Political flu.

Today's Tids Issue 4,295

Finding peace in avoidance (The old ostrich trick):

Well, the pages of January are turning,

Smoking chimneys say logs are burning

There’s nothing better than settling in,

Not complaining about cold nor wind.

To enjoy the best of what you’ve received

Comforting love and warmth, interweaved.

Well, I have to tell you that I fell asleep last night about 8:02.73, just after the President began his remarks. I awoke startled to see two lifeless, robotic forms standing grim faced shoulder to shoulder. Can you say “American Gothic”? I thought it was a weird evening for America.

It was as like I was mugged in a dark alley yesterday afternoon as several intelligent readers hit me hard for missing the actual names of the NCAA Football Championship coaches – Dabo, not Jabba (The Hutt), Swinney and “Nick”, not Lou of the Bills, Saban. It seems like I have been on my knees begging for mercy a lot lately. I’ll have to speak to my aging mind. If I can find it.

Americans are about to set another world record. It is expected that the marriage breakup between Jeff Bezos and wife will be the most expensive ever! We still got it.

The Question:

What are the five largest divorce pay outs?

The Headlines:

--China Talks End After Extending To Third Day With Hope For Deal; Stocks Expected To Have Good Day After Strong Opening.

-- Apple Cuts iPhone Production By 10%; Higher Prices and Slowing China Sales Reasons For Step Back.

--Pompeo Makes Surprise Visit To Baghdad To Reassure Iraqi Officials;

--Sears Gets Last Chance Life-Line; JC Penny To Close More Stores After Latest Report Of 3.5% Drop In Same Store Sales.

--Little Accomplished In Oval Office Address And Dem Rebuttal.

--Rosenstein Said To Be Resigning After New AG Is Confirmed.

This morning, I listened to an interview with a High-ranking immigration law official who supported fences and said of RI’s Congressman Ciciline, “Representative Ciciline has never arrested an unlawful migrant, and has absolutely no idea what we do on a daily basis and how much a fence or some barrier would help us.

And the above Tidlet from the Tidster who always thought from the first utterance of The “Wall”, that it would only become big potential white elephant like the railroad station at Wickford Junction. That’s In RI, and is a great example of government waste.

By the way, if I tune into any medium talking about the border or immigration, I immediately switch. Talk about uninformed repetition. Spare me. But, it is good for all of the not-news, non-political channels. Eat a Cheeto, watch a sports show. Bingo – life is good.

Mason jars were cute when some restaurant years ago introduced them to carry out a theme. But they have never been good for drinking in unless you enjoy dribble on your chin. So, I was taken aback a bit when a food column touting a clever restaurant chain used as an example of their creativity – you guessed it, mason jars for drinks.

If somebody shut down the entire government instead of just 25%, the decision would be made in nanoseconds.

Some TV offerings are dubbed “Explosive” in pre-viewing promotions. But “Surviving R. Kelley” lived up to the superlatives – it was an A-Bomb! – dropped squarely on the illicit love nest of RK. They say it was a hard to watch, this detailed review of R. Kelley’s sex cult, which included his representatives threatening parents of minor female victims. It was chilling, but in the end very good for justice. Now many are coming foreword with real evidence which could send the rapper/predator away for a long time. And many rising up include celebrities (John Legend was a force behind the revelations) who would be very happy to rid the entertainment world of this seamy sex exploiter and help those scared victims who had to suffer in silence.

South Kingstown is a nice little town in RI, the state that has proven several times that money does not a great education system make. It has a real “Fox guarding the chicken coop” problem. A woman whose day job is with the national organization NEA is on the town’s School Committee. Instead of “Save the Dunes”, “Watch your Wallets” will become the new guideline for preserving the future.

It is really hard to go out and find what I consider an inexpensive meal.

A professional golfer’s iron deficiency made him anemic and basically ineffective.

An observer said that free healthcare for all like it is being implemented in NYC and San Fran is like giving money to thieves before they break into your house.

What’s a fairway to tell a golfer it’s over fore-ever?

Btw, do you know what happens when one state decides it’s a good idea to give away free everything? People who want free everything move in.

The Answer:

It is estimated that the Bezos divorce settlement will be in the neighborhood of $137Billion. Which is good for Bill Gates ranking on the richest person list. The next giant divorces settlements are: $38Bil ($5.7 inflation adjusted) Alec Wildenstein from Jocelyn (Wildenstein is a horse owner and NYC art collector with lots of inherited money. His wife was fond of plastic surgery). Next is $1.7 Bil ($2.6) Rupert Murdock from wife Anna; $1.2B ($1.4b) Bernie Ecclestone and wife Slavica (British Business Mahof big in Formula 1); $1.1B ($1.2) Steve Wynn and Elaine; $974.8M ($1.1B) Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Amail (American Oil and Gas Magnate); $874M ($2.3B) Adnan Khashoggi from Soraya. (Saudi Businessman who was uncle of murdered journalist Jamal K). Of the well-known US celebs, Mel Gibson from Robyn Moore is high on the list at #10 ($425 M). Others are #15 Michel Jordan from Juanita, Neil Diamond (Was Once atop the list), Harrison Ford, Greg Norman, Steven Spielberg, Madonna, Tiger Woods, Kevin Costner, Kenny Rogers, Michael Douglas, Ted Danson and at #33, Donald Trump from Ivana at about $25 M.

So, on it goes. Send me a note when it’s over.

The Parking Lot – Getting to know Jared.

It’s been about a week now since the battering, and I felt good enough to drive up to Tiverton. I waited til my wife left for one of her daily routines, then I snuck down into the garage, got my car and was on my way to an adventure. I was feeling good about having a mission with more consequences than learning about 40’s movie stars in a local lecture series. My pain had subsided nicely, and I thought I was going to make it through the day. I had spent the week recuperating, but not idle. There was a time when I was pretty good at drawing people, so I managed to recreate a sketch of what I remembered about the face of the nervous woman. It could be helpful as I began my quest.

  The Historic Tiverton was a mixed bag of a town, from Fall River fringe neighborhoods to country eloquent. The downtown on the northern end of the Sakonnet River, which has always looked like a large Bay to me, was a pleasant little space that seemed lost in the past. The kind of town I like. Some of the families here, and I’ve done some business with them, go back to the early settlers who came over from Plymouth. This part of RI was actually considered part of the Plymouth colony. I always thought that the walk between Plymouth and here seemed pretty long for me, but would work well today to beef up my Fit bracelet numbers.

  The little coffee shop was on the waters side of the short, pretty much non-descript main drag. There were several marine businesses, a bank and a convenience store, all on a high bluff above marinas and moorings. The “Coffee Jolt” was a nice-looking place with some tables out front just a couple of feet from the curbless street. I squeezed into a small a parking space, turned off the engine and opened the folder next to me, pulling out the sketch. Are you still alive? I tought. I felt my body tense.

The aroma of freshly ground coffee coupled with the magnificent sea air was worth the trip up even if I didn’t learn a thing about my woman. A cheery, forty something waitress materialized at my table just as I sat and reached for a napkin to wipe away a few crumbs. “Oh, let me get a sponge.” She said immediately and sped off. I always wonder about what is contained in community sponges at restaurants like these.

  She was back in a flash, with a clean looking purple sponge and a paper towel. She asked as she started to scrub, “You from around here,” knowing I wasn’t. I expect she knew everybody in town.

  “Nope,” I said with an equally smiley face, “I’m far away across the Bridge.”

  “Oh, a Foreigner. I’d better be on guard.” That‘s a local joke, but it also made me think twice about snooping around here. I smiled at her knowingly. Understanding sarcasm around this watery part of New England goes a long way to building better relationships.

  “I’ll behave,” I answered. She smiled back. “I’ll have a small black coffee, from those beans that smell so good, and that pastry that is stuffed with dark chocolate.

  “You are a very smart man,” she said turning and scurrying off. I fingered the sketch in the folder on my lap.

  When she returned, I had the folder open in front of me with the sketch on top face down. “I warmed the pastry so the chocolate would be nice and gooey inside”. I felt my saliva oozing inside my mouth. It almost hurt

  “I love warm and gooey,” and then I picked up the picture. I wonder if you could help me out of a small dilemma. I turned over the picture and watched her eyes. They moved to the right, quickly and then back. The smiled faded slightly.

  The only thing I learned from my trip to Tiverton was that I was actually on to something that could be important. I also learned that I could be stumbling into the unknown where one of the obvious results would be getting myself killed or seriously injured. But, then I figured that I already had been beaten, and I survived.

(Tomorrow we’ll go back to 1635 Tiverton and meet some of those characters.”