KC Confidential http://www.kcconfidential.com/rss/ 2012-02-23T02:56:30+01:00 text/html David Scott Whinery, Esquire http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23586&full=yes&pbr=1 Lets get one thing straight… I’m not a Ron Paul supporter and will probably join the thousands of Americans who write-in Mickey Mouse for President when casting my ballot this November. That being said- I find Mr. Paul to be a most interesting candidate. I saw Paul's speech at Union Station Saturday night and it was a barn burner. He identifies a lot of the issues that Americans are disturbed by and which are fueling the Tea Party & Occupy Wall Street protest movements. Here are three major issues I'd like to address: text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23587&full=yes&pbr=1 Let me say up front, I won't be answering the question in the above headline... When things don't work out as expected and people lose tons of dough - especially big money backers rolling the dice in uncharted waters - something's got to give. In the case of the music festival Kanrocksas, it won't be returning this summer as had been promised. Insiders estimate last summer's inaugural fest at the Kansas Speedway churned a wake of $2.5 to $4 million of red ink. That's a lot to love. Now let's take a look at the spin spoon fed to local media in Kanrocksas press release Tuesday: "Due to a major construction project at Kansas Speedway during the summer of 2012, Kanrocksas Music Festival will not return until 2013. Following the successful inaugural Kanrocksas Music Festival at Kansas Speedway in August 2011..." Was the fest successful? Nobody who knows how to operate a calculator would likely describe it that way. text/html Reid Jolly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23583&full=yes&pbr=1 Chef Robert Krause's restaurant Esquina in downtown Lawrence closed a couple weeks back... Supposedly for a makeover and conversion from Esquina's "Latin American" cuisine to Mediterranean or as some staffers indicated, Italian. Loosely translated: No more more chips and salsa, a new menu and a "new interior." Esquina reopened a few days ago, somewhat surprisingly sans a name change. It's still called Esquina, which technically works with its description of the new menu: "Come experience the flavors of the Mediterranean with a Spanish flair! Esquina features a sophisticated menu in an intimate, unique setting now with full table service and an expanded wine list." The Italian menu talk is another matter. text/html Kelly Urich http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23584&full=yes&pbr=1 The Great Gorilla Escape from the Kansas City Zoo has been blamed on a failure to lock two cage doors.   THE TOP 5 WAYS TO KEEP A GORILLA CONTAINED:   #5.  Inform him that a dangerous man is on the loose in Swope Park.   #4.  Tell him you're working a deal to get him on the roof for a Toyotathon.   #3.  Ask him to explain why the apes on "Planet of the Apes" had English accents. text/html M. Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23585&full=yes&pbr=1 Plenty of KC area concert news to digest... First, as pointed out by Hearne last week before any formal press release, it seems that the worst named music festival ever will not be returning for a second year. Instead, the Kanrocksas organizers claim they're taking a year off "Due to a major construction project at Kansas Speedway during the summer of 2012." They say they'll be back in 2013. I put the odds of that at about 50/50. Also, last week 96.5 the Buzz announced the lineup for their annual Beach Ball, which is being held again this year at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in KCK. The schedule is about as impressive as I've seen the Buzz put together, at least for the last 6 or 7 years. Headliners include The Shins, Foster the People, Flogging Molly, Sublime With Rome, Metric, The Kooks, and a few others. The show takes place on June 2nd and tickets start at just $20! That just happens to be the weekend of Wakarusa, so I'll be interested to see how the shows might end up affecting each other. On to this weeks picks... text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23581&full=yes&pbr=1 There's a "Chink In the Armor" of Jeremy Lin... ESPN had that headline up Saturday for only 35 minutes. They fired its author and suspended well-known personality Max Bretos for saying the following earlier live on the air: "If there is a chink in (Lin's) armor, where can he improve his game?" So is there a massive wave of racist hate towards Lin sweeping America? The answer is of course NO. Lin's Asian and very few Americans hate Asians. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23562&full=yes&pbr=1 From the penthouse to the you-know-what house in two short years... When former Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock imploded his way out of Kansas City two years back, he went out in style. Kinda. By taking a huge public dump on the local newspaper and outing his boss - Star editor Mike Fannin - for allegedly dipping his pen in the company ink. Nevermind that few at the Star disagreed. text/html Hearne Christopher jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23557&full=yes&pbr=1 There's little doubt Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney's campaign could use a little oomph... But is it possible that one of the most boring presidential candidates ever was caught up in a "love triangle"? Hey, maybe. And at this tender stage of the game, the idea of Romney getting strafed by The National Enquirer in a Valentine's Day sex scandal story might be a positive. Anything to knock Mitt out of that flavor-free, flip-flop box he's been trapped in the past four years. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23558&full=yes&pbr=1 When it comes to the future of the music festival known as Kanrocksas, mum's the word... That's not a good sign. Calls to pretty much all-parties involved (that could be reached) from last summer's event at the Kansas Speedway yielded a single answer; nobody knows for sure. Again, not a good sign. Established festivals like Bonnaroo and Wakarusa have had their dates picked out and up for all to see for months. For good reason. Because to succeed at the level these multi-million dollar events need to, it's vitally important to keep the faithful informed so they can make plans to attend. Last year's inaugural Kanrocksas stumbled out of the gate with a late April announcement. And it paid the price for being tardy. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23559&full=yes&pbr=1 This one's personal... It's Valentine's Day and I'm out of town and flying low, so I don't have the time to give this one a lot of thought right now - other than to do the basic reporting. Which is... My old boss Mary Lou Nolan announced today that she will retire on Friday February 24th. I'll "revisit" this, as Mary Lou might say in the near future. But I will say here and now that she will be missed. Maybe not universally, but by and large Mary Lou did a good job during some very difficult times. She certainly was never what one would call cutting edge, but hey, she put up with me for 10 or more years. And largely was very supportive. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23552&full=yes&pbr=1 It's time to level the party playing field... For four long years the Power & Light District downtown has held a huge advantage in festival licensing over other Westport and other Kansas City entertainment districts. All while costing Kansas City taxpayers millions of dollars in subsidies with deficets projected as high as $15 million a year. Unfamiliar with festival licensing? It's the practice of allowing patrons to carry drinks outside of bars and restaurants onto streets and sidewalks. Kinda like Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It's a competitive advantage the Power & Light District has had for far too long, says Westporter Bill Nigro. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23554&full=yes&pbr=1 I have to admit, this one caught even me by surprise... New Kansas City Star publisher Mi-Al Parrish stunned the newsroom today when she unleashed her first ever round of layoffs at the newspaper. "It was a shock, because people weren't expecting it," says one source. In addition to eliminating "seven staff positions," Parrish's memo outlined that a one week unpaid furlough would be implemented for "most employees" to be taken in the first half of the year. That on the heels of a week's furlough late last year. "That's two weeks with no salary," says another surprised Star staffer. text/html Tony Botello http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22755&full=yes&pbr=1 I'm often comforted and frightened by the thought that so many of the words I've blogged on the Internets will remain archived until the end of recorded human history and for a short time thereafter. Either by way of The Wayback Machine or the secret dossier that Google and Facebook are keeping on all of us. The Web really is a lot more permanent than people realize. Despite the fact that local online publishing operations tend to have the lifespan of a June-bug. So, because I'm a generous and kind soul with a penchant for busty lingerie models, I'd like to share the keys to bloggy immortality. And while I can't promise any of my advice will earn gentle readers even pocket change to help with their electricity bill, it'll certainly delight potential employees who need an excuse to pass on your application. Now, on to the advice . . . text/html Tony Botello http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22708&full=yes&pbr=1 Not every day affords the opportunity to listen to a living legend. I was waiting to put a call into Marilyn Maye after making contact with Helen, her assistant, and browsing through a bunch of complimentary clippings about her recent stint of shows for Feinstein's at the Loews Regency Hotel in New York City. In the Big Apple Ms. Maye is undergoing a bit of a career renaissance and drawing some of the most influential and prized crowds in all of the world. But career success is nothing new for Marilyn Maye. By now we all know her resume: A record 72 appearances on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, collaborations with some of the greatest names in American Music and a catalog of hits and performances that span the modern era. But in this town, the name Marilyn Maye is about more than just music. text/html Tony Botello http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22336&full=yes&pbr=1 A recent shutdown of more than two dozen Kansas City, Missouri Public schools was called "right-sizing." Which is kind of ironic given that everything associated with the plan has gone wrong. It's really just the latest foible in the history of a School District that has become the biggest embarrassment and determent to KCMO growth. Recent headlines regarding The Southwest High School Campus have continued to scare white people from the suburbs and made it seem like the KCMSD is some kind of urban war zone. That's not too far from reality but doesn't take into account that this downward spiral has taken place over the course of a generation. Student arson, violence and administrative turmoil are the current buzzwords regarding the so many headlines this week. But I've found yet another piece of local school District fail that's worth identifying. text/html Tony Botello http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22325&full=yes&pbr=1 Mark Lowrey is one of the most talented musicians in Kansas City. It's no surprise that a Mayoral hopeful would want to be associated with his level of skill, versatility and -- as Charlie Sheen has been saying lately -- winning.  The musician/politician relationship is tenuous at best. They're two different fields but at the end of the day it's all about getting the public to dig what you're doing. So there's probably a bit of a natural kinship. Additionally, we should probably talk branding. It's a struggle for politicos to find the right fit given that their enemies will look to nitpick at every opportunity and entertainers can't risk alienating their audience. Luckily, this Kansas City Mayoral race is exceptionally polite, respectful, and non-partisan. Therefore, this is probably the perfect time for musician like Lowrey to get involved. text/html Tony Botello http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22318&full=yes&pbr=1 It's a fact of life that everyone wants something from City Hall. It's the place where people feel entitled to bring their pipe dreams and ask the taxpayers to foot the bill. In this setting, essential City Services like trash pickup and infrastructure must share time with even the most frivolous local demands. Now that we're heading into a new epoch of local government it's important to re-evaluate all of the people standing in line for City money and hope for a changing political climate that will make silly demands hard to meet. While we can all agree that cops need to be paid and streets must be maintained, over the past four years some of the demands on this town have just been stupid but embattled politicos felt obligated to meet them because of so much antipathy regarding all of their other work. So today, let's take a look at a few "feel-good" local constituencies and how they draw money from broke-ass KC only because some people perceive that their cause is just and not just another special interest. text/html Tony Botello http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22310&full=yes&pbr=1 I don't know if I'm up late or early but right now I'm listening to an online play list featuring the soulful sounds of Bill Withers and remembering that I owe Hearne another post this week. So since I'm in a retro kind of mood, I think it's appropriate to round up this week in Kansas City news. Mayor Mark Funkhouser is now a lame duck and is now a footnote in Kansas City history. I'm finished trying to come up with clever analogies to mark this not-so-noteworthy occasion.Instead, I'm surprised how much this DIDN'T change. The earth didn't split open, there weren's't mass celebration in the streets and no one even took a moment to halt from their respective campaigns to lament the one-time political giant's implosion.  There's talk that because The Star called the finalists in the General Election, that they now have more power and influence in Kansas City. This myth is easily busted by the fact that NOBODY voted and their coverage wasn't influential enough to draw anybody to the polls. For the record, my 87 year-old grandma also predicted the EXACT outcome of the race. She's also really good when it comes to bingo. But I digress. This week also offers some more recycled trends. Let's see: text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23563&full=yes&pbr=1 In recent years Valentine's Day has become one of THE THREE go out nights of the year... It replaced New Year's Eve for couples shortly after the year 2000. I can attest to that at Stanford and Sons. Valentine's week has been in our Top Three for like a decade. But for some reason, this year it got lost! text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23556&full=yes&pbr=1 If you're anything like me, you wondered, "Did my cat chew the damn cable again?" Last night we got to watch the exciting first half of the KU / K-State basketball game get dumped. No picture. No sound, nothing. What! Yeah, it was crappy out - we our first real snow - a slushy mess with clouds and yuk. Not to worry, we had time to race home to watch a somewhat big basketball game at 8 PM. Make a small wager on the home school. Me, I love KU basketball and MU football. So I was on Kansas -4 and under 135 1/2 -  got it? So I sit back, get a nice cold drink, turn on the set and...sorry, NOTHING! text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23551&full=yes&pbr=1 Man, it's finally gotten to me, all the thoughtful comments some of you have been leaving... They've made me see the error of my ways. After all, you're the people who care, want to help me and make the world a better place. You've pointed out my lies, shortcomings and such. And now I can't hide from the truth any longer, so I CONFESS! WHERE TO BEGIN? text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23535&full=yes&pbr=1 Some of the top "MOST HATED ATHLETES" are also the best known in the world... Most of the Top 10 are huge stars in the game they play or played in, and sometimes being on this list can be a good thing. But I suppose it's not one these guys particularly want to read. Number One: Easy, Michael Vick. We all know why, the dog fighting and torture of small animals. I agree with this one. Jim Rome didn't. Rome had Vick on a few weeks back and said, "I think the guy is reformed." Me, I'm an animal lover and if Vick was ripping my little dogs teeth out with pliers, I'd have to put one in him. A bullet. Major jerk. Number Two: Tiger Woods. text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23540&full=yes&pbr=1 They're the best looking couple in the nation, if not the world... I'm talking about Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. Yes, I'm putting them above Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but have you seen Pitt lately?  Plus Tom and Gisele are younger. However, now come the hard times. Brady is down due to his second Super Bowl loss and Gisele is busy and probably gone from home a lot. In celebrity marriages, this is the stuff that often can cause trouble. Hey, I'm totally in agreement with what Gisele said on that elevator. "My husband can't fucking throw the ball AND CATCH IT."  She was 100 percent correct and I'm sure that's what Tom thinks but just can't say. Tom Brady played a near perfect game, save the interception. text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23537&full=yes&pbr=1 OK, so he isn't a head coach this season... Former Chiefs coach Todd Haley is the next best thing, the offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's one of the best jobs in the NFL outside of being a head coach. The Steelers are "money" when it comes to the post season. And the Super Bowl has been all too often a stop for this storied franchise. "I am excited about the opportunity to come back home and work for a tremendous organization," Haley says. Translation: The Kansas City Chiefs organization is nothing. It's no secret that Scott Pioli and Haley hated each other, as first reported here on KC Confidential, where I was told by a comment idiot to stop making stuff up or I could be sued. Then I explained that it was a hate war between them and Haley knew he was to be fired soon. I offered as evidence that Haley and his wife had quit Woodside and the two wives didn't speak anymore. Well, it all ended up true, huh haters? text/html Jack Poessiger http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22330&full=yes&pbr=1 Two new fantasy adventures on tap this weekend...   The first is a high concept romantic sci-fi fantasy thriller based on a short story by Philip K. Dick of TOTAL RECALL, MINORITY REPORT and BLADE RUNNER fame.   In THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU actor Matt Damon stars as an ambitious politician on the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate when he meets beautiful ballet dancer Emily Blunt. But the closer he gets to her the more interference he begins to experience from the forces of the Adjustment Bureau!   Who are these guys? text/html Jack Poessiger http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22331&full=yes&pbr=1 The second fantasy-adventure on the docket this weekend is RANGO... It's an animated fantasy tale of a displaced lizard-chameleon. A dude with a definite identity crisis who finds himself out of the restrictive confines of his terrarium and in a waterless western dessert (critter) town called Dirt. Got all that? There he discovers the hero inside him, becoming its new sheriff and trying to get to the bottom of the water shortage with all signs pointing to a corrupt local banker.  It's difficult to properly describe RANGO. Suffice it to say it's got both kid and adult appeal! text/html Jack Poessiger http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22299&full=yes&pbr=1 It's been a while since we've last heard from the Farrelly Brothers---the original pull-out-all-the stops writing, producing and directing team that hit it big with the cult classic THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. And how can we forget DUMB AND DUMBER?   Well, they're back and this time with NO Filters!   In their latest over the top outing, HALL PASS, they team Owen Wilson with Kansas City's Jason Sudeikis. The pair play best friends with plenty in common and now pretty well past their days of wedded bliss. But they're convinced that IF they were single, they'd be able to pick up any woman they come in contact with. text/html Jack Poessiger http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22264&full=yes&pbr=1 For this extended President's Day weekend, the studios are serving up six new movies at area theatres, and I'm picking three of them: one wide release and two limited engagements. First - and citywide - the action-thriller Unknown starring Hollywood's "new Harrison Ford," Liam Neeson. Here, he plays American botanist scientist Dr. Martin Harris who, with his wife (played by January Jones), are flying to Berlin to address an international biotech conference at the swank Hotel Adlon. But when he accidentially leaves his briefcase at Tegel airport, he hails a cab to take him back to the arrival hall to find his lost luggage. Oops,then there's an accident! The cab ends up in the Spree river leaving Neeson hospitalized in a coma. When he eventually returns to the hotel his wife doesn't recognize him. Making matters worse, there's a new Dr. Martin Harris alongside the Mrs.! text/html Jack Poessiger http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22232&full=yes&pbr=1 JUST GO WITH IT is one of those high-concept romantic comedies that can easily be described in one sentence: The power of the wedding ring....(go ahead, you finish the sentence.) You don't have to be an Adam Sandler fan to get a kick out of it---but it helps. Here's the concept: It's 1988 and an often made-fun-of young boy with a Karl Malden-like dick-shaped nose eventually has it surgically altered. Now fast forward some 22 years and the boy is now a successful plastic surgeon spending his weekends bedding hotties. His schtick: Pretending to be unhappily married and about to get a divorce. text/html Jack Poessiger http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=22201&full=yes&pbr=1 Let's see now. With the SINGLE WHITE FEMALE-like psychological thriller THE ROOMMATE not screened for critics and the action thriller SANCTUM's screening snowed out this past Tuesday, my critical options were limited this week. THE COMPANY MEN is a star-studded low profile drama taking on today's new realities of American life. In THE COMPANY MEN, Ben Affleck is living the proverbial American dream. Great corporate job at the mighty GTX conglomerate. Beautiful family. Country club membership. And a Porsche in the garage. But all that is about to go down the drain. It's called downsizing and leaves Ben along with co-workers Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones jobless. Three men at the top of their game now forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands and fathers. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23532&full=yes&pbr=1 Long time no Fiat column... Seems like only yesterday, KC Confidential was all over the triumphant return of Fiat to the United States. You may recall that in addition to covering the return of the Italian carmaker to America - as a result of Fiat's rescue of the now wildly successful Chrysler - I made an impulse buy and signed on to buy one of the first 500 "Prima Edizione" Fiat 500s, sight unseen, price unknown. Pretty smart, huh? As the months dragged on, I reported on the tiny car (seven inches shorter than a Mini Cooper) and defended the little bugger against all comers in KCC's caustic, few-holds-barred comments section. Was I totally gay? Didn't I know Fiat was short for "Fix it again Tony?" Why not do the right thing and buy a Mini? text/html Hearne Christopher jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23315&full=yes&pbr=1 Long time no affordable sports car... Even if you count the Mazda Miata - not the most manly ride known to man - it's been decades since a true, affordable sports car has been for sale in this country. Nissan's 370Z starts at $31,000 and change but the price rises pretty quick. We'll have to wait and see exactly how Subaru prices this one but with an expected sticker starting around $25,000 it beats the Z Car by a considerable amount. That said, knowing Subaru's penchant for offering an infinitesimal array of options and add-ons, it won't be hard to drive up the sticker price. The Subaru BRZ debuted today in production form at the Tokyo Motor Show. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23299&full=yes&pbr=1 This just in, the sky is not falling on the new Fiat 500... "Fiat's U.S. chief ousted after poor Fiat 500 sales start," reads the Nov. 21 USA Today headline. Unfortunately, as often is the case, the reporting on Fiat's slower than hoped for re-entry into the North American market has been accompanied with precious little perspective. With more than 20,000 Fiat 500 sales in the US and Canada, there's no arguing it will not achieve its overly-optimistic goal of selling 50,000 units this year. Now let's put that and the controversial ouster of Fiat 's North American head Laura Soave in proper perspective. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23271&full=yes&pbr=1 Don't take this the wrong way, but... Between the rancor over Craig Glazer's new, sizzling hot Lotus Evora - and the thumping I've taken over trading my earth-saving Toyota Prius for an ever-so-humble Fiat 500 - it got me to thinking. Because ever since Fiat's J Lo TV spots began running during Chiefs games, all I've heard is how unmanly the little bugger is. And clearly, the dudes who like to knock the Fiat most are Mini Cooper worshippers. That despite the fact that the Mini lists for $5,000 more, has several inches less rear legroom and has 50 percent less trunk space. Yeah, the Fiat's a bit slower, but it rides better, handles about the same and gets better mileage. But back to the "manly man" stuff... If the Mini's so damn macho, why is it that nearly half its drivers are chicks? And who exactly is buying all those Union Jack decals atop the Mini's roof? Could it be women and gay car buyers? Which got me to thinking; am I driving a chick magnet - as some have implied - or a gay-mobile? Exactly which cars are considered "gay" and are most popular with gay car buyers? As Greg Hall likes to say, read on... text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23268&full=yes&pbr=1 Stand down Mini Cooper chauvinists, your Fiat 500 bashing days are numbered.... Make fun of the J Lo ad spots if you want, even though there's no arguing that the Mini has been a total chick car as well from the get-go. However, as of now the Fiat's "manhood" can no longer be questioned. Not after the "small-but-wicked" Fiat 500 Abarth is announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show. So read it and weep: text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23128&full=yes&pbr=1 Don't look now but everybone's favorite "humble scribe" is about to go James Bond... Stanford's comedy club main man Craig Glazer almost pulled the trigger on trading his  Porsche for a red hot new, red Lotus Evora sports car earlier this year, but the deal fell through. However the game is back afoot and Glazer's a phone call away from flat-bedding in a sleek black Evora from St. Louis Motorsports. "I like it a lot, it drives great and handles a step up from my Porsche because it's smaller and lower to the ground," Glazer says. "I think speed-wise it's about the same. The top speed is like 170." Glazer test drove the Evora yesterday in St. Louis and has an offer on the table.   text/html Kelly Urich http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23564&full=yes&pbr=1 Whitney Houston dead at 48. She was my first African-American crush...unless you count Tootie on Facts of Life. ******* Remember when we learned that Osama Bin Laden loved Whitney Houston?  How he owned several photos of Whitney, all of her albums and reportedly HATED Bobby Brown. Turns out that was his one redeeming quality. text/html Kelly Urich http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23539&full=yes&pbr=1 Sounds to me like Gisele Bundchen is a better ball handler than the Patriots wide receivers. I'm sure Tom Brady's cool with that. ******* Google will pay $10 for each utility pole it attaches cables to in Wyandotte County.  I haven't seen this kind of money shelled out for pole since I was a Chippendale. And where will Wy Cow store all that dough, in a "pole vault"? text/html Kelly Urich http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23525&full=yes&pbr=1 TOP 5 PREDICTIONS FOR THE SUPER BOWL: #5.  Millions of Americans will watch with the volume muted, not realizing Joe Buck is no longer calling the game. #4.  Inspired by Tom Brady's old coach, I might ask Gisele Bundchen if she wants me to donate my organ. #3.  A dozen people will get an unexpected look at Katie Couric's colon when they accidentally google Super Bowel. text/html Kelly Urich http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23514&full=yes&pbr=1 American incomes rose 0.5 percent in December - the biggest jump in nine months - but it still wasn't enough to keep up with the rate increases of Starbucks Coffee. ******* Starbucks will open its first store in India later this year.  That means, the guy giving me tech support that I can't understand will be talking even faster. text/html Kelly Urich http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23496&full=yes&pbr=1 A new study by KCPD finds red-light cameras do not decrease the number of injury accidents at intersections.  In fact, rear-end wrecks, injury wrecks and overall wrecks increased dramatically.  Police became suspicious when they realized the cameras were made by Maaco. ******* Construction in the KC area was off 43 percent in 2011.  In fact, there wouldn't have been any construction work at all if it weren't for the West-Edge project on the Plaza. text/html Kelly Urich http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23482&full=yes&pbr=1 A proposed oil pipeline from Canada through Kansas has been rejected. Mainly, because it wasn't something Kansas could steal from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Governor Brownback says he's willing to allow the pipeline to be built, but only if it goes through the middle of several Planned Parenthood clinics. ******* A Shawnee Mission West student got a perfect score on her A.C.T. text/html Hearne http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23572&full=yes&pbr=1 Get the jump on Fat Tueday this weekend at the Uptown... The 2012 Carnivàle du Soul featuring the band Hearts of Darkness goes down Saturday night at the Uptown Theater at 3700 Broadway. "It'll be a Mardi Gras event with Hearts of Darkness, the band Goodfoot and there'll be DJs as well," says the Uptown's Fred Cannon. "The doors are at 8 p.m. and the show starts at  9 p.m. and goes until 1 a.m." Wanna save some money - like a lot of money? text/html Matthew Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23570&full=yes&pbr=1 Valentine's Day has come and gone, and hopefully you made it through unscathed... Hopefully you got through that awkward night where you had to pretend you actually have "feelings" and that you care about something other than shoving food down your hole, guzzling brewdogs, and the occasional strange.   You made it!  So now forget about all that b.s. you told your sweetie and regain a bit of your manhood by watching some local DJs fight to the death at the Beaumont this Saturday.  I heard that they do it with knives like they did in the music video for Bad by tying their hands together... and then dancing around a bit.  On to the picks... text/html Brandon Leftridge http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23548&full=yes&pbr=1 Rivers are inherently frightening things. If you’re not being Jeff Buckley’d or Ned Beatty’d (drowned and raped, respectively), you’re encountering catfish-punching rednecks, Mexican picnics and hill-people on homemade watercraft. Rivers—especially around these parts—are muddy, murky affairs, perfect for getting attacked by unseen, underwater beasts like the alligator gar, or inadvertently inner-tubing with the dismembered corpse of Prospect Corridor hookers. Gone are the days of pursuing a Twain-ian river adventure, where one listlessly rafts down a scenic bloom of natural beauty. No longer is one liable to stumble through the thicket to find a kick-ass Alan Jackson river party, replete with plastic cups of Budweiser and bikini clad temptresses grilling Oscar Mayer hot-dogs. Today’s local streams have much more in common with their seedy South American counterparts. The Amazon is the world’s longest river, running 4,000 miles from Peru to Brazil—coast to coast, in other words—and, during the wet season, can stretch to 30 miles wide. That’s fucking huge. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23538&full=yes&pbr=1 When it comes to first class messes, it doesn't get much better than Jardine's.... The iconic Plaza area jazz club has been down for the count since late last November when things spiraled out of control after owner Beena Raja busted a handful of staffers for drinking on the company dime after hours Thanksgiving Day morning. She then accused others at the club of unethical practices, resulting in a spate of resignations, firings followed by a state of complete confusion and tabloid style local TV news coverage. Among the misdeeds that ensued, rogue former staffers changed the password on Jardine's Facebook page and refused Raja access, rendering her unable to get her side of the story out at a critical time early into the revolt and chaos. Then on New Year's Eve eve, the Pitch reported that locals Robert McCain and Joseph Fulgenzi had purchased Jardine's and Raja was o-u-t. That however proved premature as all parties involved have since stated a deal has yet to be struck and the club remains closed to the public. text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23533&full=yes&pbr=1 At long last Kansas City is getting Madonna... To the best of my recollection, KC has never hosted a Madonna show. Back when she truly mattered - the early to mid 1980s through mid 1990s - the Material Girl's concert tours hit the East Coast, the West Coast and Florida, but never here. That's about to change when the Madonna plays Sprint Center the night before Halloween on October 30. When Madonna broke out in 1983, her early claim to fame was she was dating popular 70s/80s DJ John Jellybean Benitez who mixed her first album. John Who, you may ask, assuming like most Kansas Citians you were largely resentful of the disco phenomenon that swept most of the country with the exception of gay bars in Midwestern burgs like KC. text/html Matt Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23536&full=yes&pbr=1 I know it's a ways off, but if you want to save a little coin now is the time... The Wakarusa Festival, May 31st - June 3rd in beautiful Ozark, Arkansas, has been selling tickets at a breakneck pace.  That's no real surprise, especially for anyone that's made the four hour journey down to Mulberry Mountain before.  The venue is spacious, amenities are plentiful, and there's even a really nice river that you can swim in to cool off (and maybe even bathe your filthy carcass). The $149 price for Early Bird tickets is only good thru this Sunday and it gets you full access to the festival.  Camping passes must be purchased seperately, and they range in price from $29 - $99 depending on where you want to throw your tent or RV down. And if you do make it down, keep an eye out for me and my KCC crew.  I'll be the guy dressed like Larry Bird.  Here's the link for Wakarusa's ticketing:   http://wakarusa.com/2012/tickets.asp On to this week's picks... text/html David Scott Whinery, Esquire http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23545&full=yes&pbr=1 Fashion forward Obama supporters can now flaunt their fervor by sporting high-end gear such as T-shirts, tote bags, scarves, dog bowls and sweaters- even nail polish! The mastermind behind the “Runway to Win” project: Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who solicited top designers like Mark Jacobs, Vera Wang and others to donate their time and talent to raise money for Obama's 2012 re-election effort.           Not surprisingly, Republicans are crying foul, saying the effort violates campaign finance laws. I think they're just jealous. text/html Mermaid http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23420&full=yes&pbr=1 The Top 10 (OK 12) Champagnes for New Year's Eve New Year's Eve is coming and you don't feel like paying 100 bucks to go to a bar for the night but still wanna get your drink on and celebrate the new year or say goodbye to a really bad one. Here's my list of the top 12 (just couldn't narrow it to 10) champagnes I love. 1. Moet & Chandon Imperial (same as discontinued White Star) Approx. $45 2. Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Approx. $45 3.Barefoot Bubbly California Premium Extra Dry (Good if you are on a budget) Approx. $9 4 . Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Brut Yellow Label Approx. $45 text/html The Mermaid http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23412&full=yes&pbr=1 RFID, I hadn't thought much about these letters until the recent Wal Mart scandal... The one where the company is embedding chips in clothing - mostly underwear and jeans - to "keep track of inventory."  Radio-Frequency Identification should be something you start thinking about a lot these days. Is it Big Brother or a helpful chip for times of trouble, such as a bad accident or a kidnapping of a child? If you are just hearing about this for the first time, listen up. text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23413&full=yes&pbr=1 A major break-through for Westwood and Johnson County is finally happening... Woodside Health & Tennis has been trying for years to gain approval from the locals to expand its popular tennis and fitness club into a huge complex for high-end apartment living, shopping, a larger health club, children's facilities, a new lap indoor pool and  tons more. This is huge. The plan was approved this week to move the project forward. Owner Blair Tanner and crew now have the backing of Westwood to make it all happen. Tanner hopes construction will begin very soon, by this summer. text/html Craig Glazer http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23398&full=yes&pbr=1 Last Friday after afternoon my brother Jeff and I had some business downtown... As we were leaving the area around 1 p.m. we decided to take a look at what was up in the Power & Light area. To be fair it was daytime, however this is Christmas shopping season and it was about 50 degrees and clear outside. Power and Light boasts that it has 50 stores, shops, restaurants and bars all under (kinda) one roof. A billion dollar entertainment romp. Yes? No. There was nobody - and I mean nobody - down there. We stopped at about six major restaurants and found zip. The main, most popular one, McFadden's had about six people eating and drinking inside. The manager said "Well, its daytime, there's not much going on. We had some people in earlier, try the weekend nights." text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23365&full=yes&pbr=1 Just like that, the Blockbuster near 77th and State line is no more... The one Steve Rose and I go to. That is, whenever Rose's family is in town for the holidays and my kids are hosting an overnight hang with friends. It was kind of like a Mission Hills / Prairie Village / Waldo  neighborhood institution. Albeit an institution on the brink of extinction. When other Blockbusters and area video stores were dropping like flies the last couple of years, the manager there assured me his would be one of the last to go because it was some sort of regional headquarters or something. Yet suddenly, last Tuesday employees got word from upon high and they were out-of-there in a flash. text/html Reid Jolly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23555&full=yes&pbr=1 God I love Hooters…. You know, the restaurant. And not just because of the T and A or the table service which is sometimes sub-par owing to the revolving door of semi-hot waitresses the chain is infamous for. On a side note, I firmly believe that this restaurant chain is where many ex-strippers go after they stop being HOT, but retain some minimal customer service skills. I wouldn’t bring this up but, if you consider getting take out food there, you'll see what I mean. The ridiculous shorts, the scent of patchouli, the lack of actual hooters. text/html Reid Jolly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23550&full=yes&pbr=1 I've always considered Red Lobster as the Aldi or Walmart of seafood restaurants... Poor man’s sea food. They don’t serve the expensive, palate-pleasing fish such as monk, shark, or Chilian Sea Bass like the Bristol or Capital Grille. Instead they give you standard options like salmon, tilapia, and grouper. However they do come through bigtime in quality, portion size and value. And they care, which is hard to find these days for the hard-earned dollar. I never call in a to-go order at Red Lobster because… 1. I like to decide when I get there because the menu is so vast. 2. And I like to see the bartenders make a thousand frozen drinks while waiting on people who don’t tip and have their tabs transfered to a table. Then I thank GOD I bartend where I do. text/html Reid Jolly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23546&full=yes&pbr=1 People have been getting take out food for hundreds of years, or something like that... Whether they stabbed it, shot it, found it or called in to their favorite restaurant. Today we pick it up and drive it home, instead of hauling it home on our shoulders to the cave that we used to dine in. Thank you evolution. Unfortunately evolution hasn't helped with the gratuity issue. The absolute rule is, don't mess with anybody that handles your food or drinks.  text/html Hearne Christopher Jr. http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23543&full=yes&pbr=1 Fasten your chinstaps, KC Confidential is about to unleash a new Food Dude... His name is Reid Jolly and for what it's worth, the 30-something, Shawnee Mission Northwest grad's high school mascot was a Cougar. Fittingly, Jolly comes equipped with a penchant for both Italian food and adult movie star sex. "Uh, I'm alright with it," he says. "The more women in it the better." As a single dude, Jolly's mostly blogged about the good, bad and ugly of getting restaurant food to go. Something former Star restaurant critic Tim Finn almost got fired for several years back. Unlike Finn however, Jolly was up front about styrofoaming it with his readers. I digress. text/html Reid Jolly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23544&full=yes&pbr=1 Carmen’s Cafe is new to Leawood on the very cool restaurant strip near Town Center Plaza... They have a great location that's close to shopping, movies and other restaurants that offer similar upscale cuisine. But Carmen's does it better, way better than the shadow that may follow them from its Brookside location. That said, they're under an even bigger shadow, that of Garozzo’s. Garozzo’s has four locations in KC, one in Olathe (but who the heck wants to eat there?), another in Overland Park on College and the original on 526 Harrison downtown. The fourth's in Lee’s Summit. Who knew if you became a successful restaurateur here you'd open locations in the two most white trash cities in the area?   text/html Mermaid http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23505&full=yes&pbr=1 It's Restaurant Week everyone and let me be the first to say this is a fantastic way to try out places you haven't been to yet or maybe frequent a favorite spot. My date and I tried out Starker's Restaurant last night and had a wonderful meal. Kudo's to them for hanging in there after the tragic death of owner / chef John McClure last October. They are doing great! Here are the logistics for Restaurant Week: text/html Matt Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23561&full=yes&pbr=1   Don't know Graham Zusi yet? Well, you will soon. Sporting KC's firestarter will soon be featured on a billboard in downtown KC, flowing locks and all. So maybe you'll recognize the growing star next time you catch him out at the Crossroads taking in a show, or hiking around a local park. What else? Well, after barely playing his first two seasons in the league, he was named the MLS Breakout Player of the Year in 2011, leading Sporting Kansas City to the Eastern Conference finals with his heady midfield play. text/html Matthew Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23517&full=yes&pbr=1 Do you ever wish that things could be the way they used to be? I do, but I also know that can’t happen. Yes, I realize it’s just my own selfishness that makes me long for simpler times. But I was there, man! I was there before there were crowds of 18,000 plus at Wizards and SKC games.  Before the huge video boards.  Before the snappy new colors and cutting edge stadium. Those were simpler times.  You could sit anywhere for five to 10 bucks. The stands were so sparsely littered with fans you could heckle players with elaborate chants they were sure to hear. Those days are gone, people.  With the home opener less than two months away, Sporting Kansas City is the hottest ticket in town…  text/html M. Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23487&full=yes&pbr=1   With the home opener less than two months away, Sporting KC is gearing up for the 2012 season… Friday, the team endured the legendary "beep test," which is a running exercise used to measure the team's overall fitness levels at the beginning of preseason. It's dreaded by SKC players, but is a necessary evil for coach Peter Vermes' preferred style of play, which involves a lot of running and pressure all over the field. Word is that overall, the team showed up in even better shape than at this point last year, so that's a good sign players are really buying into the system. Prior to the "beep test" I had the chance to catch up with one of Sporting KC's newest additions, defender Cyprian Hedrick (Sip-REE-an HE-drick), who was taken in the second round of the MLS SuperDraft out of Coastal Carolina. He was the 2011 Big South Defensive Player of the Year, and a decent sized, athletic player with the physical tools to play in the league right away if needed. Most likely, though, he'll come off the bench, at least at first, and provide some defensive depth on the squad.   text/html M. Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23464&full=yes&pbr=1                                                                                        All eyes were on KC Thursday morning... Major League Soccer held its annual draft at the KC Convention Center, which was broadcast live on ESPN2. And as I predicted, Sporting KC chose a striker with their first pick in the draft, 16th overall. They snagged Dom Dwyer, a quick, tenacious Englishman who spent last season at the University of South Florida, and the previous two years in Texas playing at Tyler Junior College. Will this pick live up to Peter Vermes' growing reputation as a draft day wizard? Certainly no one is expecting Dom to replicate CJ Sapong's rookie 2011 season in which the James Madison product separated himself from everyone else in his class and ripped the Rookie of the Year award by a mile. We'll be keeping a close eye on Dom as the season nears and reporting his progress here at KCC, but I expect him to come in and contribute on the field, probably as a backup, pretty much immediately. text/html M. Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23438&full=yes&pbr=1 Sporting Kansas City head coach and general manager Peter Vermes is gaining a reputation as a skilled talent evaluator after only a couple years on the job. Last year in the MLS SuperDraft, he tapped a relatively unknown forward out of James Madison with the 10th overall pick. The selection was universally panned as a reach, with most observers noting that KC really needed a center defender more than another attacker. Fast forward nine months and that unknown forward, CJ Sapong, was accepting the MLS Rookie of the Year trophy. And look at some of his other recent high draft picks... text/html Matthew Donnelly http://www.kcconfidential.com/full_content.php?article_id=23399&full=yes&pbr=1 So now it’s official.  Officially official... It’s a drum I started beating early last season after watching a few Sporting Kansas City games. It was so obvious. And I kept pounding that thing all season. Graham Zusi is the best player on the team.  Not only is he the best player, he also happens to occupy the center midfielder position, a spot that can dictate the entire flow of a game and determine the personality of a squad. As the 2011 MLS regular season neared its end, I cast my media ballot in Zusi’s favor for team MVP, though he ended up losing to Jimmy Nielsen, who had a solid year as well between the pipes. But now it’s not just us die hard SKC fans that know about Zusi.