Peak oil brings a bit of suburban bigotry to an end!!! We're in the last days of long commutes to Kansas City!!!

Believe it or not, there are some people who are still so scared of minorities that they live in the hinterland outskirts of Kansas City and drive more than to 100 miles everyday in order to work within the city limits and often downtown.

Whether these people like it or not, the days of driving more than 50 miles back and forth are at an end for middle-class workers. Like the rest of the American transportation scheme, highways and roads in Kansas City were built around the idea of cheap gas. That is no longer the case and smart cars aren't going to cut it.

On the bright side, this means that we might get some new (if unwilling) Kansas City residents. However, I have no idea where they're going to live if they're not the kind of people who can afford 500k condos . . . Which is all that's for sale around this basement dweller.

A recent post by the insufferable blog "Let's Go KC" relays some frightening news about the economic impact of housing choices. In a nutshell it reveals that it just costs too much to live out in the sticks when fuel costs could reach the equivalent of another mortgage payment for folks who are coming in from the outskirts of this town.

We all know these folks, and I'm sure there is a lot to be said for small town living but it's not hard to imagine that the lack of minorities in their hometowns was most likely a factor in their home buying choices. And it's not like I'm revealing any new facts here given that home prices in places like Olathe, Liberty, Leavenworth and Atchison are tumbling. Even worse, can you believe there are quite a few people who commute in from St. Joseph, Warrensburg and Belton and beyond?!?!?!?!

The word is out, the lifestyle is over and we're all going to have to get a lot more comfortable with our new neighbors who didn't really want to be in Kansas City in the first place.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! One more thing about MammyGate: The Funkhouser crew is desperately trying to make amends!!!

Here's how most worthless politicos govern: They try to quell talk rather than addressing the problem at hand, that's one reason the Mayor's PR attack against the victim of the Mammy Slur isn't going to work . . . Because at the end of the day the Mayor stays stubborn and his wife stays put.

To wit, the clueless attempts that Mayor Funky and his crew have devised to try and distract people from this controversy have become increasingly embarrassing and a reflection of backward, liberal condescending thinking.

Sometime soon The Mayor's office will be hiring a very nice, qualified and competent Black guy with African and Jewish roots. On the face of it, there's nothing wrong with that . . . However, the politically expedient move is intended to provide credibility for the Funkhouser Crew as they will most likely be bringing him out front whenever there is something to address regarding the MammyGate case . . . It's a wise strategy, but it neglects the fact that the move offers ABSOLUTELY NO REPRESENTATION FOR THE EASTSIDE!!! As great as the guy may be . . . He doesn't have much standing among Eastside politicos and his placement can only be seen as yet another affront. In fact, in the lawsuit against Mayor Funky this kind of "window dressing" tactic was mentioned specifically.

Still, it's nice to see that the Mayor is hiring more people of color since Gloria ran out the vast majority who were there primarily.

A bit more exclusive . . . SOURCES TELL TKC THAT GLORIA SQUITIRO WAS CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEWS FOR THIS POSITION AND VIOLATED EEOC REGULATIONS AND A HOST OF OTHER LAWS BY ASKING THE PEOPLE SHE WAS INTERVIEWING THEIR AGE, RACE, RELIGION ETC., IN OTHER WORDS . . . SHE'S NOT LEARNING!!!

P&L Art Fest with KC Vlogger Ramsey

Great video . . . Personally, I'm surprised they let him in at all. Play find the minority with TKC (Ramsey merits 100pts.) So far I'm only up to 102.

The BBQ is great but not worth dying for . . .

Domestic dispute and Gates BBQ aren't that delicious at all . . .

A woman was kidnapped from Gates Barbecue at gunpoint near 18th Street in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday night. Witnesses called police just after 11 with a description of the suspect and his license tag. Police were able to quickly trace him back to a house off of East 35th Street in Kansas City, Mo.

When police arrived, a woman ran out of the house telling police the man inside had just shot her.

Strange, I was just there last night only earlier . . . And in another tasty somewhat related turn I just wanted to take this opportunity to note that the Mayor has yet to mention local crime in any more than a passing way.

Slap on the wrist from Kansas Judge

A man who pleaded guilty to having sex with children has been sentenced to probation by a judge who has been criticized for granting lighter sentences for similar crimes.

Lose money in real time on the Internets thanks, in part, to a Kansas City company

In every area but the local newspaper this town is ahead of its time in dropping the silly conception of "ownership" of media: In late May, Kansas City, Mo.-based Bats Trading Inc., an equity trading platform, said that it was making real-time U.S. stock quotes available free on Yahoo Finance from Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo Inc.

TKC Twit of the moment: Duckman

Here's a link whore idea that I thought I would start . . . I'm naming the most entertaining Twitter users in Kansas City who have been kind enough to follow me. There's a lot of 'em and they usually keep me captivated but the Duckman provides a bit of tech news and his latest location but not archived and with much less opinion than a blog. If you're not following the Duckman, you should.

Non-smokers, the time is right to save Kansas City!!!

Over the weekend, local blogger Scooter J wrote an astounding post that pleads with local non-smokers to do their fair share for the benefit of this town.

Because it's been a week now and I haven't seen any of you at any of my regular haunts yet... just empty tables and barstools sitting waiting for you.

The post offers some sound reasoning and first-person examples of the negative impact of Kansas City's smoking ban.

Once upon a crime: Nude, crazy, Christian violence is nothing new to Kansas City

A great story on a longtime ago, local religious shootout from a newspaper in Canada: "A gun battle on the streets of Kansas City, Missouri left a 13-year-old girl, two-police officers dead, two other officers badly wounded and the leader of a fanatical religious sect with six bullet wounds.

The gunfire erupted Dec. 8, 1908, when a probation officer told the leader of the sect, James Sharpe, that several children in the group known as Adamites, should be attending school and not partaking in an illegal street church."

"Cultured in Kansas City"

A great first-person tour of this town.

Almost nobody in Kansas City cared about innocent Whiskey Tangos who were framed!

In one of the most self-indulgent and masturbatory front pages stories ever, the Kansas City Star acted as if they were revealing news to their (dwindling) subscriber base when they noted the flimsy, flawed case against some local po'folk after 6 firefighters were tragically killed.

The story followed the same strategy as most of articles from The Star . . . They attempted to "own" a story that has been out there for more than a decade.

Thing is, anybody who knows a thing about Kansas City history remembers that this case was weak from the beginning. Even worse, here's the tragic sin by The Star:

THE KANSAS CITY MEDIA WAS COMPLICIT IN FRAMING A BUNCH OF POOR WHITE PEOPLE BY FAILING TO ASK ALMOST ANY QUESTIONS ON THEIR BEHALF!!!

Put simply, for prosecutors this case was a "slam dunk" because the defendants had a history of petty crime and nobody wanted to stand up for them . . . This includes a great deal of the editorial board for The Star. TV news media was just as guilty given that they despise research nearly as much as I do . . . But rewriting the history on this one won't do anyone any good. The fact remains that when big media was running things without question in this town, they were a tyrannical force who never liked to have their authority questioned. The same is pretty much true today only their power is waning and in retrospect the results of their mostly bigoted coverage is marked by a slew of injustices from Kansas City's past.

The most stirring speech KC will ever hear regarding the same cup of soup!!!

Obama's speech in Independence will be on the radio this morning . . . It's a perfect format for most of his local acolytes who unquestioningly accept his campaign rhetoric . . . Tin foil hats can be alternately used for better reception or to keep mind control broadcast over the airwaves from invading your skull.

A wave of morning links

Here's some of the better links I've collected from over the weekend:

Over the weekend KC's Prime Buzz, the Star's political blog, linked a story about the Latino cockfighting ring . . . Somebody please tell me what's political about the story? Other than the fact that everybody hates Mexicans.

Let the local idiot fest over another City reg nobody cares to obey begin!!! Fireworks Blamed For Brookside Fire

In some ways, it's nice to know country song inspiration still comes from this town: Massive Barn Fire in South KCMO

Apparently, Olathe does believe in snitchin': 3 Men Charged with Olathe Murder

Dead Blue Springs Baby under Investigation

On a team this horrible, despite your silly win streak, nobody can blame the players for drinking: Royals Infielder Callaspo Arrested For DUI

Expect a wave of Obama-Rama today from local media: Obama speech tickets gone in 2 hours

Classic Kansas City Racist voicemail

The link in this post points to one of my favorite stories from this summer . . . And a new development over the weekend: "Feds Investigating Landlord's Alleged Racial Slur" Sadly, I've been called worse for missing meetings but, listening to the call, it's clear the guy overreacted . . . And is a world-class d-bag.

One of many ways Medicare in Kansas City will help to kill you

A great story from KCUR details how a new medicare program is changing regs and just might save clients money but will most definitely make life harder for sick people: "About a quarter million Medicare beneficiaries in the Kansas City area will no longer be able to purchase certain durable medical equipment, like walkers, wheel chairs, and oxygen machines from just anywhere. Instead, they'll have to get equipment from specific suppliers contracted through Medicare."

Increase in cat population (and subsequent rise in lonely women) crowds Kansas City

Local animal shelters are bursting at the seams as pet and stray populations grow . . . You can help alleviate this problem by spaying and neutering your pets and eating Korean food whenever possible.

Freedom isn't free!!! Keeping Independence schools segregated will cost millions

Independence School District owes neighboring Kansas City as much as $13.7 million after a school boundary change in western Missouri.

Freedom isn't free!!! Keeping Independence schools segregated will cost millions.

Flame on at Liberty Memorial: History is not quite as ghey as you think

Group Aims to Keep Liberty Memorial Flame Burning

Nobody is safe while cycling

Lieutenant David Dillon of the Douglas County (KS) Sheriff’s Department was hit and killed this morning while bicycling near the town of Eudora.

Your massive weekend shooting

Crime Scene KC Reports: Shots were fired in the parking lot and in the adjoining parking lot of 8600 Hillcrest . . . One black female and five black males were shot in this incident, One of the males died at the hospital from a gun shot wound to the head.

And let's not forget the weekend convenience store shooting that should make real estate speculators and mediocre artist just a bit more uncomfortable: "Man killed outside West Bottoms convenience store"

Excellence in reporting and new media savvy from The Kansas City Star!!!

I'm not sure but I think Mike DeArmond made it past the most recent round of layoffs at The Star. I didn't know a thing about the guy until a recent(ish) video of his insane, spirited ramblings was posted on Youtube. The Youtuber claims the guy is drunk but I'm just surprised his impromptu clips are what pass for content from Kansas City's paper of record. Just take a quick look at the clip featured above and it really does seem like Dean Martin's shtick gone wrong on the subject of the Jayhawks national championship.

Now, I don't know if DeArmond is, in fact, drunk when he does his videos but I can say without a doubt that any dude pontificating in my general direction in that manner has about a 10 second window to get out of my face before I put my shoe on him. Really, I thought this clip was a joke before I checked the Star's site and found an equally ridiculous video . . . A bunch of them actually.

Anyhoo, I just wanted to point out Mr. DeArmond is most likely the reason the Star is going down faster than a P&L District skirt at the first sign of a luxury car. I don't know if it's drunken rambling or just bad taste but it's certainly not as captivating as my all time favorite local sports vid: Leave Herm Alone!!!

We have some catching up to do Kansas City

So I take the weekend off and I see that Kansas City's paper of record decides to print nothing but lies and a lot of revisionist history without much of a challenge from anyone in town.

Sad, but it was nice outside so I guess that local media watchers can be forgiven. Anyhoo, my goal for this evening/morning is to put up 20 posts that will hopefully piss of someone . . . Stay tuned. Hope you had a good weekend as well.

There will be more . . . I hope. Maybe.

The TKC Saturday Night Playlist: Happy Birthday d-bags!!!

Last night Tanner's Bar and Grill Downtown closed. It was fun to be in the (small) crowd even though all they were serving was Coors and Corona Light. It would have been a bittersweet occasion had it not been for a few good friends and the amazing brunette bartender who kept yelling at everyone and kicked at least 3 people out. Tanner's was never an exceptionally great bar but it was one of the first establishments I ever frequented and I always liked the fact that it had a bit of diverse crowd while most downtown places strive to cater to only yuppies and other variety of local hipsters . . . Maybe that's why they're closing.

In any event the demise of the local bar is an appropriate occasion to mark my own birthday. There's no doubt about it, I'm (thankfully) getting older. I know a great many old folks and they love telling me about the ravages of time . . . When they do, I always think to myself "If you're lucky." I think it was "They Might be Giants" who once turned around a cliché and said "I hope I get old before I die."

To wit, for some stupid reason I still enjoy birthdays way more than somebody my age should.



Tonight's selection of music is dedicated to me and all the people good enough to hang out on this planet long enough to piss people off. The songs I've selected are either marginally related to the theme or just guilty pleasures. A special b-day shoutout goes to L.A. Little . . . One of the most kind and kickass local bloggers. Also, I'm always exceptionally grateful for the wonderful people who know me in the real world who have already wished me a Happy Birthday.

Here's my playlist:

Stayin Alive - The Bee Gees

Birthday - The Beatles ( I know it's a cliché, screw you)

In the club - 50 Cent

Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Joy to the world - Three Dog Night

Kool and the Gang - Celebration

I'm Bad - L.L. Cool J

Born to be with you - Dave Edmunds

Holiday - Madonna

Shake your rump - Beastie Boys



As always, thank you for reading. Have a safe and fun weekend. A big thank you to all of my favorite TKC tipsters, readers, commenters and colleagues who continue to make my life interesting.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! MARILYN SIMMONS IN ACTION! SCHOOLS RE-OPEN IN HER DISTRICT DESPITE BUDGET SHORTFALL! PROGRESS FOR KANSAS CITY SCHOOLS PULLED BACK!!!

I think The Star fired all of their education reporters so I'm gonna do my best to try to cover some of the sad news that comes out of the School District. Really, the items that make it my way are not about education but more of a reflection of messed up Kansas City politics.

Today's EXCLUSIVE news item regarding KC Schools is a sad story of School Board President Marilyn Simmons derailing recent progress made by KC Schools for the (economic) benefit of her district.

Apparently, the district is opening 8th grade centers this upcoming school year and re-opening schools that they voted to close under former Superintendent Amato’s realignment. That's right, the Kansas City School District has a $17 million shortfall and students are still leaving en mass BUT they're RE-OPENING these odd "centers" in order to make her happy. It's not only an abuse of power but also goes back on a plan that was voted on by the majority of the school board which called for K-8 schools (neighborhood schools) that would save money on transportation and help alleviate the budget mess.

These expensive and inefficient 8th grade centers will not only complicate district plans even more but also pull back any kind of budget realignment at a time when KC teachers could be canned due to a shortfall of funds. Even worse, these schools that Simmons is re-opening have been closed FOR YEARS and there might be additional costs that will be needed to make them inhabitable . . . Interested parties, (reporters that follow up on TKC and concerned parents) might want to notice that the folks involved in this rogue initiative are old Simmons cronies or might now owe Simmons a favor for their new gig that is solely due to her political maneuvering. All things considered, it's yet another unprincipled, foolish and WASTEFUL move to satisfy the leadership of the Kansas City School District that has proven incompetent and untrustworthy at every turn.

God Damn it!!! Kansas City's Black Clergy owe the local blogosphere money if they cash in on the P&L Dress Code Controversy!!!

KSHB had an amazing story yesterday about a secret meeting between the politically active contingent of the local African-American clergy and a representative from Cordish regarding the controversy over the bigoted dress code and discriminatory enforcement at the P&L District.

During the interview what struck me most is that a member of the Kansas City African-American clergy delegation was up front about using straight up extortion tactics right out of the Jesse Jackson play book.

"One thing we can do, or they can do, is to get some black businesses down there," Reverend Kenneth Ray said. "We might feel more comfortable when you talk about dress code because you'll have some black businesses there."

Never mind that there aren't even many local businesses at the P&L District.

Of course this strategy offends me not because it's an obvious shakedown tactic but because LOCAL BLOGGERS WON'T BE GETTING PART OF THE HUSH MONEY!!!

I've been blogging on this topic since the beginning of the year along with a host of other bloggers who have all weighed in on the obvious discriminatory tactics used by Cordish with their "keep out the people of color who listen to hip-hop" policy.

IT'S TIME KANSAS CITY'S BLOGOSPHERE GOT PAID WITH CORPORATE HUSH MONEY GIVEN THAT WE HAVE FAR MORE INFLUENCE THAN TIRED OLD AFRICAN-AMERICAN PREACHERS!!!

That's not to say that the Black clergy don't have their rightful place at the table, certainly their gift for oratory far surpasses what stutter prone bloggers are capable of . . . But this is the first time I've heard of these preachers uttering a peep on this topic and they have obviously cut to the front of the line.

It's just an example of old school thinking on the part of Cordish who didn't realize that the "secret" meeting was a setup and the Revs played the clueless executive by OBVIOUSLY providing a tip to local media about the time and location of the sit down in order to garner press coverage.

TKC EXCLUSIVE (!!!): One of the few local reporters who doesn't hate me told me as much . . . A member of the contingent was selling this story starting on Wednesday. She declined the invitation and stands by her decision.

As I noted previously, these guys are good but they are not as relentless or committed to complaining as local bloggers like TKC!!!

Therefore, I suggest that Cordish also meet with Kansas City bloggers in order to work out the details of our hush money payments . . . I'm willing to settle for 20 free drink coupons or their equivalent value of 2k. The blogger meet-up to discuss this is coming soon. There will be punch and pie.

Obey the law at your own peril

Every now and then there's a story that demonstrates how little progress Kansas City has made . . . A recent tale of a driver being pulled over for swerving to avoid potholes certainly seems to demonstrate that local streets still suck.

Of course, there's more to this story and the driver did have expired tags but that fact doesn't make Kansas City streets any better on your suspension. Maybe if we had a Mayor that was dedicated to fixing this town's infrastrucutre and not just pushing a light rail pipe dream and defending his wife . . . We could do something about dangerous and expensive potholes. Instead, this town has settled for governance by press conference and epic stubborness from a guy who earned an advanced degree at a City College but somehow still thinks he's smarter than everyone else.

The futility of most local regulation

Okay, there's a smoking ban that's largely ignored by most decent bars in Kansas City and so far there's only one lonely dude enforcing it. Additionally, codes enforcement in this town is a wonderful idea in theory (used mostly to harass brown people on coveted property) but for the most part the average folks who call in can expect a waiting period of sometime between 2 weeks and never. It varies.

Anyhoo, now that summer and lawn mowing season is in full effect . . . Bad Kansas City neighbors who won't cut their lawn are a constant concern. I can sympathize but in reality people should know that if they are unlucky enough to be facing a really bad problem of this nature they should start complaining now in order to get a response by August.

Kansas City has no talent

By now you've already know that American Idol auditions are going to be in Kansas City again. However, I was thinking that this showcase of mediocrity is especially pointless this time around not only because the ratings of the show are sinking but also because the odds of some d-bag from this town winning twice are infinitesimal and (other than Fox4) nobody remembers the guy who won last time by garnering the almost complete support of Kansas City media or the Soul Patrol or whoever.

Breaking up is hard (and expensive) to do

Financial trouble brews between KC, Independence schools . . . Given that there are millions at stake, this is probably a lot worse than the average fight with an ex and yelling at the broad to give your favorite t-shirt back.

One more reason for Kansas City Catholics to lose faith (along with the will to donate)

Alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse filed two new suits Thursday against the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph . . . Boy oh, boy. (Sorry God.)

Presenting Friday's Link Fest

Hey Dumbass: No fireworks at Liberty Memorial this 4th or any other.

A newsworthy case of bad gas: More Tainted Gas Claims . . . This time in Kansas City

Belly up: Weight Loss Center Files for Bankruptcy

Food for thought, it's time to empty the cages since there's little money to pay for the animals anyway: Zoo will offer cupcakes on Saturday

Making it slightly harder to get Meth: Council approves ordinance to deter scrap-metal thefts

Hopefully a deterrent to another Butler Building: KC restricts Nelson-Atkins museum's use of Rockhill Tennis Club building

Kansas City's immigrant to revile for today: A detailed description of a tax fraud scheme by a Kenyan woman living in Kansas City

Thank you Missouri Republicans for making everyone in the state worry about student loans: MOHELA Board Delays Payment For Building Plan

Bravo to the Kansas City Kansan for dutifully reporting the most boring story on the planet: UG gives 120-day moratorium on carports

Most importantly, I discovered that a photo gallery featuring Melissa Jiménez in the latest edition of Complex magazine was a nice way to start the day.

At the very least, the Show-Me State Governor protected us from a dystopian nightmare scenario involving robots

Gov. Matt Blunt signed a bill Thursday prohibiting companies in Missouri from forcing workers to have microchips implanted in their bodies . . . So, it's just a bit easier to overlook his failures when it comes to education, the economy, and health care knowing that the Governor has put off Armageddon by way of our future robot overlords . . . If only for a little while.

Wrap it up and be careful Kansas City!!!

These health stats for Kansas City reveal that there is still an element of risk for all of your unwise weekend hookups:

Kansas City, Mo., had 65 new cases of HIV reported in the first five months of 2008. Of these new cases, 82 percent are males, 64 percent are males over the age of 30 and 49 percent are black males.

Use condoms, be careful and remember that most things people say while hooking up are lies.

Blogger Backtalk: Bright and early edition

Here are some of the best Kansas City blogger post I'm reading this morning:

The Kansas City Blue Blog Contends: Top Republicans Admit Graves (and others) Are Lying to Voters Over Chinese Oil Drilling Story

Nick Sloan notices: When Reporters Attack Media, Media Strikes Back

From Conservatism with Heart: Republicans never run out of energy to call Dems on their hypocritical policies.

Some surprising Thoughts from Kansas: "McCain's numbers in Kansas are about as weak as Pat Roberts's, suggesting that we could see Democrats winning from the top to the bottom of the Kansas ballot."

KANSAS CITY BBQ FROM HOMOSEXUAL TOP GUN MOVIE BURNED DOWN!!!

Sad news for Kansas City's place in cinema history. Apparently, "Kansas City Barbeque" recently burned down:

A fire that started in an open cooking pit Thursday at Kansas City Barbeque gutted the landmark Marina area eatery, known for being in the 1986 Tom Cruise movie “Top Gun.”

No homo on you for not already knowing that Top Gun is one of the most overtly homosexual and subversive movies ever made.

Here's a clip from a shitty movie where Quentin Tarantino explains it all:



I think they still play that "Go the ghey way" movie every 4th of July all weekend on TBS for some strange reason. It's kind of disrespectful that these pilots weren't really practicing aerial combat but instead were working on sword-fighting. Still, it's sad to see a Kansas City landmark, that's not in Kansas City, destroyed for some other reason than the Downtown Renaissance.

Respectfully providing some evening links

Somebody just e-mailed me and told me I've been a bit "hard on the women." I couldn't agree more . . . I promise to be more gentle in the future. Or not.

Here are the afternoon links I'm looking at:

UNDERCOVER KCPD CAR STOLEN!!! Somewhere in Kansas City people in a chop shop are panicking. Sadly, the robbery occurred in May so there's probably no trace of it now.

If only they'd make the have the same consideration for minority youth: 'Dogs Night Out' at Power & Light

Lee's Summit obviously isn't safe for cyclists: "A 14-year-old boy is recovering after a car hit him while he was on his bicycle in Lee's Summit, Mo."

An alternative fuel source isn't going to come out of this town: Kansas City Ethanol Company Shutting Down

Because they know you weren't listening anyway: "Air Waves Go Commercial-Free for 'Feed the Children' Fundraiser"

4-Year-Old Boy Hurt In Hit-And-Run In OP

Kansas City Still loves tax credits: "Tax credit discussion attracts crowd"

Motorcyclist Killed In KCK Crash

Once again Kansas City serves up disappointment: Unattended Cooking Sparks Morning Fire

Downfall by way of a white broad

McCaskill Hurts Obama in Missouri

I hate it when I agree with the CCP

Blog CCP: Harris Takes on Greedy Oil Companies

Kickass photos from the K

The KC Guy posts some awesome photos which will forever document a nice Royals winning streak . . . That will ultimately end in disappointment.

What in the hell are you going to do with yourself Kansas City?

Kansas City Weekend Events June 27-29th, 2008 . . . Here's another good list as well.

News is politics: TKC saves Kansas City from at least one instance of nepotism!!!

There's a bit of political reaction reported as "truth" on Prime Buzz today. TKC is taking just a little time to clarify since it's not that important. Turns out this blog scared Gwen Wolf silly, we hear she is an excitable broad anyhoo. She denies that she'll be on the Arts Commission but that's only AFTER TKC raised the issue of how well her family is making out under the Funky regime.

ONE AGAIN AT THE ZERO HOUR, TKC HELPS KANSAS CITY FIGHT NEPOTISM IN AN ADORABLY JOKEY WAY!!!

I'm glad TKC TIPSTERS (STAND UP!!!) and I can rattle the cages of at least a few local politicos and their wives . . . Too bad the Mayor won't show this blog (and the City Council along with many of their constituents) the same kind of consideration.

Anyhoo . . . Just wanted to once again thank TKC tipsters and wish Gwen Wolf well since she'll be having a bit more spare time to spend her husband's 300k+ compensation package from Kansas City.

TKC EXCLUSIVE KC SCHOOL BOARD QUESTION!!! Will Airick Leonard West attend the coronation of Marilyn Simmons?

Tonight there is a sexy party for the Queen of the Kansas City School District.

School Board President Marilyn Simmons will be honored by a bunch of Kansas City big wigs at a party in the Urban League Complex at 1710 Paseo Blvd.

The pricey shin-dig is, of course, sponsored by some of the most important people (mostly lawyers) in Kansas City. Names that you'd recognize like:

Husch Blackwell Sanders
McDaniel Hazley Group
Spencer Fane Britt & Browne
Fields and Brown
Clinton Adams Law Firm
Urban League of Greater Kansas City

The list of people who support the event goes on and on as well . . . But TKC didn't see a spotlight for one name that's extremely popular in the local blogosphere . . .

I guess I wondered if Airick Leonard West would attend (even though he's on the guest list) because:

AIRICK LEONARD WEST ABSTAINED IN THE VOTE FOR MARILYN SIMMONS TO BECOME SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT!!!

That fact wasn't reported (at all) in the mainstream media but it will have a great deal of impact on not only Mr. West's career but also the future of the School Board.

See, the talk is that the lack of support from Mr. West was a direct affront to the lady who will now be in charge and that puts a lot of his talk of "change" in jeopardy even if those sentiments are constantly championed by local bloggers who don't really know how things work in Kansas City.

Put simply, rumor has it that Mr. West is an excellent human being and therefore has ALREADY BEEN SHUT OUT of any significant decision making at the School Board. Actually, that's not too hard to believe . . . TKC made contact with Mr. West for this post but I never got back in touch with him because that would be way too much like actual work . . . It's better to just blog the gossip because that's way more interesting and far more reliable than what is reported in newspapers or local media.

And the word is out as far as the Kansas City School Board is concerned: Nothing has changed, the same old patronage is the rule of the day, all dissenters will be isolated or politically destroyed and maintaining control of the district by the Black Political Elite in order to ensure perks is far more important that educating students or improving the desperate situation at many KC Schools.

So far there's really only one solution to this mess and that's for any parent who can afford it to run as far away as possible from the KC School District for the sake of their children or find ANY OTHER alternative. The only way this district can't screw up something is if they don't have any control over it . . . And, sadly, even their parties seem crooked, contentious and nothing but an occasion to lament one of Kansas City's worst embarrassments.

TKC Exclusive!!! So I was thinking about starting a fashion line in order to lure female reporters in Kansas City!!!

My birthday is coming up and I think I'm getting a tad sentimental in my old age . . . See, back when my fangs were sharp and I found a bunch of photos of Kansas City female reporters working a second job as fashion models for some KC DJ tragically named Sike I WOULD HAVE went off on a vicious tirade about how all women newsies are nothing more than eye candy working for big media and their skills are directly proportional to their bra size or how good their ass looks in a thong.

But I've matured.

Instead, I think a female reporter moonlighting as fashion model signals that newsy ladies have MANY TALENTS which Kansas City can enjoy if they hang out in the right hipster bar or happen to fall in to some venue where these career ladies are showing off the goods.

Additionally, I like the camaraderie among female newsies who would never do something like send an acerbic blogger a link to a local fashion webpage in order to settle a score:



Nope, lady reporters can easily make the transition to fashion models if they are in love with both forms of expression. I'm sure there's a lot of crossover in the skill set required for young career women in both fields.



Even better, there's really no difference in the pose a lady strikes as a reporter or that of a hip-hop fashion model.



Clearly, female reporters have come a long way baby!!! And I'm not just saying that because I may or may not have been hurt a great many times and now only regard women as dangerous objects. Actually, TKC is happy to see that women journalists aren't just a bunch of pretty faces but ladies who can put their talents to use in a variety of different media.

Put simply, NADIA PFLAUM IS NEITHER A CHICKENHEAD NOR A WHORE!!! That goes for Jeneé/Hoopz too.

Mexicans would die to work in Kansas City

KSHB has a pretty good story about the dangers awaiting Latino immigrants working in Kansas City:

Day Laborers Take Risky Jobs

It turns out the dude who was impaled to a fence yesterday while painting a house was one of the guys who hangs out at the Westside CAN Center.

Of course there's nothing but the typical racism and ignorance from annony commenters on this story but it demonstrates an important point:

Legal or not, Latinos working in Kansas City are willing to die on the job for AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICES!!!

Sorry, but there's just not that kind of commitment or drive among American workers who get awesome things like OSHA regulation, health insurance and hazard pay.

Racists and other d-bags who are frustrated that nobody cares about single-issue voters often lament each and every instance of Latino immigrants harming U.S. citizens . . . However, this is a case where good-old fashioned American capitalism killed somebody. Far be it from me to try to convince anybody of the humanity of brown people (especially since the term "white devil" is one of my favorite phrases [only when it comes to sessy, dirty, phone talk]) but I'm guessing that until there are homegrown workers willing to take the risk of impaling themselves to a fence and dying a bloody, gruesome death for a wage that's only slightly above cost . . . Then there's nothing anybody can really do about the immigration problem that doesn't involve pie-in-the-sky multi-faceted solutions like ridiculous border walls, eliminating welfare and urging white women to stop dating minorities . . .

TKC's Dress Code Compromise!!!

There's a really funny cartoon about Cordish dress code policy on The Star's website.

And I've been giving the subject a lot of thought lately . . . I was thinking that, unlike the Mayor, I'd be happy to make a compromise.

This blog will totally back off all criticisms regarding the bigoted Cordish dress code policy IF THE P&L DISTRICT STARTS BANNING DANGEROUS ITEMS FROM WHITE COUNTRY MUSIC CULTURE AS WELL!!!

For instance, I don't know what it is with broads who like Toby Keith and Brooks and Dunn and Otis Spunkmeyer or whoever . . . But like the late, great Anna Nicole featured above they don't know that broads over 250 shouldn't show a lot of arm and shoulder. Seriously, beefy country music listening broads are not only intimidating but also pose a clear and present danger to anyone in the vicinity showing off their "guns" in a crowded part of town where a mere spaghetti strap prevents us all form seeing something that just might thwart the male obsession with Mammary glands.

And then there's those big belt buckles . . . They're not only stupid but they could be used to conceal anything from a gun to half a dozen Latino immigrants working construction jobs.



Clearly, some dude who wears a stupid, big, belt buckle is a part of a dangerous Hank Williams Jr. drinking culture that revels in bar fights and recreational drug use of substances that rot teeth . . . I believe the stats back me up on this OR just pay a visit to Independence on a Friday Night to contradict all myths of white supremacy.

Anyhoo . . . That's my compromise and I'd be happy to work out the details for a huge consulting fee and the title of "Official Boobie Inspector" at the P&L district. I have my own t-shirt.

Just to clean up this place . . . Here are two additional links I had nowhere to put:

Not like anyone cares . . . But here: Quindaro Ruins moving toward becoming more tourist friendly

Please use this link to make unsubstantiated comments about your least favorite candidate for JaxCo Sheriff: County sheriff to take Blue Springs school job

Kansas City blame game news: Jabba stays winning at everyone else's expense!!!

I voted for her for Mayor . . . She could be the most gully lady politico Kansas City has ever seen at least in terms of proving that women can be just as corrupt as any dude . . . TKC prizes efforts to maintain equality above all else: Three get probation in mortgage fraud scam involving Katheryn Shields

KANSAS CITY DONUT FIGHT!!!

Can't believe I almost missed this one . . . I don't think there's a more appropriate story offering a depiction of life in KCK or the Midwest for that matter:

A fight broke out Tuesday morning between a convenience store clerk and a customer over a package of doughnuts.

Sadly, there are plenty of local donut shops (like Lamar's) where I'd gladly fight to the death for the sugary sweet fried bread . . . However, getting into it over week-old gas station donuts just seems like a bad decision. In directly related news, Around 24 million people in the United States have diabetes, up 15 percent from two years ago.

Hey Kansas City, let's annoy Adult Swim on behalf of a local comic book!!!

A local blogger and comic book creator provides some contact information and asks: "If you read Thunder Road and enjoyed it, send some support."

Kansas City kills a blogger's tree!!!

Recently, "Another KC blog" filed a heartwarming and informative post about how the City chopped down a tree near his house and how he's coping.

Cut to the chase: It may not be wise to argue with dudes holding chainsaws but blogging is one of the best ways to deal with loss.

Students, it's time to learn that divisive racial politics are far more powerful than Unions in Kansas City

KC Teachers Hold Rally Over Contract Issues

Going back to Cali

Amato chosen as Stockton, Calif., superintendent OR the last, best hope for the faltering Kansas City School District is about to head west and ride off into the Sunset.

Double Bonus Points: What classic 80's coke movie featured the track linked above by L.L. Cool J?

Hint: It featured Iron Man giving a BJ.

KC Zoo budget struggles to feed animals. In other words: Screw the homeless, laid off City Hall employees and the working poor!!!

The mere fact that there is coverage of that fact that the Zoo is having a hard time with it's food budget proves that Kansas City's values are completely screwed up . . . And that the Zoo needs to throw a BBQ and turn this situation to the advantage of hungry visitors.

Taking apart JoCo's favorite Democrat!!!

The Kansas Citian recently posted a scathing post concerning Congressman Dennis Moore. Here's the money line: "At one time Congressman Moore was against immunity for telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon who were complicit in the federal government's illegal wiretap program. But $18,900 later he saw the error of his ways and voted yes on FISA." However, since this issue has nothing to do with shopping, property values or racial profiling . . . I'm wondering if it will resonate with the people of JoCo. TKC Fact: It's no surprise the most vapid community in the region gets the political representation that inspires an equivalent amount of animosity.

Kansas City went crazy over cock!!!

No homo on that ghey headline . . . However, a local chicken fighting story got a lot of play yesterday, I think because it was one of those headlines that was easy to joke and wasn't overtly political. Here are some newsies and bloggers who got into the act:

3 AM: Cock blocked

RDM: Attention all cock lovers!!!

Crime Scene KC: JoCo Sheriff busts alleged cockfighting operation

KSHB: Cockfighting Ring Grows in Johnson County

Cock lovers all . . . Kidding.

???

Another big media offering that won't be able to comment as freely or criticize as roughly as rogue bloggers

Introducing the all-new PITCH SPORTS BLOG . . . Actually, I'm hoping this blog does well since TKC doesn't really cover sports unless it is in a cultural sense to point out the mediocrity that's inherent at every strata of this town . . . But as far as box scores go . . . I could care less. Because I'm an adult, I don't really have time to participate in the charade of sport for it's own sake and ignore the inherent inequities and hypocrisy that are a part of the game and a reflection of our society. Also, since childhood in this town I've learned that even the most impressive winning streak ends with a losing effort and hope/hype in order to sell more tickets.

New Blog: The Weekly Dive

Scooter J starts a noble endeavor . . . A blog dedicated to area dive bars. Check it out!!!

Now let's look at some links

I think starting off the morning with a few lesser links is the way to go . . . Here are a few interesting stories that didn't quite merit a post in my book:

Funkhouser finally does the right thing concerning the Parks Board, it only took him a year and loss of support in the urban core!!!

Hey, if the recession means locking up less minorities, then maybe it's not all so bad: Missouri was the only state to see consistently declining prison populations over an 18-month period

Kansas City hit and run scumbag takes the term literally: Driver Hits Woman, Flees on Foot

Con threatening America's Super-retailer, loses just like small towns and Chinese toddlers who make most of the company's products: Prison Inmate Admits Threatening KC Wal-Mart

Challenging Phill Kline on his record as a prosecutor could be a winning strategy for his opponent given that on all matters of faith and morality Kline is infallible like the pope according to Fundies (who hate the Pope).

Kelly Brook, Kansas City and a lucky sofa

I have a few interesting items that I've been saving up for this morning but nothing as captivating as a recent photo gallery of Kelly Brook. Still, there's a lot of good stuff out there that I'm looking at in the local blogosphere and from kickass TKC tipsters as well . . . However, I'm not gonna rush it and this may be a bit of relaxing, loungy late night blogging session. Stay tuned!!!

Kansas City Blogger Coverage!!!

Alonzo Washington is probably Kansas City's most important blogger . . . Not just because of his blog but because of the important work he does in the real world fighting crime and the creative way that he promotes it online.

Local newsies and the public have taken notice and now one more media outlet is running a feature in order to document the Crime Fighter's online and real world achievements. Here's a link to a well-deserved feature from The Wednesday Sun:

Crime Crusader

Local civic activist fights crime using resident tips, MySpace page

Again, the most important part of the article is related to the real world work that Mr. Washington has done to fight local crime. However, what's important here to the average blogger is that by promoting his efforts online he has made it even harder for the media to ignore his work. A LOT of people are reading his page, he seems to be contacted more and more by reporters who want additional info to supplement what he dishes online and TKC has linked to at least a half a dozen cases which he has helped to solve via his blog.

Mr. Washington's web strategy is solid . . . His fight against crime is welcomed, Kansas City bloggers could learn a thing or two from a local activist who uses the Internet to help change the Kansas City metropolitan area for the better.

Meanwhile . . . TKC is looking for more photos of Brazilian super model Karolína Kurková since she has become a bit chunky in a very sexy way . . . My work is important as well!!!

KC Jobs for Convicts (non real-estate)

KC Currents files an excellent report on businesses in the Kansas City area that make a point of hiring ex-offenders.

Attention drivers: The sound of rampant Kansas City gunfire can be distracting

Gunfire in the area of East 42nd Street and Bellefontaine Avenue caused a woman to crash her car late Tuesday night, police said

KANSAS CITY SAYS "OUCH!!!"

My God, this hurts to even think about:

A Kansas City man was killed Wednesday morning after he FELL OFF A ROOF AND IMPALED HIMSELF ON A FENCE!!!

UPDATE:

Hey Cameraman has a photo of the house where the guy fell.

KMBC: Worker Refurbishing Home Falls To His Death

KSHB: Fall From Roof Kills Man in KC

KCTV5: Man Dies After Fall In Kansas City

KANSAS CITY BLOGGER IRONY!!!

The Source is the political blog of the Jeff Roe concern. For those of you living in a cave, Roe is the Republican Machiavelli of the Kansas City political scene and probably the name that local Democrats fear most. Today he has an AMAZING post regarding Kay Barnes and the money she has taken from Cordish. Mind you, if he was serious I'd support this kind of post 100% but this is from the same crew that used "gay Barnes" insults and constantly supported that Crazy Old Lady Frances Semler (or rather Mayor Funky's decision) because of an anti-Latino wave of Republican Immigration rhetoric that didn't really help their cause.

Still, I have to admit that the recent post at The Source is damn clever. On the face of it, I would be absolutely convinced that The Source cared about discriminatory dress code policy . . . However, since I am familiar with "the source" of this interesting tactic . . . I'm guessing it's just one of many unique ways to expose a great many inconsistencies held by Former Mayor Kay. Whereas Roe's boy Graves is without question towing the party line for the Republicans on almost every issue and acted as little more than a rubber stamp for the vast majority of G.W. Bush's bad decisions.

Billions for pricey light rail and support for Mayor Funky is still being disguised as a rebellion against the KC "elite." Ugh.

Apparently, The Pitch is the last publication still buying the Orange Revolution line and a recent column by David Martin might as well have been written by former Pitch Staffer Joe Miller. It's the same tired line about how the "elite" won't give the "regular folk" what they want!!! It's a great strategy until the sticker shock for a MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR light rail plan full of flaws is revealed as the alternative. Also, I'm surprised that The Pitch is still in the pocket of the Funky Administration despite their low approval rating in the urban core. Seriously.

Will Kansas Stay Red?

A battle cry from Stay Red Kansas: BATTLE FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE

Kansas City might soon respond to a reactionary radio talker who is nearly as bad as Hitler with an endorsement of cops denying medical care!!!

There's news that the fired police officers will appeal their termination in the Sofia Salva case. To date, the Police Board has upheld the action against the pair and people around the world reacted in disgust to the story of two rogue KCPD officers letting a woman bleed on the side of the road and later miscarry her child. Even better, a couple of KCPD sources revealed to TKC that in general the rank and file within the KCPD don't feel much sympathy for the cops involved and regard their actions as unprofessional.

Sadly, a local radio talker with poor ratings who is on the cusp of being replaced is using this case to bolster his stagnant career. Kansas City activists and community leaders have taken notice as an e-mail is now circulating which claims to have news of the talkers testimony in front of the Police Board on behalf of the officers involved in the Salva Case. Some of the most politically active people in Kansas City are rallying in order to create a response to this talker who is cynically taking a page from Michael Savage's book in order to draw attention to himself . . . Unfortunately, this isn't an attack on underrepresented immigrant groups but an affront to Kansas City's African-American Community which by and large viewed the issue as a clear cut case of racial disparity in treatment (or lack thereof) which was properly addressed by the Police Board and the KCPD Chief.

I tend not to get too upset when looking at any publicity stunt about to go horribly wrong. The radio d-bag is in question does nothing but run an infomercial for his old boss that has consistently pulled in mediocre numbers . . . Still a public smackdown is always a treat and it has been proven time and time again that obnoxious media personalities outside their comfort zone often seem small, petty and powerless . . . Which is why I seldom leave this basement.

In KC Proper there are very few people who feel that the cops who lost their jobs because of their refusal to provide medical treatment to a bleeding woman were treated unjustly (especially given their offense) . . . However, in the make believe world of talk radio there are always a few shut-ins who get riled up over obvious ploys to engage in identity politics. I can only hope that a gathering response to the talker will demonstrate which group holds the real political power in Kansas City and will be swift, loud and decisive . . . Still, like most things involving local media, I'm prepared to be disappointed.

Kansas City blog shoutouts on KMBZ

TKC will be talking local blogs on KMBZ at around 8:30 in the AM.

Tune into Kansas City's Morning News with E.J. and Ellen to listen to TKC name check a lot of local blogs who have been contributing important newsy items to the local blogosphere and not just photos of kittens . . . Okay, photos of kittens too.

Even more Kansas City opposition to bare feet, racist language, sexy comments and craziness in the Mayor's office!!!

According to today's editorial from The Wednesday Sun: "Squitiro causing more harm than good for city"

Clearly, opposition to Mayor Funky's nepotism and stubbornness has now filtered down from the political elite and mainstream media figures to smaller community publications and the rest of the plebs. Funkhouser's stand on this one is utterly indefensible and every day Squitiro stays at City Hall Kansas City's Mayor loses credibility.

Personally, I'm just waiting to read the next Holiday letter but I'm pretty sure that NO ONE in Kansas City media has advocated that Squitiro is an essential and beneficial part of the Mayoral Administration.

Since public support for Squitiro is at absolute zero . . . I think the Council has a lot of freedom to act on this one and should just directly address the Co-Mayors . . . The vast majority of voters and Council people agree that she needs to go so a resolution should be drafted directly aimed at Squitiro who has not only become Kansas City's biggest distraction but also someone who is now costing Kansas City because of her "volunteer" services . . . There's no denying that any other volunteer would have been dismissed at this point and Funkhouser's endorsement of nepotism at the highest levels of City Government demonstrates that a great deal of his talk regarding reform was only empty rhetoric.

Gloria Must Go . . . Kansas City doesn't need a Co-Mayor . . . TKC would actually like to see someone, anyone defend her conduct other than anonymous d-bags on local blogs.

A KC blogger smokes the cancer lobby

Check out the big brain on local blogger Brad as he writes a point by point rebuke of arguements used by pro-smoking forces in Kansas City. It's a must-read post that makes a lot of sense for the majority of folks who don't own a pub or restaurant.

An extended break from/for Jackson County

Jackson County considers four-day workweek. Since I can't figure out exactly what they do other than impose taxes on a great deal of Kansas City at the behest of the Hunt family . . . I'm gonna go ahead and say this is a good thing.

The move is being touted as an environmental initiative to cut back on fuel cost. I'm also guessing that the stench hasn't quite cleared from Kathryn Shield's tenure so maybe a lot of three day weekends will clear the air. And, to be fair, TKC has a few friends at the County who do work exceptionally hard and deserve one less trip to the office . . . Look for telecommuting to play a bigger role in local government, especially since Light Rail isn't going anywhere according to most people working at Jackson County.

Parking garage food (ew) is on KC's tab

Charlie's bistro and KFC behind more than 30k on rent to Kansas City

Kansas City factoid: One less stereotype in this town than I initially suspected

Atlanta is the only franchise to never play in Kansas City

A (delicious) offer you can't refuse (ugh)

KC's Garozzo and Gitto get Italian restaurant deal with Harrah's . . . Enjoy high priced noodles with half the charm of the Asian buffet that sometimes actually hosts Asian people cooking the food (usually it's all cooked by Mexicans no matter what the ethnic persuasion of the cuisine).

Another Downtown place about to go under. Apparently, the "Renaissance" promised by the P&L District is working in reverse!!!

Downtown restaurant/bar The Studio stops serving Breakfast and lunch . . . Probably getting ready to close.

A new direction for Northeast

The Northeast News reports, Stop signs are back at the Benton traffic circle and drivers are no longer confused at who needs to yield to whom. TKC thinks Spanish signs could be coming soon . . . To really avoid any confusion about where the neighborhood is headed.

BP pushing bad gas in Kansas

Tainted Fuel Troubling Drivers

A Kansas City School District lesson in negotiation: Students always lose!!!

Kansas City school district will terminate contract with teachers . . . The lesson for today students (and teachers) is that group who can't effectively use divisive racial politics to their advantage won't get much support from lawmakers or the locals. Also, advanced degrees in Education < political connections.

Kansas City Schools are serving up some delicious patronage

The Kansas City district's school board is poised to rush through a $7 million food contract . . . Don't worry, there won't be much investigation as to the relationships between School Board members and people on the receiving end of those contracts . . . Even though that's pretty much all that middle-management can talk about . . . Developing (or not)

Kansas City concert scene could now include a popular artist from the early 90's!!!

The d-bag at Wayward Blog suggests that Beck is coming to town . . . And only a decade after his last hit!!!

Vegging out with a local blogger

May's Machete: "What I Wish I Knew When I Became a Vegetarian" Interesting stuff that thankfully doesn't include any restaurant suggestions.

A Kansas City blogger offers a few suggestions for improving the sounds of false hope at the K

An open letter to the Royals - A plea for better music from a local blogger.

Students, it's time for a lesson about debt

Raytown's preliminary 2009 school budget has $4.2 million deficit

Putting it together this morning

Here are just a some of the links I'm looking at this morning:

Park board approves Korean War Memorial

It's time to stop programs that encourage anal. EW!!! This is actually good news: 22 States Refuse Abstinence Education Grants

Life in the suburbs is one big scam: Gladstone puts out the word on alleged roofing scams

Shitty, boring sewer plan from Star columnist

BBQ: The only subject where I feel it's safe to say that Kansas City kicks the ass of Texas.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! WAL-MART CONVENTION ABANDONS KANSAS CITY!!!

It's official:

KANSAS CITY HAS LOST A VERY IMPORTANT WAL-MART CONVENTION BECAUSE OF THE INCOMPETENCE OF KANSAS CITY POLITICOS TO ACCOMMODATE THE COMPANY AND THEIR VISITORS!!!

There's enough blame to go around here for everybody but remember that TKC reported earlier (thanks to awesome tipsters) that a few Wal-Mart officals mentioned privately that the Sprint Center would not accommodate them because of hopes for a major league sports franchise somewhere in the far off future. Expect news of this move from The Star sometimes later this week with a few more details and not one bit of credit for TKC . . . But more importantly, now Kansas City businesses are paying the price for this wrongheaded and naive strategy that still hopes for a sports franchise and a few weekend parties to create a "Downtown Renaissance" or whatever.

Additionally, the shuttle plan for Kemper just didn't work at Wal-Mart officals reportedly felt that their people would just spend too much time on the bus. Never before has it been so obvious that downtown needs more hotels and Kansas City politicos need to do their homeworks when it comes to keeping these revenue generating conventions in this city.

Sadly, the Wal-Mart convention that was slated for 2009 will now take place in Orlando . . . If Kansas City politicos can't get it together when it comes to working to keep business in the Downtown area instead of relying on the self-serving motives of Cordish and AEG . . . Expect more of the same.

Here's evening TV news coverage:

Another Convention Pulls Out of KC

Wal-Mart Pulls Convention From KC

Refreshing afternoon links

A lot of links this evening with none of the big media attitude regarding the ownership of information. Enjoy!!!

Crime Scene KC reports on more instances of "stop snitchin" stupidity: Victim won't help catch shooters, KCPD says

Plane Crashes After Takeoff At JoCo Airport

Officers Honored For Response To Mall Shooting

For the love of God please stop reporting on David Cook!!! David Cook Admits Having Someone Special on The View

More Northland Crime: A woman and her two kids were carjacked at gunpoint in North Kansas City Monday night.

Study: KC ranks No. 24 for high-tech jobs

Local Woman Wins On 'Price Is Right' . . . Local blogger notices!!!

Police Called To Kansas City Washing Machine Battle!!!

Alonzo Washington Exclusive: The Power & Light District will change their dress code!

Kansas City blogger examines the cost of killing local dogs and a pricey City program

Personally, I could care less how many pit bulls or dangerous animals get killed in Kansas City but instead of criticising local blog "Toellner Tells It" for showing animals far more concern than he's ever demonstrated for the Eastside . . . I should point out that his cost-benefit analysis of Kansas City's spay/neuter program is insightful and contradicts a lot of reporting from The Star with independent information . . . The appropriate way to look at this issue is always from a financial perspective and if they could find a cheaper way to kill stray or dangerous mutts than that would be an improvement. And all of this makes me hungry for Korean BBQ.

Light Rail in KCK?!?!?

Nick Sloan shows that KCK is making a lot more progress than KC folks when it comes to the future of transportation: "Is It Time For Kansas To Consider Its Own Light Rail Plan?" It's also worth considering that relatively their downtown area is far more dense than Kansas City's with a much better destination/(affordable) living space ratio so this idea isn't completely out of sorts.

"Yael Wants to Make Tabacco Illegal"

Recently, the Kansas Citian has been taking apart a Kansas City columnist with a vengeance . . . His latest missive is worth a read.

Join the club!!! Kansas City bloggers rarely get a link from Big Media!!!

TKC thinks DeAnn Smith is probably one of the best and hottest reporters in Kansas City, therefore I don't mind that much that I didn't get a link in a recent post of hers. I realize that she has more journalism mojo in her little finger than I have in my ample 5'10 frame. (ew) Anyhoo . . . The most important thing is that serious media experts like BLC are starting to examine the role that blogs play in local journalism. And, for the record, the media snags stories from Bottomline Communications and The Kansas City Post far more than TKC because I'm a bastard about yelling (blogging) at them for it.

As for DeAnn, I'm always trying to figure out a way for attractive white women to believe that they owe me something . . . So all is going according to my "long plan" Mwahahahahahahhaha!

TKC Exclusive!!! Kansas City's Little Prince is looking for a Sperm Bank!!!

TKC Tipsters stand up!!! I'm not so surprised that the Mayor's son is kinda nasty (or maybe just curious) what I find more intriguing is that people still use LiveJournal.

Anyhoo . . . TKC readers (the most awesome, sexy and kickass people on the planet) recently stumbled upon a comment from Andrew Squitiro yesterday regarding the location of Kansas City sperm banks.

In order to be informative and helpful I decided to to a bit of research; I had no idea offhand because I'm not looking sperm (NO HOMO!!!) but I think the Reproductive Resource Center of Kansas City might be a good place to start . . . Also, female marketing execs don't count as an answer.

Personally, this is a subject I'd like to avoid but TKC readers are a helpful bunch (of d-bags) so please feel free to provide some answers as to the location of a sperm bank in Kansas City.

Here are more answers concerning the location of a Kansas City sperm bank THAT ARE NOT HELPFUL:

Recently divorced JoCo women.

3/4ths of all the dudes who call themselves meteorologists in this town. (Ew)

Female sports reporters

3/4ths of all the assistants to influential politicos in Kansas City

Socks and dirty t-shirts

Your mileage may vary . . . Be nice, Kansas City's Little Prince deserves a lot of consideration even though he has written a lot of crap about TKC online. Still, since Mayor Funky's wife regularly uses her family as political points and filler for her weekly newsletters . . . It's kind of open season on the local mini-celebrity who stands 6'5 and might be the last young adult in Kansas City who believes the Mayor's misleading rhetoric about everything from light rail to Mammygate.

Battling back against the lies of Mayor Funky supporters concerning "MammyGate"

The PR war against the victim of Gloria Squitiro's "Mammy" slur has already begun . . . Mayor Funky's people are now out in full force spreading lies regarding the case so I thought it was important to take apart their falsehoods one by one.

I'm listing the most popular misleading statements associated with "Mammygate" made by Funkhouser supporters and the facts which disprove them:

"The victim of the Mammy slur wasn't fired, she quit, she was offered another job so there was no retaliation." FALSE - Not only was the person in question fired but that firing was unethically arranged by Gloria Squitiro, a so-called City Hall Volunteer who is listed as staff and has a City Hall e-mail address. Squitiro consulted with the City's legal department and human resources regarding the firing i.e. she stupidly left a trail of witnesses . . . Furthermore, in a memo sent out on the day of the firing, the Mayor claimed that all positions in his office were political appointments, the Mayor has no right to make political appointments in the Water Department therefore his offer to the victim of the Mammy slur was not only empty but also unworkable. She was fired.

"Squitiro adds and -ee onto all of the nicknames she gives to the staff and her use of the term simply fit that pattern." FALSE - Anyone who has seen Gone with the Wind should know that saying "Mammy" to an African-American female is a nothing but a slur. There is no other excuse for this word. Here is the definition of the word from the world's most accurate encyclopedia: The Mammy archetype is the the portrayal within a narrative framework of a domestic servant of African descent, generally good-natured, often overweight,and loud.

The word 'mammy' was a variant of "mother" which is no longer in common use in North America and is widely considered an ethnic slur. Furthermore, the victim of the slur complained about the use of the term AND THEN SQUITIRO USED IT AGAIN!!! She knew the meaning of the word, when confronted she repeated it to prove her bigoted point.

"The EEOC claim initially filed was dismissed." FALSE This lie was propagated by Chris Stigall on FCC licensed airwaves without any question or challenge offered as to its validity i.e. it was basically a one-sided, political endorsement. In fact, the case against City Hall, Funkhouser and Squitiro was granted the right to sue by the EEOC.

"The victim of the Mammy slur is facing the loss of her home." FALSE - This falsehood was originally reported by The Star without any supporting data. It is a rumor manufactured by Mayor Funkhouser's media people in order to discredit the victim of Gloria Squitiro's bigotry. The claim that any personal financial motivations are behind this lawsuit is not only insulting but also tacitly endorses the use of racial slurs at City Hall. In fact, it is Mayor Funkhouser and his wife who have taken on an exorbitant number of home mortgages over the years.

"Gloria Squitiro doesn't use racist language." FALSE - From a number of sources TKC has obtained word of Squitiro using demeaning language regarding stereotypical assumptions about the penis size of African-American males. Put simply, "Big Black Dicks" is a favorite phrase of the Mayor's wife according to Brookside TKC tipsters who will hopefully step up and offer their testimony to the lawyer for the victim of the Mammy slur.

It's important to counter the lies put forth by Mayor Funky's people that are soon to be disseminated by the media . . . Hopefully, local newsies that might read this blog will pose some questions back to PR people based on the facts contained in this post.

In my heart, I'd like to believe that Kansas City doesn't approve of racist language used in the Mayor's office . . . But political spin, lackluster reporting, identity politics played by PR people are not without their influence. It's my hope that people in Kansas City will be skeptical off all the claims the read in every form of media and hopefully make up their own mind . . . Meanwhile other media childishly claim that they have a monopoly on the truth while the blogosphere thrives on debate and dissemination (not ownership) of information.

Cyclists soon to screw up Kansas City streets

Tour of Missouri Returns to KC . . . Sadly, there's only phony PR numbers regarding the economic benefit of this event but last year the sorry excuse for a sport was proven to cause hours of traffic jams and needless delay in what was yet another example that Kansas City cycling advocates and enthusiasts don't really care about this town or its residents as long as their hobby get preferential treatment.

Jesus can't get your job back

TKC Faith fun facts:

Crazy religious beliefs always belong to someone else.

Somehow I think breast implants make God smile.

Atheist/Agnostic = Someone who likes to hear themselves talk and also happens to be in relatively good health.

Double Bonus . . . Native Americans learned a long time ago (the hard way) that the best way to kill someone is to get them to adopt your belief system.

Misty Horner's Husband No Longer With Police

Cop Out of Job in Religious Deaths

Jesus loves Phill Kline (or something)

Phill Kline recently negotiated a great compromise to a contentious, nasty and mean-spirited struggle . . . Which he created.

Obviously, he has been chosen to lead. Thy will be done; here are the appropriate links:

"Lawsuit Over Kline Office Firings Dismissed"

"Kline lawsuit ended: Plaintiffs drop the case in return for a statement on their job qualifications"

"Kline, Fired Attorney's Reach Settlement"

"Former Johnson County employees drop lawsuit against Kline"

Contemplative Tuesday Morning links

Just a quick collection of other stories that I've been reading:

HYBRID CARS WILL KILL THE BLIND!!! KCTV offers a more reason story: Silent Cars Concern Blind Advocacy Groups

Sadly, summer will see many similar headlines: Man Dies In 39th, College Shooting

Awwwww, here's a story that TKC reported on Friday and like most bloggers, I didn't even get a link: About Jeff Roe and the mayoral couple's lunch

Signs of Summer: Copper Stolen From Church

Yet another broad who don't know anything about business or this town's finances: Sarah Steelman on Monday defended her opposition to embryonic stem-cell research and Kansas City's earnings tax before the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

KCPD without Cash!!!

Police Want Back Money from City . . . Of course, Mayor Funky's d-bags on the Internets will likely blame this one on Cuathen and ignore the Mayor's panicky budget cuts . . . Meanwhile Kansas City will continues to need the cops on the street we were promised and a Mayor who ranks crime as one of his top priorities.

Alonzo Washington working to fix the dress code in the P&L District

A great story from KC Currents . . . Proof that at least one local blogger follows through and fights the injustice which they document.

Cancerrific!!! Kansas City smokers embrace their right to be assholes!!!

Kansas City smoking ban has puffers in a huff . . . Or, bar and restaurant owners bring out barflys to put on a semblance of public debate.

Glory Days: Another one of the best artists from the 80's comes to Kansas City!!!

Springsteen is coming to KC . . . Seniors with disposable cash rejoice!!! Also, the local concert scene is starting to seem more and more like a late night CD collection from Time/Life.

"Who you trying to get crazy with essay, don't you know I'm loco?!?!?!?!?!!!"

Latinos need better access to mental health care . . . Screw your smartass remarks, double bonus points for the first person to name the song and name of TKC's favorite rap group.

All roads in local radio lead to lite rock

Tanna Guthrie back on air for KUDL as DJs shift spots

Church Planting season in Kansas City

The Cawley blog features a fascinating post about founding a church in this town.

The short story, for those who don't already know, is that Katie and I have been praying, planning, and dreaming about planting a church in Kansas City since 2005, and my dreams for KC date back much further than that. After a great deal of prayer and a long weekend of marathon meetings in KC last winter, we started moving forward with plans to plant.

It's a neat behind the scenes look at how the Redeemer Fellowship was launched. Double Bonus: The faith community seems to be VERY tech savvy and not only has sleek website but also maintains a Twitter account.

Kansas City Fact: Bus fare is cheaper than billions for a shaky light rail scheme!!!

JayBird's KC: "Bus System More Popular Then Light Rail!"

P&L District Kills Downtown Entertainment and even more local businesses!!!

If it wasn't tragic, it would be ironic . . . Sadly, Kansas City sacrificed longtime local businesses for Electric Avenue and now the aftermath is that outside a few chains and stale corporate venues . . . There's STILL not much to do downtown. The worst part is that the crowd of JoCo people still aren't paying off the bonds for the place as yet another downtown destination closes. Tanner's (my second favorite bar) closes . . . Thank you for the genius plan Cordish!!! An even better headline from RDM: Coward & White District claims another victim

Ugly Ass, Unidentified Animal in Kansas City

Tell this blogger what the hell it is she took a picture of . . . TKC suggestion: Demon Devil dog, jackal or any other spooky sign of the apocalypse.

Everything is getting worse Kansas City!!!

There was a rumor floated by The Star's business section sometime during the Winter that Kansas City was better prepared to handle the current recession than other towns. Like a great deal of information from this town's faltering paper of record . . . It turned out to be untrue. In fact, Kansas City seems to be doing worse than other metro areas according to this recent article from Texas:

Kansas City, where the unemployment rate jumped from 5 percent in April to 5.5 percent in May.

Personally, I blame this all on David Cook but then again a local media leader that doesn't want to face facts is probably responsible as well.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! WOLF FAMILY STAYS WINNING WITH MAYOR FUNKY AND CLASSIC KANSAS CITY NEPOTISM!!!

I'll be back with a far more wordy, angry and philosophical post on this one but for now I want to make sure that I scoop every news agency in town (once again) . . .

We all know that Ed Wolf, Mayor Funky's alleged Chief of Staff is raking it in with more than 300k a year in compensation from City Hall.

Then, nobody made a big deal when Ed Wolf's Republican son George was appointed to the board of Kansas City's Port Authority.

Now it seems that Mayor Funky has cleaned house at The Arts Commission in order to make room for Gwen Wolf, the crazy ass wife of his Chief of Staff to take a leadership position!!!

THESE CHOICE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE WOLF FAMILY CONSTITUTE NOT ONLY MORE INSTANCES OF NEPOTISM BY MAYOR FUNKY BUT ALSO AN ABANDONMENT OF HIS POLICY OF DISCOURAGING ELITISM WHICH HE PROMISED WHEN HE CAMPAIGNED!!!

Mayor Funky not only rewards his own family (Gloria Squitiro) with an unquestioned and unsanctioned role in the Mayor's office but now Mayor Funkhouser is seemingly creating a Kansas City Republican elite starting with the Wolf clan.

Clearly, this is yet another betrayal of his promises to Kansas City when it comes to promoting regular folks.

Even better . . . A great many people who know Gwen Wolf or have had even a brief interaction with her have TOLD TKC THAT THE THE CHIEF OF STAFF'S WIFE IS ABSOLUTELY BATSHIT CRAZY!!! I've heard she regularly screams at reporters and is full of nasty insults for her perceived opposition. It's no surprise that Wolf and Mayor Funky have found a bit of kinship considering their spouses . . . More importantly, these appointments for one elite Kansas City family are another sign that Mayor Funky's "regular folk" rhetoric was yet another lie.

Developing . . .

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! Hoopz and a throwback Kansas City hip-hop celebration!!!

I'm not 100% sure (99.9%) but it looks like one of my favorite Star writers (Girlfriend in my mind) Jeneé Osterheldt was celebrating this weekend after avoiding the ax that fell upon some of her colleagues. She deserves it!!! It must take a lot of work writing the "Sex and the silly" column for Kansas City's paper of record.

At any rate, she picked a good occasion . . . Over the weekend, an 80's hip-hop party in Kansas City was the probably the best event in town for those people who like to listen to decent music and not just gawk at the JoCo women in the P&L District wearing those dresses that look like colorful burlap sacks . . . As with most must-see Kansas City hip-hop events, it was put together by KC rapper Reach.

Here are a few more photos, for the rest of the set provided by the promoters check out their gallery:







Let's hear it for Hoopz!!! An inspiration to Kansas City writers regarding the relative merit of their work!!!

Drug bust nabs KC dudes as well

KC Men Among Those Arrested in Drug Busts

A KC blogger laments the lack of swimmers in the Show Me State!!! Sessy!!!

May's Machete ponders a recent report which revealed that Men in Missouri have the lowest sperm counts in the nation. I don't know why but I think it's hot she's even mentioning it.

Mayor Funky clandestinely backs Republican against Former Mayor Cleaver

DeAnn Smith reports Mayor Mark Funkhouser held a meaningless metal plate press conference right next to a billboard advertising Republican Jacob Turk for Congress today . . . Please don't tell me it's an accident since it's just the kind of lame trick the Mayor's PR people substitute for having a solid message or being the slightest bit creative.

Kansas City's Stubborn Mayor calls the victim of his wife's "Mammy" slur a liar!!!

First of all . . . I'd like to point out that Mayor Funky's stubborness seems to be nearly clinical as of late. Here are a few examples from throughout last year and ending with the current controversy which KC's Mayor could have avoided:

Mayor Funky supported a member of a hate group, turned his back on Latino leaders whom he asked for help to get elected and "stuck to his guns" in support of Frances Semler.

Despite warnings and criticism the Mayor moved to fire City Manager Wayne Cauthen and had to have a judge cast a final ruling on the Cuathen matter . . . Which is still open to appeal.

Johnson County didn't want any part of the regional light rail scheme that may not get on the ballot in November . . . Nevertheless Mayor Funky pushed forward with a patchwork plan that was full of mistakes which has yet to garner any kind of consensus.

Finally, Mayor Funky has unquestioningly stood behind his wife and refuses to consider any move to get her out of City Hall . . .

Even worse, Mayor Funky's new strategy seems to be calling the victim of his wife's "Mammy" slur a liar and encouraging others to do the same. The Mayor's people are playing dirty politics and are not-so-cleverly trying to discredit the victim of Squitiro's racial slur through innuendo and rumor. Meanwhile Squitiro's pattern of behavior suggests that she routinely fails to act in a professional manner. Here are some examples:

During the campaign Squitiro referred to the Eastside as "the Black Part of town" which was a statement that got a few folks riled about her lack of sensitivity.

A bit later Squitiro made sure that Mayor Funky recieved additional security for meetings in minority communities despite previous PR gestures by the Mayor claiming that he didn't want any bodyguards.

Ms. Squitiro's descriptive vulgarity was displayed for all to see in a holiday letter describing the adventures of Kansas City's Mayor and Dr. Sausage Fingers.

But the most important depiction of Ms. Squitiro's unprofessional behavior is that there are documented reports of her walking around the Mayor's office barefoot.

And let's not forget that both Mayor Funky and Squitiro admitted that she said the word "Mammy" but only dispute the context.

Anyhoo . . . All of this adds up to the fact that the public knows very little about the victim of the Mammy slur other than what Mayor Funky's PR people feed reporters through back channels (no homo?) . . . Meanwhile, Squitiro's nasty demeanor has been well documented.

Thankfully, the court of public opinion doesn't matter much and ultimately Kansas City once again has little recourse against Mayor Funky's stubborn refusal to compromise or provide any real leadership at all.

Naive liberal thought influences Kansas City's Mayor and his empty promises!!!

Big media seems to have bought Mayor Funky's line about Eastside development without asking any pertinent questions or remembering much of Kansas City's history.

Over the weekend, Mayor Funky held a press conference on the Eastside and mentioned the words economy and business . . . Apparently, the mere utterance of those terms were supposed to regain credibility for Mayor Funky in light of his wife's bigoted comments. Who knows? Maybe it worked.

Johnson County resident Mike Hendricks had a surprisingly nuanced column regarding the PR fest which included a few choice quotes. Here's my favorite:

"Can you remember another mayor who had an event like this in the ’hood?" Funkhouser aide Joe Miller asked me Saturday night as a jazz quartet finished its set in a vacant lot on the East Side.

Douchebag that Miller is . . . I guess he forgot about Mayor Cleaver, which is understandable given that Miller only moved to Kansas City halfway through Mayor Barnes' tenure.

And this little conversation pretty much sums up Kansas City's media market and it's coverage of this town's minority communities: Two white guys from out of town talking about restoring the urban core.

Sad thing is, if either one of these two would have bothered to do a little research they might remember a statement from Mayor Funky which demonstrates his commitment to his word (or lack thereof). Last year the Mayor promised:

"The first TIF proposal that reaches my desk had darn well better be from the East Side."

That turned out to be nothing more than a lie as Mayor Funky made (one of) the first major TIFs of his tenure a subsidy for a multi-million dollar soccer complex.

Even worse, this "white knight" mentality that Funkhouser seems to have picked up from Miller is the same kind of philosophy that marked the failure of the Mayor's media person as an author. It's the classic, tacit liberal bigotry of lowered expectations.

To wit, the Mayor's backing stupid plans with public money like The Black Heritage District which was a better idea when it was called 18th and Vine . . . Before it lost millions year after year of course . . . It seems that the savior mentality is in full gear and not only underestimates market forces but also the ability of people to see through a PR stunt.

Mayor Funkhouser offered neither a definitive plan for Eastside redevelopment nor a firm promise of funding . . . Instead there's nothing but empty rhetoric and clueless liberals using dated slang in order disguise a clear lack of purpose, integrity or skill when it comes to addressing the problems of the urban core.

An Affront to Mayor Funky! Also, there's no such thing as unity among people of color!!!

I recently found an interesting lead to a post in the comments (thank you) and I did a bit of checking up on it and discovered it was true . . . Big Media doesn't report on this kind of stuff but it's the local political gossip that makes running this blog worthwhile . . .

APPARENTLY, MAYOR FUNKY'S AIDE CRISPIN REA WAS RECENTLY KICKED OUT OF A BLACK AGENDA GROUP MEETING!!!

I've heard a couple of different reports as to how it went down and why but the ones that sound the most credible to me reveal that midway through a recent meeting Rea was asked leave and not to come back because he wasn't really contributing anything of substance and it's clear that the recent Latino graduate had very little influence or attention from Mayor Funkhouser. His dismissal by the group was intended to be a message to the Mayor that he should take this group a little bit more seriously and send someone a bit higher ranking than a messenger.

And while I think that's hilarious . . . Naturally, TKC doesn't like it when any Latino is shown the door. It seems that people have a penchant for kicking Latinos out of places nowadays and it's a bit disheartening to see the Black political elite getting into the act . . . Still, a Latino Republican getting deported from a highly influential Kansas City political gathering has to rate high on the International Irony Meter.

Kansas City's Naked Woman Car Crash!!!

Kansas City's definition of the term "wild weekend" was recently expanded:

A nasty crash involving a naked woman and four cars sent six people to the hospital Saturday night.

Shortly after 7 p.m. Kansas City police and several MAST units were called to 75th and Prospect.

Police said a woman driving a red Dodge hit several cars that were waiting for a red light at the intersection.

Witnesses said she was traveling at a high rate of speed.

The woman was not wearing any clothes, and took off running down the street. She left four or five children in the car.

Yeah, this summer is going to be interesting.

Brake for TKC!!!

You've no doubt seen the sticker featured above around town . . . It refers to an era that's soon on the horizon when the digital divide is a thing of the past and MWWS will be a long forgotten phenomena . . . TKC indeed. These folks read this blog, no matter what they say!!!

Via Happy In Bag (the best blog in Kansas City and not just for people who reside in basements.)

Construction trade mag celebrates Kansas City's "renaissance," but doesn't care about the minorities who were excluded

A recent issue of "Constructor Magazine" spotlights "Kansas City's Makeover" without mentioning that quite a few projects didn't follow prior agreements and might owe this town millions because they failed to meet minority contracting goals and then cooked the books in order to mislead officials. Found the first article via The Cawley blog.

GUT CHECK ON KANSAS CITY STREETS!!!

If this snippet doesn't make your stomach turn just a little bit . . . Then you've probably been watching far too much online porn: Saturday on an exit ramp from northbound U.S. 71 onto 87th Street. Metro patrol Sgt. Sean Hess said the rider lost control of his motorcycle and hit a sharp guardrail that sliced his midsection, allowing his intestines to spill out. Hess said the man underwent extensive surgery and doctors have given him a good prognosis for recovery.

TKC out of bed in the morning links

Here's a few morning links I'm looking at:

KU Seeks Ban of Unlicensed Shirts, Ban on bullets flying everywhere isn't going so good as of late.

Turns out they're good for something other than keeping minorities out of the pool area: The quick actions of a Shawnee lifeguard saved the life of a 5-year-old girl.

Choke on it: Magellan Midstream Partners to pay $5.3 million for petroleum spills

Go Screw Yourself Homeless People: Spay and Neuter Kansas City group searches streets for uncared Animals

Back 2 Black OR When the party with the white lady is over . . .

Cleaver, who had backed Clinton, is ready to help Obama

Back 2 Black OR when the party with the white lady is over

Pulling a con on an entire city for millions worth of bonds and then trying to keep out young minorities is an art!!!

The Star writes some PR for the upcoming P&L District Art Fair

Maybe Jesus can save schools in Kansas City since no one else has had any luck

Churches Give Troost Elementary a Makeover

Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker, Tits: Kansas City Bloggers remember George Carlin

Obviously, I figured KC bloggers and Internet denizens would have a lot to share about one of the nation's greatest comedians kicking the bucket . . . I just didn't know it would be so quickly.

Here's some of what I found:

Fuck You, George. RIP

GEORGE CARLIN - RIP

George Carlin - Dead

Post Human Blues had a rather concise way of marking the comedian's passing: George Carlin has died. And I want him back.

I think it's safe to say that every media watcher was somehow influenced by the guy's work. Even better, I was always a fan of the way the performer was able to be horribly contentious without being unlikeable . . . It's a skill I won't ever develop but fun to watch nonetheless.

Waldo Crawldo Coverage

Kansas City Blogger Brad probably had a better time than you did this weekend and provides a bit of exclusive coverage of drunk white people.

Take a look at KC's "It Girl" blogger

Erin still has a more entertaining blog that just about any dude in this town.

Let's start this week on an optimistic note Kansas City!!!

Dear faithful readers, I'm actually in a really good mood this morning. Therefore a few of my posts might not contain as much vitriol as readers are accustomed. It doesn't matter. The weather is still nice (not yet sweltering) and the Kansas City blogosphere is booming with great content.

To continue with the smiley theme of this post . . . Let me note that a workable light rail plan wouldn't be a total disappointment for TKC even if I think the multi-billion dollar, open-ended price tag is a tad too steep. To wit, here's a nice clip of the The Shangri-Las singing "The Train from Kansas City."

Secondly, here's another great clip of the Internets Celebrities proving that goofing around on line with some serious subtext will cause people to take notice . . . I'm a bit late on this one but check out Dallas and Rafi being interviewed on local NY TV talking about their online vids which longtime TKC readers were among the first to check out.

The TKC Saturday Night Playlist: It doesn't matter how much you pout, light rail in Kansas City is so far away!!!

This is a bit of a TKC EXCLUSIVE (!!!) but it's not anything people in the know didn't already realize . . .

Over the past week I've talked with 3 local politicos . . . Two from KC proper and one from Jackson County, here's what they've had to say regarding light rail and the chances of Kansas City putting it on the ballot and approving it in November:

"No fucking way. There's no real plan on the table Tony. Everybody wants adjustments and special consideration for their jurisdiction. It will be impossible to get everybody to agree on a single plan by November and I won't agree to anything that can or will be altered once it is approved."

"Once we voted it down, that killed light rail for the time being."

"Unless there is some miracle that happens and we all start to agree on the details I don't see it in the cards Tony."

Mind you . . . These are three people who have a big say in the process . . . What they're saying behind closed is that the chances aren't great for anything on the ballot in November and even worse PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR LIGHT RAIL IS DECLINING EVEN IN THE FACE OF SKYROCKETING GAS PRICES. It seems that the multi-billion dollar price tag scared a lot of people along with the fact that the current plan won't see anything completed for years . . . For a city without a significant traffic problem, maybe buying a stupid looking car that gets good gas mileage and moving closer to the urban core could be the better option.

To wit, here are a few songs for this weekend dedicated to the fact that light rail is something that's definitely a very far away dream:

I Ran (So far away) - Flock of Seagulls

Carole King - So Far Away

Stabbing Westward - So Far Away

Teenage Bottlerocket - So Far Away

Staind - So Far Away

Dire Straits - So Far Away

Social Distortion - So Far Away

Crossfade - So Far Away

U2 - Stay Away (Far Away, So Close)

Fuel - Shimmer (So Far Away)



Anyhoo . . . Thank you for reading this week. Have a safe and fun weekend.

Kansas City's sports mediocrity extends to the field of architecture

Sports Illustrated on a celebrated Kansas City company: "HOK ballparks have the look and feel of a mall food court." Via BLC.

DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY SHOOTING!!!

Maybe betting billions on the "Renaissance" wasn't that good of an idea . . . Crime Scene KC has the details that involve a question from a stranger and then bullets flying. KCTV5 says they were leaving Harry's Bar and Girl in the Rivermarket UPDATE: Thank Kansas City Blogger ScooterJ for correcting KCTV5.

Kansas City shotgun bank robbery!!!

Remember, Kansas City's Mayor has done absolutely nothing to address crime in Kansas City . . .

A man, armed with a shotgun, robbed a drive-through teller of an east Kansas City bank Saturday morning.

It happened at 8:55 a.m. at the American Sterling Bank, at 4668 Blue Ridge Blvd. Police and the FBI are investigating the armed robbery.

And to think I was wondering if this summer would be just as violent in certain parts of Kansas City.

The Sprint P.O.S.!!!

I, Shane has a scathing review of the gadget that was going to compete with the Iphone that should have Sprint employees in JoCo shaking in their boots . . . Or getting them ready to work at a local strip club.

Breaking!!! Drunk, middle-class white people wandering Waldo!!!

I hear it's for a good cause . . . Other than the P&L District trying to close every other bar in Kansas City . . . Right now it's 5 p.m. which is not too late to pop your collar and find a place among the happiest (drunkest) people in Kansas City.

Get the Funk out!!!

The TKC Challenge: Please find me anyone with any kind of reputation in Kansas City politics who is willing to go on record and support Gloria Squitiro.

I'll go even further . . .

KANSAS CITY WANTS GLORIA SQUITIRO OUT OF CITY HALL!!!

This statement now includes the majority of the City Council according to a kickass article by DeAnn Smith:

Eight council members now say the mayoral couple should reconsider Squitiro’s role in his office.

There hasn't been one pundit, talk show host, newsie or columnist who has went out on a limb and argued in favor of racial slurs, sexy talk and nepotism at City Hall. Really, I've heard that even Stigall's support is half hearted when it comes to the Mayor's old lady and I'm surprised Cashill hasn't turned in an essay blaming Hillary Clinton for Squitiro's presence.

I'm just saying.

Thing is, she seems like a nice, saucy broad who would be cool to hang out with in any other circumstance . . . But I don't buy this "warm hearted, easily approachable, earth mother to Kansas City" line that continues to circulate among the last remaining Funky loyalists. In her home life, she may be all of those things but as far as her City Hall tenure is concerned, she's pretty much secured the rep as the most bawdy, foul-mouthed, sorta racist lady in the building.

I've come to think of her as Kansas City's Marge Schott but the problem is that the electorate has a perception of her at all. In every way she's stealing the spotlight and attention from the Mayor. With one misstep after another Mayor Funky has vowed to keep her at City Hall despite the fact that any other "unpaid volunteer" would have been gone under similar circumstances. While the consensus seems to be: Gloria Must Go!!! Mayor Funky seems as if he would rather resign than take any responsibility in this situation . . . Sadly, Mayor Funkhouser wants to build light rail, fix Kansas City's infrastructure and finances but can't even control his own office/wife . . . Funkhouser has often claimed that he's not a politician but after so many instances which have shown his inability to take criticism, make a compromise or form a consensus the truth seems to be that he's not a real leader.

"Our lesson for today students involves the status quo: Top Heavy Administration stays while resources for schools get slashed."

KC School District will try to cut budget by $17 million

KC Dogs at work

I didn't know that yesterday was Take Your Dog to Work Day . . . Thankfully, local photo blogger Josh Solar captured some nice images of local doggies at the KC Crime lab.

Kansas City "king of all non-pay cable media" in the making

A comic empire from Kansas City could soon come to late night stoneers cartoon watchers.

The Summer Starts Here

Summer started yesterday . . . The smoking ban starts today.

I don't know if beginning this glorious season with the illusion of safety and less revenue for restaurant owners is the right way to go but it certainly is a distinctive strategy.

TKC Note: Throughout the smoking debate I'm always disappointed that folks rarely mention servers who don't have much of a choice when it comes to breathing in that fumes of their patrons and finding another job in order to avoid cancer is kind of a hassle as well . . . Just a thought from folks who can rant all day about personal liberty but never stop to consider po'folk.

Sordid news of eating out in Kansas City. The Co-Mayors caught having lunch with Kansas City's most disliked Republican!!!

A very awesome TKC tipster (Stand up!!!) recently spotted Co-Mayors Squitiro and Funkhouser having lunch with Jeff Roe . . . That's the same Jeff Roe that the Mayor inadvertently called "lying scum" earlier this year.

Word has been circulating in Kansas City Democrat circles that Mayor Funky and his crew are getting ready to launch an all out media assault over the "MammyGate" mess and tainting (ew) the court of public opinion right now might help turn potential jury pools his way when the trial date comes due (if there's no settlement) . . . Sadly, Roe hasn't had a lot of success as of late so I'm not sure if this strategy will be effective. Nevertheless . . . If Roe is getting involved this whole thing is going to get a lot uglier.

Fact is: The entire "MammyGate" case is yet another divisive racial issue that has marred Mayor Funky's tenure in much the same way that Cauthen debacle is marked as the time when Mayor Funky lost all of his credibility on the Eastside. On the other hand, there is a lot of support among Conservatives and reactionary white folks for anything Mayor Funky does that offends people of color . . . But using these divisive tactics that are rumored to be in store by Mayor Funky once again ignores the urban core and the stronghold that local Democrats and minority special interests have in Kansas City Proper. These topics might comprise some of the conversation that took place over lunch, or maybe Kansas City's Republican Machiavelli was just trying to ignore Gloria taking off her shoes and airing her big feet.

UPDATE: It seems as if the media blitz has already begun. Check it:

KCMO Mayor Defends Wife

Never too young to learn to be litigious

Crime Scene KC reports . . . KS Supremes: All juveniles have a right to a jury trial

"Can I get just one rib?"

Rib America Festival in KC for First Time . . . Double Bonus points for anybody who can name the movie from which the quote was taken.

More trees in Kansas City!!!

Actually, this is some of the best news I've heard all day . . . No joke: Kansas City is teaming up with the Heartland Tree Alliance to plant 120,000 trees over the next 10 years.

It's hard to be cynical about more trees in Kansas City, especially since they aren't hanging minorities and po'folk from them anymore . . . I know there has been an absence of trees in Midtown since the Great Westport Oak, sometimes known as "the hanging tree" fell thanks to the ice storm of 2002.

Show Me Hash Times

The state unemployment rate in Missouri charged upward last month, reaching its highest point in more than three years . . . Please remember this the next time Missouri Republicans start talking about their record when it comes to the economy.

Worst TKC headline today: KCK firefighters have a burning desire to get paid!!!

Almost 100 firefighters stormed the Kansas City, Kan. city hall Thursday over a contract dispute.

Damn it Fox4! Stop covering David Cook!!!

There is NO ONE who cares anymore. Seriously. Stop giving offering stories about the dude. (TKC's checking to see if the keywords generate hits . . . Nope. The phrase "sexy white broad," that's a whole different story.)

In defense of Jason Whitlock's Money!!!

I honestly can't tell if The Pitch is kidding around about how important Jason Whitlock is to Kansas City sports coverage. They almost had me convinced . . . Maybe he does deserve 350k for having drinking buddies on Kansas City sports teams and writing disparaging comments about hip-hop at every turn? I always thought he was compensated to heavily because corporate interests pay well for offering the sellout viewpoint whenever the subject of race is considered.

But I do know they came by their opinion because of FREE info available on the Internets via Bottomline Communications.

Personally, I'm not convinced that Whitlock deserves that much money to offer insipid opinions with very little original reporting, insight or challenges to Kansas City's constant mediocrity when it comes to local sports . . . If all he can offer is his contrarian view as a Black dude, the same content is freely available on blogs.

Stanley Crouch . . . It's time to start writing about sports!!!

Kansas City cable service could get even crappier!!! Rumors of more outsourcing!!!

EXCLUSIVE (from the Kansas Citian): Time Warner Cable Turns to Outsourcing in KC, Layoffs Possible

Crazy Train: Dreams of Light rail are even further from reality as of late

North KC's Mayor Bruns on a light rail starter line: "We won't pay the full cost" . . . More on this one later.

Stop smoking Kansas City!!!

The Judge upheld the smoking ban . . . No word on weather he'll wipe my nose for me as well. I can only hope. Thankfully, Casinos still point out Kansas City's hypocrisy, which almost makes me feel just a little bit less guilty about the 20 bucks I drop there every month. TKC is a high roller (on the penny slots).

It's no surprise Kansas City: Taxpayers must pay for Gloria Squitiro's bigotry, Mayor Funky remains stubborn!!!

So, yesterday Kansas City learned that the Co-Mayors would be granted pricey outside lawyers in the "MammyGate" defense. Kansas City is going to pick up the tab. (CLARIFICATION: KC will pay for Mayor Funky's lawyer, no word if that covers Ms. Squitiro too even though I have my suspicions. The Co-Mayors are still running around town seeking pro-bono legal work as I reported earlier last week. Sorry for the confusion, I was feeling sloppy this morning.)

The council voted 9-4 that the city’s interests are potentially separate from the mayor’s, and therefore the city and Mayor Mark Funkhouser should have separate attorneys, City Attorney Galen Beaufort said. Subsequently, the council voted 8-4 to use the city attorney’s office to represent the city and the council, and outside lawyers to represent Funkhouser.

The part about splitting the case is pretty interesting . . . And might make the lawsuit take even more time away from Kansas City's priorities.

HERE'S A BIT MORE EXCLUSIVE TKC INFO ON THE CASE!!!

From all accounts Mayor Funky is stubborn as hell on this one as well. He wants his day in court and a chance to tell his side of the story. He's actively looking for some kind of vindication for his heavily damaged rep in the urban core. He has taken talk of a settlement as a personal insult.

The Mayor's PR people have once again proven to be scumbags. Word has it that they're spreading rumors that the EEOC complaint was dismissed. So far, Chris Stigall is the only one who has picked up on this gossip and reports it as gospel truth. . . TKC is more than happy to prove that scumbag wrong. IN FACT, THE "MAMMYGATE" LAWSUIT WAS AWARDED THE RIGHT TO PROCEEDED BY THE EEOC!!! This kind of finding shows that the case has merit according to investigators and it's not a good sign for City or the Co-Mayor's defense. Sadly, Stigall is feeding his listeners bad information and his program is too biased to do any kind of fact checking . . . Maybe because their crappy ratings can't justify the expense.

When they start taking depositions from people at City Hall . . . The case is going to get even uglier . . . Apparently, Squitiro has an obsession with for talking about the private parts of African-American males, more than a few people have already told TKC that her talk isn't confined to the office on this matter. Ew. Also, the true scope of Squitiro's involvement in the Mayor's office is becoming clear. Squitiro not only conducted interviews for most staff positions but also conducted the firing of the lady she called "Mammy." Having an unpaid volunteer basically operate as Chief of Staff is going to be one of the major obstacles from the Co-Mayors when the lawsuit comes around . . . The City is leaning closer and closer toward settling.

TKC has even more info on this story . . . Stay tuned.

Don't really care if I fall behind today!!!

There's 20 of today's links in the sidebar . . . Sometimes experiments go wrong, like the one time I thought I could build a woman like that movie Weird Science . . . A disk drive is not a sex toy!!! In fact, it's much more scratchy than I initially calculated.

Growth Industry: Race baiting!!!

Really, I was onto this one a long time ago . . . Still, it's nice to see others more outlets for minority focused content considering that hipster offering are in abundance. The latest publication dedicated to Minorities based in KC: Rise Up. It's a nice title, even if it sounds like a porno mag. Here are more details:

The weekly magazine, based in Kansas City, will be featured as an insert in 12 publications nationally with a total circulation of 4.3 million, Erin Gregory, account coordinator for RiseUp, said Thursday . . . Janice Ellis, a former Kansas City mayoral candidate, writer and businesswoman, began the magazine to start conversation on a topic she said usually is approached timidly.

"I started RiseUp because I wanted to provide a readily accessible tool to help us solve some of the problems we face as a society when it comes to race relations," Ellis said in a release.

It sounds like a good idea . . . And if print media wasn't quickly becoming a thing of the past . . . I'd say the mag had a future.

TKC: The Change Up (once again)

I'm always thinking about ways to keep this site fresh and keep the content as easily accessible and interesting as possible . . . Which might explain my tireless search for C-list models who show a lot of cleavage.

Anyhoo, for at least a little while I'm going to experiment with a sidebar feed/widget which will display the latest newsy links according to TKC.

To keep up with the latest from both the quick link feed and the main body of posts I've put together a Feed Burner thingy for your convenience. Check it:

Feed Me Seymour!!!

Now, I wouldn't call the new sidebar links breaking news but it does represent the latest newsy stuff that I'm noticing and it's content that pretty much all of the local media outlets have that might not be worth dedicating an entire post. This approach will leave me more time for the stuff that I really want to blog and of course more photos of scantily clad white women. Natch.

Stay tuned. This blog is always changing . . .

UPDATE: NOPE, I don't like it . . . Reverting back to the original format sometime this afternoon.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! ATTENTION MEDIA PEOPLE, WESTSIDE SIGNS AREN'T THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HAPPENING IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY!!!

Local media is always quick to cover somebody who can eloquently voice a compliant . . . There are a lot of people on the Westside who fit that criteria, (your humble blogger for instance) . . . However, local newsies are telling TKC that they really aren't interested in a story about Westside Wayfinding signs but they're being forced to cover the controversy because of threats that they'll be labeled racist.

Now here's where I use the power of this fully armed an operational battle station/blog for good:

Media folks might want to cover some other aspect of Latino politics and culture before they are bullied into given an inordinate amount of coverage to some stupid signs. As the most important Latino in Kansas City and on the Westside . . . I think the signs are a nice idea but I know they aren't the most important thing happening right now.

Still, there's a local complainer peddling this story and claiming that it is the top priority on the Westside . . . For him, maybe . . . I just don't hear a lot of other people talking about the need for signs around this place to tell people where they are . . . In order to save money, I've devised a simple sign that we all can understand and use if we ever lose our way:



That should cover it . . . I'll have more on this story later as newsies probably won't take my advice and will continue to publish trivial "news" because of impassioned bullying . . . TKC only laments this situation when this blog isn't where originated it from . . . Natch.

Amnesty on the Westside (not really)

During the Council session today . . . The rent/housing situation for the Westside CAN Center was finally resolved . . . HEDC and HEDFC (Housing and Economic Development Financial Corp.) will be coming up with some cash. Even better: Roofing prices will stay at a minimum in Kansas City!!!

Immigration issues at the street level put talk radio ideals about how things really work to shame.

TKC wants tacos for dinner this evening. Viva your mother.

The Star Layoff List from BLC

Landsberg has confirmed names . . . Here's the unofficial list from TKC comments. TRUST NO ONE!!!

Here's a prize comment, I'm going to assume it comes from Mike Hendricks:

Here’s the layoff tally as I know it to this point:

Paul Wenske, personal finance, business desk
Julius Karash, health care, business desk
Jackie White, fashion, FYI
Paul Horsley, classical music and dance, FYI
Laura Scott, editorial page
Joe Lambe, Jackson County courts, city desk
Vicki Long, KC Board of Trade, business desk
Dave Olson, business wire editor
Melodee Blobaum, editor, Shawnee-Lenexa Neighborhood News
Loren Stanton, editor, Blue Valley-Leawood Neighborhood News
Bob Lynn, weekend editor, city desk
L. Eric Craven, graphic artist
John Mutrux, photographer for House and Home section
Two of the three calendar clerks (compiled and verified all of the calendar of events listings)
Sports box score editor

From what I have been told, there was little or no planning done with regard to how to fill these holes and the remaining staff is scrambling to figure this out (for example, there have been hurried meetings to figure out who will shoot the pictures for the next House and Home section, and to figure out a weekend rotation for editors to man the city desk).

Except for the two Neighborhood News editors, the ranks of middle and upper management were left absolutely untouched.

Outside the newsroom, the entire security staff has been eliminated and that task will now be outsourced.

It seems clear that this list was put together to meet a numerical target rather than a dollar figure, as many of these are low-paying positions. The decision to leave the management ranks largely untouched was a tragically missed opportunity to weed out a lot of overpaid, undercontributing drones, and a total failure of leadership by Mark Zieman that sacrificed production in favor of privilege.

KILL WHITE TEE KANSAS CITY!!!

Dallas Penn started the Kill White Tee (shirt) movement and now it has come to the P&L District Full Force . . . Prime Buzz writes about the ridiculous dress code enforced only when minorities are involved.

White t-shirts are still verboten . . . Shorts below the top of the calves are off limits. Again, I think a sign barring young people of color would simply be more effective . . . But the ridiculous regs ultimately seem laughable given that segregation downtown is what they really want to accomplish.

Double Bonus: Cordish brought all of their minority employees to City Hall today in order to push their agenda . . . All 3.

Breathe it in . . .

Local blogger Toellner comes up with a great post urging officals to take their time enacting some of the tougher parts of a new smoking ordinance that gets decided tomorrow by a judge. (TKC FUN FACT: There's not enough staff to enforce it so the rush isn't all that great.)

Sylvia's Deli celebrated 4 years today

It's amazing what you learn on Twitter.

Kansas City's Urban Core laments Mayor Funky's lack of leadership against crime!!!

Mayor Funky has often spoke of priorities and principles during his tenure. Earlier this week, quite a few local leaders voiced their frustration with the Mayor because of his lack of participation in a national effort against gun violence.

In more than a few Eastside meetings and other urban core gatherings, local leaders were reporting back from a conference held earlier this Spring.

According to Kansas City representatives: Mayors Against Illegals Guns was an overwhelming success and the information that they garnered will be helpful in fighting crime in Kansas City.

Sadly, Mayor Funkhouser chose not to attend this event after he made promises and public proclamations that this was one of his areas of interest.

Here's a quote on the subject from The Mayor from late last year:

My staff has been investigating some of the measures other cities have taken to address the problem of illegal guns. In the course of their research, they came across a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns. This growing movement is aimed at building political muscle to compel the federal government to adopt more sensible policies to help cities reduce the number of illegal guns in their communities. One piece of legislation they’re working hard to overturn is the “Tiahrt Amendment,” an add-on to an appropriation bill that severely limits the amount of information about illegal guns that federal law enforcement officials can share with local authorities. This makes it more difficult for cities to reduce violent crime. I intend to join this coalition soon.

Sadly, when it came time for the his participation in the event, Mayor Funkhouser was a no show. In other words, he lied about his real commitment to addressing the problem of illegal guns in Kansas City.

Clearly, Mayor Funkhouser has no experience working with urban communities against crime but even worse is his lack of integrity is once again apparent when it comes to keeping his promises. Put simply,

MAYOR FUNKHOUSER'S WORD WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING CRIME MEANS NOTHING!!!

Let's not forget that the Mayor's panicky budget cuts took away police officers promised to the people of Kansas City. And Funkhouser's misleading statements when it came to the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Conference has damaged his reputation among a lot of neighborhood leaders who believed Funkhouser was serious about his public statements.

Other Mayors from around the metro did attend the conference and Mayor Funky's absence was notable not only because he has taken an inordinate amount of time to promote light rail and his upcoming book but also because gun violence in Kansas City seems to be a problem that doesn't concern him no matter how many people are killed.

Kansas City Cover Art

I don't know much about Sneaky Sound System, except that they sound like every other techo crap band I've heard before . . . But I like their recent CD cover.

Expect that d-bag from Wayward blog to write a post on this same topic, using the same photo and far too many adjectives in about two days or a week - The length of time it would take someone to pretend they are well-versed in a hipster topic of interest.

"Gay Travelers" from Kansas married in Cali

Camp KC has a great regional story about a couple known as the "Gay Travelers" who took off to Cali in order to get hitched.

While I think marriage is mostly a mistake for anyone, I realize that the Kansas City connection to the historic decision was decidedly underreported.

Also, the following photo is my only reference point for a truly "ghey" wedding:



Yeah, I'm sure the groom in this photo might claim to be straight but this wedding totally is teh ghey and much more of an affront to traditional marriage than homosexual dudes who want a tax break and property rights.

New blog: LAL!!!

Leigh Ann Little is one of the nicest ladies in the Kansas City blogopshere . . . She has at least a half a dozen blogs and websites out there but I've taken to reading the site with her online moniker as well. There are lots of Kansas City references, personal stories and political observations . . . Check it out!!!

NEW BLOG: KC NAG NEWSLETTER!!!

The KC Nag Newsletter goes out to hundreds of politically minded people in Kansas City and is then forwarded to thousands . . . It was one of Kansas City's earliest online news endeavors from a neighborhood perspective . . . NOW, THERE'S A BLOG WHERE THE BACK ISSUES WILL BE AVAILABLE!!! Check it out, it's a local neighborhood resource that well-connected KC politicos have been reading for years.

Kansas City celebrates the origin of so many body issues for women!!! Welcome Barbie!!!

About 900 Barbie collectors from around the world are in Kansas City this week for the National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention at the Hyatt Regency.

OR

Crazy people who play with dolls and reinforce cultural stereotypes descend on Kansas City!!!

Kansas City's elite and affluent minorities need corporate welfare too!!!

Today Steve Penn dutifully chronicles the demise of the 18th and Vine Jazz District. There has been one excuse after the next for the ongoing failure of the place to generate any excitement or foot traffic outside of a two day festival.

Millions upon millions of public dollars have been wasted trying to make the place a viable attraction . . . Still there's a call for even more cash with a rather unique excuse this time around from Peter Yelorda, co-chairman of the Jazz District Redevelopment Corp:

"There’s a big void in Kansas City of minority wealth."

This is just an odd statement. Obviously, a bad investment will lose money no matter who is handing out the cash . . . And the notion that Kansas City lacks minorities with money (an investor class) would be seen as stereotypical if it came from anybody else. Still, my favorite part of the article is when Yelorada mentions the so-called Downtown Renaissance:

"How can you expect this area in the ’hood, so to speak, to be vibrant when for many years, downtown was boarded up? If the private money isn’t building up downtown, how do you expect there to be something over here?"

True enough, corporate welfare has created a sense of entitlement among developers of every race and creed in Kansas City . . . Sadly, any minority business person can attest to the fact that we have to be TWICE AS GOOD in order to succeed. And while corporate handouts still rule the day in Kansas City, even under the reign of Co-Mayors Squitiro and Funkhouser . . . That kind of attitude just isn't going to cut it for people of color.

So far, only politicos have been consistently persuaded to keep throwing good money after bad in support of a Kansas City "attraction" that still hasn't generated a profit in more than a decade. There's no sign of improvement or hope for sustainability, meanwhile supporters of this grossly underperforming non-attraction will continue to sing the same tune despite the millions of dollars wasted on the Jazz District and its celebration of a dead art form.

A local Internet miracle: Kansas City Craigslist catches crook instead of an STD!!!

KCK Man Uses Craigslist To Find Stolen ATV

Peak Oil is Ford Tough

Claycomo Plant Backs Off On F-150 Pickups . . . They'll be building more compact SUVs (???) which only puts them a mere decade behind Toyota.

No more Butler Buildings!!!

A Kansas City Council committee on Wednesday took a step toward halting the Nelson museum's expansion plan for a building leased by the Rockhill Tennis Club.

Considering that their last project was an energy wasting, ugly structure that was a throwback from the 70's . . . Maybe it's better the folks at the Nelson-Atkins Museum can't build another Butler building.

Kansas City area's anti-smoking crusade!!!

I guess the recent wave of Anti-smoking madness isn't going to stop anytime soon. Here are two news items which seem to suggest that smoking is worse than Hitler (or something).

Nick Sloan reports: The Unified Government is prepared to begin talks of a smoking ban ordinance for Wyandotte County and/or Kansas City, Kan.

And because smoking offends the gorillas that are about to be shipped off to another Zoo anyway because of budget cuts: The Kansas City Zoo has joined the restricted-smoking trend. The Friends of the Zoo board on Wednesday approved a policy asking patrons to smoke only in six designated areas.

All things considered, I guess this is a good trend and people will now be forced to find bad habits that generate better tax income . . . Like booze or smoking on a Casino floor.

Everybody panic over your next bug bite!!!

Summer flu symptoms could be sign of potentially deadly illnesses . . . Or The Star is finally learning to take a page from local TV news "health" coverage.

Kansas City: Here's a more convenient way to tell that Beeatch it's not your kid!!!

An at-home DNA test has hit the shelves at CVS pharmacies in Missouri and Kansas.

A unique look at Loose Park

A great shot from local photog Eric Bowers.

TKC Morning Links: Rich folks in Kansas City love animals, people not so much

Here are just a few leftover links that have caught my interest:

Almost 200k for a party!!! Screw the homeless, save our hobbies!!! The 19th annual Jazzoo fundraiser this month broke the $1 million barrier in gross receipts. Net income for the Kansas City Zoo and the Zoo Learning Fund will be at least $850,000.

Giving the bird: More Pet Birds Abandoned In Tough Economy

Going Green: Green Burials Likely in Lawrence

Fire Burns Olathe Apartment Complex

Harsh times in real estate even in a place that nobody wants to reside: Kansas property assessments begin to reflect real-estate market downturn

When suburbanites do it, it's groundbreaking: Paseo Bridge project prompts expanded Northland bus service

Police have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with the murder of a man whose body was found dumped in Gillham Park in December 2005.

The Kansas City Chiefs stay losing only with younger (cheaper) players

My only question: How many JoCo jerks will fall for the same old "rebuilding year" justification for mediocrity this year?

A column from ESPN puts the sorry state of the Chiefs into perspective:

It may be too much to expect the Chiefs to be a contender or to even finish .500 in 2008. This season, no doubt, will be all about a youth moment in Kansas City and it began in the minicamp season.

In other words, the warm weather tailgating will be as good as it gets while most local sports reporters are forced to feign enthusiasm.

Today's Funky Contradiction!!!

Joan Pu offered up this passage on Mayor Funky's blog: "The true crisis governments are facing today is not fiscal, but a lack of focus on priorities and objectives that ensure the success of our communities." Obviously, if we take our concentration away from Gloria Squitiro and her bare feet . . . Then we lose.

Congratulations to you 9 people who really care about Missouri's 44th District race!!!

KC Blue Blog: Kander Silences Critics By Receiving UAW Endorsement . . . While I support the guy (therefore he'll probably win), the rest of Kansas City heard this news, cheered and then asked "who?"

Maybe the Dead Tree Media Deserves to Die

David Martin of The Pitch recently did a follow-up report (that nobody was calling for) on the campaign finance reports of Councilman Terry Riley. There's a lot of innuendo and snarky talk for double billing discrepancies of less than 500 bucks and a hotel bill that was paid. Put simply, The Pitch is in Mayor Funky's pocket and their "investigative" prowess would have a lot more credibility if they bothered to write about Gloria Squitiro's missing 80k even once or even mention Mayor Funky's run-in with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Kansas City Star Carnage!!! TKC advice to unemployed newsies: "It's time to get a blog"

Landsberg at Bottomline Communications came up with a couple of names of Kansas City Star reporters who got the ax:

Bottom Line Communications has learned that veteran sports writer Howard Richman and former sports reporter Steve Rock have been let go during the recent round of layoffs at the Kansas City Star.

Apparently, these two were pretty good even though I can't particularly remember anything they ever wrote . . . Not to be all Warren Buffett about something as precious and important as journalism (ugh) but it's probably better to build a brand then to contribute to producing a commodity in a mostly nameless fashion. Just a thought . . . Maybe something for newsies without much name recognition to mull over while picking up unemployment checks . . . I'm available for additional counseling if you bring the hot wings and don't mind talking while I play X-box.

The Rise of the TKC Syndicate: Online colleagues are something to smile about!!!

Here's a nice way to start the day . . . Journalism isn't rocket science. Anybody can be a reporter on their lives, opinions or surroundings. Corporate media once disguised themselves as a middleman for information that belonged to the public anyway. They even claimed to be a branch of government. The illusion is slowly starting to fade . . . Nobody owns the news, anything that can be digitized can be copied, shared and compiled. The current profit models for content are soon to be a thing of the past.

To wit, TKC has assembled a collection of some of the best blogs about Kansas City in a widget on the sidebar. Feel free to share it, use it or simply browse the links. I'm EXTREMELY HAPPY with the group of bloggers who have signed up . . . (I'm tempted to add a link to a del.icio.us feed of my own just to so I can link some of the better blogger posts that I've read which don't quite fit with TKC content . . . Just a thought . . .)

So far the syndicate includes:

Alonzo Washington's blog

RDM's Random Remarks

The Kansas City Post

Blog KC

Bottomline Communications

Kansas City's About.com blog

The Midtown Miscreant

Zach is Here

In even better news, there's room for more . . . Send me a link to your RSS feed or drop me a line in the comments if you write about Kansas City consistently and you'd like to share links to your content in a collection of Kansas City's best bloggers.

Kansas City: One of the most dangerous cities in the USA

Check out this wordy article regarding crime trends in the Atlantic. Here's just one of the references regarding Kansas City.

Money Quote:

"While crime rates in large cities stayed flat, homicide rates in many midsize cities (with populations of between 500,000 and 1 million) began increasing, sometimes by as much as 20 percent a year. In 2006, the Police Executive Research Forum, a national police group surveying cities from coast to coast, concluded in a report called "A Gathering Storm" that this might represent "the front end … of an epidemic of violence not seen for years." ... According to FBI data, America's most dangerous spots are now places where Martin Scorsese would never think of staging a shoot-out—Florence, South Carolina; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Reading, Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida; Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis has always been associated with some amount of violence. But why has Elvis's hometown turned into America's new South Bronx? Barnes thinks he knows one big part of the answer, as does the city's chief of police. A handful of local criminologists and social scientists think they can explain it, too. But it's a dismal answer, one that city leaders have made clear they don't want to hear. It's an answer that offers up racial stereotypes to fearful whites in a city trying to move beyond racial tensions. Ultimately, it reaches beyond crime and implicates one of the most ambitious antipoverty programs of recent decades."

I'm still making my way through the article but so far I like the tone and implicating anti-poverty programs is probably a genius move . . . EXTREME HAT TIP TO HAPPY IN BAG, a blog you should already be reading daily.

The TKC Evening Bundle

Even the most mundane activity can be pretentious on Electric Avenue: Designer ATMs for the P&L District!!!

We can never have enough weather news: Midwest Flooding may Cause More Levee Overflows

For the love of all that's good Fox4, please stop covering David Cook!!! Also the programming featured on ESPN 8 ("the Ocho") is NOT newsworthy: David Cook Could Boost Profile of Local High School Game on ESPN

See how local news is put together . . . When it's not put together in a PR office: Behind-the-Scenes: BB Gun Shootings Report

So NOW you want all of those damn tomatoes that relatives try to thrust upon you every summer: Demand For Local Produce Growing

Even money that she's running for Vice Prez: Kan. Governor is a Double Threat

THE GADGET THAT ALL OF JOCO IS BANKING ON: Sprint's New Smart Phone: $129.99

WyCo is starting to seem like a nicer option with every passing moment: KCK Kicks Off Recycling Program

Of course, here's the link to the photo gallery featuring the super-annoying-model pictured on this post. Or you could wait half a month to see it on newsstands.

Harsh Times: Heavy Metal Thefts

From KMBC: KC City Council Mulls Crackdown On Metal Thefts . . . Measure Would Require Scrap Yards To Check IDs.

Think about it, people are stealing scraps in order to survive . . . And purchase meth of course.

Kansas Bloggers and Big Defense Contracts

On the national scene there was a lot of talk about a $35 billion Air Force tanker refueling contract involving Boeing Co. which just happens have large plants employing thousands of workers in Kansas. Of course, there's a lot of strong sentiment to strengthen the stakes of a regional employer.

Kansas Bloggers and Big Defense Contracts

Here's what local bloggers had to contribute:

Stay Red Kansas: "While Kansas Democrats were busy pointing fingers, these two public servants went to work to give our men and women in uniform the best Tanker possible, which is the Boeing Tanker built by Kansas workers."

Score A Point For U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts

The Kansas Citian: "Did you hear that? It's as if several thousand people suddenly exhailed in relief all at once." (Technically, not a Kansas Blogger if he lives in KCMO but close enough)

And actually, all of these posts were kind of nice, very much like cheering for the home team . . . Too bad nobody from KC Proper really cares about cheering for an anchor tenant at The Sprint Center with as much passion . . . But then again, maybe everyone already realizes it's a lost cause.

Kansas City taxpayers should get ready to pay big time for her big mouth (and feet)

The KC City Council is also expected to consider a plan to hire an outside lawyer to defend the city, rather than use in-house legal counsel.

Another look at Troost

Local blogger Lynn posts a couple of photos that could change your perceptions.