This morning I got on the red line at Wilson on my way to a temp job (I know, it's Saturday, but I'm a broke actor so I say yes to these things). So I'm scanning the horizon looking for interesting people and groovy buildings when, directly across from me in the second story window of a building I see a sign that says:

STOP

SAYING

AWESOME

Needless to say, I love this sign. The longer I live in Chicago the more I treasure weird shit like this. Chicago is, after all, the home of the granddaddy of all outsider artists Henry Darger. There's some strange people in these here hills. So it set my mind all aflurry wondering what was this person like? How did they get so mad about people overusing this word? I'm mean, granted, it's somewhat annoying, but that this person actually decided to make a sign about it... I find that very interesting.

Is there anything that is annoying me that I would make a sign about? And hang in the window of my home?

I bet he is a Bible-banger, and he gets all sensitive about people applying that adjective to anyone/thing but God (that was in style for a while amongst the born-agains. I think that one went the way of the WWJD bracelets).

Or maybe she is a lonely old woman who hates the young kids that are moving into that section of town and wants them to start acting old and miserable like she is.

Or maybe it's a couple who are both Ex Libris types who work over at Loyola and they're on a campaign to try and get people to work harder to fidn the mot juste. They might have hung the sign together in their bathroom window, and then gone to their favorite Chinese restaurant, where they are of course the couple that sits and reads and eats, and never looks up at each other until they leave.

You know, I've thought about whst my sign would say if I hung one in my window. It would say:

STOP FARTING

ON THE TRAIN.

DO YOU THINK PEOPLE

CAN'T SMELL IT?

IT'S NOT LIKE WE

CAN CRACK A WINDOW.

SQUEEZE YOUR CHEEKS!!!