I have heard today of a beloved dog who is dying. It is sad.

Today's Tids Issue 3,746

For a dog's loving eyes:

Now that my anguished strolls upon a golf course seem to be coming to an end, I’ll be looking for brisk no pressure walks through natures natural grandeur. There is something special about a walk around here on quiet paths through coastal wooded groves or seaside bayberry thickets; wondering always if I am walking in the footsteps of a Wampanoag chief, or perhaps pioneer Pilgrims from Plymouth moving west. The sounds of woods are soft, perhaps only the resonance of the scurrying of a small animal stocking up for winters wrath. The deeper you go the further away goes the inane bustle of a madding society; there is only the silence of little breezes flicking through leafless trees. It is a place where poems seem to naturally filter into an open, clutter-less mind. Where the tribulations are consoled by the soft music of silent beauty. 

While the emotional pyrotechnics of the politically distraught get all of the attention, there are many groups of adults on all sides talking quietly about the facts in meeting rooms or on panels. They examine pros and cons of all issues in reasonable discussions, looking to civil solutions. These are smart, experienced people who shy away from celebrity governing, but who work to develop unbiased information to help guide the more public decision making. There are differences to be sure but the discussions are reasoned, looking for consensus. The undercurrent of America is much smarter than it appears on the surface.

Three things on TV that mesmerize me are Skiing, NASCAR and HGTY.

The luckiest people in America may be “Hackers. Yes, the salaries for these formerly vile individuals who ruined people’s lives by planting viruses and malware for fun are soaring, and they have become an extremely valuable commodity. Every institution, including the US Government is clamoring for the best and brightest, and there just aren’t enough. The supply and demand theory has colleges creating courses to train these former nefarious nabobs. Mothers are becoming proud of those children covered in mildew in the basement, now walking proudly and sneering slightly alongside mothers of Lawyers or Doctors. My Kid is a and Hacker, and I couldn’t be more arrogant about it.

The first words from the slug, and Counter Cultural Art’s Scene leader Derick Ion Almena who owned the warehouse where at least 33 souls died in a terrifying fire were: “Everything (The building) I worked so hard for is gone”. Former residents of the so-called “Artists cooperative” called it a “horror house, just horrors in there.” The father of Almena’s wife fought continuously to take his daughter back from that unscrupulous, sometimes domestically violent, drug addict owner of the Sutya Yuga Art Collective, his organization lovingly described by Almena adherents as, “Earth bomb bunker helter skelter spelunker shelters and Indonesian straw hats rolling into valleys and down alleys.” My heart aches for those young people caught in a web.

The Question:

Singer Jaye P. Morgan was known done big song. What was it? A crazy TV sow gave Morgan a second chance at fame. What was it? Bonus: Who do you think are considered the top five greatest American female figure skaters of all time?

The Headlines:

--Markets Open Up.

--Bexit III: Italy Populists Say No To PM Renzi’s Plan For Constitutional realignment; Euro Zone Discombobulated; No Brexit IV: Austria Bucks Populist Trend Going Left Wing To Pick Green Party Candidate Van der Bellen Over Freedom Right’s Hofer.

--Massive Oakland Cal Warehouse Fire Kills At Least 9 Party-goers; Death Tool Could Go To 40; Warehouse Was Death Trap For Young Groups Living In It; Criminal Investigation Has Begun.

--Ben Carson Nominated For HUD Secretary.

--Japan PM Shinzu Abe To Meet Obama At Pearl Harbor; First Japanese To Visit Hallowed Site Sine Sneak Attack 75 Years Ago.

--US Army Engineers Say Nay To Pipe line’s Crossing Of Dakota Reservoir.

I love watching the Bowl selectors sweat. Penn State had an amazing comeback late Saturday night to beat Wisconsin, winning the Big Ten Championship, possibly putting the National Championship selections in turmoil. The Nittany Lions won the Big Ten Championship, and along the way gave Ohio State its only loss. So, what’s the problem, Penn State had “won” the choice on the field of play. But In NCAA football it isn’t always what you see. I suspect the committee wasn’t sitting there weighing the evidence, lauding PS’s accomplishment, so to pick the fair winner. More likely the august body was sitting in session to compile a list of excuses for their OSU pick press release. And the TV networks were loving it.

If some of your stocks are still looking red while the Dow soars, it’s because just four stocks accounted of more than half of the 1,200 point rise: Goldman was up 26.5% contributing 320 points; United Health – 15.7%, 150 Points; Caterpillar – 17.3%, 95 points; JP Morgan – 90 points. That is 655 points.

The last vestiges of Pilgrim puritanism is fading from New England as states approve pot and “jackpots”. Bring back the Blue Laws.

If I were Trump, I would put together a massive Internet security effort as a major department, funding it by gutting old line bloated departments that now have less reason for being.

Jill Stein is that classic example of how an infinitesimal minority in America can always make much more noise that the silent majority.

I have to admit that I have to agree with the self-proclaimed “atheist-civil rights-activist-musician-transwoman” who in a profanity laced series of tweets took issue with Trump’s inane use of that media device to decry SNL. Donald Trump, the one step forward, two steps backward President.

 

Some day the President-Elect will awaken to find what most intelligent people already know -- that there are many groups of people entirely dedicated to making him look bad for the next four years, and Ironically he is supplying them with almost everything they need to do it.

The latest example of how the press misinformed and perhaps knowingly allows news skimmers to run with misinformation is those headlines last Friday about the apparent super declining unemployment rate to 4.7%. It is true, the rate did drop, but the entire story shows that it not the result of great economic times, but the opposite, people leaving the workplace because there no jobs or good prying jobs. And, the unemployment news was supported by another misleading tale about adding last month 173,000 new jobs. Tis number while sounding huge, is of course, far below the Economists number required for a booming economy. As I have always said, read, the end of the story, because even the lowliest of agendized journalists will put in the truth somewhere.

I guarantee you that tense same “journalists” will report the employment numbers accurately when Trump starts his term. But, in truth. I believe Trump will have a very difficult time creating good jobs like the past.  You cannot just isolate America from the rest of the world. Unless of, course you shut down the Internet…and twitter!

I’m not a hard line pro-gun guy, but I am a hard line 2^nd Amendment guy. In other words, I see a need for reasonableness. But, when I come across a true no-holds-barred-get-rid-of-all-guns…period guy, I try to see if I can engage him in a conversation about why isn’t the bigger problem the increase in more people having an apparent blatant disregard for human life. Why aren’t we fighting that scourge first, because that is the problem. And they don’t want to hear it. So, I can only guess that they more about breaking down the US Constitution than rationally solving problems.

When observing all-time greats in anything – art, sports, entertainment, government, business -- it is always better to see how dominant they were in their own era, and what they in their day innovated in their field, Who were the pioneers who established new standards upon which later great careers were built. Unfortunately, most of the icon list making is done by the youthful who have little personal knowledge of what came before. They may only see their super athletes, brilliant film makers, inventive business people. People grow upon the skills of those who came before. Later generations correct shortcomings, learn from mistakes, thrive with technological advances, but they don’t necessarily have bigger hearts or more creative minds.

The only good thing about the closing of the local golf course yesterday is that the Tids should be earlier.

We had the magnificent Industrial revolution. Now we are encountering the Industrial disillusion. It will be a generation or two until we decide we aren’t that anymore. The inevitable can be a terrible thing to comprehend.

The Answer:

When I think of JP Morgan the singer I immediately think of “Life is just a bowl of Cherries” a super big hit in 1951! She actually ahd few others namely – “The Longest Walk” and “That’s All I Want From You.” Later in life she made it big when she went “Sassy” and was rediscovered by Chuck Barris who made her a household name on “Gong Show”. Bonus: According to a pretty reliable ranking source, named Ranker, Michelle Kwan is number one! Following this Providence RI resident is Kristi Yamaguchi, Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Janet Lynn, Sarah Hughes Gracie Gold, Rosalynn Summers, Sasha Coen and Kimmie Meissner. Of interest Nancy Kerrigan is 12 and Tonya Harding is 33. One of the American heroes of yore, Tenley Albright is 20. But two notable American Olympic Champs, 4 Time US Champion, 5 time World Champion Carol Heiss and Barbara Ann Scott are not even listed on the top 36. Carol Heiss missing!

Of course, if you look at the inevitable realistically, optimistically, you will see nothing but opportunities.

I listen carefully to other people. I feel emotions. I live their dreams. I feel their hurt. We are different but we live as one.