Dusty Foreheads.

Today's Tids Issue 3,039

Opening Stuff:

Welcome to March everybody. Green will be even brighter this year against the blanket of white snow…marked also with a tinge of yellow from beer and Saint’s day revelers remnants. But There’s more to March than Irish play and jaunty music. We have beautiful, tasty Zepole’s and Chianti, and Saint Joseph. We have winds and crocus buds trying to shiver their way through the ground. As we drive, we start to imagine the budding of trees in the forest, and the Harbor seals wonder if it’s time for the long swim back up to Maine. Basketball zanies go crazy and baseball teams get ready for the first real pitch. Ahh March 1, it should really be New Years Day, because it’s when beauty begins, when everything energizes to come alive again! Happy First Tids of March, everybody.

Last week the enjoyable TV Show, “The Americans”, about a nice family of Russian spies in Washington while Regan was ending the Cold War, looked like a nice little piece of Thriller nostalgia. This morning it feels a little different, a little more real, doesn’t it? I wonder if they are still there?

Considering the Putin logic that he is just protecting Russians, you would then have to expect that his next troop movement would be to Brighton Beach NY.

Excellent Crescendo, Department:

Last week the Tid’s “Q” was about great classical Rousers. As we head into this week of Ash Wednesday that culminates with that magnificent day of sunshine, Easter, I’m reminded of two pieces of enormous relevance and stimulation -- “Death and Transfiguration” by Richard (No Relation to waltz kings) Strauss, and “The Resurrection Symphony” by Gustav Mahler. In those, two gifted mortals have created musical splendor that gets as close to the meaning and thrill of that miracle as any mere human possibly could.

The Question:

There’s a new app called Wist that helps men and women choose best foods, drinks and dining locations by for particular reasons, like first dates. What do men and women prefer to drink on first dates. Where do you think men and women prefer to dine for a first date?

The Headlines:

--Stocks In Toilet As World Wrestles With Ukraine Dilemma; Ruble Tumbles; Buffet Says Don’t Sell; Market Opens Over -120.

--US Threatens Sanctions Against Russia As Atmosphere Matches Frozen DC; Putin Talking To Merkle; US Gesturing, But Putin Keeps A Step Ahead..

--Media Happy That Big Winner On Oscar Night Was Diversity; Awards Go to McConaughey, Leto, Blanchette, Lupita Nyong’o’s And 12 Years A Slave, But No Joe Diversity; Gravity Pulls In Most Oscars.

--Big News At “Razzies” Is That Adam Sandler Didn’t Win; Jaden And Will Smith Worst Actors; Tyler Perry, Kim Kardashian Worst Actresses. Movies In Bottom Of Raspberry Barrel For 2013 Are “After Earth” And “Movie 43”.; Lone Ranger Named Worst remake.

--Former Greenpeace Founder Says Much Of Their Doctrine About Human Causes Of Global Warming Is A Fraud

--Superbowl Of Tournament Shark Fishing Moving From Oak Bluffs Martha’s Vineyard To Newport RI.

--RI’er Anthony Zinno Wins World Series Of Poker; In Running For Player Of The Year; Could Become Poster Child For New RI Economy.

Spell=Check hated the word Nyong’o’s, I could tell. It will try to get back at me for the rest of the Tids and miss all of the typos. Be prepared to decipher. The little bastard will get me.

When you think about it, the Oscars have come to be a gaggle of snickering millionaires, who’s main talent is being somebody other than themselves, ridiculing anything that suggests religion or sensible conservative thinking. BTW, did you notice where Jimmy Kimmel zeroed in on Cheeto’s eaters? That’s how out of control some of these celebs can be. What’s wrong with orange fingers anyhow. Tey won’t have true diversity until they stop ridiculing snackers.

I thought that Ellen did a good job last night.

In about 20-30 years, somebody will write a news story about amazing food discoveries…sweets, Cheeto’s and carbonated beverages.

On Saturday, in 8 of 15 games between ranked and unranked opponents, the unranked team won. Remember, this is at the tail end of the season when the so-called good teams are supposed to be at the best, hitting their stride for the tournament. This is just another good oexample of the changes in college play due to the early NBA entry of great players. On one hand, early laving by the greats helps smaller programs who tend to retain players who grow in skills and maturity towards after 4 years. But, that is at the cost of having truly great teams like in the past when even Top 50 HS players stayed four years.

Broke and on the Brink, Department:

What a mess for the people of The Ukraine, who’s only goal is to become independent and strong economically; 45 million good people (Poetic license) who don’t want to return to the smothering effect of gigantic bureaucratic central government. If it comes to war, how do they wage it with nary a ruble in the treasury. Of course as usual the US would bend and chip in ten’s of billions, we always do. But, in doing that it would be us against Russia, which is not something I’d be interested in. World War Three is n ot good for my retirement.

There’s a new app that hooks up your toothbrush to your Smartphone, to help you brush your teeth more efficiently and to report your habits to a guru in a cave outside of P&G Headquarters in Cincinnati, who will probably sell your hygiene history to a dating service. Am I losing my mind or is it society in general.

I’m figuring that every time Tiger Woods looks down at some of the ugly shoes Nike has him wearing, he loses concentration. There has to be some reasonable explanation for his at times mediocrity, and outside disturbances that create conflicts in the mind can easily be a contributor. Take it from mental basket case golfers like me. They don’t call me P.O.* Hunt for nothing. *Psych Out

Speaking of Nike, it isn’t hard t believe that part of McElroy’s underperformance since he signed the big contract there, is the new pressure that arose with having to win for the company store.

When you listen to a CD of piano music from Bach through Beethoven to Chopin to Brahms, you realize the genius of Bach who invented so much and set a high bar for all that followed.

Actually, A lot of A-List Celebs love to jump in to aid sad cases, so I wouldn't be surprised to see several of them move to the Republican Party.

From what I have read during the Chafee-Lite administration, the only economic proposals offered or considered by him to improve business and create jobs are Gay Marriage, gambling, getting high on pot, and the most ludicrous of all, Climate Change. As one “Letter to the Editor” writer said, “The only climate change solution in RI are citizens leaving for Florida.” One woman passing me on the street yesterday put the RI economic mess in perfect perspective, “We live in that place of the Emperor’s new clothes.” Everybody here including the problem itself knows what it is, but…

It is really possible that sunspots could be the cause of climate change, or perhaps that the moon is changing from cheddar to camembert.

We here have often written about the apparent mis-understanding by American Pols of the Middle East mentality. All of the various factions there are in no hurry, so that even our seeming victories can be fleeting as former adversaries just lay in wait. It’s become evident in Iraq that factions just waited until we left, and no matter what occurs after the current tedious dilly-dallying about Afghan it will happen there also. As a smart guy named Ted Gatchall has pointed out, other  countries seem to have figured out how to defeat the mighty US. They prolong wars as they have done in Viet Nam or even now in Afghan until the US public gets bored. The they promise to reunify peacefully if the US withdraws, and when we do they break their promise. As it has been said by Afghanistanians, “The Americans have all of the watches, but we have all of the time.”

RI Kudos, Department:

--RI College Men’s and women teams both won their championships and qualified for the div 111 NCAA tourney. –Barrington schoolboy Adam Kelley is the #1 HS track Field Weight thrower in the country! –Classical High’s Maddy Berkson ran the second fastest 1000 in the country this year, and her 4x800 relay team had the third fastest time in the Nation in that event.  RI has great people living in a great space, but, are burdened with the union owned state legislature that paints the state gray.

The Answer:

On first dates women prefer Wine 35%, Special Cocktails 26%, Well Drinks 15% and shots and beers 1%. Actually, men like beer and well drinks, but on first dates they are pretty much exactly the same as women. For a first date, men like to take women to Fun and Casual restaurants 43%, Fine Dining 34% and Home Cooked meal 22%. Women overwhelmingly want the man to cook a meal in his home! Oh the pressure.

I think it’s about time that President Obama reveals to Putin what he was holding back when caught on an open Mike speaking to Medvedev “On all of these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him (Putin) to give me space…This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.” Maybe that is what the Putin push is all about, Obama broke his promise! Maybe that’s why he can’t get along with his own Congress.

Love your week.