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2015 September

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The-Coconut-Telegraph-w-Coconuts

Since 2002. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays

Submit anything of a positive nature, unless it’s breakthrough stuff to island@bigpinekey.com
(Ed: Although all advertisers’ contracts have expired I’m still going to display their ads for free until they get used to the new CT. Hopefully they will all want to keep advertising.)

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wetstock11--9.6.15

 

[Wetstock 11] Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, children of all ages, WETSTOCK 11 is just a few days away. The on the water community concert is Sunday Sept 6th 1 pm (Keys time) at Picnic Island (coming into Pine Channel across from Little Palm Island).

It will be a great day of peace & music for all. I need to announce that after being two weeks late on committing to the show, Myles Mancuso has now canceled close to the last minute. However I am pleased to announce the locals’ favorite and recording artist Adrienne with John Bartus & Jade Storm will be playing. Adrienne’s new CD is fantastic and getting  a lot of air play.

So, come on out and enjoy the day! See you there, Your Friend Flip Flop Bob

[Mexico Issues Warning After Texas Stops Giving Birth Certificates To Babies Of Illegal Immigrants] Is that a threat? This is the type of insanity that makes even people who are more moderate towards illegal immigrants want to throw stuff. Our country is free to debate and criticize our immigration policy. Other countries, on the other hand, can kiss our? The refusal of some Texas counties to issue birth certificates for children born to undocumented parents could threaten the state’s relationship with Mexico, the Mexican government warns. The notice comes in a brief filed in support of illegal immigrant parents who are suing Texas after being denied birth certificates for their U.S.-born children ? even after providing ID cards, known as matricula, issued by the Mexican Consulate, Fox News Latino reports. The Texas Tribune reports some Texas county registrars won’t accept the consulate-issued identification because it isn’t considered reliable. Fine. Let’s say it really does threaten our relationship. What’s up now?
hurrican radar 51h

 

MyRadar.com is a good app to see the latest radar images of the Keys instantly.

[Microsoft Now Pays You to Use Their Search Engine] Sign up for Bing Rewards to get rewarded by the Microsoft Store online and Bing. Earn credits when you search on Bing and through daily offers. Redeem your credits for gift cards, Microsoft Store online discounts, Microsoft services and more
snake climbs pole

 

[AaaaaGGHH!] I opened the door to my shed Monday and a black snake, that was lying on the top edge, jumped off and onto my head! There are no words to express the revulsion that lingers.

I just popped he cap off a Newcastle Brown Ale and noticed tiny writing under the cap. Curious, I got lots of light, good glasses, squinted and read “You must be bored”. I smiled and thought, “And you must be psychic!”
buddy_guy

 

Buddy Guy rules! The last great living Chicago blues legend.
“Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues”

The beautiful Tear Drop 9/11 memorial gift from Russia impressed our politicians so much that they put it in New Jersey. That and the fact it got minimum press tells you what the people in charge thought of it. To make matters worse, some Jersey girls think the silver tear is a Hershey’s Kiss and have tried to scale the monument.
statue of liberty reads book[Immigrants] So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren’t being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today’s American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good-bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought alongside men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people.

When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German-American or the Irish-American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country’s flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I’m sorry, that’s not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900’s deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn’t start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.

uke-nite-cuo-friends

 

Coconuts Uke Nite this Wednesday — sevenish.

[National Politics] Like the person a week or so ago, I too decided to take a look in the Coconut Telegraph basement (political section). I’m so glad I didn’t get sucked back into that mess, and now for a long hot shower to clean off the slime.
gas-price9

 

Greetings from Greenville, SC. No, I’m using fuel perks. Tavernier gas Saturday was $2.35. We’re really getting screwed in the lower Keys on gas.

[HDD Crash] There must be some way to create an ISO image of my hard drive that works, so that when it crashes and I replace it, I won’t have to load and register all my software and files. I’ve tried many programs over the years, free and paid, and none of them worked. There is always come caveat or error that prevents the image from loading on the new HDD. I’m a pretty savvy computer person, but everything I do in this regard doesn’t work. What am I missing? I’d like software that recognizes the new HDD, formats it, names it, and installs all programs and files without asking me for all the technical jargon and decisions.
ecocapsule-dwelling

 

Ecocapsule portable dwelling. I want one. Link

[Fake Gas] Winn-Dixie Fuel perks can be used at the Shell stations in Marathon. Even without the card you save about 35 cents a gallon right now, and usually about 25 cents compared to Big Pine. You also stand a better chance of getting gas of the correct octane, without little pieces of black something included like I have experienced at the Big Pine Shell (and probably at the Ramrod Shell, since I hear it is the same owner). The Marathon Shells do not have Rec90, but I have tested the Big Pine Shell’s Rec90 twice and found it to actually be ethanol gas. Other times it was Rec90, but sometimes had water, so I quit buying it at all. A drop of common food coloring will tint ethanol but not Rec90. It will just lays on the bottom in beads. You can test with water, but food color is easier to see. Rec90 is available for about $3.25 a gallon at Marathon’s Valero. It tested okay. I think I saw Rec90 at the Summerland Mobil, too, but have not tested it.
fl-hurricane-list
[Extortion] To all 3000 losers, you and I are being extorted by the Monroe County BOCC And the FKAA. Myself and another taxpayer have filled out the form. I sat in a county attorneys office and was told if I didn’t sign an easement my Homestead would be passed by and my property condemned. What’s the definition of extortion? So step up to the plate and protect your rights. File a complaint. Or bend over.  Link
ducks-two

 

The ducks are back on Key Deer Blvd. I saw them Tuesday morning. They are down from three to two.

[KW Orchid Society] This month we visit Nadia’s house behind the synagogue on United street. She has improved the space since our last visit so it will be nice to see how she has done.

Rochelle had a nice gathering 2 weeks ago at her house. She packs a lot of plant into her available space and has a quite varied collection. I was impressed.

Remember to use a fungicide this month.We have been getting a lot of rain and heat recently and that is what brings on the fungus. I use Captan at 1 tsp per gallon and spray it on the plant as well as generously into the medium so it bathes the roots which can get fungus as well.  Captan is available at the MARC house and is not very expensive. Captan is a coating as well as a systemic which means that the plant takes the chemical internally to continue to keep fungus at bay.

These are the doldrums of summer so if you have any orchids at all blooming feel lucky.

Tropical storm Erika was a non-event. In case of a real hurricane, think twice about taking your plants inside. In fact the only reason that I lost 100’s of plants to hurricane Wilma is because I brought them inside and put them on the floor  which in turn flooded with 16” of salt water.  Imagine a whole house with a bathtub ring of vermiculite and woodchip dust at 16” up the wall and hundreds of orchids and medium floating all through the house.  It was very depressing! Most likely I would not have lost many plants if they were left on their benches as none that I left outside [because there was no more room] succumbed since  they were not bathed in the salt water from the flood.

I hope to see you all at Nadia’s on Sunday. Happy Orchid Growing. Newsletter: Full Menu > Ongoing Events

Handy

 

Could you please add my handyman service to the classifieds?

The subject directory is attached. Many changes were done involving contact information. One program deletion was made at the request of Baptist Hospitals. The Provider Phone Listing is now a four-page section that can be printed for a quick reference (pages 101~104).

Special Transportation Services are a reality for the Keys. I strongly encourage health care personnel to help any ADA qualified client complete the paperwork for this free transportation service. This is door-to-door service for any ADA qualified client. The form needed is in the back of the Directory (page 115).  I will assist you in any way I can if you so desire. And yes, Marathon to Key West residents can qualify.

Hurricanes – Close call but we got lucky.  If you have clients who are not ambulatory and should be listed with the Monroe County Special Needs Registry, now is the time. You can print the form in the directory (page 113) or go to Link and download and print it.

As always, if you do not want updates just let me know. Questions, comments, and additions are always welcome. ~NJ Marinaro 561.441.7086, Training/Logistics/Procedures. KeysServices v13f Binder1

jesus-mohammet 2
Is it true that the FBI, CIA and Army Intelligence are moving to either Camden, NJ or Detroit in order to find better recrutement personal like NSA and most airport security companies did?
man in coffee mug

 

[Coffee] Brazil and Vietnam account for more than half the world’s coffee production. Vietnamese coffee?!

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime. ~Mark Twain

I find it remarkable of those who are so narrow-minded and think they know it all, when they’ve never even left our shores. They think the world is the same everywhere.

sting rayI love seeing the rays and fish leaping out of the water as I cross the bridges in the morning, don’t you? No, I am not watching the road. So quit watching the water and watch out for me! Thanks.
[Crooks] Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) board member Melva Wagner resigned her position Tuesday amid allegations that she no longer lived in the Keys and was unable to meet the agency’s residency requirements.
diaper8

I don’t know what all the future holds, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be wearing a diaper for some of it.

[Sewers] What a waste. Nearly all of that $200 million construction money spent on a faulty Cudjoe sewer system left Monroe County, and a good bit even left the USA via illegal immigrant labor and much of the major equipment illegally sole-sourced to European manufacturers- at a cost exceeding domestic supply. “Your tax dollars at work?”: Where is state and federal law enforcement? Where is the accountability?
Had that money been spent on improving existing on-site treatment, local small contractors and labor would have been distributing that money here instead of it going abroad, and we would have much more reliable sewer service, no sewer bill, and no risk of the pending catastrophic sewage spills.
drum-djembe

 

[For Sale] Drum, African Djembe. Rosewood. Great sound. Carrying strap. 305 731-6240 leave message please. $250. Located in Marathon.

[Latest Cudjoe Injection Well Tests] I think they may be having difficulty with the monitoring well results in trying to make them support the highly improbable finding of no effects from the effluent injections. As I understand it, they have had the results for weeks and nothing has been released yet. Using FKAA’s own bogus numbers, the injection rate will at times be about 2.5 times what the maximum rate was during testing. It could easily be 5 times the flow and not really treated. In essence, it would be a point source skinny cesspit for 8,000+ connections, and certainly no improvement over what currently exists.
emergency-phone

 

Oh look, two of my favorite things, irony and sarcasm!

[Extortion] Law.com defines extortion as “obtaining money or property by threat to a victim’s property or loved ones, intimidation, or false claim of a right … It is a felony in all states, except that a direct threat to harm the victim is usually treated as the crime of robbery.”

For many months, the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority has used coercion to extract “grants” of easements from mostly unwilling homeowners to allow FKAA to install county pump stations in those people’s yards. These people are also expected to provide a high-capacity, dedicated electrical circuit at their own expense. In an older home, this can require an entirely new electrical service, with estimates typically starting at $4,000. In the Upper Keys, Islamorada has been similarly abusing some people. Now FKAA, backed by a new Board of County Commissioners resolution, has been mailing what I believe are extortion letters.

The letters threaten the homeowner with having to pay possibly thousands of dollars extra if they do not surrender an easement by a certain date. Furthermore, if an easement is not provided at all, then the homeowner is told that they must get a permit from FKAA to have a contractor install a pump station that meets FKAA approval, at their own expense, and they must own and operate that pump.

What these people are not being told is that per Chapter 62-604 Florida Administrative Code, in a sewer system that depends on grinder pumps, those pumps are an integral part and all of them must be owned and operated by the same entity that owns the rest of the system. So it is not permitted for an individual to own and operate their own pump in a grinder pump system.

Therefore, it is fraudulent to threaten this in an effort to force property rights from an unwilling individual. There is no reason for these pumps not to be on the road shoulder except that the county saves money by forcing homeowners to provide land and power for county machinery. I see this as a government “taking” by fraud and extortion. How do we stop this injustice and crime?

oliver sacks

 

Watch this Oliver Sacks interview from 1989. Video

[Truck Crashes into a Highway Sign] It is no wonder that Russia requires dash cams! Video
bill-raindance[Captain Doom and Gloom] DEF: S.H.I.T. n, Shipping, Handling, Insurance, Taxes, added to retail prices.
DEF: Key n, 1: A tool to gain admittance, 2: A useless sand dune owned by developers.
DEF: Divorce n, An action that releases a person from sexual frustration.
DEF: Fishing n, The ability of inept anglers to torture aquatic life forms for fun and lust.
DEF: Yacht n, A floating brothel or fishing craft owned by unmentionables!
DEF: Click n, The last sound earthlings will hear when the government turns off everything!
DEF: Politics n, The chess game now played by the late middle class and laughed at by the rulers
[Schools] Following two days of considering proposals and debating language, the group finalized the document for all member districts to ratify in the coming month at their respective board meetings.  For the program to be adopted, all parts must be ratified by 100% of the member districts.    Andy Griffiths, Monroe County School District, urged the group to include four items from the additional items and place them in the priority goals.  Those items were specific to Monroe County as Monroe pays 90% of its local required effort from property taxes. “I would like to publicly thank my colleagues for supporting Monroe Schools.  While not everyone in the membership will benefit from these proposals, it is the reason why we belong to an organization larger than our single districts”, Griffiths said.   President Patti Good added, “Monroe is lucky to have such a strong advocate as they have in Andy.”  ~Tom Cerra tomcerra@gmail.com Clean 2016 Legislative Program
ramen

 

Truck carrying Ramen Noodles crashes. Estimated loss to company — $38.

Submit anything of a positive nature, unless it’s breakthrough stuff to island@bigpinekey.com

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