In earliest U.S. elections free booze for voters was important. More so than today.

For example, George Washington provided no alcohol to voters in his first campaign. As a result, he lost. Second time he ran he was smarter. He loaded his campaign coffers with free alcohol for voters. He won.

The election was not for the Presidency. It was for the Virginia House of Burgesses.

During his second campaign, Washington provided voters with 28 gallons of rum, 50 gallons of rum punch, 34 gallons of wine, 46 gallons of beer, and 2 gallons of cider royal. His entire campaign budget went to pay for booze. He had learned.

Free booze at election time was illegal. However everyone did it. 

One of our better Vice-Presidents is dead. Dick Cheney yesterday at age 84. A powerful and polarizing figure.

I don’t know if Trump knows what he is doing. Except perhaps, if you will excuse the vernacular, breaking balls.

Two Courts have directed him to make SNAP payments. He says he needs instructions how to pay. Pure bullshit. He just does not want to make the payments. He wants a reason to blame Democrats.

Now he has decided to make payments. Only half. He should go on 50 percent meals himself for a while. Would help him to reduce a bit.

Trump is making a big deal out of where to get the money. Tons of places. Again, he does not care about the 42 million. He only seeks a reason to blame Democrats for something.

A bad President. Turning into a worse one.

I was at Date & Thyme yesterday enjoying a smoothie. A gentleman came by and asked if I was Key West Lou. I had not met him before. He was Richard from Michigan. Has a place is Islamorada. Spends a week also in Key West. Reads my blog. Loves it! I loved him!

We chatted for a while. Enjoyed his company. Hope I run into him again.

Later in the day was a bit sad and hurtful. I fell again. At the steps to my apartment. Did not think the fall was bad. However I hit my wheel chair and bicycle. Head hard. Pain minimal. Four hours later, I hurt all over. This morning, even worse. 

Dr. Norris is sending me for a cat scan. Most of my head aches.

It took me an hour to get up. I yelled for assistance. Either no one heard me or no one cared.  I suspect no one heard me.

Today’s blog is short because I hurt. Interestingly, this was the easiest of all the falls I have taken. Yet I hurt the most.

Enjoy your day!

Trump a bully. Talks big, but when the time for action comes walks away.

He has been threatening a war with Venezuela. On phony grounds. He simply does not like Maduro. That’s all. Well, Maduro and many other national leaders do not like Trump. Do you see them talking and preparing for war as Trump has.

Poor Nigeria. A tiny African nation. Trump upset because its government is persecuting Christians. Nigeria’s business. There are a number of things the U.S. has done over the years that other nations found offensive. No one threatened war because of it.

If Trump were to continue selecting nations to invade, it would be one smaller than Nigeria. Perhaps one of the smaller Caribbean ones.

China and Canada have made the U.S. look like an ass. They both colluded at the South Korea Conference to do so.

Actually Trump has made himself look like an ass. His every action and utterance.

China and Canada have not been friends for 8 years. They walked away from South Korea bosom buddies. Also making Trump look badly in the process. Whereas the U.S. must renegotiate its trade agreements with China on a yearly basis, Canada does not. Its deals are good ad infinitum.

Little things mean a lot also. While Xi failed to or little did he smile when he and Trump met on the stage at the Conference, Carey and Xi appeared to be close buddies. Recall that Trump worked hard to get a smile and acknowledgement of anything from Xi.

Another development from the South Korea Conference are media reports that nation leaders in general were laughing at Trump behind his back. Indicating little respect for the man.

Los Angeles won the World Series. Took all of seven games and a terrific final game. Los Angeles hit two significant home runs to win. One in the 9th inning to tie. Another in the 11th to win.

Jasmine Crockett discovers and releases Trump’s “true” Wharton Entrance Score. Not 160 plus as Trump has constantly claimed. A mere 110. A normal score. Average. The score of most persons. Trump’s lie in this regard finally disclosed.

What I am about to do I should not. However I cannot hold back. My score was 165. Purportedly made me a genius. I was. The basic intelligence helped me in law school and the practice. Made me the attorney I was.

Interesting. The New York Times is the largest news outlet in California. As a result, news read in California is more national than local. (to

The California problem is a national one also. Local newspapers printing more national news approaches than local because of it.

Tomorrow is national voting day. There is heavy voting in many places however because of early voting. One is New York City where the early voting has been heavy. The New York City Mayor’s race drawing the voters out.

An explosion at Harvard University. The Goldanson Building. Part of Harvard Medical School. The explosion occurred Saturday. No structural damage, no persons injured.

Pomuch, Mexico. A town of 10,000 on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Exhumation is the act of cleaning the bones of the dead. In Pomuch done on a yearly basis. Considered an act of love. The day is known as the Day of the Dead. The act shows respect for the dead.

A recent problem. Outsiders are arriving in increasing numbers to celebrate the day. Locals consider it an intrusion.

Trump playing games with the Courts again. Two Decisions told him to finance SNAP. Trump came back with “tell me how.” What to know, what funds to use, etc.

The bullshitter is toying with the Courts  to continue at risk 42 million Americans.

Rising electric costs have emerged as key issues in New Jersey and Virginia elections.

Things happen which cause major companies to lay off employees as the federal government has. Examples include Amazon has announced  it would eliminate about 30,000 corporate positions. Roughly 10 percent of its work force. UPS has already cut 34,ooo operational jobs the first 9 months of this year. UPS referred to it as “efficiency reimagined.” Nestle announced it will cut its jobs worldwide over the next 2 years in an effort to achieve “operational efficiency.”

U.S. bridges are in poor condition. Each day 163 million travelers journey  across 41,677 bridges that are in poor condition.

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are on furlough. They too need to eat.

One is Isaac Stein. An IRS lawyer. He opened a hot dog stand on a Washington, D.C. corner.

He’s enjoying it big time! Always wanted to run a hot dog stand from his youngest days. 

Got to give him credit. Trump screwed him. However he’s happy in his new work.

Election Day is always on a Tuesday. How did it come to so be?

Initially Election Day covered a 34 day period. Cumbersome. Ergo the Federal Election Day Act of 1845 became law. Federal elections now occur every two years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

The day so determined by life as it was in 1845 when the law was passed. Agriculture was a primary source of revenue. Farming was over by November. So election day was set in November.

It took a full day of traveling in 1845 to travel anywhere. Church made weekends impractical. Wednesday was market day for farmers. Tuesday became the most practical day.

The Presidency is won by Electoral Votes. When Franklin Roosevelt ran in 1936,  531 Electoral votes were available. Roosevelt received the most in history, 523.

Enjoy your day!

Trump is screwed up. A delicate way of saying he is fucked up!

Big time!

He moves from one major issue/going to another. With no break in between. There is some thing called rest. A few days at Camp David to rejuvenate body and soul. Too many trips, too many meetings with major leaders in a short period of time. Knocking down the East Wing at the same time. Now we learn he is going to rejuvenate the Lincoln bathroom with marble ad gold. Who needs it? We are not a marble and gold people. Nor was Lincoln.

He is mentally and physically shot. Too old to move so fast and be involved in all he is at his age.

I suspect his top Cabinet members do not sleep well. Rubio and Bessent must toss and turn nights trying to figure how to get themselves and Trump out of trouble. Hegseth does not similarly concern me. He does not have the brains to realize the trouble Defense/War is in.

I have multiple concerns this morning.

First, war with Venezuela. War with Russia and China could closely follow.

Venezuela realizes it is not equipped to a fight with the mighty U.S. Word is Venezuela has called on Putin and Xi for assistance. Venezuela needs missiles, radar and upgraded aircraft to oppose the U.S. forces that are massing in the Caribbean.

I have been predicting a Trump inspired war for months. One of the places Venezuela. Trump appears to want a big guy fight against a little one. He has selected Venezuela, goosing them into conflict. Russia and China will love helping Venezuela. Both are oil crazy in different ways and may be easy to induce into assistance. Venezuela has tons of oil. Also they would e making an ass out of Trump and the U.S. at the same time.

Trump who wants to be a great President, a respected one, is turning into a two bit President.

Then there is Trump’s meeting with Xi. A terrific success from Trump’s perspective. I suspect a quiet failure from Xi’s.

Note their first meeting at the recent conference. Trump was doing everything to suggest a friendship with Xi. Embarrassingly so. Xi basically ignored him. Turned away a few times. Don’t think he even smiled while Trump was fawning all over him.

It has been reported Xi corrected a mistake in their talks. This I did not see, but report what I have read.

I have a feeling Trump’s “12” is a “0” with Xi.

A Judge recently gave Trump a major boot in the ass re SNAP funds. Trump must pay the 42 million persons out of emergency funds.

Finally comes Trump’s VP Vance. Rumors of divorce from his Hindu wife. He wants her to change her Hindu religion to a Christian one Anything to posture himself for President!

Now for normal news.

The World Series is tied. wLos Angeles won game 6 last night. Today the seventh and last game. The winner to take all the marbles. Definitely will be interesting.

Sotheby’s has a new headliner. An all gold toilet. Appears functional. Named “America.” It will go on sale in November. Opening sale price expected to be $10 million.

Trump should purchase it now for the remodeled Lincoln bathroom. Like the bathroom would really need it!

That’s it for today. The Venezuela thing really bothers me. Otherwise enjoy your day!

Our noble leader many times leaps without looking, acts without researching.

His recent decision to renew nuclear testing. Whatever that means. Something the U.S. ceased 30 years ago in 1992. I am concerned because

now it comes out that such takes many years and will cost millions if not billions of dollars.

Did Trump research himself or have someone research the issue before he spoke? I doubt it.

There is another issue. Nevada is where such testing was done. Nevada was instantly in arms. No way! No more! There was and will be nuclear leaking. Nevadans don’t want it for a number of other reasons also.

It also will mark the beginning of a political arms race with other countries. Something we are not in need of. We are at the top of nuclear prowess.

Yesterday Trump also came up with another brilliant statement. One lacking of any basis in law. He said in effect he was prepared to send the military, all forms, into cities and states if he deems it necessary. No way his research, if he did any, would suggest such proper, nor any research done by the brilliant minds advising him who are honest with him.

The military are prohibited from being used in such fashion.  Period. 

Moving on. 

Kennedy Center ticket sales have plummeted since Trump took over.

Americans blame Trump and the GOP for the shutdown. More than they blame Democrats. By a 2-1 margin.

Brits move faster in cleaning house of higher ups involved with Epstein. Though Brits and the U.S. seem to be taking forever. King Charles III has stripped his brother Andrew of Prince title  because of the Epstein scandal.

America still wants to know. Why the Epstein papers are not being released? Because Trump’s name appears? Perhaps other biggies?

Arby’s steak nuggets may be as close to real barbecue as fast food gets. The steak nuggets debuted earlier this month. Supposedly good. Tender and juicy.

Any asbestosis risks involved from the East Wing destruction? Lead problems?

Were the usual statutory and regulatory standards of protection followed? Probably not. King Donald was running the show.

It appears the highest standards of care were not followed. Trump pursued the lowest cost approach, ignoring standards of care and exercising a blind eye toward regulations.

Marlene Dietrich had a daughter named Maria Riva. She died recently at age 100.

A phrase that has been with us for years. John Keats: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.:

Ever see a “blue stop sign?” I never have. Did not even know they existed. Apparently they do.

When “stop signs” first came out, they were yellow. Then blue. Finally, the red we all know.

We still have blue signs. Permissible on private property.

However, Hawaii has some blue stop signs on public highways. The reason is some of Hawaii’s highways are also privately owned. Something like 18 people owned 40 percent of Hawaii’s total acreage in the 1960s. Some highways still privately owned today. No figure available as to how much. Those are blue.

What did people carve before pumpkins? Turnips. Would you believe!

In the 19th and 20th centuries, turnips were carved to be used as lanterns. Not as a part of Halloween festivities.

Trump’s record for failed nominees is the worst of any President in 40 years. They have not been the brightest nor the best. Because he who was doing the appointing was not the best himself.

Orlando flight delays due to lack of air traffic controllers. Lack of air traffic controllers due to federal cutting of wages. No pay, no work.

Today October 31. An odd ball happening this day in 1941. It involved the completion of Mount Rushmore. So celebrated that day even though the project was significantly incomplete.

The original plan was to carve the Presidents’ figures from the waist up. Due to a lack of funds, workers were forced to stop after finishing only the heads. As a result, the “completion” date not really so. The monument remains without bodies to this day. Yet, one of America’s most famous and respected monuments,

Have to hustle. Seeing Tammy for a manicure. It has been around two months since my last. My nails are 18 inches long!

Enjoy your day!

The Xi conference with Trump failed to impress me.

As usual with these conferences, Trump hailed it as “amazing.” I am waiting to hear what others think. The next few days will tell. Several months definitely.

I fear Xi outfoxed Trump. China can get soybeans from many other countries. The U.S. ca get the rare earth minerals it needs primarily from China.

The South Korea meeting lasted a mere 1 hour 40 minutes. Within one hour following the meeting, Trump was proclaiming “It was an amazing meeting….From zero to 10 (with 10 being the best) the meeting was a 12.”

Nothing was heard from Xi.

Again, the U.S. needs China’s rare earth minerals. China will provide them, BUT ONLY FOR ONE YEAR. Big deal!

China will buy U.S. soybeans and other farm products immediately.

Per usual Trump, his rhetoric is strong. However, the detail somewhat lacking. What about chip sales to China?

Trump hazy in his comments. Re the Ukraine War, nothing specific except it should end.

A very important issue was China’s huge purchases of Russian oil. Appears nothing accomplished by Trump in this regard.

I fear China is playing with us. The one year limit on mineral sales an example. War an excellent possibility down the road.

I am curious what Xi had to say re the meeting. I have learned we cannot depend on Trump’s bullshit.

To the words of a good President. John Kennedy: “Power does not change you. It unmasks you.” It certainly does and has with Trump.

Chicago ICE Leader Gregory Bovino got a court dressing down tear gassing kids in Chicago. Bovino’s conduct did not surprise me. An adult tear gassing young ones. To be expected in Trump’s today society.

Trump’s niece Mary Trump called her uncle an “anti-American traitor.” Over her uncle’s love of destruction as exhibited by his tearing down of the East Wing. Not a newbie act. Similar to what his father did 60 years ago.

Michael Wolff claims the President plotted to keep the public in the dark re the wreaking ball hit on the “people’s house.” He wanted to keep his “violent destruction” of the White House’s East Wing hidden from the American people till he succeeded. He did!

Melissa heading sharply north east after devastating Cuba. Totally away from the U.S.

The government shutdown will cut the economy up to $14 billion. The longer it goes on, the more it will cost.

Trump says it is “pretty clear” he can’t run for a third term. This is what he says today. What will he say tomorrow? His opinion will change several times  between now and the election.

Two U.S. prosecutors have been suspended for describing the January 6 attack as a “mob.” It was. Why are they tryin to change history and facts several years later?

We now live in a nation of lies. Many of our people are sick. They buy this garbage.

Some poetic words from “tumblr:” “Autumn, and the days Grow shorter; Squeezing the same radiance Into a smaller space.”

Our goal in the next Presidential election is to make it “King Proof.” No more Kings!

It is claimed Trump raided three different financial accounts to make sure U.S. troops will be paid as the shutdown continues.. At the same time that 42 million Americans will go without their  SNAP food authorizations. Most will not eat!!!

Trump has ordered increased testing of nuclear weapons. We have not done so since 1992. Why? Is Trump uncomfortable following the Xi meeting?

Phony Halloween candy a problem again. Police are advising parents to double check their kids trick or treat candy. Police fear candy will contain THC and hallucinogenic mushroom products.

I am 90 years old. Fathered four children. The youngest today 60. I can recall the first Halloween when we were warned of dangerous things in Halloween candy. Back then it was common pins.

I did my duty by God and country Halloween night. Followed my children by walking along the curbs as they knocked on doors tricking or treating. Then it was home to enjoy the goodies. On the family room floor. Everyone excited.

I began by examining each piece of candy. A pain! I was not sure I was doing a  good job. Finally in exasperation I collected all the candies up and threw them in the garbage. My children of course did not understand. Not even my wife. My better safe than sorry attitude was not going over. I did not care.

Today it has to be even worse for parents.

Would you believe we have scarry ghostly States? The top three are Maine, Wyoming and Vermont. Maine has one ghost sighting per 100,000 residents. Wyoming one haunted location per 100,000 residents. Vermont documents its haunted locations per 100,000 persons.

Would you believe!

The U.S. has more billionaires than any other country in the world. The U.S.’ total billionaire wealth is $5.7 trillion. Rest of the world combined totals $2.5 trillion.

Big day for Orson Welles. On this day in 1938, he broadcast “The War of the Worlds” radio hoax. It caused massive panic in the U.S.

I close with a touch of sweetness.

The pink bathroom trend began during the Eisenhower years. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower popularized the pink bathroom trend.

Enjoy your day!

Melissa a bad one! A whacky dangerous hurricane. Hit Jamaica as a Category 5 with winds of 185 miles per hour. Both impressive and scary! Now moving on Cuba. I fear for our neighbor.

I am happy Melissa will avoid Key West and the U.S. Surprised, however! Cuba 90 miles south of us. Normally would expect a strike by Melissa. However, Melissa will turn north east and head out to sea after leaving Cuba.

John Glenn was more than a one time NASA astronaut. He was back up in space at 77.

He issued a statement: “I don’t know what you can say about a day when you see four sunsets.”

Enjoy Halloween! Prepare for it! Walk the kids! Check the candies and goods they receive for safety purposes! Laugh with them afterwards when home and the “loot” is being checked out!

New toilet revelations available.

Take pictures of your poop! Latest “good health” item. Called the Dekoda. Captures data from that which we leave in the toilet. Costs $599.

A toilet with an integrated stool scanner is also available. The Toto toilet. I am not aware of the cost. The item relatively new.

Not strange that these items are now available for purchase. Our body excretions, especially poop, reveal much about our health.

Appears there is some oversight to the new East Ballroom. The Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency that advises on architectural developments in Washington, D.C

Its most recent 8 members were appointed by Biden. The White House fired them yesterday, stating it was preparing to appoint a slate of members more aligned to American First Policies.

The new assignments are being done ass end backwards. Trump first acts. Then discovers he should have done more. Like initially seeking the advice of the Commission of Fine Arts. And does it!

Columbus may not have been the first to discover America in 1492. There appears to have been thousand of persons thousand of years before him.

The earth was different at their times. Huge tribes walked into the Americas and settled here.

There are many states where the death penalty continues to exist. Florida is one. It recently executed its 15th person in this year.

Millions o Americans without food beginning this weekend. The actual number 42 million. The result of the SNAP program ceasing. Trump and the GOP will be eating. If a peoples’ food program ceases, then those like the President and Congress should not eat. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander and vice versa.

We are one fucked up country where we take food off a person’s table while continuing to eat ourselves.

There are those who are concerned about people continuing to be fed. I refer to a Central New York businessman who is raising money for families who have lost SNAP food benefits, the federal food stamp program. One hundred thousand people in Central New York will be without food in a day or two.

The individual responsible is Jeff Knauss, a Skaneateles based business person. He has started a fund raiser to help: “We can’t wait for the government and bureaucracy to fix this.”

Enjoy your day!

A new day. A Donald Trump day.

Trump is wrong on Reagan’s statements re tariffs. How can Trump be so stupid so many times. He causes trouble when he errs.

Trump causing world wide chaos with many of his tariff moves.

The Supreme Court does not appear to be functioning correctly lately. Re miliary, cities or Presidential power, the Supreme Court has to shape up!  It cannot continue to make bum decisions which permit the President to usurp Congressional powers.

Trump wants us to think he’s another Ronald Reagan. A Reagan he is not. Not even close.

Trump bringing too many “emergency” matters before the Supreme Court that are not. The Supreme Court must recognize the fact they are not and decide the cases as they should be.

Trump and Japan appear to have gotten along in preliminary talks. Will the “harmony” between the two Nations last more than a couple of months?

Trump and Xi. What will happen when they meet? Pre-meeting talk by Trump and his aides favorable. For real? Will they last? One sided for the moment…..from Trump’s side.

Millions of Americans will be without food because Trump has cut off food stamps. Trump eats 3 squares a day. One said to be a cheeseburger. Americans will settle for cheeseburgers if need be.

Re the Eastern Ballroom, at the moment Trump’s brainchild and perhaps disaster. Now the military involved. Why? A nuclear safety site below? New developments to be added elsewhere?

Word has it that several design flaws have arisen. One involves a staircase to nowhere.

Enjoy your day?

There are days when I am sick of reading and writing about Trump. There are days when some of my readers and friends will contact me and tell me how tired they are reading about Trump. Some even skip my Trump passages.

I came across some detailed Moby Dick information this morning. Quite frankly, more interesting that Trump. Sooooo, I have written all I am about Trump today. The main thrust of today’s blog involves Moby Dick and some other non-Trump items.

Read on my friends.

“Call me Ishmael.” The legendary first line of Moby Dick, Herman Melville’s 1851 novel. During my high school years, we all read it as part of an English class. Then spent a whole year of a college English class reading it again. This time in more detail.

Live and learn for me. Today, at 90 years of age, having read Moby Dick when I was 15 in high school and then again when 20 in college, I learned some Moby Dick things I was unaware of.

Moby Dick was inspired by a real whale named “Mocha Dick.”

Mocha was an albino sperm whale named after the Chikan Island near which his decade long reign of terror took place. Mocha devastated more than 20 whaling ships in addition to escaping 80 plus other ships.

Twenty plus harpoons were found in Mocha’s side at the time of his death.

Herman Melville’s Moby Dick sold 3,715 copies in its first year.

Moby Dick contains 206,052 words. I thought it was long!

A sperm whale can dive deeply. As much as 9,800 feet.

Finally, a surprise of surprises. Moby Dick inspired Starbuck’s name.

Moby Dick’s first mate was Starbuck. The coffee shop chain was named after Starbuck to evoke “the name of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.

Minor consequential items.

Two major movie stars died today. Michael Douglas and Oprah Winfrey. They did not come any bigger.

Melissa became a Category 5 hurricane today. Wow becomes Jamaica when it hits.

Twenty three year old Michael Brennan created PGA history. Won the Bank of Utah Championship by 4 strokes.

Syracuse played its first exhibition basketball game against Buffalo. Won 76-66. The win not impressive. Hope the basketball team this season will not be as bad as the football team.

Going back many years, New York City’s first subway train began operations this day in 1904.

Enjoy your day!

I spent yesterday at home. Still recovering. Happy about my evening the night before with the Dixons at Fantasy Fest. They made it possible for me to go. They took me.

Fran and Tom spent the afternoon with me yesterday. They had to check out of their hotel at noon. Their plane did not leave till 6 pm. They showed up with some goodies and we had a pleasant time,

Good people! Brought me four smoothies and some groceries also. All items needed.

We have been friends for 15 plus years. Tom and I met one evening at the Chart Room and then had dinner at Antonia’s Bar. 

They were leaving Fantasy Fest one day early. Wanted to miss the air traffic. They have seen enough Parades over the years so missing an occasional parade no big deal.

Donald has left home for Asia. Left the dismembered White House to purportedly make some sort of peace arrangement with China. I am curious what his degree of success will be.

Trump thinks big. Whether warranted or not. The present East Wing, which has already been torn down, was 12,000 square feet. The new one will be 90,000 square feet. Wow! It will dwarf the rest of the White House.

Do we need such a large ball room? Construction of such a large one at a time our Nation is experiencing economic distress does not appear wise. Trump claims he and others will pay for it. Seeing is believing. I cannot accept any Trump representations. I question his word.

Learned something new this past week. I initially questioned why Trump was calling in the military to assist in the reconstruction. The reason it turns out is there is a “secret nuclear bunker” under the present ball room and there will be another under the new one.

I question Trump’s degree of respect for the destruction and new construction. It is not his house. It is the “people’s house,” our house.

Trump ran on a platform that claimed he would “drain the swamp.” I am nervous. He appears to be becoming “the swamp now.”

Word has it that some workers on the new ball room are being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements. Makes me uncomfortable.

One of the world’s greatest musicians is said to have died. Europe’s Andre Rieu. The best of the best! I have spent much time the past month listening to the man and his gigantic band. Hoping perhaps I might get to Europe to hear him play before I move on.

Rieu was 75  at the time of his death.

Louvre suspects have been arrested by the Paris police.

The World Series is tied 1-1. Los Angeles and Toronto neck and neck.

Hurricane Melissa will hit Jamaica as a Category 5. Then fortunately turn northeast into the Atlantic avoiding Key West and the eastern side of the U.S.

Consumer prices continue to rise. Exceeding January pace.

I close with something extremely bad! Obamacare premiums set to rise 30 percent. Will affect 17 million Americans. Such will reflect the largest annual premium increase in recent years.

Enjoy your Sunday!

As you are aware, I have been sick. Last week in the hospital. This week recuperating at home. Last night, the first time I went out.

With assistance!

My good friends from Buffalo, Fran and Tom Dixon, came to Key West to spend Fantasy Fest with me. Good luck! I got sick! They did it while I lie home in bed recuperating. I was not unhappy. That is how things developed this year.

They kept pushing me to go out with them one evening. Tom came up with a workable solution. I still am not walking alone. Even with a cane. We would take the wheel chair. I would sit and they would drive.

I relented after much discussion/argument. Did not think I could handle it.

They picked me up, got me in the car six o’clock last night. The walk from my abode to the car was an effort. Big time. Tom had to handle/walk with me the whole way.

I ended up in the wheel chair in two different places on Duval. One on the street, the other on a curb. Both interesting. I was a star! Husbands and boy friends insisted their ladies take pics with me. Many did. Each one bare breasted. Nipples painted over. My head in their breasts. Photos cute. Two said they would be looking for me next year.

Did I enjoy? Absolutely!

After 2 hours, I was tired. There was work involved in what I was doing. Tom and Fran took me home at 9 at my request. Spoke with Fran this morning, they went back out till after midnight. Ninety they are not. Merely in their seventies.

All I can say is…..Oh, what a time I had!

Let me address Trump, Canada, Argentina, Venezuela and The East Wing of the White House briefly.

Trump does not think normally. How can he stop the U.S. from talking with Canada. Our next door neighbor and one of our best friends over the years. Trump gets a hair up his ass and reacts abruptly and without reason. I am confident the problem, whatever it may be, between our two Nations will swiftly be resolved.

What’s this thing that we are now going to import from Argentina 25 percent of the beef we consume? Our ranchers sufficiently supply us. Why affect our national production?

There is no question but that our initial obligation is to support our producers. Not foreign ones.

Then there is the prospect of war with Venezuela. Is Trump out of his mind?

The oil sanctions imposed on Russia. Again, is Trump seeking a war with someone? He is crazy if he is. I doubt Congress would support one. The American people definitely not. The last thing we want are bombs dropping on us by a country capable of doing so.

This East Wing thing is mentally screwing me up. Came upon us suddenly. Trump seeking money for himself for certain of the work or whatever? Not clear. Trump initially seeking $230 million. Now $300 million. The figure went up in one week.

Demolition appears complete.

The size keeps changing. From 650 to 999 to 1,350 feet. What is it to be? Lets lock in a dollar figure also. Can’t do major construction of a public facility on a cash as you go basis.

Where is Congressional oversight and Committee oversight? Trump should not be permitted to run this size construction of our Nation’s home as he is. No President for that matter.

Corruption in professional basketball. Seems like every 15 years or so there is wrongdoing in pro or college basketball. At least Trump is not involved here.

Florida Governor DeSantis pushing to remove invasive pythons from the Everglades. Good luck!  Florida’s removal effort too late. The State has tried before and failed. It will fail again. A million plus pythons involved. Too many to get rid off. Control the approach.

I am waiting for the Dixons to show up before they head to the airport. They are picking me up some groceries and four smoothies.

Enjoy your day! Enjoy the Fantasy Fest Parade this evening!