Key West Lou / THE GOOD IN LIFE…..THE MARATHON TURTLE HOSPITAL

So much tragedy in life. Centralized in the U.S. with the coronavirus pandemic.

Tragedies occur in other areas and with other species. Man sometimes is there to help.

One of the places is the Marathon Turtle Hospital. Not a fly by night operation. In existence for many years. Fully staffed. Totally respected. Turtles flown in from all over the world to be saved.

A local incident this past week. The Key West Citizen’s Rob O’Neal wrote a pointed article about it.

Involved, a juvenile green sea turtle.

Fishermen noticed the turtle while in the lower Keys. They could tell the turtle was in a bad way. Tumors all over the turtle’s body.

Authorities were contacted who in turn contacted Key West Wildlife Rescue and the Marathon Turtle Hospital. Together they were able to capture the turtle from the ocean waters.

The turtle was transported to the Marathon Turtle Hospital. Diagnosis serious. Tumors on the face, neck and flippers. A typical malady of turtles all over the world. The tumors are created by the fibropapillomatosis virus which affects a turtle’s soft body tissue.

If left untreated, the turtle’s vision can be obstructed, can’t see predatory fish, unable to swim and feed.

The Turtle Hospital will surgically remove the tumors. The turtle will remain in the Hospital for one year for rehabilitation purposes. Then will be released back into the wild.

Giuliani should be an author today rather than an attorney. The imaginative things he comes up with would make for good reading. Not so in the political world, however.

Giuliani did a press conference following his appearance in a Philadelphia court. He was sweating profusely. As reported yesterday, his head was so wet from sweat that the dye from his black hair was running down his face to his jaws.

Giuliani’s imagination can run wild. Crazy wild.

He claimed Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez was a prominent figure in the election ballot cheating being claimed. Chavez died in 2013.

He suggested someone should “cut the heads off “Democratic leaders. I wonder if he was influenced by Steve Bannon in this regard. A few days earlier Bannon had suggested certain people should have their heads cut off and placed on poles in front of the White House.

Another part of his theory involved a Clinton. He was not specific which one. He said, “Somehow the Democratic Party was hijacked by Clinton and since then it’s gone more corrupt.”

Another weird representation was that the conspiratorial theory he was promoting was orchestrated in Frankfort, Germany.

About as valid as saying it was born in Hitler’s bunker.

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson had a great article in this morning’s edition of the Washington Post. Titled “Donald Trump’s 2020 Theme: Make America Sick Again.”

Robinson’s opening three sentences stated the obvious: “This is becoming like Greek tragedy. The nation is on fire with COVID-19, cases and hospitalizations are soaring to unattainable new highs, and our leader does nothing but rage and moan about his own punishment at the hands of cruel fate. If it is true that those whom the gods would destroy they first make mad, then President Donald Trump is finishing his shambolic term in office as Mad King Donald.”

Robinson’s last sentence right on: “The theme of his failed re-election campaign should have been ‘Make America Sick Again!”‘

Hopefully, the Key West City Commission is finally seeing the light. It has cancelled all special events on public property through 12/31. One week after it decided to ease restrictions. In that one week, coronavirus in Key West and Monroe County surged.

Gone this holiday season are the Christmas Parade, Christmas tree lighting, Memorah lightnings, the Lighted Bike Ride, and all concerts at the Amphitheater.

The numbers. Coronavirus on the move. Straight upward. A surge.

Keys had 99 new cases in one day this past week. Sixty seven of those cases were in Key West.

Monroe County cases already top 3,000.

Florida close to 1 million. Actual number 923,418.

Positivity rates off the wall. Florida 17.6 percent. Monroe County 20.38 percent. To appreciate these numbers recognize New York City closed its schools when the positivity rate hit 3 percent.

A growing trend is obvious. Key West locals are getting more vocal and upset with the numbers and the failure of governmental authorities to do their job effectively.

The Citizens’ Voice clearly reflects the trend.

Today’s Citizens’ Voice carried 9 complaints from persons upset with the growing numbers and what they perceive the reasons why. Only 3 comments ran in the opposite direction.

The worse danger facing the U.S. since World War II is coronavirus. Trump should be providing personal hands on attention to the problem. Instead he mans about his loss and takes every opportunity to hurt the U.S., the wreckage of which will remain long after he leaves office.

The pain of it all! Syracuse got beat last night 30-0 by Louisville. Syracuse was favored. Syracuse had only won 1 game going into last night. Louisville, 2. For whatever reason, Syracuse was favored.

What a mistake!

What a season!

I can’t stand much more! Thank God there are only 2 games left.

This is my 291st day of self-quarantine. I feel like I am blindly following the Pied Piper.

Not easy. Gets to me some days.

This week will be tough. Thanksgiving. I am a family man. Love family holidays. No family this year. Lisa and I have talked. I did not want to come to her house for dinner, she did not want me there. The virus!

She is sending me a plate.

Enjoy your day!

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