SHIRREL RHOADES…..MAN OF THE YEAR

My publisher received a big time award! Shirrel Rhoades was honored recently at a gathering in Montreal, Canada. He received the 2014 Professional Man of the Year Award by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

Shirrel is a full time Key West resident and an owner of Absolutely Amazing E Books, the publishing house.

Congratulations, Shirrel! Keep up the good work!

North Roosevelt Boulevard. Grand opening yesterday. Don’t know why all the politicians were taking bows. It took 2.5 years to complete a 1.5 year job.

Yesterday technically was the first day for 5 lane traffic. It existed Monday, also. Monday must have been a practice day.

I drove the Boulevard twice yesterday, in and out. It is lovely! The palm trees in perfect order. Reminded me of the flags at the United Nations. All the same height in perfect line.

Traffic was moving well. Moving along. No slow downs or one way traffic. To a point. I was driving with the palm trees and water to my right. All of a sudden, traffic slowed down to a snail’s pace. All cars moving into the left lane. The problem. Two police officers on bikes had pulled a speeder over. Same thing again a quarter of a mile down the road. Crazy! All I could think was what the hell good is this new road if we are going to be faced with new delays!

I recalled reading in the Citizen earlier in the day that the speed limit was still 25 mph  because of some final work being done. There is a regular and higher speed. I cannot remember it, however. It has been that long!

Did an MRI of my right shoulder in the morning. I was concerned because the doctor had told me the MRI was closed. Those of you who have had MRI’s will understand.

My age came into play. My first MRI has to have been 30 plus years ago. When the machine first came out. It was a closed box all the way around. Smaller and tighter than a casket. The top of the box inches from my face. I panicked for a moment. A bad feeling!

Several years later, they came out with an open MRI. Much better, depending which part of your body was being observed. If the stomach, your head and legs were not covered. If a shoulder, as mine was yesterday, then the head and shoulder covered. More room, however.

Now they have what is described as a truly open MRI machine. Space all around. No chance of claustrophobia coming into play.

The MRI machine I was subjected to yesterday was described as a closed one. Obviously the medical people were a generation or two behind me. I was in the middle one. The original I had my first MRI in was for real closed!

Time different, also. My first MRI took one hour and a half. Yesterday, 20 minutes.

Spent the afternoon fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. I thought the atrocities being committed on Mount Sinjar would garner the most response. I was wrong. It was the story of the man who went into a hospital for a circumcision and left with his penis having been amputated. The penis comments were all from men.

Dinner at Roostica. Megan bartends and was bar tending last night. I was sitting at a table. She generally comes over to get me started. Not her job. Just a real nice person. Bobby is blessed with a good staff.

The Islamic religion is the fastest growing religion in the world. Over two billion members. Many kill non-believers. Especially Christians. Convert or die. They believe the killings will get them into heaven. If such is the case, how can we ever hope to stop the killings? Our enemy is religious fanaticism.

Enjoy your day!

ROBIN WILLIAMS RIP

A man who brought so much joy to others apparently was not happy within himself. Robin Williams passed away yesterday by his own hand.

Everyone knows of his major accomplishments. Permit me to share one less known with you.

In the late 1960’s and through the 1970’s, I spent much time in New York both on business and pleasure. I have always had a fanatical interest in art. I stole at least an hour a day on most trips to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Heaven to me!

Many times after the visit, I would sit on the steps in front of the Museum. wWth hundreds of other people. On occasion, I would enjoy a hot dog and can of soda while sitting there. Generally there was a mime performing. Always enjoyable to watch.

Twenty years later, I was watching a talk show on TV. Robin Williams was being interviewed. It was there I learned that he had spent several years performing as a mime on tghe sidewalk in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Let the band play, the canons roar! Northern Roosevelt Boulevard was open yesterday. aAl five lanes! The official opening is at 2 today. I was able to drive into town and out on the Boulevard with no holdup or difficulty. I was at the point where I thought the time to do so would never return.

My yesterday began with a business meeting, then lunch with the grandkids, and dinner at Geiger Key.

The afternoon was spent working on tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. Join me at 9. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Interesting topics include the chamber of horrors occurring on Mt. Sinjar, police brutality, Saudi Arabians being anti-Christmas, an Indianapolis man who won two separate $1 million lotteries within 3 months, a man whose penis was amputated by mistake, and more.

I have to move fast this morning. I have an MRI scheduled at 10:30 of my right shoulder.

Enjoy your day!