10 DUI Arrests Out Of 349 Cars Stopped in KC-MO Sobriety Checkpoint

The latest comglomeration of police resources was at Blue Ridge Cutoff and Holliday Drive in south Kansas City-MO between 11pm Friday and 4am Saturday morning.

Police reported 349 vehicles stopped during that period.

Ten drivers were arrested for DUI (less than 2% of total checked)- two arrested for driving revoked licenses- 1 for eluding police- 2 arrested for minor in possession of alcohol- 1 for possessing marijuana, one seat belt violation- 3 nailed for hazardous moving violations and 6 for other sundry traffic charges.

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K.C. MetroRegion BREAKING WEATHER: Severe T-Stm Watch No. 170 Until Midnight

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 170 that will include southern counties of the Kansas and Missouri MetroRegion counties until Midnight.

In Missouri- that includes Bates- Vernon and Henry counties.

In Kansas- Linn and Bourbon.

The cities of Fort Scott- Pleasanton- Nevada- Butler and Clinton are among those in Watch No. 170.

Here are the latest visible satellite and Doppler weather radar images covering the MetroRegion:

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K.C. Metro-MetroRegion WEATHER: NWS-SPC- "Slight Risk" of Severe T-Stms

The Kansas City Metro and most of the K.C. MetroRegion generally west and south of a Cameron-Warrensburg-MO line are under a "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms overnight into Sunday morning.

No weather watches are currently in effect for the K.C. MetroRegion.

However- parts of south-central Kansas are already under a Tornado Watch- with even a few Tornado Warnings having already been issued around Pratt.

CSW is on alert- watching storms developing to our south that will move due north toward us with time.

Here's a visible satellite and weather radar view of the Central U.S. and the Kansas City MetroRegion view from Toepka's NWS weather radar:

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April 15 Photo Update On Kauffman Performing Arts Center

Another in the series of photographic updates of the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts being built east of Broadway between 16th and 17th Streets.
Another Net photo album also featuring the on-going construction of the KCPA.

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Kansas City's BREAKING NEWS: Aircraft Emergency At K.C.I. Airport

At 8:30pm- five KC-MO fire companies with the airport crash station went on an aircraft emergency standby for a passenger jet with a reported "galley fire."

The unknown-airline Boeing 757 reportedly had 178 passengers and crew aboard.

At 8:39pm- that jet had landed safely on Runway 09 and airport fire crews were investigating.

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The YouTube Symphonic Orchestra - 2009 Edition

Wednesday night an incredible orchestra of international amateur musicians- put together by the YouTube people- performed at Carnegie Hall in the Big Apple.

Go HERE to hear and enjoy a potpourri of classical renditions performed by The 2009 Edition of The "YTSO" - YouTube Symphonic Orchestra.

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Nothing Wrong With Making A Blog Pay

Many bloggers get to a point with their projects as to whether to continue to freely "donate" their time and talents to their Net page or to try to turn reader hits into a few ad dollars.

I absolutely have nothing against a blogger trying to pay a few bills with their blog page- with a condition:

The advertisement should be subdued- no audio-video takeover of your browser.

I'm thinking of hoisting a few ads myself- but these will be local businesses for the most part and they will be for products and/or services I use or endorse.

There is nothing wrong with getting a monetary return on your investments- even if it's just time and typing.

Don't expect much however- if that return comes at a cost of content- propriety and ultimately- readership.

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No Surprises In KC-MO TIF Study

Yael Abouhalkah of The KANSAS CITY STAR claims he was "surprised" at the city's honest accounting of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) costs to this city and it's citizens.

I'm frankly surprised that The KANSAS CITY "Never Met A TIF We Didn't Like" STAR is surprised.

I'm sure the STAR's executive board is kicking themselves to Broadway over the fact they DIDN'T accept TIF when they built their new printing plant.

Bottom line: Corporate TIFs cost the city and it's citizens tax money and basic services.

Period.

Especially poignant is the part where one full-tax KC-MO WalMart by the old Bannister Mall is replaced with a smaller TIF-sucking WalMart where the Blue Ridge Mall used to be.

WalMart shouldn't need TIF or anything to build anywhere.

The only thing WalMart needs is their own flag and an anthem....

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Thousands Attend Kansas City's Taxpayer "Tea Party"

We didn't bother to stop- instead opting for these crowd photos from the front of Union Station.

My estimate of this crowd- viewing it from all four sides- was around 5000. A report from Johnson County Community College's rally/protest was around 1500.

I wonder how many people in both crowds had to run home and finish their tax returns....

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Shameless Promotion For Local Pro Sports Teams

Back in the 1960's- Walt Bodine told this young would-be reporter not to get too close to those you report on.

If that's the case- the local news media must be shacking-up with the owners of the Kansas City Royals.

Now that the baseball season is well underway- maybe these so-called "news reports" from Kauffman Stadium will focus more on game news than all the new fancies at the ballpark.

The local news media made a HUGE deal about all the new food selections but- as usual- reported only part of that story.

What the news media DIDN'T report is the outlandish prices for these new food selections.

More than $7 for a beer. More than $4 for a hot dog. Parking fees that exceed downtown's prices even.

ALL of the local news media outlets touted how NICE the quarter-of-a-billion-dollar taxpayer-financed improvements to Truman Sports Complex's baseball stadium were.

The local media failed to mention how much all these nice new things would additionally burden taxpayers who've already paid dearly once.

Maybe us heavily-taxed-for-everything taxpayers need to start sending press releases to news media outlets to cover OUR story....

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Survivors

In spite of a couple of freezes and days of cloudy- damp weather- these hardy fellas made it!

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Accomplish-Nothing American Tax-Day "Tea Party" Tomorrow

The Kansas City-MO taxpayer protest will be at the Liberty Memorial from 5:30 to 7:30pm Wednesday- according to the organizer's Web site.

Kansas-side protesters will dilute the Big City's protest by having a rally going on at the same time at JCCC.

Ms. Rittenhouse and I may attend just for the photo opportunities- but not to protest.

The BEST way to protest is- when filling out whatever 1040 tax form you're doing- enter 0 or zero for any income and tax owed.

And JUST for fun- under OCCUPATION we'll enter "CORPORATE EXECUTIVE" or- funnier yet- "PRESIDENTIAL CABINET NOMINEE."

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Some Radar Images From The April 10 Murfreesboro-TN Tornado

Here are a series of weather radar images I saved last Friday before- during and after the tornado that struck Murfreesboro-TN..

The first set of images are of the base reflectivity- or the regular radar pics you see on the Internet or TV..

The first image was taken as the storms approached Nashville. I was watching the lone cell southwest of Nashville near Spring Hill. Sure enough- this cell produced the Murfreesboro tornado.


This next set are images of the radar's radial velocity- or winds indicated by the radar. The red color is the airflow going away from the radar's antenna (in the middle of the image). The green colors show winds moving toward the radar's location.

When you see certain red and green areas next to each other- that shows rotation of winds and this can indicate a tornado.

Indeed on these images- we can see the red & green together as it moves across northern Murfreesboro.


As a side note- this same area is under of Tornado Watch this Monday afternoon too.

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Aircraft Company TV Commercials

I've noticed this going on for some time now- watching CNN and seeing these aircraft companies running commercials.
Scene: Suburban home- husband sitting watching TV with wifey.

"Hey dear- let's go out and buy us a new Boeing 787!"

Right!

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