[Boating] I want my money back. This summer has been real nice on land with low temperatures and cool breezes, but I’m a boater and hate it. Wind makes waves on the water and it’s no fun for recreational boaters like myself. Sure, I’d rock and roll on the ocean if someone were paying me, but I’m just driving around, snorkeling and wallowing as recreation. This summer is worst for recreational boating that I can remember. There is never a sunny day without wind. It used to be that in summer it was always hot and sunny with the daily thunderstorm passing by in about twenty minutes to a half hour — then more sun. I don’t remember the weather like this when it’s overcast most of the day. It’s never been overcast in the summer. And I’ve never seen days where it drizzled all day like this summer. That’s unheard of here.

Old 7 Mile Bridge fix could top $71 million! Link

[Bug and Weed Killer] Salt kills all weeds. Bleach kills all bugs and weeds. Vinegar kills weeds and some bugs. The bleach also whitens pea rock. Do not mix in the same container. A small 15 watt light bulb (an incandescent light bulb) will keep mold from forming if the light covers all areas. The old sticky tape fly catcher works for all flying bugs. Mosquitos killed more humans than all wars combined.

[Bridge Repair] What’s the poster’s problem with Pigeon Key? Why is he so focused on Pigeon Key? He seems to think the Old Seven Mile Bridge repair fiasco is driven by them. They are minor players in this problem. The Old Seven Mile Bridge is a Keys landmark visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year (very few make it to Pigeon Key). One of the few free things to do in the Keys. I’ll bet he’s never walked the bridge and enjoyed the view, well not in the last twenty years at least.

Even though it’s about the only worthwhile free thing to do in the Keys and the politicians do decide to repair it, which no doubt they will, the bridge should pay for itself. End the free walks and charge the tourist to walk the bridge. I don’t want to pay a dime for it.

Nothing is good in this world unless you can share it. ~Robert Mitchim — Out of The Past 1947

I read the Citizen of the Day in the KW Citizen every day looking for someone to say something other than, “I like long walks on the beach” or some such cliched comment. Today was a relief when Diane Heberle said she likes it here for “that magic moment in the evenings when that unique fragrance from the trees and flowers is carried by the tradewinds with the hum of insects under clear skies to create a feeling of peace on our little pearl of an island.” Kudos to you, Diane!

[Gun Nuts in Government] The recent uproar over armed EPA agents descending on a tiny Alaska mining town is shedding light on the fact that 40 federal agencies – including nearly a dozen typically not associated with law enforcement — have armed divisions. Link

[Losing My Mind] I was looking in my closet, choosing a shirt, when I lost my mind. In the emergency room the doctor said, “It’s benign, and it will happen only once in your life.” He gives it a name: transient global amnesia, in other words, inexplicable short-term memory loss. For four hours my brain has replayed the same two-minute loop, recording nothing and missing large chunks of the recent past. I’ll recover, but it could take days. The only long-term effect, he says, is that I’ll never remember these four hours. Ever. Link

Great link to Internet Service Provider (ISP) stuff. Especially the free ISP link if you can actually find one still in operation. Link

Solution to expensive grinder pumps.  Bolt a toilet to the floor and then get those big heavy duty green trash bags with the draw strings. Do not connect any water or drain pipes whatsoever. Install the big green bag inside the dry toilet then let ‘er rip until full, pull the strings tight and deliver to the FKAA plant.  Next!

“Living on an Island” boat tour of house for sale on Cedar Drive. I hope to meet YOU in the Keys real soon! Video
Sincerely, Nira

Bobby Shew, trumpet player legend, performs Stompin’ at the Savoy on the “Shewhorn”. Music Video

[“When is Verizon fiber optics coming to the Keys”] Never. I live up-state in a County next to Tampa with a population of over 600,000 and fiber optics is not coming here, and never coming to a small population county like Monroe.

Your challenge of dropping Putin off in a rough section of Chicago would probably go a little different than you think. With his KGB training he really is a badass, unlike our Whiner-in-Chief. I am not saying that he is a nice guy or that I approve of him, I just would not want to have to face him in a one on one knife fight.

[Infrastructure] Florida bridges are some of the best in the nation.  Link

[“Use Cash”] You’ve got to watch the movie “In Time”, a sifi flick where, for cash, you can buy additional years on your life. That will scare you.

[Infanticide] Researchers long viewed infanticide and similar acts of maternal skulduggery as pathological, a result of the mother’s being under extreme stress. It made little genetic sense for a mother to destroy her young, and maternal nurturing was assumed to be a hard-wired affair. More recently, scientists have accrued abundant evidence that ‘bad’ mothering is common in nature and that it is often a centerpiece of the reproductive game plan. Pandas, for example, often practice a postnatal form of family planning, giving birth to what may be thought of as an heir and a spare, and then, when the heir fares well, walking away from the spare with nary a fare-thee-well.

Shortly after an elephant gave birth at the Shendiaoshan Wild Animal Nature Reserve in Rongcheng, China, she rejected the calf. She didn’t just reject him, the mother elephant stepped on him. Squish Video

[“Bugs”] We use Amdro ant bait which works for fire ants, especially carpenter ants, as well as black ants and sugar ants. The granules are a bait which the ants take back to the nest for the queen to eat and die. I sprinkle the bait around the deck and watch the ants carry it back to the nest. In the house I put some on a small piece of foil. I believe I found it at Home Depot for less than $15. It’s much better than pesticides.

[“Use Cash”] And get your very own big red flag in your Government file. Try buying an airline ticket with cash, rent a car, a cruise, even a good hotel suite, forget a firearm!

[Anarchist] Let’s eliminate all government and see what happens.

Red Footed Tortoise babies. Hatched 8 weeks ago. Ready for good homes. $100.00. Classified Ads > Pets

[“Slicker than owl snot”]  How did you learn owl snot is slick? Come on, give it up!

[Jersey Girls] Since the boardwalk in Seaside Park NJ has burned, the Jersey girls are thinking of heading south earlier this year. 

[Superstition] If the tap drips, it is the sign of a storm.

[Rocket] Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., will postpone by at least 24 hours the launch of its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft on a demonstration mission to the International Space Station. The new launch window is targeted for Wednesday, Sept. 18 between 10:50 to 11:05 a.m. EDT from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad-0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia. Link

[Heavy Stuff!]  One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. It is the same for anything else that is called the way. If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all Ways and be more and more in accord with his own.

My favorite Spam recipes. Yum. Link 

Monty Python–Spam Song

[The Last Frontier] Yesterday, NASA announced that after 36 years in space, the probe Voyager 1 has left our galaxy and entered interstellar space! Video

NSA’s “Follow the Money” spies on your credit/debit/banking transactions, but more than likely you knew that already. Link

[Rowell’s Marina] I read the Editorial in Sunday’s Key West Citizen’s  which stated: Stop, think, postpone decision on Rowell’s.  Acquiring Rowell’s Marina history in the Upper Keys goes way back in time. 15 plus residents started meeting here in Key Largo as far back as 2005 and continues meeting to this day.  We meet with groups from the Federation of Homeowners, Key Largo Community Preservation Foundation, the Key Largo Chamber, the Tavernier Community Association, the Key Largo Civic Club, the Sons & Daughters of Italy, the Key Largo Lions Club, the Upper Keys Business and Professional Women’s Association, the Key Largo Rotary Club, the Key Largo Kiwanis Club, the Scenic Highway Alliance, the Heritage Trail, and members of Monroe County Growth Management.   

The County Administrator as far back as 2009 held close to 24 introductory meetings throughout Key Largo about the Rowell’s Marina purchase.  Is this acting in haste?  Does this sound like we are not carefully giving deliberation before purchasing 8 acres of waterfront property that all taxpayers in Monroe County could enjoy and take pride in for future generations?

The purchase of Rowell’s Marina by the BOCC is not a whim as was the purchase of Hickory House by “The Gang of Three”. The County is doing its due diligence by requiring a “clear title and environmental amassment”. Contaminated tanks were removed in 2005, but the county is requiring clean closure reports, then the county would have 60 days to conduct its own environmental review. If any contaminants are found the owner is given 120 days, on his dime, to clean it up.

These groups of respectable business owners, taxpayers, residents, and community leaders have been also doing our own due diligence these past 8 years. We have scrutinized in detail, inspected roads into the property and surroundings, layout of the property, looked at ways this property could be a self-sustaining business and not a drain on our taxpayers.  I am for saving our taxes and getting the best bang for our hard earned bucks.

I along with many other residents have been a participant in this issue since selling of Rowell’s Marina in 2005.  We have followed the meetings and arguments about transferring ROGO allocations from Big Pine to Key Largo to build the 130 plus luxury condos on that waterfront and throwing out the residents at the affordable housing Seahorse Trailer Park.

We have three out of 5 Commissioners supporting purchasing of the vacant bayfront property into County ownership for water access and event space, which would be a boost in the arm of Key Largo and help support our businesses and community, but this vote will take 4 out of the 5 Commissioners to get this job done.  Reaching out to all of you Commissioners for this vote of confidence we will make this a non cost to the taxpayers of Monroe County.

We are asking support from the Editorial Board of the Key West Citizen which is made up of Key West citizens to re-think and re-evaluate their thoughts about purchasing Rowell’s Marina. Citizens, and business owners here in Key Largo have put lots of time, brain-storming, creativity, imagination, resourcefulness, ingenuity and have visions for this astonishing opportunity to purchase this magnificent 8 acres of  waterfront property for the whole of the Florida Keys. After all, it is the opening act to coming down to see you in Key West.

The many household uses for vinegar. Link

[Captain Doom and Gloom] “Fiber optics” Strings and cans are the only things still running in the Keys. Those old phone lines are rotting off the poles, but we are not important (money) enough for AT&T (they own it all and rent to subs) to fix it.

The only real way to delete all data on a hard drive is to melt it, then dump the ashes into the sea.

Could it be Commissioner Nugent is from Marthon instead of representing the lower Keys. He wants to spend all the millions for the people of Marathon on the Old Seven Mile Bridge. Also we should keep an eye on Venture Out to make sure every property owner pays their fair share of the sewer costs like the rest of us unrepresented people. Remember Shark Key and the commissioners giving our money to them and the other wealthy enclave Duck Key and their sweet deal.

[Obamacare Mystery] It’s remarkable that no one in the country understands Obamacare, but most people are against it even though they don’t understand it. I blame the Right for their relentless campaign to discredit such a complicated and major change in health care even though they don’t understand it either.

[Health Insurance] Monroe County ranks 9th in Fla. for uninsured residents. I’ll bet they’d like Obamacare.

[America’s Weak] Take a look at the four covers of Time magazine. No “America’s weak and waffling” for American readers! Nope, that might be a little more truth than they are prepared to handle. You wouldn’t want to take any chances with those pesky voters. Historically, the purpose of the press was to inform people. But the principal purpose of our laughably misnamed mainstream media is to prevent people from learning things that might not be good for them. Or, rather, for the Democratic Party. Link

[Moderate Muslims]  a Moderate Muslim is the one without the bomb strapped to his chest.

This morning Fox News released yet another Republican “bombshell” report on Benghazi, but I don’t remember what it said.

John McCain’s theme song. War — Edwin Starr

Is it OK to say on the CT that from the start Obama made eliminating Osama Bin Laden a priority of his administration and actually followed through on it?  Or does that cost extra?

After morning briefings on the crisis in Syria 6 ideas for Obama supporters on how to spin this.
1. Impressive to work on a Saturday, when most ordinary golfers head straight for the course.
2. 27! Wow! Most golfers poop out after 18 holes.
3. A round and a half. A circle followed by an elegant a semi-circle. Creative! Who but Obama thinks of such things? Brilliant!
4. Oh, how much new is there really on any given day about Syria? What difference at this point does it make?
5. Why do you think they call them “briefings”? They’re brief.
6. You don’t want to get into the weeds — in briefings as in golf. Note: You’ve got to be careful with the “weed” imagery. The mind drifts here, but the point is Jimmy Carter micromanaged, and Obama is not like Carter.

 Let’s review. First of all Putin is no hero to the right, he is a vicious thug who is wholly devoted to returning Russia to the power that it held during the cold war as the USSR. There is no question but that Putin ate Obama’s lunch on the Syria problem. If you are to believe that Obama trumped Putin, then you must believe that it was Obama’s intent all along to draw Putin into the mix. It’s patently obvious that was not the case because nearly immediately after Obama’s sabre rattling threat of unilateral missile strikes on Syria, he began backpedaling and reneging. Remember his “I drew a red line”, then “I didn’t draw a red line, the world drew a red line.” Remember his bragadocious chest thumping stand that he didn’t need congressional approval, then he reneged as said that he wanted congressional approval.  Who can forget Obama’s bellicose threat to go to war, then his surrogate saying that any strike would be “astonishingly small?

The only rational view is that Putin saw a chance to boost his power and prestige by bailing the floundering  Obama out of his sinking ship of threats. In so doing he diminished whatever power and prestige we still hold in the world.

Trusting Russia or Syria in this matter is a fool’s errand. Already, Syria is shipping huge portions of his chem warfare inventory to Iran.  The Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal reported that last Sunday Syria had sent a convoy of trucks laden with Syrian chem warfare inventory to Iran. The odds are that the machinery that was sent was the same machinery that was sent to Syria by Saddam for safekeeping. In any case it’s more than a safe bet that the machinery was purchased from Russia.

Putin is no longer Syria’s arms benefactor, he is now’ Assad’s protector.

Rebel leader General Salim Idriss told CNN: “Russia is a partner with the regime in killing the Syrian people. A crime against humanity has been committed and there is not any mention of accountability.”

Part 2) Recently we thought about a few of our State Representative, Holly Raschein’s, efforts and accomplishments for us here in the Keys. Today, let’s think about a few more.

She worked hard on delivering more affordable housing to the Keys. She championed an amendment to the Community Development bill which authorizes the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to prioritize the funding of affordable housing projects in the Florida Keys because of the challenging envir onmental, land use, transportation, workforce, and economic factors in the Keys that make it difficult to successfully finance and construct affordable housing.

Rep. Raschein brought the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to Key West to see Roosevelt Blvd  project and host a town hall to address community concerns related to the construction project. Her efforts resulted in the DOT revising  their plans to allow for two-way traffic on the Boulevard as early as can be safely managed and the Secretary has promised personally that the project will be completed on time “rain or shine.”

She is championing the passage of a distilleries bill that will allow local distilleries (including several here in Monroe County) to sell their product on site and help promote small business operations throughout the state.  Just think about that. “ The ‘Nut Rum distilled right here on BPK.

There is more, much more, but we’ll think about it another day.

Republican State Representative Holly Raschein has been working hard, very hard, to make Monroe and Florida a better place to live. I’m certain that she’d appreciate hearing from you. I suggest you visit her web site. Link