Finding a Voice

My email is Jamie@kc.rr.com. It's a pretty simple address. So sometimes I receive messages intended for other people. They are special SPAM from people very close to me on the keyboard.

Today's message, titled "Updates," was from a person only one letter off. Attached were versions of five poems in progress. This one is called "When."


"When" read by Jamie Burkart

Send me a poem and I'll read it.

English Country Gentleman

Jamie and I started watching the tv show about a year All Creatures Great and Small about the veterinarian James Herriot. James Herriot is a veterinarian in the English countryside in the 1940's (the show was made in the '80's). Basically Herriot and another vet stomp around in their galoshes in the middle of the night to get to cows and then put their hands into animal bellies. They use real animals in the show, and although it its probably meant to be "family friendly" it gets pretty gross. After watching several seasons, I decided to create a sort of James Harriett Wardrobe. Rachel Scott describes it as "English Country Gentleman". I just recently finished one of many essential pieces, a great grey wool vest to add to this very dapper look!

Parking and Kansas City

(Photo From Commuter City: Introduction By Ersela Kripa and Stephen Mueller of AGENCY)

AGENCY, a design, architecture, and research practice based in New York, has written a series of interesting articles about car culture and its architectural effects on Kansas City, MO. And best of all, nice graphics and photos!

Commuter City: Introduction
And

Transient Space

Also, this group had a show at Charlotte Street Foundation's La Esquina space in the past month or so, they appear to be everywhere.

Great New Source of Laughs Thanks to Kansas City Subdivision

Recently, there has been a mildly interesting news story about a new subdivision in Kansas City. The proposed subdivision is on a portion of land near the KCI airport (for non-Kansas City area residents, this is far from Kansas City proper. Its about 20 miles from the downtown and 35 miles from our apartment.)

The project is called the Lake at Tomahawke Ridge Subdivision in Platte County, MO and has come up against a lot of resistance. Platte County Commissioners voted down the project earlier this year, so the developer asked the city of Kansas City, MO to annex the property into Kansas City, MO. Currently the subdivision is not inside the boundaries of Kansas City, MO, and annexing the property into the city limits would allow the development plan to proceed.

Kansas City planning staff recommended against it and the Kansas City Plan Commission denied the developer's request for annexation because it would tax city resources. The subdivision is very far and it would be difficult to provide fire, police, and garbage services. A few weeks ago, an ordinance requesting the annexation was introduced in the Kansas City, MO Planning and Zoning Committee and will likely be voted on by the full Kansas City City Council in the next month or so.

As a result, a surprisingly funny website has been produced! I feel that it's not often that a humorous website opposing a subdivision is produced . The site has a great and direct name, and it has the bland graphics of a real estate website! Whats not to like? Good work lakeattomahawkeridgesucks.com and thanks for delivering the subtle/not so subtle humor that this mostly boring issue deserves!

Glass Urinals Full of Chocolate

I've been helping our friend Jori with a website for his family's wholesale hand tool store on 8th Street in downtown Kansas City. Harry J. Epstein Company was started in 1930 with Jori's great-grandfather Harry, so Jori is the fourth generation.

Jori's Virtual Tour of Epstein's

I sit just inside that front window at Harry's old desk working on shipping modules next to the fax machine. Representatives from tool manufactures stop in with chromatic voices and a "hello young man." The store is an 80 year experiment in good ethics that lead to good deals on good tools heavy in the hand.

Shopping Cart Animation

For the holidays Jori's dad Steve gave many customers glass army surplus urinals (unused) full of Hershey's Kisses.

Past Jobs: A Jamie that Works (2/11/09)

Yearlong Projects Completed

I started working on several crafting projects during the summer of 2008, and have only recently finished them. I never anticipate a project taking this long, nor do I anticipate having the patience to spend a year doing a mindless crafting task! This is a huge crochet blanket (If interested, I used a pattern from the book Vintage Crochet)


I also just finished a much too large quilt! (Some hand quilting and some machine quilting)

New Winter Line on Etsy!

I've got a new winter line up on Etsy. Its not too late, winter's not over yet!

Thanks to Laura Frank and Maria for modeling and Rach Scott for her hilarious captions, as usual!

Computing Query!

Computing Query! I have recently been looking for a site on the internet to serve as a sort of external hard drive.
I like how flickr works in that I pay a small fee ($15 a year or something like that) and I can upload an unlimited number of photos. I use it a lot to backup my photos and when I'm looking for something specific, its easy to find.
I can't seem to find something like this for all files, not just photos. I've found a few sites that will upload for a fee but they always want $15 or more a month, and for that I could just buy another external hard drive. Anyone have any ideas?

Greatings in the New Year!

Julia's back from California and Jamie's less sleepy, so here at KCMasterpeas we'd like to welcome you into The New Decade!


And as we look forward, join us in looking back from last new year with Jamie's Patented All-In-One 2009 Annual Mix. Think back wistfully with songs that hark to a simpler decade with 2009 Recession Era hits like the Original Dr. Who Theme Song, Life is So Peculiar and L3t teh B34t C0ns013 Yov (Pewep Merix)!



Jamie's 2009 Mix

Enjoy 2009 like never before with some of our favorites from times gone by!

Here's to you 2009!