Monday

A little late today. I didn't get this done before I left the office, and then 2 and I met to do a short run. I'll have to figure out my timing for 4000 Days now that I have the flexibility to work on it a home.

I'll give some thought to 3's comment about baseball stories. Not that I have enough to write a book about, but I played a lot of games in a lot of places by the time I was 22. A little known fact: I never played another game after my last game senior year at ND. Cold turkey.

The conversion of my business to a securities-based model means that we need to be open on all of the days that the stock exchanges are open. Which includes the AM on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Historically, the accounting firm has always taken that Friday as a full holiday. I have always worked that day, but have not required or requested that staff observe the exchanges' schedule. Beginning in 2008, I'm making the change. The upside is that we get off President's Day. Is MLK Day next?

Which brings up the whole subject of holidays. For different businesses or professions. In different parts of the country. Pro basketball and Major League Baseball each have the All-Star break in mid-season. NASCAR has the off-season of December and January. School teachers get the Summer off. CPA's get April 16th off. Veteran's Day. Columbus Day. Patriot's Day (in Massachusetts. Boston Marathon day). Election Day (in several states). Check out "____ State Holidays" in Wikipedia. Especially Texas.

My pal Bill and his spouse were separately pictured recently in successive weeks' editions of the Bettendorf News. He in a crowd shot at the school assembly to honor the two-time state cross country team. She in a color ad for the Life Fitness Center. Bulletin board material at the office for sure. I've always been a believer in a below radar profile.

Starbucks' stock has been taking a hit in the market. They have had good profits, but their business model is leaking oil. They just don't make enough money to justify a higher price for the stock. I think they end up spending a lot of money to be able to make the money that they do make. And I don't think that they sell enough of the music or expensive coffee grinders to inflate their profits. Maybe too much in bricks and mortar as well. I think that they can continue to make money, just not print it.

In a related topic, McDonald's is marketing lattes and the like to franchisees as a further step into the higher-end coffee business. But the franchisees are not embracing the move whole-heartedly. It's an expensive expansion and will not have a short payback period. My observation is that Mac's will never be able to get staff trained to make these more exotic drinks. Their people have problem enough servicing their current menu. I will say that I can drink their coffee.

OK. Way too late. I'll do better tomorrow.

BCOT