Today

The man stumbled into the road. His face contained none of the warmth of a drunk business man but all of the brow's surprise. Those of us standing on the other side of the street started and stopped, expecting him to have seen the light change whereas the rest of us, busy with our cellphone television shows and thoughts, hadn't. I looked up from the text I was constructing to the sound of a green, crosstown bus and him stopping, lined up upon the crosswalk, directly in front of the double yellow. The bus accelerated and stopped a few times as we had a the cross.

He stood there. There was something mumbled and he slapped himself on the face, hard, as if accepting wrong doing. Like his standing in traffic, as cars moved all around and the bus turning toward him, was his penance for something unseen or unknown.

Then, the light did change at the four-way stop, the green man lit up, and we didn't let up on the accelerator. He reached out to me as I passed him, like he was confused, asking for directions or an alien new to our world. I kept going. His gaze followed me until I crossed his shoulders and he turned to face forward again.

The crowd said nothing. As if fully aware of the man's dilemma but prevented by cultural or social stigma to say or do anything.

Across the street and obstructed by the tunnel entrance I couldn't see if he had moved until I moved again and he hadn't. His knees were still bent at 90 degree angles, like preparing for an impact, and his hips locked.

* * *

Lined up along the street were three police buses with tinted windows and no drivers. As if the warden of the prison had decreed that today was "enjoy yourself day". Prisoners were allowed to walk among us, enter Lotte World to buy presents for their families or decorations for their cells, and ride the rides at the indoor amusement park. A large advertisement on the middle bus displayed seven police officers, sitting on a picnic blanket with two children taking pleasure in the day.

"I'm totally blogging this..."

So, after an argument with Lindsay I've promised not to post the following comments on the AsburySafetyZone's retarded jamboree. I'll be posting a shorter one that doesn't mention her at all. You should all ridicule her for her insolence.

"Asbury is less than a mile long and lined with cars that force drivers to slow down to allow others to pass. The environment isn't indicative of an unsafe situation. My wife walks down Asbury to work nearly every day, so your erroneous comments about not knowing the area are just that. Snide remarks and accusative rhetoric haven't helped your cause, just made you look bad.

"Now, I'm not saying that traffic safety isn't important. I am, however, saying that there are far more important and pressing things to do than the purchasing of a web domain, using iWeb to create a page with a pig on it, setting up a blogger page with one post on it, and spending money on signs, most of which don't make any sense.

"I've also noticed that these signs have been removed from the lawns between curb and sidewalk, making them even less noticeable by passersby and, thus, utterly pointless. However, if these have been stolen, I rescind this past remark.

"As I said, traffic safety is a serious issue, and I hope and pray that no children have been hurt by speeding motorists on Asbury. But at this point, it seems as though folks with way too much time on their hands are piddling about instead of doing something meaningful for the community outside their own street. The streets of Evanston, incredibly not Asbury, are in a state of disrepair. Perhaps using your clout and boasted mayoral connections to raise awareness that bicyclists and cars alike have damaged their tires and each other in an effort to dodge these sometimes 10 feet wide holes. This, to me, seems like a far more important use of time and effort."

Notes on the rewatching of President Obama's Inaugural Speech

I decided to rewatch the inaugural address this morning, after nearly a week, in hopes that I could glean more from that fifteen minutes. Here are my notes. Also, at the bottom, you'll find the video, brought to you by Hulu and Fox News.

"My fellow citizens..." - He connects himself with the people. Makes himself less of a "rockstar" or "god" to being on pare with everyone.

Use of scripture - "...it is time to set aside childish things."

Reframing of commonly used and exhausted adages - racial unity, freedom, equality.

Remembering and taking pride in the past. Briefly remembering victories and learning from failures?

Get off your butt, stop complaining that it's too hard or not possible, and get back to work/the progress of this nation.

Necessary change, evolution, and development to meet requirements of the future. "All this we can do; all this we will do."

We must do our duties and jobs, each and every one of us, to ensure the progress of our nature. To continue to evolve and grow and be an example.

We must lead the world, be an example of justice, unity, freedom, and prosperity. (Be part of the world?)

It seems as though he's suggesting that we evolve our thought and actions from what we did in Iraq (invade, take over, rearrange, attempt to free the people, but never actually give them the ability to self govern or self rule) to what we must do in Afghanistan (assist the people to rise up against the oppressors and forge, for themselves, the country they deserve). "...and forge a hard earned peace in Afghanistan."

"We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense..."

"We know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness..."

Emphasis on "non-believers". First president to recognize this, growing population in an effort, presumably, to bind us together again regardless of belief and/or faith.

Addresses the Muslim world and fantasist leaders and perverse groups blaming their problems on anyone but themselves.

"...we are will to extend a hand if you are will to unclench your fist..."

Praising the fallen soldiers and forefathers; remembering the past so we may not make the same mistakes.

"A willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves."

It's up to us for this country to continue on.

Need for love, respect, community, and to "lend a hand" to our neighbors (extrapolated, represents the kind of country we must be with regard to the world).

Tuskeegee Airmen, sitting near the president as an example of the past that must be learned from and never repeated.

Remember what this country was built upon, what makes this country; these are the things that remain, must be remembered, and must continue.

"...new era of responsibility."

The task ahead of us is difficult, but we can't continue our lax behavior. We must confront the future with conviction and armed with the tenements this country was created upon.

We all have a job to do. No longer is it the leaders that must do the work, but all of us.

Rare comment about the dying of segregation and racism. He embodies the change that must occur and must be for this country to evolve into that "city on a hill". (standing ovation)