PR is the art of making less feel like more.

Today's Tids Issue 3,679

For Warm Hearts:

There is nothing quite as beautiful to me,

As bucolic lands that go down to the sea.

Stonewalls strong, crossing nourishing greenery.

These gentle wisps of New England scenery.

Their creative tone born through ages of ocean mist.

Sculpted by ancestors raising corn for grist.

The beauty of yore’s toilers random art,

Diving to surging waters, warms my heart.

I Heart Radio is great if they happen to carry the stations I like on regular old radio.

It’s a good thing I didn’t hold the Tids presses waiting for news out of the annual Apple shindig.

It’s good to keep your heart warm in these times when so many are so cool to each other. Why do stone walls in fields of grass conjure images of romance, while walls on borders appear to blacken hearts?

The Question:

What is a raptor? Bonus: 50 and 30 years ago today two iconic TV series began their run. One was Sci Fi and the other daytime talk/entertainment. Name them

The Headlines:

--US Markets Poised For Strong Day.

--Trump, Hillary Joust About War And Security With Matt Lauer; Donald Exaggerates, Hill Prevaricates.

--First Of US Navy Super Sleek Zumwalt Destroyers Sails Down Kennebunk River In Maine To Join US Fleet.

--Apache Corporation Says It Has Found Huge Oil And Natural Gas Field in West Texas Shale Formation – 3 billion Barrels Oil, 75 Trillion Cubic Ft Gas.

--UK To Build Wall To Stop Illegal Immigrants.

--Russia Jet Flies Within 10 Feet Of US Spy Plane; Gary Powers Not the Pilot.

--51 Year Old Woman In Serious Condition After Shark Attack In Hawaii Surfing  Waters.

--New Bombings Erupt In Baghdad Ahead Of Islam Holiday.

It…Is…Pick em’ Time!

The National Football League season opens with a good game, a repeat of the super bowl with one thing missing – a QB for Denver. I’m picking Charlotte. Normally at this point a list the tougher pick, the ones that make us sweat down here in the sports dungeons of Tidsville. But, on the first week all games are posers. The Bucs improved last year, but The Falcons are home – Atlanta. One of the tougher games is Minn-Tenn, and aside from the double “n’s” there are big differences, Minn would have been a lock until Teddy got ousted for the year. Tenn isn’t so hot but are at home. Upset for Tenn. The Eagles at home should beat an improving Browns team. I like the Bengals over the Jets and the Raiders over the Saints. KC is looking good and should beat San Diego in another good game. Flacco to come back and get Baltimore moving again over the Bills. I don’t know about the Texans QB and Watt-ever, so I’m picking da Bears. I think the Pack is a media dream and I like the way the Jags are improving. Jags at home. There is no way Seattle should lose to Miami at home and the Cowboys are in offensive disarray so I like the Giants, even though pretty non-descript at this time under a new coach. The Lions and Colts, another media darling, looks like a real good game. Detroit in an upset. The Pats have a real good defense but the “O” line is not there and rookie Jimmy Garoppolo needs it badly. A good Cardinals team at home wins in a terrific game. Steelers and Skins is also a good one, and I have to go with the Pittsburgh team. The loser bowl this week is LA versus SF. I’m picking the Star Spangled Banner as the winner in this one. And the Rams in their first win as the Glittertown team.

I don’t know about you but I have noticed a huge increase in the number of cars crashing into homes and buildings. How do drive off a road and get hit by a house that isn’t moving towards you? “But officer, that house jumped right in front of me while I was looking at the new pic of my boyfriend on Instagram.” Remember when you used to have total trust in other drivers on the road, an essential ingredient in highway safety?

Could the rock be crumbling? Fox News which is continually the highest ranking Cable network (“Most Watched” for 58 Quarters; #1 in 25/54 Demographic for 13 years) is showing signs of major disarray especially with the departure of stalwart Greta Van Susteren. Ostensibly she left because of a contract dispute but the word behind the headline is that she has been finding the station in a growing state of continuous internal chaos. “Didn’t feel like home, anymore,” Said Greta. But The broad audience it was been serving for so many years will always look for the so-called “Fair and Balanced” station they can’t find in the big networks or other cable news programming.

RI’ers should be aware to the fact that this is the beginning of the final year for RI Philharmonic Director/Conductor Larry Rachleff. This is one great orchestra, and Rachleff has been brilliant in the way he has built it over the years. This year’s line-up looks excellent.

BTW, Matt Lauer in the big military showdown last night was fairer to Trump and harsher on Hillary than most observers would have predicted. If Trump could have found a way to stop his lips from moving, he might have been able to take advantage of it. Hillary looked tired, with hollow eyes that seemed to say “death to you Matt.”. Analysts on CNN following the show thought she did a poor job.

If Apple keeps on promoting “new” product info extravaganzas like the one yesterday, people will stop tuning in. The chicken little corporation has become a telephone company, and investors soon will be demanding a lot more than wireless ear pods.

A lot of Hillary voters are saying they’re tired of the email talk. It’s probably because their support is on shaky ground and they don’t want more doubt added to their conscience.

I often feel a significant lack of confidence when faced with spelling chickhen, chichen…oh yeah…chicken.

The new political mantra seems to be, “I’m going to legislate you out of your jobs, and then I’m going to put you on the dole.” That’s no way to build an economy in a free market society. In fact, it isn’t an economy at all. But, unfortunately, it is what modern-day politicians do…take away self esteem for oney.

The NY Mets have signed Tim Tebow. How do you think the Met’s Yahoos will react after the former QB goes into his kneeling pose after a single?

The Answer:

A raptor is a bird of Prey like an Eagle or Hawk. It is also the name for a small to medium predatory dinosaur like those called Velociraptor. Also, I remember once whine heard a rap on my back door and found kindly elderly woman standing their holding a little velvet bag in her hand. She said, “I brought back your Cardinal.” In one my swiftest of moments I said, “Huh?”. She explained how when driving she always admired the cardinals on my property and one day found one injured. She clarified saying that she was a raptor, a person who takes care of injured birds. She then opened the bag and a cardinal flew up to a rafter on my porch. From raptors to rafters. Bonus: You all probably knew that Star Trek first aired on TV 50 years ago today, and that Oprah began luring screaming audiences with big gifts and cars 30 years ago, also on September 8^th.

This is one of those bright sun to rain days. I’d better pack well.

Political consultant Dick Morris says Trump can win if he can prove he is not crazy. I can see the billboards now!