SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE DISGUSTING

Posted on by

This morning with us facing a crashing market and Trump issues all over the place, I deem what is occurring with the local education system more important.

I learned yesterday that the Monroe County School District graduation rate for 2016-7 was 79.2 percent.

Disgusting!

Parents, the community and the School Board should consider the number unacceptable. And do something about it!

The problem has to have existed for a number of years. To the School Board I say what is happening in the classroom is more important than housing. Get your priorities straight! The kids come first!

School officials say there is cause for celebration. The percentage is a bit higher and close to the State’s. The State graduation level also sucks. 82.3 percent.

I have a selfish interest. Robert and Ally shortly will be attending the Key West High School. Thus far they have been educated by Montessori. I am impressed at the degree of knowledge they have acquired. I do not want it to stop when they enter high school.

The Dow dropped 665 points friday and 1,100 plus yesterday. Wow!

Trump keeps taking credit for the market. I felt the market’s meteoric rise could not continue. At 82, I have seen similar markets in my life time. I said and wrote last year that the market could not sustain itself. There would be a crash. I thought it might occur by the end of last year or early this year.

I spoke of an impending crash last week in one of my Key West Lou Live Videos. Suggested it could occur anytime. If not the immediate future, sometime into the year.

My reasoning simple. What goes up, must come down. Especially a market that moves with abnormal swiftness. Everyone getting rich thinking there is no end to the success.

I referred to Trump at the time as the Herbert Hoover of 2018. So certain I was that the market would take a dive.

It began friday. Continued yesterday. Probably will continue today. The European and Asian markets went down during the night. Our misfortune affects the world.

The market corrects itself. No one knows precisely why. The market is like a person in certain respects. If it gets too rich, it regurgitates. Pukes. That is what it is doing now. It will continue till the market feels it has reached a price correction.

To place the market’s meteoric rise in proper perspective, lets look at a couple of numbers.

The market rose 1,900 points in the first 18 days of this year. Since Trump’s election, the market has risen 8,300 points. Mind boggling increases. Not normal. Shades of 1929.

Since Trump took credit for the market’s rise, I am curious to see how he handles its nose dive.

Pelosi’s fault? Democrats? The FBI’s?

A term rarely heard. Part of market jargon. The dead cat bounce.

Market lingo for a recovery after a market decline based on fundamentals. Some people buy in at a time referred to as dips. Investing for a quick profit. Makes everything look peachy and wonderful when it is not. The market is moves upward a bit. After the quick profit is taken, the market goes back down.

Last night a quiet one for me. Dueling Bartenders at Aqua and dinner at the outside bar at La Te Da.

Tom Luna missing last night. Bobby Nesbitt sitting in for him. Not a band substitute.

Aqua Idol tonight! Lynda Frechette’s baby. A fund raiser for the Waterfront Playhouse. Great singing! Big crowd! Fun!

My podcast tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. So many things to talk about. I have notes covering 23 topics. I am lucky if I get 10 in.

Join me tonight at 9. The show’s following grows weekly. Amazing! I even have national sponsors! www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

 

LOST REEF ADVENTURES

Posted on by

Yesterday being sunday, I decided to breakfast out. Went to one of my favorite haunts. Harpoon Harry’s. No room at the inn. People standing outside waiting to get in.

Walked one block to the Gulf. Enjoyed breakfast at Turtle Kraals. Sat outside. Excellent view of marina boats.

I have written about Turtle Kraals and the area it is situated several times over the years. At one time, it was the heart of Key West’s thriving turtle industry.

The industry long gone. A few old buildings remain. Turtle Kraals may be one of them. There is a much smaller building about 50 feet away. A one story wood structure. Now a turtle museum operated by the Mel Fisher Museum.

I took a walk after breakfast. Not far. Across the street. To Lost Reef Adventures. Sloan’s partner of many years Nick owns the place.

Lost Reef Adventures is a full service dive shop. Sits plum in the middle of the Historic Seaport. Snorkeling, scuba and a sunset cruise daily. Also, a one day scuba course is available for those interested.

Lost Reef Adventures has been in business for 30 years. Operators and staff safety conscious reliable locals.

Then to Publix. Out of food again. Purchased more diet food. Loss now 18 pounds.

Publix was packed. It was obvious most were last minute shoppers preparing for Super Bowl. Moving fast through the store.

Publix must have anticipated a large demand for already cooked chicken wings. All kinds were packaged and ready for sale.

Yesterday’s Super Bowl can only be described as a great game. Thinking about it, most of them are. The Eagles finally won. 41-33.

The Eagles always a small step behind. Making them that much better. It showed in the final score.

Tom Brady continues to amaze me. Forty yeas old and going strong. Said he will be back next year.

The Eagles quarterback was the team’s back up one till December when the starting quarterback was injured and out for the season. He was a Tom Brady yesterday. Voted MVP.

Good for him!

I mentioned last week or the week before that a political party that runs candidates like Alabama’s Roy Moore is doing a disservice to the country. Every nut will think he is qualified to run.

Several are running. One is Arthur Jones of Illinois. The district he is running in contains a part of Chicago.

He has no opposition. Filing for the Republican primary passed in December.

Jones is openly anti-Semitic, a racist, supporter of the radical left, and a neo-Nazi. He denies the Holocaust. Claims it is an international extortion racket.

Jones will lose. The district is overwhelmingly Democrat. Some day however, these nuts will begin winning. Then more problems for our country.

Crazies believe it is ok to run for office. Trump’s election the reason. He is not the most stable of individuals. His policies lacking. Their belief being if Trump can be elected President, I can be elected to Congress!

God help us!

Speaking of Trump, he did it again! Lied!

Trump claims his State of the Union address drew the highest number of viewers in history. False. The First State of the Union speeches by Obama, Bush 2, and Clinton drew more.

Trump concerns me for a number of reasons. In addition to his frequent misrepresentations. The most recent is his belief that the country needs something to happen to unify it. To me, that means war. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 the best unifiers ever.

In recent days, Trump has also said North Korea needs a “bloody nose.” Do unity and giving North Korea a bloody nose go hand in hand? Is Trump getting ready to bomb North Korea?

Enjoy your day!

 

WHO IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?

Posted on by

The woman who uttered the words while looking in a mirror…..Who is the fairest of them all? The Wicked Queen. Snow White, the response.

So began Walt Disney’s great film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The animated movie made its film debut this day in 1938.

An instant hit! Quickly grossed $8 million. Big bucks in 1938. The $8 million represented the most money made by a film up to that time.

I saw the movie in 1938. My mother took me. I was 3 years old. We watched it at the Rialto Theater in Utica. Two movies were shown in those days for the price of one ticket. I recall the other film, also. Gunga Din.

The seven dwarfs blew me away. The Wicked Witch scared me at the beginning of the film. A mean looking woman.

Of all the dwarfs, Dopey received the most accolades. Charlie Chaplin said that Walt Disney “created in him one of the greatest comediennes of all time.”

Watched Syracuse go down to defeat yesterday. Lost to Virginia 59-44.

I hurt when Syracuse loses. I especially hurt this year for Jim Boeheim. A class act. In his last years as a coach.

I know Boeheim personally. We initially came together because of the University. I was a heavy contributor. It was sort of a requirement that he play golf with me once or twice a year. His club in Syracuse, mine in Utica.

At first, I was embarrassed. Boeheim was a 2 handicap. Me, a 35 plus. He never complained. Spent time in the woods helping me look for my ball, etc. Even took the time on occasion to recommend a change in swing or grip. Teaching as he does with his players during a game.

Unfortunately, I was a hopeless cause.

Tavern ‘n Town for dinner last night. I had planned on a quick one. Turned into 3 hours.

Sat at the bar next to Jill and Steve.

Vacationing from the Point Pleasant area in New Jersey. Both avid fisherman, especially Steve. They have a 62 foot custom made fisherman. Steve understood what I meant when I said he considered fishing a battle of man against nature.

Jill can only be described as an enthusiastic conversationalist. She kept me glued to my seat.

Jill has been involved with Johnson and Johnson for 25 years as part of its vision care division. Contact lenses and contact solution. She is a top sales performer.

Steve, a demolition contractor. I did not have the opportunity to talk with Steve that much. I would have been interested in what he did as a demolition contractor. A wrecking company? I worked for one the summer between high school and college. The hardest job I ever had! I started at 7 in the morning and was exhausted by 7:05. A bit of an exaggeration. Believe you get the point, however.

If I had any thought of not going to college, that job remedied it.

An Irma update. Debris removal continues to be a problem. Irma hit September 10. It has taken that long and will take longer to collect the trees, shrubbery, busted up homes, trailers, etc. piled on roadsides.

The Lower Keys of concern. Upper Sugarloaf, Lower Sugarloaf, Ramrod, and Summerland Keys completed. A final pass will be made this coming week to Cudjoe, Little Torch, Big Pine, and No Name Keys.

Other problems still exist. Some remain without housing. Families still living in tents. Food and water in short supply. FEMA rebuilding money coming in slowly.

Harry Truman. Harry Truman loved Key West and Key West loves Harry Truman. He spent 175 days covering 11 separate trips enjoying Key West. The Admiral’s quarters where he stayed renamed the Harry Truman Little White House.

The first time Truman visited Key West he had a bad cold he could not get rid of. His doctor recommended a “heart starter bourbon drink.” The prescription, bourbon and orange juice. Between the bourbon and sun, Truman recovered quickly.

Presidents Day Weekend around the corner. Friday to sunday February 16-18. Part of the celebration includes a bourbon and barbecue cook off.

Super Bowl today! Game time 6:30 on NBC. Love it!

I have been invited to several parties. Normally, I would watch the game a Don’s Place. I have already decided I will watch the game alone at home. The reason being my diet. I would drink a bit too much and definitely eat too much were I out.

I started with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which opened in movie houses this date in 1938. I close with another art form. the written word. On this day in 1826, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans was published.

Cooper was born, raised and spent most of his life in what is Cooperstown, NY. The Home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, also.

His home stands to this day. Known as the James Fenimore Cooper House, aka James Fenimore Cooper Museum.

Cooperstown is a mere 40 miles from Utica. I have visited theHouse many times. Professionally and socially.

The House sits on a modest hill overlooking lovely Otsego Lake. The House can only be described as magnificent! Cooper’s father built it.

He was a man of means. His son never really worked, other than his writings. He considered himself a gentleman’s farmer which meant servitude was not part of his life style.

Cooperstown when the father Cooper built it and during the years his son lived there was the frontier. Initially, nothing west of Cooperstown.

The frontier life and Indians making up The Last of the Mohicans accordingly familiar to Cooper when he began writing the book.

Enjoy your Sunday! Enjoy the Super Bowl!

 

 

AYN RAND…..DIFFERENT

Posted on by

 

Ayn Rand considered absolutely brilliant by some. Crazy by others. Some initially overwhelmed by her only to later become disillusioned.

I am in the later group. First, amazed. Considered her thoughts brilliant.  Then realized the nut she was.

Ayn Rand’s birthday was yesterday. She was born February 2, 1905. Died March 6, 1982.

To many, she was and is considered a philosopher. To others, a writer.

Two of her novels initially captured my thought process. I was a young attorney when I first read The Fountainhead. What a book! Its message that individual rights were the ultimate. Societal collectivism be damned.

Wow!

Rand’s message was that society had forgotten “I” and replaced it with “we.” She fictionalized a society where totalitarian collectivism had triumphed. Her hero, an individual true and true who fought the onslaught.

Many questions were left unanswered in my mind after reading The Fountainhead. They were answered when I read her second successful novel, Atlas Shrugged.

Rand believed in laissez-faire capitalism. An economic system in which transactions between private parties are free from government intervention such as regulation, privilege, tariffs, and subsidies.

The true Republican/Conservative in thought. And in action. She supported Barry Goldwater for President in 1964.

Her individualistic philosophy is best typified by her own words: An individual should “exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself.”

None of this is mentally imposing. Easy to comprehend. I must concede a movie helped. Atlas shrugged starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal. Their unusual love affair formed the basis for what Rand perceived as the individual vs. collective society war.

Rand thought much of herself. She claimed her greatest influence was Aristotle. Followed by Thomas Aquinas. She said if a history of philosophy were written, the three top philosophers would be Aristotle, Aquinas, and Rand. Signifying how high she held her own thought process.

My disillusionment came two years after reading The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I became aware that Rand was publishing a weekly newspaper in New York City. I subscribed to it.

The woman was absolutely mad! Her columns represnted her thought process carried to the ultimate. No frills. The woman was not stable. Wacky an excellent description. Dangerous, another.

Such was the end of my acceptance of Rand’s philosophy.

In spite of my change in thinking, I still recommend The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged for reading. An experience!

Spent last night at the Chart Room. Quiet. John bartending. Chatted with Christina.

Second time I met Christina. Sheila introduced her to me a month ago at the Chart Room. Christina is on the staff at the Custom House. She and Sheila worked together at the Custom House one time.

The conversation pleasant. The evening pleasant.

This afternoon Syracuse/Virginia. Virginia #2 in the country. Syracuse will probably lose. On the other hand, Syracuse is in for a good game. Overdue. You never know. Hope springs eternal.

The Republican “memo” a dud. Its anticipation full of sound and fury. In the end, signified nothing.

The Republican Congress worries me. They serve the Party rather than the people.

Partially responsible is Trump’s magnetic personality. He is a Pied Piper. Most Republicans blindly follow him.

Yesterday morning, the employment numbers were announced. Two hundred thousand more jobs. Big!

It was also announced interest rates would be going up.

By the end of the day, the market closed 665 points down. The sixth largest one day decline in history.

A crack in the dyke? A tiny one, I suspect. The market will be up monday. Money to be made by buying the stocks that went down. I ask however if there is a message in the 665 point drop. An indication of that which is to come.

Justice is confusing these days. Trump responsible for a good share of the confusion.

California legalized marijuana. Now, California is moving through the court system to vacate thousands of felony and misdemeanor marijuana convictions dating back to 1975.

At the same time that Attorney General Sessions’ Justice Department is gearing up to seek more marijuana prosecutions.

Both actions amazing!

I close with a bit of Florida Keys information.

I never knew how many Keys there were. Merely assumed a lot. In case you have an interest, there are over 1,700 islands. Few populated. Most small. Only 43 connected by bridges.

Enjoy your day!

 

GROUNDHOG DAY…..IT’S ALL ABOUT SEX

Posted on by

Key West is buried with chickens. All over the place.

Several years ago, I wrote an article in KONK Life about the chicken problem. One of the items covered was the rooster’s cock-a-doodle do.

Up to that time, I always thought the rooster cock-a-doodle-do’d to wake people from their long night’s sleep. No.

The rooster screech announces to the hens he wants to get laid. His sex call. He’s looking.

Place what I have just shared into practice. The next time you hear a rooster cock-a-doodle-doing, watch closely. The hens all run in the opposite direction.

Today is Groundhog Day. February 2 has been Groundhog Day since 1887. The first and most popular place to watch if the groundhog will remain or scurry back to his burrow is Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

What a name for a town.

The groundhog hibernates from the Fall to sometime in March. He does not come out on February 2 voluntarily. He is prodded out so Groundhog Day can occur.

The fable is if the groundhog comes out of his hole and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. The groundhog’s shadow scares him and he runs back to his burrow.

If no shadow, there will be an early spring.

A crock. Not true. Whenever the groundhog comes out, whether February 2 or March, he is looking for a female. He has slept the winter away and wants female companionship. Sex!

Man creates stories that last hundreds of years. After a while, fiction becomes truth. The fairy tale replaces truth.

Punxsutawney is not the only community celebrating Groundhog Day. There are others. Some form of rodent involved. Groundhogs are not native to every area.

Other places celebrating the day have named their groundhogs/rodents uniquely. Birmingham Bill, Staten Island Chuck, Canada’s Shubenacadie Sam, and New Jersey’s Milltown Mel.

Punxsutawney’s is named Phil. Phil since 1887.

The groundhog leaving his burrow has already taken place this morning in Punxsutawney and New Jersey. Phil saw his shadow and returned to his burrow signifying six more weeks of winter. Milltown Mel did not, thereby signifying an early spring.

Geiger Key for lunch yesterday. A while since I had been there. The place was packed!

Sat at the bar and looked at all the happy faces around me. Actually looked at the food they were eating. And enjoying!

Something snapped in my mind. Screw the diet! I did and ate! So good! The best, mashed potatoes covered with gravy. Ate last night, also.

A wonderful day! On top of which, I lost a pound!

The Chart Room first last night.

Enjoyed a few gins and popcorn. Delicious popcorn at the Chart Room.

John bartending.

Met Richard and Mary from Chicago. They have been coming to Key West one week a year for 30 years. Richard is retired from UPS. Mary an attorney and still practicing. Specializes in real estate and estate planning.

Mary’s lawyer background interesting. She is the last of her family’s law firm. Started more than 100 years ago in 1913. No family member to take her place when she retires.

John told me seated at the round table were vacationing women from Syracuse. Before I had an opportunity to talk with them, they were up and leaving. I shouted a Syracuse and Utica. They turned. We exchanged pleasantries including a little Syracuse basketball and they were off.

The bartenders were waiting for me when I arrived later in the evening at the Chart Room. They had a copy of yesterday’s KONK Life. There I was! The whole of the front page. Standing with a row of shrimp boats behind me. The announcement of Irma and Me at the bottom of the page.

Inside on page 8 was another photo and a brief article titled: Petrone Writes Again!

Such drama!

Age takes its toll. The older I get, the worse pictures come out. Wrinkles, jowls, eyelids that only open half way, and no hair.

One of the comments this morning was from Anonymous. Wrote Congrats on KONK Life and Shayna Punim.

Shayna Punim? Googled it. Means a beautiful face. Thank you, anonymous for being so generous.

My thanks also to KONK Life owner Guy de Boer for running the photos and article.

A closing observation. Trump tells us the economy is good. He should make a trip to Los Angeles and tell it to the homeless. LA’s homeless has surged 75 percent in the past six years. From 32,000 to 55,000.

Homeless all over the city. The lawn in front of City Hall and across the street from the Los Angeles Police Department a homeless day camp. Tent cities abound. Even in the best of neighborhoods. Two hundred twenty two at last count. Three out of 4 live in cars, campers, tents and leantos.

Enjoy your day!

 

WE’VE MET THE ENEMY, AND IT’S US

Posted on by

 

KONK Life is a local once a week publication. It has an ancillary publication. E-Blast. E-Blast publishes daily on the internet. Solely on the internet.

This morning’s E-Blast had an interesting Letter to the Editor. By Key West local Roger C. Kostmayer. A man seasoned by years, knowledgeable and frank.

The letter titled Listen to Pogo. Pogo being the famous comic strip philosopher.

Kostmayer began with two factual happenings. One that the U.S. is under attack from without by Russia and from within by Congressional Republicans. The other is that the attack has resulted in a self imposed crisis.

He concludes with a famous Pogo observation…..We’ve met the enemy, and it’s us.

Spent most of yesterday afternoon working on Growing Up Italian. My grandparents were met with a difficult world in their early years here. The anti-Italian sentiment significant.

I enjoyed a 30 minute happy interruption while working on the book. Jean Thornton called. She was taking a walk in Birmingham and decided she would like to talk with me. Just pass the time of day.

That’s Jean!

It was cold in Birmingham. High 40’s or low 50’s as we were talking. She told me the evenings were in the 20’s. And I complain when it is in the 60’s!

Jean is on a diet also. Weight Watchers. Walking part of the routine.

We covered a multitude of items. Every Key West tidbit I tried to share, Jean already knew. She has her finger on the pulse of Key West constantly.

Jean and Joe will soon be off for a three week stay in Hawaii. Return home for a few weeks. Then the big one as she describes it. A month somewhere in Europe.

I could have been out with a lovely woman last night. Instead, I declined. Wanted to watch the Syracuse/Georgia Tech game at home.

I should have gone out. Could not get the game on TV. Later in the evening, the sports news reported Syracuse lost 46-41. Not a good year!

I spent the evening reading How to Win a Fight with a Conservative by Daniel Kurtzman.

Page 179 contains a brief passage titled: The Koch Brothers, GOP Corporate Overlords. The passage concludes: “…..Republicans from every state will line up at their door to grovel at their feet and ask for campaign contributions, a practice known throughout political circles as “sucking Koch.”

I initially considered leaving the quotation out as it appeared tasteless.

Turtles are taking a beating in this cold weather. Florida waters unusually cold this year. The Marathon Turtle Hospital and similar Florida facilities bursting at the seams. An overflow. Turtles everywhere.

Marathon recently took in several more turtles. From North Florida waters. The turtles described as cold stunned. Last year, Marathon flew up to Cape Cod and returned with a large number of Cape Cod turtles that were suffering from the cold waters there.

Cold water slows a turtle’s metabolism. Making the turtles vulnerable to infections and illnesses. One of the problems associated with exposure to cold waters are tumors. Some bug/virus creates the tumors in the turtles.

The hospital stay for cold stunned turtles is generally one year. Tumor resolution the primary reason for the long stay

One of the best loved men in Key West is Joseph Lyles. Affiliated for many years with the Hot Tin Roof. His most recent position as Manager.

Joseph had back problems. Underwent an operation to correct the problems. The result not good. Still has back problems, needs a cane to get about, and cannot move swiftly.

So much for continuing as a restaurant manager.

Joseph has been reemployed. At the Casa Marina. As a concierge.

Go, Joseph! All of Key West is happy for you.

Guy de Boer just telephoned. Did you see it? What? This week’s KONK Life is out. You and Irma and Me are on the front page!

As soon as I finish the blog, I will go out and get a copy.

This morning’s Key West Citizen in its Keys History section had a piece of information regarding Ernest Hemingway. On this day in 1935, Hemingway and two friends went fishing on Hemingway’s boat. All three caught a sailfish.

An unusual occurrence.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTION

Posted on by

Word on the street is the Key West lodging and entertainment industry is having staffing problems. No wonder. The work staff, bartenders, wait staff, hotel workers, etc. are departing. They cannot afford to live in Key West any longer. Irma the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Rents became too high for ordinary Joes and Janes. Many ending up sharing an accommodation with anywhere from one to three other persons.

Irma caused damage in varying degrees to real estate. Renters found themselves without a home. Landlords in many instances became pigs. The law of supply and demand. Raised the rent!

Most were not able to work during the crisis. Two weeks or more  going unpaid.

Can you blame them for leaving? Or would you rather have them live under the Cow Key Bridge?

The heart of the housing problem is that the local law requiring Key West rentals to be for at least 28 days is not being effectively enforced. Forget excuses and difficulty of enforcement. Enforce! Hit violators with the fines permitted under the law, not a slap on the wrist.

Within a year, the affordable housing problem could be resolved. Without the need to construct affordable housing. The high cost of affordable housing itself  a joke.

Berlin proves my point.

Berlin was experiencing a relatively new housing crisis. Rentals became unavailable. Those available experienced sky rocketing rents.

Berlin attributed the problem to Airbnb. The greed of swift big dollars caused homes to be converted to unlicensed, super profitable hotel rooms. Such caused housing prices to be driven up and a shrinking rental inventory. Suddenly, Berlin was unaffordable for the people who lived and worked there.

Berlin dealt with the problem face on. Enforced a long term rental policy. Punished those who violated the policy.

In the first year alone, 8,000 units were returned to Berlin’s long term rental market.

San Francisco had a similar problem. Enforced its long term rental laws. As a result, 6,000 illegal listings disappeared.

New York City is presently complaining of the Airbnb problem. Airbnb has resulted in a raised cost of living for renters.

Unless local laws are enforced sternly, the situation will be as the comedian Robin Williams related regarding England’s unarmed police: Stop or I’ll say stop again!

Key West must use the law and its staff to combat the problem. Give Codes more men, a bigger budget. Resolve cases with significant fines. Of a size that hurt.

Then there will be no need for affordable housing. The working community will be able to pay fair market prices for rentals.

Trump’s State of the Union Address last night. What can I say that is not being bandied about via the media last night and this morning. I thought the address more form than substance. Considered it divisive. The tone Trump’s way or the highway.

Trump is fortunate to have finally discovered the value of prompters. He stuck to script last night. Made him appear Presidential.

Things are happening under Trump which I do not consider in the best interests of our Nation.

I hear purge and cleanse too often these days. With relation to the Department of Justice and FBI. Trump is a destroyer. A member of the Apocalypse.

Trump could have sanctioned Russia yesterday. He already had Congressional approval. He failed to do so. His excuse being he thought the ability to sanction was a sufficient deterrent to Russia.

He gave Russia a free pass. Russia who is out to bury us. A Russia that cannot be trusted. A Russia that only understands force/compulsion.

Trump claims that one of the benefits of the new tax law is that many corporations are paying bonuses in the thousands to its employees. I would buy $1,000. Not the point, however. A recent study shows only 9 percent of Fortune 500 companies have arranged to have their employees share in the windfall.

Whether 9 percent or 100 percent, the corporations who pay something to their employees still come out with huge significant monies remaining.

I am concerned. A society that is 1 percent/99 percent cannot survive. The 99 percent deficated upon will accept it only so long. Social disorder could result.

I worry about the market. So high! Higher every day!

Such cannot sustain itself. Fifty percent of Americans are not in the market, not benefiting.

Herbert Hoover was elected in 1929 when the market was acting as it is today. Upwards, ever upwards! Less than 8 months after his election, the market fell. The U.S. experienced its worse depression in history.

Trump could be the Herbert Hoover of the 21st century.

Irma and Me is now available at the Key West Library. Available for checking out. I am honored.

Syracuse/Georgia Tech tonight at 8. I will be watching the game. I am not sure where yet.

Enjoy your day!

 

DESTRUCTION FROM WITHIN

Posted on by

Wisdom from the lips of Abraham Lincoln: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

So much for what is going on in Washington.

Monday night is Dueling Bartenders time at Aqua! There I was sitting with Liz and Mary enjoying the singings of Tom Luna and Rick Dery.

Liz looked her best in a long time. She has been recovering from several illnesses. A sparkling woman at 83. A new hairdo. No more cane. Like being born again!

Then to Tavern ‘n Town for my Atkins diet meal. A juicy prime rib. Nothing else. No veggies,etc. Seventeen pounds lost so far. Next level, 20.

Glad I stopped at Tavern ‘n Town. Met Pam. A major fan of my writings. We had never met before. Seriously excited. I was afraid she was going to have a heart attack!

Pam, it  was my honor to meet you. May we run into each other again!

Pam was with Paul. And Lynda and Bob Frechette. Lynda introduced me to Pam. The four were having dinner together.

I was seated at the bar. Heard Louis from behind me. It was Aaron and Karen. On their way to the Randy Roberts show at the Tennessee Williams Theater.

One more. As I was finishing my coffee. Melissa Kendrick. I have not seen Melissa in a couple of years. Melissa is the President/CEO of the Mel Fisher Museum.

She was excited. Properly so.

On August 8, 2010, a gold bar valued at $550,000 was stolen from the Museum. The thief or thieves never apprehended. Till the past few days.

Melissa told me she had received a call during the day from the authorities. The thieves had been caught. One in West Palm Beach. The other, Rio Linda, California.

No word yet as to whether the gold bar had been retrieved.

The gold bar was an important exhibit. People could touch and lift it. The bar was secured in such a fashion it could not be stolen. It was.

The bar was discovered in 1980 by Mel Fisher. It was from the Santa Margarita. The Santa Margarita sunk in a 1622 hurricane off the Florida Keys.

As I was sitting at the bar, I marveled at what I saw.

Getting old and looking old are two different things. For example, some at 80 look 60. Others at 80 look like they are ready for the grave.

An elderly couple were dancing by the bar. For the whole hour and a half I was there. One song after another. Rarely sat. If they did, only for a sip or two of wine.

Looked 100! Old and bent. Dressed today, however. The lady in shorts. The man’s clothes up to date sporty.

The two obviously enamored. The touchings, holdings and smiles.

They knew all the dance moves. Especially the woman.

God bless them! May we all achieve what they have. The ability and desire to dance and enjoy our way through the years.

The William Tell overture in the background, the masked man on his horse shouting “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!”

The Lone Ranger!

I knew the Lone Ranger, his Indian friend Tonto and horse Silver from the radio till the late 1950’s. Then television into the late 1960’s. My children as children, the 1960’s shows.

I mention the Lone Ranger because today is the birthday of the show. It debuted this day in 1933 on a Detroit radio station. The Lone Ranger became one of the most popular western heroes of the 20th century.

He personified all that was good and noble. He did not smoke, swear, or drink alcohol. He used grammatically correct speech. He never shot to kill.

Television was relatively new in the early 1950’s. The Lone Ranger became ABC’s biggest hit.

Key West has a Tonto. A different sex from the Lone Ranger’s Tonto. I have known her 20 years. She works the outside bar at La Te Da.

Trump’s State of the Union at 8 this evening. My podcast at 9. I suspect my podcast will be more interesting. I will be listening to the State of the Union address, never the less.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou at 9 this evening my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Interesting topics. Some eye opening revealing. A fast moving half hour show.

Grab a drink, sit back and enjoy.

The best of days to you!

 

 

MY COUNTRY, ‘TIS OF THEE, SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY…..

Posted on by

My Country, ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty…..Let freedom ring!

No more. We’re losing it.

Democracy is being sacrificed on the altar of Donald Trump. Politicians more concerned with expediency rather than correctness.

Yesterday, Napoleon Bonaparte Broward. Today, Stephen R. Mallory.

Mallory of Key West fame. Confederate fame, also. Key West’s famous Mallory Square is named after him. His bronze bust sits in the Key West Memorial Sculpture Garden. One of 39 recognized for having had a major impact on Key West.

He was a United States Senator from Florida 1851-1861. During that time, he was Chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs.

He joined the Confederacy when Florida seceded. He served as Secretary of the Navy for the Confederacy during the entire Civil War. He did an excellent job for the Confederacy.

He fled Richmond at the end of the War, was captured, imprisoned, and charged with treason. After one year, he was paroled by President Andrew Johnson.

Mallory rarely if any time returned to Key West. He settled in Pensacola where he practiced law til his death.

I spoke of the Mallory/Confederacy problem last year when the move to remove statues, proclamations, etc. of Southern supporters arose. I asked: Should Mallory Square be renamed? Should Mallory’s bust be removed from the Garden of honor?

My answer then simple. The same today. Leave well enough alone. Broward, Mallory, and all the rest part of American history. Good, bad or indifferent.

History should neither be altered, destroyed nor removed.

Attended the Key West Craft Show yesterday afternoon. Covered half the length of Whitehead. Everything on exhibit, everything for sale. Great craft!

The Craft Show has been ongoing more than 30 years.

I bought my first Jack Baron painting 20 years ago at the Craft Show. A black Madonna and Child. $3,500. My wife at the time said I was out of my mind.

I still have the painting, as well as many other Baron works. It gives me joy every time I look at it.

Visited with Diana Millikan at cocktail time at her Key West home on Hilton Haven Drive. Her tiny condo sits on a canal.

Diana and I have been working on a book together for ever so long. It seems to be taking forever to complete. We are still at the research stage. The novel intended is a history of Key West prostitution. All the way back to 1660.

Diana just returned from a trip to Haiti to attend the funeral of a friend. She was down with dysentery for three days. She said she drank bottled water. Turned out the water was bottled in Haiti with Haitian waters.

Then to the Chart Room. Shaun bartending. Quiet.

Heard a cruise ship could not dock yesterday. Wind too strong.

Spoke with Tom and Fran Dixson in Buffalo last night. They recently returned from a cruise to Cuba. Leave soon for a 2 week tour of Rome and southern Italy. They are traveling with a Buffalo area seminary. The trip includes an audience with the Pope.

Too much on  my mind sometimes. I thought the Syracuse/Pitt game was tomorrow night. It was saturday night. Missed it. Syracuse won 60-55.

Next game wednesday evening against Georgia Tech at 8. I will not miss it.

Donna called last night. They made it to Tampa. Donna hurting bad. Going to find a Tampa orthopedist today.

Terri’s testing began at 6:30 this morning. I wish her well.

New Orleans has Mardi Gras. Key West, Fantasy Fest.

Beads have been clogging New Orleans’ catch basins for years. To the point, water ain’t moving. A bead removal project underway. Estimated 93,000 pounds of beads (46 tons) to be removed. Sixty four thousand catch basins. Cost: $7 million.

Will Key West ever be so afflicted? Hope not.

We have been complaining about Russian interference in our elections. Putin has turned the tables on us. He is complaining of U.S. meddling in the Russian elections to be held March 18. The pot calling the kettle black.

There is no need for any country to attempt to influence Russian elections. Putin either kills or jails the opposition before the election.

We take automobiles for granted. To drive or ride in. There was a time when autos were new, however.

William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States. He was the first American President to ride in an auto. September 1901 in a Stanley Steamer.

Enjoy your day!

 

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE BROWARD…..HIS STATUE RELOCATED TO THE DARKNESS OF STORAGE

Posted on by

Napoleon Bonaparte Broward. A formidable name.

Broward was Governor of Florida 1905-1908. A man of vision. Best remembered for draining the Everglades. He knew such had to be accomplished before south Florida could develop.

Today’s Broward County was incorporated in 1915. The new County was named after the former Governor. The man was held in esteem. So much so that a statue of Broward later erected in the lobby of the downtown courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

On September 21, 2017, the JAABlog published an article setting forth Broward’s segregationist views. Unknown to recent generations. The views were in writing. The JAABlog reprinted portions of them.

All hell broke loose! The momentum to remove the statue was immediate.

Turned out Broward was an unapologetic segregationist. He wanted Congress to provide money to purchase the property of negroes and then transport them to a territory purchased by the United States. He envisioned an all black territory. The blacks would forever be prohibited from returning to the United States.

The County Mayor is black. The 17th Judicial Circuit housed in the building was ok with a removal/relocation if evidence of racial discrimination existed. The T. J. Reddick Bar Association, a Broward County black lawyers group, supported the statue’s removal.

Many supported removal and whatever might follow. The County ‘s black Mayor justified her position on the grounds that the statue was merely a piece of art.

Others opposed. Less than those who supported the removal. The reason being Broward was part of history and his statue should be left alone. A reminder of a time not to be repeated.

In the dark of night, October 18-19, 2017, the statue was removed and placed in storage.

My opinion remains as it did a year ago when the statue problem was rampant. History is history. It should not be removed or buried. It should not be forgotten. We learn from history.

What now of the name of the County? Broward. If the reasoning for its removal is valid, then the name of the County should be changed. An all or nothing situation.

Recall that last year, I pointed out on several occasions Washington was a slave holder. His name should be removed from our Capital, the spiral monument in Washington, and his face and name from the dollar bill. Jefferson likewise should receive similar treatment. Tear his magnificent statue in the Jefferson Memorial down. And so on.

Lets not pick and chose. All or nothing at all. Otherwise, a sort of hypocrisy exists.

Yesterday, a quiet saturday for me. I worked on Growing Up Italian in the afternoon. Planned on going out in the evening. Felt tired. Remained home watching television.

I had to make an adjustment re my drug coverage. Telephoned United Health Care. Spoke with Renee in the Philippines. We took cafe of my problem and enjoyed a short chat.

Renee had never heard of Key West. I filled her in. Told her of my blog. She wanted to read it. Gave her the site. Hopefully, a new follower.

Heard from Donna and Terri last night. They made it to Fort Myers. Two more days of traveling to go.

Donna said, “Lots of driving…..too much pain.” She had just taken a pain pill and was icing her shoulder.

I came across an interesting comment yesterday…..In North Korea, people are forced to listen to propaganda. In the USA, people do it willingly. The example given FOX News.

Robin Robinson writes gardening articles for the Key West Citizen. This week’s column titled “Botanical Paintings: More Than Pretty Flowers.”

The column provided food for thought. All artists paint/painted plants and flowers. Go back in time. There were no cameras. People drew pictures of the plants and flowers.

Brought back to mind movies of old. Mutiny on the Bounty, for example. There was always some one on board drawing pictures of the plants and flowers found on the new and strange islands.

Robinson writes well. She views herself as a writer and not a botanist. In her life before Key West, she was a syndicated columnist writing for the Chicago Daily News. She is also a novelist and active with the Key West Garden Club.

Refrigerators can be expensive. Some out of sight.

Trump is getting a new refrigerator on Air Force One. $24 million. You read correctly! Actually, $23, 657,671. Seventy cubic feet. One that can keep foods cold a long time. Justification is there are  situations where a President may end up flying around for several days because of a war or other disaster.

I smiled when I read the article. Recall when Trump became President, he claimed Boeing was ripping off the U.S. re a new Air Force One to be built. Cancelled the contract in effect. Boeing came hat in hand and told Trump they would reduce the price.

Enjoy your Sunday!