We might call this one Tedious Tids.

Today's Tids Issue 3,773

For finding humor again on the world stage:

An interesting morning as the skies eerie grey fought to find the sun. Changing winds roughed up the seas, playing wave against wave. The full moon had the tides high, raging waters consuming the rocks, the marsh, the sands. It is special to watch the world awaken on day that’s gray, with light that might gleam frustrated trying to break through ill winds; on a morning warm when it can’t make up its mind.  

Ok, the Trump press conference: My first reaction was, “Oh no, he hasn’t changed at all.” Then I went out to make a sandwich. I came back to listen to the lawyer separating his businesses from the presidency, and that sounded professional. But, alas, while he made some news with the appointment of a new VA chief and an affirmation of replacing ACA as it is repealed, he still went overboard trying to prove that he is better than Hillary; that he was indeed a good choice. I thought he did well describing the thinking behind the move to quickly change ACA. He should stop with the Intelligence agency anger, and I would definitely get a Press Secretary with a little more charm than the pit bull he has chosen. Maybe a guy who could make the press chuckle a little. Let’s face it, the majority of the press with national clout generally hates DT, and the way things are projecting out, the new Prez is going to be battling them for 4 years. He will need a few friends in court to help soothe the way, and a little hand holding never hurts.

Norway just turned off FM radio, just like that! They are telling the people that digital is better. Citizens are irate. Beware of bureaucrats with unlimited freedom.

I was watching former CEO of Exxon, Rex Tillerson, sitting there in the hearings and his face seemed to be saying, “Why am I sitting here listening to two senators talk in circles.” “No wonder Government costs so much.”

Alcohol doesn’t solve any problems, but neither does milk.

The Question:

In what city was the first public museum established? Bonus: What's decidedly odd about the 40 members of the Kansas State Senate? Extra Bonus: How many of the US Presidents have been lawyers.?

                     

The Headlines:

--Mortgage Rates Fall; Jobless Apps Rise; Inches Away from 20K, Dow Craters Again; Yellen To Speak After Closing..

--Senate Approves First Step In Repealing ObamaCare.

--Mattis Hearings Begin; Defense Secretary In Waiting Says Russia Wants To Dismantle NATO; Says US Must Get Tougher With Putinville.

--Trumpster Names Giuliani Cybersecurity Advisor.

--Amazon To Hire 100,000 People For Newly Created Jobs Innext 18 Months.

--Fiat/Chrysler Looking At Merger, Sale Or Breakup; Jeep And Ram Truck Divisions Highly Salable; Company Needs Dough.

--DoJ And City If Baltimore Agree To Sweeping Alterations To Police Department

CNN took it on the chin at the press conference. The Cable network’s disputed Russian gossip story was essentially the same as that reported by the NYT’s, which T-Man praised. So, go figure. I guess the problem was that this Clinton network seemed to legitimize a rumor that has been laying around news rooms since last summer. Interestingly, the consensus is that Trump embolden a lot of Americans who more and more are tired of the press.

Personally, I like the press and I believe there are many many journalists trying to get out the news honestly without bias. But, unfortunately, as I look around, bias is the new ethic. For instance, I like my morning newspaper, but their unbridled bias against Trump makes the front page basically useless.

Some people with untucked shirts look like they just got out of bed.

You just have to wonder what kind of bombshell the various media outlets will drop under the guise of news the day before the Inauguration.

The IPhone 7 Which had been blasted as boring has taken big chunks of market share from Android. Just I case you are interested. In this competition that never rests, news is saying the Samsung is bringing out a new “foldable” phone. That’s “foldable” as in a small screen being able to fold out into a 7 x 10 inch tablet! Zowie!

Oops! Kiss of death for LL Bean: Trump endorsed it. My guess is that a large part of their customer base are not necessarily Trump lovers. There is just something that doesn’t feel right about presidents endorsing individual companies. But, and there is a but, the problem here, in case you a haven’t been reading, is that a group is asking Americans to Boycott the venerable company where I buy most of clothes because a daughter of the Bean family donated $60 K to a pro Trump PAC. The company says they are apolitical, but libs never care about the truth, they are just typically bitter and intolerant. So, the new world of weirdness continues.

I had this feeling as I watched the Lawyer go through the steps Trump is taking to divorce himself from his Biz, that it would be just nano-seconds until the post conference news opiners tears it apart. Sure enough, CNN had a credentialed expert doing just that when I switched there just after the press conference. Later in the evening CBS and ABC did the same. BTW, that Scott Pelley is an unctuous little guy, isn’t he?

I’m noticing that the type on my screen is getting lighter. I figured I was running out of ink. Then I realized my glasses are getting dirtier.

50 degree weather in January is ugly. Mud and remnants of snow is never pretty. Bring back my snow, chill my bones.

The new America is about factions who will never accept something that is unequivocally truthful or correct if it conflicts with their ideas. In the Sessions session several of those speaking against the nominee would not be satisfied with him upholding the letter of the law without bias, but only with bending the law towards them.

Orange is the new black is not about the arrival Donald Trump’s hair at 1400 Penn..

A group of guys I have breakfast with, guys of different political persuasions, think Tillerson would be the better President.

The Answer:

The first museum in America was in Charleston South Carolina. Bonus: The oddity about the 40 senators in the Kansas legislature is that there isn’t a lawyer among them! State law requires that there will be at least one lawyer in the group of 40. And no volunteers have raised their hands. We have plenty here in RI we’d be happy to send along. Extra Bonus: 26 of the US presidents have been lawyers. So, we have survived pretty well with non-lawyers in office.

Remember in 2007 how the libs all said, “Give Obama a chance?” My tea leaves are saying, no chance for Trump.

I’ll try to get off politics’ tomorrow. It does get tedious, doesn’t it?

Money can’t buy happiness. But, it is much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.

I just this second received an email from LL Bean offering me a 25% discount. I have never seen anything higher than 20% and it is usually 10%. Hmmmm.