Smiles up!

Today's Tids Issue 2,736

Opening Stuff:

 

Well, Happy New Year everybody. Let's hope all of this cliff talk isn't an omen of what's to come. It will be an interesting year ahead. We still haven't heard what The President really has in store for us and President Medvedev. But. my guess is that is that his slip on the open mike was a signal to the left to stick with him. I think he sees that much of what he proposes will be bound up in Congress, so expect lots of regulations especially where the environment,, unions and entitlements are concerned. So where the 0-Man goes is and will be a mystery. He supplies plenty of innocuous droning, as he did with lapboy David Gregory on Meet the Press. Nothing though, giv es hope that that he knows how or wants to right the ship. Only that he wants what he wants, and that's the way it is. But, I guess the good thing for 2013 is that America is still America, and there are many more people going about their business every day than there are those naysayers who get the ink and prime-time videos. I'm just going to keep on smiling and being positive about how great we are. I think we have the weight of reality on our side.

I'm thinking that "The Cliff" Will receive the Golden Globe as best overall Cable News reality show.

Well we proved one truism this weekend: Tony Romo will make a key error in a big game.

The Question:
Triple "Q" Bonanza! 1. A woman from Cranston RI, Stacie Venagro, was just named Miss Fitness America, joining Miss Universe Olivia Culpo in the parade of Cranston beauties. Many of you have shed a tear or two for another fictional, beautiful, working class family woman from Cranston. Who is she? 2. 133 years ago today there was one of those game changing inventions which today environmentalists have successfully doomed for tomorrow. What is it and who invented it? 3. Name the 9 most battered stocks of 2012.

The Headlines:
--Last Minute Progress On Debt Talks Raises Hope.
--Hillary Hospitalized.
--9 Die, 20 Injured As Tour Bus Plunges 200 Feet Off Snowy, Icy Mountain Highway.
--Assad Troops Battling To Retake Damascus.
--More Killer Bombings Across Iraq As Sectarian Venom Grows.
--al-Qaida Offers Bounty On US Ambassador To Yemen.
--Hugo Chavez Faces Post Surgery Problems.

In case you haven't seen it, here is the latest, almost close enough to kiss deal from Dems.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/two-sides-now-absurdly-close-124000145.html

I remember how excited I was looking forward to my first real New Years Eve Party. I was probably 13 at the time and expceted that something magic would happen. Of course there is no magic, just noise makers and late nights. I learned that pretty fast that first night. It was dullsville all the way, and as I remember, a big letdown...totally underwhelming. Of course, all night long I was particularly concerned about the gigantic red zit on the end of nose. Maybe that's why nobody talked to me.

I see where a Judge in France as ruled that the new socialist Hollende Government must rescind the 75% income tax on the rich as being unfair. Hmmm

The Commissioner of the NHL, Gary Bettman, looks like your basic Crime Boss. But then, he is up against your classic Gun-for-Hire, Donald Fehr.

I see where two time loser Kate Winslett is on to number three hubby. He's a guy born Ned Smith but who renamed himself Ned Rocknroll. Sounds like a real mature, rational, citizen of substance. "Rocknroll"? Can you say husband number 4?

Despite what the Red Sox PR department is inferring about the 2013 season, I have absolutely no hope for the playoffs.

Whoever decided that the Pin was the paragon of neatness? Intrigued by own question, I decided to find out why "Neat as a Pin" became accepted as the equivalence of neatness. It was that mass production made perfectly smooth pin every time, and in that era was very impressive and neat and clean.

Is there a more meaningless phrase in this great land of ours than "Debt Ceiling"?

Well it was a terrific weekend for football fans. The final weekly Pickem number for the Tids Sports department was 14-2 and a year long record of 171-82-1 (67%) Next year -- 75%! You had to love how Adrian Peterson seemed to carry the Vikings on his back, drawing up every ounce of power in those amazing legs of his and a heart that never gave in. How about Peyton Manning carving up yet another opponent, and the Denver defense holding them down. The Patriots looked very sharp, crisp like a team that could go all the way. And they loved the Christmas present from the Colts. Rookie QB's Luck, RGIII and Wilson all guided their teams to the playoffs, and they are fun to watch. I think we now have a tremendous final 12, where next week any team can win. It's going to be fun, that is if you like football.

40 years ago today, a great baseball player, and one of my all time favorites to watch, loaded food and supplies into a plane and took off for Nicaragua on the kind of humanitarian, caring mission which was part of his immense heart. The plane crashed, killing Roberto Clemente. I shudder every time I think of it.

Now it's "Do we have to stay up all the way til Midnight".

The Answer:
1. The beautiful woman from Cranston who had everybody whoever read the book or saw the movie Love Story sobbing, was Jennifer Cavalleri. 2. Thomas Edison invented the dreaded incandescent bulb in 1879 and saw his experiment come to light on December 31. 3. You are probably aching if you owned Groupon, Hillshire Brands, Apollo Group (U Of Phoenix), Alpha Natural Resources (Coal), Best Buy, Marvell Technology (Chip maker sued for stealing technology), Herbalife, JC Penny and Hewlett-Packard.

As we start the year, you have to wonder how Illinois will solve their $200 Billion underfunded pension problem. Yikes! Add to that the Demands for new state taxes for ObamaCare, and Illinois could be the first bankrupt state in history. So while everybody is worried about the taxes associated with The Cliff, it may be increased state taxes to fund the hungry, bloated new health care system that will really cripple. Feel good if you live in one of those states that decided to opt out of the OC Exchange. In other words, free stuff from the Gov ain't free. At least, for the people who pay taxes.

There's no truth to the rumor that tomorrow's history books will not include Thomas Edison.

Happy New Year everybody! Seriously, have fun tonight.