There is a Monument “honoring the Texans who were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and in the military action in Afghanistan that followed” located near the center of the Texas State Cemetery. It includes two steel columns that were salvaged from the World Trade Center. They are each over eight feet tall and are said to weigh about 1,400 pounds. This exhibit is very moving.
I have always wanted to visit the Texas State Cemetery, and today as a coincidence I parked nearby for a SXSW event on the East side of Austin. I couldn’t help but walk through the site and stand in awe at the history to be found here.
SXSW Interactive party by night. Parties, Bars, Live Music, DJs, Police Presence, and plenty of Weirdness.
SXSW Interactive party by day. Squishees, Monsters, Live Music and plenty of Weirdness.
This tree was blooming in full on pink blossoms and its vicinity to the modern art sculpture made for some nice photos. The bee was an extra bonus as I made my way along Congress Avenue.
As part of the SXSW festivities in Austin, Robert Rodriguez has opened up a gallery of Frank Frazetta artwork. They asked for no pictures to be taken once I was inside the gallery, so unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos of the great original art. Below is a copy of one of his prints (the original “Egyptian Queen” was on display and the colors and details were much better in person). You can find more information at several places on the web, including the online Art History Museum. The news is that Robert Rodriguez is planning to direct a live-action relaunch of “Fire and Ice”, the 1983 animated feature by Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta. I’m sure it will be filled with awesome creatures, kind of like the miniature creature that tried to attack me outside the venue. 🙂
Another SXSW free event happening this weekend is SX Create. This one has tons of creations and hands on activities. There are robots, art, 3D printers and other cool techie things to play with and destroy. This event also runs through Sunday evening.
So the SXSW conference is in full swing today. My first stop was the Gaming Expo. This is an event for the super nerds with all varieties of games, drones, computer vendors, software vendors, artists, cosplay people, and other fun things to see and experience. It is a free event and runs through Sunday night in case you find yourself in Austin this weekend.
Today’s most awesome lunch was the result of a small bet with a friend of mine – don’t gamble kids! I lost the wager, so we agreed on dining at Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse as payment. If you haven’t been, this place is wonderful for meat lovers. You start off by getting comfortable and ordering drinks. You then make a quick run to the salad bar which is enough for a large meal in itself. When you are ready for the fire roasted meats to arrive, turn the card at your table to the green side up. A parade of wait staff with a variety of delicious hot meats on skewers will begin to arrive at your table and hand carve the selections of your choice. When you need a break, just turn the card to the red side up. My favorite was the Alcatra, a “special cut of top sirloin originating in the steakhouses of Southern Brazil”. We also tried the Caipirinha, which is Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaca (sugar cane hard liquor), sugar, and lime. The dining experience was superb, and I can’t wait to go again!
From a Sanrio tweet,
Last week, I was looking for an App that would allow me to overlay one photo over the top of another. A friend recommended the Autodesk Pixlr photo editing App as a solution. The “double exposure” feature did exactly what I wanted, and as an extra bonus, the Pixlr App is free. I have been playing around with this App since then and so far, I really like it. Give it a try if you are looking for something like this. 🙂
earthrobert 