Kruse Kronicle

Saturday Links

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I hope you had a great Christmas and are enjoying the holidays.

1. The Huffington Post offers their top religion stories of 2012: 2012 Religion Stories: The Top 10

2. David Gushee reflects on Glen Stassen's A Thicker Jesus: Incarnational Discipleship in a Secular Age: The illnesses of American Christianity

"... The first kind of Christianity avoids reactionary authoritarianism but is often a therapeutic or vanilla mush that fails to ask anything of anybody out of fear of giving offense. The second kind of Christianity offers stern, clear moral directives that attract people seeking the “specific instruction, even confrontation that calls us to grow in discipleship” (p. 6), but disastrously embraces right-wing ideology and baptizes that as the content of Christianity.

Both of these versions of Christianity are so deeply flawed, says Stassen, that both are contributing to the alarming spread of secularism in the U.S. The first version of Christianity is so thin as to lack any particular reason why one would want to get out of bed on Sunday and go to church; the second is so reactionary as to drive thoughtful people into an anti-religious posture if they conclude that religion equals right-wing authoritarianism.

I believe this is a stark but actually quite accurate depiction of the primary problems afflicting the Protestantisms of the left and of the right in the current U.S. setting. ..."

3. When New England Progressives Won't Tolerate Evangelicals. "Once a center of 19th-century evangelism, Northfield, Mass., is unsettled by the prospect of a school with religious aims."

4. Peter Enns with yet another provocative post: What do Turkey, Bethlehem, and Tennessee Have in Common? They Don’t Bode Well for the Conservative Christian Subculture

5. Peter Liethart offers a book review of Peter Brown's new book, Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome, and the Making of Christianity in the West, 350-550 Ad, at Christianity Today: How the Early Church Made Peace with Prosperity. (And, no, I don't know why everyone seems to be Peter this week ... Enns, Liethart, and Brown.)

6. Why Latin Americans top the happiness rankings

"While not exclusive to Latin America, the culture of family, support, and living a life to spend time with your family, I think, is an important part of Latin American culture that keeps people positive. Being with those close to you and finding other friends and partners that value that way of life is a key part of Latin American culture. That might be the main reason why people remain positive: they are never truly alone. Interestingly, many discussions and documentaries about immigrant groups in the United States show an internal conflict among many who move to the US and who do not wish to lose their support systems in a new culture rooted in individualism. While being motivated and entrepreneurial is valued, a life being with your family, where you are never truly alone, is the basis for many cultures in many parts of the world. Many new Americans frown on the thought that children can detach themselves from their family at 18 years of age. They believe people can only truly thrive as a family."

7. In contrast to Latin American happiness based in family connection is this survey of British children that revealed that A 'dad' is tenth most popular Christmas list request for children.

8. Christian Science Monitor reports on Parental leave global comparison: US still among least generous

9. And in yet another story on familial collections China orders children to visit their elderly parents.

10. Scientific American reports some positive news: Early Childhood Obesity Rates Might Be Slowing Nation-Wide

11. Men may want to think twice before taking up yoga. It seems men are more prone to serious injury from yoga. Wounded Warrior Pose

12. What are the ten most popular books of all time? The 10 Most Read Books In The World

13. Traditional Books On Decline, Survey Says

"A Pew Internet Research Center survey released Thursday found that the percentage of Americans aged 16 and older who read an e-book grew from 16 percent in 2011 to 23 percent this year. Readers of traditional books dropped from 72 percent to 67 percent. Overall, those reading books of any kind dropped from 78 percent to 75 percent, a shift Pew called statistically insignificant."

14. Here are nine interesting findings about state by state data from the Census Bureau: Here Are The States Where People Are Leaving, Moving To, And Having Lots Of Babies

• Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Rhode Island are the only states (and territory) that saw a net decrease in population over the year.
• The fastest growing region was the South (1.06% population growth) followed by the West (1.03% population growth).
• North Dakota and the District of Columbia had the highest population growth, with 2.5% and 2.3% population growth, respectively. Texas, Wyoming, and Utah also saw major growth.
• West Virginia and Maine are the only two states where people are dying faster than they are being born, with 0.93 and 0.99 births for each death.
• Utah (3.44) and Alaska (3.33) had the highest birth to death ratio in 2012. That means 3.44 babies were born for each death in Utah.
• Domestic migration determines the rate that people leave and enter states to and from other states. Per capita, more natives left New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island to move somewhere else than any other states.
• On the other hand, people flocked to North Dakota, D.C., Wyoming and South Carolina.
• The states that had the highest rates of international migration — that is, the rate of immigrants coming in — were Hawaii, New Jersey, Florida, New York and D.C.
• Puerto Rico is seeing a massive exodus — 1% of their population left last year.

15. When we think of transportation in the United States, few of us think about river and costal water transportation. Yet a great many goods and commodities are shipped on our rivers. The Midwest drought is having an impact on a major artery of that transportation network. The Mississippi River's Water Levels Are Dropping, And Could Shut Down Trade Next Week

16. Facebook?! Twitter?! Instagram?! We Did That 40 Years Ago. "Three decades before Yelp and Craigslist, there was the Community Memory Terminal. ..."

 

 17. America's Stuff Is Getting Really Old, And That's Bullish

"In other words, Americans are increasingly likely to have to purchase and replace these goods some time soon as they get more and more worn out.  That's bullish for spending, jobs, and the economy as a whole."

18.From right here in my hometown, just a mile or two from where I live: In a Kansas City Neighborhood, Deep Investments and an Uncertain Future. The Atlantic Cities reports on Kansas City's experiments with Green Impact Zones.

19. Why are men, in aggregate, better navigators than women? National Geographic: Of Men, Navigation, and Zits

"... Yet a few differences between the sexes do seem to hold up to scrutiny. One is spatial abilities. If men look at an object, for example, they are slightly faster at guessing what it would look like if it were rotated 180 degrees. There are plenty of women who do better than individual men. But overall there’s a stasticially significant difference in their average performance. This kind of difference carries over from one culture to another. It’s even detectable in babies. ...

... Whenever we reflect on human evolution, it pays to compare our species to other animals. And in the case of spatial abilities, the comparison is fascinating. Almost a century ago, the psychologist Helen Hubbet found that male rats could get through a maze faster than females. The difference can also be found in a number of other species. ...

... Clint and his colleagues propose a different explanation: male spatial ability is not an adaptation so much as a side effect. Males produce testosterone as they develop, and the hormone has a clear benefit in terms of reproduction, increasing male fertility. But testosterone also happens to produce a lot of side effects, including male pattern baldness and an increased chance of developing acne. It would be absurd to say acne was an adaptation favored by natural selection. The same goes for the male edge in spatial ability, Clint and his colleagues argue. They note that when male rats are castrated, they do worse at navigating a maze; when they are given shots of testosterone, they regain their skill. ..."

Google Fiber Ignites Kansas City Startup Scene

Mashable: Google Fiber Ignites Kansas City Startup Scene

As Google continues to build its high-speed Google Fiber network in Kansas City, more startups are moving into the neighborhood to make the most of the new service.

The first neighborhood to get Google Fiber, known on the map as Hanover Heights but locally as the Kansas City Startup Village, is the new home of early stage startups co-locating near one another to collaborate, leverage resources and to build a community based around growing a tech business.

“The number of startups in this region of several blocks is over 10 now, but it’s happened quickly and every day I hear of someone new moving in,” Mike Farmer of mobile search app Leap2 tells Mashable. “The Kansas City Startup Village was not formed with some grand strategy or goal in mind — it came together organically.”

Leap2 is among the first wave of startups moving to the village. In early November, the company — which was founded in 2011 — moved its offices from a non-Google Fiber neighborhood in Kansas City to a connected one. The KC Startup Village consists of other companies such as Local Ruckus, Eye Verify, Trellie and Form Zapper, as a part of an initiative to make it a new startup tech hub. ...

Tech’s New (Geographical) Frontier: ‘Silicon Prairie’

New York Times: Tech’s New (Geographical) Frontier: ‘Silicon Prairie’

... From here [Des Moines] to Omaha to Kansas City — a region known more for its barns than its bandwidth — a start-up tech scene is burgeoning. Dozens of new ventures are laying roots each year, investors are committing hundreds of millions of dollars to them, and state governments are teaming up with private organizations to promote the growing tech community. They are calling it – what else? – the Silicon Prairie.

Although a relatively small share of the country’s angel investment deals – 5.7 percent – are done in the Great Plains, the region was just one of two (the other is the Southwest) that increased its share of them from the first half of 2011 to the first half of this year, according to a report commissioned by the Angel Resource Institute, Silicon Valley Bank and CB Insights. About 15 to 20 start-ups, most of them tech-related, are now established each year in eastern Nebraska, a more than threefold increase from five years ago, according to the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Today, there is more than $300 million in organized venture capital available in the state, as well as tax credits for investors; six years ago there was virtually none, according to the chamber.

About a dozen start-ups have flocked to a single neighborhood in Kansas City, Kan., alone after Google Fiber installed its first ultrafast Internet connection there last week. And over the past seven months, about 60 start-ups have presented their ideas in Kansas City at weekly forums organized by Nate Olson, an analyst with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In Iowa, Startup City Des Moines, an incubator financed with $700,000 in public and private money, including a quarter-million dollars from the state, received applications from 160 start-ups over the past two years. It has accepted nine so far....

Yes sir! Everything is up to date in Kansas City! ;-)

In One City, Signing Up for Internet Becomes a Civic Cause

New York Times: In One City, Signing Up for Internet Becomes a Civic Cause

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With Google’s promise last year to wire homes, schools, libraries and other public institutions in this city with the nation’s fastest Internet connection, community leaders on the long forlorn, predominantly black east side were excited, seeing a potentially uplifting force. They anticipated new educational opportunities for their children and an incentive for developers to build in their communities.

But in July, Google announced a process in which only those areas where enough residents preregistered and paid a $10 deposit would get the service, Google Fiber. While nearly all of the affluent, mostly white neighborhoods here quickly got enough registrants, a broad swath of black communities lagged. The deadline to sign up was midnight Sunday.

The specter that many blacks in this city might not get access to this technology has inflamed the long racial divide here, stoking concern that it could deepen. ...

Dancing to the Beat of Shalom: Christians Revive Kansas City's Arts Scene

Christianity Today: Dancing to the Beat of Shalom: Christians Revive Kansas City's Arts Scene

The Culture House and Störling Dance Theater have given believers a voice in the local arts scene and beyond, meanwhile bringing a bit of racial peace to the Kansas City area.

... Since that time of uncertainty, however, the Ennas and fellow leaders at The Culture House and Störling Dance Theater have given Christians a voice in the local arts scene and beyond, meanwhile bringing a bit of racial peace to the Kansas City area.

Starting something new

Enna, who received a theater degree at UCLA and performed with a dance theater group in Sweden, began organizing a board of directors that would help lay the foundation for The Culture House, a grassroots arts organization with schools of dance, theater, and music. Störling-Enna, who received her professional dance education in Helsinki, Finland, and Paris, continued honing her skills in order to lead what would become Störling Dance Theater, a neo-classical dance company known for its powerful storytelling.

With both projects, the two wanted to merge excellence in the arts with their faith in a way that benefited the Kansas City area, meanwhile raising the bar for Christians in the arts. With the community's increased support for the Kansas City Ballet, the Kansas City Chorale, the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, and the Lyric Opera on the Missouri side during the 1990s, they arrived at the right time. The seeds for what would become the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2011, were also planted during this time.

"We saw that the whole community was starting to focus on the arts," Enna says. "We came here not to 'take over the city for Jesus,' but to at least sit at the table because of the quality of our work."

The vision of The Culture House, which includes the residency of Störling Dance Theater, is to enable quality artists, believers and nonbelievers alike, to have a platform in the marketplace.

The Culture House launched in 1996 in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City. It initially resided between a Chuck E. Cheese's and a Hooters. In 2005, the organization bought a larger facility in neighboring Olathe. The extra space proved useful.

"That's when we expanded our school of music and started our school of theater," says Enna, executive director. "We went from 100 students to 450 in one cycle. Then another 650 the next year, and it just grew from there. We now have about 800 students [and are growing."

While The Culture House is a Christian organization, Störling Dance Theater is a dance company run by Christians, not a "Christian dance company." As such, some of its dancers are not Christians. Yet "people still do, even if they're not Christian, ask for prayer," notes Störling-Enna, artistic director. "I'd say 90 percent of the dancers who joined the company and were not Christian have become Christian through the company." ...

... While not explicitly Christian, Störling does operate the Artist Development Program, which provides pre-professional dancers with nine months of intensive instruction, and helps them develop tools for their life and career, spiritual maturity, physical and mental discipline, and an appreciation of the arts.

"That is a specifically Christian discipleship program," Enna says. "You don't have to participate in the spiritual development, but besides dancing day and night, they take design classes, as well as an apologetics course and a discussion group about Christianity and culture. It's to help those young artists have the discussions, think about their faith, and be prepared for the marketplace . . . It's not just so their faith survives in the arts, but that it thrives and they have the support and the integrity with them going into it."

Today, graduates of the program are receiving scholarships to top dance and theater programs around the country, including the Ailey School, part of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York, and theater programs at the University of Harford in Connecticut and Oklahoma City University. Students have also received full scholarships to the Joffrey Ballet's summer program in Chicago. ...

... "If Christianity has been so ineffective during the past 150 years in the arts, it's moving to see that we're part of a bigger picture and that the ship is turning," Enna says. "Christians are now being known for their good work."

Vibrant Institutions: Jacob's Well

Faith and Leadership: Vibrant Institutions: Jacob's Well

It’s one thing to start a church; it's another to keep it going. As Jacob’s Well has discovered, even the most cutting-edge, creative and vibrant church has to have organization and structure.

August 28, 2012 | At first glance, Jacob’s Well, a nondenominational “emerging” church in Kansas City, Mo., would seem to be the most traditional of churches. On the outside, the handsome old red-brick building has been a comforting neighborhood presence ever since Presbyterians built it in 1930.

Inside, the sanctuary features stained-glass windows, the Lord’s Prayer in gold letters above the altar and velvet cushions on creaking pews, all witness to the saints who’ve gone before.

But every Sunday -- at least since 1998, when Jacob’s Well was launched and took over the building -- the place is filled with lively worship and a body of believers that earlier congregations likely never envisioned. The music is contemporary and the dress casual, even scruffy, with more than a few tattoos and piercings scattered among the crowd.

During his sermon, the Rev. Tim Keel -- the senior pastor and a founder of the emerging/emergent church movement -- strolls the aisle, talking in conversational tones as though engaging listeners in a theological dialogue.

But for the past five months, stirring beneath the surface, something else has also been going on. Throughout Jacob’s Well, bones are being formed; a skeleton is taking shape.

This extraordinary church, known for its theological rigor and its creative and dynamic ministries, has been engaging in the most mundane of endeavors. After months of preparation and study, it has launched a major reorganization that establishes clear lines of authority while empowering members to become more involved in the church’s daily life.

As Jacob’s Well has discovered, even the most cutting-edge, creative and vibrant church has to have organization and structure. It’s one thing to start a church. It’s quite another to keep it going. Reflecting the growing maturation of the emerging church movement, Jacob’s Well is navigating the transition between church plant and long-term sustainability. ...

I was a member of Roanoke Presbyterian Church from 1993-2003. In 1998, a friend (Steve Hall) told me he was part of a group that was wanting to plant a church in my neighborhood. I told him the third floor of our building was unused and that they might be able to use that space. I brought the idea to session and Jacob's Well began holding their first services there. The rest is history. It was a privilege to watch the ministry take root during those first five years before our Presbyterian congregation decided to dissolve and sell the building to Jacob's Well. It is a truly unique community. Read the whole post. There is some good stuff here.

Flyover Country? Not This Kansas City

Huffington Post: Flyover Country? Not This Kansas City

"... The Kansas City Metropolitan area is becoming the envy of individuals on the East and West coasts who have long since considered it merely flyover country. The City of Fountains has been praised as a great place to live, work and visit for many years, but recently it is becoming a hot bed for entrepreneurial investment, high culture and the innovations of the future.

Kansas City, Missouri, is home to the world renowned Kauffman Foundation. The foundation's mission is to help individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success. The Kauffman Foundation's focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, education, and research has helped fuel Kansas City's global presence as an attractive place for creativity and business. Nearly 300,000 individuals from throughout the world have been part of the Kauffman FastTrac program, which has helped entrepreneurs start and grow their business. In addition to the Kauffman Foundation, the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Graduate Entrepreneurship Program was recently named the 2012 National Model Graduate Entrepreneurship Program by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). Entrepreneurship is booming and alive in Kansas City.

The entrepreneurial spirit in Kansas City has led the city to become a national leader in technology. Google recently announced it will build its first ultra high-speed broadband network between Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas. Kansas City was chosen over 1,100 other cities. Google Fiber will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans experience. The Wall Street Journal recently coined Kansas City as "Silicon Prairie" and believes that the first Google Fiber network "will likely bolster cloud-based technologies and pave the way for high-definition streaming services that will be hard to find elsewhere." Combine this with the friendly business climate on the state and city level and the low cost of living, and you will understand how Kansas City is gaining innovators and entrepreneurs from coast to coast. ..."

Hey Jason Grill ... not so loud. People might hear you. They'll move here and spoil it. Just to show you how cowtown we still are, we still have BOB (Bull on Buidling). Bob will be sixty years old next year and we aren't giving him up. See my post from back in 2006 giving the back story on BOB by clicking here. All this is to say we're still cowtown ... now go away! ;-)

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Kansas City in 2012

PR Newswire: Top 10 Reasons to Visit Kansas City in 2012

1. All eyes turn to Kauffman Stadium next July, as KC welcomes the Major League Baseball All-Star Game for the first time in 38 years. Fans new and old will enjoy a week's worth of festivities, including a massive FanFest at the KC Convention Center.
2. This fall, Travel + Leisure's readers crowned Kansas City as America's #1 Affordable Getaway. Explore KC's many free attractions, including factory tours at Hallmark Cards, Harley-Davidson and Boulevard Brewing Co.   
3. As the world pauses to reflect on the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic, Union Station will pay tribute to the tragedy with a poignant look at the ship and its passengers. "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" will feature more than 300 relics from ship and its debris field (March 3-Sept. 3).
4. A cornerstone of KC's cultural renaissance, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened this fall to national acclaim. Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the $413 million facility is KC's new address for ballet, symphony, opera and more.
5. The five-year commemoration for the Civil War's 150th Anniversary continues in 2012. Situated between pro and anti-slavery forces, the Kansas City region has several ties to the turbulent time period. In fact, the largest battle west of the Mississippi River was fought in in KC's Westport neighborhood in 1864.
6. Known as the College Basketball Capital of America, Kansas City hosts more college basketball tournament games than anywhere else in the country each March. In 2012, the total comes to 63 games in just 14 days.
7. Crown Center—home to Hallmark Cards—will soon unveil the city's first aquarium, SEA LIFE Kansas City. Making a splash this April, the facility will house more than 30 displays of diverse marine life—everything from starfish and seahorses to sharks and rays.
8. Brick by brick, Crown Center is building America's fourth LEGOLAND Discovery Center, debuting this May. Based on the ever-popular LEGO toys, the attraction will feature a 4-D theatre, master building classes, a LEGO ride and more.
9. The Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway will debut this February with 2,000 slot machines and 52 table games. The entire 100,000-square-foot complex will overlook turn two of the racetrack.  
10. Before you vote, revisit one of America's most prolific presidents. Candidates from both parties are quoting Harry S. Truman on the campaign trail. Learn about the tumultuous events of his presidency at his museum in nearby Independence, Mo.

Urban homesteaders plant seeds of change in Kansas City

KansasCity.com: Urban homesteaders plant seeds of change in Kansas City

Jason and Candy Fields’ backyard in the Lykins neighborhood — one of the most blighted areas in Kansas City — is a patchwork quilt of urban farming ventures.

There are a vegetable garden fertilized with nutrient-rich fish waste and a lush swath of bamboo stalks waiting to be dried and used to stake tomato plants or to build a tree house or a lightweight bicycle.

Towering sunflowers wear paper grocery sacks draped over their heads, an effort to keep the birds away so the mature seeds can be roasted, then eaten as a snack. There’s a playhouse-turned-chicken coop for heritage breed hens.

On the driveway, tilapia swim in an aquaponics system fashioned from recycled, food-grade plastic drums that takes up as much space as an average living room. Fragrant basil grows in rock beds above the drums, cleaning the water for the fish while the nutrient-rich fish waste fertilizes the basil, all without the use of soil.

Nearby, duckweed grows in kiddie wading pools. The inexpensive, high-protein, easy-to-grow food for fish resembles green pond scum. A biodigester constructed from more plastic drums converts 800 pounds of restaurant and household food scraps into methane that could heat a greenhouse.

Word of these innovative, low-tech farming experiments has traveled rapidly through local food circles. One steamy weekend in late June, almost 300 people milled around the “Myrtle Plot” at the corner of 12th and Myrtle streets. The plot was a featured stop on the Urban Farms and Garden Tour sponsored by Cultivate Kansas City, a nonprofit that helps people learn how to grow food in urban settings.

Much of that grassroots popularity is a result of social media. Using his iPhone, Jason Fields routinely posts cleverly produced how-to or slice-of-life videos to www.theurbanfarmingguys.com. More than 8,000 people “like” the website and Facebook page, and their “Farmin’ in the Hood” video has gotten 47,000 views on YouTube since its debut last spring.

The idealistic newlyweds decided to ditch their comfortable suburban lifestyle, if not their sense of humor, in 2008. Only half-joking, they recall how they worried that the drug-dealing squatter came with the foreclosed property they bought for $21,000. ...

... These urban homesteaders are mostly white 20- to 40-somethings. Most also are members of the Rock, a nondenominational Christian church founded in 1999 with loosely affiliated networks of house churches in Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Wyoming, Texas, Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina.

The Rock’s mission is to “plant” house churches throughout the inner city so members can live in and work with the communities they are trying to serve. On the face of it, their tactics for revitalizing a racially mixed, economically depressed neighborhood are simple: walk the neighborhood streets, make eye contact and open your heart.

“The biggest problem in this neighborhood is fear,” Jason Fields says. “There’s a spirit of hope and community when you decide not to hide from this and own it. … Something happens when you’re in something together. You meet people you wouldn’t have met otherwise, and it turns into really deep friendships.” ...

Neema. The Newest PCUSA Congregation in Kansas City.

How a Bible Study of 6-8 people started in 2003 becomes the first Swahili-English speaking chartered church/congregration in Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). (Source)

Google Chooses Its Fiber-Networked City Of The Future: Kansas City

Tech Crunch: Google Chooses Its Fiber-Networked City Of The Future: Kansas City

Back in February 2010, Google announced its plans to build out a fiber-optic network for a city in the United States, promising connection speeds around 1Gb/s — 100 times faster than the broadband most people are used to. The announcement led 1,100 cities to apply, and today Google has just announced the winning city: Kansas City, Kansas. ...

 

Hmmm .... I may have to move .4 miles west to the other Kansas City.

Chiefs: 40 Years in the Wilderness (or "O Come, O Come, Matt Cassel")

Forty-one years ago this month, Len Dawnson led the Chiefs to their first and only Super Bowl Championship in Super Bowl IV. For forty years the Chiefs have been wandering in the football wilderness. But to make matters worse, the chiefs have had chances to return to the big show six times over the last seventeen years. The last time the Chiefs won a playoff game was against the Oilers in a divisional playoff game on January 16, 1994, under the leadership of Joe Montana. They lost the next week to the Bills in the conference championship game.

Since then, the Chiefs have made it to the playoffs five times, only to lose the opening game: '95, '96, '97, '04, and '07. Probably the most painful loss was the '96 playoffs when the Chiefs had home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The divisional game was against the Colts on a bitterly cold day. They lost 10-7 in a game where Lin Elliot missed three field goals and three of Bono's fourteen complete passes were to the defense. (For a complete recounting of Chief's misery, see blogger Benjamin Herrold's post.) No team has lost seven consecutive playoff games.

So Chief's fans come to this weekend in hopes of deliverance from their wilderness wanderings and ending their string of playoff futility. In honor of the event, I thouht I would offer a Chief's playoff carol for the hometown faithful.

O come, O come, Matt Cassel

O come, O come, Matt Cassel
And put an end to our losing spell
We wait in chilly Arrowhead here
Until the Chiefs of old reappear
Go Chiefs! Go Chiefs! Matt Cassel
Shall come to us, and end our losing spell.

O come, Thou Coach Todd Haley, free
Chiefs fans from hapless tyranny
From football Hell Thy faithful save
Put opponents hopes in the grave
Go Chiefs! Go Chiefs! Matt Cassel
Shall come to us, and end our losing spell.

O come, Chiefs players, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And winless shadows put to flight.
Go Chiefs! Go Chiefs! Matt Cassel
Shall come to us, and end our losing spell.

That said, I confess I really feel a bit like Mircacle Max in The Princess Bride, sending off Wesley and friends to storm the Castle.

The National World War I Museum

The in-laws are in town this week and yesterday we spent the day at the National World War I Museum here in Kansas City. From the museum website:

The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial inspires thought, dialogue, and learning to make the experiences of the World War I era meaningful and relevant for present and future generations. The Museum fulfills its mission by:

• Maintaining the Liberty Memorial as a beacon of freedom and a symbol of the courage, patriotism, sacrifice, and honor of all who served in World War I

• Interpreting the history of World War I to encourage public involvement and informed decision-making

• Providing exhibitions and educational programs that engage diverse audiences

• Collecting and preserving historical materials with the highest professional standards

In addition to the museum as a research facility for doing research on the war and the Americans who served in the war. It really is a world class museum and if your are ever in Kansas City. Here are a few photos I took yesterday.

Here is the view of the Liberty Memorial and the musem as you approcah the entrance.

Once inside, the transparent walkway over the field of poppies ... each poppy symbolizing a certain number of soldiers that died.

You first enter a theater that gives you a brief introductory film that gives you a background on the events that led up to the war. Then it is on to the exhibt area.

There are tons of artifacts like this tank ...

... or this Harley Davidson.

There are uniforms, weapons, infantry gear, airplanes, medical equipment, and host of other artifacts. There are interactive displays as well as giant maps and displays that tell how the war unfolded. The are rooms where you can listen to speeches, poems, and music from the era. There are also some mockups of trenches so you can get a senses of what it was like.

In the two exhbit buildlings above ground on either side of the Liberty Memorial are buildings with exhibits and some amazing murals like this one.

Need a break during the visit? You can visit the Over There Cafe, which has some pretty good food.

You also need to take the elevator to the top of the tower where you can see views like this.

The tickets are $12 for adults for two days.

If you are ever in Kansas City and looking for something to do,  check it out. I've been three times in recent years and have throughly enjoyed it each time.

 

FBI Visits the Neighborhood

This morning I headed out to the pharmacist to pick up some items. As I came to a stop at the light at 33rd and Southwest Trafficway, just three block from my home, I found myself witness to the conclusion of a police chase.

Coming south in the southbound lanes, was a unmarked Tahoe weaving through the traffic, grill lights flashing. When he got to 33rd Street he executed an amazing U-turn right in front of me. It was just then that I noticed a white SUV coming south in the northbound lanes. The officer's Tahoe and the white SUV collided nearly head-on. The white SUV was knocked into the southbound lanes and came to a stop about half block away, two wheels atop the median. After a few seconds the officer jumped from his Tahoe and ran toward the white SUV. Only then did I notice that other unmarked cars had closed in on the white SUV and FBI agents were running about. Turns out the man had a woman and a six year old boy in the car with him. He was trying to escape a murder warrant (at least that is what the news said.) I waited around and gave my report to one of the agents.

Speaking of the news, Fox 4 showed up with a crew to report on the story and I gave them a brief interview. There was a 5 second segment where I was praising the officer for having executed a masterful U-turn to stop the SUV without endangering anyone. Unfortunately, the way the story reported it, sounds like I was praising the escaping vehicle. Oh well.

Here are a couple of photos. This first one shows what was left of the Tahoe the FBI agent was driving.

You can't make it out very well but the white SUV came to a stop at the light pole in the center median toward the right in the picture.

All in all it was an exciting day in the neighborhood.

Kansas City (MO) Farmer's Market Ranks in the Top 10

Livability: America's Best Farmers Markets: 10 Amazing Local Farmers Markets

After running for 150 years, the City Market knows a thing or two about providing quality farm products. The market dates back to 1857, and has only grown finer with age. As the largest farmers market in the region, the City Market hosts over 140 vendors, offering a mix of farm foods, arts and crafts, and entertainment. The market is open daily and invites guests to enjoy not only local products but concerts and festivals as well. On the agenda are events like Movies at City Market Park and the Farm to Table Festival Series.

Mrs. Kronicle and I were there Saturday morning and purchased some fresh veggies and roasting ears. People of Cambodian, Vietnamese, Mexican, and African backgrounds, all mixed in as vendors at the market which covers nearly a city block. Here are few photos: 

Several musicians were playing at various locations. These two characters were serenading us with their rendition of "Istanbul not Constantinople."

Segregation Illustrated for Kansas City (and Maybe Your's)

HT: Blog KC

Key: Red = Caucasian, Blue = African-American, Yellow = Latino, Green = Asian. One dot is 25 people. Based on 2000 Census data.

See the full Kansas City Map here. 

For forty other cities click here.

A solution for the Cosby Hotel

I love much of the old architecture in downtown Kansas City, MO. Presently, the 125 year old Cosby Hotel at 9th and Baltimore is due to be demolished because it is unsafe. The developer who was to redevelop has not done so. So Blog KC reports a possible solution:

The upshot is that the building in an existing TIF district (Baltimore Place) and Rick Powell is at least two years behind his promised timeline for redeveloping it.  These two things mean that the City already has the authority to seize the building and give it to another developer like Adam Jones.  It’s just a matter of the City Council having the political will to do it.

Seizing the building would not only save an historic structure, it would send a message that developers who get big tax breaks are expected to be good stewards of the public money.

We'll see.

Kansas City ranks among the most tattooed cities in America

Kansas City Business Journal: Kansas City ranks among the most tattooed cities in America

Kansas City’s image as an unassuming Midwestern city may be changing.

Website totalbeauty.com included Kansas City in its list of the “top 10 most tattooed cities in America.” Kansas City ranked No. 9 — one spot above Los Angeles. The website did its rankings based on the number of tattoo shops per 100,000 population.

Kansas City made its mark with about six tattoo shops per 100,000 population. That may seem like quite a few, but it’s barely a splotch compared with No. 1 Miami Beach, which had about 24 tattoo shops per 100,000 people, according to totalbeauty.com.

Tattoos no longer are viewed as a bad mark on their owners’ reputations. A study by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that 36 percent of what it calls “Gen Nexters,” or those in the 18-25 age range, have a tattoo. The study said 40 percent of Gen Xers have a tattoo. ...

And this would include Kansas City Presbyterians such a PCUSA vice-moderator and pastor of Liberty First Presybterian, Landon Whitsitt, with the PCUSA logo tattooed on his left forearm, partially visible in the photo below.

With open arms and open eyes, churches minister to sex offenders

Kansas City Star: With open arms and open eyes, churches minister to sex offenders

Within days of attending a Sunday service at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, a Johnson County man received an unexpected e-mail.

Security officials at the Leawood megachurch wanted to see him immediately. They told him this summer that some rules needed to be set if he wished to come back to worship.

He must go straight to the sanctuary before service and leave immediately after it ended — no dawdling. There would be no direct contact with church staff.

Only a single-stool restroom on the church campus could be used.

And under no circumstances could he enter the children’s wing of the church.

The man is a registered sex offender, convicted seven years ago of possessing child pornography. He’s also one of a special class of worshippers whom most churches across the country want to welcome — but very carefully.

“While we’re a very inclusive church family, at the same time, we feel we have a responsibility to have a safe environment for our members and visitors,” said Peter Metz, communications director for the Church of the Resurrection. “It’s a practical solution, much better than denying them access to the church.” ...

A Seminar on Immigration (July 24 in Kansas City, KS)

I'm signed up for this event. I thought I would make sure my Kansas City area readers are aware as well. This event requires that you sign up and they expect to have more people wanting to come than there are spaces, so sign up quick.

From Adelante Express: Adelante Missions Institute Presents: A Seminar on Immigration

I am extremely excited to announce a special training opportunity to take place on Saturday, July 24 on the timely and important topic of immigration, sponsored by Mission Adelante, and co-sponsored by the National Association of Evangelicals and Grandview Park Presbyterian Church. We have invited Dr. Danny Carroll, author of Christians at the Border and distinguished professor of Old Testament at Denver Seminary, to present a Biblical overview of issues related to immigration, especially relevant for all Christians who have a heart for serving the stranger in our midst.

Leith Anderson of the National Association of Evangelicals writes, "Immigration issues grip American politics and opinions. But what does the Bible say? What is at the heart of the Christian view on immigration? Danny Carroll's voice on this issue is like no other."

If you are interested in seeing a snapshot of Dr. Carroll's presentation, follow this link to see his talk at Willow Creek's Compassion and Justice seminar. Dr. Carroll was also a speaker at the annual Christian Community Development Association conference in 2009.

In addition to Dr. Carroll, we will also hear from Jenny Hwang, Director for Advocacy and Policy for World Relief's Refugee and Immigration Program and co-author of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate. Ms. Hwang will present a policy discussion on Immigration.

The event will be held on Saturday, July 24 at Grandview Park Presbyterian Church, 1613 Wilson Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66102, located just a couple of blocks from Mission Adelante. Please note that a fee of $20 per person will be collected at the door and child care will not be provided. The schedule for the day is as follows:

8:30 Doors open

9:00-12:00 Seminar by Dr. Daniel Carroll

12:00-1:00 Lunch, provided at the church

1:00-2:30 Policy discussion by Jenny Hwang

Space is limited, so please don't delay to register and to spread the word to anyone whom this event may interest. Because of limited space, we may not be able to accommodate walk-ins on the day of the seminar. You can register by filling out the form at this link: Register Now. This is the only way registration will be accepted.

Again, we are extremely excited about this event and feel that God has provided us with a unique opportunity to explore a Biblical perspective on a challenging issue that is especially relevant for our ministry. We would love for you to join us!

In His Grace,

Jarrett Meek

Executive Director, Mission Adelante

Kansas City, KS, School Board Requires Biblical Armageddon Must be Taught Alongside Global Warming

Oh my. This one definitely got some chortles out of me. And to think it is happening right here in Kansas City, KS. Hysterical!
Christian Groups: Biblical Armageddon Must Be Taught Alongside Global Warming

New population study redefines ‘heartland’

Kansas City Star: New population study redefines ‘heartland’

... Social changes over the last decade — especially the increase in racial and ethnic minorities — are scrambling regional stereotypes and dramatically altering the traditional portrait of America.

“Our metropolitan areas are on the front lines of demographic transformation,” said Bruce Katz, director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings. “Every trend that is affecting the nation — growth, diversity, aging, education disparities, income inequities — is affecting our major metropolitan areas first at a speed, scale and complexity that are truly historic.”

The “New Heartland” is one of seven divisions that Brookings developed in its study, “State of Metropolitan America,” to reflect the changing economic, demographic and social climate since 2000.

The Kansas City area is one of 19 “fast-growing, highly educated locales” in this redefined heartland, with diversity levels below the national average.

“We are right there in the middle of these trends, not experiencing their extremes,” said Frank Lenk, director of research at the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City. “As a result, the negative changes, like more income inequality, didn’t hit us here.”

Indeed, wages for middle-class workers in the Kansas City area actually went up slightly as of 2008, compared with the national average, according to Brookings. The median income was higher, too. The percentage of children in poverty locally also was lower than it was nationally.

The region had one of the highest percentages of commuters who drive alone. It also had some the highest numbers of commuters who switched to public transit since 2000.

The percentage of the population older than 25 with college degrees ranks in the top third of the leading metro areas. But it hugs the bottom as far as 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in higher education. ...

Police say teens planned Plaza chaos online

KSHB-TV: Police say teens planned Plaza chaos online

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Police say hundreds of teens planned Saturday's chaos on the Plaza through web sites like Facebook and Twitter.  Officials received several calls from adults Sunday.  Police say it appears the adults saw the postings online but didn't report anything until it was too late.

This is the second week in a row police responded to the Country Club Plaza to clear hundreds of juveniles off the streets.  But Saturday, the crowd reached a record high: nearly 1,000 teens.

"It's 11:30 12:00 at night, and I'm just curious where the parents are,” said Plaza property owner Steve Brennan. “They look 12, 14, 15-years-old.”

Police say most of the teens were 13 to 17-years old and started flooding the Plaza around 10:30 p.m.

Over the course of just one hour, police say a couple was beaten and robbed in a parking lot, a girl in a prom dress was pushed into a fountain at the Mill Creek Park, and a teen was hit with a metal pipe in the Winstead's parking lot.  That teen now has severe facial injuries.  Police say several businesses closed early because groups of teens were harassing their customers, especially those seating at sidewalk tables.  ...

Yet another innovative use of social media. :-) This has been a big topic on the KC talk radio today as you might imagine. Sounds to me like the police acted responsibly.

Kansas City Needs to Support Covington

I don't use this blog for promoting political causes that often but today I'm making an exception. Kansas City School Board Superintendent John Covington led the board to make a long overdue reduction in the number schools a few weeks ago. The consolidation will reduce overhead and it is a move toward improving the quality of education in one of the most dysfunctional school districts in the nation. Some school board candidates are running in order to undo Covington's courageous decision. It is time to get behind Covington. Therefore, I want to encourage all my Kansas City, MO, readers to get out there today and vote for the reform candidates who support Covington.

4th District:

Joseph Jackson

At-Large:

Kyleen Carroll
Crispin Rea

Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen! UNI defeats the Jayhawks.

The UNI purple Panthers finally did what purple KSU Wildcats couldn't do in three tries this year. My in-laws live just outside Waterloo - Cedar Falls. I know there is celebrating happening there. Congrats to the Panthers!

UMKC's MBA coach finds success in the classroom, not on the court

Kansas City Star: UMKC's MBA coach finds success in the classroom, not on the court

Nice piece on the work my sister is doing.

Coaches Bill Self, Frank Martin and Mike Anderson are household names in the Kansas City area. But there’s another successful college coach who has nothing to do with dribbling, passing or shooting a basketball.

Sandra Kruse-Smith has been coaching students in UMKC’s Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration’s executive MBA program since 2005.

“I work with students to help them apply what they learn in the classroom to specific problems they may be facing at work,” she said.

Or as Joan Gallos, academic director for the program, put it: “We want to have a program that is relevant to our students’ career success, so what they learn on Saturday they can apply on Monday.”

A coach is so valuable in part because the program’s mission is different from that of a typical MBA, she said.

“What distinguishes an executive MBA is the emphasis on application and integration of knowledge,” Gallos said. “Every degree program teaches students various models and frameworks, best practices and understanding across various business disciplines. But even if you learn something, you may not necessarily be able to integrate it into your workplace. Translating theory into practice can be difficult.”

Leaders at the Bloch school were wrestling with that challenge in 2005 when they ran across “Developing Business Leaders for 2010,” a report published by the Conference Board.

“This report listed … qualities that are necessary to be successful and keep your career from derailing,” Kruse-Smith said. “The majority of those skills are related to interpersonal relationships and communications.” ...

A divided Kansas City board votes 5-4 to close 26 district schools

Kansas City Star: A divided Kansas City board votes 5-4 to close 26 district schools

A divided Kansas City school board voted Wednesday night to move ahead with a historic plan to close 26 schools.

Hundreds of people in an overflow crowd — sometimes shouting out in dismay — watched with national media as the board ushered in Superintendent John Covington’s “Right Sizing Plan.”

While the nation may be watching to see whether Covington can carry out his sweeping plan, the superintendent and his board will tend to the task of working together in the weighty days ahead, board President Marilyn Simmons said.

“I do not think this is something for celebration,” she said after the 5-4 vote. “This is a somber moment.”

The school closings will reduce the number of district buildings by more than 40 percent and underpin Covington’s drive to cut $50 million from the shrunken district’s budget. ...

I was watching Morning Joe this morning and this was one of the lead stories. One commentator was using this as an example of underfunded school districts and the sign of a looming crisis. The fact, is that Kansas City Missouri School District's population has been in decline for years. For some time now there is has been an overcapacity of school space and all the overhead that goes with keeping each location open. Past superintendents have tried to close schooles in recent years and failed. This time Covington succeeded. Hats off to him. This is not a sign of a collapsing school system but the emergence of fiscal responsibility that should improve the plight of KCMO students.

Also, don't get me started on three reporters I've already heard who talk about "the unfolding story in Kansas." Guess the geography classes didn't take to well with many in the national media. :-)

Corporate chaplains add spiritual dimension to employee assistance

Kansas City Star: Corporate chaplains add spiritual dimension to employee assistance

Bob Hodgdon has always treated his 100 employees at Hodgdon Powder Co. in Overland Park as family. However, there are times when even the closest families need outside support.

“We had a lady in our office who died of breast cancer a couple of years ago,” said Hodgdon, whose company manufactures propellants for gun hobbyists who load their own ammunition. “We did what we could to help, such as sending employees with her when she went for treatment, but it still was hard as a staff to deal with the emotional stress and grief.”

That experience led him to look for additional resources to help employees through difficult times. In mid-February, Hodgdon Powder contracted with a corporate chaplain.

Chaplains usually work on contract through a company’s employee assistance program, just as a counselor would. They visit client offices regularly to build relationships with employees and are on call 24/7. Employee participation is both voluntary and confidential.

Although the military, police and hospitals have worked with chaplains for years, they are fairly new to the workplace, said Dan Erickson, founder of People Matter Ministries in Lee’s Summit. ...

The Sunflower Showdown Tonight at 7:00 Central

AP: KU, K-State ready for super Sunflower Showdown

... It should be a great game either way, maybe one of the best in the 113-year history of the Sunflower Showdown.

The buildup was the same for their last meeting on Jan. 30, when Kansas pulled out a taut, 81-79 overtime win in a well-played game at rowdy Bramlage Coliseum.

The stakes will be even higher this time at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.

Kansas (27-2, 13-1) is ranked second and Kansas State (24-4, 11-3) is No. 5, marking the first time since 1958 — when coach Tex Winter led the Wildcats and Wilt Chamberlain played center for the Jayhawks — the teams are both in the top 5. ...  [Picture Source]

Okay folks ... here is the story. KU's Allen Fieldhouse is the Kansas version of the imperial death star. Wildcats are the jedi seeking to bring balance to the force and end the long night of tyranny. Tonight the jedi wild kitties enter the Allen death star to do battle against Darth Self and his imperial Jayhawk stormtroopers. May the force be with you, young Wildcats.

EMAW! Go Cats!

Groundhog Run attracts its biggest crowd

Kansas City Star: Groundhog Run attracts its biggest crowd

When it was just about over Sunday morning, an hour and a half after the second and final race of the day had started, race director LeRoy Unruh revealed the turnout for the 28th annual Groundhog Run.

“It’s the biggest ever,” he said, turning to another race worker for confirmation. “We’ve never had 3,000 finishers in this race.”

Nearly 1,900 runners had crossed the finish line in the 5-kilometer run, while another 1,100 had completed the 10K as runners flocked to the underground Hunt Midwest SubTropolis for an escape from the winter cold.

“It’s good for serious runners who want to do a race indoors during the winter, because you can’t do much else,” said Gina Morgan, the top women’s finisher in the 10K. “It’s very unique.”

That it is — according to its Web site, the Groundhog Run is believed to be the biggest organized underground run in the country — and that’s what keeps luring eager runners to the SubTropolis each winter. From across the metro area and beyond. ...

... The Groundhog Run benefits the Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center, which serves young children with disabilities and their families.

A little know fact about Kansas City is its underground storage facilities. I think K. C. has more underground business and storage square footage than any city in the U. S. The entrance to one of these facilities is about a quarter mile from my house. I wonder if they'll ever turn any of these cave locations into condos?

Documentary reveals Auschwitz horror through survivors' memories

Kansas City Star: Documentary reveals Auschwitz horror through survivors' memories

At the end of each workday, the concentration camp prisoners usually stood in a straight line to be counted.

One day, however, they were told to form a square. Guards had captured two girls trying to escape. They were to be hanged.

The prisoners had to watch.

“The girls came out carrying the stools they were to stand on,” Sonia Warshawski recalled recently. “One of them yelled out to us, ‘Never forget.’ ”

For decades, remembering her Holocaust experiences wasn’t the issue for Warshawski, who endured stays at several camps as a teenager during World War II. The challenge came in being able to tell others.

That’s changed now.

Warshawski is one of 12 Kansas City area survivors of the Auschwitz camp complex in Poland to detail her experiences in a new documentary. To observe the 65th anniversary of the camp’s 1945 liberation, the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education will screen the documentary, “Auschwitz,” for its members on Wednesday.

The film’s completion gladdens Warshawski, today one of a small number of area survivors both willing and able to detail her experiences for school and church groups.

“I feel a responsibility to speak for the ones who didn’t make it,” said Warshawski, 84. “The most important thing is not to forget and not to remain silent.”

The new “Auschwitz” film is part of a larger effort to make mid-1990s videotaped testimony of Kansas City area Holocaust survivors, refugees and witnesses more accessible to area students and educators. ...

For a photo log commemorating the 65th anniversary of liberation visit here.

Foreclosure crisis creates thousands more vacant buildings in KC

Kansas City Star: Foreclosure crisis creates thousands more vacant buildings in KC

Fueled by the foreclosure crisis, the number of vacant buildings in Kansas City has spread like the real estate version of a pandemic flu.

In just one year, city officials say, the number has exploded by 2,000 to more than 7,500 empty or abandoned structures. That figure doesn’t include thousands of empty lots.

“It’s staggering what is happening,” said Cindy Circo, who represents some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in Kansas City’s East Side.

The problem touches every area, from as far north as Kansas City International Airport to portions of Kansas City that are south of Grandview. But it most dramatically affects the urban core, where some streets may have only one occupied home left.

This summer, Forbes magazine helped focus city leaders on the problem, naming Kansas City the nation’s most “abandoned city” because of high rental and homeowner vacancy rates.

City officials and others are critical of the study, saying Kansas City certainly is not the nation’s most abandoned city. It pales in comparison to Detroit, Baltimore or troubled Rust Belt centers such as Cleveland, or even smaller towns such as Youngstown, Ohio.

But the study woke up Kansas City leaders. ...

Zack Attack Not Enough

Mrs. Kronicle and I ventured out to the K to see the Royals take on the Angels. Zack Greinke was pitching. It wasn't his best night but he still managed to hold them to one run in eight innings. Alas, the Royals lost in the eleventh inning.

I did get a few decent pics like the one below.

I love the Washington Nationals because ...

... without the Nationals (46-86) the Kansas City Royals (50-81) would be the worst team in Major League Baseball.

Sigh....

Health Care Forum (Via Streaming Video)

United Methodist Church of the Resurrection (Leawood, KS)

Health Care Forum

Tuesday, August 25, 7 pm, Sanctuary

Live webstreaming at live.cor.org

Join us for the opportunity to listen in as a panel of professionals discuss the challenges faced by people who cannot afford health care and the issue of health care reform. Panel participants are:

• Sam Turner, CEO, Shawnee Mission Medical Center
• Myra Christopher, President and CEO, The Center for Practical BioEthics
• Keith Wisdom, CFO, United Health Care Midwest
• Rick Kahle, President, Employee Benefits, Lockton Insurance
• Hilda Fuentes, CEO, Samuel Rodgers Health Center
• Dr. Ritch Richardson, Emergency Room Physician, Johnson County EMS Director
• Brenda Sharpe, CEO, REACH Health Foundation

Dr. Bill Reed, chair of the department of cardiovascular disease at KU Medical Center and a member of the Kansas Health Authority board, will be helping to craft the questions for the discussion.

COR Goes Downtown

Tonight was the inaugural service for the Church of the Resurrection (Methodist mega church in Leawood, Ks) at their downtown Kansas City, Mo, location, Rez Downtown. They were expecting 50 people and I would guess they had at least 250.

The service was held in the Scarritt Building, catty-corner from the Grand Avenue Temple (Methodist) where the church will take up permanent residence in November with weekly services. (They are meeting once a month a until November.) Grand Avenue Temple has been downtown at this location since 1866 but it has been in desperate need of revitalization for many years. The church building and the twelve story building were built as unit in 1912.

Melissa and I had a great experience. If you live downtown (or even if you don't) you should give it a try. Hats of to COR.

Kansas City Gitmo?

Kansas City Star: Kansans swiftly oppose moving Guantanamo detainees there, but Michigan may be more open to the idea

Leavenworth County may be the prison capital of the United States, but don’t expect leaders to roll out the welcome mat for Guantanamo Bay detainees. ...

Actually, the original plan was not to move the detainees to the northwest side of the Kansas City metro (Leavenworth), but rather to the Truman Sports Complex on the east a side of the metro. However, a federal judge ruled that subjecting prisoners to endless Royals and Chiefs games was cruel and inhumane punishment.

Intern program helps revive historic square

Kansas City Star: Intern program helps revive historic square

Ray James, a Graceland University student from Chicago, says some of his friends “are doing grunt work” in their summer internships.

He, on the other hand, has helped open and run a business.

“This is real hands-on, the opportunity of a lifetime,” said James, who with 11 other Graceland students is reviving several businesses in Independence.

Collin Isham, an economics major from Overland Park, said, “This program is the buzz around campus, especially among business majors.”

Credit goes to Ken McClain, who, with his wife, Cindy, has opened or reopened 12 businesses around the historic Independence Square.

McClain is an Independence lawyer who also serves as chairman of the Graceland board. Three years ago, he decided to finance summer internships for Graceland students.

It’s a competitive program. Applicants have to be recommended by their professors. Once selected, the winners receive a $5,000 stipend, room and board and an opportunity to earn more through a bonus system, all courtesy of the McClains.

“We get bright, enthusiastic people who work hard and come up with a bank of ideas and projects for our year-round employees to put in place,” said McClain, “things we might not have come up with because on our own we’re all too busy taking care of the daily business.” ...

Royals in 1st at the End of April?

A photo of the sky above Kansas City today.

Tea Party in Kansas City

It was beautiful sunny day in Kansas City today and I decided I needed to outdoors for a little while. Turns out there was one of the Tax Day Tea Parties happening at the Liberty Memorial, not far from where I live, so I grabbed my camera and roamed around the event for almost an hour. I took some of my pictures and video clips and assembled them into a YouTube video. Nothing fancy. Just some sights and sounds. Here it is.

People Voting With Their Feet: Atlanta Ranks #1

From Carpe Diem

K.C. MO in there at number 12.

Irish in the Hood

Many people don't realize that the Irish have played a central role in Kansas City history from the beginning. Our St. Patty's Day parade is the third largest behind New York and Boston. After thirty years of holding the parade downtown, they moved it to Midtown Kansas City on Broadway within just a few blocks of my house. I walked over to 34th Terrace and Broadway, near the start of the parade, and snapped these shots.

First, you must have bagpipes.

Then you must have the mayor. So here is Mark Funkhouser.

Irish politics was also on display.

You also need a little craziness.

Of course, you can't forget this guy.

BTW, the church in the background above is Redemptorist, where most of my neighbors attend. The congregation now has a predominately Mexican-American feel but in the early days this neighborhood (and where I live a few blocks west) was largely Irish and I'm told Redemptorist was largely Irish as well.

Below is the Marine color guard.

These dancers stopped to show their moves every block or so.

You can't have a K. C. parade without cowboys.

I loved the dog hitching a ride in this one.

Every K. C. parade must have the Marching Cobras.

Toward the end of the parade was the International House of Prayer with a contingent of people stretching more than a city block, dancing and singing to music that sounded like Delirious. They would yell out "Happy St. Patrick's Day" and "Jesus loves you."

Here is evidence the Kronicler was actually there.

As I walked back home I passed Browne's Irish Deli about four blocks from my house. To say they were doing a brisk business would be an understatement.

It was sunny, temp was around 70, and there was just a light breeze. God was smiling on the Irish in K. C. today.

Kansas City Chiefs hire Todd Haley as coach

Yahoo! Sports: Kansas City Chiefs hire Todd Haley as coach

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Todd Haley was hired as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday after helping the Arizona Cardinals reach the Super Bowl as coordinator of one of the NFL’s most exciting offenses.

Haley joins a team that went a franchise-worst 2-14 under coach Herm Edwards, who was fired Jan. 23. Edwards lost all but two of his last 25 games and launched a rebuilding project that made the Chiefs the league’s youngest team this season. ...

Woo hoo!

Bill Cowher to Sign with Chiefs?

The Kansas Citian: EXCLUSIVE: Bill Cowher to Sign with Chiefs

Despite reports from the KC Red Star that former Steelers' head coach Bill Cowher is not interested in a job with the Kansas City Chiefs, tipsters to the Kansas Citian are reporting that Cowher has purchased a beautiful new home in the upscale KC suburb of Leawood, KS. The home is estimated to have cost $3.5 million.

The move is a strong indication that the Chiefs have indeed signed Cowher and will likely make the official announcement within the next few days.

On the other hand, it could be that Cowher just wanted to move to a metro area without an NFL team. :-)

Historian’s hard work, innovation survive in Arabia Steamboat Museum

One of my favorite places in the Kansas City metro area is the Arabia Steamboat Museum. For two reasons. First, it is a museum about a steamship that sank in the Missouri River in 1856, carrying supplies to settlers in the West. The ship was recovered in 1988 and countless artifacts from this supply ship are now on display. It is described as an 1856 Wal-Mart, giving incredible insight into the daily lives of people from that era.

The second reason is the way the ship was found and the way the museum came into being. A blue collar family, the Hawleys, (who owned a cooling and heating business in Independence, MO) along with friends, did the work to identify the wreckage. They put together a team to recover it on their own, investing their personal fortunes to do so. It is a remarkable story. (Click on "Museum Info" at the website and select "Arabia's Video" to get the story of the Arabia and the Hawley's.)

Sadly, one of the brothers, Greg Hawley, was killed Saturday when his pickup was struck by an 18 year old racing another teenager on the highway. That teenager is being charged with first degree manslaughter. One man's life ended and his family devastated. Another man's life horribly altered by incredibly irresponsible behavior. It is truly heartbreaking.

Here is the Kansas City Star article Historian’s hard work, innovation survive in Arabia Steamboat Museum. Peace to the families of all involved.

5 destinations to watch in 2009

USA Today: 5 destinations to watch in 2009

A destination in the midst of inventing itself. Another preparing for its year in the world spotlight. Cities and regions gearing up for year-long parties. Our top picks for destinations to watch in 2009 are bursting with up-and-coming, you've-gotta-see-this attitude. Not only are these destinations on the rise, but each offers good value to travelers looking to vacation affordably in the coming year. ...

...Kansas City

Never considered Kansas City as a vacation destination before? Over the past few years, the city has been working hard to make itself a destination worth the trip. And the effort is paying off big time during 2009 when more than $9 billion in major improvements will be reinvigorating its downtown area and lending major credibility to its arts and dining scenes.

Recent developments include the new nine-block Power & Light District, downtown's newest mixed-use neighborhood packed with restaurants, shops, and entertainment and performance venues. There's also an outdoor stage featuring live entertainment more than 150 days a year. The Crossroads Arts District hosts one of the largest art walks in the nation from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. Downtown, there's also the new Sprint Center, which hosts large concerts and special events, and the College Basketball Experience, a giant entertainment facility with interactive exhibits and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Beyond downtown, revitalized and expanded attractions draw crowds as well. The well-known Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art just finished an expansion last year. Already ranked among the top art museums in the country, the new expansion increases the museum's exhibition space by one third, and makes more room for the museum's collections of modern and contemporary art, African art, and photography. And just in time for its 100th anniversary, the Kansas City Zoo has also undergone a major renovation.

As if that isn't enough, Kansas City is expanding its culinary reputation. Long known as a mecca for barbecue, a number of Kansas City chefs and their fine dining establishments—including Bluestem, American Restaurant, and Michael Smith—have recently received national recognition as well.

Even better (especially this year), Kansas City is one of the country's most affordable major cities to visit. It's well-served by airlines including American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, and United. So much service means prices tend to stay competitive. Hotels, dining, and attraction costs tend to be less expensive than in many other cities around the country as well. In fact, Hotwire.com recently ranked Kansas City as one of the top value-priced destinations in the U.S. based on airfare, accommodations, and entertainment prices in 50 U.S. cities. Plus, there are dozens of free museums and attractions to visit.

The reasons to come will just keep expanding. 2010 will bring the opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and the unveiling of a newly renovated Truman Sports Complex (home of the Kansas City Chiefs). ...

Nice! This should really cut down on my vacation travel costs. :-)

If you like history stuff, you also have to visit these four sites:

The National World War I Museum - Plan to spend an entire day at least. This is the official museum for the war. It is an amazing window into the geo-political catastrophe that was the early 20th Century.

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum - Always some great exhibits going on at the museum in neighboring Independence. A couple of months ago visited the one on Lincoln, the Civil War and the Constitution. Truman may not be greatest president of the 20th Century but I think he is one of the most authentic and intriguing presidents.

Steamship Arabia Museum - A steamship sunk in the Missouri River near Kansas City in 1856. It was fully loaded with supplies for frontier dwellers. The ship was buried in mud and preserved until unearthed about twenty years ago. The museum is billed as an 1856 WalMart, containing a vast array of clothes, tools, food, weapons, toys, and other items. It is a fascinating step back in time. Just as fascinating is the story of how a family that owned a small refrigeration business did the research to locate the ship, sunk there entire fortune into unearthing the wreck, and then created the museum.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum - A museum that is equal in quality to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. It is not just a walk into baseball but also back into the life of black communities in the first half of the 20th Century.

Living in the State of "Missoury"

I live in Missouri, home to two NFL teams (K. C. Chiefs and St. L. Rams) with identical records (2-14) for a combined season record of 4-28. I propose we change the state name to Missoury (i.e. hybrid between misery and Missouri).

Shoot Pheasants for Jesus

Do you like hunting pheasants? Sign up for the Joshua Tent pheasant hunt December 6, 2008, and help support an in important urban youth ministry in the Rosedale area of Kansas City, KS.

Joshua Tent is an Evangelical Covenant Church plant (not far from where I live) with a passion for urban youth and families. My friends David Stanley and Jose Sanchez are co-pastors. Here is a sampling of some their ongoing ministry

 

To learn more about Josuha Tent, visit their website here. Here is a brochure for the event, although I understand the price has dropped from $400 to $250.

 

Even if you aren't into pheasant hunting, Joshua Tent is worthy of your support if you have a passion for urban youth.

K.C. Gas

Here is what I paid at the pump in Kansas City tonight.

Oil and Gas Prices Fall

New York Times: Oil Prices Fall Below $90 a Barrel

HOUSTON — Oil prices fell below $90 a barrel on Monday for the first time since February because of the economic slowdown, even though production in the Gulf of Mexico had not fully recovered from hurricane destruction three weeks ago. ...

This evening I went by the Quick Trip where I buy my gas at 31st and Southwest Blvd., on the Kansas City, KS, and Kansas City, MO border (It straddles the state line.) Prices there were under $3.00 a gallon. My 401K may be in the tank but at least we can all afford to drive to the unemployment office.