Some of us prefer precision over wit. 
Barstow is also mentioned in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I believe that’s as far as Thompson got the first time he tried to go back to LA.
::tips the hat to 5-HT::
To me, that’s the iconic reference that has cemented Barstow forever in the popular culture: the opening sentence of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. For the uninitiated, here’s the whole first paragraph:
::groan::
I think two things are going on here. One is that some of us who didn’t mind having our approximate location residing a click away, in our profiles, decided we did mind it appearing next to every post we made. The other thing is the opportunity to put a cute blurb next to every post, to which you refer.
Some of them already need to be retired from overuse - particularly the variations on “in my own little world” and “in front of my computer”. Some of 'em are pretty funny, though.
You’re right. I really live in Lawrence.
BWA HA HA!!! Fools! You fell for the oldest trick in the book! Never trust a Kansan.