Be who you are.

Today's Tids Issue 4,550

Follow The Star:

Happy Hanukah, for all who celebrate it and all who appreciate the significance of the 8-Day Festival of Lights. The Menorah that kept on burning. That lights up a loving family season.

Hope you are all buttoned up for Christmas, because it is here. All tied up in beautiful ribbons, and just days away to excite children and adults who are always kids at heart. It is a day of laughter, and glowing eyes set popping when uncles and aunts and cousins and brothers and sisters and moms and dads and grandparents and great grand parents, friends, first set eyes on each other near twinkling trees and embrace in warm loving hugs.  

Remember when tinsel felt like heavy metal?

Have you noticed in political campaigns how much time candidates spend running away from who they are to get elected? To be common with the folks. Which means that the people who vote don’t really know who they elected.

It’s always nice when you order a crab cake and get one that actually has mostly crab in it.

The Question:

A lot of people crawl under the covers worrying about sharks, guns, eating meat and terrorists among many causes of death. But, what has been the biggest killer over the time of humans on earth?

The Headlines:

--Stock Futures Strong; Markets Loom At New data Today – Durable Goods Orders, Non-Military Capital Goods, New Home Sales , Chicago Federal Reserve National Activity Index; China Industrial Growth Up 5.19% for 20189. .

--Saudi Court Sentences 5 To Execution For Involvement In Khashoggi’s Death.

--Bolton Speaks Out Lamenting US failure In NK; US Military Alerted In Advance Of NK Christmas Surprise.

--Tragic Pre-Christmas Weekend: 13 Wounded At Chicago Memorial Party For Shooting Victim; 7 Shot In Baltimore While Waiting In Line To Enter Lounge; One Killed 7 Wounded In Minneapolis Area Banquet Hall Shooting.

--NFL Saturday has New England And Houston Clinching Division Titles; San Fran Staying Alive For Title; Seattle Blows It; The Eagles Have Cowboy Fans Crying.

--63 Car Crash ON I-64 In Virginia Injures Over Four Dozen.

--Tesla to use $1.4 Billion Lon From Shanghai Bank To Open Chna factory.

What’s strange about this line from the sports pages: “Hayward has been dealing with foot pain since November when he broke his hand.” ? I guess the footbone is connected to the hand bone is connected to the brain bone.

There is sadness in MLB. The average salary is only $4,051,490. That’s down from $4,097,122. Do you think maybe it will go up again when they add in three plus contracts signed so far in one week for over $1.3 billon.

Anton Bruckner should be played more.

US Demographic research shows that people over 40 are 2-1 for capitalism. Those under 40 are split about 50-50. Maybe newer generations have been given too much.

BTW, how can a “split” be “about” 50-50?

And it appears that millennials prefer real trees for Christmas.

BTW, tinsel worked better on Charlie Brown style trees.

People under 40 are 50-50 about socialism? That doesn’t sound too encouraging for future generations, does it?

Many years ago, the Tids research staff found over 15 different ways to spell Hannukah, Hanuka. Hanukah, Hannukah, Chanuka, Channuka, Chanukah, Channukah, Hanukka, Hanukkkah, Hannakku, Hannukkah, Chanukka, Channukka, Chanukkah, Channukkah and several that are use “oo” replace “U”. BTW, “Spell-Check likes Hanukah! But, what does spell check know.

And meanwhile, the Senate continues to approve lots of Trump nominated more conservative judges. And, that is what this impeachment is all about.

Stock Tip? Last year investor Andrew Milligan gave us two stock tips that did very well in 2019 – Microsoft up 55% and Equifax up 64%. Now he has a few for 2020. He thinks investors will be looking at 5G and says in that broad new arena he favors chip maker Marvell Technology. He still Likes Microsoft, but adds to his list Visa and Mastercard and a smaller stock Five 9 which is cloud software.

This past weekend 13 were wounded in a shooting at a Chicago House “Party”. Terrible, there’s nothing good about crazed shooters. A friend earlier in the week had sent me these statistics comparing Houston Texas to Chicago: “Legal to carry” – Chi no, Houston Yes; Homicides – Chi 1806, Houston 207; Homicides per 100K – Chi 66.7, Houston 9.6; Average January temperature (F) – Chi 31, Houston 63. Global warming will reduce homicides.

The NFL’s decision to move all key Saturday’s games to their own premium network make even a devout capitalist like me decry the inhumanity of big business.

There’s been a lot of holiday advice over the years about how to behave during family gatherings. The latest is about how not to talk about politics. Why would any reasonable individual gathered with family in a gaily decorated home full of wafting aromas with beautifully wrapped mysterious gifts all around and stockings hung by the chimney with care, ever want to talk about politics in the first place.

An overly chatty restaurant hostess sitting us at table last night said things like “Are you all ready for Christmas.” “It is so stressful.”  I said stressful? It depends how you look at it. She winced. I think a lot of people think it is stressful because a lot advice columnists write about how to avoid stress during Christmas. Maybe the columnists are stressed and  they want to transfer their angst to normally happy peole.

One of the things I guard against in writing this mess, is Parochialism. You know talking about local stuff that has no bearing on the rest of the country. But this morning I had to smile at a sports headline “Jules Rules”. It was about the incredibly tough Julian Edelman, who should represent for all the virtue of never giving up, and fighting though anything for the team. Well, we up here who are Patriots fans just love that guy. But, I know The PaTs not entirely revered around the country. But Julian and his determination should supersede pure rivalry bias. “Jules Rules!” yes! Sorry.

I, a diabetic, often find myself in supermarkets spending ten minutes or so looking into the amazing shelves of the ice cream department. You know just to stay current while waiting for a miracle cure. But then I may just be a masochist. At least I don’t chain myself the cooler.

When I was a kid, I always thought it would be fun to be a comedian when I grew up. As you can see by reading this daily mess, I failed.

I watched a bit of a program last night called the History of Comedy. It turns out that a lot of them think they are critical element for the health of the world. I would never go to se a comedian who thinks he is necessary in the world. I like to laugh.

The Answer:

Yes, of all the bogie men that occupy the concerns of many, it is the little annoying Mosquito who is the greatest killer of all time. Of the 108 billion humans who have walked his earth, 52 billion have been laid low by pesky mosquitos. Maybe that’s what did in the dinosaurs.

A good friend once told me that being who you are is the most important thing to being happy in life. If, you misrepresent yourself, let’s say to get a job, or finding that mate for life, you both will be unhappy when the real you emerge. If you are yourself quirks and all, you will be entirely happy knowing that you were chosen with earthing about you out in the open. And the chooser will never be disappointed.

Sometimes I may be a little too preachy. But, that’s who I am.

A goat giving birth is just kidding.