Who do I congratulate.

 

Today's Tids Issue 5.743 

Just wait awhile: 

 

The USA has the largest external debt in the world. 22.9% ($7.9T) of it is owned by Foreign Governments or individuals. The irony of this is that we go into debt to fund, say for instance, our giving money to foreign governments. Why don't they go into debt on their own? In case you are interested the four biggest expenses annually for the USA are Social Security, Medicare, Defense and Interest on the National Debt. We don't have forever to reduce the national debt but it may take longer than that.  

 

Happy Presidents Day Everybody. I still think it represents the highest level our trophies-for-all society of today.  

 

Hegseth is looking more like a bad Secretary of State than a good Secretary of Defense.  

 

Drive through, ATM banking would be easy if I had longer arms. 

 

I heard some accountants on a talk show Saturday morning that were trying to convince me that taxes were good because they incentivized me to borrow money to get an education or get a mortgage to buy a house. I think I could have made those two basic decisions in life without taxes. I think we are in the Era of Convolution.  

 

“I woke up this morning, and my friend said, `Did you sleep well?' 'No, I made a few mistakes."  Steven Wright 

 

The Question: 

Why is a book of maps called an Atlas? Bonus: Who was officially credited with developing the first jigsaw puzzle and when did he do it  

 

The Headlines: 

--Markets Closed; Savings Safe. 

--Flooded Kentucky Areas Still Unable to Relax; 1\At least Ten Dead. 

--Russia's Lavrov and US Rubio to Meet in Saudi Arabia to Talk og Ukraine War Peace’ Zelenski Left Out; Over 46000 Ukraine Citizens Kiled Defending Country Against Blatant Aggressor.. 

--Europe Opens Ukraine Peace Summit in Paris; Lavrov Says Europe has No Part in Peace; Nordic Nations Bordering Russia Feel New Vulnerability 

--William Byron Races from Ninth to First in Final Half Lap to Win Daytona 500 in Super Exciting Finish; Trump Gets Strong Reception at Opening Pace laps.  

--US Gov Trying to Reverse Firing at Nuclear Facilities. 

 

I don't know if we had more snow when I was a kid just because my legs were shorter, or we have less now because of climate change. Life isn't easy. Is it all about human anatomy changing?  

 

Noah Webster's publishing of the first dictionary was a defining moment. (Thanks to Hoyt and Knurek) 

 

Every once in a while, go to a window, look up and smile. You never know when a satellite photographer may be passing n by.  

 

AI only thinks it knows me. I make stuff up so it will include me in identity communities. Thats why I don't believe what I read, 

 

If you are still thinking that in today's political environment, there is a way for the opposing sides to meet to find collaborative solutions, fagettababoutit. 

 

When a country leader who is a real estate developer wants to displace people so he can develop their land, it sounds like conflict of interest to me. 

 

A very responsible reader sends in this:   

“I was fired from my job at USAID today. I worked in the woodchuck department. We were so close to finding out how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. Now we will probably never know.” 

 

I used to Google stuff and get answers. Now it semes a lot of answers come through Reddit from people who are members of Reddit who only seem to have opinions about what I'm asking. And lately if it isn’t Reddit, then it is something called AI generated. That sounds like “Made up”. 

 

Question of the Day: Will President Trump deport Obama back to Kenya? 

 

My personal opinion is that the 14th Amendment Childbirth clause was not intended to be sued to flaunt underlying principles of citizenship.  

 

We would be better off if Louisiana’s Senator John Neely Kennedy as the spokesperson for the USA. There would at least be more laughing than cringing. 

 

Most of you probably knew, unlike me, that Susie Wiles is the daughter of te late great Pat Summerall. Pat was the controlled partner of John Madden which became the NFL premiere announcer team. And he played for the New York Football Giants. Aha... DT is a NYG fan. (Of note, Pat beat out the celebrated Vince Skully to get the Madden gig.) 

 

“My uncle was a small claims court jester.”   --Steven Wright 

 

 

Being held hostage by Hamas for 500 days had to be pure hell. But maybe not as harsh as being shipped out to a Putin prison in Siberia.  

 

The Answer: 

Gerardus Mercator as you may or may not know was a great mapmaker who in 1569 created the projection of a global map that helped bring the world into prospection. When publishing his work, he went to mythology for his “Logo” which depicted Atlas carrying the Globe on his shoulders.. And that is why still today a package of maps is called an Atlas. Bonus: In 1767 an Engraver/Mapmaker named John Spilsbury pasted a map on a piece of wood and cut it into pieces. Though created to help children learn geography, it became popular with the wealthy adults. and word got around. Even to King George III and the royal Family of England who had several of the puzzles. It wasn't called a Jigsaw Puzzle until 1909. Hmm, I wonder if King George had puzzles showing maps of his losses during the revolutionary war! 

 

How about that for a coincidence. I thought of those two questions independently and I discovered both answers involved mapmakers. I wonder what whiz-bang professions of today will be considered old fashioned decades from now.  

 

Hope you all had a great three-day weekend, or was that four days, considering everybody was probably in the clouds on Friday, Valentines Day. Going to be a frigid week here. Hope you all do better.  

 

Buy a car. George and Abe will be happy.