Author Archives: admin
Hearne: Lowest Snowfall Ever? Maybe but Stand By for 25 More Inches
Did you happen to catch that snowstorm earlier today?
In Prairie Village I pegged it at zip, but KSHB weather wonk Gary Lezak says the offical count at KCI was .3 inches.
So can we put away the ice scrapers and start searching for the hay fever meds?
"No, there’s still a chance we’ll get some more snow," Lezak cautions. "There’s a chance that something like this will happen again and there’s a chance of another cold rain or snow next week.
"The most amazing thing about the weather this year is all the tornado stuff," Lezak says.
New Jack City: Continental or United at KCI–Who’s On First?
Sometimes the ease of KCI’s three separate terminals can be an expensive and operational nightmare…
We saw it after 9/11 when, unlike other airports, KCI had to deal with multiple security check stations. Not only by the terminals but by the gates. These staffed multi-location security checks have since then been combined by the airlines.
But not so fast!
Things could get confusing starting this weekend for UNITED AIRLINES customers as that carrier fully intigrates its system and operations with CONTINENTAL AIRLINES—except here in Kansas City where the two carriers operate out of separate terminals and will continue to do so for the time being. UNITED out of Terminal A and the now ex-CONTINENTAL out of its old Terminal C gates.
Will there be problems?
Glazer: Scribe’s ‘Good Hands Man’ Serves Up a Body Part
Guys like me look for hero’s who do battle in some form or fashion…
They get in gunfights or fistfights and thus risk their lives. But sometimes others risk their lives to save others without the use of violence.
Joe Vohs of Linwood, Kansas is such a man.
The 46 year old Farmers Insurance dude gave up a kidney to save a life. And not his child’s, his wife’s or even a relative’s. He gave it up for someone he doesn’t even know and may never meet.
On December 29th last year, Vohs gave away part of his body for one reason and one reason only.
Whinery: DOES OBAMA CARE ABOUT GAS PRICES?
Every now and then an Obama Administration Official says something completely idiotic and insensitive…
Earlier this week Obama’s Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, when asked whether the goal of the Administration was to lower the price of gas, answered “No.”
How out of touch is this guy?
With his chauffered government vehicles and private planes paid for by “We, the People,” it’s clear that he appears uneffected.
Now let’s take the time machine back and find out why Mr. Chu is so indifferent to the plight of average Americans.
Hearne: ‘I Think We’ve Seen the Last of Jardine’s,’ Former Owner Says
The ducks are lined up, but nobody’s home…
Just last week Robert McCain and Joseph Fulgenzi appeared poised to take a brief victory lap and step back into the limelight as the saviors of the jazz club known as Jardine’s.
The club has been closed since late last year after a staff and musician revolt against owner Beena Raja.
Then on New Year’s Eve eve the two dudes announced in the pages of the Pitch and on Fox 4 News they’d bought the club from Raja and were the proud new owners.
Just one problem; contrary to that reporting, McCain and Fulgenzi had not purchased Jardine’s.
Starbeams: Occupy KC Monkee Business, New Do for KCMO & Dodging Kelly Bullets
Kansas City has a new logo intended to promote the area as a global tourism destination. It looks sleek and more up-to-date…..until you notice the ruby red slippers.
*******
Davy Jones from the Monkees passed away Wednesday at age 66. He died of an apparent heart attack. Little-known fact; David Bowie‘s real name is David Jones and he had to change his name because of the Monkees success. Same reason I changed my name from Kelly Eckerman.
New Jack City: ‘Hunger Games’ On Monster Track
Industry ueber-guru Nikki Finke‘s DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD today reports astounding early tracking (awareness) numbers for THE HUNGER GAMES which is set to open on March 23.
"Numbers every film studio can only dream about," Finke adds.
One study is guestimating that the film – based on Suzanne Collins best selling books – will open north of $70 million—and that’s just for the domestic opening weekend!
If those predictions hold it would make THE HUNGER GAMES bigger than the TWILIGHT debut.
THE HUNGER GAMES, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson was recently screened for the book’s author.
Now here’s Suzanne Collins take for her millions of fans on the big screen adaptation:
Jack Goes Confidential: ‘Project X’–Sexy, Rude and Crude Game Changer
Director Todd Phillips of HANGOVER and OLD SCHOOL fame turns producer, creating this time a monster…monster party, that is.
It’s called PROJECT X and features three high school losers taking advantage of mom and dad being away to make a name for themselves by throwing a birthday party for just a few people.
But nothing could prepare them for the complete chaos of what would ensue during the most epic birthday bash ever.
Hearne: Die and Die Again; the Reincarnation & Last Rites of KXTR
Talk about undignified deaths…
The final rape, pillaging and plundering of classical radio station KXTR will be complete sometime later today when what’s left of the beleaguered "Radio Bach" at 1660 AM goes business.
And while for fans of – not just classical music but the station’s ties to the local arts community – a certain sadness is in the air, there was little doubt this day would one day come. That after the station that signed on in 1953 on 96.5 FM was sold by civic leader Robert P. Ingram to Heritage Broadcasting in 1997.
"Today is our last day on the air," a voice on the station told listeners Wednesday.
And while most locals still think of the station as KXTR, since last spring it’s gone by the handle Radio Bach and the semi-secret call letters KUDL AM.
Sounds Good: Dirtfoot@Bottleneck, Blind Pilot@Granada, The Head and The Heart@Granada
Some cool, tasty things happening in Lawrence right now…
Aside from the great live music, that is. I’ll get to that in a sec.
First off is the Kansas Craft Beer Exposition at Abe & Jake’s Landing this Saturday afternoon. It features not only Kansas Beers, but also selections from Cali, Missouri, Nebraska, and a bunch of other places. For a full listing go here: http://kscraftbrewfest.com/brewers/
But alas! The brewfest is sold out. So if you want to go you’ll have to sneak in. I think it can be done.
Speaking of craft beer, the word in Larryville is that a new micro-brewery is set to open soon that will double as a live music venue. The brewers go by the name of Barnyard Beer, and rumor has it that they’ve been operating on a limited sort of soft-opening word of mouth basis and featuring some underground bluegrass jams.
‘Bout time for some new beer ’round here! Don’t tell me Lawrence doesn’t have room for Free State, 23rd Street, and Barnyard. Do not tell me that.
That’s about all I know right now, but I do have a call out to the Barnyard brew masters, and when I hear back, you, loyal KCC readers, will be the first to know.
On to the picks!…
Hearne: Pending Death of Classical Radio Breaks Entercom Founder’s Promise
Consider the imminent killing of legendary classical radio station KXTR aka Radio Bach is a promise broken…
That’s because as former local Entercom boss Bob Zuroweste stated in the past, Entercom founder Joe Field "promised" to keep the classical music format on in Kansas City when he blew up the station on FM and moved it to 1660 AM where it resides today.
On death row.
As the guy at the helm when Entercom first assassinated classical music here, Zuroweste’s take on the company’s plans to drop classical on 1660 and replace it with – zzzzzzzzzzz – business news and Mike Shanin:
"Well, the company assassinated it, not me, " Zuroweste laughs. "I was just the henchman. I’m the one who had to do the act, but I agreed with it because classical music wasn’t appealing to advertisers and the demo that appealed to advertisers and there were not a lot of listeners. And that happened all over the country. So it was a good move to put The Buzz on and it was a success."
Glazer: With Dow at 13,000 Scribe Awakens to Wonderful, Republicanless World
The Dow closed yesterday above 13,000 for the first time since May 19, 2008…
Is this the signal that the economy is finally on the way back? Maybe.
In any case, president in Barack Obama now seems unbeatable to win a second term. The Republicans reality TV shows have been fun with all the goofy debates and crazy candidates. Mitt Romney inched a couple steps closer yesterday to becoming the nominee by defeating Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich in Michigan and Arizona.
And in a way, the Republicans have made politics on TV fun.
Hearne: Wesport Mulling 420 Day Celebration on April 20th
It’s a brave new world in Westport…
As evidenced by the fact that it’s poised to put Kansas City on the map in the weirdest way imaginable; by officially designating April 20th as a holiday. But not just any holiday, mind you.
For the uninitiated, April 20 is Carmen Electra’s birthday (she’ll be 40), the day Oliver Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament, when Louis Pasteur completed his first pasteurization test and was opening day in 1912 for Fenway Park.
But forget about all that, that’s hardly what the party hearty types in Westport had in mind when they ran this baby up the flagpole.
Because in street parlance 420 Day is known as the day (and the time 4:20 p.m.) that a group of California teens agreed to meet to smoke pot. From that humble, if vague, 1971 origin the date has evolved into something of a counterculture holiday that people gather on to “celebrate and consume cannabis.”
Donnelly: Homegrown Sporting Star Matt Besler Speaks Out
Matt Besler never dreamed the ride he’d take aback the world’s most popular game without even leaving KC…
The Sporting Kansas City defender grew up here and played high school soccer at Blue Valley West where he still holds the record for goals and assists. For college, Matt attended Notre Dame, and was named an All-American and Academic All-American his senior season before being drafted in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by what was then the Kansas City Wizards.
Besler’s first few MLS seasons were rollercoaster affairs.
Glazer: Why the NFL Gets a Pass on Drug Use While MLB Doesn’t
Recent events prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the power of the National Football League...
And two stories demonstrate just how much more important the NFL is over Major League Baseball.
On December 14th, 26 year-old Chicago Bears receiver Sam Hurd was busted by the feds for trying to buy more than 500 grams or more of cocaine. It was disclosed that he and others planned to purchase and move several kilos of cocaine WEEKLY. In other words, it was a multimillion dollar drug ring, because clearly this was not Sam’s first big time deal. You don’t just start out at that level.
Sammy and crew were moving on up into the big, big, big time.
Hurd explained that several other players were involved, and remember he was once a Dallas Cowboy.
Hurd was a well-paid backup player. He’d signed a three year deal with the Bears and got a $1.35 million signing bonus. Guess that just wasn’t enough.
However since the case exploded last year we’ve heard…NOTHING!
Why?
Hearne: The Star Needs to Hire Brian McTavish Now
Enough already…
It’s time for the Kansas City Star to bring back Brian McTavish, one of the newspaper’s biggest, baddest, brightest and most prolific arts and entertainment writers ever.
McTavish got laid off three years back amidst the steepest, deepest cost-cutting slide of the newspaper’s history. Despite that he was the best writer in the features section. A journalist who could bat to any and all arts and entertainment reporting fields and who produced cutting edge videos and interviews for paper’s Web site.
Here’s the deal…
A ton of top reporters nationwide have bitten the dust the past few years as the print media business model has continued to suffer at the hands of the Internet and electronic media. The attrition in staff cuts and page counts at the Star and Pitch have been at times shocking and devastating as writers and editors have exited with few being replaced.
And in addition to those drastic cuts and departures, the Star‘s arts and entertainment section has been crippled recently by a spate of career killing illnesses.
New Jack City: This Year’s Razzie Awards Salute Hollywood’s Worst
How Low Can Hollywood Go?
In this endless awards season it’s not over til the fat chick warbles or the worst on film gets their much deserved recognition. We’re talking THE RAZZIES, the annual sendup to the past year’s creme de la crap.
Officially known as THE GOLDEN RASPBERRY AWARDS, these worst achievements in film are normally handed out on Oscar’s Eve. But not this year!
In a departure from an almost three decades long tradition, the winners—make that losers—will be heralded on April Fool’s Day, April 1st. And this year’s pre-Oscar night event was used instead to introduce the world to the nominees for the ultimate schmutz on film – the bottom of the cinematic barrel.
Glazer: Brace Yourselves, the Return of Black Barbie to Scribe’s Romantic Fold
Joe Rogan had a hit single called "Voodoo Punanny"…
It’s a comedy song about not being able to stay away from a hot chick that’s simply not good for you, but the sex is too strong to stay away. In my case in recent years that person has been BLACK BARBIE.
I met her just after my divorce. Hearne and I were at the Police concert at Sprint and I got a call from Temptations manager David Rice. The strip club was nearby and he said, "Craig I got a 10 – a 19 year-old stripper from Texas. And I showed her your photo online and she went crazy. She loves Al Pacino and thinks you look like him. Come over and meet her NOW!"
Maybe owning Stanford’s, driving a hot car and having a book out didn’t hurt either.
When I walked in and saw her, she stood nearly six feet tall. She had an unreal body, was very pretty, exotic and, in a strange way sweet, always smiling and soft.
Anyways…IT WAS ON!
Today: Glen Campbell’s ‘Goodbye Tour’ to Hit Uptown April 26th
This just in….
One of the legendary performers of our time – Glen Campbell – will touch down in Kansas City on Thursday April 26th. Not at the Sprint Center, but rather in the intimate confines of the Uptown Theater.
The 75 year-old Campbell – who turns 76 four days prior to the show – has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and is currently on a "Goodbye Tour" with his three children joining him in his backup band.
Campbell rocked this year’s Grammy awards last month with a rousing version of his hit "Rhinestone Cowboy" and was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
As for Campbell’s remembering the lyrics, his wife Kim Woollen described music as a "natural memory aid" for him.
Glazer: Scribe Weighs in on Streep, Clooney, 84th Academy Awards Ceremony
Meryl Streep broke nearly every important Academy Award record held by women…
She was nominated for the 17th time – the second most nominated being Katharine Hepburn – who is still the record holder with 4 Oscars. The other woman who won 3 awards is Ingrid Bergman.
With Streep’s third win – her first in 30 years – her best line was, "Oh no. Oh c’mon. Why her again?"
While she’s the greatest actress of our generation, Streep’s also aware that she’s not a sex symbol. Meaning her name on the title means..SERIOUS FILM…not Jennifer Anniston fluff. Streep is beyond brilliant – just google her credits – to me she’s simply the best there is or probably ever will be.
For many of us, THE IRON LADY, will probably be a film we see on HBO.
