One side is enough.

Today's Tids Issue 2,202

Opening Stuff:

The Connecticut animals who butchered 11 and 17 year old sisters, raped and murdered a wonderful mom and beat the hell out of the father and husband are the reason why we have a death penalty. Plain and simple. Yet the lawyers are creating a scenario to suggest that this unconscionable rampage was the fault of the Police. And the real criminal act may be that of Radio and TV talk show loons who by merely raising the suggestion for disc\ussion give credence to an excuse for savage murders. My hope is that correct sentence of a death penalty doesn’t get appealed for 15 years.

What a cheery way to start off the beginning of a beautiful fall weekend. But, think about how cheery the world would be without animals roaming among us? But, there are some who would walk behind these criminals with plastic bags.

A gimme is best defined as an agreement between two golfers…neither of whom can putt very well.

The Question:
Today marks the 148th anniversary of the bloodiest single day battle in US history. What was it and how many were killed. Name five other bloodiest battles. (Not including NYC/Chi gang wars).

The Headlines:

--Consumer Confidence Shows Decline; Lowest level In A Year; Stocks Falter.
--Five Arrested In Britain After Alleged Threat To Pope.
--Elizabeth Warren Named By Obama To Set Up Consumer Financial Protection Agency; Says, “The Time for Financial Ticks And Traps Is Over.”
--Engineers Ready to Put Final Plug Into Leaky Gulf Well.
--Heavy Damage Indicates That Tornado May have Hit NYC Last Night.
--Seattle Cartoonist Who Supported More Caricatures Of Mohammed Urged By FBI To Go Into Hiding.

Back to More Stuff:
I was walking through the family room when my eyes were diverted to a “Breaking News” announcement on the TV. It was the John’s Hopkins murder things yesterday. The scene appeared to be one of reporters milling around. I quickly noticed a ‘blonde’ woman among the somber men and discrete female news people. I smiled to myself and said “Ah, Fox News is on the scene!” Sure enough, within moments the Blond reporter was ID’d as Fox newsperson Molly Henneberg. Profiling works.

I’m a bit of an habitual profiler myself. For instance, I think all people wearing flat brim Ya – Ya –Ya (Well You know How I Mean) caps look either dumber than hell or like criminals. How unfairly dogmatic am I? But, this morning I read where more people being arraigned in NYC for some criminal act or activity wear Ya-Ya-Ya (WYKWIM) caps than any other head covering.. For every 3 wearing a Mets cap, 100 are wearing a Bronx BB Team cap. And no other team across the land comes close. Hey, wait a minute…don’t most rappers wear the dreaded Ya…NY baseball team cap? I think so. I don’t want to rush to judgment though..

I look around our economy and see too many people being paid by people to do things which they could easily do themselves.

The establishment Pols and the self absorbed pundits appear to be awakening to the fact that the Tea Party is going to be a real force this fall. They are realizing that this so-called party really isn’t about partisanship at all. It’s about people simultaneously reaching the conclusion that nobody in Washington listens to people any more and it has to stop. This is “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more” like we have never experienced before. A lot of smart every day people are real tired of the condescending attitudes of privileged leaders. “Her me, or you’re out!”

Headlines that don’t deserve to be printed Department:
The dominant headline in Yahoo News this morning was “How Bill Clinton Kept his Promise to Chelsea.” You might think that a former President could get into the news for more than promising a daughter that he would lose weight.

Like say Jimmy Carter, where yesterday it was revealed that he is now blaming the deceased Ted Kennedy for his failed presidency. This egocentric ex says that Kennedy purposely squashed his Health care program to get even with him for winning the primaries. What a nasty little man.

This is the United States Government…Check you egos at the door.

Through The Same Eyes: Chapter 94 continues, --I ducked behind a big old Lincoln wishing it was one of those giant pick-ups. I looked back to my right. Bill was looking around the parking lot. He pulled out his phone. No Billy. No. Don’t dial. I reached into my pocket and fumbled to find the ring volume button. “Ri…” Got it. Did anybody hear that? I looked to the ramp. The man had disappeared. Where was he? I got to the ground, laid out flat and looked under the cars. I saw legs to my right walking towards the area where my car was parked. To my left I saw Bill’s feet standing there. I could only imagine where his head was looking. Eventually he’ll see my car. Don’t go there Billy. I was his mother again. I pulled out my phone and speed dialed. As I heard the ring in the distance another pair of legs walked up behind Bill. His turned, as I heard him say “Hello”.
“Casually turn this off, put your phone in your pocket, look around, shrug your shoulders and go back down to the office.” I hung up immediately. I watched Bill’s feet as he turned. He stepped sideways. The other feet
moved with him. Bill’s feet started backing up. The other man turned and walked towards Billy. Now I saw two sets of legs surrounding Billy’s. Pressed against a tire. My phone rang. They redialed my number.

Blumenthal of Connecticut is exactly the kind of lifetime, sniveling little politicians that we don’t need in Congress. Wrestling mogul wife Linda McMahon has narrowed the margin from over 25 points to within the margin of statistical error in her underdog battle with this stagnant pol who lied about his military record and would probably lie about anything that would undermine his ideologies or his chances to win. It appears that the unknown McMahon is the beneficiary of a lot of deep seeded anti-Blumenthal sentiment as opposed to an overwhelming “For Linda” wave of enthusiasm. A raced to watch.

Reading between the Liens Movie Reviews:
--The Town is a much anticipated crime thriller, and it doesn’t disappoint. Set in grimy Boston and written, directed and starred-in by beantowner Ben Affleck, this yarn keeps you moving along. A band of coldhearted master bank robbers could be defeated by the love the leader for a former hostage. In the last robbery, a woman hostage is released to become the main witness for the police…and is now living in fear of reprisal. Her life is on edge until she meets Doug. Love at first sight for both. But, Doug is the leader of the gang who terrorized her just weeks earlier.
--Easy A is a pretty good teen flick. A girl tells a little white lie about losing her virginity to enhance her social status, and this clean cut girl finds her life paralleling the story of Hester Prynne in her favorite English Lit talc, The Scarlet Letter. Initially disturbed, she then finds a way to use her infamy for fame and fortune.
--People seem to be liking the supernatural thriller Devil. It is the story of a group of people trapped on an elevator, and one of them is the devil! Lots’ of heart stopping moments. Not for claustrophobics.
--The kids animated film of the week is Alpha and Omega. Wolves named Kate and Humphrey hitchhike trying to get to their home lair after being removed to the east by Park rangers (Probably because there are more ranchers herds upon which to prey than there are in the big cities). Along the way they encounter angry bears, prickly porcupines and a golfing goose.

The Answer:
The bloodiest single day battle of course is Antietam of the Civil War. A scourge where 3,650 died in one day. However, Antietam was well down the list of bloodiest Civil War battles – They are in order Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Spotsylvania, Battle of the Wilderness (Virginia), Chancellorsville, Shiloh, Stones River and then Antietam. After Antietam you had 2nd Battle of Bull Run and Fort Donelson (Tenn). The bloodiest all time is questionable. One list has 800,000–1,600,000 - Battle of Stalingrad (1942–1943), 670,000–1,500,000, Siege of Leningrad (1941–1944), 700,000 - Battle of Moscow (1941–1942), 400,000–680,000 - Battle of Kiev (1941) 500,000 - Battle of Smolensk (1941) 370,000 and Battle of Voronezh (1942).Another list of the Bloodiest WWII battles lists Leningrad, Stalingrad, Battle of the Bylge, Normandy and Okinawa. They are all bad. And if somebody you love dies in it, its is always the bloodiest battle of any war in history.

The Beginning:
Of course nothing is as bloody as political wars these days. Where deception and outflanking the voter is becoming the norm.

Actually, I’m a scratch golfer. I write down the good scores and scratch out the bad ones.

Love your week end. go Pats!!

And they lived happliy ever after.

Today's Tids Issue 2,0106
Opening Stuff:

How ironic. How apropos. How delicious. While the TV cameras caressed the body of golf’s all time greatest reprobate (Albeit a talented reprobate), the finale scene was a perfect ending for a beautiful fairy tail with the Prince kissing the battling Princess. With tears running down the cheeks of all who could see. Amidst cheers for goodness and love. It is a perfect ending to a terrific sports event where we weren’t forced into the gutter to find the stories.

Yester-daze is a nostalgic discussion.

“You Can Call Me Ray…” Department:
“…You can call me Jay. But just don’t call me Johnson.” Not so fast Ray J. Johnson. Two of the five most respected US companies according to a new Harris poll of all Americans are #2 Johnson & Johnson and #5 SC Johnson! The others in the top five are Berkshire-Hathaway – 1, Google – 3 and 3M – 4. What you don’t want to be called is BB as in Bobby Bailout – The bottom 9 with the worst reputations in America in the eyes of Citizens and taxpayers are Freddie Mac, AIG, Fannie Mae, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Chrysler, GM, JP Morgan and Bank of America. And you might want to add Nike to that list after their blatantly bad taste commercial in support of their money machine. How about you can call me Eldritch but just don’t call me Tiger.

The Question:
145 years ago today a wonderful General Robert E. Lee Surrendered to U.S. Grant who just happened to be in charge at the end of the war.. Name five top Confederate and five top Union generals. Who are considered the worst generals?

The Headlines:
--Polish Mourn Death Of President Lech Laczynski And 95 Military And Civilian Leaders.
--Two Of Remaining Four Teams In reality Show Amazing Race Are From Rhode Island.
--Nuke Summit Convenes In DC; Aim Is Stop Security Gaps That May Lead To Terrorist Nuke Capability.
--Hillary’s Name Whispered As Potential Supreme Court Nominee.
--New Survey Says Recovery Expected To Remain Sluggish Into 2011.
--Google CEO Says His Company Can Help Newspapers Make Money On Line.
--Kirgyz Riots Said To Have Been Incited By Russia.
--Another new Bailout Plan Has Prospects For Greece Brightening.

Back to More Stuff:

This is the month when the trees in the forests must feel like parents of children going off to war. It is annual report month when millions of pounds of paper are sent to war in effort to justify the operations of companies. And, practically nobody reads them. And the older forests wonder why their children were sent off to die.

Did you hear about the boy trapped up in a tree? He yelled down to his cousin to find his dad. The cousin cried uncle!

The Tiger Woods travesty is just the latest example of the “Too big to Fail” mantra that allows Americans to be conned on a daily basis. While Alan “Not Me” Greenspan soaked in his beloved bathtub, the scammers on Clueless Lane (Wall Street) ran wild loaning money they never had. Knowing that they didn’t have to worry because the government would ever let them fail. And the bailouts, regardless of their apparent success, are in fact the crack cocaine of an addicted financial community. Check this video out. It explains it all in a nice neat, easy to understand package: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/36233217#36233217

Eldritch Woods should be studying avian science. Yesterday, two Alaskan eagles apparently got caught up in the throes of intense lovemaking in the air. They forgot about the rocky cliffs. In there irrational exuberance, they came crashing into the cliff, killing the male and seriously injuring the female. She is still in a dazed, confused state but has been overheard saying, “It’s never been like that before.”

Editors Note: For years now I have been labeling Wall Street as “Clueless Lane” primarily for either their inability, ineptitude, or maybe strategic disinterest in guiding the fortunes of the average investor. They appear to have no sense of what’s happening and seem to have a profound incapacity of seeing warning signs in advance of disaster. But, to call them Clueless, probably isn’t fair – considering the fortunes they have built for themselves building products that nobody understands. So basically, they are good for themselves.

If they are experts, why were they surprised that Woods did pretty well at the masters?

Sarah Palin would be better if her voice wasn’t so screechy. But don’t tell that to the apparent millions who adore her…or at least what she says.

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 65 continues. –After I had learned what I had wanted from Henry, I spent the rest of our meeting trying to gracefully get away. Henry likes things to just wind down pleasantly. It would do me no good to push to get out. Although I must admit I was starting to exhibit some of my inner sensations as I looked forward to seeing Sarah.
But, Henry didn’t stop or ewven look like he was winding down. He seemed to be on a mission. “Did you ever meet Bromsky’s niece Laura?” He paused, “I mean did Seymore ever bring her to the office where you might have met her? I don’t say a word. I simply continued my stony posture for about ten seconds. “Laura?” I quickly added, “She was one of the vandals, wasn’t she?” Then, “Why do you ask?”
“Well,” he started, “She is becoming an intriguing person. I know you are a good observer of people and thought you may have seen her at BiEm with Bromsky.”
“I have seen her,” I quickly responded, “But I can’t tell you where.” Henry nodded.
Then He looked at his watch and quickly said slowly but strangely abruptly, “Well, I gotta go. Good to see you Kent.” He stood and reached out his hand which I shook. Henry was thinking about something. I left with head full of new questions.

How to Ruin your Superficial Credibility Department:
Sally Quinn, one of those basic elite liberal minded columnists who fool wanabees by writing and speaking well, started a discussion about the Obama/Palin flap over Nukes by actually saying “She (Palin) didn’t say ‘Nuclear’ correctly!” How tired is that? What it means to me is that Quinn thinks that Palin probably got the upper hand in the Prez/Gov skirmish. Nucular. Nucular. Nucular! I love to watch English majors squirm.

BTW, if you look back in time, nuclear has been pronounced nucular by Eisenhower and , surprise, Bill Clinton. Jimmy Carter pronounced it “newkeeuh”.

Do you have the feeling that the Pope is employing the well proven Bill Clinton strategy of deny, deny, deny until the reporters get tired of talking about it?

For nearly twenty five years I have used the type font “Century Gothic” as the basis for my little company’s standard look for invoices, proposals, letterheads, fax covers etc. This morning I learn that experts say it is the most efficient typeface for saving ink! Hey! I’m an environmentalist!

I received a letter Saturday form the Dean of something at Lehigh U informing me and fellow fraternity brother alums that our Chi Phi was being brought up on police charges resulting from some hazing activities. The letter suggested that it might not go well for our undergrad group at all since they were still on probation for something like cocaine distribution! Yikes. But here’s the funny part. My inside unnamed source writes to tell me that, “One of their pledges, for some reason that I will never understand, wrote his English paper on how he was hazed at Chi Phi. The English teacher turned it into the police.” Now here’s the big question. What kind of English teachers are we tuning out these days?

The straw poll from the latest Republican confab in New Orleans has Romney and Paul tied at the top at 24%. Second is Palin and Gingrich tied at 18%. In the previous GOP get together the straw poll had Paul at 31%, Romney at 22%, Palin at 7% and Pawlenty at 6%. Romney did weel despite being the only no show candidate in NO. He was out there explaining his Mormonism to Christian groups. Seems to be working. He, Sarah and Newt made the biggest leaps forward. And coincidentally the three recently have made the boldest anti-Obama statements.

You have probably heard about Spirit Airline’s announcement of a $45 charge for carry-on luggage. Chucky “I never miss an opportunity to spout” Schumer says he is going to do something about it. Here’s what you do about it Senator Socialist, Nothing? Do you have any concept of the American free enterprise economic model? If people don’t like it, they’ll find another airline. If they are dumb enough to pay it they’ll get ripped off. It’s the same thing as letting banks fail. If you are stupid you get burned.

My current personal favorite politician is Michelle Bachman.

While the papers are filled with congressional investigations and personal injury lawyer assaults on Toyota, Forbes announces the new list of “America’s Worst Built Cars (and Pick-ups)”. Tops is the Cadillac Escalade followed by the Chevy Aveo, Chevy Colorado, Dodge Nitro, Ford F-250, GMC Canyon and Jeep Wrangler.

The Answer:
Tops for the South after the brilliant Lee were Stonewall Jackson of Clarksburg WVa, P.G.T. Beauregard, AP Hill, George Pickett, Jeb Stuart, James Longstreet, John Pemberton and Jubal Early. The North had problems finding aleader among Ambrose Burnside of RI, George Custer, Abner Doubleday, George Meade, William Tecumseh Sherman, Phillip Sheridan and George McClelland. Most of the Top 10 Worst Generals were form the North – The worst was Butler followed by McClellan, Burnside, Bragg, Siegle and Banks all USA. Then comes the first and only CSA, Gideon Pillow followed by Buell, Rosecrans and Kilpatruck.

Musings:

Doesn't it appear that a lot of the common sense opposition to this run-away Congress and admin is coming from the Southern states? Let's all hope they win this war!