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

sTAY cALM

I guess I was sort of on a rant yesterday  LOL   No worries, I took my pills and am in my happy place.   Did I say anything about the Police Department yesterday??  I hear they are looking for recruits!  I wonder if I could be grandfathered in.
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Big day for Josh yesterday.  He got to be pepper sprayed AND tear gassed!  MAN - I wish I had a job like that!!

Morning Rod, Good Morning   SPRAAAAAY!!! AAAAGH!   Better then a cup of coffee to wake you up.

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So this years Christmas decorations on our house will be more ground display.     I don't want to go on the roof and lean over the side installing lights.  Our front yard not only slopes downhill but also slopes sideways so the ladder has no level place except the sidewalk.   

So this year I thought I would put white icicle lights on the front porch.   I strung them all up nicely, turn them on and half were out.   I ripped them up, went to the basement and found another string. Plugged them in, all was well, took them up, nicely, plugged them in and.  BAH!!!  half are out.

I HATE YOU old school lights!!  Nothing but expensive LEDs for me from now on.

OH - ShopKo will soon have music.  I "complained" at the check out last week.  Actually I just commented about how quiet it was and it was creepy.  The check out said they have been getting A LOT of complaints but it was ShopKo policy to have no music.

HOWEVER - they said that they have received an OK from the top and  in "a couple weeks" they would not be so creepy.

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Warmest day EVER in December yesterday (in Madison which I would assume also in Columbus).  22 years ago yesterday Madison had 17 inches of snow.

So if we are so warm where is the cold??  Alaska and it's waiting it's turn to move south.  You really do not like seeing Alaska BELOW their average.  Yea - we're gonna pay for this warmth.  Pretty cold in Europe also.  

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What if the Royal baby is twins.  Is it who comes out first?  WOW - what bad luck for #2 . . . unless they are identical twins which would be awesome.

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A blind guy on a bar stool shouts to the bartender, "Wanna hear a blond joke?"

In a hushed voice, the guy next to him says, "Before you tell that joke, you should know something. Our bartender is blond, the bouncer is blond. I'm a 6' tall, 200 lb black belt. The guy sitting next to me is 6'2", weighs 225, and he's a rugby player. The fella to your right is 6'5" pushing 300 and he's a wrestler. Each one of US is blond. Think about it, Mister. Do you still wanna tell that joke?"

The blind guy says, "Nah, not if I'm gonna have to explain it five times."

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You Did hear about what happened in North Korea didn't you?

This news article in The Onion

Kim Jong-Un Named The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive For 2012 

was picked up by the North Koreans and they believed it was real. The Peoples Daily Newspaper then published a 55 page exclusive on Kim Jong-Un ad his sexiness!

OK - off I go.

Tally Ho
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Walgreens.

hmmmm what should I whine and complain about today!

Gilda's Club - I'm a little pissed of at Gilda's Club as they are changing the name from Gilda's Club to CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY!

I'm a cancer survivor as I had a malignant melanoma so I can talk about this with a little knowledge.

I think it is a travesty how they can use Gilda Radner's name for their group but THEN come out and say, well, some people don't know who Gilda is so we're going to dump her.   WOW!  So they are basically famous name whores. Use'm up and throw it out!
  
I sent an email to info@GildasClubMadison.org saying

So once you have used up a woman's personality and name and she is no longer relevant and making money for you you just toss her out?  Even though she lost her life to cancer and helped your organization you just say "you are no longer needed"? 

I can't believe you are so uncaring at using Gilda's name but now just dump her.

I'm a cancer survivor and now I see your true colors.

I never used Gilda's Club. When I had cancer they sent me to a therapist and after 3 sessions I was sort of fired because I was not worried and depressed enough. Seriously, they kept telling me how I was blocking my feelings and not being all depressed and so forth.   I kept telling them that geez, I had the best technique (MOHS Chemo Surgery) in the world and they said they got 100% . . .why should I be worried and depressed??

Life is way to short to worry about something that I have no control of (basically). 

ANYWAY - back on topic.  If I was talking to someone about my cancer I would MUCH rather say I was attending Gilda's Club rather then saying I go to THE CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY!  I think they want people to be depressed and make them say the word cancer over and over and over again.

Send Gilda's Club an email.  Let's not forget Gilda.
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OH - Summit Credit Union now charges you to exchange dollars for pennies!   F U Summit

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Walgreen's - first I have to jump through hoops to sell postcards to Walgreen's.  Then they never actually get paid for those postcards (although they say they did but you would think I would remember getting two $80 checks) and then they cancel my account and I go to Walgreen' to get my postcard rack and they threw it out!


Sharrow Drugs left downtown Columbus because insurance companies were starting to drop small town drugstores and it was getting harder and harder to deal with them.  So when ShopKo said we will work with you and want Sharrow to be inside our store Nick was all for it.  All employees were be hired and so forth.

What did Walgreens do?  They put up a big sign saying WE WILL ACCEPT ALL SHARROW DRUG CUSTOMERS.

WOW -   Stealing Nicks customers?   Really?  Not very town friendly are you.  Nick Sharrow said (getting this like 12th hand) that he would have have gone out of business rather then work with Walgreens.
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Had a little rain this weekend - finally.  Here is the race so far.  Remember - for NOAA the Water year begins October 1st. It's around that date when evapotranspiration diminishes and ground water starts to reload for next summer.   Here is the 4 year graph from October 1st for Columbus.

In case you are wondering - November was 3.3 degrees above the average high and 0.6 degrees above the average low.  1.49 inches below average in precipitation.

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I brewed my Double Chocolate Stout Friday and watched Snow White and the Huntsmen.  Good movie.  Not really a mind bending plot twisty adventure but it was OK. 

I might be getting a man crush on Chris Hemsworth. 

Everything I have seen him in he seems to be a perfect fit.  Although I can't remember him in Star Trek as Jim Kirks dad.  









So I seem to be watching a lot TV shows where the characters have big accents.  In Copper all the actors have a huge Irish accent and in Hell On Wheels there are all sorts of conversation where I don't have a clue what they just said.   Is it me?  Have I lost the ability to hear the nuances of different dialects?  

Am I getting old?? WHAT DID YOU SAY SONNY??   

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On this day in 1818 Illinois became the 21st State . . . .sigh . . . .so so many things I could say. 

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Our refrigerator continues to rot the floor under it.  I believe it is the defrost heater that melts ice and the melted ice drips onto our floor. 

I THINK.  We had a Sears repairman come out when it was still under warranty and he basically threw his arms up and said I DON'T KNOW.   It only does this at like midnight and by the time I get around to looking for the problem, no sign of water.  

I can't figure out how to find the problem. The back for the frig does not come off. How can I get in there to look for anything loose. 

And our dishwasher is not dripping water every so often.  

No water coming out of our stove . . . yet!! 

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BTW - Packer fans should now be worried about Russel Wilson and the Seahawks because they have the tie breaker.  

Rod