Josh Hickman

Dear Tumblr,

I realize I have little used you to your full capacity. Now that my team has worked with you for a time now, I feel it is time for a re-embrace. Thus begins this post.

I have recently pondered a new blogging idea. One had been the predominant idea before just now; that was blogging about all of the first dates I go on, whose numbers rival those of the most promiscuous of men. Some of these dates have produced the fruits of my labor, while others have served as shining examples of my keen ability to hone the skills of my inner George Costanza, harping on minute flaws of my courting mate. Nevertheless, I still believe this to be an interested blog idea and welcome any feedback you have as to whether I should pursue such an endeavor.

Now, to reach reach my point of this post, I would like to display a new idea I had tonight: restaurant outing blog. Played out, you say? Agreed; there are a growing number of food networks that provide my just aforementioned service; however, I believe my unique situation of being situated in New York and having an affinity for food and drink give me a slight advantage over some of my predecessors (i.e. Rachael Ray) and a likeness to others, such as my hero, Anthony Bourdain. At any rate, I digress to my first of such posts:

Off the Rails

I have passed this bar several times in my first few weeks at my amazing new apt on the UES, but finally made the decision to stop in tonight. An amazing decision this turned out to be! Upon passing, and even close visual inspection, OTR seems to be your run-off-the-mill neighborhood dive bar featuring daily drink specials rivaling those of the Stumble Inn franchise; however, after entering, I discovered a bartender who was superior to many of the NYC counterparts I have encountered. The next pleasant surprise of my virgin visit was the beer selection; though not comparable to David Copperfields (my favorite bar for beer in NYC), it is a force to be reckoned with. For my first drink, I chose the special, the OTR pilsner (not my favorite) for $4. The second drink on the docket was a double bag which, if you’ve not had, is a delectable brew from Vermont. For dinner I gave my bartender three options to sway my decision: gruyere/Swiss grilled cheese w/fries ($7), roasted hummus w/pita ($8) and grilled chicken/goat cheese/walnut/apple salad ($11). I was recommended the latter most of these options and was not at all disappointed! This salad was seriously one of the best I have, in my short life, had.

In conclusion, if you find yourself on 92nd st and 2nd ave on the upper east side of Manhattan, do yourself a favor and stop into Off the Rails, you won’t regret it!

mydustlandfairytale:

ohmygryffindor:

michael—assbender:

veryhandsomenerd:

YOU CAN’T HIDE IT FROM US VOLDEMORT!!! WE KNEW YOU WERE REAL!!!

scaredpotter-youwish:

the-toneofsurprise:

roeslovesdrugs:

mudbloodginger:

samacyde:

acetylene-virgin:

Look to the left, just above the tree. There’s a human skull in the clouds.

THE DARK MARK! VOLDEMORT IS COMING

OH GOD OH GOD RUN HE’S BACK HE’S COMING BLOODY HELL

OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCKING FUCK

TUMBLR HAS FALLEN.

KARP IS DEAD.

THEY ARE COMING.

FUCK OHHH DEAR FUCK, VOLDEMORT IS BACK, HE. IS. BACK.

EVACUATE, EVACUATE.

WELL, FUCK.

SHIT, IT’S THE DARK MARK! FUCKING RUN!

(via littlebombs)

Oh my god! So amazing! These are such great musicians! I love the songs, the group and now, this video! 

Recorded another song, finally! This one is one of my favorite new ones…also one of the oldest of the new ones. ” Time’s a Wastin’ “

Dear 2010 me, 2011 me thinks you rock! You did a lot great things to set me up for a great year! I truly thank you for being brave enough to pick your life up and start a new one, which is pretty awesome btw. So, thanks again…oh, and I talked to 2009 you and he is pretty upset that he wasn’t the one who got to live in New York, but he has 2008 Josh to thank for that; I’m sure they have worked it out by now, but for awhile there was some definite friction. Anyway, thanks again and I will try to keep up the good work you started. Yours….truly. 

ianaxel:

happy holidays from julia nunes and meeeeeee!

(Source: ianandchad)

iheartgeek:

Cleverness at it’s geekiest.

(Source: aonaibhricheile, via ianandchad)

First thing I saw when I got off the subway for work. Hello central park in the fall!

fatespectrum:

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?

(via littlebombs)

“Short Songs are Always the Sweetest”

-Sorry, for the delay; here is the third song I recorded this past weekend. I wrote this song around the time I wrote “Blue Dinner Time” and “The River”.