Romney Condemns the Politics of Envy, Says the Other 99% is Just Jealous

Bugger’s Notch, S.C. Speaking at a campaign stop, Mitt Romney responded to criticism today that he helped create the enormous gap between the rich and everyone else by blaming everyone else. Amid growing attacks on his years as a corporate vulture, Romney lashed out against critics he described as jealous people who just seek to divide the country more evenly. Citing President Obama as an example, Romney said, “Everywhere he goes we hear him talking about millionaires and billionaires. He’s got what, one maybe two mill in the bank? I have over 100 million smackers. It’s obvious, he’s jealous." 

"I like being able to fire people."

Defending his work at Bain Capital, Romney asserted that creative destruction is part of capitalism. “At Bain, we just happened to be more creative.”  He said that it was almost painful to pile debt on a company and pay the proceeds out to Bain, "but how else could we teach the workers we didn't fire to be competitive? If you can’t carry the load, move to Mexico because that’s where your job is going.”

"Okay, so we killed a few people."

Reminding his audience that corporations are people, Romney admitted that Bain’s business strategy may have included a few killings, but he quickly characterized them as mercy killings. “Corporations are people, my friends. They are. And like people, they sometimes have mishaps, like breaking a leg that is too expensive to fix, and then they have to be put down.” A spokesman quickly clarified that the candidate’s remarks were not intended as an appeal for the euthanasia vote.

Electric Kool-aid Acid Guy

I met this German fellow in the gift shop of the Calhoun Mansion in Charleston recently. He was very proud of his Moods of Norway outfit. You have got to check out their website. It's fascinating. 

A week before that I had never heard of Moods of Norway, but after a recent trip to Zuccotti Park to see the Occupy Wall Street protesters, I made the required stop at Century 21, the designer outlet store that is always a mob scene. I bought a plaid shirt that I liked without even noticing the brand. I saw it was Mood when  I cut the tags off. So, it gave me a great laugh when I asked about the suit. He opened the front and pointed to the Mood label inside which also said  'Made by Sexy Blond Women in Norway'! 

The Real Zombies of Italy

A PR photo for Sarah Murray's book, Making an Exit seemed appropriate for Halloween. This is from a Capuchin Monastery in Palermo where in the 1800s, noticing that bodies preserve particularly well in the dry air of their basement, they began hanging dead clergy from the walls. National Geographic has a number of photos from the crypt on its website. One in Sarah's book is particularly startling for the snarl on its face, but you'll have to buy the book to see that.

Richest Congressman Practiced Republican Job Creationism in China

The richest man in Congress, Darrell Issa, was on NPR  the other day talking about the Postal Service where he brilliantly observed that “as a businessman, that no matter what they say, they have more than a small cash flow problem.” That comment was to establish his credentials as a "successful businessman" before his next move which was to propose a classic management maneuver: cut wages. Issa wants to establish a Government Control Board that could impose wage and benefit reductions on Postal workers. This is just good business. Never mind that Congress has refused to invest in the postal service, let it modernize, or even raise the 44 cent price of sending a letter from New York to California (something UPS charges between $23 and $71 to do) while demonizing its management and workers for the large losses.

Here is yet another millionaire businessman doing his vision thing on the economy. Cut wages, increase profits, cut wages, make money, cut wages, run for Congress.

Issa, through his company Directed Electronics, is responsible for more nights of disturbed sleep than anyone else  in America thanks to his annoying car alarms. The company's home page states, “Directed Electronics is the largest designer and marketer in North America of consumer-branded vehicle security and remote start systems ,” Notice it doesn't say manufacturer. Guess what that means. In all likelihood their products are not made in America. Like so much other junk that is sold here, they are made in China or Thailand or Indonesia, or even Japan. So, the richest capitalist  in Congress made his fortune without ever creating an American manufacturing job. (Oh, except at that factory in Cleveland that burned down.) Issa is a Republican and I think it is safe to assume he supports his party's low tax on business platform. Why wouldn't he? He is one of its greatest beneficiaries.

Organic Matter

My friend Sarah Murray has just published a book about the rites and practices people follow when saying farewell to their dead. Apparently, not just the mafia has unusual ways of disposing of bodies. Making an Exit explores what in the author's words are "sad, funny, dark, enlightening, moving, scary, weird and wonderful" things people do to deep-six their loved ones. It seems Sarah was moved by her research, as you can see from this video of the unusual conversation piece tucked discreetly into a corner of her apartment.

Tarte aux Abricot

This is pretty easy if you have some frozen pastry and fruit and jam on hand. Bake the shell, smear a generous amount of jam on the bottom and then put the fruit on top. Bake it again until any juice that's released is fairly thin, up to 45 minutes. It will  thicken more when it cools.

All Hail Ina

I am a big fan of the Barefoot Contessa,  Ina Garten. I watch her while I am on the elliptical machine at the gym. Usually, just viewing her prepare her food satisfies my taste for it, though sometimes it looks way to rich. And I love the way when she's having a dinner party, her guests are mostly the gay guys from the neighborhood, while when it's her husband, he's usually relegated to the kitchen or patio to dine solo. Anyway, I made her lobster pot pie this spring and as promised it was delicious. I cut back on the portions a bit, which was my loss, but it was pretty darn good.