Just being Human is No Excuse.

Today's Tids Issue 4,089

For the human us all:

I often discover new likes in music past discarded. Maybe it’s maturity or experience gained from learning. While I always enjoy that wonderful feeling of new discoveries, I am even more pleased to learn that I can actually grow in my thoughts. So, maybe there is hope after all in the world of confused, uninformed hatred for others. If an old curmudgeon like me can open his eyes to new light and Musial reveries, then, well, well, I just can’t believe I’m the only one.

I don’t know about you, but I go to plays, shows, movies and athletic events for one reason: Entertainment! I don’t pay to have my head explode, nor do I feel disappointed if some supposed social issue is overlooked, replaced by a simple smile and positive thrill.  

Add to my list of those who qualify for capital punishment, Robo-Callers. And, I’m seriously considering adding entertainment critics to the list. I know, I know, this is the week for compassion and forgiveness, but have seen no evidence of God’s approval of this group of merchants and moneychangers in the temple of civilization.

Too often in this world of ours, opinions outweigh facts.

Several of you brighter than I wrote to remind me that Bolton as the NSA pick does not have to be approved by Congress. Sorry for the misinformation. Regardless, Bolton is a true lightening rod with knowledgeable people from all sides either strongly for or against him. He is not a middle ground guy. As one particularly well-informed reader told me, “Bolton has been swimming in the DC swamp since the Reagan Admin.” And, you all know about swamps – stuff clings to you.

The low point of the current NCAA Basketball championship occurred when the losing Kentucky team declined to shake hands with winners, Kansas State. Compounding the insult was coach Calipari saying it wasn’t such big deal; enabling unsportsmanship, saying it fell victim to the heat of the moment. What’s he teaching his kids (mostly one-and-doner’s who only see college as a necessary steppingstone to their NBA goal), it’s only human to be unsportsmanlike?

I always enter this week of passion with a heavy heart. I fear for a man who will be ridiculed, beaten and inflicted upon; who will cry out to his father, and wonder how he can endure what he sees around him. After all, though God, he is only human. As are we. This the week that reflects, more than any other time of the year, on being human; facing defeat and wondering why we may have been forsaken. But, we never are, are we. For within us all as humans is ability to look up and the strength to rise above..  

The Question:

What are the six components of the “Electromagnetic Spectrum”? Bonus: What great American Poet Died On Robert Frost’s Eighteenth Birthday? Extra Bonus: How do the Top Luxury cars rank in US Sales?

The Headlines:

--As Trade War Threats Fly, China And US Talking About New Agreements; US/Korea Revise Trade Deal; US Stocks Could Have Healthy Jump Today After Solid Higher Opening.

--Tragic Death Of Iowa Family Of Four In Mexican Condo Said To Be From Toxic Gas.

--6.6 Earthquake Hits Papua New Guinea; Massive Russia Mall Fires Kills 64.

--Stormy Daniels Ridicules, Dishes Dirt On President Trump; Most Of Info Had Been Released Before: Says Relation Consensual, Not Interested In #MeToo; Trump Legal Team Takes Action Following Her Comments Of Threats By Trump Lawyer.

--Homebuilding Slows As Homes Get Too Expensive For Largest Market Segment; Auto Dealers saying Cars Are Getting Too Expensive.

--Polls: FN – Economic Confidence Growing; Repubs Narrowing Mid-Term Election Congressional Voting Gap.

--Facebook In All-Out Apology Tour.

--Kids Against Guns March Organizers Say Crowd Was 850K; Crowd Analyzers Say It Was Closer To 220K; Venerable Remington Firearms Company Declares Bankruptcy.

I’ll tell you what gets my human spirit going – the smack of balls against bats and the season opening call of “Play Ball!” That’s what. It all starts again around here on Thursday. Good luck everybody – may all of your teams do you proud!

If you have been reading about Brexit the past couple of months, you would have the impression that the British Isles will sink into the Irish Sea. But, that just isn’t the way things are going in reality. In fact, the country is having an exceedingly good year with the number of people working at an all-time high and income inequality nearing a 30 year low. Manufacturing orders are pouring in, and everywhere you look you see robust economic activity. Despite Brexit angst, life is quite pleasant in foggy England. Let’s hope Wall Street sees this and revises its tendency towards overreactions to moments. The economies here and around the world are very strong, yet the street continues to overdramatize runaway negativity. That may be good for broker commissions, but not for investor sanity. Look beyond the moment.

Here’s a newspaper headline that has me perplexed: “The Lack of ‘Weather Spotters’ in Newport has made measuring snow totals difficult for the National Weather Service.” Say what?

So, the big question of the day is, “Will mother Sally Forth eat the ears off her child’s Chocolate rabbit once again this Easter morning?” I just love a good continuing plot, don’t you? But, when you think about it, many journalists create equally non-sensible, ad-nauseum stories.

The storyline that won’t go away is Stormy. (I wrote this before last night’s 60 Mins.)

A few people with microphones espouse as a good idea national internet voting on issues, when, in fact, it is basically mob rule and the first step into third world descendance.

Humans still need a lot of help and replacing them with robots is not the answer.

These new meal kits are basically somebody else’s idea of what you enjoy for dinner.

Regardless of potential legal ramifications for Trump and Cohn on the Stormy issue, a porn-star connection is not what you want to see in our White House. “It’s only Human,” doesn’t cut it. But, you have to figure that Bill Clinton is a bit envious.

Remember how Americans laughed at Italy and it’s bunga-bunga President Berlusconi’s sex parties?

Like never before, the media likes to focus on the turnover of Trumps staff. While he has been wild and unpredictable, he is not alone as for example Obama’s first communications director lasted but 92 days versus Trump’s 134 days. Obama’s interim Chief Of Staff Rouse lasted only 104 days, shorter than Priebus. As far as Comey goes, he was only the second FBI Chief ever fired. The first was William Sessions who was fired by Bill Clinton “after he refused to step down amid Personal, ethical concerns in 1993”. (There are still questions on that one – whether or not it was justified or political.) Of course, the schools today don’t teach history any more, just innuendo.

The Eternal Quest, Department:

You’d think that with all of the TV golf matches I watch that something may have rubbed off by now, that perhaps I learned something. Alas.

Did you see where Cardinal Dolan of NYC said that the Democrats have abandoned Catholics. A lot of it is about pro-life, and general demeaning of Catholics and Christians. But, more is about the restrictions against broader opinions. For instance, DNC National Chairman Tom Perez “insisted that pro-life candidates had no place in the modern Democrat party.” (Does “modern” mean giving up morals, ideals and values? Not solid Dems I know.) Former Hillary staffer Annafi Wahed says the Dem “Big Tent” is now a pup tent. She also said she attended the CPAC conference (Conservative Political Action Conference) and said, “she was made to feel welcome – a courtesy, she had to admit, would not begiven them (Conservatives) at a meeting of political liberals”. As Dolan ends his observations to is congregation In St. Pat’s, he says, “as saddened as I am to write this, it is true.”

Among other national silliness, is this obsession by the NFL to determine exactly -- what is a catch. I have solution – don’t use instant replay. Just play the game. A catch shouldn’t be determined by slow motion versus actual speed of the game.

Most of the time I just write simple factual statements or comments. But you would be surprised how often people assume them as being vicious political activism.

Do you think Trump putting Pompeo and Bolton in place is part of a strategy to scare Kim? So far there’s no word out of NK, but plenty of concerns from allies.

The Answer:

The six wave components of the Electro-Magnetic Spectrum from lowest to highest frequency are Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible Light, Ultra Violet, XRay and Gamma. Bonus: Walt Whitman died on Robert Frost’s 18^th Birthday!  Extra Bonus: Lexus leads the way with 159,080 cars sold. Next at 134,319 was BMW. The rest are Audi (109.6), Acura (106), Infiniti (78.2), Mercedes (72.7), Cadillac (68.3), Lincoln (61) and Volvo (57.7). There was a day in America when kids wanted to grow up to own a Caddy. But GM management ruined that dream in the 1980’s. The fastest growing luxury car in US sales is Hyundai’s Genesis.

Walt Whitman was nurse during the Civil War, and much of his writings at that time of unimaginable horrors that touched all, were of comforting the needs of the miserable and rejoicing in personal battles won. He wrote: “There is something in personal love, caresses, and the magnetic flood of sympathy and friendship, that does, in its way, more good than all of the medicine in the world”.