If the water looks cloudy, stay out of the pool.

Today's Tids  (#2,382)
Originally written 7/1
Opening Stuff:

BooooooM-M-m-m-m-m...! Happy July everybody! Light up the sky and celebrate America! Of thee I sing, Sweet land of liberty. Hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob! But no pasta salad thank you. It is a month where people seem to let down their hair and stop worrying for a while. Until the middle of the month when 2nd quarter earnings reports come in and the real fireworks begin. And the end of the month when moms are thinking, "Doesn't school start soon?" It is a month, indeed, of contradictions. Have fun, and don't eat too many lobsters.

Remember...Always scrub the paint off your hands after you put away the paint can.

There's still plenty of money in the world. It's just not getting around much any more.

It's pretty easy to see Rick Perry becoming the Republican nominee when the dust settles.

Daily Question:
Name five movies starring the charming Leslie Caron. Note: Even if she wasn't always the star, she always stole the show.

Today's Headlines:

--Three More US Soldiers Killed In Peaceful Iraq.
--Geithner Weighing Resignation.
--Minnesota Government Shuts Down In Budget Dispute between Dem Gov. And Rrepub Legislature.
--RI House Postpones Vote On Binding Arbitration; Will Sneak It Through Later When Citizens Aren't Paying Abstention.
--Syrian Government Continues To Kill Citizens.
--Hugo Chavez Still Fighting Cancer After Surgery Removes Tumor.
--Discrepancies Arising in Story of Strauss-Kahn Accuser.
--NBA Union Locked Out; Two Sides Are Light Years Apart.
--NFL Negotiations Still Look Promising.
--New Kansas Law Shuts Down Two Abortion Clinics.

In Rhode island the citizens have to hire lobbyists to protect them from their elected representatives!

These so-called government shut downs are a lot more hype than reality. Generally all essential tasks like police and critical needs, like for instance emergency road construction, are biz as usual. They padlock roadside rest areas, close state parks and stop selling things like fishing licenses. And blame each other for the shut down. And when it is over, it's usually business as usual.

Meanwhile, the musical group kept on overeating, creating more band-width!

I think of little babies and smile. Then I think of little babies who are killed before they are able to come out of the womb. And then I think cold blooded murder. And I cry.

Why are states even involved in passing laws that condone or ban gay marriage? Their only involvement should be decriminalizing anti-discrimination laws that may hinder a religious leader or priest, minister or rabbi who refuses to marry. And adjusting civil law to offer benefits to all couples who meet rational standards.

Just think how TSA agents would wield their arrogant power if they were to be unionized. Yes the AFL/CIO is targeting this fresh new group of government unwritten labor as third next bonanza for union management survival. Of course, it could be worse. The teamsters could be organizing them.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--I have to be honest. I thought Forest Gump was tedious. So I'm really wondering if I would want to wade through this new Hanks vehicle Larry Crowne. It is about a guy with a fair job who can't get promoted becasue he has no college degree. He gets fired and then divorced. Life is not good in this saccharine soap. Hanks goes to college and sure enough his professor is a dour Julia Roberts. The other 30 years younger students like this guy Larry Crowne and a lot of the film is about the interaction of the generations. But in the end, it all boils down to the Hanks-Roberts relationship. People will probably like it. I'm not putting it on my A list.
--The beginning of the Transformers: Dark of the Moon is excellent. It uses clips for the first walks on the moon and has a very nice,believable documentary feel. While exploring the dark side of the man in the moon they discover a dormant evil menace that wound bring war to the Earth that is so large that even the Transformers alone are unable to defeat. The problem is that after the wonderful set up, and the acting of a truly amazing cast, it enters into a war scene that is entirely too long. Probably a film I would watch if surfing through the USA, FX, AMC, TBS or TNT channels a couple of years from now.
--People who love Paris will surely love the beautiful opening of this film as the camera makes love to the City of Light by the Seine. And the good thing is that the story is also a wonderful tale of nice people in love and fulfilling dreams. I would go to this one. Woody Allen is back!

Our kinder, gentler President is out there playing his class warfare card again. It is not becoming to the office.

Pools where you don't want to swim Department:
A body of a woman was pulled form a public swimming pool in Fall River after lying in the body of the "cloudy" waters unnoticed by swimmers, Life guards and health inspectors. I'm thinking that cloudy waters might have been a clue for the health inspector! get me outta there! Ugh.

Almost Near: Chapter 27 Continues. --"So, how is she."
Tucker hesitated, maybe a little too long as he tried to come up with the perfect answer. "She had a few enigmatic moments, but overall she was quite normal." He paused thinking that maybe normal was not right word.
"Normal?" Audrey quickly glanced sideways at him, but immediately back to the road as a car cut her off trying to get to the passenger pick-up parking at a another terminal. "God, I hate driving through airports. People are always in a hurry and never are quite sure where they are going." She breathed in. "So, how normal was she." She said "normal" with a slightly sarcastic inflection.
"Well, she cooked dinner, was friendly and said she missed me."
"How much did she miss you?" The she slammed her hand on the steering wheel. "Forget I asked that. Of course the person you knew briefly would miss you. Was she the same as before? Did she say where she had been? Of, God, I'm sorry about all of the questions."
"Don't be sorry. You are part of my life now. Basically she implied that she never left. That she enjoyed all of the town's people while I was away on business. She was two different people while I was there. Actually she was two different people within the first hour! It was unnerving. Right now she is comfortable with me. It was like we had been together all of our lives." Tucker looked over at Audrey. She looked serious. Thoughtful. "More important, tell me what you have been up to?"
Now on the open road, Audrey seemed to settle into her seat. Her arms relaxed she turned to him. "I'm only here for a good story. Don't be uptight. If you think you still love her, that's how you should feel." Tucker noticed that her fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

Quiz Answer: Leslie Caron first captured the hearts of movie goers with her role opposite gen Kelley in the Oscar winning American in Paris. Nobody could ever forget hr in Academy Awrd for best actress as Lili. And the of course there is Gigi, one of the nicest musicals ever. She was in Daddy Longlegs with Fred Astaire and several others that included L Shaped Room, Fanny and Father Goose. She always said of wehrslef, "I'm just a hoofer."

The cloudiest pool of all is the Government. And we are all forced to swim in it.

But, don't let the clouds ruin the excitement of a great weekend. The sun is always up there.

Actually, I hate big weekends. If you don't feel like doing anything, society makes you feel guilty.

One for each.

Today's Tids Issue 2,378
Originally written 6/27
Opening Stuff

The real news out of the New York State legislature session that just ended is creatively they handled their budget deficit in the $10 Billion range. They balanced it through spending cuts and no tax increases at all. They also set new, higher standards for education spending accountability and instituted a new system for managing medicaid. Just in case you missed it. Something truly important to the US future did happen in Albany, but it was clouded by media's rapture over gay marriage. So, what else is new.

I truly believe that we could slash the federal employees in half, and over time the nation would continue onward. Of course that would add 8 million or so to the idled rolls and bump the temporary unemployment benefits packages significantly, But, you have to start somewhere if you want to bring back a real economy. Next I would stop underwriting Wall Street investors who make bad investments. And bailing out manufacturing companies who sell their souls to the unions.

Of course, with all of the continuously published stories of everything on this planet that poses a danger to your health and survival, the Government could go the other way. They could assign one Government employee to every man woman and child -- and of course today gay, lesbian and trans something-or-other. That would give us, lets say by the time this is implemented in 2050, about 200 million Government employees and 200 million people creating wealth. The non GE would simply pay the GG (Guardian Governmentalist) a fee plus a significant stipend to China to cover the interest on the now over zillion dollar debt. The GG would also pay a stipend to China, but the government would return that as part of a pension program. The non-GE would be given free milk (Or Cheetos option) in retirement. The congress would write laws and make pronouncements about dangers to health to keep the GG's employed. The unions would protect the GG's against, forbid the thought, those who made decisions on their own.

I couldn't write the Tids today without saying something about Peter Falk. He was one of those celebrities who shouldn't be classified as "Great", "Bad" or "Mediocre" actor, but always as enjoyable actor. Sitting down Sunday evenings with Columbo was a total joy and the perfect way to squeeze out an extra hour of wind-down before the Monday morning tension reawakened. I always looked for Peter Falk in anything. One man who stood out. "Excuse me sir, but...."

In the face of the low priced and ever convenient Netflix, you have to wonder why the cable companies keep their "On-Demand" movie prices so high? Are they just basically brain dead?

Daily Question: In the face of so much uncertainty about the economy, social morality, honesty, courteousness and those other growing absurdities contributing to a declining once great entity, the words of Waly Kelly more significant than ever. What were the words and what was his comic strip?

Today's Headlines:

--Banks Lead Wall Street Higher.
--Supreme Court Overturns Ban On Sale Of Video Games to Kids; Court Says Government Doesn't Have Authority To Restrict Ideas To Which Children Are Exposed.
--Consumer Spending fails To Rise In may For First Time In 10 Months.
--International Court Orders Arrest Of Daffy's Sin. Dizzy?
--Bachman Launches Campaign; Say She Is The "bold Choice" For The GOP Nomination.
--CitiBank VP Gary Foster, 35< Arrested For Embezzling $19 Million.

Any time you talk of absurdities, PETA just naturally comes to mind. They have just issued a statement asking the Pope to "Go Green" and not to use leather in his PopeMobile. What could be more natural than leather, the skin of graceful animals running free in fields and forests.? Huh? Are they saying they are ok with oil based fake seat covers which will do the environment irreparable harm when the PM is retired? Have they missed the opportunity for some lucky animal to contribute his largest body organ to the comfort of the leader of the largest religion on earth.?

I have always wondered why supermarkets don't put soap with detergents, dish washing aids and other cleaning liquids and solids?

I see where if I get confused about the differences between plastic and glass, wide-mouth or long-neck bottles and jars I can talk to my Local "Recycling Counselor". Isn't that just like a Union dominated make-work state government. They create recycling rules that are so complex and illogical that they need to also create a new job classification of "Recycling Counselor". Nothing surprises me any more.

There's a huge difference between voting for equal benefits for all couples, and same sex marriage. Equal benefits makes sense.

Do Repubs continually shoot themselves in the foot to show allegiance to the NRA?

Obama is no different than all other citizens naive about what it takes to make products and the honest-to-God ingenuity of manufacturing and production engineers. Like many "newbies" to the magic of engineers, they like the Prez are first intrigued by Robots. The irony here is that Robots and robot like automated systems are reducing the need for people in the manufacturing industries. Believe me, I have seen the awe of the innocent for years and they always gravitate to the whiz-bang over the routine. But, the Prez has the mike and his listeners don't know anything more about industry than he knows.

That was quite the landmark decision today by the Supreme Court. It was about video games but it also seems to say it would be aok to teach Marxism. Or worse.

Almost Near: Chapter 26 continues. --Dante was feeling better. Well, at least his head didn't hurt. He was not feeling good about the disappearance of Samantha or the fact that she whacked him. At least, that's what Sparrow told him.
All he could really remember was how fantastic she was at dinner. And how scared she seemed when she called and when he first entered her hotel room. I'm usually cool, he thought to himself. But I crumbled when Samantha looked at me.
He saw Martha's house ahead, looked to his right and then swung his Audi niftily into a spot where the front walk met the curb. He liked to pretend he was piloting a plane when he grove. He was still a kid at heart. Maybe it was time to grow up.
Martha was on the porch with her daughter standing there watching him talk to himself. "Hi Mart!"
She perked up at the sight of him. She wasn't a bad looking woman he thought. He thought he was pretty good in high school, but some how he missed Martha...and of course Samantha. "Hi Dante. She took the five front steps in two steps, held out her hand. Dante shook it, and then turned his attention to the little. "Mandy, Hi I'm Dante." He remebered her name from the closing. "You look beautiful today...oh wait a minute," he smiled..."I just bet you look beautiful every day." Mandy just kept pumping his hand beaming and looked up at him."
"Are you like that with all the woman," Martha now chimed in.
"Oh, sorry, but Mandy is a cute little girl..."
Martha continued without letting him finish. "So you are here to talk about Samantha? Why don't we go inside. So she vanished again...huh.

You have to believe that one of the all time biggest disappointments among the left and Dem political tricksters is the lack of potential derisive material in the release of Palin emails. The emails that showed her to be a hardworking, non-partisan caring Governor and devoted mother. She was a nose to the grindstone Chief Exec who ran the state for the people and not the special interests be it her party or big biz. Sorry CNN. MSNBC. NY Times.

The headline read "Cases of Diabetes doubles and is still Growing". This was presumably a misguided knowledgeable attempt to call attention to obesity, those people who constitute the latest minority that doesn't come under anti-discrimination laws. The fact is that I'm surprised that this "Gene" dominated disease hasn't increased more since the early 20th century now diabetics are surviving when in the years before insulin they died before having children. That's right. Both parents must have a diabetes gene if a child has diabetes in the future. If you weigh 500 pound's and have no gene you don't get diabetes. It doesn't mean you are healthy. And it doesn't mean that being overweight doesn't exacerbate the complications of the disease. Back in 1969 a good doctor told me that he expected 80 to 90% of the population to have diabetes in fifty or so years simply becasue diabetics now lived and procreate.

Quiz Answer: Everybody has probably heard "We have met the enemy and it is us". And, this line form Pogo has never been more true.

Take your Guardian Governmentalist to lunch today. If you're nice to them, maybe they'll let you think for yourself.