The TKC Saturday Night Playlist!!! MAYOR NO SHOW: Funkhouser nowhere to be found at constituent budget meetings!!!

Every time I think I can move away from writing about Mayor Funky the guy's hypocrisy and failure as a leader keeps garnering my interest.

The latest EXCLUSIVE TKC tidbit about the Mayor that the mainstream media has either failed to report or willfully ignored . . .

MAYOR "SMART WITH THE MONEY" FUNKHOUSER HAS NOT ATTENDED A SINGLE CONSTITUENT BUDGET MEETING!!!

In the middle of this town's financial crisis these meetings are being held all over the metro and they offer an opportunity for the public to speak with their elected officials specifically about their concerns and question regarding Kansas City's budget.

Each member of the City Council has attended the meetings.

City Manager Wayne Cauthen has been at the meetings.

But Mayor Funky is nowhere to be found.

Not this weekend, Not ever . . . At least not yet.

Let's not forget that Mayor Funky never had a record of community activism before his election and most people say the Mayor's townhall meetings work more like public lectures from a newbie professor and not a real discussion. Similarly, at a recent public meeting the Mayor's last remaining supporters engaged in thuggish behavior and attempted to intimidate press that showed up to ask real questions.

So, Funkhouser's PR and public image on the budget is mostly just hype and hasn't been backed up by any real work so far . . . At least not with the cooperation of the public at large and not just his own select group of buddies, sycophants or whatever he's calling his "budget SWAT team." Ugh.

To wit, tonight's playlist is dedicated to Mayor Funky's hiding at his house or at the public library with his wife while avoiding engaging the public on the topic of this town's screwed up budget:

Nowhere to Run - Martha Reeves and the Vandellas

So far away - Carole King

Lost - Coldplay feat. Jay-Z

Let it Rock - Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne

I ain't missing you - John Waite

Since you've been gone - Kelly Clarkson

So far away - Fuel

Where is the Love? - Black Eyed Peas Feat. Justin Timberlake

Have you seen her? - The Chi-lites

Show Me What You Got - Jay-Z

It's all kind of disappointing really considering that bloggers publish content/take comments 24/7, a great many City Council people are fielding questions round the clock regarding KC's finances but the Mayor's schedule, second job and empty talk don't allow him to openly face the public about the biggest problem facing Kansas City . . . Meanwhile, most mainstream reporters are tucked away in JoCo have yet to notice that Mayor's absence at these discussions.

As always thank you for reading this week. Have a safe and fun weekend.

Kansas City forgot how to drive

Snow Brings Over 200 Crashes to Metro . . . For the love of all things good, take it slow people.

Change we can believe in: Obama gets Sebelius out of Kansas!!!

Obama Taps Sebelius for HHS Secretary

Your weekend Jackson County gunfight

An off-duty Jackson County deputy working security store saw a gunfight between people in two cars this morning at a convenience, then chased down and arrested five people, police said.

The KC Saturday Link Crawl

Here are some of the best links I'm reading this Saturday afternoon:

Lee's Summit makes arrest in alleged Wal-Mart assault . . . Fantastic Follow-up from Crime Scene KC.

Still looking for a cause: Explosion Rocks Liberty Townhome

Complicated Saturday Morning KC Driving: A fifteen car pileup that blocked three major Interstates has been cleared.

Best "Back to Rockville" Review EVAR: Ryan Adams (is a d&%k)

Don't read TKC if you want heartwarming content . . . Instead, check out an amazing human interest story from The Examiner.

Fantastic Snow Day Observations from General Blather

Present Magazine promotes a pretty interesting KC bar performance

KCK Sports writer Nick Sloan thinks Matt Cassel is a Steal

Natalie Denning Swimsuit Pics aren't as important as the news but they're probably more captivating.

Show Me the surprising Bear population, seriously

Infozine: Now numbering in the hundreds, Missouri Black bears crossing the border from Arkansas are part of the Show-Me Landscape.

The Chiefs Plan: Leftovers from The Patriots

Chiefs still bargain hunting, so expect the same mediocre results: The Kansas City Chiefs complete a trade to bring New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel to the team in return for a second-round draft pick.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! MAYOR FUNKY GOING AFTER COUNCIL LADY CATHY JOLLY!?!!

Half of his term is pretty much over.

An unprecedented number of Mayoral hopefuls have already announced their candidacy way before campaign time.

And still Mayor Mark Funkhouser has failed to learn from any of his mistakes.

Strangely, he still thinks that behind the scenes political games won't make it to the light of day and backstabbing his colleagues is the best way to get things done despite his lack of popularity.

Folks at City Hall are drawing attention to talk of yet another clumsy move by Mayor Funkhouser in order to take revenge:

WORD IS MAYOR FUNKY IS WORKING TO REPLACE CATHY JOLLY AS CHAIRWOMAN OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE BECAUSE SHE DARED TO OPENLY QUESTION HIM IN PUBLIC!!!

This is yet another a petty, lame, divisive move by Mayor Funky and it is reportedly being greeted with disdain by The City Council. For a guy who still lists "Establishing a good working relationship with the Council" as his number one priority . . . Word of this underhanded strategy has set back his cause, agenda and image even further.

The motivation for this alleged stunt by Mayor Funky might have been Jolly questioning the Mayor's so-called financial acumen that Kansas City is still waiting to see after the guy has put in almost two years in office.

"You were the auditor. You know the money," said City Council member Cathy Jolly. "We were looking for the guidance. You haven't done that."

Jolly's words must have stung Mayor Funkhouser and bruised his fragile ego because almost immediately after that statement KICKASS TKC TIPSTERS are saying that the Mayor tried to reach out to other members of the Council to see if they were interested in the Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee chair assignment.

So far, they have all declined.

And this move is part of Funkhouser's overall failure as a leader.

Rather than address real concerns related to the budget which is Kansas City's biggest issue at this point . . . He is apparently putting all of his time and effort into exacting political revenge. Sadly, he can't even get that right. The move to oust Jolly seems very much like last year's play to kick Cindy Circo out of her committee assignment. Circo destroyed the Mayor in the press in the aftermath of his decision and even further damaged his credibility among the all important demographic of working class white people living in her district.

Going after Jolly would be an even bigger misstep for Funkhouser. Here's why:

She's better looking than him. In TV interviews, side by side he's just going to come off like a bitter, drooling, old dude with a grudge against KC's cutest politico who had a cancer scare early last year.

Council Lady Jolly earned WAY MORE votes than KC's current Mayor . . . Jolly has better name recognition and she is almost completely untarnished by the kind of scandals that have made Funkhouser nothing more than KC's Co-Mayor and the guy in charge of securing foot massages for Gloria Squitiro.

C'mon, the Mayor hasn't won a fight since he gave that sponsored car back. There's no reason to expect he would outmaneuver a far superior politico.

There are many more reasons that Mayor Funky's alleged vendetta against Cathy Jolly is a bad idea but they all basically revolve around the fact that she's a young, likeable, good looking and savvy elected official and Funkhouser is not.

Wherein corporate interests bankrolled by pricey bonds think they can give orders!!!

Normally entities under-performing by millions of dollars don't get to make demands: Cordish Co. says proposed dress code law ought to apply citywide

Developing . . .

Hope for Citadel Plaza Change

From The Star: Long-delayed Citadel Plaza project has city wondering if it needs a new developer . . . And I guess questions were bound to arise after a commitment to spend even more cash on a place that's already wasted millions and faced countless delays.

Show Me Salary the Jay Way

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is paying nearly half of his 29 staff members from departments outside the office of governor

Nasty KC Area Perv Watch

Here are a couple of local news stories that make everyone feel less safe and realize that sometimes people can be really slimy . . .

A new low on a KCK street corner, which is a dubious achievement in and of itself: A stranger approached an 11-year-old girl with special needs at her school bus stop in Kansas City, Kan.

Sadly, Asian toddlers who make the merchandise at this mega retailer aren't the only ones in danger: Police in Lee's Summit are looking for the man who reportedly assaulted an 11-year-old boy inside a Wal-Mart bathroom.

And the fact that there are people out there that would do harm to youngsters is not only scary but also sad because ardent local news watchers realize these kind of stories are commonplace.

Smoke Break still on for KCK Firefighters

KCTV5: Despite a smoking ban in Kansas City, Kan., firefighters are still allowed to smoke in fire station garages.

Weekend Country Song Inspiration

NBC Action News: A domestic dispute reportedly led a man to set his house on fire in Grandview Friday night.

Saturday KC Link Spread

Here's what I'm looking at this morning, a bit of a ketchup and a few more links:

Hot cars and the last remaining spot where mullets are acceptable in this town: World of Wheels in KC

Sad story from The Examiner: Circumstances of baby's death questioned in court

Work will close Fairfax bridge starting Monday

A suburban Obama celebration: Blue Springs and Independence get more stimulus funds

More space for po-po in JoCo: Olathe Breaks Ground on New Police Dept.

Because he knows it all falls apart in less than a year under the current strategy: Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback doesn't want the army’s withdrawal to hurt the progress made in Iraq.

Lenexa popping off: Police said someone fired several shots into an apartment complex parking lot.

Things aren't sounding any better for the Golden Ghetto: Sprint expects 6 percent revenue drop in 2009

A perfect plan (depending on the weather)

KC Eyes Cuts To Snow Removal Budget . . . So, in some small way, a bit of the City budget would be dependent on Katie Horner. NICE!!!

Drink Down this Debt

From the KC Biz Journal: Kansas City issued $198.9 million in Water Refunding and Improvement Revenue Bonds on Wednesday and Thursday to refund about $133 million in outstanding debt and provide about $69 million to finance capital improvements to its water treatment and distribution system.

It's Easter Candy Time

Taken from Tumble-o-rama . . . I saw this cartoon yesterday, right in time to remind me to order a nasty ass fish fillet.

Dork cars could save KC

KMBC Reports: Kansas City appears to be in the running for an electric vehicle assembly plant, which has the potential to bring new jobs and new technology to the metro area . . . Provided, of course, that people enjoy driving 28 miles an hour everywhere and don't mind powering up their car for 17 hours at a time.

Deb and the Budget

The City Council is working on its own budget . . . Word around the campfire is City Council Lady Deb Hermann, more than anybody wants "blood and guts" cuts that attempt to solve the shortfall with a great many people fired.

500k if you don't dump your girlfriend the right way!!!

A Missouri appeals court upheld $500,000 in civil judgments Friday against a Kansas City man (Matthew C. Davis) accused of abandoning a corpse of his girlfriend.

More change than meets the eye

Local blogger Ancillary Adams brightened my day with his latest find.

Laid Back Saturday

There are a couple of good posts coming up today but for the most part I'm going to take it easy and just post some of the things that I like . . . Starting with a sweet photo gallery from Maxim of Gina Carano - A Mixed Martial Arts competitor that's cute but still couldn't kick my ass . . . I think.

Snow? Seriously!?!?

This link can't be right:

Up To 3 Inches Of Snow Possible In KC Area - Winter Weather Advisory In Effect

It was Spring two days ago.

This weather is almost as screwed as the current state of Print Media:

Newspaper convention canceled amid industry woes

An annual convention of newspaper editors has been canceled for the first time since World War II, undone by the worst economic crisis since that harrowing era.

The American Society of Newspapers Editors' decision to skip this year's meeting was announced Friday, coinciding with the final edition of the Rocky Mountain News — the largest daily U.S. newspaper to shut down so far during a steep two-year slide in advertising revenue that's draining the life out of the industry.

"The industry is in crisis," said Charlotte Hall, president of the trade group and editor of the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel. "This is a time when editors need to be in their own news rooms doing everything they can," to help their publications survive.

Nevertheless, I have hope that a lot of smart people are debating, worrying about and doing their best to work on the environment . . . Meanwhile I'm kinda convinced that the world might be a better place if people stopped cutting down trees in order to print day old news on them.

On the other hand, I'm holding out hope that this is all just TV Weather People Panic and Katie Horner gearing up for her annual Spring time Hysteria.

The latest issue of Camp KC and the fact that only the homos can save Downtown KC!!!

It is a well known but under-reported fact that the LGBT community have one of the best records in the United States of entirely redeveloping communities without the help of TIF or any other kind taxpayer dollars.

That's why a recent Joyce Smith column regarding Bar Natasha turning into Flo's Cabaret is most likely the last hope for real downtown development . . .

Read the current issue of Camp KC that just hit news stands and you'll get an inside view (ouch) of one of Kansas City's most diverse communities pumping cash into this town night and day because (most of them) don't have kids and they have a lot more energy than this town's chunky hetero singles who are mostly just looking for a comfortable place to eat with wide booths. Seriously, the Camp Biz section is a must read for folks who want to know what the next big thing is for this cowtown's mainstream culture.

From what I can see . . . Whether it's the antics of Flo or the "drag king" featured on the current issue of Camp . . . It looks like the KC's LGBT community is the last hope of a vibrant downtown that doesn't involve the expensive taxpayer supported Island of White in the P&L District.

Is it a crime to dump your girlfriend?

Obviously, the answer is: Only if she's beautiful, rich, her parents are well-connected and, of course, white . . . Check it: New Trial Date Set In Body Abandonment Case

Kansas City Vacant

NBC Action News reports: "A sharp drop in revenue from the city's hotel occupancy tax led to layoffs this week at the Kansas City Convention & Visitor's Association. The association announced it is combining two departments and reducing its full-time staff from 47 to 39 employees, according to a release from the association."

Huh . . . I wonder if this agency could have used the money from The La Raza Convention that could have been in KC this year? Unfortunately, KC's most unpopular Mayor of the modern era chased them away so I guess it doesn't matter.

HEARNE IS EVERYWHERE!!!

One of the most observant and AWESOME TKC TIPSTERS recently sent me a link which proves that Hearne Christopher Jr. is blowing up all over Kansas City media.

That's right . . . The Star thought they could keep him down but now he's got YET ANOTHER writing gig on top of his blog and writing at the behest of Steve Rose in JoCo.

HEARNE'S LOCAL MEDIA MONOPOLY NOW INCLUDES THE PLATTE COUNTY LANDMARK!!!

I can't front, these people probably wouldn't hire me and I don't know where Platte County is . . . But I just admire Hearne's tenacity after getting cut from The Star he's going after the suburban hinterland market with a vengeance!!!

Soon to be fired newsies at The Star should take a lesson . . . Talent (and a vast family fortune) will always prevail.

Difficult Choices and The Royals

Chimpotle is agonizing over a Royals free swag vote . . . In much the same way George Brett is caught in between two hotties in the photo featured above . . . Read his post and then tell him that when it comes to free stuff there really is no losing. Also, I now have a lot more respect for George Brett which totally redeems him from last year's story of him crapping his pants.

A Fortune in Kansas City: Gone

One of my various ex-girlfriends is now married to one of these high powered, local finance guys and rather than participating in immature gloating and asking how I taste . . . I think it's more pertinent and important to wonder if her choice of a dude "with ambition" still holds up in retrospect given that part of my "plan" was never to lose billions in other people's money. Here's a bit of what I'm talking about:

Waddell & Reed loses $17.4B in assets under management in 2008

Upon this news, the image I pulled and highlighted from their site seems hilarious (to me) in retrospect:



TKC's high powered snack cake and G.I. Joe heavy portfolio now seems quite sensible in retrospect . . . Especially considering so many of the "smartest people in the room" in this town are a big part of the global economic collapse.

A look at afternoon KC Links

Here's what I'm looking at this afternoon . . . A lot of violence and petty theft in the metro . . . And it's kind of a good thing that the cold front has moved in, or else it would be way to "interesting" for a February weekend:

One more KC connection to the state capital: Gov. Nixon appoints Former KC Councilman Troy Nash to Housing Commission

KC area inconvenient violence: Robber Threatens Gladstone QuikTrip Clerk With Knife

One more reason to hate local landlords: Landlord Accused Of Promoting Child Porn

Shameful, sad, scary human target practice continues: 1 Shot At East-Side Apartment Complex

The weekend stock up: Mike's Hard Lemonade, Smokes Target of Theft

From one of my favorite bloggers . . . A pretty paper store photo.

Alessandra Ambrosio in Victoria's Secret . . . Hell yeah.

Local HUD Cash Giveaway!!!

The KC Biz Journal reports: Four Kansas City-area cities will get $3.1 million combined from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for economic development, and Kansas City will get $3.6 million from HUD for homeless prevention . . . With Kansas City's record on housing issues, this could be enough to build two, maybe three houses. Hooray!!!

Horse racing replaced with horse trafficking across the state line

Four KCK men charged with heroin trafficking

Start planning your drunk-a-thon now!!!

Irish KC has the details: St Patrick's Pre-Party at the KC Marriott Downtown

Contrasting KC Dog Stories

This town has such a deep, strange local love for pets . . . I'm surprised there aren't reporters specifically assigned to dog and cat news in KC. Note: Expect a horrible blog from The Star on the subject in 3, 2 . . .

Anyhoo . . . Here are the top two Kansas City Doggie stories of the day:

This town shows its unbridled love for canines: Puppy Mill Survivors Headed To Kansas City

And only vicious attacks are offered in return: Police say two dogs killed a Maltese dog Friday morning and bit the dog’s owner.

TKC Note: The overwhelming majority of dogs are not loyal . . . They'll go with whoever feeds them. So stop trying to substitute their companionship for failed human relationships.

I'm guessing THIS is not what they intended when they called for "Hands Off" the Kansas City School District

KMBC reports: A teenager was shot in the hand early Friday morning while waiting for a school bus, police said . . . And every time someone tries to claim progress in the KC Schools or want to continue answering to no one . . . It's important to outline not only constant violence associated with KC Schools but also their continued failure to meet minimum State proficiency goals.

Plaza Merchant Death Watch: Z Gallerie closes on Saturday

Apparently, they've been on the Plaza for 9 years . . . I have no idea what they sell. But it looks nice from outside.

Futile GOP Kansas Coal Bill Repeat

Great reporting from the Kansas Jackass: Coal Bill Doesn't Reach Veto Override Count! And that means it'll definitely be killed just like last session.

No Budget Compromise in Kansas City

This could get ugly . . . Uglier.

The Mayor took TKC's advice (and that of much smarter people) and rejected a property tax increase along with cuts to the cops . . . Sadly, he didn't come up with any suggestions of his own.

Just as TKC had warned on Wednesday . . . Cauthen's revised budget still has a property tax increase along with somewhat smaller cuts to the cops.

And massive City Hall Layoffs thrown in for good measure.

In essence, nothing has changed . . . Which is typical of life in general in Kansas City.

On the bright side, Cauthen seems a lot more accessible than Mayor Funky in answering questions from the media about the budget mess . . . Notice that Mayor Funky still hides out at the library and is uncomfortable when people don't defer to him like a professor.

Now it's time for the council to spar over the budget . . . Which should also be entertaining.

And I guess the underlying principle in all of this is that nobody is happy about any cuts and the budget keeps getting passed around like a hot potato with everyone avoiding responsibility for unpleasant reductions . . . WHICH IS WHY MORE THAN A FEW TKC TIPSTERS WONDER ABOUT WORK TO RAISE REVENUE RATHER THAN THE SCARED, REACTIONARY TALK THAT USUALLY COMES FROM POLITICOS!!!! There's a way to do it without tax increases and it starts with making a lot of big corporate interests in Kansas City pay their fare share along with tightening up KC fee and licensing collections (and of course reducing TIF which has become the most tired KC cliche of people who think they know everything about KC) . . . These are just ideas but a great many neighborhood people throw these suggestions out constantly and are continually ignored.

ALSO . . . I just wonder how long KC can keep financing Liberty Memorial, 18th and Vine, Union Station and The Zoo which fail to bring in revenue windfalls but are financed for the benefit of our JoCo neighbors and other all-to-infrequent visitors.

Long story short (too late) there is very little compromise and even less leadership on Kansas City's budget and I expect this will continue until we finally reach a "Kansas City Compromise" wherein nobody is happy.

Links:

Cauthen calls for cutting 237 jobs to save $14.4 million in next year's KC budget

KC Manager Proposes 'Significant' Layoffs

Unchecked lewd comments and alleged pay disparity cost Clay County more than 200k

From The Star: "An insurance provider for the Clay County government has agreed to pay $208,000 to an employee to settle a sexual-harassment lawsuit that named Assessor Cathy Rinehart and a former worker as defendants." I'm calling it, The Not-So-Sexy-Clay County-Money-Shot-Stimulus . . . Just for kicks, of course.

Inspirational Man on Man lunch (ew)

Free Saturday lunch in KCK a religious forum for men to help other men

Meeting Kansas City Crime head on

This town gets more hardbody with every passing day . . . Robbery Suspect Gets Shot in Head

Inspiring local nun bike giveaway story

The Examiner recently published a great profile of local nuns who have been giving away bikes all over the world. It's sort of neat given that fact that I would risk eternal damnation in Hell if dared to mock them . . . So yeah, it seems like a good cause that has not only recruited a lot of local volunteers but also earned international recognition.

Suspected Daycare Bandit Busted

NBC Action News: Alleged Suburban Daycare Purse Snatcher Caught . . . And while I'm sure there's all kinds of alliteration that could accompany this story, the most important thing is to note is that all robbery schemes are brilliant right before they end with jail time.

Overland Park Peeper

KCTV5: Peeping Tom Lurking In Overland Park Buildings . . . Suburban Bliss getting harder to find.

I keep reading that Clay has a valid point

KC Tribune: Chastain Rail Plan Should Be Reinstated, Wife Argues . . . Chastain, the herpes sore of Kansas City politics won't quit his light rial crusade . . . And I guess a broke local government doesn't matter.

Good Looking KC Morning Link Layout

Here are just a few links I'm reading this morning:

It's time for students to learn about handouts economic stimulus: Missouri, Kansas schools await details on stimulus funds

Kline, two prosecutors face ethics complaints

Obviously, I'm going to go for the cheap "show and tell" joke: Student Brings Gun To KCK Elementary School

The anti-hero is alive and well in KCK: "Pretty Boy" Floyd Artifacts Displayed

Kansas City's worst husband still free: Shon Pernice posted bond after pleading not guilty to charges of stealing a neighbor's handgun.

Big bucks in KCK: Commissioners approve TIF district for $69M project at I-35 and 18th Street

Karma comes full circle for a local cop: Metro Cop Paid Back for 1988 Act of Kindness

Too broke to leave town: Kansas City International Airport passenger count continues to fall

If they're lucky, Claycomo could get new product line

The Delisting, grave dancing coundown continues

I recently found of Willa Ford & Julianna Guill in the latest issue of Maxim looking all leggy and shiny.

Show Me overwrought rhetoric about Socialism that doesn't reflect reality

More Missourians Than Ever Get Food Stamps . . . It's worth noting that these are mostly white people in a Red State.

KCK Scary Breakfast Surprise

KMBC: Man Found Dead This Morning In Restaurant Parking Lot - Officers were called to La Pasada at 6550 Kaw Drive at about 1 a.m. Friday. When they arrived, they found a man in his mid 20s dead from a gunshot wound.

TKC leaves Hearne's 1st comment!!!

When I was a kid, I always found it embarrassing that the Chiefs were the last team in the NFL to have male cheerleaders . . . Similarly . . .

Kansas City Confidential has only been publishing for a couple of days but I think it's obvious that Hearne's crowd of readers from his years of writing at The Star have YET to follow him to the Internets. For the sake of every blogger, I honestly hope that changes.

In Latino culture, merchants making the first and last sale of the day tend to offer a bargain; so in order to get the ball rolling on Hearne's blog I left the first comment for the site's biggest name. Here's what I wrote:

"Hey Hearne, I like the blog. I'm linking."

Overall I think this is the 4th comment for all of the writers Hearne has assembled, with one comment coming from contributor Greg Hall - whoever that is . . .

There is a school of thought that says the comments are the lifeblood of blogs. Personally, I don't care what you d-bags think or type because with the sole exception of Donna and 2 other people - Who are the bright spots in all of Kansas City blog comments . . . Most of the reader reaction is either just plain wrong, petty or kinda racist. There are a lot of local blogs that get great comments, Gone Mild has some serious discussions when he provokes his readers to write missives that look like they took as much effort as blogging and I notice that local lady bloggers like Frighteningly Uncommon Sense or Moxie Mama have a built in (genetic?) tendency to spark chat sessions.

So, I'm hoping my tiny contribution will help Hearne and get off to a good start when it comes to reader participation. I might also suggest that attending blogger meetups with a rotating crew of 2 dozen white people is a great way to garner comments from "friends" . . . The only downside to that is that I think you have to make out with some guy named Chimpotle or try not to scream "Ward Sucks!!!" at The D-Rules - Which is something I could never do . . . Still, all good things, even blogging, require sacrifice.

I offer even more suggestions and help for Hearne because the Kansas City blogosphere is all about community and inclusiveness NOT petty jealousy and cliques disguised a niches, right?

So, while you've had ample opportunity to read Hearne's blog . . . Don't be shy, drop him a line.

For the weekend

A great list of local weekend activities from KC's about.com blog.

Mickey Mouse former Chiefs Linebacker wasn't surprised he was let go

Arrowhead Pride finds a great video of Donnie Edwards attempting not to pout and wearing a dumb shirt for a grown-ass man.

The burden of Kansas City History

The KC Beer Blog comes to an interesting conclusion about the Kansas City bar biz: "Historic businesses in historic buildings actually have a bigger burden because of the smoking ban. While new businesses and strip mall bars are given a very significant advantage in drawing in the smokers, the lifeblood of a bar's business, the older bars in established historical buildings just have to hope for the best."

Kansas City Life

No, I don't think a recent Local Youtube Rap Retrospective has anything to do with life insurance despite what the title suggests but as far as local gangsta rap goes . . . The clip is pretty good.

While it may not be everyone's cup of tea . . . I guess I didn't want to miss my opportunity to help recruit local video hos and feature just a bit of the KC Hip-hop scene that isn't celebrated by Crossroads dweebs.

It's this kind of night

Way too cold and waiting for Springtime in Kansas City. I recently stumbled upon a photo of the old Katz Drugstore that seems to capture the mood of this evening. For more awesome photos like this, check out kocojim's photostream and don't forget to take a quick peek at the history of the Katz Drugstore and the architect, Clarence Kivett, who designed it and a lot of classic buildings in the Kansas City area.

Cold Winter Night in Kansas City

It's still cold, nasty and kinda mean in Kansas City . . . And for the most part that's a good thing.

This kind of weather often makes me think how hard other people have it and then enjoy my own Schadenfreude regarding their misery . . . Today especially I'm filled with a depressing kind of glee given that a 150 year-old newspaper is going under while this blog has never seen more traffic . . . Neither one of us is profitable but I'm only sacrificing my spare time and don't have half the smug self-satisfaction common among most media people . . . So, while dead tree media advocates keep on hoping for change and saying that things aren't that bad . . . I don't think people at the Rocky Mountain News are going to believe them any longer.

Notice that the world isn't ending for the readers of the defunct newspaper . . . Like any demise, it's almost frightening how soon life goes on afterward . . . It's actually a bit of a blessing that things work like that . . .



So, for just a few hours I'll try to stay warm tonight while the reality of the death of dead tree media and the global economic collapse sinks in for eternal cheerleaders.

More posts on the way . . . I hope.

Stay tuned . . .

Listen to TKC talk with Darla tonight

I'll be on KMBZ tonight at around 8 P.M. on 980 Live with Darla Jaye.

It should be an interesting discussion . . . There's a lot to talk about, a lot of info to relay and even a few topics to spar over . . . Feel free to join in on the discussion but you probably can't be as mean as you are in the comments on this blog.

TKC BREAKING NEWS!!! DETAILS OF A TENTATIVE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE KANSAS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TEACHERS!!! IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

Here's the latest from THE MOST AWESOME OF THE TKC TIPSTERS!!! . . . Teachers and the Kansas City School District are VERY close to at least a tentative agreement.

Here are just a few of the details. Check it:

Yesterday the Union and District signed off on the last two items in negotiations for the Teacher Unit--the financial package and agency shop fee. The ratification meeting will be on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites. We will be getting notices to the schools/worksites tomorrow. We are working on posting all the Tentative Agreements on our website at aftkc.org and I will email again when that is done.

For the financial package we got a step increase for all eligible employees and a 2% adjustment at the top of the Bachelor's and Master's lanes. It will be reflected on the March 15 paycheck. In addition, members of the Teacher Unit may choose to complete an MSIP Action Research Plan for the 2008-2009 school year. It is due on May 15 and those completing it will receive a payment of $750.00 on June 15. We did not get retro pay because of a legal challenge by the District based on an Attorney General's opinion. It would have taken months to resolve it and we wanted to get our contract done. And we withdrew the proposal on the agency shop fee.

When Jewell Gould from AFT did a financial analysis of the District's budget for us, he did it based on finding money for raises for all the employee groups represented by the KCFT & SRP--the Paraprofessional and Nurse, Security, Secretarial/Clerical and Professional/Technical Units . There are thirty-five Tentative Agreements we signed off on in the teacher negotiations that are applicable to all units and that's about half the contract for each unit. So I am hopeful that we will be able to get through negotiations for everyone else quickly.

It's been a terribly long struggle, but we will have a collective bargaining agreement.

Now it's not perfect because they won't be getting retroactive pay and there are a few details that need to be ironed out . . . They are still in talks. But, as always, I'm down with any Kansas City Union showing that they have fought for their rights and did the best for their members.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! State Money for Kansas City's Tire Dump Problems!?!?!

TKC Tipsters are pretty kickass and are deeply committed to cleaning up this town . . . In fact more so than most politicos who make promises about "a City that works" but never demonstrate any kind of follow up . . .

Anyhoo . . . Kansas City's tire dump problem which relates to several unlicensed businesses in this town might soon receive some attention from the state of Missouri.

Folks concerned about the trash, abandoned tires and blight all over this KC have made contact with a great many people who share their concern and there might even be the possibility of Obama Stimulus money dedicated to cleaning Kansas City streets since 3rd District Council people and Mayor Funky have done absolutely nothing to address the problem.

KANSAS CITY SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT MARILYN SIMMONS SMACKS DOWN THE NEW GUY FOR QUESTIONING PRICEY REPAIRS TO THE AFRICAN-CENTERED EDUCATION CAMPUS!!!

Prime Buzz reports from a School District Meeting that an An issue with a $2.3 million contract to continue repairs and renovations of the African-centered education campus Upper School in old Southeast High School sent School Boards Marilyn Simmons into an angry tirade.

Consideration for Kansas City Winos!!!

KMBC: "Kansas City liquor stores could soon begin selling wine by the drink under an idea now before city officials. If approved, liquor stores could apply for expanded liquor licenses that would allow them to sell single servings of wine of up to 5 ounces to be consumed inside the store." And while I'm sure this is aimed at high class, overpriced establishments . . . Somewhere there has to be a loophole that will make an enterprising businessman a fortune from the misery of other hobos and connoisseurs of bum wine.

Blogrolling is back with a new Internetz business model, but TKC won't be using it

Way back in the day . . . 4 years ago. Just about every Kansas City blogger hosted a blogroll. It was a nice way to build a sense of community and create a list of your favorite bloggers.

Last year, blogrolling endured some horrible hacking that was allegedly from the terrorists.

Since then they've been down but now promise to return with some new features and a brand new biz model.

Their launch is on Monday and their business model is . . . "Ads in links" while that sounds innocuous enough . . . It's actually one of the more sinister things that I've seen from a blogging company in a while . . . Put simply, here's what the system will do for people who only want to use the free service:

BLOGROLLING WILL BE DISPLAYING AN ADVERTISEMENT ON TOP OF EVERY BLOG THAT THEIR USERS LINK WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE BLOG OWNER!!!

Again, if a person using blogrolling.com links you then you are now part of their advertising program whether you like it or not.

If more people actually used blogrolling I bet this would be a huge concern. Unfortunately, TKC is one of the last remaining KC bloggers that's committed the idea that by there is a "blogosphere" and we are somewhat united as small, independent publishers of Internets content whether we like it or not . . . That's why I link any Kansas City blogger who asks me . . . Now with the help of Google and I swear I will hard code my links before I sign up for this garbage from blogrolling.com.

As for yet another scheme to profit from the personal publishing of strangers . . . It's simply part of the endless flurry of sales pitches and spam that are so pervasive on the Internets. Still, if anybody out there is still using blogrolling (doubtful) and not paying for the subscription . . . Please, don't link me.

TKC talks with Darla Jaye Tonight

I'm waiting for other, more talented photogs to capture the newish Boulevard Brewing Company Sign that is keeping the Westside aglow. . . But, as usual, blogs like TKC have to do things first in order for there to be any action taken . . . An NO the 12 guys on the KC Rag Forum who think they know everything don't count.

Anyhoo . . . I took the photo featured above of the really pretty Boulevard Sign on the Westside last night while listening to 980 Live with Darla Jaye . . . Tonight, I'll be talking with Darla . . . who now is the proud owner of a Twitter account.

Check out KMBZ News Radio 980 at around 8 in the PM.

Restaurant Week celebrates Kansas City dining that people can no longer afford!!!

KC News and Events features some great information on an upcoming local restaurant promo that just about everyone in this cowtown is too broke to enjoy. Still, it's something to read about and enjoy while savoring a much cheaper artery clogging fast food fare.

Hey, let's pretend 18th & Vine is still an important part of Kansas City!!!

There's a Black History celebration at the Gem Theater tonight . . . Along with MLK day, I think that's only two "mandatory" occasions that the people of KC have to suffer through while the place STILL is far from being in the black in terms of its taxpayer supported finances.

I hate Hearne's blog. But I want to help!!!

The new blog of Hearne Christopher Jr. was met with a nice announcement from Bottomline Communications but almost no fanfare.

In fact, I think the local blogosphere gave Hearne's bloggy offering a big "who cares" and didn't even bother to stop by and leave a nasty comment.

Sadly, I think Hearne is behind the times on his approach to blogging and if he really wanted to prove his KC Celeb Status with little effort he would have just launched a slightly updated solo blog along with a Twitter account . . . Besides, all blogs will be useless compared to Twitter in two months.

Nevertheless, despite the vast fortunes of the Christopher Family and all those years of hard work by Hearne a The Star . . . He's still a blog newbie and I want to help him in much the same way I try and link as many other local bloggers as I can.

Here are my Top Suggestions for KC Confidential:

Defending Gloria Squitiro? Seriously? The blogosphere is for unbridled meanness not standing up for barefoot women running Kansas City without a vote. Breaking the mold is one thing . . . But a blog doesn't have the same gravitas as the "paper-of-record" so sticking up for the Mayor's wife just makes Hearne look like a shill.

Peregrine Honig is the second worst artist in Kansas City (next to STRETCH) and her writing and personal observations are even worse than that . . . Talking to a street sign in the Crossroads would garner more information. And while I think her blonde, busty business partner is incredibly hot . . . I'm pretty sure picking Peregrine as part of this bloggy team was simply a cynical decision to capture the young lady demographic that The Star's INK mag is also going after . . . Only, with less pay, of course.

WAY TOO MANY WHITE PEOPLE . . . The mainstream media reinforces SUPREMACY quite a bit but the blogs that I've seen really succeed in Kansas City come from voices that would have been ignored by the corporate information structure. From the jail house and wrong side of the tracks observations of the Midtown Miscreant to RDM's no holds barred observations on race in America. Like it or not, BLOGGING IS THE ALTERNATIVE TO MAINSTREAM NEWS COVERAGE but Hearne is simply mimicking his old Star style that people can still get . . . From The Star. Covering just a couple of minority issues might provide a perspective that Hearne never offered at the house of his former employer.

Like this one, his posts are too long.

Can Hearne succeed without poaching the scoops of his colleagues? Widely known fact: Just about every reporter at The Star hated Hearne. Newsroom gossip travels fast and even I've managed to glean a few crumbs from the loud talk that newsies try to keep to themselves. A great many newsies say that Hearne made a career out of poaching the stories other people were working before they had a chance to make them public . . . While I think that's a wonderful tactic . . . Being outside The Star building limits his options on that front.

The Lazarus Group owns his blog according to a quick whois search . . . I'm not sure if that's just a site design thing or if they actually OWN the domain (and thereby the content) . . . I hope Hearne knows for sure before he starts putting out more posts. Information wants to be free . . . But not all companies share the same sentiment.

It's CLEAR Hearne didn't really bother to learn the rules of blogging . . . Sponsored content posts like the kind his blog features for Birdies and Bazooka's will kill his page rank if Google ever catches on . . . Just a bit of advice, while the top brass say that blogs have no ethics (they don't) there are rules of this thing we call blogging and abiding by them only benefits newbies like Hearne.

Needless to say . . . I'm hoping for the best for Hearne and I don't want to see him fall flat on his face the way he did at that bar last year . . . What mainstream media people always fail to understand is that one popular blog benefits ALL BLOGS and believe it or not, Hearne's venture could be a good thing for other bloggers who are doing their own kind of writing about Kansas City.

"The Two Faces of Barack Obama"

An amazing column from Reason Magazine's Matt Welch . . . Conclusion: The President's address was pretty much one giant contradiction . . . At least for anyone who was paying attention.

Can the Chiefs turn it around?

No, no they can't.

Hey Funky, start here!!!

Mayor Funky has VERY LITTLE experience working in the community and during his tenure he's made absolutely no effort to improve his lack of participation in Kansas City Neighborhoods.

Nevertheless . . . I like his recent effort, at least in spirit:

"Funk stumps for higher child-care subsidies in Jeff City"

Unfortunately, Kansas City's Mayor is all about speeches and publicity grabbing and nothing besides . . . So don't expect much action from the Mayor on a problem related to childcare in his own backyard as Operation Breakthrough is about to lose its funding from the City.

Again, if Kansas City's Mayor really cares about child-care then he'll do what TKC tells him to and work to fund people who really need it instead of just mugging for the cameras and making a pointless speech . . . Following the advice of TKC will demonstrate that Mayor Funky has learned just a little something about leadership by example rather than cheap publicity stunts he has relied on so far.

The So-Called Renaissance in KC: Huge Skating Event Skips this Cowtown!!!

The 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships passed on The Sprint Center and Kansas City . . . It is estimated the event would have brought more than 150,000 visitors and additional $30 million to the economy.

Meanwhile . . . The Sprint Center keeps getting older, more big names will likely take a pass in the future and an anchor tenant is nowhere in sight.

Local authorities initially blame "natural causes" for the death of bullet rattled corpse

A funeral home discovers three bullet holes, 2 in the head, on a dead body that had expired from "natural causes" according to Kansas City police and the Jackson County medical examiner's office

Kansas City Morning Link Layout

Just a bit of what I'm reading this morning from mainstream media:

Wishing a speedy recovery to a KC Institution: Kansas City music legend Tony DiPardo is recovering after surgery to repair a broken hip.

In local, illegal computer nasty news: Man secretly videotaped girls, women

Kansas City streets violence continues: One person was found shot near 30th Street and Agnes Avenue in Kansas City.

Maybe, just maybe if the people from this neighborhood supported better politicos for the past 40 years . . . The Sewer situation might be somewhat better: Ward Parkway Sewage Standoff

Light Rail will never die: Light-rail supporters appeal KC Council's repeal of 2006 vote

Harling's Liquor License pulled for two days

Car Chase Co-op: Kansas City and Independence police combined to catch two suspects in a stolen car Wednesday night.

A Jennifer England photo gallery just might a little bit too classy for you d-bags

Bi-State Blues

Mass layoffs rise in Missouri, Kansas from last year

Missouri Republicans Still Hate Healthcare (even for kids)!!!

House Republicans cut health insurance for 20,000 children out the Governor Jay's supplemental budget request today . . . It's a typically ignorant move that doesn't realize where the economy is headed and perceptions about the party currently in power. On the bright side, it's part of the reason why Missouri Republicans will face increasing competition for their stronghold in rural areas that have been battered by the economy and may reject empty rhetoric aimed at preserving the status quo and the otherwise divisive GOP party line that strangely hasn't changed much.

Via FUMO

Smoking Ban and P&L District close another Downtown Biz

At 613 Walnut St. Northern Italian restaurant and nightclub, Seven Downtown, shut down Monday.

Overland Park Asian

An informative discussion of Chinese and Japanese food in the suburbs at KC Lunch Spots reminds me of the stereotypical and horrible fact that Asian women with valley girl accents are probably the best thing about life in the United States.

I know, I know . . . Constantly mentioning someone's ethnicity in relation to the cuisine of their country of origin is typically a mistake that rude people make but then again for some some reason a Latina friend of mine with a Masters Degree from The Bloch School is always asked, "Do you make tamales?" by well intentioned older white ladies . . . So until that crap ends I'm participating in the interracial-love-food-fest as if every day was the Ethnic Enrichment Festival and I'll be asking every other white person I meet about the best way to prepare Macaroni and Cheese.

Kansas City Sploggers?

Kansas City bloggers congregating is a wonderful thing . . . The fact that a great many of the white 30 and 40 somethings who like to type for each other also enjoy having a beer with one another while celebrating the one or two minorities in their midst is probably groundbreaking in much the same way that Obama can somehow wage war with a conscience cleaner that G.W. Bush (???).

Still, it's important that people know that someone is ALWAYS trying to sell them something . . .

To wit, I'm starting to notice a lot advertorial content and Kansas City Bloggers or at the very least it's content promoting business in a local blog forum.

Now, I'm not making any accusations and I'm not saying the owners of that blog are getting paid . . . But even Google has seen trouble recently with sponsored content and the ever increasing temptation to buy opinion on the web.

It's my contention that bloggers can and should be able to shill whatever they please and the compensation should be whatever they can get . . . But mainstream media often points out the lack of ethics of bloggers along with no clear delineation between content and advertising . . . Even as the paper-of-record pushed light rail, Stadium Taxes, Mayoral Candidates and Party Districts for (seemingly) their own economic benefit.

The point here is that it seems that everybody has an agenda and that NOT ONLY applies to news outlets (both bloggy and mainstream) but also "social networks" that struggle to achieve a profit model and ALSO can't avoid bringing commerce and corporate influence into their circle of online "friends."

Full Disclosure: This blog is little more than effort to lure chubby, blonde 30-something white women my way.

So far it hasn't worked.

Kansas City Jazz Round-up

Plastic Sax collects all of this week's latest Jazz links in KC.

"The Power and Light district shoots for mediocrity and no imagination."

This money line from the Kansas City Beer Blog applies to so many things concerning the P&L District . . . But in this instance it concerns recent tenant turnaround and St. Paddy's Day Plans.

"Sam's Tastee Treat in Olathe"

A nice review from my favorite real estate blogger . . . Nostalgia is delicious.

Home & Hearth & Hotness

Old and busted: Home ownership.

Why?

Because it's out of reach for most gainfully employed people nowadays and the housing crash has almost completely dried up the market.

Here are just a couple of examples:

Suburban KC housing collapse: New Home Permits Fizzle in Johnson County . . . The best part of the story was the revelation that LENEXA DID NOT ISSUE A SINGLE NEW HOME PERMIT LAST MONTH!!!

From the AP: Midwest home sales fall 16 percent in January . . . Keep hoping for change in your apartment complex.

However, it's not all bad news.

NEW HOTNESS:

The Internets offers up a free photo gallery of Denise Milani in a polka-dot bikini.

More posts forthcoming.

Stay tuned . . .

Funkhouserrecall.com

Without make-up or photoshop . . . Marisa Miller is still INSANELY HOT!!! In much the same way, even unpolished arguments against Mayor Funky still do a good job of pointing out horrible failure of the Squitiro Co-Mayor Administration.

I'd like to see more graphics and a bit of a nicer design for Funkhouserrecall.com but just reading their material . . . I see that Mayor Funky might have a fight on his hands to stay in office this year.

Kansas City Dress Code Redux

Word is the Dress Code Ordinance was delayed today. They're going to table the issue for a week.

Apparently, THEY (the City Planning and Zoning Committee) want some businesses like fancy restaurants to have a right to refuse service the average Kansas City d-bag (like myself) who NEVER takes off their baseball cap even in a 4 star restaurant . . . While still doing their best to fight garbage like the discriminatory dress code.

TKC SOLUTION: All females in Kansas City eating and drinking establishments should be required to look and dress like Danneel Harris in a recent bikini clad Maxim photoshoot. In other words, the only City Reg that really applies (to women only) is (as always): NO FATTIES!!!

"Tiller, The Baby Killer" Trial Drama Continues in Kansas

Crime Scene KC: Judge won't throw out Tiller charges

Lame sponsored seating sections at the K

NBC Action News: Three new featured fountain areas of the renovated outfield at Kauffman Stadium will include the DRI DUCK Fountain Seats, the Pepsi Party Porch and Miller Lite Fountain Bar.

TKC Breaking News!!! Kansas City Layoffs coming REALLY SOON!!!

Another AWESOME TKC TIPSTER just dropped me a line a couple of seconds ago . . .

It seems that City Hall Layoffs are starting soon . . . Maybe this week, maybe by the afternoon.

While most reactionaries who live in the suburbs celebrate these kind of firings and love to dance on employment graves (much like I do with The Star) . . . It's important to note that employees fired at City Hall REPRESENT A CUTBACK IN SERVICES!!!

Don't expect the JoCo crowd to care about accessibility to local government for neighborhoods in KC Proper . . . But it's something to think about when contemplating Kansas City's financing of suburban entertainment at The Stadiums and the P&L District.

KC Afternoon Link Spread

Just a few links I'm reading that are mostly disappointing:

Judges Hear Kansas City Light Rail Arguments

Teacher Accused Of Slapping Student

Man Accused Of Terrorizing Shawnee Women

Senate Panel Rejects Red-Light Camera Ban

Unrelated

Shon Pernice, The husband of a missing woman pronounced dead by authorities has been arrested on an unrelated gun charge.

Somebody just sent me this spam

Sprint Center moments . . . The "moment" they come up with an anchor tenant won't be featured any time soon. Sadly. Still, worth a look.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE MIGHT HAVE PAID MAYOR FUNKY A VISIT THIS MORNING!!!

All of City Hall was abuzz this morning because reps from the Missouri Attorney General's office reportedly made a big show of giving Kansas City Mayor Funky a morning visit.

THE MOST AWESOME, KICKASS TKC TIPSTERS confirm that the reps made no secret about who they were . . . But were sadly mum about what they were doing.

The speculation is that this just might be the part of a nepotism case against Co-Mayor's Funkhouser and Squitiro that's been rumored all around Kansas City for months.

One of the people from the AG's office was a lady carrying what was obviously steno gear so people all around City Hall are assuming that there is some kind of deposition involved . . .

As an interesting aside, Mayor Funky's visitors were waiting for him as "our clueless leader" apparently walked in a bit late and was greeted with something of a surprise.

I'm sure this isn't the last we hear of this but thanks to City Hall gossip running wild and KICKASS TKC TIPSTERS . . . The Internets knows about it as well.

Developing . . .

Wang teases Kansas City (hehe)

Damn it, The Islanders aren't ever going to come to Kansas City but Newsday keeps selling the story that Kansas City might be a outside possibility in order to get exclusive coverage of Islanders owner Charles Wang talking about the facility he'd really like to have built for his team in Long Island. (A video on their site even shows his plans drawn up to stay in the NY area) Note: The team's contract with the county that requires the Islanders to play at Nassau Coliseum until 2015.

KC Mardi Gras 2009

Eric Bowers Photography captures a great pic of a local (Crossroads) party that (thankfully) is yet to be sponsored by some damn pop music radio station.

KCPD Doggie Breakfast

KCTV5: A police dog took a bite out of a suspect on the run early Wednesday morning, officers said.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! MAYOR FUNKY RECALL EFFORT PART DEUX!!!

Springtime is almost here and the politicos are feeling frisky. Word around the campfire is that there is one, last, SERIOUS attempt to get a recall initiative on the ballot . . . From what I hear the hardest part, will be getting the signatures. If the folks behind this effort can get that done the vote against Mayor Funky will come off easier than Gloria Squitiro's slippers at City Hall.

Facts (from what I've heard):

A website detailing the effort is soon to go live.

Anti-Mayor Funky Billboards might soon be appearing.

With the Mayor so marginalized, I doubt there will be a lot of popular resistance to getting him out of office and people are always pissed off at politicos when they're broke . . . It's really more of a logistical endeavor at this point. The only question: Do the people behind this effort have enough cash or volunteers to get more than 17k signatures in a month? It's not impossible, but certainly very difficult. Very smart people have told me that the risk is . . . If Mayor Funky survives it, it could make him seem somewhat stronger. But, with his wife telling him to shut up in public all the time . . . I'm not certain that's correct.

Kander's First Town Hall

Go and talk to your young State Rep . . . This Saturday, February 28th, from 10:30 to 11:30am Kander is taking part in a Town Hall Meeting at Waldo Public Library (201 E. 75th St. KCMO 64114).

RSVP is not required but always appreciated. You can RSVP to (573) 751-2437 or by email to Jason.Kander@house.mo.gov

This is Jason Kander's first Town Hall meeting since taking office almost two months ago.

KCI Going Private?

Hey, Helling reports on an idea that won't even happen or will take at least a decade!!!

"Privatizing Kansas City International Airport could earn an estimated $1 billion for city operations and construction projects, supporters of the idea say."



In theory, I'm not against the plan (unless there is a dress code involved) . . . I'm just hoping that Hooters Air will be part of the equation.

Alvin Sykes on TV Barn

Alvin Sykes is one of Kansas City's greatest Civil Rights heroes who too often goes overlooked. Recently, Aaron Barnhart filed a killer post on the guy offering coverage of Sykes at the Bruce Watkins Cultural Center at a reception to kick off the Emmett Till Justice Campaign which helps to solve civil rights cold cases.

Smokey and his sales pitch

According to The Star: "Kansas City Fire Chief Smokey Dyer predicted Tuesday that a consolidation of the city's fire and ambulance systems could preserve excellent patient care while saving money."

Also, I'm guessing everyone one gets a Union sign up card with every ride!!!

Kansas City's Great Newspaper Crash

Defend Print Media all you want . . . The fact is that they're firing people and closing up shop at a rate far worse than most other American Industries that aren't relying on pointless devotion to newsprint.

Here's the latest on the subject from all over the KC Internets:

Bottom Line Communications: KC Star Eliminating Bureaus

Nick Sloan: Wyandotte County is ground zero for the struggles of print.

Suburban Weeklies Slay Major Daily - at least for now . . . A good insight but FAR TOO MUCH Optimism.

Not even sweet thoughts can save jobs in dead tree media: Hallmark Cards will drop Hallmark Magazine, lay off 10 in Kansas City

Don't forget to mark your calenders as The Star is about to be delisted . . . They might try to spin it as good news but it's just another indication that people with cash don't see the point throwing good money away on news thats almost always on the Internets first.

Chiefs cut old losers, look for new ones

The Chiefs announced yesterday that they have terminated the contracts of linebacker Donnie Edwards, quarterback Damon Huard and cornerback Patrick Surtain.

Remember that Huard was once thought of as the bright, shining hope of Kansas City and d-bags even defended him on this blog . . . At one time or another all of these players were part of big plans for the Chiefs that never went anywhere . . . In much the same way that the current roster, front office and coaching staff is filled with disappointments that seemed obvious in retrospect.

Kansas City has fewer instances of serious crime, if you can believe it . . .

A headline and a bit of local history . . .

Serious KC crime drops 16 percent in 2008 . . . If true, that's fantastic news. Sadly, there is plenty of reason to be suspect of Kansas City area crime stats.

Harsh times for JoCo McMansions as well

Wave of home foreclosures ripples beyond urban cores

Broke Ass Bartle Hall Rally This Week!!!

People who are facing foreclosure will have a chance to learn how to save their homes at a workshop in Kansas City on Thursday. Homeowners will be able to talk to counselors and meet with their lenders.

The workshop is from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City.

Old School Tech: Kansas City Violence has always led the way to Innovation!!!

From the newspaper profile: "The shields were designed following the slaying of four officers in front of the Union station in Kansas City, Missouri."

KC Morning Link Spread

Here are just a few links I'm looking at this morning . . .

All too common . . . Sick and broke in the KC area: Northland Family Faces Health Tragedy, Mortgage Trouble

Enjoy this wonderful global warming: Cliff Drive will extend pedestrian weekends

Show Me state sponsored death: Missouri high court ruling could clear way for setting of execution dates to resume

Show Me no class: Mo. House Endorses 4-Day School Week Option

Lame headline to an otherwise captivating story: Feats on streets bring honors for KC officers

Obama is all talk

Writing about politics and taking a serious interest in what citizen media has to say, I'm disappointed to see so many dimwits like the Hip Suburban White Guy who are still seemingly impressed with the fact that brown people can be articulate yet don't have any real insight into what the pretty words mean.

I'll do my best to help.

In a nutshell . . .

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS CARRYING FORWARD THE POLICIES OF THE G.W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION IN THE WAR OF TERROR DESPITE HIS PREVIOUS OBJECTIONS TO THESE VERY SAME TACTICS!!!

In his big, flowery speech last night the President renewed his commitment to closing Terrorist Prisoner Camps in Gitmo. What he didn't mention is that "Obama's Guantanamo" is now in Afghanistan and it's much bigger than the operation put together by former President Bush. And that's not the worst of it.

When it comes to the legalese of waging the War of Terror, President Obama has done a 180 degree turnaround from his campaign promises and is now running with the "State Secrets Privilege" right out of the G.W. Bush playbook.

What was abusive and dangerous about the Bush administration's version of the States Secret privilege -- just as the Obama/Biden campaign pointed out -- was that it was used not (as originally intended) to argue that specific pieces of evidence or documents were secret and therefore shouldn't be allowed in a court case, but instead, to compel dismissal of entire lawsuits in advance based on the claim that any judicial adjudication of even the most illegal secret government programs would harm national security. That is the theory that caused the bulk of the controversy when used by the Bush DOJ -- because it shields entire government programs from any judicial scrutiny -- and it is that exact version of the privilege that the Obama DOJ yesterday expressly advocated (and, by implication, sought to preserve for all Presidents, including Obama).

Put simply, all of Obama's complaining about prisoner abuse and what it reflected on the image of The United States throughout the world was nothing more than cheap campaign rhetoric that didn't even last two months into his Administration.

Here's a bit more proof for your edification, just in case your curiosity carries you further than cute TV soundbytes and into the actual G.W. Bush policy that Obama is sticking with . . . Check it:

New York Times: Obama's War on Terror May Resemble Bush’s in Some Areas

Wired: In Spy Case, Obama's Justice Department Holds Fast to State Secrets Privilege

Salon: Charlie Savage on Obama's embrace of Bush/Cheney "terrorism policies"

So, despite the warm feelings in the hearts of people who watch way too much TV . . . In reality, Obama has done nothing but reaffirm the policies of G.W. Bush within his first weeks in office . . . And then there's the whole messy business of the President doubling down, taking the same gamble as the former Soviet Union and condemning even more Americans to spend time in the "Graveyard of Empires" otherwise known as Afghanistan.

So, people hoping for change got nothing more than a slightly different skin color with, so far, very little evidence that the current president is really interested in anything but admitting defeat in Iraq, giving away a ridiculous amount of money just like his predecessor and continuing with his campaign speeches that rely far more on devotion to his celebrity status than any sort of real leadership.



Links courtesy of one of the most well-informed bloggers in the world - Daniel Radosh

Ash Wednesday in KC

Hooray!!! It's Ass Wednesday!!! Sorry, Ash Wednesday. So all of the drunkards out last night are going to be in church today, right? They'll be walking around with dirt on their heads that didn't come from rummaging around Westport looking for ass. Or not.

Oh, and for what it's worth . . . The P&L District was dead last night, it seems that Lenten somberness had already moved in or else WAY MORE people are broke than anyone really wants to believe . . .

By the way, the following links aren't really related to Kansas City but they're interesting nonetheless, I found the vast majority from Bol's Link blog which is a much better source of current information than the front page of most newspapers. Check these out overnight readers:

Not all information wants to be free - Going beyond the browser for Internets profit.

The Twenty Five Most Valuable Blogs - Blogging is big business, just not for most of you d-bags.

The Truth About Fast Food - Like celebs without make-up only much more relevant.

Avigdor Lieberman's Chutzpah [Slate] - The right to return cannot confer the right to expel: From Hitchens and probably the best thing I've read about the Israel/Palestine Conflict in more than a year.

More posts coming from this bad Catholic.

Stay tuned . . .

Kansas City Fat Tuesday!!!

Just got back from having dinner with my best friend . . . And a few other fools.

Contemplating leaving my basement dwelling for just a few moments and enjoying the best two hours of of Mardi Gras in Kansas City (I'm trying to be nice) . . . Looking at a great list put together by KC's about.com blog of activities for tonight, I think there are few more festivities I can hit before the calender turns to Ash Wednesday and I forget about Catholicism like everyone else.

Looking for other people to hang with I realize that TKC doesn't have a lot of friends . . . Aw, sad clown.

:(

Luckily, a buddy (long) before the blog just answered one of my calls and now I'm off to see if I can get a recently divorced Kansas City woman or some other desperate broad to show me her boobs before the 10 o'clock news in exchange for some nasty, reused beads . . . It's a fair trade and if I get photos, I'll post. Just don't hold your breath.

Are you inspired and full of hope yet?

Because I'm already broke, I don't need a lot of cheering up while the rest of the world's economy goes in the toilet . . . But tonight, yet another big speech by Obama seemed to make his detractors look completely bereft of ideas . . . Maybe I'll get more inspired when he actually cuts me a check. We can only hope . . .

TKC Theory: Liberal white people love to hate the Phelps family because it makes them look great by comparison!!!

Just like Sean Penn (only without the talent) The Plog works tirelessly to promote the Phelps family in order to demonstrate that they (The Pitch) are the nice, liberal kind of white people who aren't the least bit self-righteous . . . Just don't ask about their minority hiring (white women don't count . . . No Nadia, not even if they date Black dudes).

Mighty MO Lawsuit

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster says he has sued federal officials to stop a plan to divert Missouri River water to northwestern North Dakota.

Say a prayer for the Stimulus (or something)

NBC Action News reports: People will gather to pray for more jobs Wednesday at a Kansas City church.

Predatory Light Rail

I keep hearing that Light Rail is going to make a comeback.

Everyone swears it's not true, the Star even came out with a nifty article dispelling the rumors that Light Rail is part of huge regional transit plan that's going to championed by County Exec Mike Sanders . . . (and will once again make Mayor Funky look silly).

Still . . .

A GREAT MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT LIGHT RAIL ISN'T DEAD AND MIKE SANDERS MIGHT BE THE GUY WHO BRINGS IT BACK!!!

And I think that at this point Light Rail in Kansas City is like some kind of zombie or werewolf in a poorly plotted movie . . . It simply won't die. Also, like the career of Britney Spears.

Anyhoo . . . I needed an excuse to get this talk off my mind . . . And a photo of a coyote riding the light rail tracks in Portland not only reminded me of unintended consequences but also of KC's screwed up light rail aspirations that so badly want this town to like a Pacific Northwest city i.e. fewer minorities.

Kansas City Area X-box Beatdown

I imagine that the imagery and nature of a recent Platte City Beatdown Story over an X-box and involving multiple stabbings is going to receive a lot of attention all over TV this afternoon, especially since it's already all over the Internets . . . I don't have much commentary to add . . . But just want to note that it's another opportunity to distinguish video game violence from the much messier, uglier and dumb looking real world variety.

Links:

Witnesses Beat X-Box Stabbing Suspect

Accused X-Box Thief Suspected in Stabbings

Man Charged In Stabbings Over Xbox

Out & Equal in Kansas City

Out & Equal KC is a new (to me) local group that's currently making headway (hehe) in this town.

They've even got a Youtube vid explaining a little bit of what they do . . .

Kansas City Afternoon Link Layout

Just a few of the afternoon links I'm looking at:

More P&L District Fumbling: Famous Dave's back again.

It's nice to know deers get way more consideration than racially profiled drivers: Competing petitions want to either 'manage' or 'spare' JoCo deer

A day in the life in KCK: 6-7 shots reported near 37th Street and Metropolitan Avenue

Great blogger economic advice . . . I think.

Help Catch a KC Firebug: Pictures Released In Hereford House Arson

$27M in KC-area transportation projects move toward stimulus money . . . It's all infrastructure for cars while the poor saps riding the bus are paying higher fares.

Downtown plane drama: Lear Jet Leaks Fuel, Lands At Airport

An Emily Scott photo category . . . Hell yeah.

Justus knows where to find Stimulus cash

MO State Senator Jolie Justus offers some great resources on finding Obama cash. She's on the Senate Select Committee on Oversight of Federal Stimulus . . . So answering questions about the money is now a big part of her job. She advises: "If you are interested in updates on federal stimulus dollars that will flow through the state legislature, please stop by my weekly meeting at Coffee Break, 5400 Troost Avenue, Friday morning from 9-10 AM."

The most boring woman in Kansas can't seem to find her way out of the news

Sebelius Hasn't Talked to Obama About Cabinet

FuKCedcity.com: “Five Actions the Mayor can Take to Fix Our Schools.”

A local blog offers the BEST FIVE SUGGESTIONS for fixing Kansas City Schools that I've read in years and I'm guessing they cost less than 200k to implement . . . Which is the price that Mayor Funky is willing to pay to put on a silly "symposium" in order to play professor with cash that could be put to better use.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! TWO MORE REASONS TO TAKE KCPD CHIEF CORWIN MAYORAL RUMORS SERIOUSLY!!!

I'm just blogging the chatter I hear but it will be interesting to see KCPD Chief Corwin either deny the rumors he's running for Mayor, or even better . . . Run for Mayor. Either way, TKC wins.

But the KCPD Chief's new blog certainly does increase his public profile measurably and was reported all over town yesterday.

Here's a couple of things I left out of the story when TKC first broke news of Mayoral talk surrounding Chief Corwin.

Kansas City's next Chief of Police will be a Black Guy . . . When Corwin was competing for the job against Vince Ortega, both of them pretty much promised this to members of the local African-American leadership. IF Corwin works for this leading up to his retirement, he'll be able to give Kansas City's African-American community something that no one else can, Big Time representation where they've never had it before . . . This makes Mayor Funky's "New Tools" payouts look even more like peanuts.

Corwin coming out against Cauthen and criticizing the City Manager only endears him to a great many Kansas City voters.

Again, I'm pleased that TKC reported this chatter first that's now starting to evolve in the mainstream media . . . For the most part, I think Corwin might make a good Mayor and his candidacy is interesting . . . And, let's face it, ANYBODY would be more capable than Mayor Funky who (still) only seems to care about this wife's feet . . . At least until he does as TKC insists and drops the lawsuit against KC for the sake of barefoot Gloria Squitiro.

Local Smoke Out

Smoking bans are still making news . . . And choking off small biz.

Obviously, on KC Suburb isn't interested in keeping bar patrons: Gladstone council passes smoking restrictions . . . While the extra charge to give servers lung cancer is a nice touch in another part of town: KCK smoking ban allows exemptions with $250 annual fee

Penetrating Kansas City Economic Coverage

An NBC Action News special regarding sex and the economy was probably the most entertaining news story I've seen in a week if only because it featured a guy complaining that he was broke and his wife wouldn't get it on with him provides yet another reason why people shouldn't get married. I have no idea where they found this dude but he deserves to be slapped and then given a medal for basically calling his wife a prostitute on TV.

Anyhoo, the news regarding sex and the economy was horrible but that's no surprise . . . Credit goes to reporter Lisa Benson who included info about rising STDs during economic bad times as a bit valuable information in what was otherwise a puff piece.

Nevertheless, the sex and money story certainly proved captivating and full of giggles as they finished off the tale with a happy ending massage alternative to sex story.

Kansas City Jail Roundup

Lots of local jail news as of late that's getting less exciting every time I read it . . .

Despite objections from Mayor Funky and a few from the Northland: Regional Jail plan advances

Star commentary on the regional jail is mostly out of the loop and too late to make a difference.

Funding for county jail (from a public safety sales tax) angers KC police who then take aim at City Manager Cauthen.

McClatchy Paper Money

One of my favorite blogs notes: "A share of McClatchy's stock is, as of this moment (and with sales tax added), worth less than one of its newspapers."

Frankly, I think both are bad investments.

Higher Learning

I'm not sure if this is an indictment of causal drug use or the practicality of a college education:

An unattended bong is blamed for a fire at the Sigma Chi fraternity at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Many Broke Americans Hate Brown People

Sanchez defends H-1B visa program which is nice but overlooks a simple fact:

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "UNSKILLED LABOR" AND ALL IMMIGRANTS WORKING TO STAY IN THIS NATION CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMY AT SOME POINT!!!

So, while some people feel comfortable supporting an underutilized government program, it's easy to forget that most immigration is currently "illegal" but still generates revenue and powers more businesses than most people care to realize.

Fewer Funds for Failure

KC Schools Discuss Budget Cuts With Parents

Kansas City Morning News Link Splash

I'm actually quite fond of these news compilations . . . I like having so many links in one place and it's great to get through a lot of them quickly, I might work a little bit more on formatting. Your suggestions are welcomed but not required.

Here's what I'm reading this morning:

Two Kansas City, Kan. firefighters were injured fighting a warehouse fire.

Hard Luck for Higher Ed: University of Missouri system President Gary Forsee gives up 100k in pay

Crash Course in Justice: KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years After Fatal Police Chase

Small colleges scaling back too: Graceland University gets rid of a dozen jobs

Fewer people profiting off your misery isn't always a good thing: Mild Winter Not Good For Snow Plow Business

More Charges Filed in Crazy Cass County Incest/Molestation Case

Even in a recession there's money selling pizza

A typically unworkable solution from my favorite commuter college: A program at UMKC offers free bicycles to encourage alternative modes of commuting.

The opposite of weight loss advice from KC's About.com blog: Get Your Free Pancakes at IHOP on Fat Tuesday

Holly Valance Outtakes are Hella Good.

Budget Cuts Kill Kansas City Services, Again

Residents advocate for keeping Marlborough Community Center open amid a slew of budget cuts that most people only agree with in theory or simply don't care about because they don't have much invested in KC Neighborhoods.

Prayer: The last refuge of a scoundrel

Lisa Simpson may not think that God cares that you're broke but KC Currents did a nice job with a story which revealed that economic woes have resulted in an increase in calls to a 24-hour prayer center at Unity Village.

Kansas City Conservative Tea Party!!!

It's nice to see local conservatives take to the streets of Kansas City in much the same way that grass roots minority activists have done which, if you recall, earned them derision from some of these very same people . . . Nevertheless, folks doing something with their time other than watching American Idol is a good thing.

So, Kansas City's greatest Conservative blogger is promoting the Kansas City Tea Party which I guess is aimed at all of the recent Federal Money giveaways that started during The Bush Administration. Still, I see their point . . . I think bailout money and the so-called stimulus only delays the inevitable and free markets must bottom out on their own . . . But as of late it's impossible not to notice that the Republicans have become the do-nothing party and have been completely bereft of ideas . . . Except for bad ones, of course.

Without putting forward any new ideas . . . These protests come off as reactionary in addition to the fact that NOBODY likes a group of folks pouting at a free money party. Finally, the location might be a bad choice given that it usually hosts anti-war, teh ghey and even some Muslim protesters in the middle of Democrat controlled Kansas City. . . At the epicenter of Obama's KC stronghold, there's a real chance the cries against stimulus efforts will seem comically out of place.

Embracing the mediocrity of the Royals

Kansas Watch pokes fun at man love displays of public affection from the Royals who are seemingly already trying to console themselves amid what still looks to be a losing season with only a few minor improvements that are unlikely to get them into the playoffs.

Kansas City Blogger Bailout Suggestions

Katy McKenna writes an entertaining screed focused on additional recommendations for some of that sweet, sweet stimulus cash.

Being a bloggy loser is a good thing

(jeff)isageek just might be the greatest social networking guru in Kansas City and his latest effort to trim the fat from the blogosphere sounds fun . . . Logtar is following along and even has a chart set up . . . So I wish them luck on their endeavor and maybe if jogging is a part of their routine, they can pick up some donuts for TKC.

Losing season already for The Chiefs

Arrowhead Pride: Chiefs Shouldn't Expect any Primetime Games in 2009

Greedy Small Market Kansas City

Devon Aoki is one of the world's shortest supermodels and she's adorable not only because she's hot but also because she has challenged stereotypes and shown that sometimes people want to see short women show off their ass . . . And then there's Kansas City - A small market town that just seems greedy nowadays.

To wit, a columnist for the for Sacramento Bee takes Kansas City and Jason Whitlock to school regarding our ambitions of stealing (back) their team and the reasons why the franchise left in the first place.

When I heard that Jason had written a column suggesting the Kings relocate to the new downtown arena, I thought, okay, why not? And then I remembered why the franchise left in the first place, mainly, because Kansas City was too small a market to support a third professional franchise. "Cotton (Fitzimmons) actually used to say the Kings were the fourth team in town," related Kings player personnel director Jerry Reynolds, who was coaching college ball in the area when Gregg Lukenbill brought the franchise to Sacramento in 1985. "He said it was the Chiefs, the Royals, college basketball, and Tom Watson, who was at the height of his career. Don't get me wrong. Kansas City is a great sports town. It's just a small market (31st in Nielsen rankings), smaller than Sacramento (20th)."

Yet again sports fans, politicos and other misinformed people are either too afraid or embarrassed to realize that there are cold, hard economic fact that keep this town from getting another pro-sports franchise . . . It's not just a lack of will or effort but a dose of economic reality that has kept The Sprint Center Empty for so long . . . Ill-conceived, greedy scheming from people (like Whitlock) with eyes too big for their stomach is nothing more than bravado and doesn't have a basis in the real factors that drive sports (i.e. money) in Kansas City.

Late Night KC Link Lounge

I might expound on a few of these links later on . . . But I wanted to give you d-bags a chance to contemplate them tonight.

Kansas City Funded Agency Eats Pricey Steak!!!

KC Ad Recession Continues: Fleishman-Hillard lays off employees in Kansas City

Illicit drugs no less difficult to come by: 7 Plead Guilty in Multi-State Drug Conspiracy

News story comes to a conclusion that's pretty much a fantasy: Metro Restaurants Not Hit As Hard In Tough Economy

Everyone Loves Obama!!!

KANSAS CITY CANINE JUSTICE!!! Dogs That Attacked Mail Carrier Euthanized

A town filled with grifters: KC Man Accused Of Scamming Lottery Winner

Life Lessons: Student Shot With BB Gun At Raytown School

From Crime Scene KC: 15 years for Prospect Avenue shootout, chase

KCPD Chief Corwin's Blog Needs Comments!!!

Holly Huddleston in FHM for the overnight . . . Sweet Dreams

"A CLASS APART" TONIGHT ON KCPT!!!

There's a really great program scheduled tonight on KCPT that just about every Latino I know in Kansas City will be watching . . .

PBS's American Experience premieres A Class Apart from the award-winning producers Carlos Sandoval and Peter Miller. The one-hour film dramatically interweaves the story of its central characters -- activists and lawyers, returning veterans and ordinary citizens, murderer, and victim -- within the broader story of a civil rights movement that is still very much alive today.

The film begins with the little known history of Mexican Americans in the United States . In 1848, The Mexican-American War came to an end. For the United States , the victory meant ownership of large swaths of Mexican territory. The tens of thousands of residents living on the newly annexed land were offered American citizenship as part of the treaty to end the war. But as time evolved it soon became apparent that legal citizenship for Mexican Americans was one thing, equal treatment would be quite another.

The focus of the documentary seems to be The Supreme Court extending equal protection to Latinos which is certainly important considering that during this economic downturn, it's the first thing that reactionaries and racists want to take away.

Kansas City Soccer Loves You!!!

Check out this TKC EXCLUSIVE FOLLOW-UP!!!

Earlier, KMBC reported on endangered old school Bannister Mall hand prints from young students that more than a few people wanted preserved.

Because The Wizards and the people developing this complex are on top of their Internets game . . . I've just received word that some of the folks involved with the development are working on allowing families to come take pictures with the hand prints . . . It's not safe to cut them out and they won't be part of the equation and they won't be used in the new development . . . But it's still a nice gesture for people who want to preserve just a bit of South KC History in the rubble of a failed retail endeavor and right before KC Soccer takes its big shot at local, mainstream success.

Kansas Death Culture

A bill abolishing the Kansas death penalty is scheduled to have a Senate committee hearing. As always, I think it's fun to note the hypocrisy of "pro-life" people who remain typically silent on this topic . . . Despite the fact that the Big J.C. was the most beloved victim of Capital Punishment.

Twitter is now as cool and groundbreaking as Claire McCaskill!!!

Prime Buzz reports that Claire McCaskill rated as one of 10 most influential D.C. Twitterers . . . Which is pretty much the equivalent of your mom getting the same tribal tattoo that you thought was soooooooo edgy.

We all scream about nasty JoCo ice cream

While I want everyone to stay safe and healthy . . . I think this JoCo school controversy put the violence, corruption and abysmal ratings of the KC School District in perspective:

Officials at a Johnson County school district say tainted ice cream products may have been served in as many as 11 area schools.

TKC Note: Let's all remember not to eat the sprinkles unless you asked for them.

Show Me Missouri hypocrisy: Po'folk expected to be cleaner than politicos

Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill that would require anyone applying for state aid to take a drug test.

Note: This bill gets the TKC full endorsement IF EVERY ONE EVEN SLIGHTLY CONNECTED WITH ITS AUTHORSHIP ALSO SUBMITS TO A DRUG TEST AS WELL AND THEY ALL COME UP CLEAN!!!

Which is pretty doubtful if even half of the stories I hear coming out of Jeff City are true.

No more letters on JoCo Lockdown

Inmates in Johnson County Jail will no longer be getting mail in envelopes.

KC Monday Afternoon Link Layout

Here are the stories floating around this afternoon that I found interesting:

Annoyance at saggy pants does not provide a good excuse to hate minorities: The Power & Light District might be stripped of its controversial dress code.

JoCo Economy Death Watch: Parkway Cafe - Closed for Business

Kickass Real Estate photos make me want to buy something . . . If only I had the cash.

One story among the hundreds of thousands (millions) of Latinas working crap jobs to stay in this country: KCTV5 reports that a woman from Mexico who was deported from the U.S. after being convicted of drug trafficking in Missouri has been found again, this time in Kansas.

Is it so hard for media to differentiate between worthless tagging and a staple of urban culture? Neighborhoods Fight Back Against Graffiti

Suburban hater: A Shawnee man entered a guilty plea for capital murder Monday and will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

KCP&L Asks for Feedback on Possible Rate Increase . . . They might want to duck when waiting for the response.

So they might be able to see that you're broke: Advertisers Use Hidden Cameras to Watch You

Crime Scene KC: MO man admitted to molesting 40 kids over decades, police say

28 year-old Bikini Model Breena Rosillo: Best thing about this afternoon.

Gov. Jay giving away money online!!!

The KC Biz Journal reports: "Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced Monday the start of Transform.mo.gov, a Web site to solicit proposals for state projects that will use federal recovery money."

This is probably the only way to make money online without participating in a Nigerian E-Mail Scam . . . I hope.

Kansas City Jazz gets all the tax money

Local music blog Plastic Sax points out the disparity in funding for local music - A great deal of it goes to 18th and Vine while the rest of this town fend for themselves and offer self-sustaining music scenes.

Latinos under attack in the KC Area

Unfortunately, the suspects are also Latinos but I contend that the having a lot of safe places in KC to pick up Mexican bread and sturdy piñatas far outweighs immigration concerns that only stifle small business anyway.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! MAYOR FUNKY STARTS HIS BUSINESS IN JOCO!!!

Thanks to a KICKASS TKC TIPSTER for sending this one my way . . . It's yet another example that Mayor Funky has no idea what people in this town really care about . . .

Remember that TKC, with the help of the awesome people who read this blog, was the first to bring news/proof of Mayor Funky's second job.

Now, the details of the business kickoff event should be kind of embarrassing to Kansas City's Mayor.

First of all . . . It looks like "Chief of Staff" (i.e. in charge Gloria's foot massages) Kendrick Blackwood's dad George Blackwood is in business with Mayor Funky big time, so much so that he earns second billing.

Secondly, I think Mayor Funky's promise on delivering the following service should be greeted with suspicion:

Enhancing the understanding of elected officials, community leaders and professional administrators with regard to government auditing.

That sounds like his same effort to "establish a good working relationship with the City Council" that goes flying out the window whenever he doesn't get what he demands and is only exacerbated by the Mayor's cronies and their clumsy hit pieces despite the fact they can only name about 3 members of the Council.

Worst of all . . . The kickoff event for the Mayor's new venture is in Overland Park!!

Founding Conference - Register for this event!

Mar 30, 2009 through Mar 31, 2009 at the Baker University's Overland Park Campus, 7301 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS USA 66210. 8:00 AM till 4:00 PM

That's right . . .

SO, ACCORDING TO MAYOR FUNKY'S EXAMPLE, I GUESS KANSAS CITY PROPER IS A "CITY THAT WORKS" IN JOHNSON COUNTY!!!

And that pretty much speaks to the heart of Mayor Funky's failure as an elected official . . . Mark Funkhouser has never learned that leadership by example is the only kind that really matters.

As an auditor he only knew how to criticize people and while this led newsies to love him . . . It didn't give him any practice working with real people or "regular folks" as his propaganda calls them.

A very smart friend of mine notes that Mayor Funky meets Kansas City with the same standoffish, stubborn and willful strategy EVERY TIME a controversy erupts because in his work as an Auditor that's the only response from politicos he was afforded. In the grand scheme of things, Kansas City Auditors are powerless people and they only deserve a response, not any kind of consideration. Seemingly, the Mayor learned leadership by being slapped around . . . Which kind of makes sense since so many people have noted that Mayor Funky's main motivating factor in running for office (other than Gloria, of course) was revenge against so many who had put him in his place (under his desk) for so many years as Auditor.

But I digress . . .

The point here is that the guy who is supposed to be the biggest cheerleader for Kansas City is starting off his business in Johnson County, in the company of so many suburban interlopers who are killing this town.

It's yet another slap in the face to local business owners from a Mayor who has a political tin ear when it comes to what motivates people and is literally taking cash out of Kansas City Proper during the biggest budget crisis this town has faced in the modern era.

MARC wants in the Tornado Game!!!

I was going to title this a "TKC EXCLUSIVE" but it's even better because it's a KICKASS TKC TIPSTER CONNECTING THE DOTS!!!

Turns out the Mid-America Regional Council is trying to expand its reach and could help to spread Katie Horner's panic or some such . . .

Check it:

All of this info is gleaned from an interview over the weekend on Topeka's WIBW.

Apparently . . .

A great many Topeka Tornado Sirens don't work in the cold weather . . . That wasn't so much of a problem before but with this global climate change thing, that might come into play during the immediate future . . . Also, I guess they kind of need those for other emergencies too. Needless to day, Kansas Emergency Management is in the market for new sirens.

As luck would have it, MARC is holding, regular, huge conferences in an attempt to coordinate all outdoor warning signs in the region from a central control center. They're attempting to bring more than 42 Counties under their control reaching as far as, obviously, Topeka . . . This is being touted as a spring board to expand MARC's reach.

The well-informed TKC Tipster obviously has some concerns over the plan and isn't too happy about the overall performance of MARC on other efforts involving regional cooperation.

So we'll see . . . In the meantime, Spring is almost here and for some stupid reason, I always think that when KMBC's Erin Little gets really excited about the weather . . . She's going to start ripping off her clothes.

Darla Jaye Protests Dennis Moore!!!

Damn, it was a big weekend for KMBZ's Darla Jaye.

Not only did the Queen of KC Talk Radio make a list of top talkers in the nation . . . An honor that she alone earned in all of Kansas City . . .

But a protest rally she led over the weekend had an AMAZING TURNOUT!!!



Of course, with every political rally . . . There's always going to be a dispute about the numbers . . . But, in terms of attendance, Bottom Line Communications does a great job of noting that Kansas Congressman Dennis Moore was nowhere to be found.

In the final analysis . . . The photos of the event CLEARLY indicate that this was the biggest political rally in the Kansas City area over the weekend (for a couple of months actually) and it drew a great many (usually dazed and confused) suburbanites into the cold streets . . . Motivating those people to do anything that doesn't involve American Idol is an achievement in and of itself. Furthermore, if rumors of Moore running for Governor upon the departure of Sebelius to the Washington Obama Brigade . . . Then I guess the guy is going to have to grow accustomed to the mob of angry, loud, conservative Kansans.

Links:

Moore's vote for stimulus package prompts protest outside his office

KMBC: Protests Target Kansas Congressman

NBC Action news: Frustration Unleashed at Stimulus Protest

Prime Buzz: Tax protest draws crowd to Overland Park

You'll get your red light ticket today

Kansas City's invisible toll roads really take effect today for realz . . . The Saturday start doesn't really count since there was no rush hour.

Today the people of Kansas City will be racking up major fines in order to finance the P&L District.

Remember . . . (and this will come up more in the future) challenging these tickets isn't a horrible thing and part of your rights as a resident . . . Also, the Midtown focus of these cameras is kind of unfair.

Stay tuned . . . As people in KC with any choice in the matter will avoid this intersection and forthcoming local red light toll roads.

Just in case: JoCo already justifying impending Israeli bombing of Iran

Israel's consul general to the Midwest to speak tonight in Overland Park . . . Actually, the topic of the conversation will be "challenges confronting Israel after parliamentary elections."

To be fair, tinfoil-hat-wearers (like me) have been saying Israel was "just about" to bomb Iran since 2006 . . . Meanwhile, the strategy seems to be all about influencing Obama . . . Which won't do much good since Iran's progress on its nuclear program is growing increasingly impossible to stop everyday.

I guess we can all just hope that everything works out for the best.

Now I get it, Mayor Funky seemingly wants control of The Kansas City School District

With this thoughtful post regarding education in Kansas City, it just occurred to me that the Mayor's involvement in the Kansas City School District is more along the lines of a power grab. Here's the money quote from KC Education blog: "We are not advocating for a mayor-appointed board in Kansas City, but we do maintain that it is in the community’s best interest if the Kansas City Missouri School District remains under local control. However, we can all agree that the status quo is not working. We strongly believe that the interests of our public schools are best served by a new governance structure that will provide the type of leadership required to turn around the KCMSD."

And while I may not agree with every word, I realize this is a nuanced and articulate approach to the KC School District whereas supporters of Mayor Funky's impending power grab will simply be using racially coded language, relying on token support for quick payoffs and spouting otherwise vague pleasantries in support of a plan that hasn't been well-thought out . . . Like the rest of the Mayor's adventures.

Incredible Shrinking KC Area Print Media

Unlike Star layoffs, this isn't good news at all considering that The Examiner is one of the best community papers in KC and it has been doing a lot "more with less" for a LONG time. NBC Action News Reports: "Beginning March, the Independence Examiner will only be distributed in the mornings Tuesday through Saturday. The paper will no longer deliver in the afternoon."

Kansas City Monday Morning Link Layout

Not really a ketchup . . . Just some stories that are probably still influencing this week's news.

So, it's Obama and not Mayor Funky who will/should get credit for Kansas City street progress: KC area road projects funded by federal stimulus money

School of Hard Knocks and harsh times: The Kansas City, Kan., School District expects that it will soon have to cut $1.1 million from this year's budget.

A nasty KC Facial (ew): KC Guy shot in the face on Saturday

Discrimination shouldn't be taxpayer supported: Council May Ban Power & Light Dress Code

Soccer hates the Children and local history: Woman Hopes To Save Bannister Handprints

So many people getting fuming mad whenever the KCFD Union makes the news: Union Pushes for Fire Dept. MAST Consolidation

Junkie Justice: A Kansas City father has been ordered to spend 30 years in prison for killing his infant son while high on drugs.

A reminder that Springtime in KC is quickly approaching: KCMO Letter Carrier Mauled, Injured in Dog Attack

KC History put on trial: Convicted rapist accused of old Westport assaults

Via The Star - Watch something burn out in this town other than print media: Astronomical Society of Kansas City to host comet viewing on Saturday

Former Playboy Model AJ Alexander is a bright shining example of why brunettes should not be overlooked.

Gladstone to forgo restaurant and bar biz

Gladstone May Be the Next Metro City to Ban Smoking . . . Other than a lack of a smoking band, I can't think of another reason to visit that part of town. So, good luck with that Gladstone.

KCPD Weekend Oops

NBC Action News: An officer accidentally shot himself in the hand Sunday afternoon. It took place at the Kansas City Police Department’s East Patrol Station, located in the 5300 block of East 27th Street.

The Unreal housewives of KC: "They're so bad even Funkhouser will cringe"

With a great tagline like that, I really wanted to like this upcoming series of webisodes . . . Sadly, there aren't many insights into housewife life in KC and mostly just some tired jokes that could sorta work anywhere - Which would have been fine if a boob popped out at some point. No such luck.

Kansas City dresses up for a good cause

Your favorite local video blogger Ramsey offers some EXCLUSIVE coverage the American Red Cross benefit here in Kansas City this past weekend.

What I'm impressed with is that Ramsey's videography is getting a lot more sophisticated and his videos are starting to look more like mini-movies.

Overall, it's a great clip for a nice cause . . . Check it out.

KC Movie Bloggers

I didn't notice a lot of excitement over the Oscars among KC bloggers . . . But that's understandable given the fact that I think it's still going on . . .

Nevertheless, there were a few great movie posts among my favorite local bloggers. Check it:

Shane Life offers a comprehensive review of AMC Best Picture Showcase or "Check here before you file a missing person's report."

And the Tumble-o-rama recaps the Top Ten Movies of the Year.

Sadly, movies are so segmented and target marketed that there's really no objective measure of a film's relative worth . . . That's why the most important thing about the Oscars is not only recalling a time when standards in American cinema were somewhat agreed upon but also checking out Beyonce looking curvy while wearing what seems to be the drapes from my favorite Chinese Restaurant.

The Hot Blog Talks Beef

I don't know how they do it, but Kansas City's premiere foodie blog keeps writing the most unintentionally homoerotic headlines . . . However, the blog is still worth checking out given that they bring a sense of humor to local dining talk that's rarely realized by other writers.

"Only in Kansas"

Nick Sloan directs us to a story which reveals that "In God We Trust" license plate supporters will basically get a handout from the state . . . But not as many laughs as people who try to get by with a vaguely dirty plate or some comment that refers to the ugliness of other drivers - Those folks are truly the Children of God.

Radical Change from RDM: "The KC chapter of the NAACP needs to be disbanded."

One of my favorite Kansas City bloggers offers an insightful analysis of the state of civil rights in this nation and this town.

So, did you establish your Kansas City Blogging Empire while I was gone?!!?

I decided to take the weekend off and I didn't really feel like telling you d-bags about it . . . I figured KC (c)Rap drama was a nice bookmark, of sorts, to hold this dump together.

On Sunday Night at 10, I think NBC Action News lead with a story about the recession and Cookies . . . So, I don't think I missed much.

Nevertheless, on Saturday Morning DeAnn Smith did some damn fine reporting on a subject that TKC blogged on Friday.

Smith came up with the money quote from Gwen Grant who called the Mayor out on his plans for an Education Summit i.e. an adventure into the abyss of the Kansas City School District:

Some leaders say that the mayor’s own problems have made him too radioactive to be the driving force and that he should step aside.

"Nobody has any confidence in his abilities to get anything done, much less solve the problem of the Kansas City School District, when he can’t lead the city,” said Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City. “He first has to learn how to be mayor."

Again, the Mayor doesn't have anything to gain in the KC School District and the prospect of him screwing up yet another facet of this city is kind of funny. By the way, Grant was in the media big time over the weekend . . . She also had a guest spot on Ruckus seated oddly next to Yael Abouhalkah, which was not so ironic as it was strange. (Developing)

Now . . . About my own foibles . . . I was in Arkansas.

I snapped the following image of the "culture" because it made me laugh for some reason. I think I found it funny because the humor works on a few different levels, it's morbid, there's a fat joke and it's a little bit sexual.



As a brief aside, I liked Little Rock. It's a nice town, very quaint but their River Market Area is a lot more vibrant than Kansas City.



They even have Streetcars which have also been proposed in KC . . . Sadly, on a Saturday I only saw a few people using them . . . But as far as toy trains go, they're cheaper than light rail AND they satisfy the hipster/tourist demographic . . . So everybody "wins" on the expensive proposition.

Now . . . I've got some more blogging to do . . . Maybe after the Oscars finished which should be sometime around 3 in the morning.



Lots of e-mails to check out and answer as well.

More posts forthcoming sometime after I'm "finished" with a photo gallery of E! News babe Ashlan Gorse.

Stay tuned . . .

KANSAS CITY WHITE RAPPER WAR!!!

There might be other news to blog in the immediate future . . . But nothing is more important than this . . .

A HUGE RAP WAR IS RAGING RIGHT NOW IN KANSAS CITY!!! FACTIONS OF WHITE RAPPERS IN BROOKSIDE AND WALDO ARE MERCILESSLY ATTACKING ONE ANOTHER WITH ONLINE DISS TRACKS!!!



Background:

This epic conflict was seemingly aggravated by the antics of the Brookcide Bandits who are still the worst thing since Mac Lethal's hot mess.

Apparently, the Brookside Bandits are running amok and their white rapper skills (or lack thereof) even took aim at Kansas City's favorite blogger - TKC!!!

Their youtube video "Tea bag Tony" was just a sampling of their amateurish, poseur, cultural misappropriation of Kansas City hip-hop.

For this kind of arrogance, payback was inevitable . . . But it wasn't coming from this blog because I kinda thought they sucked and weren't worth thinking about for too long.

A heretofore unknown faction calling themselves THE WALDO WARRIORS have fired back at The Brookcide Bandits!!!

Recently, (and this part is a fact) a track from an annoy e-mail address showed up in my e-mail inbox that I thought might be noteworthy . . . The only identifying information was that it was sent courtesy of the Waldo Warriors.

Of course, I don't listen to any rap music made after 1990 so I just labeled the track "Brookcide Maggots" and threw it onto an online MP3 player for you d-bags.

From the few seconds I heard, I think the track is kinda clever in as much as I'll allow myself to enjoy hip-hop manufactured by white people (not much at all) . . . And NO, I can assure you that this IS NOT a track TKC put together not only because I find myself listening to more German-Ambient-House-Acid-Jazz but also because while Mac Lethal style nerdcore may be fine for white people to participate in . . . While I would risk being run out of the Westside for this kind of behavior.

I'm just blogging it . . . But this EXCLUSIVE story is interesting because it's Friday and I'm tired AND no other media outlet would have the courage to offer original reporting on a major rap battle between Brookside and Waldo. Only TKC can offer this live, late-breaking, in-depth coverage. Natch.

Kansas City School District failure doesn't need the help of a Mayor with no credibility

They call Afghanistan the Graveyard of Empires in much the same way that promising political careers are routinely cut short at the Kansas City School District.

Mayor Funky's political fortunes, approval rating and the overall sentiment toward his administration is at an all time and NOW he's plunging headlong into KC School District Disaster which has went unsolved for more than a generation and won't be fixed by the bumbling Mayor and his barefoot wife.

Here's the latest plan for failure from Mayor Funky's newsletter written by his wife:

The Mayor's push for a citywide education summit has new wind in its sails with the commitments of Janice Ellis and Tony Oppenheimer to be the Chair and Co-Chair of a steering committee. Their first order of business is to the raise the money needed to convene the Education Summit. The Summit will include up to 2,000 members of our community who would like to participate in bottoms-up approach to shaping the education system for our children living in our city. The goal is to form a consensus that crosses racial lines and includes children from all of our schools, including: public, private, faith-based, charter and home schools. The Mayor is almost finished choosing the rest of the people who will serve on the committee. Once that is accomplished the group will begin the process of recruiting others to join the effort and raising the roughly $200,000 needed for the Summit. The Mayor wants the Summit to be a watershed event so that Kansas City families know that, no matter how long it takes to get accomplished, that their Mayor will never give up fighting to bring a quality education to all of our children living in Kansas City.

If a final nail in his political coffin was needed, this foolhardy move to address School District concerns is it . . . Even worse, the Mayor's in cahoots with the like of Ajamu Webster and the rest of the Kansas City Black United Front who have done nothing but benefit from the ongoing orgy of cronyism, alleged corruption and incompetence at the District.

And now that Latinos comprise 25% of the KC School District . . . Still, I've yet to see any significant outreach by Mayor to Latino leaders on the topic of education. I know the people at the local chapter of LULAC and time after time they've been left out of so many KC School District discussions.

Nevertheless, Mayor Funky wasting valuable time on the School District will only offer even more opportunity for embarrassment and challenges to his increasingly fragile psyche.

THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE KANSAS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A STATE TAKEOVER AND A PURGE OF THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP STARTING WITH SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT MARILYN SIMMONS!!!

Mayor Funky's only plan is to sit around, chat, run a lame facsimile of a symposium and find more opportunities to advance the careers of his few cronies in the Black Community who have managed to earn a nice living off the shoeless reign of Gloria Squitiro.

Good luck with the education plan Mayor Funky . . . I have a feeling the Co-Mayor might unwittingly get taken to school.

Mayor Funky locked into a losing fight

Fox 4 reports that the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted to close the Municipal Corrections Institute in a cost-cutting measure on Thursday, giving the go-ahead to merge the city's jail with the Jackson County Jail.

Again, this is pretty much a done deal and that fact that Mayor Funky noted his objections not only shows his lack of insight and skill but also his willingness to stick his foot in his mouth at every opportunity.

This is a big victory for Cathy Jolly, City Manager Cauthen, most of the City Council and Jackson County Exec. Mike Sanders.

Let's not forget that Mayor Funky was out of town when the big part of these negotiations went down as Kansas City's Mayor is obviously locked into a tailspin of failure and isolation.

KC Elephants are surprisingly clean

Unlike most broads of similar size in Kansas City, local Elephants don't need Valtrex . . . Luckily, KC elephants have not been not affected by herpes virus hitting North America

That's exceptionally good news considering that most of the tigers at the Zoo are hidden away and suffering from feline AIDS - That's a little known fact that I like to tell my little cousins, nieces and nephews to make the train ride around the place a tad more contemplative for everyone within earshot.

Remember, it's always a good idea to wrap it up and avoid having sex with the animals at the Zoo.

Kansas City can't handle basketball

Don't ever let anyone say that basketball or youth sports are the solution to local violence . . .

A basketball game turns violent after a fight breaks out.

The fight started about 8:30 p.m. in the stands at Southeast High School.

An officer on the scene called for backup after the fight escalated.

Dozens of officers responded to the scene to help escort all the fans out of the building.

No serious injuries were reported.

There is no word if any arrests were made.

This is the second time in less than a month a fight has broken out during a high school basketball game in Kansas City.

And just think, pro b-ball was once thought of a an integral part of KC's Renaissance despite the fact that KC can't even manage to have a high school game without a slew of violence.

The Star Spins Kansas City's Trash Crisis

I'm honestly shocked at the level of ignorance displayed in Barbara Shelly's recent column regarding trash pickup in Kansas City.

Kansas City mostly succeeds at trash, recycling

Overall, Kansas Citians should be proud of how well we’ve adapted to the two-bag limit set five years ago to encourage curbside recycling.

This elitist, liberal fantasy highlights recycling but overlooks widespread Kansas City Trash failure and that kind of naiveté is typical of this town's so-called paper of record.

Damn, I can't wait until their stock is delisted.

While Shelly is busy shilling for her pet cause . . . Citizen media in Kansas City has meticulously documented this town's trashy streets which CLEARLY demonstrate that recycling half measures just don't cut it.

THE MIDTOWN MISCREANT HAS MADE A NAME FOR HIS BLOG BY OFFERING UP A VISION OF KANSAS CITY'S DIRTY, BLIGHTED DUMPING GROUNDS!!!

KCMO HOTLINE CURRENTLY FEATURES A VARIETY OF PHOTOS FROM ALL OVER KANSAS CITY ACCURATELY DEPICTING KANSAS CITY AS NOTHING MORE THAN A USED TIRE YARD!!!

A HORRIBLE HEAP OF TRASH RIGHT NEXT TO ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO LOOK AT THE KC SKYLINE WAS RECENTLY CAPTURED BY CURB GIRL!!!

Shelly's agenda is transparent and not the clever. She puts forward the notion that recycling is a solution to Kansas City's serious trash problems but overlooks all evidence to the contrary.

In KC, curbside pickup by appointment is an urban legend.

Some parts of this town are constantly lined with trash whether it's pickup day or not.

In the meantime we're stuck with a Mayor that has a lot of big talk about "A City that works" but has done nothing but encourage drastic cuts to vital city services that might help to battle trash all over KC streets.

Shelly must not be looking hard enough outside of the glass windows of The Star printing facility . . . Or else she might see a bit of reality . . . The fact that Kansas City is in the middle of a trash crisis.

KC Morning Links: All together now

Here's a collection of the most interesting stuff I'm reading from KC Mainstream Media:

Hippies are hard to please: Some are frustrated KCP&L hasn't pushed harder to add green energy

Payback is not always a bad thing: A local landlord stepped in to help a Korean War veteran who was suffering without heat during winter.

Once again JoCo leads by example: An assistant principal at Shawnee Mission South High School is on paid administrative leave after being arrested for a DUI.

If only the Chinese toddlers who take part in manufacturing their goods could take part in this good fortune: Wal-Mart workers in Missouri will get $55.53 million or more under a settlement approved last week as part of a nationwide resolution of overtime claims against the company.

A smoking section for the youth: Wyandotte County's Unified Board of Commissioners on Thursday amended its smoking ban, making it easier for minors to enter businesses that exempt themselves from the ban.

A frightening thought for the morning: What If Peyton Manning Had Been Drafted By the Kansas City Chiefs?

KCTV5: KC Water might taste, look funny as winter comes to an end.

Kansas: As battered as you think

Sexual, Domestic Violence Rising In Kansas

A KC blogger questions Deffenbaugh

This local blogger talks trash to a not so beloved local company.

A glorious time when metro violence wasn't so random and corruption wasn't just a result of incompetence

Fox4 features Kansas City Mob Tour

A moment of silence for May's Machete

I didn't post about May giving up her blog right away because I was honestly saddened by her decision to call it quits.

Thing is, more than anyone else . . . May's Machete had the potential to rise out of the obscurity of the Kansas City blogosphere and garner a huge following on a national and worldwide level.

May's descriptions of her sexual identity along with throwing around the term "rape play" (and sweet real world descriptions) made her writing much more hardcore than almost anything else in this City.

Honestly, May was one nude photo shoot away from being the biggest blogger in the Midwest . . . But there definitely is a trade-off and having all the creeps lurking on the Internets know your business might have been to much pressure to handle.

Still, the formula is out there for all those aspiring writers who long to break the mold of old white guys and 30 something friends who crave micro-celebrity simply but are only willing to share cat photos and reactionary opinions.

May held a lot of these qualities - a nationally successful blogger has to encompass them all, everyday. Here's the checklist:

Be an attractive female - The web may not be the great equalizer but it does favor women who are far more adept at navigating social networks and are usually easier on the eyes.

Write something that can't be found ANYWHERE else . . . For most people this is merely opinion or crusty old stories with no moral, for May it was honest introspection about her life and its meaning. The former can be tweaked to captivate audiences while there is no substitute or faking the latter.

Show don't tell - May's writing style was unique because it chronicled her life seemingly in real time . . . Memories of the past and great stories were always referenced as part of her current situation . . . So many bloggers think simply regurgitating details is enough to move the crowd . . . May understood context and what captivates people eager to know about the lives of strangers.

So, May is seemingly gone from the blogosphere and this dump is much cheaper for it . . . For the moment, we're left with bar stories, political punditry and hit-and-miss first person missives which substitute for real insight.

"Roy Blunt is another white guy in a suit"

FUMO offers news of Sarah Steelman's catty GOP comment which speaks to the current state Missouri's party loyalty.

Still a chance for Union Station

Bogdon and the KC Tribune offer a glimmer of hope for the money losing building.

Blogger Backtalk: Cowtown Hat tip

Here are some of my favorite recent KC Blogger Links:

Kansas City's Crime Crusading Cowboy takes on the Mayor's continued love affair with Light Rail.

Tumble-o-rama provides a great perspective on the impending "hip-hop" makeover of the GOP.

Kansas Watch discovers that quite a few religious people lean towards suicide.

Kickass blogger home improvement from General Blather!!!

KC's about.com blog runs down the weekend.

The merits of free money

Cleaver Explains Local Impact Of Stimulus

Strangely, Phill Kline once again seems worse than an abortion doctor

The Star: "Lawyers for Wichita abortion provider George Tiller said in court papers filed late Thursday that the mailed package of documents is further evidence that Kline, the former attorney general of Kansas, had no regard for patients' privacy and is further proof of alleged misconduct in his investigation."

Not-soiironically, Roe v. Wade has always been about privacy and it's almost fitting that Kline keeps getting smacked around because of his lack of respect for it.

A bit of light blogging

It's not like I can party with you d-bags night and day . . . I'm gonna be a bit busy today so for the next few hours blogging will be light but no less important in much the same way that Pamela Anderson still parading her ass on the runway is both an inspiration and a cautionary tale.

It's important to develop other skills.

TKC talks to Darla on KMBZ Tonight!!!

If you're near the radio tonight check out KMBZ News radio 980.

I'll be talking with Darla Jaye on 980 Live at around 8 in the PM.

It should be pretty interesting, it always is . . .

Yet another Northland fight

For their own interests, Councilman Skaggs and Hermann are opposed to the regional jail and want to throw as many road blocks in the way of the deal that's already pretty much done. It's the same - Northland vs. The rest of KC - that usually ends up losing out for that part of town.

Mayor Funky was out of town when the regional jail deal left him behind so naturally he's upset.

Abouhalkah does a good job of describing the mess with a bit of hyperbole thrown in the overly dramatic talk of a showdown.

The most interesting part of the discussion is the Councilman Sharp is once again playing to swing vote.

Sadly . . . Mayor Funky is setting himself up to lose YET ANOTHER SHOWDOWN and the protestations of someone left completely out of the loop don't really mean much anymore . . .

Money line, Cathy "cute as hell" Jolly confronting the Mayor on the deal he's now pouting over . . . Jolly shot back that Funkhouser had long supported a regional jail. Jolly essentially confronted the mayor, saying it was time for him to "put your vote where your talk is."

Nice.

Civil Rights group comes to the rescue of a guy fleeing police!!!

NBC Action News: Officials with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have launched an investigation into a controversial arrest caught on tape.

Wall Street Blames Obama for their screw ups that broke the world economy

NBC is promoting a clip of Rick Santelli flip out . . . And I hear it's a genuine Internets hit that completely obscures the fact that Wall Street Scumbags are by and large the ones responsible for the global economic collapse.

KC Under Surveillance

New Locations for Red Light Cameras courtesy of Crime Scene KC:

W. 79th Street and Wornall Road

E. 63rd Street and Prospect Avenue

39th and Main streets

E. 19th and Walnut streets

27th Street and Southwest Trafficway.