It’s a Snopes World.

Today's Tids Issue 3,135

Opening Stuff:

We are in a disbelieving world, where facts are dismissed equally along with myths. No wonder it is becoming so difficult to have meetings of minds on politics, negotiations, love and even casual conversations. We exaggerate, equivocate and bloviate. Too many people run with facts that are not factual. There are truths and there are extensions, manipulation and inversions of truth. And what is dying in the new mist of conversations is credibility. And, when we lose credibility, trust disappears with it. And that is a tragedy of tsunami proportions.

 

Red Klotz died. Red Who? Red was …what…an American treasure, enigma, foil, hero…all of the above? In case you missed it along the way, and never saw a Harlem Globetrotters game, Red owned, ran, coached  and played for all of the teams beginning in 1950 who always lost to that magical group of players and comedic entertainers. Actually his Washington Generals, named by him in honor of “Ike”, did beat the Globetrotters on a set shot (Remember set shots!) by Klotz himself in 1971. Klotz as a ball player was  no slouch having been City Player of the year leading his High school team two years in a row to the Philly city championship, and then to  the Villanova team before leaving for WWII. He came back as point guard of Baltimore Bullets NBA championship team of 1948. Red could really play ball, but he made his fame dolling out the ball to begin every hilarious globetrotter game til his boned ached and he had to sit. He built a basketball dynasty based on losing.

 

Some how a foggy gray day is ok when enveloping a harbor. Or a lonely figure standing upon jagged rocks as the oceans swells around her; as a soft breeze splashes drops of salty water on glowing cheeks..

 

The Question:

Half of the world’s population lives in just six countries. Name them

 

The Headlines:

--Yellen Hints At Rising Interest Rates And Over-Valuated Stocks; Markets Are d

Dropping Into Negative Territory After Relatively Strong Opening.

--Israel Restarts Air Strikes After Hamas Violates De-escalation brokered By Egypt.

--Goldman-Sachs Blows By estimates

--Moscow Subway derailment kills 19, Injures Over 150.

--China Tells USA To Stay Out IOf South China Sea Dispute.

--Bergdahl Could Get $350 K Tax Free If Military Panel Finds Against Desertion.

--Pythons Hatching At Increased Rate In Florida.

 

The FDR revisited Ploy, Department:

Two of the more progressive candidates for RI offices are the son of Hillary’s national healthcare Guru Seth Magaziner (For Treasurer) and the grandson of the original limousine liberal , richest man in the Senate Caly Pell (For Governor) . Their tune is exactly the same as they both proclaim their economic turn-around strategy as fixing the infrastructure, building roads etc.  Building and Maintaining roads and infrastructure – along with police, fire, and education --  is why we pay taxes in  the first place. So, why is what the tax receiver is suppose to do for the taxpayer an economic policy? It’s because represent a constituency which has supported an environment that has chased away many companies from textiles to manufacturing, and have created  a regulatory wasteland that is hazardous to the future health of companies who would come. They propose a tax payer driven economy because they are averse to the true concept of capitalism as a driver. And they will get the support of academics and people hungry for jobs, but the taxpayer will be poorer and the state will remain the forbidden land as it is now.

 

Well, Jack is still alive. It’s hard to believe, though, that he will just rot for the rest of his life in Siberia. So, maybe the series isn’t over after all. KThunk. Kthunk. Kthunk.

 

The “24” new series kept me on the edge of my seat every episode, but, it didn’t have time to develop characters like in the past. I thought the Morgan-Jack duo, for instance, promised more room for growth, but it wallowed in  the need for immediacy. The ending was sad, because it seemed to give up on hope.

 

New Business opportunity., Department:

Tattoos may seem like a good idea in youthful times, but when the body declines and MRI’s are a solution for discovery, there could be some very painful days ahead. The issue is magnetic metals inherent in the many of the inks, the biggest culprit being is Iron Oxide, the basis for a host of colors. Yes, the MRI process being magnetic can create havoc with such inks. I hear there are less and less inks nowadays with metallic bases, but they remain. Tattoo masks could be one marketable solution, or packaging magnetic free inks could be another money maker. You have to wonder if when a football player writhes in agony after he’s been hit if it is because he fears tea pin ahead from RI’s?

 

If the fed felt we were actually in a strong economy, the interest rates would be rising long before now. That is the enigma of the exploding stock market. It isn’t about the economy. It’s about free money on the sidelines.

 

They invent a lot of stuff to help give new cars a distinctive competitive edge, but a good deal of it will never be used. Clever, but overkill.

 

The Answer:

China at 1.4 billion just nips India with 1.3 billion. Next is Indonesia 750M, the USA at 320M (most are in RI on vacation), Brazil 200M and believe it or not – Pakistan !82M.

 

So now what? “24” is over and there is nothing left on the tube until maybe the summer ends.

 

I’ll just keep on trying to say what I mean without injecting unnecessary superlatives. The object should always be educating the other side and not just nourishing believers.