Today's Tids Issue 3,103
Opening Stuff:

I love these days when the sun comes out before 5:00AM. It’s particularly pleasant when you go outside and there’s a little nighttime hangover of a nip in the air. Just standing there in the quiet, breathing in, feeling the energy and promise of great new day is better than reading a good book; or ladling rich creamy gravy over succulent roast pork. Yes it’s going to be a roast pork day. I can smell it in the oven.
 
My golf game would be better if I didn’t have to get up so early to write the Tids.
 
Getting up early around here isn’t so weird at all. Fisherman are up and out, searching first for live bait, and then going after the big fish while their still a bit of the sandman in their eyes. Stripers are emerging, though the bigs are mainly still in the rivers. Summer flounder, fluke are thriving so far and blues are pretty prevalent. This as the tautog (Black fish) catch recedes. So if you are going out for stripers this morn, here’s the ten best ways to catch em’: 10. Trolling with Umbrella Rigs (Fish or worm bait), 9. Casting soft scented plastics 8. Bucktail jigs w/pork rind, squid strips  7. Live eels  6. Live menhaden 5. Fresh or frozen menhaden chunking 4. Surface plugs good for school bass in spring 3. Swimming lures – “Grey and silver Yo-zuri Chrystal minnow”  2. Parachute squid jigs 1. Trolling with tube and worm, using lead weight line to get to the bottom and the big boys.
 
The Question:
Roast pork is good, but the fragrance of blooming flowers is especially pleasant on these early morning jaunts into the quiet, glittering world of late May and early June. What are thetop flowers in the world and the top in the USA?
 
The Headlines:
--Obama Says US Will Withdraw 2/3’s Of Troops In Afghanistan; The Remaining US Force Will Be Mainly For Training Purposes.
--Dems Joining Repubs In Call for Shinseki Resignation; New Report Shows VA Problem Worse Than Thought.
--More Chechnya’s Seen Along Side Of Ukraine Rebel Fighters; Rebels Shoot Down Gov Helicopter.
--Iran Hackers Targeting US officials Through Social Networks.
--Apple Spends $3 Billion Of Giant Bank Account To Purchase Ear Phone Maker “Beats”.
--El Sissi Claims Victory In Egyptian Voting Where Nobody Came To the Polls.
--Philly And NYC Nix Bids For Summer Olympics.
--Comcast may Go After T-Mobile.
 
Obama sent a clear message to Afghans that they won’t be abandoned. He also sent a clear message to the Taliban and other foes that their opposition remains and they will continue fighting to regain the “purity” of their country until the US is wiped out.
 
Today I’m starting a new section which in the weeks and months ahead will quickly describe the history of different places around the country. Many of the areas will be those that have slid down past their glory years, like perhaps Cleveland and Clarksburg WVa. But for #1 I’m starting with Long Island NY which is an enigma in the minds of many beyond the Hudson River, In fact, many people believe Long island is another name for Rhode Island and vice versa. It is a huge island stretching from New Jersey t Rhode Island, with miles of magnificent shoreline. It wasn’t connected to the US until 1883 brought along the Brooklyn Bridge. The US almost lost the revolutionary war on the island during the battle of Brooklyn; saved by a brilliant retreat action by Washington and general Greene. For the first 250 years the island was an enormous agricultural resource and that includes what is now Brooklyn borough. Brooklyn became a part of the NYC in 1898, much against the will of many old timers. To an outsider today, the island looks like a hodge-podge with too many roads and people. Yet early growth was beautifully planned, as when Alexander Turney Stewart created a suburban eden now known as Garden City. Of course Levit later created Levittown the first gigantic mass produced housing area ever. Now Brooklyn is rebounding to its beautiful historical best, and eastern LI is the playground of the enormously wealthy, and quite comfortably open and uncluttered. Like a beautiful morning.
 
In the 1940’s I remember open fields of blueberries in central Long Island and my favorite times picking them, before spending the afternoon catching crabs at Bayshore. There some memories that never go away.
 
In case you may have forgotten, the first food stamps ever were delivered to a couple in Paynesvillle West Virginia 53 years ago today! Wouldn’t they be proud to know that today, nearly fifty per cent of all Americans are cashing in and dining along with them. Talk about GDP growth.
 
The support for that so-called “falsely imprisoned” marine by Mexican officials is no longer so clear cut, as the US soldier admitted that he lied to authorities. It appears that the “confusing” turn-around area at the border wasn’t so new to the marine after all as he had been their many times before, including earlier on that morning!
 
I’ll be honest with you. I never got too much out of listening to Maya Angelou.
 
A new report says that “toxins in the environment may accelerate aging”. So, how do you explain that humans are living significantly longer now than in the times before toxins?
 
If you’re an economy watcher you will be scratching your head. Most economists are saying the US GDP is poised finally to break away from the tedious 2.0-2.2% growth rates of the past several years and finally leap into the above 3.0% range. Just from a “you can’t stay down forever philosophy” point of view, they are saying it has to go up after so many years of putting everything back into place. But then, it is expected by a consensus that the first “Q” GDP will suck, not disappoint but smell out the joint. But the boosters have a carpetbag full of excuses primarily based on weather. Of course if the USA was still the force exporting around the world, weather wouldn’t be an issue at all. We have become, it seems an economy that needs good weather to blossom and minimum wages to grow. It only takes one letter to go from force to farce. It makes me sad.
 
One of the major factors limiting growth has been deleveraging, which charts are showing is nearing an end. That means that for five or six years now consumers have been trying to get rid of debt accumulated madly in the “This boom will never end” years. So, the good news for the economy is signs that consumers are spending more than they can afford again. Nice. Of course, if the economy grew slowly and under control, the average American would probably be happy and less fettered, but all those who rely upon an ever expanding pool of giant sums of money, stable slow growth economy would mean cutting annual bonuses below tens of millions.
 
The Answer:
In the world, Sunflowers, Wildflowers, Lilacs, Carnations, Orchids, Lillies, Tulips, Primroses, Roses and Iris rank highest. In the US of A we like best -- Roses, Lilies, Daisies, Tulips, Orchids, Lilacs, Carnations, Hydrangeas, Sunflowers and Pansies. Go out and enjoy.
 
Get up and smell the gravy. And a daisy or two along the way to the butcher shop.