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 [Mint Mobile is a Rip-off] Sneaky bastards. We signed up for the $15/month service and there were two hidden charges not mentioned totaling $18 more–rip-off. And when we tried to cancel our attempt to subscribe, we weren’t allowed—rip-off. Finally after hours of trying, they said they had canceled our attempt to subscribe. Two days later they hadn’t refunded our advance payment or sent any confirmation. Another hour on the phone with them assuring us that the charge was removed, our credit card company said no attempt had been made to remove our charge. It’s now a week later and the charge still hasn’t been credited and Mint Mobile says we have to start the cancellation process all over again—rip-off.Contrary to their ads–there is no tech support, only AI and that is a waste of time. We were never able to connect with a human. Beware of the big advertisers because you-know-who-is paying for it. Mint Mobile spends almost a $100,000,000 on advertising their shady service. “You can check in, but you can never leave.” |
| The S&P 500 closed down 1.5% Thursday. |
 [Oven Door News] They are called frits. Here’s why your oven door has tiny dots on it.They help the glass handle extreme temperature changes. They improve safety and help the oven operate efficiently. They hide hardware while preserving your view. Link |
| [AI Spending] Meta — which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — recorded a 55% increase in expenses to $42 billion, while revenue grew at a slower pace of 28%. |
 [No More Protection] Florida manatees and panthers are suddenly much more vulnerable, environmentalists say, thanks to the Trump administration’s recently announced rollback of Endangered Species Act protections. The agencies’ final “blanket rule,” which they say would eliminate protections for threatened species and revise critical habitat exclusions. Link |
| [Chinese Competition] BMW plans to cut up to 8,000 jobs as the European auto industry deals with trade tensions and an onslaught of Chinese vehicles. VW plans 100,000 layoffs because of Chinese vehicles in Europe. |
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| The AARP calendar of activities for August is here. Full Menu > Ongoing Events > AARP |
 [Grow Eggs] How to get started raising backyard chickens. Egg prices got you down? You might be able to set up your own supply of fresh pre-omelets. Link |
| Boeing’s effort to deliver a new Air Force One is getting costlier. The aircraft maker said today that it lost $280 million on the program that promises to deliver modified 747-8 jets for the presidency. The company blamed the increased costs on “additional production and certification resources,” but said that it continues to anticipate initial delivery in 2028. Cost overruns have been stacking up on the Air Force One project, now expected to cost more than $4 billion. |
 A company in China is ready to take the next step in robotics: humanoid robots powered by A.I. On July 2, Oddity Central reported that UBTECH plans to mass-produce the robots, complete with synthetic skin and humanlike facial expressions. The machines are about 5 feet, 6 inches to 6 feet tall, but weigh half as much as the average human adult. The company says it has received 10,000 orders and that each robot retails for up to $145,000, depending on its features. The humanoids will be delivered in September and are “designed to support a wide range of consumer and commercial applications, including daily companionship, emotional support, lifestyle enhancement, and social assistance, as well as reception and hospitality services, elder care, psychological support, tourism and exhibitions, research and education, and premium domestic service applications”. |
| Your subconscious could be in tune with the solar system—because this cosmic force affects us all. Behavior might be chalked up to more than just intentional choices. Link |
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| [Friday Joke] I do whatever the voices in my wife’s head tell me to do. |
 [Lobster Divers Rescued] Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, with the help of a U.S. Navy helicopter crew, rescued three men who were diving while hunting for spiny lobsters in the Florida Keys on Wednesday. The men were diving a reef off Duck Key, in the Middle Keys, when they became separated from their boat amid rough waters. It was the first day of the two-day lobster miniseason. Link |
| Netflix sued for $105m over stolen Nicolas Cage war thriller. Makers of unreleased $45m film Fortitude sue after hard drive stolen from streamer’s Los Angeles office. Link |
 Security experts have been sounding the alarm for years about the risks of using generic TV boxes that promise unlimited content streaming for a one-time fee, warning that they secretly rent the user’s Internet connection out to strangers. But a groundbreaking new analysis finds these devices also routinely spoof themselves as mobile phones clicking ads on AI-generated websites as part of a sprawling operation that seeks to defraud online merchants and advertising networks |
| [IMAX vs IMAX 70mm] The difference between these two cinema formats. The viewing experience is very different — if you’re in the right theater. Link |
 [Soccer] UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors. The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale. Link |
| [The Kinks] Dedicated followers of passion: the Kinks’ 40 greatest songs – ranked! Link |
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| [Friday Joke] Old age has come at a bad time. Just when I was beginning to know everything I now am forgetting everything I knew. |
| Consumer Cellular is expensive although they say they aren’t. They spend over one hundred million dollars a year on advertising. Who do you think pays for that advertising? You! And their AARP discount is a measly dollar. What can you buy for a dollar? There are many third party cellular services for only $10-17 a month with the same coverage and service — if only you weren’t afraid to switch. Most people pay about sixty bucks a month because they say they like the customer service. I had my service for 3 years and have never had to call customer service. My service is $10/month. That’s $50 a month extra people are paying for customer service they only use once or twice in their lifetime, but they are willing to pay $50 a month extra—just in case. That’s $600 a year extra. Paying $600 a year for customer service you’ll rarely use is foolish. |
 Seriff Rick Ramsay will brief us on Open Carry impact on the Election Polling site situation. Local Candidates will have four minutes each to make their final pitch as early voting started Monday August 3rd. Wednesday, August 5th @ 6 PM (social @ 5:30PM). Special guest speaker: Meet DeSantis’ appointed Lt. Governor Jay Collins, Republican candidate for Governor. The governor’s race is the most important in the State and we need to hear from the leading candidates. Bring your friends!!Please register to attend. We expect to have a full house. Get your name on the list so that you have a seat and can attend this event. sendittodale@yahoo.com |
| Amazon delivered a 20% increase in net sales to $200.6 billion, easily topping S&P Capital IQ expectations of $196.4 billion. Much of the gain came from triple-digit growth in Amazon Web Services’ AI business and triple-digit growth in its chips business. Amazon’s free cash flow in the 12-month period ending June 30 amounted to an outflow of $7.6 billion, down from an inflow of $18.2 billion in the comparable period a year earlier |
 [Native Orchid Project comes to Key West] Early this month, a team of gardeners from the Key West Orchid Society and the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden introduced two rare species of Florida Keys-native orchids into the Elizabeth Bishop Garden. The newly planted orchids, eight specimens in all, are part of a pilot program that aims to extend Fairchild Botanical Garden’s Million Orchid Project into Key West. They add to the more than 50 native plant species already established in the Bishop Garden. Picture: Example of the leafless Wormvine Orchid (Vanilla barbellata). |
| [Friday Joke] One of the airlines recently introduced a special half-fare rate for wives accompanying their husbands on business trips. Anticipating some valuable testimonials, the publicity department of the airline sent out letters to all the wives of businessmen who used the special rates, asking how they enjoyed their trip. Responses are still pouring in asking, “What trip?” |
| The current Coconut Telegraph was published on 7/31/26 at 8:38 am. |
 [For Sale] Pellet Gun. Gamo Swarm Maxxim 10X GEN 2 Multi-Shot Air Rifle. Two 10-round .177 clips. 3 x 9 variable scope. Box of pellets. $200 new. Half price used $100. b33043@outlook.com Video |
 [For Sale] Folding scaffold 30L x 12w x 20h. 4 scaffolds (not sold separately) New $200, Big Pine Key pick-up half-price: $100. Excellent condition.b33043@outlook.com Link |
 [For Sale] Crossman P1377 American Classic Variable-Pump .177-Caliber Pellet Air Pistol. New $70. For Sale $25. 800 feet per second. Pick up on Big Pine Key. b33043@outlook.com Video |
| Snapshots taken from Big Pine Key looking North between Annette Key and Mayo Key every Friday evening since 2023. You may hover to view a photo, see the date of the photo, or use the left or right arrows on the images. |
