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!