Nick Jacobs

Jan 22, 2025 | tribdem.com | Nick Jacobs

Have you ever looked at the beach and wondered how many grains of sand there are? That can be mind-boggling to think about. Scientists estimate that, depending on the grain size and density, a single cubic yard of sand might have billions of grains. That’s a lot of sand – and that’s just one small part of one beach. Now imagine it’s a clear, cloudless night, and you are looking up at the sky and start to wonder: How many stars are out there?

Jan 16, 2025 | tribdem.com | Nick Jacobs

Nearly 40 years ago, the movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” starring Steve Martin and John Candy debuted. It has become a holiday classic, gifting us a masterclass in holiday travel disasters. It is packed with chaos. This article has a similar plot line. Fast forward to the weekend after Christmas, and we began living the sequel to the movie, a slow unraveling of travel insanity.

Jan 10, 2025 | tribdem.com | Nick Jacobs

Before transitioning from music to health care, as a student, I learned about the works of composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg and Bela Bartok. These men contributed uniquely to the evolving musical landscape with their creative works. Schoenberg, for example, revolutionized music by developing atonality and the 12-tone technique. Not unlike what was happening with visual artists such as Pablo Picasso, they were breaking new ground, moving away from tradition and accepted norms.

Dec 28, 2024 | tribdem.com | Nick Jacobs

As we say goodbye to 2024, it’s time to reflect upon those good things that helped us make it through the year without losing it. You know, “My Favorite Things.” The original lyrics started out with: “Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.” Sweet, right? Well, my list is slightly different. Disclaimer – no mind-altering drugs were consumed in my journey.

Dec 18, 2024 | tribdem.com | Nick Jacobs

Until 1957, when my grandmother passed away, my brother and I shared a bedroom. The heat for our house came from one of those old Christmas story-type coal furnaces. These hand-fired, manually operated furnaces had asbestos-cement insulating shells and upright cylinder- shaped fire boxes with metal grates inside where coals burned and the ashes dropped through for removal later. The ashes-shoveling, lugging and disposal saga is an entirely different story for another miserably frigid day.