The drug “lean” is also known as “purple drank” in some hip hop circles.  The drink originated in Texas, and has nothing to do with Arizona Iced Tea or Skittles, as alleged in another post on the Coconut Telegraph.

The facts are that Trayvon Martin was a 17 year old high school kid, who was 5’11″at the time of his death.  He weighed 158 pounds at the time of his death.  He had 2 tattoos: a symbol with letters on his right arm and letters on his left wrist, at the time of his death.

Trayvon had, at some time in the past, smoked marijuana.  He  had a very low amount of THC in his bloodstream, at the time of his death, indicating some marijuana use well prior to the night of his death. Additionally, Trayvon evidenced no liver damage at all at the time of his death and the autopsy and toxicology report.  He certainly had no liver damage  due to someone’s made-up version of “lean” or “purple drank”. In fact, there is no evidence whatsoever that Trayvon Martin had ever heard of “lean” or had smoked any marijuana at all on the night of his death. The fact is, he was just like any fifty kids that I could find on the campus of Key West  or Marathon or Coral Shores High Schools on any given day of the week–like your kids or mine.

I am a white, 67 year old woman.  Many years ago I was stabbed multiple times, with a huge Bowie-style knife, in a robbery by a homeless couple in Searstown in Key West.  Thanks to many people and the good Lord I survived. The perpetrators were a southern, white couple from Charlotte, North Carolina, whom I had never seen before, and who were perfectly willing to kill me for forty dollars. I cannot tell you how many times various non-black people came up to me after my recovery and whispered conspiratorially, “were they black?” I was amazed.  It seemed that people wanted to believe that a crime like that could only be committed by a black person.  It seemed to make the “non-black” people feel safer somehow. What I know is that no one can predict violence.

It seems to me that we look for reasons why we are not the “other” the ones who perpetrate, or the ones who get hurt in stupid violence or in crimes against one another.  We look for reasons to justify our own actions against the “other” the one who is not like me, so that we can feel ok about the sometimes stupid things we do, think or say.  It makes us feel safe. “If I’m not like them, I can’t get hurt.”

I was in a neighborhood crime watch for many years.  One of the first things that we were taught by the sponsoring law enforcement officers was not to try to confront directly any suspicious person(s), a fact i am sure that George Zimmerman knew very well.

Carrying a gun changes people.  It makes them think that they can take risks that they would never otherwise do. Scared  teenagers are likely to do anything! They don’t even begin to form impulse control until they are about 25 years old. Did any of you?  None of us know what Trayvon did that night except George Zimmerman and God.

Through all of the rhetoric and the crap about this tragedy, a lot of lives got ruined forever, starting with a scared 17 year old kid and a little man with a big gun.

Nobody needs any of us to try to make one or the other out to be a monster or to say stupid, hurtful and untrue things about people we never met nor ever will meet (or send in phony pictures to justify our hate).

If anyone thinks that anything I have written here is wrong or untrue, please do me a favor and look it up on a site like Wikipedia or read the actual autopsy and toxicology reports.  stop paying attention to the right, left and upside down, lying bloggers, who will say anything to get you to believe their way. Please be seekers of the truth.  This world needs that now, more than ever.

[Royal Baby] The best headline so far is from a  British tabloid: WOMAN HAS BABY

[Mini Lobster Season]  Starting Wednesday the annual onslaught begins.  An estimated 30,000 Lobster Mobsters will infiltrate the Keys in search of the elusive langosta.  They come with their boats and coolers, beer and booze, for a party on the water that might include taking a few ‘Bugs.’  While they’re at their quest for a potential Surf and Turf dinner, they trash their rentals, disrupt otherwise quiet neighborhoods, care nothing about the Keys environment and generally make the local residents miserable for the duration of their stay.  

This pales in comparison to the wanton destruction they do to our underwater habitat.  They care nothing about our fragile corals.  Dragging their gear all over the reef, thinking nothing about ruining a coral head as they to try to grab a minimal legal sized lobster who is usually too fast for them and, who knows how much of our vital sea grass environment is also destroyed by their boats.   

Of course the Tourist Development Council  (TDC) thinks this is wonderful because it brings so much money to the Keys.  It’s all about money. To hell with our underwater environment that one day will be barren due, in a large part to their short sighted, careless regard for our underwater treasures.  Mini Season is nothing more than a planned annual rape of our vital resources for the sake of money.  It’s long past time for this so called ‘event’  to go away and instead focus on eco-friendly water activities.  And yes, I am aware that this event brings cash to local hotels, motels, dive shops, liquor stores, restaurants etc.  But many other world class destinations have wised up to the money grubbers and begun protecting their valuable ocean environment and found that full time eco-friendly activities are more of a cash cow that a planned annual two day destruction of an irreplaceable resource.

You’ll know the Lobster Mobsters when you see them as they block boat ramps trying umpteen times to back down, flying down the canals on full plane ignoring the no-wake rule, gassing up their boats at the local filling station and then gassing themselves up in the bars on Bud Lite and Cuervo and again at the rental property before heading out on the water the next morning with more Bud Lite and Cuervo.

Yep, there’s nothing like Mini Season. 

[Royal Baby Boy] Lets start our own American Monarchy. We can pick a family to royalize and nominate one of them to be King or Queen. We could buy them fantastic palaces all over the country (one could be in Key West — we could bulldoze old town), train them to speak and act properly. And then let them do nothing except put on fabulous weddings and funerals. We can buy them great carriages — they have to have great carriages. We could give them all our treasures and dress them in old fashion, glittering garments and give them all the servants and attendants they could ever want. Wouldn’t that be great. We could raise all our taxes to pay for the privilege of having a Monarch. Wouldn’t it be worth it? Boy, just think!

[1/2 Price Kid’s Lunch] I brought my visiting company and their 3 kids to Springer’s yesterday for the kid’s lunch special and ended up getting my lunch for free because of the money I saved on the kid’s meals.  I wisely invested the savings in rum and cokes.

[Lobster Mobsters] There will be more damage done to our shallow water seagrass and ecosystem in this week from all the rape and pillagers than the local boaters will do in a year. Sure the local businesses will make some bucks, which is great, but sadly at the expense of our delicate environment. I can’t tell you how many reckless, inconsiderate boaters were out Sunday, not to mention how many were grounded on the flats. Can you imagine how much gas and oil is released from all those motors in our shallow waters? No living creature at Contents stands a chance this week. I look forward to next Monday when all the assholes with their big boats and three motors will back in West Palm or wherever.

The perfect boat for ‘Picnic’ Island. 

[Sewers] My neighbor is a turd technician and said grinder pumps are great–just expensive to maintain.

[Race Debate] How can we have a debate when a white man cannot go to certain parts of any major city without being told to leave, or worse, by black youths. Blacks want equality, but aren’t willing to give it. End of debate until that changes.  In The Ghetto — Mac Davis

Windmills, for example, are the symbols of power, not physical power (of which they are derisorily short) but political and religious power. They are like the great domes of temples, the statues of Saddam or the big “M” arch of MacDonald’s. Windmills are ugly: they destroy the visual (and aural) landscape, but that is their purpose. They are part of the sacrifice. It would not be so bad if they were simply useless, but it is worse than that. Conventional generating systems of equivalent power have to operate for 80% of the time, while the wind is blowing too soft or too hard, and then be switched to warm standby when it is just right, an expensive and wasteful process. Windmills are there to remind us of our commitment, willing or not, to the cause, both in excessive taxation and loss of visual and aural amenity. Link

[“Yankee Go Home”] To the poster who wants our island to stay oblivious to the plights and misfortunes of the mainland:

Just like we are one human family, we are one Union. Instead of trying to ignore the crimes and hatred of our northern brethren, we should try to come up with solutions to their (our) problems. Sooner or later, those problems will grip our island and we need to be prepared.

“…..any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in Mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.”  ~John Donne

[Party Animals] The Secret Service is slated to observe “Unity Day” on July 26, Miami Secret Service Bureau Chief Paula Reid confirmed an event to promote inclusion and cultural awareness, next week.

“Unity Day is an event comprised of various observances and activities designed to enhance cross-cultural awareness, and to encourage and promote interaction, inclusion, understanding, teamwork, harmony, pride and mutual respect within the Secret Service workforce.” According to Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan, “Unity Day” is really about promoting harmony and recognizing various ethnic groups’ contributions within the agency.

In other words they get to have Colombian prostitutes at the party

 The peace bell has been repainted by the artist Tosh and Dean at Key West Garden Club rings the Peace Bell every night.

[“Yankee Go Home”] It’s very interesting to see how some people appoint themselves as official arbitrators as to what is vicious, what is garbage, and what is filth, then go on a rant against people that they don’t agree with using the very same types of attitude they say they detest.

This is America so remember we don’t all have to agree, probably would be a pretty boring place if we did, I like scotch, you like bourbon–so?  Does that make all scotch garbage? I like capitalism, you perhaps, prefer something different. Seems we fought a few wars over things of that nature. If you truly feel that those posts were so despicable as you said perhaps it would be better for your stress level if I stayed here and you did the moving, or better yet post explaining your points and we could then have a civilized discussion as to each other’s merits; besides, moving requires a lot of hassle, and I would hate to increase your already stress quotient.

Need ice? FANCI SEAFOOD has 50 lbs of Ice for $5, bring a cooler.

We also have complete Lobster Kits for $14.95 and dive flags for $9. Get them while they last.

[“Yankee Go Home“] I laughed like hell reading the so-called anti-hate post yesterday. That poster seems to be on the verge of exploding in his or her own hate. 

I can picture the Queen and everybody clustered around Princess Kate, watching the baby pop out.

Volunteers needed at Habitat for Humanity Restore/ CoConut Closet. Link

[VISA Card Scam] The scam works like this: Person calling says – ‘This is (name) and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460, your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?’ When you say ‘No’, the caller continues with, ‘Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching, and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address). Is that correct?’ You say ‘yes’.

The caller continues – ‘I will be starting a Fraud Investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. ‘Do you need me to read it again?’

Here’s the important part on how the scam works – The caller then says, ‘I need to verify you are in possession of your card’. He’ll ask you to ‘turn your card over and look for some numbers’. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the last 3 are the Security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the last 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, ‘That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?’

After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, ‘Don’t hesitate to call back if you do’, and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. We were glad we did! The real VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. We made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the Scammer wants is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don’t give it to them. Instead, tell them you’ll call VISA or Master Card directly for verification of their conversation.

The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card, as they already know the information, since they issued the card! If you give the Scammer your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you’re receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you’ll see charges for purchases you didn’t make, and by then it’s almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

BP‘s attempt to avoid Gulf victim payments blocked by judge. Link  

[Fisherman Won’t Let Go] Lihuei, Hawaii–A 54-year-old fisherman is safe after his 14-foot boat capsized as he was landing a 230-pound tuna in the ocean off Hawaii. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued Anthony Wichman on Friday after receiving a distress call from his wife. Wichman was fishing about 10 miles southwest of Port Allen on the island of Kauai (kuh-WEYE’) Friday morning when he hooked the Ahi tuna. Wichman was able to use his cellphone to call his wife for help. The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter to rescue Wichman. Friends arrived on another boat and were able to right Wichman’s boat. They towed it — and the fish — back to port.

[Oh, Florida, You Really Are the “Worst State”] In case you’ve been in a cave or on Mars, here’s the update: In response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, The Daily Show host John Oliver dubbed Florida “the worst state,” citing the state’s broken laws. As a Floridian for eight years, I say Oliver couldn’t be more right. Much attention has been paid to the state’s asinine Stand Your Ground law, which Oliver described as cut and pasted from 1880s Tombstone. That is just the start of it, however. Link

Real war horse, Reckless, honored with statue at Marine museum in Quantico. Link

[Zimmerman] Both Zimmerman and Martin had the opportunity to walk away but they did not – both are to blame for what happened that night.

[Solar Power] The value of solar power is not a lie, nor is it uneconomical. I prefer not to waste my time and offend the those espousing anti solar propaganda. The poverty of their reasoning at a simple level is astounding. We have all been through this recently, ad nauseum (No Name Key).

It is the lack of persons and industry availing themselves of the astronomical power of the sun that is wasted or not taken advantage of daily.

Closed minded people change the stimulus input to support their reasoning rather than change their cognitive structures. ~Milton Rokeach, The Open and Closed Mind (if you like name dropping).

[Trayvon Boycott] Oh, my God!  Jay Z, Kanye West, and Madonna have all announced they are boycotting Florida.  How will we survive?

Jupiter is climbing higher and higher above faint Mars in the dawn. On what morning can you first pick up Mercury?

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna recipe. This is so good I didn’t even miss the noodles. Link 

[Alternate Energy] The Oilers (pun intended) on this blog crack me up. They knock anything that might be cheaper than burning oil. The only thing solar, water power, earth core heat, tidal power, wind, and whatever else generates energy. Oil will never go away because 99.9% of a gallon of oil is used for other goodies, like chemical for plastics, lubes, medicines, food, etc. Fuels are the least profitable item. I just hate it when the oil baron stock holders want to stop any other energy producing ideas so their profit margin does not fall.

The fellow posting under the moniker of “Yankee go Home” makes a hard hitting point. I assume he was critiquing  bloggers posting the old, worn out homilies of the likes of Al Sharpton, Mr. Jackson and their merry band of troopers. One does indeed grow weary of their bellicose, sophomoric rants.

[Riding Mowers] In the last few months 3 very small Florida girls have been run over by people riding them. Two were severely hurt this last weekend. Now the mother of the first victim has a petition started for safer riding lawn mowers–like that’s the problem. Be responsible for your actions. No small children should be anywhere near one of these machines while your using them. Not only are the blades dangerous, but they tend to throw objects out of the discharge chute that can hurt, kill or maim. These three young girls will have a lifetime to deal with the stupidity of someone’s actions.

[Sewers] I have the expensive system at my house[?]. I used to think paying the high fees for service that never gets done was a pisser, but now I think its better than the crap they are flinging at us now. Kind of like monkeys in a cage–no escape. When will this county ever make sense? Pump grinders? Hurricanes with no electric! No flushing is one thing, but when the entire system is under salt water we are all in shit knee deep. For the love of god somebody stop this bs.

The Big Pine Bocce League sign up for the summer season is on Monday, July 29th at 6:00 PM at the Big Pine Community Park. For more info Bulletin Board

[Child Bride] Senator Ahmed Sani Yariman has lambasted his critics over his stand on the issue of early marriage. In a statement by the Senator, he said; “Nigeria has many uncountable problems and none of them is early marriage. As a matter of fact early marriage is the solution to about half of our problems. For those who wonder if I can give my daughter(s) out in marriage at the age of 9 or 13, I tell you most honestly, I can give her out at the age of 6 if I want to and it’s not your business.”

How a Miami school crime cover-up policy led to Trayvon Martin’s death. Link

[Little Tiki] Bye, bye Miss Lower Keys pie,

I drove my Chevy to the Tiki on a Saturday night,

And a lame duo with sound track was doing meth in the parking lot,

Singing some hippie song that I couldn’t dance to.

I know it doesn’t rhyme, but it’s true. The cash flow has got to be down at the Little Tiki, but them big city new owner boys know what’s best for us common folk. I’ll give them 6-9 months and they will be gone.

[Detroit Bankruptcy] The fundamental transformation of Detroit is complete, as socialism’s theme park succumbs to government run amok, a reminder that government isn’t the solution to our problems but their cause.

Government Motors is alive and Detroit Is dead. In the face of government incompetence, it was the people of Detroit who went on strike. Detroit lost a quarter-million residents between 2000 and 2010. A population that in the 1950s teemed with 1.8 million is struggling to stay above 700,000. Much of the middle-class and scores of businesses also have fled, taking their tax dollars with them.” Democrats need to pass a law making it illegal to move without government permission.

What do you call a cherry picker who picks cherries from a cherry picker? FTR. He claims that Obamacare won’t let you keep your own doctor, contrary to what Obama said, then points out that some plans do and some plans don’t. Duh. That’s the same as it was before Obamacare. His “proof” is a link from WorldNetDaily an American web site that publishes news and associated content from the perspective of U.S. conservatives and the political right. FTR feeds us cherry pits. He’s losing it a little more and more with each rant. To those of us who refer to FTR as the 1/4 truth guy, I guess it’s time we lower the percentage.

The other day a post quoted Mitt Romney: ‘What happened to Trayvon Martin is a tragedy. There needs to be a thorough investigation that reassures the public that justice is carried out with impartiality and integrity. That’s from a statement released March 23, 2012.  That poster told us that Team Obama’s setting up on Zimmerman was perfectly acceptable and any argument to the contrary was unfair.

The facts are that Zimmerman killed Martin in self-defense on February 26, 2012.  On the date of Romany’s statement made perfect sense. Since then a lot has happened. After about 600 days of the most intense investigation by the Justice Departments FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Sanford Police, and the Duval and Seminole States Attorneys offices, each with a large staff of investigators. The case was brought to trial. The trial was a multi week affair which was ferociously prosecuted,  Zimmerman was acquitted by a jury of his peers on July 1, 2013. That jury was never permitted to learn that Zimmerman was anything but a racist. That investigation actually disclosed that Zimmerman had taken a girl of, American African descent to a high school prom.  The trial jury carefully, for two days, reviewed and considered all of the admissible evidence garnered by that  extraordinarily thorough investigation by the FBI, The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the local authorities. They acquitted Zimmerman. He is not guilty, he is innocent.

When Romney made his comment, he was right, the case should have had a thorough investigation.  Since Romney’s statement the case has been thoroughly investigated and fairly investigated. . Now the issue has been decided.  The issue was settled by a Court of competent jurisdiction. All of the admissible evidence, all of the legal arguments have been heard by a Judge, and the issue has been decided by a jury. That jury declared the Zimmerman was innocent.

Zimmerman should no longer be forced to protect himself against the awesome weight and power of the Obama Justice Department. Obama et al seem to be trying to put themselves above the law by attempting to re litigate the justifiable killing of Martin.

While so many persons are rallying to crucify Zimmerman, at least one organization has finally demonstrated fealty to the Constitution. The ACLU has withdrawn its demand for a civil rights investigation targeting Zimmerman. 

Ouch! ‘Senate global warming hearing backfires on Democrats’ — Boxer’s Own Experts Contradict Obama! But it was show time, time for the Senate’s version of Kabuki Theater – a big stylized hearing on global warming by the Democrat controlled Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Probably unintentionally, the title demonstrated a bit of humor – “Climate Change: It’s Happening Now.” It’s been happening for hundreds of millions of years. Perhaps some Democratic Senators are catching on. Who says the left cannot learn?

But a funny thing happened to the script – after the witnesses on the first panel spoke. Senator David Vitter (Republican from the oil and gas producing state of Louisiana asked: “Can any witnesses ( these are the witnesses the left brought) say they agree with Obama’s statement that warming has accelerated during the past 10 years?”

Silence, followed by a red herring by a certain witness. Minutes later, Senator Jeff Sessions (Republican, Alabama) followed up with the quote from President Obama and asked: “Do any of you support that quote?’ Embarrassed silence! Then another red herring that global warming is disappearing in the deep ocean by the same witness. (About 1.52 hours & 2.05 hours in the Senate video.)

We’ve been accurately measuring oceans temps since 2003. There is no detectable increase in ocean temperature yet recorded but the anti science left insists all the warming that has no longer been detected for nearly 17 years on land is secretly hiding Undetectable in the oceans. Link