VERY SATISFYING EVENING

Last night, pleasant and satisfying. A night with Liz.

Began with drinks at her home. Then to Bruschetta for dinner. Followed by a return to Liz’s home for home made Christmas cookies while seated on Liz’s Christmas decorated front porch.

Company and cookies excellent! Bruschetta good!

Bruschetta is a new Italian restaurant in downtown Key West. At 112 Fitzpatrick Street. Decor comforting.

Marco is part owner and operator. From Italy. A warm personality.

The food! Real Italian. A step up. Portions large. We left with doggy bags.

I enjoyed a linguine dish. Liz, a veal one.

Marco is giving a locals’ discount. Ten percent. Not enough. Should be at least 15 percent, if not 20. He apparently does not understand you can’t make it in Key West with out local business. The summers are long. His problem may be he does not realize the generous discounts being given by other restaurants.

The Key West Citizen makes two contributions to today’s blog.

Today In Key West History mentions that the movie Caribe Gold was being filmed in Key West in 1955. Ethel Waters, Coley Wallace and Cicely Tyson starring.

Lisa has a large colored print announcing the movie. Magnificent. It hangs in her living room. The print rare today.

The Citizens’ Voice carries an interesting comment. I repeat it in its entirety.

“No one felt sorry for the public phones when cellphones came around, no one felt sorry for letters when e-mails came around, no one felt sorry for Blockbuster when Netflix came around. Why feel sorry for the taxis because Uber came around?”

Homeless Memorial Day is December 16. Seventy six homeless persons died thus far this year in Monroe County. Their remains will be interred at a prayer service that day at Key West Cemetery. A recognition that everyone should be remembered.

Three years ago, I wrote a KONK Life COMMENTARY Column about Jeanette Rankin.

Rankin was a pacifist. Elected to Congress for the first time when World War I broke out. She voted against entering the war. She was defeated in the next election.

She ran again for Congress in 1940. Won. Pearl Harbor occurred. Rankin was the sole vote on December 8 opposed to declaring war on Japan.

Visitors abounded in the House that day. She was chased from the Chamber to a telephone booth. The police had to extract her and guide her out of the building to safety.

She did not run for re-election after casting her negative vote. The handwriting was on the wall.

Rankin commented as she cast her vote: “As a woman, I can’t go to war and I refuse to send anyone else.”

The House has a year end spending bill. It will be voted on thursday by the House. On friday by the Senate.

Some oddities in the bill.

New York City has increased responsibility guarding Trump and his family. The City asked for $35 million to assist with the protection. The House bill only appropriates $7 million.

Flint still waits for significant financial assistance to assist with regard to its lead contaminated water problem. Politicians are all talk with little help.

The House bill provides for $170 million to communities struck by contamination water problems. Note, not Flint alone. Communities.

The $170 million is also contingent on the passage of a separate water bill authorizing the funds.

Good luck! It will be a long time if at all before Flint receives proper help from the federal government. No one seems to care. The feds see it as a state problem. The state sees it as a federal problem. In the meantime, Flint water remains contaminated.

A newscaster this morning made mention that the Trump cabinet is the most conservative since Herbert Hoover. I hope Trump does better than Hoover did!

Syracuse/BU saturday at noon.

Enjoy your day!