Solidarity kills.

Today's Tids Issue 2,310
Opening Stuff

Some day I'm going to learn to not let things in the outside world beyond my control bother me. Sit back in my chair instead of sitting on the edge. See the world for all that is good and not seek out things that could go wrong. To blindly accept the decisions of our elected leaders...hey wait a minute. I am going mad. I think I'll just live tense and take extra blood pressure meds.

When are they going to bomb Somalia?

I see where the word Solidarity is cropping up more and more in the Wisconsin mess. Now when I think of that word, I think of the valiant Lech Walesa fighting for his workers against the Polish Communist government. Not public servants fighting to suck more blood out of their employers...honest hardworking, tax paying neighbors.

The Question:
There was some good news for the economy this morning as the auto industry surprised the experts with giant leap in Feb. What percentage did sales go up and which auto makers do you think did best?

The Headlines:

--Libya Bloody As Daffy Vows To Fight Til Last man Is Dead; Warns US To Stay Out.
--Senate Joins House In Sending Two Week Budget Extension To Prime Time; House Bill Cuts Two Weeks Of Spending By $4 Bil.
--Chafee-Lite Misspeaks On Narragansett Indian Buyout Of Twin River Non-Casino.
--VW To Bring Back Fabled 50's-60's Mini-Van.
--NJ Congressman Rush Holt (D) Beats Watson In Jeopardy Game.
--Stocks Expected To Rebound After Sell-off.
--Buffet Sees Uneven Recovery; Looks For Deals.

Back to More Stuff:
A college graduation is a senior moment.

I can't see any difference between Charlie Sheen and many of those trouble seeking, over paid, self absorbed athletes who put them selves in untenable positions. Oh yeah, maybe Charlie has better publicists and an more gullible fan base.

Several Repubs are slowly dipping their toes into Presidential waters. There is a thought going around among some of these courageous warriors that perhaps Obama may be too hard to beat in 2012. So the one who emerges may be the one who shows a little guts to take on this incumbent knowing that a change will be very important for the country. The loudest early rumblings so far are from Huckabee (Foot in mouth with Kenya remarks), Ghengris (who is expected to announce the formation of a presidential exploration committee) and The Donald (Trump) who is beginning to make the rounds and yesterday announced that a new web-site www.should trump run.com already has 400,000 subscribers. It is just beginning, but this is exactly the time when it should begin. After all, 0-Man has been running for six months.

I like to separate the teachers from the other Public Employees union activities. But that doesn't mean I think the NEA is anything better than a dishonest, vile organization.

Almost Near: Chapter 10. --Tucker Louttite had never loved a woman as he had loved Samantha Wilcox. In fact he never loved another woman at all. He met her when they were 12. She had worked her way onto his softball team, and he didn't like it at all. A girl for chrissake!. He laughed at the memories. But, he also remembered that from the first moment she ran to shortstop, that he couldn't take his eyes off her. And, boy could she play softball. Of course, that's what was really important at the time.
By the time they had finished college and were 24, he was ready for marriage. He asked her. He remembers how her eyes lit up. And then how she looked so seriously at him. Almost questioningly. He thought of this as an automatic. They were destined to be man and wife. Weren't they? But she answered, "Wow, I'll have to think about that one!" The next day she disappeared from his life.
I called her mom and she told me that it was time for Samantha to go. That's all. But, she would tell me where she had gone. Or why.
I broke down and cried. Her mom just watched me. She didn't move to hug me or hold my hand in support. She just said "I'm sorry." and then she added. "Tommy Lambert, You were good for Samantha. But, it had to end. I'm sorry." She closed the door. I'll never forget standing there.

If everybody hasn't figured out by now why public employee unions are a bad idea for the good of the country going forward, than they don't want to figure it out. They just want to follow a bad idea blindly.

Frankly, I'm getting tired of all these PE Union discussions. Sorry I brought it up.

Some of the rest stops on Florida interstates look like assisted living complexes.

Why is "Elton John and partner to attend royal wedding" one of the six lead headlines this morning? There are just too many publicists in this world.

Does VW's announcement of bringing back the mini-van mean that we will once again have to put up with hippies? Or, do they see a big market for delivery vans for medical marijuana factories?

Is Charlie Sheen trying to out perform Gad-Daffy for the title of "Public Mad Sycho (PMS)" of the year?

Sorry shampoo makers, but I think my hair looks better when using bar soap.

The Answer:
Sales were up 27% with GM soaring at 49%. Toyota was next (42), Nissan (32), Honda (22) with ford and Chrysler lagging at 14 and 12%. (Although Chrysler's increase was considered positive considering recent doldrums,)Trucks and those nasty SUV's led the way again.

The End:
If there is any positive solidarity going around, I think it is among regular taxpayers who want to get free spending governments under control.

I know, I know, Psycho doesn't start with an "S". I just needed something to get to PMS. see, I started out calm, uncaring this morn, and now I'm getting angry. 

It's obvious!...isn't it?

Today's Tids Issue #2,309
Opening Stuff:
There's something about March 1 first is just special to me. Maybe it is the thought of little seeds underground scrubbing up before they burst fourth as buds then flowers. Or, the fact that snow doesn't matter any more as it is now just a cleansing blanket as while waiting for the green. It is a day that skies just seem brighter. And I'm thinking that is because of all of those people around the world who just start smiling again. Or maybe it is me and something I love about March 1.

Correction Department: Just about everybody noticed that I didn't get my percentages right on the Congressional religion Q. That's because the answers were absolute numbers. If you are still interested a good reader worked out the percents: Prod - 57%, RC - 29, Jew - 7, Morm - 3, Other, 3, and No answer religion -1.

And because of that...I promised one good reader a refreshingly new pun. (If the Tids are late it's because it's so hard to find one.) How about "Corderoy pillows are making headlines!" Or, "Practice safe eating: Always use condiments." OR "A shotgun wedding is a case of wife or death." Or "Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you a flat minor." I have written so many puns in these 2,300+ Tids that I really haven't found any new ones. I was going to make a joke about not remembering puns but I forgot what you call the disease.

I think we have hit a milestone in American history where the "Public Servant" has been replaced by the Taxpayer Servant.

The Question: 
 This comes from a reader. What are the chief oil producing US states, and why were we caught napping om the latest oil shortage.

The Headlines:
--Libyan Rebs Win Big Near Tripoli.
--WikiLeaks Found To Have Doctored Widely Released Nobel Prize Nominee Tape That Showed US Soldiers Firing On Unarmed Iraqis.
--Russia Spending Splurge Building Up Military.
--DOW Way Off On Oil Worries.

Back to More stuff:
Our Congress runs like Spell-Check...continually missing the obvious.

We could reduce the number of people working for the Fed Gov by half and all we'd be doing is getting rid of overlap.

Around Tampa Fla I saw a gigantic Rebel flag looming over the interstate at the exit marked Martin Luther Kink Jr. Highway.

Drinking lots of water is probably healthy but paying for in little bottles isn't.

I use to pass these large, fancy, expensive RV's and think they must be owned by a rock star. But now I realize they are probably owned by public employees on a retirement trip.

Almost Near: Chapter 10. It has been an incredibly hectic day In Tidsland, but we'll get serious tomorrow as Tucker begins his search to unravel Samantha and she does the same for herself.

When you realize that 70,000 protesters were imported to Madison Wis, then you know it's not about better education but the pocketbooks of big labor bosses. Good teachers will always get hired and paid.

If people in charge continually overlook the obvious, then you'd better duck and cover.

The Answer: 
We forgot to check the oil in Alaska, California, Coastal Florida, Coastal Louisiana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas,Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas because all of the dipsticks are in Washington DC.

The End...Hopefully.
I'm going mad!

Is Wisconsin known for apples, or oranges.

Today's Tids Issue 2,303
Opening Stuff:

A Tids-ite, a former "24" devotee and a woman who knows her conspiracy thrillers, writes to say that "Unknown" is worth every penny. In fact it is so good that you won't be concerned by spending an extra $5 on a big bag of hot gooey pop corn.

The problem with the reporting of the Wisconsin standoff, to me,  is that the News media is choosing the wrong argument. They are intent to comparing private sector incomes with private incomes. But that is but the superficial emotional issue. The real argument should be that public employee revenue is based on a finite, restrictive source -- taxes, while private sector revenue is based on the growth (Or declines) of a global economy. Of course, if you wanted to nationalize all businesses, than the continuing controllable source of tax revenue would not be a problem...that is until the businesses imploded.

The Question: Wal-Mart has posted 7 consecutive quarterly drops in sales. What do you think are the three main reasons that management offers for the decline?

The Headlines:

--Christ Church, New Zealand Crushed By Latest Earthquake; PM Says It's NZ's Darkest day; 65 Reported Dead so Far.
--Oil Prices Spiking As Iran Ships Reach Suez And Arab Uprisings Strengthen.
--Tale Of Two Retail Giants: Home Depot Elates; Walmart Sales Woes Deepen.
--Moody's Warns Japan Of Ratings Cut If Economic Reforms Lag.
--Gadhafi Defiant In Face Of Growing Revolt.
--Governor Walker And GOP Legislature Holding Firm In Fight To Save State.
--Emanuel Frontrunner As Chicagoans Hit Polls; Carol Moseley Brown, Gery Chico And Three Others Hope To Keep Rahm From 51%.

Back to More Stuff:
One of the small joys in life is when finishing shopping at big Costco type store you find a box that actually has four sides on it.

I thought the commercials for "Battle: Los Angeles" was a promo for the NBA All Star game.

But, it appears that Battle: LA is a big blockbuster alien assault on Los Angeles movie. Los Angeles destroyed? Hmmmm.

Wait a minute!...Hosni Mubarak was a President! Yeah, let's go back to George Washington's Birthday.

I just read a small story in the newspaper warning FaceBookers to be on the lookout for dangerous "Apps". Then I thought. people terminally in FaceBook don't read the newspaper.

Oh yeah, and FaceBook says they a have a whole team approving these "Official" apps. Good job Mark.

And...I have to believe that teens having too much time diverted to FaceBook has to be a major reason for sluggish Homework activity. Education doesn't need more money or better teachers. It needs less FaceBook. Kids are easily manipulated into re-prioritizing responsibilities. Believe me I know I was one. Maybe, I still am.

Almost Near: Chapter 8 continues. --Tucker ran beyond his capibility to the top of the hill. His first thought was that she would retrn to the tree, the initials that had given her some comfort in her early confusion. He burst through the low mountain laurel at the edge of the trees before the field of wild flowers. He saw the tree about fifty yards away. he should be seeing her. he looked up at the branches, and thought she may be laying on the grass out of sight be neath the reds, yellows and lavenders of the waving grasses and flowers. He reached the tree. She was nowhere to be found. He looked at the initials. There were wild scratches nearly obliterating the carvings. She had been here. It didn't look good.
He spun. He looked for paths from beaten down grasses. He saw one that appeared to go towards town. He wasn't used to running, and all of a sudden, he found himself having to stop, and take in a few breaths. He felt his legs cramping. Some writers are marathioners, but he wasn't one of them. Rested, he started jogging at a pace he could maintain. Out of the field to the road.
He saw tourists reading historic markers, Mrs. Fletcher walking from the drug store to the post office and a couple of kids sitting on an old piece of the main dock doing nothing. No Samantha. "Mrs. Fletcher, Have you seen Samantha."
"You mean that woman who thinks I'm her friend?" Tuck nodded and avoided her sarcasm. "She took off in that cute convertible of hers like she was being chased by the Sheriff." Tucker looked up the hill going out of town. He couldn't be that far behind.

An adult "smoothie" is a Metamucil cocktail.

One good thing about these Middle East uprisings is that I'm learning how to spell all of these dictators names.

One of the bad things about all of this talk of "Freedoms" as enjoyed by Americans, is that too many forget about the "Responsibilities" that must go hand in hand with that wonderful privilege. And that goes for journalists and their freedoms as well as average citizens protesting in the streets.

Do you ever get the sense that NYC based news people are looking for one Minnesotan to say they are tired of winter too. So that NY'ers don't look like whining whimps.

The Answer:
The company says it is struggling with pricing, and perhaps has marked too many items too low; the growth "Dollar" stores has drawn away large blocks of formerly loyal customers; A poorly executed decision to pare down too many products.

The End:
Nothing is forever in the private sector. Think about that Wisconsin.

The reason that private sector union membership has been in a constant decline is because private sector businesses who can't effectively operate under smothering contracts leave town. The Wisconsin situation is not an assault on the character of most of the union members. It is an awakening to reality of free market economics.