A GHOST STORY

Rain, rain, rain! Wow! Supposed to continue throughout the day. Key West is experiencing peripheral weather from Tropical Storm Michael. Soon to be Hurricane Michael.

Michael will not be a danger to the Keys. Will pass to the west and travel up the Gulf of Mexico. Northern Florida in danger, however. The Panhandle. Governor Scott has already declared a state of emergency for more than 20 counties.

Michael is presently somewhere south of Cuba and near the Yucatan Peninsula.

Michael must be Florence’s beau. The Carolina’s will bear the brunt of Michael. Expected to be a category 2 when it hits. Flooding  worse than the winds.

The Gray Man of Pawley Island, South Carolina is a ghost. Been one since 1822 when he died in quicksand during a storm while trying to reach his lady love. His betrothed went looking for him. Came upon his ghost clad in a gray suit.

He warned her to take her entire family and leave the island. A massive storm was coming. They left. When they returned, all homes had been destroyed except theirs.

Since that time, the Gray Man has appeared many times. In each instance, warning persons of a pending disastrous storm.

The Gray Man failed to warn re Florence’s coming. Thus far, no warning re Michael.

A full Sunday yesterday. Enjoyed brunch at Hard Rock Cafe. Terri performing with Larry Baeder. Sat with Donna and Joe.

Liz showed up. With Josefina and Mary. Liz attired in dark clothes. Jeans and a black jacket. She looks terrific in dark clothes. A sharp 85 year old woman!

Had a strange experience while walking to Hard Rock. I had to walk 4 blocks from where I parked my car. My legs were heavy. An effort to lift them. My ass dragging.

I could not understand. Maybe I needed to eat. I had skipped dinner the night before. I do it occasionally on my diet. Has never affected me in the past.

Ordered breakfast. An omelet and toast.

The trip back to the car no problem. Legs felt great. I had energy. It was the lack of food. No question food is fuel!

The Blue Macaw last night. Ate. Ribs. Chatted with Paul, Dan and Joseph.

Also with a young man from Biloxi, Mississippi. He, his Dad and a friend were in Key West for a few days. He is being married next July in Key West. I asked what beach. His response…..No beach. At the St. Mary of the Sea Grotto. We’re Catholics.

It was the we’re Catholics that got me. Few express religion these days and few seem to be religiously motivated.

I miss bocce. The comradeship especially. My old team Don’s Place is doing well this season. Tied for 3rd place, 1 1/2 games out of 1st.

Our Nation is sick and getting sicker by the day. Trump no help. He encourages all kinds of negative activity.

Trump was in Topeka Saturday night at a rally. A black protestor from Black Lives Matter interrupted the President. He was removed roughly by security guards. His removal proper, his handling not.

The crowd repeatedly yelled disparaging remarks at the protestor. Some of the audience White Nationals. Expressions like the Nazi salute “Seig Heil!” Others, “Light the motherfucker on fire.” Shades of the old South where blacks were tied to poles or hung from a tree and burned to death. A lot of “Kick his ass!”

Trump proudly stood by. These were his people.

Beware a woman scorned. Women do not forget. Republicans will pay for Kavanaugh’s ascendancy to the Supreme Court.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

DANNY

It’s time again! Talk on the street last night….. Is a hurricane coming?

Danny is its name. It is presently nothing way out in the Atlantic. We will not know till next week if it will be a Florida keys problem. Probably not. But you never know! Wind is fickle.

Some thing screwy yesterday morning. My phone. I was on it from 7-11. Business. Made me late for my 11 o’clock appointment at Body Owners where the anti-gravity treadmill awaited.

Took my sweaty body over to Roostica for lunch afterwards. Bobby Mongelli moving around. An outstanding business person!

Another business person of note arrived for lunch. Joe Liszka. Joe and his partner Frank Romano started Key West Aloe around 1970. Became a gold mine. They sold about 15 years ago.

Frank is now gone.

I met Joe when I was going to WeBeFit. Joe is older than me. I admired what he was able to physically do. Better than me. While there, Joe invited me to a party at his home. An excellent host. He lives in Key Haven also.

Stopped at Don’s Place at 5. Stayed a couple of hours. Visited with Don, David, Nate, and Toni. Actually spent quite a while chatting with Toni. A charming lady. Good company.

I had a choice at that point. Go out to eat or go home and watch Donald Trump. I am ashamed to say I went home. I am a political junkie.

I am not a Trump supporter. His business success is admirable. Such in and of itself does not make a President.

Our country continues to be in difficulty. The 1/99 percent thing does not go away. Listening to Trump, I suspect his actions would be those favoring the 1 percent. This morning he said on Morning Joe that he was against raising the minimum wage. He believes it would make us less competitive against foreign manufacturers.

Strange. The guys at the top of the American companies continue to make millions of dollars annually for themselves. They have their 3-4 homes world wide and private jets. The wealth is not shared. Notice Trump has his jet and homes. Even a helicopter. Trump would have the 99 percent continue to suffer to keep the rich in their exorbitant toys.

This thing about no longer considering a child born in the U.S. of parents illegitimately here not citizens not right. Trump is crazy! It has always been and will ever continue to be that a person born in th U.S. is an American citizen.

Trump says the scholars tell him the law/Constitution in this regard can be changed. What scholars? If he wishes to pursue the issue legally, he will find lawyers to support him. If a fee is available, there is unquestionably a cause to be pursued.

Those Spanish galleons carrying all sorts of wealth that sunk off the Florida coast some 400 years ago present the opportunity for some today to strike gold. Literally!

It recently was disclosed that 4 crew men from the A/V Capitana discovered gold to the tune of $4.5 million three weeks ago somewhere off Florida’s east coast.

My column in this week’s KONK Life is Black Lives Matter / Play Tough. The article was linked this morning to my Key West Lou website. keywestlou.com.

Bocce tonight! The best!

Enjoy your day!

 

BLACK LIVES MATTER / PLAY TOUGH

Republicans do not have a monopoly on wealth. There are wealthy persons on the Democratic side of the ledger, also.

 

Whereas wealthy Republicans generally make political donations to further selfish business interests, wealthy Democrats tend to support a cause rather than a monetary interest.

 

A noteworthy Democrat is Gorge Soros. Soros made his fortune in the stock market. He is a recognized American business magnate. Forbes lists him as the 17th richest person in the world. His wealth is estimated at $24 billion.

 

Soros is a supporter of progressive liberal causes. He believes in social justice and supports organizations so inclined. His donations are  in the millions.

 

He also supports those major political candidates who believe as he does. Hillary Clinton, an example. He has already given in the first six months of this year to two Clinton super PACs. Priorities USA Action and American Bridge 21st Century. $1 million each. It is expected similar sized and larger donations will be made as the campaign progresses.

 

Soros thought George W. Bush was bad for America. Especially Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. He contributed $20 million in the 2004 Presidential election to various groups in an effort to defeat Bush.

 

Soros donations to liberal causes and candidates are made personally and through his Open Society Foundations. Those receiving contributions are close to one thousand.

 

Soros assumes no direct control over the groups receiving the monies. He understands the liberal thought process of the groups receiving the money and leaves it to them to do the right thing. Soros does not mini-manage them.

 

The first anniversary of Michael Brown and Ferguson recently occurred. It is said Soros contributed $33 million to bank roll the demonstrations which took place a couple of weeks ago. Not to one group alone. Too many. Not at the time of the demonstrations, but months before.

 

The Chief of Police for St. Louis County said the demonstrations were not locally caused. He said outsiders were fomenting the trouble. I did not believe him at the time. I do now. $33 million adds a lot of inflamed protest to a situation.

 

Many of the recent Ferguson protesters were outside activists. Primarily from Washington, DC and New York. Professional organizer types. All on the payroll of the organization they represented. Most funded by Soros.

 

One of the Soros funded organizations at Ferguson was Black Lives Matter. They have been in the news frequently the past few weeks. Black Lives Matter is the group that has been interrupting Presidential candidates. One being a Bernie Sanders at a rally in Seattle on August 8.

 

Black Lives Matter is a grassroots activist movement. It was born in the wake of and in protest of George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013. The 2014 shooting of Michael Brown and the choking death of Eric Garner enraged the group further.

 

Since Zimmerman’s acquittal in 2013, the Black Lives Matter group has conducted Black Lives Matter demonstrations 984 times worldwide.

 

Black Lives Matter is a growing force of influence. Politically and otherwise.

 

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow applies here. Black Lives Matter was started by three black ladies in 2013. Today it has chapters all over the U.S. and continues to open new chapters at a fast rate.

 

Black Lives Matter is full time paid persons. This is their work for which they are adequately compensated. A difference from other political movements. The monies primarily coming from Soros contributions.

 

Black Lives Matter representatives are hard ass people. Tough. They do their job well. Perhaps too well.

 

On July 15, they interrupted the Netroots Nation Conference in Phoenix. The cry was, “Burn everything down!” At the same event, the group interrupted the speeches of Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley.

 

Bernie Sanders was in Seattle on August 8. There is no Democratic candidate further to the left. He has been a social and civil rights activist his whole life. He is an Independent seeking the Democratic nomination.

 

Black Lives Matter members stormed the stage. They physically took the microphone from Sanders. They took over the rally. Sanders walked off the stage.

 

Bullies in the pulpit.

 

Black Lives Matter representatives said Sanders was not doing enough to reform criminal justice and promote racial equality.

 

Republican candidates were not immune. On August 13, the group interrupted a Las Vegas Jeb Bush rally.

 

Following the Sanders Seattle rally, members of Black Lives Matter were asked by a media person….. Why Sanders? What about other candidates? The reply was they had something planned for everyone.

 

I was concerned. Sanders was moving up in the polls. He was about to overtake Clinton. He has recently in New Hampshire. I wondered whether favoritism was being shown Clinton. Recall Soros is a major Clinton contributor and expected to be even a bigger one as the campaign moves forward.

 

Was there concern by some that Sanders had to be brought down in order to help Clinton?

 

The question brought to mind the dirty tricks by Donald Segretti on behalf of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President in the famous Nixon campaign. The dirty tricks were considered questionable and unethical. Apparently illegal. Segretti was sentenced to jail.

 

Federal laws were passed post Watergate covering dirty tricks.

 

On August 11, Clinton was holding a public forum in Keene, New Hampshire. The topic involved mass incarceration. Boston chapter members of Black Lives Matter were on their way to attend the rally. I assume also to interrupt, as per their prior activities.

 

The group arrived as the rally was in progress. Clinton had not spoken yet. The door to the rally was locked. No further persons were permitted to enter. The Clinton people had been made aware that the group was on its way and intended to appear.

 

I never heard of people being barred from a political rally. Lock the door? Come on.

 

The reason given was capacity. An overflow crowd. Too many. It was represented that the Secret Service had decided no further persons be admitted. Since, a Secret Service representative has verified that it was their idea to preclude further admissions.

 

I may be getting cynical in my old age. I find it hard to believe public officials. Especially the Secret service. A group that partied with prostitutes paid for by a drug cartel in a South American country, who have not been able to secure the White House, etc.

 

The Boston group were placed in an overflow room and required to watch Clinton on TV. The overflow group, including the Black Lives Matter people, totaled less than 20.

 

Afterwards, Clinton did meet with the group in the overflow room for 15 minutes. Black Lives Matter representatives said no pictures and no reporters. Clinton agreed. However, Black Lives Matter videoed the interview and intend showing it at a later date.

 

Following the meeting, kumbaya prevailed.  The group said they were satisfied with Clinton’s responses. Though they had further questions they would raise at a later time.

 

I do not believe Soros had anything to do with the Clinton rally. Nor the Sanders rally for that matter. He leaves those he funds alone to do their thing. Also, he is not as his wealthy Republican counterparts. He contributes money to further liberal causes. Not to add to a company or person’s bottom line. The contrast glaring when it comes to motivations.

 

I have to question the Clinton rally. The group showing up late, being barred because there was no room at the inn, having to watch on TV in another room, interviewing Clinton in that room afterwards, refusing reporters to be present or photos taken, coming out of the meeting saying in effect everything was A-ok, etc.

 

Fishy? Sounds that way.

 

The Sanders rally speaks for itself.

 

Black Lives Matter is here to stay. The group is sufficiently funded to live a long life. Their purpose is right. Admirable. Their methods wrong. Deplorable. Interrupting a speaker as they have done does not set right with me. Nor does the shooting of blacks by cops. Two wrongs do not make a right, however.

FEMALE VIAGRA

Late yesterday, the FDA announced its approval of female Viagra. About time. Men have had their sexual enhancer for years. Equal rights demanded the same for women. Women enjoy sex as much as men. Sometimes I think even more. I am glad the moment has arrived.

The advent of the birth control pill was a major event for women. Changed their attitude toward sex. Female Viagra will do the same.

Female Viagra does not increase blood flow to the genital area. It targets chemicals in the brain. Whatever, ladies use and enjoy!

I had a debit card problem. Someone got into my card and was using it. Yesterday morning talked with Visa fraud and getting a temporary card at the bank.

Visa caught the problem. Two small charges. Roughly $50 and $20. Not my type of charge. That is what made Visa aware.

Bank told me the problem is a common one in Key West.

Stopped at Cuban Coffee Queen for lunch. Nothing fancy. Cuban coffee and toast. So good!

I spent some time in the afternoon fine tuning my blog talk radio show for last night.

A half hour before the show, I was searching the internet for any last minute news. Came up with two new police problems/incidents. Both in California yesterday.

One in San Francisco. A black 40ish man with a prosthetic leg and crutches. Someone called the police to say there was a person waving sticks. Fourteen cops showed up. Their conduct disgraceful. They knelt on his prosthetic. Apparently painful since the man had a sores problem. He was crying out re the pain. They had him face down on the sidewalk. Pulled his pants down to his knees. His ass bare for the world to see. His penis crushed beneath him. He wet. Anther officer kneeling on him and twisting his arm back. Obviously painful.

The entire episode was videoed by a standby. It is all over the internet. View it.

The other involved Stockton police. Three men robbed a bank. Took three female employees as hostages. Left in a SUV. Police gave chase. Many police cars. For 63 miles. At speeds up to 120 miles per hour.

SUV finally made to stop. Cops jumped out of their cars. Thirty two of them. Immediately shot the SUV full of bullets. Estimated at 600. With the three hostages inside. One was killed.

What is happening in this country? The police have gone crazy!

I mentioned the two police incidents at the beginning of the show.

Three interesting items shared last night.

The first had to do with the Black Lives Matter group. The thrust was the source of the money that supports their efforts.

Another was the Clintons and the house they have rented for the last two weeks of August in the Hamptons. $100,000 rent. Hillary is doing fund raisers while in the Hamptons. Bet her campaign monies pay the $100,000 and she and Bill write the rental off as a business expense.

Not a wise move from my perspective. The rental itself. Plus, I am sick of hearing how poor they were when they left the White House. Poor is relative.

Another issue was transgenders. The Defense Department said as of the first of the year transgenders will be openly accepted in the military. There are presently 12,800 in the service on a don’t ask, don’t tell basis.

One problem is medical. A study indicated some will need hormonal therapy. Some even sex change operations. Such will be done at government expense. Taxpayer dollars.

Merri is my Chart Room bartender friend. I have a problem spelling her first name correctly. First, it was Mary. Then, Meri. Actually, Merri. I was wrong the first two times.

Merri’s picture appears in this morning’s Key West Citizen. She is Citizen of the Day. Congratulations. Mary! Oops, Merri!

This week’s KONK Life hits the stands today. My column is Black Lives Matter / Play Tough. An eye opener!

Enjoy your day!

 

MOE’S WAY

Moe Mosher recently died. A Key West icon. Moe was a barber and entrepreneur. One of the founders of Historic Tours of America.

Moe’s barber shop was and still is on the alley running along side Antonia’s Restaurant. Next to the Cuban Coffee House. The building best described as a small white house. Front had an area with a rocking chair and reading materials next to it. Used by many.

Key West recently recognized the contributions Moe made. It has been decreed that henceforth the alley will be called Moe’s Way. A fitting tribute.

Moe a local figure of note. Julian Bond a national figure.

Julian Bond died yesterday. He was 75. A contemporary. I recall his exploits clearly. I was a young lawyer in the 1960s when Bond came upon the scene.

Bond was black. Initially a militant in the 1960s civil rights movement. He moved over to become a leader in the non-violent movement. He was anti-Vietnam. A very unpopular war. His concern was not only that we did not belong there. It was also that most of the American soldiers fighting and dying were blacks.

He was elected a Georgia State Senator. White Georgia was shocked. The Senate refused to seat him. The reasons given were he was an interloper (he would be a black in a white political body) and a rabble rouser.

Today, Bond’s life is a respected part of American history.

A big sunday for me! Work wise. It took me from 11 in morning to 5 in the afternoon to write this week’s KONK Life column. Actual writing time with revisions, rewrites, etc. It is the rewriting that takes time. I call it polishing the article.

The six hours required even though I had spent parts of friday and saturday researching the material. A lot of data involved. The primary reason it took so long to write. I had to separate the wheat from the chaff.

I titled the article Black Lives Matter / Play Tough. It ties together the Black Lives Matter group, George Soros, the Democratic Presidential campaign, and Nixon dirty tricks. Interesting and revealing. You will enjoy reading it. The column publishes wednesday.

I was able to catch the last hour of the PGA. Great golf! Whereas 20 years ago we had one Tiger Woods, today we have several. The new guys are good because Woods raised the standard. They are meeting that standard as Woods unfortunately fades into the sunset.

Dinner last night at Roostica. Becoming a usual sunday thing for me. It is the sunday special. Spaghetti with meatballs and sausage in a thick pork sauce. Just like grandmother and mother made. Love it!

Amanda was on of the ladies taking care of me. Amanda a lovely blond. Pregnant. We talked about her pregnancy. She is thrilled! Five months. Feels good. Excited. It’s a boy. Has his second name picked. After a grandfather. Does not have a first name yet.

I have to hustle. The anti-gravity treadmill awaits.

Enjoy your day!

 

SISTERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

There is a touch of Hemingway everywhere.

St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church was in need of nuns. America’s young ladies no longer were entering the convent in droves. A priest at St. Mary’s knew of an order of nuns headquartered in Africa. In Tanzania. The Sisters of the Holy Spirit of Tanzania. He requested some be sent to St. Mary’s.

Three arrived in 2008. Sisters Mary, Marietta and Euphemia. Euphemia left last year and was replaced by Inviolata. The nuns a boon for Key West!

The good Sisters assist in every way. They teach religion at the Church’s school, visit and attend to the sick, elderly and homeless, help the needy, cook and serve at the soup kitchen, work at SOS Outreach on Stock Island providing free food and clothing for those in need, and take care of the Church sacristy.

A full plate. Yet, there is more. They pray for the Miami Heat. They are avid fans.

The Sisters were raised in a rural Tanzania village. Homes made from grass and mud. Thatched roofs. English the language.

Homeless are a concern of theirs. Homelessness as we know it does not exist in Tanzania. Yes, the people are poor. Yet everyone has a place to live. The land upon which the thatched roof huts sit are given free to those making their home there. The people of Tanzania are not faced with monthly bills.

Mount Kilimanjaro looms above the village. The Hemingway tie in. The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

On two occasions over the years, I have passed the Sisters while walking on Truman. Standing in the school’s driveway each time. I stopped to speak with them. They smile like little girls. They are not, of course. They are responsible adults doing important work. Warm and intelligent.

I decided to write about the nuns after seeing a picture of them in this week’s Conch Color.

A picture of Edith Amsterdam was also in Conch Color. As well as her summer home on Alexandria Bay. An imposing structure.

Alexandria Bay is in my country. Northeast upstate New York. Less than a two hour drive from Utica. Part of the Saint Lawrence. Many the trip I have made there. Boating up the river into Canada. I have also stayed at resorts on the water. Unique experiences.

I spent several hours yesterday continuing research this week’s KONK Life column which I will write today. It ties together Black Lives Matter, Oath Keepers, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Nixon dirty tricks, and George Soros. Guaranteed interesting.

Tavern ‘n Town for dinner last night. Sparse crowd. Sat near Amy. A new friend. She and her husband have lived in Key West ten years. He was overnighting in Miami last night. Amy works for the Tourist Development Council. Her husband, the State Attorney.

Good company. An evening of laughs.

After dinner, I walked to the other end of the bar to say hello to Adare. A former Detroit executive, he is a body builder today. I should have his body!

I have not seen Betty in ages. She stopped by to say hello.

Enjoy your Sunday!

ROB O’NEAL’S EMBASSY STORY

This morning’s Key West Citizen front page lead article had to do with the raising of the American flag yesterday over the U.S. Embassy in Havana. The article was written by Rob O’Neal. Writer and Photographer. Cuban expert.

Outstanding!

I was especially taken by the paragraph which told the story of the three Marines who under very adverse circumstances took the flag down 54 years ago. They were front row at the flag raising ceremony.

Only out of the house once yesterday. Not planned. Just the way it went.

Started my day at Body Owners with the anti-gravity treadmill. Then home. Never left.

I got involved in researching next week’s KONK Life column. I became so engrossed that I worked into the early evening. The column concerns the Black Lives Matter group, Oath Keepers, and George Soros. Revealing.

There is more research to do today. I will write the column tomorrow.

I thank Cara for opening my eyes to the subject.

Today is August 15. August 15, 1969 was a big day in American history. Opening day of Woodstock. Estimated 400,000 attendees. Wild! Revealed a new America.

Larry and Christine Smith were at Woodstock. Larry and Christine seem to have been everywhere. They just returned from a six week holiday. Most of the time spent in Italy and England.

I came across the following a few days ago on Facebook. Worth sharing.

WHY DO WE HAVE WARS? Because we are ruled by an elite group of psychopaths who own the banks that control the governments and media. They fund both sides of war for profit and they manufacture the consent of the public through the propaganda of the media.

Enjoy your day!