Thomas Keister
Politically active, Keister served as Vice-Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Floyd County from 2007-2009. Prior to that, Keister served as Treasurer from 2004-2007.
The author of six books, Keister currently resides in New Albany, Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. His latest book, The Devil's in the Details, co-written with Darrell Mays, is available through Lulu.com
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Articles by Thomas Keister
April 03, 2009
While it has been fairly easy to criticize the amount of change going down in President Obama's first 100 days, or whether or not one can, in fact, believe in it, another vital problem was actually being addressed. Yes, in the new advent of witless talking point manuevers by the right-wing, a Republ...
March 15, 2009
I'm still trying to get a handle on the events of the past couple of weeks with the Obama administration. First, there were news reports of plans being kicked around to make veterans use private insurance to pay for VA care, an absolute outrage. Then, take into consideration the shape some of the VA...
December 31, 2008
It usually takes just a bit to surprise me when it comes to politics, and keep in mind, 2008 was the year that Sarah Palin was unloosed upon us, but I'm admittedly jaw-dropped over the bruhaha developing over the appointment of Roland Burris by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill the vac...
November 18, 2008
It was with equal parts great interest and trepidation that I read 'A system's fatal flaws,' a very well-written article by the Houston Chronicle's Susan Carroll, the first part of a three-part series on the massive and outrageous failure of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to do much of anyt...
October 26, 2008
Well, here we are, just about a week away from what people are calling the most important presidential election of our lifetimes. Kind of hard to disagree, really. Of course, being a card-carrying Libertarian for nearly five years now, this is my second go-around with the perpetual aggravation of b...
October 20, 2008
I have been an author, blogger, and syndicated columnist since 2000, and a writer even longer than that. I write because I enjoy it, not because of an overwhelming desire to be remembered as a literary heavyweight. Don't get me wrong, a little fame and fortune wouldn't be bad, but all in due time, I...
July 26, 2008
When I moved to southern Indiana nearly nine years ago, it was on a Sunday. Why not, I figured. When I got everything in and settled, I was more than ready to crack open a six-pack. Imagine my surprise when informed I would have to meander across the river to Louisville to buy anything. They had blu...
June 08, 2008
This was definitely one of those stories where the headline caused a double take, and then, right after reading the story, yet another double take. An adult female giraffe at Israel's largest zoo apparently fell ill, so a vet was called in. Seems fairly obvious enough, not much of a story here, I'll...
May 15, 2008
Yep, it's arguments like this that do the "pro" War on Drugs front no favors. In light of recent developments, for better and worse, on both sides of the issue, you at home knew, just like the idiots cutting the head off a corpse they dug up to use for a bong, eventually we'd get hit with another B....
April 13, 2008
The author, while not a hardcore gamer, does enjoy his XBox 360 when not hosting Probably Uncalled For Tuesday nights on Blog Talk Radio.
February 21, 2008
Dr. Thomas Keister hosts Probably Uncalled For, an award-nominated radio show, airing live Tuesday nights 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific at BlogTalkRadio.com/ProbablyUncalledFor and through the week at ProbablyUncalledFor.com
February 12, 2008
I love stop smoking campaigns. The asinine, overblown, emo, condescending, in-your-face ads have helped further the mystique that no matter how bad the facts are, no matter how much dog and pony show they can jam into 30 second spots for endless replay during America's commercial breaks, people are ...
February 01, 2008
I have said for years that the Food and Drug Administration is, for the most part, worthless, a wind-sock in a land devoid of breeze. For every report of tainted Chinese crap hitting the mainstream media last year, I swear I could count three or four commercials touting some cockamamie (no pun inten...
January 30, 2008
While you know some things just have to be coincidental, there is no denying eh guilty pleasure of connecting those events into some half-assed conspiracy theory or freak sequence of one things invariably leading to the others. Such is the case with two stories we clearly blame on Hannah Montana, Di...
December 03, 2007
With the oppressive, vice-like grip of the holiday season firmly around our wallets, as well as other vital parts of our anatomy, I figured it was only a matter of time before some fairly ludicrous stories involving air travel came to light. Not that it isn't already fairly ludicrous that you have t...
November 26, 2007
Since the band done packed up and grabbed the first available lifeboat outta Dodge, there is very little left to do but watch Dubya try to steer what's left of ship around with an iceberg jammed in its backside. This entails locking a bit of that world-famous tunnel vision on "kitchen table issues,"...
November 23, 2007
With the holiday season now officially upon us, it becomes easier to remember the infinite numbers of ways human suffering exists here on this planet mudball, especially given the infinite numbers of crusades, charity drives, fundraisers, and the related promotion thereof ready and waiting to wash o...
October 26, 2007
You know you are heading into one of these weekends when you see the numbers in a report from the Congressional Budget Office. According to the CBO, the United States has spent roughly $604 billion on the military efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the tab is estimated to hit $2.4 trillion over th...
October 24, 2007
It's a video gamer's world, baby. Around the same time the statistic came out that more people in the United States are playing World of Warcraft than farming, Britain has instituted their latest high-profile recruiting tool, by way of advertising in online game sessions for PC and console gamers, i...
October 22, 2007
I kind of figured it was time for another high-profile resignation of some sort from the Republicans. On October 19, Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) announced the end of his tenure as general chairman of the Republican National Committee, eleven months after being named to the post by President Bush. The m...
October 15, 2007
With growing public discord over the veto by President Bush of proposed expansion of the SCHIP program, I found it particularly classless, but typical of the wholesale apathy by the GOP and their right-wing media machine, going after a 12-yr kid. The kid, Graeme Frost, suffered severe brain injuries...
October 04, 2007
Hooray for misguided outrage, I find myself thinking from the gallery as the brouhaha builds over the execution last month of Michael Richard in Texas (not to be confused with Michael Richards of Seinfeld or unfortunate video footage fame). On the day Richard was set to be executed by lethal injecti...
October 03, 2007
With all of the flat-out denial we get treated to on a daily basis regarding the current state of our fiasco in Iraq, I imagine sometimes it is easy to forget that Iraq is not the only war America is losing. In the midst of plummeting approval ratings for both the president and congress, a less-than...
September 27, 2007
I can honestly say I have never seen rats fleeing a sinking ship. This is in part due to the fact I am not a giant fan of boats, but that's not the point. I can also say, with equal honesty, that I have never seen half the rats run to the back of the boat and shoot the bow up in the air, but I think...
July 30, 2007
While the vast majority of negative press seems to be centered on Iraq, it's not exactly comforting to hear new and excting reports of what may be the true agenda of the efforts against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The evidence has managed to creep in under the wire of mainstream media here and there...
July 25, 2007
Talk about subsidized denial. New Haven, Connecticut became the first city in the United State to issue identification cards to illegal immigrants this week. Set to be in full swing following a measure voted in by the Board of Aldermen last month, it sure sounds to me like some certain city is afrai...
May 04, 2007
It was with considerable interest I read Eleanor Clift's April 27 Newsweek.com commentary ("A Third-Party Ticket in 2008?") regarding Law & Order star Sam Waterson's support of Unity '08, a proposed "third" party ticket in the formation stages. Part of my interest was peaked with the prospect of ano...
April 25, 2007
With the face-off in waiting in the wings, Democratic leaders have launched a bill which would start the withdrawal of troops from Iraq by October 1, or earlier if G-Dub cannot show progress from the Iraqi government. The ultimate pull-out goal would be completed within six months of the initial wit...
April 24, 2007
It's like watching the C-Span version of Whose Line is it Anyway, the jabberwocky being produced by the Alberto Gonzales fiasco. After Gonzales' textbook example of twisting in the wind, the soundbites have been flowing like they are fighting upstream to mate with something. Depending on who is bump...
April 10, 2007
The Regulator vs. Jebediah Blackhawk: The Regulator was on his way back to action in CCW, returning from the shoulder injury he reportedly sustained at the hands of Blackhawk following a professional arm wrestling exhibition. Over the last few weeks, the big man has more than went out of his way to ...
March 18, 2007
With not only Kliff Hanger squaring off with Vic the Bruiser in a rematch for the CCW Heavyweight title that the Black Redneck had to wheel and deal overtime, much to Vic's expense, to gain, but a big-time tag team collision with CCW Tag Team Champions The Fat N The Furious meeting "Smooth" Johnny S...
March 18, 2007
CCW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION:
VIC THE BRUISER: Vic has cut a wide swath of destruction throughout Classic Championship Wrestling since capturing the Heavyweight Championship from "Smooth" Johnny Spade. From Spade to Kliff Hanger and beyond, The Bruiser has either shrugged off, laughed off, or very simp...
March 13, 2007
It isn't very often you see mention of World Wrestling Entertainment or the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the business section of a newspaper. More often than not, when either company is named, there is a spot that usually proves the mainstreams media's overall ignorance of an established and su...
March 12, 2007
Commissioner Chris Alexander opened the show by calling Kliff Hanger to the ring. With the shocking turn of events last week, the question on everybody's mind was whether or not the Black Redneck was going to abandon his quest for the CCW Heavyweight title. Reminding Kliff of the 'stipulation' from ...
March 06, 2007
Chris Chaos & Matt Back vs. The HNIC (Apollo & JB Thunder): If you thought the HNIC has a general disdain for Portland on Tuesday nights, you should see it when they hit Northwestern Parkway on a Saturday night! The unruly tandem is now proclaiming they they should be the CCW Tag Team Champions, and...
March 03, 2007
Tommy "T-Dogg" Foreman vs. Matt Maverick: T-Dogg, the way-ward "relative" of boxing great George Foreman seemed a little shell-shocked as he made his way into the CCW Arena for action against Matt Maverick to open tonight's event. Armed with his trademark boxing gloves, Foreman might have been hopin...
February 16, 2007
Jebediah Blackhawk & Brandon Scott vs. The Blackhearts (w/Tim the Baker):
Another masked duo debuted tonight in CCW under the tutelage of the ever-present Tim the Baker in The Blackhearts. While the masked men presented an impressive pair of heavyweights, the crowd did not share the same sentime...
February 05, 2007
CCW 1.30.07
Hitting the ring, Commissioner Chris Alexander brought a hint of deja vu with him as Classic Championship Wrestling was off and running with another intense Tuesday night lineup, immediately (and angrily) calling Vic the Bruiser to the ring once again. With his sickening actions last ...
January 26, 2007
Commissioner Chris Alexander kicked off live action by angrily demanding the presence of Vic the Bruiser, whom Alexander wanted to answer for his actions with Miss Holly Wood last week, among other things. Full of defiance as always, Vic immediately pressed the Commish as to who exactly he thought h...
January 12, 2007
With the memory of CCW's huge 2006 finale still fresh in the fans minds, the seats were going fast as bell time approached on another exciting year from the fastest growing independent professional wrestling promotions in the region. With new CCW Heavyweight Champion "Smooth" Johnny Spade now in the...
December 22, 2006
Before live action kicked off this week, CCW Heavyweight Champion Dynamite Derrick was on his way to the ring, microphone in hand and nothing but...ahem...love for the faithful who had packed the CCW Arena for the huge final show of 2006! Facing the dogged determination of "Smooth" Johnny Spade, thi...
December 15, 2006
With a packed line-up featuring not only a tag team collision between "Smooth" Johnny Spade and Biff Wellington III and Cujo and CCW Heavyweight Champion Dynamite Derrick, but a tag team war for the CCW Tag Team titles under dog collar rules and the hotly-awaited first match between The Prophet and ...
December 07, 2006
Action kicked off with Randy Royal hitting the ring, much to the displeasure of the sold-out house. Taking the time to remind the audience that there were new CCW Tag Team Champions, Royal was quickly joined by Guido Andretti and K-Lo, who even took the time to dress in full Santa regalia, with the ...
December 03, 2006
Classic Championship Wrestling welcomed a capacity crowd to the CCW Arena for their latest Pro-Am Slam event. As the fans milled around the building, it was obvious the hot topic was the pending collision between The Fat N The Furious and The Brute Squad disguised as a CCW Tag Team Championship rema...
December 02, 2006
There are times I find myself thinking the justice system just doesn't work. Then, there are those times I know the justice system doesn't work. Of course, since I'm writing about it at all, you know it has to be one of the latter times.
For this, we head to Urbana, Illinois, also known as the ho...
November 30, 2006
HNIC vs. El Oro Guapo & The Inmate (w/Tim the Baker):
In-ring action kicked off this week with the ever-present Tim the Baker leading the new tandem of El Oro Guapo and The Inmate out for the opening match. While Guapo ran into some rough luck in his CCW debut last week, Tim the Baker was hoping ...
November 23, 2006
Thanksgiving week brought out the standard sell-out crowd to Portland, as Classic Championship Wrestling provided yet another action-packed line-up to the CCW Arena. While the NFL may have Thanksgiving proper, CCW doesn't need a holiday to continue their tradition of the hottest independent wrestlin...
October 30, 2006
While Kentuckiana was riding out the cold snap until Sunday, when relief was in sight, the autumn chill meant another Fall Classic was ready to emerge - Classic Championship Wrestling. With the inaugural Tag Team and Heavyweight champions set to be crowned, along with an under card featuring not onl...
October 26, 2006
The unseasonably cool weather didn't dampen the mood of the CCW faithful, as they filled the CCW Arena to standing room only within minutes of bell time. The promotion has been undergoing quite a few changes as they prepare to launch a weekly television broadcast, and the quality of the action has b...
October 12, 2006
The atmosphere behind the scenes has been electric as the finals of the CCW Heavyweight title tournament approaches October 17, and with the opportunity to shine on television looming on the horizon, it's hard to say who's been luckier the past several weeks, the stars of Classic Championship Wrestl...
October 05, 2006
Fall quickly turned to indian summer as the fans filed into the CCW Arena, ready to rock as not only was one finalist for the CCW Heavyweight Title Tournament going to be determined, in the highly anticipated Dynamite Derrick/Kliff Hanger match, but a preview would be provided of the other Semi Fina...
September 30, 2006
While I'm sure to be far from the first to bring this up, especially since I read it elsewhere to begin with, it still bears enjoyment. Ex-Rep. Mark Foley (R-West Palm Beach) of Florida, on President Bill Clinton in 1998:
"It's vile."
"It's more sad than anything else, to see someone with suc...
September 28, 2006
Classic Championship Wrestling kicked off Fall 2006 with some big plans in the works, all of which leads to the best in professional wrestling action each and every week to Louisville, Kentucky. The fans have become accustomed to this, and the capacity crowd at 34th and Northwestern Parkway by 7:25 ...
September 23, 2006
As a mild sixties evening reminded us that fall was right around the corner, the seats weren't empty for long as the CCW faithful quickly took to their chairs, hotly anticipating the final show of a very successful summer for Classic Championship Wrestling. With the conclusion of the First Round and...
September 15, 2006
Thank goodness. Here I was, thinking maybe it just wasn't moral enough outside. The cartoon bluebirds hadn't been around in a couple of weeks. Luckily, Phil Burress and his Citizens for Community Values have arrived to rescue me from my own lack of sarcasm. Burress and his organization are part of a...
September 14, 2006
Despite thunderstorms dotting the Ohio valley Tuesday, by 7 pm the growing fan base of classic championship wrestling had braved the elements to ensure yet another sold-out house at the CCW Arena. The evening opened on a somber note with a 10 bell salute and moment of silence for the father of “Smoo...
September 07, 2006
With the kickoff of Classic Championship Wrestling's inaugural heavyweight title tournament, as well as another chapter in the feud between the Fat and the Furious and HNIC, the CCW Arena found itself packed with fans once again, as the Tuesday night shows in Louisville continues to grow in populari...
August 30, 2006
As the doors were ready to open for CCW's weekly home date at the CCW Arena, the buzz from the parking lot to the locker rooms centered on one topic, the bracket for the inaugural CCW Heavyweight Championship Tournament, which would be announced during the show. As expected, the crowds continue to h...
August 25, 2006
With tension and controversy still raging from Fan Appreciation Night, the seats at the CCW Arena were quickly packed to the rafters, as the fans were anxious for answers from last week's big event. With the crowd overflowing into the hallway outside the arena entrance, I found myself thankful for m...
August 16, 2006
However short the break in temperature lasted in the Louisville-area, it never cools down at the CCW Arena. A growing number of fans have been packing the Tuesday night shows, and this week was no exception, as the crowd was near standing room only a mere ten minutes after the doors opened. Tuesday'...
July 30, 2006
You just have to love how this stuff works. The United States, despite playing the standard "can't confirm or dent" card (of which, I'm sure, is a stockpile bigger than the strategic oil reserve), was informed Friday by the United Nations that they need to shut down any secret U.S. detention centers...
July 26, 2006
I should have seen this one coming. Under legislation being kicked around in the Indiana House, a curfew law would allow children to be in public places after curfew, if they are under prior written permission of a parent or guardian. Every other problem must have been solved, I guess. Must have ski...
July 18, 2006
I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. So far, the future has been a rip-off. The brave new world they were touting in the 80s is just as far away as it was when the hype was written differently in the 60s. Seriously, about all they have done is create the internet and make the cell phone,...
July 16, 2006
I could barely hold my surprise, sarcasm intended, when the announcement came down Friday that the University of Louisville had signed football coach Bobby Petrino to a ten-year contract, worth at least $25.5 million on July 13. The university, which has raised tuition by levels thought only to exis...
July 15, 2006
It was truly a shining moment. On a scale of one-to-ten in the realm of trivial knowledge, this was an easy perfect ten, no doubt about it. And where else would I acquire such a factoid, but from the good people at the Smithsonian, of course. Rather than keep the suspense up, we're talking about sna...