The United States of Kardashians.

Today's Tids Issue 4,057

For a Good Time Out:

Last night I decided to flip through all of the Cable news programs. I came to the conclusion that the United States as seen through eyes of these disparate entities is no more than one giant reality TV Program. In our new who-can-get-whom-next national mentality, I can’t tell the difference between the nation’s acerbic politics and LA Housewives, Bachelor/Bachelorette, Big Brother and Survivor. I think it is definitely time to tune out for a while.

Give me a gentle cove.

Let me think of love.

Let me feel the beauty.

Ceasing bitter acrimony;

Reducing cacophony.

It’s my patriotic duty!

I have a feeling that the SK Olympic opening night ceremonies will be pretty darn good.

The Question:

Who are the wealthiest Winter Olympics performers? Bonus: What is a Hedge School?

The Headlines:

--Congress Passes, Trump Signs Two Year Spending Deal; Defense Up $165 Bil, Domestic Up $131Bil.

--Dow Opens Higher, But Volatility Expected; WH reaffirms That Long Term Economic Fundamentals Are Solid; Cash Leaving Stock Funds.

--Olympics Games Begin; North Korea Marches Its Might.

--Tom Brady Sends Out Note Thanking Fans, NEP, Coaches Teammates And Ownership; Congratulates Philly As Gracious Winners And True Champions.

--Amazon Begins Whole Food Delivery Programs; FedEx, UPS To Feel the Pressure.

--Prominent “#MeToo” Organizer, California Legislator And Women’s Caucus Chair Cristina Garcia, Accused By Man For Genital Groping.

To paraphrase Senator Jeff Fake – The goal of the American government should be the achievement of bi-partisanship without spending more money.

Just think, if each of 320 million or so Americans vowed to make at least one less complaint, one less whine, one less bitter plea, maybe harmony would creep back again into society.

You have to wonder how long a slalom skier’s knees can last. I do four moguls and rest.

The Peter Rabbit movie came out today. I have to be honest with you, as a kid I grew to think that Farmer McGregor was the real victim. That Peter and his salad eating pals were basically thieves. Eating lettuce should be no excuse for steeling from hardworking farmers.

About five minutes ago I received an email from LL Bean, a place where I buy much of my clothes. I have always known of their Lifetime Guarantee, but hadn’t realized that this pledge based on a commitment by them and assumed moral integrity of consumers has gone awry. Too many interpreted its apparent open-endedness as being able to bring back clothing or boots et. al. worn and beaten up for many years. But, what really led to today’s memo altering the Guarantee rules was a discovery that many people were buying used LL bean equipment at yard sales and returning it for full purchase price adjustment. I think this speaks for itself.

Is falling a new trick for figure skating?

A real live example of bad reporting and so-called “fake news” occurred this morning in Boston. A long time and respected sports journalist Ron Borges was duped by a series of texts into reporting a totally false, made-up story that dominated the front and back pages of the Boston Herald. It was about Tom Brady’s reaction to the record setting SF 49’ers contract of Jimmy Garofalo. Apparently, a sports fan just started texting Borges posing as Brady’s agent. Borges bought everything. The web is so full of made up news, even seasoned journalists can’t see the difference. Propaganda has ruined civilizations.

Reading Between the Lines Movie Reviews:

--Beatrix Potter’s story looks good on film. Kids will like it a lot, but I have a feeling that the animal lover McGregor neighbor would bother me. I won’t have it on my list.

--So, we go from cute little rabbits to sex toys. Let’s hope the kids don’t go into the theater showing Fifty Shades Freed. It also appears that adults should stay away too, unless a you can’t get enough of that sexy series. Newly weds Christian and Ana look forward to a new paradise having left behind their shadowy figures of the past. But now on the verge of unfettered happiness, new threats arise that may jeopardize a happy ending.

--Clint Eastwood’s 15;17 To Paris takes forever to get to the rather exciting finish. It’s too much background, too much documentary.

--Permission is a tale about a couple about to get married who at their engagement part follow the idea of the Best man ‘s drunken toast to sleep around. It has unfortunate results on the future relationship. No, they do not meet Ana and Christian along the way.

The Answer:

Lindsey Vonn and Shaun White have been making the most money based on their Olympic performances. The rest of the highest net worth athletes are Snowboarder Jamie Anderson, Mikaela Shiffrin (S) and Lindsey Jocbellis (SB). At $40 Million, White – the Flying Tomato -- is way ahead of the rest. Bonus:  English 18^th- 19^th century Penal Laws imposed upon Ireland forbad catholic educations. The hedge schools were named after the outdoor rural areas (Near hedge rows) where children and often adults were taught all subjects by educated people, normally priests. The object was to force Catholics into Anglicanism where they would find a proper education. Many a well-educated Irishmen found their knowledge in the fields.

Happy unencumbered weekend, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!!

Life in a Cornball World.

Today's Tids Issue 4,056

For a solid Recovery:

A lot of people are typically happy that Kim’s sister would be attending the Olympics. They say that her presence would assure safety for all from possible NK attacks. But then, consider the fate of several of Kim’s closest relatives traveling abroad or staying at home.

I have seen a lot of sleek looking boats the past week or so, and to me they look more like an Hyundai sedan than something nautical. I’ve always been for aesthetics over speed. But then, I always thought tennis was better with wooden rackets.

I had to delete a wonderful Tids reader from the list yesterday. It was incredibly sad. She died Sunday night, fighting all the way. If you hear thunder the next few days, it means that she met a few liberals along the way to the pearly gates. She was one of a kind. You may have heard her laughter coming through the Tids.

It goes without swaying… that new shock absorbers can make a car easier to control.

The Question:

Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. Why? Bonus: What American Union General who won the battle of Roanoke NC during the Civil War, had a facial hair style named after him?

The Headlines:

--Futures Suggest Rising Markets; Chinese Yuan Slides To Biggest One-Day Drop Since 2015 Devaluation.

--Financial Circles Are Factoring In Several More Rate Increase For 2018; Many IPO’s Still In the Pipeline Despite Fallback In Markets.

--GOP Fiscal Hawks Could Shoot Down Shut-Down Saving Budget; Budget Deal Would Add $500 Billion In Spending.

--Tesla Roadster On Trip To Mars; Tesla Posts Latest Record Loss.

--Pelosi Sets Record For Talking.

--Snow Job Coming To Chicago And Midwest; 10 Inches Or More Coming.

--Bermuda Bans Same Sex Marriage One Year After Legalizing It.

The Pot Hole Presidency:

More elections have been lost because of unrepaired pot holes. And, that is one of the main dangers of the just announced military force extravaganza. Aside from the fact that it would make us look like Moscow or Kim’s-Ville, or that would deploy much needed equipment form battle ready positions, the tanks and other giant vehicles would grind up Pennsylvania Avenue and side streets. You know, when you are powerful, you don’t have to show it. Unless of course, you are in some socialist environment where there is no other progress for the dollars to show citizens.

Puns drive Spell-Check crazy.

We live in a curious new world where people create new names for activities that have been done for decades. Creative people have always found ways to alter photos in a humorous manner and then pass it on to be enjoyed by others. But now, it is a “Meme”. The only difference is that these days they are altered digitally and the pass-along is immediate.

I would suggest that more people go back to church to learn more about God versus the modern Tech God many find on their smart phones. Some of the basic concepts of Judeo-Christianity should be reviewed from time to time. You know, so you can see the difference between right and wrong. It’s a simple concept.

Instead of tanks and ICBM’s rumbling Down Pennsylvania Avenue, It should be armies of casually dressed geeks toting computers. Cyber warfare may be the on y warfare of the future.

Now it seems that investors are racing to get a piece of the rebound.

Consumer Reports is warning us that our Smart TV may be doing a lot more than just sitting there showing us movies. Apparently, built insecurity is so anemic that hackers can take over the remote control while you are watching, holding it in your hand. But that is just an annoyance. The smart TV will be cable to build a profile of you just by monitoring your viewing habits. Your home security system may be locking the doors but the bad guys are sitting there with you on your recliner. And probably opening the locked doors at the same time.

If China buys Mexico, will Juan Pawn his Yuan. For a peso if you say so.

I cannot imagine how bad Congress will be f the Dems take it over. It’s not about civility any longer. It is all about revenge. People who espouse statesmanship are shouted down. Let ‘s hope that Trump has a lot of veto pens.

Uh oh. I just said Statesmanship. A Trudeau no-no. Obviously it should be Statespeopleship. Yeah, that makes sense.

How about that Holy Cross University! For 175 years they have been playing sports under the banner of the nickname “The Crusaders”. There has been a lot of pressure by Muslim organizations to change. The university chieftains mused and talked and huddled, In the end they said, “No Change”. They are still proud to wear that red cross riding upon white steeds.

So, how about a path to citizenship for relatively innocent dreamers and deportation of all those parents who committed the original illegal sin by coming across the border in violation of US laws.

The Dreamer leadership would have you believe that all of these kids grew up to be doctors and lawyers.

The Answer:

Mary Queen of Scots was plotting the murder of her cousin QEI. Bonus: The General who won at Roanoke was Ambrose Burnside. Guess what his facial hair looked like.

One of those elitist Hillary cronies said in one of those recently uncovered texts that the reason a Dem candidate lost was because there are still a bunch of illiterate hillbilly’s in Virginia. That just makes me want to walk to the outhouse and write corny jokes on the wall.

Keep it simple. Life’s to short.

Teslas in Orbit.

Today's Tids Issue 4,055

For Scenic Galactic Travel:

The Space X launch is considered a pretty ambitious engineering feat. And, Elon says it is the beginning of a new space race. It could be. I expect all auto manufacturers to jump on board requesting their cars be placed in orbit along with Musk’s. It is the ultimate stellar billboard war.

I wonder what Lady Bird J would have to say about that.

Just incase you have wondered what Olympic athletes do when they are not in events -- South Korea has reported it has given away 37 condoms for each athlete.

That gives new meaning to “Me Too”.

America Has Lost Its Collective Mind, Department:

A newly proposed California law would put waiters in jail for up to 6 months with a $1K fine if they provide straws to customers before being asked.

Are you ready? One week until Valentine’s Day.

The Question:

The “Bonfire of the Vanities” is the title of a good book and a bad movie. But it was also another big event in History. What was it?

The Headlines:

--Markets Calmer; Dow In Positive territory At Mid-Morning; Analysts Say The “Dip” Is There For The Buying..

--House Votes For Bill That Would Pay US Bills Until Mid-March; Senate Expected To Follow; President Says He Doesn’t Mind Shutdowns.

--Death Toll After Taiwan Quake Could Approach 100.

--Musk Thrills Much Of Nation With Super Launch.

--Steve Wynn Resigns form His Company Under Barrage Of Sex Accusations; Stock Immediately Goes Up Double Digits..

--Merkel Conservatives And Social Democrats Party Reach Deal To Form Government.

--Latest Revealed Texts between FBI “Love Birds” Show That Obama Wanted To Be Up On All That Was Transpiring About Hillary.

--Midterms: GOP Woes Deepen As Red District In Missouri Goes Dem; Tillerson Says US Is Unprepared To Stop Russian Meddling In Midterms; GOP Continues To Draw In More Funding For Midterms Than Dems.

SNL in Moscow, Department:

In their zeal to afflict damage on opponents they hate, people will be vulnerable to all types of scams and frauds. This is what happened to Adam Shiff, Top Dem on Intelligence Committee. He received a phone call from two Russian radio hosts posing as a Ukrainian politician who said he had compromising pictures of President Trump. Yikes, thought the eager Shiff. In the conversation recorded last April and reported by The Atlantic, Shiff is heard asking, “What is the nature of the material?” and “Obviously we would welcome the chance to get copies of those recordings.” Shiff has said he reported the conversations as probably bogus. The Russians have said they like spoofing Americans with information they call completely absurd –“People (in Russia) would never be so trusting, especially if they were a member of parliamentary a civil servant. The Russian spoofers said, “they would like to target Hollywood stars, but they are much harder to reach than American senators.”

“Yes, we Can”. Inspirational slogan for a fish packing company.

Freedom of Choice, Department;

The two headlines atop one of the food pages this morning were: 1. “Quinoa, kale, raisin Salad” 2. “Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.” You take yours, I’ll take mine. That’s what makes American great.

I have gone from 78’s,45’s, 33’s to Tapes and 8Track’s to CD’s. I think I’ll just skip this digital download iteration and wait for the next, hopefully cheaper way to have music. 

Justin Timberlake is being criticized after the Super Bowl show as being too white to do a duet with Prince. What ever happened to singing to be happy versus much of today’s singing to fuel anger.

One of my biggest complaints about all of this tech implementation is that it seems they are doing it because they can, and not because it is needed.

While I’m on a compliant rampage, how silly is the term “Midcentury Modern.” I never had the feeling that I was growing up in an architectural era.

You may have read that Pats “O” Coordinator Josh McDaniels turned down the head caching job for Bob Irsay’s Colts team. They say Bob Kraft negotiated a nice new contract for the Assistant coach, and you have to wonder if the fact that it was Irsay and the Colts who brought the woes of Deflategate upon the Tom Brady spurred Kraft to squishing the deal.

The Answer:

The Phrase “Bonfire of the Vanities” refers to burning of objects condemned by authorities as occasions of sin. In Florence Italy in on February 7, 1497, supporters of the Dominican Friar Girlamo Savonaroia collectively and publicly burned thousands of objects like cosmetics, art and books. I would call that Savonaroia Paranoia. You have to wonder if it is a Bonfire of the Vanities event when Looters burn down a Porn store or beauty Parlor. Maybe they are just trying to to good. You never know.

So, Joe space alien is maneuvering his spacecraft closer and closer to earth when he is confronted by Chevy’s, Fords, Toyotas and BMW‘s in gridlock. “Get me outta here,” he shouts to his crew. They Immediately change course for colonization on Mars, only to find Tesla city and more jammed roads. Give me a shady glade near a rippling stream.

How far?

Today's Tids Issue 4,054

For Up With a Capital "U":

If I could say something truly meaningful about the current plunge in the Markets I’d be way ahead of the varied opinions of experts. Needless to say, some of the negativity must revolve around the fact that the market was just rising much too quickly. How high is up? Other factors that would judge an economy are quite good – employment, profits, homebuying, lowish consumer debt and no pending, teetering irrational exhuberism. But the other factor is that “too good” breeds financial caution as in higher, momentum suppressing interest rates. Me, I’m just holding my breath. Right now my face is a sort of light azure. I’ll let you know when it is navy blue.

In case you are feeling a bit low, the Red Sox  and other MLB team’s equipment trucks just left for Fort Meyers Florida and all the other warm locations. Whack a bat. Relieve the tension.

“In what other language do people play at a recital and recite a play?”

The Question:

The Philadelphia Eagles were a NFL Power in the forties and fifties, and it took them until this year to win the Super Bowl. In the same era there was a fledgling All American Football Conference. It was well funded, and produced many great players. Here’s the question: When the NFL and AAFC merged, only 3 teams form the younger league were asked to join. Who were they? Bonus: Two of those teams have won a Super Bowl. Yet the third team, which dominated the era, hasn’t. Who is it and are they poised to Follow Philly to the promised land next year? Super Bonus: If The Oscars this year were to give a “Harvey Weinstein Life Time Achievement award”, which super star of the forties would likely be the recipient of this infamous honor? Extra Super Bonus: Which 4 presidents had a cabinet where 30% were Business Execs with no prior political experience?

The Headlines:

--Dow Nears “Correction” Territory As It Opens 500 Points Lower; Dour Opening Is Followed By Fast Turn-Around Into Positive Territory, And Then Unsettling; Global Markets Join Dow In Plunge; Financial Seerers Await To See If Jamie Dimon Will Step In As He Did At Last Correction Two Years Ago..

--Munchin: “We’re Monitoring The Stocks Markets; They are Functioning Very Well.”

--Mark Cuban: “I’m Not Nervous About the Slide.”

--Trump Admin Reviewing Dem Memo As It Did Repub Memo.

--Mistaken Tsunami Warning Issued In RI and Local States, “Just a Drill”.

Mark Levin: “Obama Likely Knew That Hillary Paid For (Fisa) Warrant.”

I have a lot of opinions, but I know for sure that a lot of them are based on generational provincialism. That means I know that some of the stuff I reject out of hand is probably okay, but that doesn’t mean I think that rampant modernism is better than the banging screen doors of the 40’s and 50’s. It only means that I realize I am Old and incredibly contented and have no misgivings about my past; that I’m not awaiting the next super invention that will, say, allow me to turn off my lights from my phone. So, I will continue to question why we need all of these techno advances, while I download new app…that I will never use.

What bothers me most about this market is that too many people will panic sell when there is no serious doomsday scenario. And that many people still on the sidelines after 2008, will not come riding to the rescue.

One last thing about the Super bowl. I believe Philly won it because of the strength of that Offensive Line, which gave Foles plenty of time to scan the horizon. And of course, the patchwork Pats “D” line was bad most of the year, and that badness should up here for sure. All year long I worried about holding opposing temas when they were third and long. Much of time I saw the D fail. And it really failed Sunday. Check out this stat: On 3^rd down plays the Eagles’ yardage gained was 17, 15, 19, 26, 55, 17, 14, 22, and 11. A defense does not get any weaker than that. Enough said.  On to baseball

The Indianapolis Colts Line Backer Ed Jackson was killed along with his Uber driver when plowed into by an illegal alien who had already been deported 2 times. Deported two times? Where – to a sanctuary city?

Observers of the national scene are saying that that many reporters still not over the Hillary loss spent most of their post SOTU writing trying to tell Americans why the speech wasn’t any good.

On the same subject, I would suspect that if Trump releases the Dem memo, the media will report it more positively.

I think that Trump will not release the Dem Memo. I think he should.

The Answer:

The three teams were Baltimore Colts, San Fran 49’ers and Cleveland Browns. Bonus: The mighty Browns were the acknowledged powerhouse of that conference. So maybe next year they will follow Philly to their First Super Bowl Title. Remember that last year, the Eagles were only 7-9. Super Bonus: In 1943, Errol Flynn was acquitted on three cases of statutory rape. Flynn’s defense was that he had no idea they were under 18. It is also known that during the trial he laid is eyes on the 18 year old courthouse cigarette girl, Nora Eddington and was “Whooping”, as he described it, during the trial He added that he checked her age credentials carefully. It would be interesting to see how the swashbuckler would be judged today. Extra Super Bonus: McKinley was#1 with 38% followed by Trump at 33%, Reagan at 31% and Eisenhower at 30%.

There is one simple truth: The things that used to be easy and unencumbered in days gone by, aren’t today. No matter what Alexa, Seri and the rest of the bodiless assistants tell you.

.

The fun is in the buying.

Today's Tids Issue 4,053

For Eagle Fans Everywhere.

Ole Two-Way Chuck Bednarik must be smiling somewhere after his Eagles won a championship for the first time since 1960 when his gritty play as offensive Center and defensive Linebacker brought home the title – the teams last title. Philly last night played great. Period.

Browsing slowly through a grocery store is still a treat that can’t be replicated buying food by swiping pages online.

“The Memo” was probably a big letdown to most who thought it would be juicier.

GE Is expected to be removed shortly from the Dow. Think about that for a minute!

I really liked Pink’s Star-Spangled Banner.

The Question:

What do you think are considered the Prettiest flags of world nations?

The Headlines:

--NE Patriots Defense Helpless Against Philadelphia; Philly Store Owners Helpless As Thousands O f Looters Declare “Free Stuff” Day In Down City.

--Wall Street Opens Lower, Again; BitCoin Continues Downward; Broadcom Sweetens Final Offer For Qualcomm.

--Janet Yellen Says She Was Disappointed She Didn’t Get Second Term; But, Hails Replacement As Good Choice.

--New Bipartisan Immigration Policy To be Introduced In Seate.

--Deadly Crash In South Carolina Also Injures More Than 70.

--Judge Rules That Comey memos On Trump To Mueller Will Stay Secret.

The only SB Commercial that I remember as being anywhere near good was Lionel Richey trying to avoid saying All Night Long for Ameritrade after hours. Most all of the others appeared to be creative types trying much too hard to be clever, and I can’t remember any of them

My next book will be a series of essays entitled: “Wandering Aimlessly with Carts Though Costco.” You get to spend so much time in aisle gridlock, that you have a chance to study the faces and formulate tales about the lives of many different types of people of all ages, sexes and ethnicities. And, you hope that these same people aren’t driving cars on the same road upon which you are traveling.

You know you’re getting older when the “Oldies” on radio are from the generation that followed you. Actually, you know you are older if you are still getting music from the radio.

In case you are interested, at the 1995 SOTU, Bill Clinton said: “… All Americans…are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering the country. The jobs they hold may be otherwise held by Citizens or legal immigrants. The public services they use impose burdens on our tax payers. That’s why our Administration has moved aggressively to secure our borders…by deporting twice as many criminal aliens as ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring, by barring benefits to illegal aliens.” He went on to say, “We are a nation of immigrants but we are also a nation of laws. It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years.” I wonder if they are posting that around ‘Sanctuary cities’.”

Americans are into discovering. Marketers are into finding new things for consumers to discover.

Google Deep Learning AI seems to be able to determine if you will leave a hospital by the front door or, as they say, from the shipping dock in the rear. The idea is to predict death or life prospects upon entry to the hospital in order to give docs a 24 to 48 hour head start in finding solution if the preliminary word is curtains. Much goes into this instant analysis including genealogical patterns, health records and assorted universal indexes of life habits. So far, I have seen no inclusion of Cheeto consumption in their life extension factors.

One of the significant conclusions from analyzing mindless shopping cart cruising, is that you realize how few people care about the other people around them -- our new national malaise.

A factor that could bring down a red-hot market place is the over evaluation of tech start-ups. Lots of investors jumping on board to back a newbie like to think they are owners of the next Amazon. Wall Street is beginning to take second looks.

For me, the SB halftime show is a useless interruption to a great main event. Not say that Justin Timberlake didn’t work hard to put on a great show, but in the end it was just another monotonous over done display of gratuitous romping. It was the same as most previous shows, -- the similar pyrotechnics. Laser lights, drum beats, waving arms of fake audiences, the jumping up and down performers, and the total absence of anything melodic. It was great time to refresh the cheesy snack bowls.

Speaking of mindless repetitive rhetoric, how about the Tids inability to come up with anything new except another tired Cheetos joke.

Did you see where an employee of Homeland Security left in the seat pocket of a commercial airplane sensitive documents that outlined measures to be taken to secure the SB against a potential biological warfare incident? Yikes. A CNN employee just happened to have found them but agreed that publishing them before the SB would be a bad idea. The employee was notified of his error while pushing shopping cart trough Costco

When you are enticed to go into a trendy new store that is getting raves by one and all, you still have to find something that you like.

Meat and fish counters in supermarkets are offering more and more ready to cook tantalizing creations that have me panic- breaking my shopping cart. I also think it is cool that the cooking instructions are printed out on the price tag label.

I have to say that in the days leading up to the big game yesterday, I was incredibly tense. But, not being home, I missed the community sharing and receiving of tension..

The Answer:

The flag considered prettiest is that maple leaf of Canada. Next in order are United Kingdom, Brazil, USA, Mexico. Nepal, Albania, Bhutan, Wales, Spain, South Korean, Norway, Australia, Sweden, South Africa, Pakistan, Greece, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Japan, Iceland, Republic of Macedonia, Philippines, France and at #25 Argentina. I kind of like Sweden and at #79 – Ukraine. BTW, for the three major ethnic groups in the US – Germans, Irish and Italians – their flags are #29, 66 and 37.44

Now what? Football withdrawal or rededication to MLB.

Happy Lamont Cranston day.

Today's Tids Issue 4,052

For more cool, crisp Winter:

Well, we have 6 more weeks of winter coming our way as the sleepy little ball of fur saw his or her shadow. Actually, I hear that in Florida the Everglade denizens look to see if he pythons see their shadows. The only problem is that cammo skinned pythons can’t even locate their own body.

RCP has all the post SOTU polls, and for now, President Trump is looking a lot better to a lot more folks. Here’s a few: CBS/YouGov – 75% approved of Trump’s speech, with 65% saying it made them feel proud; CNN Snap Poll – 70% said they had very positive or somewhat positive reaction; NBC News/Survey Monkey Poll – 60% say Trump focused on right things, 56% were in the Enthusiastic/Satisfied category. Now the nation waits for the next tweet.

Another new poll says that conservatives are generally more attractive than liberals. Huh. Could there be seismic attitude change erupting over the fault lines of the West Coast.

I like the idea of “To-Go” meals. But, most don’t put enough gravy on the pot roast.

Patriots 32, Eagles 14. It seems that nobody is rooting for the Pats but a few New Englanders who never give up. I have a good feeling, despite the negativity.

The Question:

How big is the world’s largest ball of twine? How long is the world’s longest gum wrapper chain? How many CVS receipts does it take to reach the moon?

The Headlines:

--Reporters And Populace Await Release Of “The Memo”.

--US economy Adds A health 200K Jobs In January; Apple, Amazon meet Profit Objectives, Alphabet Misses.

--Robert Wagner “Person Of Interest” In Decades Old Death Of Wife Natalie Wood.

--Largest ICE Raid Hits 77 Businesses Innorthern Cal.

--Bitcoin Plunges Anew” Crypto Currency Market Confused As Tzos Stockholders Revolt.

--Castro’s Oldest Son Commits Suicide.

--RI Introduced New Slogan: “Fun Sized”.

The chorus heard around beautiful yet frigid Minneapolis is, “Is it Sunday yet?” Yes, Super Bowl fans have set many around the Mall of America walking records, have bought clothes they didn’t need, ate too much ice cream and spent too much time at the piercing pagoda. Now all they want is a football game and a quick ride to the airport. They do say, they people are great.

Has Wall Street gone blind? The opinions of financial leaders coming out of Davos is that nobody but nobody is even sensing the potential of danger signs entering the market place. The hot Tech embryonic companies are given generous greenlights despite potential damaging economic and strategy shortcomings. This week’s malaise maybe a little more than profit taking and could be a sign of an unsettled marketplace for 4 to 6 months. But, unsettled is better than recession.

Remember when Time magazine was the “News Weekly”, but progress turned it into the Opinion Weekly. Newspapers have become “Review Papers”. And N-Cubed --Nightly Network News -- has become Nightly Opinions and Tidbits. (Hey!). Pretty soon, the word “News” will be gone from our lexicon as everything will be old within nanoseconds of it’s happening.

It’s nice to be out of RI and in a place that still has the convenience of Plastic Bags.

A popular Providence Country style restaurant serving American goodies and good barbecue has gone the way of much the US demographics. It is now an upscale taco place. Upscale taco?

Political observers are saying that Democrat hatred of Trump has blurred or even obliterated a vison for their own party. Pro-angry has superseded pro-active even among some of the tried and true democrat warriors and even party leadership. Analysts say Party must get back to being positive as the nation’s people (Especially Independents) are tiring of negativity all the time.

Crazy racist theory of the day, Department:

Shreena Ghandi, Michigan State U Professor, says “Americans who practice Yoga contribute to White Supremacy” Say what? That’s while you’ll never catch me in yoga pants, but maybe snoozing on a Yoga mat.

Reading Between the Lines Movie reviews:

--Winchester starring Helen Mirren doesn’t have much going for it. It is a true haunted house tale featuring a mansion built by the heiress to the Winchester Gun fortune. Scary and Eerie.

--Braven is about a father and son on a hunting and fishing trip, who discover a hidden cache of drugs in their cabin. It is a fearful scene that follows when the criminals show up to gather their loot. Could be entertaining.

--A Fantastic Woman is about a younger woman who must change her plans, table her dreams, to care for her older husband who is rushed to the hospital. It seems to be well liked by all.

The Answer:

It took Frank Stoeber of Kansas four years to create a ball of twine that weighs 5,000 pounds and is 8 feet high. But the real perseverant is Gary Duschi of Virginia Beach Va who took 51 years to make an 89,432 foot gum wrapper chain. If you buy two bottles of Tums, a bag of Gillette razors and four lipsticks you may be approaching the ionosphere after one stop at CVS. 

International Paper stock prices are directly proportional to check out activity at a CVS counter.

Have a great Football Sunday, E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y!!

Basically that’s all that matters

We live in an asterisk world.

Today's Tids Issue 4,051

For Interpreting Confusion:

I can feel it in my heart. It is February, the month where old romantics walk on clouds; where sun glistens off of snowy northern plains and buds swell across the south. When Presidents are celebrated throughout, and the sounds of baseballs begin crashing to bats and mitts, echoing across warm climes. There’s something great about a month where we honor a furry little groundhog. Maybe it’s because it’s short and sweet, but probably it’s because falling love is so beautiful.

There is no truth to the rumor that 63% of Americans were confused after watching 90 minutes of prime-time politics without the presentation of awards.

Janet Yellen held her last meeting, and it looks like she and the boys have cemented in place solid policies for continued employment growth and dollar stability. I would have to say that while I poked fun at her and her brethren over time, the Fed’s actions have been a huge factor factor in the positive expansion of the markets. Everything in life is a combination of ingredients.

The Question:

Music experts say that the last five years of Pop Top Forty music has been the most monotonous of all time. It just goes to show you that computer and business driven songwriters aren’t allowed to see the value of something tuneful. But some of those songs from the past five years have stood the test of time. Name five. Bonus: How Many members do you think Starbucks has in its “Rewards” program?

The Headlines:

--Dow Up Slightly; S&P Hovering Around Zero.

--FBI Chief Christopher Wray Strongly Urges Prez To Hold Memo Secret; Memo Seems To Be Reason Wray Asked McCabe To Retire Early.

--Lowes Latest To Join Companies Offering Worker Bonuses; Dow-Dupont Beginning To Look At Spinoffs; Microsoft Cloud Success Pushes Stock Up; Jobs Expected To Show Positive January Growth.

--Google Parent Alphabet In Talks With Saudi Aramco To Build Super Tech Hub In SA.

--China Ecommerce Giant Alibaba Beats Forecasts By Wide Margin But Stock Falls 6%; Company Buys Big Stake In Ant Financial Before Expected IPO; Traders And Short Sellers May be Playing Games With High Flyer.

--Weather Patterns Confounding Popel cross Nation.

--CDC Director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald Resigns Due To Business Decision Conflicts.

--FBI Knew Of Additional Clinton Emails Month before Alerting Congress.

With Trey Gowdy announcing he will not run, Repubs have to sit up and seriously begin to take notice. Smart guys like Gowdy and the others are not bowing out just because they may have issues with Trump or even more so, tiring of or their moral compass saying no to the current status of vindictive politics. It is more likely that there isn’t a chance Repubs can win, and a life under Nancy or Chuck would be intolerable for any honest person. And the possibility of a turnover isn’t just because of the current caustic environment. The popular Ike lost 54 seats and the even more popular FDR lost 117 seats in two successive mid-terms. Reagan only lost 24 but Clinton and Bush lost even more. The iconic Barack Obama became the lost seat champ when 63 Dems were booted out. In other words, inevitability is more a factor than reason. GW Bush and Truman lost big seat numbers because of wars, so you could say that Trump has something going for him with no high visibility war currently being waged. But, then there is the inevitability all over again.

It is generally advised to lift weights on Saturdays and Sundays as opposed to weak days.

One of the reasons Hollywood celebs may be so anti Trump is Jealousy. Before now they thought they had the biggest egos on the planet. Movie stars hate being second best.

Did you every realize that Polaroid photos are/can be the real classics. All other photos, digital or film can be replicated, but the polaroid is one of a kind, with no negative or digital history.

I always thought Polaroid pics were one of the true marvels of our time.

It may look like I’m doing nothing, but I am seriously worrying about the big Super Bowl game for my beloveds. And, that is as as it gets.

The markets are said to be historically overbought.  In fact he S&P is most overbought in 22 years. Should fear it all? Nope. Since 1950, the markets have been determined overbought 13 times and only once did the markets pull back a bit. So, if facts still count, we are in pretty darn good shape.

Big conglomerate style companies of the past seem to have become unwieldy in today’s fast paced environment. Many of the old behemoths will become leaner to meet investment objectives. The workers will be the losers over time.

The Answer:

I can’t name any. But, you may remember What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction; Shake it Off – Taylor Swift; Sorry – Justin Bieber; Carry You – Union Three; Call Me Maybe – Carley Rae Jepson; We Can’t Stop – Miley Cyrus and Roar – Katy Perry. Bonus: 14,000,000 get points form Starbucks when they buy their favorite brew.

It seems that everything I write in this current cultural environment needs to be followed by a parenthetical explanation.