BRIA ANSARA…..FRIENDLY AND ACCESSIBLE DIVA

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Two years ago, I insulted Bria Ansara in this blog. What possessed me I know not. It took six months before Bria would forgive me. We are now friends. She was the lady at a time when I was not the gentleman.

Bria is recognized today by the Key West Citizen. As one of Key West’s “Familiar Faces.” Front page photo recognition and article. Familiar Faces writes of people who contribute in some fashion to the island.

She is an outstanding performer. Sings, acts, etc. I generally dine friday or saturday at Berlin’s where she entertains weekends. Yes, the food is good. I go because of Bria. She is better. The best.

Friendly fits Bria. The Citizen describes her as friendly and accessible. Correctly so.

Bria has another life besides that of an entertainer. She teaches art. To students at Montessori. She teaches my Robert and Ally.

The Alabama/Georgia game destroyed me last night. I remained  awake to watch it. I had remained up late sunday evening also.

Fell asleep with 5 minutes to go. Missed the most interesting parts. The final minutes and overtime.

From the reruns this morning, I missed the best parts of the game. Whatever. Congrats to both teams. Especially to Alabama freshman Tagovailoa who went into the game in the second half and played a hell of a game.

Earlier in the day, I worked on tonight’s podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Tons of hot issues out there. I have assembled a dozen interesting topics to share, excite and perhaps even open your eyes.

Join me at 9. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Guaranteed you will enjoy. Even if you disagree with me.

I was in Aqua at 5. Dueling Bartenders. Tom Luna and Heather-May.

The best deal in town. Great singing. Off the wall good. Costs nothing, except for a drink or two.

Met Rob and James at Dueling Bartenders. They recently bought a home in Key West. Their primary residence Boca Raton.

Pleasant guys. Rob’s other life had him  involved in real estate and with IBM. Most recently, a math teacher at the Lower Keys Community College. James, an operations manager for a large insurance company.

Wanted to get home for the game. Stopped at Publix for a few things. I am on Atkins. It requires constant food replenishing. Expensive. I don’t know if I shared with you the scale showed a 2 pound loss three days ago. The loss has remained. Makes a total of 12 pounds.

Slow.

There is a new webcam in Key West. At Conch Republic. Operates 24 hours. Shows Key West Historic Seaport. Take a look. KeyWestHistoricSeaport.com.

Last week, Trump cut off Pakistan from financial aid the U.S. has been providing for years. Trump claimed it was because Pakistan was not controlling terrorists in its country.

Strange. There are other countries the U.S. provides aid that are not controlling terrorists within their borders.

There is a story behind the one Washington suggests.

Pakistan has become friendly with China. It permitted China to build a naval base last year in Djibouti. The ribbon cutting ceremony was July 1, 2017.

Last week, Pakistan announced that China would build a second naval base at Gwadar.

Both bases primarily intended to provide China with military outposts.

Trump is in the process of cutting off Pakistan because of the Chinese bases, not the terrorism issue.

Pakistan is not a nation to be defecated upon. The day after Trump’s announcement, Pakistan announced it was moving from the American dollar to the Chinese yuan for certain monetary transactions.

Venezuela did the same thing several months ago when Trump suggested the U.S. might have to invade Venezuela because Maduro was not taking care of his people.

Moving to the yuan weakens the American dollar. Should this trend continue, the dollar will be debased tremendously. Significant economic problems the result.

Trump continues to shot from the hip without thinking, without carefully examining the ramifications of his moves.

Trump further said the money saved by cutting Pakistan off would be used to build roads and bridges in the United States.

Sometimes the President reminds me of tonic salesmen of old.

Consider purchasing Irma and Me. Humor and sadness combined. Easy reading. Available on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and Kobobooks.com.

Enjoy your day!

 

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW’S CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA

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I cheated yesterday. Took time off in the afternoon to watch the movie adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra.

Normally, tuesdays are spent preparing for my podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou in the evening. I became engrossed with the movie. Meant I had to work my ass off afterwards to make sure everything was in order for the podcast.

The movie outstanding! Claude Rains as Caesar and Vivien Leigh as Cleopatra. Rains short of stature to play Caesar. Leigh the best Cleopatra I have seen

The movie a fictionalized account of Caesar and Cleopatra’s relationship. Humorous. Very much so.

Shaw wrote Caesar and Cleopatra as a play in 1898. The movie was shot in 1945. Shaw still alive. He collaborated closely on the production.

I recall two other Caesar/Cleopatra movies. One earlier starring Claudette Colbert. The mega production in later years starring Elizabeth Taylor. The two were not Shaw’s work reproduced. They were written for the screen by others based on historical accounts.

I always loved Colbert. Unfortunately, she runs a distant third to Leigh and Taylor as Cleopatra. Taylor the beauty! An outstanding actress! Lovely in the film! Never the less runs second to Leigh in my opinion.

Vivien Leigh the star of the earlier Gone With The Wind. A serious performance. Caesar and Cleopatra comedic. She fit the part. Also, her natural beauty more apparent in the film.

One problem. The film was an economic failure. Lost $3 million. A tidy sum in 1945.

I watched the show on Turner Classic Movies. If you get the chance, watch it. You will not be disappointed.

My podcast went well later in the evening. I was prepared. Hit on several current matters. A total of ten topics. Trump a part of four.

Speaking of Trump, he had a busy day yesterday. His first day back since a 10 day family vacation. His plate had to be full. Much requiring his attention.

He jumped right in. Obviously worked hard. Sent out 16-18 tweets. Pissed off half the world. Aggravated the White House staff.

I have a busy evening. Sloan at 5:30. Syracuse/Wake Forest at 7. Wake Forest a one point favorite.

My afternoon today busy also. At least 2 hours work preparing for Sloan’s visit at 5:30.

I will not leave the house again today. There is always tomorrow.

You have to admire Iceland. They are always a step ahead.

Following the bank debacle of 2008, they prosecuted and jailed bankers. Those at the top. Something I have been recommending for years we do in the U.S.

They elect women big time. Almost 50 percent of their Parliament is female. They elected a woman Prime Minister in November.

Iceland recently passed a law that allows companies who pay women less than men to be punished. Fined. No jail. A step forward, however.

Equal pay laws have no teeth. They tell the companies females must be paid equal to men. Enforcement lacking. Iceland recognized the problem and moved the step ahead.

It is generally acknowledged the law would not have come into being were it not for the large number of women in Parliament.

Enjoy your day!

 

PROHIBITION OVER

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The band played, the drums roared…..Recreational marijuana became legal yesterday in California. Prohibition over.

Within five years, most States will permit the use of recreational pot. The reason simple. Tax dollars! Big ones expected.

A few States will resist. Evangelicals, the extreme right their moving force. Those who refuse to learn, to accept. They will view legalized marijuana as morality tossed out the window.

My only stop last night the Chart Room. Quiet at first. Chatted with Shaun. Watched the beginning of the Oklahoma/Georgia game. I left at half time. My recollection Oklahoma winning by 17 points at the time.

While at the Chart Room, met Barbara and Joe. From Westchester, Pennsylvania. Barbara still working. A nurse. Joe, retired. A retired attorney and college educator who taught law classes.

They visit Key West frequently. Their Keys home on Little Torch Key. A mobile home destroyed by Irma.

We talked about the tragedy wrought by Irma. Barbara and Joe’s Little Torch home right in the middle of Irma’s blast.

Got into a discussion re retirement. Two retired attorneys. I ventured I went crazy with nothing to do. My blog born of that boredom. My other writings, TV show, weekly newspaper column, and podcast followed.

Joe agreed re the boredom, the difficulty initially of handling doing nothing.

A voice joined us from the other end of the bar. Tomas Mazeika. An attorney, also! A partner in a major law firm in western United States with offices in most major west coast cities.

Tomas, Joe and I agreed on one thing. Practicing law was/is hard work! The issue arose when I mentioned how content I am writing. Told them I wished I had majored in English and became a writer rather than an attorney. I would not have made as much money, but life would have been a lot easier.

Headed home. I was interested in the Alabama/Clemson game.

Hopped in bed and turned on the game. No Alabama/Clemson. Oklahoma/Georgia still on. Georgia had come back. The game tied. Two overtimes. Georgia finally winning.

An exciting finish.

Began watching Alabama/Clemson. Fell asleep within minutes. Woke at 3:30. Curious as to who had won, I went to my office and turned on the computer. Alabama 24-6.

Georgia/Alabama has the makings of an exciting game!

The jet stream is out of its neighborhood. All the way down to southern U.S. states. Including Florida. The jet stream bringing Canadian cold to us.

Sixty one degrees in Key West at 8 this morning. High today 68. Cold tomorrow. Even colder beginning thursday. Evenings in the mid 50’s and days in the mid 60’s.

The heat on at on at the moment.

Trump acts without thinking. Shoots from the hip. Most times totally unaware of the consequences. Several months ago, Trump decided to get on Venezuela’s back. He heard the people were starving. They had been starving for four years.

He tweeted. Knocked Venezuela’s President Maduro. Threatened a U.S. invasion.

The U.S. invading Venezuela? Pure stupidity!

Maduro reacted. In effect said to Trump, up yours!

The story. The U.S. has been the beneficiary of a deal made many years ago involving oil. Basically means any crude oil transactions and those emanating therefrom, were to be in American dollars. Such kept the U.S. dollar stable.

China has been making noises in recent years that it would like to have countries use the Chinese yuan instead of the American dollar.

Maduro opened the door for China.

Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. Venezuela went to the yuan. Russia and China announced they are going to the yuan. More countries will follow.

The U.S. at some point will experience an economic crisis. The stable American dollar will no longer be stable.

The beginning of the scenario occurring because Trump threatened to invade Venezuela.

My podcast tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. A quick half hour of interesting discussion. Many items eye opening.

Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Guaranteed you will enjoy!

If you have not purchased my recent book Irma and Me, please do so. It is the only published work on the hurricane. Humor and tragedy mixed.

Irma and Me is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KoboBooks.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

THE WEATHER…..KEY WEST AND ERIE, PA.

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The weather outside is frightful…..

For Key West, no. Erie, Pa., yes.

A magnificent Christmas week weather wise. Eighty by day, 70 by night. No humidity. No air conditioning required at night. Open the bedroom window and let the cool ocean breeze flow in.

Erie, Pa. another story! Four feet of snow over a 48 hour period 12/25-12/26.

Erie no stranger to heavy snow falls. However, the four feet was the most ever.

I remember 4 feet snowfalls in Utica. Got one every 10 years or so. Pretty. Disruptive, however. The City closed down. No driving, no work. Could be 2 days before you got out of your house.

I loved the major snow storms. Family time. Parents and children confined at home together. A time to rebond.

My day yesterday began at the opticians. Still having vision problems with the new glasses. Second prescription. Worse than the first.

I return this morning for additional tests.

Worked  at organizing last night’s podcast in the afternoon. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

An early dinner at Roostica.

No question it is Christmas time. The busiest time of the year in Key West. Roostica packed to the walls inside and out.

Tried to do a different show last night. One where Donald Trump is never mentioned. I did well. Slipped into a brief Trump comment only 3 times.

The introductory story was one I reported first on this blog last week. The story of the prematurely born female twins.

One not making it. Death inevitable. Placed in incubator next to her sister who was doing well. The healthy twin threw an arm over her sick sister. The sick sister’s recovery began immediately.

The twins 22 years old today. Lovely young ladies leading full lives.

The help of a sister and the grace of God responsible.

A poor stone crab season.  A very poor one.

Law of economics at work. Few stone crabs available, high prices.

The fishermen cannot find enough stone crabs. It is believed Irma disrupted the ocean floor and who knows where they ended up. Another reason suggested is that there has not been a cold front yet. A cold front is required to move stone crabs closer to shore.

Small stone crabs going for $8 a piece. Jumbo’s, $28 a piece.

Too expensive.

Syracuse/E. Michigan tonight. I will watch from the comfort of my bed. Syracuse a 12 point underdog.

I doubt many would disagree with me if I referred to Trump as an egomaniac. He may get his rocks off again. In Jerusalem.

Israel owes Trump. He is moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. The action to the Israelis indicates Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

They refer to Trump’s decision re the Embassy as a “brave decision.”

Jerusalem’s Western Wall is the holiest of Jewish places. A high speed railway is soon to be constructed which will run to the Western Wall. Construction to take 4 years. Cost, $700 million.

Strong support exists to name the train station at the Wall after Trump.

He is better deserving in my opinion for a subway train station in the middle of the Bronx to be renamed after him. One in a black/latino neighborhood.

Enjoy your day!

CELIBACY SYNDROME…..A FLIGHT FROM HUMAN INTIMACY

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Back to normal. Three hundred sixty five days till Christmas again. A well earned rest.

The Japanese continue to move away from sex. Would you believe! I wrote about the situation several years ago. It remains ongoing and getting worse.

Especially with the young. One study indicates forty five percent have given up on sex. Women 16-24, 25 percent of the men. One third of those under 30 have never dated. Most believe love leads nowhere.

Another study suggests even higher numbers. Forty nine percent of women 18-34 and 61 percent of unmarried men have turned their backs on sex. They are not interested in any kind of romantic relationship.

True celibacy. A flight from intimacy. In addition to not being interested, many despise sex. Hard to believe. Such is the case, however.

No sex creates a problem. A big one. A diminishing population. Births thus far this year are just below 941,000. The lowest number since births began being recorded in 1899.

Several reasons are attributed for the movement away from sex. The economic stagnation of the past 20 years. A continuing nuclear scare. The 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The radioactive meltdown.

The men claim they cannot afford marriage. Job security no longer exists in Japan. Job uncertainty does. Women do not want them.

Young Japanese women have entered the work place. Most are successful. Much demanded of them. They do not wish to have a job and care for a family. Too much work involved. They prefer dinners at top restaurants with their girl friends and traveling. The ladies can personally satisfy their sexual needs personally.

Women consider marriage a grave.

Talk about cultural change. What is happening in Japan is a big one!

Lisa’s for dinner last night. Tons of left overs from Christmas eve.

Stopped at Don’s Place on the way home. Wanted to wish friends a Merry Christmas. Spent some time with David, Frankie and Sandy. Sissy bartending.

Key West is recovering well from Irma. Twenty miles up the Keys, they are not. From Cudjoe to Marathon, the mess remains. Cleanup and repair moving at snail’s pace.

FEMA did well initially. FEMA has already spent $118 million in Monroe County.

Much that remains is for the State and County to do. Therein I believe lies the problem. Neither the State nor County expected the devastation Irma wrought. The problem exceeded anything they imagined or planned for.

Self-help still available. Homeowners, neighbors and friends continue pitching in and helping. The Federal, State and County must up their efforts. If the recovery is too much for the State and County, it has to be even more/worse for those engaged in self-help.

I worry. About war.

Marine Commandant General Robert Neller speaking to troops in Norway said war could come. In the next year. In Russia and the Pacific Theater.

In December 1888, Van Gogh chopped off the lower part of his left ear with a razor. History tells us he was a bit off mentally.

No wonder. As an artist, he lived off his earnings from the sale of his paintings. In his entire career, he sold only one painting.

Following the ear cutting event, Van Gogh painted a picture of himself with a head bandage covering the ear. It sold years later in the millions. As most of Van Gogh’s paintings have.

Difficult to find anyone who speaks well of Comcast. A difficult vendor to have for TV, wi-fi, and landlines. Service the worst!

Washington State has decided to take Comcast on. The Attorney General has initiated a lawsuit charging Comcast with misselling its Service Protection Plan. The issue who pays for service call bills. Seventy three million dollars involved over a 5 year period.

Go Washington State!

Podcast time tonight! My blog talk radio show. Nine my time.

Between Trump and world events, there is always much to talk about. I never run out of material. This evening no exception. The ills and misdeeds of the world exposed. Here and there, a story that warms rather than chills the heart.

A fast moving half hour. Boring the show is not. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

GREAT WHITES SNOWBIRDS

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Live and learn!

Great White Sharks are snowbirds. They summer in Cape Cod and winter in Florida. From Palm Beach to Key West.

At the present time, Miss Costa is enjoying the warm waters off Key West. A female Great White. So named by some follow the fish group. The group tagged Miss Costa in 2014. The group is generally aware of her location.

The group says worry not. Great Whites friendly. The group claims there are no recorded Great White Shark bitings off Key West.

I don’t believe them. But then, what do I know about Great Whites. Except that I have been scared of them since the movie Jaws.

Syracuse/Buffalo last night. Disappointed. Could not get the game here. The news reported following the game that Syracuse won 81-74. Syracuse looked good in the first half. Terrible in the second.

Syracuse plays Texas A & M thursday evening. Texas ranked number 8 nationally. A true test for Syracuse.

Enjoyed doing my podcast show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou last night. Primarily, Trump. Could not be avoided.

The tax bill soon to be law not fair. A welfare program for the rich.

One example is the child credit. Seventy five dollars to families earning less than $14,000 a year.  Four thousand dollars to families earning more than $400,000 a year.

Fair? I think not. The child credit should not be graduated based on income. Should be the same dollar amount per child regardless of family income.

Jimmy Carter when President said, “The present tax structure is a disgrace to this country, it’s just a welfare program for the rich.”

Nothing changes.

Truman loved Key West and Key West loves Truman.

Truman made 11 trips to Key West covering 175 days. He stayed at what is now the Little White House. At the time, the Naval Base Commander’s living quarters.

On this day in 1949, Truman left Key West at the end of a three week vacation.

Mike Yutzy a friend for years. Lives in Las Vegas. We have not been together in seven years. He is in town. We are having dinner together tonight.

Turns out Irma and Me is the only book written re Hurricane Irma. Maybe that is why Irma and Me is selling so well. The book is realistic, humorous and sometimes sad. The composition of a hurricane.

You will enjoy reading it. Friends and relatives also. Available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and KoboBooks.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

COREY MALCOM…..INDIANA JONES OF KEY WEST

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This morning’s Key West Citizen had a front page story that made me proud. Half the page. Huge photo. Title of the article: Corey Malcom…..Indiana Jones of Key West!

My son-in-law!

Indiana Jones fits him.

Corey grew up in the corn fields of Indiana. Today, his home the depths of the Caribbean.

Corey has been chief archaeologist at the Mel Fisher Museum for more than a quarter century. Worked hand in hand with Mel Fisher initially. He is an expert regarding the slave ship Atocha. He is a slave trade expert.

More than merely an expert. He is the only one possessing significant knowledge in the area of Caribbean slave ships. He writes several times a year for National Geographic. Appears on the History Channel.

He is the best husband, father, and son in law. For real.

Animals know. Jake follows Corey everywhere at home. Sleeps next to him during the night.

Last night was Aqua first. Dueling Bartenders time with Tom Luna and Rick Dery. Even Christmas carols last night. All of us joining in.

Jean at the bar. I was surprised. She was supposed to fly home to Birmingham yesterday. Delta through Atlanta. She was rebooked to wednesday.

David! I had not seen David in months. It was good to see him. In one of his rare moods. Singing along with Tom and Rick on most songs.

Liz was there. A few weeks since we have seen each other. Always good to see her. She was with Josefina.

Still dieting. A solid 10 pounds off so far. I am plateaued. Doing Atkins. The diet says ok to drink gin or scotch after two weeks. No carbs. It was three weeks last night. I had a Tanqueray on the rocks. Sipped it half way down over a period of two hours.

Stopped at Publix on the way home. Out of food again. Diet food. Picked up a few items. Atkins is an expensive diet to be on.

Tonight, Syracuse/Buffalo at 7. Syracuse should win. I will be able to watch the game before my 9 o’clock blog talk radio show.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou a fast moving half hour where I cover a multitude of sins. Join me. Interesting, eye opening and challenging. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Impeachment in the air. It was in the air in 1998, also. Clinton was impeached this date in 1998. Basically for his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

I considered attempting to bring Clinton down with Lewinsky at the time a low blow. Even would today. She wasn’t complaining. The Republicans were.

Lewinsky was 22 at the time. Many think younger because she was an intern when the affair started. Later, she worked in the Pentagon.

I felt sorry for Clinton. He was a harasser. Most of his predecessors in the Presidency had been also.

I felt sorry for Lewinsky. Still do. Her life destroyed because of the affair. The relationship involved oral copulation. Never actual intercourse. People remember her as the young lady on her knees. Even so many years later.

Her mother not quite right. Her daughter was in the throes of the investigation/scandal in 1996. Her mother Marcia Kay Vilensky wrote a gossip type book. The Private Life of the Three Tenors. In the book, the mother hinted she had had an affair with Placido Domingo.

Capitalizing on her daughter’s misfortune. The worst!

Reverse pedophilia. That is what I call it. Where the adult is female.

It is not only men who are perpetrators. I wrote a couple of weeks ago about a similar situation.

The most recent involves Andrea Barber. A 29 year old Oregon school teacher. At the time of her arrest, she had reduced her work hours to part time.

Andrea was married.

The school involved a religious one. Pedophilia and religion seem to go hand in hand in recent years.

The affair started in 2016 when the student was 15. They met on a regular basis. Mostly at her home. She even provided her paramour with marijuana.

The school the Logos Christian Academy. In its bio of Andrea, she is described thusly: ” Andrea has always felt called to work with youth and is very excited that God opened the door for her to be part of the Logos team.”

My good friend Larry Smith performs his annual Christmas show friday night at 8 at The Studios of Key West. Holiday Jazz Concert. Always enjoyable. I will be there.

Enjoy your day!

 

U.S. IS CHANGING DIRECTION

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Doug Jones’ victory in the Alabama Senate race yesterday tied with the Democratic sweep in Virginia several months ago indicates the United States has changed direction. The momentum is there. Except for that solid 30-35 percent of Trump voters, politically, mentally, socially, etc., America has seen the error of its ways.

Perhaps it had to be. The election of a Donald Trump. It has shaken things up. Not for the better in most instances.

Roy Moore is a sick man. How can a person who hates gays, blacks and Jews, yet loves 13-14 year olds, be elected to the Senate? I admit I was concerned. A crazy election. I thought “Albamians would stick to the script and elect a Republican, regardless of his propensities for the unsatisfactory and sick.

Glad I was wrong.

Then there is Trump in recent days. He cannot stop vilifying women. The most recent New York’s Senator Karen Gillibrand. Said she “would do anything for campaign contributions.” Inferring she was a whore.

Bad guy!

The election a stunning upset. Especially since Trump went all out for Moore. I cannot refer to Trump and Moore as birds of a feather. One likes only adult women whereas the other young girls.

The victory is being attributed to the exceptionally huge black turn out, suburban Republican wives, and college students.

I hope the Democrats are learning. One of the reasons Trump became President was because of Democratic failings.

I was impressed with the ground game on Jones’ behalf. Trust the Democrats will be able to keep it up in other States as 2018 approaches.

Saw the eye doctor and optician again yesterday morning. Turns out my prescription was way off. Waiting now for new lenses.

I was supposed to be at Guy de Boer’s home last night for a party. Around noon, I got tired. Exhausted. Called Guy around six and begged off.

This exhaustion is a pain! I was so tired, I did not go down stairs for something to eat at dinner time. I did not want to climb the stairs on the return trip.

I had planned on completing and fine tuning my podcast show scheduled for last night during the afternoon. No way! I was beat!

Winged it! Thought the show went smoothly. Listened to it this morning. Like every other show. Not obvious I was winging it.

Banks are thieves. So too, pharmaceutical houses.

The drug houses raise prices at will. Price gouging, in effect. Screw the public! Proper governmental controls and oversight lacking.

Avondale Pharmaceuticals the most recent example.

The gouging system simple. The company buys the rights to a drug that has little or no competition. Then massively inflate the price.

Two examples are Niacor and SSKI.

Niacor is a niacin/vitamin B pill. One hundred per bottle. Sold for $32.46 per bottle. Price raised to $295. An 800 percent increase.

SSKI’s increase 2,500 percent. Cost of a 30ml bottle went from $11.48 to $295.

I have been writing and reporting for two years re the Department of Defense’s inability to account for billions of dollars. Last week the Department announced it was preparing to audit the military. An inventory. Planes, guns, etc. First time.

Two days ago, the Department announced it had lost 44,000 military. Did not know where they were. The tracking system failed.

The were going to try to find them via the audit.

Yesterday, a third announcement by the Department and also the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The money part I had been complaining about.

It was announced that between 1998 and 2015, the two Departments had lost a combined $21 trillion. Taxpayer funds. Not accountable. No receipts, vouchers, etc.

To make matters even worse, it was reported that the Departments were “plugging” the figures. Making up numbers to make any accounting balance.

Twenty one trillion dollars is more than the national debt. It equates to $65,000 per man, woman and child in the United States.

Party time again tonight. A fundraiser.

Mary Lou Hoover is one of the most able and active women in Key West. She has decided to enter politics. She is running for the Key West City Commission.

The fundraiser is scheduled for this evening from 5:30 to 8:00 at Kate Miano’s new home on Free School Lane.

Jean Thornton and I will be attending together and then walking down the street to Marquesa for dinner.

Iguanas have been a problem for close to 20 years. Never in Key West, all of a sudden they appeared. In droves. All sizes. The community grew.

Iguanas are prolific. They multiply rapidly. The problem in the Keys overall is out of control. As with pythons.

The State has finally decided to do something about it. A program involving self-help will be instituted throughout the Keys. Purpose, to eradicate or control.

As with the pythons, never to be controlled in my opinion. Too late. Hopefully, contained.

Why are iguanas a problem? They eat flowers and foliage. You spend money for a lovely garden. They devour it. Their defecation a problem, also. They shit in our pools! Don’t laugh. The pool has to be drained and refilled.

Irma and Me selling well. I am impressed! The only story of Hurricane Irma on the book shelves. Buy a copy to enjoy yourself or give as a Christmas gift. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KoboBooks.

Enjoy your day!

SOLD HIS SOUL TO THE COMPANY STORE

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Sixteen Tons. Tennessee Ford. I Owe My Soul To The Company Store.

A great song. Fifty plus years ago.

Delete the word “owe”. Add in its place “sold.” Now reads I Sold My Soul To The Company Store.

A day or two ago I write Senator Chuck Grassley had sucked on the public tit too long. Thirty six years. Today, Utah’s Senator Orrin Hatch. Elected to the Senate for 40 years. The longest sitting Republican Senator.

He joins Grassley. Hatch has sucked on the public tit too long.

I have always admired Hatch. We got old together. He is 82 or 84.

A stand up guy in the past. Generally fighting for the right. Politics be damned. Relatively silent the past few years.

This past week, Hatch came out of the woodwork. No longer sitting quiet. Now an outspoken supporter of the Senate tax bill. I found it strange. He even shared his “poor” upbringing. Described himself as part of the lower middle class. Not poor. Try a level or two down. That is poor!

Two days ago, Hatch got to fly on Air Force One. With President Trump. Probably the first time in years he has been on Air Force One.

They headed to Hatch’s home state. Utah. There Trump removed “monuments designations” from two protected natural areas. Two million acres. He hailed Hatch. Hatch hailed Trump.

By his action, Trump opened 2 million acres to development. Commercial development. Like coal.

Coal is yesterday. No one seems to realize it, except Trump. Maybe Hatch.

Whatever, Hatch got a big share of Utah land open to eventual waste. In the process may have picked up some local glory.

Time to go, Senator. Forty years too long. Your values have changed.

I came across a quote yesterday: “Time to retire Senator…..when pedophilia is acceptable, you no longer represent our country.”

Together with Trump, Hatch is supporting the election of Alabama’s Moore.

I discussed Hatch and Grassley last night on my podcast show. The thrust…..They have sucked on the public tit too long.

Watched Syracuse/Connecticut last night following my show. Syracuse won 72-63. Syracuse played well early on. Had a 17 point lead at one time. Played Connecticut even in the second half.

Going to be a tough Syracuse year.

The game was part of the Jimmy V Classic. Purpose to raise money for cancer research. Dick Vitale spoke at half time. Introduced three young boys who are cancer survivors. Thus far. Their stories sad. Their smiles beautiful. The message send dollars so we can some day beat cancer.

George Mira. Fifty  plus years ago a University of Miami football star and 1962 All-American. Professional ball followed. He now resides in Coral Gables.

Mira a Key Wester early on. Born in Key West January 11, 1942. Played football at Key West High School.

Trump screwing things up again. Bad judgments on his part.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate stood trial for murder of a young lady in San Francisco. After a lengthy trial, he was acquitted last week.

As far as I am concerned, the jury spoke. It is the American way.

Apparently Trump was not satisfied. Thought justice not done. Attorney General Sessions and other federal officials announced two federal indictments. One for possession of a firearm, the other being an immigrant in possession of a firearm.

Zarate a non-white immigrant.

What else was to be expected!

The other involves Trump and Jerusalem.

It has been advised Trump will announce tomorrow that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and that in due course he would move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

Trump a trouble maker. Does not know when to leave well enough alone.

Enjoy your day!

JIMMY V

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Syracuse plays Connecticut tonight at Madison Square Garden. As part of the Jimmy V Classic. Syracuse a 5 point underdog.

Jimmy V of course the renown Jimmy Valvano. Famed college basketball coach. Led North Carolina State in 1983 to victory in the NCAA Tournament.

Two interesting things about the Championship game.

North Carolina State was losing by several points with a couple of minutes to go. Valvano had his players start fouling. I was watching the game on TV. I thought he was crazy. It worked, however. North Carolina State won by 2 points.

North Carolina State the National Champion. Valvano went crazy. He was running all over the court looking for someone to hug. His team was hugging each other. Valvano had no one. And then he did. Hugged many times that evening.

In his mid 40’s, Valvano died from cancer.

He was loved by all. Loved to this day.

Ten days before his death, a banquet was held commemorating North Carolina’s 1983 NCAA victory. Ten years to the date.

Valvano spoke. Knowing death was near. Fighting death every day. His words remembered to this day. “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”

A few days later, Valvano spoke at another event. The ESPY Awards. The first such event. The recipient to receive the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. Valvano was the recipient.

Valvano spoke again words remembered to this day. He admonished all to laugh, think and cry every day.

Words recalled from his address included…..”Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.”

The Jimmy V Classic tonight is part of the ongoing fundraising for cancer research. His fellow coaches lead in the fundraising to this day. Jim Boeheim one of them. $36 million so far.

I met Valvano one time. The year he won the NCAA Championship or a year later. In Rome, Italy.

I was in Rome with my wife and two of our daughters. It was night time. We were walking the Via Veneto. I was tired. The women wanted to continue strolling and taking in the sights.

I said I would be sitting at one of the outside cafes drinking espresso when they were done.

I approached the nearest cafe to rest my body. There was Jimmy Valvano sitting enjoying a coffee. I walked up and introduced myself. Syracuse fan, friend of Jim Boeheim.

He asked me to join him. I asked what he was doing sitting alone. He said he was tired and his wife wanted to continue taking in the sights. He told her she could find him at the table. We both had a good laugh when I told him my story.

We talked about basketball. The Championship was still fresh in his mind. Till his wife returned.

My one Jimmy Valvano meeting in of all places, Rome.

You never know.

Yesterday by day was not the best.

First a visit with my relatively new primary care physician. He ascribes my tiredness to old age. He said your 82 and expect to get out of a chair quickly. You’re not that young anymore.

I don’t buy it. In effect he was telling me I was an old man (which I am) and there is nothing that can be done to energize me. Left me thinking all I had left was to wait and die.

Then to pick up my new glasses. I was excited. New frames and all. I would be able to see much better.

An absolute disaster. A screw up somewhere. Both distances a blur. I have to return to my eye doctor to check the prescription out against the new glasses. Then return to the optician to get new lenses.

I have been wearing glasses since my 30’s. Never happened to me before.

Tom and Frances last night. Chart Room first and then dinner at Hot Tin Roof.

My Buffalo friends. Fran once again brought me three containers of sauce with meatballs and pork. Frozen solid. In her suitcase all the way from Buffalo. Also all kinds of Xmas chocolates.

Everything in the freezer! I am on a diet. The food and sweets will last.

My podcast tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. All type goodies to talk about. Join me at 9 my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I am impressed. I have had advertisers the past six months. Among others, GEICO Insurance and Old Navy.

Enjoy your day!