ANOTHER SYRACUSE WIN

Posted on by

 

I was reading over my notes for last night’s blog talk radio show when the telephone rang. It was Don Manaher. Are you watching the game? What game? Syracuse and Indiana.

I had forgotten. How could I forget? I knew I would only be able to watch the first half because my radio show went on at 9. I rushed to the TV set in time to catch the first half.

I was disappointed. Syracuse had a 10-0 lead and blew it. They have done that before this season. The game was a one point difference at half time when my viewing ceased. I see from the morning news that Syracuse won 69-52. Apparently Indiana fell apart in the second half.

What I saw and what I think. Syracuse guards are outstanding. Three pointers galore this season! The problem was getting the ball inside. Syracuse cannot win on three pointers alone. I am sure Boeheim will be working on the flaw.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou went well. I particularly enjoyed my dissertation regarding the Senkaku Islands. The islands between China and Japan that  has created a developing feud between the two countries. One that could suck the United States in.

It bothers me that the media rarely sets forth the true story behind an incident. With regard to the Senkaku Islands, it is oil. I will have more to say on the issue on Friday’s TV/internet show.

My head was in the books yesterday. Actually, the internet. I was in deep research. I was interested in a Lt. Barbie. It was World War II and he was the Nazi officer in charge of destroying the French resistance in a certain part of France. He was a sick diabolical man.

Last night’s blog talk radio show is archived and available. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Last friday’s TV show was You Tubed at 5 last night. Key West Lou 11/29/13.

Enjoy your day!

BLUE LAWS

Posted on by

 

My day yesterday started at the TV studio at 10. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Once again, it was enjoyable to do.

There is always some topic that garners the most interest. I base which one on post show comments. Yesterday, it was my tirade on Black Friday. I do not mind Black Friday on Friday. I do mind it starting Thanksgiving. I believe every one is entitled to a paid day off on a holiday. Especially low paid employees. A day of rest and feast with the family.

Back when I was young and up through my early years in the practice, there were something called Blue Laws. All over the United states. Blue Laws prohibited stores from being open and selling on Sundays. The day was one of rest and also to pay homage to God. The keep holy the Sabbath thing.

Blue Laws are no more, except in a few small places. Commercial greed has won over. I say bring back the Blue Laws. Prohibit Black Friday on Thanksgiving. Give everyone a break.

I spent the afternoon writing. I have two books going at the present. One is Growing Up Italian. It covers my life from birth through college. I worked on the book yesterday. I am still at the outlining stage. Much to do. I hope to devote 3-4 hours a day to it through December.

The publisher and I are in a bit of a disagreement. I want the growing up book. He thinks I should come out with a book of essays similar to the one just published. Book publication and promotion are not my field.  I rely on the publisher. We shall see.

In the mean time, The World Upside Down appears to have been acquired by some. I am at the stage where people are asking me to autograph their copy of the book. Amazing!

Cold yesterday morning. Cold last night. In between, terrific weather. By day, high 70s. This morning 70. Cold for me. Cold for most Key Westers. I repeat myself. Once you have lived on a sub-tropical island as Key West for an extended time, your blood thins. The cold is more dramatically felt.

Last night spent at Hogfish. Had dinner with Pati. Ran into Steve. Steve is a Syracuse graduate, also. We used to watch Syracuse basketball together. Last season, he was nowhere to be found. We were happy to see each other last night. He is back. I will once again have a pro Syracuse companion at the games.

I was home early. Early enough to see a good part of the Arizona/Duke game.

Syracuse plays Indiana Tuesday night. Tuesday is blog talk radio for me. I will probably only catch half the game and that will be at home.

Enjoy your day!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Posted on by

 

Happy thanksgiving!

I love family holidays. The warmth of the company, the terrific food. I am prepared to pig out at 1 when I sit down with Lisa and family.

I have a ton of comments this morning.

When I was young and into my early years of law practice, there were something called Blue Laws. These laws prohibited retail selling on Sunday. Stores were closed. It gave people a day certain for rest and an opportunity to keep holy the Sabbath.

Only a few areas today have blue Laws. I am beginning to think there should be a return of them. For Sundays and legal holidays. It bothers me the many stores that will be open today to get a jump on Black Friday. Most, if not all, should be able to kick back and enjoy a holiday.

The weather outside…..It was 60 degrees this morning. Our first really cold day. In the high 50s during the night. The high today will be 75, however. The next week in the low 80s by day and low 70s in the evening. I have come to enjoy these occasional cold days. A break from the usual.

I wrote yesterday morning about Greece and some of the poor intentionally injecting themselves with the HIV virus to obtain a government pension of 700 euros a month. The sad story of what has been going on in Greece. Turns out I was wrong. The story was false.

The scenario. In late September, the World Health Organization issued a report that a significant number of Greeks were self inflicting themselves with the HIV virus. In order to qualify for a 700 euro a month pension which they would use in turn to feed their families. Greater love hath no man…..desperate people do desperate things.

I came across the report in an article in early October. I learned long ago that you cannot believe everything on the internet. I looked for some verification/support for the story. I could find none. Ergo, I placed the tale in tha back of my mind for another day. There was uncertainty as to validity on my part.

This past Monday, the story hit the internet and media big time. Liberals and conservatists alike were reporting the story. Even Russ Limbaugh and Matt Drudge. Ugh! All of a sudden for no particular reason, the story had legs.

I reported the situation in yesterday’s blog. Even talked about it on my blog talk radio show Tuesday evening. It fit into the Greece I have come to know.

I decided to do next week’s KONK Life column about the apparent very sad situation. Around noon yesterday, I went back on the internet to verify the facts, see if anything more had developed, etc. prior to writing the column.

Shock of shocks! I discovered the story was not true. There was as much coverage as the Monday revelation.

The World Health Organization is part of the United Nations. A well respected organization. It has done much good over the years. Also known as WHO. WHO retracted their September report. The organization said it had misspoken. Instead of self inflict, the verbiage should have been inject. The increase in prostitutes from East Europe was the cause/problem. Not self infliction, though WHO admitted their were some anecdotal cases reported.  The anecdotal bothers me, however for another day perhaps.

WHO claimed an editorial error. Their error became mine and everyone else’s. Sorry.

I started last night at Don’s Place. A good crowd. Chatted with Don, Hershel, and Stan a while. Mikey was in. Mikey used to hang out at Don’s Place. An excellent golfer, we played together several times. Though I was in a totally different league. Mikey moved to Lexington, Kentucky three years ago to a new job. Likes the job and doing well in it. Mikey is in Key West for the holiday. It was good to see him again.

Toni was sitting at the bar watching Kentucky play. She is a die hard Kentucky fan. She was jumping off the stool every time Kentucky did something right. Especially when they stole the ball.

Then to the Chart Room. Chatted with Sheila, Peter, and Emily. Met Dale. He is from the Jersey shore. Sails his sailboat down every winter for a six month Key West stay. An interesting guy.

Syracuse was playing Baylor in the finals of the Maui Classic at 10. I went home to watch the game. I saw only three minutes of it. I fell asleep. I see from this morning’s news that Syracuse won 74-67. A good victory since Baylor was a ranked team. Next week, Indiana.

I wrote a couple of days ago how I could not understand why the cost of gasoline in Key West went from $3.51 a gallon to $3.69 in two weeks. This morning I read on the internet that the cost off gasoline has gone down. The average yesterday across the U.S. was $3.29 a gallon. Why then $3.69 in Key West? I will never understand. Don’t write and tell me it is the cost of driving the gasoline from Miami to Key West. Not 40 cents a gallon worth!

Tomorrow morning my TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Lots of good stuff to talk about. Not including the Greece/HIV story obviously. Join me for an interesting fast moving hour.

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.

I finally got a copy of my book yesterday. The World Upside Down. I got to see it and hold it. Exciting! If you are interested, the book is available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com both as an ebook and a paperback.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

DROPPING TO 63 DEGREES TONIGHT…..COLD!

Posted on by

 

You northerners can laugh all you want! Sixty three degrees is cold in Key West! Our blood is thin.

I will probably wear long pants tonight. It has been months since last my legs were so covered.

Hogfish for dinner last night. I had my blog talk radio show to do at 9. I like to stay close to home. Enjoyed a lobster roll and read the newspapers.

Blog talk time later. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. If you missed the show, it is archived. It is also available on You tube.

I have visited Greece twice in the last year and a half. Roughly one month each time. Traveled the islands as well as visiting Athens. I love Greece! It has everything. Yesterday, today and the scent of tomorrow. It also has problems. Big time.

The euro and Germany have devastated the Greek economy. The highest rate of unemployment in all of Europe exists in Greece. Jobs almost non-existent. Many unemployed. Begging common place. Fathers cannot feed their families. Demonstrations. The Nazi party on the rise.

I have written four articles for KONK  Life concerning today’s Greece. Two of them are in my recently published book. The World Upside Down.

Now comes an even more tragic event. You will find it hard to believe. But as I have been repeatedly saying, desperate people do desperate things.

The World Health Organization announced yesterday an HIV twist never heard before. Anywhere. Fathers and single mothers are injecting themselves with the HIV virus. Intentionally. The reason simple. The Greek government considers HIV a disabling illness. Persons so afflicted receive a 700 euro a month pension from the government. Plus free medical to help contain and control the disease.

Seven hundred euros is a lot of money in the Greek economy of today. Rent can be paid and food put on the table. Not a lot, but enough to sustain a family.

Would you believe? Have you ever heard? Desperate people do do desperate things!

The World Upside Down is available for sale. Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. The Greek stories I have included in the book give you a taste of the book’s style. Read it. I am sure you will enjoy the essays. Consider purchasing extra copies as Christmas gifts for friends.

Syracuse beat California in the Maui Classic last night 92-81. I did not see the game. Got screwed up somehow. I thought there were only four teams in the tournament. Turns out there must be six. Syracuse plays Baylor tonight in the finals. Both teams are ranked. Syracuse #8 and Baylor #18. Should be a good game. The game will be Syracuse’s first test against a ranked team.

I will be watching the game from the comfort of my bed. It does not begin till 10 pm.

Tomorrow is turkey day! I enjoy the Thanksgiving meal. I will stuff myself. Recently lost 16 pounds so there is room to spare.

Lisa bought the turkey sunday. It has been sitting in my garage refrigerator thawing. I checked it this morning. Still hard as a rock! Lisa’s headache to resolve. I am sure she will.

Enjoy your day!

 

Square One Restaurant

Posted on by

 

I had dinner last night at the Square One Restaurant. I should refer to it as the new Square One. It has been open about a year. Second time there for me.

I could not believe all the people! The place was packed. I could not get near the bar. I was glad I had telephoned for reservations.

Patrick Hayes was bartending. A Key West icon. I have known him for 25 years. He is best friends with Lisa. I recall attending he and Les’ wedding reception a couple of years ago. Patrick and Les had to go all the way to Iowa to make it legal.

Carmelo is the new owner of Square One. The décor is lovely, the food outstanding!

Jenna was my date. We had not been out together for quite some time. I enjoyed her company. We get along well together.

Yesterday morning, I did my TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. I am not ashamed to admit I get a kick out of doing it.

I am into government waste. If Congress wants to screw the poor by reducing food stamps, cut elderly benefits available through Social Security and Medicare, and punish the sick by abolishing Obamacare, then it is high time the American people began looking closely at how Congress operates. Especially in the area of waste and apparent lack of concern about it.

The national debt is $17 trillion. I found where $8.7 trillion is sitting out there with no one able to say where the money went. Half the national debt!

The Pentagon since 1996 has not been able to explain what happened to $8.7 trillion. Via whistleblowers, the figure has been documented. As well as claims of doctoring the books. It boils down to the Pentagon not being able to balance its books.

You and I may not have known. However, all of Washington has for several years. Nothing has been done, except to give the Pentagon through 2017 to balance the books.

This Pentagon/$8.7 trillion problem was the one that most interested viewers to yesterday’s program based on e mails and telephone calls received after the show. Evidencing that the American people are starting to wake up a bit and are pissed the way government operates.

Syracuse and Pitt today. Syracuse has one other game after today. Boston College next week. I have no idea how Syracuse will fare today against Pitt.

Syracuse basketball coming alive. So far Syracuse has won all the easy ones. A couple close point wise, however. I wonder how my team will do when they start playing the big boys. We will get an indication starting tomorrow night. Syracuse is in a four team tournament in Hawaii. They open against Minnesota. ESPN2 will be carring the game at 5:30.

Happy birthday Milly Falabrino. Milly is an Italian friend.

The book is out there. Milly already has one in Italy. I am curious as to how many will actually read the book. The World Upside Down. No one has had time to finish reading the book as yet so I have no indication as to how people feel about it.

The book is available on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Enjoy your day!

HAPPY PASSOVER!

Posted on by

 

Happy Passover one and all!

This evening my Jewish friends sit down to a special meal. One that recalls the suffering of their people. An interesting evening. A special one. Clothe in warmth and tradition.

I have been favored over the years with having been invited to many Passover seters. The correct word. However, I am not sure I spelled it correctly. If not, my apologies.

Donna and Terri are back in Key West. For Passover. Donna is a tough Jewish Mom. She requires all her children to be with her for Passover. Donna has flown in from Los Angeles. A daughter lives here in Key West. Her three sons Boston, Detroit and I am not sure where else. Tonight Passover will be celebrated at the daughter’s home in Key West.

Jake continues to be the center of attention. He has only been with Lisa and family about two weeks. They are inseparable. Jake is fortunate. He has found a good and loving home. In return he expresses his love for all the family. Me, too. Sometimes.

There seems to be a story a day with Jake. Jake is tiny. From the top of his head to his paws no more than 18 inches. He weighs just under 10 pounds. He fears not! Especially big dogs!

He is very territorial. If a dog walks by, he is at the door on hind legs barking like crazy. Regardless of the dog’s size. The neighbors across the street have two tinier dogs. They bark all the time. Jake does not seem to like them. He returns the barking.

Frankie the Plumber and Lisa are neighbors. Their backyards abutt. All that separates the two yards is a chain link fence.

Frankie has a monstrous dog. Big enough for my grandkids to ride!

Frankie’s dog and Jake are best of friends. No barking. They get up to the fence and rub noses. If one walks one way, the other follows. I find it amazing that Jake does not consider Frankie’s pet a danger or intruder.

I made a mistake yesterday afternoon. Late in the afternoon. I was on my way to Lisa’s for Sunday dinner. I ran into the traffic leaving Boca Chica. Took forever to reach Key West.

After dinner, I stopped at the Chart Room. Sheila was there. It appeared she was waiting for me. She handed me a bag of tomatoes. Sheila has a green thumb. She raises vegetables on her third floor terrace. I look forward to enjoying the tomatoes.

JJ bartending. He introduced me to Andras. In all the time I have been in Key west, this was the first we met.

Andras is around 50. Originally from Argentina, he has lived in Key West many years. He presently waits tables at Antonia’s and Rooftop. He has to be an excellent waiter. Both are top shelf establishments.

At one time, JJ and Andras were roommates. Andras introduced JJ to his now wife.

Key Westers are known as one human family. I break it down further to one family.

Men and women share apartments, condos, homes. Rent is high. Sharing a necessity. The men and women live as brother and sister. Sex  not involved. A very common Key West arrangement.

Mary bartends the Chart Room monday evenings. She has a roommate. You guessed it! Andras! A small world.

JJ told me the Chart Room will be 45 years old June 15. The Pier House is planning a party. A big one! Sounds like a fun time ahead.

I watched the Indiana/Temple game yesterday. The winner is scheduled to meet Syracuse later this week in the Sweet Sixteen. Temple beat Syracuse earlier this season when Syracuse was ranked #3 nationally. A good team.

An excellent game! Temple almost won. They lost the in the last two minutes. The score was 58-52. So it is Indiana for Syracuse in a few days.

Indiana is a #1 seed. Syracuse a #4. It should be an interesting game.

I make no predictions. I thought we would have been out of the tournament by now. It has been a topsy turvy Syracuse year.

What pisses me off are the media commentaries through the weekend and this morning. Every team gets talked about. But Syracuse. It is as if Syracuse does not exist. It is assumed Indiana will beat Syracuse, I suspect.

It is always this way with media reporting and Syracuse. We are the long lost brother and no one seems to care.

I hope Syracuse surprises every one! Beware of sleeping dogs!

Every one I have run into this weekend that had an opportunity to meet the Robinsons were impressed. All saw them as down to earth warm hearted people. All mentioned that the Robinsons appeared to be taken with Key West. Some suspected they might buy here.

For an island that was home to Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, John Hershey, and other notable writers of all type works, the Robinsons would be a welcome addition.

I spent a bit of yesterday working on tuesday night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. Join me at 9 for what should be an interesting time. One of the topics will be Cyprus and banks. The banks in this instance best described as whores. Interesting chatter awaits. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Long winded today. Sorry. I had much to share.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

A BIG VISITORS WEEKEND

Posted on by

 

Charles Kuralt considered Schooner Wharf the center of the universe. I believe it is the Chart Room. We may both be wrong. It may be Key West itself!

This weekend is a biggie for Key West visitors. Many notables.

Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson spoke at The Studios of Key West friday night. He had been here the whole week. His wife Avis is notable in her own right. She is an artist. Her work has been showing all week at the Studios.

The Blue Angels are in town! No one has to tell you! They can be heard. Several times a day for the past few days. Flying low over Key West. Low low! I stood on my second floor balcony to watch them fly over. I thought if I put my hand up, I could touch the planes. Some one commented the planes were flying so low, he could see the pilot clearly. The Blue Angels are performing this weekend at Boca Chica Naval Base.

My bocce partner Erika flew with the Blue Angels friday. Not in a jet. In a large C-130 cargo plane. Called Fat Albert by the Navy.

Burt Reynolds, Angie Dickinson, and Tippi Hedren were in Key West friday evening. Perhaps you have to be my age to know/remember them. Sad if that is the case. They were big movie stars of another generation. My generation.

All three were here for an opening at Rote’s Gallery on Duval. All three friends of owner Adam Scott Rote. Reynolds and Dickinson drove up in a Rolls-Royce.

Burt was a big time male star in the 1960s through the 1980s. Comparable to Tom Cruise who followed him. Reynolds interestingly has a sort of connection with the Blue Angels who are performing this weekend in Key West. In 1960 and 1961, Reynolds appeared in several episodes of the TV show Blue Angels.

Angie Dickinson was a wow! The loveliest of the lovelies! A big time female star. She worked with all the major male stars. She also was engaged heavily in television. A close friend of Frank Sinatra, she starred in the first Oceans 11 movie with Sinatra.

Tippi Hedren is best recalled by The Birds. The beautiful woman being chased by an army of run away birds.

Last but not least, the Budweiser Clydesdales are in town. All eight of them. They made a delivery on Duval Street friday. They performed at the Blue Angels air show saturday.

Key West Lou was here, also. I never got to see or meet any of the luminaries mentioned. My fault. A shame.

This blog is very late this morning because I was up after midnight watching the Syracuse/California basketball game. Syracuse won 66-60. Syracuse once had a 14 point lead. It got widdled down to 4 thereafter. Syracuse’s defense won the game for them. They completely tied up California’s big time star Crabbe. He scored only 8 points. You could see the exasperation on his face.

Syracuse went 12 minutes in the second half without even taking a shot. Can you imagine! They were fouled constantly, however. It was not Syracuse’s evening to shine on the foul line. The team only made 15 of 41 foul shots.

Onward to the Sweet Sixteen! Either Indiana or Temple. Those two play this afternoon.

Jake. Made his first long car trip yesterday. To Miami and back. Lisa said he was very good. He either rested on the floor or sat in someone’s lap looking out the window.

I noticed something unusual about Jake friday. The way he runs. He bounds. Maybe leaps. Whatever. He is a small dog. Each bound/leap is good for five feet. He is fast. Ain’t nothing that is going to get away from him.

Key West weather continues to be fantastic! 83 yesterday. It will be the same today. No humidity. Such a pleasure!

Enjoy your sunday!

 

POST WAR COSTS

Posted on by

I spent an enjoyable morning yesterday doing the Key West Lou Legal Hour.

Viewers always attach to an issue or two. The topic garnering the most interest yesterday had to do with post war costs. We do not stop paying when a war ends. The costs are ongoing for many years. There are military pensions, disability pensions and ongoing medical for war inflicted wounds.

The United States spends $40 billion a year for such costs. Interestingly, we are still paying pensions to two descendants of Civil War veterans. $876 per month to each.

After the show, I visited with Lisa. I am beginning to wonder if it is Lisa I go to see or Jake.

Jake got in trouble yesterday. He got out of the fenced back yard. Today, Jake will experience his first long car ride. To Miami and back. Lisa says he will handle the car ride without any problem. We shall see.

It was friday afternoon. Time to write next week’s KONK Life column. Entitled it Our Enemy The Banks. Interesting reading. More of too big to fail and too big to prosecute tied into the Cyprus situation and how it could impact us. I was pleased with the final product. So I published it on Amazon Kindle, also.

Chart Room last night! Busy!

Chatted with Emily off and on. A smart woman. Then spent some time talking with Peter. Always a pleasure.

Ran into a couple I met a year ago. Al and Donna. We met in the Chart Room. They are Key West residents. Al works for the City of Key West as a welder/fabricator. Donna is in the State Attorney’s Office.

Nice people.

They are originally from Tampa. Wanted to live in Key West their whole lives. Finally made the move two years ago.

In came Cheryl and Roger with another couple. Cheryl and Roger. My friends from Kankakee, Illinois. Hope I spelled it right. If not, Cheryl will most assuredly correct me.

Cheryl and Roger are snow birds. Down here about 6 months a year. They have an RV. Park it at Boyd’s Campgrounds on Stock Island. Probably the nicest RV park in the lower keys.

The couple was Belinda and Ray from Michigan. They are snow birds. First time we have met, however. They reside during the season at Boyd’s. Belinda is the Social Director at Boyd’s. Ray is a retired body shop owner.

The four of them were having a drink before scooting across the street to Hot Tin Roof for dinner. The makings for a terrific evening.

I stopped at Don’s Place on the way home. Ran into Hershel. He told me of Erika’s flight yesterday with the Blue Angels. I thought it was to be a small pursuit plane. Not so. It was some kind of big plane. Hershel had a photo of Erika sitting in the cockpit. Looked the size of a bedroom.

Syracuse basketball again tonight. At 9:40. Play California. I make no prediction. It has been a tough season.

Enjoy your day!

 

BOCCE, BLUE ANGELS AND EUGENE ROBINSON

Posted on by

 

A spectacular bocce evening last night!

We won all three games. We played well. On top of which, I shot what has to have been the best bocce of my life! They were falling in for me. I could do no wrong.

Thank you, Lord!

Frankie and I were partners. He is recovering well from his heart surgery. Frankie mentioned in passing that five years ago he was in Rome, NY and played in the International Bocce Tournament . An annual event.  His team played a team from Italy. The team had been the overall winner the year before. Frankie said his team got killed! So bad that he could not wait to get out of Dodge the next day.

Rome is 15 miles from my home town of Utica. The bocce tournament is a big deal.

The Blue Angels arrived in Key West yesterday. The US Navy daredevils of the sky. They arrived by flying low the length of Duval Street. Then up the road to the Naval Base at Boca Chica. They will be performing this weekend.

My other bocce partner Erika is Controller at the Key West Citizen. The Citizen is one of the sponsors of the Blue Angels event. Tomorrow Erika will be flying in a two seater pursuit plane which will be overseeing the Blue Angels. Excited she is!

Once again Key West is blessed with the presence of a person of fame and reputation. Eugene Robinson. Pulitzer Prize winner, syndicated columnist, Associate Editor of the Washington Post, round table member of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and whatever else. Robinson is speaking this evening at 6 at The Studios of Key West. The event is free and open to the public.

Robinson’s wife brings him to Key West. She is a painter. Her work has been showing all week at The Studios.

Another person of repute arrived in Key West yesterday. Terri White is back! With wife Donna Barnett. They are in Key West to celebrate Passover with family.

Terri and Donna refer to themselves as my lesbian wives. They are. I can’t wait to see them. They are not staying with me this visit. I have been abandoned.

Syracuse won its first tournament game last night. Beat Montana 81-34. Big! Syracuse plays California saturday. May Syracuse continue to be victorious!

I had intended to lunch yesterday at Hogfish. Never made it. Final preparations for today’s TV/internet show took more time than I expected.

This morning the Key West Lou Legal Hour. Ten my time. Available on television all the way up through Miami-Dade County on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Available world wide via the internet. www.tvchannel19.com.

Join me. A good show. I am going to beat up the banks a bit, discuss the tragedy of Cyprus, and make comment regarding a 1349 massacre of Jews. Plus more.

Dee, where are you?

Enjoy your day!

 

I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TITLE TODAY

Posted on by

 

My Sunday was quiet and uneventful. An item in this morning’s news disturbing.

The big thing yesterday were the March Madness seedings. Syracuse is a #4 seed. I thought it would be. Hoped for a #3. Four however is good enough.

I woke this morning to the news that the euro bank was planning on levying/taxing Cyprus bank accounts. Savings accounts. What shit!

The Cyprus legislature has to approve the plan today. If not approved, it’s bankruptcy for Cyprus.

A dilemma!

The worst thing European nations did was enter into the euro more than a decade ago. Greed motivated each country. The Germans were smarter than everyone else. Most other nations, such as Cyprus, are getting beat up.

Can you imagine waking up one morning to the news that your savings account was having 6-12 per cent taken out to pay back in effect monies owed Germany?

The run on Cyprus banks has begun. Too late, however. The ATM machines are empty and the banks are withholding withdrawals till things get figured out.

I felt a similar panic when I was on Greece’s Santorini island last summer. The euro problem was all the people were talking about. The Greek people. That and they hated Germany’s Merkel. It was rumored that all Santorini banking was going to close down.

Santorini is a large island. Tremendously larger than Key West. Only two ATM machines on the island.

When I heard the news, I thought I should replenish my euro cash supply. Not everyone in Greece took credit cards. Euros were needed. I walked the mile to the ATM machine near me. It was out of money.

The only other ATM machine was located on the other side of the island. A two bus trip each way. Fortunately, that ATM had money in it.

The crisis swiftly ended. Twenty four hours later, there was cash in the ATM near me.

Merkel is being blamed for Cyprus’ present crisis.

When something like this occurs, a madness sweeps in. A collective madness. Germany keeps pushing the envelope. I said it last summer and I say it again. The next war may start in Europe rather than the Middle East. If it does, it will be because of the euro and Germany pushing its neighbors for repayment.

I felt under the weather yesterday. My stomach was off. Other than a stop at the Plantation Coffee House, I spent the day home lounging around.

I feel fine this morning.

Enjoy your day!