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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TOYOTA AND TIGER HAVE A LOT IN COMMON
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ISSUE OF THE FALLING SKY

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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TOYOTA HALTS PRODUCTION
TOYOTA AND TIGER HAVE A LOT IN COMMON

DANNY GLOVER HAS LOST HIS MIND

He's out of his wits, this Danny Glover. After hearing his remarks recently about Haiti, the American government's response, and Hugo Chavez of all people, I think its clear the man has lost his mind. Who knows if he's always been a left wing junkie...probably has been. Most of those Hollywood types are, of course. It always pains me when these guys get out there and do this as well. I mean, Danny Glover's a good actor, no doubt about that. I enjoyed his performances in the Lethal Weapon movies where he seemed to play a pretty sensible guy.

Danny Glover seems to think we're occupying the country. But then this is what Hugo Chavez seems to be saying as well. "Send doctors Mr. Obama, not soliders," Hugo was quoted as saying.

I think it's safe to say that Haiti has no infrastructure. They also do not have a viable police force nor do they have a military force. They do, however, have corruption en masse. This is the primary reason why American ground forces are there in Haiti to deliver medicine, water and other necessary supplies to the Haitian people in need of it. If they were to simply send doctors, we'd likely have to add their bodies to the growing piles of earthquake victims.

By the way, as for the efforts of America in this whole thing to Mr. Chavez and to Mr. Glover, since 1992 the United States has provided $3 billion worth of aid to Haiti. Now, granted we can argue all day what good it did. But it's still an enormous amount of money no less. We are currently sending $100 million of U.S. taxpayer money as we speak—not to mention the cost of the deployment of troops itself. Mr. Chavez has sent one plane of supplies. One plane! I wonder if anyone on it were doctors?

By the way, might I just point out in closing that long ago I decided to boycott Citgo as it is owned and operated by Chavez and the Venezuelan government. I leave that as a reminder that pumping gas at a Citgo station only serves to serve tyranny.

PROFILE OF A PATRIOT
Profiling in our nation's airports have nothing at all to do with singling people out or denying anyone their civil rights. At the end of the day profiling is about patriotism.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ISSUE OF THE FALLING SKY
Global warming, climate change, whatever we are calling it today, is about putting the human race smack dab in the center of the doomsday scenario. It's meant to scare the hell out of us.

WE ALL HAVE A DOH! MOMENT NOW AND AGAIN

I sway from the usual rant today just to reflect on one of those Homer Simpson, Doh! moments we all tend to have every now and again. They're never major happenings. Just minor moments in life when you think, man that's just annoying.

It was earlier in the week when the wife and I had decided it might be nice to catch a bite out to eat on Friday (that would be today, of course). She was at the kitchen table going through the coupon wallet, and taking out the expired ones to throw away.

"Hey, there's one in here for Red Lobster—$4 off two dinner entrees," my wife told me and tossed the coupon over to me.

"Oh, well, maybe we could catch Red Lobster Friday then," I told her.

She nodded, and then asked me when it expired. Doh! It would expire on Thursday. But no problem, I told her, we'd just go out to dinner on Thursday instead of Friday. It really didn't matter to me anyway when we went out to eat.

So Thursday came along, the wife got home from work, and she just wanted to change a bit before we left. As we were headed out the door to leave for the restaurant she asked me, "You've got the coupon?"

"Yeah, it's in my wallet. I put it in there so I'd be sure not to forget it."

We arrived at the restaurant, it would be a 25 minute wait for a table we were told, and they handed us one of those little vibrating things. Not too bad. We've waited longer many times before. If it would have been Friday like we had originally planned the wait surely would have been quite a lot longer. It's always like that at Red Lobster, you know.

So, like most people do we just ambled over to the bar and ordered up a couple of drinks. One Samuel Adams on tap for me a Malibu Rum and Coke for the wife. $9.50. Let me tell you, I'm in the wrong line of business. Drink prices are getting a little soaked.

Anyway, we finally got seated and the waitress told us about the fish specials and other particulars. We refreshed our drinks and before she walked away I said "Oh, by the way. I've got a coupon just so you know."

"Fine," the waitress said. "Just present it when you pay and I'll take care of it."

So we sat and talked, the wife and I. We ordered up one of the appetizers. It arrived and we ate it. Our salads came and we ate those. Then the main course, and we gobbled that all up. The waitress came by and asked if we wanted dessert, to which both the wife and I replied (clearly way too full already) no thanks, we'd burst for sure. And so she brought the check and I whipped out the debit card to pay. Waitress came and got it, rung us up, I signed and we headed for the door.

Hitting the cold Wisconsin winter air just outside the Red Lobster the wife remembered. "The coupon," she said. It was a statement.

Dammit. Yes, the coupon. I had forgotten it.

Sure, I could have gone back inside and had the waitress apply it. But it was only $4. Only $4—spoken like I have a couple million in the bank. And it would be time consuming. The place was still busy. It would be a lot of hassle for practically nothing. Instead I simply yelled Doh! in my head, and brushed it off as I walked to the car to get the door for my wife.