Saint John's Wort, anybody?

Today's Tids Issue 2,897

Opening Stuff:
About a year or so or go, there were experts and informed observers who tried to apply logic to the Middle East messes, and at times it even seemed sound based on the knowledge of the day. Now if you were to go around the table and ask honest experts their opinions I would expect they'd all would slowly shake their heads slowly, no, in bewilderment. If one thing has been proven about that land of sand, oil and religious heritage, it's that chaos is and will be eternally pervasive unless a bloody dictatorship is in place! Such a predicament! And all of this backsliding into new chaos has occurred after the "Smartest Woman in the Universe" chortled her way around the region from airport to airport. So much for cackling diplomacy.

When I was a kid all I wanted to be when I grew up was Dick Kazmaier. He was one of those "walk-on-water" kind of a guys to this kid who thought the only thing in the universe was playing football. He played for Princeton in the days when Ivy Teams were as good as there were in the land and the athletes truly represented the student body. This football player did it all, one of those old fashioned "Triple Threat Players" -- passer, runner punter. Remember those? He was also ranked second in his graduating Class at old Nassau. He died yesterday at 82. And, I still remember the excitement.

The Question:
Let's do the Bonus Q First: Charlie Chaplin wrote one of the all time great hot songs fro Nat King Cole. name it. Hint: Charlie Chaplin wrote it. 1. I woke up thinking that "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" was one of the all time funniest movie titles. So let's go with funniest and your naming the all time Funniest Movies.

The Headlines:
--EuroZone Business Shows Expansion For First Time In 18 Months; Slight, But Stabilizing.
--New Date Expected Dampen Fed Tapering; Dollar Soften.
--US Closes Embasies For Second Day.
--Ted Cruz Offers Plan To Fund All Government But ObamaCare.
--US Directs Agents To Cover-Up Program To Investigate Americans; More To Come.
--Another Hernandez Relative Dies In Freak Accident.
--MLB Finally Expected To hand Down Suspensions.
--Security Observers Say China And Russia Could Share In Snowden Secrets.

I want to have faith in stocks because it's a good way to grow your money and receive income. But, I have a lot of trouble with the concept, knowing that if you read between the lines everything basically hinges on whether or not the Fed will continue to pour $85Bil/Month into the economy. This my friends, is not an economy. Couple that with employment news that doesn't relate to historical analyses because average earnings have been on a steady decline, and you have an America going forward at old growth rates that is questionable at best. So, the high recent stock averages are buoyed by hand-outs and growth of decaying jobs. Makes you scratch your head, doesn't it.

The two insignificant US Senators from SSRI (Soviet Socialist Rhode Island) are continually announcing one kind of Fed Funding or another. Every time I see that I wonder, "Now, what pound of flesh have the dynamic duo promised big brother". Getting so-called free Money is about s scary as it gets.

Much too much News, Department:
"So Abdul, the Americans have closed all of their embassy's for Sunday. Is Ayman busy Tuesday?"

I have to question all of the negativity about HGH. In many cases they say its recuperative effects enables faster recovery from injuries. What's wrong with that? If we ban HGH are we to ban splints for broken bones, too? Band-aides and aspirin? Actually, I'm all for HGH. I have a grandson with the initials HGH, and I feel younger and smile more every time I see him. How great is that!

Stupid Lawyer Tricks, Department:
Doda Imbidis, A lawyer from Kenya, is suing Israel, Pontius Pilate and the Roman Emperor Tiberius in an attempt to reverse the decision that sent Jesus Christ to the crucifixion. Huh?

I think I'll buy a newspaper company. They're coming on the market at bargain rates, like yesterday when the Boston Red Sox owner John Henry bought the Boston Globe form the NYT's for $70 Million. Not a bargain you say...the Times paid $1.3 billion for it 20 years ago. So, why consider buying a newspaper? Well, I figure it would give me something to do, serialize my novels in it, earn a little extra income and I could hold off form running it into the ground for 10-15 years, which by then it would all be over. And then, it would look great in my obit.

Rats! I was just learning how to spell Ahmadinejad.

I remember when one of the Sunday newspaper highlights was looking at all of the wedding announcements and photos. But now, I guess because of ailing newspaper fortunes they have to charge more and more for the announcements forcing just about every body off the pages...except if you have an historic gay marriage, and then you get your pics on the front page.

Culture decay: The local shoe repair shop just closed it's doors after decades, as the throwaway society continues to eat jobs.

The Conscience: Chapter 26 continues.
    I was stunned for a moment, but now understood more about the incongruities I thought I was seeing. "Wow!, that changes the ball game." The other two were looking at me to continue. I sat up straight now, leaving the booze on the table. "The explosion. A non-sequitur?" I paused, now trying to piece together all of the disjointed pieces of the chaotic puzzle which is emerging from Bernard's ashes. "Why destroy a shipbuilding yard that should be underlying factor in the purchase, if what we see is true."
     "What else?"
     "When the goon, who I have since learned is Bruno Durante and a close associate of Sanna, came running to Antonio that morning with the newspaper story about the explosion, Bruno was upset. Antonio was calm. Angelica seemed not disturbed about the explosion, and for that matter, neither did Sanna. Everybody seems to want this deal to go through, including angelica and her Grandfather. I know for sure that Angleica is totally unaware of the illicit activities. Antonio is the kindly old founding father of the company. Angelica is his favorite for the succession, but Sanna and the hard-to-know son of Antonio, Ernesto, have been running the show. Angelica knows something is wrong and is leery of her mother and father." And, I know something is really weird becasue of Sanna.
    "This explosion was a very professional job." Jason had is elbows on the table, and I could see his jaw grinding as he spoke through tight lips. Wu, watch calmly as though disjointed. I took a quick glance at this right hand man of my friend. Is he always that unemotional, or does he know more than he is showing? "The materials they used, the identification they showed and he coolness which they displayed tells me that tis was sponsored by a group with money and tentacles. The Biglietto Panfillo side biz fits right in, wouldn't you say?"
    I turned to Wu, "What do you think, Elliot?" He looked shaken. It felt good to me. Angelica taught me that.

The biggest problem infecting America is the decline in average wages. Period.

The Answer:
Bonus: Charlie Chaplin wrote "Smile" for Nat. 1. Forbes Mag used a meter that measured "Laughs per Minute" to get to the top Ten Funniest Movies". #1 was Airplane. Next is Hangover, followed by Naked Gun, Superbowl, Borat, Anchorman, American Pie, Bridesmaids, Shawn of the Dead and Life of Brian.

I'm feeling mellow despite the world I see.