nazi

You stay up for 16 hours

Our soldiers stay up for days on end.
_________________________

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.

Our soldiers go days or weeks without running water.
__________________________

You complain of a “headache”, and call in sick.

Our soldiers get shot at as others are hit, and keep moving forward.
__________________________

You put on your anti war/don’t support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.

Our soldiers still fight for your right to wear that shirt.
__________________________

You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket.

Our soldiers clutch the cross hanging on their chain next to their dog tags.
__________________________

You talk trash about your “buddies” that aren’t with you.

Our soldiers know they may not see some of their friends again.
__________________________

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.

Our soldiers wear the same things for weeks, but makes sure their weapons are clean.
__________________________

You’re angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.

The general told our soldiers they will be held over an extra 2 months.
__________________________

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.

Our soldiers wait for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
__________________________

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.

Our soldiers hold their letter close and smell their love’s perfume/cologne.
__________________________

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.

Our soldiers get a letter with pictures of their new child, and wonder if they’ll ever meet.
__________________________

You see only what the media wants you to see.

Our soldiers see the broken bodies lying around.
__________________________

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don’t.

Our soldiers do exactly what they are told.
__________________________

You stay at home and watch TV.

Our soldiers take whatever time they are given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

- 2blacklungs.tumblr.com

work

The surest way to make your beer taste better.

compromise

twentyten

outside of a dog,

a book is your best friend, and inside of a dog, its too dark to read.

Book fairs and me don’t get along. I take a long time battling them pages and pages of evil vellum. Rows after rows. Hour upon hour. Usually, I eventually lose the skirmish and end up at the cashier.

S’gonna be a wordy Christmas.

action is character…

…if we never did anything,
we wouldn’t be anybody.

across the surface

for no one

“Something to think about… Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?”

eight days a week

ouchie