When Kelly Rowland released "Dirty Laundry last week, everyone was expecting dance music. Instead, sherevealed she had survived an abusive relationship that isolated her, hurt her and turned her against her loved ones, including her musical partner in Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé.
Everywhere I go, I find brands with a conscience. Maybe it started with Toms shoes and their popular One-for-One movement — buy a pair and a pair goes to an impoverished child. Now giving back through purchases has grown beyond holiday charities and thinking pink. It’s year-round.
I know it’s real when the seat belt buckles and the lap bar comes down. I’m locked in a four-passenger car set on a track spanning 1,345 feet. There’s no turning back, but my back is turned. I chose the seat that doesn’t look the five-story ascension in the face. But I can hear the rickety sound of the climb, and my fingers curl tighter and tighter around the safety bar until my nails dig into my palms. The pain reminds me that this is not a nightmare. It’s happening.
Nobody breathe, it’s Thursday. That’s the running joke in my house because that night is all about ABC’s “Scandal.” And this week is the season finale of my favorite political thriller.
As the school year winds down and kids sign yearbooks, a few students at Blue Valley Northwest have something else in mind.
Like all moms, Charlaine Harris finally has to let go. There’s only so much you can do before it’s time to let your children have a life of their own, even in a fictional world of vampires, weres, shapeshifters, fairies and all that magic.
I decided to scope out SkyRobics at Sky Zone, an indoor trampoline park in Shawnee. A class that people are packing in at 9 on Saturday mornings must be a party. Why else would a place typically reserved for children’s birthdays, field trips and kiddie fun offer several classes filled with adults throughout the week? Because it’s a kick-ass workout, that’s why.
I’m not saying what Rihanna did on Saturday morning was right. It would have been better to ignore the cyber abuse dished out by one woman and report it. But the bullied often become the bullies. Hurt people hurt people. And whether you like it or not, celebrities are human.
Victoria Alaadeen has been feeling stronger the past few months, maybe because she’s been sharing her story. She released a book of her poetry, “The Heartbeat Next to My Heartbeat,” full of memories and feelings about her late husband, Kansas City jazz great Ahmad Alaadeen.
Thursday night, Kerwin Young takes a break from quietly studying for his master’s degree in composition at UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance. He will join his old rap group, Public Enemy, as they are all inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside Quincy Jones, Heart, Rush, Randy Newman and other greats.
The story of the Rev. Scott Chrostek, the pastor at Church of the Resurrection Downtown and the author of “Pursuit: Living Fully in Search of God’s Presence,” spoke to me because he wasn’t judging me. He was sharing his journey and the steps he took to live a faithful life.
When “My Little Pony” returned in a reboot, it was meant for little girls. But guys liked it too. And suffered for it. They call themselves “bronies”: bros who like ponies. Online, they are often called gay slurs and perverts. Now a new documentary, “Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony,” shows the guys in a better light.
Yes, it caters to men, but the new Olathe sports bar Twin Peaks could easily be a girls’ night out if you’re the kind of girls who would enjoy the Victoria’s Secret fashion show so much more if it was directed by Tina Fey and Chelsea Handler.
Here’s the thing about spring cleaning: It’s not just about dusting windows and waxing floors. It’s a time for a new, feel-good attitude. And lately, everywhere I look there seem to be gifts to help us get there. There are books, cards, bracelets and more.
Is it all right to call a pretty woman pretty anymore? Is it sexist to bring up a woman’s beauty in a professional capacity?
One song. Sometimes that’s all it takes to take an artist from open mic night to MTV. For Kansas City rapper Gee Watts, that track could be “Watts R.I.O.T,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, one of the biggest names in music right now.
Erin Margolin’s life changed at 15. Her dad stood before her, legal pad in hand. Sure, he was a lawyer. But a prepared statement at home? Odd. Her mother started to cry. This was not about cleaning house. This was the cleaning of her father’s closet. Erin’s dad dropped a heavy truth on his kids: He’s gay.
Evan Cleaver — the youngest child of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver — gets his big break in a new Stephenie Meyer movie. He plays an alien in the sci-fi adventure “The Host,” opening Friday. If things go well, this movie could approach “Twilight”-level success.
Is Andrew Charles Johnson serious? When I heard the story of the 20-year-old University of Kansas student suing his fraternity because he had access to alcohol, I thought it was an Onion spoof. At what point does personal responsibility come into play?
Why is everyone leaning on the cash-strapped city to keep kids busy? Parents have to step up. And we as citizens do too. Enter KC Sole, a collective of 20-somethings who love kicks and Kansas City.
We raise our shots of mescal and toast to the energy around us. A fitting toast, considering I’m sitting with Ces Cru, and the hip-hop duo’s debut album, “Constant Energy Struggles,” hits shelves on Tuesday.
Good fortune is what you make it, and there are a lot of ways to get three-leaf clover lucky in our city this weekend, with drinks, sweets, shows and more.
Bad news haunts the headlines. The sadness is suffocating. Sometimes it’s hard to believe in good when we’re constantly reminded of the darkness. But then you see something like Grumpy Cat. She makes us smile. And happiness is something we’re thirsty for.
Dumping daylight saving time: It’s the breakup I fantasize about. The time change is one of those annoying mandates that doesn’t make sense. We spring forward. We fall back. We keep adjusting our clocks on our wrists, walls, ovens and microwaves. And probably miss one or two.
Port Fonda is more than a restaurant. It’s a place to introduce newcomers to Kansas City. Whether we’re talking about the KC hats by Baldwin Denim worn by the staff, local food or the mishmash crowd, it’s a mirror of some of our city’s finer qualities.
