I was it. Now you're it.

I have been tagged with a ridiculous task - with continuing a kind of chain letter for the blog age.

It's Fred Wickham's fault over at The Bullseye Rooster blog.

Basically, the deal is I'm to:

Find the nearest book
Name the title and author
Turn to p. 123
Post sentences 6-8
Tag 3 more people

Normally, I'd ignore it, but Fred is not only a good friend, but he once did a performance art "chain letter" for me and not only was it hysterical, but bad luck did indeed follow me after I refused to perform it for anyone else.

I had to lay two people off at the office the next week - I kid you not.

I have to assume something worse will befall me if I don't do this. So here goes nothing.

The book nearest to me (at the top of the first book box I opened - we're still unpacking dammit!) happens to be Hemingway's A FAREWELL TO ARMS.

Here's sentences 6, 7 and 8 from page 123.

"You'd be a general, " said Simmons.
"No, I wouldn't know enough to be a general. A general's got to know a hell of a lot."

Lieutenant Henry has more to say, but it's beyond the quota.... so the end quote is mine.

I'm tagging someone I know well, someone I know only a little, and someone I know not at all.

Adam Szymokowicz
Isaac Butler
Jaime

Feel free to do what you like, kids. But if you play, thank you for playing.

And Fred: I'll never do anything like this again.

But hopefully I've avoided the fate of one man who broke the chain. Arnold Brady, 42, Susanville, CA, ignored these instructions and within a week was struck dead by lightening in broad day light while heading toward the Bi-Mart to purchase a Samsung Slimfit TV for his wife.

His wife was killed a week later in an unrelated threshing machine accident.