Today's Tids Issue 2,656
Opening Stuff:

The Lefty Dems when faced with the rational arguments like those of a pretty smart GOP VP candidate, seem to have resorted to sophomoric sophistry to support their unwavering ideological positions. For instance, a writer to a local newspaper (And the newspaper actually printed it it) said that he thought he remembered seeing Paul Ryan somewhere. "Aha," he said. "I remember, it was on the Dave Garraway show. It's those ears. It was J Fred Muggs" Stupid. Just plain stupid. And then there was Barbara Boxer yesterday saying that Republicans are probably confused because they didn't like their mothers. It is truly a sad sight watching the reactions of liberals when faced with the truth.

Every once in a while I just gotta have a high butterfat content Ice Cream cone, with a capital "IC"! Am I going to go to hell? Or worse will I be on "The List" of Michelle Obama?

The Question:
The movie The Truman Show had quite the cast, even in some minor roles. Name 5.

The Headlines:
--4 People Shot Outside The Empire State Building In NYC.
--Money Has Been Going from Stock Funds To Bond Funds.
--Orders For Durable Goods Rise 4.2% In July; Market Lower.
--Lance Armstrong Gets Lifetime ban; Stripped Of 7 Titles.
--Seoul Korea Court Rules That Samsung Did Not Violate Apple Design; More Crucial US Court Rulings Expected Shortly As Jurors Continue To deliberate.
--New Research Shows That Most Americans Are Disturbed By High Abortion Numbers, But Want It To Remain Legal.
--House Sales Show Uptick.
--Brown & Hopkins Of Gloucester RI Now Officially Oldest Continuously Operating General Store In America; End Of Business For Grays In Adamsville RI Opens Door For B&H.

If you watch the new Obama campaign commercial featuring Bill Clinton, you have to wonder if the President is now running on the Clinton economy instead of his own. You know the Clinton economy, the economy that gave us the DotCom recession.

I watched one of my all time favorite movies last night -- The Truman Show. Maybe it's the long interlude of Chopin's piano concerto that keeps me coming back. Or that this romantic old fool loves to see true love win out in the end.

Remember when Pepperidge Farm was considered a luxury bread, bought mainly for special occasions. or to impress your neighbors and friends.? Now people regularly pay $5 to $7.00 for an artisan bread or reasonable facsimile! Pepperidge Farm is still very good eating and only cost about $3.50.

Levi Strauss was a "jeanius"!

Have you noticed that EuroConcerns are creeping back into the news? I have.

The deeper the pain, the more exhilarating the victories. That's why I am a die-hard Red Sox fan. And the Sox are giving new meaning to the word die.

The Truman Show is the only Jim Carrey movie where he doesn't over antic himself out of a good plot. And many of Carrey's films had good plots, often quite good, but interrupted by too much buffoonery.

I often speak of the relevancy of numbers. For instance above we see the news item "House sales show Uptick". Yeah, they are up from the previous best month March to about 350,000 units. Economists say that for a viable economy we need about 700,000 units. And the headline fails to mention that the price average is about 1/3 that of the high 2006 levels. So where are we really, and will Wall Street today grasp upon that number so they can go to the Hampton's happy.

What's really Killing the Economy, Department:
While into numbers, here's a pretty disconcerting stat, which for several years now has been predicted in this poor man's answer to a real financial newsletter. Since 2010, the average earnings for the US Middle Class has fallen from $72,956 to $69,487. Because of many factors, a service based economy just cannot support the same wage gains as an manufacturing based economy could assure. You could see this coming. Then the global economy showed that people in foreign lands can answer phones equally as well as Americans for much less money. For a while after globalization and the condensing of manufacturing, the economy had been driven by "But, that's what I want to earn," philosophy -- Unsustainable to say the least. Public employees are learning that taxes can no longer support automatic salary and benefit increases. With lower average wages there will be even less taxes, unless the governments go the punitive route. Finally, we had a national growth premise based on people buying lots of stuff they never really needed. This is a Tid that could go on forever. But you get the picture. The future is murky without some serious re-thinking about the present.

In terms of bulk, what's the difference between a small notebook and an IPad in a Keyboard case?

Has there ever been more media attention given to one man who gave back absolutely nothing to society, than that given to Rodney King? Hey!...wait a minute...I just wrote about him.

I watched the ex-President of Penn State in an interview, and he is about as believable as Barbara Boxer.

Which reminds me of the august NCAA academic watchdogs. What a farce. Apparently the academic records of "The" top high school player and Kentucky recruit, Nerlens Noel are under investigation by the NCAA. They are worried about whether or not this phenom actually qualifies for College -- when he has already been named the Top NBA Draft Pick for 2013! He's a millionaire on paper, and they're worried about academic integrity.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--The Apparition recalls the unrelenting apprehension and terror of the Amityville Horror. A force accidentally conjured up in a university parapsychology experiment is haunting the home of a young couple. Their fear feeds the the growing monster. they in a supernatural expert, but they may even be too late. Scary.
--In Premium Rush, a bicycle delivery guy is given a package from an  old girlfriend that must be delivered by 7:00. What he doesn't know is that the guy in the back suit is determined that the delivery is not made. There is constant chase action on the bike. And, the minutes til 7 is shown on the screen from time to time. But, the movie is much more than a big chase, with several side stories woven into the central theme. Tense. May be great.
--General Education is about a boy who has been raised by an intense father to be a tennis player. He gets his college tennis scholarship, but one thing stands in his way and his dad's dreams, He didn't graduate form HS. He must go to summer school unseen by his parents. Along the way he learns more about his alcoholic mom, teen sister and finds in the end what he really wants to do for himself. Not bad.

The Conscience: Chapter 5 continues.
  "Just fill it up half way. After all it is morning." I smiled. I should g=be able t get that to my lips with out spilling it on my one good suit. I just hope the ice doesn't rattle too loudly. I watched jase pour the Kettle One
  "If I remember correctly, you'll probably like a sliver of lime." I gave him a smiling thumbs up." I took the glass and on the way back to my seat, drained about a quarter of the vodka. I immediately felt that familiar warmth enveloping my longing body, and with a new level of confidence.
  "My research before coming down showed me that this merger, if you want, it makes a lot of sense." I looked up quickly and notice two interested sets of eyes. "If there is a fit in this business it is Barnard Yachts and Genoa's Baglietto Panfilos. Their CEO must know that too, if they are willing to merge or, but you out."
  "She does, but she worries about me." Jase began. "You my friend look like an honest non-threatening person". Non-threatening, that's me.
  What's her name?
  "Signora Angelica Baglietto."
  "Oh, an heir."
  "More than the usual coddled heir. A ruthless business person."

The Answer:
In addition to Jim Carrey and Natascha McElhone as the two in love, there was Laura Linney, Holland Taylor. Ed Harris, Paul Giamati, Noah Emmerich and yes even Phillip Glass who even as a composer of much of the music, had an on-screen moment or two. It was just a great cast of character actors.

Hey...wait a minute! The old demeaning phrase, the favorite of 11 year old boys in the sandlot, "Your mother wears army boots", is now a badge of honor! Thanks to all of those mothers serving heroically in the Armed Forces.

So, when we go completely over to Cyberwarfare, with the they be called the Dis-Armed Forces.

"Good morning, and in case I don't see ya: Good afternoon, good evening and good night!"