Wednesday, December 11, 2013

[Christmas Tree on Bridge] It’s here, this year bigger and better than ever! Our Christmas ninja’s have done it again. This year they framed out the Christmas tree with tubing and have a very good solar power system and 2000 lights. Remember this is on old 7 Mile Bridge. It requires much hard work, time and money. A true random act of kindness, shared with us Keys Kids. Job well done. Merry Christmas! (Sorry if the photo is blurry, but it’s hard to take a snapshot doing 60.)

In loving memory of James “Picaso” Bigelow. While preparations were being done before the Bistro 31 was to open it’s doors, I walked in and saw Jim painting the interior walls. I began complimenting him as to his technique. I then gave him the nickname “Picaso”. He kind of looked like him. This was the very first day I met Jim. The name stuck ever since. Jim was a good and sincere man, and had a very good sense of humor. Every time we would see each other, we would approach each other bright eyed with a big smile and a sincere hug of friendship. Even though I only knew Jim for a little over 9 months, when he had moved down here to Summerland Key, a bond grew between us.

We were supposed to take that motorcycle ride together soon, but unfortunately, Jim was killed last Friday evening Dec. 6th, while riding his motorcycle from work heading to the Bistro 31. Being that Jim is the brother and uncle of the owners of the Bistro, Jim was all excited that day, because he had arranged for his TSA coworkers to go to the Bistro for food, music and dancing, and they all agreed. The sad thing is that as his coworkers were leaving KW airport heading up to Big Pine, many of them passed by the accident when entering Big Coppitt Key, not knowing that it was Jim who was involved in the accident. As they waited for Jim to show up at the Bistro, they began to worry. When I heard this news a piece of my heart was torn out in sorrow.

My sincerest condolences to his wife Lisa, both his sisters Robin and Kim, and his nephew Brandon. Memorial services will be held this Saturday Dec 14th at 1pm at the Vineyard Church in BPK. Afterwards a gathering will be held at the BPK Moose Lodge in his honor at 2 pm.

Farewell amigo! Vaya con Dios, and we’ll take that ride when we meet again. People, please look both ways for motorcycles!

Is Comet ISON dead after zooming too close to the sun? Video

Uruguay is the first country in the world to legalize pot. Where is Uruguay? Is there a bus?

Manley deBoer Big Pine would like to apologize to the patron who didn’t get his free bag of mulch. It was a new employee’s error. Please come again and we’ll be glad to honor our offer.

Remember the “decision tree” that FKAA used to decide who was worthy of a gravity sewer? You know, the one that we later discovered was provided by the grinder pump salesman? Well it said it was pointless to consider a vacuum system unless you had at least 750 connections. AirVac says 75 is a reasonable minimum. Pesky decimal point! Here is a link to AirVac’s recommendations. Link. I attached the grinder pump salesman’s “decision tree” used by FKAA for comparison. What a rigged game!

Our County leaders are not serving the least of  our citizens among us, the ones they are sacrificing to the individual front yard grinder pumps.  They are the ones who are shafted because this issue is all about tax money,  and there isn’t enough of it to both satisfy the Old Bridge cabal, Rowell’s Marina park related business interests, and put in neighborhood lift pump systems like they are getting on Summerland.  If our masters wanted to allocate the required bucks to the installation contractors we would all be treated equally.  The entire Keys environment is going to benefit from central sewers.  Let’s not be divided over who pays more or less.

Today in 1941 Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

[“Bill Becker and Wednesday’s Grinder Pump item mysteriously being removed from the BOCC’s agenda on today’s meeting in Marathon”] When good men do nothing, evil prevails. It’s that simple. We all make a choice as to whether to toe the line or stand up for for loftier goals. To be a plank for PC propaganda is not unbiased news. That’s called selling out for pecuniary interest at the expense of the community.

[Here Comes the Rooster] Has anyone wondered why all the roosters hang around parking lots? Don’t they have a better place to go? Maybe there something going on that we don’t know about. It may not be be long before they start smoking, doing drugs and playing the knockout (peck-out) game on unsuspecting tourists. Rooster — Alice in Chains

[Incinerators] Particle pollution and other harmful pollutants released by incinerators can lead to adverse health effects including cancer, heart disease, aggravated asthma and premature death.

[Spies like us] NSA using Google cookies to track and hack. Link

Obama seems to like Danishes too. I love them. Michelle thinks they are too sweet

Some dying little whales washed up, where do I send my cash?

[Citizen Of The Day Says] She loves anything that has to do with island life. ‘I love my beautiful island family.’

What’s your elf name? Mine’s Nipper McJingles.

[Vague Poster] Some say this site is losing its vitality, hard to say, I know it would be a lot more interesting if our resident prolific left posting poster on these sites would give a few specifics as to his daily onslaught against the Tea Party, N.R.A. , GOP.  “types” as he so often describes them, as his posts are now, it is like one saying I don’t like chocolate, unless one has some clue as to why, the posts are just childlike and meaningless and may I say very dull. Perhaps this is the posters aim, to try to annoy some folks and not to mentor, if that would be the case I would tell the individual that he has succeeded in neither, for as the posts are now being constructed, they are not worth any emotion either way.

[Grinder Pump] For the person on Ramrod Key Gulfside who would prefer to have a grinder pump on his property instead of sharing one: If a neighbor plugs up the line your sewage is not going any place.

 Contact Us. Send us your comments and attach any stuff you want published to this email.    

HealthTap is the best and fastest way to quickly get great answers and very useful tips from reputable doctor anytime, anywhere. And astonishingly it’s all free! Search symptoms and look up conditions and medications. You can find doctors in your area to consult, and even exchange your medical records. You can also see how the doctors rank in their field of expertise and what their bedside manner is like. Link

[Hire Only young people] I had my first brush with Obamacare as it affected my small business. My wife and I, both 64, had been paying $564 monthly each (we pay 75% of that premium for the employees, but of course can’t realistically subsidize ourselves).

Our renewal plan with the exact same coverage, but modified to included additional coverage as mandated by the ACH is now priced at $1055 each per month. The new prices are determined strictly by age. 64 and older being the very highest cost.

The upside is the guys in their early 30’s that did cost $564 each (one group price for all) now dropped to around $300 and then I subsidize that, so less to shell out.

I had to reduce the quality of the plan for my wife and me with much higher deductibles and keep the better plans for the younger ones to somewhat break even.

Bottom line is I’ll think very carefully before I hire a guy over 50 even though they’re better workers by far. Good luck to those any older than that.

[Comcast’s Terrible Customer Service] I brought my computer into Office Depot today for repair and we got to talking about Comcast/Xfinity, they said they do not recommend Xfinity any more due to the terrible customer service happening these days and said that the company has givin up on helping customers with complaints. I am leaving them and going to Direct TV.

Yard sale this Friday and Saturday. Treadmill, saws, drills, lots of boating stuff,wooden chest, tool boxes, tools, great framed art, like new men’s and women’s bikes, 9am to 2pm. (Ed: Location is apparently a secret.)

The 1% sales tax extension was for infrastructure projects, I believe. Certainly the sewer project is the biggest, but I don’t recall it being exclusive nor specifying the technology (gravity vs grinder). While nobody want a sales tax increase, it clearly was the lessor of the evils available to us for the situation where the County ended up. We can thank prior decisions and mismanagement for mistakes that got us here, but nothing is perfect in this world.

I also had the best service at Dolphin Marina today. I was in a hurry and didn’t get her name, my bad, but she was absolutely fabulous, Tuesday’s am shift. I didn’t even mind paying $4.58 a gallon with her fantastic attitude and service. And there were manatees all around the dock. One had a “lobster” buoy tag on it which I think was so awful as it could get hung up in mangroves. Whose brainstorm was it to tag a manatee in that way?

[Fuel Perks – beer and cigs not counting”] Tell them wine is just sour fruit juice.

[“Lighted Boat Parade”] Does anyone know where the boat parade leaves from at 7 pm and the route?  I’m knew and have heard of various viewing sights like the old Parrotdise and No Name Bridge, but it takes a long time via boat to go that distance. It would be good to know where they leave from at 7 and where they head.

[‘A Pretty Girl, A Cadillac and Some Money”] Those in the know are fully aware that Bill Blue is a Key West guy who plays all over the area, and bunches at the Green Parrot. He and the band are not just good, but great. Back in the late 80’s I brought them to the No Name Pub when it was my place. Sadly, a few of the original Nervous Guys are now playing in a much higher place (R.I.P.), but Bill and the Guys really kick butt.  That original Bill Blue song comes with complete audience participation and is on several of Bill Blue’s albums. It’s one of my favorites too!

[Google’s Dr. Evil] No privacy. Microphones in the ceiling and microchips implanted in your head. (Oh yes, yes! YES!) Link

[Bridge Repair] Who in the hell in the Florida Department of Transportation OK’d this vast flush of public tax money down the old Seven Mile bridge rebuild toilet and not sewers that we actually need? Have they ever commissioned any kind of non-biased study to justify this huge expenditure or are they just going by hearsay evidence, like, pick a number because who really knows and who can say different, and what’s their cut?  They should study and record exactly how much of that old bridge is trod upon, from shore out to Pigeon Key, and repair while maintaining the original highway look for the short way out where tourists actually walk.  This is going to go down as the biggest Bubba heist ever.

I am looking for an upright freezer and a smaller chest freezer approx 15-18 Sq. feet, but will look at any size you have. Must be working and in reasonable cosmetic shape. I am on Big Pine and can be available most of the time. Classified Ads > Wanted

Feather Talk by Sloan Bashinsky

Cuba has a couple of elderly Basques revolutionaries living there.  That’s not much in the way of state sponsored terrorism.  End the US embargo that satisfies some wealthy Miami based Cubans who backed the wrong side in Cuba years ago.  Rubio is a proven embarrassing hysteric whom I don’t want having any kind of power over my life.  By the way,  I have no desire to go to Cuba, easy sex or not, or live the “carefree” singing and dancing Cuban way of life. I always hear about from those who have snuck over there.

[“The Fast Eddy Cookshack models”] Cool, I figure if I start saving now I can afford one of the covers in a year.

[“Facebook ads shown on the iPhone generate 1790% more return on investment”] That’s because iPhone users are the product. Doubled down with the new iBeacon to follow around their iDrone users in stores. Link

DEF: Capt Doom and Gloom: A large useless man with a small brain and an even smaller thingy.

If we increase the budget deficit the Government can hire more people who will spend all of their income in your blessed businesses and make you guys even richer.  How can you possibly complain about that?

Obama shook hands with Raul Castro at Mandela’s funeral. The Tea Party must be going crazy. Cuban television didn’t even broadcast the picture, considering it insignificant and the polite thing to do at a funeral. I’ll wager FOX news doesn’t share that opinion.

Of all of Abraham Lincoln’s profound observations about politics and life, one in particular, uttered on September 2, 1858, in Clinton, Illinois, captures the essence of representative democracy: “You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” This sprightly aphorism distills to its essence Lincoln’s belief that the collective judgment of the electorate is essentially sound—perhaps not in every instance or in whole, but over time it is sufficiently sound to protect the foundations of the nation. Democracy works because it is in the hands of the people.

Less well known is the statement uttered by Lincoln to introduce his famous dictum: “If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem.” Put the two together, as Lincoln did, and you get a sense not only of the futility of trying to fool the American people but also the danger posed to any politician who tries it.

Which brings us to Barack Obama …

To see how well your Representatives and Senators follow the Constitution with their votes check out the “Freedom Index” online at Link. (In my last post I goofed and put “Liberty Index”) My bad, sorry if you wasted time looking for it.

[Skinheads] Could this be the next “group look” for tea party Republicans?

Obama says he didn’t know he was talking to Raul Castro. “I thought that was Ted Cruz’s dad.”

Obamacare opt out. Video

[Democrats approval ratings dismal] Many consider Obama untrustworthy and not a strong leader. Much more juicy details. Link

[Constitutional question for the day] Answer to #14: D, Raising and supporting an Army. Most of the Founding Fathers were opposed to having a permanent standing Army. They felt it gave too much power to the Federal Government in addition to the expense. This is the only budgetary item restricted in this manner. They intended for essentially all citizens to be the Militia, and defend our Country if need be. The system works. Look at Switzerland.

Question #15: Which amendment to the Constitution authorizes the Federal Government to detain citizens without formal charges, legal representation or a trial?
A. The 18th.
B. The 25th.
C. The 28th.
D. None of the above.

Copies of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence are now available for free at Jigs, Coconuts, Molly’s Pawn on Big Pine and Daddy Bones in Key West. Another good resource is the Constitution Club online. 

OMG! We’re all gonna die, Obama shook Raul Castro’s hand! God save FTR!

[Selfie] After he shook hands with Fidel Castro on his way up to the podium President Obama posed for a “selfie” from his seat at the memorial for Nelson Mandela with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt. First lady Michelle Obama, seated to the group’s left, did not participate

[Regressive Hypocrisy] The gospel according to St. Matthew, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”.

The gospel according to Bill O’Reilly, “We all know that Jesus would feed the poor but would he impose a system that hurts one group to help another group? I don’t know if Jesus is going to be down on that.” Is it possible that Mr. O’Reilly is worried about his own 50 million dollars?

The Sun’s magnetic field is about to flip, GOP blames Obamacare death panels. Link

Antarctica this year set the coldest temperature ever recorded at 135.8 degrees below zero, fully seven degrees colder than ever before. That global warming sure is a bitch, isn’t it?

I see that Obama is all over the Mandela passing, yet he never even sent flowers to Margaret Thatcher. He must have been busy when Ms Thatcher passed on; yeah, thats it, a big golf tournament or something. Also, we owe South Africa for all they have done for us, just think!

Hot news!  Just announced a brand new Quinnipiac poll:  American voters say 41 – 38 percent that they would vote for a Republican over a Democrat for the U.S. House of Representatives, the first time this year the Democrats come up on the short end of this generic ballot. Independent voters back Republican candidates 41 – 28 percent. Voters also say 47 – 42 percent that they would like to see Republicans gain control of the U.S. Senate and the House. Independent voters go Republican 50 – 35 percent for each.

President Obama is not honest and trustworthy, American voters say 52 – 44 percent and is not a strong leader, voters say 51 – 47 percent.

Part 2) Thanks to yesterday’s poster who took shots at Governor Rick Scott. It gives me yet another chance to write about Scott’s accomplishments.

Yesterday’s poster blamed Scott for the closing of the Georgia Pacific plywood plant at Hawthorne, Florida. The truth is the plant was the victim of the Democrats’ mangling of the home sales market.  The plant announced that the closure had nothing to do with the work force, they simply announced that “Weak demand for home building and remodeling has devastated the plywood mill over the past few years.”  That announcement came in September, 2011, in the depths of the Democrat recession, and just a few months into Scott’s term.

The poster wrote that Swisher Industries of Jacksonville was shedding employees. Swisher, a manufacturer of cigars, was forced to move between 150-250 employees and a manufacturing line to the Dominican Republic in May of 2012. – “We’ve been adversely impacted by numerous government regulations and taxes that primarily came in 2009 as a result of the supplemental health insurance program,” said Lee Creasman, Swisher senior vice president of human resources. Translation: Federal taxes, Democrat Federal taxes, drove Swisher and jobs off shore.

The poster wrote of “Melrose” leaving Florida and taking jobs, and blamed it on Scott.  The facts are that “Melrose” is a British manufacturer of water meters. It purchased Elster AMCO Water, of Ocala.  And Melrose made the decision to move its operations to Mexico where taxes and labor costs are substantially lower than the U.S.

As an aside, “This is the opposite of what we’ve been seeing locally,” said Laura Byrnes, a spokeswoman for Workforce Connection in Ocala. “What we have been seeing is companies coming in and hiring — HealthSouth, Ansafone, Sitel’s call center. These are companies that have added 80 to 150 or more employees to the local job market.”

The anti-Scott poster stated that CHEP USA was abandoning Orlando for Atlanta. The poster did not tell you that only members of its traveling executives were moving to Hartsfield in Atlanta so that their national and international travel would be easier and cheaper.  Most of their labor force will remain in Florida.

This narrative could go on and on and disprove every single one of the

poster’s assertions.

The fact is that there were 440,900 private-sector jobs created between December 2010 and October 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  In the same time frame, Florida’s unemployment rate dropped 4.4 percentage points; it is now well below the national rate.  Under Charlie Crist it was substantially higher than the national rate.

The poster claimed that Florida suffered a loss of 1,097,092 total private-sector jobs between January 2011 and December 2012.  That was  according to the online research site youreconomy.org, which measures job growth using numbers compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor and Dun & Bradstreet.  But the fact is, that claim ignores all job gains.  According to the same youreconomy.org study quoted by the poster, Florida gained 1,288,157 jobs.  Deer Friends, that is a net gain of close to 200k jobs.

Finally, in spite of Democrat national governance, even Team Obama’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Florida added 44,600 new jobs last month, the most in the nation.  Deer Friends, our unemployment rate is substantially lower than the national rate.  Please think about the fact that Florida alone accounted for 22% of all jobs created in the USA last month. Way to go Governor Scott.

Just one more thing.  The mess we are in is not all Obama’s fault, it is the fault of the Democrat theories of governance.  Link