Dug in: As in mired in mud.

Today's Tids Issue 4,165

For Romance:

Bam! Boom! Ba-Bam! Happy July, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y. Oh, that noise at the start of the paragraph wasn’t fireworks, it was my dropping a big bottle of diet Coke down the stairs, What a mess. But, what’s that have to do with the first big summer month. Well, the traffic on the road is a mess. And the marching in state capitols creates lots of stress. But, it is more the month that is better than that, when at the end we get fresh local corn and the beginning of NFL practice. It is a critical month for stock watching, sometimes setting the tone for the rest of the year. It can be hot, but not always as nearly as so as the forecasters would want you to believe. I like body surfing in a cooling sea or sitting comfortably neath a shady tree. I don’t move that much in July. I’m just waiting for September. Get out your Red, White and Blue.

Do we really know the true cost of embracing the Internet? Are we getting instant opinion/anger/news overkill at the cost of community, local newspapers, business, human civility and who knows what else is eating away at healthy foundations. As one woman put it, “Our electronic age is a grand experiment and we are the guinea pigs.”

And besides, most problematic of all: Do you know how tedious it is reading the funny pages on line?

I figure that by drinking diet coke and eating salty orange snacks, I’m saving a lot of jobs. I’m always looking out for hard working Americans.

The first easy act of kindness each morning is leaving the newspaper for the next person exactly the way it came to you. That is, if you still get a newspaper.

An editor from Real Cellar Politics described the upcoming national, debate on the next Supreme Court selection as “Two sides dug In”. Buried in muck – How perfect is that to described our current political obstinance malaise.

All of a sudden, Susan Collins Is the most powerful senator in America.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived in a word of perpetual romance, where the most devisive decision revolved around picking the rose with the most dew drops glistening from the dawning sun. Where the environment was defined by lovers running into each other’s arms through fields of waving daisies moved by ocean breezes. She loves me; she loves me not. And when It turns out as she loves me not, it isn’t about hatred. I look into your eyes and I see the beauty of your heart. I feel my chest swell; the hairs on may arms stand up. I shiver. Ah, pure romance. I don’t have a care in the world because I have you.

The Question:

Who was Charles Blondin. Bonus: What famous celebrity committed suicide in his home in Ketchum Idaho?

The Headlines:

--Markets Fuzzy As Trade Tensions Reawaken; Stocks Open In Positive Territory, But Fall Quickly; June Auto Sales Look Good; Awaiting Jobs Report.

--Trudeau And Trump Talk Trade And Economic Issues Over Phone; Trump Appears To be Holding Form On China Tariffs.

--Mexico Goes Further To The Left As Population Looks To Ultra Liberal “Messiah” To End decades Of Corruption: Election Of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Will Makes US Relationship More Difficult.

--Labron Moves To Lakers For $154 Million (4 Years); Paul George Satays with Oklahoma City For $137 Mil (4 Years).

--National Media On Top Of Assorted Marches Around The Country.

--Roseann Barr Says She Is Getting Offers For New TV Programs; Jerry Seinfeld Questions ABC Firing With Quip: “Why Would You Murder Someone Who Is Committing Suicide”.

On the world cup scene, everybody who doesn’t know anything about soccer was looking for a Messi/Ronaldo showdown. But, a somewhat dysfunctional Argentina team despite superstar Messi lost to a favored France. I was rooting all the way for Portugal to beat a tough Uruguay team, mainly because I like their food, but that other of the world’s richest athletes, Ronaldo, couldn’t pull them through. I guess Messi and Ronaldo will have to find solace in their $125 Million (+-) a year income. Tough to lose, isn’t it.

On Sunday, Russia beat favored Spain on penalty kicks plus amazing foot save by goalie Igor Akinfeev in another close match. Demark lost to Croatia, which could be battling Russia for the Cinderella darling award. Yet to come are some pretty impressive matchups: Brazil and Mexico, Belgium and Japan, Sweden And Switzerland, Columbia and England.

When I see these endless immigration marches traipsing across my TV screen, I immediately think of Mark Twain’s quote: “We live in a world where too many people don’t know what they don’t know.”

One of the problems with no term limits is that over time through generations of reelections is that parties get saddled with spokespersons like Maxine Waters.

Some people think it’s hot because the TV says we’re in a heat wave.

The latest hate-destroys-braincells moment came after the Capital Gazette shooting when the breaking news Editor of Reuters blamed the five murders on Donald Trump. Then he apologized saying that he was sorry but caught up in the emotions. I’d say his emotions’ excuse has a lot to do with the biased state of the Journalism Industry today – not being able to get over the loss of their darling, Hillary. Misinterpreting stories to meet the needs of their own narrow view of life.

Yes, every day we see diseased braincell floating along the river of deceit.

There is no truth to the rumor that Rosie O’Donnell has been named Breaking News Editor for Reuters.

Super soccer player Ronaldo looks like a pretty good human being to me. As does, ex-Brown U., leading scorer in Professional US Lacrosse, Dylan Malloy.

The latest national hate word: “Straws”.

The Democrats may be in real trouble for the November elections if they can’t come up with a better slogan than “Abolish ICE”.

So, now they’re saying that big snow storms are flake news.

Professional Lacrosse is all about love of game.

I don’t mind watching unaffiliated, intelligent political tacticians discussing options and strategies on TV shows. But, I run, not walk, as soon as the political shills appear.

French soccer player Mbappe has been watching too many NFL D-Back celebrations.

What’s with weather people always reaching out to new reporting schemes to torture people? Like this year, when they decided report temperatures base on their so-called “Heat Indices”. Now all people see are temps spread across a region well above 100 Degrees F. All that weather men are accomplishing is turning once pristine beaches into suffocating throngs of people…that is, if you can get near them.       

The Answer:

In 1868 French acrobat Charles Blondin walked across Niagara Falls on tight rope to the cheers of thousands of viewers. I’m thinking, how hard was it to rig the tightrope in the first place. Bonus: It was Earnest Hemmingway who “…put a shotgun to his head, reached down, pushed his thumb against the trigger and blew his brains out.” Ouch.

Well, Mr. Smith your alibi has cleared you of murder. Yes, we checked out that you were sipping soda through a straw at the local soda counter and 10 witnesses came forward to vouch for that. Unfortunately, you are now accused of using straws in a public place, a charge which you know when combined with imbibing sugary drinks can carry the death penalty.

God Bless America.