Monday, February 28, 2011

Big 12 Weekend Recap

As the Big 12 season winds down, several teams are trying to make a push for an NCAA Tournament bid and an opportunity to move up the Big 12 standings. No team made a stronger push than the Colorado Buffalos, who shocked Texas 91-89 and got back on the tournament radar. Colorado was down by 22 in the first half and found itself in a 48-33 hole at halftime, but was able to rally back thanks to Alec Burks' 33 points. The win saved Colorado's season, and puts the Buffs in a position to crash the big dance with a strong finish.

At the moment, the Big 12 has four tournament locks in Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M and Missouri, while Kansas State's win over Mizzou on saturday pretty much guarantees the Wildcats will be dancing in March barring an epic collapse to end the season. The Big 12 could easily get in a sixth and possibly even a seventh team in, the question is who? Nebraska was unable to carry any of its momentum from a huge win over Texas into its next two games, and now finds itself outside of the tournament picture at 6-8 in the conference. That leaves Baylor and Colorado, who are both 7-7 in the conference and have 18 wins overall. Colorado has the easiest road, with its last two games against Iowa State and Nebraska. Two wins to close the regular season and a strong Big 12 tournament performance might be enough for Colorado to sneak in. Baylor has a tougher schedule: an away game against Oklahoma State and then a home contest against Texas. It won't be easy, but a victory over the Longhorns would probably be enough to get the talented yet inconsistent Bears in the tournament.


Another factor to keep in mind is the Big 12 tournament, which should be better than ever this year with so many teams fighting for a postseason spot. With Kansas and Texas left with nothing to play for except a one seed possibility and the parity in the league this season, this could finally be a year that a team left for dead makes a run and wins the tournament. If a low seed wants to win it all though, it will likely have to go through Texas and Kansas - not exactly the easiest path to March Madness.

Bill Grigsby Dead at 89

Kansas City icon Bill Grigsby died on Saturday at the age of 89. Anyone who was a Chiefs fan will never forget "Grigs" on the radio broadcasts with his "old pal Leonard" Dawson. He was a broadcaster for the Chiefs for 46 years calling both Super Bowls the Chiefs were in. In total he was a broadcaster for more than 60 years getting his start in his hometown of Joplin, MO calling minor league baseball. He then moved to Kansas City and worked for the Kansas City Athletics ball club before joining the new AFL franchise that had just moved to Kansas City.

Bill Grigsby suffered from several medical problems over the last few years, he retired from the Chiefs in 2009 with his health deteriorating. He was diagnosed with Prostate cancer later, and suffered a broken hip last fall. The Chiefs honored him last season with a pregame ceremony on the field. He published his Autobiography in 2004.

I never met the man, but from all accounts he was a nice guy. He certainly had lots of energy - that would come through in his broadcasts, and he really seemed to enjoy life. I sure will never forget how he growled out the words "Prrriiccee Chhoopper" for his drop ins during Pre and post games. That's the best advertising Price Chopper ever got. It was certainly always a beautiful day when Grigsby was around! We should all be so lucky to live a long, happy life.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Another Record Snowfall Pounds the Kansas City Area

Another record snowfall for the Kansas City area, as KCI recorded 6.2 inches of snow. That shattered the old record of 3.8 inches set way back in 1934. Though not everyone got a half foot of snow, everyone in the Kansas City metro got a taste. Snowfall Totals ranged from 2" in the southern parts of the area, up to around nine inches to the northwest. Even die hard snow lovers have had it with winter in Kansas City that if you remember didn't even really start until January. We can hope, but don't expect this to be the last of it either.

There is another storm system setting up that could bring snow to Southern California before bringing heavy rains and possible snow Sunday into Monday.

Hang in there folks it can't last much longer. Check out some snowfall totals from around the Metro.

Overland Park - 2.2 inches
KCI - 6.2 inches
Lees Summit - 2.7 inches
Leavenworth - 8.7 inches
Gran Valley - 1.5 inches
Independence - 4.0 inches
Blue Springs - 4.0 inches
St Joseph - 8.4 inches
Bonner Springs - 5.1 inches
Pleasant Hill - 1 inch

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wins For K State and Mizzou Set up Big Game on Saturday

Wins by both Kansas State and Missouri on Wednesday sets up an intriguing match up this Saturday in Manhattan at the Octagon of Doom (still the world's stupidest nickname for an arena). Kansas State has been on fire of late winning 5 of their last 6 since being blown out in Lawrence - including an impressive victory over Kansas.

Mizzou has also won 5 of their last 6, but have just recently picked up their first Conference road win over an abysmal Iowa State team. The Tigers won the previous meeting between the two schools earlier this year in Columbia.

A Missouri victory this Saturday will strengthen their position in the top 4 of the Big 12 Standings and a first round bye in the Conference Tournament, and earn them more respect nationally with an impressive road win. A victory by K State, I think would almost assuredly earn them a spot in the NCAA tournament. Missouri is surely in at this point with 22 wins and a guaranteed Conference Record of at least .500 - not to mention undefeated at home (so far).

For Missouri to pull off the victory they will need great efforts by their big men. The three forwards (Ratliffe, Bowers, and Safford) combined for 40 points and 25 boards against Baylor Wednesday night. They will need a repeat performance to knock off K State on Saturday night.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Joakim Soria Wants to Drop "Mexicutioner" Nickname

Joakim Soria wants to drop his nickname the "Mexicutioner." Soria feels the nickname is too negative, especially given the drug violence and turmoil in his homeland of Mexico. While Soria's heart is in the right place, it can be hard for an athlete to shed a catchy nickname, and Soria's nickname ranks among the best of active athletes.

Soria has been one of the few bright spots for the Royals' organization over the past few seasons. Unfortunately for Soria, the Royals media have already sold many t-shirts branding him as "the Mexicutioner" and it has gained cult status among Kansas City fans. Soria offered that some of the best closers in baseball, including Mariano Rivera, do not have any nicknames, and that if fans wanted to call him something they could dub him "his Mexillency." Not working for me.

I understand Soria's reservations towards his nickname, but feel that the name is too awesome for Soria to drop. There are thousands of athlete nicknames, and most are really lame. Look at the best athlete nicknames ever; Soria's nickname ranks right up there with some of the best in sports. Will Soria's nickname stick? Only time will tell, but I for would miss watching "the Mexicutioner" close out the seldom wins the Royals will pick up next year.

Mike Burke and Sly James will Face Off in Kansas City Mayor's Race

Kansas City's Mayoral primary is over - with historic, if not necessarily surprising, results. Mark Funkhauser will be the first Kansas City mayor in over 80 years not to enjoy a second term. The current mayor finished a fairly close 3rd overall in a field of 6. Jim Rowland finished 4th, with Deb Hermann finishing a disappointing 5th place. Henry Klein got a few more votes than did Charles Wheeler - of course Wheeler bowed out of the race more than a week ago, but it was too late to remove him from the ballot. Mr Klein should spend his time more wisely in the future, running for Mayor is not a very productive pastime for him.

Who are the 502 people that voted for Charles Wheeler anyway? Almost nobody bothers to vote (50,000 voters out of 230,000 registered in the city) in these municipal primaries, and usually they are the more informed among us and they still voted for a man that dropped out of the race? I guess you can't fix stupid.

Should be a good race between Burke and James. Both seem to be nice enough guys despite both being attorneys. Burke probably holds an edge with the endorsements he has received and hi "experience" in city government. Experience is overrated and Sly James will tout the fact that he is an outsider - this plays well to some, and of course being black will help in the inner city. Besides, it would be cool to have a mayor named Sly, wouldn't it?

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

KU Routs Oklahoma State Despite Missing Tyshawn Taylor

Kansas has suspended starting guard Tyshawn Taylor for an undisclosed reason, citing that the junior has violated team rules. Taylor has had an up and down season so far, averaging a shade under nine points and five assists per game.

This latest incident is yet another setback for the talented yet troubled Taylor. Last season, Taylor's Twitter resulted in Bill Self taking the internet away from the guard. Even worse, Taylor was injured in a campus fight which also resulted in a suspension. KU fans keep waiting for Taylor, who has flashed signs of greatness in his time in Lawrence, to grow up. Unfortunately, that seems like a lofty dream at this point.

Fortunately for Bill Self, his team is once again one of the deepest in the country. KU ran all over Oklahoma State 92-65 in a game that was never in doubt. Elijah Johnson had a monster game for the Jayhawks, and the Morris twins dominated an overmatched Oklahoma State team from the start. KU has survived key injuries and two suspensions this season due to a ridiculous stockpile of talent and depth, which will make it tough to beat in March. In its quest to catch Texas in the Big 12 standings, KU picked up a key victory and lived to fight another day.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Carmelo Anthony Traded to New York Knicks

Former Denver Nugget star Carmelo Anthony Traded to the New York Knicks Minutes Ago - Breaking Story
by Kansas City News

After a day's worth of back and forth between Carmelo Anthony, The Denver Nuggets, The New York Knicks and "set up" team The New Jersey Nets, Anthony signed on the dotted line with the Knicks.

The deal involves the Nuggets aquiring Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey (gotta love that name) Mozgov, New York's 2014 first round draft pick, and in return the Knicks will get Melo, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman.  The Knicks will also give the Denver Nuggets $3 million dollars in cash.

Reason for Tyshawn Taylor Suspension KU

"I was a bad kid"
Why Was Tyshawn Taylor Suspended?  Most Likely for Skipping Classes...
by Kansas City News

Though Bill Self did not reveal the reason for suspending junior guard Tyshawn Taylor, speculation revolves around Taylor's skipping classes.  KU fans don't seem to be too concerned about the suspension, and many fan sites claim that they are happy to see Josh Selby get more minutes anyway, siting that Taylor doesn't shoot when he is open.  (If the link confuses you, wait until Dave Chappelle [as Prince] yells "Shoot the J!  Shoot it!" during the basketball scene.)

Bill Self's statement today read “Although we are disappointed in Tyshawn, he will remain a member of our team and practice with our team until he is reinstated for competition.”

It is obviously nothing serious and it is likely that Tyshawn will return to play very soon.  When interviewed before the game vs. Oklahoma State tonight Taylor simply said "I was a bad kid".  Tyshawn Taylor was dressed in plain clothes on the sidelines at tonight's game and seemed to be laughing and joking around and cheering his team on, so that would indicate even further that his suspension is not that serious.

If the reason for his suspension really is for skipping classes, I am guessing that they are keeping that a secret to protect the integrity of the University and the other players involved in KU athletics.  Although most people know that many of the athletes at the big universities are not exactly there to study, the University of Kansas certainly doesn't want to become known for these types of athletes.

As I'm finishing this up KU is running away with the game and the score is currently 45 to 26.

Kansas City Mayoral Primary on Tuesday

The Kansas City Mayoral Primary will be held on Tuesday. Mayor Funkhauser will face five others to narrow the race down to two. The top two vote getters will face off in the March 22nd General Election. The candidates, in no particular order are:

Henry Klein - Klein has lived in Kansas City for more than 25 years and has no direct experience in local Government (that's probably a good thing). He ran last time around and received just over 1% of the vote in the primary. His big issue is crime and the fact that Kansas City is more dangerous than 98 % of US Cities. Klein doesn't stand a chance, which means he is probably one of the better candidates.

Deb Hermann - Two term City Councilwoman from the North of the River's 1st District. Will probably show well in the Northland and has decent name recognition. She is big on "neighborhoods" - whatever that means. She also stresses the importance of basic services. Hermann is a possible top two finisher.

Mike Burke - Former City Council Member (1st District) - extensive experience in city government, on council and various councils - for example Convention and Visitors Association. Probably the front runner at this point. Burke has picked up key endorsements from Two senile former mayors and Kay Barnes (make that 3 senile former mayors).

Jim Rowland - Former City Councilman and current Executive Director of the Jackson County Sports Authority. Don't know the man, but seems that one should quit their job working for the county Sports Authority before they run for Mayor if they want to seem serious. Also I have heard he is an asshole. Besides their are too many white candidates for Rowland to be successful.

Sly James - Former Marine and Successful Personal Injury Attorney - I'm not really a big fan of personal injury lawyers, but he seems like an OK guy for a Democrat. Besides, he's the only black guy in the race - if he can get black people to the polls, he will do well - just ask Emanuel Cleaver.

Mayor Funky - Well we all know the very public tribulations of our current Mayor. Personally, I like the guy. Seems to me he told everyone he was not a politician, got elected, proved he wasn't a politician and then every one's pissed. I think the city has actually made progress. If it wasn't for his wife, we might be talking about a different race. I'd like to think he can make the top 2, but I'm kind of a cranky bastard pulling for another cranky bastard.

Polls are open Tuesday, February 22nd, 6AM - 7PM in Kansas City.

NBA All-Star Game Doesn't Disappoint

Kobe Bryant picked up his fourth NBA All-Star game MVP en route to leading the West side over the East in the 2011 NBA All-Star game. The game was a high scoring, entertaining affair, however the fourth quarter featured some of the best basketball you will ever see. After getting blown out by the West for the first three and a half quarters, the East mounted a furious comeback, eventually cutting the lead to two. Unlike the NFL Pro Bowl, the end of the All-Star game featured two groups of basketball's best trying to get the win, and the result was a satisfying game to watch.

I'm not an NBA fan, but the All-Star weekend is entertaining for even the casual basketball follower. The 2011 NBA Slam Dunk competition was wildly entertaining, with the rediculous Blake Griffin capping off the evening by dunking over a car. The 2011 Rookies vs. Sophomores game was fun as well, as fans got a glimpse at the next generation of NBA stars and more play ground style basketball. I know there isn't much (if any) defense in any of the games, but the dunks, no look passes and high scoring make the games fun, fast and entertaining, even to casual NBA fans such as myself.

There has been a lot of talk recently about a Kansas City NBA team, and the All Star game this year reminded me why it could work. NBA games are fast-paced and entertaining, and a new team in a fairly new arena (the Sprint Center) could be a big draw in Kansas City. Throw in location (games would be played across the street from the Power and Light district) and the fact that Kansas City fans have nothing else to do in between the Chiefs' season and the upcomming failure known as Royals baseball, and it starts to sound like a good idea. Plus, Kansas City could possibly host an NBA All-Star game of its own someday, and it could be you Blake Griffin dunks over.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Shake Ups in the Big 12

Heading into Saturday, we knew that this weekend would go a long way in shaping the Big 12 race. Several teams made a big push for why (or why not) it should make the NCAA tournament, while the Big 12's top team finally suffered a league loss.

No one gave Nebraska much of a chance against the seemingly invincible Texas Longhorns, however the Huskers knocked off the Big 12's top team in Lincoln, 70-67. No one goes undefeated in Big 12 play (the only team to ever accomplish the feat was Kansas in the 2001-2002 season), and Texas still has a one game lead over KU. However, Kansas' rout of Colorado showed that the Jayhawks are not going silently into the night, and the Big 12 race should go down until the final week of regular season play.

Speaking of the Huskers, no one gave its NCAA status a bigger boost than Nebraska did on Saturday. Now at 18-8 overall and 6-6 in the Big 12, Nebraska has a huge victory to add to its overall profile. The Huskers' last four games include KState, Iowa State, Missouri and Colorado, plenty off opportunities for Nebraska to grab a tournament spot with a strong finish.

KState, Missouri and Texas A&M all picked up wins, and at this point it appears that the Aggies and Tigers are locks for the Big Dance, while KState is a few wins away. The biggest mystery team continues to be the Baylor Bears, who somehow lost at home to Texas Tech and fell to 6-6 in the league. After a poor non-conference slate, Baylor's average league showing has put the Bears in trouble. Baylor's final four games feature three ranked opponents, and the Bears will likely need to win at least three of these games to get into the tournament.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Comedy Radio Station Hits Kansas City 102.5 FM

Can my wife cook?  In our house
we pray AFTER we eat...
Funny 102.5 Comedy Radio Station Tests the Waters in Kansas City
by Kansas City News


UPDATE!

New Comedy Radio Show Comes To Kansas City.  Check out Kansas City's new comedy radio show, The Sunday Jones!





Even though I have XM radio, I don't really listen to it that often.  But I have found myself on long road trips enjoying the Comedy Channel on occasion.  For all of last week, if you tuned into 102.5 FM (not sure why you would do that) you would have heard a constant laugh track.  This was Funny 102.5 FM's transition program, getting Kansas City ready for their new comedy radio station.  On a side note, new radio stations in Kansas City have had some funny transition programs in the past.  I remember one station played nothing but U2 for like 2 weeks in a row.  Another station played sounds of a construction site for a week straight.  The laugh track that Funny 102.5 FM ran didn't work that well as the laughing sounded a little too close to radio static - the sound that you would normally hear at the 102.5 FM location.  So most people probably passed right by it, ignoring it completely.

Regardless, Funny 102.5 FM became Kansas City's new (and only) comedy radio station this past week airing random comedy bits from various comics, much as the XM stations "Laugh USA" and XM Comedy Showcase.  The new comedy station is actually a very nice change for Kansas City radio.  Tune in when you're in need of cheering up - maybe on your way to work, or on your way to an IRS Audit, and have a good laugh.  You idiot.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Kansas City Ranked 9th Most Dangerous City in US

A new report that analyzed the past seven years crime statistics from the FBI has ranked Kansas City as the 9th most dangerous city in the United States. The study assigned a numerical value to each city based on the amount of property crimes and violent crimes reported. Kansas City scored a 337. a score of 100 would indicate average crime rate for all cities studied. Kansas City's score reflected a crime rate more than three times the national average.

St Louis ranked first (or worst - depending on how you look at it) with a score of 530 - Followed by Atlanta, Birmingham, Orlando and Detroit.

The report did note, however, that the overall rate of crime has dropped significantly in the last 20 years. The full report can be found at the US News and World Report Website.

Previewing This Weekend's Big 12 Matchups

We are only two weeks away from March, which means the conference regular season will soon be over. In the current Big 12 standings, Texas sits alone in first place with an 11-0 record, two games ahead of 9-2 Kansas. Baring an epic Texas collapse, it appears that KU's streak of consecutive conference championships will end at six.

Saturday provides an opportunity for several of the Big 12 bubble teams to make a strong statement for why it should make the NCAA tournament. Missouri will travel to Iowa State, where a win would put the Tigers at 7-5 overall in the conference. Missouri has yet to win on the road in Big 12 play, and a loss to the Cyclones would be a huge blow to the Tiger's tournament profile. In the teams' first meeting, Missouri hammered Iowa State.

KState will host a struggling Oklahoma team, which should provide the Wildcats with an opportunity to get back to .500 in conference play and move past Nebraska (who should lose big to Texas) in the standings. Baylor, who currently sits at 6-5 in Big 12 play, will host Texas Tech, a game the Bears should win.

The team with the most to gain this weekend is Colorado, who will travel to Lawrence to face the previously first-ranked Jayhawks. The last time these teams met, KU edged CU on the road 82-78 without forward Thomas Robinson. The Jayhawks will be without Robinson again, and is fresh off its worst game of the season. A victory for Colorado would be a huge boost for the Buffs' tournament chances.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Missouri Senate Passes Voter ID Legislation

The Missouri Senate passed SB3 today. The so called "Voter ID" bill requires a Missouri or Federal Government Photo Identification to vote. The Legislation is contingent upon a Missouri Constitutional amendment being passed, so this is really the first step in a long process. The bill passed by a 26-7 vote. The State Supreme Court struck down a similar law in 2006 - that's why this time around a Constitutional Amendment will be necessary.

Liberal Democrat Senator Jolie Justus tweeted soon after the vote that the Missouri Senate just "voted to disenfranchise at least 230,000 voters" . I can't imagine why anyone would oppose a law like this until I put myself in the shoes of a Democrat. You see, Democrats need the votes of people who can't get, or are too lazy to get photo IDs. Illegals for example, can't get a legitimate state ID without proper paperwork. Dead people, another Democratic voting bloc, also can't provide proper photo IDs. Then another thing occurred to me - who are these 230,000 Missourians who don't have a photo ID? And how on earth do they conduct business on a day to day basis? Can you get a job without ID? Receive Government benefits? Open a Bank account? I'm sorry, but I can't imagine 230,000 Missourians without any photo ID. Are they counting Children? What a bunch of losers.

Incidentally, did you know you can get a fake ID on the Internet? Holy shit, that's cool - a lot of things have changed since I was of the fake ID age, man I'm getting old.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

KState's Reaction to WIn Against KU Embarrassing

KState salvaged its season in a big statement win over KU in Manhattan, and its fan base deserved to celebrate and savor the win. However, once again KState's inferiority complex with KU is too much for them to overcome, and they have taken a regular season win at home further than anyone would have thought possible.

KState's athletic department is already selling DVDs of Monday's victory. Thats right, not a DVD for a national title, or a Big 12 title, or even a a Big 12 Tournament title. One regular season win. Granted KU was ranked first and is KState's "rival," but a DVD?

Wait, it gets better. Not only can you buy a DVD of the win, but KState is also auctioning the nets from the game. Most teams only cut down and display game nets when it wins a league or punches a ticket to the Final 4. KState? Well, a regular season win to get back on the tournament bubble merits acting like you've won it all. I know the athletic department needs some money after the Ron Prince scandal, but come on.

This is why no one can take KState and its fans seriously. KSU was ranked third in the preseason polls and was the runaway pick to win the Big 12. It was expected that the Wildcats would knock off KU at home. After a few losses, KState has already reverted back to its late 90's form, expecting to lose and going bonkers if it beats KU. If KState wants to know why KU fans act so "arrogant" and "cocky" this is why - because when you beat us, it merits a DVD and auctioning the game net.

Jim Zorn New Quarterbacks Coach for Chiefs

Todd Haley completed his 2011 coaching staff Tuesday with the announcement of Jim Zorn as his new Quarterbacks Coach. Mr Wonderful hinted that this might happen two weeks ago in a post about the new Offensive Coordinator. Zorn has over 20 years experience in the NFL as a quarterback and a coach. He spent last season coaching Joe Flacco for the Baltimore Ravens. Prior to that, he was the Head Coach in Washington after serving 10 years as Quarterback coach in Seattle and Detroit. He has worked with Quarterbacks Matt Hasselbeck and Charlie Batch as well as Flacco. All have been successful under his watch. He has also coached Quarterbacks in college.

Zorn was the Seattle Seahawks starter at Quarterback for 7 seasons before Dave Krieg took over in 1983. As an undrafted Free Agent in 1976 he was voted the AFC Offensive Rookie of the year. He was the second Seahawk to be voted into the team's Ring of Fame.

With last week's promotion of Bill Muir to Offensive Coordinator, the Chiefs needed a coach for Cassel as Coach Wiess did both last year. Muir's area of expertise is Offensive Line, so it was important to get a coach in here that knows the quarterback position. Bad haircut not withstanding, Zorn is that man. I think it's a good hire if he can get on the same page with Haley who is fast earning a reputation as being hard to get along with.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Sunflower House Valentine's Day Gala 2011

Kansas City Charity Events - The Sunflower House Valentine's Day Gala 2011
by Kansas City News

Once again a "who's who" of Kansas City events, The Sunflower House Valentine's Day Gala was a huge hit.  In attendance were District Attorney Jerry Gorman, Johnson County District Attorney Steven Howe, KMBC-TV's Larry Moore, Gary Ryther and a host of prominent Kansas City business and community leaders.  The event was produced by Adam Blue Productions and featured entertainment from Kansas City's hottest dance band The KC All Stars.

Sunflower House is a local Kansas City charity that raises money to assist children who are victims of child abuse in Wyandotte and Johnson County.  According to the event's MC and our good friend Larry Moore "The people at Sunflower House do a marvelous job working to help these kids. Sunflower House is a wonderful facility replacing the tiny quarters of the former Johnson County Coalition Against Child Abuse and it also provides for abused kids from Wyandotte County.  For me, it’s been a great opportunity to view the progress that has been made in 28 years in dealing with children who are victims of child abuse. These are children in our community we see each day. Sunflower House provides a place of hope and healing for over 450 children and their caregivers each year. I’m very pleased to have been a part of that effort for 28 years."  Larry Moore continued to add "The sobering reason for the annual event is that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they reach the age of 18."


Sunflower House is a child abuse prevention center serving Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas. Founded in 1977, Sunflower House is a non-residential child advocacy center and an accredited member of the National Children's Alliance.

MISSION: To protect children in our community from physical and sexual abuse through education, advocacy, forensic and medical services.

Child Assessment and Medical Services:
Sunflower House provides a child-friendly, safe environment where children may share details about their abuse with a specially trained forensic interviewer. We also provide wellness and medical evaluations in our on-site clinic, facilitating early diagnosis and intervention.
Community Education:
Sunflower House provides personal safety education to schools and educates over 27,000 children, parents and professionals each year through P.S. It's My Body!, Keeping Kids Safe Online, Stewards of Children, Mandated Reporter Training and other educational programs.

KU Falls to KState in Manhattan

In a Sunflower Showdown that was supposed to be a cakewalk for KU, KState played like its season was on the line while the Jayhawks looked like it simply expected to walk all over KState like it did in Allen Fieldhouse. KState was able to salvage its disappointing season and make a strong case for a NCAA tournament berth with a strong win over number one ranked KU.

The final result wasn't pretty: KState beat KU 84-68 in a game that was never in doubt. KU easily played its worst game of the season, while KState turned in a performance that was somewhat shocking given how poorly it had played in Big 12 play. KState got an insane performance from senior Jacob Pullen, who torched the Jayhawks for 38 points.

Before KU fans all jump in the Kansas river, just remember: KU is not healthy and easily played its worst ball of the year. KU is missing Thomas Robinson due to injury, and star freshman Josh Selby barely played due to a stress fracture in his foot. The loss puts KU at 10-2 in the conference, and it will likely see its ridiculous streak of consecutive Big 12 championships end at six. However, this could be a very dangerous team in March, especially when healthy. KU had beaten KState 42 in its last 44 meetings, and it is hard not to avoid a road bump every once in a while. KU will recover, while KState fans can't help but wonder how its team's season would have gone had the Wildcats played every game like Monday night's contest.

Monday, February 14, 2011

K-State's Season Comes Down to Tonight's Game

It is officially do or die time in Manhattan. If K-State has any chance to salvage its embarrassing season, one that started with the Wildcats ranked third in the nation and picked to win the Big 12, it has to defeat the number one ranked Kansas Jayhawks.

After losing to Colorado on Saturday, Joe Lunardi has placed the Wildcats on life support in his current NCAA projections. K-State is currently listed as an 11th seed and falling fast, a far cry from the lofty expectations it once had. In the current Big 12 standings, KSU sits behind Colorado (who swept the Wildcats this season) in a four way tie for seventh place with Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.

Everything is on the line tonight. KU is as weak as it has been all season on paper, missing starting guard Josh Selby and key reserve Thomas Robinson due to injury. Unfortunately for K-State, the Jayhawks have been playing lights out recently. A win over KU would give Frank Martin's team a signature win over the nation's top-ranked team, while a loss all but mathematically knocks the Wildcats out of the big dance. Its time to see what K-State is made of.

Southwest High School Problems are Avoidable and Embarassing

Southwest High School in Kansas City is a joke. On Friday, the Fire Department was called to the School on two separate occasions, and Police later called for a fight. The School, known as The Southwest Early College Campus, has been making some strides in recent years, but this year has been a shambles. The Kansas City Fire Department has been called to the school more than 50 TIMES since August! That's like once every 2 and half days. How can that be any kind of a learning environment.

Being an "Early College Campus" you might think the kids would be the best and brightest of the school district. If that's the case, the city is fucked for the future. Security has been doubled, some of the worst offenders were sent to a new alternative High School, and still the problems persist. If you live in the KCMO School District and you don't send your kids to private school, you are ABUSING them - plain and simple. Get out now if you can't afford private schools.

Every student and parent should be made to sign a document stating the rules for civilized behavior. This kind of bullshit is not tolerated anywhere else, why should it be tolerated in Kansas City schools?  If the rules cannot be followed, then the students should be expelled, plain and simple. The students causing the problems obviously don't want to be there anyway, and at least you can try to teach the ones that are left. The only problem with this plan is that the district is paid per student, and after weeding out the undesirables, you would have very few students left, and that might hurt the bottom line.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Valentine's Day Kansas City 2011 Date Night Ideas

Valentine's Day at Home Ideas - Kansas City
by Kansas City News

Valentine's Day is once again upon us and we've got some fun ideas for a great night at home.  Although Valentine's Day is somewhat of a commercially inspired holiday, it does help to break up the monotony of the long winter months - and besides, this year it falls on a Monday and with football season over what else is there to do on a Monday night?

If you can't tell already, this article will be told from the male perspective.

Valentine's Day at home definitely has it's advantages.  It gives you a chance to stretch out your cooking skills, and when the meal is over let's face it, you're closer to the bedroom.  Setting up your home for a romantic Valentine's Day is easy.

Flowers
First, make sure that you buy flowers.  Don't try to arrange them, simply put them in a large vase with water.  Girls like to arrange flowers, simply tell her that you're not very good at arranging - girls love guys that need a little help :)  This will also give her something to do besides sit there and stare at you.

Candles
Candles are always good.  Make sure that you put out a lot of candles.  If you have a fireplace be sure and have that going as well.

Music
Get some good tunes flowing.  Not the typical Dave Matthews, John Mayer mainstream crap that you always have on, but something unique and classy like Frank Sinatra or Sam Cooke.  Or, for the more adventurous listener you may find yourself becoming strangely attached to a band called The Sea and Cake.

Food
When it comes to preparing the meal, make sure that it is a work in progress.  Make the meal happen in stages.  Have some hors d'oeuvres ready for starters, a nice shrimp cocktail is easy - or you can do a cold tray with veggies, cheeses and dip (you can buy these pre-made at the store, just unwrap and rearrange on your own serving dish).  While she is enjoying the hors d'oeuvres, flowers and candles, you should be working on the main course.  Let her help you in the kitchen, women love to help.  There are several great easy dishes for guys to make.  Make something that takes a little while to cook and will get your house smelling good early on.  It's nice to walk into a house that smells like food cooking - get something boiling or simmering.  The easiest and most impressive dish is Pasta.  Pick out an exotic pasta that you don't normally use, like Farfalle (bow-tie pasta).  Then just pick out a mixture to pour over the pasta.  Chicken is a good choice, throw some boneless breast of chicken (chopped) into a pan with some lemon pepper, olive oil, veggies of your choice.  Then take a jar of alfredo sauce (find at any store) and mix in last.  Let this simmer until chicken is done (get the good smell going).  When you're ready to eat, get the pasta boiling, throw some garlic bread in the oven and your good to go.  For desert, a chocolate fondue is easy to do, or you could get some Valentine's Day cupcakes - women LOVE cupcakes - chocolate of course.

Entertainment
You might want to engage in an old fashioned board game like Life or Scrabble - Yahtzee is kind of cool also.  Compliment your Valentine's Day at Home evening with a nice bottle (or box) of wine and you're good to go.

If you have a date that insists on going out on Valentine's Day, you may have trouble finding a restaurant in Kansas City that isn't booked up.  There are several great restaurants listed at http://www.restaurantkansascity.com

Chiefs Should Consider Plaxico Burress

With the NFL draft only two months away, many Chiefs fans have voiced that the club needs to find an impact WR to go with pro bowler Dwayne Bowe. The Chiefs struggled mightily to find a complement to Bowe last year, which hurt the team's passing attack down the stretch. Bowe's breakout season means more teams will be keying on the young wideout, which means finding another quality receiver or two a priority.

However, the Chiefs should be weary of drafting a wide receiver in the first round. Often, wide receivers are a bad investment in the first round, and Kansas City has other areas of need it could address with its top pick. Looking at the WR's drafted since 2000, and you can see there are as many (if not more) busts than good players. Plus, many teams have been able to find and develop pro bowl wideouts drafted in the later rounds. The Packers just won the superbowl with one of the best wideout tandems in the league, and its WR corps features two second rounders, a third rounder and a seventh rounder.

The Chiefs best bet would be to immediately address the position via free agency. So here is a crazy idea - why not sign Plaxico Burress? Burress has proven he can play at a high level, and he will be released from prison in June. Michael Vick proved this year that guys can stay in playing shape while in prison, and the Eagles were rewarded by being the only team to take a chance on the troubled former star. Burress can be signed for almost nothing, and what do the Chiefs have to lose?

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Saturday Recap - Kansas Likely to be Ranked Number One

Kansas made a strong win for the number one ranking in the nation with a season sweep of Iowa State. KU beat Iowa State 89-66 in Lawrence, moving to 9-1 in the Big 12 and 24-1 overall. After starting the season ranked seventh, achieving the number one ranking would be another sign that Bill Self has done one of his best coaching jobs with this year's team.

KU has been able to maintain its momentum despite several key injuries, including freshman sensation Josh Selby and key reserve Thomas Robinson. Tyrel Reed and Jeff Withey are also battling nagging injuries but shouldn't miss any time. The key to the Jayhawks' season will be how healthy can Kansas get by March - a full strength KU squad could easily contend for a national title.

KU was in this same position last season, however something feels different about this year's team. Last year, Kansas struggled throughout the year to put away lesser opponents and failed to execute on basketball's different stage. Since the loss to Texas, KU has ran through the league and managed to not miss a beat despite injury problems. When healthy, this team is arguably the best team in the country, but any more injuries could derail KU's campaign for a second national title in the past four seasons.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Jack in the Box back in Kansas City - Grand Opening

Jack in the Box to open 3 locations in Kansas City
by Kansas City News

Awwww Yeah!  America's favorite 24 hour grease-a-torium has returned to the Kansas City area.  Jack in the Box, having closed their restaurants in our fair city back in 1980, has opened a new location in a Kansas City ghetto at Prescott Plaza, 211 S. 18th St., in Kansas City, Kansas.  Don't feel left out though, as Jack in the Box also plans to open a location at 103rd and Metcalf in Overland Park, and also somewhere in pseudo-hillbilly Blue Springs.

Jack in the Box really comes in handy after a long night of binge drinking as they are open 24 hours every day and serve breakfast and burgers alike at a slightly upgraded quality than McDonald's or Taco Smell.  While I wouldn't condone eating Jack in the Box every day, it is a welcome franchise in the Kansas City area as a substitute for the other fast food chains that have gotten a little old.

Jack in the Box has the bulk of it's franchises in California (972 locations), and their menu includes burgers, tacos, egg rolls, grilled cheese, and of course the bacon cheddar potato wedges.  Jack in the Box franchises sometimes include local cuisine in their menu, so it's possible that they may attempt to offer some kind of BBQ item on their Kansas City menu.  If it's anything like the McRib, I will continue to go to Jack Stack for my BBQ cravings.  The only other fast food chain that I would like to see return to Kansas City is White Castle - now that's some late night drunk food, baby.

Ollie Gates Complains to Mayor About Kansas City Police

Wednesday night Kansas City Police set a Command Center in the parking lot of a Gates Bar-B-Q on Emanuel Cleaver Blvd (I can't believe we named a street after him). Five blocks away, police were trying to get an armed suspect out of a house in the 4400 block of Wayne Ave (nice hood). For a couple of hours, Ollie claims, Police scared off customers and basically make a mess of his parking lot costing him $3300 in business in his estimation. He called Mayor Funkhouser who promptly came down to have a look, and probably a complimentary Mixed Plate. How cool would it be to make a call to the Mayor of a major City, probably on his cell phone, and have him rush down to your restaurant on a cold Wednesday night. That is how much influence Ollie Gates has in Kansas City. And rightly so, he has successful businesses in the inner city, something the City desperately needs more of.

Though the cops were doing their jobs, and I'm sure they never gave a thought to it, they could have found a better place to set up their command post. They were five blocks away form the scene, so it's not like they had to set up there, it could have been any number of parking lots of closed businesses. With the influence Ollie wields, I'm sure they won't set up in the Gates Parking Lot again.

In that neighborhood, no doubt business was lost. I'm sure a good percentage of the population down there wouldn't come within a half mile of a Police cruiser if they can help it.

Latest NCAA Bracket Updates

Joe Lunardi's latest Braketology has KU, KState and Missouri all in the big dance. While Kansas continues to build momentum towards a one seed, KState and Missouri's struggles have planted them on the bubble for the time being.

Kansas' success this season puts them in a favorable position. Barring an epic collapse, the Jayhawks cannot do worse than a two seed, and will likely be a one seed yet again in the tournament. The only question remaining is if Kansas can avoid another Northern Iowa type upset and make a deep run in the postseason. Lunardi currently has KU as a one seed.

Missouri is currently a six seed in Lunardi's projections, but falling fast. The Tigers haven't won a Big 12 road contest this season, and is fresh off a beatdown in Lawrence at the hands of KU. Missouri should make the tournament, but it will likely be a much lower seed than many predicted before the season.

Finally showing signs of life are the KState Wildcats. KSU has emerged as a 10 seed in Lunardi's mock bracket and has an opportunity to cement its status in its next two games: a road trip to Colorado and a home contest against KU. A win in each would put the cats in the tourny, but that is a huge if given the opponents.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

KCMO Police Commanders and Chief in Hot Water Over Dinners

An investigation has revealed that some inappropriate charges were made to Kansas City Police Department credit cards for expensive dinners and alcoholic drinks. The charges in question were for dinners at the Capital Grille and included the Police Commanders and a lobbyist. One of the dinners also included Chief Jim Corwin. There were three meals in all at Capital Grille totaling almost $2000.

Chief Corwin says he takes responsibility for the inappropriate charges and that the Capital Grille was a poor choice of restaurant. The money for those meals will be reimbursed (because they were caught, of course). The Department policy against alcohol purchased at these dinners will be reviewed.

Really the problem here is how business in done in our political system. The Police Department was simply trying to schmooze lobbyists like everyone else does if you want to get anything done in Jefferson City. The amount of money spent to grease the wheels of democracy is stunning. This is really not a big deal, they got caught, reimbursed the money, and will be more careful in the future. The real damage is on a Public Relations front - it just looks bad to be spending taxpayer money on expensive meals and booze, but really we are all just jealous.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

NFL Ticket Scandal Has A New Twist

The Super Bowl Ticket Scandal has taken a new twist, as the NFL has made a more enticing offer to the fans that lost their seats due to an obstructed view. The fans can now choose between two options:

1) $2,400 cash and a free "transferable" ticket to next year's game.

2): A free ticket to ANY future Super Bowl of their choosing, plus hotel and airfare for the week of the game. This option would NOT be transferable.

Recent reports are indicating that many of the fans will sue Jerry Jones for up to $5 million a seat. While I can understand that many fans are furious over not being able to see the game, hasn't the NFL done enough? No one was hurt, and many fans will benefit greatly from missing out on the super bowl.

Lets say a fan takes the first option, and sells the transferable ticket to next year's game. A super bowl ticket usually goes for at least a couple thousand, so these guests are getting likely over $5,000. Or a fan gets an all-expenses paid trip to any future game, and what die-hard NFL fan wouldn't love an all-expenses paid trip to the super bowl?

These fans have a right to be upset, but asking for $5 million per seat seems a bit ridiculous. The NFL has taken the necessary steps to make up for the fans' experience, but it will remain to be seen if these steps will be enough to hold off angry football fans - and their lawyers.

Lees Summit Voters Reject School District Levy Increase

Voters in the Lee's Summit School District rejected a new levy proposed by the district. The district claims they will have to make $6 million more in cuts without the new levy. The reasons cited by the district for the shortfall include reduced State and Local funding, and a general economic downturn that has resulted in lower tax revenues. If the levy had passed, it would have made Lee's Summit School District the highest levy rate in the State of Missouri!

The new levy would have added approximately $300/year to the average home owner's property taxes. That's no small potatoes for home owner's who already pay some of the highest taxes in the area. Property taxes on automobiles (personal property) is also incredibly high. I personally paid $521 last year for two VERY modest automobiles. The district needs to tighten their belt like the rest of us have.

According to the District website, Programs that would be affected include Parents as Teachers, general instructional positions decreased by 20 over the next two years (probably through attrition, small class size increase, small fees for some extracurricular activities. These are all cuts we can live with. Citizens have had to deal with cuts in their lives, and asking for more money from taxpayers is not an option at this time. By the way, this is the first time since 1995 that a levy increase has been rejected in Lee's Summit - the District has been given everything they asked for for 15 years.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Kansas Owns Missouri...Again

This was the season the Kansas Jayhawks were vulnerable. KU had lost the legendary Sherron Collins, the talented Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry, and was finally ripe for the picking in the Big 12. Well, that is if you listened to K-State and Missouri fans all summer and fall.

Kansas beat Missouri 103-86 last night in another lopsided Border War, proving yet again that KU will always be better than Missouri, and that its rivals to the east are not coming into the Phog and walking out with anything short of a blowout loss. In the year that KU was finally supposed to be vulnerable, both Kansas State and Missouri have gotten absolutely destroyed by the Hawks in Lawrence. Kansas' offense has been unstoppable in Big 12 play, mixing a deadly down low game with the Morris twins with steady outside shooting and guard play. Even more so, the Jayhawks are the deepest team in the country, consistently getting huge contributions from its bench.

After listening to KState and Mizzou fans talk trash all season long, the two humiliating defeats feel extra good this season. It gets hard to take pleasure in beating teams you take down year after year, in a league you win every season, so anything that makes the wins more fun is welcomed by KU fans. When Bill Self wins coach of the year again this season, maybe the other local schools will finally get it. Until then, let Mizzou and KState fans keep talking. KU doesn't need to, its dominance over its rivals says enough.

Silas Dent - Hermit Santa Claus of St. Pete Beach, Florida

Silas Dent had a unique rowing style -
he faced the wrong way.
Man Lives Alone on Island in Southern Florida for 56 Years
by Kansas City News

Silas Dent (1876-1952) was known as the "Happy Hermit of Cabbage Key".  Choosing to live alone on the island of Cabbage Key, now a flourishing upscale tourist area known as Tierra Verde, Silas Dent was known as one of the most rugged survivors of all time.  His family moved to southern Florida in 1900 to settle down and raise a dairy farm.  When the farm failed Silas' family returned to the cities and villages of the Florida keys, but not Silas.  Silas decided that he would rather go at it alone on a then deserted island known as Cabbage Key.

Silas was a farmer, a fisherman, a hunter/gatherer, and most surprisingly - Santa Claus.  Every Christmas Eve, Silas would row his boat from his island to the mainland to greet the children and give them presents which he saved up all year to purchase on nearly no income whatsoever.  Even in his early years, Silas had a long white beard and his portly figure fit the part of Santa to a tee.  The local children were very aware of his presence and would flock to him when he arrived, back full of presents and all.  This was the one time of year that Silas would mingle with his surrounding residents.  Once Christmas was over, Silas would return to his small grass hut on Cabbage Island to resume his life alone without the modern advantages of running water, electricity, or even batteries.  Silas built his grass hut out of palm leaves and palm logs.  He often wore no shoes and his feet were so tough that he used to fish for stone crabs by sticking his big toe into their dangerous lairs, waiting for them to latch on.

My favorite Silas Dent saying is "I work when I wonts and sit when I feels like it".  Reminds me of the reason that I started my own business back in 1996.  I've never looked back since, and I work when I wonts and I sit when I feels like it.  The story of Silas Dent came to me recently when we were vacationing at St. Pete Beach.  We were fortunate enough to be "stranded" there when the storm blasted through Kansas City last week.  The St. Pete Beach area is a tropical paradise in the form of a long thin strip of land that sits along the Gulf.  The stretch of island is filled with beach bars, 5 star resorts, and some GREAT restaurants - most importantly all in walking distance along the beach.

Erica Wallace of Kansas City, Missouri
One of the restaurants that we came accross was Silas Dent's Steakhouse.   From the minute we walked in we knew we were in for something special.  The host announced to the server that we were to get the "best booth in the house" - and that we did.  The booth was the coolest booth in history. To get to it, you had to climb up several stairs, then you would find the booth in it's own little room overlooking the bay (pictured left).  I started noticing pictures hung about of this strange man with a long white beard - strumming a banjo in many of them - seated in front of the ocean.  We asked about this man and the owner of the restaurant chain himself came over and gave us the full story.  Born and raised in the Florida Keys, the owner had been one of the children that used to wait for Silas Dent to come on Christmas Eve to deliver presents back in the 40's.  He fondly remembers meeting Silas and he decided to build a VERY successful chain of restaurants bearing Silas' name.  I didn't get a photo of it, but there's a picture in the men's room of Silas with his back turned to you, looking at you over his shoulder, overalls half way down, taking a piss on the beach.  I loved this place.

Silas Dent continued to live on the island until, at his neice's insistance, moved to the city.  On his first night at his Neice's apartment, Silas slipped and fell in the shower and fractured 5 ribs.  The very next day Silas promptly moved back to his island claiming "Civilization's too dangerous for me..."  Silas lived out his years on Cabbage Key island and fished and hunted his way to a generous 76 years old.

Photo Sources:
American Entertainment Solutions, LLC., Silas Dent's Restaurant, Creative Hospitality, Inc., St. Petersburg History Museum, Photo of Erica Wallace

Monday, February 7, 2011

Kansas City Auto Show March 2nd - 6th

by Kansas City News

The 2011 Greater Kansas City International Auto Show
A little info on this year's Chairman, Norman Vialle
With the strength of a 27-year career in the auto industry and an “always take care of the customer” business philosophy, Norman Vialle, President of Overland Park Jeep Dodge Chrysler, was a natural pick to represent the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City as the chairman of the 2011 Greater Kansas City International Auto Show.  “I am especially pleased to chair this year’s auto show. Our industry is rebounding from a challenging period over the past 24 months. Manufacturers and dealers are offering plenty of new and innovative products that the consumer will be able to see and experience.”  After earning his bachelor’s in business administration from Drury College in Springfield, Mo., Norman started his career at Overland Park AMC Jeep and worked his way up the ranks to become owner of Overland Park Jeep Dodge Chrysler

He attributes his success to a desire that each customer and employee is treated with respect.  Vialle wants sales customers to be greeted by no pressure, helpful, informed salespeople. Norman believes that if you give customers good information, they will make the best decision for their situation. The Overland Park Jeep service department is committed to making the service experience as convenient and comfortable as possible.  Norman is married with two children and is an avid tennis player.  He is a member of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood and is active in many charitable and professional organizations.

More on this year's Kansas City Auto Show coming soon right here at Kansas City News.

What the Chiefs can Learn From The Packers

The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl as Chiefs' fans, players and coaches watched from home, victims of a playoff loss to the Ravens in the wild card round. While the Chiefs are still in a rebuilding mode and just making the playoffs was a huge step forward, the NFL is about winning titles, and the Chiefs could learn a few things from the champion Packers in Kansas City's hunt for a title. The Packers are champions due to three critical components: A team built from the draft, a stout defense that keeps it in every game and an elite quarterback. Lets see how the Chiefs stack up in all three categories.

The Packers draft well year after year, and the result has been a sustained period of success for the green and gold. The Packers draft well in all seven rounds, which has helped the team register a winning season in all but two campaigns in the last 20 years. When the Packers took the field on Sunday, 18 of the team's 21 players had been drafted and groomed by Green Bay. The ability to mold players into your system from the time they enter the league is critical in the NFL, and while the Chiefs had a fantastic draft last year, they still have some work to do after a few lackluster efforts in the past five years. Pioli and co. had a good start last year, but it will be important for the Chiefs to continue to build through the draft to sustain the success it started this year.

The Packers defense has been great all year, and despite losing future hall of fame CB Charles Woodson in the first half, held the Steelers off just enough to help the Packers get the win. You need a defense that will keep you in the game even when the offense stalls, and Green Bay had this all season long. This is where Kansas City has made huge strides, and better yet, the Chiefs defense is very young.

The final reason the Packers are champs is simple: Aaron Rodgers has morphed into one of the deadliest QBs in the league in three seasons as a starter. Matt Cassel had a very good season this year, but failed to play well in some of the Chiefs' biggest moments. The list of recent super bowl winning QBs is a whos-who of the NFL's best: Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger, Manning, Brady, etc. A QB needs a good WR corps to be successful, and the Chiefs still need a lot of help at this position. With one of the league's top rushing attacks, the Chiefs offense has the ability to be potent, but until Cassel and his WRs turn into among the league's best, the Chiefs will be unable to win football's biggest prize.

Wells Fargo Closing in Kansas City - 192 Jobs Lost

Kansas City Unemployment Takes Another Hit - Wells Fargo Closes in Kansas City
by Kansas City News

The Wells Fargo Bank auto loans division closed abruptly on Thursday, February 5th, without notice to it's 192 employees who are now out of a job.  A friend of mine had worked at the Wells Fargo branch for 5 years and do you know how she got the news?  By TEXT MESSAGE.  That's right, she's sitting there enjoying a nice evening when she gets a text message telling her that she is now unemployed.  A severance package was offered to her and they have sent home an agreement for her to look over.  It appears at this point that compared to what the severance package offers, good old fashioned Kansas City Unemployment Benefits may be the better choice.  Might as well follow the trend, Kansas City lost more jobs in 2010 than any other city, somewhere in the neighborhood of 7,700 jobs lost.  The severance package agreement explicitly states that the closing of the Wells Fargo division be kept confidential.  I hesitated to write this report but then saw that the Star had already reported this news last week.  The majority of the employees at Wells Fargo were black females who no doubt raised a public ruckus, thus the news got to the Star before the company released an official statement.

Security guards were present when the employees went to collect their belongings on Monday and there was no advance warning of the closing whatsoever.  This may be good news to anyone who is in arrears with Wells Fargo, as the branch that they closed was mostly used for collections and skip tracing personel.

Ah, the stories that the employees of Wells Fargo collections must have enjoyed over the years when they made their collections calls.  (Person receiving the collections call speaking in deep ebonics) - "Yeah, but uh, see dat car is in my mamma's name" or even better "Ah, yeah, but uh, dat car be in my cousin's name".  (Play video for sample).


Probably not the greatest job in the world to have but at least it was a job.  Looks like Kansas City is off to another record breaking year of lost jobs in 2011.  That's the first time I've ever seen anyone get an elimination notice by TEXT MESSAGE.  Good stuff Wells Fargo, good stuff.

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