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2019 May

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Letters to the editor with pictures since 2002. Published on Big Pine Key’s garbage days, Tuesdays and Fridays.

 

 

[Nicest Place In America Contest] Do you live in the nicest place in America? Reader’s Digest wants to know. You can make the cover of their magazine, and shine a light on your town. Link

 

 

 

Rejected auto design of the 1955 Lincoln Futura prototype, which became the Batmobile in 1966.

Kathie Lee Gifford is selling her home in the upper Keys for $10.5 million. Video
[Dirty Water] Our kitchen sink spigot stopped running so I took it apart and cleaned it of the buildup of dirt and calcium from our water companies lousy filtered water. Why we pay these people to supply us clean drinking water is beyond logical thought.
A closed mind will keep you safe from having your ignorance challenged.

[“Lower Keys marsh rabbit”] The subspecies was first described in a publication in the Journal of Mammalogy in 1984 by James D. Lazell Jr, after his research was funded in part by a generous contribution from the Playboy Corporation. The Lower Keys marsh rabbit was then named in honor of Hugh M. Hefner in recognition of the financial support received by his corporation.

[Poop] Penguin and seal poop gives life to Antarctica. Researchers found “hotspots” of biodiversity surrounding Antarctic colonies of seals and penguins. The cause: Gasses from the animals’ waste. Really good shit, man! Link

 

 

[How To Remove A Tick] Those deer on your lawn? They’re delivering disease-ridden ticks to your doorstep. One expert calls it a “hidden threat”: Disease-carrying ticks hitch rides on the deer commonly found on suburban lawns across the USA. Video

 

[Superheroes] The first superhero I can think of was Flash Gordon and his sparkler-fired tin can spaceship that was riveted together. Their idea of the future in 1934 was men wearing pencil-thin mustaches; and guards wearing helmets with faceplates inside their air conditioned spaceship where only friendlies are. And what’s with those Roman-type breast plates and greaves? How about Darth Vader wearing a closed helmet for no reason other than to sound like James Earl Jones. I don’t remember them explaining why he wore that hat.

[The Muller Report] From Wikipedia. Link

 

[And Here’s The Pitch…] Are there not any actors who can actually throw a ball?  Every commercial that has someone throwing something is pitiful.  Whether it’s a baseball or a snowball, it is obvious they’ve never really done it before the filming.

[“Both emails were phony and returned”] And it’s sadly true, but a lot is being driven by nefarious people spoofing emails.  With some browsers, if you mouse over the sender’s email, it can pop-up the actual email.  If they don’t match, you can discard it as phony.  Unfortunately, too many (and not so bright) folks are eager to believe the phony stories and we are where we are.  What I’d give for some old-fashioned critical thinking (or better schooling/education) for people instead of this irrational blind belief. And heaven help us when the new technology to spoof audio/video starts proliferating.  It takes the FBI to determine if it’s real or fake.

 

[Black Spineytail Iguanas] Prevalent on No Name Key and Big Pine Key, the State FWC has finally figured out there is a problem with these non-native “Spiny Iguanas” (I thought all iguanas in the Keys were non-native) as they are omnivorous, eating native birds, small mammals, and eggs! If spotted, FWC asks that you call them at 305-676-3280, note the location, and photograph them if possible. They have black strips on their back and dorsal fin, ours don’t.

Did anyone ever see a marsh rabbit? I’ve been here since 1981 and still looking!

 

 

 

 

Road sign for Cow Key Channel Bridge work.

Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was best exemplified by Fallingwater(1935), which has been called “the best all-time work of American architecture.” His creative period spanned more than 70 years. Link

 

[The Girl Next Door] Doris Day dead at age 97. Never a scandal. Video

[Summerland Post Office Closing] The US Postal Service has a meeting scheduled in Summerland to discuss the proposed relocation of the Summerland Key post office. Nowhere on this statement to the public does it disclose the fact that along with relocating the Summerland Post office, it will also close the BPK office. There is no notice requirements or meetings required in BPK. This means no PO boxes in BPK, all package drop-offs and pickups must go to Summerland or elsewhere
[FTR Leaving Big Pine Key] Well, we’ve officially pulled the plug, “fled the interview” (to quote a great scene in “Fargo”), sold our BPK home and moved the flag to a tiny town in NE Tennessee, Whitesburg.  We’ve about 2 acres of beautiful land, killer views, our nearest neighbor is about 300 yards away, it is incredibly quiet and beautiful.  The people are universally friendly and it’s hugely cheaper to live here than in the Keys, but pardon me for bragging.
[“Marsh rabbit”] I’ve seen two. One was at the curve by St Peter’s sitting next to a key deer. It looked like a chamber of commerce poster as cars were whizzing by. The other was crossing my dirt road.

 

 

 

[Owl Attacks Deer] Webcam moment up north.

[SiFi Movies] How come they have these high-tech spaceships, equipped with transporters, death rays, and rapid fire chain guns, but when they fight each other face to face they use swords? None of those movies ever explain that.

 

 

[Winn Dixie] Weekly ad. Link

[Audit The Pentagon] The Pentagon has so much extra money that they are diverting one billion dollars of it to build the Wall.

[Skull bleeding] Low-dose aspirin may be linked to bleeding in the skull. For people without heart disease, a new study found taking low-dose aspirin is associated with an increased risk for bleeding within the skull. Video

[“Marsh rabbit”] I was driving into Key west about 6:30 for dinner on Friday and saw a marsh rabbit on the side of the road on Cudjoe Key. I had not seen one lately, usually on Boca Chica, and not since the hurricane.  When I got home after dinner and was reading the Coconut Telegraph and read the inquire about said rabbits, timing is everything.

 

 

[“Magic mushrooms”] Threading Denver’s magic mushrooms needle: Promising as medicine, risky as recreation. By decriminalizing psilocybin, Denver is a  step away from disastrous recreational use. Especially if hallucinogenic ‘shrooms show up in food or coffee. Farm out! Link

[“Government Subsidies”] We subsidize most big industries, but not a dime for healthcare.