Bacon-Fest KC & Other Weekend Possibilities
This is what you train for Kansas City. This is why you eat prodigious amounts of pork and understand that the meat sweats mean the real work of eating is about to begin. Bacon-Fest KC: The Other Fundraiser is Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at 3011 Baltimore Ave. You get bacon samples in everything from pure…
Sympathetic Vibrations | The Spoils of Authenticity
What catchall phrase would you use to describe a band that draws much of its influence from rock ’n’ roll, garage rock, mod, blues, and psych from the ’50s and ’60s? If you’re Rory Cameron, the lead singer of The Conquerors, it’s not the obvious one. “I don’t really like the throwback moniker very much….
Mixtapes and Mixology | Casey Bond’s Bella Vida
Mixtapes & Mixology is a new podcast from The Bridge, Flatland, and Recommended Daily that mashes up the Kansas City music and cocktail scene. Each week, we tell the story of one band, one song, and one bartender. Then we ask the bartender to listen to that song and make us a drink based on…
The Weekend Starts Today
August is National Admit You’re Happy Month. No, really. It is. Which makes sense. August is a happy month. The summer heat starts to fade. The kids go back to school. Plus, at least this weekend, there’s a ton of great stuff to do around town. None of that great stuff, though, includes spectator sports….
Voice Recognition Software Finally Beats Humans At Typing, Study Finds
In a face-off between voice entry and typing on a mobile device, voice recognition software performed significantly better. The results held true in both English and Mandarin Chinese.
Order Up I Hi Hat’s E-Crush
Order up is a regular series that takes a layered look at drinks and eats across Kansas City. Got a dish you think we should feature? Drop us a note below or on Twitter @FlatlandKC.
Take 5 For Your Health
Regardless Of Sentence, ‘Medicaid 23’ Plan To Appeal An attorney for the so-called “Medicaid 23” says his clients will appeal their convictions on trespassing charges, even though they face no jail time. A Cole County, Missouri, jury on Wednesday acquitted 22 clergy members of obstructing government operations but found them guilty of trespassing when they…
Artist to Watch: Samantha Gossard
Mezzo-soprano Samantha Gossard’s first big role came during second grade in a musical called Steamboatin’. “I was ‘Mississippi Meg’ and I had a big monologue and a big solo, all requiring a thick southern accent — definitely a comedic role. I remember everyone laughing so much and thinking I was ‘adorable,’ and I remember my…
Task Force Addresses Growing Problem of Poverty in Johnson County
Armed with a master’s degree in English, Amy Jude Keaton was a successful university English instructor before moving back to Johnson County, where various ailments left her unemployed and periodically homeless. Keaton now clocks 52 hours a week at two jobs, but she can barely make ends meet, largely because her contribution to company-sponsored health…
Church Without the Dogma
Fewer people believe in God these days, and now there is a local church for it. Just don’t call it church. Members of Kansas City Oasis, which serves atheists, agnostics, and “everything in betweens,” gather every Sunday at the Tony Aguirre Community Center on Kansas City’s West Side. The group has about 200 participants, and…
When Water Is More Valuable Than Crops, Farms Struggle To Compete With Thirsty Cities
Few things are more valuable to a farmer in the arid West than irrigation water. Without it, the land turns back into its natural state: dry, dusty plains. If a fast-growing city is your neighbor, then your water holds even more value. Farm families in Western states like California and Colorado are increasingly under pressure…
Shrimp Grown In Tanks Make A Splash, Coming To A Market Near You
Americans love shrimp. We import about $5 billion worth of it from all over the globe, including from India, Thailand and Indonesia. But over the past year, we’ve learned more about the downsides of global shrimp production. The AP uncovered slave labor in Southeast Asia, and there’s also documentation of environmental degradation from destruction of…
Ethnic Enrichment Festival & Other Weekend Possibilities
See the world. Eat the world. All in one weekend. The Ethnic Enrichment Festival returns to Swope Park tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. and hangs around for Saturday (12 to 10 p.m.) and Sunday (12 to 6 p.m.). The festival, now in its 37th year, is an amazing collection of traditional dancing, music, and foods…
Commentary | Standing in the Universe of our Police Chief
There is a new show on Netflix that I rapidly consumed called “Stranger Things.” I found it a compelling mishmash — “Poltergeist” meets “Stand By Me” with a little “Twin Peaks” thrown in for good measure. In it, for lack of a better way of putting it, there is a parallel universe called the “Upside…
Commentary | The Prejudices of Patriotism
We have a funny relationship with patriotism in our country. Patriotism is about loyalty to and pride in our country. And, in many respects, nowhere does that get highlighted more than with the Olympics, where we salute gladiator-like battles every four years against other countries. Unfortunately, our competitors are allowed but one identity — American…