Here a hero, there a hero.

Today's Tids Issue 2,167)
Opening Stuff

A unique 4th of July setting is the original Providence RI neighborhood of George M. Cohan where current residents and passers-bys’ set up lawn chairs to sing “It’s a Grand old Flag”, “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”, “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “Over There”. No fireworks, just pleasant memories of a a great American who liked to sing about America.

For many, today is the Fourth of July because they don’t have to work. Pure and simple..

Why is it when you are painting that you manage to step in the only glob of paint on the drop cloth just before you run into the house to answer the phone?

The Question: This is the time when we think of heroes past. Yet there are many heroes working silently among us every day. Name five well known Service Organizations and their Founders.

The Headlines:
--BP’s Clean-up Total Up To $3 Billion.
--US Geologist Sentenced To 8 Years By China Court For Stealing China Oil Secrets.
--Arizona Residents Afraid To Travel Near Their State Boarder As Drug Killings Escalate.
--Pro Business Candidate Bronilaw Komorowski Now Likely Winner In Poland Presidential Election; America Turns It’s Lonely Eyes To You.
--Toyota Issues new recall Of 90,000 Lexus.
--World Stocks Soft Awaiting Postiive News About US Recovery.

Back to More Stuff:

It really isn’t an official 4th of July until you hear the Boston Pops play Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”.

Actually when you come right down to it, the best thing about July is that by the time it’s over the NFL teams are back on the field practicing, and you have been talking about it for a couple of weeks!.

A new Consumer Reports says the best places to buy appliances are Abt Electronics and Pacific Sales followed by independent appliance retailers. Also reliable were Lowes, Sears, Best Buy. Home Depot got low grades.

I was watching the Ford Theater National 4th of July Celebration extravaganza (It came across as a poor man’s America’s Got Talent), when they introduced a segment called Kids in the White House. The narrator itemized many Presidential kids finishing with the Kennedy’s, Carters, Clinton’s and You-Know-Who’s. I thought the 4th of July Celebration, especially for this “Bi-Partisan” President, was for all Americans. The audience looked like a George Skoros Corporation organization chart.

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 80 continues. –I looked at Paul, and moved my body forward a few inches. Beyond that “touch” of Kent. Paul didn’t notice, because he had no idea that he should be noticing anything at all. Only I felt he should be noticing. Little moves. Little hesitations. Inflections. Small shivers. But, he only looked at me like it was the first day that he ever saw me, and was marveled by what he saw. Only I saw what was missing.
“Well, Mr. Middleton,” Paul started. “Nice to see you outside the fortress.” I looked back and up at Kent, but he didn’t smile. He was just his scientific self. All gathered and unemotional waiting for test evidence to show him something. But, there was nothing to be seen. Paul was playing his game. I was hiding mine and Kent was Kent.
“Automatically”, Kent said, “I hear your people are adapting well to our new state of progress. That is good.” He paused. “It’s like an unbelievable novel the way your company, my technology group and your wife’s financial acumen all merged together into, forgive me, ‘A perfect Storm’.” Now he laughed. Then Kent looked down at me. “What brings you here today, Sarah Durham?”
When we met earlier I hadn’t told him I was coming over here. I had not meant anything about it. I think I was so emotionally involved with being with him, and these feeling of guilt that for the first time are entering my mind, that I forgotten to mention it. As, what it was, irrelevant. But now do I sense a little paranoia coming from Kent. The rock. “Oh, have a meeting with Izzy .It’s something I seem to be doing all of the time now.” I looked up at him. “You l know, we have a big stake in you Middleton, and a want to make sure the money flows.” I gave him my most radiant smile. I think he shivered a bit now. I know shivers.

RNC Chairman Michael Steel is the single dumbest person in history.

State workers around the country are being laid off and wondering what happened to their security. Well, that disappeared when they decided to have their cake and eat it too. In other words, they pushed for private sector income and growth along with public sector security Economics don’t work that way. Public sector incomes are tied to other people creating value in an economy. Fifty years or so ago the choice was go in to private businesses to make more money. Or, go into public job for a more modest income but with total security. The economics don’t allow both

I hate being blunt, but Brittany Spears is beginning to look like a washed up hag.

You don’t have to look at the nightly news for courage, heroes, great people. They are neighbors, friends, family. I know a woman who has been in a hospital bed for 7 months now. Medical experts have shifted around internal organs from here to there. She has lost one leg up to the groin. She has marauding bedsores that baffle the minds of medicine. Yet in her eyes you only see hope and determination. She buoys the spirits of those she loves. She looks at each day as the day when she may stand on one leg for a few seconds. Or even sit in a chair. And when that doesn’t happen, as it has not happened just about every day, she accepts it and looks forward to the next day for a new accomplishment. Her agony saddens me. But her spirit makes me want to be like her every day.

The Answer:
The key to this question is knowing what a service organization is. Sorry if I was incoherent. The Red Cross is one and it was founded by Clara Barton. The Salvation Army was founded by William and Catherine Booth in London England, Also there is Catholic Charities (Founded 1727 by French Ursuline Sisters in New Orleans). Goodwill Industries was founded in 1906 as an urban out reach at Boston’s Morgan Methodist Church pastured by Edgar Helms. Travelers Aid was founded in 1851 by St. Louis Mayor Bryan Mullanphy, It is the oldest nonsectarian social welfare organization in the US.

The Final Boom!
Time to put away the fire crackers til next year. Frankly, I saw more rockets red glare zooming through the skies this year than ever before!

The imperfect umpire.

Today's Tids Issue 2,144
Opening Stuff:

When the fog rolls in, the world gets a little softer. It envelops your senses with anesthetizing arms. It soothes fears and calms doubts. I makes you wish you hadn’t been so cheap and bought the fog light package.

Did you hear about the Harley rider who punched a lion in the nose to save a 6 year old girl the lion had grabbed at the local zoo. A reporter who had witnessed the rescue and the elation of the overjoyed parents ran to the biker and said I’m going to do a beautiful feature on this. You were amazing. Tell me about yourself. “Well,” he said, “I’m a marine and a Republican and I love my Harley.” The next morning the headline read: “US Marine Assaults African Immigrant and steals his lunch.” Probably.

Actually, there is some evidence that the media is having some second thoughts about white washing everything Obama. .

The Question: Frankie Valli was a popular entertainer in the sixties, but nobody I changed my schedule for. But today with the huge success of “Jersey Boys” he is practically a candidate for sainthood today. It appears that much of the singer’s success was due to the songwriting of Bobby Gaudio. Name five Gordio Valli and non-Valli hits.

The Headlines:
--Armando Galarraga Becomes First Pitcher To Get 28 Outs In Perfect Game; Red Faced Ump Admits Keeping Galarraga Out Of History Books.
--Stock Futures Rise; Hope To Build Upon Yesterday’s 220 Burst.
--Productivity Growth Slows; Retail Slows; New Jobless Claims Fall For Second Month.
--BP’s Latest Effort Hits Snag.
--0-Man’s Admin Admits Offering Another Candidate Job To Leave Colorado Race Against Prez Hand Picked Candidate.
--1.3 Million Maytag Dishwashers Recalled Because Of Potential
--Blago Trial Starts Today.
--Ford To Eliminate 71 Year Old Mercury Brand; Will Expand Lincoln Line-up.

Back to More Stuff:

So the question of the day is: Should Commissioner Selig award Armando Galarraga with the perfect game he clearly earned? I say yes.

And what is it with all of these so called hardest to achieve perfect games. Galarraga’s was the third already this year, but only the 27th in history of the game? Are the pitchers all of sudden that much better?

Did you hear about the guy who asked his caddie for sand wedge and he came back ten minutes later with a ham and cheese on rye?

I’m with Joe Biden on this one. Yes, that Joe Biden. The Veep has come out strongly in favor of Israel, saying that they have every right to know what is being smuggled into their territories. I thought the raid was more than an acceptable tactic and would have been a harmless incursion if not for the aggression of the peace lovers.

iThings are overpowering the broadband capabilities of the major carriers. AT&T is doing something about it. For the crazed smart phone and iPad users, the rates are going up based on usage. Those currently with unlimited contracts can renew indefinitely, but starting Monday new subscribers will l have to choose between two programs – one which will actually reduce costs for light users (That includes heavy eMail users) and a second which will limit to two gigs for heavy users (Movie watchers et al). It actually sounds quite fair as even reasonably heavy users will have the chance to add bandwidth each month and still stay under current costs. But, if you go crazy, it will cost.

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 75. –I left the meeting thinking that this is going to be a long haul. I liked the agents, and frankly their curiosity is remarkably similar to my own. It is obvious that they see something in Kent which I don’t think they are totally revealing to us. Henry will know, I thought.
Maybe I should know. After all, wasn’t I originally attracted to Kent because he seemed to think like me? He saw things the way I did. Bill knocked on the door interrupting my thoughts. “How’d it go boss?” he asked too cheerily. As if he was happy I was back to talk to the feds and not him.
“A love fest.” I answered quickly. “Kumbaya all the way.” He laughed almost boyishly. I think he was really happy to have me back.
“Want to talk about BiEm now?” he asked now more serious.
“I think, Bill…that we will be talking a lot about our favorite new client for weeks to come.” He nodded, and shuffled a piece of paper on my desk.
“Do you think we should consider altering our contract to hedge against some legal difficulties.”
“Actually Bill,” I answered, “Our original agreement has plenty of legal protection for this kind of situation. What I want to know from you is the scuttlebutt. Your sense of the situation.” I looked at him. My older son, I thought. “I have to get out of my recovery act and back on the field.”
“Uh Oh”, he laughed and then got back to the mood of the minute. “Jeff and Gloria have done some good work with their finance people. And I have tried to keep Isabelle happy. She thinks highly of you, you know.” I nodded. “Anyhow, Gloria and Jeff are working with the general finance people and also those who had been in charge of the two competing projects.”
“Go on.” This was getting interesting.
“It seems, according to Gloria, that the Bomsky guy has some questions about Middleton. He paused.” He was a friend of yours, wasn’t he?”
“Not really.” My chest tightened.

I live in a small city that has many of the big city advantages…and problems. You get to see basic human nature at it’s worse. About a week ago for no reason at all except maybe for basic brain damage to the morality nodule, some character just tore out by the roots seven bushes from a beautiful little boxwood hedge and left them strewn upon the street. Hey what fun! And a week later pots of flowers out side the door were just taken. This is a common occurrence, BTW. You know I often rant about litterers. People who just don’t seem to understand what living in a civilized society is all about. And then, some politically correct loon will enable them. And add, “Hey, what’s a few bushes?”

As Mickey Mantle once said, “The guy with the fastest golf cart never has a bad lie!”

The Answer:
Gaudio was quite the prolific song writer, producer, arranger. For Valli and the 4 Seasons (Of which he was a member) he wrote Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Rag Doll, Walk Like a Man, Bye, Bye Baby, and Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of you. His first hit came at age 15 – Who wears short shorts. He wrote many for Neil Diamond including I’m Glad You’re Here with Me Tonight. He also wrote Talk is Cheap, Whatever You Want, Please be Mine, The Sun ain’t Going to Shine Anymore.

I am, I said:
These musical group Broadway love fests (Mama Mia , Jersey Boys) seem quite popular these days. I think the next great candidate for one of these would be Neil Diamond. He has packed them in for years. And lord knows he needs the extra dough for alimony payments. I’d start it off with 38,000 Red Sox fans singing their daily Sweet Caroline and segue to his Brooklyn beginnings in the shadow of of the Dodger’s Ebbit’s Field. Could be a winner. But, they had better hurry before all of his fans die off.