A genius dies.

Today's Tids Issue 2,143
Opening Stuff:

Every year around this time I burst out in that wonderful Rogers and Hammerstein song: “June is Busting Out all over”. (It gets pretty annoying in my household.) But, that’s just the way it is with this month that is typically among the finest in the Northeast. When the temperature is consistently moderate yet the sun is bright and the days are the longest. Brides love it and kids who finally see the school doors shut behind them love it most of all. And of course the world is treated to the wisdom and understanding of Gemini’s! Sleep well.

Mark Malcovich died Sunday night in a single car crash in Minneapolis. So? Well, Malcovich was the impresario of perhaps the finest music festival in the Country, if not the world. Where truly amazing classical performers from countries everywhere, often for their US première, would come to the City of Newport and for three weeks and charm, move people with music. It is impossible to describe with mere words the grandeur of the event set in the gilded mansions of Vanderbilt and Astor.. Malcovich was a wonder. And, he will be missed.

Trying to watch The Celtics on TV is a little like watching my stock portfolio on-line. Based on past performance during the year I am always expecting the worse. So consequently I spend most of the time not looking.

One of the worst things you can do for weight control is to buy pants with elastic waists.

The Question:
I have to be honest…if I heard that a movie was coming starring the late, very capable Dennis Hopper my immediate reactions was that it would be goofy and probably undecipherable. Name five of hs films.

The Headlines:
--China/Euro Worries Have World Stocks Down; This After World Stocks Gain While US remembeed.
--Oils Dips To $72.
--US Missiles Kill Number al-Qaida’s Three.
--McChrystal Says Taliban Insurgents Coming From Iran.
--Israel Says Those Wanting To ban Nukes In Middle East Are Hypocrites.
--Israel Raids Convoy To Palestine; Netanyahu Cancels Obama Meet.
--Oil Problem Remains A Problem; Finger Pointing Continues.
--June Begins On Time.

Back to More Stuff:

Now with the down grading of Spain, it is becoming quite clear that all of these European models for the Obama dream are or will be crumbling socialist experiments.

Dismantle the government before it dismantles the nation.

Financial Advice ruse department:
It was reported that the five favorite companies of hedge fund managers are Apple, Bank of America, Google, Microsoft and JP Morgan/Chase. It suggested that small investors might use this list from the smartest people in the world as and investment guide. What it didn’t say is that Hedge fund managers have two months in which to make holdings public. In other words, by the time the people see them, they could easily have been sold. And as usual the folks are left holding an empty bag.

And then, there are the synonyms for the word “Hedge”! – Circumvent, dodge, duck, elude, evade, fudge, parry, put-off, sidestep and skirt. Maybe the new symbol of Wall Street should be the hedgehog.

I always thought that Gary Coleman was pretty funny. But he led a sad life after the glory years.

Is the traffic sign “SLOW Children Playing” politically incorrect?

I realize that it doesn’t bother many when over paid athletes and celebs lose all their money. But it does for some odd reason bother me. I wonder why advisors to the first time rich are so inept. It bothers me that people can be sucked into bad investments and frivolous spending. And that they can’t see all of the good they could do with new found riches, while sill living a luxurious life.

For a taxicab driver, a rainy day is fare weather.

How come the news media reports that the new Dem sponsored stimulus bill as passing largely along party lines when 14% of democrats voted against it?

And why would they think that wasting an additional $70 Billion is going to be a solution after $750 Billion gave us a steady 9.9% unemployment?

It will probably come out that Sesteck was offered the Secretary of the Navy job by Joe Biden. And Biden will get off with the plea “I didn’t know I was doing it”. (Chortle, Chortle) Actually, I plagiarized that line from Newt Gingrich. But then, I guess plagiarism is ok when Biden is involved.

Meanwhile, the Brown university women crew who can be seen laboring on the mighty Seekonk River in downtown Providence RI, continue to be on of the great sports programs in America.

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter74 continues. –“Yes.” I answered quickly again. Then I hedged “Well maybe I’d say we were acquaintances out of habit.” Was I looking odd to her? When the vandalism started in Fosterville, we worked together pretty closely with sheriff. I liked his intellectual side and enjoyed discussing the case with him.” She and Michael showed now emotion. “Have you talked to him?”
“Yes,” Michael answered.
“He is hard to read,” added Josie, “But, I would call him quietly charming.” She looked up at me. “How would you classify your acquaintance?” S he didn’t smile.
‘I would say he is stonily cold when he wants to be, but in reality he is fairly pleasant. But,” I added, “When you are talking about serious matters than he is interesting all of the time.”
“How are you feeling?” Michael asked out of the blue.
I looked at him and he appeared sincere. “I get tired,, but I’m happy to be back in the swing of my business” I paused. “Although this is definitely not what I expected”. Jack laughed. I decided that I should only answer what they ask. Primarily because Siegal was sitting there, and that’s what I knew she liked best. It isn’t me though.
Josie broke in. “We realize you have a new and perhaps important future client who needs your help. And we realize that you aren’t going to tell us everything unless we pull it out of you. And we know that you probably don’t like the prospects today of baking a tinged business that looked like a winner a month ago.” I looked at jack and he was expressionless. As was I. “But, the fact is that the more we look around we think something really quite odd is going on. And one of those things is your accident Mrs. Durham. It tells us that you might have known something. That said,” she continued and now rather emphatically while looking at Siegal, “We know you will play the legal game a
D we will attempt to be fair with you. But, the more you fight us, the more this episode will start ot air out in the public.”
Josie Rivera was no pussycat, I thought.

I don’t like all of this politicization of disasters. That goes for Bush and Katrina as well as The Great Mocker and The Oil Spill. They can’t stop the disaster nor are governments designed and equipped to repair the damage. All the pointing of fingers does is give Congress ideas about how to expand an already overwhelming big brother.

It is becoming obvious that too many people in 2008 voted for credible grammar and correct pronunciation over realistic thinking. Presidents cannot deny the existence of wars. Nor can they unilaterally dismiss practical solutions to difficult problems like housing of terrorist. It is impossible for Presidents to stop natural disasters or change human emotions. Rhetoric is the killer of societies.

I’d call eating a Tim Horton’s sausage, egg and cheese on a biscuit while sitting in a car going through a car wash uncomplicated living.

Could the “Pad” be the undoing of the great Microsoft Company. Big companies disintegrate pretty quickly these days. PC leaders H-P and Dell are starting to believe that the Pad is the way of the future, and they aren’t turning to Seattle for answers. H-P bought Palm for it’s smart phone software and Dell is s proposed Pad. going to use Google’s Droid software for it.

The Answer:
Hopper just finished Alpha and Omega. His alpha was Rebel without a Cause which launched James Dean. He also played along with Dean in The Giant. He is probably best known for his breakthrough movie Easy Rider. But I always, for some strange reason, remember him for the mind boggling Blue Velvet. You may also remember Rumble Fish, Apocalypse now and Speed which launched Sandra Bullock. He received an Oscar for Hoosiers. Hopper appeared in well over 100 films, so your choices may be far from mine.

Weird End:
As I look back on yesterday I am think of launching a new campaign for the betterment of Shut-ins. TV, radio and sports teams somehow forget about big weekends there for leaving all of those with no friends or family with out their favorite company…the TV. I think that Congress should pass a law to force networks to play their best every weekend, all year long. The friendless deserve it. Humans have to speak out…”we’re cuddly like pets too!”