Smile Tiger

JACKASS OF THE MONTH – Tiger Woods

He may be the best golfer ever, he has won more money than anyone playing professional golf, he likes the ladies, but after watching The Masters tournament this past weekend we can now include him as a Jackass. The Tiger antics are wearing thin: swearing, spitting, kicking clubs, pouting with that sour face, enough is enough Tiger. How about a smile like Phil, Bubba, or Freddie? We know you are hitting a golf ball like a robot, but deal with it.

Like Michelle Wie, I don’t think Tiger enjoys the game anymore. He just plays and pouts. Enjoy the game, you get paid millions of dollars playing it, how about a smile. For some reason I don’t think it is coming.

THE VOICES OF SPRING RETURN – Great to hear Vin Scully and Bob Uecker back broadcasting baseball this past week, the great baseball voices are fading away but these two remain. What will we do when they stop, listen to Mario Impemba and Terry Smith, the horror.

The Swami MLB 2012 Picks:
American League: Angels, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Wildcards: Texas, NY - Champs: Detroit
National League: Arizona, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Wildcards: San Francisco, Atlanta - Champs: Philadelphia
World Series Champs - Detroit Tigers

BULLETIN - "'60 Minutes' icon Mike Wallace dies at 93" - CBS News release: "Mike Wallace, the 60 MINUTES' pit-bull reporter whose probing, brazen style made his name synonymous with the tough interview, ... died last night. He was 93 and passed peacefully surrounded by family members at Waveny Care Center in New Canaan, Conn., where he spent the past few years. He also had a home in Manhattan. ... 'Without him and his iconic style, there probably wouldn't be a 60 MINUTES,' ... said Jeff Fager, chairman of CBS News and executive producer of 60 MINUTES. A special program dedicated to Wallace will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES next Sunday, April 15. ...

"On September 24, 1968, Wallace and [Harry] Reasoner introduced 60 MINUTES to the 10:00 PM timeslot, where it ran every other Tuesday but failed to draw large audiences. But critics praised it, awards followed, and after seven years on various nights, 60 MINUTES went to 7:00 PM Sunday and began its rise. It made the top 20 in 1977 and the top 10 in 1978, then became the number-one program in 1980 ... [During Watergate,] Wallace's interrogations of John Erlichman, G. Gordon Liddy and H.R. Haldeman whetted the appetites of news junkies who continued to tune in to see Wallace joust with other scoundrels. ...

"Wallace was also known for pioneering the 'ambush' interview, presenting his unsuspecting interviewee with evidence of malfeasance - often obtained by hidden camera - then capturing the stunned reaction. Two of the more famous exposes in this genre that used hidden cameras were investigations of a phony cancer clinic and a laboratory offering Medicaid kickbacks to doctors. ...

"Myron Leon Wallace was born in Brookline, Mass., on May 9, 1918. He attended Brookline High School and was graduated from the University of Michigan in 1939 with a B.A. degree in liberal arts. He became acquainted with radio at the college station and after graduation, a professor helped him land his first job as an announcer and 'rip-and-read' reporter for WOOD-WASH, a Grand Rapids, Mich. radio station. ... Wallace is survived by his wife, the former Mary Yates, his son, Chris, a stepdaughter, Pauline Dora, two stepsons, Eames and Angus Yates, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. At the family's request, donations can be made in Wallace's name to Waveny Care Center, 3 Farm Rd., New Canaan, Conn."

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to: Tom Clancey (65), Hugh Hefner (86), Ethel Kennedy (84), David Letterman (65).

ROMNEY SCORES HAT TRICK - Mitt Romney won contests last week in Wisconsin, Maryland and D.C. further cementing his position as the all-but-certain GOP nominee. Rick Santorum pledged to hang on at least through his home-state of Pennsylvania on April 24th. Even if Santorum wins there, Romney is likely to dominate in delegates that day as Connecticut, Delaware, New York and Rhode Island also vote and all lean heavily to Romney. New York is the biggest prize of the day, with 95 delegates to 72 for Pennsylvania. Even Santorum's next chance for a big score-Texas with its 155 delegates -is followed shortly by California on June 5th, a Romney-friendly state with 172 delegates. Bottom line: Santorum can hope to keep Romney below 1,144 for a couple more months. But he has no path to 1,144 himself.

SQUAWK BOX - U.S. stocks are coming off their biggest weekly losses of 2012, and there’s little doubt that the markets will get off to a bearish start this morning as well. Stock index futures are sharply lower following Friday’s disappointing March jobs report, which showed the U.S. economy adding just 120,000 new jobs during the month, well below estimates.

DRIVING THE WEEK - Bernanke speaks tonight in Atlanta at 7:15 p.m. ... President Obama and the First Lady host the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn this morning ... In the afternoon, Obama will host President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil for meetings at the White House ... Obama on Tuesday will push the Buffett Rule calling for minimum tax rates for millionaires during an economic event at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. ... On Friday, the President travels to Cartagena, Colombia, to attend the Summit of the Americas. ... On Thursday, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde speaks at Brookings.

Rick Santorum has a full campaign schedule this week but speculation that he will get out before the Pennsylvania primary continues to dominate Beltway chatter ... Romney meanwhile is buying up a ton of Pennsylvania ad time looking to inflict the death blow ... First quarter earnings season, which is not expected to be especially strong, starts Tuesday with Alcoa. Key market moving data will come in corporate outlooks for the rest of this year and whether top executives see a second half slow-down.

Next week, restaurant review, words of the month and what’s up with joga.

Until Next Monday, Adios.

Claremont, CA

April 9, 2012

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