Spring 2016 - Jagoff Interview

When I first created a Twitter account, I was looking for local writers and such to follow.  One such person was John, I mean, you cannot pass up a Twitter page that is called YaJagoff right?!

His blog is pretty funny as is his book, which I have since read in its entirety.  I may have also sent him a picture to put up on his blog, but that is another story for another day.  I suggest you go check out his blog site, after you finished perusing the spring issue of the Holiday Café of course.

 1.  How did the YaJagoff site come into existence?

 

Well, I'm an impatient driver. Or even more so, I hate ignorant drivers and ignorant people. One day I was driving one local road and there was a Port Authority Bus picking up passengers. Although there was room, the bus did not pull into the curb to pick up its customers. So the customers had to walk out into the street to get on. In the meantime, the traffic behind the bus was building up at each bus stop because the bus would not pull over. I said to myself, I wish there was a place where I could post a picture of this bus that won't pull into the curb it keeps holding up traffic. That was kind of the start of it. But that was not my first blog post

 

Also, in the beginning, I made sure that The blog did not include any kind of bullying or ex spouse shaming, or blatant swearing. I wanted to make sure that it was tasteful and silly versus mean-spirited despite calling out people who being jerks or Jagoffs. 

2. Can you explain your definition of jagoff, for those not familiar with the term.

Sure, if you Google it, you get the standard definition that means jerk or somebody mean. Living in Pittsburgh all my life, I define it this way: 

 

The word Jagoff can be used in a few different ways:

1. Expressing appreciation to someone, with a smile on your face and a hug, you say, “Ya Jagoff!”
2. Expressing being startled, half chuckling you say, “You scared the HECK outta me, Ya Jagoff!”
3. And then there’s the version, that’s posted on our blog every day… venting about someone that has been a jerk, with a scowl on your face, “Learn to use a turn signal, Ya Jagoff!”

 

 

3. What is the funniest story you have come across since you began the blog site?

Boy, that is a tough one. I know it sounds cliché, but that is like picking who is your favorite child. I think the ones that amaze me the most, are the ones where people completely lack common sense. I have photos submitted to me all of the time where people are so bad it parking or angled their car 90° from the self-serve gas pump or burglars who rob a bank with no disguise whatsoever knowing full well that a camera is going to take their picture. I mean, in Pittsburgh it's not really that hard to disguise yourself. Simply put on a Steelers jersey and you mix in with 90% of the population on any given day. 

4. You have a book out, Above the Fries, which can be found on your website and on Amazon.com.  Any future books in the works? (I saw all those 5-star ratings, I will be perusing this book soon)

The book was interesting. There is a national humor website called HumorOutcasts.com. Donna Cavanaugh, the woman who runs that website, aggregates one of my blog post each week for that site. In the summer of 2014, she suggested I write a book and include some of my favorite blog posts. I had no idea how to publish a book. He held my hand every step of the way all my kicking and screaming and whining she put up with. In the book was released just in time for Christmas of 2014. It went to number 14 on the humorous a list on Amazon.com within a week. So that was kind of cool.

She always asks me if I have another book in my brain somewhere, and I'm not quite sure.

5. Speaking of the future, what does 2016 hold for YaJagoff and the podcasts?  

The podcast is new. We plan on posting a 30 minute podcast each week talking about current Pittsburgh topics events, food, local notable people and maybe even some fashion. Although, clearly from my "dad wardrobe" I know zero about fashion trends. Thankfully we will have guests on to talk about this stuff and who actually are trendy and fashionable. 

I will also continue the Yakkin' With YaJagoff video interviews that post every Wednesday. Those are fun to do and they break up the monotony of the Jagoff blog posts. We are always looking for interesting  Pittsburgh people to interview. We've done national personalities like Billy Gardell, Steve Byrne and Garth Brooks as well as local notables like Gus the snow cone guy from the North Side, Mayor Peduto and "TC" everyone's favorite beer vendor that dances and sings. 

 

Nicole Leckenby is the sole driving force behind the Holiday Café blog spot.  She also works full-time and runs after two very energetic boys at home.