Here's the Thing
Slowly building a library of skewed social commentary and good jazz records
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The Flashing Orange Hand of the Law
I finished my last final exam of the term today, and caught the #9 home. I got off at 15th and Weidler, and started making my way across the street. I generally have little use for crosswalks, and tend to choose a route based loosely on that of least resistance, darting through traffic like Frogger when I see an attractive opening. Today I saw an old woman, probably in her late 70's, crossing the street at an angle, deftly moving through the sporadic traffic. It started me thinking about the correlation between age and pedestrian behavior.
As small children, we tend to run out into the street, paying little mind to the dangers of traffic. Then we learn about safety (if you're lucky like me you get to go to Safety School when you're about 4 years old), and cross only at crosswalks, and only after looking both ways. Then, as we get a little older, we get a little more confident, and start venturing out into traffic, crossing wherever we see a suitable opening. This is like a "gateway rebellion" that will lead to harder rebellion like skateboarding, long hair, and loud music. At some point, when we grow older, our reflexes start to wane, and we become less ambulatory, forcing us back into the confines of the crosswalk, to obey the flashing orange hand of the law.
Seeing this older lady intrepidly negotiate the intersection brought a big goofy smile to my face. She's fighting back.
As small children, we tend to run out into the street, paying little mind to the dangers of traffic. Then we learn about safety (if you're lucky like me you get to go to Safety School when you're about 4 years old), and cross only at crosswalks, and only after looking both ways. Then, as we get a little older, we get a little more confident, and start venturing out into traffic, crossing wherever we see a suitable opening. This is like a "gateway rebellion" that will lead to harder rebellion like skateboarding, long hair, and loud music. At some point, when we grow older, our reflexes start to wane, and we become less ambulatory, forcing us back into the confines of the crosswalk, to obey the flashing orange hand of the law.
Seeing this older lady intrepidly negotiate the intersection brought a big goofy smile to my face. She's fighting back.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Billy Preston (September 9, 1946-June 6, 2006)
Though you probably don't recognize Billy Preston, you know his songs, and those that he contributed to. Preston played keys with everyone. Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, The Stones, Clapton, Sammy Davis Jr, The Chili Peppers... He is the only non-Beatle performer to ever recieve credit on a Beatles album (Get Back).
Though kidney disease ultimately got the best of him, he left his mark, for sure. I'll never forget his funny little dance while singing "Will it Go Round in Circles?" at the Clapton concert a couple years ago. Good stuff. RIP.
Check out this classic song from The Concert for Bangladesh.
