KATE MIANO…..FLORENCE SPOTTSWOOD HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

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They don’t come better than Kate Miano. A heart of gold, concerned for everyone, a community leader, a respected voice. And my friend.

It has been announced Kate will receive the Florence Spottswood Humanitarian of the Year Award. A big deal. Key West’s most prestigious recognition.

Kate will receive the award at a gala on January 27.

Congratulations Dear Lady. I know of no one more worthy.

There is something about small towns and parades. The best!

Key West’s Christmas Parade is December 2. A ton of Santa Claus’ riding on floats, candy thrown to children at the curb viewing in awe, bands, noise, etc.

Everyone turns out to watch. I will be with Robert and Ally at our usual spot on Truman.

Thanksgiving was thursday. I get to celebrate it again this evening with Donna and Terri. Lucky me!

A double hit. Oh, the pounds!

I am concerned not. The heart catherization doctor said lose 40-50 pounds. I start monday. Stay tuned to see if I make it all the way.

Christina Oxenberg is one of Key West’s finest writers. Her words soul touching. Sensitive best describes them.

Christine had a column in KONK Life this morning. About Kenyatta Arrington. Arrington one of those people who contribute to Key West’s culture.

Christina points out he rode a bike for years. With his back in ramrod fashion. Always wore a tight worn velvet suit with buttons all over and a top hat.

He would sing outside the supermarket. His voice described as angelic.

Last year, rid himself of the suit, bought a new wig and moved his venue to Duval.

Christina learned he was saving money to move to Norway. He was in love and his lady was waiting for him.

He will not make it. His impaled body was found floating near the pier.

Woodrow Wilson commented on a person’s ego. The quote reminds me of Trump: “All the extraordinary men I have ever known were chiefly extraordinary in their own estimation.”

Trump tells us the economy is fine. On the rise in every respect.

Thanksgiving was celebrated this week. Not all Americans gave thanks. Many are still without. A recent study indicated the number of homeless in major cities is comparable to those that existed during the Great Depression.

The number of homeless is increasing rather than going down. Homelessness is reaching the crisis level. A state of emergency brewing.

An example is an area described as most of Los Angeles County. Shelters are bedding down 55,000 per night. Up 25 percent from last year. Includes men, women and children. The number does not include those that sleep in cars, the woods and under bridges.

Homeless children nationwide are up 60 percent since the end of the recession.

Things are good, Mr. President! You and yours should swap places with the homeless for a week.

The terrorist attack on an Egyptian mosque killed in excess of 300, injured in excess of 100.

The Arab world is engaged in war one way or another. One of my concerns is that the U.S. is fighting on different sides in some of these wars. Resulting from Trump’s decisions.

He knows not what he is doing.

Robots keep coming. Walmart the most recent major business testing their use.

Walmart is quietly testing two new robots. One self-driving floor scrubbers. The other self-scanning robots to replenish inventory on shelves.

Each will replace humans. The poor middle class will be further diminished.

Syracuse plays Boston College at 12:20 today. The last football game of the season for Syracuse. Good! The season has not been a spectacular one.

I must say however Coach Baber has done an excellent job in improving the team. Next year should be a much better season.

I close with Irma and Me. My book re Hurricane Irma and how she chased me through several states and disrupted my life and that of several others.

The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KoboBooks.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

SUCKING AMERICA DRY

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Several years ago, I wrote a lengthy article in KONK Life concerning the severe drought California was experiencing. A contributing factor was the cheap price bottled water companies were paying for water.

Companies such as Nestle were paying city rates. The same rates homeowners were paying. Water was costing bottled water companies less than a penny a bottle. Consider at this moment how much you pay for a bottle of water. The profit margin astronomical.

The problem has reared its ugly head again in Evart, Michigan.

Evart has huge supplies of groundwater. Nestle has an existing contract with Evart to withdraw 945 litres per minute. Nestle wants to expand its taking to 1,500 litres per minute. Amounts to 4.2 million bottles of water in a 24 hour period.

Evart’s citizens are opposed. A temporary ban has been obtained precluding Nestle from extending the limit.

Cost a major consideration. The question raised is why the bottling companies can purchase water from the City at the same rate as a homeowner and then turn it into a huge profit when bottled and sold. The thrust is the bottling company should pay more. Another consideration is Evart might need the water itself at a future time.

Bottled water is bottled gold. Water has become the most consumed beverage in North America. In addition to Nestle, Pepsi and Coca Cola sell huge amounts of Aquafina and Dasni. Pepsi and Coca Cola paying city rates also.

The profits once again massive.

Consider present day California. Nestle has a 20 year supply agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to take California groundwater. The price paid $0.000001 for the water in each bottle.

Ten years ago, fresh water was considered the best long term investment over the next decade. An astute observation!

Interestingly, bottles labeled “pure spring water” are generally merely fresh groundwater.

Detroit’s water is still foul. A major problem. Excess water in other parts of Michigan are not being made available to Detroit directly. Why?

China comes into play. Only 12 percent of China’s 1.35 billion citizens have access to fresh water. U.S. major bottling companies are set to rake in big dollars once the China market is developed.

Nestle, Pepsi, and Coca Cola are examples of corporate America controlling a life necessary item. The price of bottled water off super market shelves will increase dramatically over the years.

Such is inevitable.

Enjoy your day!

 

WARMTH OF THANKSGIVING

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Love the holidays! Especially Christmas and Thanksgiving. Christmas my favorite. Thanksgiving runs a close second.

I miss the large family gatherings for dinner. All ages. The dining room table for adults. The kitchen table and card tables for the young. Age determined seating. It was a big deal to graduate to the adult’s table. Took a long time for some. I recall one of my daughters being 22 before she made it.

Kitchen smells. Thanksgiving the best. The turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pies….all coming together as one from early morning. By the time dinner rolled around, you were really hungry.

Unfortunately, the holidays change for some. I for one. You live long and things do not remain the same. Does not mean the holiday is not enjoyable. Merely means you miss that which was.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stopped into the Chart Room around 8 last night for a couple of drinks. John bartending. Three tourists at the bar. Good conversation. An enjoyable evening.

Syracuse basketball has begun. Syracuse beat Toledo last night 72-64. Syracuse now 5-0. Means nothing. The big schools play the little guys early in the season. Provides practice and easy extra wins.

FEMA spending a lot of money in Monroe County. Properly so. $53 million so far. More needed. The money spent to provide assistance to homeowners and renters for housing and other needs.

Returning from Hollywood two days ago, parts of US 1 still sit in areas resembling a war zone.

Irma and Me available. I added on to the end of the book a chapter titled Post Irma. At the time, I thought the cleanup and return to normal would have occurred by now. No way. Irma was a big one!

Irma and Me is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KoboBooks.

The hurricane season officially ends in a week. November 30 to be exact. Don’t depend on it. The season used to end October 31. Then a hurricane or two hit after that date. Hurricanes tend                                                                                                     not recognize deadlines. So the day was extended a month.

Could still get hit by another one!

One of Key West’s most spectacular events is the Lighted Boat Parade. People decorate their boats, whether large or small, as one decorates a home at Christmas time. Then on one night, they all go out into the waters off Schooner Wharf. An armada.

An event! This year on saturday December 9.

You can watch from shore or go out on one of the boats. On a boat more exciting. However if it is a cold evening, it is colder on the water. You freeze your ass off!

I was in Hollywood monday preparatory to my heart catherization. I was not the only stranger in town. An 8 foot crocodile was discovered resting on the beach.

The middle class continues to die. The average U.S. household is $137,063 in debt. Thirty eight percent of millennials live with their parents.

One of my nurses tuesday mentioned she has three children. Two in their mid 20s, one 18. The 18 in college, living home. The other two working and living at home.

All refuse to contribute to their keeping. They do little to assist Mom and Dad around the house.

Yesterday, I demeaned Trump because he was returning 60,000 Haitians to Haiti. They have been here almost 8 years following Haiti’s massive 2010 earthquake.

Amongst other things, I referred to Trump as heartless.

I have to take it back as regards the Haitians. Though I believe the man is overall without sympathy for anyone, it was announced late yesterday that Trump has granted the Haitians an 18 month reprieve.

The man plays God.

Maduro continues to do a good job as Venezuela’s President. In 5 years as President, the country has run out of toilet paper, food and jobs. Inflation has now hit 4,000. How does Venezuela survive? I continue to be shocked the people have not revolted.

Signs suggest perhaps a massive earthquake in California. San Francisco and Monterey County.

One hundred thirty-four earthquakes suffered last week over a 3 mile stretch. Magnitude 2.5-3.0. Seismologists are getting nervous.

I end on an exciting note.

On this day in 1984, Doug Flutie threw his famous last second Hail Mary pass as Boston College beat Miami 47-45. The ball on the wings of an angel as it traveled down the field.

Enjoy the holiday!

ISABELLA

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Met Isabella last night. A lovely lady.

Isabella is a 2 year old Old English Sheep Dog. Her master/owner/caretaker Tim Reynolds.

Tim is an old friend from more than 20 years back. Tim for 13 years was the Chef at Square One. A top chef at a top restaurant. He and owner Michael Stewart a team.

Tim now lives in the St. Petersburg area. In Key West for a few days.

We had dinner together last night at Salute’s. Tim, Barbara and me.

Tim greeted me outside Salute’s with Isabella. I was overwhelmed at first. Isabella full grown. Awesome.

Tim takes excellent care of Isabella. She was decked out in pink bows. Her coat shining. She behaved like a lady during dinner. Laid by the table and rarely moved.

Golf is not a cheap sport to play. Green fees expensive. The Key West Golf Course consistent with the national trend in that regard.

Fifty years ago, Key West golfers complained. The price of a round of golf on the weekend was raised to $3.50.

Al Roker was in Key West last week. For the Today show. Highlighting hurricane relief efforts in the Keys. Fifty one first responders were honored. The event took place at the Margaritaville Resort.

Sexual harassment in the news big time. Will continue to be.

You would assume female sexual harassment unchallenged is centuries old. Not so. I was surprised to learn that in ancient Rome female sexual harassment was not tolerated. Terms used in those days were accosting, stalking and abducting. Female sexual assault was considered contrary to good morals.

Recall last year’s Keystone pipeline furor. In North Dakota. The Sioux Indians involved.

Keystone people stated the pipeline was safe. Leakage would not be a problem.

Obama had rejected the pipeline on environmental grounds. Trump made Keystone a key plank in his energy policy. A federal permit to proceed with the pipeline’s construction was issued by the Trump administration in March.

The pipeline runs through several States. Last week, an underground leak occurred in South Dakota. Keystone claims the leak only 5,000 barrels and contained. Hopefully so.

In any event, this is only the beginning. All pipelines leak. This one is merely the first of many to come.

Yesterday was the 154th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln’s brief but famous words. He spoke of “…..government of the people, by the people, for the people” not perishing from the earth.

Take heed of Lincoln’s words. We are losing the government he described.

Forget not Irma and Me. The book is available on amazon.com.

Charles Manson died yesterday at the age of 83. Hard to describe the man. He was evil personified. Despicable.

A cult leader, he was responsible for the deaths of seven people over a period of two nights in August 1969 in the Los Angeles area.

His group’s first victim was actress Sharon Tate. Eight months pregnant, she was stabbed 16 times.

Manson received life in prison. Never paroled.

Tomorrow I am undergoing a heart catheterization at a Hollywood hospital. Which sadly means no blog tomorrow and perhaps also wednesday. In addition, my tuesday podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou will not air.

Worry not. I will be back. This is my fourth heart catheterization. Not a big deal unless the doctor screws up.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

keystone people said the l