Key West Lou / NEW FLORIDA HOMELESS LAW…..TROUBLE IN THE MAKING

A new Florida law goes into effect October 1 which limits where homeless people can sleep. It is considered contentious.

Concededly, homelessness is a major U.S. problem. Never effectively dealt with. The new Florida law will make the problem more difficult, not resolvable.

The new law allows local governments to prohibit people from sleeping at places such as public buildings and in public right of ways. Local governments will be allowed to designate areas where the homeless may sleep.

All sounds simple. Never is.

Expect major litigation and perhaps demonstrations by homeless groups. I recall years ago when “getting tough” laws found the homeless pitching tents next to the golf course along U.S. 1. The solution took a long time to resolve back then. It will again.

Helene’s aftermath. Devastating.

Helene has left Florida and has run through several states north. Still moving along. Leaving destruction everywhere. Especially from flooding.

I have been following its path on TV and the internet. The pics show horrific destruction.

I have seen 30 years of Florida hurricanes. I would match Helene with Andrew. Both so bad, they walk hand in hand.

A major difference between Helene and Irma. With Helene, boats were left on roads and the ground. Incoming water surge I assume the cause. No cars in the ocean. Whereas with Irma, the boats were on the street and cars in the ocean. I assume wind the culprit with Irma.

A comment from a Cedar Lake resident: “Cedar Lake as we know it is completely gone…..looks like a nuclear bomb went off.”

Helene has brought record surges with it. Fifteen to twenty feet not uncommon in some places.

Water levels rose rapidly after Helene made landfall, flooding homes, forcing people to flee.

Six inches of fast moving water was sufficient to knock people off their feet, two feet to move vehicles.

Millions without power. Could take weeks to totally fix.

Deaths total 40 so far in areas where Helene has been.

Russia did not invent the Molotov cocktail. It was invented in Finland. In 1939, Finland was being invaded by the Soviet Union whose foreign minister was a man named Vyacheslav Molotov.

The Soviets were dropping cluster bombs on the Finns. Molotov jokingly described them as “food parcels.”

The Finns began manufacturing a simple cheap improvised grenade. Since Molotov called his bombs food parcels, the Finns jokingly dubbed their fiery new innovation a “cocktail” which soon was referred to as a “Molotov cocktail.”

Ancient people suffered from dental problems also. Holes appeared in their teeth. What are known as cavities today.

Where did they come from? “Tooth worms.” Not really, but that was what dentists and people thought. They burrowed into teeth and lived there causing cavities and pain.

I do not know how they were treated. The diagnosis, of course, was wrong. The treatment had to be horrendous. There was no anesthesia, nothing to kill the pain.

Calvin Coolidge was a philandering President. He openly “screwed around.”

Sexologists have described/labeled his attitude as the “Coolidge Effect.” It reflects upon his boredom with his wife.

A story oft told about the relationship between the President and his wife: When Mrs. Coolidge was touring government chicken pens, she asked the man in charge if roosters copulated more than once a day. “Dozens of times” was the reply. “Please tell that to the President,” Mrs. Coolidge requested. When the Presidnet passed the pens and was told about the roosters, he asked “Same hen every time?” “Oh no, Mr. President, a different one each time.” The Presidnet quipped, “Tell that to Mrs. Coolidge.”

Herman Melville is one of America’s greatest writers. Two of his novels are “Moby-Dick” and “Billy Budd.”

Melville died this day in 1891.

Things I learned early in my grammar school days for some reason have stuck to me like glue. For example, it was on this day in 1066 that William the Conqueror successfully invaded England.

Normal Key West weather returned yesterday afternoon. Helene’s effects left us. The sun was shining, it was normal warm, the breeze slight.

The New York Times published an article re Key West’s contaminated swimming water on this day in 1999. It was titled: “Crowded Florida Keys Paradise in Trouble.”

The contamination was human feces. Most Key West beaches had warning signs.

It is now 25 years later and Key West still has the same problem and warning signs.

Why hasn’t the problem been resolved?

This day in 1941 was the last day of Major League Baseball’s regular season. Ted Williams got 6 hits in 8 at bats in a doubleheader. His season average ended up at .406. No one has hit .400 or better since.

Williams was an avid fisherman. He had a home on Islamorada. He lived there for many many years. Finally left when the area got so busy he had to wait to cross U.S. 1.

Syracuse/Holy Cross at noon today at the Dome. I will be watching the game. Syracuse expected to win big time.

Enjoy your day!

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