Weekly Challenge #62 - How I spent my summer inside a Turkish prison by Vacation Packages

Will a poll convince Joe it's time to go? Bergen Democrats will soon take the pulse of 38th District voters to see how much Sen. Joseph Coniglio has been damaged by the federal probe of his role as a $60 000-a-year consultant for Hackensack University Medical Center sources said. I was pleasantly surprised that the man with the rubber glove was amazingly gentle.

So how did I get here? Daylight is overrated. It sucked. One morning I got them all out to the yard and was sweeping up after them when the door to the barn closed. Just so long as I get to go to a women's prison again.

GUY DAVID

I was hungry.

I have met a lot of pretty nice people. Folsom Blues in Arabic rocked.

HOUSTON KEYS

No privacy, no peace. "I made one phone call to a friend of mine who was the owner of Reeder Chevrolet in Knoxville."

Campaign hit the road

And so it was that on Aug. Who really knows? Nice touch.

You guys are assholes.

Love, Karen

CALEB

It's no spring picnic spending your summer vacation inside a Turkish prison. It was September before the mistake was realized and Andy was brought back home.

That was the longest summer of his life.

TO4M

Ok So I forgot smuggling hash was against the law. We have a lot in common. The kefir inspires fear. I saw Midnight Express but that was years ago. The GOP has exploited this quirk by placing character at the center of its campaign strategy, surrounding its candidates with the right atmospherics and mounting personal attacks on their opponents. A lot of people looking to Fred Thompson as the only real conservative out there, and we'll see if he does that. Most parents
would ground their child or take away their phone but I'm pretty sure they
would not plant a kilo of heroine in their kid's suitcase and then warn
the Turkish officials that a dangerous drug mule would be arriving that
day. And Jack Benny, the secretary of the Treasury."

Finally, everyone's favorite whacked-out scientist says, "I've had enough practical jokes for one evening. My friend stands talking with her colleagues as the senator is driven away by a blond, all-American staffer.

And that is how I spent my Summer Vacation in a Turkey Prison.

CHRIS

Last year, Shawshank prison was selected to take part in a prisoner exchange program with other prisons around the country. He doesn't say much. I was just about to put it in the oven when I figures I forgot to put the paprika, and, that I didn't actually have paprika in the first place. It was phony and silly and the food was really really bad. Emmett Brown, whose DeLorean time machine has rocketed McFly from 1985 to 1955. Having earned the warden's blessing after doing his taxes, my good friend Andy Dusfresne was one of the first prisoners selected for the new program. no more hassles with downloading podcasts manually.

Want to see me win? "Then who's vice president? They put a red truck on campaign buttons. 5, 1994" -- just three months prior to a special election for the Senate seat Al Gore vacated following his election as vice president -- "Senate candidate Fred Thompson parked his black Lincoln Continental and started driving" the truck. It would build character and make some money for school. He gives my friend a slight nod as he drives past.

According to Mike's article, which is out there in The Politico, he is going to form a testing-the-waters, or exploratory committee, on the fourth of June, which allows him to hire staff and raise money. The campaign leased it for $500 a month.

With a package of Red Man chewing tobacco on the seat and country music blaring, Thompson drove from Mountain City to Memphis and back again.

He changed his sophisticated, educated lawyerly look into a good ole boy. We didn't want anything too flashy, so used made sense. black.

The devil inside me pulls at the bars of his prison cell, screaming and belching flame.

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Thanks to everyone for sending in their stories, and I look forward to what you've got to write (and say) next week.

The theme for next week's Weekly Challenge will be posted shortly.

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Podcast Ready is holding a contest for referrals and signups using their very cool podcatching software.

I've been using that software for well over a year, and I absolutely love it. I voted for Burning Man, but we went to Turkey instead.

Welcome to the sixty-first Weekly Challenge, where I post a topic and then challenge you to come up with a 100 word story based on that topic.

The topic this week was selected by Tom of Footnote: How I spent my summer inside a Turkish prison.

The excellent theme music is by Guy David

Go ahead and listen to them by clicking on the grammophone thingy there in the left column and then vote for your favorites (multiple selections are allowed):

Which were the best stories of Weekly Challenge #62?
	Rocky Torok of Edloe Island
	Jenny of The Bloggess
	Caleb from Black Tie Martini Club
	Guy David from Guy David dot com
	Tom from Footnote
	Houston Keys from Tater Tots For The Masses
	Daphne from Going Broke
	Chris from Platypus Society
	To4m from Tom's Podcast
	The Ghost of William Z. Just sign up for PodcastReady using the promotional code CRAP to sign up, or edit your profile to use the promotional code CRAP. To edit your profile: Go to PodcastReady Sign in with your username and password Click on Preferences Scroll down to Promo Code and type in CRAP Click on the OK button. Isn't that simple? Wash. 5, 1994, Senate candidate Fred Thompson parked his black Lincoln Continental and started driving a used 1990 cherry-red, extended cab Chevy pickup truck with four on the floor and almost 200,000 miles on it. "The campaign had no fire in it. The actor?" he screams as he tries to run away from McFly. They decided it had to be a red truck because that would be photogenic: "Red made sense. Honestly, I can't wait to go back next summer. Grubs and water are a good meal once you've forgotten about cheeseburgers. I was locked in. Oh and wrapping the drugs in my report card? I know you're supposed to save the turkey till Christmas, but it was my summer vacation, and I was in Turkey after all, so it somehow fit. Combined with Thompson's down-to-earth style and stage charisma, the truck became the perfect symbol for his campaign. "That was a great truck," said Bob Davis Jr., Tennessee GOP chairman. We wanted something that was going to be roomy because there were going to be people with him from time to time, so we got a stretch cab." But how do you magically produce a truck matching that exact description? "I said, 'Before the sun sets, I can find you a red truck,' " McMahan said. Of course we had to hide it from the guards but everyone enjoyed my sausage so much it wasn't like being in prison at all. One minute I'm watching "What's my Filafil?" and the next I see a woman without a burka. A great way to entertain yourself is to take maybe 10 or 12 dead cockroaches (or snacks as I called them) and toss them to the cell's silent darkness then spend hours finding them. it's refrigerator magnets for the podcast. It worked because it wasn't an unnatural or unreal thing for him to do." Ingram sprinkled on some of his marketing pixie dust to make it work. Big Willy? Dad said he was tired of our bitching and moaning so he said we would be going on a real vacation this year. So are showers Stench is the new Axe . People loved it and wanted their picture taken with the truck, so the campaign started carrying a Polaroid camera. A few minutes later, my friend gets into her car to head home. He'll be taking his red pickup truck, which has become synonymous with Fred Thompson, around on the campaign trail, and then in Nashville, on the Fourth of July, make the announcement that he is throwing his hat into the ring on the Republican side of the equation. Fox's Marty McFly shows up at the home of Dr. Senate campaign in Tennessee. But whatever happened to the truck? "I haven't seen the truck since the end of the campaign," said Tom Ingram, the political mastermind who had a hand in revamping Thompson's image by putting him behind the wheel of the truck. As campaign icons go, it was a humdinger. "I don't know who came up with the original idea," said Ron McMahan, a GOP insider who worked on the Senate race. I spent the rest of my summer vacation inside a Turkish prison. The article further noted that the truck was leased by the campaign, and while Thompson purchased it after the campaign, the Tennessean article quoted Thompson as saying, through a spokesman, that he doesn't drive it, and that it is "parked in my mother's driveway in Franklin, with expired U.S. So listen, vote, and tune in next week to find out who won! ROCKY The charge was cruelty to farm animals. BIG WILLY!!!! JENNY Dear mom and dad, When you said I should summer at Gramma's house in Turkey I figured it would be good for us to spend some time apart after the tensions of last semester. I realize you're disappointed that I failed Algebra II. Someone must have dropped it. The best part of the trip was Kat Steven's inmate concert. Turning onto the main road, my friend passes the school's small, side parking area. Fred was doing lawyerese stuff. It could take a little while to heat up sometimes." So where did the truck end up? Thompson grew so fond of it -- as he should because it left skid marks on his opponent -- he bought it for $5,000. They say here, finders keepers, losers weepers.. Right Big Willy? I was sentenced to 6 months in this facility. Not exactly the symbol Thompson needs this time around. And so this could be the first run for the White House that has this unique, full-time staff position: Official campaign mechanic. Audiovox 8.5" Portable DVD Player with Car Kit and Under Counter Docking Station Behold the Audiovox 8.5” Portable DVD Player With Car Kit and Under Counter Docking Station! It hangs like a swallow in the ayer And the kids can watch dvd’s when you go on vacation. 8.5 Inches and 16:9 Takes wireless headphones and handles AUX In/Out Built-in Slot loading that loads on the side And a parental lock for when they aren’t about. It comes with a remote and a battery pack And a plug to allow it to run off car lighters And a plug for the wall and inputs on the back To take cable or antenna to make your tv options brighter. Warranty: 90 days DT85 Features: 8.5” 16:9 LCD widescreen portable DVD player Built-In Slot-In DVD Player (Side Loading) Plays DVD, VCD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R and MP3 Discs 16:9 aspect ratio for cinematic viewing experiences Zoom selector with 1x, 2x, 3x, 1/2x, 1/3x, 1/4x zoom modes On-screen menu options Parental lock prevents children from viewing undesirable material Inputs: 1 composite A/V Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery pack for portable operation Switchable AUX AV In/Out Built-In IR Transmitter for Wireless Headphones Wired Headphone Output via Two 3.5mm Jacks On Screen Display Ultra Slim Full Function Remote Control Selectable Screen Aspect Ratio 16:9, 4:3 and Screen Off AC/DC Adapter for Home Application Last Position Memory for Disc Playback Battery Pack with Pull Out Stand Picture Controls IR Sensor Display Resolution: 800×480 Video System: NTSC/PAL/AUTO Power Consumption: 1.2 Amps Average DKP102 Features: Compatible with Audiovox Shuttle DT7, DT85 and DT102 portable DVD players Under-cabinet mounting 125 channel cable ready TV tuner (NTSC) AM/FM radio with 15 presets (10 FM, 5 AM) Alarm clock Cooking timer Voice-message recorder for recording and playback Dual stereo  speakers Inputs: Composite (RCA) A/V inputs, Cable TV input, FM and AM antenna inputs Includes remote Auto program Included in DT85 Package: DT85 8.5" widescreen LCD portable DVD Shuttle Lithium-ion battery Remote control AC to DC power adapter cable Vehicle power outlet adapter cable A/V adapter cable Headrest mounting bag Canvas carrying bag Owner’s manual Included in DKP102 Package: DKP102 Under Counter Docking Station for DT102, DT85 & DT7 Hardware Package (Screws, Washers, Spacers – 28 pieces) Remote Control Adaptor AC to DC 100V/240V DC 12V 2.5A Paper Template Antenna Adaptor Discuss this product So far it hasn't been so bad. " the outcome of his campaign might have been different. From the May 31 Washington Post article: There's a moment in "Back to the Future" when Michael J. Fortunately, I had a very nice neighbor next door, so I told her the whole story, only, somehow she heard the word "Turk" instead of "Turkey". Democrats, by contrast, believed themselves to be on the right side of most issues, and so they never invested much in these efforts. Senate license plates on it, looking a little forlorn, but I have not had the heart to sell her." With close to 300,000 miles on it and parts that don't work so hot, it would run in the presidential race with a high probability of breakdown. The conversation went something like this: I said, 'What would you do if you could do what you want to do?' He said, 'I'd go to my dad's used car lot (in Lawrenceburg) and get a truck and drive it across the state.' I said, 'Do it.' People thought he was crazy. The Shank Shaw Redemption Road Gang Experience, Escape from Alcatraz Marathon Swim and the Midnight Express Turkish Delight. Wary of McFly's story, Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd, says, "Tell me, Future Boy, who's president in the United States in 1985?" When McFly responds, "Ronald Reagan," Brown goes on a rant. "Ronald Reagan? We wanted something that was going to be roomy because there were going to be people with him from time to time, so we got a stretch cab." But how do you magically produce a truck matching that exact description? "I said, 'Before the sun sets, I can find you a red truck,' " McMahan said. He packed 6 feet, 6 inches into jeans, cowboy boots and a work shirt and gave it a "how y'all?" at each stop. But there was a mix-up; instead of going to Anchorage, Andy wound up in Ankara at a maximum security Turkish prison, where he was repeatedly sodomized by packs of horny Turkish bull queers. watch your mail, and let me know if I've missed you. It is your voting that determines who wins. "It was comfortable, too. During the summer in prison I learned a lot of things. We both love cats. And the baloney sandwiches aren't very good either. On the May 30 edition of CNN's American Morning, anchor John Roberts said of Thompson, "He'll be taking his red pickup truck, which has become synonymous with Fred Thompson, around on the campaign trail." But neither the Post nor Roberts noted that the pickup truck Thompson took on the road during his Senate campaigns was a prop leased by his campaign staff for the purpose of winning over Tennessee voters and, despite subsequently buying it, Thompson told a reporter through a spokesman that he left it in his mother's driveway "looking a little forlorn," with expired Senate license plates, once the races ended. A March 18 article by The Tennessean of Nashville described the truck as "a colorful signature for [Thompson's] 1994 U.S. Over there, that's Snake. It wasn't so much fun when they landed in the chamber pot. The falafel is just awful. Senate campaign in Tennessee," and described Tom Ingram, who worked on Thompson's campaign, as "the political mastermind who had a hand in revamping Thompson's image by putting him behind the wheel of the truck." Also playing a role in obtaining the truck was Ron McMahan, "a GOP insider who worked on the campaign." According to the article, Ingram "sprinkled on some of his marketing pixie dust to make it work": They decided it had to be a red truck because that would be photogenic: "Red made sense. It's like work without the cubicles. We traded recipes. That guy over there is Big Willy. Burroughs
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WE GOTS PRIZES:
I will be sending the winner a prize...Lo and behold: There sits the abandoned red pickup, along with the all-American staffer.

An article by Noam Scheiber entitled "Pickup Artist," in the May 21 edition of The New Republic, speculated on the outcome of the 1994 race if the media had given a more accurate description of the red pickup's role in the campaign:

Republicans, according to him [The New Republic's Jonathan Chait], realized long ago that political reporters are much more interested in making vague characterological pronouncements than reporting on matters of policy, or even relating biographical details. Again, there is much to be said for this analysis: Had every story written about the 1994 Tennessee Senate race begun, "High-priced GOP lobbyist Fred Thompson, speaking from the red pickup truck he rented to shore up his populist credentials, announced yesterday that ...We didn't want anything too flashy, so used made sense. I fed the turkeys, cleaned up the barn when they were out in the yard and made sure they had water. He must be a clean freak because he spends most of his free time in the showers.

Hey look! Forty-eight minutes after the hour, and some news just coming in to us here at CNN from our good friends over at the politico.com, specifically correspondent Mike Allen, who you know has been on American Morning many times, suggesting that Fred Thompson is going to throw his hat into the presidential ring on the Fourth of July. "I made one phone call to a friend of mine who was the owner of Reeder Chevrolet in Knoxville."

The Tennessean article noted that "on Aug. With Fred Thompson deciding to read for the part of Republican presidential nominee, we thought we'd see how the pickup-driving former senator and "Law & Order" star stacked up against others who used their SAG cards to gain political favor.

From the May 30 edition of CNN's American Morning:

ROBERTS: Hey, thank you very much. Post, CNN reported on Thompson's pickup truck without noting it was a leased campaign prop

An article in the Style section of the May 31 edition of the Washington Post described possible Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson as "the pickup-driving former senator and 'Law & Order' star," referring to the long-running television series in which Thompson stars and the red pickup truck he drove during his 1994 and 1996 Senate races. Senate license plates on it, looking a little forlorn, but I have not had the heart to sell her."

Additionally, a 1996 article in the Washington Monthly by Michelle Cottle reported Thompson's preference for luxury sedans over pickup trucks:

Finishing his talk, Thompson shakes a few hands, then walks out with the rest of the crowd to the red pickup truck he made famous during his 1994 Senate campaign.

WILLIAM Z BURROUGHS

April 14th, 1965

Lincoln died a hundred years ago today.

I have ingested half of a Turkish street market, snorting swirling iridescent powders, rubbing quivering jellies on my flesh, quaffing elixirs from ornate vessels and inhaling ancient magical incense. Along with the carpets, those are really, really nice. But I do so anyway, hurling bodies from me like a wet spinning pinwheel hurls away the damp.

A truncheon falls, and all...He sometimes delivered his "throw the bums out" stump speech from atop the truck bed.

It worked. So I took a job working for my Great Aunt at her turkey farm. It's been written that Ingram came up with it. As she pulls up to the stop sign at the parking lot exit, rolling up to the intersection is Senator Thompson, now behind the wheel of a sweet silver luxury sedan. I do not know whose idea it was."

Ingram recalls a meeting with Thompson at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Cookeville: "He wasn't too happy with traditional campaigning. Again, that news coming in from The Politico this morning.

From the March 18 Tennessean article:

Will Fred's old, red pickup ride again on presidential trail?

If Fred Thompson decides to run for president, it's hard to imagine him driving to the Iowa caucus in anything but his famed red Chevy pickup truck -- the vehicle that became a colorful signature for his 1994 U.S. We had to choose from three fun filled packages. He drove it to Washington for his swearing in and drove it across the state again for his next campaign.

But where is it now?

Through a spokesman, Thompson said it is "parked in my mother's driveway in Franklin, with expired U.S. Massive amounts of fridge magnets were mailed out in the past week...The cops descend upon the bazaar like a plague of locusts, wrestling me to the ground.

To struggle is futile. I just pop Ziggy's chip into my system, let it sync up, and then put the chip back in the phone...

TOM

Last year Mom and Dad took us to Disneyland. Really hungry. There's a shiny quarter. Jerry Lewis? goes...Knowing all this, I decided to win the hearts and minds of my fellow inmates and smuggled in a nice hard sausage for them. It's been written that I did.

DAPHNE

Mom said I needed a summer job. Good night, Future Boy!"

Well, it's morning again in America. The entertainment police bust in and BLAMMO!

The good side is my mustache is growing in nicely and the torturous screams of my cell mates provide a nightly soundtrack for insanity.

So once I get out I'll recommend a Turkish Prison to all my friends. I suppose Jane Wyman is the first lady! Remembering Peter Hepple August 5th, 2007 In this week’s edition of The Stage: Mark Shenton argues that despite the rise of the ‘reader review’, professional critics are crucial because they offer a reputable guide they are personally accountable for Nick Smurthwaite looks at how regional touring theatre occasionally butts heads with the