Today's Tids Issue 2,921
Opening Stuff:
How do you enjoy the perfect day? Standing quietly on wind swept fields above the surging bay? Where cloudless skies of blue silhouette girls at play. The serene moments do not reflect the pumping of these players hearts, and the pain of muscles playing their parts. On field after field overlooking rolling seas, young girls running, sticks whacking aching knees; The focus in the eyes, the marauding hordes bear down; the lonely goalie hunches low to brace the blow, The field hockey stick rears back, and the heavy ball whizzes on the Attack. The lone defender responds, hurling a lithe body with courage beyond; Stops the careening sphere of stone before the goal. And neath blue skies above boiling seas, the shouts of victory arise loud, as that heroic goalie sinks in triumph to her knees. Waves break on the shore below and a team is proud.

I have never quite understood why Ottorino Respighi didn't make Suite Number 2 the finale for his Ancient Dances and Airs for Lute.

And, how about the logic of this headline: "Iowa Grants Gun Permits To the Blind."
The Question:
The Fall is when a lot of sports begin and many culminate. Baseball is the "National Pastime" but Nascar is the national attendance winner. Who are the top 10 drivers in the Nascar Sprint Cup Series? Which owner groups have the most drivers in the top fifteen?.

The Headlines:
--The President Is Fighting Uphill Battle To Convince Americans To Support His Strike.
--Assad In Interview With Charlie Rose Sasy He Had Nothing To Do With Gas: Infers Retaliation; Russia Also Warns US; Cyprus Rules Out Participation With US In Syria Attack.
--Upswing In China Exports Has World Markets Riding On Rickshaws With Afterburners.
--New Evidence Shows US Spying On Brazil National Oil Company; Relations There Sour Further.
--Google Network Also Victim Of NSA Tapping.
--Man Falls To Death At Candlestick; Over Extensive Imbibing In Alcohol Culprit.
I think it's time to place "Green" and "Natural" into PETA approved straight jackets. Yesterday I learned of a scandal I must have missed. I found out that sometime in the past Genoa Salami's must have been mistreated because on the grocery meat counter right before my eyes I saw "Applegate 'Humanely Raised' Genoa Salami"! Now though, as I think back on those quiet summer days when I passed by still pastures, I remember seeing the little rotund salamis waddling around, huddled together near the fences of their pens.  I laughed it off snidely at the quivering little elongated loafs as just having sex. But, alas, I have come to find they were planning an escape and national protest after years of being in darkened salami shacks suffering through garlic infusion. I could have done something about it if I could only have read the signs they were carrying: "Se nonabbiamo odore ci sarebbe solo un altro hot dog all american." A law firm, Mortadella, Capicola and Johnson, is calling all salamis, Genoa and Toscano alike, to join in a class gaseous reaction suit.

After six years in disarray and a sagging economy, Australia's Labor Party was thrown out decisively by the "Conservative Liberal" Party. That doesn't  make sense. With a name like that, how could they possibly ever get anything done?
Almost all teachers are pretty damn smart. So, I always wondered why so many go back to school to get a Masters degree in Education, or for crissake, Phd! To get a raise? Now if they went to get an advanced degree in English, Math, Chemistry, Physics et al, I could understand that contributing to the education of the child and the overall quality improvement of the system. But the philosophy of theoretical education seems, based on what I read, generally more harmful than good -- the problem being that too many of those with the advanced degrees try to apply the new information. The end result most often is too many theories, too many people with Phd's rising through the ranks to fix things that are not broken. Teaching children should be pretty basic...know your subject really well, make the delivery interesting and create an environment that makes learning seem important to kids who too often wonder why they are in school i the first place. Inspiring hard work and demonstrate how it pays. Eliminate self esteem grading and get back to basics. And structure teacher salaries for achievement in the classroom instead of advocating an advanced degree for pay increase system. And, If you think I'm picking on teachers, I feel exactly the same about MBA's -- theorists with little knowledge of their business who can pour sand into a well oiled machine in a matter of months. We need to get back to basics...in everything.

The intrusion by the telemarketer was uncalled for.

The average car sales price in the US is $31,252! For a little over $29K you can get a Base line Mercedes and impress your friends.

The news media is loving reporting all of this negativity about Zim. It may make him appear more unlikable but it doesn't change the fact that Martin was bashing his head against the pavement.

If the authorities continue putting into effect rules that minimize contact in football and if Moms continue to place there boys into soccer and lacrosse style sports, what will the NFL look like 20 years from now? Will there be any players left in the pipeline.

The world would be a lot more civilized if we got rid of cars.

I'm nearly through with this Tids and I haven't yet mentioned the word Syria, until now. It's probably because The bombing thing is making less and less sense, especially after people move away from their ideologies. There is no visceral outrage here as there had been following close behind 911. When they start analyzing logically most are seeing a plan that has no middle or end. The question people from both sides can't answer is, "Why do, I want to vote yes for the action?" I have talked to smart people Obama supporters and detractors alike, and the reaction after initial parrying to gain an advantage, is the same -- bewilderment. Nobody is resolute.

In answer to one oft given reason to make the strike -- "America will look weak to the rest of the world" -- an astute observer and often criticle reader of the Tids asks, "Doesn't America really look weak if it eshews it's basic concept copied throughout the world, "Of the people, For the people and by the people." Listening to the citizens is not a weakness.

The Answer:
Sunday, Matt Kenseth over took Jimmie Johnson and slid into first place. 3rd is Kyle Busch followed by Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Joey Lagano, Greg Bittle, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch. Jeff Gordon had an opporutnity to climb back into the top ten, but blew it on Sunday. Kenseth was from Joe Gibbs Racing as was one other. Also with two are Roush-Fenway (Red Sox) and Hendrick Motor Sports. One each was Penske, Richard Childress, Micahel Waltrip and Furniture Row. It's good to tuck these names away. You neer know when you'll need help with a flat tire while traveling the South.

Make sense of your day and don't let irrationalism wear you down.