A British man went BASE jumping from Liberty Memorial on Monday to raise awareness for veterans. From a distance he looked a lot like….sperm.
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Al Roker turns 59 today. I was going to throw him a party, but I hear he’s a party POOPER!
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Miguel Tejada has been suspended for 105 games because of PHDs. Most Americans where shocked….to learn the Royals actually have a healthcare plan.
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Before…
There are always at least two ways of looking at things…
In the case of former Kansas City Star sports statistics editor Martin Manley – who killed himself and left a blog full of reasons as to why – you can go with your gut or take Manley’s many words for it.
And while it’s certainly a fascinating subject for many, the actual truth lies closer to reading between Manley’s lines rather the lines themselves, says a prominent local psychiatrist who asked not to be named.
“Hearne, this guy needs to be pitied not vilified,” she says. “From his blog I can see that he has had emotional problems his entire life and I would not see that as worth commenting on as a professional.
“It’s too bad that no one was able to see his illness for what it was – but at any rate, it’s just another sad case that ended in suicide. The only unique thing was his use of a blog, which was another piece of evidence of his illness.”
There’s more. Continue reading
It was bound to surface…
After years of being on the receiving end of snide stares and regular guy slights, BMW and Toyota Prius drivers alike have been fingered as being jerks in a recent study linking bad driving habits to wealth by the Institute of Personality and Social Research at the University of California, Berkley.
Hey, BMW drivers are one thing.
The marque’s snob appeal is legend. But Prius drivers? Tree huggers ostensibly bent on saving the earth and fostering world peace – them too? According to the study yes. Because in California where it was conducted, the Prius is considered a “premium” car.
Go figure.
First let’s examine some of the stereotypes.
Starting with Ranker’s “Top 5 Reasons Priuses Suck.” Continue reading
The Kauffman Center is famous for starting as soon as the second hand crosses the 12…
And Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus was no exception. I have a huge appreciation for that.
In one of the most unassuming performances I’ve seen, Sonny Landreth strolled on stage and proceeded to demonstrate what it would be like if a single man was possessed by every guitar god who came before him.
With his instrument strapped high on his chest Landreth proceeded to dominate the night within the first two minutes, effortlessly and without expression. To say Landreth is not a flamboyant artist would be an understatement, but you’re so busy watching that slide fly up and down the neck of his guitar you really don’t notice. Continue reading
While “Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER” certainly did not set the box office on fire this weekend, it did come in # 1 in North American theaters with estimated ticket sales of $25 million…
The film also scored an impressive ‘A’ CinemaScore which should translate into good word-of-mouth and a long and successful theatrical life.
My beef?
Claims by some moviegoers that theaters employed more than routine security on their premises specifically for this film. Continue reading
Last night I attended the Peter Frampton Guitar Circus at the Kauffman Center…
I’ll have a review of the complete show later today, but I’ve been conflicted over the performance of B.B. King, pretty much from the moment he took stage. In short, I was shocked.
Maybe I should have properly adjusted my expectations beforehand.
After all, B.B. is just days shy of his 88th birthday and he probably doesn’t need to do this anymore, yet but plays over 200 shows a year. Because, in his words, “The thrill isn’t gone yet.”
Desiderius Erasmus penned a quote that in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. That applied to last night, sitting in the presence of the great and legendary B.B. King. We are all blind by comparison to what he had done in the world of music, but at 87, King’s not going to be what he once was.
Still I couldn’t escape how sad and pathetic King’s performance was. Continue reading
Heading to San Jose‘s tiny Buck Shaw Stadium has been no picnic for Sporting 
Kansas City over the years. In fact, the boys in blue haven’t won a game there since Peter Vermes and Preki roamed the pitch in 2000 to be exact.
So it was no real surprise that Sporting walked away from this one with a loss- especially considering they were without two of their best players, Kei Kamara and Graham Zusi.
The first half was a sloppy, hard to watch affair, with little flow for either side. Continue reading
Martin Manley
Suicide may not be pretty but it seems like everybody wants a piece of it…
Including former Kansas City Star sports statistician Martin Manley, a dude who lived his life largely anonymously – in the shadows – all while obviously wanting something more.
Manley got that something after publicly offing himself last week and leaving a pair of websites explaining why.
How inconspicuous was Manley at the newspaper? Continue reading
JJ’s main man Jimmy Frantze
Think of it as a match made in restaurant heaven…
Word on the street is that JJ’s Restaurant is poised to initiate a second coming at 616 Ward Parkway in the space currently occupied by the wine and pizza bar Coal Vines.
Sources say the popular, upscale, off-Plaza eatery – the one that famously blew up last February – has been looking into and may be about to ink a deal to take over the space that once was home to re-Verse, Loy Edge‘s No Name Bar and before that (for 19 years), French bakery La Bonne Bouchee.
Here’s the deal. Continue reading
There are reasons why former Star sports scribe Jason Whitlock hasn’t made it yet…
Why he doesn’t appear to yet have cashed his once-rumored $2 million, three year paycheck. And why after blogging in the shadows the past three years since leaving the newspaper, he’s leaving Fox Sports and mounting a new campaign to achieve fame and fortune on ESPN.
“Part of the problem is he just wasn’t that good on television.” says sports scribe and Whitlock pal Craig Glazer. “Or even on radio. He wasn’t horrible but…He spoke real slow and he wasn’t funny. I mean, he’s clever and smart but…” Continue reading
Go ahead and uncross those fingers and toes, the party’s over…
It’s time for this year’s Kansas City Royals team to start making plans for next year – like they usually do, says sportaholic Craig Glazer of Stanford’s.
“The Royals are over,” Glazer says. “It’s going to be over this weekend. I said that on The Mix this morning. It’s over – they have no chance – none. By this Sunday they’re out. I mean, there’s nothing these guys can do now. You can’t win without talent.”
Now a little, “I told you so.” Continue reading
The Tricky One
And in my case anyway, an unhealthy adoration for Richard Milhous Nixon. His library in Yorba Linda, California became my Mecca, so to speak. I even got lucky enough to meet Pat Nixon at a function there once. She is, was and will always be the classiest woman I ever met.
The best part of the Nixon Library was this room where you could ask the President questions. The curators rigged up a system where they took all of Nixon’s interviews and spliced them with a computer screen where you could pick a question and the footage of Nixon would come up on another screen – and like he was really talking to you – answer your question. I would spend inordinate amounts of time in that exhibit.
However, I did not want to grow up and be like Nixon.
I wanted to be Donald Segretti. Continue reading
Editor’s note: This post was written last night but went unpublished owing to a communication miscue.
This is it.
This is everything.
No series this season has been more fraught with tangible implications than the upcoming five game show-down with the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers.
Forget October, THIS is the postseason. And as someone who was still watching Sesame Street and occasionally crapping his pants the last time the Royals played games this meaningful, I’m beyond excited. Continue reading
The most consistent criticism of my posts is that I’m airing “ancient grudges as topical political insight.”
And my response is:
1) It’s a Scottish thing, you wouldn’t understand!
2) Only someone on the receiving end of a politician’s unethical actions is likely to remember them and point them out later. Since the best predictor of future behavior is the past, prior evidence of some character flaw by a politico can be very relevant to their current doings, even if it’s from years before.
3) A lot depends on whose ox is being gored, i.e., if it’s someone from your side of the political divide whose previous shady dealings are being revealed, you’re more likely to pronounce: “What’s past is past!” “No use beating a dead horse!” “Time to move on!”, even though the person in question is still very much in the news. Continue reading
It’s old news…
Kansas City Councilman Rev. Michael Brooks pulls a Weiner and sexts his righteousness to a female on Facebook. My first thought; if you’re a person with any level of prominence, how do you think that’s not going to go public?
Actor Hugh Grant parked curbside on Sunset Blvd. with Divine Brown partially in the passenger seat, the President of the United States armed with a cigar and an intern under the desk – you have to know it’s not going to end well.
Why do these men of God fail? Continue reading
KC Councilman Michael Brooks has admitted to an online love affair. At least, he thought I was a girl! TEEEOOO!!!!!
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KC Councilman Michael Brooks has admitted to an online love affair. I’ve gotta change my name from “Kelly” to “Bob” or something.
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Buy cialis soft and Generic Tadalafil tablets online for erectile dysfunction. Available without prior prescription. Continue reading
I REALLY wanted to like “Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER.”
And guess what, I wasn’t disappointed!
Is it this year’s THE HELP? No. I wouldn’t elevate the film to that level but it does compare favorably to THE COLOR PURPLE.
“Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER” is a historical drama alright. But it’s really a fictional account of the real butler who served in the White House continuously from the early 1950’s right on through the Reagan Administration.
In other words, the storyline here is only inspired by true events. Continue reading
“Steve, you’re good. Damn good.. But you’re an asshole.”
One of the defining lines thrown at Steve Jobs by an inner circle member of his legendary Apple Computer empire.
JOBS is a small—and I stress SMALL—biographical drama based on the life of the legendary, entrepreneurial visionary, covering a span from the early 70’s until the introduction of the Ipod in 2000.
Matter of fact, the movie begins with Jobs’ introductory remarks for the revolutionary music device—or as he put it, “It’s a thousand songs in your pocket.”
And a tip of the hat to Ashton Kutcher who got Steve Jobs’ looks and mannerisms down to a tee. Continue reading
What goes around comes around…
Three years back when former Kansas City Star sports scribe Jason Whitlock imploded and left town amidst a flurry of acrimony and accusations (ranging from editor Mike Fannin having an affair with a married subordinate to W nearly landing a gig as co-sports editor at the newspaper) he managed to convince 610 Sports Nick Wright and a handful of sports bloggers that he was leaving town with a $2 million three year deal.
Which maybe seemed reasonable were Whitlock to have been able to pyramid his part time blogging on Fox Sports into some additional radio and/or TV gigs.
Never happened. Continue reading
