Small circles.

Today's Tids Issue 4,101

For not missing stuff:

I don’t know why I feel as good as I do, considering that there is abundant news dripping with angst all around me. Maybe I just don’t care anymore. Or perhaps I’m old enough to know, that despite the noise, life goes on.

I’ve been reading the news reports of all the global threats popping up around the world. I have come to the conclusion, that by far the worst threats to world order and agreement still lie in the Middle East, from Pakistan to the to the Bosphorus and Northern Africa. The rest of the potential conflicts are solvable and that includes North Korea. The Middle East is still and will possibly always be embroiled in irrational religious, ideological differences. Nobody wants to give in. The rest of the potential conflicts are more or less economics based. China does not want a war, even as it arms itself and appears aggressive. In the long run, Xi sees his country as an economic victor. Even Kim seems to understand economic reality especially now as the US and China suppress his outreach. The only wild card in my perfect theory is Russia, which, at times still looks like an old-fashioned Imperialist. Well, food for thought and argument.

I sold my Hoover vacuum the other day because it was just gathering dust.

My basic theory of life is that if every person in the world focused on raising one family well, it would be a helluva place to be.

The Question:

Name Five of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s best Novels. Extra Points: What does he “F” stand for? Bonus: Haley Joe Osment is 30. What was his first big movie? 

The Headlines:

--Xi Agrees To Lower Tariffs On US Car Imports; Says He Will Further Open Economy; Wall Street Happy; Sticks Up.

--Xi Increases Sanctions Against NK; Latest Action Blocks Manufactured Parts For Weapons.

--Zuckerberg Sits Before Senate; Promises To Be Exciting TV Action; 41 Senators To Be Given 4 Minutes Each To Ask Anything They Want.

--Trump Mulling Action Against Syria.

--Trump Disturbed At Mueller’s Raid On His Inner Circle; Dershowitz Wonders Why ACLU Isn’t On The Case, Government Assault On Private Citizens; Some See Death Of Attorney-Client Privilege.

--CBO Says Tax Cuts To Strengthen Growth; Worried About Crippling Effect Of Huge Deficit Increase.

--School Bus In India Drives Into Gorge Killing 27.

Oh, I get it now – Stormy Daniels is actually a suspected Russian Spy. That’s why the raid on Cohen’s office was part of the Russia investigation. Yup, it all makes sense now. And I thought it was just a witch hunt to get Trump out of office.

Busy Fingers, Department:

There is report that the members of the Newport RI Daffodil Garden Club are busily knitting little yellow and green sweaters for all of those thousands of daffodils shivering beneath the surface. What Newporter’s won’t do for a good tourist attraction.

With all of the hoopla for major sports activities, you may have missed the Minnesota-Duluth NCAA Hockey Championship victory over Notre Dame. I hear that Duluth Trading Company will be offering a new line of Frozen Four underwear for men and women, Brrrrr! Check your local store.

In case you missed it, US News and World Report has just named Austin Texas as the best place in America to live. #2 was Colorado Springs which pushed Denver down a notch to 3^rd. #4 was Des Moines Iowa followed by Fayetteville Arkansas. It seems as though the middle of the country is doing Ok, despite the opinions of insular coastal critics.

I was looking for relatives on Ancestry .com the other day when I came across two women – Mary Bowell and Martha Outhouse. I figured they were related somehow.

The inhuman drug dealers of South America are focused on a new customer base – cancer Patients. Yes, Congress is about hear from two successful US DEA agents who will testify about fake cancer relief pills that kill more than they heal. Drug cartels combined with US street gangs like MS-13 are, “going to great lengths to get illegal drugs in the form of medications into the United States,” say the agents. The dealers use Loose USPS rules to enable the shipping of drugs without electronic data required by UPS and FedEx. Crazy. Sad. Disgusting. The agents say that the cartels are getting smarter. It just shows you that smarter isn’t what it is cracked up to be.

Do you have the same problem I have with anti-virus services? They keep warning me about something and asking me to perform some action, each of which I can’t comprehends at all. So, I just “X” it and pray.

The Answer:

The Great Gatsby was easily his best-known effort. His others are This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night, and published posthumously – The Last Tycoon. Extra Points: The “F” in FSF is Francis. Bonus: Haley Joe Osment after a series of small child actor film roles hit it real big in the mystical thriller, Sixth Sense. He starred in two other good films – “AI-Artificial Intelligence” and “Pay it Forward”. He has had a series of unremarkable roles in his older years and was seen last in the HBO series “Silicon Valley”.

Some say that nothing ever great comes from thinking small. I say you miss a lot if you are looking beyond what is obvious before you.