Here's a sampling of what Kansas City nightlife has to offer.
It takes a whole lot of fabulous to keep J Space going, so every month we feature guest stars for you to meet and learn about. Our July guest is Lisa Houser, an Overland Park good witch who knows how to be bad.
Bad Witch
Oh the draw of $1 flip-flops.
You would have thought Old Navy was giving gasoline away Saturday morning. By the time I arrived with five eager nieces and nephews in tow, the Olathe store had been open only 15 minutes, and already moms were leaving the store as if it was on fire, kids and Old Navy plastic bags in hand.
Gas prices are high, so we're all cutting back. But good music is always tempting.
Local rapper-producer D/Will released his new mixtape, "Heir of Abraham" last weekend and you can download it for $1. Preview it at myspace.com/dwill4.
The soulful compilation is available by clicking the pic.
Michelle Obama
By Mary Curtis
The Charlotte Observer
Michelle Obama has become an issue in the presidential campaign even though she isn’t running for anything. An educated, successful lawyer, devoted wife and caring mother has been labeled “angry” and unpatriotic and snidely referred to as Barack Obama’s “baby mama.”
Anna Wintour
By Robin Givhan
The Washington Post
Anna Wintour is the only fashion editor whose name is likely to be recognized by those who have never purchased a copy of Vogue but are close readers of the Economist.
Get Tested.
Kansas City had 65 new cases of HIV reported in the first five months of 2008.
Friday is National HIV Testing Day, the Kansas City Health Department will offer free testing on a walk-in basis from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2400 Troost Ave.
Free testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis will also be available.
Pamela Spencer
She's no love guru. But Pamela Spencer has a fun, sassy dating blog, Kiss & Tell over at INK
(click the pic and check it out).
She is one of my best friends and even though she isn't an expert on dating, she's got some stories to tell. And she wants to hear yours too. So head over there and share. She'll even protect the names of the guilty to save your innocence.
By Leonard Pitts Jr.
And then somebody brought a chicken into the newsroom.
A sign affixed to the bird -- a statue of a rooster in full crow --said: "Brought in by a Santeria priest ... to help save our jobs. Make an offering."
Legendary comedian George Carlin died of heart failure Sunday at a California hospital.
Carlin was to be awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor later this year. He was the first host of "Saturday Night Live," and last year he celebrated his 50th year in comedy. His influence can be heard in the routines of Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle.
Here's a clip of his iconic performance, "The Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV." Be warned, he was arrested over this bit in 1972 for disturbing the peace in Milwaukee.
staying-alive.org
Kelly Rowland, known for being part of pop supergroup Destiny's Child, is the first ambassador for MTV's Staying Alive Foundation. The organization (staying-alive.org) empowers young people through HIV and AIDS awareness.
Young people need to think about benefits.
When you graduate, landing a job is at the top of your priority list, as it should be.
R. Kelly, the "Pied Piper of R&B"
R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges last Friday in his child porn trial. It only took a day to end the six-year scandal that has shamed the R&B star.
Every Tuesday and Saturday my lifestyle column runs in The Kansas City Star, and you can find the most recent ones below. For previous columns, click here.
Two years ago April Lacher was a stay-at-home mom and wife. That alone was hard work _ taking care of her son, paying bills, cleaning house, running the day-to-day errands. Still, she wanted more.
She'd discovered she had an artsy side when she was planning her wedding. To save money, she took on the task of decorating the facility, designed the floral arrangements and helped create the invitations.
"I realized I loved creating beautiful things that other people could appreciate," says April, 32.
So when a family member couldn't use a lip balm because of an allergy to almond oil, April figured she could make some.
I just don’t understand why there has to be so much T’n’A. It’s everywhere. Just take a look at our new entertainment district.
I mean, the Power & Light is sexy enough with Mosaic, the chic lounge with Miami flair.
The indoor-outdoor living room with potent martinis is the gem of the Cordish Co.’s mall of bars that have taken over downtown.
But it isn’t enough to have sultry décor and a hot staff. The P&L wants its waitresses to look as if they’re auditioning for a spot in the Pussycat Dolls.
Seriously, the servers at Angel’s Rock Bar look like extras in that old Christina Aguilera video — “Dirrty.” And pretty much every bar in the district serves up a wait staff with thighs exposed and/or breasts spilling out of their tops.
