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    Ridiculous Rick

    Rick Perry's wild Iowa tour includes bizarre corn dog and Bachelorette encounters

    Claire St. Amant
    Aug 14, 2014 | 8:14 am

    The rest of the country may be in the midst of the dog days of summer, but outgoing Texas Gov. Rick Perry is keeping busy. Fresh off announcing his very own political action committee, RickPAC, Perry is touring the state of Iowa.

    As if going out of his way to prove he's interested in the farming hub for reasons other than the state's all-important presidential caucus, Perry is painstakingly chronicling his activities on Twitter.

    Highlights include hobnobbing with everyone from state senators on the campaign trail to The Bachelorette contestant Chris Soules at the State Fair. Lowlights include blurry photos with thumbs in them. (And a jab from Jimmy Fallon, who showed a ridiculous photo of the guv and a corn dog at the Iowa State Fair. In fairness to Perry and other politicans, there's just no way to dine on hot dog in public without looking really silly.)

    Rick Perry had security at the Iowa State Fair. Not for protection. To keep him from doing this again. #FallonMono pic.twitter.com/05Y8G18TZu

    — jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) August 14, 2014

    What could ol' Rick have up his sleeve?

    Ever since Perry announced he wouldn't be running for reelection as governor, the idea that he'd set his sights on Washington yet again seemed more than likely. And not just because he spends a lot of time longingly gazing at a miniature U.S. flag. Posing with a "Perry For President" T-shirt, his latest tweet leaves little to the imagination.

    Could this middle-aged woman and her child be the beginning of Perry's rag-tag presidential campaign? The White House might not be clearing a space for Perry's portrait just yet, but it certainly seems like the bespectacled cowboy is about to take all of us on a wild ride.

    Ran just into some great supporters @IowaStateFair pic.twitter.com/UUyXgx1PrA

    — Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) August 12, 2014

    Gov. Rick Perry had a close encounter with a corn dog.

    Rick Perry with corn dog at Iowa State Fair
    Courtesy of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
    Gov. Rick Perry had a close encounter with a corn dog.
    unspecified
    news/city-life

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    festive cities

    Houston dazzles among top 10 most festive cities in America for 2025

    Amber Heckler
    Nov 26, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Pedestrian bridge to River Oaks
    River Oaks Christmas Lights in Houston TX/Facebook
    The River Oaks Christmas Lights are a fun place to take families.

    Houston has once again landed a coveted spot on Thumbtack's annual ranking of the most festive American cities in 2025.

    Home services platform Thumbtack analyzed holiday light installation requests from customers from October 2024 to 2025 to determine the most festive U.S. cities. Rankings were based on the "relative frequency" of requests after being adjusted for the population of each state and metro area.

    Houston ranked as the 6th most festive U.S. city this year, dropping two spots from its former No. 4 rank in 2024.

    Locals searching for inspiration for their homes can find it at the many twinkly displays illuminating Houston for the holidays, from the iconic City Lights to the rustic Dewberry Farm light show. And the holiday season is beginning earlier with every passing year, according to Thumbtack.

    "Homeowners are layering their look from October through December, swapping out pumpkins for pine boughs and adding sparkle as the season unfolds," the report said.

    Other festive holiday events happening around Houston include cheery pop-up bars, holiday markets, and much more. CultureMap readers can also keep up with all of Houston's holiday happenings in our special editorial series.

    Other big Texas cities like Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio also all landed top-10 spots in the report, proving the Lone Star State is much more festive than the rest of the country.

    "From Texas to Florida, the South is setting the standard for holiday spirit, and in true Texas fashion, bigger is definitely brighter," the report said. "Mild winters and a strong sense of community keep the Lone Star State shining at the top."

    Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

    • No. 1 – Austin, Texas
    • No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
    • No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
    • No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
    • No. 5 – Sacramento, California
    • No. 6 – Houston, Texas
    • No. 7 – San Francisco, California
    • No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
    • No. 9 – San Antonio, Texas
    • No. 10 – Atlanta, Georgia
    festive citiesholidayschristmasrankingshouston
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