Today's Tids Issue 2,940
Opening Stuff:

On the "Economic Freedom" meter,
the US has dropped to 17th in the world from 2nd in 2,000! Remember, it was economic freedom that allowed the US to lead the world in standard of living for a century or so. What the hell is happening? Ok, for starters the foundations of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange and open markets. Have any clues yet? Do you see any of that leaking away? Also consider that the latest ranks were accumulated before Obamacare. Can you see the future? In case you are interested the Top countries are Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Switzerland, UAE, Mautitius (?), Finland, Baharain, Canada and Australia.

I just love Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker who continually brings logic and rationality into governing. He just refused a Big Fat Fed Government order to close down Wisconsin "State" parks. And h should. States have just got to stop taking fed money, and retain their independence -- the independent state is the last barrier to a central government take-over of everything American. Actually, Rhode island is already just a department of a federal Agency. so we have 49 states who still have a chance to stay independent.

Of all the ferocious beasts on our planet, the mosquito has killed more humans than any other. Yes that disease carrying picnic annoyance kills about 2,000,000 a year. Next most ferocious. killing 10,000, is the cobra. After that we have the scorpion, elephant, bee, lion, rhino, jellyfish and shark. You may shudder at the roar, but it's the little bastard you can't se who's going to get you.

The Question:
Before he became one of the all-time most famous Americans, Charles Lindburg had a real job. What was it? While we're on the subject what were early before fame jobs for Mick Jagger, Colin Powell, Bob Hope, Warren Beatty and Walt Disney.

The Headlines:
--World And Wall Street Seeing Debt Crisis Undermining Share Prices.
--Congress Enters Latest Crucial Week; Debt Level Joins Government Funding As Key Issues.
--China Urges US To Take Right Steps In Debt Crisis; Country Protecting it's Investment With Strong Rhetoric.
--Egyptian Street Fighting Kills 58 Over Weekend.
--European central Bank Urging Germany To Get Government Act Together Fast.
--Obama Supports Redskins Name Change; Latest Step Interrupting Economic Freedom.
--Brady's Touchdown Streak Halted; Misses Drew Brees Record By Two.

Let's see...Congress just voted to pay the 800,000 furloughed workers. This means they're basically getting free vacations. Why not send them back to their jobs and let them earn that money. And, maybe stop into local biusinesses on the way home as they have for years. This Shut down is one big charade and it's time to stop it! Idiots.

You could call the current confusion in Washington -- Statutes and Statues.

Smart TV: Just what I need, a TV that tells me what programs to watch.

More often than not, nutritional and life style pronouncements of one generation are completely changed by the next. Generally it's politically or dollar motivated, even with the imprimatur of an elite organization like the AMA.  Somebody is getting something when the population moves from direction to another.

A Positive Rhode Island Lives in the hearts of great people, Department:
It is not unusual around here to learn of a person who may be a neighbor doing great things every day, or being extremely proficient at their interests. The feats of Rhode Islanders are often clouded by the negativity emanating from a misguided state legislature and inept Congressional delegation puppets. But underneath the union-government dominance here, there are real people doing truly unique things. Like John Reckner who 19 years ago created and continues to run the amazing, nationally recognized, spectacular giant display of 5,000 carved pumpkins each month of October at the Roger Williams Zoo. Or, Jessica Viveiros-O'Donnell of Tiverton, a talented horse woman who's beautiful Fell Pony Lady Liberty caught the eye of Queen Elizabeth II (Yes that Queen); the Queen then asking permission of this RI'er to use the pony on her Christmas Card, which she has! And then there is Siri. You all know Siri the voice of IPad and IPhone, Siri is Susan Bennett who perfected her voice while living here in RI four years while attending Brown U.  So, if occasionally you hear your "er's" sounding like "ah's", don't worry, your machine isn't broken -- fagettaboutit, it just a bit of good ole' Rhode Islandeze!

In an effort to regain their "Honeymoon Capital of the USA" title, the scenic wonderland north of Buffalo is changing its name to Viagra falls.

I hate it when old people drive into buildings. The nannies of the society overreact against all significantly experienced drivers.

In case you are interested, some of the "Fall Blockbusters-to-be are looking up at an early axe. These turkeys didn't make a dent in this Fall's new TV show ratings: "Lucky 7's"; Hostages (Up against Blacklist. I would stick with it in new time slot); "Dads" (Even if not against NCIS and Voice, it is an awful show); "Betrayal" (Sunday soap lowest rated ABC premiere in history); Ironside (Original show was all about Raymond Burr. You don't match that in a revival); "Welcome to the Family" (Lowest rated NBC Debut ever); "We are men" (Lowest rated CBS comedy debut ever. Looked like a loser to me); "Michael J. Fox Show" (The show tried too hard to be unusual and came out weird and confusing; has been shedding viewers like a dog sheds hair in the summer). MJ Fox will continue as first 22 episodes are in can. Hostages could also as it was only originally projected as 15 episode mini-series. Wait til January when many good shows  com bakc including..."24". Kthunk. Kthunk. Kthunk.

So, did you notice above how often the words -- "Lowest", "History" were used. Kinda makes you think we are in a new era of entertainment. Too many options for a vastly changing US demographic, many of which that are not even TV. Dylan wrote a song about it. And we are living it. 

The English Language is weird, Department:
For centuries, "Snuck" as the past tense for sneak was abhorred by the enlightened. You must say "Sneaked". Snuck first began making appearances around the end of the 19th century. It evolved a bit into common usage as more and more writers gravitated towards snuck, and even I as a quasi-writer found that it flows better than sneaked. So,  the proper grammarians elite gave an inch and said that snuck may only be used as a standard variant past tense and past participle. The word still fought the non-standard designation until fairly recently when it fell into constant usage by educators and professional writers of all genres. Sneaked is preferred in a highly formal belletristic writing. My Spell-Check must be Belletristic. Now I'm going to go to work on getting "Store" accepted as the past tense for "Stare" I was walking comfortably through a pleasant forest glade when a spider dropped down and store me in the face. Works for me.

The Conscience: Chapter 28 continues.
   There was a deadly emptiness in the room, as I, the man all eyes bored into awaiting my next brilliant phrase, sat inert considering the meaning of James Smith's silent message. I could feel that coldness in my body again. That need for a vodka IV. My jaws were tigheneng and my brain was telling me that would be unable to open my mouth without lubrication. I would look like the fool I had been if I tried to form words with lips that didn't function. James now looked at me again, this time not warning, but urging, sensing my frustration. His eyes saying stay in charge, be bold as you can be in the face of adversity. I felt little drop of sweat under my arms and on the back of my neck. I was returning to the human state again.
    "We are asking you to ameliorate our concerns and yet you are investors who will make a profit from the merger. Your profit could be bigger if the price is depressed because of the explosion. Or maybe lowered if Biglietto can't get price it needs. Were you involved in ten explosion?" I didn't stop for an answer, because I knew there would be one.I don't think so. Butit is interesting to se how easily you cocan be linked to it. Don't you think?". Jasons expression told m to keep going.
    I turned my head, "Milton, you seem to be the Biglietto guy. What do you know about the company that we don't? Is everything we see, everything that's there?" I thought I saw Milton's eyes move quickly towards Eliot Wu. I looked at Wu myself, but his eyes were now on the window just above the booze bottles. meybe he needs a quickie too. I smiled to myself, which was probably offsetting to Washington.
    He sat back in his chair to tell me he was comfortable too. "Everything you see is everything  there is. We have a sizable amount of money there, and we see everything." Obviously they don't, I thought, and I knew Jason was thinking the same thing.
    "Tell me about Sanna."

The Answer:
Lucky Lindburgh was a US Air Mail Pilot before he got lucky and piloted across the ocean into enduring fame. Mick Jagger was an Ice Cream Salesman, Bob Hope a Boxer named Robert Cream, Warren Beatty a rat catcher, Colin Powell a Bronx NY baby furniture store salesman and Walt Disney...well Walt was a newspaper reporter who was fired for having no imagination! Answer to unasked Question: Many of you may have been wondering exactly what Belletristic means. Belletristic: Literature regarded as fine art, especially as having a purely aesthetic function; Light and and elegant literature, especially that is excessively refined, characterized by aestheticism, and minor in subject, substance or scope. So writing about nothing beautifully is the first step to literary genius.

You wonder how many people are caught in careers that belie their true talents. You have to wonder how many great people in this world are laboring in the wrong field, society having missed their brilliance. Isaac Newton for instance was destined to live forever working on the family farm. But he was so bad, so inept, the family sent him away -- to Cambridge U where he obviously excelled. We should never squash the potential of others attempting to make them conform to our often misguided definition of normalcy.