Rent Cars, Airports, Horoscopes

But this isn’t about travel, it’s about yet another mangled metaphor. Something I do with relative ease. I’m not traveling as much as I have in the past. Just gentle reminder that I follow the money trail to support myself and it’s leading nowhere at the moment. I’m not too worried. Really, I’m not worried at all. But that’s not the question. I was talking with my Sister the other afternoon.

In the simplest terms, web page design should be like an airport. No two airports are alike; however, certain elements transcend gender, language and cultural bias. Bathrooms, entrances, exits, all of that is clearly visible. Yeah, the Austin airport had Amy’s and Salt Lick. For a while, the El Paso airport had (some famous local restaurant), too. The big Dallas-Ft. Worth airport is without soul. But the point isn’t about local variations, it’s about navigation. The signs aren’t always the same, yet the signage does indicate certain services, all the same, all found with similar markings.

In the same way, rent cars, or, for that matter, any girlfriend’s car, all those things should be the same. The ignition, it’s usually a key, and it’s usually to the right of the steering column. Lights, to the left, wipers, right on the column, turn signals, left column stalk. Gas pedal and brake. All about the same – although – no two are alike.

One fishing buddy had a lifted truck. He was telling me about rolling to a show in Austin, and the looks the tall truck got. Didn’t hurt that the girls – voluntarily – rode in the bed of the truck. I suspect that had something to do with a beer cooler, but I don’t know.

While the truck did stand out, literally, taller than most of the vehicles in the parking lot, the gas pedal, clutch, brake and shift? All in dependable spots. In other words, anyone could drive the truck.

So a good horoscope, it should be like an airport, or any car, easy enough so anyone could fit right in and get his or her bearings fast enough to motor off, or find the departure lounge.

I started thinking along these lines and what I came up with next was that my scopes were like cars, although some days, I’d like to think, the scope resemble sporty coupes with swooping lines and graceful curves, or some days, a totally pimped lowrider, or, on occasion, the scopes might be like that big truck my buddy’s got. Monster trunk, just squashing everything round it.

I’m guessing, though, that a lot of the time, my scopes most resemble an “art car.” You look at it, marvel at its artwork, and secretly, inwardly, wonder, “Why?”

Laeti edimus qui nos subigant!
Two Meat Tuesday (the book)
astrofish.net
(cure for the common horoscope)
Pink Cake A commonplace book.
Bexar County Line