VETERAN’S DAY

A major holiday today. Veteran’s Day. To honor all military personnel who fought for their/our country.

November 11 is the official date for the holiday. The reason why November 11 is interesting. World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. How about that!

The most important event today in Key West is the dedication of the new Vietnam Veterans Living Memorial at Bayview Park. Long in coming. Well deserved. Our Vietnam vets have long been forgotten. They never received their just due acclimation wise when they returned home.

The dedication is at 11. I was there for the groundbreaking. I hope to be there this morning for the dedication.

Cannot have a holiday without a parade. The parade on Duval and Truman is at 4 this afternoon.

My blog talk radio show interfered with my watching all of the Republican debate last night. Missed a half hour.

Love political debates! Trump still has me in a I don’t know place. He’s a bully. Question is whether he has the demeanor and intelligence to be President. My mind remains open.

H. L. Mencken was a famous American writer during the first half of the 20th century. He wrote something worthy of repetition on July 26, 1920 in the Baltimore Evening Sun.

“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people.

On some great and glorious day, the folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and complete narcissistic moron.”

Fits Trump. Trump is a fool and narcissistic. I disagree that he is a moron. Whether properly intelligent a question. Is he Presidential timber?

An article in today’s Key West Citizen indicates the hotels were not full for Fantasy Fest. Somewhere around 81 percent. However, the hotels did not get hurt. Room rates were higher this year.

Last year, the average cost of a room during Fantasy Fest was $238 a night. This year, $413.

Quite a hike!

I fear the hotels will kill the chicken that lays the golden egg. Restaurants and bars, also.

My ribs still bothering me. I cancelled the anti-gravity treadmill monday. The condition was aggravated by the treadmill friday. Still hurting. Cancelling the rest of the week on the treadmill. Wish the pain would go away.

This week’s KONK Life hits the stands at 5 this afternoon. My column this week is Dracula in the Operating Room. Love the title! The column is about the U.S. government and the student college loan program. The government Dracula and the loan program the operating room.

Why all the seaweed at Smathers Beach? Unusual.

Belly dancing. I remember a birthday party for a judge friend of mine back in Utica many years ago. At a point in the party, his wife came in dressed in belly dancing attire. She sat her husband in the middle of the couch. Then proceeded to dance for him. He alone. She had learned specially for him. Her birthday gift.

There is a belly dancing event soon in Key West. On November 16 at 5:45. 1511 Truman.

Womankind is involved. Event titled: Belly Enhancing with Belly Dancing. Should be fun. Go. I would, except my belly is too large for correction.

Almost forgot. I have had for several years two ugly growths on the top of my head. The dermatologist never wanted to cut them out. Yesterday the big one was oozing. I went to his office. He cut them both out. I am walking around with three bandaids on the top of that portion of my head that is bald.

Enjoy your day!

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE BAR

Last night was interesting. I ate at the bar at Hogfish. My View From The Terrace.

Four couples at the bar. The ladies  had to be fish women. Each a beauty. Each with tanned and weather beaten faces that only come from being out on a boat all the time.

One of the ladies had a tiny dog. Not the smallest of dogs. A step up. The dog quietly sitting in her lap. The dog then sat in her man’s lap. Seated on the other side and next to the man was another lady.

The dog had his nose in the side of the woman’s breast. She turned around suddenly. I knew what was coming. She thought the guy was feeling her up. She started to say something and then paused for a second. Then laughed when she realized it was the dog. She said to the man next to her…..I thought you were feeling me up!

The bartender was young. He knew one of the couples. They said they had not seen him around town in a long time. He said yes, two years. He spends his days with his two year old. Nights working. Another on the way. My life is different, he said. And I don’t mind it!

One of the couples 50ish. Must be a relatively new relationship. Hugging and kissing away.

Another couple came in. Two guys. One a woman, I suspect. No, I would put money on it. A woman trying to pass herself off as a man.

Blond short cropped hair. Discernible breasts. A white man’s shirt. Kaki pants. Shirt tucked in. Tight waist. Spread hips.

They enjoyed a couple of drinks. She then pulled out a cigar. A large thick one. Lite up and puffed away. Knew how to smoke it.

Spent my afternoon yesterday working on tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. A quick half hour of interesting topics. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics tonight include six year old Jeremy Mardis and the court ordered gag on the case, the reason why the cost of food has soared the past three years, police organization planning to retaliate against Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, the Catholic Church very similar to the U.S. Congress, Donald Trump and H.L. Mencken, and more.

This morning’s Key West History section had an interesting item. Bagatelle’s building was not always on Duval. Until 1974, the building was at 716 Fleming next to the library. It was moved at that time.

Weather very calm this morning. Nothing moving. A bit eerie.

Syracuse plays Clemson this saturday. Clemson is #1 in the country. Oh, well.

The Republican debates tonight 7-11. I will miss the first part of the first team’s responses. My blog talk radio show at the same time.

I cannot believe the debate by the #1 team will be any better than in the past.

We shall see.

Enjoy your day!

 

REPUBLICAN DEBATES

Pleasure time for Louis last night. The Republican debates. Love politics!

The first debate was scheduled for 5. I had to prepare. Went to Publix and bought all kinds of bad soul satisfying foods. Had to do things in proper fashion. I figured I would be TV bound six hours.

The debates.

Two debates wrong. The first group came over as second class citizens. An insult to those willing to make a run for President. No audience. Moderators inept. Questions bland.

They say Carly Fiorina distinguished herself. The only one to come out of the second class citizen group.

I was not impressed with Florina. I have been watching her the past two weeks. Her TV interviews prior to last night have been terrific. Her attire and hair right on. She also repeated on each occasion two separate canned lines that hit home. One tough woman.

Last night, she pulled a Hillary Clinton. She was different from the person in the earlier interviews. Her hair done differently. Stiff. The easy going smart looking woman drab. Even her suit. Which neither fit the event nor her image. Some sort of bland pink thing. It was not the Carly Fiorina I had come to know.

Everyone this morning is singing her praises. Wow, could she hand it out! They were referring to the two canned responses I had been hearing prior to the debate. No one seems to have picked up that they were canned, not spontaneous.

The second debate, the main event, an altogether different story. Top shelf, first class. The place packed. The moderators tough.

I was impressed with most of the candidates in the second event. The Republicans are fielding a good team of possibilities for 2016. Two should be eliminated from my perspective. Donald Trump and Rand Paul.

I thought Trump had it till last night. He is a buffoon.

Rand Paul not ready for prime time.

The moderators were hard on Trump. Unfairly. He handled matters well, however.

Jeb Bush is being knocked this morning on TV. Why, I do not understand. I thought he gave an impressive performance.

It was after one by the time I got to sleep. I watched the followup shows.

Rick Boettger is a local writer. A journalist. He writes a column weekly for KONK Life as I do. Recently, we have become friends. Rick and Cynthia are good people.

Rick’s column in this week’s KONK Life his last. He told the world he was getting things in order. He has prostate cancer. Finality not imminent. Yet, on the way. Sad the only way to describe the column and Rick’s circumstances.

I was extremely tired yesterday. Unusually so. It may be steroid withdrawal. I had been on steroids for a week. Off, two days. I spoke with a doctor friend. He suggested steroid withdrawal.

This Iran deal mind boggling. I know as much as you. Which is not much. We have to rely on our political leaders and their judgment. I have mentally lined up with those supporting the deal.

I fear if we do not come down on the side of approving the agreement, war in the next five years or so could be inevitable. The scenario reminds me of the League of Nations which the U.S. Senate voted against following World War I.

Enjoy your day!