TIGER WOODS WILL TALK

It appears Tiger Woods will be coming out of silence on Friday to talk to fans and media cirlcles about his infidelities, and to make amends. I think he will also outlay his plans for his future in golf. Even though he said he would take a hiatus, I think it's safe enough an observation to make, that golf runs in Tiger Wood's veins. Stepping off the golf course for a little while, and waiting for the sex scandal to quiet down a bit, I think was a good idea. This is not to say that coming out and speaking to fans and media will immediately reinvigorate the Tiger Woods brand. Mending such deep wounds will take quite a lot of time, great golfer or not.

I do think it's best for him to move on from the situation, however, and talk openly about his feelings and perhaps give some insight into his life and problems that may have led up to the scandal. Not that it's really anyone's business other than him and his wife. But being in the public eye in the way that Tiger Woods is, means he can't keep entirely silent if he wants to further his career. And whatever he chooses not to disclose, everyone knows that other media, such as the tabloids, would exact due dilligence into trying to fill in the blanks. Something they're not that terrible at either.

No one knows exactly what Tiger will say, or if he's even going to hint at returning to the golf course. What is clear is that he will at least be making an apology, and even if that's all he does, I think that's a good thing. If nothing else, it's a good start. Once the silence is broken, the real mending can begin.

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IF YOU SMOKE, YOU'RE FIRED

John Tesh is a bit of nutcase, if you ask me. I think he's long ago gone off the deep end to be sure. I'm not exactly certain of the exact moment that became true, but I just know that it happened. I think it's important to just get that out in the open right off the bat.

The other day I happened to be tuned in to his radio show (I didn't pick it by the way. My wife had it on), and he began rambling on about a little trend developing whereas companies may have actually started extending their no smoking policies to not just in the workplace, but at home as well. In such a company an employee can actually be tested for nicotine, and if the test result comes back positive, the employee could be fired.

This is an absolutely ridiculous idea to be sure, and to be sure as well, John Tesh seemed to be for the idea. Not surprising. I don't think John Tesh ever quite sees the forest for the trees, you know.

The big question I have for any company who would even consider such a dumb idea is this; where does it end? How far will you ultimately go into my private life?

Oh sure, the companies who've come up with this bright little idea cite all kinds of reasons for justifying it. "Smokers costs companies a lot of money," Tesh said, reading from a study. According to that study smokers tend to require more days off, are less productive, have more health issues and burden the companies with higher insurance costs.

All true. I won't argue that. But there are too many other things that employees do outside of work that can cause all of those same problems. What if a worker decides to play a little football over the weekend? He may break an arm or sprain an ankle. Surely he'll have to go and see a doctor about that. Surely he might miss some time off from work as a result. He may even miss several days in the case of something broken.

And of course the list goes on. Greasy food causes heart disease. Drinking causes crashes, hangovers, and sometimes people become alcoholics. Should we bar workers from engaging in these activities too because it may cost the company some money in lost time or productivity or health costs?

The idea is simply dumb, and I hope anyone employed by a company like this would have the power to quit and take their services elsewhere, and that any customer who buys goods or services from such a company would promptly boycott them.

Otherwise this will just be the tip of the iceberg.

FORD AND GM SALES RISE, TOYOTA DECLINES

Ford recently reported that its sales for the month of January were up 25%. GM's sales saw a 14% boost. Toyota, on the other hand, flopped due to the recent recalls and credibility problems. In the case of Ford Motor Company and GM, the boost in sales were helped mainly by the bettering economy. But I think, even though the Toyota debacle didn't develop really until the latter half of the month, anyone who may have been considering buying a Toyota could easily have been suddenly pursuaded to do otherwise, concerned over the safety issues with Toyota's cars.

In any event, it's clear to understand why Ford tops the sales gains. It's the leader of the pack when it comes to American automobiles, and surely this has been bolstered by the fact that many Americans are mad over bad business practices and costly bailouts—of which both GM and Chrysler took. Ford did not. And now it's doing very well to say the least. Americans can appreciate that. This is a not a taxpayer funded company. Moreover, it's not Barack Obama Motor Company either.

Say what you want, but any affiliation with the Obama administration hurts business.

Still, I don't want to take away from the real reason people are looking to Ford more than they have in quite a while. One is in support of American jobs. Another is that Ford has been making quite a name for itself, restyling its cars and vamping up safety efforts. These cars are the best running, best looking, safest cars to wear the Ford nameplate in a very long time, and people are taking notice. The F-150 has certainly been a top selling truck for the company for the past 30 years, and while GM was indeed making some headway there for a minute, they've clearly lost their running. Ford still reigns here. The new F-150 Raptor is sharp as hell, too, and if you haven't seen it already, it's worth checking out Ford's website and taking a look.

Ford Motor Company continues to make a wonderful car to own and drive, and I can't say it loudly enough, it's a stock to own as well. Ford may well be the greatest American comeback story of the decade as we go forward, and certainly the company will see its stock price continue to rise.

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