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Sweep the leg off the ladder
Diabeeetus
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Archive for the ‘Signs’ Category
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Tuesday, August 26th, 2008It’s A Sign…
Thursday, June 5th, 2008A while ago I think I promised to post pictures of my favorite signs that I’ve captured over the past eight or so years. I don’t know why but I’ve always gotten a kick out of signs with stick figure people in them. Most of the time, these stick figures are trying to warn you of some impending danger, or of activities and actions you should not partake in. I can’t remember what the first picture was that tickled me enough that I had to capture it on film, but since I’ve been such a delinquent blogger as of late I’ll try now to post all of my favorite signs and, where warranted, a brief back story. Let’s begin…
Low Ceiling
This one was in the shuttle that I took from some airport parking garage to the airport. This guy wants you to know that bumping your head is no joke and it’s going to hurt like a bitch!!
Neighborhood Watch
If you wear a trench coat and a hat, stay the fuck out of this neighborhood!!
Choking Hazard
this is the full-view of a poster teaching and endorsing the Heimlich maneuver. Check out the close up below:
That’s just a bit racier than the Heimlich I remember learning.
Don’t Rock the Boat (or the Vending Machine)
I think I was initially amused that this warning sticker even needed to exist. Then I remembered hearing about people getting trapped under vending machines when they tried to game the system (or get their money back). Anyway, apparently this warning sticker wasn’t clear enough about the dangers because later I saw this one:
the first guy is being risky, but this guy is totally screwed.
Exit in an Orderly Fashion:
That’s usually the instruction in case of an emergency, right? Well, the first guy got it right, but the rest seem a little more anxious to get out:
“doot doo dooo… What? There’s a fire behind me? No Problem.”
“There’s a huge fire behind me? Get out of my way!”
Get Out!!!
Get Down!!!
Escalator Rules 1:
So the first two rules seem reasonable: hold children’s hands, don’t put your foot on the side. I imagine people need to be reminded of those. The third one seems to be a much more rare situation. I would read it as “If you happen to be with a Shetland pony which has been severed in half, please pick up the front half and use the hand rail.”
Escalator Rules #2:
This one was in Paris at the Louvre. Again, the first two seem reasonable, but the second two seem to be banning specifically: French Poodles and Boots.
Clear and Present Danger: These need no captions
doesn’t that last box seem to suggest feeding your child to the Mountain Lion?
Potpourri: The rest of these deserve to be seen, but most could be explained with the caption “WTF?”
“Yeah, don’t do that, mmm-kay?”
(click for full size) this one seems to be saying “no graffiti, no littering, no bitch slaps.”
How considerate: Toilets for the armless.
“Oh Snap!”
“Oh Snap!”
Strangely here (unlike on escalators), parents are discouraged from holding their child’s hand.
I’m not Alone: One day browsing this internet I found I’m not alone in getting a kick out of signs like this:
(click for full size)
That’s all for now. In fact, I guess I haven’t officially posted an update. I got a job here in Atlanta (that I’m liking very much so far), and it’s severely cutting into my time and motivation to make blog posts. We’ll see if I get a second wind, but be forewarned that my slow trickle of posts might slow further to an occasional drip.
Back to the Grand Canyon
Monday, February 11th, 2008When I took the helicopter ride, I thought maybe it would get the Grand Canyon checked off my “to do” list for my road trip. That one little taste, however, was not enough. It’s just such an amazing place I had to go spent a little longer and get a better look. I had also heard that it’s a very different experience depending on which part you’re visiting. The helicopter had taken us to the West Rim, and that’s maybe the least popular of the three choices. I was driving to the South Rim (as the North Rim is closed this time of year). But let’s start with the Drive…
Hoover Dam
True, I had already flown over the Hoover Dam, and honestly it might have been cooler from that vantage point. Still, it was directly on the way from Vegas to the Grand Canyon, so I figured I might as well check it out again. It think if I had spent longer at the visitor center I could have learned a lot more about the history, but I didn’t have time for that. One cool fact is that the Hoover Dam lies right on the state line between Nevada and Arizona. There is also a time zone change between these two states, so they make you aware of that as you’re going over the bridge with these two clocks:
Route 66 – I opted to do about 60 miles of my drive on historic Route 66. It was boring. I don’t understand the hype.
The rest of the drive to the Grand Canyon was very pretty, but I got there late at around 9:30 PM. I don’t recommend arriving at night. Especially if it has been snowing. There are no streetlights and hard to find your way around (even with a GPS). I didn’t have a reservation anywhere, but figured since now is kind of the off-season that I shouldn’t have a problem finding a place. Unfortunately, the places right on the rim didn’t have any appealing options available (I didn’t want so share a bathroom), so I wound up here:
“What time is sunrise?” When I checked in, I asked this question… I can’t remember the last time I have ever asked that question, but it seemed like it would be a great time to see the
Hurry up Sun!!! It was COLD at
I took a LOT more pictures, but I figure you get the gist pretty quickly. It is literally a breathtaking place, especially when it’s so freezing cold. I ate breakfast and then took a couple more pictures at various pit-stop vantage points:
Maybe I’ll upload my entire album of GC photos somewhere and add a link here if you’re curious to see them all. I only spent the morning at the Grand Canyon for two reasons 1) when you’re just looking, that’s about how long it takes to get a sense of the scenery, and 2) I really felt compelled to come back and hike around in the Grand Canyon someday (when it’s warm), so I added it to my life’s “to do” list and resolved to come back.
Interesting Signs: There were also a couple of good signs at the GC which I got a kick out of:
I also thought this was a very curious bit of vandalism. Seems like someone holds a grudge against this guy. I hope you can read the text. I believe the redacted word is “prudent.”
Japanese Tourists –> Random thought While I was driving to different vantage points, at one stop I walked past some Tourists which I presumed were Japanese. I gave them a brief friendly “hi” as I passed. Then it just occurred to me that “hi” sounds just like “hai” – Japanes for “yes.” I’m sure they understood me, but I would think it would be nice to visit a country where everyone greeted you by saying “yes.” It would feel good to get that kind of affirmation all day. Random thought, I know. If I were on my other computer I’d post a link to “Yes” by Morphine to help make my point, but I’m not. Maybe later. (later is now, here’s the song – Yes )
On the iPod: As I mentioned before, one of my favorite parts of road trips is getting to spend some quality time with my iPod. On the way to Vegas, I just listened on Shuffle for most of the day, which is fine and good but I can do that any time. The next couple days I decided to focus on listening to whole albums, and now seemed like as good of a time as any to go back and revisit some of my all time favorites. I listened to Gish and Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins and was reminded that they really did used to be an awesome band despite what the turned into. I also listened to Nothing’s Shocking by Jane’s Addiction, and this album also has withstood the test of time well.
My favorite re-discovery though might have been Liz Phair. I listened to Whip Smart, but only after I listened to Exile in Guyville while the sun was setting on my way into the Grand Canyon. What an awesome album this is. This was back before Liz really knew how to sing, and that is absolutely what makes the album charming. Specifically I had forgotten about the song “Flower” – I can’t think of any other song like it. The guitar riff it’s built on is plenty unique in its minimalism, but lyrically it has no peers. It’s just a vivid description about a very sexual crush she has on some guy. When I first heard it, I simply didn’t think girls ever thought about things like that… and she makes the song credible. In her later albums she lost all of her street cred, and she tried to do a “flower pt. II” with her song “HWC,” but that seemed phony and contrived. But at least we will always have the original.
Audiobooks: I’ve also been dabbling in audiobooks (I do have a LOT of time in the car). The first one I listened to was “Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller. I don’t have any idea how this wound up on my “to read” list, but somehow it did. It’s about a Christian guy and his struggles with Christianity and Spirituality. It was good because it was honest, and the guy talks about all his problems with the church and his doubts, but his persistent desire to have religion and spirituality. It was good, but not fantastic. I’m glad I listened to it, but it didn’t rock my world.
4 Hour Workweek – I was curious about this one so I’ve listened to about 2 of the 6 hours. It’s interesting, but the tone is very pompous and “look at me and all I’ve done.” Still, it has made some good and interesting points that I should consider as I look for my next career move.
The Year of Living Biblically – by A.J. Jacobs. It had not been my intent to have my audio books focus around religious themes, but I think this one was on Amazon’s best of 2007 and the premise made me curious. The book is about a man who tried to take everything in the bible as literally as possible and obey all of its rules for a year. I’m only about a third of the way through it (he’s on the second month of his year), and it’s pretty interesting and entertaining. I’m looking forward to finishing it.
On to Texas:Phew, that post wound up being longer than I intended. In my next one I’ll talk about my trek to Texas and my fantastically Texan adventures.