Welcome to Forgotonia

I took these pics in Industry, IL, (McDonough County), on a trip home from the state capitol in Springfield.

See more of my Forgotonia pix on Flickr or on my Photography page.

The following aired in February 2009 on NPR-member station WIUM/WIUW Tri States Public Radio (with the sound clip linked here).

Storage and speed are just two of the features of the new e-reader being released today by Amazon.com. But commentator Alison McGaughey says she would rather live life among the stacks.

How are you doing on those resolutions?

So far, more than two months into the New Year now, I have been staying strong.

Sure, I still have plenty of pounds to shed.

But I have been sticking to the rule I set for myself on New Year’s Day, the day I embarked on a de-cluttering project:

I placed a moratorium on myself against buying books.

You see, I realized that I have been burying myself under the weight of good intentions.

In other words, picking up pieces of classic literature at a yard sale or thrift store, telling myself with each one, “I’ll save this for someday when I have more time.”

But—at the risk of being too dark here—I have started to fear that “someday” may never come.

Or, more accurately, I have started to resent the fact that tomorrow does come. Every day. But the “more time” part never does.

For example, it’s been at least three years since I hit up that one fantastic library sale.

But Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi has floated nowhere nearer to the top of my ever-flowing “to read” list.

That hefty Hemmingway novel is now dustier in my house than it was when I found it in a church-basement rummage sale.

Like an addict, I had been in denial about the fact that my habit was causing me harm.

But when friends came over, no one said “Wow, I’m impressed with your literary tastes.”

Instead, I was hearing things like,

“So where do you sit, again?”

In addition to all the ones I want to read for fun, there is a syllabus of books I need to get through for a class.

So I had to face the fact that I’ll never get to get to any of these books I’ve been buying, any time in the near future.

Or it will be until I finally figure out how to master simultaneous-speed-reading, dish-doing and laundry-folding.

Finally I forced myself to compile a stack for the Salvation Army.

But each step felt like a stab to the heart.

As I was in the process of purging and packing items to donate, I found an un-opened Time magazine.

When I finally got around to reading it, I saw a list titled “Best Gadgets of 2008.”

Among them? The Kindle. A hand-held digital-reading device.

I was already aware that something like this existed.

But I guess I had hoped that if I ignored it—like my clutter problem—it would go away.

Instead, the Kindle is so popular, apparently, that the Version 2 is now on sale on Amazon.com—for a mere $359.

Time magazine says:

“It definitely takes some getting used to […] but it’s simply a terrific tool for people who love to read books.”

But if they “love to read books,” why would they trade them in for something that looks and feels like a big, flat cell phone?

Perhaps a better description would be:

“For people who want their Faulker in the same format as a forwarded e-mail?”

But it seems a sure bet that, as a reading public, we’re going paper-less.

The Christian Science Monitor last year went all-online.

And I know how predictable, and how conservative, it seems—a literature lover lamenting the loss of the printed page.

If I advocate for the big, clunky book—rather than a sleek Sony Reader—I might as well call for bringing back the Betamax.

I know that if I can now get Mark Twain’s entire works on an Apple iTouch—but still believe in books—I might as well argue that dads should still carry camcorders on their shoulders—and toaster-sized battery backs on their hips.

But how is a progressive person who reveres the classics supposed to feel about a Kindle?

I mean, why didn’t they just name it the Terminator?

The Incinerator?

Better yet, the Fahrenheiter—as in 451?

Now, I have to make a confession: I bought a book the other day.

I couldn’t resist.

I found it in a cozy little used bookstore—the kind that will also surely die someday.

And in this book, the Southern writer Eudora Welty recalls feeling shocked and dismayed as a child—when she realized books were not “natural wonders” but created by people.

She says:

“I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them—with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms […]“

And she grew up to win a Pulitzer Prize.

What would have happened if she were a child in the day of the digital-reader?

I don’t think she would have fallen for story in the same way.

(Not if its tangible vessel felt no different in her hands than a Nintendo DS.)

He actually followed the advice on this sign:

(Ah, he knows me well.)

The Saturday before last, C-Nor took me to Popcorn Charlie’s in Davenport.

The mom-and-pop place offers popcorn in all kinds of flavors, from Tootsie Pop to Cookies & Cream to Garlic & Parmesan to …..just about anything else you’d want [read: pants too tight.....]

The stuff is expensive. But it’s also delicious and addictive. And the guy who owns it– sir Charlie himself, I assume?–was super friendly and seems to appreciate owning a small business and greeting customers.

(Also, how can you not love his license plates?)

He sells hot dogs, too.
I have to admit, I was going to count the place down for the fact that the owners spelled licorice like this:
But then I looked it up, and it turns out that’s actually a way you can spell licorice, so they didn’t even have a typo problem, just an antiquated spelling. How charming is that? My bad.

I mentioned awhile back that President Obama is reviewing the case of the “Peoria-area” suspected terrorist, and his decision could be a landmark legal case.

But how foolish I now feel, now that I was reminded that this dude had actually lived and worked in MACOMB! (Check out this timeline that the Washington Post put together in 2007.)

Thanks to the Macomb Eagle, I now know the scoop:

Obama requests review for Macomb resident, enemy combatant
1/30/2009

By NATHAN WOODSIDE

Eagle Managing Editor

A former Macomb resident, held as an al-Qaida sleeper agent, could soon be given a trial or sent home after President Barack Obama asked the U.S. Justice Department to review his case.

Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri has been held in solitary confinement for over five years as an enemy combatant in South Carolina’s Hanahan Naval Brig. The government said al-Marri had ties to the 9-11 terrorist attacks, prompting former President George W. Bush to order al-Marri imprisoned without formal charges [perhaps one of the few smart things he ever did? Or: yet another racial profiling incident? Discuss].

Obama requested the review to determine whether or not al-Marri has the right to sue the government for his freedom. His case is scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 20 but the review could put a stay on that proceeding.

Al-Marri, a Qatar nationalist, worked as a computer science instructor at Spoon River College, Macomb, in the late 1980′s.

In the 1990′s, he ran a fraudulent business, AAA Carpet, while living in the Time Out motel on North Lafayette Street.[No way!!!!!]

Reports show al-Marri flew to New York from Peoria just prior to Sept. 11.

After the terror attacks, al-Marri attempted to enroll in WIU’s English program but was turned away when he refused to sign his name.[OMG this gets even crazier!!!! This is where I work! This is where I am a grad student in English!!!]

University advisors also reported other strange patterns in his behavior.

Al-Marri was originally arrested on credit fraud charges after he set up fake bank accounts in Macomb, Peoria and Manhattan, NY. While awaiting trial for those charges, he was detained as an enemy combatant.

The handling of Al-Marri’s case could define the rights of those classified as enemy combatants.

In 2007, a South Carolina appellate court ruled al-Marri must either be charged, declared a material witness or freed. The Bush administration snuffed the court’s findings and al-Marri remained jailed without being

charged.

Last summer an appellate court ruled the government could hold al-Marri but he had the right to challenge his imprisonment.

“That ruling transgresses black-letter principles of statutory construction, flouts Congress’s intent, and raises grave constitutional questions unnecessarily,” al-Marri’s attorney wrote. “It deviates dangerously from this nation’s most cherished constitutional principles and traditions. It must be reversed.”

Obama has described al-Marri as a “dangerous individual.”

Where do Forgotonia folks like to (or wish they could) eat, shop, and explore?

This week we hear from one of my lifelong friends, Kimberly Kelly, who was born in Forgotonia.

When she was growing up in Carthage, her family owned the Kelly Co. store on the west side of the Carthage square.

Though she moved to Florida after high school and has lived in Portland, OR and Scottsdale, AZ, since then, I have the good fortune of seeing her every summer and Christmas when she returns home to work for and visit with her family in McDonough and Hancock counties.

Kim is a friendly, never-meet-a-stranger kind of gal who manages to make me laugh in nearly every sentence that comes out of her mouth.

Married to Michael Burch, and proud owner of a French bulldog, Mabel, (who you might see Kim walking around the Macomb square when she’s home–and who was an honorary “bridesmaid” in Kim’s Macomb wedding), Kim offers a unique perspective on what it’s like to live somewhere else and still stay up-to-date on what it’s like “back home.”

Name: Kim Kelly
Age: 31
Hometown: Carthage, IL and Macomb, IL
Current city of residence: Scottsdale, AZ
Occupation/ employer: Account VP 21st Century Global Corp, Inc.
Forgotonia resident for ___18 years

1) I ended up in Forgotonia because: Family. (Kim was born and raised in the area, where her parents, brother, grandparents, and aunts and uncles still reside.)

2) Favorite food item for sale in Forgotonia: Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Lips, Brooks Catsup

3) Favorite touris spot/place to take visitors in Forgotonia: Going to Keokuk to see the Eagles at the lock and dam, Macomb Heritage Days, the spillway [at Carthage Lake] and the Nauvoo Grape Festival.

4) Favorite spring or summer event/moment/memory in Forgotonia: Cruising route 136, road tripping, getting hit by a runaway tire off a horse trailer on the way to school.

5) Favorite fall or winter event/moment/memory in Forgotonia: cheering at footballs games, NOT!

6) Favorite place to eat in Forgotonia: Larry A’s Pizza [in Macomb]

7) Favorite place to shop in Forgotonia: Bliss [botique on Macomb square]

8) Favorite place to spend a Saturday in Forgotonia: Parents’ house

9) Place(s) I’d like to spend more time in/visit more often in Forgotonia: Elms Nursing Home [to visit Grandma]

10) Forgotonia in general (or) my specific town needs needs: Organic grocery store

11) Forgotonia in general (or) my specific town needs less: consignment shops

12) Best bargain for your buck in Forgotonia: Dollar General

13) Best bragging point about/ landmark/place to take visitors in Forgotonia: Carthage court house.

14) Places I like to think I discovered in Forgotonia: The back field which my grandma called “the holler” in Colchester, IL the land has been in my family since the late 1800’s. We would play war and build forts back there all summer. My grandma told us to be careful cause there are coal mines back there, unfortunately we never found one, believe me we sure did look!

15) Radio station playing most often in my car when in Forgotonia: whatever the one Mike Gillett’s on [Modern Rock 95.9 WNLF]

16) Most dependable/ favorite media outlet in Forgotonia: none

17) Restaurant, business or trend I’d like to see start in Forgotonia: Culvers

18) Best place to buy a beverage in Forgotonia: Chicken lips [Chick's on the Macomb Square]

19) I saw a good concert/ underrated live performance of some kind / notable moment in regional or national history in Forgotonia and it was: David Kroll at LaHarpe Fair, Motley Crue and Type O Negative in Quincy, IL

20) One thing I miss/ would miss since leaving / if I left Forgotonia would be: No traffic, fresh air, one finger wavers.

Now THIS news item might make you think twice about the grizzled-looking dude sitting next to you at The Boot or the Cafe!

The writer and actor Sam Shepard got busted for DUI in central Illinois, where he’d been hanging out at a local bar.

I learned this from Entertainment Weekly as I was reading for my thank-God-it’s-not-Cat-Fancy volunteer slot. I was intrigued, so I went to the Bloomington Pantagraph for more. Here’s the scoop: The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (and hubby of Jessica Lange) was …”busted in Normal for allegedly driving under the influence and speeding after visiting a downtown Bloomington tavern, police said.”

Shepard, 65, of Midway, Ky., was northbound in the 700 block of North Main Street around 2 a.m. when officers clocked him on radar going 46 mph in a 30 mph zone and pulled him over, said Normal police Lt. Mark Kotte.

Sam Shepard

…

Shepard was arrested on preliminary charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding 15-20 mph above the limit and improper lane usage. His blood-alcohol level was reportedly twice the 0.08 legal limit for driving. …

Shepard told police he was passing through Bloomington-Normal on his way from Minnesota to Kentucky….

Shepard told police he had been at Fat Jack’s, 511 N. Main St., Bloomington, and was driving to the Best Western, 6 Traders Circle, in north Normal to spend the night. …

Tyler Holloway, owner of Fat Jack’s, told The Pantagraph that Shepard has visited his tavern at least four or five times before this weekend after initially hitting it off with a bartender who recognized him.

Holloway said the Kentucky-based Shepard drives through the area on visits to Minnesota and Montana.

“He doesn’t like to fly, from what I hear,” Holloway said. “He likes our place.”

Shepard autographed a bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon — reportedly his favorite drink — for Fat Jack’s, Holloway said. The actor is friendly when he stops in, he added. “He chit-chats with the regulars,” he said

.

Okay so Hannibal is technically outside “Forgotonia,” but this story from WGEM is so disturbing and funny, I had to post it. From the “Whaaaa?” department:

Multiple arrests made following Hannibal Wing Ding

Posted: Jan 26, 2009 01:44 PM

Updated: Jan 26, 2009 02:47 PM

Wing Ding Arrests

Most Popular Stories more>> Hackers stea local credit card information Pella announces job cuts; asks staff for ‘voluntary reductions’ Economic trickle-down now being felt in Quincy Multiple arrests made following Hannibal Wing Ding Coming Soon: New stores planned in Quincy

Most Watched Videos Hackers steal local credit card information Local soldiers arrive back on America soil A local look at nation layoffs Blagojevich on Today Show Coming Soon: New stores planned for Quincy

I used to go to rock shows. What does it say about me that I wish I could asking off work in order to attend THIS??????

Latter-day Saints to commemorate ‘Mormon Exodus’

(from the Deseret News)
NAUVOO, Ill. – The public is invited to a commemoration of the famous river crossing known as the “Mormon Exodus.”

On Feb. 4, 1846, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began crossing the icy waters of the Mississippi, eventually to complete their well-known trek to the Rocky Mountains.

In honor of those pioneers, modern Latter-day Saints, along with their friends, will re-enact the march down Parley Street* on Wednesday, Feb. 4. They will wear nametags for those who made the actual historic crossing. At the water’s edge, in a short ceremony, the marchers will pay tribute to those who were part of the exodus and to the thousands who died along the Mormon Trail.
.
Missionaries from the Illinois Nauvoo Mission will portray or relate the stories of some of those individuals who survived the river crossing and made the trek west.

Shirley Land, one of the organizers of the event, expressed her hope for the commemoration.

“Most years Feb. 4 turns out to be a really cold day, and to be honest, I hope it is this year, too,” she said. “I’m not sure we get the full sense of what those people suffered if we don’t feel a little uncomfortable ourselves.”

Lest we forget, that aforementioned exodus was started because of the kicking-out of the Mormons from Hancock County, which commenced with the murder of a certain leader in a certain person’s hometown.
Now, just for the record. I’m not saying I’m all in with Mormon goings-on (or that I’m the most open-minded person in the world when it comes to religion in general.)

BUT, I do find it absolutely fascinating that this major chapter in American history started right here in Forgotonia.

And it feels me with a sense of awe to stop and think about what it would have been like to live in those pre-Carhardt times and trek across the frozen Mississippi–and everything that journey entailed (and led to afterward).

And I guess getting interested in history when you get older is nothing to really feel bad about.

[But, you know. I still wanna rock!]

* I wonder if Parley Street in Nauvoo is named after the guy my dad was addressing when he got a one-line speaking part in the Mormon movie “Exodus.” The line, which I like to repeat at family gatherings as often as possible, was “Confound it, Parley!”

…which I love attending now that I’m living in Macomb again, mainly because it reminds me of my childhood (seems we went to this every year when I was a kid.)

For the last two years, I have taken a “kid of my own,” my little sister from BB/BS.

She got a hula hoop this year along with the usual bag of pencils and pens and other freebies. Find out what farming and hula hoops have to do with one another.

Some other things we took in at this year’s farm show, which is one of the largest its kind in the country:

FFA jackets

One. Big. Tire.

(and many friendly folks.)