mrkc march 2010 issue

MARCH 2010

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EE

Performing Arts Center Photosby Gary Becker

Home & Self Defense Tips

Breakup Survival Guide

MustReadKC.com March 2010 3

MARCH 2010 CONTENTS

ABOUT US

MustReadKC is published monthly and distributed free throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area in Kansas & Missouri. To fi nd drop locations near you, please visit our Distribution web site page.

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CONTACTS

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STAFF

Tanner L. Morton, PublisherDavid Mitby, Executive Editor Brian Boeger, Creative Editor

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Health

Entertainment

Business

Politics

Sports

Google Rules Your World (Online) — 4

Is a Vegan diet right for you?.................................16

People

Homes

Spotlight: Martin City Parade — 8

Market Snapshot — 6

MUST READK A N S A S C I T Y

CONTRIBUTING

WRITERS

James ByrneMonica R. Ellison

Katie GarciaGary M. JonesJohn McCarthyYale RendlemanStefan Wehrman

SALES

Lucretia BarnesCindy Bussjaeger

Kathleen EllisKendall FryeKatie Garcia

Denise ScalcoStefan Wehrman

Cover Credits:Design by David Mitby & Gary A. BeckerPhotography by Gary A. Becker, Apex PhotographicAll cover and inside spread images © 2010 Gary A. Becker

COPYRIGHT ©

The entire contents copyright 2010 by MustReadKC all rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, by any means without the express written permission of the publisher.

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this publication are theviews of their authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views or policies of MustRead KC and its editorial team. MustRead KC makes no representation concerning and does not guar-antee the source, originality, accuracy, com-pleteness, or reliability of any of the material herein.

2010 St. Patrick’s Day Parades — 9

NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship — 12

Diagnosis: Asperger’s Syndrome — 14

Breakup Survival Guide — 16

I Didn’t Know That: KC Fun Facts— 17

Home & Self-Defense Tips — 18

Arts

Featured Artist: Gary A. Becker — 10-11

4 MustReadKC.com March 2010

G

Google Rules Your World (Online)

by Yale Rendleman

oogle’s motto is “Don’t be evil.” Whew, that’s a relief. Did you ever notice how much they touch

your online life? Sure their big thing is search, and everybody uses their search (by everybody I mean approximately 70% of the US market). From their search page, did you ever click on the “more” option and from there the “even more…” option? They offer a lot of products and services. Some of the ones I use cur-rently and frequently are Gmail, Google Reader, Google Voice, Google Maps, YouTube, Picasa, Chrome and well you get the idea, I use them quite a bit. Why does Google offer us all these products and services (and why are they free)? It’s because Google makes money off of people visiting their web pages. So if they have a service that is in demand and it drives traffi c to their web pages it even-tually creates income for them. So you’re saying, “Eventually? I want to know how that advertising gets them money.” They track information about you and what you buy, and they provide that information to their advertisers allowing them to better target their advertising to you. This infor-mation is valuable to advertisers and they pay Google good money to get it. So, based on giving up your information

to Google and their advertisers, you get to use their products and services for free. Pretty good deal right? Maybe. Recently in a town hall meeting Steve

Jobs called Google’s policy of “Don’t be evil” bullsh*t (reports on the actual word-ing vary, but you get the point). Is Steve on to something here? Or is this a case of sour grapes because Google is now sell-ing a smart phone in direct competition to Apple’s iPhone? It seems that there is a little bit of a war going on between Apple and Google. This war with Apple has had other battles – for example when Google developed an application for the iPhone for their Google Voice product it was rejected from the iPhone application store. This actually started an investiga-tion by the FCC into Apple’s approval process for applications. Google has since made a work around that makes Google

Voice accessible through a web page. That doesn’t seem to support the asser-tion that Google is evil. In fact in that example Apple kind of comes off as a jerk and Google seems to be looking out for us. After all, we are the ones who wanted access to Google Voice on our iPhones. Microsoft has gone up against Google

in the past. Microsoft saw all that sweet money Google was getting from search and advertising and they did everything they could to get their search product in front of people. Bing. No really, the name of Microsoft’s search product is “Bing.” It’s pretty good too. With all the adver-tising dollars they’ve spent to get it out there, they’ve only managed to get 11% market share. In the mean time, Google announced that they are releasing an oper-ating system. It may not compete directly with Microsoft Windows, but it will cer-tainly erode some of their existing market share. Another area Google is competing with Microsoft indirectly is with Micro-soft Offi ce. Google offers online appli-cations that allow you to view and edit text fi les, spreadsheets and presentations. Again these aren’t going to replace Offi ce, but it may take away some of the poten-tial customers. From Microsoft’s point of view Google might be evil. But from our point of view, they are pretty cool. Even now Google is going up against

Facebook and other social networking sites by integrating the Google Buzz product directly into Gmail and Google Reader. It allows you to share news items and information with your contact list from Gmail; it’s really convenient because your list of friends are already in your email contacts. Facebook isn’t wor-ried though – granted Google Buzz just launched mid February and hasn’t had a chance to make any impact yet. Perhaps in the long term Facebook will view Google as evil, but for now let’s say they are apathetic. Did I mention that Google stood up to the

Chinese government? They found that the Gmail accounts of Chinese activists had been hacked by the Chinese government. They threatened to pull out of China and

Politics in the meantime, they stopped censoring search results in China (censorship was initially put in place at the request of the Chinese government). China’s govern-ment may think Google is being evil, or at least a bully, but with respect to the free fl ow of information to the Chinese citi-zens, we would all agree that is the defi ni-tion of good. With all of these examples of Google

entering markets and being competitive, it is their competitors that view them as evil. Their users generally sing their praises. We are the benefi ciaries of this competi-tion, and our prize is free products and services that are useful and may even be more useful in the future. Google’s track record has shown that they are providing excellent services and have our best inter-est in mind. All we have to do is visit their web sites. Actually, I personally can’t think of an

example of Google being evil. What if Google were evil? The people

in charge now won’t always be there to enforce their vision and values and it’s very possible that the next CEO may think that operating in gray areas is per-fectly fi ne and meets the requirements of “don’t be evil.” It’s hard to imagine what the consequences would be. They own our information though, it could be cata-strophic.

Kansas City Google’s New Test Site?by David Mitby

There’s a growing buzz around the nation as Google looks for a city to test it’s new uber high-speed 1 giga-bit per second, fi ber-to-the-home connections. With promises of next generation apps, new deployment techniques, and openness/choice of multiple service providers, it sure sounds appealing. Google will be collecting feedback until March 26th, 2010 and will announce the winning location later this year.

There is a grassroots movement to make this happen in Kansas City. You can fi nd more information on the web (where else?) at www.googlekcmo.com, which has an online petition and several “What Can I Do?” links to vote for KC and to contact local government. There is also a Facebook fan page under “Kansas City and Google”. Get online, get informed, get involved, and let’s get Kansas City nominated!


Market Snapshot

he economic and business recov-ery is clearly underway. That is ex-jobs, but let’s not split hairs.

On another front we’ve navigated our way through earnings season virtually unscathed by major disappointments. Quite the opposite. Thus far S&P 500 reporting companies have beaten earnings and revenue estimates 70% of the time. Accompanying this stellar performance is a raising of the bar for future earnings and revenues guidance and an upbeat outlook on end user demand from CEO’s.

In the current low interest rate, benign infl ation environment coupled with rising corporate revenues and profi ts we should be popping champagne corks right? So, why are we not bathing in the Dom Peri-gnon? There’s an old saying on Wall Street, “The bulls and the bears make money, but the PIGS get slaughtered”. Well this PIG must have swine fl u because it has single handedly derailed a perfectly good bull market rally. The infected PIGS is not of the Wall Street brethrens. These PIGS are Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. The all too familiar symptoms have been identi-fi ed, over leverage and too much debt. Sound familiar? Think Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers for starters. The fi rst of the PIGS to hit the skids has been Greece. Greece like many, borrowed heavily and the global recession has taken its toll. The time for belt tightening and fi scal disci-pline is upon them. The response has been less than inspiring to say the least.

Once again, Jean Claude Trichet, awak-ened from his slumber by German Chan-cellor Merkel has fi nally stepped forward with some reassuring words to soothe the markets panic. Any type of bailout, should one be necessary, must be fl ex-ible enough should the remaining piggy’s hostels begin to tremble. Greece in of itself is not that signifi cant, the California economy dwarfs the country’s GDP, even the event of a default would not cause the global economy to seize up. But, the pervasive fear had/has been similar to the Investment Banking crisis here in the U.S. If Bear Stearns than Lehman Brothers. If Lehman Brothers than Merrill Lynch. If Merrill Lynch than Morgan Stanley and

by James Byrne

T

Business

Local Company Continues To Reward Investors While the Market Seeks Direction

so on right up to the Goldman Sach’s frat house. In Europe the fear is if Greece fails then Portugal. If Portugal than Italy. If Italy than (and this is the more signifi -cant one) Spain and the death spiral gath-ers enough momentum to toss the global economy into free fall again. So, the need to draw the line in the sand and prevent the short sellers and a bear raid on these countries sovereign debt and currencies was imperative. Bully for Chancellor Merkel. Strike 2 for Trichet.

The good new is the announcement of the possible rescue should allow investors to refl ect back on the fundamentals which appear to be fi rming up quite a bit from depressed levels. Investors now need some clarity around the regulatory risks injected into the market by our elected offi cials. Healthcare reform. Financial regulatory overhaul. Higher taxes. Invest-ment professional and corporations need to clearly understand the rules before they can make long term capital commitments. How can the Jayhawks, Tigers or Wild-cats run an offensive scheme if the refs keep moving the 3 point line? All players have identifi ed what the issues are. Now elected offi cials and lobbyists are cur-rently walking these through to resolution or stalemate either works as even a stale-mate reverts back to the status quo and removes an unknown from investment variables to consider before deploying capital.

In our opinion the current gyrations of the market are refl ective of the market being fairly valued. Market participants are waiting for the holy grail of the recov-ery Job Creation! While unemployment claims remain stubbornly elevated, we may see positive job growth refl ected in the non farm payroll numbers this coming Friday due a slight recovery in government payrolls. We continue to see a strong pick up in manufacturing activity while a lag persists in the ser-vice sector. Housing continues to be the Achilles heal, but should, in my opinion be viewed positively. Housing starts con-tinue to drag along at deeply depressed levels, suggesting a weak housing sector. I would argue for the necessity of these

low levels of new construction in order for the market to absorb the excess supply currently available due to a decade of overbuilding. Fourth quarter GDP surged +5.7%. While this pace will not carry over to the fi rst quarter 2010 the positive growth should continue and post a more modest 2.5-2.6% rate of expansion. This drop off may be explained by the build-ing and or depletion rate of inventories. Even so, the consumer has held up better than almost anyone would have expected or could have explained. We are seeing a leveling off of credit card delinquencies and charge-offs. While still at elevated levels, much progress has been made.

While we remain cautiously upbeat and view the current market churning nothing more than a healthy bout of profi t taking. Should any further deterioration materi-alize, we would take a more defensive posture and raise our cash positions. For now, we continue our research, build out our watch list of stocks we’d like to own and look for the signs that the time to deploy our cash is upon us.

Kansas City based Inergy LP contin-ues to offer a compelling story for inves-tors seeking growth with an attractive dividend. At current levels Inergy yields 7.6%. Inergy operates in the fragmented Propane gas market. It is one of the most active consolidators in the industry. How-ever, this is no one trick pony. Seeing the shift towards clean energy and the neces-sity for the infrastructure build out, Inergy

has entered into the Nat gas pipeline and storage facility arenas. The US is moving aggressively, fi nally, to tap into the enor-mous domestic natural gas deposits. New technology has made accessible and economically viable gas deposits in the Marcellus Shale deposit. Located in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia exploit-ing these wells should lead the US down the correct path towards energy indepen-dence. In order to transport the gas, sig-nifi cant private investment has had to be made to build out the pipeline and stor-age facilities. Here’s where Inergy staked it bets. The company has continued to expand on both fronts. New pipeline and storage facilities should come online in the near future adding to earnings, cash fl ows and lead to yet another hike in the dividend payout. Since inception 2001 this local star has rewarded investors each and every year by doing just that. Another bonus, since this is an energy Limited Partnership structure, the dividends are considered tax advantaged in most cases.

In a note of full disclosure, I may own for myself or my clients shares of Inergy LP-NRGY. Before making any invest-ment decision, please do your own due diligence and consult your investment professional to identify whether Inergy would be an appropriate investment can-didate.

James ByrneChief Investment Offi cerGrand Street Advisors,LLC


Martin City Parade

ome things occur by happy circumstance, like in 1983 when three Martin

City residents grabbed another friend, two cars and a horse & buggy, holding an impromptu St. Patrick’s Day “parade” down the town’s 135th Street corridor. The rest, they say, is history.

The Martin City St. Patrick’s Day Parade has since endured for 23 years. On March 14 a crowd of almost 25,000 will gather for what, ironically, has become known as the biggest little fun parade in Kansas City. The event this year will build on the major expansion of parade-day activi-ties initiated in 2007 that became known as IRISHPALOOZA (meaning an Irish extravaganza). Once again, a full day of Irish family fun is planned for downtown Martin City.

From 11:30 a.m. until the parade con-cludes at 4 p.m., there will be food and beverage booths, musical and other per-formance-related entertainment. Fun for the kids remains a major focus, with the pre-parade Prince & Princess Contest, Junior Irish Idol fi nals, clowns, games, crafts and an infl atable slide and moon-walk. The parade itself will kickoff at 2 p.m. with almost 100 entries once again marching down 135th Street to celebrate a great Irish tradition. The event theme for this year is “We’re All Green For The Day!”

One popular event associated with a lead-up to the parade has been the Irish Idol – Karaoke Style competitions that

S

EntertainmentEntertainment

began in February. Four preliminary competitions were held in February and early March, with the winners of those events competing in the fi nals on March 12 at RC’s Back Door in Martin City. A $350 Grand Prize will be awarded based on popular vote and a $150 Presenta-tion Prize awarded by the judges for best talent. New for 2010 is online voting for Idol contestants until March 11 via the parade web site, www.irishpalooza.com.

“Irish Idol has been a lot of fun for everyone involved with it the past two years,” said Mary Nestel, director of the Martin City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “The talent level is wide ranging but always entertaining! And these competi-tions serve as a great run-up to parade day March 14 when we have a full day of fun, family-friendly activities.”

Nestel explained that Irish Idol is set up just like the American Idol TV show, with three judges and competitors coming from a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities. “The performances can range from inspiring to hilarious!” she said. “And the judges, much like those on the TV show, have a good time letting you know how you did.”

Junior Idol competition for youngsters age 8 to 17 was also reintroduced this year but instead done through videos sub-mitted through YouTube. Online voting through the web site continues to March 11.

Nestel wanted to make sure that every-one understands that parade day in Martin City is an all-day affair.

“IRISHPALOOZA starts at 11:30 a.m. and that’s the best time to start arriving if you have kids who are looking for fun things to do,” she said. “What better way to spend a St. Patrick’s Day celebration without having to do so on a weekday?”

River Market.

Crossroads - 208 W 19th Street KC, MO River Market - 500 Delaware KC, MO

officeportkc.com 816.472.7272

KC’s Biggest Little Fun St. Pat’s Parade

by Gary M. Jones


St. Patrick’s Day Parades 2010

h those days before Spring when everyone celebrates and has a little Irish in them! Here are a few places around the Kansas City area that you can go catch a parade. With four different parades on three different days, the

luck of the Irish smiles upon your chances of being able to make it to one. Grab the family and friends and come on out!

Parades O’ Plenty!

A

EntertainmentEntertainment

Date: Saturday, March 13th, 2010Location: BrooksideParade Time: 2 P.M.Web Site: www.brooksidekc.org/st-pats-parade.html

Date: Saturday, March 13th, 2010Location: BrooksideParade Time: 11:00 A.M.Web Site: www.snakesaturday.com

Date: Sunday, March 14th, 2010Location: Martin City, MOParade Time: 11:30 A.M.Web Site: www.irishpalooza.com

Date: Wednesday, March 17th, 2010Location: Kansas City, MOParade Time: 11:00 A.M.Web Site: www.kcirishparade.com

11 MustReadKC.com March 2010 10 MustReadKC.com March 2010

March Featured Artist: Gary BeckerThe skyline of Kansas City is being transformed

yet again. As the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts develops, we caught up with local photographer Gary Becker of Apex Photographic. Gary’s keen eye provides us with a unique perspective of the ongoing construction he was able to garner from over 400 hours of effort though most of 2009. He was kind enough to share a few of the hundreds of images he has of the progress.

Gary Becker started into photography back in 1975 when he traveled 120-130k miles a year all over the US for 5 years doing portraits. In 1980 he decided to call Kansas City home. Those that know Gary have seen his photographs done while working for CBS/Sony, The Menninger Foundation, Kansas City Star, The Pitch, Billboard magazine, 435 South, Congress-man Jim Slattery, various stage performances, and events all over Kansas City. Landscape and architec-tural photography became a passion after becoming a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Grant which Gary used to study with Bruce Barnbaum, who in turn had studied extensively under Ansel Adams. Gary Becker can be contacted at (913) 636-4555 or at [email protected].


Sports

he 2010 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Tour-nament is once again upon us,

as the 73rd edition of College Basket-ball’s Toughest Tournament will be held March 17-23 at Municipal Auditorium. 32 Teams. 31 Games. Seven Days. One National Champion

The NAIA tournament is a genuine Kansas City tradition and a historic piece within the game of basketball itself. It’s a basketball junkie’s dream: 31 games, all on one court, within a week, with the nation’s fi nest teams at the NAIA level, to determine the National Champion….all in one of America’s most historic arenas. It’s a little slice of American pie, right here in Kansas City. Awesome! Just awe-some!

There are so many neat nuggets of basketball history wrapped up within this tournament that I wanted to supply a simple “Did you know” list. There are many more than listed here, but this should whet your appetite for one of the nation’s fi nest basketball traditions, held annually right here in Kansas City.Did you know that….• The NAIA tournament is the longest running collegiate National Champion-ship of any sport in this country?• The tournament was founded by Dr. James Naismith (founder of the game of basketball), Emil Liston (Athletic Direc-tor – at the time – of Baker University) and Frank Cramer (founder of Cramer Athletic Products)?• America’s fi rst basketball National Champion is Central Missouri State Teacher’s College (now the University of Central Missouri)?• The fi rst National Basketball Champion in the state of Kansas is Southwestern College from Winfi eld in 1939?• Coach John Wooden (at Indiana State Teacher’s College, later of UCLA fame) coached the fi rst black player to compete in the National Championship in 1948?• Tennessee A&I was the fi rst historically black college to win a National Basket-ball Championship when they won it in 1957? They also won the tournament in 1958 and 1959, becoming America’s fi rst National Basketball Champion to three-peat.

• Travis Grant of Kentucky State won three consecutive NAIA National Cham-pionships (1970, 1971 and 1972), scored a tournament record 60 points in one game (a record that still stands today) and fi nished his career as the all time leading scorer in college basketball history?• Harry Statham, current Head Coach at McKendree (IL), is the all-time win-ningest coach in the history of college basketball and surpassed 1,000 career wins this season?• Coach John Wooden was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame at the 2009 tour-nament Tip Off Banquet?• The defending National Champion is Rocky Mountain College from Montana, which became the fi rst-ever National Basketball Championship in the state of Montana?• The 2009-10 Mountain State (WV) team includes 7’8” Paul Sturgess, the tall-est college basketball player ever to play in the United States?• Georgetown College (KY) has the longest streak of consecutive tourna-ment appearances with 18 (19 if they are selected in 2010)?• The NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame includes such legends as Dr. James Nai-smith, Emil Liston, John Wooden, Dick Barnett, Travis Grant, Harry Statham, Zelmo Beaty, M.L. Carr, Marques Haynes, Phillip Hutcheson, Lucious “Luke” Jack-son, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Johnny Orr, John Pierce, Willis Reid, Jim Spivey, Clarence “Big House” Gaines, Marv Harshman, Jerry Krause, John Kresse, John McLendon, Don Meyer, Dan Miles and Bill Grigsby?

Once again, 32 teams will converge upon downtown Kansas City to play in a total of 31 games to determine the National Champion. The National Cham-pionship game will be held on Tuesday, March 23, at 7:00 p.m., which will be a live national television broadcast on CBS College Sports. Tickets are available at the Municipal Auditorium Box Offi ce and through all Ticketmaster outlets for each of the nine sessions.

For additinal information John McCa-rthy can be reached at [email protected] or 816-595-8122.

T

NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship

by John McCarthy

A “Tough” Kansas City Tradition


All You Can Eat Italian Feastwww.cinzettis.com

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Tortini Di Patate

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believe your son has Asperger’s Syndrome.” The words spoken by our son’s doctor brought an

answer to eight years of questions. Why was he obsessed with vacuums when he was little? Why can’t he pick up on non-verbal cues?

Although the diagnosis brought an answer, it also brought more questions. Will he be able to drive? What about living on his own? Or getting a job? These are things I’d taken for granted with my two older children. The answers would come over the next few months.

Asperger’s Syndrome is one of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), and was named after the Austrian pediatri-cian, Hans Asperger, who fi rst character-ized the condition in 1944. People with Asperger’s have diffi culty with social interaction. They may display repeti-tive behaviors, and perseverate on topics of interest. In fact, children who have Asperger’s are sometimes referred to as “little professors” due to their inherent ability to lecture on their area of exper-tise. Rett Syndrome, pervasive develop-mental disorder not otherwise specifi ed, and childhood disintegrative disorder are also on the spectrum.

The prevalence is so great (estimated at three to six out of 1,000 children who are affected by an ASD) that there is much research being done. A recent study per-formed by researchers at France’s Center of Cognitive Neuroscience found that Oxytocin, which is sometimes called “the love hormone” due to its infl uence on everything from falling in love to the intensity of physical pleasure, improved symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome. According to a recent article in TIME, those participating in the study were given nasal inhalers with Oxytocin, after which they showed ‘signifi cant improve-ment on social tasks – including making more eye contact when shown pictures of faces, and responding to other players in a ball tossing game.’

Males are four times more likely to

have an ASD. The cause is not known; however, research shows that there is a genetic link.

A very important fi rst step after learn-ing that your child has Asperger’s is to obtain an Individualized Education Pro-gram (IEP) at their school. An assessment referred to as the MAPP Test is usually given to children to determine their level of knowledge prior to developing the IEP. A typical MAPP result for someone with Asperger’s would be extremely high scores in one area, such as Science, and extremely low scores in another, such as Communication.

Research and knowledge about Asperg-er’s have put my mind at ease. My son will not only be able to drive, he’ll be able to have a career in his chosen fi eld, and have a family of his own. His opportunities are only limited by his own ambition.

Some very successful and well-known people are on the spectrum. Leonardo da Vinci, for instance, was an Autistic Savant. Bill Gates is rumored to be Autis-tic. Albert Einstein was thought to have had Autism.

Due to the social struggles people with ASDs face, some schools offer classes that help develop social skills. Support groups provide a comfortable setting to meet and interact with others on the spec-trum.

The bottom line is that you, as a parent, must be your child’s greatest advocate! Listen to them, encourage learning social skills, maintain consistency in your rou-tine and your discipline, and always, always show them unconditional love.

How you can help:Participate in fundraising efforts such

as “Walk Now For Autism Speaks.” Write to lawmakers urging them to pass

legislation helping people with ASDs.

Movies:“Temple Grandin” starring Claire

Danes (HBO). This movie will make you laugh and cry. More importantly, it will

Diagnosis: Asperger’s Syndrome

“I

by Monica R. Ellison

provide you with insight into the mind and feelings of a person with Autism.

“Rain Man” starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.

“Mozart and the Whale” starring Josh Hartnett.

Books:“Understanding Autism for Dummies”

by Stephen Shore “The Way I See It: A Personal Look at

Autism and Asperger’s” by Temple Gran-din

“Rules” by Cynthia Lord“Look Me in the Eye – My Life with

Asperger’s” by John Elder Robison

Web sites:The Autism Research Insti-

tute (autism.com).Temple Grandin’s Web site (temple-

grandin.com). Dr. Grandin is a profes-sor of animal science at Colorado State University, world renowned designer of livestock handling facilities, best-selling author, and expert on Autism. She is also Autistic.

Autism Speaks (autismspeaks.org).Autism Society of America (autism-

society.org).

Parent support group:Autism Alliance of Greater Kansas City

(parent facilitated group)Julius and Kay [email protected]

Health

Help For Their Parents


Life is short.

Live well now.

Reason #63:


The Break Up Survival Guide

by Katie Garcia

S p r i n g is nigh and so

are the break ups. They don’t call it “spring fever” for noth-ing. I can’t tell you how many people, includ-ing myself, who I’ve seen go through a break up between the months of April and June. Though obviously written from a female per-spective, I believe the following survival guide to be universal, therefore equally useful for both men and women.

Rule Number One: Accept the end. If we are on the receiving end of the

break up, initially, we are in a complete stage of denial. We think the “break” is simply that, and not a “break up.” We may become pathetic messes who will do anything to get this person back in our lives. When in this state, we are not seeing the big picture; it’s impossible to when you’re in that state of mind. Accept that this person will not be there for you in that way anymore, and don’t cling on to hope thinking a miracle will happen! Because you will – trust me. I was all about the signs. When something hap-pened as insignifi cant as seeing his name on the back of a baseball jersey on the stranger in front of me, I thought it was a “sign.” Just accept the end! It will make the moving on process a lot easier.

Rule Number Two: Throw yourself into your family, friends and fun.

Having a strong, wonderful support system is the base of the moving on pyramid. Surround yourself with people who are uplifting and positive! Your mother is always the best for that. People who are funny are always a good thing. Watch funny movies together, attend a live comedy stand-up show or do some-thing new that you’ve always wanted to do. My new thing was skydiving. It had been something on my list (“our list” actually) that my ex and I were going to

do together. I told myself, “Just because we’re not together doesn’t mean I’m not going to go.” I went, and it was the most breathtaking (literally) and beautiful high I’ve ever experienced! Of course, my friends were there with me too!

Rule Number Three: Get rid of every-thing that reminds you of your ex.Trash it, sell it, put it in a break up box, or give it away. Out of sight, out of mind, people! This trick really does work! There is also a web site where you can sell your jewelry called outofmylife.com.

Rule Number Four: Take a trip.It always helps to get out of town;

maybe reconnect with some old friends. I found that going to the ocean or the mountains helps. Corny as it may sound, getting in touch with nature really puts things into perspective. It allows you to see things from a fresh point of view. I went to California after a break up. One day, I took a long hike and it just hit me. It’s crazy how the big picture can hit you when you least expect it.

Rule Number Five: Allow yourself to heal.

Give yourself time to be alone and be happy living by yourself. More often than not, people jump into relationships without allowing themselves time to heal. It’s not only unfair to the person you get involved with after your break up, but it’s unfair to you as well. Once, I got involved very quickly after a break up and it ulti-mately ended up being the root of the demise of our relationship. It’s as if I was healing from my past relationship through my current one. I think people underesti-mate the healing power of time.

Rule Number Six: When the time is right, get back out there.

Dating someone new is always a fun and exciting thing. There is more to learn and opportunities for growth. It’s a clean slate. You know more and, hopefully, you’ve learned from your mistakes in the past, not to repeat them in your new rela-tionship.

People

Six Simple Rules


I Didn’t Know That!

s our faithful readers are well aware, MustReadKC is always looking for new, exciting, and

often “underground” types of events and information about our beloved city. Because our city is so rich with history and talent, I’ve compiled a glimpse at some of the most notable people, places, and crazy facts that comprise us.

The beautiful Country Club Plaza area is most recognized for the architecture and fountains, but did you know that Kansas City boasts more fountains than any other city in the world save Rome? We have over two-hundred fountains; some for good luck, some for culture, for kid’s to splash, others, simple wishes. Toss some coins for your dreams!

Several of the luxuries that have enhanced our lives throughout the years originated here as well. Our beloved M c D o n a l d ’ s Happy Meal started here in 1979! The original title was, “Circus Wagon Happy Meal” which cost but one dollar, and provided both a snack and a smile for the antsy child sitting in the back seat. Later, this toy infested genius was named “Fun-To-Go” in St. Louis. The contents were a McDoo-dler stencil, a McWrist wallet, a puzzle book, or McDonald’s character erasers. When I was a kid, often I’d order just for the prize; not unlike what I do now as an adult when I empty the cereal box.

What about other necessities such as: the wax coated ice cream container, Eskimo Pies, Tefl on, or the candy coating on our M&M’s? The creative and remark-able of this city contributed to these luxu-ries. We are also home of the world’s largest maker of greeting cards Hallmark. Everyone utilizes their jokes and sincere heartfelt phrases when the time is right!

There’s certainly a lot going on in our little big city! In the mid-30’s, Kansas City had more than 400 nightclubs, bur-lesque houses, cabarets, and dance halls! This earned the city’s nickname “Paris of the Plains.” The city is still home to some of the most eclectic and original culture and entertainment in the world.

Kansas City is and has been the home to many famous people as well. We’ve spawned a large number of the world’s greatest talents. Mr. Walt Disney himself created his most beloved and famous char-acter Mickey Mouse while residing here! Apparently he had a non-rent sharing mouse residing in his small apart-ment here from which he based our little hero. Here’s a quick list of some more ex and current resi-dents: Robert Altman-fi lm director, Ed Asner-actor, Burt Bacharach-pianist and composer, Don Cheadle-actor, Eminem-rapper, Walter Cronkite-journalist and news anchor, Melissa Etheridge-singer, Scott Foley-actor, Eddie Griffi n-actor/comedian, Ernest Hemingway-novelist and short story author, Craig Kilborn-actor/talk show host, Tommy Morrison-boxer/actor, Richard B. Myers-Air Force General and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Paul Rudd-actor/come-dian, Matt Vogel-Muppets and Sesame Street performer, Virgil Thomson-Pu-litzer Prize winning composer, Diane Wiest-actress, and Tom Watson-profes-sional golfer! There are of course several more amazing and accomplished artists unnamed and equally loved.

So as you’re strolling past the beauti-ful fountains and incredibly gorgeous architecture of our home, smile at the passer-by, because we’re all unique and Kansas City family.

Aby Stefan Wehrman

Kansas CityOddities & Fun Facts

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People


s Kansas City safety seminars and self defense classes are currently in high demand, everyone from civil-

ians to local police is getting involved to help empower and enable us to ensure our safety.

K.C. residents are upgrading their home security devices as well as partak-ing in the various self defense classes that are widely available. The most important thing to remember is that we’re not alone, and that we all have the right and oppor-tunity to protect ourselves and our loved ones; to protect each other as well, in case of any emergency situation.

These classes and seminars are for women and men of all ages. There’s no age or gender discrimination-this is our lives we’re preserving. Everyone should

increase the lighting around their home, make sure your doors and windows are locked, and double check the garage! Always be alert and aware of any suspi-cious people or vehicles in the neighbor-hood. Let’s take care of ourselves and each other; we certainly have the right and means to do so.

Kansas City’s own Odyssey Martial Arts Supply is and has been a major con-tributor throughout the years in helping to provide personal safety devices and home security tips. They provide a vast array of tools and support for those who know and need to be constantly prepared, aware, and vigilant. The owner Ted Win-ningham, who has been well trained and knowledgeable as to the importance and accessibility of these necessities for over 23 years, gives this advice:

A

Homes

“If you want to keep it, you need to secure it. It’s just that simple, cause people are going to try to take it. You need to put appropriate alarm systems in your house.

Number one rule: Stay aware. Stay aware of your surroundings. Don’t look down or talk on the phone. If you want to stay the phone, that’s fi ne, but don’t be involved in a conversation. The bad guys are looking to surprise you. They are looking for the sheep, not the wolves.” Safety fi rst is key, so here’s a list of self-defense classes in the Metro-politan area: AKKA Karate USA (816)-682-2428: N. Oak Trfy, KCMO,

Kansas City Police Department, kcpd.org,

Ko’s Black Belt Academy (913)-681-2010, 821 North Dakota Dr., Indepen-dence, MO.,

American Sport Karate Centers, (913)-631-2275, 13213 Shawnee Mission Park-way, Shawnee, KS.

United Studios of Self Defense, (913)-451-3606, 12136 State Line Road, Shaw-nee Mission.

Overland Park Police Department, (913)-895-6408, request a class in your area at opkansas.org. Here are a few extra home security tips:• Secure sliding glass doors and windows with a piece of wood that is long enough to prevent the door or window from being open. • Install motion detector lights in the front back and sides of your house where a criminal can hide. Typically, a light will scare off an intruder.• Change up your routine a little bit every-day. Vary times of radios & TVs being left on and light timers to make it appear that someone is home.• Keep curtains closed to prevent thieves from looking into the windows. Keep valuables out of view of windows. • If you are away for business or vacation, make sure you have any automatically deliveries postponed until you return.• Shred any important documents before throwing them in the trash. Try to put your trash out as close to pickup time as pos-sible. Your trash can tell someone more than you think.

Home & Self-Defense Tips

by Stefan Wehrman

mrkc march 2010 issue

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