HARRY TRUMAN’S MORNING SHOT OF OLD GRAND-DAD MEDICINAL

Reaction to my 7/20/19 blog overwhelming. Truman starting his day with a shot of Old-Grand Dad in his orange juice.

Not wanting one of our greatest Presidents perceived as an alcoholic, I did a little research as to why he began his day with a shot of bourbon.

Truman had heart problems. His physician was concerned about blood clotting in already clogged arteries.

Truman was President 1945-1953. Pharmaceutical blood thinners not yet available.

Alcohol is a blood thinner. Limited consumption, of course. One to two drinks a day.

His physician recommended a shot in the morning and a drink or two in the evening if Truman was so inclined. He was. However historians note Truman was not a heavy drinker. The evening bourbon was mixed with water. A high ball. One drink generally lasted him a whole evening.

Truman loved Kentucky bourbon. Kentucky produces 95 percent of the bourbon consumed world wide today.

The first U.S. approved blood thinner came out 2 years after Truman left office. Warfarin. It was sold under the brand name Coumadin. In 1948, warfarin was commercially sold as rat poison. Interesting how a product can go from bad to good. In short time, also.

Due to the shot of bourbon in the morning, historians refer to Truman’s time in the White House as “bourbon soaked.” I assume written with tongue in cheek.

Truman’s physician had recommended he start the day with a shot of bourbon long before he became President. David McCullough was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his writing of the biography Truman He said the morning shot of bourbon was good for him and a determining factor in Truman’s good health lasting into his 60’s.

In researching the Truman drinking story, I came across several articles re the drinking habits of former Presidents. Many drank! To excess! I sense I will be writing stories about some in the future.

Last night, another good one! I emphasize the quality of the evening as the time I was sick sucked. Day and night.

Aqua first for Dueling Bartenders. Rick Dery hosting. The great Bobby Nesbitt guesting. What a combination! Solo or duo, they did themselves proud! An outstanding evening. The crowd joined in the singing with most of the tunes. Old favorites. My kind of music.

Nesbitt’s rendition of Oh, What A Beautiful Day outstanding!

Liz has a companion Mary. Not my Mary. Mary was at Aqua last night. Chatted with her.

I have not seen Liz in a while. Thought she might have gone north for the summer. She is still here. Mary thought she would be coming in. I was excited. Always liked Liz.

Liz never showed. Mary left.

Jean Thornton stopped in. Leaves today for her Birmingham home. In 2 weeks, she and Joe are off to Europe for a month.

Jean was wearing a lovely dress. Wrapped around her neck was a large bright green boa.

Vino’s has been having monday night parties this summer. Each different. All require a costume of sorts. Last night’s title was something like Masquerade Features. The boa did it for Jean!

I admire Jean for many things. One is she misses nothing in Key West. Attends just about every function.

Old time jitterbugging music part of the program. Jean leaned over and said, “Louis, we can dance.” She was referring to 2 years ago when I was one of several Irma refugees staying at her Birmingham home. Our day began at 5 for cocktails. Went to 3-4 in the morning. Hard to take!

One evening around 2, the music was yesterday’s jitterbugging. Jean and I danced. I had not jitterbugged since college. We had a ball!

Someone videoed us. The next day our performance was on social media sites all over the world. My friend Anna e-mailed me from Italy…..Here I was worried about you and you are having a good time!

Mary and I had dinner at the bar at Antonia’s. I have been a customer at Antonia’s off and on for 25 years. The food and ambiance have never changed.

Donna and Terri came in. Sat next to us. Both beaming. Happy. Terri is in remission. Donna and one of her granddaughters are going on a week long Caribbean cruise soon. Terri passed. She says she is not ready for a big boat.

This will be the third time that Donna has gone away and Terri not. She is fearful of trips. The separation is good, however. Terri is learning how to live a full life without her wife.

Two interesting developments that have occurred in the U.S. the past few days. Both dangerous events. Each however shows American resiliency.

Somewhere in Tennessee last week, ICE officers came to take an immigrant without papers and deport him. His 12 year old son was with him.

As their van pulled into the driveway of their home, ICE fell upon the van. Eventually the man they sought got out.

No one was arrested or taken away. Why? Because the neighbors came out and surrounded the van and ICE. They in effect formed a human chain.

I worry. Today, no violence. However such confrontations a tinderbox. One spark and fighting. Which could over a few days grow into serious confrontations nation wide.

The other event involved the new young New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex. Outspoken. One of the “squad” Trump keeps attacking. One of the ones his people say should go back from where they came.

Two Louisiana police officers were involved in posting on Facebook the suggestion that Alexandria should be shot. The police officer who did the posting referred to Alexandria as “vile” and one who “needs a round.”

Another officer was with him. He agreed with the post.

Both have been fired.

Alexandria commented re the situation: “The President is sowing violence. He’s creating an environment where people can get hurt…..”

A Washington D.C Capitol Police officer said that threats against Congressional persons are on the rise. The officer said such complaints are rising dramatically and must be of concern.

Tonight Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me at 9 my time. Listen to me rant and rave about events impacting our lives today. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

 

26 comments on “HARRY TRUMAN’S MORNING SHOT OF OLD GRAND-DAD MEDICINAL

  1. Ask any group of millennials about Harry Truman, and you will find that they know little or nothing about the man who served as our President through some of the most tumultuous times in American history. He made decisions, often unpopular, that changed the face of America and the world. He was the President who reluctantly dealt with the Korean War, founded NATO, recognized Israel, and racially integrated the U.S. government and our armed forces. In August of 1945 Truman made a decision that no other person in the history of the planet has had to make. He authorized the use of the atomic bomb against Japan; first dropped on the city of Hiroshima, and three days later on Nagasaki. More than 100,000 Japanese died. But it ended WWII and prevented the loss of up to 500,000 lives that might have resulted from a U.S. invasion of Japan.

    Truman was never a wealthy man. His later years were spent in relative obscurity, living in the simple house he shared with his wife, Bess, in a quiet Independence, Missouri, neighborhood. He could often be seen out walking each morning after his daily dose of bourbon and orange juice. Rest In Peace, Harry.

    • HST also was President when the Great Depression ended. Keynesian policies of continued increased government spending was halted. No New Deal programs were enacted. Personal tax rates were cut and price controls were ended. The less the feds spent, the more people spent and invested. The economy surged! (Source: Orange County Register). With policies like these, It would be surprising if HST could run as a Democrat today.

  2. Wasn’t FDR president when the Great Depression ended? 1939 I believe, and wasn’t it FDR’s (Keynesian) policies that got us out of the great depression? Oh yeah, that’s the truth, those are the facts.

    Now why are you lying about something so easy to check? Is history so threatening to your politics you feel you need to lie about the truth?

    Wow

    • Not by anyone knowledgeable!

      But that’s besides the point entirely. The Depression ended in 1939, way before Harry Truman took office.

  3. Its not hard to find articles to support the ‘point’ that FDR’s policies did stretch out the depression by several years.

    • Yeah, and it is not too hard to find articles that say that Hillary Clinton was running a child prostitution ring out of the basement of a New Jersey Pizzeria, or that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, either.

      It is widely held that the Great Depression ended in 1939.

      It is widely held that it Franklin Roosevelt and his Keynesian policies is what got us out of the Great Depression.

      It is widely held that those FDR “New Deal” (Keynesian) policies FDR enacted were in place not just through the time FDR was in office AFTER the Great Depression ended, INCLUDING through the time Harry Truman was in office.

      It is not true that it is credibly thought that FDR wrongfully, intentionally, or even unnecessarily extended the Great Depression, or that it was Harry Truman that somehow saved our nation FROM the horror of Keynesian policies.

      Get off your intentional misleading of the facts. “FOX New Facts” are not real facts and your use of them hear on Lou’s blog is unacceptable and wrong.

  4. Too lazy or closed-minded to look at something different I see. Typical. Its not up to you to say what is posted “hear” is unacceptable or wrong. You merely wish to state your opinions “hear”. FDR happened to be president during the depression, you are right about that. The consensus is that it ended in ’39 so you’re right about that. Could it have ended sooner, many think so.

    • No, you stated a complete and utter lie, apparently for no other reason that to push an opinion on how you wish things to have been.

      Now you are trying to claim the rest of us are closed minded about “something different?” Nothing is or was different, other than in your own head about something YOU maybe want to believe was true, but wasn’t.

      Total Bullsh*t – we’re not closed minded about anything other than your total lie and on that subject we are very clear, you are wrong.

      All your other comments on this are complete diversions and make no sense, your ramblings are lunacy and pathetic. Please tell us why any of us should believe anything you post!

  5. Additionally, It was actually a Democratic congress in 1947 that rejected the continued FDR increased new deal spending bills that would have prolonged the Great Depression. Once the out of control spending was shut down by the Democrats, the economy skyrocketed. FDR was a socialist nightmare! You also probably still believe FDR had polio as you were taught by your liberal public school teachers! Wrong wrong wrong. Polio is a child’s disease. FDR most likely had a form of guillian- barres disease. The public was told he had polio to increase awareness to this specific childhood disease. FDR the racist anti Semite and was in office way way too long!
    Remember the St. Louis!!!!

  6. That old saying is actually, may all your words be soft and sweet just in case some day you have to eat them.
    I wonder if Marianne Williamson wrote that.

    • Actually most historical reports say the Great Depression really ended in 1939. We didn’t actually enter WWII until December of 1940, after Pearl Harbor. That’s the real facts. Most of Truman’s struggles with economic issues were with post World War II recovery, not so much post Depression or even Keynesian theories.

  7. Why is it that Patrick’s incoherent sputterings always seem to increase after he’s caught in another lie he has no real capacity to explain and simultaneously run out of ways to try and change the subject.

  8. Could it be that ‘Patrick’ isn’t trying to explain anything because he is not writing. He is still rent free.

    • That’s another lie, Patrick. Everyone knows it’s you and your denials make it even more obvious.

      …and your constant use of the “rent free” phrase is a meaningless non sequitur, beyond your linguistic pay grade.

    • No chance, he has no feelings. He’s ONLY interested in picking a fight so that he can complain about his “opinions”(basically false facts) aren’t being respected.

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