The Jacobs' Blog

Bnai Mitzvah Projects

2009-01-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a collection of web sites that are helpful when considering Bnai Mitzvah projects, and includes others of interest that I earmarked. Gerald's bar mitzvah is in 2 short months, so let's start now to plan! (Maybe we should have begun sooner?)

Parsha Bo Homepage - Chabbad.org

Aliyot Blessings, Before & After
Hebrew Songs
Learn Alef-Bet
Aliyah Blessings, Before and After, blessings with audio
Aliyah Blessings with directions, and a PDF transliteration
Siddur Audio, Audio clips to learn the Shabbat Services
Bar Mitzvah Primer
4-H NRH-Watauga-Keller
Animal Welfare Associations Listing
Arlington Life Shelter
Arlington Parks
Community Warehouse, Keller
Mission Arlington
Rocky Top Equine Therapy Center
Special Olympics
Tarrant Area Food Bank, 2600 Cullen St, Fort Worth
Evite.com
Shutterfly Invitations
MitzvahChic.com charitable ideas and resources for volunteering.
Jewish Vegetarianism Recipe Page

Harold & Lynne's Star-Telegram Letters to the Editor

2008-12-02T06:22:00.001-08:00

Harold and I both had our letters to the editor appear in the 12/1/2008 Star-Telegram. We wrote in separately, not knowing the other had written in, about the same op-ed piece, Science is up for debate in Austin, by columnist Bud Kennedy, Nov. 20.

Here's the text from Harold's:
I have been reading the recent comments about the arguments over teaching intelligent design in schools. I think that using a Bible to teach science is about as useful as it would be to use a science book to try to teach religion in a Bible class.
People who study the science of creation will sometimes say that the world was created in six days. While this is the way the Bible was written somewhere around the year 300 B.C., there are many bodies of written literature which say that the six days represent the millions or billions of years it took the work to form.
If you want to study creation in a biblical context, there are many books that will enable you to study that subject in a scientific way. However, you will not need a science book to do it. On the other hand, if you want to study science and the formation of the universe, then there are many theories you can read about that will tell you about different ways of measuring vast distances in the universe based upon the light emitted from stars. However, you would not use a Bible when studying this subject.
I wish that the people who want to promote this concept of intelligent design would just be honest about it. It is just an attempt to promote religion in school.
While people disagree about how the universe came about, that discussion should take place in a science class. Disagreements about the Bible and what it says should be discussed in your local Bible study group.
— Harold Jacobs, Keller

And then mine:

I have been concerned for some time about the increasing pressure by the State Board of Education to introduce the "strengths and weaknesses" of Darwin’s theory of evolution into Texas classrooms, textbooks and exams.
This will enable religious ideologues to sneak in the teaching of creationism through the back door of our public schools. (See: "Science is up for debate in Austin," Nov. 20)
Bud Kennedy deserves thanks for speaking up on behalf of our students and science teachers. I will be sure to contact my representatives and make my voice heard, and I hope that those concerned about the future of our students in Texas will also as Texas strives to become a national center for excellence in engineering, medicine and scientific inquiry.
— Lynne Jacobs, Keller

Fresh Air -Interview of Jane Mayer 7/15/08

2008-07-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Fresh Air -Interview of Jane Mayer, author of "The Dark Side: the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals

The war on terrorism has had devastating social and political costs, and it is the United States government — not foreign enemies — that has caused much of the damage, says investigative journalist Jane Mayer.

Mayer's new book is The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals. In it, The New Yorker writer contends that the policy implemented after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks promoted an agenda that sought to increase presidential power. Further, many of the Bush administration's strategy decisions violated the Constitution and impeded the pursuit of terrorists.

The Dark Side also exposes a secret report issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross that described some CIA interrogation techniques as torture, which allows the possibility of criminal prosecution of Bush officials.

Wild Fires in Goleta

2008-07-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Paul's view from his back yard. Fortunately the wild fires moved north.

Education in Texas in Peril: Opponents of Evolution

2008-06-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Priority in Texas for the education and health of children is very low. The school board is packed with fundamentalist Republican cronies of the gubernator, Rick Perry. This is one reason why one quarter of Texans don't finish high school. See where Texas ranks educationally at the National Report Card of Education. Thank goodness for people like Dr. Dan Foster at UT Southwestern where I work.

Opponents of Evolution Adopting a New Strategy
By LAURA BEIL

DALLAS — Opponents of teaching evolution, in a natural selection of sorts, have gradually shed those strategies that have not survived the courts. Over the last decade, creationism has given rise to “creation science,” which became “intelligent design,” which in 2005 was banned from the public school curriculum in Pennsylvania by a federal judge.

Now a battle looms in Texas over science textbooks that teach evolution, and the wrestle for control seizes on three words. None of them are “creationism” or “intelligent design” or even “creator.” The words are “strengths and weaknesses.” More...

Flying Biscuit

2008-06-03T09:29:00.001-07:00

Biscuit Twinky Dolinsky, aka The Flying Biscuit, my sister's American Eskimo dog. More photos....

"A Woman of Valor"

2008-05-27T06:25:00.001-07:00

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than pearls.
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark;
and provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable; and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom and dignity, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her,
'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.'
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Roger Waters rises to new heights in Dallas

2008-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Harold, Gerald, his friend Ian and I sat out on the Superpages.com (name, right?) lawn and saw Roger Waters and the band, backup singers and Ian Ritchie on sax. They were terrific. The crowd however was a strange mix of old rockers and new beer drinker rockers. The giant pig balloon was the best part aside from the great musicianship, particularly when it got away and flew off toward downtown Dallas. The down side to this venus is, there's way too much cigarette smoke even for outdoors, and we couldn't catch a breeze to blow it away at all. This used to be the Starplex at Fair Park, and it always seems to draw a funky crowd. The parking lots back way up too after the show. There's no traffic control.

Roger Waters rises to new heights in Dallas
http://startelegram.typepad.com/pop_cultural_district/2008/05/roger-waters-ri.html
May 2, 2008. DALLAS – This is what current and future generations of rock fans will never know. Roger Waters brought an old-fashioned, gaudy spectacle of a stadium show to the Superpages.com Center on Friday night that featured a complete presentation of The Dark Side of the Moon, the legendary album from 1973 by the bass player’s former band, Pink Floyd.

The concert was remarkable in a number of ways --Roger the quality of the music, the scale of it all and the intensity of the audience’s involvement, among others. But it was perhaps most remarkable for how it measured so many things that rock has now lost.

Waters is a prominent member of a dying breed. There are few bands that can justify the expense of putting a show like this one on the road. Friday’s concert, played before a crowd that was very conservatively estimated at 15,000, required the efforts of Waters and a seven-piece band, three back-up singers, a laser light spewing prism-shaped object that descended from above, three video screens displaying miles of video, more spotlights than there are in Hollywood, a blizzard of confetti and an enormous inflated pig -– which may still be floating around out there somewhere, by the way.

Only the most venerated rock ‘n' roll warriors of the 1960s and 1970s can lay that kind of excess on a crowd and be rewarded for it. In the current music industry, where the CD no longer has any value and the audience has been fragmented into near oblivion, few if any bands are ever going to be able to mount these sorts of shows.

And they sure are not going to be doing an entire album, as did Waters and company, since the concept of the album is deader than Latin. In an age where single tracks are downloaded from iTunes, there is no place for something like Dark Side of the Moon. Gone are the days when a particular album offers a snapshot of a particular band or a specific time in our history.

But, Friday night at least, the concept of the album was still alive and well and Waters united with the faithful to celebrate that fact.

The first half of the concert was devoted to a wide mix of Floyd and Waters tunes, including Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Wish You Were Here, Mother, Fletcher Memorial and Leaving Beirut. The playing was outstanding from all quarters, especially saxophonist Ian Ritchie. The vocals were done mostly by committee, probably in an effort to protect the headliner a bit. But Waters, while not always as forceful as might be hoped, was usually able to rise to the occasion. In the concert’s second half, when Moon was gloriously covered from start to finish, the voices on stage did not matter. The crowd sang every word with fervent enthusiasm.

Because, for this crowd, Moon is not just a collection of songs. It is a single, unified musical idea that resonates with them in a personal way. And that is what this concert was ultimately about -– how an artist like Waters and an album like Moon can serve as mileposts in our lives and of our times.

It almost makes you feel sorry or the iPod-YouTube generation.

2008-03-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

From the Kismet spring hafla, on March 22, 2008, in Carrollton TX. This dancer Tamra Henna is really fabulous and so graceful. She performed with a group and solo, both spectacular, using veils and finger cymbals. There were many excellent performances and you can check them out at the Kismet gallery. Also, the famous Fifi Abdo is performing and offering workshops April 18-20, at the Radisson Hotel - Dallas.

Election Year 2008

2008-02-15T12:54:00.000-08:00

How John McCain was Swift Boated by Bush in 2000 (Huffington Post)
How John McCain has become the new Bush
TruthOut.org
Calendar of Primaries
Early Voting Locations for March 4 Primary
Texas Primary and Caucus System: Second Vote to Elect Precinct's Delegates 7:15 p.m. March 4
Rolling Stone Interview of Barack Obama
Barack Obama

More later....

Bnai Mitzvah

2008-02-13T09:14:00.001-08:00

Learning about the meaning of the Bar Mitzvah. Gerald's will take place March 21, 2009.

My Jewish Learning: Bnai Mitzvah

Tucson Gem, Mineral, Bead and Fossil Show

2008-02-12T12:37:00.001-08:00

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is going on now through this coming weekend 2/16-17.

Read the article: "Five Reasons to Go to Tucson"

And the Tucson Show Guide

Christic Institute and the Avirgan v. Hull RICO lawsuit

2008-01-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

This is the case we took depositions in back in the 1980's, Avirgan v. Hull. Looking back on it, this is one case Dad would have had a keen interest in (or may have thought it was overblown).

"The Costa Rican Legislative Assembly's Special Committee on Narcotics Trafficking issued a report in July 1989 which linked John Hull and the U.S.-supported contra supply network to drug smuggling in Costa Rica. Acting on the committee's recommendations, the Costa Rican Government banned five United States citizens--retired Maj. Gen. Richard Secord, former National SecurityAdviser John Poindexter, former United States Ambassador Lewis Tambs, former national security aide Oliver North, and North's emissary to the contras, Robert Owen--for the role they played in establishing the contra-drug network inside Costa Rica. Secord and Owen are both defendants in the La Penca lawsuit."

Here's another link: http://www.geocities.com/iran_contra_christic_institute/christictlpj.html

This blogspot includes an MP3 of a speech given by Daniel Sheehan.

And the Portland Free Press article about the verdict against the Christic Institute.

And criticism of the Christic Institute's handling of the case.

And the US District Ruling in favor of Leslie Cockburn, author of "Out of Control" brought by Richard Secord

Future technologies interviews

2008-01-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

BBS world business review, Sat, January 12, 2008
Listened on NPR to these interesting interviews about future technologies: "As we grapple with the consequences of $100 a barrel oil, will the world be saved by new technology; we revert to environmentally positive hydrogen in our cars and even power stations, while living longer thanks to advances in medicine, and organ repair and replacement. Impossible? Not so, think the scientists. In fact the planners and inventors of the future are likely to be much more concerned about environmental issues than their predecessors ever were.

Catch up with Rodney Smith and his guests; theoretical physicist Dr Michio Kaku in New York, whose book, the Physics of the Impossible, is published in March; Professor Peter Cochrane who says he looks for laterally, to discontinuity, for new ideas and points out that machines now develop just about every electronic invention made by man; and Emily Cummins, 20-year old winner of the Technology Woman of the Future award, and who has designed among other things an energy neutral refrigerator for use in hot, poor countries. She is the consumer of the future. That's in World Business Review. "

Burt Keppler, 1925-2008

2008-01-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

Burt Keppler, d. 1/4/2008. Got a sad bit of news this week. Burt passed away last Friday. A family friend and neighbor beginning in 1964, we and his kids all grew up together and attended same schools for the most part. We're still in touch these days. Deepest sympathy to the whole family.

Actually I have a few pictures he took of us as children. I'll have to find them. I believe he also advised dad on getting his first camera. I may even still have that old camera. Burt's the first person I knew who had a camera that produced instant photos. He also had a camera that could make 3D images, if I remember correctly. That camera does not seem to have caught on, though.

There's a few articles posted on the web about him and his career:

(It's amazing how much I didn't know about someone I've known almost all my life.)

Sunday, January 6 2008
Herbert Keppler, photo industry giant, 82 - By Mason Resnick

Herbert Keppler, former publisher of Modern and Popular Photography magazines and one of the most respected and influential figures in the history of the camera industry, died Friday night due to heart failure after a brief illness. He was 82.

Known as Burt by his friends and associates, Keppler was a driving force behind the success of the Japanese camera industry and was instrumental in cleaning up the photo mail order industry during an illustrious career that spanned more than 50 years. During those 50 years, Keppler was the Editor and Publisher of the two largest circulation photography magazines in the world--first Modern Photography, and then Popular Photography.

Starting in the 1950s, Japanese camera quality improved to the point where SLRs made in Japan eclipsed those made in Germany in both features and sales. Much of this success can be traced to Herbert Keppler. A frequent visitor to Japan, Keppler was sought after by all camera and lens manufacturers for his advice, and many popular cameras produced in the second half of the 20th century incorporated designs and features originally suggested by him. Many of these improvements helped change the perception of Japanese products from shoddy to high quality.

Adorama Camera also benefitted from Keppler's design suggestions. Many products that are sold under the Adorama name, such as the Adorama Commander Model Camera & Notebook System Bag, carry design modifications based on Keppler's suggestions.

While at Modern Photography, Herbert Keppler pioneered efforts to police mail order advertisers and, in a unique program run in cooperation with the Attorney General of New York State, refused to run ads from mail order camera dealers who dealt dishonestly with subscribers who ordered from them. Over two million dollars worth of advertising was refused by Modern Photography when the advertisers did not live up to the magazine's strict code of conduct.

Under Keppler's supervision, Modern Photography built the industry's first independent test lab, a state-of-the-art facility. Its tests of lenses and cameras were considered a must-read for anyone considering purchasing camera gear. Popular Photography eventually also built a lab, but Modern's Lab Tests were widely considered to be more comprehensive, precise, and trustworthy. His opinionated column, "SLR Notebook," had a devoted readership.

After over 30 years as the Publisher and Editorial Director of Modern Photography, Keppler was wooed away to the bigger-circulation, arch-rival Popular Photography in 1987; approximately three years later, Modern Photography was bought and shut down by Popular Photography. Keppler upgraded the Popular Photography lab and started a mail order monitoring program similar to the one he successfully started at Modern.

Despite his reputation for technical and design expertise, Keppler was an afficionado of the art of photography, and was active on the board of the International Center of Photography. He fought for generous space for photographs to be published in both Modern and Popular Photography when budget cuts were limiting publication of photographic portfolios. Among his friends were such luminaries as Ansel Adams, Roman Vishniak, Henri Cartier-Bresson, David Douglas-Duncan, and many others.

Keppler worked continuously at Popular Photography, and continued to commute from his home in Croton-On-Hudson into his office in New York City until late November.

Herbert Keppler is survived by his wife, Louise, and his children, Tom and Kathy. He will be missed by all of us at Adorama.

© 2008 Adorama

The Music of Led Zeppelin, Tues, 1/8/08, Dallas Symphony Orchestra

2008-01-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

We had a great time at the symphony last night at a tribute to Led Zeppelin. It was a 5-member rock band and their own conductor playing Led Zeppelin songs with the Dallas Symphony. Awesome musicians -- the lead singer Randy Jackson had some acoustic guitar chops as well. He also is in a band called Zebra.

The Music of Led Zeppelin: A Rock Symphony

"Bridging the gap between rock n' roll and classical music, conductor Brent Havens takes the podium for a one-night-only program of Led Zeppelin's timeless hits, performed live by the DSO and vocalist Randy Jackson of ZEBRA, in note for note interpretations of 18 Zeppelin songs, including Stairway to Heaven, Heartbreaker, Black Dog and more. Colorful lighting and stunning visual effects will add to this once-in-a-lifetime event." DSO

Christmas in New York

2008-01-04T09:34:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful ten days in New York last month. Visited family and friends. We did some touristy things, like taking the Circle Line Ferry Tour around Manhattan (a variety of tours offered at New York Waterways), and had a few adventures, like taking a friend to Astoria for lunch at an authentic Czech restaurant. Just for fun, we took mom out for her birthday, at a restaurant below Canal Street that had bellydancing and live music. I posted photos of our trip on Flickr. Enjoy.

Rubber Ducky Adventures

2007-12-20T07:33:00.001-08:00

Rubber Ducky was on vacation from the library and spent the weekend of 12/9/07 with us:

Gerald posing with the Texas Brahmas' goalie, Jim Healey, at NYTex Sports Arena:

Egyptian Beledi Dancer

2007-11-29T22:05:00.000-08:00

Halloween at the Library, 2007

2007-11-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

Madame Irma Pince,

Head Librarian,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

I'm in my witch's hat which had bookmarks stuck all around it. We decorated our work area for Halloween this year. This is a view of my desk and the bookcase that I printed out and stuck to my sound soak wall.

They had actual titles from the Harry Potter books.

Terry at the front desk greeting library visitors (his wife made his gorgeous cape):

We had a blast.

Like Fenceposts Down the Row, by Oliver Reed

2007-11-16T08:59:00.001-08:00

Taken from the Peach Truck Republic liner notes of "Fenceposts":

We took a look in the northwest barn and
saw where the boards had fallen from the wall.
And after a while,
we figured he knew what he was talking about.

We stood there beside ourselves,
touched the newness in the oldness,
saw the future in the present in the past,
and I remember how I tried
not to laugh at it--its realness, its magic.
Moments like that don't always last, but this, that is, as for this experience,
I can say that growing old has made no difference.

Some years earlier, when the market was down,
the Parson's great-grandfather had bought that farm, not figuratively speaking,
and when he died, he left it to him, the Parson;
that's when he said his life began.

He got my vote for religion,
and I felt lucky just to have met him;
he was the greatest man I've ever known.

I could feel him, slipping us past the cracks in that jagged tin,
standing out on the precipice
that overlooked the bottom, talking with us,
talking about what it was he had said back then,
why it was that he wished he could do it all over again...

He'd spoken of the first days
and nights and of the time when they sang a song in the woods
and how now he was sad, sad to see them go.

He talked about rolling over in the clover by the creek, falling asleep,
and wondering why the birds thought to fly and how if he could do the same
and have the same view
he'd drift across his bluest day and see his girl
who used to stay down by the canebrakes on this side of the highway sign.

He'd talk until the dark of night
and he had no reason to tell us lies...

He spoke about a ride on the tram,
about that happy crack-boom-bam and
of the people who'd throw flower petals on the road
for nearly ten miles
--down past the chapel whose bell hung from a tree,
round the cove near the bottle-mouth on the river below
where you could see that hill because of how tall pines used to grow there.

He said that if we could think it, then we could see it,
and he made the both of us care
somehow.

The drive out to his place took what seemed like all day,
and I remember how we complained to him
--talking about where the town road ends and the side roads begin and
its nothing but what's left of blacktop on clay
for the rest of the way because that was the way everybody
thought they had to go back then,
at least I've heard that was so--back in the day, back before the highway came.

But for us, I guess to be just like him,
we'd cross the miles,
close our eyes, walk up the gravel on that drive, and dream
pretty and loud and wide,
wide to see the rainbow bridge and the street of gold,
wide because he told us that it was so, and because
we knew it to be true.

When we'd leave, he'd say to come back again,
but he never mentioned when,
and so nearly every day we'd go back to see him
either telling our folks we'd be visiting a friend of a friend
or just telling them nothing,
because we were ashamed of him...

I remember how we left some things unspoken,
and I regret the way that we avoided certain questions.
But that was then, a long time ago...

From the property line
we could see his Mrs. moving about the kitchen,
and so we'd stand around, holding our ground
for what seemed like hours at a time, whatever need be,
just waiting to see if she'd step out on the porch and motion us in.
I guess we made it known that we had no place to go to,
and when she'd concede, we'd move full on,
make our way like a ticker tape parade in procession round the square,
only faster.

She was a beautiful woman, sometimes harsh in her ways,
and he'd tell her that he loved her every time he called her name.
He said that she'd chased the rain from his darkest day,
and that for his life, he couldn't understand why it was that she loved him...

Crossing their lawn brought on a new disposition;
it was strange, the strongest sense of change that I ever
remember having:

we became more solemn and full of wonder
--not sure of what was in store,
if this time would be like last time, if
things would keep on being the same
as they had been.

I don't know if I'd say that we were young men,
but we were old enough to have mixed ideas about what it meant
to be friends with one another, much less with the Parson.
But that was our own failing,
and it had nothing to do with whether or not we trusted him.
The fact is that we had been around these other persons,
their worries and their concerns,
and so we'd become worried, and we'd become concerned,
worried and concerned just like them.
That's the best I can put to the feeling.

But we were always hopeful
and not wholly without reason.

His place was grand,
and although we thought it was all because of him,
he'd shrug off the suggestion, say that it didn't even come close
to what it had once been, and then he'd kind of sull up into a daydream,
adrift, lost in a sea of consideration.
We though him modest, but we were given to youthful speculation,
more than subject to ideal inclinations,
and in the end, it came as no surprise to find that we'd mistook his words,
that it was us, and not him, that would come to learn about the vision...

We'd listened and been led to dream--a new utopia, a life sublime,
one born of a paradise that was ours for the asking...

It was all that we needed to begin,
and I am satisfied with that as a reflection,
but a great deal has happened since then...

About midway between either side
and halfway between the front porch and the drive,
that beat-down, sand path turned into a flagstone walk with cracks
the size of a fat man's finger, or maybe thicker.
We always figured the rock was brought up
from the bottleneck on the riverside
and that it was his father, and his father's brothers, and his father's cousins,
and maybe even some of their friends, that must have gathered them together
and hauled them up there
sometime late in the summer, when the water was slow,
barely flowing, or maybe just a trickle, or maybe completely still.

There's really no way to know for certain how it happened because
he didn't remember anything that pertained to its creation.
He said it could have been when he was too young to pay attention,
or it could have been that he wasn't even born then,
but he'd never offer up any real reasons, and so we stopped asking him altogether.
Either way, I guess it didn't matter so much
to him, but to us, at least back then,
it was like something from heaven.

I'd give all I've got to be back on that walk.
I'd slow down, better note the lessons, make provisions, take it all in...

I guess maybe we sometimes bothered him. We thought it then
and even disputed the question,
but in the end we felt no less welcome, and having been welcomed in,
we'd vie for a try in one of the new seats in his rocking chair collection
--ladderback, fiddleback, slatback, you name it,
he had them there for us to sit in.
And to us, at least back then, that porch was Grand Central Station;
he kept it in a constant rotation, ten chairs in place at a time,
and the barns were stacked up to the lofts besides.
We could hardly imagine what it must have been like,
his sermons, the way things must have once been...

He told us that life was what happened between the beginning and the end,
and when we offered him a decent explanation,
he said that we'd made an impression on him.
Another time he showed us where it was that he made his gin,
and I remember, once or twice, every now and again, that we talked about women.
But no matter where the subject seemed to come from
or in what direction it took heading,
everyone who commenced to talking would end up laughing
--sometimes crying, sometimes singing and clapping,
a bit of foot stomping, but mostly laughing.
That's how I learned the best things I know.
I learned them sitting there with him, in thinking on our situation
--what he meant to us, what we meant to him...

We lined up like fenceposts down the orchard row,
dropped our shoes when the weather was good
and took off without a clue as to the cues he'd been giving
--raring to go, too young to know the tempo
of a given conversation:

we were lost like he was hidden,
and when I look back from now to then,
I guess I can say that's why it was that we went to him.

Sit and listen, sit and spin--we rocked that row
in midsummer and in mid-afternoon,
and in the dead of winter under the light of a crescent moon, and
other times by no light at all.
But that's not nearly all there was to it...

Troubled and scared or happy and carefree,
a mat for muddy feet or a cap to cut the sun,
we sat out on that porch during seedtime in the spring
and come harvest in the fall...

I remember him saying Grace and how she set the table,
I remember us feeling grateful...

There's been drought and the grasses dying,
cloud-filled skies, thunderbolts and rain--one after another,
all on the same day.
And I can remember the flowers in the pasture
when they got their first bloom,
and I can remember when they lost them all,
frost on every single one of them.

I remember him smiling. I remember everything.

We wore boards on that porch clean through
tongue and groove right down to the beams
that his father's father set with his own two hands.
And I know what held them--deep-down,
dug deep to be like cement in the clay beneath
the bottomland they were put in.

And we knew it was true because he let us look and see.
He told us that was just the way things used to be back then...

And so we sat and we listened, listened to him say
how one day he'd move on down on the bottom,
get on the river, build a new house and start all over living life
like his father, a life there on the waterfront.

He said it right then.
He said that was what he'd do if he could do it all over again.

Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li Harea Shoshaneem

2007-11-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

I am my beloved's, my beloved is mine, who feedeth among the lillies.
ג אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי, הָרֹעֶה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים

Make me strong with wine-cakes, let me be comforted with apples; I am overcome with love.

His left hand was under my head, and his right hand would embrace me.

-Song of Songs

Girl From the North Country

2007-11-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

by Bob Dylan,

Well, if you're travelin' in the north country fair,
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline,
Remember me to one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine.

Well, if you go when the snowflakes storm,
When the rivers freeze and summer ends,
Please see if she's wearing a coat so warm,
To keep her from the howlin' winds.
Please see for me if her hair hangs long,
If it rolls and flows all down her breast.
Please see for me if her hair hangs long,
That's the way I remember her best.

I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all.
Many times I've often prayed
In the darkness of my night,
In the brightness of my day.
So if you're travelin' in the north country fair,
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline,
Remember me to one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine.

Broken Images

2007-10-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed this one as posted at Five Branch Tree

In Broken Images--Robert Graves

He is quick, thinking in clear images;
I am slow, thinking in broken images.

He becomes dull, trusting to his clear images;
I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images.

Trusting his images, he assumes their relevance;
Questioning their relevance, I question the fact.

When the fact fails him, he questions his senses;
When the fact fails me, I approve my senses.

He continues quick and dull in his clear images;
I continue slow and sharp in my broken images.

He in a new confusion of his understanding;
I in a new understanding of my confusion.

This poem is similar to the title of my dad's book "Broken Image: Foreign Critiques of America," a compilation of historical writings and criticisms on US culture and politics, but I've never seen this poem before, and I can't ask Dad since he's no longer alive if one inspired the other. But it's an interesting juxtaposition.

Harry Potter Fest at Barnes & Noble

2007-08-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

7.21.07. The last installment of the JK Rowling's Harry Potter series: "Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows," is finally released at 12:01. We planned to meet Rubye and Alex at the cafe' at Barnes & Noble ahead of time to secure ourselves a table on Friday evening. Alex had a flyer to get a place in line, and she several friends arrived to await the release. Nearly everyone had dressed for the event. I wore my black dress coat with flowers and "Hairy Otter" T-shirt. You can see Alex here wearing her Slytherin uniform alongside Dumbledore. She and Rubye assembled the costume from the Good Will Thrift Store. It looks really nice.

There were a variety of games and crafts to participate in throughout the store, and souvenirs were handed out as prizes. I won a Griffindor tassel, made an amulet, picked up a plastic pair of Harry's glasses, and was given a bookmark: "Dobby for President 2008" by three fans who had printed them up themselves. Promptly at 12:01, the cashier began ringing up sales. The first one went to a young man who works at GameStop. He excitedly threw his arms up in the air, final volume in hand and cheered as if he had just won an Olympic event (Lance Armstrong eat your heart out). Alex and Lizzie got in line outside on the store's wrap-around porch, and soon I spotted them again as the line snaked by the cafe'. She was kind enough to purchase a copy for me, so I could sit in the cafe' and relax. What a good kid!!

We joked that nothing would get done in the U.S. on July 21, 2007 -- no police handing out citations, no children born, no customer service -- as everyone from store clerks to doctors would simply be too busy and too absorbed in "Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows" to help anybody or work. Customer: "Excuse me. I'd like to pay for this item now." Clerk: "Not now, can't you see I'm in the middle of Chapter 6?!" Nurse: "Doctor, the baby is coming out!" Doctor: "Not now, nurse. Tell the patient not to push. I must finish reading Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows first!"

When Alex arrived, she handed me my copy from her overflowing shopping bag. A list of friends had requested she buy them each a copy. It was an "ooooh, aaahhh," moment feeling the weight of the tome in my hands, the touch of the new pages as I opened the cover and the anticipation of the good read that would be my companion for the next several days. And sure enough, I took my book with me everywhere in case I had a moment along the way to crack it open and continue the adventure. And it is a grand adventure (no spoilers here).

Vietnam War Protest

2007-07-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a blast from the past. Came upon this photo I took of the Vietnam War protest I attended with my mom and sister back in 1968 or '69, I think. I must have been around nine or ten years old. It was on the Washington mall. We rode down on the bus with other protesters from Westchester County in New York, stayed for the protest and rode back that evening. It wasn't very eventful although I remember there being some tear gas at one point. It was undoubtedly mom's idea to come.

Martin Espada

2007-04-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

It was evening and there were downpours during a thunder and lightning storm with reports of tornado watches. I dropped Gerald off at Blake's house and went to (ran to, actually, from the parking lot) the poetry reading by Martin Espada at the Tarrant County College's "Living Literature" series, on March 29, 2007. He is a professor of English literature at UMass-Amherst. Listen online. Try this interview of Martin Espada with Bill Moyers. And read his poem, "Alabanza."

"A poet can be a teacher, a historian, a journalist, an organizer, a preacher, a caretaker, or a bard. And a poet can be a political activist, one who participates in the great changes that the world is always going through. We can go back to a poet that used to wander the streets of Brooklyn in the mid-19th century: Walt Whitman."

Snow and Sleet in the Metroplex

2007-01-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

Dallas and Fort Worth finally get a dousing of winter weather. Snow and sleet in the forecast today, making roads a mess. Hopefully I'll get home from the train station tonight.

Happy Holidays!

2007-01-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

Dave, Vicki & Dani wishing us happy holidays from St. Thomas.

Happy Hanukkah!

2006-12-30T15:50:00.000-08:00

Happy, happy, and happy...

Day 11. Going Home and the Flat Tire

2006-09-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

Sat, June 17, 2006. Its the last day of vacation and the plan is to drive from Amarillo to home. (There is a hockey game which Gerald is looking forward to watching in the evening, which gives an added imperative to us returning home today.) Along the way we get a flat tire. Fortunately we had stopped for lunch when we discover it. And after a tense but quick visit to the nearest Walmart, we are able to be back on our way again. It's a good thing we decided to stop early rather than stay on the road.

We've had a great trip and seen so many new and interesting things. We're sure to be back again sometime soon. For now, we have to pack for a weekend trip to NYC for mom's big graduation bash.

Day 10. The Drive Back to Texas

2006-09-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

Fri, June 16, 2006. We have to say goodbye to our comfortable digs at Susan's, and to Sasha and Santa Fe. We've had a lovely time, woof! With a promise to return soon, we're off to Amarillo to stay in the Comfort Suites Inn for one night, before making the rest of the trek home. Santa Fe is the highest capital city in the United States, just over 7,000 feet above sea level. We take a scenic route through winding plateaus and steep inclines that lead back down to the plains of Texas.

In Amarillo, we'll take a look at old Route 66 and take in a movie: Garfield: The Tale of Two Kitties. Our trip is nearing its end but I'm sure we'll be glad to be back in our own beds soon.

Day 9. Sasha, Susan and Santa Fe

2006-09-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

Thurs, June 15, 2006. Harold and Gerald relax at Casa Susan, and watch the FIFA World Cup, we go into town to take a quick tour of downtown Santa Fe. This is my first time here. Susan takes me to an imported clothing store that has what I would describe as gypsy dresses in bright colors, and to another store that has very expensive clothing. She seems to know everyone, not surprisingly. We also go to the Indian Market, where we look at the gorgeous handmade silver jewelry that is signed by the artists who created it. We meet the native American artist Ronald Chee there who has his prints laid out on the sidewalk as do all the other vendors. He is quite a story teller, mentioning an occasion when a patron asked several artists to design a set of doors for his house, and then offers to pay them by having them over for dinner. We laugh and say that perhaps he should offer dinner in Paris or Rome as a more fair trade for their artistry. (Of course, who knows, if the patron was a five star chef, then that might be an offer to consider.) Susan buys one of Chee's Yeii paintings to put in her entrance hall. I notice that it has three tiny birds in one corner, and I immediately realize that I have seen his paintings on a PBS show before. He is, in fact, a renowned native American abstract artist and we have just met him touting his paintings at a street market! That's what happens when Susan takes you on a tour in Santa Fe. Next it's on to lunch and more site seeing.

A ceramics store:

La Fonda Hotel on the plaza:

Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assissi:

The Lensic Theater, where one day we hope to see Big Head Todd & the Monsters:

Day 8. Do You Know the Way to Santa Fe?

2006-09-10T17:54:00.001-07:00

Wed, June 14, 2006. It's time to leave Colorado. On our way back home, we are stopping off to visit Susan and the dogs in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Susan has a beautiful adobe house, and we took her up on her offer to stay for the couple days that we are here.

She has four dogs and Gerald just loves playing with them, particularly Sasha, Susan's rottweiler that thinks it is a lap dog.

From the house, Susan has a sweeping 360-degree view of the Sangre Di Cristo and Jemez Mountains:

Day 7. A Visit to Pike's Peak

2006-09-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

Tues, June 13, 2006. Manitou Springs and the trip up Pike's Peak.

We continue to explore Manitou Springs. Gerald & Harold go to the arcade to play games old and new, while Lynne takes a walking tour around town and windowshops.

In the early afternoon we go for a ride on the Pike's Peak Cog Railway, which takes you gradually up on a zipper-like track to the summit which is 14,410 feet above sea level. Going up this way is great, because you get a view of the different eco-zones from the base to the peak, the great slabs of granite of various colors and angular formations, & the stands of willowy aspens with leaves flickering in the sunlight. I fell in love with the Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine with a stepped branch formation that makes it look like a giant bonsai tree. The bark turns a beautiful reddish cinnamon color as they get old, and can live for 100's of years. Between 8 and 11,000 feet, is the tree-line above which the growth of trees cannot be sustained.

At the higher elevations, the landscape is strewn with naked rock slides. Near the peak we saw chubby "yellow-bellied marmots," here and there amongst the rocks. The landscape is so sparse that I wondered how they survive, but it turns out they eat prairie grass, insects and such. We also saw a group of big horn sheep lazily sunning themselves.

We had a nice clear day, and it momentarily sprinkled snow when we were at the top. We were all slightly dizzy by then, but had been told to drink plenty of water on the way up to help with your equilibrium. The view at the top stretches onward forever. Buying tickets in advance helped because we had front row seats next to the engineer and the tour guide told jokes almost as bad as mine. Although you don't have to do much but sit there, we were all tired from the ride up and back down the mountain. Later that night we went back to the arcade for more games. We played ski-ball and other games which give you prize tickets and Gerald ended up getting a miniature samurai sword with a sheath. (He wouldn't take my suggestion and get the tire pressure gauge even though he had enough tickets;->) We also played pool. We also swam in the pool a bit.

Day 6. Manitou Springs, CO

2006-09-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

June 12, 2006. It's time to leave Denver. Driving west on Rte 70, we'll take scenic Rte 67 south winding through mountain passes and along the reflective and bubbling Platte River. There are many scenic overlooks, and we stop along the way to pick up rocks for my rock collection, a souvenir of the mountains themselves. Rolling hills of pine trees, deep ravines and winding mountain roads. Imagine how different it would be in winter with snow-covered ground and pine trees. We ate lunch in Woodland Park. Before we could check in we went to visit the "Cave of the Winds" and bought our tickets for the evening Laser Show.

On the way we drove to the Garden of the Gods. I have never seen anything like this before. The rocks here feel alive like sentinels, ancient and unmoving. After checking into the motel we started to go back to town to have dinner but the beginnings of a hailstorm developed and so we hightailed it back to the motel. We reached it just at the second when the hail started to come down in earnest. As we drove into our carport (very lucky we had that amenity), there was a thump on the roof, and then it was hailing so hard that we had to stand under the carport for 10 minutes or so until it was safe to walk the 2 yards to the hotel room door. The hailstones were the size of cherry tomatoes and they were coming down in sheets. We then went to the dinner restaurant and I had the "Buffalo Pot Roast". It wasn't until later that I realized that it wasn't beef in the pot roast but actually Buffalo. I guess it wasn't bad...just not what I had expected.

Day 5. The Mile-High City

2006-08-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

June 11, 2006. Did you know that Denver was named after James Denver, the territorial governor of the Kansas Territory, before Colorado became a state on August 1, 1876? And that the name "Colorado" comes from the Spanish for "reddish color" after the color of the Colorado River?

This photo is a closeup of one statue on the Pioneer Fountain (1910) by the famous Beaux Arts sculptor Frederick MacMonnies, in downtown Denver. This image of the mother with the babe at her breast and the long rifle laid across her skirts says a lot about the spirit of the Old West, I think, and that is the backdrop for this city at the foothills of the Rockies. Lynne took a walking tour of downtown while Gerald and I went to Six Flags at Elitch Gardens. We went on a few water rides and the park's big roller coaster, the Thunder II. It is sort of like the Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas but much smoother and doesn't leave you feeling like you're going to be black and blue the next day.

When Lynne arrived, we ate at the food court. Gerald rode a few more rides, and then we saw the Amazing Acrobats of China Show in a theatre at the park. They opened with a Chinese Lion dance that you might see on Chinese New Year (gung hei fat choy!). It was enchanting. The young men performed spectacular jumps through hoops and the young women balanced spinning beautifully colored umbrellas on their feet and hands. They were truly outstanding. Although Lynne doesn't really care for the rides, she enjoyed the show. We left Six Flags, and later that evening found the old Rte 66 where there was not much to see, and then drove to a movie theater which was showing "Cars" which was newly released that weekend. Paul Newman was the voice for Doc. It was a surprisingly good story and enjoyable for young and old alike.

Day 4.Under a Silvery Moon

2006-07-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

June 10, 2006. It's the day of the Big Head Todd & the Monsters concert. During the day we still had some time for site-seeing, so we drive over to the Downtown Aquarium. Outside the aquarium is a petting zoo where you can get a cup of carrots to feed to the animals, mostly goats, some sheep, rabbits and alpaca. Inside, there are large tanks where you can view sharks, tortoises and fish from all around the world. The otter tank was really fun. They also had a hands-on exhibit where you can touch and feed stingray. We bought two cups of anchovy fish (sushi, at last!!) so both Gerald and I could feed them. You hold the fish between your pointer and middle fingers and put it under the water. The stingray come over, open their mouths, put their lips up to your fingers and tenderly gobble down the fish. It feels all soft and ticklish -- cute. We offered some fish to a group of teenage girls standing together who giggled and made squeamish faces, but then one put on a bold smile and fed the stingray. We got hungry after the aquarium and decided to find a restaurant before heading out to the concert.

We were excited to be on the road to Red Rocks. Our map led us astray, however, and we had to stop and ask for directions, "You're almost there. Just keep going down this road." We did finally make our way to the south entrance and up a steep winding hill into brilliantly colored red rocks jutting out of the ground at odd angles, like something prehistoric. What I want to know is who said, "Hey, let's build an amphitheater right here in the midst of the boulders"? From where we parked the walk was all uphill. The neighboring lot was filled with tailgaters with music, drinks and food--very relaxed atmosphere. After walking up numerous steps and ramps to get to the theater, we had to climb more steps to find our seats. The opening band was Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, a bluesy rock band from Vermont whose lead singer sounds a little like Joan Osborne.

As we watched the concert, the full moon slowly climbed higher into the sky as the evening progressed. The view off in the distance of the lights of the city of Denver and surrounding areas is a sight to be seen. When it grew dark, BHTM took the stage, andTodd announced it would be their longest concert ever. They played 34 tunes without taking a break, which is mind boggling. Playing a mix of new and old, the highlights for me included Cashbox, A Soul for Every Cowboy, Under a Silvery Moon (which we were), Blue Sky (Gerald's song), How Easy, Boom Boom, and Sister Sweetly to name but a few. The venue itself was a marvel to behold.

Day 3. Go North, Young Man

2006-07-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

June 9, 2006. From Raton, we drove north across the border and into the foothills of the Rockies, a gentle intro to Colorado. As we got nearer Denver, we stopped in Manitou Springs and bought tix in advance for the Cog Railway to Pike's Peak (elev. 14,000ft). We would return here a few days later. We arrived in Lakewood, a bedroom community just west of downtown Denver and just east of Red Rocks in Morrison. At the hotel, we unpacked and took a refreshing dip in the pool and hot tub. At 3:00 there was a sunshower outside. I had been warned that it often rains every day at 3:00 in Denver. Maybe that's true in June.

Harold went online and found out there was a light rail system to downtown, and bought tix to the Rockies game that night at Coors Field. Catching a glimpse of Mile High Stadium, the Pepsi Center, and Six Flags Elitch Gardens (that's Ee-litch, not El-itch), we rode to Union Station in the "LoDo" District, a renovated warehouse district. We bought peanuts from a sidewalk vendor near the stadium. The opening act was of champion frisbee-catching dogs who would run clear to deep center field and leap into the air to catch the throws by their owners. After that a children's choir sang the national anthem. From our right-field seats, we had quite a view of the sunset over the Rocky Mtns. A single row of purple seats showed where one mile above sea level was. The game was against the Dodgers, who didn't allow the Rockies a scoring run throughout. It was neat to see the crowd stay till the end and not just walk out because the team was losing. We talked to some fans on the light rail back to the hotel. People in Denver are friendly!

Day 2. Texas Plains Trail to Raton NM

2006-07-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

June 8, 2006. From Amarillo, we drove on to Raton, on the border of NM and CO. Along the way we visited the Amarillo Zoo -- peacocks, tigers and bears!! And then in Dumas TX for lunch where I saw this Texas Plains Trail sign. Driving across the border into NM we saw many extinct volcano peaks. There are 1,000s of them in NE NM. Strangely in Raton the hotel was filled with numerous gun enthusiasts who spent much time discussing their guns, ammo and safaris. We went swimming in the hotel's indoor pool and playing on their whale and frog floats. Later we went out to an Italian restaurant, but Gerald wasn't feeling well so we brought the food back to the hotel. Time to relax and unwind.

Day 1 of our Road Trip: Palo Duro Canyon.

2006-07-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

June 7, 2006. Finally on the road! We drove from home to Amarillo, TX. On the way, we passed through Quanah, where we stopped at the Brick Street Cafe and found a friendly crowd and murals on the walls, where we stopped to eat lunch. They had many different types of teas and beverages. When we got to our hotel in Amarillo, there was an atrium with an indoor pool and hot tub, but the pool was freezing cold. Gerald swam anyway, while Harold and I enjoyed the hot tub. That evening we had enough time to visit the beautiful Palo Duro Canyon, where we stayed to watch the play "Texas," and climbed the rocks while waiting to get in. We had a midnight meal at IHOP. Thanks to Harold, the best tour guide, this is starting out great.

The Earth, Natachee Scott Momaday

2006-06-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

The Earth

Once in his life a man ought to concentrate his mind upon
the remembered earth, I believe. He ought to give himself up
to a particular landscape in his experience, to look at it from
as many angles as he can, to wonder about it, to dwell upon it.

He ought to imagine that he touches it with his hands at
every season and listens to the sounds that are made upon
it. He ought to imagine the creatures there and all the faintest
motions of the wind. He ought to recollect the glare of noon and
all the colors of the dawn and dusk.
For we are held by more than the force of gravity to the earth.
It is the entity from which we are sprung, and that into which
we are dissolved in time. The blood of the whole human race
is invested in it. We are moored there, rooted as surely, as
deeply as are the ancient redwoods and bristlecones.

Bob

2006-06-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Croton River

2006-05-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Jacobs Family Blog

2006-05-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

A place for the Harold and Lynne Jacobs family and our friends to share news, events, photos and interests. We look forward to hearing from you and to updating and expanding our blog as our time allows.