For me, this postcard represents the very best of Kansas City.
It seems to be produced for the 1950 KCMO centennial celebration and captures so much of this town's history in one image. There's a view of the streets and even a hint at art deco architecture which represented a bustling metropolis and the pinnacle of KC's political and cultural influence on the national stage.
That time has passed but the image and the ideas lives on for people who truly understand the legacy of this consistently violent, corrupt, divisive cowtown that has always been nothing more than a way station to better places. This dirty little town is separate from the Midwest and the good people of the American Heartland. Kansas City has always been a place where gangsters, prostitutes, politicos and lowlifes of every sort prey upon the weak or willfully naive who don't know how things really work.
The past is prologue to our place in local history.
But I digress . . .
2020 is important in the history of KCMO and the nation.
We have a few ideas about how we want to clean up, improve and change this dump. Nothing lasts forever and what we want is to improve the conversation without ruining the spirit of this blog that has always been snark, gossip, breaking news, insider perspective, typos and a great deal of attitude.
And so we throw it back to our blog community . . .
HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THE POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN KANSAS CITY?!?!
Social media is rigged. FB is the Walmart of political information and Twitter is just a glorified message board that's only good for meeting stalkers, fellow losers or boosting the morale of C-list journalists.
The newspaper is no longer a daily and they're dedicated mostly to saving their jobs and transitioning to non-profit status paid for by the DNC and corporate handouts.
American Public Square does really great work. They put on wonderful events at the library and offer people a rare opportunity to discuss issues in a civil and thoughtful manner. Their conversations are exciting, informative and benefit everyone who attends.
In our little corner of the Internets we host some of the smartest people in Kansas City who consistently share info BEFORE local news knows what to make of it. Even better, our TKC blog community offers a REAL ALTERNATIVE from the mainstream and a place where "weird" ideas can flourish before they're ready for prime time.
And so, feel free to share ideas to improve this dump, criticize those ideas and offer suggestions for how we can do our part to liven up the local conversation that is no longer controlled by a handful of boring, corporate media dudes.
You decide . . .
More titays please!
ReplyDeleteFar less introspection.
Keep things the same. Why change what works?
DeleteTKC coupons to strip clubs. Means you have to clean up your act.
DeleteDon't have any suggestions but I can absolutely agree that American Public Square does a great deal of good work for Kansas City in helping inform voters. They should start a news site.
ReplyDeleteBan Byron!
DeleteFlush The Funk.
Censor the commie traitor.
There are a ton of suggestions to add but Facebook has implemented most of them and what they haven't fixed people don't care about. That's the thing. People don't read news any more. They "read" about friends and consumer advertisements. That's the world now. Content aggregation is part of it but it's really PEOPLE AGGREGATION. Delivering eyeballs to businesses is no longer a profitable business for small time publishers, the big companies took it over and it turns out all of the people who want local content aren't willing to pay for it and those same people can't tell the difference from a press release from City Hall or from a political party. It's not information overload, it's the same as it ever was; very few people controlling information and the rest simply parroting what's fed to them based on thier own beliefs or lack of self confidence.
ReplyDelete^^^ Okay hangover!
DeleteShut off comments. Nobody cares what these dorks have to say. Let others get their own blog or start a Twitter. There are only a few hundred thousand of them. They'll get a readership in no time.
DeleteSecond on the more tits. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFun topic. But we should really be wondering about what we can change about Kansas City and not this dumb-ass blog.
ReplyDelete^^^ Good point.
DeleteLess links, more original stories and more photos. Or any variation. It's up to you, T. Think about it.
DeleteAlso, think about a podcast. A much more mobile and easy to carry format. People can't or shouldn't read a blog when they're driving. A podcast is the format of the future.
DeleteSo dumbass you bothered to comment? Hmmmmm
DeleteWho doesn't like tits?
ReplyDeleteYou may have noticed there are a lot of faggots on here. They don’t care for tits at all.
DeleteMaybe publish the addresses of people who subscribe to Newspapers.
ReplyDeletePaper-Shame them.
It would help a few ways:
1. They aren’t green.
2. Help the star go all digital
3. Let people get rich who short their penny stock
4. Piss off former writers who insist on blogging like they are still somebody
5. Help the driveway clutter get cleaned Upp.
Shut off the TKC comments? LOL no one would even come here with that kind of set up.
ReplyDeleteKiller Shitty 2020
ReplyDeleteGrow up and get some real tech knowledge and get rid of the recaptcha so you don't continue to look like a complete rank amateur.
ReplyDeleteJust stare at your phone and we shall instruct you at a time and place of our choosing.
ReplyDelete"Kansas City has always been a place where gangsters, prostitutes, politicos and lowlifes of every sort prey upon the weak or willfully naive who don't know how things really work."
ReplyDeleteThere ya go! Your getting it!
We've hit the bottom let's be honest. The magnificent seven. Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis, KCMO....
ReplyDeleteMore nudie men. (Preferably, Josh Hawley)
ReplyDeleteLess nudie women. (Big jugs give me the vapors)
Just keep doing the same thing KCMO always does. Everybody pretend to be nice but keep the knife well concealed in case you need to stab at something.
ReplyDeleteKeepin It Frosty! Dat's Da Way We Dooz KC!
The past decade allowed people to view the web and this blog while on the toilet.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to improve the TKC make it even more crazy and radical and fun otherwise your days are basically numbered and Tony will be wearing a suit and tie.
ReplyDeleteKeep holding the powers to be feet to the fire. At the same time they probably do not care what the citizens think about their agenda and narrative. Go4KC quit spewing his slanted narrative and that was a big improvement to TKC.
ReplyDeleteCitizens will improve themselves and help steer KCMO in the correct direction when they quit drinking city hall kool-aid.
Goals for the new year? I'd really like to see other Riders like Chuck featured on the site. Check does a great job and some of his posts are really thought-provoking and stuff that gets a lot of attention. Bringing more Riders into the mix like super Dave, Tracy and others would make the discussion even more broad-based.
ReplyDeleteDamn good idea ^^^^^^
ReplyDeleteTKC is like a man--all flavor & no follow-through. "Blah, blah, blah" just to hear himself talk (in front of his brahs) while NOTHING CHANGES. I mean, seriously, what's different??
ReplyDeleteKilla Shitty will NEVER step up b/c it can do no wrong in the eyes of its coddling mommy who cleans up all his messes & can do no right in the eyes of its distant or completely-absent d*ckhead of a father.
2020 will be the year of continued, publicly-professed expressions of "aspirational" devotion while at the same time PUSHING THEM AWAY & blaming them for it so it may, idk(?!), most likely indulge in self-pity & self-destructive vices while wasting away whatever precious time is left?? On its toy train of love, this town GETS OFF on breaking your heart, while YOU can never get off.
KC has made its choice. *Sigh* It seems it will ALWAYS slam the door when you need it. It will always hurt the ones who love it most. TKC & posters are Narcissus (duh) (excessive masturbation much?) but Who is Echo??
The ONLY thing that can save TKC is more Hawley & shirtless Kander pics.
MERRY NEW YEAR!
I'm sure this is the year things are gonna change, lol, eyeroll--BARF!!
What 8:55 said except for the big jugs. Keep the free speech, even gopher is good for a few laughs now and then--especially when he's in the "I'm appalled that you could possibly disagree with someone so wise and experienced as I am" mode. As for Chuck, well, this is a free speech zone, but smaller doses would be welcome.
ReplyDeleteWhat does Lucas do with all his smiley selfie pictures? Where do they go?
ReplyDeleteplenty of boobs already..need more ass shots..esp of blondies like Candice..
ReplyDeleteThat time has past but the image and the ideas lives on
ReplyDeletePassed. Live on.
that was always been nothing more
HAS always been nothing more.
So, you could learn basic English.
And lay off the fucking cliches. They obliterate your thinking.
delete Grammar Nazi posts..
ReplyDeletemore on restaurants, shows, events, places
ReplyDeleteThx for asking, Tony.
ReplyDeleteFirst, read your current comment policy.
Nobody but Chuck knows what percipient is, and few are nice. Update this.
Percipient means having a good understanding of things; perceptive.
So #1, tell commenters if they do not speak to the topic, they risk being deleted. That requirement does not violate "free speech". It contributes to your now stated goal--to improve and contribute to the discourse.
I'm not suggesting deleting ALL ad homonym attacks. But it's completely reasonable to require that comments include SOME reaction to the topic. Not just attack other commenters.
Many friends of mine as well as plain old citizens would love to read this blog, absent the pottytalk and bullying. You will get MORE readership and engagement, and contribute to solutions for this town if you can just implement that one thing.
Next:
Do NOT stop all the news links. One of your USP's, Unique Selling Propositions, is that you are the best aggregator of broadcast news. (as well as the meager print news that is local.) I love that if there is breaking news, I don't need to channel surf, I just log on here and can read or see videos from multiple news outlets.
This is genius--the stations pay the reporters, and you publish links to their stories.
Third:
I do agree with the suggestion to have more original content, or story pitches that you toss out like chum to us, the hungry readership sharks.
I do enjoy occasional posts from Chuck and SuperDave. And wish a few more smart citizens would contribute.
===
It's important for context to realize the ocean of toxic language we are all swimming in. Without a marker in history, we find ourselves in a protracted Incivility War. Which will continue for AT LEAST five more years, through Trump's second term and the 2024 elections.
Missouri has gone purple from blue.
Kansas remains red, tho Joco has alot of purple.
In addition to Incivility, the other war of the words this decade is socialism v. conservatism.
I know Tony has his bias, as do we all. But the SMART PLAY for TKC is to not dismiss conservative voices that embrace capitalism, entrepreneurialism , borders and the Constitution.
Finally, I disagree with Tony's initial premise, that KC is for the naive and losers. When I published my Doubleday book with Walt Bodine
in 1976, we pointed out a different distinction.
KC is populated by the sons and daughters of the pioneers who quit. The ones who stayed in Westport to sell saddles to those who got in the Conestoga wagons and went west to create a better future for themselves.
Those who stayed all intermarried. And we know how that weakens the gene pool. Risk taking was bred out of the gene pool. Fear has become the bigger decider in human behavior. So yes, the citizenry is vulnerable to scams, greed, etc. But that is the result, not the original cause.
I would KE
Shut up, old woman.
DeletePlease stay on your own worthless blog.
DeleteEat a dick, Tracy.
DeleteFree Speech forever!!
ReplyDelete:)
I would ban Crazy Conspiracy Chuck because he's obviously insane.
Deletemore on the lewis and clarke expedition
ReplyDeleteplease interview autoworkers
ReplyDelete11:28: What's "ad hominym?"
ReplyDeleteSly James Era.. 1920s – Debt fueled asset price boom
ReplyDeleteSmiling Selfies Lucas Era.. 1930s – The impoverished future the money was borrowed from
"delete Grammar Nazi posts.."
ReplyDeleteDelete posts that are poorly written and especially those that are poorly punctuated. They take too long to read.
The Past 10 years KCMO Style... In a bout of collective amnesia we went back to a very old set of ideas in the 1980s.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it was the diversity colors flying from 1920s economic ideas that made them look so new and fresh.
What ya think Maude. How bout that futuristic Streetcar. Ain't never seen nuttin like it.
ReplyDeleteSly James ducking into the bushes on The Plaza.
ReplyDeleteThat was a classic
Sly can defrost me anytime...<3 <3 <3
ReplyDelete^^^Sorry, but Mayor Q has pushed Sly out of my heart space.
ReplyDeleteThe Q is a stud.
How about put Chuck and Tracy on a word limit?
ReplyDeleteHmmmm..Q, Kander, Hawley or Sly...
ReplyDeleteOmg stop saying chuck's name.
ReplyDeleteufo coverage is sadly lacking. please expand.
ReplyDeleteDelete all posts that have no substance or purpose other than to insult other posters.
ReplyDelete11:54 - hominym is a homonym for hominem.
merge your blog with tracy thomas's.
ReplyDeleteAnd then disband.
DeleteWhat is KCMO drone policy? Are they behind?
ReplyDeleteWhat's "ad hominym?"
ReplyDeleteAnswer: An ad for a certain type of corn.
Let's do something really innovative. Like pricing 99% of Kansas Citians out of the city.
ReplyDeleteTracy, Missouri is a red state. Only kc, Stl and I think Springfield are dimwits cities
ReplyDeleteTKC is a great source for KC news and I agree with Tracy that it’s nice to have one place to log on and see multiple news coverage of top stories. As for ways to make it better, I do think Tony would increase his credibility by dropping a lot of the tabloid headlines ( i.e. SHOCKING, MUST READ, etc.). I would also delete the dumb, tit for tat personal arguments between trolls like the poster who calls everyone a geezer and references diapers and Matlock in every comment. It’s pointless and really stunts the meaningful comments.
ReplyDelete4:42, just FYI, Springfield is very southern (red) in its culture and politics.
ReplyDeletePut the gawd damn Paseo street signs back up sQuintward.
ReplyDeleteI think TKC is going great ..hope the $$ end is holding up OK..if not,would be glad to kick in a little if the donation days come back...
ReplyDeleteFewer scantily clad model shots, so I don't get hauled into Human Resources when I read it on my computer at work and try to tell them that I only am on the site for the articles -- like I used to tell HR when I "read" Playboy magazine in the break room at work many years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe comments are a big draw on this blog; in many cases they present interesting points and are sometimes damned amusing.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the repetitious trollers (the geezer guy with his diaper talk, the "weird" guy, the chimpy guy, etc) are simply annoying and distracting. If you're going to let these folks comment, then moderate them so that only one such comment appears per blog entry.
Personally, I'd block such stuff, along with some of the more insane opinions (the overtly racist ones). There are plenty of strong opinions here without offering a forum to the very worst of society.
^^^agree
ReplyDeleteAgree with 6:05. Keep comments that are on topic. If someone persists in off topic stupid shit, after 3 warnings, block them.
ReplyDelete1:47: Good one! I wonder if Tracy saw your post!
ReplyDelete4:10: Also good, but I don't think Tracy would understand it.
6:05: And yet the weird guy is usually on topic. Weird.
ReplyDeleteThat IS weird!
DeleteYes, 8:31, I saw both.
ReplyDeleteThx for pointing out my dictation made a typo earlier. Pretty petty to feel compelled to correct that, but hey, it's a holiday.
And 4:10 was hilarious,very clever indeed! Especially to someone from Iowa.
If you could just turn off the comments. I know trolls will be trolls, but many people are genuinely offended by their idiocy and hatred filled comments.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any other demands, you filthy whore?
DeleteTony, is there any way we can convince you to break off whatever deal you have with Bryan Stalder? You could replace his wednesday shill post with an article about how much you like tacos, comprende el beano?
ReplyDelete