Month: April 2019

Dear MAGA: 20190418 Open Topic

This very special WYSIWYG THURSDAY
open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody
to post whatever they feel they would like
to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.

Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil.  Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.

See the January 1st daily thread for the rules of the road,
which are few but important.

Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS:
I AM PRAYING FOR YOU

melania_and_trump_walking-down-sidewalk-smiling

WYSIWYG

(What You See Is What You Get)

Ok, I’m a mystic at heart and I love the liturgy of the church, but this story is just begging to be told. If you want to think more about Maundy Thursday, please try here and here.
A long time ago, a musician named Larry Norman had his world rocked so much that he spent his music royalties starting a halfway house and buying clothes and food for people that he shared the gospel with on and around Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. He longed to see other musicians of his day find a better life too. (see video)

He was a WYSIWYG kind of a guy.
During the 60’s a whole lot of young people explored what they thought was freedom only to discover heartbreak, disease and disillusionment. The Sex, Drugs, Rock N’ Roll lifestyle was NOT a WYSIWYG kind of life.
Some believe that it was as mothers and grandmothers raised up a cry to God for their wayward children, that He sent an answer in the form of something called The Jesus Movement. God did not cause these wild flower children to suddenly long for suits, ties, and church pews. Instead they filled streets and beaches with their own expressions of faith.
They hated hypocrisy with a passion. They wanted to be WYSIWYG people. And these are the kind of people most of us are drawn to. If you ask anyone why they love President Donald J Trump, they are likely to say something about his WYSIWYG style of living.
The salt of the earth people can recognize and want to be around other salt of the earth people. Like attracts like. Or something like that.
The Jesus Movement wasn’t the first innovative move of God birthed out of Los Angeles. The Azuza Street Revival exploded out of prayer meetings in 1906 and had an impact world-wide. We would be wise to keep our eye on California. It may birth some things that appear to be diabolically inspired, but God was there first and He will have the last word.
Just short of two decades ago I happened upon this old gravelly voice guy from New York and instantly knew he was of the WYSIWYG breed. I didn’t care if he seemed over-the-top intense or that when he got going he started to rock like those guys with top-hats and long black beards at the wailing wall in Jerusalem. Back then he was just beginning to get a vision for a movement of young people fasting and praying for a new Jesus Movement to come and fill the earth. Just recently he’s shifted gears, but he’s still got his passion to see this come to pass.
Some of you will have the time and inclination to watch the following video, please do. It’s rare to see a man at his age still burning with real passion. For the rest of us, I’ve queued the video to 37:43 where he is telling about dreaming of the impossibility of turning America back to God, and then he was given encouragement to believe it was possible.
If you are able to watch just those few minutes, you may get the jist of his WYSIWYG reality. (The dwarves reference is to Lord of the Rings when Bilbo’s comfortable life is interrupted and an adventure begins.)

Here is a guy that “saw” something bigger than himself and he chose to believe it was possible. And he may just live to see it come to pass. And so we have the second meaning for WYSISYG. Will our vision dictate to some degree what we will get?
Our VSG Lion of a President does this all the time.He gives us vision for a #MAGA future and is using his vision to lead us into it! What are you seeing? Where will it take you?
Think*3

foot-washing-bowl-and-towel

The TIPPING POINT for Constitutional Carry – Online Self-Training

There is a LOT going on in the concealed carry world – and in particular the area of CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY.

Constitutional carry is winning big.

For those who don’t know what constitutional carry means – it means (roughly, subject to NUMEROUS state and federal laws) that anybody who is legally allowed to OWN a weapon is allowed to BEAR that weapon in any legal manner, including concealment.

Practically, it means that law-abiding people in a constitutional carry state can carry a concealed weapon without a license. Since most people (particularly non-criminals) are somewhat scared to do this without training, in practice, there is little difference between a state with licensed, law-abiding, trained carriers and a state with unlicensed, law-abiding, trained carriers.

Ironically, this is a byproduct of liberal laws that kept chipping away, federally, at who could own weapons, and how that would be determined. Thus, at this point, one passes an FBI background check to simply OWN a weapon, so there is almost no issue other than TRAINING with the idea of letting the person CARRY that weapon.

And THAT is where I think we need to STRIKE HARD – assuring voters that – yes – concealed carriers in YOUR NEW constitutional carry state are going to be WELL-TRAINED, which is even better and SAFER than simply WELL-REGULATED.

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today applauded Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin for signing Senate Bill 150 into law. SB 150 is NRA-backed legislation that fully recognizes the constitutional right of law-abiding gun owners to carry a concealed firearm.

“On behalf of the NRA’s five million members, we would like to thank Governor Bevin for his leadership on this critical issue,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “This law is a common sense measure that allows law-abiding citizens to exercise their fundamental right of self-protection in the manner that best suits their needs.”

Kentucky already recognizes the right to carry a firearm openly without a permit. Current law, however, requires a state-issued permit to carry that same firearm under a coat or in a bag. This new law simply extends the current open carry rule to concealed carry. Those who obtain permits will still be able to take advantage of the reciprocity agreements that Kentucky has with other states.

NRA Institute for Legislative Action

My prejudice on the topic of TRAINING comes from having known somebody who was an early concealed carry (CC) trainer in an early CC state. That person – a former assistant DA, strongly influenced my thinking, even though I was not a concealed carrier.

Back then, CC licenses were generally hard to get and required considerable training. Not all states were “shall issue”, meaning that the state had to have a damn good reason to deny a permit. Denials were common and arbitrary – kinda like New York City and Washington DC.

There were many excuses NOT to grant permits. TRAINING was the most plausible one, but also the one that was most easily remedied.

“So you want training? I’ll get training.”

Most state laws had provisions for REQUIRED training, with various degrees of specificity. This was done, in part, to assure both legislators and voters that the CC legislation would not be a RISK to the public and LEOs (law enforcement officers) from untrained or poorly trained individuals.

What I learned, over the years, is that training REALLY IS IMPORTANT. Thanks to the knowledge I gained from this instructor, as well as what I learned myself in the following decades, I came to realize that training is not just a good idea – it is ESSENTIAL. If you, as a gun-owning individual, want your gun to be a guaranteed HELP and not a potential RISK TO SELF – both physically and legally – you NEED training.

I don’t care who DOES the training – even YOURSELF – you need training!

This tweet pretty much sums up the issue, minus my belief in the power of SELF-TRAINING.

https://twitter.com/j_graves1997/status/1118269987754528773

NOW – before you start typing – nobody needs to tell me that forcing people to get more and more training is often a DODGE to knowingly suppress the right to keep and bear arms (RKBA). Training is not cheap – and thus it is in many ways a POLL TAX and in some ways the VOTER SUPPRESSION of RKBA. The TIMING of training is also an annoyance for most, and an obstacle for many.

https://gundigest.com/wp-content/uploads/ccw-training.jpg

And yet – of all the excuses that can be mustered up against constitutional carry, training is by far the most reasonable and plausible.

But here it the thing that changes the dynamic. The most important part of CC training, in my opinion, is not HOW TO SHOOT. It is actually WHEN AND WHERE NOT TO SHOOT.

The most important part of training, in my mind, is actually LEGAL. It is these points of KNOWLEDGE:

  • WHEN and WHERE a person may or may not CARRY
  • WHEN and WHERE a person may or may not DRAW
  • WHEN and WHERE a person may or may not FIRE

None of which requires anything beyond self-training, online, or from a booklet.

This is why I think that – if ANYBODY can carry, ANYBODY needs access to the BASICS of training.

If we BELIEVE that self-training is possible, and make it easy to get, then I believe there are no true logical barriers to constitutional carry in TWICE the number of states that now accept it. AND I think it becomes entirely possible for those states to have a reciprocity pact.

Trust me – the main message of all of this stuff is DON’T SHOOT. It’s not just assurance to people who are scared of guns – it’s assurance to YOU, the gun owner.

When I see ANY incident on the news where a concealed carrier is involved in a questionable shooting – either by the carrier or by an LEO, it is almost always apparent that the carrier was either not trained, or not paying attention to their training. And the parts they were not paying attention to were not the parts you learn on the range. They are the parts you get in a classroom, or from a book.

While I am going to support constitutional carry under almost any circumstance, I would PERSONALLY be much happier to see constitutional carry legislation accompanied by a minimalist ONLINE SELF-TRAINING – possibly with self-testing – that makes certain permitless carriers are free to become familiar with the rules of the road before they carry.

And there’s no reason this training can’t provide incentives for REAL training, too.

I don’t think this is a lot of money – probably far less than permit systems. But I do think that it’s going to help make constitutional concealed carry the SUCCESS that it really deserves to be.

Remember – TRAINING and TRAINING REQUIREMENTS are not the same.

WOLF snarls at training requirements, but he makes happy panting noises at TRAINING.

MOAR TRAINING is a good thing. It means fewer and fewer accidents, incidents, and problems. I believe it’s in everybody’s interest, too.

Train your dog. Train your WOLF!

W

Why the Border Wall Will Work

The Border Wall Proposal from Fisher Sand and Gravel deserves more attention. It’s brilliant because of the way Fisher is using “cast in place concrete forms” which can take a 17% rise in elevation and still smooth.
Think about concrete as cake batter. A cake pan is the same thing as a concrete “form”. With cake batter we can make a cake in the shape of Mickey Mouse, a Bundt cake, or we can make cupcakes. The GREAT thing about a cake pan, is that we can put it in the dishwasher, and make the SAME shaped cake tomorrow. We can also tint cake batter green for St Patrick’s Day, the same way we can tint concrete — which means no more painting, no more rusty old steel walls.
cake
We have companies who have forms/cake pans to make sections of pre-fab walls but the form is back at the factory, which means large sections have to be moved from the factory to the Border Wall installation. In effect, Fisher brought the cake pan to the Border Wall. The idea never existed before, — until Fisher created one.
Think about when you go to Lowe’s/Home Depot in the spring. You see concrete stepping stones for your garden, right? They usually come to the garden center shipped on a wooden pallet, and a few of those stones are already broken, right? Well, some concrete company made a concrete form, poured concrete into the form, let it cure overnight – the same way you let a cake cool before frosting it – and then the stepping stone is shipped to your local garden center, where YOU pick it up and move it into place in your garden.  It’s the SAME thing with large precast panels of concrete wall, which are made at one location and then shipped/transported to another location, and lifted into place. The TRANSPORTATION becomes more difficult the bigger the item is. Remember how heavy those concrete stones are? And remember how YOU sometimes chip and break them, moving them into place?
NOW – imagine you had forms, several cake pans, at your house, which could be used, over and over again, to make an unlimited amount of stepping stones. The concrete truck comes to you. No problem with transportation. No heavy lifting, no cranes (which would be almost impossible in a mountainous region) to put the Border Wall sections into place, and……… no cracked concrete. No waste. No broken stepping stones at the bottom of the wooden pallet – or in your car.
What Fisher Industries has done is miraculous. The made a cake pan… a concrete form, which can be reused, over and over again for our Border Wall. AND — if the government will give Fisher a larger contract, Fisher will make MORE cake pans, so we can go faster. In other words, you could make 20 stepping stones per day, instead of 10 stepping stones per day — or 2 miles of Border Wall a day, instead of 1 mile a day. Fisher’s solution represents an “out of the box” solution, which is so far out of the box, it makes people wonder — why didn’t I think of that. I love it!
Here is the actual presentation Fisher created for the President and his team. Watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=-Mb4JoUgg-E
My first husband actually certifies concrete testing per local architects for jumbo projects. The process of building the form, and making sure the concrete is level across the form, takes time. If you screw up the form, the concrete makes a permanent mess, won’t drain correctly, etc. Premade forms are a truly brilliant solution….. but it gets better.
Fisher industries added a benefit which is a deal closer…. fiber optic sensors, even radar,  with a ballard steel wall if the Border agents want to be able to see through the wall. Here is William LaJeunesse reporting on the Border Wall, ballard style, with the fiber optic capability:  LINK to Border Wall with Fiber Optics
Here is the regular link if needed: https://video.foxnews.com/v/6026779741001/#sp=show-clips
The fiber optics, encased in concrete are so good, they can detect pedestrian traffic approaching the Border Wall to give agents a “heads up” about possible intrusion. Most impressive. Back in 1984, I worked for ADT Security. We had ultrasonic vibration sensors we used to install, encased in concrete, which could detect an attempt on a bank vault. The install guys joked that we could hear an earthworm puking at 100′. When the subject of a Border Wall came up during the campaign, I thought, yeah……, I bet the sensors are a lot better now. And what do you know…. they’re a whole lot better.
The Dems and opponents of the wall gripe about “they’ll just dig under a border wall”. Breitbart (I think it was Brandon Darby who has done excellent work on this subject but am unable to locate the interview this morning) had a long interview with a guy, working in Mexico, spent a decade tracking cartels. Most interesting. I was surprised to learn only about 100 tunnels had been found in 20yrs. We’ve been led to believe tunnels are a huge problem when they are actually quite rare. Come to find out, the reason there were so few tunnels was based on simple reasons.
-Tunnels are expensive. They need infrastructure, lighting, and forced aeration, and take a long time to construct.
-Tunnels in open areas of the desert are easily detected by Border Patrol. Where we mostly find tunnels are in places where there was a city on both sides of border. Illegals cross over into a house or sheltered building, to avoid detection, ….. but the neighbors quickly reported the problem, because they didn’t want police hanging around their neighborhood.
Here is one more video worth sharing. Again, this is Fisher Industries using time lapse photography to show the install.

Overall, the ingenuity shown by American companies is inspiring to us all. Makes me think there is nothing Americans cannot do when we put our minds to it. 
Well done. 
Makes me proud to be an American! 
wall
 

Dear MAGA: 20190417 Open Topic

This very special Worthy Is The Lamb WEDNESDAY
open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody
to post whatever they feel they would like
to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.

Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil.  Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.

See the January 1st daily thread for the rules of the road,
which are few but important.

Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS:
I AM PRAYING FOR YOU

Silver-Lion-SQUARE

Worthy Is The Lamb

Revelation, chapter 5

The Lamb Opens the Scroll

1 Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.

4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5 But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. 7 He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. 8 And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song with these words:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and break its seals and open it.

For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation.

10 And you have caused them to become
    a Kingdom of priests for our God.
    And they will reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
    to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and blessing.”

13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
    belong to the one sitting on the throne
    and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

14 And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation.

And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.

Revelation 13:7-8

Think’s Thoughts…

Socialism – Communism offers nothing to compare with the majesty of this scene depicted in Revelation chapter 5. This moment has been revisited by believers in the liturgy of the church for millennia. For the faithful, anything less is a cheap substitute.
Perhaps this is why in totalitarian countries all of the color, majesty and joy of life is squeezed out by the oppressive burdens of living in fear and deprivation. Let us war against this by celebrating the creation and the created beauty it has inspired.
Think*3

"If that man was a beach towel, I would get sand all over him."

Janet was the epitome of a “Southern Woman”. We all heard about the legend or mystique of southern women. I didn’t understand it in the beginning, but I was curious. I learned “southern woman” was more aptly defined as ANY woman, who lives in ANY region of the world, from ANY walk of life/color/culture, but a woman who is confident and comfortable in her own skin, can laugh and learn from mistakes, takes pride in her home, blindly defends her children or friends, and most of all, LOVES her man. So, it could really be any woman, describing what most thought were ideal virtues of a woman, it’s just that people in the south were describing such a woman. Ahhh, I get it, now. Sooooo, my girlfriend in upstate NY, or my girlfriend in Idaho, are both…. perfect examples of “southern women”. Got it?
Being a friend to Janet was a joy. I looked up to her, she was about 10 years older than me. I wanted to be like her, and she taught me everything…. about southern womanhood…. she could tell a dirty joke better than a sailor, smoke a cigar, but laugh like a little girl with a contagious lilt in her voice.  Janet was about 5’2″, a size 6, fine looking woman, with short blond hair and and blue eyes. She wore dark blue contacts to make her eyes pop. She collected great estate quality jewelry and was a terrific cook. After going through a brutal divorce, with her kids grown and now in college, Janet became a pharmaceutical rep. She started her life over again and had nothing left to prove. This time, she meant to have fun.
Janet lived at least 100 miles south of us but her sales territory included our B&B. Janet started as a guest. She arrived for the first time, in August. With temps in the upper 90’s and humidity to match, she was desperate for air conditioning and a crowbar to peel off her pantyhose. I showed her to her room and returned to the kitchen.
Mother-in-law arrived, as usual, carrying a clear plastic insulated mug, filled with a triple gin martini with a dozen olives swirling in the ice like alien eyeballs. Cocktail hour had begun. I was making dinner, not drinking, because I still had guests to check-in. Mother-in-law prattled on but I wasn’t paying attention to her questions when Janet breezed through the kitchen door with a question about where to go for dinner. Mother-in-law rounded the corner, fresh from the bar, after making her second (triple) martini. “Would that be a fine gin you might need help carrying?”, said Janet to MIL. Sensing a drinking buddy, MIL and Janet went back to the bar. Janet emerged with a scant single martini and parked herself on the kitchen stool. She was “in”.
Like “death and taxes” there are unwritten rules at our house. Once a guest wanders into the kitchen and parks themselves on the stool…….. they never really leave. They become part of the house….., part of the family….., fall under the protection of the house…., and unconditionally loved…. despite warts or frailties. The kitchen stool was stolen from Grandma Della’s house. Della was only 4’11” and had to have a stool to reach anything. The steps were black plastic and the seat pad was covered in orange/avocado daisy-print, straight out of the early 70’s. I used the stool because our ceilings were so tall. Over the next hour, I checked other guests in, and finally, poured myself a glass of Zinfandel. Janet also switched to Zin. Mother-in-law left, but Janet remained and helped me make dinner, completely comfortable in my kitchen. With dinner in the oven and a luscious antipasto platter in hand, Janet and I retired to the side porch to wait on my husband to come home for dinner. Of course, Janet stayed for dinner.
Over the next year or so, Janet became a regular; our side porch was our perfect perch to people watch and swap stories. The side porch was unusual but represented exceptional architectural planning. The house is surrounded by large oak trees and the side porch is on the southeast corner, protected from strong sun and the heat of Mississippi summers. Husband rigged up some heavy chains from the beams and I hung enormous Boston Ferns. We outfitted the side porch with loads of interesting plants and tidbits. I bought a cheap little fountain and a side fan. The side porch was a mini-oasis and because of all the greenery, no one on the street could tell anyone was sitting there.
Janet often stopped to say hello, even when she wasn’t staying. As we became closer, we often catered lunches and presentation style dinners for her pharma. One year, MIL made 26 scratch coconut cakes for Janet to deliver to her doctor clients.
Janet stopped one day, after making rounds in town, to change clothes before going home. We were on the side porch, sharing a glass of wine, when Ron (another guest) “came home” (to the B&B) from work. Janet spotted him rounding the corner and watched him walk. She narrowed her eyes and said, “If that man was a beach towel, I would get sand all over him.” and then, “He’d have to shake me off.”
I put down my wine, and took a long look at my girlfriend. She had never spoken about a man in such a way. He definitely had her attention. Of course, I had to find a way to get the two of them together. “Who was that?”, she asked. I explained……
……. Ron and his daughter were living with us, for about three months, on and off while he closed up his other house. He was “transferring” to our town. We helped him with realtors, furniture, and his Gothic, pink-haired, 16yr old daughter. Ron fought for and won custody of his daughter. The ex-wife was a mess. I continued……..
…… Ron was the new division President of a local plant and looked like a walking advertisement for Brooks Brothers. He was shy and private. Yes, he was handsome, had a razor sharp wit, and at odd times, could be unbelievably charming. Grandma Della was here, knew Ron, and opened the door for him one day. He hugged her, and she commented about how good he smelled. Ron slid his arm around her again, grabbed her close, looked deep into her eyes, and said, “Are you kidding? If I was 75yrs old, I would be chasing you.” Grandma Della’s knees buckled a little bit. Ron made my grandmother blush. From that moment on, Ron could do no wrong according to Grandma Della. And Janet could do no wrong with Mother-In-Law.
They were a match made in heaven. It was meant to be.
Janet grinned like a Cheshire Cat. A man who was kind to Grandma Della, and needed help raising a daughter, was exactly the kind of man for her. Janet made her decision. She wanted him. We needed a plan and a little bit of help from above.
Because Ron and his daughter went back and forth and Janet was not always here, getting them together took a few weeks. One week, Ron came back by himself, I called Janet, and she was close by. The two met, briefly. Instant fireworks. The next morning, Ron asked about her. I said, “Oh, I don’t know Ron. You’re going to have to chase that one. She’s a thoroughbred.” I let my voice trail off and slinked back to the kitchen. Naturally, that just peaked his interest.
Couple weeks later, someone sent Ron a 25lb box of giant Alaskan Crab Claws. Ron had it shipped to our house, and called me to tell me it was coming. He invited husband and I to partake, if I would cook. He suggested we had “Soooo much” it might be nice to share…., and maybe I should call Janet. Oh, you betcha, I called Janet.
We ate on the side porch, on newspapers, with our hands, with fresh asparagus and scratch Hollandaise, crusty bread with a pound of melted butter. What a meal! There was obviously a LOT going on between the two of them, but Janet did not stay that night… too awkward and a good call.
Week or so later, Janet came in, super-late and had to leave super-early. I was making breakfast and she slipped down the back stairs to see me. She was having problems with a back zipper and needed “girl” help. I gave her a “hang on” sign. Same time, Ron barged into the kitchen, looking for early coffee. Ron didn’t know Janet was here and Janet didn’t know Ron was here. It wasn’t even 6:30am, yet. I winked at Janet….
…. I looked at Ron, shrugged my shoulders, and asked him to do me a favor, please. “My hands are all dirty, and she’s all clean and pretty, would you please….. ZIP HER UP.”
He froze. Three-four steps across the kitchen floor, Janet turned around and presented her back to Ron. I watched him. He held his breath. He zipped her up, then, he hooked the eye at the top. She turned, said, “Thank you very much.”, and out the back door she went. I watched him exhale. His hands were shaking a little. That poor boy hadn’t touched a woman in at least five years. He was smitten.
A few weeks later, the DA in the next county was having his annual house party. His wife was young and spectacularly beautiful, ……which meant other women in town didn’t like her……, which made me stick up for her. She was a wonderful woman. I told Ron about the party and said it might be good for him to go, get familiar with the locals. He asked me if we could invite Janet. We did and it was their first date. My husband teased Ron that he needed a chaperone. The two men got along beautifully.
In the game room at the DA’s house, Janet picked up a pool cue, “I always wanted to learn to play pool.” What????? Janet and I played pool; she was a shark. Of course, Ron offered to help her learn to hold the cue, etc. It was sweet. She sank the ball and let out a 12 syllable long, “Daaaahhhhaammmmnnnn, how did I do that?” Ron’s knees gave way and he whimpered a little. He was a strong and commanding man at the peak of his career. When it came to Janet, he was cooked. Put a fork in him.
The two spent the night but Janet left before breakfast. What I don’t know won’t hurt me. None of my business. BUT – all afternoon, Ron sat at the head of the dining room table, writing Christmas cards. He was staring out the windows. Distracted. Thinking. Finally, I walked into the other end of the dining room and asked him if he was okay. He looked at me and set his jaw, “I’m going to marry that woman. I can’t imagine my life without her.”…. and she adored him.
As a bonus, Ron asked for my help to pick out Janet’s ring, which was perfect for Janet because our tastes were so similar. I called our diamond broker and he came to the house. We picked out the perfect ring. They were married in front of our fireplace. Husband and I stood up for them and they’ve been married 20yrs.
End.
 
 
 
 
 

SPRING Logistics

As you may be able to tell, SPRING is here, and that means it’s TIME FOR STUFF.

Stuff like maybe Wolf has to work like Dog.

This is where we have to care about STATEGERY.

https://media1.tenor.com/images/0960e636ba988138b4bd83059640f39c/tenor.gif

“Strategery” was a bit like “Deplorables”, only more at the top.

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/books-about-media/805-4.jpg

Certain things about the 2016 primaries may make sense upon seeing that image, by the way.

“Strategery”, as a term, is part of FAKE HISTORY, which is a byproduct of FAKE NEWS.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategery

However, “strategery” as a term actually originated in FAKE ENTERTAINMENT.

Starting to see how all the FAKE is connected? Good. The CLOWNS are intensely interested in putting down our perception of the FAKE, by the way.

And that brings me back to the SPRING LOGISTICS.

That’s a military vehicle, rather intentionally, because this is, to some extent, a #WAR of Peace. It is a war between SWEET LIES and BITTER TRUTHS. It is an information war, and the other side is willing to make sneaky, bitter moves in the dark to make those sweet lies victorious.

That is the nature of their PROPAGANDA coupling with their SPYCRAFT.

This spring, I not only have to deal with my normal “keep the world of Wolf running” stuff – I have to deal with various Soros-related clown ops which should be illegal, but – thanks to COMMUNISM and its thorough infiltrations of the most unexpected places – are managing to skate by.

Our long-term goal is to have this site free of Clown bullshit at all levels, and working hard to get 4 more years of Trump in 2020. There are a large number of ways this is accomplished, not all of which need to be discussed. Maybe NONE of which need to be discussed.

Anyway, here is the deal. You should expect the following:

  • Days where I simply don’t show up, and somebody else has to put up the daily thread. I am going to set an arbitrary time of 1 AM Eastern Time as the cut-off. If you have not seen either a new Daily Thread or SOME notice by me near the end of the prior Daily Thread that I am working on the next Daily Thread BY THAT TIME (1 AM EDT), then one of the other Authors should feel free to CLAIM AUTHORSHIP in that prior daily thread, and put up the post.
  • “Canned” Daily Threads that are scheduled in advance, appearing just after 12 AM.
  • Me not commenting or replying to comments directed toward me.
  • Few articles by me, other than the daily thread.
  • Cryptic tells to the White Hats about information gleaned from clown ops.
  • Less cryptic tells broadcast to “aware” parties on our side, for their benefit and knowledge.
  • Some disinformation may be necessary.
  • Some lack of information may be necessary.
American manufacture is TARGETED by the ENEMIES of our FREEDOM.

NOW – I am also putting out a call for MORE DAILY THREAD AUTHORS. Right now, Wheatie has the Saturday thread (put up Friday night), and ThinkThinkThink has the Sunday thread (put up on Saturday night). If somebody is interested in being another weekly Daily Thread Author, then speak up now, and let me know your preferred day.

You may not like this guy, but I’m putting his face up for a reason. WAR is not always pretty. Even when it’s PEACEFUL. Lesson learned from CHINA and the CLOWNS.

Likewise, if you don’t think we’re at #WAR right now, you are sadly mistaken.

Learn who are your FRIENDS. Learn who are your REAL FRIENDS. Learn who are ALLIES. Figure out who are your FAKE FRIENDS and your FAKE ALLIES. And always let THIS GUY be a friend during WARTIME.

#2020 is going to be a time of ALLIES again. BUCKLE UP, BUTTERCUP.

#WAR ain’t pretty.

W

The Revenge Business

This topic is a conversation about revenge (vengeance) as seen from the perspective of those who desiring to live in a way that is pleasing to the King of all the universe–as revealed in the Hebraic and Christian traditions.

This is an exercise that all can join in on since we are not adopting a belief system–we are simply asking questions of a known set of writings and the historical response to those writings.

There is a certain sweetness to the thought of revenge.

❝You’ve got an over-developed sense of vengeance.❞

❝I want my father back.❞

InigoMontoya-after-the-vengeance

“Is very strange. I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it’s over, I don’t know what to do with the rest of my life” — Inigo Montoya

And also a certain emptiness to the consummation of revenge.

To the Christians at least, may I ask, if we believe we are subjects of a Heavenly King, whose symbol is a lamb slain before foundation of world–what place does revenge hold in our lives?

If this Heavenly King indeed has been revealing himself to us from the creation of our species and the record has been preserved through the descendants of Abraham, and has been adopted by Christians through the written scriptures, it would be fair to explore both those writings and traditional reflections on them in pursuit of the answer to this question. (Read early teachings here.)

I’m not going to offer any long commentary here, just quotes from the scriptures. I find meditating on these words to be difficult. I don’t want my enemies to get away with their evil deeds (God says they won’t), but somehow it would seem “better” if I could just see they were getting what they deserved … right now.

And so this topic is difficult. But appropriate perhaps for holy week this year.
T*3

❝Come, let us worship Christ the Lord,
who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.❞

worthy-is-the-lamb

    Though harshly treated, he submitted
and did not open his mouth;
Like a lamb led to slaughter
    or a sheep silent before shearers,
    he did not open his mouth.

— Isaiah 53:7

“But, you, O Lord of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause, O Lord my God!”

— Jeremiah 11:20

If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.
Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath;
for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Rather, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; …”

— Romans 12:18-20a

When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar
the souls of those who had been slaughtered
because of the witness they bore to the word of God.
They cried out in a loud voice, “How long will it be, holy and true master,
before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood
on the inhabitants of the earth?”

— Revelation 6:9-10

“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.”

— Matthew 5:38-39

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
— Matthew 5:43-45

jesus-heals-servant-ear-but-off

Now the time has come for this world to receive its sentence;
now the prince of this world will be driven out.

Jesus, the beginning and end of our faith, endured the cross,
heedless of the shame, and is seated now at the right hand of the throne of God.

lion-and-lamb-that-was-slain

The Mayor, "You better tell me right now, is Donald Trump at your house?"

We’re going to have to build up to the punchline of this story. Can’t give away the goods right away. Ya’ know? So, grab a cup of covfefe and settle in for a few moments.
We opened for business in 1994 as a B&B. The same year, Tunica, MS, opened the first casino, other than Atlantic City or Vegas. The place was a dive and looked like a blown up version of a cheap mobile home but it didn’t matter. The place was a CASH COW. In fact, the Casino made so much money in the beginning days, they had to close down, to bring in more people, so they had enough time to count all the money.
The people who ran “The Splash Casino” came to see me, as there was no hotel space anywhere close by. They offered to take all my rooms for year, and pay me quite well. Yet, they wanted all the rooms. If I was a contractor and they “owned me”, we would have no independence. Husband had visions of wild gamblers, tearing apart the home we worked so hard to restore. Not what a biz owner wants. We would rather have 100 companies than solely contracted to one. “What are you going to do if they bring in a bunch of hookers?”, he said, “How are you going to tell them, NO?” The realization washed over me. “Hookers….?”, I thought. My eyebrows twitched like the tail of a squirrel. “Grandma Della would disown me……”, of course, I turned them down.
By ’95, we were open about a year and in full swing, but as most small biz owners can relate, I was worried about the NEXT month. The house was pristine, renovated from top to bottom by my new husband, the best historical renovation contractor within 100 miles – and it was his own home. Our banker REALLY wanted me to fail. His wife loved my house. At that point, there was no business I turned down. Pressure was on, I had to be successful, failure was not an option.
Outside of our little town, we had a local printing plant which printed monthly periodicals and magazines for clients all over the world. Their clients would come to visit to negotiate large contracts, or their editors would visit for press-checks. Many of them stayed with us, and the printing company was a terrific client. As we started decorating for Christmas, one local exec asked me if he could host a private luncheon, for new clients they were trying to impress. I took the job. It was lunch, I thought…… easy peasy.
With help from a few overeducated-housewife-girlfriends as my makeshift staff, and Grandma Della washing dishes, the first luncheon was a rousing success. One luncheon melded into 10, then 20. Before long, I was raking in $1500 a day, for high end luncheons, as hundreds of millions of dollars traded hands over my dining room table. Then, the company decided to do long, private dinners, with several courses. Fine entertaining, and the big southern white house. We had to “take it up a notch”. No problem. As the staff said, “Martha Stewart ain’t got shit on us.”
All the activity at our house began to attract attention. I thought, “Hey, if the townspeople were talking about me, maybe they would leave someone else alone.” I brushed it off. Everyone wanted to know what was happening, who was coming, what I was cooking. People began to stop me in the grocery store, picking through items in the basket,  and asking me about recipes. It was a little weird. Yet, I was quiet and secretive about our guests, respecting their privacy.
Pam was a 6th grade teacher at the school next door to the house. Her classroom looked out into our driveway. She was also the spinster sister of my husband’s first wife, and a horrible gossip. At one point, she was convinced she saw a naked man, through lace-covered windows, upstairs in our house (which would have been impossible to discern from her vantage point). Then, she saw the man run out of the house, quickly (executive late for work). He left, ……..then returned, ……with a black bag, “big enough for a weapon” (his briefcase – he forgot the receipt for his expense account), as she would later describe to police. Yes, she called the police, as she explained, because she was worried I had been murdered, “cuz I was alone with that foreign-looking man in a big house”. Four police cars responded, including the Chief, “cuz Miss Daughn was in trouble”.
That’s right, Pam called the police on the President of San Diego Home and Garden.
We were working so hard, we barely had time to breath. At the time, I didn’t even have a car. Everything we had went into the renovation. A buddy lent me his daughter’s car for a little while to run errands. Pam knew the car and wondered who was living at my house (a new rumor she could spread). Pam should have worked for CNN. She would have been wonderful speculating about the Russian Hoax. A few weeks later, I was sitting in the car, in the driveway, making out my bank deposit slip. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Pam, walking our wrought-iron fence line, staring at the windows of our home, straining to see any activity. As she came even with the car, I LAID on the horn and scared the heck out of her. I rolled down the window and said, “Will you PLEASE leave me alone? You’re embarrassing yourself.” As she scurried back to her classroom, the realization hit me, I needed to calm people down and be a little more public. Work within the system, the small town culture, and not cause such a ruckus. Who would have known luncheons and dinners could be so exciting?
My mother-in-law was a perfect press agent for the older ladies. I gave her copies of menus and various recipes and photos of tables. At McDonald’s afternoon covfefe, the ladies had much to discuss. Mother-in-law was happy ….. and the ladies gave me a LOT of handy tips. For the younger women, I relented and told the staff they could talk about what we served, and what we did, but NEVER who was here. For a few weeks, our new plan of information dissemination seemed to be working.
Of course, all that changed when the black limousines arrived and lined up in front of the house, four of them in a row.
It was a Thursday.
The town has cattle auctions on Thursday, and one of my best staff members handled the tickets for the auction. It put us down, one strong staff member, but our printing client really needed to schedule a big luncheon……. that Thursday. The lower-level exec customers spent the night with us. Therefore, by morning, we were all familiar with each other. One guy went for a jog before breakfast and noticed a large “wounded” German Shepard in a neighbor’s yard. I went out to check. No, it was a loose calf….. which is why it didn’t “come when he called it”. We straightened out that problem before 7:00am. The functionaries, who spent the night with me, went off to the plant after breakfast. The big bosses were flying in for lunch on the corporate jet. We would all meet back at our house at noon.
The girls arrived and we whipped into action.
About 11:40am, the sedans with execs from the plant arrived, and they tried to nose their way into the kitchen. Pretty soon, maybe ten minutes later, the limo’s arrived, four of them, one for each big boss, and lined up, the whole breadth of my wrought-iron fence. The bosses filed into the house. I was… you know…. being social and introducing everyone to each other. Hors d’oeuvres were ready, and the kitchen was humming. Everything was perfect, on schedule…… when the phone rang.
A girlfriend rushed out of the kitchen and told me the Mayor was on the phone, demanding to speak with me. I was confused, but okay, fine. I went to the phone, leaving my guests. I was annoyed, a little bit, because he was putting a kink in my schedule. He said, “You better tell me right now, is Donald Trump at your house?” I had no idea what he was talking about but very curious as to how he got the impression the billionaire from New York was at my house in Mississippi. Not willing to let on and sensing an opportunity, out loud, I said, “You know I cannot and will not tell you who is a guest of this house. It’s private.” I hung up on him.
I turned to go back to the guests, but before I left, the phone rang again. It was our good staff member at the cattle auction across town, “Is Donald Trump at your house?” 
“What was she talking about?”, I thought. Something was going on, but I still had no clue. Was Trump supposed to be here?, I wondered. Unwilling to relent, I replied, “Well……, not yet, but ya’ never know who will show up here.” Trying to close the conversation and get back to serving, I told her the big bosses were here and we had to go. She said, “I can’t BELIEVE I’m missing Donald Trump”, which I had neither confirmed nor denied.. at all.
8 minutes to serving time, two staff members filling iced tea and water glasses.
I was still on the phone with girlfriend at the cattle auction, when the Mayor burst through the back door. He had a full head of steam and he was pointing at me. He was 6’4″ and 100% alpha male, “You ARE going to tell me WHO is in that dining room, right now.” and “If Donald Trump is going to put a casino, here, in Tunica, I deserve to know, NOW!” I was blockading the dining room door. I started, “No, you cannot go in there.” We were friendly-arguing with the Mayor, in a too small kitchen, on top of other women who were trying to keep to the schedule – to serve my best client in less than 5 minutes. I noticed my girlfriends, who had all been in the kitchen prior to the big bosses arriving, were whispering to each other, suddenly curious about who was in the front of the house.
The buzzer for the bread went off, …..time, ……ticking away. 4 minutes to serving time, I really needed to be in the dining room. 3 minutes left, but before I could recover, husband burst through the back door. “SHhhhhhhhhhh!”, I insisted, silencing them all. Husband countered, “Is Donald Trump in our fu$king dining room?”
Everyone looked at me like it was 3 minutes to Christmas morning. “No, Donald Trump is not in the dining room.”, I said, disappointing them all…… Finally, “Why do you all think Donald Trump is here?”, as I had no idea how they got the impression in the first place. Lots of grumbles and shuffling of feet. “Stay here”, I said to husband and Mayor. We presented the bread and salads and went back to the kitchen for answers. I caught the Mayor peeking out of the dining room door, confirming Donald Trump was NOT in my dining room.
In the ten minutes between salad and soup, we figured out the mystery. Apparently, no limousine service in Memphis had 4 black Mercedes limousines available at the same time. Thus, they ‘borrowed’ four limousines from the current casino. The license plates all read, Trump 1, Trump 2, Trump 3, and Trump 4.
The rumor spread like a wildfire, “Donald Trump is at Daughn’s house.”
To compound the rumor, we were trying to be nice and fed the limo drivers a lovely lunch. One of the guys helping me that day was a big guy, former Navy. With all the black tuxedoed limo drivers and my big Navy guy – they turned into the “Security Detail” for Donald Trump.
No, it was really just lunch.
Gotta love a small town.
2 20am eastern time

Dear MAGA: 20190416 Open Topic

This DARKNESS TO LIGHT TUESDAY open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody to post whatever they feel they would like to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.

You can say what you want, comment on what other people said, and so on.

Free Speech is practiced here. ENJOY IT. Use it or lose it.

Keep it SOMEWHAT civil. They tried to FORCE fake Orwellian civility on us. In response, we CHOOSE true civility to defend our precious FREEDOM from THEM.

Our rules began with the civility of the Old Treehouse, later to become the Wolverinian Empire, and one might say that we have RESTORED THE OLD REPUBLIC – the early high-interaction model of the Treehouse – except of course that Q discussion is not only allowed but encouraged, and speech is considerably freer in other ways. Please feel free to argue and disagree with the board owner, as nicely as possible.

Please also consider the Important Guidelines, outlined here in the January 1st open thread. Let’s not give the odious Internet Censors a reason to shut down this precious haven.

There’s a lot to pray about. But an extra prayer for FRANCE couldn’t hurt.

Remember to KEEP PRESIDENT TRUMP IN PRAYER.

WE ARE PRAYING FOR HIM

Our movement

Is about replacing

A failed

And CORRUPT

Political establishment

With a new government controlled

By you, the American People.

Candidate Donald J. Trump

Also consider Wheatie’s Rules:

  1. No food fights.
  2. No running with scissors.
  3. If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
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https://wqth.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/suspicious-cat-3.jpg?w=506
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https://wqth.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/suspicious-cat-3.jpg?w=506

W

The President's Tax Return and $467 of Italian Bolillos.

There’s no way in hell the President should release his tax returns.
tax return
Background: I was an accountant. I worked for Fortune 50 Banks, Investment Houses, and Insurance Companies, ending as a partner in a small brokerage firm out of Miami. Because I was the designated test taker in the office, I had every license offered from the SEC, Series 6, then 7, Series 22 for REIT’s, and I could even sell commodities, 4X, and gold. I was a CFP, a ChFC, a CLU, and RHU, and an LUTCF. Most of the work was for small to medium sized businesses, and estate work for clients from Manhattan to Chile. Throughout my corp career, I represented over 300 clients and their families in front of the IRS for final disposition of assets. I’ve testified as an expert, and back in the day, I was one heckuva forensic accountant.
For the President’s tax return, it would have taken a team of 30-50 people, probably far better than me, and two years of time (at least), to accurately audit a single year. Yeah, at least two years and maybe more like 5 years.
Most people work FOR a company. They receive a W-2, add in a few deductions if they own a home, have medical or childcare expenses, and take a deduction for tithing to a church, etc. A business owners’ taxes, and the audit of those taxes, is completely different. EVERYTHING a business owner touches has the potential for a deduction in varying percentages. If a person owns MORE than one business, or businesses in more than one state, or more than one country, the tax return becomes exponentially complex.
President Trump is a named principal in over 512 entities. He owns portions of many more companies, in many states and countries. Imagine the overwhelming task of auditing such a tax return. MILLIONS of decisions and rulings would have to be made and each decision would change the bottom line amount of taxes due……, which is why anyone CAN release a tax return while under audit……… but it’s a horrible idea…….. because the bottom line number will change and only necessitate an explanation as to WHY the bottom line number changes.
Now, imagine how complex the return would become if viewed by those with a political bias.
To understand how difficult this can be, let’s narrow the scope to something manageable. Forget Santo Domingo sugar plantations and private islands, or President Trump’s private planes and golf courses. Allow me give you a few examples of how obscure decisions/rulings can become. Let’s look at an actual audit for a single teeny-tiny company….. mine.
I was advised 3yrs of one of my companies’ returns was to be audited when the “revenuer” burst through my back door, unannounced, and presented me with a bill for $27K, and…… I could settle it by writing her a check….. “Right now!”. Most people, even business owners, are intimidated by the IRS and stop at this point. They panic. They mortgage the house, dip into savings, and pay the IRS. I knew better. I fought back, for accuracy, reputation, and I was offended by the intimidation tactics being used….. which is probably exactly what the President and his accountants are doing.
The audit lasted 4yrs and every single penny spent over a three year period was ruled upon a total of three different times. The second review of the three shut my business down for 6 weeks, while I personally went over every penny, with state and federal auditors – in my dining room. I had to walk them through a real audit and NOT ONE of them was an accountant.
Example #1: Whether or not I could deduct food was a huge fight with the auditors. I spent about $85K a year on food and they came up with a formula for 1/3 of food cost as personal expense. Nothing legal, they just decided it was a good number. No, I had receipts for other expenditures which were personal food expenses.
A. Whether or not I could deduct mayonnaise required a ruling. My secret ingredient in scrambled eggs is a tablespoon of Hellman’s for every 3 eggs (no milk or butter). I produced a B&B magazine, to whom I submitted a published recipe. The ruling took 8 months… for mayonnaise. It set the tone for what was to come.
B. $476 dollar deduction for something I listed as an Italian Bolillo. They didn’t know what it was so they struck the deduction. A Mexican bolillo is short crusty roll, an Italian version is a little longer, kind of like a loaf of French Bread for a single sandwich. How would it be possible for my husband, who worked all day, me, and an infant who wasn’t on solid food, to eat $476 dollars worth of bread before it went stale? The ruling on Bolillos took 18 months.
Bolillo
C. Surely, the auditors thought, during Decembers, I would be home, the house-frau (they were so condescending), with my family, and tried to strike all food purchases from Thanksgiving onward. No, I had the receipts and schedules. Again, 63 lbs of grapes, for my husband, me, and a baby? How could my family eat 63lbs of grapes? The grape ruling took 11 months…. for grapes.
Example #2: Garden expenses versus floral expenses:  My company’s CPA advised me to take 72.9% of the garden expense as a deduction, cuz the guests enjoyed the garden and 72.9% of the square footage of the house was “guest space”. Auditors did not like that and demanded another measurement of the house…….., by a local certified architect, who just happened to be Gunner’s godfather. Well, 16 months before it was approved, and counting cubic footage of walls, the measurement went to 75.2%. Same deduction for home repairs roofing, with depreciation, etc. Yet, 83.33% deduction for cable expense and 100% for phone lines. Floral expense was something I purchased for a specific event, and deducted at 100%, even if it was 12 ferns for graduation and I took them home.
Example #3: I found a mistake in their software and threatened a class action lawsuit. For instance, I am allowed to deduct local sales taxes on items I sell/rent. At the time, we had a 7% sales tax. Yet, anything from 86 cents to 99 cents, their software calculated at 7 cents of sales tax due. No. by law, it’s still 6 cents from 86-99 cents, and not 7 cents until a purchase reaches $1.00. Now, think about ALLLLLLLLL the McDonald’s and fast food joints, all over the country, who charge $.99 for an item. The auditors were revealing when a sales tax was demanded (which was different than an income tax audit), they were seeking an amount from ALLLLLL those franchises in excess of what was due. I was wide-eyed at the thought of a lawsuit. They capitulated on that one fairly quickly.
Example #4: Diaper trees. They thought they had me on Diaper Trees……. because one of the auditors was a new mom, and thought I was trying to deduct diaper expense…. When you have a baby, you tend to make friends with those who have babies. We held a LOT of baby showers here. I used a grapevine Christmas tree form and glued baby diapers to the form, with little bows, and they made perfect centerpieces. I had the receipts for 87 forms and receipts for personal family diapers – separated. Ruling took 13 months…….  I had pictures from the parties, and invoices where I charged for the diaper trees, with a corresponding deposit. Wrong. Deduction allowed.
Example #5: The ruling to deduct sales tax from other purchases, for items which were resold or rented, was a massive ruling. It went through two Big 8 accounting firms and took almost 2 years. Of course, in principal, I was correct, cuz otherwise, I would have been forced to pay what amounted to double taxation. Not fair to my customers. It saved me about $12K.
At the end, they owed me about $2300. Ruling after ruling was required and I didn’t win them all – everything is a negotiation, back and forth, with proof…. even when it comes to mayonnaise. I went through supervisor after supervisor and never yielded. Meanwhile, my own CPA told me of 6 other clients he had on his desk, undergoing the same harsh treatment by the IRS and state auditors in our county. One elder couple owned a large fabric store. Their bill was $68K at first. They mortgaged their home and laid off an employee to afford to pay their tax bill. I knew it was BS, they were being targeted.
Okay, you have examples of my teeny-tiny business. Multiply my lone small biz audit problems by a thousand, or a million — then multiply those problems by 512 entities, across multiple states, AND countries, to conceive a Trump audit.
Imagine pundits on CNN or MSNBC evaluating whether or not President Trump should be able to deduct something as small as “mayonnaise”, or the personal square footage for him, his wife, and Barron. CNN would demand to measure Mar-A-Lago or Bedminster. For CNN, it would be better speculation than a downed plane, and provide those who oppose the President with material for endless criticism….. which is WHY they want his tax returns…. political fodder.
Does ANYONE here have ANY confidence a television pundit could understand the President’s return AND communicate it accurately? Yet, we ALL know, the pundits would speak with authority and probably mislead at least half the country. The chances are 100%, we could find an “expert” accountant, willing to become the “Avenatti of Taxes”, appearing 200X’s on cable television, who would insist, a “mayonnaise” deduction should never be allowed…. and thus…. the President is cheating on his taxes. See how that works?
Need Proof? Given what you read above, you’re all qualified as junior accountants. Consider the following statement from Arthel Neville of Fox News to a Dem strategist: (Paraphrasing)

Arthel: We’re all looking forward to the President’s tax return. Please come back when he releases it and we can go through it, together, line by line. 

Is Arthel crazy? We don’t have until the year 2050 to go through the President’s return! Line by line???? …. and then put it up for pubic discussion? The idea is absurd.
You might ask: But Daughn, every other President has released his taxes for the past 50 years, what is Trump so afraid of? It’s an unwarranted extrapolation. Cats have tails, Dogs have tails, Cats are not Dogs. It’s bad logic. Not every President has the same finances, just because they are all Presidents. The Bush’s tax returns were easy. They owned relatively few businesses and had been in public life before becoming President. Everything was separated and isolated. Clinton’s and Obama’s would have been close to a one page return. Jimmy Carter only had a farm. Easy-Peasy. Reagan was Governor of Cali before becoming President and would have separated monies into trust accounts. What did Nixon own? Eisenhower was a General. NONE of these past Presidents have assets anywhere close to the complexity of President Trump and NONE of them ever had such a virulent press corps…. who clearly only want the returns for political fodder.
You might say:  But Daughn, CNN tells me the reason President Trump doesn’t want to release his tax returns is because he’s really not worth 10 billion dollars, it’s really more like 3.5 billion. Well, if you’re expecting to evaluate the President’s net worth from a tax return, you’ve been misled. His FEC filings or a balance sheet, would give a more accurate snapshot of net worth…. which the President provided, as legally required, before the election. The DIFFERENCE in the two numbers is probably coming from an evaluation of a business as a “going concern” as to a “liquidation value”, PLUS, “valuation of “goodwill”. We all know Steve Forbes (who ranked billionaires) hates Donald Trump and has hated him for decades — thus the constant fight about the evaluation of “Trump” good will.
These evaluations of net worth can swing wildly. As a going concern, my stove might be worth $5000, but if I had to sell it in a garage sale/liquidation, it might only be worth $800. See what I mean? Good Will, adds value to a company. My little B&B is worth more than a new B&B, because I am published, have a reputation, and decades of customers. What do we suppose the “Trump” name would be worth?
Let’s all understand, “Trump” does license his name to other hotels if they meet a certain threshold. A significant hit to his reputation would degrade his “good will” value….., which is another reason the press and Dems attack our President in a personal manner. We know, before Trump became President, the Trump brand was one of the top 10, requested in China for expansion. Yeah, top 10. Huge net worth added to the valuation of his good will. The “Trump” name, as a past President of the USA, could normally add ANOTHER 5 billion to his good will….. which is WHY you see protesters, funded by wealthy opponents like Soros, attacking his hotels and demanding the Trump name be removed. They’re trying to attack the largest part his his personal wealth…. his reputation…. his name…. and his good will.
You might say: But Daughn, these people are experts. They know what they’re talking about! I’m shaking my head. Most accountants don’t have the time to dig into personal expenses. AND People who always talk about how smart they are are…. well, we watch them closely. Consider this, when I met husband, he was a trial lawyer in Boston, which is the LAND of great lawyers and accountants, right? And I was just the chic who made the muffins, from Mississippi, right? Well, knew he would be receiving a large settlement from the whistle-blower case, and the tax implications would be massive. Finally, I talked him into allowing me to look at his past seven years of tax returns. One assistant and I took four months to complete the project, with 12 hour days. I re-filed them all, saving $227K in Fed/state taxes and accumulating 1.6 million dollars in legitimate expenses to carry forward. It saved us a fortune when the settlement finally came through and helped fund the kids’ college plans. The difference was common sense and elbow grease, not an Ivy-League degree.
Now think for a minute. If it took me and one other person four months to redo 7yrs of a small law office, how long would it take to do a single year for President Trump and his 512 companies?
One more point, in summary. Does anyone think President Trump tweets in the morning, flies to Minnesota in the afternoon, and plays with Turbo Tax in the evening? Of course, he does not. President Trump has the best CPA’s working on his tax returns. We’ve all heard the stories of President Bush AND President Obama auditing Citizen Trump, every year of their administrations. If there was any kind of a problem, we would have already heard about it.
No, the President should NEVER release his tax returns. I would lay in the middle of the road to stop him if he was my client. But if he was my client – of course, I would invite you all to lunch to meet him.
It’s time for dinner. Who’s paying the bill? After today, who can afford to pay the bill?