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2013 May

Thursday, May 30, 2013

The Coconut Telegraph

Anonymous letters to the editor with pictures

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embargo30[The US embargo on Cuba]  It’s mostly bulls**t.  We do trade with Cuba for items such as grain, medical supplies and other commodities.   I visited Cuba legally a few years ago and was surprised to find many common American goods in the Dollar Stores (Stores that only accepted US currency.  That has now changed somewhat but the available number of American products has not)  I saw A1 Sauce, Swanson Frozen dinners, US made TVs and appliances, Hunts tomato sauce and many, many other items.  With our so called ’embargo’ US distributors cannot legally ship to Cuba.  But they can, and do, ship to Canada and Mexico where their sellers/distributors ship directly to Cuba.  The embargo is a farce.

It’s long past time that the US normalizes relationship with an island nation just 90 miles from our border.  Cuba has many natural resources and goods that should be part of free trade.  Of course that isn’t very popular with the large, rabid, anti-Castro voting bloc.  No politician wants to alienate that many votes.  So, they cower to the almighty vote, the Holy Grail of the politician.  To hell with common sense, (As if most politicians ever had any to start with).

We trade with many countries with horrible human rights conditions, former enemy countries that hate us to this day (except for all of the money we pour into their despot regimes) and our so called leaders think nothing of it.  But God forbid we have a normal relationship with Cuba.

My stay in Cuba was fantastic.  The people were wonderful. Very friendly and curious about the American way of life and welcoming into their homes.  Even the cop on the street was friendly.

We could improve the life of the average Cuban by beginning discourse with the Cuban Government.  Free and open travel for American citizens would be a good start.  My experience was that my visit was an informational and cultural exchange (as intended).  I never met one Cuban that did not want to talk with me and share conversation and ideas.  Some of the travel to the island has opened up a bit but not nearly enough.  And, it all doesn’t have to happen overnight.  But it’s past time to start talking seriously.

I plan to visit Cuba again soon and share in their culture.  (The food, by the way, is great).  I’ll again meet with the friends I made there and again enjoy the hospitality of the Cuban people.

I encourage everyone to write to their representatives in Washington (if we still have anyone in Washington who actually represents us lowly taxpayers) and encourage them to open discourse and start free travel.

Freak-show[Expose] The problems that FKCC is having with enrollment and filling the dormitory is in the culture and curriculum that FKCC is selling. It is not providing the skill sets that the students need or want. FKCC is doing little to encourage students to continue their education in areas that are exciting and provide well-paying productive jobs with maybe the exception of the nursing program. But beware; Miami-Dade is downsizing their program because of the decreasing demand. May be the new hospitality management initiative will help. But all the recruiting trips won’t help if the structure of the school’s programs do not adapt and it does not move into the forefront of educational training especially in technology areas. The school does not get the message that the decreasing enrollment is telling them. Just look at the latest job listing for a Dean of Arts and Science. Same old academic stuff. Why not look outside academia for new ideas.

Now let’s discuss the school’s Marine Science program. Now this is the stuff that really hurts recruiting and the school. Recently the dean has engaged in very unethical behavior by selling a two-headed shark to a freak show for personal gain after it was donated to the college. The shark was given to FKCC and the dean’s company Shark Defense for examination by W. Gonzalas. It was given to him because of his position at the school not because he was part of Shark Defense. The findings were published in the Journal of Fish Biology which is an open source, obscure British Journal. The paper describing the two headed shark was not solely authored by the dean, he was a co-author. No one can find a paper where he is a principal author. In this paper he is listed as Dean of Marine Science at FKCC.

By publishing in this way the dean has used FKCC as a platform to publicize the shark so that he can profit from the sale of the animal. Even on US1 radio he talked about the shark as Dean of Marine Sciences at FKCC.  The shark was not the property of the dean. First, the shark should have been made part of the school’s collection and never been sold to a freak show and second, since it was sold, the money should be going to FKCC and the maybe Mr. Gonzalas who found the shark. The dean has used the school for private gain for himself and his company and no one challenges him. Where is the board?  What are the schools’ policies, I bet they have none. This is against every university ethics rule. I bet no one gives him anything like that again.

Once you engage in outside employment, you must create a distinct separation between your university and your company’s facilities. IP[?] can’t flow freely between the two, and neither can labor—your students cannot work for you in your group and intern at your company at the same time.  In a public institution you cannot use what you learn for private benefit in your company. Safeguards that prevent mingling are necessary for legal purposes.

The dean has failed to do this and the board of trustees and the school turn a blind eye. Where are those guys? Better get a policy because I bet the Attorney General is watching.

In addition, why has the dean hired his wife to teach underwater photography in a position directly in his chain of responsibility (Board Agenda March 2013). This is not acceptable at any reputable institution. The dean also teaches, as an adjunct, the only 7 credit course in the Dept. (Board Agenda March 2013) and collects extra dollars to do this.  He is in a salaried position. He does what has to be done,  if it includes extra teaching, so be it. Also in the 2013 Board Agenda it was noticed that the dean also appointed himself Director of Research and took extra compensation out of a grant he had.  He just cannot arbitrarily do that.  If that was not in the grant budget when it was submitted and it was not a promotion by the school it is illegal, and if the program manager allows that to happen he should be fired.  Does that mean that the dean gets a pay cut when the grant is up?  

So let’s see, he makes $83,200 as dean, $3,885 teaching as an adjunct, and $16,800 as self-appointed Director of Research. That’s a total of $103,885 plus benefits. That does not include any money he gets from the illegal sale of the shark and his wife’s salary. His salary is second only to the president. Not bad for a guy who runs a dept. in which there is almost no hope of significant employment for its graduates. He is doing a disservice to FKCC’s students by telling them anything else. The challenging job outlook is described on every university website. This guy is milking the school for all he can get at a time when the school has serious financial issues. This dean has been misleading this community for years and no one has challenged him. His programs are irrelevant with almost no one going on to successful careers. Just symptomatic of what has gone on at the school for years. The board almost never looks closely at all this stuff.  They just glance over and always vote unanimously. I guess that’s what they also did when FKCC used PECO funds to bail out the dorm.

Just a word to prospective students, if you want a well-paying satisfying professional career where you can use technology don’t go to FKCC and enroll in the marine science program. If you still have a passion for marine science go to a school that encompasses the wide number of disciplines that are part of Marine Science. Marine biology and environmental technology will get you a $25K job feeding fish at Sea World.

The community should be appalled at the conduct at FKCC. It’s business as usual and the outcomes will be that same. Hasn’t the decrease in enrollment sent any kind of message? Where is the board? This should really tick you off!!  ~clide@cableone.net 

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[Hologram] Maybe your smartphone doesn’t project holograms yet, but the movies are working on it. “If everything moves along and there’s no major catastrophe, we’re headed toward holograms.” Director Martin Scorcese described an experience during which 3-D images of actors would walk through the audience, transforming a theater into a live movie set.

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Fanci Seafood will be closed on Sundays until August. Everyone have a great summer!

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[“Memorial Day is about dead people”] That was not a stupid statement. Memorial Day is about dead people. What do you think it’s about, giving out free candy? (that’s Halloween)

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[Hurricanes] Stuff to stock up on before hurricane season starts: water, batteries, gasoline, toilet paper, and rum — lots of rum. 
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[‘Restaurant’ Review] Richard Branson received this note from a passenger after a zero-star meal on Branson’s Virgin Airlines:

“On the left, we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil, and on the right, the chef has prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken, and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.

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oscar30

 

Is this guy’s name Oscar?

[Memorial Day is About the Dead] It is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service.

How can writing that Memorial Day is about dead people, dead service members to be more specific, stupidity? When as a matter of fact, that is what it is about — the dead. The comment that Memorial Day is about the dead was made to underscore this fact; to inform the poster advocating thanking veterans that while a fine thing to do, Memorial Day is not about living people. Again: Dead soldiers. Some people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day.

Veterans should be thanked every day, Veterans Day reminds us of this. Americans who died for us should be thought of and thanked every day, Memorial Day reminds us of this. Stupidity? How? And come on, this is the most stupid thing the poster regarding this subject has ever read on The CT? Ponder thy self my friend.

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[“Wind turbine are money-wasting project”] Oil stock holder, back off the stupid rhetoric. Wow ,that’s funny. You’re  funny and a little Polly Annaish. Don’t you think If solar power worked well enough we would be using it. Don’t you know that we don’t have any way to store the energy made on a sunny day  for a rainy day. Our battery technology is just not good enough. Don’t you know that some of the biggest investors in alternative energy is the … yes, here it comes…the oil companies.   Don’t you think that solar companies are traded on the NYSE, American Stock exchange, OTC, Nasdaq, along with more than 20  more. Yep, you’re funny. Well kind of. This should really tick you off. 

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[Cool Cup] You know this was “borrowed” from the hotel! 

Greenies always point to Europe as the model for renewable energy application. Well it is not working out too well for Germany. You may want to see what happens when you get rid of nukes and set priority pricing on renewable energy — Germany is building a lot more coal plants. Link

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[What’s in a Name] Is there a legal way for a parent to have a misfit kid’s last name changed?

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[“Emergency Radiator Repair”] Black pepper is what you put in a radiator. As the water flows out the leak the swelled pepper is carried to the leak. Egg in your radiator is the most silly thing I’ve heard in a while.

I would put the cheeseburger at Salty’s up against ANY burger in the Keys.  Its fantastic and you HAVE to try it. Trust me on this one, I know a thing or 3 about cheeseburgers. You’ll love it. Best Coconut shimp? The Wreck on Grassy Key. Worth every penny.

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[Flipper Eddie] I’m trying to touch base with Noah. He wrote about my Uncle Eddie “Flipper” because of his lack of arms and hands at his shoulder. Noah wrote beautifully about a great man and I found his article online and have no clue as to when he wrote it.  I would love to share stories about him as he was an inspiration in my life and a frequent friend to all in the Keys. .I’m a Marathon kid myself, right off the Vaca Cut Bridge. Please pass this on to Noah if possible. Than you so much in advance. We are all One Human Family. Peace. ~Scott Hobson 

[$3 Milk] Want Publix to sell you a gallon of milk for $3.50 instead of $5?  Help get a Walmart onto Rockland Key and you will see how fast those grocery prices come down at Publix.

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[The Cloud is Safer Than Your Hard Drive] Your emails are probably safer in Gmail or Outlook.com than they are on your hard drive. Service providers generally back up your data to multiple locations. This is more than many users do to protect their personal data — many people tend to ignore backups until they lose their precious data. Link

Dolphins are not gentle or psychic. If they could talk they would not impart eco-wisdom or deep spiritual truth. Dolphins are violent predators with a predilection for baby killing and rape. [There are] instances in which dolphins have attacked humans, causing death by internal injury, as well as their habit of gang-raping female dolphins.  They also enjoy murdering various aquatic babies for fun, including but not limited to sharks, porpoises and their own offspring.

Dolphin sex can be violent and coercive. Gangs of two or three male bottlenose dolphins isolate a single female from the pod and forcibly mate with her, sometimes for weeks at a time. To keep her in line, they make aggressive noises, threatening movements, and even smack her around with their tails. And if she tries to swim away, they chase her down. Horny dolphins have also been known to target human swimmers -Demi Moore is rumored to have had a close encounter of the finny kind.

Next time you’re at Sea World, watch your back.

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Springer’s Thursday’s Lunch Specials

~Meatball sandwich, homemade meatballs covered in marinara sauce topped with melted Mozzarella cheese. Served with French fries $10.95

~Blackened prime rib sandwich, served with French fries & coleslaw. $12.95

Happy Hour  3 pm – 6 pm every day (at the bar only). Drink and Appetizer specials

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That was a hell of a tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma.  Don’t forget that hurricanes contain tornadoes within them.

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sharknado[Movies] While many of us this week are still dealing with the crippling aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we should all take a moment and be thankful that it wasn’t worse. It could’ve been a Sharknado. ‘Sharknado’ is a film from The Asylum, the purveyors of B-movie schlock like ‘Sharktopus’ and ‘Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus’ and ‘Two-Headed Shark Attack’ and…wow, these guys really love sharks, don’t they?

When a freak hurricane swamps Los Angeles, thousands of sharks terrorize the waterlogged populace. And when the high-speed winds form tornadoes in the desert, nature’s deadliest killer rules water, land, and air.

And so you have ’Sharknado,’ a movie so patently obvious, the tagline is “Enough said!”

No word yet on when ‘Sharknado’ will hit DVD or the Syfy channel.

Winn Dixie Sells gallons of milk for about three dollars.

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[Alternate Energy] The weakest greenie argument against anything that threatens their sacred “solar and wind” world is that the person works for the oil company or owns oil company stock. If you want any credibility at all you may want to approach it from an engineering feasibility perspective addressing load factor, firm power, storage, availability and reliability and other salient factors. I realize that these topics probably were not covered in your liberal arts education. The sad reality is that all you can do is call names.

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[Huh?] Hello, my name is James McCartney and I am wondering if you have any full time positions available in recreation or education. I have a masters degree in education and over six years of work and volunteer experience in recreation. If you are interested I can send a copy of my resume, transcript, and a cover letter.  Thank you for your time,

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Comparison shopping at Walmart way up on the mainland prices.  Loaf whole grain bread $2.48.  Dozen eggs $1.68.  Four sticks unsalted butter $2.98.  Vanilla pudding pack of four $1.  Campbell’s Soup beef and dumpling $1.98.  Starbucks coffee $7.28.  Twelve pack Heineken $12.77. Butterball small white meat turkey breast with gravy packet $10.98.  Blackberries $3.98.  Three large red apples $1.99.  The clothes are also of good quality and at low cost.  All pet supplies and booze is priced much lower than everywhere else.  I’m saving so much money by no longer being gouged in the Florida Keys.

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Did you see the story in the Keynoter about the 14 people on the flats boat ending up in the water? At press time the operators name was not available. Well I know their name. It’s Dumb Ass and they have no business on the water. Be careful gang, these losers are out there and their misfortune could ruin your day some day. Watch out!

an_mattress

 

Free King size mattress, box spring and frame on Cudjoe Key. You pick up. Classified Ads

What I want to say to a Vietnam Veteran is, ” I am sorry.”  Sorry you were forced to go, sorry you suffered not only over there, but here at home, when your country received you back,  Sorry that your government is corrupt and greedy. Sorry that we still don’t really know why you went. You are always in my heart. God bless you all.
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[”America Not Safe to Go Unarmed”] That’s tellin’ them! Next thing to worry about is the military nuts and the gangsters. How about a good old Holy War!
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[Alternate Energy] I think it’s safe to claim that those who are against alternate energy research and implementation are Republicans. They will regret it when the Chinese or Europeans perfect it first and we are left with only our expensive fossil fuels.

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Eric Holder should be fired. Not because of his role in the AP investigation, but because he was in bed with the bankers who nearly ruined this country and not one went to jail thanks to him!

I am embarrassed about our government. We pay people like Eric Holder to be a useless tool, in fact, a counter productive useless tool. These people that we pay to govern us would never make it in the real world.  They say “never say never”? I’m saying never.

I have to agree with yesterdays post on the biased opinions concerning both parties. Whenever I come across such a post, I see it as an ignorant comment. The reality is that both, Republican and Democrats have sold their allegiance to corporatism. Meanwhile they try their best, with the help of the media, to convince us that the other side is at fault. If none of you haven’t figured this out yet, then I don’t know what it will take for you to see the truth.

It’s quite evident that both Bush and Obama are on the same path with the same agenda. They are “ALL” political puppets controlled by the mighty corporate elite. All the terrorist acts, and shootings that have occurred here at the U.S. have been conducted by obvious false flag operations. Not by any individual president, but by the powers, who’s interest is to conduct these treasonous crimes against us. Yes! The president is in on it also. He would have to be. Why? Because every time we have suffered some mass shooting or terrorist act, the president comes out with some kind of bill or act that threatens our freedom. In order to achieve a New World Order, it will certainly have to begin with the mental taming of the American people, in order for the agenda to be successful throughout the rest of the world.

The New World Order cannot function while the American people continue to carry arms. Americans are the most gung-ho people in the world, and not until their freedoms and arms are eradicated by the powers that be, can this agenda be achieved. So wake up people and seek the truth.

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The quest of the Republican Congressmen.

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Even some lefties are saying Eric Holder should be fired.

I’m very concerned that FTR guy isn’t a real conservative, but a liberal plant to make the GOP look bad. Want proof? He hasn’t complained once about being forced to use Obamacare to get his knees replaced. 
[Joggers attacked by Somali Muslim gang] If  you want to know what motivates Somali Muslims to ‘randomly’ attack people, watch this video made by Somali Muslims themselves in Minneapolis. Video 

I truly wanted Obama to be the man (they) said he was. We are in the soup team and its getting thicker. I just can’t get over how someone so inept can stay in office.

Congress and the whole Obama administration reminds me of the clown car at the circus. Just when you think the last clown got out more clowns keep getting out!  Ass clowns all over Capitol Hill and what does Obama do ?  I don’t know either,  but I am waiting to see (that is if he does anything at all).

FROM THE RIGHT

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investigateCongressional investigators spent the Memorial Day weekend poring over thousands of pages of documents concerning Obama’s IRS’s blatant targeting and arm twisting of conservative nonprofits and the kissy-face treatment of liberal nonprofits.  June will be will be an insane month of investigation after investigation into government wrong doing. It won’t be limited to the IRS, expect Attorney General Holder’s DOJ to come under journalistic and legal scrutiny. There are now at least 4 new investigations aborning.

It’s just been revealed that at least five different IRS offices including Cincinnati, Ohio; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois and El Monte and Laguna Niguel, California improperly targeted conservative nonprofit groups for extra scrutiny between 2010 and 2011. The targeting seems to be aimded solely at conservative organizations. The IRS’ misfeasance is chronicled in a damning report by Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George. The report tells us that the malfeasance started when a “team of [IRS] specialists” came together in April 2010 to process the tax-exempt nonprofit status of conservative groups that might be “potential political operations” The IRS added “additional specialists” to this effort in December 2011.

The IRS is not the only bug under the sun focused magnifying glass. The mainstream media is beginning to froth at the mouth at the temerity of Team Obama for accusing big media reporters of espionage for reporting the news.  The DOJ will rue making that decision.

This is only the beginning of the beginning. Look for huge revelations coming from the A.G.’s office. Don’t be surprised if there is criminality uncovered. It will be nearly certain that a special prosecutor will be appointed.

Yesterday we learned that Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee notified  Attorney General Eric Holder  of their “great concern” about the possibility that Holder lied under oath during his testimony earlier this month on the Justice Department’s seizing of journalists’ record.”

On May 15, Holder told the committee he wasn’t involved in “the potential prosecution” of a member of the press under the Espionage Act for disclosing classified information. “This is not something I’ve ever been involved in, heard of, or would I think would be wise policy,” he said.

But Holder testified to the Congressional committee that he wasn’t involved in “the potential prosecution” of a member of the press under the Espionage Act for disclosing classified information.

Shortly thereafter reports began to surface that the Justice Department, in addition to seizing telephone and email records of Associated Press reporters, had seized the emails and phone records of Fox News correspondent James Rosen. Please note that the Rosen matter is separate and apart from a similar attack on the Associated Press.  While Holder had recused himself from the AP proceedings, the Washington Post reported that the attorney general had personally signed off on the search warrant for Rosen’s records.

In the search warrant, the FBI called Rosen a “criminal co-conspirator” and suggested there’s probable cause that he violated federal law. Rosen was not charged with any crime.

Holder’s probable perjurious congressional testimony is only the  latest demonstration of his disdain for the rule of law and the best interests of Ameica.

24th_marine_expeditionary_unitPart 2) The other day I wrote of examples of some of the United States interventions into foreign conflicts. The purpose was to demonstrate that such interventions are not the sole property of either Republicans or Democrarts. Somehow a reader became “offended” that no mention was made of the 24th MAU. The reader told us s/he was a “part of the 24th MAU.”

Just for the record there was no mention made of any particular military group. That was not the purpose of the posting.  If anyone has any interest in the brave and historic 24th MAU, it is suggested that you check it out on the web, here are several articles that can be found by using the search term ” 24th MAU”. The articles are fascinating and its history coupled with the achievements of the now 24th MEU are the stuff of military legend. A sincere thanks and tip of the FTR fedora to each and every military person. Each and every one of them puts their life at risk for our freedom. It would be a wonderful thing if the “offended” poster would submit a posting describing the valor and the sacrifices made by the men and women of the “24th MAU now the 24th MEU.  Thanks again for your service, courage, and dedication.

NO NAME ELECTRIC

Yesterday was a signal occasion on No Name Key when Beth and Brad Vickery became officially the first permitted and grid connected residents on the island.  It was exciting to experience the festive atmosphere, where I and other onlookers, watched spirited KEYS linemen and a/c workmen work in rainy conditions and joining in the Vickery’s excitement. The air conditioning workers installed a five ton a/c unit, and eagerly waited for the KEYS linemen to “throw the switch.”  All felt the importance of their contribution to this piece of history. Not only can they say they were there, but they made it happen without a hitch.   Seen there was the NNKPOA, president, Kathryn Brown, and staff writers from the Key West Citizen and the Keynoter. Conspicuously missing were representatives from the News Barometer, and Blue Paper.  This is just as well since both have shown they prefer second hand, biased and inaccurate information to on-site investigative reporting.

No Name homeowners miss a green opportunity. Link