Where do I begin…..

I did not sleep well last night. Tossed and turned. Watched some TV. A couple of Tennessee Williams movies.

I generally start my blog talking about the morning, the sun rising, the water, the wind, the colors caused by reflected sun. Key West dawns capture mind and imagination.

I knew Tennessee Williams had lived in Key West for many years. I went to the computer around 2 in the morning to see if the story for the movie I had just watched was written while Tennessee Williams lived in Key West. The movie was Suddenly Last Summer with Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift. I never found out. Though I suspect it was.

What I did discover at 2 this morning was absolutely terrific! Outstanding! The best!

And I could not sleep the rest of the night in anticipation of sharing it with you.

I read an essay. By Madeleine Blais. Based on an interview she had in 1979 with Tennessee Willims. She was a relatively young reporter at the time. She came to Key West specifically to do a story on Williams for the Tropic Magazine of the Miami Herald.

Let me make this observatiuon at the outset. Blais is one of the finest writers I have ever read! She does with words what a great artist does with a brush. I found her essay exciting!

Key West sunrises, for example. Something I knew were special. But never really thought about as such.

Blais quoted Tennessee Williams as saying he loved dawns in Key West. Williams referred to dawn as day time’s “great triumph over night.”

Many describe Key West. I do daily. But compared to Blais, we all merely try. She does it as no one else.

I am going to quote briefly from her essay About Tennessee Williams in Key West. Then you can decide for yourself if you agree with me.

Blais describes Key West as “…the place where we run out of East Coast, where the cabs are pink, the sidewalks buckle, roosters roam free, people applaud the sunset, every local restaurant has the best fish sandwich in town, the t-shitrts are vulgar, the cats have six toes, where in the early 90s Hooters went out of business because it was too Ohio, ceiling fans and balconies abound, the smell of beer competes with the smell of a new catch and the smell of night blooming jasmine, and where the sky and water are involved in some kind of sexy dance, blue on blue, and they let us watch.”

Need I say more!

You can read the entire essay at www.floridabookreview.com/id41.html.

The big hit of the day yesterday was grocery shopping.

I went alone.

Turned out Lisa, Corey and the grandkids were at Publix shopping, also. I asked Robert and Ally if they wanted to shop with Poppa. Yes, they both exclaimed! Lisa and Corey happily went on their way. The grandkids were with me.

A disaster!

The venture only lasted two aisles.

Both wanted to push the cart. I let them. Robert lasted about 10 feet. Then he was off and wandering the aisle. It was necessary for me to keep an eye on him. Ally said I will do it alone Poppa. Good, I thought. She ended up in the right place to push, but did not push. She put her feet up on the cart. I was pulling her and the cart from the front.

I find it difficult to do two things at one time these days. Here I had three. Shop, watch Robert and pull Ally!

Corey came around a corner. I said without hesitation…..they’re yours! He understood and laughed.

Today is Sunday. Always a good day. I approach it as a day of rest. A time to screw off.

Soon I will be engrossed in Meet the Press and the Chris Matthews show. This afternoon pro football at Don’s Place. This evening dinner with Lisa and the famly. In between I will read the Sunday papers.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Slept late this morning.

It is like getting up in the middle of the day. Eveything is in place and working. As it should be.

The sun is out. The sky is blue. An occasional cloud. The water is moving along. There is a slight breeze. The yellow MTV house across the way is glistening in the sunlight.

Yesterday morning’s radio show was a hit again! I am fortunate so many watch and listen.

Terrific response afterward both by e mail and telephone. The issues discussed yesterday were especially intertesting. Timely. Most of the events discussed had occurred during the past week.

One item I talked about was old hat, however. It has been around for about a year. Only not for me. I just discovered its existence this past week.

I am referring to the LFL. It is the opposite gender to the NFL, the National Football League. The LFL is the Lingerie Football League.

Yes, there is a football league for the ladies. It has been in existence for about a year.

The LFL consists of 10 teams. Their names fit the concept. Like Chicago Bliss, Philadelphia Passion, Miami Caliente, Dallas Desire, Los Angeles Temptation and San Diego Seduction.

I kid you not!

The ladies play two 17 minute halfs.

Their attire is lingerie, of course. Plus shoulder pads and helmets.

The league games are played friday evenings and are televised. Though I have never seen one.

The NFL has the Super Bowl. The LFL has its own super bowl game at the end of the season. It is called the Lingerie Bowl.

The 2011 Lingerie Bowl is scheduled to be played Sunday February 6, 2011. That is the same day as Super Bowl. The ladies’ game will be played during the half time of the Super Bowl game. On a different channel.

There are two reasons why I spoke about the Lingerie Football League on my radio show yesterday. One was practical. The other legal.

I advised Don at Don’s Place, Patrick at the Sports Page Bar and the other sports bars in town to start showing the LFL games. They show the NFL games on sundays. Their bars are packed. Lets give the ladies a chance, better stated equal time, on fridays.

The legal issue is the real reason I spoke about the LFL. It involves the uproar a couple of weeks ago involving female sports writer Ines Sainz.

I spoke to the legal issue a week ago on my radio show.

As you are aware, female sports writers are allowed in the dressing rooms of male sports teams. Even following a game when the players are showering, dressing and walking around nude.

This is a settled issue in the law and our present day culture. If a male reporter can enter a male team’s dressing room, so too can a female sports writer. The women cracked the glass ceiling in this regard.

As my Constiuutional Law professor Bill Loyd used to tell us in class…..What’s good for the goose is good for the gander!

Male reporters have the equal right to enter female team dressing rooms. But apparently rarely, if at all, do. I call it good taste. Even respect.

Sainz apparently got hastled a bit in the New York Jets dressing room and on the field. It hit the media big time!

Now comes the Lingerie Football League. Would the ladies involved like to have male reporters walking in their dressing room while they are walking around in various states of undresss or completely undressed?

I doubt it.

Nor do I believe that most men in a similar state in a male dressing room want a female reporter wandering about while the family jewels are exposed.

My stated remedy on the radio show a week ago was to stop reporters of either sex from entering a team’s dressing room at any time. The what is good for the goose is good for the gander theory applied in another fashion.

The solution is simple. Have a specified time and place set for after the game. Say one hour. At that time and place, all players appear. Clothed of course. And then questioned by the sports reporters, male and female alike.

It is called good taste. Sensitivity. Respect.

Enjoy your day!

I enjoyed my yesterday.

Basically only did two things. Final preparations for today’s radio show by day and bocce by night.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour radios at 10 am. KONK 1500 AM. The show can also be seen as well as heard worldwide on the intertnet at http://www.konkam.com/.

Join me for an interesting and fun time!

Some highlights include a decision by a Florida appeals court declaring the law against gay adoption unconstituional, the don’t ask/don’t tell mess, a tale of greed involving a California Mayor, the Lingerie Football League (you read me correctly), California’s Proposition 19 and legalization of marijuana for personal use, Montana weird dumb laws, an income tax disgrace, dog scent evidence in a Texas murder case, Virginia’s first female execution in over 100 years, the weird dumb lawsuit of the week involving Michael Vick, and a decisin by a Senegal Court forbidding child begging.

Terrific material! I love the research and preparation. I love sharing my findings with you. Listen/watch, if you can. You will not be disappointed!

Last night’s bocce match was one of the best I have ever participated in. Fun! Close! Tense!

It was a money game! My team and 3 others have this sort of side bet thing. When we play each other, $150 is at stake. A pot of $450 is accumulated during the season to pay for a season end party only for the 4 teams involved. The winning team pays nothing. The other 3 kick in $150 per team.

We played Fairfield last night. They are good! A bit better that us this season.

Both sides were wired. A must win for each side.

We did it! We won the match! Two out of three games!

The first game did not go well. We lost 16-11. I felt very uncomfortable at the end of the game. Not a good night ahead, I thought.

We came back in the second game, however. Big time! Won 16-3. Ho, ho!

The third game was for all the money!

It was close. A nail biter. The lead moved back and forth several times. We finally won 16-14.

Both sides agreed that last game was one of the best either side had ever played in.

I was terrific! No humility.

But every one on my team was terrific! David was outstanding. Spectacular is a better word! In that last game, within a short 10 minute period, David had 4 difficult shots. Impossible! He had to make each one. Could not be done!

He did it!

Michelle, Keith, Don, Erica and Herschel all contributed in one fashion or another. We did the job!
The Fairfield players were excellent! Good guys, too!

A talented team! Angus. He was on last night! Chris, too. Nate is always good. A natural athlete. Russ was there with his shots!

I met Nancy last night. She recently returned from Afghanistan. A lovely lady. She is friends with Herschel and Erica. Her first time at a bocce match. She made her contribution to the cause. Not as a player. As a spectator. She talked with the opposing players. The idle chatter affected their concentration.

It’s all part of the game!

I mentioned Russ earlier. Russ is Chief Chef at The Strip House. You will recall I maligned the place in yesterday’s blog. I was irritated by a $5 surcharge for sharing a $42 steak. Russ was aware of my comments. He looked at me cross eyed as I approached him for the first time last night.

Russ is a company man. The Strip House is a chain. His perceptioon, and correctly so, is that anything I say affects the company’s image nationwide.

Russ is a nice guy. I felt bad.

I felt worse when he told me that the $5 sharing charge has always been there. It is everywhere nationwide. My problem was that I had either never noticed it before or never reviewed my bill before. Probably the latter.

Mea culpa Strip House. Mea culpa Russ. But I still think the $5 sharing fee is a stupid charge in an expensive restaurant!

Enjoy your day! Again, listen in to the radio show at 10 this morning.

Howard Livingston!

Premier entertainer!

A star!

More importantly, my friend. Before he was famous. Now that he is a success.

It was announced recently that Howard is going to be the Grand Marshall of the Fantasy Fest Parade. Good for you, Howard! Congratulations!

Four years ago Howard decided to sponsor a float in the Fantasy Fest parade for that year. He telephoned and asked if I wanted to be on the float. Did I! I had never been! Yes, I swiftly responded!

It was an experience!

The float had a hippie theme from the 1960s. Howard costumed us all. I wore a psychedelic tee shirt with a large crazy hat. Each of us on the float had a part to play. Mine was twofold. To throw beads, of course. And suck on an Arab dope pipe at the appropriate time.

The float had a musical theme to it. A big moment for the float was when we were before the Judges’ stand. We had about 2 minutes to do our thing. Howard jumped into the street, played his guitar and sang. My responibility was to suck on that pipe! It was one of those huge vases with tubes coming out. One of those tubes was in my mouth. Howard’s admonition before the parade while we were pracicing was to suck really hard when we were before the Judges’ stand. Suck I did! I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out!

Unfortunately the pipe was empty! I was sucking nothing!

Howard’s float won the Best Musical Float award! Four years later he is Grand Marshall!

I am proud of you, Howard!

There were a few interesting things which occurred during the parade.

We threw out to the screaming crowd 22,000 beads. A lot of beads! I was totally exhausted at the end of the parade from tossing a portion of them. It was work. For real!

I expected to see many bare boobs and other intimate female parts. All in solicitation of beads. Forget it! Hands up to receive the beads, yes. Bare breasts, no. I was disappointed!

There was a woman standing next to me on the float. I had seen her around Key West. Did not know her name. We were sort of partners in tossing beads.

She was scantily attired. A couple of pasties on her nipples A bikini bottom. Nice to look at!

A week later, I was at the Symphony. I saw her in the lobby. I walked over, smiled and said it was good to see her….. with her clothes on. She looked at me strangely. Later I saw her at intermission. What the hell! I went over and said the same thing to her again. Politley again, of course. She was with her husband or boy friend. I repeated the words quietly to her and walked on.

A few minutes later some one grabbed my arm. It was her! What are you talking about, she asked! Firmly! I smiled and told her. Turns out it was not her! Not who I thought she was! She was not the woman on the float with me!

I could not find a hole deep enough to jump in! Embarassed!

I explained to her and the gentleman with her who turned out to be her husband.

At the end, they both laughed. Fortunately for me! The episode brought us together and we are best friends to this day. Strange how life works!

I was at the new County Courthouse yesterday. First time. What a beautiful building! The people of Key West and Monroe County should be proud.

I ran into one of Key West’s top attorneys, Mick Barnes. Charming as well as talented.

Karen of Karen and David is one of my best friends. She works in the Courthouse.

I was sitting at a table in the hallway. Karen came out of the ladies room, looked at me, turned and walked away. Feel bad Karen that you did not recognize me nor aknowledge me. Maybe it was because I was dressed. Jacket, shirt and long pants.

I lunched at Hogfish. Read the newspapers. Such a relaxing atmosphere!

I became extremely tired in the afternoon. I suspect it is one of my heart pills. The beta blocker seems to have a cumulative effect on me. I will get suddenly tired and be tired for several hours. I ended up going to bed and sleeping for two hours.

I stopped at Lisa’s on the way into town last night. The grandkids were just finishing their baths.

We talked.

I asked Robert what was new in school. He is in the first grade at Montessori. He said he was Laundry Technician for the week. Laundry Technician? Yes. What is that? Turns out the students use clothe napkins at lunch. He collects them, takes the name tags off and returns them to the teacher. She in turn takes them home and washes them each evening.

Robert said last week he was the Copy Writer. What does a copy writer do? Writes copy Robert said laughingly. A comedian in the making! As Copy Writer, his responsibility is to go to the copy machine daily and make whatever copies are necessary for whatever.

Ally piped in. She is at Montessori in kindergarten. She was not to be outdone by her brother. I am the Duster! It is her week to dust the class room each day.

Then to the Chart Room.

One of the Chart Room regulars is Sheila. Sheila of trolley car fame! She drives one for a living!

I read in Facebook yesterday that she is have a total hysterectomy next week. I wrote and offered to help in any way. Take her to the hospital, sit with her, whatever. Sheila only has a bike. Can’t see her coming home from the hospital on a bike!

I also commented, perhaps lamented is the better word, that we would never be able to make a baby because of her surgery! Assuming at my age of course that my sperm can still swim!

I saw Sheila at the opposite end of the Pier House parking lot when I arrived. She was walking with Sean and Katherine. Sheila shouted across the parking lot…..” I want to make a baby with you!”

Charming. A lovely person. I wish her well next week.

Dinner was at the bar at The Hot Tin Roof. John manages the restauant. He was all excited. His Wisconsin tem has won three straght games! They are ranked in the top ten!

John was also excited by business last night. Things are slow this time of the year in Key West. Very slow. Many restaurants close down for the month.

John did 74 meals last night! The place was packed!

Radio show time tomorrow morning. 10 am. KONK 1500 AM radio. Live for viewing on the internet at http://www.konkam.com/. Tune in for The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Interesting and informative!

Enjoy your day! Time for me to run to the TV to watch President Clinton on Morning Joe.

Dark outside. Very dark.

There cannot be much breeze. I cannot hear wind.

I do hear the water moving, however. I am sitting about 40 feet from the ocean. In the kitchen with the sliding doors open. I can distinctly hear water moving, slapping against the rocks.

The sun was out yesterday morning around 9. I decided to walk. Smathers Beach. Got started and…..it poured! The rain would not stop. Came down big time! For about 20 minutes.

There is no place to hide at Smathers Beach. I got soaking wet. I said the hell with it! I kept walking in the rain!

Afterward it was home to a warm shower.

I spent some time yesterday afternoon at Borders reading. Quiet. Comforting.

Then I decided to go to K-Mart. Tee shirts on sale.

There are not many places to buy male clothes in Key West. Probably because not much in the way of clothes is required. Tee shirts and shorts are the attire of the day. Every day.

Sears is the big store for men’s clothes. However, friend Aaron told me of a tee shirt sale at K-Mart. Only $3 a shirt. I looked. I saw. I bought not. Junk. Terrible material. Thin. And I am sure the shirts would have shrunk 100 per cent after a first washing.

As I was driving out of the shopping area, I saw an old friend. Ann. A newspaper reporter in Utica in the 1960s. Now a resident of Big Pine.

I had not seen Ann in about 6 months.

I beeped. We talked. Decided to talk further. We ended up sitting outside Papa John’s. Only in Key West!

We had a good talk. I hope it is not 6 months before we hook up again.

Chart Room last night! A decent crowd. Susan bartending. I had a couple of drinks and made idle chatter. Ate some pop corn.

I decided on La Trattoria for dinner. I was in need of some Becha attention!

It was not to be. La Trattoria was closed. Pitch black inside. The stools stacked on the bar. Closed for a couple of weeks. As many Key West restaurants are. September is the slow season and many close down for part or all of the month.

I was with a friend. Where to eat? We decided on making it a big night. The Strip House. A fine place for steak. Probably the most expensive restaurant in Key West.

A perfect evening for The Strip House. The weather lovely. We sat on the outside porch. Overlooking the ocean. There was slight breeze. A full moon. The sound of the waves in your ears.

The meal was outstanding! As anticipated!

A sirloin medium rare. We shared it. The portions are large. Onions and potatos. An appetizer to start.

Again, a glorious meal!

Then the bill. Expensive as had been anticipated. $42 for the steak alone.

I noticed an extra $5 charge on the bill. For sharing. I have been a loyal cutomer for years. Never noticed a sharing charge before.

I was pissed! Business is slow in Key West. Because of the time of the year and the recession. Most restaurants are having half price sales on everything on the menu this month. Just to get customers in! And The Strip House has the audacity to now charge $5 extra for sharing a $42 steak!

Someone upstairs in management has their head in their ass!

I said nothing to the waiter. Not his decision.

But I am writing about it this morning. Why?

The Strip House is a chain out of New York City. Someone in New York management is aware each time I mention The Strip House in this blog. It gets back to me. So I am using the blog as a vehicle to let someone upstairs in the chain of command know that this $5 sharing charge is rediculous. An insult. Get rid of it!

Let me further evidence the stupidity of the $5 charge. There is no restaurant in Key West that charges for sharing. From the smallest to the largest. I should know. I have eaten in most if not all of them.

Word has it that a new television station will soon open in Key West. A for real TV station. With drama and comic shows, weather, news and talk shows. Many with a Key West slant.

Sounds interesting! Should be a winner!

Today is Wednesday. Golf day. No golf for me. Unfortunately I have business to attend to this morning. Which means my priorities are screwed up!

Enjoy your day!

The seasons are changing. It is less noticeable here in Key West. Sort of sneaks up on you.

I left Lisa’s last night at 7:30. I realized the sun had set! An hour earlier than one month ago!

The temperature is different also. A month ago, it was 8-10 degrees warmer. In the high 80s and low 90s. Yesterday the high was 81.

Less humid, also.

The mornings have changed. It is 6:30 and still dark outside. The sun will not rise till about 7:30.

I started yesterday with a walk. I am not yet into a good health kick. But I am trying! The walk was at Home Depot. Once around takes me about 20 minutes. Covers each and every aisle.

Soon I will be moving outdoors. With the humidity diminishing, walking outside will not be a problem.

I am thinking of joining a gym. I am moving towards good health! It takes me time to get there!

The gym on Truman next to Don’s Place. It is old and beat up. Large. Has all kinds of equipment.

My reason for eventually joining this particvular gym is its boxing equipment. It has three bags. I have visited all or most of the other gyms in town. They either have one or no bags.

I box a bit. Have my own gloves. Had a room created for boxing in my home back in Utica. I would like to box a bit again each day. Great exercise! The entire body moves!

I am thinking about it. This is the Louis process. I have not joined as yet. Soon, however.

Lunch yesterday was at Lucky Day. Cuban toast with melted cheese and tomato. Owner Jana has a terrific personality. The place was full for lunch yesterday. I was happy for her.

I have been on a family kick the last two nights. Dinner with Lisa and the family.

Last night I had to eat with them! Lisa cooked one of my Mother’s favorites. As her Grandmother taught her. Chicken, potatos and peas in oil broiled in the oven. To die for! We ate good and in a party atmosphere. Lisa was proud of her culinary efforts. She spoke of her Grandmother. We all enjoyed!

Tonight I am out on the town! I have done the fmily thing enough. Need a break. As my friend Howard Livingston would say, I need some Key West time!

Enjoy your day!

I am up early. Still dark outside. I can hear the wind in the palm trees. I can see nothing.

Friday’s radio show did not make it onto the internet for viewing world wide. I did not know it while the show was airing. However based on the number of e mails since, I have become aware. Sorry. The term is technical difficulties.

A loyal watcher of the internet show is Rita. She also is a daily reader of this blog. Rita lives in Capetown, South Africa.

Rita e mailed me over the weekend. Told me about her inablility to internet view the show. She also shared with me a very pleasant item.

Rita and I have become Facebook friends. We commnicate occasionally. She is aware of my interest in art. She has a similar interest.

In addition to lamenting about her inability to see and hear me friday, she attached a video for my viewing. It was a smorgasborg of Van Googh paintings. One step better. With Don McLean singing Starry Starry Night in the background.

Moving! A WOW!

McLean wrote the lyrics to Starry Starry Night in 1971. The song is based on Vincent Van Googh’s works. They individually appear and are fitted to the words of the song. Or the words are fitted to the art. Whatever.

The paintings were all done by Van Googh during his stay at the asylum at Saint-Remy.

I recommend you watch the video. It is powerful! www.youtube.com/watch?v=dipFHJckZOM.

My day started yesterday with Meet the Press and the Chris Matthews Show. Then the Sunday papers.

The early afternoon at Don ‘s Place. Pro football. Screens everywhere. Inside and out. The whole world enjoying the games with Don. Like Aaron, Alec, Rob, Beebe, Erica, Herschel and more. David did the barbecuing. His son Keith assisted him.

When I returned home, Lisa and Corey were here with the grandkids. Swimming. I joined them for a bit.

Family time continued into the evening. Sunday buffet at the Yacht Club. Lisa, Robert and Ally joined me. Corey was off to a Key West wake at Fort Zach. Cameron was home studying for a test.

Enjoyed Mad Men last night. If you do not watch it, do. Get into it. A terrific story line.

I admire the show’s writers. There are 18,000 sub plots. How they think of some of them, I do not know. But it all works and fits together.

The sun is finally up! But not shining through the clouds. The wind is unusually strong. From the northeast. Igor. My palm trees are bending.

Enjoy your day!

Good morning world!

Sunday morning in Key West!

Spectacular!

Sun shining. Blue sky sprinkled with white clouds here and there. Colors vibrant. Blue water. Green mangroves and palm trees. Yellow MTV house across the way.

There is a breeze. Strong. Off the Atlantic. Expected to get stronger.

Key West is feeling the effects of Hurricane Igor which is heading towards Bermuda. Stronger than normal wind. Waves in the water. Choppy seas. White caps starting to form.

Igor is no danger to Key West. It will not even come close. However nature has an ever expanding thrust. Igor brings us wind and choppy seas. And along the eastern seaboard of the United States, rip tides.

Today will not be a good boating or fishing day in the keys.

Yesterday was spent doing paper work. Every now and then a necessity.

I needed copies and to fax some documents. My combination printer, fax, etc. is broke. Someone said go to Office Max.

Terrific!

Office Max has a whole section dedicated to copying, faxing and other office needs. I did it all! And for less than $3!

When I returned home, Lisa and the grandkids were in the pool. I joined them. Robert and Ally swim so well! Not uncommon for children here in the keys. Water every where. Kids grow up in the ocean and pools and become excellent swimmers at an early age.

I dined at Hogfish last night. Love the word “dined” as it applies to Hogfish. An old thatched roof restaurant. Beat up. Sitting in one of the worst areas of Stock Island.

But loved by everyone. Good food! Cheap prices! Great company!

I ate out on the dock. The sun was just setting so it quickly became cool. Tarpon were off the dock. People were throwing food into the water. The fish broke through the surface and grabbed at the food. No place for a human hand!

Hogfish was my dinner choice. Tasty, as usual.

I watched an old movie on TV last night. Budapest. Starred Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. It was about the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

I was a senior in college at the time. Manhattan College in New York City.

The Revolution began on October 23, 1956 and ended about 2 1/2 weeks later on November 10, 1956.

The Hungarians were winning till the Russians sent in the tanks on November 10th. The Revolution ended the same day. The Russians did not screw around. They sent in a gigantic force to put down the Revolution. And succeeded! Again, in one day!

Two hundred thousand people had to flee the wrath of the Russians.

Fifteen of them ended up at Manhattan College.

College age men. Late teens. Early 20s. They were welcomed with open arms.

I became close to them. We would sit and chat evenings after dinner.

Their story was interesting.

We were not revolutionaries. Never thought of initiating a revolution. We were out drinking beer one night. As college kids normally do. The Russians had been unusually difficult in recent days. We were a bit drunk. We started driving around yelling at groups of Russian soldiers and throwing beer bottles at them.

Eventually the Russians started shooting at us. We graduated to guns and molotov cocktails. Most of us had never shot a gun before.

All of a sudden revolution was in the air! We were winning. Until the tanks came in! Tanks, tanks, tanks! So many. Overwhelming.

The revolution was over.

We had to flee. The Russians were brutal. Our friends were being rounded up and shot.

Free nations all over the world took these fleeing Hungarians in. Many were placed in colleges. The 15 at Manhattan College an example.

Good guys all!

Interestingly, they all spoke excellent English. They had learned it as part of the Russian educational system in Hungary.

I have never seen any of them since I graduated. It would be interesting to know how they fared in America.

Enjoy your day!

Great radio show yesterday!

Most of the show was dedicated to National Constitution Day. Yesterday. It was the 227th birthday of the U.S. Constitution.

Initially through Facebook, I made a friend in Indonesia. She and her friends religiously watch my radio show over the internet. And she equally religiously reads this blog.

Religious is the operative word here.

Sometimes we e mail each other.

Our Constiution guarantees people living in the U.S. certain freedoms. One is freedom of religion.
Indonesia has either the largest or one of the largest Muslim populations in the world.

My friend is not a Muslim. Though she is Indonesian. She and her ancestors have lived in Indonesia for generations.

My friend is Catholic. As is her family.

She once wrote and told me of the life of a Catholic in a Muslim country such as Indonesia.

Her Church is occasionally vandalized. Sometimes they must practice their faith in private.

She is occasionally beaten on the street. The beatings are swift and sudden. Because she is Catholic.

Our government permits a proposed Muslim mosque to be built less than 2 blocks from the site of 9/11. Her Muslim nation wreaks havoc on her Church and her personally.

Freedom of religion works differently in our two countries. Better stated, it appears non existant in one of them!

This is Poker Run Weekend in Key West. Motorcyclists from all over are here! Male and female alike. All similarly attired. Jeans, boots, headbands and leather. Tough looking! Mean appearing! All as gentle as babies. Doctors, lawyers, CPAs and the like on a fun weekend.

Duval is closed off. Bikes line both sides of the street. No recession here! These are expensive machines! As much as an expensive car!

A strange thought crossed my mind last night as I looked at Key West’s visitors and cycles. What would Harry Truman have thought? He loved and enjoyed Key West. My guess is he would have probably joined in on the festivities. At least attire wise. Harry, yes. Bess, no.

When I got home, I went to the internet to see what Truman was up to on this weekend years ago.

Turns out that on September 18, 1948, Harry Truman was campaigning for President. He was on the rear platform of a train in Chariton, Iowa giving a political speech. Candidates campaigned from the back of trains in those days. It was called whistlestopping.

Truman was giving the Republicans hell. He told the crowd that they were receiving top dollar for their pigs and corn. Thanks to him and the Democratic Party. He referred to the Republicans and their Republican controlled Congress as a “…do nothing Congress.” The transcript of Truman’s remarks were concise and hard hitting. His words would have equally applied in today’s political climate.

Ally telephoned me last night. Just as I was going out on the town. She has learned how to telephone. Dial. She insisted I stop and see her.

I could never turn down the request of a lovely lady. Especially not Ally.

I stopped by. We did our hellos and kisses. I stayed a few minutes and left.

Sean and Katherine were at the Chart Room. Good people. Mid 20s. Tomorrow’s leaders. Our country is in good hands!

Also at the bar were Don and Chris. I knew they would be in Key West this weekend. They had e mailed me.

Don and Chris are from the Syracuse area. They visit Key West several times a year. Love it here!

We met through this blog. Chris is a loyal reader. Every day! She recites my tales almost word for word.

They both are employed by a solar panel manufacturing company back home. Don had just returned from a lengthy trip to China. He has been there on business several times this past year.

Don looked good. He had to feel like crap. He had flown back from Shanghi to Chicago. Arrived in Chicago yesterday morning. Chris met him. They then hopped on a plane to Key West.

I had dinner at Michael’s. I went to chat with my bartender friend Emmett. He was not there. On vacation.

Michael’s was packed. I have never seen it so crowded. Even in season. Between the visiting bikers and locals, there was not an empty seat in the restaurant.

I asked the waiter if they had expected such a crowd. No way, he said. Not even half. The staff had to work their butts off last night. Michael’s was obviously understaffed for the crowd.

But, they did a good job!

I met an ineresting chap at the bar. He lives in Key West. Though I had never seen him before.

He was with a couple.

Their appetizers were 2 meals off the regualr menu and one off the lite menu. One of the mains was a whole Maine lobster.

Then they ordered again! You read me correctly! They ordered another whole meal. Three different meals from the regular menu.

I asked if the last time they had eaten was two weeks ago. He laughed.

The fellow I was talking with apparently makes his living taking tourists around town. He must also get a cut of the bill from the house.

A position for me to consider. Ho, ho!

Enjoy your day!

This is a special American day. It is National Constitution Day! A happy birthday day for that great document, the United States Constitution.

223 years old! The Constitution was signed by 50 plus delegates on September 17, 1787.

This day has been a special occasion from a legal perspspective since 2002 when then President Bush so decreed. Special events all across the land today will include celebratory events on college campuses. Part of Bush’s decree. Further per his directive, these events are financed with federal funds.

Locally, there will be a massive celebration at the Florida Keys Community College on Stock Island. It is co-sponsored by the Key West Civilian Review Board. Joining in the festivities will be the President of the Florida Bar Association, Maryanne Downs.

My radio show is this morning. I am doing the first 30 minutes in celebration of National Constitution Day. I will even have a guest for the first half hour. Stephen Muffler, the Executive Director of the Key West Civilian Review Board. Boring it will not be.

The second half of the show will include some factual tidbits I discovered about the Constitution, an inquiry as to where is the Mel Fisher Museum’s gold bar, a marijuana purchase in Montana, the Ines Sainz saga involving female sports reporters in a male locker room, two funny lawsuits of the week involving Nevada, Montana weird dumb laws and an impeachment trial going on in the United States Senate this very week.

The time is 10 am. KONK 1500 AM radio. Even better, watch and listen world wide at http://www.konkam.com/.

It rained all day yesterday. Off and on. That is two days in a row. Highly unusual.

Bocce last night. I was concerned we might not be able to play. The courts are clay. They would be wet and I anticipated puddles.

No puddles. But wet. Damp wet. It was decided play could proceed.

Everyone was happy! No one wants to miss bocce here in Key West.

We played through the evening. It rained off and on. Generally light sprinkles. On one occasion, a bit heavier. But hearty folks all! The games went on!

You really had to throw the ball! The dampness caused the ball to roll slower than normal. Much slower. The goal in bocce normally is to get the ball close to the polina. Last night, it was to get the ball down the court. Distance was the key. Forget getting close.

We did good! Won 2 out of 3 games. Won the first 16-4. I thought…..oh boy! We are going to have a terrific night! Then we got beat in the second game 16-3. We won the final game 16-4 again.

It was fun!

I was headed for Don’s Place afterwards, when I decided I was hungry. Bad! I ended up at TGIFridays. All that wonderful greasy food! Wings, mozzerella sticks and potato skins.

So much for dieting last night! And at 10 o’clock!

I have a good attitude about dieting. Once it’s blown for a day, go for it! I returned home and ate a ton of cookies. Oreos.

Not good for my health I admit. But I felt terrific when I went to bed on a full stomach.

The sun is up. But I can’t see it. A large blanket of clouds overhead. Another rain day in the making I fear!

Enjoy your day!