October 9, 2012

Republican tells why he is voting Obama: Letter to the Editor / Winston-Salem NC Journal today

Letter to the Editor in my paper this morning. I'm smiling

Gone too far

I am a Republican. The Republican Party nominated Mitt Romney to run for president. Some have signs in their yards and bumper stickers on their cars. Romney himself, in a more obscure portion of his now infamous candid remarks to donors, stated “...you and I, we spend our day with Republicans ... people who agree with us.”

Not quite. I accept as fact that 47 percent of Americans pay no federal-income taxes. I agree that this fact is a political issue, the consequences of which are worthy of debate. But Romney goes too far and his logic is callously flawed. He carelessly declares that those same 47 percent are unwilling to “take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” As a result, Romney’s dismissive rhetoric unapologetically demeans, among others, our poor or disabled brothers, fathers, neighbors and friends.

This is where I draw the line. If you demean my family and friends, expect a challenge with consequences. I sincerely hope that others feel the same.

If he ever had it, Mitt Romney lost my vote when he recklessly took aim at 47 percent of our people.

Ich bin ein 47-percenter.

J.K.
Winston-Salem

www.journalnow.com

October 7, 2012

It costs a fortune to raise a kid. Today mine asked me to spend $ 4.95 and repaid me for a lot

Without the call from my kid, and his patience in talking me through how to access it, I would not have watched the debate, the rumble between Jon Stewart and Bill O'Reilly which just now ended. I have not been more royally entertained, or more enlightened in all the ways these two are different, or alike, than I could have imagined.

It was topical, it was real, it was funny, it was enlightening. Listening to the audience reaction also brought information to me.
These two arch political enemies, though somewhat endearing to each other, put on a show that simply would not quit to political junkies like myself.
Jon Stewart will live in my heart forever - as if he did not before - but his quickness and brilliance with material not predictable makes him even more of an intellectual marvel to me.
O'Reilly, well, I don't much know the dude. But he impressed me with his wit and his willingness to step in the ring.

If there were any way I could share this experience with my friends on DU - I would.
I'm sure someone, somewhere, can make it available to you to see.

Remember I said:
Watch it.
You won't be sorry, you'll laugh your ass off, wet your pants, wish that more people who understand you and your political convictions were in the room to high five with.

What can I say.
The 4.95 allows me to replay it a time or two. So, just come on over.

October 6, 2012

Heads up two ways concerning Bill Maher's show...First - turn it on now

On HBO - the rerun starts at 11 EST

the reason:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Washington

Awesome, gorgeous, brilliant, with-it, High information participant. She was so good she almost prevented Bill from going into New Rules. Very good show. Don't let the fact there are 2 conservatives deter you. She dispatched them ably.

Second heads up reason:
Plan your entertainment for next Friday evening now, he will have on Ann Coulter. And I for one will not be caught in the room with the TV. No> Can> Do.

October 5, 2012

Chris Kofinis just put out what I think is a GREAT IDEA for Debate number II

He said that it is imperative President Obama continues with the vigor, the excitement and the tenor of the speeches he is giving on the stump since the first debate and stay on a roll of high energy.

He says that being precise and on top of the information really helps when confronted with a person who distorts it. That President Obama will be credible and presidential if he rebuts the accusations with instant knowledge of the real numbers.

His suggestion is for the stump speeches to include some of these facts starting now, when Obama is in his element and is rousing the masses. That way, when he is confronted in the next debate subconscious confidence and knowledge will emerge spontaneously.

These are not the words he used exactly but it's the gist of it. And I think it's absolutely right, and brilliant.

October 5, 2012

Debate Victory Validates Romney Strategy of Nonstop Lying - says Andy Borowitz

Oct. 5, 2012
Debate Victory Validates Romney Strategy of Nonstop Lying
Posted by Andy Borowitz




NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—Taking a victory lap after their candidate’s win in the first Presidential debate Wednesday night, Romney campaign insiders today attributed his success to his strategic use of relentless lying.

“We worked for hours on this during the practice debates,” said the campaign manager Matt Rhoades. “We were, like, ‘Mitt, if you find yourself on the verge of saying something true, bite your tongue.’ ”

Mr. Rhoades said that the nominee was allowed to say his real name and acknowledge that he used to be a Governor, “but other than that, he was on a very short leash, truth-wise.”

While Mr. Romney’s talent for lying was in evidence during the Republican primary debates, it was nothing like the “mad skills” he displayed Wednesday night, the campaign manager said.

“All the hard work and practice lying really paid off,” Mr. Rhoades said. “Plus hanging out with Paul Ryan.”

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2012/10/debate-victory-validates-romney-strategy-of-nonstop-lying.html#ixzz28RFp4Q2b

October 5, 2012

"Like a bull to a Matador" was a description of how Romney approached the President

Lawrence O'Donnell did a wonderfully thought out Last Word on who really won the debate: "We have no way of knowing, the jury is out, the voting will be in November..."

He quoted a columnist in a Denver Newspaper who had to go with sports analogies, and chose to compare the encounter of the debate as Romney being in the ring "like a bull to a Matador".

Let's not forget, said Lawrence, just what exactly the Matador does to the bull in the end.

I liked that.

October 5, 2012

Some things should NOT make me smile

Walked in the cemetery a few days ago...

October 2, 2012

The end of my show from the Island "Mainau" - onward and upward to new subjects

http://www.mainau.de/

On the front page of this link you see the island, as I said for reasons one does not know it has tropical climate. Even as a school child I heard about this magical island.
It is in the huge lake of Constance at the German/Swiss/Austrian borders. The building you see on the island is my first shot.



All over Germany the re-cycling is done just like this, and they are adamant about it including in homes



The bridge, the waters and the walkway to the island. I don't know the history of the sculpture, only the subject matter.



Fascinating trees along the path





Welcoming flower scupture



A peacock



Vegetables





And a shot I thought was fun of water going into the lake

October 2, 2012

Offshore Tactics Helped Increase Romneys’ Wealth - New York Times tells us how

Offshore Tactics Helped Increase Romneys’ Wealth
By MICHAEL LUO and MIKE McINTIRE

Buried deep in the tax returns released by Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign are references to dozens of offshore holdings with names like Ursa Funding (Luxembourg) S.à.r.l. and Sankaty Credit Opportunities Investors (Offshore) IV, based in the Cayman Islands.
Mr. Romney, responding to opponents’ barbs about his use of overseas tax havens, has offered a narrow defense, saying only that the investments, many made through the private equity firm he founded, Bain Capital, have yielded him “not one dollar of reduction in taxes.”
A review of thousands of pages of financial documents and interviews with tax lawyers found that in some cases, the offshore arrangements enabled his individual retirement account to avoid taxes on its investments and may well have reduced Mr. Romney’s personal income tax bills.
But perhaps a more significant impact of Mr. Romney’s offshore investments has been on the profit side of the ledger — in the way Bain’s tax-avoidance strategies have enhanced his income.
Some of the offshore entities enabled Bain-owned companies to sidestep certain taxes, increasing returns for Mr. Romney and other investors. Others helped Bain attract foreign investors and nonprofit institutions by insulating them from taxes, again augmenting Mr. Romney’s bottom line, since he shared in management fees based on the size of each Bain fund.
The documents — which include confidential Bain prospectuses and foreign regulatory filings, many previously unreported — illustrate how these tax-avoidance strategies are woven into the fabric of Bain’s deal making. While hardly a novel concept and not unique to Bain, the inevitable result is that elite investors like Mr. Romney are able to increase their fortunes in ways unavailable to most taxpayers.


Source and lots more are here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/us/politics/bains-offshore-strategies-grew-romneys-wealth.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20121002&pagewanted=print

October 2, 2012

Dahlias - Color - a second post about the Island of "Mainau"

Posting flower photos here is like carrying coal to Newcastle, I know.
Yet I can't help it. The Island was ablaze in Dahlias. There was a contest to vote for your favorite one.
The prize was a substantial amount of Euros and I put down my Moms name and address.
On five entries.