I really don’t need anything.

Today's Tids Issue 3,074

Opening Stuff:

Some day some old geezer sitting in his room on the farm in Ohio is going to turn on the TV and only find community programming, as everything else has gone to streaming. There are signs that the networks may die a faster death than the magazines, and newspapers. Now, just when I think I’ve got it going with my HDTV and Blueray and Chromecast for streaming, I learn of the ominous new presence of 4K and Ultra HD! Yikes. They say it’s all about pixels, and I really don’t care much about pixels over programming improvement. Seeing bad stuff better is not my objective. I suspect the technology will be broader than just better pictures, and will ruin my comfort zone. I’ll just be another geezer wondering where they put “24”. Oh, you can get a Sony 84 inch 4K panel for about $30K or a Samsung 85 inch for $55K! Count me out. It might be worth it, though, if it could also scratch my back.

 

Today looks like a perfect practice day for a bursting forth Easter Sunday. Here, the sun is spectacular and the day is pleasantly chilled. I’ll just capture the beauty and bring it with me to Sunday dinner.

 

The hot IPO’s From FaceBook down 17% to Twitter down 39% are putting the brakes on the IPO business. Also, this is part of the reason that Nasdaq had been leading the markets down over the past week or so. The good news is that this reexamination of “Bubble” favorites did not indict stalwart tech companies like Oracle which is holding well at 8 or 9 year highs. So, I’m thinking that maybe we won’t be diving into an empty pool like we did after the DotCom boom. Fingers crossed. Oh, in case you’re interested, the next IPO will be this week’s intro to WS of China’s version of Twitter – Sina Weibo. It has a small wrinkle, electrocuting any tweeters of negative info about the ruling party.

 

The Question:

Jennifer Garner is another of the great women to come out of West Virginia. From school plays in Charleston’s George Washington HS she went on to capture America in what TV series? Name five of her movies.

 

The Headlines:

--Poll: Christie Tops GOP Candidate List at 15%; Paul, Bush At 14%; Rest in Order Are Ryan, Rubio, Cruz, Walker, Perry, Santorum  And Jindal.

--Ukraine Forces Embarrassed As “Terrorist” Push Fizzles.

-- US To Up Sanctions Against Russia; Putin Says It Is Impossible For Europe To Stop Buying Gas.

--Assad Says Victory Is Near.

--Poll Says Voters Favor Dems To Handle Health Care.

--Weibo IPO Raises Half Of Expected Cash.

--Unions Want $100M To Bail Out Detroit Pensions.

--Morgan Stanley Earnings Up 63% To $1,6 Billion; Goldman Down 1o% To $2 Billion, But Beats Estimates.

 

You spend days in this confusing and increasingly dangerous world looking for glimmers of hope. And this morning I saw one – My congressman David Ciciline is going to the Ukraine. How great is that! The man who nearly broke Providence and then lied about it ( but was still elected by the lemmings )  is going to sort out the problems of an economy worse than the one he  mishandled. I can see it now, Ciciline, eyes glazed over sitting across the table from a bear chested Putin.

 

I thought it was really odd that one day the Ukraine military takes over an airport held by separatists, and the next day the Russian separatists ride triumphantly into a city to cheering crowds atop Ukraine military tanks and troops carriers.

 

Americans can be so inward, that it’s good to look outside from time to time, to see what people in other parts of the world like. Of course we often notice pretty quickly, “Hey, they’re just like me”. In India, a country long known to have largest middle class in the world, people like Apple and Samsung tablets most, just like here. Although, there they also like Google Nexus, Dell Venue, Lenova Yoga, Asus Fonepad, Xolo Play Tegra and Aver Iconia. What, no Kindle Fire? People seem different, but the net result is the same -- they eat, sleep, have sex, play and bury their heads in electronic devices.

 

Publically available data about you and me is kind of like a disease that starts slowly and then multiplies geometrically until it is out of control. The problem is that it is practically impossible to take back what you have already freely given to Internet scavengers…unless of course you steal somebody else’s identity.

 

The one thing I wondered about while watching the magnificent, funny and gruesome Fargo full of terrific characters, is what they could possibly do more than they have already done for ten more weeks  One of my favorite characters is already dead!

 

I thought it was interesting to learn that the Business cycle may be what puts an end to a potential Hillary candidacy. Based on historical analysis, the current recovery cycle could be coming to an end just around the time the Hill starts stomping. Running in a declining economy (With your party in the WH) could be difficult. So, basically, I’m rooting for a declining economy.

 

Time mag, “The News Weekly” is the latest oxymoron.

 

The problem I see with the Repubs choosing a good candidate is that they are still fractured. Conservatives just can’t seem to grasp the idea, that a good, real Republican moderate is far better than any of the Democrat leftists. The Dems will be united behind Hill, because she is quite adept at playing the middle while leaning left.

 

Every time I hear somebody chortle about or ridicule the Tea Party, my support for those Americans looking to return the Nation to sensible economics and ideals, strengthens.

 

I think they bring out stuff like 4K TV to give professional athletes something to do with their money. And, Wall Street bonus babies probably have their butlers standing in line at Best Buy to get the first one.

 

The Answer:

Of course, everybody saw Mrs. Afleck’s stardom as Sydney Bristow in Alias. Her movies are Pearl Harbor, Catch Me if You Can, Daredevil, 13 Going on 30, Elektra, The Invention of Lying, Juno, The Odd Life of Timothy Green and Dallas Buyers Club. Her favorite role is mother of three children.

 

I still think Romney, if not so heavily attacked by his own, would have been a great Prez. Well, as great as any Prez can be these days of enhanced exposure and outrageous disingenuous criticism.

 

See you all tomorrow.