Published Tuesdays and Fridays. Letters to the editor with pictures. Since 0202.
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 [“In response to the Puerto Rico Independence comment”] Puerto Rico is one of a number of US territories because the US demanded they be so. The US has used Vieques, Puerto Rico as bombing range continually for over 70 years, polluting the land and water with carcinogens, and disrupting the lives of all the people in the region. The US, through the Jones act, does not allow any ships to enter Puerto Rican ports other than ships flying the US flag and staffed with all-American crews, which has had the effect of raising the prices for commodities to disproportionate levels, and causing much of the economic hardships they have faced. Puerto Rico is strategically located for the protection of the US. The US has caused most of Puerto Rico’s problems, so it is selfish and inhumane to use them when we need them, and cast them off when they need some help. I wonder how the reader who made that statement would feel about the Chinese signing a deal with Puerto Rico, making them a territory of China, if we abandoned them? |
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| Is Radio Shack on big Pine going to reopen? I need some stuff. |
If fracking comes to the Keys will the earth under our properties be protected or can someone buy the rights to the property next to ours and then drill under our land? |
| [Friday Joke] The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray, “Take only one. God is watching.” Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies where a child had written a note, “Take all you want. God is watching the apples.” |
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| Michael Jackson is starting a new line of Levies called Billy Jeans. |
 [Mold] I have neurological symptoms from mold exposure from Irma. I just had an allergy test done this morning and tested negative for everything, including all 5 types of mold. The neurologist and allergist both told me there is no way that mold could be causing my symptoms. I do not take any medications and have no prior history of illness. I use all natural products. Please help! |
| [Cudjoe Burning Illogical] For weeks, when the wind blows from the north, smoke and ash from the burning of yard waste on Blimp Road inundates the southern part of Cudjoe Key. Numerous residents have complained about flare-ups of respiratory problems, smoke on curtains and drapes, and ash on vehicles and boats. The State’s answer has been that the burning will continue because the cost of truckling the refuse is too high. When one steps back, this argument falls apart. The County claims that over 2 million cubic yards of yard waste must be removed from the keys, with almost half already gone. The waste pile on Cudjoe Key is about 200,000 cubic yard, or only ten percent of the total. All of the other waste is being trucked out. Therefore, the incremental cost is ten percent, but the cost to the health of local residents is immeasurable. Burning yard waste, with potential carcinogens in it with a technology designed for logging waste burning in remote areas is simply illogical. We expect our elected representatives and agencies to put our Citizen’s health first. ~Walt Drabinski, Cudjoe Key |
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| House passes flood insurance renewal in wake of massive storms. Link |
The pictures that scroll across the Coconut Telegraph banner say it all. That is why you want to be there; a picture is worth a thousand words. I had the honor of living on Cudjoe Bay for 6 years. The moon setting picture you show, makes me smile again, remembering how fortunate that I was to have been able to experience such splendor on this earth. Stay well Keys friends. |
| [Fake News] To the person who sent in article stating last pickup between MM 16 and 40 was starting “soon”, can you please give us the source of this? I ask as some of those on BPK (specifically Dr.’s Arm) are just today (11/14/17) seeing the first pickup, so any insight into an actual date would be helpful. |
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| [15th Century Machismo] As the hostile armies were preparing for an engagement, a young Turk, magnificently mounted, and in gorgeous uniform, having crossed the stream with a party of cavalry, rode in advance of the troop, upon the plain, and in the spirit of ancient chivalry challenged any Christian knight to meet him in single combat. The Chevalier of Lorraine accepted the challenge, and rode forth to the encounter. Both armies looked silently on to witness the issue of the duel. It was of but a few moments’ duration. Lorraine, warding off every blow of his antagonist, soon passed his sword through the body of the Turk, and he fell dead from his horse. The victor returned to the Christian camp, leading in triumph the splendid steed of his antagonist. |
[Osprey Nest] I went to Tarpon Belly Key on Wednesday. The Osprey nest on the south end of the island was empty for the first couple of hours, but later in the afternoon an osprey showed up at the nest. Please give the osprey some elbow room when tying off your boat and setting up camp. The further the better, but please, not under the tree the nest is in. |
| [Irma–I wasn’t given a choice] When we’ve experienced a natural disaster or a loss that feels unnatural, traumatic, and premature, the feeling is the same. Something or someone has been ripped from our arms and our hearts, and we had nothing to say about it and could have done nothing to keep it from happening. That’s a terrifying feeling. We feel we have no choice, so we feel powerless and out of control. Suddenly the stable world we knew seems like an illusion–it was never stable, but just pausing between shocks to the system, and we wait for the next one. We try to be prepared for the next one. Or we try to give ourselves the illusion of control by thinking we must have done something to cause this–maybe we chose this in a previous life, or maybe God is punishing us, or maybe we could have done something to avoid this. The “if-only” loop runs through our minds. “Why me and not them,” is another common theme. We look for reasons, causes, blame. But the reality is, this is what life has given us, and now we actually do have a choice: What do we do with what we have been given. We cannot choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we deal with it. |
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| Why is there such a fuss over the Russian involvement in our last election–Trump has repeatedly told us “the election was rigged.” |
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| [“Independent adjusters”] My flood insurance adjuster said if you have wind insurance–hire an independent adjuster because the insurance companies nitpick apart every wind claim. If you have flood insurance–you don’t need an independent adjuster because the insurance companies grant almost every claim |
 [Mold] Our house has tested positive for toxic mold. Had Green Home Solutions come out today and did an inspection and immediately found it on the joists in the crawl space. They didn’t do an air quality test yet, but he suspects aspergillus and stachy. They want to fog but I’m reading that maybe that’s not a good solution as it’s “eating it”, but is it really getting rid of it? My husband is super handy and wants to DIY remediation. He has been researching for awhile, so he knows about contamination, proper suits, HEPA vacuum’s, and cleaning HVAC system etc. Is DIY remediation possible? I’m skeptical and a bit scared as I already don’t feel well and don’t want to make the Irma situation worse. Would scraping the joists and fogging be the best option as well as encapsulating the crawl space? I’m so completely confused and not sure which way to go. Any advice would be greatly appreciated |
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| [Mold] I just discovered mold under the toilet tank. Any recommendations for cleaning? The mold hygienist I spoke to said to clean with bleach and detergent. He stated mold spores do not go airborne if wet. |
Keep looking. |
| Thingies I hate about Nudie Cruises Show-offs Spoiled uncontrolled kids Holy parents Pubescents Small elevators Nude formals Bar stool skid marks Fat anyone Hung heroes Cell phone cameras Rednecks with tats Water slides Horney old rich broads Bents and Trans Tight chow lines Link |
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| [Sexual Feelings] If a person sues you for grabbing her/his/its ass and collects money, doesn’t that make them a prostitute? |
[Shaming Tuna] I really just spent two minutes, like, “Why would you shame someone with tuna?” |
| Is there a computer class in Marathon like there is in Big Pine? |
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| Initial Coral Reef Damage Assessment Complete. Link |
Heard of Ben ‘Gay’? This is a recipe for Ben ‘Happier’ |
| How to See the 2017 Leonid Meteor Shower. Link |
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