Tuesday, February 12, 2013

[Key Lime Pie Band] The “Pie” band was alive and well. They played an hour + set at Boondocks last night. Music has many levels. On key is a good one, fun, kicky. Magic are a few more. The Key Lime Pie Band played through most of them last night. A special thanks to all the folks that shared the ride. The Key Lime Pie band will be hosting Coconuts Rocking you Right for 30 years Party on March 10.

[“Bobcat”] I’ve lived on Ramrod since 1979. About 5 yrs. ago we saw a large cat several times. We were told someone living here was raising exotic cats. Haven’t seen it in recent years. 

[Dining out] I don’t know about dinner at Mangrove Mama’s, but I went there for breakfast last week and the food was great. The waitress (Leah) was very personable and conscientious that we were happy with everything. All in all a good experience.

[“The number of raccoons is exploding”] Not true, raccoons are in serious decline in the Keys. Opossums are on the rise.

[Protect your pet birds from raccoons] Often several raccoons will work together to terrify a bird, or birds in a cage until one of the raccoons is able to grab a toe or wing tip.  Once this happens, the hapless bird is literally eaten right through the cage bars.  “Lucky” birds might survive an attack missing a leg or wing but usually die later.  Often the owner rushes the wounded bird to the vet and spends hundreds of dollars but the wounds are to serious.  Please build a “raccoon proof” bird cage or aviary.

The waxing, heightening crescent Moon continues to guide the way down to Mercury and Mars

[Marathon Journal] ~Lady Dolphins soccer were just a game away from the state championship. It was an extraordinary season regardless.

~Non-Coast Guard officers cannot board without a warrant as per the Coast Guard. “Section 89 of Title 14 of the United States Code authorizes the Coast Guard to board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S., anytime upon the high seas and upon waters over which the United States has jurisdiction, to make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures and arrests.” Having said this, officers other than Coast Guard personnel do board without permission in many states. Their ability to do so legally has yet to be tested in the courts. The prevailing opinion states that they would lose and defer to the Coast Guard as prescribed in maritime law.

~Marathon and the county are sweet-talking themselves into another try to build a city hall, library, meeting room, and an area behind the building for all sorts of events resident centric. I went to almost every meeting about this, and things looked promising until the plan fell through. And, again, it is the same showstopper, the county cannot move as fast the city can in making this happen. I can only commiserate about the poor county folk.

~Finally, I got Comcast cable to work properly. One issue was that HD was in 720p not 1080p like it is supposed to be. Customer service said to turn in the cable box for a new one. I got to the local Comcast office, where a nice lady showed me how to select 1080p using the remote and the cable box. Shouldn’t customer service know this basic information?

~I met school board member John Dick at the Marathon American Legion. We caught up on the news both school and non-school. As we watch the county, the school system, and the skitter commission stumble forward from one uh-oh to another, I find John a refreshing person committed to the school and the Keys. Since it has been a while since the last interview, we agreed to an interview February 15th. 

~Dragon boat races move back to Key West. Well, now, how did this happen and why. This event was important to Marathon’s local economy. Did someone drop the ball or what?

~Keynoter reports FBI questioning Marathon staff and council over murder for hire to off Bruce Schmitt. Just when you thought Marathon was becoming boring, here we go with some troublesome events. I like it.

~There is some talk about Marathon Planning Commissioner Ralph Lucignano keeping the new Walgreens, the old Overseas Lounge, and Publix from getting liquor licenses. I served with Ralph for 3 and half years on the Planning Commission. It is obvious the interests he represents, but any kind of illegality would be hard to prove. There is no penalty for voting the wrong way. If Ralph is such a concern, he should not be reappointed and they should appoint me instead. Well, I am just teasing, really I am. ~Publisher@MarathonJournal.US

Dear Fairy Godmother, Think you could bippity-boppity-boo me back to 17 years old and that awesome body I thought was fat? Thanks.

[“Lower Keys need more places for good, affordable food”] Define “good, affordable food”? Everything comes here by truck, including most of the imported seafood, so we pay a premium. It’s gotten to the point that if you want a good meal out you can expect to pay $100 or more per couple.

Draft beers average $5 a pint, $8 a pint at the square fish place. The alternative is drinking PBR from plastic cups during Happy Hour at an outdoor bar.

The Keys have rolled. That is they have become a place for the rich and elite. The days of the Keys being affordable are all but gone, just ask the former owners of Parrotdise, and soon to be gone Zazas.

It’s impossible to make money catering to cheap ass tourists who think Happy Hour is their hour to eat and run! 

[No Name Electric] The 3rd District Court has ruled, only the Public Service Commission has jurisdiction over the regulation of utilities. The County has no authority in the matter…Bull Poop. The county has to protect us from loosing federal funds and a federal law suite. The NNK folks are dealing with a protected area. You always leave that out of your rants. If everything was so cut and dry you would have power. 

“Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.

[No Name Electric] Glad to see that a few of my taxpayer dollars might be saved and the lights go on line at No Name Key. Good Lord people this is America and the government spent time and energy getting us all lit up back in the early days and to see people denied in this century is just wrong. Envirowhackos—0…Normal hard working Americans 1..Taxpayers of Monroe County +millions.

I’m new to the Big Pine area and I’ve tried all the local restaurants and have been highly disappointed. I agree with the bloggers who rated Zaza and Mangrove Mamas. They both are overpriced and the food is below par at Mamas no doubt. The place is dingy, the bathrooms are atrocious, and the prices are ridiculous. Both restaurants do not cater to locals and therefore we don’t eat there anymore after a disappointing go at them twice each. Moving here from the NY/Boston area, Big Pine restaurants rate a 2 at most.

If these establishments on BP would just make their venues more attractive to locals, people WILL come. No one visiting KW will make a stop on BP to eat, so why not get smart and lure local folks in, as they are so important to their success. Simple business plans and input from regulars would take care of this issue as well as livening up the atmosphere with music and games. As for Springer’s, with a new owner, try a happy hour special that is actually happy!

Fancy contact lens.

Are you still looking for that one person who can change your life? If you are, just take a look in the mirror and you will find them.

[“Little Palm Island for Dinner”] Dress code is khaki pants/shorts and a dress shirt, the boat ride over is a old clanking stinky diesel engine like good the old days, the captain warns you not to feed the deer which do come around and are slightly aggressive. Most of the meal portions are very small and not very filling. Beef tips were just that, 4 x 4 inches and nothing else. They did update the menu with a $200+ dish for two that has more food, mostly potatoes. Glad two of us ordered it as we were able to give some to the two who ordered the beef tips. $200-$300 per portion caviar on the first page of the menu, we didn’t go there. One bottle of $230 white wine wasn’t very good but the $60 red was alright. Desert was very good. Service was excellent and relaxed, we were four out of six people that one waitress served that evening, so we tipped very well. As a result we were well pampered in the luxurious open air cabana while we lounged until the last boat took us, other non-residents, the piano player, the cooks, the waitresses etc., back to the mainland. If we stayed on the island, it was going to cost $4,000 for two rooms for the night. 

LPI isn’t someplace to go often, just for very special occasions, but it’s really nice when we do go especially for those who’ve dreamed of taking a boat to a tiki torch lit island at night with potential billionaires and celebrities attending. Sunset Key’s Latitudes restaurant in Key West, the Butterfly Cafe at Tranquility Bay in Marathon, Kaya and of course the Sunset Grill are better bets for more frequent high end dining with island atmosphere. Zaza’s is ok, I think their business would do better in another location with better traffic like in a mall, Sugarloaf Lodge badly needs a facelift and the parking lot floods.

Calving. No, not cows and ranching. Largest glacier calving every filmed. Some ices chunks rise up several hundred feet. Like watching New York City skyscrapers collapsing. Boats must stay several miles away. Very Interesting “CHASING ICE” captures largest glacier calving. Link

[“We must now commandeer a bunch of money from the ‘haves’ via taxes to redistribute among the rest of us to get things going again”]  If you weren’t smart enough to make money during the boom-times, you won’t be smart enough to do it with a handout.  Leave the moneymakers alone to keep doing what they do, because if you don’t, they’ll quit earning enough to cover your lazy fanny when you need it.  Why earn more if it’s just going to be taken from you?

Prime Rib Dinner    Live Music

The circle of life.

Let’s keep the hard-working undocumented immigrants and deport the entire ‘Do-Nothing Congress’ instead.

Microwaves Ruin Everything. My favorite is an egg. Splat! Do not nuke. Link

One complaint; Your format cuts off the joke pics. If I hadn’t clicked on the pic of Capt Doom’n’Gloom, I’d have missed the pics of Deer Ed and FTR Guy and they were pretty good! (Ed: Yeah, I wish they had a blue line around them denoting that they are linked like the old format did.)

[Watered Booze] Maker’s Mark defends watering down its bourbon. Another sign of recession or over indulgence?  With dope, there’s hope! Link 

[“Funny company names”]

Cherry, Pitts & Appleman – purveyors in fruit

Dolittle & Dalley = proficiency experts

[‘Coon] I and others are offended by all the references to the name raccoon.  This word is politically incorrect and should be eliminated from the dictionary and our vocabulary. We should call those critters something less offensive, like Brown Bandits or Masked Marauders. We are in such a need for sensitivity training. 

[Stupid Speed Limit] There are 2.4 miles of US 1 on the North end, the Bridge and the stretch fenced against any deer at great expense that we must drive at 35 MPH at night.. Does anyone think the powers that be will ever wake up and fix it? 

GMM, Genetically engineered meat, coming to a supermarket near you. Link

Treat your Valentine to recipes from Heidi GoLightly. The Chocolate Avocado Pie is very good! Link

How to cook python fillet. Video

[“FBI questioning Marathon officials; A likely line of inquiry Marathon Liquor & Deli owner Ralph Lucignano”] And where there’s Ralph, there’s Mario, who according to Marathon gossipers, might have been the one who called the informant offering money then threats. Also the Marathon gossip is full of incidents of Ralph casually bragging that taking somebody out is no big deal for him.  There’s a whole bunch swirling around in Marathon’s under-culture. They wouldn’t last a year in real NJ crime worlds. So they hang in Marathon, Soprano wannabes.

[Large Cats] The beast that lives near Ramrod is a leopard I believe, I don’t think it will attack a human though.

Party Patrol in Marathon. An extra duty detail targeted at underage drinking and drug use resulted in the arrest of two juveniles and the seizure of 33 bags filled with marijuana Friday night in Marathon. Link 

[Drone Strikes]  I am in favor of taking out terrorists no matter their citizenship.  Drones worry me.  They will be hacked someday and turned against us.

[Food] Why is it that Square Grouper packs them in night after night and does all that without the view or off the street curb appeal?
1) The FOOD- it’s always done right
2) The ladies behind the bar. They are quick, considerate and Mimi is an absolute hoot!
3) The presentation of the FOOD- it always looks mouth watering
4) The service – yeah, there’s a couple of servers in there I don’t like to have wait on me, but that’s because most of the servers in the Grouper are excellent, so I’m spoiled
5) The menu – The FOOD again, it’s unique. The Grouper ain’t no pasta palace or mac-n-cheese chalet; the Grouper is gourmet food, priced right night after night.

The owner is in all day everyday and seems to be at night too. Her lunch specials are great, too. My favorite part about the Square Grouper is the name. I love seeing the look in the eyes of the conservative elderly from the midwest when they find out the place is named after the bales of weed that made the Keys what they were in a different time. Read the back of the menu, it describes a square grouper perfectly!

Please remove my for rent ad. I need to revise it.

Contact Us. Send us your comments and attach any stuff you want published to the email. 

Bad dog!

[Captain Doom and Gloom] The only way to tell if a redneck is from NJ or Fla is to get close and that is a tough act.

How do you tell which bars are straight and which are bent in the Keys?

What is the best way to clean under your car after you run over a NJ Fat Chick?

“Raising the taxes on the wealthy” You cannot be serious. Any rich person has power. The power to pass laws and manipulate our so called government the way they want to. If the blood sucking non-productive want a class war, the rich will only have to call up the military and it is all over in hours. Or better than that, the rich will leave and take all the wealth with them. The only thing we peasants will have left is the dirt we will be standing on. Good luck trying to organize the great unwashed to get America back.

“Jeepneys” Yes, and we could have Happy the Freaking Clowns driving them and over charge the snowbirds and local tax payers to maintain them and make lots of mullah for the junta coffers and…and…and…change the name of Key West to Jawsville,  OK?

Crying the Pity Me Song has become the national pastime it seems. Everybody who has a crisis from bad weather, a broken bike chain, roof collapse, bent fenders, to their canoe flipping over, gets the news to give them their 15 seconds of fame and exposure. What ever happened to keeping one’s personal business in your own home so you did not make others feel the pain and grief. Oh that’s right, the media needs the spot ads and the bleeding castrated hearts need the tears. What happened to real men and real woman, they have been bread into sissies and cry-babies.

I guess the only thing you need to do to be a Republican Idol is to save a few bucks for someone. Heres a little bit more information on the rights Mr. Wonderful.

First off we all know of 2 different hospitals and 2 different accountants that were ordered to keep 2 sets of books for Medicare with one being a lot more shall we say “aggressive” than the other. We also know therer were over 30 more HCA whistleblowers that didnt like be dishonest. A trait that is considered a pain in the republican party. Heres a list of some of the charges brought against Mr. Wonderful.

– False diagnosis codes that led to increased reimbursementsa under medicade to the tune of $403 million. Thats our Tax money folks and that fact cant be spun.

– Another $356 million dollars for plans to defraud medicare with part of the money defrauded coming from Scotts company billing you and I the taxpayers for services rendered by a temp. agency. Again mr wonderful stealing your tax dollars right from your pockets.

– $225.5 million for unlawfully billing Medicare, Medicade and Tri-care for claims generated by illegal payments to physicians for referring patients.Rick Scott himself signed off on annual reports that warned it could be conscrued as a kickback allegation but still approved the billing.

– $106 million of our tax dollars charged to us for patients that did not qualify to recieve home visits or for visits that were not performed. he billed us for home visits that never existed.

– Another $95 million dollars for lab tests that were not ordered for by doctors or were determined to be unnecessary.

Theres a whole more folks that you should take the time and look at his fraud convictions before you crown this man the beacon of honesty and a real steward of your hard earned money.

look up Rick Scotts fraud charges and see if you agree hes the man you would want in charge of spending your money.I applaud FTR for brining up Rick Scotts name in this forum. Thank You sir. Keep posting.

How come the Right are the only ones who think protecting the environment is foolish and insult those of us who want to protect it for our future. Why are they so selfish and clueless?

[“Why do we maintain our massive defense spending beyond the rest of the World combined?”] From bases in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the US military protects the world’s shipping lanes, making sure the clockwork of the global economy runs smoothly and goods and oil can be shipped to and back. 

Everyone takes it as a granted that you can load a ship full of oil in Saudi Arabia and take it to China and not have anyone steal it. And that you can load a ship full of toys and iPhones in China and take it to the US and not have anyone steal it.

A cursory look at world history shows that this is exceptional in the history of the world. The reason why this happens is because there is a benign, global military hegemon which ensures the security of the world’s shipping lanes, on which the globalized world economy, and therefore the U.S. economy, depends.

Every era of successful globalization, from Pericles to Queen Victoria, has involved a naval hegemon to ensure the security of shipping, and therefore commerce. The hegemon provides this public good that lets other, smaller actors free-ride, not because it’s in the thrall of neocons, but because it directly benefits from strong, safe international trade. 

Without this trade subsidy that the U.S. provides the world, which costs $700 billion per year in military budget but probably brings back trillions in value to the U.S. economy, and trillions more to the world, the cost of everything would automatically rise, especially the cost of oil and the cost of anything that’s on store shelves.

If the Republicans are going to keep dredging up Benghazi and continue to peck away at Obama over it,  then why not drag the Bush gang back in and grill them about 9-11, a really big event, and why they let it happen when government agents were warning that something like it was coming?

Imagine what it would be like if a Democrat was President at the time,  the GOP jackals would still be holding hearings on that one.

FROM THE RIGHT

It’s likely that very few members of the CT community were even aware that Obama and Biden recently attended the National Prayer Day breakfast. Natch, Obama speechified, and natch the Obama media mavens made much of it. Glowing praise from the media for every syllable that Obama utters. 

I’ll bet that only a very few in the CT community have ever heard of Dr. Ben Carson. Carson is a world renowned neurosurgeon, he is a Democrat, he professes to be a liberal, he is black, and he was the keynote speaker at the breakfast.  Carson’s speech was 27 minutes long. Obama feigned being sleepy during most of Carson’s speech.

That’s no surprise because Dr. Carson took Obama and Obamacare and the political climate that has existed in DC for the past 6 years to the woodshed. His speech was a refreshing breath of logic and common sense in its simplest form, but it was also a sobering lecture and critique of the Obama administration’s reckless and misguided policies – making it probably the longest 27 minutes Obama has ever had to sit through as president. I urge you to read the article to be found at : Link Please take the two minutes to read the article, or you can watch the speech itself at:Link

It’s not likely that any of our left field friends will either read the article or actually view the video.  They are afraid of the truth.  I cannot express how important Dr. Carson’s speech was. Please, please, take the time to view it.   When you do, read and or view the video, you will realize why the major media did not report on Dr. Carson’s speech.

As an aside, it’s refreshing to watch a speech being given without the aid of a teleprompter. Also it was refreshing to hear a speech wherein you hardly ever heard the presenter use the word “I”.

Part 2) The State of the Union address tonight is a must watch, because of  Mr. Obama, because we’re already aware of his message. He will be aggressively partisan, he will demonize Republicans.  In his speech he will demand to spend more, tax more, push for even more government intrusion into our lives. He will blame the Republicans for the looming sequestration. He will avoid admitting to us that sequestration was his idea.  He will fan the flames of class warfare; he will demand the power to redistribute wealth. He will use the term “fair share” at least 6 times and use the word “I” least 20 times. His head will swivel from teleprompter to teleprompter like a metronome, and he will pause at least 10 times so as to jut his jaw. Been there done that, have the T shirts. Ho Hum.

The reason to watch the State of the Union message is for the Republican response to be given by Republican Senator Marco Rubio. We will become more acquainted with Senator Marco Rubio.  I suspect that he will present a cogent and well thought out conservative message.  Rubio is a boogieman of colossal proportion to our liberal friends. He is bright, he is young, he is conservative, he is handsome,  he is articulate, he has a quick mind, he is charming, and he has the stuff that rock stars are made of. He is an existential threat to liberal politicos.  Oooops, I almost forgot, he’s an American with a Latin heritage. These days, that’s huge.