Man I hope that some day, I get money for being crazy … just like Gary Busey in that Amazon commercial where he talks to his devices. Until then, I just be all crazy for no good reason … other than just trying to stay entertained on The Dirty Gig.

This week the disaster recovery assignment (Dirty Gig) is more of a rescue operation in the underbelly of academia. I have joined the team of a great group of college library folks who are transporting a few hundred thousands books from one storage facility to another. Interesting to see the metamorphosis … library science people transforming into logistics types with pallets, stretch wrap and forklifts and stuff.

But “this ain’t my first ‘equestrian event.’” The Dirty Gig has taken me to storage facilities from DC to NZ. Storage is storage … pretty much.

Most interesting on this job, we are working about 100 feet under the ground in an old quarry that has been turned into warehouse space. It’s called SubTera … ha … the name was a spoiler. In Kansas City a few months back, we had an underground storage area we dubbed “Man Cave.” Too obvious, we need a better hashtag for this hole in this granite-encapsulated hole in the ground. I scanned my memories of TV and film trying to think of something. First … all I could come up with was The Cavern (from a memorable WWII Nazi film featuring John Saxon and yes, Dallas’ Larry Hagman.)

The Cavern

There’s always Bat Cave … too easy too. We have seen bats, however …

Ah. How ‘bout “The Infinite Abyss” … for the “Garden State” cult film fans out there. I.A. it is!

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Director, Gary Fortin

I’ve always thought there are, for the most part, two types of concert films. There is that film from a once-in-a-lifetime moment in music history — the kind that influences you to bite a hole in the side of your cheek, as you watch, regretting so desperately that you were not there. Then there’s the concert film that leaves you thinking, “I’m sure I would have enjoyed that concert IF I had been there.”

No two ways about it, I love live music and music history, so I always scan the film festival schedules first looking for rock ’n’ roll shows. So, when I saw that The 2014 Dallas International Film Festival included “Road To Austin,” I was ready to rock.

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Bad Dude

I love a good t-shirt. And I love a good spoof. Hard to say which I heart more. But when the two come together, oh happy day. So, on the photo gauntlet red carpet for The 2014 Dallas International Film Festival, I spotted this t-shirt. Soon I learned the hipster donning such was none other than the director of one of the best films I have seen at the festival.

Eric Hueber, writer/director of “Flutter” wasn’t wearing Armani or Klein or Versace or Lauren … he was was wearing Kurt. Kurt Russell. Have you seen this shirt? Oh how I wished I had seen it first. It is a play on the old “I Heart NY” t-shirt. Except, instead of a heart, the shirt designer inserted a rustic, faded, vintage photo of Kurt Russell with an eye patch. Anyone who was once a pimply, teenage boy can tell you it is a photo from Russell’s cult favorite, apocalyptically bad film “Escape From New York.” (Through the magic that is 150 cable channels, I have seen bits and pieces of it dozens of times. Who knows, with NetFlix, made I will actually watch the masterpiece un todo one day.)

Escape From New York

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Lights. Camera. AK-SHONE! It is one of our favorite seasons, kicking off The 2014 Dallas International Film Festival, despite northern parts of the Metroplex getting pounded by strong winds and hail. The Dallas evening was picture perfect.

Wow! Dallas has changed so much since we began covering this annual event. The opening night red carpet was presented outside the bright/shiny Dallas City Performance Hall … just up the street from the impressive Meyerson, near the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Arts District off Pearl and Flora … a stone’s throw away from the Klyde Warren Park over the freeway. Nice job, Big D! (I will have to do some more Wi-Fi snooping …)

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It’s happened again. The unthinkable — a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Texas.

Undeniably, senseless violence is happening more and more and more … whether it is Islamic extremists, bullied teens, shell-shocked servicemen. Unfortunately, it is going to continue.

What do we do? What do we do?

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As a travel writer – gone months at a time — it’s probably no surprise that my home town changes while I am on the road … a lot.

After a couple of recent back-to-back two- and three-month excursions I returned to find that Fort Worth now has this awesome plaza in the downtown area. Like most of the other cool things in Fort Worth, it is branded Sundance (Sundance Square Plaza) and you can bet the Bass gang is behind it.

I was blown away. It is so wide open, yet surrounded by our trademark sky scrapers and a few new mixed usage structures. There are monstrous “umbrella” sculptures for lots of shade. Most of the place is smoke free … And fear not, the plaza preserved the wonder cattle drive mural on its northern border … or more accurately, makes it the centerpiece.

The new layout also has one of those modern fountains, where water shoots up from the floor sporadically … the type you can find in a a dozen locations around the country … and yet there isn’t a one that kids don’t love. Hmmm …. I might run through the thing myself if the temp hits the mid 80s again this week.

It made my heart dream of youth as I watched two kids throwing a Frisbee in and around the fountains. This is how city life is supposed to be.

All of this is to say congratulation to Fort Worth for being named #1 on the list of The 10 Best Downtowns 2014 by Livability.com.

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A good friend of mine just posted a story from The Austin-American Statesman that questions whether or not Austin “drinks too much.” Ha … Define too much. What was it Jimmy Kimmel said, he was in town not for The SXSW Festival, but an intervention. Something like that.

Anywho … Then there is the ongoing love/hate thing Austin has with SXSW. Some think SXSW is right up there with burnt orange. Others — lots and lots of locals hate SouthBy. I mean … There are lines for admission everywhere you go. Even more traffic. Locals go on about everyone at the festival looks the same – Justin Bieber hair, beard, nerd glasses, skinny leg jeans … Oh … and there was that horrible drunk driving thing this year. Yet, SXSW brings the best entertainers in the world to Austin … and Lady Gaga.

Well … I think I have found the cure for all that ails Austin. The Rüt! … SquareRüt, Texas’ first kava bar.

Mike Love, courtesy SquareRüt

Just like last year, I rode a motorcycle down to Austin during SXSW this, only difference, I didn’t shell out $1200 for “media passes” so that the media relations people at the festival could treat me like crap, since I am an independent blogger. This year, I was in town and didn’t even go to SXSW. I’m not sure if that makes me a loser, or a wannabe non-poser. I digress …

Instead, this year I saw a music act that was in Austin for SXSW — traveling all the way from Hawaii — performing at a non-festival sanctioned event. Ha … I guess going around SXSW was like that song “take back the power.”

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The Wichita State Shockers were playing the Indiana State Sycs of the storied Missouri Valley Conference on TV this weekend, and one couldn’t help but think back to the golden age of WT … No not White Trash … West Texas … the college formerly knows as West Texas State University. The Buffs. Now, West Texas A&M … Ha … thank God that college kicked me out so that I will never be an Aggie!

Golden age? Yes. I was at the small college during two significant periods. One was the release of the film Animal House. And yes, living the lifestyle to imitate the “high art” of Animal House led to my invitation to leave … no doubt. But more significant than that, that period was the Golden Age because WT was a Division I, national basketball powerhouse back in those days in the Mo Valley Conference. I have fondly told many a surprised friend that my high school teammates and I used to travel to WT games in Amarillo to see The Buffs, led by a future NBA star, Maurice Cheeks (one time NBA assist record holder and NBA coach) squaring off against the Indiana State squad, led by some white kid named Larry Bird.

Mo Cheeks

Bird

That was basketball at its finest and perhaps WT at its best.

And many of you know there are other great things at WT … like that little old canyon up the road … Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon in The United States … second only to The Grand Canyon. You knew that right?

Palo Duro Canyon

Here’s something you might not know about WT, WTAMU and Canyon, Texas. I certainly didn’t. Canyon has one of the best coffee shops in the entire nation. It’s true … I was visiting family in nearby Wildorado recently, wondering if there was anything I needed to blog about, before I headed back to Fort Worth.

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The first visit to The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., I came up empty. There was a slightly less-than-friendly greeting at the help desk, and I was told I could not take photographs in the exhibition — even if I was a member of the media — not without an appointment, anyway.

Bummer. I thought the NLBM would be the perfect complement to the PingWi-Fi coverage of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

I walked away.

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The Kauffman

I had yet to hear the weather news on Ground Hog Day, so I hopped in the car, chasing my own wintery shadow around The Cities — KC K and KC Mo. I don’t remember much about Kansas City from my first blog visit, back in 2003 … mostly I remember The Plaza and all the wonderful fountains, the statue of native American “Massasoit” cloaked in a pinkish/purple sunset and The Cheesecake Factory. This time around, I am quite enamored with The Kauffman Performing Arts Center and also all the old renovated buildings and cool businesses in The River Market district.

The Kauffman

On my first full day out and about, I stumbled on the River Market area, and as I dissected this retail zone, I happened upon a vintage, hole-in-the wall diner, The City Diner. Nothing fancy … one of those places that has obviously been there forever, with old bar stools, interesting characters, and engaging waitstaff … but alas, no Wi-Fi at The City … The word around the campfire is, however, that you can filch a network hookup from a neighbor …

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