Blank page mornings.

Today's Tids Issue 4,193

For Wrapping Fish:

Some mornings the computer screen looks whiter than other’s. The mind seems clear, when it really needs clutter, at least if you are in the Tids biz. Clear unadulterated minds prefer romance, but August is too sluggish for fanciful trips of the heart. Political news has become so repetitious that it is not worthy of being repeated. Human foibles are becoming so ludicrous, that no writer should publicize them. Which leaves my page here bank, my mind disconnected and my eyes fixated on nothing. Warning: Today’s Tids maybe a waste of your time. Can I say, “My screen looks whiter…”

My first reaction was, oh no, not space cadets. What will they think of next. But, it seems there could be a battlefield in the vacuous black beyond our hemisphere. It appears that in reality we are incredibly vulnerable up there. If there was apace war where satellites were the victims, we would have to return to hearing women asking men, “Why don’t you pull into that gas station and ask directions.” The military ramifications may be even huger than that.

Livelihood is an energetic gangster.

Sign outside a bar in Scotland: “Drink triple. See Double. Act single.”

The Question:

Kids of the 90’s are nostalgic too. Name the ten 90’s movies most dear to their hearts.

The Headlines:

--Russia Says Sanctions Are Economic War; Promises Strong Response “By Other Means”.

--Turkey’s Erdogan Says In Wake Of Lira Collapse, “They (USA) Have Their Dollars, We Have Our God”; Bank Stocks And Euro Nosedive As Turkey Tanks.

--Euro-Pacific Capital CEO Peter Schiff Says Trump Tax Cuts Just Put Off Day Of Global Economic Reckoning; Warns Of Dangerous 2019.

--Unsettled Global Financial World Has US Stocks Tumbling; Consumer Prices Edging Up.

--Taliban Launches Assault On Key Afghan City Of Ghazni.

--Hamas Claims Gaza Cease-Fire.

--Billionaire Founder Of Broadcom Henry Nicholas Arrested On Drug Trafficking Charges.

--Ohio Finds 600 Uncounted Votes.

--Musk Meddling Murky.

--Stormy Daniels’ Lawyer Avenatti Looking At Run For President.

--Gamers Finally See Trailer For Rockstar’s “Red Dead Redemption 2”.

I think that Verizon is sending me a warning – “Don’t send out this Tids, it sucks” It keeps on turning off my Internet. Or. Perhaps it is Putin, or Xi.

For a guy who prides himself on being an apolitical outsider, President Trump sure has a way of politicizing everything.

If we have a space war, who will your refrigerator talk to?

Law enforcement officers in Brooklyn Iowa cancelled a press conference, postponing it until Monday. Crime experts say that may mean they have discovered a serious lead in that Mollie case. Word among crime experts is that strangers stand out in small towns where everybody knows everybody. And nobody can remember any strangers lurking in sunlit alleys.

In the “You Never Know,” Department, I just read (Literally just read) a story of a 57-year-old woman, the child of friends, who grew up in our neighborhood; an attractive, healthy, successful, former wife of a major sports star, and now found dead -- hanging in her jail cell. I don’t know what happened, but I did know and remember quite well this energetic, vivacious woman, who along the way must have taken a serious turn onto a road she couldn’t handle.

(Note: I heard of a person with a name similar to hers being praised on the TV this morning and googled it. Instead of accomplishment, I found human tragedy.)

Think about how instant communications technology and mass sports bettering will merge. Let’s say a guy or gal is sitting in a bar, home or church and a notification comes up on their phone: “Play Instant Cash – Bet $100 that player X will miss a foul shot; or get a single with the bases loaded; or catch or drop a pass.” Could be pretty damn scary, for families with gamblers.

Failing Chipotle announces new salvation plans: Add bacon.

Personally. I like my pizza a little well done on the top.

All you have to read to know that we will continue having trouble getting us all together is this headline: “8 tourists brawl at Rome’s Trevi Fountain over selfie spot.” Crazy.

But then, I’m probably no different. I will never agree that people who unlawfully sneak into our country are not illegal.

I’m just a butthead who believes that laws prevent chaos.

US consumer prices have just posted their biggest gain since 2008. This doesn’t bode well for an economy where people always have to make choices about where they can afford to spend their money. The tighter the choice range, the greater the chance of feeder businesses beginning to fail. And then, you know what happens next.

Bummer.

Sign outside a Scottish bar: “I distrust camels and anyone else who can go a week without a drink.”

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--I don’t know how good Spike Lee’s new BlacKkKlansman is, but the critics love it. I am always wary and about entertainment value when critics go ape over social issue movies. This one has some nice aspects of police works, and if lecturing doesn’t get in the way of the story, then it could be pretty good. It is a true story of an inventive Black police detective and a seasoned partner taking down a KKK operation. It reminds me a of good movie I enjoyed in 1988 called “Betrayed” starring Debra Winger and Tom Berenger.

--Now, Mile 22, Mark Wahlberg’s new CIA thriller is certainly on my “A” list. A top-secret command team must extract an asset with life threatening info to Mile 22.

--There is one this week called Dog Days (Next review) but the dog movie, this week perhaps of the year is Slender Man. This is based on a true story about two teen girls in Wisconsin who stabbed a friend 19 times because the mysterious “Slender Man” told them to. The movie is described as this -- “In a small town in Massachusetts a group of teens fascinated by the internet lore of Slender Man set out to prove he doesn’t exist until one of them goes mysteriously missing. Disturbing but more important, just plain bad.

--Dog Days is pretty much a dog for critics, but a trly great movie as critiqued by the people. It is funny, cuddly and if you like lovable dogs, then there is nothing wrong about this film except perhaps a meager plot. It follows the lives of dog owners around LA and how their lives begin to intertwine.

The Answer:

#1 nostalgic movie for kids of the 90’s is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. At #2 is Suburban Commando then Mac and Me, Sidekicks, Theodore Rex, Flubber, Sgt Bilko, Jungle to Jungle, Sabina Down Under and Ladybugs. You probably never knew that.

Today my writing feels like August – wearing.

I hope you all recover form tis and have a spectacular weekend.

Maybe I should have added bacon