Monday

-777


Wow! What a day. For someone who works in the financial services business, it was like being in the cast of a bad play in a low-rent, off-Broadway theater. Nobody wants to be there, but no one is quite sure how to make a proper exit.

None of the politicians have anything to be proud of. If we end up with an agreement that passes both chambers on Thursday, as is now expected, make no mistake that today was all about politics, not economics. Or statesmanship.

Another of my heretofore favorite actresses, Ashley Judd, made the video news with an anti McCain-Palin rant over the weekend, based largely on the "true" feminists' rallying point of abortion. I'm running out of fantasy fav's. Can't they just be satisfied with making a bunch of money with nominal acting skills?

Despite the Major League's season being officially over yesterday, the White Sox won a make-up game today against Cleveland that earned them the right to play the Twins in a one-game playoff tomorrow in Chicago for the American Central division title. That's one of the amazing things about baseball; they play 162 games over the course of six months, and after all that, they play one game for the prize. The same thing happened last year in the National West.

(The Cubs had a game against the Astros that didn't get played after the season as a win or loss would have made no difference in the standings for either team or any other team. Another of the minutiae rules of baseball.)

Happy Rosh Hashanah to all of my Jewish readers.

Here's a thought about how the rising costs of health care might be better controlled. I just watched a "soft news" piece by 4's favorite local Channel 6 reporter, Fran Riley, about the savings that people can achieve at the grocery store. Customers commented about clipping coupons, buying "store" brands, and watching for "sales". Compare that with the "shopping" that is done (or not done) by consumers or third-party payers for medical services.

While everyone complains about the increase in health care costs, at least some of the abuse of the current system can be traced to the fact that "the insurance company" pays the bill. The consumer may be picking up part of the monthly premium at work, and the deductible and the co-pay, but the big number goes to the carrier for settlement.

The doctors cry about their level of reimbursement compared to the fee charged. I want them to be well paid. Wealthy even. But I want them, the hospitals, and other medical services providers to be subject to the free enterprise system as well.

Did that put everyone to sleep?

Have a great day.

BCOT

Sunday

Today is the running of the QC Marathon. The image is a little vague, but it was all I could get off the site. 2 and I went down to Bettendorf to catch the runners as they came in from Illinois this morning, most specifically to see her friend from the museum. And I saw several of my buds as well. It was a much better day for running than last year when 1.1 and 2 did the half and 1 bullied her way in the heat for the full.

This is not an official Sunday as we did a pass-through at SB's before the race, but didn't even sit down. And I'm doing this entry from home. No NYT to get my dosage from the Left. but I briefly had the tube on NBC, so its not like I was totally without.

Here's a little recognition for Paul Newman, the actor who passed away Friday at age 83. He lived a full life and seemed to have a pretty good handle on who he was, and wasn't. He didn't stop at acting. Racing. Foodstuff. Philanthropy. (The fact that he was an off-the-far-edge liberal is no longer relevant. He called his making Nixon's "Enemies List" as one of his greatest accomplishments.)

These posters represent four of his more memorable roles. Not being much of a movie-goer in recent decades, I think it would be fair to say that he, along with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, would be on the short list of my all-time favorite actors. (Maybe Redford too, but his politics get in the way. Three Days of the Condor is a big offset to the positive.)

I think that the phrase coming out of Cool Hand Luke, "What we have here is a failure to communicate", is one of the Top Ten phrases in our culture in the last , say, 50 years.

(The change in fonts is an accident. And I have tried to correct the difference from normal, but my techno-skills have maxed out at just getting the entry entered. Maybe tomorrow. Getting those pics lined up in a sort of order was no small fete.)

2 and 3 have been enjoying the home-ownership and living on your own benefits. Painting. Clogged bathroom issues. Never a dull moment.

Big win for ND yesterday. Either Purdue was/is really not that good, or the Irish may have something. Saw my pal Pete at the race this morning, and he said that it had been a great game to be at. There were a lot of underdog wins in college football yesterday. Mostly grumbling out of IC for their loss to Northwestern.

I did order a new pair of Saucony's on Friday. The store only had brite-white in stock so I had them order a less-flashy (silver/gray) model of the same shoe. I looked for the shoe at Dick's, but they carried only a couple of lower-priced Saucony running shoes. I'm sure that its a numbers game and it just doesn't pay for them to keep a full line of all brands in inventory. And most of the on-line retailers had my shoe in the high $80's to low $90's, so giving a hundo to Running Wild is OK.

Not much to comment on on the financial mess. The rescue/bailout is now sorting through the political responsibilities. I have put down hard cash with a client that the Big O will win in November. I am convinced that a majority of the 10-15% of Undecideds will ultimately conclude that the Republicans have had their chance, and that The Other Guys should now get theirs.

Hope everyone has a great day.

BCOT

Thursday

It's Thursday. Do you know if your money's safe?

Another day. Another day of political posturing. Under the assumption that they do figure out a deal, the market is still in for a bumpy ride. Way too many weak points in the broader economy. The "free ride" of easy credit is coming home to roost.

And whatever the circumstances, let's not offend David Letterman.

We had an example in the office today of the difficulty in getting to the paperless society. We have 10 years of files in the basement and have never had them scanned into the computer system. So we need a record from a 2002 tax return, and its, "get out the ladder" to find box #433 on the top shelf of a floor-to-ceiling shelving system.

I think that they actually have companies who go into firm like ours and spend weeks scanning the old files into the servers. Then you can free up the space in the basement and bring in the Foosball table.

I strained my left gastrocnemius muscle last night when doing my run with 2. This is the same injury that I have suffered most every year that I have done training. While I am guilty of the lack of stretching, before and after, I theorize that I'm fine as long as my stride is a "shuffle". If I actually start to simulate a true "running" step, the ole gastro starts to cry out. So my solution is to shuffle.

I've also wondered about my shoes. (Remember the old Jordan-Spike Lee commercials, "Its the shoes"?) I haven't bought new shoes for over four years. A life time to a runner. So I may venture over to Running Wild this weekend and check out some new Saucony's. My pal Pete says that its always the shoes.

Speaking of my pal Pete, he's over at ND this weekend with another lawyer friend at the annual ND Estate Planning Conference. (I attended the same conference a couple of times in the '80's. Its a fairly highly regarded program.) The two of them go every other year or so. Its almost always held the Thursday Friday before a home football game. The Irish have Purdue on Saturday. So the boys'll get to see PU pick apart the ND secondary.

Have a great Friday.

BCOT

Wednesday

I'm thinking that tomorrow is Aunt Marg's 70th birthday. Now that's old.

More of the financial crisis dominating the news today. The hearings on Capital Hill had all the ear markings of partisan politics. Assessing blame, posturing for constituents back home, and generally vilifying Paulson and Bernake were the orders of the day. If they don't wake up and create a plan, the market will not be happy.

Cream for my coffee. I've been meaning to address this topic for quite a while, but it has kept escaping me at the time the fingers hit the keys. Not today.

SBs has the preferred cream situation; half-and-half straight from the dairy case. Cafes and restaurants used to present cream in packaged containers like these in small saucers, often surrounded with ice to keep the creamers chilled. As a dairy product, the cream needed to be kept cool to keep it from spoiling.

For the road, in-room service at hotels, and coffee machines everyplace else, Coffee-Mate came into being. And the world is lesser for it. Powdered creamer. Some varieties were actually packaged in the same shape of containers as the real dairy creamers. Ugh.

Today, lots of the Quick Shops and the like use a liquid substitute for cream that is the equivalent of the powdered cream. And since it really isn't dairy-based, they don't have to worry about refrigeration. It bugs me. I don't know what I'm ingesting, and it has the artificial taste to boot.

I have commented for many years that I would be much better off if I could just enjoy my coffee straight up. But I learned to drink the stuff on Grandpa's lap. And he needed cream and sugar. The cream and sugar don't fall very far from the tree.

I've been stopping at the Duck Creek McDonald's for my morning coffee a couple times a week lately. Their local stores now do not leave any of the cream, sugar or any other packaged condiments out for the taking on the public counters. When they ask if you want cream or sugar in your coffee, they have dispensers adjacent to their coffee machines and they will put the stuff in for you. But they will also honor your request to put it in yourself. And they then provide you with the traditional dairy creamers.

Lance made it official. He's back. He says that his first race will be The Tour Down Under (in Australia) in January. The team, Astana, has too many chiefs. Contador, who won the tours of Italy and Spain this year, and France last year, really should be the leader of the team. Lance ain't coming back to be Number Two.

Have a great day.

BCOT

Tuesday

I'm more than a little disappointed that I'm not in IC tonight. 4 had a conflict. No Airliner pizza for me. :(

Nothing but "Wall Street bailout" on the news the last couple of days. The purists remain irate and want the ship to crash and burn so that the Phoenix can eventually rise from the ashes. While that path would likely prove, in the long run, that the free market system works, there would be a lot of collateral damage along Main Street in the short run.

OK. Its official. Galveston is requesting $2.2 billion for reconstruction. According to that pillar of factual information, the NYT, that request works out to about $37K per resident. Why not? The folks living below sea level in New Orleans are still at the Federal teat. Or is that, trough?

Here's a good one. Chicago's Mayor Daley wants the bars around Wrigley (and Sox Park if they get in to the playoffs) to stop serving beer after the 7th inning to try to keep a lid on rowdiness among the fans. Let's see. On what will most certainly be one (or more) of the most exciting days around the ball park, the Mayor wants the bar owners to cap their profits at seven innings worth. Only a PC politician could come up with that one.

Let's see. Biden can't shut up. Palin won't talk. Both are hung out to dry by the Fourth Estate. Arguably, each side could use a little of the other.

How 'bout this? From the distinct philosophical leanings of the Hollywood crowd, is it any surprise that the West's Washington-Oregon-California border is often referred to as the Left Coast?

On the Inflation Front. I used to buy those tart, green Granny Smith apples at HyVee for $1.29 a pound, maybe 3-4 years ago. The price inched up over time, and they kind of went off my radar screen when they regularly got to $1.89 - 1.99. The price tonight: $2.69. ExxonMobile's got nothin' on HyVee.

One of the Midwest's rural-oriented retailers is called Blain's Farm & Fleet. It sells a variety of hardware, tools, automotive equipment and lots of other stuff used around the home, garage and farm. I always thought that "Blain" was some guy's first name. Turns out that "Blain" was a couple of brothers' last name. Given the propensity of today's parents to pick gender-neutral and family surnames as first names, tomorrow's store owners will be even less easy to identify.

Hope everyone has a great day.

BCOT

Sunday PM

Here's to the USA team on their victory in the Ryder Cup, the biannual golfing competition between the US and Europe. I spent a few more hours in front of the TV today, and while today's singles matches (one-on-one) definitely had excitement, it wasn't quite at the same level as yesterday's two-man theater (two-on-two).

For the shallow-golf-knowledge crowd, the Ryder Cup is one of the few times where scores are maintained on a, "who wins the hole", or match scoring basis. In the regular weekly tour events, scores are maintained on a "stroke play" basis: lowest cumulative score after four rounds wins. In match play, you can just totally screw up one hole, but you only lose that hole. If you play lights out the next hole, you can win that hole and cancel out the poorly played hole. If you win more holes than the other guy in the 18 hole match, you win one point for the team. If you tie, you each get a half point. There are 28 matches scheduled over the three days. The first team to 14 1/2 points wins the Cup. (There are a few more rules, but that's the gist of it.)

BBQ over at 2's tonight. She's trying to get prepared to entertain a few friends later this week, and she isn't exactly an experienced chef on the grill. We did chicken breasts and asparagus. Not bad.

I'm boycotting Sunday Night Football on NBC. (I'm not that big of an NFL fan to start with, but that's not the point.) They advertised their broadcast of tonight's game so many times during the golf, that if they were held to human standards, they would have been written up for public indecency. Of course, their rah-rah studio crew includes Kieth Olbermann, and I refuse to watch or listen to him spout his elitist gibberish.

In case you missed it, Europe's new Super Collider is broken. I'm not sure what it does, but it sounds like a lot of pork-barrel funding. I wouldn't be surprised if they found some US dollars behind it. We back everything.

So have a great week.

BCOT

Sunday

This really should have been written yesterday. I got hooked on watching the Ryder Cup golf matches all day yesterday and was as unproductive as a person can get on a weekend day. Hardly made it off the couch. And, fortunately, missed most of the Iowa and ND football losses.

Here's a little love to RevKev for his documented ride up Mt. Diablo. Personally, I go into training for a period of months before I try riding the mountains. But I'm old and less bold. (There's that adage that has application here: "You have old riders. And you have bold riders. But you don't have old, bold riders.")

This is a Sunday at SBs. Lousy music. Is eclectic part of their corporate mission statement?

For those into astronomy, we are at (or almost at) the autumnal equinox. I read the Wikipedia definition, and I still don't understand it. I know that it has to do with the position of the sun in relation to the Earth's equator, but the math befuddles me. Technically, I think that its the time that you're supposed to go from the searsucker sports coat to the camel hair or tweed.

This should be an interesting week for the politicians. The Federal bailout of the financial industry will be widely debated among the pundits and sages. Truthfully, it may be years before we know whether the action will be successful, or the costs. The shorts, hedge fund managers, and free market fundamentalists are p...ed off. Wreckless lenders, bankers, borrowers, investors, insurers, and regulators (all of whom except maybe the most naive of the borrowers should have known better) are getting a modified "do-over".

But Washington was caught in the unenviable position of the rock and the hard place. To do nothing would likely have accelerated a strong downturn, and immediate financial losses for most people on Main Street. But the action to step in and call this "time out" flies in the face of the free market. Lots of critics on either side. But while the academicians may want Uncle Sam to stay out of the way, Main Street has more voters, most of whom are crying, "uncle".

Obama will paint this as a Bush-inspired catastrophe. (Shocking!) McPalin will refer to the Clinton's and the Democratic-controlled Congress. (Equally shocking!) This Friday's debate is supposed to be on foreign policy, but I suspect that it will trend toward the economic mess as there are huge implications on the world's economy from the sub-prime black hole.

In much more-upbeat news, the Cubs clinched their division yesterday at Wrigley with a win over the Cards. My suspicion is that there were a few adult beverages consumed in the establishments around Wrigleyville last night. That would have been a good place to be.

Pretty quiet in Boston and IC. What's going on?

More later.

BCOT

Thursday

4 seemed to have a good time at the rally this AM. Although Palin did open up her remarks by saying how happy she was to be in "Grand" Rapids. And I think she mis-named the local hockey team. Still waiting on the report.

Another 35 minute training run tonight. Lots of ibuprofen and a tight leg sleeve left over from the ACL surgery. Not bad results.

My pal Bill heads over to South Bend tomorrow to watch his son run in a major cross country meet at ND. I can honestly say that I didn't know that ND had a cross country team during my four years there. I'm not sure if I even knew that there was a sport called cross country. (I did know some "track" guys.) I've given Bill instructions on where to find my name on the letter winners list in the basketball arena complex.

My neighbors are having a fish fry at their place tomorrow night. They caught some trout up in northeast Iowa last month and are grilling a mess up on their grill for a few neighbors and friends. I still remember one particular "shore lunch" cooked up by our guide on the one Canadian fishing trip I took with the guys as still being one of my Top Ten best meals, ever.

Huge win at Wrigley for the Cubs today. Four runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie, and a two-out single in the twelfth to win. The magic number is down to two.

Wall Street went on another roller coaster ride today, this time ending the day on an up note. The uptick was driven by the word that the regulators and politicians were getting together to come up with a comprehensive plan to address the major issues. I never have a great deal of confidence when a bunch of legislators have an impromptu presentation in a Capital Hill hallway expressing their commitment to quickly work out a solution to a national crisis level problem. When said gang is led by Nancy Pelosi, expectations need to be ratcheted down a few more notches.

Is there any possibility that cell phone use will be banned by all operators of cars, boats and planes? I see where California has banned train engineers from cell phone use while on duty as a result of the train crash last week. Its a lay-up. But there will be interest groups that will argue against such a ban, the same way the NRA argues against gun regulations, and the ACLU argues for the right to burn the flag.

I haven't been able to keep up on the latest O.J. Simpson trial.

I'm thinking that it will be a Margret day tomorrow.

BCOT

Wednesday

Another brutal date on Wall Street. I wouldn't normally add a cartoon this size to the blog, but this one hits most of the points from my earlier comments on the credit crisis, and I wanted the caption in the upper left to be readable. And it gives appropriate credit to most of the players in the mortgage food chain.

Of course, the politicians are continuing their finger-pointing, each to the other side. As though this all evolved last week. Bottom line: I suspect that the mess helps the Dems. Since the GOP has the White House currently, the natural reaction of the public is to say, "Let the other guys give it a shot."

My Turkey Trot training is off to a slow start. I had forgotten that I had received a cortisone shot in my right knee last Spring after experiencing some pain. The actual diagnosis then was a meniscus problem, but the Doc suggested a cortisone shot as an alternative to a "scope procedure. I don't think that the shot really helped that much, but the knee really never gave me that much of a problem cycling (since there's not the impact or twisting to the joint). And I had no interest in more medical work being done on me. We'll see if ibuprofen can control the pain. I'll be real upset if it becomes intolerable.

4 says that she is headed to Cedar Rapids early tomorrow for the McCain-Palin rally. I'll be interested in a report.

I took off from work early yesterday so that I could mowed my yard before heading over to IC. To preclude a messy looking yard after the fact, I had to raise the deck on the mower and catch the clippings because the grass was so long. And I'll have to mow again Saturday to get the grass down to the regular level. Home ownership is a beach. But it is September, and I'm guessing that the number of mowing events for the rest of the year is in the single digits. The glass is half full.

I am now the owner of a Napa Valley grape-colored cycling jersey. Compliments of my pal Roy from his trip there last week. He figured that a cycling wine snob like me needed the new look. I'll be making good use of it...next year.

I was wrong last week about Tuesday and Wednesday being the only nights without football. ESPN2 had a game tonight between K State and L'ville.

Isn't rebuilding Galveston Island a little like betting on a will-won't proposition? I mean, building homes on stilts, on the beach, in a traditional hurricane zone, is just testing likelihoods, isn't it? Maybe Vegas will establish an "over-under" line on how long a newly constructed place there will last. I suppose that the insurance companies actually have to do just that. And in that regard, I suppose that any insurance company that sharpens the pencil and elects to stop writing these types of policies in Texas will be accused of discrimination.

Some other possible over-under bets:

1. Trailer home in Oklahoma.
2. Any Hollywood marriage.
3. An NBA coach's tenure.
4. Latest-greatest cell phone.
5. Episodes of a new 1/2 hour comedy.

Looks like great weather through the weekend. Get out there and enjoy it.

BCOT

Monday

Tough day on Wall Street. The unraveling of Lehman Brothers, the disposition of Merrill, and the imminent demise of AIG have even the most hardened financial services observers/operators wondering about the next to fall.

My pal Roy always talks about the lions looking for the water buffalo (also known as a wildebeest) walking with a limp at the edge of the herd. The same strategy applies among the short sellers in the stock market. Merrill was sold because they figured out that they were "next" among the investment banks (after the market had bled Lehman to death) that might have trouble surviving in the spotlight. Now the focus will shift to other free-standing lenders. Maybe Wachovia.

In my photo here, those birds sitting on Bossy's back could be the shorts. Along for the ride, but taking off to the next target once the lions show up.

Lots of blame to go around on this. Greed. At every level. From John Doe who took a mortgage on a property that he could not afford. To the mortgage broker who took the commission to write up the paperwork. To the Countrywide's who packaged the paper and passed it on to the investment bankers. To the bankers who sliced and diced the paper into high paying mortgage-backed bonds. To the insurers who gave the reconstructed securities their AAA rating. To the brokers who then sold the AAA paper to John Q. Retiree. And don't let John Q. Retiree totally off the hook: he wanted a rate of return higher than what he could get on a CD.

Lots of very smart people let this all go on. Greed creates short memories. Its a "new economy". Real estate isn't the same as Dot-com. The new mortgage-backed paper is insured and therefore can't go down. The people who put it all together have only the safety and security of the ultimate buyers in mind.

All lies. Everybody was selling the stuff to feather their own nests.

The politicians are playing their typical game of Four Dogs Playing Poker on this one. Blame the other guy. Its the season. For another 50 days.

Today's filing date passed with little fanfare. The same guys who file on the last day every year showed up today. If I had one wish for the tax side of my business, it would be that this last-day crowd changed their ways to a-month-from-the-last-day crowd.

My pal Bill did a full day of tailgating with his family in IC on Saturday for the Iowa State game. They got up there and parked in a yard just off of Melrose (for 60 bucks!) by 7:30AM. In the rain! I had called his cell to ask if he took a portable sump pump, but he didn't return my call. He said today the the $60 was a deal as it should have been $80 because of their tent. He didn't hear the call for "Big Ass Turkey Legs", but he said that he saw a bunch of turkey bones in the trash locations.

Another venture to IC tomorrow to see 4.

Have a great day.

BCOT

Sunday

We didn't get Ike (I don't think), but we've had lots of rain here this weekend. The drought is over.

Congrats to the Hawks for their win yesterday. But what's the deal with that late safety? If the spread was 13 1/2, and they were ahead 17-3 on that 4th down with less than a minute to go, where do you think the coaches' money was to lead them to deciding that a punt was too risky?

Then we have the nimble Charlie Weis getting clobbered on the sideline in a case of collateral damage. I watched it once, and it wasn't pretty. He'll have the same surgery as Tom Brady. The left ACL is the same injury that I incurred now almost 20 years ago. They'll want him to lose weight to make his rehab more successful.

The Irish were a little better than the awful Michigan Wolverines. I'm assuming that the new guy at Michigan can coach. I mean, he did win a lot of games at West Virginia. Too bad they aren't on Iowa's schedule this year. (Nor is Ohio State. Could that mean two more victories than might be otherwise expected?)

I didn't know it, but my cycling season ended, unannounced, last Sunday. I got way-laid during the week with other scheduling issues. And rained-out this weekend. Hello Turkey Trot training! (The only open point is that I need to track down the t-shirt that I was supposed to get for today's Century ride.)

I felt like Mr Handyman yesterday. It was first a little electrical repair on a light switch to 2's basement (that was broken during the delivery of her W-D). Then the connection of the W-D to the gas, water and vents to the appropriate access points. Not overly complicated work, but I've been known to screw it up in the past.

Then I applied those same skills to a broken sump pump over at SRH's. The biggest challenge there was to get compatible connectors to the pump and the existing discharge PVC piping to the outside. Like most home repair, they're usually various ways to skin a cat (no offense,4), and I ultimately chose a gay device (as opposed to a male or female option). This is an example of my progress to Liberalism.

I've had another incident of computerize flight-schedule change-notification. This time it was for a flight that I'm scheduled to take in mid-October. It looks like its just a small time change. The real interesting thing is that I had forgotten that I had made the reservation! For the last couple of weeks, I have been meaning to get on-line to buy my ticket to Phoenix for a conference that I am registered to attend. Obviously, the early-Alzheimer's drug hasn't started to kick in yet.

My pal Roy spent the better part of last week in Napa doing a little golf and wine with a group of friends. Sounds like he joined a number of wine clubs, which may help to upgrade my own wine cellar, generous pal that he is. (Actually, my wine cellar might be more accurately described as a wine shelf, but why quibble on definitions?)

I missed the Tina Fey bit on Palin last night. Sounds like it went pretty well. SNL has made political mimicry a cultural staple. Its an entertainment show and has a long history of poking fun at anyone in the news. (Its also the three letter solution to a frequent crossword clue, "Late-night TV staple".) Personally, its brand of humor (epitomized by SNL alum Will Farrell) has never appealed to me.

So hope everyone has a good week.

BCOT

Thursday

Today is the seven year anniversary of 9-11. A small recognition today for the casualties, survivors, rescuers and all associated parties.

No politics here. There is an enemy out there who will make another attempt to kill our citizens in a manner to achieve maximum effect. This is one area that we all need to recognize the need for our country to stand on watch.

Somewhat relatedly, any bets on whether General Petraeus will eventually make it to politics a la Colin Powell? He should be considered for Secretary of Defense. For either candidate.

2 has a new washer/dryer set in her basement. Not in service yet. But there.

Tuesday and Wednesday have become the only days of the week without football on TV. Taking the lead from college reality of the weekend starting on Thursday evening, ESPN has a Thursday night game now. Not that North Carolina-Rutgers is much of a game.

I saw the new Microsoft commercial with Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld for the first time tonight. I didn't/don't get it. Are both of those guys just bored?

Another week. Another hurricane in the Gulf. One of the reasons that these things cause so much damage is that we've built stuff (commercial industrial, and residential) in the middle of the frequent paths of the storms. Kind of like how the fires and mudslides out West cause more and more damage to homes built in the forests and on the hills. Of course, most of these problems are because of George Bush.

Hope everyone has a good Friday. I'm looking forward to a little TGIF relief tomorrow evening.

BCOT

Wednesday

Here's to 1 as Daughter of the Day. She had her first day on her long term sub job. Be a star, Kiddo.

And 3 is a provisional Daughter of the Day for becoming the indispensable heartbeat of her banking group in Boston. Her report today has her juggling several tasks and keeping her boss on point. Sounds like a good move for her to the Right Coast.

Great evening in IC last night. But The Airliner is no place for Chicago style deep dish pizza. We'll be back to the regular crust next week.

The politicians need to ratchet down the rhetoric and "gotcha" games. All of the various handlers and strategists are like trial lawyers: they really don't care about the truth; they just want to win.

Still up to my ears with some deadline tax returns. It ain't any fun.

Have a great day.

BCOT

Monday

They're projecting a low in the 40's tonight. I'm not complaining, but with that and the rapidly shortening days, we all know what comes next. But at our Scott Street house in Davenport, I always figured that I'd have a couple of weekends late into October, or even November to swap out the screens for the storm windows. So no reason to panic just yet.

Tuesday evening at The Airliner with 4 is on my schedule tomorrow. Its Iowa-Iowa State this week in IC. With both teams at 2-0 after the cupcake portion of their schedules, hope is high in both camps. The early line is Iowa -12. That's a lot of points in a game often driven by emotion. And the Hawks under Ferentz haven't exactly excelled in this annual grudge match. I know little about ISU at this point, but I'd be inclined to take the underdog on this one.

My most recent misplacement story is on my garage door opener. I tossed it in my recycling bin this morning (I think.) And I almost missed another meeting this afternoon. Although this is one that I didn't even put on my calendar. Because September 8th was way too far into the future to worry about.

I'm going to check out that early-Alzheimer's drug they're touting on commercial breaks in the network news telecasts and Wheel of Fortune. I can't remember the name of it. (Big Pharma owns the ad time on those shows. Count 'em sometime.)

Are we truly a free-market economy if we continue to bail out company's and institutions that are too important to fail? Bear Stearns. Fannie Mae. Freddie Mac. They say Ford and GM are next in line. The dollar's printing presses will wear out. Don't be fooled by today's short-covering rally.

On the Internet today, they have Lance Armstrong following Brett Favre out of retirement. He's already back on the drug-testing program. My guess is that he's figured out that he still has the ability to compete, and he's bored in his quasi-political efforts. Maybe he just needed a break like Jordan did when he spent time in minor league baseball. If Astana were to bring him back, my bet is that he could ride the wheels of their other studs and still win a big stage race.

Incidentally, today was the first stage in this week's Tour of Missouri. Those of you with a cycling interest, and we know that we have a new one in the crowd, can check it out at www.tourofmissouri.com

A couple of my favorite commentators, Olberman and Matthews, had their anchor responsibilities yanked for MSNBC's future political coverage. I'm shocked that such even-keeled reporters would get that kind of treatment.

All for tonight. I doubt if I get back in time from IC for a Tuesday entry.

BCOT

Sunday

Just a few lines tonight.

I didn't get up to go with the boys to DeWitt early this AM. I chose the SBs route instead. (I read parts of the NYT, but not the magazine. Is there anybody in that paper who claims to be a Republican? Actually, the William Safire column wore me out. Each paragraph had at least one word that was new to me. Does he write with a Roget at his side?)

My ride this afternoon was a 33-miler to McCausland and back. Didn't enjoy a single part of it. Is that a sign that the biking season is over? It seemed like I was riding into a head wind regardless of the direction that I was headed. And I was passed a couple of times by guys who made me feel like I was standing still. (As a general rule, those biker studs are not a friendly lot. They usually make no effort at a greeting, or a response to mine.)

This especially to 4. I went through an, "I lost my glasses", episode yesterday morning. She had a problem with car keys one memorable time last year. Weren't they found in the garbage at the gas station? In my case, I had taken my regular glasses along in Margret for morning coffee while wearing my sun glasses. I reached for the regular glasses when I arrived at SB, but they weren't on the seat beside me. I rationalized that I had left them at home.

When I got home later on, I looked, but couldn't find the glasses. I looked twice in and under Margret's seats. No luck. I was confounded. On a "retrace your steps" protocol, I stopped at the 18th and 53rd streets BP (where I had purchased the Saturday papers on the way to SBs) on my way out of town on my ride, including going through the garbage where I had deposited a small bag of such stuff on my way into the store. Still no luck. As a final act, I went in and asked the clerk if anyone had turned in a set of glasses. Bingo! Someone had found them on the sidewalk outside the door to the store. Life is full of such unintended fun.

2 now has an operational Weber grill at her new house. With a supply of charcoal and lighter fluid. She's doing a nice job with her new place.

Busy week in my future. September 15th is a due date for 2007 corporate returns, and I have a small hand full to finish up. Not one of my favorite times of the year.

Hope everyone has a great day.

BCOT

Saturday

How 'bout them Hawks? Big day in IC. 42-zip. And I don't think that the game was as close as the score indicates. FIU must be a real powerhouse.

ND struggled against Chuck Long-led San Diego State. A favorable "homer" call on a fumble at the ND goal line gave the Irish the break they needed. Could be another year of underachieving by the Weis crew.

33+ this morning. Maybe DeWitt tomorrow. It was actually a bit too cool for comfort on a bike at 6:30 this morning.

I golfed with a client in Muscatine yesterday afternoon at my pal Roy's home club (where I have been a true non-resident member for the Summer). My back lasted for about 13 holes. Those last couple in particular were u-g-l-y. Maybe my Winter exercise program will include some lower back work.

Its official. My 2008 tomato crop was a failure. The four plants may have produced a total of 50 edible tomatoes. My neighbor and I have concluded that we have some tomato-loving critters and birds in the area. Next year, my garden will have a fence and protective netting. (I can't believe I just said that. Since when did birds like tomatoes?)

And I mowed my yard this afternoon for the first time since coming home from Tahoe. Gustav gave us enough rain to bring a little life back to the grass. The broad-leaf weeds and dandelions grew in the absence of water, but the grass had started to go dormant. If there's rain in the forecast, I'm laying down a strong treatment of Weed & Feed.

Revkev (you'll always be Revkev to us!), I'm thinking that you've broken Blog Protocol 101 by commenting on your own blog.

Is there anything as silly as a reporter standing on a street near an Atlantic beach being buffeted by hurricane-level winds and rain "reporting" the weather? With all the storms now being reported on, you can't turn on The Weather Channel or any of the big cable networks without one of these shots. It really adds to the news.

Interesting combination of players for the multi-TV-network cancer special last night. The three networks' evening news anchors appeared on stage together, and there were many "stars" and celebrities involved. Lance Armstrong among them in Chicago.

McCain and Obama are set to appear together at Ground Zero on 9-11.

We can unite as a nation for almost any disaster. (Although, of course, most of those disasters are because of George Bush.) Voter registration cards aren't checked when sandbagging a surging Mississippi River. Or when the roads close for a Winter blizzard.

We also unite behind our successful teams or heroes. Did anyone ask Michael Phelps his political preferences before that last gold medal race? (Well, Katie Kouric tried to, but Bob Costas cut her off.)

I have no answers. I'm still trying to figure out the questions.

Have a great Sunday.

BCOT

Thursday

We have the remnants of Hurricane Gustav over us today. Needed rain. Although this was the first day in six weeks that I had scheduled a round of golf. Maybe a Tuscan red night. The very warm days of last weekend are gone, and we have the feel of Fall.

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I was among the millions who watched the Palin speech last night. I'm still not convinced that she is out of the vetting woods. The adage that you don't tick-off reporters whose employers buy ink by the barrel is still relevant (although most of the new media uses electronic distribution methods). Provided that she survives any further disclosures, the campaign for the White House could be interesting.

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The Cubs are in a bit of a bother. Five straight losses. At home. Two top pitchers with arm problems. Quiet bats. Are they far enough ahead to not worry?

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4 and I had a fine evening at The Airliner Tuesday. It could be come a regular date. I was the oldest guy there.

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Another big down day in the market today. Very little good news and bad fundamentals. Oil down, the Dollar up, but lots of uncertainty in the Financials. And lots of housing inventory. A slowing of the world's economy. I suspect that there will be more bad news to come. Cash is not a bad place to be.

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(These dots between paragraphs is my response to the Blogger system not letting me put a line between paragraphs. Software gremlins.)

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3 reports from Boston that she has fought a persistent computer virus on her office-owned laptop for several days now. Most of us have experienced something like that in our computer histories. A few years back, I opened an innocuous looking message (not the attachment) from a client, and it proceeded to infect our local Network, and was sent automatically to my Contacts list. Which infected several other Networks. It was not an "inappropriate" email. But insidiously effective. And not easily "scrubbed" from our system. Very embarrassing.

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Here's another PC debate: does the LPGA step out of bounds by requiring players to speak English? I fall more on the side that says, yes, they ought to have some facility with the language. I'm not of a mind that players should be suspended if they don't comply, but the economics of their tour suggests that the subject should be ignored. The pro-am's that produce a lot of money for the events rely on local amateurs to fork up $3,000-$5,000 (or more) for the privilege to play a Wednesday round with one of the pros. If I'm paying that kind of money to play with a player who can't even talk to me, the experience is a little hollow.

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The NBA stepped up a few years back and instituted a dress code for players. There was some grousing, but David Stern made it stick, and now you just don't see the players show up for a game or a team-sponsored event in 'hood garb. The LPGA is comprised of non-unionized, independent contractors, and they don't have the administrative leadership of a David Stern, so its not a direct comparison. But the economic principles do apply.

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Have a great evening.

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BCOT

Tuesday

Does this feel like Monday or what?

Somehow I just never got back to the computer this weekend. It wasn't that I was overly busy. Inspiration was temporarily absent. I did get another good 20+ miler in on Sunday, and my pale Bill's daughter Molli got married in a nice deal on Sunday evening. But Monday was very laid back. Assembling my new grill (and using it twice!) was the highlight of my accomplishments.

I'm headed over to IC tonight for an early dinner with 4. Pizza at The Airliner. I'm shooting for elevating the average age in the place this evening.

The media feeding frenzy on Sarah Palin continues. Support/ridicule in the blogsphere/media seems to fall predictably along party lines. Life in the spot light will eventually reveal every blemish. She's the prey in a very public game of "Gotcha".

I also stopped out at the McCausland classic car show yesterday. They must have had 300-400 cars lined up throughout town. But no Margret look-alike. I would have stayed past one beer and a quick walk-through, but the 90+ temperature chased me home in short order.

I'll add more to this later after my visit with 4.

BCOT