I’m securely grasping my rabbit’s foot.

Today's Tids Issue 3,574

Opening Stuff:

Well, this the day that people always have marked on their calendars and it isn’t because they’re waiting for Santa Claus. Yes it is the dreaded tax day. There isn’t a better example of the government inside your personal life than the IRS. It has seemed even more onerous under the admin of the 0-Man. Get this one: IRS Chief John  Koskinen says he is aok with issuing refunds to undocumented aliens who file using stolen Social Security numbers! In fact, the IRS ignores notifications from the SS Admin that a name does not match an SS number. All Koskinen cares about is “They are paying taxes. It’s in  everybody’s interest to have them pay taxes they owe.” With stolen SS numbers? Have we lost our collective minds? Koskinen continues, “As long as the information is only used to fraudulently obtain jobs…”

Maybe April 15^th is a great day to shutter the windows and stay in bed. It is the day that Abe Lincoln died, FDR was buried, The Titanic hit an iceberg, Patty Hurst and The SLA robbed a bank, Boko Harem kidnapped 276 Nigerian girls, Aaron Hernandez was convicted, two bombs exploded at the Boston marathon, and loony San Franscisco was founded. Now I have to spend the rest of the Tids trying to bring optimism back into our world!

“Fraudulently obtain jobs,” is good?”

How many teen age boys in 1955 do you think fell in love with Natalie Wood in the movie Rebel Without a Cause?

The Question:

Name four big movies for Sal Mineo. Speed Bonus: Who was the star of Rebel Without a Cause?

The Headlines:

--Sanders and Clinton Go Head To head In NY Debate. National Polls: In Month Trump Widens Lead Over Cruz From 3 points To 15; In Same Month Bernie Narrows Clinton Lead From 13 To 2 Points.

--Judge Says Newtown Suit Against Gunmakers Can Go Forward.

--Medicare Launching Program To Improve Medical Communications In Knee And Hip Replacements.

--Short Sellers Loving current Market Conditions.

Duh Executive Order of the Week:

The Community Organizer announced yesterday that he has discovered something and will take action to ensure it. He actually said: “Competition is good for customers. And, ultimately it is good for business. That’s the way the free market works.  The more competition we have the more products, services, innovation takes place.” He must have suddenly realized that the schools are teaching socialism and that the new generations in his political circles have no idea about what has made America great since its inception. Now, he is taking credit for free enterprise capitalism.

So, Mr. Free Enterprise is issuing an exec order directing all relevant agencies to “create new ways to increase competition.” That will set us back about three decades.

One of the many reasons I question Global Warming is because politicians are selling it.

Just think if you were an Egyptian around 1000 BC looking at a Papyrus bush and thinking, “Jeez, I could make paper out of that.”

They had a funeral for a tree here last evening. In fact it was a very cool funeral with a New Orleans style jazz band and mourners from all corners of the town. The dying old beauty was a giant 180 year old beech on the front lawn of the art museum. There were tears in the eyes of the many hundreds who showed up to pay respects. Some things are just a beautiful part of life, and it is always sad to see em’ go.

I happened to go into a beautiful sanctuary yesterday. It was the Tower Hill Botanical Garden, a magnificent site overlooking a huge people free lake owned by the Worcester Ma horticultural society. At the guard shack, we noticed a large pistol on the counter. I wondered -- Are the primrose thieves at it again!

There’s been a lot of hype about the new Burns Jackie Robinson documentary. Personally I’m not interested. I was young kid and rabid Brooklyn Dodger fan when Jackie came on the scene. To me and the other kids in the neighborhood, he was quite simply, the most exciting player we had ever seen, and we all wanted to emulate him. We never noticed he was black, even though we could see he was back. That wasn’t an issue at all. But he could really play ball, and that is what counted. I saw Jackie at Ebbets field in his first year 1947. He played first base then, as Eddie Stanky a fan favorite played second. I was mesmerized, following his every move. I always liked Jackie for many reasons. My documentaries are in my mind and they are pretty good, fair and balanced.

I managed to sit through three Repub speeches last night. Trump talked about himself and Trump Triumphs. Then I realized it was all about getting things done by private enterprise instead of sluggish government. Kasich was steady and pretty good, and sensible people will take another look at the third place candidate. Ted Cruz looked pretty strong at the podium and gave a good stump speech. But then he went on and on and on. I flicked it off. In-between speeches I had to listen to a panel of about 20 or so New Yorkers screaming at each other. I got the impression they were spilt three ways, but more for Trump and Kasich.

Trump versus Bernie? Capitalism versus socialism? Yikes!

I was gong to give you all a dissertation on the growing trend of negative interest rate, which is no small matter. In  about a year, $8 Trillion has moved through banking at negative rates. Basically, the lender pays the borrower meaning that the lender has to continually increase reserves. In the long run it appears it will be a dead end maneuver. They haven’t been around for more than a year. Japan is huge in negative rates now. But in Europe, a small GDP hike up last year after instituting negative lending has tailed off. Most seem to agree that this is not the way we should want to go. Believe me, it is really complicated, and my mind will need another year to grasp it. You may be sorry you began reading this Tidlet.

Reading Between the Lines Movie reviews:

--I like the Rudyard Kipling Jungle Book story and this new film looks very good if you like it too. In fact it is a beautiful movie about the boy and his animals and foes. I have it my list.

--The Criminal is a movie I may try even as I see that the consensus among critics is “do not go”. It is about using a chip to medically implant in the brain of a hardened criminal (Kevin Costner) the memories and skills of a CIA agent (Ryan Reynolds) to hopefully stop an International terrorist. One critic said, “I don’t know quite how to explain it, but it intrigues me.”

--Barbershop: The Next Cut is the third in the series about Calvin’s happy shop, none of which I have seen. This version introduces women into the former happy male sanctuary and more reality amidst the camaraderie, as they see the neighborhood around them deteriorating and they dcide to do something about it.

The Answer:
 Sal Mineo was recognized fur great work in Exodus. In addition to a super role in “Rebel” he also appeared in Giant, The young Don’t Cry and one I really liked, The Gene Krupa Story.  Speed Bonus: Of course you knew immediately that the super star looming large in in “Rebel” was James Dean!

Have a great weekend, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!