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2014 February

Friday, February 7, 2014

CT-Banner7.3.13No Saturday Edition

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relay race

The Ragnmar Run Relay Race is this weekend. There will be hundreds of runners on “US1 beware of them. The race starts Friday morning in Virginia Key in Miami-Dade County, and will end Saturday evening at Higgs Beach in Key West.

[Friday Joke] “Hey! Watch out for those three runners!” “What three (bump, bump, bump) runners?”

ad-manley-deboer6.27.13

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curling7

 

(Ed: It is with a heavy heart that BigPineKey.com’s Olympic Curling team is withdrawing from the Sochi games in protest of Russia’s homophobia. It was a decision not made lightly as our team has trained very hard at the rink in the corporate campus and are greatly disappointed, but they are behind our decision 100%.)

[Jargon Watch] ‘Communications fingerprinting’ Wiretapping to map out communi­cations networks used by foreign leaders, so that those networks can easily be monitored during a future political crisis. According to leaked documents, the NSA has extensively fingerprinted govern­ment communications in Iran.
advert-dennis-ward8.16.13
CVS stopping tobacco sales reminds me of the legalize marijuana debate where the opposition scours every statistic they can find for health reasons not to legalize the drug, yet not a peep out of them about cigarette sales. Cigarettes actually kill, and you can buy them just about anywhere. Talk about lack of regulation.

hobo man

 

693 bums in the Florida Keys according to the latest survey. I’d like to add bum to the politically correct terms from yesterday. Bums are no longer bums, but ‘homeless’.

[Lucky’s Landing] The picture posted looks fine to me. Give the folks a chance to finish the project and install landscaping. Then take pictures and compare the finished product to your residence. Maybe you will see the winner.
Radio-Shack-1.2.14
Heroin’s gonna get a bad rap because of Philip Seymore’s O.D.

grinder-show

[Grinder Fundraiser at Teasers] See, even strippers are supporting us in the grinder pump fight?

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matchbook call me

 

[Sewers] I wonder how many have called the offices of Heather Carruthers (305-292-3430) and Danny Kolhage (305-292-3440) to thank them for taking the anti-grinder pump issue seriously and voting accordingly? David Rice (305-289-6000) even deserves some credit for at least voting to convert 201 grinders to gravity, even though it may have just been to annoy Neugent.

The fewer grinders in the system, the safer the environment, the lower sewer rates will be for everyone, and the more likely the system can actually be made to work.

You have the number in front of you, please take a moment to log your support with their assistant. If you feel like bitching out the rest of the officials at the BOCC meeting, go for it. Just be polite with their assistants; at least one is getting a grinder and deserves sympathy more than abuse

[Friday Joke] Grinder pumps. How many will fit in a politicians anus? All of them!
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ill drink to that

 

Happy Friday from Springers Bar and Grill. The weekends almost here, and we know the perfect way to kick it off, Happy Hour with us from 3-6. Come on in for a nice cold one and a snack off our happy hour menu. Then stick around because starting at 7 we have Karaoke. So warm up those pipes and come belt out a few for the crowd. The fans are waiting, even if its only the ones on the ceiling. It’s sure to be a great night full of music, fun and laughter.

[“Why would anyone call the Keys sheriff’s office before legally shooting on their own property”] So they can make sure it’s done safely, the bullets remain on the property, and to calm frantic callers. Not to inform of your intentions is antagonistic towards your neighbors and the sheriff officers for not addressing any possible concerns. The sheriff may even ask you not to do so for other reasons. Laws are subject to change, you probably don’t want to be caught up in the years of legal headaches and expenses involved by being the tool of larger forces at work.
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[eCards] When you care, but not enough to buy a stamp.

burn leaf pot

[Backyard Incinerators] Instead of the County paying Krause to burn yard waste on Ramrod Key, why don’t they just let us burn it ourselves for free? what’s the difference?

[Brothers of the same struggle or die on Avenue A] I pulled up on the white marl parking lot just across from Buba Loo’s on Big Cop Out Key.  I looked up and approaching me was Victor. He had an oval face dark short hair and a front tooth missing, his brother Carlos had blonde hair and blue eyes. a handsome devil he with a penchant for violence with a knife, so I hear. They both had served under Castro in Angola and in later years drifted across the Gulfstream as Balsero’s Del Norte’   to find work in the United States. Their Gussano brethren were of no help to them particularly in the Florida Key’s.

I can only assume Victor and Carlos were brothers of the same father but different mother. Victor was broke and asking in his very limited English if I could spot him a five, I felt for him, but my pockets were near empty. Still I reached, though feeling a pain, as I had just done the very same thing earlier with another friend, how many friends can you have? An endless supply I am guessing.

They had found his brother not long back dead in the Avenues on Big Pine. I think it was Avenue A as a matter of fact. Cooped up and cold stone dead in a little trailer pushed back in the woods, no electric or sewer. He was only 44 years old. Perhaps some complications with alcohol but still a very sad day at least for a few.

Every time our paths crossed Carlos was asking if I knew of any work for him, anything would do. Carlos had spoken of once when in Angola riding around in a tank. His comrades has shot into a troop of guerrillas. He said it made him cry and never understood why they choose to do that. He loved America or so he said. Others I have met simply get in little boats and return to Cuba.

I have witnessed MIG pilot’s who have defected to U.S. soil, winding up stocking  store shelves with Snapple fruit drinks. Of course there is nothing wrong with that. I am sure you can understand how these things cause me to wonder. We are all struggling brothers and sisters of the same father, perhaps with a different mother or vice versa.

johnsons-ad-7.25.13

[They know where you live] Clink the link below, if the map shows a general area to where you are that isn’t too specific then your good, that’s normal, some really far off place is best. If it shows the street your on, then well your screwed, any site can know where you are to a few feet which they can then cross reference with public address, area income, ownership information and anything else they can get their hands on. Blame Google’s Location Services for telling the world where you live. They match up GPS locations of WiFi networks to IP addresses. Services that use it are adding and refining the database all the time by including other WiFi networks in the general area. Changing your network daily has little effect if your neighbors won’t, the next smartphone that passes by will just update with the new id and GPS coordinates. Link

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reel7

Rich is back at the Big Pine Key Flea Market for the best deals anywhere in the Keys on reconditioned rods and reels — Penn made in U.S.A., Shimano Baitrunners, Abu Garcia, etc. Rich is a factory authorized repair station and all these reels have been cleaned, lubed and repaired if necessary. They are certified A-OK ready to fish. And he is ready to deal. He also brought down a trailer load of new rods and reels at blowout prices. There is also some big game lures and hooks and of course the $1 table. If you think you got a great bargain last year–stop in for an even better deal this year! Rich will be at the back of the Market, look for the hanging shark.

Jay Leno’s last night on the Tonight Show!  6 February.  Video
advert-accurate-home-insp8.14.13
The Krause Family burned yard waste from Hurricane Georges. It was awful. Too many of us remember. Let us hope that Monroe County does not let that happen again.

virus pirate swords

 

Take a computer course before you start sending email with viruses attached and other crap. People should be licensed before touching a computer. (Coincidentally the Computer Club is meeting tomorrow. Events)

Life from the porch today is pretty darn good, 82 degrees in February is something to be thankful for. The pelicans are floating in the bay, the dogs at my feet and a ceiling fan spins above my head. There is peacefulness as I sit here and it’s the culmination of a lot of things. There’s the ever-present smell of the ocean, the sun illuminating the palm fronds at different angles as they sway, and the gentle hum of the rotating blades above my head. This truly is a special day.

Most of my life was spent in overdrive, always running and on the go. Logging over three million miles has taken me to a lot of places and they all were truly great. But as I look back I really wasn’t fully engaged in any of those locations because my mind was focused on what I had to do and where I was headed next.

I have heard folks talk about hitting their stride. I never really understood what that meant and realize it’s different for everyone, but today I think I’ve hit mine. No bells, whistles, fireworks or hoopla, just a simple revelation that I’m at peace where I am at this moment in time. I am content to sit on the glider for hours and gaze at the open ocean with my wife and dogs. No burning desires to do something different, just happy being right here, right now. However, I think the boat will replace the glider in a few minutes and that will be the icing on the cake

chamber-ad10.17.13

[The Beatles] Fifty years ago this Sunday Feb. 9th, the Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show singing “All My Loving”, and officially kicked off Beatlemania in the U.S.A. Video

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fire33[Burning on Ramrod Key is Greed] The contractor is going to collect $1,000,000 from the County to pollute the environment.  If we are going to shut this down, we need to show up at the BOCC meeting, starting with the February 19th meeting in Key Largo, where they are going to try to slip the contract in at the last minute.  The staff recommending this monster for our community is not telling the BOCC the truth about the potential health impacts from incinerator burning so close to the residences, childcare centers and schools.  Parents, if you want your kids to stay healthy, pay attention to this health hazzard that will bring lung cancer, asthma, and other diseases to this County.  If you can not go to the meeting then blow up your commissioner’s phone and let him or her know that we do not want this polluter in Monroe County. 
nira tocco realtor 9.12
My present health insurance is $250. New health plan is $195 plus $720 from government and the same coverage.

camping tent fire[Joke Friday] Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay down for the night, Holmes said: “Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see”.
Watson: “I see millions and millions of stars”.
Holmes: “And what does that tell you?”
Watson: “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?”
Holmes: “Somebody stole our tent.” 

On this date in 1964 the Beatles arrived in the U.S. for the first time and stayed in Key West at the motel next to the bowling alley on A1A.
isaksen-flood-roof 4.23.13 

Thanks to the person who explained the Ham radio antenna on Big Pine

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water drop dancing

 

H2O Olympics February 15, Saturday 9 am to 4 pm Water is the lifeblood of South Florida! Make a bead bracelet and play an interactive life size board game to learn about the water cycle. Learn to make every drop count. Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade February 15 – 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Free fun, games, crafts and friends!

Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, 35 East Quay Road, at the end of Southard Street across from Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. Free admission and parking, gift shop. Events

The NSA is willing to compromise the security of everything to get what they want. Because of this they can never be trusted.

fanci-11-2-13

[“Burn, Baby Burn’] Whatever business can stay in the Keys (trash burning in this case) I think ought to stay in the Keys. The government agencies will make it as difficult as possible for Krause to establish a trash burning facility in the Keys, so if he will be able to jump through the hoops, I say let him do it.

Using a method called batch oxidation, the plant heats waste in large chambers before burning the gas emitted. The process efficiently extracts the energy contained in garbage while reducing pollution to a minimum.  Maybe Krause will use batch oxidation.

medal honor

SSgt Sal Giunta awarded the Medal of Honor. Video

“Hey people in Sochi hotels with unflushable toilets and undrinkable water, look on the bright side, you could be on a Carnival Cruise!”  ~Bill Maher
Flea-Market-ad10.9.13
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heart in bloddy handWill you be killed by your heart attack? There is a good chance the heart attack you have will be fatal.1 in 3 people will die of heart disease, so the odds are against you. You might survive your heart attack, but there’s a good chance you will be left with scar tissue on your heart muscle so severe you won’t be able to function normally. And you are almost guaranteed to have a second heart attack, which will be fatal. Do the right thing: avoid having a heart attack.

I watched this ’10 second video’ for five minutes and never did get to the 10 second trick. If someone has the patience to watch the whole thing please let me know the 10 second trick. Video

Bluewater-2.7.14
[FTR Fan] Looks like we still have a bit of backdoor political controversy at least regarding the sites legal posts from F.T.R. the latest being slanted sarcasm at what is to be construed as facts from F.T.R. and in the same vein on supposedly riling up some form of a fan base supporting F.T.R., well I suppose one could call me a fan base if one wished even tho that would be a strange number for a fan base, but yes I support what he has to say mainly because after researching diligently all the information he has posted I have found him to be factual nearly one hundred percent of the time, which is an amazing feat for this website.
second-nature-2.6.14
[Gun Nut] Man destroys anti bitcoin iPhone with a rifle in his backyard shooting range. Video

smokes7

Give someone you don’t love these Valentine’s Day cigarettes from Taiwan. Link 

The man on Big Pine with the outdoor shooting gallery in his residential neighborhood is going to keep doing his crazy thing in spite of the fact that many people are against the idea?  What’s he trying to prove? that gun nuts really do walk among us?  We already knew that.
politics-zone2
from the right

In January its routine for employers to lay off some of the people that were hired during the holiday buying season. Nationwide the buying season was far below expectations.  Nationwide employers announced plans to reduce payrolls by 45,107 in January ’14. The December total was 30,623.

florida7But not in Florida. This year, in January, in Florida, there were only 812 announced layoffs. In January last year there were nearly 3000 layoffs. That is an amazing decrease in layoffs in just one year — it’s a 72% drop!

Republican governance just keeps delivering good news. The retail jobs sector continues to be strong in South Florida and statewide. In December, Broward County added 6,300 retail jobs, an increase of 5.9 percent, according to the state. Palm Beach  County added 5,300 retail jobs, up 7.3 percent from a year ago.

Nationwide, the news was disheartening. U.S.-based employers announced plans to reduce payrolls by 45,107 in January. The December total was 30,623.

Florida’s Republican governance delivers a business friendly environment, that’s why Florida’s economy continues to outperform the rest of the nation. Good business means good jobs.

Nationwide, January ‘14 job cuts were up 12 percent from the same month a year ago, when 40,430 planned layoffs were recorded. Please recall that Florida’s layoff rate declined by 72%.

Poor earnings in the retail sector led to downsizing at several national chains including Macy’s, Sam’s Club, JC Penney, Sears, Best Buy and Target. Retailers announced 11,394 job cuts in January, a 71 percent increase from the 6,676 cuts tracked in January 2013.

The reason for the increase in cuts nationwide? Business was poor, holiday sales were weak. U.S. stocks fell, sending benchmark indexes to their biggest declines since June, as our nationwide manufacturing slowed. Link

uncle sam hanging man for tax moneyPart 2)  The official at the center of the IRS scandal involving the targeting of President Obama’s political enemies secretly helped craft new rules for the agency that critics say would make such heavy-handed tactics legal. Emails obtained by the House Ways and Means Committee show IRS executive Lois Lerner working on the new rules in secret with Obama Treasury officials at the height of the targeting. Lerner has refused to testify before Congress amid the criminal investigation into misconduct at the agency, citing her 5th amendment right to avoid testimony that might be harmful to her. The regulations, which are currently pending, would allow the IRS to crack down on political activity by non-profit groups. A June 2012 email from a Treasury official to Lerner suggests that they work “off plan” –bureaucratic shorthand for keeping their meetings off of publicly available schedules – to devise the rules. Critics say the rules that resulted would permit agents to shut down dissent by non-profit groups.

Lerner is no stranger to controversy or using her office as a cudgel against conservatives. In the ‘90’s she was a member of the Federal Election Commission. During that time she sued the Christian Coalition.  She then harassed the Christian Coalition for three consecutive elections! In 1996 she was investigating a conservative US Senate candidate, Al Savi, for allegations of technical violations of campaign laws. Lois Lerner ultimately told Salvi: “Promise me you will never run for office again, and we’ll drop this case. Salvi refused to buckle to Lerner’s demands and the case was ultimately thrown out by a Federal Judge.

While all of that is disturbing as hell, it pales in comparison to the fact that Team Obama has appointed an Obama acolyte to head the investigation. Her name is Barbara Bosserman, a trial attorney within the IRS’s Civil Rights Commission. Bosserman was and is an Obama supporter, she gave the maximum legal donation to Obama’s campaigns. Choosing someone so openly and obviously partisan to lead an investigation into partisan targeting of opposition groups is “unbelievable” and “highly inappropriate.”  It is crystal clear that Obama has circled the IRS wagons, and will attempt to hide himself and his team from any and all meaningful investigation. In his recent interview with Bill O’Reilly he declared that there was not even a “smidgeon” of corruption in the IRS’s assault on the Tea Party. As this is written there are at least 6 ongoing investigations into the activities of the IRS. Obama has decided that he will routinely use the power of the government to harass his critics. The Democrats shield him

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