Eons ago lived a giant of a man, six cubits and a teddy bear head in stature. Tom Neuner was a local political influencer, troublemaker and bottomless well of town gossip who constantly strolled in, unannounced, to the cramped albeit eclectic Mighty Signal editorial office to announce his presence and strut like Henry the VIII.
To my best memory, Tom was the wag who first coined the phrase, “College of the Crayons.” He was referring to, of course, our local version of the Egyptian Pyramids, COC. College of the Canyons.
Art, or, in this case, a wicked tongue, imitates life.
I used to call Tom, “Tom Nooner,” although the unasked-for reference to gleeful midday peccadillos was probably a few rungs above warnings from his heart surgeon.
As if on a bad but ineffective lifetime diet, I try to stay away from a satirist’s version of the double bacon with cheese hamburger sandwich — public education. But, the sigh-bringing, greasy odor calls are powerful.
COC recently announced that they are allowing staff members and teachers to wrap political advertisements around their mortal vessels.
Usually, that means like a T-shirt. If you’re a Republican, it’s something subtle, like, “I Like Ike.” If you’re a Democrat, the message is usually more convoluted. Like, “Death to America For Destroying Borneoean Rainforests & The Peaceful Cuddly Polar Bears That Take Sanctuary There.”
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