My wayward life has caught up with me. I am 83. It was a good run.

Alcohol and smoking will not be a part of my life from this point forward.

The medical problem that has been affecting me for a month has been diagnosed and treated. Pancreatitis. Alcohol a major cause. Smoking right behind.

Interestingly, last year I lost 62 pounds. On a high protein/low carb diet. High protein  a fatty diet from my perspective. The diet did not help. I have reverted. Must be high carb/low fat from this point forward.

A month ago, I started feeling terrible. Every day. It seemed that every problem I have been afflicted with the past 5 years returned. All at one time!

I was exhausted daily. When tired, it was total. Came in 5-6 hour spurts. Then went away as quickly as it had hit me. Up and down stairs became an ordeal. Huffing and puffing. Down as difficult as up.

I became wobbly again. Started losing my balance, falling again.

My eyes started going. My most recent prescription for new glasses only a year ago. Suddenly, everything had a tinge of blurriness to it. Because of all the research I do, I have an extra screen attached to my computer. Two and a half feet by one and a half. It became difficult to read.

One drink and I was drunk. Two or more the same reaction. Booze was hitting me hard.

Oily stools. Enough said.

Nausea immediately following eating. Not severe, but there. I started eating less.

Weight loss terrific. If I wanted to lose more weight. Hit 15 pounds last week.

Appetite was gone. I could not finish a meal. A full feeling constantly.

Overall, I felt liked shit!

I thought it was my heart again. Exhaustion previously a big part of the heart problem. Saw my heart doctor and primary care physician within days of each other.

Dr. McIvor my heart doctor. I have been his patient for about 15 years. Trust him implicitly. He ran a ton of tests. Heart good! No problem there.

Now I was in the hands of my primary care physician Dr. Norris. He has been my doctor for only 1.5 years. This was his test!

Parasites in my stool? No parasites.

What, then?

More tests, more blood work.

Norris caught it. Pancreatitis.

My initial concern was pancreatic cancer. Everyone who gets it dies. He assured me cancer not involved.

I never knew what the pancreas does. I learned.

The pancreas is a long flat gland tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. It is sort of a last stop for food ingested before it goes into the small intestine.

Enzymes are involved as food passes through. Somehow the pancreas activates these enzymes. They leave the pancreas with the food. I either was not making enough enzymes or the ones being made remained in the pancreas instead of leaving.

Excuse if I misdescribe. I am not a doctor.

Whatever enzymes remain,  attack the pancreas. Causing the problems I was experiencing.

A change of diet, no alcohol or smoking, and a terrific pill Creon 12,000 taken 3 times a day. Took 10 days for everything to kick in. I am supposedly fine today. Stopped taking the Creon last night. Hope I do not need it again.

Norris passed the test. My test. I now have faith in him as I do McIvor.

I went out last night! Walked into the Chart Room. Cannot describe the exhilaration I felt by being there. Almost giddy. I did not expect such a reaction.

It was good to see friends again. Jean and Joe Thornton, Sheila, and Mary.

Drank one short diet soda. With lime.

Followed by dinner at La Trattoria.

Pasta good for me. With marinara sauce. I am to avoid meat sauce. La Trattoria has a close marinara sauce. No meat. Too spicy, however. Not discouraged. Will find something else on the menu.

If you are concerned about no more drinking or smoking, fear not. I do what I am told when it comes to professional advice.

Twelve years ago, it was my heart. It was enlarged. Alcohol induced. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy. I was told stop drinking and the heart will return to normal size. I never had a drink for 1.5 years. Nor did I smoke. Stopped the moment the doctor told me about the enlarged heart and what to do.

I am human. When the heart reduced, I went back to drinking and smoking. With the doctor’s understanding. Just drink less, he said. Substantially less. Less become more over time. I have been overdoing it recently. One to four drinks a night.

Whatever, time to pay for my sins.

Tonight, Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me at 9 for what I guarantee will be a fast moving interesting half hour. I promise not to talk about my pancreatitis. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

Modern medicine is amazing! Especially when you reach my age and what could not be done yesterday can today.

The most recent a 20 week old fetus diagnosed with spinal bifida, a brave mother, and a Pittsburgh hospital.

Spinal bifida in this instance showed the fetus at 20 weeks with a spinal problem. The spinal cord and backbone would not close before birth nor would it after birth. Assuming the fetus survived, the child would not be able to walk. Movement below the knees impossible.

The significance of this operation is that the fetus was operated on while in the mother’s womb. A first. The operation a success. The baby when delivered was kicking. She could also lift her feet and flex her toes.

With one exception. The toes on her left foot won’t bend. No big deal under the circumstances.

I went out last night. For 2 hours. Family time.

We were still celebrating Ally’s graduation and birthday. Dinner at El Sibonay. Then home to sing Happy Birthday! for the 88th time and enjoy cake.

An important day for me today. See Dr. Norris. Final test results are in. I suspect/hope they will be favorable. At my age, concern always there.

Trump in Great Britain. A State visit. His mouth is already getting him into trouble. It appears he does not mind who he insults.

The tariff war with China goes on. Perhaps for a long time.

The Chinese are really pissed. Can’t blame them. Their unhappiness and now hard line position is reflected by the recent comments of 2 Chinese officials.

One said, “If they (U.S.) want a fight, we will fight to the end.”

The other, “The trade war has not made America great again.”

Not content, the word is Trump now wants to sanction Australia. No reason given. The word is his staff had to sit on him to hold off, to consider further the move.

The U.S. is running out of friends. One by one Trump is alienating them. He seems to prefer the company of despots rather than the tried and true.

An interesting fact. Australia was the only country from the start to avoid the steel and aluminum tariffs. Our friends. Won’t be if Trump hits Australia with tariffs.

Trump is like a little kid who discovered some new toys. In this case, tariffs and sanctions. He uses them whenever so moved. A childhood ditty comes to mind. Little Jack Horner. He sat in the corner eating his pumpkin pie. Put in his thumb and pulled out a plum. Said, “Oh what a good boy am I!”

Venezuela’s economy continues to be down. The Financial Times reported inflation nearing 130,000 percent.

Hard to imagine.

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday another day of rest. Laid around all day reading and watching TV.

Tonight, I will definitely be out. We are celebrating Ally’s birthday with dinner at 6 at El Sibonay.

Tomorrow afternoon a doctor visit. Important one. I will get the results of further tests.

I have been at this medical problem for a month. Lost 15 pounds in the process. A benefit? I’m not sure.

In many sections of Mexico, prostitution/sex work is not illegal. It has been however in Mexico City. No more. Mexico City has decriminalized sex work. The City believes it will help to reduce sex trafficking. Sex trafficking in Mexico City itself has resulted in thousands of Mexican women and children being drawn into the sex trade.

The new law simply says people have a right to engage in sex work. Supportive laws now required. A legal framework to protect sex workers. The framework can be done.

About 12 yeas ago, Germany legalized prostitution throughout all of Germany. The cry in support of the legislation was prostitutes had a right to be protected, have hospitalization and pension plans.

Never happened! The real reason behind Germany’s move was to be able to tax prostitution. Payment for sex was legal. therefore the income from it taxable.

Taxation was permitted at every governmental level.

Still legal in Germany. However the scheme has not worked as many thought it would. Being legal, young ladies from all over Europe moved to Germany to work their trade. Soon supply exceeded demand. The price for legal favors dramatically fell. The ladies did not benefit. Nor did governmental entities. Tax revenues were much lower than anticipated.

I wish the sex workers in Mexico City well. I question whether the pot at the end of the rainbow will be theirs.

Tariffs and sanctions are part of the military might of a country today. Trump is using them big time. The U.S. is purportedly the strongest nation in the world. Trump is exercising that might by pushing everyone around.

Some Brit said yesterday re Trump: “Trump is a 20th century Fascist.” He is. Think Hitler and Mussolini.

Eventually all despots meet a justifiable end.

Trump has announced he is increasing tariffs on Mexican goods coming into the U.S. by 5 percent as of June 10. He did this because he was upset that Mexico was not doing more to keep migrants out of the U.S. He further threatened to raise the tariff to 25 percent in the next few months if Mexico failed to do what he expected.

Representatives of Mexico will meet with U.S. official on Wednesday in Washington hopefully work the matter out. Mexico  thinks the problem will be resolved. If so, it will mean that Mexico has capitulated to Trump’s improper demands. They fear his power.

Mexico’s anticipated position is understandable. The U.S. is Mexico’s largest trading partner. Interestingly, the U.S.’s largest trading partner is Mexico.

The market took a dive Friday because of the new tariff to be imposed. Understandably. Trump fails to understand the effect the tariff will have on the U.S. economy.

He and his henchmen still think a tariff punishes the country imposed upon. Not so. It hurts the country imposing it.

Trump claims he studied at Wharton. If so, he did not learn much.

The Wall St. Journal commented on the possibility of a recession. Clues that such might be were looked at.

The auto industry has laid off 38,000 workers in the last 6 months. One reason is that auto sales are projected to go down. It is projected that auto sales of new vehicles will be down 3 percent in 2019.

Further decline is expected in subsequent years also. Studies suggest humans will need fewer personal cars in future years.

History repeats itself in one form or another.

On this day in 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that communists were in the CIA. Similar to what Trump says today when he indicates corruption exists in the FBI. Perhaps even to a treasonable level.

Trump leaves today for Great Britain. A State visit. He should not go. The Brits have made it clear they do not want him. Diplomatic headaches await.

In the 2016 election, Meghan Merkle said Trump was “misogynistic” and his “politics divisive.” Trump recently referred to her as “nasty”, but thought they could get along.

Prince Charles believes climate change is a problem. Trump does not. In anticipation of meeting with Prince Charles to discuss the matter Trump said, “I can say we have among the cleanest climate in the world right now. Our air and water are doing very well.”

Obama was the last U.S. President to make a State visit to Great Britain. His favorability with the Brits at the time was 72 percent. Trump’s at the present time 21 percent.

A measles update.

The problem is increasing not only in the U.S., but also world wide. The CDC tells us the war against measles is being lost. The U.S. has 901 reported cases since January.

The Philippines really  out of control. Thirty three thousand to date. Over 400 have died.

So much for this Sunday.

Enjoy your day!

Before all else, be advised I felt good yesterday. All day! First time in weeks.

Ally’s eighth grade graduation yesterday. My granddaughter! Grown. Matured. On the threshold of womanhood.

Montessori’s kindergarten class graduated also. It was 8 years ago, I watched Ally graduate from kindergarten. Those who graduated yesterday were small. Really small! As Ally was back then. I am lucky I was able to see her both then and now.

I did not stay for lunch. A 1 1/2 hour wait. Did not move me. We were standing outside in the sun.

My doctor appointment turned out to be this coming monday, not yesterday. Fortunately, the Doctor’s office called to advise me of the monday appointment before I went over.

A manicure at 3 with Tammy. Always a pleasant experience.

She told me how busy she was this past week. School graduations! The young ladies learn early.

Then to Publix.

Publix was the test. I had been out and about more than normal earlier in the day. Pushing a cart and walking through Publix knocked me out the past few weeks. Yesterday, no way! I was impressed. Not tired at all.

Did not want to push things. Stayed in again last night.

Humid! That is what the weather is. Yesterday 91 and heavy. Leave a building and the humidity hits you in the face. Thick. You can taste it.

Key West is experiencing August and September weather. Early this year.

The past 2 thursdays Farmers Market at Bayview Park no longer was. Just like that. Gone!

Finally found out why.

Farmers Market had been open 6 years. Operated by someone who has several other Farmers Markets. Without notice, he announced to his vendors on May 14 that the Market was closed.

His reason a dwindling customer base. Business fell 80 percent from its opening season. Fewer customers meant fewer vendors. The operator’s rent and insurance became too much. He claimed the site went from a great market to a non-performing one.

The operator is a Jasin Hershin. Not a Key West resident. He is reported to have said “if there is any blame, it’s on the Key West citizens who did not support it.”

Sounds frustrated.

I have been doing the Market on a semi frequent basis. I only purchase tomatoes and bread. The tomatoes taste fresh and that’s why I would buy them. The bread I would buy in large quantity and freeze. Enough for a month.

I never saw more or less of people. It appeared to always be the same size crowd. Always a steady business.

The Market was a social place also. Always ran into friends and enjoyed the small chat we engaged in. The whole thing felt very homey.

Nothing is forever, I guess.

Today is the beginning of hurricane season. Seems like we just went through one.

This morning’s Key West Citizen ran front page an aerial photo of Big Pine following Irma. Irma hit September 10, 2017. Big Pine ravished. Irma hit with a category 4. The photo showed several streets of Big Pine devastated. Similar to the pictures being run on TV this past week of tornado damage.

Not all the damage has been corrected. The problem is money. Whether from the government, an insurance company, a bank or the homeowners themselves. Too many left with no assistance.

Someone complained in this morning’s Citizens Voice about the seaweed on Key West beaches. Thought the City should have cleaned up the seaweed rather than resanding the beaches.

The story. First, I don’t blame the individual who complained. The seaweed stinks. Reeks. Also, there is significantly more seaweed this year. It is arriving earlier. Since March, it has been a problem.

Normally, the seaweed is bulldozed off or cut up and mixed with the sand. Mixing it with the sand has always been the best way to go. Helps in preventing beach erosion.

The seaweed problem is all over Florida and into the Caribbean. The Caribbean islands hit especially hard. Key West seaweed works its way up t our beaches from the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Climate change, nutrients washing off the land, and changing ocean currents considered responsible.

In some places,. the seaweed washed up on the beach is 4-5 feet high. The seaweed is popularly referred to as Stinky Seaweed. The reason obvious. Its technical name Sargassum Seaweed.

The cost of removal is higher than normal. Communities along the Florida Coast and Caribbean Island resorts are concerned their summer tourist trade will suffer as people become aware of the problem.

Big sharks occasionally frequent our waters. Unusual because sharks prefer cooler water.

On this day in 1912, a Captain Charles Thomson was operating a fishing schooner near the Seven Mile Bridge. He harpooned a “whale shark.” Following an 8 hour struggle, he was able to beach the shark on a sand bar. The shark died 5 days later. Thomson then towed it to Miami to have it prepared for hanging on a wall.

The shark was huge! Thirty eight feet long, weighed 26,594 pounds.

I wrote about a month ago concerning former Trump aide Steve Bannon and his attempts to remove Pope Francis and replace him with a conservative right Cardinal. Failing, he said he would build a whole new Vatican next to the present one and install a new Pope. Two Vaticans operating at the same time!

Recall Bannon’s goal in life is to take down existing governments. No question about it.

In the meantime, Bannon wanted to open a school to train persons so as they would be educated with a right thinking agenda. He rented a 13th century medieval monastery. It was rented through the Italian Cultural Heritage Ministry.

Rent $110,000 a year.

The Ministry has announced it is revoking the lease granted to Bannon due to fraud in the bidding process. A letter was required to guarantee the lease. Bannon’s group provided a letter bearing the signature of an employee of the Danish Jyske bank.

The bank said the employee had not worked for the bank in years and that the letter was fraudulent.

Bannon was one of Trump’s early supporters and a White House aide at the beginning of Trump’s tenure. He and Stephen Miller were extremely close. Miller is a bad guy I have denounced on occasion.

He and Miller birds of a feather.

Enjoy your day!

A special day for my granddaughter Ally. She graduates from eighth grade. Her excitement knows no bounds!

Ally has turned into a beautiful young lady. Thoughtful. Not afraid to speak her mind.

The event 10 this morning at City Hall.

Tomorrow a big day for Ally, also. Her birthday! Fourteen.

A lot of excitement for her in a 48 hour period.

What to give her as a gift? Last year, I did good. Rang the bell. Got her a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure.

Been scratching my head as to what to give her for graduation and birthday.

A couple of weeks ago, we were talking. She is excited at the thought of attending high school. Told me she was going to all the dances.

I did not know she could dance. She can’t. Doesn’t bother her. She is confident she will learn quickly at the school dances.

Yesterday, I read an article about summer dance classes. A quick one week course. Days. Broken down into age brackets. Ally would be in the 12 and older teen age group.

That’s the gift!

Hope I ring the bell again this year.

I have been house confined the past few weeks. Today, I will be out and about. By day.

Ally’s graduation. Family lunch thereafter. An early afternoon doctor visit. I am anxious to lean the result of a further test. Then a manicure with Tammy at 3. I need one! I have Dracula nails.

All that in one day! A lot for me. When I did get out, it was only for one event. Like grocery shopping or a doctor visit.

The world awaits!

Enjoy your day!

Masturbation…..A more interesting topic than Trump.

I have reached the point where I am totally frustrated. Not with Trump, Congress, society in general. I am frustrated with the LAW. I am qualified to speak. The law was my life for 46 years.

The law is not working. Courts are being packed, the FBI investigated, a President who constantly disregards the law, no one doing what they should do, infrequent performance by government late.

The legal system is antiquated and requires upgrading.

Which brings me to the more interesting topic of masturbation.

Ann Landers was a nationally recognized advice columnist in the previous generation.

In May 1993, she discussed masturbation in her column. AIDS and unwanted pregnancies rampant at the time. Landers endorsed masturbation as a safe and realistic solution to people’s needs.

Landers noted, “Masturbation is a cheap and easy way to do it.” She also noted that her masturbation advice would not have flown 10 or 20 years earlier. The public was not ready to hear it.

I recall a fourth grade masturbation experience. Not doing it. My body had not revealed the possibility to me yet.

I attended a Catholic school. I was 8 years old, as were my class mates.

On the last day of school before summer vacation, a priest came to our classroom to talk to the boys. The girls could not remain.

He talked about masturbation. How it was self abuse, a sin, could make hair grow on our hands, render us blind. For real, that was the thrust of the talk.

We looked at each other strangely. Most if not all of us did not know what he was talking about. In fact so beyond us was the topic that we did not even discuss his talk after school.

Another more interesting topic than Trump involves a girl born in December in a San Diego Hospital. She was a preemie.

The child is believed to be the world’s tiniest surviving micro-preemie. Weighed 8.6 ounces. Not even one pound!

She has been described as the size of an apple when born.

A normal pregnancy is 39-40 weeks. The baby had been in her mother’s womb only 23 weeks 3 days.

This month she went home. Five months later. A healthy infant weighing 5 pounds.

To Mueller’s talk. The facts are all over the media. You have heard them already. I am not going to bore you with a recitation.

What bothers me is that everyone keeps passing the buck. Mueller should have called a spade a spade. I don’t buy FBI “policy” that a President cannot be indicted for a federal crime while in office. It is merely a policy. Not law. Congress never passed it. A President never signed such a bill. Even the validity of its source is questionable.

Mueller should have gone for it!

I ask, what if a President was secretly carrying a gun. Someone on federal property pissed him off. An unarmed person. The President shot and killed the individual.

Is Mueller telling us under such a fact pattern the President could not be indicted? No way. No one, even a President, is above the law.

My other unhappiness factor is based on the law increasingly not working. Whether in Washington or on the streets of America where an unarmed person is shot by the police and the police go free.

What Mueller has done is guarantee that our country will be in a state of chaos till the 2020 election. If Trump wins again in 2020, God help us! The United States will never be the same.

John McCain is a real American hero. A warship was named after his grandfather and father, both who were Admirals in the U.S. Navy. McCain’s name has been added to the vessel.

The warship is in Japanese waters. Within Trump’s view while he would be in Japan.

It has been reported the White House wanted the USS John McCain hidden. A 5/15 email between U.S. Navy and Air Force officials: “USS John McCain needs to be out of sight.”

I am not aware if Trump knew what was going on. I suspect not. However high level officials apparently did not want to upset Trump.

Trump should never have gotten into a tariff war with China. His….tariff wars are easy, I win tariff wars…..is not working. Ask the farmers in the midwest.

The Chinese People’s Daily is considered the government’s newspaper. It reported yesterday re the tariff war and the U.S.: “Don’t say we didn’t warn you!”

That terminology has only been used twice before. In 1962 before China’s border war with India. Then before the 1979 China-Vietnam War.

I will be out of the house at noon today. A haircut. Need one badly. Will shave before. I need a shave badly also.

Hopefully tonight I will go out for a while.

Enjoy your day!

Trump is not the only President who failed to take care of his people. In mentioning Trump, I allude to his mishandling of natural disasters. Puerto Rico and the Panhandle being two.

America’s troops in World War I were the reason the Allied forces won. They returned conquering heroes.

Twelve years later, things became tough economically. Most of the soldiers and their families were suffering.

When the World War I heroes returned home, they were each given Veterans’ Bonus Certificates. Such were to provide cash payments to veterans at some point in time.

It was 1932. The U,.S. already into the Great Depression. The veterans sought their yet unpaid bonuses. On this day in 1932, the first 1,000 veterans arrived in Washington. They were referred to as the Bonus Expeditionary Force. Within one month, the number of arriving veterans reached 20,000.

They were orderly. No disturbances. Washington police arranged for areas where they could camp.

The House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing the payment of the bonuses. The Senate failed to pass the bill.

The veterans were upset. Extremely so. They refused to go home.

The government offered to pay the cost of their return. Two thousand of the 20,000 refused the offer. They remained to protest.

Hoover was still President. He seemed not to understand the plight of the veterans. He was insensitive to their needs. He criticized them in severe words and tone.

Hoover finally would not take their presence and complaining any longer. On July 28, he ordered the Army under the command of General MacArthur evict the veterans forcibly.

MacArthur did. Not nicely. Veteran camps were burned. MacArthur drove the veterans out of Washington.

Hoover lost the next election to Roosevelt. The economy the primary reason. Forcing the veterans out of Washington similar to the treatment some migrants receive today at our southern borders.

Sloppy Joe’s birthday today. On this day in 1937, Sloppy Joe’s opened at a new location. The corner of Duval and Greene Streets. Where it still sits and operates to this day.

Joe threw an opening party at 9:30 that the evening. Free dancing and souvenirs for everyone.

This day another of importance. In 1828, Congress passed a bill establishing a territorial or federal court house in Key West. Business was beginning to boom. Primarily the salvage business. A federal court sitting in Key West was a necessity.

Irma still with us. And will be for many years to come.

One example are the canals. Money coming in piecemeal to dredge and unplug them. It was recently announced that 5 more canals will be dredged at a cost of $242,000.

The job being done piecemeal. Because the money is being allocated piecemeal.

Last night, Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I was exhausted at the end of the show.

Preparation during the day no problem. I felt good. The half hour show knocked me on my ass. My normal enthusiasm diminished as the show progressed.

I am getting better, however.

National and international news has been relatively quiet the past 2 days. I ascribe it to Trump being less nasty than normal. Perhaps he was tired from his trip to Japan.

Mount Everest has been in the news the past few days. It was on this day in 1953 that Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached he top of he highest mountain in the world. They were the first to do so.

This month 11 have already died trying to reach the summit.

Hillary and Norgay’s accomplishment significant. So much so that the Queen of England knighted Hillary. Norgay could not be knighted since he was not a British citizen. He received the British Empire Medal, however.

As I was preparing to proof this blog, Robert Mueller appeared on TV. He read a prepared statement. I am not getting into the details at the moment. Perhaps tomorrow. However, I do have one point to make.

Everyone, including Mueller, is pussy footing around with conclusions, who can do what, etc. The problem seems to be the “policy” that a sitting President cannot be indicted. Such is not law. It is a Department of Justice policy. Which means though it may have some importance, it does not have the power of law.

Another thing is a basic one soon learns upon entering law school. There are no absolutes. Every law, every rule, is subject to exception.

I am grossly disappointed (1) with Mueller’s Report and (2) Mueller himself. In this instance, he has failed his country.

Enjoy your day!

Terri just called. Donna has been admitted to the hospital this morning. Pneumonia.

Donna and Terri have been physically badgered in recent years. Hit with a number of serious illnesses.

Tough ladies!

Donna being sick bad in itself. Worst because last week Terri’s cancer doctors told her she was in remission.

Sometimes you just can’t win.

Speaking of illnesses, I remained home again last night. Energy a problem. Did go out around noon to Publix. Needed food. I am encouraged I did not get tired while shopping.

I spent a good portion of last year dieting. A low carb diet. Lost 62 pounds. High fat/low carb. Doctor now tells me to go on a low fat/high carb diet.

I can’t win.

This morning’s Key West Citizen has a right on cartoon on the editorial page. A woman speaking on the telephone. The woman is saying, “Yeah…..same guy who said we could get a border wall and Mexico would pay for it.” The person on the other end of the line responds, “And my trade war won’t cost you anything! China will pay for it.”

Three years ago, California was having serious drought problems. Water scarce. Fruit, vegetable and nut crops suffering. I wrote at the time that China was buying up acres of California farmland.

China and other countries have continued to buy American farmland. A significant portion of American farmland today is foreign owned. Nearly 30 million acres is held by foreign investors.

The median age of farmers is 55. Many face retirement. There is no prospect of their children taking over. Most are neither interested nor impressed with their parents farming lives. Which means that in years to come, more and more U.S. farmland will be owned by foreigners.

Not a healthy scenario.

Memorial Day is behind us. The reminder to honor our war dead remains.

I read something last night that hit home: “The best way to honor fallen soldiers is to stop sending troops to war.”

Unfortunately, though true, the thought idealistic. Man loves war. Otherwise man would not have been and be engaged in so many. War is intrinsic to man’s nature.

Examine the U.S. for a moment. Engaged in 17 wars at the present time. If  Trump continues trumping as he has, we may be in more.

Recall U.S. history. One war after another. And more looming.

Julianna Margulies is one of America’s finest actresses.

She recommends not forgetting a friend’s birthday: “The reason I met my husband was because I remembered my friend’s birthday. The moral of the story is: Remember people’s birthdays.”

Tonight my podcast show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. My health not affecting the show being done. Probably because I love doing it.

Join me tonight at 9. Louis ranting and raving about whatever is of concern to him at the moment. Guaranteed you will enjoy! www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

Today is Memorial Day. A time when we honor our military dead.

Memorial Day had a strange beginning. One that few know about. It is buried in the annals of history to a time immediately following the Civil War.

In those years, former Union General John A. Logan took a holiday originated by former Confederates and helped spread it across the entire country.

General Logan was the head of the largest Union veterans’ fraternity. The Grand Army of the Republic. Logan observed something that surprised him. A unexpected happening.

The people of the South were honoring Union War dead who had been laid to rest in Southern cemeteries.

The first Memorial day occurred in 1866 in Columbus, Georgia. Southerners had decorated the graves of Confederate soldiers. The Southerners included women.

The women did the unexpected. They also decorated the graves of their former enemies who had fought for the Union.

The Nation lauded the ladies. Described their action as “beautiful” and “unselfish.”

A northern Judge, Francis Miles Finch, wrote a poem commemorating what had been done by the Southern ladies. The Blue and the Gray. Finch considered the actions of the Southern ladies to be inspirational. He said, “It struck me that the South was holding out a friendly hand, and that it was our duty, not only as conquerors, but as men and their fellow citizens of the Nation, to grasp it.”

A significant line in the poem: “They banish our anger forever when they laurel the graves of our dead.”

The North quickly adopted the Southern custom of Memorial Day. It was thought to also include “burying the hatchet.” The Southern dead were to be considered brave men.

Feeling spread rapidly. By 1868, the U.S. had adopted the holiday.

A 10 year old Northern girl whose father had died in the Civil War made a wreath of flowers. She sent the wreath with a note to the overseer of the holiday in Lafayette, Indiana. The note read: “Will you please put this wreath upon some rebel soldier’s grave? My dear papa is buried at Andersonville and perhaps some little girl will be kind enough to put a few flowers on his grave.”

The Memorial Day flower laying on all graves was part of Lincoln’s hope for reconciliation. As Lincoln said, “Malice toward none…..charity for all.”

Within 3 yeas of the Civil War’s end, Memorial Day had become a manifestation of Lincoln’s hope for reconciliation between the North and South.

Leave it to the women! They always seem to get things right.

Big sea-faring day in Key West yesterday. The Minimal Regatta. A typical quirky Key West adventure providing merriment for spectators.

The Regatta is held annually in front of Schooner Wharf. Hundreds lining the boardwalk. Homemade boats of plywood and duct tape racing. Few complete the race. The boats fall apart.

Everyone has a good time! Participants and spectators.

An asteroid is going to pass over Key west and the Eastern Seaboard at 7:05 tonight. Not close. Three million two hundred thousand miles away. Such being more than 12 times the distance between Earth and Moon.

The asteroid consists of the asteroid and its moon. So referred to. Not exactly correct. The asteroids are 2 rocks. The larger one .08 miles wide. The smaller less than 2 times the big one and elongated..

The asteroids are no threat. Too far away.

Key West and measles. Various disease control centers consider Key West ripe for a measles attack. Tourists the reason. Measles could be brought in by tourists each day.

Fortunately, no measles cases reported as yet. Hopefully none will be.

I made a mistake for which I am truly sorry.

In my 5/25 blog, I chastise Trump because he would be in Japan on Memorial Day rather than at Arlington Cemetery honoring our war dead. Especially since the Japan trip appeared more social than business.

Before the day ended, I heard from Ron in the Comment section to the blog. He pointed out my error. I checked. Ron was correct. I had misspoken.

Trump and Melania made an unannounced visit to Arlington Cemetery before leaving for Japan. They were at Arlington last thursday and participated with the U.S. Army’s famed Old Guard in placing flags at the graves of the fallen. Trump and Melania assisted in placing some. They also placed a flag at the headstone of Frank Buckles, the last living World War I veteran.

My apologies to the President and you my readers.

Some things I do not understand. A federal Court Judge ruled several days ago that the subpoenas served on Deutsche Bank and Capital One had to be obeyed. Personal bank records of Trump, his children, his family, and the Trump organization had to be turned over to 2 different Congressional Committees.

As expected, Trump appealed.

Late friday, it was announced that “by agreement” the Congressional Committees and Trump had agreed to hold up the execution of the subpoenas till Trump’s appeal was concluded. The appeal is to be heard on an accelerated basis. Probably in late July.

Why the agreement? The Democrats are moving ever too slowly. The Republicans would never be as cooperative if the situation were reversed.

Back in my college days, 5 Day Deodorant Pads hit the market. Big time! Many only bathed once a week at that time.

The 5 Dayers were small round gauze pads soaked in some kind of anti-perspirant. One swab did it!

I have not seen nor heard of 5 Day Pads in years.

Yesterday, an advertisement popped up on my computer screen. Old Spice 48 Hour Protection. An anti-perspirant spray.

I checked Old Spice out. Yes, they do have such a spray and are marketing it. Those who use it only have to bathe every other say.

While searching re the Old Spice one, I discovered the 5 Day Deodorant Pad is alive and still selling. Over the internet and at Walgreens.

Merely sharing. Have no opinion.

Enjoy your day!

The shame of it all…..

Bayer is the well known producer of Bayer Aspirin. Bayer’s past a dark one.

Bayer a German company. Founded in 1863. It is most well known for the discovery of aspirin.

In 1925, six German companies merged to form the German conglomerate IG Farben.

Bayer continued to operate under the Bayer name while part of the conglomerate.

Following World War II, IG Farben went through two splits. The last one resulting in 3 companies, one of which is the Bayer known today.

I have taken the time to briefly spell out mergers, etc. since most historians refer to the World War II activities, to be described herein, as having been conducted by Bayer. Bayer at the time operating as a part of IG Farben.

Note that Helge Wehmeir, Bayer CEO, offered a public apology in 1995 for Bayer’s actions during World War II (covering years before World War II also – 1935-45) and the Holocaust.

Now for that which contributed to Bayer’s dark past.

Auschwitz was more than a concentration camp. A plant was constructed on Auschwitz grounds that was owned 100 percent by IG Farben. Known as Auschwitz III. The plant was the largest in the world producing gasoline and rubber.

Prisoners considered appropriate candidates were sent to the factory. For labor and human experiments. Non concentration persons were sent to Auschwitz III to work as slave laborers. Half of the 300,00 workers were slave labor or conscripts, 30,000 Auschwitz prisoners.

Auschwitz prisoners were used for human experiments for a new vaccine being developed. All died from the testing. Those sent to the gas chambers were privy to the synthetic gas Zykion-B, invented by IG Farben.

A group of 150 ladies were sent to Auschwitz III. Bayer injected not before tested chemicals into the women while seeking a cure for tuberculosis. All 150 ladies died.

Another prisoner  at age 13 was given tablets and pills as part of a birth control test. The birth control was permanent. She is still alive. She has never been able to conceive.

Dr. Victor Capesius conducted many of the tests. He worked for Bayer. He assisted Joseph Mengele, the Angel of Death, with genetic experiments on children.

Bayer purchased from the Germans certain of the victims experimented upon. They were sold and paid for like buying cattle. The number and price were negotiated and a contract signed.

Helmuth Vetter was an Auschwitz physician. He was also an SS captain. He drew 2 pay checks. One from the SS and the other Bayer.

One of Vetter’s experiments involved finding new anesthetics. He negotiated and bought 150 female inmates for which he paid RM 170. The women arrived in good condition. As a a result of the experiment, they all died.

Vetter merely requested in writing another 150 ladies at the same price.

The Auschwitz factory was not the only place human testing was done. IG Farben had its own concentration camp. Chemicals and vaccines were tested both on the sick and healthy. Injections, pills, enemas and powders were used. Many became seriously ill or died.

Fritz ter Meer was a IG Farben director and Nazi Party member. He directed Bayer operations at the Auschwitz plant. Tried at Nuremberg, he was sentenced to 7 years in prison. He was released after only serving 2 years.

Meer was elected Chair of Bayer’s Advisory Board in 1956 and so served till 1964.

An additional 23 Farben board members and executives were tried at Nuremberg. None received long jail terms. All released early. All were back to work assisting the German pharmaceutical industry soon after their release.

IG Farben was a huge donor to  Hitler’s electoral campaign and a supporter of the Nazis.

IG Farben worked closely with the Nazi Party to operate many plants in European cities seized by the Germans. The conglomerate also held stock in and was represented on the Board of companies which produced the gas used in Holocaust gas chambers.

Some historians suggest that without IG Farben, Hitler could not have risen to power and there would not have been a second World War.

Bayer’s story.

Enjoy your day!