Kansas City Star: FYI / Living

SHARE YOUR SUMMER FUN PICS

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:43 CDT

Send us your photos of your summer good times (pool party pics, etc.) and we'll post them right here, and keep adding new ones all summer. Send your photos to summerpics@kcstar.com

28-Second Film Fest finalists

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:18 CST

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

Jackson mania just won't fade

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Although he died nearly two weeks ago, I wonder if Michael Jackson will ever get to rest in peace. From his face to his kids to his will, the Jackson family circus is in the news every day.

Star Magazine | Queen of Soul: Rita Anderson runs the Sunday-only buffet at Nefertiti's

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:51 CDT

The Missouri and Kaw rivers roll by Kansas City mostly unnoticed

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:05 CDT

FYI Book Club | ‘The Zookeeper's Wife'

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:04 CDT

Fresher than Fresh Gourmet Snow Cones

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:25 CDT

Photos | Hot Fun in the Summertime

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:16 CDT

Missouri and Kaw roll by mostly unnoticed, but river-lovers have a vision to change that

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

In Kansas City, we celebrate small water. We beam when suburban creeks get prettied up. We go all combatant if our fountains are threatened. Our big water — our genesis — we mostly ignore.

Nelson's Shuttlecocks at 15 years old: Many things to many people

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:15 CDT

In their short lives, the four Shuttlecocks on the Nelson lawn have sat pretty for brides, looked the other way as teens groped and stood strong as children climbed. To some people, the Shuttlecocks are an eyesore. To some sports fans, they’re a curse. But the Shuttlecocks, which debuted 15 years ago this month, are an undeniable part of Kansas City’s landscape.

Independent FM station KKFI struggles to stay alive

Sat, 23 May 2009 22:15 CDT

Warren Maus has a number in mind. “Seventy thousand,” he says. It is early May, the end of another pledge drive at KKFI, the 100,000-watt, rabidly independent FM station that bills itself as “Kansas City Community Radio.”

Winners of our Tour de Franks contest

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

You may not be going anywhere cool this summer — bad economy and everything — but the same can’t be said of your hot dogs. Do you even know the whereabouts of your wiener? Last time you looked, it was hanging out somewhere in the back of the fridge, cold and shriveled.

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.

Local chefs use Twitter to give customers their fill of information

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook are changing the way chefs communicate with their customers. Menus, ads and coupons are not going away, they’re just augmented by the instant interactive communications of Twitter’s 140-character “tweets.”

Taste of artichoke-crab dip tops summer appetizer

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Beverly writes: We’re always in search of easy appetizers during the impromptu summer entertaining season. When Alicia tasted an unusual “appetizer” pizza at one of her favorite Italian restaurants, she figured it would be easy to do at home. This pizza essentially is topped with a jazzed-up version of an old Junior League cookbook standby — artichoke dip. (It’s not the healthiest concoction, and that’s probably why everyone seems to love it.)

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?

Spy Museum turns tourists into secret agents

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

An Ohio family of five went undercover in the nation’s capital to help foil a cyber “terrorist attack.” Their attire wasn’t suspicious: shorts, T-shirts and jackets tied around their waists.

Keeping the skies friendly with kids on board

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Kids on a plane. No four words incite more acrimonious debate among air travelers.

Staging and styling: Cues from retailer catalogs

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Most everyone welcomes a psychological boost these days, and there’s no better place to look than in your home.

Home decor celebrates the '60s

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

When Home Depot master trade specialist Chris Brown received carte blanche to decorate the Liberty store’s lighting showroom, he made sure to include several ’60s-inspired chandeliers.

Billy Graham | Teacher can be God's witness through actions

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: I’m a high school teacher, and it has been a very discouraging year for me. I can’t even count the number of my students who’ve gotten pregnant, or are on drugs, or get drunk every weekend, etc. I can’t talk about Christ in the classroom, and yet I know he’s the only answer. What should I do? Sometimes I wonder if I should just quit. — M.W. DEAR M.W.: I sincerely hope you won’t leave your position, not unless God clearly leads you to step away from it. After all, the situation in your school may be bad, but how much worse would it be if you (and others like you) weren’t there? Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13,14).

Robert Schuller's daughter hopes to salvage the Crystal Cathedral

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Starting at age 4, Sheila Schuller Coleman has held just about every job at her father’s Crystal Cathedral, from copying Sunday programs at the kitchen table to launching a private high school on the church grounds. Now, five decades after the Rev. Robert H. Schuller first planted the church, his daughter is facing her most challenging job there yet: taking over her father’s megachurch and its famous “Hour of Power” television ministry at a time of both financial and family crisis.

FYI Book Club | ‘The Zookeeper's Wife'

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

As a poet and naturalist, a close observer of nature and human nature, Diane Ackerman couldn’t have found a more intriguing story to explore: The bombed-out Warsaw zoo becomes a refuge for Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland. In one setting, the animal and human world come together, the best and worst of human nature exist side by side.

Book club discussion offers new insights into ‘Old School'

Mon, 11 May 2009 22:15 CDT

Best-known for two memoirs, Tobias Wolff has had to answer a lot of questions about whether his first novel, “Old School,” about a young outsider at a prestigious prep school in the 1960s, is autobiographical, too.

'Who Sang That?' contest: Can you name the artists in our musical greeting?

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

If you know your music — and we mean really know your music — you can win $30 by reading this story.

Stargazing | Telling all about the Palins; Nicole Richie's fashion sense

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Bristol’s baby-daddy to tell all We wondered what Levi Johnston was up to these days.

'Away We Go' teaches single guy John Krasinski how to be a good dad

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

He isn’t married. Not yet, though dating the gorgeous Emily Blunt could give a fellow ideas. And John Krasinski isn’t a parent. So “The Office” star was in a bit over his head in the new Sam Mendes road comedy, “Away We Go.”

After a Minnesota test run, Tony Kushner looks to Broadway

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

With a sometimes bumpy test debut for his new family drama out of the way, playwright Tony Kushner is setting his sights on getting the play to Broadway by the end of the year.

With 'The Conduit,' the Wii gets a rare shooter

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

The alien invasion has begun, and Washington is its epicenter.

Dear Abby | Cleaning the shower puts wife in hot water

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

DEAR ABBY: After returning from a five-day vacation, my wife and I discovered our air-conditioning system was on the fritz, but we were so tired we went to bed anyway. I woke up the following morning, grabbed a quick shower and, feeling amorous, gently awakened my wife. I suggested she might want to also shower so we could “get close” before the house got too warm. She agreed.

Today's celebrity birthdays | July 8

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

•Singer Jerry Vale is 77. •Singer Steve Lawrence is 74.

TV highlights | Wednesday, July 8

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

“Mulan,” 7 p.m., Disney. This 1998 animated adventure is based on a Chinese folk tale about a girl who disguises herself as a soldier. Mulan and friends fight the invading Huns. She becomes a national hero. “Tattoo Highway,” 9 p.m., A&E. Thomas (above) and his team are not having fun. As Beej deals with relationship issues, Nacho eats something that doesn’t agree with him — a stencil sheet — and gets sick.

TV talk shows | Wednesday, July 8

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

The Early Show (7 a.m. on 5): New soda flavors. Good Morning America (7 a.m. on 9): Heidi Klum.

Today in Kansas City | July 8

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

NIGHTLIFE 12TH STREET LOUNGE-DOWNTOWN MARRIOTT: Marilyn Marlin, 4:30-8:30 p.m.; 200 W. 12th. (816-421-6800)

Books for cooks | You're not really on your own

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

To some, the idea of cooking for one sounds hopelessly dreary. After all, aren’t the pleasures of the table best shared?

How to find the right style of sunglasses for your face

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

This summer is shaping up to be hot and bright, so it’s time to take shade with the right pair of sunglasses. With hundreds of styles to choose from, it can be tricky to find a frame that complements your face, budget and personality. If you’re seeing double, just remember these words of advice from Halls’ vice president of fashion merchandising, Patty Ponchur: “Big, round or Ray-Ban — it’s really that simple.”

KC, tell us your favorite place to stand

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Technically, we don’t vacation in our hometown, but in the year of the staycation, we asked for “vacation” photos of you and your loved ones at your favorite spots around town. You delivered — nominees well-known and obscure, and photos galore. Now it’s time to decide: What’s the greatest place to stand in Kansas City?

Snow Patrol tickets go on sale Saturday

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Don’t speak We took a trip back to the ’90s at the No Doubt concert Monday night at Starlight. Read the review on our music blog, Back to Rockville, on KansasCity.com.

‘Sound of Music' at New Theatre: The musical might seem dated, but its stars are fresh and talented

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

At this late date it’s tough to watch “The Sound of Music” with an objective eye, but it’s wise for us to remember that there was a time when it seemed new and delightful to Broadway audiences. That was before Robert Wise’s static movie version, before “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” became a telethon standard and before the story of Maria von Trapp merged in the public’s mind with Jeanine Deckers (“The Singing Nun”) and Sally Field as “The Flying Nun” to form a bizarre hybrid of pop-culture imagery.

Economic downtown offers parents a chance to instill financial values

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

It’s dinnertime at the Harris house and turkey tacos are on the menu. Avery, 6, standing in a chair, is browning the meat on the stove with the help of his mom, Andee. Eden, 3, growing impatient, has started munching on her tortilla, abandoning her post at the other end of the counter where dad Jonathan is cutting up the watermelon side dish. The family used to eat out a lot. But that was before Andee’s salary as a partner in a Chicago technology consulting firm got cut 30 percent last year. They decided to cook more at home and turn the kids into kitchen helpers to make the meals more fun.

Today in Kansas City | July 7

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

EVENTS UNITED IMAGINATIONS: Presented by Jay and Leslie’s Laughing Matters. Includes juggling, miming, magic tricks and more. 7 p.m.; North Kansas City Public Library, 2251 Howell, North Kansas City. www.northkc library.org (816-221-3360)

Tips for packing light

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Lugging a heavy bag to your vacation spot, only to pop it open and find it filled with all the wrong things, is exhausting. If you pack lightweight, versatile clothing instead, you can save money on luggage fees at the airport and even hoist your own bag into the overhead compartment. If you’re driving, you’ll find yourself with room in the trunk for souvenirs.

Avett Brothers trio lands a major record label and the Dave Matthews tour

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

For years, the Avett Brothers operated as a sort of rootsy, indie antiquity in motion. A banjo, stand-up bass and guitar outfit from the bluegrass-rich regions of North Carolina, the band’s music was one part rustic, literate, acoustic charm and two parts seething rock ’n’ roll. And with every album cut for the independent label Ramseur Records, the band’s fan base grew.

Today's birthdays | July 7

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

•Blues pianist Pinetop Perkins is 96. •Bandleader Doc Severinsen is 82.

Horoscopes | July 7, 2009

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

This year, the unexpected marks travel, learning and your abilities to empathize, understand and relate. If you are single, you could meet someone quite different and exciting, perhaps from a distance. If you are attached, walk away from control or power games, yet still communicate. CAPRICORN often presents the opposite or very different type of solution to the same issue.

Are you back to your pre-pregnancy weight?

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Log on to win a visit to Narnia This month’s mom2mom giveaway is a family four-pack of tickets to see “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition” at Union Station.

Weird News: July 7

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

2009

Manners maven Miss Conduct will politely answer your questions

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Miss Manners isn’t so high-falutin’ that she refuses to answer questions about public flatulence. Her response in an interview with The Star a few years ago: Pretend nothing happened, even if there was auditory evidence to the contrary.

TV HIGHLIGHTS: July 7

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

“Great American Road Trip,” 7 p.m., NBC. Comic Reno Collier hosts this eight-episode reality series in which seven diverse families take a memorable journey together along Route 66, competing to win a dream prize. “Warehouse 13,” 8 p.m., 10:04 p.m., SCIFI. A hybrid of “The X-Files”and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” this new series follows Secret Service agents reassigned to a warehouse that houses fantastic and supernatural objects.

DEAR ABBY Whose hand is it, anyway?

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

DEAR ABBY: You got it all wrong with “Dismayed in Roswell, Ga.,” who complained that his daughter’s fiance didn’t ask his blessing before proposing. I’m the mother of two high-school-age daughters, and it would signal a rupture in our relationship if my husband and I were not included in the process. You made it sound like this self-supporting daughter has no obligation to help her father and fiance begin their own relationship as in-laws. This is a perfect time for this “grown” young woman to establish a mutually respectful adult/parent connection. Advising Dad that the “gesture was unwelcome” is advising him to swallow all efforts to communicate and connect with his daughter and her fiance, when he clearly wants to be included.

Miss Manners: Who needs to know, and when?

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a serious, but probably not dangerous medical condition (a benign inoperable brain tumor, if you must know). I am receiving radiation therapy for it. This situation is very unpleasant for me, and I would rather not discuss this except when I feel the need and am comfortable doing so. I have shared this with my immediate family because I want to, and I feel they do need to know. However, my wife thinks other family members also need to know this. And when I have chosen to reveal this at family gatherings, I have been chastised for not informing people sooner.

Billy Graham: Don't be a halfhearted Christian

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: What’s the difference between a good Christian and a bad Christian? Or is there such a thing as a bad Christian? In other words, if you’re a “bad” Christian, does that mean you aren’t really a Christian after all? — D. McN. DEAR D. McN.: Although the Bible doesn’t speak of “good” Christians and “bad” Christians, it does acknowledge that sometimes believers can be disobedient and fall out of fellowship with God. (However, when someone repeatedly disobeys Christ, the Bible warns that they may not be a believer after 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.

Be a doll and enter our contest

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Barbie, usually a paragon of fashion, seems to have lost her way. Is it heat stroke, do you think? Would a Bomb Pop help? Anyway: Today, as always, we’re after your funny, fake captions. If we love your caption as much as Barbie allegedly loves Ken, we’ll award you a $25 gift card.

Billy Graham | Money-minded pastor needs feedback

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: We moved last year and are attending a new church, but I’m afraid the pastor has turned us off because he talks about money so much. I know they have a lot of debt on their building and need money, but shouldn’t he stop focusing on this so much? Or should we just change churches? — B.E. DEAR B.E.: I don’t know your church’s full situation, of course, but have you shared your concern with your pastor or with some of the leaders in the church? I encourage you to do so, not with a negative attitude, but out of a desire to help.

You don't get much closer to the source of your food than dinner at Green Dirt Farm

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Missouri River bluff country in Platte County presents arguably the area’s best place to shake off the urban grind. By way of a flier posted at a farmers market, we discovered a way to enhance that idyllic experience: Having dinner in a barn.

StarGazing | New York girls drive RobPat crazy; Christian Slater returns to TV; 'Office' star engaged; Joyce DeWitt busted

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

New York girls drive RobPat crazy Ah, come on you crazy New York fans. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us.

No Doubt serves up a high-energy show of its top hits

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

On its first tour in seven years, No Doubt might be packing large venues like Starlight Theatre on Monday night, but it’s playing them like a hungry band working the crowd for a place to crash afterward. The few times the band paused during its 95-minute set, singer Gwen Stefani read the crowd’s homemade signs and called fans toting gifts up to the stage.

Three fine shows � 'Entourage,' 'Eureka' and 'Leverage' � start new seasons this summer

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Three of the very best shows to be developed for summer in recent years return to television this week. (And no, “Mad Men” isn’t among them.)

Summerfest 2009 opens with an explosion of 'Wildflowers'

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Summerfest 2009 will open this weekend like a delicate morning glory with a concert titled “Wildflowers.” It’s the beginning of four weekends of Summerfest concerts. The theme is the glorious foliage of summer.

This weekend in KC | July 10-12

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

How long can you party? Party in the Park (Swope Park, specifically) has free events all day Saturday for people of all ages. Blues & Breakfast at Starlight Theatre from 8 to 11 a.m. features performances by the Starlight Stars, Bukeka Shoals and the Wild Women of Kansas City. There’s a swim pool party at the Swope Pool with music, games and healthy snacks 1-4 p.m. and a concert 5-7 p.m. in the Pavilion featuring local R&B and hip-hop performers Brian Keith, Irv the Phenom, Fidelity and Jae Casino. Other highlights include hiking with a naturalist, a master gardeners demonstration and 1- and 2-mile health walks. For a full list of events, go to www.kcmo.org/parks.nsf/web/swopeparkday. friday

'Bruno' star Sacha Baron Cohen is an equal opportunity offender

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Among the narrowly focused special-interest groups poised to get lathered up over “Bruno” — comic-critic Sacha Baron Cohen’s new exercise in carefully calibrated bad taste — are Jews. Blacks. Hunters. Wrestling fans. The military. Austrians. Hamas. Ron Paul. People who watch daytime talk shows. People born south of New Jersey. Oh, yes, and gays.

Video game review | Heed the 'Call of Juarez'

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

The old West may have been a slower, dustier time, but it was chock full of danger, and the era is well portrayed in “Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood,” an engaging new first-person shooter. “Call of Juarez” ($60 for Xbox360, Sony PS3; $50 for PC) spins the tale of three brothers, Ray, Thomas and William McCall, near the end of the Civil War in 1865. Ray and Thomas are soldiers, while kid brother William is a man of the cloth.

Video games | First look: 'MySims Racing,' 'Cellfactor'

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

‘MYSIMS RACING’ Publisher: Electronic Arts

An event-filled Art Walk in KCK

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

The Second Friday Art Walk in downtown Kansas City, Kan., is heating up with exciting exhibits to explore during an evening out. An exhibit at the YWCA of Greater Kansas City will highlight Chinese history.

Martin City Jr. presents 'Bounce'

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Martin City Jr., the children’s theater wing of the Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company, is performing “Bounce” through July 31. Martin City founder Jeanne Beechwood wrote and directed this piece, which includes original songs by Jon Copeland.

TV highlights | Thursday, July 9

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

“Big Brother 11,” 7 p.m., CBS. Julie Chen returns for a new season as a group of strangers apparently raised by wolves shares a high-tech house that affords them almost no privacy. “Jarhead,” 7 p.m., FX. Director Sam Mendes recounts the experiences of a soldier who detailed his duty in the first Gulf War in a book. With Jamie Foxx (left) and Jake Gyllenhaal.

TV talk shows | Thursday, July 9

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

The Early Show (7 a.m. on 5): The “Big Brother” house. Good Morning America (7 a.m. on 9): Melissa Rycroft; summer shopping finds; Ben Lyons.

Today's celebrity birthdays | July 9

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

•Actor Brian Dennehy is 71. •Actor Richard Roundtree is 67.

Kansas City, tell us your favorite place to stand

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Dear Abby | Romance goes wrong direction

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, “Kent,” and I have been together almost three years. It started out as a long-distance relationship, but my children and I have recently moved to his town. When we were long-distance, we’d talk several times a day and say how much we loved each other. Now we don’t talk that often except when we fight over stupid things. The “I love you’s” are almost nonexistent. I say it to Kent all the time. During a couple of our fights he actually told me he doesn’t love me, and his actions sometimes show me he means it. When I try to discuss it, he says he was just mad and that he really does love me.

‘Bruno' review: Laugh. Wince. Repeat. | 2 ½ stars

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:15 CDT

“Bruno” contains moments of explosive, outrageous, I-can’t-believe-what-I’m-seeing hilarity. At the same time, the second feature (after “Borat”) from satiric agent provocateur Sacha Baron Cohen points out the limits of his guerrilla comedy style.

Stargazing | Joyce DiDonato, Real World in D.C., Michael Jackson

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

On Saturday night during a performance of Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia,” American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato slipped and fell and, unbeknownst to her, fractured her right fibula on a London stage.

‘Food, Inc.': A horror movie with a message | 3 ½ stars

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:15 CDT

I’m happy to have any appetite at all since watching “Food, Inc.” Director Robert Kenner’s documentary is powerful. Maybe even life-changing.

Numbers tell the stories of celebrities' impact

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

When you consider the effect Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Steve McNair, Billy Mays and other prominent people had on our lives before they died, it all adds up.

Today's birthdays | July 10

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

•Composer Jerry Herman is 78. •Singer Mavis Staples is 70.

Go ahead, jump into our caption contest

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Everyone in the water! Even you caption-writers! Got a funny, fake caption for this picture? Of course you do. And you wouldn’t mind winning a $25 gift card, would you? Of course not.

Camps offer endless opportunities for fun

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 23:15 CDT

The Kansas City Star Act Out! Olathe features camps, workshops and classes in acting, musical theater, dance, voice and movement for the stage for ages 5-16. Workshops are $39 a month, weekly summer camps are $99. 913-780-6171 or 913-221-BEST (221-2378)

Dear Abby | Radical new look brings a denial

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

DEAR ABBY: A co-worker, “Marilyn,” recently returned from time off with a noticeably different face. She said nothing about it, so we didn’t either for a while. Finally, one woman remarked to her that she appeared to have had “some work done.” Abby, Marilyn denied it! What’s considered proper here? Should we have said something initially about her radically changed appearance? We were afraid if we ignored it she’d be disappointed. Having spent that much money and gone through that much pain, wouldn’t she have been crushed if we hadn’t? — Inquiring Minds in Pasadena