Explaining the election of Donald Trump to my daughter was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do as a parent. Because it wasn’t just that a bad thing had happened - it was that bad things were probably going to continue to happen for a long, long time. But that’s not what I said of course. What I said was that we were about to see an incredible new era of resistance - a massive wave of art and music and comedy and activism that would spread all across the country. “Man...” I told her, “This is gonna be great!”
Here are the best freeway signs from 2018. Enjoy!
Update, I just got a picture and word from Thorbites that the above sign is Still. Effing. There. On New Years Eve. I put it up there just before 2:00 pm on December 22nd. The only change is that someone put the panels closer together. Again, I can’t over-emphasize how easily accessible that sign is — less than a five minute detour for the traffic going under, but also, you know — right there for a couple of hundred pedestrians every day. Yes, it’s in Liberal Los Angeles but seriously… a sign calling the President of the United States the bitch of the leader of Russia? Nine days? Nine?
Ronald Reagan’s posthumous tachometer must be hitting at least 5800 RPM.
Kids in Cages shown here is one of two placed in Fresno by The Cisco Kid. The above photo wins the rare and highly-coveted “Freewayblogger Trifecta” Award for Excellence in Subject Treatment, Graphic Design and Photography.
I really can’t say enough about this guy. I’m trying to get him to tell his story so if you see a diary by the Cisco Kid, please read and rec. He was not an artist nor particularly an activist before now, and it took him five years to do his first sign after deciding to. From the small and blurry humble beginning shown below, he went on to do a couple of mid-sized signs, got some better photos, and then, thanks to a roll of Tyvek and better understanding and faith in the First Amendment, he pretty much went wild. He thanks me practically every time we speak saying “God I Love My Job!” He’s a great guy, but also a bittersweet reminder of all the potential we have on our side lying dormant or going through a five-year gestation, because frankly we just don’t have that much time.
During the Bush years there were about a dozen people who “got it” - that signs were easy and fun to make, fun to post, that you could say whatever you thought needed saying and that the more you did it the better. If they were angrier than the rest of us, it wasn’t by much, although they did share an enhanced sense of duty “above and beyond” I guess you could say. Mostly though they were people — equally divided between women and men ages 40 to 65 or 70 — who knew a good deal when they saw it, and that freeway signs were the best way to reach the most people at practically no cost. The other thing they shared was the zen/warrior ethic of doing as much as possible while using the least amount of energy. Those who didn’t bring it with them learned it fairly quickly. Today that spirit is embodied by Thorbites, who manages to say her piece to a few hundred thousand of her fellow Angelenos every couple of days on her way to and from work. Just about every sign is different from the others and I believe she’s done 200 of them now if not more. Long story short, she gets it: and if something happens to me, she’s your best bet.
Sorry about that, Thorby...
Sign above is over Interstate 10 in Phoenix. Arizona. Courtesy of @scorchsky