Venus is spinning backwards and nobody cares.

Today's Tids Issue 3,504
Opening Stuff:

If so many people in the Democrat party are telling us that hating the rich is a good thing, why are there so may working class people standing in line to buy a ticket that would make them the target of such wrath.

There is in fact a college named University of Virginia College of the Wise! My guess is that they don’t produce politicians.

Tom Brady, who is in perfect health and still playing football like a teenager, doesn’t eat most fruits and nightshades because he doesn’t like the taste. Thanks Tom.

Tell that to The Tums Company which has dismissed almost all of its great mint flavors for berry flavored. The Tids will lead you!

The Question:

Trump’s grandfather comes from the small German town of Kallstadt. But, he isn’t the town’s most famous ex-Citizen. Another well known American entrepreneur is. Who is he? Bonus: Name five nightshades.

The Headlines:

--Europe Stocks Back After 4 negative days; China Markets Improve; US Dow Up Over 150 At Opening – Fades Later In Morning As Oil Prices Turn Sour. .

--Independent Business Federation Reports Says There’s More Confidence For 2016 Sales; Strangely, Small Businesses Also Say Business Conditions Could Be Worse.

--Blast Rips Through Tourist Area Of Istanbul Killing At Least 10, Maiming More; ISIS Bomb In Baghdad Kills 20, Injures Dozens.

--US Task Force Says Women At Fifty Should Getting Mammograms Every Year.

--Alabama Wakes Up In Fourth Quarter To Nip A Valiant Clemson.

--China Conglomerate Dalian Wanda (Already Owns AMC Theater Group) Set To Buy Giant US Legendary Entertainment For $3.5 Bil In Cash.

Driving Cheap While Oil Producers Leap, Department:

While we weren’t looking, 30 oil producing companies have declared bankruptcy at a cost to investors of $30 Billion. Sounds bad, but it may be just the beginning as it is predicted at least 1/3 of the companies still pumping oil or gas at lower and lower prices will go under too. It is said they are losing $2 Billion/day as long as the price stays under $50. Every significant recession has been based on the rapid decline of an oversold industry. This time it is the very global industry of energy. A confluence of forces is working against it – Middle East conflicts, lowering barrel prices and maybe behind the scenes, alternative energy advocates. Ironically, the Global warmer alternative energy supporters would probably like oil at $5:00 a barrel to make their products cost effective. But that is for tomorrow. Today, it is whether or not a major industry pulls us all down.

Bill always chose someone other than Hillary. Shouldn’t you?

President Obama is promising a new kind of State of the Union speech. Does that mean it will be interesting for a change?

I had to smile at that new TV commercial for Jenny Craig featuring Kristie Allie with Norm and Cliff sittin’, sippin and barbin’. Good job.

If there is anything new in Obama’s SOTU, my smart phone will be sending me a message.

Did you see where the House yesterday passed a bill that would limit Post Presidency office expenses paid for by the US taxpayer? The Congress must have been noticing the high costs of Obama vacations! Seriously though, the bill says that the taxpayer is off the hook on office space if the ex-Prez earns more than $600K/year in speaking fees. They figure that Clinton who has earned $100 Mill and Bush who came in with $15 mill can pay for their own offices where the cost to us about $1,000,000/year. It will be interesting to see how the Clintons can fraudulently get around that.

In case you are interested, the most innovative state is Massachusetts and is followed very closely by California. The rest of the top five are Washington (Not DC as in Dunce County), New Jersey and Connecticut. The Bloomberg rating is based on number of engineers, concentration on science, tech companies, R&D and available higher education. This is the most current list, but there are others that show Washington and Cal nipping Mass. They are generally the top 3.

Hollywood continues to tromp upon ethics, morals and civilized society. That industry has become a propaganda mill that would have been the ultimate dream of Joseph Goebbels! As it says in Mein Kampf, “propaganda must be in a popular form and must fix its intellectual level so as not to be above the heads of the least intellectual of those to whom it is directed”. It is also noted in that tome that among recipients of messages, understanding is feeble, and masses always quickly forget. What is it they say about not remembering history…?

Based on what I know about Hillary and her denunciation of hubby’s female pals, she seems like she might say a woman deserved to be raped because of how she dressed. In a recent editorial, the NY Times seems to agree with that analysis of the negative side of the Dem candidate.

The Parking Lot: Chapter 40 continues…

    Jerry stood next to Rackovic behind the knife carrying thug Fred had not yet seen or met. “Spread out your fingers,” said the truly grotesque looking guy standing above him, a very strange grin on his face.

   Fred squeezed tighter the hands in his pocket. “Take them out and show us,” Rackovic shouted.

   Fred couldn’t move. He felt a warm liquid on his legs. He tried to hold it in, but his bladder was bursting.

   “Oh, look what you made him do, Tommy, ” Said Rackovic, now playful. Violently, Tommy reached over and yanked Fred’s left hand out of his pocket, holding his wrist in a vise like grip.

   The boss came over, still smiling about Fred’s embarrassment, and pulled out fingers one by one. Fred winced, and shivered “Which one would Nancy like first,” he snickered to the amusement of Jerry and the newbie. Tommy pulled the wrist and his arm moved to the table top. Be careful Tommy, or you might hit two with that big sharp cleaver!” Rackovic, now looking uglier than ever, laughed cruelly. Fred felt a stab in his heart area. His left hand came out of his pocket and clutched his chest. He started breathing rapidly and thought he would pass out. The room was spinning, and as the dizziness increased, he felt himself falling out of the chair. A new pain ran through his upper arm as it twisted against the wrist still held firmly by the muscle man. Tommy let go and Fred fell to the floor.

   “What a mess.” Rackovic started walking towards the door. “Maybe ole’ Freddy boy will think of something useful when we return. Right Fred?” The big steel door slammed with deafening clank. Fred lay in the wet, cold.

 

The Answer:

In the center of Kallstadt there is a giant Catsup bottle honoring favorite son Henry Heinz! The towns folk say, “Wir wissen nichts uber Land-Entwickler.” Bonus: Nightshade veggies flower at night and include potatoes, tomatoes, paprika, eggplant, peppers and 2,500 others in the family. Stay away from te nightshade Atropa Belladonna which has extremely poisonous foliage and berries, unless of course you are Timothy Leary.

Nice cold day for a vigorous, stimulating walk. But, I won’t be picking berries.