Don't let environmentalists mislead you, light rail is dirtier than you think

Whenever millions upon millions of taxpayer money is at stake things are bound to get contentious if not downright corrupt.

Light Rail is no exception even if so many "green" d-bags want you to think that supporting public transportation makes you a better person . . . It doesn't.

Anyway, the story here is that The Star recently got played in promoting one of many "alternatives" to Clay Chastain's stupid plan.

A recent article was a simple enough puff piece but the reporter (Kevin Collison) didn't exactly research why the KC Design Center handed an award to BNIM architects. First, here's the "important" part of the story:

The winning entry in a transit-oriented development competition sponsored by the Kansas City Design Center, a nonprofit group that promotes good design and planning. The entry from BNIM Architects, which is assisting Houston with its next light-rail line, was chosen from among five participating teams.

Well, maybe BNIM had a fantastic plan and maybe they didn't. BUT WHAT THE STAR DIDN'T MENTION IS THAT BNIM IS ONE OF THE KC DESIGN CENTER'S BIGGEST BENEFACTORS:



Or at least that's what their webpage says.

This is important because it's clear that companies from all across the nation are doing every thing they can to get their teeth into this deal that could potentially be a windfall. The contest "win" by BNIM could be used to put them ahead of the pack. Although, the prospect of possibly fixing a contest probably isn't a huge sin . . . It doesn't really speak well of their integrity . . . And it's not like I'm Kansas City's moral compass but then again nobody is lobbying to give me millions in public money. (Incidentally, if they did I would figure out some way to have mass transit in KC involve lap dances)

But maybe they didn't fix the contest at all . . . And I'm just jumping to conclusions. I'm sure it was fair . . .

Just to be sure, right now I'm going to hold a contest for Kansas City's best journalist . . . Okay, all the entries are in . . . Guess what . . . I WON!!!! There you have it, TKC is the best site for journalism in Kansas City. Awesome! Do I get a story in The Star now?

And maybe "fix" is a strong word but at the very least an organization giving an award out to one of it's biggest donors in a "Contest" without much disclosure other than a little known webpage is a tad unseemly . . . Hell, even radio stations have clear cut rules about employees, family and close associates winning their on-air contests.

The point here is that this light rail thing is going to bring out an assload of unsavory corporate types that are the antithesis of every green, clean, good hearted and hippie notion that most public transportation advocates want you to believe they're all about . . . But the truth is that these same folks invited all of this corporate intrigue and the inevitable shadow games that will follow as soon as all that transit money is in play.

So, it's clear that Clay Chastain's plan isn't going to work and it's even more apparent that the folks looking to replace his dumb design are nothing but sharks . . . In the end, it's going to be hard for this city to find somewhere else to turn and the only thing that's clear is that simply driving your car and avoiding all of the corruption that's a part of any public works project isn't something that should weigh too heavily on your conscience.

Paris of the plains

I don't know why celebs get such a bad wrap for being stupid when their fans are clearly much worse: Kansas City Woman Wants To Serve Paris Hilton's Sentence. Via Fark.

KC's History is going condo

Every old building in this town represents an opportunity for Master Realty Properties to turn it into a condo and possibly make a fortune off of people who forget that schools, water infrastructure, neighborhoods and crime are also concerns when deciding on how much a luxury living space is worth.

An interesting article in The Star today detailed the local company's history in Kansas City's Condo craze and listed some of the historic buildings with units that will soon spend more than 24 months on the market until a sucker with deep pockets comes along. Here are my favorite buildings:

An eight-story building at 712 Broadway, built in 1903 to accommodate a pharmaceutical wholesaler will now be transformed into 45 luxury condos.

The Freight House Lofts at 2029 Wyandotte St. The 1929 building was renovated in 2001 into 33 apartments. The condos will sell from $200,000 to $360,000.

The Campbell Paint Lofts at 1535 Walnut St. in the Crossroads Arts District. Built in 1915, the building was renovated by Master Realty into 58 apartments in 2000. The price range is expected to be from $195,000 to $400,000 with monthly condo association fees of about 25 cents per square foot.

With all KC's history up for sale in a sketchy real estate market I wonder of earlier generations ever had to deal with a similar glut of luxury housing . . . Also, I think the best thing about condos is that they are impervious to crime!!!

Westport Crowd Concerns

A few Westport residents raised concerns recently about the late night, weekend crowds in the area . . . The group is actually on the quieter part of the district but obviously they're still pretty scared about what the summer will bring . . . Given that even the Sunfresh Parking lot is a great place to get stabbed in the eye.

Residents of the high-rise Westport House Apartments on Mill Street packed into the building’s meeting room to talk with officials.

Their concerns largely revolved around the thick crowds that gather in the Sunfresh parking lot across Mill and two incidents two Sundays ago: the sound of shots from the parking lot and the news that 21-year-old Chris Bartholomew was fatally shot a few hours later in midtown.

Again, I have a solution . . . I'd be happy to round up all of the drunken, blonde women and take them home with me so that at least we can confine all of the gunfights to the sausage fest that most Westport clubs turn into after around 1 a.m.

Prison Industrial Complex soon to go private in JoCo

Because if you can't make a buck locking up poor people and minorities then the terrorists have won:

Johnson County commissioners are considering striking a deal with a private, for-profit corrections facility in Leavenworth.

Also, one there are more than 2.2 million people in U.S. jails right now which is a greater number and percentage than any nation in the industrialized world.

Only the weak minded and women (same thing in most instances) drink a lot of wine

Beer sales are down across the board, "fancy pants wine" is all the rage among so-called Americans.

Either these people have never heard of Boulevard Beer OR this whole real estate bubble bursting, never-ending war and colossal mess known as the Sprint Center have people a lot more depressed than I ever could have imagined . . . Because unless you're dating a high class prostitute, there is no reason to substitute pricey wine for perfectly good beer.

Today's TKC link dump

I'm playing catchup today but here are some recent stories that I found interesting:

There are a bunch of "convenient" places to get killed in South KC.

Police: Woman Carjacked 45th, State Line

Hockey and mullets soon to come together in Independence.

Brave old lady sent to turn the lights out: 63-Year-Old Woman Set To Serve In Iraq

KCK Police Ask For Help Finding 8-Year-Old

Teen Slain At 24th, Kensington

KC City Council holds meeting at police station

TKC's lesson of the day: White women are the most important people on this planet

Alonzo said it first but I have to agree . . . A white broad who ran off with 20k would be in jail if she was anybody else but a white broad in the suburbs. It's straight out of a Steve Martin joke and I know I'd be in the clink if "I forgot" was the best excuse I could come up with in front of an JoCo judge.

A former Shawnee Mission Parent Teach Association treasurer missed her chance to pay for her crime in court Wednesday.

Julie Ann Carr had agreed to pay back the $21,000 to the Bluejacket-Flint PTA before her sentencing day. But during the sentencing hearing Wednesday, Carr said she did not have a check.

A judge allowed her to leave and come back later, but she did not return before court ended.

It's an important lesson kids, white privilege also applies to the PTA . . . However, I think minorities doing up to 20k worth of damage in that part of town should now feel entitled to the same treatment i.e. going home until you can pay at your earliest convenience.

UPDATE: The white broad is in now in jail after a media uproar . . . So you can stop clutching your checkbook for the moment.

Who's to blame for Bannister Mall's demise?

The much maligned South KC Mall closes today and while so many people (like myself) choose to blame roving band of young Black guy's for the mall's demise, I blame people who ran in fear for both real and imagined reasons.

Finally, Wakarusa organizers realize that folks just want to listen to music and engage in causal drug use in peace

Less aggressive security planned for Wakarusa Fest.

Another out of town chain restaurant for P&L District

Power & Light gets Ted's Montana Grill

KCI: Still "The Airport from Hell?"

U.S. Rep. John Mica of Florida once called Kansas City International "the airport from hell" but he recently changed his tune after a tour of the place with Sam Graves . . . Mica credits a private baggage screening company for the improvements in what was pretty a pointless press conference . . . While I think the place less of a security risk because Osama knows that if a pro-sports franchise doesn't want to occupy The Sprint Center . . . Then our city isn't worth blowing up.

Local dude dies just days before his wedding

A sad story that's pretty heartbreaking actually . . . So I guess it would be crass to point out that all marriages end in death or divorce anyway.

News: White kid almost washed away

It rained yesterday, I also had a lot more important things to do than blog about rain so I did them . . . Newsies paid to report regardless of importance weren't as lucky. Thankfully, the kid in question who nearly drowned is going to survive and an afternoon of rain didn't kill anybody . . . The only thing that suffered was journalism standards in KC.

UPDATE: The poor kid died.

Inside the Chinatown Food Market

I have a policy about my Chinese food . . . I'd rather not know how it's cooked. That's why I don't ask any questions. However, a recent article in Present Magazine regarding a popular River Market Asian grocery store was surprisingly pleasant and thankfully devoid of any domesticated animals.

A blogger's favorite bars

Scooter has a pretty great list of the top 20 area bars that he has visited. His post includes quick reviews and a bunch of other interesting information that you'd have to invest far too much precious liver tissue in order to find out for yourself.

The home video era is coming to an end

KC Media blog reports that Lenexa's Video Library is closing and liquidating their inventory.

An employee of the video store near 87th and Rosehill in Lenexa confirms Video Library is moving ahead with a liquidation of it's inventory ASAP (all titles go on sale this week).

Traffic to one of Johnson County's original viden rental stores died down considerably in the past two years as Blockbuster and Netflix's mail delivery services gained traction in the marketplace. Video Library could not deliver on a similar service to keep pace with the national competition.

Where will Johnson County now turn for older movies and brand new adult titles?????

I didn't know they sold porn, so now the closing makes me sad . . . Still, it's plain to see that the era of bricks and mortar video store is nearly over . . . Along with demand those discs - both CD and DVD . . . And probably profit when it comes to charging folks directly for content . . . At least if Apple's ITV is even half as revolutionary as folks think it might be OR if Bittorrnet ever gets to a point where it doesn't require a Masters Degree in Computer Science in order to operate.

The Buzz jokes about Domestic Violence (and so do I)

I guess Lawrence blogger Joel Mathis is trying to be a nice guy in a post that expressed his righteous indignation over an unsavory ad run by local station 96.5 the Buzz.

The ad was short and not so sweet and here is the offending message:

"This Memorial Day weekend, the Buzz asks you not to beat your wife — even if she deserves it."

Here is part of the response that Mathis penned that will unintentionally make it easier for him to get in the panties of the office intern who happens to be mistakenly earning her college degree in Women's Studies even if that was not his initial aim:

It wasn’t funny. It was horrifying.

This isn’t some Imus-like situation where one DJ made a stupid, off-the-cuff announcement. This was a corporation deciding to advertise itself through humor so ugly it would make a frat boy blush.

If you think I’m being humorless, let me ask you this: How many chuckles would you find in your mother being beaten? Your sister? Your daughter?

Your wife?

First of all, that's a phony question. I can sit around all day dreaming up depressing scenarios in order to try and sway public opinion . . . In fact, that's pretty much the premise of this blog. For example here's a make believe situation similar to what Mathis described:

"If you think stand-up comedy is funny . . . Imagine if Hitler was doing it. "

There ya go . . . Not that I want to defend the Buzz or anything, in fact it has been well documented that no one should listen to The Buzz not because of misogyny but instead because their music really sucks . . . A fact that has been expertly documented by Lawrence blogger J.D. who also gave me a heads up (NO HOMO!) on this recent bit of media criticism.

Anyway, the point here is that the Buzz is giving Domestic Violence jokes a bad name.

Domestic Violence CAN be funny, especially when it's happening to one of your ex-girlfriends.

What is not funny is that jokes regarding Domestic Violence are being wasted in support of music that is the closest thing to soft rock this side of John Tesh.

Mathis is now boycotting 96.5 The Buzz due to the off color joke that he heard in the car with his wife, I'm speculating that his protestations are geared toward impressing his wife in deference to the struggles of her beaten down sisters all over the planet. However, I find that women are rarely impressed with latent homosexuality.

Instead I'm hoping that women want a man who can make up his own mind about the kind of music he listens to without regard for politically correct posturing . . . At least that's what I hope my woman will say about the situation and if she doesn't I'm going to beat the crap out of her.

West Terrace Park Photo History

Evan Harkins recently created an AMAZING VIDEO regarding the history of West Terrace Park.

This Youtube clip offers a sobering account of how Kansas City has traded so much of its history for the convenience of commuters. If there was ever a parable for local pedestrians, Evan Harkins has created it.

If you care at all about the history of this town, you owe it to yourself to take a look at the clip, send a copy to friends who may find it interesting and tell everybody that TKC found it for you.

Big Media Backs their man despite the fact that Mayor Funky has been a failure so far

One month into it, the Star is trying to abate the buyer's remorse that is gripping Kansas City regarding Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

Today's front page story is nothing more than a promotional piece for a Mayor whose promises are already falling to pieces after only a month in office.

The Star publishes a point by point analysis . . . And I just want to take this space in order to retort.

The Star claims Mayor Funky is not anti-business . . . The truth is that it doesn't matter: U.S. home prices have fallen for the first time in 16 years and while real estate speculation once powered all of the cheap hype and cheerleading regarding the "Downtown Renaissance" the epoch of a downtown economy driven by loft and condo sales has now passed . . . Once again this town was a day late to jump on that bandwagon not matter how many developers scream to the hilltops to the contrary. This doesn't have anything to do with what Funkhouser has or hasn't accomplished but he is simply the man left holding the bag (nullus) of a macroeconomic trend that doesn't bode well for a city fixated on Downtown real estate development.

The Star claims that Mayor Funky is not your average politician, probably because that's the image that they sold to their readers. Decades inside City Hall and he's not an insider? That's purely a pose and just because hipsters want to believe something doesn't make it true. The second that Funkhouser rewarded the Northland vote with the appointment of Bill "WTF?" Skaggs to Mayor pro tem signaled that Mayor Funky was nothing more than a regular old politician who seemingly turned his back on every part of the City that didn't overwhelmingly vote for him . . . The mayor had a chance to pick a woman, who would have worked better with the estrogen laden council OR a Black person in order to reach out to the Eastside after a contentious election but Mayor Funky fell back on the same tired political tactics that have kept this city divided for generations.

Nobody in their right mind would defend expensive double dipping by an old Funkhouser friend. Mayor Funky couldn't even do damage control regarding his buddy's QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF COMPENSATION. The move didn't exactly speak to the "regular folks" that Funkhouser fanatics are so fond of invoking and it's yet another sign that the image so carefully crafted by The Star is now just as flimsy as their classified advertising revenue after the advent of Craigslist.

Funkhouser isn't fond of after hours (i.e. post-5:30 p.m.) meetings. Politician is not a real job, Mayor Funky is so inexperienced that he hasn't learned this yet. Say as many bad things as you want about Alvin Brooks but the guy was out on the streets of KC doing his best to serve his constituency DAY AND NIGHT. Whereas Mayor Funky wants to be home by dinner time. Even according to The Star, community leaders from across the city say that they feel slighted. The Mayor's refusal to meet "regular folks" during the hours that are convenient for people who have real jobs just reveals that 851 voters fell for the same kind of empty promises Kansas City has heard for generations.

Apparently, the Funk doesn't exactly have a fire under him in order to fix Kansas City's problems. Question: Do you think he could have made his lackadaisical approach more well-known during his campaign? This is a Mayor with a razor thin margin of victory and he's acting as if he has a mandate. Already the City Council has challenged and defeated one of the guy's campaign platforms. On this last point Kansas City's paper of record has it all wrong once again. Mayor Funky isn't taking it slow, he's paralyzed by a lack of political leverage and it seems that the only ones who are quickly moving to defend him and continue the clueless campaign of catchphrases are the folks at the Star and the last few remnants of Internet bloggers clinging to their naive notions of change at City Hall.

Frankly, I'd like to hear what Internet politicos Heidi, Dan at Gone Mild and BlogKC have to say about a month long display of one Funkhouser Administration failure after the next.

TKC knows how to save The Woodlands

With gambling soon to be expanding into Kansas, The Woodlands race track is still going to find itself in a precarious position. Year after year, the financial hardships of the place have made headlines and now the management is desperately hoping that a new gaming bill will provide a windfall for the place . . . But it probably won't.

Put simply, The Woodlands is simply too far out a bit sleazy to attract a big crowd in its current configuration. Additionally, KC casinos are much nicer and WyCo casinos will be much more convenient so that the new slots that could soon end up at the area race track really won't make a difference.

But TKC is all about solutions and a recent news clip inspired me to bestow a nugget of my wisdom (nullus) on local leaders . . . The attraction that will save the Woodlands and make it a profitable and beloved institution throughout the area is simple: Bikini Racing Women!!!!!!!!

A recent race at the Hollywood Park gave me the idea but I think that applied to the Woodlands on a regular basis during the summer months would drive throngs of visitors to watch broads in thongs hustle toward the finish line.

I'm not kidding at all, this a great idea and I don't think any heterosexual man would ever get tired of watching this kind of entertainment. Really, it's the best idea in order to make gambling on races more interesting in Kansas.

No need to thank me Woodland's managers, simply hit me back via e-mail for a P.O. Box address where you can mail my check.

TKC Model of the moment: Laura-Marie

Nothing in particular stands out about 21 year-old Overland Park model Laura-Marie but I think that's the point . . . Thin, blonde and tan isn't a bad way to go for an aspiring model in much the same way that angry, bitter and confused is the defacto standard for most bloggers . . . We all have certain ideals to live up to . . . Anyway, check out this local model's myspace page if the pics interest you.

Politics is pointless

KSHB reports that Sen. Kit Bond said Tuesday he will support Republican Congressman Sam Graves in his re-election bid, despite reports of a feud between the two. Translation: The myriad of Democrat ranting and press on the feud between the two was simply a matter of public masturbation and pretty meaningless given that the real goal is how we can all unite to deport Alberto Gonzales and send a message to Latinos across the nation about their place in this country (i.e. preferably outside of it).

Christians bothering people on the Plaza

Here's hoping that Jesus hates all kind of performance art, especially people handing out religious tracts disguised as money. The clip is pretty pointless but it's a nice look at the people I usually pass, ignore and do my best to try not to spit on . . .

Highlights:

Hipster broad in Black trying to debate while her boyfriend looks bored.

White chick thinks it's real money they're handing out.

The various and nuanced ways people find to ignore or bypass the obstruction . . . Ew that sounds like talk regarding a colon blockage but rest assured, Christians bugging people on the street is far more annoying.

Bonus for people picking up The Pitch and other free publications . . . Now you get free religious tracts with the city's best guide to hookers and horrible real estate!!!

What I didn't see:

Anyone taking the least bit of interest.

The owners of A/X justifiably telling them to clear out from their entrance.

Lightning striking given that breaking the commandment of "leaving people the f*ck alone on their weekend" is nearly blasphemous.

KCK Crooks offer convenience

You don't even have to leave your driveway in order to be carjacked.

Newest KC contingent: Coyotes

Coyotes can survive in the concrete jungle according to recent studies. A story regarding a coyote in a KC mattress store is cited with other numerous instances of these highly adaptive animals making the transition from rural to urban environments.

The remarkably adaptive critters, famous for roaming rural stretches, have long been spotted in cities and suburban areas. But some naturalists suspect the ranks of urban coyotes may be swelling as the animals migrate from the open spaces of the West and Southeast toward the East and Midwest.

In more heavily populated areas, they're drawn to the ample rabbits, rodents and small house pets that are easy pickings compared to running down a fawn in the forest. Parks, golf courses and well-tended residential areas provide a good food source and cover. Throw in dog food left outside or food scraps in trash cans, and you sweeten the chance a coyote comes calling.

Actually, I think the prospect of coyotes (other than the kind that bring Mexicans) in downtown Kansas City is pretty cool and I don't really care if it's not what downtown loft and condo dwellers signed up for . . . Additionally, wild (and wily) coyotes cruising around downtown Kansas City just might be the only solution to remove homeless, vagrant beggars from urban streets. Truly, it's kind of amazing that KC is playing a bigger part in the circle of life.

Alonzo Washington Clan now making news in India

Pretty amazing that these local kids and their comics are getting worldwide attention for their cause whereas I think I was still addicted to Nintendo at their age.

Now back to your regularly scheduled KC Royals losing streak

Kansas City drops fifth straight game.

Real Red Bull

KC Currents files a pretty interesting story on a KCK vet.

World War II veteran Roque Riojas is the current president of 34th Combat Infantry Division. The 34th, nicknamed the Red Bull Division, was the Army division that saw the most total days of combat during the war. Riojas joined at the end of the North Africa campaign, and was in Italy until October of 1945. Two years ago, he represented midwest and Latino veterans at a White House breakfast for the dedication of the World War II memorial.

Memorial Weekend Motor Madness

The highway patrol says eleven people died in traffic accidents in Missouri during the Memorial Day weekend.

Favorite target for KC Crooks: Family Dollar

I'm guessing that it's the Kansas City area's number one soft target!!!

I try not to post too many links about petty crime but I've finally come to the conclusion that any Family Dollar store in the metro area is most likely the next location at least one of KC's next dozen or so armed robberies . . . The place just might as well be an ATM for KC's criminal class. Here's the latest headline on the subject that even notes the futile nature of this store's business:

Another Family Dollar Robbed

Police said two teens wearing shirts around their faces walked into the Family Dollar Store on Stadium Drive at Van Brunt on Monday.

They demanded the cashier open the safe, but she couldn't, so they reached into her drawer and took what was there.

Officers said when she pushed the silent alarm, the teens took off running and escaped.

Will anybody snitch in Quadruple shooting?

KCTV5 reports: Kansas City police were still searching for a person who shot four people Sunday night.

Crossfire continues in KCK

Earlier this morning, the victim of a drive-by in KCK fired back into the middle of the street toward the car that previously attacked his house.

Someone drove past a house at 18th and Haskell at about 1 a.m. and opened fire.

No one inside was hit, but someone inside the house grabbed a gun, went out on the porch and fired back!

It wasn't clear whether that person hit anyone inside the vehicle, which witnesses described as a silver sport utility vehicle.

Double Bonus: Reportedly there were at least two dozen shell casings that littered the streets after the shooting . . . So gunfighters in the area aren't recycling either, and that's really a shame.

Another reason to give up: Greensburg Tornado could now be giving people cancer

A Kansas expert says that residents and volunteers who are wading through what's left of Greensburg, Kan., are probably being exposed to asbestos.

If your kid play basketball, his chances of going to Pembrook Hill just got better

This news items helps explain all those minority kids waiting at the busstop near KC's priciest school: "Pembrook Hill School announced Tuesday that it has received a $2 million grant to provide student scholarships."

"No Health Net"

KC Blue Blog reminds you that you better eat that apple a day because the doctor AIN'T coming your way: "MO Health Net restores health care for only 4,000 of the almost 400,000 Missourians who either lost it or had it severely cut. It changed its focus from coverage to "preventative care" which is a nice way of saying that it will promote healthy ways of life because a lack of health goes untreated."

Property Codes are everybody's problem

From The Kansas City Post: "Kansas City Must Toughen Its Property Code Laws"

TKC's favorite game: Find the Black people at "popular" downtown attractions!!!

The KC Rag Forum hosts some pretty great photos of Memorial Day Weekend's "Celebration at the Station."

But here's something that most folks ignore or don't want to recognize: Whenever there is a "popular" or "successful" downtown event it's usually all white.

The Memorial Day Celebration and the Crossroads First Fridays are the first two examples that come to mind . . . I've been to both of these events and every time I'm there, I literally count the infinitesimal number of Black people I see in order to pass the time . . . If I have company I make a game of it and the first person who gets to ten gets a soda or somesuch.

Anyway, the point is that I understand how the Crossroads keeps away minorities given that bad art is akin to Country Music in confusing the tastes of a demographic that hasn't historically shown much enthusiasm for highbrow hipster posing. However, it's a shame to think that more Black people don't attend the Memorial Day festivities given that Black people are just as patriotic as anyone inasmuch as they also want Mexicans out of the country.

Anyway, I've been to so many so-called "popular" Downtown attractions and the lack of diversity is appalling . . . So I suggest that an elaborate and expensive outreach effort is necessary in order to ensure that we truly are "One KC" (ugh) and the so called downtown renaissance isn't just a conspiracy to remove all of the minorities from the urban core . . . Which is what it looks like from what I see.

Kansas City carjackers are creative

Fox4 reports: Police said four men tried to rob another man overnight Monday with a knife and a manhole cover. The bizarre incident happened near 46th and JC Nichols in Kansas City, Missouri.

Brookside Fire leaves family homeless

KSHB: "A Kansas City family is homeless Monday night after a fire ripped through their Brookside home."

KC TV News Rankings for May

I can always count on the Gateway City Message Boards to put things in perspective:

Mornings

6am-7am

Not sure if WDAF or KMBC was 1 or 2
KCTV
KSHB

Noon

KCTV (ahead of WDAF by almost 5 share points)
WDAF

KCTV 5 4pm show grew 51%

5pm

KMBC
KCTV
WDAF
KSHB

6pm

KMBC
KCTV
WDAF
KSHB

10pm

KCTV
KMBC
KSHB
WDAF

Chiefs mediocrity in full bloom during May

An article from 810 highlights nearly half a dozen problems that Herm is going to have a hard time resolving.

Dowtown Kansas City: Where bad art and poor planning intersect

From Country Club Kay's Administration to Mayor Funky's fanatical regime it's clear that Kansas City just can't stop spending money in order to subsidize the Crossroads.

A recent combination of "art and infrastructure" (ugh) is the latest example of KC's futile hope that 3rd rate artists can convince people that they won't be robbed, shot, raped or killed when venturing into KC's downtown.

With the help of a $500,000 grant from the Gary Dickinson Family Charitable Foundation, James Woodfill has been chosen to collaborate on a project that will transform four dull downtown bridges spanning Interstate 670 into something memorable, and provide a whimsical transition between the new Power & Light District and the Crossroads Arts District.

“The idea is to utilize infrastructure elements as a site for something more profound to happen,” Woodfill said. “Nobody expects an experience like that. It sets up a condition where art can be more meaningful.”

Woodfill’s commission, which totals $828,500, was decided recently by a host of community organizations, including the city of Kansas City, Downtown Council, the Crossroads Community Association, the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Dickinson foundation.

The thing that's insulting about this so-called artwork is that it falls for the hype that Crossroads hipsters have helped to cultivate. Sure, First Fridays are great for a few businesses and white gallery owners in the area but by and large they're overall economic impact is minuscule - Show me the numbers that say otherwise . . . All I see is the same old phony stat that fakes a thousand or so people into a crowd of 10k or more.

Anyway, while the rest of KC is hurting for attention Downtown KC continues to hog this city's resources and share of mind . . . So far the results have been nothing more than a tenuous and speculative condo market coupled with pervasive crime that cripples any threat of a real urban renaissance . . . Thing is, the folks behind this downtown cheerleading could care less about the interests of downtown residents who don't dwell in luxury condos . . . They're simply out to promote their own angle and sell an image of downtown living that is so far from the truth it might as well be a soap opera in which South KC and the Eastside are nothing more than minor players. Additionally, this beautification I-670 bridges is completely misguided given that Broadway near Bartle Hall exiting onto highway in question is nothing but a minefield of potholes that is a complete embarrassment to this city and clearly demonstrates that all of this downtown hype and fanboy zeal for Mayor Funky is nothing but fake sentimentality.

Still, reality has a strange way of circumventing these grand downtown schemes and I only hope all of the filthy homeless bums that are so commonplace in downtown KC appreciate the pricey artwork that might be beautiful but ignores the real state of Kansas City streets.

More Delusional Talk from Dayton Moore

After a year of spinning his wheels the Royals GM Dayton Moore doesn't have much of anything to show for it when it comes to the team's play . . . That's either the definition of insanity or yet another sign that KC's pro-sports teams are cursed . . . (By the bad karma of making Jackson County taxpayers pick up the tab for their poor play).

Someone please FIRE Steve Penn

What's the point in this so-called columnist writing one PR column after the next for they Mayor?

Crazy Lady's Kin Question Shooting!!!

Obviously, they get attention (i.e. 700+ word article) because they're white.

Wanted: Westport Walgreens shooting witnesses

The search is on for Christopher Bartholomew killer(s) and it looks like it might yield some success given that the folks involved in the efforts are being honest about what really motivates tipsters . . . Cash!!!

Alonzo Washington has already done some great work getting Walgreens to contribute even more funds to the effort . . . Also, considering that the dumbass(es) implicated in this incident shot more than a dozen times into a crowd of nearly a hundred people seems to indicate that we're not exactly dealing with criminal masterminds in this instance . . . Can't wait to see the mugshots on this one.

"Branson Area Realizes the Communist Dream"

The headline was simply too good to pass up . . . Here's the story from the Branson Blog: "College of the Ozarks is an institution where you can get an education in exchange for 15 hours hard labor. You can work in your field during your last couple of years and leave with a diploma debt free." Sadly, that still won't help you find a job.

JoCo vid biz may have went "Betamax"

A local blogger reports: "Video Library -- a long-time popular video rental destination in Lenexa, Kansas has been suspiciously closed this entire Memorial Day weekend. At first, I expected some sort of annual inventory shutdown for a day or two. Now, I'm beginning to think it may be something much more, as the store sits dark for it's third consecutive day. It's now Monday and the store is still dark -- with "inventory shutdown" signs hanging on the front doors."

You didn't have as much fun as this KC dude over Memorial Day Weekend

The D certainly does rule.

Possibly the best personal ad ever penned

Via Ofuzi. Also, take this post and apply it to everyone in Westport by adding 30lbs and a bit more credit card debt:

I need an unstable woman for a drama filled relationship . . .

"I’m seeking a like-minded woman to share a disastrous 3-9 month relationship with, ending in acrimony, emotional chaos, and possibly legal proceedings.

My name is Lloyd, I live in Chicago , I’m 27 years old, fairly well educated, I hold down a good job and am pretty stable. I’m told I’m fairly good looking, but I’ll let you be the judge of that - I’m generally caring and very honest.

I am looking for an attractive female who will at first give me obsessive love, praise and devotion - but whose paranoia, self-loathing and fear of rejection and abandonment will eventually lead her to alternately push me away and pull me closer in a love/hate cycle that will lead to infidelity, consensual sexual violence, and the eventual emotional breakdown of one or other party - or if we’re lucky - both!

You should:

* be 20 to 35 years old;
* have a history of short, intense, drama-driven relationships;
* enjoy degrading and dehumanizing sex;
* have undergone negative psychiatric evaluations in the past; and
* be willing to threaten self-harm and/or annihilation as a weapon to control your partner and make them stay with you and care for you.

Although not completely necessary, I would prefer women:

* with nice smiles;
* that have larger than average breasts;
* who are married or already in unstable relationships;
* that drink to forget; and
* who have had a previous established diagnosis of Borderline or Dependent Personality Disorder or Bi-Polar Affective Disorder - or who are currently taking Lithium Carbonate, SSRIs, or Tri-cyclic antidepressants

If you think you meet these requirements (and wow, I’m getting excited just writing them!), please don’t hesitate to get back to me as soon as possible. In the meantime, thank you for reading my advert, and do take care.

All the best,

Lloyd"

Cheers to everyone with realistic expectations!!!

TKC Model of the moment: Jenny Guynn

Looking around the local Interents for local model photos I came across some shots taken last year of the aptly named "Jenny Guynn."

Here's a pretty decent photo of the local broad in a bikini holding what looks to be a glock.



The good looking photos were taken by rabanmedia.net which is operated by a freelance photographer specializing in automotive themed photography.

Check out the photog's other image galleries for even more pics of some pretty local hot broads posing next to even hotter cars.

Additionally, the photo shoot featuring model Jenny Guynn initially took place at a local casino until the crew was allegedly run off property and seemingly had to complete the photo set in what looks like Berkley Riverfront Park.

So many have sacrificed so that I have the right to date white women

Sadly, Memorial Day Weekend has passed, so the fun (i.e. drunken) part of the holiday is gone and now it's time for the empty politics.

Every Memorial Day during a time of war requires a bit of solemnity but I sense of certain "so what" attitude in the air given that it's painfully clear to everyone who owns a TV set that the war in Iraq is lost.

So the only thing left to decide now is how many soldiers will die during the debate focusing on a way out. Already, more than 3,450 soldiers have been killed in the Iraqi conflict since the invasion of 2003 and the number just keeps growing. Depending on your political affiliations the staggering number of lost lives is either a reason to cut and run immediately or throw good money (billions) after bad.

For me, Memorial Day has always been about following the older folks in my family out to the cemetery and watching them take a spare moment to honor their long gone loved ones . . . Some of them served in the military, most of them didn't. I always found distinguishing dead people to be a tad distasteful given the fact that death is the only thing on this earthly plane that makes equals of us all.

Still, it's hard not to get wrapped up in the nationalism patriotism of this day given that so many lives have been lost in order to find no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and little or no interest regarding Democracy in Kansas City.

Anyway, the theme of patriotism, politics and protest songs has informed this latest podcast which was late because TKC is a busy girl. Oddly enough and no matter how much people want to avoid the term "quagmire" I found that so many songs from the Vietnam era are still applicable to the current conflict in Iraq . . . I don't know if this speaks to the futile nature of war or the lack of any creativity of current popular artists . . . Probably both.

Memorial Weekend Mayhem

Cheryl L. Creason, 57 was the crazy broad shot to death by the KCPD.

Northland Residents Terrified when reality comes to their neighborhood.

KCK Teen shot in chest multiple times making recovery and should probably think about recording a rap CD.

Kansas City Police are investigating two armed robberies Sunday morning.

Will they reminisce over you? Memorial Day crashes claim at least 5 lives in Mo.

I wouldn't count on Texans not killing a KC woman.

Shootings around KC always incur collateral damage.

Alvin Brooks might bring back the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime.

Prospero's lame book burning protest shows the stupidity of some local "literate" folks

Here's hoping that Tom Wayne's store Prospero's books goes bankrupt given that he's burning books in order to create a cheap publicity stunt to drum up business. If the guy was really concerned about declining literacy in the United States his efforts would be more productively placed pioneering digital paper in the metro rather than pushing dead trees on the public.

But getting people to read isn't what he's about . . . Clearly, his idiotic tactic is about creating some free news coverage so he can make a buck. Hopefully, people will see through the silly liberal coffee house chatter . . . Also, this temper tantrum on behalf of a small time bookseller makes me feel a hell of a lot better about buying all of my reading material from Barnes and Noble.

Then again, if the guy decided to destroy Ayn Rand and self-help books exclusively, the book burning would have my full support.

Rules for Black Kids are wrong when they are applied to white youngsters

Alternate Headline: White people shouldn't be allowed to complain about discrimination.

The tale of a Goth Kid Gang booted out of Independence Center/Mall/Whatever is interesting for a number of reasons.

First of all, I recently watched the story on KMBC and couldn't believe that a grown woman could cite the shopping mall misunderstanding as a genuine case of "discrimination" . . . The only thing that was more shocking was that the story made the news in the first place . . . In fact, I believe it was one of the first stories featured on the opening minutes of the local news . . . Which pretty much proves that very few things of consequence are actually reported on TV.

Also, anyone familiar with Independence Center or any shopping mall for that matter knows that the greatest security threat (both perceived and real) emanates from roving groups of Black males and not from white kids with horrible taste in clothes and music.

In my experience, it's minorities who are justly and unjustly hassled by mall security and not white kids who cry to their parents who in turn cry to the hilltops at the first sign of trouble.

Nearly every local mall has taken some kind of countermeasure in order to ensure that large groups of minority kids don't ruin their business. Anyone aware of Independence Center's tenuous demographics will easily realize that the "rule" of no more than 5 kids to a group roaming around the mall is aimed at the contingent of African-American youths who inhabit the place if not in letter at least in spirit.

The only problem comes when applying this nonsense to everyone.

Contrary to a common misconceptions . . . Private property does not give someone the right to play God . . . If that was the case then segregation or requiring women to wear veils could be instituted at popular shopping spots . . . Out of curiosity, I have to admit that I'd at least make one trip to whatever local place decided to put those kind of "rules" into practice.

Still, I guess you can make a case for security officials at the mall trying to put their dumbass regulations into practice equally against both minorities and malcontents. However, to make sure these makeshift rules are carried out constitutionally I guess local authorities need to conduct a series of costly tests in order to gauge how fairly the regulations are applied. But I wouldn't count on that anytime soon and I think that we all know the only good children are ones who are in training to be consumers.

Therein lies my point . . . Black or white, being shoved out of the mall is a blessing in disguise. These temples of consumer greed are nothing more than a spot for thousands upon thousands of shoppers to try and fill the gaping void in their existence with garbage they don't need.

In fact, Goth kids going to the mall seems altogether out of place given that they're supposed to stand against conformity and curly fries and all of the crap that goes with the consumer culture cultivated at the mall. Obviously, these goth kids were "caught slippin" and hopefully this smackdown by "the man" will show them the hopeless, bleak and miserable state of their existence. Double Bonus: More angst filled, miserable people on the Internets = More TKC readers and that's all good!!!

Help a local babe become Miss High Times!!!

I've always known I've had an eye for talent. All of my ex-girlfriends have went on to great heights after they dumped my ass and it seems like as soon as I enter any establishment, it always becomes crowded with d-bags that are just lining up to spend their money in front of me. Put simply, TKC is good for business.

Accordingly, it's good to see that one of my favorite local models is on the cusp of greatness.

A couple of months back, you might remember that I introduced you to a Kansas City model who called herself Sweet Indica.

Well, now it seems that the local model is first in the running to become Miss High Times!!!!!!!



Pictured here with this brick of weed that looks like its big enough to kill a horse, I think it's obvious the hot local 27 year-old broad is well qualified to represent High Times Magazine.

Additionally, I think Kansas City deserves this kind of sexy ass representation on a national level given the fact that - As far as consenting adults are concerned - Smoking weed is tantamount to chewing bubble gum. Also, a "Miss High Times" from Kansas City pretty much proves that causal marijuana use and culture has completely taken hold in the Midwest which was (mistakenly) purported to be the epicenter of traditional values that people are forced to pretend they practice when in public.

Don't get me wrong, I think most causal drug users are scumbags who unwittingly or not fund the deadly narcotics trade in the inner city . . . But then again I'm not a big fan of the drug war either which has really only served as a mechanism to toss even more minorities in jail. Additionally, I don't smoke weed because I've heard that it induces a mellow complacency and I've always been my best when angry . . . The kind of reckless, mean-spirited and dangerous angry that only comes with drinking (perfectly legal) alcohol to excess.

But I digress . . . My point is simple: The most important thing you can do today in order to support the troops and show your appreciation for Democracy is to vote for this local model to represent Kansas City in the illustrious Miss High Times Pageant.

Because ensuring that very good looking women have access to a wide variety of mood altering substances which cause them to make bad decisions is the most important duty of every American male. Rock on NORML.

$30 million in city bonds make KC Zoo this town's most popular money pit

Long story short, the Friends of the Zoo are just a few years away from failure even though the Zoo is an increasingly popular and PRICEY attraction . . . Prediction: Large scale donations aren't going to last and they'll need a bailout before you know it. Why? Well, supporters of the KC Zoo have always had an overinflated sense of its importance and time and time again KC's moneyed class has found that it's easier to use their power and pull to make the citizenry pick up the tab rather than pay for anything themselves. Proof: Private donations haven't come close to the cost the KC proper has kicked in to the expensive attraction over the years.

Now, when do I get to see the White Elephant exhibit?

KC's gheys want you to complain

An interesting column from Camp KC compares the struggle for "the ghey" rights to that of Ghandi and MLK . . . The guy makes a few good points and does his best to counter the message of Rev. Will Bowen and Christ Church Unity . . . Personally, I think anything involving purple bracelets sounds the ghey to me.

Set Kathryn Shields Free!!!

For a moment, let's say that the throngs of hardcore Democrat bloggers are correct.

The Attorney General Scandal really is important and never again should a Mexican be allowed to attain such a high office . . . And I guess Alberto Gonzales needs to be deported after the Senate holds their no confidence vote.

Additionally, the Missouri connection to all of this "corruption" (or whatever) is also a crucial detail and just shows that Republicans were simply playing politics with the Justice Department down to the tiniest detail of every facet of this Midwestern state.

Well then my friends, if all of these factors are true as so many rabidly Democrat bloggers would have you believe . . . You must take these facts into consideration and in following that "logic" you'd have to figure that all charges against Kathryn Shields must be dropped.

Don't blame me for this theory, it's the one she's pushing as well:

Former Jackson County Executive Katheryn Shields renewed her assault on her mortgage-fraud indictment Friday with new arguments that she is being prosecuted because she is a Democrat.

In a federal court filing, Shields and her lawyer, Curtis Woods, identified nine other home sellers involved in real estate sales with other co-conspirators in the fraud case who never were prosecuted.

Shields and her husband, Philip Cardarella, have contended that the “selective and vindictive” prosecution against them is because of her political activity, including serving three terms as county executive and running for election as Kansas City mayor . . . Woods also asked the trial judge, Chief U.S. District Judge Fernando Gaitan, to note that former U.S. Attorney Todd Graves and Bradley Schlozman, the interim U.S. attorney appointed to replace Graves, both will soon testify before Congress on the “political firestorm” of whether the U.S. Justice Department was improperly used for political purposes.

So there you have it . . . All of this so-called "political theater" isn't just grandstanding, it's a struggle to ensure that politicians like Kathryn Shields are free to have murals painted in their honor and use their employees as chauffeurs. In the end, it's nice to know that the Democrat Party stands for something.

Certainly, we have to make sure that politics doesn't come into to play in the Justice Department so that politicos like Shields are free to practice their stock and trade . . . Also, I believe there is no better cause than supporting the innocence of one of Kansas City's most maligned politicians.

Still, I have a sneaking suspicion that this kind of grassroots movement behind efforts to play up the tumult isn't enough to keep Kathryn Shields out of the can, in fact, it's hard to find anyone who cares about the so-called "SCANDAL" who doesn't have a political talk show or a blog.

Killing cousins OR Fatal Family Affair

The more I read about the story of the toddler killed in KC, the more depressing every detail gets: Jackson County authorities Friday charged two cousins with murder for a gunfight that ended with a stray bullet striking and killing a 3-year-old boy.

KCK crooks hit weapons cache jackpot

KCTV5 reports: Police were investigating a burglary in which seven handguns and 200 rounds of ammunition were taken from a home.

Kansas City can't find enough ways to support bad art

Sentenced to the Arts Project offers juvenile offenders a chance to take up performance or visual arts as part of their rehabilitation, with hopes of reducing any chance of them returning to the system. The program is run by COMBAT and funded at around 300k a year . . . However, the story relays details of some of the youth in the program taking up hip-hop which we all know only leads to more violence and/or big name rappers making hundreds of millions of dollars selling glorified sugar water. Yeah, here's a note for the rapping runts: Flashy advertising pays way better than rhyming.

Cerner chatter gets catty

Cerner CEO takes a crack at GE OR an already rich dude shows even more swagger given that he only stands to get even richer . . . Personally, I question if the company is going to be acquired at all. Additionally, I guess area company Applebees is facing buyout talk as well . . . I guess somebody has never tasted the food.

The Glenwood is gone but 30 years ago today it was at the top of its game

If you're a fan of the Kansas City area OR the Star Wars movies, check out an AMAZING post regarding the 30 year anniversary of the opening and you'll probably get a bit misty eyed.

The Glenwood was the Kansas City area's crown jewel of movie theaters. Located in the suburb of Overland Park, KS, it opened in 1966 as part of the Glenwood Manor motel and convention complex. Featuring an ornate chandelier in the lobby, the Glenwood had around 800 or so very comfortable seats facing the largest screen in the Kansas City area. The gigantic gold curtain that covered the screen before showtimes just hinted at what was to come.

By the mid 70's, Dickinson Theatres, who owned the Glenwood, added an additional screen right next to the main auditorium. It was very similar to the big theater but held about 500 people. It didn't matter to me where I saw it. I just could not wait. I had seen one of the trailers at another movie about a month earlier and I just could not stop thinking about this great new movie.

Needless to say, I was not disappointed. I sat perfectly still from the 20th Century Fox logo to the tail end of the credits. My dad was amazed because I was a very hyper child and to get me to sit still for two minutes let alone two hours was amazing to him. My favorite characters right off the bat were Darth Vader and Han Solo. That whole blockade runner sequence at the beginning is still my favorite part of the movie 30 years later.

My God, has it been 30 years???? I guess so, actually it would be a momentous occasion if only the not so distant memory of Jar-Jar Binks makes me put the whole thing in perspective.

Sadly, the Glenwood Theater is long gone and whatever integrity the Star Wars Franchise had was sold off in order secure the billions of dollars George Lucas needed to produce cinema classics like Howard the Duck.

Never forget, Han Solo shot first!!!



In it's place, a Bob Evans now occupies the spot were the Glenwood once stood . . . Which should convince you that people involved with real estate are geniuses and know better than you.

Shared sentiment

"Thank you VETS!"

"The Republican AG primary is shaping up to be a microcosm of all that is wrong with Missouri Republicans."

A great primer on Missouri GOP politics from Gone Mild . . . The topic concerns who is going to take up the task to persecuting prosecuting people in the State and the jockeying for the spot among Show-Me State Republicans but from my vantage point one of the worst things about most of Missouri Republican politics is that it rarely involves Kansas City. Richard Berkley is rolling in his grave over this fact . . . (he's not dead). Note: TKC has always thought Berkley was this town's best Mayor in recent history and I haven't met anyone willing to argue the fact.

A taste of TKC will cheer you up ladies!!!

Thanks to the tipsters who sent me this one, while it doesn't directly relate to KC . . . Follow the link, print out a copy of the story in order to convince your lady friend finds as to the mystical qualities of man juice when they find it hard to swallow . . . Ew . . . "The finding that women who do not use condoms during sex are less depressed and less likely to attempt suicide than are women who have sex with condoms and women who are not sexually active, leads one researcher to conclude that semen contains powerful-and potentially addictive-mood-altering chemicals."

Still, I think wrapping it up is always the best policy . . . It's not that I don't think my sauce is special but showing concern for a woman's mental state is what really seems unsavory about this scientific finding.

(For more fun, read back this post back in a Daffy Duck voice)

Socially conscious hangover

Sorry folks, my Saturday posts usually start a little bit earlier but drinking and debating don't mix.

Also, given enough Boulevard Wheat the line between conservative and liberal really starts to skew and the only thing everyone can agree on is how much they hate Mexicans. The more you know!

Another Fun Fact: There is no situation on the planet . . . Funeral, wedding, graduation, party, whatever . . . Where Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" isn't the most kick ass song.

You people are scary

Here are the top search terms for the last 100 visitors TKC has hosted. I've highlighted your especially weird interests.

10.00% animal porn Here's the accompanying link for that search which is surprisingly the most popular only search coming from Saudi Arabia.
6.67% jerry agar
6.67% irs missouri suicide
6.67% meredith hoenes
3.33% katie holmes, kansas city, ice-skating
3.33% harrah's in kansas city need coupons
3.33% benjamin stables in kansas city
3.33% irs
3.33% kansas city royals freebies
3.33% monks kansas city
3.33% murders in kansas city in december of 2006
3.33% ghetto kc hoodie
3.33% tonys kansas city
3.33% middle school upskirt
3.33% damon gupton nationality
3.33% kansas city downtown development
3.33% mercy fuck
3.33% trial>marsha spicer
3.33% bloody catfight
3.33% kansas city steve shaw
3.33% kathryn shields
3.33% how to fake clinical depression Here's the accompanying link for that one as well.
3.33% capoeira- kansas city
3.33% kansas city supersonics
3.33% bad kansas city neighborhoods

And I love you all.

Bye-bye Buzz Blog!!!!!!!

The KC Buzz Blog just filed its last post!!!

Too bad, because at times they were pretty good.

Still, there's no way in HELL that I would ever pay for Prime Buzz and it's telling that the folks at the Star couldn't make a buck off of Kansas City's increasingly active political community. Seriously, for a time the Buzz Blog was getting some decent traffic and great comments . . . But Prime Buzz I don't think could ever be mistaken for "successful" . . . Given that all you need is a new e-mail address every two weeks in order to get past the pay wall . . . Ooops!

Too bad, I'll miss the Buzz Blog nearly as much as I miss all of the bees that are also rapidly disappearing.

Star Wars stamps sitting in KC cave

Yesterday, I saw one of those R2D2 mailboxes on a street downtown . . . It's part of the promotion to not only make George Lucas richer than God but also for the new Star Wars Stamps that are soon to roll out and now sit in once of those creepy Kansas City Caves right beside the Ark of the Covenant and the designs for a water powered car.

Actually the stamps are a pretty cool idea and if mail wasn't completely obsolete I'd probably use them.

All that expense for Arena football?

The KC Brigade announced they're going to call the Sprint Center home. Hopefully, all of the fans watching their cheerleaders will notice.

Another classic Combest Headline: "Brenda Talent is not Hispanic."

The Missouri blogger clears the air when politicos try and play the ethnicity card and mistake a half Japanese broad for a Latina. However, I heard that Talent wasn't half as "fire and brimstone" about immigration as McCaskill had been . . . Still, he did run those awful commercials . . In the end, sadly, nobody likes Mexicans.

KC is an integral part of Iraq War death toll

A Kansas City-area soldier who died in Iraq this week is the 100th Fort Riley-based troop to die in the war zone since U-S forces attacked in March 2003.

Friday do-it-yourself facts

I'm continually amazed by the ingenuity and the survival skills of people from this town . . . KSHB reports: A shooting victim drove himself to the hospital early Friday morning. Police say the bullet-ridden car arrived at Truman Medical Center around 1 a.m. The victim said two men opened fire on his car near 12th Street and Woodland. The victim will recover.

Better coverage of crybabies than TKC

KCBike.Info has a bunch of great links for cycling crybabies who can't be bothered to wear lights on their own conveyance, then get killed, blame everyone else while garnering the support of a KC columnist who wears embarrassing biker shorts.

If you're near a radio right now listen to TKC on KMBZ

I'll be on at around 8:30 (I think) and EJ and Ellen put on a pretty entertaining show so you should probably listen to the whole thing while pretending to work.

Slavemaster won't see a cent in media deals

KMBZ reports: A 22-year-old woman has won a $5 billion judgment against the serial killer who murdered her mother and arranged for her adoption by his own unwitting brother.

The judgment is intended to ensure that John E. Robinson Sr. - convicted of killing eight women in two states and better known as The Slavemaster - will never profit from his crimes through a book or movie, Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Clark said in announcing the award Thursday.

Expect more fighting, forget about rollback

The KC School District isn't even going to consider lowering its tax rate levy on Jackson County, in fact it took them less than 72 hours to say no and come up with the typical "it's for the children" retort.

The Kansas City School District does not intend to lower its tax rate, despite a plea from county legislators, school board President David Smith said Thursday.

The school district already has one of the lowest tax levies in Jackson County, and is dead last once the tax revenue diverted to charter schools is figured in, Smith said.

“It would not be in the best interest of the children we are charged with serving,” Smith said. “We are very concerned about what seems to be a unilateral movement to hamstring the district. We would wish for the legislators to appreciate these facts before sticking us between a rock and a hard place.”

The legislators voted Monday to ask the district to forgo its exemption from a state law that requires districts to limit their revenue gain from increases in property assessments to the inflation rate — or about 3 percent.

Districts accommodate this law by lowering — or “rolling back” — their tax levy.

In the article, Smith cites some nonsense about charter schools but he fails to mention that the KC School District has received BILLIONS over the years and the only result has been a rapidly shrinking district and the occasional headline regarding arrests at local schools . . . Put simply, nearly every cent spent on KC Schools has been wasted and time after time the district has been an embarrassment to Kansas City and a deterrent to people moving here . . . Still, everyone knew this move was a longshot and that money for KC Schools only moves in one direction -> Into the hands of the district -> And then down the toilet.

More sad details about KC toddler's death: Everybody knew something bad was coming

The death of the 3 year-old is yet another example that there aren't a lot of ways (or an easy way) for folks in KC neighborhoods to voice their concerns: "Neighbors said gunfire was common near the house at 5401 Rinker Road."

So many ready to give up free speech rights in order to fight Fred Phelps

Is it really that hard to ignore a dirtbag? If I would have known this, I probably would have been more persistent while trying to date white women during my younger years. The KC Star reports: Attorney General Paul Morrison has filed suit asking the Kansas Supreme Court to rule on whether a funeral-picketing law is constitutional.Personally, I think finding state and federal funds for VFW Bikers to Drown Out the silly Phelps Funeral Protests is a better idea and still maintains everyones free speech.

"No Nukes" Nerds Never Understand Reality

Sad to see that so many folks decided to speak out against the very facility that keeps them safe . . . Strange thing is, for all the talk about fighting scary weapons facilities in the KC area . . . I doubt we'd ever hear a peep out of these folks if a KC bomb making site was located in a poor minority neighborhood (For the most part it is . . . But you know what I'm saying . . . Even poorer, like Eastside poor . . . )

The federal government requested — and received — feedback on a plan to move and update its south Kansas City plant that makes non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons.

The nearly unanimous opinion at a Wednesday evening meeting: Get the business out of Kansas City.

“We’re outraged that these weapons are being produced, and that you are making a profit at that,” said Joe Carr. He added that he remembered as a boy being anxious about the weapons factory hidden behind a tall, brown wall along Bannister Road in his neighborhood.

“I’m upset that this plant continues to exist and poses the possibility of collateral damage,” he said. “We’re ready to take on the military-industrial complex in our own backyard.”

IDEA: The Eastside is mostly comprised of abandoned houses so there wouldn't be anyone to complain if the complex was put in that hood and it wouldn't be the only weapons cache in the area.

TKC solves problems!!!

I always wondered why the bullet holes don't come prefabricated in urban apparel

Sad local story as to why they're aren't more businesses in the crappier parts of this area: Gunmen Shoot Clothing Store Owner During Robbery.

Funkhouser can't get cooperation and is rejected by City Council

With little support among the electorate, it's clear that the City Council is exploiting Funkhouser's lack of experience and support among KC's voters. The fact that Mayor Funky can't even build an alliance in order to work toward one of the platforms he campaigned on shows how weak his political leverage is at this point. KSHB reports: "Mayor Funkhouser introduced a resolution Thursday to appoint a citizens committee to write a new economic development policy. But, he received resistance. Councilmember Ed Ford led the opposition coming out with a list of 12 reasons why the council, not a citizens committee, should tackle the Tax Increment Financing problem. Only one councilmember even hinted at supporting the mayor's idea as he wrote it."

Screenland SOLD, more Westside Gentrification Coming Soon!!!

It's always tragic that Kansas City is typically on the tail end of every nationwide trend.

The Kansas City Performing Arts Center is soon to come up and there will be a ton of vultures real estate developers trying to cash in . . . Translation: Even more real estate speculation on the Westside which has recently undergone a rash of crime and break-in in the past couple of months.

First of all the TIF funded super-condo complex known as The Broadway Condominiums is going to cast yet another HUGE SHADOW over the neighborhood.

And now news that the SCREENLAND THEATER HAS BEEN SOLD also doesn't seem to bode so well for KC's oldest Latino enclave . . .

Kansas City film impresario Butch Rigby has sold the Screenland building but will continue to manage its namesake cinema and maintain an office in the former cold storage building. Rigby said he invested more than $2.5 million in the now 94-year-old building after his 2001 purchase. The 150-seat theater has shown art films and other eclectic fare since opening in 2004. About 40,000 square feet of offices is full, Rigby said.

The building at 1656 Washington St. listed for $4.5 million.

However, there is a silver lining . . . Nationally, HOME PRICES HAVE DROPPED BY MORE THAN 10 PERCENT!!! This is one of the biggest drops in history and one of the reasons that you can tell that it's important is because it has been buried in more upbeat news regarding increasing home sales.

But rest assured, this is yet another sign that the real estate bubble has burst given that this is one of the biggest declines in the history of home prices that hasn't been equaled since the Great Depression . . . Or at least that's what I've heard.

Anyway, for the moment a lot of people in KC are blissfully unaware of the implications of this . . . But what most real estate people downtown don't want you to know is that, for the most part, Downtown loft and condo living is largely overrated. And for as much as THEY want to clear out the minorities, ignore property rights and build monstrosities that are out of character with the existing neighborhoods . . . What they've been left with (so far) is still a downtown that seems to be forever mired in construction with an uncertain future which may or may not (probably won't) pay off.

Coward! If you can't break your wife's jaw on your own then you should probably just get a divorce!!!

Channel 9: A Kansas City man accused of trying to hire an undercover detective to break his wife's jaw and ribs will stand trial.

Hybrid Drive Details

The KC Post explains everything!!!

KC Is Looking for Seconds

The Blue Blog provides a great reality check as to why the Kansas City Supersonics will never come to pass.

Royals screw up sweep. Stop dreaming!!!

The Royals were on an early season roll . . . Sadly, a few unimportant wins had everyone in town expecting the second coming . . . Typically, the cheering is now over before it could really get started.

Poor guy killed on tricycle had reflectors but allegedly SOLD lights given to him for free

Long story short, if somebody can't look out for their own safety, it's hard to ask EVERYONE on the road to do it for them . . . Yet, nearly everyone on the street probably did give a lot of leeway to the poor dude who was recently killed riding an adult tricycle - But an accident was inevitable.

A Livejournal post providing a eulogy offers a telling perspective while attempting to frame a larger social issue:

The news stories are really brushing this incident off, emphasizing that Lewis was difficult to see, that the driver is not at fault.

The man was HOMELESS, people. The homeless are generally treated as invisible. Sarah & Christi had given him lights before, but he tended to plunder the batteries out of them to power his Walkman, or would use the lights as barter tender with other homeless or try to sell them to people for extra cash.

Predictably, out of town blogger Heidi takes up the mantle for this cause as well.

Going forward, perhaps we could focus on doing everything possible to ensure it's easier to see cyclists at night, in addition to increasing efforts to get drivers to be more careful.

Thing is, PEOPLE ALREADY DID THIS . . . Props to the Acme Bicycle Company for doing their best to try and protect the guy by giving him FREE lights and taking a loss on the deal . . . They'll most likely go bankrupt if they make that kind of charity a habit.

However, the point is . . . If people can't look out for their own safety then it's not UNFAIR to put the burden on EVERYONE ELSE to do so . . . And if local bikers really want to avoid getting his THEY NEED TO STAY OFF THE STREET. In fact, with so many bikers falling victim to fatal car crashes the solution is clear . . . Kansas City NEEDS TO PASS AN ORDINANCE TO GET BICYCLES OFF THE STREET.

For more than a year now, politically active bicyclists have been pushing this town to cater to their whims and waste precious resources to accommodate them. But this is a commuter town and their battle against the automobile is a losing one, even if gas goes to 5 bucks a gallon. So, if they want to play politics with the city (They do and all happen to be Funkhouser supporters). It might be time for this SMALL BUT VOCAL CONTINGENT to face a cruel political reality that so many special interest groups have realized: THEY'RE OUTNUMBERED.

Still, I'm all about protecting people and it seems that the easiest solution here, the way to ensure that KC's streets don't meet with anymore fatalities for bicyclists is to PASS AN ORDINANCE TO GET THEM OFF THE ROAD.

It's for their own good.

No matter how loudly they yell, the truth is that bicycling is not a right and this liberal, car hating contingent clearly needs a reality check.

Your unattended children are ruining KC

By now you've already been astonished by the negligence of some lady (probably a minority) who let her little brat destroy a piece of "sand art" created by Tibetan Monks on the floor of Union Station.

Luckily, since most (all) Asian art is completely replaceable and devoid of any uniqueness (much like the rest of their culture) it was no big loss. The monks had been working on the sand "tapestry" for a couple of days but it seems that simply skipping lunch and staying a little late after work got them right back up to speed . . . Typically, their work ethic once again moved them in front of American sloppiness.

Anyway, the important detail about this story isn't the negligible impact to colored sand designs . . . What should worry folks in this town is that the story is indicative of what the future holds for Kansas City: Children running around out of control with no one taking responsibility for their actions.

Sure, the monks stood by their Zen philosophy pose and put a smile on while claiming that the act of vandalism didn't bother them . . . But I never trust people who purport to have found inner peace and it's more likely that their motives were to not only to desperately hold onto the model minority status for all Asian in the U.S. but also to atone for the sins of Seung-Hui Cho and the Virgina Tech Massacre.

If you look deep into their eyes, you might see that they would have gladly unleashed their Kung-Fu on the child if only they could've discovered his whereabouts . . .



I've seen enough martial arts films to realize that some small innocuous action is always the basis for a whirlwind adventure involving flying fists of fury and disco music mixed in with some amazing gu zheng riffs.

Anyway, the point of this post isn't to prove that I have a deep understanding of Asian culture given that I own at least one Wu-Tang Clan CD . . . The most important aspect of this story of vandalism and Tibetan monks is that the whole thing doesn't bode well for the future.

See, the little terrorist who ruined the artwork is only going to get older and his misdeeds will most likely grow even greater with practice. Additionally, the fact that the exhibit was left totally unguarded and with nothing but a measly rope around it is very representative of the fact that security has and always will be a second priority for people in this town. Therefore, from the Plaza to the Power & Light District unattended, deviant brats will most certainly have free reign to do whatever they please with little or no consequences.

And for all you folks who think I'm kidding (I'm joking but not kidding) just look to the Galleria in St. Louis in order to discover how quickly mass transit and vagrant kids can bring disaster upon a shopping district.

Whitney "Crackhead" Houston once sang that "the children are our future" and for better or worse she was right. Sadly, the future for Kansas City involves a group of uncontrollable youngsters who never had any parental supervision wreaking havoc upon the poorly planned and unsecured attractions of downtown Kansas City.

No FYI today?

I didn't get the section in my paper today . . . Anybody else have this problem or are THEY trying to come between me and Jenee Osterheldt?

Yael Abouhalkah still writing columns about Kay Barnes

I know that print media has a reputation for being stuck in the past but this senior columnist at The Star seems to think he's still trying to win the election for Mark Funkhouser by blaming everything wrong with the City on her . . . Which is odd given that Funkhouser did have some oversight and had plenty of chances to speak up as well (which he only did when it came to softballs - nullus) . . . Anyway, what you should be watching here is the tactic for everything that goes bad for Mayor Funky . . . He's gonna blame Country Club Kay . . . This tactic is already tired and it's not even two months into his term. Again, this classic politico move should seem pretty transparent to the people of KC and ONCE AGAIN proves the guy isn't even coming close to fulfilling his role as KC's "great reformer" and instead doesn't seem to have much influence over anyone but The Star's editorial board or vice-versa . . . The only thing I can tell is that the "regular folks" who Mayor Funky's PR Flacks kept alluding to seem as if they really couldn't care less.

New Blog: "Immigration Talk with a Mexican American"

While most of you d-bags in Kansas City can't stand it when I start writing about Immigration, I've noticed that I'm getting a lot more traffic from the Southwest and South of the Border on my immigration posts . . . As the most important Latino in Kansas City, this is to be expected. Thankfully, there are folks who are for more eloquent than I am and who are very serious about this issue . . . I recently came across the blog of a really nice lady who is developing her ideas on the topic with her own blog. Check it out, if you're interested . . . It's a really good read and far less jokey than I am about the topic.

Kafe Kiskeya seems pretty cool

A local lady was inspired by a trip to Haiti and is now sharing her enthusiasm with the folks in Northeast KC. Her story was recently featured in the Northeast News and she also has her own blog to promote her "gallery & book store offering fair trade art & coffee, live music on occasion & the opportunity to simply enjoy life with others in an interesting neighborhood in Historic Northeast Kansas City."

Actually, this woman's efforts seem really nice and good hearted. Additionally, I'm glad Haiti inspired somebody to do something besides simply pack up and leave.

KC Post Office could be going private in KC

Actually, no it isn't. I've heard this rumor every since I was a kid and it's mostly created to stir panic among the families of union mail carriers. Still, EKC has an interesting article on the subject and it's also nice to read that Union Leadership is doing their job over at The Post Office. Still, I won't be concerned about the possibility of privatizing mail until they start charging postage for e-mail . . . AND THAT COULD HAPPEN ANY DAY NOW!!!!

Will the Buzz Blog ever be back again?!?!?! Do you care?

More importantly, is anybody paying from Prime Buzz? All things considered, the Star's political offerings have been a mixed bag (nullus) and they don't seem halfway as successful as Crime Scene KC which still has comment threads that number in the hundreds and seems to have built a pretty solid community (which is most of what this bloggy thing is all about). Anyway, the story here is that the Star is supposedly killing the Buzz Blog (Even though I read posts as late as yesterday) but they really haven't put much effort into it since Prime Buzz debuted. Rather than trying to squeeze every dime out dead trees or subscriptions (good luck) I'm really surprised The Star hasn't relied on the great number of unwashed web denizens in order to work out a profit model . . . Sadly, it seems to me like it's a case misguided perceptions . . . When it comes to crime, folks might be able to have a say in their coverage but political information and opinion is kept out of the hands of the masses . . . That's a typical big media attitude and ignores the success of blogs like Daily Kos.

Charter school is latest downtown development

From KC Currents: "A national network of charter schools is opening a new middle school next year in downtown Kansas City. The Knowledge is Power Program, or KIPP, has set up 52 schools in 16 states across the country, and they all follow a strict framework which has been developed specifically for underprivileged students."

D.C. stool pigeon on TV yesterday had tasty brownies according to a Missouri politico

Monica Goodling, who testified today before Congress about her role in the U.S. Attorney firing scandal was at one time a favorite pet employee of Missouri's own John Ashcroft. Fired Up Missouri has some more succulent details about this tasty dish who probably didn't get that far up the food chain solely on her performance under pressure.

Jen Chen: The only reason to read The Pitch

I'm pretty sloppy when I eat, that's why I pick up The Pitch . . . It makes a great place mat and absorbs ketchup, barbecue sauce and salsa pretty well . . . Yeah, I'm classy like that . . . Anyway, this morning I was about to throw the thing away without reading it (again) and I suddenly noticed that I had to use the toilet. An even worse pain in my stomach revealed that (because I procrastinate in all aspects of my life) I was going to be forced to read The Pitch while dropping a deuce.

So, I thumb through the mag and the only bright spot (as always) was Jen Chen's review of a downtown bar. It was pretty good and even got a few chuckles out of me . . . It might have been some peanuts I had earlier but the article was definitely good as well.

Unfortunately, the rest of the rag was a pretty weak turd burger. Typically, the Pitch just isn't The Pitch unless they feature some melancholy the ghey story that weighs in at no less than three thousand words. Of course the story was touching (no homo) and insightful but as usual the Pitch relies on formula in order to portray almost any community and their depiction of the ghey community as of late seems right out of a Lifetime channel programming guide. But that's their prerogative since I'm certainly not going to wear leather chaps in order to "investigate" those folks. Ew.

Other than that . . . I didn't see anything halfway decent that wasn't written by stringers from across the country, probably getting paid a whopping 30 bucks for the hipster cred that goes with penning an article for the Tall Israelis who run New Times media. Again, I have no idea why this magazine is billed as "alternative" but it doesn't seem any different than mainstream reporting to me and more often seems like a contest between Wendy's and McDonalds . . . In that case, Chen is probably like the cool, creamy and refreshing chocolate frosty that just happens to be the one item that everyone agrees makes fast food worth the risk of all the accompanying health problems. Also, I'm gonna forgo a bunch of other analogies regarding the "pleasures of the Orient" because that's not nice, I'm in a good mood and (as I noted previously) Chen is the only reason I even consider opening The Pitch.

City and KCPD still caught in fight over missing money

The two sides say they're going to work it out . . . Personally, I've always noted that disputes are the one area where folks rarely come to a compromise.

3-year-old boy shot dead in family dispute

I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's going to be a horribly long summer. Here's the headline from KSHB: Child shot and killed in family dispute.

OMG!!! tcha rsgnd ovr txt msg :-*

Channel 9: A teacher at Center Middle School has resigned after being accused of sending inappropriate text messages to a student. How in the hell they translated them I have no idea.

Celebrate blogging!!!

Today is local blogger Faithsista's Blogiversary? Blogversry? . . . Bloggy B-Day.

Here's a bit of what she has written about her pretty amazing accomplishment:

I started this here little online journaling thingy-dingy 3 years ago to the day as of midnight tonight. And oh my God, I can’t believe this…I’m tearing up over the though of it. Holy Christ, I am a retard…

Since I launched my site metering a little while ago (June of ’06, apparently), I have had over 20,000 visits, and over 42,500 page views on the blog.

Strange thing is, I've never met her but I feel like I know her just by reading her blog . . . And that's why I'm wishing her the very best bloggy B-Day possible and I look forward to many posts from this award winning blogger in the future. Through the years she's kept me entertained, proved that her writing is the poop and absolutely convinced me that I'd never understand women. And for that, she has done a great service to us all.

So, go and read this blogger and give her a shoutout and congratulations. Seriously, this broad is one of the main reasons why blogging has lasted so long in KC and has proven to be more than a fad (at least for the moment).

Thank you Faithsista!!!

"Nice, I thought, but ultimately an empty gesture"

An evolution of thought on the the domestic partner registry in Lawrence.

Cerner takeover is certainly a possibility

Speculation is all over Wall Street and the Internets . . . One local blogger even theorizes how the alleged takeover might affect the Wizards.

"So now KC has to be considered the 3rd choice (at best) to land the team"

Local blogger "Ancillary Adams" provides a great, detailed perspective of the recent "Supersonics at the Sprint Center speculation." Thankfully, the guy takes apart the issue with incredible acumen and doesn't fall for the hype like most of the sports reporters in this town have done . . . In a thoughtful post the blog basically laid out an intelligent argument as to how and why the planets have once again aligned to keep yet another team out of Kansas City.

Another AMAZING photo set from J.E.

If you haven't visited J.E. Johnson's myspace page yet and taken a peek at the AWESOME photo sets that he posts on his blog, then you are really just missing out.

There are tons of local photogs out there who are great at composition but they don't really have an eye for CONTENT and that's what I like about Johnson's photos. Think about it, almost anybody in KC can find a nice angle of one of the many beautiful buildings this city hosts but that doesn't exactly reflect LIFE in the KC area.

Johnson's photos chronicle an awesome aspect of his life that most of us would envy.

Really, the guy has a great eye for the good life in Kansas City and his recent photo set of hot cars and hotter broads is nothing less than a masterpiece . . . At least if you're a man looking for interesting images and not just the same old hipster shots of the Crossroads.

Anyway, check it out and if Fuel is half as fun as it looks, I just might have to venture out of the basement and partake.

Evening links of interest

Firefighters Injured In KCK House Fire

Teen suspected of stealing $30,000 in electronics

Prosecutors Accuse Woman of Stabbing Mother's Boyfriend to Death

U.S. Attorney scandal gets even more complicated

Car Hits, Kills Homeless Man Riding Tricycle

Ex-KCI Air-Traffic Controllers Upset Over Staffing

F-bombs reports on Falwell fallout: "Praise his name!"

Funkhouser fakes fighting crime

If you remember the opening days of the Cleaver administration you might remember a completely legal (and totally unethical) trip to Disney World on behalf of Kansas City's first Black mayor. The trip set the tone for the next 8 years at City Hall, which would be one of the most corrupt periods in recent Kansas City History.

Well, it seems that the dye has been cast for the Funkhouser Administration as well . . . The preliminary verdict: Funkhouser is all talk.

Time and time again the guy seems to think that politics consists of nothing more than rigidly controlled press conferences and terse memos offering his dictates. This is typical of a bureaucrat and not exactly a resounding change from the days of Country Club Kay.

Here's the latest example . . . Funkhouser recently used the upcoming appointment of a new Parks Board as an opportunity to take part in a lot of big talk about crime . . . However, in the end he didn't really DO anything but announce his intention to pass the problem off to somebody else in the same manner that so many other politicians have done in KC.

Mayor Mark Funkhouser said few people are using city parks because they don't think they are safe, and he wants that to change.

Funkhouser said the city spends $56 million a year on the parks, and they're not getting their money's worth.

"They don't feel safe in the parks -- more than half report not feeling safe in the parks in the daytime. But one of the things we need to find out is why people aren't using the parks," Funkhouser said.

Empty words, all of them. If he really wanted to take any kind of action he might try proposing a new (or "golden oldie") initiative in order to fight crime instead of just decreeing his will from on high. Another look at The KC Gun Experiment would be a great idea. I've been linking the same study for more than a year but the Internet community in KC still mindlessly support the guy as if he was some kind of savior . . . Too bad it's already been proved that he's anything but and more akin to an average politician who has substituted his lack of style (and experience) for a style.

Anyway, the point here is that for the next four years . . . It's clear that Kansas City can't expect much action from Funkhouser that doesn't come in the form of a press conference . . . It's what got him into office, and so far it's proven to be the only thing he's good at . . .

Additionally, I'm taking this moment to nominate TKC for the Kansas City Parks Board. Here are the top ten things I'd do to make KC Parks safer in no particular order:

No more weddings at Loose Park!!! It wouldn't directly decrease violence but it certainly might contribute to fewer people in unhappy marriages which in turn would lessen the quotient of misery in the world.

All dogs not on leashes get barbecued! Justice never tasted so good.

If you live near Swope Park, You have to go to Swope Park at least once. All of KC's Eastside seems to do nothing but run away from their problems this new TKC ordinance would mandate that people take a look at their backyard before abandoning it.

A 5 dollar visitors tax for all Johnson County people visiting Loose Park!!! Really, just because JoCo has absolutely no culture, class or crime doesn't give those dirtbags the right to take every bit of parking with their SUVs . . . In this instance and so many others, these folks use KC services and then scurry back to their neck of the woods without contributing a thing . . . At least Mexican immigrants pay sales taxes and reside in KC's crappy housing. JoCo folks do nothing but visit KC with a sense of entitlement, crowd the nicest parts of the city and complain that the entire town isn't as sanitized as their suburb which looks more like a strip mall . . . A mandatory 5 dollar tax every time "these people" visit KC parks would at least make listening to them more bearable.

Alonzo Washington works on the Walgreens shooting as well

Alonzo Washington's crime blog has been kicking a lot of ass lately and it's pretty much the only reason I visit myspace . . . Additionally, I came across this great post in which he manages to get Walgreens behind the efforts to add more money to the reward concerning this weekend's shooting. While blogging is usually an activity that doesn't contribute much beyond complaints (That's the TKC modus operandi) it's awesome to see somebody actually using this medium in order to accomplish something in the real world.

More proof Democracy doesn't work: O'Dowd's wins Irish Pub honor

A great essay from my favorite Irish blog on one of the many odd decisions made by the KC Visitors Choice Awards.

Well played: Supersonics now using Sprint Center as a bargaining chip

Anybody think the Supersonics are really coming to KC? I'm all for it if it happens, I think basketball is a way better attraction than hockey but this town has been played before . . . And recently.

Scary suspected suicide downtown

In front of the IRS building a woman committed suicide and set her car on fire earlier this morning.

The term "alien" is derogatory. Immigrants aren't subhuman, not even illegal ones.

I was thinking about language today and that fact that so many people have earned the benefit of politically correct talk . . . The term "handicapped" was replaced with "person with a disability" and other clunky items, bitches are now commonly referred to as women and Native Americans are rarely called "savages" in public anymore - mostly because they're extinct.

Anyway, it's time for a new progression in this "movement" that gives every white guy doing stand-up comedy at least 5 minutes of material.

Previously, I didn't think that the term "illegal alien" was a big problem but reading about a recent (drop in the bucket) bust of 100 poultry workers in Missouri and noting how the derogatory term is now used by government officials . . . It's clear that something has to change.

Federal immigration agents raided a poultry plant Tuesday morning and arrested more than 100 workers who are believed to be illegal immigrants.

Most of those arrested at the George's processing plant in rural Butterfield were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, said Pete Baird, an agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigations office in Kansas City . . . "These work site enforcement actions help reduce the job magnet that encourages aliens to enter the country illegally," Baird said.

Yeah, the fact that authorities are now using language that takes away a person's humanity is clearly a signal that at least in terms of language there is something horribly wrong with this debate . . . And of course, the terms "alien" is a legal term but just like everything else, legal terms change . . . When was the last time you referred to anyone as a "Negro?" this term was also part of legal & pseudo-scientific terminology and is now considered unsavory by just about everyone.

It's time for the Latino leadership to get on the ball about this issue because it's at the heart of the immigration struggle given that it's easier to deport, arrest, detain and harass something that you don't consider human - If you look it up the word, "alien" has its roots in the terminology used in biology in reference to animal characteristics so it's hard to argue that it applies to HUMANS at all.

And I'm not even arguing the case for so-called illegal immigrants in this instance . . . If anti-immigration activists/homeland security advocates are so confident and steadfast in their aims then they can still operate without stripping an entire group of people (mostly Mexican) of their humanity. BUT, if loaded terminology is needed to accomplish the goals of so-called border security (a concept that has failed since the days of Mongol hordes) then that inherently says something about it's goals. Still, I'm pretty sure most reasonable people can agree that "border security" is a worthy goal without derogatory name calling.

More importantly, the term just isn't accurate . . . In popular culture, the word "alien" refers to mostly dangerous but sometimes charming characters from outer space . . . Again, using this term is just a clever way to define someone as "less than" but it really should only apply to the following folks and their ilk:







It's pretty clear to me, the folks pictured above are obviously aliens while the PEOPLE who cross the border without permission or proper paperwork are IMMIGRANTS illegal and otherwise who are HUMAN and deserve to be treated and defined as such.

KC Clinics offer free HPV vaccine so your daughters can more safely act like whores

From The Star: The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City on Tuesday announced a $2 million grant for about 5,000 low-income girls and young women between the ages of 9 and 26 to receive a new vaccine that helps prevent cervical cancer. The vaccine works against HPV, or human papillomavirus, one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infections.

The story that TKC "inspired!!!" Late, late, breaking coverage of the Westport shooting from The Star

Damn why doesn't anybody in this town give me credit!?!?! Maybe because I'm a jerk. Still, here's the story that The Star should have reported yesterday. More later, I'm going out to breakfast . . . Ugh, moving on. Additionally, this story is sad as Hell . . . John Shultz did a great job with it.

Weapons Escalation in Kansas City

The KCPD is stepping up their weapons training and they're working with what is pretty much a slightly modified M-16.

Normally, I'm all about new technology but the unquestioning tone of reports covering the topic just seems creepy. The cops love new toys and that's cool, and maybe it'll even make people take them more seriously when the topic of missing money for their new Academy comes up . . . But the fact is that community outreach efforts and the need to include the participation of KC neighborhoods never meets with similar enthusiastic video coverage. Obviously, nobody wants to see local cops out gunned but the for the most part . . . The problem of stopping crime in this community hasn't been one of bigger caliber weapons but a failure of the KCPD in breaking the "Stop Snitching" nonsense and garnering cooperation.

"Tony's post about this unfortunate shooting is a good example of the racist mentality that dominates Kansas City."

I like it when people write about me, they should do it more often. Also, no need to defend me (as I know you want to with all your heart) . . . Local blogger Chuck makes some decent points and offers some interesting details and perceptions about life in KC proper.

Laying Low in Branson

Here's a statement that isn't exactly bold but it's true: You haven't really lived in Kansas City until you've visited Branson . . . Why? Because the place was once home to so many "backwoods" types (sorry) who thought they'd"arrived" when they moved to the "Big City" in KC . . . That's not exactly true any more but for quite awhile it was part of this area's cultural heritage . . . Along with cross burnings. Anyway, today I want to take the time to further recommend a Branson Blog that's been firing off a bevy of great posts including an awesome photo essay of Lake Taneycomo looking nearly half empty.

Why is Trent Green still in town?

I can't phrase this any better than the folks on KC Talk already have: "King Carl, trade Trent Green ALREADY!!!!! Every day he is not traded you look worse and worse."

KC cinema in the spotlight again

I didn't expect local artists to have anything of consequence to say so I won't waste my time watching the new local documentary Art on the Block. HOWEVER, the recent premiere of the film was well attended and a local blogger offers a rare glimpse behind the closed doors of the new downtown building.

Additionally, check out this great premiere review of The Wind That Shakes The Barley debut in Kansas City from Irish KC.

It's really cool that this town is going "Hollywood" given that it will do a lot in order to explain all of the backstabbing, the ghey community, violence, deceit, money grubbing and shallowness around these parts.

Lawrence is totally the ghey

Red Letter Day celebrates the fact that Kansas cohabitating homosexuals now move one horrible step closer to having to pay alimony when things eventually don't work out.

Junk mail from Jesus

From a local blogger: "I opened it immediately. it was like a bad horoscope." Strange, Christians have the most distasteful scams this side of suicide bombings.

Billboard Backlash in KC

The folks who find billboards annoying are finally organizing their efforts.

Citizens Against Billboard Blight is a local group with a brand new website. Their mission is to reduce billboard blight by reforming the lax Kansas City billboard ordinance.

Personally, I don't find outdoor advertising that offensive unless it totally clashes with the character of the neighborhood.



And to tell the truth, I miss the billboards of the political season because they always made me chuckle.

However, this move is long overdue and probably the best chance folks in this city have to prevent every street in this town from looking as horrible as Wornall Road.

Blackout of Westport Quadruple Shooting Makes Media Just as Culpable in Crime

Day II

The shooting near Westport over the weekend was probably one of the most significant events in recent news but the local media is backing down from their coverage because the implications are down right scary.

Here are the facts the local media has reported on the subject so far:

At about 3 am on Sunday morning, officers were at 39th and Broadway directing traffic out of the area from the weekend Westport crowd when they heard 12 to 13 gun shots. One of the officers looked up and saw a man in his 20's falling near the Walgreen parking lot.

Another man in his 20's was walking toward the officer saying he had been shot. When officer checked on the man who had fallen, they discovered he had been shot in the head. Both men were transported to an area hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Sadly, the story has all but disappeared from the headlines and WASN'T EVEN FEATURED IN THE STAR'S NEWSPAPER.

Why?

Here's my theory . . . Anyone familiar with Broadway after dark knows that it's most likely one of the most dangerous places in midtown Kansas City. Over the past few years, The Broadway Corridor has hosted countless instances of violence in addition to an upswing in (alleged) prostitution and (confirmed) drug dealing. Over the past few years, both the McDonald's parking lot and the area directly outside of Chubby's have hosted at least one murder and several large scale fights. The area near 39th street and Broadway is a hotbed of activity on weekend nights and while deadly shooting isn't commonplace; it wasn't exactly a surprise for folks in the vicinity either.

The danger comes from what I'll term: "The spill over." See, hipster white kids who are raised to think that they're invincible don't know that the danger in Kansas City is very real and it costs folks their lives every day. Sunday morning's shooting was a perfect example of an unsuspecting white kid catching a bullet for no other reason than the fact that the peril of KC's urban renaissance wasn't clearly spelled out for folks who don't realize the consequences of rampant gentrification or booming development on a large scale. Put simply, when different races and classes mix with alcohol and easily accessible guns . . . It's more than likely that people are going to end up dead.

And here's my speculation: The problems on Broadway mainly (statistically) come from the criminal class of the Black community who have laid claim to the territory for years and only now face a new set of interlopers with popular clubs and renewed crosstown traffic. Most likely, and I could be wrong (I'm not) the shooters were Black thugs that fired a gun into a crowd more than a dozen times. While this action doesn't reflect on either Black or white relations as a whole (I guess) the details of the case have been noticeably absent but the media interviews seem to reveal a random nature of the shooting. Therefore, supposing that it "just happened to be" a group of African-American thugs who shot into the crowd and killed some innocent white guy who just happened to be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time still begs the question:

Doesn't that seem like a hate crime?

AND

If the situation was reversed and a group of white guys fired into a crowd of Black people . . . Would that merit more media attention?

Assuming the speculation I've laid out here is even halfway correct (it is) then the mainstream media silence regarding the details of this shooting is more than just lazy coverage . . . It's an act of complicity in order to keep people in Kansas City stupid.

And what if this kind of thing happens again? (It will) If someone else loses their life because of random gunfire into a crowd under similar circumstances - than the relative media silence over this story makes them an accomplice.

Again, the only point of this post is to lay on the table that there is the distinct possibility that there is a racial element to this quadruple shooting and murder of an innocent patron of a local hipster bar. Sadly, columnists like Steve Penn or Lewis Diuguid only see racial injustice when it's directed at Black people . . . But the subject of what could be a racially motivated killing makes complaints about stupid poems selling beer seem hopelessly frivolous.

And, until I'm proven wrong (I'm not) the story of a quadruple shooting in Midtown Kansas City seems to be an allegory about crime, the unspoken double standards concerning violence in Kansas City and the possibility that the spill over of violence affecting white club hoppers could put the development of this city at a true crossroads that reveals a racial divide far deeper than anyone ever imagined and the consequences of this don't just make for great cocktail conversation . . . The consequences of this situation leave innocent people dead on Kansas City streets.

Len Dawson is/was living large!!!

Internet Chatter/rumor: Len Dawson's $3.3 million house up for sale.

Finally, a Taser death you can cry over (i.e. crazy white kid)

Actually the story of a Kansas City family mourning the death of their son is really sad and should allow you to vary your response from "He deserved it" for whatever reason you can justify in your own thought process. Note: TKC still thinks Tasers are better than bullets when "less lethal" force is required . . . Also, nobody mentions that they make people poop their pants - Which is actually kind of funny.

Via Crime Scene KC: Local dude locked up unjustly for 12 years

The story seems to be related to the fact that John Grisham is slowly discovering that social causes are much easier than coming up with a halfway interesting legal thriller: "Dennis Fritz, a local man who was imprisoned 12 years for a murder he didn't commit, is scheduled to be on Dateline NBC at 7 tonight."

Steve Penn still carrying the Mayor's water

Today's column by Steve Penn was typically pointless . . . It was something having to do with a perceived snub to some nobody who was the basis for a really bad movie.

However, two things stood out: Penn's has proven to be nothing more than an apologist for everyone in power . . . I really can't think of one criticism the guy has made . . . Which is fine, if he wasn't a columnist and it was his job to throw stones. Hell, even Jason Whitlock manages not to be so vapid.

And even more importantly, according to Mayor Funky . . . No one is allowed to criticize him for the next few years: "My performance ought to be judged by Mr. Gardner or whomever at the end of a year or two, three or four of my term,” Funkhouser said. “Let’s see then if procurement and business opportunities have increased. My job is about results. My job is not about showing up at parties."

Again, this would be great if it was true . . . And I think now the precedent has been set . . . The Funkhouser Administration is nothing but a lot of Big Funking Talk. A month into his term and he's already managed to pay his buddies big salaries, carve out an influential role and unorthodox role for his wife, pay back his Northland supporters by putting in Bill Skaggs as Mayor pro tem . . . But when it comes to doing something of substance that isn't just part of securing his position, Kansas City must wait for years . . . I guess "regular folks" should already be accustomed to this political hack, parlor trick and the cruel reality that Funkhouser is anything but a reformer, he's simply a slightly different brand of the same old politoco that sees Kansas City as nothing more than a stepping stone.

Car crash killed innocent woman coming from the Country Club Plaza

And before you get all indignant about criminals fleeing the po-po, maybe some discussion about police policy regarding high-speed pursuits in areas with heavy traffic is in order.

Kathryn Shields is still up a creek and on her way up the river

The Star reports that Katheryn Shields’ latest attempt to avoid a mortgage fraud trial in June collapsed Monday when a federal judge denied her request to dismiss the indictment against her.

Jackson County Legislature Strike Back Against KC School District Taxes

The insane rise in property taxes in Jackson County is bad enough . . . But given the fact that it has been thrown away on the KC School District is even more of a disgrace. Thankfully, Jackson County Legislators have finally started to get serious about the problem . . . And after years of failure and the huge amount money that's coming out of so many people's pocket . . . There aren't a lot of people that think the expense of behalf of the broken school district is worth it:

Reacting to property owners upset about leaps in appraised values, the Jackson County Legislature voted 7-0 Monday to seek tax relief from the Kansas City School District

Appraisal notices sent out last month will result in higher property taxes, depending on the success of individual appeals. About two-thirds of property taxes levied in the Kansas City School District go to the district.

Commercial property appraisals have jumped an average of 40 percent in thriving downtown areas, such as River Market and the Crossroads District, and some have quadrupled or even grown 10-fold from 2005 levels . . . The resolution the county legislature passed Monday asks the district board to voluntarily roll back its levy. The legislature will await a response from the district.

All things considered, it's a good move and right in line with my suggestion . . . Which I believe was to tear down all KCMO Schools and sell them for scrap in order to really teach the students about productivity and public perception regarding the institutions that have pretty much failed everyone in the metro area.

For the love of God, do something about your damn lawn!!!

Here's hoping that Kansas City isn't just going to use "codes enforcement" to drive out the few remaining minorities near downtown. Instead, it might be more productive to go after large scale property owners who are simply doing their best to profit from and let gentrification take its course.

In a public hearing Monday night, the city’s code enforcement division explained changes it wants to make in enforcing violations such as excessive trash, abandoned vehicles and overgrown yards.

Mainly, the city wants to reduce the time it gives violators before imposing a penalty, said Dave Park, assistant director of Kansas City’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department.

If the City Council approves the changes, officials also would be able to tow a disabled vehicle within 48 hours and issue a notice for an absentee landlord to respond to violations on a property within five days. The current law allows for up to 15 days to respond.

And I guess this is good news . . . Still, in my experience I've never seen codes enforcement used on anyone other than a poor minority whose property "just happened to be" on a highly prized piece of real estate. If KC was honestly getting serious about some of these codes enforcement measures they wouldn't only concentrate of blighted property but some of the many real estate speculators throughout midtown who have let their projects stall and keep so many neighborhoods looking like construction site . . . Those kind of violations along with similar abuses are rarely tolerated in the suburbs but meet with a blind eye in KC proper where "codes enforcement" has become nearly synonymous with a low cost way to hassle poor (mostly brown) people.

KU Med School Students should probably grow accustomed to scarcity

The Star reports that as some KU graduates got a handshake instead of a ceremonial hood, classmates sent their hoods back.And actually, that's pretty touching . . . I can only hope they keep that same spirit when they encounter the all to common occurrence of insurance companies denying claims.

Roeland Park is getting rougher

The folks involved in a recent home invasion in the minuscule KC suburb knew each other if that makes you feel any better . . . Because crime only happens to people that deserve it, right?

Reparations via the roulette wheel OR Gambling makes up for genocide

The Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma has begun construction on a casino on tribal land in downtown KCK.

Alleged KC Carjackers caught

Channel 9 reports that two people were taken into custody in connection with a carjacking, police said.

Chimp Hug at the KC Zoo

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that everyone is getting a little bit feisty this Spring.

I snagged this photo of hot chimp on chimp action from another great KC photo blog. It's part of an "animal-a-day-photo" series. The title of the blog is awesome as well: They Promised Us Jetpacks and We Got Blogs.

Good stuff, check it out.

"What I Learned From Missouri"

A very informed and well reasoned rant from some woman: "Anti-abortion activists want to discourage single women from having sex, with the threat of an unwanted pregnancy. The fact that birth control pills would actually avert abortions is insignificant to them. What do a few fetal lives matter when you're trying to stop women from having sex before marriage?" Personally, I gave up on the abortion argument years ago . . . It's hard enough to convince a woman to make me a sandwich let alone tell her what to do with her plumbing.

Hating on Meth dealing illegal immigrant who allegedly murdered somebody is okay

But depicting every undocumented worker as a drug dealer is just plain wrong. Here's the story: Illegal immigrants living in KC killed somebody in a meth deal gone bad . . . And now the Gateway Pundit creates a cute looking, Latino straw man in order to tie the argument to immigration, overlooking the fact that you can't find one person Latino or otherwise who is fighting for the rights of drug dealers and that representation of an entire community is pretty much like comparing all white people to Hitler . . . Which I've done from time to time.

"Dear Kansas City . . ."

Some broad on Vox has the audacity to ask this entire town: "Why must you dress so badly?" Her complaints are mainly related to so many folks wearing sweatpants and pajama bottoms to run errands . . . I have to admit that TKC is guilty of this as well but only because I often like to take catnaps and most people in public don't like the fact that I sleep naked . . . Therefore, wearing pajama bottoms outside the house became a necessity.

A new way to watch them lose: Most folks (non-media) seem unimpressed with the makeover at the K

Hopefully this comment from local newsie Laz won't get his press credentials revoked: "Hilarious, even in artist renditions the Royals still suck."

Greensburg at ground level

By now everybody knows that Greensburg is gone. For the most part, the media has moved on to new topics . . . But footage of the devastation still strikes me as eerie, especially as more time goes by . . . This video from ground level is especially haunting.

UPDATE: Also, it turns out that Greensburg has refused the help of an anarchist group . . . Seems like authorities aren't that desperate to rebuild if they're picking and choosing who can help them. I'm sure people will have varied reactions to the news about kicking out the KMA. However, just because very few people agree with the politics of a given group doesn't mean their help isn't needed and it makes the folks in Greensburg seem a little less sympathetic. Think about it, I'm not sure all those starving African kids really support every single aspect of U.S. Foreign Policy but that tends not to matter so much when they need something to eat. Obviously, the same sense of urgency doesn't apply to Greensburg. Here's an online article from the perspective of the folks who were recently kicked out of Greensburg for their political affiliations:

On Saturday May 19, five members and volunteers affiliated with Kansas Mutual Aid, a Lawrence based class struggle anarchist collective, made the trek back to Greensburg to again help in relief efforts in the tornado ravaged city. A week earlier, four KMA members had traveled to Greensburg on a fact finding mission to assess the situation there. What KMA members found was a militarized, entirely destroyed city where relief efforts were moving tragically slow.

Today's trip back to Greensburg by KMA members and volunteers was intended to solidify the bonds we had created in the first trip, and establish a base of operations for future relief efforts. KMA spent the morning working on a house with members of AmeriCorps, and then proceeded to meet with contacts with the Mennonite Disaster Services.

We then headed out of town to a church just outside of city limits that we were told would be a place we could probably set up a base camp for our work. The church had been converted into a fire station by the state, so we continued down the road and met a farmer who was willing to work with us and let us use his land.

Soon after meeting the farmer, we were approached by officers with the Dickinson County Sheriff's Department. After a brief exchange, the officers left, and we were told to report to the Kiowa County Emergency Response Command Post to receive official permission to set up our base of operations. We were notified that if we did not do so, we would risk having our operation ceased by the state.

Two of our delegation went to the Command Post, while the other three of us went to the County Courthouse to pick up som water and provisions being offered by the Red Cross. While we were picking up water and food, I was approached by an Olathe Police Officer named Ty Moeder who knew my face and identity. I was ordered to take my hands out of my pockets and follow the officer to a side street "to avoid making a scene".

I and the other people with me followed the officer, and were repeatedly ordered to keep our hands out of our pockets, where they could be seen by the officer. Soon more officers approached, as well as at least one member of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and some people from FEMA. Surrounded by agents of the state, we were ordered to produce our identification.

When I asked the police why we were being detained, Officer Moeder responded "We need to check to see if you are affiliated with the anarchists." At this moment, our remaining two comrades approached to see what was happening. They were detained as well, and made to produce their identification.

Officer Moeder asked how we had gotten in to the city. "We drove in," someone replied.

"They weren't supposed to let you in at the road block," responded Moeder, seemingly frustrated and perplexed by that answer.

"They even gave us a day pass to drive in and out," we shot back.

A waiting game ensued for the next several minutes, with more officers approaching, now numbering almost fifteen. A Lawrence police officer approached, and was ordered to take photos of the car we had driven that was parked down the street. Officer McNemee from the Lawrence Police Department took extensive photos of the car, even of the inside contents of the vehicle.

Officer Moeder ordered me to step away from the rest of the relief workers and speak with him. "You're being ordered to leave and not return. This is not negotiable, not appealable. You can't change it. If you return you'll be arrested on site. And believe me, you don't want to push that right now. This system is pretty messed up, and you wouldn't be issued bail. You'd disappear in the system."

I asked repeatedly what we had done and why we were being ordered to leave the city. "You're part of a dangerous anarchist group that will only drain our security resources," he responded. "We've been monitoring your website and e-mails, we know what kind of agenda you have."

"So this is about our political beliefs?" I asked.

"No," he responded. "This is about you being federal security threats. Kansas Mutual Aid is not welcome in this city, end of story. I know you are going through legitimate means to work in the city, and you're story seems picture perfect, but we know who you are, and you're not allowed here."

We were ordered back into our car and escorted out of the city by several police vehicles with their lights flashing, and left just outside the city.

The e-mail is quickly working its way around the Internets, the author is purportedly somebody by the name of Dave Strano . . . Who signed the missive: "In love and solidarity" which makes me want to puke.

However, the phrase "beggars can't be choosers" comes to mind as well and if the people of Greensburg are getting really particular about where they're getting help from . . . Then I guess they don't need the assistance of as many people as they initially claimed.

I've always thought anarchists were a bit flaky BUT honestly it seems like a waste of money to rebuild the small town since it was mostly comprised of convenience stores and fast food restaurants anyway . . . So, just as I had initially suggested it's best to give up on Greensburg and avoid throwing good money after bad.

New(ish) local hangout: And I thought the G-Spot was just a myth!!!

I'm not a fan of local bars because I drink alone, while blogging, crying, listening to hip-hop, Googling my ex-girlfriends and yelling obscenities.

However, as a business model . . . I was surprised that nobody latched onto the "biker bar" phenomenon after Johnny Dare's closed more than a year ago due to "sketchy" circumstances.

Well, Internet chatter speaks pretty highly of a Boulevard Bar (because not everything is in the Crossroads) . . . The name of the place: The G-Spot . . . So, even if I wanted to go to the establishment, it would be impossible for me to find and the search would most likely involve a fight that somehow related to my childhood before I would just give up looking and go to sleep angry.

The TKC Afternoon roundup: Regarding Robberies and other ripoffs

Sad to see that all of the nation's media let this one slide: "Did you know that this past Saturday was Malcolm X's 82nd birthday?"

OK Jones at down-low Blogger get together . . . Looked like a pretty good time . . . Not a ripoff but I feel robbed that I didn't go . . . Damn if this basement wasn't so comfy.

A little Sunshine in your day from the KC Post: Solar Sanitation Smashingly Successful.

One more kid hurt in KC violence

Corrupt Condo Developers caught choking city . . . In other words, do you know how the asbestos was removed in your abode?

Luckily, Kansas and Missouri aren't part of the mysterious disappearance of bees.

Another reason to use Netflix, video stores are vulnerable: A robber targeted two Blockbuster Video stores late Sunday night.

Innocent Woman Dies After Police Pursuit Ends in Crash

I can't imagine how anybody robs a Quicktrip nowadays considering there are at least half a dozen police officers at everyone I've seen lately, it's almost like that's their hangout or maybe they're in charge of protecting that place above all else . . . Which is cool because I need a safe place to get gas too.

No more Amphitheater at the K

Even more mortgage fraud in the metro!!!

Astounding Headline!!!

A special shoutout to a tipster who sent this link my way . . . The story isn't all that amazing but the headline writer had an interesting take on a recent Royals game. And while some folks think the text might be distasteful or more then a handful . . . I advise you to dig deep (ew) and realize that even sports reporters get bored . . . Also, we all know that the Royals lick ass but this is just ridiculous . . . Anyway, here's the headline:



That's right, and I'm not making this up . . .

Royals To Get A Taste Of Angels' Colon

That's what sportswriters across the country note about our beloved losers . . . It's just embarrassing that Kansas City's baseball team is soooooo bad (How bad are they?) that they bring to mind sexual degradation. Too bad that this kind of talk isn't just confined to the stands anymore . . . Now it's out in the open, and we're going to have to deal with it . . . Like a ghey son . . . Which doesn't really involve changing anything but maybe just saying that we love them anyway no matter the initial embarrassment of watching them wear leather pants . . . Or something like that.

Kansas City Tranny makes good!!!

This month, the chief executive officer of a multimillion-dollar sex-toy company was voted president of the San Francisco Police Commission. Even better, like many the ghey stories involving persecution and then redemption, the tale starts out in Kansas City.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Sparks enjoyed dressing up in women's clothes from a very early age, but fought those urges as a young man and underwent intense therapy, including electric shock treatment, hoping to suppress his desire to live as a woman.

Eventually, Sparks realized it was the only way for him to be happy. By 1997 Sparks was living full time as a woman, and three years later she traveled to Thailand for sexual reassignment surgery. Theresa Sparks took on the discrimination she felt as a transgendered woman by becoming a regular at San Francisco's City Hall. Now she leads the police commission.

See, these are the kind of feel good stories that don't get enough play among the local media . . . Additionally, I think it's time that Kansas City invited this dude/broad back to town to show her that we're proud of her as well . . . Why should San Francisco be the only city that shows tolerance? Believe it or not, Kansas City is the kind of town were so many folks would bend over backwards to honor a tranny. Ew.

Link dump: Local disasters

Its' s strange that most stories of loss in Kansas City somehow involve the Royals.

Global Warming Report warns that Kansas will soon be without its trademark sunflower . . . Also, the sky is falling.

Here's hoping the Ward Cyclones lose . . . Miege Rules!

Remembering the Ruskin Heights Twister is the most stupid activity the local media urges residents to take part in . . . The tornado didn't come close to doing the damage that "diversity" (read: white flight) has done to the neighborhood. Greensburg actually had a bit of good luck . . . If you really want to see a community fall to shambles, just look at what happens in a KC neighborhood with the demographics switch rapidly. R.I.P - Ruskin Heights.

Was Hipster shooting a hate crime?!?!?

This weekend a QUADRUPLE SHOOTING NEAR WESTPORT once again brought home the fact that Kansas City isn't close to being safe for the kind of commerce and stable living environment that a so-called "Downtown Renaissance" is going to require.

A flurry of gunshots (12 to 13) sent hundreds of people scurrying for cover early Sunday Morning . . . Right in line with KC tradition, almost nobody stayed around to report what they had seen . .. In other words the stop snitching movement is still relevant in KC and seems to be gaining momentum in the hipster community as well.

Now, here's what I know . . . If crime statistics are any indication, the shooters were probably Black. Is it racist to point this out not only given that stats hold out the supposition AND every summer the McDonalds on 39th and Broadway along with the Chubby's parking lot in the immediate vicinity become a perpetual crime scene? Additionally, every now and then a white person has to get shot and maybe die around one of the hipster clubs on Broadway in order for anyone to show any interest in the fact that for years "The Broadway Corridor" has been anything but safe.

Still, I hope I'm wrong about the racial identity of the shooter and it really doesn't matter (unless you admit that: If a white person shot into a crowd full of minorities, there would automatically be round-the-clock nationwide coverage of the media event AND maybe I'd get a chance to meet Al Sharpton in person) . . . Still, the race of whoever did the shooting isn't important (or else they'd mention it, right?) . . . What's important is that yet another instance of violence in Kansas City has so vividly illustrated that KC's urban core will never meet the grandiose aspirations of this city's cheerleaders if it doesn't address the topic of crime in instances that don't exclusively involve white people.

If KC Proper is going to become the primary destination for area hipsters and other brands of interlopers THEN time and again these folks will unfortunately fall victim to the same violence which has plagued this town for years and ultimately (most importantly) that just isn't good for business . . . Sadly, another homicide reveals that we're all in the same boat when it comes to the consequences of crime and killing in KC.

Early this morning, here are the best links available on the subject:

Another Reason To Avoid Westport on Weekend Nights

4 hurt in Westport shooting

Westport shooting leaves some residents worried

Shooting At Westport Walgreens

Politico Catfight

Despite Dems going into a fervor over every aspect of the AG scandal and it's local implications . . . What the Graves case reveals a lot of catfighting among the GOP.

Here's more on the subject from perennially angry Missouri Democrats.

People love to pretend to read!!!

The KC Lit Fest was a huge success!!!

Organizers had said they hoped to draw 10,000-plus to this first effort, saying that sort of turnout would justify attempts to make it an annual event. By late Saturday afternoon, they knew the city's reaction was strong enough that they could begin making plans for 2008. Estimated attendance: About 13,000.

And that's just awesome but doesn't at all fit in line with stats regarding illiteracy or book sales . . . Note to all KC event planners: If you can figure out a way to let people pose, then you can probably count on a crowd.

Enjoying the germs of strangers at the park

As the weather gets hot, it's now time for human stew in Kansas City OR KCMO Pools and Spraygrounds Now Open . . . Note: TKC always stays away from these things because kids are filthy, nasty little disease monsters AND I don't like people when they're dry . . . They're no better wet.

Slap on the wrist for small town crackheads!!!

An interesting story about social dynamics and the crack trade leaves me thinking that I don't feel sorry for anybody when it comes to the parties directly involved in a cocaine deal gone wrong:

Two small-town women allegedly drove to Kansas City to buy crack cocaine, got into a gunbattle with a dealer and killed him.

They were charged with murder.

But on Friday, one of them pleaded guilty to attempted drug trafficking and received a five-year sentence.

Prosecutors said they dropped murder charges because of evidence of self-defense.

Michelle M. Grundmeier, 18, of Frontenac, Kan., pleaded guilty to the drug charge and was sentenced Friday in Jackson County Circuit Cour . . . The women said they shot Arthur L. Taylor, 27, after he tried to rob them on or about Jan. 20, 2006. They dumped his body in the street near 46th Street and Park Avenue, they said.

Police said they found Taylor’s body with a large amount of crack cocaine on it.

Why anyone would have any sympathy for small town crackheads is beyond me . . . I can only assume they're probably white but the story doesn't say one way or the other . . . Additionally, I can't think of anything more emotionally draining than crying over an alleged crack dealing son . . . Well, it's also pretty hard to find parking downtown so I guess that makes me cry sometimes too.

The sounds of summer (other than gunshots)

Brood XIII . . . The cicadas are coming!!!

Town topics: In the final analysis, the blog is like the antithesis of effective PR

Here's a few local stories that caught my eye and seem to be related to world class spin perpetrated on the public:

Springtime brings similar emotions from everybody who follows baseball in Kansas City: Loving and hating the Royals

Independence dude dies in stabbing: TKC learns another reason to take women seriously when they say they're going to stab you.

As if Grocery stores on Holmes were made for anything else but robbing.

Pre-season propaganda champions another 3rd rate Chiefs pick.

Celebrate the digital divide . . . Middle class, white kids create a neat video yearbook.

Two high profile Kansas killers can probably forget about parole.

A nice look at Independence Ave

For better or worse . . . This is what Independence Avenue and a bit of the Eastside look like . . . Local Photog Eric Bowers does an awesome job capturing images in a couple of Kansas City's most diverse areas.

KC Wizards are eligible for Irish Honors

It certainly couldn't hurt their play AND I'm only guessing that a bit of Irish celebration would be good for the Wizards . . . Which is nice because few people tend to appreciate them here.

Crazy weekend for Conservatives

Weekend conservative roundup from LMC . . . Also, there is a vehement move to get Rep. Ron Paul (????) removed from the GOP debates.

Strangely, sculpting in Kansas City isn't all about posing and it also seems to benefit students

Students at Paseo Academy practice sculpture and earn scholarships.

Getting Crabs in Westport

They're always serving up crabs in Westport but this time it's intentional. A recent link from KC Talk promotes and upcoming event:

Westport’s 2007 Summer Concert Series “LIVE IN WESTPORT” is opening on June 1st and 2nd continuing Kansas City’s tradition of great live music. The first event of the summer is THE CRAWFISH BLOCK PARTY, a Kansas City tradition for the past seven years.

Music, crabs and an outdoor event . . . It sounds like a lot more fun than an ordinary Westport weekend in which you will probably still get crabs . . . But the only accompanying entertainment under normal circumstances consists of a lying, chubby, blonde with low self-esteem.

The TKC Saturday Night Podcast: Kansas City needs a theme song!!!

This town needs a theme . . . And "Going to Kansas City" just doesn't cut it. That's why I'm dedicating tonight's podcast to the best sitcom themes of my youth.



I can't help but think that something akin to the intro theme to the Sitcoms of the 80's would be perfect.



80's sitcom themes were hopeful, cheery and stupidly optimistic which reminds me a lot of the Funkhouser Administration. And just like TV sitcoms . . . While they might have given passing mention to the real world, the classic sitcoms were anything but realistic. Come to think of it, in a city which hosts a new stadium with no anchor tenant, an entertainment district that probably won't revive our lifeless urban core and infrastructure problems that require BILLIONS of funding . . . A sitcom-like theme for Kansas City would perfectly capture the naive and misguided notions of so many of this town's unquestioning cheerleaders.

Remainders: Sunny Day blogging sucks

KC Serial Killer case from the 90's finally put to rest.

KC Homicide count now stands at 34.

More than a dozen drunks will have to get lawyers . . . DUI checkpoints haven't proven to be much a deterrent over the years but they are good for business.

KC School District passes the buck on hiring a guy accused of sexual misconduct.

Rockhurst is going to teach neighbors about the importance of parking spaces.

On May 2, Rockhurst submitted plans to the city to expand its parking lot on Troost Avenue east toward Forest Avenue. The plan, if approved in coming weeks, would require at least one house owned by the university to be demolished.

It's an important lesson that beings and ends by realizing that people with a lot of money can pave over whatever they want.

Time for Truman Days again OR That smell isn't Springtime!!!

The whole City gets to vote on Riverside annex issue.

Dog blogging (non-porn)

Locals from Democracy and Hip-hop break it down once again

There is no such thing as being "thrown clear" . . . Three Teens Ejected In Accident . . . I'm going to have to work on another excuse in order to get out of wearing a seatbelt.

KC suburbs: Full of pussies

Other people have problems to . . . Cat bite in Overland Park!!!

It's official, the Kansas City area has run out of news for this week.

$900,000 for carousel at the KC Zoo!!!

This monstrosity is going to cost $2 bucks a ride so it'll practically pay for itself . . . In about one hundred years.

Mommy Beatdown

A recent Star report shows that Mother's Day is already long forgotten: A Kansas City woman admitted Friday that she beat her 91-year-old mother with a cane, threatened her with a knife and kept her hostage in her own home.

Kline Calls Johnston Coverage "Slander"

Obviously, Phill Kline has given up on politicos completely because the only thing he seems to stand up for is Invasion of Privacy for any woman going to a gyno OR using the baby Jesus as a get rich quick scheme . . . Recently, Phill Kline put the blame for the Johnston story on The Star and not on the guy who seemed to be using the New Testament as a lottery ticket:

Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline has accused Attorney General Paul Morrison — and The Kansas City Star — of “reputational slander” in connection with the Rev. Jerry Johnston and his First Family Church.

In a private e-mail distributed to subscribers of the Kansas Conservative Network, Kline says the newspaper’s coverage and Morrison’s review of the church’s finances will cause a “whisper campaign (to) accelerate and a ministry will be harmed.”

To date, I can't think of one politico who has stood up in support of Johnston and I can't make sense of this move by Kline, unless he wants a talk show or something of that sort.

The Search for Inspirado

Found this one via Fazed.org

For me, blogging isn't about one or two great posts . . . It's about the grind, it's about having a decent web presence out there even when I'm out buying snack cakes or chasing white women.

I've got a few plans regarding different things I wanna do with this blog . . . But I've mentioned before that this medium isn't like anything we've seen . . . We're not competing for shelf space or share of mind with anyone . . . It's more about what inspires each blogger . . . Following the muse if you will.

Speaking of, for some strange reason, I can't stop thinking about Jesus fighting Zombies. I could be some bad shellfish I recently ate for breakfast or maybe the fact that finding creative new ways to pay homage to our Lord and Savior is getting harder and harder . . . I think even Da Vinci would have had a Hell of a time trying to inspire people with traditional religious imagery in this day and age of high powered computer graphics. However, I've always been horribly frightened of zombies and thinking that Jesus hates them as much as I do helps me sleep at night and also inspires me.



And speaking of sacrilege, I would be remiss if I didn't throw a shoutout the way of two local bloggers who have been filing one killer post after the next:

Just Cara

And

Hey Cameraman

They've both been kicking a lot of ass lately and you'd be remiss not the make them regular reads.

On the national front . . . You know all I do is read the following blogs because you see me swagger jackin (no homo) them on this site constantly:

Byron Crawford
Dallas Penn
Biochemical Slang

And because the term "underrated" doesn't even apply to the Internet in the longtail era . . . You should check out these blogs that maybe you haven't been lucky enough to see yet :

I,Shane
Across the Board - Actually this Lawrence blogger has a huge readership!!! No homo.
Eff Bombs
Evolution-Nextstep - Another Kansas guy who kicks ass on a regular basis.

If you have any more recommendations for blogs I should be reading, let me know in the comments. I'm always curious about what inspires other people.

Chicano in Kansas City

I just got back from a panel discussion on the history of the Chicano movement in Kansas City at the Mattie Rhodes Art Center . . . It's always surprising to me that so many people don't even know what the term Chicano implies while it seems to all but consume so many others.

And while all of this stuff is ancient history to me, a lot of folks may or may not remember that KC was an integral part of the Chicano movement with national leaders from Cesar Chavez to Raul Yzaguirre making this town a stopping point during their work across the country.

Still, it goes mostly unreported in Kansas City's mainstream media that there is a resurgence of talk concerning activism and advocacy in Latino communities across KC not only because of the current immigration kurfuffle but also due to the fact that this nation is rapidly changing colors.

I'm not going to go into the boring details of who said what and the assorted resumes of the folks on the panel . . . But I will say that anybody who knows the history of the Chicano movement around these parts would be excited because this kind of talk represents the same chatter that was responsible for so many of the advances made by the Mexican-American community as a whole back in the heyday of "the movement." I will note that Joe Arce did a great job moderating the panel which comprised every kind of perspective from radical to mundane of KC's Hispanic Community . . . When Joe finally gets around to doing the official write up in the KC Hispanic News I'll be sure to link it.

What's more important is that I think that with all the development and grand schemes that so many real estate and construction advocates have devised in this town, the so-called "Downtown Renaissance" isn't the only rebirth in Kansas City. To me at least, the "renaissance" composed of concrete, TIF money and bad planning isn't half as promising as resurgence of the political and cultural ideals of the Chicano movement that don't cost a dime. From what I've seen though the past two years of immigrant rights marches, meetings, media and community/political activism - Kansas City is also home to a rebirth and reawakening of a Latino/Chicano consciousness that isn't merely about cultural and artistic identity and all other cool things related to Cheech Marin but is also a renaissance of a social and political movement as well.

TKC Ketchup: I've been a bad blogger lately

Yet, I'm not really doing that bad as far as page visits go. Again, I always wonder if I should link these stories individually but you d-bags are horrible at giving me feedback . . . So I'll just get these old links off my mind the easiest way possible:

Caveman Convicted: A Johnson County, Kan., jury found Andrew Ellmaker guilty of first-degree murder Friday in the slaying of his social worker.

Not even a car can kill Kit Bond . . . This dude is the best, stop being a whiny liberal bitch and admit it.

Also, not even an angry God can protect you from copyright lawyers: The Crazy-ass Church of Fred Phelps is being accused by a music company of violating copyright laws with an Internet video parody of the 1980s song, "We Are the World."

Sad story of a lady looking for the shooter who killed her former lover.

Dirty talk with kid leaves KC School District employee behind bars.

Robbery at KC Credit Union that doesn't involve you asking for a car loan.

KC's Bus still better than any light rail plan out there: Kansas City will receive $6.3 million in federal money for busses a year ahead of schedule through a new federal program called Small Starts.

"Ashes, ashes we all fall down"

Until today, I did not know that a Kansas City area company is at the epicenter of a growing business involving the delivering of ashes to exotic locations around the world. The International Scattering Society in Lee's Summit is described as a sort of "travel agency for the cremated dead" that handles (for a fee) all the paperwork and logistics required in scattering the ashes of their clients loved ones in the location of their choosing.

As the number of cremations grow - 32 percent of U.S. deaths led to cremation in 2005, compared with 21 percent in 1996, according to the National Funeral Directors Association - the demand has risen among friends and family seeking out companies and organizations that can help them deal with the remains, either fulfilling their loved one's wishes or finding a final resting place more exotic than a family urn.

That all sounds very nice but it also seems pretty expensive . . . Luckily, both Keith Richards and a few area stoners have already shown us the way: If you're stuck with the ashes and a loved one and you want to find an exotic way to honor them, there's no need to ship them off to some fancy location . . . You can simply smoke them and the goofy story will be with you till your dying day. NOTE: TKC doesn't condone of any kind of smoking but clearly rock stars are a little bit more influential than this lowly blog.

I nominate myself

The Downtown Council is giving out an award, you should probably nominate TKC for the honor because not only do I fill all of the qualifications but also I think I deserve more trophies:

The DTC announces the 2007 Urban Hero Award Program to honor small businesses and individuals who have improved the quality of life Downtown. Do you know someone passionate about making Downtown Kansas City a more vibrant place to live, work and play? The Downtown Council wants to know! This could be by improving the physical, social, business, retail, manufacturing, office, neighborhood, political, or work environment. The emphasis will be on "un- sung" heroes who have improved the Downtown environment and have not been appropriately recognized.

Actually, I have no idea who this Downtown Council is or why in the Hell they feel they're important enough to give an award. But if a cash prize is involved, I'll be more than happy to accept on behalf of all of the poor, minorities that have been gentrified . . . But I'm keeping the money.

Illegal Immigrants have been great for KC!!!

So, when you sit back and wonder why your child married a Mexican person and why a bunch of little brown kids are running around your house; you can blame the Democrats, Republicans and maybe TKC along with a bunch of additional factors that make the new, tenuous Bipartisan Deal on Immigration Bill mostly meaningless in all practical terms but also not as bad as you think.

Here's why:

It's hard (impossible) to stop people from making a buck. Talk about a border fence all you want, built it 200 feet high from sea to shining sea (with the help of undocumented workers) . . . As long as there is money to be made on the other side, people will find a way over, under, around and through it.

Mexicans aren't going to rush in line to become Democrats in order to get on welfare. Example: Cubans, who had the proverbial "red carpet" laid out for them in Florida, have a strong Republican base here in the U.S. This is key, by and large most Latinos realize that jumping ship from one party to another on a host of issues is the best way to garner political power for the entire community as a voting bloc. A lot of folks on both sides of the aisle don't like this line of reasoning but it's a great way to avoid some of the same problems that Black people cite when they note that the Democratic Party basically takes them for granted.

Do you really want to pay 10 bucks for a cheeseburger?

"In states like Texas undocumented immigrants (read: Mexicans) produced $1.58 billion in state revenues, which exceeded the $1.16 billion in state services they received."

Reform of the busted border gives immigration officials more time to find Osama or other terrorists and drug dealers that should be deported and ends the harassment of so many dishwashers, maids and lawn care workers who are completely harmless.

IF this thing passes it proves once again that "LAWS CHANGE" and depicting an entire community as criminals because of an offense that's akin to jaywalking wasn't only a racist and pessimistic tactic, it also makes the people that fought so hard against this thing look like the same folks who stood in favor of segregation.

Most importantly, for Kansas City immigration (of Mexicans mostly) has proven to be nothing but an economic boon. I've lived here all my life and remember what Central Ave in KCK or the Northeast once looked like before the massive influx of mojados. There were nothing but empty storefronts, vacant lots, crackheads and no economic activity whatsoever. Sure, some of the crackheads haven't managed to take off yet but there is also a flurry of economic activity around these areas that simply wasn't there 10 years ago. Additionally, you can't claim that Latinos have brought crime either given that last year's stat of note seemed to be that: In 2006 Black people counted for 82 percent of this city's homicide victims in what was widely noted as "Black on Black" violence (A stupid term I know but I'm using it here to make a point). Put simply, Kansas City hasn't seen an amazing drain on services form these SOON TO BE LEGAL immigrants . . . They are part of the only economic development in Kansas City that hasn't been completely subsidized by the government (TIF) on behalf of rich real estate developers (read: White Welfare).