365 days gone by; 365 days to come.

Today's Tids Issue 4.027

For Keeping NYE in Perspective:

Well everybody, it is the last Tids’ issue of the year. That doesn’t mean it will be better or more informative than usual. It will lie there like always, and occasionally rise up to suck you in. I’d write a poem about what has been or what may yet come. Perhaps it would touch your heart. Maybe it would bring some light. But in reality, nothing changes as years go by, because we are we. And, that is the best part

One of this era’s most annoying expressions to me is, “It’s so fun.” It doesn’t even sound grammatically correct, even to this grammar challenged ear, but I hear it from successful professionals to giddy teen girls. And, I hear it much too often.

The most panicked human being I ever saw was a guy who on the day before New Year’s Eve day ran into a restaurant where I had just finished a lunch with a customer. He proceeded to cajole, plead, cry and offer bribes for a New Year’s Eve reservation. His wife had told him where she wanted to celebrate and he had totally forgotten. It was sad. Really, how important is overpaying for crowded New Year’s Eve venue.  I can imagine you see more fear in the eyes of soldiers in Viet Nam or Iraq, but not that much more than I saw that afternoon. Ah yes, the pressures we bring upon ourselves.

The Question:

What are considered the Best Party Cities for new Year’s Eve?

The Headlines:

--Stocks To End Year On A Roll; Goldman To Pay One Time $5 Billion As result Of New Tax Law.

--Massive Apartment Fire In New York’s Bronx Kills At Least 12; Mumbai India Rooftop Restaurant Fire Kills 24.

--Hong Kong Flagged Vessel Said To Have Secretly Transferred Oil To NK Ship.

--Gunmen Attack Coptic Christian Church In Egypt Killing At least 9.

--Liberia Soccer Legend George Weah Romps To Victory In presidential Election.

--Trump Expected To Be First President Since Eisenhower To Skip First Year Visit To California

--Many Consumers Not Impressed With Apple’s Apology For Slowing Down IPhones.

I think one of the great technological competitive races just around the corner will be among the big tech giants trying to get their own “Personal Assistants” as the major spokesperson in your automobiles. Drive a Chevy, get Siri to guide you. Drive an Altima and have Alexa by your side. Google’s “Home” and Microsoft’s “Cortana” will also be vying to find your music, give you directions and tell you there is a police car hidden in the bushes around the corner. It’s just a matter of time. And I always thought a drive in a car was a way to get away from it all.

Personally, I would like my personal assistant to be named Martha. It has a nice old Early American ring to it.

I read several opinions on whether or not “It’s so Fun” is grammatically correct. The answers range from “Absolutely Not”, to “If used in context of today’s informal speaking, it could be” – “Although I would ever use it.” So, we see yet another selfie interpretation of rules for ones own sake.

I personally think that President Trump is protesting too much about the Mueller investigation. I don’t think that so far there has been anything that sounds like illegal collusion with the Russians. Lot’s of innuendo. And as you must have heard, the President repeats that often. But yesterday he said that he “Was thinking that Mueller would be fair.” Now that sounds a little suspicious…fair? Fair because The President knows there is something that appears out of the ordinary and is looking for fairness to let it slide? Why else would he use the word fair? Like what most lawyers say to their clients – don’t say anything about the case. The Dems are just looking for slipups to use against him and the Repubs in the 2018 elections.

Last night I saw the opening for the TV program “Matchgame”. But when Alec Baldwin, grim-faced, walked out as MC, I had second thoughts. Isn’t sad that now-a-days when we watch an actor or actress performing, we can bedriven to think of the other side, their unscripted public personality. That other side has been obvious in many excellent actors like Spacey, Fonda, Baldwin, Streep or even the delightful Jennifer Lawrence. It’s a side that professes a bitterness towards what seems like nearly one half of the American public. Maybe I’m exaggerating. But years ago when a game show host took the stage, he or she was just funny or nice. Now you wonder what they are thinking of you and how they will cloud enjoyment with opinions.

BTW, little of what I have seen tells me that the Repubs are in deep trouble for 2018.  The media loved the overexuberance of the Jones Alabama victory over an entirely flawed candidate. That just doesn’t project to a national trouncing, especially if you look at district by district. A lot of Repubs and Indies like where the country is going.

On a similar note, I don’t see the Dems jumping over to support the Admin on the infrastructure legislation. If passed, it would be a victory for Repubs which would be felt by millions of voters getting good construction jobs. Do you think the Dems want that kind of happiness just before the polling places open? On the other hand, if the Dems are the obstacle to the creation of those jobs, then the Repubs can push that in the Fall of 2018 battles. There’s a lot of strategy developing, and it is just getting started.

In case you missed it – the Dems want a $1 Trillion infrastructure package, and the Repubs are at about $200 Billion. And a lot of conservative Repubs are seeing no room for negotiation.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--I didn’t review “Father Figures”. It doesn’t appeal to me, and one reviewer said it could easily be the worst movie of the year, maybe a couple of years.

--If you haven’t seen a trailer for All the Money In the World you are under a rock. This is the true story film about the abduction of Billionaire J. Paul Getty’s grandson. Christopher Plummer is powerful in the Getty role originally filmed with the now booted Kevin Spacey. JPG refuses to pay ransom so Mom (Micelle Williams) and JPG advisor (Mark Wahlberg) join forces in the proverbial dramatic race against time. How will it end?

--I think another true-life movie, Molly’s Game starring Jessica Chastain, looks pretty good. It’s about a former Olympic skier now running an exclusive High stakes poker games being arrested in a 17 member FBI assault. Her clients are celebs and sports figures and unbeknownst to her, the Russian Mob. Her only ally in the end is her defense attorney. It is a good one.

--A highly rated film is Phantom Threads about famous London designer Reynolds Woodstock at the top of his and his sister Cyril’s game dressing royalty, debutants and Dames. His controlled life is a whirl until a woman comes into it and changes his carefully orchestrated life.

--In the Fade looks like a good possibility. A woman is devastated when her husband and son are killed in a bomb blast. First the search for the killers and then the trial, is tense as she does everting possibly to find guilty the accused couple form the neo-Nazi scene.

The Answer:

Number one is New York. Next is Las Vegas followed by Paris, New Orleans, London (Ontario Canada), Sidney, Honolulu, Miami, LA, Amsterdam, Orlando, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Tokyo and #15 San Fran.  Other American cities in the Top 25 are Key West, DC, Boston and San Diego.

I wish President Trump had gone to California like most other presidents -- just to see to see my friend who is a great admirer of his bravado and his agenda. She is near her final days and she would have given him a laugh or two, and probably some good advice too. That’s the problem when politicians look at only statistics, they miss the people.

Well, have great New Year everybody. But then, I wish you well every day.

Hot spots.

Today's Tids Issue 4,026

For Stability:

This is supposed to be a peaceful week, but if you are at all aware of anything other than returning gifts, you have to look at next year as one that could be tenuous with regards to global conflicts and serious disruptions to peace. I hear US Generals speaking a bit more often about war for 2018. They know more than we do. We may be looking at short term freezing today, but in the longer outlook we could be seeing seriously hot wars. The Global Conflict Tacker lists 28 serious hot spots, with the NK problem being just one of the most prominent. We still have the Taliban strong in Afghanistan, growing Islamic militancy in Nuke power Pakistan, the instability in the Ukraine, an increasingly mysterious Turkey, India-Pakistan tensions and yes even uncontrolled Criminal activity in Mexico which could erupt – just to name a few. Africa is a powder keg in several regions and you never know about the Middle East. I only open Today’s Tids with such a sour mind jogger to remind us that there are lots of serious considerations for 2018, and that for sure rebuilding our military capabilities and reorienting strategies should be at the top of the list.

“Once you have chosen Hope, anything is possible.” – Christopher Reeve.

The estimate for returned Christmas gifts this year is $90 Billion!! Holy Cow! That’s a lot of mistakes.

Elon Musk is not a men’s cologne.

The Question:

When decluttering a house for selling, there are three well known philosophies which can guide you. Name them.

The Headlines:

--Wall Street Opens Higher As Slow Year End Week Continues; Tech Stocks Revitalized;  New Jobless Benefits Stay Steady; 21 Big Retailers Closed Stores During Year.

--Ray Moore Seeks New Alabama Election; Suing To Block Certification Of Results.

--IS Claims Responsibility For Blast that Kills 41 In Afghan Shiite Center.

--Meghan Markle’s Family Upset With Harry’s Comments, “ …And It’s The Family (His) I Suppose That She’s (Megan) Never Had.”

--South Korea Says It Could Close Bitcoin Exchanges.

Just what the world needs, the Harry and Barack show.

I shouldn’t tell you this because it might have an effect on my retirement plan, but Mega Millions and Power Ball have huge $300 Million plus pots of dough for their Friday (Mega) and Saturday (PB) Night drawings.

Actually, those big lottery pots would be less than10 NCAA football coaches 5-year contracts.

Are you really traveling if you just go to places where the weather is different but the people are the same?

There was probably a time when golf super stars could turn it on when they wanted and win a tournament or major or two. But former number one’s Rory McElroy, Adam Scott, Jason Day and even Tiger Woods who are looking at 2018 is a year which to return to their former star places on the list of best golfers, may find the fairways a bit tighter. There are just so many new emerging golfers that even Jordan Spieth may be following some young hotshot who has his eyes on Number one in the world. I’m looking forward to a great season.

“Free and Open” means different things to different people. For some it is when the government is in charge, and for others it is when it is unregulated free enterprise capitalism. As you can see, there is little room for understanding, and that is the problem.

Dolphins are so smart, that after just about 3 weeks in captivity they have trained humans to stand by the side of the pool and toss them fish.

I’m not looking forward to picking the NFL winners today. There are just two many teams resting players or not in it for anything. Couple that with numbing weather for the weekend, and upsets could abound. For instance, take LA Rams versus San Fran. The Rams are powerful but the QB, all-star runner and several “D” line men are resting. That opens the door for red hot Garoppolo. I’m seeing the Niners keeping it going. I don’t believe the Pats will rest anybody because they like the home field advantage, and need to beat the so-so Jets to keep it. I think its Indy beating Houston, Detroit over GB, Minn over Chi and Baltimore taking Cinncy. Buffalo is in it, and even though they are away at Miami they are loving the heat down there versus their stormy home on Lake Erie. And the Bills still have a chance. KC is also resting key players, so I am going with Denver needing to restore a little respect. I’ll take Wash over NYG, Philly over Dallas and Pitt over poor Cleveland. The Charger Oakland game could be one of the better ones, with LAC needing it and Oakland craving a win. Chargers for me. Seattle needs a win and they should beat Arizona. I like Jax over Tenn in a very close important tussle and New Orleans over TB. Atlanta and Carolina are both playoff bound and are playing for seeds and advantages. Tough game to pick. But I’m going with Cam Newton. As we enter the final week, the Tids pickers are 170-70 (71%). Better than last year. Now, they’ll want a bonus.

The left is outraged at the VF satire of Hilary Clinton. That includes laugh-a-minute lefties like Kathie Griffith who thought it funny to display a severed head of President Trump. The left, the definition of intolerance.

Craft beer sales seem dominant across our landscape, that is if you read the any CB articles or see the special interest pieces on TV. But the Craft beer portion of the total industry is 12.3%. Some times we get hoodwinked by articles of political or cultural trends. But the facts always remain that the whole is always truly larger than emotional anecdotes. We often see disc-gruntled people interviewed about some subject, and the minds of the uninformed quickly projects the few to a universe. The media looks for the negatives because that’s where he news is – even when the positives are far more common. Alleged criminals are persecuted in the news, before trials. And, of course on regular basis, politicians just plain abuse reality.

I used the beer info to make a point about over exuberant extrapolation, but in all honesty, the Craft beer biz is doing quite well. In fact the 12.3% barrels share was up 6.2% from the previous year, in a year where overall beer sales showed no growth. What is really interesting is that the value of Craft beer sales is 23.5% of the overall beer market of $107.6 Billion. See. There are a lot of ways to look at stats, and one of them is honestly.  

I like the new boxes for the renamed Restoration Hardware store. The new name is “RH”, my initials. The design is refined and understated, just like me. They will be great to hold all of the special stuff of a hoarder like me.

Satire and sarcasm have been basically relegated out of existence by fake news and bombastic commentators because there are so many anxious people who can’t see what they are reading, or hear what is being said.

Money talks, but all mine ever says is “Good Bye”.

The Answer:

The three philosophical choices available when prepping a house for resale are Feng Shui, The KonMari Method and The 90/90 Rule (Minimalism). Feng Shui is about harmony and balance requiring small changes to the color, decor and furniture arrangement from front door to the bathroom. The Bathroom? In the KonMari method, you take all of your possessions, lay out categorically – clothes first ad sentimental pieces last. Then you pick up and hold each item in your hand and decide if it brings you joy. Yikes! Everything brings me joy except maybe an apple corer. The 90/90 rule is a bit simpler. You once again get out all of your stuff and hold each item asking have I used this in the last 90 days, or will I in the next 90 days. If not toss it. I have an easier way. Take half of all your stuff and hide it under the bed, sofas and stuffed chairs until the house sale is closed.

I have a couple of things I worry about, the stock market and war. I like cooler wars and hotter markets.

See you all tomorrow.

Thanks to the daily comics pages for some good ideas.

Bring back Clotheslines.

Today's Tids Issue 4,025

For Freshness:

Even the Tids were of simpler times, that is before the editor decided to pontificate more than educate and help cachinnate. But pontification is hard if you don’t know your punctuation. Commas, and colons and apostrophes can get in the way of common sense with result of non-sense. But worse, is that pontification in itself assumes that someone is actually more aware of life than others. And I certainly don’t believe that. So, I’m truncating, pontificating.

Let’s see, they use sun and wind for saving energy, but they throw washed clothes into energy consuming dryers. There was a time when the wind and the sun freshened clothes without additives that say “As Fresh As Outside”. The only energy consumed in those days was from snapping clothespins and flapping jaws over the fence at the neighbor next door. And when you dressed to start the morning, or slipped beneath the sheets after a long day, you lived the energy of nature. 

I worry about kids today thinking they know everything, simply because everything is so readily available on the Internet. Our future maybe loaded with more difficult employees, patients, children and friends.

The Question:

Triple Header! 1. The play Peter Pan opened in London in 1904 with a descriptive subtitle. What was that subtitle? 2. What was the name of the ship that Darwin used to sail around the world? 3. In 1927 a stunning show about the old south with music by Jerome Kern and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein opened on Broadway. Name it.

The Headlines:

--Stocks Open Higher.

--Snow and Severe Cold Hits Midwest and Northeast; Frigid Temps Dip Into Sunny South..

--China Halts Oil Product Exports To North Korea.

--Many Americans Rushing Out To Prepay Property Taxes To Beat New Law; Town Financial Managers Shout Alleluia.

--Suspicious Fruit Cake Halts Seattle Ferry; Say What?

--Bitcoin Roller-Coaster Continues.

--Defectors From NK Show Signs Of Radiation Exposure And Anthrax.

--Israel Transportation Minister Thinking Of Naming Jerusalem Train Station After trump.

Last night’s Kennedy Center Honor’s show looked a lot like the Democrat National Convention. I expected Bill Clinton to lead the singing of “All night Long.” While Streep and Hillary chortled and clapped together.

The left likes their opinions on climate change to go viral on the many social media outlets. They like the apparent innocence of digital devices as opposed to the ugly industrial behemoths of the past. But we know from experience, that many talk so much and know so little. For starters let’s consider that spam email generates emissions of 0.3 grams of carbon dioxide per message.  If you multiply that by the approximately 85 trillion spam messages in a year, you are essentially creating carbon emissions equal to driving a car around the world 1.8 million times. A Google search is estimated to be from 0.3 to 7 grams. Those are just for starters. Think of the total picture -- from sending endless selfies to damming tweets from Hollywood gossip columnists -- and you may be looking at an ecological disaster. Yes, all in digital land is not pure. Ponder that massive server farms require operating power and even more to air condition the sites. For cost purposes, companies are moving these giant facilities to China and India, where there is an even greater reliance on fossil fuel for power. You can get the picture in just this little Tidlet why groups like Greenpeace may be turning their eyes away from Captain Ahab to Tim Fox. And, I haven’t even gotten into the toxic problems of manufacturing, massive material consumption and disposing of billions of throw-away digital marvels.

When cats get together for an Internet discussion, it’s called a Pawed-cast.

Lawyers are already making money off of disgruntled bitcoin investors. Most of the people touting this phenomenon don’t give straight answers to simple questions looking for some sort of substance. It appears that if big banks get really interested in Cryptocurrency, they could replace BitCoins with a brand of their own. Talk about a confusing, potentially unstable marketplace.

If you don’t have a streaming service, it’s tough for Tv addicts to get through this week of repeats.

Old giant companies like GE and Westinghouse created and sold appliances primarily so they could increase electrical power consumption t which would in turn require pawer companies to buy more generation and distribution equipment – where the real money was. Companies like Verizon and  Amazon facilitate the sale of digital devices to make it easier for consumers to buy services – where the real money is.

Everything is the same it just looks different.

The Answer:

Ready. 1. The original longer name of the play Peter Pan was “Peter Pan”: The Boy who wouldn’t grow up”. 2. Darwin’s ship is a favorite of Snoopy – HMS Beagle. 3. In 1927, a rather great year in American cultural history, Sow boat started its long successful run on Broadway. It got people thinking as well as dancing and singing.

I think I’ll walk by the sea, today. The frozen cold on the salty water creates images not of man, but of a wonderment we cannot see.

A Brewhaha: a place where customers joke about their coffee.

Today's Tids Issue 4,024

For the Winter Hiatus:

Relaxed? Savoring smiles, surprises and sentiments from Christmas Eve and day. Wondering why husbands were ever allowed to buy presents. I say, as I put another shirt in the Christmases past drawer. Ah the rituals and traditions of Christmas; some quirky and others majestic. But mostly the magic of Christmas is human, which seems to say a lot considering these digital days. So, I wish you a relaxing week. This passage in time between excesses which in my mind has always been the most stress free of all. Whether in a high-powered job or just working to figure out what you are going to do each day, it is a week where outside pressure seems to diminish like the quiet of a fully pile of drifting, newly fallen snow.

If the worst thing that happens to you to day is that opening bad pun, then you all are going to be alright.

On last Friday night I was tuning through the TV channels when I saw, “I Love Lucy Christmas Special”. I thought immediately that I have seen most of the Lucy stuff. So, started to click on. But, a funny thing happened on the way to the Cheeto’s vault – I watched, and it sucked me in. Even as I was able to predict pretty much what would come next, I found myself watching intently. When the first half hour was over, I watched a second and was equally rewarded. What makes that simple comedy so enjoyable, when I find myself having trouble staying with today’s versions of TV comedy. Maybe I’m just a simple man. Maybe Lucy and Ricky and Fred and Ethel were that good, special. Maybe I just don’t do “edgy” well.  

I hearing of a movement that has as its slogan, “Principle over Party. Yes, I believe the best first thing for all would be the dissolution of factions and parties, a theoretical return to where success is measured by broad human satisfaction and simply a number on a scorecard.

When couple are getting married they seem to look for “Open Concept” houses. As they have children and families grow they find they need a “Used Lego Storage” room. At least.

The Question:

We are entering the meaningful part of College Football Bowl Season. There are five so-called major conferences -- the Big 10, Big 12, SEC, ACC and Pac 12. Which of these has had the best bowl record over the last ten years. Bonus: What are the largest ancestry or ethnic groups in the USA?

The Headlines:

--Weak IPhone X Sales Has Apple Pulling Down Dow; Apple Shares Could Have Worst Day As Rumors Indicate Sales Goals Lowered To 30 Million From 50M; Rest Of Market Not Energetic Entering The Slowest week.

--Retail Sales Soared Higher Than Rudolph; Analysts See Huge Win For Retail Sector.

--US’s Nicki Haley Cuts UN Contribution By $285 Mil..

--Topless feminist “Sextremist” Grabs Baby Jesus Out Of Vatican Creche.

The local discussions in Mid-Maine revolve the takeover of a productive seaweed harvesting and processing company by big Dupont. Locals are asking if this means new hip all-natural warhead and explosives with no GMOS. This could be a win-win for warmongers and vegetarians.

Do you think that journalism majors in colleges are having second thoughts about their chosen profession because of all the about the suspiciousness surrounding their elected field? Probably not, but they would surely like to see the great old profession get its respect back A group of Journalism students at Yale held a contest asking smart tech students to find away to eliminate fake news from the Internet. A winning team made of students from several colleges and recent grads in workplaces came up with “Open Mind”, a browser extension which would block obvious made up news, and direct users to areas of proven reliable, fair news without bias. Very interesting. Everybody would be better off, especially good journalists.

Did you see where a couple of guys who have been best friends for over 60 years have just found out they are biological brothers. Merry Christmas,]

Probably the most tedious sport to watch is College Basketball with all of that deliberate fouling for the last minute and a half. It may be a strategy that helps some teams win games, but I believe it takes away from the efforts of the previous 38 ½ minutes. In addition. Most teams look pretty much the same.

A democrat analyst and known expert on foreign affairs said on some program I was watching, “Trump made the right move on The Ukraine, but he will probably discredit his accomplishment with some bellicose statement. It’s too bad, says that Democrat. But, most Dems love the fact that continually redirects the spotlight away from some of the good things he is doing.

A person commenting on Tax reform says that he hopes the generosity shown to corporations will loosen up the “Quarterly Report Jockey’s. Often attention to the quarterly demands of WS, has the CEO. sacrifices spending decisions for a more secure future. future. This is particularly true these days as older big companies are being encroached upon by the fast-changing technology. It takes money and time to alter a formerly successful course.

The Answer:

The three top Conferences are the SEC – 112-66, Pac 12 – 79-68 and Big 12 – 74-61. The losers are Big 10 – 60-90 and ACC 60-101. They say bowl owners love the big Ten because they bring big crowds, but it looks like that it may be at the urging of the opponents who see a good chance of winning.  Bonus: Germans are the largest heritage, ancestry group in America with about 49.2 million. There have been many arguments on how to treat Black African Americans, which is more about race than ethnicity. In past years they have segmented by country of origin, like Nigeria and or South Africa. But in the latest report they have been designated as part of the larger definition – Sub-Saharan Black Africans to account for overall slavery ancestry. That now pushes the group to second with is 41.2M. Next is Irish (35,5), Mexican (31.8), English (27), Italian (17.90, Polish (9.7), French (9.1), Scottish 5.7, Scotch-Irish (5.1) and Native Americans (4.9). Note:19 million who have mixed ethnic backgrounds o little info of their past, say they are “Americans”. This is mainly in the South US.

Nice to be back to my hum drum self after singing with angels the past few days; a return to sugarless days and simple quiet. But, I do miss the laughs, and looks in the eyes of family members appreciating each other, and the thrill of feeling sugar race thought my veins and arteries. 

Winding down.

Today's Tids Issue 4,023

For Joy: For the Love Beyond the Starry Mantle.

I was going to make this my Merry Christmas-to-all, end-of-the-week Tids. But there are too many housekeeping chores left undone, like the Football Picks and Movie reviews, and of course assorted thoughts and observations of incredulous human idiosyncrasies. And who knows, perhaps one more bad pun. So, for many of you who are looking for uncluttered relaxation after a workweek, and others just looking a few days ahead to the simple joy of getting together with people you love, I will make this Tids painless, hoping not to interrupt your pleasant non-violent visions of sugar plum fairies and bellies that shake like a bowl full of jelly.

Today’s business headline: BitCoins Drop 25% in 24 Hours.” So, what did you expect?

I’m bothered by the news that the Pope will be presiding over the funeral of the real sex abuse enabler, apparently unremorseful Bernard Law. Some will say the Pope’s presence represents the church’s ability to forgive. But, I think that for forgiveness we need a little humility first. And I have seen nothing in Law but arrogance. Law has gotten away with everything and the victims still feel the pain.

Someday when I grow up I’d like to be Daniel Barenboim conducting Beethoven’s Ninth before a symphony orchestra with massive chorus on a magnificent, gigantic stage. Standing there at the podium, looking at was before me, I’d be so overcome with emotion that I’d probably never be able to lift my baton. But, it’s a great dream. I feel the chills. Or, am I coming down with a cold.

The Question:

Who wrote the lyrics for the Chorale in Beethoven’s 9^th? Bonus: What were considered the biggest movie flops for 2017?

The Headlines:

--Markets Slightly Lower; Consumer Spending Up More That Anticipated; Demand For Durable Goods Rises; Consumer Savings Drop.

--Congress Pass Bill To Avert Shutdown; Same Problem Will Arise In Late January.

--Nicki Stares Down Generally Assembly As They Vote To Nix Trump’s Condoning Of Jerusalem As Israel capital; Netanyahu: Several Countries Panning To Move Embassies To Jerusalem..

--Papa John Pizza Founder, CEO Out After Criticizing Kaepernick Kneeling Atrocity; Matt Damon May be Shunned Because Of is rational Statements About Sex Abuse.

--VP Mike Pence Makes Surprise Visit To troops In Afghanistan; VP Tells News People that The Admin and He Fully Supports The Mueller Investigation..

--Judge Throws Out Suit Against Trump For Business Practices.

--Great Sports caster Dick Enberg, 82, Found Dead At Home.

There are more and more types of crackers popping up on grocery store shelves. Many are based on unique and mysterious, supposedly healthful grains from far-away places. But to me, after all of these years of innovation, I’ll take a Saltine anytime over anything. It has the right crunch, flaky texture, nice tinge of salt, and doesn’t get in the way of the taste of what’s on it.

We live in a world of smart marketers who know how to take advantage of a human need to authenticate their lives. Yes, a lot of people will pay more than necessary simply for the word “Natural”, “No GMO’s” and “Lactose” of “Gluten free”.

BTW, The Academies of Science and Cornell Alliance for Science have concluded that GMO’s don’t cause cancer, obesity, gastrointestinal illnesses, kidney disease, autism or any allergies. However, GMO hysteria might be injurious to your common sense.

People in the news I could care less about: Alex Guerrero.

Ski Jumpers are inclined to be fast.

Our NFL Pickers had a decent week bringing our yearly percentage back to 70% (157-67). The only problem with late in the year picks is determining which teams still feel like playing. Probably the three most meaningful games where both teams have a shot at something are Falcons-Saints, Patriots-Bills and Seahawks-Cowboys. Others with hope for the playoffs are the Lions, Titans, Ravens, Chargers and Chiefs. Without question the game of the week is NO against Atlanta, and I’m going with NO. The Seahawks looked dreadful last week, and who knows which Cowboy team will show up. I’m expecting the Seattle team to be mad. The Bills-Pats game is a poser too. The Bills need it to continue towards a playoff spot. They are good, but the Pats who can continue to lock up home field advantage is also looking reasonably good. I’ll stay with my team. I expect Ravens to stay in the race beating the Colts and the Titans to lose out versus the suddenly powerful Rams. I’m picking the lions over the Bengals, Chiefs over Dolphins and Chargers over Jets. For the rest I have Vikes over the Pack, Browns over the Bears, Panthers over Bucs, Skins over Broncs, Jags to halt the Niners win streak, Cards over Giants, Eagles over Raiders and Steelers over Texans. No, that is not a typo – I said Browns to beat Bears.

Interestingly, brick and mortar stores now have the decided edge over online during these last-minute shopping days. You can see it, touch it, pay for it and bring it home, just like magic. No agita waiting for UPS of FedEx. How refreshing. – pay for it and bring it home.

I just hope that the big money fascination with Bit Coins does not interrupt an orderly market.

It appears that two areas where the new tax bill could inflict pain are companies with large debt interest, and people with large alimony payment deductions. Maybe there will be a premium put on better management of businesses and marriages.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--When Winston Churchill is on the Screen, people listen. And, they are saying that nobody has made Winston look better than Actor Gary Oldman. But, of course the power of the words are from Britain’s great PM, the man himself; the moving orator. This film is about the severe threat of a Nazi invasion and the drama at Dunkirk, a time in history when all eyes are on the newly installed PM. I’ll go.

--Jumanji is four HS kids becoming avatars in a game after discovering old computer game. They are drawn into the jungle and the adventure begins.

--The Pitch Perfect franchise has been an enduring series. This time the girls have a reunion following a post college break up. At a USO tour, they become involved in an international conspiracy. Probably ok for most, but the Critics don’ like it.

The Answer:

Frederick Shiller’s “Ode to Joy” was Ludwig’s inspiration for probably the greatest symphony every written. Bonus: Here’s the Top Ten list of big budget highly promoted movies that audiences shunned: “A Cure for Wellness”, “Tulip Fever”, “The House” (Ferrell-Proehler), “Collide”, “King Arthur: The Last Sword”, “Ghost in the Shells”, “CHiPs”, “Mother”, “Unforgettable” and “Life”.

You may know that Beethoven was deaf when we he went to the premiere of his master work. At the end the applause was deafening, but the audience recognizing the master’s hearing loss, through their hats and scarfs into the air so he could see and feel their appreciation.

Take the time to feel the Joy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChygZLpJDNE

Optimism can’t be beat.

Today's Tids Issue 4,022

For Believing:

I believe in Santa Claus. I believe in and crave all of the lovely traditions founded in love and togetherness. I remember my wide-eyed excitement for gifts I received from the jolly old guy, and even more so, the glow on faces of those receiving my gifts. (Although, I do seem to remember expressions of bewilderment!) Yes, I would never not like to stop believing in the mystique of a jolly old gent traveling the world; feeling the pounding of all of those happy heart beats of kids anticipating a glorious morning. Santa is about giving without reservation, of being real nice and not naughty; of laying out cookies for the old guy and carrots for the magical reindeer. Santa is about swelling hearts, and wrapping arms around people we love.

If I have ever believed in anything, it is that the glass is half full. I have had reasons to be down, and certainly many more to be walking on clouds. But what I have noticed over many years is that the seemingly bleakest of moments are never ever as bad as they may seem. There is always up, and that’s the road I take.

This is the true day of hope when prolonged darkness begins to recede as the days get longer on the way to June 21. We’ll be seeing a little more sun each day now, which is about as good as it gets.

I’m liking Nicki Haley as our next President.

The Question:

Who are these people: Lisa Gerritson, Louis Washkansky, Michelle Hurd, Jane Kaczmerek?

The Headlines:

--Repubs Celebrate Passage Of Tax Bill; Small Biz Owners Happy.

--Congress Running Hard to Avoid Shutdown; Likely That New Repub Stripped Down Bill Will Keep Country Going And Extend Decision On Tough Stuff Until Mid-January

--Stocks Uneven, Lagging Enthusiasm Of Tax Bill; Jobless Claims Up Unexpectedly; Strong 3.2% GDP Number Expected To Stimulate Market..

--Several Large Corporations Respond To Passage Of Tax Bill By Offering Employees Healthy Bonuses; AT&T Will Give 200,000 Employees $1,000 Each.

--Swiss Regulator Says JP Morgan Violated Money Laundering Rules.

--Some In Media Begrudgingly Admitting To Some Trump Admin Accomplishments; Dem Lawmaker Manchin Seeing Some Good In Tax Bill.

--Virginia Seat Vote That Yesterday Gave Dem Win By 1 Vote, Now Determined To Be A Tie; Seat That Will Set Balance Of Power In Va State House Could Now Be Determined By Random Drawing.

One of the reasons I see for the surprising upsets in College basketball is that lesser teams of Solid Seniors can put experience together to beat prestige teams of frivolous freshmen.

I was driving behind a delivery vehicle of the US Postal Service yesterday wondering why this unit of the government hasn’t changed the name to Neutral Gender Truck.

Some Northeast colleges are dropping the phrase “Freshmen” in favor of “Incoming or First Year Students”. Why do so many people sit around dwelling on how unhappy they are about words?

Dems right now respond to anything Republican as sure to bring death to innocents, infestations of locusts. I think when people realize they are not seeing bodies of children lying in the streets, that they may determine that Dems can be a little hyperbolic. That is, if they remember what the Dems said in the first place. Or should I say, if the media lets them remember.

Labeling is the current most irritable tactic of politicians, and it is way out of control. I think a a vast majority of people look at the nonsense and think, “I’m just me and damn proud of it”.

The Answer:

Lisa Gerritson was a pretty accomplished child actor best known for her role as the daughter of Phyllis Lindstrom (Cloris Leachman) on the Mary Tyler Moore show and the spin-off, Phyllis. Louis Washkansky was the first person to receive a heart transplant. Michelle Hurd moved into the spotlight co-starring with Chris Meloni and Mariska Hartigay in the first season of L&O SVU, and is currently a regular on TV’s Lethal Weapon. Jane Kaczmerek has been nominated for 7 Emmy’s and 3 GG’s. Her best-known role was as Lois in Malcom in the Middle. I remember her as excellent playing DeNiro’s wife in the film “Falling in Love” also starring Merrill Streep as the other woman.?

BTW, Falling in Love was an interesting and entertaining movie about two happily married strangers who meet on a commuter train, and eventually fall in love. In the end when DeNiro tells his wife Kaczmerek that he never slept with Streep, she tells him, “That’s the problem. If you had only slept with her.”

Here’ s a nice melodic introduction the beauty of Christmas Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cP26ndrmtg

Lift up our eyes.

Today's Tids Issue 4,021

For the Propagation of People Enjoying People:

A lot of people are touting drones as a better way to take selfies. All of that technology for a better picture of one’s self? I have seen large investments being devoted to other new businesses built around taking selfies. I don’t get it. I don’t even look good in pics.

I like that TV commercial where a little girl is staring out a car window at people of all races and ages and genders standing in the city streets looking at their smart phones. The little girl rubs and shakes a snow globe, making a wish. Suddenly, softly, snow starts falling upon the people and music rises. They, one by one look up from their phones and begin to notice that there is indeed a beautiful world beyond technology; the smiles broaden and one by one they begin talking to each other and finally happily dancing together. The little girls smiles. And, I do too.

It has been determined that 99% of robocalls, which are currently a serious societal disease of epidemic proportions, are made illegally and virtually impossible to stop through the “Do Not call Registry”. In fact, statistics say that one successfully completed scam call can finance 100,000 additional illegal calls. “Do not call” does not seem to be working against the illegal computer-generated calling. There is only one successful remedy. “Do not answer”, even if the call looks like your next-door neighbor.

Why don’t I feel depressed at missing out on the cryptocurrency boom? I think I have reached the inert stage of life.

The Changing Times Department: The new tax bill bars deducting payouts to sexual misconduct victims. Yikes.

The five best Christmas Beers you may want to consider for your guests, (Or for sitting alone, sulking in your garage after not getting what you want for Christmas) are St. Bernard’s Christmas Ale, Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Delerium Noel, Troegs Mad Elf, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Bells Christmas Ale, Anchor Brewing Company Our Special Ale, 12 dogs of Christmas Ales, Samuel Adams Holiday Porter and Affligem Noel Christmas Ale. Raise a mug and sing out “God rest ye merry Gentlemen”… and Ladies of course.

The Question:

Name the Top Ten all-time Christmas movies.

The Headlines:

--Senate Joins House In Passing Tax Reform Bill; Wall Street Resting; Tax Bill Could Produce 10% House Price Drop In More Expensive Neighborhoods.

--Uber Designated A “Transportation Company” By EU Court; Blow To Car Sharer Could Also Affect Other Digital Services.

--Boston’s Infamous Cardinal Law Dies.

--Celebrity Cruise Ship Tour Bus Crashes Killing At Least 12, Injuring Many; 7 Americans Among the Dead.

--Return Of Powerful Santa Ana Winds Reinvigorates Big Cal Fire.

--NYC”s Mayor DiBlasio Tells Iowa Dems To Move left To Win.

--SK Would Like To post Pone Military Drills With US Until After Olympics; NK Said To Be Testing Idea of Anthrax Missile Warheads.

--Chloe Kohansky Named The Voice; Addison, Brooke And Red Are 2, 3, 4.

--Recount For Virginia Statehouse Seat Gives Dem 1 Vote Win Over Repubs: State House Now Tied 50-50.

That Uber call by the EU court could be quite significant for all of those digital emerging industries who definitely don’t like being defined as what they are. Uber likes its own definition as “A Marketplace to connect people for services’. Now in much of Europe it is a Taxi Company, pure and simple. Other companies not liking to be ruled by regulations are for instance AirBNB, which considers itself “a technology platform” as opposed to being a “Housing provide”, which of course it is. Many other digital gold mines want to be only considered helpful apps, that shouldn’t be held responsible fro what they actually do. England has ruled that Alphabet does not have any right to other people’s secret personal data. This British ruling was tested in Indonesia and Alphabet was forced to eliminate data as requested. Thinking out of the box is a license for a lot of people these days, but the those who do it best are those who do it considering the rules of an orderly and fair society.

There’s a lot of talk about who gets hurt most in the new tax law, almost all of politically based. Now we know that this year through intelligent estimates that 45% of Americans do not pay any taxes. So that means that the poorest of the Americans will not be affected. We also know that the Treasury collects $1.37 Trillion and that the top 1% of wage earners pays $542 Billion. I fact, the top 10% pays $973 Billion or a little over 70% of all taxes. The top 25% of wage earners pays $1.255 Trillion, 86% of all taxes. The bottom half of American wage earners only pay 2.8% of its income in taxes. But the rhetoric would have you believe that the less able to pay are getting hurt real bad, and that somehow the people who have been most successful creating businesses for jobs and wealth often designated to charities are getting a huge break. As always there is a happy medium in these discussions which politicians just find impossible to achieve.

There’s no truth to the rumor that President Trump’s main interest in the Olympics is watching how high the Mexican team pole vaults.

Harvard has ruled that no student can be a team’s captain or hold a leadership position in an organization if they are a member of any club or organization whose membership is limited to a single sex (i.e. – Fraternity, Sorority). Ah yes, our enlightened academia.

Did you know that one of the big difficulties that Dem and Repub admins have had in determining the percentage of Americans who don’t pay taxes, is trying to uncover the unknown masses who don’t even file!

Today’s super smart Artificial Intelligence software writers are probably creating robots who in 10-15 years will be able to write software to propagate their own future better than humans. That will be just in time for the next tax Code revision.

Midweek, Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--I’ll be going to see “The Greatest Showman” starring one of them – Hugh Jackman. It is like a Broadway musical based on a life that of Barnum. It has pathos, a bit of a fairy tale and lot of music as we see the greatest promoter rise from nothing to bring magic to the world. And this movie is pure magic and good fun. Good acting and a whole lot energy in this film about a juvenile thief-swindler-turned super showman.

Did you see where sad faced Rosie O’Donnell sent a tweet offering GOP Senators Collins and Flake each $2 Million to vote against the Tax Bill. Does that sound like offering a bribe to you? Are celebs actually that arrogant?

New defense in court: “I’m a celebrity.” It rhymes with insanity and is better known as the vanity exclusion.

The Answer:

Number One is probably no surprise – “It’s a Wonderful Life”. The rest in order are “The Christmas Story”, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Home Alone”, “Miracle on 34^th Street”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, “Elf”, “Rudolph” and “The Santa Clause (Tim Allen)”. One of the best ever, “A Christmas Carol” only shows up at 19, and the original 1938 version is nowhere to be seen. BTW, 2 slots ahead of The Christmas Carol is “Die Hard”! Bing Crosby’s White Christmas is #11, and his “Holiday Inn” which introduced the song White Christmas is #25. What about the “Bells of Saint Mary’s”?

Today’s Addition to our eclectic week before Christmas song list is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbviXG_56ss

The best gifts.

Today's Tids Issue 4,020

For treasures within:

I drift back to a quieter time

When life was tough,

Though more sublime.

When folks had just enough.

But were happy with less,

Having Families full of love.

When homes seemed blessed

With bounties from above.

Humble and Kind was song sung last night on the Voice by16 year old singer Addison Agen, who before the final lyrics broke down in tears. She felt her words that much. “Humble and Kind”. What a great title for this season we are in. Included in the song are phrases like, “Go to church because your mama says to. Visit grandma and pa every time you can, it won’t be a waste of time.” It goes on, “Hold the door, say please, thank you; Don’t steal, don’t cheat, don’t lie.’ And, “Don’t expect a free ride from no one. Don’t hold a grudge or a chip and here’s why. Bitterness keeps you from flying.” “Let yourself feel the pride, but always stay humble and kind.” It was written by Tim McGraw.

After Sunday’s game with the Steelers, Pat’s tight end Rob Gronkowski was asked how he felt after what proved to be the game sealing catch, He answered, “That it felt real good.” He went on and said, “I’d like that feeling 24-7, every day of every week.” There are so many natural ways to get high in this world of ours. How thrilled is your heart when you see a person you love; or you hear music that sets you floating off the ground. And how many times after an accomplishment do hve that feeling that could never be matched by artificial alternatives. Life is full of perfect highs, and most of the time they are just sitting there to be taken… within yourself.

The Question:

What color were Bette Davis Eyes? Bonus: What was double Grammy Winner Kim Carnes other hit?

The Headlines:

--Apple And Tech Stocks Pull Down Dow In Opening Hours; Tax Bill Vote Holding Back Investors; Dow Could Bring $25K Christmas Present.

--Train In Washington Derailment That Killed At Least 3 and Injured Over 70 Said To Have Been Traveling At 80mph In 30mph Zone

--Senate And House Expected To Vote On And Pass Tax Bill Today.

--California Thompson Fire: “Fire Fighters Have Never Seen Anything like This”; More Structures threatened As Blaze Moves To Become 2^nd Largest In History.

--Saudis Intercept Another Missile Fired By Yemen.

--Ex Conn Dem Senator Lieberman Says Trump Is Right To Focus On America First In Defense And Foreign relations; Trump Speech Yesterday Shows President Is “Fully Engaged In The World To Promote Our Security, Our Freedom, Our Prosperity”.

Peruvian Rorshach tests are Inca blots.

The “Bacon of the Month” Club. I have never been much of a joiner, but, that has possibilities.

“Bette Davis Eyes”. When the Voice singer Chloe Kohanski began her run of ITunes Number 1 Hits, I said to myself, she is a natural for that great old Kim Carnes tune. Last night she sang it in the final session and I liked it a lot. She also displayed her ability to take command of the stage like no other performer in this competition. But, in fact her original tune, “Wish I didn’t Love You” was even better, giving her an early #1 spot on ITunes sales rankings. But, she fell to #2 when the “Tennessee Rain” effort by Addison Agen blew by her later this morning. Now it seems that all of the voting enthusiasm revolves around those two singers, even as Brooke Simpson beings to make headway. Brooke was good with “Oh Holy Night”, but didn’t thrill me with her other two. Old country boy Red Marlow may have had the best of the night with his Bob Dylan through Garth Brooks rendition of “To Make You feel My Love”. It was perfect in many ways. He will be number one on the Country Charts for sure. The best duo of the night for me was Adam and Addison with beautiful, tender song from “Once”, “Falling Slowly”. But tonight, somebody wins. After last night, I thought it a was clearly my favorite Chloe. But, I’m finding this morning that young and super talented Addison as a huge fan base, too.

ITunes Top Ten Rankings: Addison (Tennessee Rain) #1, Chloe 2 (Wish I Didn’t Love You), Red 3 (I Pray), Brooke 4 (O Holy Night, Addison 5 (Humble and Kind), Chloe 7 (Bette Davis Eyes), Brooke 8 (What is beautiful) and at #10, Addison-Adam Falling Slowly. Red as at #11 with To Make you feel My Love. The rest of the top 100 for today were dominated by old Chloe (7) and Addison (5).

The headline said, “Plastic Bag Banning Working Well In Newport.” I read that as I slipped my morning newspaper out of a… plastic bag. I looked down the street only to see a woman bending over with a plastic bag in her hand to pick up dog deposits. Then I remembered that there are still plastic bags for vegetables and fish in grocery stores that can’t use them anymore for checking out customers. I guess the town council views as more responsible citizens vegans and vegetarians, fish eaters and dog crap picker-uppers. Who says we don’t still live in a segregated society.

There have been a lot of changes at the three big Cable News Networks, Fox, CNN and MSMBC. Fox has probably been altered the most in the past several months. Fox is still number one followed by MSNBC which has made great strides over a rapidly fading CNN. The last available overall ratings for these three stations was for the month of October. The top ten cable news programs are Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Rachel Maddow, Bret Baier, The Five, Martha McCallum, Fox News Tonight (Replaced now by Laura Ingraham), Lawrence O’Donnell, America’s Newsroom and Outnumbered. CNN’s top show, Anderson Cooper, came in at #25. I have seen selective show ratings for the last couple of weeks in December. It shows that the above top10 shows are still in command, with newcomer Laura Ingraham coming solid winning her time slot. The top morning shows are Fox and Friends (1.6million), Morning Joe (1M) and New Day (656K). The biggest surprise to me is how far the Inventor of Cable News, CNN, has fallen.

The Answer:

Bette Davis had deep Blue eyes which with 1940’s color photography would often appear brown or hazel. Bonus: Kim Carnes was known as the female Rod Stewart. Her “Bette Davis Eyes” was the run-away hit of 1981. She had other pretty good songs, including a duet with Barbara Streisand, “Make No Mistake, He’s Mine”. “More Love”, “Crazy in the Night” and “I’ll be Here Where the Heart Is” were good but not big hits. She lives in Nashville where she has written for Kenny Rogers, Vince Gill and Reba McIntire. Her biggest hit as a songwriter was “Love Comes from Unexpected Places.”

I like this Christmas song with Allison Krauss and Yo-Yo Ma.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxDZjg_Igoc