Star Search: Dread, Shock & Awe Await KC Star Newsroom Inhabitants

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Hearne Christopher Jr.

“Rooms should not be put together for show but to nourish one’s well- being.”

So stated celebrated American interior designer Albert Hadley.

That aside, newsroom staffers at the Kansas City Star are quaking with dread over the prospect of taking up residence in the newspaper’s vast, newly-redesigned newsroom.

“I should send you a picture,” says one newsroom inhabitant. “Everybody in the whole news division is going to be packed into it – news, sports, business, Ink, features – everybody except the library and the people in Johnson County will be squeezed in there. I mean everybody gets like a seven-by-seven cube and they have no high privacy boards so you’ll be able to see everybody’s heads, hear everybody. Imagine if you’re interviewing somebody.” Continue reading →

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | 6 Comments

Mancow: How to Blow Your Economic Stimulus Check in 5 Easy Steps

Posted on September 9, 2012 by admin

Sometime this year, taxpayers are supposed to receive an Economic Stimulus payment…

This is indeed a very exciting program, and I’ll explain it by using a Q & A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus payment?
A. It’s money the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen of it.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment? Continue reading →

Posted in Mancow | 13 Comments

Glazer: Scribes Places Big Bet, Wins in Vegas & Braces for Chiefs Season

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Craig Glazer

Vegas is great…again!

This time I’m staying at Mandalay Bay. Great place. I’d only visited here a couple of times before, never stayed. On one occasion, I saw my former girlfriend, Sandhal Bergman when she starred in the play Chicago.  On another, I produced a show for Red Development starring J. J. Walker at House of Blues.  The rooms are decent, there’s lots to do, it’s kept up well and there are good quality crowds.

And there are some fantastic rock bands playing nightly all over the casino.

It’s a very large, and fairly active casino. Another feature is a fun choice of pools, and if you come for a visit, you have to check out the shark reef! Well done, guys.

It was about 102 degrees today, clear and dry. My best gal pal Gina from California is here with me, sweet lady, and we are enjoying a relaxing three days and nights.

Now the big news….drum roll…what did I tell you about the Chumps?  Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 20 Comments

Starbeams: Forgotten Royals, Clinton Goes Oral, Brownback’s Folly

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Kelly Urich

You can tell it’s time for Chiefs football when we reach the point of the year when you can’t find the Royals on Google.

*******

It was strange to watch people raving about former President Clinton’s oral skills for a change.

*******

Five area high schools have been designated 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools.  Park Hill South, Lawson, Basehor-Linwood, Blue Valley High and St. Thomas Aquinas achieved Blue Ribbon Status… Continue reading →

Posted in Starbeams | 1 Comment

Leftridge: Local Man Who Wrote Letter to Glass Buys Banner

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Brandon Leftridge

David Glass, preparing to pluck a fish from a stream with his razor-sharp talons

Meet Joe Accurso. You might remember Joe from such exploits such as “The Guy Who Wrote the Letter to David Glass That Was Published in the Kansas City Star.”

I initially shared my feelings about Joe’s efforts here, on this very website.

If you’re disinclined to read old stuff I’ve already spewed, here was the gist of what I said: nice idea, not the greatest execution. Only, you know, I took 1,000 words to say it because I tend to be a long-winded, rambling gasbag. It’s probably because I get paid by the word (not really. I don’t).

In any case, I said, “Joe, you’re a passionate man and blah blah blah, but who reads the paper anymore? What did you hope to accomplish? Why not some sort of digital petition? Why not stage some sort of walkout like Kietzman did 13 years ago? THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED!” or whatever. Continue reading →

Posted in Brandon Leftridge, Sports | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Jack Goes Confidential: Bradley Cooper Plagiarises ‘THE WORDS’

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Jack Poessiger

Normally the weekend after Labor Day is a wash-out at the movies…

That’s not the case this year thanks to CBS FILMS’ new melodrama THE WORDS acquired at the Sundance Film Festival.

The movie marks a 180 degree turn for Bradley Cooper whom we’ve come to associate primarily with comedy roles.

What we’ve got here is a case of plagiarism embedded in a story of a story behind the story. Continue reading →

Posted in Jack Poessiger | 10 Comments

Mancow: Democrats Rewrite Reality, Lay Down Distortion Field

Posted on September 7, 2012 by admin

Joe Biden was the son of a car salesman…

Little known fact that Kurt Russell‘s character in USED CARS, Rudy, was based on Joe Biden’s father.

Not really, but the Democrats lie, so I figured I could.

Biden said in his DNC speech that he thought about his father when GM was on the brink before President Obama saved it. And how the people like his father would lose their jobs. Well, thanks to Obama’s program of taking over GM many of them did. Tens of thousands of GM employees lost their jobs.

Biden said that Obama listened as his advisers told him it was too risky to get involved. Continue reading →

Posted in Mancow | 11 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Saddles Up with College & NFL Football Picks

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Craig Glazer

Let the games begin!

We’ve all been waiting for the NFL and the full college football weekend to unfold. Now it’s here! And you know what that means:

Glaze picks some games you may want to bet a couple bucks on.

Remember, the best place to do this is in Las Vegas or at betting parlors where gambling on sports is legal. Off shore online is popular but kind of a grey area of betting. Or you can always join a pick em league.

The game everyone is talking about around Kansas City is the Chiefs / Atlanta.

Tony G back in town. Three weeks ago the Chiefs were favored by 3, today they are a 3 point dog. Big swing. Why? Even though both teams had poor preseasons, the 1-3 Chiefs are badly injured on defense and showed no passing offense at all.

Atlanta’s Matt Ryan is a couple big games off becoming a top level quarterback, whereas Matt THE FRANCHISE Cassel is one of the leagues five worst. No argument. Unfortunately it’s a passing league. Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 13 Comments

Whinery: A Tale of Two Presidents

Posted on September 6, 2012 by David Scott Whinery Esquire

Having watched the speeches of former President Clinton and President
Barack Obama, I’m left longing for the past and all of the great times under
Clinton…

And filled with dread about the condition of our country at present. Now I may not always have glowing words for Obama, but I did have great hopes for the man.

Is everything wrong with the Country presently Obama’s fault?

Absolutely not!

But what have Obama and his policies done to help the country? What is Obama’s plan? Does anybody have a plan for that matter? Can Romney’s plan, whatever that may be, exactly… save the USA from becoming  Greece or some third world banana republic? Continue reading →

Posted in David Scott Whinery | 76 Comments

Sounds Good: Langhorne Slim@RecordBar, Buckwheat Zydeco@KU Lied Center, Hall & Oates@Starlight, Strider@Jackpot

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Matthew Donnelly

 The days are getting shorter, football season is finally gearing up, sun dresses are disappearing (gasp), blah blah blah…

Besides the obvious though, what fall means to me is that the Harvest Music Festival is right around the corner.  For those not in the know, here’s the deal:

It’s held on the same grounds in Arkansas that Wakarusa now calls home.  But the vibe of this fest is much different.

Think less glow sticks, and more moonshine. Continue reading →

Posted in Matthew_Donnelly | 2 Comments

Glazer: Cleaver Strikes Out @ DNC & Beyond

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Craig Glazer

I’d like to tell that you our guy – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver – hit it out of the park tonight…

Unfortunately, instead he gave his “Church Speech.”

HOPE, HOPE, HOPE. COLOR ME DEMOCRAT.

Meaning, color me black. That’s what Cleaver really meant.

It was a hollow speech about nothing…like most political speeches.

“Mitt Romney wants to lower taxes so he won’t have to pay any.”

Really? I don’t think so. Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 8 Comments

Whinery: Democrat Convention 2012, Day One

Posted on September 5, 2012 by David Scott Whinery Esquire

The first day of the Democrat National Convention went fairly well, as far as delivery goes…

They did a really good job focusing on personal anecdotes while dutifully avoiding the President’s record at all costs.

The Michelle Obama could give David Copperfield or the late Harry Houdini a run for their money in the magic department.

The First Lady came off as a better orator than Barack! Continue reading →

Posted in David Scott Whinery | 56 Comments

New Jack City: Boulevard Drive-In Benefit Showcases K.C. Animation, VFX & Motion Design

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Jack Poessiger

The Boulevard Drive-In theater has enjoyed a buffo summer…

It also marked its first season in which the movies were shown through the ozoners new 4K digital projection system.

And this Saturday, September 8th, add another first to the Boulevard Drive-In’s offerings.

The first-ever ANIMATION CELEBRATION, a benefit for CinemaKC and the Midwest Association Of Professional Animators. Continue reading →

Posted in Jack Poessiger | 3 Comments

Starbeams: Eastwood to Replace Bodine on KCUR & Who’s Your Fry Daddy?

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Kelly Urich

We spoke with officials at KCUR FM and there is no truth to the rumor they’re considering replacing the Walt Bodine show with the Clint Eastwood show.

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A lot of Democrats who’ve traveled to the DNC convention in Charlotte are disappointed the president’s speech has been moved from a 74,000 seat stadium to an 18,000 seat arena because of the weather, because so many more people wanted to participate.  Sounds almost exactly like Social Security. Continue reading →

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Locke: Have you noticed? Everybody’s leaving The Star

Posted on September 4, 2012 by David Locke

These are the times that try men’s souls…

When Star corporate owner McClatchy announced its first wave of layoffs – a 10 percent company-wide reduction in June of 2008 – its vice-president of news, Howard Weaver (since retired) wrote, “We need the 90% of employees who aren’t in the downsizing to focus on the work at hand with confidence, not be looking over their shoulders for another round of layoffs.”

Four years and waves of layoffs and unpaid weeks off later, there are a lot of sore necks at The Star and not much confidence.

And now, behind the news of Tuesday’s exodus, another problem for the higher-ups at 18th and Grand has become obvious. Continue reading →

Posted in David Locke | 32 Comments

Hearne: Unhappy ‘Ink’ Magazine Editor Jocelyn Jacobson Bails on Star

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Hearne Christopher Jr.

They’re dropping like flies at 18th and Grand…

Three today. However this time out, the body count at the Kansas City Star is exiting on a voluntary basis.

Long missing TV critic Aaron Barnhart bit the dust (officially) earlier today. Followed by copy editor Pamela Spencer.

And now, the biggest fish of all to fall – in summer shocker – Ink magazine editor Jocelyn Jacobson. Continue reading →

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | 8 Comments

Hearne: Ailing StarTV Critic Aaron Barnhart Quits Newspaper

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Hearne Christopher Jr.

This just in…

After more than eight months on the missing in action list Kansas City Star television critic Aaron Barnhart has resigned his post at the newspaper.

In a letter to the staff Star editor Mike Fannin put things this way: Continue reading →

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | 6 Comments

Glazer: Scribe Mourns for Cancelled MTV Series ‘Jersey Shore’

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Craig Glazer

Well it’s over, Jersey Shore was cancelled last week…

This will be the last season, number six. Are you sad? I doubt it.  Snooki has been the target of tons of jokes and ridicule – I hear it weekly from the comics on our stage.

But hey, give those guys credit. They had no talent really, just a group of knuckleheads who wanted to party, fart, fight and cuss. Which was funny only because they were just kinda stupid. Rarely were there any real jokes or smart scenes. And to be honest I only watched Jersey Shore a few times to see what the big wow was and didn’t find much to like.

Then again, I don’t like Basketball Wives either – boy am I a loser. Continue reading →

Posted in Craig_Glazer | 22 Comments

Hearne: Funkhouser Fingers Zoo for Past Illicit Cash Stash

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Hearne Christopher Jr.

Talk about boo at the zoo…

When it comes to potential taxpayer ripoffs, the sky’s the limit in Kansas City – at least at the zoo. Or so it would seem based on an example cited by former Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser in a recent story written in his current gig as director of The Governing Institute.

“Back in 1996, while I was city auditor of Kansas City, we undertook an audit of cash control that discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars stuffed in trash bags at the zoo,” Funk begins. “That was only the worst of what we found at the dozens of different locations throughout the city that collected cash.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Hearne_Christopher | 8 Comments

Whinery: What (Little) to Expect From The Democrat Convention

Posted on September 3, 2012 by David Scott Whinery Esquire

What can we expect from the Democrats? 

Check out demconvention.com and peruse the list of “winners” they’ve lined up. What a bunch of rejects and retreads!

Obama must be the egomaniac he’s accused of being with this motley crew. There’s no one on this list that’s gonna be half the “Master-Orator” the President is.

Take “Georgetown Law Graduate” Sandra Fluke– who’s only real claim to fame is Rush Limbaugh calling her a “slut” on his radio show for complaining she has to choose between “food or birth control.”

Or something like that. Continue reading →

Posted in David Scott Whinery | 35 Comments