Girlfriends, Callaways, Michelle Wie, and other Thanksgiving blessings

I can't fawn too much over you Jennifer, Dot Wong is way more mysterious (and single).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jennifer, You are right about failure not bothering Bubbles. After her less-than-stellar 81 at the Casio, she reportedly said that she didn't see anything wrong with her game. Maybe the editors of the dictionary should put her picture next to the definition of "hubris.". In her last six and one-half rounds of golf against men, she is 46 strokes over par. But does it bother her? Nah! She's as confident as ever.

Alex,

Are you a closet Bubble follower (not fan, but follower)? I can not believe you manage to find the scoring in an obscure event.

81 is a dreadful score playing against lesser tour players.

When she turns 18 next year, she can join Linsay Lohan and Paris Hilton to party it up and become a full time celebrity.

Ms. Mario, I am highly infuriated and jealous. First you did not mentioned me in your somewhat subjective list of favorite male bloggers. An indignity that brings outnothing but pure rage. Second, I'm sure your book is a marvelous expose of Ms. Wie and it will out sell my most recent, especially if Bubbles keeps those rounds above 80 and still thinks all is good with her golf game. People will want to read about what makes her tick - voila, your book.

1. Dave, she didn't mention you because you cannot spell (or type) "mention." It has nothing to do with your looks.

2. Brandon, Dot Wong does not exist. She is a composite photograph of sponge bob, barney, and daffy duck. Stick with Jennifer, but watch out for her husband.

3. All the great ones HAVE to be as confident as ever. Case in point: every blog I write is prose at its purest, whether (wither?) readers like it (or don't.) THAT'S what makes me great.

I am thankful for the greatness that is
Ron Mon. He takes after the Booger.

JENNIFER

If all the media were like you, or if they simply ignored Wie when she performed poorly(lke they do with anyone else) then Wie could stay the course with her forged iron clubs. The idea is to train with the clubs that have the dime sized sweet spotm instead of using clubs that are more forgiving. If ahe used clubs with a quarter sized sweet spot, she would sacrifice 10 irrelevant yards on the LPGA--but she would also have a major problem shifting back to forged clubs.

But too many people attack her for her performance. At this point, even though it might seem like a victory for the likes of Carolyn Bivens, I would suggest she focus on the LPGA and use more forgiving clubs. Even of Wie haters say the same, would you agree with this advice, Don't avoid the best course of action just because your enemies are telling you to do it--Bre Rabbit and the Briar Patch.

Kiss my butt, Ron Mon.

I'm with you Jennifer. Totally thankful for the optimism, determination and perseverance of Ms. Wie.

Can't say I agree on Retief though. Don't get that at all.

I am thankful for Wie-Wee being a loser!

And here is a holiday toast to keep in mind....

"Here's to Wie-Wee, may '07 be as successful as '06." Loooooooooser!

For those who think Michelle is optomistic and does not let it bother her, try and find some video from 2 years ago or maybe even last year. She was full of fun and adventure and love of golf. Now she is burdened by the sponsor money and clearly does not enjoy what she is doing. The flares of temper will continue to increase as the pressure and frustration continue to grow. She is very robotic now unlike when she was more free in her style.

She should focus on being the best female golfer she can be and then try to play with the men in the future. This will not happen because she has no control over her future. First is was her parents and now it is her big money sponsors who call the shots. If making the most money at a young age is the objective she has done well. If becoming a great golfer and making GOLF history is the goal it may never be achieved .

It is interesting to note that the book Jennifer Mario wrote about Michelle Wie is now available NEW on Amazon for $4.50. Sounds like it is seen for the fraud that it is. It might be better seen as a book on child abuse rather than the making of a Champion......very sad to say the least.

Michelle Wie is a highly paid/overpaid athlete who has made her small fortune through the benifit of appearence fees and is only playing in these events thanks to sponser's exemptions. This hardly sounds like determination and perseverance to me...Optimism is one thing, but sooner or later reality and results must enter the discussion. She is making a mockery of herself, her sponsers and tournament officials each time she tees it up versus the men without the slightest hope in contending. She has a bright future ahead of her on the LPGA tour, petition the tour, get your card and get some wins.

Can someone please tell me what makes Michelle's game so transcedent--I have seen no evidence of her massive distance, spin control or anything else that would set her apart from the rest. Is it because she's tall??? She looks like just another kid who matured a little faster than her peers and peaked early--Kinda like the kid in little league that was bigger and stronger than everyone, but is now bagging groceries.

Ah, here we go. JoeR and NYC - the latest to vent against Jen and/or Michelle for having a career.

Call Wie's golf what you want, she is making more money than any of us, and she is doing it playing golf. Will she be a 30 year player, a dominator of the LPGA, the first woman full-time member of the PGA? Who knows - everyone has their opinion. But why is it necessary to be so very angry over what Wie is doing? How is that a positive in anyone's life, most especially your own, JoeR and NYC? Having an opinion is all fine and well, but the vitriol is impressive. Not in a good way.

As for Jennifer's book - did anyone notice that you can get a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in paperback on Amazon, NEW, for $5? Guess Rowlings' books are being seen for the frauds that they are. They might be better seen as books promoting evil, witchcraft and atheism rather than top quality fiction. Very sad.

Nice use of "fact" to promote your worldview, JoeR.

For Candace,

As mentioned if making money at an early age is the objective then the Wie family has been very successful. I think she would eventually have gotten the money but should have been brought along a different more traditional path similar to Tiger and many others.
This way she could also have been a great golfer while learning to win AND make a lot of money. I think it is very sad and they have taken away the joy of her childhood by the push for money.
Maybe it could still happen but I think the odds are against it now. The sad part is that I can see the difference between now and when she enjoyed playing golf. Her entire demeanor was different and you could see the joy on her face which has been replaced by nothing resembling joy or happiness. The fact that she is getting further from making a cut should tell you something.

I think the book was premature and a money grab by the author. I also do not see the Potter book as new on Amazon for the price you indicate. I also do not note any vitriol in my comments. Sorry if you were offended.

Candace--You are entitled to your opinion and I have no problem with you voicing it in this venue. Michelle Wie for the record does not make more money than I do, in fact I make more in earnings from my investments and primary trusts than Michelle will ever make(wealthy family) . I didn't earn it so I usually do not make mention of money as a means to further an argument or make a point, but I am so sick of people mentioning Michelle's bank account as proof of her skill or as evidence of her success...and the claim that anyone who discredits her record is simply jealous makes me ill.

I will for now continue to let Michelle's play make my argument for me. Look forward to talking again soon Candace.

P.S. I think Jennifer is a fine writer...I would have personally waited till Michelle won something of note before I titled my book, "The Making of a Champion", but that's just me.

I agree, golf may become, perhaps has become, a grind for Wie. And perhaps she will not reach her peak potential now because of early burnout or other problems with losing as much as she has done. We will never know that one way or the other of course, but the point is totally valid. However, calling her "robotic" or saying that golf isn't as much fun - meaningless statements. Tiger is always chided for being too robotic, and all golfers, like all people, lose that unfettered joy a young teen has. But still, I'll say again, you have a valid point.

It's the way you portray the issue, and others have continued to do the same. You say there is no vitriol, but phrases like "better to be seen as a book on child abuse" are ridiculous. Are you talking about Mario? Or the Wies? In either case, that's a right nasty statement, and an unsupportable one at that. Child abuse is a very serious crime. There is no child abuse here. You are hyperbolic in the extreme to connect anything involving Wie to child abuse.

As for the Potter book - perhaps you are quibbling over the $0.29? Because the book is available, NEW, at the following Amazon link for $5.29:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0439785960/ref=dp_olp_2/103-9776557-8918249

NYC, you indeed have a large pool of cash behind you if Michelle's earnings to date are small to you. Perhaps that is not to your benefit when arguing about the value of Michelle's earnings, however. Believe me, the difference between debt and working to maintain any sort of reasonable lifestyle (and that's a loaded value statement there) and having enough money to earn interest greater than the salary you earn (or used to earn) is huge. It's that step, going from debt to wealth, that matters the most to an individual. Every dollar she earns now, in fact, is far less valuable than the $5m or what ever she got when she initially turned pro. So the earnings to date do, indeed, make her a success by many metrics. The Wies are far better off as a family now than when she was an amateur.

As for the title of Jennifer's book, she has defended the use of the title by stating that Michelle won the Women's Publinx a few years ago, which is a recognized USGA event and title. Whether that justifies the title is obviously a matter of opinion, but there is an argument for it apparently. I think it's more marketing blather, personally. What should an author or bookseller call the book, "Michelle Wie: She Might be a Good Golfer Someday"?

As for writing the book now "to cash in" on Wie's success - I don't know, because I have only published in academic journals, but my understanding is that it's hard to get a publisher to take a book and bring it to market. Books are supposed to be much harder to get published (by any notable publisher) than articles in journals or magazines. If that's true, I know how hard it is to get a journal article accepted. Just getting her book out there is an amazing feat for Jennifer. That's another thing you might not value properly, since it sounds like you are self-employed NYC. Mario is trying to make a living in a tough industry with no guarantee of success. And you criticize her for writing something that apparently people want to read? (Based on the fact that a publisher went through the expense to put the book out there, not sales - anyone know how to track book sales for non-major titles?)

Have you read the book? As you mention, it is very well written (in my opinion). There's a lot of terrible writing out there - Mario's writing is at least quality.

But all back to the same - plenty of issues that can be raised, but no need to couch things in terms of "child abuse" and "now bagging groceries". Very angry posts - why does it bother you so much the girl plays against men? You don't find it compelling - OK, don't watch. When attendance stops going up at events with Wie in it, and TV ratings stop spiking when she is on, there won't be any more free entries for her. I suspect the viewership is already waning, so her chances will begin to dwindle in the coming years unless she does something notable. The wonders of the Free Market!

Meantime, too much anger and angst being directed at a person just trying to excel at something, and being willing to fail in front of us all and try to get up and do it again. There was a time we rooted for the underdog, wasn't there? Seems like we kick them now.

(Sorry for the long post - see, I am not a good writer. Way too verbose!)

Candace, I grew up in what many would consider a pretty tough neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago. There were a lot more sinners than saints on that turf. But any man who ever tried to exploit his daughter in that area as BJ Wie has done would not have been thought of as a devoted Korean father, but rather as a money-grubbing vulture with a title of a four-letter word that begins and ends with the letter "P".

Well, Candace, maybe you could echo Mark Twain and say, "I'm sorry about the long letter. I didn't have time to write a short one."

As far as Bubbles goes, what's this talk about her being an underdog? I thought that she was a prodigy for the ages, a girl whose Foot-joys the other golfers couldn't even shine.

I do root for the underdog, which means any player but Bubbles.

"Exploit"? So, what, if the Wie family had NYC's cash, would it still be exploitation, since they wouldn't need it then? Ridiculous, Alex. Michelle has made it very, very clear that she likes playing golf, and wants to continue playing it against the men as well. Who are you to be so sure that she really doesn't want to be doing what she is doing? More of this anger and bile - why do you care SO MUCH about where and who she plays? You clearly do not derive any pleasure from anything related to her, except maybe her failure. Yet I continue to see you posting about her, and you continue to have awfully strong, even emotional (exploitation?) opinions.

Smails, good one on Twain. That's about right. As for the underdog - pretty clear she is an underdog when playing against the men. So rooting for anyone but her, especially since you in particular feel she does not have nearly the game needed to play against the men, means you like to kick the underdog.

Thanks for your response Candace.

I thought you made some interesting points and as always expressed them intelligently.

Smails beat me to the punch, but I must comment on the notion that Michelle Wie is now or has ever been an underdog. Michelle is the very definition of the "favorite", if this were an action movie she would play the "heavy'. She is the corporate giant crushing all those beneath her, or at least she should be crushing those deemed below her. Michelle has every advantage, financial, physical, she trains with the best coaches, has access to the best facilities, has the backing of corporate sponsors, hell she doesn't even have to qualify for tournaments as the other players do. Yet despite all of these advantages, all of the hype, all of the fawning attention she does not win, make the cut or deliver on the promise of greatness. As incredible as it may sound Michelle Wie is actually an underachiever--She is a puffed-up bully who with a every failure, every excuse and every hollow boast is being reveiled as nothing but hot air.

Oh, you were talking about Michelle being an underdog against the men...She is certainly "under" something against the men. Her game has been Underwhelming, she is clearly Underqualified, her efforts Undermine the credibility of the tour and her results, Underscore the point that she does not have the game to compete.

Rooting for underdogs is a noble enough concept, but rooting for people who are given free rides and are woefully out of their league is just plain pathetic.

Joe R:
Saying that Jennifer's book has been exposed as "the fraud that it is" certainly sounds like vitriol to me. Have you even read it? It's actually a very interesting and well-written biography. So because it's on sale, you're suggesting it's a fraud? Personally, I bought quite a few things on sale this past weekend. There's something to be thankful for - Thanksgiving sales!

Also, isn't it a little silly to say that Michelle Wie should follow a "more traditional path similar to Tiger"? Tiger never had to decide if he should join the LPGA or the PGA. How do you know that he wouldn't have made the same decision as Wie if he were female?

Candace, I didn't say a thing about where or against whom Bubbles plays. What I did say is that any father who exploits his daughter as BJ Wie has done is a pimp.

Candace:
NYC has a point. You can't judge a person's skill solely on the size of his or her bank account. Look at the highest paid actors, football players or business people. Are they really the best? On the other hand, who can blame Wie for taking the money if people hand it to her?

Florida Girl, You asked, "Who can blame Wie (or any girl, for that matter) for taking the money if people hand it to her?

You know, that is exactly the reasoning and maybe the exact words that every female engaged in the world's oldest profession uses when busted by the vice squad.

Alex:
No, I didn't say "or any girl, for that matter". Quote me properly, please. So if someone wanted to give you millions of dollars to play golf badly, you wouldn't take it?

I think the sponsors that give Michelle the money and the exemptions are equally at fault here. But the sad fact is that when it comes to money, people will do just about anything. Case in point - OJ Simpson's new book. If someone will buy it, someone will sell it.

Fawn, fawn, fawn. Sorry Jen, been distracted and now I've got a lot of catching up to do. Can't let the Ron Monster out-fawn me!

Too many things to reply to but when someone calls a book "The Making of a Champion" about someone who is not a champion I find it wrongly titled and odd. Fraud may be too strong a word I would agree but never the less it is premature and wrongly titled.

If child abuse is too strong certainly exploitive or greed is not. It is of course only an opinion of many of us but we will know in about 5 years or sooner if MW was well served by her parents or not.

They could have had it all but now I think MW will only have money not a historic golf career. I still find this very sad.

Joe, just curious. Are you saying that Michelle winning the 2003 Women's Publinx (a national USGA tournament for adults) doesn't count? I'm pretty sure all the other champions of that event would take offense. If Virada Nirapathpongporn, who lost to Wie in the finals, had won, would you try to dismiss her title of champion as well?

True, she is not yet an LPGA champion, but as the youngest-ever winner of a national USGA title, she is still considered a champion.

JM

I guess if you consider winning one tournament a Champion you win. Technically you are correct but I think in the pro ranks a Champion is usually someone who has shown consistancy by winning a lot.

By your measure I guess one win is enough. Certainlky no offense intended to the other winners of the Publinx. It will be very sad if Michelle is known only for that one win.

I won a Punt, Pass & Kick Championship once. Does that Count?

NYC,
Ever sense MW became "The $10,000,000 girl" the media and the bloggers have been jealous, resentful and full of shit. When a major league ballplayer signs a 8 year contract for $200,000,000 or a basketball player the same, you do not hear one single complaint from anyone! Why are the expections for MW so much higher than other athletes? Let Michelle continue with her career and leave her alone. If she is going to self destruct, sh will self destruct and there is nothing that anyone can do to prevent it...except perhaps her parents, who I think could care less.

Yes, Alex, you are saying precisely that the problem is where and against whom Wie plays. If she were an Am playing in High School, all would be well in your world (no, not true, but you would be complaining about something else).

If she were just playing LPGA events, you might complain but wouldn't call her father a pimp, most likely. But because she is playing against men in PGA events, and receiving large appearance fees to do so, her father is a pimp. And now you have gone on to explicitly call Michelle a prostitute. So you complain because Wie is playing in PGA events (where) and against men (whom). Or are you engaging in your Clintonian redefinitions again?

Speaking of which...Joe, NYC, I apologize for describing your criticisms as "vitriol". Everything in language is relative, especially in Alex and his mentor Wm. J. Clinton's world, and I forgot where "vitriol" falls in the context of this discussion. Alex has properly recalibrated the scales with his pimp and prostitute posts.

You guys really, REALLY need to get over this whole Wie thing. Just because thousands of people turn out to watch her at golf events, and sponsors pay her lots of money to play and give her exemptions to play, you are NOT required to watch her. Every move she makes burns you guys up.

So why keep watching? What do you hope to see? "Hope" being the key word? If she wins, you will be angry over it, and say that any conclusions drawn about her from one win are premature (at best). If she loses, you will say that of course she loses, she's terrible. If she stops competing you will brand her a failure AND a quitter. So there is no possible positive outcome. Therefore, why watch? And by the way, if most people feel the way you do, and they simply stop watching Wie, this amazing "free market" thing will correct all the ills you are complaining about.

Meantime, you spew nastiness for no gain to anyone. There has to be something better to do with your time. And in that vein, I should go quiet again. I tried to cut back on my pro bono work helping Alex and Smails through their anger for a while. My time is better spent watching Wie play and doing pretty much anything else other than read this garbage.

Candace, A wise man once penned an expression that would stand a voluble broad such as yourself in good stead. He said,"Brevity is the soul of wit." You should try it some time.

Comment from: joe cool [Visitor]
....Let Michelle continue with her career and leave her alone. If she is going to self destruct, sh will self destruct and there is nothing that anyone can do to prevent it...except perhaps her parents, who I think could care less.

Just like Casey Martin !!!!

Going back to the pimp thing:
Michelle Wie seems to be doing what she's doing for the challenge. Her father seems to be doing it for the glory. The only ones who are in it solely for the money are the sponsors. So who's the pimp? If you think Michelle is being exploited, maybe you should write and complain to them.

Florida Girl,

How many of her fans flock to the course on Saturday and Sunday after Bubbles has bombed, missed the cut, and is back in her hotel or riding in a private jet musing over her sparkly watch?

Her father is doing it for the glory? Please! He never did think much of that job as a professor at U. of Hawaii. Does he still have that job? How about Bo? Is she still a real estate agent?

Florida Girl,

Bubbles, Bj, Bo, and her agents reportedly were paid about a million dollars for her swoon at the Casio. That is hard to believe since the total purse money for the event was $1.2 million. But I'll accept that until proven wrong.

She played only two rounds, so she didn't attract any spectators to the course on the weekend.

Three rounds of 80 or worse were recorded in the entire four days of the event and Bubbles racked up two of them.

Now, the price of general admission tickets was 1800 yen, or about $16USD. If the Wie entourage was paid the stated $1 million, it took ALL of the receipts from 60,000 patrons to pay off Bubbles. That would be from 30,000 people PER DAY!

As far as I knpw, Casio is not endorsed by Bubbles or is not beholden to her at all. So how could Casio have made any money from all the extra spectators that Bubbles drew in? I'm not sure of the size of the crowds on the first two days of the Casio, but I'm reasonably certain that Bubbles didn't attract MORE than 60,000 extra people to to the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Wie machine raked in $1 million for a missed cut, 15 bogeys, a double bogey, and no birdies.

And you say they're not in it for the money? Get serious.

So, what, Alex - Casio has been duped by the Wies? What is the point of your math? The Wies didn't coerce Casio into paying Michelle what ever they paid her (I have seen $700k, I have seen $1.5m reported). So Casio is throwing money away paying Wie? Why would they do that? Nefarious plots to support the Wie Machine, no doubt!

Florida Girl points out that the sponsors pay Michelle because they think they will receive a return on their dollars greater than even money. How do you refute that with your response? What does that have to do with ticket sales?

Michelle (or her parents, or agents, or some combination of the above) has to decide when and where she will play golf. She was reported to have received an invitation to The Skins Game last year, but chose to play the Casio instead (they were on the same weekend). Maybe she chose Casio for the money. If that makes her a whore, or her Dad a pimp, then you should be doing pro bono work exclusively, or hang a shingle that includes Fred Garvin's old moniker "Male Prostitute".

Your pimp comment is beyond the pale, and you know it. But I suppose you don't care that Florida Girl or I call you on it because adolescents and women can't comprehend higher forms of existence such as yours - we are debased by our inability to appreciate opera the way a High Aristocrat such as yourself does. (You show your colors on other blogs even more than here.) Therefore, your opinion matters and ours does not.

Florida Girl and I will struggle through our meek and pointless lives, shuffling along with 20 chromosomes (do we get that many in your genetic reckoning?) and one-third-sized brain of High Aristocrats such as you, Sir Alex.

Have pity, Oh Great One. And play some Kiri Te Kanawa for us once in a while...by the way, is she just an idiot savant woman who happens to have a talent you recognize, or is she a genetic freak who appears as a woman but is actually built like a man (except for her voice)? Ah, the exceptions to your rules! How inconvenient.

Candace,

Brevity, my dear, brevity.

On these blogs, most people prefer the "Reader's Digest" version of things rather than the "War and Peace" version.

Candace, Candace! Wherever did you get the notion that I don't appreciate women?

Women have many talents and skills that men either can't or won't attempmt to emulate. I can list some if you so desire.

Actually Alex, you gave the impression that you disrespect women when you added the words "or any girl for that matter" to my quote. It sounded like you were saying not only that Wie is a prostitute but so is "any girl" who takes money for doing her job.

Anyway, my point was that the sponsors' sole motivation is to make money. When they stop making money off of Michelle, they will stop supporting her. And then you can get on with your life and stop boring us with your math problems. Ha! :-)

Well done Alex, avoid the issue neatly again! As for your ideas on the "talents and skills" of women, thanks, but I will pass. Your appreciation of women uses your favorite weapon, context, so very well.

Briefly, Alex: Casio pays Michelle to play because Casio makes more money by paying Michelle to play. So in your misogynistic view of the world, if there is a pimp in the process it's Casio, not BJ. They give Michelle her cut of the take, in your context.

There's the incomplete (as Reader's Digests are) but brief answer. Short enough for your attention span, Counselor?

Florida Girl,

As typical female, you are assuming things that are not there.

My remark was enclosed in parentheses. That makes it a parenthetical expression, implying that I added the remark to your statement.

And, I NEVER said that Bubbles was a prostitute. What I DID say was that BJ Wie is a pimp, and I stand by that assessment.

In the future, I'll stay away from mathematics no matter how simple when debating with women. Math is too tough for broads,

Alex, you are so predictable. I knew I could bait you with that math comment. My math skills are just fine, thanks. But if you are trying to convince me that you appreciate women, maybe you might want to avoid all the stereotypes.

And BTW, square brackets are normally used (not parentheses) when adding comments to a quote.

It's been fun.

Florida Girl,

"Square" brackets? Parentheses encapsulate a parenthetical expression. A square is an equilateral rectangle.

I hope your knowledge of mathematics exceeds your knowledge of punctuation marks.

Uh, sorry Alex. This comes from the Chicago Manual of Style, 10.65:
"Insertions may be made in quoted material to clarify an ambiguity...Any such interpolations are enclosed in brackets (not parentheses)."

Apparently, I have more knowledge of this subject than you do. Would you like to swap our Math SAT scores too? Seems a little juvenile but I'm game.

Florida Girl,

Why then was your parenthetical expression in your last post enclosed in parentheses rather than brackets? What happened to "square" brackets?

You don't have more knowledge than me about any subject, with the possible exception of changing diapers.

Math? You've got to be kidding. There ain't a woman alive that knows jack about math.

I'll explain this more slowly for you, Alex. When you are adding a comment to SOMEONE ELSE'S quote, you use square brackets. The term "square brackets" ([])distinguishes them from "curly brackets" ({}). There's a place for parentheses - just not where you were using them.

Now shall we get back to talking about golf?

Florida Girl,

I'd be happy to talk golf with you, but you don't seem to know much about that subject.

You and Candace have been conditioned by the fawning media to believe that Bubbles and possibly other females can compete on the links with the PGA pros.

Females cannot compete with men in any sport. They can't now compete now, they never could compete, and they never will compete on the PGA tour.

This doesn't make women inferior, just different. It's time for you Betty Friedan types to face reality.

Alex, I'm disappointed in you. Surely you could come up with actual arguments to bolster your case rather than falling back on frat-boy sexism. The Andrew Dice Clay act is getting old.

You say you appreciate women? Sure you do. And Michael Richards appreciates African-Americans. And Michael Jackson appreciates young boys.

Keep it clean, Alex, and keep it on topic. Or go find a different blog to troll around on. I hear Baldwin's looking for some new readers.

Political correctness rears its ugly head.

Is censorship the order of the day?

Too bad, I thought we were having fun.

For some reason, this blog escaped my notice. Something occurs to me when reading the musings of you ego-driven females. And, yes, you have the largest of egos. I say this because if someone can't acknowledge his group's shortcomings relative to someone else's and give that group credit, it's a result of being blinded by ego.

You know, there was a time when women didn't derive their self-worth from comparing their performances in masculine domains to those of men and convincing themsleves that they measured up.

"Math? You've got to be kidding. There ain't a woman alive that knows jack about math."

Really - I think that Joan Birman, Ellen Gethner, and Carolyn Gordon might disprove your point a bit, Alex. They all have won Chauvenet Prizes in the last ten years. Have you had any mathematical expositions nominated for the award lately, Alex? No, I thought not.

And UnderSmails, you are right. We women should just settle into our roles - what ever you and Alex define them to be. Alex has already made it clear that women can't handle math. Changing diapers appears to be OK.

Also, as far as ego goes you and Alex take the cake. Your buddy Alex just told a female respondent that she doesn't know more about any subject than he does, other than changing diapers. But that's not an ego driven statement on his misogyny, just Alex allowing us to derive our self-worth from his generous view of female ability.

And here I though measuring myself by my doctoral level research was a reasonable thing to do. Clearly, my work is useless to the world at large. It's only Women's Research, sponsored just to make us feel good by the PC police and lefty wackos. After all, why else would I get any funding? Alex, a lawyer, knows more about research into pediatric psychological treatments than I do, according to him.

You two are truly priceless. And you want the lefties to wake up? I am standing over here on libertarian ground, and I can say that the lefties are less out to lunch than you two jokers. I don't know what color the sky is in your world, but you are farther from reality than you could possibly imagine.

But that's just my crazy, wacko feminism talking again, right? I'm tired of telling barking dogs to be quiet. You want ego? Here's ego for you, and I feel quite confident in this statement: neither of you has the mental capability necessary to engage in interesting conversation with me about any topic.

In short - you are morons, and it's a waste of my time to continue to try and explain your lack of intelligence. Go enjoy your ignorant bliss.

I am done with the two of you. Just as I have suggested to you many times, I will now follow my own advice - stop spending time following something that centers around negativity. You are both black holes of intelligent thought and positive discourse.

Candace,

I take it all back. You MUST be one smart woman. Why? Because you admit it!

And get this people, she has a doctorate and she's into research! Wow, just wow!

And, her research is in that earth shaking breakthrough field, pediatric psychological treatment,whatever that is.

And, last but not least, she gets grants. That's right, grants, ostensibly from governments or foundations, the last bastions of funding for libertarian women.

That's all well and good, Candy baby, but sometime before you retire, you should really try either working in your own business and meeting a few payrolls or working for a private industry where your worth is judged by how much revenue you make for the company.

Grants? Research? It is to laugh!

I think most of these brainwashed
American chicks deserve our pity.
It was our fathers who dropped the
ball when the Frankfurt school took
over in this country, turning our
women into tatoo covered, body piercing
addicted, personal amateur porn webpage
hosting, and child averse savages, who
define our civilization as the gasping
joke that it currently is.

Anyone taking bets on whether Wie-Wee will make the cut at Stanford?

I bet she doesn't last four years.

She got accepted, that's the hard part.

Candace, apparently these people do not having anything better to do with their time. Alex must have a gazillion posts by now.

Bud,

If getting accepted were the hardest part of acquiring a degree, colleges would not have the dropout rate that they have.

Stanford will accept about 6,000 students in the incoming class of fall 2007.

Congratulations to Bubbles for making it, but she and the other freshmen have a long way to go. The really hard part is yet to come and won't even begin for about ten months.

It doesn't require much time for a genius like me to bat out these words of wisdom. Why, this one only took two minutes.

Hi Cant-dance,,,er..Candace,

I didn't know you were still around.
Anyway, here's one just for you....

A man was at the country club for his weekly round of golf. He began his
round with an eagle on the first hole and a birdie on the second. On the
third hole he had just scored his first ever hole-in-one when his cell phone
rang.
It was a doctor notifying him that his wife had just been in a terrible
accident and was in critical condition and in the ICU.


The man told the doctor to inform his wife where he was and that the he'd be
there as soon as possible. As he hung up he realized he was leaving what was
shaping up to be his best ever round of golf. He decided to get in a couple
of more holes before heading to the hospital.
He ended up playing all eighteen, finishing his round shooting a personal
best 61, shattering the club record by five strokes and beating his previous
best game by more than 10. He was jubilant.... then he remembered his wife.
Feeling guilty he dashed to the hospital. He saw the doctor in the corridor
and asked about his wife's condition.
The doctor glared at him and shouted, "You went ahead and finished your
round of golf didn't you!
"I hope you're proud of yourself! While you were out for the past Four
hours enjoying yourself at the country club your wife has been languishing
in the ICU! It's just as well you went ahead and finished that round
because it will be more than likely your last!" "For the rest of her life
she will require 'round the clock care. And you'll be her caregiver!"
The man was feeling so guilty he broke down and sobbed.
The doctor snickered and said, "Ahh, I'm just 4king with you. She's dead.
What'd you shoot?"

Oh, this is funny. Candace is really coming unglued now; a tad hysterical, are you not, Candy?

Now, let me see if I understand this: You have a Ph.D in the social sciences? LOL, now that's some of the best humor to grace these blogs in a while. Candy, people in the know refer to that as an "M-R-S degree."

As for the matter of government grants, let's see, if you have the right chromosome configuration or epidermal melanin content and propose the requisite PC drivel, yes, I believe you're a prime candidate.

The last thing I'll say is that it's entirely possible the social sciences were orginated for the purposes of enabling women to enter the field of "science."

Studying economics taught me that Judge
Smails has postulated correctly.

Candace

Many readers have asked the same question you are asking. Why do these same Grinch/Trolls post negative comments ENDLESSLY about Michelle Wie? Never hear any negative comments from them about Paula Creamer (sponsored by Taylor-Made). Seems like some sort of adidas/Taylor-Made vs Nike thing going on here to me.

Ghet UnRheel,

My comments concerning Bubbles are not now nor have they ever been negative. Truth is simply that, neither negative nor positive.

Paula Creamer has WON more than once on the LPGA tour and elsewhere in the world while Bubbles has not.

Paula is not lobbying for nor accepting endless and futile sponsor's exemptions in men's events.

Paula does not offer weak and laughable excuses when her play is below par.

In short, Paula does nothing to elicit negative comment.

Your suggestion of a Taylormade vs. Nike conspiracy is something right out of your "Astroturf" file.

Ghet, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

"My comments concerning Bubbles are not now nor have they ever been negative." As always, absurd... silly might be a better word.

The Grinches' deny the existance of "Astroturf" - (the phoney Public Relations campaigns of corporations or other entities, disguised to look like grassroots efforts). Here is a partial list of the media souces for the Wikipedia article on phony PR "Astroturf":
* Anderson, Walter T. "Astroturf - The Big Business of Fake Grassroots Politics." Jinn 5 January 1996. [13]
* Astroturf. 17 Oct. 2004. Sourcewatch. 6 Nov. 2005. [14]
* Miller, Laura. "Powers Behinds the Throne." Center for Media and Democracy 21 February 2005. [15]
* National Youth Advocacy Assembly. Teens from Across the Country Rally in Washington DC to call on the Beer Institute to Honor its Marketing Code and Stop Targeting Teens. National Youth Advocacy Assembly press release, 27 January 2003.
* Odegard, Peter H. Pressure Politics: The Story of the Anti-Saloon League. NY: Columbia University Press, 1928.
* Rampton, Sheldon and Stauber, John. "Keeping America Safe from Democracy." Center for Media and Democracy 30 October 2004. [16]
* Shin, Annys. "FTC Moves to Unmask Word-of-Mouth Marketing." Washington Post 12 December 2006. [17]
* "Playing on astroturf," The National Journal, April 19, 1986 - 'the "grass roots is AstroTurf in many cases, artificial turf," says Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas.' - quoted in [18]

1. ^ USA Today Microsoft funded 'grass roots' campaign
2. ^ Robyn Weisman Phony 'Grassroots' Campaign Orchestrated by Microsoft August 23 2001
3. ^ Thor Olavsrud Microsoft Supported by Dead People August 23 2001

Ghet UnRheel,

I'm sure glad that you only posted a "partial" list.

Tell us, Ghet, do you actually believe all that BS? I mean that there is a furtive and clandestine movement afoot to torpedo the blossoming career of Bubbles?

I realize that you are Wie Warrior par excellence, but really Ghet, you've got to get off that kick.

Say it isn't so for gosh sake!

In my opininion? Yes.

The fact that you try to deny the common occurance of Astroturf on the internet doesn't help your "credibility".

Well, there you have it, folks.

Ghet UnRheel firmly believes the existence of a nefarious plot by a cabal of Wie-haters to bring down the golfing career of Bubbles with a bang.

And I assume that he also believes that Bubbles skeptics on this blog are a major segment of this diabolical conspiracy.

I think that one word is applicable to Ghet's condition: Paranoia.

Ghet, you need help. Please get that help or else you'll end up in a small room with a steel door, no window, and rubber wallpaper.

Again Ghet, Merry Chrismas and Happy New Year.

Alex:
Lets talk about undeniable facts:

1. Astroturf is a major problem on internet blogs (go to Google, look it up)
2. You are not a FAN of Michelle Wie.
3. You have an ubiquitous presence on Tavelgolf and affiliated golf blogs.
4. You make negative postings about Michelle Wie on a nearly daily basis.
5. You ridicule nearly every person who posts a positive comment about Michelle.
6. You have been behaving in this manner almost daily for two years or more.

For your sake, lets hope some slimeball PR firm is paying you to do a little astroturfing. If not, you may well be the most pathetic soul on God?s green earth.

Ghet UnRheel,

We were told when in training that there would probably some astute characters such as you who would immediately become aware of our work, but that the public in general would not believe in something as arcane as Astroturf.

The CBDB(Committee to Bring Down Bubbles)will be paying out large bonuses to agents if Bubbles should miss any cuts on the LPGA tour.

And, of course, the biggest bonuses will be handed out in the event that we can get Bubbles to withdraw again from the John Deere.

The senior agent who engineered that stroke last July, Mr. Snidely Whiplash, was driving a new Porsche a week after the "heat stroke" caper.

The lady doth protest too much.

Alex,

Since Ghet has deep insight into our Machiavellian plot and the great unwashed won't believe our admissions anyway, perhaps we should divulge Phase Two of CBDB's plot. It will involve special ops psychological warfare designed to incrementally and insidiously degrade Bubbles psyche and, ultimately, induce complete emotional breakdown.

Mark my words, when the last nail is hammered down Bubbles will be occupying a room in the asylum just adjacent to Ghet's.

Hate to break it to you self-aggrandizing fops. but Astroturfing is just some hack typing nasty words on a keyboard? [love it when the sock-puppets dash in for one another?s support? can Tim and Wolfrum be far behind?]

Ghet Well,

Part of the Judge's and my training at Astroturf Central was learning how to make guys like you think we are amateur hacks.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Our mission requires diligence amd perseverance. After all, we a taking on the Wie machine, Nike, Sony and their well-oiled and financed empire.

But, as the Judge says, we won't be satisfied until Bubbles is in intensive therapy and she, her parents, and her fawning sycophants such as yourself are institutionalized.

Wow. Nothing throws you twits into a hysterical tizzy like that one little word... "Astroturf"

Jennifer--

I hope you're able to read this, given
the amazing 78 comments that precede this
message. But I just recently heard about
your book on Michelle Wie. I'm so happy
for you. That is such an amazing
accomplishment. Here's to your success
and may this only be the beginning.

Sincerely,
Tom

Jam Boy,

So you feel that Jennifer's writing a book about Bubbles is an "amazing accomplishment?"

Then Bubbles' golf game has produced some other "amazing accomplishments." Maybe your mutual admiration society should save their fawning praise for the time when someone actual accomplishes something

In Bubbles' case that would be winning a tournament, and in Mario's case that would be getting her book rated in the top fifty in sales.

Jennifer,

"Champions" in LPGA history include names like Wright, Lopez, Carner and Berg. Not Wie.

Winning the Pub Links is certainly a great accomplishment. And she should be commended for that. But if I was to win the PubLinks, it wouldn't qualify me as a "champion".

Let's not add any more to the hype. Her abilities do not qualify her to participate on the PGA at this point. If she gets better, and can qualify through equitable competition, then she can compete. The same argument applies every year at the Masters with past champions.

Until then, she should find competition that suits her abilities. Right now, that is the LPGA Tour.