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.