A Lee's Summit mom named Maria Sullivan filed a federal lawsuit today in Kansas City against the makers of baby products containing bisphenol A. The lawsuit, which also lists four other plaintiffs, seeks class-action status for anybody "who purchased plastic baby bottles, bottle liners, and cups containing the synthetic chemical."
Click here to read how Missouri biologist Frederick vom Saal and his team exposed the dangers of bisphenol A — and earned the wrath of the plastic industry.
The Pitch — along with, apparently, every other media outlet in town — received an e-mail Tuesday for a free family portrait by photographer Michael T. Van De Carr at Temptations, a strip club downtown on Grand.
So this afternoon, I was joined by the Ginger Man and a resident women’s objectification expert – we’ll call her Cassandra — to scout the downtown gentlemen’s club. By the appointed time of 12:30, there were only a few, lightly perspiring men in dark suits waving placards with random slogans — and no one had taken the bait for free photos. There was one tall man with a fat digital camera, though unfortunately, he carried no Olan Mills-style backdrops. Disheartened, we got a table at Willie’s, where we could lean out the long, open windows and wait for something to happen.
Not much did, except for a circle jerk involving the local TV-news crews that did show up and a waxing crowd of the anti-strip-club crowd (captured in the photo below).
But no one except The Pitch, with this blog item, actually publicized the event beforehand. And even we were only a few hours ahead. So it seems reasonable that few Temptations regulars even knew about the sting.
By 1 p.m., the crowd started to disperse. We’d expected them to go at least an hour or at least wait for someone to come to the club. Cassandra and I jumped through the window and ran toward the crowd, holding hands so that they might assume we were a couple.
“I don’t want to be respected!” she said. “And how about the First Amendment?”
“I love watching tities! Let’s go watch some tits!” I said.
Unfortunately, they didn’t tell us about the error of our ways or offer to take a picture. Maybe it’s because we didn’t have a child with us. One man did tell us to have a blessed day, though.
We did go into Temptations to see if they’d barricaded themselves in, like the losing side in the last days of a war waiting out the artillery shells. But aside from one Amazonian bartender, a waitress and a security guard near the stage, the place was empty. There wasn’t even a dancer performing. Next door at the Cigar Box, the hostess told us the Christians had been taking photos of people’s parked cars and shots of the drivers getting out when they could. Perhaps they’ll be circulated later on a Web site, to shame them for parking within 30 feet of a place that, later today, will feature topless women.
“It’s all right though,” the hostess told us. “We just put on the music really loud and blasted them out. They left pretty soon.”
In the American League, teams have nine players paid to hit major league pitching. The Royals, by starting Tony Peña Jr., neglect this by using eight. Before this appears as hyperbole, consider:
It’s clear Peña can't hit. Even if he hit for a high average, his plate discipline is awful and he has minimal power. For every astonishing defensive play, like the one Saturday, there have been errors at critical times -- one Sunday, one in Oakland the previous weekend. P.S., he is a god-awful bunter.
So what's the solution? The obvious one is Alberto Callaspo, who is an above average hitter and can hold his own at defense. But here's how bad Peña is: If Callaspo injured himself, the Royals would achieve greater production from Ángel Berroa. Berroa is hitting .291 with power in Omaha after a good 2007 season there. He averaged a .263 average with a .384 slugging percentage in his unhappy tenure in KC, which far exceeds how Peña is performing now or how Peña could ever manage.
So it has actually come to this: longing for Ángel Berroa. I even have an informal slogan if this occurs:
Indifference, Not Incompetence. Berroa for Shortstop.
MyFox doesn't hate you. It just doesn't care that you're alive: If I had to pick a favorite local news channel, Fox 4 would definitely be in the running. Because in this crazy old Good Luck Chuck-making world, you need at least one island of stability, and I know for a fact that no matter how much the world changes, Phil Witt will always look exactly the same as he did in 1979. It's weird. But comforting!
Pictured: Phil Witt and his Cindy Crawford beauty mark, reporting live from the apocalypse 80 years from now.
Anyway, I occasionally link to stories on the Fox 4 Web site, and I owe you two kinds of apology for that: the regular, retroactive kind of apology, and also the pre-emptive kind, because I know I'll do it again in the future. But I'll do it soberly, the way you amputate a leg in order to save a dying puppy, because the Fox 4 site is the most disastrously bad site of all the local broadcast stations.
That's like being crowned the king of the floating island of human excrement that's choking off aquatic life around the Florida Keys, because all those Web sites are terrible. But in addition to its obvious retina-searing ugliness, the Fox 4 site loads, like, 12 different scripts and hijacks your browser for 20 or 30 seconds, apparently in order to launch a javascript newscrawl — just like the one on the Fox News channel! Whereas the one on Fox News says stuff like, "Cannibal sex parties: New trend for Democrats?" the one at the Fox 4 site says, hilariously: "Make myfoxkc.com Your Homepage." Why does that particular phrase have to crawl across a frame in your browser? I don't know. Science indicates that it actually will fit on your screen in its entirety.
So I hereby apologize for two things: (1) suggesting that there is a floating island of human excrement around the Florida Keys, which would be awesome from a news-gathering perspective, and (2) the following link to Fox 4.
MyFox Fan Fiction: Fox 4 is expressing journalistic outrage on behalf of you, the common man. The problem? A new road-tax system that penalizes the drivers of older cars. Did the treasury slip it through "on the quiet"? According to Fox 4, yes! The station tentatively adds the following piece of speculative, science-fiction-like journalism: "News of the levy is likely to provoke fury among motorists who have already been hit by soaring fuel costs." But how likely? Seventy-five percent? Eighty? If we're dealing in probabilities, the news copy-writing staff should take a page out of meteorologist Mike Thompson's book and switch to the time-tested Pop-O-Matic Bubble method of reporting. Otherwise, you need to cite your sources: "According to my ass, motorists will be furious."
Bumper sticker polemics: Oh! The federal excise tax on gasoline isn't actually used to fund the government department responsible for cataloging all the varieties of indigenous dust mites. What a surprise. The Hillary Clinton-John McCain plan for summer gas-tax relief would actually cut off funding for roadway projects. That's no problem in Kansas City, a town so tough, the streets are actually made out of steel plates, like the skin of a battle robot. But if you get the impression that I think the whole proposal is a whorish, pandering attempt at garnering the approval of blue-collar voters who can barely keep their heads above the payments on their gas-guzzling F-150 pickups, you've obviously seen the sticker in my car's rear window:
It's not pithy, but framing my arguments in formal "Calvin pissing" dialectic is my Fox 4 way of appealing to you, the common man.
Michael Van De Carr wants husbands to round up their wives and children and come on down to Totally Nude Temptations at 1517 Grand today at 12:30 p.m. for a free family portrait outside the club.
Van De Carr, a family photographer and 33-year-old father of six, put out a press release Monday morning offering the downtown club's regulars a free family portrait.
“If they like the place that much, and they don't think it's a harm to any families, why don't they bring them down there?” Van De Carr says. “It's free.”
Van De Carr already knows the answer to his question. Though he says he's not sure if anyone will take him up on his offer, the stunt is meant to demonstrate that none of Temptations' customers will accept the offer.
“They would never in a million years think of bringing their families around this,” Van De Carr says. “They know that it's not good for their families, so therefore they keep their families away.”
The publicity stunt is also meant to draw attention to Temptations’ proposed expansion. In exchange for getting permission to expand, Temptations' dancers would wear pasties and g-strings. Temptations would also increase the entry age from 18 to 21, which would allow the club to sell liquor, and replace the “Totally Nude” sign on the building's façade.
The club would seemingly get less raunchy under the changes, but Van De Carr says: “If it’s wrong for somebody to be in there under 18, it’s wrong for somebody to be in there that's 21. It’s morally wrong.”
On the change from naked to scantily clad: “I don't think there's a difference,” he says. “I wouldn't take my kid or any of my kids or any kids I know at all to a beach in Europe that's topless. While that's fine out there – that's the way that it is in their society -- it’s still not right. It's not right.”
On replacing the “Totally Nude” sign: “It’s going to be perceived as a more legitimate place to hang out at because it doesn’t have the sign,” he says. “They’ll put it off as a gentlemen’s club where anyone but gentlemen would be there.”
Of course, rounding up the clan on a weekday isn't easy. People who frequent strip clubs need to work to make all those dollar bills. Wives work, too. Plus, the kids likely will be in school at 12:30 p.m. on a Wednesday. Van De Carr says that’s no excuse.
“I know that there are going to be at least 60 people down there for a fact that have taken off work and gotten away from what they need to do during the regular day because they are that passionate about stopping the expansion,” Van De Carr says. “If the people who frequent the place aren't passionate enough to come down there and make a stand that they believe the expansion should be allowed, that paints another picture for the city.”
Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline fired another salvo in his ongoing media war with The Kansas City Star. This week’s installment of the liberal, abortion-loving media hating on Phill Kline came in an e-mail from the DA’s office titled “The Kansas City Star's modus operandi: Ignore facts, focus on controversy, attack with editorials.” (Click on the image at right to read the full text of the message.) The e-mail was a response to the Star claiming that a judge’s ruling applied only to Kline and not Planned Parenthood. The Star was wrong, and Kline went on to cite his history of oppression by the daily.
Four thoughts on the draft the day after the Chiefs showed off 650 pounds of their future:
1. Nobody Has a Clue About the NFL Draft, But Everyone Will Voice Their Opinion Anyway
Self-esteem and hygiene remain unselected.
Until recently, the most annoying sports fan possible was one who referenced his fantasy football team. Now? It’s the draft geeks. These people perform their own NFL mock drafts, which is sort of like fantasy football for people without friends. At the water cooler, they will opine how "it was a reach" for the Chiefs to draft tight end Brad Cottam in the third round or that Brian Johnston is a "project with tremendous upside despite playing at a small college." Chances are, none of these people has seen any of these players play in college, let alone break down the game film.
No one knows. Hell, the draft experts and even the people making the selections, most of whom were absolutely certain that Ryan Sims was going to be a dominant defensive force, don't know.
2. Everyone Has Potential. Most Don't Utilize It
Ultimately, during the draft we are making blind guesses concerning the maturity of 23-year-old males provided millions of dollars and unlimited fame. Chances are, many of those selected will not fulfill their promise because of:
(a) the pursuit of hedonism
(b) complete indifference
(c) bad luck.
Hey, everyone thinks Glenn Dorsey could be a starter for a decade. He also could fracture his tibia, requiring Carl Peterson to put him down like Barbaro.
3. The Best Possible Thing to Have Happened to the Chiefs Was Larry Johnson Getting Hurt Last Year
WHB 810's Soren Petro made this point last week: What if Larry Johnson hadn't missed half of last season? Rather than 4-12, maybe the Chiefs would have been 7-9, with a few close victories. Then they would have persuaded themselves — again — that they were just a few additions away. Jared Allen would still be on the team, and we would be drafting in the middle of the first round, again making modest changes when a sledgehammer is more desirable.
The Chiefs needed to hit bottom hard. We weren't a tweak away from a championship. The injuries last year provided an opportunity for everyone, including Carl and, yes, Chiefs fans to see how far away from contention we really were.
4. Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards Have More Job Security Than Fans Suspect or Want
Carl Peterson is in the midst of the longest five-year plan since the existence of the U.S.S.R. Chief fans, along with the media, have completely turned on him. He is deeply unpopular with the team's fan base, blamed for everything from draft busts during the Clinton administration to long lines at the concession stands.
Despite this, both he and Herm Edwards have free rein to rebuild this team until 2010, when the stadium renovations are completed. It is only someone completely secure in their job who would take the step of trading Jared Allen for draft picks, despite the near certainty that it will make the 2009 Chiefs uncompetitive. The Chiefs aren't aggressively seeking a QB to replace Brody Croyle, the first thing a team seeking a playoff spot would do.
They are completely safe, providing two years of fodder for Jason Whitlock and talk-radio hosts.
Stimulate This: Your free money from the government is coming early. How awesome is that? We're all getting a $600 check from Grandma! The IRS has started direct deposits of economic stimulus payments. Did you know that Wal-Mart will cash your economic stimulus checks at no charge? I'm going to spend my free government money on some Yosemite Sam mudflaps for my house. And I'm not going to think about the desperation of bureaucrats who would give away money from the treasury to smelly old regular people.
There Will Be Super Premium Unleaded: Are you prepared for $10-per-gallon gasoline? HAHA! Of course you're not. That's like preparing for heart cancer! Nobody plans for heart cancer. I guaran-damn-tee it's not penciled in on my — whatever, my list of "things to watch out for." And if I get bad news from the minimum-wage teenagers who run the clinic at Wal-Mart, I'll probably just spend my economic stimulus check on a Sam's Choice coffin.
But anyway. There are these two oil industry analysts? Who work at some think tanks? And they say gas prices in the United States are about to get heart cancer. Globally, this isn't a big deal — in John Kerry's Europe, gas already costs whatever the metric equivalent of $10 is. It's crazy over there! They have tiny cars that get, like, 700 hectometers to the decilitre.
They're the size of the Jarvik 12 artificial heart you're going to have to buy when you get the heart tumor. Additionally, the Europeans also make a kind of "transportation" available to the "public." This will come as a shock to Americans, though, because even our artificial hearts run on two-stroke internal-combustion motors. The Jarvik 12 starts with just one pull!
Is your vote available for purchase? Just asking: Sen. Hillary Clinton is strongly in favor of petroleum-based government money handouts in the form of a suspension of the federal excise tax on gasoline during the summer travel season. That's, like, 18 cents a gallon. Nice! They might as well go ahead and crown her the President of Transportation now, because her elitist opponent and incandescent new star of Fox Sunday, Sen. Barack Obama, says that approach would save consumers little and wouldn't curtail oil consumption. How out of touch can you get? Game, set, match, Muslim terror agent Barry Obama. We'll be listening to the antiseptic, monotonous drone of Hillary Clinton reciting her policy bullet-points for the next eight years.
Come back to the raft ag'in, Huck honey. The awesome thing about college fiction-writing workshops is the sheer number of short stories set in coffee shops, in which every character smokes cigarettes. And the other short story produced by freshmen authors is about a girl who gets pregnant and has her asshole boyfriend leave her. Optional: The climactic abortion. This is the 19-year-old girl version of a post-apocalyptic nuclear scenario.
But now, UMKC students will be writing short stories about abortion-having 20-year-olds who float down the Mississippi. The Mark Twain Creative Writing Workshop returns to UMKC for the 29th year June 7-29. Also: It's totally not restricted to students. Anyone of college age or older can participate. Call 816-235-1305 for more information. Here is an actual scene from the claymated life of Mark Twain:
Costumed thumbs wrestled Saturday night for a phallic-looking trophy. Julianne Donovan’s 2008 Festivus celebrated the quirky anti-holiday with feats of strength, torture and grievances. Click here for a look at the night in pictures.
Mark Russell would sing this to the tune of Camptown Ladies: Missouri Rep. William Lacy Clay is a supporter of presidential candidate Sen. Barry Obama, so if you were expecting him to say anything nice about the wife of the former "first black president," you are very confused but sexy, like Amy Winehouse, and also in for a giant shock: "If you have any, any kind of loyalty to the Democratic Party," says Clay to Hillary Clinton, "perhaps you need to rethink your strategy and bow out gracefully in order to save this party from a disastrous end in November."
Even The Kansas City Star's Steve Kraske is openly calling for undecided superdelegates to pick sides, and he's doing it with the grammatically correct pronouns and formal modes of address you would expect from a man whose parents' car bumper still boasts about their Honor Roll Student: "So Mr. and Mrs. Undecided Superdelegate, whom do you back for president?" he asks, adorably, serving as an example to those of us who use harsh language and ignore the who/whom distinction as a general rule.
It's tough out there for a cartoon mascot: KMBC Channel 9 says that some national right-to-life organizations are urging Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline to run for re-election. Kline's record as the JoCo D.A. doesn't lend itself to a lot of feel-good campaign spots, no matter how you rearrange it. I even tried creating campaign literature that replaced unlovable old bureaucrat Phill Kline with Kernel Kobb, an adorable cartoon cob of corn who owns a Southern plantation, and the results were mixed at best. You can check my math:
Yep. It all looks pretty bad for Kernel Kobb, but at least he'll be able to command some high, or at least mid-range speaking fees.
You guys, sex is a big responsibility: Y'know, you don't have to have sex to be "cool." Just ask uncool Jaleel White. Contents under pressure, you guys! Jesus, listening to this was a mistake because it has been playing in my head for the last hour. Please also consider not doing drugs, not drinking, not not going to school and also please don't huff WD-40 fumes. I'll try to find awesome celebrity raps about those subjects later in the week.
Chiefs NFL Draft Recap: Carl Peterson Has Good Day, Renders KC Media Baffled And Confused
Yay. The Chiefs did a good job on Saturday and Sunday in The Most Critical Draft In Franchise History Until Next Year. ESPN's Bill Williamson describes the selection of Dorsey as the best move made by an AFC West team in the draft. John Clayton extolled the Chiefs as the biggest winner of the draft. Fox Sports' John Czarnecki gave the Chiefs an A-plus. When Jason Whitlock is praising Carl's draft, albeit suggesting that the Chiefs will go 0-16 anyway, it has been a good day for Carl Peterson.
The Chiefs picked up everything they wanted: a potentially game-changing defensive force to replace Jared Allen, the offensive lineman they craved, a corner who fits in Herm Edwards' cover-two defensive scheme and a number of projects that may well make a huge difference when the Chiefs become competitive again.
What's not to like? The fact that we are even in the position to have a good draft means that we stunk last year and probably will next season.
So, let's meet the new Chiefs:
First round, fifth pick: Despite his 6-foot-2-inch and 303-pound frame, Glenn Dorsey is extraordinarily agile and quick, a feat Dom Deluise never managed in his acting career. A motivational speaker in the off-season, Dorsey is described by the San Francisco Chronicle as "bubbly." In short, he’s a cross between Tony Robbins, Katie Couric and Warren Sapp. NFL.com, in its continued effort to provide the most anal-retentive and homoerotic of draft previews, disapproves of his muscle tone, although they stop short of calling him sloppy.
First round, 15th pick: Braden Albert, at 6-foot-6-inches and 309 pounds, offers more proof that obesity has its upside. Displaying either a lack of ambition or incredibly poor taste, Albert selected Shaquille O'Neal as the celebrity he'd like to portray him in a movie.
Second round, fourth pick: If corner back Brandon Flowers finished his 40-yard dash just .14 seconds faster, he would be a first round selection and guaranteed millions of dollars more than he is now. So think about that next time you think your performance review stresses trivial aspects of your job.
Third round, 10th pick: The Chiefs took Jamaal Charles as insurance if Larry Johnson suffers an injury or finally makes it big with his rap music career. Presumed lack of strength dropped him to the third round, as did his shoddy spelling in the NFL Draft Q&As.
Malibu went undrafted
Third round, 13th pick: Brad Cottam started only 10 games at Tennesee, which is an appropriate background for someone who will be backing up Tony Gonzalez at tight end in 2008 and 2009. thinks he can "hold his own" on American Gladiators, which would come in handy of the Chiefs offense had plays featuring jousting.
Third round, 19th pick: DaJuan Morgan, a safety from North Carolina State, showed bravery off the field, admitting that he enjoys the Backstreet Boys. His dance moves are better, though, as this video documents:
Fourth round, sixth pick: Will Franklin, the wide receiver from Missouri, will have minimal moving expenses.
Fifth round, sixth pick: Brandon Carr, a corner back from Grand Valley State is a terrific athlete from small school. He’s a project with big upside, which is exactly how I describe myself to potential dates.
Sixth round, fourth pick: According to NFL.com, tackle Barry Richardson lacks passion for the game, which might be a bit of a problem if he chooses football as a profession.
Sixth round, 16th pick: Kevin Robinson, a phenomenal return man at Utah State, lists his favorite NFL player as Desmond Howard, which comes as a definite warning sign for Chiefs fans who actually watched Desmond Howard play.
Seventh round, 32nd pick: Mike Merritt is a blocking tight end, which is like playing offensive line with more cardiovascular exercise. He appears to be a mysterious enigma who avoids any contact with cameras, according to this draft profile.
To sum up, the Chiefs drafted two powerful linemen who might play for a decade, as well as a needed corner. They also drafted special teams players. And before one scoffs at the importance special teams: Brody Croyle still leads the Chiefs offense, so we will be using our punt coverage team on numerous occasions this season.
Traffic reporters have been sowing dread among area commuters for weeks now, warning Kansas City residents to avoid the Paseo Bridge at all costs. This week, the Missouri Department of Transportation started a massive construction project that will replace the old bridge that carries interstates 35 and 29 over the Big Muddy. The project won’t be complete until 2011, turning the river crossing into a headache of closed lanes and construction equipment for years to come.
The helpful folks at MoDOT, though, wanted to make sure that any ignorant visitor or obstinate Northlander knows what they're in for as they head south on I-35 into downtown Kansas City. So they put up a billboard, complete with bold lettering and bright-orange, traffic tape. But this state agency, apparently, has a poor grasp of human relations and effective marketing.
They didn’t put up a nice image of a friendly guy in a hard hat asking motorists to be patient while their tax dollars are at work. Nope, they suggest anyone who dares to tread near the old Paseo Bridge is, well, pretty darn stupid. So, when you’re chugging along at 10 miles-per-hour cursing the construction, try to swallow your road rage by chewing on this little mockery from MoDOT.
Canadian comedy troupe the Kids in the Hall performed a two-hour set of mostly new material last night at the Uptown Theater. At least, the only sketch I recognized from the TV series was the "Chicken Lady Phone Sex" sketch. A return to form for the Kids in the Hall, the show also hearkens to their roots working stages in small clubs when they were in their twenties.
Five guys, dozens of characters, zero sets. Well, how would you do it, Baby Genius? The show, Live As We'll Ever Be, is a revue of sketches, demanding dozens of locations which the group evoked via a formal theatrical technique called the Wondrous Magic of Imagination. Plus, they made clever use of a back-projected Powerpoint-y display to suggest locations and transitions, as well as a couple of taped sketches and live shots of the audience at the Uptown, about which MORE LATER.
In an enormously crowd-pleasing show that featured a super-powered drunk, gay stage kisses, one stage blow job, a time helmet and attempted statutory rape of a retarded teen girl with a soy candle, the group also revisited classic characters from the television series in new situations:
Hello, Buddy Cole! Until I saw him, I had no idea how much I missed Scott Thompson's gracefully aging, martini-swilling raconteur, Charles Budderick Cole. He was absent even from the 1996 Brain Candy, the last major creative collaboration by the Kids in the Hall. Unencumbered by TV time restrictions, Thompson delivered a hilarious monologue postulating the homosexuality of Jesus with biblical citations and Andrew Lloyd Weber references that went on for, like, 10 minutes.
Two missionaries, played by Dave Foley and my new best friend Kevin McDonald, knock on a suburban door and are greeted by Bruce McCulloch's Gavin, the loquacious and inventive 8-year-old. "Did you know? That if your mom dies? And you tell the bus driver? You can ride FOR FREE!"
In the show's encore, Mr. Tyzik, arguably Mark McKinney's most popular character, came out brandishing a video camera and crushing the heads of audience members on the giant projection screen. As a finale, Mr.Tyzik crushed the heads of each individual member of the KITH after hurling some actually pretty dire personal and professional criticisms, including — in a Smeagol vs. Gollum internal struggle — at himself.
My favorite moment of the show occurred after some technical fuck-ups that interrupted a new sketch with Foley and McDonald, and fully encapsulates why the Kids in the Hall are so great: Sixty seconds after beginning the sketch, realizing an off-stage Scott Thompson's mic was still on, the two shouted at him, aborting the scene. "Too bad. It's really a great sketch," Foley said, laughing. Starting over, they redelivered the scene's opening dialogue at a double-time clip, arriving at their previous stopping point.
"And now, the premise," said Foley to the audience, and the ensuing scene was brilliant and surreal and totally hilarious. The two actors, who hadn't performed original material together since Brain Candy, delivered their lines with confidence and fun, as though the scene — like the group's professional collaboration — had proceeded uninterrupted. HEY! Look what I did there.
Countdown to Old Guys Reading Names to Other Old Guys, Part III: Chiefs Seek Rebound Relationship With Trophy Defensive End
The Chiefs' relationship with Jared Allen ultimately became irreconcilable due to constant arguments over finances. As with anyone who marries a divorcée, Allen's replacement faces a daunting task of attempting to build a healthy relationship while his partner still is struggling with memories from their past relationship.
Wikianswers suggests that the Chiefs wait a year or two before rushing into another long-term relationship, but the Chiefs might just rush into a rebound relationship anyway. Everyone's been suggesting the Chiefs take Chris Long at No. 5, so let's focus on the defensive end from Virginia.
Wow. Tonight combined frustration and sleep deprivation. In the first game, Brett Tomko allowed seven runs by the third inning and the Royals lost 9-6. Billy Butler continued his streak, reaching base in his 21st game. He has been thrown out on the base paths in half of them. Friends and family remained to watch the second game, as the cerebral Brian Bannister and his wily mathematical ways were unable to prevent a shutout by the Tribe's Cliff Lee.
Tony Peña Ineptitude Watch: Peña in 08': .136 batting average, .150 slugging percentage, .148 on base percentage. NL Pitchers in 08': .132 batting average, .170 slugging percentage, .171 on base percentage.
Days Billy Butler Has Played The Field Since Last Accident 4
Danica Patrick, Anonymous Foreigners Continue Battle of Sexes In Kansas
The developer of the Power & Light District is threatening to sue if city officials continue to support a bill that would allow Westport and other business districts to sponsor festivals where alcohol can be carried freely.
As I wrote in February, the Cordish Co. opposes a piece of state legislation authorizing the Westport Business League and other promotional associations to apply for special festival permits. These 48-hour permits would make legal for visitors to imbibe in common areas tote drinks from one establishment to the next.
The bill is a more restrictive version of a law passed on behalf of the Power & Light District before it opened. In an effort to protect a competitive advantage, Cordish has come out against the new proposal. Cordish spokesman Jon Stephens suggests that that the legislation would create “multiple ‘Bourbon Streets’ throughout the neighborhoods of Kansas City.” Stephens’ prepared statement continues: “Festival license districts belong in downtowns, not in neighborhoods.”
Cordish reps lobbied against the bill in Jefferson City and now they’ve brought out the lawyers. Earlier this month, Cordish attorney David Frantze wrote this four-page letter to City Attorney Galen Beaufort outlining the company’s objections and accusing the city of acting in bad faith. The city, meanwhile, says it is under no obligation to protect the uniqueness of Power & Light District’s liquor license.
It’s not often that developers clash so openly with city officials. Perhaps the most amusing aspect of the disagreement is the passage in Frantze’s letter stating Cordish’s belief that the current proposal is “motivated solely by individual political contributions to individual political Council persons.”
It’s a somewhat strange position to take, given Cordish officials’ willingness to throw around the campaign cash.
One of the main champions of the Power & Light District, former Mayor Kay Barnes, who is now running for Congress, has received $6,000 in donations from Cordish officials.
Frantze has also given to Barnes. Campaign-finance records indicate that he gave $4,600 to Barnes in 2007, with half of the money arriving on December 31, the same day the former mayor collected all the Cordish money.
Stephens declined to comment on the contributions. Frantze, a development lawyer who’s done a lot of business at City Hall, did not immediately respond to an e-mail inquiring about the possible “motivations” behind his giving to Barnes and other candidates.
Peña in '08: 
