SOUND FAMILIAR?

History repeats itself. No question about it. Some learn from history. Good and bad.

The NFL, National Anthem, kneel, don’t kneel, Trump’s influence, continue. Not soon to be resolved. The NFL’s recent proclamation re stand or remain in the locker room added fuel to the fire.

A similar situation existed in Nazi Germany. Involved German football players, standing before a game, shouting with outstretched arms Heil Hitler.

Christmas Day 1933. Metz, France. The German team the Karlsruhe Football Club. Playing a French team in France.

Anti-German tensions had been running high. The French sensed a riot in the making. They asked the German team not to Heil Hitler! If they did, the French team would not play and the German team would receive no compensation.

The German Club capitulated to the French demands.

Hitler was furious.

A German newspaper described the situation as “Footballers In Disgrace.”

Hitler banned all German football teams from playing outside Germany till further notice.

Hitler’s influence was obvious. As was the fear of him by the German Football Association. The German Football Association issued a written “encouragement.” Actually, a mandate. The teams were to expel Jewish players, the players were required to give the Hitler salute before and after games, swastikas were to be displayed in stadiums.

Forced patriotism.

Was Trump aware of the German football problem when he came out with the National Anthem position? Does the NFL stand in the shoes of the German football Association? Are Heil Hitler and standing for the National Anthem forced patriotism? Comparable in any fashion?

Ivana Trump in a 1990 Vanity Fair interview claimed husband Donald kept Hitler’s book My New Order by his bedside. The book a compilation of Hitler’s speeches from his earliest days to the 1939 Phony War.

Did My New Order contain references to the Heil Hitler/football problem?

I sense the NFL/kneel or no kneel/National Anthem problem is history repeating itself.

Some readers will disagree. I see the comments coming already. They will distinguish Heil Hitler from the National Anthem, the German players not having an alternative to remain in the locker room, Trump not being Hitler, etc.

My response in advance: If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and acts like a duck, it is a duck.

A busy  Memorial Day.

Spent the daytime working on tonight’s podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. It changes right up to show time based on what happens during the day.

Join me. The show is fast moving, interesting, and in many instances revealing. Nine my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Terri was singing last night with Dueling Bartenders. Picked her up early and delivered her to Aqua. Terri’s driving days are over.

Enjoyed Tom, Rick and Terri performing. John from the Chart Room showed up. Donna came in from work.

John joined Donna, Terri and me for dinner at the Conch Republic. We shared three large trays of oysters. Excellent!

Last but not least, Alberto. Typical of tropical storms, Alberto fizzled out.

No problem in the Keys, except for excessive rain leading up to Alberto’s arrival.

Alberto hit the Panhandle a tropical storm. However as it passed over and onto land, was down graded to a depression. Which means continued heavy rain for a few days in north Florida and States beyond.

As I drove along Smathers Beach on my way to pick up Terri, I noticed white caps. Not high. Many in number. Side by side, one behind another, rolling up to the beach.

So many white caps rare for Key West. Too late for Alberto. Not sure why they were there.

Enjoy your day!

MILE HIGH CLUB DANGEROUS

Sex in the sky! On an airplane, of course. Referred to as the Mile High Club.

I always wanted to try it. In my working days, I generally flew first or business class. Many overnight flights. Would have been easy to accomplish. My wife disagreed. Thought I was crazy.

At 82, I can look back and say there is not much I have missed. Reluctantly, the Mile High Club is one.

Apparently, the deed on a commercial flight is now considered criminal. A 48 year old woman and 28 year old man met on a Delta flight recently. She orally copulated him. They were arrested on landing.

Today being a holiday, I filled some prescriptions yesterday. Walgreens first. Then to Sandy’s Cafe for lunch. The usual. Cuban cheese toast with tomato. Dripping in butter. To die for!

My cell phone was not working. Stopped at Verizon in the Winn-Dixie Shopping Center. Sim card dirty. The young lady knew immediately. Took it out and cleaned it with an eraser on the end of a pencil. Amazing!

Watched Cavaliers/Celtics game 7. For the right to go to the NBA Finals. Celtics favored. Cavaliers won 87-79.

LeBron James responsible. He carried his team all the way! Scored 35 points. Many assists. A couple of blocked shots. He did it all!

The Cavaliers won because they were experienced. Had been there before. Did not falter when down 12 points in the first quarter.

The Celtics an excellent team. Need seasoning, however. As the game went on, their youth was evident. Too many mistakes that only time teaches a player not to make.

The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum only 20 years old. A star already! What a future he has ahead of him.

This will be the 8th consecutive NBA Final that LeBron James will be playing in.

SH*T SHOW. A new book by Pulitzer Prize winner Charlie LeDuff. He was on Morning Joe today.

LeDuff views America in crisis. He shares places and happenings reflecting the same. From Ferguson to Flint to Trump’s unstoppable campaign for President.

He talked how Trump during the campaign was suggesting a return to 1950’s type living. Actually, LeDuff said it would have been the 1990’s. Not enough people around who remember the 1950’s.

I do. My college and law school years. The time I married. My son born. Bought my first car. People employed. Etc. Good years. I have always recalled them fondly. Everything kumbaya. I have mentioned the 1950’s in the past as a good time to have lived in the U.S. The Eisenhower years.

Today, Memorial Day.

No Key West parade. I checked throughout the Keys. No parades anywhere. Many commemorative events, however.

A day when the graves of those who died for their country are decorated with flowers.

The custom interestingly began back in the Civil War. Both sides did it. The decorating and remembrance that went with it continued and grew to what it is today. Whether the 1860’s or today, emotions the same.

Tonight, Aqua for Dueling Bartenders.

Obama spoke wednesday in Las Vegas at a technology conference hosted by Okata, the identity security company. He said, “America may not survive.”

He added, “I think the big challenge today is how we maintain a sense of common purpose rather than splinter or divide. We are seeing this debated on social media every day, but if we don’t figure it out then our society and democracy may not survive…..part of our polarization is that if you watch Fox News all day, or read the New York Times, you are occupying two different realities.”

Alberto still on the move. Has not made landfall yet. Continues to aim for the Panhandle. Other parts of Florida and other States subject to heavy rains and flash flooding.

It has already rained heavy 2 times this morning in Key West.

Ellicott City, Maryland experienced disaster yesterday. Unexpected. Six inches of rain in two hours. Rivers overflowing, rampaging. Cars swept away. Rising water reaching the third floor of some homes.

Google News is running a video. Find it and see first hand. I could not believe what my eyes beheld. Water running down streets 1 or 2 stories high. Cars being lifted and swept away.

I am beginning to think someone upstairs is trying to tell us something.

Key West gas prices the past 3 hours from $3.10 to $3.15 a gallon. Predicted to go higher over the summer. Experts say the blame falls on Saudi Arabia who decided to curb production in 2016 so prices would rise.

I recall the Saudis as “our friends” who gave us $4 a gallon gasoline.

Trump/Iran not significant in the price increase. Only 3-5 cents.

Student loans always in the news. Some high. Higher than I thought.

Mike Mera is 37. An orthodontist. Borrowed $600,056 for his education. Now owes in excess of $1 million. He makes his monthly payment religiously. $1,589.97. Will never get ahead. The interest is $130 a day. Per month, $3,9000.

He’s not the only one. One hundred one borrowers owe in excess of $1 million.

I am not a bird expert. One who is is an ornithologist. I looked up the word.

The reason is this past week I discovered two birds living in my walled yard. Bigger than a sparrow, smaller than a pigeon. Shades of brown.

They obviously are a couple. They are together all day. Generally sit on a wood bench in the corner next to each other. Rarely move. Never fight.

Enjoy your holiday!