“It is easy to be conspicuously ‘compassionate’ if others are being forced to pay the cost.” - Murray Rothbard
The Latin word subumbra is a compound word consisting of the prefix sub meaning “under” followed by umbra meaning “dark.”
Take that original compound word from a language spoken by a vast ancient empire, invade a territory a few hundred miles to the West, mix in a few centuties and other languages to mix and match and the word evolves into sombra the Spanish, or to be more precise, Castillian, word for “shade.”
Students of middle or high school Spanish, may recall the use of “-ito” (or “-ita” - depending on the, trigger alert, gender of the word) a diminitivo or type of suffix attached to word indicating smallness. Formally, one would add the adjective pequeño/a in after the word but adding the diminuitive is a less formal alternative.
Those who dare to step in the real world of Spanish will learn quickly “-ito/a” lands quickly in the territories of cuteness, affection, irony, mockery, and ridicule. It takes a non-native speaker years to master the game. Spanish is spoken in over 20 countries too each with their own quirks. Coger in Spain, means a very different thing than coger in Latin America for example. Sí tú sabes, tú sabes.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation, otherwise known as LADOT this week held a pseudo ribbon-cutting ceremony for a shaded bus stop.
Emphasis on shaded.
What’s supposed to be a low-cost test project in, their words, “to improve the transit experience for those who rely on public transit with better lighting and shade.”
Let’s take a look.
“You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.”
— Thomas Sowell
In what’s more of a cheery press release than a piece of journalism, Spectrum News got to the bottom of the story: “Designed by and for female bus riders, the unassuming blue metal structures provide lighting at night and shade during the day, casting a shadow that elongates enough during some times of day to provide shade to nearby bus benches in addition to the person standing directly beneath it.”
La Sombrita is apparently the bastard child of Kounkuey Design Initiative, a non-profit and some fiat academics at the University of California Los Angels (UCLA) as part of their Gender Equity Action Plan.
"The lack of essential amenities like shade and lighting isn't just a simple inconvenience. For women and gender minorities — half of our population — it can change the trajectory of their lives," said Chelina Odbert of Kounkuey said.
Sí tú sabes, tú sabes.
La mierdita! jaja.
bureaucrats selflessly continue to improve the lives of women and other ethnic, sexual, and religious minorities by providing a sliver of shade (sometimes). However, I am a little triggered with the -ita at the end of sombra. Perhaps we could petition the local authorities to change the word to sombritx so as to not cause injuries to those who don’t identify with -ito/ita.
Hace 10 años yo tenía una novia mexicana. Por eso, entiendo la palabra, “coger.”
p.s. great Rothbard quote.
That woman’s body can provide heat in the winter and shade in the summer.