The SO CALLED Fiscal Cliff

I like how all the news people now put "SO CALLED" in front of "Fiscal Cliff" (which is more of a slope in reality).

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Been fighting this cold for a while now - thought I had it beat over the weekend but then BAM - Sunday night there it was again but this time a little stronger.  Not a bad cold but one of those  almost colds . The kind that makes sleeping a hassle because you can't breath but once you are up you feel 80% good.
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SO - yesterday I spent time installing 5 canvas images on the walls of Filene Research Institute.  I used french cleats for attaching to the walls.   Looks a little out of the way but when you enter the main office that is the first thing you see. 

I also saw their finished conference room where I have my B17 hanging.

And one more thing I had a hand in is their direct enterence.

This was originally taken from an iPhone and was about 100K in size.  Really tiny.  They asked if I could blow it up and I said how big and they said - Oh maybe 3 x 4 feet?   ummm  ahhh!

So I worked on it and once I was done they printed it on aluminum (about $1300 to do that).

Sadly their walls are filling up.
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Odd thing about the SO CALLED Fiscal Cliff.

If Obama passes what he wants to pass it will actually hurt the blue states.  If the Republicans pass what they want it will have the most impact on hurting the red states. Ya gotta love politics.

Here is why.

If Obama raises taxes on the $250,000 people, the majority of the quarter mils are in blue states.  And really, it will have very little effect on the super duper rich because they get most of their income from capitol gains which have a much lower tax rate and won't be touched.

Obama also wants to end deductions on mortgage interest which hurts the people with high property values . . . also in blue states. 

So Obama will raise taxes on business owners while keeping the capital gains taxes low for the uber rich. He will then take out the itemized deductions on mortgage interest and state and local taxes. All of his plans hurt the blue states more then the red states.

HOWEVER - then you have what the red-publicans want to do.

The right want to make huge cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Those "unfair" entitlements that many many more people in the red southern states depend on.  Then they want to cut $300 billion in farm subsidies and $300 billion in cuts to discretionary spending.  Again hurting the red farm rich states.

The red states get much more federal money then they send in.  The blue states send much more money to the fed but get little in return as it all goes south.

Romney and the Republicans were the overwhelming choice for people that receive the most free federal money.

The people that were so against Obama will lose the most money if the Republicans get their way and the people that voted for Obama will lose the most money if he gets his way.

Don't get me wrong - for me it was all about the social aspect of the election, not the fiscal aspect.

SIGH - gotta love politics. 
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The Victories Secret Fashion Show.

I love it. Seriously. And it will be rerun on 57 the CBW(?) next Wednesday.  Many people have closed minds about the VS show but they have never actually watched it and only see little snip-its. 

Yea - gotta hate beauty.

But if you watch the show look at the outfits. They are engineering marvels.  Really, it takes a TON of talent making 30 pound suits that really look like works of art.  Watch the show for the art, not the sex.

When someone see's a million dollar bra some people are blinded and say why should I care, it's not real. No, it's not real, it's art.  

Last year one model was getting zapped from a short circuit as she walked the runway.  Who wouldn't want to see someone smiling as she is getting zapped.   

Plus the music - Last year Jay Z, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Maroon 5, this year  Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber.   

Maybe because seeing absolutely flawless woman wearing the worlds most high tech slinky outfits is  intimating to some as they sit on their couch eating popcorn dripping in butter but heck, if people are that unsure about themselves when they see the top 1% of the top 1% maybe they should not even watch television at all.

Just putting these things on is a major engineering feat.

Won't see THAT on a beach

 
OH - 275 days without snow - only 2 days away from a record!!!  

nuff said

Rod