Local News

[Vyn]

I do cybersecurity consultations ...

[Charger]

^^^
Oh you've placed a spycam in Zzz's home office now have you...?

[Zzzptm]

^^^
Oh you've placed a spycam in Zzz's home office now have you...?

That's an old video, I have different glasses now.

[Vyn]

Judging from the body movement, he was listening to "Kill in the Spirit World". Either that or the original version of "Do-Wah-Diddy" by The Exciters.

[Vyn]

Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals, National Football League team and Major League Baseball team, respectively, have stadiums right next to each other in Jackson County, Missouri.

Yesterday, the voters in that county were asked to pass a tax rate increase that would be on the books for 40 years, to support moving the baseball stadium to downtown Kansas City (still in Jackson county) and renovating the football stadium. It failed to pass, 52% no to 48% yes.

Will be interesting to see what the ownership of both teams do in the face of that failure to procure money.

[Zzzptm]

Billionaires need to pay for their own stadiums. If the upgrades aren't profitable without free money from taxpayers, then the upgrades aren't profitable. Nearly all of the economic benefits of a new stadium or arena go to the developers and their backers. The city winds up with massive debt and, eventually, an empty thing that gets torn down, total waste.

[Vyn]

Billionaires need to pay for their own stadiums. If the upgrades aren't profitable without free money from taxpayers, then the upgrades aren't profitable. Nearly all of the economic benefits of a new stadium or arena go to the developers and their backers. The city winds up with massive debt and, eventually, an empty thing that gets torn down, total waste.

Yes indeedy. There was a cadre of proponents of the tax gabbing about it prior to the vote, and an equal and opposite group against. Primarily local politicians and sports names from years ago. George Brett was for it, Frank White was against (both former Royals players). And of course the team owners blathered on about it too.

Mr. Brett, on the eve of the vote, was interviewed. Keep in mind that the stadiums have resided in Jackson county for fifty years...When asked why it was better to build a new stadium in downtown Kansas City rather than renovating the current stadium, Mr. Brett indicated, "it would bring money into the county and benefit the citizens of Jackson county".

As opposed to that other county that has been getting the economic bennies lo these past five decades, George?

That was the mantra. The other, but unspoken mantra was: build a new stadium or we'll move the team to another city. The dingleberry owner of the Royals (as well as the owner of the Chiefs) both stated they'd have to explore options that were in the best interest of their respective teams.

I am of the opinion that they should both pack their shit and go away. I can watch the games on TV/online regardless of what town they operate out of.

Regarding your comment about developers, et al getting the actual cash in these situations, I don't know why more people weren't bringing that up. Here's some local KC-area info:

Black & Veatch is an engineering design firm here. VML is an ad agency. Burns & McDonnel is a construction firm.

There are about twenty people (five of them with the last name of Hall...as in Hallmark) who are considered Kansas City social leaders. They are all, in one way or another, involved financially with each other and those companies I mentioned. Guess who does most of the big projects in the five county area in and around Kansas City? And, interestingly enough, all of those companies were harping in favor of the tax.

Imagine that.

One last thing. I have always held a personal dislike for Frank White. He became involved in local politics after his baseball career, and is a gadfly. But, he was the only person I heard mention anything about how the money flows in big projects funded with tax dollars. His constant ginned-up criticality is as annoying as always, but he did earn a little respect with me.

[Zzzptm]

Local media has long typically been under the thumb of local bigwigs. The media consolidation that started in the mid-90s only deepened that control. They're not going to let their press report on things contrary to their interests, typically.

[Charger]

Been following the news relating the Eurovision song contest....it truly has become the Anti semitism opera. It is absolutely sickening.

Finland's last years representitive posted a nice video of him dancing and having fun with the Israeli contestant and got attacked by anti semitists and pro terrorist scum! My god.

And Netherland's contestant got into a fight with an israeli reporter and got banned from the contest and now all the anti semitists and pro terrorist scums are attacking the EBU for banning that anti semitist scumbag.

This is absolutely sick. Just sick.

[Zzzptm]

My brother lived in Estonia for a while, so he's all nuts for them being in the final.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

The Dutch entry being disqualified seems to have been as the result of an altercation with a female producer. It could have been Semitic related, but there's no official word.

Anyway, I have had no interest in Eurovision in decades.

[Charger]

Anyway, I have had no interest in Eurovision in decades.

Me neither the music is just horrible crap. But this year the anti semitism is just beyond ridiculous. But it's not that surprising considering how 90% is left leaning and anti semitism rules on that side.

[Vyn]

Eurovision has not been part of my life experience, for obvious reasons. So, speaking in generalities, isn't it all too often the case that hate will find ways to worm its way into any legitimate endeavor, and then do its level best to fuck it up for its own nefarious ends?

[Charger]

Quite right you brother...

[Vyn]

An article from a man named Dominic Green, as posted online. I wouldn't normally copy out an entire piece, but in case it disappears, gets paywalled, isn't available in Europe, etc. For you, Charger:

Plato said that when music changes, politics will change. The Eurovision Song Contest’s final in Malmö, Sweden, Saturday night exposed Europe’s widening social schism and may predict next month’s European Union elections.

When Israel’s entrant, Eden Golan, came to Malmö, a leftist-Islamist rabble massed outside her hotel, baying for Israel’s expulsion from Eurovision and the world. The mob included Greta Thunberg, once the face of the climate apocalypse, now a boycotter of the Jewish state. Israel is a global leader in desalination and water management.

Israel is in Eurovision because it wants to be there. It falls within the European Broadcasting Area, which covers western Russia, North Africa, Turkey and much of the Middle East. Georgia and Azerbaijan also compete in Eurovision. Lebanon nearly competed in 2005 but canceled because Israel was there.

As in the tech and military sectors, Israel punches above its weight. While fighting for its existence, it has won Eurovision four times. This year’s entry, “October Rain” by the 20-year-old Ms. Golan, was a lament for the victims of Hamas’s terrorist rampage. The European Broadcasting Union forced Israel to tone down the “political” lyrics; the title became “Hurricane.”

Malmö is notorious for gang wars, Islamist recruitment and anti-Jewish violence. The police told Ms. Golan to stay in her hotel because they couldn’t guarantee her safety. A police motorcade carried Ms. Golan to Thursday’s semifinal. Trade unions at the Belgian state broadcaster briefly blacked out the screen rather than show the singer from the Zionist entity. The BBC’s flagship current-affairs program devoted time to a drag queen, who explained huskily why he was boycotting his own watching party. But telephone voters put Ms. Golan in a close second place.

Eurovision voting resembles EU voting. The voters send national representatives to the EU Parliament in Brussels, but the unelected European Commission overrules them. In Eurovision, half the points come from national telephone votes, half from unelected juries. Across the Continent, the nationalist right is leading the polls for June’s elections. The jurors of Brussels will try to overrule the voters, fearful of immigrant and Islamist violence, but the EU’s show can’t go on forever without the majority’s support.

The Greek and Dutch entrants mocked Ms. Golan at the prefinal press conference. The Finnish entrant apologized for being filmed backstage with her. During the final, protesters tried to storm the stadium while the audience booed Ms. Golan’s performance. But Europe’s silent majority gave her strong support. They also know what it’s like to be attacked by Islamists, demonized by leftist elites, and derided for defending their borders and their way of life.

Israel placed fifth this year, due to low support in the jury voting. But it came second to Croatia in the popular vote. Though Ireland’s entrant, a “nonbinary” satanist named Bambie Thug, had called for Israel’s expulsion, Irish voters put Israel in second place. Israel topped the popular vote in Britain, Spain, Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal and Italy. Europeans may struggle to tell good tunes from bad, but they know the difference between good and evil.