Suck-In days.

Today's Tids Issue 4.534

Find your inner Scrooge:

You may remember that a couple of days ago I made the comment about Christmas Clubs of the past and how Americans saved up to buy Presents. According to a NerdWallet survey by Harris polling, 48 Million American have yet to pay off their 2018 Christmas purchase debt. The American economy rumbles along on the backs of the consumer, and it appears that huge numbers of Americans can’t afford it. Just look at the temptations of today and yesterday, cyberMonday, and probably all of the tomorrows ‘til Christmas Eve. Black Days sucking in people to buy stuff they don’t need by offering the appearance of huge sales. Yes, consumers are buying into those “Sales” and by the time most pay it all back they will be paying double what they paid for the bargain product.  Yes, these are Black Sales days alright – probably really black for the US economy down the road.

Overheard from a sweet potato: “You’re nice. I like you”

Tomorrow I will be glued to the Big Michigan Ohio State game. It has caught my fancy and I will be rooting for the Wolverines band to be playing “Hail To the Victors” a lot as the team scores repeatedly against the vaunted OSU Buckeyes. I just have this hunch that Michigan will finally beat their archrivals, and this would be a double sweet victory. (Except for the NCAA Committee clowns who pick the participants for the NCAA Football playoffs.) There is no truth to the rumor that Jim Harbaugh is asking Brother John of The Baltimore Ravens to borrow super QB Lamar Jackson for the day. Watch for fast, shifty running QB with oversized black mustache.

I’m thinking that if I was playing the keys of a piano, my typos would be producing a lot of sour notes.

The Question:

The first Army/Navy game was played I 1890. Who won? How’s that for a nice easy fifty-fifty chance question? Happy Black Friday! No interest charged.  Bonus: Who were Bernt Balchen, Harold June and Ashley McKinney? Extra Bonus: Who was Enos the chimp? Super Bonus: It is easy for the Hollywood Gossip challenged to mix up two pretty good actress – Diane Ladd and Diane Lane. What was each noted for?

The Headlines:

--Markets Close In Red On Black Friday; Hong Kong Support Bill Worries Investor’s; Shoppers Expected To Spend $7.5 billion Today And $9.4 Billion On Cyber Monday; Markets Close At Noon.

--Trump Pays Surprise Visit To US Troops In Afghanistan.

--NK’s Kim Sends Chilling Warning To US After Successfully Testing Super Large Multiple Launch Rocket System.

--Several Pepel Stabbed On London Bridge.

--Storms Could Disrupt Holiday Travelers’ Return Hume.

--Morgan-Stanley Fires At Least Four Traders After They Try To Conceal $100-140 Million loss.

--After Bloodiest Protests, Iraqi PM Adil Abdul Mahdi To Resign.

--World Renown Rock Climber Brad Gobright Falls 600 feet To Death Trying To Repel Down Mexico’s El Sendero Luminoso.

--Boris Johnson Warns Trump To Stay Out Of UK Politics.

--Subscriptions To Disney Streaming Business Soaring! Frozen 2 Killing It At The Box Office.

I owned two race tracks but rented them to others. I was the lessor of two ovals.

While people are generally living longer into their Late 80[‘s and 90’s, the life expectancy rate for the USA is declining. Huh? Yes, old people who have made through their youth relatively unscathed realize that obesity, drugs and distracted driving can kill. So now using learned caution, plus medicine and cool procedures, the elderly just keeps on going.

The US economy would not survive with rational consumers.

Supporting Hong Kong is the right thing to do. But I don’t like the possibility of negativity about China retaliation creeping back into the stock market discussion. Yet, it appears, according  to several knowledgeable analysts, China may talk to save face, but they still really need an agreement. So, we will see. This may be the cause of a fading US stock market until January, or it may be just a small scuffle on the way to a deal

In addition to OSU Michigan, there are a lot of good old traditional rival games like Clemson-South Carolina, Indiana-Perdue, Florida-Florida State and Georgia-Georgia Tech. They could be interesting but they aren’t as competitive as they had been. A couple of those old rivalries could be winners, though – like Auburn-Alabama and perhaps another best of game -- Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Forcing a computer to search for a new laptop is like asking person to dig their own grave.

I see all of this clamor to go vegan or vegetarian. Like yesterday when a some do-called food expert got a gig on TV where he suggested the Vegetables and Fruits become the focus, the stars of the TDay dinner table instead of turkey and Gravy over America’s favorite vegetable – mash potatoes. So I thought, how many vegans or vegetarians were here really in this USA. Lately news reporting and TV presentations have propensity to make small groups look dominant. I found a research piece done by a Vegan who himself wondered, Now I live in LA, so I may have a distorted view of just how many people enjoy eating veggies or being what I am, a Vegan for 10 years. In his pretty extensive research effort he found 2% are Vegetarian and one of four vegetarians are vegans (.05%) In addition, the “Vegetarian Times” says there are 7.3 million vegetarians (3.2%) and about one million vegans (.05% of US). So, that’s about the range. Not too widespread in reality. But you would think it pervasive watching the news and TV programming.

Is a paper cut a tress way of getting back at you.

The ten most expensive restaurants in the USA are Benu  - San Fran, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare – NYC, French Laundry – Yountville Cal, Guy Savoy - LV, Joel Rubuchon – LV, Masa – NYC, Per Se – NYC (NYC sister of French Laundry), Saison – SF, Urasawa – LA, Eleven Madison Park – NYC.

Now people who can afford those places probably live in these 10 richest towns in America: At #10 is Glencoe Illinois followed by Bronxville NY, Darian Ct, Highland Park Tx, Short Hills NJ, Hillsborough Ca, Los Altos Hills Ca, Cherry Hills Village Co, Scarsdale NY…and, at #1 – Atherton Ca.

Jason Garrett seems like a real nice guy, but his days being nice on the sidelines at Dallas stadium might finally be over.

Could it be that the earth is a gigantic man-eating creature that somehow managed to convince us that burying our dead in the ground is the thing to do?

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

Queen & Slim they say is kinda like an updated Bonnie and Clyde, It appears to be more of abatement movie condemning cops. But it is well liked by all. After an inconsequential first date, a black man and black woman are pulled over on a minor traffic technicality. A scuffle escalates to the point where the man, a low-key honest retail employee, kills the police officer. He and the woman, a defense attorney, takeoff to gather their thoughts. But, the video of the shooting surfaces and goes viral on the net, and tops all of the nightly news programs They unwittingly become most wanted and a symbol of terrorism. Pretty exciting and tense. But…

--Knives Out is a tribute to Agatha Christie and her style of murder mystery. A renown novelist is found murdered and a crafty detective is brought in to solve the crime. He interviews the staff and relatives, and has to sort out all of the lies. And go down dead ends. Many red herrings.

--Two Popes is an intriguing drama about an heir apparent Cardinal not liking the direction of the church. Looking to retire, this biggest papal critic is surprised when that current Pope asks him to share secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. It is an inside the walls confrontation between two stubborn men who must find common ground.

--After Parkland is a documentary about the students left after 17 were murdered.

The Answer:

Navy beat Army that first meeting. Go Navy! Bonus: Balchen, June and McKinney were the three who accompanies Admiral Richard E. Byrd on his historic flight over the South Pole in 1929. Byrd got all the glory and the Frozen Food endorsement But pilot Balchen got them there and back safely! June was the radio man, and McKinney the photographer who recorded it for history. Extra Bonus: Enos the Chimp blasted off in 1961 in the Mercury/Atlas 5 rocket and orbited the earth twice, just to make sure it was safe for Alan Shepherd. Super Bonus: Ladd came to fame winning several awards for acting in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Any More. She was nominated for Oscars for roles in Wild at heart and Rambling Rose. She was strong in all her films She is the mother of Laura Dern. Lane was also an actress I liked. She won the NY Film Critics best actress award for Unfaithful. She has been a familiar face in several good movies, but lately was seen being arrested with Jane Fonda for protesting the weather.

Young people might be saying, flying over the South Pole was historic? I can do it on my phone.

It is impossible to dig half of a hole.

Have a great weekend, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!!

Peace, peace. Peace at last.

Today's Tids Issue 4,533

Something special about the quiet:

Isn’t it comforting to realize how beautiful life can seem when the world slows down for Thanksgiving morn?

We used to have one day each week like that. Sunday.

I don’t know about you, but I am rejuvenating my heart with the peace and comfort that comes from family laughter, understanding and love. And, maybe, gravy.

Happy Thanksgiving, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!

Feel the dreams that grow from the contentment of peace.:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=i+had+a+dream+you+tube&view=detail&mid=978AED1AE2DE75FBDA14978AED1AE2DE75FBDA14&FORM=VIRE

Football and Butterball.

Today's Tids Issue 4,532

Gravy and More:

I wish the letters I type could be the notes of a beautiful melody.

Dreams of sleighrides over hills and across rivers to grandma certainly have changed in these hectic modern times.

It is said that the Massasoit’s brought a lot of corn to the first Thanksgiving. When you read today’s jokes, you’ll see that I’m continuing the tradition.

A-maizeing.

I have learned that people’s memories tend to be pretty selective. I like to remember what did well, and not dwell on all that I did wrong. I think it is healthier, as long as you remember that you actually did do something wrong and learned from it.

What is blue and covered in feathers?

A turkey holding its breath.

The Question:

Name all of the US vice presidents who rose to become President because the President died or had to step away?

The Headlines:

--S&P And Nasdaq Open Strong; Durable Goods Orders Surprise Moving Higher; GDP Data Pushes October Number Revised Upward To 2.1%; New Jobless Claims Decline More Than Expected.

--Wednesday Storms Certain To Mar Holiday Travel.

--Consumer Confidence Index Nudges Downward For Fourth Consecutive Month; CCI Still Strong In Positive Territory.

--US To Designate Mexican Drug Cartels As Terrorists.

--New CNN Poll On Dems: Biden 28% (Decline), Sanders 17 (rise), Warren (14 (Big Decline) and Buttigieg 11 (Big Rise). Bloomberg is at 3% Along With Harris, Steyer and Yang. At 2% are Amy and Cory.

--Nadler Judiciary Gang To Begin Impeachment Hearings December 4.

--Huge Blast At Texas TPC Chemical Plant Forces Evacuations; Searching For Injured.

--New Totals for Albania Earthquake: 26 dead, 648 Injured.

--Elite Climber Falls At Yosemite’s El Capitan,

Is it me, or are Medical offices really cutting back on staff? Around here it is probably because Doctors are receiving smaller and smaller payments from the Gov and insurance companies. We Know that RI is among the worse states for Docs. Think about what might happen when Medical Care is “Free”. Will talented potential doctors opt for a better paying field.

There was a pretty bad joke in yesterday’s Tids that became incoherent because of a typo.  It should have read, “The movement from fossil fuels to battery propulsion has created a highly charged environment. (Battery, not barter.) Yes, it was bad.

So now if you injure an animal, it’s a federal crime? The fed Gov is getting much too large.

The Ole’ Tids NFL pickers are doing their deed a day early as I suspect Turning To Tids will be at a minimum Thanksgiving Morn. Last week was another good one bringing our record up to 115-58-1 (67%). And by the way, how dominant were Baltimore and San Fran in their wins last week. In case you haven’t looked, they play each other Sunday in what has to be the game of the season so far. Tomorrow we have the three, a traditional for T-Day. Detroit who I have backed is letting me down so I go Chicago. I like NO to beat Atlanta and in the most important game we have Buffalo at Dallas, a team that must win. Buff has been stubbornly hanging on for tight wins, but Dallas is in a hole it desperately needs to climb out of. And will.

On Sunday the big meaningful games among leaders are the aforementioned SF-Balt, and Tenn-Indy, Seattle-Minn and Houston New England. Balt is red hot. San Fran is rolling. But I think there are more flaws in the Niners and I just have ot go with Balt at home and their magician QB. I like Tennessee better than I like Indy. Also, Tennessee is putting it together, finally. I stay with Titans even though they are playing in Indy. Houston and New England will be a war. Can NE win another nail biter? Houston’s Watson is a lot like Balt’s Jackson who destroyed NE. But I think the Pats are getting better, and again, find a way. As good as Minn has been Seattle is better at home. Of the rest, I like Cleve over Pitt (Helmets are banned), Philly over Miami, Carolina over The Skins, Green Bay over the Giants, TB over Jax and KC over Oakland, who vanished last week. Three mystery gams are Rams-Cards, Chargers-Broncs sand Bengals-Jets, all of which could go either way. I’m going Cards, Chargers and Jets.

You serve a Tofu Turkey on Pranksgiving.

Doctors, who I hold as number one profession, are often the targets of two other high visibility professions, Lawyers and Policies. Why?

If Alibaba was an American Company, its stock price would be out of sight. It just looks like the strongest, smartest company of them all.

When was it determined that the world needed lawyers? Think about it, people hire lawyers to defend themselves against lawyers. Weird.

If April showers bring flowers in May, then May flowers must bring Pilgrims.

If Trump didn’t pardon the Turkeys, would he be subject to the new Federal law against cruelty to animals – which he just signed?

Of all the dire predictions about the destruction of humanity, I believe one of the more genuine is the potential for machines to replace humans in the workplace.

Momma Turkey said to her disobedient children “Your father must be rolling over in his gravy.”

If miners bring canaries into the mines to save their lives, is that against the new federal law?

I get these pop-ups from familiar looking sites asking me to sign up for new security against hackers. How do I know the pop-ups aren’t clever hackers?

A turkey has used as a defense against the impending axe: “I am 1/1024 bald eagle!”

A well-known political scientist from Brookings sent me this guide to a happy TDay, “There are six ways to handle Trump’s impeachment during a dinner: Avoidance, confrontation, side-stepping, listening, focusing on undecided and humor.” Or, just enjoy the people around you. Political combativeness never enters my mind on TDay.

This just in: “Police say that runner accidentally shot with a starter pistol is race related.”

If vegans and vegetarians don’t like meat, how come so much money is being spent to make vegetables taste like meat.

Some of the most disturbing decisions in America are being made by school principals.

The Turkey survived Thanksgiving by being ahead of the carve.

The Answer:

John Tyler replaced Benjamín Harrison who died after one month in office. Millard Fillmore replaced Zachery Taylor when he died after 1.5 years. Andrew Johnson took over for Abe. Chester A. Arthur took over for James Garfield and Teddy Roosevelt stepped up when McKinley went down. Warren Harding died and Calvin Coolidge finished out his term. When FDR died during WWII, Harry Truman took over to make big decisions. Lyndon Johnson was the man on the spot when JFK was assassinated. Gerald Ford started as the Speaker of the House and jumped to VP when VP Agnew resigned and up again to Prez when Richard Nixon resigned. He was the only President never elected to VP or P. Other VP’s who were elected to President were John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, Teddy, Calvin, Harry, Lyndon, Nixon and GHW Bush.

Well, here we are on the eve of the beautiful day of thanks. Kitchens are hectic today as potatoes are skinned and boiled, bread is ripped apart and seasoned, and vegies are prepared for their tadeonal TDay special Thanking Day arrival. Yes. Tomorrow is not only a day of thanks but one of relaxation and satisfaction over meals well prepared. And well consumed

Eat, Drink, and Cranberry!

I hope today’s jokes don’t bring on indigestion!!