What do you like best about the State Fair?
Posted at 5:00 AM on August 25, 2011
by Eric Ringham
(17 Comments)
Filed under: Culture
It's opening day of the Minnesota State Fair, the second-largest state fair in the country. Between now and Labor Day, an expected crowd of 1.7 million people will visit. Today's Question: What do you like best about the State Fair?
Comments (17)
People watching.
I know this sounds like a little MPR brown-nosing, but Prairie Home Companion in the Grandstand is always the peak of the state fair for me. We go every year.
I like everything, just being with my partner and all the people having such an enjoyable time. The food, all the different buildings....everything!
America was very fortunate to be the primary benficiary of the Industrial Age.... the jobs lost to efficiency driven by the tractor in agriculture were more than offset by the tens of millions of jobs created by Industrializaton. Initially, the primary beneficiaries of the Industrial Age was relatively low population America and more populated Europe. We collectively achieved a material standard of living unmatched in history....despite a few World Wars in between.
However, much of Africa and Asia never participated....we have all seen the pictures.
As America started to outsource jobs in the early eighties....we started compensating by borrowing money and creating different kinds of jobs...service jobs, education, financial jobs, health care jobs, etc.....and as a result, between 1980 and 2010 America's total public and private debt (not including entitlement obligations) mushroomed from about $5 trillion to OVER $50 trillion.
But the private credit bubble started to come to an end in 2008, for the first time in 30 years banks cut off credit to Americans. As a result, the tens of millions of jobs created by debt are evaporating...at the fastest rate in history. Compounding this problem is the fact that technology is now replacing jobs and human functioning, something Alstry identifies as Zombulation.
The America Industrial Economy is jobs dependent....jobs drive income and income drives the ability to consume the basic necessities for survival. Without jobs, people can't pay taxes, buy houses, obtain insurance, pay debts, or purchase food/fuel
In other words, the American Economic Model collapses without SUFFICIENT numbers of people holding jobs. This is not doom and gloom, simply a mathematical fact. And now that banks are cutting off credit to Main Street (the American Population) AND millions of jobs are being replaced by technology...how will America deal with a MASSIVE population that does NOT have jobs?
60,000,000 people on Social Security.....
50,000,000 people on Food Stamps/Assistance
15,000,000 people on unemployment and another 15,000,000 whose benefits expired.
20,000,000 people working for government that is running a HUGE deficit
Washington and Wall Street comitted over $23 trillion of TAXPAYER dollars bailing out the financial class (the top 10% of America) and NOT Main Street.......
as Main Street continues to collapse......
the CONVULSIVE question is....., in a system dependent on jobs to function....will more and more of America start to resemble much of Africa as the credit that built our present PONZI economy is withdrawn by Wall Street compounded by technology replacing MILLIONS OF jobs?
Detroit.....Baltimore....The Rust Belt......
and if so....who gets bailed out and who doesn't? Who gets to lie....and who doesn't?
Welcome to www.udderworld.com the unpasteurized view into the 21st century as many still stare at the technologically traded ticker.
The anticipation of going! Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!!
Getting a new yard stick for free every year. Also like seeing the biggest pumpkin and sharing an overflowing bucket of Sweet Marthas.
I don't like the Minnesota State Fair.
Its a out dated idea....
We are among those who dislike the State Fair. It is always to hot, dirty and sticky. The last time was 2008 for the sesquicentennial. Liked the sesquicentennial tent show, however.
That its the annual measurement of Minnesota. It like a giant "secret poll" of the population. The same question-categories are presented every year. (1) Food (2) Recreation (3) Arts (4) Business (5) Entertainment. (6) Politics (7) Novelties (8) free stuff. We show up and - silently "vote" through our participation and purchasing. And unlike the policital elections - everyone feels like the got what they wanted.
The wood carving competition and other items in the Creative Activities bldg. I was happy to see I took 2nd place in the songbird category for my Rose Breasted Grosbeak. Woo hoo!
Justified gluttony. Yum!
When I was younger I loved working at the fair. I worked at The Peg on the outside of the Ag building.
It was always fun to come back and see my fair family. Including the same customers every year!
Now I go back and visit, say hi, and eat some of the delicious food I used to serve.
I love the history and the feelings that come back when I visit the fair every year.
My favorite part about the state fair is the fact that I don't live in the Como neighborhood anymore.
The whole thing is fun. The people, the food, the exhibits, the DNR display, the animals, the "big pig", the ice cream and tonight - REBA. I'll be there!
Finding out what bizarre new quisine-on-a-stick they've got this year.
Everything!
The opportunity to be with all kinds of folks. City, country and everywhere in between. It's a mosaic of who we are as a state.
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