Tonight, the Presidential debate. The most significant in history. I am anxious to watch. It could determine who the next U.S. President will be.

Would you believe? Republicans threaten a government shutdown unless Congress makes it harder to vote. 

Government funding involved in the threat. September 30 the date by which the federal government must be funded.

Religious dogma speaking Speaker Mike Johnson is a whore. Young, good looking, always spouting God, a leader of the movement. He and a group of Republican Congressmen and Donald Trump want to use the September 30 deadline to force legislation that would make it harder to register to vote in all 50 states. Such conduct is not consistent with a good, moral heart in operating government. 

Yet Republicans don’t care. Down and dirty is their play program.

In the end, the American public will hopefully regardless of party, not accept this way to run the government.

My friends, regardless of your party registration, vote Democrat this time. It won’t kill you. It is the only way to save our government and way of life.

James Earl Jones died yesterday at the age of 93. What an actor, what a voice! Personally respected!

May he rest in peace.

Why do major sport figures these days get knocked badly in their debut performances. I refer specifically to Caitlan Clark and Tom Brady.

Clark survived and established herself in short time as a player. Brady apparently was not that great in his opening performance as a sport announcer. Give the guy a break! He will be one of the best in short order. A professional is a professional.

Nostalgia from the 1950’s. May you enjoy. I enjoyed writing it.

I was in high school, college and law school during those years. Also married in 1957 prior to law school. Here’s what it was like. A different time, different days. 

The memorables: Five and dime stores, home milk deliveries, rotary dial phones, color TV born, kids always played outdoors, average marriage age for females was 20, 2 movie tickets cost under $1, a half gallon of gas less than $1, super markets not common, kids smoked fake candy cigarettes, the Soviet threat always lurking.

Also, you watched Ed Sullivan on TV, the family car required a choke be pulled, toys were simple, boys played marbles, drive in theaters on friday night were a WOW, high school dances were called sock hops, high school athletes wore letter sweaters, 3D movies were cool, the twist was the popular dance, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, telephone booth stuffing was a pop-culture challenge, Marilyn Monroe the ultimate sex symbol, Moms cooked all your favorite foods from scratch in the kitchen.

The U.S. has changed! That is the way life is.

Remember to watch the debate tonight. Your immediate future years will depend on it. Good or bad. No indifferent.

Enjoy your day! 

The glory will fade.

The Monroe County Tourist Development Council, aka the TDC, has recently won several marketing awards.

I am not thrilled. Nor impressed. The TDC has done an excellent job for the organization, but the results have not been the best for Key West. They have changed the island. Additionally brought some corruption with it.

What now?

The “glory” will not last. It will fade. Fade because of what it is turning Key West into and because of what the results of the present criminal investigation may reveal.

The New York Times Editorial Board this morning: Donald Trump Unfit To Lead. “He is dangerous in word, deed and action. He puts self over country. He loathes the laws we live by.”

Need more be said.

Trump is scumbag #1. And yet the race is close. Woe be we should he win!

Mary Trump is Donald Trump’s niece. We are aware from her prior comments she is not a happy camper when it comes to Uncle Donald. 

Mary is a psychologist by profession. She says, “Donald is dementing…..We deserve to be told there is a maniac on the loose.”

The things I recall. This day in 1956. Elvis Presley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Sixty million viewers watched. The figure translates into 82.6 percent of TV viewers.

I watched. Presley was a big deal already! 

He sang Don’t Be Cruel, Hound Dog and Love Me Tender.

A WOW performance!

On this day in 1919, the Boston police went on strike. A no no.

Calvin Coolidge was Governor of Massachusetts. His handling of the police strike eventually led to his election as President of the United States. His handling of the strike made him appear a man of decisive action.

His words during the police strike could not have been  more appropriate: “There is no right to strike against the public safety by anyone, anywhere, any time.”

I close with a few words by Queen Elizabeth II. A wise sensitive woman. She said, “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

A more fitting statement never said.

Enjoy your day!

Italy’s Amalfi Coast is in the news. The claim is influencers have been hyping the Amalfi Coast for years. Turned a “great place” into a “theme park.” High costs, too many tourists, traffic jams and the like.

Sound familiar?

It is happening to Key West. It has been happening for several years and is getting worse. The town is changing dramatically and not for the better.

Recent Trump observations.

Trump says women love him. Maybe when he was younger and a rich playboy. Not today! He is an old f–k who only wants to screw women in a fashion that hurts them. He has become an even worse misogynist in his old age. 

Trump said Friday that he doesn’t buy claims that Russia is trying to sway the Presidential election his way.

Why would he claim otherwise? Putin is his buddy. Trump never sees evil in the man. Putin has Trump bullshitted every which way.

If you vote for Trump, you’re crazy!

Trump is already predicting reasons for a possible Harris victory in Tuesday’s debate. He claims it will be the media’s fault.  Reasoning the media will say he was “humiliated.”

If Trump loses, it will probably be because not only did Harris humiliate him, he humiliated himself!

Trump is warning Harris’ campaign donors that they will not escape his retribution if they play a role in a 2024 election “steal.” The legal actions will be unprecedented.

Trump will probably do it even if he wins. He’s a “get even” guy. Bad news!

I’m sick of hearing about more school security, mental examinations, etc. as the means to reduce school and other mass shootings. The key to less shootings is fewer guns. Simple!

Our laws are too lenient. There are more guns than people in the U.S.  Significantly more.  We need fewer guns. Personal protection and hunting does not require the number of guns people have in the U.S., especially AR-15s.

One of the world’s most beloved works of art is “David.” A 17 foot 12,000 pound marble masterpiece. The artist Michelangelo. Only 26 years old when he received the commission.

“David” was unveiled this day in 1504 in Piazza della Signoria in Florence.

Michelangelo carved it from a single block of marble that other artists had rejected as defective. The work took three years to complete.

It was intended to be placed on the rooftop of a Church. Its final 12,000 pound weight made the task of getting it up there impossible. So it was decided to have it placed at street level.

When the piazza location had been decided upon, it took 40 men four days to move the statue one half mile.

“David” is the Biblical hero who used a slingshot to slay the giant Goliath.

Live and learn. Airplane windows are round or rounded at corners. Why?

Airplane windows used to be square. When commercial airlines graduated to higher, faster and longer jets in the 1950’s, some planes began disintegrating midair. Investigations determined the cause to be the squared off corners of the windows. They tended to collect the stress of the pressurized cabin  and became prone to fracture. It was determined that 70 percent of an airplane’s stress was concentrated on the windows’ sharp angles.

Thus was born the round window or rounded corners on them.

Ho ho ho, Yogi Bear! Syracuse beat Georgia Tech yesterday 31-28. 

The game was not as close as the numbers would suggest. Georgia Tech had a hell of a final quarter playing catch up and came up short.

The numbers suggest it was Syracuse’s game. Syracuse ended up with 515 yards as opposed to Georgia Tech’s 371. Syracuse earned 27 first downs as opposed to Georgia Tech’s 19. Syracuse quarterback McCord made 32 of 46 pass attempts, scored 4 touchdowns with his passes.

Hope Syracuse keeps up the good work!

Gotta make money! In 1698, Russian Tsar Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards.

Jews seem to always have been imposed upon. In 1750, a Decree was issued in Paderborn, Prussia allowing for the annual search of all Jewish homes for stolen or “doubtful” goods.

Flyweights Gene LaRue and Kid Pancho KO’d each other simultaneously in 1923.

The weather and lifestyle (the older one more than today’s) of Key West must contribute to longevity. I am 89 and still going. There is a Key West resident that went to 108. Thomas Romer. He lived in Key West 65 years before dying in 1891. He is considered Key West’s longest living resident.

Enjoy your Sunday!

I believed in my professional days and still do today, that “you have to know the enemy.” Otherwise, you may not defeat them. It is preparation for battle.

I occasionally watch FOX, the TV home of the enemy politically. This past week, I watched  Trump give two talks before a more intellectual group than shows up at his rallies. One was the Economic Club of New York.

Two conclusions I have arrived at. Both concern tuesday’s debate.

Trump and his people have been saying he is not practicing for the debate. Only doing some questions and answering on occasion. 

The other is the two Trump’s presentations that I watched. He was quiet and subdued. No shouting or insults involved. Serious. Trying to appear knowledgeable. Lied like hell, however. Misspoke constantly. He was difficult to follow.

My conclusion is Trump will not be his usual self in the debate. He may break at some point because of Harris and/or the pressure of the debate and resort to his usual self. I believe his game plan is to come over as a subdued knowledgeable Presidential candidate. Good luck! Don’t think he can make it through a whole debate.

I am confident such will not fool Harris. The smart woman she is, the capable staff she has, should find her prepared to defeat the “new Trump” should that be the case.

Liz Cheney said re Trump and Vance: They are “misogynistic pigs.”

Go, Liz! Right on! A perfect characterization for two men who exhibit hatred and prejudice against women.

Yesterday, Liz announced her father Dick Cheney would vote for Harris. Big! A die hearted black Republican. I would not expect it of him. At the very least not made known publicly. It will cost Trump votes.

Trump beat the system again. He gets preferential treatment as no other person ever has in the courtroom.

My experience as a trial lawyer taught me how difficult it is to get a trial date changed. Always a legitimate reason involved for the request. Many judges were and still are more concerned with their trial calendar status than justice.

Many judges are not mentally swift. Florida’s Aileen Cannon a perfect example. Nor are they kind, considerate, thoughtful and fair. Contrary to the black robe image they portray.

Judges were like playing cards. You played the hand you were dealt. Sometimes a good judge, sometimes the worst.

I was a respected trial lawyer. Moved my cases. Always ready for a scheduled trial. I had one case that presented a problem and I wanted the trail moved to another date.

My grandfather had died during the night. The patriarch of our family. The man I was named after. A person I loved and respected.

I called opposing counsel early in the morning and told him I wanted to adjourn the trial. He understood. He was no problem. A gentleman, a person I had tried many cases against and on the same side with him. I had 2-3 days standing by my grandfather’s body in a funeral home, then the service and burial. No way I could proceed, nor was I in a mental condition to proceed.

We met with the judge early that morning. I always thought he was an asshole. A political hack who lucked his way onto the bench. However he always received from me the ultimate respect his black robe demanded.

He proved my thoughts concerning him were correct that morning. I advised my grandfather’s death. He refused to adjourn the case. I couldn’t believe what I heard. The other attorney jumped in and said he had no problem with my request. The judge looked at me and said, “He’s only your grandfather, not your father.”

The judge in due course with great reluctance agreed.

I share this story to show how difficult it is  to accomplish simple understandable things in court proceedings. Things that have nothing to do with the case itself. Merely human things.

Trump has gotten away with murder re his cases. He has received all sorts of preferential treatment. Treatment that is neither available nor afforded anyone else.

Wrong!

I must concede however the judge made the correct call in the sentencing portion of the Stormy Daniels case. He adjourned the sentencing date from September 18 to November 26. The November 26 date being after the election.

Correct with the election less than 2 months away. An unusual courtesy nevertheless. No other person whatever that person’s reason would have been extended such a courtesy.

The COVID shot must have caused the reoccurrence of gout in my left foot as Dr. Norris diagnosed. Two days on the gout pill Colchicine and the swelling is completely gone this morning. The foot still a little painful. I attribute it to the unusual swelling for a few days.

Love Dr. Norris!

Syracuse/Georgia Tech at noon today at the Dome in Syracuse. Georgia Tech favored.

Enjoy your day!

Raise hell Key West!

DeSantis and Florida Republican leaders are neither good people nor supporters of LGBTQ. Actually, sneaks. Florida’s tourism marketing agency quietly removed “LGBTQ Travel” from its website in the past few months. No notice to any Florida LGBTQ business owners, including those in Key West.

Though not a crime, a dastardly act. When are Florida voters going to wise up and throw these Tallahassee Republicans out of office?

Note Key West has a strong Republican business community involved in LGBTQ matters. I wonder how they feel knowing they have been stabbed in the back by DeSantis and his cronies? And not for the first time.

Key West really has no friends in Republican Tallahassee, though many Republican Key Westers believe they do. How many times has Tallahassee screwed local Republican businesses? More than you can count. And they continue to do so. Wise up Key West Republicans. You are bending over and saying to Tallahassee do me some more.

What a week for me physically! Sick, sick and more sick!

It all began tuesday with my COVID and flu shots. My arm hurt like hell tuesday night. Never happened before.

Following physiotherapy wednesday morning, my left foot hurt. Pain increased during the day. By night, it was horrendous. I thought I might have broken a bone doing some balance exercises. Thursday foot not just swollen, continued swelling all day. Spoke with Dr. Norris. He thought it was gout. I failed to tell him about the COVID shot.

Norris put me on the gout pill. Twenty four hours later, pain and swelling down 65 percent. Saw Norris this morning. One more day on the pill and I should be fine.

Turns out the COVID shot can cause gout. By tomorrow, the pain should be totally gone.

Forget the other two problems. One corrected itself. The other under examination.

Dr. Norris is wonderful! An excellent diagnostician!

A former Marathon resident Bryan Roger Bishop, age 52, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release thereafter for his July 6 participation in the terrorist attack on the Capitol.

He pled to coming out of the Capitol crowd following which he aimed and sprayed a chemical irritant at a line of police officers.  One police officer was sprayed directly in the face, a second by aiming the spray at an upward angle in order to spray under the officer’s face shield. After spraying the officers, Bishop entered the Capitol building and walked through various rooms.

A leader!

On this day in 1861, Major William French issued an order that all male citizens of Key West must take an oath of allegiance to the U.S. within 60 days, or they would be removed from Key West. A valiant, brave move by Major French. The Civil War was underway. Key West remained loyal throughout. The rest of Florida went Confederate. Key West was  vital to protecting Union shipping and preventing Confederate shipping.

Liz Cheney announced she will not vote for Trump. She will cast her vote for Harris. He announcement was expected. Cheney said she is voting for Harris because Trump will set the Constitution on fire in a second term.

Hunter Biden pled guilty yesterday in the tax case against him. He will be sentenced on December 16. He faces up to 17 years in prison and fines up to $1.3 million. He was “required” by the prosecutor to plead guilty to nine federal criminal charges.

His plea acknowledged he failed to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016-2019. He has since paid the amount, however.

My professional past included working out federal tax pleas for some whose problems resembled Biden’s.

Tax attorneys and CPAs would have their clients retain me to handle the federal charges. A basic in every case was the taxes first had to be paid in full or in an amount satisfactory to the government. None of my clients ever did jail time, though they were heavily fined.

Biden did wrong. But the Republicans have forced him to pay a price for his sins far heavier than in my experience. The Republicans are punishing Hunter beyond normal to embarrass and cause pain to President Biden.

Wrong!

If Trump ends up with jail time for any of his wrongdoings, he should not complain. He set the modus operandi by which he will be judged.

Trump said in a speech this week that global warming is not a problem. 

I view it as every nation’s problem. Especially a nation that pollutes heavily. The U.S. is one.

Trump said his concern is not global warming so much. It is minimal from his point of view.  He is concerned with “nuclear warming.” I fear he would drag us into a nuclear war. The man is dangerous! Trump does not know what he is doing. He can wipe his derriere with his bravado!

No, no, no! JD Vance calls the reality of school shootings a black “fact of life.” Means we can do nothing about it. Vance said schools should beef up security, rebuffed stricter gun laws.

He speaks what the NRA dictates.

Who needs a Vance one breath from the Presidency! 

Harris raised $361 million in August. Nearly three times more than Trump did.

Go Kamala!

The pain continues. Four souls gone, four lives ended. Because of a whacked kid who may not have received the attention he required from his parents.

Yesterday the father of the 14 year old shooter was arrested and charged with murder and involuntary manslaughter. He bought his son an AR-15 for Christmas. The AR-15 was used in the shootings.

Rome is considering charging tourists to visit Trevi Fountain. Only one or two euros. Not to make money, but to control crowd size.

Thirty five-forty years ago, I spent an entire month in the Rome area with my family. We visited Trevi Fountain several times. Never a crowd.

Steve and Cindy Thompson were in Rome in the Spring. Visited Trevi Fountain. Told me of the crowd, showed me some pictures they took. I found the crowded condition hard to believe.

The plan being formulated will not only charge tourists a minimum fee, but also require scheduled times to visit. Make an appointment!

It might work.

As far back as I can recall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has done the same for certain short term major exhibits. The system worked. You knew when, went and had your quiet uncrowded time enjoying the exhibit. There were many people, but not shoulder to shoulder. No aggravation involved.

I close with a live and learn addage.

The snack food you can thank monks for inventing. The pretzel way back in 610 A.D. A soft variety made from leftover bread, baked and twisted into the well known pretzel shape. Supposedly to look like arms crossed in a prayer pose.

Enjoy your day!

Another school shooting yesterday. Four dead. Two students, two teachers. Nine students hospitalized.

Will it ever end?

The place Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. The two students were 14, as was the perpetrator. A schoolmate. The assailant has been arrested. No one else involved. He has been charged with murder and will be tried as an adult.

The teachers were 39 and 53.

Kids go to school today with run and hide instead of read and write. Has to stop!

We keep talking cease and desist. Our elected officials do not react accordingly. They used to submit solely to the NRA. Now to their gun owner/carrying constituents who “want” their guns, also.

What Louis thinks.

For years going back to my early days as an attorney, I have disagreed with the public’s “absolute right” to bear arms. I have always thought the opinions of the Supreme Court “blew it” in United States v. Cruikshank (1876), Presser v. Illinois (1886) and United States v. Miller (1939) where it was recognized the Second Amendment protected the right  to bear arms from being infringed upon by Congress and that the right to bear arms preexisted the Constitution thereby making it lawful.

Precedent supports the right to personal gun ownership.

Note clearly, something we all understand today, that the Supreme Court can decide to change precedent when “they” deem it proper/feasible. Roe v. Wade the latest example.

I have been of the opinion that the Second Amendment is constantly read in error by the Supreme Court. The Second Amendment states: “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

The coma between “state” and “the” is significant. The Supreme Court has refused to read the writing properly into its decisions. To me it allows a simple one. The accurate one.

When the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written, the United states was a young nation without as a practical matter a standing army of any significance. If war was to occur, citizens had to be mobilized.. They needed guns. The government did not have a sufficient number of weapons. Men took their own guns with them when they went off to war. Therein lies the necessity for the right of people to “keep and bear arms” so as the nation would be prepared to fight with guns.

Certain decisions distinguish between “possessing” and “bearing” arms. A stretch one from my perspective. It would take pages to analyze the distinction. However, my simple conclusion is why would a person need to bear or possess an AR-15 for personal protection?

We need a new Supreme Court not only to correct the abortion abuse but also the crazy and improper right to bear arms.

One last point. The population of the United States is somewhere around 333 million. I read somewhere last year and mentioned it in a blog that there are more personally held guns in the U.S. then there are citizens. The recent count is 393 million personally held guns.

Today’s painting.

Jack never named his paintings. I did some of the ones I purchased. This one’s name obvious. The Madonna and Child. Or, the Blessed Mother and Baby Jesus.

Jack knew the Madonna was special. He had outdone himself. Whereas his acrylics normally sold for $3,500, Jack added another $1,000 to the Madonna. Several of us wanted it. None of us wanted to spend the extra $1,000. Jack would not budge.

In the early Spring, Key West has a street sale every year. Covers half of Whitehead and runs tangently into some Truman Annex Streets. Big!

I came upon Jack’s white tent. Sitting prominently for sale was the Madonna. My Madonna! I yelled at Jack: “You’re selling my painting!” He responded: “You never bought it!” I answered: “I just bought it! $4,500!” Jack said: “It’s yours” and hung a SOLD sign on it.

America’s early history abounds in Indian tales. One of the most prominent involves Apache leader Geronimo. He was chased, captured and escaped many times. History and the movies fail to report his later year experiences.

In March 1886, Geronimo with a mere 150 troops was forced by General George Crook with 5,000 U.S. troops to surrender. He escaped one last time and was captured by General Nelson Miles in September 1886.

He eventually ended up at an Indian reservation near Fort Sill in the Oklahoma Territory.

What has rarely been reported is Geronimo became a successful farmer and converted to Christianity. He participated in Presidnet Theodore Roosevelt’s inaugural parade in 1905. He later dictated his autobiography which was published in 1908 as Geronimo’s Story of His Life.

The American flag has gone through 27 changes. Makes sense. Every time a state(s) was added, adjustments had to be made to the flag.

A difference of opinion exists as to whether Betsy Ross designed/made the first flag. Reliable sources say the Continental Congress released the first flag on June 14, 1777, a flag Betsy Ross had nothing to do with.

I have written about Betsy Ross in the past. A charming woman. Her sewing shop was actually a house of ill repute owned and operated by Betsy Ross. The girls in the back actually sold themselves as the wares.

Betsy was helpful to the new Nation, however. She spied on the Brits. Anything she or her ladies picked up from British soldiers was conveyed immediately to the Colonists.

Trump may be picking a fight with an equally tough guy. Perhaps even tougher. His new opponent fights hard. Generally on the side of truth. Not a grifter as Trump tends to be.

The man is Mark Zuckerberg.

In a letter dated August 26 to Congressman Jim Jordan and his Committee, Zuckerberg advised the White House had pressured Facebook to “censor” some COVID-19 content during the Pandemic. Trump denies such and threatens to see Zuckerberg is jailed for life.

Zuckerberg also printed his letter on Facebook and X.

Zuckerberg said his then decisions on hindsight would not be made today. Zuckerberg said, “We’re ready to put back if something like this happened again.”

Live and learn. Oh, so many times! In the Civil War, Confederate forces invaded the border state of Kentucky. Kentucky had declared its neutrality in the conflict.

I never knew till this week that Kentucky had declared neutrlity. Makes the Confederates look like shitheads.

At some point, Kentucky declared itself Union. Upset by the Confederate invasion. The state was a battlefield throughout the War. Kentucky remaining equally occupied. Grant himself led several battles in Kentucky during the War.

James Darren has died at 88. An aortic valve heart problem. Mine was operated on. I am not certain how his problem was worked on. My new valve saved my life.

I enjoyed Darren as an artist. An excellent singer. Played Moondoggie in three Gidget films. Played a dramatic acting role in Guns of the Navarone with Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. He was godfather to one of Frank Sinatra’s daughters.

A well liked as well as talented individual.

Ashley one of my physiotherapists. She just returned from a one week trip to Croatia. Great place, she said!

Ashley went with 10 friends. They rented a 70 foot yacht with a captain and mate. Had a ball!

Skipping Buffett today. Very tired. Had a multitude of things to do yesterday besides physio. Additionally, I got my COVID and flu shots yesterday. Knocked me on my ass last night and today so far. First time. I have had every COVID and flu shoot with no problem.

Buffett did everything. Multi-talented. Tomorrow films, television and soundtracks.

I close with my beloved Syracuse. They beat Ohio State in their opening game. Syracuse was favored.

Saturday at noon, they play Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech is a 3 point favorite.

Enjoy your day! I’m shot from the shots! Going to bed!

Labor Day appears to have changed. No longer the same.

Labor Day became a federal holiday to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers.

The holiday became established slowly. Step by step. First, state by state. Oregon was the first state to make it a public holiday in 1887. President Grover Cleveland made it a holiday for “federal employees” in 1894. It took into the late 1930’s for all states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to make Labor Day a statutory holiday.

When I was a youngster in Utica, the Labor Day Parades were exciting. Later, as a young lawyer I participated in the Parades.

The excitement is gone. Labor is successful. Yet other parades celebrating successful efforts continue to be big and supported. The last time I was in Utica was 2008. I don’t know if they still have a Labor Day Parade. I do not think Key West is having one today.

New York City is having a Labor Day Parade. Not on Labor Day, however. Why, I’m not sure. The Parade will march up Fifth Avenue on saturday, September 7.

Good things/happenings should not be taken for granted. If so, they tend to dissipate.

Mary Dobbs. Who is Mary Dobbs? This can be embarrassing. Better I be embarrassed, however.

At 89, I forget some things quickly and easily. It happened yesterday.

I was grocery shopping in Publix. A woman stopped and asked if I was Key West Lou. You have no idea how pleased I am when this occurs. I love the fact that people read my blog. Probably an ego thing. Whatever, it is good for the soul.

We chatted. Her name and therein is my problem. I recalled immediately when she left that her first name was Mary. I “think” her last name was Dobbs. When I realized my forgetfulness had come into play, I scooted around Publix looking for Mary. Could not find her. She must have checked out.

For the moment, I will assume it was Dobbs. If I am incorrect, I ask Mary to write and set me straight. 

Mary explained she had been reading the blog for years. My chest expanded! She and her husband had a home in Key West. They still lived in New Jersey, however. He had one more year to retirement and then they would be spending more time in Key West.

She knew all about my heart attack and teeth problem. A loyal reader!

I was charmed by Mary. Not only that she read the blog, but also because she appeared a nice person. I told her when they were back in Key West next year to contact me so we could get together. I do not enjoy socializing, etc. without teeth.

Mary, again I hope I got your last name correct. If not, please do let me know what it is.

The Jimmy Buffett Parade was yesterday. Packed Parade wise and spectator wise. Reflected the impact Buffett had on Key West and the world.

One of the Parade’s highlights was the singing of “Margaritaville” in front of the Margaritaville Restaurant. The singing was led by Howard Livingston and Buffett songwriting collaborator Will Kimbrough.

More Buffett today! What a terrific weekend!

Buffett and his writings.

Jimmy Buffett was a person of many talents. Including writing.

Three books quickly made it onto The New York Times Best Seller list. Two spent over seven months on the Times fiction list: Talk from Margaritaville and Where Is Joe Merchant? His memoir A Pirate Looks at Fifty, published in 1998, went straight to number 1 on the Times non-fiction list.

He also wrote two children’s books, The Jolly and Trouble Dolls, with his eldest daughter, Savannah.

Buffett’s novel A Salty Piece of Land was released on November 30, 2004. The first edition  of the book included a CD single of the song “A Salty Piece of Land.” The book was a Times best seller soon after its release.

Buffett’s last title Swine Not was released May 13, 2008.

Tomorrow, Buffett’s film and television works.

Yesterday was a terrific sport day!

Syracuse won its first football game of the season in good style yesterday. Beat Ohio State 38-22. 

Next week, Georgia Tech.

Syracuse has a new coach this season. Fran Brown. An excellent start. May his success in leading the team continue.

Syracuse’s offense was excellent. Its defense left something to be desired. Needs work against the run.

Scottie Scheffler won the biggest golf victory dollar wise yesterday. The FedExCup. The victory paid him $25 million.

 Scheffler had a big year otherwise. His total earnings this year $62.3 million. Big bucks!

Two old Keys impactful Keys stories.

The first involves yellow fever.

Yellow fever is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. 

It was rampant for years in Key West. As early as 1829 when Key West had its beginnings. In that year, Pardon Greene, one of the founders of Key West, was lying at the point of death.

The U.S. has not had an outbreak of yellow fever since 1905. Attributable to a vaccine and now in the lower Keys a Mosquito Control Board that protects us. 

There remains two areas in the world that still suffer the ravages of yellow fever big time. Africa and South America.

Enjoy your Labor Day! A cook out with friends would be in order. The best way to spend a holiday.

Th time has arrived. Jimmy Buffett Weekend. A deserved celebration of the man’s life.

Key West cannot do enough to honor him.

Yesterday, Route 1, aka A1A, running from Key West north some 340 miles in Florida was named the “Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway.” There was a time back when Buffett named one of his albums A1A. Ironic the highway will now carry his name forever.

Buffett’s sister Lucy is in Key West for the weekend to celebrate the various activities honoring her brother. She accepted the sign yesterday reflecting the renaming of A1A after her brother.

Today, the next part of Buffett’s history involves Parrotheads.

Parrothead is a commonly used name for Buffett fans. Even their children have a name: Parrotkeets or Keets. Proving the tradition will live on.

Parrotheads meet annually in Key West for a 5 day festival held after Fantasy Fest each year. The event attracts approximately 5,000 Parrotheads.

Tomorrow, Buffett’s writings.

Live and learn.

Why are cans “ribbed?”

Reasons are based in engineering. The ribs allow the can to flex slightly during the heating and canning process. They also add structural stability to the product when it is shipped and stored.

When were cigars invented? Not in Key West, though a major producer of cigars many years ago. Cigars date back to around 2500 B.C., when the Mayans began cultivating tobacco for medicinal purposes.

Sex and crickets. Cricket screaming is a call for a mate. Sex desired. Some smaller crickets, in order to amplify their “scream-screaming,” will chew a pear shaped hole in a leaf and position their body in such a way that the noise they are making is amplified.

Pope Francis says it is not that bad to have sex outside marriage. He said extra marital sex is “not the most serious” sin.

A sin nevertheless. Our Lady of Fatima said to Saint Jacinta in 1919: “More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than any other reason.”

Francis in my opinion was not justifying fornication. He was merely putting out there a hierarchy when it comes to sin. Genocide, murder and such are much worse. Definitely sins, however. Ergo, wrong acts.

Boils down to a sin is a sin!

As a practical matter, I find it hard to believe that Hitler and I will be mates in Hell. His Holocaust far outweighs my few sexual transgressions over the years which I confessed, said my three Hail Marys and was forgiven.

When I was in high school, I worked in a then styled super market six days a week. Five after school and all day saturday. 

I did everything monday through thursday.  Stocked, weighed and marked fruits and vegetables, and sliced cold cuts mostly. Friday nights and all day saturday, I would bag groceries at the check out counter. Brown paper bags of all sizes. The two largest were difficult to carry to a customer’s car when loaded. Heavy! Carts were light and not permitted outside the store.

 Plastic bags did not exist back then. We’re talking 1949-1953. Don’t think plastic was invented yet.

 Guess who invented the paper bag. It was 1868. A woman cotton mill worker, Margaret Knight. She invented a machine to make the bags with a flat square bottom. Paper bags originally looked like large envelopes.

A man named Chares Annan saw her design and tried to patent the idea first. Knight said, No way Jose! Stood her ground. Filed a lawsuit and in 1871 won the patent for her design.

I received a comment yesterday re the attacking of a Colorado apartment by illegal immigrants. I checked it out. The story appeared 3 times on right wing MAGA sites. Made them questionable in my mind. So I did not report on the substance of the comment.

Received another comment later in the day from another reader claiming the “apartment story” was only being reported by the right wing press. The writer viewed it as fake news designed to be a political “Willie Horton” event.

I researched the issue again last night.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis had the matter investigated. The Governor reported the armed gang takeover was ‘imagination.” Police intelligence supported the Governor’s position. Claimed it was a feature of “Danielle Jurinsky’s imagination.”

I can’t figure out who Jurinsky is. The Governor is adamant the whole thing, including the photos, are a phony. The local DA claims the story is true.

I report what I have read. Where is the truth? What is the truth? I’m sue the truth will out in due course. Another 24-48 hours should clearly establish the truth.

Tomorrow’s blog will be interesting. Even, exciting. I plan on presenting my first Jack Barron painting which will be offered for sale.

Enjoy your day!