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It’s latter than you think! Spring forward and lose an hour’s sleep today. I hope no one was late for anything. |
[Free Cats] I saw in the classifieds where a lady is giving away her cats because she’s moving. It always amazes me when people just give away their pets. I would never do that. When I get a pet it is got until they die. |
[“Those tourists aren’t being cheap”] The R/Vers aren’t practicing thrift, they’re downright cheap! You’ll never find a lower class of tourist than the RV tourist in his hundred thousand dollar mobile home. There’s a difference between being cheap and being thrifty. |
[Spring] Traditionally, Spring is a time of renewal and rejoicing. Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, Jews the miracle of Passover. The secular-minded among us also have reason to cheer: Everywhere the world is coming alive, blooming and blossoming, shaking off the sleepy doldrums of winter, opening up and stretching out. Some argue that the Keys are ‘seasonless’ – no Fall cold snaps or wintry blasts of wind and snow to deal with – but those of us who live here year round know there are subtle changes throughout the calendar. When Spring arrives, there’s a hint of something new in the air, a whispery freshness on the heels of strong winds and on dead calm days the promise that the stifling heat of summer is just around the corner. Not to mention the sudden myriad flocks of pelicans that line the bridges and swarm over the docks. |
[Spring Chicks] The photo Friday of the spring chicks at Winn-Dixie brought this memory to mind. Baby boomers will remember how you could buy florescent orange, pink, green and blue chicks at the corner candy store (another fond memory no longer with us) all for the price of 10 cents! |
[“Free Cats”] Sweetheart, you didn’t put any contact information on your classified ad. If you don’t find a forever home for them, I have a well-cared for cat colony on my block that I take care of with help from Forgotten Felines, and two housecats of my own. They are a small group of fixed older kitties, very peaceful and happy, they have few worries and are well-fed, and medical care if needed is available to them. This is cat-friendly street, only five houses on the block, two are either empty or occasional use only, and no dogs in the neighborhood. I would be happy to integrate them into the group if you don’t find a better option. The cats in this group are 98% pettable, and the last couple of shy ones I’m working on, they’ll come around. They all get a pat and I call them by their name twice a day at feeding time in the front yard. They all stick pretty close by and come running when I get home from work. We’re talking about 10 cats. However, I have to say I think you’re mistaken, your kitties are attached to you, you are their “Pride”, their mom, they will be happiest with you. With a little extra effort, and some pet-friendly hotels along the way, they can easily and happily make the trip with you. My cats have always settled down after the first half hour or so in a car on a hurricane evacuation drive, and they don’t ever ride in cars otherwise. Once they realize they are with you and and safe, they will calm down. The vet can give you kitty downers too, just in case you think you might need them. A pair of earplugs from Walgreens will be all you really need if the meowing bothers you. I just keep talking to them and talk them down, they settle in. I have a run line to tie between trees, long leashes and cat harnesses for my house cats (2), and I could give them a safe outing at a rest area to get out of the cat carrier and do their thing. I gotta ask, are you finding them another home because it’s easier for you than to deal with getting them across country? I’ve never been particularly fond of driving long distances with small children either, but I wouldn’t adopt out the kids because I was moving. Family is family, and my pets are family, to me its all the same thing. I will take them if you won’t take them with you, to save them from going to the animal shelter. They will have a loving cat family and care with me if you feel you must. I hope you will think twice about leaving them.
Email me at thewhiteowlspeaks@yahoo.com and give me a way to contact you. |
[School Audit] The report “reflects a system in shambles,” leading her to “wonder how this public entity is allowed to continue operations on taxpayer dollars without state intervention.”
Outgoing Director of Finance and Performance Ken Gentile stopped returning calls from The Citizen. |
[Long-Winded Winter] For Caesar it was the Ides of March that brought trouble big time, but for our poor intrepid anglers it’s the winds of January that are proving particularly irksome. If memory serves, it’s been blowing hard since Christmas week. Up here on Grassy Key oceanside, we’ve got our lawn furniture tied down and our smaller pets constantly being accounted for lest they take flight on a sudden gale-force gust. It’s actually kind of fun to listen to the local “On the Water’ radio talk shows nowadays since no one’s been on the water for any length of time for quite awhile. |
[Clean-up on 15th Street Marathon] Hats off to Sheriff Rick, his officers and helpers for the wonderful clean-up on 15th Street in Marathon. That was a great community service project and we really appreciate it. Everyone that drives down that road to dine at Burdines or Castaways appreciates the clean-up. Thank you very much! |
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I was going to make some obtuse reference to a Jersey girl, but I didn’t want to be called sophomoric by our local pedantic individuals. This would, however make a great photo for a caption contest. |
[Dead Manatees] A deadly algae bloom is causing a record number of manatee deaths in Florida, state biologists said. A red tide bloom has been killing 10 or more manatees a day and the deadly algae bloom shows no sign of letting up anytime soon, the Tampa Bay Times reported on Friday. |
[Discrimination] The mistake made 200 years ago was putting the Native Americans on reservations. They should have been assimilated. Current day blacks have no excuse for complaining about slavery, it doesn’t exist anymore, they were not a part of it and they have the same opportunity to succeed as any one else in America. The past is the past, you learn from it but can not use it as a perpetual excuse, whether Native American, black, Irish, German, Italian or Jew. |
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[Peary Court Developers] “I agree that they should pay taxes on it,” Cates said. “The thing about it is, though, if we weren’t the city that was going to benefit from those taxes, would we feel the same way?”
What the hell is Mayor Cates saying here? When Naples or Sarasota gets screwed out of their rightful share down the road by the same scheme, that we should not care? Where does it end? |
The Trauma Star helicopter is older than you are and will be permanently grounded long before you are. When it’s your time of need it will be a private company providing the EMS trauma service, and Monroe County just paying the bill. Trauma Star was out of service all day Friday and will be probably most of Saturday and everybody is surviving and adapting just fine. LifeNet’s picking up the slack like they always do.
As for all these posts hyping and spinning doom and gloom about losing trauma star, it’s mostly the product a county employee who works at trauma star, who’s worried about being unemployed. But presently there are only 2 nurses working at trauma star and they are working so many shifts they are so overworked to the point that the county has to put extra paramedics on trauma star to cover the hours the 2 nurses can’t work. And to complete the picture, the last tidbit is that the county employee is in charge of hiring nurses for trauma star has failed miserably at the expense of public safety and, of course, expense. Because the extra medics are there on overtime. And their overtime is higher because their pay includes extra for being flight medics. |
Florida Cabinet OKs 3,550 new building permits for the Keys in the next 10 years. Link |
[Marathon Journal] After Dr. King, after voting rights, after equality, we, as a nation, should be proud of ourselves. During a 2012 Marathon council race at a meet and greet with the Rock community, I answered questions. There was a moment that I looked each person in the eye. They knew before I did. Racism still exists. Where or when will it end? Only God knows.
~ Take a look at the Key Colony Beach website at www.keycolonybeach.net Key Colony Beach Days has no Marathon celebration equivalent. Key Colony Beach is city’s biggest event and successful. Chamber of Commerce involved. Barracuda races are interesting and fun. Jeff likes the community spirit of all residents involved. Most important item today: taxable value decreased funding for the city. Despite that, taxes were not raised and KCB maintained its high quality service to residents. The city is still moving forward. Budget: all KCB revenue comes from property taxes, which are managed well. There is capital infrastructure money to fund important projects that will keep the city safer and service the residents. Wastewater, stormwater, roads, bridges, reuse water are all projects coming up and fully funded given the time period desired. Fire/rescue and policing has a good balance in funding and maintaining the safety of the city. Community policing has been quite successful as well. Jeff wanted the voters to know that transparence is primary. He wants to attract good people and families to the second oldest city in the county. Commissioner meetings are 2nd and 4th Thursday. Also permitting has been kept smooth and un-encumbering. Jeff values the city running smoothly. He wants to build on his friendly and flexible characteristics. Be counted, vote! ~Key Colony Beach candidate Mayor Ron Sutton is an extraordinary public servant concentrating on residents. He is 64, married 16 years, 3 children, and 17 grandchildren. My, my, he has a busy family. He is a man with many hats with being a commissioner, mayor, and city manager. He was elected in 2005 and has been hands on ever since then. Ron spends extraordinary amount of time working for Key Colony Beach. He has prior planning committee experience. His most important item today was keeping taxes low while paying for wastewater, stormwater, reuse water, and roads. The one bridge has already been updated. We talked about other utilities wanting to upgrade their stuff while roads and streets are torn up. Ron is worried about residents suffering unintended consequence. His hands on approach are especially important here. We talked budget. Ron said that not raising taxes and keeping quality services on decreasing tax value. Even little things work like going with CFL bulbs, what I call squirrelly bulbs.We discussed fire/rescue and policing. There are five good officers serving Key Colony Beach residents. The five-year contract for fire/rescue services has worked well for Marathon and Key Colony Beach. Ron Sutton needs your support to be re-elected and remain your mayor. He gives 110% on all issues. ~Key Colony Beach candidate Ryan Schraffenberger did not show up for his scheduled interview. He did not call to explain; he just didn’t show up. All the other candidates showed up on time and ready for the interview. I can only say that if this is how Jeff conducts himself, I don’t think he should be a city commissioner. ~Marathon’s annual Seafood Festival is this weekend, hope you make it out to the Community Park. ~Donna Farmer’s laundromat, the only one in Marathon, has finally succumbed to its money problems. So many Marathoners hold up the free market as the showcase of business. Under this precept, the laundromat fails. If the business model is viable, then someone will start another laundromat. It could just as easily scare away laundromat businesses. Now, will the owner pay his connection fees? ~What is the difference between plague and plaque? One is an epidemic disease, while the other is a commemorative inscribed tablet. ~Publisher@MarathonJournal.US |
The School district owns 170 vehicles. That’s a lot of buses or does everyone get his own car at our expense? |
[“Free Cats”] Why do you feel they would be happier in the Keys? All they have known since they were kittens is you! You are the constant in their lives. My cats moved from the U.S. to Africa, back to Los Angeles, to Connecticut, to Libya, and back to Virginia, and they did just fine. They knew us wherever they went, and they were happy in all the places they lived. Your cats will be happy too, wherever they are with you! |
Florida Native Plant Society. Link |
[“Separation of Church and State–Schools are for broad education not one slanted view”] II wish this were true, unfortunately many liberal teachers and schools slant things to meet their agenda. And part of their agenda is to eliminate religion in schools. |
Our government seems to be having such a monumental problem building a fence across our southern border. Maybe we ought to hire the Chinese. They have a vested interest in our country being a safe and stable investment. Didn’t they build something like that a few years back. I heard they just used the stuff they had laying around for building materials and kept the labor costs down too. |
[Peary Court Developers] Southeast Housing tax resolution by City Commission of Key West only concerns the Peary Court property while allowing Southeast the privilege of not paying ad valorem taxes on its other privately held holdings in Monroe County and Florida generally.
So Balfour Beatty / Southeast Housing gets a free ride on the rest of their private holdings here and probably the whole state? Keynoter article:Link |
[Construction Delays During High Season] For those of us who are permanent residents of the Keys, this is a time to chill a little, to look back, take inventory, and get off the rock for a bit. You know, take a ride up to Miami, maybe a day trip to the Malls or an overnight stay at the Casino. Sounds good, right? You deserve a break today, don’t you?
Unless you have access to a private jet or, better yet a helicopter, don’t bother. If you haven’t ventured farther north than Islamorada in the past few months, you’re in for a wicked surprise. The DOT (Department of Transportation), in all its vainglory, is actively involved in not one, not two, but three construction projects First, there’s the installation of those monstrosities called camera poles which are to be used for the Department’s intelligent Transportation System. How Orwellian is that? Down here, one can only speculate as to how the system will work once it is in place. I imagine the amber alert to read something like this: Attention – Driver of ’92 red Cadillac. You were spotted parked near the Brass Monkey. We know who you are Pull over now and avoid the embarrassment of appearing on an episode of Cops. Or some such nonsense. We need the Intelligent Transportation System in the Keys like we need another sunny day. |
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The Niles Channel Bridge throws wrench in sewer-pipe plan. Link |
[“Free Cats”] I think the person who is trying to get rid of her cats is just tired of them and will probably get a new batch when she relocates and get rid of them too when she moves again for another new batch. I can’t imagine giving away my pets and my cat is a real pain in the butt. |
CheapShots is back in the Keys this weekend, doing low cost veterinary services from vaccines to dentals from Key West to Marathon. Call 305-390-0325 for more info or go to CheapShots.us for prices and info. |
Illegal fishermen (shark finners) are using live pelicans as buoys at the end of their longlines to hide them from the authorities, since they are looking for floats, they know this is a good way to get past any patrol boats.
These are the men doing putting beer cans on the necks of birds. There are also locals in Cudjoe Key who love boats and love to over-fish and kill, kill, kill. They take turtles as well as undersized baby groupers. Their hobby is killing, maiming animals and finning shark and sending them to Asia for big money. They date chubby Jersey gals who have recipes for turtle soup and wear lots of gold jewelry. |
[iGate] Druckemiller pleads guilty. Link |
Calea is an 18-year-old wiretapping Law that’s meant to give Law enforcement access to communications. Of course, in 1994, most of us weren’t on the net yet, and tapping was a simple affair. Calea mostly left the Internet alone, but then in 2004, the FBI requested it be expanded to cover the Internet, just like China and other Communist countries. They got their wish. The only way to do that is by installing “backdoors” in software, intentional security vulnerabilities that allow a remote attacker to get your data.
The funny thing about doors, back or otherwise is that people go in them. Different kinds of people. Software can’t tell if you have a warrant or not. It can’t even tell if you’re a human or a piece of exploitation software fuzzing it. Because of this, making the Internet Calea-comptiant is one giant insecurity measure. It is American law enforcement demanding the world not only give up a great deal of its potential privacy, but become inherently insecure. And forget about open source, where you could just find backdoors. After all, open source communication tools don’t make any sense to American Law enforcement; their backdoors are supposed to be the nasty little secrets only they and the bad guys know about. |
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Commissioners blast Peary Court exemption. Link |
Pizza vending machine makes fresh pizza in less than 3 minutes. Video |
NASA TV coverage planned for Space Station Soyuz landing. Link |
[Cell phone tracking] House bill requiring law enforcement in most cases to get a warrant before accessing emails and historical cell phone location data. Link |
History of the Flagler railroad bridges in the Keys. Link |
Why cell phone historical location data must require a warrant and oversight. Link |
[Goat Head Soup] A headless goat this week joined the list of odd things tossed onto Florida Keys shorelines. The animal, beheaded but not butchered for meat, was found along the rocky shore at Harry Harris Park in Tavernier late Wednesday afternoon. It washed up near the park jetty. Rolling Stones Goat Head Soup |
Sewer-system partners Monroe County and the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority are up against a potentially major Cudjoe Regional sewer-system design flaw: The Niles Channel Bridge.
Aqueduct Authority Executive Director Kirk Zuelch said Friday the state Department of Transportation gave the Keys utility “preliminary” permission to run a sewer pipe inside and under the bridge, but that was “six or eight months ago.” DOT has since decided no. |
House sale. Everything must go.call 305-741-8582 |
The first pictures have surfaced of North Korea getting ready to shoot rockets at the US. |
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Zaza’s asking price is reduced to $350,000. |
[Redneck] I imagine there will be some folks taking a spring break trip soon. You might be a redneck if: – You’ve never stayed at a hotel without stealing something. – You’ve put bumper stickers on a rental car. – every time you go to Panama City Beach you come home pregnant. … – you’ve voted for your cousin in a wet t-shirt contest. – everyone gets out of the hotel pool when you get in. – You’ve ever ridden all the way to Florida with your bare feet hanging out the window. – After two nights in a new town, the local cops know your nickname. – Your vacation budget includes bail. – When packing for vacation, your biggest decision is whether to use paper or plastic. – You’ve ever vacationed in a rest area. – You’ve ever cleaned fish in a hotel room. – You’ve ever taken reading material into an airplane restroom. |
[Bird Abuse] I’m missing something? How did somebody get hold of a bird in the first place to make it wear a can? |
[TSA and Knives] You’re saying, oh goody, we can have our little knives back. The hijackers on board the 9/11 flights used box cutters. A box cutter only has a one inch blade. Even though the cockpit doors are locked and bust proof, there are still a lot of different scenarios that can be implemented to take down an aircraft. I preferred leaving my little Buck knife at home when I fly, it’s not that much of an inconvenience. |
My doctor says I can only have one glass of alcohol a day. I can live with that.
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[Captain Doom and Gloom] “Battered Woman” Does this mean no more softball? The religious right and left are motivated by the suspicion that someone, somewhere, is having fun — and that this must be stopped.
“Mob in Pakistan torches Christian homes” This will happen here. The only reason it hasn’t yet, is because we still have our guns! |
[Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce March General Membership Meeting] Springer’s Bar & Grille will host the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce March General Membership Meeting on Monday, March 25th from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm on Big Pine Key, milemarker 31.3. The menu will feature an entrée choice of Grilled Chicken, Glazed Meatloaf or Mahi Grilled/Blackened; for our vegetarians, Vegetable Lasagna or a Veggie Burger; fresh garden salad, choice of two vegetables, chocolate cake and coffee, tea or soda.
Our guest speaker will be County Commissioner and FIRM (Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe Country) President who will update us on FIRM’s recent successes and activities as well as goals for ensuring fair windstorm insurance rates for Florida Keys property owners. Ms. Carruthers will offer suggestions on lowering premiums and how policyholders can help. A question and answer period will follow so have your questions and concerns ready for Heather. The Chamber’s 50/50 drawing will add to the fun of the evening. Cost is $20.00 per person and as reservations are required, please call the Chamber at 872-2411 or send us an email toofficeassist@lowerkeyschamber.com. The Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce President Steve Miller will present a check for $1000.00 to FIRM at this General Membership Meeting. Bulletin Board |
So an old friend of Obamas that sells books for profit says Obama wants to take away your gun so it must be true. Great resource there FTR. Its up there with Donald Trump saying Obamas not an American so that must be true also. Im a French male model. |
[Good News] Government reports 236,000 jobs for February, far over estimates. Unemployment rate slips to 7.7% This good news will start the Right in a frenzy of spin in order to demoralize the nation. That’s what they do with good news for Americans. Does anyone know why the Right wants our country to fail so badly, and pukes every time there‘s good news about our nation? And they call themselves patriots, ha! Why can’t we all get along. If Obama’s doing such a miserable job, how come all the news is good? |
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Congressmen Rand and Cruz are worried that their political base of radical-right-wing-militia-type-anti-government-gun-nut-wackos might end up getting zapped by some Federal Government drones because of their activities at some time in the future. |
[Gun Nuts] I’m more afraid of the anti-government Tea Party than I am of terrorists. The Tea Party already have the guns here and are eager to use them. It guns are ever used against us they will be in the hands of the Right. |
FROM THE RIGHT |
While Obama has set out to make the sequestration cuts as painful as possible so that he can try to blame the Republicans, there are some expenses that he himself is incurring that are pretty shocking. For example: Did you know that it costs the American taxpayers over $100k per year to pay for the first dog’s handler? Did you know that we pay about $100k per year in salary and beni’s to the White House calligrapher? We know that in a snit, Obama shut down White House tours. You may not know that the tours only cost about $74k per week or about $2mil per year. That’s not even half the cost of the Obama’s Hawaii vacation alone. Or his upcoming vacation at the uber expensive Martha’s Vineyard. Obama’s recent links tour with Tiger Woods cost us millions. Put another way, had he not done it, about 341 federal workers would not have to be furloughed. Then perhaps you might want to think about the fact that federal employees who are delinquent taxpayers owe a total of $3.5 billion in federal taxes. The Republicans passed a bill in the House that would have required that federal employees who were “seriously” delinquent in paying taxes be fired. The Democrat Senate killed it. Perhaps you will consider some of the outrageous sequestration lies slung at us by Obama and his minions. Arnie Duncan, Secy of Ed, told us that thousands of teachers were getting pink slips because of the sequestration. It was a lie, there were none, Duncan had to walk it back. Obama himself told us that the janitors at the White House would have to take cuts in pay. That is absolutely not true, even the Washington Post gave Obama 4 Pinocchio’s for that lie. It’s interesting that neither the President nor the Congress take pay cuts, or furloughs. Team Obama claimed that In Maryland alone, about 2,050 fewer children will receive vaccines due to reduced funding for vaccinations. Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), admitted under sharp questioning by the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, that even with the sequester cuts, there would have no change in Maryland’s vaccination regimen. The Obama administration is hardwired to make the public as annoyed with the results of the sequester cuts as much as is possible. Please while you are thinking about that, factor in the fact that the entire sequester was no more than a reduction of the rate of increase in spending of a mere 2.4%. If a leaked e-mail message from the Department of Agriculture is to be believed. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (the dreaded meat inspectors) official Charles Brown told his department’s employees, in an internal e-mail obtained by the Washington Times, that “We have gone on record with a notification to Congress that ‘APHIS would eliminate assistance to producers in 24 states in managing wildlife damage to the aquaculture industry, unless they provide funding to cover the costs.’ So it is our opinion that however you manage that reduction, you need to make sure you are not contradicting what we said the impact would be.” Translation: make sure that whatever else you do, whatever steps you take, make sure that it hurts the taxpayers, big time. Obama himself ordered that kids be hurt by slamming the White House doors. Deer Friends, Team Obama’s lies about sequestration have hurt themselves mightily. You can see that because Obama has now embarked on a charm campaign aimed at Congress, the same Congress that he has vilified for years. Part 2) Hallejua Brother! The media is joyously reporting that Team Obama delivered great news for our economy last Friday…The Obama’s Bureau of Labor (BOL) reported that the unemployment rate fell in February by .2% (two tenths of 1%) to 7.7%. That is the lowest it has been since Obama was elected. That is really super news. Right, well maybe not so much. Deer Friends, you simply must look behind the curtain. Take a look at the actual report that is to be found at: Link If you take the time to peek behind the curtain by actually reading the report you will learn the following indices were unchanged from January: Please think about the fact that while today there are 1,303,000 more persons with jobs that when Obama took office, the number of people who have quit the work force has grown by 8,101,000. By a margin of nearly 8-1 more people have quit working than have found jobs. But enough about Obama, let’s check back to when the Dems took control of Congress. Today there are 2,465,000 fewer folks with jobs than 6 years ago. Shamefully, there are 11,628, thousand more folks that have quit the labor force since Jan ’07. Certainly you cannot think that any of that is really good news. Another nasty bit of news is that worker productivity fell in the last quarter of our fiscal year, while our trade deficit increased by 16.5%. No grins there. Respectfully submitted: FTR@bellsouth.net |