World View: etc!: Talk about hazy!

Today's Tids Issue 5.332

The culture of duh:

2-0-2-3! Remember that. Especially when you write checks or check your birthday.

Many of the rapturous melodies from Richard Strauss tone poems feel like what love is.

All of the TV news shows and newspapers around now feature years in review features, which you have already seen, read and digested. if you were paying attention.

The Question:

What is Xinhua? Bonus: What was the first coast to coast color TV Broadcast?

The Headlines:

The US Stock Market Not Frightening on First Weekday of 2023; World Markets Look Stringer; Key Data Expected This Week: Europe Inflation Report, Labor Numbers, Fed Meeting Minutes; Hong Kong, Australia, Britain, Ireland, Japan and Singapore Markets Closed Today Along With US.

--Luis Inacio Lual de Silva Sworn in as New President of Brazil; Left Leaning Former Prez Says He, “Will Rebuild from Terrible Ruins.”

--Ukraine Says Their Rockets Kill 100’s of Russian Soldiers.

--Thousands Pay Tribute to Pope Benedict.

--North Korea says It is Going to Expedite Development of Nuclear Arsenal.

--5.4 Quake Hits Northern Cal.

--Actor Jeremy Renner in Critical Condition After Snowplow Accident.

I really like the first movement of Tchai’s 4th Symphany where the tympany sets the agenda and creates the driving inner feelings. It's about time that we recognize the percussion section which is always there doing the work while the strings and brass get all the glory. Talk about the caste system!

Bad Premise, Department:

A columnist commenting on, what else - climate change, notes “that the facts don’t lie” as he goes on to con us saying that Billion-dollar disasters occurred every 81 days in the 1980s but every 18 days now. Yikes, the sky is falling. No, it’s just that billions of dollars today is like a 100K in the 1980s. Or something like that. By the way, more people are dying today, because there are a lot more people living since 40 years ago.

Have you noticed how quickly some people today get bored with new technology, which is among the most significant advances in the history of the world? Compare that to the pure elation of a society that learned how to make clay food receptacles from riverbed mud. That is one of the issues of the divide today. People don’t appreciate the hardships of those who went before to provide for the ease of growth today.

I smiled to myself a bit thinking ho of scurrying news execs wandering how to balance the competing stories of two deaths --Pope Bendict versus Barabra Walters. Can you imagine the editorial board discussions?

I used to love making “Crack back” blocks. The wipeout was always so nice and clean. But today they are illegal. I never realized at the time I was a felon.

You know you are getting old when your college alumni magazine has your class notes on page 2.

There are several key NFL games this week ahead. TB squeaked out a win in the end and made the playoffs, narrowly beating out two other sub-par records of Carolina and NO, who did their part against the Eagles. Ther rest of the NFC picture as clinched Philly, Minn, San Fran, Dallas and NYG. Seattle, Green Bay and Detroit are the 3 remaining for spot #7. Seattle shoudl beat the LA Rams. So, the big Game there comes down to Green Bay versus Detroit. Yikes, who woulda thunk it. The "In” AFC teams are KC, Buffalo, LA Chargers, Baltimore and Cincy. Surprising Jax wins their div and is in with a win over now hapless Tenn. The number one bye is still up for grabs. We don’t know the outcome (Duh) of tonight’s key game between Cincy and Buff. -- With a win Buff stays in the Bye race with KC; a win for Cincy clinches their division. My Pats need a final week win to maintain spot #7. Pitt and Miami have shots. If Pats and Miami lose, a possibility, and Pitt beats Cleveland, a definite possibility, then Pitt is in. If the Pats beat the Bills, the Pats are in – pure and simple.

(Note: I like Cincy, but I hope Buffalo wins so they may have a letdown against My Pats next weekend... where the Pats must win to be in).

Among things I will never understand is standing in the rain or icy cold amidst hordes of strangers in Time’s Square to watch a extravagantly manufactured glass ball drop. I drop plenty of balls all year long all by myself.

The absolutely great Roberto Clemente died fifty years ago yesterday doing what good people do, trying to help others. I’ll never forget Roberto, his rifle-like arm, the way he chased down balls and swung the bat; his smile.

The Answer:

Xinhua is Xinhua News Agency or New China News Agency, the official state news agnecy of the People’s Republic of China. Xinhua is a ministry-level institution subordinate to the State Council and is the highest-ranking state media organ in China. Bonus: The first ever coast to coast full color broadcast was of the 1954 Rose Bowl Parade. There weren’t many people watching because there weren’t TV sets. I wrote a research paper on the future of Color TV for Westinghouse when I worked there in 1962, They were wondering if they should continue making color TV sets they invented. I said it was inevitable. After all, NBC already had the colorful Peacock logo. They didn’t agree. They closed the factory. And people wonder how the largest companies in the world continue to fold. Simple, they Listen to the children.