Archives: July 2009
All Taco Bell dogs go to heaven
All stereotypes, thankfully, come to an end. Sadly this one concludes with the passing of Gidget — a 15-year-old Chihuahua widely known as the Taco Bell spokesdog. Gidget was the star of a four-year advertising campaign that kicked off in 1997 with the video above. In some respects, the Taco Bell dog represented a breakthrough in advertising, leading to catch…
Breakfast Buffet: Thursday, July 23
%{}% A visit to 75 in Shawnee shows that lunch doesn’t have to complicated to be tasty. Bacon lollipops, the Japanese fruit yuzu and blood oranges are guiding the latest gourmet trends. Ice skater Brian Boitano is apparently going to host a new series on The Food Network — critics sharpen your blades. And finally, take a morning off from…
Lineup Announced For This Year’s Crossroads Music Fest
On Saturday, September 12 the 5th Annual Crossroads Music Fest showcases the best in local music, art, and dance, all centered in the Crossroads Art District in downtown Kansas City. Presented by the locally owned and operated Spice of Life Productions, CMF5 will feature 25 bands on six stages: Crosstown Station, Skylight Room, The Brick, Czar Bar, Madrigal and Mercy…
Love Garden Sounds Is Moving
Lawrence’s Love Garden Sounds, home of records, CDs, and cats, is moving. Don’t despair, however—they’re moving one flight downstairs and just a little more than one block north. They’ll still be on Massachusetts Street, just not up a flight of stairs. All the info you need is on the flier in the window of their new location. It’s conveniently displayed…
Update: Family speaks out against JoCo cougar
When police couldn’t stop her son’s harassment and cyberstalking from a Johnson County cougar, the boy and his mother, Joan, turned to the courts, Joan said in a press conference yesterday afternoon. “In response to my son’s pleadings for help, the police department was contacted many times, there were reports filed,” said Joan, who wouldn’t give her last name. “No…
Parkinson’s double emerges in old yearbook
Mark Parkinson became the 45th governor of Kansas when Kathleen Sebelius joined the Obama administration. Until then I hadn’t seen much of him. So Parkinson’s new prominence became, for me, a curiosity. He reminded me of someone. Was it an actor? A sports figure? A captain of industry? Then, finally, it came to me. He looks like a guy with…
Alleged incest victim speaks to KMBC
KMBC’s Peggy Breit obtained an on-camera interview with the daughter Danial Rinehart allegedly subjected to an incestuous relationship. Ashley Rinehart, 19, says she bore four children by her father. Three died. A boy is in foster care. Rinehart told KMBC that she hoped to gain custody of the child. “My son is everything,” she said. “He means the world.” Danial…
Studies in Crap presents ’80s Action Heroes Where They Don’t Belong, Part One: Rambo Coloring & Activity Book!
Your Crap Archivist brings you the finest in forgotten and bewildering crap culled from area basements, thrift stores, estate sales and flea markets. I do this for one reason: Knowledge is power. Rambo Coloring & Activity Book Author: Frank Stinga and Carrie FinkPublisher: Modern PublishingDate: 1985Discovered at: Brass Armadillo Antique Mall, Grain Valley, MOThe Cover Promises: You expect and demand…
The Frickin’ Frolic
The Frickin’ Frolic pub crawl event through Waldo raises money in support of Allyson Frick Dobson who suffered a massive stroke in February 2008, leaving her with Locked-In Syndrome. The fundraising event includes six venue locations near 75th Street and Wornall Road. Register at www.fundraising4allyson.com. Sat., July 25, 6-11 p.m., 2009 Tags: Allyson Frick Dobson, Night & Day
A remodeled delight
A wire service called it a “delighted” crowd of 39,464 that watched the first game at Royals Stadium on April 10, 1973. Sitting in their cool, new ballpark, Royals’ fans cheered Amos Otis, Paul Splittorff and the rest as they drummed the Texas Rangers, 12-1. After that, tickets to the K that year were easy to score. A mere 8,581…
Local Pretty Things
Handmade creations by local designers are always available at the adorable Westport shop Bon Bon Atelier (314 Westport Road, 816-756-0855). Today, however, the store offers up an unusually large selection of original clothes, trinkets and jewelry outside. The event: Ric Rac Roundup, a craft fair with all local contributors. “I don’t think there has been an all-Kansas City local craft…
Flying Saucers
Frisbee has long been the unofficial sport of the barefoot, the dreadlocked, the stoned. Expand your mind, dude. Between today and August 1, nearly 1,000 professional and amateur disc golfers arrive here for the PDGA Disc Golf World Championships. This is your chance to watch local Frisbee-chuckers Arturo Villarreal, David Hemmeline and Eric McCabe huck saucer-shaped pieces of plastic at…
LOCAL BOY MAKES GOLD
Coming from poverty and enduring prejudice and discrimination, Billy Mills, an Oglala Lakota Sioux, took up distance running at the Haskell Institute in Lawrence and later excelled at the University of Kansas, where he was a two-time All-American in cross country. Then, while serving as a first lieutenant in the Marines, he went to the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and…
From the Sea
When the wreck of the ill-fated Titanic was discovered in 1986, revived fascination in the luxury liner, which sank in 1912, led to a flurry of TV documentaries, books and an Oscar-winning film. The tragedy surrounding the opulent ship is still a potent lure, which is why Illinois-based Country Financial is underwriting the “mobile museum tour” Titanic: Treasures From the…
Gran Torino
“Get off my lawn!” That’s the quote you’ll remember most from Gran Torino, the most recent Clint Eastwood movie. It’s presented as part of the Westport Moving Pictures film and discussion series shows. Sun., July 26, 6:30 p.m., 2009 Tags: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino, Night & Day, westport
E.T. Outside
Drive-in movies are relics from a bygone era, but bike-in movies — now there’s something novel. The UMKC Clean Commute program, which teams up with Bridging the Gap, rolls out a film every so often for an audience that has rolled over to bike-station The Hub at 5301 Charlotte on the UMKC campus. Tonight is one of those nights. Featured…
FIELD OF DREAMGIRLS
On the “Is there anything sexier than … ?” shortlist, we humbly nominate Geena Davis in catcher’s gear. Face it: If the Oscar-winning glamazon were flashing signs to Greinke, Meche and Bannister, there’d be a hell of a lot more of us packing the K during home stands (sorry, Miguel). Until the gender barrier is broken in the majors, though,…
Heatin’ Up the Block
The Pitch Block Party at Crossroads KC at Grinders mashes together a handful of things we like: outdoor drinking during the day, good music, hair grease and, um, ourselves (in that order). Reverend Horton Heat anchors the six-band lineup with support from Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Split Lip Rayfield, Nekromantix, Dirtfoot and Rumblejetts. That’s rockabilly, roots rock, bluegrass,…
Shorties in Nighties
Kansas City rapper Reach is generally a sharp-looking fellow when he takes the stage, but that doesn’t mean he’s above stepping out in his jammies for a night on the town. The amiable MC hosts his first Pajammy Jam tonight at the Record Bar (1020 Westport Road, 816-753-5207), encouraging attendees to shine their finest PJs while boogieing to DJ Ataxic…
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