“Revealing analysis of national trends and local news you won’t find in Miami’s mainstream media. Dedicated to ethical government, saving tax dollars and a healthy environment. We aim to TRY to break the chokehold of Miami’s developers and lobbyists on local government and the public commons.”
Two extremely knowledgeable people who show us all the things you won’t see on the tv or even in a regular newspaper.
This week there are some incredible photos of the flooding in Miami. Have I seen this on the news? no
Go! Scroll through!
Thank you GenuisofDespair and Gimleteye
My Next Blog I love belongs to my friend, fellow WordPress blogger and future Martin County Commissioner
I was introduced to Jacqui thru my friend Bryna Potsdam who I have known for years. Bryna was a long time supporter of Golden Retrievers and my rescue. Her son adopted a golden and named him Piper. He was wicked this dog. But he was loved until the day he died.
Jacqui and I sat in rain and she explained to me everything she knew about the Indian RIver Lagoon.
“Jacqui is journalism graduate of the University of Florida, and an education master’s graduate of the University of West Florida. She went on to teach English and German and later after a serious accident of breaking her neck, started selling real estate. Later, she ran for public office having served on the Town of Sewall’s Point Commission since 2008, and is former mayor. During this time she saw the opportunity to help showcase the work of a locally formed river group, the River Kidz, and this has been her passion ever. She incorporates youth/river education into her political work for the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon.
Jacqui is the treasurer/secretary of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council; has chaired the Florida League of Cities Environmental and Energy Committee; was chair, and a six year member of the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments; is an alternate for the Water Resources Advisory Commission for the South Florida Water Management District; and is a board member for Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation, in St Lucie County. She also serves as a board member (ex-officio) for the Rivers Coalition Defense Fund, and is head administrator for her beloved River Kidz, now a division of the Rivers Coalition.
Jacqui’s reach involves not only local, but state and federal government. In 2013, she served on Senator Joe Negron’s panel for the Select Senate Hearing on the Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee. In 2014, she actively supported the elections of both Senator Joe Negron and Congressman Patrick Murphy who have both been strong supporters of Indian River Lagoon issues. In 2015, she is part of the Florida League Cities Treasure Coast Advocacy team to influence and educate Tallahassee. Jacqui received the Everglades Coalition’s 2015 “John V. Kabler Award” for “Grassroots Activism” working to organize and educate the public about Everglades restoration. Most recently she has been recruited as a fellow by the University of Florida/IFAS’s Natural Resources Leadership Institute Class XV. The institute focuses on teaching leaders how to facilitate participatory decision making in the most controversial of situations.”
Jacqui’s husband Ed has a place and they frequently go up and take photos and document the Indian River Lagoon. Some I forget who dubbed her “The Plume Chaser.”
Jacqui comes from a place of love of our lagoon and love of Martin County so I consider her a trusted source.
So a wonderful blog filled with information from a person who truly in her heart loves the Indian RIver Lagoon.
This is my favorite Twitter Feed. Not only is Craig Pittman an award winning reporter for the Tampa Bays (My second favorite newspaper), he is an author, an obvious fan of the truth and stinkin funny. I try not to go every day because I don’t want him to think I’m stalking him.
“Adrian Wyllie, chairman of Florida’s Libertarian Party, resigned his post Thursday to protest the party’s U.S. Senate candidate, accusing the rival of supporting eugenics and for being expelled from a cult group for “sadistically dismembering a goat in a ritualistic sacrifice.”
The Senate candidate, who goes by the adopted name Augustus Sol Invictus, counter-accused Wyllie of spreading “half-truths and lies” for political gain”
Mr Augustus even responded to the story written by Marc Caputo.
Witness ye the glory of my life at 29 years of age: I have four children, each of whom should be the envy of every parent in the world; I have attained a Baccalaureate Degree in Philosophy with honors; I have attained a Doctorate in Law, cum laude; I have acquired licenses in the profession of law in the States of New York, Illinois, and Florida; I am scheduled to acquire two more such licenses in North Carolina & Massachusetts; I am Editor-in-Chief of a poetry journal; I run an independent publishing company; I have opened my own law office in downtown Orlando; I am an MBA candidate; and I have accomplished a few other things that will remain off the record for now.
I am of genius intellect & cultured, well-educated & creative, well-mannered & refined. I am God’s gift to humankind where the English language is concerned, and I also happen to have a basic knowledge of Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, and Italian. I am musical & artistic; I am athletic & possessed of militant self-discipline; and I am many other things. I have a Cadillac & a poodle, multiple computers & a personal library; I live in an apartment downtown, right across the street from the courthouse; I have been to Paris & Vancouver, to Cairo & Dubrovnik, to Mexico City & Siracusa. I dress better than all of you, pronounce my words perfectly, and have a winning, professional handshake. I am everything you ever wanted to be.
I challenge any of you, then, to accuse me of being a failure in this artificial civilization of yours. For it is beyond dispute that I have played your petty game, and I have won.
But your game no longer holds any interest for me. Your architecture is vapid & worthless, as is your decadent culture, the mindless drivel you call music, the filth you call democracy. You waste your lives watching pure excrement on television, shopping at the strip malls, planning your vacations to resorts & theme parks. The Internet, with its infinitude of information, is used for reading celebrity gossip & watching sitcoms. You have begun to reduce argument to memes & human communication to trite sound bites. Life has become trivial – and if you cannot feel the human spirit decaying, you are already dead.
The vague threats of violence continue at the end:
HEAR YE MY FINAL WORDS IN PEACETIME:
I have prophesied for years that I was born for a Great War; that if I did not witness the coming of the Second American Civil War I would begin it myself. Mark well: That day is fast coming upon you. On the New Moon of May, I shall disappear into the Wilderness. I will return bearing Revolution, or I will not return at all.
War Be unto the Ends of the Earth,
Augustus Sol Invictus
Orlando, Florida, USA
XX Aprilis MMXIII Satvrnvs”
I gave you the link. Read the article make up your own mind.
There one more mention of people I read. Unfortunately because you have to have subscription most of you can’t read. But you can read her twitter feed.
If I left my house right now it would take me 20 hours, 57 minutes to get to my favorite food. Fried clams at Kellys. I’m writing this post in case any of you have a private plane and just by chance your flying from Boston to Martin County. It’s fifteen minutes out of your way. Really it is. There’s even a line in “Good Will Hunting” about Kelly’s being fifteen minutes away.
I actually hadn’t thought about Kelly’s in a while but a friend of mine told me she spent most of the summer up north and with her very proper London accent told me she went to Kelly’s on Revere Beach. I was so jealous. She also talked about the very friendly birds.
Your best friends when you go there.
revere beach birds cyndi lenz
revere beach birds cyndi lenz
revere beach birds cyndi lenz
For those who do not know anything about Revere Beach. Before I was even born it was place where my parents and grandparents went.
old photo revere beach public domain
old photo revere beach public domain
It was the carney when I was growing up. My Mom would tell me not to go to the beach and I would head straight there. Cotton Candy and skiball. My heart still skips a beat if I find myself near skiball.
“Revere Beach is a public beach in Revere, Massachusetts, USA, located about 4 miles north of downtown Boston. Revere Beach was founded in 1895 as the first public beach in the United States.”
There is even an old bathhouse. It’s now a bathroom but in the olden days you rented your bathing suit there.
And there’s the old bandstand.
And there is Kelly’s.
When I worked in Boston I lived in Beverly and I would stop after my 3-11 shift to pick up food.
The night I gave birth to my son I begged for Kelly’s fried clams.
When I fly into Logan it’s my first stop after I drive past my old house and think to myself “Boy this hill is really steep!” “How did I ever get up this hill in the winter?”
Lot’s have changed but one thing remains.
Kelly’s is still there serving up the best fried clams you’ll ever have.
I really never knew that much about Phil Ochs. I knew his voice that’s for sure. It is so distinct which makes watching his story even harder. Harder but compelling. I watched this documentary and could not stop thinking about it and all the important lessons we could learn from him I decided to watch it again a few weeks later.
I try to watch as least one doc a week. I start off telling myself that I’m working on craft and production style but its when I get sucked up into the story is when I knows its good. When I forget about angles, the footage and just want more.
It’s all about the story. It’s always about the story. It’s all about THIS story.
Phil never even knew what folk music was until he went to college and his roommate introduced him to “left wing music.” He was brought up with movies. John Wayne. He strove to be the “hero” and Sean Pean said “perhaps even the hero in his own movie.
1. Lesson number one. Be the hero in your own movie.
This is not so easy. We tell people to do this and then when they do it we say “Who do you think you are being the hero in your own movie?”
Phil quits college and goes to NY and says “I’m going to be the best songwriter in the country. He goes to the village. He met his girlfriend/ wife and Dylan would come over for dinner.
The backdrop of Phil’s life was the 60’s. For a folksinger there was plenty of material. He went to the south to work on civil rights. He would turn down commercial jobs for a benefit because it would reach more people. He would never turn down a cause he believed in.
He sincerely believed that people should be treated equally.
He worked hard and got a contract with Electra Records.
In 1963 he was Newport Folk Festival performer of the year.
Phil’s father came back from the war and was so manic he had to be hospitalized. The family was not close.
Phil played the clarinet and escaped by going to the movies.
“I aint marching anymore.” became the anthem of the antiwar movement
He got involved in the theater of the absurd and a protests called “the war is over!”
lesson number 2
intention is everything
“you can create your own reality when you become children of the media”
changes
Probably one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.
Lesson number 3
always have a plan b
Phil’s life was parallel to 60’s movement and he took personally the killing of JFK, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
But how he could not? How could you not write these incredibly intricate songs and not feel what was going on personally?
Phil was one of the people that started the Yippie Party so there could be an united front against the war. Phil liked the spirit and the theater. During the democratic convention Mayor Daily issued shoot to kill orders and there were no permits issued.
Non of the rock and roll stars would go but Phil went to commit himself to the first amendment.
Phil was inside singing at an event that was permitted.
But it was at the main unpermitted event that that someone spontaneously lit their draft card. Then everyone lit up their draft cards. Then police and dogs were unleashed with a green light from the justice department.
It just happened. It was random. No one planned it ahead of time. One of the most organic meaningful symbols of the time. It just happened.
Lesson number 4: Sometimes we need to let things happen organically.
You can’t plan these things. The best things come out of well intentioned people with pure hearts that allow their movement to be organic. That’s where the magic happens. In some crazy space between the soul and spinning towards the moon.
Richard Nixon was elected.
Phil started drinking day and night. It was really hard for him to understand that he could not make the changes he thought he could. So he drank.
Then Kent State happen.
There was a lot of frustration. The movement became more militant. There were more bombings. The weather underground.
lesson number 5
There is never any reason to hurt another human being or commit a crime. When you feel this way what your feeling is frustration. Civil disobedience is founded in frustration. We have to learn how to deal with the frustration and move forward.
Phil shows up in a gold lame suit at Carnegie Hall.
Then he stopped writing “My subconscious wasn’t feeding me the material.” He said.
He was depressed and drinking. The highs would get higher and the lows would get lower.
Then he decided to see the world and “wash America out of his system.” He went off. He found hotels , a good meal and the best bordellos. According to his traveling partner he had no regard for his personal safety.
He went with Jerry Rubin to Chile. He got meet Victor Harra who was the “Pete Seager” of Chile and they became great friends.
Phil decides to go to Africa to record there so he can write the trip off. He recorded one of the first world music albums. He went for a walk and was jumped and when he woke up they bent his vocal cords and his voice was never the same after this.
He was devastated that he lost his voice and he thought it was done by the CIA. He came back to the US and had a bad accident while drinking heavily.
and then on on Sept 12 , 19 73 there was a military coup in Chile and the US was involved. The CIA was involved. It put Pinochet in power. The army put Victor Harra in a soccer stadium and they beat his hands up and walked over to the stands and told him “Lets sing a song for el commedante !” it was too much for the colonials and Victor Jara was murdered along with all the poets and the writers.
The poem was written on a piece of paper that was hidden inside the shoe of a friend. The poem was never named, but is commonly known as “Estadio Chile“.
“There are five thousand of us here
in this small part of the city.
We are five thousand.
I wonder how many we are in all
in the cities and in the whole country?
…
How hard it is to sing
when I must sing of horror.
Horror which I am living,
horror which I am dying.
To see myself among so much
and so many moments of infinity
in which silence and screams
are the end of my song.
Víctor Jara, “Estadio Chile”
(translated from Spanish)”
Phil lost his mind and he did a benefit for the Chilean refugees. Arlo Gurthie, Pete Seager supported him. He even talked Bob Dylan into doing this. It was sold out!
This event opened up peoples eyes to what was going on in South America.
It was a great event for everyone and for Phil because it brought him back into what he did best. organizing.
Nixon resigned.
The war was over and Phil became really depressed Lesson number 6 : Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
in 1975 he spiraled out of control. He was totally psychotic.
He kept on drinking. He felt worthless. He felt humiliated.
He went to his sisters and he wouldn’t leave the house.
His friend came and got him and took him out to montauk
Then he hung himself.
He was 35.
Today is Dec 19th 2016. Today the electors will be voting for Donald Trump. Today is Phil’s birthday. Happy Birthday Phil where ever you are. You live on through you music.
A few weeks ago I put out a call for books that people thought would be good for our Florida Legislators to read. I got a great response. Thank you all so much. I put up my poll. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the 27 people who cared and took the time to vote.
I’ve done this before. Sent books that I thought was important. Not just to politicians but to friends. I think I have bought at least 50 copies of my favorite book “The Art of Racing in the Rain.”
I can tell you that people from both sides that have never read “The Swamp.” Many have not even heard “Paving Paradise.” Most can’t be bothered. They just don’t want to hear about it.
Our elected officials need to be bothered. They need to read.
If you don’t have time put it in your bathroom and read a little everyday.
Why? Because reading matters. It really does.
“New technology allows us to see the living brain at work. Reading can help unlock remarkable powers. Reading builds new connections in the brain which in turn helps to create stepping stones to understand other people’s worlds.
A good book literally has the power to change you.”
We should be asking the candidates what was the last five books they read. Take note question askers.
I forgot one book and I apologize to fellow WordPress blogger and future Martin County Commissioner Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch. I totally forgot The RiverKids Workbook. Yikes. So I’m adding it in. Because like me you guys forgot also.
“In an award-winning newspaper series, two investigative reporters from the St. Petersburg Times chronicled how federal rules meant to protect the nation’s wetlands were more illusion than law. Now, that series has been expanded into a book, delving into how we got to this point, starting with land speculators making waterfront property out of sand dredged from the bottom of the ocean. Now, read how the nation’s wetlands protections were formed in clashes between developers, bureaucrats, judges, activists and con artists over Florida swamps.”
This is an exhaustive, timely and devastating account of the destruction of Florida’s wetlands, and the disgraceful collusion of government at all levels. It’s an important book that should be read by every voter, every taxpayer, every parent, every Floridian who cares about saving what’s left of this precious place.” — Carl Hiaasen
I am amazed, horrified and delighted that you wrote Paving Paradise! You have uncovered the perfidy that we always knew existed … You have named the key figures that led to the loss of thousands of acres of Florida wetlands.” —Nathaniel Reed
“The Everglades: River of Grass is a non-fiction book written by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1947. Published the same year as the formal opening of Everglades National Park, the book was a call to attention about the degrading quality of life in the Everglades and remains an influential book on nature conservation as well as a reference for information on South Florida.
Douglas was a freelance writer who submitted stories to magazines throughout the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. Her friend Hervey Allen was an editor at Rinehart, responsible for the Rivers of America Series. Allen asked her to write a story about the Miami River, but Douglas did not find it very interesting, calling it only “an inch long”. She began learning more about the Miami River though, and in her research, she instead suggested to her editor to write a story about the Everglades. Douglas spent five years researching the Everglades, consulting with Garald Parker of the US Geological Survey, who was studying the Everglades hydrology systems, and eventually wrote nearly 40 papers on the ecosystems in the Everglades.
The Quarterly Review of Biology reviewed the book and commented on Douglas’ “convincing evidence” in her assertion that the Everglades are a river instead of a swamp, and declared that “it is hoped that this excellent account of the area and its history may provide the needed stimulus for the establishment of an intelligent conservation program for the entire Everglades.”
“The Everglades was once reviled as a liquid wasteland, and Americans dreamed of draining it. Now it is revered as a national treasure, and Americans have launched the largest environmental project in history to try to save it.
The Swamp is the stunning story of the destruction and possible resurrection of the Everglades, the saga of man’s abuse of nature in southern Florida and his unprecedented efforts to make amends. Michael Grunwald, a prize-winning national reporter for The Washington Post, takes readers on a riveting journey from the Ice Ages to the present, illuminating the natural, social and political history of one of America’s most beguiling but least understood patches of land.
The Everglades was America’s last frontier, a wild country long after the West was won. Grunwald chronicles how a series of visionaries tried to drain and “reclaim” it, and how Mother Nature refused to bend to their will; in the most harrowing tale, a 1928 hurricane drowned 2,500 people in the Everglades. But the Army Corps of Engineers finally tamed the beast with levees and canals, converting half the Everglades into sprawling suburbs and sugar plantations. And though the southern Everglades was preserved as a national park, it soon deteriorated into an ecological mess. The River of Grass stopped flowing, and 90 percent of its wading birds vanished.
Now America wants its swamp back. Grunwald shows how a new breed of visionaries transformed Everglades politics, producing the $8 billion rescue plan. That plan is already the blueprint for a new worldwide era of ecosystem restoration. And this book is a cautionary tale for that era. Through gripping narrative and dogged reporting, Grunwald shows how the Everglades is still threatened by the same hubris, greed and well-intentioned folly that led to its decline. ”
“Long before “going green” was mainstream, Dr. Seuss’s Lorax spoke for the trees and warned of the dangers of disrespecting the environment. In this cautionary rhyming tale, we learn of the Once-ler, who came across a valley of Truffula Trees and Brown Bar-ba-loots (“frisking about in their Bar-ba-loot suits as they played in the shade and ate Truffula Fruits”), and how his harvesting of the tufted trees changed the landscape forever. With the release of the blockbuster film version, the Lorax and his classic tale have educated a new generation of young readers not only about the importance of seeing the beauty in the world around us, but also about our responsibility to protect it.”
Between roughly 25 and 31 degrees north latitude, a combination of flat topography, poor soils, and limited surface water produce deserts nearly everywhere on earth. In Florida, however, these conditions support a lavish biota, more diverse than that of any other state east of the Mississippi.
In this first comprehensive guide to the state’s natural resources in sixty years, thirty top scholars describe the character, relationships, and importance of Florida’s ecosystems, the organisms that inhabit them, the forces that maintain them, and the agents that threaten them. From pine flatwoods to coral reef, Ecosystems of Florida provides a detailed, comprehensive, authoritative account of the peninsular state’s complex, fragile environments.
In this book a master scientist tells the story of how life on earth evolved. Edward O. Wilson eloquently describes how the species of the world became diverse and why that diversity is threatened today as never before. A great spasm of extinction — the disappearance of whole species — is occurring now, caused this time entirely by humans. Unlike the deterioration of the physical environment, which can be halted, the loss of biodiversity is a far more complex problem — and it is irreversible. Defining a new environmental ethic, Wilson explains why we must rescue whole ecosystems, not only individual species. He calls for an end to conservation versus development arguments, and he outlines the massive shift in priorities needed to address this challenge. No writer, no scientist, is more qualified than Edward O. Wilson to describe, as he does here, the grandeur of evolution and what is at stake. “Engaging and nontechnical prose. . . . Prodigious erudition. . . . Original and fascinating insights.” — John Terborgh, New York Review of Books, front page review “Eloquent. . . . A profound and enduring contribution.” — Alan Burdick, Audubon
My Florida by Ernie Lyons
Publications of books “My Florida” and “The Last Cracker Barrel,” compilations of Mr Lyons columns from the Stuart News, can be purchased at Stuart Heritage Museum, 161 SW Flagler Avenue, Stuart, FL.(http://www.stuartheritagemuseum.com)
Here is a blogpost about Ernie Lyons that could simply be emailed.
A Land Remembered focuses on the fictional story of the MacIveys, who migrated from Georgia into Florida in the mid-19th century. After settling, this family struggles to survive in the harsh environment. First they scratch a living from the land and then learn to round up wild cattle and drive them to Punta Rassa to ship to Cuba. Over three generations, they amass more holdings and money, and move further from their connection to the native, untamed land.
I love this book and I’m including it because it was geared towards a second grader. It simply is a marvelous accomplishment and enjoyable to read. I sent my niece’s in Colorado a copy each because I want them to know about what goes on here at Aunty Cyndi’s house.
When I call them on the phone they asked me “How is Barney?” then “How are the Dolphins?” then “How are you?”
“The first verse of the River Kidz’ Song, written by River Mom, Nicole Mader, and the River Kidz goes:
“The River Kidz are here; Our mission’s quite clear; We love our river and ALL its critters; Let’s hold it all dear…”
The rest of this wonderful song can be found on page 36 of the new workbook below.
After over a year of creative preparation, and community collaboration, the River Kidz’ 2nd Edition Workbook is here!”
This is from Jacqui’s blog:
”
The really cool thing about this workbook is that it was written “by kids for kids,” (Jensen Beach High School students for elementary students). The high school students named the main character of the book after Marty Baum, our Indian Riverkeeper. The students had met Mr Baum in their classroom (of Mrs Crystal Lucas) along with other presenters and field trip guides like the Army Corp of Engineers, South Florida Water Management District, and politicians speaking on the subject…
The books will be going into all second grade public school classrooms and many private school classrooms beginning in February of 2015. Teacher training will be underway this February at the Environmental Studies Center in Jensen.
River Kidz will make the booklet available to everyone. Some will be given away, and some will be used to raise money at five dollars a booklet. To purchase the booklets, please contact Olivia Sala, administrative assistant for the Rivers Coalition at olivia@riverscoalition.org —-Numbers are limited.
In closing, enjoy the workbook and thank you to Martin County, Superintendent, Laurie J. Gaylord for encouraging the workbook and for her beautiful letter in the front of the booklet. Thank you to Martin County School Science Leader, Valerie Gaylord; teacher, Mrs Crystal Lucas; Mom, Mrs Nicole Mader; Sewall’s Point artist, Ms Julia Kelly; Southeastern Printing’s Bluewater Editions’ manager and River Dad, Jason Leonard; to River Kidz founders Evie Flaugh and Naia Mader, now 14/13; years old–they were 10 and 9 when this started,—- to the Knoph Foundation, and the Garden Club of Stuart, and to the hundreds of kids, parents, students, businesses, politicians, state and federal agencies, and especially to Southeastern Printing and the Mader Family who made this concept a reality through education, participation.”
So that’s it. I’m going for the top five. Also if you have read any of these books please feel free to write a review and I’ll post it.
Day 11: Writing and not writing: When I’m not writing I’m still writing.
If I told you I would have to kill you.
Dr No
Writing my blog is the therapy that helps me to unremember the day that I really can’t talk about. It’s puts a period at the end of the work day and moves my intention, my attention to focus on something else besides work. It helps me keep the HIPPA promise.
I spend my work days driving around to people’s houses. I have great thinking time in the car. I have a computer. I have two computers. I have two computers and an iphone. I try to chart in real time. It never happens. My hot spot doesn’t work most of the time. I still have a hard time computing at the job because I like to look at the people I’m talking to but I have grown to accept this.
“Seems Florida’s Palm Beach County is considering a mandatory spay/neuter law, and some kind constituent sent each of the county commissioners, the ones who’ll be voting on the issue, a copy of Nathan Winograd’s “Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America” to assist them in making this decision that will impact the lives of dogs, cats, and people in their county.
Now it seems that one of the commissioners, Burt Aaronson, has no plans to read the book, saying, “If people want me to read something, they could have enclosed a letter: ‘We’d like you to read this, we are giving it to you as a gift.’”
Wow, commissioner, you’re a tough guy to do a favor for. It wasn’t enough that this constituent purchased the book and sent it to you, you wanted them to schmooze you up, too?”
True Story. That person was me.
At the time and still today there are many pets that die at Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. We were trying to do a few things. We were trying to create a village of knowledgeable people in all aspects dog and cat to cut down the death of the animals which is atrocious. We had a big, diverse circle of friends.
This was probably the last public event I ever did in rescue. Most of commissioners were corrupt. The Palm Beach Post was awful. I hold them just as responsible as the commissioners.
One day I will write more but the big issue for me was that my friends the veterinarians are the one’s that sold the licenses. I did not want this to come between them and their clients.
Really deserves a full blog post because it is an interesting story.
One person, Bob Kanjian, read the book. He totally got it. I think if I asked him today he would say this book changed his life. I am forever grateful to him for reading and understanding.
What I found out this past winter is our Supermajority Florida Legislators don’t read books apparently. They have no idea how the water works, what the Everglades need. They take their order’s from Tallahassee. Very Scary. Apparently you go there with goodness in your heart and you come back a scoundrel. Anything goes. Everything went out the window.
I have written that they need to be credentialed. I don’t think it’s too much to ask them to do what I have to do my job as a nurse.
They need to read and there needs to be a quiz.
I would really like a lot of people to vote so I can honestly say ” We had a poll and lots of people voted and we think it’s important for you to read and understand these books.
I promise I’ll write a note. I’d hate for Burt Aaronson to come back and haunt me.
The assignment was to write something based on an image. We were given a place to get images. I went there and I donated 8 images and then decided to use my own.
Lagoon Birds
When we had the toxic discharges from Lake Okeechobee in 2013 all the birds went away. There were no birds.
Gone.
I used to wake up to 100’s of birds tweeting in my back yard.
I have seen a few interesting red birds and of course mourning doves and I did see the wood stork last week. It’s fall so hopefully they will be back soon. There are some birds but not in the great amounts there were when I moved here.
“A new analysis by the National Audubon Society reveals that populations of some of America’s most familiar and beloved birds have taken a nosedive over the past forty years, with some down as much as 80 percent. The dramatic declines are attributed to the loss of grasslands, healthy forests and wetlands, and other critical habitats from multiple environmental threats such as sprawl, energy development, and the spread of industrialized agriculture. The study notes that these threats are now compounded by new and broader problems including the escalating effects of global warming. In concert, they paint a challenging picture for the future of many common species and send a serious warning about our increasing toll on local habitats and the environment itself.
Common Terns, which nest on islands and forage for fish near ocean coasts, lakes and rivers, are vulnerable to development, pollution and sea level rise from global warming. Populations in unmanaged colonies have dropped as much as 70 percent, making the species’ outlook increasingly dependent on targeted conservation efforts.
Little Blue Herons now number 150,000 in the U.S. and 110,000 in Mexico, down 54 percent in the U.S.Their decline is driven by wetland loss from development and degradation of water quality, which limits their food supply.”
Here is an excellent article I found in BioScience starring out friend Dr Edie Widder.
“Just as fishes in the IRL depend on mangroves and seagrasses, wading birds depend on fishes as prey. Herons, egrets, and their relatives are a barometer of how the lagoon’s mosaic of life is faring, according to ornithologist Hilary Swain, executive director of the Archbold Biological Station in Lake Placid. In her research, Swain found that wading birds are one of the most widely recognized elements of biodiversity in the IRL, with 16 species recorded. Among them are the great egret, reddish egret, little blue heron, tricolored heron, wood stork, white ibis, and roseate spoonbill.
birds at bird island Jan 2011
Swain discovered that drawdowns—the periodic lowering of water levels in mosquito control impoundments—result in higher numbers of wading birds in those areas, and that many of the lagoon’s wading birds frequent such impoundments, especially when water levels there are shallow (the easier for the birds to catch fish). Wading birds in the IRL are also found only in locations where, in fact, the fishing is good, making information on herons and their kin useful in determining the overall health of the lagoon.
Birds on bird island Jan 2011
Birds on Bird Island Jan 2011
Mangroves, seagrasses, fishes, birds: How do scientists know how many species there are in the Indian River Lagoon? “We don’t know the exact number,” Tuck Hines says, “but we have a pretty good idea of the IRL’s flora and fauna, thanks to years of research that led to a project called the Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory.”
Birds on Bird Island Jan 2011
Developed by the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, the species inventory is an ever-expanding listing of the species of animals and plants that make their home in the lagoon. Users can access photographic images and taxonomic information via a Web site (www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/index.htm). “The IRL Species Inventory has become the place to go to get information on the lagoon’s biodiversity, whether you’re a scientist, student, government official, or citizen,” Hines says. With some 68 federal, state, local, and other government agencies involved in managing the IRL, Hines adds, “it’s imperative that there be one central place in which this information can be found.”
I think we all need to help inventory the Indian River Lagoon and be on the lookout for all the wonderful birds we use to have to see if they come back.
The first word I thought I’d write about was synchronicity.
“the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.” Like picking the word and seeing the prompt from yesterday was the same thing I picked. That’s amore!
Also, my assignment was to write a list and I had been meaning to write this reading list for our legislators.
Well that worked out great.
The second word that came to mind was the word “grounded.” Something I aspire to be every day and when I’m not you’ll find me out there seeking assistance. Boring.
Funny.
I like.
So a funny thing happened this week.
Mostly everything I post on Facebook is important information about the environment. I do try to find funny memes. Funny memes and photos of my cat, dog and my grandson get the most likes. I could work on a piece for two days but everyone loves MeMe, Barney and Ethan.
MeMe my cat
Barney my almost 18 year old golden
So sometime over the weekend I posted this funny meme.
Everyone could relate and I got some hysterical comments. If you know my circle of friends the conversation turned political and we were all cracking up.
Then later on I was watching “Flow: For the love of water” documentary and I went to google some about the fish in the Seine River changing sex.
Go look at the photo. This fish with these freakish human teeth.
Testicle-eating fish, the Pacu, found in Paris with fears it could be coming to the UK
So I tweet the article to my self. I also remember my fellow blogger and future Martin County Commissioner Jacqui wrote an article about these guys being in Lake Okeechobee!
There was some back and forth. It came at a very cranky moment because I felt like this person didn’t understand the context and I’m still having fantasies of inviting our legislators to Lake O for a swim.
Don’t take away my happy fantasy!
Out of my entire week of seriousness how can anyone take my laughter away.
Sadly it’s true. They are vegetarians. Which reminds me of what my mother always said “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
This poor guy has seen this post so many time and he is in the business of fish. Now I feel terrible.
Apparently you eat these little guys with the big teeth. ( why would mother nature give them such big teeth. What vegetation grows that they need choppers like this to eat? Do I even want to know this.)
Apparently this guys sells them for food along with a bunch of other things that we all love like lobsta’s. Yes I know I spelled that wrong.
He did finally get the joke and I as usual learned something new.
and I thought heard it all when I read about Dove AU Vin last week. But here’s how you cook the little guys.
This past year has been very telling. Not only did these people ignore us but they ignored their job and couldn’t seem to get it done.
My assignment for writing 101 is to make a list. I’ve been wanting to make THIS list so its win-win.
We need to know our legislators actually understand the issues and problems with Florida. We cannot take for granted that they know anything.
I’d also like to hear from you guys about what you think and we can keep a running list.
I knew what books I wanted but decided to go to the wisest people I know. My circle of friends.
This was from my friend Marjorie.
“Marjorie Shropshire :Oh, I have a whole long list LOL… But I think I’d start with Craig Pittman’s book on wetlands mitigation, and then move on to Ecosystems of Florida” so they could gain some kernel of understanding about how things in this state work; This Changes Everything, for some insight into what might be done about climate change; The Social Conquest of Earth, The Diversity of Life, and The Creation, all by E.O. Wilson for an overview of how humans fit into the world and can’t survive without natural systems; The Swamp, which we all know is the best explanation of the mess we’ve made of water management in Florida’s southern half; Priceless Florida, so they can see what we are losing; and finally, An Everglades Providence, a biography of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, to teach them what it means to do something bold, instead of sitting on their assess and eating out of the hands of their keepers.”
I love Marjorie. She’s is very quiet. But when she speaks she is mighty!
I think we all agree on the Swamp and Craig and Matt’s book “Paving Paradise.”
So here I go
Paving Paridise
The Swamp
the end.
No only kidding.
I’m going to list them out by name because everyone had good choices.
3. Ecosystems of Florida
4. This Changes Everything
5. The Social Conquest of Earth E.O. Wilson
6. The Diversity of Life E.O. Wilson
7. The Creation E.O. Wilson
8. Priceless Florida
9. An Everglades Providence
My friend Richard suggested
10. “The value of life” by the 4 Americans left in Iran
Cris suggested
11. The Lorax
Mike G suggested
12. Haricari 101 for dummies (Which I don’t even think is a book but just a suggestion.)
Shelia suggested
13. Term Limits by Vince Flynn.
Lisa Suggested
14. My Florida” by Ernie Lyons
Rick suggested
15. Any book on civics
Linda suggested
16. Reading the constitution. Followed by a written test. (She also suggested The Swamp. )
Victoria suggested
17. The Everglades: River of Grass” Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
18. “Mother of Florida Forestry”
Robin suggested
19. Oranges and Inlets by Nathaniel Osborn. ( Will be out in book form soon)
Last January I made a commitment to my blog to use it for the highest good.
I started out just posting video. This a great way to post all the video from a particular event and send to everyone so they could watch and share.
As a documentary filmmaker I let the film do the talking for me.
Then I started to write. I felt that if one person read what I wrote and it resonated with them I would be happy. One became two, became ten, became fifty. The US became Australia that became Brazil that became all kinds of countries.
I am so humbled.
I can’t stop writing. This is one my issues. My friends complain that it takes a week to read one of my blogs.
There are many things to talk about. What I have found is lots of people have the same questions and concerns that I have but not the time to think about it. I do on my blog what I do in my daily life. I educate. I write about the water. I write about the environment. I write about mental health. I write about Golden Retrievers.
I make list of things I want to write about and then I loose them.
My daily life is that of a psychiatric home health nurse. The writing I do for that is no of your business and protected information.
I have to have an end to that day and a beginning of one where I live in the universe with my fellow travelers.
cyndi lenz 