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(Editor: Oops I lost the menu fiddling around in the cloud. I’ll get it back this Thursday. Please use the above one until then.)

Big Pine Key Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Skills and Seamanship classes.  Today, I am sending you a photo of our latest graduating class.  It is our largest class in several years.

[Iguana Killers Club President Resigns]Detective Brummer’s notes:

“I started working on this. I searched for the name of Kander Bluff in MCSO MNI and DAVID. No name was in the system. I went to the website for the suspect,  http://lacult.com/ and has Key West, FL33040 and a email address of kanderbluff@yahoo.com. I searched the email address through TLO, and it would not allow me to search the email address because you would have to pay more for the service. I called Rachel, in HIDTA, who is currently trying to locate information from the email address.  Once I get more, I will let you know.

Today, I went and spoke with Xxxxx Xxxxx, Aka: Kander Bluff (Iguana Killers Club, President). I explained to him, the sheriff’s office had received a complaint via email about killing cats. I explained to him after doing extensive research, I was able to match his Facebook page with his actual Xxxxx photo. I also explained his name was linked to a website, www.lacult.com which also had the Iguana Killers Club name associated with it. David confessed to writing the articles in bigpinekey.com and said he would not write anymore. He stated, he was doing this because he was bored (retired) and had nothing to do. His wife, Xxxxx explained to me she knew Xxxxx would eventually get in trouble for writing the posts online. Xxxxx stated, the club is not real and they do not meet to kill animals.  I asked him to stop writing these posts and he agreed to do so. Any questions, let me know.

If you don’t know Xxxxx Xxxxx, he is a retired ABT Agent from the Keys. He was the agent in charge in the lower Keys for many years.” (Ed: I edited this to protect the guilty.)

Capt Gene Thompson, District Commander-Lower Keys, Monroe County Sheriffs Office. gthompson@keysso.net

Eagles right here on Big Pine Key on Key Deer Blvd Feb 16.

[Retired president of the IKC] It is estimated that there are over a million feral cats in Florida and that they are really decimating the aviary population at an alarming rate, not to mention the endangered Marsh rabbit and turtle eggs. Mature feral cats can’t be re-domesticated. This problem of so many feral cats is the sole responsibility of irresponsible cat owners that failed to have their cats spayed or neutered. Yes, cat owners themselves and no one else is to be blamed for this out of control problem. Recently there was an approved python hunt that only netted 68 pythons. Of course it cost a few bucks (tax) to register for the hunt so the State made a few bucks of the deal. Someone needs to step up to the plate and get a government approved feral cat hunt. This could be a sensitive issue as no one wants to be accused of killing fluffy but something needs to be done. It’s somewhat like gun control; something needs to be done now. Whereas feral cats are not listed as protected or endangered the Iguana Killers Club’s attorney is looking into the legality of using high powered air rifles through the DEP for such a hunt. 

eBook reading up. Print reading down according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project survey, more Americans read eBooks in the past year, with 23 percent of those aged 16 and over going digital in 2012, versus 16 percent in 2011. The survey also found that those who read print books fell to 67 percent from 72 percent. The overall percentage of book readers dipped a bit, from 78 percent in late 2011 to 75 percent.

[A New Level of Tech Support] I had trouble with my phone and called my carrier Ting. While trouble shooting I forgot about the vegetables I was sautéing and they burnt. This is the tech support confirmation letter I received. I’d like to see your Indian tech support people top this service.

Chi Szczesniak (Ting Help & Support). Thank you for calling in today – it was a pleasure talking to you! I’m so glad that we were able to get to the bottom of the mystery – it turns out that the app was causing *69 or *68 to be dialed before all outgoing calls. Now that the app has been removed, you are all set to go. And the even better news is that you can now focus on making your soup without adding more caramelization to it 😉

Garlic Soup
4 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced 
3 medium garlic cloves garlic, minced 
2 heads garlic, rinsed, papery skins removed and top third of heads cut off and discarded
6 – 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
1 lb Red Bliss potatoes (unpeeled), cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Set a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pot.

Add the butter and give it a minute to melt, then add the onions and cook until they’ve softened, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the garlic heads, 6 cups of the chicken broth, bay leaves and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium-high, partially cover the pot the bring the soup to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking until the garlic is very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 30-40 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue simmering (still partially covered) until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and discard. Remove the garlic heads, and squeeze at the root end so the cloves slip out of the skins (the heads will be hot, it’s easier if you hold them with paper towels or tongs to do this). Use a fork to mash the garlic cloves into a smooth paste.

Mix the cream, thyme and half of the garlic paste into the soup. Continue cooking until hot, about 2 minutes. Taste the soup and decide if you want to add the remaining garlic paste (we used all of it). Turn off the heat under the pot and puree the soup with an immersion blender (or, if you don’t have one, in a traditional blender – you’ll probably want to do it in a few batches.) I left some chunks of potato so the soup had more texture, but you could process it further if you want. You can thin the soup with the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth if desired – I left mine thick.

Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve, garnished with the garlic chips, chives, bacon, or your favorite garnish.

Ceremony to honor slaves who died in Key West. Link

Impact on Citizens’ windstorm policy move on Keys is unclear. Link

Za Za`s and Fat Albert. Which is it, alive or dead?

[Tapers] Long thin candles are hard to find unless it’s Christmastime. Doesn’t anyone have candle lit dinners. I can find the short and fat candles, but I can’t stuff them in my candelabra. Liberace would roll over in his grave if he knew tapers were so elusive in the Keys.

South Park is not for the impressionable types, but it’s seriously funny for the rest of us who have formed our own personalities to laugh at what we might have become.

Ted Nugent was a one riff wonder.

[Sea Level Rise and Key West International Airport] Don’t give up yet on Marathon Airport.  Getting Customs services established there is really good idea.  From what I hear, the elevation at KWIA is much lower than the six foot elevation at Marathon Airport.  Sea level rise will render Key West International Airport useless long before Marathon Airport is affected.  The County will need to switch their commercial air traffic to the dry lanes at Marathon, and once again, regardless of any other economic drivers, or the regional airline market, Marathon Airport will become the hub for commercial air traffic in the Keys.  FAA should be urged to approve those extensions on the Marathon airfield for exactly that reason, so MTH will be ready to assume the duty as the sole airport in the Keys in the foreseeable future.  Working towards constructing a manned control tower would also be a good eye to the future.  That would be a great use of Gulf Restore funds. Are the leaders of the County listening?  

So I know where the next Survivor should be filmed. “Survivor- Carnival vacation“. You’re welcome CBS.

[Peary Court Civilian–tax-free–Development] Gee, those hot shot corporate lobbyists in Tallahassee are good. They want the legislature to retroactively exempt Balfour Beatty from 11.7 million in property taxes from 2007. Gosh, if I rent an apartment to a DOD employee or retired military can I write that off my taxes too? I’ll even throw in a ticket to the Boat Races! Oh, the arrogance!

In October, the state Department of Revenue sided with Southeast Housing on several key points, claiming that Southeast, in its partnership with the military, does perform an “exempt use” and is exempt from local property taxes.

The Florida Department of Revenue is not a court of law. It is a state agency, whose boss is subject to political pressure from the Governor and the Florida Legislature (House of Representatives and Senate), and from powerful private interests, none of whom want to do anything to piss off the Navy or the Air Force, which have bases scattered around Florida, which provide mucho dinero for the Florida economy.

It was unknown Friday when Audlin will rule on the request for summary judgment.

Some judges I have known would take high offense over a politician in the state capitol, state capital would be more accurate in this case, trying to pass a law which would retroactively ( ex post facto ) erase the taxing rights of a city or county in which those judges lived and did their judging.

[Kelsey’s]  Been quite awhile since you’ve been in Marathon, right?  Kelsey’s and Faro Blanco resort is long gone.  The chef at Kelsey’s opened her own restaurant several years back, Annette’s Lobster and Steak House, (wow, what was the name of that restaurant back in the day? Ken’s Lobster and Steak House? I’ve forgotten.)  Anyway, Annette’s is in the same building, across the street from the FL Keys Electric Cooperative facility.  You probably don’t remember the Marathon Community Park, if you don’t know Kelsey’s and Faro Blanco are history, so I won’t use it for a landmark.  It’s just up the street from the Stuffed Pig on the corner, I know you’ll remember that. When you get back down, go check out Annette’s if you were fond of Kelsey’s.

South Park is one of those things that either you get it or you don’t. Irony, cynicism, irrevrence and sarcasm come to mind when thinking about it.

[Crooks] As I reached to open my door handle I noticed there was a hole right under it. My first thought was, someone has shot my truck. I began to think about it and inspect it a little closer and the “light” slowly began to come on. I phoned my friend who owns a body shop and asked if he had any vehicles with damage to the doors that looked like a bullet hole.

“Yes, I see it all the time. Thieves have a punch and place it right under the door handle, knock a hole through, reach in and unlock it, just as if they have a key. No alarms, broken glass, or anything.”

I then placed a call to my insurance agent and explained it to him. I was puzzled that they left my GPS and all other belongings.

“Oh no, he said, they want the break-in to be so subtle that you don’t even realize it. They look at your GPS to see where “home” is. Or check your address from Insurance and Registration in your glove box. Now, they know what you drive, go to your home, and if your vehicle isn’t there they assume you aren’t and break into your home.”

He said they will even leave a purse or wallet and only take one or two credit cards. By the time you realize there has been a theft, they may have already had a couple of days or more to use them. (I didn’t realize my situation for two full days!) They even give you the courtesy of re-locking your doors for you.

One would have to look pretty darn close to notice a hole like that. If the hole was on the passenger side I would never see.

Tiger pee?  I once found some ambergris. It more closely made me sick than rich. It has a musk odor that lingers, thus mixed with perfume, it hangs around longer. Ambergris is rare, and it is my suspicion it is no longer used apart from what might be esoterically implied. I think the musk of choice now is tiger pee. It is more readily obtainable. I had a colleague who reeked of a musk cologne. He was not very likeable and I secretly wished he would take a poke at me so I could express my dislike more physically. I often told him he smelled like tiger pee. Maybe he will read this and learn that he really did.

Prime Rib Dinner    Live Music

The post with the photo of Fat Albert was sent by me as an e-mail to friends in my address book. I didn’t send it to you and I would appreciate your help in removing it. I will send you another one with different wording, but that one was not meant to be shared with the public. Thank you so much.

This is an image of magnetic loops on the sun, captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). It has been processed to highlight the edges of each loop to make the structure more clear.

A series of loops such as this is known as a flux rope, and these lie at the heart of eruptions on the sun known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs.) This is the first time scientists were able to discern the timing of a flux rope’s formation.

I hate to see Zaza’s go under. We patronized the place, but anyone who says the food was good either doesn’t know good food or was a lot luckier than us. The competition for good food in the Key’s is just too fierce (yes, we are blessed with a lot of great restaurants – one on either side of ZaZas too).
Rule number one for a successful restaurant – have good food, price it right.
Rule number 2 – yup, as you expect, see rule #1

[Horse] Beauty in the water, angel on the beach. Link

Cheesecake recipes. Link

[Pot Kingpin – Mariel Boatlift Refugee] When the husband left the house to get more pot, several gunmen posing as police officers barged into the residence and stole about 50 pounds of the pot — triggering a retaliatory plot to kidnap one of the robbers, who would later be killed. Link

Python Challenge competitors turn in 68 snakes. It sounds like a needle in a haystack towards the problem, but at least some attention has been brought to the table. Link

Bring back the pollinator’s! Sign the pledge. Link

“Sylvia Murphy argued that bringing commercial power there is not about doing what’s best for the island, but increasing the property values of the people who bought homes there knowing they were not entitled to commercial power.” – keysnews.com

Commissioner Murphy should be ashamed of herself.  Her sentiment on the NNK issue is nothing short of selfish and mean-spirited.  Doing what is best in the interest of the quality of life for Monroe County taxpayers in north Key Largo and NNK is her job as Commissioner.  She is patently wrong in her ideation that they are “not entitled” to electricity (au contraire…) and improving one’s property value has never been illegal.  That she has allowed her contemptible disdain for the good people of No Name Key to affect her decision making in relation to her own constituents in Key Largo is close-minded indeed.  That she would support one single personal friend (Ms. Putney) over the rest of the island’s taxpaying citizens is disgraceful and unbecoming an elected official.  It’s time for this vituperative shrew to leave the dais for the good of the County. 

Ted Nugent is soo has-been that Boondocks hasn’t booked the Ted Nugent tribute band. They are more likely to book Ted Nugent. The measure of any successful musician is if Boondocks has booked their tribute band.  

When life knocks me down, instead of getting up I usually lay there and take a nap.

[“Murder-for-hire suspect’s friend Pete Policastro confronts Schmitt girlfriend Ginger Henderson”]I heard from a Marathon residnet who follows all things Marathon, that Shmitt’s current girlfriend is also Ralph’s former girlfriend.  Notice how all Ralph’s men associates all sound like NJ mafia.

The U.S. Navy’s sudden decision to halt all non-federal boat traffic in Key West Harbor as of Feb. 25 all but ends plans for a privately run marina and all that would generate economically at the Truman Waterfront. Link

Rockland Key Shopping Center looks to be inching closer. Anchor stores mentioned are Target or Walmart but nothing has been finalized. Link

I’m just like everyone else, I put my straight jacket on one buckle at a time.

I went to ZaZa’s for dinner tonight (Saturday). The problem is not the food or the prices. The problem is the lack of front management. The hostess was wearing a logo t-shirt, and it was not a ZaZa’s logo. We were seated ,and when our waiter came to the table he did not introduce himself to us. He brought bread and dipping sauce, but there was no set up, silverware or napkins on the table. He was not terribly familiar with the menu and made no mention of the specials for the evening. We were on our own to decipher the menu. I had to ask twice for refills on water and for grated Romano cheese for the appetizer. There did not appear to be any one in charge of the floor. No one circulating to check on the welfare of customers or to make them feel welcome. We might as well have been at Chuck e Cheese. The food, as usual, was great! 

Raccoons ripped right through my screen.  Once they had finished with everything sitting on my porch, the raccoons methodically shredded my screen door on the back of my house. It was a laborious undertaking and they worked every night while I was sitting and watching TV five feet away. It would begin with a light banging, which might be too quiet to hear if I wasn’t paying attention, but it always escalated quickly to a loud ripping sound like you might hear if you stuck your human hand through a screen door and started ripping it.

[Cat Picture Motherlode] Funny cat pictures with captions. Link

[Captain Doom and Gloom] “Cruise Ship Flounders” I bet the next time something like this happens on board any ship, the Port-a-Potties will be hanging off the freaking rails like life boats. How stupid can people be to clog up the toilets when anyone can dump overboard? Idiots all!  And do not give me the Environmental BS either !

Benghazi, the quintessential question beyond the obvious – letting a US Ambassador die on the vine while we did nothing – is how many more Benghazi’s (and other like barbarian attacks) will it take before policy makers finally stop the old worn out deception tune that Islam is only being high jacked by a few fanatics?  Send the ‘policy makers’ over there and it will instantly be fixed! FTA!

DEF; Oxymoron;  v, ‘intelligence of the CT readers’. SEE: Military Intelligence, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Honest Politicians

As far as ZAZA’S is concerned, all that has to be done is to get a chef who knows what he is doing for Real American-Italian cuisine, or better yet, real American middle class eats. Food, We the People, like, but you got to buy good stuff to make good stuff.

Then get the locals to bath, buy teeth, read Mr. Manners and ware decent cloths, then change that joint back into the local watering hole the way it was, dirty, simple, crude and the hang-out the low renters were used to. If the owners of all that property had any idea of how to run a real resort, people would come there to party, fish, dive, fly, and relax. But that is dreaming of the old days.

The Rocks are coming! The Rocks are coming! So, what the hell can you do about it? Ask a Russian. There’s no place to hide except for Happy Hour!

Murder Statistics for the world. Link

With this bill the traitor spawned from Kenyan sperm will turn this into a Spanish nation. Give citizenship to one and then he or she brings 4 or 5 or more in and they are “family” and automatic citizens. In ten years they will go from 20 million to over a hundred million.

No one cares about our children and what is going to happen to them. It just gets worse, every time a politician can screw the people he will. Amnesty for votes, welfare for votes, cell phones for votes. This is why the wealthy are leaving the United States. Link 

[Benghazi] The quintessential question beyond the obvious -letting a US Ambassador die on the vine while we did nothing – is how many more Benghazi’s (and other like barbarian attacks) will it take before policy makers finally stop the old worn out deception tune that Islam is only being high jacked by a few fanatics?

The Constitution does not grant us rights, rights are natural. The Constitution can be looked at as a restraining order against tyranny. 

I have come to the conclusion that nearly everything Barack Obama does under the color of his authority as president is designed to weaken our country economically, militarily and morally.

I don’t think I could ever make that statement about any of his predecessors – and there have been some real bad ones.

Let’s begin with his economic policies. It’s not that those policies have not worked as intended. The problem is that they have worked exactly as intended. As he told us while campaigning in 2008, it’s about redistributing the wealth. That’s what he thinks his job is. That’s what he believes he was elected to do. That’s what he thinks he has the power to do, and he fully intends to use it as he has through his first term.

Worse, he does this not with misguided idealism and benevolent intentions. He does it as socialists always do, to break the back of free enterprise, private property rights and an economy that while no means perfect is the best mankind has been able to use to uplift the poor and provide individual citizens with the incentives to be as productive as possible.

He also does it deceptively – by attacking the ultra-wealthy, corporate interests and banking establishment with tough rhetoric even while serving their interests and welcoming their contributions and support.

What about the military? How does the infusion of homosexuals, transvestites, transsexuals and women in combat roles make the U.S. military more effective? Does anyone even make that claim? Of course not. But it’s not just a wacky social experiment. It’s an active effort to undermine the effectiveness of the military. That’s the dirty little secret.

So is his misuse of the military – sending them to fight alongside Muslim Brotherhood terrorists while claiming to be fighting a war on terrorism. How about using the U.S. military to conduct targeted assassinations of U.S. citizens? Of course, he began his effort by targeting one of the least savory characters imaginable. That’s usually the way bad policies begin. But who will be next? There is no oversight for this policy. If Obama wants you dead, you get killed. It’s just that simple. 

What about his efforts to fundamentally transform America’s morality, based on the Judeo-Christian ethics that led to Western civilization as we know it? His attacks on the institution of marriage, which, until very recently, he disingenuously claimed to support, once again demonstrate that what Obama opposes is the unique self-governing society under the rule of law America has attempted to be.

And now, as if to underscore my theory, he’s coming after your guns and moving quickly to extend a “a pathway to citizenship” for perhaps tens of millions of foreigners who jumped ahead of the line of millions of other would-be immigrants who followed the laws of the land in their efforts to come to the greatest country the world has ever known.

Obama isn’t stupid. Obama is at war with America.

FTR talks in circles and riddles. I will be happy to explain my calling of your facts a smokescreen. In your posting Friday you said that Sink nor McCollum presented evidence that Scott had committed any in proprieties at all. Well, no kidding. They are not investigators that are privy to Scotts business books. If I asked you to show me your personal records because I want to check to see if youre being honest would you invite me over to have a few RobRoys and let me study them? The question should be did the State of Florida or anyone else find Scott’ business dealing to be illegal or not. The answer is “yes”. They dont just hand out billion dollar fines for the hell of it. Scott signed off on his own companys records and thus the buck stops there.At least thats what FTR says when anything happens in the Federal Gov. and he pins everything on Obama with even less evidence.Why are you not holding Scott as accountable the same way you hold our President accountable? People should go  to Politifact florida and do a search on RickScotts fraud cases. Its interesting reading then do a search on how many times Scott pleaded the 5th amendment. The fact that Rick Scott used the “I refuse to answer as it may incriminate me” line so many times is in itself an admission of guilt. Read the wordsslowly and Im sure you will agree thats exactly what it says. Rick Scott is Floridas answer to Al Capone.Unless you believe that people and companies get billion dollar fines for not doing anything illegal. 

FROM THE RIGHT

The other day a poster wrote: “What does “GOP” stand for? Answer: Nothing.  The GOP stands for absolutely nothing.” It’s obvious that the poster was trying to be facetiously funny, but it actually is a valid question.

The Grand Old Party, the party that freed the slaves and passed the 1964 Civil Rights legislation, stands for the principles of free enterprise, limited government and individual freedom. We believe in traditional American values, and in a strong national defense. We believe in family and a solid education system.  We believe in individual responsibility. We know that business is the engine that drives our economy.  We believe that ever tightening regulations strangle business. We believe in government frugality. We know that we must curtail our federal spending. We know that our nation cannot endure the Democrats reckless spending habits. We believe in individual liberty and we believe that our Constitution is sacrosanct. We believe the template of our governance, our Constitution, is as relevant today as it was at our nation’s birth.

Part 2) Many liberals are demanding the imposition of new restrictions to private gun ownership. One of the latest en vogue demands is that gun buyers must be subjected to an enhanced background investigation.  Have you wondered what “enhancement” they demand?  They demand that the putative purchaser be mentally competent. That seems to be the single loudest hue and cry.

On its face, it seems to be a perfectly reasonable request. Deer Friends, that issue is already part and parcel of the current ATF background check. Persons with a history of mental illness are precluded from purchasing guns.  Currently, the issue is addressed in the ATF questionnaire that is executed under oath at the point of purchase.  If the government is to demand that further investigation is required, such investigation would have to include a mental health workup by a Psychologist or a Physiatrist.  It would entail substantial testing and interviews of the purchaser by a mental health professional. Do you want the government to be in the position to decide whether or not you are competent?

Currently mental health records are not retained in law enforcement data bases. I ask my liberal friends: do you believe that the government should have full access to your mental health records?  I urge you to think of the ramifications. You should know that currently, in order to buy a gun, you must fill out a questionnaire that asks a variety of questions. Aside from your mental health history, you are asked if you have been convicted of crime. Lying on the questionnaire is a crime. And yet gun dealers report that it is common that purchasers lie on the application, but there are virtually no prosecutions for filing a perjurious application.  I’m told that it is a felony. The Feds fail to even enforce the current law.

We are lucky that there are a hodge podge of gun control laws in operation throughout the USA. That fact allows to make a reasoned judgment on which laws effectively reduce gun related violence.  The fact is that that the cities with the most draconian gun regulations tend to have the highest rate of gun violence. Chicago, and Washington D.C. are prime examples.

Nations with stringent anti-gun laws generally have substantially higher murder rates than those that do not. The study found that the nine European nations with the lowest rates of gun ownership (5,000 or fewer guns per 100,000 population) have a combined murder rate three times higher than that of the nine nations with the highest rates of gun ownership (at least 15,000 guns per 100,000 population.

We must resist any further encroachment by the left wing into our Second Amendment rights.

Part 3)  Whooee, walk proud Obama supporters and all Democrats.  Your wishes are coming true. Just yesterday 87 octane gas was selling for $4.06 at a BPK gas station. As best as I can determine that price is a Keys record.  Do you remember that only 4 years ago we were paying $1.80 per gallon for regular?  Deer Friends, don’t expect the Democrats or Obama to do anything to bring the price of gas down. Now that Obama is voter proof, he is free to pursue his goal of making gasoline so expensive that it will force us into buying electric or hybrid cars. He will be relentless. Say Bye-Bye to your boat.

Capitol Steps – “Take Ten Pills and You’re Fine” Link