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2019 May

Friday, May 17, 2019

Letters to the editor with pictures since 2002. Published on Big Pine Key’s garbage days, Tuesdays and Fridays.

[Summerland Post Office Closing] The US Postal Service has a meeting scheduled in Summerland to discuss the proposed relocation of the Summerland Key post office. Nowhere on this statement to the public does it disclose the fact that along with relocating the Summerland Post office, it will also close the BPK office. There is no notice requirements or meetings required in BPK. This means no PO boxes in BPK, all package drop-offs and pickups must go to Summerland or elsewhere.”

I haven’t gotten to the bottom of the rumor about our BPK Post Office closing or relocating, but this notice was in the Citizen regarding the Summerland Post Office. To me it sounds like that is the post office relocation in question as I don’t believe it would be a legal notice of our BPK post office closing without specific mention.

As according to 39 CFR § 241.3 – Discontinuance of USPS-operated retail facilities …, public notice is required. The public must be given 60 days’ notice of a proposed action to enable the persons served by a USPS-operated retail facility to evaluate the proposal and provide comments. You can read the text of the law here. For those of you who are interested in either closing/relocating discussion there will be a public meeting Thursday May 30th, 4:30, at the Sugarloaf Baptist Church. Link

[“Dirty drinking water”] Keys water is crap! Both the near shore green and the tap. Back in the day when the shower shot a trickle, Keys water was collected in cisterns. Then some genius said we should connect a big pipe to the mainland and hang it in the sun. That’s about the time we started using bottled water to drink and cook with; and did so for 20 years. But then, we used to swim in the fresh water lakes and canal in Florida, too – but not any more. Too many people moving here, too much fertilizer and insecticide sprayed. Florida’s aquifers are no longer pure enough for me, and I don’t like ingesting chlorine and fluoride.
[Solar Charging] My goal is to charge Ryobi 18V li-on tool batteries after a hurricane, but the inverters’ breaker always flips after a few hours operation–no matter what I try. My setup includes two 100W Monocrystalline solar panels, one 73 a/h deep cycle battery, and a Model Z20 charge/controller.

I’ve tried 6 inverters, including two Schumacher 410W, two CAT 1000s, and two DeWalt 1000W. I’ve also tried 4 charge controllers.

I’m using the proper gauge wires and the battery is fully charged and still the inverter always shuts off after a few hours. What am I doing wrong? I only putting a 60W load on the inverter during testing. Solar power can’t be this difficult!

[What State] No matter where I travel in America I always end up back in the state of denial.

[Fifteen Dollar Cocktail] My husband and I went to the new restaurant on Sugarloaf Key and were shocked at their prices for everything. $15 for a drink! $4 for a draft beer. What are the locals going to do who cannot afford such prices? If this is typical of what it costs to life in the Keys, we are not moving here.

[Friday Joke] My daddy told me a story about my Aunt Caro and I told it to my teacherl. “Aunt Carol was a pilot in Desert Storm and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory and all she had was a flask of whiskey, a pistol and a survival knife. She drank the whiskey on the way down so it wouldn’t fall into enemy hands, and then her parachute landed right in the middle of twenty enemy troops. She shot fifteen of them with the gun until she ran out of bullets, killed four more with the knife, ’til the blade broke and then she killed the last one with her bare hands.”
“What kind of moral did your daddy teach you from that horrible story?”
“Stay the HELL away from Aunt Carol when she’s been drinking!”

 

 

 

 

[Fifth Wheel] I’m not an expert, but I don’t think those wheels are road rated.

The country has become polarized, but I don’t think it has as much to do with political views as with their perception of reality. For some, reality only exists virtually.  Their view of the world is gleaned by surfing the net.  If it’s not on line it doesn’t exists or didn’t happen.  Words are more important than actions and all are judged, not by what they do, but what the media says about them.  For the rest, this defies logic and common sense.  To quote a Star Trek episode, “It does not compute”.  This is frustrating for both sides.  The virtual reality people don’t want to hear anything that might challenge the world they’ve created in their minds and the physical reality people can’t understand why others don’t see what’s so obvious to them.

Maybe an extended internet outage would be a good thing, but I’d really miss Netflix and shopping online.

I’m pretty sure the government subsidizes health care, in the form of Medicaid, far more that any industry.  Industries at least provide jobs. Medicaid is just a give away to people that, in most cases, don’t even pay taxes.
[“Black spiny iguanas”] There were a herd of them living in and around the dock behind the Coconut Man building and the Pizza Place (used to be Rob’s Dogs) on Summerland. Don’t know if they made it through Irma.
[“FTR permanently moving to TN”] I know it took you some time to finally move your flag, we moved ours 22 Nov 2017. We left the house to our contractor to fix, then sold it and bought, like you, in a more peaceful place. I know it’s tough, but the solitude for us being on the water, is now found in the acreage we own. Good for you my rightious American brother. Enjoy!
[“We subsidize not a dime for healthcare”] Government subsidizes healthcare for our warriors. They call it the VA.

 

 

 

[The Blue House] Last night, the White House was lit in blue in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

[“Not a dime for healthcare”] Really? What about Medicare and especially Medicaid? What about the VA? What about Government paid (taxpayer paid) medical care for illegal immigrants and refugees and asylum seekers and homeless? What about prison hospitals? Lots and lots of dimes for health care. A more appropriate thing to ponder and question would be “How can we reduce the amount of government subsidized healthcare?” As a tax paying family of two, subsidizing healthcare for others, I pay Cigna, with a $10,000 deductible, if I want health care, and I do, it’s $21000 a year. That’s $1750 a month. And I have never gotten past the deductible, so I still pay for everything. This is about double what we paid before the ill-conceived Affordable Health Care Act. So the Government and thus, we, the hard working Americans do, in fact, subsidize health care; in a very big way. Billions
[Algal Blooms] Trained dogs are helping solve Michigan’s algal bloom problems. Maybe these trained dogs can help find the sewage leak source in the Niles Channel area & other canals in the Keys. How these canine sleuths are helping to improve water quality in the Keys? Knowledge is power. Link

 

[God vs Darwin] I overheard two people discussing (arguing) the other day.  It was the God vs Darwin type of discussion. It got me thinking, but not too much.  What if God created evolution as part of the design?  Evolution allows species to adapt to an ever changing environment.  It only makes sense to include that as a backup to any design.  If I was God, that’s what I would have done.

[Iguanas] What do you mean they have black stripes and “ours” don’t? “Ours” are not native here at all and are just as invasive and nasty to our native plants and yes, animals, as the Green iguana has been documented to eat the same stuff as Black Spiny Tailed iguanas just mostly when they are younger.

 

 

 

[Size Matters] This says it all.

Abortion is the law of the land. How can any state say no to the law of the land?

 

 

[Winn Dixie] Weekly ad. Link

I am all for mandatory military service. The military makes men out of mamma’s boys and teaches them how to pick up after themselves, clean their room and themselves. That’s just some of the obvious reason. The country would benefit and truly make America great again.

 

[“Superheroes”] Darth Vader’s helmet did actually have a purpose.  It allowed him to breathe after he was severely injured by moulton lava.  It was an Iron Lung.  You have to come to the “meetings”

I live in Stuart most of the year and Marathon in winter on my boat, I read the CT always and so do all of my Stuart friends who always dream of a second home in Big Pine. Those of you who are selling your waterfront home might be good to advertise here. (Ed: Thanks, that’s a great idea. We already have one house for sale who advertises here)
[Female Circumcision] Congress fights to save historic female genital mutilation case. Congress wants to take over Michigan’s historic female genital mutilation case, arguing the justice department gave up on the law too easily. This is 2019, and America, right? You can’t maim little girls and call it religion in my country. Justice Dept gave up? Since when is it cool to never have an orgasm? oh, so you won’t need to leave your husband? Link

 

 

 

 

Iguanas are a problem in the Keys. Is there a bounty on them and where can I collect it? Who is controlling it?

John Taffer (Bar Rescue) thinks he is now a psychologist in his new TV show and giving advice to the love lost. Hey Mr Bartender, stick to what you know! Just because he can fix bars doesn’t mean he can fix marriages.
[Watermelon] Does anyone know where you can buy a real seeded watermelon? I can’t stand those artificial seedless, poor excuses for watermelons. They aren’t as sweet or as flavorful. It seems that any time man alters with Mother Nature trying to improve a product they don’t get it right. Look what they did with the strawberries. Now we have beautiful looking huge strawberries that have no taste or sweetness. Just blaaaaa. I asked the manager at W/D to order watermelons with seeds and the answer he gave me was, “They’re out of season.”
Thank you to the poster who warned boaters about possible divers in the canal when going to Strike Zone for fuel. I had no idea they offered marine fuel and was elated since losing the convenience of fueling up at Dolphin Marina. We pulled in over this past weekend to fuel up and was devastated to learn that this service is no longer available. They have a petition going to be presented at an upcoming hearing to restore this valuable service to our community. If you have not already done so, please drop by and sign in favor to support this boaters fueling up convenience. When the time comes for the hearing, if you no longer want to tote gas cans from the gas station to your boat and can do so — show up.

 

 

 

At my funeral, take the bouquet off my coffin and throw it into the crowd to see who’s next.

[Suing] Lately no matter who says what to whom, they get sued. I think they should bring back the military draft for 4 years and make lawyers and illegals sign up. That should cut down on the riff-raff ripping our country apart!

 

[“Why did Darth Vader wear a helmet”] Darth Vader wore the helmet, and entire suit because he had been seriously burned/charred and this was a sort of life support and protection of his ruined flesh. He was injured this way as he fought Obi Wan at the edge of a volcanic crater.

[LED light can damage eyes] I knew there was a reason I didn’t want LED lights in my house. Video