The Easy Way Out Country.

Today's Tids 4/11 (#2,338)
Opening Stuff

Saturday and, in particular, Sunday was the kind of TV days that keeps you thin. With no comercials and with more great shot making every five or so seconds, you dare not run to the kitchen for Cheetos. What a great Masters. With five or six good guys you could root for all showing superb guts under pressuring, really pressuring, circumstances. And maybe most revealing was Tiger making a charge and the others not folding as they may have in the past. McElroy looked cool until... But he will be back. The Masters is always great to me, but this one was one of the very best in many years.

Raising taxes is no more the solution to a governmental economic disaster than raising prices by an embattled sales manager is a solution to flagging sales. Few really attack problems any more. They just mask them.

When I feel the need for lilting travel within my imagination to wonderful places where nobody has ever been, I put on R. Strauss's Eine Alpensifone, close my eyes and drift into surreal serenity. Have I told you that before? Well...if I did, it must be true.

Anybody out there who momentarily thinks that the U.S. of A. has any chance of regrasping its former world stature and inspiring greatness, I have one word for you -- Snooki!

There are few certainties in life, but here's one you can take to the bank. I will never visit, or even be tempted to visit, the just dedicated "Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate".

The Question: 
 What do Hugh Hefner, Dennis Quaid, Sevie Ballestaros, Cynthia Nixon and Keshia Knight Pulliam have in common? Q2: Who said, "You can't produce a baby in nine months by getting 9 women poignant."?

The Headlines:
--New 7+ Quake rattles The Spirits Of A Fighting Japan.
--Steady Earnings Should Raise Stocks.
--Libyan Rebels Protest The Arrival Of African Leaders to Broker Cease Fire; Rebels Say Daffy Out Or Nothing.
--Tablet Sales Expected To Rise from 17.6 Mil in 2010 To 70 Mil In 2011 And 108 Mil In 2012; Apple's 69% Share Should Decline To 47% In 2015 While Google's Droid Will Increase To 39% From A Current 20%
--France Bans Face Covering Islamic Veil.
--Over heated Texas battling Wildfires.
--San Franciscans Worried About Tech Bubble 2.0.

Back to More Stuff:
Providence Mayor Angel Taveras seems to fully understand the importance of, and has an uncanny ability to implement, balance in government. He has the feel of the first Hispanic President.

Some Wall Street analysts say that after a review of the all the facts, that AIG Execs only guilty of stupidity. Say what? If a mechanic did something stupid to a car resulting in death, it would be called gross negligence and he would be in jail. Aren't these guys paid like geniuses? Do too many of them use their genius to manipulate ethics, morality and legality? How about if financial execs who are determined to be "guilty of stupidity" giving back their bonuses for the past four years. Main Street investors should get more than stupidity. What has the Tids always said -- "Clueless Lane".

I don't know about you, but I'd much rather have corn in my food than in my gas.

Oops! The old movie critic department forgot a good movie Friday. Soul Surfer. This is the true story movie starring Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Carrie Underwood and Anna Sophia Robb as Bethany Hamilton. It is about the 15 year old, very religious super Hawaiian surfer who had her arm ripped off by a shark. Through courage and faith Bethany overcomes the loss and becomes a champion again. It is a wonderfully entertaining and inspiring movie that, according to our favorite San Diego observer, is perfect for the entire family.

Serious non-politicized economic analysts viewed Paul Ryan's budget proposal as exactly the kind of measure needed as a "first" step to get the embattled country back out of the jaws of the menacing deficit monsters. And at that, a measure that may seem harsh would still take thirty years to right the ship. before anything can be accomplished however, American must try to figure out once again what it really is and what it wants to be. Is the second coming of America about redistributed wealth to the point that the government becomes the America, or will it be the America of hope, freedom and unlimited opportunity with out the festering shackles of growing socialism. America has become a whining child and the citizens have to become parents who say no.

Almost near: Chapter 15 continues: --Tucker was surprised to meet Monty Jackson. he had expected a Jumbo Jim, but got a Monty Jackson in a crisp tweed sport jacket and very contemporary tie. With, an educated voice. "Nice to meet you Mr. Louttite" he said with a firm handshake.
"My pleasure too, detective." Tucker pulled a chair closer to the desk.
"So, the desk sergeant says you are here about the Quimpierre case. not much of a case, except that it's odd. Maye you have something that can inject substance into it." he sat back figuring that Tucker must have something to offer, or why wold he be here."
"I don't have much, or else I wouldn't be here." Monty smiled. "Let me start at the beginning. I was going to be married to Mrs, Quimpierre about 17 years ago." He went into the story starting with how he had seen her two weeks ago and that it was obvious she had been traumatized and that something grave must have induced it. "I'm no psychologist, but it was easy to see she was not who she was. That something very serious must have occurred to block her memory so thoroughly. In fact, she didn't know who she was. She though she was somebody I had made up. She wasn;t depressed, but actually quite happy witrh herself. Until, I fear that she discovered my writings."
Now that is an odd story. Sounds like a writer made it up". He laughed and Tucker joined him. But this is very interesting, because I too believe something serious happened even though there absolutely no evidence that anything at all happened. The only thing we know is that a family is missing. Your story tells me a lot."

Tom Brady and Albert Poulhos seem to rely on the same driving force to spur on their greatness. Both snubbed in the drafts, they seem to wake up every game day with one goal in mind: Showing the snubbers where to stuff it. But these two "Look at me now" guys seem to be divergent in how they spend their money. Poulhos and his Family Foundation are intensely involved in helping the have-nots like handicapped children and the extreme poor in depressed third world countries. As far as I can see, Brady seems to living in the make believe world of Hollywood Let's hope he is doing something else.

0-Man, the ultimate politician, has already announced the start of his new campaign. So I have to feel that anything he says from now till voting day will be designed to contribute to a victory and not necessarily to the betterment of the country. He is already entering the gutless phase of his presidency just as Congress did last September when they punted on the budget vote.

The Answer:
The celebs Hefner, Nixon, Pullium, Quaid and Ballestaros all have the same birthday. I know, dumb Q. Q2: These word were uttered by Warren Buffet when trying to emphasize that there few shortcuts to financial success. At least honest ones.

The End:
If Congress only had the guts of Schwartzel, Scott, Day, Ogilvy or Donald think about how easy it might be to get out from under the cloud that is smothering America.

I see a lot of publicity lately about academics re-investigating slavery. What they should be spending time with is a system of welfare that further binds many descendents of slaves to the new plantation owners -- Congress and their supporters.

A country of hope and freedom and unfettered opportunity must rely on the successful to voluntarily contribute to the needs of the struggling. Or else, socialism will always have an avenue for growth.

And in closing, where does veil fit in to the "i before e, except after c" thing?

Illegal immigration is a crime.

Today's Tids Issue 2,185
Opening Stuff:
This Arizona thing just has to get to the Supreme Court. The feds have been giving lip service to those concerned about law breaking immigrants. Allowing groups of enablers to paint the concerned as racists. The media has allowed the agendized to demagogue the issue without a mere shrug of disbelief. Will the country ever return to reality?

If I were the ABA, I’d start looking seriously at some of the creative defenses being used by the brethren in the courtrooms. For instance, the Blago team used the “Stupid” defense – Our client was not smart enough to know what he was doing. Yikes. And then down in Louisville at the Pitino Sex/Extortion show, the prosecution is using a combo of “The devil made me do it” and the famous Clinton “I didn’t inhale” maneuver. The “:Coach” said yeah, I had sex but “very briefly”! (But, did you have fun Rick!) Of course down on the US border states slews of lawyers have convinced themselves that criminal acts are good. And so it goes. Law has become a way to get around good ole’ common sense…and for that matter…law.

The Question:
What are ten common phrases coming from the mouth of your broker/financial advisor of which you should be Skeptical?

The Headlines:
--Jan Brewer Will Take Fight To Secure Borders To Supreme Court.
--Pipeline Break Spills Thousands Of Gallons Of Oil Into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River.
--Current Foreclosure Rate Will Keep Home Prices Lower Until 2013.
--New AP Poll Reports Bleak US Economy For 2011.
--New Gulf Report Says Large Oil Blotches Seem To Be Disappearing.
--Medvedev Widens Power Of KGB Successor Agency; Move Said To be Designed To Stifle Protests And Intimidate Government Opponents.

Back to More Stuff:

What will the people do when they get bored with YouTube?

Why should we in The US be happy that the President Of Mexico is applauding the legal decision on the Arizona law. It just shows how much he wants to get rid of his people.

I guess “Prime Time” doesn’t buy into “On my honor to do the best / To do my duty to God and country and to obey scout law / To help pother people at all times; / To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” That’s the Scout motto the President missed by skipping off to The View and a NYC fundraiser. It isn’t that other Presidents have not shown to talk to the kids, but this was the 100th Anniversary of a great American organization. The View! Whoopie-to-do.

Let’s get the “Inherited” deficit right Department:
(Note: If the accompanying chart doiesn't show here, write and I'll send it along.)
Just to put all of this “Inherited” deficit talk into perspective, the Democrat Congress of Pelosi and Reid (Obama was a member and a voter for the big upward ticks in spending) started the shoppaholic spree in 2008. Check out the chart above. (Interesting how the deficit appears to be descending right around the time of 0’s 2012 election! That’s due to the Health Care monster slight of hand as designed by the, yes, Democrat Congress)

One of our brilliant readers tells us that: “There is only one job more dangerous than lighting the fuse. Going back to relight it…”

Thought the Same Eyes: Chapter 86. –I have never done a better job of acting than those 10 steps towards Kent. My kiss on the cheek was practically biblical. But, then when I felt his cheek against my lips I felt what I always have felt. I steeled myself against emotion and moved to the seat opposite him. Though I knew that in a moment I would feel his foot against my leg. I sat there in erotic anticipation. I always do when I’m with him. Even now when I am supposed to be skeptical. Even now when he seems to be having concerns about me. He has always thought like me and I him. My heart was beating faster.
“It is so nice to see you Kent. It seems like months. So much has happened in the past several days.” He just sat there and looked at me like he was in love. He didn’t have to touch me. I could feel him from my memories. I shuddered.
“I agree.” Marie arrived with the pie that Kent had ordered and my coffee which he must have ordered for me. I looked at him in feigned surprise…and appreciation. But, that’s all he said.
We decided that it would not be good to hide my visits to Henry. Kent liked Henry. “The police are still concerned about the disappearance of your house cleaner, Laura.” His expression changed slightly.
“ I haven’t seen her since two days before she went missing.” He said mechanically. “I’d rather talk about you. Us.” He smiled, boyishly. “Maybe I should give up my work and run a way with you.”

An Internet feature yesterday listed America’s Ten Top Secluded beaches. They won’t be secluded any more.

The Answer:
1. “This is a good time to invest in the stock market.” 2. “Stocks on average make you about 10%.” 3. “Our economists are forecasting…” 4. “Investing in the stock market allows you to participate in the growth of the economy.” 5. “If you want higher returns, you have to take more risk.” 6. “The market’s really cheaper now; The P/E is about 13.” 7. “You can’t time the market.” 8. “We recommend a diversified portfolio of Mutual Funds.” 9. “This is a stock picker’s market.” And 10. “Stocks outperform over the long term.”

Eliminate risk. Vote out incumbents in 2010.

Jan Brewer for President.

Blowing out my mind.

Today's Tids Issue 2,110
Opening Stuff:

Somehow this Tids got away from me. It is not light and airy as fluffy sheets drying in a April sea breeze. Somehow the travesties of today’s society – Roethlisberger, ass-holes in general and the out of control spending in Washington – got the best to me. I guess every once in a while I just have to be deadly serious.

If beef tenderloin is used in a cheese steak sandwich, is it called Phillie Mignon?

“This Just In” Department:
Federal Prosecutors have charged Goldman Sachs with civil fraud over sub-prime mortgages. Earliest reports say: “The SEC's suit strikes at a practice that was one of the main causes of the financial crisis: the creation of poisonous investments derived from home loans made to borrowers who couldn't afford the houses they were buying. The suit also drags into a legal maelstrom Paulson & Co., the firm of legendary hedge fund manager John Paulson, who made billions of dollars by betting against the housing market in the years before it went bust. He and his firm have not been accused of wrongdoing.“ Lots more to come on this one. Stay tuned.

The Question:
Name five movies based on comic book heroes.

The Headlines:
--Black Cloud From Iceland Continues To Smother Air Ops In Europe.
--0-Man Says Hospitals Receiving Medicare Or Medicaid Payments Can No Longer Deny Visitation Or Power Of Attorney Rights To LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexuals, Transgenders)
--Stocks Pull Back After Google Profits Fail To Impress.
--Israel Bans Import Of iPads; Authorities Say Strong Wireless Signal May Be Security Problem.
--DNC To Pour $50 Million Into Fall Races.
--March Shows Gain For Multi-Family Housing Starts.
--4.8 Quake Hits Utah.

Back to More Stuff:

The decline of all great civilizations like Rome and England can eerily traced to these common evolutions: --The move from the individual to the collective. –A move away from personal responsibility to reliance on state. –A move towards more government control and less individual liberty. –Higher taxes and higher debt. --A move away from education and the arts towards military and war.

Outrage Department:
The just released police info on the most recent Roethlisberger travesty shows this giant football player to be more of a monster than the DA’s reluctant refusal to prosecute might indicate. In fact the info indicates a pattern for a well-oiled pimping operation. Apparently, the slimeball and his strong arms enter a bar and set up a base of operations in one section. Big Ben eyeballs the kids, in this case underage girls drinking, and sends the boys out to round up a handful to join them. They are the force fed shots all in the guise of good bar fun! Yippee. Apparently, at least in this case, the wobbliest is dragged to the men’s room soon to be joined by Ben. Shouts of “No!” don’t count. And Michael Vick gets 3 years for dog fighting!

I walked into a rest room at a fairly decent restaurant last night and noticed that the sink faucet was running full Blast. And it got me thinking about how much money businesses have to spend to protect themselves from the ass-holes of the world. And the irony of it all is that when something goes wrong as it invariably does when ass-holes are involved, it’s the ass-hole who gets the media sympathy. And maybe even a reality show!

And, I would never watch the Trump “You’re Fired” show simply because he enabled Blago. Who’s he going to have on next…Roethlisberger?

Providence Journal editorial this morning commenting on lavish public employee benefits, salary and extras like enormous unused sick day payouts, said: “And, it’s no wonder that Rhode Island’s state and local governments are in financial trouble. Practices that would have bankrupted private businesses continue in the public sector as if money were no object.” “As if money were no object.” That’s the attitude in Greece and one increasingly more pervasive in this US of entitlement.

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 66 continues. –I looked over my shoulder as I ran into Kent’s house just behind him. My emotions were entirely out of control. Maggie was melting fast. Before we had taken a step inside the back door, I grabbed his arm and pulled him around so he was facing me. I looked up into his stony face. I wrapped my arms around him. He didn’t know what hit him as I kissed him hard. My tongue seeking his flitting in and out. My knees were weak with anticipations. I felt him coming alive. I ground into him. Lifted me up and practically flung me down to the massive sofa. At once we were savages. Out of control. Seeking. Grabbing. Satisfying.
I lay there gazing at the ceiling. I was so much one with the soft pillows beneath my partially nude body. My heart had finally slowed. I wanted to fall into a deep sleep, but my body wouldn’t let me. I turned over to caress Kent. But he didn’t respond. He was far away in the sleep of wonderful exhaustion.
I rose up upon my elbows and looked down the erotic scene, my legs askew, my skirt rumpled up. I smiled and remembered again. I finally sat on the edge of the sofa, smoothing down my skirt and neatening my blouse. Now I was achingly thirsty. One of Kent’s Diet Cokes even sounded good. As I entered the kitchen, I noticed something seemed different. Maybe he has a new cleaning woman I thought. I popped a can, and walked to the upstairs’ bathroom to clean up. Maybe I’ll take a shower I thought. I closed the door. I saw a bra hanging there on that hook at the top.

Isn’t ironic that European banks who basically scammed the people of Iceland and were expecting payback, got a black cloud instead…similar to the one under which they placed the financial security of good people who never knew what hit them.

For all of you concerned about the recent rash of giant earthquakes and the possibility that the entirety of the earth crusts are shifting, don’t. We had they same amount of big quakes in 2005. 5 and above quakes aren’t that unusual, they are just reported more now, and occur in centers of greater populations.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--Keeping up with the Jones looks like a winner to me. Demi and David (Moore and Duchovny) star as actors planted along with actor perfect teen children in a gated community neighborhood by marketers. The movie is one wonderful satire of over wrought consumerism. This “Perfect Family” buys everything and does every thing and soon the neighboring wanabees are aching to catch up or even surpass. It is viral marketing at its cleverest. I’m looking forward to it.
--Kick-Ass looks like a winner for followers of comic book based movies. This son of classics like Spiderman and Batman features a pint sized, foul mouthed (I can do without foul mouth preteens, thank you) preteen girl schooled in the art of weaponry and a hapless, scrawny high schooler suspected of being gay by the girl he desires. He, with absolutely no skills or superpowers decides to go into the superhero business hoping to impress said dream gal. He is soon joined by foul-mouth girl and her dad an ex cop out for vengeance against drug dealers. It works because the director plays it for what it is, sarcasm. Go, Nicholas Cage is in it and he needs the money for his foreclosed string of mansions.
--Death at a Funeral looks like a winner for those who like farcical slapstick as played by Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan. This is actually a remake of a still-alive on DVD British film of the same name. It’s really about the outrageous mishaps of an extended family getting together at the funeral of the family patriarch. Frankly, it looks so-so to me judging by the promo trailers. But, should do well at the box office.

That announcement by 0-Man about LGBT hospital rights says it all. The Government doesn’t need the Public Option to orchestrate health care. They just need to keep making Medicare and Medicaid payments to control the activities of all in the Health Care biz. My dad always said never take anything form the Government. On second thought though, since we the people are supply all of the money for the twin “M’s”, maybe we the people should have the greater say in the operations of health care. Makes sense to me.

I see where 0-Man is playing the JFK card again…announcing a trip to Mars by 2025, or some date far enough away from his reign that he will never be held accountable for it. One noted expert, Social Scientist Martin Gross, after hearing that says that he has determined that Obama must have some form of ADHD (He also blames Bush’s financial naïveté for the looming deficit catastrophe.). He notes that while the Americans continue their despondency over joblessness and declining value of assets among other economic goblins, The President is jumping into fantasy land with a mars mission. He notes that Obama has always shown little focus and is an opportunistic flitter. Gross has testified numerous times before Congress on “government inefficiency” and is a NYT’s best Selling Author – “National Suicide: How Washington is destroying the National Dream A to Z”, “The Political Racket”, “The Conspiracy of Ignorance” and “The End of Sanity”. Gross saves his harshest words for the piling up of the deficit saying “that if we can’t stop this worst administration in history the debt now at $11 trillion will balloon even beyond Obama’s own scary estimates of $21 Trillion by 2020. And, he says that there is no way to stop it short of citizen’s revolt and the dissolution of both parties.

A new scientific study says the brain can only really handle effectively two situations or tasks at a time.

The Answer:
The movies that came quickest to me were Superman, Batman and Spiderman. Then there is Ironman, The Green Lantern, The Lone Ranger, Daredevil, Hulk, Blade, Hellboy and Phantom. What ever happened to Captain Marvel. Shazam!

Off to the Weekend:

Doesn’t anybody get mad any more? Woods will go back to making another billion or so. Roethlisberger will continue to throw game winning passes to the cheers of fawning fans. Blago will receive sympathy from the enabling reality show audiences. And Congress will continue to screw us. Other than that, have a great weekend.