Woke Up This Morning, Went to Echo Glen

I have discovered time and time again that I can't adhere to a schedule unless something is at stake. So, saying that, I am dispensing with the LAMNB schedule that I have kind of been adhering to. There was also some updates to the tours site which is now located at tours.tauycreek.com so go check it out. More changes are on the way.

Brutus, you are essentially Veeblefester's second-in-command. So your stature is as high as it's going to get without you somehow taking over Veeblefester's spot on the Board of Directors. You have to work on gaining respect, however.

I always used to think life would be better if more broke out into song occasionally. Then I started watching "Glee" and realized that breaking out into song wouldn't make life better, it would just make people more annoying.

Not only is this strip a joke about how people from Jersey talk--which was old about a year ago--it is also a "Sopranos" joke which went off the air in 2007 and hasn't been considered a decent joke since 2005.

I also see that the governing body of Echo Glen still hasn't put up a guard rail or something to keep people from tumbling over the edge.

Kansan

I wrote this early yesterday morning and posted a link to the Google Docs location plus tweeted and provided links on Facebook but have decided to also place it here for those who want easy access to it or don't like clicking on links. Our state's new SRS Secretary, Rob Siedlecki, he was a Kansan because he bought a house here and is paying taxes. Siedlecki has been here less than year so him saying he's a Kansan is essentially the same as me moving to New York City and after a day there considering myself a New Yorker but there is more to being a New Yorker and there is more to being a Kansan, which is something Siedlecki is nowhere near accomplishing.

Robert Hall Pearson, fought in the Battle of
Black Jack in 1856 and bought the land
soon after to start a farm, becoming a Kansan.

I was reading an article about how the new SRS Secretary Robert Siedlecki is proposing to move juvenile services to the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Opponents of the move, including some Republicans from the Kansas City area, say that the move would harm programs that are helping young people and keeping the public safe and that the proposal was offered without any input from experts. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Senator Tim Owens, a Republican from Overland Park said. Owens also said that it was offensive that people have not bothered to learn what is going on in Kansas before trying to change things. Siedlecki came to Kansas from Florida last year. Siedlecki responded with since he bought a house and is paying taxes here, “I prefer you call me a Kansan.”

Being able to take this picture does not
make you a Kansan. Taken from here.

Just because you bought a house here and are paying taxes doesn’t mean you are automatically a Kansan, especially after a little less than a year. I could buy a place in New York and pay taxes but that doesn’t make me a New Yorker. When you are a transplant from somewhere else, you have to earn the privilege of being called a New Yorker, a Floridian, a Texan and, yes, even a Kansan. Immediately considering yourself one is an insult to the people you live around. By immediately considering yourself a Kansan, you are insulting actual Kansans who were born here and those who have planted roots here. Siedlecki has no roots here. His daughters live with their mother in another state and once Governor Brownback is out of office, Siedlecki is off to the next state. He also has not taken the time to learn about our wonderful state—it’s history, culture, people—despite being given ample opportunity to. Going to a Chiefs game doesn’t make you a Kansan. Going to a KU basketball game doesn’t make you a Kansan.

View looking northeast from the White
Cloud Overlook in Doniphan County.

Memorial for Sarah Keyes, a member of
the Donner Party who died near Alcove
Spring in Marshall County.

Location of the house my grandparents
lived in after moving to Lawrence. The wide
street on the right is Iowa Street, 27th Street
is at the top and the big building in the center
is Sears.

I’ve spent entire days in the heart of the Flint Hills, marveling at how amazing they look; I’ve seen four states from the White Cloud overlook; I’ve traveled the Oregon Trail from Lawrence to the Big Blue River and the Santa Fe Trail from Gardner to Council Grove; I’ve watched the sun set in western Kansas and have wandered many cemeteries. I have immersed myself in this state’s history and culture not because I have to but because I am proud of where I am from and even if we may disagree on some topics, the citizens of Kansas are my brothers and sisters. I pay attention to what happens in my state from Treece to Reading to Greensburg. My Grandma and Grandpa came to Kansas from Kansas City, Missouri in the 1950s and moved to Lawrence. They brought their family with them, a family that remains today. They planted roots here and those roots continue. I have planted roots here by having my own family. I am here to stay. I care about what happens in Kansas because what happens in Kansas also happens to me.

A view of the Flint Hills in Wabaunsee County

Maybe Robert Siedlecki feels it’s as easy as buying a house and paying taxes to become a Kansan but to me, that just shows how out of touch he is and how little he really cares about the people of Kansas. You don’t get to decide that you’re a Kansan, the people of Kansas do and I’m sure they would agree with me. And, while I know it’s kind of silly, what Robert Siedlecki said offended me, he has essentially bastardized and cheapened my heritage all just to make his career look better. You are not a Kansan, Mr. Siedlecki. And you never will be.

Dark At Dawn

"Genesis" was a...terrible company-wide crossover from DC Comics in 1997 where it was decided that superpowers were formed by a passing space current called the Godwave. On the first pass, the Godwave created the various gods on the planets, on the second pass it created superhumans and this series focused on what would happen if the Godwave passed through a third time. It was apparently the Godwave that caused Superman's powers to become energy-based and the series made it possible to change some heroes' powers.

The mini-series was criticized for not really changing any of the characters or the continuity and has pretty much been ignored since. I feel one comic actually stood out from the lackluster crowd. And that is Robin #46. I saw the cover in the comic book store and thought it looked interesting. It's one of my favorite covers and it's not a bad story either.

Dark At Dawn
Originally published in Robin #46 (Oct 1997)
Written by Chuck Dixon
Penciled by Cully Hamner
Inked by Sal Buscema
Lettered by Tim Harkins
Colored by Adrienne Roy
All characters and stories (C)1997 DC Comics. All rights reserved.

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Kansan

I wrote this early this morning because of something our new SRS Secretary, Rob Siedlecki, said about him being a Kansan because he bought a house here and is paying taxes. Siedlecki has been here less than year so him saying he's a Kansan is essentially the same as me moving to New York City and after a day there considering myself a New Yorker but there is more to being a New Yorker and there is more to being a Kansan, which is something Siedlecki is nowhere near accomplishing.

Read my article here.

Patrice O'Neal 1969-2011

Patrice O'Neal, actor and stand-up comedian known for his roles in Head of State and The Office, among others, has passed away at the age of 41 following complications from a stroke.

#heblowsalot

Courtesy of Brownback Meme

I don't pretend to like the man who is my state governor. He essentially won because of name recognition and ignorant rural people who like his small Kansas town values (even though he hasn't "lived" in Kansas in nearly twenty years). Well, Governor Brownback clearly isn't in office to make friends, at least friends who have differing opinions than him.

One of Brownback's staff members called up the principal at Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village to complain that one of their students, who was visiting the Capitol in Topeka, tweeted a disparaging comment about Governor Brownback. The tweet?

“Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot”

The principal then called the student, a girl named Emma Sullivan, into his office and said it was unacceptable and an embarrassment. The school and the governor's office is asking that Sullivan apologize. Sullivan is not sure if she will.

Governor Brownback's spokesperson, Sherriene Jones-Sontag, stated “That wasn’t respectful. In order to really have a constructive dialogue, there has to be mutual respect." Which brings me to the point of this post: When was the last time Governor Brownback, or any Republican, showed President Obama any respect?

I've always been told that if you don't respect the person, at least respect the office. Barack Obama is our President. Our Commander-in-Chief and it bothers me that when a Republican was President, any disparaging remark was unAmerican and, from the way Fox News took it, an act of treason. It's not unAmerican. It's not an act of treason. And, to a point, it's not disrespectful. Living in the United States means that we can say what we want about our elected officials (as long as it's not a threat, libel or slander) and the government (Federal, State, local) can't do anything about it. In some countries, making a remark like that would result in, best case scenario, disappearance.

Why couldn't Brownback, or at least his social media monitoring team, just keep quiet? I want to think, since Sullivan was there during a Youth in Government meeting, that was the main reason. A preemptive "this girl doesn't think like us so we don't want her in politics" strike. Sullivan decided not to apologize, stating that it wouldn't be sincere and I agree. It would be like a teacher forcing two second graders to apologize after pushing each other off the slide. It wouldn't be sincere and they are just doing it to keep from getting in more trouble.

Brownback offered a statement late Monday morning apologizing for his staff over-reacting to the tweet. Why he didn't make a statement Friday just so the story wouldn't have time to simmer over the weekend is beyond me but now we can move on to more important matters.

Shells like sea shells? Why would anyone put sea shells in their pie? What does that have to do with pecans? And I'm assuming that since Brutus doesn't know there are shells in this pie that Mother Gargle just throws in whatever ingredient is nearby. Today it's shells, next time it will be beets...

Swearing

A few weeks ago I posted that "All I Wanted" was one of my stories that had the most cursing. It still is but I've often wondered why. It's not like my vocabulary is squeaky clean. I'm not a sailor by any means but I'm also not the Pope (maybe someday though.) I've often wondered why I don't use curse words as much in my writing. I've always been that way and a lot of times I need to force myself to put in a swear word. For some reason, to me, in my stories, there is never really a situation that requires a swear word. When I wrote Harter Union, I consciously made the effort to reduce the swear words despite the fact that most of us there swore like sailors.

I was trying to do some searching online about why I tend to censor myself but didn't find anything helpful except a Writer's Digest article about when to use swear words in your writing. As someone who has been trying to break free of writing and having nothing to show for it since I was 16, I always felt that an overuse of swear words, even when used properly, made me feel immature and hindered my ability to be taken seriously and while I know that writing tends to not be censored, I've just felt that it's better to limit swear words than use them and turn people off to my writing. And let's face it, my writing tends to turn people off to my writing.

I agree with Brutus. Nine-year-old Wilberforce does not need his own laptop. If the Thornapples had the money I would suggest Brutus and Gladys get a brand new desktop and give Wilberforce their old desktop though. After a thorough browser and porn stash cleansing, of course.

You Have Ten Minutes to Read This Post

Barney Google and Snuffy Smith

Snuffy just wants some fried chicken. He doesn't care if the chicken is really his own son or not.

Family Circus

Jesus can't save you now, Jeffy. You will have to incur the wrath of Thel Keane for your beating, biting and...choking, I guess, of your little brother P.J.

Hi and Lois

Why does everyone imagine novelists sitting in a dark room while they write. People do know that would be a huge strain on the eyes, right? Apparently if Hi would become an author he would do his writing in an alley in downtown Detroit.

The Born Loser

That's a terrible special. But I'm sure Brutus will be back. He always comes back.

Forty-Three Thousand, Two Hundred

Why is he counting up? Shouldn't he be counting down? I'm trying to think of reasons he's counting up but I can only think that he's counting up to get up to the number of minutes until Christmas and then he will start counting down. Either way, it's more proof as to why Wilberforce is in the "turtle" group at school.

Shirley Cemetery

Since it's Thanksgiving weekend, I've decided to do some reruns of a couple posts. Yesterday was a Thursday Comics featuring an old review of The Underfold's Best Apocalypse Ever. Today is the Issac Shirley family entry from the first and only post under 16th & Massachusetts. See you Sunday with an all-new Sunday Comics.

Issac Shirley was born in 1805 and came to Kansas in the 1850s and settled about two miles west of Lecompton. Issac, along with his wife Elizabeth, had seven children however two, John M. and George W. would not survive and are buried in a small cemetery near the remains of the house. Issac died in 1858 and only Mary Elizabeth and Franklin Pierce stayed on the farm to help their mother, who became ill, until she died in 1876. Franklin Pierce Shirley married Laura Nelson Pate in 1877 and they had four sons, William Leonard, John Franklin, Russell and Elmer. William Leonard died at age 16 while Russell and John Franklin (Frank) stayed on the farm as Elmer moved to Texas. Frank graduated from Lecompton High School in 1916. Russell served in World War I and continued living on the family when he got back until his death in 1957. Frank, who was diabetic, died in 1930 while their mother, Laura, died in 1929 and Franklin Pierce died in 1938.

The oldest of Issac and Elizabeth's sons, Wilburn, left to prospect for gold until returning to the Lecompton area in the 1850s where he bought a farm near his father's land. Soon, Wilburn moved across the river into Jefferson County where he would remain until his death. After Russell died, the Shirley house remained vacant. Nearby are the graves of Issac Shirley, John M., George W. and Martha Prather, wife of E. Prather. The ruins of the house remain on a hill overlooking the United Pacific Railroad and the Kansas River.

 As well he should. If stores and people in general would just being jerks about Black Friday, then it would go smoothly but no people have to be animals while standing in front of Best Buy at three in the morning and stores have to only order two of the 70'' LCD TVs that are on sale for $200. Jerks.

I have copied all of the Liberty post over to the new Liberty site. They will remain here as well but you can now find them, easier to read over at liberty.tauycreek.com. Also, things on LAMNB should be back to normal next week and for most of December until the 20th when we go on hiatus until January 2nd.