I was married 52 years. Bone thin when first married. Fifty pounds more when divorced. Now four years since the divorce. I have lost 35 pounds. There may be a reason other than dieting that caused me to be thinner.

The Journal of Social Science and Medicine recently announced that married people are fatter. Marrieds have a higher body mass index than singles.

Sounds crazy. Perhaps not. The Journal’s conclusions were based on a study. A detailed one. Ten thousand people studied living in nine European countries.

My thursday evening simple. The Chart Room first. My friends Don and Chris at the bar. I chastised them for not contacting me. I knew they would be in this weekend.

Don hit me between the eyes! I texted, left a message and e-mailed you. He had. I had not checked my phone or computer timely.

What could I say?

Tasted my first prime rib in six months at Outback later in the evening. The thin cut. Delicious!

Key West is packed for the holiday weekend. Most hotels full. No room at the inn. Tourists started coming in last night. Going to be a fun weekend!

Anna reports. Prices cheaper in Athens. No credit cards. Cash only accepted. Many tourists. Europeans and Americans. An ad hoc demonstration yesterday in Parliament Square. Those opposed to keeping the euro. Not 10,000 like the other evening. Maybe 2,000-3,000. Quiet. People of all ages milling around. Many carrying the Greek flag.

Anna reported an interesting experience. Does it reflect the Greek financial situation? I do not know. Anna was at the pay out counter in a store. She dropped a euro on the floor. The euro in coin form. A well dressed gentleman behind her quickly bent down and grabbed it. He immediately put it in his pocket.

Anna yelled…..That’s mine! He sheepishly returned the euro to her.

Don’t screw around with Anna!

Talk in recent years has been to the effect that a reason our jails are overcrowded is mandatory sentencing. Especially for minor victimless drug crimes. The move is to get many out of jail who were unfairly but legally sentenced to an unreasonable number of years.

Nancy Gertner is a retired Federal Judge. U.S. District Court. She is speaking out. Considers the War on Drugs a failure. Believes its destruction as bad as that of World War II. Compares it to Prohibition, which was a failure.

She believes a whole generation of African Americans have been lost because of the long term sentences.

Note that the good Judge had no choice when sentencing. The law was mandatory. X number of years for a particular crime.

In my mind, the situation comparable to that which existed in Nazi Germany in the mid 1930s through World War II. German judges enforced what many believed were grossly unfair and inappropriate laws. Like euthanasia and forced sterilization.

Years have passed. It is only now that some are speaking out re sentencing inequities.

Judge Gertner’s words call for attention. She should know. My problem is sitting Judges have not spoken out regarding the issue.

Enjoy your day!