David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel

The Mysterious Crack House Tavern

This bar was not the disco party we expected. There was no music. There was no dance floor. There were no tables or chairs or barstools. There was a small bar at the back with a light machine resting on its corner. About a dozen-and-a-half people meandered the open floorplan or sat on the floor with their backs against the wall watching the lights. It was eerily quiet. The most prominent sound was the whirring of the light machine.

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David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel David Himmel

Long Train Running: A Chicago Marathon Story | Chapter 5 — Thoughts Per Mile

The decades that have passed. The experiences that came when I was tender and new. Experiences that have happened since and may happen again, but they’ll never feel quite like they did when they were the first time or when there was less to lose and far, far less scar tissue. As I clip past the miles, it becomes clear to me that life experience can have a way of dulling life’s experiences. Like running a marathon, it takes a lot of strength and self-awareness to overcome that mopey thought and figure out new ways to enjoy familiar wonder.

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Don Hall Don Hall Don Hall Don Hall

Sloppy, Stupid Journalism is the New Black

There are a host of positives when it comes to the expansion of citizen journalism. A truly democratic collection of voices and opinions, voices previously unheard from now present, the ability to publish articles that a major house wouldn’t. On the other hand, there is the new tendency of lesser known publications to publish click bait shit and fudge facts in favor of hyperbole and impact.

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Don Hall Don Hall Don Hall Don Hall

The Guide to Excellent Customer Service

In The Shawshank Redemption, the character of Brookes Hatlin is released after decades behind bars.  The world has changed.  It's faster.  Cars are faster, technology is faster, people seem to be in so much more of a hurry than when he was convicted.  The speed of things and the lack of familiarity in simple day-to-day living pushes him further and further into a corner that he can only find one means of escape from - a rope.

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Contributor David Himmel Contributor David Himmel

Loving Your Country is Like Loving Your Child

I love my daughter more than anything. I am devoted to her. I would die to defend her.

But that doesn’t mean I defend or justify every single thing she does. When she tries to claw her mother’s eyes out because she hasn’t peeled a banana fast enough, I let her know that that shit is not acceptable. My love for her motivates me to help her not be an asshole. I want her to succeed at being a worthwhile person. I want her to realize her full potential. Which I’ll again briefly mention is enormous, probably greater than your kids’, if you have them.

This brings me to love of country; patriotism.

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