving interesting one half hour show. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

One of tomorrow’s topics involves Bruce Manning and transgenders. There is much that most people are unaware of regarding transgender persons. The discussion promises to be an eye opener.

Enjoy your day! It looks like a rainy one in Key West.