TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! RUMORS OF RETALIATION IN THE ONGOING MAMMY-GATE CASE ARE CIRCULATING AROUND CITY HALL!!!

There are certain protections that employees who file a complaint are guaranteed. It's no joke but the fact that some people don't know this kind of stuff is laughable . . . Most employers understand that the merits of any complaint are hard to prove but instances of retaliation are easily documented and much more likely to be incriminating.

SADLY, MAYOR FUNKY AND HIS PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE THAT THEIR RETALIATION AGAINST THE VICTIM OF GLORIA SQUITIRO'S "MAMMY" SLUR HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED!!!

Here's what City Hall insiders are telling TKC:

The victim of the Mammy slur has been stripped of nearly all the duties she performed before she filed her complaint.

Mayor Funky's staff meetings now EXCLUDE the woman who filed the complaint.

The Mayor and his wife have cut off nearly all verbal communication with the woman Squitiro once referred to as "Mammy" and this makes it almost impossible for the victim of the slur to do her job effectively. That jerk Joe Miller is now one of the only people in the office communicating with her . . . Which makes sense because he is a crusader for the cause of Black people everywhere despite the actions of his boss. Please someone give him a cross so he can climb up on it during his coffee breaks.

The most disgusting description of retaliation coming from Mayor Funky's staff has been confirmed by 3 City Hall denizens . . . Apparently, one of Mayor Funky's employees was spotted openly yelling at the woman once referred to as "Mammy" by Gloria Squitiro . . . The scene was the talk of City Hall recently and passersby couldn't believe the lack of tact and respect for someone who had sacrificed so much to get the Mayor elected. Before the public ridicule of the last remaining African-American woman in Mayor Funky's Administration the guy in question was thought to be a bright spot in Kansas City's top office . . . Now there's little doubt that he's just as vindictive and petty as the rest of them.

Thing is, this is just another dumb move and the Funky Bunch should know that everyone is watching them and a great many people now side with the victim of the racial slur in this case upon seeing how poorly she has been treated under the watch of Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

KC's Morning News gets bloggy with TKC

In just a few minutes I'll be on Kansas City's Morning News with EJ & Ellen at around 8:30 in the AM. Tune in to KMBZ News Radio 980 to check it out . . . There probably won't be any references to Tila Tequila, but I'll try.

Dress codes aimed at minorities and hip-hop attire are the Kansas City area's newest form of restrictive racial covenants!!!

Kansas City was built on racism and people like J.C. Nichols (especially him) made fortunes from making sure that Black people, Jews and many other minorities couldn't live near places like The Plaza.

The strategy is still in effect.

Don't believe me? Check out the recent story of a local guy arrested at a graduation for not keeping with the dress code. Look at the photo closely . . . Tell me what you see . . .

What I see is a pretty clear cut pattern that's forming all over this town.

The P&L District kicked off their party by taking aim at hip-hop attire (and mostly minorities who wear it).

Before that a popular bar in Brookside began making insane proclamations about baseball caps and sports jerseys.

Sadly, if these rules were enforced across the board they might be defensible (not really) but they're not . . . The real world application of these arbitrary dress codes serves as nothing more than flimsy justification to chase young, minority males away from Kansas City destinations. Pretending otherwise is nothing more than willful ignorance or tacit support for this town's current manifestation of racism.

Need proof: Simply watch the door at most places where "dress codes" are enforced and see who gets more scrutiny . . . It's the same kind of racial profiling of Latinos CITIZENS that's encouraged whenever the word "Immigration" is uttered.

I've long heard that there's nothing new under the sun and I'm starting to believe it . . . Especially since Kansas City racists who are usually quite creative with their crackpot theories are now recycling efforts to keep minorities out of mostly white establishments.

Truth Exposed: The Internet in Kansas City is filled with racist anonymous commenters

It's a trend that that's apparent to a lot of people of color, whenever there is any topic related even marginally related to race or crime on the Kansas City Star's website there is always, reliably a torrent of racist remarks. The situation has grown so bleak that it has inspired The Star to display a disclaimer before people can leave comments:

Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.

That's a pretty bold step for the paper of record . . . This trend was blogged on previously by RDM and he puts it even more plainly given that the stupidity of Kansas City's racist Internet trolls was once again exposed:

"You will notice that racist white people like to comment on anything related to crime and anything related to a negative story in this town. The newspaper can’t sell a paper these days, so they are content with keeping readership up via the web. On most of their stories, many details about criminals are vague and left open to interpretation.

That’s where the racist anonymous white commenter comes in to play. They are quick to label any crime as a direct result of “those BLACKS” and so on."

In fact, a local story involving a white guy killing two African-American females proved to have so many racist comments that The Star recently cut off comments as of this writing.

Sadly, this isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened. I remember that local Latino leaders were frustrated that The Star took almost no action when a stream of racist comments were directed at Kansas City's Latino Community during the Frances Semler debacle. And earlier this year when a college graduate, relative of a police officer was killed outside of a bar the racist comments on The Star's site continued.

Personally, I'm an advocate of "Freedom on the Press" and most of my traffic comes from racists who don't realize that they're contributing to this blog's popularity by loyally following my brilliant observations . . . However, Kansas City's paper of record is not a blog of a struggling writer.

I'm curious about the policy of The Star when it comes to racist comments, it seems completely arbitrary and obviously negative comments toward Latinos are encouraged. While some may lament the open display of bigotry put forth by Kansas City's paper of record . . . In the end I think it's important to draw people out into the open, and it just proves my theory that the folks that support the mainstream media and THE PEOPLE IN GENERAL IN KANSAS CITY ARE RACIST. They might have to troll message boards to express their true feelings, but the sentiment clearly exists in abundance.

Another monument to Kansas City failure

The folks at the Skywalk memorial foundation want some cash to honor the victims one of this City's greatest tragedies.

Obviously, I'm not going to make fun of the horrific event, especially since a great many of the people killed in the accident were Latinos, but TKC is all about saving money. So far the memorial is budgeted at 75k and I've been thinking that if people wanted to contemplate an architectural tragedy in this town they simply have to look at The Bloch Building or one of the many vacant condos in Kansas City.

Come and see TKC sometime when you have no class: Kansas City Council report card

It's the one year anniversary of the City Council . . . There's a pretty comprehensive series of articles marking the occasion.

Here's my summary:

The Council was asked to grade themselves . . . This only makes sense for Mayor Funky, who regards himself more as a professor than a politician (ugh). Nevertheless, the safest answer that most of the Council went with was a "B" but that's only because Kansas City is accustomed to mediocrity. Only Councilman Sharp was honest when he answer "Incomplete" which is really the only thing that makes sense.

The community reaction to the Council was interesting. It's nice to see that people still remember that this town's sewers are crumbling . . . A situation that's rarely mentioned with the word "Council" or "Mayor" in the same sentence. Still.

The round-up was a bit too even handed for my liking but it gives a nice glimpse of all of the issues that are still in play.

Long story short:

The Mayor could not form a consensus among the City Council and now he has basically stopped trying.

Forget about light rail. Unless Funkhouser's upcoming plan is amazing (doubtful) it's a losing proposition during this recession. People are always more content to tout their own plan.

The most impressive aspect this year was the Council's unity against Mayor Funky during his arrogant opening months . . . That probably set the mold for the remainder of their term and let's not forget that November marks the midway point given that the last year in office for all of these folks is basically spent campaigning.

All things considered, the biggest accomplishment during their year seems to be cutting city services and firing City Hall employees which isn't exactly anything to brag about and nothing that will encourage voters the next time around.

The morning link line up (tan edition)

They've got to come up with a better way to name this common news event that doesn't make me giggle: Suspicious Package Found At FedEx

What about that guy? Child 'Forrest Gump' Actor Leaving Army

Ugh, not this lie again: A metro man says his truck can make it form his home in Prairie Village to Lawrence and back for less than than a dollar in fuel.

Show Me an Immigration Bill that's mostly dying.

Bottomline reports the latest Fox4 departure.

Another excuse to fight with your friends and neighbors: Several metro-area residents said the IRS made a mistake with their tax rebate letters.

Eastside stands up against (yet another) proposed liquor store.

A Kansas City response to the fact that Einstein thought people were childish for believing in God

Turns out, in private Einstein talked trash on God and the Jews, if he were alive today I'm guessing that would mean he would have to go to rehab.

Nevertheless, the response to the quotes in one of Einstein's letters have been pretty amazing and Kansas City blogger Mac Tonnies comes up with a must read post on the subject.

I won't spoil any conclusions you come to on your own but in the end you'll be surprised to find out that the religion that's closest to correct is the one with the coolest hats.

Edwin Hall wasn't the only suspect!!!

The defense attorney for Edwin Hall is saying that authorities weren't exactly forthcoming with details of another suspect in the Kelsey Smith murder.

Defense lawyer Carl Cornwell said at the end of the hearing that he was not satisfied that his office received the same materials that prosecutors and Overland Park police received from the FBI.

"There are 7,000 date-stamped pages, and we don't get the only documents that really arguably help the defense," Cornwell said.

Long story short, this case isn't the "slam dunk" that the media is making it out to be . . . In fact, judging from Phill Kline's past foibles . . . He could lose the thing and then not even the fetus loving fundies could save him from the wrath of JoCo suburbanites who are already seemingly scared that they won't get "closure" on last year's TV News television drama of choice.



Personally, I suspect Elijah Wood not only because of the vague resemblance but also because all but one of the Lord of the Rings movies was overrated. And as a Catholic I think I'm required to believe that of all that Hobbit crap is the devil. Or something.

Via Crime Scene KC

Early Kansas City Blogger Review: Elvis Costello and the Police at The Sprint Center

It was the 80's all over again at The Sprint Center and I'm not just referring to the age of the musicians who where playing . . . Badump-bump-bump (tip your waitresses) . . . Anyhoo, the KC Sponge offers a comprehensive and entertaining review, even better she offers this passage:

"It was a seamless production, the music was flawless, and the old men were hot!"

And that phrase in and of itself should encourage the many older dudes who troll the Kasnas City blogger scene looking for 20/30-something broads who are in between boyfriends and bound to make bad decisions. Thankfully, awesome broads like the blogger in question obviously have pretty great taste when it comes to crusty old dudes considering all of the British guys performing last night were millionaires and surprisingly can sing . . . Blogger stalkers don't really add up in this area, (sadly, I know - sniffle).

Kansas City King of Obsolescence

Granted, David Cook is probably going to win American Idol.

Does it matter?

No. Not only is the win tainted by the fact that viewers of the show are leaving en masse but also because it's kind of tragic fate that this cowtown's contestant is the star of the season when the formerly highly rated show went into "Titanic" mode.

Let's call it a "Kansas City Victory" i.e. nobody cares.

Kansas City Sports: A generation of losing

As a young child I remember when the Kansas City Kings packed up and moved to Sacramento. Even back then I knew that with the exception of a few bright spots, Kansas City sports would be mired in mediocrity almost indefinitely. As a 5 year old, I was in the audience when Darryl Dawkins broke the backboard in THE MOST HISTORIC KANSAS CITY EVENT EVER . . . So obviously I have a much deeper perspective on the matter than most people.

Nevertheless, Kansas City blogger Nick Sloan puts together a comprehensive list of Kansas City's Top 10 Sports Victories. TKC Note: Anything glorious moment involving a professional sports franchise took place more than 20 years ago. Sadly, the taxes that people in Jackson County pay for the teams have also increased by almost 20 fold.

Kansas City Punk Casting

Wow . . . I actually did a little research on this post (a first) and found out that a Canadian band shooting a music video in Kansas City IS NOT the poser-y white rap group "The Sound and The Fury" but INSTEAD IS ANOTHER CANADIAN BAND with a similar name: SOUND AND FURY.

No matter who they are (I'm still not sure) they could be your ticket to fame. Apparently, a local video production company is looking for Punk, Indie Rock, Tattooed people 18 - 25 years old.

The casting is at the Westport Coffee house on this Friday, May 16th. The video makers are hoping to have about 30 - 50 extras for the video and 4 -6 main characters.

So, if you look like anything from Avril Lavigne to some (chubbier) facsimile of Sid Vicious I'm sure these music video producers might be interested and it could be your ticket out of Kansas City that's much more glamorous than joining the circus. In the meantime, I'll be listening to my trusted, wonderful and soothing Wilson Phillips CD.

Another Funkhouser Mistake: Retribution

TKC will have more tomorrow on the many vendettas Mayor Funky is carrying out . . . However, I wanted to report that a great many of you are upset and e-mailed me to mention that Reverend Nelson "Fuzzy" Thompson was apparently dropped from Kansas City's Human Right Commission by Mayor Funkhouser.

Obviously, this is payback for the Rev. Thompson siding with local Latino leaders in the struggle over Minute-lady Frances Semler and it's simply a bad move on the part of the Mayor. Obviously, Thompson has a lot of connections in the Black Community and turning him into an ally would be a better move than attempting to take some kind of petty reprisal . . . Sadly, Mayor Funky and his people don't understand that politics isn't about friends supporting one another without question but involves building coalitions and working toward a common goal despite our differences . . . This isn't the only story involving the desperate attempts to get payback by Mayor Funky's people . . . Stay tuned, because TKC has a lot more scoop regarding the many political political neophytes in Mayor Funky's Administration mistakenly believing they operate in a vacuum and nobody will learn of their many misdeeds: They're wrong.

Kansas City Hate Crime Killer Stays Winning

Hate Crime Killer Escapes Death Penalty

A tremor in the force, or maybe just fat ladies angry: Truck spills yogurt on I-70

A tractor-trailer carrying yogurt overturned on westbound Interstate 70 near Interstate 435 Tuesday afternoon.

Kansas City neighborhoods still neglected

Normally, I think local blog "Toellner tells it" is far too optimistic but the original reporting he offers today about the impending Troost Substation is amazing and a clear indication that Kansas City neighborhoods are still being ignored.

Mayor Funkhouser was COMPLETELY UNAWARE of the issue 3 weeks ago when he held the neighborhood meeting with the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association. Not only is this a miss on Funkhouser's part, it's become quite evident that the city council members that should be fighting for their neighborhood constituents and keeping this issue at the center of attention have completely dropped the ball on this issue. There are four city council members (Jan Marcason, Beth Gottstein, Melba Curls and Sharon Sanders Brooks) whose district is along this area of Troost and NONE OF THEM appear to even have an interest in the issue.

Like a photo gallery of Playboy hottie Monica Leigh, I've always believed that Kansas City neighborhoods deserve as much attention as possible. However, it's no surprise that the area by Troost is once again forgotten by politicos and especially Mayor Funky now that all of his attention is focused on his impending light rail failure.

And as far as the Troost KCP&L Substation . . . Recently, we've seen that public utilities aren't really accountable to anyone and Hyde Park residents are about to get an up close lesson about who really holds the power in Kansas City.

Mayor Funky fails to check the details (again)

It's hard to have faith in Mayor Funky's brilliance, skill or acumen when his constant screw-ups keep reminding us that he's a rookie, he doesn't really know what he's doing and he has alienated so many people that he's not getting a lot of help. The latest screw up: He won't be getting the funding for his (doomed) light rail plan that he was hoping for: Missouri legislation to seek voter approval in Jackson, Platte and Clay counties is for a 15-year tax, when Funkhouser’s plan really was predicated on a 25-year tax. There was an attempt to amend the legislation but it failed. Of course, Mayor Funky isn't admitting his mistake but his lack of foresight and fact checking indicates that his plan is equally flawed.

TKC backhanded compliment: This time Tina coming back for more is a good thing

Tina Turner to hold 2nd concert in KC

Kathy from Kansas won't make the cut

Stay Red Kansas posts a pretty nice, spirited and probably correct list of reasons as to why Governor Kathleen Sebelius won't be chosen for VP.

TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! P&L District continues its slippery slope into a financial abyss!!!

Let's review the progress (or lack thereof) when it comes to the Kansas City's P&L District . . .

Longstanding local businesses were forced out in order to make room for the speculative venture that was approved only after numerous failed attempts.

Construction of the project has been delayed numerous times and there's really no telling when the the place will finally be complete.

In order to thwart any kind of level playing field or fair competition the out of town company running the place threatened to sue anybody who also wants to drink a beer outdoors in Kansas City. TKC reported that story first by the way.

Parking is inadequate and discriminatory against people who need wheelchair access. The parking garage is off limits to people who aren't ambulatory because only narrow and dangerous stairs offer an access.

THE PRICE OF PARKING AT THE P&L DISTRICT IS SOON TO INCREASE 300%!!!

The going rate for a beer at P&L District bars is about 9 dollars.

And here's the TKC EXCLUSIVE PART - Kansas City people affiliated with the project and disgusted by it tell me: TWO P&L DISTRICT TENANTS ARE ALREADY SLATED TO CLOSE DOWN AND LEAVE BY NEXT SUMMER!!!

It's not that profits aren't good at the P&L District . . . There just not as good as the figures projected and let's not forget that these national chain restaurants, bars and eateries have absolutely no loyalty to this town or the financial future of the so-called Downtown Renaissance.

Really, people who know about speculative urban development scams aren't really surprised by a move like this . . . It's nothing more than a bait and switch and it happens with most ambitious developments: There is a promise of exciting, never before seen attractions and the end result is a "Cards & More" along with maybe an Indian restaurant. The timing of the P&L District abandonment coincides with standard operating procedures for these chains and evaluations of consecutive quarterly profit goals that are FAR LESS THAN EXPECTED.

Really, this EXCLUSIVE, LIVE AND LATE BREAKING NEWS reported by TKC isn't unexpected but it should be a wake up call to Kansas City cheerleaders who might want to realize that businesses are preparing to move out of the under-performing (non) attraction before it's even finished.

He never misses an opportunity to support white privilege: Mayor Funky wants to make Kansas City even more bike friendly!!!

Tomorrow Mayor Funky will formally announce his effort to make Kansas City a "Platinum" designated Bicycle Friendly Community!!!

Sadly, meaningless press conferences are what this Mayor seems to do best.

Last week there were half a dozen murders in Kansas City and the word crime was only mentioned once in a blog post defending Mayor Funkhouser's decision to cut funds for more police officers on Kansas City streets.

This effort to pander to Kansas City cyclists is merely the latest example of Mayor Funky's messed up priorities. He's courting a small cadre of middle-class, predominantly white self-indulgent hobbyists who dabble in politics while ignoring most of the Eastside and the urban core - Where his approval ratings are at record lows.

A SPECIAL THANKS to the tipster sent me a press release informing all of KC that the Mayor will waste time tomorrow to honor cyclists.

*Wednesday, May 14th*
*10:00 AM*
*Illus Davis Park

In case of rain the event will be at the P&L District where minorities must be properly attired.

Out of touch: The Star refers to a "violent spring" and then writes about tornadoes

Once again the weather proves to be the top priority for a local media outlet while last week hosted more than a half dozen Kansas City homicides and innocent people are being taken out because of violence on the Eastside. Also, every now and then I'm tempted to believe that the mainstream media isn't as bad as I think . . . And then the obvious bias and willful ignorance of The Star is published in an editorial or opinion column and I'm reminded that TKC exists to expose, reflect and openly mock the kind of reporting offered by Kansas City's paper of record that really doesn't care when people of color die.

Kansas City is (still) Kinda Trashy

Thankfully, TKC isn't the only person in the Kansas City area who has noticed that Mayor Funkhouser has neglected to do ANYTHING regarding crime.

Check out this recent letter from Independence, which was formerly a Mayor Funky stronghold:

If Mayor Funkhouser wants to spur investment in east Kansas City, here are a couple of top priorities to address:

Crime: Drugs, prostitution, burglary, and armed robbery are out of control in east Kansas City. In 23 years of investing in single-family homes on the east side, crime is the worst I’ve ever seen . . . Trash: Tons and tons of it on the streets, curbs, sidewalks and vacant lots. Who wants to live in a trash dump?

Obviously, since the letter is from Independence I have to assume the guy is high on meth and doesn't really know much about the subject but I can't say I disagree with the sentiment. After more than a year of Mayor Funky's "Broken Windows" theory in action there has been little progress in the fight against crime or "broken windows" instead this town is stuck with a Co-Mayor who talks a big game but doesn't get much accomplished other than espousing high minded theories, talking about "principles" and pushing unworkable and widely unsupported light rail plan. To be fair, the Mayor never promised that he would directly work to fight crime but as of late Mayor Funky has fell far below the initial low expectations regarding his relationship with the high crime urban core and has also lost credibility in his field of expertise given his enthusiastic approval of a pay raise for himself and a lot of time wasted on weak excuses for his various missteps.

KANSAS CITY BLOGGER IN BEIJING!!!

Anthony Tao, who recently lived in Overland Park, is visiting family in China, occasionally filing stories for ESPN and running a great blog entitled "Heart of Beijing." The dude used to intern at KCUR so they did a pretty interesting story on his bloggy adventures.

Boo-f*cking-hoo: Racist Kansas City Killer had a hard upbringing he's now using as an excuse and defense for murder!!!

Home life could become factor in convicted killer’s fate . . . In much the same way that chubby white women oppressing me as a youngster has now caused me to return the favor; Soooooo I guess it all makes sense after all.

Let the Eagle Soar!!!

Bald eagles are nesting around Kansas City. That's great and all but since they're off the endangered list I wonder if there's any possibility that we'll be able to find out how they taste . . . Probably more like Mexican food than most people would realize.

Anyhoo, in order to celebrate I guess I'm reminded of John Ashcroft's classic tune dedicated to the eagle because I haven't forgotten . . . Something.

White people "make it rain" as well!!!

Apparently, the City Manager is Olathe is just one more rich person in JoCo who has it better than most of the (broke ass) folks in KC Proper.

The pay bump is actually pretty impressive and its prominent placing in today's paper makes it seem as if the Johnson County Kansas City Star wanted us to take note:

Olathe’s top executive is set for a raise again this year. The City Council last week unanimously approved a 5 percent raise for City Manager Michael Wilkes, taking his salary above $167,000. Wilkes also received a $10,000 bonus for his work.

And here's what we won't hear . . . A lot of racist talk about how he's unqualified and running Olathe into the ground or other nonsense like the only reason he's getting paid that much is because he's white (which might be true) . . . Sadly, this kind of sentiment is common in Kansas City when it comes to City Manager Wayne Cauthen. Even the media helps to facilitate the mostly bigoted exchange in message boards around Kansas City. For example, The Pitch published a story straight from the desks of Mayor Funky's media people (who were formerly employed by the "alternative" weekly) regarding the City Manager's perks. Thankfully, just like Mayor Funky, the story failed to resonate and was only picked up by a few of the blogs that Funkhouser supporters faked in order to clandestinely make it seem as if the Internets supported Kansas City's most unpopular Mayor in a generation.

Anyhoo, the point is that there's unlikely to be the same kind of indignation over this Olathe public official's salary and it's not just because the town is smaller and the same kind of racial divisions don't exist in that community but also because white privilege has taught us all to believe that middle-class Caucasian dudes are entitled to all that they have . . . Which I guess is true enough when it comes to salaries but doesn't exactly hold up when it comes to more important matters . . . Like white women.

Stop playing with knives Kansas City!!!

RDM is one of my favorite bloggers in Kansas City and this morning he has provided us a wonderful post that I'd like the call "the anatomy of a Kansas City knife fight." It's a fascinating look inside the sad case of a metro family getting stabby. It's also important to mention that RDM has been consistently following Kansas City's cutting phase as if he was a concerned mother and this town was an emo chick about to go off to college.

Still, I just think this stabbing nonsense needs to stop . . . Not just because violence is bad but also because it's simply inefficient and messy. Most true germophobes will tell you that the one good thing about bullet wounds is that they're relatively clean because of the heat from the gunshot . . . It's important to look on the bright side.

Nevertheless . . . Stabbing is stupid, just take a look at dimwits like Lindsay Lohan and Vanessa Minnillo featured above . . . I have to (need to) believe Kansas City is smarter than that when it comes to knife play.

Passenger comes forward, Police closer to solving the tragic Ward Parkway hit-and-run

From KSHB: On Monday, one of the passengers came forward, and told police when the driver abandoned the car and the passengers at Loose Park, they called friends to go and look at the scene . . . The impact of the victim's body shattered the suspect's windshield so badly, the driver and two passengers could barely see where they were going. Police believe they went on to hit a tree before they finally abandoned their car near Loose Park.

"Leawood, leave the coyotes alone"

A radical notion from my favorite anarchist blogger in Kansas City: "I can understand the concern that pet owners have about coyotes killing their pets, but these people need to monitor their pets at night and understand that wildlife has as much right to exist in Leawood as any of the people do."

The Wizard of Ass!!!

There's a Kansas connection to the work of one of my favorite authors.

Snuff is the latest book from Chuck Palahniuk, who wrote Fight Club. If you haven't already, Check out Palahniuk's awesome fan site which I've been reading since '99 for a more extensive preview of the work. The plot is surprisingly simple: "The novel tells the story of Cassie Wright, an aging porn queen who intends to put an exclamation point on her career by having sex with 600 men in one day on film."

Obviously, the seemingly wonderful (but unfortunately imaginary) "Wizard of Ass" is one of the porno flicks in her "body of work."

This Youtube promotion of a novel is definitely a "NEXT STEP" move and the only thing I regret is that the clip gives us a clue as to what the fictional Cassie Wright looks like rather than allowing the reader to use their imagination.

Still, if the Internets has taught us anything it's that a great marketing move is infinitely more important than high minded literary notions. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to this book before the spoof porno preview that mocks the folklore of a neighboring state AND NOW I'm even more eager to read it.

From a local newsie at the close of sweeps: Something about the weather (and ratings)

This could be the TKC quote of the week from a Kansas City News blog that takes its readers behind the scenes of the news gathering process: "May sweeps 2008 will be remembered for one thing. Tornados . . . Oh and bad tornado coverage clichés."

It is painfully obvious why the city has decided to go "Big Brother"

RDM on last night's Eastside mayhem and the fatal car crash that resulted.

Republican struggle to keep Democrats from voting in Missouri continues

The KC Blue Blog reminds us: "It also failed to mention that in the last ten years there has been few, if any, cases of voter fraud in Missouri and only 100 nationwide out of the millions that have voted."

The Midnight Hour Link

Tragic Death on Kansas City Streets this evening . . . Police: Fleeing SUV Driver Kills 2.

Completely unrelated . . . Speaking of night time, I recently found some interesting photos of "night wear" (or whatever) on Hollywood Tuna and so I'm glad to share the photo gallery of Denise Milani from which that first image was appropriated.