Tuesday

Welcome to Tuesday.  Bright and sunny here...but cool.

I see where the business news top story this AM is actually about one of the newscasters, Maria Bartiromo, rather than the news.  That pretty much illustrates one of the biggest problems with today's media...the personalities reporting the news get elevated to positions above the actual news itself.  This gal has been with CNBC (or the NBC network) for 20 years, and appears to be cashing in with a move to FOX News.

On the other hand, NBC could be seeing this as their Albert Pujols moment, and letting Maria go to another network for a big number may actually be a net-win for them.  I think Maria's time of capturing viewers because of her looks/personality has passed, and I wouldn't be surprised if she has trouble upping the viewership of whatever time slot FOX gives her.  I think that the business news audience wants data, and a pretty face goes only so far.  We'll see.

Lots of stories out there today about President Lincoln and the Gettysburg address.  This pic is obviously a contemporary rendition of the scene at the time.  I know that I memorized the speech in my grade school days.  Can you imagine a President today doing a major speech in 3-4 minutes?  That would be remembered for 150 years?

I was surprised to learn that Mr. College Basketball, Dick Vitale, had never been to a game at Hilton Coliseum in Ames before the Michigan game on Sunday afternoon.  (Not that I am much of a Dickie V fan.)  He always has had great things to say about the 'Clones and had surely been told of the electricity that that building can generate.  Why wouldn't he have made the trip before?  Then again, Hoiberg's resurrection of the program may have been what it took to get DV's notice.  Whatever.  Great win for ISU.

The coach of Augie's basketball team was telling me the other day about the scheduling problems he runs into for his non-conference games.  Teams generally don't like to come to Rock Island to get beat-up upon, and so Augie ends up with fewer home games this time of year than they would prefer.  When you add in the travel costs as a limiting factor, stronger programs at smaller schools just have fewer choices.  Its not like D-I football where less-accomplished teams visit the bigger schools for a guaranteed payday.  (And I think I mentioned here last year that the D-III teams can't play comparable schools in the NAIA and get credit for their at-large resume for the tournament.  More NCAA bureaucracy.)

I'm giving 1.02 the designation of Grandson of the Day.  Looks like there was a meeting between him and an immovable object over the weekend!  Not to worry.  All superficial damage.  It may not be the last such incident for this little guy.    You 'da man, Kiddo!

Make it a good Tuesday in your neighborhood.

BCOT