Earnings Kick off with Alcoa Randomosity!

• It’s 1/1/11!  HOLY SMOKES!
• Somebody made a rule that $AA gets to kick off earnings season… Alcoa declined 1%. The aluminum giant kicked off the earnings-reporting season with a swing to a fourth-quarter profit on rising demand and prices for aluminum, but its sales growth wasn't as strong as expected.  Got that?  You’re not using enough aluminum!!!
• But worrying about Europe is oh-so-yesterday.  Tuesday's stock gains came as investors were encouraged to see the European Central Bank step in to buy under-pressure euro-area government bonds for the second consecutive day. Also, Japanese Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Tokyo may buy more than 20% of the securities issued by the European Financial Stability Facility in its initial round. The announcement follows reports that China is ready to buy 4 billion euros to 5 billion euros of Portuguese debt.
• The market went up.  I guess that’s the good news.  I remain 100% long and looking for a reason to do something different.  Not yet.
• Meanwhile, yes Virginia, there will be a Verizon iPhone.  It’s the same basic version that’s on ATT.  Don’t expect a 4G LTE iPhone until 2012.
• Picture is of Annie from Randomsnaps.  Just sayin’…
• Are the Sacramento Kings moving to Anaheim?  I live in Sac, but haven’t been to a Kings game for years.  I just feel that the price of sports tickets doesn’t deliver much entertainment value.  And I used to have season tickets.  The prices have just skyrocketed for mediocrity.  For big contracts.  No thank you.
• After the Arizona shootings, Congress “readies new gun-control bills.”  These all seem a bit reactionary to me, but I suppose that’s how the government works.  I’m not sure how this stops a crazy person from hurting other people.  Sometimes I think folks feel like they have to do “something” and can’t sit idle.
• What? No bowl games tonight?  Good grief!
• Michigan Wolverines hire Brady Hoke to coach the Big Blue machine.  He of San Diego State Aztec fame.
• California Governor Jerry Brown will ask voters to vote to tax themselves in a special election.  Arnold tried that.  Failed. I don’t see Jerry having much more luck.  Then what?
• If you didn’t have a chance to listen to my AudioBoo from yesterday, please do.  I wish my dad a happy birthday.  The lesson to be learned is that I resolved our differences long before he passed, and I am sooooo glad I did.  Life is too short to hold grudges.