Kansas City is about to gain a giant new movie screen…
The Extreme Screen to be exact.
And it’s in a movie theater facility dedicated to presenting top, first run commercial motion pictures.
The Regnier Extreme Screen at Union Station has been re-equipped with the latest in projection and sound technology and opens to the public next Friday, March 8.
Continue reading
So, you’ve seen the Kanrocksas lineup by now, right?
As Hearne pointed out, there’s really no big-big established headliner. Not a single one, unless you count… uh … The Avett Brothers? But that’s not necessarily a bad thing to me.
It might be a bad thing though, for the pocketbooks of Kanrocksas promoter Bill Brandmeyer and his partners.
After taking a major bath two years ago with mega-headliners Eminem and Muse (an estimated 2.8 million in artists fees for the pair), Kanrocksas changed course this year and is focusing instead on up and coming acts. Continue reading
Can’t anyone keep a secret anymore?
Apparently not.
The powers that be behind this year’s Kanrocksas music fest at the Kansas Speedway doled out its lineup in advance to trusted media sources…with the explicit understanding that mum was the word until 9 a.m. Friday.
In public relations parlance Kanrocksas was trying to “embargo” the news about its lineup Fat chance.
Who plays by those rules anymore? Continue reading
WTF!!!!!!!!
“I don’t have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It’s depression. Everybody is out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel’s worth; banks are going bust; shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter; punks are running wild in the streets, and there’s nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there’s no end to it… We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat… We all know things are worse than bad- THEY’RE CRAZY!”
Howard Beale
“Network” 1976
It can’t be just me who’s ready to be straitjacketed…
Seriously. What in the hell is going on in this World?
Do you realize that we now live on a Planet where Dennis Rodman is the unofficial good will Ambassador for the USA to North Korea. He’s
chillin’ with “Dear Leader” Kim Jong Un while our State Department is
doing little to communicate with this nuke and ICBM toting renegade? Continue reading
When reporting a business story it’s always a good idea to get a few of the facts straight before you start…
That’s something that was lacking in Wednesday’s Jenee Osterheldt column in the Kansas City Star.
Osterheldt’s story about saving her beloved Screenland Armour, focusing on the theater conversion costs to digital projection, had more holes in it than the Swiss Cheese on my Reuben. Continue reading
JACK THE GIANT SLAYER is a big screen fairytale bordering an action-filled spectacle…
A family adventure that’s probably not for the entire family—hence its PG-13 rating. Some of the film’s fighting and battle scenes are surprisingly graphic and could easily frighten the under eight age crowd.
Of course the fabled story is based on Jack And The Beanstalk and has Nicholas Hoult as the title character come into possession of some very unusual beans. Continue reading
Man, that seemed quick, didn’t it?
It seems like only yesterday we were watching the Houston Dynamo again dash the hopes and dreams of the boys in blue for a second straight year.
But a lot has happened since then.
Two of KC’s stalwarts – Roger Espinoza and Kei Kamara – were shipped to the brighter lights and bigger money of the English Premier League. A new Designated Player, Argentinian Claudio Bieler, was added to provide some much needed scoring punch. Center back Matt Besler signed a long term deal to stay at home, after a handful of Euro clubs expressed interest in the rising star.
Oh, and did you hear? Sporting unveiled some new jerseys. My take? They’re fine. Continue reading
The Chiefs had to wait until he was officially available, but today, they would like to welcome their new quarterback – Pope Benedict!
*******
Someone hacked the KCPD Twitter account and posted a weight loss ad. Police realized someone outside the department had made the post when they saw it was a WEIGHT LOSS AD. Continue reading
It’s all but official that Alex Smith is now poised to become the next starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. In a move that has been speculated about for nearly a week now (though still not official; trades cannot be made before March 12th), the Chiefs will send this year’s 2nd round draft pick (1st pick of the round) PLUS a conditional pick next year, to the San Francisco 49ers for the services of the veteran QB.
The early, prevailing opinion amongst Chiefs’ fans seems to be that new general manager John Dorsey needs to be murdered by a thousand rabid dogs, and new head coach Andy Reid is as bad as Hitler at a baby seal clubbing party.
I see things differently.
In fact, I really like this move. It’s what I’d hoped they’d do all along. (Well, once it became apparent that Smith was a goner in SF.) I’ll explain why. Continue reading
Don’t look now but things are going to get a whole lot more interesting around these parts…
That’s because Kansas City’s original shock jock Randy Miller has agreed to write for KC Confidential. That’s right, the guy who all but invented the fine art of pissing off advertisers, powerful people and getting fired for his wayward, on-air ways is back in the public eye and will be keeping an eye on all things Kansas City (and more) via the printed word.
The good news is, we don’t even need a “dump button.” Continue reading
I got the news that Dan Wastler passed away yesterday, and I was immediately filled with regret…
Although I worked for Dan for almost 8 years at Q104, I never really got to know him very well. I hosted the crazy, carnival morning show on Q104, and he was the straight arrow, kept-at-arms-length general manager. We battled weekly, and celebrated daily.
Dan was always the first to congratulate me on great ratings, but also the first to call me on the carpet for whatever offense he or CBS deemed had crossed the line. Continue reading
They’re dropping like flies…
And Westport bar and restaurant owner Bill Nigro couldn’t be more pleased. That on the heels of word that two of Nigro’s worst nightmares have or are poised to move on. Kansas City Health department honcho Bert Malone and Liquor Control head Gary Majors.
“I heard that this is Majors last week,” Nigro says. “And Bert Malone just moved on, so the two guys who were most involved in regulating the restaurant and bar industry will have moved on in the past two months.”
On a scale of one to ten, how happy is Nigro? Continue reading
Talk about blow jobs…
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that each year there are approximately 5,740 snow blower related injuries in the United States that require medical attention.
One problem in the design of some snow blowers is that snow can build up in the auger, jamming it and stalling the motor. This is complicated by the fact that the auger can deform before applying enough resistance to the motor to turn it off.
Then if the jam is cleared by hand, it’s possible for the auger to return to its natural shape suddenly and with great force, possibly injuring the user.
Snow blowers are a leading cause of traumatic hand and finger amputations. Continue reading
Assuming you’re able to dig yourself out, there’s some good shows coming up this weekend.
Don’t worry, you’ll stay warm next to the crackling orange glow of Robert Earl Keen and Yonder Mountain String Band.
A little whiskey might help, too.
The latest storm projection shows that by this time tomorrow Johnson County will be even whiter.
*******
Up to 16 inches of snow predicted for the Kansas City area. Kansas City is the only place where officials encourage residents to keep a neighbor in the trunk for better traction.
I’m no expert on horse meat…
But I’ve dished up my fair share of dog food over the years and I did just happen to try the “famous” IKEA Swedish Meatballs last week in Orange County. The ones the Star‘s Joyce Smith raved about.
Fifteen of em, to be exact.
So why did I consume 15 ultra bland meatballs if they weren’t really any good? Good question. You might say I was as hungry as a horse.
Not hungry enough to eat a horse mind you, but then that’s not how they were described on the menu. Continue reading
It’s the middle of winter…
When should I book my summer vacation? That’s one of the more frequently asked questions I always get.
I’ve been an independent travel agent for over 20 years now. First with Abbey Road Travel and for the past dozen years or so with Shelton Travel Service.
And the standard questions from travelers haven’t changed much.
In this column I’ll try to address what’s on most people’s minds. You know, and try and keep it clean. Continue reading
I can’t stand the phoney baloney Oscars…
Hollywood jerks.
What’s happened to our wonderful country?
Poisoned by rap music, socialists and underachievers. Awful, terrible.
By the way, see if you notice the same thing I’m noticing. Everything is about women. Even the ads. Men are just props or are treated as such.
This “KILLER COP” story has so many holes…
He’s in a cabin almost across the street from the police station that’s been running the search for him? Fifty cops in hiding?
Aren’t they COPS?
The Top 5 signs you know it’s going to be a long winter…
#5. You have to send your Chihuahua outside wearing snorkel gear.
#4. Snow’s too deep to see the Global Warming bumper stickers in Westport.
#3. KC Mayor Sly James get into a Twitter war with Punxsutawney Phil. Continue reading
