All groups are created equal.

Today's Tids Issue 3,925

For Neighborhoods:

Yesterday, I saw the woman who owns the house across the street. I walked over and said, “I’ve been meaning to introduce myself, I’ve lived here 18 years.” She looked up, smiling, and said, “So have I”. She seemed friendly. It’s nice to have good relations with your neighbors.

While we weren’t looking, there has been an ongoing fairly dramatic shift of mortgage risk securities away from Fannie and Freddie into private investor’s accounts.  -- $48 billion since 2013. It is expected that in 2017 another $15 Billion will move away from taxpayer responsibility. This mortgage security has become hot on Wall Street, and it is not so bad for taxpayers either. Things of importance are always happening behind the reality show stage curtain somewhere.

The media creates illusions of acceptance without statistics.

If you are looking for bullies, all you have to do is look at the left side of politics where the sanctimonious denizens there continually badger those on the right, from school children to working adults, about their conservative beliefs.

The Question:

Raold Dahl wrote some of the best-known children’s books. Name five. Bonus. Dahl also wrote some weird stuff for TV. For what well known director did he write.

The Headlines:

--NK Tension Fading Has Stocks Looking Brighter, Again; Home Depot Numbers Come In Strong; US Oil Inventory To Drop.

--Iran Threatens To Dismiss Earlier Nuke Accord If US Continues To Press Sanction On Country; Rouhani Says US Untrustworthy Negotiating partner.

--China Upset At Trump Initiating Trade Probe; Xi Says Probe Violates International Law.

--Kim Backs Off Guam Threat.

--Buffett Sells Off $315 Million In GE Shares; GE Dividends Good, But Company Operations Return Slumping.

--Fox Out $50 Mil After Paying Off Sexual Harassment Complaints.

--Intel And Under-Armor Execs Join Merck Chief In Leaving Trump Manufacturing Advisor Panel In Wake Of Charlottesville.

--News Items: Tiger Woods Had Five Drugs InSystem at TimeOf DUI Charge; Trump Might Pardon Super Lawman Joe Arpaio; Mooch Says Bannon Should be Ousted.

If I didn’t know better, I would say that “60 Minutes” is owned by the National Association of Class Action Lawyers.

Kids seem to do really great things at a younger age than in my generation.

Excuses from coaches, owners and columnists for athletes insulting the US flag just don’t cut it for me. And, if teams refuse to hire them because of their actions, that is just fine.

While the media continues to press for naming names of hate groups, maybe it’s time to name the leftist anarchists who attack conservative speakers on campuses. Hey wait a minute, they aren’t anarchists, they are the beloved children of the new generation expressing themselves! What a crock.

Yesterday in a so-called healthy eating contest, the winner ate 22 pounds of Kale in 8 minutes. I don’t call that healthy eating. Actually, there is little I like watching less than eating contests. Burp!

Are late night comedians who constantly attack Trump a hate group. Is Rosie O’Donnell a hate group?

On the next trip, SpaceX will be carrying a freezer full of ice cream to the space station. That should help with the loneliness and mundane routines. Everybody likes ice Cream…equally. Maybe we should send it to the political extremes, and begin negotiating for understanding while they are savoring and smiling.

There is nothing better than seeing an old, good friend you haven’t seen in a while.

That potential future scenario of ghost town shopping malls may be getting a reprieve as Amazon has just announced a new plan for brick and mortar “Instant Pickup” centers. It’s an Amazon world, for now.

Amazon is vibrant; GE is lethargic. What does that tell you?

The Answer:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a winner as is James and the Giant Peach. Dahl also enlivened children’s imaginations with Mathilda, The Witches, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The BFG, The Twits and George’s Marvelous Machine. Bonus: Roald, a WWII Royal Air Force “Flying Ace”, Intelligence officer and youthful jokester drew on that background to write some pretty cool adult stuff too, like for “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and the English Version of Serling’s Twilight Zone. He won 3 Edgar’s for mystery writing. He was married to Patricia Neal, and later became involved in associations fighting brain diseases. Frankly, his biography might be a great read.

Personally, I dislike being groupified. I like individualism.

Living in New England is special.