Month: March 2010

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Truck. Stop. Tacos! And Tamales On Trikes! And Something Called A Hawaiian Haystack.

This morning’s e-newsletter from Garden and Gun (what a gorgeous magazine) listed five locations for great street food…

Austin’s Mighty Cone, Harvest Moon Grille in Charlotte, Farm 255 in Athens (GA), Daisy Cakes in Durham (red velvet cupcakes!), and in B’ham, Taqueria Guzman (215 West Valley Ave):

We’ve been there before – cabeza, buche, carnitas:

I like these, but the corn tortillas are *so*…um…corn-y they aren’t my favorite. The meat, though, is wonderful. If you’re ever in that part of town, Gordo’s (433 Valley Ave) is always fantastic:

Tacos From Gordo's, Birmingham AL

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Early this month, there was an article in the Times-Picayune about Holly Hawthorne – Holly’s Tamales – riding her pink tricycle around the Marigny selling (what else?) tamales. From what I understand, there’s a city ordinance that only Lucky Dog can vend in the Quarter proper. Of course I had to tell my friend Amy at the SFA (Tamale Trail!) – and I emailed Holly who was super-super nice too.

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I don’t remember how I found this, but last week in The Atlantic, there was a post called “Jell-O Love: A Guide to Mormon Cuisine“. It reads in part:

Because Utah is the most homogenously religious state in the nation, social life tends to revolve around LDS church functions, church potlucks being the nucleus of Mormon cuisine. Any budding culinary anthropologist can touch down at the Salt Lake City International Airport, shout “Take me to a ward potluck!”, and discover the bedrock of Mormon food.

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At most social functions, there will be funeral potatoes. Not just for post-burial buffets, the dish is comforting at any social gathering. Calorically astronomical and dense with melted cheese, funeral potatoes are a casserole of shredded cooked frozen potatoes, canned cream of chicken soup, and sour cream, topped with crumbled cornflakes and baked until molten. This food, along with green Jell-O, was immortalized in a set of collectible pins from the 2002 Winter Olympics.

There will also be frog’s eye salad, an ambrosial addition to any potluck. This is made from small pasta balls called acini de pepe—Italian for peppercorns (fregola or orzo can be substituted)—that have been cooked, drained, and cooled, then mixed with a tub of whipped topping, canned crushed pineapple, and canned mandarin orange segments.

There might be Hawaiian haystacks, an economical and engaging dish made from a pot of white rice and refrigerator scraps. Boiled chicken, Tuesday’s ham, microwaved corn niblets, and shredded lettuce are set out in little bowls. Gravy, fried wontons, and pineapple rings are essential. Guests pile their plates with a heap of rice and add toppings as they please into a loaded stack.


Wow.
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Trying To Keep Austin Weird: Cathedral Of Junk

One of my friends who has his own art environment in Austin – Scott Stevens – is really good friends with Vince Hanneman who has the Cathedral of Junk. I’ve been meaning to post about the CoJ *forever* – it’s been in books, television shows… Well, the city of Austin has cited Vince and the Cathedral for code violation.

Image used courtesy That Other Paper under Attribution – Share Alike 2.0 Generic. Thank you!


The Austin newspaper has an article that reads in part:

The Cathedral of Junk has to go.

The enormous stack of old hubcaps, bicycles, blenders, crutches, urinals, computer guts, lawn mower wheels, kitchen utensils, shopping carts, typewriters, sewing machines and other stuff reaching 33 feet toward the sky in a South Austin backyard is a building, the city’s code compliance officers say. Worse still, it’s a building without a building permit.

Image used courtesy Mr. Kimberly under Attribution – Noncommercial – Share Alike 2.0 Generic. Thank you!

Fans and friends of Vince Hannemann, the artist who began creating the Cathedral of Junk behind his Bubbaland home on Lareina Drive in 1988, say it’s art. Either way, it’s beloved and famous. The Cathedral, featured on RoadsideAmerica.com and a book called “Weird Texas,” is a well-known tourist destination for folks who vacation in, say, VW buses and are bored with normal stuff like Six Flags.

“This whole structure is wired together with wires, and I don’t think an engineer would stamp it as structurally sound,” said Ronald Potts, an assistant division manager for the city’s code compliance department. He points out that people climb up into the tower. “There’s hallways. There’s ladders. There are people going in and out of there, so it is a structure or building, by code.”

On Wednesday, the city posted the Cathedral as a dangerous structure, Potts said.

Image used courtesy CC Chapman under Attribution – Noncommercial – No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic. Thank you!

More here.
Save the Cathedral of Junk Facebook group is here.
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Tomatoes, Pottery, Music, And…Well… Snakes.

Since the last couple of posts were about Scottsboro…

Scottsboro is in the Sand Mountain region of Alabama, where they grow some of the *best* tomatoes – you can get them in NYC labeled as ‘Sand Mountain tomatoes’, like ‘Ponchatoula strawberries’ and ‘Chilton County peaches’.
It’s also a region famous for music – Gene Ivey and his fiddles, gospel music (incl. the sacred harp / shape note singing in Cold Mountain), and the folk music attracted Alan Lomax to come and make recordings.
But if you Google ‘Scottsboro’ and ‘Sand Mountain’ the first three results you get aren’t about any of that.
Old Rock House Holiness Church, Macedonia AL

They’re about people handling snakes in church.

This is the Old Rock House Holiness Church in Macedonia, Alabama. One of my favorite authors is Dennis Covington, who wrote Redneck Riviera: Armadillos, Outlaws, and the Demise of an American Dream about five years ago; back in the 90s he was getting assignments from the NYT and from that we got Salvation on Sand Mountain, about people who handle snakes in their churches as part of their religious expression. Dennis is from Alabama, so when he started researching the practice for the Times as part of his coverage of Reverend Glenn Summerford’s trial, he kept going and worked it into this book, which turned out to be a National Book Finalist.

Reverend Summerford was the leader of the Church of the L-rd Jesus Christ with Signs Following in Scottsboro. He was on trial for the attempted murder of his wife, Darlene: the charge was that at home, to punish her for something, he held her hand down in a snake box until she was bitten.
He received 99 years for it.
His cousin Billy is pastor at the church above (where they also handle snakes as part of their religious experience). That’s not my religion, but I would be so interested to attend a service as a visitor. Sitting in the back. By the door.
But respectfully. It’s so interesting how other people express themselves to get closer to the Almighty.
It’s all based on a literal interpretation of Mark 16:17-18…from the King James:

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Hopefully soon when you Google ‘Scottsboro’ and ‘Sand Mountain’ it won’t be the sensationalism of snakebites or trials. Tomatoes or pottery or music or the Scottsboro Boys Museum buying the church they’re in would be nice.
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Thank You Rev. Tom Bell!

Something Beautiful, Camellia Japonica

I received the nicest letter today from Rev. Tom Bell regarding the Scottsboro Boys Museum (original post here).
I wrote to him in part:

Reverend Bell, it would mean so much to so many people if you could reconsider the timeline for purchase of Joyce Chapel UMC, the current home of the Scottsboro Boys Museum in Scottsboro.

I realize that you have another offer to entertain from an anonymous source and you are in a position to make the best decision for the UMC, but perhaps giving the entire matter pause for a moment would show good-faith effort by the Church to honor both history and the good deeds that the Foundation/Museum is doing for people in the community, young and old.

Scottsboro always gets such a bad reputation because of the unfortunate location of the trial; showing any amount of hasty decision-making, or throwing the museum out, will only further the notion that Scottsboro hasn’t ever and never will show respect for what happened there.

I very respectfully ask that you just give the matter your kindest thoughtful consideration.

…and he so very nicely replied that (I won’t quote it word for word because it is a personal communication) he is all in favor of making everything work for the foundation/museum. It does seem as though there was some miscommunication at the city council meeting that had a lot of people surprised and bewildered. The miscommunication was not from him.

I do truly believe after receiving his letter that he will see to it that the best, right thing is done. I’ll be writing him a thank you letter today!
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Donations to further the purchase of the property may be sent to:
The Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center
PO Box 1557
Scottsboro, AL 35768
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Shut Down

Construction/Destruction in Oxford

It was on the news last night (and in yesterday’s Anniston Star) that the city’s construction at the historic Davis Farm site in Oxford was shut down by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Why? Because ***they didn’t tell*** the ACoE about the “discovery of ancient human remains”.

From the Star report:

Construction on a multi-million-dollar Oxford sports complex halted a month ago because the discovery of ancient human remains at the site was not reported to the proper authorities — an oversight that so far has forced the city to pay approximately $200,000 to its idle project contractor.

The Oxford City Council briefly discussed the situation during the work session before its regular meeting Tuesday. The council agreed to sit down with all parties involved at 10 a.m. April 5 at City Hall to learn how the oversight occurred and to get the project started again. The parties involved include a representative from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which shut down the project; Taylor Corp., the contractor; University of Alabama archaeologist Robert Clouse, who is overseeing the project; and engineering firm Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood.

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“Every two days, we’re paying Taylor Corp. what it would cost for a new police car,” Spurlin said.

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“As part of the wetlands permit process, archaeology is incorporated,” Holstein said. “We told them there were 24 archaeological sites on that parcel of land, including a temple mound and village areas. The Historical Commission concurred, and the city signed off on it.”

Holstein claimed earlier this year that someone had bulldozed the temple mound, which may have contained human remains. Clouse and the city claim the mound is still there.

Holstein believes the few remains the city found in January are only the beginning of what will be discovered at the construction site.

“They’re going to find more bodies,” he said. “(Indians) didn’t just bury one person in a large town like that.”

Karma, Oxford. Karma.

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Scottsboro Boys Museum In Trouble

The Scottsboro Boys Museum is in trouble. The dedication and formal opening was February 1, 2010 (although they were accepting visitors late last year) at their historic location, Joyce Chapel United Methodist Church. We were just there a couple of weeks ago:
Scottsboro Boys Museum, Scottsboro AL

It’s a small museum, put together neatly, and it’s much-needed here. How many people haven’t heard of the Scottsboro Boys? So it’d be pretty natural to expect something more than a historical marker. After all, the case went all the way to the US Supreme Court (which later led to rulings on defendants receiving effective counsel and another about jury composition).

Scottsboro Boys Museum, Scottsboro AL

One of my friends has the blog Left in Alabama (if you’re not ultra-political, me neither!! but this part is important…) and she received a letter from the museum board which read in
part:

The Museum is in urgent need of your assistance once again. … The doors of the historical church have been open for the last three months with programs and activities. Officially, today is the first day the Museum is open for viewing. However, we are in danger of losing the building to an “anonymous buyer.” The United Methodist Church has informed us that someone else is interested in purchasing the building and is ready to present them with a check for the entire $75,000. To date we have raised $42,500 for the purpose of purchasing and sustaining the museum.

Let us remind you that the church stood empty until the Foundation became interested in it for the purpose of the Museum.

We are concerned that the only reason the “anonymous buyer” is interested in the church is to keep the Museum out.

Scottsboro Boys Museum, Scottsboro AL

Sure enough, in yesterday’s Daily Sentinel (Scottsboro’s paper) they had an article:

The Scottsboro-Jackson County Multicultural Heritage Foundation is attempting to purchase the historic church that is now the home of the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center.

Executive Committee member Sheila Washington told the Scottsboro City Council Monday night the foundation wants to buy Joyce Chapel.

The church is currently owned by the Northeast District of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Washington said District Superintendent Rev. Tom Bell has given the foundation a week to purchase the church.

Appraised at $125,000, the foundation can buy the church for $75,000, according to Washington.

“We just received $37,500 from the Jackson County Legislative Delegation for the purchase,” Washington told council members. “We hope you can help.”

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Council member Gary Speers said an anonymous buyer is also interested in buying the church.

“This can be a business deal, rather than just giving to the community,” Speers, also a member of the museum board, said. “Monies through donations and contributions are coming in. We just need to have the deal signed, sealed and delivered. If there’s a way to secure the funds, the organization can pay it back.”

Council President Matthew Hodges said he would like to see the city do something to assist.

“We need to come up with some type of proposal for our next work session,” Hodges said.

Scottsboro Boys Museum, Scottsboro AL

Seriously, they have a *week* to come up with the money to buy the church or else it may be sold to an anonymous buyer?

Donations may be sent to:
The Scottsboro Boys museum and Cultural Center
PO Box 1557
Scottsboro, AL 35768

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Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who wrote today letting me know something was going on with the images (and another strange log-in thing) here. I think I’ve got it fixed now. If not, do tell… Thanks again!

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Mardi Gras Indians

The NYT has an article today about some of the Mardi Gras Indians suing for copyright infringement when people use photographs of them for commercial purposes (not like here, where there’s no money involved). They see pics of themselves in calendars and books and they never receive any compensation for it.

Image used courtesy Infrogmation under Attribution 2.0 Generic. Thank you!

Image used courtesy dsb nola under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic. Thank you!

Image used courtesy Joel Mann under Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic. Thank you!


Image used courtesy howieluvzus under Creative Commons 2.0 Generic. Thank you!
Av and I belong to a New Orleans Krewe, but what’s worn is more…homespun. *Nobody* does it like the Indians. Incredible. I hate the idea that they’re being taken advantage of, but it’s such a hard situation when you’re in the public arena and of course anyone can take a photograph for whatever reason…
Here’s a little bit from the article:

Anyone could still take their pictures, but the Indians, many of whom live at the economic margins, would have some recourse if they saw the pictures being sold, or used in advertising. (News photographs, like the ones illustrating this article, are not at issue.)

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Mardi Gras Indians have been around for more than a century — more than two, some say — and are generally thought to have originated as a way to pay homage to the American Indians who harbored runaway slaves and started families with them.

The Indians come out and parade in full dress on Mardi Gras; on St. Joseph’s Night, March 19; and on a Sunday close to St. Joseph’s — a tradition that arose out of the affinity between blacks and Sicilians in the city’s working-class precincts.

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Any photograph that focused on a suit protected by a copyright could arguably be considered a derivative work. The sale of such a picture (or its use in tourism ads, for example) would be on the merits of the suit rather than the photograph itself, and if the person selling it did not have permission, he could be sued.

But the idea is not so easy to put into practice. In American copyright law, clothing designs generally cannot be protected because they are more functional than aesthetic. Ms. Keaton argues that the suits, which can weigh well over 100 pounds, should be considered works of sculpture, not outfits.

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Indians do make a few hundred dollars here and there showing up at parties and concerts, and a few have tried, with disappointing results, to sell last year’s suits on eBay.

“Indian culture was never, ever meant to make any money,” said Howard Miller, Big Chief of the Creole Wild West, the city’s oldest tribe, and president of the Mardi Gras Indian Council. But neither should the culture be exploited by others.

“We have a beef,” he said, “with anybody who takes us for granted.”

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Cakes, Goats, Art, Water, And A Commune

For our anniversary, we wanted to take the boys to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. I had done a little research about where to have lunch, and many people were suggesting the City Cafe Diner downtown. At first it doesn’t sound like a great idea because…well, it’s attached to a Day’s Inn, which isn’t the most appetizing location, right? But it’s a real diner in that it’s all black and white and neon, and there are a zillion things on the menu including well over fifty desserts – tons of cakes. There are so many desserts that they have pictures of them running on a loop on televisions around the diner.

At City Cafe Diner, Chattanooga TN
It was a good experience, especially since we don’t have ‘real’ diners where we live.
On a previous trip to Chattanooga a month or so ago, we had lunch at Sugar’s Ribs that was highly recommended, and it was pretty good. It was a great place to take the boys because you can bring the leftover bread out and feed it to the goats they have outside (they use goats to clear the overgrowth on the property) right by the highway. One of them made friends with Shug:

At Sugar's Ribs, Chattanooga TN

We really like the Winder Binder Gallery. Back around the holidays, they had this up for a Christmas tree:
Can Christmas Tree at Winder Binder Gallery, Chattanooga TN

Inside, they have art by *so* many well-known, and plenty of lesser-known artists. Here’s an R.A. Miller:

R.A. Miller Art at Winder Binder Gallery, Chattanooga TN

…works by an artist who drills doors:

Drilled / Decorated Doors at Winder Binder Gallery, Chattanooga TN

…a JL Nipper owl totem:

JL Nipper Owl Totem at Winder Binder Gallery, Chattanooga TN

Our anniversary present to each other was a JL Nipper armadillo.

At the Tennessee Aquarium
The Tennessee Aquarium was wonderful. We’ll probably get annual passes when the boys get a little bit bigger. There was of course so much to look at, and they have a special exhibit right now with jellyfish that was great.

Folk Art at the Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga TN

On the way out, they had a large selection of folk art including BF Perkins, RA Miller, Jerry Brown, and Annie T.

Supper was at Memo’s so we could try a Chattanooga tradition:

Memo's, Chattanooga Tennessee

The sliced hotdog, which is just a hotdog sliced into coins and smothered in *everything*. Bring an entire roll of paper towels! I’m really not a hotdog person – wouldn’t mind if I only had one every five years, so I’m not a great judge…you decide…

Memo's Chopped Weiner, Chattanooga Tennessee
Their barbecue, which Av and the boys had, was nice.
Of course, if you want Chattanooga tradition you have to go to Krystal, drink Double Cola, and eat a Moon Pie! Okay, maybe a Little Debbie too.
When the boys get a little older, we’ll take them to Rock City, Ruby Falls, go to a Lookouts game, and of course go see the Choo-Choo. We stayed at The Chattanoogan before and it was nice – the last time was when we were going to a family reunion at Sewanee, The University of the South, because one of my great-great-great…uncles was a founder of the school – Confederate General Leonidas Polk, the ‘Fighting Bishop’. This is a pic I took of the All Saints Chapel there:

All Saints Chapel, Sewanee TN
There are just so many nice things to do in Chattanooga, and so many nice things closeby too.
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One of the other restaurants that was suggested in Chattanooga was the Yellow Deli because they make such great sandwiches. If you look at their menu, on the cover it reads, “we serve the fruit of the Spirit at the deli.” Everything about the restaurant is done by members of a community called the ‘Twelve Tribes‘. Their website has a lot of information and I found an article with this:

Sprung from the counterculture movement of the 1960s and the Jesus movement of the 1970s, The Twelve Tribes community strives to live their lives as described in Acts 2 and 4 of the Bible. Members live communally and share everything. They must give up all possessions to live within the community.


Members dress in modest clothing, with the women usually wearing waist-length hair and long dresses with high necklines. Men wear beards with their hair bound in the back like the priests of the old covenant.


The interiors are supposed to be handcrafted by the members, so I’d love to see that. This is a tiny photo album of the interior…nice!
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