Remember that upcoming book by Landmark columnist Chris Kamler that we talked about several weeks back? Sure you do.
“It is fully written. I have it out getting proofed and I’m working on a cover,” Kamler told me this week. So when can the numerous and loyal Landmark readers be expecting to have access to it?
“I hope to have it out the same week of my 500th column, which is currently scheduled for the first week of August,” Kamler says.
You’ll recall the book is to feature “the best” 50 (ten percent) or so columns from Kamler since he started penning The Rambling Moron for us a decade ago. Plot twist: there will now be more than one book.
“This book will be My Best 10 Percent–Volume 1. Turns out I couldn’t find just 50 columns that are my favorite. So these are my favorite 50 from 2011 to 2016,” Kamler says. Volume 2 is due out, well, to be determined.
So with two books of 50 columns coming, despite the book’s title there will actually be more than 10 percent of his work included.
“Yeah, the math doesn’t quite work out, but I’m not here to do math, which makes it all the better,” Kamler said.
My small contribution of a foreword to Kamler’s book is written and sent to my book-writing friend. He says he liked it. Hopefully he’s not giving me false hope. Guess we’ll see how he really feels when the book comes out. If it’s actually in there, I’ll assume he liked it. But if it ends up on the cutting room floor, well, I guess he didn’t. I’ve already cashed the check so it really doesn’t matter.
Whenever the book does come out, expect a Landmark Live episode to feature Kamler’s project and tell you all about it, including how you can get a copy. In general, here’s some info: the book will be in paperback, e-reader, and also audio book format. The audio version will be read by Kamler himself, probably while he’s in his scivvies eating Doritos and pounding Bud Lights.
Try your best to get that image out of your mind. Bet you can’t.
Tickets to those World Cup soccer games coming to KC in 2026 will be free of sales taxes. That sounded like a great, though curious, gesture from the state until we get further into the details. Heck, Gov. Mike Parson even sent out a press release that started out sounding like the no sales tax plan was his own personal idea, until you get deeper into the weeds to see that the “free of sales tax” on tickets was a condition the World Cup folks demanded from any city that wanted to host the games.
Personally I think anybody buying World Cup tickets would have done it even without the sales tax exemption, but what do I know? Soccer fans are rabid. If they wanna to go to the World Cup, they’re gonna go to the World Cup. They wouldn’t let a little thing like sales tax get in the way.
The World Cup is what I called the protective device I wore in my pants at the media soccer game a few years back.
I don’t know for sure, you guys, but hear me out: It’s still early but I’m starting to think there’s a possibility Donald Trump might not always have the best intentions, might have some arcing going on upstairs and might not always be telling the truth. I’m also starting to think his self-description of being a “stable genius” might be fake news. At least the “stable” part.
Could just be me, tho.
We’ll see you at Platte City’s July 4th Celebration in downtown Platte City on Monday from 10-2. I’m scheduled to be in the dunk tank from 11:30 to 12, so if I were you I wouldn’t head over to the dunk tank until after 12. Because it’s cool to be fashionably late.
If you see me on the street please say hi or stick your head in our office door at 252 Main to do the same.
Last year, city planners said they were hoping for a crowd of 800 people. Turnout far surpassed that number, with an estimated 2,000 to 2,200 coming and going during the course of the four-hour event. Last year’s event had a couple of advantages in drawing a crowd that this year’s festival may not have, in that last year’s event was on a Sunday and was the city’s first public event after a long COVID stall on large-sized public gatherings. A Monday date and the fact public gatherings are back to being somewhat normal occurrences might mean a smaller crowd this year. I could be wrong, I’m just prepping everyone in advance so nobody goes all Debbie-downer if the crowd is not as large this year.
Here’s the best part: free food. My biggest decision of the day will be picking a food truck.
Landmark Live is back on the air and ready to roll with new Parkville Mayor Dean Katerndahl joining us for some good conversation Thursday night, 6 p.m. Find the show on the Facebook page Platte County Landmark. Of this much I’m certain: You’ll see a much more relaxed, less emotional and more confident Parkville mayor than we’ve seen in several years.
One of our topics will include the future of the iconic Parkville Farmers Market structure in downtown Parkville, which was recently smashed not once but twice in separate crashes by truck drivers. I’ll also ask him if City Hall has heard complaints about the sloooow delivery service from the Parkville Post Office serving his residents and business community, and if so does the city have any plans to try to apply pressure in the right places in hopes of spurring improvements? Kind of like Platte City and Platte County elected leaders are doing with Evergy over electrical service in Platte City?
Also, we’ll drag the mayor into some of the shenanigans Brad Carl and I have planned, such as a game of Dead or Alive. I’m expecting the mayor to have some fun and enjoy himself. By the time the show is over he might be dancing the stanky leg.
(Get dance move ideas from Foley via email to ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)