Julie_Kim's Blog

I ate crickets, bread made of cricket flour, giant queen ants, cicadas, dragonflies, water bugs and more. I did!!! At the Academy of Natural Sciences. I was a guest judge of a cook off between two judges to kickoff the Academy's Bug Fest!!

In a nut shell, here's what I liked. The fried crickets tasted like potato chips, the cicadas drizzled in honey and apples were good, the fried dragonflies were my favorite and so was the mealworm ice cream.

My stomach did churn eating the salad topped with giant queen ants (half an inch long, no lie) because it was crunchy on the outside and gooshy on the inside and it freaked me out. I wonder what my face looked like while I was eating some of this stuff.

Anyway, if you're a fan of creepy crawlies or even if you're not and your kids are, I highly recommend heading to the Academy of Natural Sciences. It was fascinating.

So, that being said. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

How come no one wants to go watch Hellboy II. Is it the movie or is it me? The faces I get when I ask people if they wanna watch Hellboy II... I must be hanging out with the wrong crowd :)

I mean, a red devilish character with a tail and a hammer hand who looks like a bad guy who is a good guy. His girlfriend, Pyrokinetic Liz and an ancient fish man who has a taste for rotten eggs. Together they go out and save the world! Come on. That's good stuff.

Other noteworthy things for my fellow sci-fi geeks: Naomi Novik, the author of the Temeraire series is going to be at the Central Library 7/15. Her latest book, Victory of Eagles is out. In case you haven't picked this up, the series starts with "His Majesty's Dragon." Imagine the Napoleanic Wars...but fought with dragons. It's very cool as it focuses a lot the relationship between an at first, reluctant Captain and a dragon hatchling. For more info...

http://libwww.library.phila.gov/calendar/calbydate.
cfm?type=2

Peter Jackson, director of "Lord of the Rings" has already gotten the rights to her book. Can't wait for that!

Motown Philly Back again!!! Ok. I have seen a lot of performances at Penn's Landing but I have never seen it get as crowded as it did for the Boys II Men Concert there as a part of the 4th of July festivities.  They STILL got it. There wasn't a seat available anywhere.  

I was in high school or something when they were at the peak of their fame. They sound great and when they started singing songs like MOtown Philly and Bended Knee, it really brings back some memories. I am not the biggest R and B fan in the world but I did like their music growing up and realized that I still do.  Gonna have to go download on itunes!!

Nostalgia is a beautiful thing. Ok. gonna post some pictures of the show tomorrow. Promise!! Come back and see!!!

So I am cooped up, recovering from my tonsillectomy at my in-laws house which has a nice big backyard. Charlie - my doofo chocolate lab loves it out here. Loves running around with wild abandon, not having to dodge cars or tourists, not having to scramble around, looking for a suitable place to go to the bathroom.

The rascal also enjoys running away. Perhaps having a taste of freedom, he's decided he'd like to roam some more. Having chased him with my husband on several occasion into neighboring yards, we decided that we'd get an invisible fence installed so we wouldn't have to worry anymore.

So the fence is installed, the trainer comes to teach us how to teach Charlie.  Basically, there's a pronged collar that we put on him and when he gets to close to the invisible fence, it starts beeping. If Charlie keeps going...he gets tasered! The trainer had Charlie test the boundary first day off. Charlie yelped like he was on fire! Poor guy.

Ok, but then it gets worse. Charlie, hubbie and I are playing in the yard one day and we throw a ball past the white flags which mark the fence. Charlie runs after it full throttle and doesn't hear the beeping in time to stop. He's tasered for a pretty long time. Poor guy.

Now Charlie is really hesitant about going outside. We talked to the trainer and he said we need to play with him and get him comfortable again but it makes me really sad. When I throw a ball on the yard, Charlie will see where it lands and then get it but then he wants to go inside after getting it. Anyone else have experience with invisible fence?

Well, some days are better than others. I am in Ocean City, hanging out on the boardwalk, working on my heat wave story and having a good time. This is the first time I've ever shown up to work with flip flops. Wow, so much more comfy than the 3 inch heels I wear (to appear taller, not because they feel good :p)

So, here's what I like to do when I'm here in Ocean City. Have a slice of Mack and Manco's, buy Shriver's salt water taffy for people at my station, photographer Jared gets Johnson's popcorn for the peeps. My new fave at the shore is the Shriver's gelato, next to the fudge shop. Creamy Caramel flavor rocks!! Jared was extra bad and got a container of Curly's fries.

What else I like to do when I go to the shore?

And then here are some suggestions from the peeps I met while I was there!

David Sedaris was at a book signing at the Joseph Fox Bookstore on 17th and Sansom Saturday to promote his new book, "When you are Engulfed in Flames."

Check out this video: Waiting for Sedaris

..

Add to My Profile | More Videos

That sucked pretty bad, especially after standing on the street in the middle of this heat wave for 4 HOURS!!!! yeah. 4, 1-2-3-4!!!! I never do that for just anybody, you know. But I was hell bent on getting a personalized autograph for a close friend of mine, one of the best people on this planet. sigh.

I left the books with the owner of the store and I hope Sedaris signs something funny to my friend. I had to leave because I have a job and had to go to work :p

On the flip side, I did take some video of some cool bands who were performing at the Raven's Lounge next door. I bought a CD for a buck of the band the Great Caesar and Go Getters. They're pretty catchy and I love music that incorporates horns. Then a guy started playing the harmonica and I was like, I need to shell out a buck ,for sure.

Anyhoo, check out my links...and check out the band!

Ok nerds and geeks unite! The moment we've all been waiting for is here. Season 4 of BSG is on tonight. Gonna tape it on DVR but hopefully watch it in real time cause I feel like watching things on DVR is kind of like watching sporting events after its happened.

 The teasers leading into this season have been dark and very intriguing. Kara Thrace is back but what the frak is she? Has she been fooling us all along? It certainly looks like it although if she is toaster, I might just have to lead a revolt!! The only question I have for the cylons is, if KT is a cylon, why did you make her so emotionally flawed? They nailed human insecurities/ghosts and demons/passion/redemption down pretty good

Who are the other mysterious cylon models?  

All things will be revealed. Although i must admit, in the very short interim, I enjoyed watching starbuck as the "bad" Bionic Woman. She plays crazy flawed psycho individuals very well.

So, it's the Easter weekend and I get to go to the shore!!! So, it's the earliest Easter in about a 100 years. Typically, it's in April...anyhoo!!

Finally got to get my first tub of Johnson's Popcorn from the Ocean City boardwalk. A photographer here named Jared has been talking about this place for over a year. Alas, the only time I really get to the shore is when there's a Noreaster or some kind of snowy weather story and most of the shops including Johnson's is closed. Not this time!!!

I LOVE caramel popcorn, toffee popcorn, etc etc. When I am having a bad day, you could say, here Julie, have some Crunch N' Munch and I will get much happier! Anyway, I bought two glorious tubs of caramel popcorn, one for the newsroom and one for me and charlie and my hubs!!

I also got to eat my first slice of Mack and Manco's Pizza. Who knew that I had been missing out on something special for so long? I had plain and pepperoni. The magic is definitely in the sauce. Gonna have to go back to Sam's Pizza in Wildwood at some point and a taste test because someone told me there's this huge who's got the better slice rivalry going on there.

It's still feels like Winter but things are looking up. What are you guys looking forward to?

Oh yeah, running on the Ben Franklin in nice weather to burn the calories from my Shore Food Fest.

Julie's Book of the Month is Duma Key by Stephen King. It was released on January 22nd but it's taken me awhile to finish reading it.

I think this was a pretty decent book by Stephen King. What I find key in his novels, character development and you certainly get that from Duma Key. He always finds a premise that is pretty fascinating...what if cellphones caused people to become berzerker zombies (Cell), what if a Buick is a portal to a different world (From a Buick 8)  and in Duma Key, what if the pictures you draw, become a kind of twisted reality. Edgar Freemantle's the main character and has lost his limb and hife as he knows it after a terrible construction accident leaves him without an arm and with a damaged brain.

What I found disappointing about Duma Key is the predictability. The ending reminded me of a hodge podge of thriller movies like "The Ring." Overall not a bad read but I'd wait for it to come back on soft cover instead of paying lots for the hardback :p

This Sunday, I will be turning (fill in the blank) years old. Ahem. A lady never reveals her age, Dahling! I am sure you can ballpark my age. It's not that I'm ashamed, I think getting older is just a weird time warp kind of thing. I mean, physically, I haven't changed that much, my face is the same, me body....Ok, ok. I confess, I've been giving some of my erm, shrunken clothing to Michelle Williams. I'll blame that on the quitting smoking. yah!! That's it!

The other thing I've noticed lately, is the surveys. You know, you get these online surveys or you register online for a website, you get to that section where it asks you, are you:

a) 18-24 b) 25-30 c) 31-35 d) 36-40 e) 41-45 f) 50-55

That annoys me!! It annoys me because I've reached a new age bracket!!! GAHHHH!!! So, what annoys you about getting older. Hey, no obvious answers, that's a cop out!

Ok, forget what you have read or seen from the critics. Some have given this movie a big fat zero, no apples etc. I thought this movie was entertaining with a capital E!! Sure, it's gory and you spend most of the movie looking at the insides of people, rather than the outside but it is typical Rambo/Sylvester Stallone fare. Not a lot of talking, a whole lot of shooting.

Why does John Rambo have such a bleeding heart when it comes to the ladies? Hasn't he learned yet after First Blood, First Blood 2 and Rambo 3? Ah well, a little lady missionary with a big heart for the oppressed Burmese convinces Rambo to take her and her group upstream to no man's land. They're captured and then Rambo has to take a  group of mercs upriver to rescue them. Despite the incredible amount of violence, the movie does a good job of showing you just HOW bad the bad guys are and so you don't feel too bad.

So there's a new reality series on A&E called Parking Wars about the Philadelphia Parking Authority. I am hooked. I mean, we've all gotten tickets. And if you live and work around here, you have seen the Philadelphia Parking Authority marching, sauntering down the streets, invoking fear and dread among all who cross their path.

There's a nice Philly Parking Authority lady who makes rounds in my neighborhood. I often see her in the coffee shop I like to go to with my dog. She seems very nice and has even petted Charlie a few times but I admit it, she intimidates me! I've seen people get into arguments about their tickets, especially in Philadelphia (not a whole lot of shrinking violets here!!!) .

When things get colorful, don't you go "gee, wish I could be a fly on that parking meter!" Well Parking Wars gives you that opportunity. It's a kind of cruel voyeurism into the woes of our fellow Philadelphians as they break some parking laws and show their displeasure. But before you laugh too loud or too long, you kind of remember that it either has happened to you or will in the future. These people are just THAT good.

"I don't walk slow, I just go with the flow" - Phila Parking Authority. Watching the show, you see some of the "tricks" the Parking Authority employs, trolling neighborhood barber shops, "camouflaging" themselves in parks, etc. So, if i was to show up at your house with a camera crew, what horror/laughfest stories would you share with me about the Philadelphia Parking Authority? Would it make me laugh or cry?

This movie had a good build up but weak ending. It was a little strange at first because this is a musical so you have Jame Gandolfini (aka Tony Soprano) in one instance, busting out in song, joined by a medley of  dancing construction workers and garbage men AND he's singing about love. Weird? Sure, plenty weird.

Gandolfini plays Nick Murder, a guy who smokes like a chimney and is cheating on his wife (Susan Sarandon) with a prostitute/lingerie salesgirl (Kate Winslet). The wife finds out about the affair and Gandolfini has to choose between his wife or his mistress.

The key line incorporates the title of the movie but by then, it's too late. Gandolfini gets a visit from the "lung fairy." That was a bit sudden, almost so predictable that you kind of think, "nah, can't be going in that direction" but it DOES!!!

Anyway, the highlight was Chris Walken who plays Sarandon's relative. You want to see Walken dance and sing, this is a great flick to see him do so. Classic Walken. I LOVE HIM!!!!

So, it's the second day of a brand new year. A BRAND NEW YEAR, fresh start, fresh slate, better times ahead, so I thought. I'm working on a story about gas prices going up. My photographer and I camp out in the parking lot of the Lukoil on Delaware Ave and Spring Garden. I go in to use the restroom and absentmindedly left my wallet in the bathroom. I didn't realize this until HOURs later and after I had returned to the station. I panicked. I called my husband and he and I frantically started calling credit card companies to cancel, KNOWING the wallet packed with several gift cards, some cash etc was already long gone.

We went back to the Lukoil on a lark. Lo and behold, the woman at the register, Rosaline Bansura remembed me and had my wallet for me. I tried desperately to reward her with cash or whatever, all I got was a laugh, her name and my wallet back.

That was a nice lesson for me. I need to stop assuming the worst. It's so much easier you know? First lessons of '08. Have a little more faith. And don't leave your wallet in the bathroom next time, dummy!