Key West Lou / SURGERY CENTER OF KEY WEST

My test for this, test for that trip, continues. Yesterday, an endoscopy. Tomorrow, an ultra sound of my kidneys.

I normally do not go into detail re a medical matter. However the Surgery Center is worthy of sharing my experience.

I have had a problem swallowing for several years. Called Zenker’s diverticulum. A growth on the esophagus. Food sometimes gets stuck on the way down. Has been happening frequently lately. Ergo, the endoscopy.

The surgery center is located on Toppino Drive. Behind the I-Hop on North Roosevelt Boulevard.

The first thing that hit me was the cleanliness. The whole place. Reception area to where the endoscopy was done to the room I was in before and after.

I know all medical places should be clean. However, many are not.

The staff terrific. Professional, pleasant and helpful. Cannot remember all their names. However, my physician was Dr. Lawrence Blass. His team consisted of Randall, Anna, Tiffany, and the anesthesiologist whose name I cannot recall even though he spent some time prior to the surgery with me.

I was in and out in 2 1/2 hours.

Fear not if you are in need of an endoscopy and/or colonoscopy. See Dr. Blass or contact the Surgery Center for a recommendation. Good people!

Yesterday was June 9. Nero died on June 9, except not in 2021. In 68 AD. Thirty one at the age of his death.

Not a nice guy. Got off on subjecting people to pain. Nero enjoyed debaucheries, political murders, and burning Christians. Especially after falsely blaming them for setting fire to Rome.

Two passions. Music and religious persecution.

There is no merit to the story Nero fiddled while Rome burned. I have written re the issue several times over the years. Responsible historians say no way. The fiddled had not yet been invented.

It is often said the mighty shall fall. Nero fell.

He was having political problems. Senate members were ready to depose him. The Senate declared him a “public enemy.” The penalty death. Flogging the mode of execution.

Nero believed flogging was a painful way to die. He preferred to have someone slit his throat.. He implored his secretary Epaphroditos to slit his throat. His secretary refused. He asked several of the military loyal to him to do it. They refused.

He did not have the courage to fall on his sword and kill himself. Someone finally slit his throat. Who, I could not determine.

A foolish decision on Nero’s part. While he was hiding out somewhere in the wilderness with his army, the Senate in Rome decided to withdraw the “public enemy” charge and dropped the execution decision.

Historians have toyed with the possibility Nero was Black. Several emperors before him had been Black.

The basis for his “may have been Black” involved several considerations. First, Nero is folk Latin (and modern day Italian) for Black. Rome had previous Black emperors. Finally, Nero’s features reflected a man of Black origin. His lips were huge. His overall face large.

I do not know whether he was white, black, yellow or purple. All I could determine is serious consideration has been given by historians to his purported Blackness.

The first group Biden met with in England were U.S. military at the air base where he landed. His talk to them televised. Biden without question appeared Presidential, intelligent, touching, warm, humorous, etc. The qualities of a leader.

I felt proud during his talk. The troops appeared to also.

Senator Joseph McCarthy rabble roused the military and high level government officials from 1950-1954. Everyone was a Communist from his way of thinking.

McCarthy was crazy. A drunk.

Members of neither party approved of his conduct. However as with people speaking truth in today’s political climate, no one spoke in opposition to him. Everyone was afraid they would be labeled a Communist.

Note Communism was very much feared in those days. War with Russia could occur at any moment. In New York State, it was suggested we build air raid shelters in the back yard. Children in schools were taught what to do in case of an air raid. Not much. Get under your desk!

Atomic bombs were the weapon anticipated.

McCarthy chaired the Senate sub-committee on investigations. McCarthy brought his Communist theory under the umbrella of the sub-committee.

So bad was McCarthy that 3 Democrats deserted the sub-committee. Republican members stopped attending. McCarthy and his attorney Roy Cohn were the only 2 sitting and interrogating at sub-committee hearings.

An investigation in 1954 was of the U.S. Army. The Army retained Boston attorney Joseph Welch to represent them before McCarthy’s sub-committee.

Welch was tiny and slender. Elderly. His image one of maturity and wisdom.

McCarthy began attacking one of Welch’s attorneys. One he had brought with him from his Boston firm. The young attorney was not a witness. However, McCarthy hit him heavily re his background and Communism. All false accusations.

Welch interrupted McCarthy and said in a quiet firm tone: “Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or recklessness”

McCarthy attempted to regain control of the attack and stop Welch. Welch angrily interrupted and said, “Let us not assassinate the lad further, Senator. You have done enough. Have you no decency?”

Welch on that day destroyed McCarthy. People were no longer afraid to stand against him.

Trump and his henchman have begun a Fauci attack this week. One that is an attempt to destroy Fauci. Make him the scapegoat for Trump’s failure with regard to coronavirus.

Trump and his people now blame Fauci for China’s purported failure to warn the world that the virus had escaped a Wuhan laboratory.

This Fauci attack is relatively new. Trump himself on 15 separate occasions while President praised China. Congratulated China on its transparency. Now taking the position it was China’s fault the vaccine had spread beyond China’s borders.

All this time and even today, Fauci’s position has been the virus was animal caused. Perhaps a bat.

Trump is now out to destroy Fauci. A good man. Honest from my perspective. A true civil servant his whole life.

May Trump fail in his bogus effort.

May Trump get his just do.

Things have been tough economically for Key West restaurants this past year. Some did a little cheating apparently to keep afloat. The problem is the cheating hurt their employees.

Antonia’s, Little Pearl, and Thirsty Mermaid failed to pay overtime wages to employees as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The three restaurants combined were required to pay $163,310 in back wages.

People ask how they can subscribe to this blog. I share the information with you today.

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Enjoy your day!

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