This morning I had to opportunity to swim at the Rouse Center in Stafford. While churning away the yards in the competition pool, nearby in the recreation pool the Water Exercise program churned away to what seemed to be the greatest hits of the 1970s… at least if the tunes were all in the bopping range with sufficient beats per minute. The BeeGees “Staying Alive” is a regular feature, clocking in at 105 bpm. Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” is also a regular at 123 bpm. In case you’re wondering, I only hear all this during rest between sets. So far I have avoided ear worms.With all that in the background, one of the popular 70s performers is the redoubtable Jimmy Buffet accompanied by his Coral Reefer Band. His music has been characterized as “Caribbean Rock n’ Roll.” Despite his impressive discography of music and hits, he has not been wasting away in Margaritaville (sorry… couldn’t resist). Buffett has taken advantage of his name and the fan following for his music to launch several business ventures, usually with a tropical theme. He opened the Margaritaville Cafe in Key West, Florida, in 1987. He owns LandShark Bar & Grill in Baltimore, Maryland and previously owned Cheeseburger in Paradise Restaurant. As a baseball fan, he was part-owner of two minor-league teams: the Miami/Fort Myers Miracle (1989-2014) and the Madison Black Wolf (1996-2000). Buffett has also licensed Margaritaville Tequila, Margaritaville Footwear, and a Margaritaville Foods, including chips, salsa, guacamole, shrimp, chicken, and more.  He has written book and produced Broadway shows. His Latitude Margaritaville is a $1 billion retirement village planned in the Ormond-Daytona Beach area. Forbes lists his net worth at $1 billion.

All that will soon be forgotten in time. But Jimmy Buffet will remain with us for time in memorium. A team of scientists have discovered a new crustacean in the watery depths off Key West – now named Gnathia Jimmybuffeti.  While Jimmy Buffet might be considered larger than life, his isopod namesake is 3 millimeters long.

Ya’ gotta keep up on these things.

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