When I was in prison there were so many young people in there with me doing 3-20 years simply for having weed…
For growing it in their basement or selling the dreaded marijuana. That for many of them was the real crime, that they were in there at all. Few had any money, most had public defenders, yet were labeled “Big Time Dealers.”
It’s how our legal system has worked for more than 60 years.
We have over 5 million people in prison today, more than China and Russia together. Continue reading
Twenty three films in 50 years and yet Daniel Craig‘s third outing as James Bond is definitely one of the better ones in the entire franchise…
Unless, of course, you were looking for Agent 007’s reawakening as his former suave and debonair days which are gone forever.
In SKYFALL, Bond is shot and left for dead…by Guess Who?
Agent down! Continue reading
Obama supporters turned out in droves on election day, mainly because most of them have nothing better to do.
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After watching the Obama victory, the Chiefs will try to get back in the win column by playing a pickup game of basketball Sunday morning.
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President Obama returned home Wednesday. I’m guessing Kenya is a 10 hour flight from Chicago?
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What did I tell you two years back about Sam Mellinger?
The then green in the gills Kansas City Star sports scribe was facing a daunting challenge. To fill the oversize shoes worn so long by ousted sports shit-stirrer Jason Whitlock and effusive-to-a-fault but quite popular wordsmith Joe Posnanski.
What did I tell you? Check it: Continue reading
Welcome back to an all new, all-election version of Tales from the Tweet!
Just kidding, not really.
I’m tired of the incessant political talk. I mean, I get that it’s important, and I understand why we must all educate ourselves/rock the vote/riot if our candidate isn’t elected, but Jumpin’ Jesus on a pogo-stick does all of the backstabbing and infighting and misleading verbiage and ham-fisted rhetoric get completely exhausting.
Either my guy won, or your guy won or OUR guy won, right?
Can’t we all just except that neither guy would have changed the world? Haven’t they all been some slight variation of one another basically for forever? Continue reading
I recently had the chance to grill Megan Stockman – choreographer, dancer, aerial acrobat, and more – of local performance art group Quixotic.
The group is getting ready for their first ever performance at KU’s Lied Center Friday, November 9th. As I mentioned in a column last week, I’m giving away a few pairs of tickets to the show, and I’ll be deciding on the winners by Thursday morning at the latest.
So, if you’re still interested in snagging some freebies, let me know in the comments why you’re more deserving than the next guy.
On to this week’s picks, including some of my conversation with Megan… Continue reading
Obama wins, simple as that – sorry guys…
All the numbers said it was Obama. This close call was all about the media wanting you to watch. It was never really close….end of story.
Las Vegas doesn’t make this big of an error – 6 to 1 – no contest. They knew all along it was never close. Le’ts hope the prez does a great job with our really important issues. Continue reading
Finally, after all the talk, an insane upgrade of Woodside Health & Tennis swimming pools, bars and fun has begun…
The cranes are tearing up the old and construction crews will put in the new, upwards of a $2 million poolside luxury upgrade. It will make what was already one of Kansas City’s landmark clubs and upscale hangs No. 1 not only here but in the Midwest.
“We will be much more selective of new members,” says owner Blair Tanner. “We are looking for that boutique hotel type crowd today. The former idea of as many guests allowed as wanted will be over.” Continue reading
It’s almost over…
And I have no idea who is going to win, so here’s my best analysis of how Mitt Romney becomes the 45th President of the United States of America.
He starts with a 191 electoral votes towards the 270 needed to win- per the RealClearPolitics projections. The President has 201 “in the bag,” so to speak. Continue reading
It takes a while to get it back together after moving three times in four months…
More than I anticipated, frankly.
In addition to the geography part of the equation – behind the scenes – KC Confidential has also moved twice. Once to free us of self-imposed limitations that came with having a start-from-scratch website built (and back to the more orderly confines of WordPress). More recently to a new web host.
All in preparation for bringing readers a bold new look and ramping things up as we approach the start of our 5th year at the end of February.
Time flies, huh? Continue reading
You’re on a business trip, it’s the end of the day and you’re back at the hotel…
Gonna watch a pay-per-view movie? Nah, you’ve been there, done that.
So let’s spend time instead filling out your expense report! Raising the question, what can you get away with these days? Which expenses will your boss approve, frown at, or simply cross off your swindle sheet?
Maybe this is news you can use in the wake of the University of Missouri staffer who got busted recently for putting more than $7,000 on his corporate card at Vegas strip club the Olympic Garden. Continue reading
Top seeded Sporting Kansas City looked out of sorts in the away leg of their home-and-home series with the Houston Dynamo.
Although they’re normally the aggressor, the tables were turned on KC and it seemed to confuse and frustrate Peter Vermes‘ boys. The Dynamo, not KC, were the squad that pressed and harried relentlessly, giving Sporting no time on the ball in the back and midfield.
“The game started out OK,” Vermes said afterwards. “I think the heat got to us a little bit.” Continue reading
Even CNBC‘s Squawk Box – which leans heavy toward Mitt Romney – was somber this morning…
They’re a sharp group that now is starting to feel an Obama victory is at hand. They had long interviews with guests talking about how the market would react if the president was re-elected. And the people asking the questions were not in a good mood.
Translation, Obama wins. Continue reading
I’m not saying things are getting bad but I just spent 20 minutes on a Ouija board with Harry Truman. He wants his name taken off the sports complex.
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Don’t forget to fall back Sunday (11/4). If you’re a member of the Westboro Baptist Church, be sure to set your clock back to 1820.
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Yes folks, the big voice has spoken…Las Vegas!
Vegas screams out that the winner Tuesday will be President Barack Obama. The loser, Mitt Romney.
In fact, it was never even close. Just a few months ago, they had Obama as a 9 to 1 favorite. Yes, that means a $9 bet on the prez, brought back just a buck…plus your money. If you had Romney, a buck brought you back nine…HUGE ODDS. Continue reading
What can we expect from a society that had the greatest form of government in history and squandered it?
The freedoms we had – notice I’m talking in past tense – were unparalleled.
“Freedom from choice”- Devo.
We have voluntarily thrown away greatness. Continue reading
We’re at the midway point of the NFL season…
For Chiefs fans it seems like it’s been over for a long time. Yet many teams still feel they’re SUPER.
So who really is in the hunt for the big prize?
The AFC is not as strong as it once was. Teams like New England and Baltimore don’t look as powerful as they did just a year or two ago.
These teams are my picks for the playoffs in order of strength: Continue reading
Remember the Alamo?
Seems like only yesterday Kansas City was abuzz with talk of how this sexy new operator out of Austin would revolutionize the moviegoing experience here.
That after an ugly divorce between locally based (and now Chinese owned) AMC and Power & Light District operator the Cordish Company.
The primary casualty in that split being AMC’s upscale cinema showcase The Mainstreet. Continue reading
Not to leave you guys hanging…
Re the “Where are they now” column by entertainment lawyer and pop culture cop Bob Lefsetz, here are his retorts to the presumably many critiques of hiss disses on The Boss, Jim McMahon, Mellencamp and The Stones.
Enjoy.
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JIM McMAHON
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/11834/index.htm
HE can’t remember his Super Bowl victory, not me. I mean come on, I’m gonna forget Refrigerator Perry?!
Once upon a time, mainstream media reached everybody, not only the seven o’clock news, but “Time,” “Newsweek” and “Sports Illustrated.” Now SI puts Jim McMahon on its cover, with a lengthy article about his football-induced dementia, and almost no one gets the memo. Continue reading
Just as everything green is about to die…
New York hanging by a thread, the fate of the presidency suspended precipitously and KC Confidential about to get a serious facelift. Hope is fading and more than five months have passed since last Jimmy C wagged his journalistic finger at evildoers.
Well, guess what? He’s back!
Ladies and gentlemen, the blogger known as Jim Fitzpatrick – late of both the Star and KC Confidential – is blogging like a fool once again at jimmycsays.com. Continue reading
