The bats are cracking.

Today's Tids Issue 2,103
Opening Stuff:

Today is one of those relatively uncelebrated but essential days in US historical dietary lore. It is “1/2 Price Peeps” day. And fortunately for the first time in years the lines will be short as most people are standing in line for iPads. Peeps are better. Espcailly…those new chocolate covered little cluckers.

Did you hear about the burglar who got away with a big haul of jewelry with leaving any clues or evidence behind? It was known as a stainless steal.

How about that Abby Sunderlund! The able 16 year old sailor turned the corner on her challenging solo around the world sailing journey by going around the treacherous Cape Horn on Thursday. If you like bravery and courage mixed with superior sailing skills you have to tune in to this drama. Follow her at http://www.abbysunderland.com/ She is currently heading north and is just a bit southeast of the Falklands. Let’s hope the Brits and Gouchos don’t decide to start a little skirmish.

The Question:
Through the haze of alcohol, under clouds of homosexuality and stormy accusations of allegiances with communists, Eugene O’Neill still managed to write and become a beloved US playwright. Name five of his greatest plays.

Today’s Headlines:
--Red Sox Open 2010 Season With Dramatic Come From Behind Win Over Ya, Ya, Ya…(WYKWIM)…That Team With The New Expensive Overprice Stadium Where Only Hedge Fund Managers Can Afford Seats.
--7.9 Quake Kills In Mexico; Rattles In US.
--White House Warns Of Slow Jobs Rebound.
--Asia Markets Up On More Positive US Jobs Outlook
--Blasts In Pakistan Near US Embassy Kills 3.
--Latest NASA Launch Carries More Woman Than Ever Into Space; Discovery Expected Not To Get Lost.
--New Report Says That 6 Months Of Breastfeeding Would Save 900 Babies/Year; Billions In health Cost Dollars.
--Butler Everybody’s Darling For Tonight’s Matchup With the Blue Devils.
--Office Vacancies At 16 Year High.
--Chinese Coal Ship Rams Great Barrier Reef.

Back to More Stuff:

If you are looking for the movie reviews and other insights into the President’s mind, check out Saturday’s Shorts http://todaystids.blogspot.com/2010/04/civility-starts-at-top.html

By now you know that last night marked the opening day of baseball in Boston. Think about how dumb this is for a moment. Planning to open up with a night baseball game in New England…where early April nighttime temps are typically in the 40’s and even the 30’s. This is not for the fans but for the TV networks and the big money. This is just one more example of misguided leadership in America. Baseball isn’t played on sandlots any more.

John McPherson suggests that a good way to ameliorate the prison over crowding problem is to convict smaller criminals.

Does the phrase “Fair Share” in census commercials bother you as much as it does me? It says to me that the Government actually thinks it is their money they are distributing. Actually it’s our money, yours and mine plus a trillion or so in new debt that they are returning.

While we’re on the census lets talk a second about diversity and unification. I believe the positive effects of diversity improve when everybody is the same. As you may know the census contains a racial, ethnic check-off. The more we differentiate the more we disrupt the strength of diversity. The census is becoming a tool of divisiveness.

Licensing for salt water fishing just has to be unconstitutional…somehow. Isn’t the ultimate freedom walking to waters edge, wavelets lapping at your ankles, smelling the salt spray and throwing a lure 30-40 yards out into the ocean? Without worrying at what moment you will be brought down in a hail of bullets from an over-aggressive power mad government watch dog.

He who throws mud loses ground.

I have listened to all the reports and expert opinions and read many others about iPad, and I’ll be darned if I can see any reason at all to buy one. Call; me a Luddite…but a Luddite with $500+ still in his pocket.

You know you are getting old when friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you are in your bare feet. It’s a Florida thing.

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 63 continues.
(Note, this episode picks up from last Wednesday. Thursday’s was a complete April Fool joke, but I have to admit, I have thought of going that route.)
--“What was your meeting like?” I continued to push, but gently.
Paul took his time. While blessed or cursed with unbounded energy (I’m not sure which), he had this ability to be very thoughtful. To slow his brain when needed. He was hard to catch off guard. Maybe we were too alike that way. “I’ll start at the beginning,” he began. “He kept me off balance all of the time. Not that he shook me, but he made me feel uncomfortable. And assured all those in the room that he was in charge. As I got to know him, especially in private, I found him easy to talk to and interested in mutual progress. Now that is either his nature, or was because he saw how much we could contribute. I started to realize that he needed what we had, which was the ability to provide technology that operated beyond where they were in the lab process at all times.”
“So…” I interrupted.
“Jeez…you sound just like him!” Paul laughingly editorialized. That stopped me a moment. Me like Kent. Hey, I’m bubbly and effervescent, aren’t I? “Well,” he smiled again at me, “the ‘so’ is that he wasn’t surprised at the acquisition of human test results as a result of the Bromsky affair. Sally, do you know Sally?” he continued without my answer, “Sally was amazed at how conforming my GenInst products were at the time of the introduction of overwhelming new, advanced data.
“But, you were already working with Bromsky?” I asked. “So that figures,” I surmised. “So what exactly are you telling me Paul?” I waited as he focused.
“I’m saying I think he is much more complicated than he appears. I’m saying that while there are apparent answers, something all of a sudden doesn’t feel quite as right about Mr. Middleton.”
I just looked at him. Maybe I should talk to Sally Orstein. How would I do that without alerting Kent.

I have a new nick name for the President – The great Mocker! Isn’t he sounding a bit juvenile these days as he ridicules the so-called opposition who just happen to be about 55-60% of loving Americans. It’s one thing to disagree, but to insult honest people when you are the leader and supposed unifier is unconscionable in a civilized country. It’s one thing to question. But it is unbecoming of a leader of free country to demean. Why would the nation want to come together under this man? Civility comes from the top.

The Prez wonders why so many are drifting away from him. His attempts at bi-partisanship have been superficial and blatantly self serving. The Great Mocker is just too political to be a leader.

All of a sudden Iraq is looking very unstable. That execution style mass assassination over the weekend allegedly groups sympathetic to al-Qaida are taking advantage of the wrangling by the two top vote getters. And by wearing Iraqi police and US Military uniforms, they are obviously try create doubt and resentment to what appeared to be nice progress in the country.

Did you hear about the young boy who kept calling out to his parents “Breaking News on CNN!” But when they arrived there was never anything to be seen. He became known as the boy who cried Wolf Blitzer.

The Answer:
Imagine the greatness of O’Neill despite the negatives. The Tids guy only has grammatical insubordination going against him. Eugene’s first published play was Beyond the Horizon which won the Pulitzer…and that wasn’t even one of his best known efforts. You have heard of Anna Christie, Desire Under the Elms, Strange Interlude, Morning Becomes Electra, Ah, Wilderness, The Iceman Cometh, Emperor Jones, A Long Days Journey into Night and A moon for the Misbegotten.

Final Thought:
Uranium casually being mined in Africa without oversight is a scary thing. Almost as scary as CVS being out of Peeps when you reach the front of the line. Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.