Jaq Greenspon's Blog, page 28
March 13, 2018
Immigration and visas
Living as a foreigner in a foreign country has certain pluses and minuses and these are going to be different for everyone involved, but one thing remains the same for everyone – dealing with immigration to ensure your resident status. In the seven years I’ve lived in Lithuania, I’ve had to deal with it every […]
March 11, 2018
On Judging English Competitions
Several years ago, back when I was regularly attending pub quiz, I met a woman who was the head of a primary school. Being a native English speaker, she had asked me if I could possibly come and be part of a jury for an annual English/speech competition the school hosted. Naturally, I said yes […]
March 3, 2018
Neil Gaiman on Why We Read and What Books Do for the Human Experience – Brain Pickings
So I posted this on Facebook, but it seems like it needs a more permanent home. Therefore, posting it here. And while it’s true this is piece is focused on Gaiman, there are a number of really good links which are just as important to the truth of reading and storytelling that I wanted to […]
March 1, 2018
Day Zero | David Magazine
Once again I have committed writing. This time about the water crises affecting Capetown and, by extension, the whole world. “Our Blue Planet is Running Out of Water” Source: Day Zero | David Magazine Advertisements
February 24, 2018
The US has 11 separate ‘nations’ with entirely different cultures – Business Insider
Each region in the United States, from “Yankeedom” to “El Norte,” has its own cultural identity, says author Colin Woodard. This is a fascinating theory. While I’m not entirely convinced by the geographic breakdowns, it certainly makes a lot of sense as to why different areas of the country think the way they do. I […]
February 12, 2018
Skids Poppe
I’ve always loved motorcycles. I’m gonna say it stems from first picking up a Ghost Rider comic book (#35, “Death Race,” way back in early 1979, from the wall rack at the Readmore bookstore on Spring Mountain and Jones). Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider‘s secret identity, became my personal favorite hero and I proceeded to […]
February 10, 2018
On Writing Preparation
So I’m in a bit of a quandary. I just finished a fairly massive writing project and waiting on notes but while working on it, I was hitting my goal of writing every day (one of my personal, accountability goals). Once it finished, though, I’ve skipped a day here and there, but I want to […]
February 3, 2018
A history of the TV remote control as told through its advertising
Was having to explain to my wife, who is from a different culture and generation, what a “clicker” was… after she was lamenting the “old days” of having to actually put the key in the car door to lock/unlock it. So here’s what we found. Enjoy “flipping through channels of the past to check out […]
So I Went to Alaska…
Way back in 2007, just before my 40th birthday, I had planned an epic road trip on my motorcycle. Originally, the intent was to leave from Vegas and head up the coast, visiting places and taking my time, exploring the scenery. I wanted to take the Canadian highway and head up to Alaska and then […]
January 28, 2018
Ursula K. Le Guin on “Spare Time,” What It Means to Be a Working Artist, and the Vital Difference Between Being Busy with Doing and Being Occupied with Living – Brain Pickings
In praise of the mundane, unquantifiable, impractical activities that feed creative work and fill life with meaning. Source: Ursula K. Le Guin on “Spare Time,” What It Means to Be a Working Artist, and the Vital Difference Between Being Busy with Doing and Being Occupied with Living – Brain Pickings Advertisements
