Beware of the "right" hands.

Today's Tids Issue 2,692

Opening Stuff:

It was one of those mornings. The gray of the stormy night was leaving, making a brilliant morning popping out of the western hills seem even brighter than it might normally appear. Three of us timed the change perfectly and were the first humans this glorious day, standing on the highest hill in Jamestown Island. The rising sun was bathing us with warmth against the crisp cool air. Air even clearer after the storm. Looking out where blue waters met orange and red leafed trees. Then it began. It began just as we knew it would; The the grazing, black striped Galloways stopped their munching and looked up. The air grew still. Hawks atop trees looked north. We heard the beginning of a roar, We saw the breeze stir up the quiet sea; The full roar of the wind was right behind rear up chop,with wispy spray dancing along the watery horizon. We felt the cold and then blast of the wintry north wind. And the prefect day just got better. Three hawks soared above.

Looks like Hillary took a bullet for the team, coming out last night while in Peru with a "Buck stops here" statement about responsibility of her department for the ineptitude in the Benghazi. Of course in HST's days, the buck always stopped at the President's desk. I guess now with trillion dollar a year deficits, there aren't enough bucks around to reach the suit in the oval office. So I guess that  instead of throwing Hillary under the bus, which in fact he did at the outset of the mess, he made a deal. I wonder what he owes her for accepting another stain on the Clinton Brand.

The Question:

Ok home decor enthusiasts, it's your turn in the Question Box this morning: Granite, granite, granite. Granite may be the first three choices for counter tops that enter minds when deciding to improve kitchens. Name Eleven other attractive options.

The Headlines:

--Debate Tonight; Many say "Town Hall Concept" Favors the Prez.
--Maket Has Nice Day; QE3 Spurs INvestor Optimism.
--Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit Abruptly Quits; Walks Out After Boardroom Tussle.
--Chelsea Clinton Steps Up To Fight Diarrhea Deaths In Nigeria; say What?
--High Gas Prices Forcing Slowdown In Consumption.
--Intel Reports Good Earnings But Weak future,
--Taliban Says Attack On Pakistan Schoolgirl Justified.

I thought a commentator from the State department summed up the Middle East beautifully last night when saying in response to arming the Syrian rebels who may be more Islam extremist oriented than secular fighters for the people, "The right hands today maybe the wrong hands tomorrow." See Libya, Egypt, Cuba.

You can generally tell the mood of the Obama campaign by the look on Axelrod's face. Right now it appears tense and taut, in high panic mode. His words are stepping on his own words as he tries to create facts out of dreams.

Over time, as mushrooming populations overrun arable lands, the solution could easily be "High rise indoor vegetable growing centers". we just might see Urban Farmers and Midnight Cowboys bringing back the war torn appearing industrial cities of the past. A reuse of valuable lands rather than chewing up the countryside as developers are want to do. Sounds like a plan to me. I'm in.

How come when you call a doctor or Dentist for an appointment, they say, "We can see you in three months". But when the docs get sick and have to cancel, they always have plenty of openings in the following week.

I used to be a ice guy until I went to this "She said, He Heard" session. Now I've learned that I have to be more aggressive, less emotional and down right mean at times. Jeez, I never knew.

It appears that the Massachusetts Unions are suggesting that their members go out and support Elizabeth Warren at her rallies and speaking engagements. That the suggestion comes with a reminder that failure to do so will trigger a $150 fine. Elizabeth Warren is exactly the kind of person we don't need in a government that should be attempting to turn around a drifting ship of state.

So did you hear about the woman who told her Veterinarian that she needed more proof of her pet duck's death? The vet left the room and returned with his Labrador retriever who immediately raised up, paws on table. He sniffed the duck and finally shook his head no. The dog then left the room. Next the vet's Persian Cat sleeked in, leaped cleanly upon the the table, sniffed, sat back on its haunches and shook the head..and left. Finally satisfied the woman asked for the bill. She now turned even angrier when she saw the $950 charge and asked the doc to explain. He said it would have been $20 without the Lab Report and Cat Scan.

The Taliban are starting to overrun towns in Afghanistan. Duh!

The guy who had a car accident on the way to a fast food restaurant had to go on a crash diet.

The Answer:

I was going to ask for 12 alternatives to granite, but the tried and true plastic laminate (Formica et.al.) wasn't even in the list of hip surfaces. Here we go...Marble is also about as common as Granite these days. For the so-called "New" look try Poured Concrete, Butcher Block, Reclaimed Wood, Cork, Stainless Steel, Soapstone, Recycled Glass, Pewter, Slate and Quartz (Silestone et.al.). Personally, I'm intrigued by Poured Concrete and Pewter. Pewter?

After waiting all day, you might have thought this would have been better.

Tough!