Thursday May 17, 2012

[Physical Education] Regarding the post about the School Board and the Superintendent essentially abolishing physical education and firing a much beloved elementary coach who inspires and motivates; and then talking about the alarming obesity rates (42% Americans obese by 2030); and horrifying predictions that this next generation will not outlive their parents due to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle, I think you may be missing the point.

The physical education in our school system is not working. I point to all to all the fat kids as proof.

[Venture Out] Interesting that the post criticizes Venture Out for lacking class when the post has none.  Where are these "illegal vacation rentals?" Venture Out has it's own realtor and a majority of the rentals are done through realtors. This is evidenced by the long list of rentals they handle shown on their websites.  In regards to the resort fees, yes they exist and are outlined on the realtors websites. The post says "Check out all the vacation rentals they do there illegally in addition to charging 12.5% tax on unregistered rentals."

Check out where? If someone is collecting sales tax and not turning it in, that is a crime and you should report them. Are you also aware that Venture Out has different zoning than most of the Lower Keys and is not held to one-month rentals? You post makes broad generalizations and contains no facts.

I think the Navy and City of Key West both owe Harry Powell an apology because he was right when he said the Navy didn't need the housing there.

[Editor Sucks] As a longtime reader from out of the area, but one who owns a vacation home there, I have just read the Coconut Telegraph for the last time. You finally blew it. In Wednesday's telegraph you allowed whomever and it might actually be you) to post "If a homophobic is a person that dislikes queers and fagots, then I'm homophobic."

Well do you allow the "N" word without retribution? Your own rules state "No registration. No one will know you (unless you trash someone)"

Well I dare you to publish who the ass is that posted that statement. That poster "trashed" (those are you own words) 'someone', many actually.
As A retired US Marine, This is the type of trash that creates issues and hatred. You allow it without retribution. Let them post what they want but you arbitrarily apply your own rules, and that my friend is dishonesty. Your integrity sucks and for most of us Marines, that isn't taken lightly.

Your disservice is noted. (Ed: What is the name of the 'someone' you refer to who the hateful poster smeared? The poster expressed his personal feelings on a topic and  not anyone in particular. I NEVER write controversial posts. I only write post about innocuous topics like computers, music, movies, food and stuff so calm down or go back in the closet.)

Ford Motor Co. will film a commercial in parts of Old Town from 8 to midnight tonight starting at the Southernmost Point. Go Key West! http://keysnews.com/node/39939

Thanks for the response about the raccoon in your garden.  We also protect the wildlife on our property which has yet to do any meaningful harm.  We'll share some flowers and fruit.  It's wearisome to read posts from the type of people that advocate taking the lives of innocent creatures that are simply trying to live.  The most damaging invasive exotics we have here in the Keys are the predators running around with pellet guns shooting creatures, or the more disgusting species that engage in the unconscionable behavior of poisoning animals.  And the worst irony of all, the protectors of our refuge are planning to trap and shoot all wildlife that is not considered endangered.  It seems that sociopathy has run amuck.  

The extensive fishing collection of the late Billy Pate, Hall-of-Fame Keys fishing guide, will be auctioned Saturday, May 19, at his home in Islamorada. http://bit.ly/J0wO0V

[KW to Sell Land] Price tag on Pier House land is $7.5 million. http://keysnews.com/node/39937

[Venture Out] Talk about someone desperate for something to rail about, V.O. trailer park which is widely known as a park that others use as a model for how to successfully run and operate a trailer park and keep and maintain the highest standards of maintenance and  cordial relations with the county and surrounding area. Where, pray tell, does the critic think that the tax money goes? Why does he think it is his business to tell someone else if they can charge for a boat parking space, or for that matter what ever a legitimate operation wishes to charge for their services, The taxes that go to Monroe county from this successful operation are perhaps the largest from any single entity in Monroe county, (so much for a bunch of lowlife) a real case of biting the hand that feeds you.

Hunt weed lines for Dolphin action. http://bit.ly/L2TNcc

Coffee drinkers are a little more likely to live longer. Regular or decaf doesn’t matter. The study of 400,000 people is the largest ever done on the issue, and the results should reassure any coffee lovers who think it’s a guilty pleasure that may do harm.

I hear all these stories about these Russian girls in Key West that will pay you like 15 or 20 k to marry them.  Sign me up! Where do I find them? It can't be any worse then my last two marriages to American women who can speak English.  At least she will pay me,  I am still paying the other two.

40 lb barracuda jumps into fishing boat. http://bit.ly/IJb7U9

[Editor Sucks] It's been close to a year since I've scanned the Coconut Telegraph.  Not as up on the Big Pine area things since moving to Key West.  I used to read it everyday when I lived on Big Pine.   I just opened it and it seems like a classified website with a few scattered comments.  What happened?  This was a website that was fun to read and great entertainment.  If I want to read a useless classified ads with one small story for every ten ads I'll read The Barometer. (Ed: Awwww.)

Pool Lifts for the Handicapped deadline is here requiring all lodging establishments to have handicapped access to their pools & hot tubs. I'm just wondering when will all car rental companies have to equip all of their fleet vehicles to meet this same handicapped standard. 

John Waters was picked up hitchhiking in eastern Ohio by an indie rock band. He said he once hitched with Patty Hearst. http://bit.ly/KenG9K

Events
An African King will attend ceremonies Thursday in Key West to honor 295 Africans who died in K.W.
Wesley House needs help with National Foster Care Month appreciation bags
Candidate Meet & Greet, Rick Ramsey for Monroe County Sheriff.
http://keysnews.com/node/39940

State Board of Education reverses FCAT stand. http://bit.ly/JinY3z

No resolution to Studios lease at the old armory. http://bit.ly/JlgK9r

Half Shell Raw Bar was closed this week when inspectors noted seafood being stored at temperatures greater than 41 degrees, a cooler that  was incapable of cooling food to the necessary temperature and “live roach activity as evidenced by 60-plus live roaches found  in main kitchen, steam kitchen and prep kitchen, crawling on walls, floors and prep tables,” according to the inspection  report.

Gator sighter, please define "large". 

Aircraft hits four buildings at air show.  This is tough to watch. It just shows the dangers of attending these events.  Air Show Disaster - Amazing photo shows great detail.   The pilot at low level had no control over his aircraft.   It narrowly misses a crowd gathered for the air show and slams into four buildings.  One can only imagine the horror of the occupants inside those buildings.

[Keys Crook] Homestead /Key Largo Title agent faces up to 90 years in prison  for stealing money from one of her client's escrow accounts. http://bit.ly/Kbwtd9

[Junk Boats] Monroe County spends roughly $270,000 a year from boater improvement funds on the removal of abandoned vessels. Losers move to the Keys, buy a junk boat, anchor somewhere, move back to where they came from and just leave the boat to sink or break free and drift into something else and do damage.

[People who have truck testis get tickets]  What about Crosses, Dead Fish, Stars of David, Islamic stuff, political badges, and other mindset crap? People want to bitch about balls on trucks because they do not have any anymore!

"Gunt" Watch the fat roll! Video

School Board split over Superintendent's qualifications. http://bit.ly/MnZYN6

["Maybe all of us should report where we went to eat and what we ordered."]  I read a lot of that in here.  It's called a restaurant review and was started by Craig Claiborne in the NY Times 50 years ago.

If you think the bars in the Keys are entertaining, try jury duty. http://bit.ly/JVrIXy

[Sewer Saga] Here we go again, "not in my backyard". http://keysnews.com/node/39931

European Plastic Bags aka "further proof my grandparents were intelligent people with good reasons to emigrate and I have no desire to "go back" http://bit.ly/f3SqBz

[Raccoon in back yard] If there's a particular spot you want to protect from their digging, pin down a section of chicken wire to cover it.  You can't do a whole yard this way, but you can protect small areas and special plants.  There are u-shaped wire segments you can push into the soil to make pulling up the chicken wire more difficult for them, but nothing is certain.  They're smart little varmints.

Health Inspectors temporarily shut eateries in Key West. http://keysnews.com/node/39955

On this day in 1954, the Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan., ruled that segregation in public schools is  unconstitutional.

Also on this day in 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriages; another milestone of civil rights.

Top Green Energy News. http://bit.ly/J9WSvf

Walnut-Crusted Salmon Recipe http://bit.ly/LacF8D

["Gay Marriage--choose a different word"]  This is really the most puzzling part of the entire controversy to me, so much fuss over what word describes a 'marriage'.  it's as if words don't have their definitions changed, expanded or adjusted all the time.

[Perry Court] Here's a peek behind the scenes of the affordable housing back stab - a lobbyist hired by Balfour Beatty to ease us out of affordable housing at Peary Court from their website sostrategy.com

One of the state capital's premiere lobbying shops, Smith & Ballard, took more than $1 million in payments from clients during the first three months of this year alone, according to state records. Ballard is a brother of former Palm Beach County Commissioner Mary McCarty. Their mission:

"... to alter the motion of the governmental machinery so that it turns for you rather than against you.  That is our purpose and one to which we are passionately committed.  From local to state to federal government, United States Strategy Group and its host of affiliated lobbying firms provides you the expert guidance you need to navigate the halls of power."

[Word Police] "If their ever was a shadow of a doubt 'wether' one should vote left or right"  Bad spelling discredits the author's credibility.   If you can't even spell, why would I pay attention to anything you say?  Spelling counts!

1) Only in America could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $35,000 a plate campaign fund raising event.

2) Only in America could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when we have a black President, a black Attorney General, and roughly 18% of the federal workforce is black. 12% of the population is black.

3) Only in America could we have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner, the head of the Treasury Department and Charles Rangel who once ran the Ways and Means Committee, both turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.

4) Only in America can we have terrorists kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.

5) Only in America would we make people who want to legally become American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege while we discuss letting anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just become American citizens.

6) Only in America could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country's Constitution be thought of as "extremists."

7) Only in America could you need to present a driver's license to cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.

8) Only in America could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).

9) Only in America could the government collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a trillion dollars more than it has per year for total spending of $7 million per minute, and complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.

10) Only in America could the rich people who pay 86% of all income taxes be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any income taxes at all.     West Side Story America http://bit.ly/8cFvf

[Gun Nuts] What's wrong with a normal open top holster for my .45 Colt? It is not a concealed weapon. Of course no one needs a firearm in the good old USA, right? Oh, a Game Warden, sure, and how about anyone walking in the wrong hoods? Anyone in a plush disabled vehicle? The crippled rich guy in his home? Or a beautiful woman in the down town parking lot at night? Or me! I suggest everyone go to firearms school, be tested for sanity, then carry the biggest tool that won't break your wrist, and hope to God you never have to use it!

Yesterday's George Washington McNugget looks more like the Travelocity gnome.

Census: Minorities now surpass whites in US births. http://yhoo.it/KeyC7s

Old hippies are the endangered species on BPK. I think the people have no idea. Their Romney haircuts and Cuzzy network dogmatics are missing it. I feel too lucky. God bless the old hippies below the bridge!

The Scams of the Day are a riot.  It goes to show why foreigners just do not get it, especially our American humor. They should learn English to scam better.

Willie Nelson performs 'Just Breathe'. He covers Pearl Jam track with son Lukas. http://bit.ly/J9EWkx

[Prescribed Burns] As far as burning pine rocklands goes, I don't think that last year's blunder would or should change anything. If it should be done, then it should be done.

Up to the hour map of the winds over the continental US. Click to zoom in. http://hint.fm/wind/

Oh, yes, they do deliver some of the coolest pirate gear you'll ever find! Jeff's Gift Shop

Deer eating lettuce video

The Secret Service issued new rules of conduct for agents Friday. They can no longer get drunk, procure hookers or go to strip bars. The rules say that from now on, if agents feel compelled to engage in such behavior, they can run for public office like everyone else.

Caution: NATIONAL POLITICS and Religion, etc

In1968, Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by a Muslim extremist beginning a long list of horrors enacted by Muslims that continue to this day.

Ayn Rand's writings were correct in that she matched Orwell's ideas to the modern era. Things are changing and anyone who can still think should be very scared!  Vote wisely, it may be your last chance to save America! 

Ayn Rand's statement would be more timely if instead of 'government' she said the 'wealthy' who control the Government.

America, you just had the warmest 12 months in your history. It's a global problem that only more arguing about gay marriage can solve. Martha & the Vandellas - Heatwave http://bit.ly/cIQMuN

FTR -"The Obama campaign has no shame; it is a total stranger to the truth. It is unworthy of your belief or support."

Change the name form Obama to Romney and that statement is still true.   Just because people do not have the time to write mile long anti-Romney posts does not mean Team Romney is spewing truth, worthy of belief or support.   Team Romney is doing just as much shameful fact spinning as Team Obama. 

I love the way 1/4 truth goes to extremes about Obama lying when last week Romneys own handlers told us Obama followed Romneys lead when it came to the stimulous.Yeah truth just pours right out of Romney.As I posted earlier."The comic section"

Lets look at a non partisan article that questions which party is better for job growth.These are real figures folks.

If Republican tax cuts create more jobs than Democratic investment, by all means let’s cut taxes! If Republican financial deregulation creates more jobs than Democratic consumer protection, then go ahead, deregulate away!

Which is exactly why the data from Bloomberg’s BGOV Barometer last week will shock many people. Bloomberg studied the past 50 years of U.S. job creation, under Democratic and Republican presidents. The facts: For the near half-century following the Kennedy administration, Democrats created nearly twice as many private-sector jobs as Republicans. Even though Democrats held the presidency for only 23 years compared with 28 years of Republican rule.

Private-sector payrolls increased by 42 million jobs under Democratic administrations, and 24 million under Republican ones. That’s an average of 150,000 new paychecks a month under Democrats and 71,000 per month under Republicans.

Let’s look at some other indicators. How about investing in the stock market? Again, Bloomberg analyzed the data. Investing $1,000 in a hypothetical fund that tracks the Standard & Poor’s 500 index over the past 50 years would have returned $10,920 when Democrats held the White House. The return when Republicans were in power? $2,087.

Annualized returns were 11 percent for the Democrats, 2.7 percent for the Republicans.

What about gross domestic product growth? Through 2008, real GDP grew faster under Democratic administrations — 4.1 percent to 2.7 percent for the GOP.

Income growth? Under Democrats, the real median income over the past 50 years grew at 2.2 percent. Republicans? 0.6 percent.

Number of Americans in poverty? By now you see the pattern. The poverty rate declined under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society programs from 22.2 percent to 12.6 percent by 1970.

This leads itself  in a wide way for someone to spin this into a different reality but I must admit I do love forcing folks into the "Nuh Uh" defense.

["How can we simply change the definition of a word?"] So 'marriage' can't evolve to also mean two people of the same sex who love each other? You uptight folks are weirdly strict on definitions. Words and meanings evolve. Bigots & homophobes do not!

The Obama White House is drawing ridicule for appending the official online biographies of nearly every president over the last century in order to link President Obama's accomplishments to the former commanders in chief. 

The Obama team went into the pages of U.S. presidents dating back to Calvin Coolidge to add friendly looking "Did you know?" fact boxes to the end of their bios. Those additions were used to plug a host of Obama administration initiatives. http://fxn.ws/Jiga1J

Click here to send a comment to the Coconut Telegraph

Romney attacks Obama for not tacking the debt amassed during the Bush administration. That's great. A partial admission that the  Bush tax cuts hurt our country and that Dubya was a very, very bad president.

[Woman's Rights] Population control led to terrible excesses. During the Indian "emergency" that began in 1975. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi suspended civil liberties, and her younger son, Sanjay, instituted a campaign of mass, forcible sterilization. China insti­tuted its coercive one-child policy in 1979. Women's-rights activists challenged the population-control orthodoxy and worked to redirect the resources behind it into family-planning programs that prioritized women's health. Meanwhile, the Malthusian doom that experts proph­esied in the 1960s and 1970s never came to pass, partly thanks to massive invest­ments in contraception and in agricul­tural productivity. In the 1980s and 1990s, international family planning increas­ingly became associated with feminism.

[From the Right] Hallejuah…hallejuah brothers and sisters here in the CT community.  It has come to pass.  Mr. Obama has laid hands on our flaccid economy; it’s only fitting that he would have used ….stimulus money to study erectile dysfunction. Dare I say senior shrinkage.  It’s no joke, nobody could make this up.

$1.5 million of your tax money went to UC San Francisco for a study of sexual matters.  A big chunk of the money was used to probe erectile dysfunction. The study targeted erectile dysfunction in overweight middle aged men, and how truthful were those men in their reporting of their sexual history.  Does that sound goofy to you?  It gets even goofier.

The study involved the interviews of 200 portly middle aged males who suffered from the droops. Those 200 interviews cost $6,000.00 per interview. Pretty cool huh? It gets even goofier!

The reportage on the story was done by NBCBay Area. It can be read at http://bit.ly/K3YbX6. That report chronicled that the grant was supposed to be used to determine the accuracy of personal reporting of sexual activity.

NBC reported that they had interviewed a honcho of The Project on Government Oversight.  This august group holds themselves out to be “non partisan watchdogs”. These folks have actually adopted the acronym POGO. I trust you will remember that it was Pogo, the famous cartoon character who said: “We have met the enemy, and it is us.”  Pogo and his band of Okefenokee dwellers amused us for years with cynical wisdom.

NBC asked the POGO person how many jobs were created by the grant. POGO replied: “Well I really can’t say”….”well there were 11 researchers, two consultants”…. “well I really can’t say”…..um errrr aaah, “this has not been evaluated for job creation”.  Nice job POGO. POGO should stay out of DC and head back to the Okefenokee.  But, Team Obama did check it for job creation; remember that they have told us that they keep close count of all of the number of jobs that the Obabucks “created”.

Do you remember that Mr. Obama anointed Joe Biden as “Sherriff” and charged him with oversight of the stimulus bucks?. I guess Sherriff Joe was at Dunkin Donuts when Team Obama’s web page, recovery.com, reported that the project resulted in the hiring of 0.85 jobs.  Yep, Deer Friends, Team Obama tells us they have spent $1.5 Million bucks to peep at 200 middle aged, flaccid penises, but that they only hired .85 persons to do the job. I wonder what they did with the other .15 of the dude or dudette? The real POGO was right on when he said: “we have met the enemy and it is us.” 

Part 2)   We have heard a lot of donkey braying from our left field pals whining that the Reps are the party of “NO”.  While you’re thinking of that, please remember that, contrary to federal law, the Congress has not passed a federal budget in the last 3 years. 

The Dem controlled Senate has refused to put together a budget for Congressional approval. The Senate Republicans put together a budget bill that exactly followed the programs and projected expenses that Mr. Obama has been promoting. They then offered the Obama budget bill in the Senate.  Senators brought the bill to the floor of the Senate. That forced the vote. Not a single Democrat voted for it.

Democrats disputed that it was actually the president's plan, arguing that the proposal didn't actually match Mr. Obama's budget document, which ran thousands of pages. But Republicans said they used all of the president's numbers in the proposal, so it faithfully represented his plan.  Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, even challenged Democrats to point out any errors in the numbers and he would correct them — a challenge no Democrats took up. So, once again the Democrats refuse to respect the law

Respectfully submitted: FTR@bellsouth.net

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