Sunday December 30, 2007

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but Ed Swift and I agree on something!  His piece in The Keynoter about how inappropriate it is for Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties to be allowed to dump billions of gallons of barely treated wastewater in the ocean was spot on.

What on earth is it that we Snow Birds do that tick off the locals so much? I really try to get along and haven't a clue?

This was too easy: "Look at the party affiliation of the leaders of the sanctuary cities--Democrat all." Please cite where Rudy Giuliani drove all the illegals out of NY City when he was Mayor. He is a Republican and is running to be the Republican nominee for President (He even wants to give drivers licenses to illegals). As for "sanctuary" states, let's not forget Arnold. The problem crosses party lines and until we the people understand this it won't be fixed. 

Miss January al Jazeera calendar

One crisis followed by another crisis and all mishandled. Every seat on the Islamorada council is up for election. Let’s clean house and bring in a new crew that might make the right decisions.  We are still missing six months of financial reports for 2005, one month of September 2007, (end of fiscal year) and nothing beginning October 1, 2007 until now. The fact is, folks, we are broke and they don't want to tell you. They can't pay outstanding bills and keep hoping for a miracle.

My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch. ~Jack Nicholson

I just took a look see at the Key Largo Key web site. All I have to say is, they print what people input and that is fine, but the site’s layout is too hard to read (type font-wise) and the Exit Page button goes to a XXX porn page, which is ok, if you like that, but I feel it isn't cool for what this site stands for. I wish the Coconut Telegraph was that uncensored as KeyLargoKey.com is; then we lower Keyers could make our points better. KeyLargoKey.com

The other day my wife was talking to our very young and cool looking neighbor. She was listening to her complaining about having no privacy in the Keys. It seems she is always being looked at through her shade-less windows by other neighbors as she dresses in her string Bikini for her trip to Marvin Key to sunbath in the nude. There's no respect anymore. I sure hope she doesn’t get shades.

[The Democrats deny the threat of Islamic terror] The republican writer is really wrong--right?.

[My God, they’re here!]  Shopping in Key West is now the seasonal horror it always is. Brain clouded, narrow minded, old fuddy-duddies in their Cadillac’s swerving and speeding every which way, thinking they own everything and demanding the right of way over your body if you happen to be crossing anywhere. God grant us a fast safe Snowbird season!

[Pledge of Allegiance] In 1923 the National Flag Conference called for the words my Flag to be changed to the Flag of the United States. The reason given was to ensure that immigrants knew to which flag reference was being made.  The words "of America" were added a year later. The U.S. Congress officially recognized the Pledge as the official national pledge on December 28, 1945. 

If I remember correctly, about 20 or 30 years ago if you were on welfare and finally got a job you had to pay back all the money the state "loaned you". I don't remember if you had interest on that money though.

[Monroe county is #1 in DUI drivers] It couldn't be that the Florida Keys are the party capital of the world, or that there's more places to libate than to park, or that the holy rollers are making it seem that we are the bad guys cause we drink and party, could it? Come on people, if it wasn't for the drunks and the tourists wanting to party their asses off, you would be living in God fearing gated communities and having the dullest lifestyle imaginable (without sex too).

[Sheriff Rick Roth] You would think he would want his deputies to obey the legal speed limits.

[Ask the Navy] The photos at the website are indeed real.  They are part of the Valiant Shield 2006 exercise, which included creating photo opportunities, known in military jargon as a "PHOTOEX", a Photo Exercise.  A PHOTOEX is usually a small part in a bigger, major exercise.  It allows for the visual recording of the event for history, distribution, and various other uses.  It would also seem the photos can be used for "some awesome photos" to send via email.

This is the most popular photo of the exercise.  At one point during the exercise, it was the most downloaded photo on Yahoo! for a day. 

A Malaysian church and a Christian weekly newspaper are suing the government for banning them from using the word "Allah," alleging that the prohibition is unconstitutional and against freedom of religion.

Reverend Charles speaks--or at least he tries to.  Video

The "who is Neil Chamberlain?" post and the "use the www" reply are terrific examples of why I hope Ed doesn't engage the Stupidity Filter if it's ever offered to the general public.  Yes, I understood what you were trying to say, but the misinterpretations are hilarious!

Isn’t Commissioner Spehar a realtor? Didn’t she vote to buy the old Hickory House (that was built in the 1940s and has almost no room to park) at the peak of the inflated housing boom for 3 million dollars thus helping to sending the county into poverty?

[Drug test] What a great idea!  Yes to the welfare and any socialist give-a-way takers having to take drug tests. If they fail--no money.  There goes Clinton’s whole platform.

I love this site. Someone referred to me as a "sputtering democrat"  when I said the last 8 years of a mostly Republican controlled government has  watched the largest increase of illegals entering the country in American history. I thought he was disagreeing with me until the very next thing he said was that he agreed his party has dropped the ball. He then said I was tough on Rudy for turning New York City into a large "illegal sanctuary" city. Then again he agreed with me. Maybe you are not a republican as you claim. You change your stance every other sentence. You have more flip flops then Jimmy Buffett. I guess that makes you the "confused republican" and I will stay the stuttering democrat. One thing is for sure, if I have a strong opinion on a political matter today I will have the same opinion tomorrow. I was impressed though that you didn’t pull out the ole Bill Clinton excuses as most Conservatives do and I applaud that. I’m thinking you’re a closet independent--Welcome.

Has anyone else had this happen? All of a sudden when I try to access keysso.net, (after doing so for years) I get an "access denied" message. For those who don't know, the site is Rick Roth's Sheriff web site. Maybe I'm considered a terrorist because I support Ron Paul for president. I guess they don't want us to find out who has been arrested and for what. Fine. I guess it's time to go fishing and watch the black helicopters fly over. (Ed: Try our link Arrest Reports Mug Shots we’re in cahoots with the black helicopter guys.)

[I can't wait for April when all the snow-birds go home] Just out of curiosity, were your born in the Florida keys?

[web design] Take a look at Hema’s (a Dutch department store) product page. You can't order anything and it's in Dutch, but just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens. http://producten.hema.nl/

[Oh, oh!] Attention computer techies: I have a computer virus, called VIRUSPROTECT, that claims to be part of Comcast Security, but it's really a scam and Comcast security doesn't get rid of it. It's icon is in my system tray and constantly pops up a security violation warning. It does not respond to right click, and of course, Comcast Support denies knowledge of either this scam, or why their security can't find or get rid of this virus.  A Google for this has many entries, a lot if info, but no help eliminating it. I also used AOL and McAfee security software, but they didn't get rid of it either. Could some kind fellow Coconut'er please help me get rid of this?

Funny how someone should mention passing without the right of way.  The other day I was turning onto First  St, by the old House of Music and some A-hole had the audacity to pass on my left as I was turning left.  Any police around--absolutely not!  I have seen several police vehicles pass on the right when there was no reason to.  I guess they give a license and a badge to anyone who applies.

Crap. Now we’ve got to listen to the local yokels complaining about the snowbirds for another four months. Damn.

[Email Stupid Tourist Questions]  Nothing wrong with soliciting a good laugh. 'Tis the season!

[20 types of tortillas at my old food store] El plan de Aztlán is progressing as planned! Viva Republica del norte! As Americans we should never forget that 12-20 million illegal immigrants have more pull with our government than law abiding Americans do. To all politically correct supporters of illegal immigration, que tenga un buen día to all who refuse to become politically correct, want illegal immigration stopped and want to keep America’s sovereignty.

[open letter Dixie Spehar] Commissioner Spehar, you have been well aware of those folks suffering from the noise level of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, sometimes upward to 150 times a day. Further, you have been well aware Navy and Monroe County are both guilty of encroachment. At what point will you protect the citizens who live in your district?

At the December 5th BOCC AICUZ meeting you stated this was “all new” to you and was the “first time” you had heard about the 88-120 decibels these magnificent aircraft generates while soaring above your constituents. In case you didn’t notice, there were sounds of gasps thundering from the audience, almost as loud as the airplanes in question. Aside from massive phone calls, emails, and letters you’ve received about unbearable living conditions, you could have taken the collective looks of disbelief as another clue.

Commissioner Spehar, the voters of your district have pleaded with you for immediate relief from this noise level. You also requested from the Navy, at this same meeting, to get equipment in place to measure the real noise level of these F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. Has this been done?

We call on you to protect our citizens by requesting immediate action, directing the planes to go back to the original flight path. Given the change in the AICUZ, it is insupportable to ask people to endure the uncomfortable conditions now being created by these new aircraft.

Your choice here is between cowering to the Navy or standing up for your citizens. You didn’t take an oath vowing to protect the expansion of the Navy. However, you did take an oath to protect the safety, health and welfare of the citizens of Monroe County.

Do your job.
Kay Thacker

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Sunday December 30, 2007

Saturday December 29, 2007

Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their butt, doing drugs, while I work. Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? Something has to change in this country -- and soon!

Bhutto was a frivolously wealthy feudal landlord amid bleak poverty. The scion of a thieving political dynasty, she was always more concerned with power than with the wellbeing of the average Pakistani. Her program remained one of old-school patronage, not increased productivity or social decency.  bhutto_assassination

[blame the Democrats for the amount of illegals]  It is no political parties' fault that illegal's are taking over the country. It is your fault. You the people, the citizens of the country are about to lose to third world invaders who will trash you out of your home, your wealth, and whatever else they can scrounge. You are allowing them to do this, so quit bitching and moaning and do something about it.

Just what this site needs. http://stupidfilter.org/wiki/index.php?n=Main.About

Why can't we consider DEVELOPER a four letter word?

[Speaking of pistols]  I was wondering if anyone has a Glock Model 36 slim-line .45; and if so what they think of it.

Fifty-one years ago, Herman James, a North Carolina mountain man, was drafted by the Army. On his first day in basic training, the Army issued him a comb. That afternoon the Army barber sheared off all his hair. On his second day, the Army issued Herman a toothbrush. That afternoon the Army dentist yanked seven of his teeth. On the third day, the Army issued him a jock strap. The Army has been looking for Herman for 51 years.

[Illegal aliens] Yesterday a poster sputtered that Republicans, not Democrats are responsible for the illegal alien debacle.  I had written the day before yesterday, that the Democrat party is conflicted and seems to have positions that are most assuredly lenient and forgiving towards illegal aliens.  I’m Republican and ruefully state that many Republican politicos, President Bush included, have refused to take strong and meaningful action to right this wrong.  Nonetheless, for the most part, it is the Democrat party that is ready to trade open borders for the chance to recruit new Democrat voters.  It is the Democrat party that embraces “motor voting”, it is the Democrat party that rails against requiring voters to demonstrate proof of citizenship to vote, it is the Democrats that champion free medical, and education for illegal aliens, the shameful list could fill this entire site.  Let there be no doubt that anyone, Republican or Democrat who favors these abominations is just flat wrong.  There is no doubt in this Republican mind that President Bush has been weak on immigration. President Bush and the Republicans have been weak, on cutting spending as well. 

But he, and they are right, and they are strong on national security. He’s right about cutting taxes, the war on terror, the economy, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Republicans believe that we must win the war on Islamic terror.  The Democrats deny the threat.  The sputtering Democrat also railed against Rudy G. He cited Rudy’s reported granting sanctuary for illegals in NYC.  Rudy was wrong, it may cost him the nomination.  Even so, his overall record as mayor is exemplary, and his announced positions on national immigration reform pass my muster.  My guess is that the sputtering Dem poster is not in favor of the immigration positions of any of the Democrat hopefuls.  I’ll just bet the poster is for tight borders and booting out the illegals.  Could he be a closet Republican on this issue?  If so, welcome to the fold my friend.  If not, hope springs eternal.

Football commentator and former player, Joe Theismann, 1996:  "Nobody in football should be called a genius.  A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."

Hi Betty!

The Village of Islamorada has refused to provide me access to a public document.  I complained to State Attorney Mark Kohl and he has refused to do anything.  Time to get somebody that will enforce the Florida Public Records law.

I know they just got here, but I can't wait for April when all the snow-turds go home!

[blame the Democrats for the amount of illegals] It’s easy. Look at the party affiliation of the leaders of the sanctuary cities. Democrat all. Congress should withhold all federal money to states and cities whose policy does not report illegals to ICE.

Every conversation I have with the woman I’ve been writing about lately leaves me feeling that I’m talking to myself; that we just do not seem to be on the same page. When I told her she was at the center of why my trip to Oregon was scrubbed (the angels told me so) she said they had nothing to do with her. I said they have to do with all of us. She again said no. She wasn’t denying them, only that she is connected elsewhere and not to what, clearly to me, brought her and me together. Objectively, it was clear. Subjectively, it was clear. To me. The odd thing is, she says stuff that I really need to hear. Hear subjectively, as well as objectively. She said she was going to see No County for Old Men again, at Tropic Cinema. She said there was a lot to it. I said I agreed, tried to talk about it, and was left feeling like I was talking to myself. So I went to see it again, last night. Yep, rough as that movie is, I needed to see it again.
 
How often, I cannot begin to count, have I run into this. The soul and the personality speak, using the same words, the same phrases, and two entirely different meanings are expressed, which I see and have to get to the bottom of, to determine what is really going on. At the level of soul, this woman and I probably are perfectly matched, or close enough to have a very good experience together. But at the level of this world, we are two ships passing, one knowing it, the other seeming not to. One knowing there is nothing whatsoever he can do about it; knowing there is nothing he is supposed to try to do about it, unless specifically instructed to try, which I truly hope doesn’t happen. I’ve been there, many times. It never worked, and I doubt it ever will, unless the angels take an entirely different approach from the way they have dealt with me and women. That is, the angels deal with women as they deal with me. Not the same as they deal with me, but equivalent, for women and men are not the same, although they are equivalent.  Or maybe I have this turned upside down. Maybe I need to be treated like the women are treated, instead of getting the living shit beat out of me, like I’m just an old dirty rug. Maybe I need to file a Civil Rights action. But where? GoodMorningKeyWest.com

http://www.angelrays.com/greetingcards/new-years.html

I have a suggestion for the New Year. If you decide to call someone else a moron or a c**t or an idiot in a posting, try your best not to appear like one yourself. A few days ago, someone asked, Who is “Neil Chamberlain?”

I regarded this as a tongue in cheek posting referring to Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister who established a policy of “appeasement” regarding Nazi Germany and signed the Munich Agreement, giving Hitler Czechoslovakia and paving the way for the Nazi invasion of Poland, the Netherlands, France and Belgium without fear of British reprisal. Some believe that he was responsible for millions of deaths in World War II by allowing the Nazi to build a vast army and gain control of continental Europe.

Another poster didn’t recognize the first name difference and posted:
“If only there were some easy way that people could look up information like this. Some sort of world wide web, maybe using search engines to access a vast database where terabytes of information is stored. Ok, sarcasm off. What kind of moron would go to the trouble of posting a question like that to this web site when the answer is only a mouse click away? Same kind of moron who would dial information to ask what the number for 911 is probably. Of course it goes without saying that this is something you should have learned in high school. See what you missed by dropping out?”

I would suggest that this person is drinking too much caffeine – or perhaps, just maybe, isn’t as smart as he thinks. A Google search for Neil Chamberlain returns nothing about Neville Chamberlain – Garbage In – Garbage Out.

But I won’t call the poster a moron. Especially if he were to post something in the way of a contrite apology.

Go wash your hands again, Dick and then find yourself a new target.  Maybe you can have another friend arrested or harass some more happy neighbors in your hood.  Too bad that karma tornado did not do more damage.     

If you're going to be down in Key West tonight night, Injade is performing at Virgilios on Applerouth Lane (from10pm-2am) and they're known for their delicious Martinis. As usual on Sunday nights you can hear Adrienne at the Parrotdise. New Years Eve Injade will be rocking out at the Looe Key Tiki Bar. Come on down to the best party in town!

[What kind of moron would go to the trouble of posting a question like that to this web site when the answer is only a mouse click away?] What kind of moron would post such a stupid response? Are we supposed to stop asking questions? (I’m sorry, I should have Googled that question instead of posting it here.)

[Snow Birds] I work off US1. Today I was actually let into traffic numerous times. Thank you.

12_tenets_for_a_happy_2008

Woman need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place. ~ Billy Crystal

I heard Sheriff Rick Roth on 104 radio yesterday morning saying Monroe county is #1 in highway deaths and DUI drivers. He said he was unhappy about that. When I moved to the keys 20 yrs ago as you passed Bahia Honda there was a speed trap as well as one entering Big Pine. In the last week I was passed while driving 60mph by many people doing 70 mph at Bahia Honda. I also noticed that when they enter Big Pine they think the speed limit is still around 60. Today going to BPK from Cudjoe I watched a sheriff's car heading west crossing a solid line and pass several cars. If Mr. Roth wants a safer Monroe County get more patrol cars out and have them obey the law. Mr. Roth, spend some of your budget and make the people visiting the keys understand we like it safe in the keys. This is not Miami-Dade or Broward where the normal speed is 75 to 80.

Who owns key largo key .com?   Is it for real? (Ed: It is owned by Sal Gutierrez Jr and it is for real.) KeyLargoKey.com

Did anyone notice how hard DiGennaro was going after our acting County Administrator Debbie Frederick at the last BOCC meeting on the 19th of Dec.? Ms. Frederick said she would do the job until someone was found and she has good staff backup and advisors to do the job. Lay off her Mr DiGennaro or are you wanting to put another one of your "yes men" into the County Administrator position that will bankrupt Monroe County to sink another one of your ships (Vandenberg) or ideas?

Why when I move my cursor over your “I Have Something To Say” box does it switch to “Email Stupid Tourist Questions”? (Ed: Oh, my goodness, it sure does and we can’t figure out why so we’ve removed the whole thing and replaced it with a new thing. Thanks for letting us know.)

Don’t Rush unless you've got to. Video

Since the original reference was political, I think the poster meant Neville Chamberlain – a British Prime Minister that signed a treaty with Hitler most now regard as pure appeasement.

Happy Birthday Kevin! I’m looking forward to you getting back down this-a-way.

[Honey Bees Found] Where are the WASPs?

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Saturday December 29, 2007

Friday December 28, 2007

[Who is Neil Chamberlain]  I thought he was a very tall basketball player or a football player. I don't think he killed his wife. 

The Reporter looked at Village of Islamorada government and labeled them "dysfunctional". Now the Free Press takes a look at village government. Do we need a village government that spends wildly, borrows millions of dollars and can't figure out how to spend it wisely and efficiently? They’re spending over $200,000 just to study the Key Largo wastewater pipeline issue that will never happen. Time to admit failure and unincorporate.

The original Pledge of Allegiance never used the words "under God". The idea for such a pledge probably originated with one of the editors of The Youth's Companion, a magazine for children. By a proclamation from President Benjamin Harrison, the pledge first appeared on October 12, 1892 during Columbus Day observances in public schools. The original wording appears as follows:

I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands: one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

In 1954, several Christian anti-communists urged a bill to change the pledge further by including "God." Another amended pledge came by a joint resolution of Congress in 1954 with the addition of the words, "under God."

Kudos to Ms Druckmiller for trying to save the County $80,000 on new telephone service. That’s what we need—someone who’s looking out for our wallets. And kudos to commissioner Neugent for defending county employees.

[Treaty of Tripoli] Barbary pirates captured about one and a quarter million Europeans between the 16^th-19^th centuries. In the 18^th century they started to capture American ships because we’d lost the protection of the English and French by then. In 1784 The Americans paid $80,000 tribute to the Barbary states. This went on for a while until we’d had enough and sent our Navy and beat the crap out of them. For a while the state sponsored pirates stop attacking American shipping. Somewhere in between that time the Americans presented the Treaty of Tripoli which they thought would stop the piracy, but it didn’t stop it until we finally threatened to bombard Tripoli. That stopped it.

The developers who are trying to buy the Hickory House from the county now want the County to deed them the road in front of it for their private use. Of all the nerve!

[Honeybee] I saw a whole bunch Christmas day on my basil plants which are flowering and yesterday I saw a bunch on my Datura tree.

For those of you that have a wheat allergy we now have a line of gluten free bagels we have brought in along with some pastries and other goodies. Donna, the owner, has this allergy too and can help cater to your needs. We have a grill that is only used for this purpose. So feel free to stop by or call Bagel Island and let us fill your needs.

Bagel Island Deli as a new web site and a new menu http://bagelislandcoffee.com

How can you blame the Democrats for the amount of illegals in the country when we've had 6 years of a Republican Congress and Senate with only 1 year of democrat control and we've had over 7 years of a republican President? The President has had going on 8 years and did zilch.  In fact he looks at the American Patriots organization as a rouge bunch of Americans. Sorry you’re pointing in the wrong direction. If republicans get their way they will put Rudy in office who oversaw and created the largest sanctuary city for illegals in America. I guess it’s easy to see which way you’re leaning and its not to the side of legitimate responsibility.

The real American heroes. Video

All smokers have a bad sense of direction (they never can tell which way the wind is blowing). Smoking is a privilege not a right!

On returning home from a visit to my family, I saw the bright new fire trucks and paved roads in Islamorada. What's the matter with Big Pine Key? Do we need to put up a road block to Key West so our gang of 3 will be forced to fix our roads and fire and rescue facilities? Why the hell are we the poorest county in Florida?

[2007 Most Ridiculous Excuse for Not Coming to Work]  (quote from a past Big Pine Key Professionally Licensed employee)  When asked why she stopped coming to work without ever calling, she replied, "My friend called the office looking for me,  and was told that I didn't work there so I figured I better not come in!"

[Mile Marker 24 Band] The fun kicks off on Saturday December 29th at Boondocks on Ramrod Key, at mile marker 27.5. This place is always a blast and we will be outside on the patio under the stars, starting at 7pm.

A few folks are wringing their hands because there is apparently no money in the current county budget to pay a new County Administrator.  Commissioner DiGenarro stated that Mr. Willi should have been allowed to stay until his contract expired or until a new administrator was hired.  Terminating Mr. Willi’s contract was the right thing to do and a couple of our commissioners aren’t happy about losing their favorite administrator and will now wag their fingers saying “I told you so.”  However there is no justification for a lot of transparent worry about not having money in this budget year to hire a replacement.  Debbie Frederick, the Assistant County Administrator is taking the helm for the present until a new administrator is in place.  She is capable and experienced, but doesn’t want the position full time. In the meantime she can still run the ship.

In the interim, the position will have to be advertised in various publications to attract interested parties.  The starting date for the new administrator should coincide with the start of the new budget year.  Then applications will need to be submitted and reviewed.  From those applicants a list of qualified persons will be created and telephone interviews may be conducted to create a list of perhaps six or so individuals.  Then come the in-person interviews where candidates will be selected for a short-list.  A second round of interviews would then take place to select the final candidate and result in a job offer.  Then a contract will need to be negotiated and approved and the successful person will probably need time to give notice to his/her present employer and re-locate.  (At least that’s how it works in most places)  All of this will obviously take time, and by the time the process is complete and a new administrator is ready to come on-board we will be in a new fiscal year. Problem solved.  So enough of the phony hand wringing and finger wagging.  Just move along with the process and let time take care of the rest. 

And just to be sure there is no funny business or political shenanigans going on, the county should publish the job opening including the required educational and professional requirements in local media and keep the public informed of the results during each step of the process.

New non-profit club forming on Big Pine Key.

[smoker at the bar]  Maybe he thought your wife was attractive and that is why he sat next to her; or she looked bored with you.

Need a new calendar? http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101425391033.aspx

I have nothing else to say except, after reading Sloan’s crap, I think he should be in a nut house! ~imba@vnet.hu

The 3rd Annual Dachshund Walk will be next Monday, December 31 (always on New Year's Eve Day) at noon.  You and your dachshund(s) are what make this event, so please come and tell other dachshunds about it. We had approximately 120 assorted sizes and lengths of dachshunds last year. We meet at the corner of Fleming and Whitehead and then head over to Duval St. for a short walk. In the past we've gone down to Angela  and then crossed over, perhaps this year depending on the attendance, we may cross over at Southard St. We will have a supply wagon for any tired dachshunds.

The Tourist Development Council may have a video person attending this year, so if you want to make any special effort (re. dress) please feel free to do so. However, this is not a costume contest just a hilarious event for you and your dachshund. As usual, it is free and just for fun!

If you have any questions, please e-mail rlreiter@earthlink.net or call Ruth Reiter at 293-8019. Bulletin Board

I can't wait to tell my conservative republican friends that they are actually closet Liberal Democrats because they support legalizing their workers. They'll be sputtering.

I just looked up my zip code demographics for my neighborhood I grew up in Dallas, Texas. It is now 97% Mexican (not Hispanic, Mexican! ). I left 20 years ago. At that time my food store had no wheat bread they only had store brand white bread, but they had 20 types of tortillas.

How it will feel if Hillary is elected. Video

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.  ~James Dean

[Highest bridge in the world] Henry Flagler started doing the impossible. I wish he was here to see this one. Slide Show

This evidently inexorable march to spend this huge amount of public funds, $34 million, on fixing the nearly useless Pigeon Key bridge, which is really just a driveway to a little used island, reminds me of the old fable about the Emperor's New Clothes.

[honeybees] There was a bunch around a flowering bush in my yard all this week.

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Friday December 28, 2007

Thursday December 27, 2007

Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated this morning in a suicide attack in Pakistan. As usual, they got fifteen other innocent bystanders.

Have you noticed that there‘s seldom any talk about stopping the Iraq war anymore? That goes to show that we think it can be won. Although I doubt anyone really thinks it’ll be the Iraq promised us.

Congratulations to David and Summer.  They are now engaged to be married and they sure make a wonderful couple! 

I think it’s safe to say that most folks who argue in favor liberalizing illegal immigration and providing amnesty for illegal aliens are Democrats, and most of those Democrats are from the liberal side of that party.  These folks argue in favor of a higher minimum wage, and accuse employers of exploiting their employees, especially those who are illegal aliens.  In these liberal minds employers are money grubbing, evil thugs who profit from the sweat of the poor oppressed workers.  Folks, our liberal friends are seriously conflicted. 

Just yesterday a poster argued against stifling the flow of illegal aliens into our work force.  Why?  Well, believe it or not the poster suggests it would cause American farm workers to make more money, and he believes that it would cause prices of produce to rise.  To this poster rising wages for American farm hands is a bad thing, his love of cheap produce trumps all.  This poster also believes that eliminating illegals would escalate wages and prices here in the keys.  This poster apparently wants to keep our wages here in the Keys as low as possible.  It is suggested that simply eliminating the “illegalilty” from their status would have some magic impact on the costs of their employment.  I guess he believes that once they were legal, their wages would rise, and yet prices would go down.  I think what the poster really wants is status quo, he wants to turn a blind eye to the illegal aliens and what they cost our society.  The poster really wants to continue the exploitation of these throngs of illegals.  By the way, I really wonder where the poster found the data that suggests that eliminating illegals will triple the price of produce. 

The real solution?  Enforce immigration laws and let the free market define wages and prices.

Good Morning. It’s time to get up and spend a day with Big Brother.

Many religious right activists have attempted to rewrite history by asserting that the United States government derived from Christian foundations, that our founding fathers originally aimed for a Christian nation. This idea simply does not hold to the historical evidence. Unlike most governments of the past, the American Founding Fathers set up a government divorced from any religion.

An insight from at a little known but legal document written in the late 1700s explicitly reveals the secular nature of the U.S. government to a foreign nation. Officially called the:
 
"Treaty of peace and friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli, of Barbary," most refer to it as simply the Treaty of Tripoli. In Article 11, it states: “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

So here we have a clear admission by the United States in 1797 that our government did not found itself upon Christianity. Unlike the Declaration of Independence, this treaty represented U.S. law as all U.S. Treaties do.  Although the Treaty of Tripoli under agreement only lasted a few years and no longer has legal status, it clearly represented the feelings of our founding fathers at the beginning of the American government. Treaty of Tripoli

[7% pay cut] They are talking about it, but it will be for every county employee not just law enforcement.

[For sure the Virginia cattle pictures are real]  What nut would leave the Keys and all the wonderful fishing to hightail it back up here to 40 degrees and sleet and rain most of the week (Thank God we need the rain to make spring hay). Hubby and I get all the babies on the ground healthy in January and then when all settles down around the first of Feb we scoot back down the east coast to warmth and fishing. 

Once the calves are born and the mama cows are doing their duty, feeding, guarding and teaching; all the farmer has to do is roll out the hay and that wonderful good old cow does what she does best and raises her calf.  We have raised cattle all our lives and even now as we’re a bit old and creaky we are going to keep on trucking till all the tires are flat.  We had another calf today and a bunch more will be arriving over the next two weeks.  Nothing is as important as the period when you watch over your gals during calving, each and every one being another little miracle.  The best is when they get their legs under them in about two weeks and about ten of them start playing tag and all the moms get worried and start running too; and its just a riot till the cows get them stopped and standing in their respective "corners".  To paraphrase a popular movie...It’s a wonderful life!

Definition of sports bar: a place where you can sit on your ass for hours drinking and eating while watching sports on 32 TV sets.

[Boot Key Bridge] They already saved the taxpayers a lot of money--they closed it.

[Kwanzaa] In 1971 Maulana Karenga, aka Ron Karenga, aka Ron Everett, along with Louis Smith, and Luz Maria Tamayo were convicted of felony assault and false imprisonment for assaulting and torturing two women from the Us organization, Deborah Jones and Gail Davis, over a two day period. A May 14, 1971 article in the Los Angeles Times described the testimony of one of the women: "Deborah Jones, who once was given the Swahili title of an African queen, said she and Gail Davis were whipped with an electrical cord and beaten with a karate baton after being ordered to remove their clothes. She testified that a hot soldering iron was placed in Ms. Davis's mouth and placed against Ms. Davis's face and that one of her big toes was tightened in a vise. Karenga also put detergent and running hoses in their mouths, she said."

"Fine" This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

Sooner or later everybody knows everything ~Harrison Ford in Random Hearts

[Outsourcing] I was really depressed last night so I called Lifeline and got a call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal. They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.

This'll teach them to observe the weight restriction signs at the bridge.

Back in 2004 when I was running for County Commission I requested from Mrs. Druckmiller some cell phone records from my opponent Murray Nelson.  I must admit Mrs. Druckmiller is a pretty anal individual and knows the county poly-razzmatazz game well. She's one of those county employees you just want to strangle thought the phone cord.  Not only did this cell phone retrieval process take over 3 months, but in the end she made up some story similar to the one in the post on Bigpinekey.com. (VIEW).  She also told her boss I called her a "c**t".  I must agree the word fits her well, but I told her boss I knew it was a lie cause c**t was just not one of my words.  So when you read the post put this little story in the back of your mind and when you incorporate the two posts hopefully you come to the conclusion that Lisa is one big drama queen and, yes a…KeyLargoKey.com

Let's dump Dixie.

[Kwanzaa] Who cares?  It's just a bogus made-up holiday that only increases the divisiveness in our country.

[Smoking] While my wife and I were having a quite time at a local tiki bar, a guy sits right beside her and starts smoking. It was ok to smoke in the bar, but why did he have to bother my wife who is 67 years old since there was no one else in the place and at least thirty open bar stools?  We moved to the other side of the bar and he looked insulted. Some people never learn manners until they are taught them with a 2x4.

[More bar wisdom] The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.

[Funny faces] These are well done. Click on the menu blocks for the next one. Drag the mouse and use the buttons.  http://www.screentoys.com/

After writing and posting “TheOldWay.Eden” yesterday morning, I was exhausted and went home and fell into bed and dreamt of a man in authority I do not know in this life telling me that two days and two hours before, a man had been issued a library card in Oregon. Waking, I wondered if that man was me and my spirit was already in Oregon and my body soon to follow, or was that some other man who was sent to Oregon in my stead? My dreams were very rough last night, and I was sorely afraid and prayed for help and clarity, knowing there was nothing I else I could do but trust it would somehow be worked out. Toward dawn, I dreamt of being given a quarter and a dollar bill, which bear the likeness of George Washington, who, as a boy, was reputed to tell his parents after he chopped down a cherry tree that he could not tell a lie: he did it. Later, after sunrise, I awoke in peace, feeling I’m to stay in Key West. Truly, I did not want to go to Oregon in the winter. Truly, I love winter in the Keys. Truly, I want to watch my urban garden grow, become even more beautiful.
 
Truly, I wonder what this woman who has come into my life means to me? Truly, I dread another relationship that will chew up a woman I love and me, because the angels won’t leave us alone, because they keep pressing and stretching us to our outer limits, and beyond. Truly, I dread another such experience. Truly. Yet what comes is what comes, and somehow I will deal with and get through it, playing by the old rules. That is, using golf as a analogy, I play each shot as it lies. If the ball is buried in a sand bunker, I hit it from where it lies buried. If the ball is in a divot, I hit it from the divot. If the ball is in a water hazard, I either try to hit it out of the hazard, or I take the one-stroke penalty and drop the ball on dry ground and strike it from there. If the ball is behind a tree, I play it from behind the tree. And so forth. At no time do I try to improve my lie. This I was told and agreed in a dream night before last, with respect to this new woman, with respect to everything. It’s been the way I am expected to play for many moons now, but perhaps I needed a reminder. GoodMorningKeyWest.com

[We are under God not under Pope] Give us sane people a break will you, you religious nutcase!

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Thursday December 27, 2007

Wednesday December 26, 2007

Kwanzaa begins today and ends Jan 1.

The Navy photo is real.  The reference is:  http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=49452  God bless us, everyone! 

[House that oil built] There is a slide show on this place and it is amazing. The property is about the size of Cudjoe Gardens--all of Cudjoe Gardens. All it takes is money, lots of money.

[Boiled Peanut Lady] Surely here in the land of the free we are losing our rights and freedoms almost daily.  I discovered in the Orlando area one county just passed an ordinance which states that you can't have any more than a total of 5 pets in your house, apartment, etc.  What's next, telling us how many children we can have?  Folks, if we don't do something soon, we are heading for a country as bad as Communist Russia was at one time.  We need to wake up America.

Wow Ed, you really outdid yourself with the spectacular Christmas Day graphics.  Very nice job.  Thanks for your effort.

If the Boot Key Bridge in Marathon is supposed to cost $9 million (read $10 million) to fix why can’t the County buy a barge with a crane on it or a landing craft like Tank Island (Sunsetset Key) did in Key West? That way they could haul any heavy equipment and supplies to Boot Key and save the taxpayers a lot of money.

Please help our family find our cat.  He has been missing since Tuesday 12/18/07.  Call 872-0457 or 797-9225 anytime and we will give you a reward.  Thank you for your help.  Classified Ads > Lost & Found

[not a less free place then Monroe County] Oh, I'm sure there is. The further northeast you go, or if you cross the Rockies, the more restrictive things get. Try owning (not buying - owning) a gun in Massachusetts. I'm sure regulations are just legion in large cities like New York or LA.

[law that smoking can be banned] It's possible the bar owner does not want smoke in his/her establishment.  Business owners can decide what is permissible in their place of business, government need not get involved.

[toilet tank flapper cleaning] I have never tried cleaning the flapper, I am usually too busy cleaning the colon.

Someone answered the question today about local charities and suggested HelpLine.  What is that? I am not familiar with that one.  I always want to get involved with local charities but want one where the money raised stays locally.

[boiled peanuts] To whoever wrote about the peanut lady being in trouble, please before you put in your two cents refer to the Florida Statues Chapter 500.12 , Food Permits it clearly states that (Persons selling only legumes in the shell, either parched, roasted or boiled  are except from food permits . Further read (Chapter 5k-4.020 (1) (p), F.A.C.) you will find that in the state of Florida there are no special permits or license’s needed to sell Fresh Produce. These rules are on the same line as a person who does not need a fishing license to fish from any shore with a pole and line only (no reel allowed). Everything the Trading Post does is on the up and up and totally within the law. I know for a fact that the owner of the produce stand has had a good relationship with the Dept of Agriculture and the inspector that comes down the keys.

Injade brings their fun energy and great rocking dance tunes to Virgilios in Key West Friday and Saturday December 28th and 29^th.  Showtime is 10pm. For more information call 305-296-8118.

Injade is a fun rocking band that covers a wide spectrum of music from girl songs by artists like Fleetwood Mac, Edie Brickell and Heart, to guy songs by the Thunderbirds, Kinks and the Rolling Stones. Thrown into the mix are their original songs like Livin' a Dream, Dreamer and Conchtown which have been played on local radio.

Key West businessman Bill Estes has filed with the County Elections Office to run for Monroe County Commissioner District 1 in the November 2008 election.
A long-time member of the Key West tourist industry community, Estes is running on a platform of reducing costs and protecting the quality of life of Monroe County residents. He also believes that a Commissioner must be aware of the financial condition of the County and bear personal responsibility--not blaming others for his decisions.
He is already getting signatures to run through the petition process and accepting donations to his campaign. Bill can be reached at 305-923-4265 or Wdivekw@aol.com.

FKAA tap water is bad.  My little dog was sick all weekend with the trots and so were my neighbors two dogs.  Only after a process of elimination did I find the water to be the culprit.  I’m sure there are other dog owners and probably people too that have been sickened.  Don’t drink the water!

[Emails from Lisa Druckmiller to George Neugent] I'd like to make you aware of a visit I had from Harry Miller this afternoon and a phone call earlier this week which were similar to the threatening phone call I received from him on July 3^rd .

On Monday, Harry Miller called me after hearing a rumor that Monroe County might be switching some of its wireless services to Verizon. I told him that Verizon had offered the possibility of saving Monroe County a significant amount of money and that we were meeting with them to discuss some details in January. Harry said that he was going to speak to multiple commissioners and put a stop to that.

This afternoon, about 3:30, Harry called again and said that he wanted to stop by my office with Pat Preuss from Sun Communications (the local Nextel dealer) and discuss keeping our business. I told him that was fine and he arrived at my office about 3:45. Harry told me that I would have to get the approval of the BOCC to make any sort of changes to our wireless service agreements and that he had the ear of the commission. He said that there were three votes against me, and suggested that it would not be in my best interest to even try to use another company. He was not only threatening, but rude. He yelled loud enough that other employees in the office were concerned for me.

I told him that I didn't believe that I needed commissioner approval to save the county money, especially with the current financial situation, and told him that we don't have a contract with Nextel; we piggyback on a State of Florida agreement. I reminded Harry and Pat of the problems that I had with Nextel over the past year. In particular, I recounted my efforts to straighten out 4 months of incorrect billing. I showed him the multiple emails I had sent trying to get a response and told him of the countless hours I spent on the phone to get a long overdue credit. I pointed out that this level of service isn't conducive to loyal customers.

After about a half hour of this, Harry got up and walked out, leaving Pat and I alone in the conference room. I agreed to try to settle some of the issues that we have with Nextel and meet with him and a Nextel representative on January 8th . This seemed to diffuse the situation and they left. About 4:30 I got a call from Connie Cyr in the Administrators office inquiring about Harry Miller. She had just received an upset phone call from him requesting an immediate callback from Debbie Frederick.

Verizon has offered to save Monroe County $80,000 over the next year, compared with the $36,000 savings that Nextel gave us back in July. Verizon has also offered to give us new equipment for no cost so there will be no switchover costs. We're meeting with Verizon to discuss details in January and hope to roll this out in February. All of my dealings with Verizon representatives have been pleasant and professional.

This is the second time in his dealings with me that Mr. Miller has implied improper influence over county business through his personal relationship with County Commissioners. I appreciate the opportunity to relate this to you and welcome your guidance and support. ~ Lisa L Druckemiller,//CPM// Sr. Administrator Harvey Government Center

[George Nugent’s response email to Suzanne Hutton & staff] 

You know as do so many others and, now, thank goodness we have one employee who now stands up to this kind of threatening behavior. It is absolutely unacceptable for any individual, commissioners included, to be allowed to threaten staff. I don't know what actions can be taken legally but this can not be allowed to exist in our staff's environment.

This type of abusive demeanor which I have been told is even being exhibited by some commissioners must stop - now. I believe the Ethics Commission of the state should investigate immediately. For this individual to be saying he has the support of 3 county commissioners must have a modicum of truth to it. We know who he associates with; someone has empowered him with belief that he has commission support. And if he has assumed this all on his own - then he is mentally unbalanced and therein lies another reason for concern.

Again, this is a very, very serious matter that should be addressed immediately. I would like a restraining order put on the individual to be kept from the Harvey Govt. Center. ~ George

Merry Christmas and look at what Santa brought me! Her name is Crissy and what a boomer!

[Illegal immigrants packing up and leaving Arizona because of a new law] And for the first time we'll finally have an opportunity to see exactly how much of an impact illegals have on an economy, particularly one right on the border. It may take a year to be able to evaluate the impact.  We may not need illegals, but they most certainly manage to fill many jobs at a wage no American would accept.  Would you be willing to pay 3 times the price of an imported tomato for an American grown tomato?  Not many of us would (even if it is organic).  Be very careful what you wish for.  Every illegal that leaves requires a farmer to make choices: hire Americans at a legal wage (and, believe me, it wouldn't be minimum wage plus social security), reduce the area they plant of the same crop (raises per plant costs), choose another crop, or close the farm because they can't compete with the imports. 

Any of those choices inevitably leads to higher prices at the supermarket.  My example is for farming, but it applies to tourism too.

Why do we have itinerant foreigners (both legal and illegal) working in some Key West stores?  Because it reduces the cost of business, just like for the farmers.  Somehow "illegals" (both workers and employers) need to be turned into "legals".  not by amnesty, but by some process that will allow them to work here in the open.  The process we have now provides for green card workers, but clearly that process is broken (or incomplete) or we would not be having this national debate over how to deal with illegal aliens in the first place.

[three carriers] This was a real picture I was on board the USS Ronald Reagan during that time. The operation was called Valiant Shield.

The nonsense required for the boiling of peanuts in Big Pine is another example of the ignorance or stupidity or both; and of the absolute extremes into pure B.S. that everyday people here are subjected to. Where or when will it ever end? We lost all common sense a little teeny bit at a time. We know we have a moronic bureaucracy that stifles all reasonable ambition and drive and strives to make us all mind-numbed robots. If left unfettered will eventually turn our country into a third world backwater (just a teeny bit at a time). In the meantime we are at the mercy of these idiots.

[smoke free Tranquility Bay Resort] The reason a nice place don't want smokers is smokers are nasty and the biggest litter bugs around throwing butts away that take 5 years to decay like there's no tomorrow or hoping someone will pick it up for them later.

I have listened to Ron Paul and like his ideas. To me he has only one negative; and that is he is a disciple of the Neil Chamberlain school of diplomacy. If we ignore problems overseas which threaten our way of life all of the rest will soon be meaningless.

We Didn’t Start the Fire ~Billy Joel (It’s worth the wait for it to load). http://home.uchicago.edu/~yli5/Flash/Fire.html

[I never ask for government handouts] You’re lucky that you've not had to ask for help from the Feds. Or the State. Or the County. The government does owe people something, though it's not handouts. Good management (fiscal and organizational), good public safety, and knowing when to butt-out. Too bad it's so ridiculously rare.

I wanted to reply last night to my friend, but my laptop’s battery ran down just as I was doing that. What I started to tell him, before I lost power, was that as he was writing me, I was being rousted awake, to finish what I didn’t complete yesterday. I wanted to tell him that what I think isn’t always what I write, while what I write is what I think, but is also what the angels who look and keep after me think as well, otherwise they would not get on me to write it. And about that I have a bone to pick with them this morning, which is Christmas Day. Interesting metaphor, as I sit in my flat on top of the fossilized coral rock sometimes referred to as Cayo Hueso — Bone Island. Nothing to do with pirates. When the first whites came here, they found collections of human bones lying around, left behind by the indigenous aborigines, perhaps the Calusa, perhaps an earlier people.
GoodMorningKeyWest.com

[More bar wisdom] No matter how loud you yell at the football players on TV, they can’t hear you. This is for the old guy in the orange shirt at Rob's island Grill watching the Cleveland v Cincinnati game.

It's snow bird season. This is one with a South Carolina perspective.  http://gobacktoohio.com/

I wish the Pope would quit asking us to stop the Iraqi war. Doesn’t he realize we are a Christian nation? We are doing it to save Christian lives-- right? The Pope’s outdated I guess "One nation under God". Yet the Pope thinks he can ask us to stop. We are under God not under Pope.

Character actors directory. http://www.what-a-character.com

Thanks Big Mike and the kids for coming down and sharing the holidays and lighting up our streets and neighborhoods with your awesome truck! It just wouldn't be the same here in Big Pine without you. Good luck to you up there and the best to you always. Hope everybody had a Merry Christmas and a good holiday here in the Keys.

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Wednesday December 26, 2007

Sunday December 23, 2007

I'm looking for a local Keys charity to volunteer for a few hours a week.  Does anyone have any suggestions or any they have had good luck with and a good time while helping a good cause?  I’m looking for one where the money goes to the charity and not to buy the CEO's BMW or fund a housewives cocktail party?

Key West and the Keys in general have become an upscale tourist destination because of the economic law of supply vs. demand setting prices, and the benefits of our free enterprise system which allows people to make as much money as they can in any way that they can.

[Swift supported Colman at BOCC] Edwin Swift is one of the biggest developers in the Keys and is a major partner in Historic tours of America (Conch Train, etc). It’s no wonder he supported Colman. Mr Swift will probably be the beneficiary of any “affordable housing” contracts issued by the gang of three and Mr Coleman. This is a development cabal that needs to be dismantled at the next election.

It’s no wonder Islamorada wants to un-incorporate and rejoin the County. There are only 4,850 voters in that city. Figure out how many of those would stand for public office and you have a very small pool of potential city candidates. Who wants that awful job of governing the few? What you end up with is the same few bigmouths running for office and determining your future. That sucks. Who needs four(?) cities in a little county of only 82,000 people? Talk about redundancy, there are so many duplicate layers of government it seems foolish and a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Has anyone tried satellite TV software?  For a one-time charge of between $25-60 you get anywhere from 2500-4000 stations from around the world. I’m almost ready to gamble the fifty bucks and try it. With a hundred dollar gizmo like the Sling Box you can even send the signal to your living room TV. When perusing the web sites make sure you’re not suckered in to Dish Network’s low introductory offers. They still have a hundred dollar a month fee. Satellite TV software is totally different. satellitetvforpcreviews.com/

[turned us over to code enforcement] Enough is enough when our hirelings start screwing with our homes, our food and water and our kids. Wake up before they put collars around our necks!

[kids playing with guns] A kid is any human being under the legal age, right? Then in most states "kids" are kids if under 21, 18 or 17, right? Now if a "kid" can enter the military at 17, with a parental waver, and be trained to kill millions with push of a button, then why can't they play with guns and have a freaking beer? Sounds absurd but it is a fact.

The greedy lawyer that owns KW Resort Utility wanted to double the monthly fees to its Stock Island customers. The State audited the utility and found that they were charging too much already and must lower their fees! The utility was charging its customers for the owners’ vacations, their children’s cell phone bills and padding the cost of supplies from his son’s company.

The Village of Islamorada wants to add another tax to voters that are already overtaxed. Let’s un-incorporate and let the County re-assume our fire protection and cut out one extra layer of government.

[Merry Saturnalia!] In the fourth century A.D., the Catholic church made a big mistake. Acceding to the popular tradition that Jesus Christ had been born on December 25 and wishing to keep Christians from participating in the infamous orgies of the year-end pagan festival of Saturnalia, the Church established December 25 as the feast of the birth of Christ. Thus, for seventeen centuries, Christmas and Saturnalia have competed for the attention of the public. By now, I think we must admit that Saturnalia has won and that Christmas has been thoroughly de-Christianized.

[$300 inspection fee] Is the county using the insurance company to check on our property because they can't otherwise get on our property? What are the definitive rules for them coming onto your property and looking in the windows or looking from across a canal? Is the flood inspection their only way to check on us?

I noticed that a columnist in the Key West Citizen refers to his home as "America's Only Caribbean Island". I've also seen this phrase in some tourist brochures. Is there something unique about Key West that makes it more Caribbean or tropical than the other Keys? Or is this another example of Key West arrogance or ignorance?

[Iguanas] I’ve been considering the postings concerning our Iguana population.  I can recall that the pro lizard forces plead for coexistence claiming as follows:  1.) They are cute (huh?)  2.) They harm no one nor do they harm local flora or fauna.  3.) They are cute (huh?). 

The death-to-the-green-monsters set claims:  1.) They are ugly (right on!)  2.) They devour huge quantities of high priced decorative and local flora. (they do!)  3.)  They deposit large quantities of foul, slimy, slippery, dangerous, disease spreading feces on walks, decks and boats (yes, they do do) 4.) They are not indigenous, they are exotic pests (you betcha)  5.)  They carry salmonella. (it says here)  6.) They taste just like chicken (says who?).  There is no legal prohibition against killing iguana, as the killing is done in a humane manner.  Please understand it is illegal to discharge a firearm around here, but also be aware that a pellet gun is not a firearm.  The iguana is an exotic alien pest that does compete with our local herbivores and there is substantial anecdotal evidence that they are omnivores.  It sure looks to me like the only reason not to kill them is because some folks think they are cute.  But then again serial killers get a lot of fan mail in prison.

[Is a rugby ball the same as a football] It takes much bigger balls to play rugby than protected football.

[Vote] Deer Editor,  It looks like you're earning your money with all of the submissions.  Thank you for all the work you do for this highly entertaining and slightly addictive column.  More people should advertise because it gets a lot of hits, I bet.  The people down here are really pretty smart and you wouldn't know it from the looks of them.  I am pleased to see our communities and some of the local people all coming together and trying to protect our islands from the developers, losing our animal shelter and trying to get sewers installed.  Happy to see pro-active neighbors actually cleaning up, getting involved and caring about our special place to live.  We have to keep making noise and not sit back and watch them take over every little thing.  Let's not be so complacent in the new year. How about regular, local people getting elected?  We need to clean house in 2008.   

Register to vote online: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/regtovote/regform.shtml 

So, I’m headed off to Oregon for a while, to do what I know not. In getting ready to leave, I’m being put through a sort of mopping up operation, so when I leave Key West and the Keys, I can leave less encumbered, even as I expect to come back to Key West and be put back to work here. Why I’m going in Oregon remains a mystery to me. I don’t even know where in Oregon I’m going, and that’s a pretty darn big state to be heading toward and not know where to go in it. Yet it somehow will be shown to me, and I will end up where I’m supposed end up, to do what I’m supposed to do, which will just start showing up after I get there, without my having to do much but wait for it to happen and engage it in the ways I’m shown to engage it. Same for anywhere I’m sent. Living on Maui in late 2000, flat broke, I was told on waking one morning to go to the Keys, and within three days’ time, from out of the blue, stuff had happened to make it possible for me to do that. As the bus I was riding entered the capitol of Florida, I was told in a dream I was going to be getting into politics. I awoke very distressed, and knew there was nothing I could do about it but let it unfold. GoodMorningKeyWest.com

Side dish for an iguana Christmas dinner?  Try a nice roast lamb. That way you can throw out the barbequed iguana and avoid answering questions like “Does it really taste like chicken?”

If you want to know if our State’s Attorney for Monroe County is doing his job, just ask yourself this one simple question: How many cases of local political corruption have been prosecuted by his office? London? No, Hendrick? No. Too close to the fire to see thru the smoke!

[when the Keys had no tourism] Amen to that; and yet, somehow we all managed to survive and live well.

Age is a very high price to pay for maturity. What I learned as I matured: http://www.emusing.com/f_laim0204.asp

[Floodplain management ordinance requiring $300 inspection permit] My question is why only Monroe County has to have these inspections? Key West does not. Neither does any other place in this country that is below the flood plain. There are lots of other places in this county prone to flooding. We are singled out. There is not a less free place in this county then Monroe County. Screw them.

In 20 years I have not had flood or wind insurance and never will. The amount of money I have saved will rebuild my solid poured concrete house twice over if something stronger then a category five ever comes through here. I never ask for government handouts. That's not why we have government. But it has been bloated because of people who think the government owes them something. Screw those people, screw the Monroe County Government and screw FEMA. If you have a mortgage and need insurance go out of state and find one that does not require flood. Yeah Baby.

What happened to the US1 Beautification scheme and all the monies we got stuck for?

Many of us want to can the gang of three, but no one is coming forward to run for their seats. Who would want the job anyway? It’s a thankless job with long hours, very little pay, great responsibility and constant ridicule.

The FBI is embarking on a $1 billion effort to build the world's largest computer database of peoples' physical characteristics, a project that would give the government unprecedented abilities to identify individuals in the United States and abroad.

Digital images of faces, fingerprints and palm patterns are already flowing into FBI systems in a climate-controlled, secure basement here. Next month, the FBI intends to award a 10-year contract that would significantly expand the amount and kinds of biometric information it receives. And in the coming years, law enforcement authorities around the world will be able to rely on iris patterns, face-shape data, scars and perhaps even the unique ways people walk and talk, to solve crimes and identify criminals and terrorists. The FBI will also retain, upon request by employers, the fingerprints of employees who have undergone criminal background checks so the employers can be notified if employees have brushes with the law.

Monroe County was against incorporation and the voters barely approved it and it happened. There are no bonds involved and the $25 million the Village has borrowed is pledged by future sales taxes. The voters should decide the issue, not three county commissioners, whose tenure is very shaky. There is an extra layer of government here that does not require the county to absorb this extra expense. There is no contractual agreement. Un-incorporation will provide a taxpayer saving and not just moving around employees.

A football and a rugby ball are quite similar in shape and size. Both balls are oval and are 11 inches long. The difference between the two is the shape of the balls' ends. The football has ends that come to a point, while the rugby ball has flatter ends. The ends of these balls make a significant difference in how each moves through the air.

[County should charge us $10 to help the budget crunch] At 85,000 permanent locals that is only $850,000, which is chump change to those free spenders.

Suppose I wanted to help an underprivileged family of 22 from Haiti and try for a government grant to subsidize them and let them live in my home free, with food stamps, gas stamps, and anything else they needed, would that be ok in Monroe County? Who do I call?

[To all my Democrat friends]  Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference. 

To My Republican Friends:  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[Monroe County only $200K in reserves] A poster suggested an immediate taxing of all of “us” to the tune of 10 bucks. The poster then plaintively asks “would that be enough to help?” I first thought it was a gag posting, then it dawned on me that he might be serious. Here’s a suggestion to the poster: go ahead and send the County Commissioners your personal check for 10 bucks. If you want to feel really helpful send 100 bucks. Put the following note in the envelope with your check “Damnit, you freaking dolts, quit spending!”

Merry Christmas to the man who has everything.

[Un-incorporation] It seems that the voter has no say in this issue. Everybody is trying to keep this issue from the voter. the voters wanted to incorporate and now let them be heard on un-incorporation. Government will not collapse if the County assumes the duties they had before incorporation. Look at the assets they will take over. When incorporation occurred, the two municipalities hired many employees for the extra layer of government. The county did not reduce any employees because of incorporation, so they should not have to add any employees. If the voters say they are not satisfied with the municipal form of government they should be able to return to the fold.

[Monroe County taxpayers beware] With the looming cost of sewers and bankruptcy, Islamorada and Marathon may now want to be assumed back into the county! If so, the County, aka you the taxpayer, will assume all their debt and government responsibilities. Maybe we should tell our county commissioners no? Those cities chose to secede from the County with high aspirations of grandeur, lower taxes and improved services. So be it. Now they should take responsibility for their actions.

The two cities' pipe dreams of incorporation became blurry and failed. The County taxpayers are already facing debt fallout from corruption and mismanagement by county officials. They should not also be held responsible for the failed dreams and mistakes of incorporation by incorporated city officials too. Tell your commissioner to vote no for any unincorporation plan. The phrase “we can manage our city better than the county can" was a commitment. Live up to your own responsibilities and failed visions. You are incorporated cities now in charge of your own city. Congratulations!

What harm can boiled peanuts cause]  It may cause the enjoyment of something as simple as a warm, salty peanut.  Or possibly the memory of a childhood family tradition when Dad would boil peanuts on a weekend afternoon.  Never let it be said that our County would let anything so simple and harmless pass without somehow making an issue out of it and spoiling yet another bit of innocent pleasure in our little corner of paradise. No doubt there is a little known, lengthy and expensive process involved in getting permits for peanut boiling. Unless, of course, you’re connected.  Condos, mega-resorts, hotels--no problem.  But boiled peanuts?  Never.

[traffic stop in Texas] Shoot them in a leg that will slow them down.

[Safety Council kids and guns] The Safety Council's numbers include gang shootings and kids to 20 years old.  That’s not what you think of when you think of accidental shootings of kids.  The anti-gunners will distort and fabricate with no remorse to get their lie perpetuated.  Get rid of gangs not guns.

Santa is an ass! I asked the fat guy for a Hummer with lots of chrome and he sent me a crack ‘ho with braces! Merry Xmas.

Anyone that wants to be President (walk around with a big red bulls eye on and solve the worlds problems) is crazy and therefore should be disqualified.

[Italians came here With Out Papers. Mexicans are now doing the same. We do need their help] No! They are not. Were there 12-20 million illegal Italians waving the Italian flag, dragging ours on the ground, demanding citizenship, screaming discrimination? Did the Italians demand America's laws be written and special courts be created in Italian? Did Italians claim that requiring them to learn English was discriminatory? Were the local police not allowed to ask Italians if they were legal? Did the Italians refuse to assimilate into American life? We do not need the help of 12-20 million illegas. The misconception that they are all here to work is more pro-illegal immigration propaganda.

Illegal immigrants packing up and leaving Arizona because of a new law:  http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/22/immigrants.leave.ap/index.html

Direct quote from the just published Reagan Diaries. The entry is dated May 17, 1986. "A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida. The one who hangs around here all the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never had a real job. Maybe I'll call Kinsley over at The New Republic and see if they'll hire him as a contributing editor or something. That looks like easy work."

Sunday December 23, 2007

Saturday December 22, 2007

[Bridge to nowhere] It would probably cost 30-40 thousand dollars a year to buy the fisherman and the radio station a boat and motor to get them back and forth instead of the millions to build a little used bridge. Arrangements could be made to get heavy freight to the island. Wolkowsky’s been doing that on Ballast Key since the 70s and that island is about five miles out.

[to the Bush lover] Bush enabled the religious civil war in Iraq. The Iraq war itself, is unwarranted and is Bush’s major screw up. History will tell the truth about Bush’s blunder. Being blind to the facts does not make a better Bush. The US did not invade Iraq to fight terrorist (as the writer states), we invaded to destroy weapons of mass destruction and nothing more. Open your mind, sir and stop trying to rewrite history.

I remember when the Keys had no or almost no tourism. It was quit, peaceful, without illegals. How I wish for those days again.

For the last 7 years Dixie Spehar has been making decisions without any regard to how the County will pay for them. Now it turns out that because of her hissy-fit in firing Tom Willi the County has no money to pay for a new County Administrator. I may be naive, but isn't knowing the financial condition of the County a part of being a County Commissioner?

“You’ll love Israel from the first shalom” That is the new advertising promotion slogan for Israel’s tourism council. That is also the lamest slogan I’ve ever heard!

[Community Inspection Reports] I had to do this over the summer for flood insurance, but it only costs $50 (I did it thru the building department in Marathon).  After I applied it took a good two months for them to actually do the inspection. The insurance company was okay once I applied and I didn't need the actual report.

Welcome to Romania. Slide show. Click on pictures to see the next one.

[hates politicians] You people do not understand politicians. They live here too and have the same expenses we do and they have the same headaches and frustrations. It is not that they do not really work for a living; it is that they don't want to. They let us support them in their finery, and expect to be here when we are all pushed out and bank-ruptured. Then they will continue to play the "I'm royalty" game and wear that halo for the next batch of fools!  The only way to end this joke is to go back to a village system, but the again the Chief will want a bigger cut, right?

[tired of anti-gun talk] I agree 100%, because it is a verifiable fact that more people are killed or maimed by shorted out adult toys than guns every year!

We received the same letter requiring an inspection a year and a half ago. I called the number on the letter to ask about the process. I was cheerfully informed that it was no big deal, an inspector simply came by and confirmed that there were no illegal rooms downstairs. Like you, mine downstairs is enclosed with breakaway walls, no rooms, etc. The inspector arrived, looking appropriately stern, and spent over two hours taking pictures. We received a letter with a list of code violations. Most of the violations having evidently not been violations when the final inspection was done since it was signed off.  We checked  the FEMA list to see what was actually legal vs illegal and found that the county had evidently fabricated their own list which  included a number of violations not considered violations by the Feds. We had purchased the home only a year and a half  previously and were working on several improvements and tried to explain this to the department conducting the inspection as  they found us in violation for having building materials downstairs. They have turned us over to code enforcement. We haven't reached the end of the story yet and will let you know when we do.

Let's stop and think for a minute about the true meaning of Christmas--the birth of Christ. Now we can enjoy the celebration with love, music, gifts, food and drinks!  Merry Christmas to all and be safe if you are traveling.

I went to Keys Federal Credit Union to open one of their free checking accounts. They wanted $50 to open a free checking account. I didn’t. It's no wonder they recently fired their CEO.

Saying that that there are thousands of accidental deaths every year from children and firearms is an even larger fabrication.

The Bone Yard near Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson,  Arizona. If you’re ever in the area stop by and take the tour. It’s vast an awesome.

Congratulations to Editor on caring enough to catch us all up on our educated drivel, thank you very much after Wednesday’s absence.

[boiled peanuts] If they think people are enjoying them they are going to want to shut it down. Does this surprise anyone?

[violation of the community's floodplain management ordinance requiring $300 inspection permit] Man, and I was complaining about having to pay $50 for the same privilege last year.  The democrats are right, inflation is running rampant.  Damn republicans.
 
Make sure your flood vents are in place and you have evidence of their rated exposed area.  I don't know where you get this if you don't buy them yourself, but they will require a re-inspection with new vents or printed evidence (at least the re-inspection is free).  Although the $300 sucks they have to charge you something because those without flood insurance need not be inspected.  The $50 I paid last year seems a lot more reasonable.  In all fairness I don't want my flood insurance dollars rebuilding someone else's illegal bedroom and family room in their downstairs enclosure.  Hell, I don't even want flood insurance. They'll never pay me a dime anyway because they made me remove everything that might ever get wet!

Moderation in temper is always a virtue, but moderation in principle is always a vice. ~Thomas Paine

I noticed you posted an email I sent directly to Sloan Bashinsky but not to you at BigPineKey.com.  Granted, I assume Sloan will use all or part of my email as he sees fit to frame his opinion.  However posting an email without any attribution leaves readers the impression that I sent it directly to your forum.  Additionally, you used my name which seems to conflict with your posting practices on this site.  Perhaps I missed it but do you have an attribution policy someplace? (Ed: I apologize for whatever I did. It was not personal I’m sure, only my inconsistency.)

Thanks to the ACLU and other “politically correct” wackos, Christmas will be cancelled.  Don’t bother with the milk and cookies.

[Key West hospital must be crappy] Yes, it is crappy. The quality of medical care at LKMC is not particularly stellar in my opinion. I've never worked for the hospital, but I've worked at the hospital as an independent contractor. I am an RN. I found too many physicians with arrogant and condescending attitudes toward both staff and patients. When a physician is un-teachable, when they do not listen to what the patient or the nurse is saying because they know best, that makes for lousy care. Yes, many people may respond to these statements by saying that they had excellent care (hospitals wouldn't be in business if they didn't have successes). However, when your staff is overworked and underpaid (an understatement) and have to deal with physicians who have no time for them (generally the nursing department) or the patients, it creates a less than ideal environment for all concerned.

Why a chopper ride to Miami instead of a five mile ride to LKMC? It has nothing to do with the quality of care and everything to do with the extent of injuries sustained. Even though LKMC is essentially the only game in town, the trauma centers in Miami are much better equipped to deal with life threatening injuries. Believe me when I say that if I were conscious enough and able to speak, I'd be telling them to take me directly to Miami. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just get me there--Stat! (Most of the time, unfortunately, crash victims that are being flown out are generally fighting for their lives, and may be intubated en route along with anything else that can be done to get them stabilized.)

Many, if not most, major hospitals are certified trauma centers. Small community hospitals are often not equipped or certified to deal with major traumas. When I worked for a University hospital in NY, they were the only trauma center for the whole county at that time. Flying crash victims to the University hospital was a daily occurrence. That's done all over the country. Think about it; if you're laying there with a punctured lung, a partially severed leg, and a ruptured spleen, wouldn't you want the kind of docs who deal with this sort of thing every day? There is no teacher as good as experience. If I'm seriously injured I want the guys with the most and best experience.

[kids playing with guns] The Safety Council numbers only include accidents. There are lots of kids playing with guns who shoot people on purpose to the tune of over twenty thousand in 2005. In all fairness, though, the number has come down quite a bit. Now I'm waiting for the comments about how if more "good" kids carried guns then maybe the bad ones would be afraid to cross them.  Yeah, that'd help. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/tables/regionjuvtab.htm

Injade will be rockin' out at the Looe Key Tiki Bar tonight (Sat) having a blast with all the great people in the area. We love all you guys. See you there!

On Sunday, from 5-9pm, singer songwriter, rockin' guitar player extraordinaire, David, from the band Injade will be showcasing his fancy guitar work on the acoustic. Or for a more mellow moment that night, you can cross the street up a little ways and hear Adrienne, who performs every Sunday night at the Parrotdise.

This was announced at the BOCC meeting: The County Commission meeting was interrupted by a call from State Rep. Ron Saunders to acting County Administrator Debbie Frederick. Saunders, through Frederick, said he had been notified that two groups wanting to un-incorporate Marathon and Islamorada had acquired enough petition signatures to move forward with that process.

[Coleman and McPherson] We were at the last BOCC meeting at Marathon, and were present when the issue of Attorney Coleman came up.  I know nothing about the history or the value of Attorney Coleman, and my entire knowledge of the issue was gleaned from the BOCC meeting.  It happened as follows:  Commissioner Murphy very cautiously attempted to terminate Mr. Coleman’s contract; she stated that the contract was initially to be a temporary measure until the County Attorney’s Office had hired and trained a staffer to deal with the issues that Mr. Coleman had been retained to handle.  Ms, Murphy stated, and a lady, I believe to be supervisory level County Attorney staff, verified that a county attorney had been employed and was up to speed on the issues.  It was noted that Mr. Coleman was currently being paid at the rate of $350 per hour and that he wanted a raise to $500 per hour.  I believe it was Mr. DiGennaro who then related that Mr. Coleman was doing an absolutely exemplary job, further, that Coleman had retained and trained a “person” who could do many of the tasks that he, Coleman, had been doing, all of this for only $175 per hour for the new person.  There was no mention as whether or not this “person” was an attorney admitted to the Florida Bar, nor any mention of the “persons” qualifications.  Mr. DiGenerro stated that Mr. Coleman would supervise the labors of this person.  No mention or testimony concerning the amount of hours, or limit thereto, to be billed, but it must be assumed that Coleman would bill either $375 or $500 per hour while supervising the labors of the $175 per hour person. 

There were 2 individuals who spoke against the issue, and a Mr. Ed Swift spoke most eloquently in support of Mr. Coleman, is there a history between Coleman and Swift?  Now let’s see per hour.  $175 for the person + $350 (or perhaps $500) for Mr. Coleman’s supervision = $525 per hour.  I heard no mention of placing any limit on the number of hours to be billed. Oversight of the labors of Coleman and person is to be accomplished by the County Attorney’s Office.  All of this even though it was claimed that the County Attorney had an attorney on staff trained and ready to take on the tasks of Coleman et al.  Murphy and Neugent voted against the deal, the other three voted for it.  I though that the county was stone broke!  How can the county afford Coleman plus his person and the County’s full time paid staff attorney?  What is the relationship between Mr. Coleman, Mr. Swift, and Commissioners Spehar DiGennaro, and McCoy?

I went to the presentation on Tuesday at the Tropic Cinema on Eaton and Whitehead. It was my first time there and left a favorable impression. I was unable to stay for the main event, but saw the first two “shorts” They were not what I had expected and were well done.

I was there to support the winner of the Humanitarian Award Diana Flenard, the Executive Director of M.A.R.C. (Monroe Association for Retarded Citizens). She does so much for the needy in Key West and is a humble and truly dedicated person (Just a recognition plug for her). The films and supporters reflect the old spirit of Key West. Key West High School students were there filming to educate and carry on the tradition. An eye opener it can be.

[Iguana infestation will take over] Has anybody noticed that these kind of idiotic comments always show up about the time the snowbirds come back down here? I say kudos to the person that posted about observing the green iguanas and nesting Green Herons coexisting at the Blue Hole.  I live near there, spend a lot of time there and agree with their observations. Google "green iguanas eating protein" and read the countless links talking about this subject and how that is a myth. 

This would explain all the Victoria's Secret purchases.

[illegal aliens want to kill us] This used to be relevant to people many years ago, but not any longer. You have to be blind to the new world and its horrors. There is no trust, honor or dignity left and a very high percentage of immigrants are coming here not to assimilate, but to destroy our country and our freedoms because of their hatred of their own dismal existence in their country of origin. I suggest we take a very close look at anyone who wants in and make sure they are not the enemy in rag drag!  It is not an outrage to be prejudice against a possible enemy that wants you dead. More people should quit dreaming and see reality or we are all going to be without a country very soon.

Santa's Jigsaw - animated Flash ecard by Jacquie Lawson

[boiled peanut lady] The county should not shut anyone down that is trying to do business, they should simply tell that person to copy the way other places do it legally.

[Michael Crichton's book, State of Fear] This is a great book. Crichton has a web page also; I think it had text from a congressional hearing where he spoke on the subject. It certainly gives a different side to the crap that passes for accepted fact everyday. The guy is pretty smart.

Making Trauma Star the primary responder to life-threatening accidents up to Mile Marker 95 makes sense, given the new helicopter's improved flight time (according to the county's fire chief). But Upper Keys trauma district officials caution that such a change could result in some residents paying twice for air ambulance service. During a recent meeting with Hinnant, members of the Upper Keys Health Care Taxing District, also known as the trauma district, expressed misgivings about changing response protocols. Commissioner Sylvia Murphy, a former member of the Upper Keys trauma board, sees trouble ahead. "I will fight this," Murphy said. The event that will cause a collision is when Miami is available to transport trauma district patients at no charge, per our protocol, and instead they are transported by Trauma Star at many thousands of dollars expense. “The fire chief doesn't want to know any of the background," Murphy said. "Will I fight this? Yes, I will." Someone needs to ask Fire Chief Hinnant what will happen when Trauma Star is responding to save a life in the Upper Keys leaving the rest of the Keys without the safety net and a critical accident happens down there?

"We're talking life safety. I want to get the best service and we'll worry about the cost later," Hinnant said”.

Fire Chief Hinnant, if you continue on this venue, the cost maybe a life in the lower Keys while Trauma Star is up in the Upper Keys taking care of a patient which already has its own helicopter system in place.

Is a rugby ball the same as a football? Do they use the same ball? What is the difference?

There has been a lot of justified carping over the years about the BOCC’s Gang of Three. Unless some quality candidates run against them, it will be more of the same.  For some reason, once in office, it is really difficult to get rid of elected officials, even if they are mini-dictators with a pro-development agenda. 

So here is my Keys Christmas wish:  The final year in office for the Gang of Three and some white knights/knightresses,(?) to run against them.

Is there is a midnight Christmas eve service anywhere? 

The County wants to raise bus fares to gain more income to cover for the deficit left by their wasteful spending spree last year. That figures; get the money from the poorest people in the County.

I have a one year old cat whose job is to act cute and she does it better than anyone.

The county says they have only $200,000 in reserves? That’s terrible. What happens if we have an emergency? They should charge all of us $10 right now. Would that be enough to help the budget crunch?

[What time is Midnight Mass] We lived in a little town with a church population of 100 people. 20 Years ago we celebrated Midnight Mass at 10:00 pm because our Pastor Father Donald was getting up in his years and Brother was way up in his years. It was not a matter of crime or drunks - - - Father Donald and Brother just couldn’t stay up that late. This is a true story and fond memories.

I suspect that if Ron Paul was elected president (fat chance) and abolished the IRS and closed all three hundred military bases around the world he would be assassinated; not for political reasons or patriotic reasons, but for financial reasons from all those lawyers and suckers who have been draining our money for those two wasteful programs.

[enclosure inspection for $300]  I had the enclosure inspection in October and I didn't pay anything.  It was based, however, on a failed inspection report by the previous owner when he was selling the house, so I don't know if he had to pay or not.  I did have to pay $92 for an enclosure demo permit.  Try contacting Dianne Bair at Growth Management 305-289-2518.

[animal rescue masks]  I love a ground up start-up mission and am ready to take my orders (write a check). If you can buy three sets at $60 each than so can I.  I want to give, especially to anyone with sense enough to have beagles. You post it here on Coconut Telegraph when you get your ducks in a row and will send check. Buddy the Beagle sends his love too!

Forget all the kidding about iguana recipes. Don't knock it ‘til you've tried it. The meat is excellent!

Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my gun.

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

I have some thing to say. Stop bitching, crying, complaining and just say some thing that is good. Here is what I have to say, “good”. Also if you write anything over five lines long I don’t bother to read it.

[The assessment is probably only for a few years] Are you living in La La land or what?  Having been taxed in the Keys since 1962 and having all the records I can assure you that down here, if they ever get the chance to tax you on anything the tax only gets bigger every year.  That is why we have so much money to buy restaurants from our buddies and fix bridges to nowhere for 34 million (really 45 million with cost overruns to our buddies) and sink ships that a few people can dive down to and at the same time forget about the mandate to have the keys on aerobic systems and or sewered by 2010.

[Midnight mass] When I was an alter boy the joke was about all the people who called the rectory asking what time midnight Mass was. I guess the times have changed and midnight mass is no longer obviously held at midnight. Is nothing sacred (ho, ho)?

[e-mail sent to all County Commissioners]  If this is true, then they are really asking for it. We are not stupid. We know you bastards are in cahoots with the land grabbers to get all the dirt in the Keys for development. We are sick and tired of these servants of the people sticking it up our butts every time we turn around. And you insurance companies can stick your ridiculously priced (they cover nothing anyway) policies where the sun doesn't shine!  You are pushing us too hard and the pay backs just might be a bitch!

The religious war cannot be 2500 years old and the administration also lied when they said they knew exactly where the WMDs were. Both sides are full of BS. Let the independents pick the next President. They listen to both sets of liars and really are America’s third party.

[Key West Hospital] They are very nice and have helped in many an emergency, not just mine. They do not cause the wrecks. They just get to reassemble the parts that they are provided. The medics and docs also have a great sense of humor. They are professionals.

Downtown Big Pine is looking real ratty. How 'bout some steel mills and foundries to pay some decent wages?  

I really don’t think the government needs to waste money on encouraging people to speak English. That can be done for free at every employers place of work. I’m glad they shot done that ridiculous waste of money. Thanks Democrats.

I love it when people scream "Saddam didn’t listen to the UN so he had to be attacked". Yet they say right after that the "UN is useless". Make up your minds. The very same UN voted strongly against our occupation of Iraq, yet in that case we ignored them. Let me guess: that’s different. Love them when it suits you; hate them when they are against you. The world has asked Israel what their nuclear abilities are and they have ignored everyone. We know it’s different for them because we are allied with them. Hold everyone accountable to the exact same disclosures and accountabilities and you will always have the world’s backing. Different rules for different countries never works.

A traffic stop in Texas along the border. This reminds me of the circus where they fit a million clowns into a miniature car. Video

Someone is trying to say that there was no religious war going on in Iraq before the occupation began and that whoever thought that wasn’t very bright. So I guess that person is saying that in Iraq before the invasion the Shia/Sunni and the Kurds all got along wonderfully and sat around singing Kumbya together. Yeah, okay, and Saddam didn’t gas the Kurds based on their religious beliefs and their place in the government. He gassed them because they didn’t pay taxes maybe? And yet again a veiled reference to 9/11 which our President said Iraq had zero to do with. Why did we put American troops into Iraq then? Wait, I remember. We were told Saddam had WMDs and they were "North, west, east and south of Tikrit" and that "We know where they are". I love history revisionist.

It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The pastor of the church was looking at the manger scene, when he noticed that  the baby Jesus figure was missing from the cradle. He immediately turned and went outside and saw a little boy with a red wagon walking down the street. And in the wagon, was the figure of the infant Jesus. So he walked up to the boy and said, "Son, where did you get that little baby Jesus that's in your wagon?" The little boy replied, "I got him from the church." And why did you take him?" asked the pastor. The little boy replied, "Well, about a week before Christmas, I prayed and I told Jesus if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas, I would give him a ride in it!"

Merry Christmas to all!

Grey water for landscape watering seems like a good idea but there is e coli in washing machine water and shower water.

Lost wrist watch with stainless steel band around the Unity Church 909 Flagler on Dec 19. Great sentimental value. Reward call Joshua 872-3059 Classified Ads > Lost & Found

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Saturday December 22, 2007

Wednesday December 19, 2007

The super 11-year-old shotgun girl is an invention of the pro-gun extremists: http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/homeinvasion.asp Even if it were true, it would hardly offset the thousands of accidental deaths every year caused by kids playing with their daddy's guns.

We went to breakfast at a restaurant where the "seniors' special" was two eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast for $1.99. "Sounds good," my wife said. "But I don't want the eggs." "Then I'll have to charge you two dollars and forty-nine cents because you're ordering a la carte," the waitress warned her. "You mean I'd have to pay for not taking the eggs?" my wife asked incredulously. "YES!!" stated the waitress.  "I'll take the special then." my wife said. "How do you want your eggs?" the waitress asked. "Raw and in the shell," my wife replied. She took the two eggs home.  Don't mess with seniors! We've been around the block more than once.

Santa arrived in Eden Pines Sunday night. It was a great show of community spirit.  Thank you, Mike. Your truck looks brighter every year.

[Forceful interrogation] Whatever your gut tells you on the forceful interrogation issue, I think that we can all agree that it is a painful truth that we find ourselves in times and circumstances that require that we all talk and think about it. My considerable gut tells me that the practice is an abhorrent but necessary practice. We now live in times wherein miniscule groups of zealots, both religious and secular, have the technology, power, and drive to wreak civilianization busting havoc on humanity. I can envision circumstances wherein the application of coercive interrogation techniques would not only be permissible, but a moral imperative. I don’t know if Abu Zabaydah, terrorist plotter, talked after 30-35 seconds or not, but retired CIA officer John Kiriakou, said he did. Kiriakou was interviewed on ABC by Brian Ross on World News, on 12/10/07. I’d suggest that the reader Google that info and consider the stories concerning it.

Black Iguanas are good in Margaritas. You need to have a strong blender. http://www.blackiguana.com/

[Vote-buying] is an old practice in Thai politics, but one candidate for December's Thai election has reportedly come up with a new tactic — handing out Viagra instead of cash. The allegation, made Thursday by a campaign worker against a rival party, comes as rules about handing out favors to voters have become stricter than ever, barring even the distribution of free T-shirts and soft drinks. Sayan Nopcha, a campaigner for the People's Power Party in Pathum Thai province just north of Bangkok, said the drug used to treat sexual dysfunction in men was being distributed to elderly male voters at social functions. Viagra is supposed to be used only on a doctor's advice, but is generally available over the counter in Thailand. "The politician is giving out Viagra to gain popularity and votes," said Sayan, a local government official whose older brother is the PPP candidate. "I think this is a very bad way of vote-buying."

Response to the "proud, white, English speaking American veteran." I guess you will no longer be able to patronize the gentlemen’s clubs in Key West. They have many fine looking non-Americans in their hire.

[Al Qaeda is on the run in Iraq] You fail to accept the fact that they were not there before we went into Iraq, running, skipping doing the Macarena or otherwise.

[Seeing is believing] Here is absolute proof that a green iguana can produce a black iguana.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-JPLYPS01o&feature=related

[Flight path, cont'd] I was flooded with outrage over the Navy and three State public officials not even having the common decency to respond to your letters to them, begging for relief, for her and her family, and for all people living in the flyover zone. Next, I was reminded of something that had already occurred to me a few times, which is that the civil rights of your writer and other Stock Island residents like her are being brutally and willfully violated. You got a taste of that when Mayor Di Gennaro had you evicted from a County Commission meeting for speaking out against him and what other county commissioners were doing. Unbelievable, in America, such a thing could happen. Yet that pales what the Navy is doing on Stock Island, apparently with the complicity of the State of Florida. Our Founding Fathers were very clear, they put their very lives on the line to say all people are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They seceded from a county they loved because they no longer could endure the despotic, selfish, callous practices of their King. The American Civil Liberties Union made some comments about Mario’s behavior toward you and might be interested in making a lot more noise about the very real and hurtful sting of the Navy’s Super Hornets on Stock Island. Also, I once had some correspondence with county lawyer Gerry Spence, who lives near Laramie, Wyoming. During that time, I read some of Gerry’s books. This is a lawyer who is not in the least afraid of the United States Government; a lawyer who has the skill, toughness and concern for the way America has been headed for some time, to take on the U.S. Navy over the Super Hornet. To be blunt, I am being reminded over and over again of the Nazis, who no more cared for common German folk than they cared for God. Whether Gerry Spence is still up to this sort of case, whether it might interest him, I cannot say. As I recall, his cases back when we corresponded were more of the blunt instrument injury and environmental poison kind, rather than supersonic ear and soul shattering sound. But maybe he might be interested. The Civil Right’s Acts allow for attorney fees, as the ACLU certainly knows and has used to get paid in its cases, such as the Pottinger case in Miami, where the ACLU represented Miami’s homeless people, who were receiving what the U.S. District Judge eventually determined to be cruel and unusual punishment, because they were not being allowed to sleep at night by Miami’s police. Is there any real difference in that case and the Super Hornet case? Aren’t the people on Stock Island in the flyover zone being driven out of their homes, being made homeless? Is not that not only a civil violation of their civil rights but also a criminal violation? My recollection is that the Civil Rights Acts provide for criminal as well as civil sanctions for civil rights abuse. I may have more come to me later. Meanwhile, I’ll publish this and last night’s email, after running them through my word processor. GoodMorningKeyWest.com

Thank you.
http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/shortmovie.php

If I was to use Cocoa Puffs to kill my spouse would I be considered a cereal killer?  Maybe I could get off using the insanity defense since I am cuckoo for cocoa puffs!

[illegal immigration] http://www.sptimes.com/2007/12/17/State/Illegal_workers_on_st.shtml Read it and give our lawmakers your opinion. Also has a message board to express yourself. I went there, but just copied all 3 FAXs to email them myself to lawmakers. The website wanted too much personal info in my opinion. Send them to your Congressman and Senator as soon as possible and help stop illegal immigration. God Bless America!

Residency documents? We don't need no stinking documents!

After seeing "what we eat for a week" I think I should cut down.

[This is my first winter here.  I am freezing] It happens every years when the Snowbirds come crashing down and bring all the cold with them! 

[iguanas are vegetarians]  I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.  As someone else said already, yes, you might see an occasional iguana eat something like an egg, but it's not natural for them to do so.  There are always exceptions to the rule.   I am a volunteer at the Blue Hole and, for years, I have spent hours observing iguanas and nesting Green Herons coexisting together, and have yet to see one iguana eat one of the heron eggs, which are small enough for them to consume.

And to the poster yesterday that said  you're going to go out and buy a bunch of hamburger meat to feed them, so they develop kidney failure, please go ahead.  You'll be wasting your money, which is good enough for you.  It’s unbelievable that there are people here with that mind set. http://www.greenigsociety.org/myths.htm

Many years ago a lot of people came into this country from Italy without papers and they were called wops which means With Out Papers. The Mexicans are now doing the same by coming here without papers. We do need their help.

Picture of an actual polar bear attack in Churchill, Manitoba and were taken while people watched and did nothing to stop the attack!  Reports from the local newspaper say that the victim will make a full recovery.

My clothes are made in America--by illegal aliens.

Go Navy! See Fleet week 2007 http://home.comcast.net/~bzee1a/

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Wednesday December 19, 2007

Tuesday December 18, 2007

Mayor  McPherson should keep his seat on the TDC. He was recently elected and it’s obvious the people of the keys support him. Stop trying to silence the majority who voted for him. He won. Thank him, support him and move on.

It looks like lust at first sight for bonny Prince Charles.

I live on BPK but drive to KW every day to spend time working.  It’s a job I love, but the burn out cycle seems to get shorter and shorter. I am not paid for the travel time nor fuel.  Is it my employers’ fault I live on Big Pine?  Hell no!  Is it the natural nature of the sprawling Keys?  You bet it is. Are there any or very many jobs on BPK that offer bennies, paid holidays, accrued annual sick and vacation time, 401K with matching funds up to a point and a family. A family more to me than my own family.   Dysfunctional as it may be, we are a Family. Do I do it for the money?  Hmm, I think the benefits do not make up for the standard pay but I love my job so much, I would do it for free.

Letter to stop Snapper Restaurant’s expansion. VIEW

Give your wiener a hand! Get your thoughts away from the Big Pine benefit problems. Concentrate on something more important. http://www.igc.be:80/igc/dearpenis.htm

That was an awesome “gun control” story!  I feel bad that the girl has to live with having killed two people, but if she hadn't, she may not be alive herself or had to live with other horrendous memories.  Definitely the preferred ending to the story is the way it happened.

Happy Birthday Sean!

From the Citizen’s Voice 12/17/07: "When are we going to get the illegal immigrants out of town? What is our police force doing?” Although asked innocuously, these 2 questions represent the crux of the Key's, and our entire county's, future. We have already lost our Keys to the arrogant, ignorant, greedy elected officials, developers, and now to illegals. Eventually it will be all theirs, we'll leave it to them. They deserve each other. And those remaining can support the DiGennaroland economy. More sadly, this is a microcosm of our entire country's situation.  But the same resolution is not available. We can leave the Keys, but not our country. Several years ago, there was a sign on RT 81, on the Canadian side of the New York-Canada border which read: Americans Not Welcome. (Damn, there went my back-up plan.)

[Blame for 9/11] A poster is offended by the suggestion that bill Clinton was to blame for 9/11.  The fact is that every President since Carter shares that blame.  I’m a Republican, I wrote the posting that listed a partial menu of Clinton’s short sight in the matter.  A more complete list and explanation would overwhelm this site.  Carter, Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton, and finally Bush 2, jointly and severally share responsibility for 9/11.  In my view, Bubba eats the largest slice of the blame pie.  I’ve previously made a synopsis of my rationale, and the historical record supports it.  Bubbas admin took the largest hits from the terrorists, smothered our intel gathering apparatus, and took only half-hearted action against terrorism.  The fact is that it that during Bubbas 8 years, his minions did not spot the plot and did not act against it in any way, shape, form, or fashion.  Where they clueless, or were they aware and loath to act?  Which is worse?  The entire Muslim Fundamentalist movement gained momentum during Carter’s admin and grew like a brush  fire thereafter.  No subsequent President until Bush 2 has effectively fought back.  In my estimation Bush 2 has screwed up on more than one issue, but the war on Islamic Fundamentalism is not one of them. 

Play the numbers game. http://www.quizyourprofile.com/guessyournumber.swf

[GloCats] They claim there is a scientific purpose for their experiments, but to be honest with you, we can't quite figure out what that purpose may be. The South Korean scientists who created this pair of fluorescent felines claim that this breakthrough will help them study diseases and stem cells. We might not be biologists, but we're not really sure what the connection between AIDS and a cat that looks like a jack-o-lantern is. This is far from the first time scientists have cloned animals and genetically altered them to glow unearthly colors. Mice, rabbits, pigs--nothing is safe. A company even bred genetically altered fluorescent fish to sell as pets, called GloFish.

Dad’s car. Fiat Video

Ms. Thacker, I thought you said I paid a $1.00 each for those lots. Now it's $270,500.  What will it be next? A dollar again? The state's the one that offered me the big money.  I never approached them and Glenn Patton had nothing to do with it.  I believe the contract reads:  Agreement to purchase from Florida State lands. But since they reneged now I will build a comfortable little home in the middle of a 25 acre pristine hammock.

[Iguanas are omnivores] The common Green Iguana is not an omnivore, it's a herbivore.  It will always eat vegetation unless starved. Around here they're never starved (unless kept in captivity and not cared for). There's no such thing as a "Black Iguana" (though a Green Iguana will make itself pretty dark when trying to absorb heat from a fading sun or during a cool day).  There are other species of Iguana that are omivorous, but they are very rare in the wild in the eastern United States.  Virtually all of them that you see are Green Iguanas, and they're herbivores.

Citibank bought the servicing to a bunch of mortgages from ABN AMRO/Interfirst. You must review your Mortgage. The language in a boiler plate mortgage will describe that you are required to maintain all insurances and taxes, not store any hazardous materials on the premises, etc. or you may be in default of your mortgage. They reserve the right to Call your Note or Force Place the insurance at a skyrocketed rate. I remember local Mortgage Brokers advertising no windstorm insurance required. ( have not seen that recently) That really means it would not be required at closing, and the chance of it being required at a later date never being fully disclosed. I have heard of the same situation a few times recently. In most cases the insurance will be forced placed. If your want to be assured that it will be waived and not required in the future, The Keys Fed Credit Union does not require it if you qualify. That is a very good example of why consumers should do their business locally. If you have a problem with a local Institution, you can always go knock on the door and sit down and talk to someone. But now you have to call some legal department in a different time zone, perhaps pay an attorney and in the end get Windstorm Insurance. But what a great deal! Be a yokel-shop local.

Since I do not anywhere near qualify myself as an expert on Florida Panther's habitat, your studies are 180 degrees from those I have researched online. However for the sake of this response, I will accept yours.

You mentioned four other "Panther" crossings to be built north of the C-111 bridge, but neglected to mention their costs. I would guess each is  nowhere near the  $18,000,000 price tag for the C-111 bridge.

You say the C-111 canal is not "Diked " but contains "floodgates" I think you are playing with semantics since that make this canal an un-navigable waterway,  eliminating the necessity of a bridge. Why not just use a box culvert for the canal and one of your other type crossing tunnels for the panthers on the dry land to the north?

You mentioned TWO panthers being killed on the road in the past two years, Making all this concern necessary. Yet the FDOT who has proposed Four Laning this stretch of road for years, for MAXIMUM road safety caved into the "Tree Hugger" minority and settled for a two lane divided road (marginally better) (with a extra north bound lane for hurricane evacuation use only) which in itself will turn into a death trap  with the rumble strips on it. Let's see if my math is correct,  2 years= 2 panthers vs 60 people road killed, and your major concern is for the panthers?

One more question for your road geniuses, and I am done. Your purpose of fencing the entire length of the "Stretch" on the west side is to prevent wildlife from trying to cross the road from the west side and that is the reason for the underpasses.

How are you training all this wildlife not to try to re-cross the highway from the east which will not contain a fence?   

Gifts for the soldier in your life. http://www.military.com/Deals/Home/?ESTC=vc_shop.op&np=1

[Snopes.com] Everybody is taking this site as gospel, but I wonder.  Is it a site that is the truth or another control tool buy big government to change what were the truths?  "Give me your children and I will rule the earth because they have no way of knowing the truths!"  ~A. Hitler

Christmas Eve has been declared a Federal Holiday for offices of the Executive branch.  Does that mean banks and the post office will be closed?  Too bad for the local County gov’t.  If you did not get an email from GWB then I think you are s**t out of luck.  Still be hopeful for New Year’s Eve which is a more profound separation of Church and State. 

I just got a call from Sal Gutierrez and told him I had nothing to say to him and hung up.  The phone rang again and I let the answering machine pick up. It was someone who said they were something…Buchanan, and if I did not write a retraction, that I could expect a summons.  The facts stand true, but I’m just letting you know what is going on. Thanks so much for allowing a forum to get some truths (as I see them) out to the public and citizens here in Monroe County. I appreciate it.

It’s time for the end of the year federal budget plans and I’ve been watching to see who's really planning spending and what and why. I must say the Democrats seem to be doing an outstanding job in the Senate. I'm not a democrat, at heart I am an independent that enjoys the freedom to pick from either side. It seems the democrats added $3.7 Billion dollars above what the President asked for that is going to the veterans Administration. When we are involved in 2 wars I have to say "Kudos" to that change. The Democrats also reversed plans to cut funds going to local law enforcement which in my mind is the first line of Homeland Security. They also added funds to community bank development programs which helps small business at the ground level. They also approved all of the funds requested for the Afghanistan war. It appears the Dems didn't want to give the Iraq war planning request all of the money requested without asking the Iraqis to set guidelines for progress, but in the end the Administration is getting the money. All-in-all, I guess the comments of the "do nothing" Democrats you read about in here are political rhetoric. I'm glad the Dem's gave-in concerning the Iraq war and I'm glad the republicans gave-in concerning the veterans increase. This is starting to look in some ways fair and balanced. I guess when the democrats won the large portion of seats in the last election it helped right the ship some. Kudos to both sides!

[bartenders who make $300 a night] Don’t fool yourself. There are only a few bartenders that make that much a night.

This proud, white, English speaking American veteran, from this day on, will never patronize any establishment whatever, if I find out they are using anyone but real Americans.

Bill Estes, who’s running against Ms Spehar had better get a new publicity photo. The one he has now looks more like a mug shot.

Lay off the Mexicans. If it wasn't for Mexicans we wouldn’t have Mexican food and they always show up for work because you have to pick them up.

[Mortgage insurance answer] Not so.  Your original recorded mortgage will state that insurance must be obtained and maintained.  If Citibank didn’t require them, then they didn’t require it, but anyone they sell the loan to can come back and enforce the original mortgage’s requirements.  Unfortunately, there were a lot of brokers selling mortgages under the premise that you could get away without purchasing windstorm, but unfortunately, I think it was more of a slip-up then anything.  Some lenders automatically think it is included with the regular homeowner’s policy and they don’t ask for it.  It is simply a mistake that other lenders can and will correct.

You want to hear more about our wonderful commissioners and their wasteful ways?  Ask about the hefty fee they had to pay to get out of a contract they signed when they cancelled on rental space in the new office building, Oceanside across from Coco's Cantina on Cudjoe Key.

I have attended many benefits on BPK for one reason or another (mostly medical). Yes, people have insurance and some don't. I do know for a fact the person in need is helped greatly by our generosity. I have just gone through a medical emergency of over $500,000 in bills. Thank God for my employer's good benefit and my extra policy I had.  If not for that my house would be up for sale right now. I still have co-payments to make. Thank you Piners for helping others.

I have enjoyed the Christmas truck for many years; and yes it does have seat belts.  As for the loud music, that is outside the truck. I know Mike and he would never do anything to damage his children’s ears.  His children enjoy the Christmas parade in the truck as much as most of us Big Piners do.  Sorry to hear that he has moved and we will not be able to enjoy it in the future.

Abortion should be the main issue and the most popular tool used world wide. Over population is the main reason we have all these problems in the world.

If you're interested in another take on global warming, read Michael Crichton's book, State of Fear.  He's done a fine job of researching (all documented) and explaining the issue, and it's all embedded in a fun thriller.  I wouldn't break out the goulashes just yet.  For a little more insight into how groups engender fear, try The Report from Iron Mountain on the Possibility and Desirability of Peace.  It was published in the late 60s as a work of fiction, strangely banned, and later republished.  It describes strategies used to unite a group of people, e.g. a nation, against a threat, real or contrived.  If you're old enough, you'll recognize most of the characters as U.S. Cabinet members.

A remarkable phone call from a 12-yr old boy to Houston radio station KSBJ FM 89.3. So profound, the station has it posted on their website.  Click below to listen to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCdZwitrNoY

Regarding the outrageous hourly fees being paid by the taxpayers to these lawyers like Coleman. Why can't we pass a law prohibiting the payment of legal fees in excess of $150 - $200 or so an hour? After all, that's $300,000-$400,000 a year. Any lawyer who thinks they are worth more than that has no conscience and an incredibly inflated sense of self-worth. With very few exceptions, lawyers other than criminal prosecutors actually contribute very little to our society, and suck proportionately irrational amounts of money out of it. We citizens need to rise up and stop them!

Thanks for the great advice. I am going to start feeding the feral iguanas hamburger meat. Soon the yard dragons will all have kidney failure and stand in line with the illegal immigrants for free health care.

People run for political office and get their jollies off that way, but I would really like to see the records of any politician concerning their official pay, benefits and taxes they pay; then an IRS audit on their household and holdings.

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Tuesday December 18, 2007