The JackB

"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx

Archives for December 2007

Led Zeppelin can still rock

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This is a show that I’d like to see.

LONDON, England (AP) — After that performance, Led Zeppelin really must go on tour.

The reunited rock ‘n’ roll legends were superb Monday in their first full concert in nearly three decades, mixing in classics like “Stairway to Heaven” and “Black Dog” with the thumping “Kashmir” and the hard-rocking “Dazed and Confused.”

The band’s three surviving members — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones — were joined by the late John Bonham’s son Jason on drums.

And it was the newest member of the band that was given the honor of kicking off the sold-out benefit show, pounding out the beat before the others joined in on a near-perfect “Good Times Bad Times.”

After the lights went down at the O2 Arena, newsreel footage of the band arriving in Tampa, Florida, for a 1973 performance was projected onstage. Then Bonham jumped in, soon to be joined by the rest.

They followed that with “Ramble On,” and with it destroyed all rumors that the 59-year-old Plant could no longer reproduce his trademark wail.

Thank Our Troops

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Here is an easy way to say thank you to the men and women in our armed forces. It is called Let’s Say Thanks. Here is a clip from their website.

“{The mission of Let’s Say Thanks is to provide a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women.

The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country.

All you have to do is click on your favorite design and either select the message that best expresses your sentiment or draft a personal note. The postcards are then printed on the Xerox iGen3® Digital Production Press and mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops®.

Xerox is committed to helping people across the nation express their gratitude to our troops overseas. The launch of this program is aimed at reminding them how much Americans appreciate their service.”{

Click here now and let them know that their service is appreciated.

Chanukah Notes- Superhero Edition

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It is almost midnight and the house is relatively quiet. If I wasn’t wearing my headphones I could hear the soft snoring of sleeping children and the various noises of the house settling. It was a busy weekend, action packed and full of far too much activity.

More Chanukah parties. More time in the car. More time shopping. More time navigating and negotiating the various pitfalls and challenges that life places in front of us and more questions. Questions from the children. Questions from the wives, mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers and fathers.

A man dressed as Santa approaches my children. My daughter shys away from him. A lady standing nearby tries to sooth her by saying “Santa doesn’t bite.” A few minutes later my daughter says “Santa Bites.” I try to cut this off before it gains traction but we’re in a store and her brother is bored so he starts chanting “Santa Bites” with her. They mean it literally and gnash their teeth at each other while laughing hysterically.

Speaking of laughing hysterically I am trying not to. It is a double-entendre and with my juvenile sense of humor it makes me chuckle. Later my son complains to me that the stores haven’t decorated for Chanukah. I explain to him that it is not important what others do but what we do.

We make a quick stop at the Verizon store. Oops, did I say quick. I meant it was intended to be quick, but the little curly haired boss decides otherwise. Somehow she manages to find three ways to slow the whole process down. Most of the time my children are very well behaved, but they have their moments. So I pick her up and tell her to take a nap. I don’t know who gets more out of it, her or me.

A short time later we’re home. Kids are showered, teeth are brushed, candles are lit and gifts are opened. My son is reading stories about superheroes to me. We’re engaged in discussions about whether Green Lantern could beat up Superman and do I think that I could beat up Batman.

Could I beat up Batman? I tell him it is a good question. He tells me that he is certain that my dad probably could have, at least when he was younger. And if my dad could beat up Batman than so could I. I listen to his rationale and smile. He tells me that he thinks that the biggest challenge is that I don’t have my own utility belt.

I smile at him and tell him that I have a plan. I’ll sneak up and pull Batman’s cape over his eyes and then while he can’t see I’ll take his belt and throw it away. Of course if I was fighting this Batman it is a foregone conclusion that I’d win. I am far too mean for him. Could I stop this Batman? Now that is a different story. What is that line, If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely…

But I digress. His thoughts about fathers and superheroes intrigues me. This is not the first time that I have written about this. I remember at my grandfather’s funeral my father stood up and said that his hero had died. It was one of those moments that will probably always stay with me because he was my hero too.

And I remember speaking with my grandfather about his father and realizing that his father was his hero too. And here I am, this man who sometimes feels like a boy and I have my own fan.

There is this little guy who watches everything I do and tries to do it too. And I think back to this post (Father’s Love Their Daddies Too) and remember that we all just figure it out as we go along. It is not always so reassuring, but that uncertainty is part of what makes life interesting.

Haveil Havalim #144- Too Many Latkes Edition

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Earlier this week I was greeted by a man at the gym. He wished me a happy Chanukah 5768. Mind you he pronounced it as if he we saying Charlie. So it was closer to Cha-Noo-Kah 5768. I wanted to ask him if it was related to Love Potion #9. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know.

So now after having suffered the consequences of having consumed far too much brisket and having eaten too many latkes and sufganiyot I present you with your virtual Chanukah gift, Haveil Havalim #144.

Read and enjoy. Please feel free to promote this on your blog too. Remember if you don’t, you have to appear on this show.

P.S. My apologies for not including any waffles on the menu. The Waffle King has been really busy lately.

P.P.S. My apologies for the formatting. There is an issue and I just don’t have the time to correct it.

Judaism/Chanukah

We have a whole slew of posts about Chanukah. If I have done my job correctly the collection is listed just below.

Should we start with some Seasonal Music. Or perhaps you’d prefer to discuss Chanukah’s impact on the environment. Check out Environmentalists “encouraging Jews around the world to light at least one less candle this Hanukka to help the environment.”

See Shira’s take too. Our own Jewish Blogmeister has his own environmental suggestion for Chanukah. How about A Little Treyf In Your Chanukah Stocking?

Muse presents On the Eve of Miracles. Miracles are covered all over. Ask Ezzie about Small Nisim and Small Packages.

Seraphic Secret offered Chanukah in Iraq‘ Good wishes are being offered all around Soccer Dad says Chanuka Sameach and Schach says Chag Chanukah Sameach.

Rav Neil Fleischmann presents 3 HOTD + and On Chanukah. Gail offers Chanukah: The Freedom to Choose Morality.

A Simple Jew has a Guest Posting By Rabbi Dovid Sears – The Breslov Mesorah.
abakaSHEE mahMOW or Abcaxi Mamao shared Chanukah Reflections.

Elder Of Ziyon provides entertainment with the Al Qaeda Chanukah Dancers. Westbankmama shares A Little Bit of Good News for Chanukah. Dov Bear wonders How many of you believe the oil miracle occured exactly as described on shabbat 21b?

Muse presents How do You Light Your Chanukah Menorah? It makes me wonder. How do you say “cattle rustler in Hebrew. Maybe I’ll ask Mottel. After all, he shared A Cowboy Chanukah.

My Right Word offered In Honor of Channukah. Over at Yourish you can read Chavistas try to terrorize Jews; Jews vote “NO!”

Schvach Yid presents Happy Birthday. Rafi G presents Banning a wedding with mixed seating. Rav Neil Fleischmann presents YouG-d. Mottel presents The Kherson Geniza Unplugged.

Schvach Yid presents The Sinews of Peace. frummy twelvestep presents Who’s in The Driver’s Seat?

AlexH presents The Kingdom of Joseph. Here is a question you might wonder about: What the Rabbi and Britney Spears have in common.

On the Fringe shared Onan’s sin: Marital sexual abuse. Frum Satire provided a useful guide to hats.

Jacob Da Jew shared a riot.

Israel

Mere Rhetoric reports that Hamas/Fatah say that compromise on Jerusalem is Treason. At the Augean Stables you can read Humiliation and Apartheid: On how NOT to make Peace. Smooth Stone shared the results of a Poll: Most Israelis Want Olmert To Quit. Yid with Lid has similar feelings: We need a Maccabee NOT AN OLMERT.

He also shared Throw the Arabs out of Israel–Its Abbas’ Idea! and Olmert YOU ARE NO BEN-GURION.

Planck’s Constant blogged about why Why Palestinian Children Die. Daled Amos shared Terrorists Demand Get Out Of Jail Free Card.

Yael wonders Saudi Arabia and Egypt in bed with Hamas against Abbas?

If there is one thing that Israel has problems with it is their appallingly bad public relations.
One thing you have to say about Israel, it is never boring. Did you hear that Hanukkah Cancelled by Israeli Supreme Court.

Or maybe you want to check Baruch Who presents You devil not to mention a question Iz Shver Tzu’zayn a Terrorist. Israel Matzav wonders Bush to visit Jerusalem; Will he lay a wreath at Arafat’s grave?

Yisrael Medad presents Pay-As-You-Go Zionism. Ben-Yehudah presents Nahshon’s Flag.

Don’t Buy Sarah a subscription to the Jerusalem Post. If she is not reading the paper maybe she can help Rafi who wonders Where the heck am I? The Waffle King notes This Ain’t Your Bubby’s Burka.

Joe Settler says We Have Got Cars. One Jerusalem provided Our Lovely Little Apartheid State. Fiery Spirited Zionist reports Anti-Zionist Thugs Threaten Wayne State.

This is not the sort of breakthrough we were hoping for.

Politics

According to the Astute Bloggers”IRAN IS A BLACK HOLE.” At Israpundit you can read Israel, Iran: The NIE and the Spoiler Process.

Boker tov, Boulder! says The Jews Lose. Israel Matzav presents Last nail in the alliance against Iran?

The Hashmonean has his own thoughts about Iran: Pax-Americana: Mighty empire humbled by primitive looking Iranian man.

Tel Chai Nation shared John Bolton takes on the NIE. Shrinkwrapped offers What Iran’s “Victory” Means.

SnoopyTheGoon presents Muqtada al-Sadr: young and restless and Democracy – win in Venezuela, defeat in Russia.

Jewish Atheist blogged about Mitt Romney and Atheists. Elisson wrote about Romney too.

Soccer Dad presents Deadly Bombing in Paris.

Our resident blogging couple has a story that they both covered: muse called it Legendary Evening Or you can see what Yisrael Medad thought about The Film “Refusenik”

At Adloyada you can read British Media Zionist Conspiracy Derangement Syndrome:A Virtuoso Display.

The Town Crier presents Steve Sheffey Guest Commentary: DEMOCRATS & ISRAEL. Solomonia commented: CAIR: ‘a turnstile for terrorists and their supporters’.

Aussie Dave reminds us that sometimes there is No Escape.

Miscellaneous

Ran’anana Ramblings has a few things to say about the U.S. in What’s wrong with America today, in a nutshell. Speaking of the states grab your umbrella and read MizEllie presents Adrift Seattle-Style.

Some people think that change is possible. Read more at Yes! We Can Change The World!
You might even receive: A Bonus.

 If Chanukah was any longer I might need therapy. Maybe I should read TherapyDoc’s Guys & Dolls and Couples Therapy.

Remember I wrote a post called Do You Stand “In Line” or “On Line.” Well maybe you should read Rav Neil Fleischmann‘s On Line.

Help! I Have a Fire In My Kitchen offered The Magic And Mystery Of Challah.
As a point of reference you might want to read Juggling Frog’s Virtual Challah making post.

I know the answer to the question Orthonomics asked Retirement: Goyish? Or Jewish? Lion of Zion has a Speed Demon in the family. Mochassid is feeling old.

Robert Avrech covered Pearl Harbor day. Bookworm shared Irving Berlin and Churchill.
Psychotoddler lists his next few performances. Life of Rubin discovered The Most Baddest English found in Jewish Music PR. Go wish Elie a Happy Birthday.

Have you ever heard of The Law of the Garbage Truck. Chana blogged about Privacy.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of haveil havalim using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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