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- Wichita Weekly - Back from Surgeries
Good morning, Wichita!
Well, it’s been a while since I last reached out — sorry about that!
Earlier this year, I mentioned that I would take some time off due to a fairly major surgery I had in February. Little did I know, I would end up being more-or-less offline for six months due to multiple surgeries and a lot of talking to doctors…
Fortunately, everything has gone well and I should be good to go for a few more decades now (knock on wood 🪵🪵🪵)!
However, with all the life changes, I am going to have to spend less time writing online. I actually have two newsletters, this one and But What For?, which is focused more generally on interesting people / history / ideas.
But What For? is the more relaxing of the two to write — I essentially read and write about whatever I find interesting. Given that, I am going to focus my efforts there — which means I won’t be able to keep writing The Wichita Weekly.
I am really sorry about that. I have two partial solutions:
If you like the writing style I used when I wrote about the Wichita Castle, you could follow me at But What For? to get the same writing on more general topics. See the section directly below.
There are a couple other Wichita-focused newsletters, and I am going to see if any of them would be willing to shuffle you into their lists so you keep getting Wichita updates.
But What For? Emails
If you want to receive emails from me, and are good with them being history / people / idea focused, you can follow me by subscribing here:
If it prompts you to “support” me, you can just select the “free” tier. I hide nothing behind a paywall — it is all free. But, But What For? has a much larger subscriber base and some subscribers choose to support me with a small monthly donation.
If you want to check out some examples of those But What For? emails first, see the next section where I share a few of my more popular articles.
Thank you for subscribing to the Wichita Weekly, and I’m sorry I’ve had to make this decision. I am happy that my health is trending the right way and that I will be able to find more time to hang out with my wife and toddler.
If you’ll have me, I look forward to still showing up in your inbox with my But What For? emails!
Best,
EJ
HISTORY, PEOPLE, IDEAS
But What For? Writing Examples
Most Popular Article
We Only Ever Talk About the Third Attack on Pearl Harbor
It was a winter Sunday morning and the island of Oahu was asleep — its military at Pearl Harbor less alert than any other day of the week.
The winter trade winds blow steadily from the northeast against the Hawaiian island, rushing along and then up and over the 3,000-foot Koolau Range, with the moisture they carry being wrung out along the way. That moisture often forms into towering clouds, creating a dark wall of rain and weather.
An admiral intent on catching the U.S. military base unprepared was well aware of this meteorological phenomenon. After all, it was the perfect natural cover in which attacking ships and planes could approach the island with little fear of being detected in time for a proper defense to be mounted.
…
It was February 1932 — WWII was more than half a decade away — and Pearl Harbor’s island defense had failed to protect the greatest naval base on earth.
My Favorite Article
The Great American Murder Ballad: The Murder of Omie Wise
Omie Wise, Selected Lyrics
Oh, listen to my story, I'll tell you no lies
How John Lewis did murder poor little Omie Wise
He told her to meet him at Adams' Springs
He promised her money and other fine things…
“John Lewis, John Lewis, will you tell me your mind?
Do you intend to marry me or leave me behind?”
“Little Omie, little Omie, I'll tell you my mind.
My mind is to drown you and leave you behind.”
….
In the 1980s, a notebook was uncovered in a set of materials from Randolph County that had been donated to UCLA. The notebook was owned by one Mary Woody, born in 1801, and she had written a long poem entitled “A true account of Nayomy Wise” shortly following the murder of Naomi.
It is the only contemporary account yet discovered and was probably written about the time of John’s second trial.
And what does it tell us?
My First “Viral” Article
A Stoic Philosopher in a Hanoi Prison
Stockdale had no reason to think that the day’s mission was different.
The September 1965 flight was during his third combat tour in North Vietnam, serving as Wing Commander of the aircraft carrier Oriskany. Despite his misgivings about being in Vietnam, he was a competent and skilled career fighter pilot.
Nothing suggested he shouldn’t expect to make it back home that day — let alone that decade.
But sometimes life deals you a lousy hand.
While trying to aid American soldiers trapped on the ground, he was suddenly falling out of the sky and hurtling towards a small Vietnamese village. His plane was on fire and he had to punch out of the plane.
"After ejection, I had about 30 seconds to make my last statement in freedom before I landed in the main street of a little village right ahead. And, so help me, I whispered to myself: ‘Five years down there, at least. I'm leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus.’”
Just like that, Stockdale’s day had turned tragic — but why was the first thing to jump into his mind the ancient, Stoic philosopher, Epictetus?
But What For? Emails
Writing about anything, because anything can be interesting. History. People. Ideas. Business.
If it prompts you to “support” me, you can just select the “free” tier. I hide nothing behind a paywall — it is all free. But, But What For? has a much larger subscriber base and some subscribers choose to support me with a small monthly donation.
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