Exclusive behind the scenes blogger coverage reveals how the news is made

Hey kids, check out HeyCameraman.net for an amazing behind the scenes look into how the coverage for the MU/OU clash in San Antonio is being put together.

Local blogger Laz is posing a ton of great pics and observations into the media event and electronic/Internet news gathering. It's a real education and it's nice to see another Latino school this town other than TKC.

KCPD CRACKS DOWN ON CRAIGSLIST!!!

Fox 4 has a very interesting report that not only signals that the people are using the Internets to get STDs but also might spell trouble for the backpages of the Pitch and all of Kansas City classified advertising now that the search for poon-tang is obsolete in print media.

Tis the season to panic

Icy Mix Set To Arrive Early Saturday . . . The sky looks clear to me but I don't have millions of dollars of extra special radar and equipment to justify.

Mayor Funky disavows his X-mas tree!!!

So much for "sticking to his principles" at least when X-mas is involved. The latest press release puts the blame for the poorly received X-mas tree on the Mayor's hosts as the Mayor's press release simply passes the buck: "A special thanks goes to Crown Center, as they are the ones that take on all the costs and the preparation for the actual tree." Additionally, reading the post it's kind of sad the way the Mayor's wife clearly avoids using the word "Christmas" and sticks with talk of the solstice holiday season . . . There's no doubt the Mayor's people dropped the ball on this one and they anticipate ruining the Mayor's Christmas Tree fund even further by changing it's focus and continuing to play politics with the event. That's why I call it X-mas . . . Because in the media and in politics, the meaning of this time of year is pretty much unknown.

Report: KC Dr. Sketchy's cited

A local blogger reports that a KC art event was ticketed for not having a liquor license . . . Because, clearly the biggest problem in Kansas City is people drawing and drinking.

The same blogger also provides a comprehensive round-up of KC/Lawrence area anti-war activities.

"Those currently serving in battle are the only ones qualified to speak to how they see their own military experience."

Local blogger Lynn lets loose with a FANTASTIC POST regarding the Youtube debate and speculation regarding troops in Iraq.

A green X-mas from a local blogger

The Jenson offers up this great link featuring pricey X-mas cards that don't kill the planet.

New low for Blunt . . . Other than the polls

Baby Blunt plays politics by invoking Baby Jesus . . . Again, it begs the question: Is a strong message about holiday greetings more important than the Gov's lack of leadership when it comes to jobs, health care and education.

I'm glad we're finally Dunn with all of the B.S. propaganda AGAINST corporate welfare in Kansas City

Nothing changes except KC money into the hands of local big corporations . . . The Biz Journal reports: KC Council OKs additional $1.1M for East Village

Light rail in Kansas City is headed nowhere

So, the City Council is taking steps to push a new light rail plan forward.

In other words they're wasting $200,000 researching a new plan instead of putting the old plan before the voters.

The problem is . . . The old plan was passed on the sneak and this new plan involves so much baggage and a bad influence from Mayor Funky - who doesn't care what voters think - that I'm not too hopeful about the project.

Also, Clay Chastain's (silly) plan was passed back when people were less aware of the looming recession.

While only a small, mostly white, minority of people vote in this town anyway . . . I'm wondering if whatever design the council comes up with will make it past voters who might be tightening their purse strings.

It's not like people are begging to pay higher taxes . . . And it's a bit of a contradiction for the Mayor to push the high tax project in one breath and warn of the worsening financial situation in this country and Kansas City with the other.

And let's not forget that every time I look at a bus in this town, it's nearly abandoned so why should people pay top dollar for a new transportation system that doesn't really transport anyone?

Contemplating violence on Kansas City Streets will induce a headache

Last night on 31st a Kansas City security guard was SHOT IN THE HEAD AND DROVE HIMSELF TO THE HOSPITAL!!!

The sensational story simply confirms my assertion that the people of Kansas City are tough and willing to deal with the topic of violent crime. However, our political leadership simply doesn't have the stomach for it given that Mayor Funky has been in office almost a year and hasn't really mentioned the topic of violent crime that much at all, was completely silent during this summer's gang war and ranks crime in the bottom half of his priorities.

Saucy old broad doesn't mind backwash at the group beer bong outside Arrowhead

Only at Arrowhead . . . The Chiefs suck and so do ladies of all stripes at the communal beer bong . . . Ugh.

I hope someone had a smint for the classy Kansas City lady.

Reading, writing and politics!!!

Kansas City's African-centered education movement is now expanding into this town's High Schools according to The Star.

It's not that I object to the "movement" that much . . . Despite the fact that it's backed up by doctored and unreliable stats that show some mystical, magical improvement that is so far unseen in a pathetic school district that so many people are abandoning en masse.

Inherently, there's nothing wrong with African-centered education EXPECT that in Kansas City it's basically the manifestation of the systemic bigotry practiced by the African-American elite who run the district and have all but ignored the needs of their Latino students.

Let's not forget, never forget that the President of the KC School Board has paid out a large settlement when he endorsed discriminatory hiring practices. And, word around the campfire is that the a large scale effort to oust Superintendent Anthony Amato is already under way.

Still, the constant promoting of the African-centered education "movement" begs one question: Given that this program (which supposedly works wonders) has been in place for years, why are Kansas City schools still so shitty?

The answer is: It's not about education, it's about politics.

This "movement" is a way for the Black elite who run the district to send a message to everyone that the KC Missouri School District belongs to them . . . And only them.

And this isn't the point where I argue for Latino themed education (because that's silly and given that KC Latinos have a 50% dropout rate I'd be glad if they managed to master ANY curriculum) . . . Besides, the Latino students in the Kansas City Public School District already receive a real world education that is geared toward overall trends in the culture: As a group, Latino students in KC Schools are routinely left out, discriminated against and pushed aside in order to cater to a variety of public education fads like African-centered schools which stress politics over the mastery of simple skills and have subsequently resulted in the overall failure of the District.

Bad options for Grandma in both states

KMBC: Several nursing homes in Kansas and Missouri were ranked as the worst in the nation by the federal government.

There has to be a better way of breaking up with Kansas City Broads!!!

I'm running into a lot of bad break-up stories in the news lately . . . I guess it's probably a good idea to get rid of the ball-and-chain before the holiday gift season arrives.

Still, overall it's best to avoid violence or any confrontation during a split.

For instance, in the two long term relationships that I've endured, when it was clear that I wasn't going to propose marriage (or move out of my mom's basement) . . . My former girlfriends decided to dump me over the telephone. This worked out well for everyone involved given that they avoided an uncomfortable up close and personal conversation and I didn't have to worry that they would see me dancing for joy.

Anyhoo . . . Here is an example of a Kansas City break-up that didn't go as smoothly:

KC man charged with beating, stabbing his girlfriend to death

Show me a lot of sadness

Missouri ranked among 10 most depressed states

KCPD officer caught in a lie

Here's the link from KSHB: Officer admits to falsifying statement

Go Drink for Greg

Local blogger Erin reports: "Greg's birthday is on Tuesday, December 4th, and there will be a get together at the Record Bar for it.

The Record Bar's dinner special will be Greg's Per-fuckin-fect Fried Chicken. It should be an interesting mix of bar friends, blogger friends, and family (Greg's sister and mom will stop by)."

X-mas in Kansas City

The KC kitty put together an informative compilation of holiday links and activities in Kansas City that would make the Virgin Mary herself want to take part in a mass exercise in consumerism that's a celebration of the Winter Solstice or something.

Firing a former lover

Found this amazing link via Crime Scene KC . . . For all the readers who have ever had a relationship go down in flames:

Police: Lovers' Quarrel Leads To Fiery Fight

According to a police report, "The suspect pulled out a black 9 mm handgun and put it to the back of the victim's head and told her, 'You thought your last lover was crazy.'"

The victim said she ran across the street and turned around in time to see her girlfriend coming down the stairs with lighter fluid, which she allegedly poured over the woman's car's engine block.

When the victim tried to stop her, the girlfriend turned the bottle on her.

She ran farther this time.

Police said that when they got to the scene, the car's engine was blazing and the suspect was gone.

Damn. The story makes all of my breakups seem boring by comparison . . . Still, crazy chicks are often underrated. They are usually pretty wild in the sack (nullus?) and there's always a chance of making the local news when it comes time to give them the boot.

Oh yeah, and lyric from the song regarding Kansas City hosting "crazy little women" . . . That has been and always will be completely true.

Party all the time!!!

A Kansas Senate seat is up for grabs. The Dems wanted to put incubent Pat Roberts out but their unknown choice doesn't seem to be off to a good start . . . This photo is about as interesting as it's going to get given that the unknown Democrat challenger doesn't really have a shot.

Stay Red Kansas files an excellent post which pretty much tears the guy apart with only a few questions and characterizes him thusly: "Enter Greg Orman, a young, slick Johnson County millionaire."

KMBC in action

Hint, news gathering is almost completely reliant on the Internets. A great post from the field from Heycameraman.net.

The TKC Bitch Box

I'm trying out a new feature on the blog . . . Open thread is stupid and it sounds like an old sweater.

Instead, the TKC Bitch box is dedicated to anything bad TKC readers would like to write regarding Kansas City or anything else for that matter.

This is the place to complain. Mind you, complaints are welcome on any other aspect of this blog open to comments and it's not like I'm paying attention anyway or can help you at all. . . However, I think a nice thread every couple of days dedicated to negative feedback, and insulting remarks documenting the way folks REALLY feel about this town is exactly what Kansas City needs.

I'm not sure if I'll keep this feature and I'm a big believer in the fact that interactivity isn't all it's cracked up to be . . . But at the very least I thought I'd offer you D-bags an opportunity at an open discussion with no direction from a post subject or category.

So put your complaints here and spare your loved ones having to listen to you.

They probably found the porn star's body

Media people don't have to be geniuses . . . Mentioning porn in any given broadcast automatically draws attention and the typical Missing White Woman Story involving Emily Sander got really interesting (and received much more attention) when it was revealed she dabbled in online porn.

Sadly, now it turns out that the body they found in rural Kansas is probably her.

My only interest in the story is that I hope the guy who they suspect of killing her isn't an illegal alien given that he had a Hispanic surname . . . Still, it's hard to imagine much feigned outrage from the reactionary crowd over a porn career cut shot.

Only TKC laments the passing of porn stars before their time and I'm still sad that Chloe Jones isn't around to "perform" for her fans.

Still, it's entertaining to watch so many newscasters looking as if they sucked on a lemon (nullus) when they mention porn and then wait to show photos of the barely legal broad . . . It all reminds me of a video that made it's way around the Internets a few weeks ago entitled FOX NEWS PORN, which clearly demonstrates the mainstream nature of porn coverage in the news media.

Tune in to TKC

Tomorrow morning listen to KMBZ News Radio 980 - Kansas City's Morning News with EJ and Ellen . . . At around 8:30 TKC will be talking about your blog. I'll be mentioning what a genius you are and how blogs are awesome and sometimes provide more information than just the latest breaking news on hipster hangouts.

Kansas City has a Funky X-mas

Overall, Kansas City hates the Mayor's X-mas tree. Once again, Funkhouser has messed up a trivial task and I'm surprised it had nothing to do with neglecting the Mayor's X-mas Tree Fund or his wife's alleged spooky faith practices . . . Here's my favorite quote:

“Mayor’s Christmas Tree: Tall and skinny.

“Mayor: Tall and skinny.

“Need I say more?”

Yep, an X-mas tree isn't like a white woman, sometimes it can be too tall and skinny and overall the Mayor didn't win any brownie points by picking such an ugly and wasteful display.

Once again, the Mayor screws up one of the easiest aspects of his job and can't even elicit good vibes during the season of goodwill.

Please Santa, send Mayor Funky some charm.

Flag display controversy in WyCo!!!

My uncle Jack is a great guy, a Vet and also very picky about how the American Flag is displayed.

A recent story by Tess Koppelman highlights a tense debate over proper etiquette concerning the display of the American flag.

To honor their fallen brother, firefighters all across Wyandotte County have been flying flags at half-staff but one city's mayor is refusing to participate saying that it breaks the law.

The long line outside of St. Anthony's Church in KCK shows how well-liked Tluscik was. The 48-year-old was a proud firefighter and his fellow firefighters have been honoring him since he died last week by lowering flags to half staff. But in Edwardsville, flags aren't lowered because the mayor says it's against the law.

"I understand and I sympathize with the firefighters in wanting to show their appreciation and respect for a fallen firefighter although we won't break any codes of our nation to do that," Edwardsville mayor Heinz Rodgers said.

The Firemen wouldn't go on record but they did tell Koppleman that they were "angry" over the Mayor's decision.

What do you d-bags think? Remember that Kansas City violated the same kind of flag code in order to honor the late Lamar Hunt - Who is mentioned in the Warren Report and comes from a very rich family that has a (weak) connection to the Kennedy Assassination:

In much the same way that contemporary reactionaries were criticized following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 for having incited terrorism through their antigovernment rhetoric, in the days following the assassination of John Kennedy, H. L. Hunt was castigated publicly. The New Republic editorialized that Hunt's last radio broadside on Kennedy, broadcast the morning of the assassination, was "[t]he kind of program . . . that the brooding Oswalds of the left- or right-wing listen and sometimes act on."

Ward's report -- and by extension the KGB's best estimate on "Who killed JFK?" -- probably derived from a discovery made by the FBI in late November that tied the Hunt family to the events in Dallas. In Jack Ruby's notebook, bureau agents found the name "Lamar Hunt," H.L.'s second son from his first marriage. By the time Ward's report reached Moscow, the distinction between Lamar and H. L. Hunt was lost. Indeed, for a while the US government wondered whether the Lamar Hunt connection was significant. On December 17 the FBI interviewed Lamar Hunt about Jack Ruby. Hunt denied ever having known Ruby. In jail Ruby agreed.

It's a tough call . . . Respecting the flag vs. honoring fallen firefighters . . . Somehow I think scantily clad women wrapped in an American-flag-inspired- design (which I think is also against the rules) should promote some kind of compromise.

Joel Nichols must be stopped!!!

A local teen put together this Youtube "Most Wanted" spoof video that's pretty funny and chronicles the terror and devastation committed by KMBC weather dude Joel Nichols.



Clearly, this kid is very talented and "Kansas City's Most Wanted" featuring local celebs sounds like a great idea for a crime show that doesn't focus solely on the misdeeds of minorities.

Really, I'm impressed with the young KC director and look forward to watching more of his videos.

KC Corporate welfare Dunn right!!!

The Star reports: The J.E. Dunn Construction Co. headquarters project slated for downtown, stalled by unexpectedly high land costs, is expected to receive an additional $1.1 million assist from the city.

In a fashion befitting his privilege: Blunt blames everybody else for his problems

From The Star: Blunt uses immigrants as scapegoat

Katy Trail could move closer to KC

Does anyone know why I should care?

KC Cyclists want to get closer to people living in a van down by the river

David Martin writes a damn good article that almost made me believe that local cyclists should be allowed to get close to the Mighty MO . . . Then I realized it was simply another story advocating for more taxpayer subsidies to support the hobby of affluent white people!!!

This is probably the 4th feature article regarding Kansas City cyclists in The Pitch in less than a month . . . There is no way in Hell these people (bastards) deserve this much press and the Pitch may do better to any other cause then the over exaggerated, whiny pleas from this KC contingent but I've heard that KC cyclists have their panties in a bunch over how much bad publicity TKC sends their way that they're running to the elitist and lily white Pitch in order to persuade the gullible media outlet that they represent more than a couple dozen bike riding, loudmouth hipsters who want all of Kansas City to pay for their riding pleasure. No homo?

George Brett's has seen better days

They're thinking of a name change at the abandoned Plaza eatery. They might also want to contemplate better service and more marketing to lure semi-classy blonde skanks. Ferruzza writes a fantastic article which provides some great background on the establishment's nearly forgotten history.

Think again, I will hate on Harvesters!!!

Local hipsters mistakenly think that helping glorified (unwanted) split pea dispenser Harvesters will absolve them of all the white privilege from which they've benefited.

Steve Shaw is all smiles: Brave local newsie shares his story of addiction!!!

Before TKC Coverage


After



I have to give a lot of props to Steve Penn . . . His profile of formerly drunken KC Newsman Steve Shaw is one of the most inspiring things I've read in a long time.

It's amazing to see somebody actually admit they have a problem in the media and then work, seek help and battle a substance abuse problem SUCCESSFULLY in the public eye.

Back in Kansas City for a visit last weekend, Shaw’s memories took him back to the time and place when he hit rock bottom. As he sat at Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q last Saturday, tears began to roll slowly down his cheeks.

“It’s tough understanding how flawed I am,” Shaw said. “I’ve got a lot of shame. I’ve always been so stubborn. All I can do is keep my head down and remember how bad it was. I needed the fall to be big.”

Thankfully, Shaw is back on his feet and has another reporting gig.

Strangely, Shaw teamed up with God's bill collector Rev. Jerry Johnston for awhile but that's not really important . . . The real story is that the dude is doing better.

Someday I hope to be a better person as well and give up my penchant for hating on local media figures, politicos and consuming copious amounts of Dr. Pepper and Snack cakes. But that would require . . . An effort.

Stormwater bill collections should be a rainmaker but errors lose track of loot

The Star reports: Kansas City’s stormwater bills generate about $8 million per year, but the city still loses money because the collections process is so riddled with errors, a new audit says.

Some things are far more important than Kansas City, no joke

Empire magazine recently posted some preview photos of Heath Ledger as the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie.

Personally, I like the new look with the acknowledgment that TKC always roots for the bad guy at the movies and that The Joker is one of those great characters that is nearly impossible to screw up.

A Kansas City Area Farmer's Paradox

A photo of Marissa Miller and a bunch of sheep provides eye candy for a vast cross section of horn dogs that I don't even want contemplate.

Kansas City code of silence countered by pleas of family for help

The family of Kenyata Bass is challenging the local "stop snitchin" silliness in the murder and mutilation of the father of two.

Latinas having babies and other lovely links

X-tina is showing the world how pretty Latina pregnancy can be, and then here are some ugly local headlines:

Two friends from Missouri find out they're sisters . . . Immediately start stealing one another's clothes and harboring resentment.

Two lane plan Johnson Drive has residents pissed

Baby sitter charged with killing boy . . . I don't know for sure but a diary entry could prove important in the trial.

A good doggy style always survives: Troubled breeder loses dogs but stays in business

Sextuplets Hoax Couple Face Hearing

What did you think about the debate?

Conservatism with a Heart offers a great roundup of last night's snoozefest . . . I'd be lying if I said I watched enough to form a relevant opinion but I tuned out confident that the old, white guy would win.

Chiefs QB slot still in play, very much like the love of Kelli Croyle

Brodie Croyle could be sidelined on Sunday because of a knee injury . . . This might be an excellent chance for Damon Huard to redeem himself and also make my Kellie Cryole-lonely-divorced-woman fantasies that much hotter.

Hoping $6 mil doesn't buy a belly itcher

Japanese reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta agrees to $6 million 2-year deal with Royals.

The Star says "So Long" to longtime employees with a severance buyout offer as the era of print media comes to an end!!!

In college, I was basically assured by more than a few mainstream media reporters that there was no way I would ever become a newspaper columnist at a major metropolitan paper (my dream) because of my aggressive style, my penchant for entertainment and ideology over fact and because they couldn't think of one prominent Chicano who had accomplished as much . . . Obviously, they never heard of Ruben Salazar.

Anyhoo . . . Turns out that just because there is little access for loudmouth Chicanos in the mainstream press who challenge the popular wisdom and don't apologize for their identity (i.e. Mary Sanchez) . . . It's not the end of the world.

Thankfully, blogging allows anybody with an opinion and Internet access to play columnist and ironically the era of print media seems to be coming to an end as KC's paper of record is now facing cutbacks.

The Kansas City Star is the latest in a string of mid-sized metros in the United States to offer buyouts to employees, telling readers today that Star employees with 20 years of “uninterrupted service” can take the paper up on its offer, which gives 20 weeks' pay . . .

The buyout was constructed because “readership and advertising revenue from the core daily newspaper continue to soften,” the newspaper stated. The Star's parent company, McClatchy, “has suffered sharp declines in revenue at its California and Florida newspapers, where local real estate markets are under pressure.”

That's right, even as the Star reports happy news and ignores the looming recession, the staff at the paper is suffering at the hands of an economic slowdown and the inevitable decline of the medium.

Yet time after time there's nothing but reports of Kansas City's downtown renaissance or cheerleading for the Sprint Center or Mayor Funky . . . Oh well, I guess the band that played on the Titanic had to keep things upbeat as well.

Ashcroft quotes Nietzsche

TfK finds a great interview of the Missouri politico quoting some guy who went completely crazy and had a lot of his work utilized by the Nazis.

Dammit the glass is half full!!!

Ingram's put out an interesting issue this month that I'm still in the process of reading.

It's all about the so-called downtown renaissance without much mention of gentrification, lack of minority hiring or participation and the fact that a few corporations now pretty much have control over the loop.

Still, there was a bit of insight into the huge debt load this town has amassed and an interesting take on the way Kansas City's economy is evolving.

Overall the issue is a must read and contains far too many stats and cold, hard figure to count as cheerleading . . . But it's close and I just don't understand how anyone could talk about a resurgence for Kansas City's downtown without mentioning the looming recession that's on the horizon.

Link via the Cawley blog.

ID Cards for illegal immigrants in KC!!!

If Kansas City really wants to become a 1st rate metropolis, the leaders of this town could do worse than to pick San Francisco as their model.

San Francisco has street cars, world class cuisine and entertainment . . . It's obviously a pretty tolerant city considering how many gheys call the place home AND they keep the minorities at arm's length in Oakland.

Additionally, the mayor of San Francisco recently signed legislation Wednesday requiring the city to issue identification cards to undocumented immigrants and other residents who can't or won't apply for driver's licenses.

And guess what? San Francisco isn't going crumble into the ocean any time soon (at least not because of this), their hospitals won't become any more overburdened than corporate health care in the U.S. has already made them, their property values will remain far higher than KC AND their "cultural life" (surprisingly not just ghey bars) will probably always outpace this cowtown.

Put simply, San Francisco stays winning because they embrace diversity (at least in spirit, remember all of the dark po'folk still live in Oakland).

If Kansas City's Mayor had any real courage or actually believed in any of the "principles" regarding diversity he espouses he might put forth a similar measure in Kansas City. It would certainly be less costly than his failed Office of Immigrant Affairs plan.

A KC ID card for illegal immigrants is only fair CONSIDERING THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THIS TOWN MUST ALSO PAY THE EXORBITANT SALES TAX RATES IN THE AREA!!!

Yet Mayor Funky's Administration has shown nothing but empty promises when it comes to the immigrant community. The Westside CAN center is waiting for help from the guy but so far . . . The Mayor can't even muster a statement in support of the place after and their embarrassing cries for help.

Because the Mayor took sides with the Minutemen, because so far he has done nothing to help the CAN center and Minuteman recruiter Frances Semler is now frequently seen at the side of Mayor Funky at one public event after another . . . There's no denying that the Mayor of Kansas City is in league with the reactionary, anti-immigrant, anti-Latino forces which dominate a small, dreary burg like Hazelton, Pennsylvania and not a world class metropolis like San Francisco.

Yet, just because Funkhouser and his acolytes are anti-development, anti-immigrant, anti-minority . . . That doesn't mean all of Kansas City should surrender to the guy's effort to move Kansas City backward.

ID cards for undocumented workers are a great way to unite "OneKC" and prove that this town is inclusive of its Latino, Somali, Asian and Arab communities - All of which have significant factions of undocumented members . . . It would be a great way to throw off the racist image that this town has attained thanks to a few newspaper columnists, talk radio listeners and the Mayor's incompetent and downright insensitive administration.

Is it X-mas yet? UMKC laptop theft makes headlines on slow news day

Laptop swiped from UMKC student

I've seen this link three different places today. It's not really news but . . . Anyone who has set foot on the UMKC campus knows that it's not safe. I've always thought walking across Rockhill or getting through the parking lot at night safely was a bigger threat than personal theft but then again . . . College dorks believing propaganda about the place being just as good as the state colleges out in the sticks probably deserve to get robbed (not really).

Still, the combination of real world urbanism on the streets outside and higher ed indoors makes for an enlightening combo . . . Go Roos!

Was she Zoey Zane?

Missing white woman syndrome makes this Wichita, Kansas story VERY IMPORTANT - A missing Kansas college student believed to be the victim of foul play led a double life as an Internet porn star by the name of Zoey Zane, a friend told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Show Me a looming court battle

The judge selections are about to become horribly politicized in Missouri . . . The CCP is organizing a free forum on November 29th at 6:30 at the UMKC Law School Courtroom (500 E. 52nd Street) in order to inform the public about what's being proposed.

DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO!!!

Happy in Bag sent me link earlier today . . . Local blogger Chimpo has the courage to post the damn thing. I was actually relieved to see that the video referred to accidents and wasn't an anti-immigrant hit piece . . . Then again, I blame all Mexicans for kitchen problems. (Note: Not KC related, but then again, accidents happen everywhere.)

Democrat politics is totally ghey

Just a reminder, if you're reading this right now you have a couple of hours to make it to a very ghey discussion of Presidential politics in Kansas City.

Here's the press release:

A forum examining the eight Democratic Party presidential candidates from a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender perspective will be held on Wednesday evening, November 28, 7:00 p.m., in Room 4 of the University of Missouri Kansas City UMKC) School of Law, 52nd and Oak Street.

The forum is co-hosted by the UMKC LGBT Student Life Office and the Four Freedoms Democratic Club. The Lesbian and Gay Community Center of Greater Kansas City, PROMO, KC PRIDE Democratic Club, Kansas Equality Coalition and the local chapter of the Human Rights Campaign are co-sponsors for the event.

During the Forum representatives from many of the local campaigns for the Democratic Presidential Candidates will make presentations regarding their candidates stand on issues important to LGBT citizens. They will also provide information about volunteering for these campaigns.

There is a major educational component to our Forum, Jim MacDonald said. Most people don't understand how the Primary and Caucuses work in determining delegates. They don't understand how the delegates to the National Convention, the ones who actually vote on the nomination, are selected.

If a student or anyone for that matter has a goal of one day being a delegate to the National Democratic Convention, our Forum will show her or him where to start, Jim MacDonald added.

Now let's go scalp some tickets!!!

Ticket scalping is now perfectly legal in Missouri . . . Show-Me laws that change and a glimmer of hope for illegal immigrants.

Mayor Funky doesn't care about Latino issues if they aren't in the media spotlight

Funky's proposed "Office of immigrant affairs" is now nothing more than a memory and a proposed PR solution that Funk tossed out of the window now that the folks on talk radio aren't ranting about the subject. The move was typical Funk, it didn't really satisfy anyone and in the end it amounted to nothing but a lot of pompus declarations BUT NOT ACTION.

Professor Funky educates Kansas City!!! (again)

Mayor Funky's staff (nullus) just doesn't seem to understand that the guy isn't a professor and not everybody in Kansas City enjoys a lecture or needs a father figure. Check out the language of his latest PR post about Kansas City's dirty, filthy homeless: "the goal will be to educate area policy makers about the issues and challenges associated with homelessness" There's also the use of the word "progressive" which means that whatever plan they come up with will be useless, whiny and probably vegetarian. All things considered, it's just another opportunity for Mayor Funky to (pretend) that he's the smartest guy in the room while stubbornly ignoring the opinion of everyone else. Also, it's nice to see Funky is using all caps to emphasize that something is important - It's the true mark of an Internets genius.

KCTV5 Kline Coverage Fallout

Here's why I'm awesome - TKC can link an opinion he doesn't necessarily agree with, summarize it while still making fun and then post. That's just one of the trade secrets that keeps me on the upper echelon of this thing we call local blogging (heh), like a piggy bank it's just one penny.

Anyway, as Crime Scene KC noted yesterday: The KCTV 5 exposé sent a shock wave through the local blogosphere . . . Here's the best of what I could find on the subject:

I'll start where I always start . . . The Kansas City Blogosphere!

BlogKC links the story and notes that it's YET ANOTHER scandal involving Kline. Money line: "It also looks like Kline does not live in the county, but rather commutes from Topeka while claiming a fleabag apartment in Stillwell as his “residence”. The latter allegation amounts to the D.A. breaking the law and could cost him his job."

JustCara is a little bit more skeptical . . . She sums it up this way: "So how did KCTV5 screw up? They cherry picked from bad data and conducted what looks to be a sloppy - or biased - investigation." Thing is, Cara looks at the case like a lawyer and that would be great if we were talking about the law . . . There are few rules in the court of public opinion and Kline was simply pulverized on one of the most talked about (and highly rated) newscasts I can remember in 3 years of local news blogging.

Jay Bird Keeps it sweet and simple: Phil needs to go!

The X-man also puts it plainly: "There's nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a pompous, self-righteous, tight-assed, holier-than-thou, asshole get his comeuppance."

Sassywho comes out swinging as well: "Johnson County ready to abort Kline yet?"

Of the local bloggers I follow . . . Stay Red Kansas probably posted the most passionate arguments deriding the story. I can't really argue with any of the guy's points because he's shutting his eyes, putting his hands over his ears and holding his breath until the story goes away. It's a good strategy and at the very least I admire the guy's commitment.

Obviously, the regional (mostly political) bloggers got into the act.

Blue Tide Rising: Phill Kline caught on Tape

Show-Me Progress: Kansas Anti-Abortion Crusader in Hot Water

But the most linked post by the mainstream media seemed to be from a little known web page that might be out of Salina. The Kansas Meadowlark claims that KCTV5 harassed Kline and his family but doesn't really offer much proof other than a few photos - Hell, THERE WEREN'T EVEN ANY DECLARATIVE STATEMENTS IN ALL CAPS AND RED TYPE!!! So, obviously the dude's story is a bit sketchy. It's strange to think that KCTV5 has helicopter footage, hours of videotape, interviews with at least a half a dozen sources and computer data . . . But a blog post by an anonny dude who has tirelessly defended Kline in one post after the next is being used as an example of reasonable media criticism. I LOVE YOU INTERNETS!!!

That post leads us to mainstream media blog coverage . . .

Probably the most hilarious piece of the local media outcry has to be . . .

THE PITCH POUTING THAT THEY HAVEN'T OBTAINED A DECENT SCOOP IN MONTHS AND COMING TO THE DEFENSE OF KLINE!!!

Laughably, they invoke "journalistic integrity" as part of their argument. Never mind that their rag has taken a swipe at virtually every prominent minority in this town with far less proof, they have regularly smeared Kline with overblown hit pieces of their own and a clearer motive for detracting the story might be because they didn't have the resources to put together a decent article (i.e. - They were scooped). Also, the non-minority-hiring Pitch Punks think they're being cute by posting a lame, backpage glam shot photo of KCTV5 reporter Ash-Har Quraishi . . . When all that image really does is remind readers that The Pitch stopped being relevant with the advent of the local blog and now they are mainly the stomping ground for privileged, white reporters passing through town on a the way to a real writing gig or the downward spiral of substance abuse.

Again, the Pitch uses some weak Kansas web page to back up it's claims and laments that the story slipped through their fingers.

Not so surprisingly, the Scumbag Chris Stigall uses the same un-sourced Kansas Web page to draw some insane conclusions.

Here's the thing . . . ALL OF THESE REPORTS RELY ON UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE POLITICAL IDEOLOGY OF KCTV5 REPORTERS WHEN THE REAL STORY IS THAT NOBODY WITH HALF A BRAIN WOULD BELIEVE THAT KLINE LIVES IN A RINKY-DINK JOCO APARTMENT AND HOURS OF VIDEOTAPE PROVE AS MUCH!!!

Even better, it's obvious that KCTV5 filed a ground breaking report given that their questions garnered the best "oh shit!" face from a Kansas Politico since Bob Dole realized that Viagra really worked:

But the fallout doesn't stop there . . . The story went national.

A popular science blogger gets into the act: Abode not in the truth

Crooks and Liars was the first big time blog to pick up the story

And the blogosphere's biggest liberal blog DailyKos ran the story with a post from the great KOS himself: Kansas über-winger Phil Kline busted

In the end, what stands out to me is that most of the criticism of this story is aimed at the people who reported it. There has been a whole lot of accusations made about Ash-har Quraishi and the alleged political agenda of KCTV 5 with FAR LESS proof than the piece on Kline. So far, the gossip has went mostly unchallenged.

What this says to me is that that blog commentary runs the dangerous risk of becoming so segmented that it's nearly irrelevant. When there's no room for dissenting opinion or any deviation from the norm in any audience that's a clear sign that the readership and reach of the blog is stagnant. That's why I don't mind so much when you d-bags would rather have sex with a fat chick then agree with me that the sky is blue.

Anyway, for my money, Quraishi is this week's KC super reporter and that's rare because breasts are usually a prerequisite for the award. Also, it didn't hurt that KCTV5 gave TKC a brief shout on last night's report. Nevertheless . . . I'm calling him Ash-har-awesome until he decides to do a hit piece on mojados.



In an era when almost nobody votes and even fewer pay attention to politicos and their hypocrisy this report blew the lid off of Kline's choir boy image with a slew of evidence which reveal some undeniable problems with Kline's Administration and a great many questions that need to be asked by JoCo voters.

TKC P.S. - It's nice getting in JoCo's beeswax for a bit considering how they loved to weigh in on the problems of KC proper and the very funny fact that JoCo's top cop has the same kind of residency problems faced by so many of TKC's illegal immigrant cousins. Finally, all of this reminds me of one of my favorite songs by the 80's band Exposé entitled "Let me be the one" since we're on the subject.

Ramsey has it right

Ramsey is the best blogger in Lawrence and I've long looked forward to his posts on Across-the-board which cover everything from cool pics to popular culture.

As of late, Ramsey has been doing some fantastic video blogging and it's clear that he's onto something.

The document of his trip to the MU/KU game was captivating because it provided an up close and personal glimpse into a day in the life of a bunch of losers.

Some other notable Ramsey clips:

KU Homecoming a.k.a - The last time JoCo housewives will look decent.

A friend of Ramsey's proposes at a Royals baseball game . . . OR, one losing effort deserves another.

A Halloween Party in the West Bottoms of KC . . . A frightening place to meet a broad without first performing a comprehensive Adam's Apple check.

Finally, Ramsey also posted some highlights from the Elton John concert at the Sprint Center otherwise known as KC's sing-along with the old ghey dude who hates organized religion.

In all of these videos, what's clear to me is that vloging is the future of blogging.

Yes, this will require that bloggers must be better looking, have decent public speaking skills and have something worthwhile to show/share with their audience . . . But in the end vlogging is where THIS whole thing seems to be headed.

This is an exceptionally frightening prospect for me because I don't like being in front of the camera . . . Still, there are creative ways to work around this . . . In fact the other day I shot some video of a mouse in my basement which I had befriended and named Ben. My video featuring the furry creature was going to be heartfelt and compassionate but I decided to kill the rodent instead because I don't really need anymore buddies.

Anyhoo . . . The point I'm getting at is that Ramsey's videos are definitely worth checking out and indy video production is quickly becoming an integral part of personal publishing along with an important way for bloggers to communicate, express their opinions and make sure the world knows that their household pets are adorable.

Union Station might be in the black, even more profit could be on the way from stolen Chinese dead bodies

Here's a nice sentiment that isn't true from The Star: Union Station will end the year in the black for the first time since its restoration in 1999. The article doesn't mention that Union Station still has a backlog of debts totaling $1.7 million. Still, the "Bodies Revealed" exhibit might help but probably won't permanently solve the problems of the money losing operation and will most likely curse the place given that profiting a few coins from the display of dead people who didn't give their consent isn't good karma.

KC area 2 million strong, still second class

Hendricks asks an interesting question that I'll make much simpler: Is Kansas City forever "doomed" to be a cowtown? I hope so.

Chiefs fans ordered to put faith in 43 year-old kicker

Chiefs sign Carney to replace kicker Rayner . . . Actually, the guy sounds great but the fact that Herm couldn't find a decent kicker until 3/4ths of the season was over speaks to his incompetence.

Present Magazine posts some pretty amazing pics of Kansas City music legends

Bob Walkenhorst, Jeff Porter, and Friends perform at the recordBar

Red Bridge Redux: South KC folks expose City's New Plan as the same old scheme

The latest communique from the Red Bridge Road Crowd reports that they aren't happy with the new plan that's being pushed by an architectural firm . . .

Here's their story that reveals some good points:

Latest designs for Red Bridge Road identical in nearly all respects to previous plan

After the expense of a quarter-million dollars, a City-hired engineering firm has almost perfectly duplicated the City's previous design proposal for Red Bridge Road.

Both plans are for mostly a three-lane road leading to a bridge of over 1,100 feet in length over the Blue River valley.

The group even posts a comparison of the two bridge proposals which clearly demonstrates their identical. Still . . .

There are differences between the two bridges: the latest one features the cosmetic addition of steel beams to mimic the truss of the existing bridge. However, this and other minor differences appear not to comply with federal and railroad guidelines.

Friends of Red Bridge -- a community group in south Kansas City opposed to the City plan -- recently hired renowned traffic engineer Michael Wallwork to analyze the Red Bridge situation and suggest alternative designs. In his analysis, Mr. Wallwork points out that a bridge such as the one being proposed cannot be justified if it is not followed by an eventual widening of the entire road to four or even six lanes, with a tremendous negative impact on safety, livability, and the environment.

A Swedish indie rock band puts on a great show at the Madrid Theater, Nick Davis provides a great review with pics

Nick Davis serves up this GREAT REVIEW of a recent Peter Bjorn and John performance in Kansas City. Even better, a fantastic Flickr photo set seems to depict the band playing it's heart out despite the fact that house wasn't completely sold out.

A good looking local blogger shares a bit of her life through photos

A recent post filled with interesting pics from local blog "I Hate Laundry" reminds me why personal blogs will always have a special place in my heart . . . Also, for some reason, I find photos of house cats fascinating. On a serious note, Uses and Gratifications media theory be damned, reading this kind of post is a really pleasant way to simulate human interaction without all the trouble of putting pants on, leaving the basement, talking, taking time to know people and/or listen to them or being burdened by any of the responsibilities that come with having friends in the real world.

More Links, Less Tony

Like Winona Ryder (who doesn't get enough work nowadays) good things come in small, tight, sexy packages.

This post is just a reminder to myself that I want to keep the posts around here more succinct . . . Except when an especially long rant it called for . . . And then only sparingly involving news stories related to Mayor Funky, the various misdeeds of KC Cyclists and reasons why I do a better job cutting my own hair than any barber could!!! TKC knows his own skull just as good as he knows this town. Natch.

Arrowhead out of control!!!

Here's what I like about mainstream corporate media outlets . . . They normally only highlight instances when po'folk or minority communities commit violent acts and mayhem by JoCo sports fans doesn't merit the same kind of sensational coverage.

Luckily, reports from blogs and people at the scene always has a way of finding the light of day and documenting the antics of white people and their misdeeds at the JaxCo subsidized stadium.

Two Lawrence residents wrote in letters to The Kansas City Star that there were too few people directing traffic, not enough portable bathrooms in the parking lots, too much crowding at understaffed gates and a general lack of security.

Also, CRIME SCENE KC DOES AN AMAZING JOB DOCUMENTING THE BREAKDOWN OF THE ARRESTS FROM THIS WEEKEND AT ARROWHEAD STADIUM.

Thing is, we all know that if the same number of arrests and violence took place at a hip-hop concert or any event involving the minority community there would have been a massive outcry and provocative TV coverage . . . However, since the several instances of violence and lack of security involve mainly affluent white people from JoCo there is outrage that the misdeeds even reported.

Cash still King in KC

Here's what I like about this town, no matter what Funky pronouncements are made there will always be corporate welfare and crooked suits in this town. Here are the corresponding headlines:

KC will examine abatements for SPECULATIVE warehouses

KC man pleads guilty in fraud scheme

Show Me State Grandma packs heat!!!

Here's a story that would make any Midwesterner smile during this horrible holiday season. An armed grandma gets the best of two burglers:

A 63-year-old grandmother with a handgun stopped two burglars at her backdoor in Carthage.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Department said a woman and a 16-year-old boy were arrested after the foiled break-in Friday and charged with first-degree burglary.

The grandmother was at home with her grandchild when the burglars broke down her backdoor.

She grabbed a handgun and stopped the pair, but they ran away when the woman went back inside to call the sheriff's department.

It's a nice news story but I don't think I want my Grandma carrying a gun not only because my younger cousins always express doubts about her residency status (she's a citizen) but also because I don't want to get shot for not using a coaster.

Jackson County just doesn't hire minorities

Thankfully, JaxCo Legislator James Tindall is working to resolve the disparity according to Prime Buzz: "Tindall asked Michele Newman, director of parks and recreation, why none of the 17 park ranger jobs are filled by minorities. Later, he questioned Sheriff Tom Phillips about the paucity of minority deputy sheriffs in eastern Jackson County."

Helping po'folk and their pets

The homeless can suck it: KSHB reports that The Meals on Wheels program in Wyandotte County hopes to start delivering food to pets this holiday season.

Countdown to 100

I'm pretty sure this is the 90th homicide in KC, (sadly) there is still plenty of time to get to 100 before year's end: Woman Found Dead in Car in KCMO

KANSAS CITY FACT OF LIFE: THE GIRLFRIENDS OF DRUG DEALERS GET KILLED TOO!!!

I've been tiptoeing around this story for years but I'm almost thankful that the truth about the Raya/Rios murders is beginning to emerge.

Relatives found Rios and Raya dead of multiple gunshot wounds in their home in the 5100 block of Hardesty Avenue on Dec. 21, 2002. Investigators contend that Dale killed the couple after Johnson arranged to purchase drugs from Rios.

Raya died as she sat on a couch writing thank-you cards for graduation presents, said Kathleen Mahoney, assistant U.S. attorney.

'She still had a pen in her hand,' Mahoney said. 'She had just graduated from Rockhurst University.'

Rios worked rehabilitating houses, which served as a cover for his real business, selling drugs, Mahoney said. Even after the killers had left, investigators recovered more than 14 pounds of marijuana and 3 pounds of cocaine from the couple's home.

Obviously this news puts a damper on the couple being portrayed as martyrs in the mainstream media. The fact is, with a huge stash of drugs like that in their home, BOTH members of the household would have went to jail if they were discovered by authorities had not two street level killers intervened first.

Of course, Rios didn't get his nickname "Snap" for nothing and his quick temper and inexplicable supply of cash couldn't have went unnoticed by anyone close to him given that I'd heard the rumors and I didn't talk to the guy for years before he was killed.

However, in the end, questions regarding complicity or media coverage aren't important because the couple is dead regardless of what story the public consumes. Brief aside: When I was a kid I used to have this perfect "Drugs are bad" essay that would automatically guarantee a B . . . I guess this is the grown up version of that same routine . . . Still, (as long as the killers end up in jail) the decision in this trial doesn't matter much to the community at large and even the tragic fate of Rios and Raya should only serve to remind Kansas Citians that the impact of violence and the drug trade doesn't stop with users and dealers but often has unmentioned victims like the many grief stricken people who mourned the death of the couple but ultimately sacrificed the truth by failing to note the circumstances surrounding their demise.

More from TKC:

Secrets of the dead: I (vaguely) knew Tony Rios but I can't write about his demise

Scholarship comes from sad story

Make your own connections

Hyde Park is hopeful but not safe!!!

I don't know how often I've heard news of Hyde Park residents "banning together to fight crime" (cue trumpets!!!) but in the end the effort always fails. Currently, a bunch of Hyde Park yuppies have their panties in a bunch over a nearby apartment/crackhouse that's screwing with their property values. I'd like to provide a quick rundown of how these things usually work out for readers who might not be familiar with the KC area . . . The neighbors will win (or lose) an amazing struggle with an apartment owner and vow to fight crime and reclaim the neighborhood. There will be a few more news articles that document the area's resurgence . . . Then, eventually, a white person will be killed or badly beaten and a lot of people will panic, move out and property values will plummet. This same situation has played out in Hyde Park about every 7 years since the mid-80's. The area won't dramatically or permanently change for the better . . . There will only be ups and downs and the sad fact remains that such nice, historic homes are undervalued because they lie next to this town's racial, political and economic dividing line.

Phil Kline don't live here anymore

Last night Channel 5 dropped a bombshell on Johnson County District Attorney Phil Kline.

Turns out Kline doesn't really live in Johnson County and, at least in spirit, he is allegedly breaking the residency requirements of his office.

In other words . . . Phil Kline is very much like an illegal immigrant to Johnson County!!!

After weeks of staking out a crummy apartment--located on top of a storage facility owned by Phil Kline supporters where he pays $400 per month--KCTV5 never once saw Mr. Kline or his wife come home to the apartment.

Then after following Mr. Kline and his wife on camera numerous times from work they found both Phil Kline and his wife driving to Topeka and staying at a residence they own there. His wife also regularly picks up his daughter from a Topeka school and she too stays at the Topeka home with her parents.

Kline and his wife Deborah both changed their voter registration to Johnson County just before Kline ran for district attorney, and both of their cars are registered to a Johnson County address in Stilwell, Kan. – a storage facility south of Overland Park, Kan.

The law requires this to be Kline's "residence," and if it's not, he must "resign" or be subject to "removal from office."

"I would say that people snickered at the thought that he lived in Johnson County," the insider said.

KCTV5 News caught up with Kline as he was leaving the Johnson County courthouse one afternoon and asked him about where he lived.

He pointed out that he owned a home in Topeka, but that he also had the apartment in Stilwell.

KCTV5 News frequently found his wife's car, which was also registered to the Stilwell address, at the home Phill Kline owns in Topeka.

KCTV5 spent weeks waiting and watching for him to show up there -- more than a dozen times early in the morning and late at night -- but not once did KCTV5 News see Kline in Stilwell.

On a recent evening, KCTV5 News did, however; catch Kline and his wife leaving the office heading home to Topeka. The next morning KCTV5 News watched as the two of them left their Topeka house and drove to the turnpike.

Later Deborah Kline, who also claims to live in Stilwell, returned to their home to pick up her daughter and take her to school in Topeka.

Yep, according to KCTV 5, Phil Kline is definitely (allegedly) falsifying his employment information so clearly he must be deported to Mexico!!!

Also, the story revealed that the guy isn't working a lot of hours for somebody who makes nearly 150k. According to KCTV5's calculations the guy only works 29 hours a week at his office. I'm not a lawyer but I've seen The Firm a few times and I think that constitutes over-billing.

Ironically, I wonder how the people of Johnson County will react to this story given that they weren't too picky about jurisdictions when they swamped local media outlets with their (stupid) opinions on the Semler issue but had no legitimate stake in Funkhouser's rebuke of KC's Latino Community and the economic impact Kansas City would face by being (accurately) labeled a racist town.

Now that an out of town anti-abortion activist is carrying out his agenda on JoCo's dime I can only hope the folks in that part of Kansas will become more cognizant of jurisdictional issues in much the same way that KC area Latinos NOW realize that our population in Kansas City has been gerrymandered in order to thwart our voice in the local electoral process.

Again, this is a good scandal and a nice scoop but the way KCTV5 was hyping the story I was sure that the details would be on par with the Trent Lott story and allegations of a ghey sex scandal . . . Thankfully, it was nothing that sordid and just the typical ulta-conservative hypocrisy accompanied by allegations of wrongdoing.

And because of this scandal I can't seem to get seem to get the 1978 classic by Rose Royce "Love don't live here anymore" out of my head.

Choosing the right gift for the chosen people

The KC Jewish Chronicle files an interesting report on a local t-shirt outlet that specializes in Jewish themed apparel and designs.

Kansas attempts to protect fat people

The Sunflower state is considering restricting the LipoDissolve procedure that was formerly banned . . . KMBC recently profiled a bunch of affluent white women who were unsatisfied with their results (INJUSTICE!!!) and ran quite a few ugly photos of deformed belly fat which made snack cakes slightly less appetizing. Slightly.

A lesson in escalation: It might soon be unwise to disrespect campus rent-a-cops in JoCo

KSHB reports: Johnson County Community College is researching the idea of arming its 25 officers. The commuter campus is tucked in southern Overland Park.

Another Kansas City program aims to solve violence without acknowledging socio-economic disparity!!!

The Aim for Peace program is a fine idea in principle and theory . . . I only wonder if it'll work.

Kansas City is ready to launch Aim For Peace, its latest effort to put a dent in the violent crime numbers. Some may liken the effort to the “Mod Squad” or the “A-Team.” Others may equate it to the “Dirty Dozen,” because the unit will consist of 12 outreach workers who will serve as the city’s violence prevention and intervention team.

In the last couple of decades, Kansas City has tried everything from a gun buyback program to community policing to reduce the number of homicides. Gun checkpoints were even under consideration until legal minds prevailed.

Under Aim For Peace, the outreach workers, led by a coordinator, will be responsible for going into neighborhoods, teaming with neighborhood associations, empowering residents and responding to tense situations.

Obviously, I think people deserve hazard pay if they're going to do this kind of work. But the situation might not call for as much optimism as Steve Penn is trying to evoke.

The people of KC (and everywhere else) constantly urge folks to avoid armed conflict but the message often goes ignored no matter how many times it's repeated. In the end, it's a question of communities cooperating with police (snitching) and viable alternatives (i.e. economic opportunity) that effectively prevent crime more than any lecture ever could.

Still, the community outreach perspective of this plan holds more promise than reactionary forces who blame hip-hop, video games, spinners or bad manners for violence in the urban core.

Unwanted X-mas season break at Harley

Motorcycle sales are down, last month, Harley-Davidson reported its third-quarter profit fell 15% . . . In the Kansas City area 850 workers at the Harley plant will be going without a paycheck.

Stay Red Slams Kansas Dems and The Star

I've long maintained that the Internets is the last place for spirited debate and/or free speech . . . This post from Stay Red is definitely filled with the kind of acerbic writing that keeps the Internets lively and keeps TKC interested.

Here are my favorite lines from the stellar post:

"It's become a poorly kept secret in Kansas political circles - Kansas Democrats are finding themselves wholly unable to capitalize on any momentum they hoped to have gained in 2006. Perhaps that's the main reason that K.D.P. staffers have resorted to playing around on blogs during the work-day."

"We'd like to give kudos to the crack reporting staff at the KC Star's Buzz Blog for rubber-stamping BTR's most recent (and misguided) post. That decision provided insight about the Buzz Blog and its' reporters in two respects - their competence (or lack thereof) and their left-leaning ideological slant"

SkateKC: White kids falling!!!

Don't let the title fool you . . . Actually the videos from the SkateKC Youtube page are pretty entertaining.

Obviously, I could do any of the tricks they perform on their skateboards . . . I just don't feel like it.

Also, their video "Security is gay" is a pretty accurate representation of the attitudes of some Midwesterners (mostly security guards) who equate riding a skateboard with committing a (real) crime.

Kansas City Queen Anne

Local real estate fetishists might like this one . . . I recently found a couple of photos of a great old Kansas City house in Northeast that has managed to stand the test of time and survived the influx of Italian immigrants, hookers, one unmentioned KC crime wave after the next, Mexican immigrants and slimy real estate speculators.

The home is located on 308 Garfield Avenue . . .



The Queen Anne style home was built in 1887 in Kansas City, Missouri for lumber baron, Charles B. Leach.

Later, the house providedliving space for the Jefferson Home for Women in 1917, before the three-story wing was added on the back side in the 1920's.

Now, according to a post on an about.com page, the five chimneys in the house have been rebuilt to their original specifications, with the "dog-knots" atop them. Seven of the eight fireplace mantels are original, and all of the fireplaces now work.

The home incorporates many of the typical Queen Anne features - dentil molding, tower, steeply-pitched roof, Palladian windows, dormers, gables and box-bay windows. A dumbwaiter connects from the basement through the kitchen, back stairs and on up to the third floor (which is an unfinished ballroom).

The home is currently part of the historic Pendleton Heights neighborhood and as an added bonus - a quick walk at night time during the summer (for the brave at heart) will lead a resident of the neighborhood to some of the best burrito stands in the four state area.

A MUCH better KC Mayor than Funky to be honored on Friday

On Nov. 30 by the Southtown Council will honor beloved former Kansas City mayor Dick Berkley as their 2007 American Citizen. Here's a quote from their press release: "Elected as mayor in 1979 after Navy service, a Harvard MBA, time in the family business and successful terms in City Council, Dick Berkley was a warmly regarded leader throughout his mayorship. He overcame local politics to see through such improvements as development at Quality Hill, Kansas City Zoo upgrades and support of our jazz heritage. He also led several commissions that sought to address human misery such as hunger and AIDS. Kansas City in his time as mayor included highs such as the Royals' World Series win, and lows like the Hyatt skyway collapse, and he shared passionately in the our town's living story."

TKC Factoid: Former Mayor Berkley was a Republican and stands more than a foot shorter than Mayor Funky . . . Sadly, our current Mayor couldn't hope to live up to the guy's record.

Kansas City Trail Nerds

I ran across this new (to me) blog last night . . . Apparently, Kansas City is home to a group of dedicated trail runners who use their hobby for exercise and a few good causes. On the other hand, I think running and even biking on secluded trails is a probably the only way to reduce the horrible odds of being run down by a car in this town. The downside: The prospect of running into crazy-ass bums who live in the woods or the occasional dead, half naked woman with her underwear put on backwards . . . Still, everybody needs a hobby.

Best blogger line of the day: "Your vagina is not a patriarchal cash cow"

I'm a big fan of local blogger Sassywho and I'm surprised to see that she's one of the few locals really taking advantage of next generation blogging/communication tools like Twitter. The line posted above comes from her Twitter feed, which is a nice way to publish personal thoughts without all the trouble of posting . . . Also, literature is going the way of the Instant Message and that's not as horrible as most folks contend - In fact, it's exciting to live in a time when even e-mail is seen as outdated and slow.

The call for Herm's head

Four loses in a row and Chiefs fans are in revolt.

There has been talk of it on sports radio and all over message boards.

But now the call for Herm Edwards firing has a home on the Internet.

Introducing: Fire Herm.com

On a slightly unrelated front, almost nobody voted in a recent election held in Kansas City. Just in case anyone was wondering what people really care about in Kansas City.

Afternoon links and mittens

Here's what I'm reading:

Show Me more tax breaks for movie production . . . Nice to see they're promoting this plan again given that concerns over the content of some movies have caused certain states to dump similar plans.

Plan To Move Cemeteries Near KCI Draws Fire

Sports are more important than anything else in KC: Tickets still available for Big 12 Championship

The X-mas season just got more real in Joco: Armed crook involved in 6 robberies at large in Overland Park!!!

All that sad and sordid details are about to go public in a case which has garnered a lot of interest in the Latino Community: Jury Selection Underway in Rios/ Raya Drug Trafficking Trial . . . The fact that it's called a "drug trafficking case" gives a hint at what's not being mentioned in the many fund raising efforts connected with the victims. A HUGE SHOUTOUT to Channel 4 for reporting this angle of the story that often goes unmentioned in most media outlets.

Chastain cut out of KC light-rail plans again

Clay Chastain's compromise on his light rail plan was completely ignored today . . . For awhile I was thinking that this KC drama which cut out voters might have actually given the guy a bit of credibility and makes him seem like somewhat of a reasonable guy, but that's only in comparison to Mayor Funkhouser. In the end, Chastain's plan was horrible and its demise not only insured that light rail is stalled in KC (maybe permanently) but also that politicos are doing their best to keep voter turnout low.

Blunt panders to anti-immigrant crowd hoping that people hate Mexicans more than illegally deleting e-mail and ignoring every other issue in Missouri

Great post from the Blue blog regarding Blunt pushing laws that already exist for political gain while the guy continues to ignore issues regarding jobs, education and health care . . . Sad that guy's sinking ship is looking to take as many dishwashers and maids down with him as possible in a desperate attempt to move up in the polls. And so far, most voters don't seem to care about Blunt's PR campaign more than his horrible record involving every other aspect of his job.

Even better, the KCPD doesn't exactly seem to be supportive of the plan which only seems to be about helping the Governor's horrible poll numbers.

Pervy Overland Park purse thief at large!!!

The description in this story seems to go into loving detail and it's kind of freaky that reports of a scary crime might also provide fodder for the odd fantasies of strange suburbanites: "She was approached by a man who grabbed her and threatened to shoot her if she didn’t cooperate. The assailant then pushed the woman against a wall and pressed his face against her. He also put a long black gun to her head before rubbing the weapon over her chest and groin and her pants pockets.

The robber then instructed the woman to keep her eyes closed as he fled with her purse." Yeah, obviously that was terrifying as Hell in real life but it reads like a Jackie Collins novel only more interesting and real.

When irony meets KC crime: Poor guy stabbed in the face outside of The Point

KSHB reports: Investigators say a man was stabbed in the face around 2:15 a.m. outside The Point, 917 W. 44th St. Police say the victim was seriously injured, but will survive.

Latino Students won't find a welcome in Independence or KCMO Public Schools

I was going to post this story back a couple of weeks ago when it was more current but I ran into blogger problems and I spent most of Thanksgiving in my mom's basement, alone and crying.

Anyhoo . . .

There is one aspect of the Independence School Secession which has went unreported by the local media and unnoticed by so many officals of either District. The schools in question which have transfered into the hands of Independence have A LOT of Latino students who won't likely receive a warm welcome in that Missouri town.

ESL programs are already under attack in most small Missouri towns and word has it that the Independence School Superintendent isn't enthusiastic about offering (m)any services to the Latino Community and the growing population and influx of students in his district.

On the Kansas City side . . . In the aftermath of the devastating vote there is a move to consolidate control over the now almost completely Black district, into the hands of KC's Black Community (even more so, I guess). Put simply, there's already a move underway to oust Superintendent Anthony Amato before any of the changes he has put into place have time to take hold. Even worse, there seems to be yet another Kansas City racial struggle for control of a crappy institution that's just beginning to show a few bright spots.

In the end, it'll be Latino students who lose out. And with a dropout rate of more than 50% it's clear that both districts are looking out for the interests of their predominant demographic but have mostly failed to show even a modicum of concern for their Latino students . . . Which has been the case for more than a generation.

Westside CAN Center about to get kicked out

Here's the latest word about the lack of support for community policing in Kansas City . . . The controversial Westside CAN Center is about to lose its lease. Now, here's where things get interesting: A direct correlation can be drawn from the establishment of the CAN Center and the real estate boom on the Westside and the Crossroads. The immigrants and day laborers about to get the boot once plagued the neighborhood before there was a place set up for them to find work, use the restroom, congregate and basically mind their own business and stay out of the way.

Now, if this facility gets shut down a lot of those same people will be back to roam the streets of the Crossroads and will probably get into trouble. I know, I know the easy solution would be to "Deport them all!!!!" But let's return from that dream world quickly. "THEY" would only be replaced by even more immigrants and the solution offered by the CAN Center obviously works (in terms of verifiable crime stats and economic development) and has earned the praise of KCPD Chief Corwin and countless community leaders . . . This might be a good place for Mayor Funkhouser or the Council to intervene even if the entire "crisis" seems to be a slight case of mismanagement. Question: How much support would Mayor Funky garner by helping the cause of what is basically an illegal immigrant sanctuary? Also, any benefits from the move might not manifest itself in the Latino Community given that CAN center supporters aren't exactly in the mainstream of the Westside/Northeast political leadership and their cause and good work don't often bring headlines.

Personally, I don't care about any of it and the prospect of a few mojados showing up on First Friday seems like the kind of performance art I would enjoy.

Nobody wants to visit KC's Money Pit

Attendance at the KC Zoo is in a FREE FALL . . . A committee was assembled to examine the problem and they (predictably) found that the solution is to spend more money.

The committee compared Kansas City to 13 other zoos in similar-sized markets — such as Austin, Seattle, St. Louis, Louisville, Omaha — and found that the Kansas City Zoo has ranked last in investment spending in recent years. The average annual capital investment by the Kansas City Zoo was less than $900,000; the average investment of the other zoos was $5.8 million.

That corresponds directly to attendance, which has fallen more than 33 percent at the Kansas City Zoo since 2001 while the other zoos studied saw a nearly 11 percent increase on average, the committee found.

Certainly, throwing good money after bad is never a sound financial plan. Instead the Zoo would be better off getting more creative with their promotions. I've often suggested a pricey, exclusive "animal buffet" for wealthy patrons to really get a taste of the KC institution. The meal wouldn't really be that controversial and could probably be stocked by animals that nobody visits . . . That way everybody wins.

This town is getting trashier all the time

A couple of interesting stories in The Star today seem to revolve around garbage:

Cleaning crews tackle Arrowhead Stadium

KC, Johnson County developing plans to cope with growing trash problems

Area Pets to KC homeless: Suck it!!!

According to KSHB: A local group will be providing housing for KC area dogs. Meanwhile, foaming at the mouth, peeing in public and growling at passersby doesn't really elicit the same kind of sympathy from people who couldn't care less about humans.

Herm has failed us all!!!

I have no idea why anyone would look up to somebody involved in professional sports, for any reason but the money. With the exception of one football coach I've talked to in my life . . . Most of them are idiots. I'm guessing that as they work their way up the ladder a few of them might get a little smarter but for the most part there aren't many deep thinkers spending their lives working on the best way to run a trap play in a short yardage situation.

Accordingly, Herm Edwards proved once and for all that he is incompetent and mainly earned his job because he was buddies with Carl Peterson.

A HORRIBLE 4TH DOWN CALL FOR A 1ST DOWN ATTEMPT WHEN A FIELD GOAL WOULD HAVE WON TIED THE GAME PROVED THAT HERM EDWARDS HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE'S DOING!!!

In fact, Herm's career in the NFL has mostly been an exercise in capitalizing off the teams that other coaches have built and providing very little of his own style or tactics to any given franchise.

But there wasn't much to work with in Kansas City and already Herm's incompetence is right out in the open for everyone to see.

Of course, Whitlock tries to blame this horribly bad call on the kicker but any coach who would stoop to use that strategy doesn't really deserve to lead a team in the NFL.

This bad call is just one of many by Herm.

Here are some of the low points of his decision making:

Herm let Larry Johnson get away with ignorant, racially divisive talk that works well on a blog but didn't really serve to unite a team. At the very least, Johnson's stupid statement about feeling more comfortable under a Black coach deserved a rebuke. The whole thing may seen inconsequential but inspiring millionaires and expecting them to take marching orders requires a lot of political skill.

Priest Holmes was never ready to start a game in the NFL, Herm using the injured running back not only risked getting the guy seriously hurt but also demonstrates that KC's Head Coach doesn't know a lot about the realities of the game.

Far too much time was taken to dump Huard. Herm should have seen the writing on the wall before the washed up second string quarter back basically threw in the towel for himself.

Herm presided over LJ's insane contract. Again, anybody with any direct knowledge of how rough the NFL is would know that kind of money was far too much for a team with a small salary cap anyway. In the end, the overpaid running back hasn't done much to help the 4-7 team.

Finally, Herm's play calling has been the biggest detriment to the Chiefs. At best he has the acumen of a college coach when it comes to play selection but honestly I've seen people with a greater understanding of the game garnered solely by playing Madden NFL 07.

And for all of this, I still don't think Herm should be fired (yet), he's still good for a quote or two. Instead, it's time that Carl Peterson just took a moment from his luxury suite at Arrowhead and simply coached the team himself since his employees don't really have a clue or any idea how the game is played and their only job requirement seems to be pleasing President Carl.

KC's ruling class never looked so good

A nice shot of the Western Auto building (one of my favorites in this town) by a local photog captures one of the many reasons that this town kowtows to people with a little bit of disposable cash . . . Because their cribs are nice, that's why!!! Which is probably reason enough.

Flickr photog "catastrophy" has some amazing shots of this town which go far beyond luxury living space.

The photos are definitely worth a look and they make Kansas City look far better than I've ever seen it.

KC area loves immigrants (non-Mexican)

A recent AP article reports that 3,000 Sudanese Christians and 200 Sudanese Muslims have relocated to the Kansas City area because of the violence that has plagued Sudan since its independence in 1956. A small Lenexa-based group called Sudan Sunrise is organizing a teaching trip so that refugees can share their skills with their home country and also garner even a small bit of reconciliation in the war torn country.

From a Raiders Fan in KC

Nightmare provides some nice photos and a bit of gloating. Also, KU and Chiefs fans should forgo thoughts of suicide and simply slap their mothers, or switch religions . . . You know, something productive.

Why MU's Number 1 ranking matters

From the eyes of a Tiger fan (sorry) . . . The Border War and Missouri prevailing "provides us a sense of community - of connectedness."

Mammy-Gate must go on!!!

link via boing boing

I don't have any new Mammy-gate news to report but I just wanted to remind any new readers of this page that the Mayor's wife and Chief political adviser has been using derogatory language against Black female employees at City Hall . . . Primarily the term "Mammy" . . . Even after the story was published on this blog she continued to make the inappropriate statements of this nature.

As of now there is no denying that one clear fact . . .

MAYOR FUNKHOUSER HAS LOST ALL CREDIBILITY IN KANSAS CITY'S MINORITY COMMUNITY!!!

I'm sorry, this statement is true no matter how many white people weigh in on the topic.

Nevertheless, it'll be interesting to see if he'll try and win back support or just ignore the problem.

So far Mayor Funky's M.O. has been to use volunteers and token employees in order to employ divide and conquer strategies or simply mislead people in those voting blocs . . . That strategy hasn't worked.

The fact is: Demographics in this town haven't changed THAT MUCH and no Mayor in Kansas City can hope to effectively govern without any support from Kansas City's minority leadership. Like it or not, we all have to live together . . . Except for the Mexicans being deported, of course.

Anyway, the point is that the Mayor didn't have much political leverage to begin with and his racially insensitive blunders seemed to have further eroded his credibility.

I'm not even going to mention the Mayor squelching Democracy with his light rail decision . . . That fact is, Mayor Funky and his wife have made more political enemies in this town than most politicos rack up in two terms . . . Sadly, very little change or reform has come from the tense battles waged by the worst Mayor Kansas City ever unknowingly elected, and this Funkhouser guy.

TKC Model of the Moment: Angela Lindvall

Believe it or not, interesting lives and wildly successful modeling careers can start in this cowtown.

In 1993, Angela Lindvall was discovered by a perv talent scout while modeling in a fashion show in Kansas City and immediately signed with IMG New York.

Since then, Lindvall's career has skyrocketed . . . The broad is pretty much a high fashion institution . . . Working for companies like Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, Prada, Valentino, and Calvin Klein (NO HOMO for noting all of this) . . .



Obviously, my favorite "work" of the skinny, blonde, white woman is probably her SI Swimsuit shots.



Lindvall also reportedly earned top dollar (1 mil) for a Tommy Hilfiger campaign in which she was featured.

Sadly, it hasn't all been big bucks and booty photos for Angela Lindvall; close local media watchers might remember that she lost her sister (also a model) in a (typical) Kansas City cycling accident last year. Also, she was rumored to have dated Billy Zane at one time . . . Which is nearly just as bad as the death of a loved one.

Thankfully, Lindvall soldiered on and she's now a MILF with two kids and has focused on acting along with her environmental efforts though a website she founded in 2003.

The model/actress who got her start in Kansas City will soon be featured in an upcoming horror movie entitled "Pearblossom" which seems to be as unwatchable as the name suggests and she continues to do runway work for Victoria's Secret and a number of other clothing lines.

Supremacy Always Wins!!!

In about an hour the Border War will begin.

It'll be nice for the thing to be out of the way.

Funny thing is, no matter who wins local media watchers have obviously lost out.

This week hosted so many tired, lame and pointless Border War stories when media attention could have been focused somewhere more important.

There hasn't been a noticeable slip in the metro homicide rate, Jesse Ross is still missing, racist language is being used rampantly in the Mayor's Office and Kansas City's paper of record has refused to report it so far . . . The list goes on but Border War coverage continues.

Personally, it's impossible to claim that there is a demand for this week long blanket coverage.

It's a stupid football game.

And while there is a small possibility that there may be a riot at Arrowhead (hopefully not) . . . For the most part, nobody is gonna die because of the inconsequential outcome of the game which may not even do much to determine what team finishes at the top spot this year.

Yet the story is front page news and has dominated the chatter of most TV news anchors.

Meanwhile, Kansas City's minority community struggles for access to the mainstream media.

Liberal/Conservative bias is mostly an illusion of partisan politics . . . What's clear is that there is a class of media owners and elitist journalists who don't report but dictate the news they provide, who set the agenda for entire communities and mostly serve to exclude the public from any real debate on the issues which impact Kansas City.

So anybody with half a brain realizes that it doesn't matter which team wins the so-called Border War.



Because the hype, hysteria and blanket coverage is merely yet another manifestation of how the mainstream media exploits their audience.



In the end, the game is merely a celebration of the status quo and the only bright spot is that bloggers and personal publishers now have the ability to put forth their own perspective on the mainstream brainwashing or simply ignore the spectacle altogether.

Midwest Microdistillery boom gives a profitable and legal face lift to the moonshine business

The New York Times recently published an amazing profile of the High Plains Liquor Company in Atchison, Kansas.

The company is headquartered on a farm northwest of Kansas City and is the first distillery in Kansas since Prohibition. The company's founder claims he earned at more than $1 million in sales last year. Apparently, this is the beginning of a trend . . .

With its abundance of grain and fruit, the Midwest stands poised to capitalize on the confluence of trends unlike any other region and could, in time, come to rival California, currently the leader in small-scale distilling, experts said.

Small, private distilleries are opening at a rate of about 10 to 20 a year. There are about 100 across the country. Some are attached to wineries, restaurants and breweries, or, increasingly, are located on farms. Though there is no precise definition for what the industry refers to as artisanal or craft distilleries, experts say they are distinguished from mass distillers by their small scale, their use of local and often organic ingredients, and the experimental quality of some of their products, like seasonal pumpkin-infused vodka.

Even better, the article reports that "states, increasingly aware of the power of agri-business to generate tourism and tax dollars, have gradually begun loosening some of the temperance-era laws that have lingered for decades, restricting who can distill what, and where." And all of this is yet another reason why groups like NORML seem less like fringe movements everyday given that the BUSINESS of getting people F'd-up is already mainstream.

Tis the season to fight predatory lending

A great article by the Kansan reports that Kansas City, Kansas lags behind many other area cities in restrictions on predatory lenders who tend to take advantage of po'folk strapped for cash during the holiday season.

KC Area ice will kill you

Another reason never to go outside or always drive carefully or wear a helmet at all times: "Two deadly wrecks Saturday morning were blamed on the icy road conditions across the metro."

Just the beginning of Kansas City's Downtown parking disaster

Steve Penn writes: "On Nov. 19, the city’s Parking Services Division took over parking enforcement downtown, replacing the Police Department’s traffic enforcement crews." Long term: If KC's downtown renaissance pipe-dreams elicit even a modicum of new traffic, KC will be there to profit from inevitable increase in tickets. Essentially, this is good news but doesn't compare to the revenue which will be generated by the upcoming piracy that parking lot owners will be able to enforce without much regulation. Increased public transportation (for all of you po'folk) would be a welcomed solution . . . If anybody used it. In the meantime, Kansas City will continue to run around in circles and waste time considering impractical light rail schemes.

InterContinental hosts John Lennon's art

The pricey Plaza hotel hosts a bunch of sketches from the former Beatle. It's an X-mas themed exhibit that will end tomorrow afternoon.

South KC suicide

From KSHB: Rescue crews have recovered the body of a woman who police say intentionally drove her car into Longview Lake.

Kansas City cyclists are indecent

Actually, word of these naked cycling people spread pretty quickly on local Internet message boards . . . However, The Pitch provides the official story on naked local cyclists and the one guy left holding the bag (nullus) charged with a clunky form of indecent exposure that probably won't hold up. Still, the story should provide yet example which proves my assertion that cyclists in KC are merely hobbyists who enjoy white privilege and want public money to push their agenda even further . . . Also, I was sad to read that none of the women involved really showed that much skin . . .

Why bother with the Border War?

I guess I participated in the UM system but I don't feel at all connected with all of the border war talk . . . Right now 99.9 percent of all kc area blog posts are either related to tonight's game or death by booze calculations.

It goes without saying that I don't care . . . But I honestly wonder if they'll be enough security, if anyone will mention the racial politics of a mostly white crowd cheering for predominantly Black teams and if there will be many DUI crackdowns in the area . . . These topics have a lot more consequence than bragging rights between mediocre Midwestern schools and they've only been given minor coverage in Kansas City's media.

"KU needs to go down in a hunk of blood-matted feathers."

Local blogger Chimpotle comes up with what is probably the best use of descriptive language in a border war post.

Cara's quick movie reviews

JustCara posts three great super quick movie reviews.

They

Are Worth

Checking out.

The Mayor's X-mas Tree Review 2007

Last night I went to check out the Mayor's X-mas Tree lighting ceremony.

I don't normally attend this event but I had been drinking and I have a warm coat so walking around the downtown area was a good way to keep from simply wasting away in my mom's basement (for a little while) and zoning out while watching TV.

The first thing I noticed was that there were hardly any Black people at the event. This makes sense. I think that last time I checked out one of these pointless ceremonies was during the Cleaver era and at that time African-American's comprised at least half of the crowd.

I guess things have really changed in Kansas City, but not that much . . . Walking towards Crown Center I noticed one Johnson County license plate after the next and as many suburbanites as the stars.

I arrived just in time to see that scumbag Chris Stigall take the stage and introduce himself. Either the crowd didn't know who he was or they didn't like him . . . He was very enthusiastic but the audience was cold and gave him a tepid response until he began pandering and espousing platitudes about Kansas City.

Even more surprisingly, the Mayor didn't garner much applause either.

I think that's why I decided to go to the event, to gauge the ground level reaction to these guys since their media image would lead people to believe that they are embraced by every white person with a radio. Not true, thankfully people are much more wrapped up in their own bullshit lives. The Mayor's low poll numbers and Stigall's consistently second rate audience share speak more accurately than the propaganda they put forth . . . The lukewarm reaction of the people in the crowd confirmed my suspicions that their popularity is mostly media generated.

Not so surprisingly, Jared Allen seemed to be the favorite of the evening. I know I post a lot of jokes at the guy's expense but his statements and reaction to the evening's festivities seemed the most heartfelt. The guy honestly seemed to care about the Mayor's X-mas tree fund and he was the only person on stage who encouraged the audience to give to the cause.

Meanwhile, Stigall spent most of his time in front of the crowd promoting his ulta-conservative talk radio station, his tedious morning program and plugging t-shirts which shamelessly promote Funkhouser's image and also support Mayor's Funky's inept handling of the X-mas tree fund.

The Mayor praised the work of the Cohen family, who (oddly enough) are a local, civic-minded Jewish family who have been largely responsible for keeping the Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund alive (???) . . . And then the Mayor went on to lie about his involvement with the charity. He didn't note that his Administration dropped the ball this year when it came to the fund, he failed to tell the crowd that he missed an initial deadline for filing the fund's annual report and that his wife has threatened to shift the focus of the X-mas tree fund to a politically correct charity which would benefit children rather than the continuing to help the elderly and shut-ins as it has in the past. Anecdotally, more than a few people have expressed and e-mailed their concern that the Funkhousers are ruining the Mayor's X-mas tree event (a KC tradition that's nearly 100 years old) with their incompetence and partisan politics. Luckily, the Mayor's words were mostly ignored as his dour and monotone speaking style (a la Dick Cheney) seemed to go unheeded.

Yet, for the most part, everybody seemed to have shown up simply to watch the pretty lights.

The fireworks display after the lighting was quaint and understated as well.

The multi-cultural aspect of the program was endured with pleasant golf claps by most of the crowd but again, the lights were what everyone really wanted to see.

The stage darkened and the audience was encouraged to light candles as the Kansas City Symphony choir (or whoever) sang "Silent Night."

An icy breeze swept through the gathering halfway through the song and extinguished nearly all of the tiny flames. I thought to myself that either God or global warming is a myth, but not both.

Jared Allen flipped the switch and all of Crown Center Square was illuminated. It was every bit as bright as I had remembered it as a kid. The crowd quickly disbursed and didn't wait for Stigall to get through his list of thank yous to contributors. I watched an angry guy accompanied by a really good looking woman yell "You suck Stigall!" at the stage as he left, it genuinely seemed to shock the talk show host for a second.

I hung around for a few minutes afterwards for no reason in particular. The crew didn't hesitate to strike the stage so they could get home early. The moon was nearly full but its glow was diminished by the thousands of bulbs lighting the outside of the shopping district. Finally, I decided to walk home.

I headed down Grand which was dark and mostly desolate. The Cashew, one of downtown's newer trendy bars, was only half full of hipsters and yuppies starting their evening as I turned and walked back to the Westside.

Funkhouser tells Kansas City what is appropriate for conversation!!! No criticism or questions of Mayor Funky allowed!!!

Citizens suckered into voting for Mark Funkhouser might not have realized that Kansas City's Orange Revolution relies on an end to impolite political conversation, complicity from Kansas City's paper of record and quiet by all of the Mayor's detractors.

On Wednesday Night TKC was pleased to note that KSHB took up the Mammy-gate controversy with this headline:

Local paper prints allegations of racially inappropriate comments

KSHB reporter Russ Ptacek did a great job in proving once again that yet another campaign promise by Mayor Funky has went unfulfilled . . . Remember, when Mayor Funky promised greater transparency in his Administration during the campaign? Well, forget it because . . .

MAYOR FUNKY WON'T ANSWER QUESTIONS HE DOESN'T LIKE!!!

"It's inappropriate to talk about this stuff in the media and I'm not going to," Mayor Funkhouser said regarding the "Mammy" comment accusation.

The mayor acknowledges an employee has filed an EEOC complaint concerning salary, but won't discuss The Call report that his wife made racially inappropriate comments about a black staffer.

"I'm opposed to racially insensitive comments and I don't believe that there have been any comments made in my office that were intended to be racially insensitive," Funkhouser said after The Call published the accusations.

The internet blog, tonyskansascity.com is calling it "Mammygate." The site has been posting rumors for a week-and-a-half about the alleged name calling and the EEOC complaint which was supposed to remain confidential.

"There's a million things I want to say," Funkhouser says. The mayor's office is withholding comment until the EEOC investigation is complete. "There is nothing that is appropriate for me to say right now."

Sad that the guy doesn't tolerate any questions that might seem critical of his Administration.

Also, it's just downright (not so) shocking that Prime Buzz has refused to post any news of this controversy on their blog - Other than a single link to TKC (thank you :) . . . I still read the damn thing everyday). Sure, Yael Abouhalkah can continue his cheerleading but that's no excuse to keep Star readers in the dark . . . Especially since The Call went with the story and other media outlets will undoubtedly question the Mayor and his favorite unpaid volunteer.

But it gets even better . . .

TKC has more Mammy-gate scoop:

Apparently, Ms. Squitiro will not stop using the term "Mammy" to address Black female employees!!!

TKC has learned from two different sources that Ms. Squitiro is sticking with the term in an attempt to prove that it's not racist or bigoted whatsoever and within the last week she has continued using the derogatory slur when addressing Black female employees despite the clear cut and undeniable implications of the term "Mammy" in the popular American lexicon.

Obviously, somewhere in Ms. Squitiro's training as a doula she must have taken a class from the Michael Scott School of Management.



The tales of the sad situation at City Hall are just heartbreaking. The details of this story involve hurtful words, broken promises, lost friendships and even more stubbornness on behalf of Kansas City's Mayor.

Anyone even remotely familiar with City Hall knows that GLORIA SQUITIRO SPEAKS FOR THE MAYOR, while this situation was called into question from the outset and Mayor Funky once again "stuck to his guns" on the topic - The media in KC decided to relent despite the implications of nepotism and because the Mayor's people were all inexperienced. There was a hope that he would learn as he went along and there was a brief attempt to downplay Squitiro's role in the office.

No more.

Squitiro is essentially co-Mayor.

In fact, members of Kansas City's African-American Community have now started referring to her as Ms. Mayor.

Sadly, Ms. Squitiro isn't so respectful in the language she uses toward her employees.

The reports that she has not stopped the use of the term make it clear that she is out of control.

These nicknames, her shoeless strolls through the Mayor's office and her unprecedented role in Kansas City's Mayoral Administration are completely unprofessional and undeniably inappropriate.

The questions and talk are now out there in the mainstream media even if The Star or Mayor Funky don't want to answer them.

Furthermore, The Mayor's silence and Ms. Squitiro's continued use of the term "Mammy" within the Mayor's office signal one indisputable truth:

GLORIA SQUITIRO MUST GO!!!

Update: One brave reporter at The Star steps up and offers an indirect reference to Mammy-gate. Huzzah!!!

Cold won't curb KC violence

Yet another Westport shooting reported early this morning . . . It might have been self-defense. Still, this town's homicide still keeps creeping upward.

Designer divorces for foolish d-bags

The Star wants us all to stay hopeful regarding love, marriage and contributing to the gross national product: "In the last five years, more couples settled divorces without needing a trial to solve money, property and custody issues, according to a recent national survey of lawyers . . . In 2002, one in three Jackson County residents seeking divorce went to trial to settle cases. Four years later, only one in four needed a trial. Meanwhile, the number seeking divorce fell 29 percent. In Johnson County, the number of divorces filed and those settled by trial changed little from 2002 through 2006. But taking the county’s 10,000-a-year population growth into account, per-capita divorce rates are dropping, mirroring national trends." Again, most of these stats often fail to take into account that few people are bothering to get married and the cold, hard, fact that I've never known even one happily married couple.

Jesus doesn't care if you go shopping!!!

A few fights have already broken out in the Northland involving chumps waiting in line to buy things they don't need. Now X-mas season is officially upon us with only a month of holiday music to prepare this town!!!

Sadly, the folks the folks lining up to buy electronics obviously don't use them to garner any useful information on the Internets.

People in the know, TKC readers and many others already realize that . . .

There is a call in Kansas City's African-American community to boycott JC Penny today because of their role in a racial profiling case that put a pregnant Black woman on her belly by the side of the road.

Additionally, white people can get into the act as well as adbusters.org declares this Black Friday . . . Another official: BUY NOTHING DAY!!!

Personally, I don't see the incentive to brave the mall today given that it will be packed with greedy little consumers pushing and shoving.

Also, there are probably better preparations for the birth of our Lord and Savior than purchasing (quickly outdated) consumer electronics at a slight discount.

SHOW ME UNENFORCEABLE, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, IMPRACTICAL AND REACTIONARY INTERNET LAWS!!!

The news debuted first on Fark and then circulated wide with AP coverage . . . I had to see it on a local news station that A SMALL MISSOURI TOWN KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE INTERNETS AND UNFORTUNATELY BLAMES A TEEN'S SUICIDE ON THE INTERNETS. Judas Priest trial, we remember you all too well.

Tryptophan roundup: I'm sure your Thanksgiving was lovely, now stuff it

Looking at local blogs this morning, there's nothing but a bevy of Thanksgiving posts, ugly family members and photos of children with oddly shaped heads . . . Sorry, I refuse to link!

Except for these:

On the scene reporting from Posthuman Blues: "The newly illuminated streets and sidewalks are strewn with litter, the trashcans bulging with disposable coffee cups."

Extremely GOOD LOOKING Cranberry Sauce!!!

Local blogger Lukas is leaving for South Africa . . . Not turkey related but a trip that would make most people thankful for what they've got.

Testing Your Thanksgiving Spirit

A tasty Thanksgiving Sex Quiz from Nightmare.

Great list of things for which a local blogger couple is thankful. Shane posts a similar list - These are always interesting to me . . . So, I'll add one last thankful list one from Sassywho.

Actually, here's a good looking bunch of photos from TKC's favorite lofty blogger.

Thanksreceiving

Now it's on to more holiday themed posts regarding how we all hate/love X-mas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and atheists/agnostics . . . Especially agnostics - the non-committal bastards.

"Wanna Play for the Wizards?"

Why not? With one of the worst attendance rates in MLS, it's not like anyone will see your mistakes.

Mayor Funky still pandering to Latinos in inconsequential ways

At least Mayor Funky's blog cares about Latinos!!! Actually, this kind of token gesture regarding a request for help for a Westside boxing clinic is pretty insulting and typical of the Mayor's CONDESCENDING tactics when it comes to Latinos in Kansas City . . . Sadly, I only hope the poor guy doesn't believe people can't see through this . . . And this meaningless gesture doesn't really go far toward improving his reputation in the Northeast or the Westside. I'm sure even the Mayor's talk radio fans wish he would stop these kind of silly, insulting efforts. By the way, please don't give me crap about not supporting the boxing program in question since I actually know people who were/are in it and you don't.

Kansas City Stays winning because of Border War Media Blitz

Emaw posted a great thought a couple of days ago . . . KC is once again profiting from area sports mania that doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. Thankfully, this time there is no Billionaire family standing by to take a cut.

Breaking News!!! Herm is a horrible play caller. Also, the Pitch decided to phone it in on Thanksgiving week.

The most exciting detail the Pitch could uncover this week was that Herm doesn't pray to win games even though he brings a priest to practice sometimes in order to take Communion. WOW! (forgive me for foregoing the Priest Holmes pun) . . . Not a single mention of the guy's buddy/buddy relationship with King Carl and only passing reference to this season's display of incompetence . . . By the way, Alternative Print Media is CampKC or EKC or any local blog of your choice that can still take a chance when it comes to people in power. On a final note, Now that Jen Chen isn't writing Night Ranger . . . Charles Ferruzza is the only reason to think of picking up the rag . . . Heaven help them when the guy figures out how to write a blog and that the management at New Times/Village Voice Media is much too conservative to ever promote him up the ladder. (ouch - No homo!)

Tune in TKC

Check out KMBZ this morning at around 8:30 in the a.m., I'll be talking to EJ on KC's Morning News.

I might mention your blog, if it doesn't suck.

I link because I love

It's not really THAT early in the morning but I should be shopping right now (if I had any money) . . . Instead, I'm kicking it with you people (ugh) and serving up a few Black Friday links.

Also, if you can't get up for Maxim 23 year-old hometown Hottie finalist Gillian LeBrun, then you might want to check your pulse.

Damn, it's early.

The 3rd Annual TKC Turkey Awards

The day before Thanksgiving can only mean one thing folks (other than TKC shopping for liquor) . . . It's time to give awards to this town's biggest turkeys!!!

I'm gonna keep this short and sweet because you know the drill . . .

- Without a doubt Katheryn Shields is the FIRST in line to get a TKC Turkey Award. She was recently spared by a jury of her peers and a turkey with that kind of luck definitely deserves a lot of recognition and a reminder that gobbling with pride after beating the Feds wasn't a good idea. In the future, she should totally watch her turkey neck and her signature.

- Mayor Funky gets a turkey award not only because he's the Mayor but also because his stubbornness has quickly become the stuff of Kansas City legend. The Mayor's acolytes would like to believe that he's a tough old bird and can handle the criticism but given that the guy can't go more than two weeks without an embarrassing scandal . . . He seems to look like nothing more than a stubborn old goat.

- Once again Larry Johnson gets a turkey award despite his injury. He's costing the team millions and hasn't contributed much and now reports that he's partying instead of taking time to heal makes this guy a shoe-in for the prize . . . Also, stuffing jokes would be inappropriate given that there has never been an explanation of his weird relationship with Jay-Z.

- Kansas City Cycling Advocates win a TKC Turkey Day Award because for some strange reason, when they highlight biker fatalities it's much more important than any other death in KC. Also, their work to drive cars off the road via their lobbying efforts is actually quite impressive. For the longest time it was pretty much legal to run a KC cyclist off the street if there was proof it was an accident . . . That's changing because of local cycling advocates who are free to break as many traffic laws as they please but cry foul when a driver looks at them cross eyed. Also, their biker shorts have seemingly cut off circulation to their brains if they think that their hobby represents a viable transportation alternative or anything but another manifestation of white privilege.

- The Kansas City area's Missing White Women not only win a Turkey Award from TKC but they also garner an inordinate amount of TV new coverage. In fact, every time an attractive, affluent white woman turns up missing . . . There's nothing else to report on the local news.

- TKC is proud to give the Governor a Turkey Award . . . Since his re-election bid seems to be failing amid racial profiling initiatives and e-mail scandals, I figure this could be the last chance to show some appreciation before he loses his job.

- This year KC hipster, poser, nerdcore rapper Mac Lethal earns a Turkey Award despite the fact that cultural appropriation is its own reward. The guy openly disses KC's hip-hop scene and then whines when he's called on it like a true turkey . . . The "rapper" is really a rare bird and surprisingly ill-prepared for celebrity, which is good because the turkey doesn't have much talent or credibility with any other demographic except for college Freshman who don't realize that most promotional CD's should be quickly thrown away.

- Over the past year Mike Hendricks took a lot cues from TKC . . . Now it seems that the guy has started to come up with his own ideas which include advocating for the middle-class people of JoCo and arguing for their interests in KC Proper . . . Truly, that's noble work which J.C. Nichols - KC's pioneer of racial covenants - would commend.

- I'm giving Frances Semler a TKC Turkey Award because she drove more people to this blog over the course of this year than any other person. Also, I hear that mean old ladies get lonely around the holidays and turkey goes quite well with Lou Dobbs, awkward public statements and mean-spirited Nativist rhetoric.

- Finally, GLORIA SQUITIRO WINS THE GRAND PRIZE TKC TURKEY AWARD. In the end she has done more to destroy the Funkhouser Administration than any other person from outside the cult group could have . . . Shoeless Glo isn't really a polarizing figure given that it's hard to find people to stick up for her role in City Hall that smacks of nepotism, her bad decisions on behalf of the Mayor or her bullying style.

Still, Ms. Squitiro deserves recognition for her contribution in keeping Kansas City political watchers entertained and making sure that recall talk which originated on the local Internets keeps moving closer to becoming a reality.

Now, I want to congratulate all of the "winners" who received TKC Turkey Awards. There were a lot of options this year but I think the selection provided a nice cross-section of Kansas City and a quick glimpse at the biggest turkeys in town by your favorite blogging turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving to TKC readers, tipsters and everyone reading this site who can take a joke. I'm truly thankful that so many people in this town take the time to visit this blog . . . Have a fun and safe holiday!!!

On the good foot: Larry Johnson is living large despite hard times for the Chiefs!!!

LOCAL BLOGGER F-BOMBS PUBLISHES THE MOST IMPORTANT BLOG POST OF THE CHIEFS FOOTBALL SEASON!!!

It seems that a member of the Kansas City blogosphere has uncovered the fact that Larry Johnson is celebrating while his team is falling apart!!!

King Pink is ballin out of control in New York when he’s supposed to be rehabbing his shitty ankle. Once again, Pink doesn’t care if the team wins or loses, and he made that clear when he held out in the beginning of the year…3.5 yards per carry and 3 TD’s, Pink?

Buyer's remorse anyone?

This guy is definitely not worth the money the Chiefs took against the salary cap to retain his "can't play in the clutch" services.

Couple this behavior with his diss track aimed at his boss . . .

Put simply, Larry Johnson is making a fool out of every Chiefs fan and the only thing he cares about is picking up a check.

A HUGE SHOUTOUT to F-bombs for once again displaying the "douchery" of Larry Johnson as if the guy putting his shoe on groupies or promoting divisive racial politics in the lockerroom wasn't enough proof.

MAMMY-GATE CONTINUES!!! THE CALL VERIFIES REPORTS OF GLORIA SQUITIRO USING THE TERM "MAMMY" TO REFER TO BLACK FEMALE EMPLOYEES!!!

Folks who know anything about KC Proper know one simple thing: THE CALL IS THE PAPER OF RECORD OF KANSAS CITY'S BLACK COMMUNITY. That's why it's very important that a report has surfaced in their paper regarding news of Gloria Squitiro using the term "Mammy" to refer to African-American female employees.

The word is out.

In my opinion, Mayor Funky can't expect any credibility in Kansas City's minority community until he addresses this issue. Bravo to Eric L. Wesson and The Call for having the courage to publish this report.

Previous TKC posts on the subject:

Will Gloria and poor communication with minorities ruin Mayor Funky?

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! RUMOR HAS IT THE MAYOR'S WIFE USED THE M-WORD!!! GLORIA MUST GO IF IT'S TRUE!!!

SHE CALLED HER MAMMY!!! CONFIRMED!!! GLORIA MUST GO!!!

Who is gonna ask? Will the Mayor's wife get called on THE FACT she used the term "Mammy" to describe African-American female City Hall employees?

TKC Undercover: A bit of info on how Gloria Squitiro's "Mammy" comment went down

It's official . . . THE STORY IS OUT!!!

A great many thanks to TKC Readers and tipsters who care about this town and a small hope that the media will make at least passing mention that TKC was the first local media outlet to report the story of this serious affront to every member of Kansas City's minority community perpetrated by the Funkhouser Administration.

Priest gone, Chiefs now without a prayer

Let me remind all of KC's sports watching D-bags that TKC noted months ago . . .

It's immoral to let Priest Holmes play.

Like a broken down, old fighter the guy just doesn't know when to quit and would probably die on his feet if someone with a bit of common sense (not Herm) wasn't around to throw in the towel.

The most recent (re)injury of Priest Holmes simply proves that neither the Chiefs organization nor the vacuous football fans in Kansas City have any real compassion for the people who play the game or their physical well being.

I guess it's not really a big surprise that JoCo football fans have no compassion and a total lack of concern for the real price of the entertainment that's offered for their consumption.

The local blogosphere was abuzz with news the of the re-injury to Priest.

Here's the best links I could find:

Holmes Re-injured, Johnson Out

Priest Holmes Done!!!

Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Priest Holmes Re-Injures Neck

Pause for Priest

And here's where every Chiefs fan in this town needs to admit to themselves that this is not a "rebuilding year" it's AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER!!!

Thanks to horrible play calling and decisions by Herm Edwards . . . The Chiefs will be lucky to win more than a couple of games in the remainder of the season.

Sadly, rather than an honest representation of the team . . . Most spineless local sportscasters will continue to report nothing but the spin the emanates from Arrowhead which always focuses on "next year" and hope for a decent team somewhere off in the distant future while the taxpayers of Jackson County are floating the team today.

UPDATE: Priest finally takes some advice from TKC and retires.

JoCo's turn to complicate KC light rail

An overly optimistic opinion caught my attention today in The Star: Johnson County needs to get in on transit debate according to the columnist . . . It's a nice sentiment but neglects the fact that most JoCo residents don't really want the urban dwellers of KC Proper (i.e. minorities) to have easy access to their suburbs, daughters, wives, valuables and quiet streets.

Some random, rich white guy: Kansas Citian of the Year

Bill Hall isn't related to the Hall Family of Hallmark fame but he does work for them and he was recently awarded the title of "Kansas Citian of the Year" for his role in planning and dispensing millions in charitable gifts for major civic projects over a quarter of a century. Obviously, it's a prestigious prize and a little known fact is that the award comes with a year's supply of BBQ sauce, an ice scraper and a gift certificate for a weekend vacation in a Johnson County hotel.

Cat Killer Follow-up

JoCo cat killer pleads guilty . . . TKC only covers the important news:

A 20-year-old Olathe man who was accused of slitting a cat’s throat and tossing its body into a trash bin pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of animal cruelty.

Michael Vincent Keltner will serve 90 days in jail and be on probation afterward if the Johnson County judge hearing the case follows the terms of a plea agreement. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22.

It pays to have friends in County government!!!

The Star reports: "Jackson County did not give pay raises to employees this year, but most aides to elected county legislators will get up to $4,000 in bonuses before the year’s end." Tis the season to realize that there is little truth to campaign promises.

Amato isn't leaving even though the KCMO School Board wants him out

Rumors that KCMO School District Superintendent Anthony Amato was leaving turned out to be untrue. But the message from the School District is clear . . . Behind the scenes, it looks as if they're working against him and the (unspoken) truth is that they would rather have a Black Superintendent back at the top spot in order to continue their legacy of failure. The rumor mill is filled with stories regarding Amato that have mainly been the work of School Board people urging the only guy to make any significant changes in the district to find a place somewhere else . . . To be continued.

Stories of reform have become tiresome

Clearly, things haven't changed that much at the County after all . . .

Seven months ago, Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders pledged to scrutinize the monthly car allowances granted to 161 employees at a cost of $579,000 annually.

But the 2008 county budget that Sanders released last week shows little change in spending on car allowances.

The good news is that County legislators have cut back but for the most part it's more of the same . . . To be fair, County Exec Mike Sanders is taking steps to keep better track of the miles people directly under his control rack-up and isn't stubbornly "sticking to his guns" . . . Also, now is the time on Sprockets when we dance!

Border War advice: Don't even think about going for the goal posts!

Local authorities charged with looking after the crowds put out the word recently: The Goal posts are off limits . . . Note to college football fans . . . The KCPD aren't the same babysitters you're accustomed to in college towns . . . They will tase you, bro.

NO FOOD AT THE SPRINT CENTER!!!

It's not like the people of KC need to eat more hot dogs but the propaganda regarding the cutting edge Sprint Center is obviously a bit exaggerated given that they can't even keep concession stands fully stocked.

KMBC's Dion Lim reported that concession stands during the College Basketball Experience Classic ran out of several items, including hot dogs, nachos and cheese.

Also, word on the street was that parking was a mess today but AEG won't let local media do any reporting on the subject and KC Cheerleaders pray that the silence regarding problems at The Sprint Center continues.

Russ Johnson wants to pretend that he didn't kill light rail

City Councilman Russ Johnson put on a big show yesterday and put a plan forth to waste almost a million dollars in order for KC voters to forget that he was integral in Mayor Funky's plan to kill light rail and subvert any decision being put in front of voters. I hope it works but it seems to be making the guy look like even more of a clown and a little bit guilty regarding his actions.

TKC Beer Review: Nut Cracker Ale isn't bad

The holidays are the perfect time for a lot of drinking.

A couple of days ago I was watching Kevin Costner's serial killer movie Mr. Brooks with a couple of bimbos and like most female idiots they began to express their concern that they would meet an untimely death by the hands of a mass murderer.

I had to roll my eyes, look at their boobs and explain that the meticulous, cold, calculating, serial killer is a hackneyed cinematic device which is intended to express a larger fear of devious forces at work against us in much the same way that zombie movies highlight the fear of infection or alien movies depict the various attitudes with which the American movie-going public regards Mexicans . . . Either as harmless pets (E.T) or dangerous, malevolent invaders hell bent on world domination and draining the planet's resources (Independence Day et al.).

Anyhoo, I explained to these to these dopey broads that they would most likely meet an unpleasant demise because of a car crash, heart disease, cancer or interracial dating.



Luckily, I was sipping the newfangled Boulevard Nutcracker Ale while I was explaining the facts of life to these dumb broads.

The shit ain't bad.

Nothing to write home about but it tastes like the holiday season . . . And not in a "My family can't get along because the legacy of divorce has ruined our sense of trust" kind of way but more like a nice TV commercial with giggling white women and comfortable looking sweaters.

I totally recommend the beer to share with your loved ones or simply to keep you company while you sit alone, in a basement, looking for relevant links and wondering if God really exists given that women have no integrity after they've had 2 and 1/2 beers and the holiday season just seems like another excuse to hate the homeless.

Irish in Overland Park

Thanks to Irish KC, we know that their is a bit of culture in JoCo that doesn't involve the Mexicans making all of the food and raising the kids of KC's privileged class . .. Here's a local even that seems like fun: "The Overland Park Civic Band’s annual holiday concert on Friday, November 30, 2007 includes a selection of pieces of music from all over the place, including Fantasy on an Irish Air."

You can save the world! (But not yourself)

Show Me State blogger J-dub has a list of great suggestions to help Internet denizens save the world . . . Most of them are a lot more practical than the stinky-ass notion of simply using one square of toilet paper. Turns out, helping the environment has nothing to do with being a filthy, disgusting hippie or even dating a woman who doesn't shave her pits . . . Those are just perks.

Blogs brought down Ed "Bunch of Mexicans" Martin

KC Blue Blog has a nice wrap up of the downfall of a Missouri politico . . . "Someone losing a job is rarely worth celebrating. Ed Martin being fired is one of those times."

Pom is pissed

Great slice of life post from one of my favorite local bloggers. Money line: "I'd pretty much punch your granny in the face right now if she looked at me."

Gary Lezak's blog is greater than us all

The cold weather is coming according to the KC Weatherman, also this guy gets a ton of traffic and comments on his blog. Surprisingly, most of it is actually related to the weater (???) TKC Forecast: Pain and uncomfortable family get togethers . . . Lezaxk's blog Via Sarah Snodgrass

New Favorite: Nightmare

Local blog "Smells like Bullshit" has long been a favorite of mine.

His acerbic wit and smart ass comments keep me coming back to his site over the past few months.



Make him one of your regular reads and you won't be disappointed. His latest rant regarding the integrity of NFL players is a must read.

Is he as captivating as a British chick with huge boobs?

No.

But as far as local blogs go, he's one of the best.

BREAKING!!! ED "BUNCH OF MEXICANS" MARTIN FIRED BY BLUNT!!!

Let's make on thing clear . . .

Blogs across Missouri brought down Gov. Blunt's Chief of Staff Ed Martin!!!

The guy was a political time bomb and it's surprising he lasted this long.

Thanks to Missouri's blogosphere, his troublesome behavior was put on public display for voters across the state to witness.

Martin's outburst against Latinos across the state was one of the first indications that he was unstable and a liability to the Blunt Administration.

Then, the Scott Eckersley e-mail scandal sent his political demise into motion.

Fired Up Missouri! posted AN INCREDIBLE 23 days of consecutive posts highlighting the scandal, Martin's role and allegations of the Blunt Administration breaking the law by deleting e-mails and firing an employee who made it public brought the situation to an impasse in which SOMEBODY had to face the political firing squad.

Now there's a tiny question as to whether the dude was fired or resigned . . . That angle is nothing more than political cover . . . The fact is that Dem bloggers from across the state took the guy out of office with some pretty angry posts.

Also, Blunt's recent poll numbers made it clear that the guy isn't going to get re-elected and this really seems like a desperation move.

But the message is clear: Anti-Latino reactionaries are political liabilities all the way around, the Governor is learning this the hard way.

What we'll see in the near future is that the problems of the Blunt Administration don't stop with Ed Martin and his poor record regarding racial profiling, lack of job growth, health care cuts and setbacks for education in Missouri will ultimately lose the election for the guy.

Also, just for fun:

PLAY THE NEW MATT BLUNT: DOCUMENT DESTROYER GAME!!!

Black out of Black Friday for JCPenny

As a response to JC Penny racially profiling one of their customers and to highlight the rampant racial discrimination in Kansas City, there is a local initiative to boycott one of the most profitable days of the year for the local retailer.

Here's an insightful press release put together by Alonzo Washington:

2007 has been a terrible year for racial profiling & police abuse regarding African Americans in the Kansas City area. Two pregnant Black women (Sophia Salva & Yvette Hayes) were forced on the ground by different police agencies for no justifiable reason. One woman lost her baby and both women have filed lawsuits. Another KCK Black family has filed a lawsuit against the KCK Police Department for abuse after the police crashed into their home and called them the N-word. Finally, even a well known anti crime community activist (Ron McMillan) was abused at the hands of local police.

Lawsuits are not the only way the Black community plans on dealing with these injustices. There is a national movement to take the Black out of Black Friday.

Local activists will tie into this national boycott by asking local African Americans not to shop at JCPenny during Black Friday & over the holiday weekend. JCPenny is the corporation that originally racially profiled Yvette Hayes and set into motion the chain of events that lead the pregnant woman to end up face down on the ground on the side of the highway. Futhermore, the company has made no attempt to reach out to the Black community to explain or to defend the charges Miss Hayes has made against them.

Activist, Alonzo Washington, activist, Ron McMillan (National Coalition of Jena 6) & a member of American Friends are leading the boycott in Kansas City.

It looks pretty serious and the boycott is rather well organized among local leaders. The action has me thinking . . . In this economic climate, can any business afford to lose the business of a large KC contingent? Probably not.

Personally, I haven't done any shopping at Penny's for years but that's because I'm not in the market for uncomfortable and poorly manufactured corduroy pants.

The search for Opie continues!!!

Jesse Ross has been missing for a year now . . . Crime Scene KC has a great update on the story and the continuing effort to track down the KC radio personality.

Porter charged with murdering his kids

From KSHB: Daniel Porter faces two new charges today in connection with the deaths of his children, Sam and Lindsey Porter.

Porter,44, was charged Tuesday with two counts of first degree murder . . . Also, reports say that the death penalty is being considered.

KC Internet dating may not crush your spirit

I've always thought looking for love online guaranteed only heartbreak or some horrible form of herpes.

Thankfully, things worked out better of the X-man.

Check out the X-man's insightful post for an up close and personal perspective that provides a lot of inside scoop on the local Internet dating scene.

Really, I haven't read such an honest approach to the subject in years. Usually, tales of local Internet dating involve white women desperately trying to convince everyone that they're not fat and posting a photo from 11 years ago is perfectly acceptable.

A better border war blog post

I'm actually looking forward to the game . . . Because it means I won't have to hear or read about it anymore. Thankfully, Kruse is one of the better writers in the local blogosphere so his take on the subject is actually somewhat interesting.

In a racist town, nearly every word is a potential land mine

A lot of folks adamantly disagreed with me when I pointed out that Kansas City is a racist town.

It's unpleasant to realize the harsh and ugly realities of any city; like the fact that (no matter how expensive) there's no place to get decent seafood in this town.

However, it's clear that racial tension abounds in the Kansas City area and in one instance after the next the effects of it can be felt.

A fantastic report on Fox4 recently highlighted an interesting story in which it's revealed that even saying the word 'noose' is a no-no in some parts of the metro.

There's apparently been some racial tension in the band at Lee's Summit West, specifically on the drum line. Students were talked to a couple weeks ago because both the black and white kids were using the "n word" and the band director told them to stop. But then talk about a noose landed a couple kids in big trouble.

Here's the gist of the noose story:

Some kids on the drum line said they were talking about the best knots to use to tie up the drum equipment.

A student was asked if he knew how to tie a noose.

The student in question, an Eagle Scout, said he knew how to tie it, but told his friends he wouldn't because he didn't want to get in trouble.

Later, a black student on the drum line told the teacher he was offended.

The student who was the subject of the story was later accused of using a racial slur, having a racially charged conversation and simply saying the word 'noose' then he was suspended for 10 days.

And here I thought getting suspended just for speaking Spanish was a bit extreme.

Thing is, in a tense atmosphere any silly gesture in order to diffuse tension seems reasonable. The only problem is that these half measures usually end up causing additional problems which only add to the complexity of the first issue . . . In much the same way that gambling addicts raise the stakes in order to get their money back or skanks return to the bar scene and hope to find a new man who will treat them better.

In the end, this story is NOT ONLY about the ad hoc and utterly indecipherable code of conduct enforced in order to create a politically correct atmosphere BUT ALSO the climate of hatred that exists in the metro area which amplifies any hint of divisive language and makes dirty talk among interracial couples that much more exciting. Sessy!

"Call your service man from A.B. May"

I don't claim to be an Internets genius but I'm guessing that the people at The Star don't realize that their intrusive advertising is HORRIBLY annoying and makes any other news source seem like a much more pleasant alternative.

For instance, this morning about half of the time I bring up a Star's page . . .

A classic and annoying Kansas City commercial jingle blares over my speakers.

It's so much worse than spam because I have to load the page before I get an option to mute the banner . . . Most sites specifically avoid this practice.

This is nearly as bad as those pop-up Flash ads that virtually chase away readers from the site if they don't have high speed connections or don't want to participate in a selling strategy while looking at the local news.

Ads have their place on the Internets and when they're done well people actually don't mind and even enjoy them . . . But The Star's advertising integration seems to be based on the latest tech available in 1997.

I know they can do better with their ads and might want try sponsored content and other ways to make the message of their advertisers seem like part of their editorial offerings . . . Maybe they could just pretend like they were pushing a political candidate or a new tax and their creativity would really kick into high gear in order to push yet another agenda.

KC City Council free to take a leak

The Council agreed to pretty much call off an investigation into the leak of documents pertaining to the city manager's contract. Apparently, the Council snitchin on one another wouldn't have been very productive. Therefore, I hope to see some tips from City Council members on TKC rather than just reporting that most of them took a leak on Democracy by letting Mayor Funky have his way and kill light rail without a vote.

Soldier Sucker-Punched in KC

A barfight blindsides National Guardsman . . . On a completely unrelated note, I never believed the surge was or is working but I only wish local politicos were halfway as creative when coming up with answers to violent crime in Kansas City.

Suspects pepper spray Security in JoCo

It's not really news but I just wanted to note that things are getting worse in the closest thing to a JoCo ghetto . . . Metcalf South.

E-mails back up Eckersley

According to Prime Buzz: Eckersley says new e-mails support his contention that he advised Gov. Blunt's administration officials they were violating the Sunshine Law. However, the veiled threat to sue bloggers was a bit lame . . . Unless they're talking about Jeff Roe who is neither a blogger nor a trash man even though he owns a blog and digs through the garbage of his political enemies.

News of KC violence is killing Leawood home values. TKC couldn't care less.

I listen to talk radio loyally because I want to know what the angry white people around me are thinking . . . Stumbling through local links I was completely disgusted to find a particularly vapid opinion in a suburban KC newspaper.

Apparently, violence in KC is getting in the way of luxury home sales. Personally, it's hard to imagine a piece of human garbage who could see the problem in that light but then again I don't talk to a lot of real estate agents.

The real estate broker who maintained an office in the home was cordial, even though he knew a sale was not imminent. He admitted that sales of the homes in the development had been slow the past year. But he did not see the price tag of the homes — $750,000 to $1 million — as the principal deterrent to sales.

Instead, he cast blame on the media for what he considered a constant stream of coverage on the slumping real estate market. The broker believed that, in a sense, the media's handling of soft housing sales had kept the market down.

Anyway, the perspective is welcome because it clearly demonstrates a lack of respect for the humanity of urban residents in KC proper. Sure, the guy is trying to blame the media but THE BAD NEWS IS REAL regardless of how it effects home values just a few miles away and even if the predominantly affluent, white and arrogant folks don't want to bother with the not-so-far-away problems of the people (of color) they're trying to avoid in the first place.

The ins and outs of Arrowhead (no homo?)

An article from the Topeka Capital-Journal provides a nice outsider perspective on Arrowhead for out of town fans making the journey to see the Border War . . . It's a pretty straight forward article which warns football watchers about KC scams other than the obvious ploy put forth by women who pretend to like football in order to seem unique, hang out with guys who wouldn't normally give them the time of day or simply satisfy the biological imperative that's hard wired into a broad's DNA which is to make the world less fun - In addition to cooking, cleaning, having babies and lying about their number of sexual partners, of course.

Can the big bucks crowd bank on solidarity winning out over the anti-science crowd?

A Star biz article points out that venture capital people need to stick together in order to see their collective profits rise . . . Sadly, so many years of anti-science influence in the Show-Me state make any chance of this town realizing its "full potential as a hub for biotechnology businesses" seem like a long shot.

TKC Guide to people: Anybody who talks about The Bachelor today is sad and lonely

By definition: Media people fall into the category of "sad and lonely people" so they don't get a pass . . . But we all understand. However, the fact that some fake TV show had a surprise ending and two skanks were left out in the cold shouldn't substitute for conversation. Also, the only real surprise would be an end to the Writer's Strike that didn't involve formulaic Union busting. TKC Attention to Detail: If the Writer's are really serious about their strike, shouldn't their protest signs be blank?

"We Almost Lost Detroit"

The death and violence stats that came out yesterday made news around the world . . . But it's hard to really find a perspective on the cold numbers . . . That's why making Dallas Penn one of your daily reads should be a priority. The guy's insight, humor and wit are quickly becoming legendary on the net and his take on America's most violent cities is insightful. A KC note from Dallas: "No matter which Kansas City you live in, you stay losing"

Matt Fraction: Kansas City King of Kickass

Kansas City has played host to a vibrant comic book community for a number of years, however few people beyond fanboys know that a rising star in the comic book world calls Kansas City home.

Matt Fraction is already a legend in the independent comic book world and now he's well on his way toward winning mainstream glory.



Fraction has worked as an Indy comic book writer, publisher and pundit for years but it was probably his book Casanova that pushed him to the tipping point.

A hard hitting, sometimes wordy but always entertaining approach typifies Fraction's style.



Recently, the author completed work on Punisher: War Journal for Marvel Comics. The work was an overwhelming, action packed success and managed to breath new life into a character that a Hollywood movie nearly killed.

As I noted previously, Fraction's rise to mainstream fame hasn't went unnoticed and profiles and interviews of the KC based author are all over the net. Here's a quick sample:

Fraction's Casanova Offers Cheap Thrills

"He's the Kansas City king of kickass."

Comic Geek Speak Audio Interview

Interview with Matt Fraction in GQ

Q&A with Matt Fraction on Marvel.com

Finally, the best way to keep up with this emerging KC-based artist's career is to check out his blog which includes updates on his work, personal photos and links to news regarding his career.

Thank you Mayor Funkhouser: Pets have more influence in KC than people of color

Strangely, I find it hilarious that Kansas City is home to hobbyists who have an incredible amount of pull for their pet projects while anytime a person of color speaks up there is an attempt to silence them with all of the force of talk radio along with a bevy of reactionary columnists and other far right wing fanboys. Nice.

Remember that a small contingent of bicycle short wearing d-bags are responsible for millions in additional costs for the Paseo Bridge and deserted nearby trails that only a few people will actually use . . . And then there is the issue of KC's Dog Park people wanting to poop in the backyard of a lower income neighborhood that's closer to their Brookside digs.

The cause is being championed by a few misguided politicos and Mel Solomon (THE ARCHITECT) is setting the agenda . . . Here's a bit of detail from The Star: "A task force to recommend policies on no-leash dog parks for Kansas City will hold its first meeting at 4:30 p.m., Nov. 27, at 4600 E. 63rd St."

They won't be taking testimony for the Sunnyside dog park scam right away but they'll use the platform to railroad over a neighborhood of retirees and po'folk soon enough.

Or else they'll hold another public meeting hostage.

Final note to sad immigrant song

KSHB reports: Group to raise money to send woman, baby's bodies to Kenya . . . And this always happens whenever there is a tragic immigrant death in KC, I often wonder why people wouldn't rather just give the money to relatives or surviving family members . . . In the end, the dead bodies don't really do anyone much good and the cost of burying them here is often cheaper. It's one of my few criticisms of local immigrant communities who have an impractical connection with their homeland that just amounts to higher shipping costs . . . Local Latinos are the worst when it comes to this issue. Also, TKC never gives to charity on general principle.

Deer will kill you if you don't kill them first

A great vid from Crime Scene KC inadvertently gives ANOTHER reason why concealed carry laws are a great idea (hehe) . . . KC area deer are especially dangerous this time of year for those of you brave enough to leave Midtown.

AEG OWNS KANSAS CITY!!!

From Prime Buzz: "Kansas City Council committee recommended today that AEG Kansas City get the five-year contract to run the American Royal Complex. AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) had already gotten the long-term agreement to run the Sprint Center and a five-year contract to manage Kemper Arena." Thanks to this move and the work of former Mayor Kay . . . KC is effectively governed by entertainment corporations, the implications of this can't be explained on a postage stamp (or in a blogger post) so obviously Mayor Funky doesn't care . . . Can somebody explain how this is really any kind of "reform" from business as usual in KC?

It's Spring Again

Thank you global warming.

Local blog "The Jenson" celebrates the unseasonably warm Fall weather.

AMAZING open letter to the Mayor

The Garden Party Skunk brings the Funk by posting some fan mail, of sorts.

"This game is bigger than all of us"

Once again, local Latinos (and illegal aliens) are probably very thankful for all of Kansas City fixating on a Border War that doesn't involve booting our Grandma out of the country . . . Thankfully, the obsession with this game comforts me when I realize that this town's real priorities don't involve worshiping at the alter of Lou Dobbs.

Mayor Funky's wife is the Grinch who stole X-mas from KC's elderly people in need

By now, everyone with even a tiny bit of knowledge about City Hall Politics (heh - TKC) realizes that Funkhouser's people have made a horrible mess of the Mayor's X-mas tree event.

Without question they were horribly late to start planning the thing.

Even worse, Gloria Squitiro is the lead organizer and her statements regarding the event plan to switch its focus to broke-ass kids instead of KC's elderly in need.

This may seem like a change that might be welcome but what it's really doing is cutting off the old folks from a Holiday event that so many of them count on . . . Already a couple of people have e-mailed me about this move in order to convey their disgust.

Apparently, Gloria's mismanagement could really screw with X-mas for KC's broke ass old folk.

Under Mayor Kay's tenure . . . A bunch of elderly people received Price Chopper Gift Cards and a lot of attention that normally isn't directed their way. X-mas time is filled with events for po'folk kids but this society in general makes old people invisible and Gloria's move to switch the emphasis of the Mayor's X-mas tree event to kids neglects old folk in need even more . . . It's a shame and I've already heard one really heart breaking story regarding old people calling up the people who were formerly involved in the event and wondering if they'll be getting their X-mas handouts this year on which they're already relying.

Yeah, leave it to Mayor Funky's wife/Chief Adviser/Wicked Witch of City Hall to think that talk of slapping around broke-ass old people is the right way to spread holiday cheer.



Also, The Mayor's poor planning has raised questions about a car raffle that goes along with Mayor's X-mas tree event. By this time last year, the promotion for the fundraising vehicle was already in full swing - A source told TKC . . . I don't know for sure because I think charity is for suckers . . . Anyway, this year the late start and lack of planning has things really quiet and Mayor Funky seems to want to use this event for political purposes without any thought that former Mayors have seen this time of year as their chance to give back to KC's older residents.

KCK history is falling apart

Great story from the KC Kansan regarding the vicious wrath of time (and lack of upkeep) related to historic sites in KCK that have been slated for redevelopment.

Downtown propaganda as documentary

An interesting article from the LA Times regarding the production of a documentary on KC's Downtown renaissance by directors John Altman and Aimee Larrabee.

Everyone will be drunk at the "Border War"

ESPN's "College Game Day" will be broadcasting, Booze will be flowing and Bottomline Communications thinks this might be a "perfect storm" if there isn't enough security and a reminder that the Mexicans aren't responsible for your favorite team losing.

This cowtown is killer

Once again Kansas City earns a prize (of sorts) for its inability to deal with violent crime.

KCMO and KCK are both ranked in the top 25 of the "most dangerous cities" list put together by the FBI!!!

There are a lot of people to thank . . .

Unfortunately, so many of the dead Black guys from the Eastside aren't with us to share the honor.

But Mayor Funky should be thanked for failing to make any significant mention of crime in Kansas City during his tenure so far.

Also, voters who elected a guy who was/is clearly weak on crime might want to take some of the blame glory.

Iraq War protesters who haven't paid any attention to the battlezone just a few blocks east of their Plaza meetups should also share the prize.

Once again Mayor Kay should come back to KC Proper for just a sec in order to get some recognition in this feat given that she DID NOTHING of substance to fight crime in Kansas City.

Finally, the TV news needs to share some responsibility here if only because every missing white woman in Kansas City gets blanket coverage while most minorities featured in crime segments on TV only seem to have interesting mugshots.