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2018 February

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

The-Coconut-Telegraph-w-CoconutsPublished Tuesdays and Fridays. Letters to the editor with pictures.​ Since 0202.​

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[Ed: Oops, I published my unfinished worksheet yesterday by mistake. I clicked the wrong clicker. So if you saw a half finished CT, that is why.]
[Cracked Corn Kills Deer] It is with a very, very heavy heart that I let you know “2 Plus 1” died today. I’d like to tell you what happened so that his unfortunate death may at least help other Key Deer live.

We didn’t see him for over a day until yesterday evening. He was somewhat lethargic and a bit bloated, so we thought he must have eaten some sort of horrible garbage or has been fed something bad by a tourist. In the morning he was gone. Later there were 4 deer around, but not foraging as usual which was strange. They looked bloated, were passing gas, and were continuously lying down. We noticed unusual, fresh deer droppings that were pale and soft and contained lots of cracked corn! We knew cracked corn could cause lethal rumen acidosis, but we didn’t know if there was a treatment. (There isn’t. It is well known that providing plenty of fresh water is all you can do.)

We jumped into our truck to drive up and down the street to look for the source of the cracked corn. We talked to every neighbor that was walking around and even searched the woods by the beach where folks illegally camp. No luck. We called the Deer Hotline and didn’t get a call back (no surprise there). Then we phoned each neighbor and found the source. This was an unfortunate incident. A large outdoor garbage bag filled with cracked corn, intended for a rescued chicken, was left unprotected. The deer found it, chewed holes into the bag and consumed almost all of the corn.

Corn toxicity can result in death in 24-72 hours. It did for 2 Plus 1. We searched and searched for him and finally found him dead with a severely bloated and tight abdomen. The Deer Hotline was called again, and we are still waiting for a response. The other affected deer did drink lots of water and left our property. We hope they survive.

Here’s more info about deadly corn toxicity/rumen acidosis: “The rapid intake of high carb foods can cause problems in deer almost immediately. Ingestion of toxic amounts of corn and other starches are followed within 2 to 6 hours by a change in the microbial population in the rumen of the deer. The number of Streptococcus sp. bacteria increase dramatically and replace the normally abundant, “good” bacteria.
This sudden increase in Streptococcus sp. bacteria produces large quantities of lactic acid. This results in the rumen pH falling to or below 5, destroying protozoa, cellulolytic organisms, and lactate utilizing organisms, and reduces rumen mobility. Suddenly, the digestion and movement of food within the deer stops. Chemical rumenitis and absorption result in lactic acidosis.
The lactic acid and lactate build-up cause excessive quantities of fluid to move into the deer’s rumen, causing dehydration.
A deer can survive if the high carb food is no longer available (removed, completely consumed). However, the animal will likely have a permanently damaged rumen lining.”
Can someone please copy and paste this post into “We Love Our Key Deer” Facebook page. I don’t want his death to be for nothing. Maybe we can prevent this type of tragedy from occurring again by getting the word out to as many folks as possible. I have a feeling folks hear that cracked corn and carbs are bad for our deer but I’m not certain they realize how very deadly a large dose can be.

Please pray for the other deer that consumed the cracked corn. We’re a mess about this. We loved 2 Plus 1 very much and miss him already. Thank you. Jimmy Crack Corn

[Plumbing: Copper Vs PVC] I hear many old-time plumbers swearing by copper pipes. They are wrong. Copper sucks down here. I’ve seen it corrode many time in my years as a contractor. I just had to tear out a kitchen sink, counter and cabinet to get at a burst 1/2″ copper pipe in the wall–a very, very expensive proposition! PVC pipes last forever. Copper sucks.

 

Long time Pineneer and back-woods philosopher Peter Bernhardt died on November 3 in Ashville, N.C. from a heart attack. He just dropped dead. He left Big Pine, a broken man, when his secluded house of fifty years was destroyed by Irma and never recovered from the disaster. He died two months later.

Here’s a painting by David Wegman of Peter and his son Brian who’s now a grown man. There’s too much to tell about Peter to write at this time, except that he was the smartest person I knew. (Thanks to John at the Green Parrot for the photo of the painting).

Every single day I question my sanity and every single day, it has an alibi.

[Movie Money] This is a typical bill they use in movies. Ha, I always thought those pallets of money in bank heist movies was real.

[Restaurant Review] Kiki’s Sandbar has a new menu – and it’s great!  Happy Hour is good if you want to check it out.  All apps are ½ off and drinks reduced in price.  We’ve been several times and have not had a bad meal.  The staff is very friendly and the view over the water is gorgeous.  I recommend Kiki’s over any other place in or around Big Pine.  In fact, it’s less expensive than the Tiki Bar (filthy, crappy food, overpriced drinks). Neither Tikis have a view and both are usually overcrowded.  Thumbs up to Kiki’s for locals (and yes, there is a local’s discount).
[Jellyfish Stings] False: Clean the area with vinegar or seawater – never freshwater.
True: We found that while vinegar is a good first response in that it inhibits cnidae (capsules that contain the venom) discharge, seawater does nothing to inhibit undischarged cnidae and only spreads these microscopic capsules over a greater surface area. These are like ticking time bombs that eventually do fire, thus increasing the potential surface area of skin affected by stinging.False: Cover the site with a hydrocortisone cream and bandage.
True: Any site pressure such as applying bandages (or scraping or rubbing) increases cnidae discharge and thus venom load.

False: Us a hot pack, water immersion, or hot-water bottle filled with the hottest tap water (about 120 F) inside a thick towel and cover the affected area for about 20 minutes.
True: We found that 108 F to 113 ‘F hot water or hot pack application for 45 minutes (20 minutes is not sufficient for some stingers) irreversibly inhibits the venom that has already been injected at the site.

Thus, evidence-based work indicates that the best first-aid management among commonly available approaches is vinegar rinse followed by hot water immersion.

False: A doctor at the dive center told me to use Adolph’s meat tenderizer and explained that the tenderizer kills the stinging protein molecules. I made a paste of freshwater and tenderizer and applied it to the wound. The results and recovery started almost immediately. It seemed to work for all kinds of stings, and we always had a bottle of tenderizer available.
True:  The supposition that the enzymes in meat tenderizer can enter the skin and selectively destroy venom proteins deep in the tissue is not supported by research efforts. They are rather weak enzymes and work slowly as well as nonspecifically – that is, there would he no selectivity for jellyfish protein over human protein. That said, meat tenderizers also contain high levels of sugars and sea salt. It may he that after three days, the inflammation was lessened by the application of the salty paste, much like an Epsom salt soak.

It is important for lay folks to understand that personal experience can form the basis of an anecdotal case report but is quite different from evidence-based, statistically designed, rigorous scientific research.

~Angel Yanagihara is an Associate Research Professor at the University of Hawaii specializing in mechanisms of pathogenesis of life-threatening cuhozoa (box jellyfish).

[Early Catholics As Bad As The Taliban] Spanish Inquisition 1227. Blasphemers should receive the penance that might be imposed canonically and be imprisoned for life; that if in any part of the Empire heretics should be discovered by the inquisitors or by other zealous Catholics, the civil powers should be under the obligation of effecting their arrest at the request of the said inquisitors or other Catholics, and of holding them in safe custody until excommunicated by the Church, when they should be burnt. That the same punishment should he suffered by those guilty of concealing or defending heretics.

 

 

Bow thruster, runs on beer.

[How to Overcome Seasickness] “Don’t fight it,” says Alexus Kwachka, a commercial fisherman from Kodiak, Alaska, who still gets seasick even after 30 years of traveling between the Bering Strait and the Gulf of Alaska. “Go to the rail and puke as soon as you can.” Do so over the leeward side of the boat, facing downwind. Don’t feel ashamed. For Kwachka, it helps to keep the mood light. He tells the crew he’s going to “look for Buicks,” vomits over the side and then sneezes. “That seems to reset things,” he says.

Scientists don’t entirely understand how motion sickness is triggered or why humans and other animals (fish included) experience it. They do know it stems in part from sensory conflict, like discord between visual input to the brain and signals sent from the parts of the inner ear responsible for balance.

Some research suggests that facing forward and focusing on a distant point on the horizon can minimize symptoms. Because the placebo effect on seasickness is particularly strong, the prevention measures you believe in are more potent. Kwachka has seen people try everything from chewing ginger root to wearing special bracelets. If you do feel ill, fresh air helps. Drugs, too, but the sedative effects of most anti-motion pharmaceuticals are incompatible with making your livelihood at sea. The most effective treatment is exposure; militaries in many countries run weekslong motion-sickness desensitization programs.

Generally, the more lurching and vertical the motion, the worse you’ll feel. On a few occasions, though, Kwachka has been out in truly perilous storms with 40- and 50-foot ocean swells. In those conditions, adrenaline is likely to override everything else. “If your life is in jeopardy, seasickness is the last thing you’re focusing on,” he says. As is true of most things, your psychological state matters: While nearly every human is susceptible to motion sickness, people prone to anxiety and neuroticism are more so. Discussing your symptoms may worsen them, while calm breathing can have the opposite effect. Try to relax. “As a species we want to be in control of just about everything,” Kwachka says. “On the water you need to let go.”

 

[Jellyfish and Man O Wars] Not a good time to dive. The reef was covered with small, transparent, roundish-looking jellyfish that somewhat looked like small pumpkins clumped together. To top it off, on the way to the reef we passed many Portuguese man-o-war. No way I’m going in that water. It’s too cold anyway.

[Insurance] Will victims of Irma also be subject to insurance policy renewal surcharges? A free service is now available to the approximately one million Florida insurance consumers that file a personal property/casualty claim each year to assist with concerns about the policy consequences of their claim. Link
[Spaced Out] Not to brag, but I went into another room and actually remembered why I went there. It was the bathroom, but still…

 

[“Dead deer”] Here is picture of “2+1”, the deer that died from eating corn. One antler has 2 points, the other just 1

It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.
[Public Restrooms] Now that most bars and restaurants have unisex heads, when are they supposed to put in the peep holes in the door so we can see if anyone is using the john?
[Photography Club] Looking for a new adventure?  Want something fun to do on Valentines Day?  We invite everyone to attend the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Photography Club meeting.  We welcome everyone, from beginners wanting to learn, to experienced photographers who want to share their expertise.   Together we’ll explore the natural areas of the Florida Keys looking for great photography opportunities and stories to share. Bring 3-5 photos to share.  Learn about our upcoming field trips and photo classes.  Pick up a registration form for our annual, free to enter, Photo Contest (deadline to enter March 1).  The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 14th from 6:30-8:00 P.M. at the National Key Deer Refuge Visitor Center in the Winn-Dixie plaza on Big Pine Key.  For more information, contact Kristie @ 305-304-9625.  Facebook: Florida Keys Wildlife Refuges Photography Club. [Photo by Elizabeth Moore]
[Stocks Down] U.S. stocks poised for fresh losses as global stocks plunge. Link
Isaksen-2.2016
I always wonder why a building permit for the exact same job costs more or less than at one site than another? It’s all the same rubber-stamped BS!

 

[Free Ad] Hurricane Irma is gone and so is Denny & Gemini printing. We’ve added a second digital press, so we’re the only real printer in the Keys. See you soon! Michael McIntyre Experiencedesign Printing 11399 Overseas Hwy Suite No. 6 Marathon.

[Art Not Art] A high school is removing paintings by James Franco because he sexually harassed a woman. Does that mean that art is not art if you sexually harass someone?
Johnsons-7.7.16
[Watch the SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Launch Today] Elon Musk has disrupted the business of sending rockets into space, and hopes to achieve a milestone by testing the most powerful rocket currently operating in the world today. Link

 

 

[Hates Cats] If people are forced to not be euthanized and suffer, so should cats. Now dogs are a different story!

February 2018 Horoscope. Video
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