Today is Sunday, September 10 and there are only 112 days until the end of the year.  Time to go find your funny 2018 glasses that you can’t really see through and get to the city to stake out your spot.  Just a suggestion – try to be near a sewer, if you know what I mean.  Today we remember the birthdays of Carter Braxton, Roger Maris and Margaret Trudeau.  On this day in 1608 John Smith was elected president of the Jamestown colony council, in 1846 Elias Howe patented the sewing machine and in 1953 Swanson sold the first TV dinner.  In Belize it is St George’s Caye Day and in the US it is National Grandparents Day, National Swap Ideas Day and National TV Dinner Day.

I have been watching the various reports regarding Hurricane Irma and the impending land fall that is being predicted.  I do not want to minimize the danger of this storm and I hope that those affected are safe.  I do; however, want to talk about something that I noticed during many of the announcements that have been made.  I have seen these people before, but never really paid too much attention to them until now.  I am talking about the people who sign what is being said by whoever is talking.

I have watched a number of officials talking about the dangers of the storm and encouraging people to evacuate and get to safety.  While they are talking I have started watching the signers and wonder if they are really giving the message that is being said.  I watch what they are doing and I watch their facial expressions and it seems like they are at odds with what I am hearing.  Here is an example:

Official:  “This is going to be a very dangerous storm and everyone is encouraged to pack their essentials and leave as quickly as possible.  We are anticipating very strong winds, heavy rain, flooding and extensive property damage.  Because of the extreme conditions it will be difficult or impossible for first responders to make rescues.”  He goes on, but this is enough for my purposes.

As he is speaking, the signer is making gestures that do not seem to connect to the words.  At one point he put his hands together and flapped them like a bird.  I guess that was the part where people were being encouraged to flee.  There were hand gestures that I am sure I misunderstood.  His facial expressions included frowns, smiles and, at one point he stuck his tongue out.  I guessed that was referring to the inability to make rescues.  My interpretation of the signing was “This does not look good.  You people need to take off.  If you stay you are screwed.  We will not be able to help you. (raspberry sounds here).”  I suppose this is more to the point, but I am also not sure that is what was being signed.  In the future, if you get an opportunity, watch the signer when there is a speech or an announcement being made.  It will be far more entertaining than what is actually being said.

I have come to the conclusion that people in TV dramas are stupid.  Or the writers of the scripts would have us believe that they are.  Here is an example – two people are walking across a street.  Suddenly a car comes screeching around the corner, runs into one of them and drives away.  A bunch of people all run over to the person lying in the street, bleeding, and stand there looking at him.  Finally, after a few seconds of dramatic pause, the companion yells, “Somebody call 911!  Call 911!”  At that point, you see five or six people all go to their phones.  There are 50 or 60 people standing there looking and it never occurs to anyone to call for help?

Now, let’s look at this same scenario from a real life perspective.  The same two guys are crossing the street.  As the car comes screeching around the corner, at least 10 people start recording the whole thing on their phones.  The same crowd gathers around, but most of them are trying to get a good camera angle.  You can hear people talking, “Damn! Did you see how hard that guy got hit?  That had to hurt.”  “I hope this doesn’t mess up traffic later when I’m on my way home.”  “Did you see that car?  I’ll bet it going to cost a lot to get that fender fixed.”  “Dude, I got the whole thing on my phone.  I can’t wait to post it.”  “This is boring.  Let’s go get a latte.”  Finally his companion yells, “Somebody call 911!  Call 911!”  I stand corrected.  It isn’t just in TV dramas.

This week our fact tells us that it is against the law for a monster to enter the corporate limits of Urbana, Illinois.  The questions that immediately come to mind are what is their definition of a monster, how would they go about making Godzilla leave and was this really a law?

It is and here is an excerpt from the law, passed in 1872:

Circuses, menageries, caravans, hippodromes, side-shows and concerts, minstrel or musical entertainments given under a canvas, exhibitions of freaks of nature or monsters, and all exhibitions that may be given in the open air or under a canvas, not herein specifically mentioned, shall be known as entertainments of the third class.

Sec. 2. No person or persons shall give any entertainment mentioned in this chapter, within the corporate limits of the city, for gain, without a license therefore, first had and obtained from the City Clerk, under the corporate seal, under a penalty of not less than ten dollars nor more than
two hundred dollars for each offense.

So there you have it!  If you are ever in the Urbana area and Mothra decides to come after you, just cross into the corporate limits of Urbana and you will be safe, assuming the monster had not gotten a license first.