A second wind.

Today's Tids Issue 2,517
Opening Stuff:

I have pretty much avoided State Of the Union addresses by any president. They are typically a laundry list paying homage to every possible group in America with it's hand out. And awfully long, mainly because of choreographed applause lines. Last night's was certainly a prelude to a campaign that would highlight class warfare. And, the Republican rebuttal previewed what is sure to be a no holds barred fight between two very divergent parties. Frankly I watched a "Chuck" marathon, and was really happy doing so.

I see myself running...running, running along the rocky coast of Newport. The unseasonable warmth at my back as I push myself on past rambling winter lawns on one side and the deep blue ocean on the other. I feel the cold spray from wind blown crested waves mingling with the warm sweat trickling down my face. My eyes clinch against the wind. My legs ache, my breath comes in gasps. The ache in my lungs says stop. Stop you fool. But I push on and on, never giving into the pain. Oh that pain. I'd like to see that...but it will never happen.

Actually, that's a lot like being a citizen these days. You keep on pushing hoping that somebody will get the message, that the pain will go away. But I'm not sure it ever will no matter who gets in. The only thing I really know is that you can't give up fighting. Some where there is a "second wind" for America.

The Question:

Double bonus day! 1. Name the cult movie for which director Tobe Hooper is best known. Name 3 of his other movies. 2. James Farentino a decent actor in a myriad of TV programs and films died yesterday at 73. For what is he best known?

The Headlines:

--Prez Delivers Predictable Speech Well; GOP Countered With Mitch Daniels Who Detailed Obama Extremism And Castigated Reckless Spending.

--Apple Reports Soaring Revenue And Profits.

--Despite Apple Excitement, Euro Debt Could Blunt Markets Today.

--Europe Leaders Confused As New Zurich Economic Conference Opens.

--Nevada, Cal And RI Top List Of Most Jobless States. North dak

--Egyptian Liberals Say They Have To Continue Fighting Year After Mubarak Ouster.

--Four Mount Rainier Hikers Presumed Lost.

--Wisconsin Gov Mounting Fight Against Recall; Badger State Becoming National Battleground To determine Sane Government Spending.

--Rare "Calico" Lobster Found In Newport RI Catch.

Signs That Obama may run again for President:
He and Michelle are being photographed going to Church. He's avoiding talking about tough things that really matter. He has stopped playing golf. He's singing. He is never in the office.

Oh yeah, when Bill and the Hill were photographer going to church, it generally meant that Hillary had caught him again with his pants down.

A lot of Repubs will come away from last night wondering why Mitch Daniels isn't their candidate.

Ok...all of you out there who are really concerned about the Bobby Seal-Heidi Klum break-up please raise your hand. Hello? Anybody?

While in Glitterland, I was surprised to learn that the apparently solid Demi Moore has checked into Rehab for substance abuse. Maybe she just missed her friends and wanted to join them. Or more probably, she couldn't bare watching Ashton fumble around in the new awful 2 1/2 Men.

I don't see the OWS'ers running to Cal to protest Apple's $13+ Billion profits.

The Dems are starting to count their chickens way too early.

Is Callista made of plastic? Let's see...she convinced the speaker to change his ways and convert to Catholicism while they were fooling around in adultery for 6 years. Is that about it?

Almost Near: Chapter 58 Continues. --I must have a brain, Samantha laughed to herself as she stood motionless in the vending room. Somehow she knew that Tucker was nearby when he called. Within minutes of finding this hiding place she heard the light rap on the door to the room she had just left. A pause and another rap. "Samantha, Sam...it's me."
 Samantha backed up next to the Pepsi machine at the sound of his voice. Don't panic she told herself. Stay calm. Think. He'll never look for you here. Maybe it's really nothing. Maybe I'm overreacting her mind said. But her body said don't move a muscle.

  "Samantha, God Dammit...where are you." The doorknob rattled. She heard the sound of a foot kicking the door. No in the distance, she heard the elevator bell. A few seconds later footsteps running from her room door towards this room. Don't come in here to hide, She grabbed her right hand with her left and squeezed. Tightened her lips over her teeth. Stopped breathing all together. Complete silence except for the foot steps. Nearer. Nearer. Then past the door. Within seconds she heard another door creak open and then slam. The foot sounds disappeared. The Exit stairway. It must be. She hoped he was running down the stairway. She still didn't move.

The Answer:

 1. Of course Tobe was best known for the Texas Chain Saw Massacre. His other well known movies were CSM 2, Poltergeist and Salem's Lot. Frankly. Hooper floundered a bit with most of his efforts directed attempting to recreate the success of Chain saw. 2. Farentino was a likable guy in screen, but not so much by Nancy Sinatra. In 1994 he pleaded Nolo to 24 counts of stalking the girl walking in boots; charges that also included making embarrassing phone calls and violation a restraining order. His modest career tanked after that mainly because of some sever alcohol problems.

There is one really good family values guy running for President -- Mitt. The entire message of the State of the Union was essentially to block the ascendancy of Mitt because he was successful. And Newt continues to keep the President's campaign on track.

Doin' the right Thing Ain't Easy.

Today's Tids Issue 2,507
Opening stuff:

Actually I find the extremely low approval rating of Congress curious. As I remember, the overwhelming victory by the Repubs in the House last year was spurred by an aware group of voters concerned about the out of control increases in the National Debt. Much of the Repub action, continually misreported by the press, was to start the process of getting this gigantic debt down. Yet every time they block some "Promotional" add-to-the-debt program by the Prez, they are branded obstructionists. When they disagreed with maintaining the FICA contribution to Social Security, they were accused of hurting the little guy in favor of their rich friends. Yet the lower FICA contribution removes billions of new revenue from the Social Security Fund, one of the most fragile of all big government programs. So, I look at congress doing what it was elected to do and that is to reign in the big spenders and get sensible again. So count me in as one of the 9% who are rooting for Congress to continue being tough on waste and lunacy.

I thought that Romney gave a great victory speech last night after his solid NH victory.

The Question:

If Americans were asked the question, "Of what groups are Americans most intolerant", the vast majority of the answers would probably not be correct. Of which groups(Ethnic, Racial, cultural, religious et.al.) are Americans least tolerant

The Headlines:

--Obama Declares NH Primary Victory "Stunning"; Says He Feels Vindicated, Rejuvenated After 4 Years Ago Tough Loss To Hillary; Commends Staff On New, Efficient Campaign Strategy - No Opponents; Will Seek 9th Circuit Court Of Appeals To Abolish Two Party System: "We Only need One", He Adds.
--Reuters Says Euro In For Tough Days Ahead.
--Syria's Assad Goes Public To rally support.
--Romney Looks Strong Coming Out Of Solid NH Primary Victory; Paul A Strong Second, Huntsman Third; No Mo For Newt.
--Twinkies Declares Chapter 11; Newt Vows To Keep Eating Them Til Company Turns Around.
--Tensions Rise In Pakistan As PM Sacks Defense Secretary..
--Downward Mobility Of Middle Class Unfortunate New Trend In America.

Things I don't get Department:
The Lords of Baseball in their infinite wisdom have decided to pay 77 yo. Bud Selig $25 Mill in salary to hang around and bumble through another year. And do what? There must be an awful lot of extra money laying around the Baseball commissioners office. Is this why ticket prices are so high.

The only good thing about peas is that they are green and distinguishable when trying to pick out of soup and chicken pot pies.

Providence Journal Columnist/Humorist Mark Patinkin suggests, "The phrase 'Social Justice' is a euphemism for not making lazy people work."

A local culinary twosome has introduced a new line of Natural Gourmet Veggie "Burgers" made of black beans, brown rice, corn, tomatoes, soy protein, red pepper, onion and panko. The name of their restaurant is Choklad. I think they left out an "a" and a "n". Figure it out.

People will say, "Yeah but, why can't Congress get along with each other and the Prez. Two reasons: 1. Scratching each others back while getting along is what got us into the mess in the first place. 2. The Prez doesn't want to get along with the Repubs. Never has since the first day in office.

Almost Near: Chapter 57 Continues. --"There's more. Louttite -- Audrey thought it's never good when the police call somebody by their last name -- has been seen in tis town before. But, he was here just two days ago, and said he had never been there. We have solid information that indicates he may have been asking about Samantha's parents, both dead...or..." Sparrow paused so that Audrey now held her breath. "...at least one known dead." For your information, we're re-opening the mother's suicide case."
"I'm not feeling real relaxed right now. But, I should get back to him because it doesn't take this long to pee. Do me a favor and call John Barton of the Little Rock police. explain what you have told me, and tell him I'm out at Lady Lil's." I'll be nice to Tucker, and hopefully keep him comfortable. I think he likes me. I know he does. maybe I'll ask him to marry me."
"You sound like a helluva person, Audrey."
"I'm a good liar. I'm petrified right now. Call Barton!"
"Right away."
Audrey primped her hair, looked into the mirror and saw a frightened woman. She patted her cheeks to get a little color. Scrunched face around, and started smiling at some of the contortions. Ah, she thought, a smile does the trick. She dropped the phone into a packet where she could hear the vibrations. And opened the door. She saw Tucker sitting there, and wondered if it would be best if she snuck out the back door and ran. But where would she go. She took a positive step forward and walked back to the table.
Tucker looked up as she put her hand on the back of her chair and pulled.
"Oh, I would have gotten that for you. You must be in a weakened condition after that long stay in the ladies room." he was smiling, but seemed to be searching for something in her face.
"Ladies rooms are slow, You know that."
"Of course I do."

The Answer:

Of all the groups in America, the people are most intolerant of Mormons! 30% sad they would never vote for a Mormon just higher than Muslims, Gays and Atheists. Only 4-5% said they would never vote for a black or a woman. People over 75 also rank low in the hearts of voters.

I've never met a Mormon I didn't like.

John 3:16

Today's Tids Issue 2,506
Opening Stuff:

Bain Capital, and Romney's involvement, is being assaulted by the weak of mind, generally not capable of understanding, or wanting to understand, the function of business and capital in the US economy. Private capital is how an economy exists without Government intervention. Separation of Biz and state and the creativity and innovation it fosters, is why the US catapulted forward in the 19th and 20th Centuries...creating millions of jobs; the envy of the rest of the world. The negativity towards this very basic component of American greatness, and the propagation of misunderstanding to a mostly uninformed public of by all people fellow Republicans including the so-called "wise one", Newt, is unfathomable to me. I can see how the disingenuous White House would leap upon the tough side of making businesses work, but fellow Republicans? It is a travesty at many levels.

Oh yeah, and the Prez and henchmen will continue the assault on Romney's business practices, but now they can accuse and disparage using Newts words. Disgusting.

Everybody would probably admit that the end of the Denver-Pitt game was thrilling beyond the usual excitement. Maybe, even among atheists. But, what impressed me was the aftermath and the media exposure. The usual suspects were more in awe, more respectful of the moment and the man than they normally are when overt religious enthusiasm is part of their story. They seem to see a good guy who works hard, who believes. And frankly, I felt many of them also felt something positive in their hearts.

The headline read: "47 from 23 Countries Sworn in as US Citizens." The system works and always has. And, everything is legal and genuine. And people who hate illegal immigration love it.

The Question:

Who were the core members of the Steeley Dan band? Name three of the best known songs.

The Headlines:

--NH Primary Deadlocked After Dixwell Notch; Moderates Huntsman and Romney have 2 votes each. Newt and Ron Paul tied for second at one vote each.
--Wall Street Looks To Up day After Positive Earnings From Alcoa.
--National Debt Now Larger Than Total Of All Goods And Services Produced In US.
--Hyundai Elantra Wins "Car Of Year" Award At Big Auto Show.
--Syria Prez Cites ABC News As Leading Foreign Meddler; Says Walters Interveiw With Him Was Deliberately Edited To Distort.
--Admin Chief-of-Staff Daley Fired.
--Alabama Completely Dominates LSU Winning NCAA BCS Championship; People Wonder What Playoff Would Have Produced.
--New Jersey GOP Senate leader collapses, Dies On Senate Floor.
--Missing 21 Yo. Son Of GB Packer's Offensive Coordinator Joe Philbin Found Dead In Icy River.

Oh, BTW, the White House invested billions in GM, and is now touting a turn-around that happened mainly because of plant closings, firing employees and reducing wage scales. In case you are interested.

The NH race is all about how strong the rest of the slate can finish behind Romney. When you combine a big NH win with what was for Romney a very strong showing in the Conservative Iowa caucuses and the endorsement from Niki, it appears that the Mittster will come out of South Carolina nicely too.

Hey, Twinkies is going out of business! Thanks Michelle "No fun Eating" Obama. Another good business goes by the wayside along with its jobs because of nanny state fanatics. How many more?

If life was always fair, than maybe we could understand it better. But, alas it is encumbered by misinformation, misconceptions and misgivings, and that is why the logical and pragmatic have so much trouble dealing with it.

The cast of Jersey Shore should never be allowed to go outside beyond their own brainless public. It's embarrassing for the country. Some Islamist would take tapes and show it to their Muslim masses --"This is America; This is why we will rise!"

Biblical Pigskin Department:
I'm a Little worried about this Saturday's contest between my beloved Pats and the miracle man and his formidable Denver team. January 14? Hmmm John 1:14 -- "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth". I wonder.

New Amendment Department:
I was reading about the Supreme Court decision to take up the Stephen Tyler suit urging more casual raunchy swearing on TV. The first amendment protects lots of evil or things in questionable taste like pornography, gambling and other negative ingredients potentially destructive to a healthy, civilized society, as long as it has socially redeeming consequences. Well, I think the next Amendment should be "Freedom of Eating." Or should that read "Freedom From Persecuting happy larger people: From? Of? It's tricky little word choice.

Almost Near: Chapter 57 continues. --"Hi Audrey Johnson. I'm sitting here with Samantha Wilcox who you also may know as Samantha Jergens."
"I have never met her but know a lot about her."
"That's not important. You don't have to talk. Just listen." Audrey sat up. Now tense, aware. "Samantha just finished talking to an assistant to a lawyer named Dante who just awoke form a coma after a hit and run accident. Where are you?" Sparrow interrupted his town train of thought.
Audrey began to worry more. Come out with it she thought. "I'm in a middle of nowhere restaurant north of Little Rock with Tucker Louttite, a friend of Samantha."
Audrey heard silence on the line, then muffled voices in the background. "Is he with you now?"
"No, for some reason my suspicious mind told me to take this call in the ladies room."
"Ok, that's Good." We have just learned that the lawyer says it was Tucker who ran him down and left the scene." Audrey paled. She turned again to the door. She found it hard to breathe.

The Answer:

--Bard College graduates Dan Fagan and Walter Becker (Dubbed "Manson/Starkweather of Pop") were a couple of songwriters living in Brooklyn who first gained a little fame with a Barbra Streisand song "I mean to Shine". The duo started as traveling musicians with Jay and the Americans. Their songs it was determined were much too complex for most musicians so a producer named Katz urged them to start their own band to play their own music. Some early hits were Do It Again, Dirty Work and Reelin' In The Years. The most memorable early hit was Rikki Don't Lose That Number. Some others were bad Sneakers, Black Friday, Doctor Wu, Peg, Deacon Blues, Josie and Chain Lightening. The duo was more about writing lots of ingenious music for albums. They didn't particularly like traveling and in fact Fagan had a serious case of Stage fright.

The world is an incongruity.

Ronmey doesn't make mince pie.

Today's Tids Issue 2,094
Opening Stuff:

Congress is taking aim at Clueless Lane (Wall Street) with a host of new regulations which are probably already in there, somewhere, anyhow. The most deterrent of regulations against runaway greed and risk taking is a system that allows utter failure; where the out-of-control risk takers are reduced to quivering, jelly-like blobs wallowing in the gutters just outside their former financial playground. Let them fail miserably and the system will generally take care of itself.

If you think about it, “Abuse of Power” is the biggest sin against the spirit of the American constitution.

The Question:
Newport Jazz Festival Impresario George Wein has just announced a stellar group of performers for the Summer 2010 effort by The Bay. I noticed immediately the name Ahmad Jamal, one of my favorites of yesteryear. I first bought his record albums around 1957. Now 80, he came to fame during an era of great jazz pianists. Name five other big names.

The Headlines:
--Federal Reserve Issues New Rules To Protect Consumers From Gift Card Abuses.
--Congress Welcomes Netanyahu; Israel Approves Construction Of New Buildings In East Jerusalem.
--Major Rating Agency Slashes Credit Worthiness Of Portugal; Stock Futures Fall; Frantic EU Still Seeking Greek Solution.
--Investors Looking For Munis As Move To Higher Risk Instruments Grows.
--Budget Crisis Has California Easing Requirements For Parole.
--Banks And Private Lenders Expected To Loses $70 Billion/Year As Health Care LollaPelosi Takes Over Student Loans!
--NFL Changes Rules For Playoff Overtime Games.

Back to More Stuff:

Romney On Health Care Department:
"America has just witnessed an unconscionable abuse of power. President Obama has betrayed his oath to the nation — rather than bringing us together, ushering in a new kind of politics, and rising above raw partisanship, he has succumbed to the lowest denominator of incumbent power: justifying the means by extolling the ends. He promised better; we deserved better.
He calls his accomplishment “historic” — in this he is correct, although not for the reason he intends. Rather, it is an historic usurpation of the legislative process — he unleashed the nuclear option, enlisted not a single Republican vote in either chamber, bribed reluctant members of his own party, paid-off his union backers, scapegoated insurers, and justified his act with patently fraudulent accounting. What Barack Obama has ushered into the American political landscape is not good for our country; in the words of an ancient maxim, ‘what starts twisted, ends twisted’.” How do you flip-flop on that?

You Can’t Make this Stuff Department:
In an interview this morning by a local morning sports show with Josselyn James, Tiger’s Porn Star Lover, she was asked if she had considered turning a child fathered by the golfer in to a big pay day opportunity. She said…she actually said…”I didn’t want it to suffer so I aborted it”.

When I read about the 16,000 new IRS agents authorized by the LollaPelosi boondoggle for the sole purposed of harassing companies and good honest citizens on a “Monthly” basis about health care, I can only conjure up images of Brown Shirts.

American Idol in this man’s eyes was kind of bland last night. (And how about that Miley Cyrus. I was amazed at her size! She was bigger than everybody except Big Mike. She seemed nice. But that’s not why we are here.) The dour Chrystal Bowersox was again the best. I like her style and the way she sings and would vote for her to be at least one of the final two. Unfortunately the voters look for curb appeal, which is often lacking in Chrystal’s non-singing personality. My other favorite, Siobahn, was also above the fray last night. I don’t agree with Simons that she “screams” too much. I think that Aaron, Mike, Katie, Casey (Although I thought he sucked slightly) Didi (I thought the judges were too harsh here) and Lee did well enough to return. Paige was off key, Andy was awkward and vulnerable, but man, you got to get rid of Tim Urban.

Now that it appears that the Prez has set as his personal goal (and believe me, it is his personal goals that count now) the establishment of the largest entitlement society in the history of the universe, don’t be surprised if we start seeing a European style VAT (Value Added Tax) in the not too distant future. To make it fair, the under-salaried in our nation will be issued “Po Boy Cards” which wave their tax on purchases.

A State Farm insurance agent has this huge sign in front of his business: “A Taxpayer voting for Obama is like a chicken voting for Colonel Saunders.”

Through the Same Eyes Department: Chapter 62: I received a lot of “”Hi Paul’s” as I walked into Middleton’s lab operation. We’re not talking about a room with a couple of instruments and beakers, we are talking about 20,000 square feet of some of the most sophisticated technology and experiences scientists in the country. And, best of all, a growing supply of products from my favorite company GenInst. “Hi gang,” I answered. Sally Orstein was still my main contact and I liked that. She and I plus Kelley and Montrose had worked closely together on the GenInst setup. We seemed to get a lot more done when Middleton wasn’t around, although I have to admit he knew how to get to the nub of problems with good ideas. (A little like my wife, I thought.) I hadn’t figured out yet what the team actually thought of their boss. He made me feel uneasy. Yet, when he wanted to win me over, he had an easy way of doing it.
“So, what is step one?” asked Sally.
“I have no idea,” I joked. “All of this new data potential is going to require extensive, new recalibrating to accurately reflect projections from bases with no known comparability’s. It sounds like trial and error, but we have designed computer programs that adjust to data shifts. This is a dramatic data shift. But simpler in that it is closer to where we want to see our final results.” They agreed they understood. Then I added, “Isn’t it amazingly fortuitous how this data fell into Our, Middleton’s, lap?”

Things Never Change Department:
Mark Twain said: “If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.” Dwight Eisenhower said: “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” Thomas Jefferson said: “A democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those willing to work and give to those who would not.”

For three days now the media has been talking about the increase in food serving size in paintings of the Last Supper. Has America lost its collective mind? It’s just another example of too much taxpayer money going to too many professors with nothing to do.

One of the real dangers these days is for people to think that just because someone can speak eloquently or write beautifully that they actually know what they are talking about and have come to the correct conclusions.

You probably read where ACORN is disbanding. That means that the activists behind it are probably reorganizing through another series of sham fronts…and who knows…Congress may have already voted for funding under the heath Care boondoggle. Activists, If anything, know how to persevere. The former ACORN gang just has to do it in a way that doesn’t embarrass their pal in the White House.

The Answer:
Ahmad Jamal, born Freddy “Fritz” Jones, came to fame in an era of giants and in particular three – Dave Brubeck, Errol Garner and George Shearing. Other names were Earl Peterson, Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum. Of course the great holdovers – Count Basie and Duke Ellington. But the Jamal, Shearing, Brubeck, Garner foursome were leading the new era of jazz piano.

Final Thought:

Text messaging is bad for your health.