KC Trivia: The Kansas City Star

Shortly after it began publishing in 1880, what became the nickname of The Kansas City Star?

They're going to use a "laser" on my eyes!

Listening to sports radio a few weeks ago I heard a promotion for Silverstein Eye Center and how they were having a contest in partnership with Sports Radio 810 and the winner would receive free lasik surgery. They gave the website to go to and since I had my laptop on my lap of all places I went to the site and entered. I've been thinking about eye surgery for a long time. The problem is I'm a big fraidy cat when it comes to cutting my eyeballs and burning them with lasers. I figured when I entered the contest I would let fate decide. After all, what were the chances I would win a contest for a prize worth four thousand dollars? I noted the winner would be announced May 10th which was when I would be on a Midwest Air flight to Florida. I gave all my information and then quickly forgot about it. I thought even if I did win they wouldn't be able to reach me and would probably give the prize to someone else. Well, wouldn't you know it, I won! Free lasik surgery. I called to make sure this wasn't one of those deals where everyone "wins" and then they try to upcharge you to a "better" surgery. I was assured that wasn't the case and I was the only winner. I said I must be the most hesitant, mixed-emotions contest winner ever. So now what? I managed to come up with excuses not to call and schedule yesterday. A week's worth of work email does tend to occupy your day. But today? In the time it took to write this post I could have made the phone call. Looks like I'm stuck.

Tanned and rested. Ready? Not so much...

Both this blog and thekansascitypost.com went silent last week. That's because I was on vacation on beautiful little Captiva Island off the gulf coast of Florida. No sight-seeing. No bicycle rides through the nature preserve. Just a lot of laying around. Laying around the pool. Laying around the beach. Laying around the hotel room. As Peter said in the movie Office Space, "I did nothing, and it was everything I dreamed it would be."

Stump the chumps

I'm a sports fan. I love the fact that I have two sports radio stations to choose from when I'm driving around town (which is rare because I work from home). Fridays on 810 is my favorite. Stump The Chumps. Pete Enich is a sports history freak of nature. I've heard him argue down an obstinate caller claiming they have the web page right in front of them that proves so-and-so started the whatever game in 1967. Pete can invariably come back with "I don't care what your website says, I was at the game." Today's trivia question is sports in honor of the 810 gang. In the 1970's what Royals pitcher would enter the game with John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" blasting over the stadium PA? And by the way, I know this because I was usually "at the game."

One of the best paragraphs on KC politics I've ever read

Tony Botello over at tonyskansascity.com wrote a piece about the mayor running afoul of the very powerful firefighters union. AKA Taxpayers Anonymous Correction: Taxpayers Unlimited. Here's the money quote: People who don't know much about Kansas City politics might not understand that this town isn't ruled by Democracy per se, instead local government is mostly elected by a series of special interest groups and voting blocs led by people who do the thinking for their constituents in much the same way that Oprah and Fox News do the vast majority of the mental heavy lifting when it comes to their massive audiences. [Source] That pretty much nails it. There's no such thing as the citizen activist making it to City Hall for the good of the people anymore. You have to "pay your dues" by navigating the insular club of Jackson County Dems. Fail to lock up the unions and their considerable financial clout and you're done. You have to get the Citizens Association, it helps to line up the Womens Political Caucus and don't forget the Four Freedoms Democratic Club. These were lessons I learned the hard way. I foolishly thought that a grass roots effort, coupled with a sound internet strategy could overcome the six figure budgets and multiple snail mail pieces that bombard people's mailboxes. I was wrong of course. Very, very wrong! The sad state of affairs is this is how our local government is made. I will grudgingly concede the possibility that maybe I lost simply because I wasn't the best candidate for the job. Even if that was the case, it makes me wonder. If all things were equal. If an in-district city council race was limited to a budget of $10,000 and a maximum of two mailings, what would the makeup of our city council look like? Would it be vastly different? Would it be filled with fresh-faced newcomers who have yet to be jaded by the Jackson County political machine? It does make you wonder... Will the cycle ever be broken? Oh, and by the way. The answer to yesterday's trivia question? The Sears Automotive Center. Thanks for playing.

Something new: Kansas City Trivia

I can't bring myself to let this blog die. Sure I have thekansascitypost.com but it doesn't really lend itself to brain spewing like an informal blog does. I'm a child of the 70's which means I remember learning my telephone number as Clifton-2-7833. I remember the Standard Improvement commercials when they were new, and not retro-cool. Call Standard... bum ba bum ba bum... Im prove ment comp nee at Westport one seven one hundred. Anyhoo, when Trivial Pursuit came out a local entrepeneur came out with a set of Kansas City cards dealing with local trivia. For the most part they were pretty weak. The answer to every other question was "Harry Truman" or "Tom Pendergast." I still have that set of cards. Some of the questions are pretty good. They've inspired me to throw out an occasional trivia question on this blog. Some will be from the old cards. Some will be mine. Today's installment: What was formerly located at the present-day "Penguin Court" on the Plaza?