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Since 2002. Anonymous Letters to the Editor with pictures. Published Monday through Friday by Noon.
 [“Pelican pouch”] I understand that there is a lot of discussion about this, but I feel it’s fair to see what Wildlife Rescue Groups believe the tears can also be. Below is a direct comment posted on the Key West Wildlife Center’s site. If the pelican can tear it’s pouch from exposed bones of a fish why can’t the tear be caused by a sharp hook as well? Has the person arguing about the firmness of a pouch ever witnessed a pelican with a tear diving into the ocean? You know, they do so at such speeds that pelicans actually blind themselves. That’s an immense amount of pressure upon diving into the waters below. And no, I’m certain the previous poster has never handled a pelican. You shouldn’t touch wildlife.
“Received a call about a juvenile Brown Pelican at Hurricane Hole Marina with a torn pouch. This tear was pretty bad and more than likely due to the bird being fed bone-in fish carcass waste. This is a good example of what exposed bones from a carcass can do to the pelican’s pouch. We were able to make the rescue, treat the bird, and repair the wounds with surgical staples. This Brown Pelican should heal and be releasable because it was rescued before it starved to death due to the holes in the pouch. Please do not feed pelicans fish waste! Dispose of it properly in trash receptacles with lids and protect our wildlife.” |
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| [“Fuel Perks”] That guy spent like $3000 in one month at Winn-Dixie to get the 18.9 cents a gallon? |
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| I don’t see any corrosion caused by FKAA water in the woman’s picture of yesterday. Cheap stainless steel will rust quickly. The black stuff looks like mold that should have been washed off with proper cleaning. Maybe a clearer picture would help us decide. (Ed: I tried to clean up the out-of-focus photo to no avail.) |
 Google has discontinued Google Glass, those awful computer glasses that can film you without your knowledge and live stream it to the internet without you knowing it. Now GoPro is working on an app that will do just that. Video |
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| [Keystone Pipeline] Republicans are supporting a Canadian energy companies bid to use eminent domain and seize land from Americans for the Keystone pipeline. The citizens don’t want it on their land which is their right. That’s right folks, they want to allow a foreign country to have the ability to take your home or the home of any American for their own profit. Trans Canada is filing the papers — a foreign company. What a damn disgrace. Every American should fight back and not allow this to happen. That’s every Democrat, Republican and Independent. |
 [Conspiracy] Airplanes do not bring down skyscrapers. The Empire State Building was hit by a WW 2 bomber airplane and the structural damage and loss of human life were minimal. Major kudos for the post yesterday about 9/11 and to the CT for having the courage to publish it! Video |
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 Yummy! |
| [FTR on Medical Leave] Hey FTR, getting a new shoulder is no excuse for not taking on the government! Can’t you put a pencil on your mouth and type using that. Ha. Take care of yourself and get back as soon as you can before this country falls apart. |
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| [The new police] This is what it has come to, especially in Key West. Will it come to this? Video (satire) |
| Maybe FTR wants worshipers instead of real friends? Did FTR notice I said I liked him and Mrs. FTR? Did FTR notice I slammed the Democrats, too? And that I slammed hiding behind a fake name, something I have slammed many times on the CT, and Ed’s policy not only allowing but encouraging anonymous cheap shots? Did FRT notice I slammed both right and left wing nuts on the CT, who would do each other physical harm, if they knew who their polar opposite wing nuts are?
I remain of the view that belonging to a political party, or to any other religion, should be a capital offense, immediately punishable by hanging or firing squad, which is lots faster and more reliable than due process by lethal injection and the electric chair. Are you going to leave my name on this comment, Ed, for your readers who can’t otherwise figure out who wrote it? (Ed: No. Get with the program and stop trying to get your name published to feed your ego. That’s what Facebook is for.) |
| [“FKAA water rusts teapot”] And while you’re at it, try buying a better grade of Chinese stainless steel teapot. |
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| Good luck with your surgery FTR. I’m wishing a quick recovery for you. Your thoughts and words will be missed. |
 [“Conspiracy theories”] Some people will believe anything if they look for it long enough. The best examples are ghosts & UFOs. How stupid are you? Your evidence would be laughable if I knew you did not actually believe such nonsense. |
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 Key West’s Betty Page in all her glory, but without the whip she was frequently photographed with. |
| [“Hartman Benefit”] Eugene has been enduring a serious medical condition for years and it is coming to a head requiring extensive hospitalizations and round-the-clock care. Hazel was the coordinator of the annual free Kids Karnival on Big Pine Key for many years, and served as one of the founding board members of the Big Pine Charter School, now Big Pine Academy. She has worked in the financial office there since its inception. She was a long-time member of the local Rotary Club. They are community-minded people who have given a great deal to this island. Events |
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| [“Conspiracy Man”] Finally, some people with some common sense. I hope you keep the conversation going because up till now, so far, they got away with it. On top of all that, they murdered 3,000 people that day. And got away with it. |
 [“Fuel Perks”] We use them too, but always bring a 5 gal gas can with us to max out on the 20 gallon limit. For the poster who was paying 18.9 cents, that would be less than a buck for 3.3 gallons of gas! |
| [Sewers] As I understand it a first class sewer system was going to cost us $250 million. That money was raised from a one cent tax and monies from the State. The Commission has cut the sewer budget down to $160 million so they could use the sewer funds for other projects. What’s left for us is an inferior sewer system prone to clogs, breakdowns and high maintenance. |
 [Black Panther] We have also seen the suspected panther in the Cudjoe/Summerland area. We were driving late one night and our headlights lit up a cat that was way too big for a house cat, and way too smooth for a dog. It loped like a cat, and was as black as the night around us. We’ve always wondered if it really was a panther, but yet have always been convinced it couldn’t be anything else. |
| I’ll really miss FTR’s daily posts. In these perilous times, there is lots to discuss and think about. That’s why I look forward to your posts. Heal well and return when you are recovered! P.S. Is it possible for Mrs FTR take a crash course in typing? |
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| [“Conspiracy”] Who are all you conspiracy nuts accusing of perpetuating this supposed hoax and why? |
 If last year was warmer than 2010, and 2010 was the warmest year on record until then, doesn’t that make last year the warmest year on record? Someone tell FTR to use his good arm to pat himself on the back. |
| [Church Intimidation] I used to be religious until my Dad got a letter from the church that contained a list of all the people who did and did not give money to the church. Those who could not give were printed in red. After that, Pop had nothing to do with religion again. Me too. It is not a thing about being an atheist or some other idea of reasoning about a God or deity of some sort, it is totally about how the human race and the neer-do-wells created the con that lets them take from the hard workers to live like Gods themselves. I have no respect for any religions or those in that racket and that’s what it is. Free money, free volunteers, and no taxes. Politicians are more holy than any priests.
As far as the Creation or the Big Bang theory that is still being used to explain existence, it has been rejected by most high end religious-minded scientists years ago. We humans just cannot think in the depths needed to understand the universe. It is all in the eye of the imagination and a few blood cells and electrons running around in our head — if our heads really do exist in the first place. Watch the movie The Matrix. The old question is, how to describe reality? There is no logical or absolute answer. |
 [New Sign] Caution. Entering a violent neighborhood. If your car is vandalized you will be responsible for having it towed off the street! |
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 [New Golf Resort] Plans for a $60-million renovation of the Florida Keys Country Club, formerly known as Sombrero Country Club, at Mile Marker 50, were finalized Monday. Plans include a makeover of the 18-hole course, a 110- room hotel, a restaurant, townhomes, spa, swimming pool, and golf and tennis pro shops, as well as a small marina on the Sombrero Lagoon that will include kayaking and sailing rentals. |
| [Tax Cuts] Florida Gov. Rick Scott is pushing for tax cuts aimed directly at consumers on various communications services including cable television, cellphones and traditional phone lines making them cheaper to have. |
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| [“Conspiracy Man”] Oh please do tell just how the Pentagon plane crash was also planned. I need a bedtime story. |
 This is a sex offender who is living on Little Torch Key. John Eric Minskoff new sexual offender lives at 337 Blackbeard Road. You can type his name and see what he has done. Sex offender and kidnapping. See all his aliases. Why would you rent your downstairs enclosure to this person? There are young children and teenagers living in this area. Look at how many aliases he has. This is very disturbing! Link |
| I’d like the ability to call the car in front of me and tell the driver to pull their head out of their ass. Where are we on this technology? |
 [Tonight] Coconut’s Ukulele Orchestra meets at the NUT the 1st or 2nd Wednesday of each month. Sometimes the last Wednesday. Yes, we are a little loose. It’s a fun time. You can learn to play the ukulele in a evening and a bunch of fun doing it. This is less that 2 minutes of Uke nite. If you would like to know more about the Nut, check us out on Face Book, Coconuts Liquors & Lounge or TripAdvisor under Coconuts Bar and Liquor store, Big Pine Key, Florida 33043. |
| Oh yeah, the snotty yachties are her for a week. Every one knows the sail people are the cheapest. They don’t leave tips, they don’t drink, they only eat at Micked D’s or Burger King they sleep on the boat. Any one who works as a bartender or server knows the Snotty Yachties are cheap-o. Who needs them? Give me power boaters, they spend money! |
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| [FTR’s new arm] Didn’t FTR get a bunch of parts replaced last your? I hope he has a fast recovery and is back to his Left fighting weight in no time. |
 [Obama Spam] Government HealthCare.gov insurance website is sending consumers’ personal data to private companies that specialize in advertising and marketing. Link |
| 2002 Seadoo Islandia Jet Boat, 22′, hardly used, new linkages, transponder, low motor hours, GPS, head, boat in good shape, some tears in cushions, 240hp merc with Cobra jet steering, dual axles trailer included. Must sell, $8000 or best offer Classified Ads > Boats |
 Who was the woman in yesterday’s picture with Eisenhower and Reagan? |
| Contact Us. Click this link to post any opinion, ads, changes to an ad, complaint, kudos, or anything else. One link fits all. We read them all. Contact Us |
 [UFOs] Air Force UFO records now available online. Video |
| Do you think the economy can really be back to normal in our country when: Roughly 75% of Americans are still living paycheck to paycheck, with essentially zero savings. Or when the number of people on food stamps has doubled since Barack Obama took office… and half of all children born today will be on food stamps at some point in their life? Do you think everything can really be back to normal when, according to the most recent numbers from the Census Bureau, an incredible 49% of Americans are receiving benefits from at least one government program every single month? Think bout this my friends. Poor folks have been voting Democratic for a very long time. They are still poor. If nothing changes, nothing changes. |
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| This site tracks the current Reagan Bush Debt. The Reagan-Bush Debt is how much of the national debt of the United States is attributable to the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and the Republican fiscal policy of borrow-and-spend. Link |
 Octopus intelligence. Video |
| [Gun news] What a great day in Las Vegas! We had a blast, for sure! Link |
 Are those two guys at the RadioShack on Big Pine Key brothers? They look a lot alike. |
| The following story about a pipeline oil spill couldn’t be more timely. FTR’s response was first, “Oh s**t, then he found a solution, “Obama did it!’ Link |
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| When we turn over Guantanamo prisoners to Qatar or Uruguay, the Muslim world is not going to be impressed by Obama’s gestures. Uruguay was a Nazi refugee center after World War II and is now governed by a known terrorist. Fine company we keep. Perhaps NPR should replay the documentary done by PBS called The Rat Lines. That would certainly bring things into perspective and tie in current events with the past when the Vatican helped extrapolate Nazi criminals to South America. |
 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 750. Great Keys bike, 25000 miles. Runs great. $1950. Call Steve with any questions. Classified Ads > Autos |
| Contact Us. Click this link to post any opinion, ads, changes to an ad, complaint, kudos, or anything else. One link fits all. We read them all. Contact Us |
 [“9/11 conspiracy theories”] The same group of theorists don’t believe a man landed on the moon and that there was no Holocaust. |
| [Conservatives vs Liberals] We all want the same things in life. We want freedom; we want the chance for prosperity; we want as few people suffering as possible; we want healthy children; we want to have crime-free streets. The argument is how to achieve them. Link |
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| [“Bike riders”] I’m sorry to hear about someone being killed, but for the life of me I can’t understand why folks risk their lives riding a bike on the road when there are beautiful, new, scenic bike paths available. |
 [“The Island of Ischia”] I think you got your layers mixed up. The Greek/Hellenistic period in southern Italy/Sicily was way before both the Roman and the Arabs. |
| Is the editor giving out our email addresses to his friends? Just wondering. (Ed: No. What purpose would it serve and why would they want them?) |
 The simple truth is that a proclamation of an Islamic Caliphate that abolishes nation-state boundaries would not lessen the likelihood of terrorism or conflict. A rapid demographic growth with youthful populations, poor economic prospects, the influence of fundamentalist imams, and the introduction of the Shari’a Law will confirm that political Islam is here to stay. Muslims continue to have a sense of entitlement, feeling as if world domination is simply their Koran promised destiny. To them, the jigsaw puzzle of Muslims states is the result of Western powers’ machinations and support for corrupt tyrants. Samuel Harrington’s Clash of Civilizations is manifesting itself along fault lines wherever pockets of Muslim populations abut others. Sooner or later, the restoration of a Caliphate is certain to create bubbles of unrest that will clash with the international order along a shifting Maginot line. |
| [“Power outage. All this technology and every day it seems we get closer to third world country status”] Electrical and water outages were the norm before A/C came to the Keys and brought all the citified folk down here. These are still islands tied to the mainland by three strings. Electrical, water and asphalt. There are no backup systems. If you’re going to live here you’re going to have to suck it up and expect a little inconvenience every now and again. The Keys are homogenized and now safe for all the soft handed souls who have moved here expecting no issues of island life.
As a long timer in the Keys with a short time to go, I am impressed with the utility companies’ ability to keep up with the growth and over population of the Keys. What are you going to do when the next big storm comes across and wipes out infrastructure? The lights were an issue over the weekend, yep. And I went old fashioned on you — I read a book! |
 An oil pipeline ruptured in Montana today. A 10 inch pipe blew out. Gee, now they have polluted water and cannot drink it. How long will it take for this goofy new sewer project to turn us into a Chernobyl when it ruptures? |
| 2006 RV Alfa, 26,000 miles, in great condition, $85,000, Big Pine. Classified Ads > Autos |
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| [“Trial of Egyptian Omar Abdel Rahman”] As Howard Stern called him at the time, “Blind Sheik Asabat” |
 Someone questioned the benefit for Eugene and Hazel Hartman, asking if there was a genuine illness. Eugene has been hospitalized for weeks, and Hazel has been driving back and forth to Miami to be with him in between her two jobs. Both Eugene and Hazel are senior citizens who have generously given of their time and efforts for many years. Both were active members of the Big Pine and Lower Keys Rotary Club. It was Hazel who spearheaded Rotary’s Kids Karnival that took place in Big Pine for many years. She and Eugene were always there to help with every event. This is a couple who has dedicated their lives to their community and I am happy to see our loving and giving community doing something for them. Events |
| Merle Haggard — The Fightin’ Side Of Me |
 FTR, there is new software available so you can dictate your input orally rather than having to type. You’ll be missed. |
| Contact Us. Click this link to post any opinion, ads, changes to an ad, complaint, kudos, or anything else. One link fits all. We read them all. Contact Us |
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| [?]The most juvenile argument one can use to point out someone else’s breaking of laws or rules to justify their bad behavior. Shades of a grade school playground! |
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| Republicans are supporting a Canadian energy companys bid to use eminent domain and seize land from Americans for the Keystone pipeline. The citizens don’t want it on their land which is their right.
That’s right folks they want to allow a foreign country to have the ability to take your home or the home of any American for their own use. Trans Canada is filing the papers.A foreign company. What a damn disgrace. Every American should fight back and not allow this to happen.That’s every Democrat, Republican and Independent. |
| The Pope suggests Catholics stop breeding like rabbits. Same for Democrats, people on food stamps and the rest of the parasites. |
| Contact Us. Click this link to post any opinion, ad, changes to an ad, complaint, kudos, or anything else. One link fits all. We read them all. Contact Us |
| The pres said this,the pres said that, It’s all BS!!! nothing will happen, nothing will change. The Washington will continue to rule the world and to hell with the people! The RINO’s have shown there true colors. They didn’t believe what we told them in November. There is not enough conservatives who voted for change. Are you people that stupid? Are you people that afraid? Are you people that dimwitted to know who you voted for? The American people put Boener back in charge. You conservatives are IDIOTS!!!Boener is a liberal disguiesed as a conservative. You are all stupid! |
| THE SPEECH: I dont know about the Patriots, but Obamas balls are not at all under-inflated ! |
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 FTR is away getting a new right wing. He’ll return as soon as he’s well. Get well soon FTR! |
Sorry to hear FTR’s Right wing is out of commission for a while. Hope he makes fast recovery, and when he gets back, he starts slamming Republicans as much as he slams Democrats, because they both are responsible for the mess America is in, as are the people they voted into office.