JENNY FROM ARKANSAS…..BIG TIME FOLLOWER

I was sitting at the bar last night at the Chart Room when a lovely lady sat next to me. She started chatting immediately…..I was in last night looking for you, met you with my husband in November, etc.

I did not recognize her until she mentioned she was a librarian, her husband a dairy farmer and they lived in Arkansas. The bell rang!

Jenny 45, married to Spence.

Jenny’s mother Rita was with her. Karen’s husband Spence back home in Arkansas working the farm.

Rita told me she and the family have been coming to Key West for Christmas for 15 years. Impressive.

Jenny and I spoke at length. She is a fan. Reads the blog daily, has purchased and read Irma and Me, and listens religiously every tuesday to my podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Loves the podcast!

Jenny is the first person I have met who religiously follows the podcast. I have noticed the blog and podcast are distinct and separate audiences. Different.

Rita’s son, Jenny’s brother, was married saturday in Memphis. Mother Rita was stressed out from the event. Ergo, Jenny took mother to Key West for a few days of rest and relaxation.

I have become interested in farming. Especially farms that are in competition with or have become associated with the big corporations like Monsanto. In addition to dairy farming, Jenny’s husband Spence grows rice.

We had an interesting discussion re the pros and cons of doing business with major corporations.

Seated next to Jenny was Karen. Karen and husband Jim visiting Key West for the second time. From Cleveland. Two grown children. Son an architect, daughter a financial forecaster. Karen refers to her son as a Doctor for Buildings.

Jim an electrical equipment salesman.

Karen charming.

Made sure I got home in time for the Syracuse/Duke game. Close. Syracuse lost 69-65.

Good game. Both teams using zone defenses. Penetration difficult.

Syracuse lost the game near the end of the first half. It was neck and neck up to that time. Then Duke went of a 10 point run and went into half time with a 7 point lead.

I am proud of Syracuse. The regular season was disastrous. Syracuse did not have it. Then improvement began appearing in the ACC post season tournament. Major improvement in the 3 NCAA tournament games.

It is called redemption. A job well done!

The big students’ march today. High school students demanding improvement in gun laws. The big demonstration in Washington. World wide, also.

And in Key West! The Key West portion begins at noon at South Beach. It will go straight down Duval to Mallory Square. From the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

Irma still with us. There are post Irma effects. This morning’s Key West Citizen pointed out two.

Florida lobsters one.

The lobster season ends April 1. During Irma, 24,000 traps were lost. Translated into a 60 percent smaller harvest. The dollar loss totaling $38.6 million.

The hospitality industry hurting, also. Revenues down 20 percent. Tourists think Irma wiped Key West out and we are still rebuilding.

Key West an island of writers. Yesterday and today. One of the famous ones Tennessee Williams. Lived in Key West more than 30 years.

On this day in 1955, Williams’ play Cat On A Hot Tin Roof opened on Broadway. Two days before his 44th birthday. Twenty eight years before his death in 1985.

Williams lived on Duncan Street. My Lisa and family live 1.5 blocks down the street from the Williams home.

There is an excitement associated with passing the homes of Key West notables. People like Hemingway and Williams. I get a thrill.

An interesting article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal re human sperm.

Demand for human sperm is a fast growing market. U.S. sperm most in demand. In many locales world wide.

Demand for American sperm for example has skyrocketed in Brazil. In 2011, the demand was 16. In 2017, more than 500.

Wealthy Brazilian women creating the demand. Rich singles and lesbian couples. The DNA most in demand light complexioned, blond haired, and blue eyed.

Modern science absolutely amazing!

One of the most popular donors is #9601 at the Seattle Sperm Bank. He has all the characteristics demanded.

Tubes of semen from young men are frozen in liquid nitrogen and flown to Brazilian airports.

This is the day! At 7 this evening as the sun sets, the guns will roar, the band will play. Chris and Don will be saying their I Do’s.

Two special people tying the knot.

I will be there! On time!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

DON AND CHRIS’ PRE-WEDDING GET TOGETHER

 

Don and Chris will marry at 7 saturday evening on the Hyatt dock as the sun sets.

Romantic.

Lovely.

I hope every one makes the wedding. The partying began wednesday evening at the Chart Room. A handful of guests.

Last night more guests. Fifteen to twenty. What Don described as a “pre-wedding get together” was held at the Hyatt Beach Bar. Good food and good company. Good drinking, of course.

Don and Chris’ friends coming in from all parts of the world. Including Korea. Don has a piece of a Korean company. Three primary owners. All Korean. One in already and at the party. The other two arriving today.

Joon the owner I met last night. His father sent him to Texas for finishing school and then to the University of Texas. Today, he runs the company.

Met Gilly. Don and Gilly worked for the same company for 27 years. Arm in arm. Today, competitors. Still friends.

Trixie and John from Litchfield, Connecticut.

Trixie is Chris’ best friend. Affiliated with Pfizer. Producers of Viagra. I got an education re Viagra and its generic.

John a doctor. A rheumatologist.

I noticed Trixie always had her hand on John’s arm and hand. I mentioned how lovely. I envied them. Turned out they are relatively newly married. Eighteen months. The glow still there. Good for them!

Recall Phil from yesterday’s blog? He is involved in a family business, has a second home in Tuscany, etc. I did not get much detail on him the night before. I did last night.

The company the Golden Rod Corporation. Operated three generations by Phil’s family. The first two generations in Italy. Montechio, Maggiori. The plant still operational. Phil’s Tuscany home in the same area.

Phil is involved in operating the U.S. facility. Prospect, Connecticut. The business is involved in manufacturing components for paper and plastic industries. They supply customers world wide.

Phil is with Christina. A couple. Christina 30 years old. Works a bit. Only a bit. Weekends. She delivers pizzas. She does not need to work. Delivered pizzas in college. Keeps her hand in it weekends for the fun of it. Claims she provides joy to those she delivers to. People always smile as they receive their pizza orders.

Trixie and Christina read the blog. I love everyone who reads my blog! We were excited to meet each other.

The party was breaking down. Don was leading everyone to the Chart Room. Not me. I could not handle another drinking night. Made my excuses and said I was going to bed. Told Trixie if I did not watch myself, I would never make the wedding saturday night.

My car was at the Pier House. Stopped in the Chart Room for a few minutes. Drank a diet soda. The wedding group was 15 minutes behind me.

Glad I stopped. Ran into Susan and Huggie from Charleston, South Carolina. I had met them last year.

Love ’em. Susan was quick to point out she reads the blog every day and also read Irma and Me.

We enjoyed an interesting few minutes.

Susan mentioned Syracuse. Followed it up with Loyola. I assumed Susan and Huggie were Loyola fans. I was unaware that Loyola had played earlier in the evening and beat Nevada by one point. Realized it only after I got home. Sorry, folks.

Syracuse/Duke tonight at 10. Duke favored by 11.5 points. Ranked #4 in the nation. Syracuse undaunted. We have been the underdog in the 3 NCAA games played thus far.

It will be onward Christian soldiers and let the chips fall where they may!

The weather was cold last night. Down to 64. Heat on.

Checked the weather for saturday’s wedding. E-mailed Chris and told her it was not necessary to put the rosary beads out. Weather saturday 78 by day and 70 by night.

My research goes in strange directions sometime. Came across “vaginal steaming” yesterday. Also known as “yoni steaming.”

Several years ago, movie star Gwen Paltrow began Goop. Began as a weekly e-mail. Now, a lifestyle website.

At one point, Paltrow endorsed vaginal steaming. A woman sits over a hot pot of water filled with herbs for up to 45 minutes. Supposedly cleanses the uterus and balances female hormones.

Perhaps. The real reason for its use is ages old. Centuries. Intended to help men, not women. Tightened the vagina so as to provide more pleasure to the man.

Whatever, the century old procedure is today part of the program at many spas for women world wide. One southern California spa advertises it as the “reawakening of the inner goddess.”

A couple of short Trump observations.

Trump appointed John Bolton National Security Adviser. The worse man possible for the job. A neocon, war hawk, hardliner. He takes office April 9.

Bolton was once U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bush 2 appointed him. Knew he would have difficulty getting Senate confirmation. Waited till recess to make the appointment. Avoided advise and consent. Bolton served as an interim appointee.

The National Security Adviser position does not require Senate confirmation.

To place Bolton’s appointment in perspective, he favors a preemptive war against Iran and North Korea. Without authorization from Congress.

I continue to fear Trump wants to be a war President.

Trump announced yesterday certain tariffs he intended to impose on China. China says they will retaliate. A tariff war guaranteed. Other countries will follow. A tariff war could destroy economies. Especially the U.S.’s I fear.

Trump not a thinker. Even a little bit. China is our bank. They loan us money every day. Our second biggest creditor. We owe China around $1.4 trillion.

Suppose China said no more money. Even worse, suppose China said  pay up. They called in our notes.

The man does not see, cannot comprehend, knows not what he is doing.

The market dropped 724 points yesterday because of the China/tariff situation.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

HEART OF AMERICA

The heart of America was represented in the Chart Room last night. The very spirit and essence. Family businesses.

One, the Bair family. Ohio people. Have owned and operated Bair’s Concessions, Inc. for 60 years. Three generations. Business headquartered in Lancaster, Ohio.

Bair’s Concessions provides food services to traveling carnivals. Hot dogs, cotton candy, etc. They move around as the carnivals do. Bair’s has its own staff, vehicles, equipment, etc.

Hard workers. The season six months. No time off.

Key personnel include this generation’s parents Brent and Nikki, their son Trent and his wife Annie.

The family spends 3 of the other six months annually in Key West resting up and enjoying.

Met them through the blog. Annie and Nikki regular readers. Love ’em! Bought Irma and Me, also.

John told me Annie had been in and out of the Chart Room for two weeks looking for me. She and mother in law Nikki wanted to meet, Annie wanted her book signed.

The Bair men quiet. The Bair ladies talkative. Vivacious women.

The other family business involved Phil. From Milford, Connecticut. Phil here with Christina for Don and Chris’ wedding. Don’s company and Phil’s do business together.

Phil has a home in Tuscany.

I have no further information re Phil and Christina. We were seated at the round table with Don and Chris. The wedding was primary conversation. The Chart Room noisy. And I was on my way to one drink too many.

Fortunately, Phil and Christina will be here for the wedding. I will probably see them tonight at a pre-wedding party. Definitely at the wedding saturday night.

At the bar was the new love of my life, Morgan. John’s lady. A hug, a kiss and great conversation.

Ted from Wampsville still in Key West. We have to get a dinner in.

His friend Ken with him. Ken from Canastota. Both small towns in central New York. Thirty miles from my home town Utica.

Chatted a bit about onions. Canastota is the onion capital of the world.

When Anna would drive me around rural Novara, we were surrounded by rice fields. As far as the eye could see in every direction. Same in Canastota, except they are onion fields.

I left the wedding group. Had enough for the evening. Headed to Tavern ‘n Town for dinner. Lamb chops. That’s all.

Lynda and Bob Frechette came in for dinner. Two of the loveliest people in Key West. Friends. I enjoyed my coffee with them. We chatted about things going on in Key West.

Some of the Key West roads are in abominable shape. Depressions, not holes. Come upon you suddenly, however. I hit one hard the other day. Something broke under the car.

George at Zip Automotive does my repair work. Dependable and reasonable. I dropped the car off to George yesterday. He drove me home. Later in the day he returned to deliver the car back. Need a part. Has to come from Miami. Three days wait. No problem. Car can be driven.

Zip Automotive is on Maloney Avenue on Stock Island. Three or four doors up from Roostica.

George a working man. Owns the garage. His hands and clothes coated in grease. Fiftyish. A conservative. Knows what he is talking about. Especially, numbers. Better than me. Loves Trump.

We are diametrically opposed politically. Love talking with him!

Today, a Louis day. A haircut, manicure and pedicure. With a lunch in between at Sandy’s cafe. Cuban cheese toast with tomato and a large Cuban coffee. A favorite meal.

Today, World Water Day. Purpose to raise awareness re water scarcity, how to preserve it, and how to use it safely.

W. H. Auden said, “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.”

Enjoy your day!

 

 

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR DAVID HOGG IMPRESSIVE…..#NEVER AGAIN FOR REAL

 

I watched Douglas High School senior David Hogg on Morning Joe today. Impressive. Articulate and thoughtful. Direct.

These children are not going to go away. #Never Again is for real!

The law moves in strange ways. Confusing even to the trained advocate.

In effect, assault weapons are banned in the United States. As was decided by the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Kolbe v. Hogan decided last year, Second Amendment protections are not extended to weapons of war.

Like an AR-15.

Several other Circuit Courts have similarly decided.

The Supreme Court may never decide. Specific grounds are required to reach the Supreme Court. One is that if Circuit Court decisions exist, they must be contrary. In other words, one Court decides one way and the other the opposite.

To achieve uniformity and a singular controlling “law” under the circumstances, it would require each State to ban assault weapons. I doubt such is possible recognizing the mindset of certain State legislators.

The Supreme Court decision recognizing Second Amendment gun rights is DC v. Heller. The case did not go so far as to recognize assault weapons and weapons of war. Even the conservative Justice Scalia wrote that Second Amendment rights were “not unlimited.”

Sunday a day of rest. I try to make it one.

My Sunday began with a 10:30 breakfast at Geiger Key. Owner Bobby Mongelli suggested I try Sunday breakfast there. The eggs benedict and water view went well together.

Continued researching in the afternoon. Missed Hot Dog Church and Kate Miano’s Gardens. Later in the evening, I stopped at Antonia’s for dinner.

Busy today.

Heart doctor appointment at 1:30. No problem. Routine check up. He is going to be shocked to see I have lost 19 pounds! I feel like Little Tom Horner…..What a good boy am I!

At 5, Mary Lou Hoover’s campaign kickoff party at Salute. Followed by Dueling Bartenders at Aqua. Mary Lou is running for City Commissioner.

Kate Miano, friend and proprietor of The Gardens, has made her bid for Mayor official. This morning’s Key West Citizen notes she has filed. As have 8 others.

Kate will win!

John Glenn made his famous orbital flight in February 1962. A few days after, America’s new hero and his family spent a restful few days at the Key West Naval Base vacationing.

It was announced over the weekend that Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport will shortly undergo an $8.5 billion expansion. The work to include a 75 percent expansion, dozens of new gates, and several additional concourses. Three million square feet of rehab and new construction.

Purportedly will not cost taxpayers a penny. The airlines jointly enter into a long term contract with Chicago. The most recent a 35 year one. Scheduled to expire in May.

A new contract will be entered into. Chicago will pledge the rental fees over an extended number of years as collateral to borrow the money necessary for the new construction.

I wrote a weekly column for KONK Life for many years. One of the first concerned Lt. Edward “Butch” O’Hare.

O’Hare, a Chicago resident. A Navy pilot during World Ward II. He was stationed on the carrier USS Lexington. Japanese bombers were on the way. He and a handful of other pilots scurried to meet them.

O’Hare became an ace and Medal of Honor winner in 4 minutes. It that short time, he shot down 5 of the 9 approaching bombers.

O’Hare International Airport is named after him.

Trump continues to screw things up. Two of the most recent involve the Agency responsible for Immigration and the new head of the FAA.

The United States is no longer a nation of immigrants. So reflects the printed word as changed by the Trump Administration.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently changed its mission statement. From securing America’s promises as a nation of immigrants to protecting the homeland and honoring U.S. values.

Stripped the mission statement from immigrant assistance to protecting the homeland. I hate that word homeland. Sounds like something out of Nazi Germany.

The intent of the words emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty no longer of consequence…..Give me your tired, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Another concern involves airplanes, airlines and the skies they fly. Trump is in the process of appointing a new head for the FAA. He is seriously considering appointing John Dunkin.

Dunkin has been Trump’s personal pilot since 1989.

Besides safety concerns, the FAA’s budget is $16 billion.

Dunkin qualified? I do not know. What I do know is that the whole thing sounds like Trump appointing his limousine driver of many years to be Secretary of Transportation. Which he did not.

Last but not least, my Syracuse got drubbed by Duke saturday night 60-44. Forget the NCAA! We will not make it.

Probably play in the NIT. I even question whether Syracuse belongs there this year. New York City is replete with Syracuse graduates who will run to the Garden to see Syracuse play. Syracuse a New York City guaranteed box office draw. Ergo, the NIT invitation.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLAMES THE JEWS

Anti-Semitism is on the rise. Has been for roughly a decade. Slowly creeping up each year. Evident in the United States and Europe, especially.

The NRA has finally met its match. In the children. The NRA aware their rising cry will be difficult to stifle. From the mouths of babes come truth. So another troublemaker must be identified. One that can be blamed for destroying American freedoms. As perceived by the NRA.

The Jews! Who else? The all time international scapegoat.

It is claimed gun rights are being destroyed by Jewish elite. The mega rich. Further, social engineering in general  by Jews will destroy other American freedoms.

The anti-Semitic trend part of La Pierre’s raving speech at CPAC this week.

Beware! Don’t buy it!

Staying with guns for a moment, there are 265 million privately owned firearms in the United States. One hundred thirty three million are owned by 3 percent of Americans. The 3 percent are referred to as super owners.

Bottom line, 3 percent of Americans own more than half the country’s guns. Averages out to 17 guns per super owner.

Another pleasant evening last night. Spent with Donna and Terri. Bear too for a part of the evening.

We were going out to dinner. Cocktails first at Donna and Terri’s.

I bought Bear another small toy to chew and chase. A soft lamb chop. He loved it!

I have not seen Bear in a week. He has grown. Appears to have doubled in size. Could it be? Only 11 weeks old.

Dinner was at La Trattoria. Bear left home alone. First time alone. Don’t know yet how he handled it.

Food and companionship outstanding. Always a good time with my lesbian wives.

I continue to observe the tourist crowd. Many, though less than previous years. I expect it will continue till season is over.

Bicyclists a never ending problem. So many on the streets. Even in the dark of night. Most without lights, of course. I cannot understand the infrequency of accidents. Don’t tell me because bicycle operators are safe drivers. Come drive our streets and find out how wrong you would be.

Trump continues to tell us things are good economically. Actually, great! I disagree. No question better. However not all Americans experiencing the benefits of a terrific economy.

Employees of American Eagle an example.

American Eagle is a subsidiary of American Airlines. American Airlines last year had a profit of $1.9 billion. Eagle and its parent American have been negotiating a new contract for almost two years to no avail.

Following are trials and tribulations some American Eagle employees claim they are suffering: Need for food stamps, other public assistance to make ends meet, purchase out of date food, borrow from retirement accounts, sell blood. Some being paid $9.48 per hour.

The white man was as bad as the Indians. Perhaps worse.

Lets begin with scalping. I am not sure who started it. However as far back as 1621, things were not as kumbaya as one might believe. Even the first Thanksgiving had the Pilgrims and Indians looking over the table at each other with animosity.

Days before, Miles Standish led a band of Pilgrims on a special quest. They wanted the head of a local Indian chief. They could not find him. However they did locate an Indian by the name of Wituwamat. They beheaded him and placed his head on a wooden spike at their encampment. Wituwamat’s head so remained for many years.

On Thanksgiving Day 1626, the colonists were after Indian Chief Metacomet. They captured him, decapitated him, quartered his body and left it to the wolves. His head was placed on a pole in Plymouth.

A few years later, 700 Pequot Indians were killed, burned alive, and beheaded. Some of the colonists used the heads as bowling balls. They bowled down the various streets of a nearby town.

Moving ahead to 1725, whites scalping Indians became a big thing. Indian scalps were worth money.

In February, a posse of New Hampshire volunteers attacked an Indian encampment. They took 10 scalps. The first significant appropriation of Indian scalps by European colonists.

The posse sold the scalps to Boston authorities who paid them 100 pounds per scalp.

Scalping and decapitation by the white man in early pre-United States days. Would you believe?

I had computer problems while writing today’s blog. My key board froze. Took a couple of hours to find the problem and fix it. In the meantime, some of you were able to receive a shortened entry together with grammatical errors and misspellings. Sorry. Hope you returned to this final version.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

My Yesterday…..Research, Berlin’s, and Bria Ansara

 

Enjoyed my yesterday.

Researched all day. Love digging for information.

Berlin’s last night for dinner. A full house. Got the last seat at the bar. The meal excellent as was Bria Ansara. Her singing touching everyone.

A big night ahead.

Syracuse/Duke at 6:15 on ESPN. Duke ranked #5 nationally. Going to be a tough game. Syracuse needs the win. We shall see.

Dinner with Donna and Terri tonight at La Trattoria. Cocktails first at their home. I have to see Bear. It has been a week.

Key West the home of writers. One, Tennessee Williams. Lived here more than 40 years. Williams died this day in 1983.

Williams’ The Glass Menagerie played yesterday afternoon on Turner Classics. I captured a small portion of its end. I have seen The Glass Menagerie at least twenty times. Amazed each time by the power of Williams’ words.

Spent a bit of time watching CPAC. Second day in a row. The first day, wild screaming Wayne La Pierre. Barbarians at the gate.

Yesterday, the master of exuberance Donald Trump. He was before his people. That 37 percent.

CPAC an ultra conservative group. Not the conservatives of yesteryear, however. Neither Barry Goldwaters nor Ronald Reagans.

What I saw were extremists. Too many Lock Her Up chants. Encouraged of course by Trump. He beat Hillary. I do not understand why he cannot let the dead rest.

The audience reminded me of street thugs. A tough appearing and tough acting crowd. The absolute fringe of the Republican Party.

Their apparent rowdiness meshed well with the Trump we have come to know.

CPAC had difficulty attracting speakers. Prominent politicians avoided the show. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, for example. The only Senator was Texas’ Cruz.

I cannot understand Cruz. During the primary, Trump accused Cruz’s father of being involved somehow in the Kennedy assassination. Cruz now sucking up to the man.

Prominent non office holders also absent. None!

The speakers consisted of Trump and members of his White House staff. Plus FOX News.

Even the mighty fall. Inner corrosion eats away.

The Douglas High School shooting the beginning of the end of the NRA as a power in American politics. The wrong group attacked. High school children. They have no fear. They are like a snowball that starts rolling down a hill. Small at the beginning. Gets larger with every turn. The students with every day.

Corporate America is turning its back on the NRA. Several have severed ties with the NRA. Ties involving co-branding partnerships, discounts to NRA members credit cards, etc. An economic blow to the NRA. Swiftly like a saber decapitating a person.

Corporations involved include Hertz, Avis, Enterprise Holdings, First National Bank of Omaha, Symantec, Enterprise, Chubb Limited, MetLife, Delta, and American Airlines.

Justice comes in many forms. One the soon to be filed bankruptcy application by Remington. In trouble financially. The filing will be for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company may survive. Whether it will be the giant it has been for two centuries remains to be seen.

Remington began in 1816 in Ilion, NY. Fifteen miles from my hometown of Utica. Remington remains the major employer to this day in Ilion. It also has other plants throughout the United States.

Remington is America’s oldest gun maker. A definite part of  American gun culture. The name Remington appears on frontier flintlocks as well as US Army .45’s.

I learned something in the last 24 hours while researching this topic.

Guns sales rose dramatically in the 10 years prior to Trump’s election. Since his election, sales have fallen dramatically. The reason is gun sales rise when politicos are elected who want to pursue more stringent gun control laws. People run to stack up on guns.

Trump supports the NRA, its members, etc. Gun laws supposedly not going anywhere under him. So gun lovers fear not and buy fewer guns.

Such has been Trump’s first year. Till now. I am assuming gun sales have shot upward based on post Douglas talk.

The down trend in gun sales is one reason Remington got into financial trouble. The other is that it was a Remington manufactured AR-15 that killed the first and second graders at Sandy Hook. Remington has borne the burden of defending against lawsuits arising out of the Sandy Hook incidence, though Remington itself was not found liable. Lawyers cost money. Especially in big money cases.

A side note of interest. Remington built a new plant in Huntsville, Alabama in 2014 to manufacture AR-15s. Prior to 2014, they were manufactured at the Ilion plant.

A soap box morning. Required sometimes. Things have to be said. People made aware.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

SYRACUSE BEATS DUKE…..AT THE BUZZER

Five in the morning. Up early. Heart test at 8:30. Blog will be short this morning.

What a game!

Syracuse over Duke by 3. A 3 pointer at the buzzer from way out. Gillon made the shot with 3 Duke players on him and 2 others nearby.

Looked to me to be the Doug Flute Hail Mary shot of basketball.

Should be enough to qualify Syracuse for the NCAA tournament.

These town halls do my heart good. Or, maybe the strain is too much.

Trump the problem. Republican Congressional persons are paying for supporting him. Trump may be destroying the country. Voters starting to realize it. Wish they had realized it would be a possibility on election day.

Sessions won! Right out the door. Reversed policy re transgenders.

Trump helping Sessions. Shows Trump’s duplicity. During the campaign, he promised to protect transgender rights. First chance Trump got, he reversed his position.

Bocce begins tonight.

Enjoy your day!

 

PROPER GRAMMAR RACIST

Pouring like hell! Dark and gloomy! A for real ocean side storm.

Love ’em. Just as much as sunny and warm days. Each its own flavor.

For many years, I have enjoyed rain and ocean. This morning, I opened the sliding doors and enjoyed the weather from my bed. Could see and hear. Nothing like it.

We are going through revolutionary times again. Racism the basis of it. One example is how certain people feel about language. The use of words. Grammar.

Proper grammar is considered reflective of white supremacy. Ergo, racist.

So sayeth certain African-Americans. Especially those who are college students.

The language spoken in the black community and parts of the white is far from what is considered by others as proper grammar. Such being the case, proper grammar should not be utilized in teaching, communicating, etc. Go with the language of the street.

Asao Inoue is the Writing Program Director at the University of Washington-Tacoma. He is one who describes proper grammar as racist.  He is anti-racist (based on what he considers racist). Wants street talk to make up the language structure.

I think Inoue and others who want street language to be the new norm are lazy. Simply stated. My sense is they refuse to accept and learn the discipline of speaking and writing proper grammar. They seek the easy way out.

Or, they are merely trouble makers.

My podcast show last night went well. As usual, fun to do. Political correctness re grammar as described hereinbefore one of the topics discussed.

Another one that I wrote about two years ago in a local newspaper and have commented on several times since. Afghanistan and the American heroin problem. Right on. Always interesting. Needs repeating till something is done about it.

Cuban Coffee Queen for lunch yesterday. Cuban cheese toast, Cuban coffee and American newspapers.

Stock Island and Key West not always joined. A boat ride separated the two. Till this date 1906. Stock Island and Key West were joined by a new 12 foot roadway built for the Florida East Coast Railroad.

Before the suns sets this day on Standing Rock, people may be injured and/or die. The Army Corp of Engineers set this date as the deadline for the Sioux Indians and their supporters to remove themselves from the property.

Some have suggested leave the issue to the courts. Others have said stay and fight. Religious fervor deep. As are basic rights. Both motivating factors re the Indian position.

If trouble occurs, Trump bears significant responsibility. He appears to have promised he would take care of things if elected. He did. He ordered construction to be resumed. His justification twofold. U.S. steel would be used, jobs created.

As a nation, we always seem to be behind. Jobs began going to Europe and Mexico twenty plus years ago. We are still fighting the battle to get them back.

Too late.

Our concern today should be robots and artificial intelligence. Such are taking over jobs. Cheaper for corporations. Involve less employee aggravation.

Cars and trucks are being tested for driverless operation. McDonald’s using kiosks where the customer presses a button to give orders. Eighteen months from now, you will receive your drive through McDonald’s order from a robot. Parking lots no longer have attendants. Machine operated.

On and on.

What have we done as a nation to train our labor force for this new world? Next to nothing.

Robots and artificial intelligence will be a major issue in the next Presidential campaign.

Warren Buffet this week reduced his holdings in Wal-Mart by $900 million. Does not speak well for Wal-Mart.

Tonight at 7, Syracuse/Duke. Big game! Duke 22-5 and ranked. Syracuse 16-12 and unranked. Duke a 4.5 point favorite. Syracuse needs to win this one to have a possibility of making the NCAA tournament.

I plan on watching the game at Jack Flats.

Still pouring like hell.

Enjoy your day!

 

COHABITATION A CRIME

Cohabitation is living together without benefit of marriage. Sex and/or passion presumed. Early in American history, cohabitation was a crime. Once in many States. Now, only three.

Florida is one of three. Conviction means a fine up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail.

No one has been charged and/or convicted of cohabitation in ever so long. An antiquated law. No one pays any attention to the law. Properly so.

Yet, Florida has been trying to get the law off the books for years. The State Legislature fails to cooperate. Another try is in the works this year. Why can’t Florida get the law off the books?

I stayed in all day nursing my cold.

Spent the afternoon writing this week’s KONK Life column Late Night Diner. The story of Edward Hopper and Nighthawks. A little Hemingway and Jack Baron included. The column publishes wednesday.

WOW, is it cold! Low last night 60. 63 at the moment. High today 65. My body picked a good time to get a cold!

Syracuse/Duke tonight. At Duke. Duke a 10.5 point favorite. I will be watching. I am fighting depression this season.

The World Almanac section of today’s Key West Citizen has a pointed quote by the French philosopher Baron de Montesquieu: “Not to be loved is unfortunate, but it is an insult to be loved no longer.” Right on as to a dumped lover or spouse.

I have three appointments today. Dentist, physiotherapy and doctor. Have to cancel all three. The cold controls.

Enjoy your day!

 

GOING OUT TODAY

I continue to heal. Black eye lighter. Still obvious. Cuts by eye not totally healed. Scab fell off lip. Cuts still obvious, however. Back better, but not good.

It is called progress.

I have not shaved since wednesday. I have a good start on a beard. Not sure which way I will go.

I have been in since wednesday night. Time to get out of the house today. A brief walk somewhere. Tonight the Friends of the Key West Library at St. Paul’s. Author Edward Hower is speaking re his latest book about writing personal essays and travel stories.

Syracuse plays Virginia tonight, also. Normally, I would miss the Friends event and watch the game. It does not make any difference this season however. Syracuse plays Virginia, #2 in the country. I expect it to be as the Duke game went saturday.

If I work things properly, I should be able to watch the second half of the game.

Syracuse only has two games remaining. They have won 18 so far. The goal is always 20 wins. It has been years since Syracuse failed to reach 20. Though two games are left, I see Syracuse losing tonight. Which would mean that at best it might only be a 19 win season.

Nobody’s fault. It was a hard year for Syracuse from the beginning. Three players from last year expected to return this year did not. They went pro. Our big freshman center was injured early on and has not been able to play. I am not even throwing the NCAA investigation into the mix.

Wait till next year! The whole team returns with the exception of Christmas.

There was an article of interest in this morning’s Citizen. A four year study has revealed that Big Pine, No Name., and Bahia Honda have the lowest death rates in the County. Makes sense. The area is quiet country. Limited hell raising. Tranquility.

On this day in 1951, Harry Truman started a three week vacation at the Little White House. I often wonder if he ever visited the local haunts in the Duval Street area. We know he read, swam, fished and walked. Enjoyed a drink. Truman is recognized as a regular guy. He had to be at Sloppy Joe’s on occasion looking for the next Hemingway to talk with.

Enjoy your day!