From baby blue to grouchy green.

Today's Tids Issue 4,116
For staying under control:

I may begin today with a lilting poem, An ode to happy families, comfortable at home. A tribute to those who work for all, where sacrifice is their call. Or people doing what they oughtta, while others add basically naughtta. But, as the news comes in, much to my chagrin, I’ll transform from a kindly lamb, to the raging inner Hulk I am.

On Sundays I often read the paper while the great classical masses or oratorios like Hayden’s “Creation” or Bach’s “Saint Mathews Passion” playing in the background, stir my emotions. Most of the time I follow that soothing drama with piano or violin concertos, which seem to keep the spirt of magnificence going. I always sit in the silence following wondering what was going on in the minds of those composers when I feel the music they wrote.

Warmth is relative.

No question, Labron James can do anything he wants in a game especially at crunch time when it counts. But, there are a lot of players I just enjoy watching more.

The worst Pun of the year on a big Pun site: “They tore strips off my dog before kicking him off the logging ship. He was disembarked.” I have a whole list of really bad puns, but I can’t get beyond that one. I expect a punitive reaction from my readers.

There are only 240 more shopping days left til Christmas. See if you can find me a new Book of Puns. I think I am running out.

The Question:

What is the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence? Bonus: What was the first city to reach a population of 1,000,000? Extra Bonus: The Eisenhower Interstate highway system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. Why?

The Headlines:

--Markets Expected To open Higher; Mnuchin Optomist8ic About Improved Trade; Merkel Says Europe Will Push Back If Hit With Tariffs.

--T-Mobile To Buy Sprint For $26 Billion.

--Economists Worried That Tariffs Are Neutralizing Tax Gains.

--Pompeo In Middle East Seeking Unity Against Iran.

--Huawei Developing OS Alternate To Android.

--Refugee Caravan Going Through Asylum Process.

--Vulgar Comedienne At White House Corresponds Dinner Sucks Joviality Out Of The Room; White House Correspondents Distance Themselves From Angry Jokester.

--Avengers Stets World First Weekend Box-office Record With $630,000,000.

Just think, if you spend just two minutes a day putting eye drops in your eyes, that add up to about 12 hours a year. If I take a ten-minute power nap each day, that’s about 60 hours of my year. It’s a wonder we have any time at  all to do all of the things that are important.

Last Friday, somebody asked me who I thought would be the best Democrat candidate for President in 2020. I thought and I thought and I just couldn’t put my finger on any person calling themselves a Democrat who I could see in the oval office. Nobody viable popped into my mind other than the most prominent best-known names who are East and West Coast progressives, like Bernie, Elizabeth “Ole’ One thirty-second” Warren and NY’s Kirsten Gillibrand. Jennifer Lawrence? Then I was reminded of Joe “National Plagiarist Laureate” Biden, who everybody seems to like.  And, of course, a popular Cory Booker. Two others I don’t know much about are Kamala Harris and Sherrod Brown. Unfortunately, the way things are going in the big western state, California, Senator Harris might be living in a Foreign country by 2020. Sherrod is another progressive, he with a good base from Ohio, and surprisingly has worked with DT on Nafta. The primary in 2020 year will surely be March Madness, and it’s possible that old party rocks like Biden will just say enough, I’m outta here. The real contest before the candidate could be the wrestling match between coastal elitist neo-socialist liberals and blue collar working class families that define democrats of yore.  

Somehow when listening to magnificent music, the aches and pains in my aging joints seem to disappear.

High school grammar books are parse for the course.

Some mornings I read some of the newspaper on line and some of it from the printed paper. When reading the printed paper, I often find myself glancing up to the top for the time. Is this old dog being taught new tricks?

Have you ever noticed how people can convince themselves of false narratives in order to prop up a decision to give up something they have enjoyed for years, mainly because it became difficult to adjust to change?

Celebrities who complain about leaked sex tapes probably shouldn’t make them in the first place. How hard is that to understand.

In reality, I play the Masses on Sunday morning as an alternative to getting dressed and dragging myself to church.

One of the factors not often considered about the arguments by gun haters, is that the possibility of a removal of the Second amendment might only be the first of many constitutional assaults. There are seem in out vast political community who seem to look at banana republics as models of good government. In addition to furiously advocating dismissal of the second amendment, they cry for impeachment mainly because they don’t like a person. Stability in office is what has made the “People’s” US unique in the world.

I remember violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg commenting while playing the Brahms’s violin Concerto – “I feel I like I’m listening to the voice of God?”

The Boston Celtics- Philadelphia Sixer’s NBA Playoff series should be one of the best of the year. The Sixers are in a can-do-no-wrong stretch of winning, and the Celtics are finding their play-off legs after a tough battle against Milwaukee.

If I’m ever given tickets to a Michelle Wolf comedy show, remind me to give them back.

On the night when Mike Pompei had just been approved for the very important post of Secretary of State, CBS News led its White House segment with negative stories about other cabinet positions or nominees.

I’ll give you a sure thing prediction: If the Dems take Congress, they can expect no help at all form Republicans and lots of vetos from the President.

The Answer:

Damascus Syria was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC.  Bonus: Rome hit One Million People around133BC! Extra Bonus: The one mile straight stretch of Interstate highway for every five miles was required as a safeguard for use as aircraft landing strips in times of war or other emergencies.

Here we all are in another week,

Hope each of you will reach your peak.

And accomplish all that you may seek,

With nary a day that turns out bleak.

Hyperbole is Overrated.

Today's Tids Issue 4,115

For understatement:

I think it is a big deal that President Moon of South Korea met with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. I think it is a big deal that they seemed to set the stage for peace and not conflict by agreeing to change the 1953 armistice to a peace treaty later this year.  I think it is a big deal that they pledged to remove all nuclear weapons from the peninsular. I think it is a big deal that Kim said he is looking forward to meeting President Trump in the next several weeks. Kim said: “We bade farewell to the frozen relationship between North and South Korea, which was a nightmare. And we announced the beginning of a warm spring to the world.”

Some will say I don’t believe a damn word of it. Some will say, thank God, there’s hope.

While I expect most sane Americas will see this is as a very good step in the constant battle for world peace, some will worry that Trump is might get too much credit while others will push for him to get all the credit. But that’s just here. It’s there that matters.

I could get this Tids thing done a lot faster if I didn’t have to get up and down to monitor Robo calls.

The Question:

--What are considered the five most common grammatical mistakes?

The Headlines:

--Kim Jong Un Steps Onto South Korean Territory; Movement Sparks Breakout Of Peace; NK Dictator In Near Jovial Mood.

--Germany’s Chancellor, Cool And Rational Angela Merkel, Having Working Lunch With President Trump At White House To Discuss Trade, NATO And Other Key Issues; Merkle Will Push For Tariff Exemptions For EU, and For Iran Deal.

--House Intelligence Committee Releases Findings On Russian Election Interference; 250 Page Report Finds “No Evidence That Trump Campaign Aided Russia’s Election Meddling”.

--Amazon Raises “Prime” Price From $99 To $119.

--Knife Attacker In China Kills Seven Children, Wounds 12.

--Tom Brokaw Latest To Be Accused By Several Woman Of Unwanted Sexual Advances.

--Wells-Fargo Now Under Fire For Upselling Employees Into Expensive Retirement Plans.

--Oklahoma’s QB Baker Mayfield 1^st Pick In NFL Draft.

People with a B Negative blood type are generally pessimistic.

The city of Boston approved a change requested by Red Sox owner John Henry that would remove former great owner Tom Yawky’s name from the street next to Fenway Park. He said he had been haunted by it for years. Haunted? Haunted by a man that took a deplorable, downtrodden Red Sox organization of the 1930’s and built it into the championship organization that Henry bought. Haunted? The rap on Yawky, a man who established his charitable foundations that raised and contributed hundreds of millions for Boston hospitals and charities, were allegations of racism, some perhaps legit and many built upon misinformation and innuendo. The Sox are what they are today because of Yawky, not Henry. That’s why TY is (Sorry, was) remembered. We got to get rid of these incidences of mis-rewriting the past to conform to hysteria of the movement of the moment. I’m just plain tired of tearing down icons, besmirching people for illusions beyond their primary importance. Haunted.

Well, I guess Tom Yawky now knows what it feels like to be segregated.

I can’t boycott the Red Sox in protest because I can’t afford John Henry’s ticket prices in the first place.

One thing I’m glad they haven’t found a way to dismiss: Those old clam shacks built on or near ocean marshes before environmental agencies banned everything human.

We have a politician here named Lincoln Chafee. His Dad was a truly great senator (To me). A good guy, who knew the difference between party loyalty and constituency loyalty.  In 2016 Lincoln, who has been a pretty successful Mayor and Governor and Senator, ran for President on a platform, “Bring the Metric System to the USA”. He has been ridiculed as odd from time to time. Last night I saw him interviewed and came away thinking this guy is more right than wrong. And he had another huge plus -- he is incredibly honest. He believes in things and rarely if ever backs down (Some would say that’s a minus). He was the only US Senator who voted against the war in Iraq. I’ll keep you posted.

One of the reasons the New England Patriots Don’t mind their draft picks sliding downward is because it is very expensive to pick an untested player early. In case you missed it, #1 is guaranteed $22 Million of a must sign 4-year $32.99 Million deal. #2 is guaranteed $20.98 out of a 4-year $31.49 Mill deal. And down it goes until the last pick in the first round who is guaranteed $5 Mil on $9.54 Mil 4-Year deal. BTW, the last guy picked at #256, “Mr. Irrelevant”, will get a signing bonus of $70K for a$2.428 Mil 4-Year deal.

So, why did I name this issue of Tids Hyperbole sucks? It basically because it is overused by politicians to create onc-sided, preemptive arguments in support of nothing more than hyperbole.

QB Josh Rosen was the 10^th Pick in the draft. He said, “There were nine mistakes ahead of me.” Think he is a little cocky. It appears that his proclivity towards grabbing headlines is one reason he may have slipped. People don’t generally cotton to boasters and braggers.

A teacher asks a student: “Are you ignorant, or just apathetic. The kid answers, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

Haunted?

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--The big one opening to big audiences is Avengers: Infinity War. (Wow, that sounds like endless action).  The Avengers and a host of Super Heroes could sacrifice it all to stop basically the ed of the universe. Big stakes, I would say. How do you stop powerful Thomas? That is the question. Lots of action, and if this is your type of mega film, this is one of the best.

--Disobedience is an all Rachel star vehicle – Weiss and Adams. A woman returns to her home town that once shunned her for an attraction to a childhood friend. Upon her return, their passions are rediscovered and their faith and sexuality are tested. It is considered well done, but so far not a grabber for me.

-- In House of Tomorrow, a lad raised by a nana in a tourist attraction Geodesic dome learns of the outside life and then must choose sis future life -- being Buckmaster Fuller or Sid Vicious…or something else entirely

The Answer:

--The big five people, have trouble with are: Its and It’s; There, their and they’re; Subject-verb agreement; Comma splices; Apostrophes. Some would add to that list – Misplaced modifiers and Pronoun errors. Some other’s are like There, Their and They’re – Who’s-whose; Your- You’re; Incomplete comparisons (Often used by ad writers and politicians; Dangling Modifiers. Everybody has a pet grammar peeve. I don’t know enough grammar to have one. I’m still working on spelling

Fleetwood Mac. 1976:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgmRb3MlpHQ

Have a great rockin’ weekend, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y

Tribalism is prehistoric.

Today's Tids Issue 4,114

For Ceasing the Drumbeat:

How come politicians seem to load up their staffs with venomous “smearers” instead of objective problem solvers?

Stolen, paraphrased quote of the day: Don’t make “good” a victim while pursuing “perfect”.

One of the biggest signs-of-the-times events is this morning’s announcement by Ford that it is basically giving up domestic production of sedans. Double yikes. I mean the Ford car was what gave the USA it dominant role in the development of mass production, good cars in every garage. Oh yeah, and the next story was about gutting General Electric. Get used to it. Things are changing,…fast.

Jeb Bush spoke up the Bay at Brown U last night. He was courteously received which these days is somewhat unique for a liberal institution. He was not jeered even when he said voters need to “penalize rather than reward vulgar and toxic acts of discourse.” He said he’s tired of hysterical hypocrisy. Aren’t we all. He said Tribalism in American politics exists because Americans have let it happen. He suggested that liberals read the WSJ and conservatives read the NYT. Just bring a bottle of Tums…and get over it.

The Question:

Approximately how many 737 Aircraft has Boeing Built? Bonus: Name what are considered the Top Ten Teen Pop Bands and /or Artists.

The Headlines:

--Stocks Open On Up Side; GM Reports Super Earnings; US Jobs Claims Fall To Lowest Level Since 1969.

--Chevron Evacuates Execs Form Venezuela After Government There Arrests Two Workers.

--Jackson Removes Himself From VA Chief Consideration After Being Mauled By DC Insiders.

--Long Sought California Serial Rapist Killer Captured; Found To Be Cop.

--NYC Judge Says It’s Ok For Bars To Throw Out Trump Supporters.

--Subway To Close 500 More restaurants; Will Open 1,000 Overseas; Local Phillips Lightbulb Plant To Close And Move 100 Jobs To Mexico.

--Chance The Rapper Joins Kanye In Saying Blacks Don’t Have To Be Dems.

It took a while to make LED and LCD household words. But, now you may have to get used to OLED, the next wow factor in consumer electronics. Its stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diode. In a nut shell, it will allow screens on TVs and phones to produce “absolute Blacks and extremely bright Whites, (sounds like a racist statement) and brighter colors along the way. It is all about the “Contrast ratio” -- the brightest white divided by the darkest black. So, OLED will give it to you but it will be very expensive and I would argue probably not necessary for general human enjoyment. After all, the most important ingredient for total enjoyment is the scriptwriter.

I have a couple of granddaughters playing high school softball. I think they’re pretty good, but then I ‘m quite biased and prejudiced. They had a friend, a teammate who could pound the ball, and also play shortstop and pitch. I heard yesterday that her parents removed her from the team, because she wasn’t playing up  to their personal desires, even though contributing mightily to the team. Obviously, they focused their wrath of what they considered her lack of growth (She is but a Freshman) the inadequacies of the coach who in their minds was obviously hurting their kid’s chance for stardom. Observing people is good for the Tids.

That above is one isolated sad situation, which is probably repeated across the nation.

I’m one of those people who goes around homes straightening pictures on walls. But, I probably wouldn’t tell you that there is spinach caught in your teeth.

Once Pot goes national, I’ll be interested in how advertisers portray their prospective customers. While beer advertisers show groups of happy-go-lucky men and women jousting for position in wild yet friendly bars, will the pot groups be lounging in smoke-filled living rooms surrounded muted morphs taking naps.

I use to like SUV’s because I could see well above all of the sedans. Now all I see are bigger and bigger SUV’s and monster pick-ups.

In case you haven’t noticed, in the last decade about 3.5 million Americans chose to leave high tax Blue states like California and those in the northeast and for republican led Red states. It is now forecast that with the new tax plan that limits State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions, 800K high earners will leave NY and Cal in the next 3 years, and About 500K will leave onerous taxers like Conn, Minn and NJ. BTW, high earners have been leaving RI for decades. Our legislatures didn’t need help form big gov to send people fleeing.

A solitary farmer is a lone granger.

So, that seems fair. I mean isn’t it real American to single out groups like say Trump supporters and use judicial approval to throw them out of places. Considering that, I think I’ll start a men’s club and not allow women. Oh, that’s been done before and it is not legal to discriminate? Oh well, I’ll start a bar in Boston and ban people wearing Ya, Ya, Ya … well you know who I mean… hats. What a crock legal opinions have become.

A masked banker is a loan arranger.

Or, a Wells-Fargo Sales person.

Ford is giving up small so-called efficient cars just at a time when gas prices are going back up. Do you think their timing is a bit off?

Smart phones don’t need to get any thinner. Protective cases have to get thinner.

I haven’t seen it written that OLED could define speeding hockey pucks.

I have noticed over the years that Grammar Correct hates the way I write.

If I was allowed to establish a Men’s club, I certainly would not allow Caren Turner to join, regardless of what judge told me I had to.

The Answer:

Boeing has built 5,400 737’s. It’s probably been one of the all time most reliable and functional plane. But like me, planes get old too. Bonus: #1 is Taylor Swift. The rest in order are Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Adele, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, One Direction, Selena Gomez and BTS. BTW, Michael Jackson is 15. Just so you know what your children and/or grandchildren are thinking.

After reading the lists of top teen idols, I think I now know how tribalism develops.

Have you waltzed lately:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44B6B1OycgI

If this is good…

Today's Tids Issue 4,113

For reasonable, sensible caution:

I’m getting real tired of the declining stock market. I know it can’t go up at enormous rates of growth forever, but, I’m thinking why can’t stabilize mean staying the same. I would be ok with boring no growth or downturn markets for a while. One that just lays there and pays out dividends. Maybe we got to find a way to pay investment people for keeping things safe, especially now when times are good. If this is good economic times, I horror at the thought of bad economic times.

A convenience store is not convenient when standing behind a person cashing in lottery tickets.

Competition Lives – Twitter is gaining significant ground at the expensive of a controversy plagued Facebook. Nothing last forever, and “forever” is much shorter these days.

Where is it written that -- where there is land we will have to build on it.

I have several jokes about unemployment, but none of them work.

The Question:

Who were the combatants in the Peloponnesian Wars?

The Headlines:

--Gronk Says He Will be Playing Hard Again For The Pats In 2018.

--Markets Fail To Take off Even After Strong 57% Earnings Increase Report From Boeing.

--Shooting Police Officers Becoming Daily Occurrence; Today One In Dallas And Another in Northern Maine Attacked.

--Macron Suggests Possibility Of New Iran Deal.

--Trump Admin Ordered To Resume Dreamer Scheme.

--Melania Finally Takes Charge As First Lady.

--Some Dems Worrying That Hard Left Turn Could Hurt Mid-Term Takeover Chances; Progressive Dems Looking At A Handout Government Including Guaranteed Jobs, $1,000/Month Per citizen and “Reparations” As Platform Essentials.

--Trump VA Pick Ronny Jackson Looks To Be In Trouble.

--Dems Celebrate Loss In Arizona Special Congressional Election.

There is just something enjoyable about spending an afternoon watching high school sports activities. It offers reflections of today’s youth beyond the headlines and opinion columns.

God bless the software engineers who are ruing what they had wrought upon society. Maybe they’ll help us find a way out.

A Tids reader currently visiting Italy tells me, in answer to yesterday’s Tid’s posit about foods found in international travels, he is loving Prosecco and finding more ways to serve and enjoy it. He says locals there enjoy the Champaign like refresher with a little addition of Aperol. He also tells me that Europeans love Nutella, but he has definitely not become a fan.

I’m thinking there should be a special place on the Tids Capital Punishment Candidate list for strip-mall developers.

I have this tendency to say in a friendly way to friends entering the hospital for surgery, “Good luck”. Looking back on it, I’m thinking, that’s not what they want to hear.

Oh my Gourd, I just won the State Fair pumpkin contest!

Facebook pics of loving couples walking on sunlit beaches with golden retrievers may not be all they are cracked up to be. A woman, a successful marketing professional who often posted such marital bliss, snuck into the Mainline Radnor Pa home of her husband’s mistress, an equally successful marketing professional, waited quietly, and shot her. And then herself. The glory of Facebook does not a perfect relationship make.

Epilogue: The husband, wondering why his mistress hadn’t showed for a dinner date, learned why when he went to the house to see if she was ok. She wasn’t.

Sometimes an Irish instrumental ballad in the background gets the old Tids’ mind working.

The special commission on NCAA Basketball led by Condoleezza Rice has just published its report. Among some suggestions is getting rid of the One and Done rule (Imposed by NBA), allow undrafted players to return to college and that non-college summer league activities like AAU programs be run by the NBA or USA Basketball and not by shoe companies as they are now. There is a lot more an a lot more depth, and I’m not getting into it all. But basically, it points out a lot of a what many people with eyes wide open already knew. Mainly, it’s about letting super talents play pro without college and don’t penalize kids who probably aren’t quite good enough; those who need college to survive after basketball. And of course, put a barrier between money brokers and coaches and kids.

I read reasons for market upturns and downturns on a regular basis. From what I can determine, reasons are only excuses of the moment depending on the specific needs or objectives of the of sellers and buyers.

A rock that measures 1,760 yards in length is called a milestone.

The Answer:

The Peloponnesian wars were between Democratic Athens and Oligarchic Sparta. It marked the end of the Golden Age of Athens. In the 440 BC range of the earth’s history, it was very meaningful conflict.

Aphrodite never dated a tennis player because love means nothing to them.

Apology Nation:

Today's Tids Issue 4,112

For letting it roll:

I was going to bring a new feature to the Tids starting this morning. I was thinking of leading off each venerable issue with my opinions of the main news story of the day. Unfortunately, today’s most impactful story was the fact that the first time in four years the US Treasury yields had reached 3%. Analyzing treasury yields has always made my head hurt. So, it appears that I have to cop out before I begin. I can only tell you one thing. – it’s bad in the eyes of big investors. You know, when investors need a reason to sell when times should be great, they cry inflation. It’s all part of that scenario.

Every once in a while, out of nowhere, you remember a life changing moment in life. Just popping into my head was the magical day I discovered Captain Crunch.

Here’s something to think about. Will we need historians in the future to analyze this year and eras to come if everything is recorded as it happens by satellite or selfie?

The Question:

Why are John Fogarty, Tom Fogarty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford grouped together?

The Headlines:

--Treasury Secretary Mnuchin Headed To China To Talk Trade.

--Consumer Confidence Index Rebounds; Stocks Struggling For Direction After Mixed Reviews On Generally Good Earnings reports.

--Toronto Van Killer Charged With 10 Counts murder, 13 Counts Attempted Murder.

--Rand Paul to Force Senate Vote Of Budget Control Bill.

--Trump Racing To Fill 9th Circuit Court Openings Before Potential Dem Takeover Of Congress.

--Trump Rants On Iran Deal As Macron Looks On With Slightly Slacken Jaw.

While shopping for hard goods now-a-days, I’m finding that a 10-year warranty is just about right.

Finally, welcome to Spring: “Detour.” “Construction ahead”. “Merge two left lanes into Right lane”. “Bridge Closed”.

I know we have a lot of experienced world travelers reading this thing called Tids. Tell me what you have found to be a favorite new food after first thinking you would never like it, and certainly not eat it.

The Voice is taking shape, and while Blake’s team doesn’t look like his typical good ole’ country boy group, they dominated the scene last night. Two female singers, Spensha Baker and Kyla Jade were excellent and rated extremely high by singer critics. His third, Pryor Baird, was also rated very high with them, but I find him a bit tedious. Kyla on the other hand, just stops the show dead in its tracks. Also, up there and perhaps my favorite, is 15 yo Brynn Cartelli. Incredible poise and crazy range. I also like country boy Caleb Lee, and he would be my personal #2 fave.  Rashun LaMarr was very entertaining to me, as was Britton Buchanan. I thought Jackie Foster was the worst of the night, but she may make it. Nobody stood out as being really, really bad. In the past there has always been one noticeable cuttable singer. I think that DR King, who didn’t live up to billing, or Jackie Foster might go. One poll I saw, had the one going as DR.

As you know, People can buy The Voice performances on ITunes. Last night there were no Top Ten honors. The Singers who made it into the top hundred were Pryor Baird (28), Kyla Jade (35), Britton Buchanan (36), Brynn Cartelli (37), Sensha Baker (42), Caleb Lee (57) and Christiana Danielle (78). ITunes have been a good indicator of where htings might be gong.

Like storms following calms, the anti-gun people are out their in mases all over again after Waffle House. I am not waffling when I said we need more mental health control.

Public Relations: The science of creating new normals; organized publicity to create illusions of mass acceptance.

Our Senator Whitehouse is a quite a Public relations guy. Consider that he works hard to generate enthusiasm for mass acceptance of everything about man made global climate destruction. Why would he do this? Well, perhaps it’s because his wife is a well-paid Phd in Marine Biology who just happens to have a new job as consultant and chief science officer for AltaSea, an ocean-research campus on the Port of Los Angeles. Grow the pie bigger and wider through national exposure. Create more opportunities for consultants. Now I’m not saying this is true, I’m just wondering.

“Beware of lumberjacks bearing dull tools because they usually have an axe to grind.”

I know that lots of people think scenes of the desserts are beautiful. I don’t. I just can’t see the beauty of a cactus surrounded by brown tumbleweed and scrub grass versus, say, a sculpted maple tree upon a grassy knoll or a majestic pine in a forest deep.

The Answer:

Those four are the original members of the band “Creedence Clearwater Revival”

Note to everybody out there named Mary: Be proud!

See you all tomorrow.

Symphony of beings.

Today's Tids Issue 4,111

For sweet violins:

Could it be that Spring has come? That the birds and the bees and frisky deer can stow away their fleece, for another year. That finally flowers in the ground and buds bursting on limbs can come out to radiantly smile and blush, without fear of being painted with Jack Frost’s brush. That a warm morning will not deteriorate to a winter’s bitter insult. Hey, wait a minute. I like Winter! All spring means to me is that the tourists are soon to be swarming, littering, crowding.

Why does “auto-correct” think it is smarter than us? Rise up! Unite, against AI tyranny, arrogance. Bring back human error. AI error is significantly more embarrassing.

Why is it when I read reviews of new bills introduced in the RI Legislature I come away thinking that every single one of them is in support of benefitting some bloated government agency or other union dominated area of employment. I couldn’t be becoming cynical, could I?

I found the root canal unnerving.

In case you are noticing something suspiciously odd outside, it may be the result of the end of the world. Yes, numerologist David Meade says this is the day; the absolute end day. Catch up on all of the Netflix series you have been neglecting. Buy enough milk and bread to last five months, which is about the amount of time it will take to vanquish human life from the earth. It could be ax bad day.

The Question:

Name the male partners, husbands of these female comedians. Elaine May. Anne Meara, Gracie Allen, Harriet Hilliard, Lucille Ball, Manan Jordan, Alice Faye and Imogene Coca.

The Headlines:

--Wall Street Gurus Eagle Eyes Clearly Focused On Biggest Week Of Earnings Reports; One Third Of The S&P Reports This Week – Alphabet, Facebook, Microsoft, Coca Cola United Technology, Travelers, Verizon, Caterpillar, Boeing And More.

--World Stocks Down As Us Treasury Yields Approach 3%.

--IS Suicide Bomber Attack Kills 57 In Kabul; Saudi Planes Bomb Yemen Wedding Kills 20, Mangles Many More.

--Alibaba Punishing Companies That Refuse To Sign Exclusivity Agreements.

--NFL Fanatics Looking Forward To This Week’s Draft.

--Kate Middleton, Princess William Happy New Parents Of Baby Boy

--Nashville Killer Armed And Still Dangerous; Suspect Had Been Arrested Outside Of White House.

--Out Of Control, Anti-Barbara Bush Fresno State Professor Calls Farmers Stupid.

--President Trump And French Prez Macron Seem To Have Chance To Work Productively Together.

--Westworld returns With More Plot, Less Philosophy.

Wells-Fargo is out $1,000,000,000 after a government fine. But none of the executives who condoned ripping off customers and general all-around cheating and stealing are in jail like other thieves would surely be. So, one billion means that the government treasury got richer, but the people without moral values are still basically in place.

Candace Owens is looking like one of those reasonable voices in America. Her biggest problem going forward could be her adoption by a conservative power base.

From the “Zits” comic this morning I found my mantra: “Last minute panic is my muse.” Creativity springs from desperation.

I’m inspired today to talk of classical music. There are so many choices, so many moods that can be created, from the haunting violins in Paganini’s caprices to the rich full orchestral sounds of a magnificent symphony or melodic tone poem. An orchestra is a wonderful amalgam, a functioning whole made of disparate yet unified parts.

I began to wonder, why the focus is on the first violinist in the first violin section. Why call them first and second, when their contributions are equal in many ways. Why not call the two, “Melody and Texture? What exactly is the difference between a first and second violin. While they look the same and are both played by skillful musicians, often where the technical demands on the “2^nd” are much harsher, even treacherous. The 2^nd supports he highest line melody of the 1^st harmonically and rhythmically. The 2^nd will often move from their undercurrent to blend with the first in a definitive statement of the theme. And what is not often said in the public square that the 1^st is fully respectful of the skills of the 2^nd. Yes, an orchestra is a fine blend of many human talents, each comfortable in their own capability yet reliant upon each other. A perfect society.

Actually, most of the new bills introduced are generally designed to correct other ill-conceived laws.

A dog with an attitude is a cocky spaniel.

How often have you heard somebody say, “He or she must be right because he or she is so smart. Look at their degrees. Of course, right is not always right no matter how eloquently righteousness is argued.

Think of all of the smart people who are not so…like, how about the guy who was smart enough to build a rocket ship and then proceed to launch himself into space…to confirm his theory -- that the earth was flat.

The media thinks it is one of the smartest groups in society. And they may be right up there if they weren’t so selfishly human, narrowminded.

Ketogenic is the hot new diet term. It’s about cooking with less carbs. Basically though, it is the new name for diets that have been in existence for years. These are diets that are focused on keeping people just above ketosis. In other words, just a contemporary tech description of a Low carb diet.

Social networking is simply the latest iteration of tabloid journalism.

Forced Necessity: The misconception that you constantly need to up date gadgets regardless of whether or not you need it.

Back in the day when Americans thought about each other, the media would be focused on the progress made in North Korea, and not on what could go wrong.

The Answer:

I’m sure you got all of these correct. It was Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, who along with Elaine May and Mike Nichols, were two of the funniest duos ever. Of course, Gracie Allen took George Burns’ straight-lines and made everybody roll on the floor laughing. And Alice Faye and Phil Harris often joined B&A for non-stop yucks. Harriet Hilliard and Lucille Ball were funny mates with band leaders Ozzie Nelson and Desi Arnez. Manan Jordan and her husband Jim Jordan were Molly and Fibber McGee. And, “The Show of Shows” starred Imogene Coca and Sid Caesar. Think back and laugh.

The liquor store advertises: “We De-liver”.

The strings soared, the brass blared the woodwinds cooed. The percussion pounded gently. The heart warmed.

Too much airtime, not enough news.

Today's Tids Issue 4,110

For when there's nothing better to do:

I’m getting a case of the blues

Because I just entirely refuse

To take gossip as daily news,

Or lauding all those that lose.
Journalists without clues.

It’s all become a giant snooze.

Hell, I may return to booze.

The last thing I should choose!

The Loons are back, Department:

To be “fair”, a town his forbidding the use of the phrase “Best Friend” in pre-schools. This is obviously opt help self-esteem of tots who can’t find best friends. You cannot regulate equality.

I was really happy to see the pardon of Scooter Libby. His conviction was a pollical travesty.

Is QE II preparing to step down? Could she move aside after the wedding of Harry, and let Charles sit in the throne? Lot’s of innuendo out there.

The Question:

USA Today has annual poll called SOS – Save are Shows, which asks readers to vote on which TV “Bubble” shows they would like to see saved. What shows do you think were the top three shows?

The Headlines:

--Markets Expected To be Sluggish

--Kim Agrees That US Troops Can Stay In SK, A Major Step As Meeting Negotiations Continue.

--Two More Police Officers Murdered In Cold Blood Diring Ambush.

--Killer Grandmother Captured After Nationwide Search.

--Lack of Trust Eroding World Trade Agreements.

--Trump Comey Continue Sniping.

Chefs obviously like the sound of “Brioche” because that is the only reason anybody would serve anything on that typically crumbly, mealy tasteless bun.

Headline Juxtaposition: A doctor advice column headlined, “Starvation diets are not good for you” was situated just above the ad headline, “Iggy’s (Fried) Doughboys”. Hmmm – Foodless or rich gooey fried dough.

Just in case you are thinking of going on Jeopardy you should know that this morning King Mswati III of Swaziland has changed the name of his country to eSwatini! Swaziland has become a web site. Maybe that’s so international foreign aid checks can get their sooner.

And the I found your basic RI Standing headline: 2 RI Senators Against (Fill in the blank) This time it was Pompeo. The puppets strike again.

Social media makes one brainless, acidic remark by a disgruntled Fresno State professor national news.

Ideological politics are sucking the life out of the USA.

Scariest Headline:

“Home intruder found nude in bathtub eating Cheetos.” Uh-Oh, there goes another pastime.

The Boston Red Sox are playing out of this world right now.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--I Feel Pretty is another of those message movies but doesn’t make it, as Amy Schumer and pals try to battle low self-esteem in a comedy with few laughs. Maybe she doesn’t have any “Best Friends”.

--The second loser of the weekend Super Troopers 2, which is even a less funny comedy than Schumer’s. This one is outrageous , crass and annoying and not worth the dough

The Answer:

Kiefer Sutherland’s Designated Survivor is #1. Personally it had a chance to be much better but was to ideologically driven, and Kiefer, as far as I was concerned was a wimp. Next is Timeless followed by the long-term “Black List”. Others include one of my favorites “Fresh Off the Boat” (Always sit there smiling), Scorpion and Brooklyn Ninety-Nine. Shows on the bottom failing to get fan support are Great News, Living Biblically and Campions.

Have a great weekend, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!!