Life Leaning.

Today's Tids Issue 4,449

Never Stop filling Your Brains:

Here’s some words I heard yesterday: “Faith requires courage. To have it you must walk the path of the unknown.”

Hong Kong is vitally important to China’s economy. It is their bridge to the rest of the world. While Hong Kong’s percentage of China’s GDP has fallen significantly from 16% to 3%, it is still essential, it still maintains the premiere position in the county for obtaining equity financing. Hong Kong provides China with access to global financial markets. If for purely political reasons, China absorbs this vital financial economy into its central Government vacuum, it may be losing more than it thinks, primarily its reluctant relationship with capitalism. The news media reports protests in the streets, but it is much deeper, much more.

One of the multiple causes for the last big recession was lumped as Sub Prime Mortgages”. I think the big lumped together factor in the next one will be “Over Extended Liabilities”

By the way, in yesterday’s Tids, it was “Domestic”, not “Somatic” (In case you were confused). Synonyms for somatic are worldly, secular, mortal, human, mundane, materialistic, carnal, fleshy, corporal, sensual and gross. Say what? So, maybe Somatic fit after all.

It is possible that China suspended Yuan production to insert a new pic of Xi with a better haircut. World markets can be confounding at times.

India is urging Pakistan to restore diplomatic ties. This Kashmir tinderbox is worth watching closely. In the US the anger is about rhetoric. There it is about two nations that have never liked each other (That’s why there are two) and they both have The Bomb. The two countries have the second and sixth largest populations in the world. This is not a trivial third world nation dispute. I would call it real news.

The Question:

What are considered Dustin Hoffman’s five best films?

The Headlines:

--Stock Market rally Ahead As China Fixing Od f Yuan Is Stronger Than Expected; Asia And European Stocks Respond Favorably.

--Trump Gets Praise and Boos As He Visits Injured In Hospitals, First Responders In Dayton And El Paso.

--Polls Show That Most Repubs Favor Assault Weapons Ban.

--Billionaire Retailer Leslie Wexner Says His Former Foundation Money Manager Jeffery Epstein Misappropriated $46Million.

--Willie Nelson Cancels Tour Due To Health Issues.

--Various Candidates Issue Irrelevant Insults.

From a very sensible reader: “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” –Ambrose Bierce.

Maybe more candidates should hire Ambrose as Media Manager. What I and most are seeing is that the apparent strategy is to answer Stupid with more Stupid. With a capital “S”. Do we want any of these panicked lightweights as president?

I really like restaurants that serve breakfasts all day long.

It’s always good to find ways to get stronger, in character. Especially in this new world of crumbling standards.

Don’t look now, but the way the rhetoric is going the next president will either be a socialist or a racist.

I think the Tids gets removed into your spam when I use my name “Dick” in the copy. Email services just can’t be too safe with sex nuts all over the internet.

Despite my ongoing sarcasm, I actually do enjoy the work of a lot of actors, until they become iconic.

And, I never plan to see a movie simply because an actor is in it. It’s all about plot to me, and more and more there are fewer and fewer promising plots.

The LBQ et al community wants RI to add another category, “X”, under “Gender” on drivers’ licenses and birth certificates. Birth certificates? How do they know?

The FedEx Championships begins today with the Northern Trust Open at Liberty National GC in Jersey City NJ., and I’m picking Brooks Koepka to win the first round. Usually I don’t make obvious choices, but I think his win two weeks ago was as important to him as his majors. It will push him on, at least in Truney #1 of 3.

I’d like to play that Liberty course someday. Or at least walk it. Looks quite appealing to me.

One way to be labeled a racist is to tell the truth about a minority group.

Personally, I like it when the bond yield declines because my bond holdings increase in value. I’ll never truly understand bond hysteria.

BTW, White Supremists are a fringe segment of the right just as Communists are a fringe element of the left. Broad based characterization of people could ruin America.

But, when all of the losers among the Dem candidates bow out, we may get back to just rational insults.

Regardless of recent emotional up and downs of stocks, the US economy is still too strong for a recession.

Being first in the high-tech app arena doesn’t last forever. Despite the fact that the founders make a lot of money fast.

The Answer:

Hoffman captured American movie goers quickly with his memorable role in The Graduate. But, Rain Man is considered his best by an audience poll. Next would be The Graduate followed by All the Presidents Men, Kramer vs. Kramer, Tootsie, Papillon, Marathon Man, Midnight Cowboy, Hook and Little Big Man. Thinking back, I have to say that his role as Ratso in Midnight Cowboy was one of his most riveting. I personally liked Marathon Man.

I seem to remember quite vividly the night we piled our 8, 6 and 2-year-old girls into the back of the old Ford station wagon to go to the movie Midnight Cowboy at the Portland Conn Drive-In movie theater. It was in field by the Connecticut River and usually flooded during the Spring thaw. I also seem to remember continually placing my hand over the eyes in little heads that kept popping up from the back seats. Actually, my wife kept placing her hand over my eyes. MC was the only “X: rated movie ever to win an Academy Award. We were just naïve parents who thought it was a nice little western.

See you all tomorrow. Enjoy the Pats game against the Lions tonight, or whatever NFL team is your favorite. Yes, it is that time of year, again.

Aah. Wht you learn through life.