Author Archives: admin
Starbeams: Royals Mount Charity Drive, Topeka Lands on Mars & Don Harman Warms Up
The Daily Beast ranks Kansas City third on the list of the most charitable cities in the nation. Several factors figured into the equation; including percentage of salary, time donated…and the Royals bullpen.
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Topeka is home to the new Mars chocolate factory. 200 employees will make M & Ms and Snickers candy bars. Nice to see that our high speed Google network is drawing companies to TOPEKA.
Glazer: To Be or Not to Be; Whether tis Nobler to Save Westport Or…
Like the Lone Ranger, should Stanford & Sons ride to the rescue of Westport?
A cloud of dust then – poof! – Stanford’s returns to Westport. With America’s Pub likely to go when its lease is up at year’s end, Stanford’s could come home.
America’s Pub’s space is almost too big, but we could make it work. When we did Johnny Dare’s we didn’t have a big enough area for comedy. Now there are plenty of empty spots. And the Pub very much makes sense.
Hearne: Eyes Wide Open, Robert Butler Saddles Up for Transformer 3
Two thumbs up, to recently axed Kansas City Star movie critic Robert W. Butler…
It takes a darn good sport to put up with me at times. Like that’s a secret. And from the looks of Butler’s just-posted review of the new Transformers, that’s exactly what he is – a good sport.
"If you somehow find yourself in a theater showing this third episode in the ‘Transformers’ saga, there’s a bit of good news," Butler writes on his new blog. "It’s not nearly as bad as installment 2. I base that judgment on my ability to keep my eyes open this time around."
Here, here!
Car: The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350, Hombres Welcome!
From my car review in The Hills – that upscale magazine you’ve probably never laid eyes upon unless you reside in Mission Hills Sunset Hill or the ritzier parts of the Plaza or Ward Parkway corridor – I give you my review of the new Merecedes SLK.
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The wind in your hair, the bugs in your teeth – the summer sun beating down – what’s not to love about a convertible sports car?
Passion, romance, sex appeal, excitement – free from the aforementioned worldly distractions. That’s what upscale sports car buyers are looking for and that’s what Mercedes 2012 SLK350 roadster has to offer. At an affordable price, no less.
Sounds Good: Elvis Costello@Crossroads, Meat Puppets@RecordBar, Umphrey’s McGee & Quixotic@Crossroads
Do girls my age like Elvis Costello?
I mean, I know hip ones do – ones that are into music and that whole deal – but I’m talking about casual music fan girls. You know, the hot ones.
I needed to know, so I asked one of them that question, and she replied, "Who?"
"You know, AAAAAlison…"
(Blank stare, shaking head).
"Umm, Radio Radio?" I asked meekly.
(Blanker stare).
"The guy with the funny hat from Austin Powers who sings with that old dude when Mike Myers is trying to shag Heather Graham?"
"Oh, I love that guy! Wait, I thought that was Bono…"
Jack Goes Confidential: Transformers: Dark of the Moon One Hell of a Popcorn Ride!
A reporter asked director Michael Bay about the budget for TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON.
Was it $350 Million, $400 Million? Bay wouldn’t say. Offering only that the cost of TRANSFORMERS 3 was the price of a movie ticket. Whatever—it’s all UP there now on the big screen!
Welcome to Paramount’s version of a trip through Toys ‘R’ Us
Today: Kansas City’s Hottest Outdoor Pickup Patio to Return!
The outdoor deck atop The Well in Waldo is the place to be on a breezy summer night at this stage of the game…
It’s Chill Chamber delivers the frostiest brewskies in town. The busses have gone to bed. And the odds of your getting drugged, mugged or bugged are slim to none.
You’re high in the sky and all is Well.
Which brings us to the mack daddy of outdoor party places past, Baja 600’s gone-but-not-forgotten patio overlooking Brush Creek.
Glazer: The True Meaning of Life & My Upcoming Dirt Nap with the Critters
Einstein said, "Life has no meaning" – we’re just animals racing around the planet until we die…
Kinda hard to argue with that one. We are smarter than most of the other animals, but in the end, most of what we do and accomplish is soon forgotten.
I was spending time this past with actor/comic Bryan Callen. He made an interesting comment as well. "Life is a footnote."
I like that better.
At least there’s a little room for a speck of interest in what we’ve accomplished, right?
Hearne: Transformers 3; It’s What Not to Sleep Through
Here we go again….
Two years ago on a warm summer night, venerable KC Star movie critic Robert Butler fell fast asleep during the raging battle scenes of blockbuster movie Transformers 2.
"I can’t say for sure how long he was out," I reported then. "But I can tell you he was very much a goner when he was eye-witnessed by the entire KC Confidential Street Team and others in an unawake state. Hey, it was after 10 p.m. and people get tired."
Net result: Butler’s promised-before-noon, next day review didn’t hit the Star Web site until well after 2 p.m.
Complete with a KCC-inspired disclaimer.
Star Search: Former Editor Calls For Stay of Execution For Star Staffers
About spanking new Kansas City Star publisher Mi-Ai Parrish…
With the newspaper likely facing another round of staff layoffs and/or cutbacks following the close of its second quarter at month’s end, the question is, will Parrish’s first major order of business be the axing of however many staffers? As has been the practice for years under now-former head dude Mark Zieman.
Or will parent McClatchy grant its newly-arrived publisher a stay of execution for the sake of getting off on the right foot?
"Oh boy, I hope there aren’t more ropes lying around to hang the bodies from the ceiling," winces retired Star editor Jim Fitzpatrick, who covers the newspaper on jimmycsays.
Stargazing: City of Bad Plumbing, Ugly Fountains, Finest Phallus, Mi Ranchito Sentencing
World War I ended on this date in 1919. The following day, someone in Kansas City thought it would be a great idea to build a giant PENIS to memorialize The First World War.
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Kansas City International airport has been hampered by two water main breaks in recent days. Terminal A parking was flooded and water service to US Airways disrupted. Despite that, travelers say the water breaks were more enjoyable than the ugly fountain in the airport’s median.
Today: 610 Sports Nick Wright Clears the Air, Dismantles Jason Whitlock
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So what does 610 Sports host Nick Wright really think about Jason Whitock?
That’s a question worth asking in the wake of last week’s two part visitation by Whitlock to Wright’s afternoon drive local radio show. During which Whitlock feigned friendship while calling Wright out for being a poser.
First the polite answer.
"I think Jason Whitlock is very talented and very good at what he does, at promoting the brand of Jason Whitlock in his writing," Wright says.
Now the unexpurgated version.
New Jack City: Is 3-D Ripoff To Moviegoers? Michael Bay Takes Stand!
Here’s how that diminishes 3-D!
If the bulb is turned back in its output while darkened 3-D glasses are worn by viewers, the entire 3-D presentation can look faded, limp and far below the standard the filmmakers intented.
Fast forward to TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON opening later this week which was filmed in true 3-D —NOT converted! It’s 3-D is top notch and compares favorably to AVATAR!
Donnelly: Sporting Sizzling, Even with Captain Coming Off the Bench
It was rough at times, and Sporting Kansas City had to scrap their way back from a 1-0 deficit.
But after besting the Vancouver Whitecaps in front of a sell-out crowd, that’s seven games in a row now that Peter Vermes’ boys came away with points at the end of the game. Which is currently the second longest unbeaten streak in MLS.
Yes, home field matters. It matters a helluva lot in MLS.
And although Sporting did concede the first goal of the game, it is still their defense that’s stepping up and providing consistent enough play to keep them in every game…
Glazer: How I Got to be Kansas City’s Baddest Bad Boy
In wrestling they have terms for the good guys and the bad guys – the face and the heel.
But in day-to-day life it’s just, he’s a good guy and he’s a bad guy. Simple, huh? I think most people who are seen as EVIL ONES don’t know it. The hated boss at the office, the guy at school everyone thinks is a dick. And so on.
Then there are the rare, media bad guys.
In KC there is no doubt who that guy might be; ME. Oh, am I the one and only? In day-to-day media, pretty much yes. Sure we always have the disliked jock from the Chiefs or Royals. Or you can throw in an Aggie Stackhaus here or a Funk there (he was getting there).
But to really make this work you have to engage, be funny, have a regular public face, and of course be on the air and/or in print often. Bingo!
That narrows the bad guy vote down to one. Tag, I’m it.
Caitlin: Attn KC Confidential Shoppers! Spring 2012 Menswear Blue Light Specials
If you’re reading KCConfidential chances are you: 1) are male; 2) are disgusting; 3) have pondered Craig Glazer‘s weird hair-like thing on top of his head far too much; and 4) are in dire need of some fashion advice. While I can’t fix the disgusting part, I can make some recommendations on how to at least hide that part when you’re out in public.
As photos are released from the runways in Paris, I’ve spotted a few overarching trends noticeable across the board.
Sportswear:
Designers have scattered Spring 2012 collections with sporty, lighthearted vibes. Models at Givenchy wore ballcaps and army-green tank-tops, white or green jackets and high-end sweatshirts. Models at Junya Watanabe were clad in statement utility coats, bright orange rain parkas, and lightweight denim jackets.
Hearne: Did Jason Whitlock Bitch Slap Nick Wright? Please
Ruthless bitch slap or meaningless love tap?
You make the call. With Anthony Weiner‘s package in the rear view mirror, the Royals in the toilet and the Chiefs in limbo it almost had to be a slow sports news week. So much so that the local sports blogosphere jumped for joy over back-to-back call ins by all-but-forgotten former Star sport Jason Whitlock to 610 Sports afternoon host Nick Wright’s show.
Did Whitlock really take Wright "to the woodshed" or "bitch slap" him as one blogger breathlessly panted?
"No way," says KCC movie guy Jack Poessiger who listened to both broadcasts. "He tried, but he never was able to. It was just an on-air stroking of the mind. There was no bitch slapping on either side."
On a scale of one to ten – 10 being a major league bitch slapping, what would Poessiger rate it?
Today: Kansas City’s Eric Stonestreet Caught in “Modern Family” Money Grab
It’s hungry at the top …
As in, money hungry. In the playful, halcyon early days of hit ABC sitcom Modern Family, there were group hugs all around. No mas, The National Enquirer reports. The cast is caught up in an "old-fashioned war over money."
"Cast members go for the throat as they battle for big raises," the headline reads.
According to the Enquirer, Modern Family’s castmembers are in the process of renegotiating their salaries "with the series on a hot streak."
"Each cast member wants a bigger piece of the pie than the others, especially in light of the show’s ratings success and the big bucks syndication deal that was cut last year," a show insider tells the Enquirer. "Their agents are climbing over each other’s backs trying to get the best deal."
On top of Modern Family’s financial food chain?
Starbeams: Royals All Stars, Sprint’s New 3-D Evo, Solar in Sweet Springs
It’s time for the Royals to determine who their All-Star Game representative will be. So far the leading candidate is the beer vendor in section 225.
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The Kansas City Zoo wants a city-wide 1/8-cent sales tax to generate over $17 million a year for the zoo. I’m having a hard time with this because, as I understand it, the zoo animals already receive free healthcare.
Glazer: How Not to Get Rich Quick in Hollywood, Take Deux
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I sat down for breatfast yesterday with hot film/tv star on the rise, comic Bryan Callen.
We talked about what we’re both up to. Bryan has about 12 projects he’s working on. He’s the star of the new MTV series DEATH VALLEY and a regular on IN PLAIN SIGHT.
In the 1990’s that would have meant seven figures a year for sure. Today, it’s like, "Hope it gets more seasons."
