STACY

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An exceptional evening last night! I met Stacy!

Stacy found me. She has been a loyal blog reader for years. A frequent Key West visitor, our paths did not cross till last night. At the Chart Room, of course.

Stacy was with her husband Steve and friends Sue and Ron.

Stacy and Steve live in Erie, Pennsylvania. Parents of two. Steve is in IT with GE. Stacy a stay at home Mom. Parents of two.

I do not mean to lessen the pleasure of meeting Sue. Sue also a blog follower. However, it was Sue who went out of her way to be sure I knew Stacy was the one who really wanted to meet me.

Sue and Ron live in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Ron is in marketing. Sue a stay at home Mom like Stacy.

I was impressed that Stacy and Sue were stay at home Moms. And proud of it! A dying breed today.

We had a good time. Especially the ladies and I.

Along the way the discussion centered on  my book The World Upside Down. I chastised Stacy for not having read it. She promised she would order a copy.

My book led to a book Stacy helped author. Laura’s Gem. My recollection is Stacy wrote the last three chapters. The book was a joint effort. Several ladies involved.

May I be fortunate to meet up with Stacy and Sue and husbands on their next visit.

Sheila, Frankie and Jean Thornton at the bar.

Jean suggested we have dinner together. I begged off. She was into Hot Tin Roof and I not. I was not sure at the time we talked where I would eat.

I missed dining with a celebrity! This morning’s Key West Citizen front page has a major article on Jean. Key West’s Golden Girl. The story of Jean diving with Mel Fisher some 20 years ago and discovering a 21 link gold chain, a silver coin and an emerald.

Jean’s life changed. The Indiana school teacher quit her job. Soon she and husband Joe bought a second home in Key West. Jean is here 6 plus months a year. Joe much less. He still works for a living and travels often.

Jean leaves today. She will return July 8. I can’t wait to have dinner with her. A celebrity! (Though true, said in a joking fashion. Love Jean and always enjoy being in her company.)

Dinner was the outside bar at La Te Da. Monday night. I was alone with the newspaper. Duck the meal. Always outstanding!

My morning began on the anti-gravity treadmill. A wonderful invention! I never tire when on it. I feel like I could walk forever. As soon as I finish, I am dead! It takes me several hours to recover. I spend the time in bed.

I visited T.J. Maxx. I was not impressed.

Today is Ho Chi Minh’s birthday. He died in 1969. He was Vietnam’s leader during the Vietnam War.

Minh was initially our friend. He fought with our troops in Asian jungles during World War II.

Following the War, he made a personal request to Truman to support he and his followers in their fight for freedom from France. Truman declined. He said Minh and his people were of the wrong political party. They were Communists.

Sixty thousand dead Americans could have been avoided had some sort of relationship been possible.

My blog talk radio show tonight at 9. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Join me for a fast moving half hour of interesting topics. Many eye opening.

Tonight’s list includes Iraq and what are we doing there?, Obama yesterday advising certain military equipment would no longer be shared with local police departments, my concern–what about the equipment already in their hands?, Australia raining spiders, IRS employees who do not pay their taxes, and more.

Enjoy your day!

 

OBAMACARE?

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I had a strange experience yesterday. One you may have had.

I was scheduled for my annual dermatologist visit. When I arrived, the waiting room was empty. Unusual! Generally full, sometimes standing room only.

I signed in for my 11 o’clock appointment. I could see from the sign in sheet that there had already been many patients treated before me. I sat and waited to be taken. Less than 2 minutes. Again, unusual.

I was taken into the examining room. A nurse asked me a few questions. Took less than a minute. Then, a brief wait alone till the doctor came in. However, the doctor did not come in. A nurse practitioner or comparable professional did.

I said I always see the doctor. She told me no problem. I will get him. I am not offended. I opted to stay with the nurse practitioner.

Warmth was not one of her virtues.

She examined my body, up and down, sideways, etc. Nothing was found. See you in a year.

Her exam took all of a minute. Two at the most.

I was done. I had gone into the examining room at 10:55 and was out at 11:02.

The whole thing was cold, efficient and brief.

Is this the new way? In and out quickly? Has Obamacare affected a doctor’s charges that dramatically?

I blame neither the doctor nor his staff. There was something different involved however. Dramatically. I could only think of Obamacare.

Interestingly, my primary care doctor and heart doctor still take the usual time to perform their duties. I do not walk out of their offices feeling cheated and wondering if the exam was sufficient.

My blog talk radio show last night. I spent a lot of time discussing Lou Harris and Ho Chi Minh. The Ho Chi Minh portion having more to do with how we fight our wars. The show is archived and available on Blog Talk Radio, You Tube, and the Key West Lou Facebook page.

Will we ever learn? When will the public and/or our political leaders recognize a rip off in the making?

I refer to the proposed changes re building heights and flood insurance.  I sense the changes will pass.

Unfortunately, the program is a rip off. No bargain for homeowners. To save $1,000 to $2,000 a year will require at the very least a $25,000 improvement to property to lift the house 1-5 feet. The dollars do not work.

As to insurance savings, by the time the homeowner pays off the cost of the property lift, insurance rates will have naturally gone up. The anticipated savings will no longer exist.

The Brooklyn Bridge is being offered.

Pru Sowers has an excellent and more detailed review of the issues involved in her column in today’s KONK Life’s E-Blast. Sowers lays it out factually. Takes no position.

KONK Life hits the stands today. Read my column for this week. Ho Chi Minh. A story of the Vietnam War.

Enjoy your day!

 

LOU HARRIS

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Key West weather continues to be outstanding! The best! This morning everything is calm. Nothing moving. Soon the breeze will start coming in off the ocean. Then, everything moves!

I will be attending the Friends of the Key West Library Lecture Series this evening. The last presentation of the year. Lou Harris is the featured speaker. I am excited!

Lou Harris is 94. He has lived and experienced first hand much of the American political scene since 1960. Harris in his former life was a pollster. His company was known as the Harris Poll.

Prominence came his way with the 1960 Presidential election. John Kennedy hired Harris to run polls during the campaign. Prior to 1960, polls were not used.

Two years later in 1962, Harris devised the system whereby the media could project a winner immediately or within minutes of the polls closing. His system with a few modifications is still used today.

He was also a journalist and author. His respect grew and he became known as a political analyst.

I am excited because the man is history in the flesh. He has been there most of my adult life. I am finally going to see and hear him.

June Hudson is joining me. Afterwards, we will grab a bite somewhere downtown.

I did two things yesterday. Wrote Ho Chi Minh and watched March Madness. A full day. A pleasant day.

Ho Chi Minh is my KONK article for this week. It publishes wednesday. A bit of the Vietnam story and the person on the other side who led the Vietnamese forces.

A couple of upsets yesterday. What basketball at this time of the year is all about. Kentucky is still hanging in there.

People can be cruel. Age matters not as to the perpetrator(s).

Jim Boeheim has been in the news in recent weeks re Syracuse basketball. His daughter Jamie is a high school freshman. She was playing in a state wide basketball tournament in Troy over the weekend. Troy is a good 140 miles from Syracuse.

When she went into the game, the crowd heckled her with…..Where’s the cheater? She kept her head high and scored a basket within seconds of entering the game. Her answer to the chant. The crowd stopped at that moment.

A class act! As is her father!

Correction. I made a mistake in yesterday’s blog. A faux pas. I was discussing the Chicago mayoral race and said…..Garcia is also being supported by the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson. I meant to say Emanuel, not Garcia, was so supported.

I find it amazing. I proof read each blog 4-5 times. Occasionally, I miss something. Yesterday was one of those days.

Enjoy your day!

SATURDAY NIGHT AT TAVERN ‘N TOWN

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Tavern ‘n Town has become a locals’ hang out saturday nights. The food is good and Bobby Nesbitt entertains. Many saturday nighters are Bobby Nesbitt fans. Yours truly, one.

A lot of hellos. Last night Bob Frachette. A little later, his wife Lynda. Peter Batty stopped by. Besides being a businessman, Peter serves as a Deacon at St. Mary’s by the Sea. His religious dedication impressive.

Met two interesting gentlemen who were seated next to me at the bar. Cal Collier and his son, Cal Collier, Jr. The father now lives in Charleston, the son Atlanta.

The senior Collier is Calvin J. Collier. He was Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission under President Ford. Son Cal is a marketing consultant. I also sensed he might be a sport fisherman.

They visit Key West 3-4 times a year. Both love Key West. The conversation suggested they might some day buy a home in Sugarloaf.

They are staying at the Marriott Beachside and expressed their great pleasure with the hotel and its facilities.

Key West people in the making. Soon hopefully with us full time.

My day yesterday was spent researching this week’s KONK Life column. I have to get it to the editor today for wednesday publication.

The subject is Ho Chi Minh. Prime Minister, President, and military leader of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. His experiences as a young man and in early adult life especially interesting. The molding of a leader.

Since mid season, I have been mentioning Villanova as perhaps winner of the Final Four. Coach Jay Wright had put together a spectacular team. They only lost 3 games during the season and were a #1 seed in the big tournament.

Last night, Villanova lost. To North Carolina State, a #8 seed. An upset!

I caught Coach Wright’s comments after the game…..We were beat by a better team tonight…..they played better than us tonight. The emphasis on tonight.

That’s how it goes!

Howard Dean is a doctor turned politician. He served as Governor of Vermont. He has been a candidate for the Democrat nomination for President. I have wondered why Obama did not put Dean on his team.

I may have come upon the reason yesterday. Dean may be a bit of a loose cannon in more ways than merely ranting and raving.

Obama’s friend and former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is running for his second term as Chicago Mayor. The election was recently. There is a run off. Jesus Garcia and Emanuel. A David v. Goliath race.

Dean should be supporting Emanuel. He is not. He is supporting Garcia.

Emanuel is being supported by the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson. Big hitters. Money men with the Republican right.

A strange election! Politics does make for strange bedfellows.

Enjoy your sunday!