Saturday night in Key West can be rambunctious or quiet. Whatever one wants. It’s all here.

I opted for quiet last night. The outside bar at La Te Da. Sat in my usual corner seat. An excellent place from which to observe tourists. All happy. Communicating with each other. Everyday problems left back home. The way it should be when on vacation.

There is a slave cemetery in Key West. The only slave cemetery in the U.S.

In 1860, slavery was a violation of International Law. A U.S. vessel stopped a slave ship. In effect thereby saving its occupants from a life of servitude. The American vessel delivered 1,432 slaves to the U.S. Marshall in Key West.

Two hundred ninety four died. They were buried at what is now Higgs Beach. The years passed. The African cemetery was forgotten. People lay in the sun, children played, dogs jumped about, while beneath them lie the remains of the 294.

The remaining 1,138 were shipped to Liberia, a West African country.

Renewed awareness of the cemetery occurred in 2002. The City/County were reconnoitering the area. A dog play area and the beach were being transfixed. If memory proves correct, a significant part of the new dog run would lie over the dead.

Ground penetrating radar discovered/verified the remains. So much for the dog park there.

Studies were made. Locals became involved. The area properly recognized. Today a National Register of Historic Places site.

Also now the place where a yearly ceremony takes place recognizing those buried at the beach. An African king generally part of the assemblage.

A plaque of sorts marks the spot. Relatively small. Reads: The African Cemetery at Higgs Beach.

Recall the movie Top Gun? The 1986 hit starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. It is being remade. The sequel will bring movie goers up to date re the lives of those in the original.

Tom Cruise will return. Probably as an Admiral!

Sadly, no Kelly McGillis. She has not been asked to update her role. Another star has been selected.

For many years, Kelly McGillis was an integral part of Key West. In between making movies, she and her husband owned 3 restaurants. Kelly’s the most popular of the 3.

She was part of the Key West social life. I attended several parties she was at. Always pleasant and friendly. A sense of humor. Absolutely gorgeous.

Suddenly Kelly dropped out of everything. The restaurants were sold. She made no more movies. Moved to a Pennsylvania farm, if my memory proves correct.

Kelly returns to Key West at least once a year. She is active in the women’s tag football league. A world recognized speaker at women’s rights events.

Nothing is forever. Many come, stay a while, and then move on. Whatever, Key West was fortunate to have had Kelly McGillis as one of its own. She is fondly remembered.

Florida keeps growing. Presently the third most populous State. Just behind California and Texas.

It is estimated Florida will have 22 million residents by 2022.

The State is growing at the rate of 330,000 per year. Breaks down to 900 a day.

A new Trump book to hit the stands tuesday. Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the White House.” Manigault Newman the author. Fired unceremoniously from the White House in December.

Anti-Trump, of course.

A portion of her book involves the now famous August 17, 2017 meeting in Trump Towers where the Russians were purportedly to share some Hillary Clinton dirt.

Following the meeting, Donald Jr. sent some e-mails containing information re the meeting on Twitter.

She writes how the President as a result referred to his son Donald Jr. as a “fuckup.” The full sentence: “He is such a fuck up.” Also, “He screwed up again, but this time he’s screwing us all, big time!”

Newman visualizes Trump as an ignorant narcissist who routinely spews racially charged and sexist language.

I close with a concern. Can be described as an admonition also.

Trump will win in 2020 if the Democrats continue attacking him. The nation knows he is a “fuckup.” Democrats responding to his actions and charges only keep Trump’s name in the public eye on a daily basis.

The people want to hear about their kitchen table problems. As hard as it may be, the Democrats better start talking medical assistance for all, infrastructure, college loans, free college educations, etc. Call it whatever you like, even socialism. These are the concerns of the American people.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Originally posted July 2019

The simplicity of it all.

I am not computer literate. Nor mechanically inclined. A generational thing.

I had computer problems yesterday. My mouse was not working properly. Off and on. Mostly off.

I operate with a big screen attached to my lap top. Easier to see in my old age.

Telephoned computer guru Tim Reynolds this morning. He now lives in the Tampa area. Change the battery, he said. I did. It works. I did not know the mouse operated on a battery.

Oh, well.

Now to today.

Another Harry Truman story. One not well known. Like the shot of Old Grand I wrote about recently. This one involves Truman and a donkey. It also involves things that could happen to a President in Truman’s days, but would not today.

For credibility purposes, be advised that this story is one told by Truman’s grandson Clifton Truman Daniel.

Truman was on one of his Key  West trips. He liked to swim. Tried to every day. Generally in the late afternoon. Prior to his nap.

In those days, there was no natural beach near the Little White House. To accommodate the President, Navy engineers had sand trucked in. A small beach was made. A little cabana constructed, also. A place where Truman could change into his trunks.

One morning, Truman walked out with his trunks and towel over his arm. Threw open the door to the cabana and got the shock of his life. Standing in the Presidential changing room was a donkey. Adding insult to injury, the donkey was braying at Truman. A further insult. The donkey had answered the call of nature so the atmosphere in the cabana was less than pleasing.

Truman stood stunned for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. Recall he had grown up a farmer so he did not feel threatened.

The base commander was not amused. He initiated a search for those responsible. Turned out to be a couple of reporters who had gotten a little tipsy in town the night before. Came upon the donkey. Bought it. Smuggled it onto the base in the back of a taxi.

Never could happen today. Presidential security back then not as it is today. Secret Service and Navy personnel would have ascertained what the reporters were up to at the gate Most certainly before arriving at the cabana.

Truman was the President. Certain safety measures were taken. The donkey was x-rayed, given the once over by bomb sniffing dogs, and then sent to an underground holding facility in the Rockies. No one remains today who knows what happened to the donkey afterwards.

Truman’s reaction to the prank says a lot about him and Key West. They were ideally suited to each other. Unpretentious and possessed with a sense of humor.

Key West ws the one and only place grandson Clifton reported where “Grandpa could be himself, let his hair down, wear a loud Hawaiian shirt or even grow a beard (which he started but but never finished).” He had “found the perfect haven from the pressures and posturing of a hectic world.”

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou last night. Precisely in the middle of the Democratic debate. I caught the beginning and the end. My favorite tale concerned Ernest Hemingway and Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Hemingway wrote a short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro which won him a Pulitzer Prize. Though familiar with Africa from prior visits, he had neither seen nor climbed Kilimanjaro.

His second African trip interesting though almost a disaster. It was 1952. Travel sometimes by local plane. A 4 seater or the like.

Hemingway and his wife were on such a flight. The plane crashed. Hemingway suffered some burns and cracked ribs. Never one to sit, he opted to take another plane the next day. This one exploded on take off. Hemingway hurt big time.

His wife was able to get out of the burning plane through a window. Hemingway was not. He butted his head against the door and it opened and he was out. His injuries significant, however. A fractured skull, severe burns, a dislocated shoulder, 2 cracked discs, a ruptured liver, and ruptures to both kidneys.

A tough guy. Lived to hunt, fish, and write another day.

Watched what I could of the debate last night. Better than the first. Excellent questions. Little if any gotcha moments attempted. They all looked good in varying degrees. I suspect only Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren will survive last night’s group.

Tonight the balance of the debate. Interested in how Joe Biden will come over.

On this day in 1975, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. Never seen again. Many suspect he is buried beneath the concrete of a New Jersey highway.

Several months later, Key West Fire Chief Bum Farto disappeared. He had been convicted of narcotic dealing and was awaiting sentencing.

Farto’s disappearance a Key West “happening” to this date. A money maker for some. Tee shirts for sale bearing…..Where are you Bum Farto?

Trump will go down as the worst President in history. Unquestionably.

He does little if anything correctly.

He has us in a tariff war with China. One that never should have been. I recall his words during the campaign: “I know tariff wars!…..Tariff Wars are good!…..I win tariff wars!”

He has done a masterful job with China. As with Iran, he is in one that he does not know how to get out. The Chinese outfox him at every turn. They refuse to submit to his bullying.

U.S. representatives have been meeting in Shanghai for 2 days. Talks over. No resolution. Further talks scheduled for September.

Before the meeting had concluded, Trump announced the talks were going well, there would be an agreement. The agreement could only come if it was one Trump wanted and he was confident it would be his way.

The talks failed. Trump now says such the worst outcome for China. China should stop stalling. Claims China started the trade war.

The President is an ass. He knows not what he does. China is an equal to the U.S. in every regard. Militarily, financially, etc. China is also the U.S.’s bank. We owe China $1.3 trillion. Borrow from China on a frequent basis. Never pay back.

What happens if China really gets pissed and cuts off the loans? Even worse, suppose China starts dumping its U.S. Treasuries on the market?

An economic crisis without proportion. U. S. would go bust. Then most of the world.

A bad situation. China will not give in. Not the Asian way.

No one wins a trade war. China will go to a starvation diet and drinking water out of the streets before it succumbs. China will break the U.S.’s back as its is being broken.

Enjoy your day!

Originally posted July 2017

I am not a fan of Attorney general Jeff Sessions. My prior writings and talk shows clearly evidence my feelings.

However, I give him credit for his present stand against Trump. Especially where Trump complains that Sessions has failed to prosecute Hillary Clinton for purported wrong doings.

Sessions has been firm from day one that he would not pursue Clinton. During his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Sessions stated re a Hillary Clinton prosecution: “This country does not punish its political enemies.”

Third world countries jail political enemies. We are above such conduct. Though Trump keeps trying to pull us into that swamp.

Mini lobster season began yesterday. It ends today.

The weather was horrible yesterday. Two extremely heavy rainstorms.

Two sad occurrences. A man died off Bahia Honda State Park. A 16 year old girl lost a finger while getting out of a boat.

I started my yesterday with a visit to Dr. McIvor, my heart doctor. A test scheduled. One test lead to a second and different one. I get the results monday.

The Chart Room first last night. Dead! Never have seen it so quiet. Chatted with Shawn and a lady customer. She waits tables at Island Dog. Business slow for her also yesterday. She and Shawn were lamenting how little they made or were making in tips yesterday.

Then to Tavern ‘n Town for dinner.

Quiet, also.

Rob entertaining.

Met Chris and Marty. Married. Dogs, no children. Both have lived in Key West for years. Both soft ware engineers.

We talked about everything. From high rental prices to difficult tourists to the Bubba system to the New York Finger Lakes. They love upstate New York’s Finger Lakes and have visited several times.

Rick Perry is in Trump’s Cabinet. He is Secretary of Energy. Formerly, Governor of Texas. He has a charming personality, appears intelligent.

He got “punked.” Means someone fooled/deceived him in a telephone call.

What follows raises the question as to how much vetting does the Trump administration do.

Perry took a telephone call from a person he assumed was the Prime Minister of the Ukraine. Petro Poroshenko. They had met a month before. They discussed increasing American coal exports to the Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, helping the Ukraine develop oil and gas deposits, and the Paris Climate Accord.

A 22 minute telephone conversation.

It was not the Ukraine Prime Minister. It was a comedian. Two, actually. Vladimir Krasnoo and Alexei Stolyarov. Known professionally as the Jerky Boys of Russia.

Again, where the hell was the vetting? How does something like this happen? Is nothing sacred in government today?

Impeachment is in the air. Lightly. Not heavy yet.

On this day in 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommended President Richard Nixon be impeached.

USA Today ran an interesting article on male sperm yesterday. The quantity and quality has been down 1.6 percent a year since 1973. A drop of 59.3 percent.

Not a U.S. problem alone. Similar numbers in the rest of North America, Europe and Australia.

The decline attributed to several causes. Women smoking during pregnancy could affect a son’s fertility years later, male obesity, pesticides, and stress.

Two things scheduled for noon time. A haircut with Lori. The car gets washed.

The car has not been washed in months. The outside looks clean because of the frequent rains. The inside looks like I have been sleeping in the car.

Enjoy your day!

Originally posted July 2018

Our laws are derived from English law. Going hundreds of years back. Referred to as the Common Law.

One of the laws from days of old was referred to as alienation of affection. A lawsuit brought by a deserted spouse against a third party who is blamed for the failure of the marriage. In short, one spouse cheats and the cheating spouse falls in love with that person. He/she leaves her spouse for the other.

Alienation lawsuits don’t seem to fit into thinking in the U.S. the past 100 years. People want to play and not pay.

As a result, most States threw out alienation of affection as a ground to recover money damages. Only 7 States permit such lawsuits today: Hawaii, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota and Utah.

A recent North Carolina case evidenced the danger in stealing another man’s wife where the law permits a dollar recovery. The man who cheated with the husband’s wife had a judgment returned against him for $8.8 million.

An expensive piece of ass!

Good time at the Chart Room last night. John bartending. Kevin, Holly and David at the bar.

Larry Smith and wife Christine showed up. I have never seen either in the Chart Room. They were entertaining visiting family and friends from Pennsylvania.

The Pier House’s Wine Galley was Larry’s room. He entertained there for more than 10 years. Music and drink. The room generally filled. The Wine Galley several years ago was turned into a restaurant. Sad. Larry gave the Wine Galley a magic touch. Difficult to replace.

The Blue Macaw afterwards for chicken wings and a drink. Paul and Ron at the bar. Good food and good company.

The Key West weatherman is at it again. Hot today with widely separated thunder showers. He advises, “Pick your favorite storm.”

Tomorrow night will be partly cloudy with a thunder shower. He said, “Plants drink free.”

The Federal Reserve is concerned about inflation. They have suggested interest rates might be raised slightly.

Trump is concerned with inflation also. He does not want interest rates raised. He claims the economy is good and he wants to keep it good full throttle.

The danger with a rising economy is inflation. Interest rates are raised to cool the economy a bit.

The inflation of concern to the Federal Reserve is minimal. Not everywhere, however. Venezuela inflation rose 60,000 percent this past year. A cup of cafe con leche costs over 1 million bolivar.

Things are tough in Venezuela!

Yesterday, Trump announced the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) had risen to 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2018. Admirable! Trump to be congratulated. The highest the GDP has been since 2014.

I find it difficult to accept the 4.1 percent GDP. The GDP is a composition of figures/numbers. Not saying the Trump people would do this, but numbers are easily manipulated to produce a desired result. A fudged result. A form of lying.

Even if valid, where will the GDP be in 6-9 months when the impact of the tariff wars hit? Not even close to a 4!

Trump also advised yesterday that 3.7 million new jobs were created. The highest ever. Not correct.

In the 19 months beginning December 2016 and ending June 2018, 3.7 million new jobs were added. Compare that figure to the 4.3 million jobs that were added in the 19 months before Trump’s election.

I fear for the economy. I have been predicting a recession next year. The market is overinflated. The impact of the tariff wars not yet experienced. Corporations are not pouring their tax savings into employee pockets. They are instead buying up the company’s stock.

Madeleine Albright’s Fascism brings to a reader’s attention a reason why authoritarian figures rise: “Men and women who had despaired of political change suddenly felt in touch with the answers they had been seeking…..rallies, where they discovered kindred souls keen to restore greatness to the nation.”

We continue to live in a society where the rich get richer while the poor poorer. The economy is going to be the major issue in November.

Trump has surrounded himself with the rich.

One example is Education Secretary Betsy De Vos. It was reported her $40 million 163 foot yacht was set adrift by vandals at a Northern Ohio Marina. A pic ran with the article. The yacht is 3 stories high.

The Secretary’s husband is former CEO of Amway. Their combined net worth estimated at $1.3 billion.

The Secretary’s brother is Eric Prince. Prince of Blackwater fame. He provides contract soldiers (mercenaries) to our government. For a fee, of course. He presently has another company doing the same work. If I recall correctly, a Prince company helped provide shelters and care for the immigration children taken from their parents.

The Secretary’s father a person of affluence also.

Forbes listed Dad’s family (father, daughter Betsy, son Eric, etc.) as the 88th richest family in America. Their net worth estimated at $5.4 billion.

BOB tired. He said writing yesterday’s article on Fantasy Fest Nudity took a lot out of him. He needs to rest.

Enjoy your day!

Originally Posted July 2017

Sanctions are constantly in the news. One country does something another country disagrees with and sanctions come into play. Bank accounts seized, shipping prohibited, etc. Cause the offending country to suffer for its wrongdoing.

Sanctions are so prevalent these days that many have come to believe it is a way to avoid war.

I believe such is the case only because a war has not yet occurred.

History repeats itself. We tend to forget.

On this day in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt seized all Japanese assets in the United States in retaliation for Japan’s occupation of French-Indo China. As was intended, the result hurt Japan deeply. Japan lost three quarters of its overseas trade and 88 percent of its imported oil.

War was inevitable. Japan could not tolerate the sanctions. Especially the loss of 88 percent of its imported oil. Japan had no oil except that which it imported. Japan’s industrial death was imminent.

Japan in effect said screw you to the U.S. The result Pearl Harbor a little more than four months later.

Two strange occurrences yesterday.

Three weeks ago, I filed a change of address with the Post Office. I am getting mail at my new address. Also, at my old address.

Went to the downtown Post Office to straighten the mater out. I was told by the clerk it could not be happening. I calmly explained again it was. No way, I was told.

It became a problem for the supervisor to deal with. No supervisor. He was somewhere else.

I have to return today.

Next stop was Walgreens. Bought a large container of Bayer Aspirin. Take a whole pill a day for my heart.

When I got home and opened the bottle, the foil seal was broken and completely open. When I return to Walgreens today for an exchange, will I be told it could not happen?

A change of pace podcast last night. Trump has been overwhelming my show as it has the media. There are other stories to be told. Decided to do a limited Trump comment and the rest of the show human events of the past few days world wide.

Because of yesterday happenings, I ended up with three Trump/political observations. However, I did finish with 8 non Trump stories.

I hope that those of you who listened to Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou enjoyed the change of pace.

Being the political animal I am, I want to briefly share with you the three political observations.

Jared Kushner’s testimony has been described by some in the examining rooms as truthful and forthcoming. I would not believe Kushner and his Trump in laws on a stack of Bibles. Liars one and all. It is the nature of the beast. The conclusion of the various investigations will substantiate they speak with forked tongues.

The Democrats came out with a Better Deal slogan yesterday. Sucks! My recommendation is that they hire a professional PR firm to provide a today slogan. Also, it is time for Pelosi and Schumer to go. It is a new day. Their time has passed. Voters world wide have shown in recent elections the desire for new and more youthful faces.

Finally, John McCain. A man I respect and admire. But yesterday he did not go far enough in his comments to the Senate.

McCain has cancer of the brain. Operations, doctors, medicines, etc. His medical bills will be high. Overwhelming if no insurance. He has insurance, however. Ergo, he has a chance to be cured, to survive.

What of the 32 million who will have no insurance if Obamacare is dumped? They will not have the chance to maybe have their lives saved.

It was McCain’s moment. He should have said, I have changed my mind. I stand with those who do not want to repeal, or repeal and replace. Lets fix Obamacare and move on.

He did not.

Historical paths cross.

William Faulkner lived a period of his life in Key West. As did Ernest Hemingway.

Hemingway wrote To Have and To Hold. Faulkner went to Hollywood and wrote the screen script for To Have and To Hold. Both the novel and the movie were gigantic successes. Humphrey Bogart starred in the movie.

In the early 1860’s, a U.S. Navy vessel captured a slave ship. It delivered the 1,432 Africans aboard to Key West. Two hundred ninety-four died while here. The remaining Africans were sent to Libya.

The 294 who died were buried somewhere in Key West. No one certain as to the exact spot till several years ago.

The bodies were discovered buried on portions of Higgs Beach and nearby. A plaque has been placed on the beach noting their burial place. Each year, a service is held at the site in their honor.

Have to hustle. A heart test scheduled for 1.

Enjoy your day!

Originally Posted July 2018

Never made it to Dueling Bartenders last night. Felt a bit under the weather. Disappointed because I was anxious to hear Laura Richardson sing again.

Oil and water do not mix. Nor do Church and State. Never the less, the Trump administration keeps pushing government support for religion. The primary reason to suck up to its strong Evangelical base.

Attorney General Sessions made what can only be described as a scary announcement yesterday. He announced the establishment of a Religious Liberty Task Force. A separate distinct unit within the Department of Justice.

Its purpose to help fully implement the religious liberty “guidance” issued last year under Trump’s direction.

Sessions claims the freedom to practice religion is “under attack.” He added “a dangerous movement…..real…..now challenging and eroding our great tradition of religious freedom.”

Examples offered included nuns being forced to purchase contraceptives (that’s how he put it), U.S. Senators asking judicial and executive branch nominees about dogma, and the Colorado baker who refused to make a special wedding cake for a same sex couple.

Sessions said the Trump administration in “seeking actually to accommodate people of faith.” Which faith? Whose faith?

Political pundits view the move twofold. First, to protect religious zealots who attack LGBT rights. Second, to push the marriage of Church and State on the altar of Christianity.

The new unit a victory for Trump. A victory for Evangelicals. A defeat for freedom and right to choose.

The U.S. is step by  step becoming a nation where government enforcers have been put in place to enforce unAmerican actions. ICE and this new religious unit examples.

Insufficient justice re the stolen Mel Fisher gold bar. The two men who stole the gold bar valued almost at $500,000 have been brought to justice after many years. The two were sentenced yesterday in federal court. One received 63 months in jail, the other 4o.

I suggest justice insufficient in this instance because the bar no longer exists. The thieves hacked it into small pieces to sell for pennies on the dollar. Only small fragments were recovered.

Another reason is Mel Fisher’s insurance recovery. Around $100,000. The insurance company only paid melt value as opposed to market value.

It has been raining! Big time! Major showers! Every day!

Going to rain again today and this evening. Re the daily shower, the weatherman says, “Get used to it.” As to this evening’s shower, there is “always tomorrow.”

Suicides have always been a problem in Monroe County. The Keys a part thereof.

Suicides in the Keys have averaged 21 per year the past 5 years. By July of this year, 20. Indicating suicides in the Keys are on track to double this year.

The reason is attributed to Irma and the pains and problems she left behind. Sad. We have not yet as a society learned how to adequately prepare for natural disasters. Not meant as a blame. Merely a statement of fact.

Where is Bum Farto? Where is Jimmy Hoffa? Birds of a feather in that they disappeared and have not been seen since. Their disappearances in the same year, 1975. Only 5 weeks apart. Hoffa on July 31, Farto on September 9.

Have they both been sitting on an idyllic Mediterranean beach since 1975, or are both part of foundations for major highways?

I was skipping around the internet yesterday looking for some interesting bit of information to share with you. Came up with Queer Politics being taught at the University of Massachusetts. An actual course. Taught one semester a year.

Described as Queer Political Theory. The course description includes “…..denaturalize (hetero)sexuality and (hetero)gender categories, identities and expression.” Asks “what is queer politics and how, in what way, or to what degree is sexuality political.”

The course fulfills a mandatory diversity requirement.

My curiosity was piqued. Were similar courses taught at other colleges/universities? Was I surprised!

Not only taught, but offered as a major or minor. Described generally as LGBT studies.

I came across a listing of 20 such colleges and universities. The first 5 in order of listing: Cornell University, University of California-Berkeley, Stanford University, Brown University, and Towson University.

I graduated from college 61 years ago. No such courses taught. Homosexuality here and there in a psychology course. Buried in the closet for all intents and purposes. Transgenderism unheard of. The major was titled “Psychology.” The generality. Nothing more.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou this evening. A podcast. Nine my time. Join me. Guaranteed interesting. A quick half hour of provocative meanderings. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

Originally posted July 2019

The simplicity of it all.

I am not computer literate. Nor mechanically inclined. A generational thing.

I had computer problems yesterday. My mouse was not working properly. Off and on. Mostly off.

I operate with a big screen attached to my lap top. Easier to see in my old age.

Telephoned computer guru Tim Reynolds this morning. He now lives in the Tampa area. Change the battery, he said. I did. It works. I did not know the mouse operated on a battery.

Oh, well.

Now to today.

Another Harry Truman story. One not well known. Like the shot of Old Grand I wrote about recently. This one involves Truman and a donkey. It also involves things that could happen to a President in Truman’s days, but would not today.

For credibility purposes, be advised that this story is one told by Truman’s grandson Clifton Truman Daniel.

Truman was on one of his Key  West trips. He liked to swim. Tried to every day. Generally in the late afternoon. Prior to his nap.

In those days, there was no natural beach near the Little White House. To accommodate the President, Navy engineers had sand trucked in. A small beach was made. A little cabana constructed, also. A place where Truman could change into his trunks.

One morning, Truman walked out with his trunks and towel over his arm. Threw open the door to the cabana and got the shock of his life. Standing in the Presidential changing room was a donkey. Adding insult to injury, the donkey was braying at Truman. A further insult. The donkey had answered the call of nature so the atmosphere in the cabana was less than pleasing.

Truman stood stunned for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. Recall he had grown up a farmer so he did not feel threatened.

The base commander was not amused. He initiated a search for those responsible. Turned out to be a couple of reporters who had gotten a little tipsy in town the night before. Came upon the donkey. Bought it. Smuggled it onto the base in the back of a taxi.

Never could happen today. Presidential security back then not as it is today. Secret Service and Navy personnel would have ascertained what the reporters were up to at the gate Most certainly before arriving at the cabana.

Truman was the President. Certain safety measures were taken. The donkey was x-rayed, given the once over by bomb sniffing dogs, and then sent to an underground holding facility in the Rockies. No one remains today who knows what happened to the donkey afterwards.

Truman’s reaction to the prank says a lot about him and Key West. They were ideally suited to each other. Unpretentious and possessed with a sense of humor.

Key West ws the one and only place grandson Clifton reported where “Grandpa could be himself, let his hair down, wear a loud Hawaiian shirt or even grow a beard (which he started but but never finished).” He had “found the perfect haven from the pressures and posturing of a hectic world.”

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou last night. Precisely in the middle of the Democratic debate. I caught the beginning and the end. My favorite tale concerned Ernest Hemingway and Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Hemingway wrote a short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro which won him a Pulitzer Prize. Though familiar with Africa from prior visits, he had neither seen nor climbed Kilimanjaro.

His second African trip interesting though almost a disaster. It was 1952. Travel sometimes by local plane. A 4 seater or the like.

Hemingway and his wife were on such a flight. The plane crashed. Hemingway suffered some burns and cracked ribs. Never one to sit, he opted to take another plane the next day. This one exploded on take off. Hemingway hurt big time.

His wife was able to get out of the burning plane through a window. Hemingway was not. He butted his head against the door and it opened and he was out. His injuries significant, however. A fractured skull, severe burns, a dislocated shoulder, 2 cracked discs, a ruptured liver, and ruptures to both kidneys.

A tough guy. Lived to hunt, fish, and write another day.

Watched what I could of the debate last night. Better than the first. Excellent questions. Little if any gotcha moments attempted. They all looked good in varying degrees. I suspect only Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren will survive last night’s group.

Tonight the balance of the debate. Interested in how Joe Biden will come over.

On this day in 1975, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. Never seen again. Many suspect he is buried beneath the concrete of a New Jersey highway.

Several months later, Key West Fire Chief Bum Farto disappeared. He had been convicted of narcotic dealing and was awaiting sentencing.

Farto’s disappearance a Key West “happening” to this date. A money maker for some. Tee shirts for sale bearing…..Where are you Bum Farto?

Trump will go down as the worst President in history. Unquestionably.

He does little if anything correctly.

He has us in a tariff war with China. One that never should have been. I recall his words during the campaign: “I know tariff wars!…..Tariff Wars are good!…..I win tariff wars!”

He has done a masterful job with China. As with Iran, he is in one that he does not know how to get out. The Chinese outfox him at every turn. They refuse to submit to his bullying.

U.S. representatives have been meeting in Shanghai for 2 days. Talks over. No resolution. Further talks scheduled for September.

Before the meeting had concluded, Trump announced the talks were going well, there would be an agreement. The agreement could only come if it was one Trump wanted and he was confident it would be his way.

The talks failed. Trump now says such the worst outcome for China. China should stop stalling. Claims China started the trade war.

The President is an ass. He knows not what he does. China is an equal to the U.S. in every regard. Militarily, financially, etc. China is also the U.S.’s bank. We owe China $1.3 trillion. Borrow from China on a frequent basis. Never pay back.

What happens if China really gets pissed and cuts off the loans? Even worse, suppose China starts dumping its U.S. Treasuries on the market?

An economic crisis without proportion. U. S. would go bust. Then most of the world.

A bad situation. China will not give in. Not the Asian way.

No one wins a trade war. China will go to a starvation diet and drinking water out of the streets before it succumbs. China will break the U.S.’s back as its is being broken.

Enjoy your day!

Originally posted July 2017

The Casa Antigua is an integral part of Key West history.

One of Key West’s first built hotels. In 1919. By Benjamin Trevor and George Morris. Constructed with bricks from Fort Zachary Taylor and a building torn down at the time across the street. The Casa Antigua located at the corner of Simonton Street and Rose Lane.

The facility was named the Trev-Mor Hotel. On the first floor was a Ford distributorship also called the Trev-Mor.

Ernest Hemingway is primarily responsible for the building’s historical notoriety.  He and wife Pauline arrived from Paris. they were on their way to New York. Intended to drive. Pauline’s uncle had bought them a new Ford which they were to pick up at the Trev-Mor distributorship.

The car was not waiting for the Hemingways. Late in arriving. They were told it would be there in two days. Ernest and Pauline put into the Trev-Mor Hotel to await its arrival.

Two days turned into ten before the car arrived. In those ten days, Hemingway discovered Key West. He fell in love with Key West. Remained ten years.

During the time, he wrote A Farewell to Arms.

There are other stories concerning the Casa Antigua. They remain for another day to tell. Except for the most recent one.

A new Key West attraction opened two weeks ago on the first floor. The Key West Room Escape. Sound’s like a fun place!

Sort of a search and find items of Key West historical significance.

Teams of up to eight customers are locked in a room. The room filled with all kinds of objects. The team has sixty minutes to find a hidden item. Like the missing page of a manuscript.

Clues are given. An announcer behind a window gives hot and cold clues.

The cost is $35 for an adult and $25 for 16 and under.

Sounds like a fun place. My game plan is to take Robert and Ally.

Did a late Hot Dog Church yesterday afternoon. The Back Door empty, except for Donna, Terri and Laurie. Spent a couple of humorous hours before returning home.

I continue to run tired. Kept to home basically the past few days. See the heart doctor at 5 today for the results of last week’s tests.

The semblance of a storm forming in the Gulf 50 miles off Tampa. Not a hurricane. Right now a tropical depression. Result of low pressure. Not expected to become a big deal.

There will be big time rain today and tomorrow however as a result. Winds will not be of consequence.

Appears hurricane season as a practical matter is around the corner.

East Martello Fort is going to get a $2 million repair job. Money coming from grants.

East Martello is a Civil War Fort. Built by the Union to help in warding off Confederacy ships. The Confederacy ships never arrived.

One hundred fifty five years old. Time again for a touch up.

Two strange events of a similar nature occurred in 1975.

On this date, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. On September 9, Key West Fire Chief and convicted drug dealer Bum Farto disappeared. Both swiftly swept off by third parties never to be seen again.

Farto’s disappearance left Key West with a famous saying. On tee shirts, in the media and conversation: Bum Farto Where Are You?

Multi-talented Terri White coming over later to change a shower fixture and put together a new desk chair for me. The benefits of having a lesbian wife.

Enjoy your day!

Originally posted June of 2017

What do dog ticks, crocodiles and Boeing have to do with each other? Absolutely nothing. Thought it made for an interesting title.

Dog ticks came to my attention when reading William Hackley’s diary entry for this day in 1856. He took dash for an ocean ride on the steamer Jasper. Dash had ticks.

Salt air cure dog ticks? A quick google told me no. Salt water does cure fleas. Maybe Hackley had ticks and fleas mixed up. Even in 1856, tick removal required tweezers.

This morning’s Citizens’ Comment made mention of the crocodile that now lives at the Key West Golf Course. My recollection, a Nile crocodile.

I was under the impression crocodiles are harmless to humans. Especially, Nile crocs. Not so.

Crocodiles and alligators alike enjoy feeding on humans. Crocs 4 feet are attracted to human babies and children. The size leads the crocodile to believe the baby/child is an animal.

Crocodiles 6.6 feet and over prefer adult humans.

The above info the result of a quick google search, also.

So…..Those that tell us not to worry about the 7-8 foot Nile crocodile living on the Golf Course may be wrong. Could be wrong. Whatever. Be on the safe side and keep a safe distance.

Five months ago at a Boeing plant in South Carolina, Trump and Boeing’s CEO enjoyed a kumbaya meeting. Trump announced he and Boeing had an understanding. No more jobs to go elsewhere. Jobs to remain. Plants to be built in the United States.

Boeing’s CEO was excited. Exclaimed…..We have a seat at the table!

Since that time, it has been announced that Boeing is building or planning to build plants in China, Saudi Arabia and India. It was further announced yesterday that just under 200 employees were going to be let go at a North Carolina plant.

So much for Trump fighting for every last job.

When the plant building became evident in the three foreign countries, the Boeing CEO said he was misunderstood five months ago. His comments were only to the effect that employment rolls would not be diminished . Job numbers would remain the same. No promise was made to increase the numbers.

I did not hear it that way.

New news this morning on Morning Joe. A Washington Post investigative reporter guest appeared. New cyber war information had been released moments earlier in a Post announcement. The information was not in this morning’s paper.

One of the steps taken by Obama was to somehow infiltrate late in December Russia’s cyber sources that provided the means to hack into the Presidential election. The U.S. had the capacity to destroy the technology involved.

Obama left the decision to Trump to decide when or if. Trump has and has had the information and decision making power since his inauguration.

Trump has the ability to pres the button. He has not. Nor has he even mentioned Russia and the election. Why?

My yesterday began with a visit to my heart doctor. Routine.

Late afternoon, I stopped at Louie’s Backyard. Meditation time. Sat looking out over the water thinking about this and that while enjoying a couple of drinks. Louie’s Backyard has one of the most relaxing water views in the Keys. A God is in His Heaven, all is right with the world feeling.

Big day for the ladies June 23, 1972. Title IX was enacted into law. Banned sex discrimination in federally funded educational institutions.

A boon to female college athletes!

No Key West Lou Facebook Video the past two days. Sorry. Back on track this afternoon.

Enjoy your day!