Sounding Smarter
China is set to build a massive cow cloning facility with an eye toward eventually cloning human beings. Isn’t China making enough human beings the old-fashioned way? In case you haven’t been paying attention, the Secret Service is a hot mess. According to a scathing report released on Thursday, the agency has seen at least a half-dozen previously undisclosed security…
Waiter, there’s coffee in my beer. Or is it beer in my coffee?
A pair of Kansas City brews will be packing a bit more punch this holiday season thanks to a duo of collaborations between local coffee shops and breweries. The Martin City Brewing Company and Second Best Coffee have teamed up on a coffee stout that’s available in MCBC’s tap room right now, and last week…
The Weekender
It’s full-on Christmas season. You can try it to fight it or embrace it. No matter which camp you choose, Flatland has your weekend on lock. BUYING For unique gifts, don’t forget that this weekend is a First Friday. Buying local art from local galleries is always a smart and thoughtful way to shop. You could…
A New Stage
Since artistic director Eric Rosen arrived in 2008, the Kansas City Repertory theater has been staging challenging, world class performances. The theater itself, however, has been a clunky mess. Now, for the first time since being built in 1979, the Spencer Theatre, home of the Rep, has been renovated. To celebrate the completion of a…
Spotlight on the Spoken Word | Unique Hughley
We’re taking a moment to recognize Kansas City’s wordsmiths. Taken from KCPT’s “Arts Upload,” which has amassed an impressive collection of local poets reading their own works, “Spotlight” gives Flatland a chance to catch up with the artists. We find out what they’re up to and get their take on what to watch in the local and national art scene. This week:…
Charting New Ground
Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) on Tuesday won approval for an education initiative that is unique within Missouri. Meeting in Jefferson City, the Missouri State Board of Education OK’d KCPS’s plan to open a kindergarten-thru-sixth-grade school that will be free of many of the rules and regulations set out by the Missouri Department of Elementary…
Take 5 for Your Health
Topeka Child Abuse Case Raises Questions About Kansas Policy On Gay Adoptions The arrest of a Topeka couple on child abuse charges has raised new questions about a custody battle that some say illustrates a pattern of discrimination against gay Kansans seeking to adopt children. The 2014 custody case pitted a lesbian couple from Wichita,…
‘I can’t let it go.’
It happened more than a quarter century ago. The people deemed responsible are serving life sentences in federal prison. The people directly affected — the families of the dead — likely have done their best to move on. It’s over. That’s probably how many Kansas Citians feel about one of the city’s greatest tragedies: the Nov. 29,…
What Is The Carbon Footprint Of A Typical Thanksgiving Dinner?
Mike Berners-Lee may not be an expert on the American Thanksgiving. A native of the UK, he’s never actually had the pleasure of experiencing one. But as one of the world’s leading researchers on the carbon footprint of—well—everything (he even wrote a book subtitled “The Carbon Footprint of Everything”), he’s plenty familiar with the impacts of…
Sounding Smarter
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will not apologize for downing a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian border. Let’s hope nothing comes of the incident. It would be a shame to see anything threaten the stability of the Middle East. In what has become a great American holiday tradition, fights broke out across the country over…
Grateful for This Grub
This is the time when we bow our heads and give thanks. When we take a moment to remember why we need an awl in our lives and a stain stick by the laundry machine. When we look at our credit card statements and wish that we worked at a job with an expense account….
The Weekender
It’s a long holiday weekend. Emphasis on the “long.” Sure, we all love spending time with family, but we also love getting out of the house. Unfortunately, there’s really only two things to do this weekend: shop or avoid shopping. If you are in the latter group, Flatland has a few ideas for you….
A Turkey in Good Faith
Ahsan Latif, a devout Muslim from Lawrence, Kansas, understands people’s misconceptions about Muslims. He also understands how events like the Paris shootings can paint his faith in a negative light for anyone watching the disturbing images on television. “Most people have never even met a Muslim,” Latif said. On a recent Saturday morning, Latif is…
Sympathetic Vibrations | Beautiful Stuff
Erik Branstetter has a remarkable reverence for the past. And at his Westport store, It’s a Beautiful Day, Branstetter has created a haven for preserving the spirit of all things 60s and 70s, right down to that sought-after analog sound. The majority of It’s a Beautiful Day is filled with typical head shop fare –…