Ding dong, Toot Toot – It’s over.

Today's Tids Issue 3,764

For good days past; better to come:

Well, Happy New Year Everybody! It’s been fun starting the day writing to you all. It appears that there is still a little grey matter left upstairs, so I expect the Tids will trudge on. Over the next year, I’ll see if I can find new ways to bring you new stuff. I hope all of your dreams come true, that your accomplishments will vastly out number small setbacks. It is one of those perfect winter days here as I write this morning; the sky blue and the air clear and glistening as Swarovski. The sun is warm and the breeze is timid. If all of your days are like today, and I pray that they are, then you all are going to have a very good year.

President Obama has been weak with Russia for eight years. Now when somebody waiting in the wings will have to solve the problem, he gets tough. That is him in a nutshell.

I’m a knucklehead. I should have saved all of that “Love” stuff from yesterday for Valentine’s day. But then, romance is always in my soul, so I guess a I’ll find a way on that day when hearts are bursting and feet are walking on air.

The Question:

Nuke power is one of the cleanest, most efficient sources available. It is essentially perfect, if you can find a way to get rid of the waste. How many reactors do you think are operating in The USA? What are the next four countries in Reactor proliferation?

The Headlines:

--Newest Polls Say USA Citizens Upbeat Looking Ahead To 2017.

--Putin Says He Will Not Retaliate By Expelling American Diplomats; Looks To Begin Positive Relationship With US.

--China To Ease Restrictions On Foreign Investment In Broad Range Of Business Sectors.

--Police Killed On Duty Up 56% For Year; Still Well Below Top Years In Mid-70’s.

--Largest Syrian Rebel Group Backs Off Truce.

--Greek Ambassador To Brazil Killed In Possible Homicide.

--New Volvo 90 Series Models Will have Skype Built In.

--World’s Highest Bridge Opens Over 1,850 Deep Gorge In China.

--Six Missing As Small Plane Disappears Over Lake Erie After Taking Of From Cleveland.

Ugly days are great for doing all of the necessary stuff you don’t feel like doing on sunny days. Yesterday was one of the ugliest. I must have accomplished a lot!

The newspapers and TV reporters insist on saying Russia “Election” Hacking, instead of “Russia Hacking into DNC.” That’s a big difference, especially for all of those who don’t know exactly what they are hearing.

Oops!, Department:

A trusty knowledgeable reader pointed out that yesterday The Tids Staff forgot to finish the Tidlet on Taco-Belles “Sponsored Lens” on SnapChat. The SnapChat “Lens” allows a user to snap a pic of self and add cool accoutrements. For example, a saddened person could add a raging waterfall bursting from the eyes. The Sponsored Lens is huge moneymaker for Snapchat – like $300K to $750K for a single day.. Companies sponsoring the lens can add their own special effects to the alteration – for example a Gator Ade sponsorship had the drink pouring over the head  the Snaps-ite.  In the Taco-Bell example yesterday, the human picture would morph into a giant smiling taco. I don’t remember doing that as a kid. But I do remember that everything I did wasn’t exactly considered sane by my parents.

The local ski area is sending me notices about snow making. That’s good. The local golf courses are sending me notices that they will be there for us if we need them. That’s hopeful.

Local sports hero Rob Gronkowski who has trouble staying healthy for football, says he’s really interested in getting involved in “WrestleMania 33”. That’s sounds like a great idea…Right Bill?

The hot IPO for 2017 could be “Snaps”, the parent of SnapChat. The latest Super genius 26 year old Evan Spiegel and his bankers are touring the country drumming up big money support for his offering, which he says will be a company that tops FaceBook. The inventor of the photo communications company says he is not at all like Twitter, but could make that 18-34 year old demographic forget about Zuckerberg’s baby.. It’s is kind of a scary warning though, how easily (if this could happen) that giant companies have the potential to become so obscure so fast. Remember that other social meeting platform of the past when “Fern Bars” were all the rage. One would be shoulder to shoulder sippers one week, until that day when a new Fern bar opened down the street. Social media is really big money, but still a trend subject to whimsy. But, Snaps, might be a good ride for a while.

The Answer:

I was amazed to learn that America has 99 operating Nuke Plants. The other countries in order are France, Japan, Russia and China. China is building 34 more plants as we speak.

Well, “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to minds?” Never!

See you all next year, as they say.

There is no cold when love is warm.

Today's Tids Issue 3,763

For a Loverly New Year:

As we come to the end of a year, I thought I’d jot down a few random notes about love. --Once love enters a heart, it never leaves. While love may fade, it never diminishes. Love may flicker; There may be clouds of doubt obscuring a steady beacon. When it is love it is in there. True love is unequivocal. Unyielding. Eternal. --Love is at the core of mythology, poetry, prose, drama, comedy, song and philosophy. Wars have been fought over love. Mountains have been scaled for love. Oceans have been sailed for love. Love is motivational. --The wise speak of love: “Love conquers all.” “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” “If I can’t find love, I’ll take chocolate.” Statesmen or authors, actors and comedians, educators and soldiers write of love. Love has been defined, divined and refined. Love is inspirational. --Love can be between a man and a woman. A woman and a woman. A man and a man. Parents love children. Children love parents. Friends love friends. Coaches and teachers love players and students. There are romantic fools. And those hopelessly in love. People give love generously to people they don’t know, they can’t see, they have never touched. Love is human. --Through the eye of cinematographer, love is two people running slowly through fields of daisies. Hair flowing. Clothes flaring. Eyes connected to eyes. Until they enfold each other in their arms. When the warmth flows between urgent bodies. --It is a glance across a crowded room, a glint and a response. You may see love connected on battlefields, in courtrooms, living rooms and ball rooms. People sing about love, tap dance for love, act silly for love. Sweaty bodies writhe, Smiling faces kiss. Longing arms embrace. Love is a fantasy. Actors always know what to say. –Yet there are no script writers in life. Sustaining love can be hard. But working at love strengthens love. Love endures through understanding, listening, feeling, learning, giving. You bite your tongue. You laugh and cry…together. You support. You share. --There is unrequited love. There is puppy love. There is tough love. –There is innocent love. A child may only know what it feels when reaching up to a giving hand; though the arm that may be riddled with hypodermic marks; the mind clouded by raging substance. The child feels the only love it knows. Love is wanting. Love is confusing.--Love never falters. Love is support in intense darkness. Fulfilling love’s demands is a challenge that never ends. Love is always fighting to bring back the goodness. Once love enters the heart it never leaves.

How could you not like Debbie Reynolds. I never follow stars personal lives. I just look at how they dazzle on the stage and screen, and nobody could brighten up a room better than “Tammy”. I first remember going ga-ga over the gal with the smile in Three Little Words, the story of songwriters Burt Kalmer and Harry Ruby staring a huge cast in which she stood out -- Astair, Skelton, Ellen, Dahl, Wynn and DeHaven. But, she is the youngster who fought Gene Kelly all the way as she tried to match that star and super dancing partner Donald O’Conner. She survived and won the praise of Kelly who never wanted her. She was a battler there and throughout her living, making comeback after comeback to survive after being looted by Husbands. She never looked down to me. Never dark, not morose. She went out with her head held high. That’s the way she was.

First, an apology for all of the missing commas in yesterday’s Tids, and a few egregious typos too. I hope you found the meanings beyond the grammatical fog.

It appears to me and many that the outgoing Prez is dropping a lot of Political Poison Pills has he walks towards the door. Historians are saying that the last President who went out creating new problems for a successor was Herbert Hoover, the Ex who was bitter over his defeat at the hands of FDR.

The Question:

Name five movies and three songs generally attributed to Debbie Reynolds. I’ve already given you plenty of hints.

The Headlines:

--US Jobless Claims Down; Markets Flat; Santa, Post Trump Rally Losing Pep; 20,000 Quest Waiting for Next Year.

--Syria Announces Truce Backed By Turkey And Russia.

--Debbie Reynolds Dead A 84.

--Kerry Anti-Israel Stance Denounced In Congress By Dems And Repubs.

--Obama Irks Repubs By Creating Two new Monuments In Utah And Nevada; Closes Lands For Natural Resource Exploration.

--Toshiba Nuclear Misstep Could Wipe Out Shareholder Equity.

Just in case you haven’t been keeping score, the UN has voted for more resolutions against Israel than for Iran, North Korea and Russia combined.

I didn’t like keeping score last weekend as my picks went down in flames like the last bridge in Mosul. Maybe I was getting cocky after a series of strong weeks, but 156-83 -2 is not what I was hoping for. It is that season when upsets can be common as some teams give up, some try to save a miserable season, and some play sub after having it locked up. That will make this week’s picks a little more difficult too. OK we know that NE is Playing a good Miami team where a win will give the Pats#1 seed throughout. Miami is in regardless and is playing a number 2 QB. NE was embarrassed last year and they will win it. Another meaningful game for the NFC North is Detroit and Green Bay. I see GB winning. Surprisingly, with that Detroit loss, The Skins are also still in it but must win against a very good Giants team who is in it for sure. I’m picking the Skins. But if the Skins and Lions both lose, the Carolina at Tampa Bay game becomes meaningful. I have TB winning. So with my scenario above Washington gets the nod as the last wild card team.  The only other X factor game is Oakland at Denver where Oakland could have shot at #1 overall seed depending on what NE does earlier. I’m picking Denver. The rest is a big guess. I’m going Pitt over Cleveland (in what traditionally has been a rival game), Philly over Dallas, Houston over Tenn, Buff over J-e-t-s, Minn over Chi, Cinn over Balt, Indy over Jax, Seattle over SF, Atlanta over NO, KC over SD and Arizona over LA.

An analysis of Obama’s 8 years of foreign strategy comes to the conclusion that it was diplomatic malpractice.

I believe that the Baseball Classic is one of the most ill-conceived sports events of all time. All it does is subject players to possible injury when they should be in Spring Training getting ready for the season. I have no interest in who wins or loses. All I want is for my players to come back whole! Get rid of it!

By the way, I lied Debbie Reynolds in The Gazebo, with Glenn Ford. We all have obscure movies we enjoyed tucked away in our brains. This one popped out yesterday.

I was in the advertising industry all of my life, and this morning I realized how out of touch I am when reading that Taco-Belle in a one day effort with a “Sponsored Lens” received 240 Million, that’s Million with a capital “M”, views in one day! (Note: A sponsored lens is a camera digitally built in to the

There are many times when I just don’t feel like talking. So, the makers of all of these new devices that shout out in their promotion, “Now you can talk to Alexa or Siri,” don’t impress me at all. Basically, I have always been shy around strange women.

In case you are keeping score, the IPhone 7 features did not impress Galaxy 7 owners. Galaxy 7 Owners moved to newer phones within Samsung. –Maybe the real tech battle is between the social networks who are looking to get the edge with new technology. The biggest battle so far is being waged between Twitter’s Periscope now with 360Dgree live video streaming and “Facebook Live”. My brains aren’t big enough to keep up. And, my contentment factor is strong enough for me to remain complacent.

It seems that celebs are being slammed for saying that as kids they thought Carrie Fisher was cute. Too sexist the PC’ers say. So I guess my opener about Mom Debbie will send me to hell. But, to a 13 year old kid, the 18 year old Debbie was as cute as it gets.

I’d like to think that Charles Sheen’s antics throughout his life would not be those followed by young people. This eternal rambunctious child must have been on whatever he has been on for most of his adult life yesterday when he tweeted, “God, Take Trump Next” (After Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds). Why do we give airheads microphones?

The Answer:

Debbie wowed audiences with “Hey, Look at me Now” from the Unsinkable Molly Brown.’ And then there is “Tammy”. She also is remembered for “Good Mornin’ ” from American in Paris and the quirky Abadaba Honeymoon. Her movies were American in Paris, Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Gazebo, Singing Nun, Meet me In Las Vegas, Bundle of Joy, This Happy feeling, The Rat Race, June Bride and The Affairs of Dobie Gillis.

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Anti-Social media?

Today's Tids Issue 3,762

For Gathering in Peace:

Most august media around this time have annual reviews of the best and worst and most and least. Frankly I can’t remember what I wrote in this year’s approximately 260 issues of your favorite morning mess. I guess it’s because I’m always thinking about tomorrow. You can’t live off of old successes, or regain the thrills of the smiles and thumping heartbeats of yesterday, any more than you can hope that dreams will come true just because they looked really cool when you had them. Every day is potentially a great new adventure and you just have to wake up with the intent to enjoy the hell out of it! If it doesn’t quite work out, I just stick my head in the sand and dream.

I’ll be honest with you. I think New Year’s Eve is the most underwhelming, overrated event of the year. And to make it worse they have messed up the New Year’s Day bowl games too. When everything becomes all about money like almost big events of yore have, it is a sad revelation that America is not a as great as it used to be.

Most people who knead the dough buy a lottery ticket.

61 shot, 11 killed in Chicago over Christmas, Christmas for crissake!. If there was one thing I could do in my life, it would be to find a way to bring peace to these rabid neighborhoods found in cities throughout a great country. How can it be, I ask myself? It is about money, but how could it be when so much money has been spent. The problem so deep like a cancer that can never be killed. Yet, the problem while most intense and defined in ravaged neighborhoods maybe broader than that. There are just too many other isolated incidents where respect for human life seems like hating of the past. What is changing minds so intensely that basic understanding of others is not simply declining, but has become a call to anger and aggression? “61 shot” is just the most egregious manifestation. What is silently growing within is the question?

“There’s a Greylag in East Providence!” Say what! This is the call that brought people from all corners of the country to spots overlooking the upper Narragansett Bay…looking for a Goose. (One guy driving by these new invading hordes thought it was him – he was a man of Algonquin heritage whose tribal name was “Goose”.) He joined in the excitement anyhow after learning that the prize was this Greylag Goose, and one of the rarest sightings in the world of USA birders! And it was spotted here, up the road. So, when people gather together with burning tenacity, sometimes it’s just to congregate quietly together and inhale the beauty of nature… and say aaaaah…well I’ll be damned!

The Question:

Who was Elizabeth Jordan Carr and what is she doing today? Bonus: Who wrote Watership Down?

The Headlines:

--Pending Home Sales Fall In November; Delta Cancels $4 Billion 18 Dreamliner Order With Boeing; Stocks Lower As Dollar rises Oil Falls.

--Mighty Storm Fortis Baring Down On New England; Nor’easter Expected To Be Fierce With Most Snow Inland.

--WH Denies That Kerry Plotted With Palestinians Before UN Vote; Kery Delivering Speech Calling For Two Nation Solution.

--US Led Coalition Destroys Last Functioning Bridge In Mosul; Considered Huge Defeat For ISIS.

--Mall Disruptions Continue For Second Day; 200 Descending On Philly Mall Organized On Snapchat.

--Trump Tweets: Offers Israel Support Ahead Of Kerry Mid-East Speech; Accuses Obama Of Putting Roadblocks To Smooth Transition.

--US Appeals Court Says US Agencies Should Have Done More To Recover Her Missing Emails.

--Tributes Praising Carrie Fisher for her Wit.

--George Michael Estate Huge.

--Series Of Earthquakes Hit Cal/Nev Border

Social Media shows it‘s nasty side again in a succession of Mall violence rampages. What goes with juveniles who think it is fun to disrupt the lives of people shopping and business owners trying to earn a buck. Who initiated these social media calls for wanton destruction and looting? I hear of wars, and I shrug knowing that they have been with us since the beginning of time. But, I don’t get kids and young adults living together destroying each other is things. Is a new kind of fun? Is there a message? Are they tired of virtual destruction and killings on computer games and they want to test true reality? I used to things like spontaneous mob violence happened elsewhere, not here in Civilized America.

It appears that 400,000 Americans have retired outside of America. That is a jump of 17% between 20101 and 2015. The main reason seems to be, as in most cases of anything, financially based, Pope with Social Security as a main element of income find it much more reasonable in places like Mexico and Central America. But, the places most frequently chosen are Canada, Japan, Germany and the UK. There are lower costs in some aspects of living they say, but they like the adventure most. “Rosetta Stone” likes it too.

You are not alone, Department:

The latest thing we humans have to worry about is that “Alexa is always listening.”

The new Speaker of the House for Maine’s State legislature is a Rhode Island Native. I think that beautiful state is in trouble.

The Obama admin did a lot for Black celebrities, but for the inner cities it appears, not so much.

You gotta feel good about living in an area that can still report news like “…owner operated an illegal stump dump off Skunk Hill Road.” Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it.

The Answer:

Elizabeth Jordan Carr was America’s first “test tube” baby, the result of doctors Howard and Georgeanna Seegar Jons’ work on in-vitro fertilization at The Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. Elizabeth, now married to David Comeau, had a child naturally in 2010. Elizabeth has had a very successful career in Journalism beginning with Central Maine Newspapers (Portland Magazine named her one of Maines most intriguing People) and then to The Boston Globe. Bonus: Richard Adams who wrote this children’s classic, died yesterday.

Tomorrow, The Tids staff will have fully awakened from the Holiday doldrums and will have the column zinging again! Be prepared.

Oops, I made an error. The previous Tids you received a few hours earlier should have been dated 12/27