The human mystique.

Today's Tids Issue 3,675

For Resiliency:

Maybe I have written about it before, but I am constantly amazed about the resiliency, courage and indomitable spirit of humans, large and small, rich and poor, educated and not so educated. For every person featured in a news item, there are thousands receiving bad news every day, and then finding a way to move forward under the most difficult of circumstances. I ache at my aging ailments, but my ills are insignificant in a world of transgressions against life and limb with names that are impossible to pronounce, with sentences that alter life. People cry and then wonder, but always seem to find incredible strength to adapt and grow beyond the tragic encroachment. I gather their courage and stow it for the time I will enter battle.

This Daily Mail/Malania Trump fiasco is typical what is wrong in the media consumed new world. Allegations become convictions in rushes to judgement. The current POTUS is particularly adept at creating antagonizing situations before the facts are in, that blow events out proportion. Innuendo becomes criminality. As you may remember the Daily Mail inferred that Trump’s wife was a sex escort, and has admitted just now that it was totally untrue. But, many will not forget, will continue to hold that false allegation as truth. Once ugly seeds are planted in gardens, flowers so pretty are strangled. Unfortunately we have an election today where more emphasis is on innuendo, with one malicious snipe begetting another. The voters don’t know where they can find the truth amidst accusations. Policy judgement and credentials are blurred by a constant flow of inaccuracies. Lies are justified and the truth is bludgeoned. And the voters look out and wonders why media consultants are running their country.

Today we have the cool, crisp feeling of fall,

Which is quite extraordinary, after all.

But Hermine will bring the tropics back,

So, I’m fortifying myself for a heat attack.

And then onto one of the ultimate shocks

That time when I must start wearing socks

The Question:

Name the five most destructive US hurricanes in history.

The Headlines:

--Hurricane Hermine Pushes Into Florida’s Big Curve; 250K Plus Without Power; Storm will Continue As Tropical Storm Through South East States; Could Regain Hurricane Strength Over Water Just Below New England.

--Markets Up Nicely; Costco Stock beaten Down; Big Retailer Misses Estimates Due To Lower Gas Sales And Food Price Deflation; Hints Coming Out That Interest rates May need Raising To Bolster Economy.

--New Drug Seen As Reducing Abnormal Brain Proteins Linked To Alzheimer’s.

--Ex-Fox Newscaster Gretchen Carlson Secretly recorded Roger Ailes Sexual Advances.

--Samsung Suspends Sales Of All Galaxy Note 7 After battery Explosions

--Bill Clinton Used to Tax Payer Money To Capitalize Foundation Operation.

--Worlds Oldest Fossils Found In Greenland

Auto sales are slowing rapidly. All of the major companies except Fiat Chrysler – GM, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda – reported a significant decline in sales and all including FC missed analysts sales estimates. Looking back, the big boom of recent years was the result of people getting back into new wheels after a slow return to normalcy follow the big recession of 08. Don’t expect a lot of new incentives as auto companies are seeing a new buying normal that can’t be pushed along. The last thing they want is an incentives war.

Harry S. Truman: “You can’t get rich in politics unless you are a crook.”

Maybe the most obvious example of a declining America in this new anything goes culture is the continuing increase in rapes and sexual assaults on college campuses by people who don’t seem to understand what the problem is all about.

Remember when it was big news when it was announced that information would be brought to you in glowing “Four Color”, whether in print or of course TV. Now its news when it’s “Brought you in the Black and White of reality.”

The “Gretchen Carlson Tapes” could become the next most awaited TV documentary. In fact, secret sexual advances tape recordings could replace the Kardashians as the biggest TV series for American voyeurs.

A lot of old fashioned Repubs came out of hiding this week after the earlier reports of Trump softening his stance on immigration and a good appearance in Mexico, saying that he now has a real chance to win. But then, in true Trump inexplicable fashion, he un-softened his position, and that’s all that anybody remembers today. But is in fact explicable. He has the old tight rope problem in that he created his zealot like base by being tough and ultra unpolitically correct, meaning that when he goes practical to gain other necessary constituencies, he loses part of his base. It’s the same problem for all media created sensations.

If you’re thinking of hiking the trails around LA, watch out for tarantulas, and other assorted evils lurking in the bushes. Just another happy service from the Tids Daily Living Department.

Just in case you are interested, the US Ryder Cup team visited the NE Patriots Hall Of Fame Museum which is just down the road from the Deutschebank FedEx Tournament. They all came away inspired, especially Michelson, Reed and Spieth. Spieth, after posting a selfie in front of Tom Brady’s locker, received a tweet from the QB asking, “Where’s Security!”. The golfers particularly enjoyed hitting golf balls at the Roger Goodell picture.

In a new make love not war policy, Pentagon employees are using their Government taxpayer funded credit cards more and more at Casinos and strip clubs. Make that nearly $1,100,000 in the past fiscal year. Badda-bing!

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--A lot of people who loved the book have been looking forward to The Light Between the Oceans. Kind of a catchy title, but the film is so-so. Good acting and pleasant scenes can’t overcome the endless over wrought melodramatic anguish. It’s about a man and his wife, lighthouse keepers off Australia, who find an infant in a lifeboat washed ashore whom they raise as their own. But what they do is morally wrong and what they do to justify it begets a terrible dilemma. Bring hankies.

--Now I personally was looking forward to Morgan which set out a high minded premise but apparently never rose above B scifi flick. A corporate troubleshooter, Mara Rooney, is sent to a remote company operation to evaluate a terrifying accident. An innocent human is not so innocent in this tense mystery fraught with danger. I still may go, even though critics didn’t like it and audiences liked it less.

--The rest of this weeks loser films with ratings even lower than the above two are Yoga Hosers, The 9^th Life of Louis Drax and Skiptrace. Go at your own risk.

The Answer:

Some of the newer hurricanes are rated more destructive because more people live near coast and more buildings are in the way of the winds. But, with8-12,000 deaths, Galveston’s storm of 1900 still is number one. Next in order are San Felipe Okeechobee 1928, Katrina 2005, Atlantic-Gulf 1919, Audrey 1957, Sandy 2012, New England 1938, Camille 1969, Ike 2008, Agnes 1972, Great Atlantic/New England 1944. Others in order are Floyd, Irene, Allison and Hugo. I remember one not on the list as the most devastating in my days of 1954 – Carol. Diane roared in a year later in 1955 and also beat up southern NE and Lower NY petty badly.

I’m not big on Labor unions, but I hope you enjoy the long weekend anyhow. Bah Humbug.