Dallas Cowboys Stadium Tour

The $1.4 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas opened in May 2009. The domed stadium features an expansive retractable roof, the world's largest HDTV video board, and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. The stadium has seating for 80,000 expandable to 110,000, 381 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and three standing room only areas for 15,000 fans above the end zones. It is the 3rd largest stadium in the NFL by seating capacity. 180-foot-wide by 120-foot-high glass doors, located at each end of the stadium, allow each end zone to be opened.

Tom Landry statue in front of the stadium.

The stadium is the largest domed stadium in the world and has the world's largest column-free interior. The Statue of Liberty and its base would fit inside the stadium without touching the retractable roof. The stadium requires three electrical power substations plus backup generators and averages roughly $200,000 in monthly utility bills. When it is in full summer operation it uses more electricity than all of the high rise buildings in Fort Worth.

The field is actually 50 feet below ground level, so fans entering on the plaza level will have a panoramic view over the field. The end zone areas have the flexibility to convert from standing-room only to seating, based on specific event needs. The maximum seating capacity is approximately 110,000.

The new stadium has more than 3,000 Sony LCD displays throughout the luxury suites, concourses, concession areas and more, offering fans viewing options that extend beyond the action on the field, and a center-hung four-sided video display board that contains two of the largest high-definition television screens in the world. People frequently refer to the video board as the "Jerry-Tron" or the "Jumbo-Tron". It actually consists of four separate screens: two 160-by-72 foot main screens and two 48-by-48 foot screens for the end zones. The video board was originally fixed at 90 feet directly above the center of the playing surface. After the Tennessee Titans punter hit the board during the Cowboy's first preseason game and first game ever played at Cowboy Stadium in 2009, the board was retrofitted so that the board height could be varied from 35 to 100 feet. The video board weighs an astounding 1.2 million pounds and reaches a span of seven stories in height and spans from 20 yard line to 20 yard line. The video board cost $5 million more than the entire construction of the old Texas Stadium.

The 410 foot long by 256 foot wide retractable roof was open when we started our tour. Later as clouds started moving in they closed it. Closing the two roof panels takes about 10 minutes. Not bad considering that each panel is 215 feet long and consists of 14,100 tons of structural steel. During NFL games the Cowboys do not control the retractable roof – the NFL controls whether it will be open or closed.

This photo shows a view of the three standing room only areas above one of the end zones. The areas are above the seats under the Dr. Pepper, Ford and AT&T signs. Each area has a capacity of 2,500. $29 Party Pass tickets gives fans access to these standing room only areas.

This is a view from one of the upper deck end zone standing room only areas. It shows one of the 48 foot screens on the video board.

The facility has a permanent maintenance staff of 6,000 and six different surfaces that can be installed in 12 hours. This allows the stadium to be used for a variety of activities outside of its main purpose (professional football) such as concerts, religious ceremonies, basketball games, college football and high school football contests, soccer matches, motorcross races and rodeos similar to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. For basketball events played in Cowboys Stadium, such as the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the video board is actually larger than the court and the video board is lowered to 35 feet. The highest the board has ever been raised was 100 feet for a U2 concert. The video board was not used during the concert but had to be raised to make room for their large claw shaped stage.

This telephoto of Ameriquest Field, the Texas Ranger's stadium, was taken from one of the top deck standing room only areas. The traditional, red brick baseball stadium is an interesting contrast to the futuristic Cowboy Stadium.

Player lockers.

The cheerleaders have their own lockers in the new stadium.

The previous photo is a view from one of the luxury suites. There are 381 luxury suites on five different levels with leases ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 per year. The suites range in size from 650 to 800 square feet and seat up to 45 fans. The suites have leather-clad walls, bars with Brazilian granite tops, custom leather furniture and private restrooms.

Seating in one of the larger luxury suites.

The luxury suite lessees and their guests can enjoy catered gourmet foods prepared by 12 chefs, private entrances, private parking, tickets to Cowboy home games and access to exclusive clubs in the stadium.

Tickets: Dallas surpassed New England and now has the most expensive tickets in the league. They average $160, an increase of 90% from last season. The sticker shock doesn't end with the cost of tickets, however. The Fan Cost Index -- what it takes to bring a family of four to a game -- is $759 in Dallas, by far the highest in the league. The Patriots check in with the second-highest FCI at $597, and the league average is $412. The biggest bargains in the NFL can be found in Buffalo, where tickets average $51 and the FCI is $304, and in Jacksonville, $57 and $310.

Parking: Jones and the Dallas Cowboys control all of the premium parking lots around the stadium. Parking passes are available with certain tickets and start at around $50 – $75 dollars and the price goes up from that. Parking at the nearby Texas Ranger's Stadium cost is $20-60. Downtown Arlington parking is available for $25 or less but there are no shuttle buses to the stadium which is 1.4 miles away.

Concessions and merchandising sales: The New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys, two of sports' richest teams, have partnered with Goldman Sachs Group and private equity firm CIC Partners to create Legends Hospitality Management, a sports services company that will operate the concessions and merchandising sales at the new Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas, and at the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, along with the stadiums of the Yankees' minor league affiliates.

The Art Program At Cowboys Stadium is an art program at the stadium that launched with 14 commissioned artworks by renowned artists, which have been installed in prominent locations throughout the Stadium. Franz Ackermann, Annette Lawrence, and Olafur Eliasson are among those who have created new work for the program. When Jerry Jones and his wife, Gene, announced the Dallas Cowboys Art Program, an initiative to commission and install contemporary art throughout their new football home, Cowboys Stadium became the latest sports facility to double as a gallery. Our 1-hour tour did not include visits to areas displaying art.

Cable Company Makes a Move on Internet Video

NOTE: When I first started reading this article I thought " So what?" Then I got to the third paragraph below and I changed my mind! It could be a big deal…

Four hundred eighty channels and nothing to watch on TV? Liberty Global, one of the largest cable service providers in Europe, is adding a few more options for its customers.

The company will soon introduce a set-top box that will marry traditional cable content with apps, widgets and access to web-based video, Wired has learned. "It's a set-top box on steroids," Balan Nair, chief technology officer for Liberty Global, told Wired.com. "The interface will be very intuitive and advanced and include features such as search and recommendation that will tie in a seamless way the experience of a using a DVR and a web search engine."

Think of it as a Boxee or Roku-like service living on the cable digital video recorder. For instance, a search for Batman will show what channel is broadcasting it, if is available through video on demand, where on the web you can find it and even if it is available through some peer-to-peer networks.

Read More http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/

Pentagon Virus Detector Knows You’re Sick Before You Do

Imagine knowing you'll be too sick to go to work, before the faintest hint of a runny nose or a sore throat. Now imagine that preemptive diagnosis being transmitted to a national, web-based influenza map — simply by picking up the phone.

That's the impressive potential of an ongoing Pentagon-funded research project, spearheaded by geneticists at Duke University.

Dr. Geoffrey Ginsburg, director of Duke's Institute for Genome Science & Policy, anticipates a suitcase-sized device in the war-zone within "a couple years," and says the devices are already showing excellent accuracy 24 hours before an infected patient becomes symptomatic.

Read more at Virus Detector Knows You're Sick Before You Do

Free antivirus, antispyware, and other security tools

Concerned about your computer becoming infected with a virus, spyware, or other malicious software? Who isn't? One quick, easy way that you can help protect your PC is by downloading Microsoft Security Essentials. It provides real-time protection against malicious software, and it's easy to install, simple to use, and free. Learn more about Microsoft Security Essentials, plus discover other free security tools from Microsoft for additional protection.

Air Force Treating Wounds With Lasers and Nanotech

Forget stitches and old-school sutures. The Air Force is funding scientists who are using nano-technology and lasers to seal up wounds at a molecular level.

It might sound like Star Trek tech, but it's actually the latest in a series of ambitious Pentagon efforts to create faster, more effective methods of treating war-zone injuries.

Last year, the military's research agency, Darpa, requested proposals for instant injury repair using adult stem cells, and Pentagon scientists are already doing human trials of spray-on skin.

Read more at Heal Wounds With Lasers and Nanotech

Pentagon Scientists Inject Necks to ‘Cure’ PTSD

Finding an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder has been a top Pentagon priority for years. And with an estimated one in five veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from PTSD, the military's been willing to consider anything and everything, including yoga, dog therapy and acupuncture, to alleviate symptoms.

But a small new study out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center might offer more than temporary relief — with nothing more than a quick jab to the neck.

Read more at Pentagon-scientists-inject-necks-to-cure-ptsd

Aliens Exist & We Should Avoid Them, Says Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking believes we should fear aliens, which would probably come to Earth in search of resources and bent on our destruction.

The venerated cosmologist says in a new Discovery Channel series that he thinks aliens exist, but we should do everything we can to avoid meeting them. Any life intelligent enough to find us would probably be seeking resources, he says. And that would likely be bad news for humans.

Read more at aliens-are-out-there-and-want-our-resources

Ennis Bluebonnet Trails

I took these pics on my trip to Ennis Saturday 17 April 2010. North Texas bluebonnets are beautiful but they can't quite match Hill Country bluebonnets.

NASA Sending Robot to Space That Looks Like You

A humanoid robot will visit space for the first time in September aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, NASA announced Wednesday.

The Robonaut 2, which was co-developed by NASA with General Motors, will serve as an assistant to the humans on board the International Space Station, using the same tools developed for astronauts.

The bot will be phased into operation in three stages. First, it'll operate only from a fixed position inside the International Space Station. Then, it'll be allowed to move about inside, and finally within a few years, it will be allowed to do extravehicular activities.

Read More at Robonaut Will Ride The Shuttle

Fiery Crash Leaves Big Rig Dangling Off Bridge

A crash along northbound State Highway 121 at the Interstate 35E interchange in Lewisville TX caused a big rig to catch fire and dangle off the overpass.

The driver of the big rig was merging onto 121 when he was clipped by a North Texas Tollway Authority dump trunk, caught fire and then hit a pickup truck. No serious injuries were reported in the crash, but it snarled traffic for miles after authorities closed the northbound lanes of Highway 121 and the ramps from northbound I-35E.

Read the article and view a video at Big-Rig-Dangles-Off-Bridge-After-Crash

PERSONAL NOTE: I was driving north on State Highway 121 after returning from a doctor's appointment in Frisco TX when I saw a large black cloud of smoke appear ahead. The traffic almost immediately came to a halt and several emergency vehicles passed on the shoulders. I was able to take an exit and only lost about ten minutes time.

Nanotech Vaccine Successfully Cures Type-1 Diabetes in Mice

An innovative nanotech "vaccine" has been proven to cure type 1 diabetes in mice, and paves the way to do the same for humans. A dose of therapeutic nanoparticles given to diabetic mice restored healthy sugar levels in the rodents. Read the complete article at Nanotech Vaccine Cures Type-1 Diabetes in Mice

Texas Hill Country Bluebonnets

Thanks to Dick Belt for these photos.

Nanogel Regenerates Cartilage in Joints

The body is a resilient biological structure, but there's one thing medical science, an increasing number of Baby Boomers, and the majority of professional athletes will all tell you: Take care of your joints, because once you burn up the cartilage you started with, you're not getting any more. But a breakthrough by Northwestern University scientists will now allow adult joints to naturally grow new cartilage for the very first time.

The process has undergone successful animal testing, but it's likely got a few more years of testing ahead of it before it could become commonplace. But the timing couldn't be better; an aging population means an increase in achy old joints. A fresh round of cartilage production could keep many of the more senior members of society in the workforce, on the golf course and out of orthopedic surgeon's office.

Read more at Stem Cell Nano-gel Regenerates Cartilage

Personal note: I hope this procedure is approved soon. I have severe arthritis in one of my thumbs caused by a teenage injury and over 45 years of computer keyboard and mouse use. It causes me mild discomfort and pain and makes me appreciate the problems and pain of people with a wider range of arthritic joints.

The passing of an unsung artist and intellectual

Charles Frank "Devo" Ragsdale died of cancer on February 12, 2010. He was an aspiring artist and intellectual whose life can best be summed up in Henry David Thoreau's quotation "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." Devo was a teacher who taught in New England, California and Texas; an avowed Zionist who had an excellent knowledge of Middle Eastern history and current events; and a football fan with an encyclopedic knowledge of college and pro football statistics. After retirement he became a reclusive artist who was convinced that his next painting would bring him fame.

Devo was one of my best friends for over 50 years. I am the proud owner of three of his more realistic paintings. The painting of birds above was done for me when my wife died in November 2006. His paintings tended toward Impressionism and Cubism to such an extent that they were incomprehensible to most people. Over the years we had many good natured arguments about his style of painting. I kept telling him he could be a successful commercial artist if he would switch his painting style to Realism. And he would tell me I did not recognize good art when I saw it and that he refused to prostitute himself to the commercial art world just to be successful.

Dallas Blooms

Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum is the largest floral festival in the south, showcasing over 500,000 spring-blooming bulbs. The 90 Japanese cherry blossom trees were also in bloom when I visited yesterday.

No more bar codes?

Lines at the grocery store might become as obsolete as milkmen, if a new tag that seeks to replace bar codes becomes commonplace.

Researchers from Sunchon National University in Suncheon, South Korea, and Rice University in Houston have built a radio frequency identification tag that can be printed directly onto cereal boxes and potato chip bags. The tag uses ink laced with carbon nanotubes to print electronics on paper or plastic that could instantly transmit information about a cart full of groceries.

"You could run your cart by a detector and it tells you instantly what's in the cart," says James M. Tour of Rice University, whose research group invented the ink. "No more lines, you just walk out with your stuff."

For more information read New RFID Tag Could Mean the End of Bar Codes

Cloud computing

Have you heard the term cloud computing? If you haven't, you will soon. Simply put, cloud computing means using the Internet to provide your programs and store your data. The cloud is a metaphor for "the Internet." This started because in drawing networks, the Internet was usually represented by a drawing of a cloud.

For example, instead of spending $300 on a new copy of Microsoft Office, you might find that Google's free online suite, Google Docs, will do just fine. Needless to say, many companies are investigating cloud computing.

For more information read the Wikipedia entry on Cloud Computing.