Remember when doing research at the library meant digging through a card catalog? Yeah, uh, me neither. At this point, schools are probably teaching kids how to use Lexis-Nexis in the second grade. But the University of Missouri – Kansas City is taking their technological savvy to a new level. Last week, UMKC debuted a new “Text A Librarian” service, which allows students and staff to text…
I think the subject line for this post is longer than the text of the post might be. Still, this is an interesting juxtaposition. I can understand De La Soul guesting on a Gorillaz track (and I will still crank up “Feel Good Inc.” every time it comes on), but Matt & Kim are so indie, so poppy, so very…
Americans probably feel like they have a nagging spouse when it comes to the media’s relentless coverage of our face-stuffing spiral into obesity. Most people get it — they’re not fat between the ears. We are overweight as a people. And yet, sometimes a story appears that reminds us why we are the vikings of plates — we conquer all…
Attached to the debate over concentrated animal feeding operations and conditions at slaughterhouses is the growing trend of reduced-meat or meat-free diets. We’ve once again reach the point in the cycle where a vegetarian diet is being advocated from a moral viewpoint about sustainability and doing as little harm as possible to the environment and our fellow creatures. Beth Mendenhall,…
Last month’s G.I. Joe Convention was the best example of grown men wearing costumes since Halloween — and all in semi-obsessive worship of plastic dolls action figures. Peter Rugg’s cover story this week tells how G.I. Joe lovers from around the country packed the Hyatt with their special brand of enthusiasm for a weekend of buying, selling, and, as one…
If you were sitting there during Cast Away wishing you could have a sip of coconut water instead of your 128-oz. Diet Coke — boy are you excited about the latest potential growth market for Coke and Pepsi! As demand for bottled water has shrunk, beverage makers are trying to boost their market share by turning to new offerings, the…
Preying on the civic competitiveness that compels us to click on such arbitrary rankings, Forbes recently released a list of “America’s Most Stressful Cities.” Surprisingly, Kansas City fared pretty well. The ranking took into account unemployment, property values and even the number of sunny days in each city. Based on Forbes’ number-crunching, Kansas City landed at number 36 of the…
%{}% A visit to the Record Bar finds a friendly staff and a killer meatloaf sandwich . A surprise birthday dinner at Starker’s Restaurant is successful thanks to heirloom tomato soup and herb-encrusted lamb. The wine you have in your house says a lot about your personal history. Is it tied to memories of ex-girlfriends or places where you drank…
There’s an excellent interview with Portugal. The Man up over at Wired’s Underwire blog. The band hails from Alaska, and it seems that growing up in a town like Wasilla means that your pop is far removed from the pop currently rocking the airwaves. I’ve listened to their new album, The Satanic Satanist, and it’s a confusing listen. There are…
Good Old War’s sound is starting find fans amongst the indie pop fans who’ve embraced other mellow acts like the Shins and Death Cab For Cutie. Their fans are so devout that you can find dozens of covers posted to YouTube (seriously — check it out — kinda frightening). It’s catchy stuff, if a little sleepy. Their press release name-checks…
Hoops fans probably remember the Kansas City Knights, a local franchise of the American Basketball Association that folded in 2005. Yesterday, Mayor Mark Funkhouser announced that the ABA is back. The new Kansas City Stars will kick off their inaugural season with a showdown against the St. Louis Stunners in late November. But the franchise won’t be scoring any attendance…
“Have you ever been drunk as and got pulled over?” That’s the question posed in a new joint from local musicians and viral video makers Nuthatch-47. “DUI Song” isn’t quite as strong as “Facebook Instructions Manual,” but it’s good for a few honest chuckles. And, besides, who else in the scene is doing this? In addition to the two already…
One of the first things Josh Stieber does during his presentations is ask his audience to repeat after him. “I went down to the market where the women shop / Pulled out my machete and began to chop / I went down to the park where the children play / Pulled out my machine gun and began to spray.” It’s…
%{}% In honor of Michael Jackson’s birthday on August 29th, a small group of fans gathered to dance and mingle at 18th Street and Troost Avenue, under the shadow of Alexander Austin’s tribute to the King of Pop. The mural looks amazing, but the art isn’t entirely Austin’s. On Saturday, dozens of Sharpie-wielding fans added their own words to the…
Every year, Kansas City tennis fans shell out a measly 25 bucks to get a glimpse of what people pay hundreds to see: the best doubles team in the world. Bob and Mike Bryan have been the playing for the Kansas City Explorers, our local franchise of World Team Tennis, since 2005, drawing huge crowds when they take the court…
Each Thursday, your Crap Archivist brings you the finest in forgotten and bewildering crap culled from basements, thrift stores, estate sales and flea markets. I do this for one reason: Knowledge is power. How to Be a Business Superhero Author: Venture capitalist Sean WiseDate: 2008Discovered at: Half Price Books, Westport The Cover Promises: Generic, clip-arty superheroes are much cheaper than…
Every month, Pitch Mastermind Carman Stalker gets some of Kansas City’s best local designers together for a market of original clothing and accessories. Second Wednesday of every month, 5:30-9:30 p.m., 2009 Tags: Kansas City, Night & Day
Shawnee Town’s Speaker Series will tell the story of a Merriam teacher, Corinthian Nutter, who became a local leader for civil rights in the 1940s. Because of Nutter and some of her colleagues, Kansas passed a ruling in favor of allowing all students to attend well equipped schools years before Brown v. the board of Education. The talk will be…
The Kansas City Urban Film Festival kicks off today with a free short-film showcase at 1 p.m. Other highlights include free screenings of the documentaries The 100 Best Black Movies (Ever) and Our Heroes: The 25 Best Black Sports Movies (Ever), plus an 11-webisode mini-marathon of The UnReal Houswives of Kansas City. Featured events (admission $8) include Aron Ranen’s documentary…
Recession be damned, the metro is somehow experiencing a renaissance of that most economically challenged of art forms: live, local, ambitious theater, much of it community-minded. This weekend, for example, while the professional theaters are still gearing up for their new seasons, audiences can head to the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center (3700 Blue Parkway) for tonight’s 7:30 performance…
So how far back in the long careers of Bette Midler and Barry Manilow will performers Kristi Mitchell and Cary Mock go in the new musical revue, Celebration in Song: I Write the Songs, the Music of Barry Manilow & Bette Midler? When Barry and Bette first worked together, it was in the steamy Continental Baths in New York’s Ansonia…
As a series of compilations, Punk Goes Acoustic brings to mind emo weepers. As a live benefit show, it looks to be a more raucous affair: Kick Kick, Them Damn Young Livers and Jessica’s Box will strip down their sets to help donate to Punk Junk Donations and the Kansas City Salvation Army. Punk Junk Donations raises money and collects…
