– This weekend I’m going to find out how good a judge of character I am. Last night I walked to Walgreens about 7:30. One of the local street people, who speaks whenever he sees me and has always seemed like a nice guy, called me over. “Hey man, I really need your help,” he said. “I need six dollars to be able to pay my rent. Please, man. PLEASE. It’s freezing outside.” I looked into his eyes, and I didn’t see the facial expressions and body language of a bum trying to “hustle” me. I saw the look of someone who was really suffering and needed help.
So I pulled a 5 and a 1 out of my wallet and handed them to him. I NEVER give money to panhandlers but this time, it just seemed like an exception needed to be made. Plus, in all the time I’ve seen this guy, I’ve never seen him on drugs or excessively drunk. I’ve seen him drink a beer, but then, how many people have seen me drink a beer?
I honestly didn’t expect to ever see the $6 again, but he said over and over, “Thank you. I’m gonna get it back to you this weekend. Promise. Thank you.”
So we’ll see if I get it back. I’ve developed a pretty good sense of people over the past few years. I think he’s honest. We’ll see if I’m right.
– Been getting a lot of hits on my blog today from people searching on the phrase “tube top pulled down.” I did a little searching of my own and found that it was a result of this article about Port of Seattle officers sending inappropriate material in their e-mail, including a video of a stranger yanking a woman’s tube top down. Unfortunately I don’t have the video itself. If anyone has a link to the video please share.
And just remember folks, 4 months and 12 days and we’ll be celebrating Tube Top Month again, right here in this very blog.
– Reason #147861 why I don’t hang out in Cordova: A band called Get U Some will be performing at the Cordova TJ Mulligan’s tomorrow night. I have a feeling that a significant percentage of the crowd that turns up to hear Get U Some will have also come downtown earlier in the weekend to see the Monster Truck Jam at the FedExForum.
– In the news today: There’s going to be a new fair competing with the Mid-South Fair this year. The Delta Fair and Music Fest will be held at the Agricenter out in East Bumblefuck, and it will take place September 21-30. The organizer said he put the event together because he doesn’t feel safe letting his daughter go to the Mid-South Fair. I really don’t like this… Memphis being the racially polarized city that it is, I worry that the Delta Fair (if it survives) will be seen as “the white fair” and the Mid-South Fair (if it survives) as “the black fair” within a few years. I hope I’m wrong, because we don’t need more racial division in the city. Since both events go on for 10 days, I guess it really doesn’t have to be an either/or thing; fair fans can go to both.
– Currently reading T.R.: The Last Romantic
That’ll do it for now. Not sure what I’m getting into tonight. I hear Bobby Durango, Crash Kole, and Smokin’ Lemon will be playing Sleep Out Louie’s, so that’s an option. Will probably stop by the Saucer to see my waitresses at some point too. I’ll just see where the evening takes me. Have a good night everyone!