Julian Kappel

It’s taking too darn long for my favorite books to come out. This is going to be more of a short complaint than a blog I suppose, but that’s just how it has to be.

I began reading Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series when I was 14. Jordan had began the series in 1988 so by the time I had caught up there were eight books altogether. Since that time, the number has increased to 12 and there is one more on its way.

Sadly, Jordan died in 2007 but his legacy has been carried on through the efforts of his family and Brandon Sanderson, another fantasy novelist.

The problem is, I’ve been working my way through these books for so many years, I don’t know what I’m going to do when I’m finished. Yet, I feel like I’ll explode if I have to wait much longer for what I’m sure will be a thrilling conclusion.

There’s only one book left and the fate of this mythical world hangs in the balance … and I have to wait!

The same goes for another book that caught my attention a few years ago: The Passage. This is vampire fiction like you’ve never heard of. No passionate love triangles or confused teenagers here. We’re talking about fight for your life, blood-thirsty virus-infected mutant/humans trying to tear out your heart … literally.

It is one of the most complicated and exhilarating stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading, so all I have to ask is: Justin Cronin, where the heck is the next one?!

The Twelve has had its release date pushed back more times than Hugh Hefner. Why are you making us wait? What happens to Lish? Is Babcock dead? Is the virus real? Stop toying with my emotions!

Alright, I’m going to take a breather. But when I get back, someone better give me a new book.

Julian Kappel

Wow, what a weekend.

Friday began like any other but took a series unexpected twists and turns throughout the day. That afternoon, Jeff, Brian and I made our way down to Oxford to pay our respects to the father of former Evening Sun staff writer Melissa Stagnaro.

I didn’t know Fred Stagnaro, but I knew his daughter and if the hard-work, dedication and loyalty she possesses is any indication, I’m sure he was a great man.

Friday continued to catch me by surprise as I received a text message from someone I met two weeks ago while out celebrating the end of another *cringe* Progress. And thus, around 9 p.m., a certain mild-mannered reporter found himself on his first date in two years.

I know what everyone is thinking: “But Julian, you’re so smart and handsome and funny (not to mention modest) you must go out all of the time!”

Alas, it is not true. In truth, my Fridays and Saturdays are usually spent with a few good friends playing music, cards or watching bad movies a la MST3K. (Megashark vs. Crocosaurus was an absolute tour de force … of putrescence.)

Anyway, as much as I know everyone is dying to hear the details, you’ll be waiting a long time. Jeez, go get your own date why don’t you? So nosy …

I will, however, say that I had a fantastic time and I really look forward to doing it again … but, this time maybe I can drive…;)

I would have been thoroughly pleased if that had been the only surprise over the weekend, but as it turned out, the fun was just beginning. While attacking the kitchen cabinets with an OCD-like drive to organize the various pastas, soups, rice (seven boxes, mom? Seriously?) and olive oils, I received a call from my best friend, and in fact very first friend after moving to Norwich in ‘99, asking if I had plans that night.

This took me by surprise as Belush moved to Maryland a few years ago, making our chances of hanging out fairly slim. However, he went on to explain that he had come into a little extra money and had every intention of jumping in the Belush-mobile and making the six hour trip to see yours truly.

It’s been one hell of a year so far and the notion of getting the chance to kick back with my closest confidant seemed about the greatest thing in the world. I said yes, he set off from Maryland, and I tried to pass the time without giggling like an inflated chipmunk.

Before he arrived, I had the chance to see Cordis and Lehrer Dance perform their show Kaleidoscopika at the Council of the Arts and I was very impressed. Honestly, the whole modern dance combined with dissonant, post-modern music isn’t really my thing. But the Council always finds interesting acts and I wanted to give these guys a chance.

I must say that it was worth it. Still not my favorite type of music/dance, but these guys were impressive, especially when taking into consideration this was only the second time the band and the dance troupe had performed together. I would definitely encourage everyone to check them out. Some will love it, some not so much … but it’s always worth broadening your horizons and musical understanding.

Anywho, immediately after the performance I was met outside by mi amigo who had brought gifts from the far-away place known as Maryland. The first was a pack of smokes (which cost him less than $6, argh) and the second, and much more exciting, was a four pack of Midas’ Touch. If you haven’t heard of this amazing brew, check it out. Go now and check. I’ll wait.

Oh good, you’re back. Isn’t that fantastic? Scientists actually analyzed samples of jars found in ancient tombs that at one time held wine, beer or liquor and have recreated it using the exact same ingredients used by the ancient Pharaohs or Kings or whatever.

Midas’ Touch was from a sample found in a town in Egypt and it … is … amazing. I’m not sure if it tastes so good just because I think it’s possibly the coolest scientific breakthrough since Lego Star Wars! Anyway …

We enjoyed those slowly (certainly not the cheapest beer) before making our way down to the bars.

Now, I’d like to mention briefly that within the last two weeks I’ve gone to the bar three times. Within the last four months I’ve gone to the bar … three times. Needless to say I’m already tired of them, not to mention broke. It can be a great time when you’re with your friends just kicking back. However, the drama and craziness of some people is off the charts and I learned last year how important it is to stay away from crazy …

Despite my disillusionment with the whole bar scene, my two closest friends and I had the chance to catch up, knock a few back and boogie down for the remainder of the night. It was most certainly memorable (which is often tough when Belush has a pocketful of cash and is in a spending mood) but we made it home safely and pleased with ourselves for no apparent reason.

However, it wasn’t until the next morning that we realized we may have left our friend passed out in a dozen wings at Denny’s but hey, there are always casualties of war, and the Battle of Belush’s Wallet vs. Wits was no different.

Dream of bleu cheese oceans, sweet prince, and may you wake in your own bed come morning.

Follow me on Twitter … @evesunjulian

Julian Kappel

Today was an absolutely beautiful day.

I know that has been the theme of just about every tweet, blog, Facebook status etc. today, but it’s the truth.

The best part of it was my two trips to New Berlin. Lately, every trip, including a three block drive to the store, has been pretty miserable even when it wasn’t snowing. Cold, rain, snow, something has made it just miserable to get behind the wheel. (Not to mention the other drivers on the road.)

I’ve always enjoyed being on the road. When I lived in Missouri I had the opportunity to drive back and forth to New York a few times and I always enjoyed the time to myself. Just me and the open road, as they say.

Truly, not much compares to a sunny day, some excellent tunes and a reliable set of wheels underneath your feet.

When I was making the 14 hour trip, I usually relied on some Tool, Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, Avenged Sevenfold or Lamb of God to get me through to the wee hours of the morning. But today, it was Gorillaz and Tenacious D that had me bouncing in my seat, playing my dashboard like a pristine Pearl seven piece.

It’s hard not to look on the bright side with the window open and the greatest song in the world (Tribute) cranked up to 11.

Personally, that’s about as good as it gets on a day like today. What about you? What are your perfect moments? Comment if you think you’ve got me beat. (Although, honestly, there’s no wrong answer … especially on a day like today.)

Follow me on twitter …@evesunjulian

Julian Kappel

Well, I had a super weekend … or should I say a Superman weekend …

Yea, that’s sort of obnoxious, but it’s Monday and the clever part of my mind is still trying to turn on.

What I meant by that ridiculous pun was that I had a chance to watch the Richard Donner cut of “Superman II” which was incredible and far better than the original version. The simple fact that Superman didn’t rip off his S and turn the Kryptonians into super-powered pigs in a blanket was enough to satisfy me, but there were countless other great additions including more Marlon Brando and something like 20 more minutes of footage.

In addition, I’ve been making my way through “Smallville” again and it has tempted me to write a compare/contrast paper about supernatural television shows that use high school as a metaphor. My prime examples will be “Smallville” and, you guessed it, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

I will keep everyone informed on my progress (ugh, I shuddered just typing that word).

In other news, finally finished taking down the Christmas decorations so it’s goodbye garland, lights and nutcrackers until next year.

That’s all for now, I’ll do a more extensive blog as the week continues and my mind re-awakens. TTFN.

Follow me on Twitter … @evesunjulian

Julian Kappel

I must say that I have never experienced a more challenging, exciting, terrifying and exhausting two weeks in my life.

We’re rounding the final bend for The Evening Sun’s biggest endeavor of the year, and from what I’ve seen of the final product, this year’s Progress Chenango is going to be fantastic.

As for what comes next … early spring cleaning. I’m ashamed to say that the excitement of the last two weeks has meant I’ve left a veritable whirlwind in my wake and it’s time to pick up the pieces.

I’ve made it my mission this year to finally organize my extensive nutcracker collection before storing it away for the year. A few of them are slightly the worse for wear, so it’s time to whip out the gorilla glue and duct tape.

Also, maybe I’ll try and rediscover sleep… I know that word used to mean something …

Good night Chenango County!

Follow me on Twitter…@evesunjulian

Julian Kappel

Well, today is internet blackout day (no, that doesn’t mean it’s time to settle down in front of the computer with a bottle and see how long it takes for your head to hit the keyboard.)

The blackout, which has popular sites such as Wikipedia, news-sharing site reddit.com, browser pioneer Mozilla and others blocking their sites in protest of the proposed SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (PROTECT IP Act) bills which would give the government and certain businesses the right to block sites they believe are promoting, distributing or allowing illegal file-sharing. This would also, most importantly, be done without a trial or court hearing. Numerous other sites, such as Google, have also expressed solidarity by featuring anti-SOPA content.

The purpose of the bill is to protect the intellectual property rights of copyright holders. Now, I’m not proposing that copyright infringement is at all acceptable, or that we should just allow it to occur without consequence. However, the implications in the bills have a high potential for abuse and frankly, I believe censorship without a trial goes against what this country stands for.

I’ve always thought that people abuse the trial system and the amount of money spent on trying some cases is downright ridiculous. However, we’re not talking about suing your neighbor because his dog regularly defecates on your lawn. This is a matter of censorship, freedom of speech, and freedom of information.

I would urge everyone to learn as much as they can about these proposed bills and to take a stand against what could become wanton censorship. You don’t have to support copyright infringement, or even ignore it, to oppose SOPA and PIPA.

Below is an article that gives a few basic facts about the proposed bills, as well as some positive and negative points. It is not scripture, I would encourage everyone to seek out more information about SOPA and the nation’s response. Form your own opinion, but don’t let this serious piece of legislation slide through without understanding exactly what it could mean for the future of the internet.

SOPA blackout aims to stop Internet censorship bill

Five reasons the Internet’s still protesting SOPA and PIPA

Follow me on Twitter … @evesunjulian

Julian Kappel

Well last week was nothing short of insanity that culminated with about 20 hours of straight sleep this past weekend.

However, that turned out to be just what I needed and I’m ready to get back to the day-to-day reporting.

However, Progress isn’t quite over, there are still a few last-minute stories to write and of course our intrepid leader is in the midst of what we’re sure is his favorite part: Taking the tens of thousands of words we’ve written and organizing it into something everyone can enjoy.

Personally, I’m excited that we finally have a little snow so that I can do some winter camping … after which I will complain relentlessly about the cold weather and the evil frozen death water (snow) until spring finally returns.

In the mean time, I will try my best to contain my displeasure. Honestly, I still can’t believe it’s already 2012. The holiday season absolutely flew by and I’m still trying to piece together everything that happened. I know I received an excellent indoor grill which will hopefully keep bright thoughts of summer in brain until I can actually grill outside again.

Did anyone else have any friends Tweet something along the lines of “Why is everyone so excited about Milk Day?” It’s tweets such as those that remind me of the defeated words of Prof. Hubert Farnsworth … “I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.”

Anyway, it’s bound to be another exciting week here at The Evening Sun so wish us luck…

… and follow me on Twitter @evesunjulian

Julian Kappel

Well I’m not going to lie, it’s been a heck of a week.
It seems like it’s just one thing after another. Progress Chenango is in full swing and everyone here at The Evening Sun is putting kicking some serious heiney (spelling?).
I have about a million things to say, but honestly, I haven’t quite figured out the way to say them, or print them.
However, I’ve made a plan. I used to pick on weekend a month and just devote it to putting thought to paper, or word processor.
It’s been a while since I’ve done that, but I’ve set aside this weekend for me, my self, and my computer.
One good night sleep, a hot cup of coffee and one day of writing … that’s what I need.

Julian Kappel

Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope ya’ll had as much fun as I did.

Our Christmas Eve traditions include cheese and chocolate fondue (one after the other) with an assortment of breads, fruits, angel food cake for dipping. My brother and I took the reins cooking this year and everything turned out fabulously (nothing burned down either.)

Also simmering away on the burner was the ground beef for the Kappel family meat pie super secret recipe. This year’s turned out incredibly well and the worst part is it will be gone in a matter of days. Oh well, ‘tis the nature of the beast. A very hungry beast.

Yesterday, we opened presents and dug into the meat pie before loading up the car with more gifts, food, and our faithful pup Chloe, and heading north to Lyons Falls to visit with the relatives. It’s always a joy to see the family and this holiday season was no different.

Well, I don’t want to ramble on because I have some meat pie to devour, but, once again, Happy Holidays to all.

Julian Kappel

I’ve talked about action movies, horror movies, and favorite T.V. shows … but I have not gone into one of my favorites: the love story.

I’m sure a few of my friends will demand my “Man-Card” upon reading this blog but I would refer them to my action-movie column.

Either way, I’m really not ashamed of the fact that I love a good romantic comedy and/or love story. I’ve watched three lately and each take a very different approach to the typical love story.

Beastly: This movie had such great potential. Very interesting concepts, very poor execution. In particular, dialogue and plausibility were lacking from start to finish. I mean, if Neil Patrick Harris is suffering from the dialogue, you should know something’s gone wrong.

However, the twists on the traditional Beauty and the Beast story are interesting and there are even a few special moments of chemistry between the leads.

Stylistically I suppose it’s worth checking out although I warn you it does run a little long.

Final summation: Watch it for NPH and, here’s a twist, Mary-Kate Olson who is creepy and convincing as the witch. (Fantastic final shot.)

The Adjustment Bureau: Although all of the commercials touted this movie as an action flick, and it does have plenty, the underlying love story is what drives the movie.

Although the “adjustment plot” is largely predictable, the twists and turns in the relationship between Damon and Cotillard are fairly elaborate and they have undeniable chemistry. Although, honestly, I’d watch those two actors play chess for an hour and a half.

Final summation: Great cinematography, good dialogue, decent but unoriginal plot, and a few amazing performances.

Crazy Stupid Love: Alright, Adjustment Bureau was an action flick/love story, Beastly some sort of fairy tale that lived up to its name, but Crazy Stupid Love is 100 percent rom-com.

However, do not misunderstand me and believe it’s in any way a chick-flick.

Ryan Gosling is hilarious as a ladies man who is somewhere between Mystery and Tucker Max. Steve Carell is his usual awkward-but-with-a-strong-heart character although his transformation throughout the movie is slightly out of the norm for him. And Emma Stone is, not unsurprisingly, both hilarious and beautiful at once.

The rest of the cast is also excellent with some great performances by Julianne Moore, Jonah Bobo, and Marissa Tomei. Oh yeah, and Kevin Bacon. (Is it just me or is he in every darn movie lately? It’s like somebody said: “We’ve run out of original 7 Degrees games! Quick, start putting Bacon in everything!**”)

Final summation: This movie is one of my favorite of the year. It’s funny, sweet, sexy and there’s even a bit of wisdom in there for anyone who thinks there’s only one kind of happy ending.

So there’s my take on a few recently viewed lovey-dovey type flicks. Although, as much as I do enjoy a good love story, I don’t usually actively seek them out. So, if anyone has any suggestions for true winners, let me know.

For now, though, and most likely for all time, there will be one truly perfect T.V./movie romance. Pam and Jim, you guys get me everytime.

** Epic Meal Time agrees …