No shutdown looming in Tidsville:

Today's Tids Issue 4,292

Surviving glitter season:

Today is actually the true start of January, at least for all productive citizens of the USA, whose must now experience real commuting traffic for the first time since before Christmas. The life blood of our economy, who now catch up on all of those tasks possibly excused for holiday reasons. Kids are back into school getting ready for final first semester tests. This is the new beginning week, now that the “present” and the “future” are back in their sweatboxes underpinning a robust economy that can go up in any direction it wants. Now as for the “past”, not much going on there, and nothing has changed much, except perhaps that my right arm has new pain while my left is back to normal. I don’t measure my life by anything other than physical-neurological adjustments.

If an elderly man with studied opinions gained from experience is called a f---ing old curmudgeon, what do they call a woman of the same genre?

One of my favorite taste blends is dark black coffee combined with a bite of a somewhat spicy breakfast sausage nestled in a good biscuit.

A woman sent me one of those Daily Tids Typos, (That’s DTT as in almost poisonous) She said it was a good mistake: “The oddsmakers are Pickling the winners in the…” (Glitterville award ceremonies).’ Yes, a little brine would be a great improvement.

Good NFL games yesterday gave us next weekend’s NFL playoff lineup and it is a very good one: On Saturday we have the exciting Mahomes and his Chiefs against the the virtuoso of Andrew Luck and is surprisingly effective teammates. The NFC contest pits the smooth La La machine with slick Jared Goff and slicker Todd Gurney against the Eagles who just seem to get better after the aging Foules gets behind center to perform magic. Sunday in the AFC, Old Man Rivers comes to New England to face the ancient old goat Brady. And, his Pats who want to prove that they belong in New England lore. The NFC has another of the older but wiser QBs, Drew Brees, against a man named Zak with occasions of fumblitis, and amazing runner and the resurgent Cowboys.

One thing we rarely consider is that with new technology and new ideas abundant in our youthful society, that the US economy has a new kind of suppleness where it can reinvent itself in much shorter periods of time. It is like a snake that can shed one skin and grow another overnight. And well-trained people will be able to adjust to it. “Don’t tread on me”, we’ve only just begun.

Of course, anything is possible if we can keep government nagging at a minimum.

The Question:

A famous singer was killed after skiing into a tree on a snowy mountain resort named ironically, “Heavenly Ski Resort”. Who was it? Bonus: Who is Kathy Sledge. Extra Bonus: What was the three letter maritime destress call before SOS

The Headlines:

--Dow Opens First Real Week Of Year In Positive Territory, But Loses Ground Quickly As Morning Ages; Nasdaq Opens Lower But Rises Well In Early Trading; Today Couold Be The End Of Sears Roebuck & Company.

--China Trade Talks Begin Today.

--No Easy Fix For Shutdown In Sight; CNBC Says Trump Tweet Storm May Be Working To Gain Support For Shutdown And More Security Spending.

--NSA Bolton Reverses On Trump Saying o Withdrawal Until ISIS Is Dead For Good.

--Severe Windstorms Rattle Seattle And California Cities.

--Pacific Gas & Electric Down 18% On fears Of Bankruptcy.

--Nucor Steel To Build New $1;2 Billion Plant In Midwest.

--College Football Championship Tonight; Ticket Prices Hit New All Time Lows.

Pelosi sounds like a union leader at a negotiation. “I reject your facts” is generally the union rule of thumb first reaction to management proposals. Yeah, facts really mess up potential agreements.

If there wasn’t enough celebrity gawking last night, today we have the mdia hopping on boats and planes off to the local island of Nantucket for the Kevin Spacey appearance at his trial for molesting an 18-year-old boy at a restaurant in Edgartown. Get ready for your national TV news tonight.

At some opportune point during a business meeting, I used to hand a “sine qua non” cartoon by Wily to my customers. It depicted two guys on a street facing each other, intensely staring with sandwich boards draped over their shoulders. One board said: “The facts as they are.” The other said: “The facts as I see them.” And that was nearly thirty years ago.

Actually, in reality, what many salesmen always dealt with: “The facts as your competitor told me.”

There have been few shoemaking performances better than what I saw from Hawaii’s Sentry Golf Tournament Champion Xander Schauffele. I’m thinking of Arnie always going for the ultimate, and getting it whether pressure was highest. Btw, Gray Woodland’s response to Xander was equally impressive, though not quite as high on the drama index.

The news media heralded the occasion of the first two Muslim congresspeople joining the club. And already one looks as crazed as those hoards yelling and raving before American news cameras upon dusty streets some place in the middle east.

Some of the new outspoken congress people like O-C are about as scary as it gets for the future of America. If you get by the headlines of salivating reporters you see an agenda for change that would basically destroy America.

Did you see where Lord & Taylor closed its venerable Fifth Avenue store? The company was founded in 1826, but historic excellence seems to means little these days. I wouldn’t be surprised to read, American mourns the death of the Constitution 1788-2030.

Whatever happened to the First Baby born in the New Year being the big happy headline News? Now it’s, First Homicide victim shot down on city streets that gets the kudos.

The market is deep fall panic over the recent forecasted downside for iPhone sales from Apple. If WS was looking ahead 6 months as lore tells they do all of the time, they probably should have noticed that higher and higher cost phones without the former cell phone company subsidies will tend to drive people away for a couple of years. That, in addition the sudden awakening of consumers to the fact that you don’t need to buy a new phone every year, especially now when the advances are not entirely earthshattering, should be a hint of sales growth problems to come. Maybe its just me. But I have been good over the years of seeing handwriting on walls, in this case, prominently in black Sharpie.

I exercise a bit, (Key word “bit”) every day, just to assure that my muscle structure doesn’t fade away completely. Yesterday I was doing my brief (Operative word “Brief) routine to the music of Brahm’s “Academic Festival Overture”. It was amazingly refreshing and significantly stimulating. It almost convinced me to exercise longer, but I fought back the urge.

Above I said, “But, historic excellence seems to mean little these days.” It could and should mean lot, except for the emergence of some of these book-learned corporate weanies whose brains aren’t as good as their resumes. When corporate politics run rampant, you get governments. And, you know what that means.

If I spill coffee on our antique colonial furniture, it just adds to the luster of the color.

Speaking of luster, I couldn’t run away fast enough when the GG Red Capet began on our TV. Talk abut inane chitchat! But alas, people like those ostentatious orgasmic hug orgies and it is the Tid’s duty to report and comment on everything American. It sad that celeb if idolatry is so American. But, aside from the participants, I like awards for doing well and was particularly happy to see one of my favorite series, “The Americans”, win for best drama series. I was also happy to see Bodyguard doing well with a nomination and best actor win for Richard Madden  I also like upsets, like Star is Born losing out to the less than critical fave Bohemian Rhapsody, and Glenn Close beating favorite Gaga. Btw, I thought Gaga looked better as a real person in the film as opposed to her overdressed sideshow attraction of last night. I was disappointed that Alan Arkin didn’t get his supporting nod for Kaminski. Of the two stars, was better (to me) than Michael Douglas, who got best Actor for the same old man series. (Btw, is there anything more predictable than the jokes in films or TV shows about old men?)  And here’s to the local RI’er Peter Ferrelly and his big win for Green Book.

In an award ceremony surprisingly devoid of political angst, we had but one outburst, this from a guest in the USA, British actor Christian Bales who just couldn’t help being just one more overbearing celebrity disrespecting the country who gave him a job. Btw, to get away for the glitter, I had run away from the GG’s and was watching the Golf match from Hawaii and alternatively NCIS LA. But the NCIS show wasn’t safe from Hollywood bias as the culprit In this episode was described several times pointedly as “an immigration enthusiast.” God help me. The problem we face is about people sneaking in here illegally, Yet Hollywood and allies propagates the myth of Americans hating immigrants.

At the end of today’s, and for the next few Tids I’ll print excerpts from the novel “The Parking Lot” so you can get the flavor of some of the characters and the story line. Actually, I’m just stalling so I can flesh out the continuance of the story from the point where I left off.

The Answer:

“I got you babe” singer was killed after skiing into a tree at the heavenly Ski resort. Bonus: Kathy Sledge was a singer, songwriter and founder and lead singer for the very popular group Sister Sledge.  One of here most familiar hits was “We are Family”, but their biggest seller may have been “Take me back to love again”. Extra Bonus: “CQD was the predecessor of SOS. “CQD” was made public by the Marconi International Marine Communication Company for use as destress signals on telegraph. CQ came from “Secu”, from the French word securite, to identify or alert as a precautionary message of interest to all. The “D” was already an international telegraph symbol designating an “Urgent message. CQD: -.-. --.-  -..

Maybe I should write the Tids in Morse Code. If you ever see me doing that, send my wife flowers.

Conquer the week.

The Parking Lot. The beginning:

1620, Plymouth England.

The Hicks family had been missing the boat for years. Robert and his wife Elizabeth stood on the dock that misty morning, faces drawn, shivering a bit, with aches in their hearts as they watched the Mayflower hoist it’s sails and leave for the world of new promises. Robert was doing alright financially, but he like his friends wanted to achieve religious freedom in that land across the dark ocean, a virgin place of bountiful green forests and clear cool lakes; a land without governmental tyranny.

  Splash! Elizabeth’s scream snapped him out of his serene journey. “What!” he exclaimed, his head spinning towards the commotion. Elizabeth just stood, open mouthed and speechless, pointing at the black, murky waters below the pier. He looked and saw son John, a smile on his face, looking down a circle of spreading ripples. “Where’s Ephraim?” shouted Robert as he ran to the side of the wooden dock.

  John pointed to the water, “I think he fell. Must have tripped.” John was still smiling though as Robert removed his heavy leather coat and dove in. Just as Robert’s hands knifed into the water, Ephraim’s head popped up and he was screaming, not for his life but at his brother John; yelling out every forbidden epithet he could muster. His taking God’s name in vain, and worse would get him into more trouble than John.”

  But, that’s the way it was with John Hicks. He knew how to create situations that got everybody into trouble, and walk away innocently. At twelve years old, he was a born flimflammer.

(Robert sailed for Plymouth in 1621 on the ship Fortune and a year later Elizabeth and the children followed on the ship Anne.)

Two things led to a rough start in the Plymouth colony for Ralph Hicks and his family of 10. First, Governor Bradford had allotted land to all inhabitants within before the Hicks hoard arrived, so that Robert was given the allotment for a single man. The other problem was the Hicks hoard itself and in particular several sons, John and Ephraim chief among them, who irritated the hell out of the basically religious, hard-working community.

(But ironically that turned out to be very good for Robert and Elizabeth and the rest of their children, mainly the third son Richard, as Gov. Bradford said he would give the Hicks large acreage closer to Rhode Island, if he would just take his family and espcailly John, with him. So, John the overly energetic kid became a valuable asset to the Hicks family, after all. BTW, John decided not to go to the wilds of the western Plymouth Plantation which was just too unsettled for. him. He eventually married and moved up to Weymouth Mass, which made everybody at Plymouth very happy including his own family. John’s life is a whole new story and quite expansive. But, for this one, he has done what this author needed.)