The History of Co-Opting Outsider Literary Presses

In the past evil-doers at least had the common sense and courtesy to co-opt those who opposed them. It was a much easier, and the end cost effective way of neutralizing opposition than killing them or choosing to combat them infinitely. Just buy them. Make them part of the machine.

It was done quite frequently in America in the past in the news and publishing industry. If a group of insurgents was chapping your ass with their criticism, simply send them a check and they'll go away happy to smoke dope and bang on their bongos.

But the tactic went away in the 1980's. A new, arrogant nouveau reiche moved in and took over, and they didn't believe in the old ways. In fact, they didn't believe in anything but their own principles, which they took to have been given to them from god itself. Who compromises when god is involved?

In America, money is the truth, and they had the money, so whatever they spewed was de facto considered the truth to anyone who wished to follow in their path. And their god was pretty chill about allowing them to adopt a relaxed interpretation of the rules he set up for them. Unless it was other people breaking them. Then there was no lenience. 

For the first time all month I'm not selling anything here, so it feels good just to talk about Zombie Logic Press  

Fascism was defeated in the French elections today. Unfortunately we were not so lucky in America last November. The acension of the new faux Conservatives from religious kooks to full power has been fully realized. So much so that they have now declared their churches, and corporations (same thing) to be holy institutions with all the powers and privileges of human beings. They are not to be questioned, not to be taxed, and not to be asked to adhere to any rules whatsoever involving responsibility to their workers, customers, or the environment.

Their god has but one commandment: thous shalt turn a profit.

They have no need to co-opt the press because their adherents are so thoroughly under their spell they cannot be awoken to even present them with facts. 

Rockford Pages Outsider Poet Thomas L. Vaultonburg Writes Second Children's Book

Outsider poet Thomas L. Vaultonburg, jammer for the Rockford Pages outsider poetry slam team, has finished his second children's book, Atrocious Poems A To Z, to be released June 9th.

This morning he's up early to promote the book and get an early start on the Churchill Grove garage sales. The only thing he has in mind that he's looking for is a mid century orange wave chair and cassette tapes of horror movie soundtracks. 

Another one of my squad goals today is to sell a copy of my latest book to someone. Anyone. 

Atrocious Poems A To Z is a book about all the things that kids love to hate. 

My brain isn't awake enough to do a competent sales pitch today. Three years ago the people down the street put out a bunch of VHS tapes for a quarter each. I found one with Lana Turner and a killer cat. This morning I really don't have anything in mind I'm looking for except vinyl and cassettes, VHS, Hot Wheels, books, and old typewriters. I've never found a redline Hot Wheel anywhere but on Ebay. One time at the Pec Thing I found a Beach Bomb that was in acceptable condition, but I wanted a copper one, and eventually bought one on Ebay.

Here come the lurkers. We usually do a garage sale this day, too, so I never get to go out. But Jenny didn't want to do it this year because we're already way overscheduled with the art show and the book and a million other things so I'm up and ready. I've never gotten a crack at all the stuff before it's been picked over.

Now everyone in the house is awake and people are starting to line up all down the street to get the good stuff first. I've learned not to panic about it too much because I buy almost everything I'm interested in on Ebay now. It's just so much easier to find a really nice one from a reputable seller who has a track record.

Like Zombie Logic Press has a track record with books. Atrocious Poems A To Z is the fourth book in the Rock River Literary Series, and it's printed right here in the United States in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

You don't have to wait for people to open their garage doors, you can order yours now. 

Atrocious Poems A To Z 

The Human Duplicators of Outsider Poetry

Because I am obsessed with the movie The Human Duplicators this early morning and watching it on MST 3000 I will write this blog as I watch. I'd rally like to get off the couch and get myself a final snack. Maybe some sunflower seeds and milk.

News from the Outsider Poetry Slam League of America?

None.

I wanted to comment on something I saw on Thursday Night Football. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms spent the whole game trying to convince the audience that Blaine Gabbert was a viable NFL quarterback and that Colin Kaepernick was lazy, unpopular with his teammates, and too dumb to run the Chip Kelly offense, but as the game progressed and Blaine Gabbert sucked more and more and the crowd kept yelling for Kaepernick I wondered "What offense?" They seemed increasingly panicked that the Black man was actually going to get a chance to play, and something about that made them angry. The racism was very thinly veiled.

I now hope Colin Kaepernick does get another chance to start for the 49ers. I remember his initial Super Bowl run. I had been waiting for him to become the starter on my fantasy football team, and when he did, and they were all saying the way he was playing the position might revolutionize the game, I thought I had a quarterback for another decade in this keeper league. But by the next year he was barely worth playing, and then lost his job.

None of this has anything to do with Outsider Poetry, the Rockford Pages, or The Human Duplicators. Of course Hugh Beaumont plays the sensible scientist in this movie. What else would he play, an outlaw poet?

This picture of Hugh Beaumont is not from the Human Duplicators, and he is not portraying a Beatnik poet

I suppose there's a plot to duplicate humans into a zombie army to take over Earth in this movie, but a half hour in I don't see it. The guy from Moonraker is in it. And Ward Cleaver. One more blog after this. The Outsider Poets of Padukah which reminds me of this blog I wrote about poet Tom T Hall and the song he wrote that contains the lines "It rained in every town except Padukah/Then one day it rained in Padukah, too."

I guess I'll go forage for that snack. I wrote a nice long blog about Dungeons and Dragons earlier tonight, and ordered a Dungeon Master's Screen. And the module The Secret of Bone Hill. 

Oh well, Leave It To Beaver.

No, I should probably write a few more words to avoid thin content. Stupid content, allowable, thin content not. Did I say about my dental work almost being over and hoping next year I can do some cosmetic things with my teeth? I can't believe someone is going to pay triple digits for this dumbass movie, or at least for the box. 

Millard Rausch Named Poet Laureate of United States

The eye-patch wearing scientist from Dawn of the Dead, Dr. Millard Rausch, has been named poet laureate of the United States according to Variety. The announcement was made this afternoon by the Minister of Rivers and Streams, and cannot be annulled except by an act of Congress.

Rausch's 1975 book of poetry Her Last Few Fucks Were Wasted is considered a classic of both outsider and outlaw poetry, and contains the classic poem My Testicles Are Harder Than Bricks.

Rockford, Illinois is now the most violent city in America under 200,000 people, but we play a lot bigger than that. Sort of like Dennis Rodman. 

Anyway, I was watching All the Colors of the Dark when the news about Millard Rausch, league commissioner of the Outsider Poetry League of America came down. It was a little bit of a surprise, as Dr. Rausch has not released a book of poetry in over a decade, but it makes sense to those who know about literature. 

Dr. Millard Rausch named Poet Laureate of the United States

I voted today. I had the inclination to do a write in vote for one of the races, but decided not to because I didn't want to take the chance of invalidating my ballot. There were four election judges and three voters there when I arrived. I guess people couldn't be bothered. 

Proposed Rule Changes For Outsider Poetry Slam League of America 2017

There have been several rule changes proposed at the Competition Committee Meeting here in Rockford at the winter meetings, and I'd like to sort out a few of the proposed changes that have already been adopted, a few that have been rejected, and some that are still under consideration. 

1) All haikus will suffer an initial ten point penalty before being performed. This rule was objected to vociferously by the new Tokyo Godzillas team representative, but nonetheless passed with a majority of delegations simply arguing haikus were poetry we can't use. 

2) No berets. Berets are now verboten at OPSLA bouts. 

No Nantucket for beret-wearing poets says OPSLA hierarchy

3) You sing the blues, you lose. Downer poems will be actively discouraged and derided by the judges, and the audience will be openly encouraged to disrupt performances they find depressing by hissing or playing The Village Peoples' "Macho Man" on the jukebox.

4) No epics, Homer. Diatribes, jerrymiads, and filibusters are now expressly forbidden at OPSLA events. You want to obstruct become a Republican Congressman, but at OPSLA events we're going to keep it lively and fast-paced. 

Many other rules were shot down in committee, including an attempt to eliminate alcoholic beverages from OPSLA events. As league founder Dr. Millard Rausch said, "How else would anyone be able to sit in a room full of poets if booze wasn't readily available?" 

The Winter Meetings will go on until March, when the delegates will emerge with a s chedule for the 2017 season, and several announcements concerning new franchises, rules, venues, celebrity poets, and television schedules.

Former Met Jerry Grote Joins Chemung Shamans

Former Met catcher Jerry Grote, famous as the man whose arms Jerry Koosman jumped into after the Mets won the 1969 World Series, has joined the Chemung Shamans Outsider Poetry slam team for the 2017 season. Grote never left New York after his playing days, and actually lives in the Chemung area. A lifelong poet, he was intrigued when he attended a Chemung Shamans bout aginst the Rockford Pages earlier in the season, and contacted the league CEO, Dr. Millard Rausch, about joining the team. 

Grote, who played with an intensity so intense that a neurological disorder, Grote's Syndrome was named after him, has led many to question if he will bring that same rage to the Outsider Poetry Slam league bouts next season, which could be a mistake in bouts against new OPSLA competitors Raven Shadmock and The Ubermenscher. 

The signing has led many to wonder if the 2017 season will be a mere repeat of the 2016 season, where the Chemung Shamans went undefeated in the Eastern Division before being beaten in the Championship by the undefeated Western Division champs the Rancho Cucamonga Kookamungas. Both teams have strengthened their rosters during the off season, and with expansion to 16 teams likely to thin out the talent pool, it is probably both teams will be difficult to defeat in the coming season. Las Vegas books have Rancho Cucamonga at a 7:5 proposition, wheras the newest team, The Hell Hollerers are 750:1.

Former Met pitchers Craig Swan and Jon Matlack are quoted as saying they were intimidated by the surly Grote, and were afraid at times to shake off the pitches he called. Will Grote be calling the pitches for the Chemung Shamans? On a team with strong-willed poets, it is unlikely anyone will want to allow Grote to call the signals. 

Grote is also no fan of umpires, once allowing a fastball to intentionally pass by and hit Bruce Froemming in the throat. Will groat attempt to intimidate the referees and judges of the OPSLA? It is hard to say. 

Grote also hates the press. Which may be a disadvantage when trying to promote a fledgling Poetry Slam League. Come to think of it, Grote may just be a pain in the ass. 

The Ubermenscher Himself Joins Outsider Poetry Slam League of America

Tibetan Tulpa demon The Ubermenscher, made famous in the "Arcadia" episode of The X-Files, will be joining the Hell Hollerers of the Outsider Poetry Slam League of America next season. For many centuries believed to be merely a figment of the collective unconscience, the Tulpa Demon, who prefers to be referred to as Walter Clemons, is actually a big fan of both slam poetry and the outsider poetry slam, and contacted league president and former star of Dawn of the Dead Dr. Millard Rausch to ask if figments of the imagination were eligible to compete in OPSLA sanctioned events. Dr. Rausch said there is no rule expressly forbidding that, so Ubermenscher filled out the paperwork, and was quickly signed by the newest franchise, the Hell, Michigan Hollerers. 

The Ubermenscher is actually very politically conscious, and recommends all Americans vote... or else. 

Asked in an interview if his tendency to shatter the eardrums of humans with his voice will be a detriment to to his performance in the OPSLA, Walter Clemons made an intonation, shattered the reporter's ear drums, then shambled off. 

What will this new franchise, the Hell Hollerers, roster look like. We know Helen Reddy and Helen Mirren are already signed to the team, with rumors that Donald Trump will join once he is humiliated in the presidential race.

Is it a good idea to get off the Ubermenscher's lawn? Yes. Play Pokemon Go in his neighborhood? No. Play Nickleback songs in his earshot? No.

We haven't even gotten to the Winter Meetings, and there have already been many exciting developments for OPSLA franchises, including the addition of the Yakima Yakkers, Hell Hollerers, and Sausalito Saucy Saucers. Also, the signing of many celbrities, including Bub the Zombie, Dr. Who, Peter Dinklage, and Raven Shadmock. 

The Outsider Poetry League of America is the world's largest competitive slam poetry league, and the champion of the OPSLA is considered the best slam poetry team in the world. This year the championship was won by the Rancho Cucamonga Kookamungas. One might think the Kookamungas might be resting on their poetic laurels, but that has not been the case as they have been perhaps the busiest team in the league already this off season, and intend to create the first minor league poetry system.