Evan Jacobson

It’s just like starting over… by Evan Jacobson, August 16, 2010

It takes years to master things, feel good about one self, get comfortable, be positive, venture into undiscovered territory, struggle, and grow even more. I read an article about the legendary RUSH drummer, Neil Peart, many years ago. Neil was one of my main drumming influences in my formative years, as I emulated just about every pattern he put forth on recordings. Learning his patterns helped me achieve a higher level of drumming mastery. After High School, I branched out even more, musically speaking. I attended a legendary performance in 1987 in NYC: The Michel Camilo Trio. Anthony Jackson played Bass (or Bass Guitar), Michel played Piano, and Dave Weckl fried my brain as he executed some of the most incredible drum patterns I’ve ever heard. That show at the defunct Mikel’s (97th and Columbus in NYC) changed my life forever. Once again, I experienced an even higher level of mastery. I went to SUNY Oswego College for Communications and Music. A few years passed and then I went to Radford University to attain another higher level of musical mastery. I paid my dues by working in various musical groups, teaching 40+ students per week, and even working nights and weekends at RadioShack. I was a busy bee, but I put the time in to strive for another higher level of greatness. Where are we going with this conversation? I’m getting to that and thank you for your patience. I moved to Seattle in 2000 and attained a second Master’s Degree in Teaching English. Then, I relocated to NYC to begin my teaching career. It is currently 2010 and I recently finished my 7th year of teaching. Years 6 and 7 were great and occurred in the Bronx (Hunt’s Point). I was comfortable, felt a sense of mastery, and achieved so many great things that I lost count. Here’s the part that you’ve been waiting for: I resigned from the NYC Department of Education to support my wife in a move to Maryland. Even though I achieved a great level of mastery, it was time to “start over.”

I began this post discussing Neil Peart and Dave Weckl because we share many commonalities. In short, we’ve become masters, but reached a point where it was necessary to start over. Both Neil and Dave decided to reevaluate basic hand technique (A.K.A.Chops) and study with the legendary Freddie Gruber, a great drummer and teacher who befriended Buddy Rich—arguably, Buddy was one of the greatest drummers on planet Earth. That in itself, has to be a blog for another day…
In short, achieving mastery does not stop until inevitable death—it is a choice to grow, become complacent, get rigid, stop learning, or keep on going because we enjoy the challenge and/or never become satisfied with one’s present abilities. After all, working hard has to lead to mastery and we have a right to be comfortable and validate all of the hard work. We also have the right to relax, take a break, make more money, feel grounded, and then milk our present mastery (in education it’s called ‘ceiling level’) for as long as possible. We are entitled to reasonable things when we know that we’ve worked hard and to the best of our abilities. So, why rock the boat and tip the boat over?
My wife was blessed with 5 job offers approximately 5 months ago. She decided that it was in the stars and had to accept the best of the 5 offers. Ultimately, this meant leaving New Jersey and moving to either Washington D.C. or Maryland. This is not a decision to be taken lightly because it would mean selling our house in the worst housing market in history (dispute that all you want, but I stand behind that strong opinion), and starting over for both of us. This is hardcore reality!

It was an easy decision for my wife, but I didn’t want to break out of my comfort zone for a myriad of reasons…Musically speaking, working with Jeff and Pete in Antagonist slash Premonition is an incredibly rewarding musical experience. Recording the 3-song demo for Scottish Windows was very rewarding. As far as my teaching career in Hunts Point is concerned, it’s always going to be filled with incredible memories. Working on the Lower East Side was rewarding, but I found a true sense of comfort in Hunts Point—that might sound twisted, but it’s really not! I worked with very supportive people, an awesome team teacher, and the world’s greatest Principal, Dr. Hughes (his band Johnny Seven is on Facebook and itunes). My commute was always 30 minutes, had a free parking space, and the best 7th Grade Class. Please bear in mind that teaching 7th Grade English to a diverse population in the Bronx is NOT EASY. Most people would cringe if they new the intricate details of running a 7th Grade inner city class… However, I was blessed with a class based upon mutual respect and impressive results. In fact, my class scored the highest in both English and Math for the entire school. That is a first in my career. Another first is that one of my students won second place in an Essay Contest, and cashed in on his brand new 32GB ipod Touch. Yet despite the physical and emotional challenges for 180 instructional days, it truly was a great year. And now, I had to make a choice to stay there or support my wife’s promising new direction. In fact, my Principal announced that at our last official staff meeting: Does Evan choose the beautiful and awesome Hunts Point Middle School? Or, does he choose his wife? Ba da bing! If reality hasn’t slapped you upside the head at this point, I’m not sure what to tell you… Then, most of the staff wished me well and Dr. Hughes presented me with an Elvis Alarm Clock and a hug. Emotional is an understatement. I had to resign from a tenured NYC teaching position and spend the most humid summer packing up my house to make the move to Maryland. One of the hardest parts was going to work, trying to remain in the present, do the best job possible, stick it out with my awesome class (mentioned earlier), and keep my mouth shut about Maryland. It was incredibly difficult. On top of that, students asked me if I was returning for 2010-2011. I told them that there was a chance that I might be moving for personal reasons, but it had absolutely NOTHING to do with them. I think they understood… Lying to them would not be an option. Similarly, if I told them I was not coming back, it would have caused major bedlam on an emotional level. When you spend 10 months with inner city children, the worst punishment is telling them that you won’t be returning to school. Think of any consequence that would be accorded to a child when they misbehave. That is pale in comparison to abandonment. Having said that, I kept my mouth shut for as long as I could, but I’m disclosing the information right now: I moved to Maryland to “start over.”

In fact, I no longer live in a 3-bedroom house with 4 floors; I live in a 1-bedroom apartment. The house was more than just a tangible piece of property. Rather, it symbolized my musical mastery, the improvement in my cooking skills, my growth as an educator, the ability to fix many broken things, the most intense emotional roller coaster, my wife and cats, a location close to friends (especially my neighbors, Wayne and Pati) and family, and several other things (for lack of a better term). As I packed up items for several weeks by myself, I did not have a great, relaxing summer. Instead, I felt imprisoned and constantly reminded that I had to end the NY/NJ chapter of my life and…wait for it… start over. I’ve painted a painful picture and it was. I’m still recovering…

However, starting over might not necessarily be a bad thing. I can keep the mastery that I currently have and keep building upon it. This move will force me to find creative ways to keep in touch with people—something that I value tremendously. It’s going to be possible to reconnect with friends that I haven’t seen in (AHEM) years. I’ll have to email, phone, get on Facebook, write letters, etc. Then, I have an opportunity to meet an incredibly diverse group of children and begin another chapter of teaching. I really miss my NY students and always will. I cannot say enough about the few close friends that I am lucky to have. I did my best to make time and see them despite the immediate urgency to finish packing and tying up loose ends. I might be in another state, but I’m always accessible via email: evanj31drum@hotmail.com
That holds true for my family as well. I wanted to clarify because people need to know that I will eventually write back or meet up with them at some time in the future. I am about 4 hours from NY via car, bus, or Amtrack; an hour by plane and even less time by jet. In contrast, living in Seattle was a 6-hour plane ride and that should put things into perspective…

If you read this entire post, THANK YOU! Someday, your mastery and comfort will be challenged; you might even have to make a drastic move as I did. Then, you’ll understand the emotional roller coaster that has been accorded to me. You will need the support of your friends and family to get you through it. It’s not a cakewalk, but having support from any positive person really alleviates some of the hardship to make it possible to move on. “It’s just like starting over…”

Best,
Evan Jacobson

Pictured above: Ferocious French Onion Soup that’s ready to be devoured—Jump into the screen and go for it!

French Onion Soup, courtesy of The LATE Chef, Kevin Wilson (RIP), and brought to you by the wanna be gourmet, Evan J.

The anecdote:
I’ve worked various catering jobs during the day in Seattle, while attaining my Master’s in Teaching at night (2000-2003). At first, I was employed in several Temp Agencies, which required me to be on call by 4:30 AM, work a mystery job until late afternoon, and then get to my 4-hour Graduate class. This routine was consistent during the week, so you can imagine that there were very few dull moments and a major dose of sleep deprivation. Moving forward, these catering jobs required me to wear several hats: Barista, cashier, line cook, cater events ranging from 100-3,000 people, muffin maker, salad bar specialist, inventory stock boy, prep, and grill cook (bordering or chef, but never getting recognition for it), etc. Then, I was hired permanently in a hospital setting on Capitol Hill in Seattle (you thought it was D.C.). Luckily, I was trained to do all of the above. While working there (an undisclosed location around 15th Avenue), I was fortunate to meet Kevin Wilson, a talented Chef. Just like Rachel Ray, Kevin did not attend a cooking school to learn about French techniques, multiple facets of the food industry, ice sculpting, wine tasting and pairing, reading several HUGE culinary texts, and other mandatory requirements to attain a degree. However, both Rachel and Kevin are talented; they possess an innate sense of culinary mastery. They learned tricks of the trade via some type of mentor and on the job training. Rachel is already famous so continually discussing her life is moot. In contrast, Kevin and I worked together daily. I didn’t realize it at first, but I was inevitably guided under Kevin’s tutelage to master tricks of the trade.

One day, the perfunctory New England Clam Chowder couldn’t be made, and a soup du jour was a necessary Lunch staple. Our manager, a whirling dervish with carpentry skills, was dumbfounded (a common occurrence) and deferred to Kevin to whip up a soup. Kevin was resourceful and told him that he could make a French Onion Soup to knock people’s socks off. The (ahem) manager agreed (like the shmendrick had a choice) and Kevin began his prep. Kevin prepared the mise en place: Onions, day old bread, Beef bones for a stock, Mirepoix, clarified butter, Sherry Wine, and Swiss Cheese. I’m guessing that the French developed the idea of French Onion Soup based upon leftovers, maintaining food costs, and resourcefulness…

I had my catering duties, but was able to take glimpses of Kevin’s soup making process. Later on, Kevin explained all of it. Then, he asked me to taste it before service began. I had a problem: My eyes rolled so far back into my head and had to be straightened out prior to the customer’s arrival. IT WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP OF MY LIFETIME. I have many memories of Kevin’s cooking mastery…Prior to the French Onion Soup, Kevin would bring luscious desserts into work and share with the staff. The Cheesecake variations and Bread Pudding really stood out. Then, he prepared various sauces for the Bread Pudding: Port Zabaglione, some Rum concoction, Crème Anglaise, etc. Naturally, I was the major Guinea Pig, sampled all of the succulent variations, and gained several pounds. Kevin was rarely satisfied because he thought that there was always room for improvement. As for me, I still had that aforementioned eye rolling issue… Kevin was laid off from the catering job and became a well-respected Fish Monger in Seattle. I visited him whenever I could. Inevitably, I moved back to the East Coast to begin my teaching career in New York City. Shortly after that, Kevin passed away. However, I cherish both the good times and his priceless cooking knowledge. To wrap it all up, I did my best to reproduce and honor Kevin’s cooking legacy. I hope that my inspired version does some justice. It’s time to cook:

Ingredients:
1 tbs. of E.V.O.O. to coat the Dutch Oven
1 tbs. of Clarified butter (unsalted)
Several onions (2-3 medium) sliced 1/8″ THIN. I prefer Yellow, Sweet, Walla Walla, or White onions
1 tsp. of Cornstarch and water
1-2 quarts of a thoughtfully crafted Beef Stock; avoid salty versions
1 can of low sodium Chicken Broth
1 tsp.+ Pale Dry Sherry to taste
1-3 tsps. Worcestershire sauce to taste
French bread or day old bread -cut into cubes; light shmear of olive oil & minced Garlic (peppery E.V.O.O. is preferred)
Gruyere or other tasty Swiss cheese (If you’re not into Swiss, use Provolone or Muenster—you won’t be a purist, but you’ll still enjoy the soup)

Modus Operandi:
Prepare Beef Stock ahead of time, but keep hot on a low flame while preparing onions. There are some boxed versions to save time if you’re in a hurry, E.G. Rachel Ray. She pays me nothing, but saves time if I’m pressed.

Carmelize onions in E.V.O.O. and clarified butter- use a 4-quart stock pot or Dutch Oven.

Add Beef Stock to the carmelized onions and the sherry. At this point, you can choose to thicken it up with the Cornstarch–it really is a personal thing–Do you want a thicker French Onion consistency? It’s your call.

Add all of the Chicken Broth and the Worcestershire to taste. Maintain a low-medium boil for about 10+ minutes so the flavors blend (“yeah, you blend…” My Cousin Vinny).

Optional: some people add Soy Sauce for Salt content and a drop of Molasses for extra sweetness. Again, the choice is yours. As for me, I’m not a fan of hardcore salt as I like to control it whenever possible. And besides, people can add their own salt.

Pour the Onion Soup mixture into an oven safe ceramic bowl.  If you lack one of these, go to a thrift store and buy an old fashioned, brown crock soup bowl with a handle – should be about $1.00-$2.00 in U.S. currency.  Check out the picture at the beginning and end of this Blog…

Place one or two pieces of Swiss atop the coated bread cubes; put under a broiler element and brown the cheese. Obviously, don’t burn the cheese or you’ll want to invest in a different career, while you master anger management techniques.

Do I garnish the thing? Well, I guess you can sprinkle some Italian Seasoning, or Fresh Parsley… The green color will make it cute and digital camera material for uploading to Facebook…It’s the little things that add up to a big difference in any dish. Experiment, make it better, drop me a line. I always put the energy out there for improvement and “good eats.”You can also tell that I’ve been duping lines from Food Network without really ripping them off from start to finish.

Again, some of you have been holding back your comments. If you have ideas for a recipe and want to air it on my page for free, I’m okay with that. Just make sure your food contains love!

Best, Evan J. “wanna be” gourmet.

DIG IN AND ENJOY!

Pictured above:  My 9-year-old Espresso machine, frothing pitchers, mugs, and the actual hi-quality, originally mastered CD.

Creating original music is an art and takes time. It’s not possible to teach someone how to be original. Similarly, teaching “voice” in my English Class is challenging. Voice represents something fresh and original; Moreover, voice is the character and narrator speaking to the reader. I don’t have a magical formula for voice, but I can show examples of it…The same analogy holds true for music. I’ve been a musician for almost 3 decades. During that time, I’ve practiced my drums to the best of my ability, attended hundreds of live performances, watched many instructional videos, taught private drum lessons, and ACTIVELY listened to every musical genre. Generally speaking, active listening is becoming a dying art, but it is a way to develop voice. People seem to be more stimulated by visuals, distractions, and overkill. More specifically, I have about 12,000 songs on my ipod. I’ve listened to most of them; I know they are embedded within my ears, DNA, right brain, and hopefully feeding my creative juices. Ipods are great, but the ability to overload them with tons of lesser-quality recorded music is problematic for me. Perhaps, I’m old school and really cherish my elaborate stereo system comprised of separate components. When comparing vinyl or CD to a compressed MP3, the quality on my stereo system is surreal–naturally, that is coming from my objective opinion. Many of my friends have incredible stereo systems, but it requires quality time to sit down, pay attention, and actively listen. In contrast, the ipod is cute, transportable, convenient, and ingenious on many levels–a shout out to Apple…
What does this have to do with voice and creating original music? When I’m not teaching English, I’m always listening and creating music. Inspiration comes from a myriad of places, many of which I mentioned earlier. At other times, inspiration can come from a dream. Ironically, I believe that Trevor Rabin of the legendary group, YES, developed the riff for “owner of a lonely heart” while he was in the bathroom–TMI perhaps? My inspiration for my song “GIMME CHAI COMMA YO” came from my love of CHAI TEA (a popular Tea in India, a little spicy, and made with Cardamom) and teaching comma lessons during my English Classes. Starbucks sells Chai Tea either hot or cold.  I usually order it with frothy Soy and No Whipped Cream. It comma works like this: “Can you get me a glass, Tommy?” In the classroom, it is taught like this: “Gimme back my ipod yo!” It should be: “Give me back my ipod, yo (comma yo)! I’ve been teaching this lesson for years. A comma usually appears before a subject/person’s name prior to the end of a sentence. This rule was being butchered so much by my students that I decided to roll with it, and then the musical inspiration occurred… I’m not a fan of rap music (another tangential blog TBA), but it seemed like the perfect vehicle to deliver my message. I recorded all of the tracks in 2006 on a Tascam 24 track machine:

I wrote the lyrics, my awesome friend Kenny played the bass line to anchor the foundational groove, and Johnny G., played both guitar parts.  Additionally, I played all of the drums and percussion, mixed, mastered, and produced it.  It took several days and over 20 hours of time to squeeze out the final product.  It sat in my basement for awhile, and then people convinced me to get it going on itunes.  By the way, connecting all of the creativity was challenging, but I had FUN, especially singing or rapping the lyrics;  it was a labor of love.  I needed some kind of band name–I decided to use the moniker:  BREADLESSinJERSEY.  Don’t ask! Ed Levy, the Broadway guitar guy, bought this shirt for MY 40th Birthday:

Just tilt your head to the side to see the tour dates…

The title of this blog is:  Getting Rich With Music, NOT!  I love creating music and that does not always=money.  Get the Breadless reference… In fact, I made a total of…wait for it… 70 cents profit.  So, here’s the part where I beg people to download it from itunes to support your hard-working teacher, chef-wanna-be, drummer and musician.  PLEASE SUPPORT ME IN MY MUSICAL ENDEAVORS. I know you’ll enjoy the High Quality tune tremendously, and get a few laughs…  Here is how you do it:

Deep thoughts regarding the teaching profession, 2009-2010,
by Evan Jacobson

On June 28, 2010, my 7th year of teaching inner city English ended and I’d like to paint a picture depicting the daily routines. The alarm clock sounds at 4:50PM, I take care of my morning business, and leave with 16 ounces of coffee; falling asleep behind the wheel near the GW Bridge is not an option. I arrive at work around 7:10AM and rush to begin my lesson plan and charts for the day. At 7:45, I’m interrupted several times because people need favors. The race against the clock begins; lessons and homework must be done before 8:30AM. Ding! The students rush into classroom, take down the chairs, and begin their daily gossip. I allow socialization time as a reward before class begins at 8:50AM. Luckily, I get them going into the lessons. It sounds easy, right? However, it’s not always this mellifluous. Some of the morning issues work their way into sidebar conversations, note passing, and a lack of focus. Then, the distractions become part of English Class. Generally speaking this deducts 15 minutes from the 90-minute block. There is still time to get the teaching points across. I better do it quickly and find some way to hold their attention (the creative part) or it’s just another perfunctory school day in the eyes of the children. They are more interested in their gossip, TV, video games, or endless, random conversations with little substance. Who am I to judge? Perhaps, I uttered those same thoughts when I was that age… This routine occurs for 180 instructional days. This is the daily shell outline. Here’s what you don’t know: I answer roughly 1,000 or more questions daily; my mood changes and the emotional roller coaster fluctuates more than the tides; I have to somehow make everyone happy—an absolute impossibility. Well-planned lessons change on the fly; fire drills occur right at the apex of your teaching point; you try to refocus the kids on the lesson. Then, the phone rings. The momentum is lost again. Let’s try that again. There’s a knock at the door, another distraction… It’s time to redirect and focus. Trim the lesson plan again because time is the enemy. Let’s talk about—ahem—making a sales pitch to justify the homework’s rationale. Some students bite and others are just indifferent. Ding! It’s time to reflect—what should I have done differently to get through to them? It’s time for a 20-minute lunch and then I have another 90-minute block. Let’s make more on the fly decisions for improvement and differentiation. Rinse, lather, and repeat… Obviously there are inexplicable dynamics, filthy student language, and a myriad of problems, as the teaching profession has become mental health profession as well… That is a blog for another day!

The list of required tasks for the last school week and even the last day are enormous. The room has to be clean, walls must be stripped, items must be locked up, SMART Boards must be returned (along with other technological media), personal items and supplies are usually taken home, and the library has to be packed up and organized by genre, etc. Along with that, students are climbing the walls because their summer has already begun. For some students, the summer began after Spring Break. The tug of war escalates daily, Spring Fever has struck, supplies are diminishing, etc. Moreover, there are clerical duties, a few meetings, 2,000 questions, more babysitting, several favors to help one’s colleagues, endless trips to pack up the car, sweating bullets, and a struggle to get it all done before 3PM. There are so many variables, which also go beyond the scope of this writing…

Teaching is NOT a cakewalk by any stretch; moreover, I’m not suggesting that other careers are a walk in the park; there are pros and cons to everything. All I know is that teaching is an integral part of my journey as I develop and progress with life. I don’t believe there is an easier way, and there are few answers for the thousands of questions accorded to me and other teachers, respectively.

Teachers use the Summer as vacation time, ancillary classes, professional development, creative endeavors, or an opportunity to work for supplemental income. Generally speaking, civilians outside of the teaching profession lack the insight to understand the need for a diversion during July and August. In short, the 10 academic months are both physically and emotionally exhausting. Our batteries need to be recharged for the next academic year. As for me, I use the Summertime to reflect, practice my drums, READ, computer time, exercise (something very neglected for 10 months), and bonding with my cats and wife, etc. Some people have resentment towards teachers and think the profession is a cakewalk. More specifically, they are outraged by the July and August respite. In fact, one of my neighbors passed by my house a few years ago as I was manicuring the yard. We had a brief, glib discussion, which mentioned my time off. He said something along these lines: “You have too much time off and should get back to work sooner…” Then, I told him to “have a great day…we’ll catch up later…” Honestly, I don’t know what he does to eke out a living, but he is home more than I am. I’m not going to pursue his derogatory, ignorant, and judgmental comments because they’re futile. He is either jealous or inexplicably embittered about something. I’m not a psychiatrist. However, he symbolically resembles many of whom which share this same negative attitude about a teacher’s time off during the Summer months. Honestly, I don’t understand how people perceive teaching as a slacker career. Perhaps, a few rotten apples spoil the bunch. Yet, one can say that about any profession. Moreover, putting time into any career does not guarantee flawless execution and overall professionalism. For example, a contractor came to my house a few years ago to work on our heating system. He claims to have been in the heating and plumbing profession for about 30 years. Needless to say, I experienced several problems post installation and he had to return to fix the flaws. A few months later, we had more problems with the system… We decided to call in a different professional to “tweak” the system. All of the problems were fixed. I could easily use this scenario to condemn all people who work in heating and plumbing, but I refuse to be that myopic.

In sum, I choose to teach and assume responsibility for the brutal, dynamic, and enjoyable 10 months. This profession is not for everyone and educational brilliance does not equal effective teaching. To do what I do requires major people skills, books smarts, coping, intense decision making, the willingness to run the gamut of emotions, compromise, “liking” children (love would be ideal if I could actually figure out what that means), discipline, constant reflection, and much more. I don’t count down the days until the end of year (except for a few weeks in June) because I am not bitter. I deal with people that constantly mention, “ I can’t wait until Friday…”
I avoid those people like the plague because negativity is futile, infectious, and suggesting unhappiness. Similarly, I refuse to spend my 20-minute lunch listening to gossip and student bashing 101. It takes an intense amount of positivity and an open mind to just get through a typical school day. Negativity cancels any sense of hopeful intention and could ultimately destroy the desired outcome: Our success!

I’ll try to savor my time off. When the back-to-school sales ensue and the teaching nightmares begin (usually in August), I know it’s time to put on my game face and put forth the best effort for the next 10-month journey.

Evan J.

June 29, 2010

The Hunts Point Middle School 424 Poetry & Portfolio Celebration, 5/14/2010

For 7 years, I’ve been teaching Poetry to my 7th Graders. Instead of exploring high school or other advanced poetry, I focus upon a variety of themes to teach poetic devices: Onomatopoeia, alliteration, simile, metaphor, rhyme, repetition, meter, double-entendre, personification, hyperbole, etc. I do, however, read a few poems from Langston Hughes, such as “Kid In The Park,” “Dream Deferred,” et al. The chosen themes are an original hodge-podge: Chopsticks, Shoes, Giraffes, Ode to Eyebrows, Ode to Robotico (the robotic computer that calls home when a child is absent from school), Epitaphs, Ode to Mr. Trash Can (the name of our garbage pail in the classroom), Factory Windows Are Always Broken, Parachute Weddings (and other oddities from the Guinness Book Of World Records), Text Merging, etc. When I attended Western Washington University, I learned about Text Merging in one of my Graduate Educational classes. You take 2 non-related poems, choose a word or a phrase from one, write it down, then cross it off. Repeat this process with the other poem until most—if not all—words are eliminated. The result is a strange, yet interesting poem with inferences. Here is the most recent example:

Ashley Messed My Mind Up, But I Still Love Her, by Mr. Jacobson, 2010 (text merging)…

I could TRUST her to
explore the DARKNESS and SECRETS
I find the courage within
ALL DAY
I run from Ashley
She’s the reason
I find myself
I would DIE heartbroken
But sometimes I think of
The sounds…
And shadows…
To be NOTHING if she leaves me here…

The next poem is “Ode to Dahli,” one of my 2 lovely cats:

Ode to Dahli, by Mr. Jacobson, 2010

She was never a lap cat
She moved aimlessly from place to place
She scurried randomly about the house

To play
To entertain
To pass the time
To do what she does naturally
To sleep for 75% of her life

Himalayan Torti Point is her hue
Black, brown, spotted and gray too
Dahli represents the Dahli Lama

She is the mother of Lily, the tuxedo feline
Communicating telepathically via Zen airwaves
They share the love of mother and daughter
A natural yet unbreakable bond

She was never a lap cat…
But one day she leapt into the air
Dug her claws into my office chair
Then she landed gracefully onto my lap
As the engine began to purr
There she stayed for the very first time…

My last poem is an Epitaph for the late Lena Horne. Since she just passed, there are a myriad of articles to peruse. Check out this one:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/arts/music/10horne.html

Before divulging my recent epitaph, I wanted to briefly explain how my students approached their topics. They were able to choose any deceased person as long as they had a birthday, sincere message, and the date of passing. Despite the sadness of this topic, all of my students (both past and present) did a magnificent job. Topics ranged from family members to Tupac Shakur to worldwide victims subjected to painful circumstances, and more…  At some point, I will post one of their poems once I get permission to do so. As for now, here is my Lena Horne Epitaph:

Lena Horne: An Epitaph

Born in 1917
And just departed
She paved the way
African Americans could express voice
She sang Jazz when it was forbidden
Perhaps it wasn’t accepted by the
the masses…or…Master Race

“I was like a butterfly pinned to a pillar”

BREAK that barrier she did
Women of color
Resonate worldwide
Jazz will be sad to lose you
HOWEVER
Your voice is eternal
Your breath will always be felt
In our dimension
You’ll continue to beat
In the hearts of millions
May 9, 2010

What happens during the Poetry/Portfolio Celebration?

Both of my classes (701 and 704) will be showing off their projects to almost the entire middle school. Students created invitations and delivered them. My role is basically project manager. I supervise, let them take charge, and give them whatever supplies they need. They get to make the guest list. Hopefully, we’ll have a nice turnout. Our Principal, Dr. Hughes, always shows his support. Here’s a quick shameless plug: His band is called “Johnny Seven.” They have a Myspace page and music to purchase on itunes. Moving onward, I’m blessed to be working with an incredibly talented staff…
In any case, when our guests arrive, they simply “walkabout” the room, read whatever they want (Poetry and Portfolios), ask questions, and leave feedback notes. When it’s all over, the students collect their feedback notes in a pocket and usually write some type of reflection for homework. I believe that students should be proud of their work (regardless of intellectual capacity), show it off, and reflect upon the experience.

This will be an excellent end to a busy week. Enjoy the weekend!

Best, Evan J.

LIVE (in stereo) FROM NEW JERSEY, it’s The RootBeer Blogs, Session 1, 2010

I have written 10+ blogs about Rootbeer. The routine went something like this:
Let’s try some Rootbeer by myself, write a blog, include some high quality pictures,
post the blog, and wait for feedback. I realized that it’s not fun to drink alone. Then, it
came to me in a vision… Share some Rootbeer with friends, and record it to a CD. Well
that dream is now a reality.

IF YOU SCROLL DOWN TO THE MP3 PLAYER “JUKEBOX” ON THE RIGHT SIDEBAR OF MY BLOG, YOU SIMPLY CLICK ON THE ROOTBEER BLOGS SESSION 1, AND CRANK UP THE VOLUME ON YOUR COMPUTER AND SPEAKERS.

*****Please note that real time streaming of the audio will vary depending upon computer and internet connection.  Since the Blog Audio file is 18+ minutes, there might be delays when listening.  I recommend that you start the audio, hit the pause button, and wait for about a minute.  Then, click play again.  This will allow time for the Jukebox audio player to stream the music with minimal delays.  Thank you for your patience with this technical difficulty.  :)

The blog itself consists of 18 minutes of live drinking (Rootbeer, people). I wanted my friends, Jeff and Pete from Antagonist/Premonition, to try a few different Rootbeers and just say what they feel. There is no script; it’s completely impromptu. Personally, I’m not a fan of scripting because it creates a sense of ennui and lost energy. Moving onward, I had them taste MUG Rootbeer, a popular drink with a nice taste despite the high fructose corn syrup. Then, I opened 3 bottles to unleash the taste of Bull Dog, a Microbrew Rootbeer with Sugarcane. This is the end of the written trailer!

I’m not going to tell you what happened. However, the live 18-minute audio broadcast
was a remarkable success. I hope you have a few minutes to listen. We are currently working on Session 2, to be posted in due time.

This blog would not have been possible without the inspirational DOMO Bottle Opener:

Cheers and Rootbeers… Evan J. wanna be gourmet

Evan’s foodie background + Pizza=the blog, April 29, 2010

I am a foodie! How did I get that way? I’ve devoted a tremendous amount of thought and time to the food arena for at least 3 decades (it sounds more impressive than 30 years). It’s safe to suggest that I come from a family of foodies. My mother has always cooked a variety of proteins. In fact, her side of the family has inspired my sisters to cook as well. My sister Joyce modified Grandma’s Stuffed Cabbage by substituting Ground Turkey Meat instead of Ground Chuck. Her recipe is listed on the blog page under (oddly enough) recipes. My sister Carolyn makes everything from soup to nuts (an expression I’ve been dying to use somewhere in my writing): Proteins, Quiches, Stuffed Mushrooms, Italian Food, etc. My Grandmother (may she rest) had a few tricks up her sleeve. She used to make a killer Matzoh Ball Soup, Stuffed Cabbage, and some permutation of Chicken in a pot, etc. When I asked her for the recipe, she’d reply something along the lines of: “I don’t have the recipes written down because the knowledge is in my hands.” Naturally, I didn’t have a comeback for that. If Ace Ventura was created back then, I would have said, “all righty then.” Moving onward, my Aunt Phyllis makes an awesome “potted” meat, which is braised for a few hours. She also used to marinate Kosher Chicken Wings in French Dressing. I’m not sure of the exact trademark brand, but I do remember bottles of Milano 1890 French Dressing. Then, she would slowly barbeque (a verb as well as a noun) them because sugar tends to burn quickly when grilled over open flames. Aunt Joni cooks a hodgepodge of foods as well. Additionally, she has the fastest Microwave skills I’ve ever seen. Joni can outperform anyone with a microwave keypad—even avid “texting” aficionados. In sum, all of the aforementioned family members have inspired my cooking to a degree. Additionally, I must have had a Wayne Dyer Quantum Moment (an epiphany of drastic proportions) when I first saw a man flip Pizza Dough in the air, swirl fresh Pizza Sauce with a ladle, and sprinkle several ingredients and seasonings. When that mysterious round thing came out of the oven 10 minutes later, it was amazing. I think this crucial segment of Evan J. history occurred at the defunct Rocco’s Pizza in Greenridge Plaza, Staten Island, Circa 1979. I was so inspired that I bought Pizza Dough for a buck, rode my bike uphill via Richmond Avenue, and proceeded to make a mess in my mother’s kitchen. Her rules were simple: Clean up your mess and don’t burn the house down. After various attempts at flinging the Dough in the air, waiting for it to peel off the ceiling, and cooking a pizza on an oven rack, I decided that I wasn’t set up to create a product on par with Rocco’s. I took the Dough and moved on to Calzones—a blog for another day… However, I found a solution to making a pizza at home with whatever ingredients I want. I didn’t have luck with Pizza Stones, so I bought some Alfagres Quarry Tiles and placed them on the racks—it works like a champ!

Pictured above:  2 Alfagres Quarry Tiles, a Pizza Cutter, and some frivolous decorations…

Cooking time…

There are recipes on my blog that you should check out… Both the Pizza Dough and Pizza Sauce recipes have been on my blog since its inception… I’ve created some crazy combinations and still working on some newer ones. One of my favorite Pizza combinations is Roasted Garlic, Oysters, and Smoked Mozzarella or Gouda (whichever is available–inspired by the infamous Clam Garlic Pizza from the Roadhouse on Staten Island, and Pagliacci’s “AGOG” Pizza from Seattle, Washington. I’m always working on Pizza Hybrids (for lack of a better term)…

Today’s hybrid consists of the following:
My Pizza Sauce
Pesto in a tube
Mushrooms
Reduced Fat Mozzarella
Turkey Pepperoni
Truffle oil

Italian Seasoning, Kosher Salt, and Fresh Ground Pepper.

A Pizza Dough that mimics an “Everything Bagel.” Mix onion flakes, Kosher Salt, Poppy Seeds, Garlic Powder, Pepper, and Fennel into the dough after it has proofed. Just go lightly on the Salt and the Fennel because they can be overpowering.

In short, have a good time with the dough at first, place it on a floured Pizza Peel, swirl on your sauce, add the remaining ingredients, stick it in a 400 plus degree oven on a Pizza Stone or Tiles, cook it until it’s done, then eat.

“Excuse me while I kiss the pie…” Okay, it was a bad attempt at a Jimi Hendrix pun… We’ll talk soon!

Evan J. wanna be Gourmet