Letters to the editor with pictures since 2002. Published on Big Pine Key’s garbage days, Tuesdays and Fridays.
 [“Confiscating guns”] We can’t have a civil conversation about gun control because many 2d Amendment advocates can’t read English. When someone suggests the government take away, say our AR-15s, the gun people think they read “confiscate all our guns”. They can’t seem to differentiate between the different words that mean “only specific guns” even if the particular guns are spelled out. This is a real big problem and I suspect is at the root of fake news. People don’t read the words; they interpret the words to mean what they fear the writer is trying to say. How can we have a conversation when people translate the words into whatever their bias is? I think it comes down to education and a lack of vocabulary. This post is a good example. Many of you will read into it your own bias and not the intent of the post which is not about guns particularly, but about reading comprehension. |
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| [R.I.P.] Your friend and mine, Helen Goodiski, lovely senior lady who worked at Winn Dixie until she couldn’t, and former owner of The Cracked Egg Cafe, is now with the Lord. She knew so many people in the Keys. Link |
 [Key Deer Eyesight] An interesting fact from Save Our Key Deer Inc.When those giant black eyes of one of your Key Deer neighbors looks at you, do you know what they actually see? We offer you a whitetail vision primer that may surprise you:With exceptional senses of hearing and smell, deer lag far behind in their eyesight (so do grizzly bears, by the way). Deer eyes are shaped larger than most mammals, but their eye position does not allow for much focal movement. Human eyes allow us to move quickly, reading lines of text in a newspaper; or focus on peripheral vision. We can bounce back-and-forth looking at different objects and our eyes will remain focused on that object. That’s because the small area on our retina allows for light to come through our lens, similar to a movie screen. Deer eyes have instead a wide horizontal band of area on the retina (“the visual streak”). This means the deer is in focus horizontally; but when he/she looks straight ahead (vertically) its vision is out of focus, and its center doesn’t move. (learn why this adaptation developed in our next members’ newsletter.) Deer do not see the longer wavelengths, so they do not see much red (so much for Key Deer’s enjoying the sunset!). Orange is near the red end of the spectrum, so they do not see it well: A carrot may blend into the background visually but will indeed be picked up by scent. On the other hand, they see the short wavelength colors very well. They see blues better than we do. The yellows are somewhere in the middle. Additionally, deer see UV light, which gives them distinguishing capabilities not available to us. The big deer-eye advantage (besides UV detection) comes at night: deer have a reflective substance on the back of their eye called the tapetum lucidum. When you see a deer’s eye reflecting back at you from a flash light or a headlight, you are actually seeing the reflection from the back of the eye. When the light enters the eye, it passes over the lens and hits the retina. Unlike in humans, the light then bounces back to the front of the deer eye and reflects again back to the retina. This combination allows for amazing night vision in deer. All in all, a whitetail deer can see 50 times better at night than humans. Because of their eye placement on the side of their heads, deer have a 300 degree angle of vision, vs. our measly 120 degrees (i.e. unlike us they can almost see behind them). Want to get even more details about our Key Deer facts or how to help the deer? Become one of our new member! https://saveourkeydeer.org/become-a-member/ |
I want to give a loud shout to The Sunset Grill in Marathon. My wife and I ate lunch there yesterday. We had the shrimp basket and it was the best shrimp I have eaten since I quit catching shrimp from the bridges . I had forgotten just how outstanding shrimp can be when cooked perfectly. I’ll be back! |
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| [Opinions] This is what makes the world go around, but mostly off kilter. People have their ideas cemented in their gray matter, and even though experts suggest that opinion is in error to reality, these people stubbornly will not change or see the truth. This is what causes wars, hate, political incorrectness and wastes manpower and resources. Lack of education and implanted family ideals do the most damage, but diets and medicines also can create hostile environments. Look at this blog for example. Half are Right half are Left and most are wrong all the time. Media indoctrination is another culprit that destroys logic and common sense by lying or spinning facts. Trust no one and think before opening that food hole. |
[Fans] Why can’t the government turn the wind powered generators into giant fans and blow the hurricanes out to sea. |
| [“Political correctness”] Does it seem strange that in the 60’s comedian George Carlin talked about the seven words you couldn’t say on TV and now we have about 14,000 words we shouldn’t even use in private conversation? |
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| [Extermination Camps] I visited my doctor’s office in KW yesterday and happened to be near the homeless clinic. After watching what crawled in and out of that office, I wonder why the hell we normals put up with garbage like those useless eaters. Society used to cull out low life’s like that until we became PC or started liking their smell. Disgusting. |
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| [Under water video from Fiji & Tonga] The Keys used to look like that! blue water and living coral – it was a lifetime ago. I remember Looe Key when it was healthy too. Great job NOAA! Ever going to issue an unredacted report on what happened under the old leadership or is the new lady just expected to maintain position and forge on watching the coral die? |
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| [Key Lime Pie] The truth about key lime pie finally told. “I imagine Dr. Perrine would appreciate the irony that most Key lime pies today are made with lime juice shipped to the Keys from the same country where he sourced our first lime trees. Local initiatives are under way to bring Key lime trees back so that every pie can be made with locally grown limes. Until then, we will send gratitude and love to our friends in Mexico,” Like I’ve been saying, key lime pie is not the key lime pie of yesteryear. You’re eating lime pie made with Mexican lime juice and whipped cream instead or meringue. Thanks to overpopulation and tourists, there’s not enough Key limes in the Keys to make authentic key lime pie. Add it to the rest of the imports now in the Keys, like the seafood, the people, and now, the pie. It’s Fakeritaville! Link |
If they take away our guns can we carry swords, spears, clubs, bows and arrows? The bad guys will. And will the coppers turn into pirates. |
| [Hit Man] It is a joke to be sued by a gold-digger for millions when it only costs $10k to eliminate the problem in S Philly! You got dat? |
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[Weather] I was looking at the hurricane forecast and seeing a yellow “X” with zero possibility of developing into a hurricane only to see the next day it’s blowing 135 mph! |
| [Bleak Future] Some day in the far future this world will have World Laws, where all laws will be the same for the entire planet. Local laws will be abolished, and the International Police will keep order. Legal age will be 16 and everyone will be responsible for their own actions. Under 16, the parents and the child are responsible. Prisons are no more, replaced by gulags. You work to eat or die! All had core criminals are automatically sterilized. |
If the CO2 levels are too high and somehow destroying the planet, then planting more trees would fix it. Trees and plants use CO2 and produce oxygen. Selling carbon credits are certainly more lucrative, but much less effective in actually reducing CO2. |
| [Cube-shaped Poop] Check out the year’s best research on cube-shaped poop, magnetic cockroaches, and toasty scrotums. Also: Does pizza cure cancer? Link |
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| [Helping Idea] I sort my old clothes that do not fit anymore, footwear, tools, books, eye glasses, and any items someone can use. I then search the Web for small cities in poor areas of the world to find the local post office. I sort and figure out what would be useful for the poor in that climate and environment. I then clean and prepare the items and pack them in a large plastic bag in a cardboard box that is no heavier than 40 pounds. I never include firearms, political, religious, food or anything subjective, just basic needs. I seal the box and ship it to the post office for them to disperse to whomever. I never use a return address or mention anything about myself. Just a note saying “For the Poor and Needy” It works and helps those in need better than official charities” who sell for profit. |
[New Nature Center] As a local watching the long-awaited opening of the new Key Deer Wildlife Center, I’m very disappointed I won’t be able to visit it now for months. The center is only open Tuesday through Fridays until 3 p.m. which makes it inaccessible to the 9 – 5 working folk. Once again, let’s cater to the tourists. |
| [Being PC] I thought the post stating “happy 911” was a good example of political correctness taken too far. It was insensitive, insulting and incredibly cruel, especially to anyone who lost someone in that horrendous attack. It was published and most likely admired by those as sick as the poster who sent it. |
[Blackface] Should we all boycott Al Jolson because he dared to preformed on blackface. Everyone is getting on the bandwagon. Even African Americans have performed in blackface, Bert Williams, Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan. The list of actors who have performed in blackface is gigantic. Should we boycott all of them? |
| United Way of the Florida Keys set a goal to raise $15,000 for “Stuff the Bus” this year, in addition to whatever Publix raises through their ‘Tools for Back to School’ campaign. We are happy to announce that we met and even exceeded our goal! |
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| [Resting Bitch Face] Women are flocking to plastic surgeons to fix “resting bitch face”. Link |
[Saved By Death] Kevin Spacey accuser dies with assault case still pending. Link |
| [Dirty Bars] I made horrible mistake by walking into bars and restaurants just as they are ready to open and had all the lights on for the prep. Most of them I will never eat in again or touch the bottom of a bar stool. Ugh! |
[Lower Unit For Sale] Snowbird special. Lightly used outboard, needs new spark plugs and maybe carburetor rebuild kit. Make offer |
| Mex-Tex Pizza is a 22 inch tortilla, medium salsa, thin turkey, Mexican cheese and scrambled eggs. Great! |
The Slowest Gun In The West (1960) – Feature film starring Phil Silvers and Jack Benny. Video |
| [Deaf Junkies] Overcoming addiction of any kind is challenging for anyone. However, for those who are sensory impaired, finding a detox and rehab program that takes into consideration their disability can prove problematic. Link |
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