Category Archives: Tony_Botello

Over the past few days the weather has been worth mentioning because it feels like the Earth is melting.

And while WDAF Weather Newsie Mike Thompson is sticking to his argument that global warming is a myth and polar bears are supposed to wear sunglasses and Hawaiian shirts; the heat is now first and foremost on everyone’s mind. Even worse, the recent enduring and oppressive heat doesn’t inspire the antics of Katie Horner. Continue reading →

Finally, there was a renaissance in Kansas City but it didn’t have anything to do with all of the subsidized corporate development.

More than any other event this week the 101st NAACP Convention defined the new era in civil rights.

For a change, it was nice that Kansas City was the focus of national headlines as the convention started out with criticism of the disparity in the BP oil spill cleanup, The First Lady came in to town to talk health but ended up noting the disparity that still exists in this nation and at the close of the convention shook the nation by calling out the Tea Party on the racist elements in their movement.

Still, with all the headlines there a couple of elements of the convention that were left unexamined.
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It’s hard to go a day without noticing yet another instance of hypocrisy from The Kansas City Star. At parent company McClatchy stock price tumbles toward zero what’s even more interesting is that the so-called journalistic integrity of the failing local institution also diminishes faster than a divorc Continue reading →

The local Cabaret and Burlesque scene keeps sucking me back in. And not in a good way.

I promised myself I wasn’t going to do any more writing on this interesting brand of local hipster after an extensive review with academic references AND photos went over like a lead balloon. But here I am, because the chatter I’m hearing is too interesting to ignore.

Word around the Kansas City club scene is that Alacartoona has cancelled all of their upcoming shows after July and the popular local group could be calling it quits.

Something about getting their creative Mojo back.

Now, I only listen to hip-hop produced before 2000 and a bit of disco, so this isn’t really earth shattering news to me. However, I was just able to watch these guys perform last weekend and I was impressed. So the news is a bit of a bummer.
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Right after I graduated college I drove around town in a beat up used car and had a girlfriend with huge boobs. Iit was one of the best times in my life. Memories of my transportation troubles are the only nice thought that comes to mind when considering The Kansas City Strip trolleys and their horrible Kansas City failure.

Earlier this morning a post regarding the ongoing mess was addressed at yours truly because I’m the only person in town to notice that all obvious signs point to a failed experiment. Sadly, the details from folks borrowing cash from City Hall only serve to confirm my thesis. Westport impresario Bill Nigro says that they’re carting around up to 400 people on Saturday Night with this taxpayer supported scheme. I’ve done the math and I’ve come to an interesting conclusion.

Check it:
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Every time I think that the Star’s Ink Mag – for the younger demo – has hit bottom, they come up with something even worse and more embarrassing. The latest stunt from Ink is yet another “hottest reader” competition that proves the effort is like a printed, useless dating rag full of nothing but fluff.

That’s what the Star gets for cloning Ink and importing its editor from Des Moines

It’s hard to imagine a more obvious waste of paper. Maybe if the AARP newsletter actually held a “World’s Greatest Grandpa” contest it might come close but the stories would certainly be more inspirational. Still, the vapidity of this effort is quite astonishing for the dead tree form of media that’s quickly circling the toilet bowl of history. Sadly, there are many reasons this won’t make Ink any less worthless.
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Critiquing women in lingerie can be a tricky thing. On one hand, it’s not nice to stomp on someone’s feelings when they’re so vulnerable; yet, undue praise without proper consideration is simply patronizing.

Believe it or not, I’ve seen a great many women in their skivvies, so what I won’t do is simply play the fanboy and feign excitement over some ass shaking directed my way. So, I’m hoping my vast expertise with half-naked women and sexual politics will help me out as I attempt to document the Burlesque Downtown Underground’s historic performance last night at the Folly.

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I’m not sure if you d-bags were aware but Imagery in Westport is now open once again. Overall this is good news for the local economy and the struggling old school party district. However, it’s also just another hangout for local d-bags with enough money to pay retail.

These local boutiques are the lifeblood of the local fashion and art scene but it takes a discerning eye to distinguish their wares from any other vendor. In fact, it always seems to me that the kind of clothes available at these places need to be ironed.

Still, I’m in a quandary because I think local, homegrown small businesses deserve support. On the other hand I don’t have the kind of money to shop at these stores and think the people who do represent everything that’s wrong with American capitalism. Still, it’s important to come to a conclusion regarding these local merchants.
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I’ve recently discovered that the only thing worse than corporate, sanitized entertainment in Kansas City is the homegrown “alternative” shtick that often substitutes for a personality among local hipsters.

Sure, The P&L District is full of d-bags who look as if they refer to one another as “broseph” and a nice variety of interchangeable skanks devoid of even the least bit of personality. However, a great many archetypes exist among the so-called “fringe” counter culture in Kansas City.

Let’s call them out together in order to offer a bit of a preview for the upcoming Fringe Festival. Check it:
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The Internet has already offered me two great things today: A confirmation that I never need to pay for dead tree media again AND a reminder that so many of this town’s taxpayer subsidized dreams end in failure.

The Bottom Line: The upcoming All-Star Game in Kansas City already looks disappointing.

A local blogger offers some proof via printed content she gleaned from ESPN Magazine. Here is the money quote:

“I have one teammate who actually complained about being named an All-Star because it’s the only week in eight months he can spend decent time with his family, away from baseball. I also know for a fact that guys around the majors are not psyched about the prospect of spending All-Star week in Kansas City in 2012. The park isn’t great, and there’s just not much going on in that town.” (page 20, bold added)

So you’re probably asking yourself? What does this all mean, Tony? Fortunately, I’m here to help:
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The most important thing that happened this week in Kansas City: The Killing season has officially started.

Five people were killed over the holiday weekend in Kansas City.

Sadly, this fact isn’t really blasted at the top of local headlines. In fact, a bit of resentment always surfaces over constant candlelight vigils on the Eastside of Kansas City. Seriously, it’s a cruel reality that people don’t like it when the residents of the urban core complain about constant violence.

And then, in a hypocritical about face, the world comes to an end when somebody dies violently in Johnson County. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look:
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All the entertainment options this 4th of July weekend have me overwhelmed.

Kansas City is doing some hardcore celebrating, the police are out arresting drunks en masse and I just want some old-school laid back partying. Something quaint, maybe a group activity like one of those old school singalongs that they sometimes have at the Screenland Crossroads. Sadly, Patrick Matthews, the new owner of the place, is on record saying that movie sing-along events with titles like Grease and The Sound of Music “really aren’t my thing.”

But I’m not out of luck.

Former Screenland Crossroads Continue reading →

The Summer in Kansas City didn’t really start off with a bang but something more of a splash. And that splash probably sounded like the word “douche” to attentive ears.

Kudos to BlogKC for being the first to openly mock a photoset from The Jones Pool earlier this week. The slideshow from Ink magazine was more than just an unfortunate look at bad tattoos and what passes for the beautiful people in this cowtown. People who looked closely might have seen yet another glimpse at the downfall of dead tree media.

Notice the photos were tagged with a small advert for Nightlifekc.com. A brief explanation of this bit of content will demonstrate why these Summertime bikini photos were about more than just bad taste.
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The news out of this town wasn’t completely horrible this week. There were a few signs of improvement for the Greater Kansas City Area despite the fact that overall the economy is STILL headed into the toilet.

I won’t offer false hope but I will note that life during the Great Recession suits this small burg. The high flying, fast money and big spending days of this town only served to create tremendous debt with little benefit. Kansas City is accustomed to doing more with less and the current age of austerity should speak to our rural instincts, humbleness and frugality. These are backwoods traits that shouldn’t be viewed with shame. Big government Keynesian economic theories haven’t played well in this town since The First Great Depression and even then it’s always been skepticism that has defined this town.

So, as the downward spiral of the stock market continues, let’s check out a few events that defined this week.
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I’ve come to the conclusion that I just really don’t like most dead tree media reporters.

They strike me as arrogant and their myopic defense of their failing industry seems hypocritical given that they purportedly claim to value providing accurate information to the public above all else.

Two years ago, I met former Kansas City Star reporter Continue reading →

The vast majority of JoCo Republicans give me hope because they are far more dedicated to watching “Dancing With The Stars” than expressing their so-called political ideals. In fact, the so-called Republican majority in JoCo is so apathetic that they’ve let Congressman Dennis Moore run them over for years without a serious challenge. Only now that the guy is about to hand his office over to his wife is there even a slight bit of hope that the GOP might win the Congressional seat back.

True to form, The Kansas GOP is tearing itself apart in a struggle to find the party’s real identity. And all of this could once again hand over the seat to a Democrat who doesn’t have to do much more than stay above the fray. There’s a chance for the GOP to avoid another embarrassing 3rd District loss. Sadly, most hate radio inspired Republicans don’t like it.
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At the end of the weekly news cycle this town finds itself making little progress in any aspect of local life.

Sure, some of the headlines have changed but the song remains the same. The Lingering Global Recession continues to squeeze this city in ways that so many people are not comfortable realizing. With a basic lack of resources and/or revenue cowtown denizens are going to have to adjust to this new age of austerity that doesn’t bode well for the lavish spending and general irresponsibility of recent years just past. The belt tightening has yet to begin because so many media outlets, politicos and corporate owners understand that consumers cutting back is bad for business. But rest assured, there’s just not a lot of money out there right now despite the fact that so many keep spinning their wheels and mistaking every “dead cat bounce” in the economy as a sign of recovery.

So, let’s look at some newsy trends for the week and try to ignore that so much manufactured optimism seems strikingly familiar.
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Make no mistake, getting involved early is the only way to take advantage of all the Kansas City political maneuvering and promises to be made in upcoming local elections.

The sad fact here is that NOTHING is going to change so the only way to get something out of the process is to get something for yourself. This can be done by following my simple guide.

But hurry, time is running out!!!
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