Laughing is better.

Today's Tids Issue 4.560

There's always humor:

I’m not waking this morning wondering what Congress will do, or even how Iran will retaliate. I’m not concerned at all about the first day of the RI Legislature’s return. Or where Tom Brady will be next year. Not even the state of the stock market. All I’m wondering is who will beat whom – Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer or Brad Rutter.

Trump could lose a lot of support if he keeps on insisting that destroying Iran cultural sites is a good idea.

Hermits have no peer pressure.” –Steven Wright

Sometimes while I’m writing a pleasant melody stops me in my tracks. And often the pause it is a very good thing as it softens my heart and opens my eyes to understanding.

On Halloween the most read part of the daily newspaper is the Horrorscope.

The Question:

If you ask the question about the most influential news people of all time, it is mostly men who show up on top. But many well-known, accomplished women appear in the list of 54. Name the top Ten women? Bonus: How much did each of the three All Time Champs of Jeopardy win?

The Headlines:

--Huge 6.4 Quake Hits Puerto Rico; Power Is Off Across The Island; Observers Say Damage is Widespread.

--Exceeding Expectation’s Jump to 55 In ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Shows US Economic Fundamentals Still Very Strong; US Trade Deficit Falls To Three Year Low; Dow Opened Ugly Down But Is Climbing back.

--Iran Foreign Minister Javadi Zarif Says US Act Of War Will Have consequences.

--24 Peopek Charged With Arson In Astarilas Mamoth Fres.

--Latest Multi-Car Crash: 65 Cars Merge Rapidly On I-95 In CaremL Maine.

--Mike Pompeo Decides Against running for Senate In Kansas.

I see where RI’s former Gov, Senator, Mayor is vying to run for President on the libertarian ticket. I think he thinks that libertarian means liberal.

I stayed in a really old hotel last night. They sent me a wakeup letter.”  --SW

The NY Times is writing that Trump is doing in Iran what Obama should have done. Iranians, formerly known as Persians are not Arabs, and have little sympathy for other Middle East neighbors. Basically, their association with the Arab neighbors is largely based on supplanting US dominance in the region. Their language is Indo-European while Arabic is Semitic. There’s a lot more to understanding the Middle eastern tensions than what you read in headiness.

Many old-line Republicans have become Libertarians, with qualifications.

The rapid rise in oil prices in the past would be a harbinger of a recession to come. But, today, consumers only spend 2.3% of their income on oil related products versus 6% in the early 80’s. So while Iran angst has the prices climbing rapidly, it won’t have the traditional slowing effect on the US economy. So, plug I your car. BTW , where does all the reasonably priced electricity come from?

Paradise isn’t what it used to be. The poor people of Puerto Rico have to weather the largest of hurricanes, now a large earth quake and forever bad government. The only good news, if you call having to be rescued again good, is that the hearts of of Americans will reach out.

“For a while, I didn’t have a car… I had a helicopter… no place to park it, so I tied it to a lamp post and left it running.” --SW

There may be a little day light amidst the harsh words in Iran’s Zarif’s interview by Martha Raddatz. Raddatz asked: “Are you concerned that a strong response from Iran will end in an all-out war?” Zarif answered: “That depends on the United Sates. The United Sates took an act of war against Iran; it will have to be prepared for the consequences. Then it will have to decide whether it wants to get itsefl into a quagmire or whether it wants to stop.” It doesn’t appear that anybody wants a war that never ends.

Headlines that can get you in trouble: “He made $2.3 Million on his lunch break.”

Just in case you don’t think political careers can pay off, Chelsea Clinton the recipient of her Parents political dastardly dabbling made $9 Million since 2011 as member of the board of IAC/InteractiveCorp. Yikes! You have to figure that Hunter Biden would have liked that gig.

Note: IAC is led by Clinton pal Barry Diller, as is Expedia where the Clinton child also has a seat at the table. Hey, Chelsea is probably a very intelligent woman, but connections are connections.

“I saw a subliminal advertising executive, but only for a second.” --SW

The Answer:

The first woman on the list comes in at #9 and it is Jane Pauly. Next at #10 is Diane Sawyer, followed at #12 by Lesley Stahl. The rest are #14 Barbara Walters, #20 Andrea Mitchell, #23 Cokie Roberts, #27 Ann Curry, #28 Jessica Savitch, #29 Christiane Amanpour, and number ten is Connie Chung (32). The rest of the women on the list are Katie Couric (33), Linda Ellerbee (36), Robin Roberts (40), Elizabeth Vargas (41), Rachel Maddow (42), Marlen Sanders (44), Maria Shriver (45)Greta Van Susteren (46),Oprah Winfrey (47), Carole Simpson (49) and Maria Elena Salinas (50). In case you are interested, the first five on the list the list are Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, David Brinkley, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw. Bonus: Brad Rutter has won $4.68 Million from the show. In 72 straight wins, Ken Jennings wone $2.52 Million while in just 32 wins James won $2.44 Mil. Brad, BTW, didn’t win that much on his first appearance as the rule permitted a limit of five wins. He won $55K, but since then he has played in many “Champions” tourneys and won them all (Some against Jennings) adding another $4 Million Plus. He lost once though, but not to another human. He along with Ken Jennings lost to IBM’s computer in a Three Man/Thing event.

BTW, I really don’t have a problem with people using connections to get ahead… as long as they can contribute to where ever they are on their own.

“I wrote a song, but I can’t read music so I don’t know what it is” –SW

One of the advantages of being the writer of this is that I get to read all of Steven Wrights one-liners but you only get what I select. I think that makes me powerful.

See you tomorrow. Maybe something funny will happen and I won’t have to write about war. Or steal jokes form funny people.