Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Here Be There Santa-Eating Tygers

I really don’t know what to do about this anymore.  Here I think I’m being all edgy and funny and provocative, and I get THREE COMMENTS and they’re thanking me for reminding them of a nice song that makes them feel good. FEEL GOOD? I’ll show you feel good, all right.  I’ll show you right here.  Oh, and you’re welcome.  Glad you found the edgy funny post so heartwarming and touching.  jeez. 

So, what’s the opposite of heartwarming?  Going to the municipal dump!  Yay, we went to the dump twice this past weekend, and it was a delightful experience - though I must quote (patty?  selma?  YOU MAKE THE CALL): “that’s a stench I could have done without.” But the stench was only coming from the landfill, which we just drove past; the dump itself was tidy, well-organized, and fascinating.  “Fascinating?,” I hear you wondering in your benighted minds.  Yes goddamn it, it was fascinating, and here’s why: they have a hillside that’s covered with recovered weirdness of all shapes and sizes, and though I couldn’t climb up into it to get some of the shots I wanted, here’s a nice selection of some - but by no means all - of the abandoned pantomime figurines and grotesque manequins and strangely painted objects trovees that live up on the cactus-bristling slopes:

(oh and here’s a hint, if you hit F11 you can maximize your screen and get more detail on these.  It can help; these have some cool detail if’n I do say so meself.)

and of course, my favorites are the ones with the big old decaying fake tiger:

So: here’s where we start with the transition from dump photography to signage and urban decay, two of my longstanding favorite subjects. This first sign was next to the dump’s inbound weigh scale, and it seems to hold some kind of secret message if only we could unlock it:

Then, on the way home, we happened to be stuck on a freeway offramp for a while and I took a photo I rather like of the guardrail.  And of course, if I liked it, you’re stuck with it:

Finally, here are two old signs I have admired for years; I don’t know how much longer either of them will remain up so here’s your chance to appreciate them in the comfort of whereever the hell you are right now:

That’s all I’ve got, folks.  Thursday I expect to be out of cybercontact most all of the day, doing a site visit and living large with my homies, or whatever happens on these visits.  But I’ll make the most of it.  Even if they don’t have giant rotting tigerdummies.  However, I’ll count that against them on the final evaluation.  I’m pretty harsh that way.

when’re you comming to my town for a photoshoot? get your calendar. i’m going to need a firm date.

That frightful spirits one is too cool. I would so put that giant skull thingy on top of my house just to irk the homeowners assoc.

I’m jealous.  Our dump has no such gallery.

dude, begging for comments is so beneath you. just do what i do—whenever i’ve written something that i think is incredibly uproariously fascinating and funny* and no one comments i just assume i’ve left everyone speechless with my brilliance. by those accounts, i’m fucking brilliant every damn day of my blogging life.

*this is all somewhat misleading as i’ve never thought anything i’ve written met those criteria, but you know what i mean. so uhm, would you explain it to me then because i’m no longer sure what the point to this comment was.

WAIT a minute. That’s your local DUMP? That place has character galore. Our dump is a pretty cool place too, actually—‘tho not quite as ‘upscale’ as the SanFran version, it would appear. And we just have those reg’lar-type Maple trees bordering our dump; none of that cactii-exotica upon which you Cali denizens can feast your eyes…

OK...it seems that dumps have changed a bit since I last went to one...like when I was say seven years old.  They’ve gotten much more found-art-make-a-buckish...they used to be just stinky places where people droopped off their palm fronds and old yellow and green and orange sofas.

I have to agree with Pea on this one.

me too.  and with bliss as well.

and i like that veterans cab sign.  nice shot, chuckleman.  :)