74 Days 'Til Pitchers & Catchers.

Today's Tids Issue 2,976

Opening Stuff:

Hark the Herald Angels Sing...it's December! We creep into this last month measuring retail sales activity. Then, without warning, we are at December 7 remembering the Japanese cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor. Alerting our senses to what we don't know. Almost immediately thereafter, slithering from under rocks, rising through the cracks in our foundations are the people who want to keep Christ out of Christmas -- selfish hoards who refuse to understand, or feel guilty understanding the love of God by a vast majority of people. Yet, all will be well after the foolishness and court actions when that star shines once again high in the heavens and the people rejoice in an annual rebirth of of hope and peace. Gather together with love for all, forgiving even those who can't see the love in others hearts. Welcome December, where the days become longer.

I noticed in a store the other day that they are selling organic candy. I never realized that there were candy trees. Hey, maybe there is chance for organic money after all.

Hey, maybe bitcoins grow on trees!

Well, I guess Black Friday is better than wanton looting.

I see where the first big retail weekend is down 2.2% from the previous year. It's probably because the cost of the "12 Days of Christmas" is up 7.7% to $27,393. It seems we could get this economy back on track if everybody would just take one less Turtle Dove. Good for America, bad for Turtle Dove farmers.

The Question:
Name surprising deaths of principal characters in this season's TV shows.

The Headlines:
--NYC Train Crash Under Investigation.
--Government Says ObamaCare Computers Working And 90% Of Enrollees Completing Apps; Insurance Companies Say They Aren't Receiving Applications, Have No Record Of Enrollees; States Continue To Seek Ways To Bypass Feds.
--Countries World Wide Joining US In Cyber Monday Sales.
--Crude Prices Plummet.
--Underemployment Has 27 Million Americans Needing More.
--Climate Change Fails To Produce Atlantic  Hurricane For First Time In 31 Years.
--Actor Paul Walker Killed As He Worked; Fiery Crash Takes Star Of "Fast And Furious".
--Gays In Many States Now Fighting For Right To Divorce; Gives Activists Something To Do.

There are plenty of smiles in Union and Liberal organization hierarchies, and the reason is the "Nuke Option". Like Iranian's after their nuke deal, the left of center orgs see significant new freedoms and powers that have them pushing Obama to nominate the leftest of the left for exec branch jobs. Progressives are particularly interested in getting in place in agencies like Commodities Futures Trading Commission people not particularly friendly to Wall Street. Or the DC Circuit Court which would be dominated by liberals without any means of opposition. Unions have jumped at the new opportunity so much so that the fed Government could look like the RI State Legislature. We know the kind of stagnation that would create. The picture is not bright.

I think one of the most beautiful songs ever written is Silent Night. Let's just hope they don't play that when the USA closes it's doors and shuts off the light of freedom.

Whoever decided that .81 mg's was the right aspirin for babies, and for adults trying to prevent heart attacks? I mean, how many infants did they test? Why isn't .83 or, 79? Sounds like an adman made it up. Like, "How can I sell more of this baby aspirin?"

News Alert: It has been revealed that a white House scandal is looming. Insiders say that Michelle Obama in opposition to her husband and liberal pals has been for years waging a subtle campaign for the right to bare arms.

Amazon is intending to compete with Netflix with the offering of their new Streaming TV series, "Alpha House." It's written by Gary Trudeau and it's about three Republican senators. Oh great, Gary Trudeau...he'll will be fair to Repubs. Sure he will. Doya think the series will appear just before the key 2014 congressional elections? It looks like billionaire Jeff Besos is getting around the election laws with his own biased TV show undermining Repubs and promoting Dems. Gary Trudeau for crissake. I'm boycotting Amazon and shopping locally. Hey, shopping locally is a good idea. It keeps Main street looking great and drones off my doorstep.

One of our more erudite readers, in response to Friday's movie review, just wrote to say the the book, "The Book Thief" was one of the best she ever read. The history of WWII and evils that befell good honest people like you and I is just one of many reasons to pick up the book. Oh yeah, this woman knows a lot about a lot of stuff, and particularity the pain and emotions of war. She teaches the children of the deployed soldiers at Fort Bragg.

Ohio State has the runners, but Michigan has the best fight song. And. the biggest heart. What a great game in the Big House Saturday, as was the amazing ending of the Auburn-Alabama slugfest. South Carolina-Clemson, Mizzou-Texas A&M and Notre Dame Stanford were all close and meaningful. The sports experts elite have to be really feeling left out now that they can't tout an Alabama-Florida State game. Think about how the mess will deepen for the BCS  if next week Mizzou beats Auburn and Michigan State beats The Ohio State. Yikes! The experts love to annoint, but reality is always much better as they play it out on the field.

While we're on the College scene, a lot of people would like to see the halftime bands instead of a lot of people sitting around a desk trying to outshout each other. Hey, let's keep a little of College football student body traditions going.

I have to say I liked the old NHL subdivisions much better. It's nice to have Detroit in the same division as the Bruins, but Detroit in the "Eastern" league when Philly, Washington and the three NYC area teams aren't? Besides, the old divisions maintained some of the historic character of the NHL -- the Norris, Adams, Patrick and Smythe. And the main conferences were Campbell and Prince of Wales. Just another move away from the heart into secularism.

I just learned that in our state with no jobs because companies run away from oppressive regulations, that there is someone called the Director of the Environmental Justice League! Environmental Justice League! Sounds threatening, doesn't it. Like Orwellian, with eyes everywhere ready to pounce. Well, the first thing they should attempt is to get people to pick up their Dunkin' Donut cups. I wonder if the director wears a cape?

The big "B's", Brahms and Beethoven have written beautiful violin concertos, but the "B" who may stand for the "Best" is Bruch with his 1st in G minor.

I measure classical music by the chill factor. I measure rock music by the innate craving for sin factor.

Just to see how I'm doing, I occasionally average out the average age of people on the obit page. Yesterday the 22 deceased had an average age of 80.54. The median age was 85.

The Answer:
The most surprising death of a leading character to me was Joss Carter getting mowed down on Person Of Interest. She was a big deal there and getting better all of the time. I also think the death of Brian on Family guy was a huge shocker. The others are Clay Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, Andrea in Walking dead, Steve Newlin in True Blood, Richard Harrow in boardwalk Empire and Robb and Catelyn Stark in Game Of Thrones. Nothing gives credibility faster to a TV series than the death of a favorite character.

I measure blue grass music by the intensity of the image of beautiful West Virginians nestled in their green hills near rushing streams.

When I want to doze off, I put on a ballad.