Recent Contributions from Julie Block

Student Artist Spotlight: Jeffrey Connor and Bruce Hyde

Julie Block — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

At first glance, Jeff and Bruce’s camaraderie (their senses of humor complement each other and they finish each others sentences in a way that makes them seem like they’ve known each other much longer than a few months) belies how passionately they play when on stage. Jeff is out of town a lot and is apparently homeless; Bruce, in a complementary way, came to Cornell to run track, and has since stayed, taking on the persona of a talented Van Wilder (at 25, he’s been at Cornell since 2005 and claims his date of graduation is 2012) who also happens to be a pretty talented poker player, and is using his winnings to pay tuition.

Even the Sex Is Better in London

Julie Block — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:03:49 -0400

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and just say this: I am not against prostitution. In fact, I think it should be legalized.

There, I said it. Some of you may have gasped, because the idea of anyone selling sex for money sounds preposterous. Some of you probably rolled your eyes, hopefully because you don’t find it all that shocking but think I’m being melodramatic. Some of you probably aren’t really paying attention. Still, there you go. I have put it out there, in print and on the internet. It’s permanent, and it can’t be erased. Luckily, I don’t want to go into politics or be a nun.

Livin' the California Dream, Boobs and All

Julie Block — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:04 -0400

Showtime really messed up the other day, for which I am ecstatically grateful: when my roommates and I went to watch our On Demand, ready-for-viewing copy of the Californication premiere, there was not one but two episodes of Californication in my On Demand box. Two. As in: the premiere and next week’s, not aired yet episode. Showtime, I love you, and I promise to not say anything bad about you for at least another 3 to 6 months.

I was so excited about this that I called my mom to tell her (my life is not very exciting these days).

“Mom, guess what!”

“One of your stories got picked up by The New York Times?” (She likes to dream big.)

“Noooo … Showtime screwed up and gave us the second episode of Californication.”

The Cornell Connection: Gaye Hirsch '84, CW Executive

Julie Block — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Ever dream of working in showbiz? Then talk to Gaye Hirsch ’84, Senior Vice President of Current Programming at the C.W. television network. She helped make movies for Tom Cruise’s production company, Cruise/Wagner and held a gig with HBO, before settling down to oversee shows like Gossip Girl and Smallville at the C.W. The Sun had the opportunity to sit down with Hirsch in Los Angeles this summer to talk about her path to show-business:

The Sun: So you’re a pretty big deal. Would you mind explaining what exactly your job entails?

All the Sad, Young, Literary Men

Julie Block — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I love summers because I can read for fun; this summer, most of what I read sucked. All sucked, that is, but one: Keith Gessen’s jewel of a debut, All the Sad, Young, Literary Men.

The title implies an obvious ennui, a weight, and perhaps, a certain self-importance. The title, yes catching, seems to say: I am Chekhov with a twist of Dave Eggers; I am Russian lit-er-a-ture with a hint of American modern sparseness.

And yet Keith Gessen’s first novel opens with the rhythm of The Things They Carried and the authorial insight of one sadly aware of all those sad (young) writers who came before him ... yet in a voice that is utterly new.

Al Gore May Not Be My Biggest Fan

Julie Block — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I am not the eco-friendliest person. I don’t know if me and the environment are friends; I’d say we’re more acquaintances who drunkenly bump into each other at the bars and make plans for lunch — “Like, not this week, because I’m really busy, but maybe next week?” — and then we both forget about it.

But if the biological system I just anthropomorphized as a literary device didn’t like me then, it sure isn’t going to like me after this one. But that’s OK, because while I like the eco-friendly movement — I really do — I just like people more.

Before every socially conscious person gets up in arms, I’m actually only talking about one aspect of our “Go Green!” society: reusable bags.

'Yo, You Got Cornelled!'

Julie Block — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Mr. Gorilla Man and Senor BananaOn October 31, 2006, a gorilla woke up, got dressed and decided to spend his day chasing a banana around campus.

Or more accurately, two dudes decided to pull an ingenious prank on Halloween — a guy in a gorilla suit chasing a guy in a banana suit throughout campus — classrooms, up and down lecture halls, skipping through Ho plaza, even meandering through Trillium and Libe Café, picking up some much needed coffee and potassium.

Being Howard Rodman ('71)

Julie Block — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

We try to avoid keeping The Sun’s content inbred; it’s often seen as both self-promotional and perhaps a conflict of interest.

That said, there are times when you have to make allowances; when a former editor is exemplary and interesting enough, that, though he or she may claim that “they majored in the Sun,” everything else he or she has done far surpasses it.

Howard Rodman ’71 is one such dude. He’d be the first to claim that he’s not quite the “Hollywood Insider,” and he may be right: much of his work, though celebrated, happens to be “unproducable or unpublishable” — a common trope of his.

Zeitgeist, 2; Julie, 0

Julie Block — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Hello, darling readers and newbies:

Once upon a time, I had a column. Then, during the 6-week-long, Daily Sun hell known as editorial compet, I took a really long break. Now I’m back. Didn’t-cha just miss me?

For those of you who haven’t experienced the pain/plea-sure/antipathy that is my column, allow me to re-introduce myself: I’m Julie. I’m that annoying white girl with the curly hair, blasting Three 6 Mafia and Kate Nash from my car while the rest of you cool souls are probably walking along to Nas, Talib and (I hope to God not) Katy Perry.

Fringe: A TV Show That Might Not Suck!

Julie Block — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I’ll be the first to admit — I had given up on Señor J.J. Abrams a while back. I loved Alias until about the third season, when Jennifer Garner’s character lost her memory and Lauren came and everything got wayyyyy too angsty. Then apparently Vaughn died and Sydney got pregnant with Rimbauldi’s baby or something crazy and it all just got to be too much for me and I quit. I gave up on Lost much earlier — around midway through season two, because the TV in Dickson 4-5 was annexed by these kids who only played video games, and I was too lazy to walk over to Donlon and watch. In fact, the only Abrams show I’ve made it through entirely is Felicity, which to this day remains my favorite of all of them (and is the least Abrams-esque).

Brew Fest

Julie Block — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The 2nd annual Ithaca Brew Fest dawned dark, wet and nasty on a September day, a day that students and adults alike would usually spend indoors watching Project Runway reruns or getting their study on. But a select group of troopers — those tough-skinned Cornellians, Ithaca Collegians, townies and out-of-towners who possessed a legitimate (hopefully) driver’s license claiming they were 21 years of age or older, made their way to Stewart Park on Saturday afternoon to dance, taste and get their drink on.

Guide to Getting Down with Your Funky Self

Julie Block — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Bill Maher '78, Sept. 28 in Barton Hall (CUPB)

Whether you loved, hated, or were just confused by Steven Colbert’s performancce last fall, this fall look forward to another sometimes offensive, always honest, except when he’s being satirical, pundit, Bill Maher. We’re not exactly sure what he’s going to talk to us about — although a reading from When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden would be pretty freaking sweet — but we’re sure it will include some heavy Cornell mockery, spoiled-college-kid scolding, humor and maybe a teeny bit of edumucation. Make sure you get your tickets early.

Go to www.rso.cornell.edu/cupb/ for more information.

Howie Mandel, Oct. 24, Barton Hall (CUPB)

Welcome Back to the Show

Julie Block — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Dear Cornell students, faculty, staff and random people who pick up this paper,

Right now, you are most likely sitting in Libe Café, CTB or some equivalent. You may have a few blank notebooks, an astronomical bill on your Cornell Card from books you’ve just bought and some (hopefully) good coffee in hand. The nights are already starting to get colder, and your liver is taking some serious beating from this week, because, as you told your mother again last night, classes don’t actually start until like, mid-September. As you try to stave off the what-am-I-going-to-do-without-Schedulizer panic attack, your eyes alight on these words and you groan inwardly, thinking “Man, I wish it was still summer.”

We do too.

The Various Sonic Samplings of a Rowdy, Beer-Soaked Music Festival

Julie Block — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Before I delve into the festival itself, it’s necessary to point out that Lollapalooza — if not all music festivals — brings out the worst in people. Case in point: While we were trying to get out of Grant Park after Kanye finished his set Sunday night, fights broke out and class warfare went down when a normal Lolla-goer yelled at the V.I.P.’s for being “upper class yuppies who probably don’t even know who the Ting Tings are.” One woman quite literally stretched out her arms and legs on the staircase every step so as to make sure no one cut in front of her in line. It was like an airport, except that everyone was drunk, sun-burnt and bobbing their heads to music.

A Free Ticket to The Los Angeles Film Festival

Julie Block — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The best thing about living in Westwood, Los Angeles is that about every other day, the road you need to walk down or park on is blocked off for a movie premiere. What’s even better is the Los Angeles Film Festival, where the entire neighborhood becomes a mini-Sundance, complete with ticket booths, mini-red carpets, special super-secret party rooms (like the Target Red Room, where — if you are important, famous or a major filmmaker — you get to hang out and drink free booze).

Teens Gone Wild? More Like MSNBC Producers Gone Clueless

Julie Block — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If you’ve read my stuff before, you know I tend to comment on the lighter side of things. You know: theatre, music, cleavage, television, the occasional Ugg boot … It’s rare that I find something disturbing enough to change my tone, especially when I’m at the freakin’ gym, running in place like a gerbil. But when I do, the serious comes out.

Screw the Project, Free the Runway

Julie Block — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In our recently-released-from-the-hell-that-was-the-writers’-strike reality television dependent society, when we think fashion or models, we think Tyra and Heidi. However, as you know if you’ve ever been to any CDL events this year or in years past: Project Runway, CDL is not.

I realize this immediately upon entering the CDL studio in MVR. The studios and work rooms are tucked away in a far-off corner of the building I would never have found had I not been led there by some of the friendly members of the CDL board. I am greeted by Meg Cross ’08, president and Kirby Fowle ’08, vice president of publicity, who show me around the room.

Back in the Day: Reunifications of a Bookish Sort

Julie Block — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

There’s a reunion happening on the other end of the line.

Actually, there’s a Cornell reunion — a Cornell Sunnie reunion to be precise, and if I were in the mood to split hairs, I’d specify that it’s a reunion of former Dazies.

Their names are Mickey Rapkin’ 00, S.E. Cupp ’00 and Farhad Manjoo ’00. They work at GQ, The New York Times and Salon.com, respectively. Oh, and they all have books coming out in the month, one out already — the reason behind this joyous reunion.

In short, they are who you want to be in five to 10 years. Or, at least who we want to be.

Exquisite Corpus Preview

Julie Block — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Usually, if you told me the two phrases — body parts, college students — I would have some sort of spring breaky, Girls Gone Wild (oh hey dude, you’re in jail now!) image in my head. But Exquisite Corpus, this year’s History of Art Majors’ Society exhibition, is proof that we college students, or at least our peers, have an awareness of the body and its parts that extends beyond the obvious into the various ways it can be displayed in art.

Arts Boxer Briefs

Julie Block — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

BJ’s Big News:

Novak concerned about fact checking, leaves comedy career to become Sun Copy Editor

BJ Novak announced today that he is leaving his role at The Office to help with with fact checking. “My brains, smarts and good looks are obviously need elsewhere,” he told The Sun today, and then promptly asked us for a job. “That’s what she said,” The Sun replied.

Arts Editor Shamed, Quits Job, Wears Disguise Around Campus

Arts and Entertaiment Editor Peter Finocchiaro ’10 quit his job Saturday night after being called out by BJ Novak for a minor gaffe. If interested in the position, please contact The Sun.

Porn Star 101:

REVIEW: I'm Not There with Special Guest Todd Haynes

Julie Block — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I should preface this review by saying I have never been much of a Bob Dylan fan. Or expert. In fact, I had to Wikipedia Dylan after both the first time I saw I’m Not There and before Saturday’s screening just so that I could pretend I knew what I was talking about (and what was going on). But I shouldn’t have bothered; both I’m Not There and Saturday night’s Cornell Cinema screening of the film and talk with Todd Haynes were basically Bob Dylan (and music/experimental film/random crazy cultural theory) 101, with Haynes, film critic J. Hoberman and random audience members serving as lecturers.

Seriously, in the metaphor I’m trying to make it was the best class ever — even if it was on a Saturday night.

Chatting with Dan Bakkedahl

Julie Block — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Cornell’s been having a pretty funny year: first Steven Colbert came in October, and then, the Wednesday before break began, Dan Bakkedahl, a Second City and Improv Olympic alum (among the likes of Tina Fey, Chris Farley and Colbert himself) former Daily Show Correspondent and future comedic deity (watch out Will Ferrel) also made the treck to Ithaca to talk about his past in comedy and “what Jon is really like” (said in high-pitched, mocking voice). Not only did he grace us with his presence , he humored The Sun and answered a few of our questions.

THE SUN: So whose idea was it that you come to Cornell?

Test Spin: Yael Naim

Julie Block — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Yael Naim, known (or not known, as the case may be) for singing the accompaniment for the Macbook Air commercial (“New Soul”) is relatively new on the music scene with her first, self-titled album. Amongst a current influx of talented female crooners (Feist, Sia), Naim stands out with her beautiful, clear vocals, simple yet haunting lyrics (even though many of her songs are in Hebrew) and scorching Israeli accent.

Daze In Tinsel Town: Cornell Film's Past and Present

Julie Block — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It all began with The Emerald City. No, actually, it began with Frank Morgan ’12, who, besides managing four years of hellish winters here in Ithaca, also had the distinction of being the Wizard. (You know, in The Wizard of Oz. Yeah, that guy.) The man behind the curtain is an icon of Cornell’s long, historic tie to the land of dreams and the silver screen (sing it with me… doo doo doo doo doo Hollywood).

In all seriousness though, I had no idea how distinguished our ties were to Tinsel Town until John Schroeder ’74, The Sun’s production manager, told me recently. (Props, Schroedster. Props.)

My Sugar-Deprived Childhood

Julie Block — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Disclaimer: This is, in no way, an infringement on the Snack Food King. I wish I were the Snack Food King. I would love to be a connoisseur of all things junk. But, unfortunately, as you will see, my expertise is more in tofu than jelly beans.

My father loves to tell the following story: one morning when I was a toddler, he came downstairs to find me sitting on kitchen floor with cereal boxes and cereal piled up around me like the Indiana Dunes. Instead of trying to hide under the grain piles, I just grinned at him with my huge chipmunk cheeks, yelled "wee!" and threw handfuls of cereal in the air.

I May Not Walk the Walk, But I'll Wear the Clothes

Julie Block — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

“You’re going to Fashion Week?” Such was the consistent response we received leading up to the glorious occasion. I took offense to that — honestly, have you seen my column mug? — but I saw our skeptical friends’ point. While I’m no Anne Hathaway circa The Devil Wears Prada, I wouldn’t say fashion is my everything — I just started watching Project Runway this year (I know, gasp), and am not an expert on the world of couture.

Still, who could turn down Fashion Week?

The event itself is surreal. Almost all the shows take place in Bryant Park underneath a tent that’s a distant cousin of Mary Poppin’s purse. If a tourist didn’t see the huge FASHION WEEK sign, he or she wouldn’t realize there was anything so spectacular taking place under his or her nose.

To Rock (Band) or Not? (pro)

Julie Block — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Look, I see the point that Rock Band and Guitar Hero are just cop-outs for lazy drunk people who would start a band and be famous, if it were that easy. But hey, lazy, sometimes drunk person right here! And really, who wouldn’t start a band – and be pretty freakin’ awesome at it — if they had the time? Why should I have to go through the sweat and tears, the breakups, the poverty, the rehearsals, the fear that you’ll never be famous, the becoming famous, only to lose said fame and become a has-been, and, finally, undergo the embarrassment of showing up on VH1’s Where are They Now? for my music, when I can just as easily pretend to do that on a plastic controller?

Tell It Like It Is

Julie Block — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Not gonna lie, my introduction to that particular phrase occured during Cornell Days. I was an overenthusiastic prefrosh already self-conscious about my own Midwestern slang, and having never heard what was supposedly normal lingo in the East made me feel even more of an outsider. What did they mean, “not gonna lie?” Shouldn’t it be assumed that you were generally telling the truth when you spoke?

No Debate for The Great Debaters

Julie Block — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Great Debaters starts, like many films, in transition: a woman sitting on a bus, staring out at a deceivingly calm-looking country landscape. Although an overused device for a titles sequence, it’s very fitting given the back story for the film’s plot — a country in transition, on a journey from its racist Jim Crow history, taking the first few steps of a long hard journey towards equality.

Bored Over the Break?

Julie Block — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:58:11 -0500

So there I was, at home in my PJs at 4 in the afternoon on Wednesday, finishing up this season of Weeds while the rest of you lovely people were stuck at Cornell, in the library studying for finals and dealing with the snow. (You think I’m gloating?

The Fame Game

Julie Block — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The plan was to be famous by 18.

Tyler had thought of a couple methods. She was going to become President of the United States, I was going to become the Prime Minister of Israel, and then, in a feat of stupidity to go down in the ages as bigger than the sale of Alaska, would sell the entirety of America to me for a limited edition, Steve Madden shoe. (We didn’t know Manolo Blahnik existed back then.) In her brief “reign” in the Presidency, she was going to introduce good fashion sense to the unwashed masses of Washington D.C., and thus bring about world peace.

We then realized that this would mean going into politics; even as 13-year-olds we were not that idealistic.

SaTired of It All

Julie Block — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

I know I haven’t columned in a while; I’ve been too busy crying my eyes out over the end of Stephen Colbert’s candidacy for the President (in South Carolina). No, really.

Okay, you’re right, I haven’t. I’m actually relieved the charade is up, and not just because I would hate for my hero to become the next Ralph Nader. I’m relieved because even satire can go overboard.

Sororizzle Dizzle fo Shizzle

Julie Block — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Hi, I’m in a sorority. This means some or all of the following: 1) I’m blonde (or conversely, have dark curly hair and am “Jappy”), 2) I’m a bimbo, 3) I love the color pink, 4) I live my life in pearls and polos, spandex and headbands, or both, 5) I don’t consider my night complete until I am puking up my body weight in alcohol, 6) I am a huge stinkin’ slut. It stands to reason that this is all true, because as a sorority girl, I am, most obviously, a sorostitute.

When the Fans Become the Show

Julie Block — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Waiting in Line

Ok, so this isn’t an actual New Yorker event, per say, though I did pay — in an hour and ten minutes worth of my life — but I strongly believe that one has not truly experienced the New Yorker Festival if one has not waited in line with half of New York’s pretentious wannabe literati for the aforementioned seventy minutes.

A Eugugoly, Part II

Julie Block — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

A year ago, I wrote my very first real article for the Sun; a eulogy to The OC’s Marissa Cooper. I was not very nice. In fact, when I say eulogy, it was more of a relieved rant about how female characters like Marissa are awful role models for the pre-teen and teen girls who watch them; in it, I hoped that Marissa’s “death” would mean an end to the one-dimensional, permanently-in-distress, whining hot-mess party girl character. I must have really stinkin’ bad karma though, because the opposite happened: two shows with arguably the most substantive female protagonists on prime-time were both axed last spring. So now, while The Hills blares annoyingly from the next room (what? You think I like LC?

Stage and Music Question Human Goodness

Julie Block — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

It starts with music; a song, a dance and good humor. On a mostly bare set, the piano is played while the main characters exposit the introduction. No one is in a concentration camp, no one is running from the Gestapo, no one is hailing Hitler in uniform. The music is lively, not dismal, the lighting bright and cheery, not grey and foreboding. I’m confused; is this the wrong play? Forgive my glib tone; I am only echoing a part of the juxtaposition that is Good, the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts’ opening play for their fall season about a good man in Germany in the 1930s who, little by little, becomes a member of the Nazi Party. This struggle between good and bad, and our judgments of both, are Good’s core.

MOMMY, LOOK, THAT MAN IS NAKED

Julie Block — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

No, really, he was. It was Saturday night and I sat at the Common Ground drenched from another one of Ithaca’s torrential downpours and watched as one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever had the fortune of being within ten feet of dance naked in the name of art. The show was called Queer Love Shoefest, and the performer of the first piece was completely naked. Did I mention that already?

YouTube Killed the VMA Star

Julie Block — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

9:05 pm: I walk in late to hear my housemates groaning over how awful Britney was; they can barely disguise their glee. On stage, Sarah Silverman is lauding how amazing and wonderful Britney Spears is. Uh oh, Brit must have been worse than I thought.

But no, she’s just setting up for a bitch-volley. “Isn’t it amazing? She’s only 25 and she’s already accomplished everything she’s going to accomplish in life!” Hey, be nice. But Sarah shouldn’t worry; it looks like she’s tanked too.

Housemate 1: What is she saying? Why is she being so awkward?

Housemate 2: Wait no, I love this. I love awkward.

It’s My Birthday. Will I Shave My Head Today?

Julie Block — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Today is my 21st birthday. Woot.

Now, you’re probably thinking — why isn’t this chick excited? She’s twenty-one! She’s legal! Stop being such a downer, Julie. But here’s the deal: aside from the fact that life isn’t that much different, the last birthday I had to look forward to has arrived. And now, all I have left, as my friend Nick put it, is to “get a real job, work 8-hour days, get married, have kids, lose your freedom, and then, of course, die.” (As you can see, he’s a real upper.)

Arts Around the Ivies

Julie Block — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Just in case you don’t get all of your arts and entertainment fix from sweet ole’ Nell, here’s up at those other institutions in our football league:

• Near Columbia University, the African Diaspora Summer Film Series is going on at the Riverside Theatre, located at 91 Claremont Avenue at 120th Street in New York City. Tickets are $10 Dollars. Personal Pick in the Series: On the Verge of a Fever, playing Saturday at 5 p.m., about a teenage boy in Haiti during 1971.

Spiced up Life, Check

Julie Block — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:04:49 -0400

There aren’t that many things that can bring me back to 1996. And thank G-d: I’ve tried to wipe thoughts of platform shoes, bell bottom jeans, and shirts from LimitedToo with sayings like “girl power” and “boys are mean!” from my memory. However, the one thing that could make me go back to that time happily has happened: The Spice Girls are having an 11 concert reunion tour next winter.

Well, Maybe I'm a Little Ashamed

Julie Block — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:43:30 -0400

I am finally coming out of the closet and admitting it – I love Gossip Girl. What I hated was the whole set of crap-elitist-fantasy-novels that wanted to cash in on Cecily Von Zegeizer’s glory. But I have finally found one that I will say I am not ashamed to promote – Secret Society Girl, an Ivy League novel. It’s basically Gossip Girl style (except only in first person) but relocated in the hallowed halls of Yale, with a bit of Joshua Jackson’s The Skulls thrown in. It’s trash, but it’s fun, uber-pretentious trash – throwing out references to the hallowed Ivy League and literature that the author obviously feels her readers should know in the same way the Gossip Girl genre throws out references to the rich and famous.

Confessions of an Adulteress

Julie Block — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:41:09 -0400

It was love at first site for my Mac and me. I discovered it one day while waiting for my iPod to be fixed, again (if that wasn’t a clue for future marital unbliss, then I don’t know what is), and could not get its beautiful silver exterior out of my head. Our first few months together were the perfect honeymoon — there was nothing I loved better than my G4 (that’s right, I’m “old school.”)

That of course, wore out quickly, when she began to have problems that I hadn’t caused. She died a few times, and I died too – what could I do without my baby? Not that I’ve treated her so well myself – she has the scratches, dents and dust to prove it. But love hurts, right? But like most relationships, I got bored with her slowness, her largeness, and my eye started roaming, to newer, shinier and lighter weight models.

Tacky, Tacky, Tacky

Julie Block — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:34:42 -0400

Today was the great quest for black ballerina flats of summer 2007. Though unsuccessful, I realized a few things that I wanted to share with the world. And by things, I mean tacky accessories that should not exist, or at least not be sold in overpriced department stores.

1.Why do shoes with clear plastic heels exist? They might be fun for Halloween or Tacky Formal, but these things were going for 300 dollars a pop, and were made by classy designers. I’ve finally accepted that silver shoes and accessories can be classy, if done right, but silver and plastic, together? That’s the worst of resort wear.

2. I will never, ever understand why people insist on buying bags where the label is as big as the bag itself. If a person has enough money to buy a 1000 dollar bag, then shouldn’t they be secure enough in their social class to not need to display a big, gaudy Gucci or Chanel emblem on it? It makes the bag look like it’s only worth about a 10th of its cost, if that. And this doesn’t apply only to bags there is no need for the label to be dominantly displayed across any item of clothing or accessory. It should be beautiful enough on its own (especially if you’re paying a fortune for it) to not need a big ol’, look-how-much-money-I-spent tag. Seriously, you might as well take a __ from rappers and just leave the tag on.

Brits Just Do it Better

Julie Block — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 23:30:10 -0400

In my humblest of opinions, the best part of summer is catching up on the television that you missed or just never saw. My recent favorite: Skins. Take the trashiest, most oversexed American teen TV show, remove the censors and multiply by a million. Skins is about a group of friends in a public college (basically high school) in London who are completely open with each other about sex, drugs and whatever else comes along. Whether it’s a testament to British culture being more openly raunchy (some of the dialogue was so blunt that I even blanched) than America, or proving once again that America is a country that was formed by prudes, I don’t know. But it’s definitely one of the more amusing shows to pick up for the summer — and its non-apologetic, honest tone is a refreshing change from the crap that’s left over on the CW after they cancelled their good shows.

Everybody (Yea-ah,) Boy Bands Back ALRIGHT

Julie Block — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Deckhead:

WTF, Mate?!

Body:

I like boys who sing. (What? I do. ) So understandably, I was quite excited to come to college and be surrounded by not one, but three all-male a cappella groups.

Over time, however, the allure wore off and was replaced with a burning question. Why do girls love all male a cappella? Why, when about a dozen or so guys get together and dance around somewhat flamboyantly to “My Girl,” I lose all ability to think rationally, my cynicism abandons me, and I have to restrain myself from squealing like a school girl?

For the Sake of the Family

Julie Block — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Body:

It is only fair to warn you that I was predisposed to liking The Namesake before I even saw it. Between my love for the novel and the crush I’ve had on Kal Penn since Van Wilder, in my eyes The Namesake never had a chance to fail. However, even with two large hurdles to overcome — the adaptation of a slow-moving story to film and that the title role actor’s past experience was limited to frat-style comedies — Mira Nair’s adaptation of the beloved novel manages to capture the saga of an Indian family’s induction and assimilation into America while trying to retain their own cultural identity with a simple, unaffected grace.

The Fu Cha Cha of Dance

Julie Block — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 01:00:00 -0400

Body:

Beauty comes in a variety of forms. Sometimes it is merely pretty: simple, aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand. At other times though, it can be frightening: jarring, mysterious and captivating, it forces its way under your skin and doesn’t let go. N2 Da Fu Cha Cha: Dance Concert 2007 was the latter.

The Deferral Debate

Julie Block — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 01:00:00 -0400

Deckhead:

WTF, Mate?!

Body:

In October during my senior year of high school, during the panicked chaos that is the college application process, I was driving home from one of many overachiever meetings. Applications were due in a few weeks, we still needed funding for the literary magazine, apparently I was supposed to take the SATs … my sleep deprived, stressful future loomed in front of me with no escape plan. Suddenly, I had an epiphany and stopped, almost causing a five-car pileup. “Mom,” I said on my cell phone, ignoring the honking cars, “I can’t go to school next year. I don’t care what I do, but I have to take the year off.”

Hugs Before Uggs: Rather Boot Than Wear the Boots

Julie Block — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 02:00:00 -0400

Deckhead:

WTF, Mate?!

Body:

I am a hypocrite.

A dirty, stinkin’ hypocrite.

Throughout my life, there have been certain principles I have held near and dear to my heart, things that I have hated with great pride. Inevitably, each of these principles — usually in regard to some aspect of popular culture — was discarded when I realized I was being stupid and/or stopped caring. In middle school it was boy bands, freshman/sophomore year of high school the color pink, junior year, Pink, senior year, Juicy sweatsuits, and, until this year, text messaging. It’s been Joey Fatone, Rent the movie, popped collars, leggings and the “Milkshake” song. Invariably, all of these fell to the wayside of hypocrisy as I have had to face my own fickleness time and time again.