So we’re traveling on Route 322 West in Pennsylvania and it’s supper time. What should we spot but Red Rabbit BARBECUES. We miss the turn but find a meandering way back to discover that it is a drive in-old style. We pull into the shade. My spouse orders her typical pork barbecue.

I’m gluten-free so I order the Bunny Burger sans the Bun. Hence the Ny Burger. I did get a smile from the waitress when I ordered.

They also have two vintage (as in wooden parts) pinball machines - 25 cents for a trip down memory lane. So I played a couple of games before washing everything down with a shared hot fudge sundae.

I’m pretty sure the burger was beef and not rabbit.

There is a sobering joke among ecologically-minded people that housing developments are usually named after what was destroyed to build the development. Here are some we came up with recently (feel free to add your own):

Falling Timbers
Evanesced Meadows
Waning Woods
Leveled Hills
Silted Creek
Burnt Trees
Hawkless Ridge
Vanishing View

MT

So we’re driving to church, my wife and I, talking of future things, a little late, a little rushed. It is another quiet Sunday morning.

A few blocks from our house we come to an intersection. The light is red. I stop. It changes to green. There are starlings near the curb. I start out slow so as not hit them even though I know they will get out of the way.

Suddenly, there is a blur to my right and I hit the brakes. An SUV comes flying by in front of us, running a VERY late red light.

My wife, shocked at the near miss, states unequivocally, “Well, we almost died.”

She would have anyway. And I very possibly. Our lives, plans for the future,  hopes, dreams, could have been changed in the sharp sound of shearing metal and breaking glass.

I was angry at the stupidity of the driver whose  one choice could have destroyed several lives, including his own. I was in shock. Afraid of what might have been.

But holding onto my anger keeps me from being grateful for still being alive. Since then I have tried to tell myself that this is my second life, to be more aware of others, to offer grace to myself and the people around me, to be present to starlings.  How quickly I forget the preciousness of life.

And also to be more mindful of my driving. To not let the inner rushing clock dictate my speed on the road. To be patient with other drivers. To be kind and considerate. To watch out for the other people on the road. To not be selfish.

It is not easy. But a prayer in thanksgiving for protection from God must go hand in hand with a resolve on my part to be more responsible for my actions on the road. There is plenty of stupidity to go around and I must confess that I too have come close to ruining my life and/or the lives of others by my driving. Many people have not been as fortunate.

Accidents do happen, but I commit myself do what I can to be a Christian driver.

Life is worth it.

(torn from the side of a paper cup)

Beware of turning into the enemy you most fear.
All it takes is to lash out violently at someone who
has done you grievous harm, proclaiming that only
your pain matters in this world. More than against
that person’s body, you will then, at that moment,
be committing a crime against your own imagination.

—-Ariel Dorfman (novelist, playwright, essayist)

Well, I voted. And I must say it was quite invigorating (not simply because it’s 18 degrees outside and they’re calling for snow showers). No, mostly because I always feel a sense of empowerment when I vote, like I have a voice in the process. This year, I am especially gratified that people seem to be so engaged. Voting is a privilege. I have never understood those who enjoy living in a democracy but refuse to participate in it by not voting.

I also never dreamed in my lifetime that I would have the choice between a woman or an African-American for President. I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I feel a little like I did when the Berlin Wall came down. I never thought that would happen either. Unfortunately, we went right back to killing each other and building other walls between us.

White men (the folks who look like me) don’t have a very good track record in running this world. Things aren’t getting any better and it’s time for some out-of-the-box leadership. The old paradigm of an over-reliance on the military for protection does not work and needs to be discarded. The sense of entitlement from children of immigrants that leads to hate towards present-day immigrants needs to be replaced with humility. The fear that drives a violent reactive policy of security should be distrusted and replaced by a sense of openess and participation as an honest global citizen. The time for Empire-Superpower thinking is over.

Again I do not know the outcome. But my hope is that we as a nation will participate in the process, that we will be honest and compassionate in our interactions with each other, that above all we will be a people of integrity and respect.

And that real change will come like a healing stream to a barren land, flowing out into all of the world.

MT

Road Rage is nothing new. It has been around as long as the automobile. As I have stated in earlier posts, the way one acts behind the wheel should be a reflection of one’s inner journey as well as a part of how one acts everyday. Kindness and consideration are the gas and steering wheel for the compassionate driver.

The following is an excellent short movie from 1936 called Turnabout Man. It has an interesting way of showing the importance of the connection between our driving and non-driving lives as well what bad driving habits would look like in everyday life.

Enjoy!

Turnabout Man (1936)

Following the Washington Auto Show, I thought it would be fun to take a look into the past at what people thought the automobile (and in this case kitchen) might look like in the future. So here is a musical short movie filmed at the 1956 General Motors Motorama in NYC.

“Come to the place where tomorrow meets today.” (If you wait til the end there are some seriously gorgeous wheels including the Turbine Powered Firebird 2 cruising the “electronic highway.”) Enjoy!

http://www.archive.org/details/Designfo1956

More info on this and other concept cars from the 50’s here. Where are these cars? Are they still around and what has happened to innovation? Sigh!

The Washington Auto Show ends today and I thought it fitting to give a final report on this day as well. While I spent most of my time wandering around and taking photos and not interacting much with cars and people, this was the first major auto show I attended and I simply wanted to “be.” I did experience some sensory overload with so many vehicles on two separate levels in very large spaces. Perhaps it was the day I was there but there really were not very many interactive activities for visitors, except a game show and a host of contest drawings you had to sign up for. So my recommendations would be include some dividers or “rooms” that folks could walk through around a common theme reflected in the overall design. I would also hope that instead of lots of beautiful people expounding upon the specific details of a particular vehicle that there be more games and interactive activities for visitors to participate in. That said I was pleasantly surprised again with the photogenic nature of the automobile. I also appreciated the opportunity to live in the city where the show was just a short metro ride away from my house. Here are my final “reflections.”

My favorite vehicle (psyche! - see my earlier post on the Hummer).

And I’ll end with a shout out to all of those people at the show with their lambs wool cloths and feather dusters who walked around making sure the cars looked great. Thank you for your good hard work.

Until next year, this is your Slow Mover Reporter saying so long and thanks for looking. Keep going slow and always enjoy the journey.

The automobile has always been a place for the human to express his/herself, from bumper stickers to air brush masterpieces. The 2008 Washington Auto Show has some pretty amazing representations of customization and car art. The following are some of the examples:

Pretty impressive art, huh? Such work speaks for itself. I as the photographer am only the documenter. Here is a roadster that was next door to the funny car:

And those flames, who can stay away from flames, and on a Fairlane no less.

I’ll leave you with a very interesting car called “Hip Hop.” This baby was decked out with beautiful art on the outside and included an amazing sound system on the inside complete with a DJ system so you can make your own grooves and have your own party wherever you go.

Tomorrow will be my final reflection. See you then!

The theme of this year’s auto show is “Engineered for the Future.” Visitors are invited to see a piece of the future of automobiles. My first report took a look at this theme with an emphasis on new 2008 models and vehicles featuring green technology. But no auto show is complete without those beauties from the past. In this report I will feature “oldies, but goodies,” cars from history that still have the power to turn heads.

Since we’re talking about history, here’s some tidbits about the show: As far as I can tell this is the 66th year of the Auto Show. For 62 of those years it was held around Christmas and New Years to take advantage of visitors. But to make it a more world class show for everyone, especially residents of this fair city, Washington Convention and Tourism Corp (WCTC) and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA), the primary sponsors of the show, decided to shift it to a later date.

Now for some shots of history:

Below is the lowly, reliable Fiat, movie star of the ages and workhorse for eons, framed by a muscle car.

And we’ll end with those sports cars that have had us salivating for years-Ferrari and Porsche.

My next report will feature art on wheels. Stay tuned!

I never realized this before but one of the cool things about an auto show is that I get to sit inside cars that I will probably never see again, let alone afford to drive. I can do this at a dealership I know but it’s nice not to have somebody pressuring you to buy. I checked out a couple and I must say I was more impressed with the comfort of a “cheaper” American-made sports car than a Jaguar. Here are some pics:

This report features photos with filters and manipulation through Adobe Photoshop. Automobile pictures lend themselves to very cool results due to light refraction and the intersecting lines and curves. Comment with your questions about specific filters used. Here are several more:

Stay tuned tomorrow for my historical piece. This is your Slow Mover Reporter out.

The Washington Auto Show is happening January 23 through 27 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Today was Washington Post Day which more than receiving a plastic bag with some trinkets meant that I got $4 off at the door (reg $10) with a coupon from the Post. (P.S. Print a page from AutoTrader.com and get $4 off for Friday).

I’ve never been to an Auto Show before and I figured I should go as your Slow Mover Reporter. (And to take a plethora of cool photos). So here’s Report #1.

No, this is not a booth on the dangers of drunk driving. It was at the Washington Post Booth on Level D. Guess the make and model of the car and get free gas for a year. I didn’t try. But I thought it’d make a cool pic. (Some guys talking behind me thought it was a Mazda, 1987 maybe?). What do you think?

Here is an interesting display set up featuring two 2008 GM Pontiac Firebirds. I noticed no one was getting into the one underneath.

The 2008 Show features the latest in green technology. The Chevy Volt (above) is a concept car with the E-Flex System. It uses batteries alone for a 40 mile radius before the auxiliary engine starts and can adapt to alternative fuels including diesel or hydrogen fuel cell. Also, it has a transparent polycarbonate roof for all around visibility.

The following are several other concept cars:

And I’ll leave you with a final reflection. Until tomorrow, this is the Slow Mover Reporter at the 2008 Washington Auto Show signing off!

Dr. King once said “Until you conquer the fear of death, you don’t know what freedom is!”

I must admit that I am not free and have not been free for a long while. I have allowed Death to keep its sting. On this day in honor of this great man and his legacy, I am reminded that there is still a long way to go in this country and the world before we achieve the Dream. On this day with this faith I commit myself to change beginning with myself and with my fear of death. In other words, in a paraphrase from Gypsy Smith, “If you want to have revival, draw a circle around yourself and have revival in that circle.”

So I am drawing a circle around myself. I am stepping out of my comfort zone beyond talk into places and experiences that make me uncomfortable into an engagement with people different than me. I am not expecting people to come to me. I am not expecting change to knock on my door. I am going TO change. I am opening the door to difference and walking out. I am going to face my own mortality and cease to be afraid of what might happen if my changing causes others to change, to be uncomfortable, and so strike back against that change and me.

Who am I to think that I must not suffer when I do anyway if one person in this world is suffering? Who am I to think that I must not hurt when I do anyway because one person in this world is hurting? Who am I to think that I must ignore death when my brothers and sisters the world over are giving their lives day in and day out because they cannot live as I do?

I do not know where this path with take me, but I do know this:
I am not alone and
I will not be afraid.

MT

I add my own toast to
he who died at the age
that I am today,
a prisoner to the muse
that is my own delightful
and tortuous cell.

I am awake again at a time when I should not be.

My body and mind, each with their own particular aches, conspire to push me from the bed out into the cold house to this screen I sit in front of with these words my only warmth and consolation. And the thought that perhaps you will read them when you arise to greet the day.

I am a man in the midst of confusion, walking through life as if I am outside on a sidewalk slippery with wet snow. Through the window between a cautious split of the blinds, I see a dark figure in the street light’s glow making the lonely attempt. I stay inside.

It seems that I have always stayed inside.

Isolation is my supper, and my breakfast and lunch too. Fear is the drink. Neither quench my hunger or thirst. I sit at the table with chains holding me to the chair, hearing you knock at the door. I want to answer. The food is getting cold. I am told that I have a choice to reach out. But these chains are heavy, a familiar friend, and I would miss them.

Though I must say that I would prefer your arms around me instead
and your presence at my fearful, lonely table.

I sit in the early morning darkness
waiting for daybreak
watching the walls reflect the
changing colors of
the traffic light
down the street.

Red light.
Green light.

It’s an old game
and I’m tired of it.

Red light.
Green light.

At any crossroads,
at any given moment,
both are lit at the same time,
but I cannot be on two roads at once.

Red light.
Green light.

I must choose and yellow is the
only mediator between the
stop and go.

Red light.
Green light.

Sitting here
in perpetual pause
at another of life’s intersections,
trying to decide between the two,
tell me, dear friend,
am I a coward or
merely confused?

What is the meaning of life?
I’ve lost my place in the dictionary.

I thumb through the pages seeking the definition,
male
man o’ war
masochist
Meaning of Li . . . and everything gets blurry.
I keep trying but I’m just ruining the pages.

I am stuck between A and M.
Angel was nice.
I didn’t like bomb, I’m allergic to cats,
and disaster seemed to affect everybody.
But friends were a gift and healing came to me in an incredible way.
I fought for justice, mourned the killing, and married my true love.
Now I can’t get past the middle of the alphabet.

What is O like?
Q seems so interesting
and X holds so much mystery.

God, I would love to get a glimpse of the letter Z.

The house is not silent
though there is no one home but me.
I roam these rooms wondering what
tomorrow will bring.

I have not yet crossed the threshold
out into the day.
It is cold and raining.
The world is a somber study in gray.

But there are others braver than me
who have ventured outside.
I hear doors open, shut,
engines,
trains passing me by.

My destination is more obscure.
I am reluctant to advance.
So I remain inside waiting
my ears straining for the slam.

Soon an answer will resolve into what
I am listening for,
the decision a willing captive to the
opening and closing of doors.

There is a Goethe quote that has been very important to me over the years. Currently, while I am in the midst of several major life transitions, it is a good reminder for me to not lose hope and courage. I offer it here for all:

Until one is committed
There is hesitancy, the chance to draw back
Always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and Creation)
There is one elementary truth
The ignorance which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

That the moment that one definitely commits ones self
Then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one
That would never otherwise have occurred.

A whole stream of events issues from the decision
Raising in one’s favor all manner
Of unforeseen incidents and meetings
And material substance
Which no one could have dreamt
Would have come your way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

GOETHE

In an earlier post I lamented about the anonymous death of Mr. Diggs, a fixture in the small town where I work.

I was heartened by the story on the cover of the local paper today about a group of citizens who gathered together to memorialize Mr. Diggs and to place a plaque in his honor on the park bench where he so often sat.

Mr. Invisible wasn’t and isn’t. It was a hopeful sign for me in the New Year as well as a good reminder that there are good hearted people in the world who are doing good things like remembering  those who so often may be forgotten.