A JACKASS CAN KICK DOWN A BARN…..

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Sam Rayburn was Speaker of the House of Representatives back when. A smart fox. Understood people. Trumanesque in the way he described things.

A quote that has followed him through the ages comes to mind today: “A jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.”

This is an if the shoe fits, wear it situation. I view Trump as a jackass. A man who lacks the political talents to build on the good of his predecessors in making America greater.

Trump continually destroys American programs developed over the years which have made lives better. He favors corporations to the detriment of people.

Trump also is destroying relationships developed since World War II which have inured to the benefit of the U.S. and its friends. He seems to want to sleep with what heretofore has been considered the enemy. He forgets if you go to bed with a dog who has fleas, you wake up with fleas.

Our world everyday becomes more and more like world of the late 1930’s and 1940. Hitler the bully. The free world attempting to avoid war. McMillan and his “peace in our lifetime” tirade ever in our memories.

Trump may be leading us to war. Look at what he has accomplished in only 1.5 years. With 2.5 years remaining in his term, who knows what will occur.

Trump fails to understand the world will only be defecated upon so long. Then don’t tread on me will come into play. War perhaps to follow.

Trump has surrounded himself with a limited number of advisers, most of whom can only be described as scum. Larry Kudlow the most recent. I heard him earlier this morning lambasting Canada’s Trudeau. It was sickening. I find it inconceivable the U.S. could have any significant problems with Canada. But, it is happening.

Yesterday afternoon a joy! I watched Robert play in a tennis competition. The last time I saw Robert with a racquet in his hand was 5 years ago when he first took up the sport.

He has come a long way. I was impressed with him yesterday. He beat his opponent 6-2 and 6-0.

Off to Forest Hills a few years from now?

It was hot watching the match. Sitting in the sun. The humidity heavy. I was exhausted at the end. As if I had played. I returned home and went to bed. Slept for 3 hours. Which means I never got to writing this week’s KONK Life column. I begged off with the publisher. Must get it done today.

I had no plan to go out. Donna called. Come over for dinner. I went.

Oh, what a cook she is! Chicken prepared in a non fat oil and greens. Soft rolls. Perfect for dunking in the oil.

Bear loves me. Does not leave me alone. He is growing. Six months old today.

Fresh water always a problem in the Keys. Makes sense. Dig down and soon hit sea water.

The Key West Citizen in its Keys History section reported fresh water was a problem for Key West resident S.O. Johnson in 1909. He contracted to have a well dug to 1,000 feet in hopes of finding fresh water. He found none.

Trump is pushing the U.S. into isolationism. Screw everyone! We need no one! We are the strongest nation in the world!

His friends other authoritarian figures. Like Putin and Duterte. Bad guys. He is rapidly walking away from our friends of more than 50 years.

President Eisenhower in a speech he gave this day in 1953 rejected calls for U.S. “isolationism.” Some political leaders were pushing such an agenda.

Eisenhower said all free nations should stand together.

He also suggested Communism should be battled worldwide.

Trump should take heed. Probably won’t. He is not a student of history. Especially, U.S. history.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

 

 

 

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN VISITS

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Finally met Barb last night. Iowa Barb. A devout blog reader. She had written she would be visiting Key West and wanted to meet. Also wanted me to sign her copy of Irma and Me.

We finally got together last night at the Chart Room.

Barb a charming woman. She has been a librarian for 39 years at the Iowa State University Library. Has visited Key West 9 times in the past 10 years. Loves Key West! Knows her way around.

Interested in politics. Dislikes Trump. Understandable. Her father was a Teamster for years.

Her sister Debbie with her. Debbie’s first Key West visit. She is the Cambridge, Iowa City Clerk. Made sure to tell me her politics were different from her sister’s. Debbie a black hearted Republican.

I had not planned on going out last night. Spent the afternoon researching for this week’s KONK Life column. Rudy Giuliani’s recent comments about Stormy Daniels motivated me to look up Giuliani’s sex history. People in glass houses should not throw stones.

My intent was to write the column last night. It has to be to the publisher today.

John called and said a Barb was looking for me. Would I come down? Ergo, I will not be writing about Giuliani and his sexcapades till this afternoon.

My today a busy one. Have to finish the blog. Watch Robert in a tennis competition at one. Write the Giuliani column.

I definitely will not be going out tonight.

Dorothy Downs was at the bar. I have not seen her in a couple of years. Her husband was a dentist. He had an office in Miami and one in the Keys. They frequented the Chart Room often.

Dorothy told he her husband had passed away last year. Sad.

We talked at length. I learned more about her last night than in all the times we had met previously.

She is a writer. Five books. Dorothy is an art historian, specialist in American art, wrote and produced the PBS documentary Pillars of Power about Seminole and Miccosukee women.

Dorothy’s most recent book is Canoe Back In Time. The story of a special Miccosukee girl who was given the gift of being an artist.

The book is selling.

My handwriting is poor. Dorothy’s worse. She wrote down her e-mail address for me. Impossible to read. Dorothy, you have mine. Write me soon so I will have yours.

Three pirates came in. Two men and a woman. One of the guys was soon asleep head down on a table. They had been doing the Duval Crawl.

I spoke with the two sober ones. Explained I had recently written about the pirate Black Caesar and also the pirates of Port Royal.

The three were part of a pirate group. A nightly thing in Key West. Called Eat Drink Discover Key West. An eat and drink venture.

Sounds interesting. If you are, the group can be booked online at www.EatDrinkDiscoverKeyWest.com.

Everyone was gone, except for Kevin and me. We chatted a while. He is recovering well from his horrendous accident.

Needed to eat. Stopped at Hogfish on the way home. Sat at the bar and enjoyed hogfish. What else!

It began pouring on the way to Hogfish. Continued raining when I left. Fortunately, I am always prepared for rain. Two umbrellas. One at home and one in the car. Large black ones.

A BOB comment about waking in Key West: “A cat fight has set off the dogs. The dogs have set off the roosters. The din moves back and forth across the island in waves. Human sounds join in. There is no way anyone is sleeping through this, that’s it, I’m awake…..it looks like a nice day. Another beautiful day in Paradise.”

The Belmont later today. Hope Justify wins.

Trump’s words yesterday re his summit meeting with Kim and the degree of his preparation: “I’ve prepared my entire life for the North Korea summit.”

I worry.

Trump is on a high. He has screwed up G7. He is on his way to meet with Kim. He figures the world and the Nobel Peace Prize are his if he succeeds with Kim.

I do not see it happening.

Weather around 90 this past week. Heavy humidity. Weather man says some thunder today. Describes it as “rock ‘n’ roll thunder.”

As Porky Pig was wont to say at the end of his cartoons of yesteryear…..That’s all folks!

Enjoy your day!

 

HOUND DOG

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This day in 1956 a big one in the entertainment industry. Elvis Presley appeared on the Milton Berle Show.

First time Presley’s entire body was shown. No guitar to cover his pelvic area. His infamous gyrating pelvis finally visible to the whole world. Prior to that evening, Presley’s hip action was considered scandalous. Tight assed America decried his stage actions.

Presley exhibiting full body form sang Hound Dog.

The song as well as Presley were both more popular after the Milton Berle Show. America had seen all of Presley. Loved his voice. Loved his gyrations. The country turned around. Presley was on his way!

Last night began at Aqua. Dueling Bartenders.

Tom Luna and Rick Dery their usual outstanding selves. Destiny the guest performer. Destiny is this year’s Fantasy Fest Queen. A lovely face and a lovely voice.

The bar pretty well packed. Spoke with Edie and Julia for the first time. Regulars at Dueling Bartenders. We had a nodding acquaintance. Jean Thornton formally introduced me to them last night.

Edie and Julia warmed my heart. They read this blog every day! Love them!

Also singing away with everyone else were Liz, Mary, Josefina, Linda and Don.

Time to eat. Where to go? An easy choice. Antonia’s. Not only for the good food. Nicolle the bartender an attraction in herself. A very hospitable person.

The yellowtail was delicious. Perfect for my diet.

Nicolle’s love of her life is Darragh. He bartends at Blue Heaven. Met him for the first time at my book signing a couple of months ago.

Marsha was sitting to my left at the bar. She has been a Key West resident 7 years. Works at Key West Bait & Tackle.

Mother of three, grandmother of 3.

Marsha was especially proud she has no need for a car. She lives in Old Town and gets around easily on her bicycle.

Good for her! No car payment, no insurance bill.

To my right at the far end of the bar sat another lovely lady. Jenn Stefanacci. I asked if I could join her. She said yes and I moved down. I had coffee while she was finishing a pasta dish.

Jenn works at 223 & Co. and TBD Bar.

One trait women possess. They dislike a cheating husband. History teaches men to beware a woman scorned.

This morning’s Blue Paper reported A Key West story containing such elements.

A husband was napping sunday on a couch. His wife got into his cell phone. Came across a message on his cell phone from an ex-lover. The message was three years old.

She lost it.

Hit him repeatedly with her fists. Turned on the burners and threw a towel in the oven in an apparent effort to burn down their abode. Worst of all, she chased her husband with a kitchen knife threatening to “gut” him.

She has been charged with battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

A teaching comment in this morning’s Citizens’ Voice. The solution to kicking poverty and becoming rich: “We were so tired of being poor we went down and registered as Republicans, then bought a house on Shark Key and a yacht. Never thought it would be that easy.”

Brought a smile to my face.

Monsanto has to be one of the  most hated corporations in the world. Some countries will neither permit Monsanto to plant nor sell their products.

Putin threw them out of Russia about 5 years ago. The U.S. has been in bed big time with Monsanto. Primarily made possible by our Congress which has passed a ton of laws favorable to the company.

After thursday, there will be no more Monsanto. The U.K.’s Bayer is buying/merging with Monsanto. Bayer has assured the name Monsanto will never be used again. Bayer has further assured the European Union it would neither produce nor sell Monsanto type products in Union countries.

European comment has been big re the sale/merger. Some have described the coming together as a “deadly wedding.” Others, “diabolical.”

The Philadelphia Eagles were invited to the White House. Most players declined the invitation. Trump retaliated. After being informed of their not coming, he withdrew the invitation. Sort of after the fact.

Instead, Trump claims a group of 1,000 will visit the White House in the place and stead of the Eagles. They and Trump will stand for the National Anthem which Trump assures will be played loud and clear.

Trump fails to understand the issue is not paying honor to the flag and National Anthem. It has to do with black discrimination and the many falsehoods the President speaks. Some people are getting fed up.

A further example is Giuliani. One of the President’s attorneys. He has been all over the media lying and exaggerating various issues of the case. Giuliani appeared at Yankee Stadium last week. He is often there. His seat is front row behind home plate.

Giuliani was booed when the public address system announced his presence.

The public is slowly waking up.

Tuesday again. Love tuesdays! I get to do my podcast show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Wild! I say what I want. Offer opinions many do not agree with. Whatever, the show is a fast moving half hour full of all kinds of issues affecting us.

Join me. I guarantee you will enjoy. Nine o’clock my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLY

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An important thing in life. Children’s birthdays! Today, my granddaughter Ally’s is being celebrated.

Thirteen years old. Definitely a young lady. The flower is blossoming.

Ally’s birthday was Friday. Conflicted with Robert’s graduation. Ally wanted her own day. It began Saturday. She had her hair striped.

Terrible! Too young! I am merely a voice in the wilderness, however. Not the parent, not my decision.

What I really was expressing is it pains me to think she is maturing. Not a little girl any longer.

Last night, a sleep over. Which means Ally will be beat this evening for the family birthday dinner, cake, etc. Perhaps a bit grouchy.

Can’t win them all!

In any event, I love you Ally. A big Happy Birthday to you!

My yesterday began with a manicure. Tammy and her husband Rick are entrepreneurs. Mid-thirties at best. Tammy in the U.S. about 14 years. From Vietnam. Became a citizen last year. Rick of Vietnamese extraction. Born in the U.S.

They have a great business. Employ many. Work hard. Achieving the American dream. I doubt they are the type people Trump would praise and acknowledge. They do not rape, kill, pillage, rob, do drugs. Why not?

Chart Room last night. Quiet. Enjoyed a couple of drinks and moved on to the Beach Bar. John was working the Beach Bar last night.

Glad I stopped by. Ran into Dan and Stephanie from Ohio. Never met them before this week. Have enjoyed their company three evenings, however.

Their time in Paradise coming to an end. Leave Tuesday for home. Expect to return some time this summer.

Dan and Stephanie were heading to the Pride Follies. Good choice, I advised. Mentioned that Rick Dery of Dueling Bartenders was the director. Recommended Dueling Bartenders on Monday nights to them.

A quiet Saturday evening. I was home in bed before 9.

The Key West Citizen’s weekend edition ran a major article re Mallory Square and the homeless. The homeless becoming a problem.

Mallory Square is where the sunset is watched every evening. Hundreds of people. All ages. A cat through a wheel of fire, a man swallowing a sword, etc.

A growing group of homeless are getting drunk, argumentative, threaten each other, harass customers and vendors for money, sleep illegally, etc.

Key West is a great venue for the homeless. Many are snowbirds. Visit our island for the season. Then drift off till next Fall because the humidity becomes heavy and uncomfortable. A size able group remains, however.

Key West takes care of its homeless. Two very huge air conditioned tents, showers, cots with clean sheets each night, food at several locations, etc. No reason for them to camp at Mallory Square. A business place for vendors and tourists.

One thing sure in our country, the rich are getting richer while the poor poorer. Corporate America is not and has not for a number of years shared its successes.

An example is Toys R Us. Filed for bankruptcy. One week before the filing voted top echelon people $8 million in bonuses. The 30,000 workers who will be without jobs, nothing. No severance pay. Not a penny.

To compound the wrong, in the year before the filing the CEO was paid $11.2 million.

Much federal legislation has been blocked by a handful of far rights who were elected to Congress. Some, not all, appear a bit wacky when on television.

There appears to be a larger number of crazies running for Congress this year. This group’s ideologies different from the far righters. Some will be elected. It is the way of elections in recent years.

Three examples.

Nathan Larson. A Virginia Libertarian. Running as an independent. Supports abolishing age restrictions for marriage (a nice way of saying pedophilia is ok), supports abolishing laws opposed to marital rape, believes women should be under the control of men, is a white supremacist, believes Hitler was a good thing for Germany, believes incest should be legalized.

Patrick Little. A Republican candidate for the Senate representing California. Denies the Holocaust and calls for a country “free from Jews.”

Little is popular. He is running second in polls to Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein. California’s strange election laws could result in him being elected.

Arthur Jones. Chicago area. A candidate for Congress. Denies the Holocaust, a former leader of the American Nazi Party, believes people of color are mentally inferior to whites.

Jones is the official Republican candidate. He is running in a very strong Democratic district where no other Republican wanted to waste time running.

Some things are hard to understand. The Kim/Trump Summit is scheduled to begin in Singapore June 12. Kim will be staying at the 5 star Fullerton Hotel. The Presidential suite costs $6,000 a night. Kim’s staff has to be housed also.

Kim/North Korea refuse to pay the bill. The U.S. looking for a means to legally pay the bill.

Sung-Yoon Lee is a Tufts University Korean expert. He says re the payment quandary, “North Korea can build nukes and ICBMs, but claim they are too poor to pay for foreign travel costs.”

Trump apparently considers himself the summit king now that the meeting with North Korea is locked in. Trump indicated yesterday he wants a summit with Putin arranged.

Putin will eat him up.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

 

 

 

RIP-OFF RAPID RESPONSE TEAM

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Several years ago, a new type sales store appeared on Duval Street. A cosmetic shop. Sold all kinds of goodies to enhance a woman’s facial features.

Soon there were more such shops.

Each engaged in overcharging. Significantly. Unknown to the purchaser. A $300 purchase showing up on a customer’s credit card billing as $3,000 for example.

The police did not consider the problem criminal. The ripped off customer was left to suing the store directly. A long tedious process uncertain of success.

A handful of Key West citizens decided to do something about it. A vigilante committee of sorts.

The group organized the Rip-Off Rapid Response Team. They fought the cosmetic shops not with guns. Rather with signs and picketing. The signs reflecting the fraud involved.

The group almost immediately became successful. The cosmetic merchants did not want a bunch of vocal crazies (from their perspective) spoiling business.

This morning’s Key West Citizen has a front page story and photo of the group in action.

One of the cosmetic stores had overcharged/ripped off a 54 year old Vermont visitor to the tune of $9,752. It took sign carrying picketers 1 1/2 hours to get the store to capitulate. The cosmetic store reimbursed the ripped off man the $9,752.

Congratulations to the do gooders!

I have a concern, however. What continually happens in these situations is fraud. Clear and simple. Why do the police not deal with the problem?

Key West’s finest are the finest. I think our police force does an excellent job. However in this regard, they fail the public they serve.

My understanding is the police consider the rip-off a civil matter. Not a criminal one. Ergo, the defrauded person has to resort to civil remedies.

I don’t buy it. It’s like passing the buck, I don’t want to get involved.

A similar situation existed with the former Scrub Club on Duval. Men would go in understanding a “massage” was $300. When the credit card bill was received, it was $3,000. The police refused to get involved. Considered the wrongdoing a civil matter.

Comcast. A pain the ass! Finally got a repairman. Took five days.

Learned something I did not know. The repair people do not work for Comcast. Comcast contracts out the repair work. To a Tennessee company. The company maintains 7 repair men in the Key West area.

From what I could determine, the repair people are overloaded. My repair man showed up around 6 last night. Was due between 1 and 3.

Spent yesterday afternoon preparing for my podcast show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Then the show at 9.

I have become sick and tired of Trump, Trump, Trump, in the news. All around us. Last night I did a show 95 percent non-
Trump. A change of pace. There are other things happening in the world we should be aware of, think about, discuss.

A point to be made with most of the topics. Of course, I made the point in each instance.

The show is archived. You can listen to it at any time at your convenience. You might especially enjoy listening to last night’s show. www.blogtalkradio/key-west-lou.

This week’s KONK Life on the stands. My column Right To Declare War. Congress’ right Constitutionally. However one that the Presidency has usurped since the Korean War. Interesting reading.

Pythons a dramatic problem in south Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Pythons sexually inclined. Now number in excess of one million. Most centered in the Everglades.

They can never be eliminated, eradicated. Too many. Hopefully, contained.

The State of Florida is always declaring war on the pythons. Last year, the State authorized 25 hunters to catch and kill them. A joke! Since March 2017, the 25 have caught 1,000 so far.

Like a drop of water in the ocean or adding a grain of sand to a beach.

Dentist appointment at 11:30. I think the endoscopy procedure might have screwed up an implant.

Enjoy your day!

FIRST MOTOR VEHICLE SPEED LIMIT: 12 MPH CITIES, 15 MPH COUNTRY ROADS

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It was the turn of the century. The 20th century. 1901 to be specific. Automobiles were ripping up the streets and highways. Scaring horses, endangering people.

Connecticut became the first State to impose speed limits on motor vehicles. 12 mph in the cities, 15 mph on country roads.

Hard to believe. Everything starts somewhere, however.

Began my sunday working on this week’s KONK Life column. Right To Declare War. A power Constitutionally Congress’. One which has been usurped by the Presidency since the Korean War.

Comcast absorbed an hour. Second day in a row I had to spend considerable time on the phone with Comcast and I still am without TV.

Friday, I was told it was the remotes. Get two new ones. I did. I was not able to coordinate them with the sets. Meant I still had no TV.

Back on the phone yesterday. After an hour was told it was not the remote. It was the box. Someone would be at my home between 1 and 3 today to fix.

In the several hours following yesterday’s repair call, I received 4 calls from Comcast personnel. All real people. Wow! To remind me how sorry they were for my problem, was it still continuing, someone would be there tomorrow (today) to fix.

Why all the bullshit? Just get some one over here to solve the problem.

Early evening, Kate Miano’s Gardens. Kate just returned from 3 weeks at her home in France.

I enjoyed Kate and friends. Chatted the time away. All great people.

Met Jeff and Linda for the first time. From Chicago. Bought a home here 3 years ago. Snowbirds. Can’t wait to be full time residents.

Can’t blame them.

Decided on Hogfish for dinner. Second time in recent days. Enjoyed hogfish again.

Key lime pie was a featured dessert. I craved. Capitulated. Went for it. Delicious! A little cheating here and there has not affected my diet.

It rained mid-day yesterday. As it has in recent days, a monsoon/hurricane storm. For quite a while. Would not end.

Unusual weather for this time of year.

As I was listening to the howling pouring rain, Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head ran through my mind. Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s song from 1969.

The theme in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. My mind returned to Paul Newman riding a bicycle with Katharine Ross perched on the handlebars.

This morning’s Key West Citizen in the Keys History section mentioned that on this day in 1929, the Improved Order of Red Men and Degree of Pocahontas opened its 56th annual Great Sun Council at the Strand Theater on Duval. The old theater now a Walgreens.

My curiosity was aroused. Who were these people? Such a strange name.

We have to go back to the Boston Tea Party in 1765 for the answer. The Patriots who dumped the tea overboard were known as Sons of Liberty. They were disguised as Red Men. Also known as Indians. Now Native Americans.

In 1813, a group of white men formed a fraternal lodge known as the Society of Red Men. Named after the Boston tea party Patriots.

From a  handful of members in 1813, the organization grew to 519,000 in 1921. Its numbers  fell. To 15,000 in 2011. The organization is still alive and active in spite of its reduced membership.

Only whites were permitted to membership till 1974.

The group’s structure is similar to Freemasonry.

A female auxiliary was formed in 1885. Degree of Pocahontas.

Time changes everything. The Red Men significantly reduced in number, the Strand Theater now a Walgreens.

Starbucks was recently confronted with an embarrassing situation. Two black businessmen wanted to use one of its rest rooms. They had not purchased coffee and apparently did not intend to do so. Local management prohibited the use of the bathroom. Words were exchanged. Police called. The men arrested.

Within a short period of time, the Starbucks national office had the charges dropped and apologies extended.

Starbucks has gone even a step further. It announced a new policy. People can sit at a Starbucks without buying anything.

I always thought such was the case. Many the Starbucks I have sat, read a newspaper or worked on my computr while not ordering anything. For some reason, I thought Starbucks was for people to enjoy without purchase if they wished. What wasn’t, now is.

Dueling Bartenders tonight.

Enjoy your day!

SUB-HUMAN…..ANIMALS TO BE KILLED

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Monday was a disgrace. A shame.

Israel killed 59 Palestinians, eight of them children. Injured 2,700. So many that the hospitals could not handle them all. Medical personnel, medicines, dressings, etc. were insufficient.

Palestinians were protesting. On their side of the fence. The power and might of war machinery on the other side of the fence. Israel sending drones and missiles,  in addition to shooting over the fence.

Ian Welsh is a noted blogger and editor. He wrote, “The simple fact is that too many Israelis now think of Palestinians as sub-human: animals to be killed if they are inconvenient.”

I recall when Israelis were abused. Those who abuse tend to become abusers. Such has happened to Israel.

Finally got my car back yesterday. The brake light problem was not a simple one involving a new fuse. Needed a brake switch. Had to come from Miami. First one that arrived the wrong one. Returned to get another. The order got lost in Miami. Finally, the correct brake switch arrived.

Lights worked. Voila!

Problem: Brakes were locked. Could not drive. Car had to remain at garage overnight.

Whatever, I was happy to have my car back yesterday. Decided I was entitled to a feast of sorts.  Lunch at Sandy’s Cafe. Cuban cheese toast with tomato and a large Cuban coffee. Always delicious!

Then home. I still had to finalize, revise my podcast to be delivered last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Dinner before the show at Lisa’s. Robert’s birthday. Fourteen years old. Blew out the candles and sang Happy Birthday!

Robert and Ally had to leave the table immediately following the cake. They begin final exams today.

I enjoyed delivering the podcast last night. So many exciting, interesting, and disgusting events occurring worldwide. Kim Jung Un threatening to call off his summit with Trump, American Embassy opening in Jerusalem resulting in 59 dead and 2,700 injured, and American designated evangelist Pastor Robert Jeffress offering a prayer at the Embassy opening, among the topics. Jeffress especially interesting. He has repeatedly said over the years that “Jews will go to Hell.”

The best of the best however was the China/ZTE/Trump story. A quid pro quo. Three days before Trump announced we have to help China retain jobs, a Chinese bank loaned $500,000 million to an Indonesia theme park in the making. Trump’s company is part of the theme park. A Trump hotel, golf course, and condominiums.

A recent study re States and healthcare has Florida in poor standing. It ranked Florida 48th among all 50 States and the District of Columbia.

Two great white sharks traced near Florida Keys. Hilton and Savannah. Yes, they have names. They were tagged several months ago and are being followed.

Hilton a male, 12’5″, 1,300 pounds. Savannah a 8’6″ female.

They are moving north. Will travel up the Atlantic coast line. Expected to move closer to Key West the next few days.

Beware!

Enjoy your day!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBERT

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My grandson is 14 years old. Robert, Happy Birthday! Poppa loves you!

I remember the day he was born. With cancer of the liver. Within two hours, he was on a helicopter to Miami Children’s Hospital.

Two major surgeries the first 8 days of his life. Frequent check up visits the next 10 years.

Today, a typical 14 year old. Graduates from Montessori soon. High school next.

A smart young man academically. A gentleman all the time. He is his father.

Tonight, Happy Birthday cake and blowing out the candles.

God is good!

Hurricane season is here. June 1. Seems like yesterday we were escaping Irma. Irma hit September 10.

Recent weather and weather reports suggest tropical storms may be around the corner. Too much rain lately. Every day. Big! Strong winds!

Sunday, Key West got 3.25 inches of rain. The intersection of Eaton and White Streets flooded. I have seen it in previous years. Twice saw people swimming in the intersection.

Weather reports indicate rain through next sunday.

Things can be different in Key West. A bit funky.

Page 2 of the Key West Citizen carries the weather report. The report for the next 5 days amusing. Small printed verbiage beneath each day. Rain of course predicted for each day.

Today, “ark flooded.” Tonight, “life preserver needed.” Wednesday, “thunderstorms; float feet first.” Thursday, “who’ll stop the rain?” Friday, “rain drops keep falling.” Saturday, “nothing worrying me.”

Another storm of consequence this early in the season would be devastating. The lower Keys are still recovering from Irma.

I wrote about Irma. My personal experience. Irma and Me.

If you have not read it, this may be the time to acquire it. It is a history of the before, during and after a hurricane. Available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

I have known Lee Ann Holland for 15 years. More beautiful each year.

Her picture on the front page of this morning’s Key West Citizen. She is being recognized as a Familiar Face.

Lee Ann has become an integral part of Key West Ambassadors. A lecturer at the program. Recently completed addressing her 16th group.

Lee Ann, congratulations!

Two things are constant in life. Death and change.

The U.S. Supreme Court presented us with “change” yesterday. The decision Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

A federal law was passed in 1992 prohibiting sports gambling. Nevada excepted. Congress was recognized as having the sole authority to regulate sports gambling directly.

No more. The Supreme Court decision recognized Congress had the right to regulate. However if Congress failed to exercise that right, then each State was free to act on its own.

Means two things in the offing. First, goodbye bookies. Second, a new area for State taxation.

We have all experienced the fish that got away. Always a big one.

Happens other than in fishing, also.

On January 1, 1962, the Beatles performed for Decca Records in London. The Beatles were looking for a recording contract. Decca turned them down. The person responsible thought guitar groups were on the way out.

Later in 1962, the Beatles signed with London’s Parlophone label. Still unknown. A struggling rock band.

Parlophone liked them.

Parlophone worked out deals with Apple and Capitol. The rest is history.

Trump does it again! An action difficult to understand. Unless something in the background that should not be.

During the campaign, Trump knocked the hell out of China for stealing jobs from the U.S. He pledged to stop it! To get jobs back from China!

ZTE is a Chinese smart phone business. In trouble financially. U.S. imposed sanctions on other countries killing Smartphone’s business.

Yesterday, Trump announced the U.S. was going to help the Company “get back into business fast.” He directed Secretary Wilbur Ross to do everything expeditiously to help.

Did not make sense to me. Did it have something to do with the China/U.S. talks scheduled this week in Washington?

Turns out remotely so, if at all.

Last night, the news reported that three days earlier, China had agreed to a $500,000 million loan for a new theme park in Indonesia which would contain Trump hotels and golf courses.

I assume the Indonesia deal was Trump’s motivation.

When will he learn he is not supposed to do these things?

By  the way, ZTE has a record of cyber crimes, espionage and hacking. Was ZTE involved with our 2016 election?

Tonight, my podcast show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Join me. A quick moving interesting half hour.

Topics tonight have to include Trump. However, I open with other items of interest. Like the hurricane season, Chinese hog hotels, Germans invading Belgium and Holland in 1940, the eloquence of leaders in time of war,  and House Chaplain Father Conroy.

Then, Donald.

Enjoy your day!

TRUMP MACHIAVELLIAN

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On this day in 1469, the Italian political philosopher and writer Nicolo Machiavelli was born. Friend and foe at different times of Cesare Borgia and the Medici family.

Machiavelli most famous effort is The Prince. The book’s hero an amoral calculating tyrant for whom the end justified the means. A man who believed diabolical expediency was proper activity in the world of politics.

“Machiavellian” has come to be recognized as an action undertaken for gain without regard for right or wrong.

Is Trump Machiavellian? If the shoe fits, he should wear it.

I think it does.

A busy yesterday. Sandy’s Cafe for lunch. Ran some errands. Picked up some groceries at Publix.

In my old age, grocery shopping has become an event. Run into friends, make new ones. I become increasingly knowledgeable regarding the increasing excessive cost for food. Some without sufficient means, cut back on their drugs. Others I am sure, food.

Spent a couple of hours last night at the Chart Room. My place! Good friends!

Last night John, Sheila, David, Holly and Kevin.

Kevin steadily recovering from his terrible scooter accident. Looks better. Extensive plastic surgery was required to his face. His skin smooth like a baby’s skin. His mental acuity better. A lucky man.

Kevin complimented his wife Holly extensively. His strength. How she was there for him all the time. I was happy for him.

In my lifetime, I have found many spouses are not helpful or do not stay around when the other is be felled by some adversity. I recall one wife who told me when her husband was into a long term non recoverable illness that she had not contracted for “this” when she married him. She divorced her husband.

This morning’s Citizens’ Voice contained an interesting comment. Reflecting that things change with time.

There was an era when Key Westers wanted ships wrecked on a reef so they could profit from the ship’s cargo recovery. No mention at that time of reef damage.

Today, the profit in such an occurrence arises out of the damage to the reef, not its cargo.

I mentioned last week in this blog and on my podcast that Rudy Giuliani was over the hill as far as representing Trump was concerned. No insult intended to a once a distinguished professional. However, he had not seen the inside of a court room in 20 years.

I was correct. Look at the mess he made on Fox News last night.

On this day in 1946, Japanese War Crimes Trials began in Tokyo. Twenty eight military and governmental officials.

Tokyo was not the only place where Japanese war criminals were tried. The Japanese had committed heinous crimes through out most of Asia. Outside Japan itself, more than 5,000 were tried and found guilty of war crimes. Nine hundred executed.

The 5,000 needed defense counsel. Many U.S. attorneys heeded the call for assistance. One was Robert Miller.

I was fortunate in later years to have Miller as a Professor in  law school. I studied criminal law and evidence under him.

A sharp guy. Extremely intelligent. Benefited his students even more by tying his lectures occasionally into one of the war crime trials he had defended.

Busy day again. Haircut, lunch and a manicure. Who knows what tonight will bring.

Such a life!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BIG CROCODILES HAVE ARRIVED

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I was surprised to see on the front page of this morning’s Key West Citizen a large photo of a very large crocodile. Surprised because only yesterday I made mention of crocodiles in the Keys. Thought they were more north than in the southern Keys.

I was wrong. They are in the southern Keys. Stock Island to be exact. Next door to Key West. A 300 foot bridge separating the two communities.

The photo was of a 9.5 foot American crocodile weighing 250 pounds which had been caught friday in a lagoon next to a residential area.

A big ugly beast!

The article further reported that a crocodile of similar size had been captured thursday at Boyd’s Campground after killing a small dog.

Be careful.

A sad day for many Key Westers. The Citizen has been running for several years portions of a diary left by William Hackley. Hackley was a Key West attorney from the 1830’s into the 1850’s when he and his family left.

Today’s was the last entry from Hackley’s diary that will be reported. Hackley moved.

The person responsible for the daily reporting of the contents of the diary is Tom Hambright. A Key Wester of many years who serves as Historian at the Monroe County Library. He perceived the diary contents as interesting and convinced the Citizen hierarchy to run it on a daily basis.

One of the best received, happiest and funniest events of the year is the Great Sea Battle. The Battle won by the Conch Republic in 1982 after having seceded from the United States.

The battle was friday evening. Too late for the Citizen to print. Additionally the Citizen only prints one edition on the weekend.

I expected to see numerous photos of the battle in today’s edition.

I was disappointed. Only two.

I appreciate things are presently difficult at the Citizen. However, there should have been more photos of the gala event.

Perhaps a reason the Citizen is presently hurting. It has been writing for the Citizen the past few years and not the citizenry.

Two notable quotes I came up with over the weekend. Both worthy of sharing.

John Kasich is Governor of Ohio. Considered Presidential timber for 2020. Perhaps as an independent. “I didn’t leave the Republican Party. The Republican Party left me.”

A statement having to do with values.

Then there is Bill Lepp. He is a professional story teller and writer. A well said quote by him in the Charleston Gazette-Mail recently. “We should fight to save kids, not the weapons killing them.”

Several months ago, I wrote about school children having trouble holding a pencil. The reason given was they did not play with the usual toys which helped develop their finger muscles.

Instead, they were early turned on to cell phones, I phones, etc.

Schools were now introducing programs to get their fingers moving, to develop them.

Now comes another modern day problem adversely affecting children. They cannot read clocks. Technically called analogue clocks. The ones with numbers.

The problem became obvious during examinations which were timed. Student were raising their hands to ask how much time left because they could not read the clock on the wall properly.

Schools are slowly replacing the numbered clocks with digital clocks. Clocks the students will understand.

Consider also that cursive writing is a thing of the past. School children do not have to know how to write. They have their computers.

Most cannot even write their names.

Seems to me the more we teach our kids, the less we help them.

Trump promised to drain the swamp. Whether he is remains questionable.

Sean Hannity is considered by some as Trump’s informal Chief of Staff. He is known to be a close daily adviser to the President.

It has recently been reported that Hannity is linked with the purchase of many homes with loans guaranteed under the National Housing Act program.

The scenario involves home lost by homeowners because they could not make mortgage payments. At a discounted price, Hannity shell companies purchase the homes. In most instances, Hannity’s shell companies financed the purchases by using loans guaranteed under the HUD program.

An example. Two apartment complexes in Georgia were purchased in 2014. The cost, $22.7 million. HUD helped Hannity in packaging $17.9 million to fund the purchases.

In the past ten years, 20 Hannity shell companies have purchased 870 homes in 7 states worth $90 million. Most of them using HUD guaranteed loans.

Note carefully there is nothing illegal about Hannity’s actions. Everything he has done has been above board. He made purchases similarly financed under the Obama administration.

What is lacking is transparency. HUD Secretary Ben Carson has appeared on Hannity’s show. Hannity always compliments him. Never has there been mention of the loans guaranteed by HUD.

Trump and Hannity are obviously close. Talk frequently. Well known that Hannity advises Trump on some matters. No disclosure again of the Hannity/HUD business relationship.

Some things the people have a right to know. Even though the actions involved are legal. This is one of those instances.

Enjoy your day!