What Color Is It?

Now that we have the matter of the dress and all of it's possible hues settled, and the debate is settling down, there are two unresolved questions, waiting for answers. Here is the first one.......

And the second one is, "Terri, where is Kyron?"

Siriunsun's Art Gallery

Rhiannon Ambrose

Jesus Lives In A Trailer

Lessons in Christianity offered in a trailer that is parked on school property, but not part of the school. Not sanctioned, manned by trusted, trustworthy personnel, and not even insured....yep. Sounds like fundamentalist Christians are at it again.

Luckily, this Michigan trailer was forced elsewhere, and the trailer trash told to take Jesus and the bible with them. Religious training and the resulting peer pressure in public school is a violation of federal law, and the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists took up the fight against the public school to remove the eyesore and the bibles from school property. Something that didn't happen, but probably should have happened, involves confiscation of any computers in the trailer. Since the bible thumpers were clearly committing a federal crime, perhaps the FBI should have obtained a warrant to take possession of any computers inside the trailer. There may have been another reason, entirely, for these christians to push their religion at school. A trailer, on school property, but not a part of the school in any way....sounds like an opportunity for christian kiddie porn creation.

The school in question wants to keep this illegal operation.

Petition To Oust Brownback

Governor Brownback, (R) of Kansas has at least inspired some creativity. He has also inspired a petition for a recall. Beyond getting the attention of the appropriate people, an online petition to recall a governor in Kansas doesn't really accomplish anything by itself, which is why your blogger ignored it until now. Brownback probably knew there would be mass disapproval of his performance. He does not show any signs of actually caring. The voters in Kansas really shouldn't be surprised.

Through Time And Space To Talk To You

I wish I could chase away your memory of that day on the wings of the wind, and send the whole thing down the current, through the rivers of time, forever. No one deserved it. I cannot imagine which is worse, untimely death, or living under such a shadow. Keep the faith, Junior. I believe in your innocence.

Insight

Another School Uses Bullies Against Disabled Child

A twelve year old boy with Aspergers Syndrome, a form of autism, is hospitalized with a cracked skull now, because his classmates at Liberty Middle School in Liberty Missouri thought that beating him up in the cafeteria was a good example of social skills. A bigger kid took the boy's backpack and moved it away from his seat, during lunch. After all, why not? Who is an autistic child to argue with a big, athletic, monster whose behavior is reinforced by a school that does nothing to stop constant assaults by the same bully? After all, in unified school districts, each school can pretty much do as it pleases, and bullies are a great way to get rid of disabled students.

The administration of the public school in Frankfort, Kansas attempted the same with a disabled child in the same grade as the child who was injured at Liberty Middle School. The principal waited until the state and federal "enrollment dollars" came in for each student, then encouraged some bigger boys, two grades ahead of the disabled child, to beat him up in a shower stall in the boys locker room. No teacher was present at the time. Afterward, the principal, Dean Dalinghaus, called the boy's parents and lied, blaming the boy!  He was actually planning to expel the victim, because he doesn't like autistic children. The truth came out when one of the bullies bragged about the incident to the disabled child's older sister. Dean Dalinghaus almost crapped himself when he found out that the Americans With Disabilities Act is a real thing.

At Liberty Middle School, there have been other incidents involving the same bully and the same victim. In the past, the school has ignored all of it. This time, the victim spent four days in the hospital with serious injuries, so ignoring it and telling the parent that her child is not as important as a football player was not an option. Because of that, Liberty Middle School is "investigating the incident". So are police: the bully is currently in juvenile detention. Frankfort, on the other hand, did not bother to take any action against bullying.

Abbie Hoffman Moment

Jailhouse Confession In Lyon Sisters Case

Does anyone remember March 25, 1975, when Sheila and Katherine Lyon, of Maryland, disappeared from Wheaton Plaza? Almost forty years have gone by, with virtually nothing in the way of answers, then a tip was suddenly shared late in 2013. Information and testimony led law enforcement away from Maryland and into Thaxton Virginia, specifically, Taylor's Mountain. Several sites were examined and dug up, and a woman named Patricia Welch was arrested in Virginia for lying to the grand jury about the case.  The newest tidbit of information is that a couple of days ago, a Delaware prisoner by the name of Lloyd Lee Welch admitted that he was a passenger in the car that left Wheaton Plaza with the girls!

After forty years, a backhanded confession. Lloyd Lee Welch still does not admit any contact with them after leaving Wheaton Plaza in the same car with both girls, but by the end of the first day they were missing, it's almost certain that he knew police were searching for them. So why didn't he share his informational gem in 1975? A response from Mr. Welch is not anticipated, as he currently sits in prison because of his inappropriate and unlawful approach to prepubescent girls. He also gave an account to law enforcement in 1975 about the whole thing, omitting, of course, the part about his own presence in the getaway car. A polygraph that was administered at the time indicated that Mr. Welch was deceptive. The only reason he was taken terribly seriously in recent efforts has to do with his intimate knowledge of certain details about this case; the few details that are possessed by law enforcement.

It has also been clarified in recent days that at least one set of remains has been recovered from a dig site on Taylor's Mountain. The process of identifying the remains is still in the works, and hopefully, John and Mary Lyon will get some answers about what happened to their daughters almost forty years ago.

In Case You Didn't Bother With Church On Sunday

Whoa! I really don't think it's blasphemy unless it's one's own religion, and if one wishes a religion devoted to sin, the christian dogmas have many offerings from which to choose. This is some serious hate mail!

I'm Brenda Kidder, And I Resent This Message

What a week for Terri Horman, sometime step parent of Kyron Horman, who disappeared from his second grade class in Portland, Oregon, in June of 2010! It seems that a non-profit organization called Shangri La, which serves disabled and otherwise vulnerable adults and children, hired Terri Horman to work directly with persons who have physical and mental disabilities. The fact that Terri Horman continues as the main focus of Kyron's missing persons case and that there is a permanent family protection order barring her from any contact with her former husband and daughter did not matter to Shangri La. Neither did Terri's employment
history, which included termination from a teaching position because she was abusive toward an autistic child. This raised a few eyebrows in the surrounding communities, and phone calls were made, by concerned citizens, on behalf of the clients of Shangri La.

Early last week, some flyers with Kyron's picture and contact information for law enforcement were placed near Shangri La's Eugene campus. This should not have been a problem; pictures of missing people and contact information for law enforcement are often posted in public. Shangri La responded to this by sending some of it's employees out and about to take Kyron's pictures down. Later, one of them personally stated to a volunteer that Kyron's pictures were somehow "hurting" Shangri La's clients! When the flyers were replaced, Shangri La called police, but police determined that the public display of flyers bearing pictures of missing children is not a crime. Not satisfied, Terri Horman attempted to persuade the court to grant a "no stalking" order against Stacey Green, an activist from a neighboring state, but the court declined, asking Terri Horman if she would be terribly offended if she was asked to take her silly-assed problem to the office down the hall. Okay, maybe they didn't say that, but we know it's on everyone's mind!

Yesterday, Terri Horman resigned from her most auspicious position at Shangri La, because there were flyers bearing Kyron Horman's picture on display within her line of sight. Could there be a more dumbass reason to quit one's job? "Hello? Prospective employer? I resigned from my position at my last place of employment because I didn't like some posters that were placed at the bus stop and at the post office near the building." How ridicules will that sound? Terri obviously isn't interested in maintaining employment. What's even more bizarre is Shangri La's response to the Oregonian, when a reporter telephoned for verification. Brenda Kidder, Shangri La's director of development and community engagement, (they should just change her title to "emperor of ice cream") verified Terri's resignation, but also said "I resent this message." Oh well, Brenda Kidder's not running for office, so she is not obligated to say, "I approve this message!"

Bugbee, Once Again

In November, a Kansas minister by the name of James Bugbee (Washington Christian Church, Washington, Kansas) was arrested for inappropriate sexual conduct with a child. Bugbee is a youth pastor, by the way. There's a bit of a revision to the story now. It seems that Bugbee has also given Kansas cause to suspect him of "theft by deception". He allegedly held two fundraisers for some alleged cancer, with which, as it happens, Bugbee was NOT afflicted. He told his churchmates that he was using the money to travel abroad for "treatment".He then proceeded to use the money to pay personal expenses that had nothing to do with medical problems or travel. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigated. In addition, there are three more counts of commercial sexual exploitation of a child, three more counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of unlawful sexual  relations, and according to the February 19, 2015 edition of the Marysville Advocate, he has also been accused of sending inappropriate texts to a local high school student.

Christians, don't get your clergy at Kmart.

The one on the right is Bugbee.

Insight

From The Lens Of Siriunsun's Camera

Brake Light Pentacles

Grrr....what will Fundamentalist Christians think of complaining about next? Here, we have a school bus in Tennessee, with working, and perfectly legal brake lights. We have children getting on and off the bus at the appropriate stops, sitting down in their seats while riding. We have a sober bus driver, who, prior to meeting the fundy christian parent, was unstressed.

This good Christian parent apparently has concerns that the school bus will take her children to Hell, instead of to school. In order to prevent this, she wants the brake lights on the entire fleet of buses replaced, either with crosses, or no design. There is no reflection on the school's curriculum or activities involving her children; the parent just can't stand to see a five pointed star.

Stars are used as symbols for many different things, as are crosses. To date, no Pagan or Satanist has contacted Tennessee Public Schools to complain about sacrilege, so why isn't this woman shutting up and counting her blessings that it wasn't her holy symbol that was used for brake lights? It isn't as if Christian children actually behaved like angels, or as if Christians actually place any value on teaching children to act as if they believed in responsible citizenship or abiding by the law.

Abbie Hoffman Moment

Police Brutality: Another One Bites The Dust

Antonio Zambrano-Montes was fatally shot by police the other day. He was homeless and mentally ill, and running away from law enforcement when he got shot. No one knows why he threw rocks, or why he threw rocks into passing traffic, as the allegations maintain, but Zambrano-Montes was not advancing toward law enforcement. He was no longer holding any rocks, and did not have a weapon. Since when is it the job of law enforcement to circumvent the court and carry out the death penalty? Did Zambrano-Montes receive this sentence for throwing some rocks, or for being homeless and mentally ill?

Siriunsun's Art Gallery

Appliqued design on a pillow

In Case Your Pastor Was Retarded In Church This Sunday

At least stop mocking your own traditions! I don't really judge you guys, but as long as I know what you Frankfort christian types are really all about, I don't think I have anything in common with most of you, and I certainly don't want to spend any time around you or make the mistake of trusting you. It's more a matter of protecting my children and myself than it is a matter of passing judgement. One thing that someone should really point out to you folks, though, is this: most Pagans, along with ardent believers in other religions, show more respect for their holy writings and traditions than I've seen among Christians who attend any of the churches in Frankfort, Kansas.

Transparent, Black, And Missing In America

Here's some information that will be shared this month, in Washington, DC. It is about the unequal air time given to missing persons, children especially, who are black. When a missing person is a white, blond, blue-eyed young woman, her picture finds it's way into all the major publications and is viewed on all the major TV networks. White children are often featured, as well. Advertisers have deemed that the American public will only hear about certain things, and they do not appear willing to sponsor as much airtime for black missing people as they do for white. This greatly reduces the chances that the neglected, un-aired cases will be solved, and it is unbalanced news coverage for all concerned. Hopefully, Black And Missing In America can raise awareness and bring about changes in the way all missing persons cases are presented to the public.

People In Kansas Boo Governor Brownback

Surprise, surprise. The republicans who thought Brownback was nifty when he led some silly-assed public prayers (some people will fall for anything) are now disenchanted with his Republican approach to the educational needs of children. The only reason the grownups here can be blamed is because they were all warned that the education budget would take a big hit if Brownback were re-elected; the real victims are the children.

A solution that has been resisted, so far, by Northeast Kansas is consolidation of all the public schools in Kansas. Instead of a bunch of small, largely disenfranchised and independent school districts run by uneducated morons with more interest in downloading porn than in educating children, school districts could be divided by counties; the way other states manage schools. All counties would answer to the state for all matters, from curriculum to finances. Academic requirements would be the same at all schools, rules would be the same for everyone, and there would be no push to keep tiny, under-performing schools open for nostalgic reasons, despite their inefficiency. Requirements for teachers would also be the same at every Kansas school; no more hopping from one "independent school district" to another when a license or qualifications to teach are lacking in one district, but not another. We could also eliminate any unnecessary positions held by untalented former teachers, such as "curriculum adviser". (What the hell is a curriculum adviser, USD 380? Just fire the dumb bitch!) because every school would teach the same subjects. Think of all the money that could be saved if every county just had one school board, instead of three or four! Marshall County Kansas has two and a half school districts and school boards! Half of USD 380 is in Marshall County, the other half in Nemaha County, for a county with less than ten thousand people! Just cut off the dead wood and employ one school board.

Rather than booing Brownback after voting for him, maybe Kansas should look long and hard at the way other schools in the nation are run. Stepping out of the comfort zone of doing things that don't work and amount to nothing, such as public prayer and multiple school districts in each county, will probably help a lot more than blaming a politician who's been bought and sold by the Koch Brothers, for the problems in Kansas public schools. Maybe someone will start picketing Kansas Department of Education to stop answering to politics and make some of these changes for our children.

Another Northeast Kansas Stranger Danger Problem

This time, it was Pottawatomie County. Two twelve year old students from St. George, Kansas, took some trash to a recycling bin on Wednesday, and were followed by an older man with whom they were unacquainted. While the two children were able to escape him, he made some overtures that were interpreted by the sheriff's office as attempts to abduct the children, and police would like to find out more. He's been described as an older male with greying hair and a bald spot on the back of his head and a white beard. The man was wearing a black and white striped shirt and blue jeans. He drove a red, four door Chevrolet. Anyone with information should call the Pottawatomie County Sheriff at 785-457-3353.

Hopefully, this was an isolated incident in St George. If the school looks at it's policies about supervision of children, and makes appropriate revisions, this might be the last time a dangerous person ever feels so welcome to make advances toward students right on school property. There have been more reports in the news lately about vulnerable children and strangers in Northeast Kansas, and it's starting to look like it may be time for certain public schools here in Kansas to come into compliance with national standards for student safety.

Shangri La, Baby

Does anyone remember a time, about three years ago. when Terri Horman, sometime stepmother of missing Kyron Horman, who was last seen on June 4, 2010, thought she could find another teaching position?  No school in Oregon, public or private, was willing to hire Terri Horman, but a non-profit organization called Shangri La, which serves disabled and disenfranchised people in different parts of Oregon, actually hired Terri to be a "mental health specialist". She will render "mental health care", probably as a glorified orderly, to children with intellectual difficulties.

As Terri Horman was the last person seen with Kyron before he disappeared, law enforcement was particularly interested in her testimony and timeline on that day. Instead of coming forward with pertinent answers, Terri gave vague and conflicting answers and took two polygraph examinations which yielded results that indicated deceptions when compared against her baseline. Then, there were allegations about Terri conspiring to have her spouse murdered, and four years later, she attempted to change her name to that of a foreign national whose appearance is similar to hers, but this was not permitted by the court. In addition to all of the above, Terri Horman was discharged from a teaching position at an Oregon elementary school because she was unable to co-exist peacefully with the children she taught. All of these "items" would serve as reasons for your faithful blogger to dispose of her resume by way of the circular file, if she answered a classified advertisement, but Shangri La, evidently; is of the more daring variety of employers. At the very least, Shangri La should be able to see that Kyron Horman's missing persons case is still under investigation, and Terri Horman was actually referred to as a "de facto suspect" by a judge who presided over a related case. At any time that the "powers that be" decide to alter her "de facto" status to an active status, pending changes in the investigation, this will bring swarms of police officers of all stripes and temperaments, from all directions, to wherever Terri Horman may physically be located at that moment. If life at Shangri La is truly so dull that such excitement would be welcome, that may be a consideration, but can anyone's liability insurance countenance such risks?

Shangri La has been quite rude in response to questions posed by the general public about taking such risks. What they appear to have overlooked is that the disenfranchised people in their care have rights, along with those from whom they seek donations. Most donors to charities do not donate with the expectation of watching the very people who should be helped by donations become callously endangered and abused, instead. Just something for Shangri La to consider, while it works out new liability insurance rates and develops a linguistically pleasing answer to the queries of any visitor who recognizes Terri Horman.

Insight

Public Service Announcement

Relisha Rudd Is Still Missing

Relisha Rudd is still missing, and has been missing for almost a year. The suspect in her case committed suicide last year, and without his testimony, finding her is an even bigger challenge than most missing persons cases. It's time to search again in all the areas that have yielded any forensic clues, and to utilize search dogs and radar. Relisha has always deserved better than to just be forgotten. Please share this poster.

Abbie Hoffman Moment

College Offers Classes In Cannabis Cultivation

Entrepreneurial Opportunities In Emerging Markets: Marijuana Legalization. That is the title of a new course offering at Ann Arundel Community College, in Maryland. No joke. Maryland has decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, and citing the trend nationwide, has taken the step of opening the eyes of college students to possible opportunities in agriculture and marketing of the same. Maybe one day, all the folks who engage in the business unlawfully will be obliged to find gainful employment and pay taxes.

Disclaimer: yours truly does not recommend the use of any recreational drug.

In Case You Skipped Church This Sunday

Kansas University Helps Predict Climate Change

Bravo to the University of Kansas! Until now, attempts to gauge and measure the Greenland Ice Sheet have been unsuccessful, because glaciers are not only are big, but move quickly when they break away from ice sheets, and temperature differences between the surface and the core of a glacier create difficulty for radar to penetrate. On January 16, the Journal of Geophysical Research published that data and equipment developed by the University of Kansas and the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) had finally created the first comprehensive map of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Now we can determine how quickly ice melted during other eras of the earth's history and better understand and predict the role of disappearing glaciers in climate change. This data is expected to help us during the next fifty to one hundred years, as sea levels rise.

Two Wichita Women Arrested For Human Trafficking

Yes, Kansas, you read that correctly. Wichita is a big hub for human trafficking. Tinique Anthony and Ashley Bowman, two accused perpetrators, are now both in jail.

Diana Shunn, of the Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County, recommends awareness and communication to help fight this type of crime. Assuming that "those things don't happen in my neighborhood", or "those things don't happen in the country" or "in Kansas" only puts more children in danger.

The allegations against Anthony and Bowman have to do with the prostitution and sale of victims who are under age. Wichita and Kansas City may not seem like prime locations for this, but both of those cities feature networks of highways that connect to interstate routes that will quickly and easily take drivers almost anywhere in the United States. This provides not only an easy escape route, but a quick and practical way to move a kidnapped child out of the area before the police have even had the chance to refuse assistance to distraught parents on the grounds that they do not bother with "runaways". Despite the myth generated by law enforcement that runaway children are safe, runaways are prime targets for human trafficking. So are children with disabilities, latchkey children, and, statistically, bullying victims. Children who have been left behind after school activities by inattentive teachers are also prime targets. Yes, a guidance counselor in Frankfort, Kansas actually did this. The school tried to keep the incident quiet, and described the teacher as an "asset" to the school when the parents complained. The only way such a teacher could be an asset is if the school had arranged a "deal", involving a vulnerable child.

Of all the cities in the United States, Wichita, Kansas, is among the top five cities in the United States for the origination......that means recruiting and kidnapping.......of human trafficking. That is not a wonderful reason to be famous, Kansas. The guidance counselor in Frankfort never did explain why he left a fourteen year old girl by herself on the highway, four miles away from Frankfort. Some strangers stopped and gave her a ride back into town. The school board of USD 380 (Frankfort and Centralia) felt that Tom Schroeder's action of forcing a child to accept a ride from a stranger was appropriate, and he was told by an attorney not to respond to any questions about the incident. 

From The Lens Of Siriunsun's Camera

Dallas Bond And A Scary Story In Kansas

Dallas Bond, a Northeast Kansan, is only twenty years old, but he has a more impressive arrest record than most career criminals. His most recent arrest was in Jackson County, Kansas, earlier this week, alleging that he persuaded a child under the age of fourteen to accompany him to a hotel room in Holton, Kansas, where he allegedly assaulted the child. This stems from allegations that were made while he worked as a dispatcher in Brown County, Kansas! Another disturbing side to this whole thing is that in conjunction with the sex crimes against children, Bond also faces charges of identity fraud and aggravated kidnapping, and felony theft. Wanna know what he allegedly stole? Handcuffs, leg irons, a taser, a radio, and police department shirts, apparently from his place of employment!

Bond is behind bars now, not out on bond. The incident from which one of the charges stem took place in August of 2013, which means that for over a year and a half, someone with an unhealthy interest in children, handcuffs, leg irons, and tasers was scouting around in Northeast Kansas, looking for children to kidnap and assault. It also means that the school board of USD 380, which has two schools in Northeast Kansas, Frankfort and Centralia, was very foolish to allow staff at Frankfort to continue to leave their building unlocked and even more foolish to continue to allow teachers to leave students by themselves in random locations away from the town. What will it take to convince the school board to dismiss the teacher who does this? And why would the teacher do something so sinister to a child?

Most of the news articles on the internet concerning this incident are dated February 2 or 3, but Dallas Bond was arrested on January 23. Only one of the articles, the one cited here, explains all the charges in detail. The theft charges are very significant in this case because of what this man unlawfully "acquired". In conjunction with the kidnapping and sexual assault of a child, what could Bond have possibly intended to do with handcuffs, leg irons, and a taser? If Frankfort wants to keep teachers who make children vulnerable to kidnapping, perhaps the parents who support this teacher should be the ones whose children get kidnapped by the man with handcuffs and leg irons. But in reality, if teachers are careless enough to extend an open invitation to this by transporting children to other locations and forgetting about them, it could happen to any child.

To put this in language that even the folks in Northeast Kansas will understand, suppose a child is dropped off alongside the highway for cross country practice and gets lost because she is new to the area, and someone wearing a stolen police department shirt, who also has a stolen police department radio in his vehicle, stops and picks the child up?  Police gear and uniforms are very convincing, when you've been dumped on the highway by your teacher and forgotten. Then what, Frankfort? It's exactly the same position in which you placed a high school freshman several years ago. If you frankfurters want school to be an open invitation to wacky-assed perverts with stolen handcuffs to pick up children and molest them, federal and state funding should be discontinued for your public school and you should fund it yourselves.

Stories like this one should receive more publicity. Men who kidnap children and schools who enable them by leaving the children alongside highways to be kidnapped do not deserve the community protection that comes with hiding incidents like this.

Insight

And One Ring To Bind Them

Just when I think I've heard it all, a kid from Texas gets suspended from school because he told another kid he had a magic ring and would use it make the other kid invisible! Where the hell is the eye-rolley where I need it?! A fourth grader named Aiden Steward, who recently watched one of the movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings trilogy, took a ring to school and told another fourth grader that it was forged in Middle Earth, and had the power to make people invisible. Later, that same day, young Aiden's parents got a call from the school to tell him that Aiden had been suspended for making "threats of terrorism".

In an ongoing climate of "zero tolerance", this little boy was persecuted for wearing a piece of jewelry and for using his imagination. It's definitely harassment of an intelligent and precocious child, but another idea that occurred to me is that the teacher of this fourth grade class may not be as well read as her students, and not understand literary references when she hears them. Also, being a midwestern teacher in a midwestern school, the teacher might think she is justified to punish children whose parents are Pagan or Wiccan. If a christian whose IQ is in the typical range of IQ's for Christians (around 96) thinks she can get away with humiliating and harassing a child who discusses Pagan ideas by having him suspended for "terrorism", you can bet your bottom dollar the midwestern teacher will do it. This teacher and her administration may be trying to drive Aiden's parents out of the school district. The trend among christian churches these days is to be as intolerant, threatening, and as unmessianic as possible, in hopes of gaining brownie points with God. Also, how come all these "zero tolerance" schools still have bullies?

Above is Aiden, our little would-be Frodo, holding his newborn brother. When I think of terrorists, this is not what comes to mind. Indeed, Aiden's father commented, "I  assure you, my son lacks the magical powers necessary to threaten his friend's existence."

While modern public schools make empty claims about their "zero tolerance" policies, yours truly does not suffer fools gladly. If any of the readers, fans, or trolls of this blog share this sentiment, following is the contact information in order to call and politely ask the ringwraiths who run the school to kindly insist upon teachers who know the difference between reality and fantasy.

Ms. Roxane Greer, Elementary Principal
601 S. Poplar, Kermit, Texas, 79745
432-586-1020
rgreer@kisd.esc18.net