PATRIOTIC EMOTIONS

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The Comments Section of this blog generally a war zone. Opposing political positions. No place for the timid.

A comment today emotionally moved me. A video. Touched my patriotic nerve. Brought tears to my eyes.

I recommend you view it. Seven minutes long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDdY46iAwHI&feature=youtu.be

Food for thought. Hatred is being spewed by those at the very top of the American political stage. Such the case, the Pittsburgh synagogue incident didn’t just happen. It was bound to happen.

Though the Comment Section has its moments of ferocity, occasionally a touch of humor appears. I consider the following humorous recognizing at the same time it insults a portion of American society: Ban Pre-Shredded Cheese. Make America Grate Again.

My last night began with the Chart Room. Vacationing trial attorney Scott at the bar again. He knows a good place when he finds it. I have seen him there 3 nights recently.

Also at the bar were Sheila, Carol and Jean Thornton. Carol visiting with Sheila for the week. A Californian. Professionally, a costume designer. She and Sheila were out every night of Fantasy Fest in a different costume.

Love of my life Jean Thornton sitting with them.

Chatted with all 3 ladies for a time. Then Jean suggested I join her for dinner. Stone crabs at the Pier One Restaurant. She was buying.

How could I say no.

Jean and I pigged out on stone crabs. Ordered nothing else except a drink each.

A glorious day for Syracuse. The college football rankings came out today. Syracuse is ranked #22. The first time Syracuse has been ranked since 2001.

Syracuse travels to Wake Forest saturday. Hope the ‘Cuse winning ways continue. Syracuse 6-2, Wake Forest 4-4.

When the federal government recommends privatizing jails it is for the benefit of the corporations owning them. Not the tax paying public. Mucho dinero involved. Political donations huge.

I have been opposed to jail privatization since day one. Two primary reasons. The U.S. crime rate has steadily been going down. The other is that corruption occurs within the privatization system. An issue I have written about in the past several times.

The New York Time Editorial Board in an Opinion Piece 10/28/18 titled “The Hate Poisoning America” wrote in part: “Violent crimes remains at historic lows across the United States. But by various indexes, hate appears to be on the rise.”

Justice moves slowly. The axiom Justice delayed is justice denied occurs in many scenarios. One is the length of time it takes for a death sentence to be carried out. Ten to twenty years not uncommon.

I am totally in support of a defendant sentenced to death to receive every legal theory available to avoid the death sentence. However, 10-20 years is a bit long. The victim died in a much shorter time frame. Minutes to days in most instances.

It was not always a long stretched out period. An example involves President McKinley.

The President was shot on September 6, 1901. He died September 14, 1901. His assassin was executed October 29, 1901.

Eighty four days from the commission of the crime to the carrying out of the death sentence.

The assassin was executed by use of the electric chair at Auburn Prison.

I go out of my way to mention Auburn Prison. I was in the prison several times to depose witnesses. Not a pleasant place even to visit.

Terri sings tonight! Guest performer with Dueling Bartenders at Aqua.

Enjoy your day!

 

PITTSBURGH JOHN

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Friday night at the Chart Room. A good night! Tons of people. Interesting people.

Sat and chatted with John for a while. From Pittsburgh. In the concrete business. Responsible for concrete sales in several states.

John visits Key West three times a year. Religiously. February, July and October.

His youthful experiences unusual.

John was the bat boy at the Pittsburgh Pirates ball field. For the opposing team. Worked with visiting stars like Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry and Mike Schmidt.

Not only was he fortunate to be a bat boy to professional players, he also got to shot hoops with another baseball luminary. Rocco Clemente. John lived in the right neighborhood. The Clemente family neighbors five doors away.

Ron and Tresha from Michigan. Interesting people. Ron a psychologist. Tresha owns a Midas operation. Used to own two, sold one. Between the two, they have 5 children and 3 grandchildren.

From out of the blue came Carol. Carol from New Hampshire. She visits Key West every season for two months. Rents the same apartment on Whitehead. We met the last time she was in Key West. At the Chart Room, of course.

Her downstair neighbor was with her. From Memphis. An annual renter, also.

In between, chatted with John. The best bartender in Key West!

Stopped at Outback on the way home. Prime rib.

Sat next to two interesting people. Husband and wife. Never got their names. The conversation interesting.

He is a retired executive from a pharmaceutical house. Just behind the banks in screwing the American public.

He obviously did not agree. Gave me all the stock reasons why prescription drugs have to be so expensive.

He buys his drugs from Europe. His actions speak louder than his words.

Spent a couple of hours on the deck yesterday afternoon. Reading some Civil War history. I took my first course in Civil War history my second year in college. Have been hooked on it ever since.

Parking for charter buses the brain child of the Key West City Commission. Took away many vehicle parking places in the lot and on the street.

So far, the lot is a failure. From my perspective. I have only seen one bus parked there. One time.

This morning’s Key West Citizen has an article setting forth the glories and successes of the parking lot. My experience not the same as reflected in the article.

The article says City representatives claim 4-5 buses using the lot a day. Again, I have only seen one one time.

The City charges $100 a day to park. The lot has been open six months. The buses still parking all over Key West. Illegally now. The City is going to start ticketing the buses. Fine $250.

I assume more buses will then be parked in the lot.

On this day in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in Key West briefly. He was driven down from Miami. Did a quick tour of the inactive U.S. Naval Base. Then on the USS Houston to watch Caribbean war games.

Trump will not be giving a State of the Union address. A new President does not make such a report his first year in office. Makes sense. He has been President less than two months.

Trump will address Congress, however. His presentation is listed as an Address. February 28.

I worry. Trump is going to go a step too far at some point. Further than any mishaps to date.

It has been reported that a plan is being circulated in Homeland Security to activate 100,000 National Guard. Purpose to round up unauthorized immigrants. In one big swoop.

Don’t know if anything will come of it. Dangerous if done. I remind you once again to recall Germany in the late 1930s and Germany in the rest of Europe during World War II. Nazi soldier driving up to homes/apartment houses to arrest Jews and other enemies of the State.

We are better than that.

Enjoy your day!