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 [Florida Amendments] I plan to vote No on all three proposed constitutional amendments.Amendment 1. Increase the amount of funds that may be retained in the Budget Stabilization Fund (BSF). In recent history, only during the 2008 recession did the legislature require drawing any money from the BSF. So, I fail to understand why an additional percentage needs to be allocated to the BSF. Seems like a useless amendment. Amendment 2. The exemption of tangible personal property on farmland from taxation. This proposal would mostly benefit the very large agricultural operations. Clearly, this proposal would increase the profits of some of the large political donors and reduce the amount of money necessary for County operations. There is no such thing as a free lunch so reducing taxation on the large farm corporations means either higher taxes for everyone else or reduced government services. Amendment 3. Increased homestead exemptions. This is the worst of the bunch. Like everyone else, I would like to see taxes reduced. But again, no free lunch. The document from the Florida Association of Counties identifies a reduction in revenue for counties of over $5 billion in the 2027 – 2028 tax year. Taking that huge amount of money away from the counties means a significant reduction in county services. Essential services like police, fire ambulance, etc. would likely not be cut much. Other services labeled as nonessential (libraries, parks, etc.) would be easy targets for budget reductions. Note that reductions in services also means increasing local unemployment. I don’t think for one moment that the legislature will allocate additional money to the counties to fund cut operations. Centralizing more tax revenue at the State level means increased power by the legislature and virtually no local voice in how tax dollars should be spent. I think the legislature’s motivation is quite clear and not in our (the taxpayers’) best interest. In short, it looks like a power grab. |
 Netflix’s ‘Bloodline’ house in Florida Keys put up for sale. What listing says. A lush, tropical home in the Florida Keys that was used as a filming location during all three seasons of Netflix’s drama “Bloodline” went on the market in September for $2.25 million. But just days after the property was promoted on social media for its Hollywood connection, it went under contract. “We got a total of about 60,000 views on Instagram and Facebook,” said Ernesto Portuondo, a Realtor with American Caribbean Real Estate in the Florida Keys, which handles luxury properties. Portuondo and a fellow broker made a video explaining the home’s Hollywood pedigree. Link |
| Nvidia is deploying a new tool that it says can be used to prevent and contain rogue and potentially dangerous AI agents. The world’s largest chip company has resisted calls to slow AI development over safety fears — arguing now that technological guardrails can keep AI under control. Nvidia debuted the Nvidia Open Agent Safety Platform, which includes its OpenShell open-source software system and its Sentry agent monitoring system. The system “traces all actions” by agents running on Nvidia Vera CPUs, promising to “quarantine agents that attempt to move outside their boundaries in milliseconds.” |
 Blind chimp in Louisiana regains sight after cataract surgery. Link |
| The AARP Calendar of Activities for October is here. Full Menu > Ongoing Events |
 This man died more than 700 years ago—so why does he look like he got hit by a car? Link |
| [Clueless] I am planning a family vacation to several of the Keys. Could you please send brochures to myself and my sister, we live in different states, to peruse for planning purposes. Patricia Slack 703 Logan Ave. Belleville, IL 62220 Sandi Scarlett 2208 Orkney Dr. Leesburg, FL 34788 |
 So I went and made Big Pine Key Industrial Park a brand-new month of social posts that doesn’t look like anything else in Big Pine Key. Can I shoot them over? (Editor: I don’t know what any of that means. Please clarify or “shoot ‘them’ over”.) |
| [Mystery Motel & Bar] In the late 50s or early 60s my aunt and her husband managed a restaurant and motel on Big Pine Key. His name was Harry Schultz and his wife was Mercedes. She was ‘Tinky’ to our family. We visited at least once during the summer. I remember a large, mounted fish in the dining room and bar area. Can you tell me if this place still exists? What was the name of it? I now live in Fort Myers but was a kid from Kentucky back then. ~ cwparker653@hotmail.com |
 In a former girdle factory in Dover, Delaware, women who had spent years sewing Playtex bras and girdles found themselves building the suit that would keep Neil Armstrong alive on the Moon.NASA had tried stiff, engineered suits from aerospace contractors first, but nothing offered the mobility required for a human body. The International Latex Corporation, the company behind Playtex, won the contract instead, and its seamstresses stitched together 21 layers of nylon, Teflon-coated fabric, and rubber by hand, working to a tolerance of one 64th of an inch on ordinary Singer machines. No automated equipment could be trusted with a mistake that meant the difference between life and death in a vacuum, so the same hands that once sewed Cross Your Heart bras sewed history instead. |
| People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians, and if the laws of the United States continue to condone this behavior, history will surely classify us as a barbaric society. ~George Lucas, 1988 |
 [Extra Grapes] California farmers are struggling to sell grapes as demand for wine drops. Many California growers can’t find buyers as the industry produces more wine grapes than the market wants. Wine consumption is declining globally as people drink less. Link |
| [Text vs Voicemail] Not long ago, leaving a detailed voicemail was important. After all, how else would someone know why you called? These days, most people detest voicemail—and you could probably convey the information better in a text message, anyway. |
 Who is the most not wanted man in your town? Jim Cantore — The Weather Channel man! |
| [AI Image Tools] For readers who enjoy photography, local history, or documenting community projects, AI image tools are most useful as a planning and editing aid rather than a replacement for real photographs. Begin with a clear subject, a short description of the setting, and a decision about what must remain faithful to the reference. Details such as time of day, lens perspective, weather, materials, and color relationships usually produce more consistent results than a long list of fashionable styles. Use reference images to check composition and proportions. Generate a few restrained variations, compare them side by side, and note which prompt changes actually improved the result. For edits, change one area at a time—background, lighting, or an individual object—so the original character is not lost. A final pass should look for distracting artifacts, unreadable signs, unnatural hands, and shadows that do not match the scene. When an image represents a real place or event, label it as an illustration or concept image so viewers know what they are seeing. The best results still come from human judgment: verify important facts, respect people’s likenesses and privacy, and use generated scenes to support—not replace—real reporting and firsthand photographs. |
 Very interesting article in this morning’s New York Times on the evolution of the phone booth and how its changed over the years. If you enjoy reading about history you may want to pick up a copy. |
| [Memory] Science-backed ways to protect and improve your memory. Forgetfulness doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of life. Link |
 [Green Shoes] It’s very hard to find green men’s shoes in big sizes, or any sizes that aren’t sneakers. There are plenty of green sneakers. |
| [Streaming] Price hikes, ads and lower quality: has ‘streamflation’ ruined the TV experience? US consumers are starting to opt out of the streaming world as several services raise prices without offering many perks. Link |
 SpaceX’s Starship reaches orbit for the first time, then returns early and blows up in a fiery explosion. SpaceX got its Starship rocket into orbit, but after a tense few minutes of comms and the loss of an engine, the call was made to end the mission early. Link |
| [Greed] There is no such thing as religion, war, crime or anything else that will destroy this planet — except greed! Everything is based on greed. |
 [October Blood Drive] The fan-voted OneBlood Halloween T-shirt is officially here! Donate blood in October and receive the Halloween “Donating Blood is in my Bones” shirt plus an e-Gift Card. Link |
| Tank body problem shoot ‘um up Game |
 [Ghost Cocktails] I’m still trying to figure out why anyone would drink booze without any liquor in it? What’s the point of getting a buzz when you can’t get a buzz? Do you just stand around pretending to look cool? |
| [Simulating Airband AM Radios] Surprisingly, airplane radios—even many military ones—are still simple AM sets that operate in the VHF and UHF bands. One of the reasons that’s persisted through decades of technological advances is that AM radio doesn’t have a “capture effect”. When two people transmit on the same frequency, you can still (sorta) hear both parties, unlike FM where the louder signal mutes or “captures” the quieter one. Link |
 Google Maps has been updated to show Zionist-holocausted Gaza. This is part of Rafah. |
| Nvidia releases software platform to stop AI agents from misbehaving. Video |
 Movie bomb timers always stop on 001. After all these years, couldn’t Hollywood find some other way to build tension? We all know the red wire gets cut at 001. |
| Destroy any website (not really). Enter the name and start shooting! Link |
 Another problem when driving on LSD is that when a sign says turn here—you do! You’re very obedient. Even if it’s up someone’s driveway, you go, then you have to worry how you got there, where ‘there’ is, etc. |
| The current Coconut Telegraph was published on 9/29/26 at 9:19 am. |
 [For Sale] Pellet Gun Gamo Swarm Maxxim 10X GEN 2 Multi-Shot Air Rifle. Two 10-round .177 clips. 3 x 9 variable scope. Box of pellets. $200 new. Half price used $100. b33043@outlook.com Video |
 [For Sale] Folding scaffold 30L x 12w x 20h. 4 scaffolds (not sold separately) New $200, Big Pine Key pick-up half-price: $100. Excellent condition.b33043@outlook.com Link |
 [For Sale] Crossman P1377 American Classic Variable-Pump .177-Caliber Pellet Air Pistol. New $70. For Sale $25. 800 feet per second. Pick up on Big Pine Key. b33043@outlook.com Video |
| Snapshots taken from Big Pine Key looking North between Annette Key and Mayo Key every Friday evening since 2023. You may hover to view a photo, see the date of the photo, or use the left or right arrows on the images. |
