The cycle.

Today's Tids Issue 4,440

Phew, I made it:

Happy Friday, Everybody! For those who can’t tell the difference between Sunday or Wednesday, to those who toil and create, who accomplish and celebrate; here’s to a happy transition to a weekend for relaxation, exploration or mental rejuvenation. Regardless of a stage in life, Saturday and Sunday is ingrained on our brains as something special, as entirely different than five days of the week sometimes exciting, other times plodding; filled with work assignments, doctors’ appointments, picking up and unloading kids hither and yon. Smile, It’s Friday all over again.

The only thing that flat-earthers have to fear is sphere itself.

The smartest people in the world are still held hostage by the environment in which they choose to live.

The Question:

Helen Mirren had always been an important actress in England. But one role in a TV series brought her to the top of mind of us in the USA. What was her role in what series?

The Headlines:

--Q2 GDP Slows To 2.1%. But Comes In Better Than Expected; Markets Open Higher; Personal Spending Remains Strong, Retail Sales Improve Over Q1; Twitter And Alphabet Profits Good; Amazon Stock Falls After Lower Profits: McDonalds Reports Bets Sales Since 2012.

--Dems Issue Subpoenas For Ivanka And Jared Personal Emails, Texts.

--Speaker Nancy Continues Antsy, Resisting Calls For Impeachment Proceedings.

--Iran Test Fires Two New Ballistic Missiles.

--Another 4.7 Quake Hits So Cals Ridgecrest.

My two favorite type faces are Bookman Old Style and Century Gothic. And this from a guy who grew up on Helvetica.

If Dems had let go of their “Get Trump” mentality and used the hearings to dig into the Russian flagrant violation of our election process, Americans may have seen the value of the nearly two-year, expensive investigations. And, perhaps praised Dems for their pursuit of a better America. Revenge and bitterness can bury good intentions.

Is Tesla running out of promises it can keep?

Jeopardy super star and LV Sports gambler James Holzhauer has New England and Los Angeles repeating in the Superbowl. He also advises never betting on football games using the beginning of the week odds.  

A basketball hoop bought at an old sailor’s garage sale is called the rim of the ancient mariner.

A small earthquake in Cal these days could just be a gathering for mass protests or boycotts.

With the rise of Twitter like mass communication systems, the basic legal concept of “Innocent until proven guilty” is in danger of becoming dismissed as a pleasant nostalgia. Mass tweeting always imposes a premature sentence of loss of reputation.

Far too many people are talking about a recession. Some of the rhetoric is purely political to blunt a Trump advantage, another is based on being too good for too long, and the rest is based on serious stuff like China slowing, stymied free trade and paradigm changing tech-based consumer attitudes. The problem – self-fulfilling prophecies if too many people start accepting the opinions of a few.

Of course, all of the surprising good news coming out today for Q2 could have a dampening effect on a stock market looking for reasons for a rate cut. Weird, just plain weird.

Tarantino movies always have critics gushing maniacally. That’s why it is so tough for average movie goers to know whether his are good or bad.

So, did you hear about the computer guy who was delighted with his pillow that was down loaded?

“ERA” also represents the letters left out of “a-v-g-e”.

Spell-Check told me to say that.

If the great US Machine Tool companies had transformed into automation companies, we still may have had most of them left. That is, the few that weren’t gobbled up and sucked dry by conglomerates. That is, if they could see beyond their profitable stagnation. (Note; This opinion only has relevance for today if you consider it as a warning to successful companies who are too comfortable in their present, and aren’t thinking ahead. Or for those thinking of cashing out with little regard to what remains.)

I think my golf game is getting better as I age because as a youth I thought it was better than it was.

Society will always have to recognize that there are some who will always try to take advantage of others.

Being bought by a hedge fund or private equity Company is probably not good news for a large percentage of employees.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--Once Upon a Time In Hollywood id the big promoted program by Tarantino. It’s about two struggling movie lesser lights, one who lives next door to Sharon Tate. It looks at the evil Charlee Manson women and fiendish crime itself.

--In “Skin”, a white supremist falls in love and sees advantages of moving on. But, to do that eh must turn on his friends and work with the FBI.

--The Mountain is a strange little film about the beginnings of the New Age movement in the 1950s, focusing on lobotomies, healers and an introverted man trying to live in his confused world. I’m avoiding.

In Jirga, an Australian soldier returns to Afghanistan to find the family of a civilian he killed accidentally. He seeks forgiveness and a clear mind, and puts his life into the hands of the Afghan village justice system. Might be interesting if it isn’t too preachy.

--Honeyland is about an old woman beekeeper who leads a quiet life in a very much out of the way area of rural Macedonia. All is perfect in her own little world of honey and hives until a family with loud cars, over active children and a herd of cattle move into town.  

The Answer:

Prime Suspect came to America via Public TV and Helen Starred as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison. Cracker starring Robert Coltrane was another excellent British police drama import, and was one of my can’t miss shows. Hollywood tried to produce an US TV version, but the Americanization of it destroyed the show.

Happy Saturday, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!