Truth or apathy.

Today's Tids Issue 3,311
Opening Stuff:

Well sadly, this week begins with the knowledge that a true disingenuous rascal is running for President. Yes, the cackler has spoken, barely. In a well orchestrated, typically Clintonian announcement, the Hill and advisors set out on a minimalist campaign designed to avoid reality and ride the momentum of a large, often un or misinformed Democrat voter block to the White House. The question of the day: How many times will she say Grandmother over the next 18-19 months?

I prefer, at the beginning of the week, writing about warm sunshine at your back, and icy winter waters spraying a fine invigorating mist from cresting waves surging upon New England rocky shores. But, alas, reality says there is a storm upon the horizon.

I have to gush for a second or two over the NCAA Ice Hockey championship for Providence College. Being champions is as great as it can be., but in this case it seems to say a little more; it says there is something special about a very small, strong academic institution that has also recently produced NCAA cross-country women’s champions, final four NCAA Soccer teams and a competitive basketball teem for March Madness. If you liked the childhood story, “The Little Engine that Could”, you have to admire PC. Quality does come in small packages.

I see where Barack Obama said over the weekend that “Clinton would be excellent”.  That could be meaningful if he understood the necessary qualities for an excellent president.

The Question:

Which black actor/actress was the first of their race to win an Academy Award in a leading role, and for what film? Bonus: What do you think are the most “Shorted” stocks?

The Headlines:

--Wall Street Opens Higher; EuroStocks Down After Multi Week Win Streak.

--The Hill Announces; Yale Law Professor Calls Hillary Run A Capitulation To Political Media Hucksters.

--Marco Rubio Expected To Be Latest Repub To Enter Fray Today.

--US Worried About Saudi Push In Yemen.

--Jordan Spieth Gathers Fans With Record Setting Master Championship.

--Red Sox Open At Fenway today Against Mighty Washington Nationals.

You hear talk among young people of the “College experience”, which it seems has little to do with learning. I have to wonder about the college experience for the 7, count em’, 7 University of Kentucky basketball players who have already entered the NBA draft.

I just saw that Hot Rod Hundly and Eddie Lebaron Died. Talk about old time sports heroes! --Hundley was a kook, but a fantastic basketball player at West Virginia U, supposedly the heir apparent to the Jerry West legacy. I knew a guy, a really good basketball player, who wanted to follow in the WVa legends footsteps. He went there and made the team, only to follow Hot Rod the wrong way, which was out the door. But HRH could play the game –Now Eddie LeBaron, the idol of all short athletes, was, well simply a magician. He played his college game at College of the Pacific under the great Amos Alonzo Stagg, His talent and dynamics was a little like what Doug Flutie, but 30 years earlier. He captured the hearts of America first as a college player, then as a real Marine war hero in the Korean war. He returned with medals and went on to play well among the behemoths of the NFL He didn’t do too bad after the game as a lawyer, developer, sports executive and giver to people in society. Eddie LeBaron was quite the man.

So now that Raul and Barack are pals, does that mean that Cuba will return the stolen property to the rightful Cuban now owners living in the US?

Too many young people seem to be getting their political views form comedians. Remember when Khrushchev said “We will bury you”? I think he was well aware of the Russian training program for comedians who now preach their socialist agenda, softening the communist image through laughter.  Maybe I watch too much of The Americans – a great TV Show by the way,

I think I am getting concerned as I see all of these headlines, like “Mother Dangles Tot over Cheetah pit before dropping him…”, or “Man Shoots Kid after child laughs at him during auto accident”. Or “Two college kids charged in sex assault on Florida Beach during Spring break”. These are just a smattering of one days worth of human depravity news stories. We are either crawling back into prehistoric caves, or too many people are looking for fame with a viral tweet.

The Answer:

The great Sidney Poitier won for  a wonderful film, Lilies of the Field”. Bonus: SeriusXM heads the list of stocks where investors look for failure. Also moving up the ladder in the The Top Ten are Advanced Micro Devices and, yes, mighty Microsoft. Other notables in the top ten are Frontier Communications (Showed some improvement), Intel, MannKind, Blackberry, Comcast, Windstream Holdings and Applied Materials. It never seems to be a good thing for the stock market when Shorted stokcs grab headlines.

Well, does the entry by the Hill finally  and officially usher in the 2016 campaign. Probably, as far as fawning media observers are concerned. In the name of civility, I promise to be fair and kind to Hillary Clinton as long as she is forthright and honest with the USA people.

“Honestly American people, I messed up on Benghazi because my daughter Chelsea was thinking about having my first, sweet and endearing grandchild.”