It was exactly noon on Monday, November 24, 2008 when Colin Powell, John McCain, and Barack Obama appeared before the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. television cameras in St. Kitts. Via satellite, they had linked to the local television station nearest the prison where Osama binLaden was being held. A bevy of doctors and hospital administrators, all anxious for their 'fifteen minutes of fame', stood before a bank of microphones. The Chief of Staff at Brunswick General Hospital introduced herself, then made a brief opening statement: "Osama binLaden was brought here to our facility from the Federal Correctional Institute in Jesup. After exhaustive tests and detailed procedures, we were unable to make any substantive determinations or diagnosis. For further examination, we have transferred the prisoner to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, where he will undergo more tests." Questions about binLaden's test results were answered, but baguely. It was apparent that the Brunswick doctors were ill-equipped to deal with whatever illness binLaden suffered. From the press conference, more information was gleaned: binLaden had call authorities and asked to be taken into custody, complaining of bizarre pains and hallucinations. "It was obvious when authorities arrived," McCain interjected, "that he was seriously ill." The law enforcement officials who transported him to the prison site described how binLaden repeatedly kept chanting, "God grew tired of us" without further explanation or insight. Fluent in multiple languages, binLaden spoke those five words in English. Any other conversation - which was minimal - was spoken in Arabic, which the law officers couldn't understand.
The correctional institute in Jesup, Georgia is a small facility 65 miles southwest of Savannah. Doctors explained that binLaden was taken to Brunswick General Hospital because of its close proximity to the prison - only forty miles away. After thorough examination, it was determined that binLaden's illness was beyond the scope of expertise in Brunswick, and the decision was made in the middle of the night to ship the alleged terrorist to the CDC in Atlanta. Doctors suspected binLaden was suffering from some strange disease that he may have contracted during his clandestine travels.
Obama ended the televised press conference by saying that another update would be broadcast in twenty-four hours. "Hopefully," he said, "we will have more significant information at that time." The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. broadcasting center went back to its usual fare of standard information and news about what was going on around the nation.
Meanwhile, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. officials were focusing on a judicial procedure for binLaden's trial. Remember, most federal judges and almost every lawyer in the country had been wiped out by O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombs. Many that had survived that onslaught succumbed to the natural disasters that followed. America had little left of its pompous court and legal system; attorneys and judges were judged to be "part of the problem" in America, and O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had effectively eliminated most of them. This would be the first "high profile" legal case to come before a court of law since the January 17th massacres. There was no longer a U.S. Supreme Court with pretentious overpaid justices who were more politically motivated than they were concerned with the U.S. Constitution and our Bill of Rights. Could binLaden get a fair trial in the United States? Could binLaden even get a competent trial at this perilous juncture in U.S. jurisprudence?
Obviously, there was time to sort all this out while physicians tried to figure out what was wrong with binLaden. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. legal experts were handed their most important challenge yet: figure out how binLaden will be tried.

"God grew tired of us," said Osama binLaden on his second day in custody. Some of the law enforcement officials working on this extremely sensitive case thought binLaden was referring to the film directed by Christopher Quinn, which followed the exploits of three young men who left Africa and ended up in America. These "lost boys" from the Sudan had originally been part of more than 25,000 who had fled their homes to avoid militia terrorists. By 1992, only 10,000 still survived. Fighting disease, starvation, attacks by wild animals and militiamen, it took another ten years before 4,000 of these young men finally withstood all the suffering and were able to move to the United States. The movie won the Grandy Jury Prize at the renowned Sundance Film Festival.
Other investigators believed binLaden meant God was growing tired of all the hatred and war in the world. Perhaps, they surmised, binLaden was ready to surrender his threatening menace to world stability and try a new approach toward peace and understanding. Did binLaden want to use his influence among Muslims to change the course of human events? Was this a sign that there, indeed, was a time for universal joy and peace among men?
Among the analysts, interrogators, psychiatrists, and law enforcement officials tending to binLaden, some thought he meant that God was tired of tolerating all of mankind's sinning, selfishness, and skulduggery.
As part of the 'booking' procedures, binLaden was given a complete physical. Acutely aware of rumors of binLaden's death or illness, doctors provided every possible test and conducted every invasive procedure. binLaden had traversed the globe during his reign as a warrior and a geopolitical leader. His bands of terrorists - and his cunning ability to create "cells" of operatives around the world - had been the model copied by O.U.T.R.A.G.E. when it set its plan in motion to destroy the U.S.A. politically powerful, socially prominent, arrantly wealthy, and eminently celebrated. 'Cells" of revolutionists had been placed around the nation, fully prepared to trigger non-descript cellphones that would detonate strategically-planted explosive devices at the auspicious time: the day of George W. Bush's last "State of the Union" address on January 17, 2008.
Was it possible that binLaden might have picked up some rare disease during his secret travels?
During the examinations, binLaden continued to express his one adamant pronouncement: "God grew tired of us". During the motorcade that escorted him from Orlando to the prison in southern Georgia, it was all binLaden would say. In that eloquent speaking voice so many millions of people had heard on smuggled videotapes that were telecast at appropriate times just to humiliate or criticize George W. Bush, binLaden kept chanting those five words over and over. At times, binLaden became combative and restless; at other times, he seemed defeated and pacified. It was late Sunday night, November 23, 2008 when doctors saw something in his bloodstream that was unrecognizable to them. 'They appear to be some sort of living microism, but nothing that we've ever seen before," explained one of the atending physicians. "Whatever it is, or whereever they came from, we just don't know. It might be something he picked up while living in the jungles or Asia or the desolate caves in Afghanistan. Anyway, it appears to be eating away at his immune system....but, strangely, it's nothing that seems to be making him sick. Whatever it is, I don't think it's terminal. I don't think it will kill him."
By now, rumors were cropping up about binLaden's capture. The Presidential triumverate went in front of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. cameras to announce that binLaden was in custody, and was under medical care. Powell and McCain declined to say what specific charges might be brought against the internationally-known terrorist, or under whose jurisdiction binLaden would be tried. Obama announced that there would be a daily update on the case as events unfolded, and as more was known. The three U.S. Presidents acknowledged that doctors had discovered a "mysterious health issue", and promised that once more was known, physicians would provide a thorough report. "It's almost midnight," Powell interjected, "I think that's all we can tell you at this time. We'll be back in about twelve hours with our first update."

Saturday, November 22, 2008 marked two auspicious occasions in the history of the United States of America. It was the 45th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's brutal assassination in Dallas, Texas. Fodder for conspiracy theorists over the years, JFK's murder had never been conclusively solved in the minds of many Americans. The Warren Commission was, to many, nothing more than a whitewash designed to put people at ease, making them believe that there was no further conspiracy between the mafia, Cuba's communist Fidel Castro, organized labor, Lyndon B. Johnson, or any other suspected participants. Lee Harvey Oswald was designated as the sole assassin, something that could not be proven since Oswald was slain by a crazed nightclub owner, Jack Ruby, while still in police custody immediately following his apprehension. Documents pertaining to the case were sealed for 75 years - until 2038, by which time most Americans who were alive at the time of the killing, would no longer be alive to research, refute or respond to the data. Those who were still alive would be hampered by memory loss and illness, unable to present any unified front toward re-hasing the events of that fateful day that destroyed "Camelot" and Kennedy's vision of a prosperous, fruitful America for all citizens.
In most of the country,
Orlando, Florida was one community that had been hard-hit by the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings, then hit harder still when a violent hurricane crawled up from the West Indies and decimated this city that had become over-bloated with new citizens ever since Walt Disney brought Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to town more than a quarter-century ago. Much of the city's wealth and power had concentrated along the eastern edge of Orlando as the sprawl seemed to ooze through what used to be swampland. Not far away stood a handsome community of prestige mansions, occupied by the ultra-rich and protected by ornate gates, fortified to keep intruders and unwanted visitors at bay. Some of these lavish homes featured moats that surrounded the grounds, stocked with crocodiles so that anyone stupid enough to even try 'breaking and entering' would become a fresh and scrumptious lunch as soon as he entered the forbidden waters. Other homes had elaborate security systems, armed guards, and automatic weapons strategically aimed at points where intruders might be inclined to try and break through. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombs had destroyed most of these multi-million-dollar mansions on January 17 with the help of just a few simple cell phones programmed to detonate small bombs that had been placed by O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members posing as service people, landscapers, gardeners, security guards, or other "little people" who were commonly allowed on the grounds for routine menial labor. One of the largest of the those mansions was a gated compound owned by a family with the last name of binLaden, although there was no such designation anywhere on the property. The concrete and stone home, along with its numerous outbuildings and adjacent cottages, occupied more than 32 acres, all of which was secured by 13-ft. electrified fencing, assuring that no one short of Superman, Spiderman, or Mighty Mouse could enter without express permission. Occupants of the estate were rarely seen, and virtually unknown to any of their billionaire neighbors. When they did leave the grounds, it was only as part of a contingent of black Mercedes limousines with blacked-out windows and no identifying marks (not even license plates). Much of the compound had been destroyed; however, on the far edge of the real estate stood three small structures that apparently had escaped the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings. Since January 17, 2008, these three small buildings, unbeknownst to anyone except the late George W. Bush and the late Dick Cheney, had been the living quarters of a man who supposedly was once the focus of a world-wide hunt: Osama binLaden. Before January 17 - in fact, ever since September 13, 2001 - this tall, dark Muslim man had been in hiding, protected by only the upper-echelons of the United States government! Shortly after the 'terrorist attacks' on the World Trade Center twin towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, binLaden had become the target of the U.S. government as officials linked him to the tragic bombings and swore he would be captured and brought to justice. Media reports often claimed he was dead. Other so-called 'experts' claimed he was seriously ill, living in a complex maize of Afghanistan caves, or enjoying a lavish lifestyle as a playboy in Paris after shaving his ample beard and discarding his trademark turban. Now, binLaden voluntarily emerged from his secret snactuary of the past seven years, prepared to give himself up to U.S. authorities in hopes that he would be given a "fair and just" trial. "I always knew," he confessed when taken into custody by federal authorities, "that the Bushites would use my capture as another publicity stunt, just as they did when they killed Saddam Hussein." Taken to a secure federal prison in southern Georgia, binLaden was given every accommodation, treated with surprising courtesy, and promised what he asked for: a "fair and just" trial. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers and those remaining federal law enforcement authorities wanted to hear his story - and find out precisely what role he played (if any) in the 9-11 attacks on American soil. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney had consistently pointed to binLaden as the perpetrator of these heinous crimes, even though it was common knowledge that George H.W. Bush and many of his departing cabinet members were associated with the Carlyle Group, one of America's alrgest government vendors, and - investors in which included a family by the last name of binLaden. While the accusations were always there, no one could seem to make them "stick". Now Osama binLaden would reveal the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as to his place in the history of the Bush administration and the world. It would be an intriguing story, no doubt. Interrogations began in earnest immediately upon his arrival at the Georgia prison. Colin Powell, John McCain, and Barrack Obama ordered that binLaden be treated "fairly, propitiously and judiciously". No undue harm was to come to him under any circumstances.

For decades, the republic of the United States of America had floundered as the "Republicrats" monopolized the political system to a point where it only was of benefit to those who were in the "sphere of power, wealth and influence". If you were just a 'common' citizen trying to raise three kids on an average salary, you held little influence over any election, even if and when you voted. If you were a poor single mother living in the inner-city, trying to support a family of six without a spouse or other breadwinner, you had no power at all. Regardless of how the politicians (particularly Democrats) pontificated over "feeling your pain", every American taxpayer and voter knew it was so much carp crap. Regardless of how politicians preached how "America is the land of opportunity, and you can be anything you want to be", the raw truth was that most people stuck in underprivileged circumstances stayed in underprivileged circumstances. There was only room for so many people on the top rungs of the success ladder; the rest were destined to be bullied into settling for their lesser lot in life.
Now, a new, true democracy was being born, a reform that came out of the ashes of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'Rebellion of '08'. The upper-crust society in America had suffered a mortal blow. Few millionaires - and even fewer billionaires - remained alive in the country. Multi-billion-dollar corporations didn't exist anymore, except in rare instances where such corporations had treated their employees with dignity, reward, appreciation and respect, and had used the full weight of their profits for the enrichment and betterment of the national - or international - community. Those kinds of companies were few and far between, but they were now the only surviving conglomerates. The federal government was all but obliterated, allowing state and local governments to take back control of their communities, economies, and finances. Few relied on corporate welfare any more because there was no government bureaucracy left to dole it out. Most politicians, who always were willing and able to piss away billions of taxpayers' dollars for the benefit of their friends and associates, no longer lived just to suck up more of the Earth's oxygen and continue their squanderous ways.
"The bigger any organization, corporation of government gets, the less manageable it becomes, and the fewer people benefit from it..."
O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had set the stage for radical reform. "The people" had responded enthusiastically. Now that reform was being put into motion. New political parties - and their freshly-elected candidates - were working together for the first time in contemporary political memory. Working toward goals that would not simply line the pockets of greedhead lobbyists, fat-cat corporation execuitves, self-absorbed movie stars and celebrities, ultra-rich athletes and social snobs, corrupt politicians, and other repugnant members of the rich and famous. Working toward a more equitable playing field where "all men were," - indeed - "created equal" with liberty, justice, opportunity, and fairness for all - not just for those who had megabucks.
It would take time, money, energy, and commitment, but eventually children from all neighborhoods would attend schools that were equally equipped, staffed, and certified. Egregious 'oversights' would no longer be tolerated: if a suburban high school in an upscale neighborhood got an Olympic-sized swimming pool, the school in the middle of a rundown ghetto could also expect to get an Olypic-sized swimming pool. If a married couple living in a $300,000 home received a special tax abatement for making improvements to their property, the couple struggling to rid their apartment of rats would also be entitled to a special tax incentive for doing what they could to enhance their living quarters. If a poor black child went to jail for selling $10 rocks of cocaine on the street, so would the big-time movie producer go to jail for providing mountains of cocaine to guests at one of his movie premier parties.
It was time for any remaining rich and powerful people in the country to recognize that they were no better than anyone else. Indeed, they had a mandate to help provide for, assist, support and enrich those who lacked money and power. Bullies and bigots would no longer be tolerated in social circles, political arenas, corporate agendas or environmental environments.
On Friday, November 21, 2008, Barack Obama stepped in front of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. television cameras in St. Kitts and announced that all polling places would remain opened 'year 'round' so that the people could vote on virtually every single issue put before the new U.S. Congress. Dubbed "The Democracy Directive", Obama explained that every piece of legislation put before the new U.S. Congress would also be put before the people. Citizens would have a pre-designated period of time in which to go to their polls and vote. Newly-elected members of Congress would then be obliged to follow the will of the people - those who voted in the majority. Congressional officials would only be responsible for the 'mechanics' of turning the peoples' wishes into formal legislation. The same would be true of all legislation to be taken off the books - the myriad laws that Congress had stupidly passed over the years would be systematically dismantled, at the will of the people, without regard as to how it might benefit a particular Congressman's constituency. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. broadcasts would continue non-stop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to thoroughly and objectively explain the details of each piece of legislation. Voters were encouraged to stay tuned to these important reports, and pay less attention to bromidic tripe of "The View", telecasts of sporting events, "Entertainment Tonight," senseless sitcoms involving the outrageous antics of two single brothers who lived together, violent dramas that paraded as law enforcement stories, and even some of the political dunderheads that still passed themselves off as 'experts', 'analysts', 'commentators' and 'pundits'. Obama promised that each O.U.T.R.A.G.E. report would be balanced, fair, and unbiased - providing detailed information about pending legislation. The public would be fully informed, he pledged, so that they, in turn, can make informed decisions. "The Democracy Directive" was to be a true experiment of the pure democratic process. Could a population of 300 million people pull it off?

When George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, William Gates, and countless other Bush administration cabinet members were killed on January 17, 2008, the United States government - as citizens knew it - had abruptly come to a halt. Wealthy industrialists, rich athletes, celebrities, corporate executives, political pundits, media moguls, and others who had way too much money and/or power and influence, had all fallen victims to the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. January bombings. Corporate America was no longer able to call on its friends in Congress for special favors or political accommodations.
When the hurricanes devastated the east coasts of America and an ungodly earthquake flattened most of Los Angeles, things came to an abrupt end. No more X-rated movies were being produced; "Hollywood" gossip sheets and "entertainment" magazines ceased publication. Corrupt politicians were buried in tons of rubble and debris, or - if their remains had been found - were quietly laid to rest in a family burial plot without the typical fanfare accompanying such a death. Those who had successfuly run for office had not been tainted by dirty politics; small businesses were quickly replacing the mammoth corporate behemoths that dominated American consumerism. WalMart was obliterated. General Motors no longer assembled automobiles. The American Broadcasting Company found itself rudderless, without leadership from its Disney corporate owners. Banks no longer had hundreds - or thousands - of locations. Most banking was done at an extremely local level, where perhaps only one or two community bank offices remained. Wall Street was all but destroyed. Madison Avenue no longer was home to multi-billion-dollar advertising agencies that preyed on the American consumer, urging him to buy this product or that service. Local store managers of national chains such as Kroger, Radio Shack, McDonald's, Edward Jones, Taco Bell, Gannett newspapers, Wells-Fargo banks, H&R Block, K-Mart, The Gap clothing stores, IBM, Verizon, and thousands of other "big" corporations, suddenly found themselves in awkward positions of authority as they made their own purchasing decisions, managed their own payrolls, and divorced themselves from the corporate hierarchies that demanded senseless weekly reports and mountains of useless paperwork. These store managers were now store owners, running their own businesses in their own communities. All those glitzy corporate headquarters had been demolished. Managers could actually focus on customer needs instead of "going through corporate" for everything from paper clips to advertising campaigns. In most cases, customers no longer had to tolerate automated voice systems or customer service representatives with Swahili accents, just to resolve a problem or correct an error. While some 'regional supervisors' tried valiantly to maintain a corporate order, most local managers simply ignored them and went about their business at an exclusively local level. In ten short months, local economies were thriving while the national economy was all but dead. The "Great Depression II" was affecting the country, to be sure - but small mom-'n-pop shops were doing brisk businesses in most regions of the country.
Politically, the landscape had seen dramatic change as local municipalities took care of their own communities instead of relying a hand-outs from the federal government. Many town councils were passing new laws that applied only to their own communities, and all this was being done without the typical power plays, backstabbing, and political malfeasance all too common in contemporary politicis.
While clean-up continued unabated in many parts of the nation, citizens began taking a more avid interest in things like the environment, the delicate ecological balance necessary to sustain all men, plants and animals on Earth, recycling programs, and more care for such issues as the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming - issues that until just a few months ago had all been pooh-poohed by most federal government agencies as unimportant or "chicken little" theories.
During his inaugural address to the nation, George H.W. Bush (the nation's 41st President) had eluded to "a kinder, gentler nation" - but failed to live up to his vision as his administration embroiled itself in Desert Storm, a war against Iraq that was more personal in nature because Saddam Hussein had threatened President Bush's friends in Kuwait. When the son, George W. Bush, took over as the nation's 43rd President, the first thing on his agenda was to 'get even' with Hussein. Father Bush had been criticized, ridiculed, and embarassed for not 'finishng the job' and ousting Hussein at that time. Now, son Bush was determined to assuage that personal vendetta and see to it that Hussein hanged for humiliating his daddy. Extraordinary measures were put into place that allowed it all to happen. The wealth of evidence that eventually documented the Bush administration's distortions, lies, manipulation of facts, and paranoia culminated in George W. Bush going down in history as the worst U.S. President ever. His administration was scandal-filled and disproportionately corrupt and evil, even when compared to all of the most recent administrations, all the way back to the Kennedy dynasty. No politics had truly become a voice of the people, for the people, and by the people. New candidates were already rolling up their sleeves and working toward tumultuous change within America's political system. A Presidential triumverate wherein the country was run by a trio of elected public servants was perhaps the most noteworthy change ever to embrace American politics. Candidates had been elected from various walks of life, and of significantly different political agendas. It became important that all of these new ideas be melded into a cohesive form of fresh government, structured to serve all the people. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. would have a hand in such transformation. And 'the beat goes on....'

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 was a brisk, overcast day throughout much of the United States. As the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'victory tour' headed east toward the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, the Patrick-Patrick team was heading east from Seattle toward the Bitter Root National Forest and Hamilton, Montana, where another group of homecoming soldiers would be honored. As Patrick Hamilton and Lynn Patrick piloted their lime-green busses into this desolate region of southwest Montana, the weather began turning sour. Snow squalls turned into an eight-inch accumulation, causing visibility to be reduced to near zero. Lynn and "Hammy" were in separate busses; Lynn's bus was being driven by an O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteer who had worked as a bus driver for Greyhound until he retired two years ago. He knew how to keep a bus under control in even the most adverse weather conditions. "Hammy" was driving the lead bus, and - as was par for the course - had been drinking beer, inhaling cigarettes, and smoking pot without incident. Suddenly, the blinding snow began to affect his vision, and his bus veered off the road just suuth of Missoula on Highway 93. The bus rolled down an embankment, coming to rest on its right side, which meant that the doors were buried in a slurry mixture of mud, snow and water. There was only one way out - and that was if the windows on the left side of the bus could be opened. The 'good news' was that no one was seriously injured. Hammy's bus was filled mostly with supplies and equipment, and only had twelve passengers aboard. Lynn's bus, on the other hand, had fifty-four O.U.T.R.A.G.E. passengers. Her bus came to a stop on the highway and the bus driver radioed for help as some of the passengers slid down the embankment to try and help the accident victims. It was steeper, and more treacherous, than it looked, and would-be-rescuers finally abandoned any ideas of trying to reach the dismantled bus until help arrived. A battalion of emergency vehicles, resuce workers, police, and firemen were soon at the scene. Still, it took almost two hours to rig ropes and get rescuers to the scene.
When firemen smashed windows to the bus, they didn't know what to expect. Thirteen dead or injured people? They were prepared for the worst, with stretchers, bandages, medicines, splints, body bags, and chain saws, ready to cut the bus open in order to get to the bodies. What they observed, instead, was complete unexpected - and completely "Hammy":
All thirteen passengers had survived with nothing more than scrapes and bruises. As firemen smashed the driver's side window open, Hammy lifted a brown bottle of Budweiser high in the air, saluted the rescuers, took a long puff on his doobie, and said, "Yeaaaaaaaaah! Hey, Bro, what's up?"
Hours passed before a rescue helicopter arrived to airlift the passengers to safety. The bus was totally demolished, and Lynn had already made arrangements for another tour bus to show up for Hammy and his twelve co-horts. Most of the equipment and supplies was savageable, and - after nine hours - everything had been loaded into the substitute bus and the Patrick-Patrick team was underway again. The tour bus company insisted, however, that Hammy not be allowed to drive; it provided its own professional driver. Hastily, a lime-green banner usually displayed behind the stage at rallies and events, was attached to the side of the coffee-colored bus so that it could be identified as part of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. entourage.
On the same day, Ron "Doc" Doctor's bus tour landed in Sullivan, Missouri, just southeast of St. Louis. Doc's troupe arrived without incident, and pulled up in front of a small Navy Club that had appropriately prepared for the event: outside in front of the building was a bank of thirteen "Cherry Masters" and seven cigarette vending machines, all being used by the small crowd of about four hundred people. In front of the machines was a small stage with nineteen folding chairs. From inside the building came eleven seamen who had, until ten days ago, been assigned to a U.S. battleship stationed in the Gulf of Aden, which was actually in Yemen waters. The ship had been on its way to the Arabian Sea, and then into the Persian Gulf, where its presence would put it in harm's way of the fighting going on in Iran and Iraq. When Colin Powell called for the return of all troops, the ship docked on the island of Socotra, a Yemen territory. U.S. cargo planes swiftly picked up those on board and returned them safely to the United States. The eleven seamen now in Sullivan, Missouri hailed from the greater St. Louis area. Doc had chosen Sullivan as the location for this celebration because it was virtually the same distance for each of the eleven men's home towns. The 'victory tour' was spreading all over the United States as American military men and women arrived home by the thousands. Jil called Doc and Hammy with the same message: "We've got a lot of ground to cover in the next few weeks. We're gonna be welcoming a lot of heroes home!" Meanwhile, other things were going on around the country that were of significant importance; it was an improglio of broad proportions.

Tuesday's trip took the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. troupe east on I-80, then north on I-81, through Scranton, and into New York state. Just south of Syracuse, the lime-green O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bus fleet stopped in a town called Little York. By now, everyone had turned their attention to this next segment of the 'victory tour', where eight soldiers had just returned from Iraq, all from this rural New York area. The ceremony was scheduled to take place in a small outdoor park, under an open pavillion that would shelter participants from any inclement weather. Fortunately, it was another bright, brisk, November day and most people were comfortable in lightweight jackets or sweaters. The AROB group expected this to be an uneventful day, with members from a nearby American Legion post were on hand to officiate; little did they know what surprises were in store for the whole community.
Shortly after the ceremonies were underway, a United States Army helicopter circled overhead, and landed on a broad expanse of vacant field adjacent to the pavillion. To everyone's amazement, out stepped General Colin Powell, in full military regalia. Completely unexpected, the AROB group and the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers didn't quite know what to think. Jil took over, attempting a crispt military salute as Powell disembarked from the huge aircraft. He returned the salute, then asked if he could address the small crowd of approximately 400 people. "I'm here today because of a special situation which we just learned about," he announced. "Hours before these eight soldiers left their stations in Iraq, they did something quite unheard of in the analogues of war. These eight courageous soldiers found themselves under heavy enemy fire on a roadside just north of Baghdad. After about two hours of returning fire, they had managed to bring the exchange to a halt. They could have walked away at that time, returned to their unit, and prepared for their departure from Iraq. Instead, they cautiously approached what appeared to be a pile of five dead Iraqi insurgents. As they neared the bodies, it was evident that most of these young men were still alive, but suffering with severe schrapnel wounds. Our U.S. team immediately went to work to try and dress the wounds as they could, then radioed for assistance. They stayed with the five injured men until professional medical help arrived, even though they knew they might become targets of more insurgents at any minute. War is a terrible thing; but, even in war, there is room for civility and human compassion for others. I have come here today to bestow upon these eight young soldiers our highest medals medals of honor for their bravery and service to America, but also for their humanitarian priorities in light of grave danger to themselves. I have been a soldier all my life, and I recognize how war can tear at one's heart, diminish one's soul, and desensitize us to the human condition. I commend these fine, upstanding soldiers for what they did, even though it's not part of any military combat manual or not typical of our troops in the field. War - particularly these two wars in Iraq and Iran, where killings have gone on for far too long, is an especially ugly thing. To these eight young men, I say, 'Welcome home, soldiers, and thank you for a job well done!" Jil's ocean-blue eyes turned to a sea of saltwater tears as she tried to comppose herself, standing next to Powell on the makeshift podium. Even in war, there is no reason for human beings to be discompassionate to other human beings. It was a powerful message, particular coming from an American military commander. It was a stunning sign of how America was gradually returning to what George H.W. Bush, the country's 41st President, had promised in his inaugural address, but never delivered: "a kinder, gentler nation".
As one-third of the Presidential triumverate, Powell had made a bold statement, a statement intended to send a comminique to the world: America would no longer initiate 'wars' for reasons other than protecting itself from an attack on its own shores.
There would be no 'war' unconstitutionally and illegally declared just because a bunch of bungling blunderheads wanted to steal oil, or other natural resources, from another sovereign nation.
As Powell's helicopter disappeared into the bright blue skies, the eight soldiers approached Jil one at a time and personally thanked her for making Little York, New York one of the stops on her 'victory tour'. Jil's eyes teared up again. Even Oetting, Baker, and Ryan were touched by what had just taken place - as they sat their drinks down and offered a heartfelt salute to eight young heroes who had made such a grand and caring effort.

Monday's 'victory tour' landed in a tiny Pennsylvania town called Ickesburg, snuggled at the foot of the Tuscarora Mountains. Jil selected this location for its historical significance: a native son had been the first casualty of the war in Iran - a 19-year-old Army lieutenant, Forest Green. A graduate of Tuscarora Academy, Green was one of those gung-ho 'macho' types who was all-too-eager to see 'action' in a 'war' he knew little about. All he could think of was how much 'fun' it would be to drive a HumVee, or commandeer a tank as it lumbered through minefields, exploding land mines and crushing anything that dared stand in its way. Ironically, Green had been shot by 'friendly fire" (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one) during an ambush in a sparsely-populated region of southern Iran. A military investigation concluded the incident was 'purely accidental' and sent Green's remains back to Ickesburg in an olive drab body bag clutched inside a flag-draped military coffin. There was little in the body bag that could even be identified as human remains....and the Bush administration's military leadership tended to view such corpses as "a cost of doing business", nothing else. The community knew Green, understood his reckless abandon, but still believed he deserved something more honorable than being shipped home like so much disposable military parts. Iy was Jil Adams' intention to bring a speck of human dignity and gratitude to the town of Ickesburg.
During the bus trip, Baker, Ryan, and Oetting tried to persuade Jil to wear a t-shirt they always enjoyed everytime she wore it.
Emblazoned on the front of the bright white shirt, in crimson letters, was this 14-word mantra: 'I don't cook; I don't clean; I don't put ickey things in my mouth".
Baker was the most emphatic: 'Come on, Jil. Don't you get it? 'Ickey' things? We're going to 'Ickesburg'??" Ryan chuckled in his usual unassuming way - a way that seemed tireless, yet refreshing, all at the same time. Oetting sighed and sipped on one more peapicker. As Baker kept up his indefatigable insistence, Jil tired of the barrage and retired to the back of the bus with Lynn and her "Army buddy", who had given up on beer and switched to 'buttery nipple' shots. In the way she usually does when she pouts, Jil turned up her nose and sneered at the three old farts bouncing back-and-forth in the front of the bus.
"I want this leg of the tour to be especially dignified," she puffed, "and I'll be damned if those three clowns are going to ruin it." She sent three double shots of 'buttery nipples' to the front of the bus. By the time the entourage arrived in Ickesburg, those three old farts were passed out cold. Donned in a smart powder-puff pink long-sleeved blouse and painted-on blue jeans, Jil got off the bus to greet members of a nearby Knights of Pythias lodge. Jil exhibited incredible decorum, but as she approached the microphones to speak, a few too many beers caused her to flub her solemn introduction: "I want to thank the Knights of Pissiest," she stammered, "for inviting us here on this very special occasion." Baker, Oetting, and Rayn, half-awake in the front of the bus, couldn't help but overhear - and, of course, howled in uncontrollable laughter that spilled out of the bus and into the crowd surrounding the podium. The November sun beat down on a brisk Pennsylvania day, and suddenly about seven hundred people were giggling and guffawing over the ghastly gaffe. Jil could feel her cheeks redden; but, she seemed to be the only one in the gathering that wasn't having fun with it. After a few moments, the crowd settled down and the ceremony went on while seventeen soldiers from the area honored Lt. Forest Green with a fitting tribute.
After it was all over, Jil returned to the bus. Ryan chuckled and said, 'That was pretty pissy, Missy!" Baker laughed so hard he snorted, farted, and dribbled Jim Beam all down the front of his sweater. Oetting laughed his cackly, nasal laugh as part of his peapicker poured out of his nose. Jil picked up a bus pillow and threw it at the three of them. She didn't realize it was the pillow the three boozers had been shoving their used ice into; it caught Oetting by surprise, and he fell over backwards into the seat behind him, landing face down in Sally's lap. "Well, 'ello, Govahnah," Baker mimicked in his best English accent. "If it isn't 'ickey' things, it's 'ice'!" The melting ice cubes oozed from the pillow onto Sally's lap, and all over Oetting's head. 'Get off me, you big oaf!" Sally commanded. Still a bit dazed and - by now, quite chilled - Oetting slithered into the seat next to Sally and tried his best to act well-behaved. The bus was filled with snickering O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers. Since the Knights of Pythias had made no arrangements for any kind of post-ceremonial reception, the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. entourage left Ickesburg and traveled north to Highway 522, where they found a rustic, out-of-the-way restaurant and lodge that could accommodate the entire retinue. Jil had gone inside to ask the manager for a menu, and to see if a ravenous O.U.T.R.A.G.E. crowd could be served so late in the evening. When she jumped back on the bus, she said, "They say they've got plenty of food and booze for all of us! It looks like a great place to eat!" Oetting barked, "By the way, Jil, what town are we in?" Without giving it a second thought, Jil innocently announced, "Beavertown!" The howling started all over again. Jil's perky blue eyes turned wild as she felt her pleasantly pink cheeks redden for the second time in a matter of hours. Baker was rolling in the aisle, tears streaming down his blustery face as he grasped for breath between bursts of runaway laughter. This time, Bob got hit with the pillow.

The next stop was only about thirty miles away from Manassas, in Washington, DC. It was an eerie Sunday morning as fog shrouded clear views of all the debris that used to house some of the nation's most powerful people. The Capitol Building was all but destroyed, as was most of the surrounding government and lobbyists' offices. It was indicative of what kind of havoc O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had wreaked on the country's capital city. Massive mountains of stone, cement, brick and steel were all that was left of many of the former federal government's monuments to its bureaucrats and officials. The restaurants that once served as "wheeling-and-dealing" venues for depraved, faltigious politicans - who long ago forgot they were supposed to be public servants - now stood as silent monuments to all that turpitude and improbity. The drive into D.C. was just as depressing as O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers observed what remained of palatial politicians' homes in McLean, Fairfax and Falls Church. The destruction was devastating, and even now - one day shy of exactly ten months from when the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings took place - clean-up still continued. Crusing around the beltway, the AROB group noticed relatively few cars and saw little outside activity. "The wreckage prevents a lot of people from going outside," Baker explained. "Just after the bombs hit, the hurricane struck. D.C. hardly exists anymore. Most people have moved away, inland. It's pretty much a ghost town."
Still, Jil wanted to hold a one-day 'victory tour' occasion in what had been the most politically powerful city in the world. She had contacted a tiny Marine Corps League in northwest D.C. that somehow managed to survive the bombs and the storms.
As busses crawled through the run-down streets, their bright lime-green paint jobs seemed to add a veneer of sparkle to an otherwise gray and decaying landscape.
The tour was greeted by a small retinue of former Marines. An impromptu band had been assembled and managed to play a medley of patriotic music while homecoming soldiers, just back from Iraq, were paraded onto a makeshift stage and given appropriate recognition for their valor. To Oetting and Baker's delight, the Marine Corps League had arranged for a reception in the old USA Today twin towers on the Potomac River in Arlington. The buildings had sustained only minor damage as a result of the bombs and the hurricane, and dinner was being served - buffet style - in a restaurant that Oetting and Baker both fondly remembered as "New York New York". It had been a popular 'watering hole' in the 1980's when Oetting worked at USA Today and Baker worked for IBM. As they got off the escalator, the two groggy party-goers perked up and smiled at each other. "It's sort of a reunion," said Baker. "It sort of is," Oetting agreed, "this calls for a drink!' Jil and Bob looked at each other, rolled their eyes, knowing that this was about to turn into an 'all-nighter', DC-style! Never bashful when it came to ordering a beer, Bob said smartly, "I'll have a pitcher!" The bartender poured part of the pitcher into a tall, graceful glass as Bob's eyes glazed over. A smile came to his face, and his "whistle" was "whetted". Jil ordered a beer. The party was just getting started as the small parade of followers from the Marine Corps League started trickling in; suddenly, Oetting asked the bartender if she knew of a place in Northwest DC that served "white pizza". She did...and a car and driver was sent to pick up a couple of dozen pies. By midnight Sunday, November 16, 2008, most of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. convoy had settled into their bus seats, camping gear, sleeping bags, or tents, shutting down for the night and getting ready for the next leg of the tour.
Jil consulted Mapquest, and told an O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteer that he would be driving her bus Monday morning because she would be "having a hangover".

It was 5:00 p.m. Saturday, November 15, 2008. The "victory tour" rolled into Manassas, Virginia. Plans had been made to hold a huge rally at the Manassas Battlefield Park just off I-66. Jil was determined that this celebration would be much more sober and somber; afterall, this was hallowed ground containing the bodies of Civil War veterans who had valiantly given up their lives to hold this nation together. Virginia state police had been recruited to help with traffic - and to ensure that there would be a modicum of order. The AROB group (Adams, Ryan, Oetting and Baker) led the motorcade into the park. "Wow! I've never seen anything like this," exclaimed Jil as she disembarked from the bus. You could sense the stillness in the air, and realize this was, indeed, a sacred place. Bob Ryan belched. Ron Oetting sighed. Phil Baker farted. The bands were prepared to perform a medley of patriotic music, composed especially for this event. Escorted by Manassas local police cars, members of the local American Legion post arrived to greet the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. entourage.
Bob leaned over to Ron and whispered, "Where the hell's the beer?" While Jil and Legion representatives stood in front of a bank of microphones lauding praise upon all of America's fallen heroes, Ryan, Oetting and Baker were still in a bit of a 'fallen' state themselves. Leaning on each other, the trio appeared to be standing upright. Few realized that it was these three guys could do to keep from falling into a pile.
The crowd was much larger than anyone had anticipated - and much better behaved. To be sure, there was moderate drinking going on, but Jil saw to it that anything out-of-line was quickly covered up. Lynn and her commander were the first to be quietly escorted back to the rear of the bus in which they'd arrived. By some strange twisted coupling, the commander was wearing Lynn's bright cashmere sweater, and Lynn had donned his olive drab Army sweat shirt. "Sleep it off, you two," Jil ordered as she practically pushed them into the plush bus seats. In a profoundly professional manner, the commander issued a snappy salute as he mumbled, "Yes, sir!" Before Jil had reached the front of the bus, the couple had passed out in each other's arms, seemingly content to miss the festivities in favor of a long, comfortable nap.
Forty-one soldiers, just back from Iraq, were honored and awarded special medallions for their service to their country. Only one of the soldiers was female - the same one whose leg had been amputated after she accidentally entered a mine field and touched off an unexploded mine, literally inches from the safety of her Humvee and the rest of the demolition squad.
"We are proud of all of you," Jil proclaimed, "and we welcome you home to the comfort and safety of your friends and families. What you endured in an unconstitutional, illegal was is the height of bravery and patriotism. We honor you and thank you for your service." The crowd offered a salute to the soldiers. As Phil went to salute, he lost his balance and fell on Ron, who lost his balance and fell on Bob. The three tumbled to the ground like drunken dominos, into a pile closely resembling a humanoid version of the Egyptian pyramids. Jil quickly called for three husky O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers who scooped up the trio and hustled them off to the back of the bus. They, too, would sleep it off, not four seats away from Lynn and her "Army buddy". Or was he a Marine? Or a sailor? Oh, what the hell....he was a man!

Needless to say, the Wheeling celebration went on well into the night, with veterans of Vietnam and Desert Storm joining in the gaiety. Even Jil joined in; as she moved into "party mode", the dancing, drinking and debauchery flooded the VFW post, its ample parking lot, and even flooded over into the streets. Local police decided to look the other way, considering the community was marking the return of its soldiers, and even assisted in barricading the street in front of the VFW. When motorists couldn't get through, it only served to attract more celebrants. Food was running short, so a local supermarket donated brats and hot dogs. Fortunately, the November night was moderately cool, but it probably wouldn't have made much difference as hot-blooded women partnered with all-too-eager men for a night that many would remember - and some would never remember. Even the local beer distributor came to the rescue when the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. and VFW supplies ran low. It brought a beer truck to the party and invited everyone to help themselves.
By 4:00 a.m. Friday, November 14, 2008, the party was winding down. The lime green fleet that Jil had commandered had become motel rooms on wheels as couples crashed wherever they could find a nook or cranny. Some found the back seats of cars to more accessible; others just passed out in the parking lot, or inside the VFW post. Yes, these parties were 'excessive' at times - and, yes, it was against the grain of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. organization which advocated moderation in all things. But, the country deserved some time to 'let its hair down', especially with the return of the soldiers from war-torn Iraq and Iran. It was time for wild-and-wooly celebration, and Jil Adams was just the perky person to put such parties all together. Her energy, demeanor and organizational skills were bound to make these 'welcome home' events memorable to every U.S. veteran. This tour was the epitome of honor toward our troops, a modern-day version of the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby tours that took place during World War II, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam.
By 8:00 a.m. Friday, Jil was waking up the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers and getting them on their feet, ready for the next leg of the tour. Bob Ryan, Phil Baker, and Ron Oetting were hardly in any condition to move, much less make any meaningful contribution to coordinating the effort. But Jil's constant prodding billeted them in a sluggish kind of action that helped to get the show on the road. Phil grunted, farted, and belched; Bob kept rubbing his eyes as if he was trying to see if they were still part of his head; Ron tried his best to stand upright. Reluctantly, the tour busses, the bands, and the volutneers were rolling toward the next stop before noon on Friday.

"So, what have you been doing with your life?" Lynn asked the commander. He smugly replied that he'd not been doing much of anything since he'd been "retired" from the military after being accused of "conduct unbecoming an officer" the last time he and Lynn hooked up. Lynn casually lowered her glasses and stared at him intently for a moment. "Why don't you join our victory tour?" she suggested. By the time the lime green bus pulled out of Columbus, Lynn and her "officer-not-so-much-of-a-gentleman" friend had captured the two seats in the very back of the bus, right next to the well-stocked bar. "I'd tell them to get a room," laughed Jil, "but we've got work to do! This tour has to move forward!"
By Thursday afternoon, November 13, 2008, the bus pulled into Wheeling, West Virginia to greet a company of soldiers who had just landed on U.S. soil less than eleven hours earlier. Dana jumped off the bus, right into the arms of a husky, tanned Marine who obviously hadn't been in physical contact with an American female for months. "Burowski!" he shouted as he nuzzled his nose between her breasts. It certainly wasn't the kind of rigid behavior Dana had expected from a Marine! His half-crazed, glazed-over gorgeous blue eyes couldn't wander from the sight of this "hunka-hunk of burnin' love" standing in front of him. The other Marines clamored around the bus as Jil's platoon of party-lovers disembarked. Connie, Suzan, "hot Donna", Sally, Michelle and Kathy found themselves encircled by an assortment of enchanted soldiers, all hungry for an opportunity to hold a voluptuous woman in their war-weary arms. "Good God Almighty!" one Marine exclaimed, "ain't this the purtiest sight my tired eyes have seen in more than two years! Come here, Honey, I think I love you!" He grabbed Connie and danced her around the asphalt like a ragdoll as his 6-ft. 6" muscular frame all but consumed her svelte, slim body. It wasn't quite the way Jil had anticipated the victory celebration to begin in Wheeling, but, what the hell - when in Rome. After about an hour of chaotic revelry, Jil managed to pull her 'girls' away from these whoredogs and march them into the VFW hall where a more somber celebration was about to begin.
Phil, Bob and Ron lumbered off the bus, to be met by - no one (apparently the Marines weren't as interested in embracing three old American males whose unbathed bodies stank of stale booze and the lingering residue from cigarette smoke. One of the Marines happened to notice them for just an instant, and asked Jil, "How come you brought them there old geezers along? Don't tell me they're your bodyguards!" At a loss for words, Jil kind of nodded her head as the Marine watched her gorgeous blonde hair dangle in the air. "Well, Hell, Honey," he hollered, "you give us a few days to limber up, and WE'LL replace them old farts!" Phil, Bob and Ron weaved back-and-forth cautiously as if they were trying to comprehend exactly what was going on; could these guys replace official O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers?

The rally in Columbus, Ohio continued into the next day, as tens of thousands of Buckeyes showed up to help welcome some of their native sons home. The AROB group had its hands full trying to maintain some semblance of order as revelers wanted to congratulate the soldiers and wish them well. Unlike Vietnam vets who were shunned by society, soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Iran were viewed as victims of their own government - a government that had deliberately conspired to put them in harm's way for no justifiable reason. Ever since the Bush administration's "dike" of misinformation began to leak, the public had been disillusioned with the 'war', but supportive of the troops. It wasn't these soldiers who created such a horrible consequence; they were simply following orders as they had been trained to do. The blame for such an immoral, unjust 'war' lay squarely with the Bush administration and the war profiteers who greedily helped themselves to taxpayers' dollars and rejected any moral accountability for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fellow human beings.
Now, the celebration mushroomed into a full-fledged city-wide party.
The midwest, of course, hadn't suffered any devastation from the east coast hurricanes and west coast earthquake. But, those people who lived in America's 'heartland' still lived among the ruins of factories, banks, corporate headquarter buildings, and government facilities that had been destroyed by O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombs. Those who lived in the so-called "corn belt" were also experiencing the effects of the 'Great Depression II' as the nation's economy wilted, jobs became scarce, and millions of Americans saw their savings and investments washed away.
This first stop on Adams' "victory tour" served as a release for citizens who had weathered almost a year of misfortune. Adams explicitly planned to visit cities that previous "tours" hadn't been. Still, she wanted to orchestrate the tour to coincide with soldiers' homecomings. This time she brought along an entourage of live musical groups that had played at her various clubs. As "Shilo" and "Chris & Paul" entertained on makeshift stages (usually erected by local veterans' organizations), other civic groups served food and beverages. The governor of Ohio led a myriad of speeches by dignitaries, all with the same theme: "Welcome home, soldiers...you served under illicit circumstances, and you did your damnedest! We're proud of you!".
Now these brave young men and women would be put to work serving their country under more pragmatic circumstances, rebuilding towns and cities, cleaning up tons of debris that still remained around the country, and restoring infrastructures and public facilities. Many communities were still - ten months later - without water or basic municipal services. As winter approached, it was important that these elements be available, and young American soldiers were coming home to help.
In the crowd, Adams recognized a familiar face: it was the military commander who had accompanied her entourage on a trip to Texarkana, Texas months before...the same commander that had hooked up with Jil's friend, Lynn. Lynn and the commander managed to entangle themselves in a small compartment aboard a military cargo plane. Jil chuckled as the commander recognized her; Lynn was 'sleeping off' another long night of partying, and Jil was reluctant to wake her up, even though she thought it was be 'appropriate'. Thinking she'd wait until Lynn sobered up, Jil beckoned the commander to join her for a late-morning bloody Mary, and recommended that he "stick around" for a "special surprise" later on in the day. It was a cloudy Wednesday in Columbus, but this new occuence brightened Jil's day none-the-less. "Heh, heh, heh," Jil thought to herself, "won't Lynn be surprised?"

The speedometers of American action were being "pegged" as the newly elected Congress started taking charge even before its members were officially sworn in; many Congressmen and women were busy helping their home states deal with whatever problems it encountered. Others were traveling around the nation trying to spearhead new programs that could help cities and towns get back on their feet after the disasterous events of the past nine months. The American economy was in shambles; the country's infrastructure - already in shambles - now lay in absolute ruins in many of the nation's largest municipalities. Repairing all of this was the top priority. Returning the luster that once was America was necessary for the mental and emotional well-being of the citizenry. Motivating people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and virtually start all over again was of paramount importance.
The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. lime green bus tour was on the road again. Patrick "Hammy" Hamilton wheeled his bus into Seattle, Washington on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - Armistice Day. He had worked in earnest for months trying to "sell" America on the idea of legalizing 'recreational' drugs such as marijuana. But the efforts of the Patrick-Patrick team weren't focused on 'recreational' uses of drugs; the main focus was centered on the use of such 'illegal' drugs for medicinal purposes. It was obvious that the medical society condemned such actions only because it interfered with their mammoth profits. For the first time, "Hammy" and his co-director, Lynn Patrick, tried a new tactic. Accompanying them on this bus tour were seventeen individuals with terminal illnesses. All seventeen were violating state and federal laws by growing their own 'recreational' drugs and using those drugs to treat their collective diseases. Every one of these people had seen impressive results, and most were experiencing unprecedented healings from their illegal and radical treatment programs. Nine of the seventeen were veterans from Vietnam, Desert Storm and the current Iraqi was. "Hammy" would introduce each patient, explain to the crowds how the patient was administering his or her own self-treatment, and distribute pamphlets documenting the progress and success of each individual case. He always made a point of disregarding the laws by smoking on his own giant-sized "doobie". For "Hammy", gaunchy was as much a staple as beer and cigarettes. They were the three staples in his well-weathered life. His raspy voice pushed itself to the limits as he pounded his message home at each stop the bus made: "If alcohol and cigarettes are legal," he would flaunt, "then why should marijuana and cocaine also be legalized?" His argument was that all four substances could kill you with enough abuse; why, then, were two of those substances legal and the other two weren't? "Hammy" argued that cocaine and marijuana weren't legal because the drug companies, cigarette manufacturers and alcohol distillers couldn't figure out a way to make obscene profits with those substances. It would be a massive marketing effort to try and disjoin the negative reputations of these drugs. It would be difficult to divorce drug sales and distribution from the criminal element. It would be difficult to control the manufacture of drugs while maintaining a proper product consistency. But "Hammy" continued his gospel: "legalizing drugs takes the profit away from the drug dealers and puts control in the hands of small, local manufacturers who can monitor the quality of their products." He realized that such manufacturing, wholesaling, distribution and retailing could not be effective on the "big" scales of giant corporations such as Phillip-Morris or The Reynolds Tobacco Company. In step with the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. concept of "small" being better, he urged that the manufacture of such drugs be legalized and monitored on a local basis. Keep "big business" out of it.
It would also provide a platform for education that could encourage limited use of such drugs, just as local liquor boards or alcohol excise departments regulated the sale and distribution of booze through bars, retail outlets, and restaurants. Hamilton truly believed such control could benefit local communities by monitoring drug users and getting treatment for those who became addicted abusers.
Meanwhile, Jil Adams started her bus tour with a patriotic "welcome home" to the first group of soldiers who arrived home from Iraq in Columbus, Ohio. They were all part of a local reserve unit that had been called up more than a year ago; two of their members had been killed in action. It was a fitting Armistice Day tribute to the fallen soldiers, and an appreciated gesture on the part of all surviving members of the unit.

At the end of last night's telecast, Colin Powell promised a "major announcement" on Monday morning, November 10, 2008. Much of the nation tuned in early as the broadcast from St. Kitts began promptly at 8:00 a.m. "Fellow Americans," Powell said as he faced the cameras, "I talked yesterday about America's military weaknesses. As Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces - and with Presidents McCain and Obama in full agreement - I am ordering all American troops home, effectively immediately, from Iran and Iraq, as well as from all other strategic military outposts around the country. This transition will take some time, of course, considering the amount of military hardware and equipment that must be moved. While, to many, this might seem to be an abrupt and reckless undertaking, we believe it is necessary and prudent at this time." Powell's speech was brief, to-the-point, and concise, lasting less than twenty minutes. He stressed how American troops were needed at home to protect American shores and borders. "We are in a very vulnerable state here in our own country," he repeated, "and we can no longer be the world's watchdog. We must begin watching out for our own interests here at home."
The AROB group (Adams, Ryan, Oetting and Baker) received telegrams while Powell was still speaking, asking them to begin planning a series of "victory trips" around the country where homecoming troops would be honored, and citizens could begin to celebrate the end of the U.S. participation in warfare in countries where it shouldn't have been in the first place. Powell, McCain, and Obama were of the opinion that nations such as Iraq and Iran caused no threat - real or perceived - the the United States, and discarded the Bush administration's claims that these two small nations were part of the "evil empire" that threatened world peace. Diplomats and ambassadors had worked behind-the-scenes for months to try and resolve differences - with some notable success. A military career man, Powell also believed that by reinforcing troops at home, the U.S.A. could stave off any predator that might try to attack the U.S. during this stage of vulnerability. It had been a primary concern ever since the January 17 bombings - a concern that mounted after the country was hit with a devastating earthquake and horrible hurricanes. Now, with banks failing, economic conditions in the United States were shakey, at best...and the Presidential triumverate, in its first major action since being elected by the people, had made a fateful and historic decision. For the first time in a generation, America would not be engaged in any offshore war or military staging.
Jil Adams, Bob Ryan, Ron Oetting and Phil Baker (the AROB group) began making plans immediately, co-ordinating their efforts with the top military commanders in Iran, Iraq and other outposts. This "victory tour" would be one more succession of parties and patriotic celebrations around the nation. It would help boost Americans' stifled spirits, bring an economic boon to some regions of the country, and mark an historic occasion for all Americans.
Adams called in 'reinforcements' from the Patrick-Patrick team, and from Ron "Doc" Doctor's tour. By midnight Monday, she had already put together a central theme and "look" for the celebrations. Owning a small chain of taverns was Jil Adams' livelihood, but her real passion was party planning. In the past nine months, she'd had countless opportunities to demonstrate her spectacular skills in this specialized arena. She was the ultimate party planner. Ryan, Oetting, and Baker - of course, were the ultimate consumers at these parties. To be sure, they worked hard to help Adams co-ordinate and organize these patriotic events, but once the 'complimentary alchohol' started flowing, the livers of these high-livers couldn't resist going into 'party mode' and showing the rest of America how to "party hearty"!

Sunday, November 9, 2008: the Presidential triumvirate conducted another two-hour long broadcast from St. Kitts. This time it was not as light-hearted, and a lot more substantive. Colin Powell presented startling statistics as to the unpreparedness of the U.S. military. Always having been one of the strongest nations in the world - from a military standpoint - Powell admitted that much of the military had been destroyed in the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings last January. He humbly requested that young able-bodied men consider joining the armed forces in an effort to build up military reserves. "We are in a vulnerable state right now," Powell confessed. "Quite frankly, there are several nations that are stronger militarily than are we; and, quite frankly, these nations could easily overtake the United States should they choose to do so. We pray that they will not access such option at this time." It was a scary admission, something most people alive on the planet had never before heard: what was always considered the world's greatest superpower had been reduced to a shell of its former self.
John McCain soberly talked about the state of the national economy, and admitted that it was in no better shape. "Most of our major banks no longer exist," he said. "Many of our smaller, regional and state-chartered banks have either failed, or are in jeopardy of failing." A run on the banks just days ago had created the "Great Depression II", and McCain was trying to keep a brave face to the world in this most precarious circumstance. He knew, too, that the Chinese government, along with several other U.S. creditors, was in a position of strength never known before. If China wanted to, it could easily call in its markers, cut up America's 'credit card', and cause what might be the greatest economic collapse in the history of Earth. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had been dispatching ambassadors to these nations in an effort to prevent such events, but McCain believed it to be in the public's best interests to know exactly what kind of slippery slope the U.S.A. was perched. "This is a time to be courageous," he bellowed, "and not a time to acquiesce." As in 1929, most American residents were out of work, out of money, and out of options.
Barack Obama delivered a moving speech following the addresses by Powell and McCain. He spoke of how important it was to "bond together" and maintain our community ties to one another. "Now, more than ever before in our nation's history, we must rely on one another and pay less attention to ourselves. This nation has been guilty of global gluttony for decades; now we must return to being an integral part of the world, working with our neighbors across the continents to establish peace, enhance our environments, and keep this good Earth from self-destructing. We implore all governments of the world to join us in this monumental effort. It is truly a matter of life and death for us all." Obama's speech, while delivered forcefully and without malice, appeared to many to be a retreat...an admission of defeat. America was no longer the military super power it once was; it no longer had the world's strongest, most stable economy; and its people were, for the most part, impoverished and disillusioned. Vulnerable and weak, the great late United States of America seemed almost resigned to the fact that it might very well end up subservient to its now stronger and more powerful global neighbors.
As the three men spoke, still black-and-white slides graced the backdrop, illustrating the appalling conditions still existing in many parts of the country. People whom had once lived in $1,000,000 homes were now surviving in tents. Some were living in squalid conditions in their cars or pick-up trucks. Millions more were still residing in local gymnasiums, armories, meeting halls and other public buildings that were still standing. It was not the kind of America most recent government administrations ever had to portray; America the great had become America the downtrodden.
The public address ended at 4:55 p.m. (EST). Powell, McCain and Obama knew they had not instilled a lot of confidence; but they also knew that at this critical juncture in the history of the nation, the truth had to take priority. For over seven years, the public had been deceived, lied to, and victimized by the Bush administration hyperbole. Now it was time for raw honesty. The Presidential triumverate did what had to be done.

The United States of America had suffered through more misery and chaos - on its own shores - in the past ten months than it had in perhaps any other time since the first American Revolution or the great Civil War. The shocking bombs that had leveled countless buildings, destroyed most of America's large corporations, killed most of the nation's politicians, and decimated thousands of wealthy elitists and celebrities, were now history. The enormous earthquake that struck Los Angeles and ruined what remained of the entertainment industry had come and gone. The horrendous hurricanes that had slammed into many of America's east coast metroplitans had long ago blown out to sea and quietly died, after killing thousands and wreaking havoc with property damages unable to even be tallied. What still remained of the New York Stock Exchange and the major giant banks and financial institutions had only recently been dealt a final blow as banks failed and the 'Great Depression II' strangled the country's economy.
People were suffering.
The nation was in severe pain.
Yet, from some magical 'inner strength', the American spirit seemed to rise to the occasion and make the best of things. All over the country there we stories about people helping other people. Residents who lived in large homes opened those homes - and their hearts - to those who no longer had a home, and had lost all heart. Local communities were 'making do' and functioning better than ever, without the help of the federal government. State government were taking up the slack and doing things that used to be left to 'the feds' - and the states were doing it much more competently, efficiently, cost-effectively, and quickly. The mammoth tangle of paperwork and red tape was gone, and people were getting along quite well without "help" from a federal government that had become obsessively obese and bloated.
Barter was more visible than ever, as people traded for what they needed without placing a monetary value on such trades. If one person needed a car and another needed a refrigerator, it was a 'even' trade, accepted by both parties as a fair and 'legal' transaction. Lawyers, of course, had almost all been annihilated since it was their heavy-handedness over the decades that had encouraged only one speed when it came to getting things done: slow.
People were coming together. Neighbors who never knew each other now depended on one another. Bosses who had been money-hungry ogres now treated employees with more respect and compassion. Relatives were moving back in with each other instead of distancing themselves because "the job" required a transfer to a distant city or state. Many doctors were now making house calls because their fancy offices and lavish hospitals had all been blown up. Movie stars and media celebs had no reason to flee the paparazzi because there was no demand for glamous shots of some sexy starlet showing off her new boob job. The blowhard who always felt it necessary to impress people with his wad of hundred-dollar bills in a five-star restaurant now knew it was just worthless paper that couldn't buy him a boiled potato. From chaos came simplicity. "Big" no longer mattered; "rich" no longer meant anything. Humanity was returning to the United States as a new Presidential triumpvirate prepared to begin leading a devastated nation out of ruins and into a new reality.
Presidents Colin Powell, John McCain and Barack Obama addressed the nation on Saturday, November 8, 2008 in what was a pleasant blend of light-heartedness with somber overtones. "We need to heal," said McCain, "and we will do just that."

Thursday, November 6 was a calm day of reflection throughout most of America. Friday, November 7, 2008 was the same as Americans took a breath to breathe in new life to an age-old American dream. "All men are created equal..." hadn't taken on such meaning in over a century as a dastardly political system's evil tentacles sucked the life out of America's rights to basic freedoms. Most Americans alive today grew up knowing only two major political parties, and many believed they could only vote for Republicans or Democrats. The well-greased wheels of these two abhorrent political dynasties had effectively prevented other candidates from running for office. "Republicrats" saw to it that only their "chosen few" were "anoited" to the highest offices in government. In that way, the wealthy elitists and powerful industrialists kept their wheels greased, and continued to get everything they wanted from Uncle Sam in the form of 'corporate welfare' that far exceeded the paltry amounts of money given to unwed single welfare mothers, the poor, the hungry, the homeless or the disadvantaged. The poor had no power base because - duh! - they had no money! That one undeniable factor was why the rich kept getting richer and the poor kept getting poorer. Relatively few people ever escaped the drudgery of the poverty into which they had been born. Conversely, even fewer people ever lost the wealth and privilege into which they, too, had been born.
In 1998, Professor Ruby K, Payne had published a book entitled, "A Framework for Understanding Poverty". She made it very clear that "poverty is relative" and clarified the difference between generational and situational poverty. It was a scathing diatribe on the fundamental differences in America's education system. How, Payne pointed out, could a black child born in the ghetto without sufficient food or clothing, identify with a white teacher who dressed in $150 three-piece suits? Payne explained how wealthy people might know which fork to use at a formal dinner party, but would have no idea how to live without a checking account. In upper-class society, love and acceptance were conditional and related to social standing and connections; sex was a way of advancing the wealth and status for future generations. In middle-class society, love and acceptance was based largely on achievement; sex was a procreational event that committed two people to each other. In lower-class cultures, love and acceptance was based on whether the individual was "liked"; sex was a commodity that could be used or traded for one's benefit.
The education system in America was hypocritically biased toward those with money. The wealthy were naturally expected to go on to college. In the middle class, the highest achievers earned college grants or found ways to finance their higher education. In the lower class society, college was a pipedream.
This was just one example of the inequalities that had stifled America's culture and surpressed those who lacked resources with which to take advantage of new opportunities. All of these kinds of inequities would have to change, and O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers recognized that the biggest changes would have to come from the American culture. People would have to stop thinking about "me" and start thinking in terms of "us".

On Wednesday, November 5, 2008, the polls closed for the second day in a row. Once again, record numbers of voters turned out for this referendum, which would dramatically alter the way the United States government functioned. Voters had spoken: the new United States government would be run by a trio of three "Presidents", all of whom would have equal standing and authority in the eyes of the law. There would remain the Executive branch, the Judicial branch, and the Legislative branch of government; the curious difference would be that three men would serve as President of the United States of America. "It is appropriate that we divide the workload of a President into three equal, but diversified, segments," said John McCain. "This is how the people want the country to be run; that's the way it shall be," said Colin Powell. "I look forward to serving as part of this triumvirate in the best interests of America," said Barack Obama. Duties would be divided among the three newly-elected Presidents, with Congress answering to these joint Commanders-In-Chief. It was, perhaps, the most histrionic event ever to be introduced within the American form of government. Newly-elected lawmakers would now be required to "legalize" this dramaturgic legislation. It would require an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The populace was overjoyed by this development. It was truly a "think-outside-the-box" kind of process, reminiscent of the free-thinking of America's founding fathers who had once officially proposed that "all men are created equal". Never before had anything quite so transcendent ever been introduced to the American body politic. Had there been any remains of a Republican or Democratic political party, leaders of those outdated, archaic, wilted and corruptive bodies would have been appalled. But there was no one left to object to the exciting new direction in which the U.S.A. was moving. The monopolistic political drones had outlived their usefulness. Most of America's most powerful "Republicrats" were dead and buried - or, in some instances, their flesh left rotting under massive mountains of debris leftover from the January 17 cellphone bombings, executed by O.U.T.R.A.G.E.
Of the twenty-five resolutions placed on the ballot, all were voted in; as referendums now approved by voters, it would be up to the new U.S. Congress to pass all such legislation making those resolutions the "law of the land".
Now the business at hand began in earnest: with three new "co-Presidents" elected and ready to take an oath of office; with 535 newly-elected members of Congress sworn to uphold the will of the people; and with new judges elected who pledged to bring integrity back to the bench, Americans could come together in a way unknown to most generations alive at this proud and imaginative moment in U.S. history. The 'Rebellion of '08' had successfully torn asunder those walls that separated the people from their government. Now there would be no "upper crust" elitist society of barons who manipulated government leaders from behind-the-scenes. The 'inner circle" of the top 1% of the nation's wealthiest and most powerful people was virtually destroyed. America was starting all over again, from the beginning - consumed with a fresh passion of purpose and pursuance. 'We the People...' was now much more than just a patriotic jargon pulled out when it served a political purpose. Democracy was in total control. Those elected to pubic office would be beholden to "the people" and the common good - never again to be the exclusive realm of the special interests or individual favoritisms.
On the remote island of St. Kitts, a hearty cheer went up in front of the television cameras as O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers raised hands in victory and declared, "Long live the new America!"
Now the work began in earnest.....

By the time polls closed in California, Alaska and Hawaii, most of America had already gone to bed. If you were in line at 6:00 p.m., you were entitled to cast your vote...and many polling places reported staying open until past midnight to accommodate the crowds. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. representatives worked through the night to tabulate all results, in preparation for a formal announcement scheduled for 4:55 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, November 5, 2008.
The most sophisticated computer system in the world had been created to record all votes instantaneously, raise 'red flags' on 'questionable' ballots, and confirm that every vote cast was legitimate. Voting irregularities had plagued American election days for most of its history; O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had spent hundreds of millions of dollars to establish a foolproof system for spotting discrepancies and weeding out potential fraudulent votes. It was probably the most comprehensive and accurate tabulation in the history of U.S. elections. Voters were given various options that made it quick and easy to vote a split ticket, enter write-in candidates of their choice, or simply decline to vote for any candidate if they so chose. For all twenty-five resolution on the ballot, people could vote "Yes", "No", or "Undecided". Only the "Yes" and "No" votes would be counted.
In every time zone, polls had been forced to stay open late so that record numbers of voters could participate in the first-ever truly democratic election. This time there was no electoral college that would decide the winners. This time, the people would speak - and their decisions would stand. In the last federal election, more than 121 million voters turned out to split their votes between George W. Bush and John Kerry. It had been a very close popular vote. After all polls closed, the final results were astonishing:
198,765,432 citizens had cast ballots. a 64% increase over any previous national election!
Four hundred fifty-five individuals were elected to Congress who had never served in any public office before. They came from all walks of life: teachers; bakers; janitors; barbers; accountants; newspaper publishers; dogcatchers; firemen; tailors; cashiers; factory workers; mothers on welfare; nurses; bartenders; mechanics - such a diversity of talents, instead of the usual hum-drum of political science majors, attorneys, and 'career politicians'. Of those 455 new public servants, 227 were women and 228 were men. Now, within the entire body of Congress, there were 266 men and 269 women - a gender equality never before seen in the hallowed halls of America's legislative castles. Other interesting statistics revealed even more diversity among racial and religious lines:
212 were Caucasian; 10 were of Asian descent;
178 were African-American; 10 were Oriental
99 were Hispanic 8 were of the Hebrew nationality
14 were native American Indians 4 were from northern Eskimo tribes

304 were Protestants 37 were Mormons
106 were Catholics 28 were Jewish
39 claimed no religious affiliation 21 were Muslims
Write-in votes also accounted for an astonishing number of 'unofficial' candidates all of whom had been very visible during the past ten months while O.U.T.R.A.G.E. dominated the rebuilding of a nation. Perhaps it's because they were seen as heroes, or perhaps it was because some voters wanted to express appreciation for everything they had done to reunite the country.
Jil Adams received 4,374,106 write-in votes;
Ron Oetting received 2,010,343 write-in votes
Bob Ryan received 2,000,001 write-in votes;
Phil Baker received 1,603,055 write-in votes;
Patrick Hamilton received 554,455 write-in votes;
and Lynn Patrick received 8,039 write-in votes.
Approximately 5% of the total vote (10,549,999) went to people who hadn't even declared their candidacies! This was unlike anything ever seen in American politics (the closest such phenomena was in 1992 when H. Ross Perot received 19% of the popular vote; but, Perot was on the ballot).
The most astonishing factor was still to come: to the total surprise of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. analysts, there were three Presidential candidates who had virtually received almost equal numbers of the popular vote; and - again - only one of those individuals had declared himself as a candidate, and had actually conducted a campaign! Colin Powell, John McCain and Barack Obama had all received nearly equal numbers of votes: approximately 66,555,000 each!!
While the pragmatic thing to do was award the prize to the one with the most votes, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. representatives declared the election "too close to call"; after all, these three Presidential candidates were all separated by a handful of votes, such a small handful that any discrepancy could upset the outcome. After hours of deliberation, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members were all asked to 'weigh in' on what to do. There were three viable options:
1. Simply give the candidate with the most popular votes the 'prize' of being President, and leader of a newly reformed nation;
2. Hold a 'run-off' election among the three candidates;
3. Form a new system of government wherein all three 'winners' would serve on a Presidential Triumvirate.
By 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5, the television broadcasts were awash with this astounding turn of events. All one hundred million O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members were asked to express their opinions as to what to do. "To hold another election," said Colin Powell, "might result in delays that this nation can't afford." McCain staunchly agreed: "It's obvious the people are not all that divided. To reject two of these three candidates would probably divide the country." Obama immediately favored the third option: "What's wrong with thinking outside the box?" he asked. "Why can't we color outside the lines and bring a brand new, fresh experiment to our government? What could possibly be wrong with three national leaders?" Obama suggested that three leaders could share responsibilities and assume leadership for specific areas of management. Powell would be perfect to supervise the military and intelligence operations of the government. McCain could focus on budgeting and administrative roles. Obama preferred to direct the management of social programs and environment issues.
O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members were asked to return to the polling places where they cast their ballots and vote again for either of these three options. All other voters were asked to do the same. Polls would open at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 6 and would close - again - at 6:00 p.m. (but would stay open until every voter in line at 6:00 p.m. could cast a ballot). This election wasn't over yet....it had truly been a heralded day in history!

The polls opened at 6:00 a.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Twenty-two Presidential candidates, representing eighteen newly-formed political parties, were on the ballot - as well as twenty-five resolutions which voters were being asked to vote for - or against. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had created new rules for this election: NO election results would be broadcast until after the polls closed at 6:00 p.m. NO television moderators, "analysts", "experts', pundits or newscasters would express their opinions as to the winners or losers until after the polls closed. NO candidate would declare victory or defeat until after all results were in; a sophisticated computerized tracking system had been installed to instantaneously record every single vote as it was cast. As had been expected, record numbers of voters were standing in line at the polls, ready to cast their vote for a new democratic form of American government. No longer to be a republic, which would be ruled by the people's representatives, this new democracy would be ruled by the people, of the people, and for the people. Elected officials would be installed only to do the people's bidding - not to take it upon themselves to make laws that were of benefit only to their fat cat friends and favored campaign donors. Every individual elected today would understand that (s)he had no right, or means, to vote for legislation that would enrich his own circumstances, or the circumstances of her 'chums'.

As a resort area, the island of St. Kitts saw a lot of vacationers, especially during the fall and winter seasons. But islanders had never seen the kind of influx that now beseiged the tiny nation. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. planes were flying in and out of St. Kitts twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week as the U.S. election drew nearer. On Sunday, November 2, 2008, the activity at the airport overwhelmed personnel, and practically caused a breakdown in airport operations. In the United States, political parties and their candidates deluged the country with "whistle stop" tours in the largest metropolitan areas and the smallest of small rural communities. If a candidate didn't have a lime-green O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bus, (s)he was traveling on a lime-green O.U.T.R.A.G.E. train. Political campaigning had returned to its roots of personal contact with "the people" instead of staged rallies filled with only those who supported Republicans or Democrats. There was impromptu debates, at many stops, between candidates - or often between the a candidate and "the people". It was - by far - the most interactive pre-election activity seen in decades of American politics, which had become the domain of the Republican and Democratic monopolies. Now the people had real choices - not just a choice between "the lesser of two evils", but real choices between candidates, all of whom had made a pledge of poverty and servitude. Every candidate knew that if (s)he was elected, and showed even the slightest appearance of impropriety toward that oath, (s)he would be immediately removed from office and punished to the full extent of the law.
For early November, most of the country was enjoying almost balmy weather. The sun was shining down on the nation, almost as if it were God's countenance that this massive new political upheaval took place. America had become a corrupt, evil, war-mongering, money-mad, manipulative nation. Not only had the "Republicrats" browbeat most of the U.S. population into submission, to a point where most Americans honestly believed there were only two legal and official political parties.
The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. television programs were airing 24/7, as candidates were given equal time to express their views and introduce their platforms. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. volunteers were busy setting up polling places all over America. New lime-green computers had been installed to accept and record votes. Each voter would be given a printed receipt, which could be taken to an employer and exchanged for a day's regular pay. The computers were designed by different companies so that there was no possibility of any machines being 'rigged' (as had happened in recent elections when computer voting machines were built and installed by Bush administration-favored corporations such as Deibold). Some new parties had held versions of a political convention, sending delegates and establishing platforms. It had been an exasperating summer. Autumn had been a whirlwind of activity. Everything was set to go.
On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, an unprecedented large turn-out of voters was expected.
In addition to numerous new candidates on the ballot, a plethora of referendums were also being introduced to the voters. "We the People..." would decide on a vast majority of important issues based on the public interest. Numbskull politicians would no longer control the law-making process for their own interests in a "let's make a deal" milieu. The people would vote...the people would make the decisions....the elected officials would then be charged with following the wishes of the people.
Underwritten by O.U.T.R.A.G.E., the AROB Group (Adams, Ryan, Oetting, and Baker) and the Patrick-Patrick Group (Lynn Patrick and Patrick Hamilton) had traversed the country, racking up more than a million miles on their respective lime-green O.U.T.R.A.G.E. motor homes. Ron "Doc" Doctor had, in a much shorter period of time, driven almost 100,000 miles in his quest to legalize gambling machines and smoking. Smaller groups had covered the countryside, promoting their own agendas and gathering support for fresh, new laws that would enhance the American culture and civilize the society. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. television programming and publishing ventures focused on the important issues of the country...there was never ever "news" about some nut-cake celebrity shaving her head or some wacko basketball player assaulting a 13-year-old girl in his hotel room. That kind of sensationalism, which had been pretty much routine fodder for the American media, was no longer of any significance.
No longer did Fox "News" or CNN Headline "News" repeat the same half-dozen stories over and over again and call it "fair and balanced" reporting. Those media empires and the moguls who controlled them had been eliminated. Local radio and TV stations were focusing on significant news in their respective communities. Giant media conglomerates were no longer in control of what was being broadcast, or what served as "news". In less than one year, America's media magistrates who thought they knew what was "best" for Americans, were not just crippled; they were all but annihilated.
Jil hosted a "Freedom Day" pre-election extravaganza at each one of her many Midwestern bars and taverns. Live bands were booked for a 24-hour celebration that would feature patriotic themes as patrons were invited to "light up" their favorite cigarette brand, "get high on life" with their illicit drug of preference, and "gamble to their hearts' content". It was almost a replication of the infamous Woodstock celebration that had taken place in upstate New York about 40 years earlier, sans all the nudity. This was November, after all...no one wanted to see goosebumps on exposed, pallid flesh.

On October 29, 1929, the United States of America suffered the "Great Depression" - a devastating economic blow to the country's hard-working inhabitants, and even a more devastating blow to the "rich and famous" who saw billions of dollars in stocks, bonds and other investments turn to nothing more than worthless pieces of paper. Millions found themselves out of work. Government reacted slowly - perhaps out of sheer shock - but, within a few years (and under the leadership of a new President) introduced new work programs, savings deposit insurance plans, and promised that such a fiscal disaster would never happen again. As with most government promises, it was only a matter of time before things went awry.
The Bush administration had done everything possible to ruin the nation's robust economy. Former President Bill Clinton had left office with a budget surplus; in eight short years, George W. Bush's failed economic policies that favored only the very wealthy had put the country into a severe economic depression. Now, seventy-eight years and one day later, a run on the few remaining "large" banks caused panic throughout the country. As smaller, regional banks also closed, citizens became nervous as they saw their life savings evaporate. The interim government, being managed by O.U.T.R.A.G.E., once again could do little to stop the pandemonium as bank customers tried to retrieve their meager savings only to discover that there was no money available. Interim President Colin Powell appeared on the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. television cameras to try and encourage calm. But, in chaos similar to that in 1929, bank customers could not be pacified with meer words.
There was still an upper-middle-class existing in America; in fact, that group of perhaps a few million people had- in actuality - had become the "upper class" since most of America's really wealthy individuals were now dead. As in every case where one's property and net worth is being eradicated, panic ensued, which only served to make things worse.
Dubbed "The Great Depression II" by some media hosts, the depression took America by storm. While people weren't jumping off ledges like they did in 1929, there were reports of attempted suicides, and hysterical conduct. Across the nation, people were more scared than ever; the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. murders, followed by the earthquake and hurricanes, had caused enough tumultuous pain to the country. Now, the entire economic system (or what was left of it) was being stripped away. People who had worked hard all their lives and managed to accumulate a modicum of savings now found themselves penniless.
It was going to take some time, but it would soon turn out to be a godsend: it helped substantiate the concept of total equality for all...something that would prove to help heal an anguished nation just that much faster.