It seems cloudier than ever.

Today's Tids Issue 4,179

For a Good News Week:

How hot is July? We’ll find out this week when the big techs, Facebook, Amazon and starting today, Alphabet, report earnings. Will they be slowing, growing or just showing off? How far is up for these relative newcomers to American business. How will their sustainability affect the psychology of a red-hot market? We’ll see. this week. Can tech industry AI facilities talk to Wall Street computers?

I have to say that I meet some of the nicest strangers while wearing my Red Sox cap around town. The mutual phrase is always, “Loving this Season”. But we generally hearken back to the days when agita in August was the plight of the fuming faithful. In other words, we are happy now, but we earned it. Do you want to see my scars?

Being a baseball fan makes you stronger.

Mom’s across the nation are rising up against men in long pants atop giants like Target and Walmart who sell “hooker” style shorts to their tweens. Being fashionable can be quite questionable, and Moms, with a capital M, are standing up to chic. Applause. Miscreant merchants – another candidate for the Tids capital Punishment list?

I’m trying to get my head around the how deregulating banks and increasing tariffs is good for the continuation of a robust, rational economy.

The Question:

Easy Peasy: Quick -- Who were the first three Mercury program Americans to ever soar into space? Bonus: Who is Bill Waterson?

The Headlines:

--Big Earnings Report Week Begins Right Now; In Addition To Big Tech, Verizon, Boeing, UPS, Ford, InBev, Intel, Starbucks, Merck, Abbvie, Exxon Bare Their Profit Souls.

--Trump Tweet Warns Iran After Rouhani’s “Mother of All Wars” Threat.

--Two Dead, Thirteen Wounded In Toronto Mass Shooting; Police Looking Into Possibility Of Terror Action.

--Hasbro/Blizzard Combo Introduces Overwatch Reaper Nerf Gun.

--Duck Boat Inspector Warned Company Not To Buy Duck Boats Over A Year Ago.

--Comey Warns Dem Not To Vote For Socialism.

--Trump Slams Press, Cohan Tape; Hillary Slams Trump; Bernie Revving Up Presidential Run.

--Man Who Built Jeep Brand Into Big Profitable Winner, Mike Manley, Takes Over Top Fiat Job Form Legendary Sergio Marchionne.

--Chicago Beats Out NYC As US Rat Capital.

--Treasury Secretary Mnuchin Tries To Defuse Trump Fed Comment.

--Francisco Molinari Wins The Open; First Ever Golfer From Italy To Win Major Golf Championship.

--East Coast Lobster Industry Join Midwest Farmers In  Worry About Tariffs.

I’m always trying to keep staleness out of the Tids formula. So, on Saturday I read a weeks’ worth of Tids and broke the 157 written Tidlets into categories (Note, I did not break down the Headlines department, because News is news and I use several news sources of different persuasions to eliminate possible bias – well sort of.). Politics was number one category with 26 Tidlets. #2 was Puns/Humor (25), followed by Ethereal/Philosophical (23), Culture/Human Foibles/Living (22), Finance/Biz (15), Food (10), Sports (9), History (7), “Just Talkin’ (6), Entertainment (5), Music (5), Technology (2) and Arts (1). Of course, the most controversial word in print these days is “Trump”.  Other than in News Headlines, Trump was mentioned in Tidlets 10 times (0ut of 157) One was positive, 5 were Critically Humorous and 4 were neutral.

Politics is just a part of our nations daily discussion, so I expect that will continue in this eEpistle. While I respond to political insanity on a regular basis, I am more interested in the Culture/Human Foible category. Looking at the above though, I think I’ll get back to food recipes and other daily living helpful hints. If you find yourself coming away from your daily reading of the Tids with a dissatisfaction vacuum, let me know how I can fill it.

Many columnists who write something entirely neutral about Trump will be ostracized for not hating enough.

New reports say that Russia has been found meddling in US erections after it was learned that they hacked into a Viagra factory.

Last week’s All Star break only meant that I started counting the minutes until the Sox were back on TV. It was longer than ever this year. Will the layoff suck away the magic?

Don’t you have a feeling that lying beneath the surface there is a mountain of negativity being polished by liberal assailants to continue the assault on the Presidency, especially as November looms. The Cohan tape is just the latest one to pop. I myself wonder what’s in those tax returns. There are just too many denials. So, as the mysteries about hidden real or imagined sins darken, a return to The America before socialist globalism continues. Frankly, all I want in the next four months is the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh.

The latest stats say that only about 24% of Americans understand the branches if US government and how they work. “A well-informed public is the best defense against tyranny.” (TJ) The press likes to use that quote to justify their existence, But, how about the radical of idea teaching Civics in school again? Now there’s a simple solution to a national malaise.

After Tchaikovsky conducted the premiere of his 5^th symphony in Hamburg Germany, Brahms invited Pyotr Ilyich to dinner. They had met before and liked each other, Tchai particularly enjoying Johannes humor. During the dinner, which they both enjoyed, Brahms said he didn’t care for the new symphony, and Tchai replied that he had never warmed to Brahm’s music. They parted as friends, still appreciating each other’s genius. But, never met again.

Did you see where Facebook is exposing artificial intelligence programs to their social app so this basis for future technological breakthroughs, AI, can over come its basic weakness – fully understanding human quirkiness.

It is a mystery to me why millennials are so much for socialism. It doesn’t appear that are lazy and unambitious, willing to let a mindless government rule their lives.

BTW, Tchaikovsky always appreciated the honesty of Brahms music, but never thought it was terribly beautiful

I read a lot form people who want to save animals so they can return to the wild. But, most of what I see about the animals in nature films, are animals stalking and eating each other. Now, Americans last year spent $29 billion on Pet Food. Think of the money they could save if they just let their pets roam around the neighborhood? Yeah, right, I guess that is not very civilized, nor particularly healthy for lap dogs.

I saw a picture of a just discovered 4,000-year-old pottery workshop in Egypt. Many millennials ago north Africa before the Sahara of today was a lush green paradise with streams a-flowing and bluebirds singing. It must have been all that smoke from all those kilns that did in the greenery. It couldn’t have occurred during a natural cycle, could it.

Someday I’ll tell you about the feud between Brahms and Wagner, which really had little basis because they were both great at entirely different genres. It was actually like today, the battle for the box-office.

The Answer:

Alan Shepard was first followed by Gus Grissom in sub orbit trips. Then John Glen went up and out into space for five orbits around the earth. Bonus: He was the creator of the great Calvin & Hobbs comic stirp, and he retired much too early.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the clouds of discontent and confusion broke open for sun every once in a while? People seem to unite when the rains move on and the earth is bathed in bright warmth.