RANK HYPOCRISY

Republicans are going crazy over Biden’s Executive Order re student loans. Vanity Fair’s Bess Levin squarely nails their hypocrisy.

Levin’s 8/24 article is titled: The GOP Throws A Hysterical Shit Fit Over Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Targeted At Middle Class. Her opening line says it all: “Yes, the same Republicans who’ve never met a billionaire or corporate entity whose taxes they didn’t want to cut.”

I was out and about a bit yesterday. Foot on the mend. Right ankle less than a soft ball now. Still a ways to go.

At noon, a haircut with Lori. She has been cutting my hair for more than a quarter century. Began when she was a young lady working at the Casa Marina. Now owns her own shop Blown Away on White Street across from Fausto’s.

She mentioned Sally Barnett had died. Like I knew Sally. The name did not ring a bell.

Sally apparently had read about Lori in this blog. Years ago. She became Lori’s customer mentioning that she had heard of Lori in the blog. Sadly, Sally and I never met.

It is amazing how many people became customers of places I mentioned. The Chart Room being another. Many I met. Some became good friends. Sorry I missed Sally. May she rest in peace.

Went out for dinner last night. The new Sally O’Brien’s on Flagler. First time for me.

An Irish restaurant. Same as its Irish predecessor. Cleaned up inside. A total white paint job. Outside the same. The crowd inside the same. Working class locals. Menu the same, though shorter. Corned beef and Irish breakfast basics.

I ordered liver and onions. That is why I went last night. I had a craving. My mother use to occasionally cook liver and onions. I developed a taste for it.

The meal absolutely delicious! Everything I expected. The liver juicy and tasty. For those who enjoy liver occasionally, order it. For those who dislike, go for the corned beef and cabbage.

The more I read Steve Thompson’s writings, the more I realize the Key West I missed. The ’70’s were the real Key West. Its memory continues to attract people to our island.

Steve wrote about Vaughan. Never met him and probably never will. I share Vaughan’s story with you.

As Steve began, Vaughan Cochran was one of the first people he met. And probably the most talented. Helped open the Lantern Inn on Stock Island in ’73. He was an artist, a musician, and made first class pottery.

They had the best music at Lantern by far. From Jimmy Buffett to Gove on guitar. They were open till four every night. Everyone was there, what a sight.

Vaughan played the banjo, washboard and the ukulele at the Chart Room. Met Jerry Jeff Walker and Jimmy there in ’72. Fingers Taylor and Vaughan were the original Coral Reefers band. I sure wish I was at the Chart Room when those guys jammed.

I started to think there was nothing this guy couldn’t do. He and Don Beebe built my back steps too.

Vaughan was a master fly fisherman and guide in the Keys. He opened fishing stores in Mexico, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, and Belize. Vaughan excelled in more professions than anyone I’ve ever seen. He now owns “Blackfly,” one of the best restaurants in St. Augustine.

An exciting day ahead. The release of the redacted affidavit in the Mar-a-Lago search. I am anxious to read it. Will it provide substance or merely in its redacted form be of little present value?

Enjoy your day!

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