Karen Webster

The article begins: HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L’ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET.

On a cold January morning, a man stood at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin.  He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes during rush hour. It was calculated that about a thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by before a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing.  He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds before hurrying on to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip; a woman threw the money in the till, and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a three year old boy.  His mother, in a hurry, pulled him along, but the child insisted on stopping to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the little boy continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only six people stopped and stayed for a while. About twenty gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one recognized the violinist as world-famous virtuoso, Joshua Bell.  Or that he played one of the most intricate pieces ever written,with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This event with Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

Read the original Washington Post article, Pearls Before Breakfast.

Read more about the discussion.

One of the qualities I love about astrology is its ability to cut to the chase. Doesn’t matter what “he says” or “she says,” astrology will clearly show what’s so, without personal bias or prejudice. (At least is should in the hands of a good astrologer.)

As a lover of truth and clarity, I am always seeking outlets for where it can be found.  And I’ve found a wonderful site well worth sharing — even though it’s not astrological.

With such an important election bearing down on us, wouldn’t it be nice to get our hands on the unbiased truth about what both Candidates stand for, without all the grand-standing and accusations flying back and forth? Check out www.FactCheck.org. It provides “just the facts ma’am” so we can wade through the morass of misinformation all around.

If you find it as enlightening as I do, please consider passing it on.

Our Mission

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.

The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

An authentically empowered person is incapable of making anyone or
anything a victim. An authentically empowered person is one who is so
strong, so empowered that the idea of using force against another is not
a part of his or her consciousness.

“Charity extends the privileges of insiders to outsiders; while agape erases the line between insiders and outsiders entirely.”

– Ted Peters (Theologian)

When we make public appearances we often ask a large audience this question: “Do you like being lied to?” Of course no one says yes. Our next question is: “How many of you have ever said ‘I’M FINE’ when you were feeling terrible?” Every single hand in the audience goes up. Conclusion: Nobody likes being lied to…and everybody lies about their feelings. If this were a physical illness it would be an epidemic and the Center for Disease Control would be granted billions of dollars to find a cure.

–On Grief by Russell Friedman & John W. James

“No one can make you inferior without your consent.”

–Eleanor Roosevelt

“Everybody must learn this lesson somewhere — that it costs something to be what you are.”

–Shirley Abbot

An Audrey Hepburn fan, I was reminded of a quote she liked to share. Sam Levenson is the actual author. Here it is in full.

“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone …

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed. Never throw out anybody. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

– Sam Levenson (written for his grandchild)