Let art flourish.

 

Today's Tids Issue 5,330 

Soften the edges: 

 

 

JFK said, “If more politicians knew poetry and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a better place in which to live.” I think he has a nub of an idea there. 

 

Yesterday morning I woke to find out I was out of coffee. It led to a depresso. 

 

Hey... How come “The Pips” didn't get a Kennedy Center award last night? 

 

The Dow has crushed the high flying, the sky-is-the-limit tech stocks about as badly as and time in history. While the pain can claw down deeply, there is generally no better pay-off than bringing good companies back to basics. 

 

The Question: 

Name ten once powerful retail companies that no longer exist. 

 

The Headlines: 

--Markets Poised to Go Positive; For te year Dow Down 10%, Nasdaq Down 35%; New Jobless Claims Rise to 245K 

--Israel Seats New Government; Netty Back in Power. 

--Southwest Airlines Cancels 2,700 More Flights. 

--Illegal Entrants Continue to Overwhelm Southern US Border. 

--Americans Tend to Back Wash DC Statehood if the Citizens There Agree. 

 

Average things are manufactured in the satisfactory. 

 

The title of this Tids is, “Let Art Flourish. I wanted to add, “But don’t lecture me”, but it was too long. 

 

The TidsPickers hobbled along again at about the same rate as the previous several weeks. We need a couple of big margin weeks to move up the percentage, but it will be really hard this coming week. We now stand at 159-82 (66%). Yes, this is a weekend of teams playing for their lives and good teams who may be resting players. I think the game between Buffalo and Cincinnati may be one of the best of this and maybe any year. And a possible look at the AFC playoff finale. Both teams have really good QBs. My mind is a tossup on this one. I will go Buffalo. Ouch! While those two are among the winningest teams there are several really key games involving losers. How about TB versus Carolina. The winner here will go to the Playoffs despite a possible sub 50% record. TB has looked inept except for a few Brady last minute bailouts. Carolina has risen up occasionally, yet who knows. Carolina will surprise here. Houston has won but two games, but this week against Jax we may see a gem mainly because Houston looks suddenly competitive and Jax can get into the Playoffs with a win. I’ll pick Jax. NO still has a shot but Philly is trying to clinch. This is another good game, but Philly will recover from last week. The Giants have to beat hapless Indy to continue on. They will, but it will be tough. The NE Pats are not dead and control their own destiny if ety can win the last two games against Miami and Buff. I pick them get started well by beating Miami.  

 

Continuing on: Tennessee now must win DUH! Here’s a team that had a playoff spot locked in weeks ago and then forgot how to play football. Dallas will win, anyhow because they must too, and they are better. true In a ho-hum game we have Arizona against Atlanta, I take the Falcons. Detroit had a chance until last week. Chi is an old-time rival so the atmosphere there should be good. I pick Chicago. I guess the easiest pick of the week is KC over demoralized Denver and I'll go with that. Cleveland at Washington is an interesting game too. Wash still has an outside shot. But will Deshawn finally find his old magic and put them down. I say yes, Cleveland wins. I really don't know why I said that. The Jets travel to Seattle and this game also has losing record teams still with a chance. A win over the Jets keeps the Seahawks alive. I pick Seattle. Las Vegas had several close but no cigar games and are now out of it. This week San Fran will roll as the Raiders try out a new QB for next year. The Rams actually looked good last week, but so did the Chargers, and I have to stay with LAC. Now two rivalry games – Minn at Green Bay and Pitt and Baltimore. I like the way Pitt is playing, so I will stick out my neck and go Steelers. GB is finding ways to win, and Aaron is playing hard. Minn has clinched. GB takes it. Wow, that was a tough war between two sides of my brain. 

 

The other day I sent my girlfriend a huge pile of snow. I called her up and asked, "Did you get my drift?" 

 

Do you know what is one of the greatest feelings in life? It’s to have a little household problem that generates nightmares of costing thousands to fix and finding that the solution is rather simple and costs next to nothing. Now, that is something I call heartwarming. 

 

Gatherings of celebrities are as pretentious as it gets. And often it isn’t pretty beneath the bling.  

 

Talk about changing times. It was reported last night that two people died from falling through the ice while walking on a frozen lake in... Arizona! Sad, but confirming, don’t trust ice in a desert. 

 

Cat puns freak meowt! 

 

How about that Netanyahu? Do you think there are any former US presidents who would love a peek at his playbook. 

 

The Answer: 

There are a lot more than ten. Here are some I cherrypicked: Ames, Blockbuster, Borders, Circuit City, Eckerds, Dressbarn, Gottschalk's, Hudson's, Kaufman's, Kids “R” Us, Marshall Fields, Payless ShoeSource, Pier One Imports, Sam Goody, Sharper Image, Sports Authority, Tweeter, Walden Books, Tom McCann and The Limited. And I suspect many, many of your local favorites that always bring back memories. Like the local department store that used the vacuum system message delivery operation – technology at its edgiest. 

 

Q: What did the schizophrenic accountant say? A: I hear invoices! 

 

On that odd thought, be sure to keep an eye on your mail for Tids 2023 subscription bill. Payment involves mustering up a happy smile after reading this morning mess, occasionally.