Thursday

I'm adding this entry from my laptop since my desktop is at the IT shop getting scrubbed of it's latest virus.  So my office email and secure connection to my clients' investment accounts are out to lunch.  In this day and age, if your office computer is down, your productivity grinds to a halt.  (At least today then, I have a valid excuse!)

The 24 car in NASCAR driven by my favorite racer, Jeff Gordon, announced recently that they had secured full sponsorship for the 2011 year, which is not a small deal, even for a top-of-the-line team with a marquis driver.  Dupont Auto Finishes will remain the primary sponsor on the car for 11-12 races, Pepsi for 2, I think, and  the AARP Foundation for 22!!!  I just re-read a couple of the stories written on this deal, and its interesting because AARP has the rights to re-sell individual races to other companies/organizations.  Even so, AARP?  I throw all their stuff away without opening it!

The stock market had a big day today.  I don't think that it's an "election" bounce.  That pick-up in the House by the Republicans was already baked into the market.  I think that the Fed's announcement that they will be buying billions in Treasury's and pursue other "Quantitative Easing" strategies will inflate the markets and raise prices.  Watch out for your bond holdings.

I'm headed to a little culture tonight.  The Figge Art Museum is hosting a lecture by the author of a new book on artist Grant Wood.  The book reflects openly about Wood's sexuality, and has drawn some interest in our area because of Iowa being Wood's home.  The Figge has several of his works.

As I reported on Twitter yesterday, the boys at the Valvoline Quick Oil Change shop were hard on script when I took the Buick in for service. Primary air filter for the engine, cabin filter for the interior, premium grade oil, and gasoline additive were all brought in for inclusion on the job.  I declined.  My instincts had pre-set the Over/Under line on offers at 3 and I would have taken the Under.  Silly me.

Sparky Anderson died today, at the relatively young (?) age of 76.  He was the manager of Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" of the 1970's that won two World Series, and he won a third one with Detroit in the early '80's.  Old School.  Good guy.  Money management of a roster today aside, this guy, in his prime, Sparky would out-managed most of the other guys.  Of course, have several future HOF'ers on the team doesn't hurt!

I think baseball has been able to keep the sport's traditions much better than say, the NBA or the NFL. Hitting the ball.  Pitching the ball.  Those are skills that transcend generations.  I think that fold-out pic that SI published a few years back with the various Hall of Farmer's sitting/standing in a period dugout says a lot about the game.

Okay.  Gotta go get a run in before the lecture.  Get ready for Friday!

BCOT