All these numbers flashing around and me with very few numbers to display. I realize I'm not alone in that category but I'm also very close with friends and family who go deeply in the other direction.
A $500 Million lottery is quite large and at 176 million to one....probably not a reasonable target to pursue with $5 or $10. But it only takes one combination to set the wheels spinning. If it's your time to win the lottery then ONE ticket is all you need. If you purchase 176 Million tickets then you are assured of winning. Go for it!
$2 Billion for the Dodgers seems like a fair price if gasoline is $4.67 a gallon and Apple stock is $500 a share. I've always assumed that the Dodgers and Yankees should have similar payrolls. East Coast vs West Coast and traditional rivals battling in the World Series every few years just makes sense to those of us who care about such nonsense. Now we just have to sit back and see if the money keeps flowing toward the product on the field.
Major League baseball teams are built from the draft up. Free agent signings are important to a point but remember Super Stars like Derek Jeter, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw were born and raised at home.
Pitchers seem to be the best target for free agent money and it will take a few years for that to happen in LA.
I just still can't believe that it cost $25 to park at Dodger Stadium. I didn't go last year but I'm pretty sure that number is correct. And if Frank McCourt has any say in the matter it might go to $50 a car.
That's crazy but then again $2 Billion is crazy and a $500 million lottery is absolutely insane.....but I have the same chance of winning as anyone else who plays. I have no chance of owning The Dodgers but if I win the lottery they might let me become a small minority owner....like Magic Johnson.
That's what a $500 million lottery does.....IT CREATES BIG DAYDREAMS.
Do you need me to pick up some tickets for you?
Just give me a call.......I'll be down by the winning drug store on the corner of 7th and Montana.
Michael Timothy McAlevey
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Solar Power will only last for 5 billion years in it's present state
Why is there any hesitation to use solar power for EVERYTHING?
It can't possibly have to do with money!
If that is the reason.........then that simply sounds stupid.
Michael Timothy McAlevey
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Obviously I know nothing
I just read an article that said the Federal Reserve paid the federal government $75.4 billion for 2011. That is the second highest payment in history. 2010 was the biggest payment at $79.3 billion.
PAUSE
HUH?
I OBVIOUSLY KNOW NOTHING ON HOW THE FINANCIAL PROGRAM WORKS
I thought the federal reserve was the federal government's financial wing. Then I read the definition on Wikipedia which I now share with you.
The Federal Reserve System (also known as the Federal Reserve, and informally as the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, largely in response to a series of financial panics, particularly a severe panic in 1907.[2][3][4] Over time, the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System have expanded and its structure has evolved.[3][5] Events such as the Great Depression were major factors leading to changes in the system.[6]
The Congress established three key objectives for monetary policy—maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates—in the Federal Reserve Act.[7] The first two objectives are sometimes referred to as the Federal Reserve's dual mandate.[8] Its duties have expanded over the years and today, according to official Federal Reserve documentation, include conducting the nation's monetary policy, supervising and regulating banking institutions, maintaining the stability of the financial system and providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions.[9] The Fed also conducts research into the economy and releases numerous publications, such as the Beige Book.
The Federal Reserve System's structure is composed of the presidentially appointed Board of Governors (or Federal Reserve Board), the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the nation, numerous privately owned U.S. member banks and various advisory councils.[10][11][12] The FOMC is the committee responsible for setting monetary policy and consists of all seven members of the Board of Governors and the twelve regional bank presidents, though only five bank presidents vote at any given time. The Federal Reserve System has both private and public components, and was designed to serve the interests of both the general public and private bankers. The result is a structure that is considered unique among central banks. It is also unusual in that an entity outside of the central bank, namely the United States Department of the Treasury, creates the currency used.[13]
According to the Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve is independent within government in that "its monetary policy decisions do not have to be approved by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branches of government." Its authority is derived from statutes enacted by the U.S. Congress and the System is subject to congressional oversight. The members of the Board of Governors, including its chairman and vice-chairman, are chosen by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The government also exercises some control over the Federal Reserve by appointing and setting the salaries of the system's highest-level employees. Thus the Federal Reserve has both private and public aspects.[14][15][16][17] The U.S. Government receives all of the system's annual profits, after a statutory dividend of 6% on member banks' capital investment is paid, and an account surplus is maintained. In 2010, the Federal Reserve made a profit of $82 billion and transferred $79 billion to the U.S. Treasury.[18] This was followed at the end of 2011 with a transfer of $77 billion in profits to the U.S. Treasury Department.[
THAT LAST TWO SENTENCES ARE INTRIGUING
$82 BILLION IN PROFIT AND $79 SENT TO THE TREASURY.
THE OTHER $3 BILLION??????????????
Where did that go? Don't tell me it went to bonuses or my head might explode.
The money basically comes from earnings on investments that the Federal Reserve makes during the year.
Just so I understand this......Ben Bernanke and his band of merry stock pickers are allowed to speculate with the United States tax revenue and buy Google, Apple, Microsoft, cotton futures and Micronesia currency?
The article I read, implies the lower payment in 2011 was due to the Fed's support of AIG.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS EXTRA INCOME THAT THE UNITED STATES RECEIVES FROM IT'S PAID EMPLOYEES....ON THEIR GAMBLING HABITS.
How much did the Fed pay the government in 2008 when everything went to hell?
Obviously I know nothing and tons of research needs to be done.
If you already knew all this stuff....why didn't you bother to tell me?
Oh yeah, you were too busy sending your money to the Fed so they could go to the racetrack and the casinos.
I sure hope the Fed isn't purchasing oil futures as I write this.......
$75.4 BILLION is the profit.
Is that gross or net?
I'm so confused......does anyone have Mr. Bernanke's cell phone number?
Michael Timothy McAlevey
PAUSE
HUH?
I OBVIOUSLY KNOW NOTHING ON HOW THE FINANCIAL PROGRAM WORKS
I thought the federal reserve was the federal government's financial wing. Then I read the definition on Wikipedia which I now share with you.
The Federal Reserve System (also known as the Federal Reserve, and informally as the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, largely in response to a series of financial panics, particularly a severe panic in 1907.[2][3][4] Over time, the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System have expanded and its structure has evolved.[3][5] Events such as the Great Depression were major factors leading to changes in the system.[6]
The Congress established three key objectives for monetary policy—maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates—in the Federal Reserve Act.[7] The first two objectives are sometimes referred to as the Federal Reserve's dual mandate.[8] Its duties have expanded over the years and today, according to official Federal Reserve documentation, include conducting the nation's monetary policy, supervising and regulating banking institutions, maintaining the stability of the financial system and providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions.[9] The Fed also conducts research into the economy and releases numerous publications, such as the Beige Book.
The Federal Reserve System's structure is composed of the presidentially appointed Board of Governors (or Federal Reserve Board), the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the nation, numerous privately owned U.S. member banks and various advisory councils.[10][11][12] The FOMC is the committee responsible for setting monetary policy and consists of all seven members of the Board of Governors and the twelve regional bank presidents, though only five bank presidents vote at any given time. The Federal Reserve System has both private and public components, and was designed to serve the interests of both the general public and private bankers. The result is a structure that is considered unique among central banks. It is also unusual in that an entity outside of the central bank, namely the United States Department of the Treasury, creates the currency used.[13]
According to the Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve is independent within government in that "its monetary policy decisions do not have to be approved by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branches of government." Its authority is derived from statutes enacted by the U.S. Congress and the System is subject to congressional oversight. The members of the Board of Governors, including its chairman and vice-chairman, are chosen by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The government also exercises some control over the Federal Reserve by appointing and setting the salaries of the system's highest-level employees. Thus the Federal Reserve has both private and public aspects.[14][15][16][17] The U.S. Government receives all of the system's annual profits, after a statutory dividend of 6% on member banks' capital investment is paid, and an account surplus is maintained. In 2010, the Federal Reserve made a profit of $82 billion and transferred $79 billion to the U.S. Treasury.[18] This was followed at the end of 2011 with a transfer of $77 billion in profits to the U.S. Treasury Department.[
THAT LAST TWO SENTENCES ARE INTRIGUING
$82 BILLION IN PROFIT AND $79 SENT TO THE TREASURY.
THE OTHER $3 BILLION??????????????
Where did that go? Don't tell me it went to bonuses or my head might explode.
The money basically comes from earnings on investments that the Federal Reserve makes during the year.
Just so I understand this......Ben Bernanke and his band of merry stock pickers are allowed to speculate with the United States tax revenue and buy Google, Apple, Microsoft, cotton futures and Micronesia currency?
The article I read, implies the lower payment in 2011 was due to the Fed's support of AIG.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS EXTRA INCOME THAT THE UNITED STATES RECEIVES FROM IT'S PAID EMPLOYEES....ON THEIR GAMBLING HABITS.
How much did the Fed pay the government in 2008 when everything went to hell?
Obviously I know nothing and tons of research needs to be done.
If you already knew all this stuff....why didn't you bother to tell me?
Oh yeah, you were too busy sending your money to the Fed so they could go to the racetrack and the casinos.
I sure hope the Fed isn't purchasing oil futures as I write this.......
$75.4 BILLION is the profit.
Is that gross or net?
I'm so confused......does anyone have Mr. Bernanke's cell phone number?
Michael Timothy McAlevey
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Reality check for Afghan people
I am on record as a Conscientious Objector. Although officially denied by my draft board in 1969 because of having been raised in the Catholic faith (which is actually another interesting story) the fact is that when one declares oneself a Conscientious Objector one doesn't need an outside organization to verify that status.
You are against war or you are not. Pretty simple designation. You can be selective when it comes to certain wars and choose not to support a particular encounter but, in my opinion, that doesn't make you a conscientious objector.
Definition of CO has changed since the Vietnam war.
Wikipedia
A conscientious objector (CO) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service"[1] on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion.[2]
In some countries, conscientious objectors are assigned to an alternative civilian service as a substitute for conscription or military service. Some conscientious objectors consider themselves pacifist, non-interventionist, non-resistant, or antimilitarist.
The international definition of conscientious objection officially broadened on March 8, 1995 when the United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/83 stated that "persons performing military service should not be excluded from the right to have conscientious objections to military service."[3] That definition was re-affirmed in 1998, when the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights document called "Conscientious objection to military service, United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/77" officially recognized that "persons [already] performing military service may develop conscientious objections."
One of the important aspects of having an individual awareness of knowing that I intrinsically oppose the art of war is that I respect each individuals right to choose their position on the subject. That basically means if someone chooses to participate in the military experience, than no one should object to their decision.
The individual right to choose a path of action is, in my view, the basic concept of freedom. And that form of freedom naturally belongs to each and every person. I suspect that in a country such as Afghanistan the concept of freedom varies quite a bit from the concept of freedom in America. Most likely the difference occurs because of 240 years of concentrated effort by one system to establish a pattern of individual freedoms. America has worked at that goal from the outset, even though interpretations of those freedoms has been debated over and over and over. Mistakes might have been made and errors might have occurred along the way, but the fact exists that the attempt to establish individual freedom has been a primary goal for the United States of America.
You are against war or you are not. Pretty simple designation. You can be selective when it comes to certain wars and choose not to support a particular encounter but, in my opinion, that doesn't make you a conscientious objector.
Definition of CO has changed since the Vietnam war.
Wikipedia
A conscientious objector (CO) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service"[1] on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion.[2]
In some countries, conscientious objectors are assigned to an alternative civilian service as a substitute for conscription or military service. Some conscientious objectors consider themselves pacifist, non-interventionist, non-resistant, or antimilitarist.
The international definition of conscientious objection officially broadened on March 8, 1995 when the United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/83 stated that "persons performing military service should not be excluded from the right to have conscientious objections to military service."[3] That definition was re-affirmed in 1998, when the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights document called "Conscientious objection to military service, United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/77" officially recognized that "persons [already] performing military service may develop conscientious objections."
One of the important aspects of having an individual awareness of knowing that I intrinsically oppose the art of war is that I respect each individuals right to choose their position on the subject. That basically means if someone chooses to participate in the military experience, than no one should object to their decision.
The individual right to choose a path of action is, in my view, the basic concept of freedom. And that form of freedom naturally belongs to each and every person. I suspect that in a country such as Afghanistan the concept of freedom varies quite a bit from the concept of freedom in America. Most likely the difference occurs because of 240 years of concentrated effort by one system to establish a pattern of individual freedoms. America has worked at that goal from the outset, even though interpretations of those freedoms has been debated over and over and over. Mistakes might have been made and errors might have occurred along the way, but the fact exists that the attempt to establish individual freedom has been a primary goal for the United States of America.
The Afghan people need to figure out what they want as a primary goal. And since the country is a country of villages and tribes the idea of a general consensus is probably an impossibility.
Wikipedia
The decades of war made Afghanistan the world's most dangerous country,[23] including the largest producer of refugees and asylum seekers. While the international community is rebuilding war-torn Afghanistan, terrorist groups such as the Haqqani network and Hezbi Islami[24] are actively involved in a nationwide Taliban-led insurgency,[25] which includes hundreds of assassinations and suicide attacks.[26] According to the United Nations, the insurgents were responsible for 75% of civilian casualties in 2010 and 80% in 2011.[27][28]
Currently an American soldier named Robert Bales is being condemned as a war criminal by certain groups within the Afghan community including the President, Hamid Karzai. The facts have not been determined but Sergeant Bales is accused of killing 16 civilians.
1,893 American's have lost their lives since 2001 trying to protect the Afghan people from the Taliban.
The Taliban (Pashto: طالبان), alternative spelling Taleban,[5] (ṭālibān, meaning "students" in Pashto) is an Islamist militant and political group that ruled large parts of Afghanistan and its capital, Kabul, as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from September 1996 until October 2001. It gained diplomatic recognition from three states: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The main leader of the Taliban movement is Mullah Mohammed Omar,[6] and Kandahar is considered the birthplace of the Taliban.[7]
While in power, it enforced its strict interpretation of Sharia law,[8] and leading Muslims have been highly critical of the Taliban interpretations of Islamic law.[9][Need quotation to verify] The Taliban were condemned internationally for their brutal repression of women. The majority of their leaders were influenced by Deobandi fundamentalism,[10] and many also strictly follow the social and cultural norm called Pashtunwali.[11] The Taliban movement is primarily made up of members belonging to Pashtun tribes, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.[12]
DO THE AFGHAN PEOPLE WANT TO BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE TALIBAN?
DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THE AFGHAN PEOPLE WANT?
SHOULD AN AMERICAN SOLDIER, AFTER THREE TOURS OF DUTY, BE CONDEMNED FOR A MILITARY ACTION WHERE CIVILIANS LOST THEIR LIVES?
The answers to those three questions are.....
UNKNOWN......UNKNOWN.....AND YES, but the condemnation should only come from the United States military and the Afghan President and the Afghan people should simply note the 1,863 American lives lost and simply shut the f..k up.
First and foremost the United States military will investigate the matter and they will reach a decision based on facts. The fact that a person of the military might snap is simply common sense. Teach a human being how to kill and then put them in a hostile environment with people trying to kill them and most likely someones going to get killed.
DUH!
I would never put myself in that situation but that's my decision. Robert Bales put himself in that situation and he will be prosecuted if his behavior proves to be criminal.
Obviously behavior within a war environment can prove to be criminal but there has to be an extremely loose interpretation of the word criminal. What if one person among those 16 wasn't a civilian and simply tried to camouflage themselves with the civilians?
What if Sergeant Bales simply became temporarily insane due to environmental circumstances?
What if his immediate commander told him to clean out an area?
What if John Wayne, Audie Murphy and Sergeant York just filled Robert's head with visions of military dominance?
PUT SOMEONE IN A WAR ENVIRONMENT AND WAR CAUSALITIES WILL RESULT.
If the Afghan people don't want America's help then they should rise up and tell us to get out.
The Taliban don't have that right anymore simply because of their treatment of women.
I am a Conscientious Objector but first and foremost I am an American, and I acknowledge Robert Bales right to become a part of the military complex. If he snapped and had no reason for his behavior then the military should be held responsible for not recognizing his approaching personal storm.
If his action had any justification related to a war experience than so be it.
WAR EXPERIENCE basically refers to staying alive and trying to stop the opposition from killing you or your fellow soldiers.
A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT TO CONSIDER......
THE ENEMY IN AFGHANISTAN DOES NOT WEAR A UNIFORM.
Sergeant Robert Bales has proudly worn an American Army military uniform since 2001. He has had 37 months of combat-zone experience and after four years of being in that form of environment his peers should be extremely sensitive to any abnormal behavior.
IS THERE ANYTHING BUT ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR IN A WAR ZONE?
The concept of war is obviously a normal process in the historic annals of human experience, but as the human species evolves the concept of war must become an obsolete gesture.
The quality of the current weapons produced must make the concept of war obsolete or the word obsolete will simply apply to.........US .
I don't support that concept.
My dream for the human species is much bigger and brighter than an environment where war is the final answer to different life styles and different belief systems.
In the meantime I suggest that we treat Robert Bales as an entity that we created in our current environment and give him the proper channels to rebuild his life.
That would be the action of an advanced human evolutionary mindset....so why not get started on the right path and use him as a symbol of our ability to operate on a higher level of consciousness?
Yeah....sure!
So many things happened in 1969 besides figuring out that I was a Conscientious Objector, and some of those things just keep me high as a freakin kite.
I'm a product of my environment just like Staff Sergeant Robert Bales.
I think I could help him.....does anyone have his cell phone number?
Michael Timothy McAlevey
Saturday, March 17, 2012
A horse tale
HBO canceled the show 'Luck" after a third horse died while shooting the series. The horse actually flipped over backwards while being walked and was not involved in a racing scene.
I'm thinking there are more reasons for the axe than being stated. The ratings were poor for HBO standards but not dismal. 2 million people watched the Sarah Palin movie, Game Change, last week and Luck averages about 650,000.
I'm not sure how many total HBO subscribers there are, but I would guess around 20 million.
(I just looked it up and there are 27 million) How do they know when someone records the show and watches it later? How do they keep track of shows that are repeated multiple times during a week.
I keep thinking back to the movie Braveheart and it looked like 200 horses got killed or hurt in one scene. I realize it was a movie but then again are feature films subject to less regulations than a TV show?
A horse dying on a racetrack is not really unusual and it happens everyday across the country.
My personal opinion about the show was dialogue and how it was delivered. David Milch obviously has a style which was first noticed in Deadwood. It's a style where the actors use an Old English delivery and many times I had to replay a scene to know what was said.
I realize that I'm an idiot but the last time I heard.....I wasn't alone in that category.
Eric Roth seems to be jinxed when it comes to the word LUCK...or LUCKY. But he is a giant in the industry so do not fret about his future. He's probably working on three or four projects at this very moment.
I thought the show depicted a seedy side of horse racing and gambling...which isn't hard to do. But generally the horse racing industry is just a bunch of hard working men and women trying to control 1500 lb animals so that they can show off their natural ability to.......run.
This cancellation is much more involved than the accidental death of a horse.
Michael Timothy McAlevey
I'm thinking there are more reasons for the axe than being stated. The ratings were poor for HBO standards but not dismal. 2 million people watched the Sarah Palin movie, Game Change, last week and Luck averages about 650,000.
I'm not sure how many total HBO subscribers there are, but I would guess around 20 million.
(I just looked it up and there are 27 million) How do they know when someone records the show and watches it later? How do they keep track of shows that are repeated multiple times during a week.
I keep thinking back to the movie Braveheart and it looked like 200 horses got killed or hurt in one scene. I realize it was a movie but then again are feature films subject to less regulations than a TV show?
A horse dying on a racetrack is not really unusual and it happens everyday across the country.
My personal opinion about the show was dialogue and how it was delivered. David Milch obviously has a style which was first noticed in Deadwood. It's a style where the actors use an Old English delivery and many times I had to replay a scene to know what was said.
I realize that I'm an idiot but the last time I heard.....I wasn't alone in that category.
Eric Roth seems to be jinxed when it comes to the word LUCK...or LUCKY. But he is a giant in the industry so do not fret about his future. He's probably working on three or four projects at this very moment.
I thought the show depicted a seedy side of horse racing and gambling...which isn't hard to do. But generally the horse racing industry is just a bunch of hard working men and women trying to control 1500 lb animals so that they can show off their natural ability to.......run.
This cancellation is much more involved than the accidental death of a horse.
Michael Timothy McAlevey
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Two more Michael's and The Big Rock deal
Michael Heizer does extremely large scale sculptures and Michael Govan is the Director of LACMA.
The object of their attention is a 340 ton piece of solid granite...better known as "The Rock" which might create some copyright issues with the actor, Dwayne Johnson, also known as "The Rock."
The Rock (the one without a brain) (ok, so which one am I talking about.....funnnnny) was moved, very carefully and very slowly, from it's natural home in a Riverside quarry to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to be the center piece of Mr. Heizer's sculpture called " Levitated Mass."
Total cost of the project will be $10 million dollars. No public funding involved.
The Rock was purchased for $70,000 from the Stone Valley Quarry.
Michael Heizer's price for the piece of artwork.......unknown.
He doesn't grant interviews and has remained a notorious recluse during his adulthood. He didn't even attend The Rock's arrival at it's destination and nobody has any idea where he is.
He might actually be inside The Rock doing his version of a David Blaine bit.
The Transporter of The Rock was built by an engineer named Mark Voss. It will take one month to disassemble the machine and I bet it cost a lot more than The Rock.
I suppose once the project has been finished that the visual experience will prove to be worthwhile, but I can't say that's it's on my must do summer list. I will walk to the area because I'll be visiting the Museum, and I will stop and probably say something profound like....."man that's a pretty big rock....but I've seen bigger."
We've all seen bigger but granted we haven't seen one at a museum.
It's obviously one of the oldest pieces of art every displayed.
The question is........do we care? I suppose lifetime city dwellers will marvel at size of The Rock. It's not an extra charge to see the sculpture but the admission fee at the Museum just went up $25. (I think I'm kidding)
The real story is Michael Heizer and how he has managed to avoid the media.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=slv8-yie8&va=michael+heizer
I'm thinking that Michael Govan should be looking for A Lake to put next to The Rock.
Now that's just plain.....
silly.
I'm also thinking of calling Mr. Govan and telling him I found A QUARK and maybe it could be installed next to The Rock.....
.......sort of a Theory of Relativity vs Quantum Mechanics duel in the sun.
I don't need much space for My Quark but I would like to sell it for $100 million.
Normally I'd ask if anyone has Michael Govan's cell phone number but I actually know someone who does, so I've got that going for me.
I can't believe that Rolling Rock didn't sponsor the entire project.
Oh well....often times the obvious just becomes a nice after thought.
Like having a big rock at the museum.....hummm why didn't we think of that before?
I actually think I know why.....but then again so do you!
Michael Timothy McAlevey
The object of their attention is a 340 ton piece of solid granite...better known as "The Rock" which might create some copyright issues with the actor, Dwayne Johnson, also known as "The Rock."
The Rock (the one without a brain) (ok, so which one am I talking about.....funnnnny) was moved, very carefully and very slowly, from it's natural home in a Riverside quarry to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to be the center piece of Mr. Heizer's sculpture called " Levitated Mass."
Total cost of the project will be $10 million dollars. No public funding involved.
The Rock was purchased for $70,000 from the Stone Valley Quarry.
Michael Heizer's price for the piece of artwork.......unknown.
He doesn't grant interviews and has remained a notorious recluse during his adulthood. He didn't even attend The Rock's arrival at it's destination and nobody has any idea where he is.
He might actually be inside The Rock doing his version of a David Blaine bit.
The Transporter of The Rock was built by an engineer named Mark Voss. It will take one month to disassemble the machine and I bet it cost a lot more than The Rock.
I suppose once the project has been finished that the visual experience will prove to be worthwhile, but I can't say that's it's on my must do summer list. I will walk to the area because I'll be visiting the Museum, and I will stop and probably say something profound like....."man that's a pretty big rock....but I've seen bigger."
We've all seen bigger but granted we haven't seen one at a museum.
It's obviously one of the oldest pieces of art every displayed.
The question is........do we care? I suppose lifetime city dwellers will marvel at size of The Rock. It's not an extra charge to see the sculpture but the admission fee at the Museum just went up $25. (I think I'm kidding)
The real story is Michael Heizer and how he has managed to avoid the media.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=slv8-yie8&va=michael+heizer
I'm thinking that Michael Govan should be looking for A Lake to put next to The Rock.
Now that's just plain.....
silly.
I'm also thinking of calling Mr. Govan and telling him I found A QUARK and maybe it could be installed next to The Rock.....
.......sort of a Theory of Relativity vs Quantum Mechanics duel in the sun.
I don't need much space for My Quark but I would like to sell it for $100 million.
Normally I'd ask if anyone has Michael Govan's cell phone number but I actually know someone who does, so I've got that going for me.
I can't believe that Rolling Rock didn't sponsor the entire project.
Oh well....often times the obvious just becomes a nice after thought.
Like having a big rock at the museum.....hummm why didn't we think of that before?
I actually think I know why.....but then again so do you!
Michael Timothy McAlevey
Saturday, March 10, 2012
It's not my fault
Thehhh skksji fjtjuuughto jjthuuiiin fer thhe ojhh sssss the dlslfjjjs ssslkdkkkl lllllsd jjjppdl
kkjiuiutyh derft, fretu the thhe, tkkiiskl.
Anddj eroot fthher kkie mmkionh hoomnpld dre weoph.
Shooptler vanogpl drisett fiw smooplquie.
THE SOLAR FLARE IS REALLY MESSING WITH MY MIND
hte solar flare is really really messing with my brain
THE SOLAR FLARE IS REALLY MESSING WITH MY RECEPTOR CELLS AND THUS MY HAND EYE COORDINATION HAS EVAPORATED.
I guess this is a serious case of bad cell reception.
But at least I can blame it on
the Sun....
which by the way
really has a flare for the dramatic.....don't you think?
Michael Timothy McAlevey
kkjiuiutyh derft, fretu the thhe, tkkiiskl.
Anddj eroot fthher kkie mmkionh hoomnpld dre weoph.
Shooptler vanogpl drisett fiw smooplquie.
THE SOLAR FLARE IS REALLY MESSING WITH MY MIND
hte solar flare is really really messing with my brain
THE SOLAR FLARE IS REALLY MESSING WITH MY RECEPTOR CELLS AND THUS MY HAND EYE COORDINATION HAS EVAPORATED.
I guess this is a serious case of bad cell reception.
But at least I can blame it on
the Sun....
which by the way
really has a flare for the dramatic.....don't you think?
Michael Timothy McAlevey
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Lasers are the future
From Wikipedia
A laser is a device that emits light (electromagnetic radiation) through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.[1][2] The emitted laser light is notable for its high degree of spatial and temporal coherence, unattainable using other technologies.
Spatial coherence typically is expressed through the output being a narrow beam which is diffraction-limited, often a so-called "pencil beam." Laser beams can be focused to very tiny spots, achieving a very high irradiance. Or they can be launched into a beam of very low divergence in order to concentrate their power at a large distance.
I experienced first hand on Friday what the "pencil Beam" version can do.
As with ALL men who reach a certain age I developed a prostate that decided, on its own, to make itself larger and larger until it started to grow into my bladder.
The problem first started around ten years ago and like most men I decided to ignore the early warning signs......with the end result of that ignorance being Laser Prostate Surgery. This procedure basically replaces the TURP procedure which drills a hole through the prostate and recovery can be lengthy and requires a hospital stay.
My procedure took place at 3 pm and I could have left the hospital at 7:30 if not for a strange reaction by my left leg. It wouldn't move and I couldn't put any weight on it. Apparently humans have an IT BAND that runs down their legs and if a certain position is maintained for to long than that BAND can become inactive. A few hours of hobbling around and I was good to go and left the hospital seven hours after the treatment.......and as of this moment I am 98%.
I go back to the doctor on Monday to have the catheter removed and begin the process of learning how to urinate, on my own again, for the first time in 5 years.
The catheter, my best friend, has allowed me to sleep normal hours at night, play golf without having to take a bathroom break and it has been a reassurance that nothing would back up into the Kidneys....which six years ago took a major hit because of the enlarged prostate that I was ignoring for four years.
When your kidneys take a hit it's a major wake up call. Kidney's are the most perplexing organ for the medical field. You go on a waiting list or you go on dialysis....or you drink cranberry juice.
You only need one operating at 80% to have normal bodily functions. The Kidney's can repair themselves up to a certain point, but once they've been damaged they won't ever operate at 100%....which is ok.
After reading about the treatment that I had on Friday it's obvious that the future of fighting growth aliments, which appear inside the body, will be attacked on a regular basis by the laser.
As nano-technology further develops it would seem obvious that lasers will eventually be used to attack cancer cells. I realize that would require very small machinery but reading about nano-anything simply blows one's mind.
The bottom line on this experience FOR MALES with prostate issues
DON'T IGNORE EARLY WARNING SIGNS
DON'T PANIC UNLESS YOUR PSA COUNT IS WELL ABOVE 10
DO BE AFRAID TO USE A CATHETER IF YOU GET UP MORE THAN THREE TIMES A NIGHT TO PEE
CHOOSE LASER PROCEDURE INSTEAD OF TURP.
BUT
MAINLY
DON'T IGNORE EARLY WARNING SIGNS
Now it's on to
how to control a rapid pulse rate in a healthy heart.
It's very perplexing to cardiologists and those guys are super smart.
But my cardiologists looks like Harry Connick Jr. so I feel I'm in good hands.
Yes, I know that's a shallow attitude but I'm a face man and always will be.
For the frist time in six years I'm going to have to learn to say....."excuse me I've got to go to the loo."
We all have to make certain adjustments in life and I'm pretty sure I can remember how to excuse myself....in the meantime, probably for the last time, I sit here and write my blog without having to take a bathroom break...
aaaahhhhhh!hhhhhh.....
Michael Timothy McAlevey
A laser is a device that emits light (electromagnetic radiation) through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.[1][2] The emitted laser light is notable for its high degree of spatial and temporal coherence, unattainable using other technologies.
Spatial coherence typically is expressed through the output being a narrow beam which is diffraction-limited, often a so-called "pencil beam." Laser beams can be focused to very tiny spots, achieving a very high irradiance. Or they can be launched into a beam of very low divergence in order to concentrate their power at a large distance.
I experienced first hand on Friday what the "pencil Beam" version can do.
As with ALL men who reach a certain age I developed a prostate that decided, on its own, to make itself larger and larger until it started to grow into my bladder.
The problem first started around ten years ago and like most men I decided to ignore the early warning signs......with the end result of that ignorance being Laser Prostate Surgery. This procedure basically replaces the TURP procedure which drills a hole through the prostate and recovery can be lengthy and requires a hospital stay.
My procedure took place at 3 pm and I could have left the hospital at 7:30 if not for a strange reaction by my left leg. It wouldn't move and I couldn't put any weight on it. Apparently humans have an IT BAND that runs down their legs and if a certain position is maintained for to long than that BAND can become inactive. A few hours of hobbling around and I was good to go and left the hospital seven hours after the treatment.......and as of this moment I am 98%.
I go back to the doctor on Monday to have the catheter removed and begin the process of learning how to urinate, on my own again, for the first time in 5 years.
The catheter, my best friend, has allowed me to sleep normal hours at night, play golf without having to take a bathroom break and it has been a reassurance that nothing would back up into the Kidneys....which six years ago took a major hit because of the enlarged prostate that I was ignoring for four years.
When your kidneys take a hit it's a major wake up call. Kidney's are the most perplexing organ for the medical field. You go on a waiting list or you go on dialysis....or you drink cranberry juice.
You only need one operating at 80% to have normal bodily functions. The Kidney's can repair themselves up to a certain point, but once they've been damaged they won't ever operate at 100%....which is ok.
After reading about the treatment that I had on Friday it's obvious that the future of fighting growth aliments, which appear inside the body, will be attacked on a regular basis by the laser.
As nano-technology further develops it would seem obvious that lasers will eventually be used to attack cancer cells. I realize that would require very small machinery but reading about nano-anything simply blows one's mind.
The bottom line on this experience FOR MALES with prostate issues
DON'T IGNORE EARLY WARNING SIGNS
DON'T PANIC UNLESS YOUR PSA COUNT IS WELL ABOVE 10
DO BE AFRAID TO USE A CATHETER IF YOU GET UP MORE THAN THREE TIMES A NIGHT TO PEE
CHOOSE LASER PROCEDURE INSTEAD OF TURP.
BUT
MAINLY
DON'T IGNORE EARLY WARNING SIGNS
Now it's on to
how to control a rapid pulse rate in a healthy heart.
It's very perplexing to cardiologists and those guys are super smart.
But my cardiologists looks like Harry Connick Jr. so I feel I'm in good hands.
Yes, I know that's a shallow attitude but I'm a face man and always will be.
For the frist time in six years I'm going to have to learn to say....."excuse me I've got to go to the loo."
We all have to make certain adjustments in life and I'm pretty sure I can remember how to excuse myself....in the meantime, probably for the last time, I sit here and write my blog without having to take a bathroom break...
aaaahhhhhh!hhhhhh.....
Michael Timothy McAlevey
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