I was chatting at the Hot Tin Roof bar last night with a couple from Montana. Trump supporters.
A congenial conversation. Opposing views expressed.
At one poin,t they were expressing their disgust with the Democrats having failed to turn up for one or two committee hearings yesterday. Hearings scheduled for votes re two cabinet picks.
I smiled. Then shared with them a story I wrote in this blog 4-5 years ago.
It was 1840. The actual date December 5. Abraham Lincoln was a member of the Illinois Legislature. He was a Whig at the time.
The Democrats the opposing party.
The Democrats needed a quorum to vote on a piece of legislation they wanted passed. They suspected the Whigs might leave the Chamber so there would not be a quorum. The Democrats had the door locked.
Lincoln was no fool. The Chamber was on the second floor. He walked over and opened a window. Jumped out and ran off. Thereby denying the opposition for the moment the quorum required.
I told my friends, denying a quorum is All American. If Lincoln could do it, so too today’s Democrats.
Sex seems to affect children at an earlier age these days. You show me yours, I’ll show you mine has graduated to sexually explicit classmate photos.
Horace O’Bryant is a Key West school. Kindergarten through 8th grade. An investigation is underway. Sexual photos being shared. The pics taken off campus. Transmitted initially via social media. The pics of middle school students.
Parents, pull your hair out!
A haircut at noon yesterday with Lori. She told me about her recent long weekend Caribbean cruise. Fun. She recommends it.
At one point, the water got rough. Her stomach began to flutter. The remedy was to drink more, she said. The alcohol balanced out the woozy stomach.
Stopped at Farmers Market afterwards. To buy bread. A young immigrant couple sells their home made bread under one of the tents. I who ask everyone everything have never asked them where they came from. The bread is delicious. I bought 15 small loaves. I freeze the bread.
Ran into Boomer at Farmers Market.
The Chart Room and Hot Tin Roof last night. Both places relatively quiet. The Montana couple sat at the bar near me.
The Sons and Daughters of Italy present Buonasera Venezia tonight from 5-8 at the Bottlecap.
A charity fundraiser. I will be there. With Liz. She called yesterday and said she wanted to go. Venice her favorite place. She and her now deceased husband spent many happy days in Venice.
I have been visiting or living in Key West more than 25 years. When first I came, the men did not wear jackets. Dress jackets. Sport jackets. Then one could be noticed every few months. We locals would look at each other and quietly whisper…..Tourists.
I see more and more men wearing jackets the past couple of years. Especially the past few months. Especially when cold. Even however when it is merely part of the dress costume for the evening.
Includes locals.
Key West is changing.
Poet John Keats died in February 1821. Twenty five years old. One of the world’s best romantic sonnet writers.
Keats died in his bedroom in Rome. A four story narrow building at 26 Piazza di Spagna. Immediately next to the Spanish Steps.
I was in Rome 35 years ago with my family for a month. My wife and daughters deserted me one day to shop. The American dollar was strong. Everything cost one-third of what it did back home.
I was walking around. Sat a while on the Spanish Steps and watched the world go by. Took a walk. Passed the building described. A small brass sign on the side of the door read The Keats Shelley House.
I went in. Explored the four floors. The top floor was the important one.
Keats’ bedroom had been preserved as it was at the time of his death. An outer room had some of his first edition books and manuscripts of his writings. All under glass.
I came across one writing that moved me emotionally.
Recall first that Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on a brown paper bag. The bag that had carried his lunch.
Keats wrote the opening stanzas of one of his most famous poems on a piece of crumbled paper. The opening lines to Endymion. A several volume work.
Few know Endymion. Most know its opening lines as penciled in on that piece of crumbled paper: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever…..”
Tomorrow at noon Syracuse/Virginia. Tough game. Virginia ranked #9 nationally. I refuse to get excited in spite of Syracuse’s spectacular victory over North Carolina State earlier this week.
I just remembered! I will not be watching the game. At noon, I will be marching in Steve Attis’ New Orleans funeral parade. Followed by mass at St. Mary’s Church.
Enjoy your day!
“I told my friends, denying a quorum is All American. If Lincoln could do it, so too today’s Democrats.”
The Democrats need to get their act together as without a strong opposition of either party out of current power we have tyranny.
In 2018 if EVERY Independent and Democrat do not vote for a Democratic candidate then we all deserve our future. Balance is good in body, soul, life, health AND government. Singularity in government leads to Hitler and ovens.
The pendulum has swung, it needed to. Maybe it has swung too far, it usually does. Eventually it will find the middle ground. I’m glad it swung as it did, I’m waiting to see what happens.
The democratic party is not what it used to be.
The liberal protests I see remind me of 1920s-1930s Germany. The republican/conservative demonstrations are at least civilized and the participants know why they are there.
I agree. But a loyal opposition is a necessity fore a real democracy. Let us both hope that is what happens. To avoid a Hitler as they did not go well. Not at all!
For as Julius Caesar said “Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.” We have had enough corruption. Way more from the elite, .0001% and billionaires and their paid for Congress. The Trailer folks and there are millions of us want to know when do we get some respect! I hope we get some truth sometime in the future. We voted. Let us see OUR wages rise!
However, with the current crop of Republicans I smell very fishy corruption, NOT so much with the Trump. I HOPE he steps up his game.
The pendulum has swung and as you stated correctly often travels too far when it does.
The protest will continue and rightfully so, hopefully they will be peaceful. The only thing reminiscent of that period in Germany is the manner which Hitler and now Trump came to power. Way to many similarities in rhetoric and propaganda shared by both.
To your last sentence, I just reviewed video from the Trump rallies during his campaign, nothing civilized or American about the conduct there, The Trump rhetoric, the crowd acting out in violent verbal and physical assault to anyone who challenged him.