World View: etc!: Balancing Acts.

Today's Tids Issue 5,830

Crunch Time*:

Hey... sorry, I forgot yesterday to mention something about the Minnesota Murders and attempted murders of the state Lawmakers. Or maybe I didn’t forget. Maybe I was too disturbed, too overwhelmed by the runaway hate to know what to properly say. What has our society come to when there are more indications over the past several years that the power of the vote isn’t good enough anymore for some people. We have to start looking at ourselves and wonder what we have wrought.

What’s the difference between an outlaw and an in-law? Outlaws are wanted. (With propound apologies to all my great in-laws.

Towns and cities throughout Europe including giants like Barcelona and Paris, are fed up with tourists. It's not necessarily because of the overwhelming of streets and global attractions, trash and occasionally bad behavior. It’s because the cities and town governments seem to be doing more for tourists than for people who live there and pay the taxes. Hey, I can tell you from experience, that my old town of Newport got caught in the same money trap. “What about us?”

The Question:

What is Lancastria? Bonus: What are the top ten Most livable Cities in the World?

The Headlines:

--Stocks Expected Lower During Day as Trump Plays Down Hopes of Israel/Iran War Ending soon; Trade Policy Indecisions Confounding Investment Decision Making

--Trump Leaves G7 Early for Strategy Planning in White House; Senate Altered “BBB” and War on His Mind; Warns Iraniians to Vacate Teheran.

--Russia Launches Newest Deadliest Attack in Months on Kiev.

--Retail Sales for May Slide; Autos and Energy Hit Hardest.

--Seante Releases Changes to “BBB”; GOP Rethinking Tax Cuts and Medicaid Overhaul. Phase out of Green Energy tax Cuts would Slow; Plans to Eliminate Taxes on Tips and Overtime Would be Scaled Back while Tax relief for Seniors would be Beefed Up.

Oracle went up $116 Billion in value last week! Holy Moonshot, Batman! This was now a sleepy tech company that had made Larry Ellison the third wealthiest guy in the days that begot techno-today. It has had it comfortable place holding its own for decades, but saw little growth and produced little excitement until now as it dove into the cloud business and is in AI with both feet. But the question now remains on Wall Street after last week's bonanza: Is there anything left in the Tank. Some say plenty. But then, you know Wall Street.

Just in case you are interested, a national four chef panel just named Arby's Curley Fries as the best Fast-food Fry in the country, Number two was Micky D and three was Rally/Checkers. *Arby's are the crunchiest!

To me, the message that begins with “To improve your emailing, search experience...” only means muddling of the magnificent minds of multi-generational mischievous Mavens.

Meanwhile as Israel destroys Iran’s Nuke capability, North Korea’s nuclear might is steadily growing in size and sophistication, Happy yet?

I told my mother I was born again. She said she didn't feel a thing.

So, reality is setting in. It always happens after the early flurry surrounding a newly elected President. Oh, DT had aspirations way beyond those of just about any President ever elected. But the world at large has agendas of their own. And while I like to think of myself as living quietly on a forested street with stone walls of yore traipsing through the woods beyond, I know I live an interconnected global society now. We are touched by everything.

But that is better than the options ahead as some futurists with knowledgeable AI backgrounds are saying this morning there will be a time when computers say, ok, we don't need humans anymore.

So, a blind man walks into abar and takes seat on a stool. The bartender asks what he wants. The guy says a beerand that he’d likto tell a good blond Joke. The bartender says I wouldn't if I were you – I'm blond, the bouncer is blond and the two bikers one either side of you are blond. There is a stillness as the Bartender asks, “Do you still want to tell the joke.” The blind guys says, no, I’d just have to repeat four times. Bada Bing. That is why AI may want to get rid of humans -- computers don't get it.

The Answer:

Lancastria is the name of the British ocean liner requisitioned by the government in 1940 to evacuate British military and Citizens from France at the beginning of WWII. German planes bombed and sank the giant liner killing according to estimates, from 4-7,000. That is more than the combined death totals for the more famous ocean tragedies, the Titanic and Lusitania. Bonus: Number One is Wonderful Copenhagen! It is followed by a tie between Vienna and Zurick. Number four is Melbourne with Geneva at #5. The rest of the top ten are Sydney, Osaka, Aukland, Adelaid and Vancouver. The Highest rated US city on the list at #23 is Honolulu. This annual List is the effort of The Economist.