Layng quietly in fields

Layng quietly in fields
Glstening lights

Friday, February 9, 2018

The United States of Kardashians.


Today's Tids Issue 4,057
For a Good Time Out:

Last night I decided to flip through all of the Cable news programs. I came to the conclusion that the United States as seen through eyes of these disparate entities is no more than one giant reality TV Program. In our new who-can-get-whom-next national mentality, I can’t tell the difference between the nation’s acerbic politics and LA Housewives, Bachelor/Bachelorette, Big Brother and Survivor. I think it is definitely time to tune out for a while.

Give me a gentle cove.
Let me think of love.
Let me feel the beauty.
Ceasing bitter acrimony;
Reducing cacophony.
It’s my patriotic duty!

I have a feeling that the SK Olympic opening night ceremonies will be pretty darn good.

The Question:
Who are the wealthiest Winter Olympics performers? Bonus: What is a Hedge School?

The Headlines:
--Congress Passes, Trump Signs Two Year Spending Deal; Defense Up $165 Bil, Domestic Up $131Bil.
--Dow Opens Higher, But Volatility Expected; WH reaffirms That Long Term Economic Fundamentals Are Solid; Cash Leaving Stock Funds.
--Olympics Games Begin; North Korea Marches Its Might.
--Tom Brady Sends Out Note Thanking Fans, NEP, Coaches Teammates And Ownership; Congratulates Philly As Gracious Winners And True Champions.
--Amazon Begins Whole Food Delivery Programs; FedEx, UPS To Feel the Pressure.
--Prominent “#MeToo” Organizer, California Legislator And Women’s Caucus Chair Cristina Garcia, Accused By Man For Genital Groping.

To paraphrase Senator Jeff Fake – The goal of the American government should be the achievement of bi-partisanship without spending more money.

Just think, if each of 320 million or so Americans vowed to make at least one less complaint, one less whine, one less bitter plea, maybe harmony would creep back again into society.

You have to wonder how long a slalom skier’s knees can last. I do four moguls and rest.

The Peter Rabbit movie came out today. I have to be honest with you, as a kid I grew to think that Farmer McGregor was the real victim. That Peter and his salad eating pals were basically thieves. Eating lettuce should be no excuse for steeling from hardworking farmers.

About five minutes ago I received an email from LL Bean, a place where I buy much of my clothes. I have always known of their Lifetime Guarantee, but hadn’t realized that this pledge based on a commitment by them and assumed moral integrity of consumers has gone awry. Too many interpreted its apparent open-endedness as being able to bring back clothing or boots et. al. worn and beaten up for many years. But, what really led to today’s memo altering the Guarantee rules was a discovery that many people were buying used LL bean equipment at yard sales and returning it for full purchase price adjustment. I think this speaks for itself.

Is falling a new trick for figure skating?

A real live example of bad reporting and so-called “fake news” occurred this morning in Boston. A long time and respected sports journalist Ron Borges was duped by a series of texts into reporting a totally false, made-up story that dominated the front and back pages of the Boston Herald. It was about Tom Brady’s reaction to the record setting SF 49’ers contract of Jimmy Garofalo. Apparently, a sports fan just started texting Borges posing as Brady’s agent. Borges bought everything. The web is so full of made up news, even seasoned journalists can’t see the difference. Propaganda has ruined civilizations.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--Beatrix Potter’s story looks good on film. Kids will like it a lot, but I have a feeling that the animal lover McGregor neighbor would bother me. I won’t have it on my list.
--So, we go from cute little rabbits to sex toys. Let’s hope the kids don’t go into the theater showing Fifty Shades Freed. It also appears that adults should stay away too, unless a you can’t get enough of that sexy series. Newly weds Christian and Ana look forward to a new paradise having left behind their shadowy figures of the past. But now on the verge of unfettered happiness, new threats arise that may jeopardize a happy ending.
--Clint Eastwood’s 15;17 To Paris takes forever to get to the rather exciting finish. It’s too much background, too much documentary.
--Permission is a tale about a couple about to get married who at their engagement part follow the idea of the Best man ‘s drunken toast to sleep around. It has unfortunate results on the future relationship. No, they do not meet Ana and Christian along the way.



The Answer:
Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White have been making the most money based on their Olympic performances. The rest of the highest net worth athletes are Snowboarder Jamie Anderson, Mikaela Shiffrin (S) and Lindsey Jocbellis (SB). At $40 Million, White – the Flying Tomato -- is way ahead of the rest. Bonus:  English 18th- 19th century Penal Laws imposed upon Ireland forbad catholic educations. The hedge schools were named after the outdoor rural areas (Near hedge rows) where children and often adults were taught all subjects by educated people, normally priests. The object was to force Catholics into Anglicanism where they would find a proper education. Many a well-educated Irishmen found their knowledge in the fields.

Happy unencumbered weekend, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!!


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