About

I consider myself a child of the eighties.  I didn’t really grow up in the 80’s, but when I think of my movie heroes, they were people like Marty McFly and Indiana Jones.  The 1990’s never really happened for me, and as for the 2000’s, well… let’s just say I’m still trying to crawl out of the rock I raised myself under.

What I mean is, what’s all this newfangled rap music and the hips hops anyway?

I blame my siblings.

In any case, this blog is about nothing in particular, and hopefully if I have enough free time, as much as I can make it be about.  I am no expert or specialist.  This is not an attempt at creating some groundbreaking subject blog.  I am not a humorist or a dramatist.  I’m just another bonehead with an internet connection.

Yee-haw!

59 thoughts on “About”

  2. I grew up loving 80’s music and all that was classic rock. Only recently have I begun to peak out of that cultural rock. What is hips-hops?

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    • “loving 80′s music” :
      That’s sad. There has been no original popular music since 1980. From that date forward, approximately, any talentless idiot with access to certain Adobe software and a Mac, and a soundbox, has been able to “mix” so-called music – I call it manufactured sound – and even publish it on the web. “Hip-hops” falls under that same classification.
      How pathetic!

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  6. I read somewhere on your home page that you really like ‘ducks’- admirable choice of fetish-but do you really like ducks or did you think your meaning would be lost in translation if you said, “I really like chicks”. I say this because chicks are just much more common than ducks..oh wait, you did say “ducks” not ducklings.. sorry I tend to ramble some preamble when I am about to give a compliment, so: AWESOME THOUGHTS! carry on…

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    • Oh no, I really like ducks, not as a vague to chicks. I used to have a pet duck when I was growing up, and the animal kind of stuck to me. I feel like I’m in good company with ducks. They’re always smiling (not that they have a choice), and they always seem to be in a constant state of leisure.

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  7. Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that I am not the only 90’s kid with an inexplicable love for the 80’s? And that I’m not the only one who hid under a rock until the late-2000’s?

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  12. Liked it 🙂

    As a fellow child of the 80’s, as in, born in the late 70’s, experiencing them first hand – they were pretty damned good!

    sincerely, fellow blogger just writing about stuff she enjoys.

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  14. I’ve named your blog a recipient to the Kreativ Blogger Award because I enjoy reading your stuff and think you definitely deserve it. Check my site/latest post for the details and keep up the great work.

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  15. I absolutely love your way with words. It’s uhmm….I’d say Sanguine-ishly Melancholic!! They’ve become a huge inspiration for me!! When it comes to writing, I hope I’d get to be as good as you one day 🙂

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    • Thank you for the kind words. It’s an honor to be an inspiration to somebody. As for being “as good as me” one day, I’m definitely no great master, but I do know the quality of my writing has definitely improved since I started blogging on livejournal back in the stone age, and that’s solely because I do it so much and I’m constantly dissatisfied with what I do. If you don’t mind reading this, there is a good Ira Glass quote for you that you might find provides a valuable lens for your own craft:

      “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

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      • Thank you soooo much for your advice. This made me feel much more level headed about what I want to do. I extremely appreciate this. 🙂

      • Or what’s the much more concise saying… something like, “If at first you don’t succeed, you’re in good company.” I forget who said this.

  16. Pingback: A Basket of thanks. | moving in time

  17. I’m a follower now. Can’t stop reading your words. I read the words u shared above in the comments… gives a surge of motivation. I hope you keep posting great stuff! I aspire to be great blogger like u!

    cheers from Indonesia!

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  25. I’m a big fan of real, true hop-hop. (Unfortunately there’s not much of it around these days. It got quickly overshadowed by garbage hip-hop.)
    I liked 80’s music in the 80’s, but I don’t get the big 80’s craze that seemed to start in the mid or late 90’s and hasn’t let up.

    Luv yer blog, tho!

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  26. I found your blog completely on accident today. I don’t blog—I don’t read blogs, talk about blogs, share blogs. But I came across it somehow and read your article about 20-somethings. I was half-way through it when I finally realized you were a guy and that kind of hit me in a weird way. I know it sounds horrible but these are things that guys don’t talk about. Ever. Maybe I’m generalizing in a bad way, but the guys I know and in fact my friends as a whole just don’t talk about life in this way. They don’t question things and they don’t talk about anything that isn’t trivial because that might make everyone uncomfortable. I read your article about what friendship really is and it again made me wonder, since I don’t think I’ve ever been able to share these kinds of ideas with them. It becomes too heavy for them, even though talking some of this through is just as liberating for me as it is terrifying. I think I would compare it to watching scary movies or true crime shows. They leave me feeling unsettled, but not oblivious to my surroundings. I’m the kind of person that prefers to by hyperaware of everything, even if that means it borders on paranoia. Not a lot of people can understand that, but I believe that reading your blog has helped me to remember that it’s not a solitary viewpoint (although sometimes I like to indulge myself and think I am the only one that thinks this way). Anyways, there’s plenty more that I could say but I’m afraid I’ll go into tangents here. Bottom line is that I really enjoy your thoughts laid out here and that I admire your views. I can’t say I know you as a person from them (how could I, completely), but they do tell me that you are a person worth knowing. (lalvis01@gmail.com)

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  28. Woa, that is one cool tree. Haha.. random.
    The stuff you right are so honest, reading your posts make me feel a lot better about life and being born human rather than a lower life form incapable of making complex thought processes and such. Not that I could, in the ways you people do. I’m just glad I could understand the pieces enough to be able to internalize the phrases and use them to replenish my sanity and.. to be a better person. That’s what good writing is all about anyway. Keeps us sane. Wee.

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  29. Wow your blog is amazingly-awesome-and- awe inspiring. I’m a fresh faced dewy eyed BA grad with a major in English just wanted to give you props. Your stylistic and voice paired with your aces in writing technique strike the perfect balance of finesse, I know you say music is your forte; but are you doing a minor in languages? I guess curiosity got the best of me–curiosity killing the cat and all; but to quote simba from the lion king: I walk on the wild side. Kudos fellow raconteur and keep on creating. Your wit and philanthropist approach to life’s raw nuances is great!

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  31. I’m an aspiring writer, feet on the ground, head in the clouds an inner battle between the dreams I hope to achieve and the realities of life I know and understand to be true. It’s a hard limbinal space to occupy, I think it’s so so SO important to foster and support talent in any creative sphere. The arts I feel are so undervalued but they are vital especially in an era such as this where people are often troubled and solice can and usually does come from beauty attained in unexpected ways and places. I’m hooked on your writings and am eager to keep on reading. There is this awesome book about writing umm it’s like the yellow pages for aspiring writers. (I’m in the bath tub jut came in from a run) aha TMI? There I go again lol ill MSG you the name and author. You have many special gifts (clearly) if you were a super hero I think creativity and eloquence would be your niche kinda like wolverine and his aluminum claws anyways life kinda surprises you along the way, you’d do yourself a disservice not to think about getting published.

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    • Again, your words are too kind. But your vigor does inspire me to try to get my act together and write something outside of my blogging, because truth be told, I do want to be a published author. I just don’t have the discipline to write anything outside of a blog, where failure seems to be an inconsequential option.

      Good luck in your own writing. Do you blog?

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      • I feel that same way. This sounds odd but bear with me, I just finished my BA, I want to write a book, but I feel like writing a book is the creative equivalent to writing a thesis, its kinda like: woah, where to begin. Im taking a course through UBC (I live in Canada, hey neighbour) and it’s a creative writing discipline. That being said, its great being able to get a better grasp on obtuse writing concepts, (narratorology anyone, and no it’s not a weird ailment) lol. Um but yes, its great, but its also scary, there is something to be said for holding onto a dream, and having that dream remain idealistic and untouched; versus going after that dream and potentially penetrating it with failure and your own undoings. So its like your immobilized almost. To scared to go forward, to stuck to move. I think, for myself, as a creative, what I create is so intrinsically a part of me, that putting it out there to be judged feels like Im abandoning my own proverbial baby, something I’ve given so much of myself to, (forget about failure) that alone is scary enough.

        No! I don’t have a blog, Ive toyed around with the idea, but ultimately Im too much of an introvert for such endeavours. Although I can fake a convincing extrovert. As psych 101 rears its ugly Im an INFJ (if Meyers-Briggs resonates with you at all) the equivalency to psychological astrological star signs but nonetheless, an aspect I upturned in my quest to ‘define myself, and my career path’ in yonder-year. Im like a rubrics cube: Ive got sides, but INFJ is somewhat accurate. Said the Sagittarius. Haha. How did you come into the vernacular of the 21st century blog? It seems to be in polarity with your old soul (yeah I totally compartmentalized you there; forgives) tendencies; but I can say this being of the old soul cliche myself. The tensions in you’re writing, making old new again, I think is one of your great accomplishments as a blogger, and a writer. I pride myself on good taste; and you’re writing makes me salivate. (oh that sounds dirty, but hopefully you’re picking up what Im putting down) Ps I have Ira glass’ quote scrolled all over my art book, die hard fan.

        hope you enjoyed my inner ramblings haha
        cheers

        keep in touch
        & keep on truckin’

      • Again, thank you for your kind words.

        For me, the biggest challenge as a writer is the absurdly high standard to which I hold myself, such that I’m always dissatisfied with the outcome. That’s why it’s important for me to have readers like you tell me I don’t suck as much as I think I do. Not to sound arrogant, but I feel like my ideas are pretty good, and often times better than my technique, so when I think of something, I’m too afraid to sit down and write it lest I don’t give the idea the style I feel it deserves. And since I hold myself to a high standard, when I do sit down and write something, I always find that my ideas are left unsatisfied, and that the whole work is a failure.

        As for something as large as a novel, it’s like how I imagine a sculpture would stare at a block of marble and say, “Okay, where do I start? Do I start chipping away at the toe first, or should I go strait in for the torso?” It’s easy to envision the final product, but it’s hard to take that first chip away at the infinite space of language to narrow down the vast possibilities into a concrete solution.

  32. Randomness (but random is the spice of life, is it not?) lol
    What virtue do you value the most?
    What vice do you consider to be the most malevolent?

    Childerens writers’ and artists’ yearbook 2014 by David almond
    Sans the childeren part, it’s a great resource

    Pj

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    • I probably value genuineness to be the greatest virtue, and narcissism to be the worst. Which is kind of ironic, because as a blogger, I’m innately narcissistic, but I feel like I can be genuine in admitting it. Yourself?

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  33. The virtue(s) I value most, thats a tie between kindness and courage; the vice I despise, probably narrow-mindedness or ego/insecurity–since I think both stem from the same place in the psyche. What literature do you find most influential to you’re writing? To your own personal development?
    (Top 5 if its too hard to narrow down lol) I love that you note the 19th century romantics as your Achilles heel, I personally love Oscar Wilde, and Art Nouveau. There is something so magical about that era. Well, to be honest I find attributes from every era fascinating in terms of an artistic and aesthetic stand point. It’s my contemporaries I feel I must content with. I guess I’m a firm believer that the classics never die 😛

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    • Oh! mon dieu, I wrote that like I would a text message, bad form putting an emoticon into a response. (face palm) hopefully thats not an automatic demerit haha. it all fairness it IS 5am my time; so hopefully I have time on my side, have a great day!

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    • Hi PJ, sorry it took me a while to get back to you again. I find it interesting that you dislike ego, for blogging is innately egotistical much in the same way it’s innately narcissistic. Thus, not liking narcissism (and ego) myself, I feel someone like a hypocrite, self-righteously ridiculing the proud.

      By far the two most influential authors for me are Milan Kundera and Witold Gombrowicz. I studied Central/East European literature for my B.A., so I was exposed to a lot of their works. They are at one readable (especiallly Kundera, not so much Gombrowicz) and deeply philosophical.

      If the classics could ever die, they would no longer be classics.

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  34. At least you have some direction; as of late I feel very directionless lol. Keep on truckin Jeff I’m sure great things are to come

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    • I think the vice Im guilty of is vanity. Not in the conventional sense; but I love beautiful things. Art, fashion, architecture, culinary, craftsmanship, poetry, prose. My sully is in having an innate need to surround mysel with finite things. I think there is ego in tht as well, after all aren’t we all at blame for a little hypocrisy every now and then.

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  35. Hey Jeff
    Love your blog!
    I know you have a background in music
    Quick question:
    do certain tones/ pitches/ notes resonate with specific emotions, is there a psychology behind this, is there a book you can reccomend on the psychology of music, thanks in advance

    You might not remember me but I posted awhile back you should write a book still stand by it love your words and Salinger flair keep up the writing I need my weekly fix
    Best
    Pam

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    • Hi Pam. It’s good to hear from you again. Sometimes it gets lonely in the blogosphere (I can’t believe that’s accepted as a legitimate word in my browser), and I haven’t been posting as much lately. You help keep me writing.

      To answer your question, I do have certain chords that resonate with some specific emotion, and usually I can tie it in with some memory or association. The other day, I voiced a simple chord in a certain way on the piano, and it almost brought me to tears. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s because it reminded me of high school choir for some reason. But that’s not really what you’re asking.

      There are people who claim certain keys have certain feelings beyond just major and minor. But I don’t know of any books or studies I could recommend. You could try exploring synesthesia, and surely a lot has been written about that.

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      • This is awesome,
        I’ve done a few research papers on synthesis in regards to the visual art but hadnt thought to apply it to music. I’m going to delve further thanks again, this might be really bold but my fb is
        Pamela Hutchins with the same picture, I’d love to pick your brain more hope all is well and have enjoyed your most recent writings, your writing motivates me to keep writing.
        Stay golden pony boy 🙂

  36. Hello,
    I live in Southern California and am working on a project where the subject is Blue Collar towns and their residents. Do you have any specific cities or towns you could recommend me to visit that I could make a day out of visiting them all? Your help would be appreciated!

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    • Just in Southern California? I’d say El Centro could be one of the most blue collar towns in SoCal. Anywhere where there’s agriculture: Bakersfield, Fresno, Visalia, Turlock, Modesto, Sacramento, all the way up the CA-99 corridor. Maybe some desert towns like Victorville, California City.

      As far as parts of larger urban conglomerates like LA and SF, places like City of Industry, or a lot of places along the Bay in the Bay Area: Millbrae, San Bruno, Richmond, Oakland, Hayward. There are more. Whereabouts were you thinking?

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  37. Hey Dr. Q —
    I went online to ask you if you’ve done a road trip in New Mexico (mine is planned for next May). Your CA Hwy 395 road trip advice was stellar. What an extraordinary landscape! I read your blog just now about becoming a music teacher. Congratulations!
    Just a suggestion: How about taking a photo of each of your students and writing a few notes along with each photo? I understand (you’ve already done the math) that means a lot of photos and a lot of notes over the years, but when they contact you again in 15 years, you can refer back and see what you said to yourself next to their photo. (An aside: I got in touch with an old teacher of mine 50 (yes, FIFTY) years later and somehow she remembered me. We’ve now become friends. Amazing.)

    Anyway, if you know anything about New Mexico and road trips there, I’d love your input. Either way, though, I’m wishing you a fantastic trip as a teacher.

    Sincerely,
    Ricky Jacobs

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