The countdown.

Today's Tids Issue 3,557

Opening Stuff:

I walked to the harbor yesterday. I was about 40 degrees and the 20 knot wind made it feel pleasantly brisk. It was just about perfect. The sun was about as bright as a sun can be. The blue of the sky was it bluest; the clear harbor waters with misty crests were hypnotic; the ugliness of the world vanished into God’s natural beauty. Why on a day when many lost lives should I be calmed by the perfection of nature? Why should I feel exultation this morning of the day we remember Jesus agonizing his fate in a graden? Because that’s what it is all about -- Rebirth, forgiveness, hope. It is why each year we endure the tragedies of Easter; to help us feel hardship, intense pain that is always the basis of the greatest of love. The intensity of yesterday’s ugliness a reminder of what must always be overcome, but not forgotten. We mourn, we cry, we feel hopelessness, but we learn; we gain strength from goodness in those who have passed. We build upon the love of sacrifice, the hardships of giving. This Wednesday, the beginning of the end, an end which is the reemergence; the week which will end in the reawakening and hope. We reenergize our souls but we cannot forget those taken, murdered by the unconscionable. It is difficult to reconcile the love, but it is there.

One of the all time misleading commercials is the one urging the investment in lowly silver that says “If Silver  reaches it’s all time high, your money will make a 200% profit.” Yikes. Yeah sure, and if The Red  Sox still had Ted Williams and Pedro Martinez they might win another world series. If Americans understood the truth. Hillary wouldn’t be a candidate.

One of the interesting observations coming out of the Brussels tragedy is the fact that the potential suicide bombers caught in the security tape wore one glove. It is to hide the
Dead Man” detonating systems, where if shot by a security person the bomb goes off automatically. So, if you are in a crowded place and you see a person wearing one glove, it isn’t Michael Jackson. Run and shout.

The Question:

Eating too many chocolate bunnies lately? You may be in the market for a home work out program. Name what are considered the top ten.

The Headlines:

--Markets Barely Shrugging As Terror Attacks Become Routine; Lowering Oil Prices Has Dow and Markets Down Slightly..

--Trump Wins Arizona, Cruz Utah; Trump Delegates Grow; Hill Takes Ariz, Bernie Utah And Idaho; Bern Campaign Mgr Questions Ariz Numbers.

--Brussels Bomb Making Cache Linked To Paris; Manhunts Continue.

--Pentagon Says Dozens Of al-Qaida Killed In Yemen Bombing.

--Bill Kristol Said To Be Forming A Group To Explore Running A Third Party Candidate Against Trump; Okla’s Tom Coburn And Texas Rick Perry Seen As Leading Candidates, Paul Ryan Disheartened Over American Politics; Voters Don’t Want Fractured Repub Convention.

--Anti Trump Crowd Goes Lower With Shameful Ad Against Trump’s Wife.

I suspect that the day after the November election America will reflect and realize it has accomplished the Big Lie. Media will hail the results while Americans sheepishly question their inner soul, knowing in their hearts they did everything possible to rationalize away the faults of the flawed candidates to make their vote. America will have a President not supported by the whole of the people, and the country won’t get anywhere.

I was a pretty good “chop blocker” in my day. So, today I am feeling sentimental pangs learning that the NFL has banned it completely. Ouch.

The Voice is going to be pretty great as it goes forward. Last night there were some hits and misses, as there were the night earlier. But what is emerging are a collection of real potential stars. Some of my favorites now are Laith al-Saadi (I liked the guy he defeated a lot, but is guitar playing was too strong for his singing), Peyton Parker, Brittany Kennell, Brian Nhira, Adam Wakefield, Moushumi, Angie Leilhauer Lacy Mandigo and Alisa Porter. There were other good singers who have the possibility of merging. It is one of those good ole’ smile on the face shows.

Sorry American Academy of Environmental Medicine (??), but corn is by nature a GMO. It is a human invention, a plant that does not grow naturally. It can only survive when planted and protected by humans.  A brighter-than-your-average-nanny reader brought me up to date and tells me that scientists believe people living Mexico (Also known as legal Mexicans) 7,000 years ago developed corn, starting it from a wild grass called Teosinte. Slap GMO labels on our summer native corn and you’ll hear the wrath of Americans like never before. Local Corn Matters.

Christians have always been encouraged to turn the other cheek. But today, that is exactly what Jihadists want.

Yesterday President Obama said that “this is the end of the Cold War”. But, I believe he has fanned the flames for another kind of cold war.

People who don’t get it, Department:

This is Quahog week and restaurants are advertising tasty specials for RI’s State animal. Except “Not Your Average Joe’s”, which is having a $1.00 special on Oysters.

Every time protestors look stupid at a Trump event they take the spotlight away from another candidate who might defeat him. Idiots.

So, I see where the local big time theater is going to Beowulf. I remember that as the worst four months of my life.

The Parking Lot: Chapter 51 continues…

   Elizabeth stood staring at the bloody Zach, wrapping her arms around her cover her bare chest. She turned and saw her mother-in-law Eliza standing, stern faced, with a rifle, now removing her apron to wrap it around Elizabeth. She moved and hugged her while tying the strings firm.

   “Where’s the other boy,” Elizabeth shouted. They heard the movement in the bushes and they both ran towards the noise. Then they heard the boom, and Elizabeth heard a small shriek form Eliza, who fell to the ground next to her. Their eyes met, with Eliza’s saying I’m ok. Elizabeth looked down as saw a small surface wound on Eliza’s calf. She grabbed the rifle, reloaded and took off into the woods.

  I must get to Aaron before he can reach his horse. Everything that Richard has been working towards will collapse if he is allowed to ride now to the village.

   She saw the clearing ahead, and then the image of the boy running to the horse. She pushed herself, and surged ahead, now grasping the rifle by the barrel and reeling back, swinging forward with all of her power, smashing him in the back of the head. He stopped and fell in one motion, now crumpled on the dusty road. “Don’t move she screamed, aiming the rifle at his head. But, she didn’t have to. He was out, or dead.

The Answer:

Number 1 is called “Insanity”, and that is how I would describe any of them! The rest are “P90X”, “Focus T25, “Body Beast”, “Insanity: The Asylum”, “Turbo Fire”, “P90X2”, “Sixpackshortcuts”, “Hip Hop Abs” and “Les Miles Combat”. People familiar with Les Miles have no idea why it isn’t ranked Number 1. Me, I just run up and down stairs a lot.

I like rich, creamy, dark chocolate bunnies as well as the next person, but like Christmas I always have to step back from one of my many human addictions to remember why we are all celebrating in the first place. It is a season rich an sweet for the heart, and we should consume it all.