Author Archives: admin
Starbeams: Taking Heat Off Fred Phelps, Sprint Ads @ The K & Max Floyd’s Advice
The moron – not Morman – preacher who burned the Qur’an in Florida is now officially responsible for the deaths of American troops in Afghanistan. The only good news for locals is, he’s replaced the preacher in Topeka as the biggest loser in the nation. Whatever happened to the good old days when preachers would burn KISS and Led Zeppelin albums?
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About last night’s UConn vs. Butler NCAA basketball championship. Guess I’m the only person in the nation who’s bracket led to Baker vs Mid-American Nazarene University.
2011 Off The Couch NCAA Bracket Challenge Winners
The 2011 Off The Couch NCAA Bracket Challenge is complete! And it was almost as ugly as the championship game. Please read below for our top three winners. Please email me your mailing address so I can get you your gift certificates from Jardine’s Restaurant, Westport Flea Market, Waldo’s The Well and Stanford’s Comedy Club in The Legends at Village West.1) 1) Joe Mathieu: 216 points, 40 correct and Ohio State / $100 Jardines
2) 2) Eli Waterman: 211 points, 34 correct and UConn / $50 Westport Flea Market
3) 3) Red: 209 points, 38 correct and North Carolina / $25 The Well
Glazer: How to Date Six to Seven Women at the Same Time & Live to Tell the Story
So you want to have a ton of girlfriends, eh?
Most men do. That’s why they want to be some sort of star or wealthy or both. Oh, we want the dough alright, but mostly because it gives us a longer shot at being in demand with the ladies. Looks certainly help but women love a guy who’s an ‘it’ man – be it local or national.
Now let’s take a gander inside the life of a guy who for years has had a stable or bullpen of girlfriends.
Me.
But before the haters unleash themselves, let me say this;
OTC: Is Frank Haith Coming & Frank Martin Going?
“If Missouri really hired Frank Haith, Mike Alden better have the explanation of the century.”Pat Forde, of ESPN, on hearing Missouri will be naming Miami’s coach as their replacement for Mike Anderson, Twitter
GH: I went to bed thinking the Shaka Smart bidding between Mizzou and North Carolina State would be the story today. Instead, I woke to a funeral that has some guy named Frank Haith carrying Mike Alden’s casket all by himself down the Avenue of the Columns. Read on for the national media’s reaction.
“Mizzou hires Frank Haith. Rest of world giggles.Frank Haith is an anagram for worse hire than Quin Snyder. … I truly feel bad for Frank Haith. He doesn’t deserve today’s scorn. Mike Alden deserves every bit of it.”
Gregg Doyel, CBS Sports, Twitter
Tracy: Dear Suckers, Guess Who Isn’t Paying the E Tax – the Dudes Who Want You to Pay!
Dear KCMO Suckers:
It’s worse than you think. And if you vote Yes to extend the 1% E-Tax, it’s gonna get even worse.
Attached is the list of all the business areas that have suckered KCMO citizens into paying to remodel or redevelop THEIR businesses, while homeowners struggle to maintain their homes. Many on this list are the sugar daddies and pimps who are financing the Yes campaign for Tuesday’s E-Tax.
I want to thank Harley – the KCC commenter who is so seldom wrong (at least he thinks so) – for challenging my previous E-Tax post. He and jjskck claimed that TIF projects are not exempt from the E-Tax. I investigated.
Sorry, boys, you’re wrong. All TIFs are exempt from E-Tax!
Donnelly: Bright Eyes Disses Kansas Pols at the Uptown, Saturday April 2, 2011
Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst is a dramatic guy. Some critics might say that’s his downfall. The self-importance, the grand ideas, and the naivete that permeate his music.
Those people think, "Is this guy for real? This is some sappy, self-aware, sentimental, emo crap."
Fair enough.
And apparently, he’s not big on Republicans. More on that later…
Today: Pitch Founder Hal Brody Looks at Rocky Road Ahead for Alt News Pubs, Part 2
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The scramble for survival is on…
The good, old days of the alternative publishing industry are behind it. Ahead lies an uncertain future. A future former Pitch – and until recently East Bay Express publisher – Hal Brody has placed in the rearview mirror.
"These papers can’t really survive like they used to just by having the world’s best calendars and a few good feature stories," Brody says. "You really have to be imbedded in the community. You have to get to the point where the community wants you to survive."
After three years of layoffs, cutbacks and incredibly-shrinking issues, Pitch editor C.J. Janovy and top reporting gun Nadia Pflaum not only left, they bailed from the biz.
New Jack City: Movie Innovators Cameron, Lucas, Katzenberg Raise Cinematic Bar
Three movie Industry heavyweights at last week’s international CinemaCon movie convention in Las Vegas told us of the exciting new innovations in 3-D development and animation.
The frank presentation panel included Hollywood titans James Cameron, Jeffrey Katzenberg and George Lucas.
Luckily the cutting-edge technologies they spoke of are not in a galaxy far, far away—but in the very near future!
Car: Case of the Missing Fiat 500 Prima Edizione Cars Continues
One of these days, Kansas Citians will be able to walk into Fiat of Olathe, sign on the dotted line and skip away in a critically-acclaimed, eco-friendly Fiat 500…
But don’t even think about that fantasy for at least another month. Not where the ongoing launch of the 500 is concerned.
Clearly Fiat fucked up.
First the company didn’t name dealers until mid-late November right before the holidays. No way those dealers could complete the paperwork, build studios to Fiat specs and be open by January, as Fiat suggested.
Kansas City’s dealer, for example, remains at the mercy of its Shreveport sister to deliver 10 Prima Ediziones to buyers.
"Very frustrating!" says Vladimir Liska of Omaha. "I was reading on Facebook some guy just hit 1,000 miles on his Prima… (Mine) better show up at the dealer on Tuesday!"
Donnelly: Sporting KC Salvages A Draw From Wild Finish In Canada
On Saturday in Vancouver, Sporting Kansas City did the near impossible.
Despite leading the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 going into the last twenty minutes of the game, by the final whistle the scoreboard read 3-3. Vancouver took advantage of what looked like a tired Sporting side and never gave up, equalizing the game with three goals in the last twenty minutes- including two goals in stoppage time- to rip two extremely important points away from SKC.
There were, however, some real positives for SKC, prior to its meltdown…
Star Search: Misleading Headlines & The Case of the Missing Royals Promotion
Ah, the Kansas City Star….
For all that it should be and what it is, let’s take a quick look at a few obvious shortcomings. Starting with its partial front-page headline Firday about the Kansas City Royals season-opening loss at home; "The future looks bright."
Now contrast that with a headline buried deep inside Sports Daily: "KC has smallest payroll."
That the Royals are fielding a team of largely young unknowns (again), likely to leave if and when they reach their peak playing levels, is underscored in the underplayed report. That New York Yankee‘s star Alex Rodriguez makes nearly twice as much as the entire Royals payroll for its starting lineup is the point the Star should be pounding home, rather than trafficking in statistics and naive optimism.
Today: Panhandler Jerry Mazer Alive & Kicking in Tony Bennett Land?
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The search for the cold, dead body of illustrious kc panhandler Jerry Mazer just got a lot more complicated.
Yes, it’s April Fool’s Day, but no, this isn’t a spoof.
Reports from multiple sources that Mazer – infamous for his Plaza presence outside Barnes & Noble and "Can I get a down payment on a cheeseburger?" parlance – died last year have to date proved unconfirmable.
With all that’s truly known being that Mazer – who forced the city and the Plaza to their knees by getting a no panhandling ordinance tossed – disappeared from the local scene last fall. Followed by a flurry of rumors he had died. But a check with Kansas City’s Department of Records found no evidence of a death certificate.
Hearne: No Fooling, Ex Pitch/Pennylane Owner Hal Brody Steps to the Plate, Part 1 of 3
It’s been a rocking 11 years for the man who brought Kansas City Pennylane Records & The Pitch…
After cashing in big time on the Pitch in 1999, Hal Brody moved to California and until recently ran Oakland’s East Bay Express alternative news weekly. He’s been through lawsuits, business turnarounds and temperatures the likes of which have convinced him never to move back to the lowly Cowtown.
But Brody still owns the building that until January housed Pennylane successor Streetside Records.
Let’s start with a deal that fell through to lease or sell the building to Vinyl Renaissance, the Shawnee wax works and audiophile electronics seller. Earlier this year staffers at both Streetside and VR confirmed Vinyl Renaissance’s hope to pick up where Streetside left off in Westport with a second prime location there.
OTC: Alex Gordon Continues To Write Next Great Greek Tragedy
“Slicing, slicing, slicing… Foul!”Denny Matthews, on Alex Gordon’s ninth-inning walk-off three-run home run attempt landing just foul down the left-field line, Royals Radio
GH: I missed my first Royals’ opening day in six years yesterday. I followed the game from my desk on the radio via Denny Matthews and Bob Davis. A frustrating first half of the game had turned to hope in the ninth during my drive home. As Gordon came to the plate I recalled his first at bat in the bigs on Opening Day 2007 when he battled Curt Schilling with the bases loaded. You too?
“Gordon came this close to being the baseball hero. Instead, bupkis. A few feet the other way, and the tome of this column and the spirit of baseball fans all over town would have been filled with the kind of hope that Kansas City usually sees only from a distance.”
Sam Mellinger, Kansas City Star
GH: How cruel of the baseball gods to once again taunt us with dreams that quickly sour into nightmares.
Sam Mellinger, Kansas City Star
GH: How cruel of the baseball gods to once again taunt us with dreams that quickly sour into nightmares.
Jack Goes Confidential: Jake Gyllenhaal Faces Time Reassignment in SOURCE CODE!
For those who’ve followed my reviews, you’ve probably come to realize I’m not the biggest sci-fi fan.
Not to say I can’t distinguish between a good one and a so-so sci-fi offering.
The same goes for any genre, be it a chick-flick, kids or fantasy movie, comedy or drama, it’s either good and interesting or just run-of-the-mill.
That brings me to SOURCE CODE, a new sci-fi action-thriller I find interesting, entertaining & thought provoking.
Starbeams: Huzzah! Brett Back! Google to Rescue! Costner Out of Acting & Kelly on Point!
MoDot managed to open the Blue Ridge Cutoff Bridge just in time for the Royals home opener.
Let’s just hope this isn’t the biggest victory for Royals’ fans this season.
Google has chosen Kansas City, Kansas as the first test market for high-speed cable.
That means KCK will have Internet access 100 times faster than the rest of us. Residents of Wyandotte county will now be able to file police reports in a nanosecond.
Sounds Good: Bill Cosby @ Midland, Nathaniel Rateliff @ Bottleneck & Bright Eyes @ Uptown
Friday, April 1st
Bill Cosby at the Midland in KC
Bill Cosby’s standup routine is definitely not dirty, not a curse word to be found. But it is funny. One of the Great American Storytellers, Cosby has perfected his craft of delivering conversational tales of family, children, and the seemingly mundane details of life. Yes, he is a master. I mean, who else could kill with a bit about ice cream? Or about visiting the dentist? Or driving his kids to school?
If you appreciate comedy and have never seen Bill Cosby in person, don’t wait, now’s your chance. Though the show is sold out there are tickets available at several online broker sites. His recent shows have been receiving consistently good reviews, and at 73, who knows how much longer the Cos will keep touring? Free pudding pops to the first thousand through the door!
Glazer: Does Jason Whitlock Have a Real Job? Probably Not.
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Former Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock was a force to be reckoned with this week on the panel of HBO’s Real Sports…
In fact, he dominated it.
The irony is, everybody else on the panel besides him had their title under their name on the screen. But Whitlock’s just said "sports journalist" – it didn’t say Fox. It was odd, because everybody else was more specific. I don’t know why it didn’t say Fox.
Unless…
Glazer: Jason Whitlock Looms Large in HBO Expose of College Sports
Whitlock Shows Up Big!
Yes, yes,yes! Former Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock was one of four guests this week on HBO’s prestigous Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. Great show. About how EVERYONE IN COLLEGE SPORTS (the players) are cheating and getting paid!
All good players and all big schools.
OTC: Mizzou Gets Whitewashed By Painter & Twitter
“I’ve got sources telling me they’re not 100% sure, they’re 110% sure!”Eric Blumberg, sports anchor/reporter for Columbia’s KOMU, while talking to Nick Wright about 2:15 PM Wednesday, on how positive he was that Purdue’s Matt Painter had accepted the Missouri basketball coaching job, Twitter
GH: Blumberg was one of the first respectable voices in the media to make it known via Twitter that Painter was coming to Mizzou. I was at Sporting Kansas City’s stadium tour when I saw his tweet and mentioned to the people there it looked to be a done deal. When I heard Blumberg on Nick Wright’s show make his 110% guarantee, I could not believe what happened next. Read on.
