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JON ZAL: Ye Olde Blog

Ye Olde Blog

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Life

Moving on … but you can come with me.

October 16, 2017 7 Comments

NOTE: If the post below is the first and only thing you’ve ever read on my blog, you should read this other post first. Thanks.

I launched this blog almost 12 years ago. The writing I’ve done here, and the feedback I’ve gotten from many of you, has made this the most fulfilling creative endeavor of my life thus far.

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Filed Under: Life, Politics

I’ve narrowly cheated death yet again

July 21, 2017 38 Comments

Jon Zal's tombstone

There are many downsides to being a hypochondriac … but it does have its benefits. Take yesterday, for example.

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Greatest Hits

Oh, Chris … not you too …

May 24, 2017 Leave a Comment

corneltim

I got out of the Army in 1991, one week before Christmas. My brother’s gift to me that year was Soundgarden’s “Badmotorfinger.” I was a short-haired, 21-year-old, ex-military cop with my sights set on a career in law enforcement.

Less than two years later, I was a long-haired, college-radio DJ whose daily attire consisted of beat-up combat boots, ripped jeans, flannel shirts and a leather biker jacket. I had discovered I could write, and I no longer wanted to be a cop. Chris Cornell’s voice featured prominently on the soundtrack to my transformation.

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Filed Under: Life, Music

I was going to do some writing, but then A.D.D. and Facebook and WTF were we just talking about?

December 2, 2015 4 Comments

I’ve been meaning to write something awesome … but then this porcupine ate a pumpkin:

I think we can all agree that that is some critically important shit right there, people … and, if not for Facebook, I might have missed it while squandering my time in pursuit of my greatest dreams and ambitions.

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Filed Under: Life, Writing

Dear Gene Simmons of KISS, a.k.a. My Childhood Hero: I think there’s been a terrible misunderstanding. Either that, or you’re an overly sensitive dick. (I’m hoping it’s the first one.)

September 21, 2015 9 Comments

Dear Gene,

I’m not sure if you remember me. It’s been a while since I last wrote to you. Thirty-six years, in fact. Here, let me refresh your memory:

My letter to Gene Simmons of KISS, May 1979
Actual letter I typed to KISS in 1979
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Filed Under: Life, Music

#WarriorDown

September 14, 2015 27 Comments

I called him “Shep,” like, at least two or three times before finally realizing that I’d misremembered (yes, that’s a word now) his last name; it was “Sam Shelby,” not “Sam Shepard.” It was our first day working together, and there I am, calling him “Shep” … repeatedly … because I’m a douche. Of course, when I finally realized (with no small amount of embarrassment) the mistake I’d been making, Sam merely laughed it off and took it upon himself to make the moment far less uncomfortable and awkward than I deserved for it to be … because that’s just who he was.
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Filed Under: Life

The nuclear option … or, Why I’ve erased my children from the blogosphere

September 1, 2015 16 Comments

My anonymous kids

“Hey Dad, what the hell is this website we found containing tons of pictures of, and stories about, us? Also, you’re a jerk and we hate you.”—My children, circa some point in the not-too-distant future

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Filed Under: Jayna, Life, Parenthood, Writing, Zan

Real-estate shaming: The newest trend in pre-adolescent douchebaggery

May 26, 2015 16 Comments

Take a look at this screen capture and tell me what you see:

zillow

Chances are you see the homepage of Zillow.com, a site where one can go and look up the supposed value of any given home. That’s what I used to see, too.

Now? Now I see this:

Allow me to explain.

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Filed Under: Life, Parenthood, Zan

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YE OLDE BLOG

FYI: If you’re reading this, it means you’re in the section of my site that comprises posts from my old, pre-JONZAL.com blog. If you want some more background info about that, you can read this post. If you’re interested in browsing through more of these old posts, you can see them in reverse-chronological order by starting here, or by using the dropdown menu in the “ARCHIVES” box shown below. And if you’d rather just get back to the main area of JONZAL.com, click/tap here.

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RECENT COMMENTS

  • Tanushree on Moving on … but you can come with me.Hello - I started reading your blog 12 years ago as company during lunch at my desk. 12 years on,...
  • Jon Zal on Moving on … but you can come with me.Thank you, Julie! :)
  • Julie on Moving on … but you can come with me.Happy for you, Jon! I'll come with you. Your story about Baby Tink and Poop is still the funniest thing...
  • Jon Zal on Moving on … but you can come with me.Here, yes. Thanks for sticking around, my friend. :)
  • Jon Zal on Moving on … but you can come with me.Thank you so much, Lauren. I really appreciate it. Thanks for sharing those words with me. Happy to hear you’re...
  • Lauren on Moving on … but you can come with me.Jon I'm not sure I've ever commented before but I've absolutely loved reading your posts over the years and have...
  • Dave on Moving on … but you can come with me.Last post!
  • Jon Zal on I’ve narrowly cheated death yet againI'm here to help. :)
  • ACWMH on I’ve narrowly cheated death yet againExhausting to be you, sure. But think of it this way: you're not only living your own life, raising the...
  • Valerie on Private: This one hurtsI just came across your post and found it really echoed what I wrote myself. Including the link to the...

ABOUT ME

Jon Zal @ The Capitol

I was born in 1970, raised just outside of Boston, and now live near Philadelphia. As a child, I thought I was going to be…
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“And in the end / on Dreams we will depend / ‘ “And in the end / on Dreams we will depend / ‘cause that’s what love is made of.”

Thanks for getting it right, America. 🇺🇸🤘🏻❤️

#VH #BH #TheAmericanDream
Pre-gaming for Sammy Hagar’s (virtual) Birthday Pre-gaming for Sammy Hagar’s (virtual) Birthday Bash, as one does. 

I was at Sammy’s 50th Birthday Bash back during my Van Halen-gig days. Three nights at the @cabowabocantinacabo. It was epic. Now I’M 50. How the hell did that happen so fast?

Looking forward to seeing Sammy & Michael play some VH while I pour one out for Eddie Van Halen. 

Happy Birthday, Sam!

👊🏻🤙🏻🍹🏝
Just voted for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and a who Just voted for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and a whole bunch of down-ballot Dems.

Make sure you #vote!
#ivoted 🇺🇸
Link to full tribute in profile. R.I.P. E.V.H. Link to full tribute in profile. 

R.I.P. E.V.H.

“You see, to those of us who fell in love with them in our youth, Van Halen has always been more than just a band, their songs have always been more than just music, and Eddie has always been more than just a guitar player; Van Halen was a mood, a lifestyle, a rallying cry, the musical accompaniment to which lifelong friendships were forged, and the soundtrack to some of the best times we’ve ever had.”

#eddievanhalen #ripeddievanhalen #ripevh #vanhalen
I can’t find all the words I need right now to d I can’t find all the words I need right now to describe how much Eddie Van Halen and his music have meant to me over the past four decades. I’ll find them soon & put them in a blog post ... but, for now, suffice to say: I’m heartbroken. #RIPEddieVanHalen
Decided to do something awesome for myself. When Decided to do something awesome for myself.

When I was 12 years old, I started taking weekly drum lessons. Shortly thereafter, I got my first kit. It was just a little acoustic starter set with one broken cymbal that did double duty as both my ride & my only crash ... but it was my very own drum set, and I loved it.

As a complete and utter pipsqueak with seemingly no athletic ability whatsoever, I was never really interested in sports … but I was obsessed with music, and playing the drums gave me a sense of satisfaction & accomplishment like nothing else ever had. 

Things got pretty rocky with both family & school by the time I was around 15 or 16, and the drum lessons fell by the wayside. I still played every now and again — I even sought out a community kit at the rec center on my Army base back in the day — but my skills never really progressed, and, by the time I reached my late 20s, I had pretty much abandoned it.

I always, however, planned to start playing again … someday.

I’m a 50-year-old man. My “somedays” are running out … especially if I want to get good at this. 

“Someday” is now. 

Say hello to my new drum kit. 

(And, yeah, I went with the @larsulrich @metallica sticks ... because why wouldn’t I?)

🤘🏻💀🤘🏻🥁
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