American Cultural Observation 196 : Dallas Museum of Art

Okay, to get in touch with my senitive side after the drag racing episode, I took the opportunity to visit the Dallas Museum of Art.






The Museum's history began with the establishment in 1903 of the Dallas Art Association, which initially exhibited paintings in the Dallas Public Library. In 1909, the association's collection received a permanent home in the Free Public Art Gallery of Dallas, located in Fair Park. The museum, renamed the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, relocated to a new art deco facility within Fair Park from 1936 to 1984. In 1963 the museum merged with the Dallas Museum of Contemporary Art. In 1979 Dallas voters pledged $24.8 million toward the construction of a new museum building in the Art District downtown. The current facility, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, opened in 1984 and the museum took on its current name. The museum was expanded in 1984, 1989 and 1993, to its current size of 350,000-square-feet (110,000 square feet of exhibition space) located on 8.9 acres.

Perry Nichols/Fight In The Corral/Dallas Museum of Art

I particularly enjoyed two collections, one dealing with Africa and another named Cowboys: Life on the range between art and life.

Finally, I felt hope rise up in me like a phoenix out of the ashes of despair... I still liked the finer things in life after all my redneck adventures!

American Cultural Observation 181 : Drag Racing!

Whohoooo! I manned up and went to the Drag Races at the Dallas Speedway! No, it is not a race between female impersonators but rather a competition in which vehicles compete to be the first to cross a set finish line, usually from a standing start, and in a straight line. Before I go further, I have to confess. After manning up, I quickly manned out again. Gosh, I was warned that it would be loud, smoky and sunny. Just as I parked my butt down I realized that I left my camera in the car that was parked what felt like 52 miles away. Wheels were flying... There was a tangible smell of gazoline, burned rubber, cigarette smoke and male musk in the air. Needless to say I did not last long. I came, I saw, and I quickly got the heck out of there! Wall to wall testosterone! It was a taping for a show called 'Pinks All Out' on Speed TV which meant all the thousands of rabid fans were there.



Most drag races are just 1/4 mile long (1,320 ft (400 m)). Races last between 3.9 and 17 seconds, with finishing speeds ranging from 80 to over 330 mph (530 km/h), depending upon the type of vehicle being used. The faster vehicles then need a parachute to slow down, an innovation credited (indirectly) to cartoonist Tom Medley.

Incase you want to know more… Before each drag race (also known as a pass), each driver is allowed to perform a burnout (which heats the tires and lays rubber down at the beginning of the track, improving traction). Each driver then lines up (or stages) at the starting line. Informal drag races can be started by any means, including flag-waving and arm-dropping. These methods are more likely to be seen in an un-professional setting, being most popular with illegal street racing.



Source: Wikipedia

Snow, snow, snow...

Okay, Spring started today! Happy Spring everyone north of the equator... Happy Autumn below! So, here is my problem... Why did we woke up to snow this morning? In Texas? Wow, 4th time this Winter season.



Okay, not a blizzard, but here in East Texas it is enough to bring life to an instant stop.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

American Cultural Observation 172 : Mud Bogging!

My American education continued today as I spent a glorious Saturday afternoon at the local I-20 Mud Bog. Oh my... elbow deep in Rednecks! It was like a local exhibition of redneck lore and it was awesome! At one stage I got to stand next to a family (mom, teen son, teen daughter and the teen daughters 30 something year old boyfriend) They must have had 67 teeth combined! Oh, and the wisdom that kept flowing from Mama's mouth. Taught me a few things about the human anatomy to say the least...

So I scooted a few trucks over only to witness a (now, I am sure he is a nice person...) middle aged, shirtless, beer gutted, tattoo'd man boogie his heart out to Dolly Parton's 'Jolene'.

No, really, think carefully about this one... and let me remind you of the lyrics

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can

You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
Hes the only one for me, Jolene


So, HE was singing it to himself... Now there is a back story I would love to know...

PRICELESS, my friend, priceless.

So, back to mud bogging, also known as mud racing, mud running, mud drags, or simply muddin'; is a form of off-road motorsport popular here in the United States in which the goal is to drive a vehicle through a pit of mud of a set length. Winners are determined by the distance traveled through the pit or, if several vehicles are able to travel the entire length, the time taken to traverse the pit. Typically, vehicles competing in mud bogs are four-wheel drives. The ones that don't make it and get stuck, is unceremoniously pulled out by tractor.

There are many types of mud bogs. From Hill and Hole, Flat or Progressive Track, and Open Bog. They come in many shapes and sizes from 150 feet (46 m) to over 300 feet (91 m). Hill and Hole is just as it sounds, usually is 60 feet (18 m) wide 200 feet (61 m) long and is a series of hills and holes, and make challenging to each truck. These tracks have little organization.

Some more Texas roadside trivia...

Yesterday we went to Pittsburg, Texas to do some video shooting for an upcoming edition of 'Connections'. (View the latest edition HERE) We shot at the Prayer Tower and Witness Garden. A gift to the city from businessman Bo Pilgrim (of Pilgrims Pride chicken fame), the tower features four Paccard bells from France and a chapel that never closes. The 75-foot tower's chapel offers a quiet refuge for visitors. In the park is a gurgling fountain and a life-size bronze that shows Jesus washing the disciple Peter's feet. Very serene and beautiful.


Okay, now about something else Pittsburg is famed for... Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim, along with his brother Aubrey, founded Pilgrim's Pride in 1946 with a humble feed store in Pittsburg. Bo expanded his successful poultry company to eventually distribute food products around the world. Bo capitalized on his last name with the signature hat, a successful marketing gimmick which he famously wore to all events and functions.

Pittsburg is still Bo's town as far as we could tell; a good portion of the citizenry are gainfully employed at the many Pilgrim's Pride operations in the area, including Pilgrim's bank.

And who wouldn't be proud to work in the facility behind the giant fiberglass likeness of the Founder's head? The head is painted with rich detail, but Bo's expression is humorless, the stoic farmer. It was sculpted to match the dimensions of the hat, which once graced the roof of the company's restaurant in Pittsburg, called "The Hat." When "The Hat" closed, the giant prop ended up here in 2002, part of the 37-ft. tall tribute.

Under the head in the pavilion is another sculpture. This bronze depicts a younger, more lifelike Bo Pilgrim, seated on a bench reading his Bible. On one end of the bench are strewn "Good News For Modern Man" pamphlets in many languages, which the devoutly Christian poultry magnate has distributed since 1982. Bo holds his Bible -- personally annotated, modeled after his actual Bible -- and reads from the Book of Luke (the five loaves and the two fishes story).

On the other end of the bench is Bo's chicken, Henrietta. Henrietta was "a regular feature in early company advertising," according to a plaque. Bo may not be exactly reading Scripture to his chicken, but the connection is clear: they are partners in feeding the people. Henrietta shows no fear, and could well be clucking loudly: "Multiply ME!"

It's the Holy Spirit reimagined, not as a dove, but a chicken.

If not quite on the in-your-brand-face scale of a Colonel Sanders or Frank Perdue, Bo Pilgrim has achieved regional notoriety best appreciated by exploring Pilgrim's Pride TV commercials, available online at "Bo's World". In one spot, nutty Bo, wearing his black buckle hat, jumps from a plane on a mission with a squadron of chickens, executing skydiving formations as they plummet to earth. "Delivered fresh from the farm."

The volunteer at the Pittsburg museum's Ezekiel Airship exhibit told us Bo is still alive, spry, and living in a mansion on the edge of town, called "Cluckingham Palace" by the locals. Bo is occasionally spotted on the streets -- though mostly without the hat.

Source - roadsideamerica.com

Watching the International Space Station zip past!

At 7 pm CST tonight the International Space Station zipped past overhead! What an amazing thing to see with the naked eye!

The International Space Station (ISS) is an internationally developed research facility that is being assembled in low Earth orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled for completion by 2011. The station is expected to remain in operation until at least 2015, and likely 2020. With a greater mass than that of any previous space station, the ISS can be seen from the Earth with the naked eye, and, as of 2010, is the largest artificial satellite orbiting the Earth.

The ISS serves as a research laboratory that has a microgravity environment in which crews conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy and meteorology. The station has a unique environment for the testing of the spacecraft systems that will be required for missions to the Moon and Mars.

The ISS is operated by Expedition crews, and has been continuously staffed since 2 November 2000, meaning the ISS programme has maintained an uninterrupted human presence in space for the past 9 years and 124 days, which is approaching the current record, set aboard Mir, of 9 years and 257 days. As of 1 December 2009, the crew of Expedition 22 is aboard.

Finding the macabre in Houston!

Ok, so since I saw it featured in a copy of Texas Highways magazine... I have been (dying) itching to see it! Yep, The National Museum of Funeral History in Houston, Texas.

The museum opened its doors in 1992. Mr. Robert L. Waltrip founded the Museum after 25 years of dreaming of an institution that would educate the public and preserve the rich heritage of the funeral industry. The size of a warehouse the museum offers unique exhibitions like...

Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes includes a full-scale replica of Pope John Paul II's crypt, an exact reproduction of the coffin used in the funerals of three previous Popes as well as replicas of other Papal vestments by the tailor shop that has made the vestments of the last seven Popes.

Other exhibits include Civil War Embalming (I trotted through that one quite fast, way to realistic...), a 1900 Casket Factory, Numerous Hearses and famous caskets (like the 3 person casket - ordered in 1930 by grieving parents planning their suicide pact after their young child's death - luckily they changed their mind)(or the Money Coffin - originally covered in $1000 worth of coins and notes, but sadly now only in $643 after someone stole a panel!), Fantasy Ghanaian coffins (ever wanted to be buried in a coffin shaped like a chicken?), etc...

Houston Bound!

A bit of a long entry, so buckle up and keep your feet on the inside of the vehicle!

In need of a break, I am taking a long weekend and a chance to explore some more of Texas. I am off to Houston!

I searched for a smalltown diner to have breakfast and finally found one in a tiny town called Madisonville. It knew it was going to be perfect when I cracked open the door at the Walker Cafe and EVERYONE stopped eating and looked me over. In my mind I was ready to flash my passport and say loudly... VISA, VISA - I have VISA! But, luckily I controlled myself.

I demurrely ordered coffee and it arrived in a mug with an ad for Day Funeral Home on it! I knew it was going to be a great day. And I was right!

After breakfast it was back on the road for me through small town Texas where I came across this peculiar sign... Next stop was the town of Brenham and the home of Blue Bell Creameries. Blue Bell Ice Cream is only available in about 20% of the nation’s supermarkets, it ranks as one of the top three best selling ice creams in the country. Blue Bell ice cream has also been eaten aboard the International Space Station and at Camp David.

Blue Bell retains control over all aspects of their business, primarily to ensure quality control and the use of the freshest ingredients available. The company is still family owned by the Kruses and they are famously know for stating that "the milk we use is so fresh it was grass only yesterday." The company uses milk from approximately 60,000 cows each day, and the cream used during each day's production run is always less than 24 hours old.

All production and packaging takes place within Blue Bell facilities, which are able to produce over 100 pints per minute. Drivers of delivery vehicles personally stock store shelves so that they can ensure that it is handled properly.

After touring the facility, you only get to choose ONE flavour... Let me put that in perspective... Blue Bell produces over 250 different frozen products. I was uhmming and aaahing and this poor ice cream scooper got visibly peeved at me... Finally I decided on Chocolate Covered Cherries. Oh my... It was soooo good!

Back on the road and this time I headed for Katy, Texas. One of my dreams has always been to go to China to see the amongst many this the Terracotta army. Thank God a lot closer to East Texas is the Forbidden Gardens. It is an outdoor museum of Chinese culture and history and the museum is funded privately by a Chinese businessman named Ira Poon who is interested in sharing his country's history.

Forbidden Gardens takes its name from two of its major features: A 1:20 scale model of the Forbidden City with hundreds of palace buildings and figurines under a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) pavilion, and the small grounds for walking and viewing additional exhibits.

Additional exhibits include a detailed panorama of a scholarly retreat called Lodge of the Calming of the Heart, an outdoor array of 6,000 one-third scale soldiers and chariots from the Terracotta Army tomb of the first Emperor of Qin, an indoor panorama of a city called the Venice of China (Suzhou), and rooms exhibiting details of historical architecture and weapons.

Forbidden Gardens is unusual in that it is privately funded, displays extensive models made and shipped from China, and gives a unique view and experience of one of the most interesting times in medieval Chinese history. It originally cost $40 million to construct and only 40 of the 80 acres (320,000 m2) Poon bought are currently being used. The Terracotta Army display is unique in that the statues are exposed to direct sunlight, unlike the sheltered originals, enabling excellent photography conditions.

The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausouleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. Many archeologists believe that there are many pits still waiting to be discovered.

American Cultural Observation 112 : Some More Girl Scout Cookies

Do-Si-Dos Cookies
Crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookies with creamy peanut butter filling. Claims not to contain any artificial colour or flavour. Yeah, more peanut butter. NOT a fan! Oh and according to Deb in Information Services, this is the cookie to dip in coffee. I stand corrected Deb. So, the experimentation for this round of cookies was done while in a meeting. I kept finding myself reaching for the Do-Si-Does and then Shannon, a colleague of mine, would shout frustrated across the table “Don’t take that – its peanut butter” time after time. Annoying at the time but funny now. Oh, some more feedback on peanut butter conundrum... btw, I'm an American who now hates peanut butter - working on the AFM dining room staff has caused me to hate peanut butter because I have to wash the dishes that people seem to get PB from the jar and paint (or dip) every dish in PB - then we have to get the sticky stuff off. March 15th - that is the date I stop washing dishes! :) I feel with you Marty! I washed dishes on the Anastasis too for many a long month... Worse is trying to get Marmite off the plates!

Trefoils Cookies
A simple yet delicate-tasting old fashioned shortbread. Quite a satisfying and unassuming cookie that is quite filling and lovely with a cup of tea I am sure. Staple cookie you can trust. The cookie to keep in a tornado shelter. Did you know that Scottish shortbread evolved from medieval biscuit bread, which was a twice-baked, enriched bread roll dusted with sugar and spices and hardened into a Rusk (soft, sweetened biscuit). Eventually butter was substituted for yeast, and shortbread was born. Since butter was such an important ingredient, the word "shortbread" derived from shortening. Shortbread may have been made as early as the 12th Century, however its invention is often attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th Century. Now tell me your noggin does not feel enriched!

Cookie Fun Facts!

• Little Brownie bakes over 4,500,000 Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies per day during peak baking times.
• Little Brownie makes their own caramel for Samoas®. It‘s cooked the old fashion way in copper kettles to 234 degrees.
• Do-si-dos® and Tagalongs® take 230,000 lbs. of peanut butter per week.
• Peanut butter crème is deposited onto Do-si-do® cookies at the rate of 2800 per minute.
• After exiting the oven, Thin Mints travel 300 feet on a conveyer belt to cool before being coated in the chocolate.
• A rotary die shapes Trefoils. There are 300 identical Trefoil shapes engraved in one rotary die. The die rotates 17 times a minute equaling 5100 cookies a minute.
• Samoas® go through a cooling tunnel at 40-50 degrees before chocolate is applied.
• Do-si-dos® are wrapped at 64 packages per minute!