READING: A LOST ART

Two car-owners this morning got a ticket outside for not driving. The sign clearly says "no parking between 7 and 9 AM Monday because of street cleaning", and just minutes before the rotating broom vehicle turbulating the pavement dust came up the block, the meter maids cruised past, and noted down the offenders. That sign occurs several times. It is large. It looks like the sign in front of your building with different hours. The streetlighting works, so even in the dark of night it is visible, and legible, wherever you park. The other side is Tuesday.
The same routine will be repeated tomorrow. These are predictable events.

Not that I am particularly gifted with a capacity for schadenfreude, but there is a certain satisfaction in seeing this. Especially because I gave up driving many years ago. I am not a suburbanite at heart. A car is useful if you're outrunning the law, or moving to Modesto.
There is no convenient parking in the city.

I can read the signs. My imaginary vehicle does not park there.
Between the clearly stated hours for streetcleaning.

The inability to read and understand is widespread.

Two internet comments of note:


1): "Yet more proof that American "Christians" are in fact a cult of hatred and dominion over women, the LBTQ, and people of color."

2): "You're right. I live in San Francisco. Many pill popping sex tourists are arguably human."


These were part of the same comment string (about MAGA morons), and are somewhat connected, but I shall not bore you with demonstrating how the stream of consciousness there made both comments appropriate and sequentially logical. I approve of both messages.

I've always despised much of Christianity. Which, given that my family heritage was/is Dutch Calvinist (although many of us in the recent generations have been lax Anglicans), is not surprising. We know scripture, can sarcastically quote it when it's completely inappropriate to do so, are sneeringly cynical about the goo-faced faithful, and can recognize heresy from a mile away in the dark with one eye tied behind our backs. And boy do we disapprove.

Plus we're used to living among the heathens.

All of this leads, more or less, to my taking joy in deliberately smoking my pipe in front of signs on buildings that inform me that there is no smoking within twenty five feet. Clearly the sign is wrong. I am standing here, I am smoking. Quod erat demonstradum. The sign lied.
There IS smoking within that distance.

There has been smoking there in the past. I see cigarette butts.
There will be smoking there in the near future.
I may be there tomorrow too.


The last time someone asked me what my sign was, I told them "end roadwork". Which is a sentiment that I can fully get behind. And should be at every protest or demonstration. Especially when some idiot has a placard saying "stop the steel".
Though I might carry one saying "no smoking".
Go ahead, prove me wrong.


Most of this country is dumb as a fence post.
The "red states" especially.
Christian territory.

TOBACCO INDEX


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