GREEN AND THEN SOME MORE GREEN

Par 3 romp at Augusta broadcast to the masses for first timeBy PAUL NEWBERRY,

While last year’s Masters Tournament runner-up, Rory Sabbatini of South Africa was the 2008 Par 3 Contest winner with a five-under score of 22, the day was mainly dedicated to player-Patron interaction and excellent short course golf over the 1,060-yard layout.
“It was neat for them to see players can have fun out here,” said Justin Leonard. “We’re real people with real families and it was great to show that on TV and in person.”
Leonard celebrated his return to the Masters after a two-year absence with his oldest daughter, Reese, caddying for him complete with white jumpsuit.
“It’s scratchy,” was her report of her new uniform, but later she celebrated with a cherry topped icy drink at the clubhouse along with her brother and sister.
“It’s a very fun day,” Leonard said
Sabbatini called his victory an, “honor and pleasure,” after receiving the trophy on the 9th green.
For Canada’s Stephen Ames, the annual Par 3 Contest is a return to a tradition he started in his first Masters Tournament in 2003.
Growing up in the tiny Caribbean island of Trinidad, Ames had never seen a Par 3 course and had never played one until his first Masters appearance.
“It was great,” he recalled of that 2003 appearance. “The first one I ever played. I loved it.”
The highlight for the players and the Patrons was the reunion of golf’s Big 3, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player
“Oh, lot’s of fun,” Player said of the nine holes of standing ovations players received from the appreciative Patrons.
The highlight for the threesome came early as Palmer hit his first shot on the first hole to 22.5 inches, the best shot on the opening hole for the day. Nicklaus spun his tee shot back on the par 3 ninth hole to within a few feet of the hole and then joined his playing partners in signing autographs around the ninth green.
The relaxed atmosphere of the Par 3 Contest before the Masters begins Thursday is what keeps 13 year Patron Todd Hickingbotham coming back every year.
“The relaxed atmosphere is just great. They are laughing, joking and having fun before Thursday’s play,” he said.
He said seeing the Masters legends are what make the Wednesday special.
“It’s just a great opportunity to see the legends one more time,” Hickingbotham said. “These guys have made Augusta and the Masters what it is and what makes it special every year.”
Steve Stricker, who may be one of the favorites in this year’s Tournament, said he was glad to have the break before the competition.
“You try not to over do it on the last day,” Stricker said. “Just play nine holes in the morning and do the Par 3.”
Two-time Par 3 Contest winner Padraig Harrington, the reigning British Open champion, turned in his fourth top 10 finish. He said there was nothing to the Par 3 Contest jinx, where a winner at the short course has never won the 72-hole Tournament in the same year.
“I want to be the first to win both in the same year. It can be done and will be done,” he said.
Sabbatini will test that theory starting Thursday, but the memories and fun will last at least for another year until the Par 3 Contest convenes again.

SOME MIND JAZZ THOUGHTS ON THIS STORY

First thing is I can't believe this event was televised on ESPN and I didn't know about it.....and I watch sporting events on ESPN....and then again doesn't Disney own ESPN?

THE LACK OF ADVERTISING FOR THIS PAR 3 EVENT WAS AMAZING.....or maybe I'm the only golfer in the world who didn't know it was on and that makes me the stupidest golfer in the world and I'm OK with that.

Looking at pictures of the event... two things are duly noted that rarely exist during a regular tour event....

SMILES and LAUGHTER.

It's a fun event and it's a relaxed event and

Tiger hasn't played the 3 par tournament.....since 2004 because of the raucous atmosphere.......

come on Tiger......chill dude.....relax baby......take it easy big guy....

When your daughter can walk the course with you....YOU WILL PLAY THE 3 PAR AND YOU WILL HAVE FUN...

....and hopefully by then I'll figure out how to watch television....after all the technology has only been around since 1950....it's funny to think that my father was 28 before he saw his first television......wow.

Just imagine someone in today's world not seeing a television until the age of 28.....

There are so many good and bad things about that idea that it deserves it's own article...

Today's' article is about the MASTERS....

EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE GAME OF GOLF...THIS IS A TOURNAMENT THAT SHOULD BE WATCHED....

THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF COURSE HAS SO MANY HISTORICAL TANGENTS....AND NOT ALL OF THEM ARE CONSIDERED HONORABLE...BUT IT HAS BEEN ABLE TO WEATHER ALL FORMS OF PROTEST AND COMPLAINTS, AND TO THIS DAY REMAINS THE PREMIUM GOLFING EVENT IN THE WORLD.

THE DECISION TO TELEVISE THE PAR THREE TOURNAMENT AND TO ALLOW THE AVERAGE FAN ACCESS TO THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THE PROFESSIONAL GOLFER'S NATURE WILL ONLY ADD TO THE LEGENDARY STATUS OF THE MATCH.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I CAN'T GO ON LINE RIGHT NOW AND WATCH THAT EVENT......

DISNEY (ABC)IS DROPPING THE BALL....IF IT WAS GE (NBC) I COULD WATCH IT

AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE?

IS GENERAL ELECTRIC MORE FAN FRIENDLY THAN DISNEY?

Or are they just smarter and bigger?

Or then again...there's always the possibility that I don't know how to locate where ESPN offers replays of previous shows....which is really possible since I didn't even know it was being televised......

Please note that I was 4 years old before I saw my first Television....so I'm still a little new to the technology.

AND THE TRUTH IS.....IF TIGER IS IN THE HUNT ON SUNDAY.....YOU WILL BE WATCHING.... EVEN IF YOU HATE GOLF AND YOU HATE GREEN AND YOU HATE TELEVISION AND YOU HATE SUNDAY AND YOU HATE AMERICA AND YOU HATE YOUR DOG......some how the ratings increase by huge numbers when Tiger is on the leaderboard.....and I've yet to understand that because people who don't like golf like to watch Tiger. It's not like he's breaking into a song and dance routine...

It's a weird phenomenon.....

If you love golf and you are anything like me....then you are already pissed that you didn't know they televised yesterdays' fun PAR 3 and the weekend's already ruined....

Oh well....I'll try to rebound and settle down......I'll use the same technique that I employ after three putting.....

Breathe......breathe.....relax......new hole.........sometimes it works.....and then sometimes things just get worst.....and then they suddenly get better.

The worst part of playing golf is putting the clubs in the car.....

...knowing that you are finished for the day.

I hate that feeling and it doesn't go away until the next time I pull the clubs out of the car.

Golf courses and Outfields at Major League Ballparks are unique.....it's a green grass dealio........and since they won't let me romp around Ceneterfield my only hope is teeing off from time to time at courses that have nothing in common with Augusta National except for flags in the cups and the integrity of the game....

and after everything is said and done.....

that's good

enough for me.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Democrats plan to push legislation this spring that would force the Iraqi government to spend its own surplus in oil revenues to rebuild the country, sparing U.S. dollars.

The legislation follows a recommendation by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, that the Bush administration halt troop withdrawals in July. Petraeus on Wednesday was wrapping up two days of congressional testimony in which he has said security gains in the war zone are too fragile to promise further drawdowns.

SOME MIND JAZZ THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS NEWS

I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THERE IS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN WHO DIDN'T THINK IRAQ'S OIL REVENUE WAS ALREADY BEING USED FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION.

SERIOUSLY!!!!!

IF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS STILL THINK HUSSEIN WAS HOOKED UP WITH AL QAEDA THEN OBVIOUSLY THOSE SAME PEOPLE .....PLUS THE REST OF US....SIMPLY ASSUMED OIL REVENUES FROM IRAQ WERE BEING USED TO HELP REBUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE WAR TORN COUNTRY.

I THOUGHT THE WHOLE IDEA WAS THAT THEY WANTED US THERE TO HELP CREATE STABILITY WHILE THEY CONSTRUCT A GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS FOR ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED.

WHICH BY THE WAY, IS GOING TO HAPPEN..... WHEN A MONKEY FLIES OUT OF MY ASS.

The fact that Democrats are planning to push legislation in the spring (aren't we in the spring?) to force Iraq to spend their own surplus from oil revenues makes me think that NOBODY KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON....

NOBODY....except of course for those fortunate few souls who are making tons and tons and tons and tons and tons and tons and tons of money on this journey down the BUSH/ CHENEY/RUMSFIELD/WOLFOWITZ FREEDOM'S HIGHWAY MARCH through IRAQ.

THIS HIGHWAY IS GETTING MORE AND MORE CONFUSING FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE SOMEWHAT PAYING ATTENTION....and the truth is....that's not a very high percentage of the American public.

When was the last time you saw a live news feed from Baghdad on any Network other than CNN?

I basically feel that main stream America has closed their minds to Iraq because personal financial situations appear to be much much more important than things taking place in Baghdad.....

AND WOULDN'T THAT BE AMAZING IF MORTGAGE PROBLEMS AND JOB LOSSES WERE ALL PART OF THE PLAN TO DIVERT OUR ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE SITUATION IN IRAQ?

And suddenly I start sounding like Mel Gibson's character in that movie with Julie Roberts where EVERYTHING was a CONSPIRACY....in fact wasn't that the name of the movie?

I realize there's no way that planners of this endeavor in Iraq could be that smart to create situations at home that divert our attention away form global encounters..........but when we read about Paul Wolfowitz and his involvement with A NEO-CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK CALLED.....

The Project for the New American Century
.
....THEN PARANOIA TAKES ON AN ENTIRELY NEW SET OD CLOTHES.....

Google Project for the New American Century if you really want to lose some sleep....or perhaps after reading about this group you will be ready to sign up and just maybe get some of the revenue from Iraq oil that apparently is not being used for the only thing is should be used for....

REBUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF IRAQ.

....but I'm sure the competing construction companies that are controlled by Shiite's and Sunni's are still trying to figure out why Haliburton wouldn't accept either of their bids....

and oh my God is that another entire story or what?????

I'm not kidding when I say if you really want to know the mindset behind all the bullshit......google THE PROJECT FOR THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY

....and be prepared to either

VOMIT

or

DONATE

NO MIDDLE GROUND ON THIS PUPPY

MICHAEL TIMOTHY MC ALEVEY

MY Routine has been altered

Every morning for the last 35 years I start my day by reading the morning newspaper and taking care of personal body functions....which are normally followed by a shower and getting dressed. I don't mean to describe personal things but one thing follows another......

The first thing I read are the headlines on the front page....then I turn to the Calender section and read DOONESBURY. I check out my horoscope because it's right next to Doonesbury. Then after that I go back to the front page and look through that section page by page and article by article. Next I peruse the Business section and then finally I read the Sports section.



AFTER MY SHOWER I USUALLY GO TO THE COMPUTER AND WRITE MY BLOG......hopefully in reference to something interesting that was observed while reading the morning paper.


I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WRITE A BLOG SINCE THE 31ST OF MARCH BECAUSE THE CREATOR OF DOONESBURY DECIDED TO TAKE AN EXTENDED LEAVE OF ABSENCE.

My routine has been drastically altered and I'm not sure how to reconstruct a working solution.

Not only have I not had Doonesbury but I haven't looked at my horoscope either.

Garry Trudeau has been an intricate part of my morning routine for so long that I don't quite know how to deal with the lost.

I think that he should have planned better and had some strips prepared for such a moment.

At least the newspaper could be running some previous strips.

MAYBE I COULD QUIT BEING SUCH A BABY AND LEARN HOW TO OPERATE WITHOUT A MORNING COMIC STRIP.

MAYBE I CAN

MAYBE I WILL

but then again maybe I won't.

I'll just have to wait an see how tomorrow morning goes as I work through the paper.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

CRUSADES?????

By ALESSANDRA RIZZO, Associated Press Writer Sun Mar 30, 2:48 PM ET

VATICAN CITY - Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world's largest religion, the Vatican newspaper said Sunday.

For the first time in history, we are no longer at the top: Muslims have overtaken us," Monsignor Vittorio Formenti said in an interview with the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. Formenti compiles the Vatican's yearbook.

He said that Catholics accounted for 17.4 percent of the world population — a stable percentage — while Muslims were at 19.2 percent.
"It is true that while Muslim families, as is well known, continue to make a lot of children, Christian ones on the contrary tend to have fewer and fewer," the monsignor said.

WHILE IT'S TRUE THAT CHRISTIANS COMBINED ADD UP TO 33% OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION.... I'M THINKING THAT A SMALL CRUSADE MIGHT BE NEEDED.

OH...WAIT A MINUTE....WE ALREADY HAVE ONE GOING ON IN IRAQ.

THE FREEDOM HIGHWAY IS PAVED WITH DEMOCRATIC JUDEO/CHRISTIAN IDEALS....and currently that highway is being constructed through the middle of Baghdad. Obviously THE FREEDOM HIGHWAY isn't working so well in Afghanistan because simply put....that is a hopeless cause.

Tribal conflicts in IRAQ are considered civilized compared to Afghanistan. Of course one needs to read between the lines to fully try and understand the Afghanistan people. And while reading between the lines it's important to understand how many people in that country don't read any lines.

I'm sure it's one of the main reasons that Bin Laden has chosen their mountains to hide in.....Fundamental Islamic Terrorism (FIT) can survive and thrive in areas where education is regarded as a secondary, or even thirdary, or maybe fourthdery...concept.

I would hope that violent behavior could totally be a natural sub-category of poorly educated societies.....BUT...

That's not exactly clear cut.

I note that Ultimate Fighting seems to have a large audience in America and that's just a spectator sport. I'm not going to talk about violent acts that are committed on a daily basis in this country....but I will stick to my guns and say that most violent acts are probably committed by people with lower educational skills.

When you extend that lack of education to countries than it's easy to understand why Fundamentalists of any organized religion are able to make inroads.

It seems that when comparing the Fundamentalists of various religions... that the Catholics have moved beyond their kick ass period and that the Muslims are still in that period.

Comparing KICK-ASS periods might be a good idea.

DEFINING GOALS AND DEFINING TECHNIQUES OF HOW AND WHY ONE NEEDS TO KICK ONE'S ASS TO JOIN A RELIGION IS IMPORTANT IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE INSANITY OF JOINING A RELIGION THAT WANTS TO KICK SOMEONE'S ASS.

I truly believe that GOD doesn't want anybody kicking anybodies ass for any reason .....and especially for reasons that have anything to do with joining a church....

A CHURCH SHOULD BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GATHER TO HONOR AND LOVE GOD......

AS SHOULD A RELIGION

RELIGIONS NEED TO BE PUT ON TRIAL.....with highly educated legal minds handling the prosecution.

NOW THAT WOULD BE A GREAT REALITY SHOW.....and apparently a worldwide audience would number in the millions and millions.

Call Simon Fuller and Mark Burnett.......this is the next giant program!

Move over American Idol......Make room for....

"WORLD RELIGIONS ON TRIAL"

And it could be televised every freakin night until they figure out how to forgive previous kick ass periods and stop the current kick ass period.

NEW COMMANDMENT #12

STOP KICKING ASS BECAUSE SOMEONE DOESN'T AGREE WITH YOUR IDEA OF HOW GOD SHOULD BE LOVED.

JUST STOP!

and that means......EVERYBODY!

Michael Timothy McAlevey

up up and away

By Marc KaufmanWashington Post Staff Writer Sunday, March 30, 2008; Page A03

The race to become the first private company capable of launching paying customers into space got more crowded last week as a small but well-respected California firm announced plans to have a two-seat spacecraft ready within two years.

The mini-ship, built by Mojave-based Xcor Aerospace and designed to fly to the edge of space, is expected to be ready for test flights by 2010, around the time Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic hopes to send its much larger spaceship on its maiden voyage.

More than half a dozen other companies -- most, unlike Xcor, bankrolled by wealthy businessmen, including Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com and Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal -- are building rockets and spacecraft that they hope will capture the imagination of space travelers. Most plan to finish testing their rockets and rocket planes in the next few years, and the Federal Aviation Administration has estimated the market for space tourism to be more than $1 billion a year by 2021.

In announcing his company's plans, Xcor chief executive Jeff Greason revealed last week that his company's spaceship, called the Lynx, will have an unusual but understandably interested partner: the Air Force.
The Air Force recently announced that it awarded Xcor a small-business research contract -- usually between $700,000 and $900,000 -- to demonstrate the capabilities of the spacecraft. The U.S. fleet of space shuttles, which are fixed-wing spacecraft like the Lynx, is scheduled to be retired in 2010, but the Air Force has voiced interest in continuing that technology. The Lynx could help provide a model.

XCOR is a company that I could start working for... immediately.

I would like to start selling tickets for the flights. I wonder what the seats will cost?

Let's take a guess.

I say.......$1 for the first launch....and then $1 million if everything goes well.

Eventually the seats will run about $50,000 apiece.

Please note that by the time the Lynx is ready to fly....gasoline will be $7.00 a gallon. Of course the fuel for this craft will probably be unique....and God only knows how much unique fuel goes for on the open market.

A meal on the flight will run around $30,000. A barf bag will cost $15,000. An in-flight movie will be about $2500 and a small bottle of beer will be in the $750 range.

I'm going to call XCOR and get some details and I'll get back to you later. Maybe I'll get a distributorship for ticket sales....if Ticketron hasn't already snapped up the dealio.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

THE SURGE IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE

BAGHDAD — Amid heavy clashes between government forces and Shiite Muslim militants in Baghdad and the southern port city of Basra, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki issued an ultimatum Wednesday demanding that the militias surrender their weapons within 72 hours.

Radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr , whose Mahdi Army militia is a prime target of the government offensive, responded by demanding that Maliki leave Basra.

THE REASON THE SURGE HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT EFFECTIVE IS DUE TO THE CEASE FIRE ISSUED BY MUQTADA AL SADR.

IT APPEARS THAT THE CEASE FIRE IS COMING TO AN END.

All the jibber jabber from John McBush about the SURGE working never accounts for the CEASE FIRE.

Of course if everything blows up.... the Administration and McBush can blame it on Al Qaeda....and in fact they can start spreading the rumor that al Sadr has joined up with Al Qaeda and is now under the command of Osama Bin Laden.

That would be a new fresh approach and would give them additional resolve to go forward with THE SURGE.

It appears that reality centers around an area known as BASRA

COINCIDENTALLY.....BASRA IS MAJOR SOUTHERN HUB FOR....

....OIL.

SURPRISE!

Muqtada al Sadr might have accepted a temporary truce, which made THE SURGE seem like it was working, but he probably didn't count on being excluded from the oil revenues of the Iraqi government.....I guess he didn't read the fine print in his contract.

AND IF ANY AMERICAN DOESN'T THINK THAT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WERE PAID TO MUQTADA...TO ACCEPT A CEASE FIRE...THEN THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMICS OF PEACE AND WAR.

WE PAY BIG TIME....AND WE PAY EVERY TIME

THAT'S THE AMERICAN WAY....and it usually works to some extent unless a contract is broken.

I don't suppose we will be getting a refund any time soon.

I just can't wait to hear how the spin goes when
THE SURGE has to be RE-SURGED.

Of course John McBush will blame it on Barack because he reinforces our enemies by wanting to bring our troops home.

ONE MORE TIME FOR EMPHASIS

THE SURGE was looking somewhat effective because of Muqtada al Sadr's cease fire.....I don't know how many times I can say it.....but I do know that nobody in the Administration is saying it.

Some Army personnel have been saying it...but you've really got to pay attention.

PAYING ATTENTION DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A CURRENT EVENT WITH THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.

Perhaps the Mahdi Army Militia will help in the national awareness ratio being elevated.

4000 American soldiers dying obviously isn't enough.
A War that has lasted longer than World World 2 obviously isn't enough.

Maybe a Shiite cleric can help......and believe me when I say that getting help from a clown like al Sadr is the last thing we need.

BUT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC NEEDS TO STOP BUYING INTO THE BULLSHIT
AND
SAY
ENOUGH
IS
ENOUGH

On the other hand if we've taken our stand in a Holy War against Islam then all the other nonsense is going to seem trivial.

ARMAGEDDON does have a much bigger conclusion that whether or not a SURGE is working and whether or not our oil interests are being protected.

I'm not sure Biblical answers can be removed by large cash payouts.

SERIOUSLY......so much nonsense being justified
by ???????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????
????????

Michael Timothy McAlevey

JUST GO THERE

http://www.dalailama.com/

Barack,Wright, Race and INSANE

I've waited a few days to see how the dust settled on the Reverend Wright incident as regards to how it will might affect Obama's campaign.

One thing that is quite obvious.....

.....when he has a chance to give a speech....he shines. And I'm not referring to the Rev.

Barack addressed the race issue and as far as I can tell THE INCIDENT will probably not have any adverse affect on his campaign.

I think Reverend Wright and John Hagee should have a debate because they seem to be the ones who are creating the storm.

The storm that Pastor Hagee is creating has a much larger and uglier conclusion.

Please note that Hagee is hoping that ARMAGEDDON takes place on his watch. And the last time I checked ARMAGEDDON has an ending that makes racial problems in the United States seem trival.

The Rapture spells the end of human physical reality on this planet. Reverend Wright is just trying to elevate the African American race within the structure of America.

I personally don't understand how JOHN HAGEE ENDORSING JOHN MC CAIN GENERATED ALMOST NO PRESS....WHILE REVEREND WRIGHT'S ENDORSEMENT OF BRACK OBAMA IS CHALLENGING BRITANY SPEARS FOR AIRTIME.

DOES IT SEEM FAIR?

JOHN HAGEE IS TELLING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH THAT GOD WILL DESTROY THEM....
AND NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE.....but then again nobody seems to be checking with the Pope.

BUT ONE BLACK MINISTER TALKS ABOUT HISTORICALLY DOCUMENTED TREATMENT OF THE BLACK RACE IN AMERICA
AND EVERYBODY
GOES APE S..T

I'm quite sure that John Hagee's desire to have THE RAPTURE happen now... is much scarier than anything Reverend Wright has to say.

Hagee claims to have millions and millions of followers.......and maybe each and everyone of those followers is also hoping THE RAPTURE happens during their lifetime.

I THINK THAT'S INSANE....and insanity has always scared me more than anger.

I understand the Black anger even though I fully agree with Barack that it's time to move on....

I'm moving on...

.....but JOHN HAGEE has an agenda that is hard to move beyond.....it's biblical and biblical based realities have always seemed quite unreal.

The Human Race loves to tell stories and the stories in the Bible are some of the best ever written.

But the final word of GOD??????

I sure hope not......

I'm a firm believer in a LOVING CREATOR and ARMAGEDDON seems like a non-loving incident and fairly insane.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

POPCORN AND NOW THE REAL STUFF

Yesterday I was venting about the price of Popcorn at the movie theater BUT this morning I woke up to a much more important story about the price of FLOUR and WHEAT.

I don't need popcorn but I have a sourdough bread Jones and it looks like my rolls are going to be reaching new heights on the monetary scale.

PLEASE REMEMBER ONE IMPORTANT ISSUE AS YOU READ THIS ARTICLE.

WE CONTINUE TO PAY FARMERS NOT TO GROW CERTAIN CROPS....WHEAT BEING ONE OF THEM....AND THE FARMERS THAT SIGN THOSE SUBSIDIES ARE COMMITTED TO 10 AND 15 YEAR CONTRACTS.

ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT FLOUR AND WHEAT INCREASES WILL RESULT IN PRICE INCREASES FOR...

PIZZA AND BEER

AND I THOUGHT POPCORN WAS A PROBLEM

WHEN AMERICANS EXPERIENCE A RAPID INCREASE IN PIZZA COSTS...THERE WILL BE AN UPRISING....

BEER PRICE INCREASES WILL RESULT IN A TOTAL REVOLUTION.

Wheat hit a record high of $12.70 a bushel last week and that is a 31% increase over last year at this time.

Flour is at $27 for a 50 lb bag.....it was $12 a year ago....there are estimates that it could go as high as $60 within a few months.

Imagine your breakfast croissant costing around $9.

HERE ARE THE REAL INTERESTING PARTS OF THE STORY.

WE EXPORT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR WHEAT AND FLOUR TO OTHER COUNTRIES.

WHEAT EXPORTS ARE UP 32% FROM A YEAR AGO.

WE EXPORT 33% OF OUR TOTAL SOYBEAN CROP.

JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA AND VARIOUS OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE ALREADY PLACED ADVANCED ORDERS FOR 2 MILLION METRIC TONS OF WHEAT....WHICH IS 10 TIMES MORE THAN ADVANCE ORDERS FROM LAST YEAR.

OH MY GOD.....IT SIMPLY COMES DOWN TO ADVANCE ORDERING.

SO WHAT DOMINOES NEEDS TO DO..... IS PLACE AN ADVANCED ORDER FOR 2010 in the 3 million metric tons of wheat range, so that they can continue to sell large pizzas for $9.95.

AND REALLY......YESTERDAY I SWEAR ....I THOUGHT THE PRICE OF MOVIE POPCORN WAS A PROBLEM....

I'M SO STUPID AND I PROMISE NEVER TO BE TRIVIAL AGAIN......

HA HA HA HA

But seriously.....wheat and flour and corn.

America is wheat, flour and corn....along with baseball, bullshit and beer.

We are entering a new realm of awareness and when the United States will have spent $800 BILLION dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan by the end of 2008 and the majority of Americans don't seem to care because of 9/11....maybe an Egg McMuffin costing $25.00 will open up some hearts and minds.....AND IF THAT DOESN'T DO IT THEN $30.00 SIX PACKS OF BUD ......WILL!

I'm not sure what it's going to take.....$4.00 a gallon gas seems to be acceptable and $6.50 Popcorn at the movies doesn't bother anybody....but I have a feeling a $30 pizza from Dominoes will create a new paradigm in the consumer spending roll call.

But maybe not......I've been wrong before and I'll continue to be wrong in the future.

I truly don't look at things the same way as most Americans....but that's just a guess because I don't know most Americans.....just a few select high quality ones that seem to be a lot less upset than me......

....AND HONESTLY....
.....I'm not sure I'm that upset.....but there's definitely a part of me that thinks I should be.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

SERIOUSLY CORNY

There are so many issues to concern oneself with on the world stage. I realize that the issue I've chosen to address might seem slightly less important than others.....maybe all others....but I can't believe what I read this morning.

THE COST OF POPCORN AT THE MOVIE THEATERS WILL BE RISING.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

This has always been an issue with me....even when popcorn was reasonably priced....which I can't remember when that was but I know it wasn't that long ago.

The fact that a small popcorn at the local Santa Monica theaters ranges from $4.75 to $5.25 simply blows my mind. One of the theaters even has the gall to charge sales tax.

I regard myself as a fairly observant person and I've noticed over the years that the percentage of people buying popcorn probably ranges in the 20 percent bracket.

If popcorn were reasonably priced.....example...large popcorn $3.00....I think 40 to 50 percent of the people would indulge.

Please note that one must compare what it cost to buy popcorn at the store. Anybody who needs popcorn will most likely wait until they get home....but then again there is that magic question.

WHO NEEDS POPCORN?

It's generally hard to digest and when one adds salt and fake butter then one is risking other eventual problems.

THE COST OF CORN SEEMS TO BE THE ISSUE HERE.

I understand that the demand for seed corn, to be used for ethanol, has risen dramatically in the last few years and I understand that the price of seed corn has doubled in the last two years, so that's why farmers are growing seed corn and not popcorn.

The actual acreage( according to LA TIMES) is 240,000 acreages for popcorn and 77 million for seed corn. I get that concept......

...but that doesn't explain why a small POPCORN at the AMC in Santa Monica has been $4.75 for the last few years....and why tax is charged. Other theaters build it in to the price.

Supposedly Americans consume 4 Billion gallons of Popcorn every year....which converts to 13 gallons per person. 13 gallons per person, which means that some people must be consuming hundreds of gallons to offset the people who don't consume any.

Popcorn, Oil and Gold are reaching record highs....and when oil gets to $200 a barrel and Gold reaches $2000 an ounce....will a small Popcorn at the local theater be......$20?

It's conceivable that popcorn will actually cost more than the movie ticket within a few years.

POP THAT CONCEPT FOR A MINUTE.

And since it came up in the story.....does anybody seem to care about the price of oil or the price of gasoline?

I remember how everybody went ballistic during the Carter Administration when it hit $1.00 a gallon.....people were flipping out. Nobody seems to care....so that means the pissed off point for gasoline prices must be in the $5 to $6 range.

I seem to be the only one who ever complains about the cost of Popcorn because most people just ignore the concession stand when they go to the movies. I honestly think that 70 percent of the people don't buy anything at the concession stand and therefore the prices have to keep rising.

What ever happened to VOLUME pricing. The more you sell the less you have to charge.

DOES THAT CONCEPT ONLY APPLY TO WAL-MART AND COSTCO?

WHY CAN'T THE THEATER OWNERS OF AMERICA ADOPT THAT CONCEPT FOR ONE MONTH AND ACTUALLY SEE WHAT HAPPENS?

IMAGINE HOW NOISY THEATERS WOULD BE IF A LARGE POPCORN WAS $3.00....A CANDY BAR WAS $1.00 AND NACHOS WERE $1.50?

OH MY GOD.....THE PLACE WOULD BE A FEEDING FRENZY AND THERE WOULD BE FOOD FIGHTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

Let's see......should I buy some gold or corn seed?

Hummmmmm.......???????

One side-bar to this issue is.......THEY BETTER START IMPROVING THE OVERALL QUALITY OF MOVIES OR NONE OF THIS WILL MATTER.

Theaters will be available for AA meetings and self-help seminars....if studios keep putting millions into movies like SEMI-PRO.

Talk about CORN....

Michael Timothy McAlevey

EXPENSIVE

NEW YORK - Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace Wednesday after getting caught in a prostitution scandal that shattered his corruption-fighting, straight-arrow image, saying: "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work."

Spitzer made the announcement without having finalized a plea deal with federal prosecutors, though a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said he is believed to still be negotiating one. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.
"Over the course of my public life, I've insisted, I think correctly, that people regardless of their position or power take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself," Spitzer said at a Manhattan news conference with his wife, Silda, at his side. He left without answering questions.

A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE....

Couldn't he have found a slightly less expensive piece of ass?

And $2700 wasn't enough because he had to go to the ATM to get more for her.

$2700 for two hours!
WOW

And then I heard from a friend yesterday that he knows about a $25,000 a weekend call girl.

$25,000 for a weekend!

Actually Spitzer got a deal because had she spent the weekend she would have charged
$74,400.

It's a good thing he was born into money....and now he will have plenty of free time on his hands to pursue extra curricular activities.

My other question is why wasn't the prostitute arrested? And why wasn't the prostitution ring busted?

One of the strange angles to this story is that it is apparently harming Hillary.
Everybody is being reminded of Bill and Monica...and in fact they are running pictures of Bill hugging Monica right next to the departing Governor.

And then from left-field... former Vice-Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro announced yesterday that the only reason he is in his present position is because he is an African American.

That's a fairly big wow!

Seems like pretty intense ammunition for the Obama campaign.

Maybe there is an opening for Eliot Spitzer in one of the campaigns. After all asking for a second chance and apologizing to the American public might be the avenue to travel...and either one of the candidates could be involved in helping him travel down a new clean path of moral conduct.

YEAH....RIGHT!

After all...they both claim to be about helping people, and there's no Democrat in America that needs more help than Eliot Spitzer.....or then again he did it on purpose but that's another story.

I realize this really sounds shallow but I sure hope she was smoking hot and worth the trouble. I suspect she will end up with her own reality show.

POSSIBLE NAME OF SHOW:

"REALLY EXPENSIVE TALE"

Michael Timothy McAlevey

A BREAK IN THE ACTION

JUST SOME IMAGES TO RELAX AND EXPAND YOUR MIND AT THE SAME TIME

KEEPING IN MIND THAT

THE

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

FAR OUTNUMBER THE KNOWN REALITIES

Spend a few minutes relaxing with each photo.

ENJOY

MICHAEL TIMOTHY MC ALEVEY

SCARY

Last night on PBS, Bill Moyers did a show about John Hagee.

Mr. Hagee's organization is called CUFI...Christians United for Israel.

The following is from Wikipedia

John C. Hagee (b. April 12, 1940) is the founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational evangelical church with more than 19,000 active members[citation needed]. John Hagee had received millions of dollars in total compensation for his position as CEO at his non-profit corporation, Global Evangelism Television (GETV). He is one of the highest-paid televangelists.
Hagee is the President and CEO of John Hagee Ministries which telecasts his national radio and television ministry carried in America on 160 TV stations, fifty radio stations and eight networks including The Inspiration Network (INSP) and Trinity Broadcasting Network.[citation needed] The ministries can be seen and heard weekly in 99 million homes. John Hagee Ministries is in Canada on the Miracle Channel and CTS and can be seen in Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and is in most third world nations.[citation needed]
He is also the president and CEO of Global Evangelism Television, which telecasts his radio and television ministry. Hagee has received numerous honors and accolades from national Jewish organizations for his unwavering support of Israel.[citation needed] In pursuit of his support of Israel, Hagee helped found Christians United for Israel on February 7, 2006 as a "Christian AIPAC" lobbying Congress to support Israel.[citation needed] He has also been controversial for what many see as bigoted comments and beliefs regarding Catholicism, Homosexuality, women and Islam. [1]

The scary part of the story, other than THE END GAME PART AND THE RAPTURE STUFF, was the endorsement by Hagee of....John McCain.

McCain tried to downplay the endorsement by saying ,"I don't support everything he says....he supports everything I say."

THE RAMIFICATIONS OF HIS ENDORSEMENT SHOULD BE THE SAME TYPE OF RAMIFICATIONS THAT BARACK OBAMA FACES BECAUSE OF THE ENDORSEMENT OF REVEREND FARRAKHAN.

and to be truthful....I'm not sure which one has goofier notions.

I believe that Israel should be recognized by all nations.

I believe that Palestinians should have a homeland.

I understand the enormity of the problem
but
I don't think the Creator of the Universe has anything to do with solving the problem.

I BELIEVE MANKIND HAS CREATED THE PROBLEMS AND THAT MANKIND NEEDS TO CREATE THE SOLUTIONS.

THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE PROBABLY HAS BIGGER FISH TO FRY....

LIKE TRYING TO CREATE NEW MATTER BEFORE BLACK HOLES DEVOUR ALL THE OLD MATTER.

John Hagee's type of solution is why we are knee deep in the shit.

I don't see a vast difference in the framework of ideology between John Hagee and Adolph Hitler.

Somebody is supposed to get wiped out...and THE RAPTURE AND THE END GAME IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

OF COURSE THE RAPTURE AND THE END GAME HAVE BEEN JUST AROUND THE CORNER SINCE 100 A.D.

I had never heard of John Hagee until I watched Bill Moyer and a part of me wishes I had not seen the show....but in order to stop nonsense, one should know where the nonsense is coming from.

AMEN

....and I hope you are paying attention to who supports who in the upcoming election...and what someone thinks they can accomplish by granting their beloved support to a certain candidate. John Hagee has a mind that is focused on ending physical human REALITY as we know it. He's confident that he will be lifted up in THE RAPTURE and he believes it will be happening soon....

and most importantly he would be extremely disappointed if peaceful solutions could be achieved.

AMEN, AMEN

Michael Timothy McAlevey

WATCH OUT AMERICA

THIS IS A WARNING TO THE CITIZENS OF AMERICA.

THIS PHOTO IS NOT OUT OF FOCUS

THIS PHOTO IS A REALITY CHECK

GEORGE DOES HAVE HIS FINGER EMBEDDED IN JOHN'S FOREHEAD

THE WARNING:

THESE TWO GUYS WILL CREATE A CRISIS THAT WILL GUARANTEE THAT THE AMERICAN VOTER STICKS WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

CAN'T CHANGE PARTIES IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORLD CRISIS.

IT'S PART OF THE ROVE/CHENEY PLAN...and in fact it's so obvious that it pisses me off and I need to step back before I kick the crap out of Rachel's dog....Ollie.

TIME OUT......but during this time out....believe that there is a contingency plan if the polls indicate that the race is close....most likely to occur sometime in September or October, depending on the numbers.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Hillarising once again

Hillary just won't go away.
Yesterday she eked out a win in Texas and whipped Barack in Ohio and Rhode Island.

Barack won Vermont.

Obviously people DO CARE who will answer the phone at 3 am in the White House. The story about Barack's chief financial officer talking to Canada seems to have had some impact. It would appear to be a political faux paus that needs to be corrected. Is he for or against NAFTA? Does anybody have an exact tally on the benefits of NAFTA? Obviously border towns in Texas are prospering but I'm not exactly sure why. To be truthful I'm not sure the American public really understands the positives and the negatives of NAFTA.

I sure don't.

It's official that John (Goldwater) McCain is now the Republican nominee for President of the United States.

It pains me to say this... but not only does he have a good chance of winning but the longer Hillary and Barack rip each other apart the easier it will be for him to mount an attack.

It was just a few short months ago that the Democratic Party looked like a lock for the election but the Hillary/Barack battle has leveled the playing field.

Howard Dean has a huge problem on his hands and unifying the party appears to be near impossible with the equal amount of delegates that both candidates control.

Ralph Nader made a comment last week...."that if the Democratic Party can't win the White House this year, they should disband and reorganize as a new PARTY."

THE FACT THAT ANY DEMOCRAT IS QUOTING RALPH NADER SHOULD SCARE SOMEBODY INTO SOME FORM OF ACTION.

Convincing one of the candidates to step aside seems to be the only answer and I don't see either one throwing in the towel....so the chaos will most likely continue all the way to the convention in Denver....and then the dreaded locked convention will probably take place and while it will prove to be politically entertaining...it will harm the Party in ways that can't be imagined.

MORE AMMUNITION FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. THEY HAVE PLENTY ALREADY AND A CONTINUED WAR BETWEEN CLINTON AND OBAMA WILL ONLY INCREASE THE CONFERS WITHIN THE ROVE (secretly retired) MACHINE....and only naive people believe his tactics are not being used. He is the ultimate AD man in politics and successful AD men in politics...are golden.

KARL ROVE is still the golden boy in Republican politics...and his new toy starts rolling today in Washington D.C. ...by hooking up with his old toy.

John McCain starts his real campaign today at the White House. George will be showing him places and things that nobody else can see...and I'm sure after a few hours with George...John will have reinforced flak jackets and grenades, along with some tanks and F-16's. The big toys are now at John's disposal and all indications are....that he will use them.

BOYS AND THEIR TOYS and toys and their boys.......

Maybe it really is time to let a chick handle the reins. Even a chick that appears to have mucho rooster qualities.

Michael Timothy McAlevey

Texas to Ohio to Rhode Island

Tomorrow marks the potential end of the road for two candidates. Mike Huckabee will need to concede if he doesn't win Ohio and Texas.

Hillary Clinton will need to concede if she doesn't win Ohio and Texas.

Obviously Hillary will probably win one of those two states and then announce that she is ready to fight all the way to the Convention. I just don't see her throwing in the towel, but for party unity she needs to exhibit style, grace, intelligence and charm.

SHE MIGHT BE LACKING IN THREE OF THOSE CATEGORIES....and a sneak performance on SNL won't be enough to alter the elements that she lacks.

I honestly believe that she can't overcome the Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton scenario. People are simply not going for the BCBC program.

There's a possibility that she could lose both Texas and Ohio even though I find it almost impossible to think Barack could win Texas. It's similar to McCain winning California in the general election.

All of this started on January 3rd and tomorrow, 60 days later, it ends with a bang.

Of course if Hillary wins Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island....the chaos will be huge.

HUGE CHAOS

Let's hold our breath.

Michael Timothy McAlevey