Peeps.

Today's Tids Issue 3,312

Opening Stuff:

One of the great things about Easter, other than  why it is great in the first place, is the way it doesn’t change. It transcends generations. A chocolate bunny in 1910 was a good as chocolate bunny today. I reveled on little yellow, squishable, sugary chicks lying in fake green grass, and so do kids today. Decorating eater eggs draws out the same creativity today as it did in days gone by. The Easter bunny still hops, and kids still get live chickens as gifts. It hasn’t turned into just another a commercial boondoggle over the years, like so many other big holidays. And, somehow the sun always seems to be shining brighter, even on a cloudy day.

The waters around this Island are about 33, 34 degrees, meaning there is a good chance we won’t feel summer til August.

I don’t really like the increase in “Bubble” rhetoric concerning the stock Market. The “wizards” of Wall Street are well known for self fulfilling prophesies, which often are under the control of the bigs behind the curtain. I feel like I’m walking on Easter Eggs these days.

The Question:

Everywhere I look in bars and around homes I see people consuming trendy brands or craft beers. What do you think are three leading selling brands o f beer in America? Bonus: Want to indulge yourself? What are considered the top ten Hotels in America?

The Headlines:

--Iran Nuke Talks Fall Short; At The Deadline, Some Say Parties Ae Miles Of Sandy Dunes Apart; Russia Negotiator Segei Lavrov Returns To Table Saying Deal Is Possible Now..

--Evidence Mounts Against Advisability Of Having Andreas Lubitz In Cockpit; He Hid Notes Form Docs Saying He Was Unfit.

--Supreme Court Rejects ObamaCare Death Panel Challenge.

--Pence Vows To Clarify Law Meant To Protect Retailers From Government Persecution.

--ISIS Tweets Photos Of Jihad Military Graduation ceremony.

--Marco Rubio Expected To Announce For Prez By April 14.

--Weirdness in Mizzu: Missouri State Auditor Found Dead Of Apparent Suicide One Month After Boss Committed Suicide.

Studying and understanding semantics can go a long way to clearing away the fog about the world around you. Read some of S. I. Hayakawa’s books. “Semantics and Pragmatics”, the Journal of the Linquistics Society of America is also a good source on the subject that can help you see meanings.

Legal Wrangling, Department:

The two big local trials are about Aaron Hernandez and Marathon bomber Dzkhhokar Tsarnaev. I believe Hernandez is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. BTW, his next trial about the drive by double murder is a slam dunk for the prosecution.--When I saw Tsarnaev put that knapsack down right next to the 8 yo boy Martin Richards,  I called the Mass state executioner to check the fuses on the electric chair. –Oh yeah, and while we are on trials of note, I don’t believe that Amanda Knox was an innocent bystander in the gruesome murder of her friend. Want me on your jury? – Oh yeah, again – Tsarnev will never die at the hands of of Massachusetts authorities.

On The Voice Last night I really liked Joshua Davis and Lexie Davila. Davila was actually quite amaizing with difficult piece she sang to perfection. Davis may have the best “voice” on the TV show of the same name. I personally liked Kelsie May, but the critics an some polls killed her.  The top 5 mini poll winners for last night were Davis, Brooke Adee (I liked her), India Carey (Another powerhouse), Lexi and #5 in the second tier – Tonya Boyd Cannon. The big Q  of the evening was why put two of his best Joshua and Lexi against each other. Did he accept a bribe form Christina? Maybe tomorrow I’ll try to wrestle with the very competitive remaining Top 20

I dislike making accusations in cases like the Germanwings plane crash during the initial stages of the investigation. This horrible tragedy certainly looks like it was generated by a terribly disturbed man who hid the truth from authorities and bosses. Of course the lawyers will want to know “What did Lufthansa know and when did they know it”. It they can’t determine any wrong doing there, they will ask “What should Lufthanza have known and when should they have known it?” Regardless of the infighting to come, 148 innocent lives were lost, and it should never have happened. I’ll never stop being sad about that.

Psychiatrists are opining about what made a  depressed man like Lubitz take the lives of 147 others? It’s not, they seem to concur,  a normal occurrence for even the severely depressed. The operative word here is “normal”.

One of the  more discouraging aspects of life is going back to a school reunion and remembering people very well, only having them  look at you like some kind of malicious predator. “But we were friends,” I kept on repeating.

My SWTS  expert’s agent writes to inform me that his client, The Tids Dancin’ expert is not so happy that the Tids Entertainment Editor left off the potential winners list, Hunger Games 14 yo Willow Shields and Partner Mark Ballas.  The Editor promises to learn the mambo to make up for it.

It always pays to look beyond the obvious.

I believe that big bankers who break the public trust should be eligible for the Death Penalty. Fines mean nothing and chieftains generally figure out a way for underlings to get the jail time, seldom the result of Fed investigations. The markets are subject to mass manipulation. So, does this make me an Elizabeth Warren advocate? Not quite, but rational thinking says that intense one-sided politics often results in throwing the baby out with the bathwater. A more orderly market place is better for the small investor, and even large more conservative institutional investors. The self-regulation of a free market system would have worked if the government had not bailed out the frivolous risk takers.

The Answer:

Well, it isn’t Stella, or even “Uncle Joe’s Special Blueberry” It is pure and simple “Bud Lite” with about 37 million barrels sold. Next at 18 mil is Coors Lite which is followed by Budweiser (15), Miller Lite (14), and then Corona Extra, Natural Lite, Busch Lite, Busch, Modelo Especial and Michelob Ultra.  The key stat is that all of these brands, while still far ahead of the trendy brands , several are declining at about a little more than 1%. The Mexican brands (Surprise) and Michelob Ultra are increasing, especially Modelo which is up a huge 20%. Bonus: The Inn at Lost creek, Telluride Co is #10. On the way to #1 we have Tivoli Lodge, Vail; Villas of Grand Cyprus, Orlando; 21c museum Hotel, Bentonville Ark; The Oxford Hotel, Bend Or; Old Edwards In and Spa, Highlands, NC; The Grand Del Mar, San Diego; Bardessono, Yountville Cal; French Quarter Inn, Charleston SC. #1 is – Ta daaa – The Langham in Chicago. Obviously, a list like this is subject to a lot of opinion. Just consider it a guide to a better than average vacation. Personally, I’ll take home.

If Lite beer is so popular, how come there aren’t more skinny people?

BTW, Spell-Check really doesn’t like the word “Lite”. Recalculating.