Celebrate

It's July 14, Bastille Day, and (at last check) there's an American leading the Tour de France -- again.

There are lots of other reasons to celebrate. It's not snowing in Kansas, college football kicks off in about a month and a half, I'm heading to the golf course this weekend and the beer is cold.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate all this good fortune that to throw a carnival. A blog carnival.

So join me, won't you? Head over to Blog Meridian and submit your favorite blog posts from this week. John B. hosted last week and did a helluva good job.

Be sure to get your submission in by Sunday afternoon, then check back Monday for the best blogs in the Sunflower State.

tagged: Kansas, blog, blogger, carnival, KGB

It's so humid...

Taking a cue from Tony today, we're trying to express how hot, humid and oppressive it is these days.

For one thing, it's too humid to think of a clever blog post. So this is the easy way out. Here goes...

• It's so humid kids are going into Crown Center Plaza fountain to dry off.
  
• It's so humid I just went outside for a drink of fresh air.
  
• It's so humid even the ducks at Loose Park are sweating.
  
• It's so humid the makers deodorants and antiperspirants have seen their stock prices skyrocket.
  
• It's so humid even Mark Mangino's butt crack said "Damn, it's humid!"
  
• It's so humid Salvadore Dali is now considered a realist, not a surrealist.

I know, they're all quite lame. Let's see you try to do better in this heat.

tagged: hot, humid, weather, Loose Park, ducks, Salvadore Dali, Mark Mangino

Dillard's clearance

After a few weeks of clearing away the debris from the parking garage, destruction crews started taking down Mission Center Mall in earnest today.

We should see pretty rapid progress now, and commuters along Shawnee Mission Parkway will have some pretty dramatic views.

The picture above is from the Johnson Drive side of what was formerly the Dillard's store on the west end of the mall.

For those of you who haven't been keeping track, the mall is being demolished to make room for the new East Gateway development which will feature a high-rise condo building, another high-rise hotel and plenty of street-level retail.

Here's a tighter shot.


tagged: Roeland Park, Kansas, City Council, Mission, mall, development, architecture, Dillard's

Conflict resolution

If World Cup Soccer teaches us anything, it's a better way to solve our problems.

Merci Monsieur Zidane!



tagged: Zidane, soccer, World Cup, head butt, humor, video, culture

Dan hates rich people

Dan and I had a pretty good discussion a few weeks ago regarding our differing views on the Death Tax.

Well, he's back on his soap box again. Dan hasn't changed his views (I wouldn't expect that from a political extremist like Dan). If anything, he is more hardened.

On the other hand, I have moderated my opinions somewhat after speaking with some very intelligent people whom I respect a great deal. (Of course, Dan's comments also had an effect, since I like and respect him as well.)

More on that in a sec. First I want to respond to a couple of Dan's points.

Dan said "Wealth may be earned, but real wealth is inherited"

This indicates to me that Dan is too young to have learned what real wealth is. Try watching It's A Wonderful Life a couple more times. More to Dan's point, however, Dan seems to think we're living in a time like the early 20th Century where Vanerbilts and Astors live off the dollars generated by accumulated fortunes.

To be sure, there are some superrich people out there. But unlike Dan's vision, most of the current day elite have earned their riches and actually are still working. They're more like Jay Gatsby than Tom Buchanaan. Think about Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, hell, even Ken Lay who built their fortunes on skill, talent and hard work (and in Lay's case, douchebaggery).

And the current superrich have a lower concentration of total wealth now [pdf] than they did in the early 20th century. In fact, contrary to what Dan seems to think, there hasn't really been an increase in wealth concentration since the mid-90s.

Dan said "It's not double taxation, etc."

I guess in theory this argument is true. But following Dan's logic, nothing should be sacred from taxation. And this is what worries me. Are we in a society like The Beatles imagined, where the taxman wants a cut of every little transaction you make? Am I going to eventually have to pay a "Taking a Dump" tax to help pay for sewage treatment? Come on...

Now, I mentioned earlier that I have moderated my view (that's what we moderates do). Don't get me wrong. I still believe that we all have the opportunity to start poor and end up well-to-do, even (dare I say it) rich.


It's not easy, it takes a long time and it certainly is more difficult at the bottom of the economic ladder than at the top. It's not popular to say it, but inequality can be a good thing. It provides an incentive to climb the ladder.

The important thing is to make sure the rungs on the ladder are solid. That means making sure there is access to the most important asset in climbing the economic ladder: Quality education and skills development.

The way to better your economic status is to acquire valuable skills. Flipping hamburgers, cleaning toilets and mowing lawns are not valuable skills. This is why an increasing the minimum wage is merely shooting at the flames. It won't be long before robots are performing these tasks.

All this is to say that I'm okay with stealing money from the rich when they die, as long as it isn't wasted on paying for enhanced cable television and cigarettes for the poor. Put all estate tax into funds for education, scholarships etc., and make access to those funds a competitive process.

tagged: death, tax, inheritance, fair, property rights, education, Astor, Vanderbilt, economy

Shine on you crazy diamond

Rest in peace, Syd Barrett.

"Syd Barrett, one of the original members of legendary rock group Pink Floyd, has died at the age of 60 from complications arising from diabetes." ---BBC News

Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

You were caught on the crossfire of childhood and stardom,
blown on the steel breeze.

Come on you target for faraway laughter,
come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!

You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

Well you wore out your welcome with random precision,
rode on the steel breeze.

Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!

tagged: Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd, music, culture, Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Ricky Bobby and Me

In a previous episode of YouTube Tuesday I presented a trailer for the new Will Farrell opus Talledega Nights.

We're only a couple of weeks away from the movie's opening, and Sony Pictures is revving up the promotional machine. I did this neat little poster builder.


I don't pretend to like NASCAR, but I do like satire and irony, and Ferrell takes the checkered flag in both so I'm stoked about this movie.

tagged: movies, YouTube, video, Will Ferrell, NASCAR, humor

YouTube Tuesday: We watched it and we wept

My Supermodel Wife and I first saw Flight of the Conchords a couple of years ago when they aired their HBO special.

Then a few months ago, I recognized one of the duo, Jemaine, had become the new spokeskiwi for Outback Steakhouse (hey, at least it's a paying gig).

And then, yesterday I saw a link to a performance of their touching hit single Albi the Racist Dragon and it brought back how funny these guys are.

If you're unfamiliar with FOTC, duo comprised of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement (the Outback Steakhouse guy), they are "New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo."

Watch this video and I think you'll agree that description is spot on. It's long for a YouTube presentation (seven and a half minutes), but the payoff at the end is worth it.

So here it is, Flight of the Conchords performing Jenny.



tagged: movie, YouTube, video, music, folk, comedy, HBO, humor, Flight of the Conchords, culture

In case you missed it

Go check out BlogMeridian for this week's Kansas Guild of Bloggers Carnival. John B. did a great job wrangling various Kansas related blog post from Kansas related (or not) bloggers.

Go give it a read, John B. never disappoints. And, be sure to submit a post for this week's KGB Roundup, which BlogMeridian will host next Monday.

tagged: Kansas, blog, blogger, carnival, KGB

Soccer? Hell, I just met her...

A belated congratulations to the boys from Italy who, in case you have been under a rock for the past few days, won the World Cup Soccer championship over the French.

Italians everywhere are celebrating, as well they should. They've earned it after sitting though hours of mind-numbingly boring soccer games.

But, the celebration comes amid some bad news on the Italian economy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the country faces a downgrade in its debt rating due to the its flaccid economic performance.

The Italian government is taking several steps to avert the crisis, including the approval of a series of budget cutting measures totalling nearly $9 billion.

They've even gone so far as to announce the layoff of several FIFA officials from the "payroll" (if you know what I mean).

tagged: World Cup Soccer, Europe, Italy, economy, FIFA, scandal, sports, cheaters