Chamblee54

I got into a facebook discussion about Matthew Wayne Shepard the other day. It took an odd turn. … FBF: “The tragic death of Matthew Shepard, helped the nation reflect on the toxic cancer of homophobia. …” C54: “There are some other views on the Matthew Shepard case in recent years. Allegedly, he knew his killers, and possibly had sex with one. There are also reports of drug deals gone awry.” FBF: “I have also read some of that reporting. And the tragic presence of drugs in the gay community is also an important topic for us to keep in mind. That being said, the public narrative about his death still shines attention on the real issue of homophobia in the culture. I’m curious about the sources that you have read.”
At this point, I was in a bind. I had heard people talking on a podcast, but never actually read anything. I went to google, and typed “Matthew shepard killed by boyfriend.” Google replied “AI Overview – Matthew Shepard was not killed by a boyfriend. He was murdered in October 1998 by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, two men he did not know.”
Google listed an article as a source. Matthew Shepard Murder: A Chronology “October 6, 1998 … About 10 pm, Shepard drives his Ford Bronco to the Fireside bar. … He takes a seat at the bar and has a few drinks. He moves to a table where another patron is sitting and says something about not wanting to be near “the assholes” (presumably McKinney and Henderson) at the bar.”
Fortunately, Google is not the only game in town. I went to DuckDuckGo, and quickly found a source. The truth behind America’s most famous gay-hate murder “(Stephen) Jimenez found that Matthew was addicted to and dealing crystal meth and had dabbled in heroin. He also took significant sexual risks and was being pimped alongside Aaron McKinney, one of his killers, with whom he’d had occasional sexual encounters. He was HIV positive at the time of his death. … Matthew’s drug abuse, and the fact that he knew one of his killers prior to the attack, was never explored in court. Neither was the rumour that the killers knew that he had access to a shipment of crystal meth with a street value of $10,000 which they wanted to steal.”
I posted this to facebook, along with another source: Matthew Shepard’s Murder Was Almost Certainly Not an Anti-Gay Hate Crime. FBF was a class act: “Thanks for sharing these sources. The crafted public narratives which shape our thinking on so many topics, are not based in truth. I will try to stay curious, open minded and reasonable in my skepticism.” Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Esther Bubley took the social media picture in July 1943. “Washington, D.C. Spectators at the parade to recruit civilian defense volunteers” ©Luther Mckinnon 2026 · selah

This content was posted October 22, 2014. … Bill O’Reilly recently appeared on a tv show hosted by Jon Stewart. BO was promoting a book. JS was trying to sell ads. They call it show business.
The alleged topic of discussion was the murky concept of white privilege. The Jew and the Irishman shouted over each other until it was time for a commercial break. Some people thought it was cool, while others were not so sure.
BO likes to whine about the “War on Christmas” every year. The solstice holiday should be about Jesus. Anyone who disagrees is a poopyhead. Does BO benefit from Christian Privilege?
An unintentionally ironic moment came when JS was reciting his white privilege talking points. “White people do more drugs in this country than black people but black people make up a far higher majority of drug arrests.” Holy meme, Batman.
The war on drugs hurts a lot of people. POC may indeed have it tougher than PWOC. The problem with racializing the war on drugs is that you tend to reinforce the status quo.
It is the old divide and conquer. Get the white people, and black people, fighting each other, and the government fucks everybody. If you make the war on drugs a race issue, you will divide the people. Instead of presenting a united front against the war on drugs, people are fighting over who is hurt by it more. The alcohol industry enjoys the spectacle.
Both BO and JS are employed by the corporate media. This industry is supported by advertising revenue, significantly from the alcohol industry. Those who sell adult beverages benefit from the war on drugs. The alcohol industry enjoys its legal monopoly. The alcohol industry, and alcohol users, enjoy legal privilege. The black people in prison are just a cost of doing business. … Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Dorothea Lange took the social media picture in November 1938. “Family of rural rehabilitation client. Tulare County, California” ©Luther Mckinnon 2026 · selah

This content was published September 15, 2024. … Do nothing for as long as possible
This statement has two words ending in NG, long and nothing. NG words are challenging to spell backwards, as G is usually silent in front of N.
N and G are used to euphemize or represent. An example is N-word, aka America’s favorite dirty word. The less said about those six letters, the better.
G-word is sometimes used to represent God. Sometimes, one might want to refer to the concept of an almighty presence. Unfortunately, some people think they own God, and get angry if anyone disagrees. It can be very unpleasant for all involved.
Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Russell Lee took the social media photograph in August 1940. “Members of FSA (Farm Security Administration) cooperative (Harper hay chopper). Box Elder County, Utah” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah

This content was published August 31, 2018. … The Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest for 2018 has finally been released. It usually appears the first week of August, but for some reason was late this time. “Since 1982 the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest has challenged man, woman, and (precocious) child to write an atrocious opening sentence to a hypothetical bad novel.” It is named for Sir Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, a Victorian novelist of some note. This year, we learn that EGBL wrote the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
I have been writing about the BLFC for many years, and was anxious about the late arrival this year. The contest web page has a new look, which is appreciated. Sir Bulwer-Lytton cleaned up good when it was time to paint his portrait. Unfortunately, the overall contest winner is presented as a .jpg, which means the text cannot be pasted. Here is the 2018 winner.
As a value added feature of BLFC coverage, I compile a list of contestants with funny names. Inclusion on this list is not an indication of being a bad writer, or a good writer of bad prose. Here is the cheat sheet: Shelley Siddall, West Kelowna, BC, Canada, Bridget Parmenter, Katy, TX, Mark Wisnewski, Flanders, NJ, Aasha Sankpal, Monroe, CT, Thomas Purdy, Roseville, CA, Ralph Cutting, Kingston Upon Thames, England, Jay Dardenne, Baton Rouge LA, Talha bin Hamid, Karachi, Pakistan, Peter Seakat, Rochester, NY, Shea Charkowsky, Santa Clara, CA, Hwei Oh, North Balgowlah, Sydney, Australia, Marsha Engelbrecht, Lafayette, LA, Sylvi Warshaver-Stein, New York, NY, Ava Zaleski, Lisle, IL, Brent Guernsey, Springfield, VA, Ben Handy, Philadelphia, PA.
Two of the writers this year are from Georgia. One of them is somebody. They are given special status in the Chamblee54 BLFC report. … Phoebe sighed happily as she read the text from Mark asking her to be “friends with benefits,” as she thought maybe, just maybe, she would finally get that 401k and dental insurance. Amber Burns, Calhoun, GA
In preparation for visits by African dignitaries, we had redecorated the West Wing of the White House in an African motif with numerous artificial plants and animals, but the President asked that we remove the papier-mache wildebeests, saying he was “tired of fake gnus.”
Wm. “Buddy” Ocheltree, Snellville, GA
Dreaded Pirate Larry was somewhat worried, as he looked down at his boot, where his first mate was stretched out, making whooshing sounds, attempting to blow him over, that despite having the fastest ship, the most eye patches, and the prettiest parrots, his crew may need a few lessons on the difference between literal and figurative, as evidenced by the rest of the crew applying ice to the timbers. Shelley Siddall, West Kelowna, BC, Canada
I knew that dame was trouble as soon as I set eyes on her, see: there was a stain on her clingy dress, wine, difficult to get out (you notice these things when you’ve been in the business as long as I have); there was a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of her high heel, cherry, that would leave a gristly pink trail following her every step (you pick up on these things when you are as experienced as I); and when she coolly asked me directions to the detective’s office, I pointed her down the hall and went back to mopping the floor. Bridget Parmenter, Katy, TX
Nothing looked familiar to Travis, who, recalling a favorite line from Tolkien — “Not all those who wander are lost” — reckoned the “not all” part implied that most who wander, like himself, are in fact lost, yet buzzards would pick his bones before he would think to ask for directions.
Dr Joel Phillips, West Trenton, NJ
My escape from heavily-guarded Cochon Island, a Hungarian penal colony founded by the Gabor sisters, would have to be well-planned and faultlessly executed, I thought to myself, “and I’m just not the right man for it,” so I stayed and lived out my days there, because having a Gabor slap you around wasn’t that bad, especially when they said “dahling” afterwards. Kevin M. Kinzer, Spokane, WA
“Pooh,” said Piglet inquisitively, “I don’t believe the quantum interplay of dark energy and black holes allows for the anti-matter superposition of a Higgs-Boson vector that you are postulating transported you thru an n-dimensional carbon lattice and got you stuck in the hunny tree . . . just sayin’.”
Tim Metz, Kokomo, IN
For rookie detective Lara Stinson, the hardest aspect of her most recent case was not discovering that the adolescent victim had been thrown from the tenth story of the apartment building by his own grandmother, but rather trying to spell “defenestration by octogenarian” in her subsequent report. Thomas Purdy, Roseville, CA
Inspecteur Rollin of the Paris murder squad lit a cigarette as he stood over the body of la prostituée engorgée (to those readers who don’t know French, a prostitute with her throat cut and, indeed, how else would one describe her — la pute, la fille de joie, la vendeuse de sexe, la travailliste de la rue?) which lay on the Voie Georges Pompidou under the arches of le Pont Neuf on the rive droite of la Seine which flows through the most beautiful city in the world.
Ralph Cutting, Kingston Upon Thames, England
Who knew what answers the elongated, odd-shaped gray trunk would reveal, but there was no doubt that in solving the mysterious homicide at the zoo the great weight of evidence pointed to the elephant in the room. Jay Dardenne, Baton Rouge LA
This content was published in March 2025. … “It is with deep regrets that I announce the conclusion of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Being a year and a half older than Joseph Biden, I find the BLFC becoming increasingly burdensome and would like to put myself out to pasture while I still have some vim and vigor.” Scott Rice … Pictures today are from The Library of Congress Arthur Rothstein took the social media picture in March 1936. “Taxicab driver along riverfront. Saint Louis, Missouri.” ©Luther Mckinnon 2025 · selah

Last week, Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson hosted Darryl Cooper, aka Martyr Made. DC has a podcast about history, with a series about Israel-Palestine especially well regarded. People who follow @martyrmade know that sometimes, DC says things you don’t want to hear.
The TSMC/DC gabfest … which was well sponsored by commercial interruptions … settled on World War 2. As with many historic events, WW2 has a standard American viewpoint, which you challenge at your peril. DC said things that you are not supposed to say. Many observers are outraged. One wonders how many of the angry commenters actually listened to the show.
I heard the show. Some points were reasonable, while others were not. It seems like we are going through another phase of our appreciation for that conflict. This is an ongoing historic process.
Some responses are wothwhile. As is often the case, you have to read a bit to find out anything.  @GrayConnolly “I am finally watching the @martyrmade / Tucker discussion on Churchill. I am not sure who among the critics have actually watched it. As I dislike Twitter pile-ons, I think everyone should watch what X says before X is put in the tumbril. My response as a Churchillian below.”
Look at the way America deals with the War Between the States. First there was a bloody war. After about sixty years, there started to be reconciliation, between the Union and the Confederacy. Now we are in Phase 3, where the only permitted dialog is condemnation of the Confederates.
This same reckoning is going on with WW2, and is not well received by some parties. WW1, which created many of the conditions which led to WW2, is mostly ignored. Maybe that is how this is going to go. Vietnam is always a contentious topic, while few talk about Korea. These things too shall pass. Pictures are from The Library of Congress · selah

In 2010, republicans in Delaware nominated Christine O’Donnell for the US Senate. The race was to replace Vice-President Joe Biden. It turns out that Mrs. O’Donnell has already made a name for herself. In 1996, she was the President of SALT … The Savior’s Alliance for Lifting the Truth. She made an appearance on MTV to urge teenagers not to masturbate.
Public spirited citizens at MSNBC have found the video. It was introduced by Rachel Maddow, who had both hands on the desk. “you are going to be pleasing each other. If he already knows what pleases him, and he can please himself, then why am I in the picture.”
This feature is a repost from 2010. Mrs. O’Donnell lost her senate race by 16 points. One of her campaign ads proclaimed “I’m not a witch.” There was a misunderstanding with the FEC, over allegations that Mrs. O’Donnell used campaign funds for living expenses. Currently, @thechristineod is a podcast coach. The beat goes on. Pictures from The Library of Congress.

This content was posted November 13, 2022. Ms. Steinem passed away September 2, 2026. … @measure7x “Been struck by how difficult it is to find a full text copy of Gloria Steinem’s CIA pamphlet, ‘A Review of Negro Segregation in the United States.’ Now I see why… Supposedly only 5 (‘known’) copies in the US. Guess some people really don’t want this going around.” Sometimes opening twitter is asking for trouble. This tweet sent me on a wild goose chase, looking for information about ARONSITUS. Another thread provided a bit of information.
@marina0swald “a 1967 NYT article quoted gloria steinem as saying “I found them liberal and farsighted and open to an exchange of ideas,” when describing her close work with CIA agents to send Americans to disrupt youth festivals in vienna in 1959 and helsinki in 1962” @marina0swald “another report the IRS prepared was on racial segregation in the US. it should be noted that this pamphlet is notoriously hard to find and truly doesn’t appear to be digitized anywhere. only five known copies exist. why? well the contents speak for itself” @marina0swald “published near the height of the civil rights movement, the report states that the reason racism exists is because it’s self-perpetuating, and black people simply imagine they are oppressed. the report has steinem’s name stamped across the top.” @marina0swald is a pen name, and not the widow of Lee Harvey Oswald.
A google search was not helpful. Duckduckgo came through with a handful of results. Whoever wants the document suppressed has done a good job. Even Amazon does not have access.
There is a bit more information about Ms. Steinem and the CIA. If you have a taste for conspiracy theories, there is a two hour radio show from 1986. A transcript is available.
“The first revelations of Gloria Steinem’s relationship to the CIA appeared in the New York Times in 1967, in an article that stated that Steinem had a part in launching a CIA front group which was called the “Independent Research Service.” Just prior to this exposure, Ramparts magazine had disclosed that the organization was CIA-funded. … The purpose of the IRS seems to have been to subvert communist-minded youths on an international basis. The supposedly “Independent” Research Service was, in fact, totally dependent on the CIA. It is believed to have been formed in response to the Communist World Youth festivals occurring throughout the 1950s and 1960s. These festivals were held in communist countries until 1959, when the festival for that year was scheduled to take place in Vienna — neutral territory during the Cold War. The State Department did its best to discourage American youths from attending. Some did go, though, and in the meantime the CIA covertly arranged for the IRS to organize an anti-communist delegation to attend and disrupt the festivals.” …
“Another fact exhumed by the Red Stockings is the group’s publication of a pamphlet in 1959 called, “A Review of Negro Segregation in the United States.” Steinem’s name is listed on the inside cover, this time as co-director of the Independent Research Service. The pamphlet focuses on the supposed advances made by black people in the U.S. For example: “Beyond the noisy clamor of those who would obstruct justice and fair play, no alert observer can be unaware of the concerted effort to rule out segregation from every aspect of American life.” The reason some discrimination does still occur, according to the research group, is because “it is also self-perpetuating, in that the rejected group, through continued deprivation, is hardened in the very shortcomings, real or imaginary, that are given as the reasons for the discrimination in the first place.” In other words, the oppression of blacks continues not because of white, ruling-class interests, but because black people actually have become inferior. [CN: Here Red Stocking is paraphrasing how they see the IRS pamphlet’s argument.]” This quote cannot be verified. All we have today is a picture of the cover, which might be faked.
When you talk about the CIA, there are conspiracy theories galore. It can be tough to wade through the information. The focus of this story is the pamphlet about “Negro Segregation.” One story sheds a bit of light on the Steinem-CIA-Segregation axis, along with a tasteful picture of Ronald Reagan, Rupert Murdoch, and Roy Cohn. The story does have a credibility gap. When discussing Richard Nixon, the author opines “Petty shit compared to Donald Trump, but it was a different time.”
“A youthful Gloria Steinem had just spent a year and half in India … she befriended Indira Gandhi and the widow of the “revolutionary humanist” M. N. Roy, and had met a researcher who seems to have been a C.I.A. agent or contact. Attractive and progressive, Steinem was hired to run the I.S.I. [sic] and to recruit knowledgeable young Americans who could debate effectively with the Communist organizers of the festival, defending the United States against Communist criticism of segregation and other American failings.” Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. John Vachon took the social media picture in February 1942. “Meeker County, Minnesota. Farmers’ dance in crossroads store” ©Luther Mckinnon 2026 · selah

Part Three of the 2022 chamblee54 report on The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest is here. (BALL wear LIT uhn) Parts one and two are there.
Jimothy walked into the joint like he owned the place, which he did, but not like a typical owner of a place like this; more like a classy, silver spoon owner, except not classy like wearing tuxedos to horse dancing and equine NASCAR event classy, but an eating a gas station hotdog with a knife and fork, napkin on his lap kind of classy. Elliott Cox, Clover, SC
Doris learned two things working at the Post Office—the first was that when Jake came in and asked her if she wanted to see a really big johnson, he didn’t mean he wanted her to go through The Special Limited Presidents stamp collection, and the second was that she didn’t need to head outside at the end of each shift with a bag of envelops and a trowel because it turned out the dead letters were not, in fact, actually dead. Susanne Antonetta, Bellingham, WA
While scrolling through the online catalog of the Acme website trying to decide if he should order rocket roller skates, TNT, and an anvil, or—Fool-Me-Twice fake tunnel paint, the Coyote suddenly realized, ‘Hey, I could just order food.’ Rusty Hamilton, Candby, OR
I’d just lost my third game of solitaire in a row, and was eyeing my last two Chesterfields, when she walked in, wearing an outfit that said “hospital orderly” but whispered “French maid” (a couple of the buttons were straining, but I didn’t feel sorry for them) . . . there was a package on her hip and a question on her lips—she had the legs of a supermodel, long and shapely: “Shall I leave them here on the slab, Dr. Frankenstein?”—and when a dame’s got gams like that, it’s hard to say no, especially when they’re so fresh. Benson Smith, Somerville, MA
As Bridgett the Discount Dominatrix flicked the length of clothesline she used as a whip, he licked the ball gag, which was really a tennis ball held in place by a length of duct tape, and thought, *Dad was right, you really do get what you pay for.” Andrew Nance, St. Augustine, FL
Pfandrilys was a classic beauty of her star-faring race, and Brian’s love was immediate, their kisses were magical, if scaly, and the alien sex was mind-blowing, and if only Brian had read more exobiology, perhaps he wouldn’t have been surprised that, when all was done, and they lay spent in each other’s arms, she bit his head off. Thomas Hill, Mountain View, CA
Whoever figured out that combining basic cyber-bullying techniques with third-generation sex robot AI technology would tap a gigantic market among submissives was a freaking genius, mused Mistress Tiffany 3.1 as she toweled off and plugged herself in to recharge.
G. Andrew Lundberg, Los Angeles, CA
Whenever Elvis graced the bar stools at the steakhouse, he never failed to order a rare steak, bordering raw, and oozing greasily at the edges; and during the interviews after the musician’s untimely death, none of the waiters could deny that he loved meat tender.
Leah Dagenbach, Loveland, OH
“Not again!” exclaimed Dusty the absent-minded trail boss, as he suddenly realized that he’d led the cattle drive to the wrong tumbleweed-infested prairie town, although a good time was soon had by all at The Saddle Sore Saloon, especially when the nattily dressed piano player started taking musical requests, including the lively square dance tune “Don’t Cry On My Shoulders ‘Cause You’re Rustin’ My Spurs.” Joanne Morcom, Calgary, Alberta
In July 2025, BLFC died of natural causes. Pictures today are from The Library of Congress. Russell Lee took the social media picture in August 1940. “Pouring gasoline into tank of converted automobile which supplies power for FSA cooperative orchard sprayer. Cache County, Utah”
©Luther Mckinnon 2026 · selah