Today's Tids Issue 2.767
Opening Stuff
 
Well, I feel  like I just finished, the marathon, played sixty minute of football, defense and offense. Or is it that I just am recovering from intense snow shoveling. Actually it feels grrrrrrrrrrrrr-eat!

You could feel the tension while watching the convergence. The incessant roar of what we already knew versus the potential for diversion. As you sat your body rigid in anticipation,you already knew the answer. You had a smidgeon of hope in your heart, but you knew the local TV reporters would not give up their right to stand in the snow, pointing out what you could see out the window -- it was snowing. You knew in your heart, that when the 7:00 Pm hour rolled around, they would preempt Wheel of Fortune. You knew it would happen, but you had hope til the last possible second. Aaaaarrrgh!

How about that Pope? For the first time in 600 years a Pope resigned while in the Holy Seat. I was just getting to know the guy. Many original skeptics were saying, he's now so bad after all. And now, he's going, where, The Villages? Nobody knows, because a Pope just doesn't retire. But, you have to feel for the man who is the leader of 1.6 Billion Catholics. It's a changing world of religion out there, and for sure the Catholic Church is one among all churches that is undergoing or contemplating the effect of many possible changes. Would a new Pope soften the idea of female Priests or Marriage for priests? It will be an interesting three months for Catholic observers.

The Question:
1. What are the qualifiers for the College Of Cardinals who will elect a new Pope? Bonus: What is a Catch 22?

The Headlines:
--Pope Benedict Steps Down; First Pope To Resign In 600 Years; Health, Age Cited As Reasons; Will Be Gone By Feb 28; New Pope Expected By May.
--US Companies Lower Outlook For 1st Q Earnings And Revenue To 1.5% Average; 4th Q Around 6%.
--Anti Gun Crowd Steps Up Propaganda Ahead Of 0-Man State Of Union.
--Poll Says Americans Most Interested In Economy, Deficit.
--Hattiesburg Miss Devastated By Tornado; Northeast Digs Out.
--$1 Million Offered In Reward For ex-LA Killer Cop.
--Freeh Report On Sandusky/Paterno Said To be "Rush To Judgment" Energized By Frenzied Media; Paterno Family Battling Or Joe's Legacy.
--Wa;; Street Lower; Retail Sales Expected To Miss Forecasts.

Does the world really need two months of Spring Training?

What's with this nation's infatuation with the criminal elements of society -- a 12 million Twitter following for wife batterer Chris Brown; Hero worship for LA Cop killer Dormer, fans following on Twitter and building FaceBook pages in his honor. A lone man fighting the establishment.

This snow storm was not unlike many with similar accumulations; Storms like we've had all our lives. A power outage made sleeping a little chilly for a couple of days, or disrupted water from wells. But, we survive. It snows, you take a day off. I have to say, that yesterday, Sunday was the most beautiful day of the year.

I think the world began to deteriorate when the Catholic Church eliminated the Latin Mass. It was the beginning of lowering standards which is so prevalent in today's society.

In studying paradoxes, consider this crocodile dilemma: If a croodile steals a child and promises its return if the father can correctly guess what the crocodile will do, how should the crocodile respond in the case that the father correctly guesses that the child will not be returned. Something to think about.

People from Colorado to North Dakota to Michigan and even upper New York State have to be smirking, or is it snickering, watching the incessant broadcasts about the hardship for NYC people getting a foot of snow. Pretty reporters bundled up in the latest outer ware crying the blues over a beautiful snowflakes. If I were a New Yorker I'd be embarrassed to talk to a Midwesterner, who might see two feet of new fallen snow an a daily basis.

It's kind of a paradoxical watching power fail due to falling tree limbs most likely which were still hanging there because of environmentalist protests. And thinking of these hardy outdoors lovers of the woods sitting in their rustic country homes keeping warm with wood stoves.
It must becasue they know how to cut down their trees with tender affection. "Is that hurting, you dear?" Whack!

Wound you be surprised to see an editorial in the NY Times urging the Catholic Church to seek diversity, to elect a transgender, African Pope? 

I was so cloistered by affects of snow this past weekend, I had little chance to to observe the foibles of humanity. I did notice pretty clearly tough, people getting together, helping each other get back together.

And, then there are those who love to complain in general, and the snow provides sniping opportunities at many levels. It's one reason why Governemtn is so expensive.

I did notioce that commercial parking lots were all beautifully plowed while city streets were basically series of ruts. Must be more money in commercial plowing. Or perhaps, the governments aren't spending our tax money wisely. Nah.

On the subject of incompetence, I watched a town employee plow the parking lot behind my downtown abode. First, it was a particularly inadequate job, but the worst was that when I went down stairs outside. The doofus had decided that the opening for our garage door was a great place to deposit all of the snow! Yikes.

A reader reports that Side Effects is a double "WoW!" movie.

The Answer:
1. The College of Cardinals runs the Church between the time of a Pope's death or resignation until the election. There is only one qualification for voting -- Cardinal must be under the age of 80. Bonus: A Catch 22 is a situation in which someone is in need of something that can only be had by not being in need of it.

We had our beautiful Winter for a day or so, and now we will be into slush for a week. But that's life on the Coast. It's just what it is.