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2014 December

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

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The-Coconut-Telegraph-w-CoconutsSince 2002. Anonymous Letters to the Editor with pictures. Published Monday through Friday by Noon.

Capture16
Santa Village has a Santa Tracker: 10 days, 21 hours, 50 minutes, etc. Link
Nira-Tocco-6.14
[“Mobile homes”] The County wants all mobile homes removed because they are not hurricane proof and did great damage to the rest of the neighborhood during hurricanes. There is no secret to their reasoning and there is no conspiracy. To read some of your paranoid postings, you make it seem like it’s a conspiracy to get rid of the poor who live in them. That’s not true. It is a safety issue. The County wants them replaced with safe homes on stilts.
xmas-boat16
Size Matters‘ was the winning vessel this year in the Lower Keys Boat Parade on December 13. Captain. Still Bill Bunn, First Mate. Dorsey Schroeder and Engineer Lance Green. A special thank you to The Barometer for hosting this contest and to Bistro 31 for our first place prize.
[Law Breaker] I keep reading about the Eimers case and the political line is that he was tasered for being homeless. People, he was tasered for running from, and resisting, arrest. Calm and rational people, not breaking the law, have never, and will never have a problem with police.
frankinsence
I agree with the mobile homes post, because as treasurer for one of them, I was informed the County wanted all the mobile home parks gone!
accurate-home-insp-750w
[Fines] Excessive? No. Necessary? Definitely! Why? Because this island is all there is left of something close to a Paradise. What do you low renters want to do to them? Trash them out, that’s what! Trailers and the likes, need to be in Texas, not on $10,000 per square foot Paradise Islands. Drive around and when you see a trashy yard, trailer or house, stop in and you’ll find they are renters and couldn’t give a damn about the neighborhood.
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resolution16
[New Year’s Resolution] This year I wrote a insensitive post and I am very sorry for it. I will do a better job to set a good example in the coming year. Happy Holidays to all you readers and posters!
They are installing sewer lines in front of my house on BPK in Port Pine Heights. Does any know what their schedule is for the Holidays? I have a lot of family coming down and am concerned about all the noise and traffic.
fanci10-16-14
I found a new shop in Marathon today in the Town Square Mall shopping center (think little post office). There’s a shop that sells crystals, beads, homeopathic remedies, organic lotions, jewelry, etc. New age-y stuff.
A Different Christmas Poem. Support our veterans. Video
elizabeth-warren-indian
[Elizabeth Warren] Isn’t she the American Indian lady who is also a Senator and was give a teaching job at Harvard based on her Indian heritage when schools were under lots of pressure to hire minority candidates? Cherokee, I think she said. Yep, I remember Indian Princess Elizabeth Warren. I think she is going to run for President on the Democratic ticket. I also understand the Cherokee Nation feels a little differently about the Princess.
Russians banks raised interest rates from 10% to 17% overnight to stem rouble decline. Falling oil prices and Western sanctions continue to weigh on the country’s economy. Link
Radio-Shack10.31.14
[Shell on BPK] I’ve had it with that crappy station. I’ve never been there when all the pumps were working. Friday I went for gas and found a pump that looked like it worked, but it didn’t. I drove around to the next pump and that didn’t work either. I gave up and went home. Don’t they have a responsible adult there who gives a damn?
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fire extinguisher fireman[Big Pine Key Volunteer Fire Department to become part of Monroe County Fire Rescue] In an effort to ensure the future of the volunteer fire department system in Monroe County, Big Pine Key Volunteer Fire Department has initiated a program where the operational control of the volunteers will be turned over to Monroe County Fire Rescue. Beginning January 1, 2015 all operational members of the department will be under the direct management of MCFR. This transition will help assure that Monroe County has a well-trained and stable volunteer firefighting force. Factors such as the demographics of the county, the economy, and required training hours all combine to reduce the pool of citizens who are able to dedicate the required time to become a volunteer. This program will allow those wishing to volunteer their time to concentrate on the mission of becoming a certified firefighter without the burden of also managing the department, which takes additional meetings and commitment of resources. The new program will allow other volunteer fire departments within Monroe County to also join if they feel the burden of maintaining their own volunteer system becomes too great, if they choose to do so.This program is designed to enhance the way fire and rescue protection is provided in the county. The volunteers will be getting additional training opportunities with the career staff and become part of a more structured environment to work in without the additional duties of fund raising and administrative work. The career staff will be able to work with those volunteers that want to pursue a career in the fire service and train them to the level required for permanent employment as a career firefighter with MCFR. In addition to the operations side of the organization, a new association has been established for fund raising and community outreach of the local fire and rescue staff. The newly formed “Monroe County Firefighters Benevolent Association Inc.” will be made up of existing members of the Career and Volunteer staff of Monroe County. This organization will allow its members to assist in different charitable ways throughout the community by holding benefit events, engaging in public education, and generally supporting the citizens and mission of the Fire & Rescue service here in Monroe County. Big Pine Key Volunteer Fire Department thanked Fire Chief James Callahan and his staff for the time they have put into developing this program and their commitment to the volunteer system.
It would be wonderful to know, where the Southernmost Car Club is collecting things for Christmas distribution.
Isaksen11.5.14
What really happened in Vietnam in 6 minutes. For anyone my age or close to it, here is your answer as to what really happened in Vietnam 40 years ago. A good history lesson. Video
green-heron16green-heron-chicks16
[“Name that bird”] The bird that the guy submitted a picture of is a green heron, sometimes called Louisiana heron. They are fairly common here in the lower Keys. They will start nesting in April and will nest through the summer. These pictures are from the Blue Hole.
[“Name that bird”]  That bird looks to be a Green Heron. They are common everywhere in South Florida. Link
tri-colored-heron16
[“Name that bird”]
It looks like a tri-color heron.
[“Name that bird”] I think the bird in the photo is a Great Green Heron.
BP-Flea-Market10.10.14
[Bummer Department] (Ed: I only had 2 more emails to edit before I was done for today and the whole Word document I use as a work sheet disappeared! I’ve never had that happen before and I don’t have a clue how it could. I have to start all over again wasting over three hours of work. Boo. I hate computers.)
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mexican-food16[“Mexican Food”] I couldn’t agree more with the poster who said there is no good Mexican food in the Keys.  Actually most of the 50 states.  Tacos, chimichanga, burritos, etc are not Mexican food. I grew up on the south side of Chicago in a mostly Mexican neighborhood.  The food my friend’s families ate was nothing like what restaurants sell.  Just like nearly all Chinese restaurants, the food they sell is not authentic Chinese food. Pizza joints in the states don’t sell authentic Italian food either. These are all Americanize versions to appeal to American tastes.For true ethnic food you must go to the small neighborhood restaurants in big cities.  There is not a chain restaurant in the country that sells any authentic ethnic food.  Having grown up in Chicago I had the opportunity to visit real ethnic restaurants.  Each neighborhood in the city has their own food.  Chinese, Vietnamese, Polish, German, Ethiopian, French, Mexican, (south and north) Guatemalan, Italian,  Caribbean, etc.  The Keys, especially Key West, restaurants only sell overpriced crap for the tourists and those who can afford it and don’t know any better or can’t get any better.
If you think Chico’s is authentic Mexican food, you’ve been in the Keys way too long!
manley-deboer-7.11.14
[Eimers Death] Has anyone from the mayor’s office or the police department ever apologized to the Eimers family for mishandling Charles Eimers arrest and subsequent death while in custody? Ever? Even once?
paganism
[The true meaning of Paganism] The term “paganism” was revived during the Renaissance when writers were trying to differentiate the old traditions from their contemporary Christian faith. Link
Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to join the free, fun-filled Discovery Saturday at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center 35 East Quay Road, Key West on Saturday, December 20th from 10:00 am — 11:00 am. Many Keys’ critters are experts at playing hide and seek. Play a game of Can You Find Me? Learn how animals use camouflage and their surroundings to survive. Free admission and free parking. Space is limited, so please call to register. For more information contact Events
indoor-potty
You know you’re getting old when you pull a neck muscle sneezing.
Coconuts-sign-ad-750w
The misinformation on here is at times staggering. A poster tried to get you to believe that the Democrats were all alone in bailing out the banks at taxpayers expense.Lets be a bit more honest. President Bush signed into law a historic $700 billion bailout of the financial services industry.  “It’s complicated, and we’re going to make sure whatever we do is done in a deliberative fashion,” Bush told reporters after he signed the bill. Under the plan, the Treasury Department was authorized to spend as much as $700 billion to buy bad mortgage-related securities. Bush was not a Democrat, but he did sign the bill.

Now you know the rest of the story which of course will be spun more then your laundry in the next day or so, but in the end Bush did indeed sign into law a $700 billion dollar bailout!

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happy hanukkah candles
Happy Hanukkah.
Latke contest winning recipes. Link
[Plastic Bags] Big Pine Winn-Dixie partners with “Got Your Bags?” program. Shoppers have taken almost 2.5 million plastic shopping bags from this single store in the first 11 months of 2014! Link
I wanted to call about the deck boat (21 ‘ Sea Doo) advertised on Monday, but checking in the Classified Ads section under “Boats” I didn’t see the ad with a telephone number?
Springers-Xmas
[“Torture”] The CIA were a bunch of bullies before they had prisoners. What did you think they would do after they had them?
Electric cars aren’t very green at all. Link
grill16
Masterbuilt 7 in 1 propane smoker and grill.  Bought new and never used.  Comes with 10.5 qt. aluminum pan and fryer basket.  $100.  Call or text Classified Ads > Household
[Rummage Sale] The Personal Growth Center (a part of the Guidance Care Center of Marathon) is holding it’s Annual Rummage Sale.It will be on Friday January 30th from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. We are accepting items to be donated for us to sell. We are located at 3000 41st Street Ocean Marathon Florida 33040. Contact dean.rody@westcare.com 305-434-7660 ext 31128 . We are a place for people with mental health and or substance abuse problems to get help. We have case managers, therapists, and classes to help cope with and overcome problems. We go on outings in the Community on Fridays. We also provide transportation to the Center. We provide a lunch and do so much more. The funds raised from the rummage sale will be used to purchase items needed for the center and for the members to go on outings. Events
johnsons-7.9.14
To those posters that think there is good Mexican food in the Keys: First of all, Mexican food is a oxymoron, second it is recycled French Food which is recycled Polish Food which was sent by God in the first place.
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taco-row[“Chico’s Cantina, over-priced and smallest portions”]  Hey, gringo, you won’t be missed!  I dine at Chico’s once a week and have always enjoyed the food and good service.  I get a great lunch for about $15 and always leave a very generous tip.  If you’re on a budget or just plain cheap, go to Taco Bell
[Grinder Pump Easement] Item #7 from the FKAA easement grant reads: “The Owner does hereby state that they have sufficient authority and title to grant this easement.” I did ask a lawyer about my question and basically he said that I cannot grant an easement to property that I technically do not own. He said it would have to be given to the holder of the title, which is technically the bank. Per the lawyer I spoke to, I would be in technical violation of the terms of my mortgage if I were to sign this. He said that the Bank should be signing this not me.  I really think they  should explore this a little more as most home owners are probably not aware that they could lose their mortgages for signing these if their title holders choose to enforce their legal claims.
hareens 12.2.14
[“Non ethanol gas”] I’ve been lucky I guess. Since ethanol gas came out I’ve been using it in both a 200 and 225 hp, 4-stroke outboard engine. None of the problems Ive had have been ethanol related. I’ve been running 87 octane (I think that’s the percent) in my outboards for fifteen years.
oh snap
I experienced quite a bit of schadenfreude watching the video of our perennial candidate [Sloan] get his ass handed to him at the meeting. Oh Snap! indeed.
[Scam of the Day] Compliment of the day, I am Mr. Solomon Kato of the Ecobank in Burkina Faso – West Africa. Although you might be apprehensive about my email as we have not met before. I am in the auditing department with Ecobank Burkina Faso; during my recent auditing I discovered some amount of money valued (USD$10.5)Ten million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollar belong to a late customer, Who Died Along With His Family In Kenya Plane Crash 2003.You Can Confirm The Geniuses Of The Deceased death. I am writing to seek your assistance in working with me, so that I can present you to my bank, as the rightful beneficiary/next of kin to our late customer.This however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will. I would like you to read on and consider the value I offer. Once the funds have been transferred to your nominated bank account we shall then share in the ratio of 50% for me, 50% for you. I want to give you 100% assurance that this transaction is also risk free one, all I need from you is your maximum support and co-operation for a smooth and hitch free transfer of funds into your account. I advice please treat this business with utmost confidentiality. If interested please Kindly respond with your data information for onward guideline & proceeding.  ~Sincerely, Mr. Solomon Kato
bluewater-750w
[Mexican food] Many Americans think Mexican food is bland stuff submerged in melted cheese.
dead-santa
[“There is no Santa Clause”] What kind of sick mind would send something like the Santa thing about he is dead? For the love of Christ, back off, it is His time of year you sick-o.
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redskins dancing
Fans of the Washington Redskins, one of the most popular American football teams in the country, are fiercely proud of their dark crimson Indian head logo. Link
[“Non-ethanol gas”] It’s also called Rec fuel or Rec-90. The Shellopoly on BPK and Summerland Keys sells it for a very high price. If you have enough (approved) containers, you may want to go to the Valero in Marathon which is usually 10-20% less.
politics-zone-750w
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from the right
The American people were assured, in fact guaranteed, that the quality of our health care would increase when the Affordable Care Act was being sold to us. We were misled.The ACA aka Obama/Democare is proving to be a pox on our nation’s hospitals and health care system. Many acute-care hospitals have closed nationwide since the act went into effect. Fewer hospitals, fewer doctors, fewer health care professionals, and longer waits for service are the new norm.

The reasons for the closures aren’t complicated. Most of the closures are smaller hospitals or those in poor areas, which often serve the greatest number of Medicare and Medicaid patients.

massage monkeyAnd the federal bureaucracies that set reimbursement rates for needy patients simply aren’t keeping up with the costs. That fact is influencing many Doctors to quit their practices. An example is that whereas private insurance might pay the surgeon $4,500 for a spinal surgery, Medicare pays less than $1,200.

Adding to the pressure is that the federal government refuses to pay hospitals for certain services, deeming them “not medically necessary,” regardless of what doctors and patients say. There is huge pressure on hospital administrators to decrease hospital stays to bare minimums. This practice often puts patient’s recovery at risk.

The result is predictable: economic failure of hospitals and physician practices that have become dependent on government payment for large segments of their population. The hospitals and offices that will close are those with the least private insurance.

Far too often, in general medicine and other areas, hospital on-call nights have become so brutal – keeping doctors up all night in spite of working all the next day – that all the doctors who could function outside the hospital chose to leave the hospital staff for purely outpatient practices. Those who could afford to retire did so.

Perhaps we should worry about Fisherman’s Hospital.

Some hospitals, rather than closing completely, have dramatically reduced their workforces. Patient care, comfort, and convenience suffer. Hospital closures and staff reductions have left fewer facilities and health-care workers to take care of more patients. Consequently, wait times have increased.

A common experience is that as more and more elderly Medicare patients moved to a venue and as the government drops physician reimbursement levels, doctors began to leave town for cities with more private-pay patients. This put added stress on the doctors who remain.

Perhaps we should worry about Fisherman’s Hospital.

 

over the hillPART 2) — How old do you feel? Think carefully — the answer might help predict how much longer you’ll live. That’s according to British researchers posing that question to about 6,500 adults. Those who felt younger than their real age lived the longest over the following eight years. The results were published online Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The British researchers analyzed data from a study of 6500 persons whose average age was 66. The study on aging included information on deaths during a follow-up period that ended in February 2013. Deaths totaled 1,030. About 14 percent of the young-feeling adults died during the follow-up, versus 19 percent of those who felt their actual age and 25 percent of those who felt older.

Most adults felt at least three years younger than their real age. Those who felt younger had the least chances of dying over about eight years after the age question was asked. Adults who felt older than their actual age had the greatest chances of dying in that period.

Feeling older was a predictor of death even when the researchers accounted for things that could affect death rates, including illnesses, wealth, education, smoking, alcohol intake and physical activity. Older-feeling adults were about 40 percent more likely to die than younger-feeling adults.

It’s possible that health conditions and lifestyle choices that the researchers didn’t study explain why feeling old may help predict death. Or it may be that those who feel younger than their real age have “greater resilience, sense of mastery, and will to live,” the researchers said. They said more study is needed to be certain.

All of that is very good news for this Olde Fart. While I may feel creaky and cranky on occasion, I damned sure don’t feel that I’ve been on God’s green earth for more than three quarters of a century. It astonishes me. Link
happy birthday bear
Happy Birthday to my much older cousin Mac.