The world's a pretty great place if you turn off the TV.

Today's Tids Issue #2,398

(Written 7/25)

Opeing Stuff:

God! How awful was that mass murder in Norway. It is almost impossible to express the proper feelings with mere words. I put on Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor. That's that most beautiful piece of music that paints for the mind the majesty of Norway and the quality of people who have made that Northern land flourish. The music heightened my emotions. I felt chilled, with a tear welling in my eyes as I thought of these magnificent youth gunned down by a fanatic. In the depth of tragedy, remember the greatness that went before. I don't know these people. But I feel I should remember each one of them, sacrificed before the altar of ideological derangement. I will remember them every time I play Grieg. They will never be forgotten.

Before insurance, dentists and doctors tended to charge according what the average market could pay. In other words, prices conformed to average American budgets. Insurance companies, like any good company, have always been on the lookout for new market opportunities to provide growth and compensate for dying markets. As they were in the second half of the 20th Century. Of course health and related markets loomed large because everybody gets sick or has a toothache. Unfortunately with the advent of "insurance", consumers stopped making decisions and tended to overspend that big pile of "free" money! And then...poof!...the gov got involved and greatly expanded the pool of "free" money. Now everybody thinks they are entitled to 'overpaying", and the forces of market dynamics be damned. Example #412 of why capitalism doesn't work when the Gov gets involved.

And a left leaning Gov. which bailed out Wall Street losers instead of letting the markets decide their fate, will be the first to say that capitalism doesn't work any more.

Developers have a nasty habit of destroying the pristine.

Did you hear about the guy who peeled a bell pepper?

The Question:
Who was considered the "George Washington of South America" and where was he Born.

The Headlines:

--Norway Mourns.
--Prez, Congress Far Apart.
--Stock Market Futures Fall With Debris Of Collapsed Debt Talk.
--Geithner Says Dept Ceiling Will Be Raised.
--Moody's Downgrades Greece, Warns Of Default.

"People think and act with their mind; but choices are made with the soul." --Jack O'Rourke

Funny line from a Funeral Department:
Bruce Sundlun died over the weekend and at his funeral yesterday one of the sons from five of the former Governor of RI's marriages stood up to eulogize: "Good afternoon everybody. As Bruce Sundlun's oldest son...I least I think i am..."

In an in interview during a report for the media's latest hysteria over the weather, a young man exclaimed with vigor: "I love the hot summers so I can go inside and sit in the A/C!" Save us.

Things I like: Grassy fields with stone walls and haystacks; Juan Sibelius; 18th Century antiques and colonial homes; The US Navy; Small towns; Smiles and eyes; Corn on the Cob; Folk and bluegrass music; Vanilla ice cream; Cool ocean waters; Sports and more sports; Gravy and snacks; Preservation; SUV's; Sail boats; Plays and musicals; Unlocked doors; Radio; Honesty and responsibility; Logic; Quiet; Nice little stuff.

Portable air conditioners would be truly portable if you could get them up and down stairs!

Yankee Magazine has name Middletown RI's own Susanna's Ice Cream as the "Best Ice Cream In New England."

I always thought Bill Clinton really enjoyed saying "Shalikashuili". Sorry, that's about all I know about him. The former Chairman of the Joint Chief's and chief Bosnia episode adviser, died yesterday at 75.

Almost Near: Chapter 30 continues. --Samantha rushed from Lillies. She buttoned up the lightweight sweater she was wearing and shivered in the 78 degree Indian Summer heat. Her friends here were laughing at her. She could feel it. She was good at feeling the emotions of others. Where was Tucker. Tucker would help them understand.
She turned and went down to the dock where Tucker's dory swayed with the lines holding it snug against the forces of changing tides. She turned and looked back towards the town. People walking the beautiful streets of her dreams. Not paying attention to her. Just people she has known going about their business.
She dialed Tucker's cell phone. It rang. "Hello, leave a message."
"Tucker. I need you. Please call. Please call Tucker. please." Her voice drifted away form the dead silence. She pressed the off button.
Everything was so quiet, she wasn't sure she was alive. A seagull swooped, just missing her head and plunged in to the water below her feet. She looked back at her town, and it didn't look like her town so much any more.

As far as I'm concerned any money that a government receives from a citizen is a tax. A tax by any other name -- Beach parking, Water/Sewer rates, Licenses -- is a still a tax. And in this economy more and more local and state managers are creatively resorting to upping rates or adding fees so they don't have to say the word -- Tax.

I don't think I'm the dumbest guy in the world, but I just saw the latest love child of cultural elite, the movie "Sarah's Key" and I thought it was average. Nice music, nice acting, but the story was full of holes with ending that was so brisk that I thought they were sweeping me out of the theater for another standing room only crowd. "Hey, we gave you half a great movie! You want an ending too?" But then, maybe I'm just not smart enough to get it.

Antiques and junk posing as antiques seemed to have been the most inflationary products of our recent two decades.

Pro athletes should never allow women (Even if it is the hotel house keeper or room service) who knock on there hotel room door late at night for two reasons: 1. The woman may have a plan for extorting the athlete. 2. Athletes notoriously have no self restraint.

The Answer:
Simon Bolivar was born in the country of "The Karl Marx of South America", Venezuela. He is the man who liberated South America from Spain.

You can buy Susanna's Ice Cream at the local "Sweetberry Farm"...which means it's going to be really, really expensive.

As one woman observed on the furor over Michelle Bachman's migraines: "I'd rather have a President who had headaches than one who gives us headaches.

I 'm still thinking of those innocents slaughtered. Thanks Edvard.

Post 4th Reality.

Today's Tids (#2.383)
Originally written on 7/5
Opening Stuff:


There are few spectacles more heartfelt, more enlightening, more prideful than that of immigrants from countries around the world regularly taking their pledge as newly minted Americans.You can see it in their eyes. Feel it in their smiles. So...tell me again why we need immigration reform?

I loved Sports Writer Bill Reynolds line in the Saturday paper," (RI's) Scarborough Beach is like Jersey Shore on training wheels.

Why don't they just flood the middle east with Ice Cream trucks. Everybody stops for Ice Cream. Hell's Angels stop for ice cream. As do firemen, and hit men. Nurses, ultra cool teens and hedge-fund mangers. People from every conceivable demographic and occupation stop for ice cream. And they smile at each other as they try to lick around the edges before it melts. So why wouldn't Assad and Daffy and Ali Abdullah Ssleh...and the rebels fighting in their countries; the Jews and the Palestinians stop for ice cream. And just enjoy it and the others who are enjoying it with them. Did you ever watch demeanor's changes people are handed an ice cream cone? I think it would work.

"Estate Planning for Pets"? Pet Lawyers? Assisted living; Retirement homes for pets? Shoot me.

Daily Question: Double back to work "Q". 1. Name the five most expensive colleges in US. 2. Julie Nixon Eisenhower is 63 (Yikes) today. Name 7 other presidential kids of the past 50 years.

Today's Headlines:

--Congress Back To Argue debt Ceiling Increase; GOP Firm On No Taxes; Dem Leader Says GOP Argument Flawed.
--Stocks Losing Steam After Five Good Days
--Mexico Authorities Widening Search For 7 Missing Americans In Fishing Boat Accident.
--India Health Minister Calls Homosexuality An Abnormal Disease From the West.
--NFL Negotiations Muddled As Retired Players Sue Owners And Current Players For Seat Ar-t Table.
--French Writer Accuses Strauss-Kahn Of Rape; Journalist Says He Attacked Her During Interview For Book.
--Anthony Jury In Deliberation After marathon Summation By Defense.

Feeling Older Department:
Featured at a 4th of July Antique Car Exposition was a1950 Plymouth. That is the first car I ever bought! It was during while a college student during 1958. It cost me $50. And, that was a hard amount to come by! That good old hunter green box on wheels (Way before Volvo) lasted a long time, and got me where I wanted to go. So, it wasn't an MG-TD, Jaguar KX150 or Triumpf-TR2!

Is it me, or do motorcyclists seem to operate under a separate set of speed limit rules?

Somehow, maybe because RI is so small, the greed driven minds of the legislature seems to look at developers and builders as their masters as opposed to the people who live in towns. Why else would a state legislature want to impose developer friendly only zoning restrictions on towns that are perfectly content and capable of managing their own lands. Which, by the way, is exactly the way it should be. Intrusive Government is the problem, stupid! In case you never read the complaints in the Declaration of Independence.

It costs corporations a lot of money each year to print product use instructions, among other things, in both English and Spanish. Even through the US is an English speaking country. Doesn't make much sense.

Going to church doesn't make you a christian just as standing in your garage doesn't make you a car.

Gridlock seems to occur when the priority is on winning rather than solving the problem.

Bakery goods are getting prohibitively expensive...at least to cheapskates like me.

And, I would never pay to watch a Hot Dog eating contest. Nor would I even go to watch if it was free...and they threw in a lifetime supply of Cheetos.

It is embarrassing though, when out dining with friends you look down and see that telltale orange under your finger nails.

Almost Near: Chapter 27 continues. --"I think I found Florence. She's down in the bayous as they say in the song." Audrey turned and smiled and Tucker chuckled a bit. "We're going to Houma to check out the newspaper there, and get the lay of land. She might be in a house between Houma and Chauvin, a place where you don't to go "awanderin", as my source said, without a little help from your friends."
Tucker laughed again at her song reference and started singing the Beatles tune It didn;t take long for Audrey, who also added a rhythm section by pounding on the steering wheel, to join in. Tucker added his own version of a guitar sound which sent them both into uncontrollable laughing.
"Wa, wa, watch the road!" Tucker blurted teasingly through his uncontrollable howls as he put his arm on Audrey's shoulder. She flinched slightly at the touch, but just enough to force the car into a small ditch just off the road. She easily brought the car to a halt. Dropped her hands into her lap and just sat laughing.
Then without warning, she turned to Tucker, raised up her face and kissed him.

Quiz Answer: 1. Bates College of Maine at $51,300 tops the list of colleges with the highest tuition. Second is Connecticut College (Across the street form the US Coast Guard Academy), Middlebury, Union and Colby College (ME). The next five are Sanford-Brown ("For Profit" - Va), Sarah Lawrence, Vassar, George Washington, And Columbia University. (For complete info, check out http://gawker.com/5817092/ ) 2. How many of us remember those charming publicist moments with Amy Carter, the Birds Linda and Lucy Johnson, The dysfunctional family survivors Tricia and the aforementioned Julie Nixon. The rapture over Presidential darlings all started with John-John under the presidential desk and Caroline looking ever so comfortable as a first child. Of course The Reagan children -- With Wyman: Maureen and Michael (Adopted); With Davis: Patti and Ron.--were a hard for me to sort out as in who belonged to whom. The First Bush had 6 including 3 boys who either ran for political office -- Jeb and George -- or Neil who got caught up in banking scams. The lessor know GHWB kids were Robin, Marvin and Dorothy. And then their was Chelsea named after a song. George B. had the rambunctious Twins Jenna and Barbara. And now, now we have two extraordinary daughters -- Sasha and Malia -- who will teach Congress a thing or two about how to get things done. Oh yeah, and the interim Prez Gerald Ford had four good looking kids-- Jack, Susan, Steve and Michael.

In case you are interested The Top Two Colleges in a neck and neck race for the title of "Most Annoying" Liberal Arts College are Sarah Lawrence (VT)and Wesleyan (CT). Swarthmore is a close second. There are also strong opinions that Oberlin and Bard should be in the race.

Last night I thought the DC 4th effort looked like a TV program (Smits was overbearing as an announcer) and the NYC fireworks were about 45 minutes too long. I didn't get the spirit until the Boston Pops show came on with McBride belting out Independence Day and the Pops and marine bands doing justice to Stars and Stripes Forever.

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