Layng quietly in fields

Layng quietly in fields
Glstening lights

Friday, December 6, 2013

Idealism is frustrating.

Today's Tids Issue 2,908
Opening Stuff:
A new study says that 25% of US firms give bonuses for incompetence! Yikes! Can you say fall of the Roman empire. So the next time you drive by a gated super-mansion overlooking the ocean, you can feel comfortable knowing that there's a pretty good chance that the owner may be a complete dunce. You have to find your psychological happiness wherever you can.

Often I write prior to my leaving for a trip saying, "beware, the Tids may not arrive in your inbox for a few days". Generally I find a way to keep it going. However, for the next five or so days I'll be sailing on the deep blue sea, wind in my face, hair matted down by the salty, invigorating spray of the seas bursting from beneath the plowing edge of the bow...and on waters with nary a cell tower to be seen. But think of the tales I might tell when it is over and we glide into safe harbor.

The US still appears to be supporting the Military Junta that took Egypt by a forceful coup. So, now we learn that in order to get possession for proper burial of bullet ridden, burned or mutilated bodies, relatives must sign a release that says the deaths were by "Natural Causes". But, then, I guess they're kinda right -- deaths by bullets bombs and fire in the Middle East are basically natural causes.

Talk about "In your face, conservatives" casting, the new movie The Butler has traitor Jane Fonda playing conservative mate Nancy Reagan.

The Question:
Name who you think might be the five strongest female movie "characters" ever.

The Headlines:
--Wall Street In Neutral After Day Of Angst; Is Current Sell-Off Precursor To September Plunge?
--Morsi Backers Rage Against The Brutality Of The Military Regime.
--US NSA Has Broken Privacy Rules, Overstepped Legal Authority Thousands Of Times Since 2008.
--Escalating Violence In Iraq Could Lead To Civil War And Add To The Uncertainties About The Middle East; New Bombings In Lebanon Kill.
--Japan's Constitutional Watch Dog (Constitution Written By US After WWII) Says He Will Allow Country To Keep On Expanding Military; Japan Forces As Large As France.
--Ebola Killing Again In Uganda.
--New Quakes In Central New Zealand Topple Homes

A couple in a Chinese Restaurant are intrigued by the daily special "Chicken Surprise, and the order it. In timely fashion a large cast iron pot with lid firmly in place is delivered to the center of the table. The curious wife immediately reaches for the lid, but before her hand grasps it, the lid raises slightly and two eyes peer out and the wife gasps. The husband being brave, says he'll check it out and as he reaches out the lid again rises and the eyes again stare at them. "Waiter," they exclaim, "there is something odd here." The waiter scurries over and looks at the big black pot, opens the lid and says, "Oh, I very sorry, I make mistake. They brought you Peeking Duck!" Thanks to a good reader for this to keep the humor at he lowest of possible levels.

Duh Headline of the Week, Department:
Headlining a story about the 0-Vacation on MV, the local daily newspaper titillated us with, "President Finds Time for Golf". Where have they been for five years?

Sean Hannity can be a real creep some of the time. I often cringe when listening to him, and never watch his TV show..

The papers here about a month ago after the Gay marriage act became law were loaded with photos of happy newlyweds. You may have thought there was a wedding a minute. Well, it appears that it was just another example of media overkill, for as of yesterday the total gay marriage licenses applied for in this state has been twelve! Governor Chafee's new economic revival plan is already falling apart! But the real story here is how the populace can be fooled when media overplays or underplays the facts.

Speaking of a downtrodden RI economy, you really have to be worried about the latest employment numbers. For years now citizens here have been told not to worry about the demise of the once mighty manufacturing economy because we were destined to become one of the great tourism locations of all time. Plenty of jobs for all, albeit low paying and often temporary. So how surprised was I this morn when at the height of our runaway tourism economy season I learn that RI lost 900 jobs in July! Yikes! Gadzooks I say, this after we have sold our soul and privacy to get New Yorkers and Nutmeggers to clog our highways and byways, to settle into out former favorite haunts.

Obama tried to be strong against the aggression of the Egypt military, but all he could bring himself to say was that the US will not play war games with them this year. Horrors. That will bring them to their knees. What about the Billion in US taxpayer dollars that go into that cauldron every year. But, I am over-wringing this dilemma for dramatic purposes. It is a real dilemma, as Egypt has been traditionally the most influential country in an unstable Middle East. The question then is not whether or not to keep the mess going until some degree of sanity is achieved, but why the US let it get this far in the first place. They should have been shortening the line attached to the Billion way before the situation got out of hand. Who in the US didn't have the guts to play it tough? Hillary? Barack?

Personally, I believe we spend more money on nothing right now than at any other time in our history. It is the era of hands reaching out in the middle, whether by lobbyists, distributors, lawyers...or disc jockeys, to name a few. Recently an NBA player paid a lawyer $10 Million so he could the pay his divorced wife five million. Think about it if the two had sat down together and arrived at a deal for $7.5 Mil.

Boondoggle, department:
And if you think middle men are rampant now, wait till ObamaCare gets going. Everybody will have their hands in that gigantic pot. The Feds are already spending multi millions to teach people how to sign up for free money. God help us.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--The best new movie of the week seems to be Blue Jasmine, a Woody Allen movie starring Cate Blanchette and Alec Baldwin. Its about the fall from big time closed NYC society of a woman married to a Bernie Madoff kind of swindler. It is dramatic, looking at her reluctance to be accept the truth, and intriguing as the feds try to involve her in the entire scheme. Well directed by Woody, and acted at Oscar levels. Probably in limited distribution.
--The Butler is about a, duh, butler who served 8 Presidents over five decades. A black man, he observes the behind the scenes White House from Ike to 0-Man, and as the film generally reviews history of the times from Viet Nam through Civil Rights and today. The Butler wrestles with the conflict between his duties and home life. More like a gigantic mini-series made for TV than a concise movie.
--Kick Ass II is like Kick Ass I though dumber. It's about teen superheroes who are forced to choose between saving the world and the reality of school. They join forces with "Justice Forever" and fight another ultimate bad guy.
--Paranoia is a thriller about two egocentric billionaires out to destroy each other. It takes deeply inside corporate espionage as a young exec superstar on the rise finds himself trapped with too much knowledeg too deep with =int eh battel of th egiants. Everybody wnats hime dead On my list. and

The Answer:
Noomi Rapace as Lizbeth Salander in  Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was definitely as tough as they get. Next in the vote was Whoopie Goldberg as Celie Harris Color Purple. How could you not include Uma Thurman in Kill Bill and of course, Ellen Ripley as played by Sigourney Weaver in Alien. I remember well sucking iot up as Jodi Foster played Clarice Starling and certainly Cate Blanchette as Elizabeth.

Well, that's about it for this week. Enjoy the weekend and thank God that you're you.

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