Category Archives: Hearne_Christopher
Westport Flea Market: Out With the Old, On With the Bash!
[caption id="attachment_432" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Jolting Joe and KMBC"]
[/caption]
[/caption]
It’s been three years since Jolting Joe Zwillenberg rode to the rescue of the vaunted Westport Flea Market and saved it from the wrecking ball. The deal went down so fast that the purveyor of chicken wings and busty babes (not necessarily in that order) Continue reading
Star to Cordish: Today Belts, Tomorrow Whitey Tighties?
Another day, another eye-popping editorial by The Kansas City Star Continue reading
Fox 4 Critic Shawn Edwards Undulates On Stage – Not Arrested
What Fox 4 movie critic Shawn Edwards many, many naysayers – fellow movie geeks for the most part – might have given to catch his act Sunday night at the Uptown Theater’s annual Body Art Ball… Let the record show, … Continue reading
Glazer to Peterson: Don’t Let the Door Bang You on the Butt – Hail to New Chiefs
One of the Kansas City Chiefs biggest (non) fans, bad boy Craig Glazer of Stanford & Sons Comedy Club fame, is poised to return to the fold…
With an exclamation point after the blockbuster Matt Cassel trade with New England.
“The Chiefs now are absolutely a contender to win the division and be in the playoffs this year,” Glazer practically pants. “For Chiefs fans who are wondering if this is a good deal for a second round draft choice – absolutely. With a quarterback of Matt Cassel’s calibre, now the Chiefs can get outstanding free agent players. Because of Cassel, that’s why – everybody wants to play for a winner and a team that’s setting a new course.”
The opposite was true with longtime Chiefs head honcho Carl Peterson, Glazer contends.
“Carl Peterson was losing players,” Glazer gripes. “Players didn’t like him; they didn’t feel he was honest with them. Trust me, Tony Gonzalez and Brian Waters aren’t going anywhere.”
Glazer even has some kind words for the man at the top, Clark Hunt. Continue reading
Leiweke “Laughable” – Will Sprint Center be KC’s Ishtar?
[caption id="attachment_249" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="David Beckham: Contribution to American Soccer "]
[/caption]
[/caption]
With the Kansas City’s pro sports teams still tail-spinning, national mag mentions seem few and far between. But hey, could be worse. Sports Illustrated at least handed out a handful of indirect hits.
Starting with Sprint Center point man Tim Leiweke – the golden boy that has yet to strike NBA or NHL gold where KC is concerned.
On fading soccer star David Beckham’s failure to have much of an impact on Major League Soccer:
“Beckham has not come close to having ‘a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally” Continue reading
Will Farrell as George Bush: KC Confidential Preview of HBO Special
[caption id="attachment_256" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Will Ferrell as George Bush: coming soon to a television near you"]
[/caption]
A trip to New York to check out a trio of Broadway shows produced by former KU student/Cowtowner Steve Traxler landed me in the fourth row of Saturday Night Live escapee Will Farrell’s “You’re Welcome America: A Final Night With George Bush.” It’s slated to air on HBO March 14.
Some outtakes…
*** Re Ferrell’s faux helicopter landing lowering onto the stage in the opening scene: “When the pilots of Air Force One said they were dying to drop me off in New York City, I thought they were kidding. So I said, ‘Sure, drop me off in the faggy theater district.’ “
*** On a certain former association of vice president Dick Cheney:” Because of Halliburton toilet paper is now $15 a sheet.”
*** President Barack Obama: “I’ll be the first to say, I’m a fan of that Tiger Woods guy. He’s a smart guy – a great speech maker.”
*** Ferrell’s tongue-in-cheek convocation: “Dear almost Swiss-looking Jesus; dear sweet-smelling of lavender and Dial soap Jesus.”
*** On the end of two-term presidency: “So after eight years, this crazy ride’s over. Hey I feel as free as balls in boxers.” Continue reading
Chastain Second Coming:Bring on the Gondolas!
[caption id="attachment_269" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Light rail in Kansas City: Clay says it could still happen"]
[/caption]
In a world of short attention spans, an economy on the brink, sub $2 gas and feuding politicians, light rail is pretty much yesterday Continue reading
Brisbane: Advertising After Armageddon
The past year’s most over-reported news story, aside that is, from The Star
Move Over Betty Ford: ReHab to Westport
Leave it to Westport Flea Market main man Joe Zwillenberg to conjure a new dictionary definition… The word in question is “rehab,” the process of undergoing rehabilitiation or as dictionary.com puts it “the process of restoring an individual (as a … Continue reading
McTavish to NPR: Print Journalism Not Dead but Don’t Go There
Stricken Star staffer Brian McTavish – one of the many victims of the ongoing layoffs at 18th and Grand, myself included – got his freak flag flown on NPR February 26th on the program All Things Considered and at NPR.org.
“Journalism Students Uneasy About Job Prospects,” read the headline above former TeenStar reporter Sarah McCammon’s tale of Continue reading
Chili’s in KCK: The Old In & Out
In the world of small but sorta scintillating surprises, the Web site for the dining establishment formerly known as Chili’s Kansas Speedway still indicates its up and running. The phone even works.
“Thank you for calling Chili’s Kansas Speedway,” an automated voice chirped this morning (2/26/09). However none of the recorded options delivers a live connection.
Which comes as a surprise given the speed and efficiency of hasty Chili’s exit strategy.
Chili’s big time bailed Monday – after serving its Last Supper in the form of a lunch, according to a Continue reading
Smoke This: White Owl May/December Still Alive – Get The T-shirt
[caption id="attachment_511" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="White Owl: No, not this one - the other one!"]
[/caption]
[/caption]
The latest on that crazed-looking, dancing hippie dude White Owl – aka Saul Tucker, aka Jimmy Neal?
Mr. Owl, let’s just call him, spent the better part of his 62 years on this earth selling music at the old Pennylane Records in Westport, crashing at the Grateful Dead’s pad during the band’s Continue reading
Kangaroo Connection Missing from Business Journal Co-Founder Obit
[caption id="attachment_182" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="UMKC Kangagroo Mascot: still fighting the good fight!"]
[/caption]
[/caption]
Missing in action from Star staffer Dan Margolies largely glossy tribute to recently deceased Kansas City Business Journal co-founder Mike Russell – aside from that Margolies spent the better part of his journalistic career cashing paychecks at the Business Journal: any reference to Russell’s business and financial setbacks in his later years.
“He was oneof the three people who helped talk UMKC into going into Division One sports,” says Bob Lewellen, a longtime member of the school’s athletic foundation board. “He and (deceased AMC Theatres chieftain) Stan Durwood and Larry Bridges. And they told the chancellor they would be the fundraising arm for it.”
Just one problem…
“Unbeknownst to them was that both Russelll and Bridges would have business reversals,” Lewellen says. “It wasn’t their fault, but both of them had the world turn on them. Then the university had to continue with the program and they did. And then Stan Durwood was the backbone of the whole program. Even today his foundation gave the money to build the on-campus soccer stadium they’re building now.” Continue reading
Six Degrees of Drew: So Many Names, So Few Digits
[caption id="attachment_67" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Drew Six lays it down at the PBR Big Sky Bar in the Power & Light"]
[/caption]
Atop the infinitesimally Continue reading
Jason Grill On The grill: MU Tiger’s chase and Chase
Can you keep a secret?
A little known fact about Missouri State Rep. Jason Grill: he’s a huge, HUGE Missouri Tigers football and basketball fan. Thing is he’s so low key, no one would ever guess.
So let me apologize in advance for outing him…
Grill’s take on the phenomenon known as this year’s MU basketball team: Continue reading
Macabre Movie Mystery Solved!
[caption id="attachment_60" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="An elevator full of Monty Summers"]
[/caption]
It’s like this…
Sunday Continue reading
Train Wreck Alert: Clay Chastain (almost) Goes to Court
[caption id="attachment_65" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Clay Chastain man handles the old KC Star printing press. Will he do the same to the KC Council?"]
[/caption]
