He thought it was cool and artistic…

Let me tell you first that you don't have to read my post today. If you're here looking for some pretty pictures of shells or the beach, maybe pick up a recipe or two, perhaps you landed here after doing a google search for "tiki hut" or possibly you just wanted to drop in to say hello — well, I hate to tell you that today I'm on a rant.

Quick,

look away,

run for the hills,

Shellbelle's about to explode!

Yesterday I wrote about my feelings on the grand piano that mysteriously ended up on a sandbar off the coast of Miami. If you read that post, you know I was not too happy, but I really didn't go into a full-blown rant.

Skip to today…

I am downright, unequivocally 

PISSED OFF!

Honestly, I am normally a pretty nice person. Sure I have my faults, don't we all? I have bad days just like you do and folks, today is a really, really bad day!

It's a doozy!

I'm finding it hard to put into words just how angry I am, so I turned to my thesaurus for a little help in expressing myself.

I am irritated, annoyed, cross, angry, vexed, displeased, disgruntled, indignant, exasperated, galled, irked, put out, aggrieved, offended, affronted, piqued, nettled, in high dudgeon, aggravated, miffed, riled, teed off, ticked off, sore.

Maybe I should try to calm down…

Heck no, I'm pissed!

So what has me all riled up?

Well, after many people had a good time laughing about the piano left on the sandbar and while it make good material for the reporters and jokesters — the "prankster" has stood up and claimed responsibility. He did this after someone else had already done the same thing, but this guy had proof — pictures and videos and he wasn't about to loose his fifteen minutes of fame to some wannabe. Who was he?

A 16-year-old Miami student. Oh, and his reason for dumping the piano on the sandbar? "Well…we did it just for…ah…because it was cool."

According to the Today Show website, "While his mother hoped the whole prank would 'wash away,' teenager Nicholas Harrington tells TODAY’s Ann Curry that ditching the instrument on a sandbar was 'the most artistic thing' we could come up with."

Yep, that's what he told Ann Curry this morning on the Today Show. Don't believe me? Here watch it for yourself:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Now the whole backstory involves a piano that was stored in his grandmother's garage, a New Year's Eve party (where said piano was set ablaze) and a need to get rid of the piano in some way.

There's a bit more to the story. This teenager decided that he could dump the piano on a sandbar, take photos and videos and then he could use them to beef up his college application where he plans to study art or engineering.

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“Some people are angry,” he admitted. “If it comes to me taking the piano off, I guess I’ll just take it off.” But, he added, “I think it’ll be able to stay. It will wash away eventually.”

Eventually?

A story on CNN by Josh Levs, reports that, "Authorities have no immediate plans to charge the teenager who admitted to hauling a piano out onto a sandbar in Biscayne Bay in south Florida."

Levs goes on to write, "Jorge Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told CNN that for his agency "it would be highly unlikely that we would cite this young man for anything." The agency "would probably write him a warning and make sure that he understands that that could be construed as littering, obviously. It's not the right thing to do."

Again…??????????????????????

So, if you're wondering what to do with that old refrigerator that's been sitting on the back porch for the last five years, or if that entertainment center in the family room won't hold the new 72-inch flat screen you got for Christmas, you know what to do with it now. Bring it on down to Florida and throw it in the water. Obviously, we don't care.

Forget about our gorgeous beaches, forget about the wildlife that struggles to survive here — just think of all the space we'll save in our landfills by using the Atlantic Ocean as a dumping ground for all your unwanted items. Hey, it's all in the name of art, what's wrong with that? Your kids could use the experience on their college apps!

Don't worry, the authorities won't hold you accountable, heck what's a slap on the wrist when you can create something artistic?

The CNN article also quotes Luis Espinoza, spokesman for Miami-Dade County's Department of Environmental Resources Management, "We know of a car... that somebody years ago dumped into the water, and the vehicle stayed there. And, as it turns out, the vehicle is quite the habitat for lobster now."

There you go! Drive grandma's old Buick down here, you know the kids would never be caught driving the thing. Yep, just drive it right into the water and leave it there. Florida officials don't care about the quality of our environment, why should you?

This could spark a whole new campaign for the tourism industry here.

Come to Florida,

Bring your Trash and…

Leave It Behind!

If our residents can do it, why not the snowbirds?

Okay, one more excerpt from the CNN article, "Before Harrington stepped forward, authorities told CNN they had no plans to remove it. "What will probably happen is that the piano will just disintegrate because of the salt water and the salt air," Pino said Wednesday, adding that it "will not harm the wildlife."

You know what's coming don't you?

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Turtle Caught in Chair — Dead

Turtle Caught in Chair — Dead

Pelican Caught in Fishing Line

It takes up to 600 years for fishing line to decompose,

I wonder how long it takes piano wire to do the same thing?

More than 1/2 pound of plastic was found in the belly of a dead Albatross

Do you think the birds won't add ivory to their diets?

You can click on my mosaic below to see a larger version. It is comprised of more photos of what trash does to our oceans and wildlife. Do you honestly believe that as this piano breaks up it won't have a negative impact on our sea critters and our beaches? Each of these photos were the result of a google search, I can't acknowledge each and every photographer in this mosaic, but since they were all writing about the point I'm trying to make here today, I don't think they'll mind.

If you read through this entire post, thank you for listening to my rant. I usually try to bring awareness to the masses through a more subtle approach, but today I just don't have the heart or the patience. It's fairly simple — keep your trash to yourself or stay off my beach. 

I know that my readers feel the same way I do, you've proved it time and again. I love you for that, more than you'll ever know.

This is Shellbelle

climbing off my soapbox

(for now)

but I'll always be

Making Waves to Save our Oceans

Update: The Miami Herald reports that the piano has been "rescued" from Biscayne Bay  "by Carl Bentulan, a day trader and musician from Palmetto Bay, whose 10-year-old son, Liam, suggested that they rescue the beat-up and burned baby grand."

Thank you Liam!

The article also reports that, "A state wildlife officer showed up Thursday at the Miami Shores home of the family that had hauled the hefty instrument onto a small sandbar early this month with orders to remove it in 24 hours or risk a fine."

Well, I'm glad the officials finally stepped up and took action. Of course, I'm sure this was because of the outrage expressed by environmentally-conscious citizens.

So, the piano sandbar story is laid to rest with a happy ending, but the bigger picture still remains. I hope that the whole event will result in folks being more aware of the affects such stunts have on our oceans and the critters who live in and around them.

Thank you all for your comments, I do have the best readers!