Context speaks louder than words.

Today's Tids Issue 4,079

For Finding Real Meanings:

Did you awaken an hour later yesterday morning, or did Russia hack into your clocks? Oooo-Weeeee-Oooooo. Will we ever be really sure of anything in the future?

Over the years, one of the things I have noticed from replies to this morning mess, is that sometimes people respond to selected words rather than full thoughts. That’s probably part of the problem in national communications –people only see want they want to see to support internal arguments. And, I guarantee that previous sentence also will be interpreted as deeper than it is.

The changing of boy’s haircuts and girls curls generally represents shifting attitudes and growing maturity. Right now I don’t exactly know what my hair style means other than I keep forgetting to go to the barber.

I think what is most injurious to my health system are the incessant rants of Health food preachers. Blood pressure rising, no salt necessary.

Sid Crosby may be the best athlete in American sports today. He is certainly in that tiny group of most respected by his peers.

The Question:

Who are These people – is a favorite Tids “Q” where I am as surprised as you may be by the revelations about what I consider obscure celebrities: Susan Richardson, Tricia O’Neill, Matt Mead, Wallace Langham, Thora Birch and David Anders. Bonus: Poland has voted to make Sunday a day of rest, a no shopping day. Name two other Euro Countries who let the workers rest of Sunday?

The Headlines:

--Major Nor’easter To Blast NE Coast, Again; Could be Biggest Of Recent Triumvirate.

--Stock Markets Open Stronger For Week.

--Five Killed In NYC East River Helicopter Crash; Tour Helicopter Had Been Chartered For Phot Session; 40 Dead In Nepal Airport Crash.

--Coronation Of Xi Is Official.

--China Says It Will Never Respond By Starting A Trade War; They Feel Confident Controlling Their Own economy On World Stage.

--Trump Backtracks On Mandatory Higher Gun Purchase Age; He Was Speaking To Gun Toting Pennsylvania Crowd Ahead Of Key Special Election.

--South Korea Praises China For Contributions In North Korea Talks.

--Selection Sunday Has As Top Four Seeds: Villanova, Xavier, Duke, Kansas.

--Former Microsoft Exec Chris Liddell Could Become Trump’s Next Economic Advisor.

--“Tigermania” Resumes.

Tada! The Tids Final Four is in. I have to say that picking upsets was the order of the day. The long season proved that any team can reach beyond their talent on any given court. But, I also have to note that some of the cream rose to the top during the conference Tournaments. And, of course, the one-and-done's are now playing for contracts. It seems the Midwest region with Duke, Michigan State and Kansas will be a bear. So, I worked though mine last night, and found myself justifying some picks on pure emotion and conference loyalty. Which means, that what you are about to read is probably meaningless as a guide to your own, except as a reason to pick the opposite way. My final four came out as Villanova, Michigan State, Kentucky and Xavier.

A 63-year-old doctor in the area here was sentenced to 5 years for government fraud and for over prescribing Opioids. What struck me first was that the court received 38 letters from people supporting the doc, saying what a wonderful person and physician he was. But the fact also was that he was dead guilty, and fully admitted it all. It reminds me of all the unlawful immigrants who are always awarded nice person status despite their basic crime against the laws of this country. Lots of criminals are nice guys or gals, but any decent society demands order. BTW, in the Docs case, the court also received lots of tearful testimony from his victims who said he started them on their miserable journey into addiction.

Some in Silicon Valley are beginning to wonder if they are on the right train, as sleek and shiny as it was when it beckoned them aboard. It has been heard from software geniuses there that often they do things because they can, without considering the possible effects of collateral damage. i.e. See Facebook wondering about the negative effects of open social messaging; virtual elimination of privacy. And then there is automated driving, everything from cars to small tricks to semis, and who knows what else. Consider the scourge upon a large segment of American jobs – those who drive something for a living, like UPS or big rigs. The pro argument is saving a million lives due to accidents. The anti-effect could be 40 million good paying jobs lost by the absence of a need for drivers. As I think deeper I wonder if we are on a path to the largest welfare society ever as technology knocks out job category after job category. What’s left, taxing technology profits to pay for idle humans? The questions about future societies are myriad.

BTW, “social networking” is looking more and more like the absolutely wrong term for today’s addictive, privacy bashing phenomena. What would be your idea for a replacement term?

Facebook. Fakebook.

When I see photos in newspapers of protesters -- well dressed, well coiffed and apparently well-heeled -- marching for an issue, I never see an associated picture of the people who dearly need the jobs in the industries against which they are protesting.

Robin Williams once said: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind, always.”

As I observe the scene and rhetoric surrounding the Trump tariffs, I’m thinking that as soon as the current Pennsylvania election is over, the anti’s will be mollified.

Did you see where Elizabeth Warren will not run for President saying Saturday that she will never take a DNA test to prove her Native American heritage. I wonder?

So, two birds are sitting aside a puddle of oil watching a worm struggle on the other side. One bird flies over to get the worm while the second bird swims. Which one wins? Why, it is the swimming bird because you all know that “Da oily boid gets da woim.”

There are a lot of reasons why New Englanders like living where they are, even in winter. One of the most frequently heard is “I would miss the changing of seasons”. Mine is, I love that exhilaration when once again I don’t have to wear socks. I’m thinking that it could be a mere two-three weeks away. To each is own.

I might add to Robin Williams’ comments above that a lot of people are fighting battles that they know nothing about. And that is truly sad.

The Answer:

Bath Maine born Susan Richardson was best knowna=for her roole as Susan Bradford on Eight is Enough. After that she had a lackluster career as a repeating contestant on TV game shows and as a celebrity cocaine addict. Tricia O’Neill was Captain Rachel Garret of the starship Enterprise. She also known for her role in “Titanic”.  Matt Mead is the Governor of Wyoming. You may remember Wallace Langham as lab technician David Hodges in CSI. Thora Birch was acclaimed as Best Actress under 9 yo for her role in the 1988 show Purple People eater. She won a Bafta award for Best Supporting Actress in the film American beauty. Most recently she ahs been Morgan in the TV series Colony. David Anders had strong roes as Julian Sark in Alias and as Adam Monroe in Heroes. Since 2015 he ahs been in the series “Zombie”. He likes one word titles. Easier to remember where he is. Bonus: Poland along with Greece are considered to have the hardest working population. The other two countries offering a day of rest on Sunday are Germany and Austria – “A day to take family over compulsive shopping.”

That breathless “Aha” you will hear soon is that day when sockless times are here again. Little victories and private elations are so important, aren’t they.

Somewhere a soldier is lonely, far from home. Sitting in cold or dark; fearing the world he can’t see, just around the corner. I don’t know about you, but I like to stop and think about them. Hoping that somehow they will also feel the love they cannot see.