BEARD or NO BEARD

Without question, I am well! God bless!

Felt ok yesterday. Thought about going out. Decided to remain in and try eating normally first. Toast with preserves for lunch. Dinner, a Thanksgiving meal. Several had sent Thanksgiving dinners.

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and pumpkin pie. Easy. Did not over indulge.

Handled it all without a problem.

Watched Syracuse/Boston College in the afternoon. Syracuse won 42-21. Season over. Syracuse’s record 9-3. The best in 18 years. The best team we have had in 18 years. Finally! We are thankful Lord. Next week bowl bids will be announced.

The issue to be decided today is beard or no beard. I have gone a week without shaving. The start of a beard obvious. Messy, however. I look like a bum. Another week and it will look ok.

What to do? Not sure yet.

Wore a beard for 2 years several years ago. Enjoyed it. No shaving. A light trim once a week. Thought it went well with a bald head.

Problem is I am not sure my vanity will permit me to go the next week to get to the ok zone.

I plan on a normal Sunday out and about. The Chart Room, Blue Macaw, Rum Bar, and Sandy’s Cafe. Publix, too. Little food I had had to be dumped.

No Name Pub. A dining establishment of renown in the lower Keys. Pizza, chili, burgers, fries, etc.

I have not been there in a year. It’s a once or twice a year place. Sits in the deep woods outside Big Pine. On No Name Key. That is how it got its name.

People go for 2 reasons. The adventure in finding the place and the food. You can get lost. Proof of the pudding is a sign outside: You Found It!

The place is funky as is the food. An old beat up 2 story home. Tradition is to nail dollar bills to the walls and ceilings with your name and the date signed on them. Then try to locate the next time you are there. Impossible. There’s another $10-20 stapled over your bill!

Irma did minimal damage.

No Name Pub was a whore house back in the late 1930’s into the early 1940’s. Most famous old houses in the Keys were at some time in days long gone by.

Quotes turn me on. Words of wisdom generally from one smarter than I. Came across a Ernest Hemingway one yesterday: “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.”

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were required reading in my third year American literature college class. Tom Sawyer written first. Huck a character in it. Then Huckleberry Finn with Huck in the starring role.

The quote brought to mind Huck, Tom, Jim, and Pap Finn.

Wow! One of the great writers of all time acknowledging  a predecessor as perhaps even a greater writer.

Came across a Biblical quote yesterday also. Referring to women who cheat. Violate their marital vows. Before you get all discombobulated, I appreciate men do also.

The quote hit a sensitive cord. Reminded me of divorces involving persons close to me or who I randomly knew where the lady strayed. Proverbs 14:1 “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.”

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson played a match against each other a couple of days ago. The prize $9 million. Winner takes all!

Mickelson won on the 22nd hole.

A big prize! Turner Broadcasting the sponsor. The match on TV. Pay for view. $19.95. The reason why so much can be paid to the winner of such a sporting event.

A glitch occurred.A Bleacher Report Line ran it free. Everyone is being reimbursed their $19.95.

Lineage difficult and costly to trace. Someone did. The result amazing.

It was 1620. John Howland was on the Mayflower traveling to the new world. He was to serve a period of time as an indentured servant upon arrival.

The Mayflower carried 132, including crew.

A furious storm arose. Caused the Mayflower to lay heave. A rogue wave rode over the vessel. Howland was caught by it. He grabbed a line as he was thrown overboard. He was carried beneath the waves. Fortunately, the crew was able to pull him back in.

Extremely fortunate they did. American history would not have been the same if Howland went down and stayed down.

Howland worked off his indenture servant obligation. Married Elizabeth Tilley. They had 10 children who produced 88 grandchildren.

The 88 grandchildren over the next 200 years produced 200 million American descendants.

Including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Joseph Smith, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Humphrey Bogart, Chevy Chase, Alec Baldwin, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.

Appreciate further from whence they all came. The reason they sought the new world. Howland and the others on the Mayflower were religious outcasts from Europe. A “migrant caravan” of sorts. These “migrants” changed the world for the better.

Enjoy your Sunday! I plan on enjoying mine!

 

 

DEMOCRACY’S NEXT STEP?

Jair Bolsonaro is Brazil’s recently elected President.

An authoritarian.

Trump evidences similar tendencies. Trump can take us to Bolsonaro’s ways. Not there yet. He is a step behind Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro won with Evangelical support. He is frequently compared to Philippine President Duterte.

A few Bolsonaro quotes let you know the man.

“I am in favor of dictatorship, a regime of exception.”

Killing “…..some 30,000…..if some innocent people are going to die, fine, in any war innocents die.”

“I would not employ a woman with the same salary of a man.”

“I’ll give carte blanche for the police to kill.”

“We are going to gun down all those Workers Party supporters.” The Workers Party his opposition. He spoke these words at a rally while mimicking shooting a rifle.

Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz in a battle in Texas. Respectfully, I consider Cruz political slime. Trump suggested Cruz’s father was involved in the Kennedy assassination. He also insulted Cruz’s wife. Today, Cruz’s head is up Trump’s ass.

A relatively recent happening solidified my thinking of Cruz. Cruz said O’Rourke was illegally funding the caravan. A Trump type  statement. Not true.

The actual facts. Asylum seekers already processed and awaiting a decision are sheltered in churches in the Texas border area. Not part of the caravan. The caravan still 1,000 miles and one month away.

One of O’Rourke’s staff offices used prepaid cards to buy baby wipes, diapers, water, fruit and granola bars for those awaiting decision re their asylum requests. Less than $300 involved. If more, if $3,000, not a crime and most certainly not funding the caravan.

Which brings me to Trump’s way of thinking re the migration caravan. The President should read/recall certain Biblical quotes.

Matthew 25:38: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

Proverbs 14:31: “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

Last night’s first stop was the Chart Room. Packed. Locals and tourists.

Met Lorne Davidson again. Met him last year at the Chart Room. From northern Florida. He was with Diane. Met her before, also. A friend of Sheila’s.

Steve, Cindy, and David at the bar. Good Key Westers all! Love them! We enjoyed good conversation.

The three are oracles of wisdom when it comes to Key West. They have been here a long time. Last night, Steve and I engaged in a long talk about the Key West of the 1970’s and 1980’s.

The most important and exciting thing I learned from Steve last night concerns his sister Sam who lives in Seattle. Reads this blog everyday.  Lived in Key West for 2 years at one time.

Love you, Sam! Keep reading! Look forward to meeting you when next you visit Steve and Cindy.

A long talk with Paul and Stephanie. From Detroit. They have been visiting Key West since 2006. Now own three time shares at Banyon Court. One week three different times of the year.

Paul is a tool and die maker. Stephanie a dental assistant. They have a son 22 who is completing college.

Enjoyed my time with them.

Then to the Blue Macaw. Basically empty. Second night in a row. The rain could be the reason. Blue Macaw is an outside restaurant and bar.

A big parade sunday afternoon. The Super Boat Parade. Signifying the beginning of Super Boat Race Week. The boats magnificent. Huge power boats. Multi-million dollars in cost. The races a rich man’s sport.

My lesbian wives Donna and Terri celebrated their tenth anniversary yesterday. Married for real! Loving congratulations!

They were leaving for Tampa when I spoke with them. Terri’s cancer checkup scheduled.

People are confused as to why I call them my lesbian wives. One person recently told me she thought I was actually married to the two.

The true story is that when Donna and Terri were to be married, I was supposed to be Best Man. The day before, I had a pain, went into the hospital, and lost 25 percent of my colon.

Missed the wedding. For some reason, I mentioned at the time I considered them my lesbian wives and the label took hold.

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon a wonder. Top professional full time care. Turtles with strange maladies flown from all over the world to the Hospital.

The Hospital’s motto: Rescue, Rehab, Release. They do!

A little World War II history.

Roosevelt was unhappy with Japan. Japan had invaded Indochina. He wanted them to not only stop the war, but get out also. To evidence his seriousness, he seized all Japanese assets in the U.S. and closed the Panama Canal to Japanese vessels. Roosevelt also cut off all oil supplies to Japan. A death knell for the island nation.

Japan was led by a tough group at the time. Tojo and his followers. They were offended by Roosevelt’s actions. They gave the order to bomb Pearl Harbor.

An interesting fact is that the order was given on November 3, 1941. Thirty four days before Pearl Harbor was actually bombed.

The order to bomb was known as Top Secret Order No. 1.

My question is why did we not know of the imminent bombing of Pearl Harbor. I assume the U.S. had intelligence people. Thirty four days and no one knew.

Difficult to understand.

In an hour and a half, it will be 12 noon. I will be glued to the TV set. Syracuse playing Wake Forest.

For the first time in 20 yeas, Syracuse has a decent team. It has been a long time. The team 6-2 so far this season.

Enjoy your day!