Happy Birthday, Snoopy

Today's Tids Issue 3,396

Opening Stuff:

The political rhetoric has become so blended, uninspired and angry that I thought I’d just focus on Snoopy for a few days, maybe until January 2016. Wisdom comes from many, not just the exalted or celebrated; the people next door, a kid you meet at a fair, mom and dad. yourself and even Snoopy, I’ll sprinkle a few Snoopy quotes throughout Today’s Morning mess, like “Why can’t we get all of the people together in the world that we really like and the just stay together? I guess that wouldn’t work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves and then we have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.”

I think one GOP observer put the Trump bellowing in proper perspective when he said, “It’s really not about Political Correctness (As Trump always cries), but Common Decency (Which he doesn’t seem to understand).” Trump comes across to me as an egocentric jerk, just as I will always remember Bill Clinton as an immoral doofus. For me, power and money, and even brains, can never disguise bad character. People will say, “But, Trump is stirring up the pot and we need that.” Yeah right, and he is also making Americans look to the rest of the world like general all around assholes. We can do better. A lot better.

The first post debate poll, NBC/Survey Monkey Poll, is in and Donald Trump is way ahead with 23%. Next is Ted Cruz 13 followed by ben carson 11 and then a tie between Carley Fiorina and Marco Rubio (8%). Ay=t 7% we have early favorites Jeb and Scott just ahead of Huck and Rand who have 5%. The rest I order are Perry, Kasich, Graham, Jindal, Christie, Pataki and Santorum. Carson and Fiorina recived the biggest bumps 8 and  points respectively.

Happy VJ Day everybody! Of it isn’t exactly VJ Day yet. Harry Truman wanted it on September 2. Japan actually surrendered to the joy of Americans and the world on August 15. But today in RI is Victory Day, which is the PC’er’s version of VJ Day. RI Is the only state that still remembers the enormous triumph over a vicious, unrelenting military force. RI still remembers it because so many fine Americans fought for this day that remembered Pearl Harbor. It is a day of immense meaning, despite how many people would like to sweep it under the rug. I’ll never forget the cheering in my neighbor hood when the war ended. Never.

The Question:

Kiplinger has come out with a study which rates the economic growth of states by above average, average and below average. What do you think are the 13 Above Average states, and 12 below average states.

The Headlines:

--China Stocks Record Best One Day Move In A Month.

--Shots Fired At US Consulate In Istanbul.

--Fergusson Remembers The Day Michael Brown Didn’t Raise His Hands; Shooter Takes Aim At Cops At Scene IN What Appears As revenge Attack.

--Hillary College Affordability Program To Cost $350 Billion; Professors Like It; Monsy To Come From Taxes On Rich.

--Frank Gifford Dies Suddenly At Home; Was Great College And NFL Player Before Celebrity.

I know several wealthy guys named Rich.

The Dumb Newspaper headline of the week:

“Can whites talk sensibly about race?” So, again, tell me -- when did “white” cease being a race?

Give me a person with a good wit, and I’m a happy man.

The extremists are becoming more active again, with bombs going off across a broadening terrorist battlefield. I’m thinking that when forces arise with airpower that slows their march in places like Iraq or Yemen, they divert attention by attacking well beyond those battlefields. Hell, they are basically a handful of people against some pretty large well equipped countries, and confusion helps them a  lot. In fact, it is not unlike farmers shooting at Red Coats from behind stone walls. (Sorry, Founding Fathers) They use surprise and we announce strategies on TV and twitter.

Some people think that the Weather Channel has ruined America.

Snoopy: “Sometimes when I get up in the morning I feel very peculiar. I feel like I just got to bite a cat! I feel that if I don’t bite a cat before sundown, I’ll go crazy! But then I take a deep breath and forget about it. That’s what’s known as real maturity.”

A blogger criticizing Islam was hacked…to death. Yikes! I’d better check my archives.

I was standing on a corner near my house yesterday when a couple came up to ask directions. I helped them out, but noticed the wife staring at me. Finally she said, “You look like somebody famous.” I smiled and said, “I am. I’m known around here as the ‘Newport man standing on a corner’. Where did you read about me?” She looked back, confused. Then turned to her husband and said comon’ Jake, let’s get out of here. He turned back and said, “Thanks, I think”. I like to have fun with tourists.

Snoopy: “My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?”

The bicycle organization around here is putting up banners that say “Wave”, as part of a new safety campaign. The campaign urges pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers to wave to each other when meeting at intersections or crosswalks, saying there will be fewer accidents through awareness. Of course, the real culprits when it comes to safe passage are the bicyclists themselves who historically pay no attenuation to the rules of the road and sidewalks, and appear generally inconsiderate to others. And of course , there are the pedestrians who feel entitled to crossing at will without considering their own repsonsibilty to look out for cars or buses or Semis. The attractive banners will probably be stolen by souvenir seeking tourists within days.

 And, here’s a ponderous question from a reader: “If Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner goes missing, will they put his picture on a carton of “Half and Half?”

The Parking Lot: Chapter 8 continues…

   I looked into the eyes of the shaken waitress, trying to gain her confidence. “Listen,” I started, now with a serious, even intelligent tone to my voice, “I’m a little like you, caught in the middle of something I can’t escape. About two weeks ago I was sitting comfortably in my home looking out my window, just relaxed and enjoying life, maybe like you were twenty minutes ago. I saw Nancy almost staggering into the lot and moving towards a car she left overnight. She was limping a little and looking very scared, sobbing. As she knelt, I heard a car careen into the parkng lot. Sensing something bad, without thinking I ran down, and to make a long story short, some gigantic guy whacked me across the back with a two by four. When I awoke she, her car and the guy and the two by four was gone. I have been drawn into her mess, whatever it is and I can seem to extricate myself. Maybe it’s something about her, or me just being stupid.”

   I fel her hand slip out of mine, raise up to wipe away a tear and then return to grasp mine, in a way that said to, “I understand now”.

    She seemd stronger and her face beneath a pleasant light colored hair seemed a little more confident. Whispering at first, her voice became stronger, “They asked me where she lived, and I told them. They threatened my children. They were two ugly men.” She paused. “I didn’t want to tell them But, my chidren…” She trailed off.

   Now it was my turn to panic. “Where does she live?”

Snoopy: Yesterday I was a dog. Today I’m a dog. Tomorrow I’ll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There’s so little hope for advancement.”

One day you’re just a person sitting there in a world of a lot of other people. Then somebody says, “you’re somebody special.” The world is so rejuvenating.

The Answer:

The majority of the Above Average States are on the West Coast – Cal, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Colorado. The other five are Delaware, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Indiana. The Below Average States are Rhode Island, Wyoming, Vermont, Maine, Pennsylvania, Minn, Okla, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

Snoopy: “To live is to dance, to dance is to live.”

I hope you’re floating on air this week! https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-006&ei=utf-8&fr=ytff1-yff16&p=you%20tunbe%20fred%20asatir%2C%20ginger%20I%27m%20in%20heaven&type=