Suck-In days.

Today's Tids Issue 4.534

Find your inner Scrooge:

You may remember that a couple of days ago I made the comment about Christmas Clubs of the past and how Americans saved up to buy Presents. According to a NerdWallet survey by Harris polling, 48 Million American have yet to pay off their 2018 Christmas purchase debt. The American economy rumbles along on the backs of the consumer, and it appears that huge numbers of Americans can’t afford it. Just look at the temptations of today and yesterday, cyberMonday, and probably all of the tomorrows ‘til Christmas Eve. Black Days sucking in people to buy stuff they don’t need by offering the appearance of huge sales. Yes, consumers are buying into those “Sales” and by the time most pay it all back they will be paying double what they paid for the bargain product.  Yes, these are Black Sales days alright – probably really black for the US economy down the road.

Overheard from a sweet potato: “You’re nice. I like you”

Tomorrow I will be glued to the Big Michigan Ohio State game. It has caught my fancy and I will be rooting for the Wolverines band to be playing “Hail To the Victors” a lot as the team scores repeatedly against the vaunted OSU Buckeyes. I just have this hunch that Michigan will finally beat their archrivals, and this would be a double sweet victory. (Except for the NCAA Committee clowns who pick the participants for the NCAA Football playoffs.) There is no truth to the rumor that Jim Harbaugh is asking Brother John of The Baltimore Ravens to borrow super QB Lamar Jackson for the day. Watch for fast, shifty running QB with oversized black mustache.

I’m thinking that if I was playing the keys of a piano, my typos would be producing a lot of sour notes.

The Question:

The first Army/Navy game was played I 1890. Who won? How’s that for a nice easy fifty-fifty chance question? Happy Black Friday! No interest charged.  Bonus: Who were Bernt Balchen, Harold June and Ashley McKinney? Extra Bonus: Who was Enos the chimp? Super Bonus: It is easy for the Hollywood Gossip challenged to mix up two pretty good actress – Diane Ladd and Diane Lane. What was each noted for?

The Headlines:

--Markets Close In Red On Black Friday; Hong Kong Support Bill Worries Investor’s; Shoppers Expected To Spend $7.5 billion Today And $9.4 Billion On Cyber Monday; Markets Close At Noon.

--Trump Pays Surprise Visit To US Troops In Afghanistan.

--NK’s Kim Sends Chilling Warning To US After Successfully Testing Super Large Multiple Launch Rocket System.

--Several Pepel Stabbed On London Bridge.

--Storms Could Disrupt Holiday Travelers’ Return Hume.

--Morgan-Stanley Fires At Least Four Traders After They Try To Conceal $100-140 Million loss.

--After Bloodiest Protests, Iraqi PM Adil Abdul Mahdi To Resign.

--World Renown Rock Climber Brad Gobright Falls 600 feet To Death Trying To Repel Down Mexico’s El Sendero Luminoso.

--Boris Johnson Warns Trump To Stay Out Of UK Politics.

--Subscriptions To Disney Streaming Business Soaring! Frozen 2 Killing It At The Box Office.

I owned two race tracks but rented them to others. I was the lessor of two ovals.

While people are generally living longer into their Late 80[‘s and 90’s, the life expectancy rate for the USA is declining. Huh? Yes, old people who have made through their youth relatively unscathed realize that obesity, drugs and distracted driving can kill. So now using learned caution, plus medicine and cool procedures, the elderly just keeps on going.

The US economy would not survive with rational consumers.

Supporting Hong Kong is the right thing to do. But I don’t like the possibility of negativity about China retaliation creeping back into the stock market discussion. Yet, it appears, according  to several knowledgeable analysts, China may talk to save face, but they still really need an agreement. So, we will see. This may be the cause of a fading US stock market until January, or it may be just a small scuffle on the way to a deal

In addition to OSU Michigan, there are a lot of good old traditional rival games like Clemson-South Carolina, Indiana-Perdue, Florida-Florida State and Georgia-Georgia Tech. They could be interesting but they aren’t as competitive as they had been. A couple of those old rivalries could be winners, though – like Auburn-Alabama and perhaps another best of game -- Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Forcing a computer to search for a new laptop is like asking person to dig their own grave.

I see all of this clamor to go vegan or vegetarian. Like yesterday when a some do-called food expert got a gig on TV where he suggested the Vegetables and Fruits become the focus, the stars of the TDay dinner table instead of turkey and Gravy over America’s favorite vegetable – mash potatoes. So I thought, how many vegans or vegetarians were here really in this USA. Lately news reporting and TV presentations have propensity to make small groups look dominant. I found a research piece done by a Vegan who himself wondered, Now I live in LA, so I may have a distorted view of just how many people enjoy eating veggies or being what I am, a Vegan for 10 years. In his pretty extensive research effort he found 2% are Vegetarian and one of four vegetarians are vegans (.05%) In addition, the “Vegetarian Times” says there are 7.3 million vegetarians (3.2%) and about one million vegans (.05% of US). So, that’s about the range. Not too widespread in reality. But you would think it pervasive watching the news and TV programming.

Is a paper cut a tress way of getting back at you.

The ten most expensive restaurants in the USA are Benu  - San Fran, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare – NYC, French Laundry – Yountville Cal, Guy Savoy - LV, Joel Rubuchon – LV, Masa – NYC, Per Se – NYC (NYC sister of French Laundry), Saison – SF, Urasawa – LA, Eleven Madison Park – NYC.

Now people who can afford those places probably live in these 10 richest towns in America: At #10 is Glencoe Illinois followed by Bronxville NY, Darian Ct, Highland Park Tx, Short Hills NJ, Hillsborough Ca, Los Altos Hills Ca, Cherry Hills Village Co, Scarsdale NY…and, at #1 – Atherton Ca.

Jason Garrett seems like a real nice guy, but his days being nice on the sidelines at Dallas stadium might finally be over.

Could it be that the earth is a gigantic man-eating creature that somehow managed to convince us that burying our dead in the ground is the thing to do?

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

Queen & Slim they say is kinda like an updated Bonnie and Clyde, It appears to be more of abatement movie condemning cops. But it is well liked by all. After an inconsequential first date, a black man and black woman are pulled over on a minor traffic technicality. A scuffle escalates to the point where the man, a low-key honest retail employee, kills the police officer. He and the woman, a defense attorney, takeoff to gather their thoughts. But, the video of the shooting surfaces and goes viral on the net, and tops all of the nightly news programs They unwittingly become most wanted and a symbol of terrorism. Pretty exciting and tense. But…

--Knives Out is a tribute to Agatha Christie and her style of murder mystery. A renown novelist is found murdered and a crafty detective is brought in to solve the crime. He interviews the staff and relatives, and has to sort out all of the lies. And go down dead ends. Many red herrings.

--Two Popes is an intriguing drama about an heir apparent Cardinal not liking the direction of the church. Looking to retire, this biggest papal critic is surprised when that current Pope asks him to share secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. It is an inside the walls confrontation between two stubborn men who must find common ground.

--After Parkland is a documentary about the students left after 17 were murdered.

The Answer:

Navy beat Army that first meeting. Go Navy! Bonus: Balchen, June and McKinney were the three who accompanies Admiral Richard E. Byrd on his historic flight over the South Pole in 1929. Byrd got all the glory and the Frozen Food endorsement But pilot Balchen got them there and back safely! June was the radio man, and McKinney the photographer who recorded it for history. Extra Bonus: Enos the Chimp blasted off in 1961 in the Mercury/Atlas 5 rocket and orbited the earth twice, just to make sure it was safe for Alan Shepherd. Super Bonus: Ladd came to fame winning several awards for acting in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Any More. She was nominated for Oscars for roles in Wild at heart and Rambling Rose. She was strong in all her films She is the mother of Laura Dern. Lane was also an actress I liked. She won the NY Film Critics best actress award for Unfaithful. She has been a familiar face in several good movies, but lately was seen being arrested with Jane Fonda for protesting the weather.

Young people might be saying, flying over the South Pole was historic? I can do it on my phone.

It is impossible to dig half of a hole.

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