Monday, November 29, 2010

WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange wins award.


Juvenile men will understand the desire to take a picture of a turd in a toilet and show it to their buddies or at least when they deposit something famous in the toilet bowl they insist every pal they have sees it before it is flushed. Well Julian Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks, is the turd of all turds in the toilet bowl hall of fame and it is no coincidence that his last name starts with "Ass". He is the lowest scumbag to ever live and if ever there was a justified use for a sniper rifle, this guy is it.

On November 28th, 2010 Julian Assange started leaking 251,287 of the United States government's most sensitive documents dating back to 1966. The trust we have built with nations has been damaged, "personal" comments about leaders have been outed, and people who exist anonymously or in the shadows, have once again been brought out in the open where their very lives will be in jeopardy.

There is always that guy who runs his mouth off over and over and over and then eventually one day someone kicks his azz and sets him straight. This never happened to Julian Assange. I think Mr. ASSange, the snooty little prick, should win the world title for biggest azz who hasn't been beaten to within an inch of his life by someone putting him in his place...ever. Maybe had someone taught him right from wrong, he would have had a conscience and stopped himself from the harm, embarrassment, and danger he has brought to America and the individuals protecting it.

How does one get so twisted that he would literally not care that releasing information for the sake of releasing information is okay even though people will die as a direct result? Julian Assange wins the Turd of the Year award. I hope he enjoys prison.

Chris Stigall, a true Kansas City hero, is moving to Philly...and will be sorely missed.


Kansas City is losing a legend. Chris Stigall, the KCMO Talk Radio 710 gigantic on-air personality, is moving to the city of brotherly love known for Rocky Balboa, Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches, The Liberty Bell, and to a place where the baseball team has fans in the stands...Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Just like most conservative radio personalities, Chris had the ability to speak his mind and not back down to anyone because he knew what he believed and wasn't afraid to speak his mind (did I mention he could speak his mind?). He was an inspiration to all who listened. Damn him for wanting to better his life, his career, his family and his fame at our expense. The best kept secret Kansas City had to offer in the morning, The Chris Stigall Show, is gone as of 11/30/2010.

You will be missed my friend. As I soaped my glorious body in the shower each morning, I did it to the sound of your voice and now I will have to listen to Ellen Shenk...sure the female voice will help on those slippery days (hey its my junk and I can wash it as fast as I want to) but nothing will replace you Mr. Stigall.

Each time I drop my soap I will know I am getting screwed by the one guy I truly loved who left me with two days notice to find someone else. Damn you Chris Stigall. Okay...sorry...just a little emotional as it came so quickly (get your mind out of the gutter).

I love you man...you will leave a huge hole in the AM morning spot and a huge hole in Kansas City (I think I already mentioned the soap). You are truly one of a kind. Thank you for everything.

Kansas City Chiefs Dwayne Bowe even has 4 year olds with speech problems cheering!

Somebody call me a peach terapist! I will never forgive my cousin-in-law for ruining how I hear what people say when they say Dwayne Bowe of the Kansas City Chief's name. Each time I hear it now all I hear is a 4 year old kid with a speech problem trying to say "the rainbow" and out comes Dwayne Bowe. However, with a 3 TD performance in Sunday's game against Seattle which catapulted him to #1 in the Chief's single season record for number of TD's, all of that went away. Now I just picture the little duck from Wonder Pets sitting next to me saying there is an animal in "twuble" somewhere...and "da wainbow jus scode a touchdowan" and I am totally cool with it.

Dwayne Bowe has matured quickly under the guidance of Todd Haley and apparently all of his new found maturity was sucked directly away from me as is apparent from reading this article.

As a life-long LSU fan, I have been pulling for the rainbow...dangit!...I mean Dwayne Bowe since he came to Kansas City. It is great to see him having such success.

Some bloggers will white anything for a laugh...but sewiouswy...congwaduwations to da wayne Bowe that shines over KC!

Chiefs Offense Rolls, Matt Cassel Doesn't Suck

What a Game! The Chiefs offense was near perfect in their dismantling of the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday afternoon. 503 total yards of offense, 41 minutes of possession, and a 42-24 final score. The game really wasn't close as Seattle scored 7 of their points on a blocked punt in the first half. No longer will this blogger use the keywords "Matt Cassel Sucks". His play the past few weeks has made a believer out of me. Of course the fact that Dwayne Bowe is playing out of his mind and Jamaal Charles continues his excellent play is helping the cause. Cassel threw for 233 yards and 4 TDs, three of them to Bowe. Dwayne Bowe also extending his franchise record string of games with a TD catch and the record for most TD receptions for a Chief in a season with 14 - there are still 5 regular season games on the schedule. Oh, and did I mention he also leads the League in TDs.

Then there is Jamaal Charles - second in the league in total rushing yards, and he doesn't even have the most carries on the team! He averages a stunning 6.3 yards/carry, more than a yard ahead of the League's leading rusher Arien Foster. He reminds of Marcus Allen, only much faster. He can squirt through the smallest of holes, or beat you with his speed around the outside.

The Chiefs remain 1 game ahead in the AFC West with little margin for error, what fun the remainder of the year will be. I think we can look for a beat down of gigantic proportions as the Broncos (and Todd Haley's Best Friend Josh McDaniels) come to town next Sunday in a rematch of the Chiefs worst game a few weeks ago.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Lee's Summit West Wins State Title in Football!

Lee's Summit West High School Defeated defending Champs Webster Groves High School in the Missouri 5A Football Championship game Friday at the Edward Jones Dome in St Louis. The final was 44-21. The victory gives Lees Summit West their first state title since 2007. The Titans finished the season 14-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of class 6A powerhouse Blue Springs South way back in September. It was Webster Groves first loss of the season.

Junior Quarterback Luke Knott threw for 4 Touchdown passes including a dynamite effort by senior Running Back Darnay Session on a 65 yard catch and run screen pass in the first half. It went downhill for Webster Groves from there as Lee's Summit West rolled to a 24-7 halftime lead. Congratulations to the Titans on their 2010 Football State Championship!

Another area team won a state title on Friday as Richmond took the 3A title from John Burroughs High School. The win capped off an undefeated season for the Spartans. Rockhurst High School plays for the 6A Championship this afternoon in St Louis against Hazelwood Central in what should be a great game between two undefeated powerhouses. That game will be televised locally on Metrosports at 6:30PM.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving Kansas City - From Kansas City News

From all of us at Kansas City News, we want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving Kansas City!

Kansas City has it's share of problems, and we complain about them frequently on this site.  But we choose to live here for a reason.  We've all had plenty of chances to move away, California, Arizona, Florida, Texas (well, maybe not Texas) but we stayed for some reason.  Since today is Thanksgiving I think that it would be a good time to go over some of the great things about Kansas City and the people who live here.

The "Stop to Help Change a Tire" Theory
There are many cities that move much faster than Kansas City, people are in a hurry, no time to talk or to pay attention to what is going on around them.  Our people tend to stay in one place for years, get to know their neighbors, get to know the grocery store clerk's name, say "hi" to each other on the street, check in on an elderly neighbor (a neighbor of mine just delivered a covered dish to an elderly woman who lives next door to me just as I was writing this!) - and I can't even count how many times a complete stranger has stopped to help someone with a jump start or to help change a tire.  That is what is great about Kansas City.

Charity Organizations
Kansas City has so many charity functions going on that it is impossible to keep up with them.  Almost every day of the year some charity in the city has something going on.  Our small and large businesses give enormous amounts of time and attention to our local and national charity organizations, and that is what is great about Kansas City.

The Success of the Power and Light District and The Sprint Center
For my entire life growing up here in Kansas City, I can't remember visiting downtown Kansas City for ANY reason.  Our downtown area was a vacant, abandoned smear of old partially demolished buildings, bums on the street, idiotic one-way streets (well, ok, the stupid one-way streets are still there), and the only reason anyone ever went downtown was to visit one of the government buildings - whether by choice or by force.  Today we see a completely different downtown with the addition of the Sprint Center and the Power and Light District.  We were skeptical at first, we are Kansas Citians after all and we don't accept change very easily, but the district is flourishing and it is affecting the entire downtown area.  Old buildings are being bought up and restored, new condos and restaurants are opening up, and we have the biggest names in the world touring through the Sprint Center.

Family and Friends
And for whatever reason our families decided to settle here, we must have come to the same conclusion - that Kansas City is a pretty good place to hang your hat.  So today let's take a minute and be thankful that all of our friends and family are with us and we all share this wonderful city in the stout but modest Midwest.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Mark Funkhouser is infuriated over jobs leaving Kansas City and moving to Kansas.


Mark Funkhouser says he is infuriated over companies leaving Kansas City and moving to the Kansas side. He blames the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce...yikes. He blames the PEAK program which gives incentives for businesses to relocate to Kansas. He blames Jefferson City, and he blames (do you see a pattern here yet?) everyone but himself.

Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch (Come on, Come on, Swing it!), need to decide if keeping jobs and companies in Kansas City is a priority. If it is, then compete. Don't go blame everyone else under the sun because you have problems that need fixing. Get off your tail piece and do something. Being infuriated or saying that Kansas taking your jobs is "nuts" doesn't help anything. If you are getting your azz kicked by Kansas, then fight back! If Mark Funkhouser's biggest 'hmmmpf' is to tell Kansas that after they pick off all your big companies and move them to the Kansas side (like AMC), that they will realize that the money they spent to lure those companies to Kansas would have been better spent on schools and infrastructure, then you have been wussified and shouldn't be mayor.

I am pretty sure the revenue cities will generate from the newly poached companies from Missouri will help pay for education and infrastructure in their state while you letting them go to Kansas because you don't have a testicle left to fight with will shrink your budget and make your pot holes bigger. Quit crying about your problems to your wife and the rest of us. Quit expecting someone else to solve your problems. Get out there and do the things that need to be done to give incentives to either keep companies in Kansas City or even better, steal them from Kansas!

Black Friday Deals are Plentiful This Year

Get your shopping shoes on Kansas City, Black Friday is only hours away. The insanity gets underway early Friday Morning and in some cases earlier. Retail analysts say this year there could be even better bargains than usual as consumers confidence in the economy grows. Here is a run down of some major retailers specials.

Wal Mart: most Supercenters are open 24 hours, Black Friday deals start at midnight on for most items except electronics; those specials get underway at 5AM. Some examples: many popular video games regularly priced in the $60 range for $29 (those deals start at midnight). In electronics, a 32" HD TV for $198, Blu-Ray Player $69, Digital Photo Frames and MP3 players for $29. For your full Wal Mart ad, click here.


Target: opens at 4AM Friday for their 2 day sale, bargains include: 7"portable DVD player $49, Select DVDs $3.99, Free $10 Gift card with purchase of $100. See full ad here.


Toys-R-Us: Toys R Us is beating everyone to the punch, their Door Busters start at 10PM on Thanksgiving Night. $50 gift card with purchase of any new IPod Touch, Half off Toy Story 3 Talking Buzz Lightyear, Many other items 60-75% off. Check it here.


Best Buy: Best Buy is taking a unique approach. They will be handing out tickets for specific items starting at 3AM outside their stores. Presumably this will help cut down on pandemonium inside the stores for the hottest deals. $600 Fascinate mobile phones for free with 2yr activation, full featured Toshiba Laptop $189, 50" Panasonic Plasma TV $699. Full Ad here.


Have fun, but for God's sake people please act civilized.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

North Korea bombs South Korea


North Korea bombs South Korea because they know the only thing at the end of that string is...Barack the magic "Menstruator".

Kim Jong-il bombed South Korea today because he knew that even at the ripe old age of 70, he could beat Barack Obama in either a slap fight or a bikini wrestling match in jello (the only way Barack knows how to fight if it would ever come to that). Since Barack has conditioned Kim Jong-il to have zero consequences for any action that would affect the world or our country in particular, the leader of North Korea now does whatever he likes.

In his defense, Barack did announce today that he will pull Kim Jong-il's hair if he ever sees him in public, boink him in the eyes like Moe used to do from the Three Stooges, and tweak his nipples just like the only thing that hurts worse than a hurricane (a titty twister).

The best part is that North Korea has more nuclear enrichment facilities than Iran, is closer to firing a nuclear weapon than Iran, and is winning the contest to see who can kill the most of their own people without the rest of the world knowing...oh that Kim Jong-il...he is such a card.

And just so you don't miss it and the point isn't obvious, repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell is just the first step in creating the world's largest slap fighting, hair pulling, name calling, well dressed, well groomed, fabulous group of ruffians with those gun things to go fight for Obama the world has ever seen.

Dearest Barack, may your balls push out the string so that North Korea thinks twice before screwing with our allies.

Please enjoy this video of what a fight would look like between Barack Obama and Kim Jong-il...of course there would be mankinis instead of bikinis. Peace...

KCP&L Gets Rate Increase for Kansas Customers

If you are a KCP&L customer in Kansas, your rates are about to go up. The Kansas Corporation Commision (the commission that oversees utility companies and their rate requests) ruled on Monday that the Utility can raise their rates to Kansas Customers by 4.5%. The increase translates into about $22 million annually. KCP&L had asked for a rate increase of more than double that, but the commission was unimpressed. The Rates will go up effective December 1 and will cost the average Kansas Customer around $50 annually. KCP&L also lost its battle to impose a separate charge on customers bills to pay for environmental upgrades.

KCP&L did have a request for Executive Bonuses approved. This action upset some consumer advocates who argued that cost overruns on the new power plant near Weston, MO were the result of mismanagement and executives should not be rewarded for it. The mismanagement of the Iatan 2 power plant was prominent in the negotiations with the Commission - and will certainly be an issue in the upcoming meeting with Missouri next year. KCP&L has asked for a 14% rate increase on Missouri customers, and the Missouri Public Services Commission is expected to rule on that in 2011. We will keep you updated.

Plaza Lighting Ceremony 2010 - Thursday Nov 25th

Plaza Lighting Ceremony 2010 - This Thursday November 25th
by Kansas City News

Is it really Thanksgiving week?  Time flies when you're having fun, or when you're working your ass to the bone, either way.  One bright spot in this lead-in to the winter holidays is the Lighting of the Plaza Lights.  Kansas City is widely known for it's famous Plaza Lighting Ceremony, and on Thursday night at 7pm the lights will come on for the 81st time.  The Lighting Ceremony is sponsored by KCPL of the new Power and Light District and will feature the talents of Kansas City legendary band leader Dave Stephens and The Dave Stephens Orchestra.  Finally the old dorks who book the entertainment for the Kansas City Plaza Lighting Ceremony got rid of those irritating white women who sing with shrill and irritating vibrato voices and passed the torch to a real entertainer in the form of Dave Stephens who's "rat pack" style better suits the idea of Kansas City Jazz and Jazz Bands and well, he also throws fire - which is pretty cool.

This year the switch will be thrown by the Kansas City Chiefs tandem running back corps Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones.  Tune in to KCTV-5 at 6pm for live coverage of the Plaza Lighting Ceremony 2010 or brave the cold and go in person.  Bundle up though, it's supposed to be 34 degrees that night with a wind chill of 20.

The Plaza Lights in Kansas City burn daily from 5pm until 3am from the Lighting Ceremony on Thursday November 24th until January 13th, 2011 when they shut them off.  KCP&L will replace over 10,000 light bulbs to prepare for Thursday's Lighting Ceremony.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Chiefs Cardinals November 21st - DJ Ashba, Veteran Recognized

Chiefs vs. Cardinals November 21st - DJ Ashba, Returning Soldier Recognized
by Kansas City News

For those who watched the Chiefs smoke the Cardinals Sunday on TV, I just wanted to comment on some of the great things that went on that day at Arrowhead.  The day started off cloudy and breezy in the land of the tailgate.  We were at the infamous North 45 where turkeys were being dropped into deep fryers and champagne drank straight from the bottle.  After a great feast was had by all, we marched into the stadium to find it surprisingly sparse in attendance.  Not sure what the final head count was but there were a LOT of empty seats this day.

Enter Guns and Roses guitarist DJ Ashba and the National Anthem.  Performing a "Jimmie Hendrix" style rendition of the National Anthem, DJ Ashba got Arrowhead rocking early.  Since it was an instrumental number, we weren't sure if the Chiefs fans were going to do it.....but they did....though just a tad early....they did yell "CHIEFS" in place of home of the "brave".



Then, just like magic, the sun blasted out from behind the clouds and the stadium took on a vibrant glow, and almost seemed to match our early noon-time buzz.  The Cardinals effortlessly breezed down the field and cautiously kicked a field goal amidst the swirling winds in the end zone.  But a few punts later, the Chiefs turned on the gas and away they went - and never looked back.

During one of the commercial breaks in the game, the Chiefs honored a returning veteran in the audience and the crowd absolutely erupted.  We tried to research his name but couldn't find it - if someone knows who this soldier was please leave a comment for us.

Chiefs Beat Cardinals, Lead AFC West

The Chiefs Defeated the Woeful Arizona Cardinals on Sunday Afternoon at Arrowhead by a score of 31-13. But the game wasn't really even that close as the Cardinals scored their lone touchdown on the final play of a game that long been decided. The Chiefs really dominated in all phases of the game which probably says more about the problems Arizona has than how good the Chiefs are - but still it's good to see you win the ones you are supposed to by such a big margin. It was an all around team victory.

I have to tell you I have not been a Matt Cassel fan, but he might be growing on me. He had another efficient game, didn't turn the ball over, and was accurate. Of Course, his receivers were open all day and that really helps. The new, and improved Dwayne Bowe has been terrific, bit I was disappointed to see him break his media silence after the game. The guy is so much better when he keeps his mouth shut and just plays. He set the franchise record for consecutive games with a TD pass on Sunday - his Sixth.

The running game was working, though still curiously Jamaal Charles was absent until the second quarter. In fact, someone I was watching the game with wondered aloud if Charles was hurt because we hadn't seen him. As a team they rushed for 5.5 yards/carry - that is terrific and Charles was over 7 yds/carry-just dominating.

The Chiefs have to show they can do it on the road is they want to win this division. They have a whole game lead, but have to go to San Diego still. Next week's game at Seattle is very important, they are beatable and the Chiefs need to keep their lead in the West.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Obama Chia Pet - Racist Claims Pulled From Shelves

Obama Chia Pet - This is NOT a Joke
by Kansas City News

I have just seen the most hilarious commercial ever.  Chia, famous for their Chia Pets has come out with a Chia Pet Obama!  This commercial came on right after South Park so I thought for sure that it was a joke, but alas, this baby is for REAL!

Apparently the Obama Chia has been pulled from the shelves of several stores claiming that it is racist.  I must admit, as hilarious as this is, it does come a little close to Al Jolson singing "Mammy" in blackface.

Try not to laugh while you watch the commercial clip:



Oh hell yes, while I was loading our clip I found another version of the Chia Obama commercial that is even BETTER!  This one will have you doing a SPIT TAKE.  His frickin' green Chia hair grows out of his melon like a jungle-green afro with time lapse - this is priceless.



Ok, I'm laughing too hard to type anymore.  Jesus, just when you thought you'd seen it all...

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Stripper Fight Ends With Stabbing in Kansas City

Every once in a while a story comes around that is just funny in so many ways. Early yesterday two strippers from the club Baccala on Independence Ave were involved in a fight around closing time. At some point one of the girls allegedly stabbed the other with some kind of a make up pencil (that is awesome). She was stabbed 4 times and taken to the hospital. The altercation took place in the back room as the girls were changing to leave. The story would have been better had the fight taken place on stage. No charges have been filed as of yet while the police investigate.

Baccala was formerly called Gerry's Silver Slipper. The Silver Slipper had an infamous reputation around Kansas City culminating with a double murder last year leading to the club's closure.

Some thought Missouri's new Adult Entertainment Law would put an end to this kind of entertaining news report. Fortunately for us that was not the case. Another funny side note to the story. You have got to check out Baccala's website. It is possibly the WORST website in the history of the Internet. There are numerous misspellings, the best being an advertisement for "Batchular" parties. Classic.

Friday, November 19, 2010

DUI Checkpoints Kansas City - November 19th & 20th

Checkpoints in Kansas City - DUI Checkpoints in KC for Nov 19th and November 20th
by Kansas City News

Well, the weekend is here again and it's time for our weekly Kansas City DUI checkpoint update.  Remember that it now does absolutely no good to refuse to take the breathalyzer or field sobriety test as police now have the authority from the Supreme Court to physically take a blood sample from you at the scene if you're suspected of driving under the influence.  The best option if you've been drinking is to muster up as much sobriety as you can, be honest with the police - "yes sir I've had a couple drinks tonight but quit drinking over and hour ago so that I would be safe to drive" - do NOT lie to them and tell them that you haven't been drinking.  I don't know if you've ever been around someone who is drinking, or has been drinking that day - if you have not had anything to drink (like police officers) then you can smell alcohol on their breath a MILE away.  Once you roll down your window the officer can smell alcohol even if you've only had ONE drink.  Do not lie as that angers them, just tell them that you are good to drive and that you are going STRAIGHT home and they will let you go 9 times out of 10.  At DUI checkpoints the police are really only looking for those people who are CLEARLY intoxicated.  Just be straight with them and look them in the eye, you will be fine.

DUI checkpoints in KC tonight will be in the usual places:

Anywhere along Ward Parkway - especially if you're headed south from the plaza.  Most often they set up a checkpoint at either 77th and Ward Parkway or at some point near the plaza.

Avoid Southwest Trafficway all together.  Typically they will set a checkpoint up near the Sunfresh or near the Broadway intersection.

Another road to avoid is Wornall Road - they usually set up checkpoints at 77th and Wornall in the Waldo area every weekend.  If you're partying at the Brooksider or at The Well your best bet is to grab Main Street or Oak and crawl your way North or South whichever way you are headed.  I've also seen them set up checkpoints at 93rd and Wornall just as you round the turn headed towards the 95th Street intersection.  It's a blind curve and it was just made for DUI Checkpoints.  My old friend Johnny Cartsonis wrecked my friends IROC Z on that very curve and took out a tree - he walked away from the wreck but alas the IROC did not.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

More Deer to be Killed in Shawnee Mission Park


Last Year Johnson County Officials OK'ed the hunting of deer that overpopulated Shawnee Mission Park. More than 300 deer were killed last season in the park in spite of a vocal group of protesters. This year's efforts will be on a much smaller scale with virtually no opposition - in the way of public protests anyway. The Johnson County Parks Board voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to hold a small scale hunt to help with deer overpopulation in the park. For the next two months hired sharpshooters will kill deer in the park. The goal is 33 for this year.

One alternative the County looked at was chemical contraception. However, Kansas has outlawed it's use in the State. Law enforcement officers will take part in the hunt. The deer meat will be processed and given to local food pantries. It seems like a win-win situation to me - control of the deer population and feeding the hungry at the same time.

Kansas City Wizards Change Name and Logo

The team formerly known as the Kansas City Wizards announced Wednesday afternoon that their name going forward would be Sporting Kansas City. The team is trying to reinvent itself with their new stadium opening next summer. Their new logo was also unveiled, and hopefully all this newness will translate into better soccer played on the field. The Wizards were disappointing last season, finishing out of the playoffs in a league where half of the teams go to the postseason.

The new name is a nod to the way European and South American clubs name their teams. Around the world, professional sports teams are known as Sporting Clubs and might have teams competing in several different sports.

Originally Kansas City's Soccer team was known as the Wiz - perhaps the worst EVER name for a sports team. They changed to the Wizards a season later - not much better. They definitely needed a new name and the timing is perfect with a real soccer stadium opening up. I think they went the wrong direction with the new name, however - a mistake many MLS teams have already made. Using Football Club (FC) or Real in the name alienates many Americans who are not used to sports teams being named in this way. In a time that is very important to growing soccer in the US, I think more traditional American name would serve better. Then again maybe no one cares about soccer anyway and never will. Maybe it will grow on me.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

FDA Looks to Ban Caffinated Alcoholic Drinks

The FDA is expected to rule that caffeine is an "unsafe additive" in alcoholic drinks - that ruling could come later this week. It would effectively ban drinks like Four Loko - a drink that is fruit flavored, packed with caffeine, and 12% alcohol. It's known as "Black out in a can". The high levels of caffeine in the drinks can make the consumer less aware of how drunk they are. Four states have already banned caffeinated alcoholic beverages (Oklahoma, Michigan, Washington, and Utah). The action comes after several college students in Washington had been hospitalized after drinking the products.

This all sounds kind of reactionary to me. So a few idiot college students damn near killed themselves getting boozed up at a house party, big deal - been going on for decades. I still have to hear my friends ridicule me with the phrase "I loooovvvee Tequila" as they reminisce about me crawling from my bedroom to the bathroom to puke my guts our every 30 minutes. Ahh, those college days - makes me kind of misty thinking about it.

Anyway, I guess my point is that it's not going to accomplish anything to ban these products, much like the banning of anything else. So everybody raise your glass of vodka and Red Bull for a toast. Kids these days, what a bunch of pussies!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Kansas City Chamber of Commerce 123rd Annual Dinner

The Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to Hold 123rd Annual Dinner
by Kansas City News

One of the biggest gala's of the year will be the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce 123rd Annual Dinner to be held next week at The Hyatt Regency.  This year, the event will feature two-time winners of KMBC-TV's Best Band in Kansas City Award, The KC All Stars and will be produced by Adam Blue Productions.  The dinner will honor Outgoing Chairman of the Board, Peter J. deSilva, and incoming Chairman, Greg M. Graves.  Other awards will include "Kansas Citian of the Year".

The 123rd Annual Dinner Schedule will include:

Cocktail Reception and Networking – 5:00 p.m.
Dinner and Program – 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Appearance by comedian Greg Schwem.

Prices to attend the event are:

$100 Individual Ticket


$1,500 Reserved Table
•    One reserved table of ten
•    Company name table signage
•    Complimentary parking

$3,000 Corporate Sponsor
•    Preferred seating in the Premier section, one reserved table of ten
•    Logo recognition in the dinner program book
•    Company logo table signage
•    Complimentary parking

$4,000 Contributing Sponsor
•    Preferred seating in the Directors’ section, one reserved table of ten
•    Recognition on The Chamber’s Web site, www.kcchamber.com
•    Recognition in The Chamber’s Greater Kansas City Business magazine
•    Video recognition
•    Logo recognition in the dinner program book
•    Company logo table signage
•    5 complimentary valet parking passes
•    Complimentary drink tickets

$6,000 Patron Sponsor
•    Preferred seating in the Executives’  section, one reserved table of ten
•    Recognition on The Chamber’s Web site, www.kcchamber.com
•    Recognition in The Chamber’s Greater Kansas City Business magazine
•    Video recognition
•    Logo recognition in the dinner program book
•    Company logo table signage
•    10 complimentary valet parking passes
•    Complimentary drink tickets

$10,000 Distinguished Patron Sponsor
•    Priority seating in the President’s section, one reserved table of ten
•    Exposure in The Chamber’s media package
•    Host of the “Kansas Citian of the Year” Reception following the program
•    Video recognition
•    Company link on The Chamber Web site, www.kcchamber.com
•    Logo recognition in The Chamber’s Greater Kansas City Business magazine
•    Logo recognition in the dinner program book
•    Company logo table signage
•    10 complimentary valet parking passes
•    Complimentary drink tickets
For Tickets call (816) 374-5435

Chiefs Thumped by Broncos, Haley Refuses Post-Game Handshake

There was no drama during the game, at least not after the Broncos first drive. It was clear after the Broncos scored the first of many touchdowns, that it was going to be a long day in Denver. The Broncos went on to a 35-0 first half lead and a final score of 49-29. There really isn't much to be said about the game itself other than what is painfully obvious. The Chiefs defense was beaten badly by the Broncos offense, and the Chiefs offense wasn't going to do anything to keep up. There was certainly enough blame to go around.

Now to say the Chiefs are done for the year, that is just stupid. This team is still tied for first place in a weak division thanks to their 3-0 start, and there is still time get the ship righted. Injuries in our secondary have been costly, and Dexter McCluster certainly can have a positive effect on our offense when he (hopefully) returns next Sunday. A very winnable game is upcoming at HOME against the mediocre Cardinals and home games against Denver and Oakland still remain on the schedule.

All the drama in this game came at the traditional post game coach greet at midfield. Todd Haley refused to shake Josh McDaniels' hand as referenced in the above picture. Instead he was given a finger and a stern message of some sort that at least up to now remains unknown. The speculation is that Haley took exception to the fact that all of Denver's starters were playing until the end of this game, in contrast to last year when the Chiefs throttled the Broncos in Denver, Haley called off the dogs - including sitting down Jamal Charles who had a shot at the single game rushing record. I personally have no problem with a team "running up the score" - if you don't like getting your ass kicked, then play better. But, whatever the reason, I like the fire that Todd Haley has - it will certainly add a little more spark to the rivalry. I don't like that little prick McDaniels either - Fuck him.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Chiefs Officially Done

The Chiefs are Officially Done for the year
by Kansas City News

Wow, all I can say is....Wow - the Chiefs suck so bad that it is embarrassing.  The Kansas City Chiefs are officially done for the year.  We had a good couple of games, but after losing to the Mexi-Jigger Raiders and then to the incredibly crap Denver Broncos, we are Officially Done.

Cassell sucks, Charles is OK but other teams are on to him now, and our receiving core is the worst in the NFL.

We are back to being a "start up" team and actually, if we finish 7-9 that will be a good record for a start up team like the Chiefs.

I suggest that we do not play Charles or McCluster for the rest of the season so that they don't get injured and that we may have a chance to go 8 - 8 next year.

Thanks for the good memories that we had so far this year Chiefs, but you guys are officially the joke of the league now and by the way the defense played today, we will continue to be the joke of the NFL.

See you guys next year!

Denver Chiefs 2010 - Must Win Game for Chiefs

Chiefs @ Denver today a Must Win Game for the Chiefs
by Kansas City News


The Chiefs go into Denver today after a bitter loss to the extremely weak Oakland Raiders, who lucked out with a last minute miraculous pass to some receiver that no one has ever heard of, leading to a field goal by fat-legged Janikowski.  Flowers should have intercepted - or at least KNOCKED THE BALL DOWN since he got to that pass first (still pissed about that game, can you tell?).  But alas, looking forward, the Chiefs MUST win today against the ever so poop-stained Denver Broncos, or I will revert to my cynical Chiefs game viewing style that has protected me from stress for so many years.

The Broncos are the equivalent of a mediocre high school team this year, and the Chiefs should tromp these guys by at least 20 points.  Flowers better catch every ball that touches his hands, and Jamaal Charles better run like it's his job, er....wait, it IS his job, yeah, yeah.  I don't like being teased, and with the Chiefs 4-0 start I actually started watching the Chiefs games without being jaded to protect myself from getting upset, which was easy to do for the last few seasons when they were playing for good draft picking order, basically. I would honestly rather have a terrible record and be able to relax and laugh at the Chiefs than to be teased into paying attention to the games, sitting on the edge of my seat on every 3rd down, and then ultimately giving myself yet another ulcer.  All that said, the Chiefs better fucking win today son, and win big, so that I may drinketh beer early and often and not have to look at the TV screen on every play.

At this time, the Chiefs are a mere 1 point favorite, which shows the stat masters in Vegas don't have much faith in us right now, especially on the road.  Denver has a mish-mash of running backs who pretty much don't do anything (believe me, I've had all of them on my fantasy team at one point or another this season and have subsequently dumped them all).  The Denver Broncos quarterbacks are suspect in that Kyle Orton has the same problem as our beloved Matt Cassel possesses in that he can only see about 20 yards downfield at the max.  If they sneak in Tim Tebow at any point, Tamba Hali needs to step on his head and say "welcome to the NFL cracker!".  The Chiefs secondary will have their hands full with Brandon Lloyd, and to combat this wily wide out, the Chiefs have to get some serious pressure on Kyle Orton or they will have some problems.  Lloyd has been on FIRE this season.

Well, off I go to a house party / tailgate full of SERIOUS Chiefs fans, so hopefully this one goes well and we will drink and be merry :)


Here's some dorky stats about the Chiefs / Broncos History...


Chiefs vs Broncos History 
Chiefs are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. loss.
Chiefs are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games on grass.
Chiefs are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
Chiefs are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Chiefs are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Broncos are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a bye week.
Broncos are 16-34-1 ATS in their last 51 vs. AFC.
Broncos are 11-28 ATS in their last 39 games following a ATS loss.
Broncos are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 vs. AFC West.
Broncos are 9-24-1 ATS in their last 34 home games.
Broncos are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games following a S.U. loss.
Broncos are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home underdog.
Broncos are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
Over is 5-1 in Chiefs last 6 games following a bye week.
Over is 5-1 in Chiefs last 6 games as a road favorite.
Under is 5-1 in Chiefs last 6 games in Week 10.
Over is 4-1 in Chiefs last 5 games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0.
Over is 4-1 in Chiefs last 5 games in November.
Over is 4-1 in Chiefs last 5 games as a road favorite of 0.5-3.0.
Over is 4-0 in Broncos last 4 vs. AFC.
Over is 4-0 in Broncos last 4 vs. AFC West.
Under is 3-0-1 in Broncos last 4 games as a home underdog of 0.5-3.0.
Over is 6-0 in Broncos last 6 vs. a team with a winning record.
Over is 8-1 in Broncos last 9 games after accumulating more than 250 yards passing in their previous game.
Under is 6-1-1 in Broncos last 8 games as a home underdog.
Over is 11-2 in Broncos last 13 games overall.
Over is 5-1 in Broncos last 6 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
Over is 5-1 in Broncos last 6 home games.
Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Bush to Write Book - Done with Politics

Former President Bush to Write a Book, Finished With Politics
by Kansas City News

"You know, I've written this book and it's going to come as quite a shock to some Americans who didn't think I could read, much less write..."  Bush has several comedic quips about his upcoming book where he goes in depth about his Presidency, Iraq, and the economy.

Bush claims to be finished with politics and sits comfortably in his office in Dallas, Texas, overlooking the Dallas skyline.  I wonder if the government will put limitations on what Bush can publish in his book, are there men hiding out in the bushes outside his office with walkie talkies?  It would be so refreshing to hear the real truth behind the US Government - all we get is the filtered out fodder that makes it impossible to make clear decisions pertaining to US politics.  It is true that most people in the US blame everything that is wrong with our country on Bush, but I assure you that is not the case.  For instance, Bush claims that he actually wanted to let all of the bail out companies fail, but he feared a depression.  When polled, 71% of Americans blame Bush for all of America's problems.  This is a perfect example of an ignorant public, not because Americans are not intelligent as a whole, it's just that they don't have (and never will) all of the information to make sound decisions.  Our government is so secretive and scandalous that the truth would probably cause most citizens to run to Canada.

It will be interesting to see if Bush's new book will shed any REAL light on the political scenario, but I'm guessing that the "men in black" hiding in Bush's bushes (nice!) will see to it that America stays in the dark about what actually goes on in Washington.

Police Shoot Out Their Own Windows Responding to Backfiring Car

Thursday night Kansas City Police Officers were responding to reports of shots fired in a neighborhood near I-435 and Gregory. They came upon a broken down van that backfired with a man getting out of it. That man was Phillip Ransom. He was returning home from work when his van broke down just a block from his home. It had apperently been backfiring and his neighbor had called police reporting shots fired (he had heard the backfiring of the van a block away). The cops roll up, hear a backfire - while responding to a shots fired call - while a man is getting out of the van. One thing leads to another and the Officers open fire striking the van at least three times and scaring the shit out of poor Phillip. He hits the ground and is yelling at the cops that he is unarmed. He was unarmed.

In the aftermath of the incident it was discovered that the windows of the patrol car were also shot out. It turns out the Police Officers shot out their own windows while exiting the vehicle. Wow - that's embarassing. I know that Police Officers go through a lot. They never know what to expect when responding to a call, but this is not good. I'm would imagine disciplinary action of some sort is in order, not to mention a healthy ribbing at Police HQ. I'm sure they are very thankful that no one was injured - other than the two vehicles involved.

Mr. Ransom needs to obtain the services of an attorney. He be gettin' a settlement.

Friday, November 12, 2010

DUI Checkpoints in Kansas City - Blood Test New Law

Dui Checkpoints in Kansas City November 12th, 13th and the New Blood Test Law in Missouri
by Kansas City News

DUI checkpoints will be in full force this weekend, November 12th and 13th as usual in Kansas City and the surrounding suburbs including Lee's Summit, Independence, Overland Park and other areas.

A new law has been passed that states that the police will be able to take a blood sample test from drivers refusing to take a breathalizer test or other DUI checkpoint field sobriety tests.  Before the new law went into effect, police could only obtain blood samples from suspected DUI drivers if they had a warrant.  This is actually not a new Missouri law pertaining to blood tests on DUI suspects, it is actually just a lift on a former prohibition that required Missouri police to obtain a warrant before extracting a blood sample.  This change to the Missouri DUI law came after the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal for police officers to take blood samples on the spot if someone is suspected of a DUI and refuses to take a breathalizer test.

Expect DUI checkpoints this weekend in the following areas:

Anywhere along Ward Parkway but especially around 77th Street.
Anywhere along Southwest Trafficway - anywhere.
75th and Wornall
93rd and Wornall
Noland Road - anywhere

The following is a report that recently came out about DUI checkpoints in and around Kansas City:

If you were driving one of the 18,747 vehicles Kansas City police stopped at drunken-driving checkpoints last year, odds are you weren’t arrested.
 
In fact, only 1.6 percent of those drivers were arrested for being drunk.  Police departments around the Kansas City area and the country spend thousands of dollars a year on DUI checkpoints with similar results. While police defend checkpoints as a great public relations tool against drunken driving, there are better ways to catch drunken drivers, experts say.
 
Take saturation patrols, where police cruise city streets in search of swerving cars that may be driven by drunks. They are cheaper to conduct and more efficient — for each car that police officers stop, they are almost four times as likely to catch a drunk.
 
Five of the larger area police departments stopped 25,510 vehicles at checkpoints last year, but only 2,765 during saturation patrols. Both efforts produced arrests — traffic tickets, but also outstanding warrants, drug violations and alcohol-related offenses such as driving with an open container. In fact, saturation patrols yielded more charges — 3,100 — than the number of cars stopped. The total arrest rate for the checkpoints: 2.8 percent.  And the saturation patrols cost $31.68 per ticket or arrest. The checkpoint price tag? $184.84.
 
Taxpayers question checkpoints’ rate of return. Cliff Jones of Raytown reads about checkpoint results when they’re published in the newspaper and wonders if they are an efficient way to catch drunken drivers.  “I’m not against them at all, but I am for efficiency, and there is a certain amount of manpower that it takes off the street. And it makes you wonder, is there a better way of doing it?” he said.  Police concede that checkpoints don’t catch a lot of drunken drivers. The statistics don’t reflect the lives saved by those who chose a designated driver because they knew a checkpoint awaited them, they say “Regardless of how small the number is, you’re still taking a dangerous driver off the street, and that’s still a person who could have injured an innocent driver during their drinking episode,” said Police Capt. Rich Lockhart of Kansas City.
 
You’re driving home late on a Friday night and you spot a line of cars stopped ahead. The flashing lights, warning signs and the large police command post confirm what you feared: You’ve entered a DUI checkpoint.
 
You might get waved through. Officers — 30 to 40 of them —stop cars in a predetermined pattern, say every car, every third car or every fifth car. When it’s your turn, an officer checks your license, maybe checks your record for outstanding warrants and asks whether you’ve been drinking. An officer leans into your car window with a flashlight that may be equipped with alcohol sensors. If the cop thinks you’re drunk, you’re pulled over for more tests, including a breath analysis.  And here is the problem police grapple with: Traffic deaths caused by drunken drivers haven’t changed much in the past 10 years, both nationally and locally. Kansas has seen some improvement. Missouri’s alcohol fatality rate for every mile driven remains above the national average.
 
Critics such as Sarah Longwell, spokeswoman for the American Beverage Institute, argue that deaths due to drunken drivers dipped more in states that don’t do checkpoints than in states that do conduct DUI checkpoints.  For example, the nation saw a slight decrease in alcohol-related fatal crashes from 2003 to 2004, but 96 percent of the decrease came in the 11 states that do not allow checkpoints but do use saturation patrols, among other efforts, Longwell said.  “Every one of the 11 non-roadblock states saw a decline in alcohol-related fatalities, while almost half of the roadblock states saw an increase in alcohol-related fatalities,” she said. “The number one problem with these checkpoints is that they are costly, and they are not keeping us safe.”
 
Checkpoints fare worst with habitual drunken drivers, critics said.  Problem drunken drivers “just take a different way home,” said Cole Casey, a San Diego attorney with the National College for DUI Defense, which educates attorneys about DUI law and the science of intoxication. That includes “pseudoscientific areas such as field sobriety testing,” according to its Web site.  A 1997 North Carolina study showed that officers failed to catch more than half the drivers passing through a checkpoint with a blood alcohol content higher than .08 percent. After checkpoint officers deemed the drivers sober and let them drive on, researchers interviewed the drivers and took voluntary breath samples.  “People who are repeat drunk drivers are able to get through,” said O’Donnell, the John Jay College professor. “It would be a giant myth that if you are drunk and you are stopped at a checkpoint that you’re going to get arrested. That might come as a surprise.”
 
Critics such as Longwell want to swap DUI checkpoints for saturation patrols.  “If we’re diverting money to checkpoints, that leaves less for saturation patrols, which also can catch speeders and some idiot swerving while on his cell phone,” Longwell said.
 
Unlike checkpoints, saturation patrols are mobile and cover areas a checkpoint can’t, like a busy highway. Officers working a saturation patrol can only stop cars for a reason: weaving, speeding and other traffic violations.
For example, from October 2006 through September 2007, Independence police spent $31,875 on checkpoints, where they stopped 3,091 cars and made 63 drunken-driving arrests and 66 arrests for other violations, including warrants and drug possession. That’s an arrest rate for all violations of about 4.2 percent at a cost of $247.09 for each arrest.  During the same time, they spent $81,878.54 on saturation patrols, where they stopped 2,253 cars and made arrests or wrote tickets for 2,575 violations, including 110 for drunken driving. That’s an arrest rate of 114 percent, at a cost of $31.79 per offense.  A U.S. Department of Transportation report concluded: “If making a large number of (drunken driving) arrests is an objective, (the data) clearly suggests that roving patrols would be the preferred method.”  That’s why some police departments, like the sheriff’s department in Ohio County, W.Va., have stopped doing checkpoints in favor of more saturation patrols.
 
“I’m no big fan of them,” Chief Deputy Pat Butler said about checkpoints. “They’re OK for informational purposes, but I think DUI saturation patrols are much more effective.”  Most DUI arrests are made by officers on routine patrol. But for special drunken-driving enforcement, most Kansas City area police departments use both checkpoints and saturation patrols.  But one, the Lee’s Summit Police Department, is rethinking checkpoints. They are doing more saturation patrols and fewer, smaller checkpoints.  Lee’s Summit officers now participate in the larger checkpoints only while working with the Jackson County Traffic Safety Task Force.  When working on their own, they conduct low-impact checkpoints, a concept that police departments nationwide are beginning to use.  Instead of using 30 to 40 officers, these small-scale roadblocks use about six. The officers set up for a short period of time, maybe 90 minutes, at a specific time and location where they have seen lots of accidents or drunken driving.  “It’s like a precision instrument,” said Capt. Kevin Reaves.
 
A 2005 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concluded that these low-impact checkpoints can be conducted safely with as few as three to five officers and for as little as $300 to $400.  The study also showed that they were just as effective as the larger, more costly checkpoints.
 
During a low-impact checkpoint in 2006, Lee’s Summit officers stopped 83 vehicles and had a 7 percent DUI arrest rate, compared with a 1.35 percent arrest rate last year at a large-scale checkpoint that Lee’s Summit conducted with the county traffic task force.  Staffing shortages have made it difficult for Lee’s Summit police to staff a lot of small-scale checkpoints, Reaves said. Sometimes it’s more efficient to organize a large-scale checkpoint using the resources of the county traffic task force, which includes a couple of Lee’s Summit officers.  “You have to look at the allocation of resources,” Reaves said. “We’re not just here to burn money.”
 
Checkpoints vs. saturation patrols - At checkpoints, up to 40 police officers stop cars in a predetermined pattern. Drivers may be asked to submit to tests if they are suspected of drunken driving. In saturation patrols, officers search for cars that appear to be operated by drunken drivers.  Kansas City police will conduct two DUI saturation patrols this holiday weekend as part of a Missouri campaign to stop drunken driving.

"Victim" in Overland Park Bank Robbery Arrested

The bank teller who claimed to be the victim in Wednesday Morning's robbery of the US Bank on 119th St is sitting in the Wyandotte County Jail this morning. Federal charges will likely be filed today. He and three other men are in custody awaiting the FBI. What a bunch of dummies, enjoy the next 10 years in prison fellas. Don't drop the soap!

I called this one on Wednesday when I heard the teller's story that was just too stupid to be true.

In other news of incredibly stupid people. A former Missouri Lottery winner was arrested in Florida for trying to sell a 9 week old baby. Patty Bigbee, formerly of Hazelwood, MO was arrested in a Best Buy parking lot by undercover officers. Bigbee, who has a long criminal history, won around a million dollars in Lottery two summers ago. Of course she blew it all. The woman she tried to sell the baby to was her biological daughter that she gave up for adoption.

The two had recently reconnected with each other on Facebook. (yet another reason not to use Facebook). The daughter thought she would be adopting her biological niece (Bigbee's Granddaughter), but then the subject of a $75,000 fee came up. That's when the Police were contacted. Police helped the woman negotiate a $30,000 fee, and arrested Bigbee when the exchange was supposed to be made. Bigbee, her boyfriend, and another daughter (the mother of the baby) are all in custody. What a bunch of White Trash Dirtbags.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

David DeJesus Traded to Oakland A's

The Kansas City Royals have traded away the longest tenured and probably most recognizable face (if there are any anymore) on the team. On Wednesday David Dejesus was trade to the Oakland Athletics for two pitchers - Right Hander Vin Mazzaro and Lefty Justin Marks. DeJesus played for the Royals for 10 seasons with a Batting Average of .289 and 61 Homers. He had a nice career with the Royals and I am sad to see him go. Oakland was a .500 ball club last year, so maybe he can help them. Maybe even get into the playoffs, something he obviously was never going to do here.

This is such a problem with baseball now and has been for a long time. No player stays with one team for his entire career anymore, it's such a shame. I grew up in the Royals heyday and it was great to go to the park and see all the players that you knew from year to year. It's too bad that today's kids don't get that. Well, anyway, let's see what we got for DeJesus.

Vin Mazzaro is a 24 year old Right Hander originally from New Jersey. He joined Oakland's farm system in 2006 and had a great year at Double A Midland, TX in 2008 winning several honors including mlb.com's Double A starting Pitcher of the Year. His Major League Debut was in June of 2009 and his career record is 10-17 with a 4.72 ERA.

Justin Marks is a young Lefty drafted by the A's in the Third round of the 2009 Amateur draft. He pitched Collegiately at Louisville and was named the Big East pitcher of the year for 2009. Marks spent last season in Class A ball with mixed results. Like most baseball trades, it will be a while before the success or failure of the deal can be measured.

The Royals also released pitcher Brian Bannister on Wednesday.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Kidnapping and Bank Robbery in Overland Park

A bizarre story of kidnapping and bank robbery is unfolding in Overland Park this morning. According to Jim Weaver of the Overland Park Police Department, the victim, who is a 20yr old employee of the US Bank on 119th st near 69 Hwy, was abducted in the parking lot of his apartment complex last night. Supposedly, the robber/kidnapper took the man and his car to the bank early this morning where the employee opened up the bank and it was robbed.

The victim was found this morning by another employee opening up the bank at around 7:30AM. He had been beaten and was tied to a chair. An FBI spokesperson said the suspect is a white male, 6 feet tall, 180 pounds between 30 and 40 years old. He was last seen in a gray t-shirt driving the victim's light blue 2008 Chevy Aveo (nice car). No word on how much money was stolen.

This story sounds a little weird to me. An inside job maybe? In fact, I wouldn't at all be surprised if the "victim" in this case was also the perpetrator (or one of the perps). If I am wrong, this kid sure is lucky he wasn't killed. I'm sure we will know sometime in the near future. We will keep you posted here on Kansas City News.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Southwest High School Divided into Three Parts

Southwest High School to Divide into Three Separate Parts by Friday
by Kansas City News

Just as predicted, Kansas City's infamous "Right Size" plan has backfired.  In March 2010, The Kansas City Board of Education voted to close almost half of the city’s public schools, attempting to cut down on a $50 million deficit.  Nearly 300 Kansas City teachers lost their jobs, and several major schools were closed abruptly.  A local school, Southwest High School, has suffered immensely since this plan was put into action.  When the right-size plan went into action, Westport High School, located at 315 39th Street (in the deep ghetto) was closed and it's students were crammed in with the students at Southwest High School, located at 6512 Wornall (not so much in the ghetto, more like in the middle of Waldo).  This "blending" of students from the deep hood with students from the Waldo area caused a record-setting trend of violence.  Southwest High, becoming extremely overcrowded, crammed students into closed quarters with catastrophic results.  Police were called to the school 50 times in the first 36 days that the school was open!  Police officers were assaulted and injured, and the school was even set on fire at one point.

Miundrae Prince, Kansas City's Chief Acedemic Officer, and quite possibly former rapper, announced that Southwest High School would be divided into 3 sections to try to combat the discipline problems the school faces:

1.  Early College - not really sure what this means, but we're assuming that the school is hoping to rope all of the decent students into this section.

2.  Life and Engineering Sciences - or "manual tech" - This section probably resembles the classic vocational tech program that Kansas City schools have had for years which separated those who did not want to learn typical school subjects from the general population.  These students were often bussed away to learn how to work on cars, etc.  Or as Forest Gump's mother says "My boy isn't going to some special school to learn how to retread tires".  I remember the kids who attended the vocational program at our school, let's just say that none of them turned out to be white collar business professionals.

3.  Children as Individuals - This one makes absolutely no sense from the name alone, but district representatives (and former rappers) say that it is for students who want to study the "standards based education".  I'm guessing that this is the middle ground.

Students at Southwest High are given the choice of which program they wish to enroll in and they must decide by this Friday.  Three mothers of students were interviewed and they had mixed feelings - "Jovonda" said that she thought that it was a good idea, "Caseyona" said that she hoped that it would work, and lastly, "Lawanda" said that she did not think that it would solve anything at Southwest.  If the students are allowed to choose whatever section of the school that they want to attend, there will surely be a serious imbalance, as high school students mostly follow whatever their friends, girlfriends / boyfriends are doing.

Pedicab Service now offered in Downtown Kansas City

There is a new "green" way to get around Kansas City's hot spots. Tricycle Transit is a new company that started operations last Friday in the Crossroads District. The company operates Pedicabs similar to the one shown in the photo to the right. It's a bicycles operated by a driver and seats up to 3 people. Currently operations are limited to the Crossroads district and Westport, but they hope to expand in the near future to other areas including Waldo, River Market, and Zona Rosa. Fares are $2 per block no matter how many passengers.

With winter fast approaching, it may seem like a less than ideal time to start this type of operation. Owner/Operator Jay Matlack acknowledges this fact, but wants to have the operation fine tuned by Spring when he expects business to take off. I suppose if a passenger is sufficiently lubed up, the cold might not be a problem. I think come summertime they should employ hot chicks in bikini tops to drive the "tricycles".

Good luck to Jay on his new endeavor, I truly wish him luck. You can reach Tricycle Transit at 913-221-8768.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Chiefs And Tigers Let One Slip Away; KU Stages Greatest Comeback Never Seen

It can be debated who had a worse performance on Sunday in Oakland - the Refs or the football teams. Just your typical Raiders-Chiefs contest featuring 27 penalties, 2 fake punts, 6 fumbles, numerous terrible calls (for both sides) - a 4th down that was really a 1st down, and a kickoff return for a touchdown, oh yeah, and Overtime. The Raiders defeated the Chiefs by the score of 23-20 in a game that it seemed no one wanted to win. The Chiefs got off to a 10-0 First half lead that probably should have been a lot more as the Raiders made mistake after mistake that the Chiefs refused to take advantage of. A late second quarter field goal was nullified by a holding penalty on the Chiefs, and when the Raiders gave the ball right back after a terribly thrown pass was intercepted by Jon Mcgraw, the Chiefs failed once again to take advantage. The second half started with a Raiders kickoff return for a TD, and when the Chiefs coughed up the ensuing kickoff, it looked bad for our boys in red. Though the Chiefs righted the ship eventually in the second half to once again take the lead, they let the Raiders tie it up, and eventually win it in overtime.

My thoughts on the game:
-Cassel again was inaccurate most of the afternoon.
-Why can't our guy hit on the long ball? Every other quarterback in the league can throw a long ball with better accuracy than Matt Cassel. If he can't execute, stop calling the plays.
-The Chiefs defense did a nice job again, McFadden only had one long run and was contained well most of the day. Take out the KO Return TD and the Raiders only scored 16 on our D.
-I guess Charles was nicked up a little, but he needs to see more carries, he averaged 5yds/Carry to Jones's less than 2.
-This wasn't the disciplined Chiefs team that we have seen this year, but I guess playing the Raiders, a little of that is going to rub off.
-The Refereeing this year has been hideous - particularly Pass Interference calls, and can we at least get the down right? Is that too much to ask?

All is not lost for the Chiefs, they still have the lead in the AFC West, and a very winnable game coming in Denver. With all the parity in the NFL, it should be a fun ride.

Speaking of quarterbacks that can't throw the long ball, Missouri's Blaine Gabbert had a terrible night in Lubbock on Saturday going just 12 for 30 and only 95 yards. After the Tigers broke two long runs for touchdowns in the first quarter, they inexplicably stopped running and started throwing. Gabbert couldn't hit anybody and Missouri's defense wore down in the second half. The Texas Tech Red Raiders shut down Mizzou on route to a 24-17 victory effectively ending Missouri's chances for a Big 12 North title.

KU rattled off 35 unanswered 4th quarter points to stun the Colorado Buffaloes in Lawrence on Saturday afternoon. It was the biggest comeback in Jayhawk history in a game that almost no one saw. Announced attendance was over 40,000, but from highlights I've seen that is a generous estimate and there was no TV coverage. The Jayhawks have been up and mostly down for the year,but they have shown signs of life lately. Of course Colorado is terrible (winless in the Big 12 this year), so who knows.

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