Ending and beginning and taking off on 1/1/11

And one more time another year lifts off and leaves us remembering.

The process of remembering needs to be broken down into segments.

I want to say right now that I know there's a large section of the population who don't have time to remember what happened in 2010 because they are making 2011 a new happening.

I'd like to think I fall into that category but here I am wasting time bringing up the past just to write my year end article......I'm such a whore.

Anyway...back to the jazz at hand.

The segments of remembrance are personal, family, politics, entertainment, science and sports.

I'll focus on personal and family and a little bit on entertainment. Politics takes up enough time on a daily basis. Science is elusive and sports are just live entertainment. (True Reality TV)

Births, deaths and weddings are usually the strongest memories when it comes to personal and family.

Celebrity deaths is a separate division because, other than what they have done with their lives, that can be recorded, we generally don't know them.....but we become sad when they go.

I admit to shedding no tears when celebrities change levels. I did cry three times while watching Temple Grandin the other night on HBO..... so I think I'm emotionally ok.

The celebrities that I responded to with a sense of sadness, at their passing, were J.D.Salinger, Dennis Hopper, John Wooden, Merlin Olson, Bud Greenspan and Paul Conrad.

FAMILY MEMORIES

In my immediate blood related family we had no level changes......which makes 2010 a very good year for the McAlevey's from Southern California.

We had a wonderful wedding in Seattle and welcomed a new gentleman into our lives. Hopefully my niece will hurry up and make my brother and my sister-in-law.....GRANDPARENTS.

Vanessa and Nick will make wonderful parents and the world can always use more of those.

That Greek wedding will always make 2010 a very special year.

The fact that my brother and I were able to play golf every Tuesday with our father makes 2010 a great memory.

PERSONAL MEMORIES

2010 will be a year that I remember as very productive with my own creativity. My artwork went into another stage of it's life and I'm extremely excited to see how it progresses. I'm feeling much better about the acceptance level within the art community but then again I've always been optimistic regarding my work. I have people who truly believe in what I do. The next step is to increase the number of people and within that increase....perhaps include a museum or two or three or.........

My Neo-Illumination project is now 10 years old and I realize that it has a life of it's own. I wish it would grow up a little bit and start playing with other kids. But it's hard raising a project. It's growing and I'm feeding and watering it on a regular basis. Look for some new presentations during the coming year. Small cards, etc.

I continue to make copies of my scripts and pass them around town. I'm doing rewrites on two of them and that's odd because I thought they were totally finished.

The truth is.....rewrites always improve anything....except maybe Beatles songs.

I just finished my ELF Project 2010 and that will have a public presentation sometime during 2011.

My favorite movies of the year were GET LOW, CITY ISLAND, INSIDE JOB, EXIT FROM THE GIFT SHOP, THE SOCIAL NETWORK and Burlesque (only musical of year)

Christian Bale gave the best performance in The Fighter. It was short but Barry Pepper in True Grit was also impressive. (I haven't seen Colin Firth in The King's Speech)

AC/DC ranked second in most money generated by a tour....177 mil. ROCK ON!

I'm very excited about 2011. I've set the wheels in motion and with perseverance and focused dedication to my art and my true nature....I will achieve some major life goals.

I'm also hoping that the NCAA restores normalcy to the USC campus and to the millions of her supporters by lifting the second year of the bowl suspension. Fight on!

Welcome 2011 and goodbye 2010

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Some 2010 Artwork

Merry Christmas minus one

Remembering and forgetting can be tricky roads to travel.

Obviously there are reasons that we try to forget certain things that have happened in our lives and often times the trying to forget....actually works.....for awhile.

It's easier for some than it is for others.

The young have a built in excuse because memories from childhood have a way of fogging over reality.....and it's a fog that hopefully allows for happy and prosperous adult lives of their own.

It wouldn't be fair if children remembered tragedy the same way as adults. Unfortunately we look around society and see that tragic events in youth do linger and adult bad guys are created. That is usually tied to a lack of love within the immediate social circle of that individual bad guy.

WIthin our immediate social circle we have no bad guys. We have loving people who care about what happens to each other even though sometimes we wonder what they were thinking when they did this or that.

Everybody that I know has a life and forgetting certain tragic things is a buffer for being able to build a future of purpose and...........hopefully........harmony.

But then there's the few of us who can't forget no matter how hard we might try.

And then there's the fewer of us who don't want to forget because we have no choice.

Fortunately within our immediate social circle there are only a couple of people who fall into that category in reference to the loss of Sean Maximilian McAlevey's physical reality.

Of that very few.....I am one.

And it's my duty and responsibility as Sean's father to make sure that there is something or somewhere that his name will always be visible.

For 16 years I've been derelict in my responsibility. I have seen golf tournaments, scholarships, restaurants, university buildings and stars named after lost children but I've never been able to reconcile exactly what to do.

Last week I went out to do my Christmas shopping and because of what I've been undertaking in the last few years regarding my artwork....I had very little to work with regarding the almighty ingredient known as......COIN.

I was perplexed and decided to go down to Palisades Park and make a list of what each and every person I knew might like from the 79 cent store.

I sat down on one of the benches and realized that right underneath me was the answer to both Christmas and Sean. The odd part is I probably first had this idea about six years ago and just figured I would do it later when I had the money.

I decided at that moment to take the limited funds I had for Christmas and start a personal account that would allow me to purchase a bench and a plaque with Sean's name and to list

all the people that that were his immediate earth team, Kerry, Lily, Laura, Grace, Steve, Kelly, Jack, Robert, Katie, Dixie and David along with his deceased Great Grandparents Frank and Noma..........as the donors. Of course I will also include my brother Jerry and Grandpa Bill and my mom just because it's the proper thing to do.

Sean was a Santa Monica kid and having a bench overlooking the Santa Monica Bay with his name underneath is just about the best way I can think of saying.....

Merry Christmas

Christmas story that lasts 365 days a year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoY2gyyIYL4

This type of course should be built in every state......California could use 10

INFORMATION and MISINFORMATION and NO INFORMATION

Thomas Jefferson said "Information is the currency of democracy"

Obviously that statement could be an entire class at any major university around the world.

Julian Assange is currently in prison because he either believes that statement or just likes to make waves.

My question for Mr. Assange is...."if you had information regarding a secret terrorist mission or information about a public act of terror that was previously committed......would you reveal the information to the public and to the authorities?"

I'm pretty sure it's suppose to works both ways.

Right now the citizens of the United States of America don't really seem to care about information that can ruin their day. Unlike the Viet-Nam era when EVERYTHING seemed to be revealed EVERYDAY, we get very little information (especially visual) regarding situations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

A Neo-Illumination comes to mind....."Happiness might be based on much truth one can ignore."

Journalists have a job to do.......and that job is to collect information. The employers of journalist have a job to do......and that job is to present the gathered information to the public.

It seems that Julian Assange is doing the work that should be done.

Those who don't agree probably have reasons why they disagree and that's the basis of a debate.

Which side of the debate are you on? If you don't know who Julian Assange is.....then you definitely subscribe to the above Neo-Illumination....and to you I say.....Happy Holidays and get back to your shopping.

I say........How can a judge deny Julian Assange bail? Release the man and let the debate begin.

**************************

Robert Reich's new book is called "Aftershock" and contains some rather important information and statistics that ought to be remembered.

He also writes a Blog

http://robertreich.org/ which is interesting for any previous Secretary of Labor...especially one who served under Bill Clinton.....which just happens to be the most successful adminstration regarding economic factors....since the Dwight Eisenhower years.

I heard him talking yesterday on NPR about capital accumulation and growth.

The wealthy vs the non-wealthy is seriously out of whack and the parallels between 1928 and 2007 are indeed scary.

I highly suggest you buy his new book and read his blog on a regular basis.

Again...it's one of those information issues and trying to fully understand the economics of our current time period is a detailed and laborious adventure.

If one treats information as a class then one can leave the class behind on a regular basis and go about the normal chores of trying to be a happy and productive citizen.

This class on information gathering is officially over and out.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Charlie is texting

The other day I read a story about cell phones within the California penal system. At the end of the article it claimed that Charles Manson had one and had been communicating by text with people on the outside.

SERIOUSLY

Charlie

"Omg.....I need someone whacked"

Dickhead weird guy #1

"Just send address big C...I'm there."

Charlie

"Lol"

If I find that Charlie has a Facebook page and a Twitter account I think I'm going to puke.

Don't they do periodical checks of the cells? I realize there's a shortage of guards but they all make over 100 grand so they should stay extremely busy while on duty....wouldn't you think?

Cell phones for inmates is simply unacceptable. If the ACLU defends prisoners right to own cell phones I'm ending my subscription to the ACLU Daily.

I support the basic principles of the ACLU but lately they seem to tilting on the edge of irrational behavior. I suppose the problem is that once you decide to support the individual rights of human beings....you've got to take it to the limit.

Does the ACLU have branches in France....FCLU or Britain.....BCLU?

Or China.....ok that's pretty funny. Imagine a branch of the ACLU in China.....CCLU

China having a Civil Liberties Union is about as ridiculous as Charles Manson having a cell phone.

But apparently ridiculous is not impossible

....and just imagine Charlie with a new iPhone.....or iPad.

It should be the first thing Jerry does as Gov. Make sure all cell phones are confiscated within the California Penal system.

Please!

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Imagine

30 years since John Lennon changed levels. My mom moved on in 1980 and it seems like a hundred years ago. Because of John's musical ability it sometimes feels like he's still here. I guess that explains why recognized talent means something. People who are talented but undiscovered......just simply move on....perhaps leaving warm memories for immediate family and friends. Sometimes family and friends just say good riddance.

John Lennon will forever exist as long as human beings enjoy music.

This might be the entire reason for attempting to create things.

THINGS come under a lot of different disguises. And from what I've noticed those things don't always have to be pleasing.

Things are not always what they appear to be.

Things are far from over.

Things have a way of working out.

Things

Imagine there's no things

it's not easy if you try

no things below us

above us only sky

Imagine all the nobodies

living for something

Imagine there's no things

it isn't hard to do

no things to kill or die for

and no other things to do

Imagine all the people

living life in thingamabobs

You may say that I'm a thing
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join more things
And things will be as one

Imagine no things
I wonder if you can
No need for little things or big things
A thingamajig of man
Imagine all the nothings
Sharing all the somethings

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

THING

Thanks John.......and thanks mom.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Just one more reminder of two amazing entities

A new calculation by the worker bees stationed at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii puts the total number of stars in the Universe at.....

300 SEXTILLION

300 sextillion is 100 billion squared....multiplied by 30

The guy that did the final count is 11 years old and is dating 10 year Jackie Evancho from America's got talent.

I'm not actually sure which of these stories is more amazing. Have you heard that chick sing?

YouTube - JACKIE EVANCHO Opera Singer Americas got ...

300 sextillion? Who got to add SEX to the numbers game? Would that honor have been bestowed on Archimedes?

The two gentleman involved in the new numbers are PIETER VAN DOKKUM from Yale and

CHARLIE CONROY from Harvard.

Note that his name is Charlie.....not Charles and not Chuck.

My gut feeling and the gut feeling of Dr. Francis Conlan from Santa Clara feel that the numbers are still rather low.

My opinion is based on the fact that The Creator is always creating new stars in order to offset the Black Holes excessive appetite of matter and light.

Dr. Conlan's ( Butch) opinion is based on the fact that he's a smart guy.

We have entirely different methods of reaching conclusions but always find enough humor

in all things.

One must find humor or one will not enjoy the irony of our human experience.

Math and Art make the world bearable.........................love makes it keep expanding

That's what Dr. Conlan and I should call each other.

Hey Math

Hey Art

What's up?

Today what's up is the simple fact that there is a sh.tload more stars then there were yesterday.

and

there's a ten year girl named Jackie who sings like a angel.

It's a good day.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Screwed by our financial heroes and teachers

The documentary film INSIDE JOB by Charles Ferguson does more to open eyes, regarding the 2008 financial melt down, than any report that could be formulated by government commissions. First off, no one reads any report that a commission writes but people will go to see a film...even when it only plays at the local art house theater.

The magic word that jumps out while trying to understand the current massive monetary chaotic situation is DE-REGULATION.

It started under Ronnie and has continued right up to Barack.

The fact that many of the people involved in allowing all the bullshit to take place are ACADEMIC leaders is really a sad state of affairs.

Harvard is well represented as are numerous other well respected colleges.

The fact that no one has been indicted and no one has been forced to return any money makes this the biggest rip-off in history. At least in the Saving and Loan fiasco people got arrested and fines were levied.

It's a film that should be required viewing for all High School seniors.

How to control personal greed has always been and will always be the main issue when discussing how a Free Enterprise System ( Capitalism) could and should operate.

It can be tweaked but every time anybody tries to put regulations in place the dreaded word SOCIALISM emerges and then the ultimate evil word follows...COMMUNISM.

DE-REGULATION is the backbone of conservative financial opinion and from my viewpoint every De-regulated economist has his or her head completely up his or her ass.

Allowing the Derivative Markets to go completely unchecked was the stupidest thing anyone could have done.....and it appears that some of the smartest minds in the country were involved in the charade.......AND THEY STILL THINK IT WAS OK.

And the fact that many of them made millions of dollars and they still have not been arrested

is

ludicrous.

GO SEE THE FILM

Michael Timothy McAlevey