KC's own are ignorant of KC culture

I am amazed by the amount of Kansas City people who list "travelling" as their number one interest on social networks such as MySpace. Metropolitan Kansas City has such a diverse community of backgrounds, yet people are afraid and ignorant of the cultures that actually LIVE within 20 minutes of their homes. Instead, they travel to latin places such as Mexico and Brazil and talk of the language barrier and how they wanted to hang out in places where the "locals" hang out. Do I see these same people anywhere near the fantastic Southwest Boulevard dining in? Never. Get to know the people in your own community, people!

Land/water vehicle

It is about time that we invent a new land/water vehicle. You should be able to drive this thing on the highways at the suggested speed, as well as drive it into the water--more like the OCEAN--so that you can travel easily across oceans to other continents. I don't care if it is submarine or an above-water seacraft. Whatever this vehicle becomes, we need this soon so that I can get a-travellin'.

Had to be said

Sometimes when it rains, it sprinkles.

Response to TonysKansasCity post on cheerleading

My response to a post on Tony's Kansas City regarding Chiefs Cheerleaders:

"Because I am a fellow blogger since 2004 and a former Chiefs Cheerleader of three years, I may be able to lend a little light to this situation. At first glance, the professional cheerleading world and the TKC blog clash dramatically. I find that perhaps it is mostly a difference of expression, meaning that a professional cheerleader must express a certain high-level group mentality in order to be successful whereas a blogger must be individualistic in expression to be original. Let me explain:

"Professional cheerleaders are often not given the respect they deserve for several reasons, with one of the biggest reasons being that the cheerleaders are so highly skilled at performance, communication and community involvement that they make this most physically and mentally strenuous and challenging opportunity appear effortless. In fact, on top of dance ability, attitude, communication, awareness, marketability, leadership and so many other qualities that a young woman must possess to be selected for the squad, the cheerleaders are trained to be highly disciplined and polished so much so that the ladies strive for, in a sense, perfection. After all, to be on a professional cheerleading squad, not only do you have to memorize hours and hours of material, you have to be aware of 35 other women's actions on and off the field. You must be on top of your game and ensure that the other 35 women are on top of their game as well to be successful as a group. This requires constant verbal and nonverbal communication between the staff and the cheerleaders, and I can guarantee you that if there is any sort of slacking on a cheerleader's part that the behavior will not be tolerated and the cheerleader would most likely be released from her high-profile cheerleadering contract. Afterall, I'm sure you have heard that you are only as strong as your weakest member. The strength in the Chiefs Cheerleader organization lies in the ability to harness individualistic expression in such a way that they can quickly tailor it to meet the group's performance needs. I will suggest that it is reminiscent to the likes of an airshow. The precision and timing that it takes for a pilot to perform in an airshow are so crucial that any slack in performance would be detrimental to an organization's reputation, commerce, and overall health.

"Now, being that I learned so much about group expression through Chiefs Cheerleading prior to becoming a blogger, I must admit that I struggled initially in finding my own voice as a blogger. Now that I'm thinking about it, I feel that my group training is in closer comparison to that of the military mentality than that of any other organization. Even though I have not been a cheerleader for the Chiefs in the last several years, I know that some people still view me as such and that my words and actions may be associated with them fairly or unfairly. Fortunately, however, I am also a strong believer in personal expression as a means to finding who you are and your place in this world. I have taught myself not to rely on cheerleading as my identity, just as being a blogger is not my identity, but to use these tools as a means to discovering my identity.Tony's Kansas City is the blog of blogs in this town and is successful for many reasons, including but not limited to your voice, but also your inclusiveness of other bloggers' material. Personal opinion, especially controversal and unpolitically correct opinion attracts attention and can be entertaining. At first glance, your inclusion of buxom beauties into your non-buxom beauty commentary could lead a first-time reader to think correctly or incorrectly that you objectify women. Now, for the people who read your blog regularly, they should know that you appreciate a woman's inner and outer beauty and long-term relationships (because of your relationship with Sheri), and that you also try (notice that I notice you try, with try being the key word!) to relate your buxom pictures to the description of your content. To a Chiefs Cheerleader this can come across as being appalling because of some of the comments made to them by drunk, immature and unintelligent men who don't have the mental capacity to acknowledge the cheerleader's work for what it truly is. A cheerleader's work is just as technical as that of a so-called blue-collar worker polished in such a way to that of a so-called white-collar worker's standards. If any male has ever felt negatively underappreciated from women because of his job, then he should know that at least he can make a living off of it, whereas the professional cheerleader chooses to do this because of reasons other than money. You could make an argument/paradox here as to who the sell-out really is-- a man who hates his job but does it for the money or a woman who loves her job, makes little money yet finds opportunities for personal growth in what she's doing.

"Keep up the good work, Tony, and know that cheerleaders bring a certain light to this world that everyone can use. Afterall, our friends, teachers, and families are the ultimate cheerleaders that have pushed us all to where we are today."

Begin at the end

If you ever significantly go backwards in life, you might as well start from the end and work your way back to the beginning. Consider your current circumstances death (the end) and work toward youth (beginning).

Update: As of April 23, 2007, I have decided to switch course. I'm at youth and have my life to live!

Blend the stereotyping in elections

It is interesting for me to hear that the KC Mayoral election is between two candidates who come from different racially different backgrounds. What this tells me is that the people who are voting in this election are stereotyping their candidates. Surely our citizens are much more intelligent than that, I know they are. For example, if I had to choose a type of dog to represent my interests, I'd have to choose a well-bred mutt. The reason being is that appearances can be deceiving. Here's my point:

I am a dark-blonde, blue-eyed, young woman (Conservative).
Who sometimes bleaches my hair (Liberal).

Who wants to date a classy, fun, handsome, intelligent gentleman (Conservative).
But who typically finds conversation easier with Top Gun outside of the Barnes and Noble at the Country Club Plaza (Liberal, and to clarify, I said conversation, people).

Who listens to both sides constructively before diplomatically responding (Conservative).
And enjoys a witty argument, perhaps even with a joke (Liberal).
Who is known to take the opposing side, not for argument's sake, but for opening other's minds (Liberal).

Who wants to live in a fantastically posh mansion larger than yours (Conservative, or Liberal if you watch MTV Cribs).
But has spent the majority of my 29 years in Wyandotte County (Liberal).

Who wants to go to a highly expensive top-rated college to obtain an MBA (Conservative or Liberal, depending)
But instead started out at a community college to save money despite being at the top of my high school class (Liberal).

Who plans to start several businesses and build an empire, complete with a magazine (Conservative).
Yet has proved through my extensive list of volunteer activities and roles that some things are more important than money (Liberal).

Who at certain times in my life have been well-respected by authority (Conservative).
But has also been psychological and physically beaten up by those in power (Liberal).

Who wants to be rich beyond belief (Conservative).
And has found more riches than I could have ever imagined by being poor (Liberal).

Basically, what I'm wanting to say is that I am both Democratic and Republican, as I believe others to be. The State Line in Kansas City needs to be erased, as with the line between who is Democratic and Republican. What needs to happen is that we need to teach Democrats the positives of becoming Republican, and the Republicans the positives of becoming Democrats. For I believe a person who is both Republican and Democrat is stronger and can more easily make an educated decision. Balance, people, balance. Find the common ground and build on those similarities first to find strength.

Not impressed

I'm not here to impress anybody, and if that surprisingly impresses somebody, and I am surprisingly impressed by their surprise, then perhaps that somebody is worthy of my conversation. This is not in reference to this blog, though it is good supplemental information.

Experiment: Weight loss

It seems that so many people seem to fail at losing weight despite all of the expert advice in the fitness industry. Normally, I would prefer to walk outdoors, but I might have discovered a fantastic use for the electronic treadmill.

Today, during my 30 minute run/walk on the treadmill, I burned 188 calories (according to my age and weight). My experiment is-- the next time I go to the gym, I'm going to jump on the treadmill, jog/walk at the same intensity, speed, and time, BUT I'm going to reduce my age and weight to an age and weight that supposedly burns more calories. I plan on doing this either tonight or tomorrow, and I will follow up with my results.

Modern Major-general

Here are the lyrics to the song Modern Major General from The Pirate Movie. I think they are quite fantastic and fun and clever. Here they are:

I am the very model of a modern Major-general,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral.
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo and in order categorical.
I'm very well acquainted with matters mathematical,
I understand equations both the simple and quadratical.
About binomial theorem I am teeming with a lot of news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
(With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.)

I am very good at intrical and differential calculus,
I know the scientific names of beings animalculus.
In short in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern major general.
(In short in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
He is the very model of a modern major general.)

I comprehend contemporary culture North American.
I straighten more piratical erections than Bo Derek and,
I'm in to EST and all the rest, I've undergone analysis,
I've jumped beyond the gravitude to permanent paralysis.
My muse is into music, but my credit I'll not trouble you,
From R&B to S&M, cross over C&W,
To groovin' with the Doobies in my Malibu white-souling tones.
Man, I'm older than the Beatles, but I'm younger than the Rolling Stones.
(He's older than the Beatles, but younger than the Rolling Stones.)

My military knowledge for I'm plucky and adventury.
Embraces M*A*S*H and Star Wars and the 22nd century.
In short in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern major general.
(In short in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
He is the very model of a modern major general.)

Addendum to "Do you know which way is up?"

In an earlier post that I published recently, I suggested that if you were lying on the ground with your head pointing to the east, if someone told you to look up, would you look straight ahead toward the ceiling or toward the east? I suggested that you look toward the east to be correct, but I also have another concept about this to suggest.

Let's say that you stand up after testing the previous suggestion. If you again look toward your eyebrows, then east would be up toward the sky, west would be down into the earth, and north and south would be blended into one another as all of the space around us. So technically, north and south AND east would be blurred together in the horizon.

This idea suggests that the idea of "west" is virtually impossible, unless you use the term to keep you grounded. For example, if you decided to turn in cartwheels, if your head is considered up in comparison to your feet, you would need to be grounded for only one-fourth of the time it takes to complete the cartwheel.

This could be an intelligent, fun and logical argument for children to use with their parents who want to ground them for their behaviour.

Relationship between money and choice

In my current surroundings, Money = Choices.
Lack of Money = Responsible Choices + Education
Lack of Money + Money = More Responsible Choices + Education
More Responsible Choices + Education = Better Judgment

Amused

The media and my current surroundings are fake, even if I have contributed to them in some way. I would like to state, however, that I would love the opportunity to rebuild this place into something very real and very fantastic. This once beautiful and glorious world has been cheapened by force, and I cannot think of anything here that impresses me.

Do you know which way is up?

Let's say you lay down on the floor on your back with your head toward the east. If someone told you to look up, would you choose to look directly at the ceiling ahead of you, or would you tilt your head back by raising your chin and leaving your head on the floor, and look toward the east by looking toward your eyebrows? I would look toward the east.

Some colors > others

Depending on the purpose, Orange, Green, and Purple can be greater colors than Red, Yellow, and Blue. For the sake of this post, I will treat these three colors as greater and explain why. Yes, I realize that if you draw and color-in a circle with a Yellow crayon and then color over that same circle with a Blue crayon, you will undoubtedly end up with the color of Green. But that means that it takes two different crayons to create that third color. Therefore, 1+1=3. However, because there are two 1's it suggests that the 1's are the exact same and equal, when in actuality the 1's in 1+1 are two completely different colors and in no way related and no way equal other than they belong to the family of colors, because Red and Yellow, and Blue are Prime Colors (Primary).

If I had to select two crayons, I might select two of the colors out of Orange, Green, and Purple. The reason being that each alone is comprised of three different colors. Orange, for example, can be Orange, or you can break it down into Red and Yellow. Therefore, 1/anything = 2

What is interesting to me is that if you select two out of these three colors (Orange, Green, and Purple) you would yield five out of six different colors. For example, if you selected Orange and Green, you would have Orange, Red, and Yellow and Green, Blue, and Yellow.

But what is even more fascinating is that using the same example listed in the previous paragreaph, with Orange and Green, you can actually create all six colors. The first five colors would come from the breakdown of Orange and Green as listed in the previous paragraph. The sixth color (Purple in this case) comes from assessing those five colors listed above. You will find that you can create Purple from the breakdown of Orange and Green, by combining Red and Blue.

How I'd like to be remembered

This post may sound morbid but is not intended to be. At several points in my life I was taught about poise, professionalism, appearances, etc. You could call it "training to project a certain image." In fact, you can see this "image" often on television personalities, celebrities, and marketing/public relations professionals. I know you know the image of which I'm speaking.

During this "training," one of the questions we had to answer was "How would you like to be remembered at your funeral?" Well, this is actually a trick question in disguise. For some reason, there is a lure toward answering this question in such a way that you'd like to be thought of as, for example, a good mother, best friend, dedicated worker, a lover of whatever, etc. For some reason, people would like tons of people at their funeral, thinking the more people, the better. At one time, I would have answered that question the same way. Now I view the answer differently.

So, how would I like to be remembered at my funeral? I would like people to say that Steph deserved to die.

First if all, this holds me responsible to live my life according to whether or not I believe that death is a punishment or a reward. Either way, my life on earth will be the best life that I can lead.

Secondly, this way of thinking tests others' view of my death as my punishment or my reward. If others view my death as my punishment (or even as my reward), then let them be held responsible for their view.

Incomplete

I created this one today primary to add a splash of color to the walls. I am not finished with it and it is too boring for me. My thinking is that what I have currently painted will serve as the background to something a bit more detailed. Whenever I purchase more white paint to mix, I'll show you the completed work.

Another painting

Painted this one last night. Inspired by a greeting card, as with the last. The greeting card company is called Papyrus. Nothing spectacular, but it is fun for me. Thought I would share part of my wishes with you.

Art enthusiasts need to lighten up

If art enthusiasts let go of their tight egos they would discover they possess a greater type of ego capable of opening up their minds, creativity and happiness underneath.

I recently attended a lecture on Caravaggio at the Nelsen Atkins Museum of Art. Anyway, the lecture was scheduled at such a time that I could attend that and then visit the Young Friends of the Arts Second Fridays event held at the museum afterwards. It would be a complete understatement to admit that I've been going through a lengthy period of reevaluation, but I applied a bit of what I taught myself to these two events. Instead of dressing in an expensive sleek, black number, I instead went bold (even in my own standards) and mixed multiple layers, patterns, and colors in an ensemble that was sure to get whispers of arrogant ignorance.

I pulled into the parking garage, looked down at my attire, felt fortunate that it was cool outside so that I could reveal my outfit at my own convenience with the removal of my near floor-length coat-- and I--I chickened out! A pickup truck drove by at that exact moment with a No Fear sticker in the window, and apparantly that was all the boost I needed to walk in, because I attended the events alone.

I interestingly found myself not drawn to the topic so much but rather to the presentation of the material. Having a somewhat dry delivery myself, I can appreciate the sounds of amusment to the speaker's wit. As I listened to the material, I took notes of what I saw around me.

Enthusiasts dressed nicely, mostly in dark colors like black, and I could tell that they probably spent a pretty benjamin on their attire. But how--BORING. What I'm trying to say is that the event was at a museum, full of expression, full of opinion, full of everything but boring. What I don't understand is if these enthusiasts enjoy art as much as they say they do, is it because they feel that they themselves are constricted in speech and originality on a normal basis? Do they long to free themselves by making opinions to the world no matter how many feathers they ruffle because they live in a world where unoriginal people shun originality? It seems to me that certain types of people are allowed to be original, like artists and rock stars, but they are also unfairly, and WRONGLY I might add, looked down upon when in fact, their ability to show their originality demonstrates the STRENGTH that most people lack.

When it comes down to becoming original, you should look for things you like and admire, but you should also pay attention to what you dislike and why. You can copy what you like and then make your own ammendments as you go. This is your own testing period until you start to see a pattern that you like. That pattern starts to become your style and is unique to you.

My hunch is that at home, most people already know what they like. The difficult part is showing that side of themselves in public where the unoriginal people can be very cruel. There are ways to combat this, too.

In applying this information with the Nelson Atkins Museum, I suggest that the Young Friends of the Arts create their own unique niche in the social scene by suggesting that participants come to their events with a splash of originality, or even a whole ensemble dripping of personal voice. Not only would this be personally freeing, but it would also give others deeply insightful talking points. Afterall, the museum IS a place of expression. If you can't express yourself there, then where can you?

And she paints, too

I haven't yet named this one, though I began painting it initially to teach myself how to blend colors in acrylic with nothing but the paint. Found a photo I liked, possibly taken by a famous photographer and I superapologize for forgetting that person's name. Midway, I lost the photo (which was on a greeting card), so I had to improvise, hence the blooms within the bloom.

Time to reinvent the wheel of non-tedious jobs

Disappointingly enough, at this point in United States history, the more boring a job or political topic is, the more important they are. Everything boring is deception. All jobs and topics can be made fun and interesting, and some jobs and topics are purposefully made boring, like taxes and contracts, to distract too many people from paying too close attention. This is exactly why Americans seemingly do not care about some of the important things that ultimately do matter. Yes, family matters, but so does your job. Your job matters more than you think. More than money, even. Everyone wants and NEEDS to enjoy how they spend 1/3 of their adult lives. Jobs do not and should not be created to be extremely tedious. I once WATCHED someone sit at a computer hitting the zero key and the enter key for four hours straight over five days in one week. I'm going to watch the second hand on a clock right now as I determine the number of times she must have hit the zero key and the enter key in 10 seconds. Heck, I'll even type it here:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
That's nearly 50 in 10 seconds.
Or 300 in one minute.
Or 18,000 in one hour.
Or 72,000 in a four-hour shift.
Or 360,000 in one week's worth of four-hour shifts.

Whoever gave this poor woman this job should be imprisoned for torturing this woman with a job that they themselves would never do.

Solution? Because I am a Problem-Fixer in addition to a mere Problem-Solver, I would not eliminate the column of zeros altogether, because I have learned that oftentimes what is not being said is just as important to know as what is being said. Instead, I would make each person responsible for filling out the row of information responsible for typing in the zero, or (smart idea, Mr. Idiot Boss!), I would teach my employees how to correctly use Excel so that the zero, surprise surprise, AUTOMATICALLY appears!

Now, if the company is creating these types of useless positions just to help people make a minimum wage paycheck, I applaude the generosity, but there is an even better way. I suggest that the positions of the whole entire company be restructured to create positions where EVERYONE has multiple roles at various levels in the company (obviously each role would be distributed differently depending on the hierarchy of the company), including typing in their own zeros. As you can see, with the time it took to type in 360,000 zeros -- one week -- that time would instead be redistributed to everyone, including the new employee aka initial zero-typer, so that the zero-typer can someday move past that crappy position and not have to be forced to live uncomfortably off of the government AND YOUR TAX DOLLARS. Because afterall, give me the name of a company who would value the job Zero-Typer on a resume? At an interview, IF the zero-typer got one for heaven's sake, if asked what other activities zero-typer did at her position--what does zero-typer say? Should she say that she also hit the enter key, too? When asked, "What did you like about your position as zero-typer," should she say, "I enjoyed it because I could press the zero and enter keys with two different fingers on my right hand and take a drink out of my QT cup with my left hand?" That's what I would say! These people deserve respect, too, and perhaps more respect than the boss who gave them that position. It is of my opinion that a boss who is doing this type of thing deep down sincerely wants to help but hasn't been prepared or taught how to help. What comes off as a gesture of generosity most times ends up being thought of as a "charity case" because the Zero-Typer is absolutely miserable zero-typing, and the Boss begins seeing his idea of helping this person not being appreciated (even though he wasn't taught how to help in the best way).

Unfortunately, I have witnessed more zero-typers, and disappointed good-hearted bosses for that matter, too many times in my 29 years and I'd like to fix this problem. Happy to say it--Time to Reinvent The Wheel. The old wheel's flat, losing traction, had so many patches that it is tough to find the original tire, and on top of that it is missing a hubcap (which is probably being used by the zero-typer as a bucket to collect donations on the plaza).

Too much History Channel

They could find Atlantis if they created more above sea-level icebergs to decrease the depth of the ocean floor.