Political campaigns: Trick or Treat.

Today's Tids Issue 4,247

Egging and Candy:

One of a child’s early first loves is Halloween. It’s one of those times that a kid always seems to look forward to – the planning of costumes, the thrill of walking among goblins and witches on the cool October night; the sweet rewards. Then, all of a sudden, they grow older, figuring there are other things in life; that dressing up maybe isn’t that cool anymore. But, oddly, as they grow beyond the teens and wade through the ups and downs; the loves and loves lost; big boy and big girl life; they also seem to drift back to one of the pure joys of innocent youth, dressing up in costumes, making believe. Halloween is the child within that never leaves.

Except, for some adults who go to great lengths to avoid those masked urchins at any cost. Maybe Bah Humbug was also about Halloween.

If the Tids editors had all the political answers, they’d be giving you a thorough analysis of the upcoming elections. But while there are statistics galore, the reporting of it has been cloudy. You’ve heard it all from the ominous Blue Wave to, not so fast, the Red tide is coming. It doesn’t appear now that the Dems will not overrun the Repubs in for congress, but they should win what they need to assume leadership on committees. Currently experts are saying the Dems will win 25-40 seats (They need 23). That’s cloudy at best.  The Senate should also remain with the GOP, which is far more important than holding the Exec office. But, honestly, I have no confidence in this new helter-skelter political climate. It’s just too crazy; too many “experts” with a horse in the race.

Scaredy Pants, Department:

You know how you read that a lot of people are actually afraid of clowns. Well, frankly, I’m more frighten of today’s comedians.

The Question:

Name the 11 so-called creepiest real-life jobs, and which one do you think on average pays best?

The Headlines:

--Stocks Strong At Mid-Morning On Last Trading Day Of Volatile October; New Job Growth Of 227K Jobs; Highest In 8 Months.

--Trump New Drug Program Could Have Prices Plummeting.

--Tariffs Wiping Away $1 Billion In Dairy Farmer Profits.

--GOP Senators Implore Trump To Cut Off Nuke Talks With Saudis.

--DoJ Charges 10 Chinese Intelligence Officers And Hackers With Stealing US Aviation Secrets.

--Spending for Halloween Spookery Expected To Top $9 Billion, Up From 2017.

--11 Dead After Violent Storms Roar Through Italy.

--Facebook Losing Users In Europe; Big Social Entwiner Company Makes Profit Objective Against Lower Revenue.

Yeah, championships are important and sometimes memorable, but often lost in the excitement of moments is the achievements of delightful iconic teams that never won it. For instance, here was no better, more exciting teams than the Red Sox of the forties and fifties, except possibly the Brooklyn Dodgers of the same era. They were both filled with players who caught the imagination of Americans – Williams and Robinson, Doerr and Reese, DiMaggio and Snyder. Cleveland of that time was iconic too, as was Saint Louis, but those two won it all. I’ve fallen in love with teams like KC and Detroit and even the Baltimore Orioles. Not like my Red Sox or Dodgers earlier, but just because they sparkled on the field all summer long; they played great ball.  This happens everywhere throughout life where too often we are caught up in the prize, instead of day in and day out excellence and accomplishment.

I listen to the car radio with such frequency that my ear Hertz.

The Jack-in-the-Box Society:

Here’s a little tale sent into Tids Central by a wily reader that has some relevancy today. At a wedding, the minister asked the usual Question, “Does anyone have reason to object to the joining of the bride and groom in holy matrimony?” At that point a young, attractive woman holding a baby stood up at the rear of the church and started walking slowly up the aisle. The congregation gasped. The groom’s jaw dropped, and stared in shock at the nearing woman. The bride dropped her bouquet and ran in tears from the church. The Groom’s mother fainted the Brides father’s fists balled and his face reddened. General chaos erupted among relatives of each side. The minister remained calm, and quietly asked the woman why she had come forward. She looked around at the mayhem and then uttered sincerely at the minister. “I just wanted you to know we couldn’t hear you in the back”.

Sounds little bit like our rush to judgment society.

As the say on Wall Street, if you can escape October with minor wounds, you may live to fight through Christmas. Actually, they don’t say that on WS, I just made it up. Makes me feel good.

I don’t know if your towns have them but we have these so-called “Restaurant Weeks” where all restaurants offer the same prices for three course dinners. The problem is that I rarely order appetizers or dessert, so the special week prices are typically more than I would spend normally. But, if you care, it is actually a way to test wickedly expensive restaurants.

Did you hear what the ghost said to the bartender, “I’m here for the boos.”

Sometimes, these computer updates mess up my organized life. But, nothing was like the Apple WatchOS 4.1 update which caused the watch to stop ticking, altogether. Holy time machine, Batman.

I never had a problem with my Timex.

Actually, I’m sitting here watching the Red Sox victory parade before screaming millions in downtown Boston. Yes, championships are exciting, too.

Song of the day: Demons are a ghouls best friend.

The Answer

#1 is Coroner at $49.7K. #2 is Mortician ($46K) followed by Phlebotomist (31K), Butcher (31K), Cemetery Manager (46K), Grave digger (31K), Taxidermist (36K), Forensic Scientist (%54K), Hazardous Waste Shipper (42K), Exterminator (35.5K) and Sewage Plant Operators ($42K). Hey, the forgot the highest paid of all – Political strategists.

The big special in Italian restaurants this Halloween is Fettucine Afraid-O

Spiraling.

Today's Tids Issue 4,246

Political Silence:

Now the big argument is about who is causing the great national divide. And the more they squabble about that, the greater the chasm becomes. There’s always something.

The nudist colony decided to have a Halloween party, but it didn’t work.

Personally, I think that one of the problems with the stock market at this particular time is that everything seems too good. And when things have been too good for a long, long while, people start thinking, my God its got to go down someday, and maybe this is it. Sell! Of course, maybe this is “it”, that time when interest is rising, tariffs are stymying and profit reports are uneven. But, don’t panic. Because panic can’t controlled, but economics can.

Unfortunately, too many politicians need a national divide to make them relevant...in their own minds.

Many animals probably need glasses, but nobody knows it. Can you read the smallest line? Arf.

The Question:

Surprise…Brick and Mortar Stores still account for 85 % 0f all retail Sales. Which retails stores are weathering the paradigm change best and, according to a new extensive report from Moody’s, are poised to be strong,  and potential investment winners in 2019?

The Headlines:

--Stocks Higher Through Morning For Now; Wall Street Awaits Apple, Facebook Earnings; GE Cuts Dividend To 1 Cent, Facing DoJ Audit; Whirlpool Says They Want their Products Back From Sears.

--“Caravan” Slowing As Infighting, Morale Decline And Fatigue Contribute To Growing Attrition.

--Constitutional Battle Would Erupt If Trump Signs Order That Would Eliminate “Birthright Citizenship”.

--The Hill Still Indicating That She May Return For 2020 Run.

--Apple Introduces New Stuff For iPad Pro And MacBook Air.

--Coca Cola Said To be Testing Cannabis Infused Coke.

--At Carney Awards Ceremony, Character Actor James Cromwell Says There Will be Blood In The Streets If Dems Don’t Win; FL Dem Senate Candidate Nelson Tells Predominantly Black Churches That US Is Like Rwanda Before Genocide “Where Millions Were Hacked To Death”.

One helix of Indian Blood found in Elizabeth Warren’s DNA is being called by microbiologists, Custer’s Last Strand.

Law of Probability”: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

I would say that politics is a daily concern for but a smidgeon of the country. But, it is the loudest thing on TV, so it seems more important than it is.

The promotion for the rather dreadful little tedious movie “Destination Wedding”, says; “Starring Americas favored couple – Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder.” America’s favorite couple is Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder? Who knew.

“Law of Biomechanics”: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach of the arms.

Without question, Florida’s Democrat Senator Nelson just zoomed to the top of the list ofr new lows in campaigning.

David Price proved himself on the mound and everybody knew it, including most all of his detractors. But then, like Trump, he had to make an issue out it, and lost a little of what he had accomplished through his actions.

Addicts delight: Coke and Pot in the same can.

One of the Dem’s lamest arguments that irks me is when they say that Repubs will pack the Supreme Court with Conservatives. Huh? Everybody knows that same group of politicians if in power would be packing the Supreme Court with liberals, as Obama and Clinton had done in their days. Reason #5872 why I don’t take politicians seriously. (N0te: Check out “Ideological Leanings of Supreme Court Justices by” Andrew D. Martin and Kevin H. Quinn. Charts Justices form 1935 through Gorsuch. Most liberal of all – Douglas.)

The reason lame, fabricated and slanderous, and even insane, campaign accusations work is because so few people know the facts about anything.

Which letter is silent in the word “Scent,” the S or the C?

The Environment Ministry of Japan warned that the country (Japan) will produce 800,000 tins of Solar (Panel) waste in fifty years.  The International Renewable Energy Agency estimated that solar panel waste tonnage would grow to 78 million by 2050. Tonnage could increase dramatically earlier as the demand for cheaper panels grows and the manufacturers respond by using inferior material that reduce life spans. Just because solar panels appear to help the environment, it doesn’t mean they are made out of stuff that’s good for the environment.

Let me see if I have this straight. In Pittsburgh over the weekend, several leaders of the Jewish congregations eloquently said the tragedy could be the stimulus that begin the road back to civility and unity. And then, the President of the United States of America comes to pay respect in  behalf of the nation, and the families of victims and top Pittsburgh Officials don’t show up. Good start back to unity.

The Answer:

While the media focuses on the excitement of internet sales, the big stores have been reinventing themselves rather nicely to compete strongly in the new world of consumer selling. The top retail companies in investors eyes for 2019 are expected to be Walmart, Costco, Dollar Tree, Kroger, Target, Amazon (B&M), Auto Zone, Dollar Gornall, Albertsons, T.J. Maxx, Bass-Pro, Ross Stores and O’Reilly Automotive.

Maybe we can begin to think about unity and the possibility for human redemption after the elections, and when the deconstruction from campaign commercial clutter ceases. That is, if there isn’t blood in the streets and genocide.

If you replace “W” with “T” in When, What and Where, you get the answers.