A rare movie and literary discussion based on adaptation.

I left the Rooseveltsolutionism article up a bit longer because I regarded it as slightly more important than most of my political observations.  The "odd" unfolding of this Presidential race will peak during summer as both conventions take place and I foresee some unprecedented developments but in the meantime.....I would like to discuss books and  movies and  it starts with a question.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST FILM ADAPTATION OF A LITERARY WORK?
I fully realize that  greatest is very subjective word..... but deal with it.

There should be an award show every 20 years just to see how the public's viewpoint changes on this topic.

One of the main prerequisites for GREATEST, and there are numerous parameters, is that there will be NO REMAKE.  Not in 10 years, not in 20 years, not in 50 years and not in 200 years.

So many film adaptations from a literary source are always subject to someone thinking they could do better or something was over looked or someone different could have played a key character.

So basically......character driven novels/films would not be eligible.

That particular prerequisite eliminates any work by  Shakespeare,  Williams,   Hemingway,  Fitzgerald, Melville, Stevenson, Cooper, London or Stephen King.  So many versions and so many possibilities of interpretation, depending on who preforms the work, that remakes are guaranteed.

Keep in mind that some people think The Shining could win that award but even though Jack was wonderful, there were too many eliminations from the book and within a few years it will be remade. The only reason it hasn't been done yet is because of Jack's performance.  Leaving those hedge animals out of the film was a huge Kubrick mistake.

Without you having any idea of how I participate in the Time/Space conundrum I just took a break and called a few friends to get a small sampling of what the prerequisites and parameters might be in establishing how the winner would be chosen and quickly realized that opinions on this matter have already been the subject at numerous dinner parties and other social gatherings.

Number one rule in voting....MUST HAVE READ THE BOOK and SEEN THE MOVIE.

THERE SHOULD PROBABLY BE TWO CATEGORIES

FANTASY (which includes science fiction)
with a separate subcategory for animation and comic book creations. 

and    

REALITY BASED  

with REALITY BASED having it's own subcategories of fiction and non-fiction....as an example, the first nomination my friend Dr. Francis J. Conlan said was.....TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.  A fictional story based on a very real situation.  His main basis of opinion is centered on the fact that no one could play the role of Atticus Finch better than Gregory Peck.

I think that is a character driven story and someday someone will remake that film in color with a different actor and whereas it might not be as good there is a strong possibility that it could be done.

The NO REMAKING  rule eliminates character based stories and thus To Kill a Mockingbird must be eliminated....or placed in a special category.

EVERYBODY'S A CRITIC

The next friend I called, Dermot Stoker, whose family linage dates back to Bram Stoker, immediately said he knew the two movies.  Lawrence of Arabia and Out of Africa.

I guess there should be another rule......

WHO WOULD WANT TO?

I'm not the biggest fan of L of A and O of A but I guess I understand the sentiment.  Of the two books that spawned those films I would wager large parcels of land, if I had any, on you or anyone else reading this piece to know who the author was on Out of Africa....or what was the title of the book by Mr. Lawrence?

I think Out of Africa could be remade because Meryl Streep and Robert Redford are replaceable by Ryan Goosling and Marion Cotillard.......or ? and ?  

Lawrence of Arabia might be harder just because Peter O'Toole actually looked like the real Lawrence...according to another friend Thomas J. Sullivan.

By the way...the author of Out of Africa.........Baroness Karen von Bixen-Finecke......and T.E. Lawrence's book was called The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

ANYWAY.....THE WINNER SHALL BE DETERMINED BY VOTING.

I'M JUST TRYING TO ESTABLISH ELIGIBILITY.....and am quickly learning to understand the problem the Academy has when organizing the Oscars.

There are also many films, not from literature, that shouldn't be remade, but probably will be....but of course that's another show.

I'm going to now place in nomination a film in the Fantasy category that I guarantee will never ever ever be remade.

ACTUALLY IT IS 6 FILMS but it's one story....and it starts with..."In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit".........

The Hobbit (3 films) and
Lord of the Rings(3 films) will never be remade because there is no way to improve on the production and nothing was left out of the books...and if you read those works by Mr. Tolkien then you fully know what I'm saying.

I realize that there are many people who don't read fiction, which basically eliminates almost every blockbuster movie ever made from their enjoyment portfolio.  I wonder  if people who don't read fiction even go to the movies?  Probably spend any spare time digesting the History Channel and PBS. A person who doesn't read fiction, but goes to the movies and watches TV most likely thinks Ken Burns is the greatest filmmaker in history......and oddly enough....they might be right.

Other nominations
Movies that will never be remade.

FANTASY

Harry Potter.....now that there's theme parks...Harry has become the new Mickey.
Shoeless Joe.....title changed to Field of Dreams for movie interpretation. Perfect movie.
The Godfather 1....you don't really believe there's a Mafia, do you?
Dr. Zhivago.......oh yeah....someone who looks like Julie Christe lives in Siberia
Shindler's List....a German who was helping the Jews.....seriously?  And did anyone read Keneally's book except for Speilberg?
Wizard of Oz..................variations don't count......nice try Michael Jackson.
                   
REALITY BASED

GONE WITH THE WIND......maybe could be redone by someone who really wants to show the worst time period in American history.  I mean 600,00 Americans lost their lives and Rhett says...."Frankly Scarlet, I don't give a damn."

AVATAR.......That book sold really well on the planet Zicron and Cameron announced the other day that five more sequels are coming.

LITTLE MERMAID............20 years ago USA did a nationwide survey and 30% of the people said the actress who played the Little Mermaid was their favorite actress.  (True story)


And on that note I'm going to sign off and get back to the political arena.....I'll work on the category breakdown and determine what year the award show will be introduced.

In the mean time....would love your nomination.....or click the waste of time box below.

Movies from Books that will never be remade.

OUT.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Rooseveltsolutionism

I've been very concerned about how the word socialism keeps roadblocking Bernie Sanders and his journey through the Clinton machinery and then on to the White House.

He defines himself as a Democratic Socialist which is not a flat out Socialist but it might as well be when it comes to trying to interpret what the general public hears.  Donald Trump refers to Bernie as "that Socialist or Communist or whatever he is."  

I used to think it didn't matter what Trump said but one has to start accepting the possibility that he will become the GOP nominee....so obviously there's a certain percentage of people listening to him.

IT'S NOT AS BIG A PERCENTAGE AS HE WOULD LIKE YOU TO BELIEVE but it's a percentage that creates a steady stream of noise and plenty of hot air.  (In my next post I will show the statistics that prove The Donald cannot win a general election)

In the meantime........
What I've come up with is a new term, and or, an ideology, that best defines what Bernie Sanders really is.....or what he should be if indeed he wants to advance along the Presidential highway.

SAY GOODBYE TO SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM AND CAPITALISM......say hello to.........

.......ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM practiced by a ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONIST of which Bernie Sanders is the leading practitioner.

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM
Modern term describing how a Free Market Economy can work in harmony with Social Responsibility.

Say it over and over a few times and let it sink into the political portion of your brain.  (by the way....it's that little section right next to the religious portion and just below the art appreciation lobe)

America, in the 21st Century, has an opportunity to create a revision of how a free market economy can benefit everyone including the downtrodden and disenfranchised without jeopardizing the basic code of American ideals and values. 

Those basic values and ideals are fundamentally based on the principle that each and every individual can achieve whatever financial goals they aspire to.

Socialism and Communism are not identical theories of social governmental behavior but they might as well be when used in political conversations.  They become instantly linked together simply because of historical parameters.  Capitalism just seems to have a harsh and corrupt edge.....probably through no fault of it's own but mainly due to the flexibility created by using the term free market place controlled by individuals.  Individuals can be so tricky, if you know what I mean.

An economy that can benefit the masses and still allow individuals to reach the upper pinnacles  of financial success should be a rational and achievable goal at this time in our history.  After 240 years of working on a form of government, that was indeed revolutionary, it is now time to make adjustments and improvements.......but first and foremost a word needed to be created that says it perfectly.

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM.......

When one stops and thinks about Franklin Roosevelt two very simple ideas come to mind.
He initiated more social programs than any President in history and he oversaw a military buildup that might never be duplicated.  From 1940 to 1945 America constructed war machinery at such a pace that basically unemployment did not exist.  

In1932 when he won his first election unemployment was 24%
In 1944 unemployment was 1.2
(Wikipedia)
 His program for relief, recovery and reform, known as the New Deal, involved a great expansion of the role of the federal government in the economy. As a dominant leader of the Democratic Party, he built the New Deal Coalition that brought together and united labor unions, big city machines, white ethnics, African Americans, and rural white Southerners in support of the party. The Coalition significantly realigned American politics after 1932, creating the Fifth Party System and defining American liberalism throughout the middle third of the 20th Century.

IT IS THAT COALITION THAT IS STILL A MAJORITY IN 2016.......

NOW I REALIZE THAT SOME OF YOU ARE WONDERING IF I'M LEADING UP TO A CALL FOR BUILDING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF NEW WAR MACHINERY.  

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS ARTICLE STARTED WITH HELPING TO FIGURE OUT HOW BERNIE SANDERS CAN REACH THE WHITE HOUSE.  

BERNIE WAS A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR DURING THE VIET-NAM WAR, SO REST ASSURED THE FURTHER BUILDUP OF OUR MASSIVE MILITARY
IS AN ENTREE NOT ON THE TABLE..............BUT

.....using the term ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM allows people to understand that IF more military is needed THEN THAT ENTREE CAN BE ADDED VERY QUICKLY.

I sincerely pray that there will never be another call to arms like there was in 1941, 42, 43 and 44
but this is America and if that call was made and the cause was justified then that call would be answered.....AND ANSWERED BIG TIME.

VIET-NAM  was not only never justified but turned out to be one of the greatest follies in American history.  58,000 AMERICAN LIVES LOST......FOR WHAT?

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM is a ideology that creates non-military jobs at home while making sure that no man, woman or child goes to bed hungry or doesn't have a roof over their head.

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM restructures the Tax code by eliminating all corporate loop holes so that multi-national corporruptions like GE can no longer avoid paying  a Federal Income Tax

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM not only acknowledges Climate Change but directs national programs toward renewable energy sources and other important sources that save energy such a LEDs.

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM introduces a work at home service industry bill that helps return service industry jobs to the United States

ROOSEVELTSOUTIONISM reintroduces regulations to the banking industry,Wall Street and campaign financing.  Nothing TOO HARSH, just enough to keep them in line with common sense and fair play.

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM acknowledges that when FDR introduced Social Security the population of America was 124 million.  Today there are 318 million people and in 1934 life expectancy was 64. Today it is 78.  We simply adjust the retirement  age to 67 (and 64 in case of health emergencies)....and we start that program in 15 years so people who have been planning are not affected.  A bill is introduced preventing Social Security funds from being used for anything else.

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM prohibits Corporations, that have more than 500 employees, from having any more than 25% of their work force designated as part time.

ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONISM sounds like everything Bernie Sanders is talking about except it doesn't have the word Socialist in the title of his basic political core belief system.


BERNIE SANDERS
WILL BE
THE
FIRST
ROOSEVELTSOLUTIONIST 

Does anyone have his cell phone number?

Michael Timothy McAlevey

She says it all...and she says it all the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePsNcoMNNXc
(copy and paste)

Every week Elizabeth Warren speaks the words that the majority of people in this country believe.....

Take some time....go to You Tube and check out her moments on the floor of the Senate.

I'm guessing that the Republicans who are in the room, if they are even in the room, just wish she would go back to being the fairy godmother in Cinderella.

She's like a character from a Frank Capra movie BUT she's a real Senator.

When I listen to her I can't believe an elected official actually talks like that.  There's no double spin BS coming out of her mouth.

And then I replay a GOP debate and my brain literally goes into default mode trying to figure out how we could possibly have people running for President who are so different  than Elizabeth Warren.

I'm not kidding when I say that if Elizabeth Warren has an IQ of 150 then Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz don't have an aggregate score that high.

ok.....maybe I'm exaggerating.....a little bit.....maybe.......

We deserve the best of the best....and she might be the very best.  

Michael Timothy McAlevey

MILITARY STRENGTH and lies and spins being told by GOP candidates

Every time I try to sit down and calmly watch my recorded Presidential debates ( Both parties)I get so frustrated that I switch to other recorded programs such as American Idol, Blacklist, The Grinder and Limitless.

By the way....I'm not sure how anybody can watch commercial TV without a DVR service.  Even sporting events, which are live, are so much better when you can jam through the advertisers and focus on the event.  Which means I watch a golf tournament, a football game and a baseball game on a one hour delay.  The only problem happens when a friend calls and says...."wow, was that a great shot or what?"

So I'm reduced to not answering the phone during certain athletic occasions, which doesn't really turn out to be a problem unless I miss a one call dinner opportunity.   I have a problem listening to messages and have always just checked my caller ID and returned calls.......most of the time.

Plus....while recording a show there is the PAUSE button which allows for trips to the kitchen and the loo.

One of the main things that gets me worked up is listening to the GOP dudes (no chicks left) keep verbalizing how WEAK our military has become.

TIME TO REMIND

SPENDING ON MILITARY .......ANNUALLY

USA..........$600 BILLION
CHINA.....$210 BILLION
RUSSIA....$84 BILLION
S. ARABIA....$80 BILLION
FRANCE........$62 BILLION


WARPLANES

USA....................13,500
RUSSIA................3,500
CHINA.................3,000
INDIA...................2,000
JAPAN.................1,600
S. KOREA............1.500
N. KOREA..............944

AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

USA......10
CHINA....1
RUSSIA....1
ITALY......2
INDIA.....2
BRAZIL....1
FRANCE....1
SPAIN.......1
THAILAND......1  (HUH?)

WE HAVE BUILT A TOTAL 0F 68 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS IN OUR HISTORY
UNITED KINGDOM BUILT 40 (NONE ACTIVE)
JAPAN BUILT 20 (NONE ACTIVE)

TANKS

RUSSIA......15,398
CHINA..........9,156
USA...............8,848

(I would assume that Russia and China might need tanks to protect their borders against each other but when was the last time a tank was used on America soil?)  Answer....Kent State.

SUBMARINES

USA.....75
NORTH KOREA.....70
CHINA.........68
RUSSIA.....60
IRAN.....33

The fact that North Korea has 70 subs is rather alarming but it also explains once again
why nobody has food.  Have to think that eventually all 26 million people will be in the military.
And then looking at Iran one has to also think that it's a bit crowded in the Persian Gulf.

STANDING ARMIES

1	People's Republic of China	2,285,000
2	United States of America	1,361,755
3	India	1,325,450
4	Democratic People's Republic of Korea	1,190,000
5	Russian Federation	766,055

China.....2.2 mil.....USA.......1.3 mi.......India...1.3.....N.Korea...1.1 mil
Russia.....766,000.
Now please note that China has 1.3 BILLION people
India has 1.3 BILLION people
USA has.......318 MILLION

WARSHIPS

1)NORTH KOREA..................967
2)CHINA..................................714
3)USA.......................................415

This is one reason North Korea can't feed their people.....but since the US and Japan have about 13,000 more warplanes than N.Korea I'd call their warships edge a non-factor.


NUCLEAR ARSENALS

(Click on image)

Considering that detonating probably 50 of these "things" would alter life on earth for the next
200,000 years 15,793 does seem like overkill....but then you already knew that.

And one more tiny detail.....if you are looking for a summer cabin I wouldn't pick anything near these locations.

Simply called.....

Weapons production complexes

I'm not even going to add our latest war darlings to this list because they are being built faster and deployed faster than anyone can count....and the amount of companies making them is unbelievable.

DRONES are the future of warfare and it looks like EVERYONE will have them.....
and
I
mean
EVERYONE.

Something else just occurred to me........if Donald Trump was President......what kind of Presidential library would he build and where?  Maybe on top of the Trump Tower in NYC.......or downtown Vegas.  Would his wall have his name on the side.....TRUMP WALL.

Imagine a Donald Trump aircraft carrier with his name running the entire length of the ship.....and remember he wasn't kidding when he said Sarah Palin would be in his cabinet.

You might ask what this has to do with GOP candidates always underestimating the USA military?

EVERYONE OF THE GOP CANDIDATES THINKS AMERICA SUCKS AND THAT BARACK OBAMA IS THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE WORST PRESIDENT WE HAVE EVER HAD.

THEY ARE SO WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING AND THE DONALD IS THEIR LEADER

WE ARE THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WITH THE STRONGEST MILITARY AND PEOPLE THAT ARE SIMPLY CELEBRITY GRAZED ARE ABOUT TO TURN OUR LAND INTO A PLAYGROUND FOR IDIOTS.

DONALD TRUMP'S FINGERS ON BUTTONS AND TRIGGERS OF MASS DESTRUCTION SEEMS 
LUDICROUS
AND
VERY
SCARY

I tried writing a piece about our military might and ended up scaring myself with a Trump moment.

I'm going to try and ignore anybody who isn't positive about America.

I guess that means no more political coverage.........period!

Most likely......not possible.

By the way...have you seen those GoPro Drones with the AK 47's attached?

God help us.....


Michael Timothy McAlevey

Fire Balloons

I don't normally deal with historic events because I prefer current events but this story just simply blows my mind.

Wikipedia

The Japanese fire balloon was the first ever weapon possessing intercontinental range (the second being the Convair B-36 Peacemaker and the third being the R-7ICBM). The Japanese balloon strikes on North America were at that time the longest ranged attacks ever conducted in the history of warfare, a record which was not broken until the 1982 Operation Black Buck raids during the Falkland Islands War.

The balloons were ineffective as weapons but were used in one of the few attacks on North America during World War II.

From late 1944 until early 1945, the Japanese launched over 9300 fire balloons, of which 300 were found or observed in the U.S. Despite the high hopes of their designers, the balloons were ineffective as weapons: causing only six deaths (from one single incident) and a small amount of damage.

The Japanese designed two types of balloons. The first was called the "Type B Balloon" and was designed by the Japanese Navy. It was 9 m (30 ft) in diameter and consisted of rubberized silk. The type B balloons were sent first and mainly used for meteorological purposes. The Japanese used them to determine the possibility of the bomb-carrying balloons reaching North America.^[3] The second type was the bomb-carrying balloon. Japanese bomb-carrying balloons were 10 m (33 ft) in diameter and, when fully inflated, held about 540 m³ (19,000 cu ft) of hydrogen. Their launch sites were located on the east coast of the main Japanese island of Honshū.

Japan released the first of these bomb-bearing balloons on November 3, 1944. They were found in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Kansas,Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Michigan^[4] and Iowa, as well as Mexico and Canada.

General Kusaba's men launched over 9,000 balloons throughout the course of the project. The Japanese expected 10% (around 900) of them to reach America, which is also what is currently believed by researchers.^[5] About 300 balloon bombs were found or observed in America. It is likely that more balloon bombs landed in unpopulated areas of North America.

The last one was launched in April 1945.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_balloon

IMAGINE THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS REGARDING THESE OBJECTS

Truman learns about the fire balloons and makes a decision to drop one of OUR special " Little Boy" balloons on a balloon factory in Hiroshima and then the next day discovers another balloon factory in Nagasaki.......

Pilots in the Enola Gay look out their port window and say...."what the fuck are those things" as they fly past 50 balloons on their way to California.

A farmer in Nevada looks up and reports the first UFO in 1944 and the government says...."mind your own business Mr. MacDonald."

The scientist who created this device went on to start Toyota because he had access to millions of pounds of high grade rubber.

The Trojan prophylactic company was started because some guy in California stumbled upon a balloon outside of Bakersfield and suddenly was in possession of a thousand yards of interesting material that could be stretched very very thinly....and it was incredibly strong.

The agent who was handling the transaction between the rubber plantation in Honduras and the Japanese Government became a theatrical agent in Hollywood.

THE STRANGEST PART OF THIS STORY CENTERS ON THE FACT THAT I'VE NEVER HEARD ABOUT FIRE BALLOONS UNTIL THIS MORNING....

I must have had 100 war conversations with my father who was a marine in WW11 and he never mentioned them.  Wish I could ask him now but his rock at Westlake Golf Course always remain very quiet when I say hi every Tuesday morning.

I've watched numerous shows on the History Channel regarding WW11 and have never seen a story about Fire Balloons.

9300 balloons and one fatal incident.

Single lethal attack[edit]

Killed near Bly, Oregon[23]

1. Elsie Mitchell, age 26

2. Edward Engen, age 13

3. Jay Gifford, age 13

4. Joan Patzke, age 13

5. Dick Patzke, age 14

6. Sherman Shoemaker, age 11

Mitchell Monument

On May 5, 1945, a pregnant woman (Elsie Winters Mitchell, born February 26, 1919)^[24] and five children were killed when they discovered a balloon bomb that had landed in the forest of Gearhart Mountain in Southern Oregon. Archie Mitchell was the pastor of the Bly Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. He and his pregnant wife Elsie drove up to Gearhart Mountain with five of their Sunday school students (aged 11–14) to have a picnic. They had to stop at this spot near Bly, Oregon, due to construction and a road closing. Elsie and the children got out of the car at Bly, while Archie drove on to find a parking spot. As Elsie and the children looked for a good picnic spot, they saw a strange balloon lying on the ground. As the group approached the balloon, a bomb attached to it exploded, killing Elsie and all five children instantly. Archie and several members of the road crew witnessed the explosion and immediately ran to the scene and used their hands to extinguish the fire on Elsie's and the children's clothing, but they could not save them.^[25][26] Two members of the road crew gathered their bearings and headed to Bly. These are the only known deaths caused by the balloon bombs. Aside from the Aleutian Islands Campaign in the Alaska Territory, they are the only known deaths in the contiguous U.S. as the result of enemy action during World War II and the only civilian casualties on American soil after the US entry into the war.

Military personnel arrived on the scene within hours, and saw that the balloon still had snow underneath it, while the surrounding area did not. They concluded that the balloon bomb had drifted to the ground several weeks earlier, and had lain there undisturbed until found by the group.

Elsie Mitchell is buried in the Ocean View Cemetery in Port Angeles, Washington. A memorial, the Mitchell Monument, is located at the point of the explosion, 110 kilometers (68 miles) northeast of Klamath Falls in the Mitchell Recreation Area. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Several Japanese civilians have visited the monument to offer their apologies for the deaths that took place here, and several cherry trees have been planted around the monument as a symbol of peace.^[26]

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time......

And then as I read about the balloons I discover that they started making them out of WASHI paper because of how strong the fiber is........and I use Washi paper whenever I do a painting not done on canvas.

WTF????????

Michael Timothy McAlevey

And then Libya becomes an ISIS playground......

This morning in the LA TIMES an article on the front page claims that The Islamic State is now seizing land in certain oil-rich parts of Libya.

How is one suppose to reconcile the idea of eliminating a crazy dictator KNOWING THAT THE ALTERNATIVE is a thousand times worst?

It has taken a little while longer, but as we apply pressure in Syria and Iraq the bad guys just move to another place where stability seems not to exist.  Libya has been having it's own internal struggle since Qaddafi and his loony sons were removed but it's never been clear who we are backing in that struggle.  I hear talk about civilian militia but how can we be sure who we are offering weapons and support TO?

North Africa is a literal time bomb that offers no hope to anyone thinking a calm and normal reality might emerge from all the chaos.

John Kerry is quoted as saying....."Islamic State threatens to gain a 'stranglehold' on billions of dollars of oil revenue."   

The population of Libya is 6.6 million.  It is 97% Sunni Muslim.

Libya has had no functioning central government since the NATO overthrow of Moammar Qaddafi in 2011.

MIGHT AS WELL HAVE PUT UP A GIANT SIGN SAYING......

"ALL RADICAL ASSHOLES WELCOMED....MO REGISTRATION REQUIRED." 

And then considering that the ISLAMIC STATE IS ALSO SUNNI MUSLIM....IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME.

Is it becoming clear that maybe asshole DICTATORS might be a more sensible choice than asshole religious radical GROUPS.

Egypt has to be involved in the end game process considering almost the entire eastern part of Libya runs along their border...but since they are 94% Sunni Muslim maybe they don't give a damn...and will just fold into whoever emerges victorious.   Egypt has 70 million people and the largest armed forces in the Middle East....but they seem rather quiet regarding this matter.

SERIOUSLY....IF THE ISLAMIC STATE 
HAS SEIZED TERRITORY IN LIBYA 
WHY HASN'T EGYPT STEPPED IN 
AND SPANKED THEM INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN?

and unfortunately I might have an answer.........

The countries that border Libya are
Egypt
Sudan
Algeria
Tunisia
Niger

ALGERIA, EGYPT AND SUDAN ARE PREDOMINATELY SUNNI MUSLIM.

Tunisia is the smallest African country, as well as the most liberal, and Niger is an Islamic country but at this moment seems to have it's own internal struggle between certain tribes.

THE FIGHT FOR THE ISLAMIC SOUL OF NORTHERN AFRICA IS A VERY REAL BATTLE BETWEEN SUNNI AND SHITE.

BUT AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE......
IS
THIS CONFLICT
JUST
A
BATTLE
FOR
OIL?

Could this be a reason for low oil prices.......IS IT OUR WAY OF SCREWING WITH THE ASSHOLES WHO KEEP TRYING TO CIRCUMVENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP........TAKING OVER SOMEONE ELSE'S WORK IS NOT THE AMERICAN WAY....unless of course you are a giant multinational corporruption and you take over through acquisition....but that is a contract between two parties.

THERE IS NO CONTRACT IN LIBYA WHEN THE ISLAMIC STATE SWOOPS IN AND TAKES OVER.

And one more thing....how did they move their equipment from Syria and Iraq to Libya?

They don't have an air force and they don't have a navy......

Maybe they have extremely large 3-D printers.......

I hope Egypt and Saudi Arabia  wake up and decide that the Islamic State should be a thing of the past.

And I hope they wake up soon...before their playground turns into a Islamic State Disney World playground.


Michael Timothy McAlevey

Officially underway.....

As the state of Iowa says goodbye to all the Presidential candidates and New Hampshire welcomes them in, things have become much clearer after the first caucus concluded last night.

Mike Huckabee and Martin O'Malley have dropped out of the race so that helps clear things up a bit.

Sarcasm and political maneuvering seem to go hand in hand when trying to explain the current state of affairs regarding who will take the oath of office next January.

AT THIS POINT THERE IS NO FRONT RUNNER...FOR EITHER PARTY.

The Donald lost his first attempt to validate that a celebrity doesn't have to have political experience to win a political office.  The people of Iowa made a small statement by selecting Ted Cruz over Donnie and the Rube from Florida.  It was close but Eddie Munster can now walk into New Hampshire claiming a victory.  Mr. Trump can simply write it off by saying something special like...."have you ever been to Iowa?"

On the Democratic side Mrs. Bill Clinton is claiming victory and if 49.6 vs 49.3 is a victory than God bless her.

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton will split the delegates in the state of Iowa and in my humble opinion that seems like a tie.  When you consider that six months ago Bernie had less than 3% of the vote and 98% of the people in Iowa wondered why an ex-Yankee center fielder thought he could be the new Potus... this was a monster night for him

To say Mr. Sanders made a statement in Iowa does his campaign an injustice.

HE KICKED HILLARY'S ASS.

SPLITTING THE DELEGATES WITH THE MOST FAMOUS POLITICAL WOMAN IN THE UNITED STATES, IF NOT THE WORLD, IS A HUGE WIN.

After he takes New Hampshire the pundits will finally have to acknowledge that there is not only a race on the Democratic ticket but BERNIE SANDERS CAN ACTUALLY WIN THE NOMINATION.

AND THEN WHEN HE PICKS HILLARY FOR HIS RUNNING MATE
LIGHTS OUT

Please don't suggest that Hilly's ego won't allow her to play second fiddle.  She's done it before and there's really no shame in being the first female Vice-President of the United States.  In fact....it might be the best job for her.  

She can travel the world with the sole purpose of elevating the plight of women on every social and economic level.  And then when she announces that she is gay that's another banner she could carry....and everybody loves rainbows....right?

The fact that Bernie is 74 should also make her think twice about not doing it.....the actual average life span of an adult American male is 77 so she might not have to wait that long.

It will be interesting to see how the southern primaries shape up...on both sides.  Texas vs Florida vs
Television star on one side and pinko commie liberal Jewish dude vs loud mouth probably gay babe on the other.

I'm just teasing.............................................................aren't I?

Hillary became well known through her Arkansas connection but she's actually from the Chicago area so there might not be a deep relationship for her with those loving tolerant souls in the south.  Bernie has multiple issues and it might be interesting to see a few primaries on the Demo side where the voter turnout is 5%.

I've said it before and I'll say in again....

BERNIE is the only person who seems interested in what happens to your good old middle class and underprivileged  Americans..........can he do anything about the banking industry or wall street?
Probably not....but at least he points out the problem.

The consolidation of the banking industry is borderline monopolistic.  

His vision of a actual health care system that includes everyone is the future of a government that taxes it's average citizens far beyond  any sense of reason and allows it's privileged citizens loop hole upon loop hole.

All the GOP candidates do is rip Obama, claim we have no more military and tear up Hillary.
All Hillary does is tell us how she gets things done.

The race is now on the course and within a couple months there will only be a few runners left.

I still think the conventions will yield some epic surprises.

Bye Bye Iowa....hello America.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

And then the flow goes from that to this

either by random and or randomly I pause and wonder about
what
truth seems to offer
or
shelter
or hide
from my
arena of awareness

the questions I ask seem to be
questions that don't require
one to inquire
but instead just
require
wonder

in the past I would just let the keys
hammer out letters and
view the results
much
much
later

now
I seem to have to
think before I create
and while
the opposite works
while
creating a visual
capture

it
most definitely
hinders
this
palette of
words

as age increases
spontaneity appears
stymied
and
as that obviously
works
well
while in the relaxing theater
it
works
not at all
in the
literary
arena

reading robs me 
of my creative time
but
it's just so much fun to see 
what other souls
create

i just simply keep asking 
why
do 
i
have
to wait

for the circle to arrive at the point i anchor

we all have a anchor in place somewhere on the circle
of life and the circle is always moving and always
revolving
and always
vibrating

and then suddenly occurs a moment
and
I realize that nobody
wants
to hear
a
whiner

I hate bringing this up........

SUPERFUND map.   What's Superfund?  Well.....it ain't anything super fun, that's for sure.

AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT NEED ATTENTION and please note that Nevada, where Nuclear explosions were common from 1945 to 1991 doesn't seem to have an issue.  Would that be irony or just plain old time governmental denial?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfund

I KEEP REMINDING PEOPLE.....WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY IS THE CHEAPEST AND CLEANEST FORM OF ENERGY

THEY ARE WRONG

BECAUSE
THEY
DON'T 
CONSIDER THE COSTS WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM
AND
EVEN WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT
THERE
IS
A
WASTE
PROBLEM
AND
THAT PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE THE FIRST TIME
NUCLEAR EXPERIMENTS WERE CREATED

THERE'S A REASON THAT YOU NEVER HEAR ABOUT NUCLEAR WASTE PROBLEMS DURING A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

THERE IS NO POSITIVE ANSWER
SO
MAIN STREAM MEDIA AND POLITICIANS HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT

NO QUESTIONS REGARDING NUCLEAR WASTE PROBLEMS 

AND
PLEASE DON'T EVER BRING UP ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
EVENTS.

• 2011 K-84 nuclear submarine incident
• 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
• 2001 Instituto Oncologico Nacional radiotherapy accident
• 1997 Tokaimura nuclear accident
• 1996 San Juan de Dios radiotherapy accident
• 1990 Clinic of Zaragoza radiotherapy accident
• 1987 Goiânia accident
• 1986 Chernobyl disaster and Chernobyl disaster effects
• 1979 Three Mile Island accident and Three Mile Island accident health effects
• 1969 Lucens reactor
• 1962 Thor missile launch failures during nuclear weapons testing at Johnston Atoll under Operation Fishbowl
• 1961 SL-1 nuclear meltdown
• 1961 K-19 nuclear accident
• 1959 SRE partial nuclear meltdown at Santa Susana Field Laboratory
• 1957 Kyshtym disaster
• 1957 Windscale fire
• 1957 Operation Plumbbob
• 1954 Totskoye nuclear exercise
• 1950 Desert Rock exercises
• Bikini Atoll
• Hanford Site
• Rocky Flats Plant, see also radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant
• Techa River

NUCLEAR ENERGY IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FORM OF ENERGY THAT HAS EVER BEEN CREATED
and the irresponsibility and lack of long term vision, of all parties involved, is staggering.

End of story and I'm sorry I brought it up again.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

THE BERN

IT'S TIME
FOR
A
REAL ATTEMPT
AT
HOW
OUR
GOVERNMENT
IS
RUN
BERNIE SANDERS
HAS
BEEN
SAYING
THE EXACT SAME
THING
SINCE
HE
WAS ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
IN
1991

SINCE 2006 HE HAS BEEN
IN
THE SENATE
SAYING 
THE EXACT 
SAME
THING HE IS SAYING NOW

My guess is that he was on the losing side of most votes taken in the Senate because
in truth
neither party accepts
what he says

The phrase Democratic Socialist 
is not
Communism

IT'S ABOUT REIGNING IN THE POWER BROKERS AND TRYING TO DISTRIBUTE THE WEALTH ON A MORE EQUAL BASIS......less tax loop holes are important
BUT........

.........A HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE IS A GOOD PLACE TO START HELPING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

MAYBE THE ONLY THING THAT BERNIE CAN REALLY DO IS OPEN UP THE DIALOGUE ON HOW TO HELP MAKE OUR DEMOCRACY MORE RESPONSIBLE TO EVERYONE

I'M VOTING FOR THE NEW POLITICAL MOVEMENT

"CONFRONTATIONAL CONVERSATION"
and while everyone (especially GOP candidates) seems to be on board.............
BERNIE SANDERS
APPEARS TO BE THE ONLY ONE
WHO IS PARTICIPATING WITH 
INTELLECT
COMPASSION 
AND 
A VISION 
THAT INCLUDES A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR THE ENTIRE 
AMERICAN POPULATION.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

2016 first "article"......

 I've been creating "articles" on Mind Jazz since Christmas of 2006 and I call them "articles" because it makes more sense than saying "columns."  I have 1193 of them, whatever they might be called.

I have a certain style that can't really be duplicated in print media unless it's my own book or some unique art/literary magazine.....and then it would only be one or two pieces at the most.  My spacing is a major problem for print media but matters very little when publishing on-line....and in fact is very important when stressing a
certain
point.

When I would write my "articles" before doing it on line I would refer to them as columns because I created actual columns in order to condense information onto one page.  To go a bit further into the self revelation game...I admit that "columnists" always held a fascination for me.  Jim Murray, while focusing mainly on sports, was a cornerstone of my daily routine growing up in the Los Angeles area. Then when I moved to Northern California in 1970 Herb Caen was a absolute must read.

I've always thought being a columnists was the coolest job....especially five columns a week, with weekends off.

It turns out that in nine years I average 2.3 "articles" a week.....which, when one considers my pay scale, one has to either conclude that I'm independently wealthy or just flat out....nuts.

Independently wealthy ain't the answer.

There aren't many of us left but I'm pretty sure if I didn't have the newspaper to read in the morning I might not be able to start the day.

I understand that people now turn to places like the Huffington site to read  different "columns" but I don't like the way the site makes me stay and maneuver so I avoid it...completely....just like you avoid the daily newspaper.

Enough with the personal stuff....let's get to issues in the news.

As 2016 starts there are so many "VOLATILE" issues facing mankind that I'm not sure where to start.

One positive note this morning on the front page of the LA TIMES BUSINESS section.

The EPA officially announced that the pesticide IMIDACLOPRID does "potentially" create a risk for BEES.

THIS IS A MAJOR STEP TO HELPING STOP
COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER....COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS CCD.

Now let's just see how elected officials who get donations from pesticide companies respond to this information.  I'm not confident that enough members of Congress are aware of the problem to start passing laws regarding the use of certain pesticides.

Organic farming has grown by leaps and bounds in the last ten years so hopefully that healthy trend will interest the CORPORATE FARMING communities.

And then I turn my attention to Saudi Arabia and Iran and I pause to reflect on whether the loss of BEES will really matter if that situation escalates to the next level.

The Sunni vs Shiite conflict has quite quickly become a global issue.  It already was a global issue but it seemed to have been somewhat limited.  (Limited as far as Americans being interested)

If Saudi Arabia, which is a Sunni country and Iran, which is a Shiite country decide that enough is enough and involve their military, which are two of the largest military in the region, then we officially have a situation that has no sensible or peaceful solution.....

We, The US, back Saudi Arabia, for obvious reasons and Russian backs Iran, for less obvious reasons, and then the verbiage and action moves to another level.

And by the way....side bar.  Doesn't China have any interest in controlling North Korea?

Can you pause for a second and wonder where CCD stands on priority list of important issues for Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, North Korea or China?

And then I turn my attention to the 2016 Presidential Election.

At this point I really have no idea what might happen.  Usually by now it becomes apparent that 4 people have a chance to be elected in November......usually.....seriously it's January and Iowa and New Hampshire primaries are right around the corner.

I ask people, from both sides, if the ballot in November says....Clinton vs Trump.....who gets the vote?

THERE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE A LONG PAUSE...WITH NO DEFINITIVE ANSWER BECAUSE IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO ANYONE WITH COMMON SENSE THAT OUR ONLY OPTION IS THOSE TWO PEOPLE.

And...I've yet to hear anyone of the 17 candidates mention CCD 
so I'm pretty sure all the people running for President 
are bats**t crazy.

I think Bernie might have mentioned the issue on the Bill Maher show but I'm not sure.

AND THAT BRINGS ME TO TO A PERSONAL DECISION THAT I HAVE MADE.

A MIND JAZZ ENDORSEMENT.....so to speak.

I'M VOTING FOR BERNIE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY....WHICH WILL BE HELD IN CALIFORNIA ON JUNE 7.

I love the posting on Facebook, from unknown source, that says "The last time a socialist was President he got elected four times."

I'm not sure that a conscientious objector 
can be elected President of the United Military States but  in 2008 I didn't believe that a black man could make it and two terms later we have a President leaving office that will be missed.

To be honest the only reason I would vote for Hillary is because of Bill and that's not a sensible reason....is it?

Another side bar.....

The other day in the LA TIMES the people who own Sea World said, "Orca's are safer in captivity."

Do they really think that a creature of such grace and power is better off locked in a cage or do they think that we are so stupid that we would believe something so stupid?

I believe that they think the SPIN game is in full throttle mode.

THEY ARE MAKING MY HEAD SPIN.........

I wonder how they feel about CCD?

Please keep in mind that I brought up the good news first....and when the EPA is the center of my good news then you know everything's going to be ok......

OK.

(one last side bar......how can OK not be a word in scrabble.....that's just not
ok

OK?

Welcome to the new year.

Michael Timothy McAlevey