If not edible, then what?

Today's Tids Issue 2,268
Opening Stuff:

Is the large Goldman investment in FaceBook the start of the next big Wall Street bubble? If you feel that thinking may be a little premature hysteria I ask, has anybody heard of MySpace lately? I guess it just bothers my inner sensibility to learn that faceBook at $50 Billion is worth more than Boeing who actually creates something. While FaceBook's biggest asset is a fickle populace.

The chorus out of Washington from the 0-Man and echoed by the lowliest Congressional rep is "Republicans should put politics aside." Hmmm, this from a Prez who destroyed any possible chance of a workable non-partisanship government in the first hour of his first meeting after inauguration with the Repub leadership. What a crock. Actually, I hope the Repubs put politics aside, especially the politics of special interest government, and do what the people ask and what the Country needs.

It's starting to appear as though Brett Favre keeps on coming back because he can't find those massage therapists down on the farm in Mississippi.

24 hours til the first installment of the new Tids Serialized Novel. Excited yet?

The Question:
Personally, I think mushrooms are worthless. But, obviously, I am in the minority. What are the most popular types of mushrooms?

The Headlines:

--November Factory Orders Up; Stocks Flat As Better Economy Outlook Is Offset By Downgrading Of Consumer Stocks.
--Governor Of Pakistan's Punjab Province Assassinated.
--British Parliament To Reduce Size Of English Pubs Cherished Pint.
--Area In Australia The Size Of Germany And France Under Water.
--Diver/Researchers Find Historic Ship Of Oliver Hazard Perry; Newport RI's Perry Was Hero Of Lake Erie During War Of 1812.
--More States Joining Effort To Abolish 14th Amendment Which Provides The Loophole Granting Citizenship To Children Of Unlawful Immigrants.
--John Wheeler III Found In Dumpster, Murdered; Wheeler Served Under three President And Led Charge To Build Viet Nam Wall Memorial.

Back to More Stuff:
If the Republican Party, and especially the Tea Party folks, want to maintain their credibility they must continually resist overreaching. While a majority of the people are firmly on their side, most of the people with printing presses and microphones aren't And public opinion can change over night. Hey, the Jersey Shore cast are cultural icons.

Ditto that for Sarah Palin. Overexposure, more than anything, provides more opportunities to say something or do something stupid. Or at least stupid in the eyes of those snakes lying in the grass ready to pounce.

A local guy named Andrew "Hull" was named Naval Sea Systems Scientist of the Year! Makes sense.

I think the Government beats up on corporations like Drug companies, because they want the people to think that Government has all of the answers so the people keeps on sending them money.

Actually, most governments thrive by creating boogieman, dragons to slay for the protection of the people. The Republicans picked out murderers like the extreme Islamic bombers, woman abusers like the Taliban and nuts with nukes like NK and Iran. the Democrats picked American businesses like drug companies and insurance companies.

People must be really tuckered out after the long week/weekend, because Sunday night while driving though normally active cities like Newport and Westerly I saw nary a person on a sidewalk nor a car on the street. I had the feeling that aliens had attacked both towns with an invisible gas and the people were in their homes lying on the floor. But then I thought about my overactive imaginations...as I rolled up the window and stopped breathing. Ooooooooooo-weeeeeeee-oooooooooo.

Why do people get so excited about truffles. they're only overpriced mushrooms.

The only 8-Track Tape I ever owned was Peter Frampton's Come Alive album. I played it regularly until wore out. "Show me the way..."

The Answer: 
I guess seeing mushrooms growing in the ground, usually the most barren of ground, just doesn't appeal to me. The fact that they are basically tasteless and annoyingly squishy adds to their uselessness in my eyes. But...don't let me destroy your love for these favorites' of chefs. The most popular are Table mushrooms (Button), Shiitake (Balck), Porcini(PennyBun, Cep), Portabella, Chanterelle, Giant Puff Ball, Field Mushrooms (Meadow) and Morchella (Morel --sometimes toxic).

The End (Is near?):
Actually, what really bothers me is that you have two classifications of Mushrooms -- Edible and Dangerous to your health.

According to a new effort by Christians, I may only have five more months at most of putting out our beloved Tids. A loosely organized group of Christians are beating the Armageddon drum urging people to get ready for the end of civilization may 21. A spokesperson says "A lot of people might think, 'the end is coming, let's go party'. But we're commanded by Goid to warn people." But Mary Exley, a 32 year old ex Army veteran adds, "It better know when it comes so you will be safe.".

And... the reduction in size of the British pub's "Pint" is a government responsibility...how?

I am trying to be nice, Santa.

Today's Tids Issue 2,259

Opening Stuff:

The Christmas season starts to get serious beginning today. Anybody have any good ideas for gifts?

In honor of the Christmas Spirit, I will discontinue any discussion about politics. In fact, politics is probably as far away from the true meaning of Christmas as you can get. Actually, when a politician says he or she is doing something for us in the "Spirit of Christmas", it is probably a good idea for taxpayers and honest people to duck and cover. Realistically, it is probably impossible to stay away from mentioning politics. So I lied. I wasn't expecting anything from Santa anyhow.

Is Santa Claus of today more generous...or are parents of today just leaving bigger tips?

The Question:
Christmas Double Special: 1.Give me five different names for the lovable gent who rides in a sleigh drawn by reindeer and slides down chimney's with a sack full of gifts. 2. Name the 7 states with an eight digit population. The 7 under a million. The states that will lose congressional seats.

The Headlines;

--Drenched California Awaits Even Bigger Storms.
--South Korea Holds Massive Military Drills; Warns North Korea To Stifle It Or Else.
--Mortgage Apps Drop To Lowest Level In year.
--Investors Enter 2011 Riding the Bull.
--Start Vote Set For Today.
--Insurance Industry Says The Kia, Hyundai And Volkswagen/Audi Have Most Safest Cars (9); GM , Ford And Toyota Next With 8; Next In Line With 4 Are Chrysler, Subaru, Volvo, Mercedes..
--Chevy Volt's Millage Claims In Doubt.
--RI Manufacturing Association Files Legal Paper Against Wind Power Company; Says Double The KW Costs Plus Guaranteed 3.5% Annual Increase Would Drive Businesses Out Of State.

Back to More Stuff:

What kind of name is "The Edge"? After the disasters at the big Broadway spectacular Spiderman, this co-producer along with Bono should legally change his first name to "Living on".

What kind of name is Bono?

I predict next year that Bret Farve will sign with the Washing Redskins after the loony Dan Schnyder promises to get get Congress to erect a Potomac River Bridge named after BF.

Have you noticed that when you say "BF" fast it sounds just like "BS"?

And then there are the UConn Women. Talk about team play and hustle. Maybe that's why John Wooden's grandson Greg who attended the game that broke Wooden's record said: "He would have been thrilled. He would have been absolutely thrilled to see his record broken by a women's basketball team. He (John Wooden) thought that in the past ten years the best basketball was played at the collegiate level -- and it wasn't by the men." Of course there are the louts who say it really isn't a record because it was women, and they had no competition. Forgetting that in the UCLA era there weren't many men's teams with the all-star power of the Bruins.

Reading between the Lines Movie Reviews
--Critics are loving True Grit out today just in time for Christmas. I sense that some of this has to do with the fact that most critics adore the Coen brothers. But, this movie about a 14 year old girl hiring a wahed up Marshall, Rooster Cogburn, to track down and kill the murderer of her father is well done. The best acting is by Matt Damon as a Texas Ranger hunting down Rooster and Hallie Steinfeld as the 14 yo. Mattie. In fact she may steal the show, Jeff Bridges is Ok, but somewhat flawed, a little over the top, as Rooster.
--I thought the original Meet the Parents was a one joke movie. I didn't like Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers is a step below that, relying on cheap gags and lowest common denominator humor. You won't see me there even if the popcorn is good.

This is kind of scary for the future of our military. 1 in 4 successful applicants can't pass the entrance exam. Questions are like "2 + X = 4. Find X?" Even more discouraging is that 75% of potential applicants can't pass muster to get to the testing phase because they are either physically unfit, have criminal records or no high school diploma. Those who can't get in become college student athletes.

The new Food Safety Bill signed yesterday looks like another license to steal for Personal Injury and Class Action Lawyers.

And, the immediate effect with all of the added paper work and government compliance tests will be a significant rise in already to high food prices.

Interesting in this lunatic, rush to madness Lame Duck session is how so many Repubs break ranks on some disputed votes. In the two years previous, did you ever see Dems breaking ranks for the good of the people? Of course this is a bit of a concern. Will Repubs acquiesce to Dems as they did in the early 2000's, and thereby defeat the entire  idea behind the 20101 elections.

And how appropriate is that name "Lame Duck"? The attention to detail is "Lame" at best, and anything that passes under these constricting pressures should have taxpayers ducking.

The Answer:
1. Santa is one of the best known figures throughout a sometimes discontented world. He is known as Saint Nicolas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle and Father Christmas. In China he is Dun Che Lao ren (Christmas Old man), France - Pere Noel, Germany - Weinachtsmann, Hawaii - Kanakaloka, Iran (Yes Iran) - Baba Noel, Ireland - Daidi na Nollaig (Old Leprechaun Bearing Bailouts From EU), Norway Julinissen and Poland Sweity Mikolai (Saint Nicholas). 2. California at 37,254,000Mil is the biggest by far, and that doesn't include a couple of million illegals. Next is Texas at a huge illegal-less 25 mil. The rest of thebiggest are New York (19.4 M), Florida creeping up on NY (18.8), Illinois (12.8), Penn (12.7) and Ohio (11.4). The under a mill are Wyoming (563K), VT, ND, Alaska, SD, Delaware and Montana (9989). Ri is a smidge over a mil and after Michigan (The only pop loser) had the smallest increase. States that lost seats are Ill, Iowa, Lousianna, Mass, Mich, Mo, NY, NY, Ohio and Pa. Heavily Republican Texas gained a huge 4 seats.

The End:
I don't know about you, but I'm wrapping stocking-stuffers today. I'll probably have to take a nap.