WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN

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A first for me yesterday. Marching in Steve Attis’ New Orleans type funeral procession.

A warm experience. Joyous an even better description.

Steve in the casket riding up front. The musicians behind him. Skipper Krippitz leading them. With a drum. Walking backwards the whole way. Impressive!

The rest of us behind the musicians. Some two hundred strong. Led by Steve’s wife Midge in a wheel chair.

We leisurely marched/danced to When the Saints Go Marching In. The American gospel hymn that became a jazz favorite.

The song expressing the wish to go to Heaven.

Religious services were at St. Mary Star of the Sea. Sad. The atmosphere had changed.

Steve’s family in attendance. Came from everywhere. The most touching moment when one of Steve’s sons was doing a reading. It was difficult for him. His sister came up and put her arm around his shoulder. He finished.

I walked with Don, Tom and Nicky.

Then to Publix. Needed only a few things. Basics.

Publix packed like it was Thanksgiving or Christmas. Everyone buying for Super Bowl parties tonight. Every check out counter was open. The lines long in each one.

It has not been my good fortune to view the last two Syracuse games. I forgot they were playing wednesday and missed a great victory. I was walking for Steve yesterday and missed an even better game.

Syracuse beat #9 Virginia 66-62. Syracuse was down 12 at half. Syracuse scored 73 percent from the field in the second half. Made 66 percent of their 3 point shots through out the entire game.

Big time basketball!

It also was Jim Boeheim’s 1,000th victory. Forty one years a Syracuse coach. I know Jim Boeheim. A good person deserving the success he has achieved.

Syracuse/Clemson tuesday evening at 8.

Super Bowl tonight. Not that I had to tell you. Everyone knows. I will be watching at a private party.

Trump respects Putin. He disrespects judges. Does not make sense to me.

The protests everywhere continue to concern me. They probably will turn into violence at some point. Trump’s hype adds fuel to the fire.

Not healthy.

Trump’s sense of responsibility lacking.

Enjoy Super Bowl! Enjoy your sunday!

 

WHO’S THE FAIREST ONE OF ALL?

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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released this date 1938. The first face and words were those of the Wicked Queen. She looked in the mirror and asked…..Who’s the fairest one of all?

I saw the movie sometime in the late 1930s. I was probably 4 or 5. At a neighborhood theater in Utica. The Rialto. With my cousins Phil and Louis. Both a couple of years older than me.

The Wicked Queen scared me.

Movies in those days ran two films back to back. The second film was Gunga Din. My cousins wanted to see the Snow White film again. So we did. In those days the films were run continuously and the theaters did not empty out between shows.

Last night began with Buonasera Venezia at the Bottlecap. A Sons and Daughters of Italy fundraiser. The group does a good job. The place filled inside and out.

Liz was with me. We got there a late. Everyone eating. No seats anywhere.

I can eat standing. Liz cannot. She had a bad hip operation and is waiting a second one. I who fall all the time have to hold on to her to make sure she does not fall. The blind leading the blind!

We did not stay.

I decided on Spencer’s. The Reach’s fancy restaurant. Had not been there in several years.

The food and ambiance excellent. The open porch sits on the water. Beautiful! Steaks outstanding! Service excellent!

Pricey. If a local, the 20 percent discount makes up for it.

Ran into Peter and Holly Diamond. They were finishing dinner when we arrived. Liz and the Diamonds old friends. Josefina stopped by to say hello. One of Liz’s regular girl friends.

Syracuse/Virginia at noon. Virginia ranked #9 nationally. Virginia a 6 point favorite.

I will miss the game. Steve Attis’ services today. Begin at noon at the funeral parlor with a New Orleans funeral parade to St. Mary Star of the Sea Church. Donald and I are going to march in the parade.

Trump continues to screw the American public. Maybe the world.

His desire to weaken Dodd-Frank will result in a boon to the banking industry. Dodd-Frank was passed to ensure the financial world’s wrongdoings which lead to 2008 would not happen again.

It will, if Trump is successful in getting rid of most of Dodd-Frank. The only one benefiting will be Trump’s friends, the banks.

As a society, we never learn. We always let the fox back into the hen house.

Even the famous and somewhat powerful delayed by Trump’s immigration/refugee executive order. A former Norwegian Prime Minister was delayed when arriving in Dulles for an hour. My apologies, his name escapes me. He was in the U.S. to attend the National Prayer Breakfast. He carried a diplomatic passport.

The passport noted he had been in Iran in 2014. The cause of his delay.

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that change in male dress was occurring in Key West. Men wearing sport jackets. Locals included.

The proof in the pudding was a picture in this morning’s E-Blast. Paul Tuppino is a conch, icon and one of Key West’s leading business persons. He was at a KWFW function at the Casa Marina. Wearing a white sport jacket!

Mark Zuckerberg was a Harvard sophomore on this date in 2004. He launched what is now Facebook that day. Active monthly users on Facebook average 1.7 billion.

Zuckerberg  in effect invented the safety pin and a better mouse trap at the same time.

My readers, a Louis compliment. The comment page can be difficult. Some days horrendous. Whether attacking me or someone else.

Today’s exchange unbelievable. Not one nasty comment. The issue at hand discussed intelligently and fairly. Thank you. I did not think it possible.

If it never happens again, I will still remember that one day when everyone was nice to each other and thought prevailed over discord.

Enjoy your day!

 

MISSED A GREAT GAME

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I completely forgot about Syracuse/North Carolina State last night. For shame! Especially since Syracuse scored a great victory!

Syracuse was down 16 points with 8 minutes to go. Gillon threw in a 3 pointer with 2 seconds to go to tie. Syracuse won in overtime 100-93.

Gillon a double star. Scored 43 points.

I first was to have dinner with Liz last night. Cancelled because of Steve Attis’ death. Wanted to go to Don’s Place to learn more about it and details re Steve’s funeral saturday.

Spoke with David. Steve died in an automobile accident. I cannot say at 81 he should not have been driving. I am 81. However, our physical conditions dramatically different.

Go Live with Key West Lou attracting a following of its own. Comments moving up dramatically. Take a look. Facebook. Enter Key West Lou. See and hear me for short periods several times a day.

Stopped at Chart Room after Don’s Place. John bartending. An interesting evening. Couples from everywhere. England, Iowa, Chicago and Hempstead, Long Island. All previous visitors. One couple presently renting for 3 months.

Unquestionably, insanity prevails in Key West. Craziness. We are having a Polar Bar Plunge. I am laughing as I type this. So stupid! A polar bear plunge in relatively warm water.

Noon sunday behind Salute’s. The event officially titled the Conch Republic Polar Bear Plunge.

A couple of This Day items in this morning’s Key West Citizen.

This day in 1936, heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey was in town. Fought several exhibitions. Then continued his trip to Havana.

This day in 1953 found band leader Guy Lombardo and his family visiting. An extended vacation at the Casa Marina.

Guy Lombardo was big in the 1940s. He played to a sell out crowd every New Year’s Eve at the Waldorf Astoria.

My Uncle Gus and Aunt Louise lived in the Bronx. Each year Uncle Gus and Aunt Louise dressed for the occasion. My Uncle in a tuxedo, Aunt in long. They took the Jackson Ave. subway to Manhattan. The subways were safe then. Many dressed as my aunt and uncle.

Uncle Gus was well liked. A quiet man. A barber. Aunt Louise did hair in their apartment.

Ruben Navarette in a recent Washington Post column had some interesting words re Trump. His article titled Trump the Rocky Balboa of U.S. Politics. He wrote that with all the abuse thrown at Trump during the campaign and now as President, Trump is still standing.

James Joyce wrote many books. Most long. Big time long. I was glad I never took a course where I was required to read one of his books.

Joyce commented about someone he had had words with. Joyce said the individual should “…..devote his whole life to reading my books.”

Punishment, in effect.

His most famous work Ulysses had 265,000 words.

Enjoy your day!

 

A GOOD MAN GONE

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Stephen Edward Attis has passed on. Known to all as Steve. A good man. None better.

I got to know Steve here in Key west. We had somewhat of a similar background. Both born in 1935. We used to joke that I was older than him. By 2 1/2 months.

Manhattan College frequently came into our conversations. I graduated from Manhattan College. Steve attended Manhattan for a time. He used to tell me he attended several colleges before finally graduating.

Steve born and raised in the Bronx. Manhattan College is located in the Bronx. I also lived for a time at 682 E. 141 St. in the Bronx. We talked how things were then and now in the Bronx.

A bocce player. As the years added on and he had some difficulty with his legs, Larry Smith used to help him stepping on and off the court, picking up the ball for him. In spite of his problems, he shot well.

Steve’s wife, Midge. The two married 61 years. The best of wives. Always with him, always watching out for him.

Steve and Midge regulars at Don’s Place. Loved by everyone.

A New Orleans style funeral procession planned. What else for Steve? Saturday at 12:15. Begins at the Dean Lopez Funeral Home. Onward to St. Mary Star of the Sea for his funeral service.

Never been in a New Orleans type funeral procession. I will saturday.

Spent yesterday afternoon perfecting material for last night’s podcast. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

As much as I disliked it, Trump took up the whole half hour. We talk about nothing else anymore.

The show went well. I am anti-Trump so it was easy.

Trump’s Supreme Court nominee is Neil Gorsuch. Appears extremely intelligent. Extremely conservative, also. I do not approve of him.

Not important what I think. His problem is getting Senate approval. The Dems are lining up against him. Properly so.

Stephen Bannon has become the ring leader in the White House. Trump relies on him. A bad move.

Bannon is a Rasputin. He will not fuck Trump as Rasputin did the Czarina. However, he will screw  the United States. Bannon seeks the destruction of government as we know it.

I have never played dominoes. I have never seen anyone playing dominoes in Key West. Nevertheless, there is a Domino Tournament this saturday at the Southernmost Hotel. The first of many to follow. Sponsored by the Sunset Key West Rotary. Named after and honors the well liked Maury Madruga who recently died.

Remember ZIKA. Hit Florida about this time last year. We were told to beware. ZIKA coming in epidemic proportions.

Where is it today?

Instant fear as with Ebola. Everyone gets excited and jumps to do something immediately. Haste rarely required.

A Sons and Daughters of Italy fundraiser 5-8 friday at Bottle Cap. Italian food, deserts, music, silent auction, etc.

Called Buonasera Venezia. Translated, Good Evening Venice.

Our home grown terrorist Harlem Suarez was convicted on terrorism charges yesterday in Federal Court. Took the jury one hour to convict. Suarez planned on burying a nail filled back pack bomb on Smathers Beach and then detonating it with a cell phone.

He is yet to be sentenced. I suspect a significant sentence. Suarez is going to be an old man when he gets out of jail.

A quote in the World Almanac section of this morning’s Key West Citizen worthy of note. Langston Hughes in Dreams wrote: “Hold fast to dreams / For if dreams die / Life is a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly.”

I enjoy doing Go Live with Key West Lou on Facebook. Every day, several times a day. For a few minutes. I can be seen as well as heard. If you have not, take a look. You might enjoy. Go to Facebook and enter Key West Lou. Voila! Me!

A big evening ahead. Dinner with Liz.

Enjoy your day!