It is what it is; We are who we are.

Today's Tids Issue 2,156
Opening Stuff:

A Rose Department:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; / Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. / What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, / Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part / Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! / What's in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet; / So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, / Retain that dear perfection which he owes / Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, / And for that name which is no part of thee / Take all myself.

Never hurts to start the day with a little Shakespeare logic.

Roses are blooming one by one and soon will be arrays of pinks and reds and yellows. And the heart would leap and the senses would explode exactly the same no matter the name. This is probably why I have trouble remembering people’s names, but never forget who they are.

Identity theft is running rampant among penguins.

The Question:
Who said the following, and what does it mean?: "What has defined us as a nation since our founding is the capacity to shape our destiny--our determination to fight for the America we want for our children. Even if we're unsure exactly what that it looks like. Even if we don't yet know precisely how we're going to get there. We know we'll get there."

The Headlines:
--Ethnic Clashes In Kyrgystan Leave Over 2,000 Dead.
--Celts Lose Championship Final 83-79; Green Team Controlled Game For First 45 Minutes, But Sagged At end.
--Some Worried About Abundance Of Methane In Gulf Oil; “Most Vigorous Methane eruption…In History” could create Massive Oxygen-less Dead Zones.
--Prime Time Back On Campaign Trail After Kicking Some Butt.
--Killer Tornados Hit Minnesota.
--Unsettled Market To Give Small Investors Jitters Once Again Today.

Back to More Stuff:

Nobody really cares about the ravaged moonscape that is Kyrgystan, except of course the families who watch their loved ones needlessly die on a daily basis. But this human tragedy is more than an event in a faraway land that doesn’t have any affect on our cloistered lives here. Except that it does. The conditions in Kyrgystan are exactly what Jihad groups look for in their unrelenting campaign for recruitment of new terror operatives they can send throughout the world. They prey on the disenfranchised, the hopeless. Good people so in need and hope that they turn to anybody who extends a hand.

In their infinite wisdom, the RI State Legislature just passed a law making legal the type of fireworks that were the cause of the massive Station Nightclub fire that killed over a hundred and maimed many more.

Cassat and Brookins point out that today a rare medical condition is one that is covered by health insurance.

One of the great mysteries in America today is how exactly a guy named Alvin Greene who was “involuntarily” discharged from the army, is facing obscenity charges, has no job, doesn’t own a cell phone or computer and did no campaigning, won 59% of the vote in the South Carolina Democrat primary for the US Senate. And beat a guy who did all of the right things while crisscrossing the state.
Authorities are thinking it could have been a malfunctioning voter machine system or some type of fraud. But they are now actually thinking that the real explanation is that. “Green appeared first on the ballot and was a more dulcet-sounding name”! Doesn’t say much about the thoughtfulness of voters, does it. Oh, and Greene, when interviewed says it (hoe election) was because he is the best man and “I am also the best person to be Time Magazine’s Man of the Year.”

The most intriguing part of the Oil Slick Watch are the people running around to microphones.

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 79: --“Sar…”. Why she hung up on me. What is she up to. What did she and Henry talk about. Why did she lie to me? The security people told me she went directly to the police station. She didn’t go home to check on a sick child. Her voice, her voice reminded me of what I have felt while making love to her, even as I was using her. Are we so alike that she is capable of using me. While have felt guilt, I never saw her as concerned about her family as brought me alive.. Yet, why I felt guilt, but she seemed so cold with regards to her family. Has her infatuation with me been an act. Is she playing me now. No, she likes me. I’ll be alert tomorrow morning. Do we know too much about how the other thinks?
Enough Kent. Enough, I said to myself. There are more pressing things. I picked up the phone and dialed Jason’s direct number. He answered after three rings. “What took you so long,” I started
“I have other clients,” responded as sarcastically as ever. But you, my friend, are certainly my most important.” Then he laughed his best corporate chuckle. “So, what’s up?”
“A couple of things. First Sarah Durham is playing games with me. Your guys followed her directly to the sheriff. So, I now know she is hiding something. You were right about watching her. Also, Henry Boulder tells me that there is something strange about the Laura disappearance. Hat did your guys do there? And, how is she. I hope you are taking good of her.”
“You know what, Kent? You fall in love to easily. And both of your women look like trouble to this trained eye. We have Laura safe, and while she is being a large pain in the ass, we are making her comfortable. You have to watch the Durham woman. She good be your biggest nightmare. No matter how good you feel when you are porking her.” Then he laughed like the maniac he was.
“She means more to me than that,” I said with a hint of outrage. “I’m having breakfast with her tomorrow morning. I’ll be careful.”
Have fun,” he said snidely. He hung up.

I won a small award the other day and in a press release about it I was described as “Intellectually Lively”? I take that as meaning confused and indecipherable.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--Toy Story is …well…Toy Story, with all of its wonderful characters and a story that is enjoyable to watch as previous two versions. Of all the sequels that pop into this column, TS always receives the most consistent raves.
--Cyrus is probably a decent piece of entertainment in the genre I call always-predictable-but-heartwarming-romantic-comedies. A divorcee who has failed to find new love after 7 years is urged by a friend and his ex-wife to date a woman they know. It is the woman of his dreams but she is committed to another man – her some! Get it.
--Oliver Platt and Katherine Keener star in a quirky little story about a couple who own a big city antique shop and a business which they describe as “Buying from the children of dead people.” It is about their hold on the apartment of their aging, about-ready-to-die 90 yo. next door neighbor (Ann Guilbert) and her two daughters, Amanda Peete and Rebecca Hall. It is about people learning how to give. It is funny and warm and perhaps one of those little buried gems to find this summer, among the glitz.

The Answer:
The 0-Man said that Tuesday in his remarks on the Oil spill, and what it means to me is that we definitely have a lawyer in the White House.

Just One more Petal:
I’ll be thinking about roses all day long. That can’t be bad. Hope you get a few good whiffs of them during the weekend.