On Tap | SMLLR = BTTR
A small place that could signal big changes for Kansas City’s beer scene is in the works at 633 East 63rd Street in Brookside. BKS Artisan Ales looks set to be the first nanobrewery to open in the city under a new ordinance that passed in June 2015. “The advantage that I have of being small…
Peering Behind the Curtain
On Friday more than 250 students and faculty from UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance performed at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts for “Crescendo,” the conservatory’s major annual fundraiser. Flatland goes behind the scenes as the young and seasoned artists prepared for the hour-long showcase, which featured vignettes from the school’s disciplines. The students spoke about…
5 Exit Poll Numbers To Watch On Election Night
Women, Hispanics, and (surprise!) white evangelicals could all be some of the most interesting stories of the night.
Take 5 For Your Health
Guess Who Supports And Who Opposes Tax Increases On Cigarettes In Missouri For many Missouri health advocates, an increase in the state’s tobacco tax is long overdue. At 17 cents per cigarette pack, it’s the lowest in the country by far – a fraction of the tax in many states. And it hasn’t changed since…
Election Day Survival Guide
The election countdown has begun. In fewer than 48 hours, commercials will return to peddling prescription meds and social media feeds will return to pictures of what people are eating. In order to make it to this promised land, however, we first have to survive Nov. 8. To help you through, Flatland has put together…
Healing the Invisible Wounds of Combat
It’s the serviceman who beats himself up about being unable to save a dying buddy. Or the truck driver who follows orders to run over children in the road, because they might be placed there to facilitate an ambush of a convoy. While it has been more than half a century since the United States…
Why You Should Care About ‘Big Ag’ Companies Getting Bigger
Five of the six biggest companies that produce and sell seeds and chemicals to the world’s farmers are pursuing deals that could leave a market dominated by just three giant, global companies. They say getting bigger means bringing more sophisticated and innovative solutions to farmers faster, but opponents say consolidation has irreversible downsides. Dow and…
Ride-Sharing Apps: New Economy, Same Invisible Discrimination
A few years ago, the Urban Institute undertook a massive experiment to measure discrimination in home rentals and sales. The researchers sent hundreds of people in dozens of cities across the country to act as applicants trying to rent or buy apartments and houses. The “testers” were given similar credit histories and financial qualifications. What…
Sympathetic Vibrations | Brewing Magic for Sporting KC
Last Thursday, Sporting Kansas City’s season ended following a 1-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC in the first knockout round of the MLS playoffs. The loss was devastating – delivered after the Sounders netted a squeaker in the 87th minute. Sporting’s success in getting a playoff bid this season is no doubt owed to solid…
Cherry Pit Collective Open House & Other Weekend Possibilities
Holiday shopping, a bit of ice cream, and maybe a new bike to ride home. The Cherry Pit Collective (604 E 31st Street) is holding an Open House with local makers from 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday. You can find jewelry, soap, paper goods, and locally made nuts, cookies, and coffee. Long for the days of…
Hello Atelier | From Engineering to Art
Flatland has teamed up with Hello Atelier, a Kansas City-based podcast that explores what it means to be a working artist. Hosted by Betsy Blodgett, the weekly podcast takes you into to the studios of designers of all different mediums to learn about their inspiration, their design process and the personal stories behind their art. Hello Atelier is presented by Phonicalia,…
The Weekend Starts Today
Thursday is National Sandwich Day. Which is good. With the election on Tuesday, the country needs to come together, and sandwiches should do the trick. Whatever your politics, after all, there isn’t a man, woman or child who doesn’t enjoy a tasty sandwich. In between bites, though, make sure to spend some time seeing what…
Take 5 For Your Health
Missouri Takes Step To Hold Down Health Insurance Rates, But Will It Be Enough? When individual health insurance plans go on sale on healthcare.gov, many Missourians will probably be more than a little shocked to see some rate increases as high as 40 percent. Similar increases are popping up nationwide, but different states have different…
A Ritual to Remember
It will be fun and games for the costumed ghosts and goblins tonight, but it was a much more solemn affair this past weekend for the Boyce family. From a dark floral scarf and black and red roses decorating an empty chair, to the black tablecloth and dishes, the dinner was a quiet remembrance and invitation for their beloved…
5 Pumpkin Delights (That are Not Pumpkin Spice Lattes)
To those of you who seek out pumpkin spice lattes with the same doggedness that Harry Potter pursued horcruxes, I can not aid you in the fracturing of your soul. I can however help you discover a new pumpkin wonderland. It’s a place where there is still sweetness, but also savory notes and the bright…