There is more than Debates.

Today's Tids Issue 2.505
OpeningStuff:

I think most people generally like Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto. If its playing in the background, people will tend to stop what they are doing and take a closer listen.

One of the crying hopes of Americans is that politics retreat from its angry extremes. The political strategists that be have preempted our process that assures freedom by forcing people to choose between extremes. Which most research shows to be against what's in the hearts of people. People who aren't political junkies are almost always somewhere in the middle with leanings one way or the other. So, maybe Romney and Huntsman are exactly the candidates that reflect wast most people want out of a leader -- smart guys who honestly see both sides of the picture. The vast majority of Americans are basically moderate even when they appear to be on the left or right.

The Question:

Double Bonus Monday: 1. Name five of Joan Baez best known songs. 2. Many people would agree that Beethoven actually wrote 6 Piano concertos. What is the name of the oft forgotten 6th.

The Headlines:

--European Debt Crisis Seen Spreading Across 17 Euro Based Countries; Merkel, Sarkozy Urge Stepped Up Action.
--US home Prices Fall For 4th straight Month.
--Market Opens Up After News Of Merkel/Sarkozy Call For Action.
--Repubs Making Last Minute Appeals In Advance of NH Primary; Romney Still Way Ahead; Huntsman Zooms Into Third Place
--Iran Sentences Former US Marine To Death.
--Repub Candidates Say Misuse Of food Stamps Is best Evidence Of Welfare State Gone Awry.
--Diplomatic Reports Confirm That Iran Has Begun Enriching Uranium At Underground Bunker.
--White House "Bans" Dallas Player Delonte West From Joining Teammates In Obama NBA Champs Celebration; West Had Several Weird Moments When Off of Psycho Meds; Patrick Kennedy Looking Into Travesty.

Back to More Stuff:

Good News! Department:
Good news for "24" fans anyhow-- "24: The Movie" will begin shooting this Spring, meaning we'll be getting flowers and Bauers as winter's chilling hours sour.

I eagerly anticipated last night's 2 hour premiere of NBC's new "The Firm". It had the appearance in the trailers as being a tense, conspiracy-filled, edgy drama. But, alas, it was a prolonged, draggy "Harry's Law Junior"; Featuring a you've-seen-it-all-before uninteresting, average legal case about two black teenagers fighting, with one dying from knife wounds. Ho-hum. In addiction to the flat story, the continuing story actors for the most part were drab. It spent a few minutes towards the end setting up what appeared to be an intriguing future. But after this over promised travesty, it will be hard to get me back into it. It was great background noise for a good game of Angry Birds.

Obama just issued another executive order which will make it easier for "Illegals" to make "Crime Pay." After four or five successive days of "0-Law", I get the distinct feeling I'm looking at the planks in the Dem platform for 2012 elections being made one day at a time in the Oval Office..

I actually like a lot about Huntsman. Except I would never vote for some who takes the "H" out Jo(h)n.

However, I totally disagree with the notion that Republicans shouldn't vote for him because he served under Obama as Ambassador to China. I consider that a huge plus.

Why the Old guys were Bigger Than Life Department:
Many movie Stars of yore were actually soldiers and sailors before the glittering lights of Holly-wood beckoned them to the silver screen. Maybe that's why some of the oldies are goodies, Actors who appeared to stand above as genuine heros. How about this "A" list: Humphrey Bogart, Navy; Ronald Reagan, Captain Army; Jimmy Stewart, Brigadier General Army; Clark Gable major Army Airforce; Henry Fonda, QM Navy; Paul Newman, Gunner Navy; Kirk Douglas, Lt. Navy; George Scott, Marines; Gene Hackman, Marines; Steve McQueen, Marines; Clint Eastwood, Army (Ok, so he was a swimming instructor); David Niven, Britain's Royal Navy; James Earl Jones, Lt. Army; Harvey Keitel, Marines; Elvis Presley, Army; Dennios Franz, Army Airborn; Lee Marvin, Marines (Would you mess with Lee Marvin?) Of course, then there was Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII. Oh yeah, little petite and delightful Audrey Hepburn was a member of the Dutch resistance in the face of the Nazi tyranny. They went to serve and didn't bring their publicist along with them.

What ever happened to Robert J. Lurtzema?

I hear that Obama is in love with Drones. Military experts are saying quietly among themselves that these unmanned missiles fit perfectly with the Prez new definition of war -- if American soldiers aren't exposed to being killed or wounded, "It isn't a war". The best example of this is the Libyan Non-War, where a totally "not involved" America sent in 175 drones to repeatedly attack Daffy strong holds. All the While the "Orator" stood above the fray muttering "Who me?, Who me?" Military experts say the biggest disadvantage of drones is that they can't tell the good guys from the bad guys; can't pick off the soldiers without getting the civilians too.

Newt Gingrich is still the master of the best sound bites.

World premium car buyers seem to be saying it's time for BMW to move aside for Audi. Audi is up in worldwide sales 19.2% versus rivals BMW - 12.8% and Mercedes 8%. Last year in world premium car sales the top three were BMW, Lexus and Mercedes. Just in case you're interested in spending a lot of money.

Today's machining and manufacturing technology probably assures car buyers that just about every car is of superior quality. It's really a matter of expensive other stuff and how you may want to look in the neighborhood.

Most people down here where I live walk outside, look at the bare brown ground, and then feeling the temps of spring, go back inside to put their skis back in storage. That's affecting the ski resort owners up north more than the minimal snow falls there. The fact is, several good mountains are using upgraded snow-making systems to produce an abundance of fluffy stuff. The best are Loon, Bretton Woods, old faithful Cranmore, Sunapee and yes even near-by Wachussett. Yagoo across the bay says they have 7 trails and 3 lifts operating. I'm ready. What you see may never be what is.

While the H-Wood glitterati are ready to anoint George Clooney and his average movie Descendants, The National Society of Film Critics has named the best Movie for 2011 as "Melancholia". Ever hear of it? It's about pondering the end of the world. The best actress nod goes to that films star Kirsten Dunst and Best Actor to Brad Pitt for Moneyball.

The Answer:

1. Joan Baez actually rose to fame as an unbilled performer at the Newport RI Folk Festival. Her politics aside, I think she has one great voice. Some songs associated with this legend are "The Night They drove Old Dixie Down", "Diamonds and Rust", Farewell, Angelina", "Love is just a four letter word" and "We shall overcome". Interestingly, Joan's dad was a mathematician/Physicist who invented the "X ray microscope. 2. The Choral Fantasy -- sort of Beethoven's Ninth meets Liszt -- is generally considered to be a sixth piano concerto. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I'm figuring that if there's a few of you who like that the Tids, then among the 300 million in the US there must be a lot of other masochists who would enjoy torture in the morning. Maybe I should send out a news release to the New York Times: "CIA reading The Tids to Islamists to break them down." That should be good for a couple of weeks of talk show appearances.

Well, I'm outta here. I think to day is the day I take a shower.