FOUR HORSEMEN OF APOCALYPSE

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Too many mornings we wake with new Trump tweets. Some extremely dangerous. Especially those where he threatens another nation with war.

This morning finds Trump in a Tweet pissing match with Iran. Not sure who stated this one. Iran says if the U.S. missteps, it will be me met with the “mother of all wars.”

Trump’s promises “…..dire consequences…..the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before. He responds, “We are no longer a country that will stand for your demented words of violence and death. Be cautious.”

Words of war.

Trump reminds me of the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse: Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. I can see them all riding through the clouds. Who is leading them? Donald Trump. Not on the lead horse. On all four.

He finally will have proved to the world (and himself) what a tough guy he is.

Any such war will leave the U.S. in shambles. Such a war will be fought on our shores also. Every day a 9/11.

The U.S. will resemble Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Berlin following World War II. Many dead. Children maimed.

Wake up America!

Enjoyed the British Open yesterday. Italy’s Francesco Molinari won. Seven or eight in the running the last 9 holes. Tiger Woods the leader at the turn, but faltered.

Good golf played on a tough course.

Visited the Orchid Key Inn bar for the first time last night. Victor invited me. He is the sunday bartender.

What a place? A hidden wonder. Off Duval near Truman. A magnificent setting! The bar charming. Tiny. Seats only 6.

Kevin and Holly were there. I suspected they would be.

A Bruce and Kevin sat next to me. Bruce retired. His career spent with Voice of America. Kevin with the Post Office.

We chatted about Post Office problems. How Congress screwed the Post Office.

Bruce recalled seeing me 10 years ago on Channel 19. I did a TV show for 3 years that ran from Key West to Fort Lauderdale. I was shocked he even watched. Channel 19 was what might be described as a small station. I was one of two live shows. The rest old gray and white TV shows like Leave It To Beaver.

Bruce mentioned the Orchid Key Inn was listed #2 on Trip Adviser under Best Key West Hotels. And I never knew it existed!

Met Peter. For a little bar, it had some interesting customers.

Peter is a musician and has entertained at Sloppy Joe’s for 30 years. From 5:30 to 9:30. Must catch his show one evening.

People came and went. I stayed. The bar was a gold mine of interesting people.

In came David and Louise. Visiting from London. David is with NATO and Louise a kindergarten teacher.

Great conversation. Issues involving Trump, NATO, Trump’s recent visit, etc. Both thought it awful that Trump kept the 92 year old Queen waiting 12 minutes. Standing in the sun waiting for Trump to arrive.

My night was not over yet.

Went over to Blue McCaw. A late bite to eat. Ribs and a drink.

Not ready for bed and home when I left Blue McCaw. Donna and Terri live across the street. Visited with them a while.

Dueling Bartenders tonight. Terri wanted to go. Donna working. Terri my date. I pick her up at 5:30. I expect Jean, Kevin, Holly and John will be there also.

To win the Hemingway Look-a-Like contest a big deal. The honor of honors to those interested. One hundred twenty five plus compete each year. For some reason, it takes roughly 10 years of participation to be seriously considered.

This year’s winner Michael Groover. Michael is husband to celebrity chef and TV star Paula Deen. Paula the loyal wife. She has been in Key West supporting her husband those 10 years of Hemingway Day visits.

BOB back. Rested and ready to go.

BOB’s topic today Fantasy Fest.

The Key West of 39 years ago was not the Key West of today. In addition to the summer being slow, the fall was dead. Key West merchants came up with a plan they thought would attract tourists to Key West during the slow fall season.

A fantasy fest. An adult party. Flavors of a Roman holiday. A bit of debauchery.

It worked. Key West’s famous Fantasy Fest was born. Ten days of partying each year.

Wilder as the years progressed. Nudity became an issue. Drinking, also.

Women began going bare chested. Men covering their genitalia with a small strip of cloth.

The partiers did not mind. Locals neither. They participated. Except for a few. The few were one or two ministers annually. They formed the Christian Coalition. The Christian Coalition was supported by very few. City fathers were thrilled. Key West was making a ton of money during those 10 days.

BOB said, “Morality and good taste were susupended…..an abyss filled.” BOB added the opposing ministers forgot to recognize that Key West churches were filled will sinners seeking forgiveness in the weeks following Fantasy Fest.

Women’s naked breasts were painted by kiosks on the streets. Many for real costumes were oversized genitalia. Alcohol was being consumed on the streets.

The Duval Crawl took on added meaning.  As BOB humorously said, “See the Lower Keys on your hands and knees. America is calling you today.”

Back in the early days, 50,000 would show up for the saturday night parade. No one knew where they all slept. When awake however, they “simply enjoyed the wicked and titillating surrender to their basic instincts.”

The squeaky wheel always gets oiled. The Christian Coalition was a squeaky wheel. Compromises were arrived at. All revealed in the next episode of BOB.

Enjoy your day!

 

INSANITY AND INCOMPETENCE

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It cannot be left unsaid. The situation worsens by day. Trump is insane and incompetent.

The brown shirts marched saturday in Charlottesville. Accompanied by those who believe white people are better than others. Accompanied by those who once covered their bodies and faces in white sheets.

All haters.

Bannon came out of the woodwork. Spoke at length about his beliefs. A revolutionary at heart. Seeking the overthrow of existing government.

Bannon Trump’s Rasputin.

Is a Reichstag next? The White House or Capitol? If so, all that will remain will be the concentration camps.

America stand up!

Impeachment will come. The grounds set forth in Article II section 4 of the Constitution: “…..impeachment for…..Treason, Bribery, and other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

Stopped at Don’s Place first last night. Jimmy and John at the bar. Deep sorrow. Joanie not doing well. Hospice has been called in.

Then to the Chart Room.

John bartending. English Peter at the bar. Jean Thornton and Erika Biddle stopped in.

The last time I saw Erika Biddle was at Publix. I wrote about her at the time. Went back and discovered it was April 27, 2015.

At the time, a lovely blond woman came over and said, “You’re Louis Petrone.” She was familiar with my KONK Life writings and radio show. She wanted to tell me.

When she told me she was Erika Biddle, I was ashamed. I should have been searching her out. One of my Key West idols.

Last night was the second time we met.

Erika German born. A community activist where ever she has lived. An environmentalist at heart.

She arrived in Key West in 1994. Her first thought was: “This is the only city I’ve ever visited where I am not the most eccentric person around.” She remains to this day. An intrinsic part of the community. All heart.

Erika takes up causes that others might not. Unpopular ones included. This tiny woman carries the pain of others on her shoulders.

I hope I do not have to wait two more years before visiting with her again.

I was hungry. Stopped at Outback for prime rib. Ran into Doc and his wife.

I have known Doc some 20 years. Used to play golf with him. Only know him as Doc. A retired surgeon from Philadelphia.

We chatted a bit. I rarely run into people older than me. Mentioned I was 82. They shocked me! He 83 and she 85. Both appear in their mind 60’s.

A fun conversation ensued.

Dinner tonight at Berlin’s with Jenna. For sure. She just confirmed.

Enjoy your day!

SYRACUSE BEATS #6 FLORIDA STATE

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So many matters of importance occurred in the last 24 hours. Trump, immigration/refugee ban, draining the swamp, Peter, Paul and Mary, etc.

For me, the most important was Syracuse defeating Florida State 82-72. Florida State ranked #6, Syracuse unranked. A big victory. Students rushed the floor in excitement.

I was alone watching the game from the comfort of my easy chair. I shouted out a GREAT! at the end of the game. No one heard me. I was like the tree falling in the forest. No one hears it.

Worked on rewriting one chapter in Growing Up Italian. Sunday Dinner. A great family time!

The Sons and Daughters of Italy had a fund raiser yesterday. A bocce fundraiser. Excellent attendance. Many who had never played bocce. I served as teacher to two novice sisters from Little Torch Key.

Who would have thought bocce could serve as a fundraiser? Giorgio did. He is to be complimented.

Cold continues. Sixty three during the evening. The high today only 67. Rain big time off and on. Winds 20-30 mph. White caps visible in the ocean. A gray day expected.

Two Civil War events on tap this week. Described as Living History events.

One in the Palm Garden of the Key West Library. Thursday from 11-3. All kinds of information and artifacts re the Civil War.

The other at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Friday and Saturday. Part of Civil War Heritage Days. A mid 1860s encampment.

Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven was published this day in 1845.

Remember Goodnight Irene, If I Had a Hammer, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, and Blowin’ In the Wind?

Peter, Paul and Mary. Hits they sang.

Peter, Paul and Mary did not write the music they sang. They did make the tunes winners, however. Even Bob Dylan benefited. It is said the vocal group made Dylan’s revolution possible. Blowin’ In the Wind was one of them.

Andrew Jackson was our Nation’s first populist President. Trump is a populist President. Trump and many of his followers compare Trump to Jackson.

In 1834, there was a labor dispute. Workers on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The workers were rebelling because of persistent poor working conditions and low pay. The workers consisted of Irish, German, Dutch and blacks.

Jackson sent in federal troops to quell the disturbance. It was the first time a President had ever done so.

Trump has not sent federal troops anywhere. Not yet. He could in the future. Recall this past week his observations re Chicago, carnage, murders, etc. He suggested the Federal government might have to go in if things did not get better. The National Guard?

Trump’s handling of the immigration/refugee situation yesterday reflects a Jackson type mentality. Overbearing, overwhelming.

A further comment re the immigration/refugee order. Seven countries were named. Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Not one terrorist from the seven named nations has ever performed a terrorist act in the United States.

Whereas, Saudi Arabia has. Seventeen or eighteen of the terrorists who perpetrated 9/11 were citizens of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia also gave us $4 a gallon gasoline.

Saudi Arabia not listed in the order. Oil, money the reasons? Whatever, the Saudi’s have had their heads up our asses for years. One arm around our shoulders, the other in our back pocket.

One more Trump issue.

He claimed during the campaign that he was going to drain the swamp. Get rid of lobbyists who come directly from government and end up working for lobbying groups that require government favors. A five year ban.

Trump’s order refers to administration officials. I do not know what administration officials refers to. Merely his immediate White House staff? Does it extend to Congress and the military?

I did a little digging. Could not come up with the answer.

Congressmen eat big when they move from the hallowed walls of government to working for lobbying groups. Recall Eric Cantor who was defeated in a Republican primary four years ago. He immediately was hired by a lobbying group. Starting salary $3.4 million a year. He did not even finish his term. He resigned his seat soon after the election and went to work in the private sector.

Our generals and admirals likewise benefit. Eisenhower warned us to beware of the military-industrial complex. They hire the retired military at huge dollars who then go back to their still in the service friends and work out contracts generous to the military manufacturer/producer.

Yes, the honeymoon is over. I gave Trump a week before criticizing him. I wanted to wait longer. He is our president. Give him a chance.

I figured three to six months. No way where Trump is concerned. He is a dynamo. He has already done more in his first week than any other President. More does not necessarily mean good, however.

He is not qualified for the position. He is a trouble maker.

I worry.

Enjoy your Sunday!