Local color

Yes, I am officially going nutty without training (the artery needs a few more days to heal), so here's a random thought:

The graffiti in my neighborhood is freakin awesome. For those not in the know, Jen and I live in a neighborhood that a realtor might call 'emerging', and everyone else might tactfully call 'colorful'. I either live halfway between Grant Park and the drive-in, or halfway between the DOD gunnery range and the federal prison, depending on how you want to color it.

It's safe, young and fun, but it definitely has some graffiti around. The graffiti would bother me, except that it's both creative and confusing. Here are my three favorites.

1. There's a tagger in my neighborhood who tags new houses and dumpsters outside remodels. He always paints the same thing, a pig with dollar signs for eyes. A political statement, done with grace and art. I have to give credit to this creative act of civil disobedience.

2. For the past few weeks, someone has been writing this in big letters on a couple of overpasses and open walls, "Get money. Be money." Affirmations for the artist? A statement about greed? A ritual to make it happen? Who knows.

3. My absolute favorite is eastbound on Decatur Street, just west of Son's Place (Yum). It just got painted over so it's harder to read, but someone painted the following on the Marta train supports. It was in huge letters, spread over two of them.

"Beware the chickenhawk motherf*er"
"Messing with the space time continuum bulls*t"

I think it's good advice for everyone, and I hope the author manages to keep escaping the chickenhawk long enough to explain more to us.