April 13, 2005

A bit of random weirdness of the streets of Los Angeles this afternoon.

I'm walking from work to the subway station, and as I'm waiting for the light to change, a man walks up and stands next to me. He's a bit shabby, not well dressed, and he's pushing one of those vertical metal baskets that people use to haul groceries or laundry, packed full with all of his worldly possessions.

But unlike your average homeless guy, this one is carrying a laptop, and as we stand there, he flips it open, balances it in the bend of his elbow, and pushes a button. The music that starts playing isn't something you expect to hear on a warm spring afternoon, and it takes me a few seconds to recognize it as "Silver Bells." He starts nodding in time to the melody. The light changes, and I step into the intersection. But he just stands there, humming along and muttering the words under his breath.

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