Friday, August 21, 2009

Friday's 'Around Town' Assignment

This week's assignment for Friday's 'Around Town Shoot Out" was Funny Signs. I interpreted this assignment in a slightly sarcastic manner. Rather than knee slapping funny I tried to find signs that were 'funny' in an ironic, symbolic and sarcastic way. Below you will find a sign that I travel past quite frequently and have often chuckled at. I don't know about you but I do not really want to think about where my steak comes from just moments before I order one. Sure we all know intellectually where steaks come from but do I want blood and butchering on my mind before I ingest one?


The sign below I find unnecessary. Read my writing that I added to the right side of this sign which serves as a trail marker. Really, do we need such reminders before hiking? Those who will not follow these 'rules' aren't going to do so regardless of a sign. Please enlarge and read.


Below are my favorite signs in this series. Now I know people often exaggerate and make up stories; however to offer a service that will help you embellish? I bet family members, spouses and perhaps even lawyers line up to recreate the past!!!


NO WONDER this business is for sale!! We often feel ripped off by car salesmen but to admit in advertising that your salesman will just make up facts and figures about cars for sale!! I think this is a terribly poor sales tactic. Can you imagine what the commercials on television would be like?

11 comments:

NanU said...

I do like your take on the signs theme, especially the creative memories one! I know a few shrinks who should hang that one on their door, too...

Bagman and Butler said...

Great observations! I share your sense of the absurd in signage...Creative Memories. Not accurate ones, of course...like rewriting history. I like your take on life a lot.

J9 said...

You have some creative folks where you live, that's for sure!

GingerV said...

oh yes signs are for those that never follow the rules, this is like the security questions at the airport, ''do you have any of these items in your luggage'' NO SIR!!! and this is to make me feel safe?
good post.

Chef E said...

Ditto on all the comments above, and in Texas at one time we had those giant cow and long horn bulls in front of every steak house imaginable...maybe because we all did not know how to read until much later, no the education stats in Texas are one of the lowest in the country, so the word just must get around about what is good...sorry my silly southern humor...great job!

RedLan said...

Tha signs and the way you interpeted them made me smile :-) I like the creative memories sign. It somewhat interesting to know

trishalyn said...

I really enjoyed your posting! You put a lot of thought and effort (as always!) into this assignment...with great results. Nicely done!

J.L.Velez said...

I too enjoyed your sign commentary as you undertook this assignment. I should have taken a picture of the sign I saw in Maine of a hair salon called, "Curl Up and Dye" Signs definitely can have some appeal!

Zaroga said...

Steve, I enjoyed the signs and your commentary.

philmary said...

The most memorable sign I ever heard of was in The Divine Comedy over the Gates of Hell "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"

aurbie said...

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign...you are so right about people not reading signs. Why do we need signs to remind us to use our common sense?

Every time I see a sign that reads, "Do not litter." I think...well, you know what I think.

Of course, I almost broke my nose the other day when I was leaving a school after shooting an assignment. They had two doors and one of them had a big sign that read, "Use other door." You know which door I tried to use.

That is one of my pet peeves. Have you ever tried to go into a store where one door was locked?

Like your memory tree.

Nice photo essay on signs.