Thursday

Not sure how we already got to Thursday night, but here we are.


Tough day in the markets today.  I think that there are some underlying fundamentals that suggest that an interest rate hike by the Fed is not warranted, but most of the talking heads are asking what a quarter-point increase would even mean.  The markets have to digest so much information.  I'm not sure that there is an algorithm broad enough to capture all of the variables.


I haven't had the interest to measure mileage in my new (old) truck, but I'm thinking that I leave a fairly deep carbon footprint(tire track).  I'm guessing on the Over/Under for in-town travel...which is all the further the truck travels...is 12mpg.  That's without the 4-wheel-drive engaged.  I might take the Under.  (The dash board odometer doesn't have a trip-odometer...which means I need to write something down to have the data to make the computation.)


2 and I met with the development director from the Figge over wine and appetizers at Biaggi's last night.  I haven't been through Biaggi's that much over the last couple of years.  Our waiter didn't even remember to drag out my wine glasses.  They go through a lot of wait/bar staff in a place like that.  In days of yore when I camped out there more regularly, it seemed like I knew most of them...and they, me.  Now, not so much.  Whatever. 


For what its worth, the head bartender at Crust in Bettendorf and one of the main bartenders at the Chop House in Moline are both Biaggi's alumni.  Those places do a pretty good job of taking care of me (and friends) when we stop in. 


I tend to do some calculations on tips at those places (and the Airliner) when we are in there on a 1/2-price bottle wine (pizza) night.  On the one hand, you are paying (what I think is) a fairer price for the wine, but the barkeep/waiter could be considered to be getting short-changed under the percentage-of-the-tab gratuity theory.  I asked the gal at the Chop House what she thought of that dilemma a few weeks ago, and she said that she favored the percentage, regardless of the smaller bill on half-price night.  I still try to take care of those folks, regardless of the tab.


(At the Airliner on a Tuesday, I always tip off of the regular menu prices.  Those kids in there working the tables need the money!)


Another aspect of the tipping process came to my attention earlier this year at the new R Bar in Davenport.  (I know the owner and get called in for business operational questions on a recurring basis.)  Typically, I'll pay most of the time with a credit card, and just add the tip to the credit card amount.  That can create a small cash-flow issue for the establishment if it is their practice to pay out the staff's tips on a weekly or shorter basis.  Depending on how quickly their credit card processing takes to become an actual deposit into their bank account, the business may have to front the tip money to the staff before getting the cash.  In bigger places, that's probably not a problem.  But for a smaller operator, it can become a little bump in the road.  (So at the R Bar, I will pay the bill with the credit card, and tip with cash.)


I've run into several people who are making the trip over to Indy for the Hawkeye game on Saturday night.  If they were season ticket-holders, the tickets were priced at $80 each.  Student tickets were $40.  Not a bad price in my opinion.  And with it being a night game, a person could drive over Saturday morning and be there in plenty of time for a little tail-gating before the game.  (A quick peak on Stubhub had plenty of tickets in the $200-300 range...with pricer tickets as you got nearer to the action.)  Iowa is getting 3 points on the betting line.  Not sure if that will be enough.


The Hawkeye basketball team had a nice win at home last night in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge against Florida State.  Quite a few empty seats at Carver Hawkeye.  I actually think they might be decent by the time the latter part of the season gets here...they could win 20 games.  They have a lot of players who can play.  If the guys put a bus trip together again, I'll go with for a game.


Not having ever been a Kobe Bryant fan, I have no feelings either way for his announced retirement.  He was a good basketball player.  Not so sure he was a great citizen.


Hope it is a Good Friday in your neighborhood.


BCOT