Tricked by a hippie

While running out for stamps this morning, I was stopped by an industrious hippie.

"Are you a writer, poet, or artist?" he asked. How did he know?!

I said I was "kind of an artist." From there I was screwed. After an extensive sales set-up, he told me he had this magazine that he would sell me for $5 off the regular price (that's still 10 bucks, folks), but for $20 he could give me the magazine and a CD of some "hot Reggae grooves."

We started walking together a little bit. I didn't feel like shelling out 10 bucks for a xeroxed magazine, but then I started thinking "What have you done for art lately?" and "Art school turncoat!" so I tried to offer him five. He wouldn't have it. Then, I thought about how I never contribute anything to my old art school (because usually I'm flat broke) and how my art skills have been in decline lately. I thought "What's 10 dollars? You owe it to yourself to buy this crappy magazine and feel better about yourself by supporting a grass roots art community!"

So, finally I shelled out 10 bucks for something called "eXpressions Journal" (wha?) that probably cost 25 cents to make. There's not much to it. There's a story about hemp. Their web site can be found here. They could use a designer. Check the crazy dredded dude in a suit and tie. That's accidental art if I've ever seen it.

So there you have it. Ripped off by a hippie because I cared about art.