Stop and Think.

Today's Tids Issue 4.269

Good bye to a very good man:

A smart woman who was in the Bush 41 admin once told me he was brought down by the powerful conservatives left over from the Reagan admin. GHWB preached getting along, but he didn’t seem to reach into the hearts of some of his high-level associates, who significantly weren’t. That just shows you how hard it is to bridge divides.

People are now taking their seats in the Cathedral now. Maybe the Tids should join the Federal Gov and Stock market and take the day off. But then, what would all of you do when the funeral ended. At least you’ll be able to read the Tids without fears of stocks plummeting.

Thoughts at the National Cathedral, Department:

According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? That means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.

Overreaction is killing America.

The Question:

Who was the first President born after American Independence? Bonus: The persnickety millennials (18-35) have been blamed for a decline to near death for several well-known industries. Name the top five. Super Bonus: The Stock Market closed today for GHWB. Other than regularly scheduled holidays, the market has only closed 5 times since 1969.

The Headlines:

--Five Presidents And International Delegation To Honor The Passing of GHW Bush.

--China Affirms Ninety Day Trade Truce; Market Futures Higher.

--Former NSA Flynn Said To Have Supplied Substantial Information; Mueller Will Recommend No Jail Time.

--Ohio State Football Coach Urban Meyer Stepping Down; Serious, Often Painful Health Concerns Major Reason.

What should be very interesting from an entirely academic, non-partisan exercise, is contemplating the selection of the next Dem candidate for president. It’s shaping up as being far more than personalities of people. It’s about reforming the party, and which side is on top. It will be about going after working Dems who voted for Trump. But, most working Dems are not in the progressive camp at all. Lots to consider and analyze over the next 23 months.

Smoking will kill you. Bacon will kill you. But smoking bacon will cure it.

To this gourmand’s taste buds, the new fresh beef McDonalds quarter pounder doesn’t live up to my memories of the old frozen patty. But, maybe if I go often enough I’ll get used to it. Anybody want my pickles?

You have to figure that the sales of ice berg lettuce are up.          

The headline about Flynn’s testimony incorporating the word “Substantial” is interesting. The word has no baring on whether or not teh testimony was for or against Trump collusion. But media reporting seems to interpret it as really bad news for the President. This morning as rumors fly, DT will be in church praying before the coffin of another president…probably for himself.

I’m a relatively calm person, but two things really annoy me and I don’t know which is worse: Being on the same walking cycle in a department store as a couple with a whiny kid. Or being on the same cycle on a golf course as the guy cutting grass. If you play, you know, the gut who stops his machine just before you are ready to hit, and you feel his eyes boring into your fragile mind.

So, basically, the conservatives in 1992 gave us the Clintons. For an eternity.

Some days, new puns I find are just too obtuse to meet the high standards of Tids readers.

A lot of government agencies aren’t really that bad. The problem is that too many these agencies assume that legislative power overrides rational thinking. It’s all about balance. Take the Consumer protection agency, for instance. The complaints about them isn’t that they shouldn’t stop prosecuting crooked or negligent business people. Surely, Wells-Fargo is a perfect example of big a company that should be viewed as suspects in just about anything they do. The problem is when these agency nit-picks every little deal or over reacts or every consumer complaint, generally it makes life miserable for the entirely innocent business operators. By the way, the consumer can stop it by not buying from crooks. But, in today's’ techno world the crooks are hard to find. So, when one side or the other complains about the gutting of one or another agency, they’re most likely overreacting to a sensible curtailing of overly eager bureaucrats.

Maybe Mueller is recommending no jail time for Flynn because several US Senators said they didn’t think he lied to congress at all.

The Answer:

Martin van Buren of Kinderhook NY, born in 1782, was the first president born in independent America. Bonus: #1 injured industry on the list, down 42%, is canned tuna. Yikes! #2 is American cheese. (Make American Cheese great again). #3 is Home ownership followed by Motorcycle sales and Beer. Wild Wings is #6 and it is probably symptomatic of all struggling casual dining restaurants. The newer breeds alike like “To Go” foods for home consumption. Paper napkins is #7. The group says why buy two products when Paper towels can be used for both. Seriously. #8 is Breakfast cereal. Super Bonus: In 2007, the market closed to honor Gerald Ford. On October 29 and 30 2012, the markets were closed due to Hurricane Sandy (The previous time the markets were closed due to a storm was 100 years earlier for a blizzard). The Terror bombing of 2001 closed the markets from September 11 to September 14. A year later the markets were closed to commemorate the anniversary of the massacre. On July 14 1977, a sprawling blackout closed the markets. Lastly, on July 21 1969, NYSE closed to celebrate the first Moon Landing by Apollo 11.

It has been noted than most millennials don’t own can openers. Save jobs: Give your young friends and family can openers for Christmas.