The Big Pine Flea Market is opening this Saturday October 5th. We have lots of new merchandise, new vendors and new stuff. Come see us, we are open!

[Great Ideas From the Past] Wow that wine from the faucet photo brought back an idea that I had in the 70’s when I flushed out my car window washer container and filled it with rum. I then ran a tube to the glove compartment. We would just drive through Burger King get cokes then cruse Duval Street with rum on tap via my window washer button.

Tropical Storm Karen forms between Cuba, Mexico. Link

[“North of KW we’re all Florida Keys Electric Co-op customers”] How come my bills come from Keys Energy when I live on Big Pine?

On another topic I tried to get temporary service for an apartment I rent so I can do some work on it and Keys Energy said I had to drive to KW to do it (I’ve been their customer for 40 years). They said I could go online, pay an extra fee, and do it there. I tried to do it online, but it was impossible. So it’s off to KW today to waste a morning talking to the Bubettes.

[Hair Up Ass] That’s it, I’ve had it with the Keys, it’s time to move on and screw you money grabbing bastards. I’m selling out my homestead of 35 years to the Haitian National Refugee Org., to make a Sunday School for the homeless and a kennel for stray cats and dogs, staffed by illegal’s fresh out of Colombian drug cartels and other nice folks.

Affordable Care Act Facebook page states that a person had signed up online, under the $45-55,000 income range, pre-existing condition of type I diabetes. They chose the Silver plan.

Their premium came back as $597 per month, with an almost $14,000 annual deductible! And when the person clicked the “opt out” option, they shortly received an email stating that their fine would be $4,037, and could be attached to their annual tax return and if you don’t have the $4,037 on time, then the repercussions for non-payment begin with your drivers license being suspended until the fine is paid, and if it goes 24 months without payment, a tax lien is placed on your property. It gives you the option to provide your bank info so your penalties can be withdrawn weekly, or biweekly, etc.

That comes out to about $350/month for not opting in, or $597 plus pretty much all your medical expenses for the year out of pocket (deductible) unless you have some type of major surgery or catastrophic illness, which you then get to cough up $14,000 plus your monthly payments.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. 

We don’t need a sewer system in the Keys, and Obama was really born in Kenya.

The TSA said it will select some low-risk fliers at the time of booking to get expedited treatment. Still, the agency says you’ll have a better chance of bypassing long lines if you sign up for PreCheck (at $85 for five years) and get fingerprinted and vetted at new locations that are set to open this fall, with the first ones at Dulles and Indianapolis.

Why don’t they just stick a id tag up our asses and save the trouble, or is it already in my ass?

To the poster who said that north of Key West we’re all FKEC customers–thanks for letting me know. I’ve been paying (City Electric) Keys Energy once a month for 23 years now. I’m so relieved that FKEC hasn’t cut my power off yet.

[“Government health care website”] There is some nice graphics with this notice.
Sorry, there’s a delay to log in right now. We have a lot of visitors on the site right now. Please stay on this page. We’re working to make the experience better, and we don’t want you to lose your place in line. We’ll send you to the login page as soon as we can. Thanks for your patience!

Help I can’t reach anyone on any government site.
[10:42:54 am]: Thanks for contacting Health Insurance Marketplace Live Chat. Please wait while we connect you to someone who can help.
[10:43:06 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:43:45 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:44:25 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:45:04 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:45:47 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:46:25 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:47:02 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:47:42 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:48:21 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[10:48:58 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.

Our Government has had several years and many millions of dollars to be ready for this day. I will try again in a few days. This does not lend itself to a well run program.

Biker: SUV driver was a maniac. Video 

New Bigfoot evidence screened as expert claims proof of existence.
Rule #1: Never trust anyone with a goatee.
Rule #2: If you did not capture or kill it, forget it. Video

[Floods] How could  any local real estate agent sell someone  a ground level house in the Keys and keep a straight face while doing it? Only a desperate, naive, dreamer would invest in a ground level house in a place like the Keys.

[Cudjoe Wastewater] If you are not happy about how this is being done you can call 1-850-488-7146, Governor Scott’s office, and voice your concerns. Divide and conquer or united we stand.

[Closed] I’m really not very political but it made me proud to see the WWII vets break down the barricade around their memorial in D.C. that the government closed.

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. The end is near.

[Gun Nuts] A girl was giving her 18-year-old boyfriend a hug, but the gun in his waistband made things uncomfortable. The boyfriend then tried to remove the gun, and it went off in the process and killed her. That makes the 11th fatal accidental shooting in Arizona this year!

For the people who are ignorantly comparing gun deaths to forks being dangerous, I ask them, How many fork-related, accidental fatalities were there this year?

[Johns to Jail] In France seeking the services of a prostitute will soon be a crime, punishable by a fine of up to 1,500 euros – double for repeat offenders. No prison sentence, but heavy fines and “training accountability.” Link

Sloan is writing here: http://goodmorningfloridakeys.com, for those of you that need a Sloan fix.

[Survivor] Colton the Homosexual, on this reality tv show started crying and asked to quit the show last night. This is the second time this person has left the show (first time he faked an illness). I am asking all homosexuals to not accept this disgrace of a human being back into the Gay society, it will only hurt your mission.

This pretty much sums up what’s going on nowadays. Warren Zevon & Bruce Springsteen – Disorder In The House

Today in 1955 Captain Kangaroo and The Mickey Mouse Club premiered on television.

[Closed] Local news stations across the nation love to interview non-working federal employees affected by the government shutdown. Many of these interviews are sob stories; with federal workers lamenting, or even crying on-camera about their dilemma.

Do any of the viewers understand that as soon as the government reopens, the workers actually get paid for all their time off? Who cries about a paid vacation? If time off work is so problematic, how much work could these federal workers actually be doing on the job?

[Credit Card Bills] Don’t you just love the way your bills are written? First line is always: You owe this amount: $
Second line is always: If you do not by xx date, we will send out black 4×4’s or else.
Hey CC companies, do you see my middle finger salute? It is back to cash for this Dude!

[Captain Doom and Gloom] It amazes me that we hire these government servants and pay them more than 99% of American Citizens make, yet these drones barely work a 20 hour week, have no expenses, get boukou benefits and really do not do what We the People pay them to do. Fire them all.

Who can the President fire in the Government and who can fire the President?

Will Government employees get unemployment bennies, how much for how long?

Will we the people have to pay income taxes for services not rendered?

The House of Representatives have the power a to fund or not to fund…everything. The good old boys that wrote the Constitution set it up that way. It has worked well for both Democrats & Republicans for several hundred years. Everything will be just peachy. If neither side likes the outcome…it’s perfect.

Please learn the difference  between a constitutional republic and a democracy. Your arguments are just moot till you know what your talking about.

[“FTR: shutdown will not affect the payment of any of the government’s bills – aren’t payrolls bills”] Payroll is an Account Payable. If you work, then it becomes a payable.  If you don’t work, then there is no payable and thus no bill.

For heavens sake FTR your mancrush on Vlad Putin is getting way to strong. We get it you think hes a great man and even though he didn’t get anything he wanted from our president he should be given sainthood.

The man is desperate to look like he matters and it all blew up in his saintly face.

You may have to work overtime to spin this into a great Russian victory but im sure youre up to the task.

This is one idea that really should be passed around, but Congress makes the rules.

The New Congressional Reform Act of 2013

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social

Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be

used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/31/13.

The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor not a career.

The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

Don’t you think it’s time? This is how you fix Congress!

 I read yesterday’s posting by a self proclaimed Republican with great interest. I must respectfully disagree with much of what was written.

First of the law itself, the Affordable Health Care Act, and the process which brought it to law was far from being “Democratic”. The law was forged in Democrat back rooms with little or no input or influence from Republicans. The law was so poorly written and understood by even it’s most staunch supporters that the then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, infamously said that “we have to pass the law so that we can find out what’s in it”.  It is one of the very few pieces of legislation that got not a single bi partisan vote. Republicans have been opposed to it from the very beginning. Even now, a majority of Americans oppose it.

What follows are just a few of the consequences of Obamacare:

1. IBM: Earlier this month, the computer giant, once famed for its paternalism, announced it would remove 110,000 of its Medicare-eligible retirees from the company’s health insurance and give them subsidies to purchase coverage through the Obamacare exchanges. Retirees fear that they will not get the level of coverage they are used to, and that the options will be bewildering.

2. Delta Air Lines: In a letter to employees, Delta Air Lines revealed that the company’s health-care costs will rise about $100 million next year alone, in large part because of Obamacare. The airline said that in addition to several other changes, it would have to drop its specially crafted insurance plans for pilots because the “Cadillac tax” on luxurious health plans has made them too expensive.

3. UPS: Fifteen thousand employees’ spouses will no longer be able to use UPS’s health-care plan because they have access to coverage elsewhere. The “costs associated with the Affordable Care Act have made it increasingly difficult to continue providing the same level of health care benefits to our employees at an affordable cost,” the delivery giant said in a company memo. The move is expected to save the company $60 million next year.

4. Caterpillar Inc.: In the law’s first year, the machinery manufacturer estimated before its passage, Obamacare would add more than $100 million in health-care costs. “We can ill afford cost increases that place us at a disadvantage versus our global competitors,” a Caterpillar executive wrote lawmakers, saying that the law would not meet the goal of providing good, inexpensive health care for all Americans. I urge you to read a lot more at: Link

Obama himself has authorized thousands of waivers from the law. Many of the union hierarchy have complained bitterly that the law will punish their members. Most recently, Obama himself, delayed compliance with the law by businesses for a full year. That can mean only that Obama himself views the law as being fatally flawed. All of that begs the question, from where does the President get the unilateral power to delay the implementation of any law?

It is absolutely true that the ultimate goal of the Republicans was to defund Obamacare. But, they were willing to compromise. One Republican offer was to simply delay the implementation of the individual mandate for a single year. Had Obama agreed, the government would not have shut down, and the dysfunctional first steps of Obamacare would have been avoided.

At one point the Republicans offered to back off if the brutal medical device tax were killed. Obama refused. Then the Republican offered a plan that would restore funding for national parks, veterans services, and the District of Columbia. Obama refused. Obama insists on inflicting maximum pain on our nation.

Just the other day, a huge group of WW2 vets were scheduled to visit the WW2 memorial site. Even though the National Park Police were not affected by the government shut down, Obama, in a fit of pique ordered it closed. As of Wednesday evening it is reported that even more vets and supporters are enroute to the memorial.  It is to be noted that the National Republican Party offered to pay the costs for security at the memorial, Obama refused and shut it down. It is also worth noting that the NRP offered to foot the costs of security at the White House so that tourists could visit. Obama refused.

It is patently obvious that Obama is enjoying this government shut down because he believes that he can blame it on the Republicans. He is savoring the moment.

The heart and soul of our Democracy is compromise.  The Republicans are fully committed to the belief that Obamacare is flawed, nonetheless, they are willing to compromise and to attempt to “fix” it. The Democrats and Obama absolutely refuse to compromise. They won’t even talk.

The poster used terms such as “radical” and “crazies” in describing the Tea Party. I respectfully remind us all that the original Boston Tea Party participants were described as being “crazy” and “radical”. As I recall many called Lincoln “crazy” and a “radical” for his opposition to slavery. History tells us that only about a third of the colonists supported breaking British rule, they were called “crazy”, “radicals”. Some would label battlefield heroes as being “crazy”. I cannot, in my heart, label the opponents of Obamacare as being “radical” or “crazy”.  They are simply committed to their beliefs and to their consciences, and are engaging in tactical moves that I might disagree with.

This Olde Fart is a long time Republican who has had disagreements with some of the tactical political moves made by many who are further right than I, but I respect them for their courage and their commitment. Leaving the Republican Party is nothing more than sticking a pencil in your own eye, you will lose the ability to participate in the political nominating process, and you will lose your voice as a center right Republican.  

Respectfully Submitted: FTR@bellsouth.net