20/20 Vision.

Today's Tids Issue 4.302

KC or Bust:

Is it me, or has Television run out of stories?

The stars are aligning around 2020, and I don’t think that even Jarred Kushner can fix them.

Brewery workers’ demands for a morning and afternoon beer break will be heard on a case by case basis.

There was story going around the news media today about a gang of monkeys chasing around a woman and her daughter on a rooftop until the older woman fell off and was killed. It was very sad, but all I could think of was American politics.

Just incase you missed it, Netflix thinks that “Fortnite” is their biggest business competitor! Fortnite of Epic Games has 200 Million registered users versus Netflix 139 Mil. Yikes! I wonder how many people will now check Fortnite to see what it’s all about. It’s the old self-fulfilling prophesy thing.

The Question:

Which country in the 15^th century was the world’s greatest economic power? Bonus: Who are Allison Arngrim, Jane Horricks and Jesse Martin? Big Question: When Netflix announced a price increase, there stock went up. But, when Apple raised prices, their stock went down. Why the difference?

The Headlines:

--Markets Look To Have Strong Day, As China Negotiations Appear More Hopeful; Stock Markets Off To Fastest Start Since 1987 (Whoops).

--Tesla To Cut Workforce By 7%.

--CVS Manages To Make Deal With Walmart; Netflix Profits Report Disappoints.

--Cohen Says He Was Paid By Trump To Rig Polls Prior To Election Day; Twitter World Goes Berserk.

--Cold Storms Ripping Across Midwest On Way To Northeast.

--Trump Cancels US Delegation To Davos.

--Women’s March Losing Support As Factions Seek To Elevate Their Concerns Above The Whole.

I’m pretty well convinced that most pedestrians consider crosswalks just one more entitlement. And like so many entitlements, they don’t recognize that there is a responsibility that goes with it. Like, looking both ways before crossing.

I guess I gotta bite the bullet. Sunday is championship day. Two teams go to the biggest showdown in sports, while two just go home to polish their golf clubs. The first game Sunday is between the LA Rams and The New Orleans Saints. LAR was the darling of the sports media experts earlier this year but the mystique of QB Jeff Goff disintegrated like Cinderella’s night at the ball. Drew Brees, the Saints old man, is easily among the top ten of all time, and statistically maybe even in the top five. He and his coach Sean Payton are the winningest tandem except for Brady and Belichick. The Rams D line is still ferocious however, and they can run the ball. The Saints are home, and I think they are a slightly better team. Now I have been reading a lot in local papers here about the second game -- the Pats and the Chiefs -- and from what I can see, the Pats probably shouldn’t be making the trip. The Chiefs’ “D” is sack crazy and Brady hates to be rushed. KC’s QB Mahommes, who joined Brady and P Manning as the only 50 TD passers in history, is plain and simple a magician. Their main receiver Tyreek Hill is the fastest guy on both teams. Their secondary receivers Kelce and Watkins are significantly better than chopped chicken liver. So, it doesn’t look good for New England. In addition, everybody wants KC to beat NE. It will be cold in the loudest stadium in the NFL. If the Pats win it, it will be a miracle. I believe in miracles, and the fortitude of the many components of that team. I’m all in with the Pats.

I think I know why Rudy offered himself up to Chris on CNN a couple of days ago. Rudy, the former excellent prosecutor now Trump mouthpiece sees new facts caching up with previous bombastic pronouncements. And, he sees Cohen coming to Congress.

Almost everything political we are seeing is designed to weaken Trump for 2020. Oh, there are some hoping for more like impeachment and conviction. But it is less messy for the country at large to wait less than 2 years for the turnover. What I fear most though if Trump doesn’t make it back, is the gloating of the celebrities.

I’m often befuddled by judges ruling against criminal convictions because of alleged technical assessments. A young man in Providence was convicted of killing another young man during a robbery…of a gold chain, of all things. Witnesses saw him enter the building with intent to rob, holding a gun. The bullets in the victim matched the bullets in the gun. In other words, there was no confusion about his guilt. But, another judge threw out that conviction because “The rules to the jury were confusing, convoluted and lacked special instructions…” Poor judgement, but gets an A for technical understanding.

Cohen in Congress could be the best viewed TV show in history. Or, at least reality show.

I haven’t been watching the AGT Champions series and now I know why (Other than Judge exhaustion) it’s not on my schedule. My all time Favorite Darci, the utterly delightful and amazing singing ventriloquist got axed. In a poll, 81% said her going was a travesty.

I think conservatives have to start thinking about a new masterplan.

Following bad behavior on TV has been national pastime. The Birdbox movie (Lighting up over 80 million households) has lately been leading the way in inspiring brainless activity. The latest is a person trying to drive a car blindfolded, injuries resulting. Yet, the movie moguls continue to say their industry has no effect on culture, morals or intelligent behavior.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--Glass Is part of some trilogy of which I’m unfamiliar. I’ve tried to become familiar but find that I am even more confused reading about it. It appears the average person likes this somewhat bloody film about a superhuman figure called the Beast, and the man orchestrating it called Glass. (Or Price) Bruce Willis palsy Dunn who is chasing down the Beast. Sam Jackson is manipulator Glass. Sorry, wish I could do better.

--"Don’t come back from the Moon” is another odd one where all of the men in a town, one by one, walk away from their families and obviously confuse the hell out of the remaining children. Kids get into burgherly and other not so hot hobbies while trying to understand what’s going on.

--In The Heiresses, two sisters In Paraguay with lots of dough live together for about 30 years until they find that have to scramble to pay the bills, and stay just ahead of the sheriff. One sister is jailed for fraud and the other drives a cab where she meets an energetic young lad who shows her the way to her own personal revolution. It’s a good one.

The Answer:

In the 1400’s, Portugal was on top of the world. Their explorers made them dominant in Europe, Africa and Asia, and even in South America.. The wealth poured in and their power was felt by all of the other bigger countries like  Spain and England. Bonus: Alison Arngrim is a “Young Artist Award Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award” nominee. She was best known for playing Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie. If you saw and enjoyed the movie “Little Voice” then you have truly enjoyed Jane Horrocks too!. If you saw the original “Rent” on Broadway, then you probably applauded Jesse Martin as Tom Collins. You have surely enjoyed him as Detective Ed Green on Law & Order and Joe West on the Flash. Big Question: I don’t know the answer, but it appears that the Apple increase (Especially with no truly must have new benefits) in a competitive market placed them in the “Considered purchase” category. (Far different than the old days when it “Just buy it”, because it’s there) Netflix however is in a momentum mode and higher prices will return more revenue and thus profit at least in the short term.

My vision isn’t quite 20/20 any more but I can see clearly what’s going in preparation for 2020. It’s not going to be pretty and we’re apt to hear some pretty nutty stuff. And that will just be Democrats talking about Democrats.

Have a great weekend, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!!