#103 Free Expression

Some things are interesting. It’s interesting how two W’s, as in WWII, invoke so much awe and respect, but when you say just W—one or two—you get a more mixed response. W’s are always tricky. Like the big question posed to me by a friend: Why do we say double-u when it almost always looks like a double “V” ?
My kid’s ability to pick up on the latest technological gadgetry is interesting. Or master the most recent automobile-oriented video game. We call the violence and destruction in Grand Theft Auto “car”-nage dude. That’s why it’s so amazing when I get a call late at night, from my son’s cellphone—the one he can do all the text and picture and electronic wizardry with—and he needs me to get out of bed, get dressed and come out to a distant road somewhere. Cause he doesn’t know how to change a freaking flat tire. What the hell are they teaching kids in schools these days? There ought to be a separate section on the WASL and the SAT that deals with how to deal with the events of ordinary life. Changing flat tires. Putting on chains. Checking your oil BEFORE the oil light comes on. Addressing a gol-darn envelope for Pete’s sake. Cleaning a spilled Coke so there isn’t a huge tacky spot in the middle of the kitchen floor. Sorry. When you have a teenager, the lunatics are not only in charge of the asylum, they’re dressed like foxes and headed for the henhouse.
Lakefair was interesting this year. They had some changes. No vendor booths on Percival Landing. The state and city spent all this money making high-tech, stylized, pedestrian islands and crossings to make Water street flow better across Fifth and Fourth and into Percival Landing but no, no Lakefair stuff over that way. Hey, this isn’t Budd Inlet Fair buddy. This is LAKE Fair. Interestingly, one of the areas of Lakefair that used to head over that direction was the beer garden. You could pop back a few brewskys and then just mosey across low traffic little Fifth Street and you were right in the park and ready to chuck your cookies on the loop-de-loop. Now the beer garden is in a different place. Three blocks away. In the parking lot of the Greyhound bus station. Ambience? Interesting. It IS more convenient for our Lakefair visitors from Aberdeen and Hoquiam, but now the poor drunks have to dodge traffic on Capitol Way, the busiest street in town. Should make the parade more interesting though...
I had a friend who was at Lakefair giving out coupons for his business. A Lakefair official came up to him and told him to stop. I’m just passing out coupons, my friend replied. Then you’ll have to go over to the “Free Expression” area, the Lakefair guy said. Not to quibble with a duly appointed representative of the fair but, if its confined to an area, how is it free? Interesting...
America, ya gotta love it.