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2021 April

Friday, April 23, 2021


Letters to the editor with pictures since 2002.
Published on Big Pine Key’s garbage days, Tuesdays and Fridays.
The Un-social Media with 60,000 Followers

[Chauvin Verdict] This was the first trial where the cop was convicted because there was no “he said, she said”. It was all on video from every angle and every location. Now that we all know that it’s legal to video cops there will be a lot more cops convicted. People join the police to kick ass and exercise power over others. Few will say they joined to keep the peace. Hopefully that will change from now on.
[Popeye’s Key West] I know I’m not going to be the only one who writes this, but Mr. editor, you need to get out more. There very much is a Popeye’s down here. North Roosevelt Ave. (Editor: No kidding? I must get out more. I went to Marathon two weeks ago, but not to Key West in quite a while.)

 

[Help Me] Everyone should know this international hand signal for ‘Help Me’.

[“Don’t press 90# on your telephone”] This item is another example of a scam warning that has been continuously circulating via the Internet for more than fifteen years now, thereby receiving vastly more publicity than the potential threat it describes actually warrants. Although the warning originally had some kernel of truth to it, only a very small, specialized portion of the phone-using public is now vulnerable to the scam described therein.

This scam does not affect residential or cell phone customers — it only applies to businesses, hospitals, government agencies, and other organizations that still use telephone private branch exchanges (PBXs) rather than Centrex lines to handle their calls. On certain PBX systems (i.e., ones for which pressing ‘9’ is the signal to obtain an outside line, and there are no restrictions placed on outgoing calls), a scammer could gain access to place expensive, long-distance phone calls by tricking an employee into initiating the #-9-0 sequence. Outside of a few other settings where one might have to press ‘9’ to obtain an outside line (such as hotels), the likely result of pressing #-9-0 will simply be a fast busy signal.

Later versions of this warning evolved to include mention of the risk that terrorists utilizing the #90 sequence could “frame innocent people” (presumably by making terrorism-related calls linked to the phone numbers of those innocent parties) and remotely access cell phone SIM cards.

High concentration of microplastics found in Florida Bay. Link

Last week a poster defended the police by pointing out that all police shootings of black men was because they resisted arrest. That may be true, but if the poster was able to place himself in the shoes of a black man he would know how truly frightened they are of the “man”. It’s always hard to reach someone like the poster who probably thinks the police are always in the right. Now that video cameras are so prevalent, we’ll be seeing a lot fewer cops getting away with cruelty and their power plays. What is needed is better police training.

 

[“Virtual concert”] What a waste of time and money. No way can anyone get the same effect as hearing the full sound in a concert hall. A 19” computer monitor with 3” speakers just doesn’t cut it.

[Chauvin Verdict] The cop would never have been convicted if it wasn’t for phone cameras. Thank Steve Jobs. From now on we will have the public policing the police as they certainly can’t do it themselves.
[School Superintendent Lied To Jury Investigating Massacre] The grand jury, which was empaneled two years ago, is also investigating whether: 1. Public agencies are using state safety grants for other purposes. 2. Broward school officials misappropriated millions of dollars from a bond measure partially aimed at improving campus safety. 3. Officials intentionally underreported on-campus crimes committed by students. Since the shooting, Runcie and district administrators have been accused by critics of lying about school crime rates and discipline problems. Link
[Irony] 1. Key West no longer enforcing mask regulation.
2. COVID-19 continue to rise in Florida Keys.
[“Black lives matter”] Can we designate this subject as political and should be on the political page.  I don’t want to read what another’s personal beliefs are when they assume they know what they are saying.

[Legal Marijuana] The ballot initiative on marijuana ruled “unconstitutional” by Florida’s supreme court.  So if you’re popped for pot you can’t vote. Whittling down especially mostly minority voters I suspect. Rednecks get a pass.

When public figures like Ted Nugent claim COVID-19 is a hoax, and then they catch COVID-19, it’s not irony or karma — it’s science. Sweet, hilarious science.
[Trying to Defending Police] The Police Chief in one Minnesota City almost cried as he said how sorry he was about the riot the night before, and how he only wanted what was best for his city and the citizens had every right to peacefully protest.

A reporter then asked why he told the protesters to cross the street where they would not be harmed if they were peaceful. They complied and were peaceful. The chief then ordered the compliant protestors to be tear gassed anyway. He was forced to resign the next day when the videos were reviewed.

[“Popeye’s”] Deer Ed, I don’t know where you’ve been lately, but I have been eating Popeyes fried chicken sandwiches, both spicy and plain ever since their grand opening right there on North Roosevelt Blvd and 4th St. It’s right across the street from the VFW post 3911
[Killing Whites] Friends, on Tuesday we were treated to a woof about cops killing blacks.  The author suggested that whites are far less likely to be killed by a cop than are blacks. That author is flat wrong. In 2019, police shot and killed 1,003 people in the US, according to the Washington Post’s Fatal Force database. Of those, 250 were black and 405 white. Police shot and killed 55 unarmed suspects, including 25 whites and 14 blacks. There are approximately 50,000 police officers in the US for each unarmed black male killed by a police officer. A black male is more likely to die of a lightning strike than to be killed by a police officer.

[Popeye’s] Deer ED: There is a Popeye’s in KW. Maybe you need to get out more often. (Editor: I’ve been stuck in a time capsule deep inside corporate headquarters, emerging only to shop at Winn Dixie every two weeks. I’m getting my 2d shot this morning so I should be emerging shortly and hope to see my shadow.)

[“Second Amendment”] Life has taught me the best way to defend my family is the Second Amendment, and a bit of profiling.
[Pfishing] Hello [to whom it may concern] Business proposition for you. In my search for a business partner I got your contact over here. I am willing to invest $10 million to $50 million but my bank officer said we need a trusted partner who we can have a meeting at the point of releasing the investment funds. I told my bank officer that you [whoever you are] have a good profile with your company which I got details about you on my search on LinkedIn. Can we trust you. Can we make a plan for a long term business relationship?

 

[Trade] I have a 4×8 sheet of 5/8″ thick plywood and willing to trade for a 2018-2020 Corvette convertible with less than 10k miles and clean title. No low-ballers. I know what I have!

[United Way] It has been one year since the United Way of Collier and the Keys (UWCK) was formed through the merger of the United Way of the Florida Keys and the United Way of Collier County in April of 2020. Working with local companies, area not-for-profits, governments at the city, county, and federal level, and a large network of generous private donors, the organization has helped to distribute nearly $10 million in assistance to individuals and charitable organizations in its first year.

 

We are a special kind of stupid.

[Friday Joke] Did you hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers? He’ll stop at nothing to avoid them.

 

Deer Editor, I would like permission to use the picture of the HMS Looe in an article I am writing. Who’s permission do I need? Is it copyrighted? Who is the artist of record? Thank you for your assistance. ~Richard Boileau (Editor: Go right ahead, I stole it too.)

Funny thing about getting older. Your eyesight starts to get weaker but your ability to see through people’s bullshit gets better.

 

I want what he’s having. Video