A person bunkerooed on Christmas (again)

The tradition continues!

Yesterday, at a Christmas Day family gathering, the scent of a silent-but-deadly bunker blast was twice briefly detected. As is usually the case, cries of accusation sprang up throughout the room, but no suspects could be indicted for this impeachable offense.

This was nothing compared to the uproarious marathon of Christmas flatulence that took place sometime around 2003, but we all knew that would be tough to top.

Have no fear, the January ish is here!

Somebody somewhere chewed gum and thought it was funny. So funny, in fact, that the January ish of The Last Word is now pub, and it includes 4 - count 'em, 4 - stories that are primarily about bubble gum.

But there's other cool poo too! This edition also talks about my bad attitude and its relevance for today's youth, how I rocked my weight "problem", people monopolizing the bathroom, and more!

Unfortunately, Scribd blocks the latest ish for some viewers, so you can access it here instead...

http://bunkerblast.info/lastword/lw1701.pdf

If you're one of the few who can access it on Scribd, point your pooper here...

https://www.scribd.com/document/334896303/The-Last-Word-1-2017

More proof we no longer have free speech

This story has completely ruined the holidays for me. I wanted to continue what had been a great day with a friend, but was confronted with this story. But I shouldn't be surprised.

In the 2014 "election", Kentucky State Sen. R.J. Palmer - a Winchester Democrat - was defeated in a shocking upset by far-right Republican challenger Ralph Alvarado. The Palmer campaign had run a TV ad claiming Alvarado - a doctor - was "getting rich off addiction" by overprescribing oxycodone to a criminal defendant.

It's unclear what was wrong with the ad. People accuse me of cashing in because I sued someone in small claims court or wrote a memoir about being harassed at school, so why isn't it fair game to accuse Alvarado of "getting rich off addiction"?

Alvarado filed a SLAPP lawsuit against Palmer and his political consultant Dale Emmons. And now - get this - a court has actually ordered Palmer to pay Alvarado $200,000.

What ever happened to free speech?

Hey, I think I'll sue someone for calling me an "unpatriotic patriotic bubble blower" or a "beaver teeth self" on the Internet. I feel like making $200,000 just for the asking.

We're in a war - a war of good versus evil. We have a condign right to prevail.

(Source: http://www.kentucky.com/latest-news/article122311154.html)

More election fraud in Kentucky nobody's going to do anything about

Wesley Morgan is categorically unfit for public office - his Facebook page made him appear barely even functional - and gasps were heard when the Tea Party Republican upset Democratic State Rep. Rita Smart by only 76 votes in a Richmond-area district.

But now Smart has uncovered a series of irregularities in that election. In fact, I don't have any doubt that these irregularities were outright election fraud by the Republicans.

Smart told the Madison County Elections Board of these suspicious errors. Among these irregularities, a couple who tried voting for Smart by absentee ballot was given a ballot for the wrong district (where a Republican was unopposed, because freedom). Incorrect ballots were also distributed at another precinct - affecting a Richmond City Commission race. Smart also said some voters told her they no longer voted because they were treated rudely by poll workers.

The elections board did of course refuse to do anything about these complaints.

(Source: http://www.richmondregister.com/news/smart-says-poll-officers-deputy-clerk-made-errors/article_efdee530-c324-11e6-aea0-53316407f971.html)

Interior pick supported white supremacists

Because The Media is racist, they've largely ignored the fact that fascist Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Montana) has accepted campaign donations from Earl Holt, who heads the white supremacist Council of Conservative Citizens. The CCC inspired Dylann Roof's murderous rampage against blacks at a South Carolina church.

Zinke has also promoted his legislative agenda with an organization called ProEnglish, which has been classed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Plus, Zinke has endorsed a Montana candidate who was active in a white supremacist group at the far-right Liberty University. This candidate was also a regional manager for fascist Sen. Steve Daines's campaign.

And now Zinke is Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of the Interior!

I used to work for the Department of the Interior - before Bush gutted some of its functions. I don't want a fascist like Ryan Zinke as my boss.

(Source: http://www.nationalmemo.com/interior-pick-rep-zinke-connected-white-nationalists-montana)

Was Horton story first fake news item?

Everybody is late to the game - again.

Much as it took until 2011 (!!!) for modern America to start taking income inequality seriously again, it's taken until now for fake news to be called out as much as it is. Who are we kidding? Fake news has been a pox on modern America for decades. Worse than useless.

When I studied mass media in college, I read about the yellow journalism of old. But in a modern context, I think America's first fake news story involved William Horton during the 1988 presidential campaign.

Horton was convicted of a Massachusetts murder and terrorized a Maryland couple while on furlough from prison. Press reports always referred to him as William Horton - until they started calling him Willie Horton in 1988. Nobody had called him that before. This was a propaganda technique by the right-wing media to make Horton appear more familiar, and thus a greater threat to the average listener even though he had been captured. It was propagandistic, but was it fake news? I believe Horton's crimes were real. But the claim that Michael Dukakis had implemented the furlough program was fake. That aspect of the story was indeed fake news.

These are the facts: The furloughs were begun way back in 1972 by a Republican governor who served prior to Dukakis. Dukakis actually ended the furloughs. That is a fact!

Meanwhile, drug kingpin George H.W. Bush supported a federal program that allowed convicted heroin dealer Angel Medrano to escape and to rape and murder a woman. Bush then falsely accused the Dukakis campaign of racism for bringing up Bush's incompetence.

I was alive in 1988. I don't think I had a mullet, but I was around. I was certainly old enough to read. So I remember the fake news item about Dukakis and the furloughs. I knew it was fake. The Media back then wasn't all Fox News and Facebook, so I learned the facts pretty quickly. Thank you, Power 94½.

I dealt with a lot of liars on a personal level in 1988, but the right-wing media's gaslighting, fake news, and race-baiting encouraged violence in the community - much as Donald Trump's ill-gotten victory has recently. Trumpism and fake news aren't new to me.

Now I'm a "goon"

So now I'm not just a "dopleganger" (sic) or an "unpatriotic patriotic bubble blower" or a "beaver teeth self." Now I'm a "goon" too.

I made a post on a local Facepoo forum in which I criticized the unconstitutional practice of requiring students in extracurricular activities to take a drug test. The usual crew of alt-right crackpots immediately spouted off, and several of them demanded I leave town if I don't support this policy.

One other ultra-right-winger said that playing sports in school means "you forfeit certain rights." I had to set him straight. I replied...

"You don't just forfeit rights. That's why they're called rights."

Then he responded...

"Rights and privileges are two different things goon."

Yay! A right-winger called me a "goon"!

Soon after, a very, very minor local politician kinda sorta admitted he was the one behind the drug-testing policy. Why am I not surprised it was him? Of course, it makes him eligible for impeachment for violating the Constitution he swore or affirmed he would uphold.

By the way, I'm not leaving town over this, despite what they suggested.

Facebook may be fined for hate group recruitment

As long as the Senate is full of America-hating fucks like David Perdue who support rogue regimes like that in Singapore, it's our duty to support governments like that of Germany when they crack down on hate group recruitment.

German officials say Facebook isn't doing enough to stop recruitment by hate groups. They say Facepoo could be in for some steep fines unless they act soon.

Good. I'm glad Germany is stepping up where America has failed.

This effort comes as hate groups and fake news threaten to upend the upcoming German elections.

(Source: http://www.chron.com/business/technology/article/Germany-threatens-to-fine-Facebook-over-hate-10801150.php)

Trump struck deal with Channel 12 owner for better coverage

Here's a national story with a Tri-State connection!

In a story that should surprise absolutely nobody who has noticed how much The Media has favored the criminal Donald Trump, it turns out the Trump campaign struck a deal for favorable coverage from the far-right Sinclair Broadcast Group - which owns WKRC-TV, Cincinnati's very own Channel 12. Sinclair acquired Channel 12 in 2012 - in a deal rubber-stamped by the FCC and whose significance was virtually ignored.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner admitted to the deal between the Trump campaign and Sinclair. He said the deal meant Sinclair stations would run full Trump interviews in exchange for better access to the campaign. A Trump spokesperson said the campaign worked with other media companies too.

In 2014, the Washington Post reported that Sinclair required its stations to run "news" stories criticizing President Obama's policies and promoting the ideas of right-wing think tanks. That revelation came after crew members from Sinclair's Baltimore station barged into an Occupy tent and created a scene.

(Source: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-campaign-sinclair-broadcasting-jared-kushner-232764)

Texas bill would require parental consent to join a union

This is outright fascism. There's just no other word for it.

At most jobs that don't require at least some college, you're allowed to work when you're 16. Most of these are low-paying service jobs like fast food - which are among the workplaces that most desperately need labor unions.

But some right-wing fartpipe in Texas wants to gut the constitutional right to unionize by requiring workers under 18 to get parental permission before joining the union. If this bill passes, workers as young as 14 will be able to enter an employment agreement without parental consent - but they'll need parental consent to unionize.

Even in America, teenagers do get injured - even killed - on the job. But the alt-right thinks young people need to be protected from unions - not from workplace safety hazards.

The bill's supporters say the bill "protects parental rights." No it doesn't. There's no "right" for parents to treat children as property.

On the other hand, the percentage of young workers represented by a union has been increasing steadily for the past several years. If this continues, it could reverse the Far Right's catatonic attacks against organized labor.

(Source: http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/19722/bill_would_require_workers_under_18_to_get_parents_consent_to_join_a_union)

Gingrich praises Pearl Harbor attack

Newt Gingrich - the Nazi who hired a Hitler apologist as House historian - opened his ugly mouth again.

Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor. To commemorate the attack, Gingrich posted this on his Twitter feed:

"75 years ago the Japanese displayed professional brilliance and technological power launching surprises from Hawaii to the Philippines"

Thousands of Americans were killed or wounded at Pearl Harbor, and the elder statesman of Republican fascism praised the bombing.

You picked him, media.

(Source: http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/twitter-wrecks-newt-gingrich-after-he-praises-japanese-attack-on-pearl-harbor-anniversary-tweets)

Confident, confident, dry and secure!

This is primarily a political blog, but this is something personal I need to have a chitchat about.

In the course of only an hour back in August, I went from being a sad sack of a man to acting like an overconfident teenager. All because of one funny story.

You might have to stop me. I overcompensated, and it might not be healthy. Myself and another individual are feeding off of each other, and we might have to stop. It was great for a while, but now I'm not so sure.

Maybe I'd feel better about this if I had validation from other people. I almost feel like I'm acting cooler than I really am. I'm not absolutely sure, because after all, I am mighty cool. It could simply be teenage rebellion, except I'm 43.

If you know I'm cool, please authenticate my coolness. It'll make me feel so much better. But if you know I'm not, break it to me gently. I'll come to terms with it.

Think. Do. Be.

Trump staffer convicted of election fraud

Isn't it strange how the last poll I saw of Michigan prior to the "election" had Hillary Clinton leading the state by 20 points, but Donald Trump ended up winning it?

Here's a case out of Michigan that might shed some light on election fraud in the Wolverine State. Brandon Hall - a Trump staffer - has just been convicted of 10 counts of election fraud. Now he may face 5 years in prison. Back in 2012, Hall - along with Republican activist Zachary Savage - forged signatures on petition forms supporting a judicial candidate. But Savage received immunity in exchange for testifying against Hall.

Hall had served on his local school board, but he had to quit when he was convicted of stealing from a school fundraiser. So why did the Trump campaign and the Michigan GOP hire him after that? And why did they hire him while the election fraud charges were pending?

(Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-staffer-brandon-hall-michigan-guilty-election-fraud-a7449046.html)

Local media covers library gun incident

Even the decidedly pro-Trump Cincinnati Enquirer covered the incident last night in which 2 armed Trumpthugs tried to crash a meeting at the Covington library...

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/blogs/2016/12/01/trump-supporters-bring-guns-library-meeting/94734066

For the record, I left before the second man showed up. I didn't see the first man openly carrying, but others say they both did, and I believe they did.

Also, others have pointed out that pretty much every library has a sign declaring that it's a felony to bring in a gun. I didn't notice a sign at this libe, but then again, this was also the first library I ever caught censoring my website.

Nobody fails to learn a lesson quite like progressives

Hate to say it, but my ideological allies still don't get it.

There's an anti-Trump march coming up in Covington on Saturday. Earlier tonight, I went to a meeting where we were to make signs for this event. This meeting was in the meeting room at the public library there.

Remember the Trumpthug who shoved a man against a car at a Cincinnati march? He showed up right when the meeting was supposed to begin. I warned the legit attendees of the meeting that he had assaulted someone at a previous event. Instead of kicking him out of the meeting, they engaged him.

Dumb.

Sixth grade must have really been hard for these folks. They don't know how to react to a bully. They have no clue whatsoever. They should know by now, but they don't. They're so competent at everything else, but they've never learned how to deal with bullies.

After dawdling for a few minutes, I decided to leave. I wasn't going to be a part of them engaging a right-wing criminal. As I was leaving the library, I called 911.

The Covington Police never got back to me, so I didn't know for another few hours whether they showed up. In the meantime, I discovered that the man who openly carried a gun at the first anti-Trump event had joined this man at the meeting, and attendees engaged him too. Someone also said in a Facebook post that both men were armed with guns at the meeting.

From what I can gather, the police did arrive - but didn't do anything. It appears as if there was a cop stationed at the libe, who confronted the first armed man who showed up tonight, but no action was taken.

Surprised? Strange how I was arrested by the Covington Police for acting up at school, but they won't do a thing to right-wing criminals who intimidate meetings. Many states have a law on the books calling it menacing - but I don't know if Kentucky is one. There's no way in hell it doesn't fall under some criminal statute.

Engaging bullies. Now there's a surefire way to lose.

Left is right

This, my friends, highlights one of the duties of the Electoral College. Even if Donald Trump got 100% of the popular vote, the Electoral College has a duty to reject him because of his poor character. If they don't, they're not doing their job.

Have you noticed that you personally know hardly anyone who supported Trump? That's because you live in the reality-based community, and you associate with people of high ethical standards.

Yet think about people who you've known who either have bad character or are just plain spoiled. Go find their Facebook page. Notice that most have one thing in common: They like pro-Trump pages on Facebook. They've supported Republicans in past elections, but with the growth of social media, it's easier to weed them out now.

Yes, I know the official exit poll shows Trump performed much better among men than women. But I'm as macho as any other guy out there, and that didn't induce me to vote for Trump. Most men who know how to act right didn't support him, so what about the guys who did? I have some theories. Maybe they're abusing steroids. Maybe they're compensating for some, uh, shortcomings. Maybe they've got other issues they haven't come to terms with. They seem to be preoccupied with certain topics, and that's always a sign of some serious self-hatred. I don't have any prejudices about this, but they do, and I think it's because they won't confront a part of their own lives. They obsess over things they feel threatened by because it reminds them of something within themselves.

Think back on the spoiled brat at school who put your calculator in the toilet, and find their Facepoo page. I dare you. If you want to see a showcase of Trumpist memes, you know where to look. This also shows why society has to keep a sharper eye on them.

It wasn't Castro who...

If people want to talk about what a tyrannical dictator Fidel Castro was, in the wake of his death, they really need to clean up their own yard first.

It wasn't Castro who outlawed chewing gum. That was Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew - a darling of America's Far Right. (Gum is actually very popular in Cuba.)

It wasn't Castro who used psychiatric prisons to detain dissidents without a trial. That was the Bush crime family.

It wasn't Castro who started illegal wars with Iraq. Again, the Bush royal family.

It wasn't Castro who banned Fahrenheit 9/11. That was the Bushes' friends in Kuwait.

It wasn't Castro who forced me to wait years for adequate health care or a dental visit, or who sold drugs to a neighbor. It wasn't Castro who arrested me for "trespassing" for using a university library, or who blacklisted me from more lucrative employment. I'd appreciate it if I didn't need political connections just to be hired to clean a damn toilet at a store.

Look, if you're gonna criticize a country's leader as too authoritarian, at least be fair enough to criticize other leaders. The Bushes were not simply authoritarian. They were totalitarian. That's worse. It's like the difference between Guardian Angel and Brossart.

So cool it with the hypocrisy.

Ironically, the U.S. government squandered over $1 billion trying to assassinate or overthrow Castro - yet he managed to outlive most of the people behind these efforts.

Right-wing idiot insults Dayton (a blast from the past)

Remember those Tea Partyin' days of the early 2010s - before Occupy kablammoed what little mainstream interest there was in the Tea Party's fascism?

That was when one of the regular commenters on this blog found her Facebook account yanked for disagreeing with the Far Right about mandatory drug tests of welfare recipients. What did said right-wingers say about our friend? One had this to say...

"Of course she's for drugs. She's from Dayton, KY. The majority of that whole damn town is on assistance of some sort. Mostly welfare and SSI. They're generational too. The majority of the town is on drugs too. That's why I moved the fuck away from there. ..."

Hey asshole, I have family roots in Dayton, Kentucky. So I know the above statement is a lie.

He also said I was stirring up "the same shit as she." Yes, that's exactly what we were doing. The Tea Party was asking for it. It was obvious the Tea Party was full of burning fart gas, and they're damn lucky they weren't called out more.

Another idiot had this to say...

"ANN M----- IS A COMMUNIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Wow, that really elevated the tone of the discussion. They didn't even know what gum was, so I'm sure they didn't know what communism was.

Who else remembers them days?

Have no fear, the December ish is here!

The December ish of The Last Word - your road atlas to freedom - is pub early! That makes us coolsters even cooler than usual!

This ish is a beaut! In this edition, we talk about all the things people who wear glasses aren't allowed to do, how to troll right-wingers by mishandling your dental work or your glasses, a stupid drawing of a person blowing a bubble with bubble gum, an idiotic glasses ad in the phone book, and more!

You're gonna peep, weep, and oggle-beep, and you'll accomplish this trifecta by pointing your pooper here...

https://www.scribd.com/document/332124558/The-Last-Word-12-2016

Pipeline protester may lose arm to police violence

As protests against the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota continue, police violence is escalating. And make no mistake, it is police violence. There's no other term for it. This police violence is unjustified and unwarranted.

On Sunday, about 300 protesters on a bridge were injured by police. One of them was a 21-year-old woman who was hit by a police grenade. Now she might lose her entire arm. At minimum, she will only have 20% functionality in this arm for the rest of her life.

Twenty-one. Disabled for life. For no reason.

Afterward, the Morton County Sheriff's Department lied about the event by saying that no such grenades were used. Instead they accused protesters of making explosives that caused the injury - even though no explosives made by protesters were found.

If you have some Tea Party third cousin who defends the cops' actions when you see them on Thanksgiving, kindly put giraffe tranquilizers in your relative's Coke.

(Source: http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-dakota-access-pipeline-protests-20161121-story.html)

Trump = Bush

Why didn't the George W. Bush thugocracy elicit the same huge public protests that Donald Trump is getting?

Let's be honest here. Trump = Bush. Granted, Bush had experience in public office, but I don't see any ideological difference. A Ku Klux Klan chapter even endorsed Bush, but the right-wing media did of course sweep it under the rug. Bush was doing all the same things Trump is doing.

Looking on the bright side, the stronger pushback against Trump means people are smarter than they were in 2000. Back then, everyone's idea of thinking outside the box was growing their helmet hair an inch longer or suing Napster.

But if it takes this long for people to get it, people are not fast learners.

My gun law proposal

With Trump-inspired thuggery on the rise, it's way past time to get serious on gun safety legislation.

I wanted to put forth this proposal months ago, but I knew there'd be a better time for it. This is that time. It will always be that time - from now until this idea is acted upon. Best all, my idea doesn't violate the Second Amendment (or the First) in any way, shape, or form.

For starts, let me be frank: It is time to outlaw hate groups. These organizations have recruited thugs to commit hate crimes. One may occasionally hear a news report about a "banned terrorist group" in another country. Even Britain has tough laws on this. The United States should enact a similar ban.

This would be entirely constitutional. There are precedents under American law. The Enforcement Act of 1870, for example, specifically banned the use of force to prevent people from voting because of their race. The state of New York later passed a law requiring the Ku Klux Klan to disclose membership lists. The Supreme Court upheld this law.

Gang membership is banned under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. So why not hate groups?

What about gun safety laws? Instead of an across-the-board beef-up of gun laws that will only hamstring innocent people, we should ban members of hate groups from having guns - or other weapons. It's that simple. There should also be stiff prison terms for sellers who knowingly supply weapons to hate group members.

Convicted felons already can't have guns. It's hard to see how anybody would oppose this restriction. So there clearly is a precedent for restricting gun ownership by hate groups.

You can't legislate all the hate away. But we must deny it public support. It's in society's interest to protect its citizenry. The violence of hate groups is detrimental to America's social fabric.

More about yesterday's Trumpthug

My biggest regret about yesterday's anti-Trump march in Cincinnati was that I didn't catch the entire incident in which one of Donald Trump's thugs shoved a man against a car and knocked him over.

I've been reading about the incident a little more, and a witness says he didn't just shove the man. He "speared" him.

Then, after this incident, the assailant told a cop he wanted to kill "liberals." Then the cop shook his hand.

How cool people rock an anti-Trump shirt

This isn't exactly a fashion blog - except when confronted with a proliferation of clothing items assailing right-wing politicians.

When we coolsters get our hands on anti-Trump shirts, this is how we rock 'em...



This is how we do - because we think it's circa 1999 when I got that jacket, which is the same one I was wearing when I got chased out of Villa Hills while I was at work. I call it the anarchist jacket - not because I think real anarchists would wear it, but because the Far Right thinks it makes me look like an anarchist. That jacket probably predates the Extremist, the George W. Bush regime, and the closure of Tantrum 95.7, so it's a durable one, and hopefully it won't get (keek!) ruined any time soon.

Another huge anti-Trump protest in Cincinnati today!

I didn't think today's protest against Donald Trump in Cincinnati today would attract very many people, because of the biting wind and cold - but it did.

We again gathered on Fountain Square, and we marched to Washington Park. About 1,000 people showed up.

But that includes one of Donald Trump's goons who was there to start trouble. I saw him in the crowd at Fountain Square. When the march got under way, I walked past him, and he said, "Hey Tim." I don't know how he knew my name. I don't think I saw him last week, because all I remember is that last week's Trumpthugs were considerably shorter. I'm sure he doesn't read this blog, because it's mostly just cool people who read it. The fact that he knew who I was just shows he's been conspiring with the rest of Trump's criminal cult.

Later, as we were walking up Vine Street, he violently shoved a person into a car. Naturally, the police did not arrest him. In fact, when he was talking to the police, he pointed at me - as if I somehow had anything to do with that incident.

I'm pretty sure I got pictures of him, but just not this incident.

We need to protest the Trump regime until our bell bottoms bust in public.

Tim rocks his missing tooth!

I've been getting gobs of requests for this, so hang on to your mittens!

I only have 27 teeth. The dentist ordered 4 teeth removed, but I have one other that's been broken off at the gum line since high school because some prep punched me in the jaw.

People ask me about it. I know I don't have the most socially acceptable teeth in the world, and that's fine. I think they look cool. Punk rocker teeth are one of my trademarks. I've actually gotten requests for a video about my missing tooth. A lot of requests.

I'm happy to oblige. It really is time for those of us with punk rocker teeth to take a stand on YouTube. I'm not embarrassed about it, but I'm tired of people being shamed on YouPube for missing or crooked teeth. I want to show people how to rock it!

Because you're cool, and most cool people have irregular gnashers like I do, you're gonna rock 'em once you see this widely requested clip I just made...

Texas man burned in Trump-inspired hate crime

Trump-inspired violence is out of control.

One of the worst Trump-related hate crimes so far just took place on a Houston area freeway. Syed Raza, a Muslim, was driving home when 2 men in a truck pulled up beside him. The pair threw a firebomb into Raza's car. The car was engulfed in fire, and Raza was severely burned.

As far as I know, no suspects have been identified yet.

This is one of many reasons we can't afford to give Trump a chance.

(Source: http://usuncut.com/news/muslim-man-just-firebombed-driving-texas-highway)

Singapore's human rights abuses continue

This is the sort of government that traitorous fucks like David Perdue support.

Chijioke Obioha, a Nigerian man, is about to be executed by the right-wing dictatorship in Singapore for alleged possession of a small amount of cannabis. It's unclear if the trial was even legit. That's because the law in the police state of Singapore says that in drug cases like this, one is considered guilty under proven innocent - not the other way around. The defense - not the prosecution - had the burden of proof. Plus, Obioha's family members have been unable to help him.

This case has drawn the attention of human rights groups like Amnesty International.

(Source: http://dailypost.ng/2016/11/17/singapore-set-execute-chijioke-obioha-drug-possession)

Professor taken to psych ward for criticizing Trump

It begins.

More accurately, it continues! Isn't that right, George H.W. Bush?

Kevin Allred, an adjunct professor at Rutgers University, found himself face-deep in big league poo this week after he made a series of Twitter posts daring to criticize Donald Trump. After the posts, New York City police came to his home and forced him to go to a hospital to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Docs at the hosp, however, thought the fuzz was full of WaftGas - and they let Allred go.

Apparently, authorities went after Allred because a right-wing student had their feelings hurt by Allred's criticism of Trump.

Allred later said on Twitter that the incident "is proof positive that Trump's crackdown on free speech has absolutely begun."

Is it fascismness yet?

(Source: http://www.phillyvoice.com/rutgers-professor-taken-psych-evaluation-over-trump-tweets)

Laugh of the year: Campbell County in a "drought"

You wanna hear something uproarious?

Campbell County just ordered Thanksgiving bonfires banned because the county is in a "drought."

Seriously. They said that.

The order comes after the area received its rainiest single day in recorded history, which flooded homes on Covert Run Pike.

In commemoration of this diktat, here's some recent "drought" photos and videos for ya...

http://www.bunkerblast.info/roadpics/camp16a.html
http://www.bunkerblast.info/roadpics/camp16b.html

Nice to know Campbell County is promoting climate change denial - and my tax dollars are paying for it.

Armed Trumpthug doubles down

Donald Trump's thugs have been laying on the stupid thick this evening, so let me give you the poop.

As you know, I got in a confrontation with a man carrying an assault rifle at the anti-Trump protest in Cincinnati this past Saturday. One of the Trumpers' main talking points is that it's not really an assault rifle since that's a just a term made up for political reasons. Even if it is, it's moot. I'm not the guy who took a gun to the event to intimidate people.

The man was quoted in the local media, but it turns out he gave an alias. I'm pretty sure I found his real name now, and he lives in Erlanger. Not like it matters much, but if he was so brave, why did he have to hide behind a fake name in the media?

Earlier this evening, he posted a video on Facebook of the confrontation with me. It was edited a bit, but I still think it casts me in a very positive light - even though he said in the caption that I'm a "crazy lunatic." His video was followed by a ream of alt-right backslapping about "crazy Mr. Brown" by his demented pals, and how they're gonna search for me and "find his no job ass with beaver teeth self."

YAY!!! A CROOKED TEETH JOKE!!! Now you know I made them mad!

I have a good sense of humor, but it's not funny when right-wing pieces of shit appear at protests and carry an assault rifle just to intimidate people. If it was a rally to support open carry, I'd expect people to walk around with guns in plain sight. That's not what this protest was. As I've stated before, even in an open carry state, police have a duty to disarm those who are unfit.

If you want to openly carry a gun like that, enlist. I generally don't support expanded gun control, but I don't carry any weapon stronger than a knife, because my ideas stand on their own merits. I didn't even bring my knife to Saturday's event, because several people on my side urged me not to. I shouldn't feel like I need a fucking WEAPON!

Teacher suspended for opposing Trump

Here's another reason to bring horror to Trumpists this holiday season. If you happen to see any relatives on Thanksgiving who still support the racist sexual predator, they're going to try to make sure you can't chew any stuffed celery, because that's their violent nature.

At Mountain View High School in Mountain View, California, a longtime history teacher and award-winning Holocaust expert has been suspended because he accurately compared the rise of Donald Trump to that of Adolf Hitler. The suspension came after some Nazi parent complained to the school.

I used to think we had free speech. Silly me.

(Source: http://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/history-teacher-suspended-for-lesson-showing-remarkable-parallels-between-rise-of-trump-and-hilter)

Trumpthug caught on video macing man

Nope, no violence from Trump supporters here. Except that there is...



Here's a synopsis of that video for those of you who are afraid a poisonous alligator might pop out of your screen if you click on it: An older man - a Trump supporter - walks through a crowd in Los Angeles, repeatedly yelling, "Asshole!" We soon see that the language was directed at a younger man - a Trump opponent. Then, with no provocation whatsoever, a woman - a Trump supporter - walks past and sprays mace in the young man's face before quickly walking away.

No provocation. At all. She just goes ahead and sprays it.

Workers at a food stand had to give the man some water to douse his eyes. (I have no idea why the Harlem Globetrotters music was playing in the background.)

AP stupidity

Who writes this shit?

The decidedly pro-Trump Associated Press put out an article about a wealthy business owner in Kentucky who thinks the poor have it too easy. A line in the article says the man "is not a Republican voter, although he votes for Republicans."

Uh, what?

Look at that line again to see how idiotic that sounds.

Anti-Trump protests come to Lexington!

After Bowling Green got a series of anti-Trump protests, it was only a matter of days before Lexington got its share of action! (We're talking Kentucky here!) On Saturday, folks protested against the sexual predator in downtown Lexington - a city Trump lost by a surprising margin.

Naturally, Trump's thugs are commenting on websites about protesters being "overweight."

So which is it? Are we a bunch of granola-munching, smug hipsters, or are we a bunch of "overweight" oafs? It's impossible for a person to be both. Where does that leave me? Or does my crossed eye cover everything?

Anti-Trump protester shot in Portland

Now everyone can stop laughing at me when I talk about how violent Trumpthugs are.

Some of the best protests against Donald Trump have taken place in Portland, Oregon. But last night, one of the protesters was shot by a Trump supporter. The attacker shot the protester, jumped in a car, and fled.

Luckily, the wound isn't life-threatening.

(Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/12/501836108/anti-trump-demonstrations-continue-man-shoots-protester-in-portland)

I almost got shot at the anti-Trump rally

I went to the anti-Trump rally in Cincinnati today, and America is on the brink of danger.

I got to Fountain Square a half-hour early with my huge, bright green "FUCK TRUMP" sign. I knew it would be a big day, because when I was carrying it across the square, an older man eating inside Graeter's gave a thumbs-up. But trouble brewed before the event was even supposed to start. One of Trump's thugs showed up and started shit with the crowd that had gathered. After arguing for a bit, he walked away and uttered an anti-Jewish crack.

Around the time the protest was supposed to start, a Trump thug showed up carrying an assault rifle! No, I'm not making this up. I'm as pro-Second Amendment as anyone, but to sport a gun in this fashion is intimidation, and it's criminal. We immediately got in a confrontation, and I actually dared him to shoot me.

When this was going on, 3 or 4 police officers approached me and asked me to leave the event. I refused, because I was on public property and I was exercising free speech. I was fully prepared to sue if I was arrested. Then the cops took me aside and lectured me about it, and insisted the man was right to carry a gun. Actually, he was committing a crime. Even though carrying a gun is generally legal, one of the duties of police is to disarm people like him who are unfit to have one. I guarantee that if I had shown up with an assault rifle, I'd be in jail right now. Guaranteed!

The police told me that someone had complained about my presence at the event - even though I wasn't doing anything that other participants weren't doing. Translation: They knew about me already, so I was targeted.

Trump opponents own guns too, but notice how the only person to bring a gun to the event and threaten people with it was a Trump supporter.

After this lecture, I called some people for reinforcements, but then it appeared that the police were making everyone else leave Fountain Square. I saw a huge wall of people walk away towards 5th Street, but I didn't know where they went.

This was also the same day a mistrial was declared in the trial of the murderer Ray Tensing, so I knew there was a Black Lives Matter event in front of the courthouse. I zipped down to the courthouse and found this protest there, but I couldn't find any sign that the anti-Trump event had moved there. Before long, however, I saw the anti-Trump protesters walking down a side street and joining this protest!

With both protests merged, we marched all over the neighborhood, to Washington Park, and then back to Fountain Square! About 5,000 people showed up in total. And lots of participants liked my sign. Some said it was their favorite sign! And many bystanders gave me a thumbs-up! Best all, I didn't see any more Trumpers to gunk things up.

There's supposed to be another anti-Trump protest next Saturday - same time, same place, same channel!

Oh, and the guy with the assault rifle has now been identified.

They just admitted it: I lost work because of politics

Every so often, I post a message on Facepoo soliciting employment at local businesses.

I made another such post this morning. I did warn potential employers in advance that I have strabismus and punk rocker teeth. (I didn't mention the Sesame Street sore.) If they were going to discriminate against me for appearance, I didn't want to waste time being interviewed. Plus, I won't do anything about my crooked teeth and crossed eye anyway, because they look cool. You have to admit, the Rock Pile is a lot more interesting than having perfectly straight teeth. Considering hardly anyone ever mentioned it until I was 24, why should I be embarrassed about it?

I also don't understand why I should be embarrassed about strabismus. I might not have fabulous eye contact, but I'm not a people person anyway.

After I posted my want ad, this is the lone reply I got...

"So you're in support of violent protests in Cincinnati, talked about bringing a switchblade to anti trump rallies. Your appearance would be the last reason to over look you as a candidate."

Genius, the only reason I planned on bringing a switchblade is because participants were being threatened with violence by Trump's thugs.

More importantly, this guy just admitted he wouldn't hire me because I oppose Trump. It's not like I was looking for a job as a dental hygienist or eye doctor, so there's no excuse. Everything I've said for the past 25 years about being passed over for jobs because of politics was just confirmed.

So you can sell your glasses and keep chompin' with that Rock Pile!

Celeb look-alikes keep being seen in public

I haven't seen any celebrity look-alikes lately, but peeps keep their peepers peeped for them.

I've just been told that a Larry David look-alike was spotted in a food court at the Atlanta airport. Plus, a Kathie Lee Gifford look-alike was seen on a flight.

When the squeaky wheel got the grease...literally!

Remember a week ago when I was talking about the construction trucks barreling through the neighborhood and squeaking their brakes, and how I made phone calls to the construction company in which I made squeaking noises?

The phone calls worked. I haven't heard the brakes squealing in a week.

Maybe it'll start back up again, like what happened after the city sent them a Strongly Worded Letter. Also, I haven't been busted for "harassing" phone calls. If I get in trouble now, I know who'll be behind it. Here's a hint: It's not Jill Stein.

The saying goes, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." It means that those who protest the strongest have their grievances dealt with. Once again, the saying holds true. This ought to knock the wind out of the sails of anyone who says I should just hold my tongue.

I'm a dopleganger

Cool. I've just been called "an insane dopleganger [sic] for an insane 11 year old in 1983."

Oh. I thought I was an "unpatriotic patriotic bubble blower."

Nazi site tries driving Trump opponents to suicide

I'm not afraid of these assholes anymore.

The Daily Stormer - a neo-Nazi website - has published a list of over 50 Twitter users who oppose Donald Trump, and urged people to harass them until they commit suicide.

Pull that shit with me, and you'll be spitting teeth. End of story.

This story underscores how Trump's rise has actually encouraged violence by the Tea Party and other alt-right interests. It's not the first time an election outcome has emboldened right-wing violence. It's hard to argue that 1988 or 1994 didn't whip things up. It's not like the losers who make up the alt-right were just born 3 days ago. They were out there, but they soared under the radar.

The Daily Stormer has also encouraged followers to confront Muslim women and "yell at them, tell them to go home."

There's some examples of Trump-fueled violent crimes just since Tuesday. For instance, a student in San Diego was robbed in a hate crime.

Time for Second Amendment remedies against the alt-right.

Portland anti-Trump protest expands!

When a protest against a newly installed leader of the "free" world is termed a "riot" by the scuzzy right-wing media, odds are it'll be a rough 4 years for the new dictator.

And it looks like Portland, Oregon, is the place to be!

Portland might have the best anti-Trump protest in the country, and it doesn't look like it's letting up soon. But don't hold your breath, after Occupy wussed out.

I maked my sign for the anti-Trump protest

With the anti-Trump protest in Cincinnati looming on Saturday, I've already made my sign for it...



If organizers tell me not to bring a sign with that sort of language, it won't matter, because I'm bringing it anyway. I'm going rogue.

Anti-Trump protests in Bowling Green

Since the "election", there have already been not just one but 2 protests against Donald Trump in Bowling Green, Kentucky - of all places.

Both events were countered by pro-Trump thugs. At the second, larger protest, Trump's criminals started fights, and there were 4 arrests - though details are unknown. At that event, people burned Trump banners, and the protest evolved into a dance party!

Yes, in Bowling Green. I repeat, Kentucky.

(Source: http://wkuherald.com/news/student-protest-outside-pft-leads-to-conflict/article_ccf24ece-a702-11e6-ac79-5f583abde3d0.html)

A person bubbled at Michaels

I've just been informed that a woman bubbled a bubble inside a bubble at the Michaels arts and crafts store in Newport.

Fighting dumbbells with dumbbells

Trump walkout spreads to Des Moines

The word is getting around. Hopefully people won't forget about it a week from now like they always seem to do with stories like this.

In Des Moines, Iowa, students at several high schools walked out of class today to protest the Trump thugocracy. A school district official actually seemed sympathetic, citing the fact that Trump's violent incitements have created divisions in the community.

Trump lost the popular vote, by the way, so his cult of violent feudalists is outnumbered.

High schoolers walk out over Trump win

I can't remember the last time the outcome of an American election was met with such disgust that it prompted a walkout by high school students.

At Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California, about 1,500 students - about half the student body - walked out of class today to protest Trump.

I wish I had the guts to do that in '88.

That didn't take long

There's already an anti-Trump protest planned for Cincinnati on Saturday.

It's intended to be peaceful, but I plan on making a sign that has some choice words on it.

Cincinnati passed school levy

Oh, by the way, Cincinnati voters voted 62% to 38% yesterday in favor of a tax levy to fund public schools. I don't happen to live in the Cincinnati school district, so it's not something that would have an immediate effect on me. Still, I'm glad it passed, and one of the main reasons is that I was sick of hearing COAST whine about it.

This outcome is more proof that America's urban areas are actually still habitable, since there aren't as many Donald Trump 1-percenters yapping constantly. (Incidentally, the exit polls show Trump did better among higher income groups. So I don't want to hear any more horseshit about how he appeals to the working class.)

Pucker up and blow (Bubble Gum Weekend)

It's only Wednesday, but - because of yesterday's electoral Tumbling Loco wreck - I'm on strike for the rest of the week unless it's some damn fun work.

This installment of this madcap feature discusses something that would be absolutely uproarious if it ever appears on YouTube. But it's such an obscure piece that I wouldn't bet on it.

Some people blow bubbles with bubble gum when they get agitated or angry. At least that's the reason they give for bubbling. I think the real reason they bubble is just because they wanted to bubble. Anyway, back around 1987, the TV news in Cincinnati carried a segment on this very thing. I don't remember whether it was a nationally syndicated medical expert like Dr. Dean Edell or just a local story. According to this segment, you could puff away anger and anxiety just by bubbling. The clip showed several people bubbling in public. The clip implored viewers that if they got mad or agitated, "Pucker up and blow."

I don't know why I remember this after 30 years.

I don't understand why bubbling would do any good. I can understand chewing gum to cushion the teeth from grinding in anger, but the bubble bustin' seems like just a bonus that wouldn't add any protection for your marvelous chompers. More importantly, how does bubbling get rid of the problem that angers you? Even after you peel the burst beegee off your face, the source of the anger persists. And you need to take action. Not just bubble.

Somehow I don't think the Founding Fathers sat around and bubbled to get King George III off their backs. If you want to bubble, then bubble. Don't expect miracles. If I buyed gum following the "election", the real reason would be to hoard it in case Donald Trump outlawed it, since he admires oppressive overseas dictators so much.

Remember, if you do opt to bubble, I encourage you to make sure the discarded wad troubles the Far Right in the most deserving way possible.

DU hacked by Trump thug

Remember when people actually used Democratic Underground, before it became obvious that it primarily served DLC hacks?

Even DU isn't safe from Trump thuggery. I just visited their website, and was confronted with this message...

"Around 4:30pm on Tuesday November 8, Democratic Underground was hacked, apparently by a supporter of Donald Trump. This person clearly knew what they were doing, and despite our best efforts we have not yet been able to resolve the issues caused by the hack.

"We do not believe that any member data has been compromised. And we are confident that donor data has not been compromised because that information is handled by PayPal and never passes through to our servers.  But at this time we are unable to bring our discussion forum online.

"The hack was clearly aimed to cause maximum disruption on our busiest night of the year, and we deeply regret that we won't be able to spend election night with our great community of members. We ask for your patience while we continue to work to fix this problem, and while we do not have a time frame we will do our best to get DU back online as soon as possible.

"If anyone has any information about the hack, or has knowledge that might help us to fix it, please feel free to contact us: admin@democraticunderground.com ..."

Knowledge that might help fix it? I have pretty good knowledge of how to fix the Trump cult. It might land me in prison, but I've got knowledge. They don't think the way the 99% does.

Next time someone tells you that you should bubble every time you get angry - like that's going to get rid of Trump - you have my permission to discard your chewed gum in a place to inflict maximum damage on the Trump machine. (I'll touch on an old TV segment about this later.)

College students denied vote because officials call their dorm a hotel

No wonder assholes like Trump win. His nosebleed-deserving Tea Party thugs rig elections.

Yesterday, students at Florida Atlantic University were turned away at the polls when election officials said their dorm is actually a hotel and doesn't count as a residence.

Even if it is a hotel, why shouldn't it count a residence? How would they handle folks who do indeed live in long-term hotels?

(Source: http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/florida-college-students-denied-right-vote-after-officials-call-their-dorm-hotel)

Huge anti-Trump protests erupt

Don't look now, but they just said something very promising on the Channel 5 news.

They said that cities including San Francisco and Portland are seeing major protests over the result of the "election", and fires have been set.

Good. I hope these protests continue, and that there's some in Cincinnati, because I'll participate.

This should have been done in 1980, but sometimes it takes a lot for people to get it.

Armed

After the white supremacist mascot stole the "election", I'm bringing back my Freedom Toolkit.

I buyed this knife about 6 years ago to defend myself against Tea Party violence...



Starting now, I will be carrying it again. I am not going to forfeit my life or those of my friends to Trump's brand of fascism.

Just to prove I didn't get rid of this knife a long time ago, and that it really does belong to me, here's a new photo of it...



(And before anyone asks, the knife was not involved in the making of that tattoo.)

Protect your friends who Trump threatened

I was a little distracted earlier this morning by some entertaining occurrences here, but we have to get serious about Donald Trump's threats against our friends.

The Trump organization has threatened violence against Hispanics, gays, "leftists", and others. In other words, Trump has threatened your friends and neighbors.

It is our duty to protect our friends.

Bizarre GOPers win in Kentucky

Remember when I talked about Dan Johnson, a Republican candidate for Kentucky House who posted racist photos on his Facebook page about the Obama family?

He actually won.

No, I'm not making this up.

That guy actually won.

So did Wesley Morgan, who criticized age of consent laws.

Holy...fucking...shit!

He did it now.

He really did it.

Man, the sexual predator is gonna crash and burn. Just you watch. Do you honestly expect him not to? This is gonna be like the episode of The Simpsons where Homer got elected trash commissioner.

Neither of the 2 other people I've talked to this morning are leaving the area over this - let alone the country. We're stronger than that, because we're moral and patriotic, and the other side is not. Just wait until more people get up out of bed later this morning and find out what happened.

We're in uncharted waters, folks. America is a failed state. Despite this, the predator actually lost the counties with Cincinnati and Louisville by 40,000 votes each, Columbus by 140,000, and even Lexington by 13,000. If you live near a big city, why leave?

If we were talking about a consistent nationwide trend to the alt-right, it would be much worse. Instead, what's going to happen here is that dissenters are going to double down and call the Right out on their flabbergasting doublespeak. I didn't watch much of the results alone, and I know what's coming. The alt-right is going to have to put on their training pants and explain themselves when they see it - if they ever do, considering that most of them no longer live anywhere near us.

Now we can go back to our all-night snacks to watch this right-wing civil war unfold in front of the entire nation.

Election premortem

Election Day is tomorrow, and this may be my last post until at least Wednesday.

I'm confident Donald Trump will be defeated (Sam Wang says there's more than a 99% chance of it), but I have zero confidence in anything downballot. The Media is so dedicated to electing Republicans that they wouldn't link downballot Republicans with Trump after they knew his goose was cooked.

I haven't been in such imminent fear of personal violence in 15 years. I can't guarantee I won't face trouble at the polls tomorrow - although when I mentioned this on a local Facebook page, I was immediately accused of trying to gin up controversy, even though I didn't specify what party would be at fault. But I'm more worried about violence lingering for years after the election. I feel good about wearing my anti-Bevin shirt to Kroger lately, but I don't want alt-right violence to wipe my smile away.

I wouldn't be worried if I had any confidence that the upcoming Clinton administration will have enough political savvy to forestall the fascism that looms at the hands of the alt-right.

I plan on just watching the election results on network TV tomorrow and ignoring the Internet. I don't think I can keep food down if I watched anything more detailed. Maybe I'll watch the results alone, or maybe with a friend who can keep piling blankets on top of me to keep me at peace.

Nuisance business has received only 3 calls from me so far

I told you that if the noise from the construction trucks squealing their brakes continued, I'd call up the company's office in Ohio and imitate the noise of their brakes. You didn't believe me, did you?

The good news is that it may be working, since I've only had to call them 3 times in 4 days. Then again, they may have squoken their brakes more than thrice, but it's just that I didn't notice, because I was either wearing headphones while working at home, getting cavities filled, buying groceries, or visiting a friend. On 2 of these calls, I got a live person on the other end. On the other, I got a voicemail and left a message full of squeakage.

What's going to happen to me because of this? It's a death-defying life I lead, I'll take my chances. I don't expect to be arrested or charged for "harassment." I'm sure police and prosecutors know that all I need to do as a defense is point out how this company has been harassing the neighborhood by speeding, running red lights, and squeaking their brakes. So bust goes that bubble.

I was forced to tolerate phone harassment from schoolmates for 25 years. My complaints to Cincinnati Bell, the police, and the county went unheeded. I know much of it was an inside job involving the phone company, and I know the reason the harassers evaded criminal charges was because they came from rich families who had clout with authorities. Think how foolish the police would look if they arrested me because of my calls to this construction firm, after nothing was done about the real harassment I suffered for 25 years.

I also find it interesting how Fairfield Avenue used to be dotted with "NO LOUD MUSIC" signs, but those came down right when this construction project started. More special rights for the Evil Empire.

Georgia voting machines caught flipping votes to Trump

During every election, Republican election fraud like this happens somewhere in America. Naturally, nothing is ever done about it.

In Georgia, voters trying to cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton in early voting are finding that the voting machines are flipping their votes to Donald Trump. The problem is afflicting counties all over the state.

The excuse for it is - you guessed it - that the machines aren't properly calibrated. This is the same excuse officials all over the country have been using for years.

Yes, it happened to me too in 2004, but I caught it before I ended up accidentally voting for Bush or for an antigay referendumb.

(Source: http://www.11alive.com/news/politics/elections/secretary-of-state-investigating-possible-vote-flipping-bug-in-some-machines/347350849)

A TMJer bubbled (Bubble Gum Weekend)

Looks like the bubble gum doctor was right: Bubble gum appears to be a legitimate treatment for TMJ disorder - or temporomandibular joint dysfunction, as Wikipedia calls it.

Of course I have TMJ disorder, because everybody does. You have it too, because you exist. Honestly, do you know anyone who doesn't have it?

The Internet teems with articles about how you shouldn't chew bubble gum if you have TMJ disorder - like there's a law against it. Indeedity-doodledy, you're not supposed to eat anything. No bagels. No burgers. No pizza. All are considered too chewy. But everyone ignores this advice. Plus, after I consumed that entire pretzel at Ploptoberfest at the height of a flare-up, I think bubble gum is pretty safe.

Organizers of a baseball-themed bubble gum blowing contest seem to think so too...

http://www.baseballreliquary.org/2016/10/bazaar-baseball-october-15-2016

This contest had a special category for TMJers who could blow the biggest bubble. Contestants agreed to waive legal action against sponsors if all this beegee bustin' tore up their jaw. However, it's unclear how organizers knew whether someone had TMJ disorder. Did they require a doctor's note? Or did they just wait for them to make that kick-ass clicking sound with their jaw?

The woman who won the TMJ category is pictured in several photos on that website, but she's not wearing her glasses in the pictures that show her bubbling. This is unfortunate indeed, because the prospect of a person blowing a bubble that bursts and covers the lens of their specs is uproarious. But at least she won a prize!

We TMJers can work that gum like a gummer (as an intelligent person would say).

Trump accuser cancels press conference over death threats

The right-wing media ignores the fact that a woman is suing Donald Trump for allegedly raping her when she was only 13. Just like how they ignored the rape allegations against George W. Bush.

The woman planned on giving a press conference at her attorney's Los Angeles office yesterday. Yet she was forced to cancel this event because of death threats by Trump supporters. Her lawyer said other Trump accusers have also received death threats.

If the jackboot fits, wear it, Repubs.

Iowa cop killing suspect a Trump supporter

Two police officers in central Iowa were ambushed and gunned down overnight. Vile but predictable Internet comments pointed fingers at the Black Lives Matter movement. But now an arrest has been made, and I think it's safe to say the suspect isn't a BLM supporter.

The suspect - Scott Michael Greene - has a history of right-wing activity. Greene is known for waving a Confederate flag at blacks at a high school football game. This blog isn't really the right forum for debating the Confederate flag, and I understand that the banner might be viewed differently today from 30 years ago. Greene's actions though were clearly wrong. He clearly flew the flag just to cause a disturbance.

It turns out that Greene also recently posted a Trump/Pence campaign sign in his front yard. That figures. And to think the Kentucky GOP is trying to raise money off its Trump support.

If Greene killed those cops, he's a right-wing domestic terrorist. Others have pointed out though that once a dyed-in-the-wool right-winger became a suspect, the entire story disappeared from the news cycle.

The upcoming Clinton administration really needs to make it a priority to crack down on right-wing terrorists.

(Source: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/2/1590110/-Iowa-Police-Shooter-a-Confederate-Flat-Waving-Racist)

Trump will lose, but his followers will live on

I have some bad news.

I'm voting for Jill Stein, but I graciously accept the fact that the people want Hillary Clinton. With a certain Clinton victory looming, it is Donald Trump's crazed followers who cannot cope. The bad news is that these violent criminals will live on after the Donald loses.

These thugs will live on in state legislatures, governor's mansions, and county offices. And they will live on in everyday life. Trump supporters have threatened to harass voters at the polls in every state (even Oregon that doesn't have in-person voting) and drug voters so they forget to vote - and they have threatened violence for after the election. They've threatened to beat "leftists" and "liberals" during common errands like grocery shopping and doctor visits. (I've been told that if someone marches towards you with their fists balled up, you should clench your teeth to minimize tooth loss if they take a swing. I'm seriously considering buying a boxing mouthguard to avoid injury.) They've even openly warned of an outright civil war.

Do you think I'm gonna put up with this shit? I softball some things, like if it's just a dispute over money against someone who has some pretty serious medical and economic issues. But I've learned not to softball the right-wing thuggery by the Donald Trump 1%. The 1% doesn't have an excuse for doing what they do.

That goes for not just the everyday Donaldist but Republican public officials too. They are now on notice. Anyone who threatens me will be sorry. I'll really put a damper on their day.

Unfortunately, I don't expect Clinton to effectively drop the hammer on the violent alt-right like she should. If she did, we'd have a lot less to worry about. A few good executive orders can go a long way.

I'm confident enough now to be on guard and fight the authoritarian 1% to the very end. If I'm at Kroger and someone takes a swing, they're going down. End of story.

Trump supporter torches Mississippi church

A 111-year-old church in Greenville, Mississippi, has been the target of arson and vandalism - and now authorities are investigating the event as a hate crime and an act of voter intimidation.

The vandalism included the words "VOTE TRUMP" spraypainted on the building.

It's your party, Repubs. Do you honestly expect me to follow the law if a party like this wins the Kentucky House? The GOP has effectively surrendered their authority. I do what I want, when I want.

Noisemaking trucking firm blasted on Facebook

It's no use complaining to the city of Bellevue about the construction firm whose trucks run red lights and squeal their brakes at 6:30 AM. Periodically, the city sends them a Strongly Worded Letter - which works for a few weeks, but then the trucking company forgets about it again.

This same firm - based in Newtonsville, Ohio - has been the subject of complaints on Facebook about other reckless driving incidents all over Cincinnati. These posts mysteriously disappeared right when I discovered them.

In the meantime, I'm giving this company bad reviews on review websites. One other reviewer said this company's trucks "were blocking the entrance to a public parking lot for a business and ignored requests to move, then did so in an offensive fashion."

Best all, I was able to find the company's phone number. I'm adding it to the favorites in my cellphone (right next to The Amazing AM), so from now on, when I hear the brakes squeaking, I'm going to call this number and mimic the noise.

Right-winger fakes burglary, blames Black Lives Matter

Here's another reason to ditch your right-wing "friends" and bring sheer horror to them this holiday season. They've done it to you. Fair is fair.

A couple weeks ago, the wife of a police officer in Millbury, Massachusetts, reported a burglary at her house in which money and jewelry were taken. She also claims to have found the letters "BLM" - as in Black Lives Matter - spraypainted on the house. She immediately took to social media to report on this incident.

Now it turns out the whole thing was a hoax. Police discovered there was no break-in - and that she had painted the graffiti herself. The police chief said, "Basically, we came to the conclusion that it was all fabricated. There was no intruder. There was no burglary."

Right-wingers don't have science and nature on their side, so they lie.

(Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/latest-news/article111542367.html)

Have no fear, the November ish is here!

The November ish of The Last Word is pub, and it's a downright masterpiece!

The very titles of some of the articles make this edition an irresistable read...

• "A person chewed gum and thought it was funny"

• "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

• "Have a strabismus Christmas"

• "A person wosted mustard"

In addition to my history with schizophrenia and strabismus, and the hilarious story about a person's weak attempt at a Green Goblin costume, this ish also talks about people being afraid of Ronald McDonald, my former high school using a brothel as its return address, and the resurrection of a broken Speak & Spell.

So point your pooper here...

https://www.scribd.com/document/329368021/The-Last-Word-11-2016

Trump follower arrested for double voting

I've been trying to tell you since the days of big hair and parachute pants that the Republicans rig elections, but do people listen? Nooo.

A story out of Iowa proves once again that the GOP can't be trusted around elections. Terri Lynn Rote - a diehard Donald Trump supporter who has waved signs for the right-wing billionaire's struggling presidential campaign - has now been busted for felony voter fraud. During Iowa's early voting, Rote voted once at her county election office - and then later at another voting location.

Rote's ridiculous excuse for voting twice was that she was afraid someone would switch her first vote to Hillary Clinton. "The polls are rigged," Rote cried.

Yes, they are rigged - by Republicans. The Tea Party regularly transports voters to multiple locations, yet nothing is done about it.

(Source: http://people.com/politics/terri-lynn-rote-voter-fraud-donald-trump)

What's a mere mortal to do? Ink.

Yes, this is permanent.

Back in 2011, when Occupy was getting under way, I stuck a "WE ARE THE 99%" sticker on the Peace Bike. It's still there (and now has a "UNION YES" sticker, pro-library sticker, and Bernie Sanders pin to accompany it). One day, after I danced around chanting this slogan - and pointing my finger with the "YOU ARE THE 99%" part - a friend who supported Occupy's ideas but doubted its effectiveness came up with a bold suggestion: She said that if this idea lasts 5 years, I will be required to get a tattoo of this slogan.

Occupy hasn't done shit since 2014, but the slogan and the idea live on and are even more popular - 5 years after Occupy's founding. My friend comes around much more than she did 5 years ago, and she hadn't forgotten her daring diktat. It was only a matter of time before she took enforcement action.

I didn't have to spend hundreds of dollars at a professional tattoo shop. My friend did the real work herself. To prepare, I carefully lettered "WE ARE THE 99%" on the inside of my left elbow with a ballpoint pen. I wanted a personal touch, so I insisted on doing that part myself. Besides, after I took shop class in middle school, I figured I'm good at engineering lettering. Unfortunately, there was no chance to use my trademark backwards Y, but it had to do. Plus, a ballpoint pen - even a fresh one - doesn't write on skin as well as it used to, so the margins weren't going to be absolutely perfect.

The real work didn't take that long. And it barely even hurt. I've had shots that hurt much worse than this. Oh, but it's real. This amateur tattoo won't go away. This isn't something we found in a Cracker Jack box. Just because it didn't cost anything doesn't mean it's not real.

It's taken a couple weeks to heal, and still hasn't healed completely. For awhile, I was worried that my friend had botched it. I thought it was going to turn out as "WE ATE THE 99%." But now it looks decent, and it will look even better when it heals entirely. She's competent. She offered to pay for laser treatment if it was botched, but I declined the offer even if she had botched it.

But this tattoo is big - 3 inches by 1 inch. But even at the beach, it wouldn't be as noticeable as you might think, because of the angle. I'm trying to figure out how to hide it when I visit the bubble gum doctor on Monday to have my blood pressure checked - since I know they're going to throw an absolute skizzum when they see a do-it-yourself tattoo. If you think the tattoo isn't 100% perfect, blame Bic for not making pens that write on skin better. If it's any consolation, going to the beach isn't a common activity among landlocked Midwesterners who rarely see temperatures above 50° F.

I have no desperate plan to get a tattoo again - whether amateur or professional. This one is great. But who knows?

Because my friend required me to get this tattoo, she has promised to shave her head if my new thyroid drug makes my hair fall out. I told her that if that would annoy her too much, she could just shave off her eyebrows instead.

Of course there was a chance this tattoo would be botched or become infected. But if you don't take risks like this, life wouldn't be so uproariously exciting, would it? And cool people always like trying new things - even if it fails. It lets us savor life.

Now I can go eat the 1%.

New study says "right-to-work" slashed wages

After Indiana enacted a Ku Klux Klan-backed "right-to-work" law in 2012, supporters promised job growth and better wages. That was a lie, and we knew it. Now another study confirms it.

The report by the Economic Policy Institute says that nationwide, the 30-year-long trend of union-busting has depressed wages of nonunion workers. It says wages are higher in states without a misnamed "right-to-work" law. It also says workers in these states have better benefits. And it says males without college degrees would have earned 8% more money in 2013 if Indiana hadn't passed "right-to-work."

Government policies have real effects. This time the effect is clearly negative.

Maybe we'll be lucky and "right-to-work" will backfire in the faces of the 1% like other parts of their failed economic program.

(Source: https://www.prnewschannel.com/2016/10/27/study-finds-decrease-in-wages-following-passage-of-right-to-work-law)

Tea Party activist arrested for plotting mass shooting

Here's more of the newses the right-wing media seems to loses.

Mark Lucian Feigin, 40, is a Tea Party activist who fills his Twitter feed with messages supporting Donald Trump. Now he's been arrested in Los Angeles for plotting a mass shooting against the Islamic Center of Southern California. Police found 9 guns and 250 pounds of ammo at his home.

Feigin has also threatened to start a civil war in the likely event that Trump loses the election.

(Source: http://usuncut.com/news/trump-supporter-arrested-planning-mass-shooting-islamic-center)

Food stamp story probably a hoax

Since we're on the topic of alt-right loudmouths on YouTube making up stories about people abusing public assistance, I think I've found a story from a professional media outlet that can be completely discredited.

Not long ago, a TV station in another city reported that people were illegally selling their food stamps online. This story of course went viral on YouTube. It turns out, however, that the station that aired this story has been owned for years by the far-right Sinclair syndicate - and that this particular station has been particularly militant about preempting network programming with Sinclair propaganda.

So the entire story was probably a hoax. After Sinclair's Baltimore station barged into an Occupy tent without permission, I for one do not believe a word this story says.

If people illegally sell or buy food stamps online, how come I've never seen anyone doing this? I know plenty of people who need public assistance. Yet I don't know of any of them abusing the system like this.

I think the FCC might like to hear about this station distorting the news.

In the meantime, go pick on the 1% instead.

When Cincinnati Bell wasted your money (a blast from the past)

Art enriches lives.

I like listening to music, because it's a form of art that enriches my life. Others like tattoos, because it enriches their lives. Yesterday, I discussed how rich right-wingers on YouTube attacked a poor person because she has a tattoo. I suspected the tattoo is a do-it-yourselfer that didn't cost any more than the ink that was used to make it, and I defended the tattoo because it was art - and art makes life better. With the violent alt-right doing everything it can to make the lives of the poor rotten, the poor must do more and more to make their own lives bearable.

You owe it to yourself to enjoy your favorite forms of art. I've spent money on music, but if your life is inspired by visual art, literature, or other art, don't let the 1% try to richsplain how you don't deserve it - when they have everything. If we want life without art, why don't we make the whole country a prison?

If you want to assail any party for spending money on art, start with Cincinnati Bell - the local telephone giant known for terrible service and wiretapping Gerald Ford because they thought he was "communist." In the mid-'90s, The Last Word ran a piece about Cincinnati Bell charging exorbitant rates for inferior service and spending its revenues on ridiculous items. This was in the same era when Cincinnati Bellyache ran huge newspaper ads gloating in plain sight about yet another rate hike. Remember, this was before cellphones were popular, so Cincinnati Bell was a monopoly. Why do monopolies advertise? They already have a captive customer base.

One of Cincinnati Bell's dubious expenses was art for executives' offices. It's dubious because they spent customers' money on it, and it didn't improve Cincinnati Bell's product. It only enriched the executives' lives - as if their lives were so horrible.

The way the alt-right yells that they're for "lower taxes hawr hawr hawr!", you might think they'd have been at the forefront at blocking Cincinnati Bell's rate hikes and wastage. But it's naive to think that, because we've seen how they fall suspiciously silent when any utility company raises rates. In fact, the Far Right isn't even for lower taxes: The Tea Party explicitly endorsed the FairTax, a double-digit federal sales tax. So they lie.

Cincinnati Bell wonders why I don't use them for any services anymore.

YouTube armchair economists are pretty bad too

It was bad enough a few days ago when I talked about YouTube suggesting ads for cosmetic dental services I didn't want. But - objectively speaking - the right-wing armchair economists who people YouTube are even worse, if you can believe that. I'd rather have one of those YouTube dentists rip out my teeth and glue them back in all wrong (as Bob Dornan would say) than be subjected to any more classist and racist lies. (It's not like the dental ads appeal to anyone of average economic means, but that's another matter.)

In the past few days, when I log on to YouPube, the website has "recommended" videos that purport to show someone abusing government assistance or spread outright lies about this subject. I have no problem with going after someone who actually abuses these programs - but that's not really what's going on in these clips.

These videos are often posted by people who see someone at the supermarket using either a food benefits card or WIC to buy, you know, food. If the person receiving assistance is wearing a shirt that looks like it's less than 5 years old, the filmer jumps to the conclusion that they don't need benefits and that they're just someone gaming the system. In one of these videos, the filmer claims a woman using WIC is covered with tattoos - though the clip reveals no tattoos. "I've had it," the filmer whines.

I don't even click on most of these videos - because the folks who uploaded some of them include a racist caption. Why is YouTube "recommending" videos that are accompanied by a racist description?

And if someone has a tattoo, don't you think it's possible it could be an amateur tat? The cost of an amateur tattoo can be expressed in cents, not dollars. It's almost free. I know it's not a necessity for someone to get a tattoo, but at least it's art. Cosmetic dentistry is vanity, not art. If you're going to criticize someone for a tattoo that didn't cost anything and isn't even big enough to show up on video, it's only fair to also criticize some rich Trump follower who squanders $50,000 on cosmetic dentistry. I think I'm pretty safe from being accused of wasting any money on that. Maybe I'll loiter outside a cosmetic dental practice and film all the pampered yuppies walking in and out.

When we see classist or racist garbage on YouTube, it may be best to just report it under YouTube's terms of service. These videos contribute nothing positive.

Kentucky GOP lies in ad

Because this is a day when somebody somewhere farted, the Republican Party of Kentucky lied about something.

The GOP doesn't have a chance in hell of defeating Greg Stumbo, especially after Stumbo won the United Mine Workers endorsement. That's pretty clear. But they still run TV ads criticizing him. In the latest commersh, they blamed Stumbo for a 2005 law that lets legislators count their legislative service towards their pension if they accept higher-paying government positions.

Big problem with this ad: Stumbo wasn't in the legislature in 2005.

You lie, you lose, Repubs.

Kentucky GOPers caught trying to illegally fund Trump PAC

How many major scandals is the Republican Party of Kentucky up to now?

Jesse Benton and Eric Beach are assistants to Rand Paul (R-The Media). Now Britain's Telegraph newspaper reports that the pair tried to illegally funnel foreign money to a Donald Trump PAC.

Telegraph reporters posed as representatives for a Chinese businessman who planned to donate $2 million to Trump's Great America PAC. Benton and Beach were caught trying to find a way to use the money on Trump campaign ads. There's an Allowed Cloud against this: Federal law prohibits campaign donations by foreign citizens.

Benton has already been found guilty for his role in a bribery scandal - but a Rand Paul PAC continues to allow him to work for them anyway.

(Source: http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article110238032.html)

War on Halloween plagues Connecticut school

Another public school has fallen to the pressures to appease right-wing dominionists who might get offended by Halloween.

Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School in Niantic, Connecticut, has banned Halloween because some Religious Right activists told it to.

The War on Halloween is a war on America. The Religious Right is on the wrong side in this war. They need to be held accountable.

YouTube armchair dentists still wrong

I needed to speak up against this rampant stupidity, because most people are afraid to.

What in the world has taken over YouTube lately? I know the Internet likes to try to shame people who have punk rocker teeth. For the life of me, I just don't understand why anyone thinks punk rocker teeth are a problem. Real people agree with me on this. I'm certainly not vain about having crooked teeth, and it's never created medical issues either.

Lately, however, this is all they talk about on YouTube. It's truly mind blowing! It used to be kind of amusing, but lately it's gotten way out of hand. It's gone from armchair dentistry to spam from licensed cosmetic dentists. Whenever I log on to YouPube, about 20% of the videos they "recommend" are either ads or TV news stories featuring cosmetic dentists. The latter is particularly tragic, because the stories appear to be planted by these dental practices, and because it steals time from stories that are actually important.

I'M NOT BUYING YOUR PRODUCT!!!!! UNDERSTAND?!?!?!

Twenty years ago, these sales pitches angered me. Ten years ago, they saddened me. Five years ago, they made me burst into laughter at their idiocy. Now they sadden me again.

Having punk rocker teeth is not that bad. Got that? People I know in person think it looks cool, and it's almost unanimous. It's mostly only the Internet that disagrees. Besides, I don't change just to conform to society. If a potential employer doesn't like my teeth, tough toilets. If I'm satisfied, what's the problem?

Today, yet another cosmetic dentistry video from a TV news show was "recommended" by YouTube. I got to the point where I had to leave a negative comment telling them what I think. I didn't mention this, but I know either it was a planted story or someone on the news crew has a bizarre fetish for dental treatments.

The only thing I have a fetish for is telling the truth.

This blog allows comments again!

Hey, where did this blog's comment feature go in early 2015?! In the toilet.

This blog had a feature for years that let folks comment on most entries. Almost 2 years ago, I removed this feature because of abuse. However, you may notice that recently, I brang it plumb-bob back - at the urging of a friend who has commented on my blogs and website since at least 2001.

Comments here are moderated - as they were at the time I removed commenting. I started moderating comments because of right-wing spam. But that didn't stop it completely! No sirree!

In early 2015, my patience finally wore thin. I am not going to tolerate comments that are posted to cause trouble. That was when someone (I have no idea who) tried posting a remark here blaming blacks and Hispanics for Social Security going broke. I didn't approve the comment. Then, when it wasn't approved, the commenter tried posting a comment accusing me of (you guessed it!) "censoring" them. I decided I didn't need to entertain racist hogwash and false accusations of censorship like that.

Why post racist comments about Social Security on a blog belonging to a man who believed he wasn't even going to live long enough to qualify for Social Security retirement? Is it just for lolz? And why the hell should I approve comments like this? Don't play the victim when you resort to bigoted canards that have already been debunked - again and again for years and years.

Are people really expected to believe that they lost their Social Security for the reasons the right-wing noise engine claims? Most folks need evidence before believing something. People aren't just going to accept some canard because they heard it from someone who heard it on talk radio. Folks believe what they see firsthand - and they see proof every day of Wall Street, Congress, and the war machine robbing their Social Security. The "Didn't you hear?" line doesn't work with most of us. I know what I've seen. I don't give a shit what some alt-right robot claims they saw.

Since then, the Trump campaign has given more cover for the violent racists and sore losers who populate the modern Republican Party. This also shows why we will not accept a Republican victory at any level of government. Accepting it would be encouraging racism.

NKU changes mascot because a person got scared

Can't blame "the liberals" for this story.

In recent years, Northern Kentucky University seems to have become either a jock school, a training ground for the alt-right, or both. It's not quite the venue for open exchange of ideas that we have a right to expect. I know this firsthand.

Now NKU has modified its sports mascot because it was "scaring children." Among other things, they removed the man's ferocious snarl and replaced it with a wimpy smile.

NKU wouldn't do anything about campus harassment - and removed the anti-harassment provision from its code of conduct because some pressure group told it to - yet it's worried about people getting scared by its mascot?

Why don't we just ban headless mannequins and TV Guide commercials with strange synth sounds? Does the Right even realize how hypocritical and ridiculous they're being?

Celebrity look-alike news

Nyews!

I heard a rumor that people who resemble famous people keep getting sighted out in the big, mean world. I've been told that an Elizabeth Warren look-alike was recently seen at Sharon Woods. I've also been told that at a Comfort Inn in Red Bluff, California, a guy who strongly resembled the character on Seinfeld who got in argument with George over a parking space was seen.

Burned GOP office held completed ballots

And boom goes the bubble gum.

As fate would have it, the Republican office in Hillsborough, North Carolina, that was mysteriously firebombed on Sunday just happened to contain completed absentee ballots for the upcoming election. The ballots were destroyed in the fire.

Why were the ballots being kept there in the first place? North Carolina law makes it a felony for unauthorized individuals to take completed ballots into their possession. What's really amazing is that GOP officials let it slip that there were ballots there - then tried to walk back this statement once someone pointed out they were breaking the law.

This is more proof that the Republican Party has become America's most powerful criminal gang.

(Source: http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/10/17/north-carolina-republicans-just-admitted-theyve-illegally-hiding-ballots)

Democratic office vandalized in North Carolina

The Media has made much noise about Sunday's firebombing of a Republican office in Hillsborough, North Carolina - but has ignored the fact that all signs point to it being a hoax.

Now it turns out that a Democratic office in nearby Carrboro was vandalized on the same morning.

What a coincidence.

It's pretty clear now that some Republican operative was behind both attacks - given the GOP's history of staged attacks.

What? I actually chose my own school once?

See, during my youth, I did get to make a few decisions about my life without my reasonable choices being vetoed out of hand. Maybe once or twice. Not often.

Yesterday, I discussed how the United States disrespects the medical autonomy of young people who are mature enough to make decisions. It does the same with educational autonomy - and on an increasing basis.

I don't understand why a 16-year-old - or someone a bit younger - doesn't have a legal right to choose to attend a public school in their district instead of a private school their parents force them to attend. It's not like it would cost their parents any more money, since the public school is already paid for by taxes. In some states, you can still quit school at 16 - so why can't you choose what school to attend at 16? Wouldn't attending a school of your choice be better than quitting altogether?

Texas is the worst state in this regard. Recently, Texas passed a law saying you can't quit school until you turn 19. I don't endorse quitting school just because you reach a certain age, but this law is unsound because of the common law principle that the age of majority can be set no higher than 18. Who wants to be stuck at Bishop Brossart when they're 19?

The one time in my youth when I was allowed to choose my own school, I was only 9. I repeat, 9. In 4th grade, I attended Guardian Angel School in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky - and I wanted out. I did relatively well there in previous years, but 4th grade was a disaster - an endless string of physical abuse by teachers, disciplinary run-ins, and meal denials. While the school year was still in progress, I told my parents I wanted to find a different school. They agreed. So for 5th grade, I went to a public school by default.

It didn't take a lot of prodding back then. I was being reasonable for being only 9. I didn't ask my folks to pull me out of school altogether and let me live out my days in paradise. Getting pulled from Guardian Angel wasn't too much to ask. And I won that battle. In later years, I wasn't so lucky. Even though I was older then, I wasn't allowed to attend schools I wanted. The oldsters' word was law. What high school was I to attend? I didn't get a choice. Ever. They picked Bishop Brossart, and that was the end of the discussion. They never said why even when I dared to ask. I was 14 - not 9 - but no input was allowed. They didn't ask, "Do you want to go to Brossart?" Brossart sucked almost from the giddy-up, and just when the oldsters acted like they were finally coming around - almost 3 years later - I was expelled. I'm sure my days at Brossart were numbered by then anyway - I can't possibly imagine going there another year - but it was way too late.

By the time I was kicked out of Brossart, I'd long since made my decision: I wanted out pronto. I knew I was more than ready. I stand by this stance even at age 43. I guess a lot of people didn't understand the words, "I want out." My life, my decision. Three years was plenty of time to think. I wanted out after 3 days, and it took 3 years to get out. It was never a hard decision, but it went completely unheeded.

I remember some kids at Brossart saying they chose to go to school there. I was floored. Someone was actually allowed to pick their own high school? The laws protecting me were so weak that I was stuck with the decisions of those who thought they were so much wiser.

What I'm really shocked at is that other bad choices about my schooling continued at 18. I don't know how the system pulled that off without me telling everyone to go pound sand. So many bad decisions had been made for me by then that I think I just resigned myself to my fate.

I can be appreciative of this: I complained about the school I attended in 4th grade, and people listened. Like the very few other times when I was allowed to make my own decisions, I don't regret it.