FRIDAY SATURDAY.

Posted on by

Yesterday was friday. For me, saturday.

From the time I rose, I thought it was saturday. While reading the Wall Street Journal, I noticed it had friday’s date. I could understand. The saturday edition is normally labeled Weekend Edition.

Later, while I was at Tammy’s for a manicure and pedicure, she told me she was working tomorrow. I could not understand. She never works on sunday.

Later in the afternoon, I telephoned Liz to finalize plans for sunday evening. We are attending St. Paul’s Christmas show together. I wanted her know what time I would be picking her up “tomorrow.” She said not tomorrow, sunday.

At that point it dawned on me! Today was friday, not saturday. Wow! What a screw up! Was I losing it?

To add more humor, I was planning on attending Larry’s Smith’s Christmas show saturday night at The Studios of Key West. That would have blown me out! I would have showed up friday night to be confronted by locked doors.

Do I add this to falling down all the time?

So…..Larry Smith tonight at The Studios for Christmas with Larry. 8 pm. I will be there. You should, also. Guaranteed top flight entertainment.

Getting back to Tammy, she told me she was returning to Vietnam in June for three weeks. She and her 6 and 8 year old children. Rick staying home to work the business.

A 32 hour trip.

She is going because she has not been to Vietnam in 12 years. Her children have never met their great grandparents on both sides. Her and Rick’s parents live in the U.S.

Then to the Cuban Coffee Queen for lunch. A couple of weeks since I had been there. No Ruby. Nor the last time. A big young Australian working her job.

I spent my “friday afternoon” reading a book about Cleopatra. What I learned!

Cleopatra was of Greek origin, not Egyptian. She was a direct descendant of Alexander the Great’s right hand man Ptolemy I. Ptolemy I became governor of Egypt.

At some point, Ptolemy I appointed himself Pharaoh. Everything continued Greek. The court spoke Greek.

Ptolemy I wanted to keep the ruling class in the family. Brothers and sisters married. Cousins, also. Had to be a lot of nuts eventually!

Cleopatra was married to her brother Ptolemy XIII before her Julius Caesar marriage.

Cleopatra was not Elizabeth Taylor. Not a beauty at all. Great at sex, however. A seductress. Note Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony.

Since I was not going to see Larry Smith, I took the night off. Stayed home and watched old movies on Turner Classics. It was Myrna Loy night. A 1930s and 1940s star. I did not realize her remarkable talent till I watched her play several different roles last night.

Some followers of this blog reside in Papua, New Guinea. Almost since day one. Like 10 years now.

Papua suffered an 8.0 earthqualke yesterday. A tsunami warning has been issued. I hope God holds Papua in his hands.

Scary.

China can’t wait till Trump takes office to test the U.S. Yesterday, the Chinese stole a U.S. Navy submarine drone from South Sea waters in full view of a U.S. Navy vessel. Election hacking with Russia on the front burner. No peace for Obama in his final days.

Big day travel wise for Key West yesterday. United’s first direct non-stop flight from Newark to Key West. In January, United is going to provide a similar flight from Chicago.

I have been flying to Key West 26 years. I can recall when it was a 3-4 plane trip from Syracuse. Twelve to 14 hours. Assuming no delays. Delays guaranteed during the winter.

On this day in 1903, Orville Wright flew a power driven plane for the first time. Two thousand three was the 100th anniversary of the flight. Wright’s plane was reconstructed. Planned to be flown where Wright had flown 100 years earlier.

The plane did not fly.

Syracuse/Georgetown today at noon. On ESPN. I will be able to watch. Syracuse an 8 point favorite.

Syracuse and Georgetown were bitter enemies starting when the Big East League was formed in 1979. Always great hard fought games!

Big John Thompson Georgetown’s coach. Jim Boeheim Syracuse’s. They disliked each other from day one. Thompson especially hated Boeheim. Hated the correct word.

After Thompson retired and Boeheim was having league problems, the two made up. Actually initiated by Thompson. He came over at a game and hugged Boeheim. Just like that, the animosity of 30 plus years was gone.

Enjoy your day! Yes, I know it is saturday!

LARRY SMITH EXTRAVAGANZA

Posted on by

It is 5 am. I am up early getting today’s blog out. I have a 10:30 appointment.

Tonight, another Larry Smith extravaganza. Christmas with Larry. 8 pm. The Studios of Key West. Larry’s Christmas shows are always the best!

A long night at the Chary Room. David and John.

I got into South Roosevelt Boulevard and the stupidity of the whole thing. David countered with leave the City and its planners alone. Look at Caroline Street.

David rides a bicycle. He does not have a car. I drive a car. He thought the City would do a fine job with South Roosevelt Boulevard, also. Intimating a resolution favoring bicyclists.

I did take a look at Caroline  on the way home. Blocks of Caroline Street no longer have parking spots on one side. To make room for a bicycle path. All marked out. A completed project.

Where home owners and business’s park, I have no idea. Another example of idiocy having impacted the City Commission.

I do not recall reading anything recently re Caroline and a several block long bicycle path.

I did some digging. This bicycle path/Caroline Street issue had its beginnings in 2009. A public hearing. Most opposed. Peter Batty very vocal against. Mayor Cates and Commissioner Jimmy Weekly in support.

Mark Redding at the Chart Room. Met him for the first time. He is a designer and archaeologist. Been in Key West six months. Presently preparing a design plan for a portion of Mangoes.

Mark was involved a few years ago with the Richard Cornell Cemetery. I suspect in New York City. Richard Cornell the brother of the founder of Cornell University.

Mark has done work for the New York Landlord Preservation Committee and has been financed by its Foundation.

Mark told me he is talking with Guy deBoer about possibly doing some work for KONK Life. Mark is an investigative reporter, also. He is interested in writing a series on the Bahama Village drug problem.

I have dragon flies. Hundreds in my kitchen two nights ago when I returned home. Attracted from the outside by the kitchen lights which I leave on when out in the evening.

Got Orkin in. The dragon flies are living in my pool. Fortunately, neither I nor anyone else have used the pool in ages.

The solution a big time shot of chlorine. Being done today.

Googled dragon flies. Good for humans! Harmless as regards humans. The enemy big time of mosquitoes.

A brief note re artificial intelligence. Uber continues to be a step ahead in what it does. Driverless cars are being tested at the moment in San Francisco.

Aleppo. Sad. A shame.

Obama is criticized because he will not get the U.S. involved in the Syrian quagmire. Many countries involved. Some changing sides occasionally. Deaths in the hundreds of thousands.

I commend Obama. He knew it would be a long battle with little being resolved. Why get our boys and girls involved? Thousands of our military would already be dead had Obama not remained adamant.

Syria is worse than Vietnam ever was. And the people of the U.S. were almost unanimously against the war.

Give credit where credit due. I support Obama’s decision.

Enjoy your day!

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF ITALY

Posted on by

A double header last night. Joined the Sons and Daughters of Italy and attended their Christmas Party.

Actually, I rejoined the Sons of Italy. I was a member of the organization years ago in Utica when the name did not contain Daughters.

The ladies have come a long way.

Back in the 1970s, there was a cigarette called Virginia Slims. I don’t know if it is still available. Virginia Slims came up with a bull’s eye advertising slogan. Ladies…..You’ve come a long way! True today. In every area.

The Christmas party was at La Trattoria. Great food. Great people celebrating the holiday. The Sons and Daughters a party group!

Georgio sponsored me. A personality. I sat with Georgio and his wife Sharon, Karon and Stan, Donna and Bob, and Jerry. The wine flowed.

In order to become a member of the Key West chapter of the Sons of Italy, the remotest connection to an Italian background suffices. I think even if your best friend is.

The President a Michael Kelly.

Kate Miano in attendance. As usual, a knockout. Her hair last night red. A subdued red. Perfect for Kate! She looked terrific!

Santa Claus was at the party. He is a member. A natural beard. He suggested Robert and Ally must have discovered the truth about Santa. He did not get a call to make his usual Christmas Eve visit to Lisa’s.

Santa Claus is Mac McCauskand. It was obvious he is a well liked person.

A big night for Mac. He was inducted into the Conch Republic Navy. An Admiral swore him in. We all participated, even to the left handed salute.

I assumed Mac would go in as a lieutenant at the very least. Not so. Something along the order of chief dishwasher.

Many at our table Rotary members. None had read my 27 installments re the history of the Key West Rotary. Which means they don’t read my blog. For shame.

Interestingly, I heard from no Rotarian re the history. Guess Rotarians generally don’t read the blog either.

I had a good time. Thank you Georgio and Jerry for asking me to join.

Enjoy your day!

 

TWEAK NOTHING

Posted on by

Redoing South Roosevelt Boulevard on the stove top. Things heating up.

The Florida Department of Transportation wants to redo the Boulevard. One item, reducing from 4 lanes to 2. Ridiculous!

I fear the City Commission might support the move.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

A public meeting was held last night at Sheraton Suites. Called a Workshop. To hear from the citizens what they thought. Standing room only. Except for state and some local officials, most attending were opposed to doing anything. Bullshit was up front. The state and local officials saying the intent was to merely tweak the Boulevard.

The attempt is based on a 1999 study. Updated 2014 to pay more attention to bicycle riders.

The age of the study bugs me. Seventeen years to get to this the last step. A very unpopular one. An attempt to foist an unneeded plan upon us.

Another idiotic consideration is that a center turn lane is required. No one is going to turn towards the ocean side. Nothing there but sand and water. The other side does not have enough construction to warrant a center lane. The entire Boulevard does not have sufficient traffic to require one.

My fear is that eventually the 4-2 lanes thing is going to become a fait accompli. Nothing like a public servant with allocated monies to see that the dollars are spent. Regardless of need.

Did my podcast show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Enjoyed doing it. Russian hacking and robots/artificial intelligence two items discussed.

Rex Tillerson is Trump’s designee to be Secretary of State. I got into him a bit. Not as to his qualifications. As to his hypocrisy. Texas hypocrisy.

Tillerson is CEO of ExxonMobile. World’s biggest oil and gas company. Fifteenth richest corporation in the world.

Fracking produces gas. ExxonMobile is the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. Tillerson obviously a major supporter of fracking.

Tillerson and wife live in Bartonville, Texas. On an 83 acre horse farm worth $5 million.

Tillerson is opposed to anything having to do with fracking near his home.

A fracking company wanted to erect a 160 foot water tower near the properties of Tillerson and his affluent neighbors. Tillerson and his wife joined in bringing a lawsuit to stop construction of the water tower around February 2014. Prior thereto, Tillerson appeared at a public hearing and said the water tower would ruin the view from his outdoor patio.

When the media picked up that Tillerson and his wife were involved in an anti-fracking lawsuit, the news spread. Two months later in April 2014, Tillerson and his wife withdrew from the lawsuit.

Tillerson’s position interesting. Fracking ok anywhere, except near his home.

Self-serving and hypocritical.

Lighted Boat Parade tonight. Finally. High winds cancelled the parade saturday night.

Christmas and Larry Smith go hand in hand. Every Yuletide Season, Larry does a Christmas show. This year saturday night at The Studios of Key West. 8pm. Called Christmas with Larry. A jazz Christmas show.

I have not missed one of Larry’s Christmas shows for I don’t recall how many years. That long. I will be there. You should. The show is worth seeing.

Today, a sad one in the history of the United States.  Several years ago, 20 first graders and 6 school employees were shot to death by a gun wielding nut at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut.

If anything should have changed attitudes re gun control, the 20 little ones killed should have. For shame! It did not and has not.

We are a screwed up country.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

ROBERT FROST’S TIME IN KEY WEST

Posted on by

The Today In Keys History section of the Key West Citizen carried a brief comment re Robert Frost. To the effect that it had been announced on this date in 1934 that Robert Frost would spend the winter in Key West. His first visit.

Inquisitiveness tickled my fancy. Where did he stay? What did he do? Etc. Did a bit of research.

The winter of 1934 may have been Frost’s first visit, it was not his last. He returned in 1945. Spent every winter in Key West through 1960.

Jessie Porter’s home was a haven for writers. Daily visits. Sitting around and talking. Frost included.

Porter’s home was at 410 Caroline St. A garden cottage was located on the property. Frost leased the cottage during his 1945-1960 stays.

Porter’s home today is known as The Heritage House. It is listed as a National Literary Landmark.

Away from the Porter premises, Frost’s favorite place to hang out was the Casa Marina.

Spent yesterday afternoon preparing for tonight’s podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics off the wall! All kinds of interesting things happening. I will open with the alleged Russian hacking of the Democrats and the opposing views of the CIA and FBI.

Followed by Chinese factories making our Xmas toys under deplorable working conditions, pharmacy executives arrested for bribing doctors to recommend their pain killing drug, a black man arrested for DUI strapped into a chair and beaten by a police officer causing the black man to lose sight in one eye, Venezuela eliminating half its paper money, and more.

Aqua first last night. Liz and Mary there. Sat with them. Jean Thornton on the other side of the bar. Tom Luna, Rick and Traci entertaining.

Alex tapped me on the shoulder to say hello. His wife standing outside. Alex was playing across the street. I will have to stop in next week to hear him blow his horn.

Liz and Mary left for dinner at Antonia’s. I headed for Bourbon Street.

Berlin’s Bria sings monday and tuesday evenings at Bourbon Street. Went especially to hear her. As usual, outstanding.

Sitting at the bar next to me were Jen and Paul. Jen vacationing from Fargo, North Dakota. Paul a December snowbird for years.

Jen and I had an interesting conversation re Standing Rock. She lives where it all happened. I expected her to be sympathetic to the Sioux cause. She was not. She felt the Native Americans were making a lot out of nothing.

Interesting.

While the Polar Vortex is reaping havoc on the northwest, Key West weather has never been better. Mid 80s yesterday. Never hot. No humidity. Comfortable.

The Polar Vortex is expected to be felt over the keys early next week. Very cold weather. Significant drop in temperature.

The war between the community and the Lower Keys Medical Center continues. An attorney hired by the community group reported that the hospital board had no authority to act and that the legal paperwork involved years ago was binding.

The battle will continue. I don’t understand why the community group does not take a direct assault on the company operating the hospital for insufficient care, over billing, etc.

Last but not least. My new streaming show will not debut thursday as planned. The best laid plans of mice and men…..

Only one problem. Described yesterday. It will not be resolved by thursday.

Enjoy your day!

 

DOING NOTHING

Posted on by

Doing nothing. A specialty in itself. Great when it happens. Yesterday was a do nothing day for me. Not intended. It just worked out that way.

Spent my sunday reading the papers, watching TV and napping. Did a little work on the streaming show I am trying to get going. Problem is separating the new show from other things I have done. Louis Petrone and Key West Lou bunches everything together on You Tube. Even the TV show that I stopped doing five years ago.

I did go out last night. My MTV house neighbor Andrew is in for a few days. He was here last a month ago. Returns wednesday to his Switzerland home. Two days later, he and the family leave for three days in Bangkok and a month in Australia. Vacation time.

An  interesting life!

We ate at the Cafe. Andrew likes veggie food.

Dee was there. With visiting cousins. We were supposed to have dinner together saturday night. She cancelled out because of her cousins’ surprise visit.

Dee returned friday from Boston. Spent a week consulting with her cancer doctors. She went through two bad years of operations and treatments.

She received good news. Nothing adverse to report. She is on top of the world. Understandably so. Her cancer was a 4. Success rare.

We are down to one problem with kicking off the new show. You Tube is commingling everything with Louis Petrone and Key West Lou. Even the TV show I stopped doing five years ago. I want to have the new show appear alone.

Sloan and I have been at it since 7 this morning.

The Arctic storm came and went. Fast. One cold night. Key West style. Then back to warmth. Yesterday, the high was 84.

Airline prices continue to be too high! Expensive to fly. The airlines fail to notice that gas prices have been down quite a while.

United announced yesterday that beginning with 2017, it will offer what ts calls “basic economy.” Prices lower than regular. In order to compete head to head with discount airlines.

Enjoy your day!

LOUIS PETRONE SAYS….ON THE WAY

Posted on by

The streaming show I have been working on is scheduled to debut this Thursday December 15. On You Tube. Short hits on different topics several times a day. One hit per segment. Subject matter whatever tickles my fancy at the moment.

The show will archive.

Title, Louis Petrone Says….Could not use Key West as my Tuesday podcast show has in its title Key West Lou. The show is archived on You Tube. Confusion would result. Both shows would be archiving together in a combined fashion.

I hope we are ready by Thursday. I am working towards a Thursday opening. Sloan and I worked on the show yesterday afternoon. We have been working on it. So much to pay attention to.

First stop last night was Tavern ‘n Town. Liz at the bar with lady friends. Glad to see her.

No room. Not a seat available at the bar. Gave Liz a peck on the cheek and left.

Headed for Berlin’s. At 6:30, the bar is generally empty. It was. Not for long, however.

I felt arms around my shoulders. It was Jean Thornton. Alone, also. My dinner companion for the evening. A while since we have been together.

The lovely Bria arrived. With an equally lovely lady. Her mother, Barb. Visiting from New Hampshire. Jean and I chatted with her a while.

Two fellows sat to the right of me. They noticed I was making notes. Asked why. Started a conversation.

Loren and Matthew. Key Westers. Loren a graphic designer. Matthew involved with entertainment. Does the bookings for Sloppy Joe’s. Also, a music composer. His music company M. G. Bell.

They took their drinks back to listen to Bria. Invited me for a drink. I said I would stop by. Jean and I were waiting for our dinners.

By the time I was free to join them, they had left.

Enjoyed a 2 pound Maine lobster again last night.

Weather screwy this morning. Earlier, there was a fog over the ocean. Then a bit of sunlight. Now gray and raining. The water moving fast.

Marathon also rescheduled to Wednesday evening their Lighted Boat Parade scheduled for last night.

Pythons a growing problem in the Florida keys. Literally. I wrote a lengthy column on the python problem three years ago in KONK Life. One of the points stressed was that pythons could not be eradicated. Hopefully, managed.

The number astronomical. Pythons enjoy sex. The python population grows significantly each year.

The fear in the lower keys was that the pythons would reach here. Not yet in significant numbers. My recollection is only three. One lying on the side of a runway at the Key West Airport.

A new study has come out re the python problem. It reported a June 3, 2013 incident.

A 15.6 foot female python was captured. Euthanized. Autopsy discovered the python had gulped down three white tailed deer. One doe and two fawns. Referred to by the scientists as a gustatory feat. Three deer in the gut of one python.

On this day in 1898, a ceremony was held dedicating a large plot area for burial of U.S. sailors killed when the Battleship Maine was sunk. Ten thousand were present for the ceremony. An impressive figure.

Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. An Axis agreement existed between Japan and Germany. Such did not mean the U.S. was automatically at war with Germany. Such would only have occurred had the U.S. attacked Japan.

Hitler had been unhappy with the U.S. A U.S. vessel had attacked a German submarine. The U.S. was engaged in Lend Lease with England. Hitler was aware American emotions were with the English. Roosevelt had been speaking ill of Nazi ideology.

Hitler wanted war with the United States.

On this day in 1941, Hitler addressed the Reichstag. He had declared war on the United States.

He felt it necessary to defend the declaration. He wanted the support of the Reichstag.

Hitler blamed the U.S.’s anti-Nazism on the New Deal. Claimed it was the real cause of the war. The New Deal had failed.  The fault of Roosevelt, his plutocratic friends and the Jews. Roosevelt’s less than actual war actions were to cover up the collapse of his economic agenda.

Hitler said, ” First he incites war, then falsifies the causes, then obviously wraps himself in a cloak of Christian hypocrisy and slowly but surely leads mankind to war.”

The Reichstag leaped to their feet in thunderous applause.

The format sound familiar?

Syracuse looked good yesterday. Beat Boston University 99-77. Syracuse’s offense outstanding. About time! Hope it keeps up.

My neighbor Andrew who owns the MTV house just called. He has returned briefly from his home in Sweden. We are having dinner together tonight.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

 

WEATHER DICTATES

Posted on by

The Arctic cold hit Key West last night. Not bad. High 60s.

I live on open water. My bedroom faces the northeast. I sometime think the cold air comes into the bedroom. Right through the poured concrete walls.

Felt like it again last night. I turned the heat on.

This morning, the northeast wind strong. White caps. Palm trees bending.

The Lighted Boat Parade scheduled for tonight has been cancelled. Reason, high winds. Rescheduled for wednesday evening.

I dined with Donna and Terri last night. Always fun. Terri in great spirits in spite of having had chemo in the afternoon. Terri thinning down. From a 12 to an 8. Had to buy new clothes.

My lesbian wives are the best! Our conversations cover everything. Never a dull moment when I am with them.

Syracuse plays Boston University at noon. When your team is having a bad time, television ignores your school. Third game in a row Syracuse will not be available for Key West viewing.

Ever hear of Amsterdam, New York? Forty miles from Utica. I used to travel through the town on my way to court appearances and the Saratoga races. There is a main thoroughfare named Kirk Douglas Boulevard or some other road designation.

Why? The movie great Kirk Douglas was born in Amsterdam.

Yesterday was Douglas’ 100th birthday. God bless him!

Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch. Born of immigrant parents.

He tells the story that in his early years, he was always escaping his Judaism. Then in mid life he was involved in a helicopter crash. Two dead, others injured. He began looking at his religion again. Today, a devout Jew. He performed his Bar Mitzvah again several years ago.

For whatever reason, I am having a mellow morning. That accounts for the Kirk Douglas story. There are two more I wish to share. Helen Reddy and I Am Woman, The Charge of the Light Brigade.

I Am Woman. A song of female identity. Part of Helen Reddy’s 1971 album I Don’t Know How To Love Him. Reintroduced as a single in 1972. A #1 hit in short time.

Reddy wrote the lyrics. Reddy, both performer and songwriter.

Moving lyrics from I Am Woman…..

I am woman, hear me roar

No one’s ever gonna keep me down again

I am strong

I am invincible

I am woman.

The Charge of the Light Brigade was published in 1854 by Alfred Lord Tennyson. England’s Poet Laureate at the time. The poem recounts the Crimean War’s  Battle of Balaclava. The poem written to honor Britain’s Light Brigade.

Poetic lines of significance follow…..

Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred

Theirs’ not to reason why, theirs’ but to do and die

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Into the mouth of Hell rode the six hundred

When can their glory fade?

O the charge they made!

Great poetry! Exciting words! Tennyson wrote the poem a few minutes after reading an account of the battle in the British daily The Times. It took him only a few minutes more to write the poem.

Enjoy your day!

LAST SNOWFALL IN FLORIDA KEYS

Posted on by

Last snowfall in Florida Keys? There has never been one. A real one. A year or two ago, Howard Livingston had many pounds of ice ground up and sprayed on his Summerland property. Snow everywhere. Deep snow.

Lynda Frechette is responsible for my snow reference this morning. Her weekly blog had attached a page from an old ConchTV.com issue. A comment from the page…..There has never been a recorded snowfall in the Florida island chain  since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1870.

If we ever get snow, there should be no question in anyone’s mind that global warming exists.

The Arctic storm beginning to hit the northeast will be in the Florida Keys tonight. Temperature in the high 60s. Then normal 80s by day weather for about ten days. At that time, the Polar Vortex will hit causing some cold in the Florida Keys.

Haircut with Lori yesterday morning. She has a new shop on Whitehead. New building across from Fausto’s. Lovely! Modern in appearance. Spacious.

Then to Publix to pick up a few things.

Pineapples for sale. I took one and drove the cart around the store with the pineapple sitting upside down. No one approached me, male or female.

I did not buy the pineapple. Returned it to its fruit counter spot before checking out.

Dinner alone last night. Just me and the newspapers. The bar at Conch Republic. Enjoyed stone crabs. Knew no one. All tourists. Bar half full.

John Glenn passed away yesterday. At age 95. An American hero. No question.

Flew 149 combat missions in World War II and the Korean War. The first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. 1992. Later, a United States Senator. He was the last of the original Mercury 7 Astronauts living.

The most telling feature…..He and his wife were married 70 years at the time of his death.

Tonight, I eat exceptionally well. Donna is cooking. I am having dinner with Donna and Terri.

Enjoy your day!

VERY SATISFYING EVENING

Posted on by

Last night, pleasant and satisfying. A night with Liz.

Began with drinks at her home. Then to Bruschetta for dinner. Followed by a return to Liz’s home for home made Christmas cookies while seated on Liz’s Christmas decorated front porch.

Company and cookies excellent! Bruschetta good!

Bruschetta is a new Italian restaurant in downtown Key West. At 112 Fitzpatrick Street. Decor comforting.

Marco is part owner and operator. From Italy. A warm personality.

The food! Real Italian. A step up. Portions large. We left with doggy bags.

I enjoyed a linguine dish. Liz, a veal one.

Marco is giving a locals’ discount. Ten percent. Not enough. Should be at least 15 percent, if not 20. He apparently does not understand you can’t make it in Key West with out local business. The summers are long. His problem may be he does not realize the generous discounts being given by other restaurants.

The Key West Citizen makes two contributions to today’s blog.

Today In Key West History mentions that the movie Caribe Gold was being filmed in Key West in 1955. Ethel Waters, Coley Wallace and Cicely Tyson starring.

Lisa has a large colored print announcing the movie. Magnificent. It hangs in her living room. The print rare today.

The Citizens’ Voice carries an interesting comment. I repeat it in its entirety.

“No one felt sorry for the public phones when cellphones came around, no one felt sorry for letters when e-mails came around, no one felt sorry for Blockbuster when Netflix came around. Why feel sorry for the taxis because Uber came around?”

Homeless Memorial Day is December 16. Seventy six homeless persons died thus far this year in Monroe County. Their remains will be interred at a prayer service that day at Key West Cemetery. A recognition that everyone should be remembered.

Three years ago, I wrote a KONK Life COMMENTARY Column about Jeanette Rankin.

Rankin was a pacifist. Elected to Congress for the first time when World War I broke out. She voted against entering the war. She was defeated in the next election.

She ran again for Congress in 1940. Won. Pearl Harbor occurred. Rankin was the sole vote on December 8 opposed to declaring war on Japan.

Visitors abounded in the House that day. She was chased from the Chamber to a telephone booth. The police had to extract her and guide her out of the building to safety.

She did not run for re-election after casting her negative vote. The handwriting was on the wall.

Rankin commented as she cast her vote: “As a woman, I can’t go to war and I refuse to send anyone else.”

The House has a year end spending bill. It will be voted on thursday by the House. On friday by the Senate.

Some oddities in the bill.

New York City has increased responsibility guarding Trump and his family. The City asked for $35 million to assist with the protection. The House bill only appropriates $7 million.

Flint still waits for significant financial assistance to assist with regard to its lead contaminated water problem. Politicians are all talk with little help.

The House bill provides for $170 million to communities struck by contamination water problems. Note, not Flint alone. Communities.

The $170 million is also contingent on the passage of a separate water bill authorizing the funds.

Good luck! It will be a long time if at all before Flint receives proper help from the federal government. No one seems to care. The feds see it as a state problem. The state sees it as a federal problem. In the meantime, Flint water remains contaminated.

A newscaster this morning made mention that the Trump cabinet is the most conservative since Herbert Hoover. I hope Trump does better than Hoover did!

Syracuse/BU saturday at noon.

Enjoy your day!