I have a little gripe with Fort Worth. Don't get me wrong, I like it a lot as a city--in fact, if it were easier, I'd see more of it. But that's my gripe: it's not easy. The Fort Worth T, our public transportation system, doesn't have a very useful Sunday schedule (it only runs early in the morning and later from about 7-8ish) and used their Sunday schedule on Memorial Day, a day I had to be at work at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. And let's not even mention the T's website, which is unnavigable garbage.
Regardless, I had to walk to work and for the second time, I was severely bothered by the fact that there are no sidewalks from I-30 until the Cultural District. It's just a muddy mess, littered here and there with dead rodents and Ozarka bottles. I could understand some areas of Fort Worth not being pedestrian-friendly (except that they should be since they encourage pedestrians and bikers alike just yards away from where the sidewalk ends at I-30). Yet here's the kicker: there are bus stops for Route 7 along the way. Just in the middle of nowhere! If Fort Worth wants to encourage the use of public transportation, they should at least make it easier to use. That's a no-brainer.
I love you, Fort Worth, and I love that I ride the T for free with my Student ID, but you could at least put in a sidewalk or two. Oh, and get a better drainage system.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
There is too much mud on my shoes.
TAKS and Bee's.
Anyone sorry to see this go?
edit, 1:14 p.m.: Apparently the Star-Telegram blogs have been going crazy over 13-year-old spelling bee eliminee Samir Patel's first round loss and subsequent appeal, which was denied. So, um, DFW isn't going to be able to claim the spelling bee championship. I for one, am going to blame TAKS for the loss, but, on the other hand, rarely is a National Spelling Bee loser a loser in life, so I think Samir's gonna be OK.
Here's some more of that article.
The state's high-stakes TAKS tests for grades 9 through 11 will be phased out and replaced with end-of-course tests, starting with high school freshmen in 2011. Students entering the fifth grade in the fall will be the first class to take the tests.
In other words, final exams. Like we used to have. George, your legacy lives on. As incompetent.
Blue Plate Specials @ Spiral, 4eva 4life.
So, in case you didn't know, the current Blue Plate Specials at Spiral have enjoyed an extended stay on the menu. Note: the pasta salad is to die for.
Lifted from the menu itself, for your delectation:
Crispy Spring Wrap
An organic flour tortilla stuffed with marinated and breaded Crispy Seitan, fresh Organic Carrots, Cucumbers, Red Bell Peppers, Sliced Red Onion, and Lettuce topped off with our homemade Agave Mustard Dressing. Served with a side of creamy Spiral Pasta Salad.
Spiral Pasta Salad a-la-carte
A homemade taste delight. Organic pasta in a creamy dressing with fresh herbs (basil, mint, parsley), Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped Olives, and diced Red Bell Peppers.
The Rahr Stormcloud beer is pretty tasty, too, if you're in the market for local brew.
It's a 25-minute bike ride from my house. And so, so worth it.
Visit Spiral's website for a full menu and gentle vegan persuasion.
Just some ol' hillbillies
Everything happens on the weekend, right? Well, I'd like to think so, because it fits into my schedule perfect.
Even if I'm missing stuff on the weekdays, I rarely miss a chance to go get a burger at Fred's Cafe, tucked in between 7th Street and the museums.
And they've got some good music, especially this weekend. Fish Fry Bingo plays that goold, ol'-fashioned hilbilly music those burger-eatin' folks at Fred's just love. They're going to play the patio at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
9th Annual QCinema Film Festival
It may be comforting for folks to know that like all major cities in America (and internationally, for that matter), Cowtown does indeed have its very own LGBT film festival.
Qcinema organizes queer-related film showings on a regular basis, and on the cusp of summer each year, they put together an impressive film festival, held at the historic Rose Marine Theater.
Limiting myself to two adjectives, this year's lineup promises to be diverse and intriguing. From harrowing documentaries (Rock Bottom: Gay Men & Meth) to quirky comedies (Itty Bitty Titty Comittee), you can't go wrong.
Portions of Saturday and Sunday afternoon will be devoted to short films and music videos. At the end of each day's showings, parties are held at Esoterica Studios (salon by day, club by night--genius, I say!)
QCinema Film Festival begins Thursday, May 31st, and ends on Sunday, June 3rd. Check here for the full schedule and summaries of the films.
Veronica Mars. And some fish.
So, if you're waiting for the sky to fall out like I am, you're probably looking for something to do tonight that doesn't involve being out in the rain.
Well, I don't have many suggestions for you, as I plan on continuing my watching of Veronica Mars, Season 1, a mere two years after it's initial release. I will be chronicling those experiences on FWthian soon in a feature called, "Darren & Wade's Couch Adventure."
Or something, that doesn't ring like it should. Anyway, back to what to do, or who to see, or where to eat:
Chances are, you live not too far from Central Market, like I do. Then, might I suggest Sushi Axiom. This place is brand, stinkin' new, and is actually pretty good. As sushi goes, the prices are fairly affordable and the restaurant decor is pretty cozy and nice.
In short, dinner for two is probably going to run you around $30 if you do it right, but really, that's not so bad.
And hell, who doesn't mind a little raw fish?
Sushi Axiom is located at 4625 Donnelly Ave. in Fort Worth, right next to Central Market. The number is 817.735.9100.
The Pub in Dub
Brian has a very interesting post below me that is worth checking out. So, as a supplement to him, I found this article on Dallas News about the proposed rising cost of riding the T. You can read the full article here, but here's the gist:
As a result, the agency has scheduled a series of public hearings Tuesday on a proposed increase that will bump fares in Tarrant County by 25 cents for a one-way ride, 50 cents for a day pass and $10 for a monthly pass.
OK< so we're already a day late, but it's not like you were planning to go anyway. But Fort Worth is in a pinch over this, to be sure. I for one, drive thirty minutes to work, the evidence of a shrinking media business. So, in short, what's the future here? I know that a good portion of Capitol Metro is free, I'm guessing that's because it's coming from tax revenue?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Une voyage sans essence
Americans hate change, especially when it impacts our personal freedoms. Now that gas is higher than $3 a gallon, we've all been forced to make adjustments. Problem is, it's tough to make changes in our fair city. I live four miles from work. Depending on traffic and the route I drive, it can take me between seven and 15 minutes to commute. The bus, however, takes me more than 30 minutes, if it's on time. As a comparison, consider that it takes me 20 minutes to ride my bike downtown. I'd like to believe that Fort Worthians want to go green. But how can they? As long as our mass transit options are few and inefficient, we'll be stuck burning our paychecks in our gas tanks.
Canine Capers: Fort Woof
Fort Worth has the #1 dog park in America, according to Dog Fancy magazine. I've been to Fort Woof (what a great name!) many a time with my beloved labradoodle, Zoe. She loves it there, and I do, too.
There are plenty of tennis balls, frisbees, and other dogs to play with. There's even an obstacle course! It's also a great way to meet new people who are fellow dog-lovers.
Here's how to get there (directions from the Fort Woof website): From I-30, exit Beach Street, head north on Beach Street for approximately a quarter of a mile, and turn right at the Gateway Park sign. Then proceed another quarter of a mile; Fort Woof Dog Park will be on your left.
Dino Dub tickets
That Ridglea Dino J show has gone public, so, get your tickets while they are still around!
Plus, I can post the new Dino J video, Been There All The Time with Thurston Moore in it:
The Dobbs Retort: Workin' Man Blues
Pretty good wire story in the Star-Telegram on Sunday about the economics of immigration. You can read the full story here, but I like this part:
People say immigrants are feckless and lazy. But in California in 2004, 94 percent of undocumented men ages 18 to 64 were in the work force, compared with 82 percent of native-born men. Far from being part of a shiftless underclass, the act of coming to the United States makes immigrants among the most upwardly mobile groups in the nation, only a bit behind hedge-fund managers.
So, as our title suggests, Lou Dobbs can (insert swear involving auto-stimlulation here.)
A Belated Congrats...
A belated congrats to Fort Worth chef Tim Love for his victory on Iron Chef America... I was concerned when I saw that he was battling Morimoto, but my concern was eased when I saw that the theme ingredient was peppers... Lots and lots of hot peppers, yum...
Some notable moments from the episode:
- Tim Love and his crew doing not one, not two, but three shots in the first 30 minutes of the competition.
- Morimoto gagging after tasting a jalapeno, and then sweating profusely for the next ten minutes.
- Tim Love burning a judges mouth during tasting.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/grilled-camp-bread
According to the Star-Telegram, Chef Love will be recreating some of his Iron Chef dishes soon for a tasting.
Modern Times: The Lonesome Utrillo
If you're not snoring yourself awake at a wedding behind the Pine Curtain this weekend, stop by the The Modern and check out The Lonesome Utrillo.
I don't know much about this, except that it's a semi-local, semi-short film that combines plenty of fun animation styles. And hey, you can hang out for Offsides, the regular feature on Friday, which looks like Bend It Like Beckham in Iran!
The Lonesome Utrillo is playing at the Modern Friday at 7:30 p.m. Offsides will be playing at 6 and 8:15 p.m. Friday, Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday 2 and 4 p.m. as part of the Magnolia at The Modern series.
RSS Feed
For all you Firefox and Mac users, we have an RSS feed next in the address bar if you want to keep up with the FWthian without always clicking the page!
The evil eye: The Fort Worthian's guide to Dallas
We're starting a new feature today about peacefully co-existing with Dallas called "The Evil Eye."
It's going to happen eventually.
Eventually, some little popped-collar boy or "juicy" apparel-wearing girl you've kind of got a thing for is going to drag away from the comfy confines of the outside patio at Fred's Cafe by begging you to go club-hopping in the West End, or bar-bouncing on lower Greenville.
Don't fear. We here at the FWthian have a remedy! And, it comes in only a few simple steps:
1. Break up with the previously mentioned boy or girl. They're no good for you, and a life with them just means a life in Dallas.
2. That feels better, doesn't it? Now, call your closest friend at the Fwthian and see if he or she still wants to go see that movie Once at the Angelika he or she keep raving about as "Like Garden State, if Garden State didn't make me feel dumber for watching it."
3. Now, this is important. If you are not taking the train, you must bitch about traffic the entire way in to Dallas. Start tightening your knuckles around the steering wheel when you get to Arlington, but save the grade A, "I see you asshole!" stuff for when those ominous barriers show up around Grand Prairie.
4. Find a place to park and enjoy the movie. By this time you've realized that you're not coming back to Dallas for at least another month, so go ahead and make a day of it. We won't fault you.
5. Stay and see this old gangster movie called Mafioso. If two movies isn't your style, pop over to Greenville (sigh) to Good Records and get the latest CD by Battles or that Midlake EP you've been dying to hear.
6. Return home. Remember to bitch about traffic! and shudder at the sight of Reunion Tower!
Once and Mafioso are playing all this week at the Angelika Film Center
Monday, May 28, 2007
Bored on a Tuesday?
Hmm, so all this talk about music and no talk about bars yet. Someone has to be first I guess.
The Flying Saucer in Sundance Square hosts a trivia night every Tuesday night around 8 (technically they say it starts at 8ish). Having once been a regular at this event I can say from experience that if you ever feel the need to flex your useless knowledge muscle then this is the place in which you are looking.
Do you know what famous rocker's wife Eric Clapton had an affair with?
Do you know what Seattle Seahawk linebacker won the first Bednarik award?
Do you know the only plant eating member of the group Carnivora?
If you answered any of these three questions then you're fit for this night. Now aside from feeling an inflated since of pride from answering useless trivia you can also win free beer. Yes, you heard me free...beer...free. If you manage to know more than other teams in the bar then you win a gift certificate (for the Saucer of course). The game is split up into three rounds. That means three chances at at least $10 in free beer. If you are really on top of your game the entire night and manage to outscore the other teams then you win a $25 gift certificate on top of other winnings. Tie breakers are dealt appropriately with a chug off so be sure to bring your specialist.
The way it works is as follows:
1.) Gather a group of friends who have a certain affinity for trivia or beer
2.) Show up at the Flying Saucer around 8 pm
3.) Drink $2.50 Fat Tire all night (the same amount as you would pay for some other slop and foam at some of the other more popular Fort Worth night spots).
The night usually concedes around 10:30 or so allowing you to either retire to your bed in defeat or continue your night (Fox and Hound has their draft night on Tuesday nights meaning $2.00 drafts).
See you guys there. If you're looking for a team just find me; I'm always up for new members to Team Zissou.
Concerts in the Garden...and Eurotazza
Once, I heard a friend call San Marcos "San Marvelous."
If that's the case, then Fort Worth can be called "Fort Wonderful." Silly, I know, but I wanted to throw that out there.
Now, to the meat of the post. There are some good upcoming concerts that you all should be aware of.
First off, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra organization always puts on some quite cool and interesting summer concerts -- and they happen in the Botanic Gardens. There's some eclectic music this year -- everything from Asleep at the Wheel to the 1812 Overture to a Tribute to Pink Floyd.
On June 10, Patty Griffin is the featured artist at Concerts in the Garden. Go here to learn more about the concert and to order tickets.
Patty Griffin is a superb singer-songwriter, whose songwriting talents and vocal abilities are equally matched. You don't want to miss this night of music. Her newest CD, Children Running Through, came out in February, and it has some great tunes. It's hard to go wrong with any Patty Griffin, though. Also, every Concert in the Garden is followed by a fireworks show. It's a great way to spend a summer evening, if you ask me.
Also, if you're interested in some local Fort Worth talent, I (Megan) will be playing at Eurotazza on Friday, June 22 and on Friday, July 20. Eurotazza is a cool space with some tasty coffee (and has the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted). Check out my tunes.
Here's a video of Patty performing No Bad News, one of the best songs from her new album.
Dino J tickles the Black Keys in Dub
If you're new to the sight, check out the little, puny intro blurb below this post. If not, welcome back!
OK, Dinosaur Jr. was a pretty big deal to a certain crowd of people in 1989. And then what? nothin'. They imploded into a wall of their own noise and were never really heard from (As an original trio, that is) again.
Until now. A reunited and kick-ass sounding Dino J is back with a new CD, Beyond. And it's pretty good.
Long story short, they are touring with another pretty cool band called the Black Keys, and the show is coming to the Ridglea Theater June 19. The catch? So far, they're keeping the Dino J part secret. Tickets are $15.
Since I spent most of the post on the Dino J, here's the Black Keys cool video for Your Touch:
So here we are...
Well, hello there!
If you've stumbled upon this, I can gather one of a few things:
1. You are bored. And you are on the Internet.
2. You have been mysteriously invited to the blog and don't know what it is.
3. You may or may not live in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth is a cool town. I went to college here, and now I've graduated and decided to live here full time. We've got plenty of fun things happening here, and we have yet to be exploited by major organizations and Johnny-come-lately-scenesters like that other "cool" town down south.
But we're poorly connected. For some reason, much of what makes Fort Worth cool goes somewhat unnoticed because of poor communication. Or at least communication to me, I guess.
So, here's what The Fort Worthian is all about. We're about anything Fort Worth-related. This could mean people, bars, restaurants, bands, museums. It can even mean a nationally released movie or CD you experienced in Fort Worth.
Doesn't matter, it could be anything. It could be a youtube.com video. It could be a long article on the Trans-Texas Corridor. It could be a review of something you saw at the Wreck Room. It doesn't even have to be exactly in Fort Worth, let's just type and see what happens.
Got photos you took or a song you wrote? Post it!
No lengths or schedules, but I think this could be something more than really cool. This could help (no matter how small) Fort Worth and Fort Worth's people come together and be a little informed.
The Fort Worth Weekly isn't going to do it. The Star-Telegram isn't.
It might as well be us.