. . . you say? And it's not even Halloween yet (let alone election day). . .
(By Martha C. White, http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/15/14454865-koch-brothers-to-workers-vote-for-romney-or-suffer-the-consequences?lite)
". . . As a contentious election season enters its final weeks, a flurry of communication from corporate leaders to rank-and-file workers strongly implies that voting for Obama could imperil their jobs and their financial stability.
Employees of a paper company owned by the outspoken billionaire Koch brothers received a mailing warning that they could “suffer the consequences, including higher gasoline prices, runaway inflation, and other ills" if they voted for candidates not supported by Koch-owned companies or its political fund-raising arm.
The company also provided workers with a list of those candidates it supports. At the top: Mitt Romney, according to media outlet In These Times, which broke the story. “The packet also included an anti-Obama editorial by Charles Koch and a pro-Romney editorial by David Koch,” it said.
“This is in no way an attempt to ‘intimidate’ employees,” Greg Guest, senior director of corporate communications at Georgia-Pacific, said in a statement on the site kochfacts.com.
"It's free speech. On the other hand, while it's maybe not directly intended to be intimidating, it can be intimidating," said Izzy Kushner, president of consulting firm HR Impact and president of the Human Resources Association of New York.
Although the Koch brothers are known for their outspoken support of the GOP, “Our support is not based on party affiliation, and we support both Republicans and Democrats who support market-based policies and solutions,” Guest’s statement said. . ."
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(from Wikipedia.com)
Dweezil Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Gail Zappa, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger brother Ahmet. He is the cousin of actress Lala Sloatman. Zappa's father was of Sicilian, Greek, Arab, and French descent, and his mother was of French, Irish and mostly Danish ancestry.
Dweezil's registered birth name was Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa. The hospital at which he was born refused to register him under the name Dweezil, so Frank listed the names of several musician friends. "Dweezil" was a nickname coined by Frank for an oddly-curled pinky-toe of Gail's. At five years old, Dweezil learned that his legal name was different, and he insisted on having his nickname become his legal name. Gail and Frank hired an attorney and soon the name Dweezil was official.
In the 1980s, Zappa worked as an MTV VJ and was promptly fired after badmouthing MTV on The Howard Stern Show. He also recorded some solo albums, as well as playing for other artists. Zappa can be heard playing lead guitar on The Fat Boys' "Wipe Out" (1987) and can be seen in the music video for Don Johnson's top 40 song, "Heartbeat". He also played co-lead guitar (along with Reb Beach) on Winger's cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze". Dweezil has said that Eddie Van Halen was his favorite guitar player, and he began copying Van Halen's distinctive guitar style. He also had a part in the futuristic Arnold Schwarzenegger film The Running Man as Stevie ("Don't touch that dial!"), and gave his most famous cameo role in John Hughes's Brat Pack film, Pretty in Pink (starring Molly Ringwald), as Andie's friend, Simon.
Since the early 1990s, Zappa has been working on a piece of music named "What the Hell Was I Thinking?", a 75-minute piece featuring guitar solos by dozens of famous guitar players. The project has suffered from numerous difficulties and has been reworked several times since the '90s. Dweezil said in September 2004: "I started recording it on analog tape almost 13 years ago... There are probably about 35 guest guitar players on it, everybody from Brian May to Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Angus and Malcolm Young — it's quite a crazy project. I'm still waiting and hoping to record Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as some of my final guests on there."
In 2006, Zappa organized the "Zappa Plays Zappa" tour. He assembled a band of young musicians with a view to bring the music of Frank Zappa to a younger audience. The tour also featured guest appearances by Steve Vai, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Terry Bozzio. The tour began in Europe in May with dates in the U.S. from June. After a break it continued in the U.S. on October 18, 2006. The 2007 version of the tour ran from July, finishing in Australia in early December, and featured Ray White as special guest. The shows ended with the promise: "There are so many songs we want to learn to play ... see y'all next year ...", and further tours have followed each year since 2007.
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Before, during and after the American Legion gig, there were many dances, 'bull roasts', weddings and other affairs to keep us busy. Still, in spite of many requests for more 'current' material, we persisted in our same-old repertoire, rationalizing, being lazy, but having fun, doggedly tightening-up our musical simpatico until the question of marriage was broached.
No, I don't mean a a radial, unconventional partnership of some kind among the band members. I mean my fiance (now wife of many, many wonderful years) and I were planning our wedding. The date was to be October 6, 1979. It was sometime in the spring of '79 and I gave some serious thought to how to approach a musical life combined with married life. Options were to continue in the same vein with the group, make a little spending money, and leave my new wife home alone many weekend nights, or pursue a new band opportunity that may be more challenging, more lucrative or more aesthetically satisfying- but that would still leave the other partner in my new marriage to fend for herself as much, if not more, as staying with the original band would. Fact is, for all my love of music, I enjoyed spending personal time with this person to whom I was committing the rest of my life. I enjoyed it, and still do, so much, that the choice was not terribly difficult, I can honestly say. So I announced my decision to my band-mates well in advance, set a 'last' date target, and after a particularly satisfying Saturday night performance at the legion hall, we said goodbye. There was no animosity, no bad feelings. There was simply honesty. We had a fine time socializing during breaks, as usual, and after it ended, I had effectively, and for the time being, retired from music.
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OHO
Friday, October 19, 2012 @ 9:00PM
at
Bread & Circuses Bistro
27 E. Chesapeake Avenue
Towson, MD 21286
410-337-5282 http://bandcbistro.com/
OHO? Aha! That's a name that rings bells. Baltimore's answer to Pink Floyd, an American underground icon, a band that came out of nowhere playing music the chroniclers swore was years ahead of its time. OHO sneaks around the musical conventions that have mummified so many others, unleashing sliders where you'd expect curve balls, fast balls where you'd expect change-ups. Part of its their sense of humor, part of it their unerring humanity.
. . . or was the debate something like this? . . .
(from http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/president/candidates/romney/2012/10/11/fact-check-slips-vice-president-debate/7ZH8sFVuIfG2B7XpZaaozH/story.html)
". . .Vice President Joe Biden has
mangled a heaping helping of facts over the years. Despite being newer
to presidential-campaign politics, Republican Paul Ryan has already
earned something of a reputation Vice President Joe Biden has mangled a heaping helping of facts over the years. Despite being newer to presidential-campaign politics, Republican Paul Ryan has already earned something of a reputation for taking flying leaps past reality.
How'd they do Thursday night?
Here’s a look at some of their claims:
BIDEN, on whether U.S. should have beefed up security at the U.S. Consulate in Libya before the deadly terrorist attack there: ‘‘We weren’t told they wanted more security there.’’
RYAN: ‘‘There were requests for more security.’’
THE FACTS: Ryan is right, judging by testimony from Obama administration officials at a congressional hearing this week.
Charlene R. Lamb, a deputy assistant secretary for diplomatic security, told lawmakers she refused requests for more security in Benghazi, saying the department wanted to train Libyans to protect the consulate. ‘‘Yes, sir, I said personally I would not support it,’’ she said.
Eric Nordstrom, who was the top security official in Libya earlier this year, testified he was criticized for seeking more security. He said conversations he had with people in Washington led him to believe that it was ‘‘abundantly clear we were not going to get resources until the aftermath of an incident. How thin does the ice have to get before someone falls through?’’
___
RYAN: ‘‘We should have spoken out right away when the green revolution was up and starting, when the mullahs in Iran were attacking their people. We should not have called Bashar Assad a reformer when he was turning his Russian-provided guns on his own people.
THE FACTS: Neither President Barack Obama nor anyone else in his administration ever considered the Syrian leader a ‘‘reformer.’’ The oft-repeated charge stems from an interview Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gave in March 2011 noting that ‘‘many of the members of Congress of both parties who have gone to Syria in recent months have said they believe he’s a reformer.’’ She did not endorse that view. The comment was widely perceived to be a knock at senators such as John Kerry of Massachusetts who maintained cordial relations with Assad in the months leading up to his crackdown on protesters.
___
BIDEN: ‘‘We went out and rescued General Motors.’’
THE FACTS: Actually, the auto bailout of General Motors and Chrysler began under President George W. Bush. The Obama administration continued and expanded it.
___ RYAN: ‘‘And then they put this new Obamacare board in charge of cutting Medicare each and every year in ways that will lead to denied care for current seniors. This board, by the way, it’s 15 people, the president’s supposed to appoint them next year. And not one of them even has to have medical training.’’
THE FACTS: Ryan is referring to the Independent Payment Advisory Board, created under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law. It has the power to force cuts in Medicare payments to service providers if costs rise above certain levels and Congress fails to act. But it doesn’t look like the board will be cutting Medicare ‘‘each and every year,’’ as Ryan asserts. Medicare costs are currently rising modestly and the government’s own experts project the board’s intervention will not be needed until 2018 and 2019 at the earliest — after Obama leaves office if re-elected to a second term.
___
BIDEN, when asked who would pay more taxes in Obama’s second term: ‘‘People making a million dollars or more.’’
THE FACTS: Obama’s proposed tax increase reaches farther down the income ladder than millionaires. He wants to roll back Bush-era tax cuts for individuals making over $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000.
___
RYAN: ‘‘We cannot allow Iran to gain a nuclear weapons capability. Now, let’s take a look at where we've gone — come from. When Barack Obama was elected, they had enough fissile material — nuclear material — to make one bomb. Now they have enough for five. They’re racing toward a nuclear weapon. They’re four years closer toward a nuclear weapons capability.’’
THE FACTS: Ryan’s claim is misleading. Iran isn’t believed to have produced any of the highly enriched uranium needed to produce even one nuclear weapon, let alone five. That point isn’t even disputed by Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored the world at the United Nations last month to create a ‘‘red line’’ at enrichment above 20 percent. Iran would have to enrich uranium at much higher levels to produce a weapon. There is intelligence suggesting that Iran has worked on weapon designs, but not that it has developed a delivery system for any potential nuclear warhead. . . "
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David A. Siegel and his wife are resuming construction of a 90,000-square-foot home, called Versailles in Florida, the
largest private home in the country. It will have13 bedrooms, 23 full bathrooms, a 6,000-square-foot master suite, with a bed on a rotating platform, a banquet
kitchen plus 10 satellite kitchens, a 20-car garage, three pools, a
two-story wine cellar and a grand hall with a 30-foot stained glass
dome.
Mr. Siegel recently sent this to his employees. . .
Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]
To All My Valued Employees,
As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to
succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the
economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement
over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have
faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a
threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4
years of the same presidential administration. Of course, as your
employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t
interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I
encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests
the best.
However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is
in your best interest. The current administration and members of the
press have perpetuated an environment that casts employers against
employees. They want you to believe that we live in a class system where
the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the “1%” and
imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face our
country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have
heard about the big home that I’m building. I’m sure many people think
that I live a privileged life. However, what you don’t see or hear is
the true story behind any success that I have achieved.
I started this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a
very modest home. I converted my garage into an office so I could put
forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would
eventually employ you. We didn’t eat in fancy restaurants or take
expensive vacations because every dollar I made went back into this
company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I stayed home on
weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I
was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.
Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a
week and made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They
drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer
clothes. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of
luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into
this business —-with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be
able to afford to buy whatever I wanted. Even to this day, every dime I
earn goes back into this company. Over the past four years I have had to
stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my expenses, and take
my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company strong and to
keep you employed.
Just think about this – most of you arrive at work in the morning and
leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you
please. But not me- there is no “off” button for me. When you leave the
office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I
unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, live, and breathe this
company every minute of the day, every day of the week. There is no
rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know many of you
work hard and do a great job, but I’m the one who has to sign every
check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to
succeed. Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the
lavish lifestyle. What the press certainly does not want you to see, is
the true story of the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the
right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out
all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks
suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed
42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but
the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the
costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell
you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don’t
pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and
use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment
taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these
taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the
economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who
have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like
me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000
people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?
Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is
the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted
50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why
should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work?
Well, that’s what happens to me.
Here is what most people don’t understand and the press and our
Government has chosen to ignore – to stimulate the economy you need to
stimulate what runs the economy. Instead of raising my taxes and
depositing that money into the Washington black-hole, let me spend it on
growing the company, hire more employees, and generate substantial
economic growth. My employees will enjoy the wealth of that tax cut in
the form of promotions and better salaries. But that is not what our
current Government wants you to believe. They want you to believe that
it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth and
give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They
don’t want you to know that the “1%”, as they like to label us, pay more
than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author
of our great Constitution, once said, “democracy” will cease to exist
when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those
who would not.”
Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart
it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers
in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of
the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth
and this is the type of change they want.
So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new
taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I
will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than
grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs,
less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.
So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which
candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who
doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions
and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and
saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1
percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of
the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it
will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this
country.
You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the
productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to
provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities.
If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach,
under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.
Signed, your boss,
David Siegel
Mr. Siegel has said that every dime he earns goes back into his
company but where did all the money for the house come from? How did such an astute businessman come so close to bankruptcy? Is the government to blame for his having to pull his eight
kids out of private school? I said EIGHT kids?
Eight. . . well that's enough. . .
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a: to join in a secret agree
By Sevil Omer and M. Alex Johnson, NBC News
(http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/08/14295418-sandusky-alleging-broad-conspiracy-insists-hes-innocent-of-child-sex-abuse-charges?lite)
". . .New in this version: Statement from Sandusky; reaction from attorney; links to text and audio
Updated at 8:27 p.m. ET: Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky insisted Monday that "I did not do these alleged disgusting acts" and blamed a systematic conspiracy among police, Penn State administrators and the media for his conviction on 45 counts of child sexual abuse.
Tom Winter and Michael Isikoff of NBC News and Lu Ann Cahn and Karen Araiza of NBC station WCAU-TV of Philadelphia contributed to this report by Sevil Omer and M. Alex Johnson of NBC News.
"They can take away my life, they can make me out as a monster, they can treat me as a monster, but they can't take away my heart," Sandusky, 68, who is to be sentenced Tuesday, said in a three-minute statement recorded from his jail cell in Bellefonte, Pa., and aired on the Penn State student radio station.
Sandusky said his accusers were part of a "well-orchestrated effort of the media, investigators, the system, Penn State, psychologists (and) civil attorneys" to falsely put him in prison.
"My wife has been my only sex partner, and that was after marriage. Our love continues," he said.
Related: Full statement from Jerry Sandusky
Related: Audio of Sandusky's statement on Penn State student station ComRadio
"Over and over, I asked why? Why didn't we have a fair opportunity to prepare for trial?" Sandusky said. "Why have so many people suffered as a result of false allegations?"
He said his accusers chose to join his Second Mile program for troubled boys "because of issues" and said that "some of those may remain."
Sandusky said he hoped his experience would help others, saying: "Some vulnerable children who could be abused might not be because of all the publicity. That would be nice, but I'm not sure about it."
Karl Rominger, an attorney for Sandusky, told NBC News that he hadn't known of Sandusky's plans to issue the statement beforehand. After hearing it, he said it sounded like his client.
Earlier, Sandusky's lead attorney, Joe Amendola, said his client was prepared for the worst when he is sentenced on 45 counts of child sexual abuse Tuesday.
"He's going to say that he’s innocent," Amendola told NBCPhiladelphia. com.
Sandusky, who had become a hometown hero as a Penn State coach and as a champion for underprivileged boys, was convicted in June of abusing 10 boys over 15 years, including some attacks inside Penn State's athletic facilities.
Before the judge decides how much time Sandusky will spend in prison, some of his victims may speak out, as may Sandusky.
View NBCPhiladelphia's complete coverage of Penn State scandal
"Jerry will not be having anyone speak on his behalf," Amendola told NBC News on Monday before participating in a closed-door meeting with prosecutors and Judge John Cleland to discuss sentencing logistics.
Attorney Ben Andreozzi, who represents Victim 4, told the Patriot News that nothing surprises him from Sandusky.
"I keep hoping he will do the right thing and take responsibility for his actions but it appears that day will never come," Andreozzi said.
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Sentencing is expected to begin with a hearing to determine whether Sandusky qualifies as a sexually violent predator under Pennsylvania's version of Megan's Law, after which Sandusky will be sentenced.
Sandusky will likely spend the rest of his life in prison, given his age and the serious nature of his convictions. Several of the counts carry mandatory minimum sentences of five or 10 years.
Amendola said Sandusky is prepared to hear the worst.
"It's going to be tantamount to a life sentence for Jerry," Amendola told NBCPhiladelphia.com.
Amendola told NBC News that he has letters defending Sandusky, including one from his wife, Dottie Sandusky, who stands by her husband and will attend the sentencing.
Sandusky admits to no wrongdoing, Amendola said, but he does admit making a mistake.
“What Jerry has always said, his mistake was using bad judgment and doing some of the things that led up to the accusations — getting showers with kids," Amendola told NBCPhiladelphia.com. "He said he should have realized, obviously, that wasn't the thing to do. But he's always maintained and still maintains his innocence."
Sandusky has spent the last three months in a cell with a bed, a sink and a toilet.
"It’s a Spartan life. He’s isolated," Amendola said. "Not because he's bad, not because they think he's a bad person, but for his own protection.”
Sandusky has been busy writing a detailed document that he is convinced will be the key to his appeal. . ."
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