Last night tuesday. Tuesday Happy Hour at The Grand. A great Happy Hour yesterday!
Matt bartending. Great personality. Steve and Cindy, Eddie, Chris and strangers.
Happy Hour for locals half price for appetizers and booze. I’m not drinking so it’s only the food for me. Decided on small clams buried in a butter sauce with a basket of cut up chunks of soft bread. For dunking. The best part of the meal.
Inexpensive. I was embarrassed when I got the bill: $8. The clams $16 normally. Happy Hourr price $8. I dropped a $20 bill on the bar as I left.
Great conversation with Steve. He is always a joy to be with. He arrived in Key West in the 1960’s. Became friends with Jimmy Buffett when Buffett arrived in the early 1970’s. I learned Steve was a guest at Buffett’s wedding in Aspen many years ago. These guys knew how to live it up back then.
Steve made an observation about the blog that was correct. When Trump was sworn in as President some 50 days ago, I wrote that within 1-2 months he would screw everything up and bring our country to the brink of disaster. Steve reminded me I was correct. Everything I said was going to happen has begun. The next 1-2 months are going to be even worse.
Yesterday was not a happy camper one for me. My arm still bleeding. Even this morning. This is day 9. Less, but still bleeding.
My blood work came back ok, except for one item. I am redoing the blood work this afternoon to see if the bad part is correct.
On this day in 1998, The Sound of Music opened at the Martin Beck Theater in New York City. A rerun. Ran for more than one year through June 20, 1999.
I was fortunate to have seen the first run on Broadway in July 1960.
I came across an interesting use for a proper name. It ran on the internet as a comment re the first record of Guttenberg’s Bible. The Bible was referred to in a letter dated March 12, 1455 by one Enea Silvio Piciolomini which mentioned it having been printed one year earlier.
The name that struck me was Piccolomini’s middle name Silvio. My middle name also. My Mother’s father’s name. I rarely see Silvio referenced or mentioned.
Musk has achieved a degree of greatness sufficient to warrant a special section or grouping on this blog today.
First permit my observation that I do not know how he became the richest man in the world. Everything he touches with Trump or on Trump’s behalf turns sour. Even his business Tesla is going down the tubes at the moment.
Yesterday on the White House South Lawn, 5 new Tesla’s were displayed. Like on sale/available for sale. Trump was out there praising Musk’s product. Trump even bought one of the cars. I believe a fire engine red one claiming he was helping out a friend.
These guys refuse to follow the law. They do not even bother to find out what the law is. Federal employees are prohibited from endorsing or promoting a product on federal property. I assume Musk is a federal employee. Trump does not apply since a President is specifically excluded from falling under the law.
Musk called Senator Mark Kelly a “traitor” yesterday. The Senator visited Ukraine and expressed his support for Ukraine in Ukraine’s war with Russia.
Kelly is an American hero. A decorated Navy pilot and former astronaut. Seriously considered for the Vice-President position on the Kamala Harris ticket. His wife former Congresswoman Gabby Gifford. You will recall she was shot in the head while campaigning in 2011. Part of her scalp had to be removed.
Kelly flew on four NASA missions into space. He served 25 years in the Navy. Served a number of years as a combat pilot in the Middle East.
Kelly responded to Musk’s “traitor” charge: “Traitor?”…..Elon, you don’t understand what makes America great and keeps it free, etc.
Musk continues to knock Social Security. Calls it a “Ponzi scheme.” Even worse, calls people who receive federal benefits the “Parasite Class.”
Those who receive retirement checks are receiving in return a small portion of their own monies they paid into Social Security over the years. No free handouts here!
What about Agent Orange veterans? Have their benefits been cut off?
A bit of Trump next.
I mentioned yesterday the international law firm Perkins Coie. One of the law firms Trump has banned from receiving U.S. business, etc. I forgot to mention Sam. Sam a female. Also, Steve Thompson’s sister. Worked for years with the Perkins’ law firm in their Seattle offices. I have met Sam. A charming intelligent woman. Proof of the pudding is she reads my blog every day! Hello, Sam! How are you?
The stock market had another Trump reaction day. At one point was over 700. Ended the day around 440.
Keep it up, Donald! You are leading us into a deep recession.
Another biggie for Trump/Musk. the Department of Education already has had its staff cut in half.
Trump’s 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum goes into effect today world wide. Everywhere. Our close Allies are pissed.
Trump said a few days ago he was going to add an additional 25 percent on Canada bringing Canada’s tariff to 50 percent.
Pure insanity!
The reason was a punishing tariff. Ontario’s leader had imposed a retaliatory tariff on energy it provides three U.S. states. Trump came back with the 50 percent. The two talked and the increases were withdrawn by both.
The Republican House passed its budget bill. The bill now in the Senate’s hands. An even more difficult passage. Sixty votes required. The Senate must pass the bill by 12:01 am saturday or the nation will go into shutdown.
The bill provides only temporary relief. Ths game/scenario will have to be replayed in September again.
Coca Cola has been sold in glass bottles for decades. The first bottled Coke sold this day in 1894.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt the President of Presidents. In peace and war, recession and economic success.
On this day in 1933, while Roosevelt had been in office only 8 days and the recession was drowning the U.S., he went on radio to speak to the nation. A Presidential first. His talk became known as a “fireside chat.” He did several over the years.
He did what he had to do. Intelligently and not stupidly as is being done today. He explained to the people he had closed the banks for one day. They would reopen and in due course things would turn around.
Enjoy your day!
We are so lucky to have Trump, the greatest person who ever lived.
Just ask Him.
On this date in 1938 Hitler annexed Austria and Nazi troops marched in. From Key West paper almanac today.
Hey Lou, still want to get rid of the filibuster like you said you wanted to do when Biden was president? Well, surprisingly, neither do I and I would go a step further and would like to see the filibuster become a constitutional amendment! Unlikely to happen but would force both parties to continue to compromise. Harry Reid, what a short sided idiotic decision he made in getting rid of the filibuster for certain votes!
Short “sighted”! Darn autocorrect! Lol
Hey Lou, thanks for the shout-out! It’s been interesting following the Perkins news. Glad to see they’re fighting back against the Orange Menace’s mendacity.
Hope your arm recovers soon! Still a faithful reader
“Ponzi scheme.” yes, yes. My retirement safety net was reduced as Medicaid has gone up quite a bit. They had to get Medicaid money from some were! Now I have less to spend while some of us eat for less. Maybe I can eat for less? Can I get a free electric car ride to dinner?
Social Security was not a “ponzi scheme” specifically not designed that way. That is, until Ronald Reagan drained the SS coffers to use that money to buy fentanyl for his own use.
Social Security IS now basically a Ponzi scheme, a result of his robbing the poor to save the rich!
Another one of the Dutch’s stumbling revenges.
You mean the cars that KW gives almost free rides. Another Ponzi scheme Keeping the taxes up so you can not buy a home.
It’s a good thing FICA payroll deductions aren’t optional or SS would have been dead and gone a long time ago. Ending the individual mandate was how they crippled Obama care.
“”The data confirms that the financial burden of illegal immigration continues to strain Florida’s healthcare system.” If the Florida hospitals’ fail, what will you do Lou? Go to Irland with the TV star?
If there REALLY was an illegal immigration problem in Florida, or anywhere else, Why hasn’t Trump rounded them all up (and put them in luxury hotels) as he said he would do!
It’s because he can’t find any! Especially any with Health care.
Then the hospital must be cooking the books as they are billing the Government for services.
Under what authority are hospitals billing the state for illegal immigrants and what oversights are in place to asure these billings are legit, to begin with.
This sounds like some sort of FOX News “pants on fire” nonsense, or maybe Florida is too screwed up to prevent this sort of thing.
When I go to the hospital, the 1st thing they do is ask for my insurance information. No ticky, no washy.
You are legal, You need the insurance card.
BUT if you are illegal you show up at the emergency room and they HAVE to take you and the bill goes to Trump. You are not put out on the street! Your cost comes out of Medicaid the pool which we belong and that is limited sized pie.
Your part of the p[e pays for the illegal and you. You pay for the illegal, the illegals cost does not go back the the country the came from.
OK, but if, like you said in your original post, that the financial burden of illegal immigration continues to strain Florida’s healthcare system, Why would “Trump” be getting that bill?
Ponzi scheme? What’s the Stock Market? A bunch of numbers on some paper, the worth of which is fueled by either fear or greed, depending on who knows what.
In 2022, undocumented persons contributed 100 billion to the tax systems, of which they receive little to no benefit. Add nearly 200 billion in consumer purchases made by same.
Most Americans are oblivious to how integral these worker are to America and even more reluctant to ponder why there has never been a federal law making the EMPLOYER accountable for hiring the undocumented. Perhaps it has something to do with people like Trump and his pal Purdue using this labor pool.
It seems like a lot of people, especially MAGA weirdo’s only want to talk about PART of any subject, the part that they think others will find offensive, but never about the whole issue – the big picture part, even if they are aware of how things actually work.
Hey Lou, joes last post kinda sounds like he might have been a speech writer for Kamala. Joe, instead of a word salad post, please be more issue specific so we can all learn from each other.
OneEYEw – “It seems like a lot of people, especially MAGA weirdo’s only want to talk about PART of any subject, the part that they think others will find offensive, but never about the whole issue – the big picture part, even if they are aware of how things actually work.”
Like with Mary Ann’s original post, where she ignores part of issue that Carlos brings up. One would think you might agree, if you had only read my comment about the entire issue instead of just jumping into some slam on me and Ksamala Harris (didn’t know you were on a first name basis with her).
BTW and separately, I think you should probably reconsider avoiding any mention of anyone’s speeches, considering Donald Trump’s rather poor abilities.