Kale tastes better with pork gravy.

Today's Tids Issue 3,655

For Sagacity:

Yesterday was a lightweight fleece day, and it felt great.

Obama jumping in calling Trump unfit is great news for Trump; the stimulus needed to unify Repubs. Maybe Obama’s inane utterances can overcome Trump’s, and save the Republic from growing socialism.  

News Flash from ABC’s Jonathon Karl: But, the situation behind the scenes at the RNC is growing intolerable according to observers of recent meetings between a totally furious Preibus and Donald. Priebus is irate at the Trump continuing slur of the War Hero, and is in fact assembling RNC denizens to make plans for the eventuality of Trump voluntarily stepping down from the race. Let me repeat that – “If and when Trump voluntarily steps down from the race.” This is unprecedented. Trump is not only losing support of the veterans and military groups and many Republican leaders who don’t want the party sucked into the Donald morass, but also several campaign staff members who have had enough and are or are ready to jump ship. From what I can see, right now it is imperative to isolate the Congressional races from the Trump presidential run.

So, now it’s flossing. Yes, that paragon of dental health care has been exposed as being useless in preventing gum disease and cavities. Like so many nutritional ideals that have had their public trendy moment, the truth generally sets us free form nanny state oversight. Still enjoying your Kale?

The Question:

Who was Jay North?

The Headlines:

--North Korea Fires Two Ballistic Missiles; One Lands Close To Japan.

--Market Could Add To Continuing Losing Streak; Industrial Production Slowing;  Stock Analyst Rosenberg Sums Up Markets: “Nobody Ever Said It Had To Make Sense.”

--Merkle In Trouble As German People Tire Of Refugee Problems.

--Whistleblower William Binney Says NSA Has Clinton’s Deleted Emails; Says FBI Could See Them At Any Time.

--Ivanka Defends Dad As Being Totally Fit To Lead America To Where It Must Go; Says She Is Close Pals With Great Girl Chelsea C.

--Jet Crash Lands At Dubai Airport, Exploding In Fiery Ball; 300 People Aboard Escape Safely. Amazing.

--News Out That US Under Obama May Have Paid $400 Million Ransom To Iran For Release Of Captured Americans; Security Experts Concerned About Increase In Hostage Taking Of Americans Abroad.

There are some serious rumors that Obama, in a last ditch effort cement the election for a candidate who consistently alienates to the truth will be paying off all student loans. In other words, the American taxpayer will be paying once again for the election of another unsavory politician. And the problem still isn’t solved. The problem – the economy doesn’t need so many college graduates. College has become more of a social status achievement as opposed to a necessary ingredient for the future of young people’s lives and the needs of a nation. College has been oversold and over bought. Much of what is being taught is how to siphon money off of Government programs, meaning that the cycle is destined to continue forever.

Let’s face it, The USA has become a giant Toothpaste Tube.

Trump began as a Fringe Candidate. Now he is the Cringe candidate.

I have been a little lax in my coverage of America’s Got Talent. But, they are into the “Lives” and it is time to take notice. Last night was entertaining and being a sucker for Country music, I have to say I loved the big confident voice of 12 year old Kadie Robertson. I also thought singer Calysta Bevier was excellent, and what a back story she has. I also enjoyed the smooth ethereal juggling of Viktor Kee. The Clairvoyants held me spell bound as did Rubics Cube Magician Steven Brundage. I’m not a big Sinatra fan, but big band singer Sal Vakentinetti can sing and entertain. One of the acts that mesmerized me was contortionist and Bow and Arrow marksman Sofie Dossi. “Flip” open ended the show with an energetic, well executed dance routine that cover d many a genre.  The Throwings (Silly name) were thrilling, but I think their act could get tiresome over tome. Moya Angela (What, couldn’t her parents spell Maya Angelou?) could have brought down the house with her big voice, but she didn’t and was unimpressive to me. I hope Ryan Stokc and Amberlynn don’t get a sympathy vote for her misaimed shot into his neck because I cannot watch that act, which means I missed the miscue that could have been a serious injury. The “Quick Change” artists Sos & Victoria put on a dazzling, fast moving performance, but towards the end it grew repetitive and tiresome. I would toss the Throwings, Moya, RS and A, S&V and Flip. Moya could sneak in.

BTW, to set the record straight, a lot of Americans have always thought that Obama was an unfit candidate. At least Trump will have Executive experience before heading the Executive branch. And, they talk about Hill’s experience – yeah experience in making monumental misjudgments on the world stage. She was obviously too busy keeping track of her frequent flyer miles rewards to notice ISIS seeping into countries neutered by O&H policies and taking over. Yeah, she’s experienced alright – the kind of experience that can get us exterminated.

I am definitely in need of a good Diet Coke or Pepsi sale. I doubt of they would put it into a Back-to-School package.

As Charles Krauthammer said of Bill’s Valentine’s card to the Hill at the convention: “He gave us a chronological account of her social activism.”

Taco Bell has “Cheeto Buritos” in a test market in several Ohio cities. Does that mean I’m becoming a Mexican?

Stopping Hillary is serious stuff.

A good friend of mine and I have conjectured that the entire Trump run is in fact a conspiracy hatched between the Clintons and the Trumps in a NYC café off a dark alley in The Village. The fact that he is destroying the Repub party does nothing for his candidacy, but sure helps Hill and even increases the possibility of her having a favorable congress. That is so Clintonesque. Where are all of the good whistleblowers when you need one. Looks like a good novel. Now all I need is an ending.

The Answer:

Everybody knows that Jay North is best known as a child actor playing the TV role of Dennis the Menace. Today he is married, living in Florida. He spends his time in an organization that helps child stars grow into the real world after early stardom, often under the tutelage of over bearing and sometimes abusive parents.

I was just kidding…pork gravy doesn’t make kale taste better. Nothing can make kale taste better.

And, what would make Trump more palatable’

It’s better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it.” –Anon

Today's Tids Issue 3,654

For  Silence:

Many Republicans keep on waiting to emerge a Donald Trump they could vote for. He and his campaign spent weeks trying to mold a new image for the convention, and then he goes out and picks a fight with a father of a war hero where he can’t do anything but lose in the court of public opinion, especially since the media will pile on and make him look small. And, picking this fight in the first place is totally inconsequential to the needs of the nation. Trump could have said “Your son is a tremendous war hero and Patriot, and I feel sad that you had to use his memory for political purposes.” Or better yet, swallowed hard and zipped his mouth shut. But, he mumbled something inane about how sacrifice in business is somehow equivalent to the loss of a good son, and now he is sitting out there looking foolish…again. I hear Repubs are seriously looking at former moderate Republican Governors Gary Johnson and William Weld. One rumor has Romney endorsing that Libertarian ticket.

Of course Trump does this at the same time when Hillary is getting “4 Pinocchio’s “ from the Washington Post for lying once again about the emails.

What has God wrought upon America!

The Trump kids need to take dad to the woodshed.  Hillary wouldn't understand why she was there in the first place, and probably find Bill in the shed with somebody else.

Speaking of diving off a cliff, did you see where the 47 year old guy who over the past weekend sky dived without a parachute, has made 18,000 jumps! If he began diving out of plane when he was 20, that would be about 660 jumps per year or a little less than 2 a day for 27 years. He must be fun to be married to. Of course, if his parents threw him out of a plane as an infant, that would only be 382 jumps per year. Crazy.

AT&T says it is going to clamp down on Robo-Calls. They probably won’t get much help from the Government since Politicians are among the biggest abusers.

Some people Tweet, and some people Tid.

The Question:

Yesterday a retired general said that General’s should refrain from politics after retirement. Name all of the retired Generals and high ranking military officers who have become President of the USA.

The Headlines:

--Market Walking On Eggshells As Experts Try To Decipher Future; US Consumer Spending Rose More Than Expected In June.

--Syrian Town Attacked By Helicopter Dropping Barrels Of Chlorine Gas; Saraqeb Is Same Town Where Russia Helicopter Was Shot Down Yesterday Killing 5 Soldiers.

--Tensions Rising As China Begins Live Fire Naval Exercises In South China Sea.

--Pope Orders Study Into Women Deacons.

--Reindeer Induced Anthrax Outbreak Sends At least 90 to Hospitals In Northern Russia; Santa Blames Rudolf.

--Ice Cube Rave In Cal Gets Out Of Control Killing 3.

--58 Story Millennium Tower Luxury Residence In San Fran Has Sunk 16 Inches, And Is Now Leaning 2 inches To the North; Trump Didn’t Build It.

--Warren Buffett Latest Of Democrat Brotherhood To Slam Trump.

It’s been a while since the Tids Actuarial Department (That’s a Tad in Tids) took a reading on the average death age. This morning’s Obit page has an average death of 81.93 years…just in case you are looking forward.

It is conceivable that part of explanation for a rising ocean is the annual growth of the Mid Ocean Ridge. The Mid Ocean Ridge is a 44,000 mile mountain range that travels the centers of the world’s oceans, looking somewhat like the seams of a baseball. The magma from the earth’s core constantly flows upward and oozes down the sides adding to the height of the surface of the ocean’s floors, thus over time displacing water and forcing it upward. Nature is always a combination of elements and occurrences.

Wanting debates against NFL games is insane. Another reason not to vote for Hillary, who seems happy to be lost opposite a couple of pretty good games.

Now, maybe Trump will allow Washington Post reporters back into his circus tent.  

Well, it’s August. Let’s take a look at the Major League pennant races. The so-called power rankings have Baltimore and Cleveland as one-two in the majors. The rest of the Top Ten are the Cubs Nationals, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Red Sox, Astros, Giants and Rangers. With three in the top ten, The Al East looks pretty exciting, with the late emergence of Toronto. The NL Central is exciting mainly because the Cubs have an 8 game lead and looking like a possibility to break The WS losing streak. I’m sure Cub fans have knots in their stomachs worrying about a collapse. The same can be said for the AL Central where Indians fans are also excited and holding their breaths. Those are two best emotional races. I think the NL East could get tighter even though Washington is coasting. The second tightest race is in the NL West, where at this time SF is but 2 ahead of LA. In the AL West it is interesting that Houston has a higher power rating than Texas even though Texas is five games ahead on the race. That must mean there is a close finish in the cards. It’s fun to watch the various leagues. Some people yawn over the slow methodical baseball, but baseball is much bigger than what’s on the field, so much more involved than the visceral excitement so much desired by the millennials.

Nothing stops traffic faster in North Kingstown RI than Japanese Lotus Blossoms.

It seems that Uber has acquiesced to the Chinese government. They have just sold their Chinese operations to a China rival. Uber is basically taxi cabs with Apps, and China maybe just one example of what the company faces in the future from US regulators too. Massachusetts did it yesterday and I expect state after state, especially in big cabbie cities, will enact more regs and fees. Politicians want a piece of everything, and being chic is not a reason for exclusion from bureaucratic control. Sad but true.

For years husbands have been fighting the battle of disappearing favorite old clothes. Many men have safety deposit boxes, not for secret funds or love letters, but for a faded shirt or worn out comfortable pants.

Take Two Cabernets and See Me in the Morning, Department:

Did you read where Big Pharma is finding a way to deliver the benefits of Red Wine in a pill. I wonder if they will be aged. Zowie!

There’s a convention of Hackers in Las Vegas this week. You have to wonder if the FBI is watching them the way they used to watch Mafia confabs. Do you think Casino owners will allow them at the tables?

The Answer:

Most high ranking Generals in peacetime became high ranking powerful Pentagon mavens because they are better at politics than those who just do their job. In fatc, after the 26 Lawyer Predients, 12 Generals are the next most previous profession. Ok, off the top of my head I have George Washington, and Ike. Just beyond the fuzzy horizon I see old US Grant and Tippecanoe – William H. Harrison. There is also Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor. Rutherford B. Hayes, James Garfield, Andrew Johnson, Franklyn Pierce, Chester A. Arthur and Benjamin Harrison. There were also Colonels like Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Polk, Truman and good ole Teddy Roosevelt who really made a name for himself in battle. Even Richard Noxon and LBJ were Lt. Colonels. You know that JFK was a navel hero as was pilot GHW Bush. Ford, Reagan, Lincoln, Carter, GW Bush and Tyler were also Army or Naval officers. The only enlisted man President was Private James Buchanan. Only 12 US Presidents did not serve.

I may give up writing Tidlets about Politics…mainly so I don’t appear as ridiculous as the politicians and their supporters.

Maybe I’ll change the name of Tids to – Mums.

Evonne Goolagong is 65. Yikes!

Today's Tids Issue 3,652

For Agility:

Ah August, the month that does nothing. Oh, I know some really great people who were born this month. But as a month, it just sits there waiting for September. Oh I don’t hate I it. In fact I like the way the days and nights cool down; how the grass turns deep green again. People who remember History and aren’t afraid of telling the truth, celebrate VJ day. That was a biggie. But as a month in general it’s about winding down the summer, walking in salty waters, feeling gentle ripples messaging your ankles; looking out to sea through the summer haze knowing the breathtaking fall months are a but a few waves away over the horizon. I guess August isn’t so bad after all.

Democrats call voter ID laws restrictive. I call them protective.

Some people and media were critical of the Pope for not saying anything at his visit to Auschwitz. An elderly Jewish woman,  holocaust-victim Jewish woman had a different opinion: “Unspoken words are the strongest, most emotional, most feeling…most painful. His listening and praying quietly was perfect.”

When the statistics are not in your favor you use emotional anecdotal evidence. I did it all the time when I was selling unsubstantiated products. Does that make me a democrat?

That “Bang!” you heard was football players hitting with pads again. The world just got better.

I see where Alphabet (Google’s Parent) and GSK (Glaxo-Smith-Kline) have joined together to form a new company in the Bioelectronic Medicine’s Field. These are the kinds of sensible business collaborations that I see as the new wave of giant companies for the future. Uber will probably get into the ambulance business.

The Question:

What are in order the Ten Oldest cities in America? Bonus: The PGA Tourney fought the rain and turned in another great Major’s championship with nice guy Jimmy Walker becoming the latest Majors Champion. Name the top ten players still playing today with the most Majors?

The Headlines:

--Market Opens Slightly Higher; Investors are Seeing Stocks As Best Place For Dough

--16 Killed In Hot Air Balloon Accident Prayed For By Millions.

--Koch Brothers Decide To Sit Out Presidential Race; Will Focus Money On Senate And House Races.

--Hillary’s Campaign Hacked; Trump Ain’t Talking.

--Ellicott City Md ravaged By Killer Floods.

--Romney Says Trump Could Win; Adds He Should Congratulate Him On Feat Of Taking Nomination.

Hillary wants to continue the Obama idea of piling everything into Social Security, which was intended to be a pay as you go retirement plan for working people. When you think about it, SS is pretty much what is wrong with America – Congress robbed it to atone for their mismanagement of the budget. And now every socialist thinks it’s a slush fund for give away voter bribes. And the seniors are constantly threatened that it’s going out of business. That’s one reason why a lot of people don’t think America is so great anymore; that according to the RCP average of all polls a full 69.7% think The USA is going in the wrong direction. The wrong direction is not so “great” in my book.

Did you hear about the crash dummy dog that had an accident in the living room? –Mike Peters

Let’s see the media wrote a lot of headlines about the anger at the Repub convention. Yet, when at the Dem shindig a Police officer asked for a moment of silence for the murdered officersm the crowd erupted, went nuts shouting “Black lives matter…”

I believe the hardest thing I do is trying to hold a conversation with a teenager.

From what I’ve seen post conventions, the news networks are Clinton Boasting System, Nobody But Clinton, Clinton News Network, Mostly Socialist News Boosting Clinton and Anything But Conservatives. And the Dems cry, from the White House down, about the popularity of Fox News. Five against one – I think the Repubs have a problem.

My 4 favorite piano Concertos are Beethoven’s 4^th, Rachmaninoff’s 2nd, Saint Sans’ First and Grieg’s A Minor. When I want to fill my head with beauty, and my heart with dreams, that’s where I go.

BTW, BBC called Trump’s Russia hacking remark sarcasm.

Did you see where Hillary in her big appearance wore white like an unsullied Bride. Yikes!

One thing that stood out to me at the Dem Convention was a sincere undercurrent of anti-war sentiment. In fact, I felt it was one of the few honest unsolicited reactions from the audience.

While it is easy for me to find disgust in an apparent left leaning media, I am equally appalled that Trump would ban media from his events.

I think Scott Pelley has a tattoo of Hillary on his rump. Did you ever watch him, his austere, intellectual presence? But, when he mentions the word Hillary his eyes actually twinkle a bit and a little corner of his mouth turns to a suggestion of a smile.

The Parking Lot: Chapter 67 continues…

   The waiting was gnawing away at Nancy, and making the guys tense. Nancy knew she was losing control of her plan since that one message on McGuire’s phone sold her out. She shivered now, feeling her stomach turn over at te thought of McGuire lying in blood on Hope Street. She had discovered the man to be a pretty good guy after he learned the truth, and began to understand there was more to his state than the needs of the legislature and political cronies.

   Suddenly a motor roared to life, then another. Nancy sucked in her breath and stared at the edges of her island. Finally she realized that it was that time in the morning when fishermen got out on the water to snag the early catch. A third motor sounded, and then a fourth, her’s. It was safe to go. She headed south keeping the Island between her boat and where she last saw the goons. “Jared keep your eyes on my island and for signs of that boat.”

   Nancy had to keep her eyes ahead as there were some rocky outcroppings from the smaller islands that dotted this less navigable part of the lake. She knew ever pebble. Safely through the maze, she made a sharp right into a shadowed area of the lake and immediately slowed the motor to a rumble.

   “I’m seeing nothing,” shouted Jared. Nancy started to breathe regularly again as she maneuvered the boat to a small dock virtually invisible from the broader lake. She shut down the engine and drifted the last 10 feet. She looked up and saw a light coming on from a window in a small cabin about 50 feet from the dock.

 

The Answer:

The fifteen oldest continuously inhabited cities in the USA are St. Augustine Fl, Jamestown Va, Santa Fe NM, Hampton Va, Keoughtan Va, Newport News Va, Albany NY, Jersey City NJ, Plymouth Ma, Weymouth Ma, Dover NH, Gloucester Ma, New Amsterdam (NYC) NY, Salem, Lynn and Charlestown Mass. Most if the really old cities of the Americas are in South and Central America and the Caribbean. Jersey City! Bonue” Phil Michelson with 5 is the leader. Next with 4 are Rory McIlroy and Ernie Els, At 3 we Have Vijay Singh and Padraig Harrington. The wonners of two are Jordan Spieth, Angel Cabrerra, Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, Retief Goosen, Martin Kaymer, Single winners are Treveor Immelman, Charl Schwartzel, Adam Scott, Danny Willett, Michael Campbell, Jim Furyk, Lucas Glover, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell,Goeff Ogilvy, Justin Rose, Webb Simpson, Ben Curtis, Stewart Cink, Louis Oosthuizen, Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Jason Dufner,Davis Love and Henrik Stenson. A couple of senior Tour players are double major winners too: John Daly and Bernhard Langer.

I think the Koch Brothers got it right. The key to the next four years regardless of the President is having a strong Republican Congress. Too many less than knowledgeable voters forget that Congress is supposed to be a powerful check to the President. And to all of those who complain that “O” couldn’t do what he wanted because of Congress, forget that he had a Dem Senate and House for two years and all he got past was a bad health law. Let’s hear it for the Koch Brothers!

Happy August E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y! I’m going out to watch an old Goolagong tennis video.