Fake Paddy's Day 2011 in Manhattan, Kansas: Aggieville Video and Pics of Gaiety, Giddiness, Loneliness and the Search for Meaning

At 9 in the morning, Aggieville is fairly quiet, except for the color pallette dabbed all over the scene. As one looks down west into the 'ville, it surely looks like an old saloon town. [although, i did see Rango last night (front of the drawer cognitive priming no doubt)]

In the AM video clip (9am HERE)You can hear at around 25 seconds the kansa wind coming on. Then there are the crows that come to aggiveville in the morning. (do they expect something special today?) then, the beginning of a fake paddys day that follows one (2010) which was reported to be grossly disrespectful of the environment and the other life forms residing in that pinpoint of the flint hills.

The streets in aggieville are closed this year. I thought i'd make a video starting from the Digital Shelf at the east end at 9, noon, and later in the afternoon. Just to see. Give up hiking the Konza today.

in this pic you can see the bar marquee that says "Lets Get Faked Up", the motto as it were this year. click on pics to enlarge

at 9 am
Here is the 9am video,
and
 HERE IS the significantly different noon video.

guinness stout recipe:
http://marysbeagooddogblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/put-creamy-icing-head-on-that-guinness.html

at 12 noon, aggieville was a wee bit busier:

video clip embedded at bottom of post

i wonder what the balls were for...

click pics to enlarge

we totally own this alley

Manhattan Mercury Reporter Prepares to Brave
the O'Mally's Crowd

The best view in the house

riley the guarddog at sisters of sound

OK I'm going in again at end of light to take in some music hopefully;
Well.
 the scene was pretty similar from 5-6 as it was at noon.
I saw some young women, here and there, alone, dressed up quite a bit, leaving aggieville a wee bit tired in their heels, clutching their purses, heading for home, TV, and pizza. Having hoped for something really good to happen (meet the one of their dreams perchance?), the hours went by with  no nibbles and the time and money and hope invested went unrewarded.
Some students said that last year's "Senior Day" along with the BB tournament created the perfect storm for a 2010 packed house and wild ride...not so this year.
Fake Patty's Day, in the end, seemed to be a lot of people acting either extremely happy, hopeful, or nonchalant as they wandered about exhibiting a subconcious desire for a meaningful experience (or perhaps the ultimate high...).

My impression, as i left to pursue activities more to my current nature:

the scene seemed like "The World" whose trinkets and glamours held little appeal. A strangely superficial exchange system of monies and shiny things for diluted intoxicants,
appearances of hilarious gaiety--Pilgrim's Progress-- but
there was actually plenty of self-conciousness and no reward. except for those who were actually Irish...[or perhaps for the fun alcoholic who now has a great cover for a day]...from theManhattan  Mercury Sunday morning: "I can be drunk here at 8 am and not be judged." said Wichita resident Bryn C....

Fake
 Faux
False
replacing
Saint
Sanctus
Spirit
was a pleasant yawn; 'no matter how cynical i am i keep falling behind'....

"As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd
and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him. "


St. Patrick's Blessing:
May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.