ARMED MASKED MERCENARIES WALKING STREETS OF PUERTO RICO

During war, battle plan are prepared. After the battle begins and things are not going as expected, the plan is thrown away. A new plan formulated. One outside the box.

Trump is not creating any new methods for helping Puerto Rico. He tells us the food and water are there. It is up to the people to distribute it.

Passing the buck.

Trump fails to take into account that over 100 bridges are down and many roads washed away.

Think outside the box!

Helicopters! Load the helicopters with food and water and fly all over Puerto Rico bringing food and water to those who have seen neither in almost a month.

My sense is the same was suggested to Trump and rejected by him. Why trump has a hard on for Puerto Rico, I cannot understand.

I discovered in the past 48 hours that armed masked mercenaries, wearing battle gear, and carrying arms, are patrolling streets in San Juan and elsewhere. No tags identifying who they are. When asked, they respond…..We work with the government. It’s a humanitarian mission, we’re helping Puerto Rico.

Who are these mercenaries? Where do they come from? Who is paying them?

TV thus far has been silent as to the situation. In the past two days, articles have begun appearing on the internet re the mercenaries.

Little by little, the truth is leaking out. It appears mercenary groups have been invited by the United States to bid to provide armed and unarmed security. Bids have also been asked for help in protecting food and water supplies.

Five bids requested so far. The one for armed and unarmed security by the Department of Homeland Security.

Questions. Assuming the previous correct, why has the Trump Administration not announced it? Why have TV news outlets failed to mentioned it? Why the big secret?

More importantly, if the U.S. can spend money to hire mercenaries to help, why not send the U.S. military instead? The way things normally are done.

Another thing, why the masks and no identification?

Is Puerto Rico being set up for the overthrow of its existing government by the U.S.? United States’ citizens overthrown by the United States?

None of this makes sense to me.

Spent yesterday afternoon working on tonight’s podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Join me for a fast moving sometimes eye opening half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics tonight include the Puerto Rico armed masked mercenary situation, a post Irma update for Key West, Kansas losing 70 foster children, the size of the White House, stone crab season upon us.

Also, Trump a destroyer rather than a builder, the poem Slow Dance by a teenage young lady who will be dead from cancer in 6 months, the soon to be publication of Irma and Me, new Charlottesville confrontations, and more.

I had not planned going out last night. Changed my mind at the last minute. Was lathered up ready to shave when the lights went out. So much for shaving. Showered and dressed in the dark.

My neighbors were in the street abuzz about the power failure. Some said all the way up to Big Pine. Others, Big Coppitt.

Aqua my first stop. Missed Liz. She and Stacy had left for dinner. Sat and enjoyed Ric Dery singing.

No Dueling Bartenders. Tom Luna was somewhere in West Virginia or Virginia attending a 40 year reunion of the cast of a professional show performed 40 years ago.

Lovely Jean Thornton at the bar. A couple of hugs and kisses.

I sat next to David. We decided after a while to leave and go to the Chart Room. The Chart Room was surprisingly packed.

Met a family from New Hampshire. Five in all. Staying at Truman Annex.

Chatted quite a while with CJ, the youngest family member at 24. CJ good company. Excited about life. A history major in college. Looking forward to obtaining a Masters.

A full day. I was home in bed by 10.

Publisher believes Irma and Me will be available for purchase by the end of the week.

Enjoy your day!

GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT…..AN IRMA SHINING STAR

I was not a fan of Governor Rick Scott till Irma. His performance during Irma has turned me. One hundred eighty degrees.

The man has performed outstandingly. And continues to so perform.

He knew Irma was coming and his State was in danger. He prepared. Florida could not have been more ready.

That alone turned me. However, his performance subsequent to Irma proves my change of mind to have been correct.

Scott was in Marathon yesterday for a meeting with various public groups working to help Keys’ residents. Expeditiously. Matters such as debris removal, temporary housing, small business assistance, etc.

He announced at the meeting that 400 Florida National Guard were being deployed to assist with debris removal. Six thousand tarps were on the way also.

Scott’s coordination with FEMA has been spectacular. Twenty seven thousand have registered for assistance already. Ten thousand approved thus far. Those approved have been funded to the tune of $14.9 million.

More has been accomplished.

Most telling is that yesterday was Scott’s seventh visit to the Keys because of Irma. Few of the visits receiving any notoriety.

His assistance each time more than handing out a few sandwiches.

The man performs.

Duval Street. Did the tour last night again. Conditions improving, though slowly. More store fronts visible. A few additional businesses open.

The trend re open for business is running from the Gulf towards the Atlantic. The bars and restaurants closer to the Gulf the first to open. By mid-Duval, a few more. At the other end of the spectrum, La Te Da opened sunday.

It will take till Fantasy Fest for things to return to normal.

The tree/foliage debris is beginning to stink. Awful. Especially after a rain fall. The humidity adds to the odor.

The Key West Citizen is only publishing two editions a week. Not because of Irma. A business decision. Its printing shortly moving to Miami.

I miss the Citizen! I subscribe on the internet and it was one of five publications I read first thing every morning. Local news is gone. Even where the weekly publications will pick it up. Not an everyday thing.

Started my evening last night at Aqua. Jean Thornton called from Alabama to advise there would be no Dueling Bartenders, though Tom Luna might sing a tune or two.

I needed to get out. Monday is Aqua night for me. So I went.

The bar itself filled with locals. A peppy group. Tom did not sing.

Met Ray and Tom. Ray a former Virginia judge. Look forward to running into he and Tom again. Good company.

Then to the Chart Room. Shaun bartending. Met Amy. An insurance representative from the midwest somewhere. Sent to Key West to do an informal report and evaluation of damage to certain of her company’s insureds. Preparatory to the claims people coming down.

Stopped at Denny’s on the way home for a bite to eat. Denny’s not my kind of place. However, I was there for breakfast with Robert and Ally a month ago and was impressed. Big, clean, shiny and new.

Good for a quick sandwich, I figured.

Sat at the bar. The only customer at the bar most of the time. Robi the bartender. We chatted a while. She has a son now 19 who has had significant heart problems since birth. Her war stories re not having insurance on occasion and her inability to get proper medical care for him tragic to hear.

I overstayed my time with Robi. When I returned to my car, the battery was dead. I had left the lights on. Thank God for AAA. I waited only 30 minutes to get a boost.

My cell phone’s Voice Mail apparently a victim of Irma also. I woke this morning to find 8 new messages running from 9/19 to 9/22. I assume lost in never never land because of Irma.

Puerto Rico being ignored. It appears Trump and Congress have forgotten that 3.5 million American citizens live there.

Government, get your ass in gear! They are our people!

My podcast tonight. The first in four weeks. Irma prevented me from doing the show during that time.

The show a quick half hour of interesting topics. Some eye openers. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou at 9 tonight. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics include Irma, past Keys hurricanes, China’s new credit card the customer’s smile into a screen, killer robots, opioids top tobacco use in U.S., the kneeling sport dilemma, Trump’s ignoring of Puerto Rico, North Korea, healthcare, and more.

Guaranteed informative. Many times from a different perspective.

Enjoy your day!

WORLD’S FAIR 2015

The World’s Fair this year is in Milan, Italy. My friend Anna has already visited four days. She is planning on attending again today.

Anna lives in Novara. A half hour train ride to Milan. Makes it easy for her.

She is taken with the World’s Fair. Sends pics every day. She especially enjoys the Asian pavilions. She commented very favorably re a Korean meal she had the other day. Yesterday, she watched a Chinese couple marry at the China Pavilion. Full wedding party and all.

The World’s Fair runs to October. Hopefully, I will get to see it.

I have been fortunate to visit two World’s Fairs.

The first had a big impact on me. It was 1939. I was four years old. My father took me to the New York World’s Fair. We stayed with relatives in the Bronx. Took subways and a bus to the exhibit.

To this day, I occasionally recall what I saw. Parts, not all. It was the modern world as it existed in 1939 with glances into the future. It was a good thing my father did for me that day.

By the time of the New York World’s Fair in 1964, I was much older. An adult. Twenty nine years old. I was in New York on business for a couple of days. An afternoon session broke early. I hurried to the World’s Fair. This time not by subway and bus. I was into private limousines.

I repeatedly make the observation that Key West is an adult playground. I refer not to sex activities. Rather to games. We move here and become children again.

Don is sponsoring a bean bag tournament at Don’s Place this afternoon. Only adults participating. I will not be one. Bean bag throwing is not one of the activities I have come to enjoy in Key West. However, I plan on watching.

Some politicians are consistent in what I consider their off the wall thoughts as to how government is to be run. I refer to Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott. A corporate success before becoming governor. He made millions with urgent care centers all over the State.

His present gambit is to take money away from public hospitals and funnel the money to for profit ones. A leopard does not change its spots. Once a corporate hound, always a corporate hound.

Sad news yesterday. Michael Shields is a leading Key West figure. Active in the arts, broadcasting and writing. A genuine liberal at heart.

It was reported yesterday that Michael’s son Jason had died. I became aware when reading a heart wrenching comment by Michael on Facebook. My deepest condolences to Michael and his companion Carol. A parent should never bury a child.

George Pataki threw his hat in the ring for the Republican nomination for President. He was one of my New York governors for three terms.

I was impressed by Pataki’s first victory. Over the very popular Mario Cuomo. Cuomo had been governor for three terms. I had met him several times over the years. An impressive figure. Eloquent.

I sensed he might lose against Pataki. I heard Cuomo speak at a Utica rally. He had been in office too long. I could tell he did not have a handle on the people’s problems any longer.

Pataki came out of nowhere. He was a State Senator from Peekskill. Not the biggest of towns. He was supported by then U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato. D’Amato and I had gone to law school together. I was a senior when he a freshman. He could always be found in the lounge playing cards.

D’Amato’s support was significant. I felt it might be. D’Amato knew how to dethrone giants. He had beaten Jacob Javits in the Republican primary.

There is a hullaballoo over monies paid to Hillary Clinton to speak at Arizona State University. $500,000. At a time when the University is broke and crying wolf. People want to know where the money came from to pay her.

Hillary and money are going to be a problem. She has tremendous corporate support. There is now an issue as to whether many of the dollars flow personally to the Clintons via the WJG, LLC corporation Bill formed.

Hillary is beginning to screw up. I watched her on TV re the Asian trade pact yesterday. She bumbled the question re her support for the pact. Did not know where she stood till she had a chance to read the whole thing. Something no one has been permitted to do.

She is going to have a hard time re the Asian pact. Corporate America wants it. However, the pact works to the detriment of America’s working people.

Sorry to be so long winded today. I must be better.

Enjoy your day!