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The Original Unsocial Media. Anonymous Letters to the Editor with Pictures. Published Daily by Noon Since 2002. No Saturday Edition
 [Veterans Administration Malpractice] I’m sickened by the neglect, indifference and callous treatment being given to veterans at some VA Medical Centers.
I know that at the Miami VA Hospital during a 3 year period, colonoscopy scopes and tubing were not sterilized after being used to examine a patient. These contaminated instruments were thrust into another unsuspecting patient, cloaked with the fecal matter from a prior examination. Because of these unsanitary conditions, some veterans were infected with the AIDS and Hepatitis C virus. The VA was sued because of this defiled medical practice. The plaintiffs were awarded a multi-million dollar award from a judge because of the harm, and in some cases death, they suffered because of this neglect. How does something like that happen? Is that what we have to look forward to, from government run health-care? United States Navy surgeons saved my life. Doctors from the Veterans Administration put me back together. It’s exceedingly difficult for me to process why health care for veterans has been allowed to deteriorate. According to White House memos and whistleblowers, my brothers and sisters are being killed by a rouge and inhumane health care system. We are quick to go to war and slow to treat those wounded and disabled in combat. A competent leader is cognizant that we’ve been involved in 3 extended conflicts in the middle east. Casualties from these wars need urgent and long-term care. Battlefield injuries, in all their grotesque expressions, are costly to treat. Qualitatively attending to our veteran population is going to require an immediate uptick in competent doctors, nurse practitioners and clinicians. New hospitals, along with increasing the square footage of those already online, are long over-do. During my 40 years of treatment by the Miami VA, I am not aware of any renovations that increased clinical accommodations for veterans. It distresses me to witness the President and his aides refer to the VA scandal as though they were some innocent bystanders, who first heard about this systemic neglect of veterans on the 6 o’clock news. Perhaps if the Commander-In-Chief and Congress were required to receive their medical treatment at a VA Hospital, the quality of care would improve. Until that occurs, I’ll have to find comfort in their insightful statements, that they are “Mad as Hell” |
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| [Joke Friday] “Honey,” said this husband to his wife, “I invited a friend home for supper.” “What? Are you crazy? The house is a mess, I didn’t go shopping, all the dishes are dirty, and I don’t feel like cooking fancy meal!” “I know all that.” “Then why did you invite a friend for supper?” “Because the poor fool’s thinking about getting married.” |
 We’d like to thank Mosquito Control for sending out a fogger truck last night. It was weird not having to race the mosquitoes to the car this morning. All of us on Middle Torch Key appreciate having our yards back. Thank you, thank you, thank you! |
| [More bar wisdom] Let’s just call a vacation what it is: the opportunity to live like an alcoholic for a little while. |
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 [“Iguana control”] This is iguana control, Big Pine style. Me macho, big man, reptile killer. Grrrrrr! |
| [“Your political correctness makes me want to punch you in the face”] Woh, there Tiger! Take another Valium. I just used ‘fisherlady’ as a lame attempt at wit. |
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| [“Dump trucks”] Probably should of said in my last email for them to be SEEN by the dump truck drivers while video taping them. |
 [“VA Mess”] It is nothing, if not criminal! Those bad people caused the deaths of a lot of good people, not intentionally, but by neglect. I believe Negligence warrants a criminal charge of murder in the second degree–manslaughter. What happened to “support our troops”? |
| With regard to the Veteran’s Administration, I have my own sad story. I was drafted during the Vietnam era and served two years in the US Army. After being honorably discharged, I checked with the VA to see what benefits I might be entitled to. They could find no record of my military service! Two years of my life and they could find no record! Luckily I had my DD-214 discharge form and we eventually got things straightened out. However, the VA is a problematic and difficult government agency to work with. So bad in fact that some Veterans die before they can get the medical help they need and are entitled to. |
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 [New Signs] Signs for a designated greenway, site and trail. |
| The amount of sea level rise due to human-activity-induced-global-warming melting the ice sheets now covering certain global land masses such as Greenland and Antarctica will vary among regions due to various factors. Link |
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| [“Speeding dump trucks”] Here is a trick. When they drive by be outside and video tape them with your phone. Doesn’t matter whether you actually tape it, they will slow the F down. Good luck and let us know how you make out! |
 [Construction Horror on Pirates Road, Little Torch Key] I guess all the construction trucks that are up and down Pirates Road all day long do not have to obey the 25 mile an hour speed limit. I believe all these trucks work on a commission. The more deliveries they make the bigger their paycheck. This morning one of the workers passed the school bus. I hope she was able to get his license plate and turn him in. |
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 Yard Sale Saturday 5/31 (weather permitting). Household goods, orchids, plumeria, chinaware, sports cards, restaurant supplies, roofing shingles and tar paper, odds and ends, nick knacks, collectibles. 8-12, Palm Ave, Big Pine, Eden Pines. |
| I am told that Chicago has a very high murder rate by gunfire. Chicago also has very tough gun carry laws. The question is where in Chicago are all the killings? Even the police in Chicago avoid the South side without heavy backup. You don’t want to drive anywhere from Gary Indiana to the Loop in Chicago, except on the superhighways and hope you have no breakdowns. I wonder why? |
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| [Pets] CheapShots is in the Keys this weekend doing low cost veterinary care from Key West to Islamorada. Call 305-390-0325 or go to CheapShots.us for schedules and more information. |
 [The End Is Near] This may seem funny now, but when the shit hits the fan in the very near future you’ll be crapping your pants! Be ready people. Video |
| ROKU added FOX NOW channel where you can watch their older TV shows like 24: Live Another Day and Cosmo. Free. |
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 Bacon-Wrapped Cheese-Stuffed BBQ Chicken. Yum. |
| [Cudgel] I think I will buy a good sturdy steel cane to help me walk and defend myself if needed. No permit required, yet! |
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 [The best hangover cure eva’] A bacon sandwich really does cure a hangover. Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel good. Link |
| [“VA Second Degree Murder”] It is nothing, if not criminal! Those bad people caused the deaths of a lot of good people, not intentionally, but by neglect. I believe Negligence warrants a criminal charge of murder in the second degree–manslaughter. |
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| 400 murders in Chicago proves with out a shadow of a doubt that gun control does not work. Chicago has the toughest gun control in the country. Take a lesson from states with more liberal gun laws. Those states have the lowest crime rates and the deterrent factor is not wasted on the criminals. |
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 1994 MX5 Miata convertible, great gas mileage, runs good. Call Classified Ads > Autos |
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 [Guns] A poster Thursday defended so many guns as a deterrent to invasion. Is he kidding? I’d rather rely on our superior armed forces than a bunch of thick headed old men shooting at shadows. I think the poster has watched Red Dawn too many times. Video |
| [Israel solves water woes with desalination] If it works there, it sure as hell can work here. Link |
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| [I Didn’t Know That] The state of Alaska experiences twice as many earthquakes as the rest of the states combined! |
 Chicago is indeed a dangerous place, not the kind of a city to be governed by pseudo intellectuals with laws in place that only apply to those who are not the lawbreaking type, thus giving the hawks a free pass on all the doves. The results of their farcical regulations speak for themselves. Their intentions are lofty. Their results are dismal. |
| [Handling Tarpon(unedited)] According to the, uhh…”experts” on the radio Thursday nights, the new thing (because of the new rule) while tarpon fishing is to get in the water and hold the fish for a photo. The (new) rule is to not lift a tarpon over 40 inches out of the water. Great ! … So instead of lifting the FISH by its lower jaw for a SECOND to take a picture then revive and release it, lets drag it into shallow water and stress the HELL out of it while the googans get out of the boat… then cradle it for a while rubbing off the slime while they fumble around trying to get a photo of it and THEN revive it. Way to go FWC ! Ask any expert (not the narcissistic radio clowns promoting themselves) whats in the fish’s best interest… Lifting it by its lower jaw for a second then putting it RIGHT back in the water or the NEW way to get a photo…. FWC…. they mean well but,well… |
 An officer should be comely, spritely and above all else, confident in his own dress and bearing. He should, where possible, eat a small piece of meat each morning with molasses and beans. He should air himself gracefully when under fire and never place himself in a position of difficulty when being shot at. He should eat his meals comfortably and ahead of his soldiers, for it is he whom is more important tactically on the battlefield and therefore he who should be well nourished. His hair should be well groomed and if possible he should adorn a moustache or similar facial adornment. These I say to you are the qualities of an officer that set him apart from the lay person and the common soldier. ~Lieutenant General Hubert Worthington, Commander In Chief, 5th Royal Indian Mountain Division Bombay, 12th December 1907 |
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| To “Chico”, the person who went to the thunder rally in D.C. and whined about not getting more attention from the media then the President did. Maybe next time go for the right reasons — not so you could be the center of attention. Next time wear a “Hey its me Chico” shirt so we can pay you your much needed respect. You’re proof that the “me, me, me” crowd is still around.
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 [Hasta Luego Cuba] On my last day in the city I decided to take a walkabout. This little guy followed me all morning. I called him “Perrito” (meaning Little Dog.) He was clean, obviously well cared for, well nourished and healthy. After sharing a few pieces of my beef jerky with him we became inseparable friends. I stopped in La Floridita for a couple of Nuncio’s wonderful daiquiris and Perrito was waiting patiently for me by the door. He waited for me also at La Bodiguita del Medio as I savored a last mojito. Back at my hotel I bade him “Hasta Luego Perrito,” gave him a nice pat on the head and watched as he trotted off. And Hasta Luego Cuba, I’ll be back. |
| If anyone must have a grinder pump, insist on one that works! Video |
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 Trolling Motor. Motor guide W75 wireless remote 24 volt trolling motor. Excellent condition. Paid $1,100 asking $550. 305-304-1132 Classified Ads > Boats |
| A plumber friend called me yesterday to warm me about the upcoming grinder pump installation disaster. He had a call to a Marathon condominium where the E-One pump had seized up. He contacted the pump manufacturer service rep who came to the site and found that the pump had not been operational in quite some time and that the tank had to be pumped out before the pump could be replaced. The rep further stated that the pump had a two year warranty and that the condominium did not contract for their service agreement at a rate of $100 per month. My friend was sympathetic about the charges involved to get the condominium back to a flushable state and wanted me to be aware of the situation. Fortunately I’m slated for a gravity system but my concern has always been that these E-One pumps are going to cost us all one way or another. My upmost respect goes out to the dumpthepumps organization who have been forced to try and stop the insanity of installation of these grinder pumps where an alternative system is viable. God help us all! |
 [Captain Doom and Gloom] “You haven’t seen anyone attack our armed county YET!” Why because it is not an economically sound idea. Wars are fought in the 3rd and 4th world countries because they have little to offer except some natural resources and can make the MIC richer. The US is BIG and no foreign power with any brains would attack us militarily, but they are doing a find job of BUYING us acre by acre. The NWO Wars are all financial. Also forget about the American Citizen having the guns to defend America. There is no way we could fight off a professional army from anywhere with the war toys they have, if our Military fails us. We over weight fatsos are NOT VC! WW3 is all about Water Front Real Estate (control the water fronts and you control the shipping and then you control the food!)!
“Driver Training” That Breaking method work, but not for Blondes. They think you are flirting with them or are a woman hater. With them it is best to get away from them and let them pass and speed on! |
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| National politics is back. Click on this link to send your national political post anonymously. No one will know your name or email address, [Well, maybe the NSA will] not even me. FTR is going to be the new national politics editor. Do not fear, FTR promised to post everything, even if he hates it, he’s that kind of guy. Your name and email address are not required. Please be civil. I Have Something To Say About National Politics–Click Here |
| [“How come when someone talks about gun control, the gun nuts respond by writing ‘they’ want to take our guns away”] Because “they” do want to take our guns away! The ultra-left liberal faction would like nothing better to completely disarm our entire population. The likes of Obama, Pelosi, Reed and countless other leftists know that a disarmed populous is entirely controllable and at their mercy. To paraphrase various despots and dictators throughout history: ‘The first step in taking control of the people it to take away their ability to defend themselves’. |
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| Mrs. FTR and I recently had the great pleasure of meeting Florida’s First Lady, Ann Scott and Governor Rick Scott. Governor Scott and Mrs. Scott are very much the all-American story. Both come from very humble beginnings. They were high school sweethearts; it’s a love story that has lasted 41 years. They were married in 1972 and now have two married daughters and three grandsons. They are very much the doting grandparents.
Mrs. Scott is a warm and gracious lady. She has an abiding love of literature and is committed to passing along the joys of literature to Florida’s school children. Mrs. Scott spends a great deal of time visiting students at schools and at libraries throughout Florida, encouraging the youngsters to read, and to write. She firmly believes that great readers become great learners, and early learning leads to overall academic success. She is planning a summer “literacy adventure” for Florida’s children. As a mother, Mrs. Scott also knows that healthy bodies make healthy minds. She urges Floridians of all ages to eat healthy and get out and play. Both Governor and Mrs. Scott are deeply committed to the welfare of, and have deep gratitude and respect for, the sacrifices made by our military and military families. Mrs. Scott often spends time with the families and children of our Florida military members. She has opened the Florida Governor’s Mansion for children to visit throughout the school year, and often will greet tours herself, to share her personal stories of the home. Mrs. Scott loves to showcase the beauty and history of the Governor’s mansion, Florida’s “Peoples’ House.” She invites and urges all Floridians to visit the “Peoples’ House” in Tallahassee. As a veteran, and as a public servant, Governor Scott is deeply concerned about the scandal that is whirling through the Veterans Administration, and the health care that it is supposed to provide. Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration have been trying for months to inspect Florida’s Veterans Affairs hospitals, but the VA has refused to cooperate. Gov. Scott’s office recently announced that Florida will sue the VA. Governor Scott said: “With 1.5 million veterans that call Florida home, we’re committed to being the most veteran-friendly state in the nation – and reports of deaths, neglect, poor conditions and secret waiting lists in VA hospitals in Florida are unacceptable. To date, Sec. Shinseki has refused to step down, our inspectors continue to be turned away, and none of the information we’ve asked for has been provided. Transparency and accountability are critical to supporting our veterans, and this suit will fight the federal VA’s continued practice of stonewalling our inspectors.” Governor Scott is ill-treated by the camera. In person, one on one, or in making speeches, he is an articulate, warm, and friendly guy who is “comfortable in his own skin.” You would be fortunate, indeed, and happy to have the opportunity to spend time with the Governor and Mrs. Scott. —————————————————————————————— A POSTER WROTE: “Wow, an FTR post I agree with! Miracles DO happen!” FTR’S RESPONSE: Wow, now I feel all warm and fuzzy. Thanks for taking the time. ————————————————————- A POSTER WROTE: “Obama has carried on most of Bush’s policies, especially relating to bankers and the wars and immigration. He has retained many of the Bushies and has had an open door to industry in his appointments. At least 1/3 of the Obama haters hate him primarily because he is black. But they just can’t say that”.. FTR’S RESPONSE: I think that the poster is deeply conflicted, or deeply confused. It’s reasonable to assume he/she strongly approves of Obama. It’s also reasonable to assume that he/she deeply disapproved of GWB. How then can the poster approve of Obama’s works, if the poster believes that Obama is simply aping GWB? Is it possible that the poster only approves of Obama because he is an American of African heritage? If that is so, does that make the poster a racist? ———————————————————— There are more comments in my in box, but so as not to burn up too much space, I’ll address them in Sunday’s CT. Thanks for taking the time. FTR. |
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