I AM WOMAN

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Two items of historical significance occurred this date, though in different years.

The year 1972. Helen Reddy’s brilliant song I Am Woman hit the top of the pop charts. A work for the ages. Perfect for the burgeoning women’s movement. One of its beginnings.

I Am Woman’s words involved personal empowerment. Identified women as a class unto themselves.

The song still with us today. Reflected in the sexual harassment issue facing society today.

Women have come a long way!

The other event of historical significance occurred in 1854. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s The Charge of the Light Brigade was published. The charge having occurred at Balaklava during the Crimean War.

I first read the Charge in high school. It resonates with me to this day. “Into the valley of Death / Rode the six hundred / …..Their’s not to reason why / Their’s but to do and die.”

Dinner at Donna and Terri’s last night. Donna cooked special for me. My diet. Pieces of beef. Delicious.

Terri looks better each time I see her.

The Lighted Boat Parade was scheduled for tonight. Canceled. Rescheduled. The weather.

Raining like hell already. Temperature has already dropped. Sixty nine at the moment. High will be 72. Mid to high 60s during the canceled Boat Parade. Sixty two when I wake tomorrow morning.

The cause has to be the snow storm moving northeast out of Texas. Key West will not experience snow. Don’t think we ever have. However, we are being hit with the outer limits of the storm. Cold and rain.

The Lighted Boat Parade has been rescheduled for next saturday.

The cold spell will be with us till thursday.

The Sheriff’s Animal Farm’s annual Christmas event tomorrow. One to 3. Wear a sweater or jacket.

What would Christmas be without Larry Smith? Larry’s annual Holiday Jazz Concert friday at The Studios of Key West. Always an enjoyable event. I will be there.

Wife Christine will be singing as only she can.

Leave well enough alone! My words directed to the Catholic Church.

Pope Frances announced he wants to reword the Lord’s Prayer. After 2,000 years!

His concern is with “Lead us not into temptation.” Claims it sounds like God is leading us into temptation when in reality it is the devil.

Blames the problem on the translations of the Lord’s Prayer over the years.

The Lord’s Prayer is part of the Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christian traditions. Basically as presently worded.

There has been a movement in the Church towards the change for several years. Frances lending his support by his announcement.

The Catholic Churches of France and Spain have already adopted the change.

I remember years ago when the Catholic Church changed the Mass from Latin to English and mandated Church goers sing during services. I believe the Catholic Church lost half its followers because of the two changes.

God help Donald Trump! He needs it.

His very recent recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is having immediate consequences. Three days of fighting in the streets between Israelis and Palestinians. The violence is escalating by day. Yesterday, rockets from Gaza into Israel, retaliatory air strikes by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

Trump is bristling to get us into a war.

Richard Cohen in a recent article in the Washington Post made several interesting comments re Trump: He “has made us a meaner, smaller people.” “Moral principal has been replaced by political cowardice.” “This is America’s darkest hour.”

Eugene Robinson writes for the Washington Post, also. He recently wrote that the Party of Lincoln has devolved into the Party of Trump. The GOP today belongs to Trump.

The Republican Party no longer can claim the mantle of honesty and purity.

Displaced boats in the lower Keys because of Irma exceeding the number anticipated. Thought to be 1,300. Up to 1,500 already raised and cleared. More to go.

Overall in Florida, 2,069 boats have already been raised.

Irma did its job!

The State immediately began replacing trees following Irma. The trees are replanted close to each other. We have learned that planting trees close to each other helps them survive strong wind storms. The trees break the wind and protect each other.

Syracuse/Colgate at 2 this afternoon. Syracuse will win.

Irma and Me’s sales numbers good. Higher than expected at this point. I am pleased.

Irma and Me is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KoboBooks.

Thus far, Irma and Me is the only book written re a person’s experiences involving Irma.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

DOG TICKS, CROCODILES AND BOEING

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What do dog ticks, crocodiles and Boeing have to do with each other? Absolutely nothing. Thought it made for an interesting title.

Dog ticks came to my attention when reading William Hackley’s diary entry for this day in 1856. He took dash for an ocean ride on the steamer Jasper. Dash had ticks.

Salt air cure dog ticks? A quick google told me no. Salt water does cure fleas. Maybe Hackley had ticks and fleas mixed up. Even in 1856, tick removal required tweezers.

This morning’s Citizens’ Comment made mention of the crocodile that now lives at the Key West Golf Course. My recollection, a Nile crocodile.

I was under the impression crocodiles are harmless to humans. Especially, Nile crocs. Not so.

Crocodiles and alligators alike enjoy feeding on humans. Crocs 4 feet are attracted to human babies and children. The size leads the crocodile to believe the baby/child is an animal.

Crocodiles 6.6 feet and over prefer adult humans.

The above info the result of a quick google search, also.

So…..Those that tell us not to worry about the 7-8 foot Nile crocodile living on the Golf Course may be wrong. Could be wrong. Whatever. Be on the safe side and keep a safe distance.

Five months ago at a Boeing plant in South Carolina, Trump and Boeing’s CEO enjoyed a kumbaya meeting. Trump announced he and Boeing had an understanding. No more jobs to go elsewhere. Jobs to remain. Plants to be built in the United States.

Boeing’s CEO was excited. Exclaimed…..We have a seat at the table!

Since that time, it has been announced that Boeing is building or planning to build plants in China, Saudi Arabia and India. It was further announced yesterday that just under 200 employees were going to be let go at a North Carolina plant.

So much for Trump fighting for every last job.

When the plant building became evident in the three foreign countries, the Boeing CEO said he was misunderstood five months ago. His comments were only to the effect that employment rolls would not be diminished . Job numbers would remain the same. No promise was made to increase the numbers.

I did not hear it that way.

New news this morning on Morning Joe. A Washington Post investigative reporter guest appeared. New cyber war information had been released moments earlier in a Post announcement. The information was not in this morning’s paper.

One of the steps taken by Obama was to somehow infiltrate late in December Russia’s cyber sources that provided the means to hack into the Presidential election. The U.S. had the capacity to destroy the technology involved.

Obama left the decision to Trump to decide when or if. Trump has and has had the information and decision making power since his inauguration.

Trump has the ability to pres the button. He has not. Nor has he even mentioned Russia and the election. Why?

My yesterday began with a visit to my heart doctor. Routine.

Late afternoon, I stopped at Louie’s Backyard. Meditation time. Sat looking out over the water thinking about this and that while enjoying a couple of drinks. Louie’s Backyard has one of the most relaxing water views in the Keys. A God is in His Heaven, all is right with the world feeling.

Big day for the ladies June 23, 1972. Title IX was enacted into law. Banned sex discrimination in federally funded educational institutions.

A boon to female college athletes!

No Key West Lou Facebook Video the past two days. Sorry. Back on track this afternoon.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

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Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers! Happy Mother’s Day to my mother!

My mother has been gone some thirty odd years. I still think of her every day.

I have a large painting of my mother that sits over my desk. I see her constantly. I even talk to her on occasion. I vent.

We had a good relationship. She was retired. I would stop by to see her almost every day on my way home after work. Not for long. Fifteen minutes to a half hour. A bottle of Beefeaters and a glass of ice on the kitchen table. My mother did not drink. The Beefeaters was for me.

We talked about this and that. Rarely important. Just mother/son chit chat.

I miss her.

Hurricane season is around the corner. Begins June 1.

The prediction is the season will be slightly below average. Six hurricanes anticipated. Two which will be major ones.

We have been lucky in recent years. Hurricanes, yes. But they always bent at the last minute and missed us. May that continue to be the case!

Key West Songwriters Festival this weekend. Musicians come from all over. They play just about every bar and location in town.

I walked Duval and the side streets yesterday listening.  Occasionally, stopping. I stayed a while to hear the group playing on Duval in front of Sloppy Joe’s. Then to Smokin’ Tuna. Finally, Margaritaville.

The walk, crowds and heat did me in.  I had anticipated it would. Knew dinner would be at home for me.

I took out one of Fran’s containers of frozen pork sauce in the morning. Left it on the counter to thaw. Last night, I enjoyed stove pipes buried in Fran’s thick red pork sauce. Covered generously with Parmesan cheese.

Ate too much. I did not care. Good was good.

Fran and husband Tom are in Paris for ten days. I e-mailed Fran and told her how great her sauce was.

Some things I do not understand. Like why a toll on US 1. The only road in and out of Key West.

An Islamorada councilman named Mike Forster went to Washington last week to discuss a toll. He favors it. He is pushing it. Why, I do not understand.

US 1 is generally a narrow two lane road for 140 miles. Key West at the southern end. When I go to Hogfish, Roostica, Geiger Key, Square Grouper, Mangrove Mama’s or to visit my Sugarloaf friends, US 1 is involved at some point.

I have to pay to travel 1/2 mile to 20 miles?

Forster is speaking to the issue tomorrow evening at 5:30 at the VFW on the Boulevard. I plan on attending.

This will be a big week for me. Thursday night the Key West Art & Historical Society is sponsoring a talk at Tropic Cinema. An Arlo Haskell speaking. His topic: The former Jewish underground involving Key West and Cuba. 1918-1939.

Charles Krauthammer is a noted columnist for the Washington Post. A conservative.

He wrote in a recent column re the Trump/Comey situation: “The king asked whether no one would rid him of this troublesome priest, and got so impatient he did it himself.” Henry VIII had Thomas More beheaded.

Comey’s firing no different.

History may speak of it as the beginning of the end of Trump’s Presidency.

Reap the Wild Wind was published by Thelma Strabel in 1940. A story of Key West and wreckers. The Saturday Evening Post immediately serialized it.

Strabel used the Saturday Evening Post money she received to build a home in Key West. In 1940, she obtained a building permit to construct a house at 400 South Street.

At the time, she claimed it was the most southern point in the United States.

The home was later demolished and a larger one built on the site. Strabel was long gone from Key West by that time.

Enjoy your Mother’s Day! Enjoy your Sunday!

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!

 

NEW NEIGHBORS

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New neighbors in Key West! Amy Bondurant and David Dunn. Wife and husband. Welcome!

Some 200 hundred homes were visited by Amy and David the past few days. They have been in Key West canvassing door to door for Hillary Clinton.

Amy and David have homes in Washington, DC and Paris. They recently purchased a home in Key West. 1920s vintage. Undergoing remodeling. They plan on moving their furniture down here in December and becoming official Key West residents at the time.

Both have distinguished backgrounds. Amy was the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development in Paris from 1997-2001. She served under Clinton and Bush 2. David is an attorney specializing in international law.

This blog brought us together. David has been reading it. We were supposed to meet for a drink this week. Our schedules would not permit it. We intend to get together when they return in December. I plan on introducing them to the Chart Room at that time.

I have some Trump comments. I apologize. However, we are getting close to election day. I feel compelled to vent my anti-Trump feelings. A number of pro-Trump readers will comment. It will be like the roof falling in on me.

More than a year ago, I referred to Trump as a Pied Piper. Both in this blog and on my blog talk radio show. His followers were blindly following him. Gabriel Schonfeld writes for the New York Daily News. He referred to Trump this past week as the Moronic Pied Piper.

Right on!

In a Washington Post article yesterday, Trump was described as a huckster and charismatic demagogue.

Nicolas Maduro has been Venezuela’s President since 2013. His country ran out of toilet paper under him. Now, food. Even pets and zoo animals have been eaten. I have commented adversely re Maduro many times since the toilet paper incident. In this blog, on my podcast show and in my KONK Life column.

The same Washington Post article suggested Trump was very much like Maduro. The article noted Maduro jailed his political opponents. As Trump has suggested be done with Hillary.

I’m not done with Trump yet.

George Will described Trump well in a recent Washington Post column titled “Putin Buying Back the 1930s.” The last paragraph spoke volumes. “In many worrisome ways, the 1930s are being reprised. In Europe, Russia is playing the role of Germany in fomenting anti-democratic factions. In inward-turning, distracted America, the role of Charles Lindberg is played by a presidential candidate smitten by Putin and too ignorant to know the pedigree of his slogan America First.”

A little more.

I have described the relatively new President Rodrigo Duterte as the Donald Trump of the Philippines. Rodrigo has a dirty mouth. More filthy than even Trump.

Now to Key West. Exciting days ahead!

Friday night marks the beginning of Fantasy Fest. Goombay! I will be out on the street with Don and the bocce team. An annual event for us.

Fiona. Fiona is the sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle who at the end of July was found dying. By a 12 year old boy. Fiona was emaciated, entangled in a fishing line, had ingested a portion of the fishing line, and her blood was low.

On death’s door.

Fiona was hurried to the Marathon Turtle Hospital.  She has recovered. Even gained 15 pounds.

Fiona is being returned to the ocean this saturday at 10 am. Sombrero Beach in Marathon. A couple of hundred will be there to see her off.

I will be home in bed by 9 this evening. Comfortably watching the last of the Presidential debates. Love this stuff! I am a political junkie at heart!

This is take care of Louis day. A manicure and pedicure at noon with Tammy. Then to my heart doctor’s office. Have to give blood. Hate it! Cannot look! When I was 21 and preparing for marriage, New York required a blood test to make sure a person did not have syphilis. I passed out!

Tonight, a couple of drinks at Don’s Place. A quick bite to eat somewhere and then home.

Enjoy your day!

 

NO COMPROMISE WITH LIFE

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The crosswalks on Northern Boulevard are a disaster waiting to happen. Local officials not responsible. It was a State job. The State made the decisions.

Lights are needed at the crosswalks. The State is considering yellow lights. Key West leaders red lights. Louis, red lights.

It appears the State is pushing a compromise. You do not compromise with life. The need for the lights and the color of them is a life and death situation.

The Boulevard is a race track. Do the right thing!

Got a manicure yesterday at noon. Love Tammy!

Two ladies getting pedicures. Sharing a bottle of champagne. Flutes and all. The ladies knew how to live!

A fish sandwich at Hogfish last night. Fair sized crowd. Sat at an uncrowded bar and read the newspapers.

Super Boat Races start saturday. A whole week. End the following saturday. A major event!

This marks the 35th year the event has been held.

The big boats have started coming in. Long and sleek. Beauties. They will be parked everywhere.

Nothing like watching the races. The sound of the boats combined with the roar of the low flying helicopters exciting. Keeps you on edge.

“I’m Just Wild About Harry.” It is two days in a row I am writing about Harry Truman and the 1948 Presidential election. The song intro is not because I like Harry. It is what the crowd sang on November 5 when Truman returned to Washington after election.

Remember, Truman was supposed to lose. Not even a close election.

Reports indicate two-thirds of Washington turned out to welcome him. Described also as hundreds of thousands. They lined the streets the motorcade followed from Union Station to the White House.

The Washington Post predicted Dewey would win. As the parade passed by the Washington Post building, a large banner was visible on the building. “Welcome Home from the Crow Eaters.”

The National Catholic Reporter ran a featured article November 2. It had to do with pedophile priests. The article stated that in any area where a sex abuse situation occurred, people left the Church. Such resulted in a loss of cash flow. Not enough people putting money in the basket on sunday.

The numbers are interesting. The article says legal payments via settlement or otherwise to victims was $3 billion. I have read elsewhere, $4 billion. Whatever. Contrasted against the loss of Church collections, the claim is the Church has and is losing $2.3 billion per year.

I somewhat disagree with pedophilia being the reason many Catholics walked away. Many had left earlier. For me, it was birth control in the 1960s. My generation was unhappy with the Church’s position.

The decline in Church attendance obviously started long before the pedophilia discoveries. The Church was not paying attention.

After the recent Synod which closed last month, I fear the Church has failed to learn its lessons. Except for Pope Francis and a handful of bishops, the remaining bishops are not in accord with his changes to attract back Catholics who left.

This week’s KONK Life is on the streets. My column this week is The Looting of Social Security. One of the best I have written. Read it, if you have the chance.

The article was linked to my Key West Lou website this morning. keywestlou.com.

Bocce tonight. We could use three wins. I am a pig!

Enjoy your day!