KEY WEST LOU / SUPER BOWL EXCITEMENT

Super Bowl Sunday is a national party day. Wonderful! Spectacular! Exciting!

There was a time when I had a benefactor who made it possible for me to attend 11 consecutive Super Bowls. Free! The best seats in the stadium. Mid field 20 rows up. With the tickets went access to big time parties from wednesday night to after the game itself.

Each year I felt like the pregnant woman coming down the stairs in Auntie Mame who exclaimed in effect…..I lived!

Again, the tickets were free as were the parties.

I did a favor for someone who was in a position to provide the Super Bowl niceties. A Vice-President with one of the major professional football powers. Never expected anything in return. The matter was simple from my end. It was personal and important to the VP. It was a phone call by me.

My son and I made the 11 trips together. I stopped going once I bought my home in Key West 28 years ago. I was having enough fun in Key West that I did not need the Super Bowl parties. Long retired, the tickets still keep coming. My son uses them every year.

Key West was fun every night back in the 1990’s and into the early 2000’s. Other than summers in Europe, I did little traveling. Key West provided enough joys.

COVID really changed things. Big time. Today’s Key West is not even close to what Key West was before COVID. Not complaining. However,  I am unhappy about it. Few people left that I knew for years. Either left because they could not afford Key West any longer or died. Restaurant and bar attitudes different. Too many tourists and not enough residents make up the composition of Key West today.

Jesus is everywhere. Better stated, there are those that would have Him in places where it is inappropriate.

“He Got Us” is a Super Bowl commercial promoting Jesus. Funded in part by the family that owns the notably religious craft chain Hobby Lobby. Other evangelical groups have contributed also, including a foundation called The Signatory.

The price tag is $20 million.

What bothers me is how the money is being spent. My sense is Jesus would have spent it in another fashion. Like feeding and sheltering the poor and homeless.

Religious organizations are too deeply involved in politics. The word of God is better heard from a church pulpit than in a Super Bowl journal.

My yesterday was horrible! From start to finish. I was sick. What, I don’t know. Just felt like crap. Cancelled Sloan and spent the day in bed. Fell asleep around 8. Woke at 2 in the morning when my phone rang. Someone had hacked my credit card. The one I use to pay regular bills.  Card cancelled. I am without it for about a week.

My concern is having to change all the charge accounts. An aggravation!

Another strange item flying over certain U.S. states and Canada. Number 3 over the weekend. Not sure if a balloon, object or what have you.

Came over Alaska and into northwestern Canada. It was shot down by a U.S. plane via agreement between Biden and Trudeau. Canada to collect the debris.

Number 3 the smallest of the 3 items recently shot down.

The U.S. is certain China launched the first, a balloon. Source of the smaller #2 uncertain as yet. Source of the even smaller #3, also uncertain as yet.

In due course, we will know re #s 2 and 3. I doubt it is China. Not so stupid to follow up #1. Doubt it is Putin. He has enough aggravation to deal with. I put my money on North Korea. Kim Jung Un gets my vote.

“Certain cynical Republicans are trying to advance their own careers by whitewashing our nation’s past.” Example: Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Eugene Robinson in a 2/11 Washington Post column titled “It’s Not American History Without Black History” expertly reviewed the situation. Recommended reading.

Earthquake deaths skyrocketing in Turkey and Syria. Total now in excess of 28,000.

Everyday a small bit of good news. Yesterday involved a two month old baby who was rescued alive. The child had spent 128 hours under rubble.

I close with “Bum” Farto.

One of Key West’s most identifiable terms is “Where are you Bum Farto?”

On this day in 1976, former Fire Chief Joseph “Bum” Farto was found guilty of 3 drug felonies. He faced 31 years in prison.

Farto was never sentenced. Disappeared. Never found. Thought to have gone the way of Jimmy Hoffa.

Ergo, “Where are you Bum Farto” became a famous Key West saying and tee shirt slogan to this day.

Enjoy the game! Enjoy your Monday!

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