Wednesday, December 19, 2012

It’s hard to believe it’s mid-December. Today near American Shoal it was flat calm, low 80’s and sunny. Water temp was 79 and viz was close to 60 feet. Speared dinner (lionfish and black grouper) and said hello to a big-ass green moray eel and a hawksbill turtle. Life is good in the Keys.

How to stop the slaughter of the innocents.

Ok Raptor/species guy. “Species” as referenced in your link refers to a grouping of birds. (plural) In this case it encompass many “species”. Those species are listed by their common names on the link page you provided. 

Homework time: Click on the common names of each bird listed on the link page. You will see the common name and scientific name. The scientific name is the two part name listed after the common name. Let’s look at the first bird, the American Kestrel. The scientific name is Falco sparverius. “Falco” is the genus  and “sparverius” is the species name. Notice on every bird listed, they all have different scientific names but, all of the birds listed are Raptors. 

Shame on whoever pulled the plug on the BP Christmas lights. Unacceptable. 

[Gun Violence] I’ve been listen and reading the last several days for solutions to all this gun violence and haven’t heard one useful suggestion. I don’t think there is one. A person may be normal one day and a nut the next.

[Crooks] FKAA is hiring a crooked construction company to build the $53.7 million Cudjoe sewer system. I wonder how much kickback the Board members are getting. Giannetti Contracting Corp. orchestrated a scheme to have a company called Stanford and Sons Trucking get $400,000 that was supposed to go to small businesses. Giannetti Contracting submitted documents to Broward County that falsely said a company called Chin Diesel worked on the project. But the work actually was done by Stanford and Sons. It looks like it’ll be a field day for Giannetti because FKAA doesn’t have anyone qualified enough to oversee their billing.

Is this is what the NNK Solar Woman looks like?

A gun, like any other source of power, is a force for either good or evil, being neither in itself, but dependent upon those who possess it.

TIME magazine’s Person of the Year.  Malala came in 2nd. Link 

Sanctuary eyes boundary expansion. Link

I know we should use less plastic grocery bags. I have had many on my bike seat that have turned to dust when you touch them. What about straws? Use once and discard? I always refuse them.  

Redneck Christmas cooking the easy way. Video

[Big Pine Christmas Lights] I don’t accept the excuses offered. We want lights!

This is the ” official” statement of what they may be doing , which many people suspect is the weaponisation of the weather. So do we really trust official statements anymore? Link

It cracks me up seeing people here, dressed up like they were living in New York City. They go from their air conditioned homes to their air conditioned cars to their air conditioned jobs. All the while, sweating like a pig.

The on-site wastewater systems have arrived for Big Pine Key. Thank your county commissioners.

FTR, welcome back. Glad your knee surgery went well. After I had my right knee replaced I raised the seat on my bicycle all the way and rode it everyday, lowering the seat just a bit each day. It was the best physical therapy I could have done. I was back to normal within two weeks.   

The person who occasionally posts about speaking with angels and being given good advice in dreams seems to me to be a ticking time bomb. I hope the FBI is on the case. I hope this person is not dangerous to anyone but perhaps himself. In any case, I hope he/she gets mental health advice.

[Hacked] DUI machines tampered with. Link

Naughty or nice, you still deserve a good paddling! 100 kayakers will embark on a 4 day Fla. Keys Challenge Jan. 18th – 21st.  Want to be one of them? Call 305 451-3018. Link

[“He has a plan”] To the writer of “It’s God’s Will”, what in the hell kind of God would let this happen, no matter what the circumstance is? To say that he would allow this massacre of 26 innocent people because he was not let in their hearts is not any type of god I would like let alone follow.

This backsplash was made using corks from wine (psst … the owners drink).

A raptor is not a species, nor anything else in taxonomy. It is a general term for a bird of prey.

[Fashion Police] Flip flops, tee shirt, and shorts. The only way to go in a sub tropical climate. If I am going out I dress up and change to another pair of shorts and a different tee shirt. 

Stone Crab season looks like a major bust. Link

The Grinch was out in full force in Marathon on Monday, but he wasn’t about stealing Christmas. Instead, he was checking traffic speeds through the school zone at Stanley Switlik Elementary School around mile marker 49. Speeders going no more than 5 mph over the 20 mph limit got the option of a ticket or an onion. Obviously, most opt for the onion. Chief Lou Caputo, third in line at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, played the role of the Grinch, handing out about 10 onions. He’s been donning the outfit — while operating a radar gun — this time of year since 2000.

[Holiday Nuts] Summerland Key man, William Duncan Savage, threatened to go on a killing spree, before killing himself. Link

[Televisions That Watch You] Verizon files patent for creepy device to watch you while you watch TV. Link

[“Mixed feelings about feeding freeloaders with food banks“] There’s always one in the crowd. A local company is making an attempt at helping the needy in our community and that’s a good thing. There are those who will abuse the system at every turn and there are those who need help and the system that’s in place for them. If you have mixed feelings, don’t donate, but if you ever find yourself in need, remember your words.

Happy holidays and thanks to all who try to do good for others in the Florida Keys.

Those delicious homemade cookies are out at our store again at Fanci Seafood. Don’t forget were at are new location: 22290 Overseas Hwy, Cudjoe Key.  Merry Christmas to all our patrons! 

[Gun Control] How many Americans have been saved vs killed by personal weapons? That is the real question. There’s much lower gun crime rates in Japan and England where even the police don’t have guns. One thing is sure about gun control – you’ll find all the opponents at the mental midget convention.

Boating Skills & Seamanship Program on Big  Pine  Key

Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 13-03, Big Pine Key, is offering a Boating Skills and Seamanship class beginning January 15, 2013.  It is a three week program, scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:30 PM.  It will be held at the Ship’s Store in Venture Out, 701 Spanish Main Drive, Cudjoe Key.   Spanish Main Drive is at the 23 mile marker on the ocean side. 

Topics will include nautical highway signs, rules of the road, navigation, course charting, boat handling, equipment, radio procedures and other safe boating skills.  This is an approved boating safety program which qualifies students, successfully completing the course, to receive the Florida Boating Safety Education ID card.  The cost of the program is $55 per person, materials included, and $80 per couple with shared materials. For more information Bulletin Board

See who’s hitching a free ride on your wifi. This download page has many fewer spots to click than did the fan speed utility, so you shouldn’t have such a problem reading it to find the right one to avoid unnecessarily loading your computer with ads and junk. You must read everything carefully before you download and uncheck things you don’t want. Link

[Stalker] Years ago I found out the hard way the reaction to asking for help from the police for a stalker.  “We can’t do anything until he does something.”  Since then, ways and laws have been adjusted to cover that situation a little better.  Seems a variation of that process could be used to monitor/restrain/confine those mental time bombs that can be detected, especially if their friends/family/acquaintances are willing to assist or are themselves afraid of what that person may do.  It would seem a more efficient approach to the problem than banning guns that law-abiding citizens may use in a crisis. 

[FAVOR’s Free Films Tonight] Friends And Volunteers Of Refuges 4th season of free outdoor films continue Wednesday Dec 19th with the film  YERT. Your Environmental Road Trip (2012: 113 min) 50 States. 1 Year. Zero Garbage? Called to action by a planet in peril, three friends hit the road – traveling with hope, humor, and all of their garbage – to explore every state in America (the good, the bad and the weird) in search of the extraordinary innovators and citizens who are tackling humanity’s greatest environmental crises. As the YERT  team layers outlandish eco-challenges onto their year-long quest, an unexpected turn of events pushes them to the brink in this award-winning  docu-comedy. Featuring Bill McKibben, Wes Jackson, Will Allen, Janine Benyus, Joel Salatin, David Orr, and others.

Films are shown outdoors at the National Wildlife Refuge Trails Parking lot  located (1/4) mile north of Blue Hole on Key Deer Blvd, Big Pine Key.  FAVOR’s films are  shown on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays; starting in December and continuing until the end of March.  Short films start at dusk with feature at 7pm Bring your lawn-chairs & refreshments, FAVOR supplies free popcorn!

The Soyuz rocket is rolled out to the launch pad by train on Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for Dec. 19 and will send Expedition 34/35 Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA, Soyuz Commander Roman Romanenko and Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) on a five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

[Children Slaughtered] The trouble there is that God gave man free will.  We each choose to do good or evil and God does not prevent it.  We get consequences, here and now, and if you’re a believer, more to come later. 

[Solar Bad] While those folks with solar available pay only a portion of the utilities operating costs, the rest of us have to pay for what you don’t pay and our cost will be driven up in untold amounts. We are already paying for your subsidized costs of installation. Smart leeches!

This new monarch’s wing is just visible.

Nira Tocco has a beautiful new listing in Doctor’s Arm. Video tour

Nira Tocco has another beautiful new listing. This one’s in Eden Pines Video tour

Instagram and Facebook are now going to use your private photos in their ads. They are going to make money from your pictures and not ask or pay you to do so.

[“Criminals perpetrate gun violence against other criminals or the police”] Also against people they are robbing, innocent victims in drive-by shootings (see Chicago), initiations into gangs, to eliminate witnesses to crimes, etc.

I took a bat to my son’s Xbox the other day, as it was the biggest argument in our house. He is to young to play those games of killing, and unable to solve problems, do his school work, or find something else to do. It was the worse gift I ever bought him. Please do not buy your children electronic games for Christmas.

Just so we are clear, this is the Mayan apocalypse not the Christian Rapture this weekend. So nudity is optional this time.

I accidentally wore a red shirt and a khaki pants to Target yesterday. Long story short, I think I have been promoted to assistant manager.

If you are considering installing solar panels, you  should see this before making a final decision. Open the attachment,  place your cursor on the solar panel and slowly click 5 times to see the full extent of the potential problem. SolarPanelHarm

[The Hobbit]  Air New Zealand Safety Video 

[Video Games] It’s possible some already sick minds could be influenced by video games, but most of the people I’ve seen addicted to them don’t have enough interest in the real world to go shoot anyone.  They only get the extra points if it’s done in the context of the game, not on the streets.

Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photos In its first big policy shift since Facebook bought the photo-sharing site, Instagram claims the right to sell users’ photos without payment or notification. Oh, and there’s no way to opt out. Link

Landfill Harmonic — Paraguay. Video

This guy takes stacking his firewood seriously!

[Captain Doom and Gloom] “I used to be proud to be an American. America embarrasses me now.”  That is exactly what the government wants you to do. It is the old divide and conquer routine. Next will be gun loss. More taxes. Permits for everything you want to do.  More taxes.  Restrictions on travel.  More taxes. Withdrawal of passports. More taxes. More taxes. Zig Hial, Dude and baaaaaaaaaa!

It is a sad thing when some nut does an obscene act like in New England and all the other nut case shootings. Has anybody read a reliable stat report listing who these shooters were, what drove them to their madness, were they religious, were they military, criminals, rich, poor, what race, what type mental illness? There is nothing online that I can find!

Video games are great training for kids, they become killers, gang members, disillusioned martyrs, and military officers!

Why am I not surprised FTR turned the murders of children and young adults into a Liberal/Conservative issue? It an American issue. New low in posting? Yup.

[Compromise] Taxing those who earn over one million dollars a year is of no use. Obama should stick to his guns and demand taxing those making over $250,000 a year or more. That’s the only way to put a dent in the deficit.

From the Right

Deer Friends it is such a pleasure to be back. I did a quick review of the CT editions that I had missed. It goes without saying that I was delighted to learn that the critics had not taken days off. There were two postings that I especially treasure.  I think of them as book ends.  It beggars belief, but one of our CT community members had opined that this Olde Fart has become a “concern” to the  national “Tea Party” and to the national Republican party.  The genius who made the posting tried to convince us that this Olde Fart has become a major player in Right Wing politics.  The poster said: “(The Tea Party’s) real concern about FTR now is his continuing excessive anger at a time when Republicans are attempting to move in a new direction. Their conclusion is, if FTR would just shut up, maybe the party could expand its base.”  Deer Friends that fantasy is worthy of….. worthy off……, well hell, it’s not worthy of anything.  Simply put it’s stupid. But it is, in a weird sort of way,  flattering, thanks.  The second book end was a scatological reference, it said: “FTR at the end of the Coconut Telegraph is like having a turdwich for dessert.”  Special to that  addicted left field critic: Bon Appetite.

Part 2) Those in the CT community who are under 55 YOA owe it to themselves and to their families to study up on Medicare. Many of our left field denizens loudly proclaim that Republicans and Conservative “hate” Medicare and want to destroy it.  I’ll grant you that our Liberal fellow travelers come up with a lot of really inane ideas, and charges, but this one is at the peak of their goofy game.

 I’ve been paying Medicare Premiums since Medicare became the law of the land. Those payments were not voluntary, the payment was seized by government from each and every paycheck. It was and is the law of the land. Now, in my dotage, and like tens of millions of other Americans, continue to pay Medicare premiums. Without question my costs to the system are now, by far exceeding the premiums I have paid in since 1965. Since I reached age 65 I have found it necessary to seek medical care much more than I did when I was younger.  It is a natural fact. In the relatively few years that I’ve been a Medicare patient, I personally have witnessed a decline in the quality of care and the attitude of the care givers. It will get worse, much worse.

Medicare is on the cusp of being broke. Obama’s cynical and treacherous decision to steal nearly three quarters of a Trillion dollars from Medicare to fund Obamacare will rapidly accelerate the decline in quality of Medicare. It is as inevitable as sunset.  

Nonetheless the left field dwellers do all in their power to demonize any movement that has any hope of even beginning to reform Medicare. Please think about all the giddy nonsense aimed at Rep Ryan. The liberals loudly and with glee, said that Ryan wanted to push Granny and Medicare off a cliff.  The result of their chicanery? They killed any near term movement to reform Medicare in order to save it for you younger folks. Unless something is done to reform Medicare, and soon, it will wither and no longer be the safety net that it was designed to be.  Look, the system has enough it for me and for all of those who are now in it. It is certain that the system will degrade, but the shell will still be there. It matters not what your political beliefs are, the CT community members under age 55 have been set on a liberal pathway that will deliver them to a world with a decrepit, massively failed system of providing health care to the elderly.

We’ve all seen comments from left field where in some dolt brays that anyone who supports Medicare reform is a hypocrite if he/she is a Medicare recipient. Just for the record, that noxious notion is highly refined, grade A, specially concentrated, Donkey Dung. The fact is that it is nearly impossible for any retired person on Social Security to opt out of Medicare.  I really hope you don’t believe the foregoing. I really hope that you will have enough interest to check out my claim at Link

Thanks, I feel better.

LONG-WINDED TOME

[Murder] I’ve been following the posts here regarding the tragic shooting in Sandy Hook last week, and I guess no one sees it like I do. Everyone is either blaming guns, or video games. The truth of the matter is, that there are only two factors to blame here. The government and yourselves!

How many of you remember back in the 1980’s during the Reagan administration, when Nancy Reagan was rallying the hoopla of battered children? Nancy Reagan lobbied us to believe that a large percentage of American children were being physically abused by their parents, and everybody bought this story. This was when everybody voluntarily gave up all their private rights as to what occurs in your home when raising your own children. This act gave the children the right to call 911 on their parents for any reason. This act was also collaborated with the American school and medical systems.

The collaboration was composed of the following. Instead of spanking (not beating) your kids, you are to consult with the school faculty with recommendations by the school faculty. Then you are to take your child to a doctor for a medical and psych evaluation. The doctor then discovers that your child suddenly suffers from one or several 3 letter acronyms of a newly discovered mental condition like ADD. Then the doctor recommends that you pump your child with all these meds that the pharmaceutical companies are more than eager to supply to today’s youth. They then convince you that your child is sick, and in return you begin to feel pity for your child and give them every materialistic gift just to keep them busy and make them happy, so you think.

During all this heavy burden on you, you’re most likely a single parent, due to the convenience of the high percentage rate of divorced American parents, which thanks to the government you don’t even need an attorney anymore, all you need to do is go to office depot and get a divorce kit, fill it out and submit it to the proper county department.

I’m 52 years old the youngest of 4 siblings raised by a Pentecostal ALPHA female of a mother. My Mom separated (not divorced) from my dad due to problems my dad suffered after coming back from WWII. My mom was a tyrant! I as the youngest was the most rebellious out of the 4 of us. As a child, school was not a challenge for me, so I would constantly misbehave. I was an A student and always on the honor roll. But, my mom and the school faculty couldn’t figure out how it’s possible for an A student to show so much rebellion and misbehavior. This was not the usual behavior of an A student. A students are smart and follow rules, and fulfill all of societies expectations. That wasn’t me though! The school faculty even nicknamed me “the intellectual hood”.

My mom would receive daily phone calls from my teachers complaining about my behavior. My mom would try everything conceivable in her mind to try to control me, except for one thing. She began by spanking me. Then beating me, which it got to the point, that when I would get home from school she would wait for me to enter, then order me to take off all my clothes and then she would unplug the electrical cord to our old coffee percolator and proceed to whip my ass with it until I would bleed. This still didn’t work. She would now get inventive and when i would get home, she would tell me to take off my clothes and sprinkle raw rice on the dining room floor and have me kneel on the rice for hours. Another tactic she would use was placing all my Christmas gifts under the Christmas tree, and then when Christmas came, everybody would open their gifts but me. My mom would look me straight in the eye and tell me, “all your toys are gonna get locked up in my closet, until February when your birthday comes, and only if you behave in school”! I would behave until the day after my birthday.

This still didn’t work and nothing she did to try to control me never worked either. After I was 12, she ordered me to get baptized and I told her that I don’t believe in God and religion, and I refuse to get baptized. She complained to my dad about it, but he couldn’t convince me either. She finally gave up, and told me the words that would haunt me forever. She told me, “one day you will be a parent, and you’re gonna find yourself repeating everything I’ve told you, and find yourself doing the same thing I’ve done to you, to your kids, and I will live to see it”!

Well, mom was wrong! I’m the father of 4 kids and 2 adopted (nephews) kids. My eldest son is now 33 and my youngest 18. What my mother taught me was not to commit her mistakes. Instead what I did was, sit my kids down and talk with them. I would give them real life talks. I would even hold family meetings, in which they all can vent without any fear or feeling any repercussions on my or their moms behalf. I would also give them 5 warnings, and on the 6th time they knew the belt was coming. But most importantly, I would hug them and always tell them that I love them, still today. It turned out that my youngest son was my ultimate payback! This kid put me through the exact situations my mom experienced with me when I was a kid. The difference was that I always used logic, patience and intelligence. I understood that he too needs a challenge in order to keep busy. He was always an A student but had behavioral problems. I never took him, or any of my other kids to a psych evaluation, and let them get pumped full of meds. I never gave them everything they always wanted either. If they wanted something, they would have to merit what they wanted. My kids NEVER threatened to call 911 on me. They knew better! Today, my mom is proud of me and how I handled the upbringing of her grandchildren. My mom is 80 years old now, and when I got home today, I saw a package waiting for me. As I opened the package, it was from my mom, and there was something gift wrapped in it. I told my wife to place it under the tree. I noticed a card was in the box that I hadn’t seen. I opened the card and it read the following, To my big baby, Merry Christmas. Here’s the GI Joe I threw away 45 years ago. I never forgot!

Give your kids a hug. Tell them you love them. Ask them what’s going on in their minds. Spend time with them. Allow them to vent what ever bugs them. Don’t let your EGO interfere with your thoughts and decisions when it comes to your kids. Treat them like intelligent human beings not like mindless idiots. Most importantly, have patience!

Parents today have let themselves be intimidated by the government, school faculty, and the medical system, and finally their own children. This is the result of the breakdown in our society today. Ever since Nancy Reagan pushed this GESTAPO move into our homes and we gladly accepted with open arms by our society, this has been the result! Incidents like Columbine and others up to Sandy Hook, have never occurred pre 80’s on back. The only ones benefiting from this is, the government, the doctors and the big pharmaceutical companies! Am I wrong? Think about it!