AMERICAN PHAROAH

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Yesterday was a special day! D-Day and the Belmont.

People everywhere were thrilled with American Pharoah’s victory. I watched the race at Tavern ‘n Town. You could sense everyone was pulling for American Pharoah. There was a roar when he won.

Keith and I were at Tavern ‘n Town to watch the race and have dinner. We were seated at the bar with a large TV screen nearby. Mary Ann Westerlund appeared. I rarely see her and husband Roger these days. It was a hug and kiss. Kind words exchanged. We watched the race together.

Seated next to me for the race only was a gent from Big Pine. I did not catch his name. He had just returned from a one month trip to Russia.

Some ladies from Roostica were at a nearby table. A former waitress, Michelle and another lady. We talked a bit. It was good to seem them. The former waitress was my exclusive waitress for at least a year. A good waitress and good company.

I wrote this week’s KONK Life column yesterday. Got it out a day early. Don’t know where the energy came from.

The title is Portugal The Blueprint.

Portugal legalized drugs in 2001. All drugs. Even the real bad stuff like cocaine and heroin. Fourteen years later, the results are amazing. Drug problems significantly down in every area. Jails closing because there are not enough criminals to occupy them.

You will find the article interesting. Perhaps something the U.S. should consider. Read the column before you criticize my comment.

Sloan was with me later in the afternoon. My Skype was screwed up. No one could see or hear me. Took an hour to correct.

There is a little old lady who it seems has always worked at Publix. As a bagger. I am not offending her by the old description. She lives alone. Has taken care of herself the past 20 years. She immigrated from Poland 20 years ago.

We became friends over the years. Even though her English was poor and my Polish non existent.

Her name Helena. She retired from Publix recently. She earned a Publix pension. She is also eligible for Social Security. She has to wait two months for her first check. Then she is returning to Poland to spend the rest of her years. She has family there.

You may wonder why Helena came to the U.S. in the first place. Twenty years ago, she entered a Polish lottery. The winner would get a U.S. green card. she won.

God bless, Helena! I wish you well!

Anna is still visiting the Milan World’s Fair every day. Yesterday, the U.S. pavilion. She said the U.S. had one of the best looking pavilions from the outside. However, she thought the inside left something to be desired. Amusingly, she reported the pavilion contained a small Walgreens.

I wrote yesterday was of particular significance. The Belmont and D-Day. There was a third item I forgot. To wish Anne Larsen a happy birthday. Yesterday was her birthday.

Anne is an old friend from Ithaca, NY. We have been friends more than 25 years. We met face to face only once. However, she reads my blog daily, my KONK Life columns and listens to my blog talk radio show.

She has become one of those who is quick to criticize if I misspell, use poor grammar, am factually incorrect, etc. She has become my conscience! Sometimes her comments are overbearing. However, I know her heart is in the right place.

Happy birthday one day late, Anne!

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

 

WORLD’S FAIR 2015

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The World’s Fair this year is in Milan, Italy. My friend Anna has already visited four days. She is planning on attending again today.

Anna lives in Novara. A half hour train ride to Milan. Makes it easy for her.

She is taken with the World’s Fair. Sends pics every day. She especially enjoys the Asian pavilions. She commented very favorably re a Korean meal she had the other day. Yesterday, she watched a Chinese couple marry at the China Pavilion. Full wedding party and all.

The World’s Fair runs to October. Hopefully, I will get to see it.

I have been fortunate to visit two World’s Fairs.

The first had a big impact on me. It was 1939. I was four years old. My father took me to the New York World’s Fair. We stayed with relatives in the Bronx. Took subways and a bus to the exhibit.

To this day, I occasionally recall what I saw. Parts, not all. It was the modern world as it existed in 1939 with glances into the future. It was a good thing my father did for me that day.

By the time of the New York World’s Fair in 1964, I was much older. An adult. Twenty nine years old. I was in New York on business for a couple of days. An afternoon session broke early. I hurried to the World’s Fair. This time not by subway and bus. I was into private limousines.

I repeatedly make the observation that Key West is an adult playground. I refer not to sex activities. Rather to games. We move here and become children again.

Don is sponsoring a bean bag tournament at Don’s Place this afternoon. Only adults participating. I will not be one. Bean bag throwing is not one of the activities I have come to enjoy in Key West. However, I plan on watching.

Some politicians are consistent in what I consider their off the wall thoughts as to how government is to be run. I refer to Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott. A corporate success before becoming governor. He made millions with urgent care centers all over the State.

His present gambit is to take money away from public hospitals and funnel the money to for profit ones. A leopard does not change its spots. Once a corporate hound, always a corporate hound.

Sad news yesterday. Michael Shields is a leading Key West figure. Active in the arts, broadcasting and writing. A genuine liberal at heart.

It was reported yesterday that Michael’s son Jason had died. I became aware when reading a heart wrenching comment by Michael on Facebook. My deepest condolences to Michael and his companion Carol. A parent should never bury a child.

George Pataki threw his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination for President. He was one of my New York governors for three terms.

I was impressed by Pataki’s first victory. Over the very popular Mario Cuomo. Cuomo had been governor for three terms. I had met him several times over the years. An impressive figure. Eloquent.

I sensed he might lose against Pataki. I heard Cuomo speak at a Utica rally. He had been in office too long. I could tell he did not have a handle on the people’s problems any longer.

Pataki came out of nowhere. He was a State Senator from Peekskill. Not the biggest of towns. He was supported by then U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato. D’Amato and I had gone to law school together. I was a senior when he a freshman. He could always be found in the lounge playing cards.

D’Amato’s support was significant. I felt it might be. D’Amato knew how to dethrone giants. He had beaten Jacob Javits in the Republican primary.

There is a hullaballoo over monies paid to Hillary Clinton to speak at Arizona State University. $500,000. At a time when the University is broke and crying wolf. People want to know where the money came from to pay her.

Hillary and money are going to be a problem. She has tremendous corporate support. There is now an issue as to whether many of the dollars flow personally to the Clintons via the WJG, LLC corporation Bill formed.

Hillary is beginning to screw up. I watched her on TV re the Asian trade pact yesterday. She bumbled the question re her support for the pact. Did not know where she stood till she had a chance to read the whole thing. Something no one has been permitted to do.

She is going to have a hard time re the Asian pact. Corporate America wants it. However, the pact works to the detriment of America’s working people.

Sorry to be so long winded today. I must be better.

Enjoy your day!

IT’S A DOG’S WORLD

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I was doing a bit of shopping yesterday at Publix. There was a big woman in the aisle with me. She had two tiny dogs on leashes. Both wearing red vests. We moved into the next aisle. I paid no particular attention to her or her dogs. All of a sudden, the loudspeaker said there was a small dog wearing a red vest at the check out counter. The woman went flying by me yelling in a panic…..I am coming darling!

This was not the first time I had seen a dog in Publix. Many times. All sizes.

Key West is dog friendly. Very. Our four legged friends are welcome in many bars, restaurants and stores. First State Bank keeps dog biscuits on the counter. Dogs even have their own beach. Properly called Dog Beach. It sits next door to Louie’s Back Yard. Used daily by dogs for sun and bathing.

My yesterday began with a manicure and pedicure with Tammy. Crowded. All women and me.

Last night the bar at Hogfish. Chatted with various fishermen. The real kind. They have been working the shrimp boats and other type vessels for many years. Some as much as 25. Most are bearded. Some missing a tooth or two. Their faces tanned and haggard. Good company!

The morning news tells us of the man who attacked a TSA agent in the security area yesterday at the New Orleans Airport. He was waving a machete and sprayed one agent’s face with wasp killer. He was shot. Three times. Lived. Now in the hospital.

Frankie and Sandy were in the New Orleans Airport yesterday. They own and operate Frankie the Plumber. Frankie is my former bocce partner. Their plans were to spend a couple of days in New Orleans and then enjoy a two week Caribbean cruise.

If Frankie and Sandy were there at the time of the incident, they should have been ok. They would have been downstairs waiting for their bags and not upstairs where the attack occurred.

Some 30 years ago, I was in Italy for a month with my wife, children and parents. When leaving, we checked our bags and had our tickets reviewed at a particular counter. The next day, several terrorists shot up the same counter we were at the day before, plus two others.

You never know.

The following episode bears out that remark.

My friend Anna from Novara telephoned yesterday to tell me about the Tunisia ISIS attack at a museum in Tunis. Twenty tree killed. Four were Italians. One of the Italians lived near her, though she did not know him personally.

She told me however that my friends Germana and Mini knew the man and his wife. Germana and Mini are the couple that own what may be the biggest rice fields in northern Italy, a golf course, and live in a castle. I mentioned them when I visited Novara.

The dead man was Francisco Caldara. Sixty four. He was with his wife Sonia Reddi who was wounded. They were on a cruise. Tunis was a stopping place so they could visit the museum which apparently is world famous.

Anna told me that later in the day, the ISIS terrorists Twittered the world that they are on an Italian crusade and would soon arrive in Italy.

Our world gets smaller and smaller.

Enjoy your day!