a different side of Ft Worth - I

As mentioned previously, I spent some time in the Fort Worth Stockyards on Monday looking for fading ads and ghost signs. (See my entries from Sept. 25 and Sept. 26). But I found lots of other interesting stuff at which to point my camera.

The Stockyards is one of those places that is uniquely Texan... uniquely Fort Worth, in fact. Part tourist kitsch, part local hangout, the Stockyards offers something for almost everyone -- whether you're a first-time visitor to Texas or a lifelong resident. Its streets are lined with gift shops and western wear stores, with an ample number of bars ("saloons" in Stockyards parlance) and restaurants. In the Stockyards, you can buy a "Texas-sized" fly swatter or you can buy a saddle. You can mingle with conventioneers inside the cavernous Billy Bob's, or you can kick back and listen to Mark David Manders (or dozens of other "Texas" musicians) at the White Elephant or Rodeo Exchange. You can chow down on a sirloin at Cattlemen's Steak House, or sample Texas wild game at the Lonesome Dove.

Anytime I travel, I take notice of things that are unique to the places I'm visiting -- whether I'm halfway across the world or in a part of my hometown that I haven't seen in a year or two. Here are a few of the uniquely "Stockyards" things that caught my eye on Monday.

"Leave Britney Alone", Kimmel-style

Everyone on the internet was talking about the "Leave Britney Alone" guy, so I finally went on Youtube to see what all the buzz was about. It's a good thing I did, or I might have missed out on the humor of this Jimmy Kimmel monologue and skit. Here, take a look... great stuff! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZAr9E8i3ng

WSC

np: Ray Wylie Hubbard - "Bones"

nr: Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead