KC Masterpieces

DaFoWo (05.08.08)

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This week, a billionaire mounts a real Texas beauty, Kristin throws a Civil War-sized tantrum, John shares sweet, drug-addled memories of grandpa, and much more. Catch new episodes every Thursday at www.dafowo.com.

DaFoWo (05.01.08)

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This week, KC and John take the high road with commentary on mathematics, democracy and fine art. Then, they veer off into the sexual ditch. But in a Christian way. Catch new episodes every Thursday at www.dafowo.com.

The DaFoWo Show (04.24.08)

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This week on DaFoWo, KC and John are puzzled by Gov. Perry's "pro-life" stance, all the hysteria over innocent white powder and spinning roller coasters at Six Flags. A new drinking club and a "bulletproof" attorney provide the intrigue. Catch new episodes every Thursday at www.dafowo.com.

DaFoWo (04.17.08)

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This week, KC and John do the Bluebonnet Dance of Death, try to understand liquor laws, and talk Bud Kennedy into doing physical comedy. Check out the new episode at noon today at DaFoWo.com.

DaFoWo (04.10.08)

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Grab your wives, your Lorenzo Lamas lunchbox, an armed chimpanzee and 600 bucks cause KC and John are back and obnoxious as ever.

DaFoWo (04.03.08)

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In this week's episode, KC and John buy a baby online, drop trou for the First Amendment, and steal goodies from the AFI Dallas VIP lounge -- you know, fun times that would land a normal person in jail.

DaFoWo (03.27.08)

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Kristin Campbell and John Metz are back and still shameless. In episode No. 2 of The DaFoWo Show, they offer their take on a sex offender mayoral candidate, a bribing preacher, an idiot driver, and much more.

DaFoWo (03.20.08)

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Kristin Campell and John Metz discuss unwanted hair gel, stupid criminals, snakes in vodka and much more in the very first episode of The DaFoWo Show.

The DaFoWo Show

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DaFoWo Show: An irreverent weekly web show that diligently studies Dallas-Fort Worth news and asks, "What the hell?" Tune in and interact with the hosts every Thursday at Star-Telegram.com. (This message approved by JM and KC.)

Crusade to save Kincaid's

You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind and you DON"T mess with a beloved Fort Worth burger joint. At least that's what we learned after we had lunch Thursday with several loyal Kincaid's customers who are upset that the Camp Bowie institution may be forced to vacate by the end of July. Hear what customers had to say in my video blog:

Watch through the end to hear details about what O.R. Gentry did to turn the business into what it is today.

As the Star-T's Barry Shlachter reported, Kincaid's is "locked in a dispute with a new landlord seeking to triple the rent." Read his story and cast your vote for which restaurant makes the best hamburgers here.

Bonus tidbit: When asked where he goes for a burger if he's not eating one of his own, Kincaid's co-owner Ron Gentry first mentioned Fred's Texas Cafe and Tommy's, but says he's likes to try them all and to learn from his competitors.

Why you should use Twitter

Dallas-based tech video blogger Cali Lewis tries to convince all non-Twitterers to join the network:

Follow me on Twitter and I'll gladly follow your updates. Deal?

MobLogic.TV drops tomorrow

MobLogic.TV, a web show about news and politics that's bound to be entertaining, will launch Friday:

Silicon Alley Insider did some actual reporting and has more info about MobLogic here.

Cliburn Foundation Gala

Best of luck to any organization attempting to top the glamour of this past weekend's Cliburn Foundation Gala. The party was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Van Cliburn's momentous win at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in the midst of the Cold War.

See the opulent party for yourself in this video blog as I ask the important questions, like, "Who are you wearing?" and "What's in your clutch?"

Read about the gala here and here.

Movie Madness: Semi-Pro

If you like Will Ferrell, you'll probably go see Semi-Pro despite what any critic says. Nevertheless, "Movie Madness: Semi-Pro," the latest installment in the Star-Telegram's video blog movie review series, is worth watching just to see film critic Chris Kelly make no attempts to mask his shock and dismay at senior arts writer Andrew Marton's high praise for the movie. It's good banter.

Why DFW is lucky to have PegasusNews.com

What otherwise would have been an unremarkable speech by Governor Rick Perry at a Dallas book-signing is now a legitimately funny story ("Unruly baby heckles Perry"), thanks to Chad Jones' creative coverage. Read the story, then watch the video:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Pegasus, you're a welcome and formidable competitor.

Step aside Obama Girl, "Hillary Guy" is here

Nick Anderson, editorial cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle, takes a cue from Obama Girl in this animated cartoon:

Tarantulas: gentle, graceful and sweet?

When it comes to pets, I happen to prefer canines to arachnids. But I gotta say, Jessica Azzinnari's tarantula is pretty, uh, cute. See just how darling tarantulas can be in this short video by Joyce Marshall. Read about Azzinnari, her spiders, and how to stop tarantula bleeding.

Why webcasts can inspire "fanatical loyalty"

The Guardian has a great article about several webcast stars -- Rocketboom's Joanne Colan, Ze Frank, Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht of DiggNation, and BoingBoing TV's Xeni Jardin and Mark Frauenfelder -- and why their shows "inspire almost fanatical loyalty."

Watch the shows:

Rocketboom

Ze Frank

DiggNation

BoingBoing TV

Texas on NYTimes.com

The NYT has a video report today about what a daunting challenge it is for the Democratic presidential candidates to campaign in our enormous state.

Racing pigeons redux

There's a story in today's paper about an Arlington man who wants to build excitement for the mostly forgotten sport of thoroughbred pigeon racing. The sport suddenly becomes much more fascinating when you learn that people are willing to pay $75,000+ per pigeon. This video blog explains why that's not as insane as it sounds.

Why the Texas primary will actually matter

Texas will be much more than just an ATM for presidential candidates this year. 

Star-T political reporter Aman Batheja explains why in this stellar video. Why is the video so stellar?

1. It's hella good for being his first video story.
2. It's informative and clever.
3. He fed ducks while on the clock.

Watch the video, read Aman's blog, then send him a story idea.

Strawberries and chocolate...mmm, mm, m

You can either pay about $3 per chocolate-dipped "tuxedo" strawberry at the store, or you can watch this KC video blog to learn how to make them yourself. There's no more dapper Valentine's Day gift than these fancy tuxedos.

You'll need:
- Dark or milk chocolate
- white "chocolate" (which isn't actually chocolate since it doesn't have cocoa, but whatever)
- several of the biggest strawberries you can find
- toothpicks to skewer the strawberries
- parchment paper and a pair of scissors to make the piping cone to draw on the buttons and bow tie

Shoppers beware

Set your spending limit before entering the FIG Finale sale, otherwise you're liable to fall victim to too many of the dangerously tempting deals (75% off designer clothes, shoes and accessories) at the semi-annual sale at the Fashion Industry Gallery in downtown Dallas. A couple stores that usually have booths at FIG were MIA this time (Forty Five Ten, where you at?), but there are still plenty of steals, especially at Austin Lorin (2nd floor, far left corner) and LFT (2nd floor, on the left).

The sale ends at 8 tonight. Ready, set, shop.
 

Careful out there, fellas

Better not accept that drink from the flirtatious women at the bar, especially if you're rockin' one of these -->

(Link props to FrontBurner.)

Wallstrip: Making financial news entertaining since 2006

Today's as good a day as any to discover Wallstrip, if you haven't already. It's a daily finance video blog where "stock culture meets pop culture." Indeed. To wit: they managed to include a gratuitous pic of Jessica Alba in the OTS (over-the-shoulder) graphics in today's episode about Omnicell's sliding stock. Wallstrip is usually funny and you might actually learn something, especially from the sit-down interviews with industry players, such as legendary venture capitalist Alan Patricof.

Viewers who prefer extra spice will be pleased to learn that the show's relatively new host, Julie Alexandria, promises an increase in dirty humor. Expect to see former (and cleaner) host Lindsay Campbell re-emerge on the interwebs in the soon-to-be-launched show MogLogic TV.

When I say "freeze" you just freeze one time...

Can't help but think that DJ Kool was, at least in small part, an inspiration behind this:

Frozen Grand Central

I'm throwing down the gauntlet: Will someone in North Texas please (please!) organize an urban playground party of some kind? How about capture the flag in Sundance Square. Or a lightsaber battle in Victory Park. Or a choreographed street dance in Southlake Town Square. (Email me when you start planning.)

VAY-NER-CHUK!

Wine Library TV host Gary Vaynerchuk's outrageously enthusiastic show welcome may make you fall out of your chair, but just give him a few minutes. Vaynerchuk = Pringles: once you click, you can't stop. The New Joyzee boy wants to rid the wine industry of mystery and snobbery, and his often irreverent approach seems to be working. The number of comments on each episode alone is evidence of a large and engaged audience. According to his site, Vaynerchuk has about 60,000 daily viewers. To get a sense of his vino philosophy, watch this episode.

Watch Vaynerchuk chomp on dirt, cigars and stinky socks with CO-NAAAN O-BRIEN:

Belo scoops Belo

Left Hand, meet Right Hand.

WFAA's MoJo posted this fun video story about a Dallas karaoke cab on Jan. 18. A week and a half later, a karaoke cab story shows up in the DMN's video offerings. I click, expecting it to be MoJo's video. Instead, it's an entirely different story about the same cab. Um, aren't both companies still owned by Belo?

To book the karaoke cab, call Francisco at 214.893.0613.

a YouTube for people who exercise their brains

Ideas, not dramatic chipmunks, are the stars at new video community site BigThink.com.

In order to get the conversation started, the site currently has several hundred short video interviews with well-known thinkers -- professors, CEOs, diplomats, politicians and  writers, such as former Dallas resident Virginia Postrel. Topics range from the meta (identity, death, justice, etc...) to the physical (culture, economics, technology). The interviews are there to start the debate. You can comment, respond, or post your own topic/question via video, slideshow, audio or text.

I found one question in particular, "Can newspapers survive the digital revolution?" to be particularly relevant.

Ready, set, think.

Whiplash, the cowboy monkey

Former rodeo clown/unbelievably gifted animal trainer Tommy Lucia is responsible for one of the best parts of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo: Whiplash.

The seven-pound Capuchin monkey (the same kind of monkey Ross had on Friends, if Wikipedia is to be believed) is back at the FWSS&R after about a four-year hiatus. Whiplash rides a sheep-herding Border Collie (two dogs alternate between performances) near the end of each rodeo.

As you'll see in the video, Whiplash has a habit of leaning far to the side when he rides, which made us wonder if the monkey likes to imbibe. He is almost old enough to drink afterall: Whiplash will turn 21 on April 2. But alas, no whiskey for Whippy. Tommy assures us that the pint-sized performer does not and will not be swigging anything but water and the occasional Gatorade.

Watch Whiplash perform and compare movie preferences with a monkey in this here KC video blog, y'all. Or read David Cassteven's story about Whiplash.

You can see Whippy at each rodeo through Sunday, Feb. 3. Click here for more stock show coverage.

Catchphrase of the week: "Thanks, little monkey dude!"

Move over, Brian Williams

No need to watch TV news coverage of the many UFO sightings in Stephenville, Texas (approximately 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth); just tune into YouTube and Jim Bo will tell y'all 'bout it. 

As of Thursday, Jan. 17, "jimbonumber9" had posted 450 videos. And it looks like he reads directly from the newspaper or the Bible in each one. For the real?

Pre-UFO craze, Stephenville was in the limelight thanks to Jewel:

Saint Jo, Texas, wants in on the UFO action too.

Beep beep'm beep beep yeah!

No matter what kind of ride you're looking for, you can find it in North Texas, as well as on YouTube.

Bernie Scheffler's Fort Worth City Council campaign may have run out of, er, gas, but you won't need any fuel other than muscle fiber to power the wheels he sells at Panther City Bicycles.

If pedaling isn't your speed, take a Spider out for a spin. The perks at DFW Elite Car Club look pretty fabulous, but do they have free Rahr beer on tap? Doubtful. And on second thought, they better not.

Clang, clang, clang went the trolley

It may not be nearly as charming as the one in Meet Me in St. Louis, but Southlake's new bus trolley will save you from having to drive and re-park to get from Southlake Town Square to the Shops of Southlake. Take a virtual ride in the "trolley" in this sneak peak video by Star-T reporter Adrienne Nettles.

Starting Friday, Jan. 18, the FREE trolley will run from noon to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Read about how the service is being funded.

Is the trolley yet another reason to hate Southlake?

There's no sign of a free trolley in Fort Worth's future, but that's okay. I'd take a streetcar over a bus any day.

Goat milking (or not)

Like the Dallas Cowboys, Star-T editor Liz Zavala and I suffered an embarrassing loss this weekend. We failed to claim victory Saturday at the Celebrity Goat Milking Contest at the Fort Worth Stock Show. The "celebs" were local media personalities like CBS11's J.D. Miles and way-cuter-in-person-than-in-his-bio-photo Garry Seith, KSCS morning DJ "Hawkeye," and Telemundo anchor Nancy Leal.

Unlike the 'Boys, our defeat wasn't broadcast on national TV, but you can watch it here.

Note to fellow allergy sufferers: take your preferred antihistamine before going to the Stock Show. The combo of animals, hay and freakishly green wood chips will have you sneezing for days.

 

Because we all need to laugh

After explaining the origins of "boom goes the dynamite" last night to a friend who was not familiar with Brian Collins, I decided we could all use a reminder. It's not local and it's not new, but it is the most spectacular college sportscast of all time. If the "boom" phrase means nothing to you, click here. Some TV sportscasters, as well as writers of all kinds, are still using Collins' line.

Even a toilet can be telegenic

It's official. Aaron Chimbel, a.k.a. WFAA's MoJo (Mobile Journalist), is the master of shooting video of inanimate objects. His subjects are often static since his mission is to "explain the previously unexplained things" we see in North Texas and wonder about. For example, recent stories include a feature about why a Fort Worth tree is loaded with bicycles and an explanation of why there are two spellings for the same Dallas street. Should you want to know why there's a six-foot tall pencil in your neighbor's yard, MoJo will find out.

This story about a toilet sitting on a Carrollton sidewalk is an especially good example of his inventive shooting. He's got a lens flair over the commode!

No wonder the man has an Emmy.

Blind hunting is no joke

When I first heard that Star-T reporter Bill Miller would be producing a video story about blind hunting, I was nearly overcome with homicidal jealousy. What video blog brilliance! Why didn't I think of that?! My story envy vanished almost immediately though thanks to the reminder of David Sedaris' hilarious mention of blind hunting in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Read the second and last paragraphs of this chapter (originally published in Esquire) and you'll see what I mean.

After you've finished reading Sedaris, read Miller's story about Dr. Stanley McGowen, a blind hunter. Now watch the video of McGowen hunting.

He's a clever man, that McGowen:

"I'm losing my patience with sighted people who have no vision," McGowen said recently. "We've already been hunting for years."

Think it's safe to say he won't be shooting any companions in the stomach. I feel kinda bad now for having laughed so hard.

David Sedaris, this post is for you.

RELATED UPDATE: A dog fatally shot his owner Saturday on a hunting lease east of Houston. Seriously, why so many freak shootings near Houston?

50 Cent Interviews

No, this post is not about a bullet-riddled rap mogul (though I do feel an odd camaraderie with Fiddy), but rather about NPR's Alex Chadwick and his poignant and impromptu interview series known as Interviews 50 Cents. Chadwick sets up shop in high-traffic areas with a card table, two mics and a sign that reads "Interviews 50 ¢." He then conducts brief interviews with anyone who sits down. According to this, Chadwick got the idea from Lucy's "Psychiatric help" booth in Peanuts.

Apparently I'm about a decade late to the party. This series is not new, but Slate is now posting a few of the interviews.

In the video below, a smartly-dressed man talks about cleaning up his life after being homeless and addicted to crack. The best part about this interview style is that neither person knows exactly where the conversation is going.

Watch more two quarter interviews at SlateV.com.

Ring-a-ding-ding

Even though he was still recovering from a cold leftover from Thanksgiving, singer Ricki Derek still managed to charm the crowd four nights in a row at the newly-opened Scat Jazz Lounge in downtown Fort Worth.

Here's video of the grand opening.

The club will primarily feature North Texas talent, such as musician Johnny Reno, but Derek says he hopes to bring in jazz performers from other parts of the country as well. Learn more about Scat by reading Preston Jones' Friday column.

To really appreciate the speakeasy vibe, order something from the "Old School" menu, like a Negroni. Apparently there are more Campari drinkers around than I thought. The bottle was already half empty (or half full) by Saturday night.

The Scat Jazz Lounge is on the south side of Fourth Street between Houston and Main. 817.870.9100.

(Thanks, Steve-O, for the early heads up.)

Oh, you think so, doctor?

According to this December 2007 report from Dynamic Logic, a Millward Brown company, on lessons learned from TV ads and how to apply them to online video, "bland," "pointless," and "conventional" ads perform the worst.

Granted, I create online editorial video, not advertising, but c'mon!

Online video/interactive advertisers would be much better served by doing their own analysis of recent Webby winners instead of reading the afore-linked "research."