TWO NOTEWORTHY EVENTS TONIGHT

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Tuesday night always busy in Key West. Two events occur with regularity tuesday evenings. Aqua Idol and Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Aqua Idol a fundraiser. This year’s beneficiary the Waterfront Playhouse.

Aqua Idol is Lynda Frechette’s baby. Conceived, organized and directed by her. A tough job to keep going. Requires a slew of good singers willing to perform weekly. Lynda obviously knows what she is doing. Aqua is standing room only every week.

I suggest you get to Aqua by 5:30 if you wish to sit. The seats fill quickly.

The other tuesday event is my podcast. My blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. In its third year, the show’s numbers increase weekly. To the point the show has advertisers. Like GEICO Insurance and Old Navy.

Tuesday Talk is a quick moving half hour of me pontificating on world events. Listeners may not always agree. They return weekly, however.

Join me tonight at 9 my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Last night was Aqua and the Green Parrot. Aqua for Dueling Bartenders. The Green Parrot for dinner. I assume the restaurant next door/attached is now part of the Green Parrot. Whatever, I had dinner there.

Catherine joined me for the evening.

Dueling Bartenders was especially sweet. My beloved Terri White the guest performer. Together with Tom Luna and Rick Dery, the singing was over the top.

I sat with Bear. Except for barking a few times when Terri was singing, he was exceptionally good. Sitting at our able were Catherine, George, Art, and Stacey. At the bar, Liz, David, and Sheila.

Tried Antonia’s and La Trattoria for dinner. No room at the inn. Season packing the restaurants. That is why I ended at the place next door to the Green Parrot. Enjoyed ribs and wings.

Cold again! Another northeaster burying Boston and the Cape. We feel the cold this far south. Never fails to work that way.

Last night 61 again. I still without heat. You could hang meat in my bedroom. The cold will continue today. The high 68. Tonight, 63.

A major announcement just came over TV. Secretary of State Tillerson gone. Trump let him go and replaced him with CIA Director Pompeo.

Tillerson was ineffective. Not a diplomat. An oil man. Not qualified for the position as many Trump Cabinet persons. Tillerson’s main qualification when appointed was that he was a close friend of Putin. He now joins the some dozen other key Trump appointees who have gone along the wayside.

One of Tillerson’s problems is he spoke too candidly for Trump. They were not always on the same page.

Pompeo has all kinds of credentials. Whether the man for job remains to be seen. Pompeo a West Point graduate, Harvard Law graduate and most recently Director of the CIA.

An observation. Perhaps improper. I am not sure. Trump avoids confrontation in certain instances. Like when firing a main support person. Both Comey and Tillerson were out of town when they got the ax. TV is reporting Tillerson first heard of his firing via Twitter.

What happened to our political leaders being Americans first and politicians second? It has been obvious from day one that the House Intelligence Committee in its review of the Trump/Russia/collusion issue has been pro Trump and anti truth. The Committee’s Republican majority concluded yesterday there was no evidence of collusion between Trump’s Presidential campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. Recognizing however that Russia had interfered with the election.

Fortunately, the Mueller investigation remains ongoing. The truth will out.

Trump has appointed a Commission on School Safety. A typical move. He has a pattern of passing the buck rather than making the hard decisions. Commissions and Committees have always been a Washington way of avoiding decision making re sensitive issues.

Trump has appointed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as Chairman. Her intellectual level is on a par with Sarah Palin’s. DeVos was interviewed a few days ago on national television. Her responses to questions shocking. Evidenced a definite lack of mental acumen.

Woe the safety issue and woe the education of American children.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

THIS COUNTRY DOES NOT PUNISH ITS POLITICAL ENEMIES

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I am not a fan of Attorney general Jeff Sessions. My prior writings and talk shows clearly evidence my feelings.

However, I give him credit for his present stand against Trump. Especially where Trump complains that Sessions has failed to prosecute Hillary Clinton for purported wrong doings.

Sessions has been firm from day one that he would not pursue Clinton. During his Senate confirmation hearing in January, Sessions stated re a Hillary Clinton prosecution: “This country does not punish its political enemies.”

Third world countries jail political enemies. We are above such conduct. Though Trump keeps trying to pull us into that swamp.

Mini lobster season began yesterday. It ends today.

The weather was horrible yesterday. Two extremely heavy rainstorms.

Two sad occurrences. A man died off Bahia Honda State Park. A 16 year old girl lost a finger while getting out of a boat.

I started my yesterday with a visit to Dr. McIvor, my heart doctor. A test scheduled. One test lead to a second and different one. I get the results monday.

The Chart Room first last night. Dead! Never have seen it so quiet. Chatted with Shawn and a lady customer. She waits tables at Island Dog. Business slow for her also yesterday. She and Shawn were lamenting how little they made or were making in tips yesterday.

Then to Tavern ‘n Town for dinner.

Quiet, also.

Rob entertaining.

Met Chris and Marty. Married. Dogs, no children. Both have lived in Key West for years. Both soft ware engineers.

We talked about everything. From high rental prices to difficult tourists to the Bubba system to the New York Finger Lakes. They love upstate New York’s Finger Lakes and have visited several times.

Rick Perry is in Trump’s Cabinet. He is Secretary of Energy. Formerly, Governor of Texas. He has a charming personality, appears intelligent.

He got “punked.” Means someone fooled/deceived him in a telephone call.

What follows raises the question as to how much vetting does the Trump administration do.

Perry took a telephone call from a person he assumed was the Prime Minister of the Ukraine. Petro Poroshenko. They had met a month before. They discussed increasing American coal exports to the Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, helping the Ukraine develop oil and gas deposits, and the Paris Climate Accord.

A 22 minute telephone conversation.

It was not the Ukraine Prime Minister. It was a comedian. Two, actually. Vladimir Krasnoo and Alexei Stolyarov. Known professionally as the Jerky Boys of Russia.

Again, where the hell was the vetting? How does something like this happen? Is nothing sacred in government today?

Impeachment is in the air. Lightly. Not heavy yet.

On this day in 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommended President Richard Nixon be impeached.

USA Today ran an interesting article on male sperm yesterday. The quantity and quality has been down 1.6 percent a year since 1973. A drop of 59.3 percent.

Not a U.S. problem alone. Similar numbers in the rest of North America, Europe and Australia.

The decline attributed to several causes. Women smoking during pregnancy could affect a son’s fertility years later, male obesity, pesticides, and stress.

Two things scheduled for noon time. A haircut with Lori. The car gets washed.

The car has not been washed in months. The outside looks clean because of the frequent rains. The inside looks like I have been sleeping in the car.

Enjoy your day!

 

MAN WALKS ON THE MOON

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Many times I have mentioned that the two happenings which excited/impressed/moved me the most were man walking on the moon and the Berlin Wall coming down.

Today, the anniversary of the first man on the moon.  The year 1969. Neil Armstrong: “…..one mall step for man, one giant step for mankind.”

It happens too many times as I get older. Go for a routine physical feeling fine. Walk out concerned.

Every 3-4 years my blood pressure goes out of whack. It is out of whack again. Big time. One of the highest numbers I have recorded.

My ankles a bit swollen, also.

Most people might not be greatly concerned. At 82, I am. Everything concerns me.

Tests next week. Water pills for a few days immediately.

My blood work normal.

Doctor thinks my murmur is louder.

Sad about John McCain. A brain cancer tumor. One of America’s greats. May God help resolve the problem rather than take him.

Trump at it again. His consistency is his inconsistency. Never know what he is going to do. When he does perform, it is generally incorrect.

Three items of concern this week so far. Note it is only thursday.

First, pulling the CIA out of Syria. A major Putin victory. Makes us look less than dependable to the free world. Plus, Trump got nothing from Putin in return.

Second, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity which Trump appointed. Met for the first time yesterday in Washington.

I listened to the Chair and Vice-Chair speak. Two nuts. Both already believe there were major problems in 2016.

Finally, Trump’s words last night re Sessions, the Justice Department and Mueller. Trump fears the police arm of our government. He should if he has something to fear. Which I believe he does.

He wants to get rid of Sessions and the Acting Attorney General. Also Mueller, if Mueller gets into his and his family’s finances. On top of which he wants the FBI to answer directly to the President.

Anna, my Anna. She is presently in Athens. Always in a place where excitement is going to occur.

She e-mailed me yesterday. The media carried the story, also.

Ermou Street in Athens is one of its finest shopping areas. Like our Fifth Avenue. I walked down it twice every day. To Playka and back.

I wrote about Ermou several years ago. The streets full of beggars. Like I had never seen before. Makes our homeless look good.

So you can understand. Every day there was a man with no arms and legs. Face badly scarred. Hair burned never to grow again. Blind.

Propped up on a curb. His hands out searching for contributions.

Anarchists ran Ermou Street monday. Breaking windows, destroying the inside of shops. Throwing chemicals about. Sixty stores involved.

They were protesting on behalf of a 29 year old woman whose appeal of her terrorist conviction had failed.

The police did not interfere. When asked why, they said they did not have instructions to do so.

I can understand. As I wrote many times several years ago, the Greek Nazi Party is influential with the police. Half the members of the Nazi Party are police officers. The Golden Dawn (the actual name of the Greek Nazi Party) are a law unto themselves.

I wrote I had a sense of fear every time I saw them. Young Aryans. Blond. Great bodies. Wear black shirts, ties and pants. Swastika look a likes as armbands. The Hitler salute.

The Jew of Hitler’s days is the immigrant of today. They blame immigrants for everything.

I saw what I assumed was an immigrant being violently beaten by them one day. Just off Ermou street. Two police officers were nearby. They turned and walked away.

Hemingway Days today. At 6:30, the preliminary round of the Hemingway Look-Alike contest. Sloppy Joe’s

Big day in Key West history. On this day in 1985, Mel Fisher discovered the mother lode of the Spanish galleon Atocha. After 15 years of searching and struggling. $400 million in gold, jewels, and other artifacts.

Enjoy your day!

 

INSTINCT AND LIGHT OF THE MOON

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Turtle hatchling time.

The eggs sit beneath the sand. They start breaking up. Tiny turtles struggle out of their shells and upwards to the air. The ocean their goal. The moon their guiding light. Instinct and the moon light their way to the ocean and new home.

Salute’s sits on Higgs Beach. Sunday night the restaurant was full. All of a sudden someone ran in and shouted the turtles are hatching. Every one left their tables and ran out to watch. One hundred five baby turtles came up out of the sand.

A fine article re the occasion in this morning’s Key West Citizen.

An interesting observation in the Citizen. The female hatchlings will return in 25 years to dig their own holes with their back flippers to bury their eggs.

Nature is wonderful! Wish hurricanes were as predictable.

My yesterday began with a brief walk in the new neighborhood. Walked before the sun was up. The humidity a killer even though dark. Worse when the heat of the sun joins it.

My manicure/pedicure appointment at 1.

Tammy still in Vietnam. With the two children. Visiting the family. Ricky left home to watch the business.

Nina has been doing my nails in Tammy’s absence. A lovely person.

Nina a stunning woman. Beautiful. A slim body. The face of an angel.

Twenty three. Arrived in Key West from Moldova only 9 months ago. Did not speak English. I thought her fluent. She thinks not. Modest.

Moldova is a small East European country. Part of the old Soviet Union. Population 3.5 million. A poor country.

Nina studied journalism for three years in college in Moldova. Did not finish. Took no English courses. She learned how to do nails in Moldova.

Loves the United States! Her new home. Has no desire to return to Moldova, except to visit family. Her sister is marrying next year and she plans to return for the event.

As to my nails, she does an excellent job! Has my wants down to a science. Short, round and buffed. She has strong hands. Resulting in great hand and foot massages.

Welcome to America, Nina! May your every dream be fulfilled.

Mel Fisher Days begin today. Run through saturday.

Today’s featured event a day time laboratory tour. The Private Conservation Laboratory. Special. The lab is generally off limits.

Hurry and make an appointment. The tours are limited to 8 persons and last 45 minutes. Each tour was sold out last year.

William Hackley mentions today the death of two persons. Died on separate days. Each buried around 5-6 on the day of death.

Why buried same day? I assume because of the heat. If another reason, let me know.

Remember government of the people, by the people, for the people? It is slipping away. Becoming more and more government of the rich and influential.

A perfect example is what has been reported in the media this morning. Involves Attorney General Jeff Sessions. A Southerner. A bigot and racist from a 100 years ago. A person who believes he and his ilk can do what they want when they want.

Sessions has had a memory problem re his visits with Russians. In order to qualify for the Attorney General position, Sessions had to file a form listing his Russian meetings.

Some believe he was less than truthful in his responses recently before a Congressional Committee. A Federal Court order was obtained requiring the Justice Department to release within 30 days the form listing Sessions’ contacts with the Russian government.

The 30 days ended yesterday. The Justice Department failed to turn over the required document.

Note Sessions as Attorney General is the head of the Justice Department.

Guaranteed Sessions is going to get his ass reamed before this matter is over. You don’t screw with a Federal Judge.

Enjoy your day!

CROCODILE ON KEY WEST GOLF COURSE

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There is a new crocodile on the Key West Golf Course. Nature is reclaiming its turf.

I first became aware by reason of a comment in Citizens’ Voice this morning. Claimed a 7 footer was in the lake by the 12th hole.

Not a lake. A pond. There is a long wide one that runs between the 12th and 18th holes.

I just telephoned Don to verify the existence of the crocodile. Don plays twice a week.

There is a crocodile. He’s seen it. It’s a big one, he says. Eight feet. Big head.

Beware! Golfers stay away from the water or bushes that run along side here and there. If you hit a ball into the shallow water or bushes, kiss it good bye. Better the ball than your arm!

There will be several Memorial Day ceremonies today and tomorrow. The first already occurred at 9 this morning. I am writing this blog at 9:30.

The Cemetery one is at the Battleship Maine Memorial. Always touching. I have done it twice over the years.

There will also be a ceremony or two at Bayview Park. I drive by and if I see a crowd, stop. More emotional than the Cemetery one. Even though all ceremonies this day are to honor those who fought in all wars. It may be because the Bayview ceremonies remember those who fought in more recent wars, as well as other ones.

Visited Lisa and family yesterday for a while. Robert and Ally taller each time I see them.

Robert and Ally both have birthdays this time of the year. I was to take them to lunch today as part of the celebration. Lisa just telephoned and said today would be no good. Robert did a sleep over last night and is beat.

A quiet dinner alone at the bar at Roostica last night. Crowded. It’s the holiday weekend. Enjoyed the newspapers.

The multi-talented Bria Ansara is an art teacher at Montessori. Robert and Ally studied under her this year.

Bria put the kids to work. Had them spend the term painting a 420 square foot 6 panel mural. Bria had each student select a local flora/fauna. Then paint it on the mural.

The mural is done. It was exhibited to the public yesterday for the first time. It hangs at the school and is available for viewing by appointment. Call Montessori principal Lyn Barras to schedule.

This war room thing is stupid. Dangerous for White House persons under investigation.

Defense in a case that is being investigated/prepared by Special Counsel Mueller and two Congressional Committees is not a team effort. It is every person for himself. In court house vernacular, every rat for himself.

If under investigation, your only counsel and confident is your attorney. You live or die by him.

In investigations of this nature, it is generally a race to offer evidence in return for immunity or a shorter sentence. Flynn is no fool in this regard.

If there is to be a war room, an attorney should head it. It might give availability to the attorney-client privilege were its members subpoenaed later on to testify as to what went on in the war room.

There is no thing as a war room in legal jargon or understanding. Another example of Trump doing something stupid on his own.

Enjoy your day!

 

SHOCKING NUMBERS

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Tom Keller is a snow bird who owns a home in Key West. We are Chart Room friends.

He e-mailed me an article this morning from yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. The opinion/commentary had to do with raises in the minimum wage and robots. Written by former CEO of CKE Restaurants Andy Puzder.

The robot portion is interesting in itself. However, it is the job numbers set forth which motivate my comment here.

The numbers refer to entry level jobs.

A significant number of young people (20-24) are without work. Blacks lead. Forty percent in Chicago and 30 percent in New York and Los Angeles.

White men, 10 percent in all areas reported.

Nationally, black men 24.1 percent and whites 16-19 percent.

My question concerns 10 years from now. What will the numbers be? I suspect higher. How can they not be with the increasing wave of robots that will be replacing human employees.

Spent more time than normal yesterday fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. New Trump news kept breaking. I was required to reset, rearrange and add topics for the show.

Trump had a big day. The gassing in Syria and the missile launching in North Korea. Tied in with Tillerson’s comments.

I added the preceding to my Trump comments which already included Trump seeking out bad guys as friends as opposed to countries that have been our friends for generations, Trump’s NAFTA reversal based on oil industry pressures, the Pentagon announcing the number of troops on the ground in Syria and Iraq henceforth secret, and young Kushner over his head and overloaded.

A lot of Trump.

Someone recently wrote a very negative comment about this blog. A free country. So be it. One of his items hit a soft spot. Harry Truman. The writer suggested I write too much about Truman.

I do. And I should. Truman is as much a part of Key West as Hemingway.

Truman loved Key West and Key West loves him to this day. He is remembered all over the island. From The Little White House to Truman Annex to the Harry Truman look a like who walks around certain public events to public discussions based on his life, etc.

Truman spent 175 days vacationing in Key West spread over 11 trips.

Which brings me to a today Truman observation. Truman and wife Bess left Key West this day in 1969. The end of a two week visit.

His last.

Bum Farto, where are you? Farto the Key West Fire Chief convicted of drug dealing.

He was due in court this day in 1976 for sentencing. Never showed up. Never seen since.

The suspicion is he was the victim of a Jimmy Hoffa ending.

The U.S. had a run of police shooting blacks. The U.S. Attorney’s Office under Obama got involved. Investigated the major cities having a frequency of such problems. After two years of investigation and discussion among the feds, mayors and police chiefs, solutions in writing are being arrived at. Called Consent Decrees. Federal officials will oversee actions by local police till the problem has worked itself out.

Till yesterday. Trump stuck his nose in.

Trump is pro-police. Does that make him anti-black? I don’t know. In any event, Attorney General Sessions’  people appeared in Federal Court in Baltimore yesterday asking the Court for a 90 day delay in signing the Consent Decree. The reason to be sure the Consent Decree did not work against Trump’s goal of promoting officers and morale while fighting violent crime.

I would assume shooting unarmed blacks a violent crime.

Sessions a bigot from day one. He as well as Trump not qualified for the positions they hold.

Enjoy your day!