Let them eat cake.

 

Today's Tids Issue 4,910

Nature's kiss:

 

Did you ever have a home where you were greeted each morning by a pair of doves cooing softly under the dawning sun. There is something quiet pleasing about knowing that two lovebirds are singing songs just outside your window. Yes, Doves are considered the most romantic, perhaps most loving of the backyard bird world. So, maybe when you wake to that soft cooing, take a little extra time feel the beauty of love outside your window. There is a little love left in the world.

 

Regardless Of your diets or whims for a slender beach body, today you have to eat cake and love it. It is after all, National Devil’s Food Cake Day, which means you’ll have to sacrifice your strange desire to go hungry and eat this cake that requires 15  ounces of semi-sweet chocolate plus 1 ½ cups of heavy cream for the frosting; and 2 cups flour, 1 ½ tsps  baking soda, ¾ tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp salt, 12 tbs unsalted butter, 2 cups + 2 tbs sugar, ¾ cup cocoa, 2 tsps vanilla, 3 large eggs, I ¼ cups water and ¼ cp milk for the cake batter. And then easing your guilt telling yourself it was the devil who made eye do it.

 

I like to live by this old adage, “Stop to smell the roses”, and eat everything fattening and delicious any time you have a chance. Then walk it all off walking around town looking for roses to smell. Easy.

 

The Question:

What comedian always said “The Devil made me do it”? Bonus: Name 3 Peter Townsend songs.

 

The Headlines:

--Tech Stocks Drag Down Markets for Third day; Big Retail Beats Earning’s Estimates; Energy Stocks Fade After Word That Iran Could Be Permitted To Expert Oil Again.

--Call For Cease Fire Increase as Israel Steps Up Air Attacks.

--NY State AG Latitia James Statement Confirms Change In Trump Organization; Originally A Civil Action, Investigation Now Officially Criminal; Announcement Indicates that State Has Now Joined NYC DA.

--On Wednesday India Reported More CV Deaths Than Any Country At Any Time During The Pandemic.

--Europe Agrees To Open To Vaccinated Visitors.

--China Crypto Ban Pushes Bitcoin Below $40K.

--Arab Americans Angry Over Biden Stance In Gaza.

 

Correction: Yesterday the Tids editorial staff forgot to give the answer to the bonus Question: When do you stop at green and go at red? It is when eating a watermelon. Wasn’t worth the wait, was it?

 

I buy Puff’s Tissues over Kleenex brand because where I buy em’, Kleenex only comes in the “Pop-Up” variety. And Pop-Up isn’t normally fast enough for me.

 

To be honest, Biden has a tough road ahead walking between Israeli and vocal  Arab supporters. He will have trouble winning the PR war.

 

Great earnings from Walmart, Target, Lowes and more couldn’t keep the Markets form tumbling after Janet Yellen praises higher taxes, and says stronger unions are the answer to slow wage growth over the past several decades. Living in New England, I know one thing for sure, this region had one of the strongest manufacturing/industrial economies anywhere until unions began asking for more than the businesses could adjust through pricing and remain competitive across the USA. Today we are playing in the global markets where we have always had a competitive pricing disadvantage.

 

The Prez in AF1 will be landing up the Bay at the old Quonset Navy Base in an hour or two. One of the landing paths to that base is right over my house. Maybe I’ll get to look up and see the underbelly of the US government. It won’t be much to look at.

 

In case you are interested, Tesla has leaped way ahead as, “by far the biggest short on the market”. The other big shorts are the Fang stocks plus Microsoft, Alibaba, AstraZeneca and AON.

 

There were several surprises in The Voice Semi-final results show last night. It wasn’t a surprise that C am and Kenzie were one and two. But people were shocked when Rachel Mac was voted in. And I was surprised when one of my favorites Jordan Young won the instant playoff. It tells me that the Country listeners are still in charge of that show. The general consensus is that Cam Anthony and Kenzie Wheeler will be One Two but after last night’s upsets, you have to give the other three a chance – Rachel Mac, Victor Solomon and Jordan Matthew Young (The most surprised of all) a shot next week in the finals.

 

Israel fighting is frightening a lot of US citizens these days. My neighbor’s Mom living in Tel Aviv moved to Israel 20 years before Israel was officially Israel in 1947. His grandparents were among those freedom fighters as seen in the Movie Exodus. He is in constant contact there right now. I feel for him, He is a nice caring man.

 

If more big city mayors would stop playing politics and admit that there are criminals in their towns, maybe they could start putting and end to I uncivilized violence.

 

The transitions to old age is going from worry about each new abnormality you feel with each new birthday to living with all of them as birthdays pass rapidly before your eyes, happily reminding you that you are still here.

 

The Answer:

Flip Wilson successfully created the Catchphrase “The Devil Made Me Do It”, often when he was in his Geraldine character. Flip was one funny guy in the late 60’s culminating in hos “Flip Wilson TV show 1970-1974. It was the 2^nd highest rated show on TV for a couple of years. Even kids in kindergarten could see the good natured humor in Flip’s routines. Bonus: The Who was one of the great bands and Pete Townsend was a star. His best songs were Rough Boys, Let My Love Open The Door, Misunderstood, Give Blood and A Friend is a Friend. I’m sure PT fans will have their own favorites.

 

Beautiful lavender wisteria on trellises all around the town has really burst out over the past week or so. Maybe country Doves will move into the city. Everything isn’t hustle and bustle and anger.