Beyond the harangue

Today's Tids Issue 2,837

Opening Stuff:

 

I walk alone, quietly along the meandering salt marsh creek, as long shadows from a setting sun create caricatures of the land. There is so much to see, so much to imagine in a place that virtually creates life, nurtured by flowing tides. My eyes see the beauty of a worn wooden rowboat nestled in the illuminated spartina, magnified by the low fading light, waving to gentle evening breezes. Marsh creatures scatters as my feet navigate the soft land built over centuries from decaying vegetation, but now nourishment to the life that will soon flow to the sea. I sit upon the weathered boat lying comfortably in the still dark waters. My feet dangle and I feel the power of the outgoing tide. My shadow weaves through the tall grasses like a lay stream going to the sea. I am relaxed.

Talk about food fads running amok, Nabisco has come out with a "brown rice-caramelized onion-sweet potato" Trisket! And you are right, it is bad. Save the Triskets!

The Question:

Double "Q" Day. 1. Quick, what was missing from Last Night's American Idol finale? 2. Randy Jackson, a former musician and longest running Judge,  is retiring from Idol. What instrument did he play which bands had he been a member of since 1980's?

The Headlines:

--Former Head Of IRS Non-Profit Group (Exempt Organizations Office) Now Director Of IRS Affordable Health Care Operation; Mitch McConnell Irate.

--Seven People Still Missing After Horrendous Texas Tornadoes That Killed 8, Injured Dozens, Wiped Out Neighborhoods.

---Stock Market Expected To Rise After U Mich data; Bull Market Fraying?

--Congress Opens IRS Investigation Hearings.

--House Lawmakers Reach Agreement On Immigration; Passage Now Looks Plausible.

--Powerball Up To $550 Million.

--Candice Glover Fulfills Destiny; Weekly Favorite Beats Out Kree Harrison To become 12th American Idol.

--32 Killed As Bombings In Iraq Continue.

More Stuff:

David Beckham is retiring and to me, a non-soccer person. he's just one more big fat piece of Hollywood glitter. Too bad his amazing talents didn't become bigger her than the exploits of his wife or the ripple of his abs. But, that's really  what he was being paid a half a billion bucks for, wasn't it? -- Access to his body for promotional purposes. He is retiring now and goes down as one of the great athletes in the most popular sport in the world. But here, he's just a piece of glittering jewelry.

Beckham was a player who was always it seemed with teams winning championships. But, a well know British player Chris Waddle says he was one of the greatest at self promotion, steady and, "very good at set-pieces and deliverers. He was fantastic for clubs." But, Waddles continues  He would not be included in my top 1,000 players.  So, there you have it. Perception versus reality.

In the Funny Sign Department, you have to love the one in the Health Food Store window: "Closed due to illness."

American Idol results have become significant news over the years, mainly becasue winners have gone on to become household names in the entertainment field. But, The Voice is producing significant newcomer talents at least equal and as My eyes and ears are telling me this year, better. Maybe TV should hire the Promotional and Publicity director for AI.

Do you think that more and more companies are going the non-profit route so they can get around the "Do Not Call" laws?

The price of gold is generally associated with the WFI -- World fear Index. There are so many fears these days, from 911 to the gigantic 2007 dive. But the ongoing fear os $17 Trillion in debt and of course the printing of $80 Billion of new dollars a month by the treasury. The fact remains that while gold can counter dilution, it went up too fast and the fear is easing. People are comfortable in their cushy new valueless dollars. 

Here's a good example of why overreaching (See yesterday about this major conservative "Disease") by conservative talk show artists is bad for the credibility of their truths. A local shouter refused to agree that Richmond and Arlington Virginia were not remotely close to being in the same area because it would interfere with his flawed theory,  -- now get this -- that the Boston Bomber was buried next to John F. Kennedy. 

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has a new Music Director, Andris Nelsons. He joins a long line of magnificent Beantown Baton wavers after experience at the Berlin, Royal Covent Garden and Metropolitan Opera among others, will take the baton from James Levine to rejuvenate what some had thought as a stagnating orchestra. He joins a wonderful list of predecessors from the first George Henschel, through the more recent Pierre Monteux, Serge Koussevitzky, Charles Munch, Eric Leinsdorf, William Steinberg and Seiji Ozawa (Who may have hung around the podium a little too long.) It's always good to get a great orchestra back on track. Check out Nelsons at Tanglewood this summer, one of the great American treats.

A reader reminds us that Muslims appear to be happiest in Non-Muslim countries. Of course most immigrants who move away from their native lands are happier where they are. Unfortunately, many of them think they will be happier still if they demand the traditions of their former countries be instituted in the new country.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--Well Treckies, this is your week. This is a revival of the original movie, so you have to expect that the devoted will be doing as much comparing as absorbing. It is a pretty good adventure with all of the familiar characters. The crew of the enterprise is called back home to find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization.And yes, the Klingons ae back.

--Erased is your basic conspiracy flick where a CIA agent and his daughter are caught up in a serious game of cat and mouse after they are marked for termination. It's one I'll be seeing some day.

--Francis Ha is a quirky little comedy about a woman in NYC who throws herself headlong into her dreams even as the possibility of reality dwindles. She is an apprentice in a dance group but isn't a dancer. She has a friend but they don't talk aymore. It is kind of delightful, and a bit out of the ordinary. But people really like it.

The Novel:

The Conscience: Chapter 21.

--As I walked back to the table, my eyes were squarely focused on the glass of vodka the waiter had just laid gently at my place. I was was in Mobile Alabama 1957, that awful place. That awful night. And I'm scared as hell. Can I make it back? The glass seemed to be going farther and farther away. I felt eyes watching me as finally made it back and pulled out my chair and sat. My hand was shaking out of control, but it automatically reached out and grabbed the glass. I gulped down one gigantic swig, felt it warming my liquid distribution system. I just sat oblivious waiting for those damn images to fade. It was the voice of Ernesto that brought me back, "Are you alright Signore Morgan.".

   My eyes finally saw what I was looking at, three pairs of questioning eyes. I smiled. "Sorry, I had a visit from nagging pain I've been enduring for years."

   I looked at Angelica who smiled, but couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

   "You look dreadful, Mr. Morgan." Sanna was staring at me, and I felt that anxiousness rising again. "Would you rather skip lunch and go back to your hotel? We would understand."

   Now her words were calming, yet I felt a conflict. "No, I have been looking forward to this, and we have much to accomplish. I.m feeling better already." I reached out and took another large drink of my medicine.  "To our two companies drifting together on the oceans of the world." They all smiled at my apparent recovery. i couldn't tell if Angelica's was good or bad.

 

The Answer:

If you missed AI last night, you were probably one of the reasons they didn't boast grandly as they have in the past the millions upon millions of voters. Yes viewership is down, this year so much show that the voting numbers fell way off the seismic scales of the past. My guess is that the jduges and the people they picked. (defined as a dreadful lot of males) 2. Yo!, Randy Jackson was a bassist and was a member of Journey (For album Raised on Radio), and played with Carlos Santana and Jerry Garcia. Italian rock Star Zucchero collaborated with jack son in the Album Zucchero and The Randy Jackson Band. For the movie Jumpin' Jack Flash, Kieth Richards formed an All-Star band that featured Aretha Franklyn piano and Jackson on Bass. He played with Jean-Luc Ponty's backing band for stars like Bruce Springsteen, Michael Bolton, Bob Dylan, George Michael, the Great Stevie Nicks and Blue Oyster cult among many other super stars. He was in it to win it!

There have been many strange upsets over the years for American Idol, with the biggest surprise being the selection of Taylor Hicks over many other better qualified performers. A statistical company which quantifies the performances says that this year was the only year where the voting matched form, In other words, where the best singer won. In fact, the top four finalists by voting actually matched the statistical quality measurements. FYI...Candice Glover had the fourth highest ever quality single performance rating only beaten by Pia Toascano (Season 10), Crystal Bowersox (9) and Allison Irahata (8). Whatever happened to Allison?

See, I'm doing what all good Americans do, being apathetic about real problems while wallowing in a TV show. Hey, but, I'm not mad today.

Hope you all find a fine marsh with rippling tidal waters.

Have a great weekend.