How good is your brand of tea?

Today's Tids Issue 2,213
Opening Stuff:

Wow! Time sure flies when the air is crisp, the sun is low and glistening and the leaves are turning. We’re half way through beautiful October and I have yet start sewing my Halloween costume. I’m thinking that there will be Chile miner costumes and kids dressed as Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. I heard of a couple going as Jack and Jackie – well half Jackie. The other half of the female costume will depict Marylyn Monroe. I heard of another humorous couple costume – interlocking puzzle pieces. I expect we will see Red, White and Blue Teabags or lots of scary Nancy Pelosi masks. Me, I’m going as a meatball sandwich.

I’m starting to see the possibility of a lot of fractured voting on November 2. As Tea Party candidates begin to make real progress in campaigns around the country, you have to wonder how many will siphon votes away from Republicans and Independent candidates, probably making the prime beneficiary Democrats, who the majority may not want. The net result is a continued Dem majority in the Congress…and the first Plurality Congress. It’s possible. It’s sad.

Some of the best golf of the year is taking place in the PGA Fall Series and the Nationwide Tour right now. The reason, every golfer is playing for their future and the avoidance of “Q” School. Every shot counts. Every player counts. You like tension? This is all tension.

The Question:
Based on a combination of the four categories Gas Prices, Insurance Rates, Infrastructure/Safety and Legal Protections…which are the five worst states for drivers? Bonus: What does Clint Eastwood say are his six favorites of movies he has directed?

The Headlines:

--Reid Angle Face Off In Debate; Twosome Unable To Agree On Anything.
--Fed Expected To Buy Treasuries To Rejuvenate Economy; Bernanke Undecided On Size Of Plan.
--GE Sales Slump Rattles Recovery Hopes.
--Unexpectedly Higher Auto, Electronics and Appliance Sales Push September Retail Numbers Up 6%.
--Israel Declared Hottest Real Estate Market On Planet.
--Whoopie! And Joy! Turn backs On Guest O’Reilly And Walk Off View Set.
--Swiss Complete Longest Tunnel.
--First Chile Miners Released From Hospital After One Short Day; Docs Impressed With Overall Health Of Group.
--3 In Cleveland Scam Mortgage Lenders Out Of $7 Million.

Back to More Stuff:
For some reason there are often some funny typos in Church Bulletins. For instance this one: “Today’s Sermon: ‘Jesus Walks on Water’; Tonight’s Sermon: ‘Searching for Jesus’. Or…”The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict.” And finally – “low elf Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use back door.”

Some of the vacuous in the local intellectual elite crowd have managed to place a referendum on the RI November 2 ballot that would ask the people to vote to change the official name of state from Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to Rhode Island. The political correctness gone amok reason is obviously because the word Plantation dredges up thoughts of slavery. At least for the mentally brittle who some how think they are guilty of something that happened a couple of hundred years ago. Anybody with an ounce of curiosity would soon learn that “Plantation” refers to a “community where agriculture is a primary occupation”. And this word Plantation was applied to RI around 1660, long before the first slave was traded for a pint of rum. If the academic crowd thinks that changing a name will somehow make the past good again, they should look to Brown University – Named after John Brown who made oceans of money as the primary mover in the notorious Triangle Trade.

Did you see where Minister Terry Jones received a brand new car for not burning the Koran. (Or is it Quran). Extortion is alive and well.

Reading between the lines Movie Reviews:
--I’m seeing a decided trend towards geezer movies as agents try to keep fading careers going. The latest might not be bad primarily because of the presence of Helen Mirren who has the=e talent to push most things above formula blah. This one also has Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Richard Dreyfus and the oldest actor on the planet, Earnest Borgnine (Who is planning his 175th Birthday Party). It’s about retired former CIA assassins who are now framed fr a high profile killing and become targets of their old organization. They rejoin each other and uncover the biggest Government conspiracy in history.
--Conviction is a well done real life story about a woman with no career and no future, who after her brother is sent away for life for murder, goes back to get her High School, College and eventually law degree to free him. Uplifting tale about Rhode Islander who finds the DNA evidence that sets him Free. (Back Story: Brother died shortly after freedom falling off a fence as he cut through backyards. Sister is suing sister for not getting credit in film for her contributions to brother’s release.)y captured
--Buried looks like a bummer downer about a guy captured by Islamists and buried in a box with a cell phone pencil and paper. After ninety minutes it gets a lot tedious.

Whoopie and Joy seem like such happy names. You have to wonder why they are so angry.. And, if you haven’t noticed, Joy Behar may be the biggest bigot on National TV. Check out her anti Christian/Catholic rhetoric. 

For the most part weather people issue dire warnings of things we have experienced every year of our lives.

The Answer:
California (Ranked very low in all categories) is tops followed by Illinois (Low in all but particularly low in :Legal rights.), New York (Very bad in road maintenance and legal rights), Michigan (How ironic…This state crushes drivers on insurance rates. Q: Does this Auto Capital of US they know something about the quality of manufacture that other states don’t?) and Alaska )The gas pipeline state with highest gas prices, and frost heave roads). Of course you have to know what movies he has directed first! They are “Bird”, “Letters From Iwo Jima”, “Million Dollar Baby”, “Mystic River “, “The Outlaw Josey Wales” and “Unforgiven”.

The Weak End:
Sometimes on Friday my brain just stops working. There is nothing left inside it. I’m taking the rest of the day off.

Love your weekend.

Headless Horsemen.

Today's Tids Issue 2,207
Opening Stuff:

They say that the sale of Halloween decorations is starting to approach that of Christmas. But, amidst all of the skeletons and ghosts, orange and black we have also been introduced to a highly skilled, new set of artists -- Pumpkin carvers. And it is very enjoyable art form. And you have to believe if Van Gogh, Leonardo and Cezanne were around today, they’d be doing some great work with everybody’s favorite orange Fall gourd. But maybe not up to the level of some local carvers I’ve seen.

And like a broad field of orange pumpkins, it is harder and harder to pick out a winner in politics too, as candidates moderate their views to get a elected. They look good from the top, but when you turn them over you often find something rotten or at least discolored. And of course the handlers hollow them out, carve a personality into their face and brighten them up with a candle. But after a few weeks, like a politician in office, they become useless.

The latest report says that 42,000,000 Americans are on food stamps! And the total is growing. Just in case you were wondering how the recovery is going. (Note: In April 2009 it was 33.2 Million up 19% from the year before.)

The Question:
Everybody up here in New England is taking a position on the randy Moss trade. Some think it will kill the Pats as Moss was not only a great pass catcher but also an important decoy that freed other receivers. Others say that the loss of Moss will allow the Pats to return to their Super Bowl winning schemes of the early 2000’s. This is a discussion that will go on, but one thing for sure, Randy Moss put up the numbers. How does he stack up against the all time NFL receivers?

The Headlines:

--Alcoa Report To Begin Earning’s Season; Revenue Gains Or Losses Should be Major Factor.
--Stock Futures Flat.
--Russian Military Successfully Tests New Advanced Ballistics Missile
--Roy Halladay Pitches Second Playoff No Hitter In History; No hit Effort Is Pitcher’s Second Of Season.
--Killing Floods Continue To Overwhelm Asia
--Toxic Red Sludge Reaches Blue Danube.
--Peru’s Mario Llosa Gets Nobel For Literature; Gifted Story Teller Cited For Work On Political Power Structures.
--Powerful LA Teachers Union To Fight New Layoff Agreement; Results Could Affect Teacher Job Management Throughout The Country.

Back to More Stuff:
I’m at that point in this crazy political season that I’m feeling more and more like Ichabod Crane…beset upon by Headless Horsemen.

What I learned last week that there are no “Easy” weeks for NFL pickers. What looked like a potential big win week turned into a disaster with many upsets, or at least games not going to form. An 8-6 week brings us to 41-21 or 66%. What I’m seeing this week is that there are no clear cut winners, even though Buffalo is playing. I go Detroit, Balt, Houston, Washington, Chi, Atlanta, Jax, Cinn, Indy, NO, Tenn, San Diego, San Fran and NY jets…and pray.

With over and mis-reporting by wall to wall media, the new national pastime is jumping on and off hysterical bandwagons.

And, for sports fans the next overdone event will be the Monday Night Favre/Moss hookup against the raucous Jets. Count on it.

If I lived in New York State, I’d move. The next thing you know, this “Nanny” state will be forcing everybody to eat their peas, or Cable TV to their homes will be shut down.

Yesterday in a group of story tellers, we were discussing the use of the word “Substantial” to describe a large woman. Everybody agreed that there are many large people who aren’t “Obese” just because they are heavy. Some people are just big, and it is all about inheriting “big” genes. We agreed that substantial was a word of affection. But, some of the overly gaunt healthy eating despots don’t want to hear about larger people being “just right” for who they are.

Actually, you don’t have to turn over the Obama pumpkin this time. He is campaigning like an out and out socialist. No hidden agendas now. It is an obvious panic attack as he tries to reestablish himself with his beloved lefties.

To all TTSE’s lovers. I need a break after yesterday’s traumatic ending. Or was it traumatic. Maggie/Sarah has Kent’s love in her heart forever and is not fighting it any more. And Kent died knowing M/S would hold him her heart until that time when perhaps they might meet again...depending upon here they are.

Come to think of it, the amoral Ichabod is probably a bad choice for an analogy since his behavior is more a like that of a congress person. I am therefor invoking Poetic license.

I thought vision yesterday of the “Presidential Seal” falling off the podium while the Prez spoke, was quite symbolic of a disintegrating Presidency.

The Answer: 
Randy Moss 935 is 10th in number of receptions behind Jerry Rice (1,545), Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter, Tim Brown, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Tony Gonzales, Andre reed and Art Monk. It is unlikely that he will catch Rice, but with 3-4 seasons left he could move into second place with only fifty or so catches per season. Moss with 152 TD catches is already second behind Rice (207). And in yardage, Moss is 6th with 14,465 behind Rice (22,895), Bruce, Owens, Brown and Harrison.

The End:
As we approach the Halloween season, my only wish is that the early settlers would have planted Cocoa trees instead of pumpkins.

Let’s keep the pumpkins out of office.

Warning: Tomorrows Tids could be short. Take out a book from the library.