Superbowl Sunday is a good day to travel.

Today's Tids Issue 2,290

Opening Stuff:

I suspect way more Mid Westerners enjoyed being snowbound yesterday than those few seen complaining in media highlights.

You have to love the new nickname for Mubarak: "King of Denial".

Our big Nanny in Washington advises that if traveling in icy or extreme snowy conditions you should bring a shovel, blankets and/or a sleeping bag, extra clothing including hat and gloves, 24 hours worth of food, de-icer, rock salt, flashlight with spare batteries, road flares or reflective triangles, full spare gas can, first aid kit and booster cables Of course you may look odd or be subject to arrest for bringing this stuff on a bus.

The Question:
Name the Top 15 American Idol performers in "Total Record Sales".

The Headlines:

--Egypt Tries To Halt Increasing Strife.
--New Unemployment Apps Tumble To 415K.
--Ex-Providence Mayor Cicilini, Now Congressperson Left Prov In Financial Mess Due To Overspending.
--Census Shows Big Gains For Minorities; 85% Of Decade's Gain Came From Minorities; Hispanics Biggest Segment of The Gain.
--America Digs Out.

Back to More Stuff:
First Blips on the Radar Department:
A pretty conservative Townhall Magazine runs through its website (Townhall.com) monthly polls with results from 30-40,000 on Republican Presidential candidates. Here are the results for January: Palin - 22.27%, Mitt - 14.48, Ron Paul, 11.57, Huck - 10.76, Newt - 10.03, Herman Cain - 7.14, Christie - 5,55, Pawlenty - 3.02, Jim Demint - 2.97, Mich Daniels - 2.9, John Bolton - 2.5, John Thune - 1.56 and Haley Barbour 1.03. Rick Sanatorium and Gary Johnson each received less than 1%. Undecided was 2.68%. Confused? Wait til Huntsmen enters the race. Looking at this list, the Repubs appear destined to death by obfuscation.

Climate Change BS Department:
The headline in the paper read, "La Nina Seen as in Return to Winters Past. Total nonsense. Since 1903, (the year record keeping began) every decade has had 4 or five years with 30 or more inches. In fact the cyclical patterns from 1903 to present look remarkably similar. The most snow laden 16 years was between 1956 and 1972. The current ten years is snowy, but looks a lot like 1903-13. And, this year that has everybody fashionably anxious is only the fifth highest snowfall since 2000. The highest snowfall ever was 1995.

Frankly the historic knowledge of snow storms among the general public is not unlike that of the average voter when going to the polls.

For instance, David Cicilini while Mayor spent Providence practically into oblivion, but all the voters knew was the freebies he gave them. Now he has his hands on the national treasury. God help us.

Almost near. Chapter five. --Samantha went back to the Inn and signed up for another two nights. Her spirits were enlivened by Tucker, and now even some of the towns people became a bit more friendly. Jimmy's Dad Zach turned out to be a very nice guy, just like the man she thought she loved as a teen. In fact, he even said that he remembered a young girl who used to play in his back yard. She thought that Zach, a widower, might ask her for dinner some night. But, she learned that he was very busy and often went down to Boston during the evenings. Probably just more of her childhood dreams.
Samantha wasn't surprised though, when Tucker suggested diner, on his boat. She replied that her Momma always said, "Never get your self stranded on a man's Boat." He laughed comfortably, and she joined in, just as she had been doing since they met.
"The dory leaves at 6:00 PM!" Sam leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. he blushed.

The "Poor Baby" crowd is trying to elicit sympathy for the 0-Man because of the almost impossible decision he had to make about discarding a loyal ally versus being on the side of the next generation there. Prime Time ran for President, got the presidency, reveled in the Presidency, and making tough decisions is just part of the job.

Many reports are now in line with the original Tids observations that warned of extreme groups, like Muslim Brotherhood, hijacking the populist movement. But as I look around the Middle East at these coincidental simultaneous uprising I'm thinking that it is quiet possible they all were organized by those extreme groups as part of a master plan to take over all of these unstable governments.

In editorial endorsements preceding the past November elections, the Providence Journal endorsed every possible union owned candidate. This morning they wrote this piece wondering where the public spirited politician with no ties to special interests had gone. ThePol who could step in and look the Union power brokers in the eye and start the process of cutting back the enormous costs.

Is this fascination with El Nino and La Nino just another element of this current fashionable allegiance to anything Hispanic like Jalapeno and Chipolte. Lets face it, if the Ninos are here now, than they were probably around 100 years ago. The names are just sexier now and we have a lot more weather people to talk about them.

Productivity is up which is great for competing on global basis but not so good for increased employment.

A new study supports the views of many who have said that college isn't for everybody. It has always been obvious that many people should have been directed to fulfill their avocations rather than being fashionably directed into college. I wrote a story about the European style education system that is centered around best capabilities. For instance, technically gifted craftsmen are elevated to the level of liberal arts University students in term so their contirbutions to society. Workers in a factory have the same respect as those who maybe criticizing a playwright. And the surprising thing is that I wrote this about an initiative supported by Rhode Island teachers groups.

Well, it's Thursday and that means pigskin pickin' time. After the Pats debacle I said I was with Green Bay all the way. Still am. There is something missing in Pitt team. They have offensive flaws that can crop up at any given moment and stifle progress, Couple that with GB defense that is among the very best, and you have a big advantage for the Pack. Rogers has proven himself to be a winner. So that his offense will be good enough to overcome the traditional Steeler defensive ferocity. The Steeler have an edge in experience. So, all in all it will be a close game. I'm thinking 24-21 Pack. Now if we can just keep Jerry Jones off the sidelines.

The Answer:
Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood is way ahead with 12, 191,000. Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson isn't doing bad with 10.628 Mil. The we have Chris Daughtry (6M), Clay Aiken (4.95) and Fantasia Barrino (2.8) rounding out the top 5. the rest are Ruben Stoddard, David Cook, Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta,
Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, Josh Gracin, Taylor Hicks, Bo Rice and Elliot Yamin.

The End:
I have never really liked Superbowl parties. They always got in the way of the game. It was always more about dips than drives. So, while everybody is inside thinking they are having fun, I go on a trip. Unless, of course, the Pats are playing. Yes, I am an old curmudgeon.

Get warm and be tough.

Today's Tids Issue 2,274
Opening Stuff:

Before we get into Tids blather on this blizzardy day, let's get warm. And what better way than traditional beef barley soup. Cut a half pound of trimmed round steak into 1/2 inch pieces. Place in large saucepan and add 1/2 cup pearl barley, 5 cups water and bring to boil (Skim off foam with slotted spoon). To that add 1 onion chopped, 2 carrots diced, 2 celery stalks diced, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or longer. If you want to ruin a perfectly good soup, after 30 minutes of simmering add 1 cup frozen lima beans thawed and 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms.

Ok, now to the nonsense. There is word on the street that there's a movement afoot to establish anti-social networking for the growing populations of outcasts and sociopaths. It will be called FacelessBook.

I see where the FDA is secretly helping several states acquire a safe lethal injection drug. Say what?

Which reminds me of the news note I saw earlier saying that Illinois has banned the death penalty. It appears just in time for the coming elections and pending trials of other fallen public servants.

The Question: 
The US stock market is far from being the only market in the world. Last year the US market went up 13% which was good enough for 9th place among various World Markets. What countries were best?

Today's Headlines:
--Banks Lead Stock Surge After Eco Concerns In Europe Ease.
--71% Of Americans Overwhelmingly Oppose Raising National Debt Ceiling.
--Outrageous Flooding Continues To Swamp Australia.
--New Polls: Americans Give Higher Marks To Congressional Repubs and 0-Man After Lame Canada Geese Session.
--Fifties "Ozzie & Harriet" Sibling Favorite Dead At 74; David, Last Of The Nelsons Who Made Americans Laugh On Radio And TV Died From Complications With Colon Cancer.
--Mass, Nnational Observances Pay Tribute To All Victims Of Tucson Massacre.
--Geithner Warns China Over Currency Suppression Actions.
--MySpace Lays Off !/2 Of Workforce.

Back to More Stuff:
Spring Training starts in 34 days.

Hoarding the Hardware Department:
Yesterday at a funeral mass for a dear friend at a little church in Berwyn Pa -- St. Monicas -- I was impressed, I mean really impressed, with the singer, Catherine Capelletti. It turns out that there are three Heisman Award Winners in her family! Her father was Alan Ameche the great Hall-of-Famer who scored the touchdown that gave the Unitas led Colts an overtime win over the Giants in "The Game" that made the NFL what it is today. Her brother-in-law is Penn State great John Capelletti. And, after Alan Ameche died at a too young age, her mother married Glenn Davis, half of Army's dynamic duo, Blanchard and Davis. I thought it was a pretty cool story.

Frankly, being an old fan of Navy, I personally hated Blanchard and Davis. But Sarah Palin wasn't around, so I didn't take a gun and go after them.

Do you think that government employees really consider themselves "Public Servants"?

Odd couple Department:
Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh were both born today. And Limbaugh Kristie Alley and are twins, Both 60 today. I wonder if Jan 12 has anything to do with eating.

This blame game thing as a new tradition in the aftermath of terrible tragedies must have something to do with grading students on a curve. Nobody is responsible for his or her actions, so somebody else must be behind it. Is that about it? The United Enablers of America!

Now in another Washington DC mystery, a lobbyist has been found dead in her burned out BMW. 37 year old Ashley Turton, Wife of Senior White House Aide Dan Turton, was found dead in her car after neighbors spotted a burning garage. Is it a freak accident, or is it a massive conspiracy. I'm hoping for a massive conspiracy.

The biggest ongoing national myth is this whole thing about Separation of Church and State. It is in fact just an opinion of some misguided soul years ago that has morphed into a justification of everything anti-religious. The phrase is nowhere to be seen in the Constitution. The Freedom of Religion lines are only meant to protect the citizens form being subject to a government imposed religion and to allow people the freedom to practice the religion of their choice. How hard is that to understand media persons?

I think atheists are basically afraid of the truth.

Have you ever noticed in politics how strange bedfellows deliver the same bunk?

The Answer:
Surprise, Argentina's markets went up 70%. Zowie! Next was Peru (49%), Chile (31%), Mexico (19%), Russia (18%), South Africa (17%), India (15% and then Germany tied with the US. You have probably figured out from this list the magic Elisha for stock market growth -- Natural Resources.

The End:
The first important stand for the new congress should be not raising the debt ceiling.

Sorry Novel lovers. I missed it today. The snow made me do it. Hey! You have to blame something. It couldn't be that I'm lazy, irresponsible, creatively inept or something innate like that. Think of my self esteem. Snow is always one of the better scape goats.

Hey! For all of the time it took me to write that, I could have written today's installment.

The Attack of the Killer Refrigerator Magnets

Today's Tids Issue 2,273
Opening Stuff:

I think that one of the most perplexing mysteries tormenting my simple mind is that compass needles point north. Why don't refrigerator magnets migrate north during the night. Huh? Huh? Can you answer that?

This whole magnetic north thing is intriguing. In fact, the magnetic North Pole moves about a 40 miles a year! Maybe that is affecting the Polar Bears. I don't see any animal groups trying to stop magnetic north from moving.

More money will be wasted in the name of "Green" than for any other cultural fad in history.

You never know what Congress may be doing to you in the middle of the night. Like moving magnets back to their original position so you don't know what happened to you. Sleep well tonight.

The Question:
A threesome! 1. Tucson killer Loughner's lawyer will be Judy Clarke. Name four other of her infamous clients. 2. Researchers gauged college students on their desire for sex, drinking, praise, seeing best friend, favorite food or good pay check. whcih do you think won by a wide margin? 3. Give me five reasons why people don't exercise.

The Headlines:

--M&A Activity Up.
--DeLay Gets Three Years; Ex-Majority Leader remains Defiant..
--Auburn National Champ In Surprisingly Low Scoring Game.
--Gates Sees North Korea As becoming Direct threat To US; Intercontinental Missile Program In NK On Track To Develop Missile In five Years.
--Portugal PM Says "No Aid needed".
--Illinois Dem Leaders Looking To Public To Bail them Out For Their Arrogance and General All Around Stupidity; Leaders In Ill Planning Massive, With A Capital "M", Tax Hike.
--Verizon Adds I-Phone; AT&T-Verizon War Intensifies. US Cellular Still Most Reliable Service.
--RI GOv Chafee-Lite Says No To Talk Radio For Himself And State Workers.
--Storm Leaves Frozen South; Heads To East Coast.
--Denver Man Arrested After Threats To Shoot Aides To Senator Bennet.

Back to More Stuff:
New England Patriot fans are anxious to see Rex Ryan feel the Agony of De-Feet!

If the next time you see me and my hair looks a little browner, it's because I thought my hair brush was my shoe polish applicator brush.

The more extreme Dems target Palin with unfounded, erronious accusations. the more they will find themselves wounded by riccochets.

In case you have missed hearing from Israel's Aerial Sharon, he has been in a coma for the past five years. I knew I had missed something.

Snow doesn't cause 30 car pile ups. Drivers driving bumper to bumper at 60 miles/ hour in the snow causes pile-ups! And people in four-wheel drive cars who think they are invulnerable, too.

Do people who have a problem with big government also dislike their fathers?

I thought author Jack Higgins was old forty years ago, but I still see him putting out his very readable novels.

The "Dockers" brand has become inconsistent. When it first came out it seemed to represent a comfortable decent looking style of pants. But now it can be anything and you have to look carefully.

Almost Near: Chapter 1 continues. --After her startling, disappointing meeting with Mrs. Fletcher, Samantha decided it was best to get situated and organized. Stepping out of the drug store she was at once all smiles again as she remembered other shops and the people who ran them. And how they were meaningful in her life. It took her breath away today as it had all those times before. As she walked across the street to the Clam Flats Inn, -- now with a little bounce in hr step -- she saw a few pople about their daily chores but none who she recognized. She pulled open the door hoping to see her old friend Zach Whithers. But instead saw a young man. He was somewhat familiar, but not totally. The man looked up as she approached, "Is Zach in?" she asked.
The young man's eyes darkened slightly. "Um, ah...my grandfather, I mean Zach Whithers, died two years ago.
Samantha felt saddened. "So you must be Jimmy. I remember you when you were," she held her hands about 3 feet apart, "This high." She laughed a little.
"Oh, that was a long time ago." That made Samantha feel as though she was back.

After watching that Seattle Seahawks win over the Saints, I say let's hear it for enthusiasm!!!

Life would be simpler if there were no people. But that's not the way it works.

The Answer: 1. Ms. Clarkes line-up includes unibomber Ted Kaczynski, Child murderer Susan Smith, 9111 conspirator Zacarias Moussoui and Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph. 2. The student's greatest desire by a good margin is for...praise! Allelulia. 3. The deterrants to exercising are: Job and family responsibilities (31%), Lack of desire (27%), D on't enjoy exercise (18%), Busy social agenda (9%) and Physically unable to exercise 8%). I agree with them all.

The End:
Today I'm going to play chicken with a snow storm roaring up the coast. That sounds stupid.

Politics of snow storms and gravy

Today's Tids Issue 2,064
The Opening Stuff:

There is something very special to a Global Warming skeptic and dietary pragmatist about watching the wind-down of a blizzard eating broccoli smothered in rich pork gravy. Luscious gravy that heightens the taste buds while preparing the body for a walk outside into yet one more Arctic blast. Hey…wait a minute…I thought Arctic blasts were supposed to be warm.

Ellen DeGeneres says that Simon is meaner than she thought. Ellen must be one of those people who thinks telling the truth is mean. How do you ever get what is best if you continue to justify mediocrity. I mean, Ellen thinks she can dance because her audience’s manic applause keeps those little feet moving.

The Question:
What three products do consumers recommend most often to each other?

The Headlines:
--New Winter Storm Reburies Middle Atlantic; Fizzles In New England.
--Iran Proclaims New Success In Uranium Enrichment.
--Observers Expecting Big Afghan Offensive Soon; 0-Man Troop Build Up Ready To Move.
--0-Man Says US Will Add 95 Thousand Jobs Per Month.
--Psychiatrists Renaming Mental Diseases.
--World Markets Rise Cautiously As All Eyes Are On Greece.

More Stuff:

If a conservative wrote a lyrical piece about his love of trees and rolling green hills and grassy, stone wall caressed fields that flow gently down to a calming sea, do you think that Liberals would accept it as a poem?

The way Google is going, Eric Schmidt may be the first President of the Universe instead of 0-Man. Yesterday the Search, and everything-else-it-seems, giant announced their entry into a fiber optics broadband delivery service. Why do I have this feeling that we are all being gobbled by Google and don’t know it.

Don’t you think that God is sending Washington DC a message about Global Warming?

If anybody thinks that Republicans are going to help out Democrats with health care compromises about eight months before a very critical election day, they must be smokin’ something. And if Republicans think that Democrats are going to give them some credit for being good guys and gals for cooperating, then they must be stoned out of their gourds.

I see where London England is designating a huge area of land in the city as an outdoor workout center for seniors. Just what I would love as an old person…being herded into a playground to perform regulated exercises. Think of the noise as the bones creak and the participants groan in unison. This could get ugly.

The Novel:

Through the Same Eyes: Chapter 54. –Kent is the best medicine, I was thinking as the nurse walked in, “Ok Sarah, time to start walking again.” She laughed and I felt more buoyed than ever. I immediately pulled back my arms to give me leverage to sit up by myself. I thought it was pretty fluid, for in seconds I was sitting staring at her. “Let’s rumble!” I said. We both laughed. I was ready to get out of this place. “Ok super girl, be careful. You look like you have taken some energy pills, but believe me you’ll feel weak.” Yeah, sure I thought. She doesn’t know me. I swung my legs around to the side so I was sitting now looking at the floor. Now I was tired. But, I was ready. “How do your legs feel”, she said as she squeezed my foot. “Pretty good. I can feel your hand”. “Good”, and now she put her arm behind my back and nudged me forward til my toes touched the floor. “Oooh, that’s cold.” “And that is good Sarah. Feeling the cold is what normal people do. Ok, drop down…slowly…slowly. Now stand and put weight on you legs. Good. How does that feel”? “It feels wonderful”, I answered quickly, “But, I’m a little dizzy.” Just stand there a moment. Feel better?” “Yup, I said” “Ok, take a step.” I put my left foot forward and then my right. I felt proud of myself.” Then I heard, “You look more beautiful than ever.” I looked up and there was my proud husband Paul, and the kids starting to clap their hands.

More Stuff:

In Rhode Island, the city/town with the supposed worst school system has students bright enough to be the perennial state chess champions. Think about that for a second. That’s kind of an interesting paradox. The question in education has always been though: Where is the problem? Is it bad parents? Is it a bad environment? Is it bad teachers? Unfortunately, the answer is always a firm yes to the question -- Do we need more money? I’m a huge believer in the bell curve and the distribution of human attributes. In every given population center there are good brains and less good brains. We know that in this poorest performer in education there are great brains. Contemporary wisdom often says take the good brains out and put them in so called better schools. What happens to the promising brains left behind that need to be fertilized? Basically, we need teachers for the parents. Education has to start where life starts. I’d better get out of here before I say something brainless.

The people who can’t figure out how to run a football play-off system, often using the excuse that they don’t want the “student-athletes” out of the class room too long, are proposing a 96 team NCAA basketball tournament. This by necessity will keep about 500 more kids out of the classroom for extended periods of time. The United States of Hypocrisy motors on.

About a week or so ago I wrote that most of the big web operations are adding a “Friends” component to their sites to take advantage of the social networking craze. I implied with some sarcasm that the idea of friends you don’t know is nutty. Aha! Now we read that many are dropping out and feeling “relieved” to have their privacy back again. This has always been too much of a bad thing. And no…I’m not interested in whether or not you love gravy.

The Answer:

People look to others most often for advice on buying automobiles. After autos at 66% come grocery stores at 64% and banks at 62%. How often do people change banks? BTW, more and more people are leaving giant banks for small community banks.

The End:

The Tids Entertainment editor has been keeping an eye on American Idol. As you remember, the Tids has often been a fairly on-target of analyzer of talent. We do it from the heart of a simple soul. So far, I’m not seeing boffo. Everybody sounds the same to this tin ear.