Islamorada sunrise. Indian Key Channel.

I live next door to an 86 year old mother trying desperately to have her son, [edited for privacy or something], placed in the Key West Nursing & Rehab Center next to the hospital. First they agreed to take him and now have changed their mind only to reject him. Let me share his story.

[He] has lived on Summerland Key for 16+ years. Worked at the Hardware store on Big Pine Key and worked doing a variety of jobs for people in the community. In April of this year he was doing some work for a local person and fell from a ladder. He broke his neck and incurred other injuries to the spine. He can use his arms some, but is paralyzed otherwise. The doctors say he could possibly recover in about a year with the right care.

He had hope of recovering when he left the Jackson Memorial Hospital to be sent to Purdue Nursing/Rehab center in Cutler Bay near Homestead. He was so neglected at that facility that he is back at Jackson Memorial with terrible bed sores. He became so depressed that he told his family goodbye and that if he remained where he was he was going to die.

[His] sisters arrived from Michigan to arrange to have him moved to the Key West facility. Time passed and the sisters were finally told that [he] would be accepted at Key West.[He] was so happy to hear he would be returning to his community where his friends and mother could visit him regularly. He starting healing quickly and planning for the future.

His wounds are healing slowly, but he has no tubes that might be a deterrent for the facility to accept him.

Yesterday his sisters were given the news that the Key West center would not take him. His family has not given [him] the news yet. God knows how far from his community he will have to go.

We need [his] friends and supporters to call the Key West Nursing & Rehab Center to encourage them to take care of their own –[He] is a local!

[The Golden Turkey Awards] Interesting reading about the worst films and actors ever! Link

[John Donnelly The Teacher] As a young girl I fled to the United States from a government that had murdered and imprisoned members of my family. On my first day of school in this country, I arrived at Mr. Donnelly’s classroom terrified and unable to speak English. Although I tried to conceal it, I was literally trembling with fear.

Mr. Donnelly was teaching a large class of students. He immediately stopped what he was doing and engaged me with warmth, love and interest. He said that he had been waiting for me and that he was honored and privileged to have me as a student in his class. He quickly found a place for me to sit, placing me right next to his desk. Making sure that I was comfortable he got back to teaching.

It was unbelievable how Mr. Donnelly’s kind, sincere and gentle manner relaxed me and gave me hope. At the end of class he asked to see my schedule. He had some other students who spoke my language reassure me. In between his teaching duties that day he took me to all my classes and introduced me to my teachers.

He managed to guide me to the cafeteria for lunch, as he sat at my table with some classmates whom I could communicate with. When school ended he took me to the school buses and introduced me to my bus driver for the ride home.

Mr. Donnelly devoted many hours toward helping me get caught up with my school work and preparing me for my classes.

I was not the only one that he assisted. Mr. Donnelly never turned a student away. He found a way to tutor and coach each and every one of us. We all knew who to turn to for guidance and direction.

Students flocked to his classroom. Incorrigible students were frequently sent to him by other teachers, with the assignments that they refused to do. Mr. Donnelly managed to patch up these student-teacher rifts with the completed assignment, along with some extra credit work. Mr. Donnelly was the real deal.

The success that I enjoy today is a direct result of my having had Mr. Donnelly placed in my life. My family enjoys the blessings of my exposure to his wisdom.

Mr. Donnelly’s interest and willingness to insure my prosperity continues. We have spoken through the years on matters of serious concern. His steadfastness and loyalty to his students has never wavered. He is a pillar of the community and the bedrock upon which many of us have built our lives.   

2004 Ford Explorer, Great SUV, in good condition, Cold AC, replaced almost everything, new transmission, brakes, ball joints, alternator, battery, and many more things. Asking $4900 or OBO, need to sell because I can’t tow it behind an RV. Located in Big Pine, call Norrene  305-872-9148 Classified Ads > Auto

[“Is it Roatan safe”] I never had any fun in places that were safe. Get your gear packed, bring a minimal amount of flash, keep your head on a swivel and go!

You’re as safe as you make yourself. I’m safe anywhere, and at this point prefer to deal with street thugs and hookers rather than the current county administration or, for that matter, our nation’s administration.

I had some fun on Guanaja back in the day. 

[For Rent on Big Pine Key] 2 bedrooms. One bath. Unfurnished ½ Duplex on clean boating canal w/seawall going to Pine Channel. Beautiful vaulted ceilings. Tiled floors throughout. Laundry room. Very clean. Central A/C. Ground level. Port Pine heights sub-division. Quiet neighborhood. No smokers or dogs. $1300 a month. First, last and $1000 security ($3600 total to move in) Utilities not included. Available now. Email for pictures. Classified Ads > For Rent

Enough with John Donnelly and grinder pumps, already. It’s time for an important, serious discussion. Why are Marine jockstraps larger than Navy jockstraps?

A real person is the kind of person that when their feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, “Oh Crap, their up!”  Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don’t, just because you can. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Take a few minutes to think before you act when you’re mad. Forgive quickly. God never said life would be easy. He just promised it would be worth it.

I love you all! To the cool people that have touched my life, here’s to you!

A real person walks with you when the rest of the world walks on you.  

[Flashing your breasts] You can get arrested for indecent exposure in California if you flash your breasts in front of a lot of people in order to gratify yourself or offend somebody else, according to the Shouse Law Group, a group of California criminal defense lawyers. And indecent exposure can land you on the sex offender registry. Link

[Grinder Pumps Bad] Another explanation of why individual grinder pumps could be avoided even in sparsely populated areas: A deep manhole is placed within gravity range of one to several homes and powered from a nearby electric pole with underground wires. Nothing is obtrusive.

The homeowner connects to a gravity sewer lateral at the road right of way just like on a big gravity system, except that no $100k lift station is required for a small gravity system. No property needs to be found or taken to site the station.

No new easement is required, no electrical service is required from the home, and it is way cheaper than a large gravity collection system because 1. the trenches are shallow,2. a huge holding tank wetwell and expensive fancy control panel are not required,3. 480 volt 3 phase electric power is not required because pump horsepower is low enough to run with 240v single phase power, and4. the expensive part of a grinder system is the pump station and this method spreads that cost over several homes.

Bonuses are that there is much more holding capacity in the system so you can flush longer, the total number of pumps is reduced to a manageable number for FKAA to pump out with a truck or generator, the concrete manhole will last much longer than the plastic barrel that individual grinders use, and the system can more easily convert to another brand of pump in the future so we are not trapped with E-One.

The FKAA and County knew this was an option because Marathon reportedly did that for Grassy Key. The County said “We don’t want grinders in our right of way”, and FKAA said “We are not Marathon, duh.”

Yeah, well we don’t want your grinder pump stations on our property either, and it is easy to see why Marathon residents voted to separate from the County and why Marathon dumped FKAA to provide sewer service themselves! Let them know right now what you think of them and their arrogant, abusive attitude. Then let the Commissioners know again in the next election.

[Baconheads Unite!] Pork “bacon” is redundant. There is no other kind. Anything else should be spelled “bakon” because it’s fake. Turkey bakon.

Deadly flesh eating bacteria in Fla. waters. Officials are sounding the alarm about a deadly flesh-eating bacteria that breeds in the water. It’s killed nine this year. People with open wounds are being warned to stay out of the water. The bacteria struck silently but swiftly Monday, something that has public health officials here on high alert.

Henry Konietzky, 59, was crabbing with his wife, along central Florida’s intercoastal waterway, when he was apparently affected. When he got home, he thought he just found a spider bite. About 2:00 in the morning, he woke up. His legs were aching. And he felt like there was some sort of a burn on his ankle.

A man who had been perfectly healthy, had developed lesions all over his body. He’s never been diagnosed with any health problems, ever. Doctors told Henry’s wife, Patty, the bacteria was eating Henry alive, shutting down his organs. He was dead only 28 hours after going to the hospital.

“This bacteria creeped through his body like acid. It was the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s extremely rare with someone without any medical problems, the picture of health, to get this infection and die,” Patty said.

The bacteria is said to plague the gulf coast every year, from Texas all the way to Florida, where officials now believe it has killed nine people so far this year, and infected at least 27 others.

People with pre-existing liver or kidney conditions are 80-times more likely to be susceptible to this type of bacteria. The CDC says, to protect yourself in water that’s brackish, wear protective boots. And try to avoid eating raw shellfish.

Siberian Huskies and the infamous wine glass ring. Video

How do you divide  $750,843.57  into two equal parts?

Computerized bars suck because they kill the bartender-customer relationship and stick it to you after happy hour!

There is a night club in Miami that has a Happy Hour from 3 AM to 7 AM and does a super business with the late crowd. Key West used to have this, but no more.

Anyone want to own an island? I found this online!

“This is an Online Auction of Melody Key + a Mainland Lot and Dock on Summerland Key – To be Sold to the Highest Bidder at or above a Bid Price of $3.5 Million! (Last asking price was $6 Million). Auction to take place online at fisherauction.com. Please visit our website for full terms and conditions of auction. Property tours are available.”

Melody Key is formerly known as Money Key just South of the Seven Mile Bridge. Buy the island and have all the traffic over the bridge watching you on your not-so-private island.

Deadly bacteria vibrio can kill with little warning. Yikes! Link

[What’s in a Hat] The USMC does not use a beret. They experimented with berets in 1951 but dismissed the idea because they looked too feminine.

You cannot wear any full or partial Marine Corps uniform unless you are in uniform. A beard like this individual is wearing is not authorized in the USMC, and neither is his mustache that exceeds limits, therefore he is out of uniform. You can be retired for 20 years and go to the Marine Corps Ball and wear your dress blues if they still fit, and you get a USMC regulation haircut and have no beard and a mustache that is regulation, which means it cannot exceed the end of the lips on both sides and must be neatly trimmed at all times.

[Captain Doom and Gloom] There is a company that offers Internet Insurance for $1000 per year. If you get a virus or bad email they find out who sent the stuff and ‘take care of the situation’ so it never happens again. They are based in Sicily I think. It is about time someone did this!

[Fisherman protest govt closure] I was going to participate in the flotilla in the Cowpens off Plantation Key. It’s right offshore from where I live. But the fisherman were protesting the closure of the national park not the closure of the government. Having a boat seems like quite a luxury when you rely on govt assistance to feed your baby. The Republicans just pinched off the turd which is all things they hate. Remember this come election time.

After arguing over the Obama Health care issue with a Canadian I realized how brain washed Canadians are about socialism. They actually believe it is fine to work hard and let their government take half of their income and disperse it among their so called poor and needy. They see Welfare as a tool to help, not a crutch for the useless eaters. Amazing as it is, their logic is all but opposite of what an American individual prides himself in, the honor of doing for yourself and your family. Then I asked what he thought of the Russian socialist system as compared to Canada’s and he actually said, “Russia is Communist, that is totally different than our Socialism!” Some people just cannot leave their bubble.

[Foreign Aid] VA Secretary Eric Shinseki warned that disabled veterans, student veterans, and survivors won’t get their checks beginning about November 1 if the shutdown continues. If foreign aid was exempted from the shutdown? I would not want to deny any of our close friends a few billion.

[Believe it Anyway] I know that this is lengthy, but is really worth reading. A great insight as to what is happening to our country. A lot of folks have not a clue who George Soro’s is. Maybe they don’t care, but maybe they do. You can understand what is happening to our America after reading this. From Steve Kroft (“60 Minutes”) a liberal, I might add:

“Glen Beck has been developing material to show all the ties that Soros has through the nation and world along with his goals…” Link

At the rate they are going the Republican Party will be extinct. The rating of both parties of Congress is lower than whale shit. We can only hope for an independent party to win the next election.

[No Separation of Church & State] Christians, it’s almost here! Almost time for attacks on Christmas scenes, crosses & anything religious located on public property or related to government. The die-hard attackers get outraged at any display of Christian religion, sometimes even on private property! They’ll be all over TV expressing their anger & demanding all be removed from public view.

They demand complete separation of Church & State, yet they’ve been totally silent on these 2 issues. Why? Why are these acceptable, but Christianity gets persecuted and forced to conform to people with two-faced ideals? We must demand our lawmakers finally decide, equality for all religions!  If it’s not okay for Christians, it must not be okay for Islam & other religions either.

The National Park Service, in border states, has closed National Parks because of the dangers from illegals, drug dealers and human smugglers, yet the Government (National Park Service) is using American taxpayer dollars to promote and praise Islam. Talk about government propaganda! What in the Hell is the National Park Service doing promoting any religion? They were created to tend America’s National Parks, not promote Islam.

What about “Disruptive religious displays on public property”?  A simple manger scene pisses off some people, Yet pictures of Muslims worshipping doesn’t, why not? Link

[“The lady, milk and God”] If that is proof that there is a god then how about all the people that are starving to death because it doesn’t rain. Is that God’s will or plan? That’s a stupid plan for someone that made man. If he made man he can make it rain so people don’t starve.There is no God and never will be. Get over it and think. 

Lets try and make this simple for our regressive friends. We knew before the election that our President was going thru with the affordable healthcare program. We knew for quite awhile before that. It was spoken about, reported about and was brought up during the debates.

We elected the man that mentioned it and discussed it and even Mitt Romney talked about it. In fact he believed in it so much he put it in place in Mass.

So quit making yourselves look foolish by telling us its a huge surprise and that it was forced down our throats and that its illegal because youre wrong. Its really as simple as that.

Its the law and as every new change in America it will be adjusted and certain issues will be resolved but for heavens sake. Give up the America doesn’t want it mantra because we the people voted for it when we voted in our President. Its just that the 28% support of the American Regressives cry the loudest.

Im sure this will lead to the usual battle of the polls. America voted in our current President that was putting this in place. That’s the only poll that matters.

Trying to reason with a Liberal is like arguing with a drunk. You endure the screeching, weather the insults, and then get to pay the bill.

[Andrea Mitchell] This is a frigging great video of a political analyst/news anchor getting her ass handed to her on plate because she didn’t do her homework.  Just look at the pissed off look on Andrea Mitchell’s face at the end of the interview, frigging priceless! Video

I just received my Shutdown Survival kit from the White House.  It contains a parachute, an ‘Obama Hope & Change’ bumper sticker, a ‘Bush’s Fault’ yard sign, a ‘Blame Boehner’ poster, a ‘Tax the R.ich’ banner, an application for unemployment, an application for food stamps, a prayer rug, a letter of assignment of debt to my grandchildren, and a discount coupon for a machine that blows smoke up my ass. Everything was made in China and all directions are in Spanish.

Got the answer for foreign aid, as Chuck Hagel states, “It’s an investment not aid”. Sure glad he cleared this up for me. I thought aid was aid and never thought of it as a investment.

“WASHINGTON — The federal government may have ground to a halt because of the budget standoff in Washington, but at least one part of the government continues to operate as usual: foreign aid agencies. While government workers in the United States have been furloughed, aid workers continue to provide services to millions of people from Africa to South America.”

The media is full of interesting stats and information concerning the Affordable Care Act. It’s mind bending, but, Secy Sebelius, the head of the entire show actually had the stones to claim that while it is true that there have been many problems with the ultra-expensive software supplied by a Canadian company, that the roll out is going pretty good. She noted that at least 13 million people had visited the site, and yet she claimed that she was unable to tell us how many people had been able to sign up. How curious! Can you actually believe that Team Obama does not know how many people have signed up? I can’t.  Either they are lying or abysmally inept. You can be damn sure that the Apple CEO, Tim Cook,  knows what his daily sales are. You can be damn sure that Jeff Bezo’s knows the exact, precise traffic on  Amazon each and every minute. You can bet the farm that Amazon works. Do you have even a scintilla of doubt that Mark Zuckerberg knows how many people access Facebook each and every minute of every day, and what his ad sales are? Private enterprise works, it works damned well. Governent nearly always screws it up.

Don’t despair, the knowledge is out there. At least two sources inside the Department of Health and Human Services, at great risk, provided the media with a look at the earliest enrollment numbers. The sources are career civil servants who are responsible for data processing within the agency. They reported that during the first day only 6,200 were signed up. To say that the system is “problem plagued” is to guild a turd. As of 10/10, it was reported that only 51k persons had signed up. That is disastrously lower than Team Obama expectations. They are counting on least 7 million enrollees by the end of the 6-month open enrollment period to keep Obamacare financially afloat. At this rate, total national enrollment would be approximately 2 million, including state-run exchanges. That’s only 1/3rd the enrollment needed, the ACA is doomed. Put another way, the damn thing is going broke even before it gets started. The ACA is massively screwed up and its rules and regs get changed like underwear. For example the latest surprise came this week, when the Associated Press reported that individuals will have to obtain insurance coverage by mid-February in order to avoid an IRS penalty.

That’s six weeks earlier than the March 31 deadline that previously was cited.

Part 2) I was a fool to hope that Obama would display some concern for Americans and agree to the offer by the House Republicans to grant a 6 week “clean” extension to the Continuing Resolution. That would reopen the government, restart cancer research, pay vet’s benefits, etc. etc. etc. .  But he refused to negotiate. It is starkly clear the Obama does not want to reopen government. He wants government only on his terms. The man’s lust for control and power is insatiable.  The offer made by the House Republicans was extraordinarily sensible. They offered a “clean” CR for 6 weeks simply conditioned of the repeal of the medical devices tax which will drive up the cost of health care. The House offer included an agreement that both sides would set up a budget negotiating process. Obama would have none of it.

Obama has stridently refused to negotiate or to even consider compromise. That is the style of a tin pot despot. America deserves better.

Respectfully submitted: FTR@bellsouth.net