I am Josef

I am proud that two of our children were able to spend their entire early childhoods in an America under this leader. A man I have often disagreed with, but always had respect for and believed in his love and commitment to a big-visioned, inclusive world, in a world often filled with mean-spiritedness, unkindness, and lackadaisical thinking. Thank you, Mr. President. Their younger brother faces a different sort of situation. #farewellobama #barackobama

BLOODS.* double-helix sharing ferocities; sometimes fighting with, often fighting for, back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back through everything. by my side, in my heart, sevenstrong. Forever. ____ *a phrase borrowed from other beloved brother Bobby James; where he pillaged it from I do not know. But I love it. ____ #siblings #flyviewaerial #pnw #selfportrait

What a year. ____ #longx4 #pnwonderland

A number of people* have been begging me to record and share a Christmas song with the world, so, for the first time in 31 years, I am doing so. Half a song, because Instagram cuts it off prematurely. But just know that the part you're missing is seriously the best part, I mean it gets super awesome and I just wish I could share that part with you, but unfortunately I can't. But here you go. Drum. A new classic, or half of anyway. ____ #littledrummerboy #christmas2016 #twodaysbeforechristmas #bingcrosby @countessbecca is so proud of me #duetwithbocellicomingsoon *no one, yet

Dear Santa, A couple commitment-free days to put a dent in my Neal Stephenson book would bring us* some Christmas cheer, and if you wanna knock off a couple Luke Cage episodes with me in between deliveries December 24th, ten bucks and you can watch with. Also, bring your own cookies. Love, Joseph "Grinch" Long ____ *me ____ #dearsanta #nealstephenson #44books #longx4 #selfportrait #christmas2016

In which five of my favourite activities are on display. Frohes Weihnachtsfest! ____ #longx4 #christmas2016 #vinyl #selfportrait

When you can combine one of the greatest shows on earth (the annual Portland Tuba Christmas Fest, duh) with some of the greatest people on earth (pictured), then it's definitely an extrasuperspecial Christmasy day of celebration. Also, our son spotted both Bernie Sanders AND Matt Damon's brother in the crowd. He was positively certain on both counts. __ Pic: a kind woman named Alex - thanks! ____ #tubachristmas #portland #longx4 #mattdamonsbrother #ormaybenot (at Pioneer Place)

When reindeer games turn deadly. ____ #pnwonderland #longx4 #christmas2016 #rudolphtherednosedreindeer #dadsofinstagram #mtnorway

It's amazing how refreshing a quick family power nap can leave you feeling. ____ #longx4 #christmas2016 #redbull #powernaps #pnwonderland

DUDE VS ELF. I wouldn't say The Big Lebowski is a staple on our household family Christmas cinema schedule, but watching distant cousin Elf, in installments this week, has brought me to a realization that they share something in common: these are possibly the ONLY TWO FLAWLESSLY STRUCTURED FILMS IN HISTORY. Forget Chinatown. They cannot be cut down by a single scene, there are no throwaway lines, scenes, shots, or cutaways. I'm not saying either Elf or Lebowski is my favourite film, or the best film ever (though they are wonderful); I am simply saying they are subatomic-good. They cannot be split.* One film a massive cult classic, the other a massive mass classic; both stripped down, no fat examples of films that demand and reward repeated viewings (or, just LISTEN to them all the way through sometime). There are three films that I would love to see a sequel to, but I hope I never have to, because they ended just where they were meant to end. Except I wouldn't mind seeing Buddy and The Dude share some screen time in a holiday spinoff... I would also highly recommend Christmas in Connecticut, the 1945 Barbara Stanwyck classic. She does not appear in either Elf or The Big Lebowski, and in fact, I would not call these three films highly similar. Feliz navidad. ____ *physicists, fact-check me** **privately*** ***or just ignore any trivial physics misstatements; those laws of the physical universe are really more suggested guidelines, I think. . #christmas2016 #longx4 #pnwonderland #biglebowski #elf #joesacco #44books

FAVES. (in which I ponder some favourite things while hunting and illegally going back for seconds on free hot chocolate) Adventure minus maps She & Him's silver bells and ten-minute power naps Calder, Norm Rockwell; Pacific swell, Carol of the Bell, the dad William Tell, evergreen smell. Those with spark and song Wild spirit King Kong The invention of quests Rachmaninov, reading without rests These peeps surrounding, def some of my bests. ____ #christmas2016 #washougal #44washougalcamas #hunting #vegetarians #pnwonderland #longx4

In which I think deeply about a recurring theme in the Anne of Green Gables sagas about this person or that person being "...a kindred spirit" - a sort of shared bond over a particular outlook or insight on life. Always have loved that idea. Got to make some good holiday memories with some new buddies who are kindred spirits; good conversation is a quality I treasure greatly and every human in this selfie is a titan of vibrant discourse. Kindred spirits with vivid personalities and infinite array of topics to kick about from one end of a Thai table to the other. I think one of my defining characteristics is an interest in simply having interesting conversations and repartee with people of all ages. I've never really understood the concept behind talking down to children, in that sing-songy, uplifting-at-sentence-end voice that says: I am treating you like a kid because you're not on my level yet. Of course adults have experience and knowledge that simply comes from being around longer, but it doesn't necessarily make you a more interesting person or better at dialoging, and it doesn't, I think, provide justification for speaking in a tone and manner that shrieks condescension. Anyway, off high horse. Every time I'm at a small town public event in December, it reminds me of the previous year's resolution to become a multi-mega billionaire, so I can hire an architect and city planner to build me an idyllic winter retreat modeled EXACTLY after Whoville; the Seussian winter wonderland utopia populated by New England charm, cirque du solei antics, and cheerful building design equally inspired by Calder, Kafka and Rube Goldberg. Somehow, the 'make a billion bucks' plan keeps climbing down my priority list and I forget it about. Possibly because I'm too busy focused on some microtopic convo with a sub-ten year old, such as: is corn actually a grass? (Yes, I was reminded, it is) So yeah, it was a pleasant evening of hanging out with great peeps, seeing a giant tree light up (thank you Edison, thank you Tesla), and chowin on some Thai cuisine over acrobatic dialog. #christmas2016 #camas #longx4 #pnwonderland #parenting

Totes naturale, in which we oogle a waterfall, drink some coffee (some of us), climb three billion stairs, ride an elevator, drink some more coffee (one of us), drink some hot chocolate (all of us), run into an old friend from Sweden, and watch a pretend Santa arrive at a Christmas tree lighting. Hint to the Big Man's work crew: if you arrive in a caravan of fire trucks instead of flying reindeer, I just can't take you seriously. But aside from that, nice job faking your way through. ____ 12-03 #pnw #longx4 #selfportrait #oregoncity #christmas2016

Video rental stores, Borders Books & Music, and print encyclopedias have all been extincted,* sadly. But what's still standing? That's right: public libraries. Going strong, still one of the great gifts we can help support every year. And if you have any left over, give those NPR folks a jingle. ____ #publiclibrary #fvrlibrary #fvrl #44books

In which I load up our queue with Christmas films; knowing in my head we will watch only a fraction but heart convinced there's the tiniest of possibilities that every day in December will expand to allow 27 hours of holiday binge watching, which, of course includes Die Hards 1 and 2 twice each. We watched the remake of Miracle on 34th Street (one of late great John Hughes' later and lesser films, but still moderately enjoyable for us (adults) and massively for others (the elves); I was reminded again that Mara Wilson is unquestionably and undoubtedly one of the all-time most marvelous child actors. (Also, she has a wonderful blog and philosophies on life now, should you decide to Googleize her) Might have to make a case for including the exquisite Matilda (1996 Danny Devito classic Roald Dahl adaptation) on the holiday queue... ____ #longx4 #christmas #marawilson #miracleon34thstreet #pnwchristmas

DC? I used to love Neko Case, but I'm kind of on a big Sharon Van Etten kick currently. Speaking of current...(see image). And speaking of current, our son (foreground) inadvertently recited Nikola Tesla as the third President yesterday. Ha! I'm sure he would not have made an optimal Pres, as everyone knows it requires the utmost highest level of qualifications to achieve that position. Most of the time anyway. Everyone knows that Thomas Edison made a much better third President than Mr. Tesla would have. ____ #presidents #inventors #44pacificnwplaces #mthoodnationalforest #armycorpsofengineers #sharonvanetten #nikolatesla

When the dusk. ____ #44pacificnwplaces #pnwonderland #44landscapes #mtsthelens