THINGS I DID NOT SHARE

Michael has dominated my blog the past few days. Other matters, I let slip to the wayside. Just went through my notes. I want to share some of the items with you. I am reporting them as they appear with no order or sequence.

I was watching MSNBC yesterday morning. A reporter at a California college campus. Talking with 40-50 students.

Millennials. The hope of the Democratic Party.

How many of you are going to vote? Only one hand raised. When others were questioned, they said their only concern was school. An attitude like don’t bother me.

Based on news reports, I thought this was the year the kids were going to vote. A rush to the polls. Not so. If the Democratic Party is depending on them, forget it!

Something wrong organization wise within the party. Democratic Party leaders constantly talk about the millennial vote. Have they got it wrong! The millennials will not be contributing this election to saving America.

I came across this quote in How To Win A fight With A Conservative: “We can’t be lulled into complacency. You have to remember that Adolph Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I’m not comparing him to Adolph Hitler. What I’m saying is there is the potential.”

Sounds like someone talking about Trump. Not so. Obama. Would you believe? Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga) expressing fears one week after Barack Obama was elected President in 2008. Broun believed Obama would create a security force akin to the Gestapo to impose a Marxist dictatorship.

The government screws up. Suddenly, the simple becomes a bureaucratic mess.

An Ohio woman got a ticket for failing to use her seat belt. When she went to pay, she was told her driver’s license had been suspended for 3 months for failure to pay child support. She told the Motor Vehicle person there had to be a mistake. She never had children. In fact, she had never been pregnant.

She has been busting her ass to get the problem resolved. A government goof has turned into a bureaucratic nightmare. No one can help her. Each agency blames the other or the computer. In the meantime, she is not driving.

Shakespeare wrote in the Merchant of Venice when he had Portia speaking to Shylock re mercy: “The quality of mercy is not strained.”

It was 2000. Two black brothers ages 21 and 20 were being sentenced for murder in New York City. They had murdered a gang member who had sexually assaulted one of their wives.

Justice Gustin Reichbach could have sentenced them to life. A maximum sentence. Never to be released.

The Judge felt a degree of sympathy for the brothers. Instead, he sentenced them to 17 1/2 years to life. Significant. It meant they would be able to seek parole after serving 17 1/2 years.

Both were paroled last year after 17 1/2 years.

Today, one attends Cornell and the other Columbia. All because one Judge saw something in the brothers that others might not have.

Senator David Perdue (R-Ga) is typical of a number of southern Republican politicians. Four examples why.

In the past few days, the Senator was being questioned by college students concerned that Georgia courts were preventing college students, primarily black, from voting based on a claim their registrations were improper. A total falsehood.

One of the students asked the question. He was holding his cell phone out to record the response.

The Senator “ripped” the phone out of the student’s hand.

The Senator’s office says it was an error in judgment on the part of the Senator.

The Senator in a recent speech compared Trump to Churchill. He said, Trump is “not a choir boy, but a man of history.”

Two weeks ago, he described Kavanaugh protesters as “Nazis.”

Can’t even leave Obama alone. At a recent Facts and Freedom Coalition in June, the Senator said let Obama’s days be few. He relied on Psalm 109:8: “Let his days be few.”

God loving men?

Now to yesterday news and happenings.

Stone crab season opens today! Hooray!

Stopped first at the Rum Barrel last night. Sunday night my Lauri fix. A wonderful lady.

Then to the Chart Room. Glad I stopped. Jean Thornton at the bar. She introduced me to Don Kincaid. They are old friends.

Don has been with Mel Fisher  in one capacity or another since the 1970’s. He is the man who found the first gold coin when the Atocha was discovered. He has written for National Geographic. Serves on the Mel Fisher Board. Today, a professional photographer.

Susan and Huggie came in. We had met before, though I did not recall them. They understood. Susan and Huggie are from Charleston, South Carolina and visit Key West twice a year.

Tonight, Dueling Bartenders at Aqua. Jean and I plan on meeting.

Enjoy your day!

KEY WEST AREA BORDELLOS BACK WHEN

The Key West area had its share of houses of prostitution back in the late 1940’s into the 1950’s. Going back 300 years, also. And since the 1950’s.

An age old business. Its roots traced to Biblical times. However, my house of ill repute comments are limited to the late 1940’s, early 1950’s time frame.

Today, a significant one in local prostitution history. On this day in 1953, Mom’s Tea Room on Stock Island was closed. A popular place. Open 11 years.

A forced closing.

The US Navy was upset its men were big time customers of Mom’s. Not that anything bad happened to them while they were enjoying Mom’s ladies. The Navy merely felt it was morally improper and leaned on local officials to close Mom’s down.

Mom’s was a local example of white slavery in operation. Mom was from Georgia. Her husband would travel to Georgia and abduct young Georgian ladies. Returned them to Mom’s to become working girls.

Mom and her husband felt this was not abuse since they made sure the girls were at least 17 years old.

There was another brothel on Stock Island at the time. Big Anne’s. However, I know nothing more about it than it existed.

Key West itself had many whore houses. Two on Petronia Street.

The Square Roof. White ladies available.

Another whose name I have not been able to determine. It provided primarily black women.

Sex was cheap in those days. Generally, $2. Not shocking when you consider a loaf of bread cost 2 cents and a gallon of gas 15 cents.

Between getting the blog out and working 3 hours with Sloan yesterday, I was wiped out. Decided to stay home. Never made it to Hot Dog Church or the Gardens.

Laid around watching the Masters.  Outstanding! Several could have won. One did. The leader for most of the day, Patrick Reed. He hung on to win by one stroke. A “dogfight” as he described it afterwards.

Big event later today. From 4-7. At the Grand Vin at 1107 Duval. A fundraiser for Commission candidate Mary Lou Hoover.

My candidate. A deserving person who based on prior performance will do much to help Key West.

The event is a Best BBQ Chef competition. Donation $20 and eat all the barbecue you can consume!

Trump and California Gov. Jerry Brown have been engaged in an ongoing battle re sanctuary cities. Brown recently used his Governor powers to pardon 5 convicts facing deportation because of their illegal status.

Well done, Jerry Brown! Trump had to be disturbed.

This day again one of significance. Sad historical significance. On this day in 1942, the US surrendered Bataan to Japan. Twelve thousand Americans and 66,000 Filipinos. Followed immediately by the Bataan Death March where many died.

We are engaged in another type war today with Japan. A tariff war. Tariff wars can lead to fighting wars. Recall that the primary reason the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor was the oil embargo imposed on Japan by the Roosevelt administration.

Roosevelt’s message to Japan was simple. Get out of China and we will withdraw the oil embargo.

China was not to be insulted by such terms. The result was Pearl Harbor.

War is all around us. Assad it is claimed chemically attacked his people again. A little town called Douma outside Damascus. Films of the event sickening. Gas bombing has been a no no for all nations since World War I.

Assad does not care. He has done it several times. Russia and Iran who support Assad do not seem to care. In fact, Putin does not believe it occurred. He wants proof.

TV film not enough for him. It can be rigged.

Trump said yesterday that Assad would have a “big price to pay.” He has drawn a line in the sand. He must do something. Otherwise Russia, Iran and North Korea will not believe we will do anything to them at any time regardless of what they do.

There cannot be another Obama situation. Recall after an Assad gas bombing, he “drew a line in the sand.” The next time it happened, Obama failed to follow up. He did nothing.

Trump should immediately get a few other nations on board. France has already indicated it will cooperate. Such must be done this week.

The retaliation must not be equal to, but rather even more harsh than merely gassing a population. What, I do not know. Outside my pay grade. But again must be severe. Like taking out every Syrian industrial area, bomb Assad’s quarters, etc.

I doubt Putin would get involved. At this point, he is all mouth. His military forces are old and lacking. He does have nuclear bombs, however.

Whatever, Putin cannot go to war with anyone with out China as a partner. China is not stupid. It is not in China’s best interest to engage in a fighting war with the US at this time. China believes it can beat us economically.

Tomorrow, a big day for Louis and Irma and Me. Our first book signing. From noon to 3. At Andrews Inn at Zero Whalton Lane. Come visit. My sense is it will be fun.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

THOMAS PAINE, THOMAS JEFFERSON, ST. AUGUSTINE

 

Civil disobedience rumbles through our society today. One example is what is going on in California. Attorney General Sessions has brought the might of the federal government down on California via a federal lawsuit. Legal and public opposition to the suit guaranteed.

People do not like being imposed upon by their government. The California issue has to do with sanctuary cities. California is a sanctuary state. It will not assist the federal government in rounding up, etc. certain illegal immigrants for deportation.

Many cities throughout the nation have labeled themselves sanctuary cities. All considering the federal government off base in seeking a city’s assistance to arrest and deport persons they do not believe should be deported.

The people speaking.

The lawsuit is weak substantively. The President forgot there is another branch of government called Congress. Trump’s signature on a piece of paper not enough to bring the power of the federal government down on a sanctuary state or cities without Congressional passage of a bill first approving what the federal government considers should be done with illegal immigrants.

Trump’s legal beagles in a hurry to do their master’s bidding, failed once again to do things properly. The legal analysis I leave for another day. Today, I want to approach the issue of civil disobedience from the philosophical perspective.

Thomas Paine said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Thomas Jefferson, “If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.”

St. Augustine, ” That which is not just seems to be no law at all.”

An unjust law is a perversion of the law. Law is supposed to stop bad things from happening. Not make them happen.

People have refused to obey/support laws wrong in their essence many times in the past. Significant ones include the Boston Tea Party, Gandhi, and the Birmingham protest marchers.

It all turns on morality. Sessions suit is immoral. Its basis immoral. The people of California are right in saying no to it.

My yesterday began at 8:45 in the morning with a visit to Dr. Norris. My intern. My first annual physical with him.

Lose weight and you make your doctor’s day! His records indicated I have lost 24 pounds since my last visit. Love doctor scales. I am still stuck at 20 on mine.

Everything ok. Blood and urine results next thursday.

The Cuban Coffee House is next door to his offices. I had planned on Cuban toast and coffee following the examination. No way! The line too long. No question season is here.

Decided on Harpoon Harry’s for a real breakfast. Lucky to get a seat at the counter. Packed. People waiting to be seated.

I enjoyed ham, eggs and hash browns. Yes, I cheated. Felt I was entitled. Skipped the toast, however.

Last night, the Chart Room. With Catherine.

Wonderful people.

Met Charlene and Chris from the Chicago area. Charlene reads this blog! I am excited and appreciative each time I run into some one who does.

Charlene is a State Attorney. She prosecutes. Chris an attorney, also. Works with local government in Joliet.

Both past visitors to Key West.

Charlene told me she had ordered Irma and Me. I loved her even more.

Hope to see them both again before they leave.

Gayla and Jeff were sitting at the bar. We started talking. From San Antonia. Home of the Spurs! They sounded like die hard fans. As I am with Syracuse.

Frequent Key West visitors. Two grown children.

Gayla stopped by before she left to tell me she had ordered Irma and Me on her cell phone.

Love these women!

Irma and Me has achieved a degree of popularity. It has been out 3 months now. Selling. I appreciate it. Not from a money perspective. Rather the recognition it provides. I am humbled people read what I wrote.

Finally, Holly. Holly of Kevin and Holly. Holly alone. Kevin at home in Key West.

Kevin’s scooter flipped a few months ago. Kevin spent 24 days in intensive care. Beat up badly. He is on the mend. Not totally yet. I hope to run into them both tonight at the Chart Room.

Today, a Louis one. A haircut with Lori at noon. Cuban cheese toast and coffee at Sandy’s Cafe afterward. A manicure with Tammy at 5. Then, the Chart Room.

Oh Syracuse, my Syracuse! Like Mighty Casey, struck out last night. Syracuse lost to North Carolina 78-59. The evening before, Syracuse beat Wake Forest 73-64.

The ACC Tournament is over for Syracuse. The NCAA next week. Will Syracuse make the big dance? I doubt it. A win against North Carolina might have permitted it. The team came up one game short at the end I fear.

We will find out for certain Sunday night.

Last but not least, tomorrow at 6 Kate Miano’s campaign kickoff party. Everyone go! At the beautiful Gardens. Free food and drink. See old friends and make new ones!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

AYN RAND…..DIFFERENT

 

Ayn Rand considered absolutely brilliant by some. Crazy by others. Some initially overwhelmed by her only to later become disillusioned.

I am in the later group. First, amazed. Considered her thoughts brilliant.  Then realized the nut she was.

Ayn Rand’s birthday was yesterday. She was born February 2, 1905. Died March 6, 1982.

To many, she was and is considered a philosopher. To others, a writer.

Two of her novels initially captured my thought process. I was a young attorney when I first read The Fountainhead. What a book! Its message that individual rights were the ultimate. Societal collectivism be damned.

Wow!

Rand’s message was that society had forgotten “I” and replaced it with “we.” She fictionalized a society where totalitarian collectivism had triumphed. Her hero, an individual true and true who fought the onslaught.

Many questions were left unanswered in my mind after reading The Fountainhead. They were answered when I read her second successful novel, Atlas Shrugged.

Rand believed in laissez-faire capitalism. An economic system in which transactions between private parties are free from government intervention such as regulation, privilege, tariffs, and subsidies.

The true Republican/Conservative in thought. And in action. She supported Barry Goldwater for President in 1964.

Her individualistic philosophy is best typified by her own words: An individual should “exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself.”

None of this is mentally imposing. Easy to comprehend. I must concede a movie helped. Atlas shrugged starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal. Their unusual love affair formed the basis for what Rand perceived as the individual vs. collective society war.

Rand thought much of herself. She claimed her greatest influence was Aristotle. Followed by Thomas Aquinas. She said if a history of philosophy were written, the three top philosophers would be Aristotle, Aquinas, and Rand. Signifying how high she held her own thought process.

My disillusionment came two years after reading The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I became aware that Rand was publishing a weekly newspaper in New York City. I subscribed to it.

The woman was absolutely mad! Her columns represnted her thought process carried to the ultimate. No frills. The woman was not stable. Wacky an excellent description. Dangerous, another.

Such was the end of my acceptance of Rand’s philosophy.

In spite of my change in thinking, I still recommend The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged for reading. An experience!

Spent last night at the Chart Room. Quiet. John bartending. Chatted with Christina.

Second time I met Christina. Sheila introduced her to me a month ago at the Chart Room. Christina is on the staff at the Custom House. She and Sheila worked together at the Custom House one time.

The conversation pleasant. The evening pleasant.

This afternoon Syracuse/Virginia. Virginia #2 in the country. Syracuse will probably lose. On the other hand, Syracuse is in for a good game. Overdue. You never know. Hope springs eternal.

The Republican “memo” a dud. Its anticipation full of sound and fury. In the end, signified nothing.

The Republican Congress worries me. They serve the Party rather than the people.

Partially responsible is Trump’s magnetic personality. He is a Pied Piper. Most Republicans blindly follow him.

Yesterday morning, the employment numbers were announced. Two hundred thousand more jobs. Big!

It was also announced interest rates would be going up.

By the end of the day, the market closed 665 points down. The sixth largest one day decline in history.

A crack in the dyke? A tiny one, I suspect. The market will be up monday. Money to be made by buying the stocks that went down. I ask however if there is a message in the 665 point drop. An indication of that which is to come.

Justice is confusing these days. Trump responsible for a good share of the confusion.

California legalized marijuana. Now, California is moving through the court system to vacate thousands of felony and misdemeanor marijuana convictions dating back to 1975.

At the same time that Attorney General Sessions’ Justice Department is gearing up to seek more marijuana prosecutions.

Both actions amazing!

I close with a bit of Florida Keys information.

I never knew how many Keys there were. Merely assumed a lot. In case you have an interest, there are over 1,700 islands. Few populated. Most small. Only 43 connected by bridges.

Enjoy your day!

 

PROHIBITION OVER

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!

 

 

 

SUCKING AMERICA DRY

Several years ago, I wrote a lengthy article in KONK Life concerning the severe drought California was experiencing. A contributing factor was the cheap price bottled water companies were paying for water.

Companies such as Nestle were paying city rates. The same rates homeowners were paying. Water was costing bottled water companies less than a penny a bottle. Consider at this moment how much you pay for a bottle of water. The profit margin astronomical.

The problem has reared its ugly head again in Evart, Michigan.

Evart has huge supplies of groundwater. Nestle has an existing contract with Evart to withdraw 945 litres per minute. Nestle wants to expand its taking to 1,500 litres per minute. Amounts to 4.2 million bottles of water in a 24 hour period.

Evart’s citizens are opposed. A temporary ban has been obtained precluding Nestle from extending the limit.

Cost a major consideration. The question raised is why the bottling companies can purchase water from the City at the same rate as a homeowner and then turn it into a huge profit when bottled and sold. The thrust is the bottling company should pay more. Another consideration is Evart might need the water itself at a future time.

Bottled water is bottled gold. Water has become the most consumed beverage in North America. In addition to Nestle, Pepsi and Coca Cola sell huge amounts of Aquafina and Dasni. Pepsi and Coca Cola paying city rates also.

The profits once again massive.

Consider present day California. Nestle has a 20 year supply agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to take California groundwater. The price paid $0.000001 for the water in each bottle.

Ten years ago, fresh water was considered the best long term investment over the next decade. An astute observation!

Interestingly, bottles labeled “pure spring water” are generally merely fresh groundwater.

Detroit’s water is still foul. A major problem. Excess water in other parts of Michigan are not being made available to Detroit directly. Why?

China comes into play. Only 12 percent of China’s 1.35 billion citizens have access to fresh water. U.S. major bottling companies are set to rake in big dollars once the China market is developed.

Nestle, Pepsi, and Coca Cola are examples of corporate America controlling a life necessary item. The price of bottled water off super market shelves will increase dramatically over the years.

Such is inevitable.

Enjoy your day!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATM

Everyone, everything has a birthday. Two days ago, ATM. Fifty years old. the first ATM having been opened on June 27, 1967. Barclay’s Bank in London.

Prior to ATMs, you could only get money out of a bank during bank working hours: 8-3. On weekends, not at all.

We have been spoiled!

Move completed yesterday. I am surrounded by boxes. Every room. Taking today off. Tired. Will get at arranging things hopefully tomorrow.

I am at Starbucks at the moment. Still do not have wi-fi or anything else Comcast provides.

I am going to head over to Verizon when I am done. I have a vague recollection I have wi-fi on my cell phone.

Chart Room first last night. Sat and slowly drank. Not crowded. Three couples sitting at the round table. From New York City. Boisterous. Loud. Laughing. Having fun.

Their bar bill over $300 for six people. When leaving, they apologized for the noise, etc. No problem. They said they were from the City and that is how NYC people are.

They tripped onto the Chart Room. First time. Loved it!

I got to show off a bit. Two of the ladies wanted to know about the names and ashes of those in the bar.

Dinner after the Chart Room at the Hot Tin Roof. One of my favorite dining places. Not last night.

I was not that hungry. Ordered bread and fried calamari. Asked for the bread first and quickly. Told the bartender I had been drinking.

Note the Chart Room charges for bread. $3. Stupid, but that’s the way it is. My bread did not arrive till I was almost done with the calamari.

Some nights you just can’t win!

May such be one of my biggest problems in life

A lawsuit has been filed in California federal court. Some group wants fluoridation of water stopped. Claim neurotoxicity and not consistent with the Toxic Substances Control Act.

I recall when fluoridation came to New York State. I was in high school. A bitter war. Many opposed.

Ten years later, dentistry as known then was not the best of careers. Fluoridation had cut back dramatically tooth decay. For many years, dental school was avoided by many.

Dentistry is back big time these days. Implants, etc. Fluoridation still around. Pseudo experts claiming it unhealthy.

I am 81 and still here.

Florida’s Senator Rubio is sometimes his own worst enemy. I happen to like him. However, he sometime says stupid things. He needs more maturity. Like another ten years. Then he might be Presidential timber.

His latest statement giving me concern is the Republican healthcare bill. He is not concerned that 22 million will be without coverage by 2016. He considers by that number “…..only a small percentage will be hurt.”

One of Key West’s favorite people was married on June 28, 1919. Harry Truman married Bess.

Enjoy your day!

SPECTACULAR MEAL

Key West has many fine restaurants. A few less than fine.

The last time I ate at Conch Republic was 15 years ago. A fried fish joint. Less than fine. Not to my liking. Did not return.

Donna and Terri took me to Conch Republic last night. They had recently eaten there and told me the food was outstanding. Since I was their guest, I let them do the choosing.

I was shocked! The meal spectacular!

We enjoyed oysters and stone crabs. The oysters large and juicy. The stone crabs good size and tasty.

I shall return!

The Conch Republic was formerly a brewery. When I purchased my home 19 years ago, it had been closed quite a while. Someone purchased the place, cleaned it up and opened as the Conch Republic. Retained the brewery atmosphere.

The restaurant sits on the bight waterfront. A marina to the front. No walls. Everything open. A marina to the front. Beauty surrounds.

Thank you Donna and Terri for a special treat.

The day before Easter. The big activity of the day coloring Easter eggs. Loved it with my children and grandchildren. Robert and Ally old enough not to need my help any longer. For them it has become a duty to color the eggs.

In my youthful days, egg coloring was done in a different fashion. Not sure if it was because we were poor or the coloring materials sold today were not available.

My Grandmother used to boil onion skins. The residue brown. We would dunk the eggs in the brown mixture. Voila! Brown colored eggs!

Names were written on the eggs prior to dunking with soap.

Hurricane season around the corner. Thursday the 2017 hurricane prediction list will be published.

Today is April 15. A significant day in history.

Lincoln was shot in 1865. The Titanic sank in 1912. Jackie Robinson became the first negro to play professional baseball in 1947. The Boston Marathon Bombing occurred in 2013.

California is generally ahead of the rest of the country in new things.

California has been permitting self-driving cars to be tested on its highways for some time now. It was announced this past week that Apple had begun testing. The 30th company to so do.

Key West is still fiddling around with whether to permit Uber and Lyft. With drivers, of course. By the time Key West gives its approval, California will be far ahead with autonomous vehicles operating on its highways. Uber one of the companies presently testing in California.

Key West seems opposed to entering the 21st century.

Mumps. Remember, swollen cheeks and glands. I had them. Way back in the early 1940’s. No vaccination back then.

Mumps are making a come back. Especially on college campuses. There is a national outbreak. One thousand cases this year alone. The year is less than 4 months old. Covering 37 states.

For Catholics who aspire to a special Easter mass, St. Mary of the Sea will hold a sunrise mass on the school grounds tomorrow.

Enjoy your day!

EARLIER ERA DISCRIMINATION

Racial discrimination an in your face item today. Trump’s attempts to limit/stop Muslim immigration an example.

Today, it is Muslims. At another time, the Chinese. The year 1888. On this date in 1888, the U.S. passed a law forbidding Chinese laborers from entering America. Note the word “laborers.” Merchants, extra smart persons and seafarers not included.

California was the tender spot. Over 100,000 had come in. The Anglo cry was they were taking up the white man’s jobs and causing wages to be low.

By 1888, some Chinese had become successful. They owned and operated laundries and restaurants. Both considered women’s work up to that time.

The U.S. continued to discriminate against and exclude laboring Chinese till 1943. The middle of World War II. The Chinese were our ally and such blatant racism could not be permitted to continue.

Spent a little time yesterday reading about turtles and the Florida Keys. A tale of love.

Sloan came by mid afternoon. I called her. Needed her. I wanted to improve on my new Go Live videos on Facebook. Two problems. Quickly resolved.

Big night! Jenna at Berlin’s. We had not seen each other for several weeks. It was catch up time.

Jenna is absolutely amazing. Her professional life continues to develop. Her income accompanies the success.

She was excited I was doing FB videos. She was watching them. She quickly shared with me two things I could do to make the videos better. Love her!

Compared to Jenna, I am a rank amateur when it comes to social media, FB, video, etc.

She shared with me a recent exciting experience.

Jenna has been running the past year. I should be so thin! She has competed in several 5Ks. Comes in 1st or in the top 5.

She works out with Dante. Another thin creature. His abs pronounced.

Jenna ran a short video on FB of her and Dante standing waiting to run. Eleven thousand views! Wow! Even she was surprised. She could not figure out why the video became instantaneously hot.

Would I love to have 11,000 views!

Bria stopped by. Lovely! Enjoyed her singing afterwards.

Tennessee Williams time.

This afternoon at 2 at the Tennessee Williams Gallery at 513 Truman, a talk about the making of The Rose Tattoo. Starred Anna Mangani and Burt Lancaster. Filmed in Key West in a house 2 doors from Williams’ home. The movie based on a Tennessee Williams story.

One week from today at The Studios of Key West, a presentation involving Williams and Frank Merlo. Williams and Merlo were lovers. They lived together in Key West and elsewhere for years. I believe their love letters the basis of the show.

I wrote about the Tennessee Williams and Frank Merlo relationship in an article in KONK Life three years ago. The emphasis was on the influence that Merlo had on Williams life and writing.

The State of Florida took like a 100 years to complete the reconstruction of North Roosevelt Boulevard. The State screwed up re the cross walks. How to long to spell out. If you live in Key West, you know.

Too many accidents at the crosswalks. Serious injuries the result.

The State has been screwing around about correcting the situation. Nothing definite from them.

City officials are trying again. The State has to come in and fix. It is a State highway. Even if the State agrees, I can tell you it will be an additional 2-3 years to get to it because of funding. Not in the budget or proposed budget.

Harry Truman loved Key West and Key West loves Harry Truman. On this date 1950, the President arrived in Key West for a one month vacation. A working one. At the Little White House.

I am fortunate to live on this island. Warm most of the time. Experienced enough snow while living up north.

New York City got hit by a major snow storm in 1888. Began this date. Forty inches in 36 hours. The City was isolated for days. An example being that messages to Boston had to be routed through England.

Here I go again with robots and autonomous intelligence. It is not sneaking upon us. It has. And no one is talking about where those human employees being replaced by robots, etc. will work.

The issue is not bringing jobs back from Europe, Asia and Mexico. Such an issue 20 years ago. Over the next 3-4 years, it will be the robots taking over.

And no one talks about it. Not even Trump who professes to know everything.

California plans to permit no driver vehicles on its highways by the end of the year. No steering wheel, no pedals, no driver.

A biggie beginning at 5:30 today. The NCAA Selection Show. I do not expect Syracuse to be selected.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

NATIONAL DONUT DAY

Today is National Donut Day. America has a national day for everything.

Donut can be spelled two ways. The original, doughnut. Contemporary, donut. Both acceptable.

National Donut Day got its start in 1938.

During World War I, Salvation Army volunteers gave donuts and coffee to troops. Relatively close to the front lines. In 1938, National Donut Day was created to honor the work of the volunteers.

The Day means free donuts in some venues. Here in Key West, Duunkin’ Donuts offers a free donut with every purchased drink. Krispykreme locations will give a free product with each cup of coffee purchased.

Glazed Donuts is at 419 Eaton in Key West. I could not ascertain its policy re free donuts this day. Stop by anyhow. Glazed Donuts’ donuts are great!

Welcome home, Donna and Terri. My lesbian wives have returned. They claim forever. Hopefully so. Two better people do not exist.

Patrick and Lester are leaving Key West. Moving to Georgia. Sad. Two of Key West’s best. I have known them 20 plus years. They are friends. Patrick and Lisa tight.

Patrick aka Patty Cakes was the Sq. 1 bartender for 20 plus years. Everyone loved Patrick. Always available to help in a crisis.

Big swimming race tomorrow. Around Key West. 12.5 miles. Ocean currents galore.

Called Swim Around Key West, an annual event. Began in 1977 when Anna Fugina swam around Key West. She did it for health reasons. Her time, 12 hours 59 minutes. Today’s record is 3 hours 31 minutes 28 seconds. In recent years, most complete the race in 5-6 hours.

Anna is now 64. She will be racing tomorrow.

Not a local thing. One hundred eighty five swimmers  from 7 countries and 29 states will participate.

The race begins at 7 tomorrow morning off Smathers Beach.

My KONK Life column this week is America Has Lost Its Promise. It hit the stands yesterday. Appears in KONK E-Blast this morning. Was also linked to my Key West Lou website this morning. .keywestlou.com.

How the world turns! Sins of yesterday acceptable without question today.

On this day in 1956, Santa Cruz, California passed a local law banning rock and roll. New music at the time. The city considered it detrimental to the health and morals of youth and the community.

Military service has always been an item of discussion/investigation as regards Presidential candidates. Recall, Clinton got beat up for not having served. Bush 2’s National Guard service was closely examined.

The issue not yet an issue as regards Trump. Vietnam was his time. He was found ineligible for a “foot thing.”

Trump’s deferment will become an issue at some point.

Enjoy your day!