Christmas makes me Whacky.

Today's Tids Issue 2,493
Opening Stuff:

One of the great things about a cold Winter is jumping into a warm bed at night.

I figure if you still believe in Santa Clause, then you have a certain confidence in knowing that anything is possible.

There is a lot of talk floating around beneath the surface, under the Republican blanket that a late Spring surprise in the form of a Jeb Bush or Chris Christie announcement is still very much a possibility.

I am still utterly and totally awed by the voice of Jackie Evancho.

The Question:
I never considered Dallas Cowboys "Americas Team". In fact, I never ever got the idea that we needed something called America's Team. Anyhow, Dallas isn't it any more. The folks have spoken and they say Green Bay is their team now. Name the other NFL teams in the top 5. In the same poll, the favorite QB's were listed. Name them.

The Headlines:
--Deadly Blasts Rip Through Baghdad Neighborhoods In Coordinated Attacks That Killed 57.
--Unemployment Bennies Apps Fall To 364,000; Number Is Lowest Since 2008.
--Stocks Could Hiccup Up Today.
--Despite Repub Confusion, RNC Outpacing DNC In Money Race.
--Austerity Protests In Europe Bring Holiday Traffic To A lat.

Rhode Islanders, citizens of a state with an absolutely brilliant past, would be better served for the present and most certainly for the future, if their leaders were not Chafee, Reed and Whitehouse, but Gina Raimondo and Dorothy Gist.

The way teams were being upset last week, I thought the Tids Sport Department was going down 5-11. Yet the final 9-7 only appears decent because the reality was so bad. This is the time of year when you feel you have a handle on all the teams. But, nothing is ordinary this year. We're a discouraging 148-76 (66%). Onward! And, it does not get easier this week. Too many teams need to win badly, and several are playing each other. The tough games are Oak-KC, Jints-Jets, Ariz-Cinn, SD-Det, SF-Seattle, Dal-Phil and Atlanta-NO. I'm going KC, Giants, Arizona, Detroit city, San Fran, Philadelphia and New Orleans. The rest are NE, Houston (if they wake up after last weeks post championship hangover game), Tenn, Pitt, Denver, Balt, Carolina, Washington and GB.

As a followup to yesterday's Tid about the Lay-away Angels, I give you the woman crying over the generosity of an unknown person who paid for her children's gifts which would never have materialized because, as she said, she had no money -- this, as she pulled out her $250 smartphone with the $100+ monthly carrying charges. I wish I could afford a smartphone.

Dumbest research question I have read this Year, Department:
"Should Illegal aliens be allowed to vote?" Am I still on the same planet?

Well he did it. Eric Holder played the race card. He says people are out to get him and 0-Man because they are black! here we go again. How come Bush's AG Alberto Gonzales didn't play the race card when he was being persecuted by small minded Dems? Huh. Huh. Answer that!

Yup, it's Christmas alright. "Clapper" commercials are everywhere...like reindeer droppings.

The regulation mania in the 0-Man admin continues to hogtie business. Yesterday the egalitarian EPA came out with a set of regs so draconian that Utilities will be forced to spend $10 Billion per year to comply. I'm thinking, that this isn't really about clean air as they say, but a dastardly ploy to increase the costs of cheap electricity so the overly expensive "Green" alternatives are competitive.

One of the problems with corporate earnings improvement going forward is that many companies have already cut costs to the bone.

A Goldman exec and financial Prognosticator who first defined the economic power of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India China) says these four countries are still the world's growth engine. Jim O'Neill now adds that we should keep and eye on MIST -- Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey. These formerly developing countries are on the rise to economic powerhouse status. No longer emerging but here and now as "Growth" countries. This emergence is mainly because China realizes that they need a more diverse marketplace beyond the USA for their goods. This is why China will drive the world or the next decade. They consume buyers like I do Cheetos.

The Answer:
The Cowboys still come in high at #2. They are followed by da Bears, Giants and Steelers. Surprise -- Tim Tebow was voted favorite Quarterback. 2 and 3 were the Manning Bros, Eli and Peyton. The next three were tied -- Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rogers. At the bottom of the QB list were Dog Fighting man Michael Vick and Woman abuser Ben Rothlisberger. "America's Team"? I still don't get it.

No question though..."America's Audience" are the Tids readers.