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Sunday August 31, 2008

[The Trial of the Century] This senseless crime gave gays a bad name. In 1924 Leopold, 19 and Loeb, 18 wanted to commit the perfect crime so they stopped their car and kidnapped Loeb’s 14 year old cousin and brained him. They dumped the kid‘s body in a culvert and Leopold, mistakenly, dropped his glasses there too. They did everything wrong that they possibly could and were caught shortly thereafter. They pretended to hold the murdered boy for $10,000 ransom. Collecting the ransom was the most dangerous part. They came up with a foolproof plan to have the boy’s rich father throw a packet with the money in it from the train that traveled south of Chicago along the elevated tracks west of Lake Michigan. They would be waiting below in their car and scoop the money up as soon as the ransom hit the ground and be on their way.  It didn’t work out that way and they were caught and confessed. Leopold said they did it solely for the thrill of the experience. “A thirst for knowledge is highly commendable, no matter what extreme pain or injury it may inflict upon others.) Nice.

Clarence Darrow took the case because he was highly against the death penalty. He believed that we were predisposed to our actions at birth and were not responsible for them if they were predetermined. He also believed that an excess or deficiency of certain hormones affected mental alterations in the afflicted person. Brilliantly, Darrow pleaded them guilty thus avoiding a trial. Now he only had to try to get them as little punishment as he could. Surely if he had gone before a jury they would have received the death penalty. The country was incensed at the crime and there was a mood of homophobia across the land. Now Darrow had to convince the judge that they were mentally ill—a medical condition. Psychiatrists, for a fee, from both sides delivered bizarre testimony supporting their client’s differing views completely contradicting each other.

[What goes around, comes around] My comments are based on Saturday's Keynoter, which has articles about Dixie and Sonny, in which Sonny made a complaint about the media being in lockstep.

To Dixie and Sonny: How does it feel to be on the losing end of "Lockstep"? Welcome to our world (for all the times we spoke before you and you did not heed, or respect us.)  To hear you 2 whining about the media, and mood for change is laughable, and sad.  Clearly, you 2 still refuse to accept responsibility for your actions. As my grandmother would say, you reap what you sow.  What goes around, comes around. It's nice to be able to actually see the circle completed.

According to Sloan’s blog “Mayor Mario DiGennaro endorsed my Democrat opponent Heather Carruthers on Bill Becker’s US 1 Radio show yesterday morning.” 

Commissioner Mario Di Gennaro did not endorse me on Bill Becker’s radio show yesterday (Friday 8/29/08). Here is a verbatim transcript of their exchange which is available in audio form at http://www.us1radio.com/morningmagazine.cfm 

Mario Di Gennaro: “Go back to the elections. One thing I was very pleasantly surprised about…I’m not picking one person who runs against another…I really admired Heather Carruthers. The way she spoke to Sonny and thanked him for his service and everything. I also want to thank my other fellow commissioners out there for their service, but Heather did a marvelous job and I really respected her for it. I was pleasantly surprised.

Mario Di Gennaro: ”I’m not backing and I’m not getting involved. I’m not backing anyone. I was there. I happened to be there when Heather walked in and spoke to Sonny and spoke to Dixie and thanked them for their service. It impressed me, so I say what I think.”

[The Movies] If the aliens (from space not Mexico) invaded and won, and we had to move to Mars and could only take one Si-Fi move with us, I’d take the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That is the greatest Si-Fi movie of all time. http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3014131993/

[Fear Sells] Obama's personal manifesto, The Audacity of Hope, is Obama’s paean to Obama. The book and his fawning media coverage have spawned a cult of personality.  Obamists’ are so intoxicated that they purposefully choose to ignore the harsh reality of Obama. Obama had a solidly middle class upbringing. Obama’s youth was mundane. He received a fine primary, secondary, under grad and grad education as have millions of others. Obama chose to become a community organizer ostensibly to battle with an evil Democrat city government. Notwithstanding his mundane background, Obama developed oratorical skills. When Obama decided to seek political office he first made a reasoned choice to aggressively seek blessings, funding, support, and guidance of two locally politically powerful individuals--the Ayers.

Obama began running for the Presidency at the moment he was selected to give a major speech at the Democrat convention of 2004.  Obama, an absentee Senator, has had virtually no legislative successes.  Obama has done nothing but seek the presidency since2004.  Nonetheless the true believers are passionately convinced that he is suited to be the President. Obama has demonized segments of our population, convincing many that the masses suffer from predations of the few who prosper.  Obama has taken soaring oratorical skills and hypocrisy and woven them into a golden cloak that dazzles and blinds far too many Americans.  Obama’s resume is as bereft of professional accomplishment as it is of executive experience.  Nonetheless, the true believers have concluded that “attractiveness”, “grace”, oratorical prowess and “charm” are overarching Presidential attributes. It strikes me that Obama lusts to become a leader who will be served rather than a leader who will serve. History is replete with individuals who have risen from modest beginnings, have few accomplishments, but have capitalized on oratorical prowess, and pursued a path to power by exploiting class envy and demonizing those who prosper.  These leaders all were all initially imbued with grace and charm, they all nurtured a class of true believers that morphed into myrmidons, and many authored a personal manifesto. They all promised cradle to grave government succor. Can we forget the huge adoring crowds, the proscenium; the elaborate staged productions thereon, the banners, the fireworks, the music, and the rousing speeches decrying the enemies of the masses in Berlin in the late 1920’s. Pray we never forget.

[Trailer hitch nuts] Nothing screams ignorant inbred quite as loud as someone that has those on their trailer hitch.

[Dog names] I think you made good choices, but sound-alike names can be cute, but confusing to the dogs.

In New Jersey, teachers start at around $50,000 to $60,000 a year with pensions and full paid benefits. The teachers in New Jersey are sucking every bit of money from the property owners and driving people out of the state.  It is a real shame.  They expect not to pay for any part of their health insurance and want full pensions.  Get real, this is 2008.  New Jersey will go completely bankrupt because of them.  Teachers also have it made in there with all the help they get in the classes. Aides, etc. Most don't sit and eat with the students like when we grew up.  Their union has Trenton wrapped around their warped greedy finger so nothing will be done until the property owners make one last stand with pitch forks after their last red cent was taken from them.

Regarding my post about Bill Maher. I did not say "left wing truths". Those are your words, not mine. I simply said "truth". Period. If I wanted to say "left wing truths" I would have written it that way.   What gives you the right to embellish my submission or any submission for that matter? Print it as it is written or don't print it at all which will probably be the fate of this post. 

Yep, there is no recession. Everything is cheaper. Yes, George W. is a great president. Wait I do not have time to finish this post because I am having the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy and Santa Claus over for a tea party. You cannot deny that a vote for McCain is asking for four more years of Bush!

[A week in Las Vegas]  I did that about a year ago and I was a bit dismayed.  The traffic is a lot worse, it has positively ballooned in size and construction is everywhere.  There seem to be an awful lot of NY accents hawking to pedestrians along the strip. (Is that where the Times Square evictees all landed?).  However, the casinos, shows, hotels, etc. are all you'd expect for showiness and extravagance.

[Unknown woman a heartbeat away from the presidency]  Unknown in the lower 48. Listen to the citizens of Alaska appraise their governor and you may get a different perspective.  Her resume will speak for itself.

Who's idea was it for Jerry Coleman to write any policy/procedures for the County? Was it his, or did some County staff or commissioner solicit, encourage, or suggest it? Obvious, at least to me, Mario wants George punished, so Mario looks around for some "solution" to something only Mario perceives to be a problem. Now, just guessing, but it looks like since Jerry's "sure things" are gone, he's cozying up to the remaining gang-of-three-er, hoping for a friendly ear. (that's kind of smart, actually.) So it’s a perfect fit - one sees a problem, the other offers a solution, and thus, an ear is born. It’ll be good to remember (for 2010) that history repeats itself, and you're known by your actions. My l little convoluted point is - Jerry's now Mario's wing man. Watch out Mario!

[Biden too old] As soon as I heard that Obama selected Joe Biden as his running mate a cold chill was felt in my spine.  If the democrats were somehow able to pull off a win this fall, we would have a 44 year old man in the White House and an antique Senator who represents all that is old-time-unchanging Washington just a heartbeat away from the presidency.  That, my friends is frightening.  Obama just threw away every argument you left-wingers ever had against McCain. This is nothing more than a thinly disguised desperate attempt by the democrats to attract opponents-of-change-right-wing voters to their campaign. Vote for McCain.

After seeing all the fuss about the Monroe County school superintendant Randy Acevedo’s current economic crisis personally and professionally, I decided to check the Monroe County Clerks Public records on line. Here is what I found.

-On July 18, 2008 Master Financial sold Acevedo’s mortgage to Saxon Mortgage services.
-On July 29, 2008 Saxon Mortgage filed a Notice Lis Pendens against the Acevedo Mortgage. This is a foreclosure.

Something just doesn’t make sense. He has a degree in computers and business and he has run the school district for 4 years. His personal finances look bad. Wow I don’t think I will vote for him either. It looks like he needs a raise more than the teachers do. We need to lower taxes across the board. Get rid of spending problems.

We lost power during our next Presidents' Speech on Thursday night. So here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv8eiDvrHJ4

"At press time, the nut was still firmly attached to the base of the man's genitals" I don't even want the mental image. It must have been a lock nut! Welder’s love plans unscrewed

I had read many times that Heather Carruthers owns a Guest House, but now I read that it is Pearls.  Is that true?  She had my vote 100% until I read that.  How can someone who owns a business who does not allow males on the property for any reason to give equal opportunity to all citizens of Monroe County?  A male repairman or meter reader couldn't even step foot on her property but she wants to govern a county and expects us to think male citizens will have the same treatment as females?  That would be like electing someone who owns a "Whites Only" business or a "No Homos Allowed" business.  Heather, you had my vote, but not anymore.  I'd rather keep the gang of three.  At least they were up front about their intentions.  You just lost one supporter.

[More bar wisdom] Men have a biological clock, it just flashes 12:00 all the time because we never set it.

[Sarah who?] Everything I've read about this woman is very impressive.  I think she would have been one of those annoying over-achievers you wouldn't want in your class in school, but she has been good for Alaska's government.

This used to be our airport, why should a rental car have priority parking? Money is the #1 Monroe County motivator.

[Left-wing truths] Oxymoron alert! Duck to avoid various incoming missiles and blows.

Let’s sell the iguanas to China, they'll eat anything.

[Fear Sells] You’re right, Sarah Palin has no more experience than the black messiah Obama, yet he is running for President.

MS Malicious Software Removal Tool 2008. http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx

The Keynoter wrote that Sonny McCoy thinks the media are against him. Duh, if everything you do is to benefit developers in a developer un-friendly county, of course everyone’s against you. Only a fool would not see that.

The Moon joins the bright-twilight tableau for September's first three days.

Young cows are quite curious, and she probably thought there was some food inside the washing machine drum.

[The Iguana Lady] That is one of the best looking Key's women I have seen in a long time, and she is hot! I hope she is single and available.

["You’d better be careful with your GPS, E-Z Pass, etc]  Good advice if you're a criminal, but if you're not doing anything wrong you've got nothing to worry about.  Are we a bit paranoid today?

Sarah Palin is the ultimate. She is my perfect candidate. A lifetime NRA member and is continually pissing off the establishment by doing what is right.  Turning down pork projects and keeping order in a wild part of the Country.  Go Sarah.  She is not hard to look at either.

Procedures Concerning Storm and Office Closings. Humorous?--not!  Obviously posted by a Monroe County employee. Hopefully not from a county owned computer. But hey, at least you've still got a job.  Or are you missing that irony?

Thankfully tropical storm Fay didn't grow the way hurricane Gustov has. The storm bands we are getting from Gustov are almost as bad as Fay’s storms here.

If the person selected by John McCain to be Vice President was selected because of her work with oil and gas companies, doesn’t that mean her work is helping them earn record profits? I guess if I was an oil company I would love her too. How much could she have helped the people if we are tight financially because of oil prices? Gee, I hope she doesn’t help any more! Groceries and energy bills are already too high.

The Florida Keys Dragon Boat Club is getting ready for the South Florida Dragon Boat Festival in North Miami, October 4th-5th. If you would like to paddle in the event please come and paddle with us, young and old. We paddle here on Newfound Harbor weekly, then train harder for the event as time gets closer. Call 304 5100. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC4l4fJbehk

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Sunday August 31, 2008

Saturday August 30, 2008

You’d better be careful with your GPS, E-Z Pass, and a lot of things people aren't thinking about are making Big Brother’s job a lot easier.
 http://start.rcn.com/news/story.php?source=National&id=D92RFPUO0&pd=20080829

[Fear Sells]  As soon as I heard that McCain selected Sarah Palin (who?) as his running mate a cold chill was felt in my spine.  If the republicans were somehow able to pull off a win this fall, we would have a 72 year old man in the white house and a completely inexperienced and unknown woman a heartbeat away from the presidency.  That, my friends is frightening.  McCain just threw away every argument you right wingers ever had against Obama.   This is nothing more than a thinly disguised desperate attempt by the republicans to attract female voters to their campaign.

Now we won’t just hear John McCain tell us 50 times a day that he was a POW, his Vice Presidential candidate did it for him  in her acceptance speech. It’s getting quite obnoxious. I’m going to start a daily "Did you know McCain was a POW” count. It’s 2 pm right now and I’ve heard it 3 times already today.

Dancing with a man. Video

Heather Carruthers’ guest house in Key West, Pearl's Rainbow, offers lesbians and gay-friendly women a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere in the American Caribbean. It looks like some good deals at her place. Come on down, she is nice. 

She is running for County Commissioner in Monroe County. http://www.pearlsrainbow.com/about.html

Too bad we can't vote for the members of the County Planning Commission.

I received reports from two Keys women that our soon ex-County Mayor Mario DiGennaro endorsed my Democrat opponent Heather Carruthers on Bill Becker’s US 1 Radio show yesterday morning. My immediate response was incredulity. My next response was I wondered how Heather felt about that, after what Mario and his county commissioner sexist gay-bashing chauvinist pig buddy, Sonny McCoy, recently did in a county commission meeting to Heather’s gay friend, Diane Bureldsen? My next response was wondering what Mario is trying to get for Mario?

My next response was I remembered the night of the Key West primary last fall, after Jimmy Weekley nearly took it without a runoff and incumbent Mayor Morgan McPherson came in second in a multi-candidate field, in which I was one of the candidates. Mario called me within an hour of the results coming in and bugged me very hard to do everything I could to get “that boy” reelected. Repeatedly Mario referred to Morgan as “that boy,” and how he wanted “that boy” to remain Mayor of Key West. I wrote about that the next morning, and told Key West people that the very last thing they wanted was Mario having any sway in their city government. I lobbied throughout the rest of that race against Morgan being in bed with Mario. I begged Morgan to renounce his ties to Mario. Then Morgan won, and everyone has since seen just how tight Morgan and Mario are.

And now Mario has endorsed Heather on US 1 Radio. If you think Mario isn’t up to something, then you need to check yourself into the state mental. You can bet the conch farm that Mario isn’t acting alone here. You have to imagine that behind the scenes Sonny McCoy is in on this. Sonny, who would not even shake Carlos Rojos’ offered hand after he, a neophyte in Keys politics, smashed Sonny in the recent Republican primary. Sonny, who said something nasty to Carlos, instead of congratulating him. Shortly after which Mario asked Commissioner George Neugent if he (Mario) could still be Mayor? George did not even answer him.

And now Mario has endorsed heather on US 1 Radio.  Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel

Rain or shine Lost Cargo will be open today even if we have to work off the porch or inside the store.  We have a big truck load of fresh fruits and veggies coming in this morning so stop by and stock up for the Labor Day weekend!

New County Administrator Roman Gastesi is okay in my book. He seems to have gone against Di Gennaro’s plan for a 19 storey hotel at the airport. That’s pretty good having an employee not agreeing with his supervisor.

You've got it all wrong.  If you want to become rich working for the Monroe County School District, teaching is not the way.  You need to become an administrator!

Allow me to point out that we soon will be withdrawing a substantial number of our troops from Iraq. Why?  Certainly not because of any goofy surrender timetable, but simply because we won.  Biden was right when he voted to invade Iraq.  Even though Obama tries to make you believe that he voted against the war, he didn’t, he wasn’t even in the Senate, but he did vote in favor of every one of Bush’s requests for funding of the war. That’s  just plain hypocrisy.

I just spent a week in Las Vegas. It’s a very different kind of place. I must say it was everything I thought it would be--shows, food, nice rooms, rental car lots of sightseeing. It was on my bucket list and now it’s done. I love Big Pine Key.

Sarah who?  Miss Alaska?  What is going on here?  This is our country these people are dealing with.  Who in the world is advising McCain or was this done without the knowledge of the party hierarchy?  This makes the Republican Party look like a laughingstock.  Or is it that the oil and gas industry has completely taken over the Republicans? 

Religion is rich in Kitsch, whatever its flavor. For the truly committed, whether a believer or an atheist, no opportunity is too small to alternatively display or perhaps mock the paraphernalia of religious faith. Practically anything - toast, a lunchbox or a USB memory stick - can provide a statement of bad taste belief. Faith Central - Times Online - WBLG: Bad taste belief? Top 20 items of religious kitsch

MaCainiacs unite!

Real Time with Bill Maher is back. Finally some left-wing truths.

Gwain the dog. All the best to you.  Calm seas, favorable winds, and a star by which to navigate.

[Out catin’ around] Thanks to all who put an effort into looking for our kitten, Mikey. He showed up on our doorstep, after 6 days, this morning at 5:30. He was very hungry, but none the worse for wear.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) showed a gain of 3.3% this quarter. That is robustly up from the 1.9% growth in the previous quarter.  There is no recession, there never was. Our unemployment rate is at, or lower than the average of the last 30 years.  The US dollar has begun to surge against the Euro (many of the Socialistic European economies are in trouble). US exports are strong, and energy prices are declining. There is no doubt that the economy is incredibly more robust that the Democrats would have us believe. 

Hoover wine opener. Back by popular demand. Wine opener

[Dog names] Max and Climax.

Tequila, instant relief. Video

Andy Williams (George Andrew Williams) who won a mosquito control board primary this week was arrested for probation violation, also this week.  I looked up his rap sheet on the MCSO web site and found seven charges against this individual.  Are Monroe County voters morons, or just uninformed?  This guy needs to be soundly defeated in November.

Did you see in the Citizen that Randy Acevedo, our fiscally-responsible school superintendent, got a foreclosure notice? Welcome to the Keys, Randy! You should have seen it coming. I'm voting for Fred Colvard on November 4. Enough is friggin’ enough already.

Is it true that Heather Caruthers has approved Dixie Spehar to be her aide if Heather wins?

[Go into teaching, retire and become a millionaire] Give me a break!  Talk to any of the teachers here and ask if they feel like millionaires. Let's put into perspective what the taxes you and I pay for that go to the school district compare to other states. New Jersey spent $12,981 per student in 2004 -- the most among states and state equivalents. The lowest money spent per student was Utah, Idaho ($6,028), Arizona ($6,036), Oklahoma ($6,176) and Mississippi ($6,237.

As a person who has attended the School Board meetings and seen first hand the budget battles, this use of bloated salaries is a canard and the real problem is the spending on technology. A few old farts on the board don't understand computers and have no idea how important it is to stay ahead of the technology curve.

Have you ever heard of Xerolet?  I think that this company might be the answer to all of Florida Keys sewage problems. They manufacture a dehydration system that alleviates the need for sewage or septic completely. Can you imagine no more waste in our water? www.xerolet.com

Kudos to the person blasting the Bluetooth lady.  I  work in an environment where cell phones become a huge problem.  People just do not realize that when they delay treatment, because they are talking to someone important, or setting up a hair appointment, that time is money, and even though they may be making money with that call, or finding out someone they loved died—do not bring it with you! Cancel the appointment.  There is no reason for people to bring cell phones to an office. Have respect for those around you.

[Names for puppies] How about Cabrone and Pendejo? The names sound cool and your Spanish speaking friends will be impressed. Just be careful when you are calling the dogs because some of the Spanish people who are not your friends may get offended.

[Iguanas were introduced here through pet stores]  Well, there you go; catch them and sell them to the tourists as souvenirs. Maybe even wearing little sunhats or tropical shirts.  They'll either take them along home or turn them loose to be re-caught and resold. Win-win.

[Why does John McCain say 50 times a day he was a POW] For the same reason Obama says 50 times a day, "I have a dream." Every time I hear that "I have a nightmare!"

Spin This! http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=X-C2l6j2ROY

[Trailer hitch]  Nobody ever gets snagged on my hitch. Perhaps this is due to my enormous set of trailer nuts, hanging ever so proudly.

I’ve wished that my enthusiasm for McCain was as solid as is my disdain for Obama.  In my Conservative universe, McCain’s positions on many issues are simply too liberal. McCain’s primary win was a disappointment to me.  My enthusiasm for McCain has now gone off the top of the scale with his choice of Governor Palin as his running mate.  This site is too small for me to list all the reasons that McCain could not have made a better choice. 

At this very second, she is better qualified to be the President of the US than is Obama.  She is the consummate reformer of government. She is the consummate outsider, it’s damned hard to get further away from Washington than Alaska.  She is smart, fearless, aggressive, and bold.  She is a person of unassailable character; she has a real record of reform.  She is a hugely charismatic person with a family story that will knock your socks off. She will be able to resist the media pressure to make her a rock star celeb that would make Obama glow green with envy. It’s amazing, but she’s actually has more executive experience than do Obama and Biden combined. She is the CEO of an organization with a $3 Billion dollar budget. This organization delivers health care, cares for the elderly, provides for the public safety, delivers pensions, manages environmental issues, manages welfare, regulates the petroleum industry, manages the largest ecosystem in our nation, and has thousands of employees.  She is the Commander in Chief of an Air Force and an Army (The Alaska National Guard).  I’ll bet my lunch money that she will be the 45^th President of the United States.  Please have the courtesy not to needle your Democrat friends today; they’re going to have a very bad day.

Saturday  August 30, 2008

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Wednesday August 27, 2008

"Ding Dong the which is dead." That's the song the Keys are singing this morning with the defeat yesterday of Commissioner Dixie Spehar. The end of the Gang of Three is here! Let's see how much more damage she can do until January.

 I remember years ago when Harry (I can't remember his last name, but he was the one with the bomb who held off the police at Perry Court) defeated Martha (I can't remember her last name either) because City commissioner Martha sold out the City to Austin Labor and approved his development of the Reach Hotel in return for screwing her (literally). Well, anyway, when Harry found out he won, he was going around singing the song from the Wizard of Oz. When Martha's son's heard him they tried to get him and beat him up. Harry had to go on the radio an apologize for the tune.

That smoke you might be smelling is not you house, hopefully, it’s the Nature conservancy doing a controlled burn of the woods on Key Deer Blvd.

[Stop Foreign Aid] the world sends billions of dollars every year to Africa and other third world countries. How much of that money ever reaches the people? Not much, I can tell you. Most is siphoned off by the government and administrators. The biggest problem of all is that when the aid money runs out the people are back just where they started. A better idea is to teach the people to help themselves by giving them small sums of money. The trick is to by-pass the government.

This is the way aid should be distributed. Flat out gifts are only temporary. Give a man a fish and he’ll hold a barbecue for his family, but teach him how to fish and he’ll have a lot of barbecues for the whole village…or something like that.

So long Dixie! We ain't gonna miss you.

Working toward a career in the health industry can start as early as the freshman year of high school for Monroe County students thanks to Fishermen’s Hospital Board of Trustees Charitable Giving. They sponsored the Health Career Teacher Lori Denny at Marathon High School for $22,000 for the 2008-2009 school year. “When our high school students graduate they can have a Health Career Certificate completed. With that, they are accepted at better schools and are one step ahead in their life goals. We’re thankful for Fisherman’s Board of Trustees’ support to help our students fulfill their dreams,” said Superintendent Randy Acevedo.

Marathon High School offers three classes in health occupations. They are Health Careers I, Health Careers II and Allied Assisting which provides many basic skills necessary for entry into the medial field such as disease control, vital signs, CPR, personal care, and basic assessment skills. Students who complete both the health career classes may not be required to repeat the core in postsecondary education. Also, once HCI, HCII and Allied Assisting are completed, students meet the minimum vocational credits in one vocational program required for the Florida Bright Futures Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award. Marathon High School Principal Harry Russell said, “In these difficult economic times we are looking for short-term creative ways to fund positions and keep our programs. I am deeply grateful of this support.” For information visit www.keysschools.com .

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Wednesday August 27, 2008

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Tuesday August 26, 2009

Democrats are the only ones who have been able to balance the budget in the last forty years and democrats are the only party that believes in letting people make personal choices.

Senator McCain’s campaign is run by lobbyist and Obama won’t take any money from them. Which candidate will owe political favors when elected? Do we want more of the same for the next four years?

They dedicated the wonderful new park on Big Pine Friday and I didn’t hear about it until I read about it Monday in the Citizen. How come the County didn’t tell anyone it was dedicating the park last Friday? I would have liked to have attended. It’s probably the only thing this administration has done for all the people of the county.

McCain was cleared of wrongdoing in the Keating Five matter. John McCain admittedly used piss poor judgment in his dealings with Keating. McCain was the sole Republican of the five Senators that gained notoriety as the Keating five.  The Senate ethics committee specifically determined that Democrat Senators Cranston, DeConcini and Reigle had substantially and improperly interfered with the Federal investigation of Lincoln Savings and loan. The Ethics Committee determined that the Democrats were the bad guys.  The ethics investigation revealed that the five legislators did meet with the investigators who were focusing on Keating.  At this meeting, McCain said, "One of our jobs as elected officials is to help constituents in a proper fashion. ACC [American Continental Corporation] is a big employer and important to the local economy. I wouldn't want any special favors for them.... I don't want any part of our conversation to be improper." If McCain intended to interfere, it didn’t work. The Federal regulators did seize Keating’s bank.  At the conclusion of the Senate Ethics Committee hearings, they determined that McCain’s involvement in the affair was minimal and did not reach the level of requiring institutional action against him....Senator McCain had violated no law of the United States nor any specific Rule of the United States Senate. His offense was only perceptual. Observers of the affair contend that McCain was included in the investigation solely so that there would be at least one Republican target.  If fact, the Democrat, who was the special investigator during the scandal, suggested to the Senate Ethics Committee that it not pursue charges against McCain, saying "that there was no evidence against him." The Vice Chairman of the Ethics Committee, Senator Rudman (R) agreed, but the Chairman, Senator Howell (D) prevailed.  McCain was not “rebuked”, he was criticized, and he acknowledged his error in judgment and apologized. 

If I trip over one of those freaking removable two foot long sharp edged trailer hitches in a parking lot, it will wind up in the vehicle’s windshield! Stow them you morons, or be sued.

A Green Utility District operates like a traditional utility but without the traditional infrastructure that will fail and cause health problems.   Even more, now Xerolet International, LLC has financial partners that will provide the funding to help entire communities replace septic tanks and failing central sewer systems.  Xerolet looks forward to demonstrating our Eco-System to the public who must address the difficult financial, political, and environmental challenges when under a mandate to remove septic systems from their community or begin to have a compliant discharge within certain dead lines from those septic systems. In any situation Xerolet only discharges gray water into a sub-surface drain field, at its best the discharge is treated with Ozone and UVC light...seems that the Xerolet Eco-System is a better way to go. If your community does not use Xerolet it is not recommended that you come in contact with flood waters that may contain human waste spilled from sewer plants or septic systems.  www.Xerolet.com

Does anyone have any know-how on moving and transplanting mangroves?

Tonight at 5pm at the Eco-Discovery Center, 35 East Quay Road, Key West, FL

The National Scenic Byways Program is a community-based and voluntary program administered through the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.  Since its formation in 1992, the program has funded 2,451 projects for state and nationally designated byways.

To become a FSCKA member, or find out more information, contact FKSCA President Judy Hull at  (305) 664-4503 or email Mitch Harvey at Harvey-mitch@monroecounty-fl.gov

Judge Wayne Miller thinks that Harry Sawyer should not be allowed to canvas the votes because he is on the ballot. DiGennaro will not allow George Neugent to participate because they say he is publicly supporting a candidate. Yet, Harry Sawyer is a candidate and DiGennaro gave $500 to Spehar's Campaign and campaigns for her publicly.

They are going to try and steal this election...again!

The big screen at the Democratic Convention won't be the only Star Wars reminder!

The Space Shuttle was designed to ferry the shit into the Sun, but that is obviously too expensive and dangerous to do. Also there's that little question of positive and negative energy in which if our nuke waste is one and the Sun is another, well, poof! We are killing this planet with oil by products, and ill handling of all the toxins we have developed for the good of mankind. The only thing we should have developed is bigger balls to stop the ridiculous over-breeding of humanity. Peasants farts are what is really killing us all, just like dinosaur dung!

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Tuesday August 26, 2009

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Monday August 25, 2008

I'm still wondering what changes will be made to the internal affairs department at the sheriff's office if Bob Peryman (whose wife is head of Internal Affairs) is elected and also if it has been addressed that Tegan Slaton, candidate for circuit judge, is married to Rosemary Enright who is our current Public Defender. 

Democrats are the only ones who have been able to balance the budget in the last forty years and democrats are the only party that believes in letting people make personal choices.

Senator McCain’s campaign is run by lobbyist and Obama won’t take any money from them. Which candidate will owe political favors when elected? Do we want more of the same for the next four years?

I think your findings are very interesting to say the least. I went to Monroe County Clerk's Web site and entered both Spehar and McCarty and I think she did hide the fact she had equity in her property at the time of the bankruptcy. It appears the property was sold Sept 2005 for $685,000 to Robert Crider.

The owner of my company says when you hire someone you should look for three things, Integrity, Intelligence and Energy. He finds if they don't have the first two the latter two will eventually kill him for you.

I will be voting Tuesday and we will be one Vote closer to dumping Dixie!

Kim Wigington is knowledgeable, intelligent and honest. She has been involved in trying to make the county commission honest and work on the behalf of its citizens for many years. I can not see that she has any hidden agenda or any questionable ties to developers, attorneys, planners or anyone. Please research Dixie and Kim for yourselves. Look at whom they have received campaign funds from and then I very strongly urge you to vote for Kim Wigington.

The USA Water polo Team should hide in shame with their silver medals, and the coach should take a rusty knife, and cut his own throat. For letting a bunch of Hungarian a**holes beat them. If the USA can produce swimmers like Spitz, and Phelps, what the hell are these losers are doing on the water polo team? It is shameful to loose to a third rate country like Hungary. (Ed: from The Hungarian)

A great idea would be to make the cops cars and taxies look the same, like a Yellow Cab/Cop car. This would scare drivers into thinking which is which and drive better.

[$26 a grape] In Japan, it is common for people to give each other fruit, such as grapes, melons, or apples, as a sort of luxury gift, but every so often it gets a little overboard. In Ishikawa Prefecture Japan, a bunch of “Ruby Roman” grapes were auctioned and purchased by a restaurant owner for a record high of 100,000 yen (around $910). The bunch had about 35 grapes on it, costing around $26 per grape, and each one was as big as a ping pong ball. And I thought WD was pricey.

You're Chinese, You're Beautiful and You're 9! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yYzJN8vPlg

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled, and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden.

Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk, half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had no warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, this product is highly toxic to dogs and cats. Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees depending on each individual dog). 'However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it.'

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called Theobromine which is in all chocolate. It is lethal to dogs and cats.. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens.

This Snopes site gives the following information: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp 

Dixie, tomorrow is the primary election and you still have not answered the questions about your bankruptcy filing and your floating home at Safe Harbor. I guess you think that voters don't care. Guess what? We do care!

All week, little Mars closes in on Venus and Mercury, which are paired lower down. By the 31st they'll form this nice triangle.

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Monday August 25, 2008

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Sunday August 24, 2008

Ken Davis, who says he wants to be your sheriff, has launched a crusade for jail reform in the Keys. He has done this to get votes. He has done it without any understanding of the people who live in jails and prisons. I know this, because I have a great deal of understanding of the people who live behind bars, having once in my life had many of them as pen pals. That came about as the result of a prison Chaplin, who had read one of my books, inviting me to do a weekend workshop in his prison, which was a maximum security prison.
 
I spent the weekend with what started out to be about twenty inmates, which dwindled to three men by Sunday afternoon. Most of these men could have picked me up and broken me in half like a twig, so much physically stronger than me were they from working out. Yet what I had to say to them had them shaking like Jell-o, backed up against the wall in the church chapel, literally. To the point, as I said, that only three of them were there on Sunday afternoon.
 
From that experience another book came, and when I was unable to sell the 1,000 copies I had self-published, I gave most of them to the Prison Library Project in Clermont, California. This outfit gave books to inmates who wrote in asking for something to read, sometimes specifying a topic that interested them. I also gave the Library Project perhaps two thousand copies of the self-published book that had gotten me the invitation to do the prison workshop, and I gave the Library even more copies of later self-published books. This is how I developed so many pen pals in prisons.
 
Ken Davis keeps saying at candidate forums that we have many people in our jail who go there to get medical and mental health treatment, who go there to take a vacation. Ken Davis is mistaken. I never met or dealt with one inmate, nor did I hear someone described by any inmates, who went to jail or prison on purpose. Not one. And not one of them wanted to be where they were. Not one of them was happy or enjoying themselves. Not one.
 
I think before Ken says another word about jail reform, about cutting out television and air conditioning in our local detention centers, about making inmates repay the county for their incarceration, he needs to spend serious time, like maybe a month, living in each of our detention centers. Then he needs to spend maybe a week visiting Florida prisons and talking to prison wardens. Then Ken needs to spend a month with Lynne Vantriglia, who heads up our local Art Behind Bars program. Lynne’s program has a long waiting list in the Key West Detention Center, and it has the lowest recidivism rate of any inmate help program in Florida. Yet Lynne has to spend a great deal of time scratching and begging for money for her program, when what she really needs to be doing is spend her time in the Detention Center working with inmates. More... Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel

Since we didn’t elect Di Gennaro who is promoting the vast hotels in prominent areas that will visually impact us all by their size alone because they would be out of sync with their surroundings, we ought to be able to vote on these non-conforming projects.

Have you ever noticed that when Winn Dixie gets a new item, they won’t put the price on it, hoping that people will buy it regardless of price?

The Earth is not moving and I can prove it. http://www.reformation.org/stationary-earth.html

The mantra of the political candidates, no matter what the office they run for is, "I will save the taxpayer money". The one question I ask is, where and when? The Florida Legislature doubled the Homestead Exception this year. But the recent TRIM (Truth In Millage) notice mailed out by Monroe County has a bottom line that you pay to the Tax Collector that will be greater than last year’s. Point the fingers where you will. The nick name Moron County begins to sound more realistic every day.

Think long and hard this year before you mark your ballots for any level of government. Have you had enough?

[Country Joe and the Fish Sucks] And so does their trash, hippy philosophy. You have never really lived until you almost died. And those who fought for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know! That is similar to the Samurai code of bushido that says you can't fully enjoy life unless you've faced death.

I was riding around and saw that the new park was opened. How come no one told us. Was it a secret? What a great park. I am really impressed. I’m not going to be mad at the commissioners for spending all that money because the finally did something for the citizens of the County. The only thing I think they missed is that there are no benches to sit and look at the water. It’s an obstacle course just to get to it. How about a few benches for us day dreaming old folk?

You are not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.

I live in Port Pine Heights and would like to know if there is a boat ramp there for the use of us property owners? Most other sub-divisions have them.

[A few downed trees] Don’t do what your cop neighbors did. They are supposed to lead by example, but unfortunately that’s not always the case once you give them a gun.

[Senator Joe Biden as Obama’s running mate]  Biden has actually been in the Senate longer than McCain. Obama’s “change” mantra is flat crap! In selecting Biden Obama has acknowledged that he is devoid of foreign policy experience and that’s why he picked Cheney, oops Biden.  Biden does have the ability to recognize talent and integrity, after all he said:  “Barak Obama is not ready to be president”.   Biden also said “The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training”.  In another interview Biden was asked about running against McCain, i.e. who would make the better President, Biden, Obama, or McCain. Biden responded: “I would be honored to run with or against John McCain because I think the country would be better off.”  Now folks that ain’t negative, it’s just the cold hard straight no spin truth right from Ole Joe Biden’s mouth.

How refreshing to see people with guts speak up for the walked-on locals who are being bullied around by incompetent, unprofessional local business leaders.  That seems more like justified frustration than hate to me. When ignorance is at the helm, what do we really expect? And if, as so many people have confidentially admitted to me, so many employees or co-workers of a place are intimidated by their unofficial bosses (because real management does not have, or want, a clue) to such an extent that worker bees must kiss butt or fear losing their jobs if they disagree with unreasonable abuses of authority, then these pseudo-powerful may continue to get away with appalling, selfish behavior that affects far more than their own lives. 

Houses built on sand can only last so long. And people whose main friends are their employees who are kissing up to them to preserve their jobs aren't what I would call sincere friendships that will endure the test of time.

[More bar wisdom] My wife has been talking to the devil about how to become more evil. I don't know how much she is charging him.

[Number One Idiot of 2007] I was a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at the poison control center. Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little daughter eating ants. I quickly reassured her that the ants are not harmful and there would be no need to bring her daughter into the hospital. She calmed down and at the end of the conversation happened to mention that she gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to kill the ants. I told her that she better bring her daughter in to the emergency room right away.

[Roofing] I went with Tony's Roofing and was very happy.

A while ago I ran into the former owners of The Hickory House and she told me months before the deal was done and before it was in the papers that the County bought her restaurant and that Dixie and Tom Willi would be getting a nice gift underneath their Christmas tree that year.  I e-mailed this information to The Key West Citizen and said it would be nice to get Dixie, but unless she was subpoenaed they would never know. ~Twd23_mine@aol.com

[Something I’ve always wanted to do] I have done that and will do it anytime someone cut's in line.

Since the poster was a "Realtor in a former life", I would say they did a fine job of predicting today's market.  They are probably making a much better living no matter what they are doing! Knowing when to get out is the hardest thing to know.

I got my homeowners insurance renewal in the mail yesterday. The newest exclusion they added is that they will not pay for, and I am really upset about is, "liability coverage for transmission of disease through sexual contact". Crap!

[Jelly fish] Never has a picture of one small sea creature created such attention. I think it's time to move on to a picture of a peanut butter sandwich.

Thanks for the free add. This is Bill and Karin from Now Showing Video requesting that you remove our ad from the Help Wanted section. Our position was filled today, just hours after placing the ad with you.  We love your site and enjoy precipitating in your forum of and about the Keys.

The mahogany tree at the Big Pine light is filled with iguanas. I would like to volunteer to kill them all, but I’m afraid I’ll be arrested even though it’s not illegal. I think they will arrest me anyway on some phony charge. I’ll have to spend thousands of dollars but I'll get off eventually. So I’m trying to set up my legal defense fund before I kill those pesky critters. Please send your donations to the Editor and hopefully she won’t spend it on a new frock and will send it to my lawyer.

Being familiar with the Sheriff candidates, I can honestly say Sloan Bashinsky's column yesterday reflects his bias and not a grain of truth. Is this the reason he left Texas?

Cheech & Chong are back together and are coming to Miami on Sept.27^th on their "Light Up America" Tour. There’s an interesting reference to senator Biden in this interview. Tommy Chong discusses 'Cheech and Chong' bio - washingtonpost.com

[Cindy McCain disinformation]  Get your facts straight. Cindy McCain has an older half-sister from her father’s first marriage and she only received $10,000 from her father’s estate. Cindy got a beer distribution company! Barack’s father went to the university of Hawaii not Columbia and Harvard as Barack did.  Barack’s half brother lives on one dollar a day not a month in Africa.

[The place across the street and their entertainment] You named two 5-chord-wonder bands. The blues guy is the nicest man on earth to people who are not one of his many used and abused guitar players or drummers. Plus when he speaks, he spits saliva on you as well.  I never saw someone with less talent get more work. He has a great stage presence, but very little musical knowledge.  He engages the crowd very well. I never played with someone who, even though you are carrying the show, refused to share the tips.  That is just wrong.

Anyway, when a realtor manages a resort and bar what can you expect?

Do not open any message with an attachment entitled POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK, regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens a postcard image, which burns the whole hard disc of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list.

Would a Keys-experienced individual please reply: I need advice for a newbie. When’s the best time to go to the Keys? Where to go? Are two or three places sufficient to get the feel of the area or is there more diversity in the various islands? Where do rich, middle class and poor folks go?

http://www.reformation.org/

A traffic stop in Corpus Christi, TX for failing to signal a turn resulted in a 25-year-old man’s arrest for possession of a controlled substance Thursday, according to Corpus Christi police.

Two officers stopped a Ford Ranger near the 900 block of North Staples Street after 1:30 p.m. According to police, the driver of the vehicle became very nervous and told officers, "It’s not my truck", "If you find something, it’s not mine" and "If there is anything in that black bag, it’s not mine."

Police said the man later admitted that there was crack cocaine in the bag. According to police, they found approximately 50 rocks of crack cocaine in the bag and impounded the truck.

Terrance Massey was arrested for possession controlled substance and is in Nueces County Jail on a $1,500 bond.

[Religious nut] Dinosaurs helped build the pyramids, school director says http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2007/10/14/n5.html  Seriously, I love the way some minds work!

Commissioner Spehar. It is now day 3 and no response to my questions. Are you too busy compiling your papers for the Federal Bankruptcy Trustee?

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Sunday August 24, 2008

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Saturday August 23, 2008

Joe Biden is Obama's new vice president candidate. The outspoken and humorous democrat has been a Senator since 1973 and served on many important committees that would really help Obama's lack of experience image in the coming election.

Committee on Foreign Relations (Chairman)
Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee on Antitrust Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, (Chairman)
Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law
Subcommittee on Immigration Border Security and Citizenship
Subcommittee on Technology Terrorism and Homeland Security
Caucus on International Narcotics Control (Co-Chairman)

Within an hour the McCain campaign had a negative ad on TV.

Four decomposed bodies were found floating in the upper keys. I didn’t know smuggling was still going on!

[A Plus Roofing] They did my roof. I was ready for the “roofers from hell” but was real surprised when they showed up on time and did everything they said they would. And the biggest thing I liked—they cleaned up after themselves and didn’t leave a bunch of roofing nails and bits of felt paper all over the yard. Another surprise, I wasn’t ready for was that they were nice and polite! Yeah, I’d hire them again.

I like the idea of dual purpose helicopters for the reasons yesterday’s poster wrote. I’ve thought of this before, but didn’t think people of the County would want to do anything so progressive that could save big money. I’ve totally lost faith in this County Government. I also agree with yesterday’s top post to recall Mayor Di Gennaro for being out of touch with the people. The County is not his personal fiefdom to do with as he pleases. Cheesh, a 19 storey hotel!

I honestly believe that Un-Elected Mayor D thinks he is Moses and if we vote back into office his 2 cronies he will part the Red Sea long enough to bring in developers and build high enough to block out the sun. If we do then we get and lose what we deserve.

[Hates everybody] I've had spells like that.  Kind of a rule of thumb I use is: if you don't like more people than you do like, it's probably your problem, not theirs.  Sometimes you can't help but get crossways with the whole world and just need some internal attitude adjustment.

Has there ever been an angrier man running for office then John McCain? How can a man that has 100 million dollars and so many houses he cannot count them be so mad? He is not the average man on the street and his comments prove he is out of touch with the average American. If you think 3 million dollars is middle income you are out there where the buses don’t run.

[Mario's folly is a new casino followed by a hotel in every airport]  You’re right on target.  Di Gennaro is historically on the side of the big money developers in every instance.  A reasonable scenario is to create a crisis (spend the county into a financial bottomless pit with the help of a couple of fellow commissioners and a willing administrator) then, in a back room deal, engineer an agreement with some big money developers to build a big, luxury hotel in Key West (that just so happens to have a huge lobby just suited for a casino) and then, since we have this tremendous financial crisis and are in need of revenue to balance the county budget and support the county infrastructure, lobby to legalize gambling as a way to balance said budget thereby generating revenue to the county  (and of course, a tremendous profit for the investors).  It’s an old scam and one that works well. Follow the money, it will lead you to the foxes in the henhouse!

This week’s issue of Key West the Newspaper features Dennis Reeves Cooper’s endorsements for next week’s primary. I had hoped Dennis would not endorse his Republican friend, Sonny McCoy, for another term on the County Commission, but would instead promote Sonny becoming Key West’s ambassador to Cuba, as part of reestablishing ties between those two historical sister cities. I also had hoped Dennis would not endorse Republican Dixie Spehar for another term on the County Commission.

I wish to say more about the two Republican sheriff candidates…Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel

I had a few downed trees from T/S Fay, and have been dutifully trying to put all my branches and yard trash into cans for Waste Disposal to take away two days a week.  This may take me at least a month or two to get it all gone.  I also notice a lot of my neighbors (at least two of them with M.C. Sheriff's cars parked in front) just throwing their yard debris across the road or next to their houses onto Key Deer land.  Will Fish & Wildlife take care of this or will it just be a big mess next to the road that we'll all have to look at until it rots?   It sure would be easier for me to just pull my yard trash across the road.  What should I do?  What is the right thing?  Can't the trash service help us with this?

[War is ugly] Suit-up war-lover, and get your butt to the Middle East and beyond.  Hurry now and you can help usher in Armageddon.  If personal safety is something that should be of no concern to anyone, this should be no problem for you. Just what the hell is the point of engaging in war, in order to win the peace, in order to secure ones personal safety in the aftermath and then to engage in more war? The American dream is evidently to work hard, fall in love, get married, have children grandchildren and then support illegal government policies that create war to have your offspring's personal safety destroyed.  What a ridiculous and vicious cycle. 

"My country, right or wrong", the battle cry of the feetless fish.  Feetless fish are those unfortunate souls who refuse to grow some human feet and climb on shore and evolve. What the hell is so difficult to understand about the fact that a scoundrel government is not necessarily the same as our beloved country?   War, death, blood, gore, maiming, mayhem, slaughter, funerals more funerals, more and more! Will we always be burdened with these pathetic feetless fish without vision?  These are the "patriotic" ones who are apparently without social skills sufficient to approach the world's peoples to work for peace.   The only thing "ugly" in this case is such a dark and death-loving soul.  So suit-up, Mr. Patriot guy.  Disregard your personal safety.  Many of us do not desire your protection.  If fact our children and grandchildren need protection from the likes of you and your ilk.  So please, go sacrifice your personal safety.  Adios. 

Be the first one on your block to have your kid come home in a box.   ~Country Joe of Country Joe & the Fish

[Fired Cook] For your information MaMa had been at that place for over 8 yrs. She was there working before they ever bought that place. She always showed up for work did her job and took pride in her work. The owner, whose name I will not say, but will say he is the meanest man and most hated man in the keys. He thinks everyone owes him something. He treats all the people who work for him very badly. The only reason people stay is because they need a job. I worked for him once but was not afraid to put him in his place. He has been over heard saying that he would rather have one person who is visiting the keys then a whole bar of losers who live here. Mama has found a job already and I am sure that she will be good at it.

I’m voting for a guy named Manny for judge. I don’t have any idea who he is or anything about him, but he had someone post a nice write up about him on the Coconut Telegraph about a month ago. The judge race is so boring. No one knows anything about these people until you stand before one of them. If anyone wants my vote tell me why on the CT and I'll vote for you.

[A Plus Roofing] They’ve been around forever in Key West and they just moved to Big Pine last year. It’s a real good company. they must be doing something right.

Representatives from Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe (FIRM) appeared before the Florida Commission Hurricane Loss Projections Methodologies August 12 and 13, 2008, to discuss factors unique to Monroe County that should be considered when evaluating models used to project wind damages due to hurricanes and set windstorm insurance rates statewide.

Insurance companies contract with model firms such as Eqecat, RMS, AIR and ARA to produce statistical models used to project probable maximum losses due to wind damage from hurricanes.  These models (considered proprietary and known as "black box" models) are the basis upon which windstorm insurance rates are set.  Most models predict that Monroe County is the "riskiest" in the state, and probable maximum loss here would be relatively higher for any insurance carrier than in any other County in Florida.
 
The Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodologies evaluates the soundness of the private models, as well as the Florida Public Hurricane Model (FPHM).  It has been FIRM's contention that models do not reflect the realities of hurricane damage or construction conventions in the Keys.  A recent meeting at Florida International University with the developers of the FPHM confirmed this suspicion.  During that meeting, Howard Eagelfeld of the Office of Insurance Regulation suggested that FIRM share their concerns with the Commission.

Venezuela’s anti-American president’s name sounds like You Go Shop As…

98% of Americans scream before going in the ditch on a slippery road. The other 2% are from Colorado and they say, “Hold my Starbucks and watch this.” You're from Colorado if:  You'll eat ice cream in the winter. When the weather report says it's going to be 65 degrees, you shave your legs and wear a skirt. It snows 5 inches and you don't expect school to be canceled. You'll wear flip flops every day of the year, regardless of temperature. You have no accent at all, but can hear other people's. And then you make fun of them. 'Humid' is over 25%. Your sense of direction is: Toward the mountains and Away from the mountains. You say 'the interstate' and everybody knows which one.

Isn’t it time for a little professionalism by our elected County politicians and employees? I am sick of the arrogant, condescending, rude attitude exhibited by some of our Commissioners. Are we not a government of the people, for the people and by the people? That certainly does not seem to be the case here in Monroe County. Commissioners are elected to represent the best interests of the county, its residents, and our fragile environment. Do some of these politicians not realize who really is in charge - it is the voters who elected them and can see that they are not returned to office! Are you not sick and tired of our county’s citizens being treated so disrespectfully, their wishes being totally disregarded, money being spent indiscriminately resulting in our severe budget crisis, the overdevelopment and serious strain on our natural resources and the environment?

People, the inmates are running the asylum! It is time for change. As we elect new citizens to the County Commission, for school board, judge and mosquito control, please do not underestimate the importance of who we elect in November for State Attorney. Are you happy with our existing State Attorney? Has he investigated possible Sunshine Law violations of the County Commission and what appears to be other questionable behavior? The State Attorney is the final check that insures that all of these people act in accordance with the law. In November I am voting for Dennis Ward for State Attorney. Please educate yourselves about who is running and what they stand for and then vote Tues Aug 26^th in the Primary election and Nov 4^th election for new blood. Put an end to the good ol’ boy network.

This is something I’ve always wanted to do. How about you? Video

[Global cooling] There’s more bad news for the Roasted Earth Debacle set.  Still more scientists have published peer reviewed papers that declare that we’re in a period of global cooling. It’s looking like a trend. Bonner Cohen published in Environment and Climate News, says: “Natural variations in climate, driven by shifting ocean currents, could lead to another decade of cooling global temperatures, according to a peer-reviewed study in the scientific journal Nature.  The cooling temperatures would add to an ongoing cooling trend that has held sway for the past decade.”  Then there is this: Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences in Kiel, Germany and at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany believe the average temperature of the sea around Europe and North America will cool slightly over the next decade.

Force always attracts men of low morality.   ~Albert Einstein

[Helicopters are very expensive both to buy and maintain!] You ain't said poo there. They are the most dangerous and costly per pound aircraft there is.  Figure an average of $3000+ per hour of flight for costs and maintenance. Plus the un-Godly pilots salary and insurances.  Add to that the bug juice and fuel. The old DC3 could fly on used beer and do the bug job much more efficiently for the next 100 years. The choppers are only good for evacuating the wounded and only if death is close by!

It looks like the Republicans want to get us into another war before we're out of the last one they started.

If you think the Keys are going to give you musicians such as Pat Metheny or Carlos Santana maybe you expect too much. There’s not enough of a musical talent pool here to work from.

That picture of the jelly fish is an upside down jellyfish--it is just up side down!

000AA is there to help. No, not that AA, the other one! Video

[Hates everybody] I know a lot of locals have had bad experiences at that restaurant, but that's not what I'm writing about. It's the place across the street, the writer hit the nail on the head about the music. I used to love going there on the weekend to catch different groups. Now they seem stuck with only a couple of groups in rotation sometimes 2 days in a row. What ever happened to variety?  I looked at the upcoming schedule, where are The Prime Movers, Moose, Coconut Thunder, The Moon Dogs? I'm writing this on Friday night, before going to Key West to catch some good music, it's a lot longer drive, but that bar has gotten so boring. Hope things change there in the future.

Mrs. McCain (Cindy) is a seriously major league business lady; there is nothing to suggest that John McCain has any involvement in the family businesses.  You can be sure that as a part of the family holdings there are substantial real estate investments.  I do know that some of the properties owned by the McCain’s are occupied by family members.  It seems that the McCain’s take care of family members who are less blessed.  In contrast, what of Obama  who’s half brother lives in a ghetto tin shack on a buck a month while Obama lives in luxury.  Both candidates are blessed to have strong and successful wives who have incomes that outstrip them. Another similarity is that both candidates attended university at the same university attended by their fathers, each received a legacy appointment.

Sorry to hear of Buffet's "victory" over his former Keys supporters, friends and neighbors. 

"I don't make my music for money, I make my music for me".   ~Jimmy Buffet

The immigrant song. No, not Led Zeppelin's. http://www.bobrivers.com/audiovault/downloads/files/Bob%20Rivers%20-%20Snuck%20Into%20America%20(f.%20Nearly%20Neil).mp3

To the person who wrote Hates Everybody I want you to know you made my day. I couldn’t have said it better. I have never heard anyone say a nice thing about “The Boys” (except tourists). I do know who you are talking about because they did me dirty too. I have a friend who works there and gives 100 percent to them and they are being jerked around. I told them to watch there back because the heartless bastard will be letting you go next. They fill the people that work for them full of there smooth talk and then when they think they will be there for a while they use you up and then get rid of you. I think that the whole staff should walk out on them. There are other jobs here in the Keys.

As a local Building Inspector I have inspected many A-Plus Roofing jobs for 11 years, and not a single problem. You should be very happy working with them.

Hey Mario, Can we have one of these rides at the new Big Pine Key park? Video

If Dixie Spehar does not answer my letter tomorrow and days thereafter, could you please post this sign?

Most kidnappings in Mexico go unreported, many of them cases of 'express kidnapping' where the victim is grabbed and forced to withdraw money from automatic cash machines. The recent kidnapping and murder of Fernando Marti, 14, the son of a well-known businessman, sparked an outcry in a country already hardened to crime. rified Mexicans splash out on chip implants so satellites can trace them if they're kidnapped | Mail Online

The Republicans are making the fact that Obama is very charismatic and popular into a bad thing.  They are the masters of spin.

Why can't crooks like the gang of three be made to pay back the money they stole from us? I say we take up our pitch forks and shovels and march on the palace! Come to think of it, we should do the same on a Federal level too. Our Governments are no longer doing the will of the people; they have become an entity of their own. The founding fathers of this country are surely rolling in their graves. They gave us the means thru the Constitution and Bill of Rights to keep the Federal Gov't in check, but our career politicians just do as they please and let more and more of our rights erode for "the common good" (theirs not ours). They are in it for profit and to Hell with the country or county. They need to be held personally accountable for their mis-deeds. You or I certainly would be if we stole that kind of money.

Our Sheriff is on the latest cover of Conch Color but they were unable to capture his beautiful sparkly baby blue eyes.   

Love thy neighbor unless it’s this guy. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0947802/trailers-screenplay-vi3034906905

[Dead Dog] I would like to let everyone know that on Friday, August 22 Tallya was set free to be with Charlie.  She had cancer.  She died at the age of 14 years 3 months.  She will be missed by all of us.  We love you Tallya

Beware of Roofers, Waterproofers or any other so-called “contractors” that beat around the bush when you ask to see there state and county license and proof of insurance. One line they use is I work under someone else’s license. Bull s**t. Another line that they use is “I will do it on a weekend and save you on the permit fee” More B.S.  I was burned once but I’ll be dammed if I’ll get burned twice. It’s easy to call the Monroe County Bldg Dept at 289-2501 and check them out. Also, ask the contractor for current references so you can see there work fist hand.

I was in the same shoes as the poster last week, complaining about Comcast. I couldn't believe my eyes, when I saw my bill for $250. I called the Comcast office and the rudest customer service rep answered my complaint. I got so disgusted that I had them come and shut it off. Good riddance Comcrap!

The best point he made to me was that in the event of a hurricane, while DSL and cable TV and cable internet will probably be down due to fallen lines, as long as you have a generator in your house, you will be able to watch TV and have access to the Internet via satellite--keeping in touch with the outside world. So I purchased the Hughes net through them and got it installed. The Internet package is only $59.99 a month. No telephone line required. I'm still saving over $100. They're local and they do sales service and installations.  I hope you guys post this cause it's worth spreading around to our locals who are sick of the cable monopoly and their abusive disregard for us customers. Their number is 305-872-9099 and ask for Sammy-sam. You won't be sorry.

The jellyfish looks like a Cassiopeia (upside-down).  I have seen them as big as dinner plates in several canals on Big Pine.

[Hates everyone] No Ed, that was not proper of you to preface my submission yesterday with that. I do not hate everyone. Just the people that have treated me like dirt in one way or another. The same group of people may have treated you very nicely and you would, no doubt, have a better opinion of one or all of them. Joe and Meri Lynn from Coconuts have been wonderful to me as well as all of their staff. Rob from the Island grill has been kind to me and the wait staff and bartenders there have always been nice. John at Big Pine Restaurant always would come out of the kitchen to make a point of shaking my hand. So many people have been very nice to me on every personal level.  So for you to imply that I hate everyone, is just downright wrong. Only the card carrying jerks.

I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive lab tests, he said I was doing “fairly well” for my age. A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, “Do you think I'll live to be 80?”  He asked, “Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer or wine?” “Oh, no.” I replied. “I'm not doing drugs, either!” Then he asked, “Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?” I said, “No, my former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!” “Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, sailing, hiking, or bicycling?” “No, I don't.” I said. He asked, “Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lot of sex?” “No.” I said. He looked at me and said, “Then, why do you even give a damn?”

[A Plus Roofing] They’re the best. They fixed my roof in KW and I would use them again for sure.

Thanks for always putting information about our band, Mile Marker 24 Band, in your column when someone sends something in.   Most of our   fans that write you have old pictures (or maybe you include the picture), so I wanted to get you a new picture of Howard to use in the future. This isn't a post for the 'telegraph' - just a picture for you to use  in the future!   It's a large file, but I'm sure you can drop it to a   lower resolution if you need it.

The jellyfish picture posted yesterday was an upside down jellyfish.  You can tell by the color pattern and the shape of the tentacles.  Yes, they do swim right side up sometimes.  Yes, they can get to ten inches sometimes.  And yes, there are lots of them around Picnic Island.   

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Saturday August 23, 2008

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Friday August 22, 2008

Jimmy Buffett has been successful at stealing my website. It went to arbitration and I had 10 days to respond. I did not respond because my lawyer is being treated for serious heart problems and we decided to let it go. The letter from Buffett to the arbitration board said that they feel that people would go to coconuttelegraphonline.com instead of Buffett's newsletter website and he would lose revenue on tee-shirts and other Margaritaville crap. Nobody said the Parrot Heads were very smart. If you want to read the Conch Republic Coconut Telegraph you can go to theconchtelegraph.com.

[Mix your pie dough with all porpoise flower] Thanks for trying to help, but I’m trying to get away from white flour and trans fats. Trans fat is any fat that hardens when cooled. That’s what it does in your arteries. I haven’t found a substitute for trans fat yet.  It’s impossible to make cakes, pastry or cookies without some fat to harden the mixture. I tried using more eggs instead of the grease in my cookies, but ended up with a chocolate chip omelet. I have been able to substitute Slpenda for Baking instead of sugar in just about everything I cook.

[Mystery Jellyfish] I think you people have lost you way, but it's nice of you to try anyway.

I’m posting the original picture of the 10” wide jellyfish I saw at high tide off Picnic Island at the beginning of the month. It definitely was not a Moon jellyfish and it wasn’t upside down either. I studied it from about three feet above its surface.

[Hates everybody] The "boys at the local restaurant" are the two most obnoxious human beings I have ever encountered in the many years I have been on earth. The one's father is the only reason that they own anything at all.  The other one, is a rude, crass, self-centered twit that is completely devoid of any people skills--- thinks his feces are without odor and basically should not manage a restaurant or anything else for that matter. Hell---he can't 'manage' a good bowel movement.  The gal that was let go has been with them for more than 5 years that I am aware of. She was neither incompetent nor unreliable. As a former restaurant owner, I know that your first responsibility is to your restaurant and its success. That is not an issue, the fact she raises two kids is not your responsibility and I fully agree. Your second responsibility is to your staff---the ones that have been loyal to you and have performed without fault.  If someone is there for 5 or more years and they make a mistake in judgment or something along that line, take a moment to think about it before you micro-manage yourself out of business. I have not set foot in what I referred to, on this site a while back; as "the evil empire" for more than 4 years and never will again.

If you are not a tourist and you go to that place, you are a misinformed local. They had said openly that they do not care about us locals.  While I am rolling…the girl running the establishment across the highway should hop on the clue-bus. The level of entertainment there has hit a new low. She blames people for the actions of others and pretty much lets one bartender call all of the shots for her.  And right down the street a ways---there is another restaurant whose owner was extremely rude to me and does not realize that the only reason anyone even talks to him is that he has money. Hey, I play circles around that 'jazz' guy you have there and you hire five-chord wonders too. You are just a weird old man. There is another place on BPK that has no reason to be in business any longer. The manager is rude also and completely without people or business skills, but I really just think she is not mean spirited like the others I have mentioned. I think it is simply because she does not know any better. 

I have wanted to write an expose of these few "lesser than nice" folks for a while, and I had no trepidation in identifying them by name and thereby having the editor put my email address in my post. I think that most of you that have been here for a while can piece together who they are and who I am.  More fun that way anyway. Hell, it was easy for me to figure out "the boys" are, from that phrase alone. They fired a friend of mine who was a cook there for a long time and they worked him to death and he was so loyal to the place, it was embarrassing for them. They fired a close relative of mine for calling and cancelling a music engagement due to illness despite the many favors he had done for them in the past. They fired, with no notice, a musician that had been their mainstay for years based on the advice of some yahoo consultant that they paid far more money to then they would ever regain in business profits. So, if you look up the term 'tourist-trap' there should be a prominent picture of this place. Mama honey, you are a sweet lady. You will land on your feet. Walk toward the light.  Salvation is in the light!

The history of the gang of three from the Duck Key online website. A must read for all voters.
A history of the gang of 3

I want to send out kudos to Keys Home Watchers. I was worried about my home in Port Pine Heights and called them to check on my home for me. They actually called when they said they would and met their timeline. Thanks Guys. Great check up and clean up. Thanks for the photos. The check is indeed in the mail. Another kudos to Keys Energy I heard there were no interruptions.

I want to share with you this article from Atlantic City NJ.   Our own Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band has been named Band of the Week in Atlantic City.   Whether you like his music or not (and I can't imagine anyone not liking it) he is a great ambassador for the Florida Keys!  http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/141/story/234597.html

Obama was not a U.S. Senator when the Iraq issue was argued, he did not vote on the issue!  Obama may or may not have been in favor of the invasion, but he most certainly did much later vote to continue the war by funding it. Please do yourself and your country a favor, check out every damned thing that he says!

[Trauma Star] I surely don't know a lot about Helicopters but do understand they are very expensive both to buy and to fly. I bet most of you taxpayers don't know that you pay for five choppers, not counting the old Vietnam Hueys the county bought. My point is that mosquito control has 4 choppers that are very well maintained which set on the ground over 90% of the time. Even though a med-evac chopper is rigged much different and larger, could there not be a dual use chopper or even 2 looked at to do both these jobs? Sounds like mucho grande savings to me.

Random House, one of the largest book publishing houses in the country, has just cancelled distribution of a major novel on the basis that it "may offend some Muslims and lead to violence". This is exactly the kind of action that will eventually allow the crazies to win.

[Whole Wheat Pie Crust] Put some baking powder in it, you will see the difference. I make wheat bread all the time and it is great.

Has anyone had any experience with A Plus Roofing (one of the advertisers on this site)? Or any other roofers in the Lower Keys.

In an telephone interview, McCain was asked how many homes he owned, and he replied, “I’ll have to have my staff get back to you on that.” I don't know what that has to do with being a president, but can you imagine not knowing how many homes you had?

[Triclosan in Old Spice]  I was concerned after reading that blog because I use Old Spice High Endurance Deodorant. I read the label for the ingredients and there was not any triclo or san-anything in there. 

No one elected him, no one asked him to come. No one wants him. Let’s get rid of Di Gennaro. He’s never done anything for the people of the County that didn’t first benefit his business associates. He's a carpetbagger and we're the carpet.  ~isafari@bellsouth.net

[Lowering the drinking age] I've often thought, “Let ‘em drink at 16, but not drive until 21.”  Wow, would life be different in a lot of ways!

[Hang all of the Environmental Wackos]  It is an unfortunate state of affairs that we need the completely un-reasonable environmental wackos to counteract the doze and build crowd.  Wouldn't it be something if everyone was a reasonable middle-of-the-road type?

The Stone Age did not end for lack of stone and the Oil Age will end long before the world runs out of oil. ~Sheik Yamani

[Tree limbs] Isn't that the power, cable and phone company's jobs to keep maintained?

I would like to wish my husband a very Happy birthday today!  I love you bunches, Bryan!

Reading the Telegraph amazes me. The useful idiots that mismanage Moron (Monroe) County are trying to build condos at our airports and hurricane hotels on Stock Island and yet when a business like Publix tries three times to site a store on Big Pine Key they get turned down and treated like something you scrap off your shoe. No wonder they left like their tail was on fire and bought all the Albertson stores in Florida instead. I guess we get the government that we deserve. 

Vista has a built in boot screen that is much better than the black screen that doesn't even let you know that your computer is rebooting. You can activate it. Start > type msconfig in the Search field > click thru the UAC prompt if it appears, a system configuration window will open. > Boot tab > check the box marked No GUI boot > Apply > OK > Restart.

Next time Vista reboots you'll see the aurora screen and the text Starting Windows Vista at the bottom. If you want the boring black screen back just go back thru these steps and uncheck the No GUI boot option.

[Mystery Jellyfish] In the water, and just observing something without a scale, eight inches can look like ten inches, the picture was very definitive in that the jelly was upside down, and who’s to say that one cannot achieve a size of ten inches. Without actually having the species in hand for positive identification, one can only guess from the picture by past experience.

Rob's is going to be having all the NFL and College football games on his two million screens.  The season begins next week!

Comcast Ch 19 will air the political forum presented by the Upper Keys Business and Professional in Key Largo last night tomorrow night, all night at 6-8, 7-9 and 9-11pm.

Try whole wheat pastry flour rather than regular whole wheat flour.  http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--38148/whole-wheat-pastry-flour.asp

I read that someone claims they were told a real estate company won't show a listing that isn't with them at 7% commission.  I sold real estate in my former life so I know the deal pretty well.  It is such a slow market that a realtor will show anything they can sell no matter who has it listed.  They need sales now and can't afford to be picky about whose listing they sell. 

Take a hint from America’s troops serving overseas. To date troops supporting Obama donated over $60,000. Troops supporting McCain only donated $10,000. That alone speaks volumes over what the talking heads have to say. Support the man your troops support. Do the research and check my facts. They are dead on.

[induced labor abortion] This procedure may be ordered beginning in the pregnancy’s second trimester.  In this procedure, the host (mother) of the cell mass (fetus) is given medication that dilates her cervix.  The medications cause a labor process which eventually propels the fetus out. The expelled cell mass (now a baby) may or may not be viable (alive). Here’s where the conflict begins.  What should be done with or about this live infant? Does this infant have human rights, i.e. the right to life? Obama won’t tell us what is in his heart.   We can deduce what Obama believes because he has a voting record on this exact issue. Obama was in the Illinois state Senate when a bill known as “Induced Birth Infant Liability Act” was promulgated.   This act proposed to make it the law of Illinois that the life of a child born alive as the result of an induced labor abortion would be protected.  That bill required the health care provider to care for the new born live infant.  It codified the infant's right to life. The law would prevent the common practice of simply setting the infant aside so that it would languish and die. Obama fought against this bill, hard, 3 times.  This affects you whether your "pro life" or "pro choice".

My theory is that Mario's folly is a new casino followed by a hotel in every airport.

[If an employee does not enhance a business they should be fired.] Well, you said it right; now let's apply this to our county and city governments!

The Pilobolus video and the sidewalk art posts were very cool.

The driver thought his RV would fit under this tiny bridge. He was obviously wrong.

It is interesting that the federal government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890 and each can also obtain an additional $580 in social assistance for a total of $2,470 a month.

No, really honey, I picked it up at the store!

[Trim plants back from utility lines] How about this one...a cable employee who planted coconut trees directly under utility lines on someone else’s property!

We all know McCain’s family went to military academies That’s how he got in--a legacy appointment. Does that sound like another horrible president that used family to get into a good school?

[Prescribed Burn] They don't really give a rats ass about the many new fawns that have been around lately. Let the good Lord do the prescribed burns, that way the animals will have moved before the lightning strikes.

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Friday August 22, 2008

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Wednesday August 20, 2008

It was a good thing that President Bush was in China when Russia invaded Georgia. Otherwise he would have sent troops to Atlanta to protect it from the Russians.

[Foreign workers in the Keys] There is an item on tonight’s BOCC agenda which looks innocuous, but close review reveals it is extremely important, a water-shed moment. Item O.10. DiGennaro - Discussion and approval of a Board approved letter of support for application by EB5 Capital Partners, LLC.

[Letter from EB5]  From: J. Eric Gould, EBS Capital Partners, LLC
To: Mayor Mario Di Gennaro, Monroe County
Conclusion: As part of the application EB5 Capital Partners is submitting to USCIS for designation of the South Florida Investment Regional Center, it would be beneficial to include letters of support from municipal authorities within the designated geographical limits of the proposed regional center. Because of the importance and opportunity involved with the potential of establishing an immigrant investor regional center in Monroe County, we believe that your support, through a letter of recommendation, would greatly enhance the stature of the application. While the support of municipal authorities is not required by the USCIS regional center regulations, EB5 Capital Partners believes that your support is an important factor in signaling that the community embraces such an economic development program.

[What hormone therapy can do]  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO_BnsrWMnI

[“All show and no go” video] I don't care who you are that was funny right there.

What does BOCC have to do with the 5 Lane Extension to Key West? The DOT will do that for the greater safety of traffic through all the Keys. It is just a matter of time, just like the waste water treatment in different areas. We, in all the Keys, need up-to-date infrastructure for our locals and visitors alike. That would be wonderful, but they must put cement dividers in the no-passing areas to stop the head-on accidents.

While crossing the Niles Channel Bridge Tuesday about Noon I noticed that at least 3 of the sailboats that were anchored in Niles Channel were blown onto the shore of Summerland Key.  Is this another situation like we had at Big Pine’s North Channel Bridge when our electricity was knocked out because a  sailboat's anchor broke lose and the boat was blown into the power lines?  And Fay wasn't even a hurricane.  It looks like there's another channel with poor anchoring conditions.

[An honest president] Now there's an oxymoron for you.

Sarcasm is satire minus the humor.

“Cell mass”, is such a lovely term, so innocuous.  It brings to mind a tumor, or perhaps a boil, or perhaps a hemorrhoid.  But when used by a liberal progressive it usually means a fetus, a brand new human being that is destined to be killed, all too often for the convenience of its host, its mother.  Obama’s response to the question about when does a fetus attain human rights, was astounding.  “That’s above my pay grade” was his response.  It obvious that Obama lacks the courage of his purported convictions.  Why was he unable to give a cogent answer to that question?  Or worse, why did he refuse?  Obama has just told all “pro lifers” that he will go with the flow; he’ll do or say whatever it takes to get elected, he simply has no core of beliefs. He is nothing but a smiling empty suit.  If I were a “pro lifer”, I’d be worried, very worried!

Obama’s early career was marked by his being involved in “community organizing”, and signing up Democrat voters in Chicago’s South Ward. Obama’s early years were spend forging friendships and alliances with corruptors and bribers of politicians, America hating Clergy and still braggadocios America hating terrorists  I suppose that could be considered hazardous, but only to a Republican.  By the way, it’s been reported that Obama and his Dad attended Harvard.  It’s interesting that both Obama and McCain had “legacy” appointments to University.  McCain’s candid response to the “morality” question was unequivocal; his greatest moral failure was his failure in his first marriage. Obama whined about not having his father about, hence, being a selfish child, he did drugs and was a boozer (don’t believe me, check out the transcript).  The contrast between these two could not be greater.  The poster who denigrated McCain’s service deserves only scorn.

I'm convinced that Jim Cantore, Stephanie Abramson, and Mike Seidel had to go to acting school long before they had to learn anything about weather.  What a joke.  These people could make drama out of a thunderstorm.

[Chart Room closing…the smell in there is overwhelming.]  First of all the Chart Room is not closing because we lynched the Pier House Manager, or threatened to. And second, that smell goes away after you leave, Pal. That place is my second home, don't mess with it. Got dat!

This is the website for the Vietnam Veteran's Traveling Wall coming to Key West in December. Home Page

I nominate the Hungarian for quote of the month: "I love to read the posts that are sent in by people who are stupider than I am."

[Neugent Censure] O my, bare breast in the Keys! Have you ever been to Fantasy Fest? Ever had your picture taken amongst bare breasted participants? Ever sent or have sent those pictures to anyone? O my, I must say this, "Let he or she that is without sin, cast the first stone

To everyone in the keys I would like you to know that the the boys at a local restaurant strike again. They have let Ma Ma the cook go. She is trying to raise two children on her own and they know this. I only hope what goes around comes around for them. They have hurt many people and could care less.

[European missile defense] I would not let Russia put “defensive” missiles in Cuba. What’s to prevent them from secretly changing the missiles to become offensive missiles? That's presumably Russia's thinking.

[John McCain crashed five airplanes during his military service]  I don't guess he'll be doing any triumphant carrier landings as President!

The Florida Keys Scenic Highway Corridor Alliance will hold a series of public meetings on the upcoming nomination of the Florida Keys Scenic Highway for the All-American Road, the highest designation in the National Scenic Byways Program.  The meetings are scheduled for the following locations and dates: August 20, at 6pm at the Marathon Garden Club, 5270 OS Hwy.Marathon, FL
The National Scenic Byways Program is a community-based and voluntary program administered through the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.  Since its formation in 1992, the program has funded 2,451 projects for state and nationally designated byways. More...Bulletin Board

Even Sloan's vivid imagination and skewing the facts couldn't help him overcome Sandra Downs’ psychological analysis - not to mention that infested mental disease without intervention gets worse with age.  ~Hartmanbob@aol.com (her ex-husband)

[Jellyfish] I’ve never seen that type of jellyfish that large. Usually those kinds are about 3-5 inches across.

Richard Beal, owner of Skeeter's Marine, has been trying to build 34 workforce houses on his Big Pine Key property for almost two years now. Beal states, Big Pine lost the chance to receive one million dollars in possible grant moneys because Monroe County officials wouldn't submit the application for a grant which funds changing of commercial property into workforce housing. Beal found the grant opportunity and completed 95% of the application process which county officials only needed to finish and submit by August 15th. It never happened, says Beal. He sent it to the planning dept and every Commissioner, only one even responded. The grant, if received would have cost the county nothing.

Beal, a property rights activist stated, Monroe County has continually stood in the way of his project, Caya Place, using the county's signing onto the endangered species act incidental take permit as a reason. Beal has proven the issues which hold Big Pine Key in a strangle hold, are unjust and the planning department also agrees. County officials only care about politics, not people, says Beal. In Beal's mind Big Pine has no government and demands we must take back the property rights that have been stolen from us. The Keys issues are limitless in numbers, says Beal, but one thing is for sure, with regard to housing, until we, as elders of the community, make a positive quality of lifestyle for our young adults, we will never have a future, only a workforce which remains, underpaid, without housing and transient.

You are right! It is time to remove the "environmentalists" from control and put the people first again. Just look at how much tax dollars have been spent fighting lawsuits that the County could have avoided if they had competent land use planners instead of listening to the Key Deer Protection Alliance, Florida Keys Citizen Coalition, Inc and Protect Key West and Florida Keys, Inc., d/b/a Last Stand. These organizations are a front for a few individual's personal agenda.  Shame on the County for not standing up for the taxpayers and residents.

[Jellyfish. I wonder what kind it is] At 10" across, it is a big jellyfish!

The Upper Keys Business and Professional Women's Political Forum in Tavernier will be held tonight, August 20th at 6:30pm. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accept any additional reservations or walk-ins due to the room capacity at Upper Gus'. We are looking forward to seeing those of you that have already reserved a space at the Forum. If you have any questions about this event or other related inquiries, please call the event chair: Audra Hill (305) 522-1697

After about a hundred years here in the Keys, I finally got my hurricane act together. I didn’t have to go out in the madness to buy one thing in preparation. We had enough canned good, bottled water, booze, batteries and fuel. It was a satisfying feeling.

Homeless people who want to be in public during the convention shouldn't feel ashamed about their appearance. 9NEWS.com | Colorado's Online News Leader | Salon donates services to help homeless before DNC

Only a tropical storm?  We did a lot of preparation for Fay and I am glad we did.  Maybe she was a small storm, but you never know.  It could have been worse.  I would rather be safe than sorry.  My next door neighbors laughed at us for putting up storm shutters, securing things, and removing all the loose items from our yard.  We have some debris and leaves to clean up.  They will be out for days picking up all their yards ornaments, trash cans, lawn furniture, etc that blew all over their yard.  I think I will sit in my lawn chair with a cold cocktail and laugh while they are locating, and picking up all their junk that got broken up and thrown all over their yard during the storm.  I think I just saw one of their Adirondack chairs float down the canal!

I’m making my pie crusts now with whole wheat flour, but they’re not the same. They are too heavy. If I put some baking powder in the dough would it come out any lighter? Is there any way to make them lighter in texture?

I have to commend Monroe County and Key West on how prepared they were for Fay.  I thank my lucky stars there was no damage but the county and Key West were ready.  I have one request: please take my kids back to school!

There will be a prescribed burn on Big Pine next Wednesday in the middle of the island by the Nature Conservancy.

Would some of you neo-cons please suggest to your candidate to quit wearing that filthy Navy cap to his photo ops?  It's embarrassing to this former naval aviator.  Finishing 894 out of 899 is just a sneeze away from flunking out and he would have had it not been for the family legacy.  Can you think of another politician who got into a prestigious school and landed a closed National Guard slot due to family influence?  It's got to make you proud.

The poster who woofed about McCain yesterday is an interesting character.  So is Elmer Fudd.  In this posters fevered little mind, being shot down on a combat mission, grievously wounded, and then tortured for years in captivity makes McCain unfit to serve as President?  Being in the seat of combat aircraft awaiting launch for a combat mission and having his aircraft burn and explode around him in a conflagration, not of his causing, makes him unfit to be President?  Having engine failure in a single engine combat training aircraft, makes McCain unfit to be President?  The posters purposefully broad strokes does not give us sufficient info to comment on the posters allegations. I can’t be sure, but I believe at least one of the “crashes” the poster spoke about actually belong to McCain’s Dad who apparently did not attend flight school until he was 50.  In any event, each of the episodes alleged McCain was in the service of his country, engaged in an honorable high hazard profession and was protecting the attack poster’s right to complain about a political candidate not of his choosing. 

McCain’s legacy Annapolis appointment and his atrocious class standing most certainly did not affect his incredible and heroic public service career. McCain attained the rank of Captain. McCain family members have graduated from Annapolis and had exemplary military careers.  Public service is a family tradition.  His naval career as a young man was marked with service to his country, heroics and achievement. The poster doesn't bother to comment on McCains service as a United States Congressman, nor of his long service as a United States Senator. 

Cassiopea xamachana is a jellyfish that is found in Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean Sea, and some areas of the warm western Atlantic Ocean. The common name of this species is the upside-down jellyfish. Given its life style, it does not look like the typical jellyfish, appearing as a greenish gray-blue flower on the seafloor. It is found on the muddy bottoms of inshore bays and ponds and is most commonly seen on Bermuda in Walsingham Pond and Harrington Sound. Because they live their lives on the bottom with large portions of their carbon and nutrition coming from their symbiotic zooxanthellae, they tend to be in shallow areas saturated with sunlight. This species reproduces through strobilation, similar to most other jellies, but with varying. As with other cnidarians, C. xamachana has nematocysts covering its tentacles and digestive tract. It uses these stinging cells for both feeding and defense. It is fairly common on the island and there are no specific Bermudian laws that protect C. xamachana. But it does make its home in several protected areas, leading to indirect protection of the species.

[Poland anti-missile weapons are defensive missiles] Don't be stupid, there is no such thing as defensive weapons. All weapons kill no matter which way they are pointed. Stop the rhetoric crap and get real.

The storm left a couple of Dixie's signs up here in the upper keys, but if the wind keeps up maybe we will get lucky like you did in Big Coppitt and the signs that are left will blow away too. I got my fingers crossed. ~keyscares@yahoo.com

I agree that Keys Energy did a great job during the storm. The real reason the power stayed on this time was because all of the sailboats that usually knock power lines out were not there. I love it when a good plan comes together.

How come no one has filed some sort of legal case against the gang of three?

I would vote for and support any man who says there is no such thing as evil (or any of that religious crap), and that all organized religions will be taxed just like any other money making business. In fact, I'd make that realist a King!

In the way old days in the western U.S. we also had our version of Sloan, we knew him as Gabby Hates.

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Wednesday August 20, 2008

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Tuesday August 19, 2008

His first marriage was John McCain's greatest moral failure.  What's that all about? Isn't it true we need to know a lot more about John McCain?  We do know that he took advantage of "affirmative action" to get into the Naval Academy.  (He got in, even though he would not have qualified if his father and grandfather were not Rear Admirals.  The Navy calls it a "legacy appointment.") We also know that McCain seems to be somewhat unlucky in war. It's hard to believe, but this is his record:

1.  In 1958 while practicing landings, McCain crashed his plane into Corpus Christi Bay (that's in the United States).  He said his engine quit.
2.  After leaving flight school in 1960, he was in Spain, flew into some power lines and crashed.
3.  In 1965 he crashed while flying a trainer solo to Philadelphia for the Army-Navy football game.
4.  In July, 1967, he was assigned to the USS Forrestal and was in a plane waiting to take off.  A rocket accidentally discharged, flew across the flight deck and hit either his plane or the one behind it.  The resulting explosions and fire killed 131 crewmen and injured 161.
5.  In October, 1967, on a mission over Hanoi, his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a North Vietnam missile.  He parachuted into a lake in Hanoi, was captured and held as a prisoner of war for 5 and 1/2 years.

In all, John McCain crashed five airplanes during his military service.  Does anyone know if that is a record? I know if you shoot down 5 airplanes you qualify as an Ace Pilot, but what if you wreck 5 of your own? Also, how was McCain given the opportunity to be a naval aviator in the fighter pilot program when he graduated in the bottom one percent of his class (894 out of 899)?  These programs are usually the most competitive in the Navy and reserved for top graduates of Annapolis and other Officer Candidate Schools. Is that why he was such a lousy pilot?

Hasn't the time come for McCain to release his entire military record.  What else is in those 636 pages that he has refused to release?  We should be entitled to know if it reflects on his ability to be president.

County to censure Commissioner Neugent. Let's see what Tom Tuell, Bill Becker, Larry Kahn and Wayne Markham say about this. http://monroecofl.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/MonroeCoFL_
BOCCAgendas/08202008/O18.pdf

Way a go Keys Energy! I only had one two minute outage at my house during Fay. What an improvement over past years and storms (I knew if I got my generator running I wouldn't need it). Thanks for the good service.

It’s is about time that the Pro-Choice topic left politics. That is something that you deal with at home or in the religion you choose! We have no business electing the President of the US A based on “Abort or Not”. That is a personal choice.

In today world, I'm not sure that it shouldn't be a choice until about age 21 or like the Muslims, age 25 for males and at any time for daughters. It is no one’s business what a lady does with the cell mass in her body. It takes a long time to turn a homo-erictus into a human being.

[More Japanese inventiveness] Hundreds of nozzles create precise streams of water. Timed just right, images are created. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HeUixe_Lpg&eurl=http://videos.komando.com/2008/08/19/water-painting/

Yesterday, Sandy Downs gave me the psychologist’s report from her divorce/child custody case. I didn’t want to read it but felt I needed to read it anyway.

In a nutshell, the psychologist appointed by the judge at Sandy’s request, because her husband was accusing her of being an abusive mother, slammed Sandy’s character almost across the board. Almost--because the psychologist did not find Sandy was an abusive mother, and after slamming her for four or five single-spaced typed pages, he wrote that he saw no reason why she should not have custody of her minor children.

In his report, the psychologist seemed very affected by the fact that Sandy had been quite late to two prior appointments. He began his report by telling the court about Sandy being late for those two appointments, and he said it again near the very end, just before he switched lanes and supported Sandy having custody of her minor children. To be honest, by the time I had read that far in the report, I fully expected the psychologist to recommend to the court that Sandy not have custody of her minor children.

People with a PhD in psychology, which this man put after his name on his report to the court, are supposed to be trained and are supposed to be able to recognize when a patient has triggered their own personal hubris. People with a PhD in psychology are supposed to be trained and are supposed to know when to step out of their own personal reaction to a patient. People with a PhD in psychology are supposed to be trained and are supposed to take themselves off a case altogether, if they are unable to be impartial and objective.

This psychologist was neither impartial nor objective. This psychologist was reacting, and only at the very end did he catch himself enough to write to the court that Sandy should not be denied custody of her minor children. Today'sFloridaKeysDrivel

Lou Dobbs takes a look at the Immigration Amnesty Bill. If this doesn’t turn your stomach, you’d better sneak into Mexico. Video

The County Commission is expected to consider restoring the affordable housing coordinator's position, one of 64 other jobs it agreed to cut to balance the budget. The county Affordable Housing Task Force has requested the county reinstate the position. The coordinator was making over $100,000 a year. With the cost of housing coming down to less then what Ed Swift can build new ones for, is this how you want your taxes to be spent?  It will be on the BOCC agenda, item number M18, this Wed. in Marathon.  Email your Commissioners and tell them how you feel about this expenditure. Have we ever gotten any new affordable housing for all the money we spent? I know they’ve taken more off the market then they’ve created (Lucky’s Landing, etc).

The good folks of the Keys should be aware that Sandra Downs, self-supported candidate for Monroe County Sheriff, is flipping out about the divorce file being opened because there is much more than the psychologicals that are very revealing about her.  She began flipping out after I gave my consent to unseal the file which she had sealed through a lie to cover her own atrocities (the only document missing was where her lawyer put a lien on her house). 

Sloan, for the second time, per Sandra's information, has claimed that the court rebuilt the divorce file from Sandra's photocopies.  Anybody in the know realizes that the court has copies of every document and has done so prior to the electronic age by microfiche.  How long ago was he a lawyer--during the ice age?

I haven't, and won't waste anybodies time addressing the rest of the false garbage Sloan has printed about me as I understand that most of the Keys’ folks interpret and read his stuff as entertainment purposes only-- kind of like a local soap opera. Eventually the truth will prevail as it usually does. ~Hartmanbob@aol.com

We would like to know what a**hole trimmed their coconut trees and decided it was a good idea to throw over a 100 coconuts and trimmings into the east end of the canal between Flying Cloud Ave and Enterprise in Pine Channel Estates on Monday morning with the storm approaching?  Where do they think they are going to go to? 

I got a kick out of the weather men standing on the beach in the middle of the storm telling everyone to stay home. How about the wind surfer who didn't heed the warnings either. He was air lifted from the surf into the side of a high rise. Ouch!

[Key largo’s fifth lane] To find out if it’s really about development or not simply find out how the gang of three will vote. If they vote for it—its purpose is to enable development.

Ah, it is so nice in KW now that it's closed. No pilgrims around to screw things up.  It’s great, just like the old days!

[The Hungarian on Russians] Yes, I sill read this page every night. I love to read the posts that are sent in by people who are stupider than I am. If you want my opinion about the Russians, I must tell you that I hate them. Not as individuals, but their mentality. Putin, that little sawed off sunofabitch, fits the mold perfectly. Now it's Georgia (Gruzia) later he will find pretexts to run over the Baltic States, maybe even the Ukraine.

There are a lot of communists in the Ukraine who cry for the old U.S.S.R. it would be very easy for him to build up a 5th. Column just like Hitler did in the Sudetenland in 1937 and 1938. As far as the missile shield, a poster explained it very adequately. A shield is a shield until I hit you over the head with it. I will not live to see it, but it would be great if the Russkies and the Chinese have a go at each other. Two problems solved.

[Political ad] Regarding the desired marriage of Church and State, let's enthrone the Lord Jesus Christ Almighty in the Oval Office and get it over with.  Then we can have the much lauded and anticipated Armageddon.  Then all the good angels can carry-off the righteous survivors on gossamer wings.  Boy, that'll be heaven.  My name is Beelzebub, and I approved this message.

A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they're dead.

[The Jesus and Virgin Mary World Tour] Recent Play Dates: Salt Lake City, July (image of Jesus in a three-gallon container of spumoni at an ice cream shop); Salinas, Calif., July (image of Mary in the floor drain of a restaurant undergoing renovation); Monterey, Calif., May (image of Mary in the leg wound of a biker who slid 50 feet along the pavement when he lost control of his motorcycle); Darlington, England, April (image of Jesus in the foil wrapping on a bottle of cider served at the Tanners Hall pub); Lorain, Ohio, April (image of Jesus in a woman's ultrasound picture); Iowa City, Iowa, May (joint appearance of Jesus and Mary on a plastic bag used to bring home groceries from Wal-Mart).

They’re going to close the Chart Room for good (again). Boy, I’ve had some goods times in there--so they say! I still go in occasionally, but the smell in there is overwhelming. I have to be in my cups to go there because of it.

I'm glad I got up early for a peek at your webcam, since it's showing 'offline' now.  I'll bet it's pretty popular with Fay approaching. (Ed: Yea, It O.D. right off the bat. It was always on, but always filled with viewers. I hope to get more bandwidth for the next storm.)

$10,000,000,000 a month on the Iraq war. I wish they’d buy me a new car instead.

It matters not if you a pro-life or pro-choice, you and our nation deserve a President who will be decisive and honest in stating his positions and beliefs. Unless of course that person is a pro-lifer.

[Depression is caused by thinking about yourself too much] I think it's more a case of thinking what you used to be and what you used to be able to do and how long it takes you to do it now. Yea, I guess you’re right—thinking about yourself too much.

I believe they should call this guy “All show and no go”. YouTube - Capoeira Fighter

Jerome Corsi, author of Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out. Corsi wrote a great book and I thank him. He has a new one called Obamanation. I will read it soon.

Spirit's battery levels are slowly edging upward, thanks to a slight decrease in atmospheric dust (Tau) and a gradual increase in sunlight as winter gives way to spring.Spirit Waiting Out The Winter