[Gator Alert!] While walking my dog yesterday on Ave. H between Father Tony and 1st St. in the Avenues, right in the middle of the north side of the block, I spotted this baby gator by the wooded area. I estimated it to be about 3 feet long. So, I’m wondering, that if the baby is around, then momma can’t be that far off either. That wooded area is swamped with pretty deep water. Be on the look out if anyone walks their pooches around that area.

I noted someone’s comment yesterday about a recycling solution. “Lets see which recyclables people are throwing away and not make it anymore.”

Veolia, the contracted service provider for the Village of Islamorada had been given a multiyear no-bid contract for both garbage and recyclables. I raised the question to Bruce from Veolia and one of our council members who shall remain nameless. “How do we know you aren’t just going to dump everything into one pile at transfer facility?” (which Robbie Silk from the KW Citizen busted them on recently)

I even went and called the dump in Broward and nobody has any idea why we don’t just sort recyclables at the landfill.

Nobody has a good answer. It would save on fuel and driving a second truck around and thereby reducing the carbon footprint, noise and traffic congestion. But it would also ensure a system conducive to recycling. I can’t be the only person to think of it. It must be in use somewhere?

So called “global warming“ is just a secret ploy by wacko tree-huggers to make America energy independent, clean our air and water, improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, kick start 21st Century industries, and make our cities safer and more livable. Don’t let them get away with it!

[Grinder Pumps Exposed] One County decided not to service them any more and move the cost to the homeowner because it became too costly.  Also not a good idea if you are in a low lying area, like so many of us,  as the  grinder pump will keep pumping and need repair sooner.  Link

[Manatee Alert] A note to all the boaters in Lower Sugarloaf: A juvenile manatee has been hanging around Sammy’s Creek Channel the last couple of days. Please slow down a bit when traveling through the creek. I’d hate to have to find this baby’s body dead or injured.

Deer Ed, Can we get a separate section for the sewers, grinder pumps, etc. Thanks.

[Sanctuary committee proposed 27 new nearshore areas and changes to 21 existing areas] If we continue to let the Sanctuary people restrict access to the ocean and backcountry we will have to visit the ocean online. Now they want us to pay to use the ocean.

If left unchecked the Sanctuary people will eventually prohibit us from even going in the water. They will never stop because what will all those employees have to do? That is the nature of the beast called bureaucracy. Make work to keep everyone employed. Link

[Dueling Politicians] Today in 1804 former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was fatally wounded in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr.

How many Saudi Princes are there? It seems everyone arrested from there is a Prince.

[Disabled Vet] Your are not alone in waiting to hear from the VA. I am on my third year waiting for a decision. They are doing this on purpose hoping we will die first.

[Customers] The main things, by far, that every big or small business needs to prosper are customers, lots and lots of customers.  Not tax cuts or favorable regulations.  But potential customers need to have enough of their wages left over after covering the cost of basic shelter and food to be able to shop around for anything beyond that.  

[Jazzman Jaco Pastorius 1980] The worlds greatest bass player. The only “lead’ bass play ever, well, maybe Charlie Mingus. Yes, that’s Joni Mitchell singing in the video. Video

[Earth Alerts] It’s an interactive map where you can explore the conditions of volcanoes, keep up with tropical storms, and see if a hurricane is headed your way. Just click on an icon on the map to learn more. Link

[Snakes] I got this in an email from one of my friends hunting the ‘glades. I thought you might like to see and maybe post it.

Hawaii is at just about the same latitude as Havana. I thought it was much further north.

More grinder pump reading for us crap-minded folks. Link

Waterspout over Tampa Bay.

[Florida cities on guard for any post-Zimmerman unrest] Police and city leaders in Florida say they have taken precautionary steps for the possibility of mass protests or even civil unrest if George Zimmerman is acquitted in the killing of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin, particularly in African-American neighborhoods where passions run strongest over the case. Link

Since public phones are so outdated, the phone booths in Osaka, Japan are converted to aquariums. 

[Navy Restoration Advisory Board public meeting] NAS Key West will hold its annual Restoration Advisory Board public meeting Wednesday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center at the Truman Waterfront. The meeting is to let the public know the status of the various environmental cleanup sites NAS Key West is responsible for, including former Navy properties transferred under BRAC. For more info Bulletin Board

[Lower Matecumbe Key] Mitigation project uncovers rare coastal plants. Contractors removed all the exotics this week and uncovered some rare plants that form a whole ecosystem that has largely disappeared because of development in the Keys. Link

[Medical Marijuana Business Daily] Who knew? Link

[Gun Nuts] I bet you NRA guys pray for someone to break into your house so you can finally get to blow away somebody with your Bushmaster or your Glock, thus proving that you were right along about the need to have plenty of firepower on hand at all times.

I’m curious about Springer’s Cornhole Wednesday. Does anybody know what that is?

[Raschein leads sewer meeting] A gathering of Keyswide government officials to figure out how to spend tens of millions of dollars in sewer-construction money is set for 1:30pm Thursday at Key Colony Beach City Hall. Link

[Asiana 777 Crash] Initial thoughts from those in the field. Link

Full Moon Kayak Excursion Benefits FAVOR. Monday, July 22 6:30 – 8:30pm. Bill Keogh, acclaimed photographer, guide, author, and owner of Big Pine Kayak Adventures presents a Full Moon Kayak Excursion through the back country and mangroves off No Name Key! Imagine gliding through the still tropical waters as the sun sets in the west and the full moon rises in the east. This is a great way to celebrate a special occasion — or create a new one! Participants gather at the Old Wooden Bridge Fishing Camp Marina on Big Pine Key. This special price of $25 per person includes kayak rental and all proceeds go to FAVOR, Friends And Volunteers Of Refuges – Florida Keys. For more info Bulletin Board

[“You may not tell anyone across the street not to smoke”] Want to bet? If the dude stinks my house out, makes my kids sick, my wife pissed off, and me too, I bet a little ‘close order drill’ will change things, don’t you? Or we can wait until the dude dies off, huh?

[The GOP waging war  on women, minorities] I believe in a two-party system, but I’m  convinced the Republican Party is in no  way representing the American people.  Under their leadership we see the rights  of women under constant attack. The  party of “small government” wants to be  sitting beside you in your gynecologist’s  office to render their decision on your  health needs. They vote to deny equal pay, as they  chafed at supporting the Violence Against  Women Act, as they shut down women’s health centers. They target teachers  to blame for our dysfunctional schools.  Their goal is to privatize education for  profits — profits paid for by you and me,  the taxpayers.  The agendas pushed by the Republican  Party have caused all wages, public and  private, to decline to unprecedented lows.  They have systematically taken down  workers’ rights and virtually wiped out  the unions, once the gatekeepers of the  middle class. The disparity between the  richest 1 percent in this country and the  rest of us keeps growing. With the help  of Republican policies, the rich take  their huge profits to hide overseas, as they  build fortresses around their elite exclusive communities. What happened to the  Republican cry of jobs, jobs, jobs?  Who does this Republican Party represent? Immigrants, gays, the struggling  middle class, seniors, minorities, children? Republicans want to continue the  Defense of Marriage Act, privatize Social  Security, strip unions’ rights, impose  restrictions on voting rights. They want to  destroy the Affordable Care Act so we can  continue to watch our neighbors declare  bankruptcy over costs or avoid medical  care entirely.  What we need is a party that holds  the feet of the Democrats to the fire. A  party that’s pushing for Wall Street and  tax reform. We need a party that makes it  clear that Citizens United is not OK with  us, and that corporations are not people.  We need a party that is truly on the side  of all Americans, not just the rich. A party  working to improve our lives and environment. This country and our planet are in  serious trouble. We need a progressive  party, not a regressive party.

Republicans and business owners say it is good for workers to make very low wages because it inspires them to work their way up the corporate ladder to big money. That’s easy for the wealthy to say, they don’t have to live it.

[“Obama saved us from certain economic depression, ended two wars”] I’m not sure which two wars you’re talking about, but not only is the war in Afghanistan still going on, but the number of troops killed under Obama’s watch is 3 times greater than under Bush. Link   Just because the press isn’t reporting it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

We are currently in an economic recession and have been for most of Obama’s terms in office.  Again, just because the press is telling you everything is rosie, doesn’t mean that it is.

FTR thinks Sarah Palin added value to McCain’s campaign because she was intelligent. Then she opened her mouth and the rest is history. Come on FTR, there was initial interest in her because she was hot. Stop backing losers, for example, Gov. Scott. It reveals a lot about you.

[“Sarah Palin’s accomplishments as the Governor of Alaska were extraordinary”] More humor from the right I assume. Quitting the job you were elected to and turning your back on the very people that elected you is indeed extraordinary. I agree. Quitting is now a  positive to the party of hate America first. Lets call it the Conservatives 11th commandment. “Thou shalt quit on the people that elect you when the going gets rocky”. And it was so.

Republicans love high unemployment numbers.   Labor, like all other commodities, is cheaper for business owners when there is an excess supply

Each of us in the CT community has the right to their own opinion, and the right to voice that opinion. That’s America, for now anyway. Unfortunately some folks publish alleged facts that simply are not true. One example was yesterday when a poster claimed that Obama had “ended two wars”, “saved the American auto industry” and praised Obamacare. The poster praised Obama for saving us from a “Depression.

First of all Obama did not “end two wars”.  On Bush’s watch we defeated a dictator who rivaled Hitler or Stalin in his cruelty. That dictator killed hundreds of thousands of innocents and invaded neighboring countries, and claimed to have weapons of mass destruction. Under Bush he was brought to justice, his army and ability to be an aggressor was smashed.  Under Bush Iraq had its first ever democratic election. Bush 2 entered into a treaty with that democratically elected Iraq government which called for removal of our troops from Iraq on a date certain. That treaty was signed by Bush2 in October or November of 2008, before Obama took office.  Obama played no role in ending the Iraq war. Obama had no choice but to honor the treaty and to withdraw our troops. Bush actually ended the Iraq war, and to claim otherwise is either monumental ignorance, or a damned lie.

Second, we are still at war in Afghanistan, and we have lost 3 times as many of our warriors under Obama than we did with Bush. Obama has decided not to even attempt to “win” that war. Given that fact, he should immediately pull out every single one of our armed forces personnel, immediately. To do otherwise would be shameful. Not a single one of our personnel should now be in harm’s way in Afghanistan.

Third. In mid December of 2008, well before Obama took office, President Bush pushed for and signed legislation to “bail out” the auto industry. His program pumped $13.4 billion by mid-January into failing auto companies. It also made provisions for additional funding if certain requirements were met. I urge anyone who has an interest in this, and we all should, to read: Link

For good or ill, it was Bush who put in place the beginnings of the auto industry bail out.  To suggest otherwise is either monumental ignorance or a damned lie.

Fourth, Obamacare is no panacea for our health care delivery problems. Now it is unlikely that it will be implemented in 2014 as the law requires. Obama is suggesting that the employer mandate will not be started until 2015, contrary to his signature law. But, even though businesses will likely be excused, individuals will not. Obama is picking winners and losers so as to protect Democrat candidates in the midterm elections. Already thousands of entities, especially unions, have been exempted. Already health care premiums are skyrocketing. Already Doctors are closing shop. Obamacare did not save us from anything, especially a depression as yesterday’s poster claimed. . It is a horrific mess that will do nothing but degrade our quality of medical care while increasing its net cost.

Fifth, while it is true that we have not entered a “depression”, we certainly are still suffering from the ghastly mismanagement of our economy by Obama. It’s a fact that more people are on welfare and food stamps than have ever been before. It’s a fact that our unemployment rate has exceeded 7.5% for the longest period since record keeping began.    The first three months of 2013 saw wages fall 3.8 percent – the largest drop in hourly pay in the 65-year history of that statistic. Meanwhile the stock market soars because of Obama’s addiction to flooding our economy with newly printed money from the Fed being used to prop up our grievously wounded economy. That policy is the single biggest factor in the current bull market. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.  Because of the Obama policy called “quantitative easing”, we should be very, very worried that we are approaching a fiscal cliff. I urge you to read: Link

It’s a fact that most Americans feel that our best days are behind us and that most Americans do not trust Obama to turn our descent around. Obama has overseen the slowest and most painful economic non recovery from recession in our history.

Obama presents a very charismatic persona, it’s easy to understand why so many folks desperately want to like him. These folks confuse charisma with performance. History will judge his performance harshly.

Part 2) Speaking of Afghanistan, did you know that Team Obama spent $34 million dollars on a base in Afghanistan that will never and has never been used? Add that to the $80 million spent by Clinton’s State Department to build a consulate in in Mazar-e Sharif (Afghanistan) that will never open because the site is too dangerous. Add that to the $650k that Clinton’s State Department spent on Facebooks ads to try and get people to “like” them and you’ve got a fair piece of change. Damn, there is no end to their screw ups.