Categories
2020

Tuesday, September 29, 2020


Letters to the editor with pictures since 2002. Published on Big Pine Key’s garbage days, Tuesdays and Fridays.

[Wayfair] We waited over two months for delivery of our couch. Then it just showed up one day—no notice. I did not receive a delivery notice until a day later. Good thing I was home. The wood decoration on the front has come loose of the right arm. The actual sitting area on the cushions is much smaller than our other 2 couches. It is so narrow I can’t lay down on the sofa without falling off. The back cushions are sewn to the back so I can’t remove the back cushions to make it wider so I can lay down. What a disappointment. Purchased 7/9/20 Delivered 9/17/20—over two months. I complained and immediately received $178 dollars returned to my credit card. No note of regret or explanation for the amount or no other option.

The last debate between President Trump and Hillary Clinton had 60 million viewers. This debate might have the largest audience in history.
[R.I.P. Hippy John] It’s sad to inform you but we have we lost another Keys character Hippy John, or John Dybol has passed on. This time for a change we know why. He was involved in a traffic accident last Friday and died as a result of it. He was here a long time off and on. He has worked everywhere. From boy scout camp on. He wasn’t perfect, but we’ll miss him anyway. Smooth sailing and calm seas, Hippy.

 

[Fired Administrator] Key Colony Beach city administrator Christopher Moonis suddenly tendered his resignation Thursday at a city commission meeting City commissioners were receiving numerous complaints via text and email about Moonis, and when the topic of his contract renewal arose, Moonis said he was blindsided by the widespread negative feedback.

[Communication] My wife just stopped and said, “you weren’t even listening were you?” I thought, “That’s a pretty weird way to start a conversation?”

 

Stalemate.

[Punishing Cuba Again] President Donald Trump has further tightened rum, cigar and travel restrictions for Cuba with an eye on Latino voters who are still trying to punish Fidel Castro although he’s been dead for a long time.

 

[Used Rubbers] All you have to do is shake the f**k out of them. Police in Vietnam have confiscated an estimated 345,000 used condoms which had been cleaned and resold as new. (And I always thought sucking farts out of underwear was the worst job.) Link

Bravo Mr. Estes – bravo for you. I read the Island Navigator before you bought the publication long ago and it became the Barometer. Please keep up your good work and personal and professional ethics.

 

 

Deer Save Our Key Deer, Why do the deer point their ears backwards when they lay down? Is it because as they can see forward and they are protecting themselves from a rear attack? They don’t always do that, but most of them seem to.

Scammers are sending texts and emails about contact tracing. They want you to click for more information. Don’t do it! If you click, they will install malware on your phone or other device and be able to have access to your private information. They have invented other new scams as well, so don’t respond to anyone unless you know who it is. The government will never send you an email asking you for information. Some other scams: helping you to get your stimulus check faster & selling Covid immunization meds. We  know all  that, but these scammers are sneaky and can appear legit. And we all know intelligent, savvy people who have fallen for scams.

 

[Pencil Sharpener] Does anyone know of a good pencil sharpener that sharpens the whole point and doesn’t leave wood on one side of the point. All pencil sharpeners sucks, even the old standby from elementary school by Boston. I’ve got as many failed pencil sharpeners as I do failed coffee equipment.

[Cruise Ships] In Key West — Florida’s only cruise port to function solely as a port of call — the cruise industry contributes over $85 million in economic benefits, provides 1,250 local jobs and makes up 15 percent of the city’s total tax revenue.

Residents are trying to limit, restrict or even remove the cruise industry from Key West entirely.

This report is from the Maritime Commission which is urging re-starting cruise departures from FL. And more importantly to Cruisecritic which is reporting this issue. Link

[Life Is A Breeze In The Florida Keys] An old friend once said years ago, that when you reach a certain age, like 50 to 60, you should consider moving into a neighborhood close to a high end hospital unless you really don’t give a damn about living long then move to the Florida Keys.

 

 

[Cardinal Bird Feeder] If anyone has a proven Cardinal bird feeder that the Cardinals like, please post a photo of it, so I can go on Amazon and get it.

[Splash Park] The city of Marathon is exploring the idea of a splash park and a southern-boundary boat ramp. Last time, the city asked for estimates for a splash park, they came in between $500,000 and $5 million because it was not clear whether there would be drilling into the Keys’ caprock or a softer, sandy surface at a beachfront for the sprinkler-like features.

 

[Pandemic] Parents, Grandparents, use this time wisely. Tell your kids the Elf on the shelf didn’t survive the pandemic. You’re welcome.

[Conspiracy] The Bilderberg group was the first modern conspiracy theory where a few rich people ruled the world. Link
[Social Media News Feeds] Once people on social media realize that they are only feed news that they agree with things might change. Right now, the conservatives are fed only doom and gloom and topics of fear. The liberals are only fed tootsie pops and yo-yos and Utopian thoughts.

 

[Clean Rat] The endangered Key Largo woodrats’ network of cavernous, car-sized nests spread throughout the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge are relatively tidy and germ-free and host a variety of tenants, according to biologists. They have antimicrobial bacteria on their bodies and in their nests. In simple terms, the northernmost island rodent is no dirty rat. These antimicrobial agents found on the native rat are surprisingly similar to materials found in antibiotics.

[Pet Peeve] Anything that makes me want to grab some people by the throat is when they never read the words or their meaning, but only see what they want to see and never get it right. Like someone who reads the Declaration of Independence and twists and spins the meanings to suit their sick agendas.
[Music Parody] Masks. Here is a great music video sung to the Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black”. Video
[AT&T] Phone calling features and star codes. Customize your digital phone features to work for you. Link
Lawyer Jim Hendrick died recently in Key West of cancer, which had started in his brain. The cancer was arrested for a while by medical interventions, but finally prevailed. Jim was a follower of the esteemed Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. Over time, I came to think Jim was a reincarnated lama doing something different in this lifetime, but he was still a crook.

A federal jury convicted Jim in 2007. The federal trial judge put Jim on probation, because he was the only person the US Attorney had prosecuted. The county commissioner had died. One of the co-defendants had died. The other had made a deal with the US Attorney to wear a wire while talking with Jim. Jim was disbarred by the State of Florida. He continued representing developers as a private consultant. Link

The second video on this site is John Rich’s new music video. “Earth to God” Video

 

[Raining Monkeys] Dozens of marauding rhesus macaques dive bomb one-by-one into river in Florida in front of kayakers. I remember years back when Monkey Island was still in use, one of the illustrious county commissioners said, “There  will be monkeys flying all over the place if we have a large hurricane.” Are they from Irma or leftovers from the Tarzan movies? You decide. Video

That Doom and Gloom guy seems nice.

 

[Post Office] The post office on BPK was closed Friday and it was closed last week around lunchtime (no note on the door). Is this the doing of the new postmaster? It sure is inconvenient for a lot of folks.

[“Sympathy for the devil”] “’laying traps for troubadours’ refers to the death of Rolling Stone band mate Brian Jones.” I ain’t buying it because it doesn’t make sense and I have a great imagination. What kind of trap would you lay for a troubadour—a medieval singing poet? Sure, Jones could be the troubadour who drowned in his pool late at night. But what trap? The plot thickens…