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Was John Lennon's murderer Mark Chapman a CIA hitman?
Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall
Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The BBC made an excellent documentary about the extensive role US intelligence played in John Lennon's life (and death). They played it here in New Zealand for the 30th anniversary. I doubt if it got air time in the US. It was the first time I had heard Yoko speak out about the assassination. I was astonished to learn of the number of assassination attempts she experienced (starting the day after John was killed). Even more ominous were all the break-ins she experienced to her apartment at the Dakota Hotel. She talks about John's personal stuff being stolen - letters, his diary. The diary was later put back with obvious forgeries in it. She talks about a letter John got from Chapman a month before the murder, where the date was altered and put back in the apartment. All the break-ins, assassination attempts against his mom clearly took a toll on Sean Lennon. Who is utterly convinced the US government killed his dad. I first became aware of the government role in Lennon's assassination in 1987, owing to my own close encounter with US intelligence. I write about this in my recent memoir THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY ACT: MEMOIR OF AN AMERICAN REFUGEE (http://www.stuartbramhall.com/). I currently live in exile in New Zealand.
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WaPo 2010 neologism contest
Pat Myers
Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Actually, it's two Style Invitational contests from back in 1998 that are the sources of many of the neologisms in the list above. (But not all: For example, "decafalon" isn't a one-letter change from "decathlon," is it? Or "caterpallor"?)

Much better to see the current Invitational -- every week at washingtonpost.com/styleinvitational. We've had more than 600 contests since the ones above! The Style Invitational is published every Saturday in The Post's Style (features) section, and every Friday afternoon at about 3:30 Eastern time. There are neologism contests regularly, and lots of other sources of humor as well.

For example, we asked readers recently to coin a new word or term that was a palindrome (it's spelled the same backward and forward). Here are some of the top winners (results printed Oct. 16):

AHA HAHA: When you finally get the joke. (Tom Flaherty, Culpeper, Va.)

EGADAGE: "Heck," "darn," etc. (Jeff Contompasis, Ashburn)

NAMETAG-GATEMAN: The conference organizer who won't let you enter until you've ruined your jacket with adhesive paper. (Dion Black, Washington)

AMENEMA: Blessed relief. (Anne Morgan, Fairfax, a First Offender)

DROWSYSWORD: Impotence. (Roy Ashley, Washington)

See the rest of the winners and learn how to enter the current contest at washingtonpost.com/styleinvitational. Or you can become a fan of "Washington Post Style" on Facebook (go to facebook.com/wapostyle ) and you'll get a link to the Invitational when it's posted. I hope you become a regular reader and maybe even a regular entrant.

Best, The Empress of The Style Invitational
The Washington Post
losers@washpost.com