#93l

I am assuming the Fantasy fest Parade last night was a success. Assume because I did not see it.

I stopped watching the parade ten years ago.

Parking always a problem. I got towed two successive years. Cost $250 each time to get my car back.

Parking always many blocks from Duval. A long walk to and back from the parade.

Too many people. The streets jammed with viewers.

Seen one, seen them all.

Normally, the Sunday edition of the Key West Citizen would run pictures of the parade and police estimates as to the size of the crowd. Unfortunately, we no longer have a Sunday edition of the Citizen.

I was able to find some news about the parade in a Miami paper on the internet. However, the news portion only ran up to the beginning of the parade. There were a few photos and a video of portions of the parade itself. Unfortunately, neither could provide a sense of the size of the crowd.

So definitive information not available to share till tomorrow morning.

Another reason for not attending last night was topical storm Phillipe. Phillipe is the 93L storm I mentioned yesterday. Got upgraded to a tropical storm. Pouring rain was expected.

From what I have been able to ascertain, Key West lucked out as it did with Irma. At the last minute, Phillipe shifted and the parade did not get poured on. Merely a few drops.

Some ask why the Parade so soon after Irma. Perhaps it would have been better to adjourn it a month to get Key West in better shape.

Simple, my friends. Money.

A proper reason this year at this time. Key West’s labor force primarily consists of waiters, waitresses, bartenders and kitchen help. They all took a beating because of Irma. Closed for the storm. Most did not reopen right away. Some still not open. Damage too extensive. The workers without income.

Rent became due. Most scraped to meet the rent. Very expensive to rent in Key West. Extremely. some landlords got piggish immediately. Rose their rents $300-700 a month. Levels many would not be able to meet. Many of the waiters, etc. have left Key West since Irma. They simply could no longer afford to live here.

Therein lies the reason Fantasy Fest was pushed. Workers for the hotels, restaurants, and bars were in need of the cash infusion.

Two things have been eating at me the past few days. I did a Facebook live video on one the other day.

The first is Trump and his opioid emergency announcement.  Means nothing unless it is funded. Congress has to authorize the money. Congress is not even talking about it.

A typical Trump move. Make a major announcement. Toss the responsibility/next step to Congress. If Congress fails, Trump cannot be blamed.

Keep in mind also we do not have a Secretary of Health, etc. nor a Drug Czar at the present time. Who is going to run the program?

The other involves Puerto Rico and its power grid. Seventy five percent of Puerto Rico is still without electric power. Some six weeks post Irma.

Three hundred million dollars has been appropriated to get work going to restore electricity.

The contract has been given to Whitefish Energy Holdings. The company two years old.  Two employees, the principals. Located in Whiteface, Montana.

Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is from Whiteface, Montana.

Something smalls here. As it should. We have a President and his family who are engaged in business dealings world wide. Refusing transparency. Business as usual.

As the saying goes…..What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

I many times reference a happening as “only in Key West.” I have an only in Mississippi one to share.

A young African-American mother was a passenger in a vehicle stopped in Pearl, Mississippi. Her 4 month old baby was with her.

The police checked identities and found the driver and mother had unanswered misdemeanor warrants pending. They were taken into custody.

The baby’s grandmother arrived within minutes at the scene. The police would not turn the  baby over to her. They deemed the baby “abandoned” under the law. the baby became a public charge and was place in a public facility.

The misdemeanor charges were resolved. The mother asked for the return of her child. Judge John Shirley of the Pearl Youth Court said no.

There were pending court costs. Until the court costs were paid, the mother was prohibited any contact with the baby. The baby in the meantime was placed in the custody of the grandmother.

Note, no contact. Even visiting not permitted.

A not for profit got involved. The Solenge MacArthur Justice Center. Went to bat for the mother big time. Publicized what they viewed as a gross miscarriage of justice.

Took 14 months. Mother and child finally reunited. Judge Shirley was forced to resign and the Youth Court was disbanded.

I have a home party to attend at 4. Following which I hope to stop at Kate Miano’s Gardens.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Last night was as different as day and night from the previous evening. Whereas thursday evening there were significantly less party goers on the streets, last night was like Fantasy Fest of old. Traffic crazy, Duval and side streets packed with costumed people, a few nudes, etc.

Appears everyone decided to arrive in Key West on the weekend, rather the days leading up to it.

The Masquerade Parade which had started at the Cemetery was moving along Simonton when I arrived. I forgot it was taking place. I was in a traffic jam for a half hour 4-5 blocks back from Simonton.

Finally had to travel over Whitehead and down Front to get to the Pier House. All the time promising myself there was no way I was going to the Parade tonight. Traffic too crazy!

The Chart Room was packed. Stayed about three hours. I did not think the Room could hold that many people.

A mixed group of out of towners sprinkled with a handful of locals. Many out of towners costumed. Conservatively. Only one bare breasted woman and hers were spray painted with a big bird.

As I drove to the Pier House over the long distance last night, I saw little nudity. Again, more costumes.

The past 48 hours, I have discussed with many reasons for the changes. Everyone agrees there is an obvious change.

Definitely less nudity. Perhaps the new group running the event has succeeded in that regard. Whether good or bad, I cannot say at this point. Time will tell.

The other is the number of parties. It used to be some of the bars would have parties on different nights. Different flavored parties. Sort of different strokes for different folks. Perhaps 2-4 an evening.

In recent rears the parties have grown in number. Some evenings as many as 10. Many I spoke with thought the parties were dragging party goers off the streets. Could be.

I am not sure of anything, except things are different this year.

Tonight, the highlight of Fantasy Fest. The Parade! Floats galore! Could be a disaster. Heavy rains scheduled for today and this evening.

Heavy rains at the moment as I sit here writing.

There is something called 93L out there. A tropical storm or hurricane in the making perhaps. Heavy rains and winds. Reportedly will not turn into a tropical storm or hurricane as it passes over Key West.

Could be a very wet evening as the floats travel down Duval.

I doubt the rain will diminish the thrill and boisterousness of the crowd. They will remain in the rain shouting for beads which are thrown from the floats.

I had been drinking. Had not eaten. Stopped at Tavern ‘n Town on the way home for the late Happy Hour. Quiet. Three or four at the bar. Everyone downtown. I ate lightly and read the newspapers.

Key West has many tales of ghosts living on the island. One involves the ghost at the Key West Cemetery.

The Cemetery is not large. Only so much land available on an island as small as Key West for a burial ground. The cemetery 170 plus years old. Estimated 100,000 already buried there. We stack bodies.

Many claim they have seen a woman of Bahamian descent who they believe is a ghost. She appears both day and night.

She acts in a protective manner as regards the Cemetery. It is claimed she chastises those sitting on grave stones, walk across a grave, or in any way disrespect the dead.

She threatens  them, turns insolent, and then vanishes.

I have never met her. Hope I never do. I enjoy cemeteries so it could happen. I am a lover of history. Tombstone engravings tell the story of a community from way back when to present day.

Robots/artificial intelligence making great headway! Something new every day.

Sophia Robot was introduced recently at the Future Investment Initiative Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sophia is a female robot. Very attractive. Highly advanced. Well spoken. Responds to questions intelligently when interviewed.

The Saudis were impressed. At the Conference, Sophia was given full rights of citizenship. The first woman to be so honored.

The citizen thing strange. Sophia was born in effect in Hong Kong. Created there by Hanson Robotics. The first foreigner to be honored with Saudi citizenship. The first robot, also.

Sophia did not wear a burqa nor was she fully covered. She was dressed western style. A lovely hairdo.

Sophia can travel anywhere she wants in Saudi Arabia unaccompanied by a man.

Sort of hypocritical. A real Saudi female cannot do many things. A female robot can.

My publisher…..Where is my book? I keep waiting for its publication to be announced. Hurry!

Enjoy your day!

AM / 9-3 Tropical Update

IRMA is starting it’s southwesterly turn due to the ridge in the central Atlantic forming. The current motion is 260 and should push even more southwest over the next couple days. After then the storm will reach the periphery of the ridge and should start turning back northwest. How close this comes to the Lesser Antilles is still unknown and even further out it is impossible at this time to…

AM / 8-31 Tropical Update

Tropical Depression Harvey is now in Central Louisiana and headed NNE @ 9 kts. The storm is getting caught up in trough over the Midwest and will finally be out of everyone’s hair. Our continued prayers and good thoughts to all who have been affected by this catastrophe.

There is an area not on the NWS radar yet that sits between the Yucatán and Mexico. If any development comes it will be…

AM / 8-30 Tropical Update

Tropical Storm Harvey is ashore and moving over Louisiana now. The storm is headed NE and will continue this motion until being absorbed into the trough over the Midwest that is steering Harvey. Houston is not getting as much rain, but the situation is still dire there. Port Arthur and the smaller cities are now dealing with severe flooding and the citizens are trying to get out. Volunteers are…

8 / 29 Tropical Update

Tropical Storm Harvey is moving back shore soon. Current motion is NE at 6kts. Max sustained winds are 45 kts with gusts to 50 kts. Once coming ashore expect the storm to slowly increase forward speed and begin weakening as it slides off to the northeast and becomes absorbed into the trough digging in to the Midwest. Texas has done a Herculean job as have it’s citizens and citizens of other…

PM / 28 Aug Tropical Update

So while Tropical Storm Harvey is still puttering around Texas bringing devastation wherever it goes the rest of the Tropics has more in store.

93l is a tropical wave and associated low pressure area located a few

hundred miles southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands. While it is very disorganized right now expect the system to organize over the next 5 days or so. Models think it will turn NW but…