The Important Stuff.

Today's Tids Issue 4,178

For Appreciation:

There is nothing like a cool summer’s evening in New England.

When breezes off sun glazed, shimmering waters come.

Eating scallops, cod or shrimp while wriggling toes in sand.

To the pounding of crashing wave’s rhythmic song.

I enjoy that shiver down my back after a long day’s sun

Now at the quiet shore after all the people have gone

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I have to tell you that the world of politics just looks like mush to me. I may have to take the weekend to think about it all. One thing we know for sure is that what we may think we know today, will probably change by Monday, for sure.

The workers at the lumber mill went on strike, putting plywood production into suspended lamination.

The question is: How much of the stock market quandary is based on real economic concerns and how much is based on positioning for post November election scenarios? Or is that, “How mush?”

The Question:

There are many sports descriptions that have become legend. What well known sports editor of Look Mag coined, “Seven Blocks of Granite”. Bonus: Who are considered the ten all-time greatest female athletes?

The Headlines:

--13 Dead, 4 Missing In Duck Boat Accident; Boat Capsizes In 40-60 Mph Winds On Lake In Ozarks Outside Branson Mo.

--China-US Trade War Escalation Fears, Presidential EU Slams Are Today’s Reason For Early Morning Declining Stocks; Markets rebound; Xi To Trump: Don’t Blame me; Microsoft Shares Surging.

--Dangerous Tornados Sweep Through Iowa; Seventeen Injured, Buildings Destroyed.

--Historically Independent Fed Decisions Criticized By Trump.

--Gatorade Introduces Sugarless Version Of Sports Drink; Innovation Wars Continue In Competitive Sports Drink Arena.

--Maxine Water’s Supporters Burn US Flag, Chant “Black Power” Outside Her Office

One of the nice things about old fashioned mail is that when you opened it you didn’t have to fear a virus or finding a hacker.

I never get tired of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five”. And I am not a huge Jazz fan. Some musician’s creations capture the moment. Some don’t

There are days when you find your self battling traffic and crowds scurrying along. Then, as the evening comes, you drive up a short road to a cool bluff with the rippling sea beyond. A multi-rigged schooner slips silently out to sea, cool breezes blow. And you know. You glance aside and see that smile that reflects what you feel. That’s what life is. It’s always there.

From Mush to Crazy, Department:

A group of DC citizens is going after the liquor License for the Trump Hotel in the nations’ capitol. They say that as Owner , RT rump is not a person of “good Character” and the laws states clearly that, “Only persons of good character qualify for a liquor license.” If it isn’t Russia problem, it’s a white Russian problem.

The Repubs are worried that the Dems will seek to use Oprah as their national spokesperson. And the Repubs should worry, especially since Oprah has a history of giving everybody in her audiences a brand new free car.

I was reading this morning paper and came across an interesting juxtaposition. I had just finished an article on a well-known video sales and repair company named Flint where six employees including the so-called respected owners were arrested for illegal access of female electronic devices and distribution of compromising photos and videos. I turned then page to see another headline, “EPA to investigate Flint”! Yikes, I thought, voyeurism is ruining the environment. You never know these days.

Somebody suggests that if we want to subdue the violence and ugliness of some left wing sponsored protests, we should just play the National Anthem and everybody would silently take a knee.

American freedoms were established by all of those who had endured the rigors of this new world not having them.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--Rankly I thought Mama Mia the movie was not as good as several of the theater productions I’d seen, regardless of star power. I can’t imagine the Mama Mia! Here We Go Again. being any different. And the songs are all the same. And I like ABBA.

--Blindspotting is about two close friends one of whom must make it through his last three days of probation before he can set out on a new beginning. While working as movers, they witness a shooting. It is a comedy and about race and social class in Oakland Ca. Audiences seem to love it…a lot! As, do critics.

--I would be more inclined to like Equalizer 2 with Denzel Washington. Critics are not high this redo about the protector of the exploited and oppressed. Our hero Robert McCall has a problem after he learns his lover is an oppressor. I’d go, as would many others.

--Unfriended could have been great, if it had more thoroughly explored threats to everyday people from the dark web, instead of over focusing on horror movie style chills than dangerous technology. This one is average.

The Answer:

There was a time before  TV sports casters and declining newspapers when sports writers were among the most professional and creative of journalists. Gangland Rice and many others like Red Smith, Ring Larnder and Dick Young set the standard, as did Tim Cohane, Sports Editor of Look magazine who wrote the Blocks of Granite line. Bonus: The only thing I really feel about this is that Babe Didrikson Zaharias must be #1. But, because of new times versus old others will be seen as best. But, low and behold most knowledgeable lists have Babe as tops. She was that great, in and out of sports. After the Babe we Jackie Joyner Kersey, Mia Hamm, Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, Florence Griffith Joyner, Bonnie Blair, Nadia Comaneci, Annika Sorenstam and at #10 Lynette Woodward who comprise one list. Others in addition to some of those above on a top ten list form SI are Billie Jean, Sonja Heine, Chris Evert and Tracy Caukins. ESPN has as its top four, Ronda Rousey, Serena, Steffi Graf and Griffin Joyner. A list by ranker which must dominated by contemporary opinions has The Babe as 46.  Frankly, most “all time” lists depend more on the generations of the pickers, their time on earth.

Well, I think I’ll just spend the time absorbing the wonders around me. They are always there, and sometime while looking for something that isn’t, we miss what we have.

Enjoy a fabulous weekend, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!!