It’s all about gravy.

Today's Tids Issue 4,245

Yummy in my Tummy:

There is little more comforting than rich cream chicken, pork or beef gravy. And I’ll throw in lamb too. But literal gravy is not the only road to utter satisfaction. How about a pat on the back for a job well done? A kiss on the lips, a warm hug when you least expect it. How about earning more than you need, or watching your team win a championship atop a season already of great effort and accomplishment. Yes, gravy is the essence of achievement and gratification. Politicians bring home the gravy, and we keep them there because of it. Yes, while we enjoy the benefits of this delectable dividend we continue to argue about who’s in the kitchen adding the flour to the stock. But if you look closely, you see that the gravy in reality is still a bipartisan effort, despite the screams and anguish that seems to dominate. Repubs are creating, for instance more spending for Defense and Dem senators happily bring home the contorts that produce jobs. So, if everybody is eating the same mashed potatoes and enjoying the gravy that makes them extra delicious, why can’t they all just get along, and say thanks, it was delicious meeting.

Protons have mass? I didn’t even know they were Catholic.

Two of my all-time favorite typefaces are Bookman Old Style and Century Gothic. This is from a guy who grew up in the world of type at a time when Helvetica was the end all. And, it still is.

Are we entering the maturity period when investors slow down betting on techs future and begin measuring performance?

I have always been much better at remembering faces than names. Just know that if you find me smiling at you pleasantly with a dumb, glazed look in my eyes.

The Question:

--Who are Sarah Clarke, Eric Balfour, Penny Johnson Jerald, Glenn Morshower, Jude Ciccolella, Leslie Hope, Elisha Cuthbert, Dennis Haysbert, Carlos Bernard, Xander Berkeley, Daniel Bess, Michael Massee, Vicellous Shannon, Karina Arroyave and Mia Kirshner?

The Headlines:

--Dodgers Youthful Fireballer Walker Beuhler To Face Red Sox Crafty Rick Porcello In Game 3 Of World Series.

--3.5% Jump In Q3 GDP Beats 3.3% Expectations; Government And Consumer Spending Driving Economy Northward; Techs Continue To Stymie Market Growth As Amazon Reports Lower Revenue And Others Look Sluggish; Markets Struggling To See Daylight.

--Bomb Suspect Arrested In Florida; Suspect Said To be Former NY’er Living In Aventura FL; Suspect Had Previous Arrests For Terrorist Threats; Some Experts Are Saying Bombs Not Rigged Where They Could Ever Explode.

--Trump Unveils Plan To Reduce High Cost Of Drug Prices.

--Hugely Paid Meghan Keely Departure From NBC Imminent;

--NFL Fires Ref Hugo Cruz For Botched Penalty Call; Firing Is First During Midseason In Super Bowl Era!; NFLRA Challenges Firing.

In the latest polling it appears that Americans may be moving back together with all agreeing in unison that we are currently in the most divided period of our history. And nobody except some power brokers who gain from chaos, likes it. That’s a start.

I have just one typo and I find that an entire Tidlet is urined.

The current Asian PGA circuit is attracting all of the best world golfers. Maybe part of the reason is that the Bigs are playing earlier because they want to get themselves into the FedEx cup points race sooner now that the yearend championship will be starting indignantly before previous yearend finales.

Have you noticed that all of the people for abortion have already been born? Are they the original Nimby’s?

Do you know what I’m tired of? It’s TV shows with celebrities sitting on high stools answering puffball questions from well-coiffed hosts. Talk about eyes glazing over.

I’m also real tired already of constant news about the LA Lakers with LeBron.

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.

I don’t know much about the firing of the NFL Ref Hugo Cruz, but insiders are saying it was for a pattern of general ineptitude rather than one single incident. I see that the ref’s union is coming to his aid. I personally don’t believe it is good for the Refs or the NFL for any organization to protect mediocrity…in any field

It’s been pretty obvious from the beginning that Lawyer Michael Avenatti is, pure and simple, a politely animal and an extreme Trump hater. So, I’m not surprised to hear that the Senate may have found enough evidence in the Kav investigation proceedings to go after him for some serious illegal activity. We’ll see.

When doctors said I had a problem with my patella, I had a knee-jerk reaction.

In case you missed it, here’s a list of what some consider the best of scary movies. Generally I look at some of these lists as a promotional vehicle, but as I glanced around tis one I saw a couple that interested me. And, they are not all slasher films: Hereditary, Get Out, Paranormal Activity, Black Swan, Let the Right One In, Let Me In, The Cabin In the Woods, The Babadook, The Witch, A Quiet Place, Crimson Peak, Split, What Lies Beneath, It, Saw, Drag Me To Hell, Devil, Truth or Dare, The Last Exorcism, Unfriended and The Conjuring. If Netflix or Prime series have been letting you down lately, you might search for one of these for a spooky weekend.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--The critics seem to hate Johnny English Strokes Again, but I would probably go to see it. I like international spy spoof films. PM Emma Thompson calls back former super-agent, now retired Johnny English as the only man wo can save the country after horrific cyberattack strikes England and outs all of the names of the entire clandestine group. I could go to this one for a few alughs.

--Hunter Killer is a submarine movie which critics hate because of the constant overused clichés. But the average movie goer will probably enjoy this film  about an American sub on an Arctic recovery mission discovering a plot about a Russian Coup designed to overthrow the order of the world – and yes, start WWIII.

--Mid90’s Follows a 13-year-old boy in LA who escapes from a traumatic home life in the carefree world of skate boarding. It seems to be pretty much enjoyed by the folks and the rascals (Critics).

--Indivisible is a film about a devoutly religious married couple facing the substantial pains of war in Iraq. The devoted couple are separated shortly after the husband graduated from seminary and basic training, supposedly for a short stay in the Middle East. This brief deployment turns into years. Children are born and frayed nerves develop as the ravages of war, both physical and mental, on soldiers and family grow. And then there is the homecoming, and the new battle to survive as a couple.

The Answer:

The person missing from that list above is Kiefer Sutherland, or Jack Bauer. Yes, that was the cast of one of the-greatest-shows-ever’s first season. Some TV shows have tried to replicate “24”, but they just don’t get it. That first year had two great female villains, Sarah Clarke as Nina Meyer and Mia Kirshner as Mandy. In the second year we had another cool female villain named Marie Warner played by Laura Harris. Of all the great moments in that show, the saddest I remember is the image of Edgar Styles dying as the others, including girlfriend Chloe, watch helplessly as poison consumes the life of a lovable character. Louis Lombardi played Edgar Styles, the super geek and boyfriend of the wonderful Chloe O’Brien played by masterfully by Lynn Rajskub. Chloe was only second to Jack in episodes – 195 to 126.

Bring back “24”! But, don’t let today’s “PC” directors and writers get involved.

Yes, if the gravy can't be delivered, the top chefs will have problems staying in the kitchen 

Have great weekend with plenty of gravy…E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!