Election Day

It's on everybody's mind. Almost every single person who came into the store the past few days have had something to say about the election. Some were worried. Some were confident. All were ready to cast their vote.

Never have I seen an election with this much hype, this much at stake, this much interest. I have a memory of being in the living room with my family the night that Clinton was elected. We were allowed to stay up late, but I was already starting to fade. I couldn't understand what was so important that my parents had actually let me stay up that late. They were watching the TV screen intently, but I was slipping into a doze. Then, suddenly, I came awake as they began cheering. We weren't a big sports-watching family, unless you count the Olympics, but this wasn't that, so what were they celebrating?

It would be much later that I would begin to understand the importance of politics. And even more important: voting.

I take the right to vote very seriously. I read through my entire absentee ballot three times before I made any marks. I wanted to be sure I understood what and for whom I was voting. I sent it out over a week ago, so I've missed out on some of the fun of voting, though I won't be sorry to miss the lines from what I've heard. Still, I would have liked to go into the little booth, make my choice, and get my sticker. It makes you feel like you're contributing. Remember, people died to give you this right. It shouldn't be taken lightly.

So, when I read an article about the number of Republicans who try to prevent people from voting, I was outraged.

In Virginia, a town was covered with fliers on official-looking stationary which said that due to the high number of voters expected to turn out for the election, they would split it up over two days; to vote Republican, you should go on Tuesday, whereas Democrats should go on Wednesday.

In other areas, people were warned that if they had previous convictions or unpaid parking tickets, the police would be waiting at the polling place to arrest them.

Thousands of people received phone calls from people pretending to be with the Democratic party, urging them to vote over the phone instead of waiting in the long lines at the polls.

This is just a handful of the tactics used, and all of them are disgusting.

I cannot believe that McCain would be behind or even approve of such schemes. I would hope that he is a better man than that. However, as Deirdre pointed out yesterday when we were discussing this at work, he is the leader, and so the ultimate responsibility lies with him. It is his job to set an example to those who follow him, and that example should show that this sort of thing is unacceptable.

I can not understand the hypocrisy of people who claim to value America and all she stands for, while violating the very cornerstone of our government: the right to choose.

Everyone has the right to vote, regardless of which button they press (or name they mark).

And with that, I would like to finish this post by sharing something with you. A comic book. I know, I know, but just hear me out on this one.

DC comics published a four issue miniseries called DC Universe: Decisions, the last issue of which, came out last week. The story centered on the presidential elections, and while the candidates in the book did not bear the same name or even really resemble the real-life candidates, you could certainly see the parallels. The basic plot was that someone was attempting to assassinate every single candidate. No party was safe, all were targeted equally. Naturally, our heroes were called in to protect them. It's what they do, after all. Unfortunately, this led to some heroes going on record as endorsing certain candidates. Green Arrow, for instance, endorsed the candidate that was farthest to the left of the political spectrum. Hawkman, on the other hand, went with the candidate who had the most military experience.

Naturally, the public wanted to know how Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were going to vote. Well, actually, Wonder Woman isn't a citizen, so she can't vote...

Throughout the four issues, reporters tried to get Superman to go on record with his choice, and in the final issue, this is what he had to say:

Who do I wish to see as the next President of the United States? I do have a choice. (...) But it would be unconscionable of me to share that with you. As I feel it has been wrong for any of us who battle injustice, we so-called "heroes," to allow our opinions to be known on this most important of occasions. (...) You understand, and have always understood, that our mission is to protect not only this nation but this world...and all the worlds beyond the stars. We answer to no one...therefore...we do not govern. We are heroes. And we serve.

The privilege of choosing who will lead you is, I believe, a sacred right. One that should forever remain unmolested.

You choose.

You decide.

And we will, as always...

Protect.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Happy Election Day everybody!

Jules

Hero

You picky picky people! Wanting to know the name of the book I loved so very much...ridiculous.

Anyway, it's Hero by Perry Moore.

The story is about Thom Creed, who is such a wonderful character you are forced to forgive him the pretension of spelling his name with an "h". Thom is pretty much your typical teen. Except that he's not. Thom has secrets; a lot of them. But we'll get to that in a moment.

One thing that is not a secret is who Thom's father is: Hal Creed, once known as Major Might, one of the greatest heroes in the world. Now, Hal is in disgrace, reviled by the public and his old comrades. He works in a factory trying to make enough so that his son can have a better life. But the story of how Hal came to be in disgrace is one that no one understands completely... No one but Hal, and he won't talk about it.

Hal has forbidden the discussion of superheroes and especially the League. He rants frequently about those with powers, and how they will bring the fall of society.

So naturally, when Thom begins to manifest powers, he keeps it to himself.

But Thom is a good kid, who volunteers as a mentor to younger kids, and works two jobs as well as juggling schoolwork to help his dad out. He's not the sort of person who can just sit back while people need help. So when the League approaches him and asks if he'd like to try out for the team, he jumps at the chance.

Unfortunately, Thom has a bad habit of putting his foot squarely in his mouth, so his probationary teammates all see him as a bit of an idiot. Not only that, but Thom also has another secret. One that you find out near the beginning of the book, but one that took me by delightful surprise, so I'm not going to spoil it here.

Along his way, Thom meets Ruth, a cantankerous old woman who can see the future and who always has a quip or bit of advice; Typhoid Larry, who can make people sick, and who looks like a walking disease himself; Golden Boy, the Silver Bullet's sidekick who has a giant stick up his ass, but may actually turn out to be a decent guy; and Miss Scarlett whose temper is not to be trifled with.

All of the characters are rich and multi-layered. Just when you think you have someone pegged, you find out another piece of their background. "Oh," you say, "so THAT'S why they've been acting like that."

The plot is ultimately predictable (though there were some twists I didn't see coming) but it's fast-paced and draws you in so it's hard to stop reading.

But what I liked most about it was the way it wore it's heart on it's sleeve. It's like one of those movies that obviously didn't have a very big budget, but you can tell everyone who worked on it had a great time and really cared about the project as a whole. Sometimes those movies are a little cheesy, there are some flaws, but you forgive them because it just looks like so much fun! It's clear that the author really cared about these characters and so you find yourself caring about them too. They're not perfect, but that's why you love them.

The heroes themselves are rather obviously molded after the comic book heroes we (or at least, I) already know and love. I think Hal is equal parts Batman and Captain America. Then there's Warrior Woman, the Silver Bullet, King of the Sea, the Spectrum, and many more. Each of them is unique, but with little winks to the audience who might know them by another name.

So, there you have it. Hero.

Tomorrow, I'm planning a trip to the Met Museum for a little inspiration, so hopefully I'll have a story about that for next time.

Jules

Physics

I think I remember from high school science that energy cannot be destroyed, only converted into different forms of energy. But can energy be created? I mean, you can light a match to create fire, but isn't that a case of transforming one form of energy into another? Or is it? And if we can't create or destroy energy, that must mean there is a finite amount in the universe. What if someone found a way to destroy energy? Poof. Gone. And if we couldn't replace that energy? Disaster.

Huh. I think there's a story there. Maybe. That's only if I got my science right. So, did I?

Anyway, this was what I was thinking about when I went to DD this morning to get coffee and a breakfast sandwich. I'm out of coffee mate, so I had to look to outside forces for my morning cup.

OK, let me just address this before things get out of hand: Yes, it has been a while since I posted. And even with the nudge from Jenna (thank you, btw) it still took me a while. In my defense, I did sit down one day, intent on doing some writing, but had to decide between working on my story and on blogging. I chose the story. Sorry. Sometimes I just don't have enough energy for both.

I just finished reading the most fabulous book, last night. I'll have to put up a review, because it was really extraordinary. I had picked it up at B&N the same night I got Chalice. It was a bargain priced hardcover for some ridiculous amount like $5. And I thought it looked like a mildly entertaining read, that I would probably be able to finish in a few days. I was right about the few days part. I finished it in two. And it's not a slim book. It was such a delightful story with incredibly rich characters. But I'll get to that.

For now, let me just say, "I'm back!" Hopefully, for good.

Jules

Honey in my Coffee

A quick entry before I go to work today- (This, of course, is now a complete lie. I started this entry on Sunday, found that I didn't actually have enough time to finish it before I had to leave for work, and have only now gotten back to it. You may continue.)

A few weeks ago, I read Chalice by Robin McKinley. I meant to put up something about it when I finished reading, but, as usual, I got distracted and forgot.

Let me start by saying that Robin is my favorite author of all time. It was actually her novels that made me interested in books in the first place. Well, I had always been interested, and really wanted to love books, but hadn't quite found the right one, yet. My sister has always been a fanatical reader, and I, who believed she walked on water, wanted to love them for her sake. She just seemed so cool to me (still does, really) and I thought that books must also, therefore, be cool since she spent so much time with them. Unfortunately, most of the books I had read up till then (I read RM's book in fifth grade) seemed to talk down to me. I wanted to be treated like an adult, someone capable of understanding complicated concepts. Also, I kept finding books where the girls stood around and waited to be saved while the boys went tearing off, sword in hand, having all sorts of wonderful adventures. It was very discouraging. Then I found The Blue Sword. My fifth grade teacher tried to keep me from reading it, so I knew it must be something wonderful.

"It's actually a very difficult book. Everyone wants to read it because of the flashy cover, but most kids your age struggle with it."

Luckily, I was just as stubborn then as I am now. He relented, and I started reading.

Finally, I thought as I read, someone who thinks the way I do.

I didn't find it difficult at all, and finished it much faster than I had any other novel previously.

Next, I read The Hero and the Crown. And everything else since then. I reread The Blue Sword every year, and still find nooks and crannies in McKinley's world that are worth exploring.

So, with that very long introduction, I bring you to Chalice.

It's a beautiful story set in a world of unfamiliar mythology and rules. At the heart of the story is a beekeeper who has become the Chalice, an important figure in the health and harmony of her land and people. And the land needs her. It has been treated badly, and left on the brink of destruction. To add to the chaos, the new Master is not entirely human, but a being who could harm his subjects with but a brush of the hand. They make an unlikely pair, but together they are trying to save this land that they love from becoming a pawn in the larger government's chess game.

RM has a way with language that is almost like poetry, and this book is no exception. Her characters are always interesting because they are never perfect. Very rarely, in fact, are they even attractive. At the most, she will say that their faces light up with intelligence, which is it's own kind of beauty.

I prefer her flawed heroines to the ones in other novels who are absolutely beautiful, amazingly clever, perfectly good and entirely unrelatable (which, apparently, is not a word, but it ought to be, so I'm NOT changing it. Take that spell-check! Boo-Yah!).

Anyway, all of this is true of Chalice, and I did enjoy reading the book, but it's not my favorite. For some reason, I felt like I only got part of the story. Perhaps it's only because I read it so quickly, but most of her novels have a nice roomy quality to them, and this one seemed slightly empty. She dropped us into the middle of the story at the beginning, and then the ending felt sort of squashed.

It did, however, make me go out somewhere in the middle and buy a jar of honey. There's a great deal of honey in this book (she is a beekeeper, after all) and you can only read about people eating honey (on toast, on porridge, straight out of the jar...) for so long before you start to crave it yourself. I even put honey in my coffee one morning. It was good. Gave my coffee a sort of wild flavor. Magic coffee. All coffee is magic, really. Liquid crack, it is. Mmmm. Cooooffeeeee.

Sorry, where was I?

Oh right, I was finishing up this post.

See you next time!

Jules

Copyright Police

The story is: I did post my video on youtube. It was up for about a week. Then, I happened to check my channel, and saw that it was gone. I investigated further, and discovered that it had been flagged as using copyrighted material. Specifically, the audio track. I thought it might be because I had left in some of the Justice League's audio. It seems that the type of videos I make are generally accepted by Warner Brothers, but if I tried to, say, put up a full episode, they would not be pleased. At least, that's the impression I get, since there are a lot of music videos which use clips from these shows.

I had a passing fantasy that my video would be reviewed by Bruce Timm, the producer of Justice League and Batman the Animated Series, (I have a bit of a crush on him) and he would contact me and tell me what a brilliant job I did, and would I like to come work for him?

Then I woke up. Why would Bruce Timm take care of little things like possible copyright infringement? He wouldn't.

There is, however, a video (not mine, but one of my favorites) which uses scanned comic book art. If you scroll through the comments, you see that the artist watched and enjoyed it. Ever since then, I've imagined that the staff of DC comics animated often sit around and watch the various videos on youtube whenever they have a break, or are in need of inspiration.

I have gone completely off-topic.

Anyway, it turns out, the problem wasn't with the clips, but with the song. Youtube has blocked my video. I can dispute the claim, but I don't see how. I am using this song without permission, although I did buy it on iTunes. In fact, I own all the material I use in these videos, and try to discourage pirating.

Someone made a comment on one of my videos asking if a particular episode of Justice League was on youtube, or some other illegal downloading site. I recommended that they buy the DVD set. "I own all four sets, and they're worth it. It's a great show." Whether or not they listened, I have no idea.

It should also be pointed out that the first time I even heard of Justice League, was on youtube. I was so impressed with what I saw there, that I went out and bought the DVDs. That's what I call 'free advertising'. I have since bought just about everything that Bruce Timm has worked on.

I have also often heard a song on youtube, that I have then gone to purchase myself. Holding Out for a Hero by Jennifer Saunders, was one of those. I heard the song used in a different video, really liked it, and ended up buying the entire album on iTunes.

Perhaps it is copyright infringement. But as far as I can see, they're cutting off their nose to spite their face. Just doesn't seem worth it.

Oh, and, just for fun, go to youtube and type in "Holding Out for a Hero Jennifer Saunders", and see how many videos come up. It looks like about 43, and that's probably not all of them because some people don't credit the artist. So, why did they go after me?

Later,
Jules

PS- You can still watch my video here. I doubt the copyright police will stumble across my little blog. And it lives on my computer, so I can watch it anytime I want. Nyah nyah nyah boo boo!

Misting/Comic Book

Ugh. It's misting outside. Misting in great, billowy clouds. I hate that. If it's going to rain, I would rather it just rain and be done with it. Instead, I'm trying to walk home while the heavens spray me like one would spray a cat one is trying to train not to get up on the table. Perhaps the weather gods are trying to train me not to do something, but for the life of me I can't think what it is.

And before you accuse me of being unprepared (something a New Yorker never is) I did bring my umbrella. That's the trouble with misting, however. You feel like an idiot opening your umbrella for such small insignificant droplets, but after a few minutes, you find yourself sort of damp all over, which makes opening your umbrella still more pointless, so you just get more and more damp, and...well, you get the picture.

OK, I wrote that on Saturday night, after walking home from work. I figured I would finish it later and post it, but, as you can see, it is now Monday morning.

Silly me.

I got DISTRACTED! That's the trouble with trying to write at home. There are so many other things to do. Like read. Or watch something. Or clean my room. This last may seem like a good, productive thing to do, which is why it is one of the more cunning procrastination techniques I employ. Don't be fooled.

I got a little stuck. In fact, really stuck. I was going along working on this comic book idea, and I finished plotting out the first issue (some of it is written, some is still just in note form) and now I have no idea where to go from here. I know where I want to end up, but getting there will take some crafty storytelling, and I'm not sure I'm up to the challenge.

There are just so many possibilities! Which is good, in a way, but also bad. I don't want to write myself into a corner, so I have to be careful. Also, there are a few characters I don't quite have a handle on yet. Sophie, for example. She's Greek, can create illusions using light refraction (and will one day learn how to make hard-light constructs) and comes from a big family. That's all I know so far, and that's really not much. Certainly not enough to make a well-rounded character.

Anzu, on the other hand, I know a lot about. She's a ten-year old Japanese girl, and the most powerful one of the bunch. She is the first to suggest they pick superhero names for themselves, and declares that hers will be "Princess Rose". She is in touch with all of nature, so she can help things grow, talk to animals, and control the weather. Fortunately, she has a very sweet disposition, and doesn't abuse her powers. The only thing that makes her mad is when people mess with her friends (animals). Like Rabbit, one of the lab bunnies she meets early on. I have a story in mind where Rabbit dies as the result of an experiment, and Anzu must go through the stages of grief for her friend.

I also have a detective story with very old school Dick Tracy sort of language, where Anzu helps a boy find his lost dog.

My name is Anzu, and before today, I was a pretty happy girl. Then he walked into my life.

He was handsome. But, then, they always are, aren’t they…

It seemed clear he was searching for something, or someone. In a moment, it would become even clearer.

BOY: Have you seen my dog?

Men. Always losing things. Lucky for him, I was good at finding them. Especially when they had four legs and could bark.

In this adventure, Anzu talks with some street pigeons, interrogates Sam Samuels: Pet Store Owner, and ends up punching the boy when he calls her weird. "He'll come around." She thinks as she walks away into the sunset. "They always do."

Perhaps I should mention that I'm writing a superhero comic. Well, of course. I mean, what else could I write? This is what I know, and they always say you should write what you know.

The basic idea is this: what if all your best friends were superheroes, while you remained completely normal? Such is the story of Alex, a woman as normal as can be, who happened to get mixed up in a tragic "accident". It's not really an accident, but we don't know that yet.

1000 were chosen... 8 survived.

The 8 were then put in quarantine for a number of years (I haven't decided on the exact number yet) and 7 of them began displaying incredible powers. Like Rylan, who can read the threads of Fate. And Lukas, who can travel the river Styx, though he cannot touch the far shore (if he did he would, you know, die), and bring others with him. I'm thinking of calling him The Ferryman. And Kat with her invisible shields which form an impenetrable barrier around her whole body whether she wants one there or not. (Things are tough for her for a while, until she gets a handle on controlling her powers.)

That's not all of them, but you get the picture. They don't have secret identities, because the media has documented their every move since the accident, though once they start saving the world, people tend to come up with hero code-names for them (if they haven't already done so for themselves, like Anzu.).

So there it is, in the most general terms. It's the sort of comic book I would like to read, which I think should be the first requirement for any creative venture. If you don't like what you're creating, how can you expect anyone else to like it? And hey, maybe no one will ever like this comic book except me, but that's OK too.

There, a nice long entry to make up for all the slack.

Oh shoot! I wanted to talk about my Justice League video! Mom mentioned that it's not on youtube, and I wanted to explain why that is. Oh well. Next time.

Later,
Jules

Walking Briskly in the Park

What a morning!

First let's talk about yesterday, and how this morning came about.

I was at work (as usual) with Deirdre, when Nancy stopped in. Nancy designs and sews skirts, dresses, and tops, which we sell in our store. Her stuff is always fun and funky, while still being fairly conservative with a great fit. We never have enough Nancy stuff, because it always sells. Nancy herself is quite a character. She's extremely talented in the creative side of designing clothing, but not so good with the business side (which she is the first to admit).

Anyway, she got to talking about exercise and how she'd like to, you know, do it, and Deirdre told us that she used to run through the park. In fact, Deirdre used to run in marathons. She hurt her back, though, and now mostly does yoga. Still, she'd like to get back into at least walking around the park in the mornings. Nancy said that sounded great, she'd love to do that, and I (with my big mouth) chimed in saying, "yeah, I really want to exercise more too."

"Great," Deirdre said. "When do you want to start?" Deirdre's like that. Even if you say casually that you'd maybe like to do something sometime next month or so, she'll want to nail you down to a time and place right there and then. She also manages to get a lot done. Perhaps there's a lesson there. (You would think I would have learned this lesson long ago, since my mother is very much a doer as well. And, I've noticed that when she's around, I get stuff done. Go figure.)

Suddenly, I found myself agreeing to meet them at the park (a good 25 minute walk from my apartment) at 9:00AM. And if I planned on being awake for this power-walk, that meant getting up at 7:00AM.

It all went rather smoothly. Nancy and Deirdre and I arrived, along with Louise, a friend of Deirdre's whom I had met before. We walked around the whole park which is about 3 miles, and it took us 50 minutes. It was just chilly enough that I was glad for the sweater I was wearing, but the day was bright and clear, and the park very beautiful in the sunshine.

At the end of it, we made plans to do it again on Monday. Oh boy. Well, I suppose it's for the best. Working out alone is always harder than working out in a group.

I still want to do some weight lifting (and luckily I have weights) to strengthen my upper body, and tone my lower. I'll have to do that on my own. (Mostly. I will have the Firm girls supporting me from DVD-land.) There was a time when my arms were quite strong, and I miss that. I feel like I can barely lift my own groceries anymore.

I topped the morning off with a trip to Dunkin Donuts for a latte. (Meaning I probably just undid all that hard work, but the latte won't be a regular thing; I just happen to be out of coffee right now. I need to buy another barrel. Sigh. Wouldn't it be lovely if coffee came in barrels? Furthermore, I think it may be time to invest in a grinder so I can have fresh-ground coffee every morning. Coffee...*drools*)

Later,
Jules

Holding Out For the Justice League

Steve. So far we've had coffee and dinner-and-a-movie. We've also talked on the phone, and I haven't hated every second of it. Are these good signs? I don't know; it's so hard to tell with me. I'm trying not to over-analyze it, which is why this entry isn't going to be about Steve. I just wanted to give you an update, 'cause I know all of you are on the edge of you seats.

This entry is really about a new video. I know: "Already?!" What can I say? I just got the urge and went with it. I think this is my finest one yet. It better be, anyway, because I spent half the night finishing it. I just kept saying, "I'm so close to being done, just work a little bit longer..." Pretty soon, it was four o'clock in the morning and I only had five hours before I had to get up and go to work. Oops.
Anyway, I think it's pretty spectacular. Maybe I should look into being an editor. Or someone who puts trailers together...what do you call that person? How do you become that person?
Sigh.
It will be a long week for me. I'm working 9 days in a row, and half of them are full days, so it's a lot of work. I don't mind, really, but it does mean that I have a lot less energy when I get home. Which is why this entry is so pathetic. I really just wanted to get this video up so you could see it. Maybe I'll feel more like writing in the morning. I'm going to try to get up earlier than usual, which means going to bed at an earlier (read: sane) hour.
Goodnight,

Jules

Hawkgirl

Look Ma! A new video!

This is about Hawkgirl, a character that is probably unfamiliar to most of you. So here's the skinny:

She's from a planet called Thanagar, where she was a police officer. Her story is that she was chasing a criminal and got caught in some pseudo-scientific thingamajig which shot her molecules halfway across the universe to Earth. She decided to stick around and fight crime, since she didn't know how to get back home.

That all turned out to be a lie.

She was actually the advance party from her home world, sent there to scout Earth's defenses. See, Thanagar has been at war with these other aliens for hundreds of years, and she was sent to Earth to recon so they could determine how best to protect the Earth from the bad aliens.

This also turned out to be a lie.

That was the story that Hawkgirl was told, but the truth is that she was sent there to learn how best to take over Earth long enough to build a hyperspace bypass which would aid the Thanagarians in their war. Unfortunately, the hyperspace bypass would destroy Earth, thereby upsetting the natives.

Hawkgirl objected to having been used by her own people to betray her new people, so she decided to betray the Thanagarians by helping the Justice League stop their Evil Plan.
However, the Justice League still felt disgruntled and betrayed from the first betrayl, especially Green Lantern, with whom Hawkgirl had recently begun a relationship. Turns out Hawkgirl's got a Hawkman: the commander of the Thanagarian army and mastermind of the Evil Plan. They're betrothed. GL is less than pleased. Hawkgirl is extremely confused, and now, so are you.

Please direct all questions to Bruce Timm.

Or, you could just watch the video.

15 to 5

From 15 to 5 posts per month. That's just sad. I haven't written any more of the comic book either. In fact, didn't I promise to tell you what the comic book was all about? Yeah...about that....

So, here I am, writing this pathetic little update, just minutes before I have to leave for work. Convenient, isn't it?

I'd tell you that I'm going to continue this post as soon as I get home tonight, but I'm going to a concert with my friend, Kathleen, so that probably won't happen. We're going to see my roommate (she's a cellist). I think it's called the World Symphony, or something. I'll tell you more after I've actually gone.

More to come. Hold that thought.

Julia

Julia, Thy Name Is Crazy

I am a Crazy-Person. No. You have no idea. I really mean it this time. I am actually INSANE.

So, I picked up a guy at the comic book shop today. My mother asked what this meant when I told her. "You took him back to your place?" she asked.

Let me spread it out for you in a nutshell, so there's no confusion. I did NOT take him back to my place. I got caught up in a conversation in the comic book shop, with this guy, some other customers, and the guy who works there. As I was leaving, the guy (he'll have a name in a moment, don't worry) was also leaving.

"Sorry you got caught up in that," he said.

"Oh it's no problem. I don't mind," I said sincerely. I glanced over at him and saw that he was carrying a small wisp of a comic book bag. I should perhaps mention that it was a big week, and I left with ten comic books. Don't judge.

"Oh my gosh! You bought nothing! Did you SEE my stack?" I blurted out, before I could stop. He laughed and said something about being very picky about what he reads. I told him that I had only been reading comic books for a little over a year, so I was reading absolutely everything just to get a handle on exactly what it is I like. This has seemed to me to be the best way to choose what I read. I try a little of this, a little of that; I stick with the things I like, and drop the ones I don't. Unfortunately, more things have stuck than dropped...

Anyway.

We were nearing the end of the block and he paused to hold out his hand.

"I'm Steve."

"Julia."

We shook.

"Well, I'm going this way," I said, starting to turn.

"Actually, so am I," he replied. You're a clever one, aren't you? I thought. Then: Oh smeg, now if I don't keep talking we'll have that awkward walking-in-the-same-direction-but-not-actually-with-each-other thing. Out of desperation, I kept talking.

We walked and talked this way for several blocks. I just kept asking question after question to keep from awkward silence. Every time I would turn to go a different direction he would follow.

"I'm on break right now, so I'm actually just meandering. Do you mind? If you do, I'll go my own way," he said at one such turn.

"I don't mind. You can meander beside me all you like," I replied. Did I say that?

It turns out he's a comic book artist. An actual, real-live, professional artist. He drew a graphic novel that is being published by RandomHouse.

This is what I mean about the universe conspiring to put me on a path. I mean, what are the odds??

OK, true: he was in a comic book shop. But still.

Now the trouble comes with me messing up what the universe has handed me. A lot of times I think I get set on a path and I immediately take a U-turn because I get scared.

I mentioned that I was working on writing a comic book. But was too embarrassed to share any of it with him (see above RE: U-turn). What if he thinks it's cliche? What if it IS cliche?

I asked what his art was like, and he asked if I'd like to see some sometime.

"Sure."

There was awkward silence. It was the sort of stunned silence of a guy who has just asked a girl something that he expected her to say a polite 'no' to, but got a 'sure' instead.

"Uh...when?" he asked, once he'd remembered how to speak.

I, being a crazy person, immediately panicked, and didn't want to set a date. It felt too locked in, I could already feel the choke-hold of commitment around my neck.

"Oh, I don't know...when are you free?" I asked.

He started listing off a bunch of days, then said something about his family planning a huge event, blah blah blah.

"Tell you what, why don't you call me when you're free," I cut him off. He floundered for a moment, looking rather like a fish out of water.

"I'll need something from you for that to happen," he once again regained the power of speech.

I gave him my number.

And now I am FREAKING OUT!!!!!

What have I gotten myself into? I am now obligated, out of common courtesy, to answer the phone when he calls! If I don't, I'll have to start going into Manhattan to get my comic books, because I sure as heck couldn't show my face at my regular haunt anymore.

What is wrong with me? Why is this making me feel so anxious?

Here's the thing: I enjoyed talking with Steve. He seems like a genuinely nice guy who has a lot of similar interests to me. But I'm not sure I felt that spark. You know the one. However, I've been thinking that I need to increase my circle of friends a little, and there's NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING FRIENDS WITH STEVE. I had to put that in capital letters so I would read it and believe it. Now, there was some flirting, and I have no doubt that he'd like to be more than friends, but he also wasn't completely fawning all over me. We were just talking, getting to know each other, so I don't think he'll be crushed if when he calls I tell him I really just want to hang out and not date. That's allowed, right?

Oh my gosh, this makes me so nervous.

I am FREAKING OUT!

Oh, dear. I have more issues than a lifetime comic book collector. Ba-doom CHING!

OK, I'm breathing. I feel calm. Collected. Not freaked out. The real freak out will come when he calls.

'Till then, I'm going to try not to think about it.

The Ballad of Bruce Wayne

At last! I have a new video to show you! I slaved over it, so I expect praise that's high in quantity and quality. Just kidding.

Anyway, it was sort of inspired by what is happening in the Batman comics right now, which is a storyline called Batman RIP. It hasn't finished yet, so I don't know if Batman is going to die, but right now he's gone completely round the twist (as my sister would say), and is running around Gotham in a purple suit claiming that he is the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh! Whatever that means. And he's having conversations with dead people, and just generally acting like a loon. Something was leaked at the San Diego Comic-Con that the next storyline in Batman was going to be called Battle for the Cowl, so basically someone OTHER than Bruce Wayne is going to be Batman. Then, after that, (something that was announced, not leaked) will be an arc written by Neil Gaiman, one of the greatest science fiction/horror/fantasy writers of all time, called Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. It's an exciting time to be a Batman fan.

Now, do I really believe they're going to replace Bruce Wayne? No. Not really. There was a long run back in 1993 where Batman's back was broken, he chose someone to take up the mantle for a while. Of course, the guy he chose went insane and Bruce eventually had to fight to regain the title of Batman, but, hey, it's a tough job, and not everyone is mentally equipped. So there was basically an entire year where Bruce Wayne was not Batman. But a permanent change? I don't think so. The fans would revolt. Anyway, I only wanted to say a little something about it as a preface to the video, but you know me and comics: once I get started, it's hard to shut me up.

The song I used is called the Ballad of Barry Allen by Jim's Big Ego. For those of you who don't know, Barry Allen was/is the Flash. (He died, but recently came back to life. It's all very confusing, so I won't go into it.) I know, I know, it's rather perverse of me to make a video about Batman to a song about the Flash, but the more I listened to the lyrics, the more I thought it fit Bruce more than Barry.

So, without further ado, I give you The Ballad of Bruce Wayne:

Cinnamon Rolls and Donuts

Well, I wrote a whole entry that I just deleted. Trust me, you didn't want to read it anyway. It was just some whiny talk about feelings ooooooh feelings.

Basically, I was feeling down, again; and now I'm over it, again.

And now I have nothing to say.


Awkward.


So, you know when you're depressed, you can do some stupid things? Last Saturday night, I bought a box of cinnamon rolls. I had two this morning, and I'm thinking I might cap the day off with a third. I heat them in the microwave for 25 seconds. Ohmygosh. Delicious.

I almost went to Penn Station for Krispy Kreme donuts, but being depressed also makes you lazy, so I didn't.

I have to say, I am really sick of this funk I'm in. I think I need to have a big cry. Maybe I'll re-read Deathly Hallows, that would probably do it. Or I could watch Immortal Beloved, that always makes me sob. Have you seen that move? Depressing. But in a cathartic way.

Or I could clean my room. I always think better with a clean room, and there's something soothing about the act of cleaning it.

OK, another sucky entry. Sorry guys, you deserve better.

Jules

Olympic Fever

The time I usually spend blogging has recently been eaten and chewed upon by the Olympics. Don't you just love them?! I do. I have no idea from where this obsession came. I don't even particularly like sports. In fact, there aren't any other sports that I'll just sit down and watch. And yet.

That music starts to play...Buuum Buuuum bu-dum-bum-bum-bum Bum-bum Bu-dum Bum-bum-bum Bu-da-dum-bum-buuum...and my heart swells. And then there are the stories. Oh my gosh the stories!

"We drove our daughter 5000 miles every morning at the crack of dawn, just so she could practice at the best gym."

I feel for these people, no matter what country they're representing. My heart broke for Diego Hypolito of Brazil when he fell on his final tumbling pass for the floor exercise. He was the best chance for Brazil to win it's first medal in gymnastics and he was crushed. From halfway around the world, I gave him a mental hug and a pat on the back.

And then there's Michael Phelps, who just kept winning one gold medal after another, and I cheered him on the whole way, often shouting at the screen, and waving my arms as though I could somehow propel him forward through sheer force of will.

There's so much drama and majesty to these games, and I eat up every second. So, naturally, I've been lax in getting other things done.

Also, my Mom came for a (short) visit and we crammed as much as we could in the few days she was here. We went shopping, saw a show, talked endlessly, and loved every second of it.

And then she left and I dipped into a bit of a funk, but distracted myself with watching the teeny tiny little girls go bouncing all around the gym in Beijing. Boing Boing BING! They're just so little! Some of them take so long to actually land because they get caught in a draft on the way down and just sort of hover for a minute. Who me? Exaggerate? Never.

Gah. And now I'm trying to slog my way through this blog, and it's not really working. Every sentence is draaaaaagged out of me...

So, I'm going to call it a night.

Hopefully I'll be better soon.
Jules

Coffee High

"Posts for August?" Jenna asks. Yeah, yeah, I'm gettin' to it!

I've been....procrastinating. I could lie, but you all know the truth anyway. And now, even though I have sat down to post a little something, I actually don't have time because I have to leave for work in about 10 minutes. It was all carefully planned by my subconscious. Devious little thing, isn't it?

I just got back from the beach! My roommate, Rachel, and our friend Maria, who is visiting from Argentina, decided to go to Coney Island and lay in the sun. It was lovely. They're still there, but I had to skedaddle because I have work at 3. Still, anytime spent in a place that is not work or the "batcave" is good. I think I may have even gotten a tan! I certainly have tan lines. So, I did the world a favor, because my white legs were starting to blind people on the street. I've seen it happen, it's not pretty. They scream and their eyes explode and drip gruesomely down their cheeks. Raise your hand if "Eww".

Whew! That second coffee really has me going now! I think I'll go run ten miles! Wow. I am seriously bouncing off the walls here, and I really have to go!

Must. Sell. Clothing. And. Handbags.

OK, I'm going now, but I will try to post more often. I was working on that video I told you about, several weeks ago, and that took up my blogging-time. It's really cool, though, and I can't wait for you guys to see it. Hopefully it will be done soon.

Later!
Jules

Bollocks!

See, I just get lost in what I'm writing, and I forget Very Important Things.

Anony One. I have read your survey three times, and I still have no idea. Please tell me. Please? Pretty pretty please with sugar on top?

And: Oooooooh! Check it out! There are 15 entries for July, that's more than any of the other months! See how much better I am at updating? Be pleased.

Universe, Meet Julia

Grrr. So, this was supposed to be Prince Charming vs. The Beast: Round Two. And HOPEFULLY I'll get to that eventually. But right now, I am so consumed by this comic book idea, that I can't actually think about anything else right now.

Oh my gosh, you guys, you have NO idea how excited I am about this!

It's the sort of comic book that I would like to read, so hopefully other people will like it as well. For my most recent birthday I received The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics, from my sister's girlfriend. (She told me it was actually my sister's idea, so big Thank You to both of you!!) This has provided me with the essentials of how to write a comic book. Mostly, it helped with the structure, and gave me ideas about layout and how to get the most out of your artist.

Artist. I think I've talked before about my fabulous stick figures. My idea is to get some scripts written, then put an add on craigslist asking for a comic book artist who doesn't mind that I can't pay very much. Hopefully, I'll find someone who is trying to get into the industry, and is interested in collaborating on a story, and getting it published. Everything I've heard says that the big companies don't accept solicitations, but that there are many avenues for self-publishing, and if you have something that is finished, which you can just hand to them and say, "hey, I did this," they will look at you much more seriously. And if I want to be a professional writer, I'm going to need to rein in those run-on sentences. They just get away from me sometimes.

Did I say "professional writer"? OK, this doesn't mean that I want to give up acting, because it's still a passion, and as soon as my agent gets back (he's out of town) I fully intend on meeting with him and working up a strategy and some goals for the future of my acting career. However, I've decided that I'm going to put energy into BOTH pursuits. I feel invigorated by this new idea that maybe I have talent in a couple different areas, and there's no law that says I can only have one career. I've wanted to be an actor for so long, I think I sort of blocked everything else out. I didn't want to see that there might be other possibilities because I thought that it would tempt me into taking the easy* way out. And maybe it would have. Maybe if I had realized how important writing was to me sooner, I never would have come to NYC and studied at AMDA. And then I never would have met Phil, who got me into comic books in the first place.

Everything happens for a reason, and if you keep yourself open to what the universe is telling you, things will fall into place.

That's how most of my life has happened, so far. I feel like when I shut down and refuse to see what is happening around me, that's how I miss stuff and get caught in a rut. But when I stop, open my eyes and really look, everything becomes clear. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, but, do me a favor: try it.

Think about where you are in your life right now. How did you get there? What choices did you make along the way? How much of it was out of your hands? I know, for me, there have been things that happened which altered my life forever, over which I had no control. Hurricane Katrina, to name one. Here was this terrible disaster that turned my life upside down. And now look at the choices you made after whatever act of Fate occurred to you. I made the choice to go to NY and study at AMDA. Something that I was going to do after I graduated anyway, so who knows what would have happened. The point is, I made a choice. A Really-Bad-Thing happened, as they do in life, but I didn't let it make me helpless. Well, I did for a bit. I was in a bad place after that, unsure of my future, of what direction I should take next. And then I took control.

There are some things you just can't do anything about, and you need to know that, but you can't let it rule your life. You have to remember that this is your life, not Fate's, and you have control.

There I go with my preaching again. Do you find that I preach too much on this blog? I do. I'll try to keep it down.

What was I talking about? Right. We think that these things are random, that we go from place to place with no rhyme or reason, but if you look back, you can see the patterns. Some of you will call this God. And maybe it is; I really don't know. But I tend to think we make our own futures. We are beings of energy, positively bursting with the power to affect the world around us. And I believe that the energy we send out is what we'll get back. So if we're negative, saying that "bad things happen to me all the time, and there's nothing I can do about it," then that is exactly what will happen. And you will spend your life as a miserable person, blaming everyone else for your misfortunes. But if you believe that people are generally good, that you are capable and strong and in control of your destiny, then it will be so. There I go again....not two seconds after I promised to stop!

Anyway, I had to go to UNO to meet Kathleen. I have no doubts about that. I had to make friends with Phil so that he could introduce me to comics at the very moment that I was most ready for it. I had always been interested before, I just needed that extra little push. And it just happened that at that very moment, Countdown was beginning. A perfect book to start me off. Jenna began her blog, which sparked the idea that maybe I could do the same. This got me to practice writing more often, and got me used to people reading and responding to my writing. My Mom has supported me every step of the way, always offering that little bit of encouragement, and reminding me that I am intelligent and strong (good genes!) and can accomplish anything I put my mind too. Heck, my sister got me interested in writing in the first place! She's always been a great story-teller, and I guess I wanted to be one too. I remember her writing stories and I thought it was the coolest thing EVER! The idea that you could MAKE UP your OWN story?? Brilliant! (That, and she lent me Arkham Asylum, which I believe was actually my Very First Comic.)

And now, all these elements have come together in this idea I've had.

I actually have to pee, I'm so excited about this idea! That, or the iced coffee I had earlier has worked it's way through my system. Be right back.

Ahh, better.

So, do you want to hear about this comic book?

Jules
___________________________________________________________________
*"Easy" being a relative term. I mean, writing isn't exactly an easier profession than acting.**
**Ooooooh! My first foot-note...isn't it exciting?!

Writing Crisis

Annette, one of the store owners where I work (and I promise that someday I'll just assume you all know who I'm talking about and stop explaining), asked me what I thought of The Dark Knight. She has yet to see it, but was curious to hear my opinion. I spoke glowingly of it, of course, and then mentioned that I had reviewed it on my blog. She insisted on reading it, saying teasingly, "I shall decide whether or not to see it based on your review."

"So, no pressure then," I replied, pulling it up on the computer.

She read it while I hovered nervously, thinking "she's going to hate it, she'll think it's too unfocused, poorly written, and just a lot of fluff."

"I think you should be a movie critic," she said when she had finished.

I stood agape, having expected something more along the lines of, "Hmm, very nice" said in a patronizing way.

Why do I react that way? Why can't I just be proud of the things I create, and assume that other people will like them as much as I do? Remember in the survey, when it asked what I disliked most about myself and I said, "my insecurities"? Yeah.

Anyway, I pulled myself together, grinned and blushed uncontrollably, and said, "Gosh, really?"

"Yes, you are a great writer, and you clearly love movies. Also, you didn't give away the whole plot like a lot of critics do in their reviews. I hate that."

I shuffled my feet and ducked my head.

"Aw, thanks," I muttered.

"No, really, you should look into it. Especially since you said you have a hard time finishing things. Maybe you would have an easier time with short pieces."

Annette and I have discussed my love of writing a few times, and she has read a couple blog entries before and was very generous with praise.

"But," I protested, "I wouldn't even know where to begin! Don't you have to have a degree to be a critic?"

Annette thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. Phil and I are friends with a writer for the New York Times, A.O. Scott. He writes reviews. Maybe we could ask him how he got started and whether he has any advice."

Do I not have the coolest bosses ever? (I'll recount some of Deirdre's coolness later, because she is equally helpful and supportive.)

In the meantime, I'm in a quandary. Yeah, yeah: "So, what else is new?", right?

I would like to take some creative writing classes, and there's this school called the Gotham Writer's Workshop which has all sorts of classes for every type of writing you would ever need to know. To take the basic Creative Writing class, which they recommend for those who are just starting and want some basic foundations for writing, it would be one day per week for six weeks and cost $320. Ouch. I'm pretty poor, but coming up with that much cash wouldn't be impossible. I don't really spend a lot of money (except on comic books....and food...oh yeah, and rent) so I could justify this one-time expense, and if I ever want to take another class from them I would get a discount for being a returning student.

One class a week isn't all that time-consuming, though the work might put a dent into my nights, but, hey, if I'm going to be up late anyway, I might as well be getting something productive done, right?

"So," you say, "what's the problem?"

I just feel like I shouldn't be trying to split my attention in too many directions. I'm supposed to be focused on my acting career, and I can't even make myself go to an audition. What happens when I start having more legitimate excuses for not doing what I should be doing?

Then again, sometimes a full schedule can have the effect of propelling me into greater heights of motivation. I feel like so much of my time is being wasted simply because I don't have enough to fill up my days. When I was at AMDA I was getting tons more work done and I had less time to do it. That doesn't seem right.

Now, I have more time, and part of my brain is always conscious of that. I'm constantly thinking, I have lots of time to get that done, so I don't have to worry about it right now. I'll have time later...later....later........later. (Screen dissolves into psychedelic wavy lines until everything is blurry. We come into focus on Julia stretched out on her couch, staring blankly at the TV screen, remote in hand, jaw slack with a hint of drool. Her ass is bigger than the couch itself and they appear to have melded.)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I guess I'll sign up.

I don't know. What do you think? What should I do and why? Detailed answers, please.

Love,
Julia the Ass-Couch Slacker

And I think we've just found my stage name!

Next time on Blog:

I continue the discussion of dating in Prince Charming vs. The Beast: Round Two (look for Deirdre's contribution to my current Life Issues in this exciting post!)

Also, I was bored today so I thought up an idea for a comic book. More details coming soon!

Prince Charming vs. The Beast

My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast. It has been since I was a little girl, reading our huge book of fairy tales. Then the Disney film came out, and that clinched it. It remains my favorite Disney film of all time.

I've been thinking lately that all my ideas about men (more specifically, who the ideal man for me would be) came from my love of that fairy tale. In fact, I rather believe that every woman can be divided into two (no, wait, three) categories: those who go for Prince Charming, those who go for the creature that will one day turn into Prince Charming, and those who chuck 'em all and say, "Heck, I'm goin' for the hot princess!".

I'd like a guy who's quiet, reserved. Someone who doesn't have to talk to me all the time, but can just be silent with me, communicating everything with a glance, a touch. And, of course, I like a little monster in my men. Just a little one. The Beast is essentially a good man, after all, but he's a Bad Boy too.

This explains my obsession with Batman. He is very much a Beast figure. A rich, powerful, possibly arrogant, man who becomes cursed and forced to live in shadows, waiting for the day when someone will come along and lift the curse from him.

So, why is it that I always end up with sappy Prince Charming? If he was just plain ol- PC, I might be able to handle it, but I somehow end up with the useless-against-dragons-but-good-with-the-washing-up sort of PC's.

Oh gosh, have to go. I'll finish this discussion later.

Jules

PS

I just saw this and had to put it up here. It's hilarious and brilliant. Watch it.

Brought to you by Itsjustsomerandomguy, the creator of all Hi, I'm a Marvel...and I'm a DC videos.

The Dark Knight (At last)

It's too big.

I'm not sure I can put into words what happened in that movie.

There are concepts that were brought up that I'm not sure I can wrap my mind around, yet.

My brain thawed a bit on the walk home from the movie theater, but it's still a little overwhelmed. I'm trying to break it down into smaller bits, and analyze those bits one at a time.

Human beings have such capacity for goodness. So why is the world so messed up?

What is a hero?

A title? A symbol? Justice? Revenge? A guy in a mask? The one in a uniform? The one in the suit?

A hero inspires hope. Sometimes, Hope is more important than Truth. And sometimes, the hero has to be something else in order to do some good. I don't mean that the hero has to be a bad-ass, moody, kick-your-butt Dude. I mean, sometimes the hero has a role to play in the minds of the people. Sometimes the hero has to be hated. You'll understand all this when you see the movie.

Batman is the epitome of selflessness. Everything he does is about sacrifice, about saving people. It's not about showing off, and it's not about trying to prove something. This Batman doesn't fight with big flashy moves. He gets the job done as quickly and cleanly as possible, without killing anyone or allowing anyone to be killed.

What about Regular Joe on the street?
There is a recurrent theme throughout the movie about who is qualified to be a hero, and who is not.
Spoiler alert--Take the fake Bat-men at the beginning, for instance. Are they actually trying to help, or are they doing this for personal gain?--end spoiler

And I think the ultimate conclusion is that we are all qualified. It depends on our choices, whether or not we are the hero or the villain.

The Joker, however, believes that even the staunchest heroes, when pushed past their breaking point, are corruptible. But he doesn't just test our heroes, he also tests the Regular Joe and Judys of Gotham City. And therefore, he also tests us, the audience.

What would you do? He asks, mocking us with his chilling eyes and blood-curdling smile.

He places the power of life and death in the hands of ordinary people. And not just their own lives, but the lives of total strangers. And we ask ourselves, what would I do? How would I vote?

It is not an original question. It is one that has been asked throughout time in literature and movies. And comic books. Definitely comic books. But new light is shown on the possible answers, as well as some surprising messages about human nature.

That's ultimately what this movie was about. Human nature. And whether or not there are some who slip beyond human into something closer to monster. And if that's the case, is that monster still worth saving? Is there enough human inside to be considered one of the precious human lives that Batman has devoted himself to protecting? Should he? Who is he to judge the value of a life? Who are we?

I could tell you that this was a great action flick with fantastic performances and cinematography to die for, but that doesn't encompass the whole of what this movie is.

Every movie, every book, every TV show, painting, sculpture, interpretive dance...whatever, they are concepts. They are a collection of ideas which reflect and make observations about the world and the people who inhabit it. Some do this better than others. The Dark Knight does it better than most I've seen.

That's all. My thoughts are scattered. Maybe I'll be able to focus them more after I've seen it a few more times.

Also, the theater was really cold. I brought a sweater, but DANG!

Later,
Jules

Survey Says...

1. Were you named after anyone? I don't think so.

2. When was the last time you cried? Reading the Dark Knight review.

3. Do you like your handwriting? Yes, no matter what my Mother says.

4. What is your favorite lunch meat? turkey

5. Do you have kids? Oh no. Goodness no.

6. If you were another person would you like yourself? Yes, but I'd worry that I don't get out enough.

7. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Only as a defense mechanism.

8. Do you still have your tonsils? Yes.

9. Would you Bungee Jump? Ah, the 'bungee jump' question. One that I have pondered long and hard. I'm gonna have to go with 'No', on that one.

10. What is your favorite cereal? Lucky Charms. But I prefer an omelet with hash browns. Or waffles. Oooh, waffles....And breakfast burritos! Is anyone else hungry?

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? None of my shoes have ties, but I wouldn't untie them even if they did.

12. Do you think you are strong? It depends. Morally? Yes. Physically? So, so. Mentally? You are no match for my brain-power! MUAHAHAHAHA!!

13. What is your favorite ice cream? Anything with "ribbons of caramel" in it. Or peanut butter. I like mining the ice cream for the veins of yumminess, generally leaving the rest to fend for itself.

14. What is the first thing you notice about a person? The way they carry themselves.

15. Red or Pink? Red. Definitely. Eugh, pink. Shudder.

16. What is the least favorite thing about yourself? My insecurities.

17. Who do you miss the most? My Mom and Sister. (Waves! Hi guys, love you!)

18. Do you want everyone to send this back to you? Erm, difficult on a blog...

19. What color pants & shoes are you wearing? It is hot as Satan's balls (sorry Mom) here, so I'm in my underwear. They're black.

20. What was the last thing you ate? Celery with chunky peanut butter. Just like Grandma used to make.

21. What are you listening to right now? A mix of songs. Right now, Famous Last Words by My Chemical Romance.

22. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Deep purple, almost burgundy, but less red.

23. What's your favorite smell? That smell that comes out of the dryers at the laundromats when you walk by. Mmmm, love that.

24. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My Mom

25. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes. I LURRVE her.

26. Favorite sports to watch? Hockey, but really I just like it when they fight. So really, I should watch boxing or something...go figure.

27. Hair color? Now or then??? Dark brown, now, but I was blonde when I was a kid. It's also been artificially red at different times in my life.

28. Eye color? Brown. Ranging from light to indistinguishable-from-my-pupils, depending on the light. Or, so people tell me.

29. Do you wear contacts? Yes, but they aren't the correct prescription. I should really do something about that...

30 Favorite food? Anything that's been fried. With salt. Lots of salt.

31. Scary movies or happy endings? Both. But they usually have to go in that order or I'll have nightmares.

32. Last movie you watched? Wanted

33. What color shirt are you wearing? tangerine

34. Summer or winter? Summer

35. Hugs or kisses? Hugs.

36. Favorite Dessert? Krispy Kreme donuts

37. Most likely to respond? N/A, but I'll post my Sister's answer, cause I think it's funny:

I would say Julie since she hasn't filled out this questionnaire yet, but I suspect that I will actually hear from Mom first as Julie is probably out fighting crime.

Fighting crime? Moi? (Whistles suspiciously)

38. Least likely to respond? See # 18 and 37

39. What book are you reading? I just read Final Crisis: Rogue's Revenge and Batman and the Outsiders # 9. But I'm also in the middle of Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L. A. Meyer, on which I am seriously behind. I told you I have no time!

40. What is on your mouse pad? I don't have one. Mostly I just use my leg. Probably not the smartest thing ever.

41. What did you watch on TV last night? I don't really have TV in the literal sense, but I did watch several episodes of the second season of Dexter. I have gasped and stopped breathing so many times, I'm surprised I haven't passed out, yet. (I got it off of iTunes, by the way, for those of you who can't wait until August when it will be released on DVD.)

42. Favorite sound? That special little grunting sound Kim makes when she rolls over onto her back so I can rub her tummy while we're cuddling. Those of you who don't know that Kim is my cat may find the above sentence rather confusing.

43. Rolling Stones or the Beatles? Who? Just kidding. Beatles.

44. What is the farthest you’ve been from home? Singapore.

45. Do you have any talents? I can leave incredibly long rambling voice messages. Sometimes I'll talk so long I'll forget I'm talking to a machine and not a person. Which is strange, since I'm generally bad at talking to people on the phone.

46. Where you born? Boulder, Colorado.

47. Whose answers are you looking forward to getting back? I wouldn't mind if people wanted to answer in the comments section. Of course, I already got Mom and Liz's answers, which just leaves Jenna. Up for it, Jenna?

48. What it is that you want more than anything else in the world right now? International stardom. But I'll settle for one paying gig.

49. Favorite Kool-Aid as a kid? I was more partial to pixie sticks. For snorting, anyway. Kidding, Mom, kidding.

50. Your hero? My mom. Love you!

Well, there it is. A complete deconstruction of my tortured psyche. Or just some harmless fun. Hope you enjoyed it!

Jules

A Whole New Level of Scary

When I go into the bathroom, and the shower curtain is closed, I always check behind it before continuing about my business. I don't do this because I'm worried about mass-murderers lying in wait for me; I do it because I worry that one of my roommates will be hiding there, listening to me pee. Does that make me a full-on crazy-with-a-capital-C? Or do I slide under with a passable 'E' for eccentric?

I haven't seen Dark Knight, yet. It's been about all I can think about, especially after I read the glowing review in the New York Times. Annette likes to read the Times at the store when we're not busy, and I've taken to reading it as well. Funny. I never much liked reading the newspaper, but now I find I really enjoy it. You can learn so much! Mostly about how Bush has screwed us over, and I already knew that, but still: very compelling stuff. I especially love reading the Arts section. Specifically, the Weekend Arts section. I am an artist, after all, and it's good to know what is happening in good ol' show biz. My point is, I've read a lot of movie reviews in there. And let me tell you, the Times critics can be BRU-TAL. So brutal you have to say it with emphasis on both syllables. Just the other day I was reading about Mike Myers' new movie which apparently will make you wonder if you will ever laugh again. Ouch.

I was excited to read the review of Dark Knight, so when I came into the store and saw a large picture of Heath Ledger's Joker, staring hauntingly out at us from an empty Gotham street where he has clearly caused some damage, my heart skipped a beat. The review was so poetic, using great sweeping adjectives and drawing philosophical parallels between Batman's world and our own. I began to tear up, which made me feel foolish. It's just a review, Julia. Calm down.

So why, you might ask, if you're looking forward to it so much, haven't you gone to see it yet?

Oh, you DO ask the hard questions, don't you?

The short story is, I want it to be perfect. I have agonized over which theater, which day, and what time would be optimal for viewing this masterpiece. The screens are bigger at this theater, but the sound is better here. Plus, this one is probably going to be less crowded, which might be better. Nothing worse than a bad audience to ruin your theater-going experience. I think audience atmosphere can severely affect how you view a film. The same goes for hype. Have you seen that trailer one too many times? Did you hear someone you dislike say that they absolutely loved it? Has everyone in your life told you to watch this film because, "it's the best thing ever, and you will totally love it!"? I hate that. If just one too many people say that to me, I am then predisposed to hating the film just on principle. So I can say, "I'm obviously not that easy to figure out because I DIDN'T LIKE IT!" cough Napoleon Dynamite cough

Ah, the tangents, how they gain control.

I'm going to see it tomorrow night, so we'll talk about this more later.

What I really wanted to post was this e-mail survey my Mom sent me. I thought about just e-mailing it back, but then decided I could get a blog out of it, and I am not one to waste resources. In fact, this post is quite lengthy. I think I'll hold off on the survey for another day. HA HA! See, I've learned to budget my blogs so they can be spread out over a longer period of time. Yay!

So, I'll post the survey at 9:00am on 7/21 (Monday). I figure none of you will see this one till tomorrow, so this'll serve as Sunday's post. Then, of course, I'll probably write something about the Dark Knight. Something else, that is. You know, after I've actually SEEN it. This is bordering on terrifyingly obsessive, isn't it? I promise not to go on a killing spree if it doesn't live up to my expectations. In fact, I'm going to try (difficult though it may be) to go in without any expectations whatsoever.

Wish me luck!
Jules

Post Script

Sorry, forgot the whole point of the post below was to share this with you:

It is FABULOUS! It's a super-villain musical written by the great Joss Whedon. Go check it out, but it'll only be online through Sunday, so if you want to watch it for free, you must go NOW! Otherwise you can download it from iTunes for about $4.

That's really all, now. I'll be going.

Wanted, Credits, and Fish

Well, I've just (wait, no, that was an hour ago now...my goodness, where DOES the time GO?) gotten back from seeing Wanted. I know I've been talking about movies a lot lately, but I've been going to the movies a lot lately. I used to go all the time back in high school, but have gone less and less over the years. But it's something that I really enjoy, and I just remembered how much I enjoy it, this summer. I went to see Iron Man and suddenly: "Oh yeah, that's really fun. I should do that more often." And, ok, I go by myself most of the time, but at least I'm getting out of the basement (or the "batcave" as I call it).

Anyway, back to Wanted. It was pretty much as I expected: violence packed with little else in the way of storytelling. Sure, there was some plot in there somewhere, and squeezed between the shots of guys getting their heads blown off was the occasional emotional scene between characters. Still, it's really just an excuse to watch things blow up and people attempt to kill each other, all so that we can further numb ourselves to an already hyper-violent world. Gosh that was bleak. I'll try not to be so jaded.

Actually, I had fun watching this movie. There was even a twist that I didn't see coming, which is rare in films like this. Mostly I just wanted to veg out and eat popcorn (why is cinema popcorn so much better than any I make at home?).

One thing that did stand out was the score. It was phenomenal! I actually took a mental break from the carnage for a bit to think, "OK, I've got to remember to look this up on iTunes when I get back, 'cause this is seriously good stuff." And so it came as no surprise when I saw in the credits (I always stay to watch the credits, something that is getting harder and harder to do. So many theaters try to shove you out the door as soon as the movie is over, and most people give in to the looming staff, armed with brooms and dustpans. Almost every time I've gone to the movies in the past month, I have been the last person to leave the theater, and the workers all scowl and sigh and bang their brooms around impatiently, but I am very stubborn. Especially if it's a movie I enjoyed, I like to stay and watch the credits. I even read them. Not every single one, of course, that would be impossible. And it's not like I remember all the credits that I do read, but I like to acknowledge, even for the briefest of moments, the people who put such hard work into something that I liked. There are certain things I always look for, like the assistants: it's interesting to me to see which stars had an assistant during the movie. Some even have two. And then I try to think, well, is so-and-so really a bigger star than what's-er-name? Why then did s/he get an assistant while asexual amoeba did not? Wow, this is the diversion to end all diversions. I've completely forgotten where this sentence was going before the interruption. Might be best just to start again.)

Danny Elfman was the composer for Wanted. Of course, I said to myself, it was music I thought was really good, so NATURALLY it was composed by Danny Elfman. For those of you who don't know, D.E. wrote music for The Nightmare Before Christmas, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Spider-man 1 and 2, Mission: Impossible, Edward Scissorhands, Batman (with Michael Keaton), and many many more.

The man is incredible.

Why does this remind me that there's a video I was making that needs finishing? I have promised to post it for a couple weeks now, and it still isn't finished. GAH!

Next time, I promise. I hope. See, the problem is that making these videos is very time-consuming. I mean, it's fun, don't get me wrong. If it wasn't, I wouldn't do it. BUT (big 'but' here) it takes FOREVER. Especially when you're such a perfectionist like I am. I have to search endlessly for the exact-right-clip to go with this section of the music which is usually only seconds long! And while searching through the episodes for the exact-right-clip I will sometimes get caught up in watching the episode. Working with good material can get you in trouble that way, especially since these episodes all have such compelling stories...

No. I will fish. Er, I mean, 'finish'. Small typo, but I thought it looked funny, so I left it. Clearly a sign that I need to stop blogging now.

Good night all,
Jules

Time and Doubt

Oh time. TIME! Why is there never enough time?! Who's idea was it to have days be a measly 24 hours, half of which we ought to spend asleep (well, ok, not half, but darn near, and I swear, if I don't get the requisite 9 hours I am likely to be cranky, and I usually get more like 6, which, as an upside-down 9 is not really conducive to Happy-Julia, and could this sentence BE any longer?)?

It is now time for me to be in bed. Asleep. Note, that the time that shows up on these posts is actually the time I STARTED writing, not when it is actually posted. Which means, it is at least an hour after the time you see at the bottom that I finished writing. At least an hour. Often times longer.

And yet, now is the time that my mind wants me to write. I was prepared to go blissfully to bed, but NO! Blog now, my brain commands, and goodness help me if I don't obey; I would NEVER get to sleep.

Okay, okay, this was supposed to be about my revelations.

See, I'm used to being that person that people call when they have problems and they want to talk about them, and I try to offer advice and comforting words, and be generally supportive, and that's fine. I mean, I like that I can be that person, and even though it pains me when the people I love are in pain, I still want to know about it and try to help if I can. What I didn't realize was that I could demand reciprocation. Well, 'demand' isn't quite the word we're looking for, but you get the idea. I always thought, "I don't want to burden them with my troubles, so I'll just not talk to anyone until they go away."

That's stupid.

I realize that now, but it has been a long journey to this realization, and something that I still struggle with.

Just a few months ago, I was worrying about my life in general, because a friend of mine decided that trying to be an actor in NYC was too hard right now, so she moved back home and is going back to school. A valid choice, to be sure, and one that I hope she will be successful and happy with, but it brought up some interesting questions for me. This particular friend is very talented (I want to say more talented than I, but I'm trying to resist those thoughts because they aren't true. She and I are on very even footing, having had about the same amount of training. She has a few strengths where I have weaknesses, and I have some strengths where she has weaknesses, so we're pretty even. It's something we discussed a few times, and were in agreement. Anyway, that is so not the point of this...) and she's slightly better motivated than I am. I mean, I'm motivated, but she's more willing to put herself out there, take a few more chances. I really just need to take a few more chances. In fact, a LOT of chances. And big ones. If I fail, I should fail bigger and better than anyone else, and then pick myself up, dust myself up, and prepare for another flying leap, because that's the only way you get anywhere in this world. WHAT ARE WE ALL SO AFRAID OF? So what if I don't get such and such part? Just audition anyway, and eventually someone somewhere will realize that I'm right for something, and then something else and then something else until pretty soon I have a career, and I'll look back and think how foolish I was for being so AFRAID of everything.

Whooo! That felt great.

Anyway, I was sort of thinking, "gee, if she's giving up, then what am I still doing here?" And then, instead of moping and fretting for days and days, losing sleep, and generally being a big dope, I called my Mom and discussed my fears.

Relief.

Isn't it amazing how moms can just say a few words and you suddenly feel better? Where do they learn to do that? Is there a special Mom School that I don't know about? Very hush hush?

And that's all it took. One phone call, and I felt 90% better. Now, of course, not everything can be solved just like that. We all have doubts and little niggling negative thoughts that cloud up our brain, but the key is to keep them locked away in a tiny storage unit in your mind. When they slip their ropes and pick the lock (as they will) you can let them run around for a little while (they really just want to remind you that they're there) but then you have to round them up again, tie them down with a few new knots, and stick a shiny new lock on their cage. That way all they can do is shout at you through the cracks, which have been muffled with big thick blankets, so they're easy to ignore.

GAH! It's 1:00am, and I have to work tomorrow! Early! Well, early by my standards.

This is sort of rambling without a conclusion. The academic perfectionist in me demands coherence!

But I'll have to stuff him (why is the academic perfectionist a him? I don't know. He sounds a bit like Wesley from Buffy, though...) in with the doubts where I'm sure they'll have much to talk about in the way of my failures as a person.

Good night,
Jules

PS- I do not know a 'patrick' so don't get all excited. It is possible that random people stumble across my blog, in which case: Hello Random Person! I clicked on his profile, though, and it seems that he reviews movies on his blog. Interesting. He even has a review of 1776 on the 4th of July, which is my favorite musical of all time! Squeal! Anyone who hasn't seen it should rent it now. NOW!

Philosophy of a Superhero

The Dark Knight.

SQUEAL!

Heath Ledger looks absolutely terrifying. So much so, I'm thinking I shouldn't go to this one alone. Not only is it going to frighten me, but it will make me extremely depressed. His life ended far too soon, and I was genuinely sad when he passed.

Is that weird? To be sad about someone I didn't even know? But that's the thing about this profession: the idea is to touch people in a way that affects their hearts and minds. It's about sharing a part of yourself with your audience, almost like your souls bump together for a bit, then separate, now changed in some subtle way. It's an exchange of energy, and if it's done right, it makes us better people than we were before. We come away with some lesson or idea that helps us view the world a little differently. That connection with the characters on the stage or on the screen brings you closer to the whole human race, reminding you that you are not alone, that there are other beings who think and feel and that we should be kinder to them because we're all part of this earth.

Not that the Joker is really a character I'd like to bump souls with, but he represents the chaos in the world, the things you can't control, and then we are offered a hero who defeats this demon showing us that we, too, have the strength to defeat our own demons; that with logic and reason and applied ass-kicking techniques, we can take control of the chaos and reign it in, even if it's only the chaos of our own scattered lives. We all have a Batman inside of us, someone who is trying to make sense of the darkness in the world, and fighting to eliminate it both in ourselves and in the people around us.

And now I'm going on about the philosophy of superheros...could I be any stranger?

But seriously, I'm reading Final Crisis right now ( I think I've mentioned it only five hundred times) and Grant Morrison (the author) was talking about the idea that there is a feeling of fear in the western world, right now. Everyone is a little on edge, a little unsure about the future. There is darkness in the world, and since 9/11 we've started to realize that the darkness can touch us. America was so certain of it's own power that we never dreamed an attack like that could happen, and then it did. And now it feels like everyone is afraid. Afraid and waiting. Waiting for what, I don't know. Waiting for another attack? Waiting for mother nature to finally take a swing at us and say "Hey! NO. No. Bad humans. I've had just about enough of you!"?

Off topic.

So, Morrison was saying that he wanted to reflect that fear in the comics, and that he wanted to present the idea that evil has already won. That it slipped in, past all the heroes, and no one even realized it. And, of course, how do the heroes deal with that? That's what makes comics interesting. We have these super-powered beings and a world full of problems. How would they solve those problems? Can they solve those problems? Are they, actually, any more qualified to solve those problems than we are? How, in the absence of super-heroes, can we solve those problems? Can we, perhaps, learn something from the way they would solve...you get the idea.

My goodness, what DO they put IN that popcorn?

So, I can't wait to see Dark Knight.

This was supposed to be an entry about false accusations. And then I was going to tell you about my recent discoveries on the idea that if you have problems and are upset, that maybe it would help if you, you know, TALKED to someone. Rachel and I had a whole conversation about the way we tend to push people away when we're sad. It's only recently occurred to me that instead of crawling into my little hole with all the high impenetrable walls when I'm sad, that I might call a friend and tell him/her about my troubles, and that maybe that person could say something that would make me feel better, or just allow me to rant until I feel better all on my own. This shouldn't be a radical concept. GAH. Okay, next time, I promise.

And, hopefully, I'll have finished my video by then.

I'm actually doing really well, right now, so, who knows why I got all serious and ranty on you up there. I'm a strange girl.

Later,
Jules

Double Feature

Well, I've just seen Hancock and Get Smart. Not in that order. It should have been that order, because Get Smart is the better movie and I would have liked to let it linger in my mind more than Hancock, but the whole double feature thing was rather impromptu, so I didn't really get a chance to plan things out.

See, that's one of the reasons why I like going to the movies by myself; I can make decisions like that without having to worry about someone else. Not that I don't like seeing movies with other people, despite the way I've gone on about solo-movie-watching on this blog. I especially like seeing movies that I've already seen, with other people, because I like sharing the experience, watching their reaction. And there was that one time that Mom and I saw some movie then noticed that something else we wanted to see was just starting in a theater we were passing on the way out, so we ducked in without even paying for tickets. We're such rebels.

Anyway, Hancock was very much as my sister described it to me: the first half is great but the second half falls completely apart and you are left with the feeling of "gosh, I really wanted that to be better. I really wanted to like it."

By the time we got to the huge emotional climax I said to myself, "Self, I wish I had goosebumps and crashing waves of emotion surging through me right now, 'cause I'd really like for this to be emotional and cathartic, but it just isn't. Something has gone wrong, and I've lost the shiny edge off my caring. I mean, I still sort of care about these characters and their predicament, but not enough."

spoiler alert--Also, I didn't believe for a second that they were really going to die.--spoiler alert

Get Smart was just plain fantastic. I laughed out loud which is difficult when you're alone and there are only about 6 other people in the audience. It's easier to laugh in a crowd. I wonder why that is? I thought Steve Carell was just plain brilliant. He made me believe he could actually be a secret agent in spite of his seeming incompetence. I'm not describing that well. He did have funny mishaps often of a physically comedic nature, but he still made the audience believe that he was quite capable of being a hero. Also, he displays real emotion. Real comedy has to come from a real place, or it's just not that funny, which is why comedians are often times the best actors. So why, you may ask, do comedic actors rarely get Oscars? There is no answer. Comedy is ten times harder than drama; every actor knows that. These days, a lot of comedians go for the flash without the substance. Jack Black is particularly guilty of this. He tends to wave his arms about and act like an idiot without offering anything of substance behind it. His comedy always seems rather empty to me.

I didn't mean to get onto this rant. It was just sitting there at the train station of my brain, and BOOM, I hopped right on. And I really shouldn't be so hard on Jack Black as I haven't seen any of his movies (with the exception of King Kong in which he was truly terrible. But then, he wasn't funny in that. On the contrary, he seemed to be trying desperately NOT to be funny, and therefore came off like a robot reading lines. And we're not talking Blade Runner robot, we're talking "danger Will Robinson, danger" kind of robot. It was as though he was afraid to move around or else he might accidentally be funny and therefore ruin his whole "I'm a serious actor" vibe.).

I have gone waaaaay off topic. Maybe I should do what Robin McKinley does and put my tangents in footnotes. Nah. Then my posts would be two sentences, and my footnotes would be 3 pages. I much prefer the non-linear way of blogging.

Hey, I saw a preview for Dark Knight.

And now this post has become incredibly long, so I will split it in two. I leave you with that tantalizing tease, which you can follow up on at 9:00AM on 7/11.

And now I must go to bed, because I just had to write half of this post AGAIN because my computer did something extremely strange and rather annoying when I tried to split the post into two posts. The other half is fine, sitting, waiting to be posted on Friday, but this one decided to get all weird and mostly deleted. Don't worry, I put everything back in, so you haven't missed anything. That's assuming I get through this without incident. Please don't let there be incident. I don't think I could handle rewriting it a third time.

I should go before anything else happens.

Later,
Jules