Jay-Z, Public Transit Hero

Via Gawker, we learn how Jay-Z Rides the Subway, Adorably Explains Who He Is to an Adorable Old Lady. OK, we know who he is, but who is that "adorable old lady"? Several Gawkerati quickly pegged her as talented artist and sculptor Ellen Grossman, whose fascination with moiré patterns and the "flows, folds, ripples and crosscurrents . . .common to water currents, the wind, geologic change and biological life" apparently leave her insufficient time to become familiar with hip-hop royalty.

One element of the encounter that caught our attention here at the Sierra Club was how pleased Grossman was to find a famous musician such as Jay-Z riding public transit. Sure enough, a little investigation revealed that she was, indeed, a Sierra Club supporter and (sadly lapsed) member. "I have not renewed my Sierra club membership recently but I do support environmental causes," she writes.

Friends! Don't let this happen to you! You never know when you might find yourself sitting next to a famous hip-hop artist on the subway, the bus, or the train. And when you do, you'll want to make sure your Sierra Club membership is current. You can take care of that right here.  

PAUL RAUBER is a senior editor at Sierra. He is the author, with Carl Pope, of the happily outdated Strategic Ignorance: Why the Bush Administration Is Recklessly Destroying a Century of Environmental Progress. Otherwise he is a cyclist, cook, and father of two. Follow him on Twitter @paulrauber.