KEY WEST LOU / HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY THOMPSON

Happy Birthday Cindy Thompson! Seventy seven years young. She looks young. A good 20 years younger.

I am one day late. So it is belated greetings.

Cindy is wife to Steve. They have been married 43 years. God bless! Two daughters, five grandchildren.

Cindy has another distinction. An interesting and exciting one. She has worked for Jimmy Buffett since 1985. First in Margaritaville. Then in Buffett’s offices in the Kress Building. His girl friday, right hand. She and Sunshine. Still his helping hand in Key West, even though the office here is no longer open. Permanently on call.

She and Steve are two of my best Key West friends.

Key West sucks when it comes to housing. There is too little in Key West and that which is provided too expensive. The City always talks about solving the problem. However does little. And what is done takes forever. Again, expensive.

I am not an architect. I can see and think I understand some things. A question. Why are the Sears Shopping Plaza and Key Plaza expansive empty spaces going unused? Why can’t another floor be added to each thus providing quicker and hopefully cheaper housing? Two floors at each site.

Back in 1935, there was no pipeline running from the mainland to Key West to supply drinking water to Key West residents. Cisterns and wells were the sole sources.

The two were also places where mosquitoes would breed. A plan was initiated in 1935 to hopefully eradicate the mosquitoes. Small fish were distributed to residents who were to place them in their cisterns and wells.

Malaria has returned to Florida after 40 years. The malaria cases are solely in Sarasota County. So far. They call for caution. Malaria is mosquito caused. Best protection is to avoid being bitten and to stay away from standing water.

The heat wave continues. Experts claim it will intensify this weekend and push temperatures close to 130 degrees in some western areas of the U.S.

The heat wave was heavy in Key West yesterday. I really felt it for the first time going to and returning from my manicure with Tammy.

Soon after returning home, I felt funny and lousy. Stayed with me into the evening. Cancelled dinner plans with Fran and Tom. Don’t know if it was the heat or not. Whatever, put me down.

The defense bill normally receives broad bipartisan support. Not this year! Kevin McCarthy ceded the Speakership to the far right again.

The House adopted conservative amendments, most woke in nature, that have no place in a military defense bill. Like abortion and transsexual rights.

Then there is the nutty Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) who is blocking one hundred percent of military promotions in the Senate over an abortion issue.

U.S. support for Ukraine an issue also.

The U.S. does not need these type amendments/discussions when the military defense budget is the issue.. Republican actions place the security of our Nation at risk.

An event which symbolized the start of the French Revolution occurred when citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille prison. The attack on the Bastille took place this day in 1789.

Similar to our January 6 insurrection. With an important significant difference. The French Revolution succeeded, the January 6 insurrection failed.

Makes you wonder. If the January 6 insurrection had succeeded, would thousands of Americans have been beheaded? Probably hung. Don’t say no. Thank God we will never know. Hopefully.

Recall Hitler’s takeover of Germany was a successful modern day one. It resulted in 6 million Jews being killed. Gas chambers instead of beheadings.

Booker T. Washington words of wisdom: “A lie does not become truth, wrong does not become right and evil does not become good because it is accepted by a majority.”

Applies to some pontifications of false statements in today’s society.

Bess Levin’s recent article: DeSantis’ Lack of Personality Is Now Costing Him GOP Super Daddies. She wrote: “Rupert Murdoch apparently isn’t the only one who can smell a loser.”

Enjoy your day!

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