I saw the Anarchy sign.  Graffiti on the back of a public road sign.  Under the Anarchy sign the words “We’re Not Playing Games”.  It’s a rejoinder to the mocking line about 20 something year old punks “playing games”.  But a little defensive.  The medium of the message somehow reinforces the point the message is trying to refute.

I heard a group of tourists.  Or a family visiting a native.  They ran through the gambit of “Keep Portland Weird” items.  “And it’s called Zoo-bombing”.  “Really I should try it.”  “No you shouldn’t.”  “I think I will.”  “I went on the Naked Bike Run.  It was awesome.  I called [00] and he was like ‘Why didn’t you tell me?  I would have joined with you!'”

I think the Zoo Bombing had an anarchist-bent to it, if you consider a shadow war against automobiles such a thing.  If that’s part of the Anarchy politics.   Years ago the contentious nature of the business dried to a point where one of the local outlets had a police officer quoted as nodding to the bicycles with a “Have a good ride” quote.  It may be that that alone brings it over to bourgeois contempt.  It has been ages since Critical Mass freaks did their thing — at least I think.    I think the Naked Bike Run has always been an item of bourgeois contempt.  Might as well just go to the joke that is Voodoo Doughnuts — one of those “sell the sizzle, not the steak” triumphs of Image Marketing, the selling point regards the novelty of standing in a long line to buy a doughnut.  God, I hate Voodoo Doughnuts.

Yesterday I walked past a tour guide going over the E Coli item for the city.  By then it was all over and done with, and just tying up loose ends in the “Wasn’t that interesting?” way of things.  “I drank some water yesterday, and I’m fine” said the tour guide.

I may as well note that actually the Portland Radicle is an interesting broadsheet… well worth a venture.  At least it was good to see a nod over to Paul Goodman, as I quoted from here.  Their boxes have propped up alongside the other free pubs.  I suppose that’s not a playing, even if the Bart Simpson and Lisa Simpson incorporated into an image showing them running off to an Anarchist conference gets a little stale quickly.