The Book Of Mark

for those of you wondering...

2009-05-06T08:50:00.004-04:00

I don't post here very often, but I AM on Facebook...(even got my Mom to sign up...she loves it!) Lots of Watervillians are already on there. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo

I also have a photography website set up at :

http://aragonphotography.shutterbugstorefront.com/

please visit both!

thanks

what I'm going through...can never be easy

2009-04-30T08:36:00.001-04:00

To the Editor:

My name is Mark Masca. I used the name Ryno on the air. I moved to the Keys last May to accept a position with Vox Communications stations US1 Radio and Conch Country. I was hired as the Operations Manager of the stations and hosted a show with my friend Leigha called Biz Baz on US1 every day from 9-11am. It took me about 3 months before I started to GET the keys. The more people I met, the more I fell in love. In January, I married my partner of 6 years, Leroy, at Smathers Beach. I was so touched by the turn-out from my co-workers and new friends here. At almost 40 years old, I had finally found a place where it just didn’t matter that I was gay. I was surrounded by warmth and acceptance at work and in the community around the keys. At work things were going well also. Leigha and I had found a groove and were doing some good, fun radio. We were meeting great folks and enjoying ourselves.
After I was in place for about 4 months, a new sales person was hired that I felt right off the bat might not share the ideals of “One Human Family” which I am so proud to be a part of. It wasn’t long after he started working at the station that I realized we were at complete opposite sides of life. I didn’t mind though. I thought my company supported me. My co-workers supported me and I kept meeting new people all the time who re-energized my love for this wonderful place we call paradise.
It wasn’t long after this new hire, that people started to call me or come by the station to tell me he was talking badly about me out in public. I have a pretty thick skin, as most Rhino’s do, and I didn’t think much of it. When the calls and comments continued to come in, I started to ask more questions. “What did he say about me exactly”? What I heard in return shocked me. He was saying among other things that I was a big “fag”. Now, I sadly have to admit the big part is true, but I have never, ever thought of myself as a fag. I had never used the word and didn’t know of anyone that had used it about me. I called my boss Kevin and shared my concern. He was upset and said he would talk to him. I have to believe that he did. The calls kept coming and the comments were getting worse. I continued to send emails and make phone calls to management about this.
On Monday April 20th, after months of hearing about this man calling me names in public, he and I had it out. I was pretty mad. I felt as though nothing had been done and he did not get the message that this place we all call home is not the kind of place to be using those hateful words.
The argument we had got back to my boss Kevin and he and I had a resulting argument as well. After a very heated exchange, where I gave Kevin an ultimatum…(keep me or the bigot) Kevin told me that he and the sales manager Tom, the sales guy and myself would all meet to discuss the issue and clear the air.
I worked late into the night on Tuesday preparing for my meeting. I pulled old emails where I voiced a concern. I contacted all the people who had called me and asked if I could use their names. I pulled out the employee handbook to show what should be happening as far as company policy goes…I felt good for my Wednesday meeting.
After a great Biz Baz, I was promptly called into my meeting with just Kevin and Tom and before I even sat down was told I was fired. I was shocked! I said, “But I have pages of documents and notes” I was told he didn’t want to see them and to get out. I was also told I would receive no severance and when I made a comment about collecting unemployment I was told “we’ll see about that”. They had made their choice…or so I thought. Before I could clean out my personal items from a year on the job Kevin called the cops on me to have me escorted off the property. They then, after I left, fired the sales guy as well. So instead of dealing with the problem they fired the “fag” AND the bigot.
So here I sit. In paradise. Unemployed. Without much money to my name and not knowing where to turn. I know the rumor mill is already churning and I thought I should get my story out there as soon as I could.
The only thing that is keeping me positive is my friends and family around me. I feel obligated to tell this story because a few months ago I joined members of the gay community on the steps of old city hall in Key West to protest the hateful anti-gay legislation that was passed back in November. I was asked to speak and for the first time in my adult life, I announced to every one there I was gay. I also promised that I would use my position with US1 Radio to be their voice. I haven’t lived up to that promise. Maybe now that my microphone has been taken away from me I will just have to shout a little louder.
No one has to stand for this kind of hatred. No one! Especially here. This is paradise for EVERYONE in our little human family. I refuse to leave here…ever! My eyes have seen so much beauty. My heart has felt so much love. How can I turn my back on this wonderful place? I know there is much more good out there than I am even aware of.
Maybe this horrible event in my life will start the conversation again. Maybe we can help someone who doesn’t have the ability to speak out. Maybe we can come together with a renewed stance against hatred in the workplace. I would love to be a soldier in this battle…if you’ll have me. I am far from perfect but as a dear friend told me recently…At the end of the day, there is only good people and bad people. I know I am closer to good than bad.

Let the conversation begin.

Mark Ryno Masca
Former DJ at US1 Radio and Conch Country.

New Business

2009-04-07T07:01:00.002-04:00

So for 2 years now, I have heard..."Your pictures are amazing" and "What an eye you have" etc...So I created a website where I am going to put as many pictures up as I can. This website/storefront is now open. You can order my pictures any way you want and even on a mug or a tshirt or even a key chain.

Please take a moment and check it out. I have named the company Aragon Photography.

and the website is: http://aragonphotography.shutterbugstorefront.com

Please check back often because I will be adding pictures everyday for awhile.

thanks!! Wish me luck! :)

Facebook and Twitter

2009-04-04T17:41:00.002-04:00

It was bound to happen...I have a facebook page and a twitter page

MY facebook page: MY FACEBOOK PAGE

MY twitter page: MY TWITTER PAGE

This is where it's all happening these days. Myspace is over. This eblogger is over. It's all about FB and twitter now.

check into it

LuLu, The Park and the Beach

2009-03-29T15:14:00.008-04:00

Looking for birds to chase...

and chasing them...

another windy day...

but a great day for these guys...

and these guys...

this boat has gone to the birds...hard to fly when it's so windy...

this was in the same spot last weekend only now it's much more sunk...

this is how we get delicious shrimp...this was WAY out there...(they anchor about 1 mile out so the crew can't go ashore and get drunk)

day at the park

2009-03-22T16:23:00.017-04:00

A great day at the park in KW...

where is everyone?

still looking...

A new friend...Bailey

wanna play?

sure!...

BOO!!!

someone new to smell...

my new toy...want it? come and get it...

fun!

This is why it's great to have short legs...

ANOTHER new friend...

and yet another...this one kinda looks like me...

oh, this again...

I'm beat!!

what LuLu does to her friends

2009-03-07T13:01:00.003-05:00

It's a girl!!!

2009-03-04T20:51:00.004-05:00

and her name is LuLu! Half English Bulldog (mom) and Half Dachshund(weiner dog...dad)

I'm calling it a BullWeenie!!! and there are only 8 others in the world! Mine and her 8 brothers and sisters.

Introducing.....LuLu

LuLu's Dad...

LuLu's Momma...

how many famous people do you see?

2009-02-23T16:29:00.000-05:00

Benihana...Williams 40th

2009-02-23T07:09:00.016-05:00

So my two pals, Keith and Barb (chicken little) Williams invited us to be a part of their 40th wedding anniversary party at Benihana's last night. We had a blast!

They arrive WITH cake...

Frank and Mary...

first kiss of the night...

lucky to have these two as friends...

chicken little's sister, Marilyn...(My girl)

did someone say there will be cake!!!

chicken little's daughter, Kendra...

look at Marilyn's face...

he flipped a full bowl of rice...(marilyn is enjoying it)

mmmmm...(but where's the cake?)

CAKE!!!!!

hey big boy, where have YOU been all my life...

Japanese anniversary song...(beats me)

40 years!

fog

2009-02-14T22:11:00.002-05:00

The last two mornings the Keys have been blanketed with a thick fog...I guess it's a rare occurrence around here.

Lots of sun...in my eyes

2009-02-14T21:37:00.003-05:00

got off the island today and went to Walmart!!!

You have No idea how exciting that was/is. There is nothing close to a Walmart in the Keys.

Anyway, on the way back, I saw the spot I want to live...

and further down the road...no idea what was in front of me. I guess this is the hazard of driving in the keys :)

looks almost as if the sun is kissing the ocean...

Click this for a view UNDER the water here in the keys....fishy!

2009-02-10T17:54:00.001-05:00

http://teens4oceans.org/webcam/ggrp/camera1.html

Saturday Hike

2009-02-07T17:37:00.013-05:00

cool spider web...

other side, a little closer. what the hell???

what the hell kind of spider is this??? super close-up

then along came this little guy...key deer...had to be just a few days old...

closeup...

they are born with no fear of man...amazing!

I must taste good...

even let me pet him...

got love it!...

happy trails...

GMC Envoy

2009-02-01T10:59:00.002-05:00

2009-01-31T08:32:00.002-05:00

The battery video below may be a hoax...

http://www.snopes.com/photos/humor/batteryhack.asp

I so want to check into this. Maybe today.

Passed the stone Wednesday morning and got my new ride yesterday.

Pictures of my truck will be up later.

2009-01-29T18:30:00.001-05:00

Something new but it's not what you think...

2009-01-27T20:21:00.001-05:00

NO Kidney stone yet...

But I am going back to an American made car...

It's dark and dirty...

and I pick it up Friday Morning.

Happy!

Kidney stones are fun

2009-01-26T17:25:00.002-05:00

yup, it's a kidney stone. It's an 8mm one. I was in the hospital last night and after a CT scan, they found a 3mm kindey stone and an inflamed kidney. This is not the first time for me. I'm hoping tonight will be the night where I will pass it the old fashioned way and IF I'm lucky enough, the picture up here tomorrow will be of my own actual kidney stone. Fingers crossed...

2009-01-21T07:16:00.001-05:00

too funny

2009-01-20T07:10:00.001-05:00

2009-01-19T07:17:00.001-05:00

Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I Have a Dream"

delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

click for pdf click for flash

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio. (2)]

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last

seafood festival

2009-01-17T19:00:00.010-05:00

today at Bayview Park in KW

I had fish, lobster, stone crab claws, and conch fritters.......mmmmmmmmmmm

Nothing like fresh seafood caught right here in the florida keys.

crowd enjoying great music...

all the places to buy fresh seafood...

started here...fish and lobster dinner for only $15...

I wrecked this spiny lobster...(spiny lobster is like maine lobster only no claws and tastes so much better...

some very cool artwork...

more...

this was a couple grand...

one of the items we bought...

because it matches the mirror we bought...

and this cool piece made of wood and metal...any way you hang it, the geckos are chasing each other...

fun

full moon

2009-01-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

2009-01-13T19:06:00.002-05:00

I just LOVE that I can make my Mom laugh like this...This is the best picture of the whole weekend...Love you Mom!

The fam at pre wedding lunch

2009-01-13T18:21:00.002-05:00

1/10/09

2009-01-11T15:26:00.001-05:00

Music

2009-01-04T21:54:00.003-05:00

sung by my dear friend and local musician Brian Roberts...

either...Amazed or You've made me so very happy...(songs)

The menu

2009-01-04T20:09:00.006-05:00

...went with a simple finger food menu. Yummmmm. All held at my dear friends place...Boondocks:

Mahi Mahi (dolphin...NOT flipper)

Conch Fritters (local)

Bruschetta

Variety of cheeses and Crackers

Fresh fruit...

and vegetable platters

Oh and by the way for Mom, Bob and Mar who are coming down...this is the early forecast:

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64

Niiice!

4 year old

2009-01-04T07:37:00.003-05:00

...His name is Marlin. This picture was in the Key West Citizen this morning. Thought it was just cool and cute enough to share.

He is holding one of 3 Bonnet head sharks he caught and released

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T09:13:00.004-05:00

You thought I was kidding yesterday about the drag queen drop on Duval Street???

Well, it was carried on CNN last night and here's the front page of the Key West Citizen this morning...

Ahhh, traditions :)

2008-12-31T07:26:00.003-05:00

Here in Key West there are 3 ways to bring in the new year.

This is the main one at Sloppy Joe's on Duval Street. The dropping of the conch shell...

There's also the Pirate Wench Drop at Schooner Wharf bar and Sushi the drag queen is dropped in a large high heel shoe.

Ahhhh, traditions in good ol' Key Weird :)

Happy New Year!

By the way...this is why people flock to the keys...the fishing is spectacular.

This was in this mornings Key West Citizen (www.keysnews.com)

THE spot

2008-12-27T13:55:00.006-05:00

The spot on Smathers Beach...january 10th...sunset (((2 weeks from today)))

Behind the spot...

to the side of the spot...

Christmas In Paradise...

2008-12-26T07:08:00.003-05:00

...This was on the front page of the Key West Citizen this morning...

While other parts of the country endured a Christmas Day of snow and ice, it was 80 Degrees at Smathers Beach in Key West. The beach was packed with residents and tourists seeking fun and sun for the holidays.

and this picture...key west sure knows how to decorate for the holidays...

www.keysnews.com

helping kids in Jamaica :) Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T23:14:00.003-05:00

So I had no idea what I was doing when I donated, Live on the air, my personal PS2 game to Mike Mongo to take to this school in Jamaica. I just got his latest report. Please take a moment and read this story. I am so touched by this. The game system and all the games you see in the below pictures used to be mine.

WOW!

I’m back!

December 24, 2008 · No Comments

And I am tired but happy.

I’ll report more later about this trip and the new computers we brought (and the high-speed internet that is on its way) but for the time being let me send Brampton Primary’s thanks for its receiving of the very special gift by US-1 Radio’s Mark Ryno Masca: His own personal PlayStation2 videogame system along with 15 videogames.

In part because of his generosity, Brampton Primary managed to raise $52,000 JA (about $900 US) at this year’s end-of-the-year concert. So how did the PS2 figure in? It was used to generate money by kids playing games during at the event. It was one of the event’s central attractions!

The concert—which is like a variety show, carnival, and dance all tied into one—is the single biggest fundraiser for the school, and this year became its most successful year in the decades it has been holding the event.

Imagine $900 US being a large part of an annual budget. That’s why this videogame system was so important. And I had promised it to the school. However, when the PS2 system I was bringing turned out to have a unfixable faulty laser, I became frantic. It was too late for me to order one off of eBay even. (The school had requested a PS2 specifically to use to raise money, as they had some games of their own already.) So I called Biz Baz and put out a request.

I listen everyday pretty much, part of my morning routine. Subsequently, Mark, Foxy, and Bill Becker are like friends to me. It’s great radio. And gratefully, they had read the story about the school and this effort in the Key West Citizen.

But when Mark said he’d pony up his own system, I was flabbergasted. I was overcome by joy and relief, it was as if a tremendous weight had lifted off my shoulders. I had to fight back tears and just say thank you thank you thank you.

To me, the 778 students at Brampton Primary are like my own now. The idea of failing them was unthinkable. And a it turns out, my belief in them was well-founded.

Along with all the other activities set-up for the concert/carnival, the many, many kids all together played videogames for hours (at $30JA/.50¢US an for 10 minutes). When I was told that it was an important part of their fundraising, I could only imagine but I had no idea what to expect. Again, I was profoundly surprised. For me, this Jamaican experience is one surprise after another.

But pictures tell a better story. I have much more to share about this trip but right now before Christmas I wanted to say thanks to Mark and Foxy and Bill Becker and US-1 Radio, for coming through as they did, and extra-special thanks to Mark. I hope you can see from the photos below just how significant a contribution you made to a great bunch of kids you have never met but who I believe are among some of the best in the world.

PS2 arrives. First players!

A crowd gathers early…

…and plays late (4 hours later).

Brampton Primary sends shout-out to US-1 Radio and Biz Baz…

…then its back to business!

History:

Computers Get To Jamaica!

December 1, 2008 · 1 Comment

[Click for slideshow]

It’s been a while since I got back from Jamaica. I am ashamed it has taken me this long to post. But my resources are limited, I have been working to make ends meet, and it is somewhat embarrassing to say so. The trip pretty much knocked out my summer savings yet here I am scrapping funds together as I get ready to return on December 12th. I stress over how it is going to work out.

So if it is such a strain why am I doing it?

Pretty much because, well, the ten days I spent with a school of students in Jamaica was the best ten days of my life. I’m embarrassed to say that, as well. I’m 43. I should already know who I am. Yet by Day Two I was questioning my purpose in life. Never had I seen so many young minds so grateful for the gifts I was meagerly able to manage. In this regard, I am flat-out humbled.

Allow me to re-cap the events which led up to the present.

In June, after repairing some computers on Key Haven, on my way to my next computer repair appointment, I stopped at Conch Town Cafe in Bahama Village for a $3 fruit smoothie. Owner Clive Thompson’s brother Lincoln was there, and he and I casually began talking about how I was bothered by the fact that there were all these “extra” unused computers around Key West. Some were in people’s homes collecting dust, others were being put streetside to be thrown away when a new computer arrived. “It’s such a waste,” I told Lincoln.

To which he now famously (at least to me) replies, “Why don’t we send them to Jamaica?”

At first I looked at him to see if he was serious. When I saw he was, I said, “Why Jamaica? Kids could use them here.” What he then explained took me completely off-guard.

“Here in Key West, computers are everywhere. At people’s homes, school, the library. There are computers all over the place. Where I am from my wife is a teacher, and they have no computers.” I asked him what he meant by “no computers.”

“Well,” Lincoln explained, “there is a man who has a laptop. He comes sometimes. But when he leaves, he takes the computer with him.”

It was then I understood he meant no computers.

To me, a computerhead, that was beyond belief. For me, life without computers is drudgery. No google? The thought makes me weak. Now that I have it, I wouldn’t give it up for the world. So, imagining life without google….

“Okay,” I then famously (at least to me) replied, “We can do that.”

And so began a summer campaign to collect computers, monitors, and peripherals. You may have heard about it. I emailed everyone I know in Key West about it.

That was June. By September, Lincoln and I had booked tickets to where the computers were heading—Brampton Primary, Trelawny, Jamaica—and I had learned very little about the place. There was literally nothing about it anywhere on the internet! It was as if it didn’t exist. I knew it was about an hour East of Montego Bay, and then an hour in from the Coast. I learned it was in the mountains. And I learned that Lincoln’s wife, Cameil West-Thompson, was more than a teacher, she was the principal of the school.

At the beginning of September we shipped the computers by container from Miami: 14 fully-functional workstations (along with a smattering of peripherals and software). Then, at the end of the month, from Ft Lauderdale I got on a jet with Lincoln and we took off to Jamaica. From that moment forward, I had no idea what to expect.

When we arrived in the Montego Bay airport, there were two lines. One line led to waiting escorts and busses and shuttles to upscale, gated beachside resorts. The other led out of the airport and to a Jamaica that fewer people have the opportunity to see or experience. That’s where we went and where I got to go.

We were met at the airport by a friend of Lincoln’s who drives for a living. He was driving Lincoln’s car and in the car was Lincoln’s four-year old daughter.

Lincoln has children! That was news to me! To me, this is just a good guy I know from around the block whose brother owns Conch Town Cafe where I have been eating pretty much since I was “a kid.” (Remember when it was owned by Mr. “B” Johnson? Then by Cheesy?) Yet before my eyes, Lincoln was materializing as a real person with a real history and real story. And he had a daughter.

I could tell you how it was sort of heartwrenching it was to watch Lincoln’s daughter Cameilia ever-so-slowly open up again to her father after his being away for some time but that has more to do with me than it has to with the story. (Lincoln is on Key West working to provide for his family. This was the first time I had ever seen what its like for a child to endure even temporary separation from a loving parent. Kids grow so I suddenly understood how it’s a very big deal. As it turns out, he also had a 2-year old (Kyrell). And a 14-year old teenager (Shamar). And he lived on an amazing property, one where fruits and vegetables were really grown and helped to feed the family. So much I could tell you. It was amazing.)

We dropped our driver off, and then took the car to the school. What happens next will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I would like to reiterate I had no idea what to expect. In fact, I had no expectations other than 1) there would be a school, and 2) there would be no computers, and 3) a computer room had been built for the computers we had collected, pieced together and shipped. Even in these “expectations,” how was I to know what would be the case (or not)? I was operating on faith.

So we arrive at the school. It is essentially two long rooms connected in an L-shape with very large open broad doorways. It is very open air. Pulling up, Lincoln says, “He we are.” I can see through the doorways the students all sitting and studying, and looking at the car pulling up the drive. He parks and steps from the car. I open the door and step from of the car.

There is a pause here. It lasts approximately two seconds. The kids kind of freeze. Then all at once, as if on cue, they let out an uproarious shout:

“WHITE MAN!“

Without any hesitation in unison the students abandon the classrooms and pour from the rooms and as one hurl themselve straight to me. And then everyone is touching me, pinching my skin, touching my hair, staring at me, eyes wide open and open-mouths and smiles and laughter. I am a novelty, a lesson, a source of great amusement. And for the first time in my life, I know who I am at least for one moment: I am a person who is also “a man” and also “a white.” I am a white man. At least, that is how others here honestly see me.

It is an insight that was not lost on me during my entire stay. It is a funny thing when looking at one’s self in the morning mirror one experiences a shock for being the the white person. That was me. I was “him.”

I felt perhaps as a person who is albino must feel. No, that’s not right.

What I felt like was a friendly, welcome alien.

My hair was different. My face. My eyes. My lips. My skin. And yet here I was being welcomed. I felt it was quite a responsibility, an additional one. I was representing people. My people? My people are “other” white people?

As George Bush and Dick Cheney were still president and vice-president at the time, I shuddered to think.

No, the people I represented were benevolent and considerate and compassionate and helpful people. I was in Jamaica to bring computers—in representation of everyone who had donated computers—for the benefit of a hencetofore unseen school of students as well as the larger community. So additionally immediately I realized in this small way I represented the visionary and far-sighted, those of us who not only hope for change but actually work for it. And I just happened to be the “me” version of such a people.

Of the next ten days, I worked nine. We picked the computers up in Montego Bay and I learned the hard way that I had done a poor job of packing the computers. Of the 14, only three or four worked; the rest had been either shaken or jarred so hard that they would not even switch on. So I had no choice but to completely strip down the computers into individual components and start from zero. It is worth noting that of the three or four computers that did work, two were Macs. One blueberry and one (key) lime green, 10-year old iMacs.

[To my constant aid was Mr. Clinton Hedmann. It is another one of those mysteries of the success of this operation that someone with as formidable knowledge of ancient computer systems ("Windows 98") and the arcane make-up of ancient computers just happened to be the husband of one of the teachers and father of one of the students. (Mrs. Hedmann and son Clinton, respectively.) In fact, Mr. Hedmann was able to bring to life a computer that so frustrated me I had named it DEAD in huge black letters while he continued tooling within it. It was this same computer that got renamed LAZARUS when he brought it to life—complete with out (first) running copy of Windows XP. That computer, along with a 56k cel telephone modem, enabled us to light up four others.]

Yet there is another of facet of this story I have yet to elaborate upon. Before my arrival, I was told “a computer room was being built.” Modestly, I conceived that this meant a room at the school was being cleared and re-named as “the computer room.” Never in my wildest imaginings had I believed that an actual room was to have been constructed. And yet…that is precisely what it meant.

I must preface this piece of my recount by saying that it is nearly beyong my imagining that such a person as Mrs. Cameil West-Thompson would happen to be the person who is also wife of Lincoln and principal of Brampton All-Ages School. Such a person seems only found in fairy tales or hollywood films. Here was a believer in the greatness of human beings, someone whose unshakable faith inspired others to reach deep into themselves or beyond our abilities to find unknown or unseen resources in order to accomplish small goals with immense consquences. It was she who drove here husband to seek out things for—another surprise to me—his alma mater, and to give back to that which helped to make the excellent person he is. It was she who found the means to have the computers picked up and delivered and a tiny office and broom closet taken down and rebuilt with safe walls and doors (not to mention finished shelves, and new and improved electrical). She is the one who imported a computer to train the students on for three weeks beofre our promised arrival. And she is the one who deserves the credit for being able to instill her vision so deeply into others that it reached throughout Jamaica and all the way to us in Key West.

The computer room that was designed was perfect, it was amazing, and it was real. What more, from top to bottom, the work that had gone into the construction and development of the computer room not only spoke of a dedicated commitment to and from the community for which it had been constructed to serve, to the students and parents it blazed outwardly like an illuminating beacon. And to me, that beacon brilliantly radiated a message. It says, “This way to our Future.”

While I worked finishing computers, Lincoln worked finishing the computer room. And as soon as I had computers up and running, I had students. We arrived Friday. We got the computers from Montego Bay on Monday. On Tueday, with the switching on of the two blessed Macintosh iMacs, classes began.

To say that I was unable to peel the students off the computer is no exageration. Every moment I was there while school was in, there were groups of students there, too. And they were absorbed in computers that kids here in Key West would most certainly have had reason to shun: They were running Mac OS 8.6 (and later Windows 98), and only had games with names like Velociraptor and Solitaire.

But the most amazing thing is I never showed anyone where anything could be found. I let them find it for themselves. And over and over again, on machines I thought had no games at all, they discovered—and learned—these programs after I gave them but the barest of grasp of what to look for and how to manuever around. Even while it meant I had to keep a close eye on such possible calamities as system files being moved to the trash (this happened more than once), it allowed for a crash course in computing that knew no equal: Crowded together around the computer, me at the shoulder piecing together more computers, we learned together.

We? Yes, we. I learned learning. I saw seeing. And I joined in the joy of every small success as as a group the students “grokked” the computer, and grasped the workings and uses and vulnerablities of this highly unusual and fantastic tool, the personal computer.

Each day was like a part of my soul I was unaware even existed became charged and lighted with the practically crackling electricity of the students’ radically super-charged learning. They were all interested to the exclusion of all else! And yet that is where my presence—as teacher—was called for. “Take turns. Share. No pushing. Relax. It’s okay. Good job.” I was there. I made a difference.

And I realized there was nothing in the world I would rather be doing.

Lincoln and I worked everyday from daybreak to after sundown. Many friends in the community worked alongside us. Teachers made arrangements in their routines. Parents, also. That there was an excitement in the air was obvious. There was an unspoken agreement that what was being done was changing the future, and everyone gave themselves to the task heartily and unselfishly.

In fact, we worked until the night before our departure. That was when the room was finished, the big rebar gate put in place, and the computers installed and booted up. We worked until the last day, and that is when we finished. Then we left.

But not before the students, parents and teachers put on a special program of appreciation to “son of the soil” Lincoln Thompson and “friend to Brampton” Mike Mongo, replete with decorations and dance and song, all in total surprise. In fact, they had to peel Lincoln and I away from our work to get us to show. We had no idea! This is yet another surprise, and one which I would have resisted had I any idea it was to take place, but grateful am I to have experienced such a genuine outpouring of welcome and appreciation.

Yet there remains one more experience on which I feel privileged to report and share.

On Friday, the last day I would have to work with the 78 students of Trelawny Parish’ Brampton Primary School, it was agreed that the top 12 students from the week would be selected and offered the “opportunity” to come into school on Saturday for a special session of computer training. The idea was I would pick the 12 minds who I felt were most interested, most receptive, and most naturally-attuned to wrapping their minds around the idea of a computer. I was to pick 12 out of 78.

However, as soon as it was announced I would be picking out 12, it was like a scramble for the Willie Wonka’s legendary Golden Ticket. And parents were present to, there for a special program. So not only were students clamoring for the opportunity—get this—to come to school on Saturday—but the parents were championing for their sons and daughters, as well! To some degree, I expected this.

What I did not expect is that everyone of the selection of 22 students, ranging in age from five to 12, would show up at 10 AM on a Saturday to go to school. (When some were late and I asked about it, I was told, “They had to walk four miles.”) I am near tears as I write this because it is true.

And getting ready to walk into the their new computer room together and for the very first time, specially set-up prior to its completion solely for this purpose, I stopped the line of all the students together and explained this.

“You are about to enter a sacred shrine. On the outside of this doorway, you are one person but when you pass through this doorway, you will be another. It looks like a regular doorway but on the other side is your future. When you walk through this doorway, you walk into your future.

“Around the world, there are rooms like this, and they all have one thing in common. Inside computer rooms around the world, people are quiet. It is like a sacred place. You will go into computer rooms around the world, and you will see. Inside computer rooms, everyone is quiet. Because we are thinking.

“Of the entire school you were picked to learn these traditions. There is no food, no drinks, no water, no snacks through these doorways. These things you learn today you are to share with your peers, your fellow students. You are the holders of the boulder. Does everyone understand?”

And I had the hearts and minds of 22 young minds right there with me. And together, genuinely solemn and excited we walked through the doorway into the future. And it was like I had accomplished one great thing in my life for certain, and this was it.

With eight working computers, three students of similar ages were set-up at each workstation. At first there was some challenge about who would watch and who would use the computer. Until I explained, “Watching you can learn what to do on someone else’s time. Then when it’s your turn, you don’t have to waste time learning how.” And just like that, they got.

With inside voices, the kind of voices reserved for churches and libraries and computer rooms, 22 students spent two hours on a Saturday at school learning computers. It was better than something you would see on teevee or in the movies. It was real. When it was over, I thanked everyone, congratulated them for their time and attention and exceptional academic skills, and then I made a promise to return.

What more, I promised I would bring more computers. Lots more.

And now I am going back. I am bringing more computers, already shipped, and I hope to bring more software, some RAM (and hopefully a PS2 for the school to raise money at their carnivals), and one more thing:

I am working to bring high-speed internet.

I am working to bring Google.

Company Xmas Party

2008-12-20T22:02:00.029-05:00

Tonight we had our company xmas party at my favorite OUT door place...Boondocks. Warm and muggy tonight. around 70 degrees.

Table by table:

thanks for ruining the picture spazz...

Just being silly...

I'm fixing these two up...good looking couple right? (forgive my cigar smoke)

Now onto the fun...each person who brought a gift got a number. There where 17 numbers. As each number was called, you could either keep your gift or trade it for someone who had a lower number. So the best number to have is 17. MY number was, you guessed it...17. So I would be able to see ALL the gifts before I went.

Here's how it went down...

MC Bill Becker...

tom maloney...

Elaine got the best gift which was the ShamWow and this ornament, which she LOVED...

Bill and bernie...

Capt. Don...

The lovely Peaches (Tanya)...

Chuck thomas...

Beautiful Lissette...

Never been cuter...it's Preggers!! (Jennifer)

she really knows how to put it together...It's my partner, leigha fox...

Bill always looking for the story...

The Boss...We call him Big Daddy or Sprinkles...(kevin)

Richards wife, mary...

The Big Kahuna, Jammin' Jim Cameron...(notice Ezra and Elaine chattin' it up)

The Missus Kahuna, Cindy...

Ezra clearly shocked...

Oh by the way...I stole the sham wow from Jenn who stole it from Elaine. I also grabbed up the ornament that elaine liked so much. Sorry elaine. I'll make it up to ya.

Good time.

Thanks everyone for making my first 8 months here so great. I really love working with all of you.

Merry Christmas!!

you saw the ring and the shirt...

2008-12-19T21:13:00.002-05:00

...Now the location:

Smathers Beach in Key West...

you saw the ring...

2008-12-18T20:20:00.000-05:00

...now how about the shirt?

Xmas parade

2008-12-18T07:56:00.001-05:00

cutbacks

2008-12-17T07:53:00.001-05:00

My new #

2008-12-16T22:41:00.003-05:00

After 3 years of having the same cell number...I have changed it. It is the only number I have. I hate change.

I have spent the better part of the last two hours texting, emailing, myspacing and facebooking the new number.

If you are one of the people that didn't get one of my messages or would like the new number...please email me at the address to your right and I'll get it to you.

thanks

xmas in the keys

2008-12-16T07:04:00.003-05:00

My new TV spot

2008-12-15T22:56:00.001-05:00

I am back voicing national TV commercials. Please click on the link to hear the latest.

http://www.trendsettermarketing.net/Saliva/final/Saliva_15_zooms.mov

Key West

2008-12-15T19:31:00.000-05:00

Listen to the roosters in the background. They are everywhere!

Picasso

2008-12-14T08:54:00.003-05:00

I just bought a Picasso!

This is one of two pieces that were on the radio auction yesterday and this is how they were explained:

A framed reproduction of Picasso's Erotic Gravures. The only known, authorized reproduction of this work was published by Avant Garde in it's #8 issue in 1969. This piece is from that issue and has been authenticated as such by Esquire Galleries. The value of this piece at time of purchase from Esquire Galleries was $400 and is presumed to be much greater now.

There where two pieces and I know who bought the other one. I am going to try and have both by the end of the day.

wish me luck

How cool!!!

My Hometown of Big Pine and the Lower Keys

2008-12-12T22:56:00.001-05:00

I love a parade!

2008-12-06T22:57:00.023-05:00

The Key West Holiday parade...

getting lined up...

once the lights are up, barkeep tom maloney mixes the drinks....

LeRoy and Ashley (tom's girlfriend)

LeRoy, Ashley and Chuck...

peaches...

peaches and leroy cleaning up a mess...

leroy and ashley...

Cute poser...

chuck and don...

conch truck with the US1 truck right behind it...

"Hey LeRoy!!"...

"nevermind"...

almost all of us...Missed Sprinkles and Barb...

my co host and buddy...leigha fox...(the only person I have EVER seen hand out candy to kids in a parade while smoking AND drinking...fabulous)

whoa...

capt. don...

don and becky...

po-po...

on the way home...

I wonder...

2008-12-02T22:09:00.003-05:00

...if he goes to the shell station for a fill up?

...and how you like this ring...

Boondocks party with The Mile Marker 24 band.

2008-11-28T21:41:00.012-05:00

A huge party at Boondocks tonight with Howard Livingston and the MM 24 Band. They ARE the sound of the Florida Keys.

They have been gone all summer long on tour and tonight was their first night back.

Great night!

the stage..

keys character...actually she was raising money for a local animal shelter...

Two of my favorite people in the keys...Amol and Janet...God, I love these two people...

The swervy curvy Miss Leigha Fox...

howie and I muggin' for the camera before the show...

time to take the stage...

Foxy singing with Howie...

right after that picture was taken above...Howie came out into the crowd and I snapped this one of us together. (WARNING: DO NOT CLICK) hahaha

Howie made the drinks and I got the empty beat up bottles and the girls...well, just the bottle...

FUN!

thanksgiving

2008-11-27T15:01:00.004-05:00

went to my friends house for thanksgiving "lunch"

Here's my view while eating turkey...

why do the dogs always come to the fat guy for leftovers? My plate is always clean...

sorry "you too"...I got nothing for you boy.

Thanks to my friends Keith and Barb for a great time and a great meal.

Injury and pain

2008-11-26T21:40:00.003-05:00

For months and months...since before I got my current job here in the Keys (which was May), I've been struggling with quite a severe pain in my back. It was an off and on type thing that no one could pin point what the issue was.

After a visit just yesterday with a professional, I have been diagnosed with a torn lat muscle or a torn Latissimus Dorsi Muscle.

This is that muscle...

as you can see it is an enormous muscle ...

At least now I know what the pain is and have started a rehab program. It will take 6-8 weeks of this program to hopefully heal.

sunday in the beautiful florida keys

2008-11-23T14:46:00.004-05:00

such a beautiful day here...sunny and 75 with a little breeze. Just gorgeous!!!

The water is a little too cold for me to try this...

windows open. A/C off. The best time of year!!!

see our weather here...BRRR

2008-11-18T08:02:00.002-05:00

Today

Sunny

Hi 72°F

Tonight

Breezy

Lo 59°F

Wednesday

Breezy

Hi 69°F

Wednesday
Night

Partly
Cloudy
Lo 60°F

My first rally

2008-11-15T17:39:00.023-05:00

There where nationwide rallies today against the recent passing of gay marriage amendments in California, Arizona, and Florida. Key West is a pretty diverse community with a large gay contingent and I wanted to show my support... I actually spoke at the event.

that's me and my morning guy Chuck Thomas...he thinks he's funny...

JT...the guy who came up with the Key West slogan..."One Human Family"...

a good crowd...

then, it was my turn to speak to all those folks...

Sir Peter Anderson from, The Secretary General of the Conch Republic...Great speech...

former mayor of Key West, Jimmy Weekley...

connie from the local chapter of NOW...

Rev. Randy Becker...

Terri, city commisioner...

Rev Joe...

More of my favorite speaker...

then it was onto salsa loca for lunch when a very famous person walked in...

for fans of the TV show, will and grace, it's Beverly!!!

someone said "beverly, you don't look gay enough" and this is the pose he struck...very funny guy...

great day!

the weekend is here

2008-11-15T10:12:00.004-05:00

rest...

and total relaxation...

for some at least. I will be attending an event in key west today that I will have pictures of later...

Human Peace Sign

2008-11-11T20:21:00.003-05:00

Happened at 5 PM today. Veterans Day. It was originally supposed to happen on 9/11, but we had a little tropical disturbance. It took place at Bahia Honda State Park and these are the shots from the helicopter above.

gay is the new black

2008-11-10T18:37:00.003-05:00

Key West Cemetery

2008-11-09T12:17:00.043-05:00

What an interesting place. In the middle of Key West is a huge very old cemetery. It's set up like New Orleans with everything above ground. After a big hurricane in the 1800's, and everything floated up and even into trees, they decided to build the only cemetery in Key West like this one. It also is in the highest part of town called Solares Hill.

what follows are either historical or interesting, or just plain beautiful...

Husband and wife. Murder/suicide (by the husband)...

Two brothers killed together in a dynamite blast...

cuban freedom fighters...

these are all over the place. Needed to water the flowers somehow...

A Key West LEGEND! Wilhelmina Harvey. Female mayor, commissioner and first female juror...and quite a keys character from what I've heard...

thought this was a good looking guy...

Probably one of the most famous ones...

Look a bit closer ...

and on the top...

there were several people on this simple marker...

The U.S.S Maine...(the explosion of this ship and death of it's soldiers was one of the main events that started the Spanish/Amercian War...

That's it. Fun adventure!

Halloween 08

2008-11-01T07:04:00.002-04:00

So the streak continues....

Every year since I have lived on my own, I have bought candy for trick or treaters. Every year not one kid has come to my house...EVER.

So this year, I bought $20 worth of candy because everyone said there is a lot of kids that come in my neighborhood. The time was 6-8pm. I was ready and waiting.

6pm....nothing

6:30...nothing

6:45....nothing

7pm...KIDS! They're coming. I can hear them walking down the street. I got my camera ready. I am going to get a picture of the first trick or treaters ever at my house.

THEY ALL WALKED RIGHT PAST MY HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:(

more fantasy fest 08 pics...still out there...

2008-10-29T23:28:00.012-04:00

fantasy fest 2008...some adult-ish content

2008-10-28T12:47:00.018-04:00

Quite an event. My first! What an experience. Just look at the pics below:

Be forewarned, there are some odd and adult-ish pictures. This event is sort of like Mardi-Gras only a bit more out there. All the pictures are self explanatory.

Goombay 2008 and Key West

2008-10-18T18:18:00.006-04:00

Goombay Summer Fest, originally the Key West African-American Heritage Festival has grown over the years and evolved into an educational as well as cultural experience. It was interesting and colorful to say the least...

It's held in Bahama Village...

Lots and lots of booths with different kinds of meat on a stick...

lots of keys characters...

and lots of color...even on a cloudy day...

after Goombay, I was walking down Duval Street and heard someone whistling and then laughing...This is what I saw...

Stumbling onto the street leading to the "little white house" where President Harry Truman summered...

Then at the end of the above street...

and here it is...so cool!...

fun day

I'm not sure which one looks more Presidential...

2008-10-16T20:32:00.002-04:00

38 and counting....

2008-10-14T06:30:00.002-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Gas

2008-10-13T08:06:00.002-04:00

for the record...(to steal a line from a fellow blogger, Flip)...

and this is what happens when gas is below $3/gallon these days...

Wild Life Sunday

2008-10-12T13:29:00.009-04:00

Went on a mission today to hunt and shoot (with a camera) some wildlife...Found a bunch!

even one of these guys...hard to find when you're surrounded by salt water...Little place on Big Pine called the blue hole..

the hole this guy calls home...

key deer...

see ya next weekend...

givin' away a car!

2008-10-11T15:44:00.013-04:00

Everyone gathered today for a 1 in 104 chance at either a two year lease on a new car or the cash equivalent...

The 2009 Nissan Altima...

some people brought their own booster section...

me and my morning partner Leigha Fox...(she was singing and dancing as usual)...

Tom Maloney and I...contrary to popular belief, we like each other...

my two favorite BPK girls...Leigha and Jenn (R)...

It's drawing time...

The GM of the car dealership pulls into the golden box for the winning number...

and the lucky number was....100!!...

the question I had just asked the winner on the air was..."The car or the Cash"?...to which he responded, with a fist in the air, THE CASH BABY!!!"...

The winner Tim, Me and Dave Springer the GM...

Great Day!!!

Along US1 in the Florida Keys

2008-10-04T11:07:00.010-04:00

...There is only one road coming in and going out of the Keys and it's US1...

More water than land...things grow where they can...

camping is big...

told ya...more water than land...

lone boat in the Atlantic Ocean...

Stand Strong...

beat down...

been getting a lot of rain lately...

welcome to Big Pine Key, Florida... (where I live)...

every Saturday, Rain or shine...

Have a peaceful weekend...:)

Water Spout

2008-09-29T19:05:00.002-04:00

This email today from Becky Herrin, she is an official with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office:

'At 4 p.m. today I captured these pictures of a huge waterspout which appears to have hit the causeway at the Sigsbee naval base just off of North Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West. It was headed right for my window when I shot the pics. Amazing!'

Amazing is right...thanks Becky

Saturday

2008-09-27T10:37:00.007-04:00

Well, it has come to my attention from a friend in my hometown of Waterville that I hadn't posted a blog in awhile. I thought it couldn't have been that long...and then I realized my last post was on the Sept. 10th...HA! Time goes by fast when you're busy. To be honest, The sad truth is outside of work, I haven't been doing much of anything. It has been super busy at work. With that in mind here are some pictures of a recent live broadcast I did at my gym...

Me and the GM of the Pirate Wellness Center, Stacey...She's a blast...

We are giving away 104 keys at our events and one key in October will open this brand new car...

Pulling some "Keys" with Stacey and Walt...

We are hoping that this will be our before and after shot...well, maybe not exactly...That is Walt, He is the owner of the gym and we're next to someone who worked out WAY too much...

(By the way, I am down about 15 pounds)...

The plan is to get out today and take some pictures of work and my surroundings...little rainy here today so we'll see.

Thanks Flip, for the email and the gentle nudge to get back to bloggin'...:)

IKE 6am Wednesday

2008-09-10T06:14:00.004-04:00

still VERY windy. lots of power outages. thought I'd post this while I could. other than the wind and power outages...all is well.( I AM getting sick and tired of resetting all the clocks...I'm gonna wait awhile to it again :)

Our forecast for today:

FLORIDA KEYS....35-40 MPH GUSTS TODAY, 35 MPH GUSTS TONIGHT,
25 MPH GUSTS THU. TIDES TODAY 3 FT. ABOVE NORMAL DECR. TO 2
FT. ABOVE NORMAL THU.
1" RAIN NEXT 24 HRS.

each number below is a house in the keys without power this morning...

Outages by Outage Name
	Outage Name	No. Out
*	BCS 2	517
	BCS 3	143
	BCS 5	831
	CUS 2	1266
	TOM 2	879
	TOM 3	1196
	TOM 5	1402
	US1 3	1148

System Status as of 6:16:35 AMCustomers Called:Calls Received Last Hour:Customers Unconfirmed Out:Total Outages:Customers Confirmed Out:

Ike 7am Tuesday

2008-09-09T07:04:00.003-04:00

FLORIDA KEYS....50-55 MPH GUSTS POSSIBLE TODAY, 50 MPH TONIGHT,
35-40 MPH GUSTS WED., 15-20 MPH THU.
TIDES TODAY 4-5 FT. ABOVE NORMAL.
2-4" RAIN NEXT 24 HRS.

Ike from Space...

((sigh of relief))...for now

2008-09-08T17:52:00.001-04:00

KEY WEST, Fla. - Residents in the Florida Keys breathed a sigh of relief Monday as a fierce Hurricane Ike turned west on a path away from the low-lying island chain. But Gulf Coast states watched anxiously to see if the storm was gunning for them instead.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that, after passing into the Gulf of Mexico sometime Tuesday night, Ike could make landfall in the U.S. over the weekend near the Texas-Louisiana border, possibly not far from Houston.

In Louisiana, where thousands remain without power after Hurricane Gustav hit last week, Gov. Bobby Jindal urged residents to start stockpiling food, water, batteries and other supplies. The state also was readying shelters and making plans for trains, buses and planes in case a coastal evacuation is called later in the week.

"It is still too early to be evacuating certainly, but it is not too early to be making sure you've got food and water and batteries. It's not too early to be checking your car," the governor said.

With the storm on a new track, Keys officials let an evacuation order expire Monday. By late afternoon Ike had weakened to a Category 1 storm, and a hurricane warning for the island chain was discontinued.

Ike is still supposed to deliver heavy rain and wind, and authorities suggested residents who had left stay away until Wednesday. They said those who stayed behind should remain inside, and tourists should wait for the weekend to return. Roughly 20,000 tourists left over the weekend when it looked like Ike could make a direct hit.

Many storm-hardened locals just rode out the hype the way they usually do — drinking. Key West residents are a hardy bunch, generations of whom have lived through storms. They typically take a wait-and-see stance.

"Us folks have lived here for years. We worry but we always think it will be OK," said 80-year-old Barbara Kellner while walking her dog. "And we see the weather report today, and it appears it all will be OK."

Businesses were not as cavalier. It was the second time in a month vacationers left en masse. Tourists also cleared out of the Keys last month ahead of Tropical Storm Fay, and their departure means a hit to the bottom line. Officials estimate tourists spend about $175 a day in the Keys. With some 20,000 having fled for Ike, that's about $3.5 million for each day they're gone.

"I think they called the guns out a little too soon. They killed business," said Deborah Dietrich, the manager of a nearly empty bakery. "Whether we have hurricane ruin or not, there's financial ruin."

Dietrich said the Croissants de France bakery would be lucky to tally $300 in sales for the weekend. They usually bring in more than $6,000 each day of an average weekend with no storm looming, she said.

Monroe County Mayor Mario Di Gennaro said he didn't regret telling tourists and residents to get out of town ahead of Ike, though he acknowledged that such orders are costly. He estimated businesses throughout the Keys lost about $10 million because of evacuations for Tropical Storm Fay last month.

Ike roared ashore in eastern Cuba Sunday night, blowing homes to rubble and sending waves crashing over apartment buildings. By Monday afternoon, Ike had maximum sustained winds of about 100 mph. The storm was expected to hit Havana early Tuesday.

The storm first slammed into the Turks and Caicos and the southernmost Bahamas islands as a mean Category 4 hurricane that peeled off roofs and knocked down buildings. At least 61 people were killed as it pelted Haiti.

The Federal Emergency Management agency was uncertain about the timing of evacuations along the coast. It would be at least 24 to 48 hours until officials have a clearer picture of Ike's intended path — and officials need to evacuate communities 48 hours before a storm's winds kick up.

"That puts us right in middle of when we should be moving people," Glenn Cannon, FEMA's head of disaster operations, said Monday.

With the current forecast models, Jindal said he doesn't anticipate the sort of mass evacuations forced by Gustav, which emptied out most of south Louisiana, including the New Orleans area. Instead, coastal communities vulnerable to tidal surges and larger areas of southwest Louisiana would likely be asked to seek refuge away from their homes.

"Roughly speaking, they think there's about a one in three chance that the storm will make landfall in Louisiana," Jindal said. "We're just getting ready for the worst-case scenario."

IKE 7am Monday

2008-09-08T07:14:00.004-04:00

Thank God for Cuba. The mountains there are going to really take a toll on Ike. Going in a hurricane, coming out a tropical storm??? Maybe so.

Looking much better for us this morning. From my staff Meteorologist: For the FLORIDA KEYS....35 MPH GUSTS TODAY INCREASING TO 40 MPH GUSTS TONIGHT,55 MPH GUSTS TUE.(STRONGEST), 40 MPH GUSTS WED. TIDES 2-4 FT. ABOVE NORMAL TUE. (HIGHEST). TOTAL 3-6 INCH RAINS NEXT 4 DAYS....still bad, but better

Here's looking at you kid...

Ike 5pm Sunday

2008-09-07T17:15:00.005-04:00

A lot of folks have left the keys. Hospitals are closed. Because of the mandatory evacuation, I along with a bunch of other folks are truly on our own now. Beautiful day today...lots of sunshine. There will start to be tropical force winds tomorrow night and possibly hurricane force winds tuesday night. We're in for a rough and stressful couple days.

By the way, meet Ike

Lovely right?

The only good news is that Ike is going through the mountains of Cuba which is making him weaker. The bad part will be is if he decides to wobble about 30 miles north into the florida straits, he will get stronger and nail us hard...let's hope that doesn't happen. fingers crossed.

hurricane watch in effect...

IKE 11pm Saturday night

2008-09-05T23:19:00.002-04:00

From my staff meteorologist:

115 MPH HURRICANE IKE IS LOCATED NEAR LAT 23N LONG 65W ABOUT 1050 MILES ESE OF MIAMI AND 725 ESE OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS MOVING WSW15 MPH.

CONFIDENCE LEVEL....LOW-MODERATE.

STATISTICAL MODELS ARE SLOWER AND FURTHER NORTH THAN ARE RELIABLE DAY-TO-DAY MODELS. STATISTICAL MODELS CALL FOR MOVEMENT THROUGH THE KEYS LATE WED. NIGHT-THU. AS A 115 MPH HURRICANE.

DAY-TO-DAY MODELS WE USUALLY RELY ON PUT IT ALONG THE NORTH CUBAN COAST

MONDAY NIGHT....HAVANA TUE. MORNING....JUST WEST OF THE DRY TORTUGAS LATE TUE. NIGHT...BRING IT TO 27N85W IN THE EAST CENTRAL GULF OF MX. THU. 8 AM...THEN TURN IT ENE INTO TAMPA BAY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT FRI. AFTERNOON.

THE DAY-TO-DAY MODELS LEAVE THE INTENSITY ALONE AT APPROX. 105-110 MPH THROUGH MONDAY THEN INTENSIFY IT BEGINNING MON. NIGHT CONTINUALLY UNTIL LANDFALL TAMPA BAY NEXT FRI. AFTERNOON AS A CAT. 3/4 HURRICANE.

OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES RE: INTENSITY, POSITIONING, AND LOCATION. HENCE, IT'S TOO UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME TO PREDICT IMPACT TO VARIOUS PORTIONS OF FLORIDA AT THIS TIME. IN THE BAHAMAS, ONLY THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE COUNTRY WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED SUN.-TUE.

11pm model offers little or no change...keeps my location on the east side of the hurricane which locals refer to as the "dirty" side.

Don't like IKE

2008-09-05T17:43:00.003-04:00

Just in case you can't tell, that's a category 4 (135mph) Hurricane going right over the top of me by Tuesday afternoon.

Mandatory evacuation for all keys tourists starting at 9am tomorrow and mandatory evacuation for all keys residents starting at 8am Sunday. I am staying until the last possible moment. The Governor is having a meeting with all the mayors and officials of every south florida city to discuss the possibility of a full scale south florida evacuation

To repeat the title...I don't like IKE

2008-09-02T13:47:00.000-04:00

November can't come fast enough...

2008-09-01T17:43:00.002-04:00

2008-09-01T07:02:00.001-04:00

lots of wind and rain on Saturday. Never lost power. Sunny Sunday! Gustav is gone. Now onto NOLA...Poor people. My buddy in Miss. said he was stocked up on beer, bring on the rain!

now we'll contend with Hannah.

turning out to be quite a season

Double trouble

2008-08-30T16:05:00.002-04:00

Here we go again....

2008-08-25T17:40:00.001-04:00

Fay from space

2008-08-20T21:29:00.001-04:00

2008-08-19T06:51:00.002-04:00

Television crews from around South Florida and The Weather Channel broadcast Monday from Duval Street as torrential rain drenched Key West.

image courtesy of keysnews.com

Why it's NOT a good idea to go Kite Surfing during a hurricane....

Just when you think it's over...

2008-08-18T19:56:00.001-04:00

this is going to be a bad season...

made it...for now

2008-08-18T17:02:00.015-04:00

this was Fay at her worst...

passed through...pretty rough for awhile. still a lot more rain and wind to come for another 12 hours or so...

center is right on top of us...as of 5pm...

here's some pictures I got at work and on the way home.

at work during the worst of it...that lake should be a parking lot...

shutters are up...

little squall...

my car afterwards...don't park under a tree in a hurricane...

key deer blvd. main drag for me to get home...

pulling into my neighborhood...

my back deck...not so bad...some cleaning up to do, will have to wait til tomorrow...more of the storm still to come...another long night.

2pm

2008-08-18T14:43:00.002-04:00

The eye is about 15 miles south east of key west. we still have the eye coming toward us and then the backside of the storm, which sometimes can be worse. wind gusts are about 50mph. lots of rain and thunder/lightning not to mention the tornados. good news, this may be over by around 8pm tonight...a solid 12 hour storm...still have power. still safe

1pm

2008-08-18T13:12:00.003-04:00

We are getting pounded. heavy rain. wind up to 40 mph. tornados now.

more later

8 am

2008-08-18T08:02:00.002-04:00

getting stronger and moved back to being right on top of us...

I will keep updating as much as possible, until I lose power.

7am update

2008-08-18T07:33:00.000-04:00

7 a.m. Fay Could Bring Severe Flooding To SOFLA

MIAMI (CBS4) ― It's possible that Fay could take a much further east track, meaning that the eastern edge of the forecast cone would strike South Florida with some of Fay's worst effects.

Forecasters say that the cone simply represents where the center of the storm is expected to travel, not necessarily the worst weather. South Florida could be hit with intense rains and a flood warning is in effect.

Parts of Cuba have been feeling the effects of the storm Monday morning, after officials on the island warned residents of the heavy rains and winds expected to pound parts of the island. Miami-Dade and Broward counties have been upgraded from a Tropical Storm Watch to a Tropical Storm Warning. The warning extends north, up to the Jupiter Inlet, including West Palm Beach.

Monroe county is also under a tropical storm warning as well as a Hurricane Watch.

As of 5 a.m. Monday, maximum sustained winds for the storm remained at 50 mph, with higher gusts. Tropical storm winds extend 105 miles from Fay's center. The storm is expected to strengthen into hurricane force as it emerges the Florida Straits.

Fay was located near 22.5 N, 80.9 W, or about 155 miles south-southeast of Key West as of 5 a.m. and is moving to the northwest at about 12 mph.

This morning Fay has been crossing central Cuba and is expected to move near the Florida Keys Monday night.

Fay Monday

2008-08-18T05:29:00.000-04:00

As of 5am Monday morning: By the way, all of the Florida Keys is part of Monroe County.

5a.m. ....S. Fla. May Experience The Worst Part Of Fay

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Fay

2008-08-15T19:20:00.014-04:00

keeps moving west...fine by me!! we even have some sun right now..

here's the 5pm update...

4pm satellite radar...starting to get the outer bands of rain here now...

As of 2pm Sunday...

most models have it shifting more south/west...this may give us a break...
Pretty quiet so far...not much rain or wind...yet

As of 11am, Sunday...

getting cloudy and some rain, tiny bit of wind...All of the Keys Schools which were scheduled to open tomorrow have now been ordered closed for Monday and Tuesday

As of 5am Sunday....

All tourists are under a mandatory evacuation for the keys...they must all leave the keys by 8am this morning...

At 5 am EDT...a Hurricane Watch is in effect for the
Florida Keys from south of Ocean Reef to Key West...including the
Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay...and along the Florida Mainland from
Card Sound bridge westward to Bonita Beach.  A Hurricane Watch
means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch
area...generally within 36 hours.

As of 11pm saturday night...Look for the "8pm Monday", that is right on top of us here in the keys...

As of 5pm, saturday....Little better news. Shifted a bit south and may not hit as a cat 1...

as of midnight...now saying it will hit the keys as a hurricane...:(

going to be a nervous weekend...

Garden snakes can be fatal

2008-08-10T13:20:00.001-04:00

Garden Grass Snakes also known as Garter Snakes (Thamnophissirtalis) can be dangerous. Yes, grass snakes, not rattlesnakes. Here's why...

A couple in Sweetwater, Texas, had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold spell, the wife was bringing a lot of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze. It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants and when it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa. She let out a very loud scream.

The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what the problem was. She told him there was a snake under the sofa. He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten h im, so he screamed and fell over on the floor.

His wife thought he had had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still and called an ambulance. The attendants rushed in, wouldn't listen to his protests and loaded him on the stretcher and started carrying him out. About that time the snake came out from under the sofa and the Emergency Medical Technician saw it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke his leg and why he is still in the hospital.

The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor who volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief.

But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa. The neighbor man, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her. The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a point where it needed stitches.

The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed that he had been bitten by the snake. She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat.

By now the police had arrived. They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little green snake. The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife.

Now, the little snake again crawled out from under the sofa and one of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered and, as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes.

The other policeman tried to beat out the flames, and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car.

Meanwhile, the burn ing drapes were seen by neighbors who called in the fire department. The firemen had started raising the fire ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires and put out the power and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did get the house fire out).

Time passed! Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car and all was right with their world. A while later they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night.

And that's when he shot her!

florida lobsters

2008-08-10T11:20:00.003-04:00

lobster fest kicked off this weekend...(Photos courtesy of KeysNews.com)

florida lobsters have no claws...Known as spiny lobsters or "bugs" by the locals...

and it's illegal to trap and store them before season starts...

totally different are key deer...here's a fawn that was rescued...

have a great rest of weekend

around the house...quiet weekend

2008-08-10T11:13:00.006-04:00

rain...back yard...

peaking through...

living room

2008-08-04T17:32:00.004-04:00

...getting there.

Still a long way to go...

My "Keys" Coffee table...thanks to the Pirate Tiffen...

The whole look...

one for "Archie" and one for "Edith"...can you tell which one I paid $15 for???...

Pirates bounty

2008-08-03T20:16:00.011-04:00

invited to tiffen's house in Marathon for a "welcome to the keys" dinner...florida lobsters and prime rib...One helluva meal.

Our host, the pirate...

jennifer...

leroy...

gabe in tiff's "backyard" or as he would say it Back-yARRRd..

the boys...

Buddy No Balls...(I added the no balls part, poor guy) and yes he IS on a leash

on the way home, looking out onto the atlantic ocean...trying to beat that storm home...

thanks for a great afternoon Tiff!!!

Mel Fisher

2008-08-02T17:13:00.026-04:00

http://www.melfisher.org/index.htm

went to the mel fisher museum today...

read about mel here....fascinating guy!

10th century piece of ivory...

pure gold and emerald...

more gold...

hold a pure gold bar...much heavier than you might think...

more gold bars...

one of the largest emeralds in the world...74 carats...

a golden chalice...

$22,500...look close. Not sure why this picture ended up sideways..

tons of Plata Del Mar...(silver of the sea)

hundreds of years old...was filled with hot coals and would keep a cabin warm...

after a few hours of exploring, we were hungry...stopped here for lunch...

potato and leak soup...kevin was right..TO DIE FOR!! and then the best slab of meatloaf and yummy boiled potatoes...

then head for home...

someone mentioned a pirate bbq in marathon for tomorrow afternoon...I'm IN!!! AAAARGH, a pirates life for me...

roasting of the pig

2008-07-27T16:18:00.008-04:00

Went to the crazy fish for a pig roast today here in Big Pine...

live entertainment by the band "Reach"...(a band of dentists, maybe)

never saw a pig on a grill before...A spit yes, a grill no...

from that above to this...

someone brought their parrot, or as I like to think of it...chicken on the grill...:)

My two favorite employees and 2 great friends, Chuck Thomas and Jennifer...(Jennifer is the one on the right:)

The other halves...

good afternoon...HOT!!! felt like the sun was about half a foot above us...

Oh by the way, got a shock on the way home....

Saturday

2008-07-26T22:28:00.004-04:00

went into key west for lunch and a movie today. Went to my favorite mexican joint called "salsa Loca". It started to pour just as we parked the car. rained the whole time we ate lunch.

Then went to see the new Batman movie called "The Dark Knight"...way too long but overall a pretty good movie. Heath Ledger as the joker was amazing!

From there it was onto the Marc House .

They were having an ice cream social. we just made it as they were closing down and had a strawberry shortcake. I bought this artwork and made it the first thing I have hung on the walls since moving into the new place....I love this:

then on the way home, one of the best reasons to live in the keys...a keys sunset:

tomorrow I am going to the crazy fish bar and grille here on Big Pine for a pig roast...

maybe some pictures from that tomorrow