Kansas City Makes A Great Cut

Yes sir! Kansas City makes part of a great top ten, nationally:

The Top Ten Cities for Creatives

From The Huffington Post . First, a bit of a description:

A thriving creative class is a key feature of nearly every successful modern city. A vibrant culture is not only valuable in its own right, it also often serves to attract and inspire talented workers in non-creative fields, creating a rising tide that benefits the entire city...

...the financial realities of creative fields such as dance, photography and music often mean that creatives cannot afford to live in many of the places where they have historically had the most success and influence. Cities like New York and Los Angeles have, simply put, become too expensive for many working artists.So which cities present the best opportunities for today's creative workers? To answer that question, SmartAsset compared the cost of living in major U.S. cities to the concentration of creative workers in those cities. We considered 28 different professions in our analysis, including jobs like graphic designer, choreographer and photographer.

And here it is. Kansas City makes the top 10, nationwide:

10. Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City has emerged in recent years as a creative hub to rival those in the northeast and on the West Coast. The city's Crossroads Art District has gained national recognition for both its growth and the quality of its offerings. Crossroads alone has more than 70 art galleries, to go along with larger institutions like the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

Now, then, what's interesting, though, and what needs to be mentioned  and acknowledged, too, though, great as this is for KC, is that nearby neighbor Des Moines, Iowa "beat us out" at the number 8 spot and none other than Omaha, Nebraska came in at 7. 

 Gadzooks.

We gotta' get busy, Kansas City. We have to do better.

KC Makes the List of the Best

Check that out---Kansas City makes the list of the top 15 cities in the nation:

Top 15 Best Places to Live

Not just in the top 15 but THE NUMBER ONE SPOT

Kansas City is number one on the LookyLocal list of the top 15 best places to live. It is known to some folks as the hone of swing and bebop, for most others it's known as the "City of Fountains." For many reasons, the music enthusiasts have been drawn to the unique jazz clubs and old tales of famous musicians like the one and only Charlie Parker. Kansas City has more fountains than Rome and there are always plenty of opportunities for scenic for scenic strolling from one fountain to another.

In Kansas City, most people choose to take a break to discover the many interesting neighborhoods as well as browse through some of the city's (sic) eclectic shops. A BIG plus about Kansas City is that families are particularly attracted to the city due to its popular child-friendly venues and events. Kansas City was once a trading post for pioneers that were heading to the Western United States. Today Kansas City offers many activities and attractions for visitors of all ages and all possible interests. 

Okay.

This is great, of course. Sure. Naturally.And we appreciate it. Certainly.

But Kansas City? Number one?

Ahead of Austin?

And San Diego?

Really?

Side note:  St. Louis took the number 9 spot.

Worse,  for St. Louis. Far worse, in fact. They made the number 2 in this list:

St. Louis - In Photos: The 10 Most Dangerous U.S. Cities

Kansas City? Weird?

Yes, Kansas City is on a list recently of the top 10 weirdest cities in the nation:

They're Weird and Proud: America’s Quirkiest Cities

Kansas City? Weird? Number 8 of 10?

What they had to say about us:

These Midwesterners may have struck readers as thrifty and no-nonsense, but that doesn’t make them dull. The city ranked highly for both its museums and its sense of history—though some of that history is distinctly outside the box. TakeThe 1950s All-Electric House, which was originally built to be a glimpse of the future (when everyone, for instance, would have electric curtain openers). Or you can explore the Arabia Steamboat Museum, where you can see a fascinating array of pre-Civil War artifacts, recovered 132 years after the boat sank in the Missouri River. The city also ranked in the top 10 for its coffee, exemplified nicely at Oddly Correct, where cream and sugar are verboten.

I ask again, weird? Kansas City?  It's Independence that has the Hair Museum.

First China loses a lake, now Iran

As reported here a couple days ago, China recently had a lake--twice the size of London--dry up, now it's Iran:

Its Great Lake Shriveled, Iran Confronts Crisis of Water Supply

LAKE URMIA, Iran — After driving for 15 minutes over the bottom of what was once Iran’s largest lake, a local environmental official stepped out of his truck, pushed his hands deep into his pockets and silently wandered into the great dry plain, as if searching for water he knew he would never find.

Just an hour earlier, on a cold winter day here in western Iran, the official, Hamid Ranaghadr, had recalled how as recently as a decade ago, cruise ships filled with tourists plied the lake’s waters in search of flocks of migrating flamingos.

Now, the ships are rusting in the mud and the flamingos fly over the remains of the lake on their way to more hospitable locales. According to figures compiled by the local environmental office, only 5 percent of the water remains.

Iran is facing a water shortage potentially so serious that officials are making contingency plans for rationing in the greater Tehran area, home to 22 million, and other major cities around the country. President Hassan Rouhani has identified water as a national security issue, and in public speeches in areas struck hardest by the shortage he is promising to “bring the water back.”

Put this in perspective, too, with other environmental/water events here in the US:

--Texas has been in drought for years and is experiencing severe shrinking of their reservoirs for their major cities, including Austin;

--California has been experiencing the same long-term drought with shrinking reservoirs and, making things far worse, this year, to date, the dry spell has accelerated. Governor Jerry Brown has had to finally declare an emergency and ration water;

--Utah's Salt Lake has been famously shrinking for years.

So the question:   

At what point does humankind start paying attention and doing something about our environment?

Texas does it again

On life, living and the internet today

The New York Times has three good to great to excellent articles today on the internet and what it's doing to us today.

I will start, too, with the best of the three because I am convinced it is one of the most beautiful, true, poignant, timely and even important columns  I've read in a long, long time and that we might read all year:

How Not to Be Alone

It is about, yes, computers and our phones and technology and how they do bring us together but also, paradoxically, how they can also separate us physically and even emotionally.

Because the whole thing is that good and, as I said, even important, I'll only put a few quotes of it here:

Technology celebrates connectedness, but encourages retreat...

The flow of water carves rock, a little bit at a time. And our personhood is carved, too, by the flow of our habits...     

Psychologists who study empathy and compassion are finding that unlike our almost instantaneous responses to physical pain, it takes time for the brain to comprehend the psychological and moral dimensions of a situation. The more distracted we become, and the more emphasis we place on speed at the expense of depth, the less likely and able we are to care...    

 

THE problem with accepting — with preferring — diminished substitutes is that over time, we, too, become diminished substitutes. People who become used to saying little become used to feeling little.
 

With each generation, it becomes harder to imagine a future that resembles the present.

 

I worry that the closer the world gets to our fingertips, the further it gets from our hearts.

 

Most of the time, most people are not crying in public, but everyone is always in need of something that another person can give, be it undivided attention, a kind word or deep empathy. There is no better use of a life than to be attentive to such needs.

 

I say again, it was one good to great article. I would implore nearly anyone and everyone to read it.

 

The second and third articles, totally unintended to be related, I think, show what people are doing in order to stay connected:

 

The 'I Dos,' Unplugged

Showing how brides and grooms are having people leave their phones at the door, during weddings, increasingly (and good for them).

 

Student Social Climbing, but on an Indoor Bike

Wherein, students are attending kind of "cycle parties" and not texting, etc.

Interesting stuff.

There's lots more in the Times today, of course, on technology (like on the US and Chinese, negotiating how we'll work together and what will and will not happen with cyberespionage) but these, above, I thought were good and important on how we all act, interpersonally, with the 'puters and what we do and don't do with them.

Enjoy your Sunday, y'all.

We can't be Austin, Texas but we'll take this, anyway

Sure, we can't be Austin, Texas, what with its Sixth Street, its Congress Avenue, its music history, etc., and we don't have to want to try to be, certainly. But at least we got one thing from that city that they do so well.

That is, we got the Alamo Drafthouse. It went into the space of the former AMC Mainstreet Theater downtown.

And I can tell you, there's only one reason this place appeals to me.

The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas has always been famous--and popular--for being tough on moviegoers who talk in theaters but who also feel they must bring their telephones or computers into the theater and use them during the movie experience.

Alamo Drafthouse takes on texters: kxan.com

Of course, one of the big, wonderful ironies of this is that Austin is known for being at the forefront of the comuter industry and culture, yet here these people are, fighting the rudeness of some people with their technology. Bravo for them, I say, naturally, and great for us. Maybe it will spread. So if you've ever experienced the rudeness and selfishness and ignorance of that kind of fellow-moviegoer--and who hasn't?--this should be the place for you. Heck, it's the place for all of us. Links: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/Alamo-Drafthouse-takes-on-texters http://drafthouse.com/kansas_city/mainstreet

Entertainment overnight

A new, rapidly rising group out of this year's SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. I love her voice, the soul in it.

KC: No. 3 right now in the nation of "Best Cities to Buy a Home"

That's right, our own Kansas City is ranked number 3 right now in "The Best Cities to Buy a Home" by Forbes Magazine. We were only bested by Austin, Texas (OMG, that is SERIOUS competition) and Tuscon, Arizona (no, thank you very much). If I were at James B. Nutter and Associates or the Chamber or any number of real estate firms in town, I'd go buy at least one of the magazines, if not a quantity and I'd be emailing the link, below, to all my prospective buyers. Those links: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45hlfg/introduction-16/#gallerycontent?partner=yahoore; http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/the-best-cities-to-buy-a-home-right-now.html

Arthur Bryant's big, national honor

The Daily Meal, an online media site about all things food, just ranked the "101 Best Restaurants for 2012" and--get this--Arthur Bryant's Barbecue came out in the 48th spot. Wow. You should see the big names they're in there with, nationally. Outstanding. Two other things to note about this list. First, the American Restaurant is nowhere on the list and I thought it would be and second, Bryant's is the ONLY Kansas City restaurant on it. Yikes. Link: http://www.thedailymeal.com/101-best-restaurants-america

Omaha, Nebraska?? No. 4 on "America's Happiest Cities" List?

I'm stunned. Men's Health Magazine rated America's 100 "Happiest" and "Saddest" cities, as I said in the last post and check this out--unbelievably, Omaha, Nebraska came out number four on the list of "Happiest". You gotta' be kidding me. In what way is that? I mean, I like Omaha--to visit--and I love their "old town" area--from Spring to Fall--but one of the nation's "happiest cities"? Yikes. You're kidding me. Did they not either go there from November to March or hear about it? Then there's the fact that there's the "old town" area and--guess what--that's it. That's all there is to see in that city. Well, besides, maybe the Doorly Zoo but even that is, again, from the best, mildest, warmest part of Spring through the best part of Fall. I'm stunned. And once again, on these lists, nearby Lincoln, NE is close by at number 11. Excuse me, but with the exceptions of college football or business, why would anyone go to Lincoln? I don't get it. Link: http://www.menshealth.com/best-life/frown-towns?cm_mmc=Huffington_Post-_-Frown%20Towns-_-Article-_-Frown%20Towns

"15 Best Cities for Young Adults"? Not KC

Yes, indeed, another list, another ranking. This one also by Forbes Magazine ranking, as I said, the "15 Best Cities for Young Adults" and Kansas City ain't on it. But Omaha? Number 5. And Des Moines? Number one, for pity's sake. Yow. We gotta' get busy, folks. Links: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45effk/introduction#content?partner=yahoo; http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45effk/5-omaha-neb; http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mhj45effk/1-des-moines-iowa

Guess what city is NOT on Forbes "Next Big Boom Towns" list

Out today, Forbes Magazines list of "The Next Big Boom Towns" list and guess what city--heck, cities--is NOT on the list. Hint: one calls itself a "Barbecue Capital of the World" and another has a giant arch in its downtown in a desperate attempt for tourism. Still no clue? Here's another hint: none of the 9 are in the MINK states (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska or Kansas). Link: http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/113083/next-big-boom-towns-forbes

I'd LOVE to see local theaters have the backbone to support this policy

A theater in Austin, Texas took a phone call from a customer and made it into a Public Service Announcement (PSA), telling other customers of their policy of not tolerating people who use their cell phones in the theater.  If you'll click on this YouTube video below, you can see an edited version, with the crude, low-class language bleeped.

Who of us movie-goers wouldn't be for this?

All in favor?

Link to original, full story:  http://beta.news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/texas-movie-theater-makes-example-psa-texting-audience-170925090.html

How's that succession idea seem now, Gov. Perry?

Texas Governor Seeks U.S. Help to Fight Wildfire

Headlines from Texas today

Kid takes gun to school; 3 youths hurt

TEXAS: Double-Homicide By Man Angry Over Daughter's Lesbian Relationship

Just makes ya' wanna' move South right away, doesn't it?

Texans: Seemingly hell-bent on killing each other

First it was guns.

In Texas, for Texans, it's "all guns, all the time."  We know/knew that, right?

Now, they're out-doing themselves.

They want the highest speed limit in the nation:

Texas House backs plan to allow 85 mph speed limit

AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas House approved a bill that would allow the speed limit on some highways to be raised to 85 mph, which would be the highest in the nation.

The Senate is considering a similar bill.

Forget the safety issues. 

Forget the fact that it burns up more gas.

It's Texas, where they want the biggest, the baddest and now the fastest.

It reminds me of the Oscar Wilde quote:   "Nothing succeeds like excess."

Except Texans wouldn't be having anything of Oscar Wilde.

Well, except maybe in Austin.

Have a great weekend, y'all.

Link to original story:  http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_74c00fdc-61ff-11e0-beba-001cc4c002e0.html

Texans: Not very bright but not hypocrites, anyway

News out yesterday:

Texas poised to pass bill allowing guns on campus

By JIM VERTUNO, Associated PressSun Feb 20, 2:24 pm ET
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas is preparing to give college students and professors the right to carry guns on campus, adding momentum to a national campaign to open this part of society to firearms.

More than half the members of the Texas House have signed on as co-authors of a measure directing universities to allow concealed handguns. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2009 and is expected to do so again. Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who sometimes packs a pistol when he jogs, has said he's in favor of the idea.

Right, because you need a gun when you jog.  I get that.  (dripping sarcasm)

We need guns at colleges and universities like we need 'em in our national parks--that is, not at all.

As I've said many times before, here and otherwise, "more guns" is not an answer to problems.  Not a good answer, anyway, and not a smart one.

And as said over at Americablog:  "What do you mean I didn't get an 'A'?"


Link to original story:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110220/ap_on_re_us/us_guns_on_campus_5/print

Sufjan Steven II: Chicago (I made a lot of mistakes)

                                     I can relate

Sufjan Stevens

If you're not familiar with Sufjan (pron. soof' yahn) Stevens, you maybe ought to check him out.  He's a very individualistic, unique and talented writer, singer and performer.

This clip is from a few years ago when he performed on PBS' Austin City Limits.  All the pieces he and the group did were very pleasant, catchy and enjoyable.  He's originally from Detroit, apparently.  His Catholic background also comes out, it seems.

If you'd like to see more, check out "Casimir Pulaski Day" and on you tube and there are more videos at the link below.

Just a thought.

Link:  http://www.google.com/search?q=sufjan+stevens+austin+city+limits&tbo=p&tbs=vid:1&source=vgc&hl=en&aq=f