KC Confidential

“Inquiring minds want to know…

Given the discussion and controversy surrounding Vince & Associates over-the-top holiday lights display on Metcalf near 103rd Street, the question is, who or what in the heck is Vince & Associates anyway?

“They pay for people to stay there and let the drug manufacturers test their new drugs on the,” says KCC’s Jack Poessiger. “They used to advertise on KY to get young people who need the money and were willing to be tested on the drugs for money.

“One time (KY deejay) Larry Moffitt made an on-air crack on one of (Vince’s) commercials and he said, ‘Yeah, come by and be a guinea pig for us’ and they pulled their ads on the station.”

Somewhat obviously, Vince – was bought out this past year by a Canadian company – is far from alone in trafficking in human guinea pigs for drug company testing. Continue reading →

Talk about reducing us to our essence…

Forget all that City of Fountains bs. Nevermind how great we think the barbecue is. Or how “liveable” Kansas City is. Truth be known, for the past 50 years we’ve been saddled with a small time loser mentality and from the looks of things, that’s not about to change anytime soon.

So says, everybody’s favorite Scribe, Craig Glazer.

“We’re never first at anything that matters,” Glazer says. “We need to get off this evil do-gooder thing because nobody really wants to come here. The handful of great sports players we’ve had couldn’t wait to leave here – Joe Montana, Tony Gonzalez, Marcus Allen – all gone. This city needs some action because we don’t stand for anything, we really don’t. We lose, because we’re boring. Kansas City needs to take the blinders off and be realistic. We need to grow up and prosper. Like our antiquated stripper laws that they don’t enforce.

“We’re a town of Mike Sweeney‘s and Billy Butlers. We’re not a town of Mark McGwires and Jose Cansecos. We’re a town of Matt Cassels and Trent Greens. Not a town of Tom Bradys and Peyton Mannings. Or Johnny Football – he wouldn’t fit in here because he’s not boring. Continue reading →

Anyone out there hearing footsteps?

Because if you do, it could be because Topeka is creeping up on Kansas City. I’m kidding, of course. Hey, I lived there for three months two years ago, so I’m fully acquainted with how lame that town is. And that doesn’t even include that Sam Brownback and Fred Phelps call T-Town their home.

Nope, the real problem with Topeka is it’s too small to have the amenities of a big city like KC and too big and bogusly political to have the charm of a small town.

Oh but now, according to Brownback and the Topeka Chamber of Commerce, the town is taking a step toward the big leagues by getting United Airlines to scramble two nonstops a day to and from Chicago out of Forbes Field aka the Topeka Regional Airport. Continue reading →

Jonestown aka Lawrence

Lawrence is a town in which pretty much only one thing really matters…

And that one thing is KU basketball. Because for all practical purposes college basketball takes precedence over any and all else that goes down in this town, even the university itself. Jayhawk basketball is the tail that wags the school, the city, the citizenry, the alumnae and with rare exception each and every individual who resides here who didn’t attend K-State or Missouri.

Think I’m exaggerating? Walk a mile in my shoes.

While I attended the University of Arizona, it’s no secret I’ve always been partial to KU. Maybe because my dad went here for like one semester, its proximity to Kansas City or the charm of downtown Lawrence.

So it stands to reason that in my moving to Lawrence – albeit while retaining ultra close ties to KC on a weekly basis – I’ve become more smitten and more biased, in favor of all things Jayhawk. No doubt Missouri aficionados who’ve recoiled at some of the sports assessments made here by Craig Glazer and Brett Mosiman believe that to be true.

That said, let me remind you though of true blue KU lover and Lawrence resident Matt Donnelly‘s take on my appreciation of KU; that I view the love affair locals have with Bill Self the same way the Kool-ade drinkers of Jonestown did Jim Jones – as a cult.

Matt nailed it when he nailed me. Continue reading →

Is it or isn’t it safe?

That’s the question that crossed my mind after reading Jack Poessiger‘s essay on Vince & Associates over-the-top holiday lighting display at 103rd and Metcalf in Overland Park.

The gaudy display been there for years and from the looks of it, seems to get bigger and brighter every year. Poessiger noted that he saw two near accidents in a couple day period while passing the display recently.

The Overland Park Police Department’s take?

“I know it very well,” says OPPD public information officer Gary Mason. “Off hand I don’t think we’ve had many accidents at that location and they have a sign directing people to park across the street at a church parking lot. But we really haven’t had many complaints. It’s been around for several years, so most people must think it’s kind of a positive thing.” Continue reading →