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Is the sky still falling?
Yes, but not as badly where the economy is concerned. That according to Kansas City Federal Reserve main man Thomas Hoenig. Hoenig delivered the good news/bad news goods at downtown womens organization the Central Exchange Wednesday.
The economy will continue grow at a faster pace but unemployment will remain at 9 percent or higher this year, Hoenig says. It stands at 9.8 percent now.
Not exactly good news with the possibility of $3.50 or higher gas on the horizon this summer.
Secret Santa Update
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As expected, the comments section and Facebook criticism of my Secret Santa story was brutal. Understandably. Perhaps I should have prefaced it here as I did in the abreviated version that ran this week in the Platte County Landmark. Too late to backtrack now, but for the record, here’s how the story was presented in the hinterland:
"Before I begin, allow me to say that I know this is going to piss a lot of people off. People who still believe in Santa or didn’t catch on to the ruse until sophomore year in college. And people who believe everything they read. To you folks, I apologize in advance – read it and weep. For the rest of you take it as an entry level lesson in don’t believe everything you read or see on TV."
The Old In & Out
Speaking of Facebook, it’s easy comes, easy go sometimes when it comes to what passes for friends. Just the other day I had a new Facebook friend in the form of new Overland Park City Manager Bill Ebel’s wife Theresa Knipper Ebel. Today, I am the loneliest man on earth after she de-friended me.
What did I do to warrant the uh, disengagement?
I dunno, but Knipper Ebel looks like the polar opposite of Overland Park’s buttoned down main man. She looks interesting. Her Facebook profile pic, for example, shows her from behind dressed like a hippie and striking some sort of yoga-like prayer-looking pose. In another photo, Knipper Ebel, dressed in a fuzzy, leopard coat and faux fur hat, strikes a papparrazzi ambush pose.
One question: Is it become a crime these days for first ladies to look and act a bit out there?
Apparently.
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See That New Starbucks Logo?
It’s fairly subtle, retaining the green and white look and the so-called Starbucks siren. while dropping the words "Starbucks" and "Coffee."
More interesting than the canned news stories noting that the new logo was presented to a "cheering crowd" of Starbucks employees (what else did anyone expect, they were on the clock?) was the look back on the company’s original logo art.
The one in brown – not green – where the nymph or mermaid or whatever is big breasted and topless. With a double mermain/fish bottom, no less
Who knew?
ANYBODY SURPRISED I WON A (RARE) $5 SPORTS BET?
With a certain local concert/theater chieftan who shall remain nameless. Unless of course you can guess. I took KU and gave 20 points on this week’s UMKC versus KU mens basketball game.
After the deal was struck he joked that he could have got 30 out of me (I had KU in case you haven’t got it figured yet). He was correct, but turns out it didn’t matter. KU blew past the Roos by by a cool 47 points.
Next year…
There they go Again
How many millenniums back was it that Ace tickets scored a PR homerun with its I-35 billboard that read, "Trade Joe Montana."
You remember, the dude who caused an underwear stampede at a local mall when he did a local appearance for Hanes. And the guy who last won a playoffs game for the Chiefs in 1993.
In today’s Star ad Ace seems to be sending a mixed message.
The ad’s big headline reads: "How the Chiefs WIN the SUPER BOWL" Followed by a lesser hedge headline that reads "Miracles can happen, even in KC!"
Now cut to the part where Ace puts its money where its mouth is with the biggest headline of them all:
"PLAYOFF TICKETS! Buy 1 – Get 1 FREE!"
Nuff said?
I can’t put into words what trash you spew
You have hit rock bottom. Dont believe what you see or read. I obviously don’t because I don’t believe
the trash you write.
Right…secret santa….hundreds of thousands of dollars given away to people he never knew.
Hearne what have you done lately with the money you never earned? Have you done anything beside
buy booze or hookers? What have you done for anyone lately?
Oh…I know…you’re above that and what better way to rip someone than to cut them after they’ve died.
But secret santas legacy and work continues.
What a disgusting piece of shit you are……come on hearne…who’s next to get your axe…MOTHER TERESA?
Why, oh why, do we have to go after booze and hookers
every chance we get?
Jeeze…
I am so sick of “Booze and Hookers” getting such a bad rap. Its about time for some BIG UPS for those much maligned and underappreciated “Booze and Hooker”s.
LETS ALL HEAR IT FOR BOOZE AND HOOKERS!!!!
Hey Herne, ask Joe Miller what his take is on the Port Authority mess. pleeeeze.
oops—Jim?
oops 🙁
santa
what was the big deal about hearne exposing the secret santa and the Star’s manufacturing the news? I liked it. great read.
there were two problems there that needed to be exposed: 1. the star tells the news in a way that most benefits the star, a for-profit business. 2. anyone who seeks praise and adulation for charity work isn’t doing it for the true charity.
do I know hearne’s story is true? no, but I don’t think anything I read is 100% true. I’m a modern consumer. I’m not a lemming.
keep it up Hearne.
I don’t understand this whole Secret Santa brouhaha. Hearne wanted to blow his cover, but Brisbane or Zieman or somebody said no. The paper had already made what was in essence a marketing decision not to name him, so it’s not surprising that the bigwigs would tell Hearne to back off. This is a hardly a case of suppressing hard-hitting journalism. Do you think that Donna McGuire and her editors didn’t know who this guy was?
Whether the initial decision to maintain Santa’s secrecy was a good journalistic decision certainly was an issue, but that was true before Hearne ever began sniffing around. I think anybody who saw the stories in the Star or on TV was aware that the reporters knew the guy’s identity and were choosing not to reveal it because otherwise the story had no hook. Human-interest articles don’t always follow the same rules as traditional news stories.
The revelation that the Secret Santa may have been motivated by a touch of ego and self-promotion falls into the category of “Duh.” His desire to have his exploits publicized is the only reason anybody knows about his charitable efforts.
You think you know so much
But you really don’t know shit, Hearne. I wish you would just let this whole topic die, but since you won’t I feel an obligation to post. I get that you hate the Star, but why do you feel the need to tarnish a great guys name in the process of attacking the paper. Unlike you, I actually knew Larry, as a friend of one of his sons. I was over at the Stewart’s all the time from the time I was in Jr. High until his passing.
You have Larry all wrong. He was the nicest, most generous guys you could ever meet. I have nothing but great memories growing up around the Stewart compound. There is a large group of us that was always over there hanging out. Before we could all drive, Larry would takes us to all the dances in his conversion van that was all pimped out. It was such a big deal to us 14 year olds. That’s just the one of the many generous things Larry did for us kids. He was a huge supporter of little league baseball and donated tons of money and time to the cause throughout his life. He, at one point had a travel team that he took all over the country, on his dime. Darryl Porter was one of the coaches.
As far as how much money he had….what the hell business is it of yours of anyone that isn’t in his immediate family. And to you guys posting comments on his motivations being ego driven. Larry was not like that at all. Why do you think his name wasn’t known publicly until he was on deaths door, still playing “santa”. He was doing his secret santa thing, years before the star did any stories on him. All the people around the Stewart’s knew what he was doing, but it was a secret all who knew kept with pride. Not, just because it was such a cool thing for him to do, but also because we loved and respected Larry.
Here’s a tip. Before you start getting financial info on strangers from a 100 year old, vegetable on the radio, that should have retired years ago. Maybe think to yourself, “why is it my business, and why am I getting it from such a horrible source”.
Divorce??? None of your business. We all have problems….you have a few ie..DUI, your own divorce. The big house?? The kids were all grown and away at college, so nobody was ever there. Plus, Larry was always super concerned about his family’s safety, almost to a paranoid extent. None of the kids had high profile vehicles and the house was a fortress. But, even so it drew a lot of attention that he finally got fed up with after a break in attempt. It was great while all the kids were growing up, but it was a pointless worry for him after that.
Now, will you please drop it? The are a ton of us that are family and friends of his, that you continue to hurt with your pointless “in the know” bullshit. Let it go. Maybe cash in that silver spoon you were born with, and do something nice for someone else.
Facebook
Really! You feel a need to comment on somebody who decided not to be your friend on facebook after all, and she really didn’t even know you to begin with! Why did you friend her to begin with? Seems like you are just looking for more publicity and attention. Theresa and her husband may be “polar opposites” big deal, so what, she is one of the most grounded, creative, thoughtful people I have ever known. And her husband, Bill, is the same. So maybe they are not so different after all. Grow up, this is not a grade school popularity contest of who is who’s BFF on facebook. Don’t take it personal and move on! I feel compelled to comment on this even though I know this is what you are seeking, the attention.