Solve for X

So, ZoomBoy and the phone have been working out well.

ZoomBoy, this morning as Squish and I are leaving: Mom, I'm going to have detention.

Me: Why?

ZB: I forgot my math book.

Me: Would you like me to bring it to you?

ZB: Please! It's in the basket of clothes near my bed.

Me: Groovy.

Later:

Me: It's in the attendance office. I told them you'd come by during lunch.

ZB: THANK YOU!  4x=4x -- solve for x and you'll know how many thanks I give you

Me: I'm going to guess it's infinity.

ZB: Yes!  Today is club day, can you pick me up at 4?

Me: Sure. A good thing you didn't have detention.

ZB: INFINITE THANKS!

So my spawn are grateful, and that feels good. Of course, he originally told us to get him at 4, and then at 4, he told us 5.  Squish and I were okay with that--we stopped by a used book store to look around, and Squish got a sequel she hadn't known was out.

But, while at the used book store, I saw the above picture, and I was, well, very surprised.

I asked, "So, why divide the intrigue authors like that."

The two girls--young, a little clueless, went, "Uh, there were too many for one section. They were to organize them."

"Not alphabetically."

"Too many. No, there's just too many authors."

"Hunh." (Ellery's least favorite word, that, for those of you who have read the Fish stories.)

And this was when ZoomBoy texted me and I had to run. I was going to ask them if they had LGBTQ authors, and then, I thought, "You know... why don't I just trade in a couple of author copies for store credit and sort of sneak them in there..."  Because I have Dreamspun Desires, and I'd love to just have them hanging out in category romance.

At the very least, I'd like to figure out how to have a reasonable discussion about, "You do realize this looks sexist as fuck, right?"

But, like I said, clueless clerks, small independent store, lots of dusty shelves in a conservative area.  But proof that sexism can be found in many places--even around a forgotten corner where it shouldn't be at all.