MLB 10 The Show Tips - Pitching, Batting, Road to the Show

MLB 10 The Show Tips - Pitching, Batting, Road to the Show

First of all, don't panic! MLB 10 The Show is HARD - I mean REALLY hard. Do yourself a favor and practice. When you first put the game in, go straight to practice mode. The only exception is if you've mastered MLB 09 The Show - then you can probably go ahead and start the Road to the Show, Franchise or Online play. This article is not for you, this article is for people like me who completely SUCK at this game.

The best thing to do is practice. Practice pitching first as that is what you will spend most of your time doing. The first thing to realize about pitching in MLB 10 The Show is that the optimal "line" you are trying to hit on the pitching meter is at the beginning of the curve, towards the middle - NOT at the end of the meter where the colors are (yellow, orange, red). I must have spent 2 hours trying to land the line in the color zone when all the time it is supposed to land in the middle of the whole curve - the color part is just the power. After that it is just a matter of how good your pitcher is at throwing the different pitches. Pitchers with higher skills can throw more pitches correctly etc. If your pitcher sucks then he's just going to suck - there's nothing you can do about it.

Next practice batting. The x button swings normally and the square button swings for the seats. One article I read on MLB 09 The Show said to start (before the pitch) by raising the left joystick up before you swing. In practice mode in MLB 10 The Show you won't need to worry about the pitch count, but it is essential in regular gameplay. Just like the real game, pitch count will determine what kind of pitch you are going to get next. It is wise to let a few pitches go by, especially if you are up in the count. You've got to be really patient. MLB 10 is not an arcade game where you're going to hit home runs constantly - or even get a hit for that matter. You have to wait for your pitch. Oh yeah, and if you're first starting out, set the game on Rookie.

Fielding in MLB 10 The Show is pretty much like any other baseball game - just run to the ball (there is no sprint button in case you're looking for one) pick it up and throw it to the right base or you can throw to your cut off man (R1).

Base running is an art form but the easiest way to do it is R1 means return all runners, R2 means steal (before the pitch) and for some reason R2 means STOP the runner after the pitch. L2 (before the pitch) will make all runners steal - which is good for the bottom of the ninth with 2 outs. The MLB 10 The Show book that comes with the game spends almost the entire time talking about base running - there's 6 pages on it. Read it and you will probably be even more confused then when you started. Just remember that after the pitch L1 advances everyone and R1 makes everyone go back.

To sum it up, practice a lot, drink several beers before attempting to play in the first place. And remember that this game is meant to simulate REAL baseball and therefore it might move a little slow and require a shit load of patience.

kc auto show - info on the Kansas City Auto Show 2010

kc auto show - info on the Kansas City Auto Show 2010

The KC Auto Show is on this week at Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City near The Power and Light District.

Several great cars will be on display as well as some great Kansas City bands. On Friday night the kc auto show features The KC All Stars on the main stage. On Saturday night the kc auto show features beatles tribute band Liverpool. On Sunday night the Kansas City auto show will feature Woodstock Flashback.

The entire auto show is set in a 60's theme and they have chosen some of Kansas City's best entertainment acts. Kansas City bands for the kc auto show were provided by Adam Blue Productions.

Kansas City Neighborhoods - A Breakdown of KC Neighborhoods

Kansas City Neighborhoods - A Breakdown

Before anyone comments on this, please realize that I have lived in Kansas City for 35 years and I know EXACTLY what Kansas City neighborhoods are composed of.

I think that Kansas City is probably one of the most tricky cities regarding good and bad neighborhoods. If you don't know any better, you might end up with some serious buyer's remorse.

If you're planning on moving to Kansas City, you'd better understand the different neighborhoods before buying that dream... - or nightmare home.

In order to understand this blog, you might want to pull up this Map of Kansas City for reference. Kansas City is flat with no bodies of water so the streets here run in a perfect "grid" with the numbered streets running East to West, and the named streets running North and South. Isn't that handy :)

Let's start by defining Central Kansas City:

We're not going to discuss downtown Kansas City or any suburbs of Kansas City in this article - we'll do those in another blog. We're just going to focus on the area between 39th and 103rd and between Holmes Road and State Line (look at your map - or picture a square area). This is Central Kansas City.

The first rule of real estate in Central Kansas City is easy - Anything East of Holmes Road is the ghetto. This is true all the way from 5th Street (downtown) clear up to 135th street (Kansas City's most Southern point). Don't move there, enough said.

Now that we've ruled out everything East of Holmes Road, let's start with the area between 39th Street and 47th Street - East of State Line and West of Holmes. This area is pretty much considered the Westport area. Westport has gotten pretty bad lately. There is a shooting in westport almost every week. The shootings happen late at night when the ghetto folks start "cruising" the Westport bar areas - they're not there to buy anything or go into any of the nightclubs - but just to cruise around with their boom-boom music playing and sporting their tricked out cars (who's cost probably kept them from paying that month's mortgage). They are extremely rude (especially to whites) and they will shoot you. So that's nighttime in Westport - as far as the daytime goes, Westport is pretty much full of lower class "hippie" type folks who enjoy the coffee shops and the Pitch magazine. There used to be a lot of gays in Westport but most of them are making their way downtown towards the Power and Light District condos.

South of 47th Street - North of 63rd - West of Holmes - East of State Line. This area contains the Plaza, which has made Kansas City famous for it's lush fountains and top shelf shopping and dining. The plaza is a great little area and contains everything from expensive condos to affordable apartments. Plaza living is very nice - the only drawback is that there is only one grocery store within miles and it is a MAD HOUSE. South of the plaza to Gregory Boulevard is a fairly upscale neighborhood that contains a popular dog walking / picnic area called Loose Park. This area is usually defined as Brookside and it is filled with great little shops, restaurants and neighborhood bars. Brookside is getting older, however, so the upkeep on a house would probably be a huge factor - most of the houses in Brookside are well over 60 years old. The other downside to living in Brookside is that it has ZERO access to any highway.

South of Gregory - North of 85th - West of Holmes - East of State Line. This area, more commonly known as "Waldo" is a lower class area that is deteriorating fast. Abandoned buildings are everywhere, and we're starting to see more PayDay Loan shops and Fried Chicken chains opening up - oh, and pawn shops too. Always a bad sign. For some reason everyone who lives in this part of town has a dog, and all of the men wear sandals. I would stay clear of Waldo.

South of 85th - North of 103rd - West of Holmes - East of State Line. This area includes Santa Fe Hills and the Ward Parkway "mall" - if you can call it a mall. This used to be a great area but it has gone to the dogs. The lower class folk have moved in and it is NOT a good place to live.

South of 103rd - North of 135th - West of Holmes - East of State Line. This area is still fairly nice and includes Red Bridge, Bridlespur and Verona Hills. Those who live there are looking over their shoulder, however, because they know that this will be the next Kansas City neighborhood to fall. Let me just stop and explain something here: The lower class are moving their way south and west - basically to get out of the ghetto that they live in and to get away from their own kind. In reaction to this, the wealthy people are moving South and if they can afford it, WEST into beautiful and expensive Leawood, Kansas to avoid the oncoming ghetto folk. For a good example of this movement, take a look at how far south they have built up on Metcalf - wealthy people are running SOUTH. Back to this neighborhood...The best thing about this neighborhood is 435 highway. It's just blocks away. This neighborhood will be safe for about another 5-10 years before turning lower-middle class.

To be continued...stay tuned for North Kansas City, Grandview, Independence, Lee's Summit, Blue Springs and downtown kc.

KC Auto Show 2010 - Kansas City Auto Show

The Kansas City Auto Show is back for 2010 at Bartle Hall on March 5th, 6th, and 7th. The Auto Show will feature live entertainment from The KC All Stars, Liverpool, and Woodstock Review.

This year's KC Auto Show will feature several exciting activities including an arcade, test driving, and Kansas City artist Jessica Lyew-Ayee will paint a 60’s style Kansas City-scape for the Auto Show.

Concept cars will include a Corvette (pictured), a Mercedes mini-van/bus, and the all new incredible Jaguar.

The KC All Stars will perform hits from the Motown era on Friday night, March 5th. Liverpool will perform all of your favorite hits from The Beatles on Saturday afternoon and evening, March 6th. Woodstock Flashback will feature music from Woodstock on Sunday afternoon, March 7th. Entertainment brought to The KC Auto Show by Adam Blue Productions, a national entertainment agency that is based in Kansas City.

Admission for The KC Auto Show:
Adults - $10
Children (8 - 12 years old) - $5

History
Although there is evidence that an association of dealers existed, and that a Motor Car Show was held in March 1907,the first documented beginning of the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City can be traced to the organization's original Articles of Incorporation dated November 11, 1909. Originally known as the Motor Car Trade Association of Kansas City, 15 intricately penned signatures appeared on the Articles.

Automobiles and over-the-road transportation were still in the formative years as the purpose of the Association is described in those original Articles:

* To promote scientific investigation into the problems of the navigation of the air, and to inform the public thereof;
* To inform the public as to the construction and uses of both pleasure and commercial motor cars, and to this end to publish and distribute literature, to conduct and manage shows and exhibitions of motor cars and accessories and air ships of various kinds, and to hold and manage public contests of motor cars and air ships;
* To foster the building and maintenance of good roads, and to disseminate information to the members and to the public concerning roads and tours, and to aid in the passage of wise laws concerning roads and streets and the users of motor cars thereon;
* To bring about friendly and courteous social and business relations among motor car dealers and those connected with allied lines of business in Kansas City.

Needless to say, the Kansas City auto industry has evolved quite a bit over the past 100 years. And though we have removed terminology such as air ships from our charter, we continue to uphold the basic principles of encouraging public interest in new automobiles; and fostering the highest standards of integrity in business practices among new car and truck dealers. Some things never go out of style.

Description
Flashback to the 60s March 3-7 at the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show sponsored and produced by the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City. This year we're going retro with the cars, music, fashion and art from the psychedelic decade alongside eight football fields of new cars, trucks, SUV's, crossovers, vans, and hybrids. Don't miss your one chance this year to see hundreds of vehicles from the past, the present and the future... all under one roof.

Watch the Kansas City Star for "Buy One Get One Free" special offers.

Sponsor: The 2010 Kansas City Auto Show is sponsored by the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City under the direction of Auto Show Chairman John McCarthy of McCarthy Auto Group. Additional sponsor: The Kansas City Star and cars.com.

Elton John Billy Joel Face 2 Face Tour at The Sprint Center

Elton John and Billy Joel return to the Sprint Center for another round of their Face 2 Face Tour. Elton John and Billy Joel will bring their Face 2 Face tour to Kansas City's Sprint Center in the Power and Light District February 27th, 2010.

Tickets are on sale for the Face 2 Face Tour. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or charged by phone at 1.800.745.3000.

Elton John and Billy Joel's Face 2 Face tour started in March and has sold out over 40 venues. The concert starts out with Elton and Billy seated at the pianos doing songs in a duet style, almost like dueling pianos. The show then expands to include each artist's own backing band and concludes with the two back at the pianos together, "face to face".

Census 2010 - Obama takes another step towards Socialism?

Census 2010 isn't amazingly unique or anything, it just seems that Obama has a special hard on this year encouraging us to fill it in. I'm all for keeping track of who is coming and going and living in our country, but the special attention that the 2010 Census is getting is a little disturbing.

I don't trust ANYTHING that is advertised too often. Even the 2010 Census Website is extra creepy this year - it shows a city street with mostly minorities walking around saying VERY STRANGE things. There is a black woman who says "If I'm something here, then maybe my whole family back home in Africa, everyone in the village and in the city will be proud of you". What the hell does that even MEAN? Weird stuff man. There is another guy who says "I'm not just a cab driver, I'm also a good looking man driving a nice car." I'm sorry, but that one is just plain psycho babble. Obama is going towards the weird in a big way on this 2010 Census thing. Oh, and be careful when you go to that website, they try to get you to fill out a little survey that pops up magically while you're looking at the site.

There has to be a reason that the Obama admin is so set on the Census this year. You've seen or heard the add "We can't move forward until you mail it back" on television, radio, and they even have a tour bus that is traveling across America visiting lower income college campuses and underprivileged high schools mostly in the ghetto.

Why does the Census 2010 tour bus only stop in poor communities? The same reason Obama won in the first place, poor people are less educated and frustrated with their lack of social status and general income. Therefore, they are easily motivated to bring about some sort of "change" - Obama's campaign staple. They don't care about what kind of change, as long as it breaks up the monotony of their everyday lives in poor-ville. The poor tend to overlook one major point: They are poor for a reason! Read a book, do some research, go to school, work TOWARDS something instead of just becoming a "cog in the sprog" employee of a large company. Build something for yourself, show some initiative - ah, never mind - that will NEVER happen - the poor just want to sit around and vote for a government that promises to make them more wealthy by MAGIC.

The poor are easy to provoke and easy to brainwash. Obama's agenda involves a strong element of brainwashing the poor into acting and thinking like a socialist regime. That, my friends is why the 2010 Census bus stops in the ghetto. The second reason that the 2010 Census campaign is focusing on the poor and the youth (who are innately poor) is that they tend to be afraid of the government. They typically DO NOT mail in their census forms. Just like comedian George Lopez says, "how do they know how many Mexicans are in the US, they never answer their door!". That is actually very true. That is why one of the questions on this year's Census directly asks whether you and your family are Latino in ANY way. That is too weird. Anyway, here are the questions on the 2010 Census:


How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

We ask this question to help get an accurate count of the number of people in the household on Census Day, April 1, 2010. The answer should be based on the guidelines in the 'Start here' section. We use the information to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.

Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?

Asked since 1880. We ask this question to help identify people who may have been excluded in the count provided in Question 1. We use the information to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.

Is this house, apartment, or mobile home: owned with mortgage, owned without mortgage, rented, occupied without rent?

Asked since 1890. Homeownership rates serve as an indicator of the nation's economy. The data are also used to administer housing programs and to inform planning decisions.

What is your telephone number?

We ask for a phone number in case we need to contact a respondent when a form is returned with incomplete or missing information.
Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a person here who owns or rents this house, apartment, or mobile home. If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult living here. This will be Person 1.

What is Person 1's name?

Listing the name of each person in the household helps the respondent to include all members, particularly in large households where a respondent may forget who was counted and who was not. Also, names are needed if additional information about an individual must be obtained to complete the census form. Federal law protects the confidentiality of personal information, including names.

What is Person 1's sex?

Asked since 1790. Census data about sex are important because many federal programs must differentiate between males and females for funding, implementing and evaluating their programs. For instance, laws promoting equal employment opportunity for women require census data on sex. Also, sociologists, economists, and other researchers who analyze social and economic trends use the data.

What is Person 1's age and Date of Birth?

Asked since 1800. Federal, state, and local governments need data about age to interpret most social and economic characteristics, such as forecasting the number of people eligible for Social Security or Medicare benefits. The data are widely used in planning and evaluating government programs and policies that provide funds or services for children, working-age adults, women of childbearing age, or the older population.

Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

Asked since 1970. The data collected in this question are needed by federal agencies to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as under the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. State and local governments may use the data to help plan and administer bilingual programs for people of Hispanic origin.

What is Person 1's race?

Asked since 1790. Race is key to implementing many federal laws and is needed to monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. State governments use the data to determine congressional, state and local voting districts. Race data are also used to assess fairness of employment practices, to monitor racial disparities in characteristics such as health and education and to plan and obtain funds for public services.

Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?

This is another question we ask in order to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.

I can't help but think that the importance Obama is placing on the 2010 Census is yet another step towards a Socialist Nation, and I wouldn't be surprised if the government will someday make it mandatory for citizens to fill out the Census, with penalty for noncompliance, like the tax system. Just watch.

Jennifer Carty, Ravin Billington DUI Manslaughter case - Palm Bay, Florida

On September 21st, 2007, Palm Bay, Florida teens Jennifer Carty and Ravin Billington were involved in a drunken car wreck that resulted in the death of Ravin Billington. After over 2 years of investigation, it is still impossible to tell exactly which of the teen girls were actually driving the car during the accident. The car belonged to Jennifer Carty, but several of their friends testified that Ravin Billington was often seen driving Jennifer's car. Here's the kicker - Jennifer was knocked unconscious during the wreck, she had a blood alcohol level of .126, and she doesn't remember the accident or, more importantly in this case, who was driving. Jennifer is being charged for DUI Manslaughter by the state of Florida and the case is coming to a close today.

Jennifer Carty and Ravin Billington were partying with two friends in the parking lot of a BP gas station located at 6600 Babcock - apparently the local teen hangout. The girls were drinking and occasionally jumping in pickup trucks with two guy friends to go "mudding" at a nearby swampy area known as BCC Lakes. Surveillance footage from the BP shows the two girls coming and going at different times throughout the night to use the restroom, buy cigarettes, etc. According to evidence and testimony from the BP store clerk, the group of friends remained in the BP parking lot for a short time after midnight and then they left. At approximately 12:45am, one of the guys the girls were with earlier that night, "Tyler", called 911 and reported that while he was driving down Babcock street, a car sped past him, lost control and flipped over several times before eventually landing in a ditch full of water. Tyler ran from his truck towards the car and realized that it belonged to his friend Jennifer Carty. The girls had been thrown from the car and were both lying face down in the ditch, Ravin was approximately 14 feet from the car and Jennifer about 30 feet from the car. Tyler reported that they were both unconscious but breathing. He drug Jennifer from the watery ditch to the nearby curb. Tyler claimed that Ravin was unconscious but still breathing at the time. Jennifer Carty was soon Life-Flighted to a nearby hospital, while Ravin Billington was pronounced dead at the scene.

The trial of the case aired live on TRU tv this week and they are moments away from a verdict. After hearing all of the evidence and witness testimony, it is impossible to tell which of the two girls was driving the car during the wreck. The prosecution even offered up a lesser charge of a normal DUI, almost as if they knew that they did not have enough evidence to convict Jennifer Carty of DUI Manslaughter.

One thing is for sure, defense attorney Meriah Park is not someone you would ever want to hire. Meriah Park's questioning of the witnesses was stuttery, cluttered and often confusing to the witnesses as you watched them lean forward and wince to understand what the heck she was talking about. Long pauses, and just outright clumsy questioning made some of the witnesses quite irritated. In her closing statements she sounded like an overly righteous kindergarten teacher, speaking to the jury as if they were 4 year olds - almost SCOLDING them. She was swaying back and forth at the podium, and delivered blustering babble while flushed with far too much female hormone-induced emotion. Luckily for Jennifer Carty this case pretty much solved itself as the prosecution clearly didn't have enough evidence, because if Jennifer were relying on Meriah Park to save her case she would be behind bars.

The verdict is in - Jennifer Carty was found not guilty today at 1:40pm ET.

Kansas City Charity Events - 2010 Charity Fundraisers in Kansas City

Kansas City Charity Events - 2010 Fundraisers

Kansas City is known for having some of the biggest and brightest charity fundraisers in the nation, but if you're not paying attention you might miss them. That's why we at Kansas City News dot pro are going to give you the skinny:

Bacchus Black Ball

Charity - The Bacchus Foundation
Event Location - The Madrid Theatre
Event Date - February 6th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie
Cost - $100 per person - $175 per couple

The 55th Annual Bacchus Ball will be held this year at The Madrid Theatre and will feature live entertainment by Kansas City's favorite 80's band, The Zeros.

Horizon Academy's Bayou Bash

Charity - Horizon Academy Kansas City
Event Location - Starlight Theater
Event Date - Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Attire - New Orleans Mardi Gras Theme
Cost - $115 per ticket (sponsorship available)

Horizon Academy will hold their 6th annual Bayou Bash this year at Starlight Theater. Auction items will include a "Pick Your Destination" vacation, a "Las Vegas, Baby" getaway, and other great items. Entertainment for the event has not yet been announced as Starlight Theater coordinator Lindsey Rood denied Horizen Academy's request for their choice of entertainment.

Code Red 2010 - The Millennial League

Charity - AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City
Event Location - Madrid Theatre
Event Date - Friday, February 12th, 2010
Attire - Business Casual to Black Tie
Cost - $20 general admission, $75 VIP
Purchase Tickets to Code Red 2010 Event

The Millennial League is targeted toward young business professionals (although the spokeswoman that was just on Fox 4 was around 55 years old) and they support the missions and goals of the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City. The Millennial League's charity event is called "Val-O-Ween" and will feature live entertainment from The Zeros.

Sunflower House - Valentine Gala

Charity - Sunflower House
Event Location - Overland Park Sheraton
Event Date - Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Cost - $150 (sponsorship available)

The Sunflower House, a charity group that fights child abuse, will hold it's annual Valentine Gala this year featuring a V.I.P. cocktail hour, fine dining, and dancing to live music provided by Adam Blue Productions.

Children's Mercy Hospital's Red Hot Night

Charity - Children's Mercy Hospital
Event Location - Kansas City Convention Center
Event Date - Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie

The focus on this year's charity event is cancer research. Children’s Mercy is working towards achieving COG designation as a Phase I/II Clinical Trial Center within their Experimental Therapeutics Program – a prestigious designation held by fewer than 25 children’s hospitals worldwide.

The Red Ball

Charity - The American Red Cross
Event Location - The Sprint Center, Kansas City
Event Date - Friday, February 26th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie
Cost - $175 per ticket (sponsorship available)

In it's third year, The American Red Cross is set to roll out the red carpet once again this year for The Red Ball. This year, the event will feature a catered dinner from Levy Restaurants and entertainment from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. The event is set in a beautifully decorated Sprint Center, complete with red cross lights in the front windows of the massive event space.

Forks and Corks for Harvesters

Charity - Harvesters
Event Location - Kansas City Convention Center
Event Date - April 29th, 2010
Attire - Business Casual

The 14th annual Forks and Corks will assemble this year at the Kansas City Convention Center and will feature several top Kansas City Restaurants serving their best cuisine, a silent auction and a delightful wine selection and tasting.

Wayside Waifs - Fur Ball 2010

Charity - Wayside Waifs
Event Location - Overland Park Convention Center
Event Date - May 8th, 2010
Attire - Formal / Business Casual

Kansas City's favorite charity and charity event, Wayside Waifs annual FurBall will be held this year at The Overland Park Convention Center and will feature a live auction, and entertainment provided by Adam Blue Productions.

Jazzoo 2010

Charity - The Kansas City Zoo
Event Location - The Kansas City Zoo
Event Date - June 4th, 2010
Attire - Creative Black Tie

Kansas City's most creative and outrageous charity event has and always will be Jazzoo. Jazzoo 2010 will be no exception as there will be dozens of Kansas City's finest restaurants on site at The Kansas City Zoo, featuring their best cuisine. Party right along side the animals as the entire zoo will be flowing with festively dressed party goers.

This year's entertainment has not yet been announced, but there are usually at least 3 different live bands playing all night long at different locations around the zoo grounds.

For more info visit Kansas City Charity Events

Jobs in Kansas City - Tips for landing a good job in Kansas City

Jobs in Kansas City are very attainable if you apply yourself and take the necessary steps to land one.

One path that I found successful was to get signed on with a Temporary Agency. There are several in the Kansas City area including Kelly Services, probably one of the oldest and trusted temporary agencies in the country. Kelly has many Kansas City jobs available for applicants with the right qualifications. What I really liked about Kelly Services (and I think that most temp services offer this) was the training service. There are several different computer programs out there that are useful to employers, and the more of these programs you can master, the more jobs you are qualified for. Programs that are useful are Microsoft Office products, Adobe products, and specialized software programs that may relate to your area of job expertise. Kelly will test you on the various computer programs to see how well you know each program, however the cool thing is that if you are struggling on any of the programs they have training programs that will help you to score better on their tests.

College - if you went to college then you probably already have an area of expertise and may be familiar with and can pigeon hole your job opportunities accordingly. For instance if you have college experience in accounting, you might want to go directly to Accountemps in Kansas City to begin your journey. If you did not attend college do not lose hope, you can easily learn any or all of the computer programs required to land any of the great Kansas City jobs that are out there waiting for you. Check in to a temporary agency and start training. I would just ask them outright what jobs are the most readily available and just train towards getting that job. A lot of times it doesn't matter where you start in a company, if you can get a job a good company you can work your way laterally to another department within the company and eventually move up in that department. For instance, I started in the Claims department of a Kansas City health care company and I eventually gained the experience necessary to move to the more lucrative Accounting department. For the record, my college experience didn't really have much to do with my entry into the company, nor my success within the company later on.

The Bottom Line
Go to a temporary agency, score well on their placement tests, get sent out on temporary job assignments, find a company on an assignment that you like, let them know that you are interested in becoming a permanent employee, watch the available job listings within that company and apply for a permanent job. If you have done well as a temporary employee then odds are you will be hired on as a permanent employee. At that time you can look for opportunities within the company to move up, etc.

The temporary agency is a great way to start because they are basically looking for jobs for you, and they have better access to the good jobs because the big companies in Kansas City use temporary agencies constantly to fill positions. The other major advantage to starting out in a temporary agency is that they will send you out to work (temporarily, of course) at several different companies, and you get a chance to look at the company from the inside, making it easy to find a company that you would like to work for.

This is how I landed a great job in Kansas City, I hope this was helpful to any of you that are out there struggling to land one of the wonderful Kansas City jobs that are out there waiting for you right now! Good luck on the job hunt.

Apple iPad Tablet - Apple CEO Steve Jobs presents the new iPad

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the all new Apple iPad Tablet today with a live demonstration in California today. Our overall reaction, "it's O.K." - nothing really spectacular about it, it's basically a giant iPhone.

Good things about the new Apple iPad:

It is small, and FLAT. This thing is as flat as they get at 1/2 an inch thick and weighs 1.5 pounds.

It has all of the apps that Apple users are used to from their iBooks and iPhones.

It is great for reading books, magazines and newspapers. According to the Apple iPad Tablet demo, the book section is really cool with a virtual video bookshelf compliments of Amazon, which shows your books on the shelf as if at home in your library. Steve Jobs also demoed the iPad by showing his ease of navigation through today's New York Times.

Cost - the Apple iPad is surprisingly affordable at $499. That's a shocker - considering it came from "we're so proud of our junk" Apple Computers.

Bad things about the new Apple iPad:

So what, it's a giant iPhone! It doesn't fit in your pocket, and it doesn't have the nice large screen of your iBook or PC laptop.

No USB port - uh, this is a major oversight - I would think that a USB port would be nice.

Did not live up to the hype. The hype, in the case of the Apple iPad tablet, was much larger than the product itself. Great marketing tactic, however, you gotta give 'em that. They promised that it would revolutionize and change everything - but all it really revolutionized was the current electronic book-reading devices such as the Kindle by Amazon.

Apple - New Gadget to be announced today at 12 noon

Apple is scheduled to unveil their latest gadget which, until now, has been kept secret.

Market experts are guessing that Apple Computer's new product will be some sort of a small 10 inch portable device that will serve as a laptop, phone, media player, and will probably hold a few surprises as well.

The Apple product is said to be unique in that it will be extremely thin.

We will find out at 12 noon!

Kansas City Police - KCPD's relationship with Kansas City Detectives

Kansas City police and their relationship with Kansas City detectives

Does someone have to be murdered in Kansas City in order for the Kansas City police to turn over any pertinant crime details to the Kansas City detectives? After living here for most of 30 years, my friends and I have been the victims of countless crimes. No big deal for the most part, the occasional robbery, car theft, assault, etc.

Here's the thing:

The police show up, write up a report, and then split.

Is it no longer the job of the Kansas City police department to INVESTIGATE crimes? I mean seriously, I've had fingerprints, shoe prints, tire prints, friggin DNA samples, everything in the book on those who have broken into my house or car and the police just IGNORE this and dismiss the evidence completely.

Ok, so my question is, what level of severity does a crime have to be before the Kansas City police turn over a crime to the Kansas City detectives? Do the KCPD detectives only investigate murders? I understand that the "beat cops" that are on patrol are mostly simpletons and cannot initiate an investigation, but can they at least turn the facts over to the detectives?

A good policeman friend of mine once told me that if I'm ever robbed while at home to "shoot him and drag him in front of your front door". I think that may be my only recourse. Good advice :)

Madden 2010 Superstar & Franchise Tips

Madden 2010 is definitely a tough game and we got so much response on our last blog about tips for madden 2010 superstar and madden 2010 franchise that we decided to put out some more tips and info about the game.

BUTTONS

First of all, for all of you "sprint button freaks" out there, Madden 2010 has gotten wise to you. It no longer pays to mash on the sprint button all of the time. This is why they moved it to the outer buttons (R2). In Madden 2010 it is essential that you release the sprint button before you attempt to use any of the other buttons. For instance, if you're trying to make that big tackle, it's best to use sprint to get yourself into position, then release the sprint button at the last minute and mash on the tackle button of your choice. The safest tackle button is x. For a big hit (and possible fumble) you can use the square button, but make sure that you're in position or you will miss. Another good button to try is the "strip" button (L1), but if you're going to try the strip move you had better make sure that you have another teammate who has your back because this button will make you miss the tackle completely 50% of the time. On offense, the story is the same, you must release the sprint button before hitting other buttons in order for them to work to their full potential. When trying to catch the ball (triangle), try releasing the sprint button before going for the grab at the very last minute and you will have more success catching. When running the ball either with the running back or after a catch, sprint until they try to tackle you and then use another button to escape - beware of the "truck stick" (right joystick UP) because using this will make you fumble occasionally.

COMPUTER RUNNING

Odds are, the computer is not going to beat you with the running game. The running game is the easiest to stop on Madden 2010. Passing, on the other hand can be nearly impossible to stop (especially if you're playing against The Colts). To stop the pass, find the team's #1 target and use the "spotlight" function to place a special coverage circle around that player. To spotlight a player, wait until you have chosen your defense, then when your team takes the field hit and hold down the R2 button - a list of players will appear on your screen with a respective symbol next to each of their names (hit triangle to highlight Reggie Wayne, hit square to highlight Dallas Clark, etc.). This helps a little but you've still got to really watch the coverage. If you're a master at getting to the quarterback, then that will definitely help. The Colts LOVE to throw to Collie, The Titans LOVE to throw to Bo Scaife, etc. If you find that you're getting burned by the plays that the running back goes out for a pass in the flat, become the Strong Safety and shut that shit down.

Also, as a Kansas City fan, I tell you to be sure and kick Larry Johnson's butt right off the team if you play the Chiefs. Also, if you become the Chiefs you will need to beef up the line on offense and defense. My friends and I created two brothers called LUMP and LOAF who play defensive and offensive line respectively. You will also get burned on the sidelines if you don't pick up at least one good cornerback. Lastly, you will want to get a real quarterback - and if you give old ghetto Larry Johnson the boot, you will want to get a good running back as well - Charles is a good 3rd down back but he is not good as an every down back because he cannot break a tackle.

Kansas City Homicide Rate - KC Murder Rate News

Kansas City homicide rate statistics are staggering at around 100 per year.

What I've noticed is that we do a great job of keeping it a secret. Look at all of the murders that occurred in Westport this year - at least 30+ - but strange, most of you didn't even know that. Westport murders are not the focus of this blog but I thought that I might point out that every Friday and Saturday night around 12am Westport turns into a sort of "ghetto round-up" - where all of the minorities (or are they the majority now) cruise around in their pieces of crap hood cars shooting other people and mostly each other. In other words, don't go to Westport after dark - ever - especially if you're white.

Anyway, back to the blog about the Kansas City homicide rate - the saddest part about it is the news reporting. You can turn on the news after any given Kansas City weekend night and hear something like this:

"Welcome to (insert news channel) - we're going to talk mostly about the weather, but in other news there were 2 people killed last night at (insert ghetto address) - now we move quickly on to the important news...we just got a report that a small girl who resides in Overland Park has skinned her knee! We're going live to the site of this horrible accident. The Overland Park police have blocked off the dangerous sidewalk where the little girl fell on her bicycle and we have word that they will be tearing it down.

The Kansas City news skips over the murders that occur in the ghetto so fast it's hilarious. But oh my god if something happens to a resident of Overland Park or Mission Hills - we're talking bring in the helicopters and CNN.

Oh yeah, now back to the weather.

Screech - Dustin Diamond's "Behind the Bell" Book is a Decent Read

Dustin Diamond's new book "Behind the Bell" - a recount of his memories as a child actor who played the character "Screech" on the legendary Saturday morning TV show "Saved by the Bell" is a very decent read.

During the past year, Dustin Diamond has come under a lot of scrutiny in the press.

Things that WERE Dustin's fault:

The Porno Movie - "Saved by the Smell"
Authorized by Diamond or not, this kind of crap should NEVER be recorded - and I'm sure that Dustin knew there was a camera in the room. The film supposedly has a super nasty ending in which Screech gives two girls a "dirty sanchez" (i.e. giving them a poo mustache). I don't care who's fault it was that this film was released to the public, this was ultimately Dustin's fault because that crap should never have been recorded in the first place.

Using Saved by the Bell references WAY too much in his stand up routine and other communications to the press. If Dustin truly wants to move forward with his stand up career, he needs to STOP talking about SBTB all together, period. Stop talking about the cast members. Let that shit go son. Dustin is a very talented stand up comedian - he doesn't need to keep bringing up the show. When Dustin released his new book "Behind the Bell" - that was smart - but it was the only time he should have discussed the show or it's cast members.

Things that WERE NOT Dustin's fault:
The main thing that has been out of Dustin's control from the get go is the lack of respect that he has received from his former cast members. The character of "Screech" was by far the best contribution to SBTB, with Dustin Diamond showing a wide array of comedic talent that the other cast members couldn't even touch. Dustin was the youngest cast member and the other cast members were very quick to treat him as such. In the other cast member's defense, however, I must point out that I believe that they would have reconciled with Dustin for the reunion this year had it not been for Dustin's actions and negative comments about Mark-Paul Gosselar, Mario Lopez, Tiffany Thiessen, and the rest of his former cast in the years leading up to the reunion. If Dustin would have put his Saved by the Bell days behind him and focused ONLY on his stand up career, the other cast members would have invited him to the reunion. Dustin if you're reading this - you are an incredibly talented actor and you should not ever mention SBTB in public again...EVER (on your psychiatrist's couch, maybe).

I was extremely disappointed that Mark-Paul Gosselar, Mario Lopez, Tiffany Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley and Lark Voorhies had the gall to do the Saved by the Bell reunion photo shoot without Dustin Diamond. People magazine jumped TV talk show host Jimmy Fallon's idea of the SBTB reunion and just decided to cut Dustin out. I believe that Jimmy Fallon's reunion would have been much better and I know that he would have never done it without Dustin on board.

"Behind the Bell" - the book

Dustin's accounts of his various childhood experiences make for a very good read. You can tell that the book was not proofread (there's several typos and even a section where an entire paragraph is repeated) - Dustin, did you even read your own book before it hit the shelves? Despite harsh reviews by critics (even before the book came out), this book delivers on every level. Most of the talk before the book's release involved all of the "dirt" Dustin intended to expose about the SBTB cast. I would say that maybe 5% of the book touches on this subject. And that is great because the rest of the book is so much better. I really didn't want to read about what the other cast members were up to anyway, I bought the book to learn about my favorite SBTB character - Screech. Dustin definitely did that - the book has several great stories about his excursions as a child actor both on the stage and off. Diamond takes us through a detailed account of a typical work week on the set of SBTB which is well written and very interesting.

I give this book a B+ and look forward to the next big thing in Dustin's career.

Madden 2010 Superstar Tips

Madden 10 can be a confusing web of madness and any of you who own it know that the book / manual is absolutely no help whatsoever. So here are a few tips:

The Superstar mode in Madden is much easier to play if you create a player in the Madden Creation Zone before starting a new Superstar career. Create your player, choose what team he plays for, adjust the depth chart of the team that your player is on, then save. Then, AFTER you've created your player, start a New Superstar career and choose "start as a rookie" instead of create new superstar. This way you get better stats, and control over the depth chart of your superstar's team, AND you get to choose what team your player plays for. Pretty sweet, huh?

A couple of other facts are that you can play a franchise online but you can't play with a friend on the same team (unless your friend is at your house). Another thing to be prepared for is that online opponents quit in the middle of the game - A LOT. There is an incredible amount of quitting in the world of online Madden 2010.

Another quirk is the general play of Madden 2010, it is extremely hard to pass to the wide outs along the sideline. EA Sports designed this game to favor the Tight End passing game and other inside passing routes. Running is fairly realistic depending on your running back's skills (Adrian Peterson appears to "skate" along almost like magic). Many players who are used to "bombing it out" for quick points will be quite frustrated if they try that on Madden 2010.

Hopefully these tips help, as Madden 2010 is a really great game once you figure out how to play it.

Kansas City New Year's Eve Parties - So Far

Kansas City new year's eve parties that we know of so far will be:

The Power and Light District
Presented by Kansas City Bands - there will be two bands on New Year's Eve at The Power and Light District - Retroactive and Pomeroy. Other bars and nightclubs will be open as usual.

The Legends - The Great Wolf Lodge
Live at The Legends will be The KC All Stars. Tickets are on sale at Kansas City New Year's Eve Central.

The Hyatt
This year the Hyatt will totally suck. After pulling out of their contract with The Zeros (who will now be performing at Fuel), The Hyatt has decided to target the 50 and older crowd by featuring the ever boring and lame "Four Fried Chickens and a Coke". Are you serious? NEXT!

Raglan Road at The Power and Light District
The hot new Irish Pub at the P&L will be featuring the band Wonderland on new year's eve. Raglan Road features live music every weekend and is a great place to grab a pint!

Stay tuned for more kc new year's eve events and parties!

Pittsburgh Steeler fans in Kansas City - HA HA!

This blog is a little late but I just had to laugh at all of the Steeler fans that showed up at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs game on November 22nd.

The Steeler fans in Kansas City are a joke! All of them have on brand new jersey's - revealing that they are indeed "bandwagon" fans and not true die hard Steeler fans. I didn't see one Bettis jersey, etc.

I would be willing to bet that most of the folks donning Steeler jerseys couldn't even point to Pittsburgh on a MAP.

The best part of all was that they got their asses beat and they have not recovered since - and they will also miss the playoffs. Bet I won't see any of you out there sporting your lame Steeler jerseys now - suckers.

Embraer RJ145 Jet - Continental Flight Rating

I flew to Cleveland, Ohio over the weekend and wanted to clear up some things that I read on the net about the plane that I took - the Embraer RJ145 Jet via Continental Airlines. Before I took the trip I looked up what kind of jet I would be flying in and I found that it was going to be the rather small Embraer RJ145 Jet. I searched the jet and found a few comments floating around that I had to clear up.

The Embraer RJ145 is a small jet, two isles, one seat on one row and two seats on the other - but don't let this freak you out - the ride is smooth and comfortable, and the staff at Continental Airlines was friendly and prompt.

There was NO significant difference in the turbulence when compared to other large jets, despite many posts that there was more turbulence. I flew on the Embraer RJ145 on the way to Cleveland and on the way back and both trips were very smooth and the pilots got us to our destination early both ways.

Elton John, Billy Joel Face 2 Face tour at Sprint Center

Elton John and Billy Joel at the Sprint Center announced today! Elton John and Billy Joel will bring their Face 2 Face tour to Kansas City's Sprint Center in the Power and Light District on December 1st, 2009.

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday for the Face 2 Face Tour. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or charged by phone at 1.800.745.3000.

Elton John and Billy Joel's Face 2 Face tour started in March and has sold out over 40 venues. The concert starts out with Elton and Billy seated at the pianos doing songs in a duet style, almost like dueling pianos. The show then expands to include each artist's own backing band and concludes with the two back at the pianos together, "face to face".

DUI Checkpoints after Chiefs Games

Heading southbound on I-435 after a KC Chiefs game is quite an experience. The cars move in and out of lanes with sloppy, sudden movements - and most everyone is going about 15 mph under the speed limit. Basically, everyone is wasted - and driving. Although I've never seen any serious wrecks, or have really never heard about any serious problems with the post-game drunken parade - it seemed curious that there is never a DUI checkpoint set up by Kansas City Police.

After speaking to a few Kansas City residents about this phenomenon, we told that the KCPD attempted a DUI checkpoint after a Chiefs game a couple of seasons ago. The KCPD set up a DUI checkpoint on Southbound 435 and immediately backed up traffic on the major highway for almost 17 miles! Just imagine being a trucker heading to your destination and having to sit through 17 miles of parking lot gridlock. The results of the DUI checkpoint were astounding. After stopping over 4000 vehicles, only 7 arrests were made.

The results of the KCPD's DUI checkpoint after a Chiefs game were so embarrassing and unsuccessful that they have not conducted one since.

Can the USA Run Like a Business?

When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seems to happen is they reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers must find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated as well.

Wall street, and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of "tough decision", and his board of directors gives him a big bonus. Our government should not be immune from similar risks.

These ideas might help the USA reach financial stability:

Reduce the House of Representatives from the current 435 members to 218 members.

Reduce Senate members from 100 to 50 (one per State). Then, reduce their staff by 25%.

Accomplish this over the next 8 years(two steps/two elections) and of course this would require some redistricting.

Some Yearly Monetary Gains Include:

$44,108,400 for elimination of base pay for congress. (267 members X $165,200 pay/member/ yr.)

$97,175,000 for elimination of their staff. (estimate $1.3 Million in staff per each member of the House, and $3 Million in staff per each member of the Senate every year)

$240,294 for the reduction in remaining staff by 25%.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork barrel ear-marks each year. Current estimates for total government pork earmarks are at $15 Billion/yr.

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and improve efficiencies. It might even be in their best interests to work together for the good of our country!

We may also expect that smaller committees might lead to a more efficient resolution of issues as well. It might even be easier to keep track of what your representative is doing.

Congress has more tools available to do their jobs than it had back in 1911 when the current number of representatives was established. (telephone, computers, cell phones to name a few)

A Note:
Congress did not hesitate to head home when it was a holiday, when the nation needed a real fix to the economic problems. Also, we had 3 senators that were not doing their jobs for the 18+ months (on the campaign trail) and still they all have accepted full pay. These facts alone support a reduction in senators & congress.

Summary of opportunity:

$44,108,400 reduction of congress members.

$282,100,000 for elimination of the reduced house member staff.

$150,000,000 for elimination of reduced senate member staff.

$59,675,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining house members.

$37,500,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining senate members.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork added to bills by the reduction of congress members.

$8,073,383,400 per year, estimated total savings. (that's $8 BILLION just to start!)

Big business does these types of cuts all the time.

If Congresspersons were required to serve 20, 25 or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits, tax payers could save a bundle. Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term..

IF you are happy with how Congress spends our taxes, ignore this message. Otherwise, I assume you know what to do.

REVISED ARTICLES TO THE CONSTITUTION

NEW PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

This is probably the best e-mail that's come along in a long, long time. The following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA. This guy should run for President one day...


"We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetter's. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights."


ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth.. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.


ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended.. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.


ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.


ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.


ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.


ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair..


ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.


ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful. (AMEN!)


ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.


ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (Lastly....)


ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!

If you agree, share this with a friend. No, you don't have to, and nothing tragic will befall you if you don't. I just think it's about time common sense is allowed to flourish. Sensible people of the United States speak out because if you do not, who will?

Update to the Kansas Chiefs September 1, 2009

Well, it has certainly been an interesting coupe of days for

the Kansas City Chiefs. There have been a number of what I would consider fairly significant moves over the past 48 hours. They are as follows:

-Head Coach, Todd Haley, demoted Chan Gailey and took over the Offensive Coordinator duties. Now, in addition to assuming the duties of Head Coach, he will also take over the play calling. Haley was the Offensive Coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals last year before coming to Kansas City.

-The Chiefs began the day by releasing veteran Defensive Lineman, Alfonso Boone. Boone, a 2-year visitor in Kansas City, was one of the more surprising moves of the day. That being said, rookie Defensive Lineman Tyson Jackson must be getting the job done along with his college team mate Glenn Dorsey and Ron Edwards.

-With rumors speculating that QB Matt Cassel will be out for 2-4 weeks with undisclosed injuries, Coach Haley announced that Brodie Croyle will start at Quarterback on Thursday night for the Chiefs fourth and final pre-season game against the St. Louis Rams. This should make this year's Governor's Cup quite interesting.

-Today was the cut off date for all NFL team's to cut their rosters to 75 players. The Chiefs showed another sign of their ability to manipulate the system under the new regime. The Chiefs cut WR Amani Toomer and afore mentioned DL Alfonso Boone. They placed T Cameron Goldberg on waivers. RB Kolby Smith was placed on the Reserve/PUP list (physically unable to perform). Lastly, the Chiefs placed WR Devard Darling on IR (injured reserve). Unfortunate, because it was widely speculated that Darling would be the other starting wide receiver opposite Dwayne Bowe.


For those getting excited about the 2009 season, I would suggest making sure you have a great tailgate because it's going to be ugly. While the attitude around the team seems to have improved, the talent and execution haven't. The offensive line (and I use that term loosely) won't be able to stop anyone. They have been the reason for injury to every QB since Trent Green. Then again, we really don't have a QB worth protecting anyways. Bowe is the only semi-legit Wide Receiver we have and it only will last as long as his work ethic will. The defense still looks like Swiss cheese. Once again, the kickers will be the Chiefs MVPs and may be able to run for president.

Poop Scoop - You Must be Nucking Futs!

I was driving along the backstreets of waldo / brookside today and I saw a woman with a large black lab (older lab / fat) - and the dog was taking a huge dump. Tons of cars going by, the woman was trying not to look too embarrassed. The dog taking a dump wasn't what got me to write this blog (although I am pretty simple minded), it was the fact that the lady was standing there with a frickin' plastic baggy......waiting.....for the dog to finish.............

So she could pick up the turds!

You've GOT to be kidding me. If you are out there picking up your dogs turds, I'm sorry but that's got to be f*cking you up mentally. It doesn't get much lower than that son.

Cassel's Injury 2 - 4 Weeks

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel's mystery injury is a strained medial collateral ligament that will keep him out for 2 - 4 games, announced just minutes ago from Chiefs officials.

Cassel sustained a game-ending injury after just a few plays on Saturday night, leaving the Chiefs with only a stubborn and repetitive running game to show the fans. The Chiefs game plan was going to feature the run and sprinkle in some Bowe, Lelie, Engram and Bradley. When Cassel went down it seemed that the Chiefs abandoned their passing game. This was most likely a knee jerk reaction by the coaching staff as Thigpen actually looked pretty good when they finally gave him a chance in the 2nd half. Instead, the Chiefs literally called the same flat running play 12 times in a row. Seriously, they called 12 running plays in a row. What is this, Tecmo Bowl 1992?

Chiefs fans booed relentlessly throughout the game. Granted, the Chief's best chance to win will be on the ground, but it would have made the fans happy to see a couple of long chucks down the field or a risky trick play.

Grand Opening in Overland Park

The Overland Park Soccer Complex hosted its grand opening ceremony on Saturday, August 29th. Expanding over ninety-six acres, the tweleve lighted fields are covered with synthetic turf, making this complex the only one of its kind in the United States.

This thirty-six million dollar complex will be operated by the City of Overland Park, under the management of Mike Laplante. A variety of tournaments have been scheduled for the months of September-November of 2009 and begin again in March of 2010. Visit http://www.opkansas.org for more information.

Plaza Apartment Residents Complain of Foul Smell

Residents at 621 Regis, a large apartment building on the Plaza just off of Ward Parkway, have been complaining of a foul smell coming from one of the apartments on the 6th Floor for the last week.

The cause of the smell was uncovered at 3:35pm today when police entered the apartment to find a the dead body of a middle aged male.

Neighbors on either side of the victim reported that he had often called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital for unknown reasons. The man appeared to be fine during the day and then he would become loud and incoherent at night - and occasionally rushed to the hospital.

Either the gentleman had a medical condition and should not have been left alone, or he voluntarily took his own life with alcohol or medication. There are no signs of foul play and the fact that his body had been apparently decaying in the apartment for days would suggest that he was alone at the time of his death.

Missouri Lawmakers Error and Ban Tupperware on Missouri Waterways

Earlier in the year, Missouri lawmakers passed a law to ban tupperware on Missouri's waterways. You're asking yourself, "Why would you ban tupperware." I know I did. Answer: your Missouri Lawmakers are as ignorant and care about as much as politicians throughout the country. The law, which banned tupperware, was actually aimed at banning styrofoam. Namely, those cheap styrofoam coolers used by people who got a sudden itch to keep beer cold and trailer trash. The idea was to ban such coolers that are left, abandoned, or broken and cause pollution on Missouri lakes and rivers.

While I strongly agree with the concept, how in the world could this be overlooked by the number of people that should have read this bill throughout. These are the people we elect and pay to represent us and they can't even take the time, or have a member of their staff take time, to read a bill they are voting for or against on behalf of the people they represent. Even worse, the Missouri State Water Patrol says they have no intention of enforcing this law. I agree, it would be stupid to try to enforce this law, but how many others are they going to ignore as well. Just goes to show you that in the end, none of it really matters.

I find this absolutely unacceptable. However, I also find it a sign of the times. I have some news for you. Your elected officials do not care about you. They care about money. They care about moving up in the system. They care about free bees. Yes, there is the token honest politician peppered in among the thieves, but they are few and far between. Years ago, I had a political science professor show the movie The Distinguished Gentleman in one of our classes. The movie starred Eddie Murphy and it kind of perplexed me at first. At the conclusion of the viewing, the professor, a long time political cog, let the class know that the movie defined how our political system really worked. If you haven't scene it, I highly recommend it. A good movie in it's own right, it makes a good point.

Regardless of your political views, republican or democrat or a mind of your own, this is shameful. If you live in Missouri, I would highly recommend contacting any congress person that represents you and let them know you think this is ridiculous. Am I making too big of a deal of this? Maybe. Take a minute to think if this had been something else that is more important such as sexual predators, illegal narcotics, or explosives. Hopefully, that woke you up if you needed it. While this was erroneous and fairly inconsequential, it could have been a very big oversight.

THE WORLD CUP IN KANSAS CITY!

Arrowhead Stadium could be the site for four games in the United States if wins its bid to host the world's biggest soccer even in 2018. Kansas City is now one of the 27 host city finalists.

Nine individual nations registered their intention to bid with FIFA by the February 2009 deadline: Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Qutar, Mexico, Russia, South korea, and the United States.

In October 2007, FIFA ended the continental rotation policy. Instead the last two tournament host confederations are ineligible, leaving Africa ineligible for 2018 and South America ineligible for both 2018 and 2022. Other factors in the selection process include the number of suitable stadia, and their location across candidate nations. Due to the number of bids received by FIFA, this World Cup is expected to be the most hotly contested bid ever, mainly due to the revision in FIFA's rotation policy.

The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 began in January 2009. These will be the 21st and 22nd editions of theFIFA World Cup. The executive committee of FIFA will announce their decision on the two editions in December 2010.

It's ALIVE!!!!!!!

I was listening to the radio this morning on my way to work when I heard it. I shook my head in disbelief. Now I've heard some good conspiracy theories before: JFK and the grassy knoll, the moon landing, and of course Elvis is still alive. Yeah, I heard he just invited Michael Jackson to his private island to remarry Lisa Marie and that Biggie and Tupac are going to dj the reception. Okay that last part was made-up. Lisa Marie would never do something that dumb, twice.

What I did hear about on the radio this morning was someone claiming that there was video footage of Michael Jackson climbing out of the back of the coroner's van alive and well. Being the skeptic that I am, I decided to see the footage for myself before jumping to any conclusions. Okay, I saw the footage and here is my conclusion: That was the worst 29 seconds of "video footage" I have ever seen. Clearly this videographer has never heard of steady cam or focusing. There are no real landmarks to authenticate where this footage is being taken. At least when the govenment faked the moon landing they stuck a picture of earth in the background of the photos. There is no way to tell when this event was "caught on tape" nor can you tell any details about the van because the genius behind the camera can't get the focus right....ahhh grainy pictures from the moon....seeing a pattern yet?

Whoever posted it to the site LiveLeak.com claims to have gotten it from a reliable source, a guy he's known for years. Yeah that's what everyone says when they really mean to say it was them. My only hope is that the Jackson family doesn't have to suffer too greatly when this conspiracy blows up. Unfortunately thanks to media and the internet somebody is going to suffer. We all remember the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction.

Check it out for yourself at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=9b8_1251194026

Deep Thoughts - of a deranged Kansas City resident...

* I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

*More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

*I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

*I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

*The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

*Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

*There is a great need for sarcasm font.

*Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f*** was going on when I first saw it.

*I think everyone has a movie that they love so much; it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

*How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

*I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

*The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

*A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

*Was learning cursive really necessary?

*My brother's Municipal League baseball team is named the Step-dads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual step-dads, I inquired about the name. He explained, "Cuz we beat you, and you hate us." Classy, bro..

*Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

*While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

*MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

*Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

*I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

*Bad decisions make good stories

*If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

*You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

*Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

*While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA . No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.

*I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

*I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

*When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

*I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

*As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

*It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

*I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

*I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

*Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

*Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my a$$ everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

*I wonder if cops ever get ticked off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

* The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.