CURRENT MISSION

Resolve quarter-life crisis

ABOUT ME

My name is J.J. I've been called that since birth.

I'm a cartoonist and a writer and I like talking to people for hours without doing much more.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm quite conservative. In the bad, Republican, Sarah Palin sense of the word. But I'm not close minded. I love to discuss politics and philosophy with anyone who will hear me out. Almost all my friends back home are raging liberals, so I've lived most of my life on the defensive.

I try to practice what I preach, and I'm a pretty restrained, and hopefully moral person. I don't drink or do drugs or anything like that. I'm also gay, which adds an odd level of complexity to it all. How do you be gay, and Republican? It's an odd dilemma I have never quite sorted out...

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Almost every foreign trip I have been on has been a couch-surf of one form or another, so I really appreciate the importance of a site like this. I'd be more than willing to help out newcomers to Japan in any way I can. I don't particularly love Japan, so if you want a more cynical perspective, I'm your man.

Interests

I love to draw cartoons, and look at the art of other people. I like to read and learn new things, especially things that relate to history, culture, or politics in some way. I am also quite enamored with foreign lands (obviously) and love to try and figure out what makes other nationalities tick, so to speak.

• arts
• culture
• writing
• drinking
• politics
• cartoons
• drawing
• animation
• history

Music, Movies, and Books

I've started to read Kurt Vonnegut's stuff recently, he's such a genius. I think Christopher Hitchens is probably the planet's best living political commentator, followed closely by Mark Stein. I can't get enough of the McSweeney's books.

I don't really like movies, I'm not quite sure why. I don't watch a lot of TV either, though not because I'm self-righteous, I just waste most of my free time online or playing video games. I maintain that the Simpsons is still a great show, that American Dad is miles better than Family Guy, and that Frasier is a work of comic genius.

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm cynical. I'm honest. I'm interested in people other than myself.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Canada