Why does the School Board refuse requests for documents made by Dr Larry Murray that are public record? Why does he have to take them to court for withholding public records? There’s never any good news from the School Board. What are they hiding? We want to know.

Al Jezeera America has been on the air since August 20 and yesterday was the first time an American politician appeared. Gen Wesley Clark (Ret) was the first one on. So far no elected politician has appeared on Al Jazeera.

Damned extremists give the rest of us anarchists a bad reputation.

[Deception] I wonder if the NOAA insider who claims the posted Gulf Stream location is bogus is related to the person who claims that the stuff we put out for recycling really goes right into the dump?

Help with grinder pumps. Link

“Living on an Island” boat tour of house for sale on Cedar Drive. I hope to meet YOU in the Keys real soon! Video
Sincerely, Nira

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.

The Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for positions on their volunteer Board of Directors.  Elected Directors will serve a two-year term; meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 at the Chamber office on Big Pine Key.  The opportunity to serve on this Board is open to any Chamber member in good standing.  Nominations must be received by October 10 and should be be emailed to leslie.valant@edwardjones.com or debbie@acaribbeandream.com.  For more information, please contact the Lower Keys Chamber at 305-872-2411.

[Talking Crap] I’m so tired of talk about does crap run better downhill or when it hits an electric fan. Just grab a 5 gallon bucket and a Winn-Dixie bag, put a $10 toilet seat over it and tie up the filled bag and throw it away.

[Permit For Fence] You need a permit for a fence, but the real problem is that you must build it back from the property line 4′ to 7′ (I’ve heard both figures) to maintain a key deer corridor in case everyone builds fences. This is the National Key Deer Refuge, after all. 

[“Is a permit required to build a fence”] Following is a comprehensive list of all the projects you can complete on your property or home without a permit :

I wish to thank the user who responded to my “Obamacare question ” with a real answer instead of a political answer. I had not reviewed Peter Koechley’s 10 points before. And I appreciate his viewpoint. But, and it is a big one, his points are what the law says, not what is being implemented.

The law says all will participate in the Obamacare, no exceptions are given. But we find all kinds of exceptions being given as it is implemented. No Congressmen or staff, many unions are being exempted, no executive staff is included. Why? If it is as good as we were told, why so many exceptions? I appreciate your response, but I still ask, what is so good that such a large portion of the country is requesting exceptions.

How much does it cost to have a forum like From The Right to say anything you want without editing?

(Ed: Rent A Spot. Be a regular columnist or contributor is just $19.95 a week, 3 month contract plus a one-time $49.95 setup and design charge. You can post daily, weekly or anytime you’d like. Your spot will be reserved for you to do with as you please as long as your intentions aren’t evil. Just email us your stuff and we’ll edit it for clarity and post it with the appropriate artwork or animations to assure your spot is noticed. Or send in your own graphics and we’ll edit them to highlight your message or product. Write what’s on your mind and you can add a link to your website or email address. Rent a Spot–Pay Here)

If you knew what t-shirt shops are really all about, the cruise ships would never stop here![?]

[Sewers] Why are those in control so adamant about having grinder pumps when they’re the only ones in favor of them?[?]  Something smells.

There are some people who prefer grinder pumps and others who don’t care one way or another. The Isaac Newton Society has been bad mouthing grinder pumps for months and have gotten everybody worked up about their opinion. Why ? Who knows ? They say that they have our best interest at heart, but I’ve heard that song before.

Now they want money from us to finance their lawsuit which, if they win, will cost us more money. All of this on the basis of a report produced by them. You are right. Something smells

Electronics-eating crazy ants are invading the Gulf Coast.  Link   

[“Grinder Pump Lawsuit by Walt Drabinsk”i] It is such a shame that shills try to undermine a collective effort by trying to shoot the messenger, Walt Drabinski. That type of behavior, despite ample evidence of the solid position Walt espoused, is despicable, cowardly and goes against the collective welfare of the community. FKAA has a lot to answer for but won’t. That speaks volumes by itself.

[Scam of the Day] We are unable to process your International Wire Transfer request due to insufficient funds in the identified account.Review the information below and contact your Relationship Manager if you have questions, or make immediate arrangements to fund the account. If funds are not received by 09/24/2013 03:00 pm PT, the file may not be processed. Please view the attached file for more details on this transaction.

(Ed: Open the file and your computer dies!)

Run old software on new operating systems. Link‘

What a county! It is time for new representation. It is time we learned Italiano![?] (Ed: How come I don’t understand any of the post any more?

[Obamacare in Action] I just went online to check out the FL marketplace under the new Affordable Healthcare Act. I was very surprised to see how low the rates were.

Three years ago my spouse and I looked into purchasing private insurance. Neither of us worked at companies that provided insurance. We quickly discovered that BCBS was our only option for private insurance in Monroe County. We wanted to purchase a cheap policy with a high deductible. A basic policy with a $10,000 deduction was quoted to us as $1600 per month because of a mild pre-existing condition. That was too much for us and our only option was to gamble with our health and not purchase any. We thought about the risk we were taking every single day, but we just couldn’t afford that quote. We fell between the cracks because we made too much to receive assistance.

The very same policy on the exchange will now cost both of us less than $400 per month! Depending on the deductible, plans on the exchange range from $189 to $1000. Subsidies to lower the cost even more, for families who need help, are also available.

The exchange is very simple and very affordable. I have just shared my story with you and I encourage you to check it out. Don’t let the doom and gloom people scare you. It is great. I am very thankful that I will be able to have health insurance. A big thank you to Obamacare.

[Lousy Service] What do I have to do to get my phone and internet line fixed from a bad connection and static? rip it off the phone poles? Come on phone company fix it! 

Why I’ll never ditch my BlackBerry even though no one else wants them. Video

This is the deadliest assault weapon with the most fatalities ever used on American soil (or air). 

[Wealthy Chinese seek U.S. surrogates for designer babies] The world is getting sicker every day! Link

[Bugs] A good trick in the Keys to keep as many bugs out of your house as possible, caulk your baseboards and trim with a silicone caulk of a matching color. (check with your landlord first if you are renting because silicone caulk is difficult to apply neatly and looks like hell; it’s hard to clean your mess) You cannot paint silicone caulk. Latex caulk is eatable by most bugs, but there are brands that are not and latex caulk is paintable and easier to use. They make a siliconized latex caulk that is perfect and is paintable. 

[Captain Doom and Gloom] Anyone who is uncomfortable with the truth, cannot face the hard facts or tolerate the information I post, can be removed from my contact list on request, with no hard feelings.

What I cannot understand is, with all the projects this county is wasting our hard earned money in, not one project is being considered for some fresh water from sea water plants which we need. Why? We always get the “Save the Wawa” but never anything about more distillation sites. Screw the big tourista barges, give us cheap water, cheap electric and free sewage!

[Spoiler] I’ll bet Ted Cruz has never paid for health insurance. That’s a bet I bet I won’t lose. I’ll go so far as betting that almost everyone who is against Obamacare has never paid for health insurance (or only a small portion of it).

First Rule of Liberalism: Government failure always justifies more government.

[Obamacare] Republicans are trying to ride a dead horse.

I’m glad other people noticed the hypocrisy of FTR (Fueling The Rage) bloviating about hate speech. In FTR’s ego-addled mind, he’s doing the world a favor just by sharing his twisted take on life.

[Economy is Better] Illegal immigration is on the rise again at the US-Mexican border.  This is one more sign that President Obama has our economy on the upswing in spite of all the Republican interference with his efforts.

[Obamacare] Pretty soon Americans will be receiving Obamacare and all the lies form the Right will be exposed.

[Socialized Medicine] To the poster that thought his question about Obamacare went over my head and I wasn’t able to understand his logic I can only ask what logic? I apologize I thought it was question I didn’t know you were laying out a logical path. If it was a string of logical thought it did go completely over my head.

You went on to say that all you can see is total confusion. Maybe you should take some time and learn more. I cant help you with your confusion issues that’s up to you to sort out.

I also never used the term “wonderful world of Obamacare” you did. That was a nice attempt to try and spin that into something I said but I didn’t say that it  was your term used not mine.

I am glad that in many cases insurance costs will indeed go down. Im glad that hard working people helping to pay their kids college costs will be able to keep their kids on their insurance plans longer helping them pay off their student loans faster.I am also glad that Obamacare will indeed bring more people in for preventative medical reasons that couldn’t before which will help keep more urgent care at a lower rate. Im glad that most Americans will have to pay something instead of just walking away from their hospital bills leaving 100% of their bills for me a person that pays for his families insurance footing the entire bill. Anything is better then nothing. Im glad the plan does away with pre existing conditions. Im sure you are upset because of the brief items I have laid out here but remember 1 thing. You can keep the insurance you have in place now. Don’t change anything. As for your doctors they also have freedom of choice to accept the plan. Its up to them to make that decision. Im sure there will be just as many doctors that will gladly take their patients.

This is the first time I have posted to you directly so Im not sure where you got the I was degrading you comment from but if I hurt your sensibilities in anyway I apologize. It was not intentional and may have just been a bad choice of words.

The plan will not be perfect and there will be many changes and like anything else new it will take time to implement. But lets be honest,  people were upset when the horse and buggy was replaced and at 1 time blacks and women couldn’t vote and thousands of Americans were enraged when they were included. Thru time this will improve. America is constantly changing and always will. Hell, It still bugs me that the Beatles are on the oldies station now. but times change.

Our healthcare is rated as far down as the higher 30s in the worlds  healthcare ratings but our cost is far, far above the rest of the worlds. We can and will do better.

No plan will be perfect. I do have an honest question for you. You said you are 75 years old. First off God bless you. If you are already on Medicaid or Medicare do you feel you are on Socialized medicine?

[Obamacare Future] In a year or two when all Americans are protected and the Regressives have finally given up, we’ll be trying to remember what all the fuss was about. We’ll have a healthy America and will be ashamed for trying to stop it. Someday Republicans might even want a healthy America.

[Fan Mail] Ah, F.T.R. you can be such a mean man. You just have to start addressing this column in more generalities as the left continually does, constantly posting of specific facts seems to have a very discombobulating effect on our friends on the left side of the fence. It seems that the posts they engaged in are getting more and more frothier and amateurish every day. You must lighten up on your detailed analysis or I fear we will be headed for an epidemic of nervous breakdowns among our Utopian friends that could severely tax our Keys medical system.

Is it just me or are some of the posts here from the Left in support of socialism or even communism? To be in a country that supports losers instead of hard working self sustaining citizens will drive this country into a state like Russia or worse. I hope it is just this blog and not the whole country thinking like them!

[Governance Theory] The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that “When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, best strategy is to dismount.”

However, in countries that we know and love, more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:1. Buying a stronger whip.2. Changing riders.3. Appointing a committee to study the horse.4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse’s performance.10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse’s performance.11. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.13 Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

P.S. If you don’t understand this theory, then you haven’t lived long enough, or haven’t lived in Washington DC.

Obamacare has two things Republican leaders hate: Obama and Care.

[Republican in 2014] What the hearties in the House are doing — and what Ted Cruz is doing — is signaling to the discontented that there really is another way. They can vote Republican in 2014; and, if they do so big time, there will be a correction of course.

The leadership of the Republican Party hates this. Like Jeb Bush in early 2009, they want “to get beyond Reagan.” They want to surrender on immigration; they have designed a Republican healthcare bill that is little more than Romneycare writ large; and they desperately want to make nice with the Democrats. They do not really want a change of course. They merely want to take their turn as managers of the administrative entitlements state. They want to take advantage of discontent without having to commit themselves to a reduction in the size and scope of the government.

[“Making peace”] Making peace implies both sides in the discussion want peace. The Iranians have delayed in order to develop a nuclear weapon and they [former President Ahmadinejad] has clearly stated that he wants to use it in the Middle East to start a war. That is Iran’s goal and Obama can not change that, especially after Putin cleaned his clock. 

 By golly these humble postings seem to be having an impact.  If nothing else, they’re driving many of our left fielders over the edge, and that’s fun.

Deer Friends, yesterday a poster stated that “it’s time for FTR to be unprotected.”  He/she stated “Old men that think they can open their mouths under the protection of ‘elder care’ need to learn their might be consequences.” Damn if that doesn’t sound like a threat. I love it. Perhaps the poster and I can have a duel in the parking lot of Springer’s. I choose Deer Ed as my “second”.  In that the poster is making the threat, I get to choose the weapons. I’ll make my choice later. Perhaps the CT community would like to make suggestions. Perhaps chug-a-lugging Rob Roys, water balloons, super soakers, nerf guns, or I.Q. tests, etc. In any event, it’s no secret that I can be reached at FTR@bellsouth.net. I’d be happy to communicate at any level with the offended poster.

Even though yesterday’s left field threatening post was comedic, it revealed the heart and soul of so many left fielders. So many of them damn any dissent simply because they are threatened by truth. They are prepared to do all in their power to silence the voices of all who would dare to disagree. That type of dialog was precisely the message that was used in Jim Crow’s south by the KKK. That’s not comedic. That’s got to stop.

Part 2) The other day a left fielder posted a passel of stats, one of them suggested that the USA has a higher percentage of infant mortality than that of many countries. The unstated suggestion being that our health care system is substandard. That simply is not true.

First of all in the USA, because of our piss poor life styles, alcohol consumption, obesity, smoking, lethargy, etc. etc. ect., result in  the most common causes of infant mortality which are congenital malformations and disorders associated with low birth-weight and short gestation. Infants born alive with those afflictions are counted as live births. Plus there is a huge difference in the way that the US cares for infants that are in distress at birth. Premies are now routinely born in the USA as early as 25 or so weeks, they are called “micro preemies” and received whatever medical care necessary to save their lives. We spend huge dollars on very specialized “neo-natal units”. Such a birth in most other countries would not be counted as a live birth.

In the US, an infant in distress at birth is counted as a live birth and every effort is made to save the life of the baby. That is not the case in most other nations. In many nations a new born in distress with little chance of survival is simply left to die, and is not counted as a live birth.

Then there is the other issue that comes to mind. While the liberal/progressive/democrats denigrate our infant mortality rate, in their next breath they champion abortion.  Need I remind you that the record is clear about State Senator Obama’s opposition, in 2001, 2002, and 2003, to successive versions of the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, an Illinois bill that was meant to provide protection for babies born alive after attempted abortions? The bill gave the babies protection as legal persons and required physicians to provide them with care, rather than allowing doctors to deal with them literally, as medical waste. I know, it’s incredible, but Obama opposed the bill  all three times.  Need I remind you that Obama was/is a supporter of “live birth abortions”. What a guy!