Kansas City Star: FYI / Living

28-Second Film Fest finalists

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:18 CST

Check out the entries in our our 28-Second Film Fest contest.

A little paranoia over germs is healthy

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

President Barack Obama has declared the H1N1 outbreak a national emergency. Even pets are getting it. ’ve already become a hand-washing freak. Now I have to worry about my dog’s paws, too? This is getting crazy.

H+H photos | Handmade gifts

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:13 CST

Photo gallery | Illustrator Shane Evans

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:44 CST

The Kansas City Star Magazine | Harvest gold: A Missouri winery goes for the grapes

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:53 CST

Willie Aames | Former "Eight is Enough" star on the rebound

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:37 CST

House + Home | Glassware by Simon Pearce

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:47 CST

Women still heeding the call to become nuns

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:15 CDT

LEAVENWORTH | A happy, party noise filled Annunciation Chapel on the last day of August, a breezy day that felt more spring than end of summer. Inside the little church next to the headquarters of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, people stood in the aisles and among the pews, talking, laughing and hugging one another.

The Buzz 96.5's Afentra and Lazlo split shifts on air and at home

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:15 CDT

Fluffy white clouds hug the bright blue sky, while the sun glows above Johnson County. Sitting at a picnic table, underneath a thick canopy of trees, Afentra smiles and takes a sip of water.

The eGullet Society are gourmands on a mission

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:15 CDT

It's closing in on 5 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. More than two dozen people scurry around a Crossroads event space, 10 or more of them at any one time prepping food in its large professional kitchen. Steven Shaw doesn't exactly look the part of captain of this cooking ship. He's wearing a red Mickey Mouse T-shirt and chef pants patterned in a colorful piscine design. His famous fish pants. But he's on task and upping the pressure.

West Bottoms a hidden treasure for the designer and homeowner

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:15 CDT

Inside the old buildings of Kansas City's West Bottoms is a hustling, bustling mecca of resources for the home: architectural salvage, vintage furniture, artists’ studios and specialty trade centers.

Auto-tune a sound reason some songs are perfect

Mon, 11 May 2009 22:15 CDT

American Idol” had a Beatles week, a Mariah Carey week, even a Dolly Parton week. But if the show really wants to be “current,” as judge Simon Cowell is fond of saying, it should have an Auto-Tune week.

Robert Brassard is turning Shawnee Mission students into chefs

Fri, 08 May 2009 12:15 CDT

A high school teacher's recipe for sucess: Raw talent and lots of hard work. The yield: More than $1 million in scholarships.

In WWII, Pistol Packin' Marie Kimball took aim at stereotypes

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Every year around Veterans Day, Marie Kimball’s church honors its vets. And when the veterans rise for a round of applause, 91-year-old Kimball of Blue Springs is the only woman standing.

Stargazing | Sarah Jessica Parker on motherhood; Will Ferrell's pub dreams

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

SJP and diapers Sarah Jessica Parker, new mommy to 5-month-old twin daughters Loretta and Tabitha, worries that the girls won’t like her when they grow up.

Dear Abby | A good thing, or not?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR ABBY: I am a 38-year-old business woman. I was single for many years until I met and fell in love with “Rory,” who had been a longtime client. We were married a year ago. There's one problem. Rory has a penile implant and an insatiable sex drive. I can't keep up with him.

Billy Graham | Put Christ at center of holiday season

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: I know Christmas is still some weeks away, but I'm already getting uptight about it. It's always such a hectic time and we always end up spending far more than we planned to.

Irving's ‘Last Night in Twisted River' mirrors his career

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

John Irving has always called himself an underdog, and he still talks like one — even at 67, even wildly famous as one of America's great storytellers, even at the release of his 12th novel, certain to be a best-seller. Maybe he feels goaded. A recent review of “Last Night in Twisted River” used such words as tricked-up, gimmicky, cartoony, cheesy and preposterous — all in the first sentence.

Stock up on local party snacks

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Are your cupboards looking less than festive? Pull a Martha Stewart. Stock the pantry for those impromptu holiday gatherings. Supermarket shelves and freezer cases are filled with prepackaged items that can create a tasty spread.

Michael Jackson an icon of style again

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:57 CST

In Michael Jackson’s “This Is It,” moviegoers do not see the elaborate costumes created for the tour that never was, bedazzled with 4 million Swarovski crystals and lighted up using LED technology. Those are on display at the O2 Arena in London, where the engagement had been scheduled to begin in July, and will go on to New York and Tokyo.

Stargazing: James Woods wants justice, Kid Rock gets a star

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

James Woods: Seeking ‘justice’ James Woods was in a Rhode Island courtroom Monday for opening statements in a lawsuit he filed against a hospital where his younger brother died three years ago.

A case of the Mondays | Jaclyn Frankenberg is quite the Angel (unless you chew loudly)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

People frequently misspell and mispronounce Jaclyn Frankenberg’s first name. “We laugh about it when people call me JacQUEline. It sounds so formal,” says Jaclyn, 22, who lives in Prairie Village. Her mom borrowed the name from Charlie’s Angel Jaclyn Smith, but most everyone calls her Jac.

An upholstered headboard adds a focal point to the bedroom

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:10 CST

Watch TV's “Mad Men” and you may notice the upholstered headboard in the bedroom of Don Draper and his wife, Betty. Soft, plush headboards were popular in the 1960s timeframe of the show, and they're making a modern comeback.

Stargazing | Lansbury honored; Dolly and Tony talk faith

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Dolly, Tony get religious They say politics makes strange bedfellows.

Dear Abby: Bathroom bonding needs to come to an end

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR ABBY: I need an unbiased opinion. I am the father of a 12-year-old daughter, “Lia.” She catches an early bus for school, and I leave for work at the same time her bus picks her up, so I'm in charge of getting her ready.

KC's Inland Sea winery hopes to taste success

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:15 CST

Michael Amigoni concedes he's something of a rogue in Missouri's wine world, where a serviceable grape known as Norton rules. But it's a status he relishes, and the wines he's making from these grapes for the Inland Sea label are beginning to create a buzz.

KC-raised David Parsons presents 'Remember Me'

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Everyone told him he was going to fail. But the burgeoning choreographer David Parsons was not deterred. Twenty-five years ago, Parsons, who was raised in Kansas City, gave up a secure job as an acclaimed dancer to strike out on his own and start a dance troupe.

'Wicked' returning to KC, popular as ever

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Producer Marc Platt gets emotional when he talks about the extraordinary worldwide popularity of “Wicked.” Maybe that’s because the musical itself has gotten under the skin of so many people.

Author re-examines Truman's controversial decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Did Harry Truman’s combat experience play a role in his decision to drop the atomic bomb? D.M. Giangreco, a Kansas City area author who for 20 years served as an editor at Military Review, thinks it could have.

Arizona wineries are growing

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Grapes aren’t supposed to grow in the desert. But here in this southern Arizona town, surrounded by endless, rolling green and amber hills, the Callaghan family is de-stemming gigantic bins of grapes that will eventually produce a nice Petit Verdot.

2010 will be year of the deal

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

If you thought the travel bargains were unbelievable this year, just wait until 2010. I’m aware that this prediction flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I mean, how many travel experts have you seen on TV warning that the deals are going, going, gone?

CD and film tell story of KC musician Barclay Martin's trips to Philippines

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

The songs on the soundtrack “Zamboanga: Poverty, War, Music” are stories about the people and places Barclay Martin visited during five trips to the Philippines over the last several years. The opener is called “Raindrops,” and it takes place in a remote place called Dumagat.

Humble design projects win architectural awards

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Call it a sign of the times, but some of the best recent design work by architects has come in service of the humblest of projects. At least according to judges of Kansas City architecture awards handed out Friday night.

‘Healing concert' tonight is designed to lower stress and ease pain

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

A concert with a PowerPoint presentation? A concert where everyone goes home with a free CD?

Dear Abby | He turned his life around, but now he's caught in a lie

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR ABBY: I am a 16-year-old guy in my sophomore year of high school. I am known as a friendly, outgoing guy who gets along with girls. My problem is, I used to be one of the biggest jerks who ever was.

Carolyn Hax | Should snappy comeback make an appearance?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR CAROLYN: I have an unusual situation, I think. My 24-year-old daughter, who has always been beautiful and vivacious, lost about 20 pounds over the past year. She's now a size 0-2.

Billy Graham: God loves us as we are

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: I wish I could be friendly and outgoing like other people are, but I've always been a very shy person, and whenever I get in a group I just clam up and don't say anything. Can God change my personality?

‘A Christmas Carol': Jim Carrey is a memorable miser | 3 stars

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:15 CST

There are a few moments in Disney’s computer-animated “A Christmas Carol” when director Robert Zemeckis seems bent on re-imagining the yarn as a theme park thrill ride. But despite these lapses into unnecessary and unwelcome audience pandering, this “Carol” delivers. And Jim Carrey gets most of the credit.

Lee's Summit's Brett Nelson landed a spot on MTV — for now

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

If you take pleasure in seeing bad things happen to good people, you might want to catch MTV’s new reality show “Styl’D” this weekend. We have a feeling Brett Nelson is gonna get the ax. Nelson, 22, who grew up in Lee’s Summit, is one of four “junior stylists” working at MMA, a styling agency in Los Angeles. If you’re a celeb who needs help figuring out what to wear to an awards show or a photo shoot or whatever, you’ll probably consult a stylist.

Today in Kansas City | Nov. 6

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

EVENTS CROWN CENTER ICE TERRACE: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Crown Center Ice Terrace, 2450 Grand. $6; $3 seniors and children under 5. www.crowncenter.com (816-274-8411)

Stargazing | George Jones: Don't call it country

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

George Jones: It’s not country music So, we take it that George Jones isn’t a big fan of the Carrie Underwoods and Taylor Swifts of the country music world?

Billy Graham: It's never too late to turn to God

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: Please pray for me. The doctor says I need open-heart surgery, and I’m scared I won’t make it. I’ve never been a religious person, but is it too late to turn to God? If I died right now I know I wouldn’t go to heaven. — D.F. DEAR D.F.: Sometimes it takes a serious crisis like this to wake us up and make us realize our need of God — and I believe this is what is happening to you.

Dear Abby: The boss wants her number

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR ABBY: My boss wants my cell phone number for “work purposes.” He has trouble with limits, and I am reluctant to give it to him. I don’t want to receive text messages, unsolicited calls or contact outside of work. My private life is just that — private. I have kept an unlisted cell number for many years for good reason. I have a home phone and will answer it when the boss calls. I arrive promptly at work, but leave the job there.

A meal at The Iron Horse is a ticket to a feast

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

The Iron Horse bills itself as “an American bistro,” and the concept fits. In France, a bistro is usually a small, informal neighborhood joint specializing in a limited menu of home-style classics.

A recycled building

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:15 CDT

The 100-year-old building had too much character to tear it down, so Scott Rutledge recycled it instead. “Now it’s ready for the next 50 years,” he says. “Maybe it will continue to go on.”

Green Home | Cleaning products fundraiser

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:15 CDT

Generations Go Green combines selling green cleaning products with raising money for schools and organizations. Owner Bill Noon of Overland Park, who has been in the cleaning business for many years, said he knows people can be harmed by harsh products. He developed nontoxic Noonshine glass cleaner a decade ago. Last year he hired a chemist, and together they developed the Go Green cleaning line to include all-purpose, glass, bathroom, upholstery and carpet cleaners.

Here's something everyone can do � plant the greenest tree

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:15 CDT

Pursuing a greener lifestyle can sometimes feel punitive. Like the Ten Commandments, the “don'ts” seem to outnumber the “do's.” No fun, right?

New Zealand is a gorgeous setting for exploring nature and culture

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

ROTORUA, New Zealand | As I tumbled down the mountainside in a giant beach ball filled with water, feeling like I was in a washing machine, it occurred to me that there had to be a better way to experience New Zealand. Actually, that didn’t occur to me until after the Zorb stopped rolling and my screams subsided into laughter.

Christopher Elliott | Dirty sheets push hotel guest to the limit

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Q. I'm trying to get compensation for a hotel stay that didn't meet my expectations. But all I've gotten so far is an empty apology. I hope you can do better.

Handmade items in big demand

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Clint and Lacey Loumaster of Lenexa met in an advanced calculus class. But the husband and wife share more in common than a prowess for complicated math. They make things with their hands.

Quilt block 11: �Oak Leaves and Flowers'

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Block 11 of The Star's Women of Influence quilt project, “Oak Leaves and Flowers,” honors Susan B. Anthony. No discussion of the women's suffrage movement would be complete without her. Born into a strict Quaker family on Feb. 15, 1820, Susan Brownell Anthony was taught to believe in herself and her convictions. Her parents sent her to school, but teachers refused to instruct her in subjects such as math because that was not taught to women at the time. Her father then arranged for private schooling for Susan and her sisters, using a female teacher.

For 10 years, Christian Youth Theater has taught acting and kind actions

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

When the young teenager first came to Christian Youth Theater he couldn’t sing a note — at least not on key. For five years he worked hard, attended classes, blended into the choruses and improved with each show. Then his big chance came: the demanding lead in “Les Miserables.”

Catholic youth gathering will draw 20,000

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Tree houses in a simulated rain forest are just one of the fun features that await thousands of Catholic youth attending a national conference next week in Kansas City. After three years of planning, the two local dioceses are ready to welcome more than 20,000 youths and chaperones to the National Catholic Youth Conference Thursday through next Saturday.

FYI Book Club | ‘The Moonflower Vine,' a Missouri masterpiece

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:15 CDT

Jetta Carleton opened her 1962 novel “The Moonflower Vine” by describing a family farm in western Missouri, below the river. It’s a land, she wrote, “cut by creeks, where high pastures rise out of wooded valleys to catch the sunlight and fall away over limestone bluffs. It is a pretty country. It does not demand your admiration, as some regions do, but seems glad for it all the same.”

Heroine in ‘Olive Kitteridge' leaves lasting impression on FYI book club

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:15 CDT

Somehow, we like cranky people who tell it like it is. Until we grow weary of them. Somehow, Elizabeth Strout, in her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Olive Kitteridge” created a cranky heroine readers haven’t grown weary of at all.

Part 1: First one trauma, and now another

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:15 CDT

Child sex crimes are the toughest to prosecute, but it is even tougher on the kids who testify. In the first of a four-part series, The Star follows the trial of The State of Missouri v. David A. Brake in order to examine the process and problems of prosecuting child sexual crime. First of four parts.

How �The System' works in Missouri and Kansas

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:15 CDT

Who reports? Anyone can make a report of suspected child abuse. Laws mandate that individuals in certain professions report suspected child abuse. “Mandated reporters” include medical personnel, social workers, therapists, teachers, police and firefighters.

Part 2: Sexual abuse casts a long shadow over jury selection process

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:15 CDT

Jury selection. Vital and never easy, this one — for a case in which a 12-year-old girl will testify that her mother's boyfriend raped her when she was 9 — turned more dramatic and emotional than any Lori Fluegel had ever seen. Second of four parts.

Part 3: At last, Jessica's time to testify

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:15 CDT

Alone on the witness stand, 12-year-old Jessica tells how her mother's boyfriend raped her when she was 9 — but her story has changed. Third of four parts.

Part 4: Incriminating evidence comes forth, and a witness is surprised on the stand

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:15 CDT

The conclusion of The Star's four-part series, which followed the State of Missouri v. David A. Brake in order to examine the process and problems of prosecuting child sexual crimes. Last of four parts.

'Hello, Ohio!' (Psst! Boss, we're in Michigan)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:25 CST

Want to get away, Boss?

Palin says she didn't know Bristol was having sex

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:41 CST

NEW YORK – Sarah Palin says she didn't know her daughter Bristol was sexually active before she learned the teenager was pregnant.

Megan Fox thinks you're stupid, Middle America

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:43 CST

Another day, another nugget of awesomeness from Megan Fox. She tells The New York Times that her movie "Jennifer's Body" tanked because "The movie is about a man-eating, cannibalistic lesbian cheerleader, and that pretty much eliminates middle America."

KC kids rockin' the boat (Video)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:32 CST

Ten local rock 'n' roll students set sail on Saturday on the trip of a lifetime: A cruise where they'll get to perform alongside heavy metal giants Skid Row, Tessla, Queensryche and Ratt.

Levi's Playgirl Shoot 'Fantastic'

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:01 CST

Forget Lady Gaga's "Disco Stick." Levi Johnston wielded a hockey stick in his much-anticipated Playgirl photo shoot Thursday, his manager confirms to Usmagazine.com.

‘Pioneer Woman' comes to KC Monday

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

About three years ago, Ree Drummond’s husband took their four young children for the day, and she had a little time to herself. “I had just weaned my fourth child,” Drummond said. “I wandered over to the computer and decided to put some pictures of the kids on for my mother to see. I didn’t know what a blog was but thought she might enjoy that, too.”

Dear Abby: Peer pressure can be defeated

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 14-year-old boy. I went to a party last weekend and some people pressured me to do some uncomfortable stuff. Can you advise me — and other teens — how to handle peer pressure?

Today in Kansas City | Nov. 14

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

EVENTS GIFT & CRAFT FAIR: Includes pancake breakfast with Santa and silent auction. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Olathe North High School, 600 E. Prairie. $5. (913-850-2127)

Tell us about your sacred escapes

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Where do you go to experience awe, peace and the sacred? Perhaps it’s a way to escape the stress and clatter of the world or a means to be in touch with the divine. It may be a special event or activity.

‘2012': With special effects it's not a total disaster | 2 stars

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:15 CST

Now we know how the world ends — with a whimper, a very loud whimper. That’s the conundrum of “2012”: We’re so bored by the human characters we end up rooting for the apocalypse.

They're fat and fooling themselves

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Have you heard of “the fat gap?” It’s a term that sprang up this fall, when a survey in Great Britain found the majority of overweight people there are oblivious to the fact that they’re heavy. The findings pin down a phenomenon that health professionals have been talking about for years: As those around us get fatter, our perception of our own size changes accordingly. Are you, too, caught in the fat gap?

Stargazing | Denzel is Broadway-bound; ‘Twilight' news

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Denzel heading to Broadway The list of movie stars finding work on Broadway just keeps growing.

What to watch | �Amazon Headshrinkers,' �Chef Academy' �

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

TODAY Thanks to “Search for the Amazon Headshrinkers” (8 p.m., National Geographic Channel), I no longer have to wonder what a recently deceased human head looks like as it is actually … being … shrunk. If you have trouble sleeping at night, don't say you weren't warned. The program kicks off Nat Geo's annual grab bag of sensational programming, “Expedition Week,” which will include shark hunts, sunken-treasure dives, Jesus archaeology and Mars exploration at 8 each night.

Unicorn Theatre takes on campaign politics in 'Farragut North'

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Beau Willimon was there the night of the Dean Scream. He synthesized many of his experiences there in his play “Farragut North,” about a fictional presidential primary campaign.

Nuevo late night: Lopez speaks Spanish, but it's Sykes who's caliente

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

“The Wanda Sykes Show” has an unhinged, Glenn Beck vibe so far, and while it’s undoubtedly compelling, I wonder what will be left once that goes away.

Kansas City Art Institute professor's Obama poster collection is now a book

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

A year ago, Kansas City Art Institute professor Hal Wert showed his collection of Barack Obama street posters at the school’s H&R Block Artspace. Now the posters have been assembled into a 188-page book, “Hope: A Collection of Obama Posters and Prints.”

Edge of Hell stays open through Nov. 28 for post-Halloween haunting

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Never made it to a haunted house this Halloween season? Now you can go past Thanksgiving.

Stargazing | Gwyneth in, Charlize out; big screen Kenny Chesney

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Gwyneth Paltrow will replace Charlize Theron in “The Danish Girl,” a film adaptation of a novel about the first post-operative transsexual.

This Weekend in KC | Nov. 13-15

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

The Rock N Fashion Show returns to Crosstown Station (1522 McGee) on Saturday featuring some of Kansas City’s hottest bands, models, hair/makeup artists and designers.

Police: Drunken Pa. man drove tractor on beer run

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:03 CST

Pennsylvania State Police say a man was drunk when he hopped on a lawn tractor and drove it to buy more beer. Police said 63-year-old Ford Earl Broome, of Export, was stopped by a state trooper at about 8 p.m. on Sept. 6. The trooper said he stopped Broome near a tavern, and that Broome smelled of alcohol and appeared to be drunk. Police said Broome denied drinking, but then acknowledged he "drank a little" before driving the tractor to a bar to buy more beer.

British gardeners told: go green, pee outdoors

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:21 CST

A British heritage charity is encouraging employees to help the environment by eschewing indoor toilets and relieving themselves outdoors. The experiment applies to male gardening staff at Wimpole Hall, a stately home about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of London.

Woman who mistook cop for Sonic car hop faces DUI

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:57 CST

A woman who mistook a police officer for a car hop at a Sonic drive-in was charged with DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia. A caller to 911 Saturday reported the woman nearly struck several vehicles before pulling into the drive-in.

Praise Lord, then pass ammo at church gun class

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:17 CST

The issue this week at a Chattanooga church isn't just sanctification, but safety - gun safety. Pastor Fred Smith at the East Chattanooga Church of God says about 40 people have been taking a safety course on firearms. "We're not a pistol-packing church, by any means," he said, "but many outdoorsmen have an interest, and we want to get them trained properly."

Write, my pretty, be funny

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Click your pen three times and practice writing the winning (and fake and funny) caption for this picture. Then type up and e-mail your best shot (include your name, city and phone number, please) to starfyi@gmail.com. Put “11/13 caption contest” in the subject line.

Award-winning illustrator Shane Evans is living his dream

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:15 CST

Driving east on 31st Street in midtown, you can't help but smile. On the concrete wall of a plain, single-story building is a large and simple cartoon drawing: A child's round face with a sideways grin, big eyes and a forehead curl, all topped by a high-arcing Afro.

For producer, KC Rep's �Christmas Story' is a dream come true

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Gerald Goehring learned long ago how to stretch a dollar. When he blew into New York City a couple of decades ago with a theater degree from Wichita State University, he quickly discovered that his calling card into the world of professional theater would not be his artistic aspirations but his carpentry skills.

You might be a germophobe if …

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

Has all the H1N1 flu talk got you buying Purell by the gallon and wishing you could live in a bubble for the next few months? Well, relax. You can't avoid all germs even if you want to, and for most of us most of the time, our bodies do a great job fending off microscopic evildoers. Still fretting? Here we rank germ-avoiding behaviors from sensible to over-the-top.

Get in the holiday mood with a festive homes tour

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

The holiday season whizzes by before you know it, so why not carve out some “me time” and take a tranquil tour of lavishly decorated mansions, historic landmarks and contemporary condos?

Stargazing: KC kids on a rock'n'roll cruise

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:15 CST

KC kids rockin’ the boat Ten local rock ’n’ roll students have set sail on the trip of a lifetime: A cruise where they’ll get to perform alongside heavy metal giants Skid Row, Tessla, Queensryche and Ratt.