Sometimes the body betrays the goodness in the heart.

Today's Tids Issue 3,306

Opening Stuff:

I was in a Wal-Mart in a seamier side of town when a sinister looking white guy walked towards me, eyes shifting right and left. I avoided eye contact and looked for an escape aisle. Suddenly he stopped, turned quickly and opened the door to the ice cream freezer! How bad can he be?

Did you see where Starbucks would like you to discus race with a barista over your $8.00 coffee. First I don’t buy $8.00 coffee. Second I like peace and quiet. Count me out.

Yemen could become ISIS Nation.

He should change his name to Schlock. How shocking!

This has been a great year for “Frosty the Snowman”!

I think Ted Cruz will be a great candidate. He makes Libs really, really mad, but he also is very quick on his feet and the Princeton, Harvard Law educated Pol is much smarter than the academic Dems want to admit. Carveille calls the Cuban/ Irish American “fearless”, and very smart.

The Question:

What was the name of Iran before 1935? Bonus: What was the name of the Elizabeth Taylor husband killed in a 1958 plane crash?

The Headlines:

--Ted Cruz First To Toss Hat Into Presidential Battlefield; Right Wing Radio Hosts Blasting The Jebster Ala The Job On Dear Old dad.

--Yemen In Chaotic State; Last Of US Military Outta There.

--Feb Home Sales Up But Below Expectations.

--Hiker Family Ignores Warning And Are Buried In Alaska Cliff Collapse.

--Starbucks Ends Inane Race Discussion Campaign.

--SC  To Weigh In On The rebel Flag And Free Speech.

--NCAA Surprises: Wichita State Ousts Kansas; Mich State Eliminates Virginia

It looks like the conservative radio crowd is ganging up on Jeb just as they did with Dad. I n that one, the talkers drained Repubs away from GHW Bush enabling the Clinton crowd to sneak in with less than 50% of the vote. Let’s hope that history doesn’t repeat itself!

When I was a kid exploring classical music, I bought 33 rpm featuring on side one Auturo Toscanini conducting Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliette overture. It was good, but when I went to side B I found Berlioz Romeo et Juliette. I thought at that time it was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. And, I attributed it to the known genius of Toscanini. Now today, CD companies seem to be reviving original Toscanini efforts and I might have been tempted to buy except that now I have learned that Berlioz was also quite the genius – even when drunk or in drug induced states.

Europeans are moving their money out of the Eurozone and into better market opportunities, including the USA. This could bout the US markets along a bit longer upon the erratic seas.

It seems that the home phone is well on its way to becoming what the US Mail has become – a vehicle for “Junk” delivery.

NCAA Notes, Department:

Never bet against Tom Izzo. – The Tids, ina poor performance this year, has nine of the Sweet Sixteen; 3 of its Final Four. –I always root for West Virginia and happy to see they are still moving along. –The Big East flopped big, and the ACC has finally lived up to its billing.

Three of the top small cap stock performers are Life sciences company Repligen, shoe maker Sketchers and Calgro Growers , a company that grows and delivers fresh produce. Maybe the idea here is to pay attention to all of these cultural and fashion trends whether or not you like them. Think about the above three. Calgro is making it big with the popular push towards vegetables, and Repligen is the world largest producer of Protein A, which every vegetarian needs badly. And Sketchers focuses on the non-couch potato, another vegetable. Seriously, what the young of the world are grabbing is where the stocks are and will be going, whether or not his old curmudgeon likes it.

BTW, that commercial where the personal trainer bonks the healthy looking guy for not eating veggies every day is really, really annoying to me. She, then trainer, represents a new kind of world I don’t want to be any more.

Bumper sticker: “Make Chelsea Ambassador To Libya. What difference does it make?”

There’s a big article in the paper this morning about raising chickens in the city. I wrote a short story a year or so ago about the subject from the perspective of two chickens wondering where their rural peace and quiet, among other things, had gone. Yes Sheila and Lucas found the foul air, screaming neighbors, police sirens and the blinking KFC sign across the street very annoying.

There’s no truth to the rumor that British PM David Cameron has asked Obama to work for his opponent in the next election. He is expecting a tough race and needs an edge.

I’m thinking this is a year when the Red Sox will have to average 10 runs a game at least if they want to win anything. The starting pitching is average with several reclamation projects, and the bullpen deosn’t look up to saving them if they are coming in during the fifth inning most of the time.

I was reading the WST Friday and was perplexed a little when after reading the Front Page  headiness about ISIS becoming stronger, changes in European binds et. al.,  I came across one that read “Do dinosaurs have lips?” Say what? The government is spending money to find out!

The shelves of discounters like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, and deep discounters like Job Lot have shelves loaded with designer coffees in really, really cool looking bags. I’m tempted and buy, not just because of the cool graphics, but also reasonable price. So far: Graphic designers - 10; Coffee roasters – 0.

The Answer:

Before 1935 Iran was the great country of history – Persia. Bonus: Mike Todd, Liz’s so-called finest love, died in the crash.

When I was a kid, toughness was personified by Chuck Bednarik who died at 89 Saturday. This Philly Eagles All Pro and UPenn All American was named an all star at both Offensive Center and Linebacker. Kind of make s you blush considering the current wussification of football, and even more generic areas of society. Bednariks want to blame concussions but living pretty well til 89 tells me that didn’t do that bad. But the relatives fascination with the “Lottery” opportunity doesn’t take away from tis man’s almost superhuman at times greatness. The Pats Malcolm Butler’s game saving interception this year reminded me if watching Chuck’s open field tackle of the Packer’s great Jim Taylor on the 9 yard line, and then keeping him on the ground until the clock ran out for the Eagle 1960 NFL Championship!.

At a local performance Jay Leno said. “I f you think Health Care is expensive now, wait until it’s Free!”. He also said to the providence mayor delivering a Key to the City, “The last mayor gave me Pasta Sauce!”

It was 17 degrees when I woke this morning, and Frosty was still standing tall! There must be some magic in that old silk hat.