I would sail upon the magnificent sea; feel the vastness of another world beneath.

Today's Tids Issue 3,198

Opening Stuff:

Happy Indigenous People Day, Everybody! Are the cultural elite trying to tell me it’s “HIP”. Yes, this is that  time a year again when the historical revisionists cry out in agony against The great Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus; theorizing in their academic bastions of comfort; impugning the bravery of a man who stepped beyond the myths of his generation to open a lagging world to modernization. But, then,  maybe happy indigenous peoples day has some meaning after all. Think of all of those indigenous to some tourist town who must endure one more time before the cold, the traffic, the crowds and the lack of room at restaurants. Yes, today, I am Indigenous.

 

Alert: An observant reader warns of a new debilitating disease which may over take America – Disengagedchocolatitis. Yes, The Ivory Coast which, abuts Ebola ridden Iberia and Guinea, is the largest producer of cacao beans. The chocolate industry may have to go into hiatus unless they can replace bean pickers from the quarantined countries. How about Pace Corps moving down there? There can be no peace without chocolate!

 

Sometimes the stock market looks like one gigantic corn stalk maze. With brokers skittering here and yon looking for the safe exit.

 

Charitable giving is down in total. The wealthier are still giving to the Arts and culture and many community activities. But, at the social services level it is way off. Of course social services was once people helping people through people. But, the government has usurped that tradition, building a give-away industry that feeds upon itself with ever increasing demands for more. It appears that the growing thought among potential donors is, “Am I really helping a person, or am I adding to the enabling a life of complete reliance upon society – am I contributing to an entangled web of no hope.”

 

When lawyers try to determine boundaries for a coastal wetland, it is Title Search based on Tidal Surge.

 

The Question:

I thought I’d get a little nautical with today’s “Q”. Maybe something to dream about over the winter. Which boats does Yachting Magazine consider the best new “Trawlers and Pocket Cruisers”  

 

The Headlines:

--USA Not So Invulnerable To Spread Of Ebola As Dallas Nurse Is Stricken.

--News Of Better Chinese News Has Stocks Inching Higher; EuroStocks Also Take Breather From Recent Negative Days; New Warnings Filtering Out On WS.

--Kurdich Forces Hold Back IS At Kobane; Turkey Adds Muscle For First Time.

--Taliban Kill 2 In new Attacks On Afghan Military Convoy.

--Democrats Gaining On Republican “Sure Thing” Races.

--Gen. Dempsey, Chair JCS, Says ISIS Changing Strategies To Meet The Threats Of US And Other’s Counterattacks.

--Chink In CDC Superiority Message Has America Folks Concerned.

--Fiat Chrysler Begins Trading On NY Stock Exchange.

 

When you call somebody an African-American, is that racial profiling?

 

There are wars in Ukraine, Syria and even on The Ohio State football field. But there is no “War” on woman. That is just politics at its slimiest…another myth of our power hungry, disingenuous leaders.

 

A friend of mine, who like many loves his EZ-Pass, suggests that all taxes be fun too,  like those made easier for payment for road and bridge travel. (Yes, tolls are taxes.) How happy are people traveling freely through tollgates while the government silently sucks money from their wallet. How simple would it be to alter EZ-Pass to distribute your wealth, say, every time you pass a homeless person. Or visit a friend in a hospital, or stand in an ocean rising from global warming, or go to a PTA meeting. Think about how good people would feel without having to write checks or fill out forty pages of tax forms to lose the same money. Just wire me up, Lois Learner, and take it.

 

So far, Hillary “not running” is the first big lie of her well orchestrated non-campaign.

 

You can’t go wrong with Prokofiev’s Symphony #1 in D (“The Classical”).

 

The more Aaron Hernandez lawyers argue to have evidence thrown out on legal technicalities, the more I’m sure he is guilty as hell. Want me on the jury?

 

Isn’t it great growing up as an Islamic teen: You have two choices -- strap a bomb to your chest, or contract Ebola and take a plane trip America for a shopping spree in NYC’s Macy’s.

 

You have to wonder how much time is spent in the decorator related corporations of America coming up with names for colors. For instance in just one three color chip that goes through three stages of blue-green grey, from lighter to darker, we have “Homestead Green”, “Mountain Laurel” and “Silver Pine”. That is just one three color strip among thousands. Hey, I’ve got one – Silver Prune.

 

The same people who hate the idea of Columbus initiating the era when Europeans began coming to the new continents, are more than likely to applaud Latin Americans illegally sneaking across the borders.

 

I will always be a customer of any restaurant that serves fresh broiled bluefish.

 

The Answer:

Here’s some pretty cool looking stinkpots on this list (See-um here: http://www.yachtingmagazine.com/yachts/express-and-flybridge-cruisers/2014/09/best-new-trawlers-and-pocket-cruisers?src=related&con=outbrain&obref=obnetwork } First, the Back Cove 30 has that trusty ole’ Lobster Boat look. I like the looks fo the Camano 31 but not so much the Cutwater 30. The Fleming 55 has possibilities. The Grand Banks 43 Heritage would be on my  list, but not the Greenline 33. The Hinkley T37 MKIII and Hunt Surfhunter 9 are Ok. I don’t like the Jeanneau NC11, but could live with the Legacy 32 and not the Marlow Mainship 32. MJM 20z has a good feel, but I like a lot the Nordhavn 56MS. The Nordic Tug 26cr would be on my shortlist as would the Nordic Tug 34 Pilothouse (Guess I’m just a working stiff without a skiff.) and the Ranger Tugs 31. The Rosborough RF-246 has possibilities, as does Sabre 422 Salon Express. I almost like the Sargo 8 and maybe the Swift Trawler 34. While I made comments above, they are certainly more guttural than knowledgeable. For instance, I would not have known that the High Dead-Rise, Deep-V Hull in the Hunt Surfhunter offers unique comfort at high speeds in rough water. In reality though, I would never have named a Hunt yacht “Surfhunter” – much too much “Hunt”  - Maybe Surfdog!

 

Lots of people were entranced by the beauty of the Dying Swan performance that closed Friday’s Tids – just in case you missed it.

 

The ship is ailing well this Monday morning.