Neil Chacker wrote the Random Shots column in ATC under the byline R. F. Kampfer. He was an antiwar GI during the Vietnam War and a socialist most of his adult life. As an autoworker, he was a participant in rank-and-file caucuses. His column was a reflection of his sly sense of humor.
Best of Random Shots
Against the Current, No. 114, January/February 2005
Random Shots: Save That Scrap Metal
Against the Current, No. 111, July/August 2004
Random Shots: All Our Crosses to Bear
Against the Current, No. 110, May/June 2004
Random Shots: Let It All Hang Out
Against the Current, No. 109, March/April 2004
Random Shots: What Do You Worship?
Against the Current, No. 108, January/February 2004
Random Shots: Now It Can Be Told
Against the Current, No. 107, November/December 2003
Random Shots: Word Processing by Candlelight
Against the Current, No. 106, September/October 2003
Random Shots: Iraq and a Hard Place
Against the Current, No. 105, July/August 2003
Random Shots: That Was the War That Was
Against the Current, No. 104, May/June 2003
Random Shots: Just Say No to Dubya
Against the Current, No. 103, March/April 2003
Random Shots: We Have Met the Enemy
Against the Current, No. 102, January/February 2003
Random Shots: Idle Idylls of Old Idols
Against the Current, No. 101, November/December 2002
Random Shots: Life Imitates Art
Against the Current, No. 100, September/October 2002
Random Shots: Of Drugs and Diamonds
Against the Current, No. 99, July/August 2002
Random Shots: The Kings of the World
Against the Current, No. 98, May/June 2002
Random Shots: Dubya's Many Axes of Evil
Against the Current, No. 97, March/April 2002
Random Shots: Pirates, Gladiators and Assassins
Against the Current, No. 96, January/February 2002
Random Shots: Notes for Life Under Siege
Against the Current, No. 95, November/December 2001
Random Shots: Teens and Other Freaks
Against the Current, No. 94, September/October 2001
Random Shots: The Prices of Progress
Against the Current, No. 93, July/August 2001
Random Shots: Tender Loving Care
Against the Current, No. 92, May/June 2001
Random Shots: Daimler and Dubya Chronicles
Against the Current, No. 91, March/April 2001
Random Shots: Annals of Combat
Against the Current, No. 90, January/ February 2001
Going to the Dogs (and Babies)
Against the Current, No. 89, November/ December 2000
Random Shots: People and Other Animals
Against the Current, No. 88, September/ October 2000
Memories of Tony Cliff
Against the Current, No. 88, September/ October 2000
Random Shots: Stranger Than Cinema
Against the Current, No. 87, July/August 2000
Random Shots: These Trading Times
Against the Current, No. 86, May/June 2000
Random Shots: New and Old Millenia
Against the Current, No. 85, March/April 2000
Random Shots: Go And Do Likewise
Against the Current, No. 83, November/December 1999
Random Shots: That Was the War That Was
Against the Current, No. 82, September/October 1999
Random Shots: Balkan Wars, Now and Then
Against the Current, No. 81, July/August 1999
Random Shots: Weird Sex and Boiled Bacon
Against the Current, No. 80, May/June 1999
Random Shots: Sic Transit Gloria Bunny
Against the Current, No. 79, March/April 1999
Random Shots: Notes From Starr's Chamber
Against the Current, No. 78, January/February 1999
Random Shots: Great World Leaders on Parade
Against the Current, No. 77, November/December 1998
Random Shots: Red Flags Over Motor City
Against the Current, No. 76, September/October 1998
Random Shots: In Praise of Viagra Mania
Against the Current, No. 75, July/August 1998
Random Shots: Skating on Thin Ice
Against the Current, No. 74, May/June 1998
Random Shots: The NASA Seniors Tour
Against the Current, No. 73, March/April 1998
Random Shots: Kampfer's Armageddon Now
Against the Current, No. 72, January/February 1998
Random Shots: A Festival of Bad Taste
Against the Current, No. 71, November/December 1997
Random Shots: Kampfer's Summer of Love
Against the Current, No. 70, September/October 1997
Random Shots: Fables of Bill and the Newt
Against the Current, No. 69, July/August 1997
Random Shots: The Truth About Scientology
Against the Current, No. 68, May/June 1997
Random Shots: The Sexual Is the Political
Against the Current, No. 67, March/April 1997
Random Shots: The Life of the Party
Against the Current, No. 66, January/February 1997
Random Shots: Notes from a Smoker's Diary
Against the Current, No. 65, November/December 1996
Random Shots: Kampfer's Kreative Krossword
Against the Current, No. 64, September/October 1996
Random Shots: Wages and Other Minima
Against the Current, No. 63, July/August 1996
Random Shots: Politics, Religion and Mad Cows
Against the Current, No. 62, May/June 1996
Random Shots: Kampfer's Modest Suggestions
Against the Current, No. 61, March/April 1996
Random Shots: Notes for the Holidays
Against the Current, No. 60, January/February 1996
Random Shots: Bad Cop! No Donut!
Against the Current, No. 59, November/December 1995
Random Shots: Kampfer, Eat Like Him
Against the Current, No. 58, September/October 1995
Random Shots: PROgress and CONgress
Against the Current, No. 57, July/August 1995
Random Shots: Icons of Our Times
Against the Current, No. 56, May/June 1995
Random Shots: Politically (Un)Kosher Recipes
Against the Current, No. 55, March/April 1995
Random Shots: Post-election Punditry
Against the Current, No. 54, January/February 1995
Random Shots: Family Values for Beginners
Against the Current, No. 53, November/December 1994
Random Shots: Time to Face the Music
Against the Current, No. 52, September/October 1994
Random Shots: Cholesterol for the Masses
Against the Current, No. 51, July/August 1994
Random Shots: Springtime in Michigan
Against the Current, No. 50, May/June 1994
Random Shots: Oh, Those Good Old Days
Against the Current, No. 49, March/April 1994
Random Shots: The Spirits of the Season
Against the Current, No. 48, January/February 1994
Random Shots: Pixilated Political Paradoxes
Against the Current, No. 47, November/December 1993
Random Shots: The Wars of the World
Against the Current, No. 46, September/October 1993
Random Shots: A Celebration of the Market
Against the Current, No. 45, July/August 1993
Random Shots: Words of Wisdom for 1993
Against the Current, No. 44, May/June 1993
Random Shots: Kampfer Goes Hollyweird
Against the Current, No. 43, March/April 1993
Random Shots: Campaign and Other Leftovers
Against the Current, No. 42, January/February 1993
Random Shots: Some Thoughts to Live By
Against the Current, No. 41, November/December 1992
Oh for the Good Old Days
Against the Current, No. 40, September/October 1992
Random Shots: In the Year of the Perot
Against the Current, No. 39, July/August 1992
Random Shots: The Revolution Looks Forward
Against the Current, No. 38, May/June 1992
Random Shots: Goodbye Old World Order
Against the Current, No. 37, March/April 1992
Random Shots: Thoughts on Rivethead
Against the Current, No. 36, January/February 1992
Random Shots: The East Is Read
Against the Current, No. 35, November/December 1991
Random Shots: When We Were Young
Against the Current, No. 34, September/October 1991
The Case of the Missing List
Against the Current, No. 33, July/August 1991
Random Shots: Of Politics, Religion & War
Against the Current, No. 32, May/June 1991
Random Shots: The Gulf War Miseries
Against the Current, No. 31, March/April 1991
Random Shots: Oil & Other Slicks
Against the Current, No. 30, January/February 1991
Random Shots: The Great Gulf Oil War Follies
Against the Current, No. 29, November/December 1990
Random Shots: That Old Time Religion
Against the Current, No. 28, September/October 1990
Random Shots: Summertime Musings
Against the Current, No. 27, July/August 1990
Random Shots: Them Perrier Blues
Against the Current, No. 26, May/June 1990
The First Follies of 1990
Against the Current, No. 25, March/April 1990
Random Shots: Ringing in the 1990s
Against the Current, No. 24, January/February 1990
"Roger and Me"
Against the Current, No. 24, January/February 1990
Random Shots: Kampfer's Consumer Guide
Against the Current, No. 23, November/December 1989
Random Shots: A Kind and Gentler Ollie?
Against the Current No. 22, September/October 1989
Random Shots: Make Them Drink the Water
Against the Current, No. 21, July/August 1989
Random Shots: Fat Rulers in Lean Times
Against the Current, No. 20, May/June 1989
A Brief Rejoinder
Against the Current No. 19, March/April 1989
Random Shots: Ring in the New
Against the Current No. 18, January/February 1989
A Failed Revolution from Above
Against the Current No. 17, November/December 1988
Ramdom Shots: Libs, Labs and Lawyers
Against the Current No. 16, September-October 1988
Random Shots: Fur Files in Eco-Wars
Against the Current, No. 15, July/August 1988
Random Shots: The Bones Break, the Clubs Hold
Against the Current, No. 14, May/June 1988
Random Shots: Potato Head Blues
Against the Current, No. 12-13, January-April 1988
Random Shots: Pat Robertson's Miracle
Against the Current, No. 11, November-December 1987
Random Shots: More Mines for Ronnie
Against the Current, No. 10, September/October 1987
Response to Joshua P. Kiok
Against the Current, No. 9, May/June 1987
Random Shots: Ollie North, Amerika's Hero?
Against the Current, No. 8, March/April 1987
Random Shots: Irangate Proves God Is Great
Against the Current No 7, January-February 1987
Random Shots: Onassis's Road to Riches
Against the Current, No 6, January/February 1987
Random Shots: Confederate $ for the Contras
Against the Current No. 4-5, September-December 1986
Random Shots: Mary Jane's Magic Dust
Against the Current, No. 3, May/June 1986
Random Shots: The Little Sect that Time Forgot
Against the Current, No. 2, March/April 1986
Random Shots: The Pope's Middle East Program
Against the Current, No. 1, January/February 1986