LOTS of e-mail about my forthcoming trip to Alabama. Boy, do Alabamians

love their state! Sample, from a reader: “A man in California is talking

with his preacher when he notices a phone that has sign that says ‘To talk

to God $10,000.’ The man asks about it and the preacher says yes it works

and all churches have it. The man is skeptical and begins to travel around

to see if this is true. He goes to Nevada and Utah and to New York and most

everywhere. He finds that, yes, there is a phone to call God for $10,000 in

every church he finds. When he got to Alabama however the sign read ‘Talk

to God 35c.’ Surprised, he asks the preacher why only 35 cents when

everywhere else it’s $10,000. The preacher gives him a funny look and says

’Boy, don’t you know you’re in Alabama? It’s a local call.’” How come

nobody in New York talks that way about the Empire State? No, please don’t

bother telling me, I think I can figure it out…