The world is a human place.

Today's Tids  (#2,559)
Opening Stuff:


Emitting sunshine to those around us will always bring back rays of warmth and comfort.

I was struck by the news item "Millions mourn Death of Pope Shenouda, 4 decade leader of Coptic Christians." Here's a man of whom few around the world are aware. Yet he has been a spiritual leader to millions in a world where it is never comfortable to be a Christian. The Middle East. Where Christianity began, but has not thrived. This 1900 year old church based in Egypt has 18 million faithful around the world. 10% of these are in Egypt, fighting daily for their beliefs. Facing the possibility of death, while so many Christians around the world take their religion for granted; let their churches around them crumble.

I kinda like this: "You cannot choose the direction of the wind. But, you can always adjust your sails."

The Question:

1. Which five Presidential Libraries get the most visitors? Bonus: One of my favorite boyhood sports heroes of the fifties was football player Dick Kazmaier. For which football power of the day did he play?

The Headlines:

--NFL Commish Kills Saints; Coach Peyton Out $7 Million For Knowing About Bounty Scheme.
--French Shooter In Jewish School Killings Had al-Qaida Ties.
--Romney Romps In Obama State.
--Tebow To NY Jets; Dysfunctional Team Gets Weirder.
--Afghan Alleged Mass Murderer had Checkered Past As Financial Manipulator.
--Massive 7.4 Earthquake rattles Mexico; No Deaths Reported In Remote region 114 Miles from Acapulco.
--Utah Governor Signs Law Mandating 72 Hour Wait before abortion.
--Yemen Militants Kill American Teacher.
--Illinois Tea Party Candidate Ousts Republican Veteran In Primary.
--Alterations In Currency Wars Could Have Significant Impact On World Markets.
--Oprah Axes Rosie, 35 Staffers As OWN fails To Build Audiences.

One of the best examples of America gone Mad is this Caruola Act here in Rhode Island. This legislative travesty allows school boards to sue Town councils for more money. Which is basically school boards suing neighbors who in fact elect the Councils to watch their money. I think it boarders on legalized crime. The good news here is that they are trying to get rid of this law designed to enable spending of money that doesn't exist.

When the Dems slur Repubs in the vilest of terms, the media is comfortable calling it satire. When the Repubs satirize Dems it is called demonic.

Up the road from here in Tiverton a dairy farmer reports that at around noontime, somebody pulled a trailer up to his place and stole 18 of his best milk producing Holsteins. Think about that for a second.

The recent statement -- "Does it (The Glass Ceiling) still exist or is it an outdated metaphor that fails to recognize woman's progress." -- for sure will raise a cacophony of irritable yapping. But, I see it as probably correct. Too often the leadership of historically oppressed groups keep the rhetoric going so they can retain their job. But the successful emerging out of these groups say, that was then, it's time to move forward.

Almost Near: Chapter 65 continues. --"Where's Becca, Tucker?"
"Is that all you have to say to me, after all I have done for you."
"Beck's all right Mom." A giddy Sheila looked up with eyes as big as Frisbees. "Tucker and I helped her after she fell down and hit her head.
Samantha looked at Tucker with eyes that could kill. "That's true Sam, she fell and now she is sleeping. She is dying to see you."
"Comon' Mom, let's go to her room."
Samantha stood speechless. Was this true?, she wondered. Her head started to get confused again. She was remembering so many times when she stood in the world and everything she knew as real started to disappear into some thing that was like a dream. Always a beautiful dream, but not real. She needed to deal with what was real. She knew she had been doing better. Don't give in. Don't fade away. Your girls need you. Tucker had turned to the window as she fought herself. Then raising her voice, "What did you ever do for me, Tommy!"
Tucker looked over, his eyes flashing, but his voice low, "I'm not Tommy."
"You are. Your Are. You're Tommy Lambert." She paused and looked down at Sheila, "I thought I had lost you."

The Answer:

1. The Reagan Library has the highest attendance. Next is Lincoln followed by Clinton, LBJ (????) and Kennedy. 2. Dick Kazmaier played for Princeton, winning the Heisman and Maxwell awards as well as All America. He was drafted by da Bears, but chose Harvard (After a stint in the navy) to get an MBA. He founded his own investment company. The Patty Kazmaier Award given to the top Women College Hockey Player memorializes his daughter who died of a rare blood disease after her own excellent college ice hockey career. In other words, those were the days when athletics were but a part of getting an education first.

So, I was checking out of Shaws Wakefield (A local NE Supermarket chain) and said to the clerk, "Slow day". "Yup," she answered, "bad for business." I replied it will get better when the tourists return. Prettify hectic I bet." Yup, busy, but the tourists are a lot nicer than locals." "Really?" I said. "Yup," she answered, "locals can be real mean." I looked at her for a minute. Then I said, "You're makin' me feel bad" She glanced over. "Tough. It's true."




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