KMBC REPORTS FUNKY RECALL FAILS!!! AND The Saturday Night Playlist!!!

Mahoney is saying that the Recall failed by 100-200 signatures.

By city rules, the recall petition needed the signatures of 16,950 registered Kansas City voters to force a recall of the mayor. Sources say recall organizers needed between 100 to 200 more valid signatures.

As of 9:18 in the A.M. this story has been out for hours and there's not a peep from The Star because staying relevant isn't important to what they're doing. Still, what I'm hearing is . . . If it's this close . . . Then expect a legal challenge.

Remember another recent petition movement that came up a bit short . . . It was close enough to take a second look in order to "clean" more valid signatures and picked up a few hundred in the process.

I like Mahoney, I think if he now that he got this scoop over everybody than he should grow his mustache back in triumph . . .



However, I also remember that he made national news when he got the VP pick wrong.

But I'm perfectly willing to believe the Funky Recall folks came up a 50 signatures short and if the last 7 Funky supporters are willing to believe that story as well then that means the margin is INCREDIBLY CLOSE and Kansas City is going to spend the next 2 weeks in the middle of legal wrangling. As Former Star reporter DeAnn Smith said last night on W-I-R . . . We're looking at "Hanging Chads in Kansas City" which sounds kind of sexy and also means that the former print newsie is letting her hair down . . . Nice.

UPDATE:

WORD IS THE FUNKHOUSER RECALL IS 129 SIGNATURES SHORT WITH 3800 REJECTED!!!

Developing . . .

Links:

Funkhouser recall effort falls short

KC Star Scooped on Mayoral Recall

The Mayor's (dumbass) response:

Every day since I have been elected has been a challenge. Every issue I have tackled has had opponents. As I said in my State of the City Address, change is hard. My critics, the organizers of this effort, clearly do not like the status quo being challenged. But that is the reason I was elected to begin with. I plan to continue carrying out the agenda I laid out in the State of the City.

To those of you who signed the recall petitions I pledge to work harder to gain your trust. I hope you understand that I am doing my best to fulfill my election promises and do what I believe is right for the city of Kansas City.

That almost sounds like an apology but wrongly assumes that this thing is over . . . Also, I keep hearing he's out of town . . . And that kinda sounds more like Kendrick "Lazy Bones" Blackwood who is undoubtedly pissed that he had to work on the weekend.

Anyhoo . . .

Here are just a few songs dedicated to today's drama:

To wit, I think we all know this thing isn't over by a long shot. Less than 1% is insanely close to being kicked out of office. The Star reports that the margin is so tiny that, of course, Funkhouser Recall folks will get a recount. We'll see . . .

In any event and as always, thank you for reading this week. Have a safe and fun weekend.

Alleged killer over colors was a white guy!!!

Alonzo Washington has a great take and follow-up to racist commenters and their assumptions about perpetrators in a recent crime.

The killer's name is Nick & he is White & the victim is White. I had to say that because a lot of White racists on the Tony's KC Blog were calling the shooter & victim dumb niggers. I wonder will they feel the same why when they find out that these men were all White. Crime & violence takes place all over the city & all races are a part of it. This whole town is a hell hole. If you know where this cat is give me a tip. You all can let this cat know that he can surrender to me also.

Once again blogs turn conventional logic on its head and challenge racist notions . . . NICE!!!

TKC EXCLUSIVE AND THE SATURDAY MAYOR FUNKHOUSER SHOW!!!

There's only one thing on the mind of anyone even remotely connected to Kansas City politics today.

DID THE RECALL FUNKHOUSER FOLKS GET ENOUGH SIGNATURES?!?!?!

Folks who didn't take this effort seriously look stupid now. As I've noted before, even if the numbers don't come down on the right side, never in modern history has a Mayor of Kansas City faced such wide-spread opposition from every segment of Kansas City.

The Mayor's answer to his critics has not been to do a better job or create more meaningful coalitions . . . Instead he has engaged in stubborn and childish taunting as if he was a school-age bully running around with his fingers in his ears yelling in order to drown out any criticism. The Mayor's aloof attitude is a big part of the reason why NO ORGANIZED GROUP IN KANSAS CITY STOOD AGAINST THE RECALL.

And here's the EXCLUSIVE STORY FROM ONE OF THE GREATEST ALL-TIME TKC TIPSTERS!!!

MEMBERS OF TEAM FUNKY ARE CALLING PETITIONERS IN ORDER TO VERIFY THAT THEY SIGNED!!!

That's right . . . Bulky Item Pickup in this town is a myth, good luck getting any info from City Hall and trash and tires litter the streets . . . But Mayor Funky's people want to keep getting paid so NOW they decide to make a few calls.

It gets worse . . . KICKASS TKC TIPSTERS are also saying that after a big meeting today . . .

RUMOR HAS IT THAT MAYOR FUNKY IS SLATED FOR SOME MAJOR VACATION TIME AT HIS CABIN . . . AGAIN!!!

If the word on the street is even halfway true, this goes beyond mere incompetence and pretty much signifies a dereliction of duty. (Hehe . . . Duty)

As far as advanced word about the recall numbers . . . I can only share what I've heard.

One extremely intelligent and smart veteran reporter say that it is REALLY close and leans toward saying that the recall will succeed.

Another newsie says the numbers will definitely fall in favor of the Recall Funkhouser Crew.

However, off the record, a Council person says that the word is they're coming up short.

It's important stuff but Mayor Funkhouser's career was finished the second he screwed up KCPD efforts to keep their funding. Now we're simply marking time. The Co-Mayors are either out very soon or a little bit further down the line. At this point Kansas City's Mayor is nothing more than a lame duck.

Still, everyone remains curious about the count.



We'll find out this afternoon . . . Or maybe sooner.

Kansas City Blogger Gives The Green Light To Kill Dangerous Canadian Geese!!!

In my favorite local blogger post of the weekend, "Happy in Bag" uses a bit of common sense.

NO . . . HE'S NOT ADVOCATING OUTRIGHT HUNTING OF GEESE VISITING KANSAS CITY!!!

However . . . He does point out the folly of Kansas City drivers endangering everyone on the road in order to save geese walking down the street.

The Canadian goose problem is completely out of hand. Earlier this week I watched this flock stop rush hour traffic on Main Street near The Plaza. That's just not acceptable. I implore my fellow drivers to simply mow down these revolting pests.

Not only is this the same spirit which made this town great but also I'm pretty sure most of these animals would move faster if they had to dodge traffic rather than have eco-geeks creating a cute story for their next cocktail party.

I think geese are great but I don't admire them enough to risk taking any of the tread off my tires . . . Kansas Citians who want to encourage adaptation in order to create the strongest geese possible might want to simply sound their horn and speed ahead rather than risk injuring a fellow human traveler for these visitors that probably taste great with BBQ sauce.

The Buzz around the Plaza

Cool story about swarming bees on the Country Club Plaza from Tess K.

Or . . . Yet another reason for white women to clutch their purse and scurry around the luxury shopping place.

Kansas City Area Quadruple Murder Remains Unsolved!!!

WDAF: Police Still Searching for Suspects in Quadruple Homicide

Civil Right Legacy of Mayor Bartle Outshines Current Funkhouser Failure

A neat article from The Star today revisits the scouting and Civil Rights legacy of H. Roe Bartle. More than 50 years ago he integrated local Boy Scout Camps as part of his overall mission to promote the organization.

Currently, we're stuck with a Mayor that pretty much declared war on the local Latino Community and he mindlessly defends the racial slurs used by his wife with laughable explanations and attempts to divide and conquer any group which doesn't immediately fall into line with his policy wonk, Ivory Tower, impractical agenda.

Reading the article, I could not help but think that politically Mayor Funkhouser has nearly ruined 50 years of progress for Kansas City.

Don't Drown in this Cowtown

Swimming pool season is pretty much here . . . Stay safe, avoid lawsuits and focus on responsibilities other than making the MILF feel uncomfortable about her swimsuit.

Boy, 12, Found in Bottom of Pool at Pool Party

Boy, 12, found unresponsive in water at parent-supervised pool party

Sad to realize that summertime not only means a higher risk from death and serious injury by firearms but all sorts of other accidents and dangers await up to and including peril at the bacterial stew known as the neighborhood pool.

Royals (always) Stay Losing

Hype, SUPREMACY and t-shirts can't stop 17 hit attack.

Sam Graves Hates New KCI Plan

The Legacy of The Bush Years is advocating customer satisfaction at the airport 8 years too late.

Saturday KC Out Of Bed Links

Just a few links for the morning . . .

Early morning clichés: It's cheaper to keep her . . . And a dude with real skill can get her to walk away happily . . . Man charged in shooting death of his girlfriend

The Star searches far and wide for a school success story: Freedom School promotes literacy, fosters self-esteem

A Kansas City, Mo., couple are charged with child abuse after their 5-year-old son was discovered to have bruises all over his body.

Rock Chalk History: KU Announces New Chancellor

KCK Cookout: Car fully engulfed in flames on WB I-70 east of 18th Street

Kansas City part of an "Stateside Art" movement.

A Patricia Conde GQ photo gallery is a nice way to wake up.

Help a Kansas City Cyclist!!!

Since I always give these d-bags a hard time (NO FISHSTICKS) I figure I might was well note when they impress me by taking care of one of their own in need of assistance after taking a nasty tumble. With any luck and their help, he'll be back to annoying responsible drivers and biking around this town with an air of superiority any day.

Another Kansas City Kansan Redesign

The KCK online newspaper is working to become more reader friendly. Already it's the best (only) source of online news for the city right across the State Line.

Rockfest Fights The Recession

NBC Action News offers a unique perspective on the annual festival of sweaty dudes and a crowd of white women who end up showing their cans to a crowd of 50k . . . Apparently, this is the biggest real world economic stimulus Kansas City has had in quite some time. I can't really argue with that logic. Johnny Dare for President!!!

Justice for a Dumbass

Mission PD says they apprehended the man who allegedly slashed officers' tires and then called in to brag about his crime . . . TKC Motivational Lesson: Sometimes we really are our own worst enemies.

More Blogger Competition

A group of Kansas City Bloggers versus Tweeters at WhirlyBall.

Organized by Logtar . . . Looks like a decent time for Internet peeps . . . Sadly it's mostly married peeps and dudes so think of it as a cookout as well because it's kind of a sausage fest.

"Progress" at Bannister Mall

Soccer Blog "Down the Byline" provides even more photos of the demolition at Bannister Mall . . . Fails to mention that the project is stalled.

Post Human Blues Photos

Great images of this town from Mac.

In defense of the American Autoworker

The Henry Wiggen Blog takes CNBC logic to task. Here's the money line on the topic of lower salaries:

CNBC and this self-satisfied Rockefeller can take their $30,000 a year job and shove it. A working man, or woman, produces more of value in an hour than these folks do in a month and they're worth a lot more than 30 grand.

I walk everywhere so this really isn't my debate . . . However, financial "reporting" offered on cable news was mostly wrong about the stock market and the American economy all the way down. So the talking heads not only deserve to be smacked around but also to be called out on their corporate propaganda . . . This Kansas City blogger did both in an amazing fashion.

Kansas City Saturday Morning Thought

Sometimes we are luckier than we deserve . . . Hopefully TKC readers had a good Friday Night. It's hard not to get contemplative during such an interesting time in KC Politics and during the wonderful Spring weather. Also, Saturday Morning is for "relaxation" and a much too tease-y photo gallery of Elisha Cuthbert.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

The final word on the Funky Recall signature verification won't come down until tomorrow. Until that time, everything folks are saying -- Especially the Mayor -- is nothing but bluster.

Officials told KMBC's Micheal Mahoney said that they expect to turn in the results of the signatures at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Since mid-March, recall organizers have been trying to collect 16,950 signatures of registered Kansas City voters -- that is the number needed to force a recall election.

Originally, the group had 7,459 valid names. Then, they got an additional 175 names from the Kansas City portion of Clay County and 56 names from Platte County, making a total of 7,690.

The group turned in another 13,000 signatures on Monday -- those are the names being verified by election workers.

The group needs 9,260 of those names to be valid to reach its goal.

The interesting part here is that so many dimwits didn't expect anything at all from this group and they came with bigger numbers than anybody anticipated. Sadly, even thousands of people wanting him out of office was not enough for The Mayor to even acknowledge the merit of the complaints coming from his critics - Which includes most of the City according to horrible Citizen Satisfaction numbers related to politicos.

Still . . . Mayor Funky stubbornly moves forward with his wife refusing to and tries to make up for his failed style of management and incompetence with equally embarrassing sound byte bravado. Emanuel Cleaver, Kay Barnes had to talk with people and had to at least keep their benefactors happy . . . Mayor Funky and his wife are content to rule as King and Queen taking advice from no one and ending up ultimately frustrated and embarrassed when their dictates are ignored. This Kansas City disaster could come to an end tomorrow . . . Or drag on for many more months. For now we wait . . . And maybe check out a NSFW photo gallery of Natasha Mealey in the meantime.

Down Home Friday Afternoon Links

The common theme in this group of Friday Afternoon links is that the Midwest is a mostly desolate place that provides some unintentional humor and/or painful memories. Check it:

Ouch . . . Mo. Girl Survives Pitchfork Through Leg

Looking for quick cash customer: FBI Searching for Northland Bank Robber

Run and hide in South KC for a variety of reasons: A gas-line rupture has forced evacuations near 93rd Street and Blue Ridge Boulevard Friday afternoon.

Even more suburban fakery: Counterfeit $100 Bills Turn Up In Lee's Summit

Show Me the most important story about life in this state today: Debate Ends, Tractor Parades OK In Missouri

Life in the Golden Ghetto gets rougher for po'folk: Fares Going Up on the JO

Police Standoff Ends After 3 Hours

Upside down in JoCo: Driver Passes Out, Flips Car in Overland Park

Business people can't get a loan in Kansas City: Skittish market chills Kansas City-area loans

In good news . . . Scooter is switching to Wordpress and has a new site design.

Everybody wants to be a DJ

On the theme of Rockfest . . . Another event for TKC readers wanting to rock out . . . And this one actually seems like an excuse to leave my basement, even though I know I won't.

Sort of racist losing team excitement

KMBC: Z-Shirts Show Greinke Mania Growing . . . SUPREMACY is good for business but doesn't help to get to the playoffs.

Kansas City Under Surveillance

4 More Red-Light Cameras Launch On Monday

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! HUGE KANSAS CITY FIGHT COMING UP OVER OBAMA CASH GOING TO HARVEST CHURCH!!!

We all knew it would happen . . . A local controversy over the sweet, sweet Obama cash and a political fight that could get ugly if cooler heads don't prevail.

Remember that TKC TIPSTERS were the first to provide news of a bunch of cash going to a Northland Church with members who are (or were) reportedly close to City Hall and the City Manager.

Now, neighborhood reaction against the Ordinance 090436, currently on hold, is soon to put this Obama Cash slated to go to a local church in jeopardy.

Check out two angry letters about this deal from nearby residents:

We have become aware that ordinance 090436 provides an additional $2,371,367.00 to CDBG funding. We are also aware that Harvest Church has requested funding for Destiny Towers Senior Housing. We are adamantly opposed to funding for this project. Harvest Church holds a long-term plan that includes a halfway house that we do not want in our neighborhood. The Northland has many needs that we believe come before the funding of this project. Harvest Church has made no effort to work with surrounding neighborhoods and has been clear that they do not intend to work with the neighborhoods in the future.

It has been my personal experience that Harvest Church is only interested in promoting its own growth and building its own coffers. Harvest Church is not interested in how any project might affect their Northland neighbors. They have simply transplanted into the Northland and then proceeded to close themselves off from the surrounding community rather than reaching out. They have made no attempt at community inclusion within or beyond their own property lines and they have made it clear that their only interest is the growth and expansion of the Harvest Church compound and projects at whatever cost to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Funding should be made available to Northland Neighborhoods for funding Northland projects. We do need funding and we expect to receive our share.

We will be watching your vote on this issue and it WILL determine our vote in the next election.

Here's another letter from a neighbor of the Church:

It has come to my attention that ordinance 090436 provides an additional $2,371,367.00 to CDBG funding. It is my understanding that Harvest Church has requested funding for Destiny Towers Senior Housing. I strongly oppose any funding for this project.

Harvest Church has a long range plan that includes a halfway house that I prefer not being in my school neighborhood. Harvest Church has made no effort to work with surrounding neighborhoods. They presently are sending children back to the public school in which I work saying they do not meet the expectations of Christian education. I have contacted them and offered to work with them on a plan for transition and have not heard anything from them. I would think they would want to build partnerships with other schools and churches in their community. They seem to isolate themselves from the neighborhood in which their church is located.

I really believe that Northland has many needs that I believe come before the funding of this project. Funding should be made available to Northland Neighborhoods for funding Northland projects. They do need funding and I expect them receive their share. Their association is always involved in working with communities and is always interested in the needs of the students and families I serve.

As an active person in my community, I hope your vote will reflect the needs of the entire community.

Dr. Cynthia J. Kupka
Principal
Gracemor School

Both of these letters are circulating widely around City Hall.

What's interesting here is that this big time Obama Cash/Cauthen deal is splitting the council.

We hear that Councilman Riley and Sharp are pushing this thing and were upset that it was put on hold.

Council Lady Herman . . . Who has been one of the strongest voices for financial reason on the City Council . . . Is holding it up. Expect the rest of the Northland Council people to support her move and it'll be Midtown Council Members who probably have the deciding vote.

Sadly, as always . . .

THERE'S A DANGER THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE TURNED INTO YET ANOTHER KANSAS CITY RACIAL ISSUE!!!

Kickass TKC TIPSTERS are saying that Carol Coe is already lobbying and rallying her troops (and her lovely hat) in order to support "her church" . . . The conflict is being painted as white Northlanders versus the poor, Black Church when, in fact, the area surrounding Harvest Church is diverse and inhabited by working class residents from a variety of backgrounds. So . . . A lot of folks are hoping that the longer this debate goes on the greater the chance that the City Council will come to their senses and kill the pork slated to go some church filled with so many former and current influential City Hall denizens.

Not only is there significant neighborhood opposition to this Obama handout but the appearance of patronage and corruption is too great for anything good to come out of awarding this money to Harvest Church.

Expect more fighting on this one as strong Northland neighborhood interests battle insane Obama-inspired Kansas City spending that looks like cronyism to so many at City Hall.

Developing . . .

Funkhouser Squitiro City Hall Kiss!!!

I'm glad I never picked up the print edition of The Star.

Today, I heard they ran a version of a snuff photo.

Web viewers were just a little but lucky. Also, kudos to Chuck Eddy for trying to shield his eyes.

Here's what online viewers witnessed on the front page which was only a hint of the Kansas City gross.



And seriously . . . At this point . . .

If anyone supports this:

Funk you.

I'm not kidding.

Funk you if you support obvious nepotism in local government and pathological stubbornness that views every challenge or question with contempt.

Funk you if you want City Hall run out of a home office in Brookside or at a meeting room in the Library or from a laptop at Starbucks.

Funk you if you still cling to empty rhetoric that has yet to lead to any noticeable difference in Kansas City after so many big promises.

And funk you if you think Kansas City's Mayor should lead by press conference and vomitus photo ops.

I'm sorry for the pseudo-expletives but I've finally seen the Mayor's real priorities. This photo captures the spirit of the Funkhouser Administration and it's not love between a man and wife but a power hungry political couple telling their constituents to kiss off.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! THE LATEST PETITIONS FROM CLAY CHASTAIN!!!

Another light rail debate seems to be on the way . . . But rather than simply reporting on the matter and taking notes . . . TKC is letting folks look at the documents for themselves . . . Something that "journalists" rarely allow.

Here is exactly what Clay Chastain is up to . . .



1. An initiative to build a green public transit system headquartered at Union Station.

Here's the front of Clay's Latest Light Rail/Public Transit Petition

And here's the back of the Light Rail/Public Transit Petition

Then there's the obvious question . . . How much is all of this going to cost? Clay attempts to address those concerns:



Here's a look at a very simple budget he has devised

And then . . .



Chastain is also working on an initiative to repeal the provision in the charter that allows the Council to repeal voter approved initiatives.

That's not all . . .

Chastain is having a press conference on 6/1/09 10:00 A.M. at Union Station to launch a petition drive to place the following two initiatives on the November 2009 ballot.

From the looks of it . . . Neither Chastain nor the Light Rail question is going away anytime soon . . . Yet again, it's up to Kansas City to decide what we're going to do with it.

Controversy over Kansas City Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fountain

An important article by Bogdon at KC Tribune over the condition of a local Memorial: "A Slap in the Face for Vietnam Veterans"

Mayoral Fact Checking

A reader smarter than TKC notices an important misstatement in the Mayor's recent speech:

The mayor spoke about home town companies not getting incentives. Check out Cerner. Every where they go they have asked for incentives, including bannister TIF that is owned by Cerner ownership.

This is good news . . . The public no longer believes Mayor Funky's propaganda and problematic rhetoric.

People are actively questioning the Mayor's misstatements . . . My gosh, it's almost starting to look like a Democracy here in Kansas City.

CRAZY KANSAS CITY CO-MAYOR LINKS!!!

I'm not afraid to note it:

I REALLY HOPE THE RECALL SIGNATURES ARE CERTIFIED TODAY!!!

Why?

You know all the reasons.

But the closer Kansas City comes to removing this dude and his wife from office, the sooner we can all start to move forward with someone, ANYONE with some kind of real vision for Kansas City and at least a modicum of political skill or ability to create consensus.

Here is a litany of links related to the biggest political mistake Kansas City has ever made:

More from the State of the City: Funkhouser Talks About Recall, Population Decline

From one of the greatest former fans of Funky: Funkhouser's uninspiring speech

From The Star: "Defiant Funkhouser outlines goals" . . . Seriously, at this point who is he "defying" with his stubborn and mean spirited quotes? It's not just Mexicans or Liberals or Conservatives or any single constituency that the Mayor is trying to alienate . . .

WHEN NOTING MAYOR FUNKHOUSER'S DEFIANCE AND HOPE FOR CONFLICT IT SHOULD ALSO BE MENTIONED THAT HE'S "FIGHTING" THE VAST MAJORITY OF VOTERS IN KANSAS CITY PROPER AND RESIDENTS WHO DISAPPROVE OF HIS LACK OF LEADERSHIP!!!

Looking to do battle with a grass roots movement that received more than 24k signatures overall isn't a way to inspire a community. Funkhouser is still pandering to Chris Stigall's listeners and that strategy is responsible for his current mess.

Let's not forget about Mammygate . . . If the Mayor can't win a court case in this town . . . I have no idea how he can expect to be re-elected: Attorneys in discrimination case against Funkhouser wonder if he can get fair trial

And I've saved the funniest link for last.

Allow me to quote myself from earlier this week . . .

"I'm actually hoping that some misguided folks will see this post, organize and maybe NOW support the Mayor during his recall drama . . . That will not only prove how influential this blog is but also will fail to realize that time has already run out for Funkhouser, his wife and their last remaining supporters and we're all simply waiting for the signatures to be certified."

This is wonderful . . .

THE TKC CHALLENGE HAS BEEN ANSWERED BY NONE OTHER THAN GLORIA SQUITIRO!!!

Squitiro To Run Campaign Against Recall Effort

This is so sad . . . They couldn't even haul the glass etcher guy out for this one. Sometimes it's difficult to be right about Kansas City's Mayoral mistakes.

And here's a bit of fact . . . Nobody is going to support the Mayor for free . . . And currently Mayor Funky is pretty much broke with nobody wanting to donate to his cause . . . I also doubt he could borrow against his house.

There's nobody coming to the rescue of Mayor Funky.

That's one reason why I'm hoping for the certification of the recall signatures sooner rather than later . . . So that Kansas City can finish with the failed Funkhouser Administration once and for all and try to move forward.

"Dear Officer Parker"

Strong words toward a member of the KCPD from Stacey K.

Note . . . She is an advocate for street performers and because of her hard work a lot of local entertainment districts outside the P&L are much more lively and maintain a greater level of freedom . . . Still there's probably more disparity going on in other places and I'm glad she's going to bat for a street magician because I wouldn't. Here's a quote from her:

"Kansas City does NOT have an entertainer's license. If you're going to be paid to enforce the law at least KNOW IT. There are restrictions on performing. Do you know what they are? Did you know the magician at 13th & Wyandotte was asked to be there to participate in the scavenger hunt. He was NOT breaking the law as it is currently written. You personally not have the legal right to restrict free speech except as already restricted by Kansas City code. You're paid to enforce, not create laws."

Having a couple of my friends killed by police during "discussions" that went the wrong way I know that any and all confrontation with authorities is unwanted. So this kind of strongly worded post is much more productive then sorting things out on the street.

Also, I wonder if I wore a magician's outfit when venturing into JoCo . . . Would I be treated any better?

JoCo Loves Online Hos!!!

An undercover online prostitution sting resulted in the recent arrest of three people in Overland Park.

I hate myself for liking the latest column by Mike Hendricks

The latest column from Hendricks isn't so bad because it exposes long standing fact that the JoCo Lifestyle is supported mostly by the sweat of underpaid brown people. Here's the money line: "It isn't the illegal immigrants who are at fault so much as it is the people who employ them."

WyCo is Sick

WyCo ranked last in state health report

KC Flying Horses

A local Transit Satire Site looks remarkably similar to the Kansas City Light Rail blog.

I think both modes of transit would be neat . . . And yes, this cowtown is set for another transit debate.

Barb Shelly Satire Falls Flat

Kansas City Star columnist Barb Shelly recently wondered what City Hall would look like with Gloria running things as mayor. . . She wrote some lame high school essay to explore her fantasies which sounds a lot sexier than it turned out.

Unfortunately, so called newsies experimenting with fiction is never a good idea AND what she failed to realize is that GLORIA SQUITIRO IS ALREADY RUNNING THE MAYOR'S OFFICE!!! So the dystopian melodrama was uncalled for because the facts of Mayor Funky's failure are much more interesting and scary than her crappy writing.

Local Latino Links

Nice . . . For once there's a great deal of Latino news in the current news cycle.

Check it:

Crime Scene KC notes that things are changing across the State Line: KCK police hold bilingual info fair for city's immigrants

The KC Infozine takes a look at the future: Hispanics now make up more than one-in-five of all children in the United States

Sadly, members of the GOP are still hating and stuck in the past: Roberts Says He'll Vote Against Sotomayor

Speaking of . . . I'd like to reiterate the point I made yesterday that's more important than petty partisan politics:

LOCAL NEWSIES NEED TO STOP REFERRING TO SCOTUS NOMINEE SOTOMAYOR AS A "LATINA FEMALE" BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY REDUNDANT BUT ALSO MAKES THIS WHOLE COWTOWN SEEM BACKWARD!!!

Chris Stigall, I'm looking at you.

Finally, in order to prove that a Latino Renaissance in the United States is not a horrible thing, I offer a photo gallery of Elsa Benitez as a bit of visual evidence which proves that immigration benefits us all.

Astoria, Queens is a Kansas City Hipster Fantasy Come True!!!

Here's the log line for Astoria, Queens:

Inspired by The Wizard of Oz, four Kansas City twenty-something misfits navigate their new lives in the scary, but exciting Emerald City of New York.

And while it sounds like a porno, the Youtube trailer for the short comedy flick seems rather promising because it involves make believe and doesn't portray chubby Midwestern college students developing an eating disorder in the big city or dudes in stupid skinny jeans in their late 20's spending away their parent's retirement simply to enjoy pricey PBR in a more exciting location.

Still, I don't want anybody to feel bad for living in this cowtown and missing out on New York fun. Middle-class hipsters without the good fortune to be born to parents who could make this dream happen can always freelance for The Pitch. It's the next best thing, just ask Nadia "I swear I will kill you the next time I see you if you call me a chickenhead one more time" Pflaum.

Sweet Meat Jobs (NOT A PORN LINK!!!)

Sara Lee to add $130M meat-slicing plant in KCK; create 250 jobs

For Realz?!?! Firefighters Make Concessions to City Council to Avoid Layoffs!!!

The Star: The agreement with Local 42 of the International Association of Firefighters is effective retroactive to May 1 and extends through April 30, 2012. It calls for all 900 firefighters to accept a wage freeze and work three extra days without pay, allowing the city to avoid firefighter layoffs.

This might be the first political victory for politicos against the most powerful lobby in Kansas City Proper . . . I'm actually quite stunned and this speaks well of the City Council . . . Seriously. Maybe something good has come out of this recession after all.

Kansas City Friday Fun Links!!!

Friday links for you . . .

It won't save the planet but it might make you feel better: KC Offers 50-Cent Rides On Ozone Days

I'm supposed to be shocked by this but it actually doesn't surprise me at all: Blunt to pay $6,820 in back taxes on Georgetown mansion

Police are investigating after a woman showed up at a Kansas City hospital with a gunshot wound on Thursday afternoon.

Farmers want payback: Farmers Missing Millions of Dollars in Cash

Simpsons did it: A 48-year-old Webb City man has been arrested on charges of stealing restaurant grease.

Somebody tell me what this story means, I think it involves looking at an old lady and that doesn't really interest me: KC Scout Issues Its First 'Silver' Alert

Come and get more free money: Loan Program Targets Urban Core Development . . . Up to $7 million is available in the fund, which was created by Greater Kansas City LISC

Sunflower State Still Broke: Tax Refunds In Kan. Halted Again

Hair-do Drama: Kansas Parents Furious After School Faculty Cuts Son's Hair

Somehow, Diora Baird in skimpy clothes playing golf makes me relax.

KANSAS CITY'S PREMIERE RED LIGHT RESOURCE: WATCH THE LIGHTS!!!

KC with a Russian Accent explains a nice, local online venture that's sure to grow in popularity as people look out for an increasing number of Red Light Cams in order to avoid fines. Watch the Lights has a useful map that's almost as helpful as simply paying attention on the road.

Local Lady Killed Starts Weekend Violence

A woman is dead and police believe she was shot at 20th Terr. & Walrond in Kansas City, Missouri.

More Kansas City Blogger Meat!!!

Cubicle Gangsta is organizing another local blogger meet-up that actually sounds like a good time!!!

JP Wine Bar sounds like a good choice and I'm hoping that the even turns out well . . . Of course I'm not going but it's nice to see local bloggers taking the initiative to get together in order to create a more diverse "local blogging scene" (ew) which mostly doesn't exist in any MSM newroom and rarely/barely happens online either.

Local Loft Life

An interesting post KC Blogger Katy sings the praises of River Market living.

Great blogger income ideas

Leigh Ann comes though with some really practical advice about making blogs pay . . . Even better, she didn't use one made up business word like so many 20-somethings do when they talk about the Internets.

Whitlock Blames Whitey!!!

A great many folks are calling a recent Whitlock column racist because he criticized white referees . . . Whereas TKC lays the blame with white people in general who have yet to produce a player that is both as ugly and talented as Larry Bird so that throngs of awkward white teenagers can have someone to identify with and a reason to throw away all of their disposable income.

Not all of us want to be LeBron.

Getting Graphic with TKC

A few of you may have noticed some graphic links on the sidebar. I'm going to keep them rotating . . . So, feel free to send me 200x200 pixel jpegs that you want linked.

I've turned down most advertising for this blog and I'm sure to turn down more . . . Some folks will get freebies and other folks will not that's the way it has always worked here at TKC . . . As of this writing the only people to ever influence me have been my Mother, Jesus and Smith from The Matrix . . . So I'm not too worried about undue advertiser influence given that nobody has ever told me what to write . . . Even paying clients . . . Which is kind of weird. Also, any paid graphic link will cost far less then print or most online media . . . And it'll also be much more effective.

So, now that my "ethics policy" is clear -- something that marketers don't care about at all -- Graphic link space is mostly dependent on my good nature and the best offers that come my way.

KC Area girl wins National Spelling Bee

Alright . . . She's from Olathe really but she won and somehow the name of Kansas City should steal some credit since JoCo never pays their fair share around KC Proper and really . . . We need something to celebrate in an otherwise dismal, nasty week of local politics that did not provide much inspiration.

TKC on the Radio!!!

If you're near a radio in the next hour . . . Check out 980 Live with Darla Jaye. We'll be talking about all things Kansas City . . . And what could be Mayor Funky's last days in office or the beginning of one of the most bitter and heated times in Kansas City politics. It should be fun. I'll be on at 8 in the PM.

State of the Shitty Redux: Empty Promises

The Mayor's speech today was full of the same tiresome rhetoric that has marked his failure of an Administration so far. That's old news.

What was interesting was the reporting on the subject, a line from The Star's coverage says it all:

While Funkhouser laid out 10 priorities in last year’s “State of the City” speech, most of those remain unfulfilled.

That's Star reporting calling The Mayor a failure. Even better, The Mayor's people basically got DeAnn Smith fired with almost constant complaints about her coverage but this is Lynn Horsley for Heaven's sake who is going to be a lot harder to demonize, we hear is a really nice lady and basically has the persona of a librarian when she covers news. Which yet again seems to imply that even the most objective observer realizes that Funkhouser is probably the worst Mayor Kansas City has ever seen . . . Funky's folks had the last reporter delivering the facts fired . . . So other than the Mayor's staff writing copy at The Star there's nothing more they can do to skew coverage in a City that mostly stands against the Co-Mayors and their convoluted take on local government.

Kansas City Paper-of-Record is a great place to find a job . . . At one of the big companies they cover!!!

Bottom Line Communications Breaks Big Media News regarding veteran Telecom & Technology reporter Jason Gertzen who will be taking a newly-created position at Sprint Nextel--the company he covered for more than four years--- focusing on "external social media engagement."

This is great news because it shows that print media is still good for journalists . . . As long as their willing to write nice things about the companies one which they report in order to get a new gig. Somewhere there is a new profit model to be found especially considering that Jeff Spivak ran this same entrepreneurial job search effort when he went from covering light rail for The Star to working for one of the companies behind the effort.

Sadly, any job with the word "Social Media" in it is a joke.

Hire this blogger!!!

Pensive Girl is running the most thoughtful and intelligent unemployment blog out there right now . . . Let's see if we can't get end her efforts and turn her blog into a newbie ad broad employed somewhere else web offering.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! City Manager Wayne Cauthen gives out Obama Stimulus Cash to Northland Church of his old co-workers!!!

With all of this Obama stimulus loot going round the nation . . . It's hard to keep track of it all . . . Except in certain parts of Kansas City that haven't seem much.

To wit, A KICKASS TKC TIPSTER reports some rather disturbing news from City Hall.

The Northland has yet to get any of that sweet, sweet Obama cash . . . Mostly because a great deal of that community is white and middle-class . . . Maybe if they owned a car company they'd have better luck. Anyhoo . . . A TKC TIPSTER recently discovered that Cauthen has had a change of heart (of sorts):

THE CITY MANAGER IS DIRECTING $1 MILLION BUCKS WORTH OF OBAMA STIMULUS CASH TO HARVEST CHURCH IN THE NORTHLAND!!!

Here's the thing about Harvest Church . . . Not only do they have a shitty web page that makes me want to convert to Islam . . . The Church is also home to former and current City Hall good buddies of the City Manager.

First and foremost, former Kansas City Housing Director Stan Barrett is a bigwig at the church. I just gave them a ring and they didn't have much to say about his official title but the lady answering the phone knew who he was . . . If I was a journalist I might have to prove a connection beyond this . . . But for the blog post, the term "bigwig" will suffice given that I went to church for years and nobody every remembered my name and I only went by the description "the kid that none of the priests want to molest." As a brief aside, it was kind of disappointing to hear church folk clam up like they just robbed a bank as soon as Barrett's name was mentioned. This kind of thing would shake my faith if I didn't already know that Jesus loves Obama money.

Wait . . . Almost forgot that current KC Housing Director Shirley Winn also reportedly attends the predominantly Black evangelical church that ran away with all of the sweet, sweet, Obama Cash in the Northland.

One last question . . . How is any of this going to spark economic development in Kansas City?

To be fair, Harvest Church is said to be using the cash for a halfway house and they do run a school as well . . . But, c'mon . . . The recession doesn't get resolved by the City Manager making big Obama Cash donations giveaways to churches that his friends attend. Maybe that's why Northland Council people found out about the move waaaaaay late.

In fact, when I heard about the news I started praying to become friends with Wayne Cauthen . . . Given his access to City Funds and Obama Cash . . . He now has more money than God.

Drunk Driving Around the P&L District is pretty much allowed!!!

A few weeks ago I had to the to P&L District . . . When I wasn't watching strangers swapping spit I witnessed a lot of drunken white ladies falling into cars and then taking the wheel. Now there's a bit of proof that my initial observations were correct.

"Negative on targeting Power and Light," Sgt. Rod Podraza, supervisor of the Kansas City Police Department's DUI Section, wrote in an e-mail to (TKC's favorite chickenhead at) The Pitch. "When and if DUI arrests or DUI related crashes are determined to be a problem there we will certainly address that area. P and L has not been in operation long enough to present a statistical DUI problem."

I should say . . . Now there's a bit of proof which follows up initial reports of this fact more than a year ago on Kansas City blogs . . . But noting more precise and immediate blogger observations (i.e. news) over corporate media content is frowned upon by folks looking to maintain a market share in the dying print media industry.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! Will Kansas City support Parks amid a bunch of other taxes?!?!?

I was just reminded by a rather new, but still awesome KICKASS TKC TIPSTER that renewal for the City Sticker will soon be underway.

Money raised from The City Sticker - Which isn't really a sticker at all but just another fee - Goes to support the Parks . . . Here's the problem . . . The renewal will come at a time when there's at least 3 other tax increases on the ballot.

Once again, this is bad news for Kansas City Parks, Fountains and any hope of getting those stinky port-a-potties away from city playgrounds in favor of real plumbing.

And while neighborhood folks in this town are normally inclined to say to NO to any and all new taxes I have a feeling that folks might open their hearts and wallets on this one, or at the very least, they'll be more easily open to persuasion by an upcoming massive local campaign to push the fee renewal.

H&R BLOCK, J.E. DUNN PLAN FOR TIF COMMISSION MIGHT BACKFIRE!

The H&R Block, J.E. Dunn stalling tactics used on the TIF Commission might not work out for the best according to some experts on the situation who were good enough to talk to TKC.

Here's the deal:

After hearing more stale and unconvincing excuses from H&R Block and J.E. Dunn attorneys, ("Rodriguez and now, R.F. Fischer duped us!") and much private and public deliberation, the TIF Commission ordered the Human Relations Department Director, Philip Yelder to conduct a thorough analysis of ALL the MBE/WBE participants and not just Rodriguez.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT FOLKS SPEAKING UP AGAINST UNFAIR MINORITY HIRING PRACTICES WANTED!!!

So far the investigation has only focused on the one Latino whistle-blower and ignored the rest of the program to see if any other patterns of abuse might arise.

In a surprise turn of events, mostly brought on by H&R Block and J.E. Dunn's whining about how they were unaware of what was going on at the subcontractor level, the TIF Commission is slowly beginning to see the light that there may be more shady dealings beyond one subcontractor.

And here's the important part:

This places the $28 million dollars of reported MBE/WBE participation in construction services as well as the reported $3 million for professional services back on the table for review for eligibility for reimbursement.

So . . . "H&R BLOCK YANKS DEFEAT OUT OF THE JAWS OF VICTORY!"

In what could have been a case with a small fine given that the TIF commission is really tired of this subject . . . Both H&R Block and J.E. Dunn actually expanded the investigation!!!

Once again people see corporate greed and blundering along with the fact that folks are saying Dunn and Block are dragging this thing out and hoping the opposition goes away. We'll have to wait till August in order to find out which side made the right gamble, because in the immediate aftermath . . . Things don't look so good for the folks accused of not living up to their part of a TIF agreement.

State of the Shitty

Sorry for such a juvenile, crass and stupid post title but today is going to be historic.

Mayor Funky is planning to give his State of The City Address while under a serious threat of recall.

Nobody is declaring victory yet but even Funky loyalists are sweating while doing the math related to the Recall numbers.

Mayor Funky's preview seems to follow the same formula that has marked his current failure of an Administration:

"I will present my analysis of the state of the city to our residents. I plan to address the areas in which we shine, as well as the areas in which we need to improve." said Funkhouser. "I have listened to a broad range of people while preparing for this year’s address and I am looking forward to sharing what I have learned with all residents of Kansas City."

Once again he's playing professor at a time when people are looking for leadership. Also, nobody is interested in any kind of "analysis" from a guy who lets his seemingly crazy-ass wife run barefoot around the office using racial slurs, puts his reputation on the line to keep her there and then sues the City in order to bring her back.

Mayor Funky hurt the cause of cops trying to save their funding, this town seems on the cusp of a major crime wave and our finances were already hurting coming into the recession. To top it all off, litigious Mayor Funky is looking to engage in another lawsuit to save his job when most people in this town simply want him gone. So, currently the state of Kansas City looks rather crappy. The only bright spot I see on the horizon is the very real possibility that enough recall signatures will be certified.

Killing over colors in Kansas City!!!

Here's the most devastatingly dumb and disappointing news of Kansas City violence increasing:

Argument over color of clothing turns fatal

A 22-year-old man was shot to death Tuesday in an argument over the color of his clothing, police said Wednesday. Police identified the victim as Joshua Sadler of Kansas City. He was with friends near 11th Street and Belmont Avenue about 8:15 p.m. when two men stepped out of a car. One wearing blue clothing argued with the victim about his red clothing. The other man then shot the victim twice.

This is horrible for two reasons:

Senseless loss of life.

Violence in Kansas City is getting so out of hand that we're reverting back to a 25-year old trend popularized by a classic B-movie.

Seriously, I remember the first wave of this nonsense and I was almost proud of the lower-class thugs in this town because most of them were easily able to decipher the pyramid-scheme like structure of gang affiliation in relation to the narcotics trade. Put simply: Street gang color nonsense dilutes profits and causes unnecessary collateral damage that draws unwanted attention. KANSAS CITIANS ARE FAMOUS, EVEN IN GANGLAND CIRCLES, FOR THEIR LOYALTY TO NOTHING EXCEPT THE DOLLAR!!! Therefore, from what I witnessed, the wave of L.A. Gangs coming to this town in the late 80's and early 90's never really achieved the success establishing franchises in this town as opposed to other burgs. In much the same way MS-13 doesn't have a powerful following in the local Latino Community because even middle-class drug dealers are more interested in getting paid rather than getting killed over some silly set of numbers or names. Credit Kansas City's entrepreneurial spirit . . . Or whatever.

But we're living in different times when style is far more valued over substance and it's not like the K.C. School District is offering any help when it comes to basic math.

So maybe this is yet another sad sign of the ongoing recession, a gigantic step backward for Kansas City and another reason for me to watch one of the best crappy movies ever created.

Camp KC Pride Issue

Good stuff from Kansas City's premiere information source from the LGBT Community.

Here's a bit of inside info: The cover from this issue was (sort of) featured in a report on the recent protests in Kansas City over Prop 8 . . . Unfortunately, KMBC failed to note the name of the magazine which would have never happened if it was The Call, The Star, Ingram's or any other publication in Kansas City . . . So, some contend (and I agree) this story about discrimination against the LGBT community featured a bit of its own.

KCMSD Superintendent Job Death Pool

The job of Superintendent in this town is sweet. A candidate is approved, makes a few minor changes that may or may not have a beneficial effect . . . And then the poor sap is summarily fired for offending some segment of the Middle-Class Black Political Elite. I think they're still paying Amato.

Here's the latest guy that's soon to get the ax:

KC School District completes deal with new superintendent for $250k

Dr. John Covington signed a $250,000 a year contract Wednesday to become the new superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools.

So here's a chance for TKC reader to prove their brilliance.

Any signed comment predicting the guy's early departure, firing or removal from office that comes the closest to the date of the announcment gets a free t-shirt. I'm not kidding. It may be from some random white broad's house . . . But it's A FREE T-SHIRT!!!

Simply leave your best guess . . . Then let the ongoing failure of The Kansas City, Missouri School District do all of the work.

TKC Wins Again!!!

Prime Buzz, the Kansas City Star's political blog, reports on the opinion of Kim Kardashian regarding the Prop 8 Ruling in Cali . . .

Now TELL ME TKC is not having an influence on political reporting in this town!!! Because The Star's lame attempt to swagger jack this blog is pretty transparent.

If they would have included a bikini photo, then I might be worried.

Supreme Court Nominee Pet Peeve

I'm not even going to pretend to get into debate or discussion regarding Obama's SCOTUS nominee Sonia Sotomayor . . . Other than the fact that I think at some point I've met her and she told me to stay in school.

Conservatives white dudes crying racism whenever any person of color gets ahead is nothing new. Thoughts from Kansas actually has a great post on this subject that's far more thoughtful than anything I would care to come up with . . .

Anyhoo . . . My problem is that for the past two days I've heard news people describe her as a "Latina Female" which is redundant . . . She's simply a Latina which implies she is, indeed, a female.

Here's the break down:

Latino - A term describing the ethnicity of a male belonging to a Spanish-speaking people or culture.

Latina - A term describing the ethnicity of a female belonging to a Spanish-speaking people or culture.

Latinos - (Because Spanish is a wonderfully intricate and sexist language) A term used to describe a large group of people (men and women) belonging to a Spanish-speaking culture . . . Generally used by so-called progressives when throwing a rapidly growing demographic under the bus regarding immigration policy. See: Claire McCaskill.

It's not that hard to remember . . . Despite the fact that most people simply use the term "Mexican" in unguarded, everyday speech . . . Which isn't always so incorrect.

TKC NOTE: None of this matters when viewing a recent photo gallery of Vida Guerra who is (or at least should be) defined by her big, beautiful booty and not any single ethnic nomenclature.

I'm pretty sure Hearne got somebody fired

KC Confidential follows up coverage of P&L District liquor problems, questions and answers: "AMC Mainstreet Denies 5 a.m. Boozefest, Axes Manager Anyway"

Who says bloggers don't have any influence?

Union Station in Color

Another great photo from Eric Bowers

Suburban biz saves clients from skin cancer

Lee's Summit tanning biz closes without notice.

Mission vandal reports his own crime

Savage vandal calls 911 to report tires he slashed on police Cars in Mission, Kansas.

50 Kansas City Homicides So Far

Crime Scene KC is keeping good track of the local murder rate numbers . . . I simply updated what I witnessed on the news from his total yesterday morning. There were 43 at this time last year. The weekend is not yet underway.

Smart, liberal white people can solve all of Kansas City's problems!!!

Once again I thought I'd highlight two local bloggers who write not only as if their poop doesn't stink but also if they have the answers to the dilemmas facing this town. They don't. Check it:

"We're Not Selling What We've Got"

"What does the future infrastructure of Kansas City look like?"

I don't necessarily agree or disagree with what either one of these d-bags write . . . I just want to point out the typical, yuppie, Jetta driving, second-tier college, wanna-be architect/urban planner SUPREMACY of it all.

These are the same kind of people who gave us Mark Funkhouser as Mayor and once in awhile, in a community meeting . . . I wish someone to tell them to shut up and not simply bow to their "I'm smarter than everyone in this cowtown" authority simply because they're wearing a run down J. Crew outfit and have some home improvement project going.

This Cowtown isn't completely full of fatties

The Star: "KC a bit fitter than average city, but not by much, index finds" Kansas City ranks 21st among the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas in the College of Sports Medicine's annual fitness index.

I'm assuming Meth is on sale

Indy Examiner: "Spend the entire day in historic Independence without breaking the bank".

Speaking of financial demands: Independence Police Want New Gang Unit

Ode to a GrandStand Burger

I normally don't post commercials but from what I hear Grandstand Burgers deserves to be celebrated.

Sadly, I'll never make it that far into JoCo without being racially profiled so I don't think I'll find out . . . Also, chasing around opportunities to consume even more cholesterol is probably more dangerous for me than base jumping or attending the KC School District.

Previously from other bloggers:

KC Lunchspots: Grandstand Burgers: Antioch and Merriam (Merriam, KS)

Noodletown: "Grandstand Burgers is the kind of place that makes you feel happy inside. "

Northeast Call for Help

The Northeast Buzz Blog doesn't think much of the response to concerns about gangs and crime from the Mayor and other politicos.

Lee's Summit Under Seige from Crime Wave and Homeowner Stupidity!!!

For the past two weeks, there has been a rash of break-ins in Southeast Lee's Summit . . . Mostly due to Suburban laziness and a carefree, lackadaisical attitude that leaves possessions wide open and unlocked but I'm sure everyone blames minorities.

Massive Thursday KC Link Layout!!!

17 links because I love TKC Readers . . . And not all of them were worth individual posts:

Recurring theme . . . Clay's Case Against Kansas City: Chastain takes light-rail battle to Missouri Supreme Court

Light rail plan wouldn't have made it . . . But that didn't stop Star support.

Not many people want to throw their cash into a money pit during a recession: Economy Slows Fundraising Efforts at KC Zoo

Tragic Wrong Way Accident: Police Chase Ends in Crash, Kills 2

Recent Morning Run Down: Authorities say a police officer ran down a suspected bank robber Wednesday morning.

Man Admits Guilt in Westport Murder

The word is "meh": 2 Local Teens Advance to Spelling Bee Semifinals

Nearly bankrupt and giving up: GM Fairfax workers approve cuts

Guess who's coming to Kansas City: Incomings: Asher Roth & Kid Cudi, Wallflowers, Glasvegas

KC teen charged in shooting tied to gang dispute

Mediocrity gets mad: Royals Manager Gets One-Game Suspension

A sixth-grade student at Sunflower Elementary in Lenexa wins a contest to name NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover. Her pick was "Curiosity."

Maybe he didn't hear their shrieks of terror: A hearing-impaired man is accused of inappropriately touching employees at an Olathe library.

Mayor Funky STILL thinks updating his blog a lot will fix his legacy of failure: Mayor to Welcome New Director of Missouri Department of Economic Development, Linda Martinez

Man stabbed to death in KCK

Just like I said: Royals Stay Losing

My God, Malin Akerman is even hotter with brown hair.

On the scene in Springfield

Missouri blogger "Life of Jason" offers an up-close and personal look at a painful looking car crash scene: "Autistic Teen Struck By Minivan."

KC with a Russian Accent at Korean Festival

I'm going to break with tradition here and forgo some of my patented ethnic humor and simply enjoy the nice photo montage that has something to do with Jesus.

Well Done Blogger!!!

The author of my favorite local foodie blogs is now the Kansas City Cooking Examiner. Bloggy Promotions are the best kind.

Festa Italiana 2009

KC's About.com blog offers a great preview . . . Sorry, I can't go because of fights still pending from the mid-1990's.

Kansas City Never Forgets.

Blogging Still Going Strong in Kansas City

This evening I was thinking about blogging and the future in Kansas City . . . Right now every so-called journalist is writing about Twitter like it's the dawn of a new age without reporting that it's nothing more than a micro-blogging platform.

Sooner or later more competitors will arise and divide market share and newsiess might realize that people writing smaller blog posts isn't the Second Coming . . . Even though it's more convenient, the social networking aspect is fun and the bird logo is almost as cute as a profit model.

Through the miracle of RSS . . . All of this stuff pretty much looks the same to me anyway in my Feed Reader . . . And really it's all just part of the DIGITAL REVOLUTION which is what's really killing the newspaper business, the music industry and will soon enough change the way movies are distributed as well.

See . . . The thing is . . . And what just a few stodgy publishers fail to realize is that we're now living in a world where any form of content can be easily:

Copied

Edited

Shared

Since we're not in the days of analog . . . All of this is happening without a generation loss and consumer quality is also growing by leaps and bounds. In China, copyright is nothing more than a myth and already that attitude is rampant is the United States . . . Let's remember that, so far, the legacy of human history has been: Expediency above all else.

Get it straight . . . NOBODY IS EVER GOING TO PAY FOR A NEWS STORY!!!

There's almost a better argument when it comes to paying for music despite the fact that itunes represents a small, almost insignificant fraction of the music that's actually downloaded online.

Still . . . People will continue to create without an immediate financial incentive. And that's the real death rattle for publishers who expect to get paid. They must live in a world where EVERYONE has a potential global audience and their digital efforts are impossible to keep from being COPIED, EDITED AND DISTRIBUTED by anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. That's not to say that the physical commodities sold by media companies won't still make a profit . . . Apparently, people still buy CDs for some reason and at really high numbers in some cases . . . Yet, in the online, digital world . . . Profiting from 1s and 0s is nearly impossible when those same 1s and 0s are freely distributed.



On the bright side . . . Content is still booming. Every band has a shitty myspace, every writer, movie maker and artist has the chance to build an audience and crowds are more easily assembled and taken advantage of digitally (ewwwwwww) . . . The "problem" now is one of market share and the fact that if EVERYONE can be a publisher then congregating a massive set of eyeballs is even harder . . . Still, I'll take the meritocracy of the Internets over the monopoly of Big Media any day . . . The fact is, they're merging into the same thing more quickly than anyone can realize. Google is making billions by making that change happen. Nevertheless. . . Kansas City people putting out content every day in spite of big media backlash is inspiring and it's just part of what makes local blogging grow stronger every day . . . That, and photos of a very muscular Jodie Marsh in a bikini. Natch.

Waiting for Justice in Kansas City

Once again there's a delay in deciding something that everybody already knows in Kansas City.

The Tax Increment Financing Commission of Kansas City delayed until August its decisions on whether the city’s affirmative action policy was violated during construction of the H&R Block headquarters and, if so, what the remedies should be.

They say that "justice delayed is justice denied" but in this case it's just making a joke of something that people in Kansas City have known all along . . . Downtown development was mostly intended to push po'folk and minorities out of the loop and the construction process did not attempt to include minority contractors . . . These things are facts even though many folks feel differently about their merit. Another fact: Big business mostly runs local government . . . I always assumed as much but some folks will have to wait until August in order to find out for sure.

UPDATE . . . On the other hand, I'm not sure today was a total loss. One of the things to come out of this was a promise by the TIF commission to look at even more aspects of minority hiring in this case and not just the debacle between Rodriguez Electrical and R.F. Fisher . . . Who knows what other missteps might turn up in the process . . . Furthermore, there's also a call to look into the efficacy of all minority hiring in Kansas City development projects . . . Especially when companies are getting HUGE tax benefits. So there was a bit of progress made today from what I hear.

Developing . . .

Immigrants as Slaves in Kansas City

KMBC: "Federal prosecutors say 12 people and three companies were involved in a scheme to lure illegal immigrants to the U.S. to work as "modern-day slaves" in 14 states." Meanwhile, hosting immigrants has always been profitable in JoCo: "Housing of illegal immigrants pays for sheriff's buses" . . . In other words . . . Demonizing people from far away is a favorite pasttime until there's a way to turn that hatred into cash . . . Unfortunately, opportunity abounds.

The week in KC Jazz

The round-up of all things Jazz in KC by Plastic Sax is a must read . . . Now more than ever.

TKC EXCLUSIVE SPOILER!!! KANSAS CITY POLITICO'S ORGANIZED CRIME LEGACY ON DISPLAY IN DOCUMENTARY!!!

First of all . . . If TKC D-bag readers have yet to go see or buy Blackhand Strawman, then they should.

And then come back and read the rest of this post . . .

Now, the best part the movie which has denizens of the local political scene buzzing and writing TKC is a money shot of Phil Cardarella's daddy "Tiger" dead in the trunk of his car.

Let's not forget that Phil is the hubby of my home girl and former County Exec Kathryn Shields who I voted for in the Mayoral Election. The couple recently beat some home loan drama mostly on the argument in the media of "Democrat persecution" AND Cardarella still writes for the CCP blog . . . Or at least, a post of his still appears on the front page for this group of Democrat "reformers" . . . And all of this essentially means that Kansas City Politics isn't so far removed from the glory days of local corruption, mob-control and embarrassing final appearances.

NICE HD KANSAS CITY MAST PROMO!!!

This MAST promo is kind of nice . . . Mostly because it's in HD and has a lot of footage of Kansas City. On the other hand, while the narrator was extolling the many virtues of MAST I couldn't help but anticipate that he would say: "AND NOW, DIRECT CONTROL BY KANSAS CITY AND CITY HALL IS GOING TO RUIN EVERYTHING!!!"

And that's pretty much the case . . . But waiting for the line was like waiting for the Energizer Bunny and sort of ruined the clip for me.

JoCo Dog Torture Loophole

There are always problems with sloppy PC laws:

Flaws in state law would prevent a Shawnee man from being sentenced for felony animal cruelty if he is convicted of torturing his girlfriend's dog, a Johnson County judge ruled Tuesday.

Quickly looking through the address book on my phone to see if I can find the mutt who tore up my favorite t-shirt . . . Paybacks are hell . . . And now that I'm remembering . . . It might have been a cat, which would make revenge even more sweet. Thinking even more . . . Maybe I'll forget the whole thing since I can never get the t-shirt back and the dog/cat was probably more intelligent and insightful than the lady who was the owner.

Child's Play in Kansas City

No, not the kickass series of movies . . . Just some nice-y local links from The Star.

KC's double-Dutch team takes state championship

Three from KC area compete in national spelling bee

I know, I know . . . I can't stand good news but the stories are substituting for local reporting by The Star as they continue implode . . . Which makes me almost as happy as a kid in a candy store, with other poor people outside . . . Maybe going hungry. Life is sweet.

It's Almost Rockfest Time

The Pitch reports that tickets are sold out . . . That's a Kansas City Tradition.

White women disproving the myth of superiority and having sex in the port-a-potties is also a Rockfest tradition . . . Which is nice as well . . . In a horribly disgusting way.

One more reason to hate Mike Hendricks

In a childish column about cops breaking up a fight in JoCo and a comparison to KC Proper police troubles Mike Hendricks displays the kind of logic and reasoning that's unacceptable in most college newspapers . . . A better question would have been: Why does every minority pulled over in the Golden Ghetto require cops three cars to conduct some type of investigation . . . But that column would have required . . . An effort on the part of a KC Star columnist, which is something with which none of us are accustomed.

Sounds like a Golden Ghetto Depression

NBC Action News reports on the hard times faced by High End Electronics places in Joco: Continental Audio Video, Audio Mart and Accent Sound all have "going out of business" signs up in the windows.

Kansas City Hyatt Skywalk Collapse Tribute

A lot of news over a memorial paying tribute to one of Kansas City's most dramatic bad plans:

Park board gives nod to concept of a memorial to 1981 Hyatt skywalk victims

Skywalk Memorial Concept Unanimously Approved

Parks Commission Approves Skywalk Memorial

Sketch of Hyatt Skywalk Memorial Revealed

And actually, I think this would be a great memorial for this town that's long overdue. Not only to honor the victims of the tragedy but also to remind the people of this town that luxury developments can often end in disaster - It's a lesson that Kansas City has yet to learn.

One More Bad Plan At The Fed

Credit a local drunk dude with a plan nearly as laughable as devaluing the dollar in order to get the nation out of a recession . . . Which is still not as dumb as a dude trying to break into KC's Federal Reserve Bank with a screwdriver

Beloved City Hall Worked Stabbed To Death Allegedly Buying Drugs!!!

Mourning continues for a City Hall worker who was killed last week in and around a drug house . . . TKC TIPSTERS were the first to tell of the circumstances and then Star reporters followed up . . . My invoice is in the mail.

IMPORTANT TKC READER FEEDBACK:

The sad (or more sad ) thing about Anthony Mosley's death is that now, knowing he was at a drug house with a bunch of money, people will identify him as a druggie, or criminal--someone who was "asking for it" and so people will blame the victim(it's the American way). Even so, he was still a sweet guy and a good worker. That he died at a drug house should be irrelevant.

And maybe, given our capitalist, racist culture--maybe having a low paying job(where you don't know you are appreciated until you are dead)--maybe that makes escape in drugs understandable.

I couldn't agree more.

The Kansas City Morning Link Gaze

Some quick links for this morning that strangely revolving around helping people . . . Which is exceptionally odd given that the links are really only an excuse to get to the photo gallery:

Nice lawyer, no joke: Local Lawyer Receives National Award for Helping Children

Old Tech Tribute: Postal Service distribution site is named for the Rev. Earl Abel

The Craigslist Crackdown continues: Police Bust Women in Online Prostitution Sting

Taking care of the traveling nasty: KC Man Arrested in Neosho, Faces Sex Charges

A real challenge to the powerful: Several Platte County farmers along with Missouri River Northwest of Weston are suing KCP&L.

The knives come out in KC once again: 1 critical after stabbing in south KC apartment complex

A part of KC and world history: Remembering African Americans' Service in the Great World War

If TKC readers aren't awake after an Emily Scott photo gallery, then they're probably dead.

Bullets on Belmont

KMBC: A 22-year-old man was killed in a shooting and found on a sidewalk at 11th Street and Belmont Avenue in Kansas City

Please Kansas City, let's all pretend to be interested in Paseo High Slam Poets!!!

I know everyone is supposed to be supportive of any student in the Kansas City, Missouri School District who isn't armed or in the middle of a felony . . . But this town has really reached bottom when slam poets are the only bright spot available in local schools worthy of an alt rag cover story . . . Inspired by the the only other Black people on HBO besides Chris Rock I was hoping this slam poetry phenomenon was over 5 years ago. Alas, everything makes it to the Midwest late . . . And The Pitch is there to report on yet another way to alleviate white guilt.

Flurry of Activity from Funkhouser Camp

The Co-Mayors are obviously in a panic . . . I've watched their blog from the start and it's mostly full of lame, out-of-date posts regarding the Mayor's schedule that come way too late to be useful.

Accordingly . . . Somebody, I have no idea who, must have put the word out that that it needs to look like the Mayor's been doing something other than working on his second job.

To wit, poor Crispin might have been forced to take a break from foot massage duty in order to put some posts and feign support for The Co-Mayors on the Internet.

Check it:

An update on a nearly month-old Police meeting that was poorly attended after Mayor Funky failed to bring them any money and mostly served to hurt their cause.

A three week old Swope Park meeting . . . Mayor Funky is offering quotes and support and strangely seems to be writing his own news . . . Which I guess is the purpose of a blog and maybe the last resort of a guy who can't really find any good news as of yet.

Memories of Southeast KC Townhall meeting . . . More promises that "New Tools" will save Kansas City despite the fact that it's only served as a desperate attempt to buy support from people who took the money and then looked the other way when Funky needed help.

It would be funny if it was happening in some other city. Unfortunately, this bloggy PR blitz is kind of pathetic and comes off like some kind of daily affirmation in the face a dark time for the current Mayor and his wife.

Blogger Lesson: Dooce Does It Better

Here's a lesson for bloggers looking to take it to the next level . . . Dooce shows us that there is no greater Internet attraction than a blogger (preferably a white woman) willing to bare her soul . . . Note: This does not always involve a spread eagle photo in which the kidneys of a grown woman are visible . . . Sometimes, not always.

JoCo SOB Twitter Double Take

Our favorite JoCo denizen is giving Twitter a second try like it was the Cheesecake Factory or some other chain restaurant that serves up tripe akin to the social media giant.

Blogger Wisdom On The Latina Liberal Supreme Court Anchor

J.D. writes just about the best thing I've read Obama's Supreme Court and the state of political, blog and partisan commentary:

All parties to this have the same goal: to find a way to bend the words of the Constitution into a shape that grants them power. The only possible objection any of them have is that it isn’t their candidate.

Readers who thought I might support her simply because she's a Latina are probably racist . . . Ah, that feels better, I knew I was going to get the opportunity to call somebody racist today.

Late Night TKC brag: I'm kind of a media expert so you can suck on it!!!

Because I'm a public intellectual I've been invited to a forum on the subject of bankrupt journalism and the future of our Democracy. It's big media news so Bottom Line Communications (as usual) broke the story about the prestigious panel . . . With me there . . . I hope they don't ask me to clean up. Also, feel free to call and complain to the library, they don't have enough crazy people there already . . .

Anyhoo . . . I turned in a 100 word bio/introduction but it's probably too boring. I tend to be rather reserved and thoughtful in public and only show my ass to those kind enough to read this dump every day . . . Folks who would like to write something a little more provocative in order to help me out with an introduction can feel free in the comments. I'll be busy doing two things:

1. Remembering that nobody listens to a word after a speaker farts in public.

2. Enjoying a photo gallery of Jessica Jane Clement in order to relieve stress.

Again, I'm going to be pissed if they ask me to clean up but still think this is a nice way to publicize my consulting gigs . . . Note: Most of my consulting work consists of encouraging future Mayoral candidates to leave their security blankets, drinks and significant others at home.

Kansas City Day of Decision Protest!!!

A Kansas City rally to protest against the California court decision to uphold the Gay Marriage Ban happened with a quickness.

Thanks to one of the GREATEST ALL TIME TKC TIPSTERS . . . Here are some great images of the event . . .











Nice to see State Senator Jolie Justus out on the crowd talking with her constituents.





A bit of backlash against Missouri's former Republican Governor.







And dogs love everybody . . .

Again, THANKS TO THE TKC TIPSTER who sent the photos as Kansas City's LGBT community quickly mobilized to make their case to the public.

Reports of Plaza Attack

Every part of this town, yes even the so-called "nice" areas, are suffering from crime . . . Here's just a little bit of proof:

Police investigate attempted rape near the Plaza

Woman Attacked in Plaza Apartment Building

Stay safe out there people . . . Let situational Awareness and lots of luck do the work for you.

Star Readers Want Mayor Funky Gone

Thanks to a TKC READER who sent this my way . . . Two things I learned from a Star article on the recall effort.

1. Kansas City has quit supporting and apologizing for Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

2. Kansas City Star readers don't really participate in the site . . . For a paper that CLAIMS one million website readers everyday 1,500 people clicking an online poll is nothing . . . I get just as much response from my rigged surveys and I only provide 1/3rd of it!!!

Both of these points are good news for me.

More on slain City Hall worker

KCTV5: City workers mourn a fellow employee who died last week after being stabbed.

Idiocracy Now!!!

A new fave . . . Nice blog format and content and links to some of the most amazing Flickr pages in the Midwest.

Kansas City Bike Tragedy

A sad event for local cyclists and everyone who wants the streets of this town to be safer:

Bicyclist fatality on I-35 near Downtown

Bicyclist's Death Highlights Safety Problem

As much as I hate the politics of cycling advocates . . . I want everybody in this town to be safe . . . We can all start the legislating against dudes who wear those nasty cycling-short-banana-hammocks in public.

Obama expertise at work in Funky Recall

Micheal Mahoney's blog offers a bit of a profile of former Obama organizer, Recall participant, Anne McGregor and her work in the recall campaign . . . No, she didn't use the treasured Obama list but she did make use of some of her contacts in order to start the recall of the allegedly "Liberal-Democrat" Co-Mayors . . . Which is a little ironic. But not really.

The Faltering Career of Krazy Kris Kobach

UMKC prof Kris Kobach wants another job in Kansas as an elected official . . . He launched his bid today but anybody who has ever seen him speak knows that can't connect with an audience because he seemingly thinks he's smarter than everybody and has all the personality of an adult hall monitor . . . It's not even new GOP strategy, just the same old tactics that put them out of power in the first place.

The Night Time KC Link Standoff!!!

A few evening links to keep us busy:

Things are changing: Fourth Kansas County features minorities as majority

Interesting KCK art effort: 'Who am I' project continues this Thursday

The locals react to Obama wisely courting the Latino vote: Hispanic Community Reacts to Sotomayor's Nomination

Injustice will not stand in JoCo: Roeland Park Residents Protest Sidewalk

Funky reaction to damaging story is disturbing along with advice from a doctor that sounds like a quack.

Welcome to the new economy: New Thrift Store Brings Jobs to Olathe

OMG! All ur roads R busted: MoDOT Updates Available on Twitter

Still here . . . Metro Student Sent Home With H1N1 Flu Virus

Northeast News: Barricades went up on Wednesday blocking access to westbound I-70 off of Independence Avenue in Columbus Park. Missouri Department of Transportation officials estimate the ramp to be closed through June of this year.

A recent Kate Parry photo shoot for Complex Magazine brings the Kansas City night time links.

Twitter account is a part of a local company's business model

RenewalKC is part of a window company making out big from Obama Cash . . . Now they're using Twitter as part of their strategy as both a marketing and an internal communications tool. It's very creative, leaves no space for negative customer feedback which abounds on the net . . . And even better, Obama (i.e. you) is picking up the tab!!!

$100 Million in Obama green for KC Federal Building will take 185 years to RECOUP!!!

BlogKC does the math on the local stimulus money investment as The Star fails to report the whole story.

KANSAS CITY'S MAYOR HAS NO FRIENDS!!! NO "PUSH BACK" CAMPAIGN DURING THE FUNKY RECALL!!!

Now that the signatures are turned in I thought I would share an important facet of the Recall Funkhouser campaign that nobody noticed . . . Especially since The Star was scooped (mostly by me) on every angle of this story or any decent analysis because they stupidly fired DeAnn Smith.

To wit . . .

THE MOST TELLING PART OF THIS WHOLE RECALL PROCESS IS THAT THERE WAS NO GROUP WILLING TO STAND UP AND PUSH BACK AGAINST RECALL SIGNATURE GATHERING ON BEHALF OF MAYOR FUNKY!!!

Local media would have loved to get two sides of the story and Conservative radio talkers (from JoCo) were the only people out there talking down the effort . . . Note: Hostile Internet commenters can't really do anything significant in the real world so their contribution (as always) does not count.

Still . . . Conservatives turned out in force to support tea-bagging and hatred focused on the new Black President but not one leader or group in Kansas City stood against this effort in a serious way. Once again Funkhouser and his advisers prove to be politically tone deaf, ignored the Recall and seemed to want to fight this thing out in court rather than interact with the residents in Kansas City who have grown disgusted with the antics of the Co-Mayors.

MARK FUNKHOUSER HAS STUBBORNLY FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GOVERN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI THOUGH TALK RADIO APPEARANCES, TOUGH TV QUOTES OR PRESS RELEASES!!!

TKC proved once and for all that when Mayor Funky and his Co-Mayor wife are questioned directly on the street level they run, hide, panic and can't come up with any answers beyond childish insults and curses.

There is a direct comparison of community support and a ballot initiative and it only further embarrasses Mayor Funky. Let's remember that recently Ward Connerly and The (deceptively named) Missouri Civil Rights Initiative attempted to gather signatures for a petition in the African-American community based on not-so-clever labeling and misleading rhetoric which didn't mention that they simply wanted to outlaw of any sort of Affirmative-Action. Well, in Kansas City the negative response to the misleading signature gathering was swift and overwhelming . . . African-American leaders quickly organized and informed their community and constituents about the real nature of the petition and the effort never got off the ground.

So, this recall drama merely points out that there is little to no community support for Mark Funkhouser. Even worse, a lot of people are saying that Funky's campaign coffers are empty so he doesn't even have the cash to go out there and pay people to support him. Jeff Roe is a local, Republican, political mastermind but I'm absolutely sure that he didn't achieve that position by working for free.

I'm actually hoping that some misguided folks will see this post, organize and maybe NOW support the Mayor during his recall drama . . . That will not only prove how influential this blog is but also will fail to realize that time has already run out for Funkhouser, his wife and their last remaining supporters and we're all simply waiting for the signatures to be certified.

The fact remains, when the time came for the community to stand up for Funkhouser -- There was NOBODY willing to organize, meet and defend Kansas City's Mayor against a small, grassroots group that garnered thousands upon thousands of signatures.

So we wait. While anybody wanting to stand up for the incompetent and lame duck Mayor will now be forced to run the guy (and his wife) for re-election. Good luck with that!!!

COUNCIL LADY CIRCO FAILS TO NOTE MURDER FOR CITY HALL EMPLOYEE!!!

I love bloggy screw-ups and AMAZING TKC REGULAR READER catches City Council Council Lady Cindy Circo in a bit of a half truth.

I just posted Circo noting a tragic death of a City Hall worker:

I would have liked to end on a happy note but I did receive word today that a beloved employee at City Hall unexpectedly passed away. Anthony Mosley was one of those people who saw the sunny side of life. He took pride in his work at City Hall, he felt it his mission to bring joy around him and he loved to dance. I know all of us at City Hall are praying for him and his family. I will miss him. I’m sure Anthony will show St. Peter a step or two.

On the surface of it . . . That's a nice note that acknowledges an important denizen of City Hall . . . However, a TKC reader points out:

CINDY CIRCO'S BLOG DOESN'T MENTION THAT ANTOHNY M. WAS MURDERED!!!

That's just like a politico to overlook the most important detail of a Kansas City story that speaks to the increasing violence and crime in this town that is not being addressed by City Hall . . . And now claiming the lives of people working at the center of power in this town.

From what TKC readers are saying . . . Mr. Mosley was a well-liked guy . . . I just think if politicos are going to win points by noting his passing . . . The entire story should be told . . . Thanks to attentive and AWESOME TKC TIPSTERS . . . A politico was just called out trying to skim over the details of yet another local murder.

Kansas City Light Rail Video Simulation!!!

Here's a thought . . . Let's not forget that the ATA recently shut down Saturday service from their call centers . . . Still, the good folks at this organization that recently failed to get much Obama Cash from The State of Missouri find the time (and money) to promote light rail with a recently posted pricey looking Youtube video that takes us through an imaginary (and extremely expensive) trip though Kansas City on light rail lines that will never happen.

An added bonus . . . The Light Rail CGI vid takes us from The Eastside, through The Plaza and into the Northland on a mythical journey that will almost never happen.

Very much like Gloria Squitiro's alleged belief system that supposedly involves crystals, smudge sticks and other Wiccan weird stuff . . . Faith in light rail is only doing Kansas City harm . . . And it needs to stop. There's a few people out there (I'm looking at you KC Light Rail) who still think this pipe dream is a possibility and that self-destructive and naive thinking needs fails to focus on more important priorities.

WTF: Wichita Teen Slavery on the rise!!!

A Kansas paper reports some disturbing info about teen slavery in the Sunflower State.

Police and social workers believe that 300 to 400 Wichita-area children every year are at risk of becoming victims of sexual exploitation.

It's informative stuff . . . And then, next to the article The Topeka Capital-Journal, the page strangely features a rather misplaced social networking advert with young ladies looking rather happy about the whole situation . . . Possibly part of the problem . . . I'm lost.

Via Evolution-Nextstep.

Bella Vista Bypass Settled

From A North Arkansas New Source: "The bypass, which will have 13 of its 19 miles in Arkansas before crossing into southern Missouri, is considered an important link between Kansas City, Mo., and Shreveport. The Arkansas portion will cut between Bentonville and Bella Vista before swinging north and running west of Bella Vista."

And yet again . . . The road to Kansas City is convoluted and filled with lawsuits.

31k in Topeka Tickets

Neat story . . . In about 6 months, with typical fines included . . . That will pretty much be the average for parking in Downtown KCMO.

Local hit and run, literally

Car crash with light pole on Cleaver II . . . The driver ran from the scene on foot, but was caught later. Yes, this news day is starting out a little slow.

The Pouty Morning Link Look

Stop complaining . . . The work week is still shorter . . . So is this local link list:

A complex problem not solved by environmentally friendly storm windows: Cleaver Reacts to North Korea

Yes, this is really happening . . . The Star posts the recall story after everybody else in town.

Grizzly Show Me State Murder: 2 Teens Dead In Southwest Mo. Stabbings

Best photo of the holiday: Memorial Day Flag and Fire

Life is not fair judging from a recent photo gallery of today's link model . . . Last I heard some American movie dork was boinking Camila Alves.

Kansas City Should Kill Aim4Peace!!!

Today Star Columnist Steve Penn is begging, pleading and writing PR for a program that has produced very little and exists mostly as a jobs program for activists who can't bring in cash on their own . . . Of course I'm all in favor of working to prevent violence and murder in Kansas City . . . But Aim4Peace doesn't do that!!! This program exists only to pay friends, cronies and hangers-on . . . Please put it out of its misery in much the same way that I can't see why the so-called "paper of record" keeps on this town's worst columnist who seems incapable of any critical thinking beyond skimming press releases.

Neither a Downtown Renaissance nor a Royals upswing: Detroit beats Kansas City

This must be embarrassing for sports newscasters and fans who actually believed a few early season wins and some racist hype really mattered in the real world.

Fuzzy TKC Morning

Bare with me bitches . . . I actually have a bit of paying work to do right now that I started last night. So I'm a little fuzzy on everything but the fact that I think some Kansas City Mayoral candidates need to start paying me.

Council Lady Cindy Circo's Week in Review

A nice update from the best damn nail tech in this town KC Council Lady.

She actually breaks some sad news regarding recent, unexpected death of City Hall Employee Anthony Mosley.

Chimpotle = Champion

Sadly . . . The crew that claims to represent Kansas City blogging consists of a little less than two dozen people . . . In that group I have folks that I e-mail regularly and a couple of friends (Remember that TKC TIPSTERS are EVERYWHERE) . . . Anyhoo, I know enough to realize that I'm not missing much by skipping their meet-ups . . . And they aren't quite as enterprising as the New Local Internets Power house: The KC Social Media Club . . . Still there are a few folks from the old blogger bunch that I admire (NO FISHSTICKS) . . . And Chimpolte bragging about his dinner (I think, I didn't read) certainly makes the cut!!!

As long as random bloggy d-bags keep complaining about TKC . . . I'm good!!!

Radioman dedicates at least another 700 words to this blog and then claims that nobody reads TKC . . . Figure it out for yourself . . . Because I can't. Eh, I hear that thirty-something women who post photos of themselves online (thank God for them) have it much worse.

Late Night TKC Thought . . .

Crap . . . With more than 24k people signing the Funkhouser Recall petition . . . I'm now part of the political mainstream because I was a big fan of this effort along with thousands upon thousands of folks from KC Proper who are tired of the embarrassing antics of Co-Mayor Funky and his wife.

I'll have to figure out what to do now . . . A photo gallery of Dita Von Teese is where I'll start.

Hopefully . . . More posts coming soon.

Sunset of the Orange Revolution: 1st report from the Funky Recall petition turn in . . .

TKC Tipsters are so KICKASS . . . They get me in EVERYWHERE while I'm napping. Actually, I was at the petition turn in . . . But nosy people just didn't see me because I'm just that good. Didn't take any photos because I wanted to be "in the moment" and because I didn't want to stick out . . . And because my camera sucks.

Here's what I heard . . .

The Recall folks were cautiously optimistic . . . Again, they say they've got it.

They say the fail rate is going to be less than 20% on this one because they took more time to verify and collect . . . Also, because more people chipped in once they saw the thing was serious.

They were getting signatures until the last minute . . . Recall folks were waiting for one guy with 250 sigs to show up but sadly he didn't make it . . . Update . . . Yeah he did.

Your favorite Council woman (and mine) was caught peeking in on the proceedings . . . Also, Joan Pu . . . The Mayor's "policy analyst" (allegedly without much work product) . . . Was strangely on the scene as well.

Word is . . . The City might certify all of this sooner than we expect. Maybe Thursday. And then it's up to the Council to put it on the ballot. Hint: There's already 12 votes to do it.

HERE'S WHAT I LIKE MOST . . . THE WHOLE THING ONLY COST A LITTLE MORE THAN 5K!!! That's what I like most . . . It really represent the disgust that this town feels against Mark Funkhouser and his Co-Mayor wife when a small cadre with chump change can take down the City's Mayor with well 24k signatures from a part-time staff . . . The will was out there along with the disgust of Mayor Funky.

And from Micheal Mahoney's even earlier report . . . Of course Mayor Funky is pulling his same old pedantic, monotone quote about "fighting" whatever i.e. He's going to sue to keep from getting thrown out of office by voters . . . TKC EXCLUSIVE: I'd also expect some kind of court challenge from the anti-Funk folks if they don't win as well given that the bar was raised to a nearly impossible amount by Kay's Council -- Go ahead, defend Kay Barnes . . . I dare you. Back to Funky . . . At this point, he should be trying to build some kind of coalition with people other than a small group of local college Republicans. Seriously, it's not a lack of fighting that has made the Mayor a lame duck and proved his incompetence again and again . . . It's his lack of ability to form a consensus and his Un-American instinct to try and rule like a King and Queen with his Co-Mayor wife.

More links from big media on this story as they appear . . .

Recall Organizers Turn In 13,000 Signatures

Mayoral Recall Group Hands in Signatures

City Hall Opens on Memorial Day Just to Collect Mayor Recall Petitions

Recall Group Turns In Signatures

Review: Dave Stephens Jazz Circus

Now, here's a REAL REVIEW of the best event from The Weekend from KC Confidential.

Not-so-fun City Hall Camp Out

A protest to raise awareness of poverty and crime on this town's Eastside.

Crime Scene KC: Unlucky 7-11

James Hart, or Crime Scene KC has a CLASSIC write-up of the latest 7-11 robbery on 89th and Wornall . . . A place that might as well be an ATM for crooks. The good news: Police actually arrested a suspect . . . With more than a dozen robberies in a year, I hope there's some kind of prosecution of the guy since he probably got away with at least 20 bucks.

As for the photo of porn star Hanna Hilton . . . The colors were close enough to the 7-11 logo . . . Figure it out for yourself.

Good Looking Gladstone Manor

Hyperblogal features some great photos of a house in one of Kansas City's move vibrant minority neighborhoods.

Local Garage Sale Resource

Every now and then I like to post something useful . . . via The KC Guy.

Remember on Memorial Day

Politics aside . . . Recycled patriotism without any real feeling reminds me of crusty old, white women . . . Still, a collection of links regarding memorial day from Kansas City bloggers remind us that honoring the service of soldiers is a top concern for this community.

Here are some of my favorite and the most important links for today:

Some Thoughts on Memorial Day

Memorial Day 2009

Jewish Veterans Museum

Celebration at the Station - 2009

MaptheFallen.org . . . Website for Fallen Soldiers Launches in Time for Memorial Day

Veterans deserve better than to die unmourned

Paying Tribute to Veterans on Memorial Day

Memorial Day 2009--Thank-You!!



And while I think it's EXCEEDINGLY IMPORTANT to honor the troops abroad and those who have sacrificed everything for freedom . . . Let's also not forget get urban battlefield in our midst.

Three wounded in KC shooting

All over the world and here at home there is fighting and dying for things that people believe in . . . Right or wrong, today isn't just about famous Kansas City BBQ but a time to remember those who have been lost.

Use a Condom Kansas City!!!

Hey, for God's sake at least attempt to protect your junk . . . Please wrap it up . . . Especially considering this Kansas City's horrible STD report card by Men's Health.

The link was sent in by a generous TKC reader and got me thinking that . . . Seriously, with a D- Ranking of 82 for this town . . . Residents better make damn well sure that they're packing a lot of latex and not believing the lies of promiscuous men and women in this town who are probably very nasty.

Breathe In The Nanny State

Gladstone goes with the smoking ban . . . Freedom to give yourself and everybody else cancer has now gone up in smoke.

Northeast Under Siege!!!

Here's just a bit of a TKC EXCLUSIVE (!!!) that anyone can confirm by simple observation . . . A crime wave in Northeast is taking a serious toll on the businesses in that area . . . From the bodegas frequented by illegal immigrants to the Walgreen's . . . There are very few places that stay open after sundown. The rule of the day in that neighborhood since the weather warmed up has been:

Open Late, Close Early

The demographics of gun toting of criminals striking fear though the area have been diverse and I don't want to help racists in their misguided accusations . . . What I will note is this is a problem related to police cuts and fewer cops on the streets and not any other verifiable trend.

Once again, failure on Kansas City's part to provide adequate security is helping to bring down the economy of an entire neighborhood . . . While the Mayor fights about his wife.

Mayor Funky Recall and further humiliation for Kansas City Link Fest!!!

Of course I like MY LINK because it was first thanks to TKC TIPSTERS and reader . . . But all over the metro there was talk of two more horrible failures for our lame duck Mayor.

Recall Group Claims Enough Signatures

Funkhouser's Troubles Make NY Times

Mayor's Recall Petition Drive Claims Goal

Of course, this is just the beginning of Kansas City fighting on this subject as The Co-Mayors try their hardest to cling to power despite the fact that thousands upon thousands of people want them out of office.

So much for the "Downtown Renaissance" as yet another business closes with no support from The P&L District or Crossroads Hipsters

Images Art Gallery out of business in the Crossroads . . . Also, once again TKC is proven correct with my contention that the Crossroads is mostly about poseurs and not any commerce to support local art.

One More Kansas City Service GONE

NBC Action News: ATA Shuts Down Call Center on Weekends

Poor, Old, Dead KCK Duck Pond Lady

Believe it or not . . . I really do think the story of an old lady, dead by a duck pond is the saddest story of the weekend.

Woman Dies in Pond Trying to Feed Ducks

Woman, 87, Found Dead In KCK Pond

Woman's Body Found In Campus Pond

An elderly woman’s body was found in a shallow pond on the campus of the Kansas City, Kansas Community College on Sunday.

Of course, remember the soldiers today . . . But also remember the old ladies in your life that are still around . . . To wit, I think I'm going to visit an old stripper girlfriend and see if I can't still beat her kid on X-box.

Apparently, Portland wants to follow the P&L District model and discriminate against the 12 African-Americans living in that town

Dollars & Sense: "Portland gets downtown revitalization ideas from Power & Light District" . . . Also, I'm guessing they want to drive the City broke while doing it.

The Kansas City Star discovers a link TKC blogged last year!!!

The Star writes up a quick story about a group of charitable former Kansas City residents in now living in New York . . . Very much like a post I did more than a year ago. It's nice to see The Kansas City Star keeping their readers on the cutting edge.

Kansas City Judges Love Junkets

The Star: KC judges attend Florida conference amid cuts in budget . . . Not so surprisingly, I'm not the only jerk who universally votes "NO" on all judge ballots given their lack of a solution for crime. From what I hear, it's pretty much common practice among more cynical residents of this town.

Memorial Day Link List

Mainstream MSM Newsie Links for this Memorial Day:

KC's new service will help businesses navigate bureaucracy . . . Surprisingly, the "new service" is not called a bribe.

Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. . . . Celebrating the legacy of a dude who made racist cartoons, was an alleged Nazi Sympathizer and is rumored to have his head somewhere on ice in Burbank . . . What a legacy!!!

Suffer the kids of the KC Area: 4-Year-Old Reports Assault At Day Care

Are Red Light Cameras Working in Kansas City? The answer to that question: Yes, but mostly for bored newsies on deadline.

A Julie Henderson Bikini photo gallery just because . . .

Killer Band in The Crossroads

KC Confidential reports that Great White is soon to play in this cowtown at that place owned by STRETCH the douche . . . And yes, Aqua-net is still very flammable.

The Mayor's Twitter is Funky

Stacey Notices The Mayor's Twitter Account is followed by mostly anony people who seem made up . . . Very much like real life.

And We're Back!!!

I'm not sure how I'm going to spend today but for the moment I'm taking the morning slowly and trying to concentrate on important things like Kim Kardashian's big bikini butt . . . And there's other stuff going on today as well.

More posts soon hopefully . . . Stay tuned.

DAMN!!! FUNKHOUSER OPPOSITION CLAIM ENOUGH SIGNATURES FOR RECALL!!!

Looks like this might be an interesting Summer after all . . .

A Press Release just came down the wire from the Recall Funkhouser Crew and it says they've got the signatures required.

May 22, 2009

Committee to Recall Mark Funkhouser To Deliver 12,000 to 14,000 Additional Signatures to City Clerk

The Committee to Recall Mark Funkhouser announced this evening that it will deliver Recall Petitions containing between 12,000 and 14,000 additional signatures to the City Clerk on Monday afternoon, May 25th, at 3:00 p.m. Members of the Committee will be available to speak to the Media at the South entrance of City Hall at 2:30 p.m.
Harris Wilder, spokesman for the pro-Recall group said, “It hasn’t been easy, but the Committee now projects that it will have collected enough signatures by Monday afternoon to recall Mayor Funkhouser.”

“We expect that Monday will mark a truly historic day for Kansas City. By accomplishing this daunting task, we will have reaffirmed the power of ordinary citizens to effect their government. This group’s achievement is unprecedented and will have a positive effect on the City for years to come. We thank the hundreds of selfless and dedicated volunteers who worked on this campaign to improve our City’s government.”

No matter what this grass roots group has had a HUGE impact on local government and shown us all that incompetent, stubborn politicians like Funkhouser can't simply ignore their constituents and hope that apathy prevails.

I guess it makes sense that all of this stuff is historic given that FUNKHOUSER IS THE WORST MAYOR IN KANSAS CITY'S MODERN HISTORY!!!

And now . . . It seems there's a bit of hope that the dude will become part of Kansas City History rather a Co-Mayor this town has to endure.

UPDATE . . . Thanks for the link sent from AWESOME TKC readers . . .

THE NEW YORK TIMES JUST PUBLISHED THEIR ARTICLE REGARDING MAYOR FUNKY'S FOIBLES!!!

"This is a lot harder than I thought," he said.

Of note . . . The NY Times piece says Funkhouser now identifies as "An Independent" which is a significant change from his previous claims to be a liberal Democrat.

Gloria Squitiro's stupidity continues . . . Regarding the Volunteer Ordinance she says: “The establishment saw a formidable team,” Ms. Squitiro said, “and they wanted to break it up.”

Which is kind of odd because it was mainly a reaction to some white lady spewing racial slurs everywhere.

Confirmation of TKC reports regarding her continued influence: "She still works 50 hours a week for him, she says, just not at City Hall."

Even funnier . . . He's citing "Bike-Friendly" B.S. as one of his accomplishments which served only to satisfy a few rich hobbyists and is going to make development in this town even more expensive.

Mayor Funky says he has "rhino thick" skin from being ridiculed a lot . . . Which is funny because he seems like a big crybaby to me. He promises to "fight back" but for most people in this town it's much to late to reclaim any of the respect he has lost.

I'm gonna miss him.

To wit, Tonight's TKC SATURDAY NIGHT PLAYLIST (!!!) is dedicated to numbers which is what I'm sure we'll all be fighting about next week.

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

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! UPCOMING KANSAS CITY ORDINANCE MIGHT MOVE BIG MONEY AT CITY HALL!!!

There is no question that Mayor Funkhouser is the worst elected official in modern Kansas City history.

An upcoming move that's frightening EVERYONE in City Hall could be one of the worst schemes he has ever imagined and I think people are telling me about it simply to talk the guy out of making a HUGE mistake that will completely screw up this town.

Here it is:

ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING TKC TIPSTERS OUT THERE SAYS THAT AN UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE WILL TAKE ALL KANSAS CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUES OUT OF THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE AND INSTEAD PUT THEM THROUGH THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE!!!

Not a big deal until we look at the people involved in this dimwitted mayoral maneuver . . .

Right now Deb Herman runs Finance and Audit . . .

Terry Riley is the chairman of Planning and Zoning . . .

This is a cutesy way for Fumbling Mayor Funky to change up committee assignments without specifically moving anyone . . .

It gets worse . . . From people who know, here's a bit of insight into the Mayor's reasoning . . .

Mayor Funky is looking to pay back Deb Herman . . . She pretty much embarrassed him during the budget battle and (easily) made him look like an idiot. Hell, she even gave TKC a quote.

They say that Mayor Funky sees Deb Herman as a threat to his support in the Northland.

Mayor Funky is stupidly attempting to buy more support on the Eastside and strangely thinks that working with Riley will earn him the "street cred" that he hasn't been able to come by yet.

Oh and here's something funny . . . WORD AROUND CITY HALL IS THAT DEB HERMAN IS CONSIDERING A RUN FOR MAYOR AND THAT TERRIFIES MAYOR FUNKY BECAUSE SHE WOULD TAKE ALL OR AT LEAST SPLIT HIS LAST REMAINING NORTHLAND SUPPORT.

Of course Deb isn't going to say she's thinking about running . . . Maybe she isn't . . . But Mayor Funky attempting to play political games is laughable . . . And also potentially dangerous.

Notwithstanding, I think Terry Riley is a great guy, I think he'd make a fine Mayor (or at least better than Gloria Squitiro) So I'm happy to see Riley get more power . . .

But I wonder: How does Kansas City feel about Riley having a huge say in all of this town's eco-devo action?

Of course this move will assure that Riley will have campaign coffers full for his Mayoral Run . . . Mayor Funky thinks he can beat Terry Riley and would like to face him as a candidate . . . So, this move to take Deb Herman out of the mix AND set up a guy who he thinks he can beat would seem like genius to a person with a simplistic understanding of Kansas City Politics . . . Like, say Gloria Squitiro or Jeff Roe's old boy . . . But the fact is that Mayor Funky is facing a City full of people who can't stand him and lame stunts aren't going to work to save him.

The rest of the Council might love this idea to give Terry Riley more power over Kansas City's purse strings but Funkhouser's reasoning for doing it is ultimately flawed and won't lead to anything productive.

Here's hoping that because TKC TIPSTERS revealed this plan . . . It all goes away . . . Because Mayor Funky isn't even close to outsmarting anyone AND Kansas City can't afford our finances to be used as part of a political game.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! Jim Glover might be getting a sweet City Hall contract!!!

Everyone in Kansas City says Jim Glover is a great guy.

But this recession has kicked us all in the nuts.

So . . . Of course, City Manager Wayne Cauthen is here to help . . .

Word around the campfire is that Jim Glover, former candidate for Mayor, might be getting a sweet 50k contract from the City Manager during the pay and hiring freeze at City Hall.

And actually that's a great move because Glover is extremely well liked by just about everybody . . . He's actually done a lot for this city . . . And I think he has like a dozen kids he has to feed . . . So, everybody wins but the City's budget . . . But that's nothing new.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! CITY MANAGER LEAVES CHUCK EDDY IN CHARGE?!?!

The complaints against Kansas City Manager Wayne Cauthen keep rolling into TKC Headquarters i.e. My mom's basement.

I'M NOW HEARING THAT THERE MIGHT BE AS MANY AS 6 VOTES TO REPLACE CITY MANAGER WAYNE CAUTHEN!!!

This week KICKASS TKC TIPSTERS discovered yet another troubling facet of Cauthen's leadership style . . .

WORD AROUND CITY HALL IS THE WAYNE CAUTHEN LEAVES CHUCK EDDY IN CHARGE!!!

City Hall denizens are saying this is big no-no because the guy is unqualified . . . And that's both the general biased sentiment around The Hall but also a fact according to local regs some folks that talk to TKC say . . .

When Cauthen goes out of town he's supposed to leave only the Assistant City Manger in charge . . . If he can't then the qualifications to temporarily assume the job are as follows:

And MPA . . . Eddy is a chiropractor and snobby magazine publisher by trade.

The acting City manager is supposed to have 10 years of local government management experience . . . Again, Eddy comes up short here as well . . .

Folks say this is why Cauthen is looking for an Assistant City Manager in the middle of a hiring and pay freeze . . . Let's hope he finds one before anyone notices.

DAMN DAVE STEPHENS KICKS ASS!!!

The Dave Stephens Jazz Circus was as Jardine's last night and it's just about the greatest thing I've seen this year . . . And that includes some white woman's big ass at the P&L District.

I don't know if these photos are blurry because my phone cam sucks or maybe just because a very nice Kansas City Couple kept on buying me drinks . . . In any event, these photos don't capture the intensity of the KICKASS show.

Believe it or not, I've followed the career of Dave Stephens for quite some time but it's been awhile since I've seen him live and I discovered that he had his act down to a science.





If I had a video function I would have treated you guys to a nice strip tease the brunette did that was much better than most of the so-called "burlesque" in this town -- which really is nothing more than fact chicks looking for self-esteem.

In any event . . . I totally recommend the INSANE SALMON THAT JARDINE'S SERVES UP WHICH WAS ADDITIONALLY AWESOME BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.

Seriously, both the show and Jardine's are the best example of Kansas City white people culture I've ever experienced . . . And I've been to the rodeo.

Baby Blunt Buys His Way Out

The saga of Missouri Education, Job and Healthcare failure under an unqualified rich kid is at an end . . .

"Lawsuit against ex-governor is settled for $500,000"

Fired Up also has some great background on the story . . . "Unable to hide or pawn off the Eckersley lawsuit, Blunt team settles"

Of course, I'm not really an expert in this stuff . . . But girlfriend, I'm sure everyone (but me) is glad this thing didn't go to trial and the truly nasty stuff didn't have a chance to COME OUT regarding our former Governor . . . A guy who will be back in a few years when everyone forgets how horribly he screwed up.

Sexual Assault Crisis Evokes Calls for Change in The KCMSD!!!

Parents Demand Action After Alleged Sex Assaults at KCMO Schools . . . At this point, anyone who dares advocate for this "Hands Off" hot mess is protecting a broken system that puts the lives of students in jeopardy. A State Takeover is the only option as The Kansas City, Missouri School District has failed to create any significant improvement other than meaningless and constantly evolving rhetoric that has failed this city and their students.

Enjoy Karma Kansas City Proper: JoCo Entitlement Mentality Comes Full Circle

NBC Action news tells of an alarming increase in the number of JoCo folks eating without paying . . . Very much like the people of JoCo have been doing in KC Proper, in terms of City Services and Amenities, for the past 40 years.

Here's how The Star treats their people!!!

As I noted previously, I left the basement for about 2 hours last night. I ran into a former employee of The Star. (Not so) Surprisingly, he didn't hate the blog or me and has already found a career doing something more fun than slaving away in a dying industry.

I asked him about his time at our so-called paper of record . . . He didn't reveal anything too scandalous until he told about his last day on the job . . .

The former Star worker said . . .

AFTER MORE THAN 20 YEARS WORKING WITH THE KANSAS CITY STAR, THE ORGANIZATION FIRED HIM WITH ONLY A PHONE CALL!!!

With that level of disregard for their own employees . . . I can only imagine the contempt that the organization feels toward its customers.

After hearing the story . . . I pretty much gave up any sympathy I've ever had for the management of this town's glass news coffin who now seem like nothing more than scumbags who would gladly eat their children if they missed lunch . . . And employees must tow the company line despite their conscience.

Kansas City can survive without The Star. In the end they're nothing but the local branch of a conglomerate operating without much soul or concern for the people of this town.

Other side of the school assault story: Not attempted anal rape but only a fight!!!

Report of attempted anal rape on a school bus now explained as merely taunting and poking with an umbrella . . . I don't know who to believe . . . But I'm pretty sure the Kansas City School District is lying about something.

This Cowtown has seen it all

A quick link for a particularly nasty weekend . . . A Kansas City man has been charged with sexual misconduct after exposing himself outside an apartment building.

The Saturday Morning Link Snack

Lots of links this early in the morning . . . Because I want TKC readers to start the first day of their weekend off right!!! And grow up to be big and strong bikini models.

An Amazing Kansas City Rescue is probably the only good news to report this week: 3 Escape Scaffolding Collapse 8 Stories Up

Kansas City Man Travels to Topeka to screw up drive-thru bank robbery horribly.

The Local Late Night: Kansas City's Shoal Creek Patrol holds a night time open house.

Count on KCTV5 for Internet Nasty: Man Accused Of Facebook Porn Scheme

HERE COMES KANSAS CITY AREA HUMAN STEW!!! Oceans of Fun Set to Open This Weekend

A City that keeps working on this screwed up bridge: Kansas City’s 12th Street bridge closes for repairs

A mixed local bag . . . Mass layoffs rise in Missouri, fall in Kansas

Suburban Schools are every bit as screwed up as their counterparts in KC Proper . . . Except for the student rape: Judge orders former Liberty superintendent to pay $245,000 to a state retirement agency

It's not all bad news when it comes to Kansas City Obama cash: KC touts some victories in General Assembly session

COURTESY OF THE JOCO SOB . . . Abandoned shopping mall hot mess in JoCo makes the Journal!!!

Greinke Loving White Supremacy Doesn't Matter as Royals Stay Losing!!!

Royals shutout by STL Cardinals . . . And yes, I know that Kansas City's favorite white guy wasn't playing but the "spirit" shown by his many fans and acolytes wasn't enough to even put the local team on the scoreboard as TKC's critical observation of small market sports team dynamics is once again proven correct.

Sorry.

Local Baseball Strikes Out Again

The Star: Effort pushes the national pastime in KC's urban core . . . Which sounds nice until we all realize that playing baseball isn't half a fun as even the most mundane Call of Duty session.

Local Blogger Dogs (ew)

Kansas City with the Russian Accent talks about sharing a hot dog with Hyperblogal . . . I'm not sure I want to know the rest.

Kansas City Carjacking Victim Strikes Back

A story of this town's indomitable spirit on Blue Ridge Boulevard as a guy is held up, refuses to hand over his car keys, "accidentally" rams his assailant and waits for police to arrive.

TKC contention: This same story in JoCo ends with crying, a police report and maybe crying while eating an ice cream cone in private.

Double Dead End For Two Local Dudes

The Star: "Two Kansas City men died early Friday after they were ejected from a pickup truck that rolled over during a police chase, the Kansas Highway Patrol said."

Bannister Mall Demolition Dragging On . . .

Down the Byline wants to assure every that soccer funding is safe or at least an old mall is getting torn down on schedule . . . I'm not sure anyone cares but under their breath most local political people know that THE SUPER-TIF SOCCER PROJECT IS STALLED!!!

But that shouldn't stop us all from celebrating . . .

In that respect, I don't think Brad wants to bring us down by linking to EVEN MORE DEPRESSING PHOTOS OF THE ABANDONED BANNISTER MALL AREA!!!

Then again . . . Maybe it's just TKC that's gleeful because this display demonstrates that I'm completely correct when it comes to Super-TIF Funkhouser Failure to improve a neighborhood.

Kansas Cock Block

The Kansas Jackass . . . Cockfighting now a Felony in Kansas . . . Now we'll never know how much illegal Mexicans and hillbillies really had in common. Sorrow.

Aim 4 Peace in Northeast

I simply have to disagree with the Northeast Buzz Blog . . . Of course, Aim4Peace has an agenda with their "invasion" or cleanup day . . . But that mentality assumes that EVERYONE ELSE isn't working an angle as well.

Welcome to the real world . . . Community activism is just a shortcut to elected office and every civic cause is simply a chance for people to earn resume points. There are only a few exceptions. Maybe none . . . To think otherwise or believe that people do community work simply out of the goodness of their heart is naive and a Kansas City expectation that needs to stop.

Haley at Bazooka's: Without Question the Best Stripper in Kansas City!!!

I don't know if you can say that this blog has a "benefactor" but I had a friend bring TKC up from the basement for about three hours last night.

Not only did I have THE BEST FUCKING SALMON I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE but with my own nickles and quarters I was able to buy a lap dance with the very lovely HALEY who was working the late shift at Bazooka's . . .

And okay, she wasn't Victoria Silvstedt but she's actually studying Radiologic Technology (seriously!!!), she has two kids and seemed rather nice. I'm sure my $15 helped her cause immeasurably . . . I'm not sure it's love but you bags will be the first to know when I send out the wedding invitations. Look for the write-up at Bazooka's blog.

I know . . . I'm generous like that.

P.S. her bikini bottom touched my goatee . . . So naturally, I shaved it off as soon as I got home . . . TKC will not be caught slippin.

TKC SUGGESTION: CLOSE DOWNTOWN OTHER THAN THE P&L DISTRICT!!!

Joyce Smith from KC's Dollars & Sense blog: Downtown's Majestic Steakhouse Temporarily Closed!!!

So . . . How's that "Renaissance" coming?

Also Bar Refaeli photos . . . As a nightcap of sorts.

MORE DOWNTOWN DRAMA!!!

WDAF: Building Painters Rescued in Downtown High-Rise Drama

"The Case Park overlook"

More amazing photography from Eric Bowers.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! NEW YORK TIMES REPORTERS ASKING FUNKY QUESTIONS ABOUT KANSAS CITY'S MAYOR!!!

Mayor Funky is facing national scrutiny once again.

Just got word and then confirmed it with another politico . . .

REPORTERS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ARE CALLING LOCAL POLITICOS REGARDING MAYOR FUNKY'S OVERALL FAILURE!!!

They're asking about Kansas City's perceived stimulus fail . . .

They're asking about the recall . . .

They're talking about the guy's overall unimpressive record . . .

Let's not forget that NY Times folks are a lot more liberal than Wall Street Journal newsies who offered up a puff piece about Gloria Squitiro's feet (ew) . . . So maybe, this effort won't be such a love letter . . . I don't really care given that I've lost my faith in all print media . . . But more national embarrassment for Kansas City and our Mayor should be entertaining.

Kansas City Jazz History Documentary!!!

"THEN" from Josh Rizer on Vimeo.

A fantastic online documentary entitled "THEN" chronicles one family's Kansas City Jazz history and features great music and stories of this town's golden era.

Seriously, for Jazz enthusiasts and any local history buff . . . It's a must see and a great look at the power of online video to convey a story that might not have made it to PBS or a global audience.

Globalization and your new friends

I agree with a lot of what Logtar writes in his recent post . . . THE FUTURE IS ASIAN AND LATINO AND INDIAN (BUT MOSTLY CHINESE) . . . And while I'm not a big fan of ethnic food references for population trends (if only because white bread barely ever gets mentioned - yum), his point is insightful nonetheless.

"What is a Blog?"

Once again, The D-Rules contemplates online content and sends an uncomfortable shout-out to his man-crush.

The Friday Afternoon Postmodern Links

In a postmodern society EVERYTHING is a copy of a copy of a copy . . . Sorry. Here are some links:

Tonight's Lineup . . . Non-violent crime related: Buzz Under The Stars show at City Market

Expect more, lame culture war reaction: Parkinson Restores Planned Parenthood Money

KC needs cash: Drivers Beware: More Red-Light Cameras

The objective paper-of-record disapproves: Don't sign Chastain's new light-rail petition

GIVE MCC THE CASH!!!! Board Delays Aid Decision for KC College

Liberty School District is a hot mess as well: A judge says the Liberty School District knew former Superintendent Dr. Scott Taveau was falsifying his hours but said nothing.

Every downtown club that is not P&L will eventually fold: NV forced to shut down for 45 days

Meh: Incoming: Jamie Foxx to Sprint Center

Spanish babe Patricia Conde looks better than anybody in local offices as she pretends to copy her body parts.

Circo KCPD Memorial Coverage

My 4th favorite Council lady actually picks an interesting and worthwhile topic that doesn't seem like it was completely written by her assistant i.e. she's listening to TKC commenter complaints.

KC: Business hostile/bike-friendly!!!

New development code will cost thousands for anybody wanting to build something in order placate a small group of liberal, white, upwardly mobile hobbyists.

The Final Funky Recall Push!!!

So . . . Here we are at the last weekend for The Funkhouser Recall.

From what I hear . . . The Funky Recall bunch are incredibly close . . . This weekend they're looking for the "cushion" that will push them over the top.

For those folks who have yet to sign the recall . . . During lunch break or some time this weekend, check out the Funky Recall Headquarters at:

3625 Broadway, across from the Uptown Theater

Last night I was in Midtown and I witnessed a guy with a clipboard getting a bunch of signatures.

Here's what surprised me . . .

WHITE PEOPLE WERE SIGNING THE FUNKHOUSER RECALL PETITION AS WELL!!!

It was amazing, in the few minutes I watched an older white guy sign and then a young hipster dude also took the pen . . . In between, a couple of younger white ladies also put down their signature . . . But that's not a great indicator because white women can be talked into almost anything. Trust me.

And the only thing that's certain here is that if the recall goes through . . . There's absolutely no way Mayor Funky would ever win the office again.

Mayor Funky's political reputation is not only ruined in this town, but also his image is tarnished among the Kansas City delegation in Jeff City. Funkhouser and his Republican consulting buddy Mark Siettmann made big promises to local reps at the state level . . . All they delivered was a surprise trip and a few handshakes. Funkhouser and his new Communications goon said they would be making weekly visits and then disappeared.

One prominent Democrat from Kansas City noted . . . "Everyone wondered what the hell happened to him . . . He was in Topeka and all over Kansas promoting light rail much more than the time he spent here."

As far as Mayor Funky's "work and accomplishments" that he says his detractors oppose . . . At this point Funkhouser is virtually powerless . . . So I'm not sure how anyone who can't get a second on a budget proposal represents any kind of real change.

Funkhouser is a lame duck . . . He took a major hit over his inability to do ANYTHING on the budget and now he has mostly retreated to his second job or his Brookside compound that still serves as City Hall South when he's not taking meetings at the Library.

So . . . The Recall effort can either get rid of the Mayor's failed tenure quickly or wait a few months to say goodbye to one of the worst mistakes ever made by Kansas City voters . . . Even if it was by a thin margin.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! CAUTHEN LOOKING FOR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER!!!

Damn . . . City Manager Wayne Cauthen has made a hot mess of this week at The Hall.

He was smacked down and pretty much intimida