Oscar Predictions

Are you watching the Oscars this year? We are having some neighbors over for dinner and champagne and dress commentary. Husband and I will place bets and he will win every category because he picks the logical, reasonable choice and I pick who should win if there was any justice in the world. And then he'll go you can't bet on someone who wasn't even nominated and I'll go yeah but she should have been nominated and he'll go that's not how betting works and then I'll go that's because no one ever listens to me. I'm a super fun wife.…

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Let's Go To The Movies

  I'm thinking about hosting an Oscar party. (By party, of course, I mean I will invite Denise over to watch with me, and we will drink champagne in our pajamas and look askance at anyone who dares to speak over Meryl Streep or Viola Davis.) I am as annoyed as any feminist by the "Who Are You Wearing?" question that all women get on the red carpet. That said, I LOVE looking at Oscar dresses. This is a fun chart of the most iconic Oscar dress every year. Cher is the obvious winner for straight up crazy, but I'm…

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Reading People

Have you ever looked at Awesome People Reading? Do yourself a favor and go check it out. Why is it so fascinating to look at people reading? Because we read to know we are not alone. I like to think this is not even a costume John Cleese is wearing. Just maybe how he reads the paper every morning.   Tom Waits reads. And you can piss off.   Before she was a dame, her formal title was Badass Judi Dench.   I can't really explain why I think this photo of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jessica Lange reading is so damn sexy.…

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Top Two Most Embarrassing Moments Last Week

  I spent last week at the Smarter Artist Summit in Austin. If you look around the interwebs, you'll see all sorts of wrap-ups from writers who came out of their shells, talked to other people, and learned about writing, marketing, and branding. It was an awesome time, even for introverts who aren’t used to peopling. Of course I had to mess some things up. It was inevitable, and knowing me it could have been way worse. If you ever think to yourself, That Julie sure is brave! Look how she goes to other states with other people and tries…

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I Think I Love You

My younger sister, The Angel of Death, texted me yesterday that David Cassidy is battling dementia. I'd happily sign legislation that made it illegal for all artists to be mortal. Can someone please get on this? Thinking about David Cassidy reminded me of a book I loved called I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson. If you love David Cassidy, or really if you've ever had a crush on a pop star this is a super fun read. From the Amazon description: Petra and Sharon, two thirteen-year-old girls, are both desperately in love with a world-famous pop star. Together…

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Celebrity Deaths

At Denise's New Year's Eve party, we debated whether it really was a rough year for celebrity deaths, or if it was just our imagination. Maybe the collective noise of everyone complaining about celebrity deaths made it seem like there were way more than there actually were. My husband, as usual, was able to supply us with actual facts, and as it turned out, the numbers of notable deaths really was higher last year than in previous years. What I think is bizarre is how they slip from our minds so quickly. Going over the end of year compilations I…

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Hash, Celebrity Crushes, Negronis

I'm going to assume you are over your New Year's Eve Hangover, that you have started, then modified, and then given up on your Resolution diet, and that you are pretty much settling in to 2017. What can we do? Calm the hell down. That's all. Time for some comfort food. And drinks. Let's not get too crazy. Here's what I'm up to right now: Eating: Salt and Vinegar Potato Hash.  This is basically like a bag of chips for breakfast. Just add a poached egg and it's a meal. See? Don't ever let anyone tell you I don't know how…

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What We Talk About When We Talk About Ryan Lochte

I admit I’m following Lochtegate with a toxic mixture of glee and horror. The tweets! The white male privilege! The Ugly American! Am I an intelligent observer of cultural relations, or do I just like to laugh at stupid people? What is this guy all about? What am I all about? Can you tell me? This is the essential mystery of Lochte: athletic success at the level he has achieved takes almost superhuman mental fortitude and edge. Either all of that vanishes when he steps out of the pool or he’s a deeply gifted actor, or he has a kind of stupid…

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