Julia Allison http://blog.juliaallison.com/ en Copyright 2008 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:27:57 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss MY CURRENT BLOG IS OVER AT TUMBLR GO ON over there now!

I'm going to integrate the two blogs and update my SORELY IN NEED OF IT website Very, Very Soon.]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/still_a_bloggin.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/still_a_bloggin.html News! Updates! Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:27:57 -0500 Still my favorite lip dub
Filmed in the Dominican Republic last November. No pink iPods were harmed in the making of this lip dub.]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/part_of_your_world.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/part_of_your_world.html Videos Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:34:17 -0500 Best of the Lip Dubs: Journey
I filmed this on a lark in January, walking home from seeing the musical RENT (for the fifth time) on 41st Street, down 8th avenue ... it was raining and FREEZING, but I was so happy.]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/journey.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/journey.html Videos Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:41:08 -0500 Best of the Lip Dubs: Joy to the World
I was walking across one of the gorgeous bridges in Chicago in the summer of 2007 and it seemed like a great place to do a lip dub. My dad used to play Joy to the World to me when I was little, so I thought it appropriate. I have to say, filming yourself fake-singing in public is an exercise in extreme self-confidence ... I've never, in my life, gotten that many weird looks. And that's saying something. (fun fact! In the background is the brand new Trump building ...)]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/joy_to_the_world.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/joy_to_the_world.html Videos Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:55:54 -0500 Best of the Lip Dubs: Tomorrow
My mom shot this video on the shore of Lake Michigan, but unfortunately it's not perfectly sync'd.  Oh well.  Still a classic, if only for the part where Lilly takes off running when I sing at her ;)]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/tomorrow.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/tomorrow.html Videos Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:52:19 -0500 The Lip Dub that Started It All: Glamorous ]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/glamorous.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2008/02/glamorous.html Videos Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:48:12 -0500 Julia's SUPER WICKED AWESOME BESTEST Holiday Gift Ideas Ever!!! (well, for 2007 at least)


Tired of the same old bullshit Bath&Body-Works-shower-gel-and-loofah-set kind of gifts??  Of course you are!  They are a pile of SUCK.

In no particular order, here are some WAY FUNNER ideas:

For the girl/guy/dog who has everything, except their own URL and a blog
 Buy them a URL from GoDaddy.com (it's only $10!), then set up a Tumblr account (the blog software even your mom can figure out).  Then, when it's time to exchange gifts, just tell them to go type in their name.  Awesome, right??  Just think, you've now contributed to a significant decrease in their productivity for the next YEAR.  What other gift does that besides Xbox?!?!

For your grandma, who's not 100% clear on the concept of "computers"
Printer that sends email & photos to old people who don't own computers

For your friend who takes washing clothes VERY seriously.  In card, joke about combining red socks and white sheets.  Watch her cry.
Anything from TheLaundress.com


For that walking contradiction: the Organized Procrastinator
"Later" File Folders

For the nap-lovingest person in your life
Bath & Body Works - Sweetest Softest Nap Blanket on Earth
Bath & Body Works - Sweetest Softest Lambie Sleep Mask on Earth



For the one who just can't STOP napping
"Clocky" - the Alarm Clock that Runs Away and Hides


For your OCD friend
Take Charge Charger Case


For your ditzy friend
Do Not Forget Door Knob Organizer


For your ignorant friend.  This'll learn him.
Subscription to The Economist



For your friend who WILL. NOT. STOP. TEXTING. even though it's negative 20 out.
J.Crew Wool-Cashmere Convertible "Texting" Gloves



For anyone who needs a little perspective
Expecting Adam



For anyone who needs a little oral hygiene
Braun Oral-B Power toothbrush 9900 (my parents once got me a dentist appointment as my sole Xmas gift.  I am exaggerating 0%.)

For the 15-year-old in your life.  Or the girl who wishes she were 15.
Design Her Gals Stationary

For the 7-year-old in your life.  Or the girl who wishes she were 7.
Out to Tea hair bows

For that friend who basically works in the real life version of The Office
"I'm Savin' Up to Quit My Job" Tin Bank


For the girl in your life who thinks of her clothing as ART which should be displayed
Pottery Barn Teen - Pink Dottie Dress Form



For the friend who bores the SHIT out of you
"Would you rather...?" Conversation Starters Original Set

For the dog lover who's too poor to hire a dogwalker
Walking the Dog Doorknob Hanger


For your friend who just got knocked up
Baby Tattoos - see?  Parenting is fun!  You can tat your baby up!

For your girlfriend, who won't wear Uggs (SOOO 2003!!) but then refuses to walk outside for more than a block in her 4 inch pumps, which makes it difficult to actually do much. (I own a pair and they are the best thing to have ever happened to my feet.)
Rubberduck - Snowjoggers


For a sibling you farted on in your youth
What's Your Poo Telling You?


For that crazy friend of yours who uses her kitchen.  (Or your mom.)
Lazy Spoon.  I wouldn't normally condone a $27 spoon, but, I mean, this is pretty brilliant.  And hell, it's Christmas.  GO CRAZY!


For married friends in couples therapy.
Marital Bliss Chocolate Bar


For your stylish friend / sister
Elbow Length Gloves

For anyone in your life who already owns (or aspires to own) monogrammed bath towels
Crabtree & Evelyn - Rosewater collection

For the annoyingly serene Yoga bitch in your life.  Slut.
 Yoga Paws

 For your favorite alcoholic (so many choices!)
 Dear Cab Driver Paper Napkins


 For the one friend of yours who actually owns Louis Vuitton luggage, and every goddamn time you vacation together, becomes convinced all the other passengers are trying to steal it.
Funniest Luggage Tags Ever

For your friend who just owns LL Bean luggage.
Luggage ID Tag

For your friend who gets into bitchfights with TSA.  Every.  Time. ("Do you KNOW how much this Chanel Lipgloss COSTS!?!  I AM NOT THROWING IT OUT YOU WHORE!")
See-Thru Cosmetics Travel Bag


For your iPhone obsessed boyfriend.  The iPhone MUST NOT TOUCH THE FLOOR.
Mobile Device Charging Holder


For the crankiest bitch you know.
"I Need Chocolate" Tampon Case

Pair it with Midol Maximum Strength and it's like some sort of super-clever, super-useful gift set for the PMSing!

PS: If anyone wants to snap up an extra of ANY of these items for me, I wouldn't send it back, if you know what I mean ;) ]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/12/julias_holiday_gift_ideas_2007.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/12/julias_holiday_gift_ideas_2007.html Recommendations Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:07:50 -0500 FOR THE TIME BEING, I'M POSTING ON MY TUMBLOG! PLEASE VISIT IT AT HTTP://JULIAALLISON.TUMBLR.COM

]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/for_the_time_be.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/for_the_time_be.html News! Updates! Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:52:05 -0500 I don't know ... slap bracelets," that I'll soon tire of, but I'm trying out a Tumblog, or Tumblr blog, or "Tumbrrrr" as I call it.  It's more off-the-cuff, stream-of-consciousness than this blog, if you can believe it.

Again, it's an experiment.  We'll see.

Here it is!

]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/i_dont_know.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/i_dont_know.html News! Updates! Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:46:29 -0500 And for the desk ... Pottery Barn.  It folds down to reveal a desk-like thing.

Ugh.  What is it like to have an entire room for your home office?  Must be nice.


]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/and_for_the_des.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/and_for_the_des.html Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:15:54 -0500 Can't. Make. Decisions. I can't decide between the following beds:

A) queen size canopy from Pottery Barn Teen


-or-

B) king size canopy from Room & Board (the bed I have now, except I would have to rebuy it, since the ex is keeping the old one?)

The considerations include:
- My mom labels the first choice "a princess bed" which is "going in the wrong direction," and indicates my refusal to grow up (I've had to live in a grown up brown and beige apartment for the last two years!  I want to revert to childhood!!  I want white and pink!)
- I want a king size bed, but A) the first bed doesn't come in a king and B) the room is pretty freaking small for a king
- Is it ridiculous to buy a canopy bed to go in such a small apartment?
- Bed A is $600 less than Bed B.
- Note that the top bed has a footboard, which might close off the small space even more.  But, oh, I love that bed!  I haven't seen it in person, though ...

UPDATE: I've been informed that a canopy bed in such a small space (12 x 14) is insanity.  Okay ... so what about this bed, below?  Although I'm really devastated that my princess fantasy can't come to life.  I don't think I would've picked the apartment if I had thought I couldn't have a canopy bed!  Yeah, yeah, I know that sounds like I'm 7 and I refuse to take off my Disney Cinderella tutu or whatever, but you know what?  I've always wanted to go full out girly and never had a chance.  So I don't see what the problem is.  (Defensive much, right?)
]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/cant_make_decis.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/cant_make_decis.html Random Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:48:19 -0500 Sigh. Julia Allison: have you heard of flowers?
Jakob: the band?]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/sigh.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/sigh.html Random Mon, 22 Oct 2007 01:02:27 -0500 Google Me Not. post-post modern!  A REAL blind date!" I insisted, hoping the tiniest bit of desperation didn't creep into my voice.  I just want, for once, the kind of date I used to have ... the kind where I didn't have to spend the evening explaining various humiliating blog posts, and the guy didn't think he needed to bring an NDA ... you know, just in case.  Ah, memories.

Do you think he'll listen??  Are you reading this now, Mister?  You're in trouble if you are!

Ugh, sometimes I think I should just change my name to Julia Goolia and start anew.

PS. In case any of my regular blog readers are confused, I am very much a free agent, as it were.  It's hard to pin me down ;)]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/do_you_think.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/do_you_think.html Random Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:02:55 -0500 Quote of the Day "I've always thought that you would ruin the life of at least one very important person."
- my favorite high school ex-boyfriend, Dan, on the phone with me today.

Oh c'mon ... one?!?  Talk about aiming low.  I bet if I work at it, I can ruin THREE or FOUR VIP's lives!]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/quote_of_the_da.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/quote_of_the_da.html Quotes & Questions Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:39:29 -0500 Tech Guys, Listen Up
Lilly wishes the doggie sweater sites were blocked on my computer.  Forever.

Although at times it seems like everyone and their parakeet Frisky have their own website, uh ... how shall I put this - they don't.  Yet.  But it will get much, much worse.  After all, how many of your exes/current romantic partners have a blog, let alone one where they post personal info/photos/(god forbid) videos?  Probably only one or two.  But as blogging software becomes more user friendly (or people adopt the stripped down versions, like Tumblr ... which I still say in my head "Tum-bRRR"), Facebook profiles more detailed, online video sharing sites like Vimeo, Viddler and YouTube more popular, an ever-rising percentage of the men or women whom you've seen unclothed will have information web-accessible.

Which means that soon a groundswell of support will grow for software that easily blocks their URLs for a specified period of time, so, in moments of weakness (which for me is like 95% of the time), you can't look at their pages to see gorgeous photos of their new girlfriend, who is from Brazil and has inner thighs which don't touch each other.  Bitch.

M---, the computer science guy I dated last year, developed his own makeshift version when we broke up and he didn't want to be able to access my blog, lest he read about the places I was vacationing with the new guys I was dating.  Totally understandable.  (I think he might have even blocked Gawker as well.  Even smarter.)

I envision something like this: a simple platform that blocks whatever URLs you type in (including Facebook profiles, Flickr photostreams, even, yeah, Vimeo channels), for a limited period of time, which you can adjust accordingly.

Maybe you're PMSing and lord knows what sorts of mushy (or worse, bitter) crap you might leave on your ex's Facebook wall - you only need 3 days and you're back to rational thought.  Or maybe you have a deadline and you really, really want to stop yourself from watching your not-quite-a-boyfriend's inane lip dubbing video for the 8th time, so you block his URL for 3 hours.  Or maybe you realize you need to detox on celebrity gossip - and you block Perez Hilton's blog for 3 months!

So tech nerds, make it happen.  Because honestly, I have work to do.  And this whole personal-stuff-on-the-web thing?  Very distracting.

]]> http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/tech_guys_liste.html http://blog.juliaallison.com/2007/10/tech_guys_liste.html Social Commentary (More or Less) Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:05:44 -0500