Topeka, Kansas? One of the "10 Best Cities for the Next Decade"?

Yep. You read correctly.

Yahoo is showing Kiplinger's rankings of the "10 Best Cities for the Next Decade" and put Topeka-freaking, Kansas at number 10.

That is stunning.

I can understand Austin, Texas at number one, sure. I love Austin. The music, the food, the energy (the fact that it's a pretty good bastion of the "left" in an otherwise wacko, right-wing state), everything.

But Topeka, Kansas?

I used to work there for about a year and a half so I'm certainly familiar with it.

I once phoned over to Kansas City and told a young lady I was officed out of there and she asked me the following:

"Do you know what we call that place?"

No, I said.

"Toe-puke-ah".

Lucky for her I wasn't vested in defending the place. I don't repeat the joke, I'll tell you that.

So here's what Kiplinger's has to say about them:

10. Topeka, Kan.

In its reserved, midwestern way, Topeka has engineered a prosperity that most cities of similar size would envy. As the capital city of Kansas, nearly 25% of Topeka's workforce is employed by the government, providing a stable job market where unemployment has stayed around 7%. The city boasts quality schools, friendly people, good hospitals, a university and -- one of its biggest selling points -- low housing costs.

Des Moines, Iowa is on there, too, so you know, at number 7.

But guess what mid-sized, midwestern city that has both a Major League Baseball and National Football League team with the name "Kansas City" in it ISN'T on the list?