Pretty pictures

If you're thinking to yourself:

"I'm getting a bit tired of this cod-eye who knows everything about nothing and not too much about that (I've just plagiarised Henrys cat), prattling on in a sarcastic manner about his year in America, I'd much rather just see some pretty pictures"!

Well, if you click on any of the pictures featured in my blog, you'll be treated to a selection of thumb nails (on a laptop) or a full size picture (on an Ipad or any other generic tablet).

So you need not waste your time any more, simply look at some photos and sod off. 

Or if you're so bored that you've ironed your tea towels and hosed out your wheelie bin, then continue to read.  

But just incase your still undecided, here are some photos;

Pavement art.

Downtown Omaha.

So typical of Nebraska.

Durham museum Omaha.

For the ladies.

Downtown Omaha taken from the Iowa side of the river.

Yoga

Badlands

The Badlands National Park, located on the south western edge of the great plains in South Dakota. I took these shots a day after a blizzard hit the area and the temperature was hovering around -20 degrees C. This National Park preserves 242,756 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. 


If this area of South Dakota could speak it could surely spin an elaborate yarn. For 11,000 years it was used as hunting grounds for the Native Americans, it was the site for Ghost Dances which were intended to re-unite the dead with the living, it was around this area that the great clashes between Plains Indians and US military took place, and its last owner was the United States Airforce who used it as a bomb and gunnery range. It was also the back drop for the 1990 classic Dances With Wolves. 

And just in case you were wondering, it's the site of the re-introduction of the Black-Footed Ferret.

As I travel around America I am continually surprised by its rugged beauty and this leads me nicely onto the topic of this weeks blog.

You may or may not be aware that only 38% of Americans own a passport. To put this into context, 2 out of every 3 Americans can't even fly to Canada.

You may have read the above statistic and thought how backward it is that a civilised country has so few passports in circulation. 

You may have a smug grin on your face right now, you're probably quietly chuckling under your breath, and thinking how those silly introverted Americans are so simple.

Maybe your right.....Or maybe your wrong? 

Now I know I'm stating the obvious but America is HUGE! America is a federal constitutional republic consisting of 50 states and a federal district. The 50 states have a vast diversity that in some cases exceeds that of European countries.

The topographical features of North America include: mountain ranges, plateaus, plains, deserts, vast lakes and several oceans. Tax on fuel makes car ownership relatively cheap and they have a well maintained road network.  So you could say they have everything they need in their own backyard, and the means to see it. 

However, the US is surrounded by nearly 2000 miles of water, and this can make international air travel inaccessible for many. Americans get less annual holidays than we do in Europe, with around 2 weeks being average. Exchange rates for the dollar aren't great and the yanks usually come off worse.

In some cases, I think you could argue that the domestic media skews the perceptions of some Americans to other countries and cultures. I saw a piece on CNN a few months ago that made me cringe. The piece made great fan fair of a primary school where mothers had removed there children from an infant Yoga class, because they claimed it was "enforced hinduism". 

In Europe we have a competitive budget airline industry and more annual holidays. The distances between a multitude of countries are comparatively short, so we think nothing of flying around the continent for a short break. 

The British have travel woven into their DNA. We had an Empire to explore and we often travelled overseas to seek our fortune. 

However, in the UK we have a dickensian road and rail network. It's often quicker to fly to another country to escape the stresses of UK living than it is to drive to another county. Our "summers" are pretty much one day events, and the effects of global warming have left us in perpetual autumn. 

The strength of stirling works against us in our own country too. How often have you heard people say, it was cheaper to fly to the Costa Del Sol for a month than it was to spend the weekend in Minehead watching the redcoats perform cabaret at Butlins.

Is it possible that if we were happier with our own country we'd be less likely to leave at the drop of a hat?

Does the fact the majority of Americans don't travel internationally make them culturally inept?
Does a lack of travel mean Americans have a lesser understanding of other religions and creeds? 
Does a lack of travel mean Americans are less sceptical of politicians and their motives?

Are we as Europeans any wiser for all our jet-setting?

In a word.... No.


The people I've gotten to know in the 3 months I've spent here so far have blown all my preconceptions out of the water. The "real Americans" I've met have the same hopes and fears as everybody else, and they have the same issues with government regarding both foreign and domestic policy. A lack of foreign travel hasn't made them any less liberal than any Europeans I've met, nor has it made them any less globally aware. 

It seems Americans are extremely well catered for in their own country, this means they're less likely to seek pastures new. After all, this is the land of the free and the home of the brave... 

New conservatory?

Mount Rushmore

The shrine of democracy was created by Gutzon Borglum, carving started in 1927, took 14 years to complete and cost only 1 million dollars. Borglum was a political activist in the 1920s when America was prospering and he wanted to make Mount Rushmore a tourist attraction with national focus.

The four presidents were chosen because Borglum wanted the theme of the carving to span approximately 150 years.

1. George Washington is associated with the birth of a nation and the father of America.

2. Thomas Jefferson is know for a period of expansion in America with the Louisiana territory purchase.

3. Abraham Lincoln preserved the union after the civil war when America was torn apart.

4. Theodore Roosevelt was credited with economic development, taking America into a new century and making the country a world power.

If you've read my past blogs, I'm hoping you remember me discussing "The American Dream"? During a recent conversation, again with someone who I'd consider an average American family man, he made some very interesting statements.

Firstly, and excuse my "french". "Free society is fucking chaos".

This crude but maybe accurate sentence really got me thinking. Given the freedom to do whatever you want doesn't always lead to the best results. Whether that be the freedom to drive down the road in a car with 3 worn tyres, the freedom to publish slanderous or inflammatory material, the freedom to purchase fragmentation grenades from your local supermarket, or the freedom to sculpt something monumental from raw granite into the side of a mountain?

Is Mount Rushmore the epitome of being able to do as you will but within reason? Is this another example of how the, "within reason" part of the "American Dream", means different things to people from different countries, cultures or backgrounds?

What I do know is, it's hard enough to get planning permission for a 10 by 10 conservatory in the UK, but just imagine the uproar you'd create by trying to carve Tony Blairs face into a picture post card mountain scape in the Lake District.

The second thing he said during our conversation, and this is absolute poetry.  

"We went from Led Zeppelin to Justin Beiber, man, there's a problem".

There is no come back to this inspirational stroke of genius. 

He used this as an analogy to describe how kids growing up don't talk to each other anymore and rely on social media to communicate. Essentially, it's people in a room sharing pictures, messages and points of view with people in a room else where, who would do that...

Harvest Festival

Ed Zorinksy Lake

This is where I spent my Thanksgiving this year while in Omaha, it's the Ed Zorinsky Lake. It's another one of the beautiful open green spaces Nebraska has to offer. The park is public land, including 190 acres dedicated to wildlife management. The park is home to the Bauermeister Prairie, which houses 120 species of plants, birds and wildlife.


The park has two modern playgrounds, several playing fields, baseball diamonds, soccer field, "football field", hiking trails, cycling trails, barbecues and sheltered spaces. This park is pretty much the perfect place for a family to spend the day, you can even go fishing or boating on the lake using the boat ramp provided.

And this brings me nicely on to the subject of this weeks blog. 

Thanksgiving in America, pretty similar to the harvest festivals you may remember from your childhood, but as usual it has added US fan fair. Families and neighbours come together to share food, good times and in the olden days, to give thanks for a good harvest. It seems to have a neighbourly spirit only seen in the UK around Christmas time, but it doesn't have the consumerist related drive that Christmas does. 

Unfortunately, this utopian dream ends in spectacular fashion only 24 hours after the celebration of Thanksgiving. This pure and righteous day is superseded by what is know as "Black Friday"....

I can only describe "Black Friday", as full contact shopping! 

We've all seen those crazy people who camp out days before the boxing day sales back in the UK, they live on cardboard rations, enduring sub-zero temperatures all in the vain hope of getting the latest Davina McCall work out DVD for a knocked down price. Now, just for a second imagine arming them with knives, pepper spray and semi-automatic firearms. If you're imaging something resembling a post-apocolyptic scramble for survival, then you're getting close to the realisation of "Black Friday".

Don't believe me, just search "Black Friday" on YouTube.

The grey area

A friend of mine posed a question a few weeks ago and its been rattling around in my head since then. He simply wanted to know what exactly was "The American Dream"? My impression of what "The American Dream" is, goes a little something like this.

It's probably more of a romantic idea related to the early pioneers and settlers who shaped America when it was in its infancy. My idea of  "The American Dream", is about conquering the land, acquiring wealth, providing for your family and being able to do what you please to this end.

After a conversation with someone who I'd class as an average American family man, I discovered my idea of "The American Dream" isn't too far from his own, but with one key difference. He talked about being able to do what you wanted within reason. 

The "within reason" part is very important. It's knowing that, yes we can, but should we? With all its power, the "within reason" variable can have huge implications for a country of Americas stature. Maybe the grey area of ,"within reason" is why Americans can sometimes seem arrogant to the outside world. 

It reminds me of the words of that great 20th century philosopher know to many as, Spiderman.

"With great power comes great responsibility".

This picture was taken on the I 90, heading toward Rapid City. I think it's a great example of, yes we can, but should we?

It's not relevant to this post, I snapped it on a footpath. Enjoy!

Real motorsport?

NASCAR

National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing

Now as you can probably tell from the above picture I went to see NASCAR. I went along to the Kansas City Speedway, a 1.5 mile tri-oval race track. As a Formula 1 fan myself I was slightly sceptical that NASCAR was anything other than red-neck racing. A lot of average ability racing drivers turning left for around 3 hours. A place for people to go and get drunk when they feel the need to leave their trailer for the afternoon. Somewhere to push hot-dogs and other fast foods into their faces....

You get the idea?

How wrong was I!

I have been to watch Formula 1 before and to be honest it's better on television. You find a place around the race track which is usually rubbish because you've bought the cheapest ticket you could and that still cost you at least 150 pound. From your distinctly average corner you cant see much as you're still about half a mile from the race track. But you keep your chin up, as after all that's the English way.

Once the race is under way, you have no real clue as to whats going on. Not to worry you'll keep an eye on the progress of the race from one of three 32 inch LED televisions, these are positioned around the circuit at a height of 50 foot so they are no use to man nor beast. 

By this time its almost certainly raining, so as well as not knowing whats going on, you're freezing cold, soaked to the bone and your stiff upper lip has suddenly turned floppy. Time to head home. And they've saved the best for last.

As you and around half a dozen others attempt to leave the site, you suddenly realise what Chris Rea meant when he sang about "The Road to Hell". Investment in infrastructure is something we're not keen on in the UK, so the surrounding roads of Silverstone in Northamptonshire have not changed since Stirling Moss was himself participating in Formula 1 Grand Prixs.

It's at this point you realise you should have just watched it from the comfort of your own home!

In true British fashion I bought the cheapest seat in the house, now this put me right at the edge of the race track, around 10 metres away from 30 angry race cars travelling at nearly 200mph. From this distance you can actually feel the shock wave as they blast past, you can smell the primitive race engines and you can also taste the rubber as the cars slide and squirm their way around the oval. 

Over 100,000 people attended the race and this is where the oval track lay out starts to make a great deal of sense. From every view point round the track it's very easy to keep up with what's going on in the race but at the same time you don't feel detached from it.

With plenty of re-starts because of frequent collisions the racing is kept tight as the cars get continually bunched up. There are no tactics or team orders and as the cars are built like tanks, the drivers aren't scared to get up close and personal with each other. Mind you, if there was a major pile up I'm not sure that chicken wire fence would be much use and it would never pass a British Health and Safety inspection.

When 300 or so laps had passed and it was time to leave with the other 100,000 spectators,  there wasn't a single traffic queue. The Americans had obviously seen the potential for a motoring calamity and simply built big some bigger roads, what a novel idea.

So I am a NASCAR convert? Not exactly but I think I can now appreciate how the Americans have taken a race car format and literally made it fun for the whole family.

Communism, what has it ever done for me?

Ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you to 

Fontenelle Forest, more than 2000 acres of riparian

forest, prairies, swamp and other lands in preservation.

The Fontonelle Forest Association was founded in 1913 with a mission to preserve the woodlands of south Omaha, Nebraska along the Missouri river. This truly is an area of outstanding natural beauty, it's only open between 8am and 5pm and it costs 7 dollars per visit, now this got me thinking...

In the UK we have the National Trust which looks after Places of Historic Interest and Places of Natural Beauty. Entrance to our National Parks is free and hours of access are not limited to office hours. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act gives the general public the conditional right to walk in certain areas of English and Welsh countryside. 

The right to roam in England and Wales can be traced back to the Ramblers Association and  then on to the Communist inspired British Workers Sports Federation. This was the Federation that held a mass trespass of Kinder Scout, the highest point in the Peak District. 

The Federations communist inspiration drove them to fight for a classless and stateless social order structured upon common ownership, this was in direct conflict with the gentry system that owned most of the open spaces at the time.

In todays capitalist world where the gap between the haves, and have nots can seem like a gulf, maybe we could use a little communism again?

Hey fat kid!

Firstly, let me start with an apology. This blog is designed to be about my year in America and I took this picture at the Great Wall of China, but just stay with me for a minute theres going to be a tenuous link.

In case the above picture isn't clear, it says;

"This wall was built without American aid or loan from the world bank".

A few days ago, I heard a conversation loosely related to Americas foreign policy. To cut a long story short, someone had said with regards to the fighting in Afghanistan, "if they wanted to, they could have what we have" and I believe "they" referred to Taliban, etc...

An American commented on this by likening it to a fat spoilt kid, who said "hey everyone come see how good I am". 

That comment made me think of the above picture I took in China. Theres your tenuous link, hope you liked it.

The entire wall and its branches measures 13,171 miles, its main purpose was to protect the Chinese empire from incursions from Nomadic groups or Military forces.

Some cool images of what seemed to be graffiti daubed on the interior walls of a restaurant.

From what I've seen China and America share one key feature, they are both fiercely patriotic, maybe this is what makes them great nations?

The windy city

Statistically no windier than any other US city...

Chicago, what an amazing city. Like a cleaner, greener New York, so much to see and do. Even though the level of gun crime would disagree with me, this great city felt very safe.

The views from the many skyscrapers draw the eye toward Millennium Park and lake Michigan beyond. The Cloud Gate sculpture by Anish Kapoor gives a different perspective of the city from every angle and above all that it looks amazing.

First post...

A shot of down town Omaha at night, this shot was taken with my trusty iPhone, the 4S has a bloody good camera. The old town is just a block or two away from this more modern part of the city but both are always clean and tidy. The down town area has more than enough bars and restaurants to go round and it always seems to be busy.

Everybody drives everywhere all the time. Its all so spread out and the distances can be huge a car is a must. 

I heard a good argument for cheap American petrol prices the other day. The point was made that because of the lay out of there towns and cities, the way the road network has been designed and because of the vast distances they may need to travel, they probably spend the same percentage of there wage on fuel as we do. As hard as this will be for British ears to here, our public transport is also better in smaller cities like Omaha, you simply cant take a bus or Metro because they don't have any!

Not sure you need a 6.7 litre V8 in everything though?