Diamonds are forever?

Today's Tids Issue 2,694

Opening Stuff:

Is Microsoft 8 just an advanced version of the buggy whip? Some analysts think so, as consumers get more and more excited about smart phones and tablets and Android and Apple software keep up with and often surpass their dreams. Microsoft 8 will have to be really, really great to stop the PC drain..

While nobody in the admin is talking about "Fast & Furious", they may have start coming clean for a change about a similar arms distribution in the Middle East as reported by The NY Times. In an October 15 article, the august Grey Lady says, American officials and Middle Eastern diplomats told David Sanger of Times, "Most of the weapons being sent from Saudi Arabia and Qatar to Syrian rebels are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists as opposed to secular opposition groups that the West wants to strengthen." The story goes on to say that the SA and Qatar weapon supplies were bought from the USA. A US Official said, "The opposition groups that are receiving most of the lethal aid are exactly the one's we don't want to have it." In last week's VP debate Joe B vehemently denied any association with al-Qaida types said that the US was diligently putting into place safeguards against the above described distribution. I guess they don't like Joe in the important meetings...or...(Fill in the blank)

In answer to yesterday's Tids Question about naming three of Eminem's songs a reader suggested: "Plain, Peanut and Giant!.

The Question:
Name the five top selling Smart Phone Brands.

The Headlines:
--Google Stock Takes Serious Hit; Bad Top And Bottom Lines Due To Advances In Less Profitable Mobile Clicks.

--Unemployment Benefits Apps Jump Up To 388,000; 46K Jump Largest In Several Months.
--Big Banks Blast Washington; Fix Fiscal Cliff Now, They say In Letter To WH and congress.
--Some Analysts Believe Investors Over Paying For Stocks.

--Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Rises To 6.5 From 6.3.

--China Slow Growth Expected To End With Soft Landing.

--Newsweek Stops Printing; Goes All Digital.
--NY Appeals Court Rules "Defense Of Marriage" Act Unconstitutional.

Last night the O'Reilly program had as their big Question of the night, "Can you be good friends with someone with whom you disagree politically." Stupid question, I say. It assumes that politics is all-pervasive in life; that people have no other qualities than their political persuasion. Of course people with different political leanings can get along. And, I would say that even those at opposite extremes of the spectrum can be close friends. I would worry about the human race if this vote is even close. I guess it depends on how many violent Islamists vote.

It was another disastrous week at the NFL polls. Experts and amateurs alike came in below the barely acceptable 50% average as upsets became more the rule. The Tids hit 6 0f 14 bringing the Y-T-D to 48-43. Disgusting! This week looks no easier in this truly "any team on any given day" league. There a few posers this morning like rebounding SF-and unpredictable Seattle, Ariz-Minn, Balt-Houst, NO-TB, Cleve-Ind, Pitt-Cinn and maybe even my beloveds versus the J-e-t-s. With these I'm going SF, Minn, Houston, NO, Ind, Pitt and NE. Actually all of the rest are probably posers becasue there really doesn't seem that there are any favorites this year. The should-win's are GB, NYG, Dallas, Buff, Oakland and Chicago. Well, maybe not Buffalo. But I'm stickin' with it.

You would think by now that the terrorist world would have learned that finding a helpful bomb maker on the Internet might just be an FBI operative. Blow yourself up and I'll give you the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Obama gang is perplexed at how Romney has been able to draw even with women, when their opinion of what women really want is only abortions and free pills.

The dumbest thing that President Obama said Tuesday night was that the reason the gas prices were lower in 2008 was because the economy was about to collapse. His teleprompter would have said in bold face type, "Do not say that!"

One of the great little advantages of this time of year is that sodas you store in the garage are always cold when you need them.

In the hot RI Congressional Race, Challenger Brendan Doherty's new TV ad says incumbent Cicilini is "inept, irresponsible and deceptive". Hey, wait a minute...in RI that is the formula for reelection! God help us.

What this country needs is a good campfire.

The Conscience: Chapter 10 continues.
   "Read it," was all she said. She was now in full operational mode, and I  was a supernumerary for people whose guts she hated. I looked up, going for the old charming boyish grin trick again. She was having none of it now. Playtime was over. Maybe I shouldn't have been so forward with my Alpha male question. Too confrontational. So, I took the papers and started reading, silently. After a couple of paragraphs the thrill of the tete-a-tete was wearing off, being replaced rapidly with a need for more alcohol in my body. It wasn't a mental thing now, but a scientifically supported chemical degeneration. I held the papers with two hands so the shaking would be minimized. It's tough being a drunk. I got through the two pages, which were mainly an outline of some pretty routine objectives she hoped to achieve with this union. Except for one thing I began to sense while I read -- everything was to her advantage.
   "Pretty straight forward," I managed to say using my unemotional face ploy.
   "So, you think this is a good starting point for an agreement." She didn't smile but her eyes narrowed as she scoured my face. "You look pale. Are you ok."
   I looked down at my watch and saw it was between eleven and noon. "Time does go by fast when you are enjoying the company you are with." I gave her a stilted smiled. She returned the same with a small cock of her head. "Maybe I'll have that bit of scotch you offered earlier."
   "Of course." That was all she said as she arose like a graceful swan. She poured two glasses from what it looked like to me, a very expensive bottle. "Yes, I always like to negotiate with a handsome man over a glass of the best scotch available." She handed me a glass which I immediately put to my lips as she turned. This time she didn't go behind the desk, but dragged over a second guest chair. "I think it better that two people discussing important things don't have a barrier between them. Agree?" Now she finally went back to serious smiling.
   I lifted up my glass and touched hers. She took a swallow. My chemistry was coming back into balance.

The Answer:
It is expected by the end of this year that Apple and Galaxy will control a little over 52% of the World wide market. Samsung and Apple flip-flop at the top. The rest are Motorola, HTC and Nokia. The market is, and is expected to be, dominated by Android and Apple softwar based platforms. The only thing that could change that scenario is something big coming out of MicroSoft. Android sales could take a big hit if Obama stopped giving away phones for votes.

There are just too many people with too much time on their hands to talk about nothing other than politics. Like me. I've got to get a life.