The Florida Department of Transportation has scheduled a public meeting regarding the Cow Key Bridge repair. The meeting March 26 at 5 pm at the Marriott Beachside.

The State will explain the plan for the repair. Questions and comments afterward.

The State’s representatives better come prepared. Prepared to listen and act on what they will hear.

Key Westers are outraged at the State’s plans for the bridge repair. Eight months. They are not happy campers. The State’s reps will hear loud and clear.

The bridge has 4 lanes. Two each way. The State plans to close one lane at all times to facilitate traffic. Initially, 2 lanes were to have been closed.

Traffic in and out of Key West must go over Cow Key  Bridge. No other way in or out. It lies about 300 feet from the intersection of the Boulevards and U.S. 1. Traffic is horrendous.

Bumper to bumper traffic almost to Key Haven Road coming into Key West. Traffic beyond McDonald’s moving towards U.S. 1. Slow moving, when it moves.

Closing one lane of traffic will dramatically increase the delay. Easily add another 20 minutes to one half hour.

Every day for 8 months.

There has to be a better way. An engineer I am not. However, I have heard there is a temporary bridge that can be constructed to handle the traffic. I am sure the issue will be raised at the meeting.

I live on the Golf Course. Going into town at 5 yesterday. Headed towards U.S. 1 from the second road up that leads to the Golf Course. A traffic jam each way. Nothing moving.

I got smart. Or, so I thought. About 200 feet down after I got onto U.S. 1, I crossed over into Stock Island. Decided to beat the traffic by having an early dinner at Hogfish.

The dinner was good. Meat loaf. Can you imagine? Excellent meat loaf at a fish restaurant.

Left about 6:30. Felt like Little Jack Horner…..Pulled out a plum and said oh, what a good boy am I. I beat the traffic jam!

No way. Still bumper to bumper. Not as bad. Moving 30 percent faster.

Need I say more.

Finally made it to the Chart Room. Tammy bartending. David at one end of the bar.

Ran into friend Devin. Sat next to him. We spent a long time chatting.

Devin has a home in Key West. He visits several times a year.

I have written about Devin in the past.

Devin is a farmer. He and 2 brothers have operated a farm in northern Illinois for years. A successful business. Till Trump screwed things up last year.

Devin grows soybeans and corn. His soybeans went to China. Most of the corn turned into ethanol and shipped to China. The rest sold for feed.

A comfortable living.

Except China is no more. Not till the Trump induced tariff war ends.

Devin now flies coach instead of first class.

What has been raised is stored. Devin told me soybeans and corn can be stored for years if done properly. Storing affects cash flow, however. No money coming in. Interest still has to be paid on bank notes.

Whatever warm feelings he had for Trump, now gone. His feelings parallel mine.

The high point of the evening followed. Stopped at Publix to get some groceries. The cupboard bare again.

Arrived home by 9. In time to watch the Syracuse/Pitt game.

A bad first half. Syracuse losing by 6. Tempted to turn to another channel and watch a movie. Fortunately, I did not. Syracuse had a hell of a second half. Won 73-59.

Syracuse’s #1 player Tyus Battle could not play. Injured his tail bone. The coach’s son Buddy Boeheim started in his place. Scored 20 points. A record high for him

Tonight at 9, Duke.

Syracuse and Duke have already met twice this season. Syracuse won one and Duke the other. Syracuse beat Duke when Duke was ranked #1 nationally.

I expect a Duke victory. You never know, however.

The Charge of the Light Brigade has always fascinated me. The poem one of my favorite literary works. First introduced to it in an English literature class in college.

The poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Concerns an historic attack during the Battle of Balaklava.

The battle electrified the world! A suicidal charge. Brave men carrying out orders in spite of what they knew. The inevitable outcome for them was death.

The battle took place October 25, 1854. Tennyson did not observe it. However the world was talking about it. Tennyson read an account of the battle in The Times 6 weeks after it occurred. He sat down and wrote his poem commemorating the event in 15 minutes.

The poem a milestone in literary history.

A few lines. Lines that show why I and millions have been moved by it.

“Half a league, half a league / Half a league onward / …..into the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred /…..When can their glory fade? / O the wild charge they made.”

You may wonder why I write about the poem again today. In the 1930’s the movie The Charge of the Light Brigade was filmed starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Haviland. I watched it on TV yesterday afternoon. Moved me to write about it again today.

Secretary of State Pompeo yesterday said Russia and Cuba are propping up Venezuela’s Maduro. Isn’t the U.S. doing the same thing. Except the U.S. is propping up Maduro’s opponent.

The pot calling the kettle black.

Enjoy your day!

Bo’s Fish Wagon is a Key West fixture. Part of the community for many years.

Originally on Duval or somewhere in the downtown area, a time came when Bo had to move. Progress causing Bo’s need to relocate.

So popular was Bo’s that every effort was made to relocate it somewhere in Key West.

Note that Bo’s was nothing more than a shack. Easy to move. Ended up on the corner of Caroline and William Streets.

Today’s Bo’s larger than when the move was made. Added onto every few years. A bigger shack now.

On this day in 1995, Bo’s celebrated its Grand Opening at the new site.

Specialties of the house are grouper and mahi mahi sandwiches. Friday night music. A jam session.

Bo’s is old Key West, a dive, a dump. Yet people love it! Tourists and locals alike. Always packed.

There are few Key West places of yesteryear. Others include Schooner Wharf, Don’s Place, and my favorite the Chart Room. The Chart Room not a dive per se. Merely looks like one. The Chart Room the same as it was when first constructed in 1967.

Visit Bo’s. Enjoy one of their fish sandwiches. Sit at the open bar facing on Caroline and watch the world go by.

Did my podcast show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Hit Trump’s proposed budget hard. Spent a lot of time spelling out the evils the federal government has wrought on Social Security.

People should be aware Social Security takes in more than it pays out each day. Since the 1980’s, the government takes the excess monies and uses it for other things. Never pays back!

The biggest U.S. creditor is not China. We owe China $1.8 trillion. The biggest creditor is the Social Security Trust Fund. The U.S. owes the Fund $2.8 trillion.

If the government began paying back, cries of Social Security is on its death bed would end.

This college scandal is terrible! Can’t believe it! People bribing other people to guarantee their children will be accepted at a particular college. A high tiered one, of course.

The dollar amounts astronomical. Some in excess of $1 million.

A rigged admission scheme. Bribery. A lot of people will be going to jail or embarrassed big time.

My concern involves character. What happened to character in the U.S. The coaches and parents involved definitely in the…..They should be ashamed pool. Their children will be affected when they find out. They will find out now since the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office are involved.

Immigration a problem even way back before the birth of Christ. People periodically found it necessary to move in mass. Generally because of a natural disaster.

Pompeii created a problem A refugee problem of magnitude back then.

Mount Vesuvius exploded. The explosions and lava flow continued for 3 days.

Pompeii is the city normally associated with the Vesuvius eruption. Pompeii was buried in lava. Another community involved also. Nearby Herculaneum. The 2 communities covered with hot ash, pumice, and molten rock.

The combined population of the 2 was 15,000. The experts conclude that 2,000 died. Their determination made by the “voids in the ash.”

The other 13,000 escaped. Mostly women, slaves and freed slaves. Why not the men, I do not know.

The 13,000 were refugees. They poured into nearby small communities not affected by Vesuvius. The towns welcomed their neighbors with open arms.

Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the smaller communities were part of the Roman Empire. Rome recognized its responsibility to the people and did everything to help. Rome provided money, raised money, constructed new and necessary infrastructure.

Rome and the towns’ reactions have been described as following their hearts.

I mention Pompeii, etc., today because of our refugee problem. The difference seems to be leadership. Rome got involved and made everything work. Trump has failed to do so.

Today a memorable one. On this day 2013, Francis was elected Pope. A breath of fresh air. The challenges he has experienced beyond contemplation. The little man has a lot on his shoulders.

Trump is rattling the war saber. He is pushing for war with Venezuela. Pompeo announced 2 days ago the U.S. was pulling all its diplomatic personnel from Venezuela. An indication that war might be forthcoming.

Trump has no concern for the poor people of the country. He is after the oil. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. Russia wants the oil, also. Russia and Maduro are in bed together. It was recently announced that Venezuela’s state owned oil company was moving its offices to Moscow.

We don’t need another war. The U.S. is presently involved in 17. A couple of years ago, China’s President Xi said the U.S. has financial and infrastructure problems because it continues to be involved in wars it should not all over the globe. The war monies he said should have been used to solve the U.S.’s internal/personal problems.

This is college basketball tournament week.

The ACC tournament is underway. Syracuse plays Pitt tonight at 9. ESPN2. Syracuse a #6 seed, Pitt a #14. Syracuse favored by 7 points.

We shall see. I don’t believe anything anymore when it comes to this year’s team. We win the ones we should lose and lose the ones we should win. We do not play well in the second half. In the last 5 season games, Syracuse led at half time in 4. Lost all 4.

Enjoy your day!

I started this blog at 6:30 this morning. Hit a wrong button. Picture froze. Could not unfreeze it. Finally heard from Tim and he told me what to do to correct it.

It is now noon as I begin today’s blog. Sorry.

Socialism is only for the mega rich, their children and their grandchildren. Easy to understand.

Last year, the big tax cut was for the rich. To the detriment of the middle class. This year’s budget announced yesterday. Perks for corporations and the rich hidden therein.

The detriment to the middle class with this year’s Trump budget? A 5 percent cut in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The proposed budget asks for more money for bombs, tanks and planes. Less for hospitals, schools, and safe roads.

Recall that when Trump was campaigning for President, he assured the American people that he would protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. He obviously is not a man of his word. We already knew that, however.

Trump says he is cutting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to reduce “waste, fraud and abuse.”

A joke. His military request is up 5 percent. A $750 billion military increase.

Waste? Think of the stories I have shared with you and you have read elsewhere re military waste. Over $1 billion in 10 years. No receipts. Ergo, no audit can be a done. Over a $100 million otherwise unaccounted for.

Prior to World War II when Roosevelt was introducing Lend Lease, he got together with Congress and jointly they agreed to establish a special Congressional Committee headed by Harry Truman to watch the bucks. Truman was ferocious in how he handled the job. Not one penny went unaccounted for.

Trump’s budget totals $4.7 trillion. The biggest ever. Note that the budget is brought you by the Republican Party also that for some reason supports every thing Trump does.

Trump still panting for the wall. He asks for $8.6 billion for the wall.

The wall is like a see-saw. Its cost goes up and down.

Our highways and bridges are collapsing. The budget makes no provision for them.

If you did not before, now you can understand why socialism is for the rich. Trump is funneling money out of the budget for them. He is taking the money from the poor and middle class by cutting their benefits.

Wake up America!

Excuse my language, but we have “assholes” among us.

Hunter Hardesty, 31, a Maryland resident on vacation in Key West decided to do something stupid. He enticed a pelican to a dock he was standing on. When the pelican arrived, he jumped from the dock onto the pelican. Both went under the water. Both came up with Hardesty holding the bird with 2 hands. The pelican snapped at Hardesty’s face and flew away.

A friend videoed the event.

Hardesty ran it on Facebook on March 7.

What Hardesty did is a violation of Federal and State laws. Pelicans are protected. Local authorities are obtaining a warrant for Hardesty’s arrest.

Turns out not the first time Hardesty has jumped on animals/birds in similar situations.

Harry Truman loved Key West and Key West loves Harry Truman.

On this day in 1947, Truman introduced the Truman Doctrine. It became famous and assisted many European countries to oppose communism. The first two receiving military aid under the Truman Doctrine were Greece and Turkey.

Ladies on birth control pills beware! A certain brand has been recalled. Produced by the Apotex Corporation.

A packaging error involved. Incorrect tablet arrangements and empty blister packets. Each could affect the product’s efficacy.

A Malaysia bound plane took off from Saudi Arabia. Not long after, the pilot radioed back to the airport. ” May God be with us, can we come back…..A passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing.”

After a brief conference, the plane was allowed to return. The tower responded to the pilot, “Ok, head back to the gate…..totally a new one for us.”

A forgotten baby a rarity in these circumstances. Planes are permitted to return only for technical problems or passenger health reasons.

How does a mother forget her baby? Hard to criticize her, however. Strange inadvertent things happen. I doubt she will ever forget the experience.

Mike Hopkins was assistant basketball coach for 22 years at Syracuse. He was referred to as “Syracuse head coach in waiting.” To succeed Jim Boeheim.

Boeheim still coaching. In his 43rd year.

Two years ago, Hopkins decided it was time for him to leave. He had to do his own thing. Did not want to wait any longer.

He took the head coaching job at Washington.

In each of the 2 years he has coached at Washington, Hopkins has been named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

Good for him!

Tonight, tonight, will be like every tuesday night. My podcast show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me at 9 my time for a fast moving, sometimes irreverent, show. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

The eternal problem. Moving the clock one way or the other twice a year.

Many times I was confused which way I was to move it.

Saturday night was clock moving time. This year there was no confusion. I totally forgot about it.

How this occurred, I do not know. I browse several newspapers every day and am always on the internet. Probably old age that I did not see what I should have seen.

Strange because the necessity of changing the time one hour was there.

I was briefly watching TV. My battery operated bedside clock was one hour behind the time on TV. I thought TV was wrong and gave it no further thought.

Last night at the Chart Room, a couple were mentioning they had to hurry because of a 7 o’clock dinner reservation. I looked at my watch. It was only 6.

I quietly mentioned they had an hour. Not sure if they heard me. John did. He laughed and said you forgot to move your watch one hour ahead.

Definitely an age problem.

Spent some time in the afternoon continuing the reading of the Vatican sex scandal book In The Closet of The Vatican. Heavy stuff. If true, worse than we even have been made aware.

An interesting group at the Chart Room.

David and Joanne. I have mentioned them before. They were celebrating Joanne’s 50th birthday. She was thrilled to be 50! Apparently had some medical problems that made her question if she would make it.

Joanne, may you live to be a 100!

Her daughter Sam and son in law Dom came in. David had surprised Joanne for her birthday by having the kids fly down. Nice guy, David.

Joanne a typical grandmother. Showed me pictures of her 2  granddaughters. Don’t blame her. Absolutely lovely!

John mentioned there was a woman from upstate New York at the other end of the bar. Went over to chat. Lo and behold, she was from my home town Utica. Linda Campani. I have met her husband Jim several times. Never was aware of the Utica connection.

Dueling Bartenders at Aqua tonight. A regular monday evening stop for me. Great music, great singing, wonderful people at the bar. Many, regulars.

More spring beakers in town. More arrive each day. Well behaved. Having fun.

A line I read somewhere yesterday worthy of repeating here: We are living in a time when our Nation is experiencing the politics of decline and collapse.

True. New and better political leaders the only way out.

This morning’s Key West Citizen carried an article by the nationally syndicated writer Larry Elder. His column concerned present day thoughts by some that blacks should be paid reparations for slavery.

Absolutely ridiculous! Who thinks up these feather brained ideas?

It bothers me to read that Pelosi supports such a move.

John Kennedy and Barack Obama addressed the idea directly.

Kennedy said, ” I don’t think we can undo the past.”

Obama thought the idea a “political non-starter.” He said, it is wrong “to take a big chunk of the nation’s resources over a long period of time to make that right.”

If we are going to do it for African-Americans, then it should also be done for the Chinese, Irish, Italians, and Native-Born Americans. Though none that I mention wee slaves, they were treated as such. A good portion of my yet to be completed book Growing Up Italian has to do with anti-Italian prejudice.

Enjoy your day!

The story of Jonah in the whale a religiously popular one. Jonah’s 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a huge fish reported in Rabbinic literature, the Quran, and the New Testament.

The “huge fish” describing a whale.

The story of Jonah one of the most confusing I have ever read. Detailed. Difficult to comprehend.

Now comes a modern day Jonah. His name Rainer Schimpf. Age 51. He was in waters off Africa’s Port Elizabeth Harbour. Filming a sardine run. He had done this work before.

The work could be dangerous. All kind of large ocean fish about. Fish that feed on sardines.

Sharks the primary concern. Attention had to be paid as sharks would come up to those in the water filming. Schimph was on constant watch for sharks.

Whales never a concern. They kept their distance.

Schmipf says a whale came up out of nowhere, opened its jaws, and engulfed him. Headfirst. The whale a 20 tonnes Bryde.

Schmipf said there was no time for fear. Just pure instinct.

He felt pressure on his body. The whale’s body constricting on his. The whale’s throat exerting the most pressure. Strongest on his hips.

He knew it was a whale.

He held his breath in case the whale dove. He thought the whale might eject him at a deeper depth.

The whale did not dive.  Schimpf believes the whale decided not to eat him and “so spat me out.”

There is another whale story involving a man who was swallowed by a whale and lived. The whale in this instance a sperm whale.

James Bartley in the late 1800’s was swallowed whole by a whale. Three days later the whale washed up on a beach dead. The body cut open. There was Bartley in the stomach of the whale. Alive!

The whale had died of constipation.

Each a whale of a story!

Moving on now to abortion.

Roe v. Wade was decided 46 years ago in 1973. The decision recognized a woman’s right to privacy, her right to an abortion.

The battle still rages. Lawsuits abound.

Courts are of many types. Each established to deal with certain problems. The Supreme Court of the U.S. the most powerful. Close to the bottom of the hierarchy, though important, a probate court. Probate courts concern themselves with all type matters involving property of the dead.

An Alabama County Probate Court came down with a striking decision recently. It decided that an aborted fetus was a person with rights.

Anti-abortionists have always taken the position that life begins at the moment of conception. No court ever said the fetus has certain rights so clearly, however.

A reason why the Alabama court may have so rule is that Alabama has a State law which sets forth that life begins at conception.

The facts of the case are strange, however.

Boy friend and girl friend involved. Girl gets pregnant. Wants an abortion. Boy friend disagrees and tells her not to. She goes ahead and has the abortion. She was only six weeks into the pregnancy. The fetus six weeks old.

Almost 2 years later, the boy friend wanted to sue the Alabama Women’s Center for performing the abortion and the pharmaceutical company that produced the drugs used in the abortion.

In order to do do, the boy friend had to be appointed administrator of the fetus’ estate. What estate you might ask. What monies does a six week fetus have or which can safely be anticipated to have?

The court recognized the boy’s right to be so appointed never the less.

A way out decision. Will it be overturned on appeal? I don’t know. The Alabama law recognizing life at conception might have to be overturned in order to do so.

An hypocrisy regarding the abortion issue has recently become evident.

The U.S.Conference of Bishops has without deviation recognized life beginning at conception. The Bishops group has consistently opposed abortion.

The Catholic Church has had sexual problems within its ranks for years. Pedophilia involving priests the problem.

It has recently been discovered that bishops and priests have been having sexual relations world wide with nuns. Some of the nuns became pregnant. Some of those who became pregnant had abortions at the suggestion of the bishop or priest involved and/or through arrangements made by them.

Such information recently released by the Vatican.

What bothers me is the authoritarian way the Catholic Church has handled abortion and contraception over the years. Many lives affected by the Church’s decisions in these areas.

Regarding abortion, now when it suits the needs of clergy faced with an unwanted pregnancy, abortion is ok for bishops and priests. A do as I say situation rather than a do as I do one.

Syracuse played its last game of the season yesterday. Against Clemson. Syracuse favored. Syracuse lost 67-55.

Syracuse was leading by 6 or 7 points at half. Clemson destroyed Syracuse in the second half.

In Syracuse’s last 5 games, Syracuse led at half time. Then blew it in the second half.

The ACC tournament next. This week. Followed by March Madness.

The seeds for the ACC tournament came out last night. Syracuse seeded #6. Drew a bye for the first day.

A crazy season. An upsetting one, at least for me.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Donna is one of the three ladies I recognize as outstanding cooks in Key West. I never turn down an invitation for dinner.

Last night one of those occasions. At Donna, Terri and Bear’s home. Larry Baeder and I welcomed guests.

The meal spectacular. I would expect nothing less from Donna.

Pot Roast. The old fashioned way as my mother made it. Juicy, tender and tasty. Potatoes cooked with the pot roast, of course. And beans.

There is something special about pot roast. You can smell it. Warm and welcoming. As I walked in the door, it hit me. My mouth immediately watering.

Thank you Donna and Terri.

A power outage at 4 yesterday. A long time since the last one. Lasted about 1 1/2 hours. Something blew at the Big Pine substation.

Syracuse/Clemson at noon today.

Turns out Syracuse not in as bad shape as I thought. This is the last game of the season. Syracuse needs it for a 20 win season. Syracuse is favored.

Clemson has won 18. On the bubble for the big tournament. Needs a win against Syracuse to make it.

The experts say Syracuse a given for the tournament, even if the team loses today. The reason being the 3 top 10 teams Syracuse beat during the season. Knocked off Duke when Duke was #1.

The sportscasters say Syracuse at worse will be a #8 seed in the big tournament.

Spring break is upon us. The college students have begun arriving. They were all over Bahama Village last night as I was walking to Donna and Terri’s. This is their week.

Rarely a problem.

I envy them. Never did a spring break. Never had the money.

Beware if you are driving on US 1 this weekend. Traffic will be unusually slow. Today and tomorrow the Marathon Seafood Festival. Its impact will be felt all the way down to Key West.

In the alley running along side Antonio’s is a tiny restaurant. Indoor and outdoor. Always packed. Amazes me. The restaurant is called the Onlywood Grill. Been there 7 years. First place in my memory that ever made it in that location.

The owners have opened a second Onlywood Grill. On Caroline across from Bo’s. A big place. I am anxious to try it.

The Holi Color Festival is coming to Key West. Never heard of it. Means nothing. It probably has been a Key West event for years and I simply missed it.

A strange event.

An Indian festival. India the nation, not a Native American event.

Participants take colored powder and water and throw it at each other. The colored powder is cornstarch dye.

The colors those of a rainbow. In quick course, those participating find their faces and clothes totally covered in rainbow hues.

The Festival is to promote social harmony and celebrate the start of spring. Also signifies the victory of good over evil.

The Festival is in the Palm Garden of the Key West Library. Saturday, March 16.

I keep repeating that the Keys have not fully recovered from Irma. The primary reason the failure of the federal government to meet its promised obligation financially.

Irma hit 1 1/2 years ago. We still have tent cities.

Many volunteers come each day from all points of the U.S. to help. Might call them first responders 18 months later. They come to stay a week or two and bring food and other supplies with them.

The Keys need this help.

Monroe County has a Long Term Recovery Group. It has created a Volunteer Village to house those who come to help. Two large containers converted into sleeping quarters, kitchen, toilets and showers. Each container sleeps 10. They have placed them at the Marathon Airfield.

Amazing. Here it is 1 1/2 years post Irma and the Keys are still struggling to recover.

It is the same everywhere a natural disaster has occurred the last 2 years.

An indication of the help that continues to come is that both containers are booked till the end of April.

Many well known persons have lived and do live in Key West. The best known, yet unknown, is Tom Hambright. Key West’s venerable historian. Knows everything about our island.

His office is in the Key West Library.

Tom is giving a lecture at 6 pm on March 20 at the Library. The topic: A Short History of Key West.

Something to attend!

I have 3 daughters. All in their 50’s now. I can recall when each was little. Dolls were big with them. Especially the Barbie doll. Each had one or more than one.

The first Barbie doll went on display this day in 1959 at the American Toy Fair in New York City.

The Barbie doll survives to this day.

Mattel is the manufacturer of the Barbie doll. Mattel recently announced that 90 percent of girls age 3-10 today own at least one Barbie doll.

The Catholic Church is experiencing big time problems in the sexual arena.

The Church is attempting to deal with the problem. It has recently been disclosed it involves Cardinals and nuns, also.

The problem interests me.

A book recently was published exploring the various problems involved. Published in 8 countries in the language of each country.

I bought a hard copy. Five hundred fifty pages. Heavy. Going to take forever to get through.

The title: In the Closet of the Vatican…..Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy. The author, Frederic Martel.

I have only just begun.

Enjoy your day!

Morning Stew time!

I hit a wrong button yesterday and was unable to properly complete the blog. Could not figure out what I did wrong. Finally gave up!

Sloan was unavailable at the time. She contacted me later in the afternoon. The solution simple. I had to hit one key and everything was back to normal.

I want to combine the best of 2 days into one blog this morning. May be a bit long. Titled it Morning Stew #7 because there will be no order to the blog. I will be entering this and that as the material comes up in my notes.

Were it not that this is a Morning Stew day, I would have titled the blog CRIME PAYS.

Reference is to Paul Manafort’s sentence. Forty seven months for all the bad he did. The man got away with murder, in effect.

The sentence reflects a failure in the judicial system. Combine it with the failures in the justice system overall. Our country is moving in the wrong direction. People are losing faith. Not a healthy situation.

The most powerful person in the United States is a U.S. District Court Judge. The trial judge in the federal system. More powerful than even a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Some District Court Judges exercise their power in undesirable fashions. Manafort’s trial judge T.S. Ellis one of them.

Article III of the Constitution permits federal judges to serve as long as they maintain “good behavior.” Effectively means they can sit their entire lives. Most do.

Ellis is 78 years old. A cantankerous old man. Enjoys playing tough guy from the bench. He has a reputation in the Virginia area as being “Caesar in his own Rome.”

Need I say more.

He gave the prosecution a hard time during the trail. Embarrassed the prosecution on occasion.

He is known as an arch conservative. Apparently.

I handled cases before such judges. You do the best you can. A lawyer and his client are stuck with them. Justice is not served when such persons “rule” our courts.

Today is International Women’s Day. God bless the ladies! We need them. Men have screwed things up for years. Let the ladies control for a while. They can do no worse.

In 1968, a new cigarette came out. Directed towards women. Virginia Slims. Their advertising line: You’ve come a long way, Baby.

Still true today. Ladies, keep it going!

I’ve been doing this blog 12 years now. I have 69,000 subscribers. Some search me out in the Chart Room when they vacation in Key West. Always pleased to meet them

Some are repeat visitors to the Chart Room. Last night, I met one again.

Tom from Indianapolis. Waiting for me as I came in the door. We had met 10 years ago.

Tom obviously a hard worker. He manages something like 36 car washer operations in Indiana. A tough job. He has been with the company many years. Started when there were only a few car washers.

He told me he married in Key West in 2002. Sixty or seventy guests. Wedding and reception planned on a catamaran. The Waterfront Market catering.

An unexpected rain storm. A deluge. Happens occasionally. The Catamaran could not go out. Water too rough.

Rain in the streets 2-3 feet. Not unusual either. Key West has 2 sewer systems. One strictly for run off water. No sewage. The run off sewers cannot take much water. Certain intersections flood. I have seen tourists swimming in these intersections on those occasions.

Tom and his bride in trouble. Their wedding planner came to the rescue. She arranged for the Pier House to take the reception inside one of their large rooms. Waterfront Market Catered at the Pier House. The Pier House did not charge Tom for having Waterfront do the catering.

Tom says…..A great party!

Tom here with friends from Michigan. In addition to Key West, they are doing Islamorada and Marathon.

Tom and I agreed that hopefully it will not be another 10 years before we meet up again.

Mary came in. We had  a drink together at the Chart Room. Then off to La Trattoria for dinner. La Trattoria appears to have become my restaurant of choice for the moment.

Trump did a great job with Venezuela. Another major screw up. He was trying to instigate revolution. Not for any humanitarian reason. Rather to get control of Venezuela’s oil reserves. The largest in the world.

No revolution.

The leader of the opposition Juan Guaido was out of the country. He has returned. Everyone expected him to be jailed.

Maduro no fool. He left him alone. Guaido walks the streets unbothered.

Venezuela’s economy horrible. Inflation at 2 million percent. Would you believe! I recall under Carter inflation caused interest rates to go to 22-23 percent. I thought that was horrible!

Trump did well with Kim in Hanoi. North Korea has begun rebuilding its missile sites.

The love affair did not last long.

Puerto Rico was screwed by Trump. He forgot they were American citizens. He failed to provide anywhere near sufficient help following Hurricane Maria.

Not the first time an American President has not treated Puerto Ricans well.

It was 1917 when then President Wilson signed the necessary legislation making the people of Puerto Rico U.S. citizens. The U.S. either had just entered World War I or was about to.

Wilson needed men to fight. The ranks of the military had to be built up and quickly. Soon after Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens, 20,000 were drafted.

The authoritarian state is a creeping phenomenon. As it was in Germany under Hitler. Little pieces of freedom frequently taken away.

I am not a fan of ICE. I believe they are quietly being strengthened and represent Trump’s Gestapo.

ICE and Border guards are “pulling aside” reporters, attorneys and activists at the border as they are entering Mexico. They are questioned. Notes made.

Fifty nine so far. Their experiences described as having a “chilling effect.”

What next?

Trump said he was going to grow America’s industries. Doing a lousy job!

General Motors announced this week they have begun “eliminating” 1,700 hourly employees. Perhaps for good.

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal front page right hand column carried an article titled: GE Chief Warns of Slow Recovery.

GE’s new President Larry Culp said GE needs to “pay the piper” in 2019. GE still in a turn around.

Where have the conservatives gone? Not many left. Many  Republicans think they are. However, conservative government is gone. Replaced by Trumpism.

Paul Waldman wrote an interesting opinion piece March 4. He said, “Many Republicans…..when the history of this period is written will come out looking terrible, as a bunch of cowards who made themselves handmaidens to the most corrupt President in American history.”

My Republican friends, take your party back!

Ash Wednesday was interesting.

Religion has been on a decline for years. It may be bouncing back. Such is based on my observations wednesday.

Many announcers, political pundits, etc. on TV wore their cross of ashes on their foreheads.

Wednesday evening at dinner time, I was driving past St. Mary’s By the Sea in Key West. The lines in and out of the Church were huge! People getting ashes.

Enjoy your day!

No blog today. I return tomorrow.

Many Christian happenings are pagan in origin. Ash Wednesday one of them.

No where in the Bible is Ash Wednesday mentioned.

Sometime in 300 A.D., the Catholic Church wanted to increase its numbers. It convinced certain pagan groups to join them in order to do so. Based on the Church’s promise that certain of their heathen practices would be permitted to continue. Ash Wednesday was one of them.

The pagan groups accepted the Catholic Church’s beliefs at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.

Rome was interested in the marriage of the two groups also. Politics. Assured peace. Increased Rome’s power. Emperor Constantine was instrumental in bringing the Catholics and pagans together.

Ash Wednesday was not received initially by the Catholics with enthusiasm. Took another 700 years before the relationship was solidified.

Today, Ash Wednesday is practiced by most Christian sects.

Convenience has entered the picture. “Ashes to Go” are common. Clergy have drive ins to provide the ashes. Many go to railroad stations, airports, and busy thoroughfares, to anoint the faithful.

The source of ashes are left over palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. Burned to ash.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Forty six consecutive days of self-restraint and abstention. Some Christians do, others not.

Clergy rub ashes on the foreheads of those inclined to participate. The clergy person utters one of two sayings: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

When I was a child, I abstained in a child’s ways. Generally gave up candy for Lent. As I grew into manhood, alcoholic drink. Such was long ago. I have not abstained in years.

My podcast last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Love doing the show! My platform for speaking in support or against issues with enthusiasm.

Fun!

Thank you to those who listen. The numbers are great. Increase weekly. If you have not listened, do so one or two times to see if you enjoy. I suspect you might, even if you do not agree with me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Puerto Rico victimized in the past as well as recently. The recent being Trump’s failure to care for Puerto Rico’s American citizens following Hurricane Maria.

The first time was March 1917. The U.S. in or ready to get into World War I. President Wilson knew a bigger Army was needed. He signed legislation making Puerto Ricans American citizens. Within months, 20,000 Puerto Ricans were drafted.

I am into robots again.

A recent study indicated the use of robots in the U.S. in 2018 was up 16 percent from 2017. A record year for U.S. robot use!

Time once again to thank Trump.

The Hanoi summit was a failure. Nothing accomplished. Not actually true. Kim went home and began rebuilding a missile launch facility that formerly had been dismantled.

Some say Kim began building before the Hanoi meeting. Whatever, North Korea is rebuilding.

Trump has trumped that the “moratorium” on missile testing was a “major diplomatic achievement” by him.

In his mind only.

Trump continues to take actions that have opposite reactions. Something he should have learned in school.

The nuclear treaty with Russia (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty) has been in existence since 1987. Both the U.S. and Russia at the time happy with it. Until Trump’s election able to live with it. Pretty much ensured no nuclear war with Russia.

Trump said the U.S. out of the treaty. No longer bound by it.

Trump’s friend Putin has finally reacted. Putin announced monday that Russia “suspended” its obligations under the treaty. The suspension will remain till the U.S. ends its violations of the treaty or until it terminates.

Trump’s actions in declaring the treaty null and void brings the U.S. and Russia closer to the possibility of a nuclear war.

Trump has not been nor is he a good President. His concern for the welfare of those he represents lacking.

Paul Waldman recently wrote in an opinion piece that the spines of Congressional Republicans are in short supply. He wrote, “Many Republicans…..when the history of this period is written will come out looking terrible, as a bunch of cowards who have made themselves handmaidens to the most corrupt President in American history.”

Enjoy your day!

Debauchery in New Orleans. Today, the day. Mardi Gras!

The day before Lent. Christians supposedly fast and do acts of penance during the Lenten season. So they fill up on food and other palatable goodies this day.

Mardi Gras is a French term. In practical terms means Fat Tuesday. Ergo, Mardi Gras is also referred to as Fat Tuesday. A day of gluttony.

In 1889, New Orleans on its famous Bourbon street began the Mardi Gras festival. A religious event initially. Primarily tourist attended.

In the later decades of the 20th century, a sexual flavor was added. Referred to by social scientists as “ritual disrobement.” Women began exhibiting their breasts. Openly on the street and from balconies.

The religious aspect disappeared. Sexuality crept in. Bare boobs the order of the day!

Breast exposure not for free. Beads and trinkets to the ladies doing so.

Mardi Gras officially ends at midnight. Police on horseback ride down Bourbon Street at that time. The honeymoon is over. Their purpose to ceremonially “clean the street.” Such an announcement to all that the end of carnival season had arrived. Sackcloth and ashes await. Fasting and penance henceforth the order of the day.

I was excited last night. Syracuse playing #2 ranked nationally Virginia. Thought we could win. Hell, we beat Duke 2 weeks ago when Duke was #1.

I watched the game at the Chart Room with Ted. A friend from Wampsville, N.Y. The county seat for Madison County. Madison Country sitting between Syracuse and Utica.

Ted a life time resident of the area. His legal career a respected one. He served as Court Clerk for the County and Surrogate Courts of Madison County for years.

For those unfamiliar, a court clerk in many areas is the brains behind the Judges. He the person who does the research and initially decides a point of law before a Judge. The Judge then rules based on that advice. The clerk’s advice generally followed.

Ted visits Key West several times a year. This time for a month. Staying at Banyan Court.

Ted a Syracuse undergrad and law grad. Ergo, a fan!

We watched the game together.

From joy to horror. Syracuse was leading at half time. Hope springs eternal! The second half however another story.

Virginia outscored Syracuse by 26 points. Made 72 percent of their 3’s during the game.

No joy in Mudville from my perspective.

This was Syracuse’s third game against a top 10 team where Syracuse went into the locker room at half time ahead. Only to be demolished in the second half.

This is the last week of the season. Syracuse has only one league game remaining. Against Clemson later in the week.

I must confess. At this point I question whether Syracuse will make the Big Tournament.

Harry Truman loved Key West. Key West loves Harry Truman.

While President, Truman made 11 trips to Key West totaling 175 days. Following his Presidency, he continued to return. Five times. His last trip being in April 1969.

On this day in 1948, Truman flew back to Washington after having spent 10 Presidential working days at the Little White House. As he left the Little White House he said, “I’ll be back here if I can make it.”

He did.

Valor sometimes the result of pure conviction. Principle.

On this day in 1770, British troops fired into a crowd of colonists. Five colonists were killed. Bostonians were enraged. The event became known as the British Massacre.

Certain British troops were arrested and charged with murder.

They were in need of a lawyer to defend them. No one was inclined to assume the responsibility. Defend British soldiers who killed colonists?

One came forward. John Adams.

Adams was short of stature, tall in guts and determination. He considered the men innocent and entitled to representation.

Adams defended the British soldiers. Successfully. They were acquitted.

Feisty, in your face, never one to back down from a confrontation, John Adams, became the second President of the United States.

What follows is similar to Martin Luther nailing his 95 Thesis on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg.

The House Judiciary Committee sent document requests to 81 individuals and entities. Noted in the request was that the same documents had been requested by the Mueller investigation and that of the Southern District.

A cry of denunciation has emitted!

Republicans should not cry out in opposition. When they were in charge and investigating Bill Clinton for impeachment, more than 1,200 subpoenas were issued.

For sex and failure to tell the truth.

Supposed charges against Trump far more excessive, shocking and disturbing.What is more serious? Oral copulation in the Oval Office or sleeping with Putin?

Tonight, tonight, my podcast show! Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I have a lot to get off my chest. A half hour of ranting and raving should help.

Enjoy your day!