I wish I was special

December 12, 2009 4:04 PM

Every so often, the Opie and Anthony radio show run a Homeless Shopping Spree, where they take some homeless people off the streets and take them out to an upscale mall to buy clothes for them. This year, a man who calls himself Mustard mentioned to them that he used to be a musician, so they gave him a guitar.
posted by flatluigi (66 comments total)

I just got an idea -- is Susan Boyle seeing anyone?
posted by hermitosis at 4:12 PM on December 12, 2009 [5 favorites]

Cool. But they still have miles to go before Menino will ever allow them to step foot in Boston.
posted by HabeasCorpus at 4:14 PM on December 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

Wow, I'm definitely creeped out. I feel like I need to shower and put on some clean clothes. Exploit much?
posted by stevil at 4:22 PM on December 12, 2009 [2 favorites]

Nice. Too bad the audio is so crackly.
posted by intermod at 4:22 PM on December 12, 2009

Too bad the audio is so crackly.

I believe that was his voice.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:25 PM on December 12, 2009

_{note: I don't know anything about the show itself other than what I've written, but I was touched by the song and his performance. I didn't get the feeling that he was being exploited at all, personally.}
posted by flatluigi at 4:27 PM on December 12, 2009 [12 favorites]

Evocative...he really put some feeling into that.

Hope the guitar helps him out. At the least he can busk with it.
posted by Jimmy Havok at 4:29 PM on December 12, 2009

I'm not really targeting this at anyone here, but I think it's sad yet unsurprising that people are taken aback when homeless people turn out to be normal people. I think there's this myth our culture builds up that there must be something wrong with them that they could end up where they do, and we believe it because it means we couldn't ever be like them.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 4:32 PM on December 12, 2009 [48 favorites]

God that was cool. Solon, you make a good point as always. I'm currently representing a homeless crack-addict who I had a lot of trouble connecting with in any way initially. Then, at one point while we were in a waiting room at a pretrial services office, he pulled Robert Heinlein's Friday out of his pocket - a book my older brother had lent me when I was twelve or thirteen years old. From that point forward, we've always had something to talk about, but it was a cool kind of revelation that this man, who couldn't have led a more different life from me in most outward respects, read a lot of the same books as I did, and spent his time reading because he had nothing else to do, really.

Also, I just love that song. I've heard it said that the TLC song by the same name was inspired by it, don't know if that's true, though.
posted by Navelgazer at 4:46 PM on December 12, 2009 [3 favorites]

I am not going to axe grind and derail this thread, but I think this is an appropriate place to reiterate that homelessness is used as kind of a euphemism for a bunch of different problems.

There is a pretty big difference between being homeless because you are schizophrenic and cannot deal with room-mates or leases etc. or being homeless because of an addiction that burned all your bridges with the civilized world or being homeless by choice / for convenience. But these things are all "real" homelessness.

And I think we might start treating the homeless better if we could distinguish between the problem (or non problem) that causes the homelessness and the condition itself.
posted by idiopath at 4:54 PM on December 12, 2009 [12 favorites]

imo, much better than Radiohead's version. I say we should exploit more homeless musicians than millionaire ones.
posted by not_on_display at 4:55 PM on December 12, 2009

They found a Radiohead fan!!!!
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 4:56 PM on December 12, 2009

I liked his song. and singing.
posted by fcummins at 5:05 PM on December 12, 2009

I think there's this myth our culture builds up that there must be something wrong with them that they could end up where they do, and we believe it because it means we couldn't ever be like them.

I think it is because the problem ballooned in the 1980's when Reagan-era budget cuts and policies led to a whole lot of mentally ill people being released on to the streets with no support network.
posted by Ironmouth at 5:05 PM on December 12, 2009 [8 favorites]

Wow, that was great. If I saw this guy busking, I would not assume he was homeless. And now I will sit here for the rest of the evening and contemplate why that is.
posted by Heretic at 5:09 PM on December 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

What the hell just happened? My vision is all blurry. And my nose is running.
posted by The Deej at 5:10 PM on December 12, 2009 [2 favorites]

I hate Opie and Anthony, and I wanted to hate this as a result. I just can't, it's really good and I'll be passing it along as a reminder that homeless people are still people, including those who have unrealized or underutilized talents.

This morning I watched as people passed by a very respectful and well-spoken gentleman at a Whole Foods in Cambridge, MA who was selling copies of Spare Change. Rather than hawking, he was reminding people in a conversational tone about the merits of the paper and the good it does for those who are most vulnerable when it's cold as hell outside and there's precious few places to get fed and warmed. More often than not, people were ignoring this guy like he wasn't even there. I know anyone standing at the entrance of a supermarket talking about anything is going to get a cool reception sometimes, but it really made me realize again that a lot of people (including myself sometimes) seem to be programmed to instantly dehumanize those who are out asking for our help. Maybe it's because we don't feel like we have time to help or we feel the problem is bigger than our motivation to fix it, I don't honestly know. I just know that I'm almost afraid of knowing the human story behind everyone with a cardboard sign, because I don't personally have what is needed to make it all better...
posted by rollbiz at 5:34 PM on December 12, 2009 [3 favorites]

That was really good.
posted by delmoi at 5:34 PM on December 12, 2009

flatluigi, great post, man. Thanks!
posted by snsranch at 5:34 PM on December 12, 2009

Dude's got some pipes.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 5:41 PM on December 12, 2009

I hate Opie and Anthony, and I wanted to hate this as a result. I just can't, it's really good and I'll be ....

Aw, hell, too easy.

I know the XM studio is here in DC--any idea where this was taped? 'Cause I'm thinking it wouldn't be too hard to find this guy, and put a dollar or two in his cup.
posted by MrMoonPie at 5:41 PM on December 12, 2009

Don't worry, MrMoonPie, I saw it too.
posted by Evilspork at 5:44 PM on December 12, 2009

I know anyone standing at the entrance of a supermarket talking about anything is going to get a cool reception sometimes, but it really made me realize again that a lot of people (including myself sometimes) seem to be programmed to instantly dehumanize those who are out asking for our help.

I think we all do what we can, but not every opportunity to help is going to be useful or practical.

I was at a store the other day buying Christmas presents. Someone at the counter mentioned spending a dollar towards some charity dealing with kids and autism. I declined, saying I do all my charitable giving at one time (this is true, and I prefer to do research before giving). This person then got nasty instead of giving me more information I could use to give to his pet charity. So, sometimes it's not worth it getting into it, but not all charity is equally worthy. That said, I will give money to some panhandlers, and in particular buskers, just not charities I know nothing about which hit me up with zero time to research.
posted by krinklyfig at 5:48 PM on December 12, 2009

If I saw this guy busking, I would not assume he was homeless.

There are so very many fine musicians in this world who are so dramatically underpaid (or completely unpaid), that indeed there are many who become homeless, and whose talents, as rollbiz writes above, are "unrealized or underutilized". The star-maker machinery behind the popular song (to quote Joni Mitchell) has created the idea in many people's minds that musicians of a certain caliber naturally reach wide recognition and make a lot of money, and that the others, the ones you haven't heard of, are mostly just not up to snuff, don't make the cut.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying here is "never assume".
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:51 PM on December 12, 2009 [6 favorites]

Yeah, krinklyfig, I didn't mean it as a "what's wrong with you people" comment and I hope it didn't come across that way.

FWIW, Spare Change is indeed an established and widely respected street newspaper in Cambridge. I probably ought do a post about it sometime.

I no longer live in the area but was visiting, but this video and thread got me thinking about a guy I used to see on Mass Ave. as a kid. He had no eyes, and he used to play a mean version of "Cats in the Cradle" on a beat-up harpsichord. Anyone else remember this guy? Have you seen him in the past few years?
posted by rollbiz at 5:57 PM on December 12, 2009

I hate Opie and Anthony, and I wanted to hate this as a result. I just can't, it's really good and I'll be passing it along as a reminder that homeless people are still people, including those who have unrealized or underutilized talents.

I have to hear about opie And Anthony from my friend, who hates them with a white hot passion but who's boyfriend loves them and plays them he's working in the space they share. So I was expecting a cringe but hey! Pleasantly surprised! That's a good mood to be in.
posted by The Whelk at 5:58 PM on December 12, 2009

The Whelk, here's an example of the other side of Opie and Anthony as relates to the homeless or otherwise vulnerable.
posted by rollbiz at 6:00 PM on December 12, 2009

I AM THINKING HAPPY THOUGHTS NOW! HAPPY!
posted by The Whelk at 6:01 PM on December 12, 2009

I'm not really targeting this at anyone here, but I think it's sad yet unsurprising that people are taken aback when homeless people turn out to be normal people.

I think you're reading the thread wrong. Normal people don't really play that well, or sing that well. So what we're doing is surprised that he's really quite good. As in, not normal.
posted by xmutex at 6:14 PM on December 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

FWIW, Spare Change is indeed an established and widely respected street newspaper in Cambridge. I probably ought do a post about it sometime.

And FWIW, I will always buy a paper if someone is selling one instead of panhandling. I do understand that sometimes people must beg and don't have papers to sell, but a lot of the paper selling efforts are community-based and have strong homeless advocates behind them, and they do engage the people selling them. Street News was always one of my favorites.
posted by krinklyfig at 6:17 PM on December 12, 2009

I think it's sad yet unsurprising that people are taken aback when homeless people turn out to be normal people.

I think that's a little bit of an unfair characterization of being interested in the post. I don't know anything about Opie and Anthony or their show/exploitation of this issue, so leaving that aside I think there is plenty to be surprised about in this video. For instance, it's not that this random homeless guy is just normal - he's actually quite a talented musician. If I heard anyone play that cover in that way it would at least give me pause. His status as a homeless man - regardless of the cause of his situation - lends layers to this video, especially given the nature of the song he chose to cover.
posted by Think_Long at 6:44 PM on December 12, 2009

I'd buy his album, even if it was all covers. "Homeless" or not.

But, according to some of the commenters who say they heard the show he played original songs. Anyone know where those are?
posted by cmoj at 6:54 PM on December 12, 2009

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying here is "never assume".
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:51 PM on December 12 [+] [!]

Yes, never assume...and be thankful. Homelessness can happen to any of us at any time.

I'm thankful that Mustard had a great time, hopefully a great meal and got a BITCHEN Taylor guitar!

I can't find any citations right now, but Taylor has been known to help needy guitarists.
posted by snsranch at 7:10 PM on December 12, 2009

Seconding snsranch here. Taylor guitars are generally pretty fucking far from being cheap and crappy. Regardless of O&E's usual attitude towards the homeless, they were at least willing to buy the fellow a serious instrument.
posted by Zero Gravitas at 7:22 PM on December 12, 2009

That performance was very moving.

My problem with this is that giving the homeless nice guitars, and especially clothing from upscale malls, is a great way to ensure that they get mugged/robbed by other homeless people. Please correct me if I'm wrong, since I don't know much about this subject.
posted by naju at 7:41 PM on December 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

According to the Youtube comment from the original poster "opieradio", they didn't even buy him the guitar. They borrowed it from someone at XM studios and I'd assume he had to give it back.
posted by rollbiz at 7:44 PM on December 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

on a beat-up harpsichord

A homeless person with a Harpsichord?
posted by dirtdirt at 8:34 PM on December 12, 2009

There is a pretty big difference between being homeless because you are schizophrenic and cannot deal with room-mates or leases etc. or being homeless because of an addiction that burned all your bridges with the civilized world or being homeless by choice / for convenience.

Or homeless because you don't get paid a living wage and can barely afford your rent, and then you get sick or your kid gets sick and you have to miss a few days of work and so you can't pay your rent and you don't have family to stay with.

Mrs. alms works with homeless (helping them find permanent housing), and often there is nothing wrong other than the facts of the economy and our social system that allows this sort of thing to happen.
posted by alms at 8:52 PM on December 12, 2009 [4 favorites]

There is a pretty big difference between being homeless because you are schizophrenic and cannot deal with room-mates or leases etc. or being homeless because of an addiction that burned all your bridges with the civilized world or being homeless by choice / for convenience.

The two things that you seem to call equivalent aren't. Being homeless by choice/convenience (a situation so rare that it barely rates talking about) is NOTHING like becoming homeless because of serious addiction. Largely because of Reagan there are tons of people out there who develop serious health problems (this is what addiction is) that can't get the help they need. As a result they wind up on the street with nowhere to go because so many Americans are willing to say "well, you wound up there because of addiction so you might as well die in the street." Even if that's not what you meant, that's what tons of Americans in their warm living rooms think to themselves while they sip a cocktail (lol) and gripe about having to pay higher taxes.
posted by Doublewhiskeycokenoice at 9:18 PM on December 12, 2009 [3 favorites]

I think you're reading the thread wrong. Normal people don't really play that well, or sing that well. So what we're doing is surprised that he's really quite good. As in, not normal.

I think that's a little bit of an unfair characterization of being interested in the post.

My first comment wasn't a moral condemnation, though I see how it could be read that way. I myself am guilty of these things. I thought this post was a nice reminder that homeless people are real people and reminders of that shouldn't be surprising or notable, but they often are and that's tragic.

I think if we, as a culture, didn't "other" homeless people so much this video wouldn't have been so noteworthy as to be passed around online. In an ideal world, this would be the equivalent of someone saying "Hey, my brother-in-law is going broke and down on his luck. So I gave him a guitar. Check it out, he's apparently a musician!"

I can see several reasons why someone would enjoy this post outside of that fact, as well - like just enjoying his music.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 9:58 PM on December 12, 2009

flapjax at midnite: "has created the idea in many people's minds that musicians of a certain caliber naturally reach wide recognition and make a lot of money, and that the others, the ones you haven't heard of, are mostly just not up to snuff, don't make the cut."

I heard about the Kerrville Folk Festival, woman I was dating told me about all the great music, I saw one of their schedules and maybe -- maybe -- recognized five names, five performers out of the maybe fifty or seventy (I don't know; a lot) that performed there that year (1985), over three weeks. And I said, "Okay, okay, I'll head out there with you, it'll be cute, I'll go, gimme a break -- jesus".

I was absolutely blown out of my shoes. I didn't want to ever leave. People that'd rip your heart out in joy or pain or both, unbelievable talent, and you've never heard their names, they came on and on, one talent after the other. Unreal. An entire world that I had no idea existed.

And it wasn't "the minor leagues' or anything of the sort -- these people are absolutely unreal talents, good or better than any other. They just hadn't broken through and maybe never would. Hell, it's a very difficult thing to 'break through' and onto the stage at Kerrville -- lots and lots of people are trying, talented also, waiting, hoping. And they're 'out there' playing their hearts out. Tonight. Right now. Unreal.

And then I moved to Austin, an entire city packed with these people, it's like living in Disneyland, but for adults...

Anyways, the post, the post, enough rambling...

This guy probably hasn't had an instrument in his hands in who knows how long and his fingers still know it well, definitely a practiced guy. And talented -- I damn sure heard him ringing through, loud and clear. I'd pay to hear him sing, for sure, absolutely toss money in his guitar case if he was busking, no doubt about it. Anyone hears about any of his music online, please keep us posted, I'd love to toss a few bucks to this guy.

alms: Or homeless because you don't get paid a living wage and can barely afford your rent, and then you get sick or your kid gets sick and you have to miss a few days of work and so you can't pay your rent and you don't have family to stay with.

... often there is nothing wrong other than the facts of the economy and our social system that allows this sort of thing to happen."

Yeah, you got it there. And while there is nothing wrong with many of these people there at the start, a bit of time on the street can get things wrong with you real, real fast. People break under duress. The street is plenty of that.

And once on that slope and tumbling downward, once on the street, and most especially if you do get broken, it is really hard to get off the street. Here in Austin there is a great place for homeless people but even there you've got to be at the shelter at six (? I think six, seven at the latest) or you don't get a bed that night. Period. So if your shift ends late, well, you're on the street tonight, and believe me, there are people waiting to take your place. And now your only hope is the Salvation Army, and you've even got a deadline there (not sure what time) and you've got to accept their praying over you and I think you've even got to go along with the show, praying, singing, whatever other tune they call to give you a meal and a cot.
posted by dancestoblue at 9:58 PM on December 12, 2009 [2 favorites]

"There is a pretty big difference between being homeless because you are schizophrenic and cannot deal with room-mates or leases etc. or being homeless because of an addiction that burned all your bridges with the civilized world or being homeless by choice / for convenience."


"The two things that you seem to call equivalent aren't."

Read what you quoted. I may have structured my sentence oddly, but It's more than two things. I lead off with saying how different they all are from one another.
posted by idiopath at 10:45 PM on December 12, 2009

They should have also given him five bucks so he could sign up for Metafilter Music.
posted by Corduroy at 11:31 PM on December 12, 2009 [1 favorite]

because that was incredible, and I wish there was more I could hear.
posted by Corduroy at 11:32 PM on December 12, 2009

Opie and Anthony can bite me. They sucked on FM, they suck now, they will always suck like a tween fart joke.

This dude has the juice. Cool. Anyone who is amazed just fails to understand homelessness.

Anyway, I enjoyed this post.
posted by caddis at 12:03 AM on December 13, 2009

krinklyfig> Street News, if we're both thinking of the Toronto-based paper sold by homeless people, regularly prints anti-semitic articles. It's the main reason I won't buy it.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 1:31 AM on December 13, 2009

A homeless person with a Harpsichord?

i met a homeless fellow (plink plink plink)
with a harpsichord (plink plink plink)
he said to me "i play it... (plink plink)
whenever i'm bored" (plink plink plink)
i said "but how can you keep that... (plink plink plink)
if you ain't got a home?" (plink plink plink)
he said "i keep it underneath my marimba (plink)
and my sousaphone!" (plinky plinky plonk)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:30 AM on December 13, 2009 [2 favorites]

Street News, if we're both thinking of the Toronto-based paper

No, the one I was thinking of is not Toronto-based.
posted by krinklyfig at 3:46 AM on December 13, 2009

The man invests the song with more meaning and depth than the original recording had.
posted by meadowlark lime at 5:35 AM on December 13, 2009

I hate Opie and Anthony's exploitation with a white hot passion. But if this moves people to do good for the less fortunate, I can stoop to their level for a bit.
posted by jdfan at 6:44 AM on December 13, 2009

I'd have given him a banjo.
posted by inturnaround at 7:03 AM on December 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

Good grief. Instead of people just enjoying a really kick ass cover of a great song, everyone would prefer to wax about how better they are than everyone else who was surprised.

It's not about being surprised, or not surprised. It's about a kick ass opportunity for a homeless musician to get a new guitar and some air time. Not to mention the effect this may have on him personally should this pick up internet steam.

Sometimes I think MeFi folks just need to take a deep breath and go outside for a bit. Life is good.
posted by rulethirty at 7:27 AM on December 13, 2009

Great video. I hope some sort of weird fame thing happens for him off the back of this and he can make a bit of cash and get off the street.

This also reinforces the theory that for any given cover performed by any given musician, amateur or professional, there is a 30% chance it will be Creep.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 8:15 AM on December 13, 2009 [2 favorites]

I grew up as a square kid in central Massachusetts, and I always hated Opie and Anthony. I didn't know their names; I just knew them as those guys that were the reason I didn't listen to WAAF, ever. It was like they were trying to be edgy all the time, but mostly just wound up being stupid.

I wasn't particularly aware at the time of the candy bar prank, and the first I heard about the Menino prank was a news report (on WZLX) about them being fired for it. My most vivid memory of them was hearing them play "Blow Me" by Red Peters, and leaving their mics on and giggling all the way through the song.

I guess what I'm saying here is, if they've done something good here, I'm sure it was entirely by accident.
posted by Kalthare at 9:14 AM on December 13, 2009

Does anyone know how we can contact Mustard? I want to give him money. Seriously. I know nothing of his story - how he learned the guitar or how he got to the street - but I do want to see him make his way from the street to the studio.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 10:32 AM on December 13, 2009 [2 favorites]

I'll at least buy him an account.
posted by cmoj at 11:21 AM on December 13, 2009

I am frequently impressed at the acumen shown by some street workers. In a number of cities I've been approached (usually in the downtown or club area) by a man, usually black, middle aged and highly sociable, with a stack of books under his arm. I know he gets them for a quarter or less at the thrift store, but he generally has a good selection of titles, more on the literature side than pulp, and quite frequently it's obvious he's read the book he's profferring. when I meet this guy, I buy a book for like $5. good encounter.

what really blows my mind is why these guys don't have jobs and apartments. no judgment here - just an observation that, with the kind of commitment they put into selecting books, reading them, engaging strangers in book chat (that frequently lasts five minutes or more), closing the transaction and starting the process over, what are they doing that doesn't lead to conventional life success in this society? I mean, besides possible drinking or otherwise consuming the proceeds; and, it's not like there aren't plenty of functional alcoholics and addicts out there in day-job-land.

are these guys the homeless by choice I keep hearing about? am I only meeting them on their best days? and does this activity represent the high point of their sociability - that maybe they can deal with me, because if I say something stupid they can just move on, whereas with a stupid boss, they're stuck every day?

I wonder, I wonder.
posted by toodleydoodley at 11:46 AM on December 13, 2009

toodleydoodley: while working day labor I met a person who could be just great for 20 days straight, and on the 21st day he would do something like take of his pants, run around screaming and throwing furniture, then go lay down on the yellow line in the middle of the road hoping to get hit by a car (or something else equally baffling that would inevitably get him fired).

More mundane would be the guy who can work for a month or two, but suddenly has a three day drinking binge and doesn't show up for work, or gets in a fight and is locked up while he should be paying the bills and gets himself evicted, etc.

I don't know anything about the booksellers you are speaking about, but a settled down life takes a certain amount of predictability and responsibility, and sometimes people forget how easy it would be to burn all your bridges, and how hard it is to really start from scratch.

In my experience the "homeless by choice" are college educated hippy kids who are traveling as a lifestyle, or some kind of similar situation. The stigma of homelessness still affects them, but of course when they get tired of it they can still lay down the money for an apartment and get a job where the boss does not care about the huge hole in the resume, and keep the job if they put their mind to it.
posted by idiopath at 12:07 PM on December 13, 2009

are these guys the homeless by choice I keep hearing about?

The only 'homeless by choice' that I know about are the college-age kids with dreads, military bags and fatigues from thrift stores, covered in punk patches and bandanas, and ask for money 'in order to get fucked up and make it to Fresno". Even those guys are probably facing a lot of issues at home or in their heads that make finishing school or getting a job difficult (I am really really not trying to judge these guys, but they roll through our town every spring and when I see them checking their email while begging on the exit ramp I can't help but roll my eyes).
posted by Think_Long at 12:12 PM on December 13, 2009

I have no idea who Opie and Anthony are and I agree that Creep, while a great song, is the most over played song ever. But that was just so damn affecting. Guy has less than 15 minutes of fame, chooses to play a song no one wants to hear, and pulls it off.

Exploitative? Maybe, like I said, I'd never heard of Opie and Anthony. I have a job where I work intimately close with homeless people and I've never realized it before, but Creep speaks so much to the alienation felt by so many of them. Mustard really claimed that song and it's not because he's a great singer, it's because he made that song true.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:48 PM on December 13, 2009

The performance was great. I did enjoy this person's slide-show video they made to go with the recording. This once again has me considering donating to charities in peoples names for Christmas instead of buying them gifts.
posted by MrBobaFett at 3:30 PM on December 13, 2009

This once again has me considering donating to charities in peoples names for Christmas instead of buying them gifts.

My mom did this a few times during my high school years. At the time I thought it was the worst "gift" I ever received and would simultaneously roll my eyes while hugging her "thank you".

Now that I'm older, I realize how petty, selfish, ignorant, and downright spoiled I was to think that and it makes me feel like real shit. Thank God for maturity and perspective. And that she still loved me anyway.
posted by schleppo at 9:13 AM on December 14, 2009

Friend of mine who goes by Weldon was homeless due to bipolar disorder and an inability to handle job stress. He has quite good Web chops, but can't handle being under a deadline. He's finally on disability and has a place to live now, because he is together enough to deal with the system, even if he's not together enough to keep himself employed.

However, he has quite a good blog (www.btcnews.com/btcnews/) which he started while h was homeless. It includes a correspondent with White House press credentials (Weldon worked like a dog to get those creds) who has actually provided a lead question for the media in the past. His news analysis is almost always very sharp, and well worth reading.

So yeah, homeless and crazy doesn't necessarily mean worthless. Weldon's work has been of benefit to us all.
posted by Jimmy Havok at 2:58 PM on December 14, 2009

dirtdirt: A homeless person with a Harpsichord?

Sorry, I meant an autoharp.
posted by rollbiz at 6:21 PM on December 14, 2009

Sometimes I think MeFi folks just need to take a deep breath and go outside for a bit. Life is good.

Please spare us the t-shirt sloganism, it really exposes you as someone who's not only not been there, but who apparently doesn't have a lot of empathy for those who are facing a long cold winter of being cold and hungry, some of whom will not make it to see the spring.
posted by rollbiz at 6:36 PM on December 14, 2009 [2 favorites]

For those of you still following this: it really bothers me that Opie & Anthony are getting so much press from this. For example, I found THIS video of another interaction with a homeless person that pretty much just turns my stomach. WTF?
posted by theantikitty at 8:09 AM on December 16, 2009