have any lights to donate?

Don't you love it when crack addicts give you advice to watch out for crack addicts?

Outside the AGO this evening, and a man drove up on his bike with a plastic basin of lights attached to the front of the bike.
The basin was glowing with multiple colours of flashing lights.
"have any lights to donate?" the man said,
I realized I was just about to get on my own bike but hadn't put my bike lights on.
"no, sorry, but thanks for reminding me"
"don't leave your bike lights on, you wouldn't leave your bike unlocked, you never know when a crack addict is going to come across it and think 'there's twenty bucks'... how about some blues" and the man started playing the accordion, he was rather good and started snapping along.
"thank you"
"do you have any money?, take me to dinner?"
"no, sorry i don't have any money"
"take me to dinner?"
I giggled "sure" I don't know what I expected his response to be but...
"seriously? I'll give you my number, if you are worried"
"oh...um.. I was... joking? thank you, have a great day" at this point there was a constant stream of pedestrians hollering to get past our two bikes.
"oh, I wasn't, you know there is no such thing as a bad day, just bad moments, when someone says 'have a great day' they, there is no such thing as a bad day, all days are great, only moments are bad, and people with bad attitudes hold on to those moments for the entire day."
"wow, that is really insightful"
"it's true there are no bad days, so when people say have a great day..." people continue to try to get past our two bike muttering or yelling "excuse me"
"thank you very much, have a good night"
"thank you"

As I road home I thought about how many great things came out of that conversation. I wish i had had the courage to sit and talk with him longer.

Father of A Boy Named Sue

OMG
so Cailin asked me who wrote the Johnny Cash song A Boy Named Sue.
Despite the fact that I am a Cash nut, I didn't know the answer.
We looked it up and found out Shel Silverstein who wrote where the sidewalk ends (1974) wrote it. AND he wrote a follow up. It is the perspective of the Father of the Boy named Sue.

Here it is sung my Shel Silverstein.


I found it rather disturbing but laughed rather hard. I Wish Johnny Cash had recorded it.

Chick-lit

From an article defending chick-lit:

"The truth is, women happily read books (and watch films and TV) aimed primarily at men. That's because women buy more and read more, full stop. They read thrillers, travel books, biographies – and yet the majority of these books are marketed for men. Women know they'll like it and give it a go. They'll happily pick up a copy of Porno, with a plastic female sex doll on the front. But men rarely try women's fiction, because they've been conditioned to think they can't pick up a book with a pink cover."

Everyone seems to have an opinion on chick-lit (or "commercial women's fiction," as the author of that piece calls it), but I wonder how many men actually have read any of those books. Interesting question.

P.S. I have most of the Shopaholic series, if anyone wants to loan a copy. Tempted, gentlemen?

A rant in honour of Rachel's Birthday

Nothing can get me into a rage quite like a visit to the hardware store.

God almighty, do I ever hate old hardware store men. I believe they are the most condescending and patronizing men in the world.

Hello, I am a young woman. I am looking for a tool/a home improvement item of some sort. I am not looking for a god damn lecture about the intricacies of drain pipe circumferences, thank you very much.



Happy Birthday Rachel, you Radical Vegan Feminist Terrorist!