Today's Tids Issue 2,761
Opening Stuff:
 
Is your heart athumpin'? Are you feeling romance in the air, seeing little red hearts wherever you go? Of course, because it is February and candy manufacturers are commercializing pure unadulterated love and imagined infatuation with heart shaped everything every where. What would our two great Presidents Abe and George think as they see their own February celebrations transformed into one giant car sale. Ah February, that begins with the Superbowl and a furry little animal that would rather stay sleeping in a hole, and ends a little short of enough days, with lots of ways to spend money in between. 

One of the great little joys of life is that whole new beautiful world that appears before you after cleaning your glasses.

That Senator Hagel is one surly lookin' ole' bastard

The Question:
Double "Q" Friday: 1. Name the ex-American Idol Stars who have made the most money?  2. Generally RI leads polls in negativity. But, alas, their Governor Lincoln Chafee is only number 2 Worst Governor. What governor has lower approval numbers that Chafee-Lite? Bonus day: Give me 8 synonyms for "Surly".

The Headlines:
--Bombing At US Embassy In Ankara Turkey Kills Two; Entrance To Embassy Damaged.
--Unemployment Rises To 7.9%; US Adds Modest 157,000 New Jobs.
--Wonderful NYC Mayor Ed Koch Dead At 88.
--DOW Up Big.
--The Hill Slams Critics On Way Out; Sen Lindsay Graham, "(Clinton) Getting Away With Murder."
--Gina Raimondo Leading In Polls For Next RI Gov. 
--Blast At Mexico City's Pemex 50 Story Tower Kills 25; Was Probably A Mechanical Failure.
--Street Violence Continues In Egypt.

A new Pew Study tells us what employees dislike most about their employers. 1. Lack of Communications  2. Unfair Pay  3. No Job Security  4. Under Appreciation  5. Favoritism  6. Overworked  7. Micromanagement  8. Incompetent Managers  9. No Opportunity For Advancement  10, Overbearing Boss. The underlying fear and concerns affecting employees are globalization, outsourcing, downsizing; having to take on more work for less pay as companies get lean. More stress and less of a feeling of security. Otherwise, they are all happy as quahogs.

In a related story today, more and more people in their forties and fifties are reevaluating retiring goals; Pushing back their dates for the hammock. The politicians can shout Huzzahs, and pat each other on their backs, but the people feel and see what is actually happening.

You know the Superbowl writers are running out of things to talk about beyond Harbaugh when you see the headline, "3 ways to Watch the Superbowl". Excuse me! Let's see, standing sitting, lying down? Yup that's three alright. How about --  In your home, at the stadium, in church on your smart phone? Three for sure. But they must mean something deeper. Peering over the shoulder of someone who wants to talk about global warming at an SB cocktail party; Through two squirming legs while you change a diaper; In a locked room full of popcorn, Cheetos, potato chips and chocolate chip cookies. God love our watchdog media.

Here's a good example of the disconnect between investors and people. Investors are scapping up Portugal bonds, while in that country, consumer confidence is at an all time low, unemployment is at an all time high and the country is about to launch the highest tax increase in memory. And the financial community wonders why they are such a great target for anybody who wants to rile the populous.

There are about 220,000,000 unemployed in the world. Can you say riots in the streets?

I'm thinking of starting a Greeting card Company with celebration cards for the Left and the Right. I like writing little ditties. For instance, for the left: "My good Birthday wish sings, Like a gay marionette, And the best part yet, You're pulled by government strings." And for the Right. "May you hear drums, trumpets and saxes, As you get news of lower taxes." So, what'd you expect in a quickie morning newsletter written under enormous pressure.

Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox continue to pick up players from the trash heap.

Hilary says Repubs are confused by the facts. But the only known fact is that Lefty Dems treat the facts as a communicable disease, and runaway as far from them as humanly possible. Facts to the left are like Krypton to Superman. The fact remains, that the Admin purposely misled the public over Benghazi and this Presidential candidate doesn't get it...doesn't understand why lying to the public is bad. At least, that's what she said.

The "Waste Management Phoenix Open". Has a nice aroma about it.

The Conscience: Chapter 14 continues:
   I sat there on bed, TV noise in the back ground, drinking my third nip from the booze bar, which unfortunately had to be a mixture of what was available, Scotch, Gin and Vodka. To help my stomach negotiate the trio, I had some healthy food by my side -- a can of Original Pringles and an opened dark chocolate bar. I figure if I'm going to drink while thinking about what to do next, I'd better have some sustenance. It wasn't much booze for a reprobate like me, so my brain was still functioning pretty well.
   Why not, I thought an idea popped into my head. I sat up, put my feet on the floor and walked over to the clothes I had piled neatly on the chest by my suitcase. I picked some comfortable dark pants and put on navy blue, high neck sweater over my gray business shirt. I looked in the mirror. Nice, I thought. I went to the bed, took a piece of chocolate, and put the rest of the bar in my pocket while sliding the delectable sinful food of the gods into my mouth. This is a good sign, I thought to my self, I'm eating and moving.
    The street looked really lonely as I retraced my steps to the water front. The only difference is now I had a little understanding about where I should and shouldn't go. It was the shouldn't go part that intrigued me.

The Answer:
1. Kelly Clarkson tops the list at $7.5 Mil. Next we have a tie between Chris Daughtry and Carrie Underwood at $5. Scotty McCreery is at $4 Mil, followed by Jennifer Hudson , $3, Jordan Sparks $2 and Adam Lambert who fell from the top echelon to 7 at $1.5 Mil. Look out for Phillip Phillips who should be near the top of the list next year. 2. Pat Quinn of Illinois is lower than Chafee because the folks there are probably wondering when he'll go to jail like his predecessors. Bonus: Brusque, irascible, splenetic, choleric, sullen, grumpy, grouchy and generally unfriendly. "Splenetic, I'll have to store that one away.

Regardless of the commercialism in February, this Tidster's heart is always beating for his readers. Thanks for keeping me honest with your notes!

Love your weekend.