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2014 August

Thursday, August 14, 2014

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The-Coconut-Telegraph-w-CoconutsThe Original Unsocial Media. Anonymous Letters to the Editor with Pictures. Published Daily by Noon Since 2002. No Saturday Edition

rent increase[New Owners] I’m sure this is a rant that every person has heard before. I am disabled and on a limited income (as most of us are). I have lived in the same place in Port Pine Heights for 15 years. When my place went up for sale, I was told I had to move. The prospective owners want me out (the sale is still pending). Initially they gave me 2 weeks, but as the deadline nears, the conditions have changed. Now they are giving me an ultimatum: move out or pay the new rent which is $350 more than what I pay now. I have become very disillusioned about the community that I have loved and served for so many years.

Vacation rentals are the norm, where a homeowner can get in a week what I would pay for a month. Many times these places remain empty, especially off-season. The people who serve this community, the waiters, store clerks, teachers, cannot afford to live here. The people who will be buying my duplex don’t care one bit about my situation. They live here and are very aware of the availability of affordable housing or even reasonable housing. Sadly, the Housing Choice Voucher Program is closed until further notice, so even if I qualify (which I do) there is no help available.

Writing this post brings tears to my eyes, as I fear the possibility of being homeless. The buzz among those I know is, “You’ll have to sell all your stuff, and give up your pets” — only to live in a small room or an apartment that still costs more than I can afford. Are we so greedy and inhumane that our only concern is the almighty dollar?

Have we become a society where material wealth is what we respect and admire in a person. We are entitled by our Constitution to the pursuit of happiness, and the right to make others unhappy or miserable as a result. I am not criticizing our economic system or capitalism. It is what makes our nation strong for the most part and every person has the right to improve their financial situation. I am criticizing the conscience of people who can go to bed at night and sleep peacefully knowing they have destroyed the life of another fellow human being through their pursuit of wealth. How can we as a nation condemn other countries who marginalize their citizens, when we ourselves are the biggest violators. I am off my soapbox for now, and I will continue to love my neighbors, enemies, and my country. But as the great Albert Schweitzer said, “until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man himself will not find peace.” This includes this fellow man.

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just say no reagan
[Mary Jane] Colorado is spending two million dollars to tell kids not to smoke pot. “Just Say No” Remember how well that multimillion dollar national campaign worked for Nancy Reagan? Not one person ever stopped using. Not one. When will they learn not to waste money on lost causes?
[“Cleanup of the Eden Pines canals”] Yes the project continues to be worked on and Eden Pines is still designated as one of the 5 demonstration projects the county has funded. But it has taken over 40 years for the canals to get to the poor water quality they are now and they will not be cleaned up overnight. The design of the remediation system is still being revised and this will likely continue for several months until finalized. Stay tuned.
In the meantime if you want to be a good neighbor to the canals:
• Do not dispose of trash, yard waste, or fish innards in the canals
• Keep your septic system operating properly for the next couple years
• Support the sewer installation and startup of the new Cudjoe wastewater treatment plant, which will go a long way towards cleaning up the canals
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an_salt3
[Salt] Sodium levels generally correlate with the risk of high blood pressure. But this link is strongest when sodium intake is high and wasn’t seen at all when consumption is low. The link also is stronger as people age. A different nutrient — potassium, found in vegetables and fruits — seems to lower blood pressure and heart risks, and offsets sodium’s effect.

People who consume 3 to 6 grams of sodium a day (about 8 to 15 grams of salt) had the lowest risk of heart problems or death from any cause during the nearly four year study. More or less sodium raised risk. About three fourths of the world’s population is in the ideal range. Americans average roughly 4 grams a day. Guidelines from various groups for heart disease prevention recommend 1.5 to 2.4 grams of sodium a day. The American Heart Association advises no more than 1.5 grams.

[Key West Roadwork Complete] It’s hard to believe the state and city would get together and celebrate 843 days of pain for the residents and businesses of Key West. Yes, the road is beautiful and safer, but at what expense to the citizens of Key West? Because of the length of time this project took, businesses were crippled and some failed. People lost their livelihoods. Tempers flared on the roads, and people were injured in the numerous accidents on Flagler while it was the main artery out of Key West until mid October of 2013.

Instead of celebrating, maybe they should just sit down and analyze what could have been done better. For instance, economic impact studies and different work models, such as having more crews, working through the night and from both ends of the project, thus completing it in half of the time. I do not claim to be a construction expert as the state threw into our faces each time the subject was brought up or we questioned the process. Construction equipment sat dormant for days/weeks at a time. The Salt Run Bridge was torn up and used as a garbage dump for a year or more. The Bicycle path was confusing and dangerous.

The smack in the face was a 4-day work week with a 2-week holiday while businesses struggled to stay open, their owners working 7 days a week and taking no vacations. So in the long run, if this is the best their construction experts can do, then they should be fired. Most of our city commissioners were of no help. Did they not realize what this would do to a small island, were they paying attention? If you went to the meetings, the state blamed the city and the city blamed the state. So what else is new in politics? No one ever even came out to see what could be done to help the struggling businesses and residents. I guess if they ignored us we would go away, well some did, forever. While the state and city celebrate, most of us are just breathing a sigh of relief.

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dive-flag-skull
[Divers Down Flag] Please take your dive flag down when there is no diver in the water. The working skipper must drop to ideal speed or alter his course. For a working Captain who is spending 40 plus hours a week on the water this is a real pain in the butt. Enjoy our Keys, please be considerate of the our working skippers.

Divers must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of the divers-down flag or buoy on all waters other than rivers, inlets, and navigation channels. Any person operating a vessel on waters other than a river, inlet, or navigation channel must make a reasonable effort to maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from any divers-down flag or buoy.
In all locations, vessels that approach within the required distance must proceed no faster than is necessary to maintain headway and steerageway

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[Cop Shoots Kid] New law? No matter what a person, white or black is doing to threaten another person, you, a lawman or civilian may not harm that person in any way whatsoever. If you do, the media will automatically assume that you were wrong and send film crews to film groups of pissed off people and interview stupid people that know for a fact that you are guilty. Beware.
urinal-keg
Recycling.
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tiffany14[Tiffany] I was introduced to my friend’s 13 year old granddaughter the other day. Nice smart girl, so I tried to engage in some conversation. Her first name is Tiffany so I asked her if she knew where the name Tiffany came from. To my surprise she said no and just thought it was a girl’s first name.
I said no, it’s the last name of Louis Comfort Tiffany, whose company created some of the most sought after art glass, stained glass windows and lamps in the world about 100 years ago.
First she gave me a look like she thought I was putting her on. Then, after realizing I was serious and just trying to educate her, she shrugged her shoulders and gave me a “so what” look.
I said, “Ok, well then” and asked my friend for a beer.
Judge-Taagan-Slaton7.3.14
Obama announces deal with Iraqi government to send Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and John McCain as military advisers.
toothache14
What’s less harmful to me to stop toothache, aspirin or Tylenol or ibuprofen? I need a root canal and thy can’t do it until next week.
How long does it take the bugs to find where you are hiding at ye olde hidden beach?
second-nature6.1.14
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[“Hidden beach”
] I know where there is a better hidden beach in the backcountry. There is a small entrance between a row of dense mangroves. Beyond is a small lagoon with a white sand bottom and a white sand beach on the landward side. The whole thing is about a hundred and fifty feet long and one of the most beautiful places in the Keys–and there is never anyone there. This photo doesn’t do it justice as it only shows the entrance and not the beach.
When looking up at a ceiling fan it rotates counter-clockwise. That just seems wrong.
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tony stewart[Tony Stewart/Ward Jr. Tragedy] The recent racing crash that took the life of the up and coming young Ward Jr. was commented on by criminal law professor Cory Rayburn Yung from the Kansas University school of law. He referred to the incident as a “complicated scenario.” Really? Take it from someone that knows a few things about racing. Anytime someone gets killed things are complicated.
But to think that Stewart did anything negligent or reckless is simply ridiculous. I’m not a follower of NASCAR or Sprint car and watch only one auto race a year. The Indy 500. ( Motorcycle racing is far more exciting in my opinion). Ward Jr. got out of his car after he and Stewart made contact and Ward Jr. was spun into the wall. Shook up or tuned up he then made his biggest and unfortunately his last mistake of his short life. He got out of his car and walked toward the infield and tragically into the path of oncoming cars!

Pointing at Stewart, logic tells me that on a poorly lighted dirt track Stewart would have keyed off Ward Jr’s car and not have expected him to be anywhere in front of him. At speed on a race track there are a lot of things to be looking at and for. Someone in a dark colored driving suit out on the track is not one of them.

Here come the litigators to suck up the blood of another bad night in racing. Blaa, blaa. Stewart will be found not guilty of any wrong doing and pay a civil suit claim to keep his name cleared of more bad publicity.
Its a damn shame the young racer lost his life, (from what I have read he was a very nice and talented young man), but if you were to ask 4 or 5 experienced racers why this whole thing occurred I bet they would tell you the same thing. He made a mistake getting out of the car. There are procedures that are followed after a spin/crash to prevent this very horrible type of thing from happening. R.I.P. Ward Jr

Cousineau-Ad-7.3.14
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rain-drain
[Wine Snobs] After sampling, French wine experts favored wine poured from a high-priced bottle over the same wine poured from a bottle marked as cheap.
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spray14
What do you expect from a genetically ​modified mouse?
[Beer] How come the ingredients aren’t on beer labels? I want to know what I’m drinking. It’s wrong not to have ingredients printed on something that is sometimes very harmful. The beverage corporations are way too powerful in this country.
lower keys boat rental7.11.14
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blind14[2d Amendment] In the US, being blind is no bar to owning and carrying firearms. The blind people who do it say they are simply exercising their constitutional right, and present no danger to the public.

When Carey McWilliams went to the sheriff’s office in Fargo, North Dakota, to fill out the paperwork for a permit to carry a concealed weapon, the staff immediately noticed he was holding the harness to a guide dog.

The woman behind the desk pointed out that he would have to pass a shooting test before being granted the licence, but McWilliams said he knew that. He told her not to worry.

“So then she took a picture of me, and my application then went up through the ranks – it got the signature of the chief of police of Fargo, the sheriff and the state attorney general’s office – and they kept calling me and calling me, saying: ‘There’s a shooting test, there’s a shooting test.'”

The day of the test came, and McWilliams duly went along to the police firing range with a friend who was also trying for a permit. The targets were half-size cut-outs of assailants, positioned seven yards away. McWilliams fired a series of shots with a .357 magnum, all of which landed in the heart region of his target.

george-neugent8.10.14
[“Service dog jackets”] Try getting a dog on a plane with just the jacket. I’m sure you need to show the official card that gets issued to the owner and arrange its passage in advance. I don’t know what the service animal status process cost but I know what kennel fees are. Enough said.
Moron14
[Moron Department] Never have your wife tie down the ATV while you get the ice chest.
484 million goldfish are sold each year. I remember when I used to buy them for 5 cents each at Woolworth’s where Fast Buck Freddies also used to be. Video
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shrimp-po'boy
Hi there from Springer’s Bar and Grill
. Today’s special is a Shrimp Po’boy. This New Orleans original is always a palate pleasing treat. So come on by and enjoy this Mardi Gras for your mouth.
Friday special: Pesto crusted mahi mahi over rice.
Happy Hour 2-7 daily with great drink specials and happy hour menu.
There’s Always Something Special at Springer’s!
[Welder] How to turn your boat batteries into an arc welder. Video
fanci8.4.14
vette14The Florida Keys Southernmost Car Club holds its monthly Show & Shine and Ice Cream Social this Saturday, Aug 16th. 5pm till 8pm. This event is for the lovers of classic, custom, and street rod automobiles and trucks of all years and makes. If it cool and on wheels it will be there. The fun early evening event as always is at the Sugarloaf Lodge, on Sugarloaf Key,  MM17. Prizes, 50/50 & free ice cream bars. New car club T-shirts, caps and tank tops will be for sale. Good food and cold beverages are for sale at the Tiki Bar. The Club’s new sound system will provide 50’s and 60’s music. Bring the kids to enjoy these beautiful relics of the auto world. This is a free event.

Club members are seeking new members for a full schedule of shows & events. Join Saturday and get the new Club hat!  For more information contact Dick Moody at 305-942-1758.

Speaking of dolphins, exactly what research is done at Dolphin Research Center other than collecting money?

When dolphins are taken from what is familiar to them, they do not adapt. They become depressed and sadly, sometimes even commit suicide. Although using dolphins is helpful to the Navy, it harms the dolphins servicing. Another way in which humans abuse dolphins is in the human entertainment business, a multi-billion dollar industry. A trained dolphin is worth up to $150,000.

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wordpress logo
Deer Ed, Is this a WordPress platform? I am wanting to do a similar simple forum with classified ads like yours on fishing and diving for the entire Keys. That way I can promote and sell ads in all the Keys. Any suggestions for a non techy? What do you think about my idea? Maybe it can be a new business for me which I need dearly, and to give me something to do. I am unemployable at 57. (Ed: Yes. No. Good idea.)
Recently, near the end of a taped US1 radio broadcast, Bill Becker noted that Billy Causey,  NOAA’s Southeast Regional Supervisor ,  had called to retract his earlier radio interview statement about the suitability of the shallow sewage injection wells at the landfill after learning that he didn’t know that daily, more than a million gallons of treated effluent were involved. With all due respect, at this late stage in the project’s construction, one would think the former, and first-ever, FL Keys Marine Sanctuary superintendent would at least know the basics of a project initiated to protect, not degrade, Sanctuary waters. However, I do applaud his retraction. I wish 3 of our close-minded commissioners would exercise similar objectivity. Link
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animal burglar[Warning]  Residents of Big Pine, a few weeks ago I caught two Hispanic men in my yard snagging coconut from my two trees.  I like to harvest them myself for the coconut water and noticed lately that they were disappearing.  They saw me and said in very broken English, “Jus get de coconuts.”  I yelled, no mas,  NO MAS!”  They left saying, “Ho-kay, ho-kay, no mas.”  Yesterday I saw the same two in a neighbor’s yard grabbing our bananas (we share the banana patch.)  I again yelled, NO ROBAR LAS BANANAS.  NO MAS. AL LADO DE LA POLICIA TIEMPO (Don’t steal the bananas, next time–the police!) They tossed the bunch of bananas on the ground and took off in an old beater, rusty, gray pick-up truck.  I couldn’t get the tag number.

Big Piners beware.  These thieves have no problem entering your private property and stealing your fruit (or likely any other produce you may be growing.  No doubt they would also help themselves to anything else you may have laying out).   If you see them prowling around your neighborhood, try to get a tag number and post it here.  Maybe if they are stopped and questioned by the cops they’ll move on or get deported to Miami

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chimp14
[“Dog Addicts”] Someone who can’t be without their dog for a moment and needs to stoop so low as to scam the system and pretend their dog is a service dog has a problem. Those people remind me of the monkey who lost her little monkette and substituted a doll for the dead monkey. Clinging to a dog for whatever reason, security, conversation, admiration, etc is wrong on may levels. Those people are missing something in their lives and don’t care that others find their practice reprehensible.
A formal ethics complaint has been submitted by Rick Boettger against Commissioners Neugent. The 15 letters submitted at the end of the story are poignant and distressing. Amazing that the other newspapers are not carrying this story. Link
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There are three things that some people claim have caused most of the world’s problems: Bush, religion and climate change–not necessarily in that order. Now you are as informed as you need to be. I am correct about this and as Cartman would say, “Don’t question my authority.”
an_candleflame
On Aug 14, 2003 Blackout hits Northeast United States.
If the Sewer Closing Inspector is not kosher when he inspects our hook-ups and is taking payola to make rework possible so the sewer/plumber guys can make more money on us locals, is Crucifixion still legal in Florida?
Phil-Goodman8.14.14
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bill-vampire
[“Poor Robin Williams killed himself”] He got what he wanted, why should I be sad? The world will go on. I have no pity for anyone who kills themselves. They got what they wanted!
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from the right
The recent riots in the St. Louis area after the killing of a black youth by a police officer sparked my interest. During my career I was tasked to be a part of the investigation of many killings of civilians by police. Many of these cases resulted in police officers being charged with a variety of offenses up to and including to 2nd degree murder. A few of these incidents resulted in unrest and even riots in the black communities of Broward County. The Broward State Attorney’s Office diligently and fairly investigated and prosecuted the cases wherein police officers acted improperly. Police officers were convicted.

badge14During the late ‘60’s through the ‘70’s the black communities seemed to be extremely distrustful of law enforcement, that distrust became a part of the culture of the community. It was very difficult to identify or interview witnesses to the events. The witnesses would recount versions that were wildly different from one another. It became common for there to be some witnesses to every event that would claim that the officer executed the decedent even though there was solid evidence and other testimony from other witnesses to the contrary.

Law enforcement engaged in outreach and became very transparent in their investigations of these incidents. The mood of the community changed and civil unrest became less common. In 1980 a young black man named Willie James (Junebug) McDonald was shooting craps in a city park in Deerfield Beach. It was against the law. There were complaints, the police “raided” the game. McDonald briefly ran but was captured by a police officer. A brief scuffle ensured, McDonald was taken to the ground. There are several versions of what happened next, but during a scuffle on the ground, McDonald was shot by the police officer and died. The black community exploded in violence, cars were stopped and white persons pulled from the cars and beaten, stores were looted, gangs roamed the street. A mob stormed the police station demanding “justice”. The lead investigator decided to permit prominent members of the community to sit in on witness interviews. When that announcement was made to the angry crowd, calm nearly instantly descended. The crowd picked representatives, they sat in on interviews. The testimony of witnesses was forthcoming and matched the evidence. The civil unrest ended. A grand jury subsequently indicted the officer for murder 2. The jury heard testimony of many witnesses in the community. The police officer was tried, the first trial ended in mistrial, at the second trial he acquitted of the charge. There was no civil unrest at the verdict. The community had been kept in the loop for the entire investigation and prosecution.

There is no moral to that story, except that law enforcement must be transparent in these matters.

I was interested in determining the number of blacks killed by the police vs the number of whites and other ethnicities. It is amazing, but the FBI does not keep those stats. It is also amazing that in 1994 the Congress ordered the Justice Department to compile those stats. To date there has not been compliance with that order.

I hope you’re wondering why Mr. Obama, the man who promised a post racial presidency has not demanded that Justice research the issue.

Can it be that Team Obama is worried that the stats will reveal that whites die at the hands of police in statistically proportionate numbers as blacks? Or can it be that blacks are killed by police in numbers substantially higher than their population ratio.   We just don’t know, but we should.

Lobbyist14Part 2) Do you remember candidate Obama’s resolute promise that lobbyists would be banned from his admin. He suggested that they all were a slimy bunch that could not be trusted, and he wanted nothing to do with them. In fact Mr. Obama barred lobbyists from contributing to his campaign and signed an order on his first day in office in 2009 prohibiting them from serving in his administration. That ploy earned him a lot of votes. Well……that was then, and this is now.

Mr. Obama has made a number of exceptions to that rule and has hired lobbyists for several important jobs, as of last year he had hired 119 lobbyists.

Just the other day, Mr. Obama put down his phone, picked up his pen and signed an order that rolled back even more of his ban on lobbyists serving in government. Under his new rule, registered lobbyists whom Mr. Obama had previously barred from serving on government advisory boards may now participate if they are representing companies or groups and not acting on their own behalf.

Are you surprised that Obama voids promises like a donkey voids hay straw and oats? I’m not.