The can has stopped. Clink.

Today's Tids # 2,677

Opening Stuff:

Happy Yom Kipper, Everybody.

You knew it had to happen. The financial problems in Europe were too deep and the solutions too superficial (Billions of Euro's superficial, that is) so that now after all the money and all the ECB pronouncements, we are back to where we were when it started -- Greece on the verge of bankruptcy, seeking another extension. The can of olives was kicked down the road and when it stopped, there was nothing in it. Greece has no solutions, and informed observers are unified in their belief that Greece will never, that is never as in never on Sunday, be able to pay back their loans. So, when it seems safe to get back into the market, just remember it ain't over until public employees at the big fat Greek wedding say "I do". And from here, that also looks like never. This is just reason one to get cautious about the coming months in the stock market.

Of all the household accidents, one of the most tragic is stepping on a bag of potato chips. Ouch.

The Question:
Mark Hamill rose to fame in one classic role in one classic movie and sequels. What was it? Of course you kn ow the answer to that. But do you know what he has been dong since the Big One? Bonus: What was the Name of Andy Williams ex-Wife and the name of the Olympic skier she shot and killed?

The Headlines:
--NFL Refs To return.
--China Admits They Underestimated Global Slowdown.
--Earthquake Hits Aleutian Islands
--Netanyahu Speaks To UN Today On Fear Of Iran Agression.
--The Catholic Church Likes Paul Ryan.
--Markets Showing A  little Life.
--P&G CEO On Hotseat As Company Loses Its Magic Touch Getting New Products To Market.

You have to wonder about what we actually get for all the billions poured into the educational system. Let's see...teachers are always good regardless of billions because they are just for the most part dedicated, smart, caring human beings. So I'm thinking that the big money drain is too many professional educators needing to many new toys to play with. And often with each new toy comes a new convoluted theory on how to best teach children. Then it costs billions to transform one system into another. If there ever was a system that demanded sticking to the basics it is the education of the next generation. Teachers know how to do it well. And as far as I can see multi-billions doesn't seem to help them do it better. And then, maybe the real problem are the technologically distracted children them selves.

Hello up there! The Tids NFL pickers have dug a loser hole so deep that we may be wallowing in mud for the rest of the year, at least until the mud freezes over. Painful. But, it's always ever onward for this band of prognosticators as they try to re-achieve their former and much admired proficient. Based on this years overall results, it really is harder to determine which teams are good and which are flukes. Maybe the return of the Refs will stabilize the picking variables. I'm going Baltimore, New England (We can't lose 3 in a row...right!), Detroit, Atlanta, San Fran, San Diego, Houston, Seattle, Arizona, Denver  Cinncy, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Chicago. Pitt and Indy have a Bye Week. I'm most worried about the Detroit Over Minn, Iggles over Jints and daBears over Jones-boys. We'll see.

A good and inquisitive reader asked me if I knew the most accurate two pollsters of the 2008 election. It turns out that the two who tied for first place were Rasmussen and Pew Research. So I figure if they were good then they, unlike the Tids NFL pickers, are probably still pretty good now. So, how are they looking at the Mitt/Barak race today? In a Sept. 27 poll, Rasmussen has Mitt 46, Barak 46. Say what, Major media? However, Pew Research has Obama 8 points ahead, saying also that both parties are not happy with their candidates to the point that fewer are satisfied than any election since 1992. Pew also says that the economy and jobs is by far the #1 issue and that Romney lost points for his comments on the Muslim riots, which were considered too negative.

In case you are interested, the four of twenty three least accurate pollsters were 23. Newsweek 22. CBS/NYTimes 21.Reuters/C-Span/Zogby 20. Gallup. See them all:
http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2008/11/the-list-which-presidential-polls-were-most-accurate/

A couple of weeks ago we suggested that the improving VIX (Investor anxiety index) may ignite a return to vigorous, ignorant investment risk-taking. But, that lasted but a moment as the VIX is already rising rapidly again, which is good for restraining irrational exuberance again, but not so good for watching your portfolio grow.

On a semi related note, the Germans are set to pass a law that would set limits, install circuit breakers and generally restrain high speed, high frequency trading. The EU and France are also joining the chorus that of governments that would reduce trading techniques that frequently lead to financial crisis. People complain about all of the laws, but the fact remains that if they were self regulating, disciplined and ethically and morally structured, there would never be a need Law 1.

As companies like ECCO, Sketchers and Birkenstock come out with golf shoes, I'm going to look more and more like a relic on the course. That is, if my swing isn't already a dead give-away of my decline.

Andy Williams died. Andy was Mr. Low Key (Though not as low key as Perry Como) who became a comfortable visitor to living rooms in the fifties. Remember singers back then? They were actually people instead of costumes, or packages. The came out on stage barefaced and unadorned and they related to the viewer. Andy was one of the good ones. Your brother, your uncle, your friend.

If I was walking down the street and singer Pink walked by, I wouldn't look at her twice.

As far as I'm concerned, Duffy's Tavern in North Kingstown is the best value restaurant in the state. From Lobster, lobster rolls and Steak to clam cakes and chowder, and plenty of great fish dishes in-between, you just can't go wrong.

The Conscience: Chapter 8 continues. --
   I walked about 30-49  feet and turned around. he was still standing there. I smiled broadly at him and waved. Turned and went on around the corner, where is aw a sign that read something like "There's booze in here."
  I ordered a brandy becasue it starts with "B" like breakfast. I sipped it a couple of times and looked around. It appeared that thi swa sa meeting place for various business people. Most of them were drinking espresso and munching on delicious looking pastries. My stomach rumbled. I turned to the bar tender and pointed to a beautiful sweet that looked like a Napolian. He put it o a plate and dropped a fork on the bar top. I took a bite, and it was a good as it looked. I washed it down with the brandy and ordered another.
  When he brought it, I asked him in my rough Italian if he knew any of the people who worked at the Baglietto place. His eyes showed for the first time a little emotion.
   "A few", he said quickly, turned his back to me and went on with sorting through just washed glasses.
  "I have to see some people there tomorrow, and just thought I'd try to find out if they were pleasant or nasty."  -- There are a lot of words in Italian for Nasty, and I chosen Brutto. He smiled at my choice. It's nice to know who you are talking to," I added.
   "Oh, they are very nice people, but they don't like people talking about them; espionage (Snooping). So, I don't talk -- capire?
   I nodded, forked up a couple of bites of sugar, leaned back and sipped the brandy slowly. I think I am going to be very careful tomorrow.

The Answer:
Like his Producer George Lucas, Mark Hamill made it big in Star Wars and has not again achieved the same acclaim in lesser roles, including voice overs, TV soap operas and several average films with the best of the lot being The Big Red 1. Bonus: Of course it was the crime sensation of the 70's when Claudine Longet shot Spider Sabich.

Today a poll was released saying that 75% of Americans believe we will be stuck with Obama Care. On Monday Sept 24, a Rasmussen Poll showed that 41% favored ObamaCare and 52% were opposed. So basically this morning's news was really only about apathy, hopelessness. It's pretty sad.