My Supposed Lies Explained

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, books, bullying, DAMP, He Was Weird, ice hockey, lies, New Jersey, Philadelphia Flyers

If anyone went to Margate, New Jersey, the town where I was horrendously bullied for three years and told them about the bullying hell I experienced, provided they remembered me and I’m sure someone there would, they would try to justify their bullying on account that I was a liar. That I told fake stories and lies. However, many of my supposed lies, although exaggerated in some cases, were just instances miscommunication because I couldn’t properly explain them due to my DAMP. Although, in many of those cases, they misinterpreted, sometimes intentionally, what I said so they could use it against me. So, I will now list those supposed lies and explain them.

1. I broke the world’s running record. My first two days of school, I ran home from the school. I was still in pretty good shape from playing football so I was able to run about a mile without stopping. At the time, I didn’t know that athletes ran much further so in my mind, I broke the world’s running record. When I told of my feat in school, it was immediately misinterpreted. Kids took it that I was saying I was a really fast runner when I wasn’t saying that at all. I was just happy I ran such a distance. Unfortunately, my attempts to explain this fell upon deaf ears.

The LA Dodgers

2. Jim Lefebvre was my cousin. Throughout my childhood in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jim Lefebvre played second and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Often times, I was asked if I was related to him because we have similar sounding surnames. At first, I would be truthful and say no. However, one day, someone suggested that I should say that he was as a joke. So, when someone asked me the question when I first moved to Margate, I said yes. Unfortunately, people there didn’t see the joke and I was made out to be a liar and as was the case, got blown totally out of proportion. In fact, a few years later, someone said that I was telling lies like the time I said my cousin was on the Mets. Jim Lefebvre never played for the Mets but my supposed lie evolved into me saying that. This brings me to another point. As is the case of bullies, they claim to only be joking but a target makes a similar joke, it’s conveniently not seen as such.

3. I was in a movie. Before I moved to Margate, a friend and I had this great plan of producing our own sci-fi movie and sending it to a local TV personality who presided over showing horror and sci-fi films on a local TV station in the early 1970s. This was just an outlandish fantasy of two nine year old boys. Now, we did have a home movie camera in our attic so we could have used it if allowed. My friend asked his father to be the director, which he declined. So, I was sort of telling the truth when I said the movie director turned me down. Once again, this got totally blown out of proportion, although it didn’t help that due to my Asperger’s Syndrome, I couldn’t properly explain it like I am now. Then again, even if I had explained it eloquently, those listening would have intentionally misinterpreted it so it could have been used against me.

4. My grandfather was a world champion miniature golfer. Okay, this was an untruth. Well sort of, he did win a local senior citizens tournament and I totally embellished it. By this time, my mind was so twisted by my DAMP and the intentional ignorance of people that I wasn’t sure what I was saying anymore.

My beloved Philadelphia Flyers, are they celebrating with Mark?

5. I played ice hockey for the junior Philadelphia Flyers. This was a lie but I will still explain. First, my bullying had become so bad, that I coped by creating a fantasy world where I was the star hockey player. It helped me cope with all of the crap I was going through. Secondly, no one was believing my truths or totally misinterpreting them that this sinister part of my brain thought that why not tell a big whopper. What I should have found sad at the time was that some people seemed to want to go out of their way to prove my lie. These days I find it amusing.

Of course, should anyone from the town read this post and realize who is writing it and remember me, I am sure that they will say that this is me trying to explain my lies away. No, if I was able to explain things better back then and people weren’t so quick to want to twist things around, then there would have been no need for me to write this post. On the other hand, did any of my lies or fake stories really effect anyone? I didn’t bare false witness against anyone, everything was about me. Some might respond with “We don’t like liars.” Well nobody does but the things I said which were perceived as lies was not an excuse for bullying and abuse.

Since then, I have met others who have told taller tales than I ever did. While they may be talking bullshit, their bullshit doesn’t effect me and if someone wants to build themselves up by creating myths about them, then it’s not going to effect my life in any way. So, I simply say, “Leave them to it.”

You can read all about it in my book, “He Was Weird.” To buy, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1642452301&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1

You can also email me direct at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

Excuses My Bullies Might Give Today

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, bullying, friendship, parents, schools

Here’s my strange Aspergian mind going to places no so-called normal mind would boldly go. Then again, they might if they had suffered a severe amount of bullying when they were younger and came out a survivor. Odds are I will never see those who bullied me during those three years of hell again. I don’t even live in the same country as them and though I manage to get to the US every few years and have driven through the town and even went to the beach there, I haven’t seen any of those who bullied me so bad and I probably never will. Still, with my weird mind constantly running scenarios through it, I sometimes imagine one where I did meet those bullies and wonder what they would say today. Therefore, I will attempt to get into their heads and head off the excuses and justifications for the way they bullied me way back then.

1. You brought it on yourself. They would try to victim blame, something which has been going on from the beginning of time. They would point out that I was a liar, that I acted weird and was a showoff. They might even use it to say I was lying about the bullying. The truth is that I was bullied, there’s no lie about that. Even so, my so-called lies were fantasies about myself and many of them were misinterpreted by the bullies, I think intentionally. I didn’t slander or spread lies about anyone nor said anything malicious about them. So, while I admit I had a very overactive imagination which my young Asperger’s mind couldn’t control, it in no way justified the bullying I received at the time. Actually, this gives me an idea for my next post.
2. It wasn’t that bad. Bullying is never that bad if you’re not on the receiving end of it. However, if you are, then bullying can become horrific. My bullying was that bad! In seventh grade especially when walking through the school hall, I never knew when someone was going to come up from behind and punch me in the back, or in the front or in the case of one bully, body-check me into the wall. So yes, the bullying was that bad.
3. It was because you were such a wimp. Here we go victim blaming again. Bullies always go for people who can’t fight back. Of course, some of them would make sure they had a posse of friends to back them up just in case. Back then, I was blamed for my own bullying because I didn’t fight back. Of course, when I did, it was twisted around to make it out that I had started it all or that I had overreacted and that I was some maniac. This is not a justification for bullying.
4. You annoyed people. I annoyed people because those people were intolerant. Most of my ‘weird’ behaviour shouldn’t have really effected people but bullies chose to let it effect them. They just used any of my eccentric behaviours as an excuse to bully me. I didn’t annoy them as much as they simply wanted an excuse to become annoyed.

Like I said, I will probably never meet those bullies again and I don’t want to. I left that town nearly half a century ago and have no desire to relive old times with them. Besides, I am very confident that if I was to meet them again, they would use the above excuses to downplay the bullying hell I went through when I was living in the town. Now I can counter their excuses.

FFI- you can read my book “He Was Weird” which is available on this link: mazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1641844207&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1

Or you can email me direct at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

War on Christmas? I’m Confused

Tags

Autism, christianity, Christmas, Diwali, Hanukah, Hindu, islam, Jehovah' Witnesses, Jewish, political correctness, Politics, Ramadan, religion, schools

For the past few years, I have heard people say that there is a war on Christmas. They cry that political correctness is killing the spirit of the holiday because people apparently can no longer wish others a Merry Christmas. Instead, they have to say “Happy Holidays.” Maybe it’s me with my strange mind but I don’t see what the fuss is all about. Unlike what some on the right say, I don’t think liberals, lefties or non-Christians are attempting to wipe out Christmas.

I grew up in Southern New Jersey in an area which had a large Jewish population. If I knew the person and knew which holiday they celebrated, I would wish them well accordingly. I’d say “Merry Christmas” to Christian friends and at the same time, wishing my Jewish friends “Happy Hanukah.” Growing up, I didn’t know anyone of either the Muslim or Hindu faiths but now since I have met many here in the UK, I wish them a Happy Ramadan or Happy Diwali. I would have done so back then. However, if I didn’t know the person or their religious faith if any, I found it much easier to wish them “Happy Holidays.” Thus no one is offended.

The problem is that a few left of centre types have either assumed that non-Christians will be offended or alienated by a Christian holiday or the fact that these people don’t have any religion and therefore claim that the religious aspects of the holiday amounts to forcing a religion down their throats. One local council in the UK has changed the name Christmas to ‘Winterval’ out of fear that Christmas offends. Personally, I don’t know of anyone who is offended by Christmas but if they want to call it something else, then they’re welcome to do so. It doesn’t bother me unless such a person wants to shove their views down my throat. If anyone does that, I resist like a cornered rat.

Here’s two thoughts:

Let me explode one myth. It seems that, at least here in Britain, people have blamed the Muslims for the so-called war on Christmas. They claim that the only reason the name Christmas gets changed or not celebrated in schools is out of fear of offending them. Not true! I have taught in schools attended by children of the Islamic faith and they are not offended by Christmas. They see it as time off school so they’re not complaining. In fact, the one religious group who has a problem with Christmas are the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Personally, I respect their beliefs and if they don’t want to celebrate Christmas, fine. Furthermore, they don’t seem to be waging a war on Christmas. Let me ask: Has anyone had their door knocked on by any Jehovah’s Witnesses during the holiday period? I never have. As long as their children do not participate in any services or plays with a Christmas theme, they are happy. However, that doesn’t stop some schools I’ve been in seeing JW’s as a nuisance and that is wrong too.

So in conclusion, I think the who ‘War on Christmas’ had been blown totally out of proportion. As for me, if I don’t know someone and have the least bit of doubt as to their beliefs, I will wish them a happy holiday. As for people I do know, I will continue to wish them a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah or whatever. No one should be offended.

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1640027393&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1

If Bikers Had Come to My Aid

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, bikers, bullying, motorcycles, schools

I would have loved for these guys to have picked me up from school.

Having Asperger’s Syndrome and being a victim of bullying is a dangerous combination. First, as I experienced directly for three agonizing years, I was bullied because of my Asperger’s, which was the theme of my book, “He Was Weird.” However, the experience has also left me to see the downside of things. These negative thoughts came to pass before last weekend when I posted the video of bikers coming to pick up a child who was bullied from school. As a result, that boy, Zeke, isn’t being bullied any more, so well done to those bikers! In case you missed it, here’s the video again.

Even though a half a century has passed since I went through the bullying hell, the memories still remain and I would have loved it at the time if bikers had come to pick me up from school in front of all of those who were bullying me. Unfortunately, with my Asperger’s and my tendency to see the negative, I can’t help thinking that my ending would not have been as glorious as Zeke’s. First of all, my bullying hell happened in the early 1970s when bikers were seen as definite outlaws. Therefore, the school would not have been as hospitable to them as the school in the video. The school would have immediately called the police. Furthermore, even though the bikers’ intentions would have been noble, they might have been stopped from carrying out their mission. Even if they had come and taken me away in front of the student body, some of the spoiled brats who were my bullies would have gone home and told their parents that a motorcycle gang was terrorizing the school. These parents would start screaming that their children aren’t safe, (despite the fact I wasn’t), and demanded action be taken. If they couldn’t get the MC for anything illegal, the school and the police would have come down on me or my mother for inviting this ‘criminal element’ into their school.

While many students at the school would have thought it cool a motorcycle club had shown up at the school, their jealousy of them coming to give me a lift would have sparked further bullying. Those rich children of lawyers would have sounded off how if the bikers did anything to them, they’d be arrested and many would have taken the school’s negative reaction to the club coming to their school as a message to bully me more. There would have been taunts of how my motorcycle friends couldn’t do anything. Therefore, while I would have been bully free for a few days, the arrival of a biker gang to come give me a ride would have made things worse.

This was and still is a factor in bullying in a leafy suburban town, where many have money. Money is power and that combination gives people and their children the power to throw their weight around in such settings. Rich kids can be bullies because they know that mommy and daddy will come to their aid, often times with high priced lawyers. I had this experience myself and it is little wonder that my first wife used to call me an ‘inverted snob.’

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&dchild=1&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1635789441&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1

Friends Can Disagree

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, bullying, Facebook, friendship, opinionated man, Politics, social media

One occurrence which has been happening more and more in recent years is friendships ending because of a difference of political opinion. There are countless examples of people unfriending or being unfriended because of a political opinion posted on social media which someone didn’t agree with. It seems that these days that a requirement for being someone’s friend is that they must have the same political philosophy as you. What utter bunk! Friends are friends because they find that person worthy of their company and want that company. They don’t have to agree with that person on everything to be friends. I have friends who don’t hold the same opinions as I do but we have many other interests which we do share. I am not about to unfriend anyone just because I don’t agree with their opinion.

Looking at it one way, it is a form of bullying. It’s the case of “If you don’t think the way I do, then I’m not going to be your friend.” As a teacher, I have had to deal with this type of bullying with children so imagine how silly it is with adults. By the way, both left and right are equally guilty here. The left will brand those who don’t agree with them rednecks or racists while the right uses terms such as woke in their attempts to force that person into their way of thinking. In any case, withdrawing your friendship from someone who doesn’t think like you is wrong no matter which side of the political fence you reside. Furthermore, if someone doesn’t want to be your friend because they don’t totally agree with everything you believe, then they aren’t a true friend.

Jello Biafra

Jello Biafra highlighted this twenty years ago when he said that if we only spend time with people who think like us, then we have lost the chance to explain why we feel the way we do and listen to the other’s point of view. Therefore, we have lost the opportunity for real dialogue. I definitely see his point here and I will go further and ask, why should we let one area where we might not agree spoil a friendship? Especially when there is so many other points you might share in common with that other person. The best thing here is to agree to disagree and therefore, you can focus on the other great things in life you might agree fully on. It’s not always all about politics.

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&dchild=1&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1635288413&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1

Looking Forward to Sunday

Tags

American football, anxiety, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, DAMP, sports

Philadelphia Eagles

Sunday I will be finally be doing something I’ve never done in the sixty years I’ve been on the planet, I’m going to a live NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars in London. My eldest son, Jake, is a big Dolphins fan. Many people assume because I grew up in the US, I had to have gone to at least one, I haven’t. I’ve been to other professional American football games, two USFL games back in the 1980s, a World League game and an NFL Europe game but never an NFL game. It was one of those things I was always meaning to do but never actually got around to it. So now, I’m finally getting my chance.

My getting the tickets wasn’t without some anxious moments. First, when I went online to purchase them, there were 29,748 people ahead of me. That was in spite of getting in line literally one minute after the sales were officially open. I had to wait nearly an hour and by the time my turn came, I could no longer get three tickets together. Therefore, my sons and I are sitting in three different sections. They aren’t bothered as they still get to see the game.

This evening tested my Asperger’s mind to the limit. I was emailed the tickets with instructions on how to download them to my cell phone. I followed the instructions but when I got to the final step, an error occurred each time. I had help from two of my step-daughters but the problem wasn’t solved. The anxiety levels rose and even though there is five days before the game, I went into panic mode that modern technology was going to prevent me from seeing the game. There was lots of swearing as a result. Fortunately, I emailed the other two tickets to my sons and I was able to phone Jake who came to my rescue. He found what was wrong and I was able to get the tickets to my phone, so I’m all set.

However, the anxiety hasn’t all gone away. We have to catch a bus in Cardiff at 7AM to get to London. I’ll be staying at my daughter Rowena’s place on the Saturday night and I worry that I won’t get up in time or that there will be something to delay me on the road or my car will break down even though I had it checked out last week. Yes, I probably need a slap.

Well, all I can do is say wish me luck and I will let you know how everything went as this has all inspired a post for next week.

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&dchild=1&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1634067512&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1

A Fifth Reason Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Involve the Union

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, bullying, Karl Marx, victimization, work place

I knew when I was writing my last post, “Clearing My Mind of Trash,” that there was another reason why I didn’t go to the union when certain militant colleagues said I should because the company was victimizing me. It just slipped my mind the other evening. A few months after I got the promotion, a contract dispute arose between the company and union. During one union meeting, a hotheaded militant stated that we should all clock out right then and go home. He had support among some of his cronies. However, I didn’t think going on strike at the time was the right strategy. Work was slow, we were in August and already filling Christmas orders. Therefore, I thought that the company would have loved for us to go on strike because they wouldn’t have to pay us. I thought the best course of action would have been a ‘work to rule.’ As a result, I voted against the motion as did so many others because it was defeated.

Here’s the thing, I think that if I had gone to the union about the promotion, it would have been used by the militants to cajole me into voting their way. In my mind, I could hear the main hothead saying to me, “If it wasn’t for the union, you’d still be sweeping the floor.” With my Asperger’s mind, I would have allowed that guilt trip to persuade me to vote against my conscience. So in the end, I am glad that I never went to the union in the first place.

Clearing My Mind of Trash

Tags

anxiety, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, bullying, Intrusive thoughts, Karl Marx, socialism, victimization

Nice guy probably but his theory is unworkable.

Throughout my life and it seems even more so in recent years, I have had problems with intrusive thoughts. Most of these intrusive thoughts are a result of bullying I suffered when I was younger and in many of those thoughts, I change the outcome of the particular scenario but the thoughts can still make me angry. However, I’m not going to talk about that here.

What I am going to talk about happened over thirty years ago when I worked in a factory in London. I started there as a cleaner and on several occasions, I was knocked back when attempting to advance. I had this one friend who was a bit of a Trotskyite militant who kept trying to get me to appeal to the union. I didn’t do so for several reasons, one of which was directly to do with him. I once semi-joked that the union could go on strike for me, to which he responded, “I wouldn’t do that.” I thought, “What a hypocrite!” Here he is trying to get me to go to the union but wouldn’t do anything in support of that. If it were the other way around and I gave such advice and the union called everyone out on strike, I would have been the first to down tools and walk out. That is an issue with self-styled Marxists. They are quick to stir the pot as long as it doesn’t effect them.

Another reason was that it was the late 1980s and it was an American owned company. Thinking of American working practices and the busting of unions by the Reagan Administration, I believed that going to the union might have gotten me promoted but then when it all blew over six months later, they would have made me redundant saying they need to cut back on that position. Someone might have even chided that if I hadn’t gone to the union and bitched about promotion, I would still have a job. Believe me, that happened a lot in 80s Reagan America.

To make a long story short, I was eventually promoted. However, in the first week of my new job, while I was eating my lunch, the shop steward passed by, stopped and asked, “You’re a filler now, aren’t you?” It turned out, if I had appealed to the union, the company wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on and I would have been promoted sooner. This is what led to the intrusive thoughts about it over the years. That maybe I should have gone to the union and I found myself running scenarios through my mind as to what happened if I had. Therefore, to clear my mind, hopefully once and for all, of this, I will now list the not positive points of what might have happened if I had gone to the union.

1. I would have been known as ‘the guy who only got promoted on account of the union.’ There might have been resentment towards me from the top because I brought the union in and those in higher places might have looked down on me on account of it.
2. Anyone could have said, “It’s only because of the union he’s not a cleaner anymore.” Some might believe that I didn’t get the promotion on my own merit but only on a union directive and therefore, never deserved the promotion. That might have included people who were in full support of me moving up when I was a cleaner.
3. I was going to be made the next filler anyway. Yes, I probably was but it would have been twisted around that I never needed to go to the union. Some could say that my actions were unnecessary.
4. Three years later, I moved out of London and sought work in my new home. When checking for a reference, my old company could have said that I only got promoted because I went to the union. Some would be employers might see me as some sort of militant troublemaker.

The main reason I want to shed these thoughts is the fact that working at the factory thirty years ago no longer effects me. I am a teacher and I have a great job, so in the long run, it doesn’t matter. I know I shouldn’t spend once brain cell thinking about it but with my mind, that’s easier said than done. I hope that this post will clear that rubbish from my mind.

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&dchild=1&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1633461429&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1

Asking a Question Is Not Sharing an Opinion

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, DAMP, opinionated man, Politics, sports

A few weeks ago, in my post, “There Is Still Too Much Sexism in Sports,” I pointed out how respondents on the Quora site, all men, attacked me for asking if women tennis players, beach volley ball players and gymnasts should be allowed to compete in more modest clothes. If you want to read that post, click the link below:

There’s Still Too Much Sexism in Sports

The point of today’s post is that people think that because you ask a question on a certain topic, that you must be sharing a definite opinion on that topic. The men who attacked me think that I want female athletes to play in 1907 clothing or Muslim attire. I don’t. While I think there is too much objectification of women in sports, that wasn’t the point of my question, all I did was to ask a question as to whether or not women should be allowed to compete in less revealing attire. I was not stating an opinion one way or the other but it seems there are quite a lot of ignorant people out there who don’t understand this.

Not long after, I asked another question and encountered the same blow back, although not on the scale of the women’s sports question. With my strange curiosity getting the better and inspired by the Olympics where Great Britain competes as an entire nation, I asked why doesn’t it do the same thing at World Cups? In both the rugby and soccer World Cups, the the four nations which make up Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland play in these tournaments as separate nations. I pondered that wouldn’t it increase their chances of winning if all four nations came together and played as Great Britain?

To be fair, on this occasion, the vast majority of the responses were very informative with many giving good explanations as to why the four nations don’t play as Great Britain. However, there were two, who while they also gave good explanations, spoiled it with ignorant comments at the end. The one guy was okay, he simply stated that he couldn’t go along with my suggestion. I informed him that I wasn’t suggesting anything but merely asking a question to which he had given a good answer to. He responded with a “Like” to my response. However, the other respondent stated at the end that he rejected my ill thought out idea. I responded that I wasn’t ill thinking out anything but only asking a question. However, he didn’t reply to my response in any way.

So my question is: why do people think that if you are questioning something, you have a definite opinion on that topic? I thought the whole reason of asking a question is so you can gain further knowledge and understanding about said topic. What’s more, is that this only seems to be a recent phenomenon. A few years ago, I asked if the US deserved the guilt trip for its late entry into World War One, I got a lot of measured responses. No one attacked me for the question on either side of the argument. I think people should lighten up and we need to go back to those days. Remember, I ask a question because I want to learn and understand and maybe hear what you have to say on the topic of that question. I am not putting forth an opinion on it. Please, everyone just lighten up!

Ready For a Fight

Tags

Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, bullying, DAMP, Facebook, fights, social media, song lyrics, Weird Al Yankovick

This time, it wasn’t a case of being or not being woke, this time, I was attacked online because I got a song title wrong. I follow the Facebook page of Weird Al Yankovick, a singer best known for parodies of other songs. His most famous ones are parodies of two Michael Jackson songs, “Beat It” and “Bad” respectively titled “Eat It” and “Fat” and a parody of the Coolio hit, “Gangster’s Paradise” which is called, “Amish Paradise.” Anyway, one thread asked followers to name their favourite Weird Al songs. Mine are “Good Old Days,” “That Boy Could Dance” and “A Complicated Song.” However, I didn’t know that exact title of that last song, I thought it was called “Constipated” because that’s the theme of the first verse.

Weird Al Yankovick

Not long after, I get a response from another Weird Al fan telling me the correct title of the song. I would have thanked him if he hadn’t added, “A true Weird Al fan would know that.” I replied that the album the song was on was given to me as a copied CD and the sender didn’t include the song titles. This person stated that I could have checked anywhere and that common sense should tell me that. With his patronizing comments, I was beginning to feel my blood boil and I was ready to engage in a slanging match with him. Therefore, I began forming arguments and counter insults in my brain.

Not wanting to be the asshole first, I simply asked him if it really mattered that I got the title wrong and then sat back waiting for some sort of patronizing response where I would then retaliate with my full arsenal. To my surprise, this person agreed that it wasn’t really that important and that he does get a bit ‘anal’ when people get Weird Al’s songs wrong. Well, that kind of took the wind out of my sails. I was all ready for a keyboard battle but it didn’t happen. Furthermore, he admitted that he was being anal, something I was ready to call him out on. So in the end, I praised him for being such a hardcore Weird Al fan.

That’s the thing with cyber bullying. I know of horrendous stories of people being bullied online by people they know but it can be different with people who could be halfway around the world. You’re not going to ever meet these people in the flesh so it’s much easier to be aggressive with them. That’s another downside of the net, because one will never meet people whom they don’t agree with, they can hurl abusive insults at them and get away with it. Of course, the other person can hurl them back just as easily. This doesn’t always make internet chat rooms and forums a nice place and why I usually don’t go into them. But if I do and someone resorts to hurling insults or downright abuse, then I can give it back just as much, though I don’t really want to.

As a result of this post, I’ve decided to make this week “Weird Al Yankovick Week.” All song lyrics posts will be Weird Al songs.

To buy He Was Weird, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Weird-Publisher-Generation-Publishing/dp/B00SLVHRFG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36I8I1G32U0R4&dchild=1&keywords=he+was+weird&qid=1614625425&s=books&sprefix=he+was+%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1