To have and to hold.

Today's Tids Issue 2,797
Opening Stuff:

The key issue in the gay marriage arguments is the First Amendment. You know the one, it protects religion from Government (As opposed by the way the ACLU and partners have used it against religion). A state may pass a law condoning same sex-marriage, but the 1st forbids states and Feds from forcing churches to perform them when they are against issues of faith. On the other hand a religion can't prevent the "Marriages" by others who would perform them. It may be distasteful, and probably abhorrent to many of those who consider marriage a sacred sacrament; A practical sacrament at that, meant to procreate children in a family based orderly system. But, man's law is part of the system, as is the great gift of free will possessed by all humans.

A guru of mine says that brains need open space in which to relax. Composers do it with soft passages against hard arguments; Artists paint blue skies to ease the pain of bloody wars. So, why not the Tids? Relax:





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We live in a country where small groups control big ones. A large contingent of Hassidic Jews many years ago moved from Brooklyn NY to Spring Valley NY, which years and years ago I remember as a place that sounds like it's name, a flourishing landscape in rolling hills. But that was before the Tappan Zee Bridge...and people. Now it is mainly Blacks, Hispanics and the Jews. And really crowded. The Jewish group built their own schools for their kids, and now have formed coordinated groups to beat down the costs of public education, creating an uprising among the majority whose kids use those schools. Organized minorities are beating the crap out of established majorities. It is the new America.

Cheerleader outfits ain't what they used to be.

The Question:
As far as I'm concerned, good windows often make the building. Name five US window manufacturers.

The Headlines:
--Marine Kills Two At Quantico; Harry Reid Asked Not To Comment.
--Stock Markets Open Higher Good Retail Reports After Yesterday's Sell-Off; Holds Strong During Day Micron Leads Techs Up.
Blackberry Stock Drops After Intro Of New Z10: Lack Of Buzz Cited.
--Germans In New Poll Say EuroZone Mess Will Worsen; Cyprus Residents To Vote On Finance Plan.
--Bombs Fall In Gaza As "O" Proclaims Peace.
--Pope Urges Dialogue With Islam.
--President O Hits The Middle East Photo Op Trail In Time For Easter News Stories.
--Fighting Continues In Many African Nations.

And, up thar in Montana, a law was passed allowing people to collect Roadkill" for food! Moose ala Lexus! Sounds good to me.

Speaking of roadkill, how about that American idol decision last night. The organized minority is at it again, and the result maybe excellence leaving and mediocrity remaining. Now, Paul, who was voted off was not great, but Lazario who didn't even make the bottom three, was awful this week after being really, really bad this week. Frankly he can't sing, and I just don't like him at all. A whiner. A morose little individual, who for some reason has the Judges always talking about his courage.

A&C seems to be a foreign concept to President Obama. That's Advise and Consent in case you're from outside the beltway..

Last year the excitement was Lehigh U's athletes who go to class upsetting Duke. This year it's Harvard taking center stage. But nobody should be surprised at Harvard. Tommy Amaker, former Duke All American point guard, is the coach and he has had the team moving up several years. Remember Jeremy Lin.

I'm tellin' ya, the solution to the salvation of the US is to bar state and federal legislatures from meeting for two years.

While much of America has jumped into the frenzy surrounding the road to the Final Four, many cities in the cold North are equally excited about the road to the Frozen Four -- NCAA Hockey Championships. Up here it is better than ever as locally we have two teams in the semis of their major conferences. Tonight Brown begins a 2 of 3 series with #2 in the nation Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey Conference) and #16 nationally Providence College starts a 2-3 Against Mass-Lowell, #7 in Nation and 1 In the big Hockey East conference. A win for both locals puts them in the national countdown. They will be wars.

As I grow older in this world, there is one thing I continue to learn -- you can never predict the tastes of other people.

ObamaCare has already grown so large, that legislation would probably be unable to stop it. It's like one of those giant mushrooms growing beneath the ground. And there isn't anything uglier than those giant mushrooms.

Roasting meat in the oven has an aroma that must be a little like heaven. Veggies cooking on the stove presents an odor acrimonious to my senses. Case closed.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--The Little charmer of the week may be Admission, with Tina Fey and Paul Judd. Billed as a romantic comedy, it is a little more serious than what you might expect considering the female lead. As a straitlaced, by-the-book admissions officer at Princeton, Tina is surprised when visiting a high school to find that a prospect may be the son she gave up for adoption when she was younger. Get the picture. I think it will be a good one.
--Olympus Has Fallen is the big promo pic of the week. the president is kidnapped by a terrorist who seizes controol of the WH. A disgraced security officer finds himself trapped in the building. Is this sounding like Diehard? It is a pretty good suspenseful thriller, and I'd probably go; probably by mysllef!
--The Croods is latest big time animation film and it's looking tired. The Frist family embarks oan a vacation trip only to find their special place destroyed. this means they must move to unfamiliar territory and learn how to overcome insecurity and fears to survive. It is rated Mediocre.

People take cats to vets? Why.

The Answer:
Anderson comes to mind first. probably becasue they begin with "A". They make a good practical window and may be the most commercial of the major quality producers. Pella is good as are Jeld-Wen, Atrium, Marvin and Simonton. Microsoft Windows are great if you like to live in dark rooms.

The people best served by your opinions is you.

Have a fantastic weekend every bidy, and be sure to read the new Tids self help book -- "1037 things you can do with Palm fronds during a long ponderous sermon".