What Is Happening At The State Fair Of Texas In Dallas Friday October 8

Looking at the list of what is happening today, Friday, October 8 at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas I can see why going to the fair wears me out.

I do not believe I have read what has been sculpted out of butter this year. I am a big butter fan, so that butter sculpture is a must see when I go to the fair.

Getting to the fair has been made way easier now that a DART line takes you right to the entry. The last time I went to the State Fair of Texas I parked at a remote lot somewhere to the east of the fairgrounds. The fair provided a couple means to transport fairgoers to the fair from the remote parking lot, with one of them being a TRE (Trinity Rail Express) train.

The State Fair of Texas is very easy to find, it is just a little south and east of downtown Dallas. Just aim yourself for the big wheel sticking high up in the sky, or consult this map. If the long list of what is happening at the State Fair of Texas today is not sufficient enticement to cause you to go to the bother of being a State Fair of Texas Goer, them maybe my video with Big Tex and the Midway will help convince you that you want to go to the State Fair of Texas.

Creative Arts Time Event Description 10:30 AM Cake Contest Cooking Contest 12:30 PM Karel Anne Tieszen/Wolf® Brand Chili Celebrity Chef 2:30 PM Brian Olenjack/Olenjack's Grille Celebrity Chef 4:30 PM Cecilia Henson/USDA Food & Nutrition Celebrity Chef 6:00 PM Christopher LaLonde/El Centro College Celebrity Chef Food & Fiber Time Event Description 10:00 AM GO TEXAN Sampling Food Tasting 12:00 PM Have an Ice Cream Float Day Ice Cream Event 2:00 PM GO TEXAN Sampling Food Sampling 4:00 PM Angelina College Show Choir Music Live Music Time Event Description 12:00 PM Billy Roy's One Man Band Live Music 12:00 PM Jolie Holliday's Rock & Country Music Show Live Music 1:00 PM Billy Roy's One Man Band Live Music 1:00 PM Jolie Holliday's Rock & Country Music Show Live Music 2:00 PM Billy Roy's One Man Band Live Music 2:00 PM Jolie Holliday's Rock & Country Music Show Live Music 2:00 PM The Killdares Live Music 3:00 PM Billy Roy's One Man Band Live Music 3:00 PM Jeff Taylor Wine Garden 3:00 PM Jolie Holliday's Rock & Country Music Show Live Music 3:00 PM Lantana Live Music 3:00 PM The Killdares Live Music 4:00 PM Billy Roy's One Man Band Live Music 4:00 PM Jolie Holliday's Rock & Country Music Show Live Music 4:00 PM Lantana Live Music 4:00 PM Ryli Dylan Live Music 4:00 PM The Killdares Live Music 4:00 PM USMC Drum & Bugle Corps Marine Marching Band Performance 5:00 PM Billy Roy's One Man Band Live Music 5:00 PM Jeff Taylor Wine Garden 5:00 PM Jolie Holliday's Rock & Country Music Show Live Music 5:00 PM Lantana Live Music 5:00 PM The Killdares Live Music 6:00 PM Jolie Holliday's Rock & Country Music Show Live Music 6:00 PM Kraig Parker's Tribute to Elvis"" Live Music 6:00 PM Lantana Live Music 6:00 PM The Killdares Live Music 6:30 PM Jeff Taylor Wine Garden 7:00 PM Jolie Holliday's Rock & Country Music Show Live Music 7:00 PM Lantana Live Music 8:00 PM Lantana Live Music 8:30 PM Kraig Parker's Tribute to Elvis"" Live Music Livestock Time Event Description 8:00 AM PanAm Poultry Earliest Arrival 10:00 AM PanAm Angora Goat Show Goat Show 10:00 AM PanAm Colored Angora Goat Show Goat Show 10:00 AM PanAm Gelbvieh Beef Heifer Show Cattle Show 10:00 AM Youth Angus Beef Cattle Show Cattle Show 11:00 AM PanAm/Youth Dairy Cattle Registration Check Deadline 11:30 AM Milking Parlor Demo Milking Demonstration 12:30 PM Milking Parlor Demo Milking Demonstration 1:00 PM Spirit of the Horse Horse Demonstration 2:00 PM PanAm Hereford Beef Cattle Show Cattle Show 2:00 PM Spirit of the Horse Horse Demonstration 2:00 PM Youth Red Angus Beef Cattle Show Cattle Show 2:30 PM Milking Parlor Demo Milking Demonstration 3:00 PM Spirit of the Horse Horse Demonstration 3:30 PM Milking Parlor Demo Milking Demonstration 4:30 PM Milking Parlor Demo Milking Demonstration 5:00 PM PanAm Angora/Colored Angora Goats Begin Release 5:00 PM PanAm/Youth Angus/Red Angus Beef Cattle Begin Release 5:00 PM Spirit of the Horse Horse Demonstration 5:30 PM Milking Parlor Demo Milking Demonstration 6:30 PM Milking Parlor Demo Milking Demonstration Mundo Latino Time Event Description 10:00 AM Baylor University @ Go Center Mundo Latino 10:00 AM LNESC - Computer Lab Mundo Latino 10:00 AM Texas Tech @ Go Center Mundo Latino 10:00 AM TWU @ Go Center Mundo Latino 10:00 AM UTA @ Go Center Mundo Latino 12:00 PM DBU @ Go Center Mundo Latino 12:00 PM St. Marys Univ San Antonio Mundo Latino 12:00 PM Tarrant County CC @ Go Center Mundo Latino 12:00 PM UNT - Dallas @ Go Center Mundo Latino 1:00 PM Andeas Sound Mundo Latino 4:00 PM Andeas Sound Mundo Latino 4:00 PM Socorro & Special Forces Mundo Latino 6:00 PM Marta Salazar, Recording Artist Mundo Latino Museums Time Event Description 12:00 PM Butterfly Release Texas Discovery Garden 1:00 PM Monarch Tagging Demo Texas Discovery Garden 3:00 PM Monarch Tagging Demo Texas Discovery Garden Paid Attractions Time Event Description 10:00 AM Wine Tasting/Texoma, Grayson Hills & Landon Wineri Wine Garden 11:00 AM Schooling Tank Fish & Coastal Shark Feeding Children's Aquarium at Fair Park 8:00 PM Shrek The Musical Musical

Shows
Time	Event		Description
11:00 AM	Jump! Ultimate Dog Show		Stunt Dogs
12:00 PM	African Acrobats		Street Performance - Acrobats
12:00 PM	Bufford Buzzard Show		Midway Puppet Show
12:00 PM	Jump! Ultimate Dog Show		Stunt Dogs
12:00 PM	Mother Goose Storytime		Family Storytime
12:00 PM	Pee Wee Stampede		Interactive Childrens Rodeo
12:00 PM	Pirates of the Caribbean Dive Show		High Dive Show
12:00 PM	World on a String		Puppet Show
12:30 PM	Midway Barker		Midway Performance - Barker
1:00 PM	African Acrobats		Street Performance - Acrobats
1:00 PM	Bufford Buzzard Show		Midway Puppet Show
1:00 PM	Jump! Ultimate Dog Show		Stunt Dogs
1:00 PM	Kroger Birds of the World		Bird Show
1:00 PM	Rainbow Ramblers		Shows
1:00 PM	Rambling Dancers		Shows
1:00 PM	Russian Bar Trio		Shows
1:00 PM	Schepps Backyard Circus		Kid Friendly
1:00 PM	World on a String		Puppet Show
1:30 PM	Midway Barker		Midway Performance - Barker
1:30 PM	Pee Wee Stampede		Interactive Childrens Rodeo
2:00 PM	African Acrobats		Street Performance - Acrobats
2:00 PM	BMX Bike Stunt Show		BMX Stunt Show
2:00 PM	Bufford Buzzard Show		Midway Puppet Show
2:00 PM	Jump! Ultimate Dog Show		Stunt Dogs
2:00 PM	Mother Goose Storytime		Family Storytime
2:00 PM	Pirates of the Caribbean Dive Show		High Dive Show
2:00 PM	Rainbow Ramblers		Shows
2:00 PM	Rambling Dancers		Shows
2:00 PM	Russian Bar Trio		Shows
2:00 PM	World on a String		Puppet Show
2:30 PM	Kroger Birds of the World		Bird Show
2:30 PM	Midway Barker		Midway Performance - Barker
3:00 PM	African Acrobats		Street Performance - Acrobats
3:00 PM	Amazing Dobermans		Dog Performance
3:00 PM	Bufford Buzzard Show		Midway Puppet Show
3:00 PM	Rainbow Ramblers		Shows
3:00 PM	Rambling Dancers		Shows
3:00 PM	Russian Bar Trio		Shows
3:00 PM	Schepps Backyard Circus		Kid Friendly
3:00 PM	World on a String		Puppet Show
3:30 PM	Midway Barker		Midway Performance - Barker
4:00 PM	Amazing Dobermans		Dog Performance
4:00 PM	BMX Bike Stunt Show		BMX Stunt Show
4:00 PM	Bufford Buzzard Show		Midway Puppet Show
4:00 PM	Mother Goose Storytime		Family Storytime
4:00 PM	Pee Wee Stampede		Interactive Childrens Rodeo
4:00 PM	Pirates of the Caribbean Dive Show		High Dive Show
4:00 PM	Rainbow Ramblers		Shows
4:00 PM	Rambling Dancers		Shows
4:00 PM	World on a String		Puppet Show
4:30 PM	Kroger Birds of the World		Bird Show
4:30 PM	Midway Barker		Midway Performance - Barker
4:30 PM	Schepps Backyard Sircus		Kid Friendly
5:00 PM	Amazing Dobermans		Dog Performance
5:00 PM	Bufford Buzzard Show		Midway Puppet Show
5:00 PM	Mother Goose Storytime		Family Storytime
5:00 PM	Rainbow Ramblers		Shows
5:00 PM	Rambling Dancers		Shows
5:00 PM	World on a String		Puppet Show
5:30 PM	Midway Barker		Midway Performance - Barker
6:00 PM	BMX Bike Stunt Show		BMX Stunt Show
6:00 PM	Bufford Buzzard Show		Midway Puppet Show
6:00 PM	Kroger Birds of the World		Bird Show
6:00 PM	Pig Races		Racing Piglets
6:30 PM	Schepps Backyard Circus		Kid Friendly
6:45 PM	Pig Races		Racing Piglets
7:00 PM	Bufford Buzzard Show		Midway Puppet Show
7:15 PM	StarTex Power Starlight Parade		Parade
7:45 PM	Pig Races		Racing Piglets
8:00 PM	Illumination Sensation		Evening Pyrotechnic Show
Special Events
Time	Event		Description
10:00 AM	Farmer Mike Pumpkin Carver		Carving 10AM - 6PM
2:00 PM	Texas Wine Talk		Wine Garden
3:00 PM	Jeff Taylor		Live Music
4:00 PM	Texas Wine Talk		Wine Garden
5:00 PM	Dallas Maverick Cheerleaders		Ford Event
5:00 PM	Jeff Taylor		Live Music
6:00 PM	Texas Wine Talk		Wine Garden
6:30 PM	Jeff Taylor		Live Music

I Swim Outside This Morning Of October 8

It is a bit past 7 this morning of October 8. The birds have started their morning tweet greet of the sun. I took a picture looking out my bedroom window. From that picture you would think the sun is already lighting up the place.

However, the ISO setting on my camera is somehow able to turn dark to light. I have yet to learn what ISO means. I suppose I could Google "ISO" and end the mystery.

Well, I did not spend to much time Googling, but I am almost certain my particular ISO does not mean International Socialist Organization. Or International Organization for Standardization, which was in the Google #1 spot for "ISO."

Right now I"m thinking "ISO" means I Swim Outside. Because the sun is finally starting to light up the place and I think that is what I am going to do right now. Go Swim Outside.Or "GSO."

I Made It Safely Home From Hiking In America's 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood While Thinking About The Trinity River Vision

By late afternoon I decided to buck myself up and be brave enough to drive to the 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood in America to go hiking on the Tandy Hills.

I encountered 3 groups of humans on the hills this afternoon, 8 humans in total. None of the humans seemed to present a danger.

But I was taking no chances. I was packing heat in the form of my whacking stick.

I do not recollect the grass getting so voluminous on the Tandy Hills previously. The grass is obscuring the trail in places, which was of particular concern as I walked the trail that was the location of my most recent Tandy snake encounter.

This afternoon, whilst zooming up and down grassy hills, I realized I am no longer in recovery mode from my little bike accident of a few days ago. I am back being ache and pain free. And I've been off the drugs for a day. No Ibuprofen.

I left the 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood in America when I was done with the Tandy Hills and went to Town Talk. On the way to Town Talk I saw that the Trinity River has dropped lower. Maybe the water is being removed from the river so the Trinity River Vision (which is underway) can line the riverbed, since part of the Trinity River Vision has now come to see turning the Trinity River into a destination inner tube floating venue.

I really am getting tired of people making fun of the Trinity River Vision. It seems very wrong-headed not to realize that a vision as vast as the Trinity River Vision would change over time as the vision gets clearer and more possibilities are seen.

And of course the price tag is going to rise. I really don't begrudge the big raise given to J.D. Granger, what with what a bang up job he is doing, totally showing how wrong those who belittled his getting the job of running the Trinity River Vision, due do his lack of experience. And being the son of a pork barrel loving congresswoman, who happens to represent Fort Worth. How could anyone be so mean-spirited that they could see this as scandalous nepotism and corruption?

Sure, The Vision started off as being a nice big lake, with cool signature bridges and canals. And, yes, now the lake is more of a small pond, the signature bridges are gone, I think the canals are no more.

But look what we get in place of The Vision's original vision. We get a flood diversion channel, we did not even know we needed. We get rid of those awful Trinity River Levees that have kept a large part of Fort Worth dry for years. We get inner tube floating. And the premiere wake boarding facility in the world.

Plus all sorts of amazing things are now in The Vision for Gateway Park. A couple days ago I took a picture of the amazing billboard the Trinity River Vision has installed in Gateway Park, with the billboard showing all the amazing things that The Vision is planning for the park. I'll get around to blogging that picture, soon, if I think of it.

What Is Causing The Smog Over Saginaw?

About an hour ago I heard from Elsie Hotpepper, asking me if I knew what the "cloud of crap" was in the air when she looked east from her location towards Saginaw. Elsie Hotpepper is always very poetic with her verbiage.

The Saginaw Elsie refers to is not the Saginaw in Michigan, it is a Texas Saginaw, one of Fort Worth's suburbs.

Elsie is currently about 8 miles north of me. When Elsie asked about the Saginaw Smog I went to see if I could see it.

I could. In all directions but one the air looks relatively clean. But, looking northwest, from my location, towards Saginaw, there is a thick pink haze hovering on the ground.

I don't believe we are dry enough for wildfires right now.

An hour after Elsie Hotpepper first directed me to look at the sky, it appears to have gotten smoggier. And appears to be heading this way and spreading.

No Red River Rivalry DART Snafus At This Year's State Fair Of Texas

Last year thousands of football fans tried to use DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) to get to the Red River Rivalry football game between Texas and Oklahoma during the State Fair of Texas.

Last year DART was not prepared to handle the numbers who tried to use their system to get to Fair Park and the Cotton Bowl. There was a lot of complaining and vows to never ride DART again.

This year DART let it be known that there would not be a repeat of last year's debacle, due to DART adding buses, plus a special State Fair Express Train running every 10 minutes and adding dozens of workers to help move the crowds on to the trains.

This year there was no DART snafu. But, this lack of snafuing was not due to all that DART had done to fix the problems. Instead, the lack of a traffic snafu was due to thousands of football fans staying true to their vow to not ride DART again.

Last Saturday's game day drew huge crowds to the State Fair of Texas with a record breaking $3.6 million being spent on coupons. You can not use U.S. Currency to buy food or rides at the State Fair of Texas. You have to convert your U.S. Currency in to coupons to buy fried food and midway rides.

You do not have to convert your U.S. Currency in to coupons to ride on a DART train. U.S. Currency is accepted.

It is a shame the Red Rivalry football fans did not give DART another try. DART has a very good website called "Ride DART to the State Fair of Texas" which has all the info you could possibly need to take the Trinity River Express (TRE) and DART to the State Fair of Texas.

Another Blue Sky October Day In Texas Thinking About Fort Worth's Dangerous Neighborhood, Homeless People & Being Chased By Day Workers

As you can see, it is another blue sky morning, this 7th day of October in Texas. A chilly blue sky morning. Going swimming is being very refreshing. This morning it was warmer than yesterday morning by a degree or two.

I am ready for Daylight Savings Time to come to an end so that the sun lights up the place before 7 again.

The past couple days Fort Worth has been basking in the dubious glory of earning the distinction of having a neighborhood that was somehow determined to be the 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood in America.

The Tandy Hills Natural Area is in that Dangerous Neighborhood. I feel quite safe when I am hiking on the Tandy Hills.

There is an area in Fort Worth's Dangerous Neighborhood that does look a bit dangerous when you drive by. I am talking about the section of Lancaster Avenue where homeless people collect, with incredibly large numbers of homeless people milling about.

When I first moved to Fort Worth I experienced quite a bit of culture shock. I remember checking out the Fort Worth Water Gardens. At that point in time Interstate 30 was still overhead above Lancaster Avenue. As I was leaving the Water Gardens I saw a statue on the south side of the street, and I believe south of the overhead interstate.

I parked my van and got out to inspect the statue. Next thing I knew dozens of men were running towards me, with looks of desperation on their faces. What fresh hell is this, I wondered?

Then, suddenly they stopped running towards me, looked disappointed and turned around and walked back to their shelter under the freeway.

The statue I was stopping to look at was a monument to the Fort Worth Texas Spring Palace tragedy. When I mentioned the guys running towards me incident, to a local, it was explained to me that these were "day workers" desperate for work. People wanting to take advantage of real cheap under the table labor would pull up in a van or truck and haul off some guys to do some odious task.

I was appalled. I already knew I was now in a different country from the one I had been living in, but this seemed way too different. I believe after the freeway came down those "day workers" were moved to the location on Lancaster Avenue where you now see a lot of people milling about.

I think I'll likely be going to Fort Worth's most dangerous neighborhood to do me some hill hiking later today, likely late in the afternoon. I will hike armed with my whacking stick, now that I know I'm in a dangerous place.

Flying To Puerto Rico To Breathe Some Clean Non-Texas Air

In the picture I am out on Miss Puerto Rico's balcony. You would not guess we are a couple weeks into fall, judging by the leaves in the trees, which seem to have done no seasonal color changing.

I was over at Miss Puerto Rico's, late this afternoon, because it was time, again, to book a flight to Puerto Rico, to return to Coamo to see the Puerto Rican Parental Units.

Departure is Wednesday, October 20. There were a surprisingly large number of flight choices. And at prices cheaper than the last time I booked a Puerto Rican flight, which, if I remember right, was last March.

Miss Puerto Rico  returns to her home island twice a year, usually. I have not been back to my home island for over 2 years. I have not been to my Parental Unit's current home island in over 4 years, but I did see them when I was back at my home island in 2008 and when they came to my current island of isolation, the first week of 2009.

Whiplashing level change of subject.

Did anyone else in the East Fort Worth zone notice a heavy petroleum odor to the air this morning? It was real strong and lasted a long time.

The stench took my mind off of how cold the water in the pool was. Miss Puerto Rico thought it was our neighborhood Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale Natural Gas hole in the ground stinking up the place. But, that seems very unlikely. Then again, I have no idea what the stuff that comes out of the Barnett Shale holes in the ground smells like.

Statement From Kathleen Hicks Regarding '25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods'

That is Kathleen Hicks you are looking at. Ms. Hicks is a Fort Worth City Councilwoman. A few days ago something called NeighorhoodScout claimed, by some dubious criteria, that Ms. Hicks' district is the 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood in America.

Rightfully so, Councilwoman Hicks took righteous umbrage at this slandering of a part of Fort Worth she has worked hard to improve.

I wonder how Galveston is feeling about also being on this dubious list of the 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods?

Below is a statement released by Kathleen Hicks regarding NeighborhoodScout's Dangerous Neighborhoods list....

As the City Council Representative for District 8, I am appalled by a blog that asserts East Lancaster Avenue as the 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood in the country.

NeighborhoodScout® is owned and operated by Location Inc.®, a Rhode Island-based real estate location company. NeighborhoodScout®/Location, Inc.® uses data from 17,000 local law enforcement agencies and the FBI to compile a national database of neighborhood crime statistics. However, we do not know what information was used or how the information contained in the study was collected or analyzed since it is considered to be "exclusive data".

Our Fort Worth Police Department contacted NeighborhoodScout®'s Dr. Schiller who explained that their method for data collection and analysis was "proprietary" and would not disclose any other information. The company did state that the numbers they collected were from 2008. Along with saying this neighborhood is dangerous, the company also reported that the East Lancaster Avenue community was more "walkable" than 76 percent of U.S. neighborhoods and more "hip & trendy" than 67 percent. Furthermore, the 76102 zip code was included, which is our award winning downtown area. The numbers don't add up.

The Fort Worth Police Department reports crime using the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which is above and beyond the national FBI standard, the Uniform Crime Report (UCR). Our crime reporting is scientific, transparent and accurate because we focus on the number of individual victims versus the number of crime incidents. There are only about 15 cities that report crime using the NIBRS method.

The FBI recognizes NIBRS as the most accurate and credible method of reporting crime. We have no way of knowing what standard Dr. Schiller used to collect and/or analyze the crime data, and since it is considered "exclusive" and "proprietary," we are not able to verify its accuracy.

In recent years, Fort Worth has made ending homelessness a top priority. We work hand in hand with other local governmental entities, community based organizations and neighborhoods to address this important issue. Moreover, the council unanimously approved a new police station that will be located at East Lancaster and McCart.

The progress this community has made in a short period of time is to be applauded, not criticized with outdated or misleading facts. Furthermore, regurgitating old stereotypes about this area is both misleading and offensive. The residents, our Police Department and countless other stakeholders are working very hard every day to continue our progress in all areas of our great city.

I want every resident of Fort Worth to have confidence in our police officers whose mission is crime suppression and public safety. Rest assured that neither the people of Fort Worth, nor the city government of Fort Worth, will tolerate inaccurate representations of our city or communities.

For more information, contact Councilmember Kathleen Hicks' office at 817-392-8808 or District8@fortworthgov.org. To see the crime statistics for the area in question, visit the Fort Worth Police website.

Only 19 Degrees Above Freezing This Morning In Fort Worth

It is 51 out there this morning, with the humidity and lack of wind apparently making it feel like a balmy 54.

With it being so balmy I'm thinking, even though I am running a bit late, I will try and go swimming this morning. I suspect that will not go well. But, there is only one way to find out if it will go well.

My aches and pains seem to have abated this morning, likely thanks to taking a lot of Ibuprofen. I don't like being a drug addict.