CINDY LYNCH…..WE MET IN KEY WEST

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Cindy Lynch, a love of my life. We met about 12 years ago in Key West.

Cindy and husband Tom are from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Until recently, spent 2 months a year in Key West.

Special. She has had 7 operations for 6 different cancers. Two for brain tumors. Lost one of her legs. All of it to the groin. Cannot be fitted for a prosthetic. Uses a wheelchair or titanium crutches or skips around short distance on one foot.

Cindy falls a lot. She tries to do too much I suspect with one leg. On the other hand, she is living life. A rare personality. Always up. Never complains. Fun to be with.

Her husband Tom a gem. Retired early to care for her. With her most of the time. Occasionally, Cindy goes off on her own.

She did this tuesday. Driving their car. Involved in a three car accident. Saw a picture of the cars. Bad!

She is home recovering in bed. Next week, a parachute jump!

Ernest Hemingway penned many true words. Words reflecting his life experiences. A quote attributable to him is…..”Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.”

Makes sense. I know.

I guess I am into quotes today. Winston Churchill said, “The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.”

Sounds like some who comment to this column.

The votes still coming in. Being counted for the first time. Simultaneously, some States are already at the legally mandated recount stage. Florida and Georgia examples.

What initially appeared not to be a blue wave has definitely become one.

Another shooting. A college student hangout. Twelve killed.

A physicians’ journal recently carried an article decrying the NRA and its power. The NRA shot back. In effect saying to the doctors not your business, stay out of things you know nothing about.

The doctors hit back. One wrote and said we are involved. Challenged the NRA to stand next to a child coding from a gunshot wound.

Doctors involved in every shooting!

November 9 a day of significance.

On this day in 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. It had been up 30 years.

Two years earlier. Reagan spoke standing before the wall. He said, “Mr. Gorbachev, take down this wall.”

A story little known goes with the statement.

Reagan’s speech was constantly being revised by his speech writers in the weeks preceding his appearance before the wall. Reagan kept adding “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down the wall.” His speech writers kept taking it out. Too harsh, they said.

The day before leaving for Berlin, Reagan was going over the speech again. The words had been omitted. He asked an assistant standing next to him…..I’m the President, aren’t I? The assistant responded….Yes sir. Reagan said…..Then it stays in!

This day in 1938 significant also. Sadly, however.

An event that took place in Germany and Austria. To Nazis the evening was known as Kristallnacht. Also referred to as The Night of Broken Glass.

It was the beginning of mass suppression of persons of the Jewish faith. Occurred prior to the Holocaust. The Nazis launched a campaign of terror against the Jewish people, their homes and businesses. The event marked a dramatic escalation in Hitler’s plan to purge Germany of Jews.

Local police and fire departments were told not to interfere.

Trump held a major press conference wednesday. CNN’s Acosta and he had words. I watched the entire press conference. Acosta asked a couple of questions. The President did not like them. He became extremely abusive to Acosta.

The event was videoed.

Trump took back Acosta’s White House press credentials.

A female intern attempted to take Acosta’s mike away from him while Trump was shouting sit down. The next day when the White House announced the removal of Acosta’s credentials, the video was shown.

Not similar to the original which had been shown the night before and earlier in the day. The White House video appeared to have been doctored. The White House version indicated Acosta had assaulted the intern. Not the case. The White House presented an altered version.

Today, friday. Love going out friday nights. Not tonight. Remaining in. For a better good. Syracuse playing Louisville at 7 in football. Syracuse 7-2 and a 21 point favorite.

Love it! We have not had even close to a decent team in 20 years. Hopefully, we are there.

Enjoy your day!

 

POST SUMMIT THOUGHTS

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I am addicted to politics and world events. I am paying for it this morning. I remained awake most of the night watching the Singapore Summit. Trump’s press conference was 4 am.

My first thought is I should have gone to sleep. I am dead! Laid in bed till 9. Here it is after 11 and I am just beginning the blog. Still have to prepare for tonight’s podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Be awake and sharp while I do the show.

What a day it’s going to be!

Talk is better than fury and fire. Trump and Kim agreed on nothing significant. The joint agreement said nothing. Denuclearization danced around.

However, the two met. They are now friends. Trump invited Kim to Washington. The world’s worst dictator has come front stage. They will engage in telephone chats. Things kumbaya. At least for a while.

Not enough for Trump to win the Nuclear Peace Prize. A meet and greet insufficient. A promise to denuclearize was required. The man who deserves the Prize is Moon Je, President of South Korea. He is the person who got the ball rolling resulting in the Summit.

One final thought. Trump was not ready. He has to prepare for these meetings. He requires a knowledgeable staff to guide him. Trump’s personality, good or bad, insufficient when it comes to the details.

So no misunderstanding exists, I consider the Summit a failure, except that now two leaders have come to know each other and will communicate.

Success may come re nuclear weapons. Down the road, however.

History tells us of a major success that began as a failure.

Reagan and Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1987. They were unable to agree on anything of importance. Nothing was signed. The Summit was considered a failure.

Reagan and Gorbachev however began to talk informally. They now knew each other. Those talks paved the way to the eventual end of the Cold War and at that time the threat of nuclear war.

My KONK Life column several weeks ago was titled: I’m The President, Aren’t I?” Concerned Reagan’s speech at the Berlin Wall. In front of Brandenburg Gate.

Reagan and aides had worked on the speech for several weeks. Reagan wrote what he considered a strong line in the speech: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” His top advisers thought the sentence too strong. Wanted it out. It came out. Reagan would put it back in. This back and forth continued.

It was the morning of the speech. Reagan in a quandary. The line out. He still wanted it in.

He had a conversation with Deputy Chief of Staff Duberstein.

Reagan: I’m the President, aren’t I?

Duberstein: Yes, sir, Mr. President. We’re clear about that.

Reagan: So I get to decide whether the line about tearing the wall                       down stays in?

Duberstein: That’s right, sir. It’s your decision.

Reagan: Then it stays in.

A dramatic moment. I recall watching Reagan on TV. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Two and a half years later, the wall came down.

Big trees from little acorns grow. The Singapore Summit could result in good. Or, not. Time will tell. One thing certain. Trump and Kim must continue to talk if good is to be accomplished.

My podcast tonight. Join me. Nine o’clock.  A quick half hour of my ramblings, sharing thoughts, etc. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

The show must be good. Or at least, interesting. My numbers keep going up. The show has acquired national advertisers.

Enjoy your day!