Monday, December 17, 2012

I live in fear. A week ago a 76 year old man called me from Washington state. He told me his aunt had died and he found a picture of my mom and dad’s Wedding in 1954. He has been researching for 10 years for the Walinsky family history. He discovered that my great grandfather had 2 brothers with him when they came to Ellis Island. He has copies of immigrant papers. Lacking writing skills, one brother changed his name to Walinski, the other brother changed his to Balinsky.

I am worried that I am related to Sloan. I do not talk to midnight monsters, and I do not have people come to me in my dreams and I do not feel the need to run in every election. I do read all the stuff he writes.

Now I fear the angels are going to start talking to me! (Ed: Oh, you poor soul. Don not fear, I can save you! Sloan’s name is Bashinsky not Balinsky so you may sleep in peace. Merry Christmas.)

[Marathon Journal] January 21st at Jesse Hobbs Park will be a celebration of Doctor Martin Luther King’s life. His worldwide famous “I have a dream” speech is one of the best speeches of all time. You should plan on attending. The Journal is going to try to setup our vendor tent to help the celebration be more successful than last year and the year after that.

-Duncan Donuts and Valero gas station is now open for business. The donuts are addictive, and gas is usually on the low end for price per gallon. This new business almost did not make it to its grand opening.
-Go carts at Sun Motors. This is a holiday activity that is just plain fun. The local business has all sorts of other things on sale and to do.
-Winn-Dixie cold aisle is the Keys equivalent of the Artic freeze! The register tapes are still a couple of feet long.
-Marathon Planning Commission should be responsible for all eight actionable items. It is time to make that change. Any appeals would go to council first, before circuit court.
– Keys AHEC keys to health has smoking cessation programs. Businesses are less effective with smokers as employees. 305-743-0711 ext. 205 www.keystoquitsmoking.com. 
-There is a long list that the Fashion Police specify as good, bad, and ugly, mostly ugly. No socks with sandals. No dress shirts with shorts. No black socks with anything. Wear long socks with dress shoes, long pants, conservative shirt and jacket, but no ties! Ties are major no-no in the Florida Keys. Consider your Florida shirts as Keys Formal. Anyone else have items to add to the list? ~Publisher@MarathonJournal.US

Hogfish Restaurant, Stock Island’s men’s room.

[“Key Largo district commission Sylvia Murphy speaks against the citizens  It is clear that she does not serve the best interest of the public’s health or welfare, and has no respect for the law or treating residents fairly”] This sentiment is being expressed more frequently, and much more openly, in the Upper Keys.  The dissatisfaction with her as a commissioner is growing.  The most often heard complaint is having to placate her ego. The lastest complaint is her hiring a new assistant at a higher salary than the job requires or deserves, and that the new assistant was picked long before anybody knew the job was available.  Also well known is that she actively practices the “it’s who you know and bow to” way of doing things.   ~fixmonroe@yahoo.com

Video games have desensitized people to death. These games provide instant gratification for all their frustrations. They’ve also desensitized them to human interaction. Kids today can’t sit and talk to one another, they can only do it through electronic devices. Watch a group of them together. They don’t talk they text.

[Children Murdered] This isn’t just a gun control issue, it’s bigger than that. We have to figure out how to stop certain young people from being conditioned by violent video games and music into acting it out in the real world. That’s a task. 

Remember when young people were playing Dungeons and Dragons and lost all sense of reality? They actually started believing that they were in the games. Young people today have lost touch with the real world and it’s realities. They don’t associate consequences with their actions and go through life as if it were a video game. They’re under the impression everyone will spawn back after they die. Then, when they do something horrible like this, they realize that everyone they shot is actually dead forever and they can’t handle that. So, they kill themselves. We have got to figure a way to bring kids back to reality.

Today marks the first controlled, sustained flight in a power-driven airplane. 

I love the picture of the cute puppy with a Santa hat in the banner.

The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is none if it has tried to contact us.

[Mass Murder] My heart goes out to the victims and family of Sandy Hook, and despite the left’s calling for gun bans, that’s not the solution to the problem as then only criminals will have guns. We need an armed population as the police cannot be everywhere at all times, also to avoid our nation becoming easily invaded by a large country Red Dawn-movie-style. 

The better solution is securing such weaponry when it’s out of physical control of the stable person given licensed permission to own them and they recognizing who should and shouldn’t posses them. We are not allowed to move a several ton machine 65 mph down the Turnpike with out training, insurance, safe handling and safe care and a license, so why not weapons? 

Forget the whole “if the government rises against it’s citizens” armed rebellion argument, anyone who thinks they can win a war with pea-shooters verses the superior weaponry of the US Military needs to have their guns removed and head examined. 

Calling all vendors:  Habitat’s 4th annual Island Grass Music Fest will be held on Sunday, January 27 from 1-6 pm at Boondocks.  There is plenty of space for vendors,  more room for Conch Chowder Cook-Off entries and more room for the gigantic Silent Auction.  There is a great line-up of local musicians:  Bill Blue, the Doerfel Family, Howard Livingston, Terry Cassidy & Gary Hempsey Band, Pat McCune and Magnolia-A Cajun Band.  We expect a huge crowd, as always. For more info Bulletin Board

[“Drug Task Force sweep on BPK”] Never happen, where would they put them all?  Come on, quit dicking around and legalize drugs.  The DEA guys will have to find real jobs. So will the lawyers, judges, parole, and prison system folks.

In 1989, the first episode of The Simpsons aired.

Gun nuts think assault weapons will be enough to defeat the US military if our government goes crazy and an armed rebellion is necessary. Have any of them ever seen an F-22 in action? Those militia survivalists think that their assault weapons will do the job. Ha! It’s all just macho gun nut bullshit. The only thing assault weapons are good for in civilian hands is for mass murder.

Obama says “Enforcing pot laws in states that have legalized it not a top priority.” Link 

Turkey Point nuclear plan could affect Keys water.

Thinking the unthinkable: on mental health, my son, and gun violence. In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk about mental illness. Link

As Fla. nears 1 million gun carry permits, the Keys are number 2. Link

[Homeless Day] It often takes a special event to change the way one looks at things.  An event that impacted me was the  2010 memorial service for homeless persons who had died in the Upper Keys.  As each person’s name was called and a candle lit to recognize their life, I realized this might be the only memorial service this person would have.  A light was ignited in my heart that day. 

Prior to attending the service, I was somewhat fearful of homeless people. I always looked the other way when I saw them in the Islamorada library, outside Winn Dixie or walking down the highway. Their humanness was invisible to me.  Thanks to this service, I had a change of heart – an opening of my heart – that allowed me to feel compassion and loving kindness for the homeless.

Friday, December 21, is National Homeless Persons Memorial Day (www.nationalhomeless.org) and special services will be held across the country.  The Upper Keys memorial service will be held from Noon until 1:00 at Settler’s Park, MM 91.8 Oceanside, next door to the Sunshine Market.  Settler’s Park is one of several Community Peace Parks, jointly sponsored by Keys To Peace and the Student Peace Alliance of Coral Shores H.S. 

This year’s service will especially honor veterans who died in our midst while homeless. Plans also call for a flute concert and the ringing of a peace bell to honor each person’s life. The public is invited to attend and bring canned food for the local food pantries. 

Raptors is not a species. And do you even know what the classification “endangered” means?

Did you ever notice that actor Gerard Depardieu’s nose looks like his bum should look.

Going home

[Coconuts] I haven’t been in the ‘Nut in a long time since I got 86’d by some of the staff at that time.  However, after midnight on a Friday night, there showed up some of choicest sweeties that you never seen anywhere else around here.  I wish I knew where they were kept penned up during the day.

A Scrooge fired about 50 shots in the parking lot of a crowded Southern California shopping mall, sending shoppers sprinting for safety, was cooperative when officers took him into custody, authorities said Sunday. In New York another Scrooge shot two police officers.

Something has to be done about all the mad men shooters. The answer is not more guns, there are far too many as it is. Do you think everyone should be armed and dangerous like it was in the Old West? Do you think America should be like one big ghetto? Is that what you gun nuts want? I don’t think there is a solution. Confiscating guns is not the solution and tighter gun control isn’t either. I think one thing all the shooters have in common is a fascination with guns.

[Pervert] Lower Keys man accused of fondling 12 year old girl. Link

Do not. Repeat, do not download Speedfan unless you want a bunch of advertising and a bunch of downloads that will clog up your computer. 

It’s time to ban video games that teach assault or are won by killing. It’s time to tell Hollywood to turn off the violent movies. It’s time kids get outside to play, run their fat asses off and quit eating bags of shit and salt while they play XBox. What happened to Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best?

It’s not the guns, it’s the lack of parenting and the addition of psychotropic drugs that’s causing these kids to flip out.

[“Don’t be a lemming and smoke dope”] Sorry about all your f**ked up relatives. Merry Christmas.
Afroman – Because I got high

[Children Slaughtered] One more reason I don’t believe in God. “It’s God’s will.” “Some good will come out of this.” “He has a plan.” ” He moves in mysterious ways.”

[“Don’t be a lemming”]  All those burnouts had their day in the sun when they were cool and hep and admired and got lots of quiff and looked down on us squares who didn’t know where it was at.  To them I say, see you, wouldn’t want to be you.

The world will end in 5 days on December 21 during the Winter Solstice. Count down link. Link 

I wonder why a guy with all that firepower only killed two in a crowded mall?  Here’s what the national media chose not to tell us. Link

Headline I never thought I’d see.

Nira Tocco has a beautiful new listing in Doctor’s Arm. Video tour

[Feed the Poor] As we give thanks for the blessings in our lives this holiday season, it’s certain we not forget those who may not be as fortunate. Help us help them. We’ve placed a 52 gallon barrel in our office with a goal of filling it each and every week so we can deliver your donations to a local food bank. Please feel free to drop off any non-perishable people and pet food you’d like to donate at American Caribbean Real Estate next to Boondocks. Thanks in advance for your help.

Keep the “mas’ in Feliz Navidad

What are the days/hours that the Visitor’s Center at the Key Deer Refuge are open? Bulletin Board > Deer Refuge Visitor Ctr > Government

Here is another one, Trevor [Teens4Oceans]. Mike from Daddy Bones BBQ in Key West says, “If you need help with underwater camera installation contact him at jamesharden5@gmail.com.   Please acknowledge receipt of these last to emails.  I am happy to find out there are still good people here in the Keys.

According to the Mayan calendar the world id ending in 4 days. Oreo says not to worry. 

Turn signals are to be used yes, but only turn them on when you are actually going to turn at the next left or right, not when you plan on turning — eventually.   Turn signals should also be activated a hundred feet before the turn, not as you are turning the steering wheel because we already know by that time.

[Massive bird killings] The USDA has been under fire recently for its admitted assault against nature, after multiple investigations have uncovered its deliberate tampering with both plants and animals alike.   One such investigation has put an end to the mystery surrounding the death of millions of birds, with USDA documents revealing the organization’s role in the massive slaughter.  In addition to the mass bird killings, it turns out the USDA was fully aware that a highly-popular herbicide chemical was a known bee-killer, which has caused a huge decline in the number of bees.   

Feds plan to shoot another endangered Mexican Gray Wolf. The US Fish and Wildlife Service  has contrived a way to shoot yet another endangered Mexican gray wolf, one of only 58 left in the wild. Wolf F118, their intended target, is  head of the Fox Mountain pack, and is one of only six successful wild mothers.

As a person that enjoys the constant back and forth with FTR with both of us calling each other whacks and Communist, I hope his reason for not posting isn’t health related, but if it is I wish him well and I hope he can have an enjoyable Christmas season. God speed my friend.

Maybe he’s waiting in line to get his picture taken with our President for his Christmas card (sorry, it’s a habit). Get well!

The difference between a liberal and a conservative is that the conservative takes his own money, gives it  to others, and feels humble; whereas, the liberal takes other peoples’ money by force, gives it to favored constituencies, and feels smug and self-righteous about it.

“Jesus did not ask us to help the needy through the government, but individually as a personal responsibility.” So quit carping about raising taxes to help people, get off your sorry, er, couch, and go do something to help. Buy that guy his meal, help out at the soup kitchen, donate your out of style stuff to the Salvation Army, do that which you can. Don’t push this off on the rest of us in the form of taxes if it’s something you want done. Chances are those you want to take from are already doing more than you, so pitch in.  Quit trying to tell me that paying more taxes to help those in need is the Christian thing to do.

[Decoder Ring] Maybe we should all send for one. It’s going to come in handy for the next four years. I hope we all get shovels for Christmas–it’s getting pretty deep out there!

Bring back the FTR Guy.

From the Right

(Ed: The FTR guy is indisposed. He’ll be back soon.)