The Grifters.

Today's Tids Issue 4,574

The Melody Lingers:

I’d like to help the climate and grow my own food, but I can’t find bacon seeds.

Kobe Bryant was certainly an excellent basketball player, and understandably received overwhelming tributes from across the land throughout the day yesterday.

It seems to me that the “Unusual” has become commonplace, which may or may not be a good thing. Yet, I also think it’s ok that we have broadened the scope of “Normal”. My main concern though is that we have lost a sense of civility along with condoning everything as acceptable; a certain kind of national selfishness. There still is a significant need for stable societies to recognize right and wrong. There is still a need for responsibility to go along with freedom and understanding.

Has Billie Eilish already peaked at 18 years old?

It’s really, really hard to take the Dems seriously when Gerry Nadler is part of the assault team.

Some con artists we put in jail. Some con artists we elect.

I’m voting for a President who says he will eliminate hacking.

Which is something you should expect from a hack.

Superman was the greatest hero of all Superheroes. Right? Not that I didn’t like Captain Marvel or Plasticman. But liking pales in the face of practical and observed evidence. The Man of Steel was our greatest protector and morally considerate contributor to the human race. Now, if wasn’t for that little allergy of his.

The Question:

Who wrote the novel, Pollyanna? Bonus: Who was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson?

The Headlines:

--At Market Opening Dow Plunges 450 Points; Nasdaq Nosedives Near 200 Coronavirus Is A Big Reason; Apple, Tesla, AMD, Microsoft, AMD, Facebook To Report Earnings During The Week; Boeing Stock Up As Investors See Light At End Of The Runway.

--3 Rockets Hit US embassy In Baghdad.

--Fire At Scottsboro Alabama Houseboat Marina Destroys 35 Boats; At Least 9 Not Accounted For; 7 In Hospital.

--Bolton Book Excerpts Showing Trump Ties To Aid Freeze Has Dems Crying For Witnesses; Trump Defense To Face New Issue As They Begin Second Day.

--New NYTimes/Siena College Poll On Iowa: Bernie Widens Lead To 7 Points; Bernie 25, Buttigieg 18, Biden 17, Warren 15; Note: 55% of Iowa Voters Prefer Moderate Dem.

--New ABC/Wapo National Dem Poll: Biden 32%, Sanders 23%, Warren 12% (Down from 23%), Bloomberg 8%.

--NBC/Marist NH Poll: Sanders 23%, Butt 17% Just Ahead Of Liz and Biden.,

--Priceless Artifacts Of Chinese History In America May Have Been Entirely Destroyed In NYC’s Chinatown Museum Fire.

--Eilish Wins Multiple Grammys In Biggest Haul Since Christopher Cross In 1981; Long Event Filled With Dedications To Kobe Bryant.

--Nations #1 High School Football Player Chooses Clemson; Tigers Now Favored To Win 2020 NCAA Football Championship.

Listening to Sibelius is like being in Church and having the ills of the world fleeing your mind.

Here’s an example of how the media can sensationalize the news. Last night I heard the breathless CBS anchor, drawn, tense faced Major Garrett say that 41 Million Americans are in debt because of growing medical expenses. The he sucked in even more air before saying, “to the tune of $81 Billion”. Stop the presses! But I decide to do some schoolboy math and found that it is an average of about $2024.00 for the 12% of US citizens in debt. That’s the cost of a bad seat at the Super Bowl. Yet, I understand that medical debt can shatter lives, and that rational understanding should be built into the formula. The point here is, let’s just slow down and temper the angst over hyperbolic reporting…on everything. Numbers can deceive or mislead as well as inform.

9 People died in a helicopter crash if California. 9 people are missing in a houseboat marina fire in Alabama. Which of all of these good people will receive the tears of the American masses?

It is the consensus of Grammy watchers, of whom I am not one, that Lizzo should have gotten more hardware.

Lizzo, Eilish, Del Rey -- who are these people?

There’s a lot of poll numbers in the news this morning. The Dem race is certainly interesting from a intellectually curiosity point of view. Note that several poll spurters have sputtered. A well-known Political observer, Darrell West of Brookings said up here yesterday that Bernie has by far the largest percentage enthusiastic supporters which is very important in a multi-candidate race like this Dem affair. (Like Trump last year) He also suggested we watch out for Bloomberg, the only candidate who will not be hindered by lack of money. It will all start for the media mogul in the March 3 Super Tuesday primaries in15 states which include giants Cal And Texas.  That will be tell-all day for Bloomberg. Will we have a carbonated beverage-less America, or will we be able enjoy ourselves outside of a Nanny state?

I read the entire, long, long list of Grammy nominees and winners and it is certain that I am not even close to contemproary music any more. Which might not be a bad thing.

BTW, there are several Repubs who will be vying for votes in caucuses and primaries – Trump, Joe Walsh, Bill Weld and Roque De La Fuente. It is noted that among leading potential Repub candidates who may arise in the event that some odd happens with regards to DT: Mike Pence, Bob Corker, Mo Brooks, Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, Niki Haley, John Kasich (I), Ben Sasse, Scott Walker, Carly Fiorina and Mark Cuban.

I don’t know if I’m still Republican. I just do it to honor my grandfather. Actually, I think I’m still a Republican like what Repubs used to be. Whatever that was.

Noted behavior psychologist and former Editor of Psychology Today, avowed Hillary Supporter and firm Democrat who says he is most interested in preserving fair elections over party, Dr. Robert Epstein, said in a session in a Senate hearing that Giant Tech voter manipulation is the new smoke-filled, back room power cabal. He said Google, and others in 2016 could have manipulated 2.6 million votes in favor of HC, and were a major factor in the 2018 congressional operations. And predicts that they could sway up to 16,000,000 votes in 2020. He said the horror of the new era is the insidiousness of their subliminal alterations to do this without anybody knowing. Several well-known left leaning media forces dispute Epstein’s credentials.

Probably the most honest party is what isn’t a party – independents. There you get to choose two from Column A and three from Column B.

I’m basically in the Pollyanna Party. I have this idealistic thought about harmony and the ability of people today to eventually overcome unreasonable rancor to join together for all. And be happy. And smile and dance in the streets.

This is my step ladder. I never knew my real ladder.

China Officials are saying that the killer virous is spreading rapidly.

But not quite as fast as the China Navy is expanding into the Indian Ocean.

China is a growing factor that can affect just about anything in the future, from economies to health to peace and contentment, regardless of what naysayers claim,

I’m against the broad, sweeping relaxed regulation changes by Trump on rivers and streams and wetlands. When you, live in a place like Rhode Island that has more water than land, you just have to be an environmentalist, or at least be aware of saving what you have. One of the bigger problems with previous regulations wasn’t necessarily the regulations but the power mad people who enforced them.

The basic theories of Political Science have probably been changed immeasurably since the advent of computers and internet networking sites.

The Answer:

Pollyanna was written By Eleanor Porter. She was a leading American author in the 1910’s with several novels repeatedly in the Top Ten best Sellers, especially Pollyanna. In that novel, 11 year old Pollyanna played the “Glad Game” as she travelled with her stern and cold spinster aunt. The game consisted of finding something to be glad about in every situation, no matter how bleak it maybe. I think it’s a great attitude. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson wrote many novels like Alice in Wonderland under the pen name Lewis Carroll. Hope you didn’t get lost down a rabbit hole looking for that answer.

Supermen and superwomen come and supermen and superwomen go, and then they are mourned, saluted and regaled; then we move onto the next supermen and superwomen.

But loved ones never disappear form your heart.