The baseball bat era?

Today's Tids Issue 2,420
Opening Stuff:


I drove along Route 1 on the Coast of Maine Friday, just as I had done 10 years ago within hours after the Attack. What I still remember most vividly -- after the devastation, after the anger, after the horror of man's evil against man -- What I remember most was the resolve of the American spirit, the innate patriotism of people. By the time I had reached Route 1 in Brunswick and North, in the immediate hours after, before the buildings had crashed, was the highway for the next fifty miles lined with American flags and signs, "America the Beautiful", "God Bless America", "United we Stand."

How come that when the Government says $448 Billion, I immediately think One Trillion.

The Question:
Name the 10 largest US Banks.

The Headlines:

--America Remembers.
--Sox Fading.
--Global Stocks Blasted; US Futures Bleak.
--Greece has Enough Cash Until October.
--Daffy Supporters Putting Up Stiff Resistance
--Study Says Sponge Bob Dangerous To 4 Year Old Mental Heath.

Many of the the comic Strips in the Sunday papers were devoted to remembering 911. My favorite was in the strip "Baby Blues."

There's mini undercurrent pushing for Jeb Bush to step up to the plate in the Prez race. Didn't we just finish a rumored groundswell for Rick Perry? Are the pundits and pushers tired of him already? Will too much media make fickleness "ADD" America's political destiny?

I wonder how the nutritionists would view my suggestion that school kids be allowed to enjoy as I did making sugar-butter bread for snacks in the class? Yum!

On Thursday when "Laser Beam" gave his make-labor-unions-relevant-again speech, the International Longshoremen in Longview area of Washington (State) were taking baseball bats and crowbars (Ouch) to the shins and heads of security fighting for their lives and police coming to the rescue at ports in Tacoma and Seattle. They destroyed trains and emptied ready to be shipped grain stocks. Are those innocent dock security guards the "Sons a bitches" Hoffa Jr. was talking about? (Note, this wildcat, barbarian work action was for the most part unreported on the nightly news or in newspapers.)

Will the Pats tonight manage to repel the disturbing images of my fading Red Sox. Actually it's beginning to feel like the good old days.

The consensus of Macro economists on the AJA is that it will produce modest short term economic growth. They're looking at far below robust growth of 1.3% GDP for 2012 which would reduce the jobless from 8.9% to 8.6%. The short term small biz benefits would fade to zero by the end of 2012 giving us about a 0.3 GDP growth rate for 2013. The consensus is that it does nothing to improve or repair rather substantial inter-structural problems, but does stem the possibility of reentering recession. And looking at the above, it most definitely could give us four more years for you know who.

Notre Dame fans across the country are ready to jump off of high buildings.

Some governors across the US of A are saying there are plenty of jobs openings around, but the skills of many of the unemployed just aren't sufficient to meet the job requirements much less the challenges. Tax incentives to hire are useless if the hire-ee can't do the work. Maybe they should create a bill to take all of those teachers to which 0-man promised jobs and start the Retrain Adults Corps.

So-called experts on various matters and government officials seem to have little awareness of the acuity of the citizen's mind. But then, they don't possess the common sense of most people.

The world would be a better place if we also didn't live with sheep.

If it does anything, the Jobs Act will certainly perpetuate bad, irresponsible, over-spending,. over-promising may State Governments like California and RI.

Almost Near: Chapter 39 continues. --It was obvious Dante wasn't that nervous -- laughing comfortably, walking arm in arm with Samantha into the restaurant. Tucker ambled behind the twosome. His face was inert. While his thoughts manged to flicker, conjuring up a distant image of Audrey, he was focused on the backs of the heads in front of him. He seemed torn between what he had found in Louisiana, and what he seemed to be losing from his 18 years of romantic mourning.
When they reached the table Dante stopped and came around to pull out a chair for Sam and then usher Tucker into the seat next to her. He walked around and sat opposite the twosome. He opened the menu briefly and set it down. "So, Sam, tell me about Little Rock." Tucker stiffened, and he felt Samantha lean into him. No, attach herself to him.
Sam's expression didn't change unusually, but Tucker felt something retreating in her body. "Little Rock?"
Dante peered at her, brown Italian eyes locked into hers. She fidgeted. "Didn't you tell me you lived there?"
Tucker could now see that Dante had put on his lawyer hat. "I think I told you I thought Sam had lived in Little Rock." This is not what Dante wanted. Samantha did. She moved closer into the protection of her knight.

One of the disturbing feelings I get while reading Letters to the Editor in various newspapers in different regions is the seething, naive anger that so many have against anybody they perceive as rich, or having been successful. When the fact remains that many of those perceived rich are just regular people who worked hard, saved well and managed their lives responsibly.

The Answer:
The embattled BoA is the largest followed by JP Morgan Chase, Citi, Wells-Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, MetLife, Taunus, HSBC, US Bancorp. Bank of NY Mellon, PNC Fin, Capital One, TD Bank, State Street, Allly Fin, Suntrust, BB&T, American Express and at #20 -- Providence RI's Citizens Fin. MetLife?

Among the things on the humorous side that pop out of the ObamaSpeak was, "And everything in this bill is paid for." And then he looked at the Super Committee (SC) telling and you are going to do it. As usual he has no clue, no plan. Just rhetoric. But, hey maybe there is an opportunity for some irony in this massive Public Employee Unions Bailout program. How about if the SC recommends eliminating the useless federal Departments of Education, Energy and Environmental Protection. That would go a long way of reducing the costs of living and doing business in addition to a significant reduction in the national angst! The National Association of Psychiatrists would complain.

The most moving thing I saw yesterday was at the Portsmouth RI Fire Station. It was simple,m yet robust, and it got to me.

Well time to put on my U.S.A. baseball cap and go hit a couple of golf balls.

"Let's roll."

Today's Tids Issue #2,417
Opening Stuff:It seems likely now that the news media will over-report the anniversary of 911. Perhaps even turning it into a political harangue instead of the intended incredible solemn moment. All I really need from them actually is about 5 minutes of revisiting the scene of the burning tower and the plane crashing into the second tower to remind me of the devastation. The loved one's lost. The courage of the responders. The fear of a city and then a nation. The Anger. The resolve of the American people. I'm just afraid that too many politicians will be telling me how I should feel. It's already in there. It will never leave.

There was an old song. "Don't let your children grow up to be Cowboys." I was reminded of that when I read that Pauly "D" was tapped to be the celeb of the moment at the opening of the new NYC "Kardashian Store"! Somebody is stealing the character of the nation.

The Question:
Here's a little parlor game you can play as friends and family gather around the TV Thursday evening to watch the 0-Man create jobs out of thin air. Have each person right down five words or expressions you expect to hear during the speech. The one who gets the most right gets a dinner with James Hoffa Jr. Bring a catcher's mask! Now give me your favorite O-Words and O-Phrases.

The Headlines:
--Markets Could Rebound This Morning.
--Rebs Say Daffy And The gang surrounded.
--GOP'ers Looking Forward To Perry Debate debut.
--Texans Shedding Tears After Massive Wild Fires Destroy Over 1,000 Homes.
--Wash Post/AP Poll: A New High Of 53% Disapprove Of Of Overall O-Performance; 38% Of Americans Want Bigger Gov. With More Services, 58% Say Smaller With Less; 2/3rds Say They Are Not As Financially Well Off As They Were At Start Of O-Reign.
--Yahoo Board Fires CEO Carol Blatz As Profits Fail To Ignite.
--0-Man Expected To Announce $300Bil Jobs Package; Would be Combo Of Tax Cuts And New Job Creation Spending.
--0-Man Warming To Redo Of Mortgage Bailout Package.
--Katia Moving Northwestward; Still expected To Turn East Sparing US Coast.

I think I'm beginning to understand the concept behind the Post Office "Forever Stamp". The economics was based on "Forever" being very short.

America's Got talent: Howie Mandel got has to come down from Berzerkdom. He is just too manic about wanting his faves to win. But, that's not the story, just the irritation. Lys Agnes is a great talent. But, I'm not thinking her trip into Pop-Land was a good one last night. Her voice is too strong for a simple song. Anna should have used the piano. But, she is still one I like. Swank pulled a fish form the tank. How the blankity-blank di he do it? the judges went ga-ga over the ladies and girls from Silhouettes. I thought it was ok. The Smage guys can do it! But how many more times do I want to watch motorcycles jump. I thought the victim kid running around was choreographically awkward. Murphy can sure croon, and the big band staging was groovy. Good make-up West Springfield, but it was a ho-hummer. Everybody goes bonkers over Team ILuminate. I liked their big finish, but the rest was just more dancing with lights. Miami looked like an average half-time show. I think PopLyfe are winners, even though I thought Kelani's voice was a little off and the boys in the band not as impressive as in the past. The four I would enjoy watching next time are Anna Graceman, Landon Swank, PopLyfe and...ok, I'll give ILuminate and other shot at making me a believer. Based on standing "O's", Pop, Silhouettes, Iluminate and Murphy should be the top four. If so, Mandel will wet his pants. Morgan will look down in disbelief. And Osbourne will say, "That was wonderful!"

People like me think that this 0-Man admin has been bought and paid for by the Unions and that he has delivered way to much with interest. The Unions don't think' he's done nuttin'.

If I'm starting a Major League Baseball team, my first three players are Jacoby Elsbury, Dustin Pedroia and John Lester. My Manager is Jason Veritek.

The new highly promoted "Prime Suspect" looks like a more of the same, over the top, Hollywood bad copy of another great British Series.

I get the sense that Palin is waiting for the uproar surrounding the publication of the McGuinnis book to settle out before she commits.

The Tea Party continues to grow stronger and is more resolute than ever, especially after the continuing senseless assaults from the scared in power. Hoffa's call for the "Baseball Bat" approach to negotiations will bind  together even closer those tired of big government and its henchmen bullying.

Once you get the hang of it, wallpapering is easy.

It appears to me that there will be more lawyers involved in computer tablet product development than engineers.

I like Yahoo! But in this new world of immediacy, it's not enough to provide services and content that seem complete, accurate and comprehensive without the PopPizzazz! If you don't appear to be "edgy" in the minds of those who pursue edginess, you might as well be manufacturing slide rulers.

Almost Near: Chapter 38 Continues. --As soon as Audrey clicked off the boss, she dialed Tucker. She heard a flat "Hi" and asked "What's wrong with you.?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just hanging around while Dante, he's that lawyer, finish there conversation. Why, do I sound bored?"
"No, you sound like you're in outer space. and you missed the 3:37 rocket back home."
Tucker cracked up, and it took him 30 seconds to come back on. "You're quick, You are quick. Then he chuckled one more time. "So, what's up?"
"Lot's! I just got off the phone with my Editor. Somebody found a body that turned out to be Rudy." She heard nothing. "You still there?"
"Oh, oh, aa yeah. That's is a shocker. They know anything?"
"They know that that Bounty is hoppin' mad and that you and I were snoopin' around. And they think your old girlfriend is as good a suspect as any."
"She wouldn't do something like that."
"How do you know? It could be one of her other people you don't know and have never met."
"I still don't think so."
"I'm going back up to Little Rock. We're in the middle of big story and I'm going to cover it."
"I'll try to see you there. But, I don't know when>'
"That's fine. I'll be too busy to hold your hand and lead you around. But, before you leave...you still have time..."
"Yeah."
"I have to fill you in on my talk with the kids. It's a sad and scary tale."

The Answer:
Well let's start off with "Me" and "I". How about "Tea Party", "Previous Administration", "Corporate Greed" and "Wall Street". Then there are the standards -- "Let me be clear" "Make no mistake", "At the end of the day", "Back form the brink" and of course "Relief for working families". And, don't forget "Job Creation", "Recession", "Bush", "Bi-Partisan", "Entitlement", "Plan", "Shovel Ready" and, yes, "Compromise".

There is plenty of evidence -- Like forcing up non-union prevailing wages -- that would suggest that the Labor Unions are running the US Department of Commerce except for one thing, Secretary Hilda Solis is steadfast behind "Illegal" workers to the detriment of honest people seeking jobs. This good be the weirdest. most schizophrenic administration in the history of the US of A! It seems like everything today is "Regulated", except the US Federal Government.

I'd rather my kids be cowboys and cowgirls.

Blood for freedom.

Today's Tids Issue 2,141
Opening Stuff:

Years ago this weekend was called Decoration Day, a day when the families of North and South Civil War dead placed flowers on graves. It was changed officially to Memorial Day and became a special time to remember all veterans. I think maybe we should change the name again to Preservation of Freedom day. To remind people that what they enjoy in the US of A didn’t come cheaply. People fought so we could speak freely, worship openly and vote out scoundrels. That it takes guts to preserve a great society. And it is the responsibility of every citizen to contribute to its future strength and continuation.

I was listening to 0-man’s press conference on the Oil Leak when a question arose on the Arizona Law. He gave his usual answer which always ends with a phrase something like, “I will vigorously pursue immigration reform”. Wait a minute. What is this “reform” thing all about? We have a fine immigration program where good people who play by the rules gain citizenship. All people are asking is to punish the criminals – illegal immigrants and companies and people that hire them. How hard is that?

The Question:
What are the five largest companies on The Standard & Poor 500; The smallest company?

The Headlines:
--BP Officials Waiting To See If Mud Infusion Stops Largest Oil leak In History; 0-Man Says He And His daughter Worry About It.
--Expect A Soft Final Day Of May Trading; Futures Mixed As Disastrous May Ends.
--US Spending In April Stagnant; Lowest In 7 Months; Wages Sluggish.
--NK Said To be Selling Nuke And Ballistic Missile Technology.
--1000th Death In Afghanistan Reported.
--Waffling Continues On “Don’t Ask…” Controversy.
--Weather Experts Predicting really, Really Bad Hurricane Season; Say It Will be Worst Since 2005.
--Hurting Celtics In Do Or Die match With Magic Tonight.

Back to More Stuff:

Eric Holder and 2% of the American Public don’t think that the 2nd Amendment grants citizens the right to bear arms.

Why do New Yorkers think it is a good idea to build a Mosque on the site of the World Trade Center Islamic slaughtering of innocent Americans?

I see where 0-Man is taking a page out of Jimmy Carter’s Nuclear Determent Strategy. You remember Amy, President Jimmy’s chief A-Bomb advisor. Well it appears that 0-Man and daughter have morning catastrophe confabs on the oil problem.

I held an iPad in my hands yesterday and I have to say it is one cool device. And can only get better. This will be the wave of the future especially as new iterations increase capacities and add even more functionality. Microsoft had better get hopping.

I’m for putting crosses on every street corner if only to watch atheists foam at the mouth. There is nothing more humorous than an irrational blatherer.

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 74 continues. –The FBI agents were actually quite pleasant as I entered the room. Jack stood and immediately walked around his desk to give me a welcome back hug. He pulled back and gave me a serious, “Be careful” look and then announced this Sarah Durham (“Sarah” I thought) who has been very involved with BiEm but as you know was in a coma during the days that revealed the awful plot there.
The two rose and shook hands. “Hi I’m Josie Rivera” and “Hi, I’m Michael Hansberg” they said. I just smiled warmly and sat. I looked behind me and saw Laura Siegal, our lead attorney sitting there with a pad full of notes on her lap and a small recording device in her hand. She nodded to me. I liked her.
Josie opened first. “Jack here has been filling us in on what he knows about the conspiracy there. This has become a complex issue at many levels over and above the criminality. It appears that it was a rogue operation (“Appears?” is thought). In addition to the criminality we have to gather some insight as to the ramifications of illegally gained technology and how it may relate to FDA and other government approvals.”
“That is quite a responsibility,” I acknowledged in a friendly, sincere voice.
Josie smiled back. “Actually, before we get into your knowledge about BiEm and the responsibilities of various principals there, Michael and I want to learn more about your “untimely” accident. The police tell us that they had patrol following you because of a report of a Black SUV…” She interrupted herself – “Sounds like a “B” government conspiracy movie, doesn’t it.” Michael laughed a bit, and then we all chuckled. She continued. “A black SUV following you from a small cafe called Marie’s.” She paused. “Why was the police car behind you?”
I immediately answered, “Because my friend Kent Middleton noticed something strange and called the police. I believe he was being followed too.”
“Kent Middleton was a friend of yours?” Josie interrupted.

Wall Streeters are making the big bucks and the Government is trying to say the economy is back on track…but the folks ain’t buying into the fairy tale. Cause on Main Street it’s still pay as you go, and the dough just isn’t there yet. Especially for the “Go” part. AAA says that Americans will spend only about $809 for summer travel versus a higher $876 (When Air fares were lower) in 2009 -- The year even the Gov says was the worst. So the good news in a continuing jobless “recovery” and declining portfolios is that the travel industry people are offering great deals, if you look around.

You have to believe that somewhere in the bowels of Congress someone is proposing that in addition to those who died on the battle field, we also honor on Memorial Day those are fighting the battle of global warming.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--Sex in the City lovers will certainly love this version #2 even though it is entirely over the top and fairly dreadful. It is forced and tired. The ditzy, glitzy, gabby girls are having varying degrees of difficulties in their relationships (Yes Carrie too). Samantha is given a First Class all expense trip for four to Abu Dhabi which takes the foursome away for much needed breathing room…and of course to a place that is glitz personified. All of the high fashion and exotic settings, including an ultra-lavish all Gay wedding, can’t hide the choppiness of the plot and a failed attempt to recreate was apparently was good about #1. I’ll refrain, thank you.
--The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is another of those movies based on a video game. But all of the fantastical, yet cheaply executed, effects can’t over come a sleepy Jake Gyllenhaal and mediocre plot. It has something to do with the sand in the handle of a magic dagger which can momentarily transport a holder back into to solve, say a murder. Don’t rush out. And don’t expect Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Sabu.

The Answer: Exxon is tops and is followed surprisingly by Apple which just leaped over Microsoft. The last two are Wal-Mart and Proctor & Gamble. The smallest company on the S&P 500 is the New York Times Company.

A Fitting End:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
--Moina Mitchell, 1915