It's the thought that counts.

Today's Tids Issue 2,932

Opening Stuff:

 

JP Morgan must be real-ly baaaad! Yesterday the company offered the Government $3,000,000,000 to cease criminal investigations! What doesn't the company want to come out -- jail time worthy offenses...for the Dimon level Execs? The Government countered saying No! Those "Billions isn't enough for the number of cases involved...". The big banks are not necessarily bothered by big payouts, it's sitting in a cell next to Bubba that has them sweating at night. If JP had to fork over $3 Bil, it would represent less than half of their quarterly $6.5 Bil profit.

Sorry for the inordinate selection of tasteless typos yesterday. When time traumatizes tempo, typos total-up.

One thing for sure, we can still enjoy old time America by savoring a genuine country ham from the wonderful Smithfield company of the Virginia hills. A Smithfield ham...how great is that! Not so fast Tids Guy. the venerable ham company akin to biscuits and creamy sausage gravy has been bought by -- China!  Yikes. If we can't maintain control of Smithfield hams, what's next? Venezuela purchasing Jack Daniel's still? God help us.

The Question:

What formerly perfect, now separated Hollywood Couple have the same birthday -- today?

The Headlines:

--Markets Foggy As dollar Slips And Political Sideshow Confuses Future.

--Autos Lead Durable Goods Sector Towards Strong 3rd Q Ending.

--Amazon Intros New "Fire HD" With Live Video help Desk; Company Continues To Focus Matching IPad At Lower Cost.

--In Wake Of Navy Base Murders, US Finding Systemic Weakness In Security Clearance Programs.

--Iran's Rouhani Oozes Charm But Says Little To Assuage Ahmadinejad's More Aggressive Threats.

--Latest data Shows That 15% Of Americans Do Not Use Internet; 92% Of Non-Users Say They Are Not At All Interested And Have No Intention Of Going Online Ever.

--77% Of Instagram Users Say the Company's Security Policy Makes Them Afraid To Use The Service.

With the announcement of the new ObamaCare rates, CBS News focused its report on a nice hardworking youngish black man. The first 80% of the news blip had him saying in different ways, "Hey, not bad! I can really afford this". Then it was revealed at the end that the US Taxpayer was chipping in on half of his premium. Once again we have Government intervention that removes consumer discernment from the equation. The health car cost structure will remain fictitious, and  will continue growing to enormous heights.

Speaking of taxpayer largess, when is our infusion of billions into JP Morgan going to begin trickling down to us?

I like Bed, Bath and Beyond because they have wide variety of a lot of stuff in a condensed area. 

The "Club Scene" seems to bring out the worst in people.

California has passed a new law that would allow kids to "Scrub" ill-conceived postings of words and photos. Sounds good on the surface In the old days it would be the kid's mouths that would be scrubbed. And, there was a direct connection to the mind.

This is just another step in a declining society that says it's okay to say you're sorry, instead of thinking intelligently or asking permission beforehand.

It's a society where a President can say Red Line before realizing the full meaning of the potential ramifications.

It's a little early to start reporting on the Voice. The first night produced sob stories and fair contestants. I enjoyed Usher and Shikira last year, but Christina Aquilera and CeeLo Green were understated and easy to watch on their return to the ugly red chairs. It's too early to run down all of the contestants, but Holly Henry and James Wolpert were unique and particularly entertaining for me..as was powerhouse belter country gal Shelbie Z.

Amazon is the Gillette of the Technological age, selling near breakeven points, tablets to build up sales of books, music, videos and physical products. The Fire HD has been described as the "Vending Machine" for consumer purchases. For the low cost of a pretty good Android tablet, the owner must put up with some easily removed intrusiveness.

One thing the older generations can say safely and with a pleasant degree of satisfaction as they sit down to a Smithfield ham dinner is that, "All of their friends and all of the people they've ever dated were individuals they actually met and interacted with in person.

Did I say Smithfield? I meant Smiphfierd.

The Conscience: Chapter 28 continues.

    I shook hands with the new comers while nodding at my associates. I was going to say pals but, I wasn't really sure of anything yet. Smith's grip seemed to linger a bit. His eyes said something, but I didn't have the encryption available. He reached up and patted my shoulder as he released the grip.

   I sat in my chair which was in limbo, with Jace and Wu lofty in heavenly perches facing Smith and Washington on the brink in purgatory. Was I to be an observer or Mr. Interlocutor? 

   "All of a sudden James, You and Mr. Washington have become apparent critical ingredients in our quest to merge," Jace began. "You guys are all about mountains of money, so we can't delude ourselves by thinking that you may not be a player in our negotiations. How did you get involved with Biglietto, way over there tucked up into the northern corner of Italy?"

  Good question, Jace, I thought.

    Without hesitating Smith answered, "So you're wondering Mr. Montgomery how a couple of simple black boys could look beyond the cotton fields of Alabam, and see opportunity in a thriving industry in Europe?" Jason's face reddened.

    Maybe not such a great question after all, I thought again. But, I now have another kind of respect for Smith. And all of a sudden he is controlling our meeting.

    Jason didn't stammer as much as I had expected, "Not at all James," Jace said "James" in a friendly warmish way. "I," he turned towards Wu, "we, know a lot about you and respect you and your company. In fact, we envy you. We want to know why one of the great financiers became interested in a decent but not extraordinary boat building company. 

   "That's much too long a story, Jason. Let's just talk about today. Your problems. That's why we're here, correct? To shed light on current problems." James looked at me, as if for approval. I smiled back. It was kind of a stupid grin, actually.

The Answer:

Of course, it is Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones who have brithdays today. Michael will probably have a candelabra on her cake and Matt Damon will jump out in a speedo! Zowie. 

Everybody should aim for something higher rather than lower than they think they are capable, so that if they fall to he middle they'll be twice as high as aiming low. Almost everybody has a lot more in them than they think. Except those who think they walk on water.

Tails she does; tails she doesn't.

Today's Tids Issue 2,931

Opening Stuff:
This "will she/won't she" drama the Hillary campaign has devised is doing it's job, getting people thirsting for her entry into the Prez race while she is saying nothing definitive or making any decisions that can come back to haunt. A politicians dream. News people interviewing Hill or the philandering hubby are practically giddy, red faced with grins from ear to ear, primed to miss obvious stories against her and pump up her SoS scorecard, ready to anoint the smartest person in the world as the first female president. I think woman can do better than that. For starters, how about honesty?

Israel says to the US: Not so fast! New President Rhouhani may appear soft, compromising and compliant, but he is still the puppet of the Ayatollah Khoumeini. Iran's economy is sucking and the biggest problem is getting out the oil, now banned by US and UN efforts.

The Question:

A columnist this morning noted that there were few women playing in organized inter-high school sports when the 1967 "Impossible Dream" Red Sox won the AL Pennant. What are the ten lead HS girls sports by number of participants?

The Headlines:
--President O Speaks at UN; Too Complicated To Bring Iran And US Presidents Together.
--Stocks Down For Fourth Day; Government Shutdown, Wary Investors And Lower Confidence Level Index Chief worries.
--Kenya Mall Standoff Ends.
--Aging Hippies In Graying Pigtails Weeping At End Of VW Bus Run.
--Waterfront Homeowners Await Dramatic Jump In Flood Insurance Premiums.
--NCAA To Restore Football Scholarships To Penn State.

The so-called "Best New Drama of the Year" -- Blacklist -- premiered last night. It's not, and if it is, we're doomed.  I would give it a "B-". A good drama has to have some degree of plausibility. They use too many visual gimmicks like the giant rolling cell strong enough for King Kong. And this one shifts from scene to scene laving too many questions unanswered. I guess it's a take-off on Silence of the Lambs, but Spader doesn't sauté people in white wine, he drinks wine at Gov expense. Female lead Megan Boone is a little too slick, too hyper, too chic NYC...a comic strip person. But there was an interesting end of show discovery.

When you really think about it, we haven't had health Insurance for decades. Basically what we have been enjoying is pre-paid medical expenses. And, that is the reason why health care has become so expensive, a continuously growing potful of money with no competitive balancing or consumer discernment. "Insurance: A practice by which an entity provides a guarantee of compensation for specified loss, damage, illness or death in return for a payment or premium; Providing protection for some eventuality." All other insurance but Heath Insurance meets these criteria. It would if people paid their way for regular life health expenses and had insurance to protect there bank accounts from catastrophes. I could go on and on this one. But, after all, this is only a Tid, not an Op-Ed column.

I hear the NFL Office is revising the injury status designation. To current designations -- Probable, Questionable, Doubtful, Inactive, Out, Injured Reserve and PUP, they are adding IR and IJ -- In Rehab and In Jail.

Did you know that Khomani is the name of a dried fruit? It's basically an apricot, a disgusting little piece of pulp which tends initiate a gag reaction when near my mouth. I'm thinking that Israel is experiencing a similar reaction.

I want to be like dad when I grow up, Department:
You might not want to look in the mirror if you were a member of the Brooks Family, in particular the Joseph Brooks family. Joseph Brooks wrote the uplifting, love life song "You Light up my Life". Think of the trillions of smiles he has produced over the years. Then think of the son Joe Brooks produced, Nickolas Brooks, who was just sentenced for strangling to death his NYC fashion designer girlfriend because she was going to dump him. Talk about entitled kids from lax parenting. It must be pretty sad for the bright and sunny songwriter, Joe, who is sitting in jail waiting for his own trial -- accused of raping and molesting 13 actresses! Does that song carry a different tune for you now? What's Debbie Boone going to do?

A piece of political humor arrived in my inbox a day or two ago. It showed a picture of Hillary Clinton dressed in white looking like a pure unadulterated angel with chubby cheeks, standing proudly wearing the 2013 "Liberty Medal" which she had just received. In the caption beneath it read: "Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, Glen Doherty were not in attendance."

Nixon had his tapes and Obama has his open Mike. As you all remember, The Prez told Russia's President at the time to remind Putin that he would do anything he wants after election to the second Turn. Yesterday at the UN, Obama said that Michelle is the real boss in The White House. Does that mean he is trying  to set her up for the fall over a disastrous ObamaCare, a sluggish economy, Syria missteps and inaction in Benghazi.

Sometimes I get the feeling that these Hillary/Bill scenarios over the years are written by the Saturday Night Live Staff.

The Answer:
The last official tally showed 3.2 Million girls in  HS sports compared to the 4.5 Million boys (Note: Larger squads for football). The top sports for Girls based on participation are 1. Track and Field followed by basketball, volleyball, Softball, Soccer, Cross Country, Tennis, Swimming/Diving, Competitive Cheerleading and Lacrosse (The fastest growing sport.) In the east, Ice and Field Hockey are major popular sports.

Roses are red.
Mums are yellow.
If I don't get out these Tids,
I'll be an embarrassed fellow!

It's all about trust.

 

Today's Tids Issue 2,930

Opening Stuff:

It's starting... A  local media website that touts local weekend activities had as it's Poll of the Day, "Should the Pledge of the Allegiance eliminate you-know-what? The good news is that 81.1% of the voters said "No", Keep "Under God". The bad news is that the internet publication thought to ask this question in the first place. The drum beat will start slowly. It always does. In a couple of years it will be in the Suprme Court and late night comedians will be ridiculing "Under God".

If you ever lose faith about the marvels of creation, check out a dew covered spider web shimmering in the morning sun.

The media will blast the Congress as the roadblock because of their latest effort defunding ObamaCare. I say they are doing what they are supposed to do -- representing the people; checking and balancing. The people are clearly saying in increasing numbers they don't want the new health care system, clearly foisted upon them by the former Congress that didn't know what was in the bill they voted in.

Afghanistan has released form prison a key Taliban leader as part of their peace plan. Yeah, that'll work...real well.

The Question:
Name Ten things commonly thought to be part of the Constitution that aren't.

The Headlines:
--Markets Await Congress Decisions On Shut Down.
--Merkel In; Merkel's Conservatives Appear Strongest; Will Her Coalition Partners Include Lefty Rivals? Stock Markets Happy.
--Eurozone Growing Faster Than Thought.
--Three Americans Among Attackers Of Kenyan Mall.
--Giant Typhoon Hits Hong Kong.
--Hillary Continues To Tease.

The Emmy's lost me at the confusing sleepy opening. HBO won the most Emmy's with 7 followed by Showtime with 4 and then NBC, ABC Comedy Cnetral and AMC wuth 2 each. CBS? How viewing has changed.

Do you ever get sucked into reading the stories behind the headlines that pop up on your Home Page. I do. And, 99% of the time it's a "That's it?" reaction. Anything can be news these days as these web operatives consume info faster than a fire consumes dry pine trees in the west.

Where have all the heroes gone? Who can I root for now? I tired to backHenrick Stenson the dour Swede said by fellow pros to have a dry and pleasant sense of humor. He also has a bit of a temper. And not a pleasant one of that. Aaron Hernandez had a bit of a temper too. Fortunately it wasn't people in the way of Heinrick's temper, only a locker and locker room at Chicago's        Country Club which he crushed; kicked and smashed everything that stood in his way. You want  to elevate these entertainment heroes so you can root for more than their talent, but they are, afterall, flawed humans, just like me.

Chicago has the Black Disciples, Imperial Gangsters, Black P-Stones and Latin Pachucos. Iraq has the Sunnis and Shiites. Other than names of the groups, there is no difference. They both kill themselves and innocent citizens for no rational reason.

Why would anybody want to watch college football games like Saturday when Ohio State beat FAMU 76-0, Louisville beat FIU 72-0, Baylor beat ULM 70-7 and Miami beat SAV 77-7. And that's just a sampling of the Made for TV slaughters. Hey there are plenty of real student body games like yesterday on ESPN SN where Lehigh U came back in the final seconds to beat Princeton 28-21. The fact is that there are incredibly skillful football players in the schools the less than powerhouse schools that can pass, block, catch, tackle and run.and keep fans tense in their seats and cheering great plays.

The hubbub around insider DC, I've been told, is that the new moniker for Potus is "Putin's Poodle". Maybe we should call "Beltway" the "Dog Collar".

Several Republicans dismissed themselves from the Congressional committees on immigration. The reason: They don't trust the President to carry out his duties and properly enforce any bill they would enact. .

I'll be watching "Blacklist" starring James Spader tonight at 10:00 on NBC. "The Critics Are saying it's the best new drama of the year." We'll see about that.

Scalpel and a Publicist, Department:
Are 65+ yo. entertainers with facial reconstruction actually real people?.. Honestly, are they?

The Conscience: Chapter 28:

It was a long day and a half. A time where I knew I should be doing something, but there was nothing obvious to be done. I walked the yard and tried to learn more about the bombers. The guard gave me a complete description of two guys, who he said looked pretty ordinary. Jason's security people said it was pretty much a dead end. "Two pros.," they said. "it was obvious. Everything about them was fake. They were very good and efficient." At least I know what they look like in case I'm in a dark alley some night.
  I called Angelica, and of course Evvy several times. They bith made me feel good for different reasons. Angelica tried to be her usual confident self, but I could tell she was scared. She called me more than I called her. I was, strange as it may seem, the only person she could really trust.
 So basically I just kept  on going over the facts I actually knew, waiting for the Visit from Smith and Washington -- Hmmm, nice name for a steak house. And now was that moment when perhaps we move further inside this affair.

    I could hear cursory laughter as I neared the giant double doors. Pushing open with a fair amount of confidence, I patted the nips in my breast pocket and entered. Fortunately, lately for some unexplained reason I was doing more patting than drinking. I figured that was good. It was quite a sight. Wu and Jason on one side of the desk and two black men on the other, Jason smiling and appearing to enjoy the stranger's company, very unlike the old Jace I remember.  Washington was his usual slick self, the ever assured man I met in Genoa. But, it was if a spotlight had picked out James Smith. He was dressed more casually, yet he looked more elegant, smarter, the man most definitely in charge. You can tell those things..

   They all turned to the door as I stepped in. James Smith's eyes locked on mine. I felt my throat go dry. I didn't know why. Power has a way of reducing me to a gin soaked olive.

The Answer:
Many common beliefs that are attributed to the Constitution, are not there at all, but perhaps in the Declaration of Independence -- like "No Taxation without Representation" or "Persuit of Happiness". Others like "Separation of Church and State" are no where to be found in the document, but are in non-legal binding words of commentary by various Founding Fathers. Others Thought to be in the Constituion but are not is the Mention of "God" (Zero times), The Right to Vote, Unrestricted Freedom of Speech, Innocence until Proven Guilty, Jury of your Peers, Marriage and Paper Money. Implied in the Constitution is that people are reasonably intelligent and will have the ability to reach rational meeting's of the minds. Not!

The Smell of home made Chicken soup cooking on the stove has always been one of my favorite aromas. Maybe that's why I like pasta dishes that use a sauce base made of rich Chix broth, a little white wine, maybe butter with the olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.

Happy Fall, everybody!

Now I have to go rescue the Tids NFL game pickers from jumping off the Newport Bridge! God, what a weekend.

There's always something.

Today's Tids Issue 2,929

Opening Stuff:

Some mornings I sit in front of this machine thinking, there are no more Tids. I've written them all.

It will be interesting watching the clamor now that Pope Francis has announced that he sees the Church spending more time on the big picture rather than nitpicking small rules. Whether we like it or not, we live in a transformational age, and the guidance from the Pope should be based on seeing all of God's universe.

Sea otters hold hands while sleeping so they won't drift away from each other during the night. I think there's a message in there somewhere.


(Note: If the above Picture didn't come through on your computer, go to Google images and type in Sea Otter...and smile)

The Question:
What 8 college degrees return the lowest "Return on (College) Investment"

The Headlines:
--Stocks To Meander Today Until Investors Get Clarity from Individual Fed Members Expected To Opine Later Today.
--Obama Admin Fires First Shot In War Against Coal; New More Severe regulations For Power Plants Come As GW Scientists Are Bewildered By New Evidence That Suggests Cooling.
--Ted Cruz Pushing Hard To Defund ObamaCare.
--Syria Gives Chemical Weapons Details To Chemical Prohibition Watchdog Organization On Time.
--Mass South Chicago Gangland Shooting Injures 13;
--Merkel Fighting Fro Majority In Close Election.

Sometimes I listen to popular music and think, It's over. All of the good melodies have been written. But fortunately we have many good people who never say never.

In case you haven't noticed, saavy traders are latching onto the Russell 2000 Index, which has beaten the Dow, Nasdaq and S&P, rallying 26% for the year. Smaller caps are genrally riskier, but when the cash on the sidelines looks for growth, they have to move away from the saturated bigs...and the smalls are there for the picking...until of course they get over picked.

I remember once about 10 years ago I was at a big business conference in Monterrey and spent a good deal of time watching sea otters at play at the big aquarium there. It was then I decided that maybe retirement was a possibility.

Maybe the nation's leadership look at Sequester the way the Pope says he will look at Dogma. Noting is impossible if you open your mind.

I mentioned Susan Farmer a couple of days ago -- she was the first woman in RI hiistory elected to a general state office, Secretary of State. She looked at the big picture her first day in office when she fired a quarter of the bloated staff she inherited. Of course the Unions looking at the small picture fought to reinstate these unnecessary cost factors. Sequester would be a boom for the future if an enlightened, less political goverment looked at the opportunities for reduction which are everywhere -- in obsolete departments, work for work sake, in over expenditures for tradition sake. It's in there. That is for sure.

God bless the "Blank Piece of Paper People (BPPP)". The creative thinkers who start from scratch to give us something new we have never ever yet seen. Some grow upon the output of previous great "Blank Paper" thinkers. Others often create something from nothing that has ever existed. Nothing is ever finished. The human mind is like the never ending universe. We can't see the end until we get ther, only to learn again that there is no end. Keep the melodies coming.

I think my new hobby will be to walk around this city neighborhood of mine and
kibitz with people working in their yards or on their houses.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--Battle of the Year is Like Rocky for dancers. The US hasn't won the International Dance Competition for 15 years, so an eclectic group is assembled from across the country. A down on his luck ex-Basketball coach is hired to guide the group back to championship land. He uses every tactic he has ever known to bring this intrepid group to a finale. Could be good.
--Hugh Jackman stars as the father and Maria Bello the mother who face the worst fear of all parents, a missing 6 year old child and her best friend. Jake Gyllenhaal is the detective who has run out of leads, so the father steps in to find the child by himself. How far will he go to protect his family? A thriller. Good cast also include Viola Davis and Mallissa Leo.
--Thank You For Sharing is about a sex addict, Mark Ruffalo who is undergoing the twelve step program. This is a drama/comedy that can be funny and very bleak, at times weepy. Gwyneth Paltrow having just beaten breast cancer stars as new love interest of Ruffalo. She sees so-called "addictions" as excuses for human frailties. Of course the humor comes from a man trying to not see all of the open sex in ads and general activity of humans all around him; the stark reality from two people with secrets that drive their lives but aren't willing to share.

I see where Michelle is getting back into our kitchens again. This time it appears she is going to try to tell food marketers how to advertise their products. It seems she wants to, say, tell Hershey not to advertise the tastiness of their chocolate, but the merits fo the farmstand outside their corporate location in the coutryside of Pennsylvania. Picking on big business has always been the predictable raison d'etra of liberal America. Maybe they need to readjust their lenses for a new vision.

The Answer:
Many of the resultant occupations from low paying decrees are important for a more caring, better informed society. #8 is Socialology which is followed at 7 by Fine Arts, and then at #6 Education, #5 Theology, #4 Hospitality, #3 Nutrition, #2 Psychology and #1 Communications. The salaries are all about return on other people's investments.

These are the days when the skies are so clear and the sunlight so bright that you can see forever. And often outside your preconceived notions.

Enjoy a magnificent weekend everybody.

Brahms looked at a blank piece of paper for years thinking that Beethoven had written it all. There was nothing left. Then one day he began putting notes on that paper, and twenty one years later he finally overcame his own doubts to give the world the powerful  first symphony. There's always something.

The connected Generation.

Today's Tids Issue 2,927

Opening Stuff:

Pictures of newly minted American Citizens, with smiles glistening like sunbeams off of rippling ocean waters, appear much brighter today against the backdrop of illegal aliens blackening the generous but fair immigration laws of the USA. My heart actually leaps a bit when see people so happy, people who have come upon our wave pounded shores and wind swept plains honestly, from the entire world -- China, Eastern Europe, Pacific Islands, and yes Mexico.

Actually, I believe most politicians are honest. They have just become slaves to a system that has become dishonest.

The Question:
Since the untimely death of George Carlin, Steve Wright could be the guy to rock my funny bone, delivering my favorite kind of humor. See if you can think of three funny lines from this man's curious brain.

The Headlines:
--WS Awaits "Godot" Bernanke Expected To Announce Slowing Of Economic Stimulus Welfare Checks; Tapering Affect May be Already Factored Into Stock Prices..
--Newly Embodened Assad Attacks Rebel Strongholds With Dominant Air Power.
--President Presses Message On Raising Debt.
--Iran's Khamenei Suggests New Willingness To Explore Negotiated Settlement On Nuke Program.
--Brazil Prez Cancels White House Visit.
--Russia Refuses To Agree To Force Against Assad.
--Super Ratings Giant Mad Men Extended For Another Year Into 2015.
--Mexico Tourists Stranded In Acapulco After Hurricane Rampages Through Popular Resort.

The Final Six on America's Got Talent did their thing last night, and now the Tids TV Critic has to pick winners, when there are numerous possibilities, nuances and permutations. The only clear loser was Judge Howie Mandel. Will the voters be guided by the talent or their own personal affinities. For instance, I really like country music, and Jimmy Rose appeals to me and I'm sure a large voting block from the hinterlands (Hinterlands to NYC'ers, but mainstream for most of America). Taylor Williamson has emerged as a crowd favorite and his interplay with Heidi Klum is priceless (BTW, Heidi has emerged and is appearing to me to be a a pretty nice person) But, I thought TW's first act was annoying, and his second round of jokes were just Ok. But, he captivates, connects, and his post act banter is funny. Collins Key has also grown into a personality who can hold a giant audience and bewilder the observers. I sit up when he comes on because he almost always delivers something new and mystifying. Cami Bradley is a star, and she was excellent last night. Her piano playing is wonderful and her inventiveness with song arrangements is refreshing. Forte rouses audiences, and I have been one of the rousees since day one. But last night I found myself growing tired of the performance even as they brought down the house. And then there is Kenichi. Wow, wow, wow! This guy is not only an amazing performer but he creates, choreographs and produces technological wonders. I have to vote for him as number one. But I believe that Williamson or Forte could beat him out. Cami may be the best of all, but I'm not sure she connects. It will be very close. And when it's over tonight, perhaps it will be country boy Jimmy Rose who saunters on stage to get the Million.. and Howie will jump off of 30 Rock.

As I look around the political landscape I'm seeing Governor Christie as the best choice for Repubs n 2016. As much as I would like to turn the country around with a brash, young Repub conservative, or even Libertarian, it ain't gonna happen. You have to edge the country around, and Christie is the gutsy kind of guy who can do it. That plus the fact that he has shown an affinity for the people regardless of political party, makes him a good choice for a true American President. A president for these times of deep divide. In America, all of the people count regardless of whether or not you like them. When a country is divided so deeply as we are today, the President has to come to an agreement at the bottom of the chasm and work his way up to the top. Christie has the conservative genes, and the ameliorableness (When he's not bashing some foe around) to restore greatness here and abroad.

The increasing costs of flood insurance will change the character of US coast lines much faster than global warming.

Add Brazil to the growing list of countries now anti-America sine the Great Unifyer became President. Brazil, a country bigger than the US, a leader in our sister western continent, a very strong manufacturing economy is joining all of those other countries where President Obama said he would restore respect for American greatness.

Wouldn't it be ironic if Green"Peace" started WWIII? Yesterday this zealous group's ice breaker closed in on a Russian Arctic oil platform, but was repelled by gunfire from a Russian Coast Guard ship. This was after two GP'ers scaled the platform only to be arrested for obvious illegal entry. Crazy.

I see where Joe Biden's 26 year old niece Caroline Biden bashed a NYC policemen during a dispute she was having with her roommate. What are the odds that she said, "Don't you know who I am?"

Follow the Millennials, Department:
Five years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, financial leaders from the "Millennial Generation" are urging fellow millennials to "Embrace the hyper-connected, fully-integrated, socially-networked, crowd-sourced Millenial Generation." That's a mouthful that generally means don't invest the way your parents do and did, don't wait for Wall Street to awaken to morality, don't wait for the Government reform the financial world to make it safe. Connect! The millennials are saving more than any other generation and they don't trust Wall Street at all. They will be oprerating quietly around and behind the establishment and accepting the guidance of huge numbers of knowledgeable "Friends" anonymous but sucessful with money management. And yes, they would be firing their parents financial advisors. So, add this to another ingrediant that may be confusing traditional investing guidelines.

Are sports beginning to price themselves out of the reach of many. The Red Sox are currently lovable and playing amazingly well, but the fans aren't coming back to buy the most expensive seats in Baseball the way they used to. Golf courses are closing and cutting rates. Even the most attended sport inthe world, NFL football, is down again. Shrinking average wages are catching up with hard core fans, and more importantly new generations are focusing the spotlight on new activities and sports. Buy a cute colorful spandex outfit and ride a bike in the woods for free. Paddle a surfboard for hours. "Who's on first?" Fagetaboutit. Play a football game on your smartphone.

Oh yeah, it was just announced the the premium seats for the NYC Super Bowl are being set at $2,500! Can you say Goldman Sachs?

Patience Pays: Stewart Horejsi bought 40 shares of Berkshire-Hathaway in 1980. He added a little more every couple of years over the years. Today he is worth about $1.1 billion! Buying and holding works.

The Answer:
I hope you're laughing when it's over. 1. Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back. 2. I'd  kill for a Nobel Peace Prize. 3. A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel good. 4. Ok, so what's the speed of dark? 5. How can you tell when you have run out of invisible ink? 6. Depression is merel anger without enthusiasm. 7. I intend to live forever. So far, so good. 8. What happens if you get scared half to death twice? 9. The hardness of butter is proportional to the softness of bread. And...#10... The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard!

We may laugh at times the way kids are buried in smart phones, giving away their personal info to strangers, but without question social connectivity will be the underlying force in the word -- financially, culturally, morally and economically.

And in closing, one more from Steven Wright. "If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work."

Long Shadows.

Today's Tids Issue 2,928

Opening Stuff:

The daylight endures; the shadows lengthen. The colors of nature deepen. Everything shines brighter before long dark shadows. Is it an illusion, or is the world more beautiful, when the sun is lower and the chill crystallizes the air. I wander along paths by cooling seas, ingesting the glory of God's creations. Now, the ultimate beauty just before death. And the starkness of shadowless winter days.

When I report on these massacre events I never include the murderer(s) as part of the total dead.

It is beginning to appear that Maxwell Smart has been put in charge of the NSA.

The definition of a Red Sox fan is: A person fully expecting the worse; A true paranoid who relsihes danger lurkng and ready to destroy dreams.." I believe that there is a good chance the Sox could pull off the biggest collapse in major League baseball history. Just saying that makes me feel great. Alive! Like befroe the Sox won  the damned World Series in 2004.

The Question:
Everybody knows McDonald's, right? Now, Quick, name for breakfast itme snad five lunch items.

The Headlines:
--Senator McCain Writes Blistering Response To Putin's NYT's Piece.
--Chicago Finally Passes NYC; Windy City Now Murder Capital Of The USA.
--Fed Continues Welfare Program For Big Finance; Dow Lower Today Following Yesterday's Blowout Rise; Investors Realize Reality Will Come Someday..
--New Jobless Claims Rise by 15,000.
--Anti-Gun Advocates Forget One Again That The Navy Base Problem Was Mental Illness And Not Guns.
--Single South Carolina Lottery Purchaser Wins $400 Million.
--Weather Service Says Colorado Rains Was A Millennium Event.
--Egypt Army Attacks And Takes Control of Former Morsi Stronghold.
--al-Qaida Using Syria Refugee Crossing To Attack Turkey Border Towns.

I said last week's picks could go either way, and it was proven as many of the games turned within seconds of the ending. 10-6 isn't so hot, but I feel The Tids Sports Department escaped with its record still in positive territory at 22-10 (69%) This week isn't much better with almost as many posers as last week. There are a couple of sure things, primarily Seattle over Jax and Denver over Oakland. Tonight we have a game which could go either way, but I'm picking Phil at Home over the improved, former eagle Coach Reid's 2-0 Chiefs. Cinn is at home, but GB should win. Dallas is already a mystery team, but the are home and will squeak in. Tenn is tough and SD can score. Tenn will stop em'. I like Minn over Cleveland and 0-2 NYG over 0-2 Carolina. New England is fragile but I gotta go with them at home. I'm sticking with the Saints over Cardinals, and with a big gulp I'm saying the Wash will get number 1 over Detroit after Nuh draws a penalty putting the skins in field goal range. I'm going with Balt to upset Houston and Buffalo to win over the Jets inthe battle of rookie QB's. San Fran should beat Indy and Chicago to continue winning over a dysfunctional Steeler group.

Keniche Ebina winning AGT was America getting it right. Franky, although there appeared to be upsets, I wasn't surprised at all. Rose stayed longer because of the traditional huge country vote in these competitions. Williamson connected with the people, even though his last night performance sucked big time. Forte became monotonous in a sensational sort of way. Camy was perhaps #1 in talent, best performer last night, but maybe too sophisticated for the mass voters. And Collins Key was always entertaining right up to last night, but magicians just don't seem to have the reach. It would have been a good season, if Howie Mandel was locked in a closet somewhere, Stern lost his ego and Nick Cannon let us see more of the performers and less of him.

A Berkshire Hathaway Director, Meryl Witmer, suggests that stocks are entering "Bubble" range.

Statistics Clouds Minds, Department
In the paper yesterday a big story began with the sentence, "New numbers from the US Census Bureau onTuesday painted a mixed picture of the Rhode Island economy. The stats said that of the New England states, RI was first in poverty and the reporter expressed surprise that the state was also number one in median average wage growth. Frankly, the numbers are quite in line. It would have been surprising...if RI had the highest median wage. But growth % increases are often meaningless in areas where the begnning number is very low. So having a very high rate of poverty indicates that the RI median wage numebr was probably very low and that growth from the lows generally produce numbers which appear to be quite dramatic. Politicians Like Clinton loved to use such overstated growth numbers. Statistics can be shadows that confuse reality.

We North-easterners have always been told that Mid-westerners  are really, really friendly. So, how come Chicago is the new Murder Capital of the US?

I remember once twenty or so years ago on a pleasant summer's day eating my lunch on a park bench near Fanual Hall in Boston. I was enjoying my sandwich and the bustling crowd when I got the feeling that someone was staring at me. I looked up to see an attractive but severe appearing woman standing there with two kids, plates in hands. As she glared, she bent down and in a voice I was sure to hear, said, "I told you New Englanders weren't friendly". I threw a pickle at her.

New Englanders are as friendly as they want to be.

One of the problems with extending the Fed Give-away program for financial mahoffs is that eventually it will have to stop and we will find there is nothing there to keep the markets from free-falling. It is the old "Emperor's new Clothes" thing all over again.

If you aren't interested in making tough decisions what's better than having it all go away with a shutdown of the US Government. A shadow that creates an illusion.

The Answer:
I'd start breakfast with Sausage Egg McMuffin. Other favorites are Sausage Egg Biscuit, The Big Breakfast, Bacon Egg McGriddles and a hot selling newbie - Steak, Egg and Cheese McMuffin, Oh! I almost forgot the hash browns.  For lunch, The Big Mac comes to mind first; or is it the double quarterpounder with cheese.  And of course a large fry! The there is the Crispy Chicken Ranch BLT, Chicken Nuggets, Filet-O-Fish and the newbies like Sweet Chili Chicken Wrap, Chicken and Bacon McWrap and the McRib! Oh yeah, and the original McDonalds hamburger...but it's not 15 cents any more.


If you've been reading the America's Got Talent Segments (Or skipping to get to the "Q" answer) you may or may not know what I'm talkng about. Check out the video of the AGT winner Kenichi Ebina. I believe you will be amazed!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-NsWRtaSY