Pumpkins, alone and forgotten.

Today's Tids Issue 3,718

For Orange:

November is the thank God and friends and family month. Half the country won’t be thanking anybody for whomever the President becomes. But, hopefully the USA will begin moving back to becoming again that big Thanksgiving table where all of the people find a way to sit together enjoying the bounty of the magnificent nation, and the contributions of all from all spectrums; where people temper their outrage, and try to understand the needs and accomplishments of all. I know. it seems impossible. But, so did defeating the British Empire. I like it because orange cheese snacks fit in so nicely with the prevailing orange, red and brown tones -- pumpkins, tall corn stalks standing tall across open fields, giant setting suns setting the seas afire. I like Novemeber because it begins with kids smiling over piles of candy, and ends with families and friends arguing over the last drumstick. And then laughing about it. Welcome, November. Maybe there is hope.   

Do you know what really bothers me? Reading that another church has closed. That’s what bothers me. I think lowered church attendance may have something to do with the moral and cultural state of the country.

“How do you tell a pumpkin you don’t need him anymore?” This empathetic observation is brought you by Charlie Brown’s sister. I don’t know about you, but it kind of gets to me right in the gut.

One of the negative signs to watch which is creeping up in the world of Finance is the huge China money supply that continues to grow nearly astronomically, and dwarfs that of the US. The problem is that the cash is chasing fewer and fewer solid investment opportunities. It seems reminiscent of the DotCom explosion, an era when any company preceded by a period was over bid by anxious investors fearing to be left behind in the industries of the future. This China phenomenon is called Asset Bubbles and is cause speculation which is leading to severe overpricing of assets of all types, starting with housing and leading to bonds and stocks, even small collectables. This race to place money could burst burgeoning beast, issuing the tsunami that travels the globe.

The Question:

What was the name of the Pacific atoll where the SA first exploded an H-Bomb? Bonus: The acting Triple Crown is the Oscar, Tony and Emmy. Two actors have won that, plus the 4^th big award -- The Grammy. Name them. Name five actors who have won the regular ole’ Triple Crown.

The Headlines:

--GM October Sales Fall As Auto Boom Slows; Pfizer Net Plunges 38%; Shell And BP Post Better Than Expected Earnings.

--NY Times Reports That The FBI Says There Is No Link Between Trump Campaign And Russia.

--Paul Ryan Says “I have Already Voted For Our Nominee.”

--Obama Says Comey Did The Right Thing.

--Explosion Kills Twelve In Pakistan Shipyard.

--ISIS Fighting Advancing Iraqi Army With Caveman Tactics; Boulders In Streets, Land Mines and Snipers Slow Eventual takeover Of Mosul. --Viagra Announces A New Mouth Spray Version That Acts Faster.

Do you ever wonder why Harvard is considered so great? Well, it may be because they have crack research teams there that solve big problems like the team that has been studying the Zombie problem and for your benefit have determined the best and worst cities in which to live in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse! How great is that! Harvard cares about you and that’s what sets them apart! Of course, most Zombie experts say avoid all cities at all costs, but if you have to be in one, here are the best.(Cities were rated on Defense, Containment (i.e. Building a giant wall) Food and Cure). Various cities were number one in the selected categories, but overall the best place to be is Boston, and the worst is New York. After Boston, the good cities are Salt Lake, Columbus O, Baltimore and Virginia Beach/Norfolk Va. After NYC, you take your life in your hands if you live in  Tampa, LA, Riverside/San Bernardino and Chicago.

The Alabama-Michigan NCAA Football Championship game is a distinct possibility. To make it happen, Michigan will have to beat The Ohio State. They should. The Blue and Yellow have a better fight song, and they don’t have “The” before their name.

I wonder if Judd Hirsch uses Uber.

Did you see where there is good news for kids who have never had Reece’s Pieces. Scientists have developed a patch that has been proven to squelch the often deadly effects of peanut allergies. Peanuts have been a violent threat to those with an aversion to them, now maybe there is hope. The tests show that the patch was quite effective on kids up 4-11 years old, but for the older groups, significantly not so well. It must be the sex drive.

How about that Professor Michael Rectenwald who was booted from the NYU campus because he taught kids that Political Correctness was dangerous to “academic integrity”. He called academia a mad house and protested against social justice warriors. Michael Rectenwald for President!

Have you noticed lately that The Hill is trying to paint the Trumpster as some kind of a Nuke Nut. That is probably to set up the reported revival of the old LBJ Daisy commercial. Frankly, when you have to go that far into fairy tale land, it does seem there is a sense of panic settling into Clintonia. Logic tells you that a egocentric bore like the Donald would never put his life in jeopardy by starting a Nuke war. May the Hairdo ever wave.

I think one of the worst of all celebrity people is Justin Bieber.

ISIS took over Mosul and other towns because they had surprise on their side, and confusion in Iraq. It’s tough to surprise an advancing well equipped army

Sadly to many, Ray Lochte and Cheryl Burke were voted off DWTS last night. There was much pathos as usual on this melodramatic dance program last night. The field is narrowing with the Top vote getters being Hinchcliffe and Johnson - 35, Hernandez and Chmerkovsky, - 33, Johnson and Lindsay – 30, Kramer and Savchenko – 30, Jole and Farber 24, with Henner and Hough  at 23 bringing up the rear. Henner and Hough seemed to have played it safe. Too safe. Will they break out next week, or just call a Taxi and go home.

The Voice is changing to me, and some of my favorites are going home. I think the program lost big when Michael Sanchez was sent home. To me many of the remaining singers lasts night were less interesting than those going home like Michael, Nolan Neal, Maye Thomas and Karlee Metzger. Ok, so Darby Walker is young, good and talented and perhaps should have taken Maye, but Maye is better than many in the 20. And Nolan would surely have done more than Brendan in the coming shows and Dana was like elevator music compared to Karlee who she defeated and who I believe can develop. I would rate Michael ahead of 10 or even 15 of the 20. My favorite performance of the night was by Josh Halverson and his Whiskey and You, and yet he lost out to just one more raspy-throated cool singer Aaron Gibson, good but adding nothing. (Note a post-show mini-survey has Josh way ahead of the rest.) Judges and critics like Sa’Rayah, but she is tedious and loud to me…like I’ve seen her over and over again before. I put Josh in the top three and Michael in the top five. Oh, wait Michael’s in the audience now, like me. Sad.

I think it is becoming pretty obvious that The Voice management brought on Alicia and Miley as judges to go more pop, and get away from country.

The Answer:

The H-Bomb first sent vibrations across the Pacific when it was exploded on Eniwetok Atoll. Bonus: The two great actors who won the Big Four awards are Rita Moreno and Helen Hayes. The Triple Crown has gone to Jack Albertson, Anne Bancroft, Ingrid Bergman, Shirley Booth, Ellen Burstyn, Melvin Douglas, Jeremy Irons, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason Robards, Geoffery Rush, Paul Scofield , Maggie Smith, Maureen Stapleton and Jessica Tandy.

If you are walking along and see a pumpkin, face a little sadder, sagging a bit in the middle, sit down for a second or two and say, “you were great and you made me smile...and, remember, you made the world just a little bit more orange. Thanks”