Kansas City Neighborhoods - Lee's Summit

Kansas City Neighborhoods - An ongoing breakdown of Kansas City Neighborhoods for people who may be planning to move to Kansas City from out of town.

The breakdown continues.  We started off by breaking down the neighborhoods in the heart of Kansas City, on the Missouri side.  Today we will break down a small neighborhood just to the Southeast of greater Kansas City known as Lee's Summit.  If you are moving to the Kansas City area from out of town then you need to know some real facts about the neighborhoods in this area, not just the crap that your real estate agent is feeding you to get you to buy that stubborn house that has been on the market for 3 years that his boss is offering a bonus to the real estate agent who finally sells the thing.  In this blog we're going to focus on the following Kansas City neighborhood:

Lee's Summit
First, we'll give you some statistical facts:  Lee's Summit is located about 15 miles Southeast from the heart of Kansas City.  Highway 470 is most commonly used by Lee's Summit commuters.  The population is at an estimated 100,000, approximately 53% female, and the median income is about $75,000 per year.   CNN/Money Magazine ranked Lee's Summit #27 on the list of the 100 Best Cities to Live in the United States, up from #44 the previous year.  The racial makeup of the city is 93.17% White, 3.47% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.97% of the population.

Lee's Summit is basically the working family's "escape" from the bad neighborhoods found in the heart of Kansas City.  Residents of Lee's Summit want to live amongst other people of their own race and financial make up.  They also want their children to go to schools that represent this as well.  If you note the racial makeup of the city (paragraph one above) then you will understand what I mean.

Upside - the upside of Lee's Summit is that is has a good school system, it is family oriented and it is away from the crime and questionable neighborhoods in the heart of Kansas City.  Lee's Summit also gives you more "bang for your buck" when it comes to houses.  Housing costs are low and the typical house in Lee's Summit is a 2 story 3 bedroom with deck and finished basement.

Downside - If you don't like children or dogs then this neighborhood isn't for you.  Not much to look at - Lee's Summit is devoid of any character as far as landscape and nature, it is basically a giant field out in the country with houses and porches.  Lee's Summit is a little bit on the redneck side of things - lots of pickup trucks, construction workers, owners of landscape businesses etc.  There is definitely an element of white trash going on out there, just visit the King's Buffet on 291 Highway to see what I mean.  It is not a very easy commute to other parts of the city.  Lee's Summit is kind of "out there" in the country which is good once you get home but it sucks to have to drive anywhere.

To sum it up, Lee's Summit is kind of a more country-ish pickup driving downgraded copy of the more wealthy and sophisticated Overland Park.  They tried to imitate the lavish strip malls and restaurants of Overland Park, they even tried to copy Overland Park's idiodic street design that makes it impossible to turn into those strip malls - or make a left - anywhere.  But all and all Lee's Summit is a nice safe place to live with low housing costs and great schools.

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Prop C Missouri votes NO on Obamacare - Proposition C

Prop C Missouri - Missourians take the first step to fight being forced to purchase health insurance.

Missouri to Obama...KISS IT!

Barack Obama, arguably the worst President to ever hold the office, may be the last person in Washington to understand that the American people do not want to be forced by the government to purchase health care. 71% of Missouri voters on Tuesday told Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid, to take a key part of Obamacare and stick in where the sun doesn't shine...and the rest of America cheered!

Missouri did what the rest of America can't wait to do...stand up and fight the unconstitutional bully politics that have become commonplace from our Chicago-style thug of a president who thinks it is okay to force Americans to do whatever he thinks is best for them. November can't come soon enough.

The sleeping giant is awake. Most of us who spend our time working, contributing to society, taking care of our families, and just living in America usually don't pay attention to politics. Most of us don't understand the difference between a filibuster or cloture, but we understand the difference between right and wrong. Most of us are fed up with Barack Obama and can't wait to get rid of him in 2012.

Obamacare in general is wrong. But when the President of The United States has the power to persuade, manipulate, bribe, bully, and threaten politicians into passing a bill that forces citizens of our free country to purchase health care against their will, the alarm clock goes off and America wakes up. Thank you Missouri!

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Does Anyone Care About Alex Rodriguez's 600th HR?

Most people will tell you that baseball is a numbers game. More so than any other sport, baseball relies heavily on its statistics to judge players and teams from different eras across its long history. However, Alex Rodriguez's 600th home run milestone lacks the significance that many other records in the sport carry, watered down by his own performance-enhancing drug usage admission and the steroid era in general.

Rodriguez belted a two-run shot in the first inning of the Yankees 5-1 victory over Toronto, ending a terrible streak for the slugger in which he struggled mightily to get on base, much less go yard. With all the buildup ESPN and other networks gave reaching 600, you think that this milestone would mean something special to both the fans and the media.

Rodriguez's admission of using steroids has cast a dark shadow over a fantastic career. He is the youngest to reach 600 home runs, finally had a huge october while leading a team to a championship and is one of the game's most recognizable players. However, after witnessing Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa get thrown into baseball hell under suspicion of PED use, it appears A-Rod will be joining the club of record-holding MLB stars who disgraced the game.

Rodriguez's milestone and controversy is really just a small example of a bigger black cloud hanging over baseball: PEDs have made many records meaningless to the fans. The sports' greatest players, teams and records from the past 20 years, fairly or unfairly, mean less to the fans than before. Rodriguez may end up with the most home runs in history, but PEDs have tainted his career and his accomplishments in the eyes of the fans.

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Dangerous Supplements - FDA Releases 12 Supplements to Avoid

 

Today the FDA released a list of supplements that are possibly harmful.

12 supplements you should avoid

These supplement ingredients are among those linked by clinical research or case reports to serious side effects. We worked with the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, an independent research group that evaluates the safety and effectiveness of nutritional supplements, to develop this list. We think it's wise to avoid all the ingredients on it. Unless otherwise noted, there's insufficient evidence to rate their effectiveness for their purported uses. Dangers listed are not meant to be all-inclusive. 

NAME (also known as)	PURPORTED USES	POSSIBLE DANGERS	COMMENTS
ACONITE (aconiti tuber, aconitum, radix aconiti)	Inflammation, joint pain, wounds, gout.	Toxicity, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, respiratory-system paralysis, heart-rhythm disorders, death.	Unsafe. Aconite is the most common cause of severe herbal poisoning in Hong Kong.
BITTER ORANGE (aurantii fructus, Citrus aurantium, zhi shi)	Weight loss, nasal congestion, allergies.	Fainting, heart-rhythm disorders, heart attack, stroke, death.	Possibly unsafe. Contains synephrine, which is similar to ephedrine, banned by the FDA in 2004. Risks might be higher when taken with herbs that contain caffeine.
CHAPARRAL (creosote bush, Larrea divaricata, larreastat)	Colds, weight loss, infections, inflammation, cancer, detoxification.	Liver damage, kidney problems.	Likely unsafe. The FDA advises people not to take chaparral.
COLLOIDAL SILVER (ionic silver, native silver, Silver in suspending agent)	Fungal and other infections, Lyme disease, rosacea, psoriasis, food poisoning, chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV/AIDS.	Bluish skin, mucous membrane discoloration, neurological problems, kidney damage.	Likely unsafe. The FDA advised consumers about the risk of discoloration on Oct. 6, 2009.
COLTSFOOT (coughwort, farfarae folium leaf, foalswort)	Cough, sore throat, laryngitis, bronchitis, asthma.	Liver damage, cancer.	Likely unsafe.
COMFREY (blackwort, common comfrey, slippery root)	Cough, heavy menstrual periods, chest pain, cancer.	Liver damage, cancer.	Likely unsafe. The FDA advised manufacturers to remove comfrey products from the market in July 2001.
COUNTRY MALLOW (heartleaf, Sida cordifolia, silky white mallow)	Nasal congestion, allergies, asthma, weight loss, bronchitis.	Heart attack, heart arrhythmia, stroke, death.	Likely unsafe. Possible dangers linked with its ephedrine alkaloids banned by the FDA in 2004.
GERMANIUM (Ge, Ge-132, germanium-132)	Pain, infections, glaucoma, liver problems, arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer.	Kidney damage, death.	Likely unsafe. The FDA warned in 1993 that it was linked to serious adverse events.
GREATER CELANDINE (celandine, chelidonii herba, Chelidonium majus)	Upset stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, liver disorders, detoxification, cancer.	Liver damage.	Possibly unsafe.
KAVA (awa, Piper methysticum, kava-kava)	Anxiety (possibly effective).	Liver damage.	Possibly unsafe. The FDA issued a warning to consumers in March 2002. Banned in Germany, Canada, and Switzerland.
LOBELIA (asthma weed, Lobelia inflata, pukeweed, vomit wort)	Coughing, bronchitis, asthma, smoking cessation (possibly ineffective).	Toxicity; overdose can cause fast heartbeat, very low blood pressure, coma, possibly death.	Likely unsafe. The FDA warned in 1993 that it was linked to serious adverse events.
YOHIMBE (yohimbine, Corynanthe yohimbi, Corynanthe johimbi)	Aphrodisiac, chest pain, diabetic complications, depression; erectile dysfunction (possibly effective).	Usual doses can cause high blood pressure, rapid heart rate; high doses can cause severe low blood pressure, heart problems, death.	Possibly unsafe for use without medical supervision because it contains a prescription drug, yohimbine. The FDA warned in 1993 that reports of serious adverse events were under investigation.

 

Voter Turnout Predictably Low

Two things are almost a given during election season: a large amount of obnoxious political ads and a scarce voter turnout. The past elections in both Kansas and Missouri were no different, with an estimated range of 19-24 percent being reported from both states.

Kansas City registered even lower, with a reported 10% in the city area south of the river and anywhere from 13-20 percent in suburban areas on the Missouri side. Other areas near Kansas City registered similarly low numbers.

Voting numbers have been something that have always fascinated me, as so many Kansas City residents hold strong political and economic opinions that are voiced through traditional and non-traditional mediums across the area, yet many do not bother to vote. With mail-in ballots easily available, it is easier than ever to make your opinion count. Perhaps candidates are not reaching out to prospective voters properly, or the public has become apathetic from the overwhelming amounts of signs, billboards and television ads during election time, but it appears that low voter turnouts have become normal for both the Kansas City area and the nation as a whole.

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