Remembrance: Greg Hawley

This morning's sad news proved that my self-imposed protective media shield isn't impermeable to all of the mass media's messages.

Reading that Greg Hawley was killed the other day really struck a chord with me.

Sure it's sad anytime you hear of someone's death, especially if the death is random and meaningless (as most are).

But Hawley's death seems to me a particular loss to the community.

I had several occasions to meet Hawley, once when I was profiling him and his museum for a local fishwrap and again when I was visiting the museum for fun with the family.

I don't claim to be a friend of his. He certainly wouldn't know me from any of the other thousands of slightly bald, slightly pudgy suburbanites. But I was and am a great admirer of what he and his family have done.

Here's a little background for those not familiar with the Hawley's: Greg and his friends and family decided, seemingly on a whim, to find and excavate one of the hundreds of legendary steamboats that sank in the Missouri River during the late 1800s.

When they found the Steamboat Arabia, it was buried under 50 feet of Missouri River bottom farmland. Still in the cargo hold was a veritable general store of everything a pioneer could need in the 1850s, including barrels of pickles that, according to Hawley, were still edible and delicious.

The Hawley's took the trove and opened the Steamboat Arabia museum which in my opinion is one of the jewels of Kansas City. It tells a story of the people who passed through, who stayed, who lived and died here.

In this time when chain stores and restaurants seem to be flooding the metro, when any project of meaningful size seems to be managed by an east coast or west coast company, the Hawleys just seem much more organic. They belong to Kansas City like barbecue and blues.

So the death of Greg is a loss to the city.

If you've never been to the Arabia museum, or even if it's been a while since your last visit, I think now is a good time to drop in, offer condolences to the family and learn a little about our local history.

Related:
I was with Greg Hawley, a great man
Thanks, Greg Hawley
I wouldn't wear that coat around the jail...
A Riverboat Legacy
A terrible loss for historical preservation

tagged: Greg Hawley, Kansas City, Steamboat Arabia, history, Missouri River, museum

Metro GOOB Watch: Harold's

Leawood has an "upscale" reputation in the metro area, so it's a bit surprising to see it being hit with so many Going Out Of Businesses.

But that sentiment didn't stop a "day laborer" from taking a job holding a sign at 115th and Nall the other day announcing great deals at the Harold's Going Out Of Business sale.

The closing of the Harold's store illustrates that in the current (bad) economy is affecting even affluent places like Leawood's Town Center Plaza.

To be fair the writing was on the wall for the regional retailer of ladies fashions. It was having trouble throughout it's Midwest territory, and the chain filed for bankruptcy at its Oklahoma headquarters back in November.

Turns out the 60-year-old business couldn't keep up with the failing economy.

"Increased competition and a weak economy have left us no choice but to cease operations," stated Ronald S. Staffieri, Chief Executive Officer of Harold's Stores, Inc. "We'd like to thank our loyal customers for their many years of patronage by offering incredible values on merchandise in all stores. As always, our knowledgeable Associates will provide our customers with the same high level of service."

Related: Metro GOOB Watch: Rainforest Cafe

tagged: economy, business, Johnson County, Kansas, Harold's, Leawood

Friday Blogthing: Formula for blog success

I've just discovered that there is, in fact, a good formula for becoming everyone's favorite blog. It's so simple, even you can do it.

Just do this simple math (without looking at the answers, please) and you'll discover your favorite blog in no time. For those of you who went through the Kansas City, Mo., school system, feel free to use a calculator.

Please don't look down until you do the math. You'll love it I promise.
1) Pick your favorite whole number between 1-9

2) Multiply by 3

3) Add 3, then again Multiply by 3

4) You'll get a 2 or 3 digit number....

5) Add the digits together

6) Now Scroll down.........
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1. TKC
2. Kansas Sity Sinic
3. Moxie Moma
4. Logtar
5. Frighteningly Uncommon Sense
6. KC with the Russian Accent
7. May's Machete
8. Rumbling Grumbling Old Fart
9. 3AM
10. Devious Bloggery

I know... I just have that effect on people...one day you too can be like me...:-) Believe it!

P.S. -- Stop picking different numbers. I am your idol, just deal with it!!!

tagged: Friday, blog, math, formula

Metro GOOB Watch: Rainforest Café

The closing of restaurants and stores isn't really all that uncommon, even in the best economic times.

But lately, I seem to be noticing more Going Out Of Business signs than usual, and they are cropping up in places around the metro that you wouldn't normally think of as economically challenged.

But, as the economy continues to slouch toward depression, it has become apparent that there aren't any places that you can't think of as economically challenged.

So today we introduce a new feature, the Metro G.0.O.B. Watch (G.O.O.B. = Going Out Of Business, get it? Clever no?)

Our first honoree is the popular dining establishment Rainforest Café. Formerly located in Oak Park Mall, the metro area's Taj Mahal of capitalism, the pseudo-environmentalist jungle-themed restaurant abruptly closed its doors and moved out this week.

On Tuesday, a group of mall workers cleared the eatery of its Rainforest décor like a bunch of Brazilian cattle ranchers.

I can't really say I'm sad to see it go. My 6-year-old daughter loved the place, but the food was palatable at best. But it does go to show that despite large crowds on weekends, midweek traffic wasn't enough to keep the green coming in.


tagged: economy, business, Johnson County, Kansas, restaurant, Rainforest Cafe, environmentalist

YouTube Tuesday: No problems, only resolutions

I know you've all made your New Year's resolutions, and according to Obama Girl, so have many of the political figures of the day.



tagged: Obama Girl, New Year, satire, resolutions, video, You Tube, humor, politics

Movie Mini Review: In Bruges

Title: In Bruges

Cast: Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Brendan Gleeson, Jordan Prentice

Plot summary:
Novice hit man Ray (Ferrell) and his mentor Ken (Gleeson) flee to Bruges after a botched job in London to await instructions from the mob boss, Harry Waters (Fiennes). At first frustrated by the slow pace of the Belgian backwater, Ray eventually falls in love and finds himself in a fight for his life.

My thoughts:
The DVD box was marked with words like "A Hilarious Twisted Pleasure!" and "Undeniably Fun and Refreshingly Un-P.C.!" It described the film as an "edgy, action-packed comedy..."

From what I could remember of the theatrical trailer, this seemed like a good choice for a fun night in. We popped the disc in the player, grabbed the popcorn and waited for the hilarity.

But the hilarity never came. And that's my biggest problem with In Bruges. It was billed as a dark comedy, but only a very sad, humorless person would actually consider this a comedy.

The so-called comedy in this film seems to be built the shaky assumptions that 1) nobody knows where Bruges is 2) all Americans are fat and rude 3) American dwarfs are racists and 4) murder and suicide are side-splittingly witty.

There were a few moments, a few snippets of dialogue that made me crack a smile, perhaps even chuckle out loud a little. I'd like to tell you about them, but I can't remember what they were.

There was a lot of potential for actual hilarity, the scene where a fat family of Americans were considering climbing the top of a bell tower, for example. Unfortunately it missed the mark by turning into a stream of unfunny insults. The large actors couldn't even get the American accent right (if you're portraying a Midwestern American, you should lose the Brummy accent when you curse).

Anyway, all this isn't to say that it was a bad movie. The story line is pretty solid despite a few contrived plot devices. It tends to wander off a little bit in the second act, and the bloody ending is anything but hilarious.

The acting is solid, as it the directing. The photography and locations are really the strong points as far as I'm concerned.

I actually might have liked, not loved, this movie if it weren't for the poor marketing and high expectations I had before we watched it.

My final rating: If you're prepared to hate it, you might like it.

Favorite quote:
"Jeez he swears a lot, doesn't he?"



tagged: movie, review, In Bruges, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes

Oh nine.

I'm not doing any resolutions this year. They would be the same as last year anyway.

But I did want to share this new year's greeting with you as we start pushing the boulder up the hill again...
tagged: New Year, 2009, resolution, optimistic, greeting

Top Ten Thursday: Sports Movies

I think that since today is such a big day in sports, what with all of the college football being played, it is a good day to publish my Top Ten List of Favorite Sports Movies.

Now, I’ll warn you right away that despite the football reference above, only one movie below is actually about American football – and it’s not We Are Marshall or Remember the Titans.

Of course a list like this is highly subjective, so if you disagree with my picks, tell me why in the comments.

Anyway, here goes…

Top Ten Favorite Sports Movies
10) Shaolin Soccer: This movie was a lot of fun. Completely and utterly fanciful, but a lot of fun nonetheless. It does require the viewer to suspend quite a bit of disbelief (I mean, let’s face it who would believe that someone would make a movie about boring soccer?), but the comedy and special effects make it totally worth it.

9) Slap Shot: Paul Newman is at his ice-skating best in this ode to the perpetually juvenile male, but what sticks out most for me are those lovable, cuddly Hanson brothers who could totally kick the crap out of the Hanson brothers (MMMBop indeed).

8) Chariots of Fire: I like this film a lot because it manages to be a success (four Oscars can't be wrong) without resorting to tired clichés (see We Are Marshall).

7) Raging Bull: In this classic recounting of the career of boxer Jake La Motta, you come to respect then revile then pity the main character as he goes from rags to riches to rags.

6) Brian' Song: The lone football movie on the list. I don't care if it was a made-for-television movie, if you can watch this heartbreaking tale without getting verklempt, then there's just something wrong with you, boy.

5) The Big Lebowski: Some might be surprised to see this film on a list of best Sports movies, but I don't think you can ignore the importance of bowling to the storyline, in both the literal and metaphorical senses. Watch it again, you'll see what I mean.

4) Caddyshack: Crude? Yes. Juvenile? Absolutely. But this classic comedy makes the top five on the strength of quotable one-liners alone. Not to mention an amazing cast. "Be the ball, Danny. Be the ball... You're not being the ball, Danny."

3) Breaking Away: This coming of age story set against a backdrop of The Little 500 bicycle race in Bloomington, Ind., features a great cast, strong directing and genuine characters. The writing is smart, subtly tacking various social issues with charm and humor.

2) Pride of the Yankees: Gary Cooper's portrayal of Lou Gehrig may be my all-time favorite sports movie role. I still get teary just thinking of the final scene when Gehrig gives his goodbye speech in Yankee Stadium. This is not only one of the best sports movies, but also one of the best biographical movies EVAR!


1) ROCKY: Say what you will about Sylvester Stalone. The latter works of his career definitely merit the rotten tomatoes (personally, I never forgave him for Tango & Cash). But this classic underdog fairytale has great characters and great writing and pretty solid acting. With all of the crappy sequels, it's easy to forget how good this film is. If you haven't watched it in a while, give Rocky another chance.

tagged: Top Ten, list, sports, movies, Rocky, Pride of the Yankees, Breaking Away

Lost Tales of 3AM, Part IV: Return of the Ring

It didn’t start out as panic.

I merely had this feeling of curiously not knowing where such a familiar item would be. Normally, I carry it with me all the time. I wear it so much that it almost seems like a part of my body.

But on occasion I’ll take if off, to wash my hands, say, or when I’m working on a project that includes particularly gooey substances (making hamburger patties, or re-caulking a sink or shower).

If I’m doing intense yard work (like replacing a drain pipe) or doing some other project with my hands, I’ll take it off to keep it from getting in the way, or worse, getting lost.

My Supermodel Wife has warned me for years that taking off my wedding ring is a sure way to lose it. I, being the man, totally ignore her advice.

But after yet another day of not seeing it (and not really remembering where I put it) I began, in the back of my head, to wonder if she might be right yet again.

Still, I hadn’t really looked for it. I’m sure it’s in the bathroom somewhere, or up on my dresser. I promised myself that after work I’d track it down.

Of course I wouldn’t say anything to SMW. Why worry her unnecessarily?

But the ring was still missing after searching the usual places. Now I’m starting to get worried. Did I inadvertently drop it in the back yard somewhere? Did I perhaps leave it in the car after absentmindedly playing with it while waiting in rush hour traffic?

I searched all my pants pockets, as I sometimes slip it in there while washing my hands at work. But it was nowhere to be found.

The next day I checked my car and garage before going to work. No ring.

I scoured my cube and work station, my computer bag, all of my jackets and coat pockets. No ring.

By the end of the day, the panic HAD set in. The worst thing wasn’t that my Supermodel Wife might be right (she’s always right, so I’m used to that). What really sent the anxiety meter into the red was the realization that after 13 years I might have carelessly lost this symbol of our commitment to each other.

I lay in bed that evening staring at the ceiling retracing in my mind every step I'd taken in the previous few days. I examined every place I had looked, trying to determine if there was something I had missed.

I'd checked all of my pants, the couch cushions, the washer, the dryer...

Then it hit me. The one place I hadn't looked yet.

I bolted up and quickly but quietly made my way down to the laundry room in the basement. There, between the washer and dryer was a three-bin laundry hamper where we sort clothes.

I haphazardly toss the dirty clothes out of the bins onto the floor. First one, then the next and then finally, at the bottom of the third bin glimmering in the reflected florescent light like a gleam of hope at the end of a tunnel, a shining band of gold.

My long ordeal was over. The ring was safely in place on my finger. I went back to bed and slept soundly.

tagged: lost, ring, laundry, marriage, life

Hatching plans...

Our six-year-old daughter is a Type A personality.

She gets that from her mom. Any plan, any idea must be carried out at that very moment. Otherwise, why plan at all?

She has yet to learn of the key roles of time and money. And when we try to explain the importance of time and money, this just leads to more planning.

For example...

We came up with our own restaurant concept while waiting for a table at O'Neill's a few nights ago. Our concept consisted of a pirate-themed seafood restaurant called "Arrjay's Galley." She's been bugging me to buy the burned out McDonald's on the corner so we can open our restaurant there with her kindergarten classmates as the wait staff.

Finally, I had to break the bad news that 1) due to labor laws, she won't be allowed to work until she's at least 14, and 2) we don't have anywhere near enough money to open a restaurant.

So, she chooses to focus on what seems the easiest problem to tackle.

"I have an idea," she announced. "We could save up enough money."

Now, you parents out there will immediately recognize this as the classic opportunity for what we call a "parenting moment." The idea is to heap praise on positive behavior in order to encourage more of it in the future.

When you can combine this with a lesson about money and the benefits of frugality, well, that's just a bonus.

So I replied enthusiastically, "Yes! That's a great idea! I'm glad you thought of that!"

By now, she's running with it.

"We could find a can or a jar or something. And every time we find a penny or a quarter, we could put it in the jar until we have enough."

I explained how, when I was growing up we had a giant glass jar that we eventually filled with all pennies. Still, I warned her that it would take a very long time -- years probably.

But the gears in her mind kept turning. After a minute or two of quiet pondering, she burst out with...

"Hey! I have another idea. Do we have a coffee mug or something? We'll need a mug."

"Yes," I said, curious about what was coming next and eager to pass out more positive reinforcement. "We have lots of coffee mugs."

"Okay," she said. "Maybe we can get a coffee mug and go out on the street corner and pretend to be blind. Then we can ask people to put money in the mug."

"Well... er..." I stammered (Yes. I'm pretty sure that's a direct quote).

Okay, so not every idea can be a winner. What's important is the brainstorming process.

tagged: plan, parenting, family, economy, money