GROSS DISAPPOINTMENT

I waited for 60 Minutes all week. Finally, last night. Stormy Daniels being interviewed live. Her attorney had kept us on edge for two weeks. Revelations to be made! Facts exposed!

I would describe her appearance as gross disappointment. Her attorney had promised too much and delivered too little.

As a result, my sense is that Daniels’ California civil suit is not strong. Her attorney is trying to force a settlement before depositions.

On the other hand, there is the question as to whether the $130,000 paid was a political contribution. Could involve a violation of the Election Law.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Never fails.

Saturday’s March For Our Lives an outstanding success. I thought it difficult for the NRA and gun supporters to counter. I should have known better. NRA supporters came out with a retort yesterday: “Saturday’s student-led March For Our Lives event was nothing more than a globalist-funded communist campaign in which the marchers themselves partook in trampling not only their own constitutional rights but the constitutional rights of their fellow countrymen in an outright push to further ban, suppress, and limit the Second Amendment…..”

Communist supported…..trampling on constitutional rights…..globalist funded.  Strong language. The Titanic going down and its short wave radio not working.

Some of the high schoolers will vote this year. Many more in 2020. All thereafter. The end of the NRA’s influence. Amazing! Brought down by a bunch of kids!

Everyone knows the students were assisted organizationally and with funding. What we saw saturday not possible without both. Why the NRA would complain, I do not understand. They have been taking in mega bucks for years from gun manufacturers and using it to dupe the American public.

Financial supporters of the March included George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Lyft, Women’s March Organizers, and Gabby Gifford’s Courage to Fight Gun Violence. There was a benefit concert Every Town for Gun Safety. A GoFund Me account raised $3.5 million.

Final Four next. Loyola-Chicago, Kansas, Michigan and Villanova. Big time! Exciting!

I was fortunate to attend four Final Fours. Three when Syracuse played, one just for the pleasure of it. Each an experience, each fun.

In March 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald published his first novel. This Side of Paradise.

He and his wife ran off to Paris thereafter. Fitzgerald became close friends with Ernest Hemingway. They drank their way through the bars of Paris. Still worked, however. While in Paris, Fitzgerald finished The Great Gatsby.

Something I never knew. Fitzgerald was named after his ancestor Francis Scott Key who wrote The Star Spangled Banner.

March 1953 a significant time also. I was a senior in high school. Polio aka infantile paralysis was a dreaded disease. Afflicted many, killed many yearly. Of major concern.

I recall a female high school friend who came down with polio.

She was sent to a special sanatorium high in the Adirondacks for two years till recovered.

Our President at the time Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been struck down with polio in 1921. It left him partially paralyzed the rest of his life.

Fear of the disease came to an end in March 1953 when a Dr. Jonas Salk announced he had discovered a polio/infantile paralysis vaccine. Salk’s vaccine saved thousands from the dreaded disease. To the extent, polio/infantile paralysis is rarely mentioned these days.

Several times over the past few years, I have written and spoke of Afghanistan. Not so much the war itself. Rather the successful and ever growing opium poppy fields which produce heroin. Ninety percent of which ends up on the streets of the U.S.

Rachel Blevins published an article March 25, 2018 concerning the why and where with alls of the problem. She claims the war has made poppy growth possible and imposed on our streets the worst heroin epidemic ever in U.S. history.

It seems the war has contributed to the success of heroin sales. At the time of the 2001 invasion, there were 189,000 heroin users in the U.S. In 2016, the number had increased to 4.5 million.

Heroin deaths are up 533 percent from 2016 alone.

Since 2016, Afghanistan areas under opium poppy cultivation have increased by 63 percent.

Bottom line. The war is protecting and encouraging the poppy growers. When is the last time you heard of a poppy field or poppy growers having been bombed? In a country that has been bombed to hell.

Something is amiss. Money has to be changing hands. In the meantime, we are experiencing the worst opioid epidemic in the history of the U.S.

Dueling Bartenders tonight at Aqua. Love Dueling Bartenders. An opportunity to have a couple of drinks, listen to great music, and sing along when the mood hits me.

Enjoy your day!

THE WALL…..BILLIONS OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS

Recall Trump’s words during the campaign…..We are going to build a wall and Mexico is going to pay for it.

Government contract notices listed on a federal website ask for proposals for construction of the wall by March 29. The wall to be 30 feet high.

Trump’s budget as sent to Congress requests monies this year. Tax dollar monies to commence construction of the wall. Described as a down payment. $2.6 billion.

Allocated between a pedestrian wall and vehicle barrier. Broken down, $6.5 million a mile for the pedestrian fence and $1.8 million a mile for the vehicle barrier.

Estimated cost for the entire project vary depending who is being asked. Anywhere from $12-21 billion.

I thought Mexico was going to pay for the wall. Trump has changed his tune. We are going to build and pay for it and then pursue Mexico for reimbursement.

Good luck!

The Syracuse basketball season ended yesterday. Syracuse lost to Ole Miss 85-80. I’m glad it’s over. Most of the games were painful to watch.

I watched yesterday’s game. Same story. We did not have it together. Took forever to make the first three pointer. Defense not what it should have been. Etc.

Villanova lost! Wow! Winner of the Final Four last year. Number 1 seed overall this year. Wisconsin beat Villanova 65-62. Such is the beauty of the NCAA Tournament. You never know when a lesser team is going to be up enough to beat a favorite.

Villanova was my choice for #1. Saw the team as the big winner.

Dee took me to dinner last night at Berlin’s. Two pound Maine lobsters. Delicious!!!

Dee just returned from Bali. Interesting stories to tell.

The William Hackley saga continues. His 8 day clock was not working. Would run down before 8 days up and was not keeping accurate time. He brought it to be repaired.

The verbiage immediately brought to mind 5 Day Deodorant Pads. Such was the name of a deodorant that hit the market in the early 1950s. Small circular pads soaked with deodorant.

I was in high school when 5 Day became popular. Used it. Did I use a deodorant before? Don’t recall. I do not think many, if any, used deodorant till the early 1950s.

Did we all have body odor before deodorant became popular? I do not recall.

Another interesting question was whether people did not daily bathe back then. Otherwise, why the 5 Day name? My mother made sure I took a bath every day. We did not have a shower.

The Studios of Key West has an interesting show scheduled for 8 tonight. I hope to make it.

It will be a reading and discussion of Tennessee Williams’ love letters.

Williams was gay. Had several lovers over the years. One was Frank Merlo. I wrote a column for KONK Life two years ago re the relationship. I thought Merlo to be the greatest love of Williams’ life. Williams wrote his best works during the 14 years they lived together in Williams’ Key West home and a New York City apartment.

The greatest love theory was mine. I am curious what I will hear this evening.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that the recent battle with screwworms has been won. The flesh eating maggot problem eradicated.  Florida’s deer population, among others, saved. Especially the little deer living in Big Pine and on Little Deer Key.

Credit be given where credit due, Florida is on top these things.

Two significant Key West events March 25.

The last season tour of the Key West Cemetery. Three separate tours that day. Make a reservation. Always crowded. Attend if you never have. The history of Key West reflected on the stones. Also, some interesting quips by the deceased. My favorite is…..I told you I was sick.

Equality Florida is having its 20th Annual Gala. From 5:30 to 8:00. At the Gardens Hotel. A perfect venue for the event.

Equality Florida is Florida’s largest and most powerful gay rights organization.

Enjoy your Sunday!