HIS WORDS AND LETTERS…..SPECIAL

Two years ago, I wrote an article for KONK Life involving Tennessee Williams and Frank Merlo. Merlo was the love of Williams’ life. The relationship tender and then tumultuous.

Tennessee Williams’ birthday is being celebrated this month. Many activities. One last night at Studios of Key West. His Words and Letters. Words and letters written to Williams’ closest female friend, Maria Britneva. Substantially involving the Williams/Merlo relationship.

Merlo’s influence on Williams is reflected in the fact that Williams wrote his finest works during their time together. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Rose Tattoo, and Night of the Iguana.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. A production well done.

Williams also wrote The Glass Menagerie. The Glass Menagerie was playing across the street at the Key West Theater while I was enjoying His Words and Letters.

Prior to the Williams’ show, I enjoyed La Concha’s happy hour while browsing the Sunday newspapers.

One of the items mentioned in yesterday’s Key West Lou video on Facebook involved outhouses. Details immaterial here. Final video comment was that Hemingway had the first indoor plumbing in Key West. Put in his home on Whitehead when he purchased it in 1931.

Bad day at Black Rock. Two basketball giants felled at the NCAA Tournament. Louisville and Duke.

So it goes

Congressional hearings begin today re Russia’s interfering in a U.S. Presidential election. Not the first time. Occurred once before. The election of 1796.

John Adams and Alexander Hamilton running for President. Great Britain and France had just concluded a war against each other. Bad feelings rampant in each country.

For some reason, U.S. support was important to each nation. John Adams, with the support of George Washington, backed Great Britain. Hamilton, France. Hamilton’s position was that France’s assistance during the Revolution mandated U.S. support.

France threatened open warfare with the United States if U.S. support was not forthcoming.

Adams was elected President. No war occurred.

I mentioned yesterday that Florida reported the screwworm problem was no more. A tried and true process had defeated the maggot type insects. The release of sterile screwworm flies. One hundred forty million since October.

Jean a female loggerhead turtle found sick in December. Taken to Marathon’s Turtle Hospital. She was impacted.

The hospital named her Jean. Cared for Jean till friday. A recovered Jean was released back into the ocean at Sombrero Beach.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

A CHARMING DINNER COMPANION

I made a new friend a couple of weeks ago. Lizabeth Moody. We had dinner together for the first time last night. The bar at Berlin’s.

Liz is an exceptional person. At 82, mentally sharp.

Liz’s life is one of dedication and success in the field of law.  A Yale Law honor graduate, person to score highest on her bar examination, Dean of two law schools, Cleveland State and Stetson, a good friend of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, active in the highest levels of the American Bar Association, first woman President of the Cleveland Bar Association, and on and on.

A lover of Key West, also. She and her husband purchased their Key West home in 1981. Her husband now gone.

Liz was President and CEO of the LSAT operation. The organization that runs the examination that dictates whether you are qualified to be accepted in law school. During her time with LSAT, she worked arm in arm with Craig Christensen. Craig was Dean at Syracuse Law when I was Chairman of the Board.

Intellectually superior. When studying several weeks taking a cram course for the bar examination, she and a girl friend slept late, played 18 holes of golf and attended a 4 hour lecture in the evening. Every day. Liz scored the highest of all taking the bar examination. A feat!

I contrast her bar exam cram course experience with mine. Did the same 4 hour lecture in the evening. Out at midnight. Studied till 2. Up at 7. Studied all day. For six weeks. Only one day off. The Fourth of July.

I was happy to pass. Liz was happy to be first.

Liz Moody, a star in the legal profession.

We chatted and laughed over  a few drinks. Each of us had a 2 pound Maine lobster.

A great evening!

Yesterday, a manicure with Tammy, the Key West Aloe Store for after shave gel (Men: I have been using it 20 years. Absolutely the best.), and stopped to look at the former Sq.1 now the Ocean Grill & Bar.

The Charlotte videos confuse me. There is something we are not being shown.

Early yesterday morning, I saw a video on TV of a police officer wearing a red shirt bend over and drop a gun on the road. In the same place in an earlier video where the gun did not appear.

The video has never been shown again. All day yesterday into this morning.

We seem to have a negative impression of protestors who cause property damage. Destruction of property appears to make a protest illegitimate.

Recall the 1773 Boston Tea Party. Property damage big time. I guess one’s conclusion is based on which side he or she is on.

As with the Boston Tea Party, you must admit it got the Brits to pay attention. Not enough, however. A war was still required.

The blacks want to be heard. The problem ended. The protestors are doing whatever it takes to get the nation’s attention riveted to the problem.

The Civil War ended 150 years ago. The problem still exists.

Trump talks about building a wall. Not a new concept. I am not referring to the Great Chinese Wall.

France and Great Britain are experiencing the immigration problem big time. Black Muslims are coming out of Africa into France. From France, the route for many is to Great Britain.

All kinds of issues. One, whether the immigrants be searched/vetted in France or Great Britain?

France and Great Britain got together. Decided to build a wall at the Port of Calais. Sixteen feet high. Coils of razor wire running along the top. Cost was $29 million. The two countries split it.

Great Britain out foxed France in one respect. The immigrants would be searched/vetted on the French side by the French. Turned out to be cumbersome and costly. Britain has agreed to pay France $20 million a year to do the job.

I suspect I have gotten Diane Millikan involved in my William Hackley comments. Diane has begun digging behind what is written. Good show!

Her present search involves the Kate mentioned in today’s diary. Hackley paid William Randolph $8 for her services. Diane suspects Kate was a black slave owned by Randolph and rented to Hackley.

Lets see what she comes up with.

Syracuse/Connecticut at 1. Connecticut a 3 point favorite. Just maybe Syracuse will win this one.

Enjoy your day!

MOSQUITO CONTROL BOARD OUT OF CONTROL

The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. A pompous sounding name. Most refer to it as the Mosquito Control Board. I will.

Pomposity is not in name alone. I am beginning to think it applies to Board members. All elected to their positions. Ergo, directly answerable to the people. Something they seem to have forgotten.

I say VOTE THEM OUT! All of them.

The board recently passed a new policy. Any information re Zeka, dengue fever and other tropical diseases are not to be discussed by Board members till the State Health Department has confirmed a case first. Even then, the Board’s attorney has approval/disapproval power.

Stupid!

People have a right to know. Especially where health issues are involved. What happened to transparency.

The Zeka battle has left Board members shell shocked. Their own fault. They have been handling the Zeka problem in a ridiculous fashion.

Top employees are well paid. The Executive Director receives $135,000 a year. My admonition: Don’t screw with the public. You are placing your job on the line.

The Board decided it needed a new building. Last year at this time, the Board was advised the building would cost $2.4 million. Not making a decision, the price has jumped $2 million in one year to $4.4 million. Not understandable in itself.

Yesterday, the Board approved a 45 percent increase in property taxes to pay for the new building. Forty five percent!!!

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. Jenny encouraging. Body Owners helpful. I stayed at a lower speed for 30 minutes. A slight step backward. However, it was all I thought I could handle.

Then to Verizon wireless. The Verizon store in the Winn Dixie Shopping Plaza.

Lesson #2 in learning how to use my new telephone. Got it six months ago. A total disaster for me!

I visited the store recently and told the young lady behind the counter that I had the new phone, bought it from them six months ago, could not use it. Needed help. Could they help? I was willing to pay. Or direct me to someone I could hire to teach me.

Her name, Nana Hernandez. Her title, Wireless Professional. She said I will teach you and it will cost you nothing. Yesterday was help/lesson #2. A step at a time. She is patient. We have a schedule. Three times a week. In a month, I will be a terror!

Dinner last night at Hot Tin Roof with Frances and Chris. Interesting people. Fun. They return up north today and will not be back till the Fall.

This afternoon research for this week’s KONK Life column. Research will be completed today. I will write the column tomorrow.

About bagels. For real. An interesting history yesterday and today.

What a change in subject matter! Last week’s article was about the new prostitution.

Four more people approached me yesterday about the Prostitution column. All women. Forty to 60 years in age. Probably mothers and grandmothers. Without deviation, all consider the new prostitution deplorable.

Big day for Hemingway Days! Running of the Bulls and the Hemingway Look A-Like Contest. Makes for a great afternoon.

Immigration a problem almost everywhere. Great Britain hit over the years big time with hordes of immigrants.

A recent study indicates the British people are becoming a minority in their own country. 2015 birth rates show 3.2 immigrant babies born for every 1.8 British babies. Just a question of time.

The five leading immigrant groups in order of their numbers are the Polish, Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, and Nigerians.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

FELL ASLEEP

My blog talk radio show was at 9 last night. It takes me five minutes before to connect with the radio station. The process is not permitted till 8:45.

It was 8 o’clock. I was watching primary returns. I fell asleep. Woke precisely at 9. Rushed to the computer. It took till 9:06 to connect.

This has happened before. I have to move my ass under pressure to connect.

Listeners last night were cheated of five minutes. Those archived will never know. I know and apologize. Promise to never fall asleep again.

The blog talk radio show went well. In spite of the lost five minutes. I hit hard on two issues. Female genital mutilation in England and Michigan’s Senate passing a bill last week making oral and anal sex illegal. Good for 15 years in jail!

The high number of mutilations in England is due to the high number of Muslim immigrants. Michigan’s soon to be law is the government invading the bedroom. Nine states already have such laws.

Today is wednesday. Wednesday is Hump Day. For me, Screw Off Day. No writing till the weekend.

The anti-gravity treadmill in the morning. Increasing my speed. I am impressed!

I misjudged my preparation for last night’s show. I thought I had things pretty well ready. About an hour’s work to complete.

I was wrong. Took me 3.5 hours. The reason being I found some items more interesting than that which I had prepared.

The New Hampshire results telling. I hate to admit it. It appears Trump will end up the Republican nominee. The Sanders/Clinton race still up in the air. Sanders victory impressive. Beat Hillary by 22 percentage points.

I suspect Hillary may be on her way down. Not because she is a bad woman. Her time has passed. She represents yesterday’s thinking. She has too many other problems on her plate.

Sanders an interesting candidate. He is of the Jewish faith. He would be the first Jew elected President should he win. Much like Obama’s victory as the first black.

We were all shocked by Flint, Michigan. It now comes out the lead problem has occurred in the past in other cities and in each the news of was kept from the public. Sebring, Ohio, Washington, D.C., Jackson, Mississippi, Durham and Greenville, North Carolina.

On this day in history in 1763, the French and Indian War ended. Recall, I made mention two weeks ago in KONK Life of the war as part of my Yankee Doodle Dandy article.

The Brits won  the French and Indian War. As a result, France lost most of its colonial empire. France did not forget. Many historians believe the French supported the colonists in the Revolutionary War for that reason.

Enjoy your day!

 

NAPOLEON, HEMORRHOIDS, OPIUM AND WATERLOO

On this day in 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was fought. Napoleon was defeated. His prominence ended.

Most historians credit the English and allied forces under the Duke Wellington for having defeated him. Others give credit to the Prussian army which entered the fray later in the day when the winner was yet to be decided.

Napoleon was a military genius. Not at Waterloo, however. Why? Why did he lose?  Did something other than the battle itself contribute to his defeat?

Napoleon suffered from hemorrhoids. They were bothering him big time the night before the battle. He was also suffering that evening from a bladder infection. He took a dose of opium to relieve the pain and help him sleep.

Napoleon slept well. He woke late. He had difficulty mounting his horse. He had to be helped. He did not arrive at the battlefield till around one o’clock in the afternoon. By that time the forces against him had made strategic moves and were in a better place to counter Napoleon’s moves.

Napoleon had the habit of riding around a battlefield while the fighting was going on. Personal reconnaissance. He could not that day. The hemorrhoids.

The pain/discomfort was intense. Napoleon took more opium.

The battle was a close one till late in the day. Whether the English or Prussians, the battle was won by the allied forces late in the day.

Historians rarely comment on Napoleon’s physical condition and medication on  the day of the battle. Nor the effect the pain and opium had on him.

In his incapacitated condition, Napoleon was defeated later in the day. I suspect he would have not lost were it not for the hemorrhoids and opium.

My yesterday began at Body Owners on Stock Island. The anti-gravity treadmill.

Then to my heart doctor, Dr. McIvor. To get the results of all the tests I had taken the past few days. A relief! Everything is ok. Nothing has changed. I have two aortic valve problems and was concerned there might be a problem with one of them.

While there, he complimented me on how thin I was. Was I still dieting? No, I was exercising. I explained the anti-gravity treadmill to him. I was singing to the choir. He has purchased one for his expanded offices. Soon his patients with bad hearts will be able to exercise without stress.

I am turned on by the treadmill. It made me feel better that he was going to use it with certain of his patients. Those who needed to exercise.  Starting slowly. I do not go slow, however. I move!

Last night, the Chart Room. Sheila and Emily holding court. And Liverpool Mike. I refer to him as Liverpool Mike because that is from whence he comes. Liverpool, England.

Mike recalled me from last year. Embarrassingly, I did not recall him.

Mike vacations once a year in Key West. This trip for two weeks.

He is a hospitality consultant. Arranges new restaurants and bars.

I mentioned to him last week’s KONK Life article re Portugal and drugs. I told him my research indicated that Great Britain was considering legalizing all drugs as Portugal had done. No way, he said. The big fight at the moment is reducing marijuana use from a felony to a misdemeanor. There is no talk of legalization.

I am sure Mike and I will share a drink or two together again during his visit.

Peter, aka Captain Peter, aka British Peter, is visiting from his present home in Oregon. Good to see him! Peter is special.

Che is under the weather. Peter is considering extending his visit to help Che get back on his feet.

One human family!

Word on the street is that Backspace closed. I mentioned Backspace several blogs ago. I went for dinner. Was not impressed. It appears I was correct.

There is a new Starbucks on the corner of Front and Duval. I love coffee houses! I went to give it a look.

The coffee aroma hits you as you walk in the door. Pleasantly. Adds to your desire to have a cup. The place is beautifully done. One negative. No table and chairs. It’s a buy and carry out.

It will succeed never the less. The new Starbucks will be patronized primarily by tourists. It’s location in the middle of heavy tourist activity.

Dinner at Hot Tin Roof. Quiet. Off season obvious. Had dinner at the bar. Diana normally a table waitress. Last night behind the bar. A lovely and charming person.

Jenna telephoned me yesterday. Let’s go out friday night. I said yes, of course.

Enjoy your day!