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Published on Big Pine Key’s garbage pick-up days:
Tuesdays and Fridays.
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 [Luckiest Day of the Year] Tomorrow, May 18, will be the luckiest day of 2024, and specifically 2:36 pm will be the luckiest time according to all astrologically readings. Bet the house! |
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 There was recent article written by “The Right Guy” which is an opinion that is not based on any facts or truths. He claims to be a staunch Republican.For a staunch Republican not to know much about Sherri Hodies is like a resident of the Keys not knowing we are surrounded by water. She is well known in the Republican circle in the Keys and has been heavily involved in the Republican Party of Monroe County for over 7 years. She has supported multiple candidates in past elections including most of our current Republican office holders. Sherri has done this by getting petitions signed, going door to door, making calls, placing signs, fundraising, etc. The rumors of her claiming to work for the Supervisor of Elections and failing to follow the rules of an endorsement have all been debunked and are old news. The statement that she does not hold any Masters Degrees is a new false narrative. As her husband, I watched her work diligently, night after night into the wee hours of the morning, after an eight+ hour workday to obtain her 2 Masters, 2 Bachelor degrees, and certificate in Paralegal Studies. The real noxious aroma of mendacity that permeates the Florida Keys is this brand of political misinformation. This is just a political attack as the written narrative is untrue and if the author was truly concerned, could have made a simple phone call to Sherri and she would have been more than happy to discuss it. I do agree that the integrity of the Supervisor of Election office is absolutely vital and there is not a more determined, honest, hard working, qualified candidate than Sherri Hodies. Sherri is running on Transparency, Integrity, Promised! |
Tortoise learned it can go much faster with the help of a skateboard. Video |
| [AI Overviews] Google said Tuesday that starting this week, people using its iconic search engine in the U.S. will start getting AI-generated answers at the top of the search results, a feature dubbed “AI overviews.” AI overviews is “likely to heighten concerns that web publishers will see less traffic from Google Search,” and they “are right to be spooked,” The New York Times said. Reid said Google will keep “sending valuable traffic to publishers and creators,” but having AI scour the web and summarize its findings risks destroying the mutually beneficial “grand bargain” between Google and the internet: “You give us articles, we give you traffic,” clicks and ad revenue. |
 [Graffiti Drone] Washington state deploys $30,000 drone to combat graffiti. The drone will shoot paint out a modified nozzle to cover vandalism. |
| [We Cannot Afford It] The jobs are in China because of the low labor costs. Many work for the equivalent of $10 per day. Many American laborers will not work for $10 per hour. So, how could you afford a (whatever) that now costs 12 times as much due to labor? In the future, the labor will move to India (some has), Vietnam (some has), and eventually (maybe 20+ years) to Africa. Just as in the late 40’s and early 50’s Japan was the cheap place to make things. As Japan became affluent, the work moved to China. As China becomes more affluent the work will move to regions with cheaper labor as it always has in the past. |
 [Statistic Of The Day] $2.5B. The state tax revenue generated by legalized sports gambling in 2023. This marks a 34.7% nationwide increase in sports gambling from 2022. At least 19 states saw their revenues jump by at least 10%, and several of these states saw revenues increase by more than 40%. |
| [Friday Joke] 89-year-old Ron Chester was stopped by the police around 2 a.m. and was asked where he was going at that time of night. Ron replied, “I’m on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late.” The officer asked, “Really? Who’s giving that lecture at this time of night?” Ron replied, “That would be my wife. |
 [Saint Swift] Hoping to appeal to younger potential parishioners, the Church of the Holy Spirit in Heidelberg, Germany, dedicated two services on Sunday to Taylor Swift. As part of this special liturgy, worshipers received pink programs and a band performed six of the pop star’s hits. Pastor Vincenzo Petracca also incorporated Swift lyrics into his sermon, including: “Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby.” The church, affiliated with the Protestant Church in Germany, is considering offering similar services for artists like Beyoncé and Billie Eilish. |
| [Kayak Excursion] The Florida Keys Wildlife Society proudly announces our final excursion of the season this coming Wednesday May 22nd. Big Pine Kayak Adventures is sponsoring this fundraising event with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Refuges of the Florida Keys. Please meet at the Old Wooden Bridge Resort & Marina 1791 Bogie Dr, Big Pine Key at 6:15 p.m. so we can get you set up with a kayak and gear. We’ll be departing about 6:45 p.m. Call Bill with your questions 305-872-7474 and then sign up on the events page of Floridakeyswildlifesociety.org. Space is limited so reserve yours now. If your Mother’s Day celebration didn’t live up to expectations, here’s a great way to make it up to Mom |
 [Ouch Department] Man is stung in testicles by a scorpion at the Venetian hotel as Las Vegas. The man’s suit comes amid a wave reports of scorpions invading properties across ‘Sin City’ and its suburbs — including America’s most lethal species, the Arizona bark scorpion. One homeowner, who claims to have killed ‘over 22 scorpions’ on his property in recent months, told local news that he suspects the deadly southwestern species has snuck into the city aboard palm trees imported for tract homes and other desert landscaping projects. Link |
| [Good News] Wednesday had some welcome economic news, as inflation eases and stocks hit new highs. |
 A growing number of people in China are buying AI-generated avatars of loved ones to help process their grief, raising a number of ethical and legal questions. Tang, the founder of SenseTime, spoke from beyond the grave as a digital clone created by the company’s engineers using a large language model machine learning program trained on video and audio clips of the deceased boss. |
| [Apple iPad Pro (2024) Review] So pretty and full of potential. With a new processor and a clever OLED display, the newest flagship iPad promises lots of AI-powered wizardry in the future. Link |
 [0] What campgrounds are there in BPK? |
| [Warsaw Ghetto] May 16, 1943. The uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto came to an end, concluding weeks of fighting between the Jewish occupants of the ghetto and their Nazi oppressors. At least 13,000 Jews were killed during the uprising, which became the single largest act of Jewish rebellion during World War II. |
 The Florida Keys band Voodu Sol will be back at the Looe Key Tiki Bar, Friday May 17. Come on out and dance to the Keys Funkiest band and some of the finest Blues Rock musicians in the Keys. Don’t drink at home alone, come dance or watch the ladies dance. Starting at 7 and going till at least 11. Get your funk out! Video |
| [Autonomous Vehicles] More than three-quarters of people think they are better at driving than autonomous vehicles. A survey polled 580 people and found that 77% think themselves superior to autonomous cars, while 60% think other humans are worse drivers. |
 [Free Diploma] No-cost Mini-MBA from FIU. A fully-virtual program this fall for small businesses. Requirements: a minimum 1 year in business, $25,000-$1M income, and 1-10 employees. After successful completion you are eligible for a grant between $2,500 to $10,000. If interested, apply here: https://app.santanderx.com/calls/csb10. Deadline June 1, 2024.Eligible food services: Florida Keys restaurants; food trucks; micro-breweries; bakeries; ice cream, sandwich, coffee, or donut shops; smoothies, etc. |
I couldn’t afford to take the kids to Sea World, so I took them to the fish market and said, “Shhh, they’re sleeping.” |
| Gas just went down by double digits across Florida. Will prices continue to drop? Link |
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 [Gardening in the Keys] Growing sodium chloride crystals. I discovered a way to grow transparent sodium chloride crystals at home. Here’s how. Sodium chloride, or table salt, has a cubic crystal structure. But the salt we use for cooking normally looks more like sand. Link |
| [Deepfake Scam] UK engineering firm Arup falls victim to £20m deepfake scam. Hong Kong employee was duped into sending cash to criminals by AI-generated video call. Link |
 How does a composting toilet work? Ditch the flush. Everything you need to know about the flush-free alternative. Link |
| A man died while freediving off Key West early Thursday afternoon. He died as a boat was taking him to Coast Guard Station Key West, where paramedics were waiting |
| [Friday Jokelet] I’m reading a good book, “Caught In My Zipper, by Dick Hertz” |
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| The current Coconut Telegraph was published on 5/17/24 at 8:38 am. |