jeff watkins profile picture

jeff watkins

Your laws will have no meaning past the setting of the sun.

About Me

A friend told me once that I am always on the right side of the thin line between cool and dorky. If you went to my cave and saw my power animal, it would probably look like a kid in a catalog who was modeling a super hero halloween costume.
Yes. Exactly.
I am a bit of a nerd. I like comic books and video games.
Cinema trivia black belt too, but not the arrogant, know-it-all, make you feel dumb because you never heard about some obscure film, jerk type.
I am encyclopedic about baseball, and coach little league.
I have been exploring my extreme eco-sports side lately by mountain climbing in Africa, repelling down waterfalls, and cliff diving.
I joined some dodgeball leagues. (I just realized how silly that sounds too.)
I travel often. I just came back from Antarctica with the Sea Shepherds, where we confronted a fleet a whaling ships and chased them out of a whale sanctuary. I have been fortunate enough to see a lot of the globe and I am grateful for that.
I am always seeking the opportunity to make the world a better place through compassionate and kind acts, as well as education and discussion.
I have 13 years of being vegan under my belt.
I could probably take you in a fight, but I assure you that I don't want to do that anymore.
My friends seem to like me, and my mom said I was handsome once when I was a kid.
I think it was picture day at school that day or something.

My Interests

Comic books. Politics. Baseball. Movies. Eco-adventure. Video games. Vegan food. God awful cheesy radio pop music. People that I am humbled by.
I just want the world to be a better place because I was in it.
I want to do some good in the world. Is that too much for me to ask? Because it isn't too much for me to try and do.
I believe that a great life is measured not by the breaths you have taken, but the times your breath was taken away.
Oh, and then there is this.

I'd like to meet:

I was looking forward to meeting my daughter. Now that she is here, I can just look at her as much as I want.
This video was shot 2 years ago at the Syracuse Sing-A-Long. This is a show where bands are only allowed to play cover songs. I wrote this speech from a place of honesty. Take it to your heart. It came from mine.

Music:

Earth Crisis, Onelinedrawing, Far, Quicksand, Into Another, Sensefield, Between The Buried and Me, The Cure, Keane, Sick Of It All, Freya, Gratitude, Path of Resistance, One King Down, Incubus, Weezer, Avail,

Sunny Day Real Estate, U2, Refused, Brandtson, When Tigers Fight, Purification, Go Sailor, I Am Idaho, Anti-Flag, Bic Runga, Coldplay, The Promise, Rancid, Slayer, Terror, Morrissey, Thrice, If Hope Dies, Mates of State, Integrity, Flogging Molly, Tori Amos, Shades Apart, Living Sacrifice, Orange 9mm, Life of Agony, Justin Timberlake, Piebald, Face To Face, Chorus of Disapproval, CIV, Open Hand, The Misfits, Turmoil, Black Train Jack, Rocking Horse Winner, Homesick For Space, Goldfinger, Hot Water Music, Hooverphonic, Toad The Wet Spocket, H20, Pennywise (first 3 albums, please).

I am into urban as well. Notorious Big, Tupac, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Angie Martinez, Mya, Jill Scott, The Roots, Ice Cube, Ice T, Common, Rapheal Saadiq, Johnny Gill, New Edition, Redman, Sugar Hill Gang, Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, EPMD, Jay-Z.

Lately I have been gravitating towards Michael Buble, but I adore Frank Sinatra and the rat pack, so it was inevitable that the modern day crooners would be on my list.

Old 80's glam like Skid Row, Poison, the Crue. Love that stuff.

Texas is the Reason used to be among my favorites, but some fucking poser ruined them for me recently. (Thanks Oren!) NO. REALLY. THANK YOU OREN!

Movies:


The Shawshank Redemption, Rushmore, Stand By Me, Goodfellas, The Breakfast Club, Good Will Hunting, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Lost Highway, The Usual Suspects, 40 Year Old Virgin, V for Vendetta, The Constant Gardener, Falling Down, True Romance, 25th Hour, Casino, In America, Sin City, 21 Grams, I Spit On Your Grave, Rounders, Some Mother's Son, Lord Of The Flies, La Hein, I Heart Huckabees, Seven, Platoon, Transformers The Movie, In The Name Of The Father, The Sixth Sense, Mean Girls, Closer, Unbreakable, Swimming Pool, He Got Game, Lost In Translation, Wonderland, Batman Begins, Abre Los Ojos, Nightmare on Elm Street, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Return To Paradise, Papillon, Boiler Room, Eyes Wide Shut, Boogie Nights, The Cooler, Heat, Devil's Advocate, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill (both of em!) and no self respecting dude would leave Fight Club off the list, right?
Star Wars and The Godfather films have been blowing my mind since I was old enough to watch movies. Oh, and The Sandlot. I gave a beat up old copy to someone special because I love her and I wanted her to have it. To my surprise, she had grown up promising herself that she would marry the boy that came along and shared that movie with her. It will always be special to me, and so will every single cinematic frame we ever shared.

Television:

Twin Peaks, (She's dead. Wrapped in plastic.) The Sopranos, (Psychiatry and cunnilingus brought us to this point.) Rome, (Long live Titus Pullo and the 13th legion!), Lost, (Don't tell me what I can't do!), Six Feet Under, (Is that what you Quakers do, fuck someone's husband to death and bring them a quiche?) Grey's Anatomy, Oz, Tales From The Crypt, The Batman Animated Series, America's Next Top Model (guilty pleasure) Nip/Tuck, HBO Real Sports, Masters of Horror, Odds are my TV is on the YES network during baseball season, and ESPN at night. I watch a lot of true crime/History Channel stuff, and I am a bit of a mob historian, so any tv documentaries or specials on that topic.

"What ever happened to Gary Cooper? Ya know, the strong, silent type."

Books:

I am possibly the biggest comic book dork you have ever met. Seriously. Ask me anything about comics. I love em! Batman, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Sin City, 100 Bullets, Green Arrow, Liberty Meadows, Y the Last Man, Birds of Prey, New Avengers, The Ultimates, Young Avengers, Fantastic Four. If I have not convinced you that I am a total nerd yet, give me some time. I will make you a believer! Dorks unite!

Heroes:

I grew up admiring the heroes of comic books. I always wanted to grow up and be a costumed crime-fighter. I suppose I have to grow up first. I guess I just think that everyone should be in touch with their inner super-hero.

My Blog

He had to die.

He had to die. I had to kill him. His time on Earth and inside of me was coming to a close. That guy in me that hurt people.That guy who was always the loudest in the room.The guy who always had his f...
Posted by jeff watkins on Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:02:00 PST

Darth Vader vs Doctor Doom (my take)

An epic battle has been waging between Doctor Doom and the Avengers, who have compromised the defenses of castle Doom. At the highest point of the castle, Victor has retreated and he knows that his es...
Posted by jeff watkins on Sat, 26 May 2007 10:35:00 PST

I touched the road.

There is an old story. It's about two friends stranded in a desert. They trek on for miles and days. They keep seeing a road, but when they get there, it is just a mirage. An illusion of their trials ...
Posted by jeff watkins on Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:52:00 PST

"I don't know doctor. I've never seen anything like this."

"This better be good. I was on the 16th hole and kicking the collective ass of the entire pediatric wing. Nurse, fill me in." "I don't know doctor. I've never seen anything like this." "Someone tell m...
Posted by jeff watkins on Tue, 31 Oct 2006 06:37:00 PST

Lucky.

It has been a fairly hectic series of days. It would be fair to say that. Tonight I fall asleep with inspiration. Heart stopping, smile rendering, fist shaking, thumbs way up, point to the sky inspir...
Posted by jeff watkins on Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:00:00 PST

Anytown, USA (a drive through the neighborhood of my childhood)

I was taking a friend back to his house tonight. On the way there, I realized that he lived near the neighborhood I grew up in. His house was actually where my paper route ended when I was a boy. Aft...
Posted by jeff watkins on Thu, 04 May 2006 12:07:00 PST

An essay.

Upon returning home from Antarctica, I read of a news story. In the state of Michigan a young boy was removed from his abusive household and placed in the foster care system. One day after school, th...
Posted by jeff watkins on Sun, 16 Apr 2006 01:11:00 PST

An open letter to the abandoners of the world.

My gratitude to you for showing me that my demons will someday win.I don't know what day for sure, but they do. Thanks for making sure that it will always be the last days of autumn in my chest. The b...
Posted by jeff watkins on Sat, 11 Mar 2006 11:19:00 PST

Closer to heaven (in terms of elevation)

After 7 weeks at sea, the Farley Mowat docked outside of Capetown in South Africa. Despite being desperately homesick, the first flights home were available nearly a week after we touched land. Among ...
Posted by jeff watkins on Mon, 13 Feb 2006 11:06:00 PST

Swimming in Antarctica

For nine weeks I was a crew member aboard the flagship of the Sea Shepherds Conservation Society, the Farley Mowat. The mission was to pursue and confront a fleet of Japanese whaling ships that were ...
Posted by jeff watkins on Wed, 08 Feb 2006 12:34:00 PST