The KCPD aren't exactly pro-life

If I was a better writer I would compose a long, eloquent diatribe about how a recent story regarding a woman from Sudan miscarrying her baby after she repeatedly asked for medical assistance during a police stop and officers refused to listen to her is A PERFECT EXAMPLE of how the KCPD has failed to listen to the minority community in this town and that's why they haven't received much cooperation in solving or preventing the regular spate of murders on the Eastside.

However, in a remarkable story reported by Tess Koppelman on Fox News 4 . . . The dash camera video pretty much speaks for itself and Koppelman reports that the woman asked for help more than a dozen times on her way to jail where her pleas remained unanswered. I'm not going to even attribute the quotes from the video because the random sound bytes clearly tell a story that is all too familiar for anybody who has ever been guilty of driving while Black, brown or poor.

Here is what I heard:

"I have a problem, I'm bleeding and I want to go to a hospital."

"She says she's bleeding"

"I want to go to the hospital"

"I have a baby in my stomach and I'm bleeding"

"How is that my problem?"

"Do you see? Do you see the blood?"

"It's called a menstrual cycle. I understand because I am a woman."

"I want to go to the hospital."

"Well that can be something you can take care of when we get done with you."

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Don't cop an attitude with me"

"Stop moving. Spread your feet apart."

"She's trying to be a slick one."

Honestly, it's been a long time (high school maybe) since I've seen two people care less about a person's fate then in this video. And it should be noted that Sophia Salva probably did have fake tags and she also had warrants for her arrest but neither of those facts granted the officers permission to deny her basic human rights and medical care . . . You have to be an insurance company to do that.

And while previously, the KCPD neglecting to provide medical attention to a dying man after Tasering him repeatedly earned harsh, stoic calls from law and order types basically contending that because the man had drugs in his system, he deserved to die . . . That same kind of cavalier attitude doesn't really hold up when it's a pregnant woman under discussion . . . While the principals are basically the same, the reality is nobody is silly enough to believe that we're all equal under the law and it's also not worth pointing out that it's doubtful this same kind of situation would have taken place if it was a half way decent looking white woman begging for help.

I have no idea what the aftermath of this story might be . . . But clearly this is evidence that KCPD's lack of effort to reach out and listen to the minority community (read: The Black Community and not its mostly corrupt representatives) in Kansas City has manifested itself in every facet of the department and that negligence has resulted in not only little cooperation in order to prevent crime but also, tragically in this instance, a dead baby.

Sources:

Woman Blames Miscarriage On Mistreatment From Police

Wrongful death suit against KCPD

Police ignored woman's pleas

Have Mercy

A local nurse and blogger shares her thoughts about Barbaro but she's also honest enough to share a sad truth about the healthcare industry: Money rules medicine. You don't normally hear that kind of insight and wisdom from a nurse unless it's late at night, nobody is around, you've been taking up a bed for way too long and suddenly you realize that she isn't in your room so late at night to simply fluff your pillows.

Man on Fire

In what has to be the worst timing EVER for a cigarette break, yesterday a guy in Lee's Summit spilled gas all over himself and then lit a smoke. Luckily, some bystanders helped to put out the guy after he burst into flames. Surprisingly, the guy is still alive and will recover if they don't put him into an oxygen tent.

Hide your TIF away

Giving his colleagues time to prepare or simply take cover Chuck Eddy recently postponed the release of the TIF audit in much the same way he has used stalling tactics on Red Bridge Road, his diet, answering questions as to why smoking is okay at the Casinos but not for small businesses and a whole slew of other topics. Honestly, I didn't know why the phrase "ANYBODY BUT EDDY" was growing so popular around this town, but now I'm starting to see why.

Be careful who you cut out

Excluding an African-American bowler leads to an overturned murder conviction in Kansas City. Also, I think if you didn't do your best to welcome a Black Bowler (not the hat) you might also miss out on some of the regurgitated and borrowed bits (read: stand up routine) from Paul Mooney about how cool it is to see a Big Black Ball slamming the tall, skinny white pins into submission until they disappear.

Blogger Backtalk: Chill

Unholy Moses on the Blunt Bunch: "It appears as though a disdain for poor people is hardcoded into the family’s DNA."

A story of a nice night out: At the American Jazz Museum

Song of the day, "Baby it's cold outside," here is the accompanying post: Kansas City is going through its annual dose of genuine winter

LMC is keeping up with Claire as she blogs that one of Claire McCaskill's cronies has been indicted on credit card fraud charges.

America's New Iron Curtain: Nearly as tough on immigrants as it is on your civil liberties.

Personally, I'd like to "lay hands" on a few willing lesbian broads and try to convert something

I recently read a post by Blogger Kansas Bob as he reprinted an article he claims was published in The Star (I don't remember it) about the power of churches (not the chicken) to transform, heal, convert homosexuals.

Here the money line from the article (Not from Bob):

It's time for the churches of Kansas City to do their jobs. We can do better than brace ourselves for another sex scandal or plan another round of dialogue. Let's manifest Jesus, full of grace and truth, by becoming communities of healing for the homosexual.

I believe the message comes courtesy of Desert Stream Ministries which prides itself on dealing with the "sexually and relationally broken" and I'm assuming that they're referring to dudes and broads who are the ghey and not simply every woman I've ever had the misfortune to talk to at America's Pub.

Thing is, I'm not sure how effective "converting" people from their lifestyle might be . . . And no, you won't hear any endorsement of pseudo science from me . . . There are hints and some interesting studies about genetic predisposition toward homosexuality but as of yet there is no clear cut evidence that people are born gay (other than the fact some people like Christina Aguilara) -- and that's cool because it makes it an even more definitive lifestyle choice which everybody has the right to make.

Long term, I think conversions of almost any kind are usually doomed to fail and people end up acting how ever it is they want to act on their own accord. At least that's what I try and tell every woman who has had the misfortune to use the bathroom after I'm done with it.

Aiming and air freshener are for suckers.

Pointing out the fact that we're all on borrowed time

So when exactly is Channel 9 going to pull the plug on Bill Pikus?

Yesterday, The Star finally picked up the story after it broke on Bottom Line Communications nearly a month ago.

It seems kind of cruel that they're stringing the guy along when even the casual media watcher knows that he's going to get the ax sometime very soon. The whole sad situation is eerily to the way that there are few breakups in the first two weeks of February leading up to Valentine's Day . . . But once the warmer weather is upon us and skanks from all over town start showing more skin . . . You're significant other is more likely to tell you how they really feel about you.

Control Freak Chastain

While he doesn't live here (I can't stress that fact enough) Clay Chastain apparently loves Kansas City so much, he's suing it. To find similar logic, you'd have to talk to a woman who has recently filed for divorce.

Actually, he's just threatening a lawsuit but the second you ignore this man, the City ends up in a debacle that could cost millions of dollars. Also, the defense that a vote for light rail was not a vote for Chastain is simply wrong . . . Unless you're going to argue the fact that Hitler has some good ideas like long vacations, highways, the Volkswagen and good looking color schemes as far as interior design goes. And you wouldn't argue in support of Hitler . . . Would you? Well, the same logic goes for support of Chastain and ripping up most of Broadway in order to shuttle a few dozen people to the airport and spend millions on what is only a moderately expensive cab ride.

Your prayers have been answered

Here are some phone numbers where you can report local potholes. Unfortunately, there is not a psychiatrist on the other end of the line asking you why you still have faith in local government after you've been failed so many times.

I was thinking that all of these complaints are probably compiled and placed into a Rube Goldberg machine that carries the list through the far corners of City Hall and eventually distributes the complaints as toilet paper for the folks on City Council.

MamaTV

Here is another video I produced for my mama. Also, I've been slacking in slamming the other candidates and a few hopefuls in unrelated races that I've been meaning to rant against . . . There are only so many hours in a day and there is way too much MILF action available on the net. Sorry, but I've been saving up so the new stuff might be that much better. Probably not.

Things to look for in this vid: If she looks mad, it's because I've been yelling at her to stop ending all of her sentences with "ya bastard" and talk to the camera and not to me. Also, I'm just waiting for one of the opposing bitch ass candidates to mention her borrowing (fair use?) popular music . . . That's been my decision because that's what most video blogs do . . . I've been trying to get her to "open up" (no Oedipus) and realize that these things are really more like diary entries and not campaign commercials. Frankly, I don't think anybody over the age of 30 realizes that people can undertake a creative endeavor without trying to sell something. Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that everyone in my family adores those Homies action figures that are yesterday's news but were actually considered controversial at one point. They're used in the video to demonstrate a small point . . . But see for yourself. The argument that toys create or contribute to gang violence seemed silly to me and the entrepreneurial story behind the product is actually quite inspiring. The fact that people see Latino characters in urban dress and automatically assume that they're all gang members is more evident of the inherent racism in not only the popular culture but also the Latino community as well. Anyway, my mom and I pretty much assume that everyone is smart enough to figure this stuff out on their own but I'm sure there are people petty enough in this town to make an issue of it so I thought I should take the 12 seconds necessary to belabor the point.

Anyway, I had fun making the thing and I think I was somewhat able to catch her being herself later on in the video. I hope future vlogs will get better but I'm not making any promises.

Speaking out without using hyperbole is the ghey

Recently, The Missouri-Kansas Coalition Against Racism, Anti-Semitism and Bigotry held a press conference against so-called extremist groups which they claimed spreading fear and separation in the metro area.

Of course it was a nice gesture with good intentions that was probably intended to make everyone feel wonderful about themselves but not only do I think one group with virtually no constituency speaking out against another group with no constituency is kind of farcical but also the local gang of do-gooders forgot to use the term Nazi.

That's the thing, if you're going to talk about immigration you MUST TAKE A TOTALLY EXTREMIST VIEW THAT PRESENTS THE ISSUE AS A LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLE FOR THE SURVIVAL OF WHITE WOMEN AND 2 FOR ONE BEER NIGHT!!!!! Clearly, this group missed the memo and their calm and rational approach to the issue isn't helping anybody.

The fact that even Bush, who now officially has the support of about 3 people and only one of his daughters, called he Minutemen "vigilantes" is of no concern here . . . What the immigration debate is for, is showing people that you are crazy one way or another and providing no solution whatsoever just a chance to either hassle white people (guilty) or rant about your dislike of tacos.

Shame on these folks with their good intentions who forgot that this hot button political issue is really about entertainment and garnering support rather than actually working toward a compromise.

The very first local Vista review

Jazo provides some great info regarding Microsoft Vista. His headline sums it up nicely:

VISTA: We waited 5 years for a shiny turd

I've read a couple of other reviews and they all pretty much say the same thing without bothering to explain why or explaining so many things that I stop reading and look for nude photos of the old TechTV broads considering that I think they're all doing prostitution nowadays anyway.

Sooooooo, read Jazo's review in order to have a slight understanding of why you'll be crying in front of your computer in about 3 years. Also, last night Laura Mortiz was reading off her teleprompter and pronounced the name Veeeeeesta as if she was channeling my Latino lust for Kelly Eckerman. Anyway, it was a tad amusing considering that it was yet another clear example that while pretty, a lot of local anchors (like me) have no clue about the news they are spouting.

Getting kicked from the County is a mixed blessing

Jackson County will cut 19 jobs that aren't as important as protecting the political rep of Mike Sanders and making sure he has money for his jail matrix/whatever/plan to lock up more brown people for longer periods of time. Also, it goes without saying that Kathryn Shields should be given some credit. The County's shortfall and the need to let people go because of her wild spending and refusal to account for anything paved the way for this bad situation. On the bright side, maybe a few of them can find work as chauffeurs if they had any thing to do with Queen Kathryn.

Finally, if you want to thank Ms. Shields, you may not be able to find her in person (especially since I'm pretty sure that she's going straight from the Mayor's race to prison . . . So you might just want to direct your prayers toward the overpriced mural and monument at the Courthouse in her honor.

Biting reminder that the Insurance industry controls your fate

If a proposed ordinance in North Kansas City is passed than all dog owners would be required to have at least $100,000 in liability insurance. And I'm only assuming that this new law would also be in effect for those rinky-dink toy dogs that pose more of a threat to themselves than anything else on this planet.

I guess it's good to get closer to the last logical step regarding paranoia over pitbulls that ultimately leads to mostly harmless dogs and responsible pet owners getting treated with nearly as much animosity as Mexican dishwashers.

Your Chihuahua wants Amnesty!

The expensive losing effort

When folks in this town railed against the Stadium Tax, it wasn't (just) because they were bitter and hated your mother and apple pie as well. In fact, even a causal observer of professional sports know that pro-teams demand millions upon millions of tax breaks and straight up subsidization from the towns who host them and offer little in return . . . Especially the Royals who have only managed to deliver a couple of HUNDRED GAME LOSS SEASONS in row to their loyal fans and the folks from St. Louis who crowd the stadium every time the Cardinals play in KC.

Anyway, given all of this, it should be no surprise that the Royals plan to install a state of the art video coaching system that includes a new control room, hardware and software at a cost of $900,000. Even worse, the team wants to pay for the system with the $250 million approved by voters for the overhaul of Kauffman Stadium.

And while this may seem far off base and unfair to people who are sane and actually pay attention to the news . . . I can see how it might make sense to folks silly enough to regularly attend Royal's games. And I might even think the money was worth it if it would make any difference in the play of the team. Sadly, it's just another example of how Kansas City (Jackson County in this case) was taken to the cleaners by sports teams that don't care about this area or even the stadiums in which they play but are only looking to cash in . . . And again, even that wouldn't be so embarrassing if it wasn't a group of pathetic losers like the Royals who got one over on this town but can't seem to win against anyone but the people of Jackson County.

Heartfelt

Jeneé Osterheldt reminds us all that "Valentine's Day is just one day a year"

Which in turn reminds me that life is not fair because I know at least 15 more talented local bloggers who come up with more interesting prose on a regular basis while The Star's resident hipster broad turns in this kind of prattle consistently. Damn, baring the few instances in which she accidentally hints at her sex life . . . Osterheldt's stuff is usually not even as interesting as those silly columns they used to build "Sex in the City" episodes around during the early seasons when horse face Sarah Jessica Parker hoped that viewers wouldn't find her starring role the most boring aspect of the show. Just to reminisce a bit . . . An old Family Guy episode describes the program as "Three hookers and their mom" and I remember laughing my ass off when I heard that one because it summed up the premise perfectly. But I digress . . .

The point here is that this woman gets paid to turn out this stuff and I can't help but be a little jealous and envy at her sweetheart deal . . . I did not know that hoop earrings held such power over the world of print media but I'm thinking about wearing one at least so I can not only look like a pirate but also garner half as much good fortune for my lazy and misinformed writing.

Keep it gay

Allie Zaroor and Four Freedoms are hosting a mayoral forum at the Metropolitan Condominiums tonight. The forum will explore issues of importance to downtown dwellers, the gay and lesbian community and the arts community -- I think you could safely assume that all of those people are pretty much the ghey. Additionally, this might also be an interesting occasion wherein politicians bending over backwards to tell people what they want to hear might get more than they expect. Ouch.

Double Bonus: This seems to be one of those great informal meetings where politicos might just want to relax (their throat muscles) and be sure not to take on more than a mouthful. (NO HOMO!)

Because local hookers need more "office space" too!

Once again folks are floating more talk of building a hotel that could exceed 1,000 rooms downtown.

It's an intriguing idea . . . Especially considering that few people are going to bother going to the Power & Light District given that the same entertainment is closer to their suburban homes AND the only team that wants to play the Sprint Center is The Brigade of the perennially financially unstable Arena Football League . . . So, it looks as if it's up to this town's skanks to provide the entertainment should any huge hotel managed to get erected.

The Kansas City hospitality on tour

Strange, the people of Des Moines didn't know that when somebody from KC (especially somebody in a stolen car) asks you for directions . . . The best thing to do is run. A bizarre attack on a guy riding a bike is just one reason why:

Gary Cornelius was minding his own business in downtown Des Moines early Saturday when when he was stopped by men in a truck who appeared to be lost.

Cornelius began giving them directions, but was interrupted by one of the men, who told him to get off his bike.

Police said the men grabbed the bike away from him and began to destroy it. They slammed it on the pavement. After damaging the brakes, the frame and the front wheel the men ran into an apartment building.

An appropriate response to somebody from KC asking you directions might have been:

Do I look like Mapquest?

I'm not from here.

Que?

I'm lost too.

What does something like that pay?

Anyway, I know I stopped giving people directions when I realized that everybody just wanted to know how to get to The Plaza. So now, I simply send everyone who asks for directions to 18th and Vine no matter where they are headed and I remind them to lock their doors.

Blogger Backtalk: Bummer News and medical drama nearly as bad as Blink 182

"It's like WebMD, but reputable!" according to The Book Pusher on the subject of a new health site that might not respond to every question with "You will die from Cancer!!!"

Bonus: Toast keeps us apprised of the scary medical articles she has been reading . . . Sadly, the apocalypse will be live blogged.

Daily Kos is impressed with Governor Sebelius Via the KansasRino . . . Note it's easy to be impressed with anyone from halfway across the country . . . And that's a fact that explains how so many people from around here ended up with their strange political affiliations.

Late Night Theatre is no more . . . Expect outrage even more outrage in KC that's not as concise as this quick post which informed me of the fact. .

It's "the little differences" . . . This time a conversation about Ireland. No Royale with Cheese.

An out of town blogger points us toward a directory of local food . . . I think he's talking about stuff that's grown in the region which is not only good for your health but also keeps area farmers from producing and distributing Meth. Overall, it's a win-win situation. You keep your figure and they keep their teeth!

Broken Windows: Your bummer black and white photo of the day.

TFK reminds me why I try not to think about the fact that I live downwind from a nuclear reactor.

Fantastic Heights

A local blogger undertakes an adventure on the wings of the buffalo (read: stupid way of saying that he ate an AWESOME amount of Buffalo wings) only to end up paying for it later . . . Very much like Icarus, only without all of the ghey Greek references and the loin cloth. Hopefully.

Anyway, the point of the story is that everything you put in your mouth has consequences. Unless you're Paris Hilton and then there's also a video tape and the comforting fact that you don't need a conscious if you're going to inherit hundreds of millions of dollars.

On the topic of white women and weddings

Thanks to locally based and internationally awesome website Fazed for drawing my attention to a frightening video of a young white lady completely losing her shit only minutes before her wedding thanks to a bad haircut.

While there is a slim possibility that the video is fake . . . Having personally dated white women exclusively since I was a teenager I can tell you that THERE IS NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY regarding this lady's behavior as far as white chicks are concerned. I've seen similar meltdowns regarding the last slice of pizza, why I'm always 15 minutes late everywhere and the fact that I don't want to get a job in the insurance industry.

Actually, the video is comforting to me in many ways but mainly because it's one excuse in a million related to why I don't go to big weddings willingly nowadays. And I'm also comforted that the cold of winter has given the good people of Kansas City a brief respite from the impossible demands of brides-to-be as, no doubt, this scene to a greater and lesser extent will be reinterpreted throughout this town come wedding season.

UPDATE: I wouldn't call it "Fake" necessarily, I think it's more accurate to call it a staged interpretation of reality.

In all of my car fantasies I'm able to drive the speed limit despite construction

MoDot is soon to shut down the southbound lanes of I-35 on the west side of the loop so highway crews can resume repairing pavement and bridges. The closing begins at 9 a.m. Monday.

After years of neglect I guess it's a good thing that they're actually working on the streets but in the end I'm sure the only immediate impact is going to be inconveniencing me and making me feel even worse when the area continues its downward slide as improvements in this town are never as substantial as public officials claim and continued neglect means the area will be back in the same mess sooner than you think. Very much like paying off all of your credit card debt by cashing in your 401k or telling your girlfriend that you love her . . . In the end, it's just a desperate attempt to dig yourself out of a hole without really changing your lifestyle.

To top off that optimistic outlook. Here is how your morning traffic jam will look if you have any need to head downtown . . .

A list of the ramps that will be closed beginning next Monday:

• U.S. 169/5th Street to southbound I-35 at the northwest corner of the Loop

• Westbound I-70 to southbound I-35 at the northwest corner of the Loop

• Eastbound I-70 to southbound I-35 at the northwest corner of the Loop

• Southbound I-35 to 12th Street on the west side of the Loop

• 12th Street ramp to southbound I-35 on the west side of the Loop

• 13th Street ramp to southbound I-35 on the west side of the Loop

And while I don't think Kansas City's traffic woes are reason to support public transit pipe dreams, I do think all of this will give me an opportunity to devote more time to listening to music in the car. Or maybe reading, I know that I've seen folks reading while driving before and it's always strengthened my faith in God or at least the ability of humans to make horrible mistakes and somehow still survive.

I've been watching "The L Word" too much

Reading this rough and somewhat intriguing instance of a local woman named Cherry charged with forcible sodomy for allegedly using a wooden hairbrush to attack her sleeping friend the only thought in my mind is how they are going to reenact this scene with hot ass Jennifer Beals and one of those other broads on The L Word.

Seriously, a great portion of my weekends over the past month have been devoted to watching this Lesbian soap opera drama with my girlfriend (Screw you Netflix). At first I was a bit hesitant but I didn't realize how many gully sex scenes the show would host. Later, I was a bit concerned that my lady was a bit "too interested" in the hijinx of the upper class carpet cleaners (I mean, it's fun to watch but with surprisingly little payoff) but I think she's smart enough to know that the average Lesbian isn't that hot or rich or devoid of flannel shirts and a mullet . . . At least I hope not or it's back to buying and reheating my own fast food again.

The Greatest Generation

I always thought that Tom Brokaw was working an angle with all of his "Greatest Generation" talk. I figured it was a way to get into the hearts of the elderly in order to more easily empty their life savings accounts. If so, then it was a great idea but a side effect of all of that propaganda is that people actually believe that the white people who came of age in WWII were any less horrible then your average SUV driving JoCo resident. Want proof? Talk to any brown person over the age of 75 and they'll provide it along with cute anecdotes about clever nicknames and not being able to use a bank . . . At least through the front door.

Still, I always thought the most impressive thing about "The Greatest Generation" was their incredible luck. They actually had Hitler and his evil empire to fight whereas the past 60 years has seen a slew of U.S. Presidents desperately trying to compare every 3rd world dictator and the rag tag group of supporters with sling shots to the Nazis.

Additionally, I find that old white guys of this era get an inordinate amount of respect (read: parking spaces) and a few of them win the lottery. Example: A retired electrician and World War II veteran is the winner of the largest lottery jackpot ever sold in Missouri -- worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars.

All that AND white privilege?

Talk about good luck . . . My only hope is that the guy has a chance to enjoy it before he goes to "White Heaven" or discovers the more than likely possibility that one of his female decedents will marry a Black dude and strangely end up with Latino babies.

It's all about finding your purpose in life

The sad state of local politics has me looking elsewhere for ideas and recently in Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's approval ratings are declining because some of his people are talking out of turn.

Apparently, Abe's health minister described women as baby making machines. In a speech discussing Japan's falling birthrate, Yanagisawa on Jan. 27 said "the number of machines that produce babies is fixed, so each woman has to have more babies," according to the Asahi newspaper.

Frankly, this statement offends me as well because it completely overlooks the numerous skills women posses in regard to cooking, cleaning, complaining, driving poorly, taking the garbage out, minor home repair, believing my excuses as to why I haven't called in two weeks and also the important task of providing a source of friction for my naughty bits.

I've always admired the focus of the Japanese and their weird ass cartoons but it seems in this instance they are missing the forest from the live-in maid service.

The phrase "media ethics" makes me laugh

Fortunately, I have no expectation of any kind of ethics from media people or from anyone else but Bottomline Communications raises an interesting question when asking if Steve St. John crosses an ethical line in promoting his own work during his sports talk show.

Honestly, I don't have a problem with anybody promoting themselves. KC's most successful sports writer Jason Whitlock is like a walking billboard that promotes not only his career but also the misguided notion that research and talent are essential in becoming a successful writer.

Cool looking corpses

There has been an increasing number of deaths related to motorcycle accidents in Missouri and Kansas. Strangely, only a small fraction of those deaths come from suburbanites buying Harleys on a whim and then subsequently dying of embarrassment when talking to other bikers about their shared interest.

Town Topics: Redux

It is illegal to put ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas.

Johnson County Park and Recreation District is now offering a Dodgeball Tournament program for adults and further proof that fads get to the Midwest 5 years too late.

31st Street between Southwest Trafficway is a great place to see pedestrians dodge cars.

a lot of people in Kansas City are just as scared of germs as I am.

Local Latinos headed to Jeff City last week in order to be ignored on the Immigration issue.

From KSHB: "Friends of a dying Excelsior Springs, Mo., woman are working to make her dying wish come true." It's a touching story. Unfortunately, the women's dying wish is not to stop dying.

Alonzo Washington has been dutifully keeping track of more than 5 random shootings and 1 homicide in KCK With another double shooting over the weekend, it doesn't look like the cold weather is slowing down the violence.

Still Krazy Kris Kobach after all these years

You may not think so, but I have a lot in common with Republicans. And I'm not just referring to good stuff like Ronald Reagan liking Mexicans, free trade, small government and chubby blondes.

So what exactly do we have in common? Like the current Republican leadership, I rarely admit I'm wrong, I don't like the ghey people in a political sense even if some of them are friends and relatives. And, most importantly, when I'm in trouble . . . I DOUBLE DOWN!

Surely, the same strategy that seems as if it's going to be a disaster in Iraq should work in Kansas. Right? There is no denying that the best way to get out of a hole is by digging harder, deeper and faster!

Anyway, it's not that I like to see anybody make a mistake but sometimes you just have to laugh at a blunder and realize that it will benefit you. For instance, that stupid new haircut your girlfriend got might mean fewer expensive outings (read: Wendy's) when she realizes her error. Or white people in a hurry who leave their car doors unlocked. Or college chicks who still haven't learned that "being a good listener" has more fringe benefits than you could possibly imagine.

Still, the fact that Krazy Kris Kobach is now leading the Republicans in Kansas might make some Democrats smile but honestly it elicits the same feeling in me that I often get from watching a car wreck or recently divorced woman in Westport.

Here are some better thoughts on the subject:

"Too bad this party is going to turn out to be a wake."

Krazy Kris Kobach to head Kansas GOP

Kobach Flip-Flopped on Abortion ... Just Another Prostitute to Special Interests

Kobach pledges to go full-tilt

Kansas GOP picks leader

Locals aren't giving much attention to the upcoming election

For January, yesterday was a lovely day and yet with attendance of less than 150 at a meeting intended to decide the fate of this town it's clear that nobody is interested in Kansas City's Mayoral forums.

From what I've heard more than half of the audience cleared out before the thing was over. I'm guessing that there were nearly as many people on stage as there were in the audience when it was time for final statements. The upshot of all this is that it now should only take 7 votes to get to the primary. However, it is troubling that nobody seems too fond of Democracy in Iraq nowadays and there doesn't seem to be much interest over here either.

Because spying is somewhat easier than convincing people to start snitching

Here is yet another story that illustrates that local authorities haven't made a lot of effort in engendering cooperation in high crime areas: Kansas City police want to spend $4 million to upgrade their patrol car cameras to higher-quality digital equipment. Police in both Kansas City's hope to install cameras in high-crime neighborhoods. And some officers on both forces are being trained in forensic video.

And I guess this is good news because I know that random crime on the street under good lighting conditions is really important to fight against. Also, poor people should know that privacy is overrated and if Paris Hilton doesn't want it, neither should we!

New Hotness: KC Underwater. Old and busted: Water infrastructure.

Cold weather and Kansas City's pipes go together like politicians and follow through on promises . . . Main breaks at North Rock Creek.

Reason #3948 why you shouldn't trust women

Surprise, the KC Star is now worried about this town's debt burden!

They say this issue is important for the mayoral candidates but the truth is that the only thing this story really reveals is that the next mayor of this town SHOULD NOT BE A WOMAN since obviously Kay Barnes and her genetically smaller female brain couldn't comprehend that all the bills she ran up for this town would one day come due.

Sadly, I doubt that the Minnesota barbecue of Famous Dave's in the new P&L Disaster District is going to pay the bill. But then there's always the empty Sprint Center and the sweetheart deal we're willing to give to anybody who will come to town. Ultimately, that kind of groveling will also assure this town continues to present itself as a broke ass, desperate and lonely old woman . . . Which I guess is in accordance with Mayor's Kay's legacy after all.

The last days of Kay Barnes are making everyone in Kansas City sick

Mayor Kay's reign has yielded so many dead Black people that she refused to even acknowledge so I guess it's fair that she now turns her back as cops get sick. The Star reports that The mold-contaminated ductwork at Kansas City Police Headquarters has sickened some workers for more than a year. Like everything else in this city, the problem is getting worse.

The cops say that City Hall has ignored the issue for 17 months. They point out that the city owns the 69-year-old building and is responsible for maintaining it . .. . That fact and 5 dollars will get you a frappuccino at Starbucks.

Still, I think there is hope in solving this problem but it just might require building something completely unrelated in order to attract tourists and people in the market for luxury living space. If only the mold spores taking refuge in the lungs of local workers (mis) understood macro economic theories as well as Barnes.

That's "Ford Tough" children . . . Now get lost!

Ford Plant Daycare Set To Close

However, before you throw stones remember that when you lose $12 billion, you don't have to care about babies anymore.

Mostly decent food and a money drop

I don't know if you noticed but a recent sex extortion dropoff point before the subsequent bust was right by Ponack's.

Note: You're eating authentic Mexican food if somewhere nearby there is a briefcase with more than 50k inside.

Further investigation on the subject of where KC women spend money they didn't earn

According to a seemingly popular "shopping blog" it appears that Kansas City may have overmalled itself.

Kansas City is possibly one of the most extreme fringes of a national trend favoring mixed-use, lifestyle centers and strip malls to their enclosed counterparts.

Actually, this blog post is just a rehashing of an earlier story by The Pitch: Merry Xmas from the Dead Malls also covers the subject with typical the ghey flair but comes up with explanations related to white guilt and not economics. In any event, the suburban temple we now call the shopping mall is on the ropes in Kansas City so people from around this area might just have to find another venue to prove that they can't tolerate being around Black people.

Taking over with tacos

I think I read somewhere that Kansas City has more Mexican restaurants per capita than San Antonio, TX. Teocali is yet another one and local blog "Cooking in KC" provides a somewhat enthusiastic review.

KC soon to flip its lid

The misguided mistakes of this town make for great posts at The Urbanophile as the blogger reports that local officials are studying the possibility of spending $200 million to put a deck over I-670.

Apparently, the Kansas City Star dubbed this project the "Big Lid" after Boston's Big Dig. But I'm guessing they didn't mention any of the nightmare (crushed under huge chunks of concrete) scenarios that awaited the people of Boston thanks to that ill conceived project. I only hope that if the folks in this town couldn't get a roof over Arrowhead they might also horribly fail when it comes to something that people might actually use.

Now we can all afford helicopters and tragic fates

Searching through the back pages of Popular Mechanics for a penis enlargement device better mouse trap I recently found a great way to die in a helicopter accident for less than 50K from an Excelsior Springs, MO company. Circa 1999.