Today's Tids Issue 3,027
Opening Stuff:

This is the time of year when I start thinking seriously about the dreaded April 15th. Actually that day is one of two things that have terrified me in life. The other was the Fort Dix exit on the NJ Turnpike. I guess I have always feared absolute authority.

The scariest instrument of all is that vivid, incessant, unrelenting National Debt Clack. It seems to be going some place really, really bad. Check out http://www.usdebtclock.org/ which not only has the debt but a lot of economic stats including things like auto sales as they happen.

This is that great time of year when you start thinking about good topics for baseball discussions. In Red Sox land, lots of people seem happy coming off of a WS Championship year. But, I'm wondering how you replace the production of Ellsbury and Saltamachia.

We seemed to have managed to get trhough inter-relicgion mariages, interacial marriages and same sex Marriages. But it will be a while before we can accept Red Sox fan and Ya, ya, ya...well you know who I mean...marriages. Say it isn't so Carl Yastremski.

The Question:
Quick -- What is the religious make up of the Supreme Court

The Headlines:
--Stocks Drop: Jan Retail Sales Fell Sharply, Including Autos; December And November Sales Numbers Revised Downward; New Jobless Claims Rise Unexpectedly By 8,000.
--Southeast Dogging Out, Restoring Power.
--Comcast To Buy Time-Warner For $45.2 Billion.
--Afghan Government Frees 65 Dangerous Militants.
--Syrian Government Forces Taking Charge With Containing Attacks.
--Putin Backing Egypt General In Race For President.

Note: Some analysts were saying that the rough January weather caused the Retail sales drop, but the data also showed an Internet sales drop of 0.6%

SC Justice Clarence Thomas says he was treated far worse for his views by northern liberal elites than he ever was by whites growing up in the South...and as the only black in an all white school. He says that all of this talk about racism tends to segregate blacks as an out side group that requires special handling, as opposed to natural integration into society.

Watch out. Get ready. It could be all Jeter all the time this baseball season. Nationaly TV announcers will fawn and fans in the Bronx will try to get Red Sox fans to bend. And I'll just turn off the sound. He seems like a nice guy, but...Nomar was better.

Let's here it for Fifth Grade kids who win the DAR state wide Revolutionary War essay contest! Hey, there was only one! That's even better.

The Russian Pairs skaters were magnificent, and ironically they did their thing to the powerful sounds of "Jesus Christ Superstar". Equally ironic is that music on the former godless communist nation ice, would never be allowed here by the ACLU on government paid for US ice.

Winston Churchill once said, "I contend that for a nation to try and tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." Exactly the same could be said about the current Dem strategy of raising minimum wages.

Sid Ceaser is being lauded, but he wasn't really one of my favorites.

I'm not surprised to see the push for legal Marijuana as a remedy for RI's economy as one of the first law proposals out of the Monkey cage at the Capital.

Ya, Ya, Ya...(wykwIm) fans will never ever give into the fact that Nomar Garciapara was better than Jeter. But, he was. For his 7 seasons with the Red Sox, Nomar had a .325 BA (Same as Joe DiMaggio) with 24 Home runs per year, a .372 in-base and 557 slugging (Equal to Micky Mantle). For the same time period, Jeter batted .318 with a .390 on base, .462 slugging and 16 home runs/year. Even after injuries cut down on Nomars production, his final lifetime stats .313 BA, .361 OBP, .521 Slug,  106 ave RBI's and 26 ave HR's still beat out Jeter who's stats today are .312 BA, 381 OBP, .446 Slug, 79 rbi's and 16 HR's. Too often reality gets lost in mystique.

A liquor expert finally came out and said it: Vodkas are move alike than different. In fact most expensive vodka's are pretty much the same, except for the expense of packaging.. The difference between cheap V's and expensive V's is smoothness. In mixed dringks cheap V can be used without fear of gagging guests. Interestingly, in a recent taste test conducted by the NY Times it was determined that the differences that were noticed are rather subtle and difficult to articualte. Oh yeah, the winner of the taste test that included many of the newer brands, was old stand-by Schmirnov. In that test it was also determeined that alcohol content and price of voidka dosn't matter. Lower alcohol Pavlova Vodka which cost 70% less than Ketel One achieve equal preferences by tasters.

The Conscience: Chapter 36 continues.
    The scotch felt good as it flowed down my throat, and kicked in my courage. I was staring into space trying to not get used to the great wave of relaxation that was sweeping over me, and which I was enjoying immensely. My mind was racing as I thought of seeing Angelica tomorrow, and how I would deal with the first time I saw Sanna, knowing now so much more. My main objective was to appear stupid and pliable. I think I could handle that.
      My thoughts were interrupted by a startling recognition. It wasn't something I saw, but what I didn't see. The chocolates. I rose and walked quickly to the nightstand where the panicked, yes now I remember that she appeared more panicked than courteous, maid had been earlier. She just wanted to get out of there. Why?
    I felt along the pillow area to see if they may have dropped out of sight. I got to my knees and looked in that crevice between the bed and the table. No choclolates. But, I remember now her arm moivng as if she were placing the sweets somewhere. By the phone? I picked up the reciever and saw nothing. As I dropped it into the cradle I heard a small noise, like a bottle cap hitting an skittering on a surface. I looked down again and peeking out at the base of the phone was a small something or other. Picking it up and glancing, I still didn't know what it was, but it wasn't part of the phone. There was a sticky surface, which probably means that in her rush the woman didn't adhere it properly to the under side of of the phone.
   I had to assume that it was some kind of listening device, probably wireless. My heart actually stopped for a second or two. Or at least it felt that way. I knew this was serious stuff, but this little sucker makes it real! I placed it back under the phone, this time making sure it was well attached.

The Answer:
Surprisingly, there are no protestants! There are six Catholics and three Jews. Protestants should be crying out for diversity!
I first heard this song when I was 16. Sixteen year old boys never forget Doris Day singing directly to them!