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.

A beautiful silence.

Today's Tids Issue 2,251

Opening Stuff:

The northern wind freezes December days / A somber hush falls over city streets / As though the world inhales and holds its breath / Awaiting that Christmas morning that lightens the mind.

Only fourteen days til I start Christmas shopping.

A famous Viking returns from a long voyage and finds his name missing form the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the local official who apologized profusely: "I must have taken Lief off my census."

Jumping jacks are stand-up snow angels.

The Question: 
How many Black people have won the Nobel Peace Prize and who was the first? Bonus Q: In news item below about strongest economy poll, name 6 economies US people think are strongest now and in 20 years. Bonus 2: Who was America's longest living President.

The Headlines:

--In A New Poll Only One In Five Americans Say US Is Best Place For Jobs And Prosperity; Half Say China Is number 1; 3/5's of Americans Say Low Wage Jobs Elsewhere Will Keep Future US Standard Of Living Growth Down.
--Stock Mark Pares Early Gains After New Consumer Data.
--Obama Predicts tax Bill Passage With Possible Changes.
--China Nobel Winner Gets Standing "O" IN Absentia; China Still Calls Ceremony "Clowns".
--US $700 Billion Bailout Has Earned $35 Bil In Two Years.
--Prince Charles And Camilla Attacked By Mobs On London Street.
--FAA Says They have Lost Track Of Owns 119,000 Of The 357,000 Private And Comercial Aircraft In US; Could be Terrorist Problem.
--Gorbachev Says Russian Undemocratic Political Landscape Is Threatening Country's Stability.
--Ex-Wiki Worker Establishing New Secret Leaking Organization.

Back to More Stuff:
This whole WikiLeaks thing raises an interesting argument. Open Book Government versus necessary secrets for the public good?. Freedom of expression versus censorship? This of course brings us to another question, "Is there too much information available to many who don't see, know or understand the whole picture. I think this transparency issue is much like the chicken and egg thing. Depending on how you look at it, two divergent answers can be completely right. When you think about it, it really comes down to trust in elected officials. After all, we are a representative government and not a democracy. We have to hope that the vast majority of representatives are honest and that often secrecy is necessary to run an efficient government in peace and most certainly war.

This Pats/Bears game could be one of the best and I won't be surprised to see the Bears win. I'm already pacing and it is about 54 hours til game time!

I hate stories like this. And the irresponsible disregard for personal property and revered institutions seems to becoming much too prevalent these days. In England, the Glastonbury Holy Thorn Tree is said to have links to the earliest days of Christianity there. In fact, tradition holds that the original tree was planted by Saint Joseph of Arimethea -- he who provided the Tomb for Jesus. It is said that upon his arrival in Glastonbury 2,000 years ago, he planted his staff into the hillside and the tree grew from there. Last night it was cut down to a six foot stump. Creeps.

The "...Mother of Invention" theory doesn't always work that well when you consider that the first can opener wasn't invented until fifty years after the tin can.

Mark December 19th down on your sports viewing calendar. The UConn women's basketball team will be playing to tie the great record of John Wooden's UCLA men's team for the most consecutive wins at 88. Even better they will be up against the powerful Ohio State team (#6) in Madison Square Garden NYC. Could be a classic.

Did you hear about the down and out electrician strapped for cash who wired for money?

US life expectancy rates out and it isn't good. They are down about a tenth of a year off the all time high of 77.9. Women can still look to 80 while men start to fade around 75. I guess I'll have to eat healthier to live longer to keep women readers happy. More good news is the decline in death rates for 6 0f the 15 leading causes of death -- heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, accident and homicide. Keep on jogging and doin those standout jumping snow angels.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--I was looking forward to The Tourist mainly because it sounded like MR. Everyman getting caught up in a web of intrigue ala Gary Grant in North By Northwest and Jimmy Stewart in The man Who Knew Too Much (One of my all time faves). But, alas the too super stars fail to connect at all. A guy dallies with a stranger and is entrapped in an international conspiracy scheme to which there is no apparent out for him. I may rent it anyhow.
--The Fighter is a very good movie and true story that traces the life of boxer Micky Lowell and Brother trainer on drugs as he rises from a bleak Lowell mass childhood to become champion. Great cast of Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Mallissa Leo and Jack McGee makes it work.
--Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Trader is a beautifully rendered animated spectacular as out courageous warriors battle magical creatures and reunite with protector the "Great Lion". Can't miss for kids.


The Answer:
Dr. Ralph Bunch in 1950 was the first black man to win the Nobel peace prize. there are 7 others -- Albert John Lithuli, Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Wangari Maathai (First black woman) and Barack Obama (may have been his white half.) Bonus Q: 47% say China is biggest today, while only 37% say they will be biggest in 20 years. The rest of the six remain in the same order, but the support %'s change. US (20%, 34%...that's good), Japan (11%, 6%), EU 6%, 5%), India (5%, 5%) and Russia (2%, 1%). Bonus 2: He didn't do much, but he lived the longest of all Presidents -- Gerald Ford - 93 years.

The Weekend:
Enjoy the peace of of scintillating early winter.