A little light in here, please...

As made apparent by all the awesome comments from yesterday's post, we all love a good bitch-fest. But not everything in life sucks.
So put your hands together for Inspirational Moments!
From time to time I'll be talking about some of the things that have inspired me throughout the years. I can't imagine life without these incredible influences-they remind me on a day to day basis of why it is so important to keep your mind alive and your heart inspired. I can only hope you all will be inspired too.
Can I get a Hell-Yeah my brothers and sisters!
Eight years ago I was in a Tower Records in Phoenix, and I noticed a magazine I hadn't seen before, and on the cover were John Spencer and Christina Martinez, one of the coolest rock-n-roll couples ever.
Enter Bust Magazine.
Bust, in their own words, is a magazine for "Women with something to get off their chests".
At its very basic essence, Bust is a women's magazine, like Elle or Cosmo-but written by your best friend's big sister who always wore the hippest clothes, listened to the coolest music, and had the best advice on life. You know-the girl you wish you could grow up to be.
Now, first things first. I have been asked a few times why a guy would want to read a women's magazine. Well, the answer is pretty simple. From that very first issue, Bust has contained the most consistently amazing writing of any of the magazines I have read throughout the past 8 years.
One note for those who don't know me. I have a serious love of magazines. Some, like my wife, might even call it an addiction. Here is a list of magazines I've read regularly(more than 5 issues a year) in the past 8 years-Punk Planet, Dwell, Readymade, Cottage Living, Atomic Ranch, Barracuda, Hotrod, Metropolitan Home, Architectural Digest, Mother Earth News, Real Simple, Wondertime Parenting and I'm sure a few others I can't think of off the top of my head. Keep in mind, this does not include single issues, zines, or comic books.
Bust has many of the same sections that any lifestyle/culture magazine has-music/book reviews, cool stuff to buy, places to go, recipies, etc. But Bust also features a large number of articles on women-specific topics-everything from women wrestlers of the 1950's to the new When I was single, Bust helped me realize that the type of strong, intelligent and inspiring woman I wanted to be with did exist. And now, as a father of 2 girls, I realize that it is even more important for me to be informed about family planning, abortion rights, sex-ed in schools, etc. Bust has always been excellent at keeping its readers abreast of new developments in women's issues(pun intended). Also, if you intend on taking a trip anytime soon, check out their excellent online feature Let's Us Go Girl! It has cool things to do in most major cities in America written by folks who live there. I've used this on every trip we've been on, and it is a great way of learning the cool places in a city without knowing anyone there.
Next time you are in your local book store, pick up a copy of Bust and support what these incredible ladies have been doing for the past 15 years.
This Inspirational Moment goes out to the ladies!
Can I get an Amen!?!