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Thursday May 31, 2007 |
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 A
few things to be happy about.1. The sunsets around are some of the best on the planet 2. Im not a realtor 3. Its just great to be a man. Thanks girls 4. Good Tequila 5. Bush administration is on the way out 6. I can bitch and moan here one day then thank someone here the next day. "Thanks Ed" 7. Short work week 8. Women's tan lines 9. Buffalo shrimp pasta 10. Tarpon are rolling and very impressive. |
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| [Bluetooth] Maybe it's just me but I think anyone with one of those hanging on their ear looks just a tad dorky. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Does anyone see anything wrong with an Alabama kid shooting a pig that was perhaps one of the biggest around? Maybe he should have let that thing go it's on way. It really wasn't hurting anything so why kill it? And what was an 11 year old doing with a .50 caliber pistol? Can you say redneck? Sort of like the gator killers on Big Pine, only higher class. |
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| [Bluetooth] Dorks who walk around, apparently talking to themselves, with that foolish Bluetooth gizmo stuck to their ears also use AOL. | ||||||||||||||||||||
 1.
To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. Thesolvent dissolves adhesive. 2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew. 3. To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs. 4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting. 5. Spray vodka on vomit stains, scrub with a brush, and then blot dry. And silly me, I've only been drinking the stuff! |
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May 31st
marks the first blue moon since 2004. The next won't occur until
December 2009. |
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Does anybody remember the Grand Jury report of a few years ago that wound up summarizing the then current commissioners as incompetent, negligent and not acting in the best interest of the citizens? |
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What is the deal with "The Hungarian" we see in here every day? Is it someone who writes in or a paid ad like "Sloan"? (Ed: It’s a chance for budding writers to hone their skill before making it to the big time. Send in your story.) |
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[South Beach Freaknik] Fun loving college students? Wasn't there a double homicide involved? Give me a break! Even with a heavy police presence, those "fun loving" people still managed to squeeze in a couple of murders. History speaks for itself. When that many numbers of a certain ethnic group get together, there is always going to be trouble. Don't blame the cops. Blame the mentality of the crowd. |
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[Bush in denial reply] We’ve been away from the web for a week and have just now seen the posting concerning Prs. Bush and “denial”. My memory may be flawed, but I seem to remember that a major purpose of the Iraq invasion was to cause a regime change in that beleaguered nation. Iraq had been labeled a rogue state by the entire world. Even the Clinton administration had called for a regime change. The targets were Sadaam and his murderous minions, we were aiming to rid the world of the threat he posed to his neighbors and to the world. Well folks, Sadaam and his cronies are history. That can’t be denied. Militant Muslims, whose goal is a world wide Caliphate government, seek to deny the people of Iraq the freedoms of a democratic government and life. Their plan is to impose a strict fundamentalist Muslim theocracy. Sharia will be law of the land. If they succeed the Iranians will rule and Islamic terrorism will flourish throughout the region and the world. You must not, repeat must not, forget that these zealots seek dominion over you! They rejoice in killing infidels, that’s you and yours. Killing infidels it is virtually a sacrament of their religious practices and beliefs. You can’t deny that. That’s not fear mongering folks, it’s just simple fact. Look, set backs and losses are a part of every conflict. During the Revolutionary War, the forces of General Washington got their butt kicked all over the northeast; Washington even lost New York City to the Brits. The winter at Valley Forge and Washington’s valiant crossing of the Delaware was a major tipping point in the war leading to our ultimate victory and freedom from British rule. We were fighting to establish our freedoms and to rid us of an oppressive ruler.
The early years of WW2 were full of losses for the U.S. and our Allies. The Japanese ran roughshod through out the Pacific defeating us on the land, sea, and air. It wasn’t until the battle at Midway that we began to prevail. Do you realize that the Japanese even occupied American soil on the American Continent in the Aleutian Islands? The Germans did an exemplary job of kicking our butt in the North Atlantic. Wolf pack subs wreaked havoc on our shipping; they damn near starved our Allies. The Germans prowled our coast lines sinking thousands of tons of shipping on our Atlantic Coast. Hell’s bells, they were within 15 miles of Big Pine Key, many alive today saw the flames from our burning ships. Dunkirk, remember Dunkirk? The Allies were damn near totally defeated, only a major blunder by the German High Command saved our troops from annihilation. We were fighting the Axis forces to preserve our way of life, our freedoms. Don’t forget that the Japanese, like the Muslim fanatics, saw death in combat as a blessing. Our national history is replete with grievous losses becoming victories. Many military historians will state that our national loss in Viet Nam was not a military defeat, but rather a loss of the will to win. This corruption of our national spirit should be of great concern to us all. Nonetheless many seem to delight in the fact that we are experiencing problems in the democratization of Iraq. It seems as if a wave of joyous defeatism is engulfing far too many Americans. They revel in Prs. Bush’s travails. The hate of Bush blinds the haters to the consequences of any defeat in this conflict. Our enemy has hated us for decades; the enemy despises our way of life, our religions, and our freedoms. The Judeo Christian way of life, your way of life, will perish if the Islamic fundamentalists prevail. They will never “like” us; we can hope that they respect us, failing that they must fear us.
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We went to Key Deer Bar and Grill last night for their Wednesday Military Appreciation offer. They offer 50% off your bill for food that you order. Alcohol goes at its regular price. The food was wonderful. Jeffrey, our server, was terrific in every way and we enjoyed ourselves very much. We will go back over and over. Thank you, Key Deer Bar and Grill for such a generous discount for military people. Hope you all that are reading this will try Key Deer if you haven't already. It's a great local place! |
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Here is what we are dealing with from our real estate "professionals": The real estate industry is still trying to fix the price of real estate commissions. The National Association of Realtors is constantly trying new tactics to get fixed commissions. They've tried to control access to the Multiple Listing Services, for instance. And the NAR has tried to get states to pass laws making it illegal for people to use alternative services for buying and selling homes. Kentucky passed one of these laws, but the state has now eliminated that statute. South Dakota has done the same thing. Texas, however, still has a very harmful law in place. Consumers lose anytime an industry tries to fix prices, and the Justice Department is going after the NAR. But the truth is that the marketplace will decide what happens. People want choices and these bully tactics aren't going to work. |
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[60 The Hungarian] When
I got up the next morning Mom was sitting at the kitchen table asleep,
evidently dad didn't make it home. Mom had been waiting up for him. I shook
her and she came to, "What, what time is it? Is your father home?" "It's 6
am, mom, and dads not home. I wonder what happened to him? Did he call?" "No
he didn't son. What is that noise?" "That's gunfire mom, must be coming from
downtown." "Oh my God! There's going to be trouble. I better go to the store
and by all the essentials before they close. Wake your brother I'm taking
him with me." Waking Steve, that was a task. Most of the time that kid was
still asleep while eating his breakfast. I wasn't going to play his silly
game this time so I took along a glass of cold water and after I got him on
his feet I threw the water in his face. He woke right up, "Mom, Imre's
trying to drown me?" "Hurry up Steve, get dressed. Mom want's you to go with
her." He started to get dressed but was still whining, "I'm hungry." Mom
said, "Come on son and I'll fix you a nice breakfast when we get back." She
gave one satchel to Steve and she took the other and they left. |
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The deadline for publishing is
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Thursday May 31, 2007 |
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For
the sake of yin and yang (and to balance out the “whiners”), I hereby
resolve to henceforth send our dearest editor one kudo per week. The first
kudo goes to the Waste Management gentlemen: Thanks for being reliable,
quiet, and neat. You make the trash disappear and leave the empty cans
neatly arranged on the curb. Kudos on doing a vital job well.
Au
contraire, people do steal shopping carts, and they’re not just the
homeless. Shopping cart theft adds to the cost of your groceries as the cart
can cost around two hundred dollars each. Markets have tried different
methods to prevent cart theft over the years, but nothing works that well.
Larger stores even have people driving around the neighborhoods looking for
their carts on a regular basis.
Armed
with the facts about the effectiveness of teens being in driver education
and new funds available from the Dori Slosberg Act of 2005 collected from
traffic violations, Monroe County School District plans to expand its driver
education program county-wide and year round for the 2007-2008 school year.
For more information on how to develop an agreement visit the resource
library at
Today
I went to have my teeth cleaned and the hygienist was very pleased
with me. The reason is that it was recommended to me (by someone other than
this hygienist) that I could benefit greatly by buying a Waterpik and using
it daily. It worked like a charm. I had very little plaque and my gums
were pink and healthy. I floss daily and have for years, but the Waterpik
is what did the trick. Usually, I am in there for a long time and have had
tooth problems in the past, including the loss of some teeth. Today, after
6 months of Waterpik use, everything is very much improved with good
prognosis for the future. If you want to avoid the problems I have had in
the past, get a Waterpik and you will save teeth and in the long run save
money.
And
so far too many of us smugly play “Dr Phil” and attempt pseudo psychological
analysis of the individual who is doing his level best to protect this
country, you, and me from a very real enemy who is determined to see us
dead. One must wonder what analysis would be levied on George Washington or
FDR for their refusal to quit in the face of serious losses. By the way,
where would we be now if they had embraced defeat? Our national interests
are best served by prevailing in Iraq, you shouldn’t even try to deny that.
We
wanted to erect a statue of George in the Washington, D.C. Hall of Fame.
We were in a quandary as to where the statue should be placed. It was
not proper to place it beside the statue of George Washington, who never
told a lie--or beside Richard Nixon, who never told the truth--since
Bush could never tell the difference! 
I
was beginning to be scared for us. To fall down in a crowd like this
could result in serious injury even death. I had no idea where mom was,
even if I did, that wouldn't help. The statue had my attention again.
Men were now hauling welding equipment up to Stalin’s boots on a ladder.
Others with hammers were pounding on Stalin's boot top. Where it sounded
hollow they marked it with chalk. The men with the cutting torch started
to cut behind Stalin’s knees. When both legs were cut half way thru, the
men scrambled down and the trucks were signaled. The trucks took up the
slack and started to pull, Stalin started to lean forward and for a
moment it looked as if he tried to hold onto the reins of power, hung
there for a blink of an eye and toppled to the cobblestones. It made a
mighty hollow sound and everybody went nuts. 
Does
our county commission really care about the county and its people,
or does its motivation lie elsewhere? The planning department has
already voted to change the zoning on Lucky's Landing trailer park to
open the door for the owners to build condos in the lower keys. Now it's
up to the county commissioners to give the final ok to change the
zoning. This will set a legal precedent that will enable all the rest of
the greed-heads to bulldoze the trailer parks, drive out the peasants,
and concretize the keys. The commission doesn't have to vote for this
change; nobody is holding a lawsuit over their heads. Without the zoning
change--no condos. It is that simple. Wiser and less self-serving
commissioners set the zoning as it is for a reason, to protect an
existing way of life and its people. Watch the upcoming voting, and see
what our representatives really want for the keys, and remember their
votes and their underlying reasons. 
Wa,
wa, wa I have to pay 6% when I sell my home. Wa, wa, wa I have to
push old ladies out of the way at Winn Dixie. Wa, wa, wa I can't sell my
property to a big conglomerate. Wa, wa, wa the Key Deer are eating my
hibiscus. Wa, wa, wa it's too windy. Wa, wa, wa the gays are are all
over. Wa, wa, wa the girls on Big Pine have no teeth. Wa, wa, wa my wind
insurances is still too high. Wa, wa, wa enough is enough. Wa, wa, wa
President Bush is an idiot. Wa, wa, wa the editor of this crap prints
this crap.
And a president
closing
agent, and they use Attorneys Title Insurance Fund, more commonly known as
the FUND, to write the Title Insurance Policy, the closing attorney keeps
70% of the premium charged. Premiums charged are based on the sale price of
the home. An attorney can reap as much as, and if the home sells in the
million dollar range, even more than what a Realtor would earn in a 6%
commission transaction. That is where the real estate attorney makes money,
not in preparation of the real estate documents. The difference being, Real
Estate attorneys do not have to be a licensed Real Estate professional.
Florida NAR has been actively lobbying the legislature to put
more restrictive guidelines in place to restrict who must be licensed to
write Real Estate Contracts. (Been there, done that.)
Memorial
Day. Yesterday evening I found myself reminiscing a visit I made, maybe
in late 1990, to the Vietnam war memorial in Washington D.C., on which I
found the names of two of my college fraternity brothers, who had told some
people before they went over there that they didn’t think they were coming
back. They were good young men, liked by many people, and they died so
young, and for what? 
By
the time a house sold and the commission was split in half with another
realtor (who found a buyer) and split again with my broker, I usually saw
20%-30% of the actual commission. Back then the market was a 270 day
market, meaning by the time sellers got real with their price, the house had
been on the market for nine months.
It’s
so nice of some of these bands to tell us where they are playing. It
saves lots of time knowing I don’t need to go to certain places and hear the
same old crap.
It
is also possible to list your property on the local MLS for anywhere from
$300 up. (The activity and interest levels on my house didn't warrant it,
but it was an option I explored.) A search on the internet will give you
options - some local, some not. Figure on giving an agent 3% if you want
your property shown; they have too many choices to work for less. Another
option is to give a listing agent 4% - 1% to him/her, essentially to get it
in the MLS, and 3% to the selling agent.
I
see the new topic is Real Estate Agents lowering themselves at a
lower commission. I sold Real Estate in Key West for many years and in West
Palm Beach before that. When I was asked to reduce my commission my answer
was: "What part of my quality customer service do you want me to reduce when
marketing your property?" There are many Agents and Brokers who will lower
themselves all over the country. Think of Realtors as a sports team. Do
you want the NFL marketing your foot ball or a Semi-Pro League working for
you? These Agents who lower themselves do so because they aren't capable
of making it in the big leagues. I live in Ramrod Key and there are several
houses listed by one woman. She looks good to the tourist driving by
because her name is all over, but those of us who live here see the houses
haven't sold and her same red and blue sign is there with "For Sale" on
them. She is the 4% queen. Many other Realtors' signs don't stay up long
and very soon say "SOLD" on them. Much to your surprise, those were 6% or
even 7% listings. Quality service costs money. It takes more than putting
a house on the MLS and talking about it in the Tiki Bar to make a
sale. More so in a soft market.
Ron
Paul on Iraq and war powers. Below is something else I received from my
New England internet pen pal quoting Texas U.S. Representative and
Republican Presidential Candidate Ron Paul. (Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk
-
Does
anyone know what happened Thursday evening with the car and motorcycle
accident on BPK? Was there anyone killed? It sure looked bad, the bike
and car were all tore up.
The
little boy spotted the pretty pile of colored sand on the floor of
the vast hall in
I
see everybody has forgotten about the "Route 1 Beautification scam" and why
it was a con game to set president for developers and politicos to see what
they could get away with, while over throwing the locals and stealing their
properties. I call it the "Three Beer Short Term Memory Disease". If
it is not continuous bar talk, it is forgotten about, after three beers!
Until
someone has walked a mile in someone else’s shoes, they should not
bitch. Everyone knows there are more dangerous jobs than that of a Police
Officer. But are the workers of those other jobs constantly under public
scrutiny both on and off the job? Are their families constantly under
scrutiny? Is the threat of a lawsuit always hanging over their heads?
Until you know what years of this stress can do to you, you are not
qualified to pass judgment or ask stupid questions. 
Antillean
Nighthawks are back! And we have a nesting pair on a vacant lot in Eden
Pines, right on the ground. I didn't want to get too close, but with my
binoculars I saw an egg. My bird books say they usually have 2 eggs. The bad
news is that there is a new house going up next door. I'll keep you posted.
[
Someone
asked, in an earlier post, if the fire trucks could use saltwater for
putting out fires. I never saw a straight yes or no answer. My point in
asking is, if my house catches fire will the fire department pump water out
of the canal in my back yard to put out the fire? Or will they pack up and
go home when they run out of fresh water? I read that a house or houses on
Conch Key burned down because of some kind of problem getting water.
[single
in the keys. Can’t find anyone decent, etc] Here’s my dilemma: finding
someone that can hang till 1-3am with a Royal Crown drinker. I mean, damn,
it is not even midnight and my roommate is out for the count. This is a
re-occurrence as the guys I have “dated” seem to have to “get some sleep”
before midnight. What is up with that? Just for the record, I am past my 20s
so it’s not like it can be regarded as a‘kid thing. Should I give up on the
30s crowd and rob the cradle? Seriously! Where are the true partiers?
I’d
like to discuss soap. What is the difference between soap and
detergent? I know detergent gets out those stubborn laundry problems, but
what is the difference? Soap used to be made by boiling horses. How does a
horse make me feel like an Irish Spring? We used to use lye soap in the
Army, what’s with that? Doesn’t lye dissolve bodies?
plaques
says it all. Rossi offers military specials, serves on the Navy League and
the Military Affairs Committee. Every bar and owner on Duval Street should
do the same. It's no wonder military people like to go there. They feel
welcome. Oh, and if you think Rossi got the military to vote for him, one
of the largest military neighborhoods is in the district won by Rossi.
Don't you think residents are going to vote for the candidate that
represents them best? 
[
Another
perfect example of a gentle Pit Bull playing with a child. All
parents should get a dog like this for little Bubba to play with. 
Pakistan
is the largest supplier of troops for the UN. They have over ten
thousand troops stationed around the world. If anyone pisses of Pakistan
they could withdraw their support and then who would the UN be able to send
to these hot spots? Us? We don’t have that many troops left.
I
am not one of those Americans who care about the “Press 1 for English”
debate. I don’t mind pressing 1 and it doesn’t take me very long to do. I do
object to Indian tech support though, because when I call for support I’m
usually angry or frustrated and I don’t have the patience to put up with
foreigner’s peculiar way of thinking and lack of English savvy.
Here
are the links to Florida Laws for Firearms: 
Why
are people upset that the Iraqi government is going to take a nice
refreshing two months off? We will fight for them because if
you’re an Iraqi freedom is free. Working an entire year on building your
country is hard work. Relax Iraqis, our sons and daughters will even grill
your burgers for you. They are Bush’s stepin-fetchit troops.
[
It
took Castro six years to get rid of Batista. It’ll
probably take as long for the Iraqis to get rid of the US.
Missouri
twins Raymon and Richard Miller are unsure who is the father and who
is the uncle of a 3-year-old girl even after three years in court. The
It
seems that many people have had the same or similar experiences with
Dell Customer service and non-English speaking representatives. I
had one, or several, myself. Let's all write to Dell Headquarters and
voice our opinions. They are located in Texas. If one of us, or I,
alone writes to them Dell will laugh it off. If hundreds or thousands
write in saying we are not going to buy another Dell maybe things will
change. One person wrote in a few days ago who said they have a
corporate account with Dell. When that person threatened to take his
business somewhere else he got results. There’s strength in numbers.
Don't
miss the Moondogs this Friday night at the Key Deer Bar and
Grill! The boys will be playing on the outside stage from 7-11pm. The
grill will be fired up outside for some great food and, of course, the
drinks will be flowing.
[
What
was that up in Marathon on Sunday? It surely wasn’t a boat race!
By the time we went passed the bridge at 12:30, went to Home Depot,
bought 8 sheets of plywood, 12 2X4's and came back, it was done, over,
finished, by 1:30. An off shore boat race that started at 1:00pm, was
over in 30 minutes? People were leaving, cars were moving, and I
wondered what was happening. By the time we walked over the bridge we
found out. I swear there were more Cubans at that event then any other
time I have seen. I'll go to Key West from now on. Maybe the Hyatt wont
just "happen" to have the cruise ships in this time so the rest of the
public can watch the boats from Mallory Square like it's suppose to be
and not having to pay $10 to watch from the Hyatt's deck.
[At
least one Democrat gets it] "Because the Democrats are forcing an end
to the struggle in Iraq, we must now prepare to fight terrorism
in our homeland for the next thirty or more years. This is a war of
civilizations. The Islamic terrorists worldwide want to destroy the U.S.
and every other Western nation, along with moderate Muslim nations,
e.g., Egypt, Jordan, etc. Our very survival as a nation is involved.
Will we have the courage and will to do all that will be necessary to
prevail? During the Cold War the pols in Washington were mostly united.
But now the Democrats are not. There is no safety for the weak and
foolish. When you seek to end a war without substantially achieving your
essential goals by simply ceasing to fight, it is often a form of
surrender. And that's the way the Democrat-imposed outcome in Iraq will
be understood around the world, especially by our enemies." ---Democrat
former Mayor of New York City Ed Koch
Can
we stop bashing the cops now? I can't wait till one of you cop
bashers are in trouble and in need of a police officer, your going to
sound just like the atheist on an airplane about to crash. They have a
job to do and they do it. Police are supposed to be tough. How much
respect would you have for a wimpy police officer? Leave them alone and
go on to another subject please. 
Why
don’t they just leave the whales alone? I’m referring to the
whales up the Sacramento River. Why does man constantly interfere with
natural events?
The
derogatory comments about people on this website get a little out
of hand sometimes. People like the Sandman or Rabbit deserve the
comments because of their actions that they bring upon themselves. But
to sling insults at people just because of their profession is downright
sad. Two days ago, someone defended his own profession without
mudslinging. And how was he answered? With more insults. It amazes me
how much hate some people have in their hearts.
I
know I risked my life more than once trying to save a life. Afterwards I
looked back on it and thought damn, I could have been killed and left my
wife and kids alone without me. Afterwards I was more concerned about how it
would have affected my family than myself. But when you are a cop faced with
a critical situation you do what you have to do; often not thinking about
yourself till maybe afterwards. There are a lot of brave civilians out there
who do brave things too and deserve credit for it, but cops are out there
for 20 to 30 years during there careers and there is a very great chance
that during their career they will risk their life more than once. It is
said that being a cop can often be boring with moments of sheer terror
thrown in. The trouble is you never know when the sheer terror is going to
occur. 
I
bought my Proline from Keys Sea Center in 2001, new. Although there
were some problems with some of the administrative folks then, the
mechanics, 2 of which are still there (maybe 3) have kept my boat in great
shape over the years. The new owners have turned the place around for the
better and constantly provide me with stellar service. Kudos to all of
them. 
[Memorial
Day Ride] All bikers meet up and be ready to ride at 9am on Sunday. The
IHOP on Roosevelt in KW is where we'll meet. Have a full tank of gas and an
empty bladder! We will all have a chance to speak in memory of any one we
wish, so think about it and let me or Lynda know if you would like to openly
remember someone.
[Battery
switch rebuttal] The electrolysis was from battery acid residue and
cables next to the metal the switch was mounted on. (I have examples and
pictures, for court, from other batteries.) To short-out the battery switch
to the white medal and cause the fire it would have to have shorted-out like
positive and negative battery jumper cables touching each other, causing a
burn mark and melting metal. My metal is shiny white metal and there are
shiny bolts and nuts on the back of the battery switch. 
[Hurricane
shelters or the latest round-and-round amusement park ride] Let’s see,
you have a large air filled canister with people in it. Let me get this
straight, it floats right? I've seen large walkways imbedded into the marl
pop out and float away during the bashing of a storm; let alone a tin
can-looking device. I might survive the storm with a little 'YAK(?)" on me,
but I didn’t see the Coast Guard approved beacon or distress signal. Will I
starve at sea or bake like a ham in the sunny days after I’m washed out to
sea in the storm?
He
was a reincarnate of a Nazi storm trooper if there ever was one. I'm sure
that he is retired by now, but this guy committed every police atrocity
there is (and was always rinsed clean as a new born babe). Now he lives the
life of Riley. I hope he has a serious case of the piles from riding that
Hog all those years and is a diabetic from eating all those Dunkin Donuts.
Yes, Charley was a sprocket jockey. I only had one incident with him. 
[Iraqi
FREEdom] The waste just keeps on coming. The Iraqi President Talabani
was flown to the United States on a special American Medical plane just so
he can lose weight. What a damn shame. I guess he can’t work the fat off and
clean up his diet without spending tens of thousands of American tax
dollars. Freedom is indeed free if you’re an Iraqi.
To
the person who was wondering if it is true that kids from sailboats attend
schools in a county where their parents don't pay property taxes. Well,
what would you think of this news: There is a speed lane set up on the
freeway into El Paso from Mexico just to bring school children into the
U.S. to attend school. There are a lot of children that go to school in
the U.S. whose parents don't pay property taxes in the county where they
attend school. But I think that educating our youth is worth it to those
that pay property taxes, don't you? That's my two cents on the subject all
the way from Texas.
How
does the small arrow on your computer monitor operate when you move
the mouse? Now, through the miracle of high technology, we can see just how
it is done. With the aid of a screen magnifying lens, you can see the
mechanism in action.
I
have been in numerous fights while in uniform. But every single one of them
was sparked by alcohol influence, drug influence, or the fear of going to
jail. I have a job to do and a community to protect. When I decide a crime
has been committed and it is time for someone to go to jail, I will use the
minimum force that is necessary to take that person into custody. If that
person pushes me to the point of having to use pepper spray or a tazer, then
so be it. But that's their decision, not mine. When the day ends, I'm
going home to my beautiful wife and children.
[F
[Break
into any home] 
[
County
administrator Tom Willi fired the county Technology director Mickey Baker
over the phone without giving him a reason. Mr Baker has brought the
County’s IT department up to date. He put free wireless internet in all the
libraries and televised the commission meetings and even made past meetings
and parts of meetings easily available on the internet. He was also in the
process of digitalizing high resolution aerial photos of the keys that he
was going to make available online. In his one year employment Mr. Baker’s
has done more than any other past IT director.
Carl
Hiaasen's piercing Miami Herald article about the South Florida water
shortage, deeply disturbed me. I was left feeling that the current sad
state of water affairs is as much my, your and every other South Florida
environmentalist's doing, as it is the doing of developers and their Chamber
of Commerce, Big Sugar and Tallahassee legislature allies. The problem,
quite simply, is that we the people want to live in South Florida and the
Keys, which simply cannot support us ecologically. The solution is for we
the people to vacate the premises, be we green or some other color. Not
likely to happen, I grant you, but the pretense of being green and living in
South Florida and the Keys needs to be dissolved, and for me personally,
that is a painful confession, as is the apparent prospect of living
somewhere else...
[Sea
Center] I bought a new trailer there and had to take it back twice
because they set it up wrong. After the second adjustment I was driving up
around Islamorada when I looked in the rear view mirror and noticed that my
boat was askew. I stopped immediately and found that Sea Center’s mechanics
failed to bolt down the support brackets. I was very lucky I avoided a big
accident. (I was sorry I gave them a $50 tip.)
[post
that lists the good deeds of cops] I have done most of those things.
I removed dangerous obstructions from the road. I pulled a man from a
burning car on the seven mile bridge. I saved a little girl’s life when she
was hit by a van in front of CITGO on Summerland Key. 
I'll
be glad to answer the question "What has a cop done for you today?"
Today, I saw a cop pull over to pick up a piece of rebar from the middle
of the lane at the 19 mile marker. We all know what could happen if a truck
were to kick that up. Are you willing to stop and run out into speeding
traffic? A couple of days ago a car passed everyone, including
me, illegally in the turn lane doing at least 80 mph on Summerland. On
Cudjoe, a cop had that car pulled over. That guy was probably the cop hater
who will contest his ticket and force the cop to explain his actions to a
Judge. 
For
the first time since bringing it home on Sunday I lowered the lift to the
water. I went on the boat, turned on the power switch and left the boat to
get some stuff from the shed. I smelled smoke and turned around and saw
wires on fire on the port side of the engine. The flames were at least 4
inches high. I got the water hose next to the boat and put out the fire. I
jumped aboard and turned the battery switch to “off”. I removed the engine
cover because there was smoke coming from it too. There were melted wires to
the motor lift on the engine and to wires that went to the throttle lever
switch. When I took off the air cleaner cover the bottom wire was stuck in
the bottom carburetor hole and another melted wire stuck in where the engine
cover was put on. 
This
is in reply to the person who wants to know about people who need food in
the Keys. There are a lot of low income families, elderly, disabled and
homeless who reside on Big Pine and neighboring Keys. They may not always be
obvious, but they are here. Sometimes for many it's is a choice between
paying bills, rent, filling prescriptions or eating. Most will choose to
leave eating for last. The Big Pine Community Food Pantry was started
by Martha Smith and Lucy Renz and has been in existence for about ten
years. The pantry is run mostly on local donations and since it started, by
the grace of God, the shelves have never been empty. We receive the food
from the Big Pine and Summerland Post Offices drive each year. The food
collected from the drive sustains the pantry through the summer. Because we
live in such a generous community we also receive cash and food item
donations during the year from the churches, civic organizations, businesses
and individuals. We do get some USDA food from Daily Bread in Miami and
can sometimes buy food through them at a good price.
Arnolds
towing is still going strong. They mostly serve the Key West - Big
Coppitt area, but they do still come up here and I believe they own BK
towing here. I too agree that that family has been through hell with the
lousy justice system pertaining to that case.
Lesley
Blackner, founder of Florida Hometown Democracy, will be interviewed on
Florida Matters, WUSF 89.7 Tampa Public Radio, this Friday May 18th at 6:30
pm, and Saturday May 19th at noon. On the broadcast, she will be debating
Adam Babington, the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s top gun hired to take down
the Florida Hometown Democracy movement. If you miss the broadcast, you can
listen to it on the WUSF website:
I
happen to know how busy the police officers from Monroe County
Sherriff's Office are because I ride along with them quite often. To answer
the question of how many officers are patrolling the roads from Cudjoe to
the 7 mile bridge, I know for a fact its more than two--try six or seven.
And the night shift is the same. The Highway Patrol is patrolling as well.
Calls come in so frequently that officers rarely get more than 4 or 5
minutes to inhale there lunch or dinner. They are out there trying to do a
service for you people. It disgusts me how much you haters try to talk down
our local officers and their department. You hate them now, but if your life
is ever in danger who are you calling? It’s the Sherrif’s Office--remember
that. 
[
Here
is Lesley Blackner's reply to yesterday's email, "No guts, no glory."
She does not address my main concern: she asks others to expose their
"personal information" to the powers that be but is not willing to do so
herself. So, no, I do not understand her mission and will let her know by a
copy of this email...
[the
sewer mess] Does anybody know, really know, what’s going on with the
sewer program? As I understand it the Keys are under some sort of federal
mandate to completely sewer the entire length of the keys by 2009. Yet I’m
told that there aren’t even any plans drawn yet to sewer Big Pine Key and
the Port Pines Heights area. 2009 is 18 months away. Does that mean that
beginning in 2009 I’ll have to package that which should go in the sewer and
send it to the mainland?
Food
drive to the person who thinks we don't need food drives down here you
must be new or have a retirement check that comes in every month. I have a
full time job and raise two kids as do a lot of single parents. Sometimes
if I have to take a couple of days off in a month to go to the doctors or
dentist for the kids it is nice to know that I can stop by one of the
churches and pick some stuff up to hold us over. Some of us don't know on
Monday how much our pay check will be on Friday. I guess you never have had
to worry about this, lucky you. I have been to the churches. There are a
lot of people that are grateful for this service that our local carriers do.
One
individual wrote a very nice, well thought out post on the negative effects
of not snitching. He is correct and that is the problem. When people don't
trust cops they don't talk to them. I am one person that once trusted cops,
but I have lost that trust. I know I am not unique. If I, a law abiding
citizen, do not trust cops then there are thousands more like me. That is a
scary fact that our society must deal with. If you readers really believe
that our justice system treats cops the same as average citizens there is
nothing anyone can do to help you. 
I'm
not talking about major issues, just the small ones. Let’s not get to ahead
of ourselves here. But we could start out small, see how things would go,
and after a while of seeing those things discussed actually come to
resolution. Then we would have a nice concrete step to stand on with other
issues. Maybe then, after a while of banding together and showing a unified
community spirit, with documented items corrected, there's no telling what
we could accomplish if we were lead by the right people, elected leaders of
the 
In
the 2006 election, a Florida voting system was attacked by a worm. The worm
wreaked havoc on the system, shutting it down for two hours. A patch has
been available for the worm for years. But the infected Florida machine was
missing five years of security updates.
“Cop
Hater” needs professional help. I don’t think anyone will ever love
their police force. I mean, these men and women have the power to take
away the thing we prize the most; our freedom. That is anathema to a
freedom loving people. It is also a necessary power, unfortunately, that
we have to entrust someone with because there are so many out there like
the Cop Hater and The Sand Man and drunk drivers that commit crimes and
prey upon others and need to be kept out from among the rest of us in
society. 
The
cop hater is our lovable Hungarian. I was a commodities dealer in
south Florida in the early 80s and having my cash stolen and my ribs
broken by law enforcement down here I also have no love affair with the
police. I now work for 3 Hungarians who say The AVO in Hungry make the
old school Miami River cops (look it up Newbies) look like choir boys.
So lighten up before you judge someone and remember, Jesus lovers, that
God made weed and booze. Just who do you trust?
I
think it's time for the whiner on Key Deer Blvd to get off their
soapbox. I'm getting sick and tired of the children being used as an
excuse. Key Deer is not the only street with women, children, and
elderly. Here's a newsflash. People speed on every street around
here. It's the idiots behind the wheel who are at fault, not the cops.
They have a duty to patrol everywhere, not just Key Deer Blvd. 
[Some
freedoms to think about this July 4th] Do not claim
that freedom of speech gives you the right to wear a Tee-shirt that the
government doesn't like. They can put you in jail. You used to have the
right to freedom from search unless a search warrant was issued. Now the
police can come into your home, and take whatever they want, and not
tell you until 2 weeks later, if they tell you at all. They don't even
have to knock on the door before they barge in.
H
I
would like to offer a tremendous thank you to all the firefighters
who did such a wonderful job controlling the fire that came
uncomfortably close to our property. Here we are, 3 days later and there
is a crew clearing debris (damaged trees, etc.) to protect us from any
future fires. Thank you all so much for your dedication and hard work.
You are appreciated!
[More
blessed to give] To Commissioner Neugent: I was told in dreams last
night to give to these kids the $10,000 I was going to give to Lesley
Blackner of Florida Hometown Democracy. Do I make a check out to
Grace Jones Day Care Center, and where do I send it?
Thanks
to Little Palm Island, Captain, Crew and all the staff. You made a very
special Mothers Day for my mom. Your attention to her special needs
was exceptional.
[“Cop-out”
answer to Police car engine running while parked] Some police cars have
sophisticated computers and electronics which need constant electricity,
thus easier, or maybe necessary, to keep the engine running at all times.
The engine's alternator generates electricity to power the equipment.
I
often wonder why we can talk about priests molesting young boys, serial
killers that prey on the young, Court TV, but when it comes to depression
or suicide, no one wants to know. In the world of extreme games,
internet porn, and switching spouses (an actual TV program), depression is
something you just do not admit to anyone other than a health-care worker.
As hard as it may seem, a close friend will be able to see some sign such as
loss of interest in something they used to enjoy, loss of hygiene or an
inability to keep appointments with friends. And if the friend has the
balls, they need to confront the person directly and let loved ones know,
secretly, (that’s very important since the depressed person does not want
anyone, especially those very close to them, that they may be about to abort
their life) that they feel something is just not right. Hopefully our
society will come to terms with depression, and some of its consequences
before more people chose to take their lives.
There’s
no question the spectrum of cop competence is wide, after all cops are human
first. On one end there are a few truly bad cops. On the other end, there
are truly fine cops. A few cops can be
mean-dumb-corrupt-low-life-rotten-toothed-beer-bellied-slugs. The vast
majority of cops are hard working, decent people who are truly dedicated to
their oath of serving and protecting you. 
“No
Snitching”, now there’s a really stupid comment. Think it through. If the
community suddenly decided to never provide information to law enforcement,
to never testify in court, to never report crime, imagine what society would
look like. I’m not a little guy, I’m armed, (nope, I’m not a cop), and
we’re security cautious. It’s probable that me and mine would be fairly
safe. There would be no order, you would not be safe in your home, and your
property would not be safe. Your loved ones would be at risk for attack.
Remember that the community has decided not to “snitch” ever. It’s totally
up to the cops to enforce the law. If your neighbor saw your loved ones
raped, there would be no witnesses to report the crime, to or to testify.
Do you like that thought?
What
are hot dogs made from?
Many
people incorrectly think that the 5th of May is Mexican
Independence Day. That is incorrect. Mexican Independence Day is
celebrated in September. The true history of the May 5th
celebration is as follows:
