Music drowns out the noise.

Today's Tids Issue 3,811

For Poetic Moments:

Listening to Saint Sans first piano concerto Saturday, I drifted into reveries; poetic metaphors of what I see every day filtered into my being. I seemed to float out into an aura beyond the reality where beauty, calmness and love, caressed the hearts of all. These thoughts which take over, or are infused into worldly manifestations, seem more grand than the most beautiful lolling sea, the most graceful valley, the breathtaking mountains. Do these thoughts, so powerful that spirits and body can renew, just die like flowers torn from their roots? If not, where do they go? Do they linger in our environments so we can reenter those havens as we want. Do they drift pleasantly touching many who aren’t dreamers like me? You hope that good inner vibrations sent out along the big rock candy mountain highway continue to touch, and occasionally grab an arm connected to a crabby attitude, and say -- cheer up, feel the goodness, the love.

In China there is a large list of high employment companies described by the Beijing Government as – “Zombie” companies. They are virtually dead, only living through government support. (Does that mean that GM and the big financial institutions of the USA in 2008-09 were the “walking dead” too?) But now even in communist China, they are realizing that this is no way to run an economy, and there is a move gaining serious steam to let them finally fail. They actually see death as revival towards renewed growth. Maybe the capitalist side of the USA will reawaken and take away the safety net from out of control risk takers, and let the rules of pure capitalism sort out the winners. Walking dead are ugly, no matter the happy face they paint upon themselves.

You can tell winter is back in our house, because the ice cubes grow in drinks.

You can tell the world is off its axis when ICE grows in San Francisco.

Just in case you are interested, after nearly two years and a big victory, Spell-Check still hasn’t acknowledged that there is an option for word trump with a capital “T”.

A good an steady reader advises that if you can’t remember how to spell a word, change the sentence and avoid using it.

I see where the bomb shelter business is booming. Note to our petulant youth: The last time people rushed to build below ground fortresses in their backyards, nothing happened.

That’s a little like changing enjoyable eating habits to eat kale.

Whenever I undress in the bathroom, my shower gets turned on.

The Question:

Potpourri of Q’S Morning: 1. Today there is too much of the President on the electronic media. Which Prez started it all by having his Inauguration on the Radio? 2. What state was number 14, just missing out on a star on the flag? 3. Who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives? 4. Snap lost $500 Million, and last week its stock went through the roof. Someday it will have to become profitable, or Bye-Bye! Name the nine companies with the highest profit margins.

The Headlines:

--Dow Opens Lower As Confusion Abounds In DC; S&P, Nasdaq Up; China Markets Higher On Tech Stocks; Investors Seem To Be Looking At More Risk.

--North Korea Fires 4 Banned Ballistic Missiles 600 Miles Into Japanese Waters; White House Yet To Respond.

--Obama’s Clapper: There is No Trump Russia Connection; There was No Obama Eavesdropping Of Trump; Score: Trump 1, Dems 1.

--White House Calls For Investigation Of Past White House Finagling; FBI Asked DoJ To Rebuke Trump’s No Evidence Claims; Conservative Mark Levin Outlines Obama’s “Silent Coup” Including Information On Obama’s October FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) Request And Approval to Listen In On Trump.

--Boomers: Snap Is Dot Com Revisited.

--AP/Norc Poll: 71% Of Americans Say Country Is Losing Its Identity; Repubs More Apt To Promote Old Christianity, Dems New Diversity.

--“Ex AG Loretta Lynch Encourages Anti-Trump Chaos.”

--Trump To Try Again With new refugee Guideline; Iraq Off List;  Probably Will be Protested; Repubs Could Present New Healthcare This Week..

There are many musical passages you hope will never end, but they do, they always do, You just hope you can carry the beauty of the melodies in your heart and give it out to those passing by.

Get ready for MaaS! This is the new revolution in mobility that will enable extremely efficient, user friendly transportation options tailored to individual needs an likes. It relies upon a digital platform that integrates all aspects of trip planning – booking, ticketing, paying –built upon existing transportation technologies. MaaS interest is spreading already throughout the world. Stay tuned.

Immigrants are great people. Who would argue with that. But, try to explain to a liberal or media person that people who unlawfully sneak in aren’t immigrants at all, and you see their eyes dip as they slowly turn and walk away. Have you ever notice that they illegal immigrant supporters neve give an answer?

One of the problems some see about Snap is that the company’s future is subject to the whims of teenagers.

The PGA tour is really heating up, and there are a handful of great players you may want to keep an eye on – great player who have never won a major: Lee Westwood, and Sergio Garcia are the two long time pluggers that come to mind, and who could become your sentimental favorite at one of the big four. Another who could make a first, though on the Senior tour, is Colon Montgomery – if that counts. Some other really good players looking for a first are Matt Kuchar, Steve Stricker, Patrick Reed, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Brandt Snedecker, Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey, Rickie Fowler and Bill Haas. It’s not that here aren’t a slew of really good players who could also win it, it’s just that these guys have been at for a while.

That little news headline above about Lorretta Lynch encouraging anti trump chaos, is exactly what has been occurring every day since he stepped on the balcony to swear his oath. She and many seem to be saying, If Trump can’t get started, we can keep all the big government crap fostered by Obama.

Did you hear about the guy who ate 4  bowls of delicious alphabet soup? Later, he had a massive vowel movement.

There was a little bit on last Friday’s “Shark Tank” that was quite telling. The seekers of money and a connection were a pair of guys who manufactured carryon bags and similar stuff out of recyclable material. The Sharks had a problem with their profitability which was attributed to the high $28 per item cost of manufacturing. One of the two responded: “We have already solved that and made $5,000 last month – we moved our manufacturing to Mexico and reduced our cost to $12.50.” If we cut out foreign made consumer goods or make them pricier though tariffs, the only people who will be able to afford them are people living in Manhattan high rise luxury apartments.

A lot of people have problems with Mahler, but is fifth symphony is pretty magical.

I think a lot of people were beginning to come around a little for Trump, not necessarily because of a good speech, but because they were beginning to see less tweeting. I think he just may have messed that up with perhaps one of his most outrageous pronouncements yet.

I hear that Volvo, and perhaps Mercedes and Google, will self-insure purchasers of their driverless (Also known as “Autonomous” or “Unmanned”) cars. Think of some of the interesting complications (And annoyances) of that. The auto driver may tend to route your car around dangerous neighborhoods, and not take you to what may be considered riskier areas. Many driverless cars also will be designed to turn over the car to a driver in certain situations. In this hypothetical Volvo instance, the car’s internal people sensors may detect a drunken driver entering, and delay start until the driver accepts a new higher insurance premium for a designated time period. The point is, we don’t know a lot yet, but it is fun thinking about the ramifications of new technology. The insurance industry, the masters of determining risk has yet to figure it all out. But, they could easily impede certain developments that are in opposition to what they consider a reasonable risk. New technology is good fodder for the old-fashioned thinking cap.

I have a wonderful friend who is a giant fan of Bach. I remember once saying to her that I’m into another German composer, Mahler. She, always kind, looked at me and said with her pleasant German accent, “O him. He’s quite modern”.

There is a far greater danger of American democracy being usurped by the growing progressive movements afoot in this country than anything that the new White House group can do.

What were the chances that our state’s big city newspaper will report that our two Anti-Trump senators, Reed and Whitehouse, two of a lot of Dems (On the same committee) who also met with the Russian ambassador on Senate biz, just like Sessions. Nil, I thought – and they didn’t. This is all so silly. Meaningless accusations just beget meaningless accusations. Meanwhile, all people wonder if anything good will ever happen.

The Parking lot: Chapter 81.

   Alex was feeling good as he left the home of US Attorney, Joseph Modessa. The US attorney was very interested in what alex had to say, and said he would act as an intermediary between Alex and his friends and the State police and FBI. Modessa  said the Feds are always iterated when local chief legal officers are murdered. Modessa winked, saying, “Regardless of whether it is their legal jurisdiction.” “You have some friends now, Alex, and I fully understand why you don’t want to stick your neck out with some of the locals.”

    Thoroughly contented Alex was now only worried about how Nancy was making out with Claudia. In a short time, he had become enamored with her energy and resourcefulness, and she was pretty nice too. He smiled to himself.

   He reached into his breast pocket, grabbed his phone and began punching buttons. “She has the dangerous job he thought, as he scrolled for her name. I can’t imagine what she may have encountered trying to get then woman in charge. He felt himself shudder a bit as his concern rose.

    Alex slowed his Audi and pulled off to the side of the road so he could talk and gather papers at the same time. Now parked he finished dialing and held the brightly lighted phone up to his ear.

   Wham! The window splintered and a bullet struck Alex just as the Nancy’s voice said, :”Hello… Alex. What’s going on…”.

    He fell across the arm rest, his head dangling lifelessly over the passenger seat; blood dripping, collecting in a small pool on the imported leather.

   The outside was deadly quiet. Inside, a voice was now screaming, “Alex, Alex.”

The Answer:

Are you ready? 1. Silent Calvin Coolidge didn’t mind being heard on the Radio. 2. Bernie Sanders of Vermont will be igniting protests to reorder the stars on the flag if he is elected. 3. Up in Montana, the good folks elected Jannette Rankin to the House in 1916. 4. The nine companies with the best margins are eBay, Altria Companies, Baxter International, Gilead Science, Corning, Visa, MasterCard, Facebook and Biogen. Pretty diverse group.

I dropped a few words today about the new conspiracy theories coming out of the White House. Being of sound mind, I hope, it is just impossible to comment like an adult on these accusations out of the blue. I do believe that Obama may be exactly like ex-Prez Hollande of France who just said that it his “ultimate duty” to prevent a Le Pen victory. We’ll see on this one. Today they can march in the streets on immigration again.

Meanwhile I jumping back into my reveries. Ain’t no conspiracy theories there, just good old fashioned love.