I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

BarbaraA

PM coming

lewing

Alexandria, thanks for the thumbs up on Argo . . . I was already planning to see it (loved the trailer), now you've made me want to see it even more.

My daughter tells me I also have to see Looper; any reviews here for that?

Spent the morning working for a Dem state senate candidate in another part of Brooklyn (actually one of the neighborhoods I'd consider moving to if and when my sweetie and I get it together to look for a bigger place, so as you can imagine I was also checking out the real estate).  It was a beautiful day, and I had fun hitting the doors. 

Getting ready for a great dinner (braised lamb shanks in a kind of French-Korean fusion, mashed potatos and celery root, kale salad and an almond plum crumble) and a TV movie.  (The Third Man is on one of the classic movie channels if anyone else is interested.)

Waving to Barbara . . .

Linda

1Athena1

oky-doke!

1Athena1

Hey, lewing, how did your calls go the other day?

suzieq60

I wish the mods hadn't relented on political talk here. It's a long time until the election. I hope we can all stay friends.

(((((((((((Barb))))))))))

rosemary-b

Waving at Barbara. Always good to hear from you

crazy4carrots

Hi Barbara. You're definitely entitled to your own opinion regarding the political discourse in your own country.  But if you've been reading all the posts here about the upcoming election, you HAD to know that your post would not necessarily be viewed exactly favourably!  On the other hand, it certainly led to some very knowledgeable posters providing some very interesting information about the foreign service, to mention just one.

I remember, having joined BCO in August 2008, reading the political threads and being, frankly, astounded, at the vehemence  with which each side expressed their feelings.  It was my first experience with a discussion forum of any kind, and certainly an eye-opening experience to see how very, very politicized the posters were.  Being a long-time bleeding heart Canadian liberal, I was drawn to the democratic side!  The discussions got increasingly heated and sometimes downright nasty, with members posting stuff on each others' threads.

The mods learned their lesson after 2008, and I'm sure they decided that in this election cycle, it was going to be a "go to your own corners and stay there" or else the threads would come down and political discussions would be banned completely.  But they also realized that politics has enormous amount to do with the life, times and health conditions of all the members here.  So the advice was "If you don't like what you're reading -- either here or there -- then make prodigious use of the ignore button".

I really only read this thread (and a couple of others where discussions about symptoms seem to apply to me), and never even take a peek at "that other thread" because those opinions don't interest me in the least.  If I want to know what's going on in GOP-land, then there are ample websites and newspapers to fill me in. 

We all like to interact with folks who think along the same lines ( in politics, in religion, in language, in culture).  The world doesn't come in just two colours; there are many hues and gradations.  We do see different opinions on this thread, but I think we all lean towards the progressive, forward-thinking side of the colour spectrum.

And we don't talk politics ALL the time! 

QuinnCat

Linda- are you making that dinner?? If so, impressed!!

Hi Barbara - I don't know you, but nice to meet you.  Were you the one that flew to Marybe's side?  Did you meet here at BCO??....so sorry for your loss, as well for others that knew her. Seems she was well loved here at BCO.  I might be confused about this...hope not.  xxo 

alexandria58

Barbara; don't know you but hello. Congrats on the job offer!!

IllinoisLady

A little piece that just came in my email. 

Amy Goodman from Democracy Now interviews 16-year-old
Karri Penniston, one of three protesters arrested in front of Sensata
Technologies' Freeport, IL plant last week.

Police
arrested 16-year-old Karri Penniston and two other protesters at the Sensata Technologies plant in Freeport, IL
last week on October 8th. The workers and their supporters had an altercation
with a truck driver hired to move equipment from the plant. The protests began
last month on September 12th, when Sensata -- a company owned by Bain Capital,
the notorious leveraged buy-out firm founded by Presidential Candidate Mitt
Romney -- announced that 200 workers would be laid off by the end of this year,
and that their jobs are being sent to China. To add insult to injury, Bain
Capital ordered Sensata workers to take down the American flag when their Chinese
replacements arrived for training (yes, part of Bain's "harvesting" process requires workers to train their
own replacements). Since Romney still profits from Bain's practice of
off-shoring jobs and "harvesting" the profits, Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan's recent vehement anti-China
statements ring hollow.

//
//

When
asked why she let herself be arrested, Penniston told the Rockford Register Star, "I did it because my mom couldn't
do it herself, she's in the factory working," said Penniston. "It's for a good
cause. I think it's the only time she'll be okay with it [getting arrested]." In
an interview with Amy Goodman, from Democracy Now, Penniston further explained:

I'm
here because I'm supporting my mom and supporting everybody that works out at
Sensata, because, I mean, I really think it's a big issue ... It matters to me
because this is our-like, it's our source of income. When my mom loses her job,
we're not going to have, like, money for Christmas. It's going to be harder to,
like, get by ... And I think my mom's good at what she does, and I don't think she
deserves to lose her job.

You
can watch the entire interview in the video below:

 

To
learn more about the Sensata workers' fight to keep their jobs in the U.S., and
to find out how you can help, visit their Web site, Greetings from Bainport, Illinois.

QuinnCat

Thanks for posting this IllionoisLady....Romney doesn't care that these jobs are going to China...that's how he makes his profit (taxed at 15%!!!!!).

CherrylH

He keeps harping on creating jobs. He just doesn't say they're in China!

Beesie

Okay, Athena, I'm going to bite.  The reason I said "over and out" is not because I wouldn't love to participate in a discussion about our differences of opinion, but because I worry that it could lead to some heated words and nastiness.... and that goes against the rules set up by the Moderators.  I don't want the Mods to shut you guys down. That's why I'm not continuing the discussion.

But.... (yeah, I just can't help myself), in response to all the explanations about Obama's "lies" or broken promises, actually, I get it.  $#!t happens.  Things weren't as expected. I know perfectly well why most of the campaign promises that I mentioned were not met. I was actually making a point.  

In corporate life, a good manager or executive is someone who is flexible and who is able to adapt to the environment.  Someone who thoughtfully and with clear purpose changes the execution and tactics as new information comes in.  The strategy and goals should remain the same, but the way you get there may have to change. That's true in governing too. And it's certainly true in political campaigns.  It's true in life too. We probably all had to change our at least our short-term plans when we were diagnosed, but our overall goals remained the same.  So whether it's Obama or Romney, I don't consider changes in tactics or an execution plan to be a horrible thing or a big lie, not if the overall objectives and strategies are the same.  

Obama has lied during this campaign.  Romney has lied during this campaign.  The objective fact checkers have them pretty much even on that.  Obama has changed tactics.  Romney has changed tactics. Obama has failed to deliver to promises. Romney... well we'll see what happens if he's elected but I'll bet that if he is, there will be some promises that he will fail to deliver.  

If you are going to excuse and explain away all of Obama's broken promises and lies and changes in position and policy, and have one set of rules for him, you need to be fair and allow those same excuses and apply those same set of rules to Romney. You can't say that one set of behaviors is fine when Obama or Biden do it, but it's not fine when Romney or Ryan do it. They are all politicians, after all.  That's the point I was trying to make but I guess I was too subtle. 

By the way, if we are doing donations tonight, I'll go for Planned Parenthood.   

ananda8

Beesie,  Politifact is a fact checker quoted by both sides and has won a Pulitzer Prize. It has the following statistics. Combining true and half true statements Obama is factual 71% of the time and Romney is factual 58% of the time. Romney has his pants catch fire almost 5X more often than Obama.

Obama http://www.politifact.com/personalities/barack-obama/

True and mostly true statements....45%

Half True.....................................26%

Mostly false and false...................26%

Pants on Fire................................  2%

Romney http://www.politifact.com/personalities/mitt-romney/

True and mostly true statements....30%

Half True.....................................28%

Mostly False and False...................34%

Pants on Fire................................ 9%

bluedahlia

Beesie this is not directed at you.  Others that lurk, well maybe but I thought it was hilarious.

bluedahlia

Not trying to change the subject.  I look fat!!!!!  Professional photos not available yet.

bluedahlia

That's my little man in the background.

bluedahlia

OK, back to talking about R idjut squared!

lassie11

So Not Fat, Blue!!  I'd love to be your size! You look great.

ananda8

Blue, your dress is beautiful and  the accessories are perfect!  You look so happy and elegant and your "little man" thinks so too.

bluedahlia

Thank you!  My mom couldn't be there.  She is sufferring with Alzheimers, but I had the honour of wearing her antique solid gold necklace.  The bride and groom did visit with her shortly at her home after the reception.  She used to be a seamstress and started explaining to my daughter how her wedding dress was made.  She's 86 God Bless her, and still recognizes my voice when I call.

rosemary-b

Blue

You look absolutely stunning. 

YramAL

Blue-you look beautiful. I love your dress. I wish I had the arms and decollette(sp?) to wear a dress like that. 

Mary 

CherrylH

Me too!

lewing

Blue, you look gorgeous!



Dinner last night was great (yes, Kam, that was my cooking...I love to cook, especially this time of year when it's cooled down but there's still all this great produce).



Athena, in response to your question a page or so back - phone calling to PA last Thursday went well. I got a lot of answering machines, of course, but the folks that I did reach we're mostly Obama supporters or leaning in that direction...including one guy who told me he was a registered Republican but was totally with the President.

suzieq60

Blue - you and your grandson looked gorgeous I agree - wish I could wear a dress like that.

Belinda44

Blue, lovely dress!

Some encouraging news:

"Obama grabs wide lead among those who have already voted: Reuters/Ipsos poll"

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/14/us-usa-campaign-poll-idUSBRE8991FR20121014

IllinoisLady

Responding on this page so --- beautiful dress, stunning necklace.  You won't like me for this....the chairs look like they were definitely not designed for your back.  Wish your mother could have been there, but not all wishes get to come true.  You looked lovely and very happy for your daughter. 

Jackie

IllinoisLady

Saw a quote this morning that so reminded me of pants on fire Romney:

"Outside noisy, inside empty."
Chinese
Proverb

( interesting as well that it comes apparently from some of the people he likes to seee favored with work )

I know it's a little tacky but it was there. 

Jackie

bluedahlia

You're right Jackie about the chairs...We later moved indoors for a sit down dinner.  The chairs were much better but my back was not.  Don't let that smie fool you.  I was in agony.

Went to see an accupuncturist on Friday and am feeling 60% better.  Next appointment on Tuesday.  Can't wait.  Told me he'd have me all fixed up in no time.  For about 3 hrs after treatment, no pain!