[Mini Season Solution] In most States, when you are caught poaching with illegal catches, they can take your vehicle, your weapons/toys, fine you heavily, and sometimes you can do time in the slammer. They can take your hunting cabin or seaside retreat, and anything they deem involved in your illegal action.  That stops all but the true greedies from doing dirty deeds. Florida needs these same laws, but should also include deportation if the perpetrator is a illegal. Get tough! Get the bad guys! Is our reef really important to us? Lets put their money where our mouth is.

[County Commission Review] This budget season the county administrator needs to deliver the Marina to please his backers.  

The Middle Keys commissioners need a win, and they believe it is attainable by resurrecting the dead horses called 7 Mile Bridge (in 1912 to 1935 it was called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” ) and Pigeon Key, believe me those two will never attract enough tourists to pay for their own maintenance.  In other words, that ship sailed a long, long, long time ago.  The Lower Lower Keys commissioner refrains from seriously questioning these pie in the sky proposals because she’s afraid they’ll gang up and attack her lame proposals.  Lady, if you want the southernmost county owned beach to be successful, you are going to have to put on your big girl pants and recommend that the county start charging at least for parking.  The free ride needs to stop today!  Also, effective immediately  they need to assign a sheriff to the beach that will do what he’s expected to do.  I’m pretty sure that shadowing the bikini clad young girls is not why we pay him.  

The Upper Keys commissioner, well that story is not even worth mentioning because it will make your blood pressure skyrocket.  The only commissioner living in reality most of the time is the freshman.  He is a little too traditional for my taste but I support him because he practices and promotes fiscal responsibility, and makes an effort to motivate the other four to do the same.  

All the pie in the sky proposals will result in a repeat performance of the Hickory House fiasco, but with a bigger price tag to taxpayers. When the s**t hits the fan, and it will, we will ask ourselves, “What the hell were we thinking allowing this fiscal fiasco to happen on our watch?”

If you want to see where the county administrator is driving this county just look at his department’s budget, it is public record.  Jobs for friends and projects that do nothing to improve the quality of life for the average taxpayer.  

Taxpayers wake up!  Budget meetings are Monday and Tuesday, 10:00 am at the Harvey Government Center in Key West.  Reach out to your commissioner and let him or her know that you’re paying attention.  Put the fear of fiscal irresponsibility in their hearts and brains.  Remind them that balancing the budget with reserves (savings) is not balancing the budget. Tune in to MCTV channel 76 or U-verse channel 99 and listen closely.  You will not believe what you’ll hear.

[Recycle Old Bomb Dogs] The United States Marine Corps has around 400 Improvised Explosive Device sniffing dogs that are being decommissioned and need forever homes. Most of the dogs are breeds such as: Labradors, Belgian Malinois, Border Collies, German Shepherds & Rottweilers and are incredibly well-trained and have saved countless American, NATO and foreign lives. They are in D.C. Adoptive families must be able to travel to D.C. to pick up the dogs or arrange transport at their own expense. Please help these war heroes get the lives they deserve. Another benefit is that you’ll never have to worry about hidden bombs in your house!

The contact for interested adoptive families is brian.d.miller7@usmc.mil

The postal service loses a little money on every letter but they make it up on volume.

Too much marijuana can cause cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome whose symptoms are vomiting, cramps & urge for a hot shower  That’s news to me, let’s laugh.When I have too much pot I get unrealistically creative.  Link

Sweet Hawaiian Crock-Pot Chicken
2 lb Frozen Chicken tenderloin chunks
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
Combine all together, cook in Crock-pot 6-8 hours…that’s it! Done! 

[People of Walmart] I do all of my grocery shopping at Walmart and I have never seen anything like this. I do manage to save about $100 a month though which feels good in my pocket.

[Eat Maggotts For Protein] A countertop kitchen appliance for growing your own insects, to be used as food. University of Vienna designer Katarina Unger has invented Unger’s Farm 432: a small-scale fly incubator which “enables people to turn against the dysfunctional system of current meat production by growing their own protein source.” In particular, Unger focused on black soldier fly larvae as her research showed that they are the most efficient insect converters of protein at 42 percent, plus a lot of calcium and amino acids. Video

Marine insurance? We don’t need no stinkin marine insurance! Nothing ever happens to a boat! Video

[Mini Season Rapes the Keys]  By the end of the day today, Sunday, most of the Lobster Mobsters will be on the way home.  Having exhausted their allotted vacation time in search of the elusive Surf and Turf dinner, they’ve packed up their coolers, the boat with the bent prop, the two sunburned, fighting kids, the wife who is in no mood for any more “Fun-In-The-Sun,” the mighty Captain with one hell of a savage hangover, and the family dog with projectile diarrhea from eating a bucket of greasy chicken bones.  If they were lucky they head home with some ‘bugs’ to feed and entertain their landlubber friends, impressing them with the Captain’s tales of their great adventure at sea .

Our restaurants and bars are happy to see their locals return, most of whom had shunned the Mobster crowd for the relative peace of their own abode (unless of course they happened to live next door to a rental ,hosting a Lobster Mobster clan for a week who were blasting Jimmy Buffett’s Greatest Hits and a late night José Cuervo and Budweiser fueled Macarena contest).  Peace returns to our little bit of Paradise until the next invasion begins again just a short year from now.

As in years past, Mother Ocean sees the wanton destruction of Her corals and sea grass beds, the litter of plastic bags and trash killing Her sea creatures, and tries to begin the healing process that will in no way keep up with the yearly rape, pillage and chaotic ruination of her beautiful creation.  Meanwhile, our local lobstermen, who appreciate and protect our waters as a resource, and who scratch every year to make a living, lose thousands of pounds of their most valuable annual catch to the Lobster Mobsters who care nothing about anyone but themselves.

Of course our Tourist Development Council loves Mini-season.  It brings in a lot of money to our tourist based economy.  Money!  Money!  It’s all about Money!  To hell with our local fishermen trying to support their families.  To hell with our local waters!  To hell with environmental protection and responsibility.  To hell with anything except more money!

It’s well past time to think about more eco-friendly activities.  Many worldwide tourist destinations have realized that it’s much more of a cash cow than the annual, planned, destruction of an irreplaceable resource until there is nothing left to market to the tourists.

The dog is fully charged. 

[Welcome to the Keys] What are you rich people going to do with all the poor people?

The owners of the Marathon Veterinary Hospital have opened their brand new facility two miles from their previous location, it sure looks over the top.  They are promoting that the pricing will remain the same, as many of their previous customers like myself would have liked to see the pricing change for the better for us.  They have gone up so high in the last 14 years of operation, but these higher costs for the customers have been necessary in order for their worldwide vacations they take under the disguise of workshops or good will gestures. Who do you think pays for it all? ~foxl@bellsouth.net

[Pinocchio Award] Francesco Schettino, the Captain of the beached Costa Concordia cruise ship, at his trial, for among other things, abandoning ship before his passengers, claimed that he was thrown into a lifeboat when the ship floundered. 

Anthony Wiener aka “Carlos Danger”. Do you think he introduces himself like James Bond, “Danger … Carlos Danger. I like my wiener shaken not stirred.”

Monroe County Commissioners think they are doing such a great job in keeping property taxes where they are and yet Monroe County taxpayers paid on average $2,842, which includes city, county, schools and special taxing districts. County property owners paid $1,482 above the state average, which is $1,360

[Prime Rib Sunday] The special tonight at Springer’s Bar and Grill is our Prime Rib Dinner – Reduced price $19.95 and comes with 2 side dishes.

[Gay marriage, the legalization of marijuana] Why do states continually waste time and money fighting the inevitable? They did the same with woman’s right to vote and civil rights. I guess I’m smarter than most states.

Saturday, July 27 was National Day of the Cowboy. Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

[Domestic Violence] Despite the perception crafted by domestic violence advocacy groups, women commit domestic violence as often if not more often than men:

Straus and his colleagues found that in minor violence, the incident rates were equal for men and women. In cases of severe violence, more men were victimized than women, with 1.8 million women victims of severe violence and 2 million male victims of severe violence a year. Women suffer a greater amount of total injuries ranging from mild to serious, but when it comes to serious injuries where weapons and object use come into play, the injury rate may be about the same.

Hundreds of scientific studies support what every experienced law-enforcement officer knows: half the time, it is a case of mutual combat; a quarter of the time only the woman is violent; a quarter of the time only the man is. Link

[The Redneck Games] Jeff Foxworthy with Alan Jackson.  Video

[“Postal Service – give to the Army”] I don’t think so. Been there done that (Army). If the letter carriers were controlled by the Army they would be required to do firearms qualifications, gas mask training, PT and so many other training activities. Plus there’s always KP periodically (much too periodically) and they could not deliver mail in a regular schedule.

Our US Army is a fine organization. I would take nothing for my experience there as it taught me how to be a soldier, citizen and to be responsible for myself. I would not do it again. May God bless America.

Keyswide Housing Market Overview. This is the Summer 2013 edition. Summer2013 Newsletter for Agents to Email – FINAL
~Nira Tocco

[Cats] If I put a bell on my indoor cat can she go out? Will the bell scare the birds?

Evolution of Flood Insurance for coastal properties. Link

J.J. Cale “To Tulsa and Back” On Tour. Full documentary. Video

Before achieving major songwriting success, J.J. Cale scored some minor rock and rockabilly hits as Johnny Cale. Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby”-Johnny Cale Quintet.

Just A Common Soldier — a poem. Link

[Stand Your Ground] Dream Defenders sit their ground at Scott’s office.  A young, growing group of activists dubbed the Dream Defenders are now in their 10th day of occupying the Florida Capitol outside the office of Gov. Rick Scott. They say they will remain until Scott calls a special session to consider their proposed Trayvon Martin Act, which would repeal the state’s Stand Your Ground law. Link

Burka Avenger is a new Pakistani cartoon featuring a do-gooder burka wearing ninja fighting evil and corruption. Video

The notorious Trunk Gang!

Deer Run Bed & Breakfast on BPK saves water, one flush at a time. Link

Old 7 MIle Bridge needs work–lots of work! Link

[Waste] The notification from the carrier of my Monthly Drug Perscription Summary for June 2013 was 9 pages long for two prescriptions. It’s worse than when I used the VA. Another reason Medicare and health insurance is so expensive.

[Windows On Downward Path] Back in the olden days of 2009 and before, Microsoft sold 9 out of every 10 devices that were connecting to the internet, which includes laptops, desktops, tablets, and smart phones (remember those ancient Windows CE devices?), but today they are only responsible for 25% of sales of devices that connect to the internet. Interesting.

Combine this with the fact that Windows 8 is extremely unpopular (Windows 8.1 improves on it, but doesn’t fix the underlying problem), and Microsoft’s own Surface RT tablet is so bad that they had to write off nearly a billion dollars… and the future isn’t looking much better. Link

‘Cups’ pitch perfect and perfect timing. Video

[Spending] The BOCC should quit trying to piss away our tax money and stick to building fire stations,  getting the crappy roads down here in the lower Keys fixed, and getting us the best sewer system over and done.   Forget the marinas and the falling down bridge to nowhere.  Who do these delusional megalomaniacs think they are?   I guess they figure that nobody is paying attention.  Maybe they are right.

[The Monster We Created] Some protected marine zones could be greatly expanded by the National Marine Sanctuary .  Link

History of abortion in America. From coat hanger to doctor’s office. Link

[Restaurant Reviews] Do you really thinks we believe these reviews? Locals know what is good and isn’t in the Keys, but we also know that these reviews are written by the business owners or their friends, or by people who would not know good food if they stepped in it. And about “fair prices” you’ve got to be kidding. Compared to what? some flashy joint in Miami?

[Leashes] I only take the dogs out when I can be out there with them.  And they always mind me and we stay on my property!   We went for a good walk, but on the other side of the neighborhood, some guy was putting out his garbage and had his dogs out without their leashes.  They went running after mine, then the guy had to run after them.  The leash slipped from my hand and my dog took off the other direction.  At least there was no dog fight.  With mine running off, the other dogs finally turned around and went back to their house.  I got a very un-heartfelt “sorry” from the guy. 

[“Locals are now treating other locals like tourist”] Did you ever stop to think that most of the people working here now came here from somewhere else. They are as clueless as they were when they were tourists, and more so now that they are working here.

The Keys of old died twenty years ago and the true locals left during the housing boom when they raped the newbees who bought their homes and businesses.

Enough of that, I’m headed over to my local eatery to get some Sysco provided farm raised “fresh” seafood. Care to join me?

[“Zimmerman–the media should not be trusted–ever!”] ‘Afterburner with Bill Whittle: The Lynching’ of the editor. You deserve an award for posting this. Your true star is shining.  Time for a more exciting forum.

[Captain Doom and Gloom] My wife was wondering if there was some sort of FKAA discount for large families or for senior citizens who use the porcelain throne more than the average user?  Most seniors cannot stray too far from Le Hopper because of frequent use. Large families have a over-flushing problem with kids. How can this be helped? Please use discretion posting hints.

“Cudjoe Gardens Lawsuit” Can’t you understand this sewer gig is nothing but a money making con for the junta and installers. Ask yourself how the hell can a grinder pump assembly with all those parts and the labor and power for it, be cheaper than a simple gravity PVC pipe draining from your house to the street pipe? The posters that back the grinder scam have to be bubbas on the take. This scam stinks and it is not the sewer gas. Somebody is going away for this con, we hope.

“Hickory House”Why not make the HH a legal brothel? It would be regulated, healthier than the other locations, and taxed to help the community. Sure, it would put lots of “workers” out of jobs unless they hired on at HH, but that is progress. It might set a standard like Reno or Vegas and we could call it the Hickory Dickory House Ranch!

“Mercury is in retrograde lots of people will make bad decisions” The biggest mistake is believing in the astrological BS.

“Necessities” There are only three important things on this rock, yourself, your family and the stuff we eat. Only those living in cold climates or sun baked deserts need clothing for protection, but in today’s society it behooves us to wear coverings to protect ourselves from the laughter of others. Just kidding people (I hate the word: folks).  Looking at people on beaches, on nudie-cruises, on adult TV and in my mirror, the frightening things I see make me want to volunteer for a Mars Mission–one way. And the worst offenders are those in power, in entertainment, in authority, and in living rooms around the world watching others become famous or infamous. Shape up or ship out. We aren’t going to make it with double burgers and fries.

[Obamacare Cheaper in New York] Please don’t publish the new, lower insurance rates that Americans will be paying under Obamacare, it drives the Right crazy to think that all Americans might benefit.

Before the Internet, FTR guy had to use other methods to find what he considered to be “facts”.

[Press 1 for Russian] Putin’s Speech on Feb. 04, 2013. This is one time our elected leaders should pay attention to the advice of Vladimir Putin. How scary is that?

On February 4th, 2013, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, addressed the Duma, ( Russian Parliament), and gave a speech about the tensions with minorities in Russia:

“In Russia live Russians. Any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in Russia, to work and eat in Russia, should speak Russian, and should respect the Russian laws. If they prefer Sharia Law, then we advise them to go to those places where that’s the state law. Russia does not need minorities. Minorities need Russia, and we will not grant them special privileges, or try to change our laws to fit their desires, no matter how loud they yell ‘discrimination’. We better learn from the suicides of America, England, Holland and France, if we are to survive as a nation. The Russian customs and traditions are not compatible with the lack of culture or the primitive ways of most minorities. When this honorable legislative body thinks of creating new laws, it should have in mind the national interest first, observing that the minorities are not Russians.

I have noticed that arguing with greenies on just about any of their pet projects is like wrestling with a pig; all you get is dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.

[Obamacare is Working

A 21 year old non smoker will be able to buy health insurance that costs as little as $93 a month from the Maryland health Connection revealed in a press release. Of course you can always get better premium packages just as it has always been and you can change deductibles as always but the choice is yours to make.

It turns out that States such as California and New York will be achieving premiums below the estimates put out by the CBO. So when you read the daily doom and gloom report stand by because as time goes on the plan will continue to be adjusted to peoples’ needs and we can make this a healthier America.

At one time people were scared of falling of the edge of the earth if we sailed over the horizon but as it turns out it was Chicken Little thinking that turned out to be wrong.

[Cuban Revolution Wrong] Today is the 60th anniversary of one of the most unfortunate events in Cuban history.  Sixty years ago today, Fidel and Raul Castro attacked some army barracks and could have been killed, had they fought as bravely as their companions.  But they were cowards and survived. Dark, dark day. Link

Just a couple of days ago, President Obama was talking to reporters in company with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang. Wistfully Obama said: “…we discussed the fact that Ho Chi Minh was actually inspired by the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and the words of Thomas Jefferson.”

Obama’s intimation that the whole Vietnam war was just a misunderstanding probably won’t sit well with the families of the nearly 600k Americans died trying to free that nation, nor the hundreds of thousands more Americans who still suffer the trauma of that botched war.

Even given Jefferson’s famous quote about:  “the blood of tyrants,” it’s fatuous to suggest that Jefferson inspired the murderous career of Ho Chi Min, the insanely brutal Vietnamese communist dictator. Ho infamously slaughtered his opponents, including the infamous butchery of peasant farmers who resisted his brutal taxation in the early days of Ho’s regime. Ho murdered about half a million of his own countrymen in his pursuit of power.

It’s incongruous that Obama would make such a statement given that not long ago he has speechified that “We never lost a major battle in Viet Nam.” I smell another Viet Nam brewing in Afghanistan. Let’s pray that that we do not see TV images of people fighting to get on evac helos from the roof of the American embassy again. Obama has decided to “lose” the Afghanistan war. That being true, it’s criminal to keep even a single American soldier in harm’s way in that God forsaken pit.

Following the final U.S. retreat from Vietnam untold thousands of Vietnamese, deemed collaborators by the regime, were put to death. Ho and his Leninist regime used Lenin’s tactics: murder, terror and “reeducation” to obtain, maintain and expand power.  And still Obama spoke benignly of him.

Obama may have just been trying to flatter his guest who was obviously eager to show that Ho was not the monster history shows him to be. But the claimed connection between our American founders and Ho shows either a massive lack of historical knowledge on the part of the president or a remarkable degree of moral flexibility.

Part 2) Heh-heh-heh. Many IRS employees, who are charged with enforcing and managing Obamacare are on the verge of revolt because they will lose many of the benefits that they had under the federal health insurance rules, when/if they are forced into Obamacar. Those employees are members of a government union.  Then there is the fact that Team Obama is hiring thousands of part timers to help in the imposition of Obamacare. They will not get health insurance.

Obama’s speech the other day lacked any substance, all he spoke of was inequality and victimhood. Deer Friends, the recession has been over for more than five years. For the last 4 years the Democrats have had control of 2/3rds of our governance.  For the first 2 years of the Obama admin, the Dems had full control of the legislative and executive branches of government. In the last year prior to the ascendancy of the Democrats,  2006, our unemployment rate was about  4.6%. Today it is at 7.5%. Nonetheless, while Obama and the Democrats mouth platitudes, the rich get richer as a result of Obama’s policy and the poor get poorer. The ranks of the poor is increasing, the ranks of the middle class are diminishing, but Obama has refused to take responsible measures to improve the business climate so that business can prosper and grow.

Half of the people in this country are now considered poor or low-income, and the median household income actually fell for the second straight year in 2011 to just more than $50,000. That’s not a very promising statistic for a place that’s widely regarded as the “Land of Opportunity.” (ABC News June 13, 2013)

Don’t even bother to bray that the stock market is a great indicator of our economy. The reason the stock market is so ballooned is because of the Fed pumping crisp newly printed dollars and buying bonds.  The Fed with its unlimited free money from thin air, has completely displaced, distorted and destroyed the price discovery mechanism of the markets (especially the risk assessment, valuation and rate-setting mechanisms) with regard to numerous asset classes, including Treasury bonds, mortgages, real estate, corporate debt and equities. There is essentially no investment asset class that the Fed’s massive, unprecedented, relentless and unlimited intervention has not disrupted. It is a massive balloon that likely will again soon burst. If you think that is just my opinion, you should know that the Fed itself has claimed credit for at least half of the growth in the market. Read it for yourself at: Link