Hollow Halls.

Today's Tids Isue 3,754

For Sensibility:

I’m expecting a loverly, extra chilly day

Maybe too cold to frolic and play.

But when crystals form on window pane

Nature’s art is God’s legerdemain!

I’m thinking that the phrase “Higher Education” these days may mean that too many professors are high on something. How can this erudite bunch be so biased all at once? Is ivy a hallucinogen?

“Paddy says to Mick, ‘I’m getting circumcised tomorrow.’ Mick says, ‘I had that done when I was a few days old!’ ‘Does it hurt?’ Paddy asks. Mick replies, ‘Well, I couldn’t walk for about a year.”

Many politicians are claiming sleepless nights worrying about Trump mainly so they can remain relevant.

The Question:

Dave Clark had a band which many people considered to be better or at least equal to another better-known band of yore. What was it? Bonus: Are you ready -- Who are these people: Alex Cox, Julie Taymore, Cindy Birdsong and Melanie Chartoff?

The Headlines:

--Stocks Bounce Back Strongly; Dollar Surges To 14 year High.

--Amazon’s Bezos Says Trump Meet Was Productive.

--Iran Sanctions Renewal Becomes Law With Out 0-Man’s Signature.

--Northeast Awaiting Midwest’s Bitter Cold.

--Muslim Woman Who Calcined She Was Attacked In NYC Subway By Trump Supporters Says It Was Big Lie; New York And National Media Who Beat The Drum For The Hoax Not Embarrassed A Bit.

--21^st Century Fox To Buy Sky for $18.5 Billion.

--Christian Statues Throughout Germany Being Destroyed Or Defaced; Authorities Have Not Mentioned Suspects.

Coffee prices seem to be rising. My newest hobby had been finding good, coffee cheap.

20,000, and then what, Department:

Everybody it seems has an opinion on what happens next after the Dow reaches 20K. Many seers are seeing a downturn, just because it is time. Others are seeing it as a new level for future growth. One analyst who predicted the 20,000 level several years ago is now saying 40,000 in 10 years. And then there is a group who are saying we don’t care at all about it. After all, it is only 30 stocks hitting 20K. They are ore interested and watching closely the broader look at the  market and their key index which measures 1800 stocks – The Value Line Geometric Composite! It is an unweighted average that follows he median stock performance of the 1800. The high for this measure has been 500. Interestingly that index reached 500 in 1997 before being cut in half 4 years later. It regained 500 in 2007, and then…you know what happened – it went down70%. It came back to 500 in 2014 only drop back hard. It went to 523 in April 2015, and then lost 30% in ten months. Well, it looks like today it is touching the 500 line again, up 14% since election day. So, for three decades the VLG has resisted the 500 line. A sustained effort above 500 could be one of the most significant breakouts of our times, at least among the wonks.

The Old Tids Pickers did decently last week, and if I had picked my beloveds to win it would have been better. The picking record moved up to 136-71-2, still below better years of the past but way better than the beginning of this year.  There are some posers like Detroit-Giants, Pitt-Cinn(?), Tenn-KC, Indy-Minn(?), NO-Ariz, NE-Denver, Oak-SD, TB -Dallas and perhaps Carolina-Washington. I have been in Detroit’s corner from the beginning, but the Jints are hoe and need tis badly. Wait a minute…Detroit also needs this badly. Still picking NYG. Pitt should beat Cinn, but this as in every year, is an intense rivalry that can go either way. Pitt is the better team, regardless. How can you go against Tenn which is just is getting better. But KC is resourceful and very good at home. KC. Minn should beat a flaw filled Indy team. NO can score, but I think Ariz will wake up at home. Brady gets beat in Denver all the time. But, I liked the way the team played last week, sans special team bungling. Pats win this and clinch Home field. SD isn’t bad but Oakland is better, I hope. TB is looking very good against good teams. Dallas has been good all year. This will be a thriller that I believe can go either way. Dallas will win at Home. I think I’ll stick my neck out and take Skins over Panthers. Of the rest, I have Seattle over LA, Miami over Jets and Balt bouncing back over Philly, a team that seems to have had its run. Green Bay has stepped it up and will continue against da Bears, Houston will beat Jax. Atlanta should coast against the hapless Niners. There are many meaningful games, especially in the AFC South, North and West and in the NFC East, South and North. In other words, there are lots of reasons why these picks could go astray.

I’m not much for stereotyping people, but I have to say that I could pick an “Alt Left” person out of a crowd. Especially among college professors. Well, at least college professors who seek the limelight.

The tasteless Tweet of the day comes from former House star,Alt Left correspondent Lisa Edelstein on the death of Alan Thicke: “RIP Alan Thicke. Seems like everyone is checking out before the Trumpacolypse.”

33 of 81 teachers from a local high school with some labor issues stayed home sick yesterday. The big news was that they were actually sick! How refreshing. Well, not for them.

Manchester By The Sea opens today at the theater around the corner from Tids Central. I have been told that many who have seen it says it is depressing. How come most Academy award favorites are always high on the depression scale. If it ain’t angry it ain’t good? Maybe that’s why the upbeat and happy La La Land is dong so well and could sweep the awards. Lord knows, the nation could use a good dose of happy and upbeat! Did I just say “Lord Knows”? Will the Tids be banned by the Alt-Left.

Ina new consumer survey on dishwashers, Bosch dominates entirely sweeping not only #1 but all the way down to #5. But, the real surprise is that the best dishwasher under $500 is a Kenmore. Yes, that Kenmore made and sold by the great Sears Company, now about ready to fold. Go figure.

I think that Trump wants so much to be liked that he will appease more than aggrieve. I don’t know if that is good or bad.

The Answer:

The Dave Clarke Five was a very good British band, and many thought they were better than the Beatles, at least in the beginning. Bonus: Melanie Chartoff was an original on ABC’s competitor to SNL. She gained fame as the News reader, and was cold  cocked on live TV when in one skit one actress failed to hold back her fake punch. Yikes. You have seen Melanie in many a sitcom including Newhart and Seinfeld. Alex Cox is a director how rose to fame with “Repo man”. Because of a big failure that put him on the outs with H-Wood moguls he has gone to Indy films where he stresses th evils of capitalism. Stay clear. Julie Taymor is best known for directing the huge Broadway stage hit, The Lion King. Cindy Birdsong of course was a well known singer with the great Supremes.

That poem at the beginning is a classic example of having an idea that stared out well, but fell victim to a forced ending. I hate that.

Bundle up.