Letters to the editor with pictures since 2002. Published on Big Pine Key’s garbage days, Tuesdays and Fridays.
[Crooks] I bought over seven hundred dollars of pot oil from the Surterra Pot store in Key West on Flagler Ave. One of the vials didn’t work so I brought it back for an exchange. No, they refused to do it. Their excuse was unacceptable. They said I used up my allotment for that prescription when I spent the $762.60. I wasn’t trying to get more; I only wanted the defective vial I bought exchanged, replaced or refunded. The reason I bought all the oil I could was so I wouldn’t have to pay the doctor another $150 for the next prescription (yes, in addition to the high cost of the oil, $60 each, the doctor charges $150 extra for each prescription — if I want the pot leaf instead of the oil the doctor charges $200 or $250, I forget which). The prescription only lasts a month or so, so you have to buy all you can or pay another $150 to the doctor. I don’t believe Surterra doesn’t have a procedure for a situation like mine. Surterra is proving to be a racket and the customer is the victim. Key West is a small town and the word on how they screw their customers will spread. |
Crooks] Hospital bills. A couple of years ago I went to the Lower Keys Medical Center to get sutures in my face from a dog bite. As for the service there, I waited 7.5 hours before I was seen, then was told they couldn’t do anything because I needed a plastic surgeon. I told the guy just give me some steri-strips and just seal it up, I’m not a pretty boy. He decided to stitch me up. It took two trays. When I received my bill, it was over $8,000. $8,000 for 32 sutures that took him about 20 minutes to do. Then I received another bill for $2,300 for the nurse who gave me two shots. Sometime later another bill arrived for the hospital. It was $3,000 and change. I went to the hospital and told them nothing will be paid without an itemized bill. After reading it I saw I was quadruple charged for many things. Some other things were triple charged. I was charged three times indicating three doctors worked on me. In the end, the bill was $1,800 (still way to much). That was before the story broke about them over-charging at Lower Keys Medical Center. Request an itemized bill and know what is happening to you so you know when they are stealing. |
[Midlife Crisis] I saw a boat the other day that had five outboards hanging off the transom! They are going to have to make transoms wider for someone to beat that. Are these guys trying to compensate for having a small wee-wee? Do they get more women? |
[“Change Constitution”] Whoh, Kemosabe, hold your horses. Once we change the Constitution, the door opens to other such modifications. We have to find another way to control the guns. we can start by banning military type weapons, bum-fire, big magazines, and institute background checks. There are a host of thing that can be done if Americans would only wake up to the problem. Changing the Constitution is the very last thing. |
[Friday Joke] Jack, walked into a sports bar and sat next to this blonde at the bar and stared up at the TV as the 10:00 news came on. The news crew was covering a story of a man on a ledge of a large building preparing to jump. The blonde looked at Jack and said, “Do you think he’ll jump?” Jack says, “You know what, I bet he will.” The blonde replied, “Well, I bet he won’t.” Jack placed $30 on the bar and said, “You’re on!” Just as the blonde placed her money on the bar, the guy did a swan dive off of the building, falling to his death. The blonde was very upset and handed her $30 to Jack, saying, “Fair’s fair… Here’s your money.” Jack replied, “I can’t take your money, I saw this earlier on the 5 o’clock news and knew he would jump.” The blonde replies, “I did too, but I didn’t think he’d do it again.” Jack took the money. |
[“Deer corridor”] I agree with the person who is concerned about the appearance of our great little island community; especially the US 1 corridor. In fact, I sent a copy of the posters’ post to Governor DeSantis. Likely it will not do any good, but I feel better about it. In any case, I know Monroe County received millions in Federal & State assistance after the storm. A shit load of that money was squandered away in Keys not nearly affected to the extent BPK was. In my view, BPK is a gem. Let’s show a little local pride. And a big thank you to all the local volunteers who have and continue to organized clean ups. However, we need and deserve some of the Federal and State money sent here to finish the clean-up and enhance the areas’ appearance – plant a few trees and shrubs along US1. |
[Cocaine] More than 280 pounds of cocaine found off Florida Keys. Link |
[Dog Found] Yellow lab running along US1 on BPK this morning. Wednesday August 7. lolexlea@yahoo.com |
[2d Amendment] Tuesday’s solution to reducing the presence of guns in America is spot on. The second amendment to the Constitution would need to be changed/deleted–not an easy task. That is the only real solution. But then what other rights might someday be removed from us after this precedent? For that reason, a lesser solution needs to be found; one that doesn’t go so far as to remove an amendment. What you need is a logical approach to your argument to start; and be calm. Rational. Your post indicates you are neither. Learn about guns and how they operate and how they are generally used by law abiding US citizens. As it is now, you are what has been described as gun argument illiterate. You must get it right to be taken seriously. For example, you mentioned machine guns, and how it is ridiculous for so many to be out there ostensibly killing people en mass. This is not the case. The number of mass killings in America by machine guns is a whopping zero. None. You mentioned military weapons. Despite what you might hear on CNN no military weaponry has been used in mass killings here, ever. So, what are you trying to have banned? Something that, for all practical purposes already is banned. You implied that the NRA is pleased with killing and more guns might be sold. The NRA doesn’t sell guns or make any money from the sale of guns just as the AAA doesn’t sell cars. It exists to simply help protect a constitutional right. They certainly don’t advocate murder. You are not alone in your gun ignorance, rest assured. The Mayor of Dayton just described the weapon used in the killings there as a “two hundred and twenty-three caliber magazine.” The former Mayor of NYC, Bloomberg, wants to ban guns that go “bang, bang, bang.” (his quote). So, if anything is going to get done, banning large capacity magazines, stricter background checks, eliminating bump stocks, a host of potential game changing rules, the anti-gun establishment needs to simply do a little homework. Educate yourselves about what it actually is you want to ban and why; and people might take you seriously. Lazy arguments and hyperbolic and ad hominem attacks won’t ever influence policy. |
The Big Pine Moose Lodge as well as other Moose Lodges are open to all members and their families as well as their guests, for drinks, meals and activities. We donate to Mooseheart located in Illinois, where any child birth to 18 years, that can’t be cared for by their families for any reason. They are raised in a family environment, housed, clothed, fed and educated. There is also Moosehaven, located in Orange Park FL., for our senior citizens. This is a place for our seniors to live with all the amenities one could want in a single location. It provides different levels of care based on the individual resident. All lodges also donate and become very active in their communities. In Big Pine we have donated bicycles to the fishing derbies and monetary donations to many organizations such as the Barracudas Baseball and the Boys and Girls Club, to name a few. We also provide a Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner open to the community free of charge. We also have a Children’s Christmas party, open to any child 10 and under, and again, free of charge. The child gets a visit with Santa, a pizza party, cookies, activities and a full-size stocking stuffed to the brim. After Hurricane Irma, we provided meals to the community and first responders. We also provided meals to the first responders and firefighters during the fire on Big Pine in April following the hurricane. If there is a need in the community, you can bet the Moose Lodge will be there to help in any way we can |
Wetstock 15 is right around the corner. Sunday September 1rst of Labor Day Weekend. Come on out for a day of Peace & Music. We are looking for someone who can pick up the Haywire Band around 2 or 2:30 at the Looe Key Tiki Bar and bring them out to the stage and return them to the Tiki Hut leaving around 6 pm when they finish the show at Wetstock. The Tiki Bar is where the after party will be. Please email me at zargoid@comcast.net if you can help boat the band. |
[“Mass murder”] There’ll be pressure for a few days as usual to pass legislation for mental health and background checks in a feeble attempt at gun control. You can’t legislate gun safety without changing the 2d Amendment. It’s like instead of guns we were talking about open fires. Suppose everyone had an open fire, everyone—all 327 million of us. You could pass all kinds of legislation and rules about open fires, but with that many fires there would still be massive uncontrolled fires every day, and many times a day. With 327 million open fires, no amount of legislation could control them. The only safe and guaranteed solution is to get rid of the open fires. Same with guns. |
[Veterans] Underwater memorial in Clearwater for veterans. Video |
The next meeting of the Big Pine Computer Club is coming up this Saturday, August 10, 10 am at the senior center. Questions or problems with your laptop, tablet or phone? Perhaps we can help. Everybody welcome. Full Menu > Ongoing Events |
Hey bartender! Let me get three shots of grey goose, or is it grey geese? Screw it, let me get a flock of vodka! |
[More Guns Is The Answer] It is impossible to remove individual “weapons of mass destruction” from the hands of all the crazies. But there would not be gunshot killings if more sane people carried the means to terminate the terminator. With the first shot, the sane gun carrier would have his/her hand on their gun and scanning for the shooter. The shooter might not even get off another shot, especially if he is outnumbered by sane and capable defenders. You don’t protect people by making them defenseless and more vulnerable. You gun-banners trust the government and law enforcement to protect you? Would you blame heredity or environment for this lack of lack of common sense. |
[“Deer corridor”] I was driving through that deer corridor the other day and said to myself how shitty those downed fences look. I agree. Too bad nobody in office cares. I bet if someone’s family member held office and owned a fence company that mess would be repaired. |
[Street Signs] Most people think that their Keys neighborhood roads and street signs are property of the government and therefore the government’s responsibility. In many cases this is true and in this case the government has issued requirements for safety on these roads, including the use certain precautionary measures for all Keys street signs. This regulation requires that all street signs on public roads to either be “breakaway, yielding, or shielded.” So why don’t ours breakaway? Why haven’t they been replaced since Irma? There are many streets without signs. |
[Back to School] The hottest item for back to school is the bulletproof backpack. Make America great again get rid of the guns. Link |
[Poisonwood] We bought our Cudjoe Key home in 1990. Until now, there had never been poisonwood on this property. The wind or the birds must have planted it within the existing landscaping. Over two weeks ago I pulled out a lot of small trees that were growing near the base of some large trees and bushes. At least one of them was poison wood! The rash is extremely itchy. The allergic reaction was not good. I’m hoping it will go away after 3 weeks of treating it with rubbing alcohol. Link |
[Friday Joke] An elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired. Holding hands, they walked back to their
old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they’d shared, where Jerry had carved, I love you, Sally. On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up and, not sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money – fifty thousand dollars! Jerry said, we’ve got to give it back. Sally said, Finders keepers. She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic. The next day, two police officers were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money, and knocked on their door. Pardon me, did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday? Sally said, No. Jerry said, She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic. Sally said, Don’t believe him, he’s getting senile The agents turned to Jerry and began to question him. One said: Tell us the story from the beginning. Jerry said, Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday. The first police officer turned to his partner and said, Were outta here! |
[Creative Problem Solving] How to stop girls putting lipstick prints on bathroom mirror. Video |
[“Mass murder”] I’m sick of useless words and no action. None of the gun lobby’s words or suggestions will do a damn thing. They are just words. We need action. I agree it’s time to change the Second Amendment to reflect our nation as it is three hundred years later after it was written. A lot has changed in three hundred years. |
[“Lemonade”] There was a kid selling lemonade on Key deer Blvd the other day. I would have stopped to buy a glass to encourage the kid, but I feared being suspected of being a pedophile. That’s how sick our society is. |
[“Mass murder good for business”] The PX at the Texas military base 5 miles from the latest shooting said they sold the highest volume of weapons in their history yesterday. |
[Change the Constitution] We have to stop talking about it and do something. I agree, change the 2d Amendment. This has got to stop. Make America safe again! |
[Changing Minds] I think that when someone writes a well thought out post and later someone else picks it apart and mis-quotes or mis-understands the main points of the original post, is not that the picker-aparter is ignorant, I think it is because they want to get those thoughts off their chests too. Unfortunately, seldom is anyone’s mind ever changed by discussion or debate, especially now that social media is unchecked and where folks make stuff up to prove their points. |
[Friday Joke] My wife texted me a selfie in a new dress and asked, “Does this make my butt look big?” I texted back “Noo!” but my phone autocorrected my response to “Moo!” |
[Travel Ban] Foreign countries warn citizens about travel to U.S. because of mass shootings. Video |
[America The Dangerous] Two countries placed the USA on their travel advisory. America is a dangerous place because of our indiscriminate sales of guns. It’s a free-for-all to kill innocents, just like ISIS but without the religion excuse. |
[“Mass murder of the week”] What will happen if only the military or law have military type weapons? Will we be overthrown? Will there be a coup? Will there be fewer mass murders? What will happen? Will we be safer? Will there be less drive-by shootings? Will gun manufacturer’s stocks lose value? If you answered yes to any of these questions you’re on the right path to a safer America, now you have to modify the 2d Amendment and stop paying lip service to these murders by saying we should do “something”. You can do something—change the Constitution |
[Snotty Reply] “If you want to control the neighborhood buy it or move” Typical snotty reply from the caliber of low renters in the Keys. Dignity will never be an attribute of US1 infidels. |
[Guns] America the dangerous. Make America great again, do something about it. |
[Got Fatigue] A study done with IBD and Chron’s patients may also help you. The absence of B1 deficiency in blood tests and the efficacy of high-dose thiamine in our patients suggest that fatigue is the manifestation of a thiamine deficiency due to a dysfunction of the active transport of thiamine inside the cells, or due to structural enzymatic abnormalities. The administration of large quantities of thiamine increases the concentration in the blood to levels in which the passive transport restores the normal glucose metabolism in all cells and leads to complete regression of fatigue. Link |
[Cavities] According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, cavities and tooth decay could potentially be reversed with diet. A study was performed on 62 children with cavities, and they were divided into three different diet groups. Group 1 ate a standard diet plus oatmeal (rich in phytic acid). Group 2 consumed a normal diet and supplemented with vitamin D. Group 3 ate a grain-free diet and took vitamin D. |
[“Moose Lodge”] Yes, the Moose does many good things several times a year, but it’s still a drinking club, no matter how you want to cloak it in your subconscious (I’m not the original poster who brought this up). There is nothing wrong with a drinking club that does good. Don’t be so defensive. There’s nothing wrong with calling it whatever you feel it is. |
Are our doctors culling us? It seems all the meds I take cause more aches and pains than without them. Sometimes I wonder if doctors give us this stuff for fun and profit. |
[“Don’t Consider Your Neighbors”] So you think it is right to put some God-awful abortion next to my house and ruin my property values or worse, increase the average house values to jack up taxes? People like you smell bad with greed and rental fungus. |
[“Mass murder of the week”] Military grade weapons are not for sale to the public; you may own a machine gun only if you have the proper permit and paperwork. They are not for sale over the counter. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Just like a car does not drive drunk, it takes a person to operate it, just like any weapon. Knives don’t stab people, a person (key word) is the cause, the effect is the knife, that is operated by a person. Your continued reliance on the military and the police to keep you safe just might come up short one day. I, and many others rely on ourselves to keep us and our families safe. I am the first line of defense, for my own defense. I don’t run, I engage. The law says I don’t have to run, I can engage my attacker with the same force he/she is projecting on myself, my property, or the defense of a complete stranger.
“The Right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” It starts at home, and these nut cases that commit these horrible acts never had their asses busted when they were growing up, they were never held accountable as children, mommy and daddy showered them with stuff, not real love. Real love hurts sometimes, it’s having chores, it’s getting your butt whipped if you didn’t do them, or if you got a bad report card, or you were caught doing something you shouldn’t have been doing. Actions have consequences, and the young kids of today don’t understand what the word “consequences” means or think that it doesn’t apply to them. Guns are good, but in the wrong hands they are bad. |
[Grease] “Don’t mix types of (lubricating) grease or dire consequences may result.” is essentially what one reads on mechanical websites and on tubes or tubs of grease. What dire consequences? I went searching the web for answers. I found stories of mixed greases liquefying and running out like oil, turning to something gritty, or reacting to form a corrosive goo that ate the metal. I found warnings to never ever use multi-purpose chassis grease on wheel bearings, yet some containers of multi-purpose grease claim their product is great for both. I found grease compatibility charts that compared types. But the information on the grease container does not always tell you the composition that is comparable to the chart description, and it sure as heck doesn’t tell you what the last grease used was.
On a wheel bearing, that means you have to thoroughly clean all the old grease out and repack with the new grease. Then remember what you used so you can just squirt a little more in next time it needs it (I write it on the fender with magic marker) Are you safer to just not add grease than to unknowingly squirt in the wrong kind? I still don’t know after over an hour of research. But I have pulled apart boat trailer bearings where salt water got behind the seal and rusted everything including the axle. I am going to live dangerously by just squirting some good marine wheel bearing grease with a high temperature drop point in and hope the last owner used the same base grease. Trailer wheel bearing kits made in China are maybe $20 from NAPA and include a new seal in case I make a mistake. On your Maserati they probably cost lots more. And your mechanic will probably use multi-purpose chassis grease from a big drum on anything that gets greased. |
[Gun Violence] The measures politicians are proposing are just band-aids to make them think they are doing something about this national problem. When they start buying back military weapons, that’s when their actions might save lives. |
[“Deer corridor mess”] What has been cleaned post Irma is because of Lenore Baker’s group and the Conch Republic Marine Army — with no government funding. First, call the County road department and ask who owns the US1 corridor? Is it County or state? That’s who needs to find funding to clean it. We are almost 2 years post Irma and it’s long past time to fix it. |
[?] Hi Bexley, We are all going to Micah’s later on to watch the match. Remember, it finished at around 12:02 so be there early if you can. Thanks |