South Korean Summer

It's interesting to think about how, for so many people, summer is a time of rest and relaxation, while September is the time to get back to work. For me this year, it's essentially the opposite. Not only did I work all summer, but I taught summer intensive classes too! (Ok, so my schedule wasn't that intensive or anything, but still...) Plus, as of tomorrow at 9:15pm, I will have NO MORE work related responsibilities here in Korea. AND my plans for September include... doing nothing. Glorious!

That being said, I most certainly did do some interesting things over the course of my summer... but, being the blogging-obsessed geek that I am, I have already written about them extensively elsewhere. However, on the off chance you haven't read those posts, here are the highlights of what I did with my free time this summer: I went to Busan and GyeongJu, I attended a mud festival and a fireworks festival, and I visited a Korean Folk Village. So check those links out and enjoy!

P.S. I'll be back in the States in 8 days. Can you believe that??

Back-to-School essay

The ol' Supergroup here has been a little sparse. Not just the bloggers, but even our regular commenters have been slacking on the job! I would like to think that that's because everyone is out having fabulous summer adventures, and not because we got too boring to endure. Nah, it's probably not that (right??).

What have you been doing, Oh Readers and Bloggers? Next weekend is Labor Day, which, for lack of any other reason for existing, marks the unofficial ends of prime summer vacation time. The kiddies (and teachers) are going back to school, Congress is back in session, these fancy-ass euro-asian month long vacations (jealous!) are drawing to a close, and now it's time to reflect on how we spent our time-- how we matured, how we devolved, how we created stories to tell our grandchildren (with more embellishment here and less here, here, and here).

As I’ve mentioned previously, my Big Adventure this year was my 9/10-day trip to Japan (9 days there, but 10 counting travel). During this action-packed trip I visited Tokyo (karaoke!!), Kawagoe (Fudomyo!!), Kamakura (Zen gardens!!), Omiya (yukatas!!), Kyoto (big rocks!!), and Mt. Fuji (sunrise over clouds!!). A small selection of my over 460 photos are available here, but even they can’t do it justice. As with any great experience, I saw, did, ate, and learned things that have already affected my view on life and the assumptions of my culture.

I spent several weekends in Princeton, New Jersey, when my boyfriend, William, was living there, but now he has moved farther away so I don’t have to drive to central Jersey anymore. That’s the good side. The bad side, obviously, is that he’s farther away and I don’t get to see him as often. But he’s coming to Washington this weekend!

Last weekend I went to Dewey Beach in Delaware. As a Florida girl, it took me a while to get over the idea of traveling to Delaware, of all places, to go to the beach, but it was actually really nice. We went to a beach in a state park that was well maintained, sandy, and had good waves and cool water. I was a little worried about all the sunshine because the previous weekend I went to Front Royal and went tubing down the Shenandoah River. Four hours of sunshine are a little much for my northern european skin tone, and I roasted. But I applied 50 SPF suntan lotion this weekend about every 30 minutes and did fine (although I was peeling quite a bit, ewwwww).

I also took a trip back home for just over 24 hours for a friend's wedding in early July. This was a great amount of time to be there, although it was pretty expensive. I got in, hung out with my parents, went to the wedding with another friend, and left the next afternoon. The friend who got married had a bachelorette party earlier in the summer in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, where I had lots of outdoor fun and learned about John Brown, too!

And even without leaving DC, I got to do cool stuff! My mom came to visit for about a week and we visited Arlington Cemetery, Harper’s Ferry, and saw the family. Later, I went to the DC United game that was David Beckham’s MLS debut (swoon!), and my work softball team won the league championship!!

Damn, it’s been a busy 3 months!!

Montezuma's Revenge

I can't say I've ever felt any need to see revenge on anyone. Well, if I have, those revenge feelings have been of the very short variety- usually on the highway (you know, when that guy in the big SUV cuts me off and almost kills me, and I want to seek revenge by pulling a California stop on him and making him crash and explode in bloody fiery highway death- or, at least, I want to re-cut him off myself to get him back). I guess nothing has been done to me that has made me want to seek revenge. I suppose were I marooned on a lifeless planet and my wife was killed as a result I might want to seek a little revenge on someone.



By the way, I have a new blog that I hope everyone will enjoy. I won't be going into politics so as to try and avoid any flame wars or cyber-stalkers. Cheers.

Revenge, The Woods, and Almost Dying in Aforementioned Woods

Ok, so this is a pretty hefty title to be throwing at you guys first thing in the morning, evening, or just after lunch, but it pretty much sums up what's been going on in my world the last month or so (assuming you take out the bit about revenge and added in a month long vacation, two weeks with the family in Kyoto, a backpacking trip gone awry, studying an insane amount for both an upcoming Japanese Test as well as the GRE, attending a zen meditation group at 6:30 in the morning, eating A LOT of toast, drinking and fireworks at the river, playing with my nipples, playing with YOUR nipples, then back to mine, now the cow's, a passing sparrow's, the dial on the radio, eating more toast, a trip to Hiroshima to partake in a peace commemoration, leaving thoroughly disturbed and disgusted at the destructive power of humanity and our war toys, then a trip to the brewery to learn about the process of making everyone's favorite breakfast, then a baseball game, more nipples, toast, and other assorted activities (don't worry, I won't list them all for fear of boring you)).

But wait!!! This is supposed to be about revenge, that sweet and acidic nectar which flows thick and strong in our western (or eastern) blood like the grease from McDonalds that clogs our arteries, not really flowing at all but kind of stagnating there and congealing like Sylvester Stalone's face (please don't tell him I said that!). By the way reader, I was only joking about having played with your nipples over the last month. Unless you are Glenn, on whose splendiferous man measels I went to town!... to town I tell you.

Oh yeah, revenge. Like... this one time? I was at the mall? And uhm... this guy I know? Who my best friend hooked up with? Was all like ... lets hook up? And even though he was dating my best friend who I knew since we were in like the third grade???? I still totally did it! Which is kind of like revenge, because now she's not really my friend anymore since she got leprosy? and had to move to an island?! I know right!! But she always did have? like lots of pimples? so I kind of knew she would end up at a leprosy resort anyway. But I kind of hate her now even more than when she was my best friend because one time she got to see Brad Pitt. He is soooo hot! Ohmygod I know!!!! But she only saw him through the glass in her cage, so I guess its ok. Oh my GOD! That's kind of like revenge too! Wow!?!? I really like talking about revenge?!

Yep, thats about all I've got for you all on this one. That and a big fat apology for having missed so many days. Weeks! But hey, I'll make it up to you. You are all allowed in my club that I just started. I promise it is a great club, great enough that you will totally forgive me if you are in it.

Its called the "Let's forgive Martin for being a lazy jerk who ruins our blog by talking about nipples and not even telling us the story about how he almost died in the woods. Because we all know he's really just a sensitive 90's guy trying charleston his way through this crazy world of Jams and Hyper-color t-shirts and back to his own time where he will be appreciated for his sensitivity and not pummeled for not knowing how to dance the hammer." You guys are totally in my club now. No turning back.

Hey, don't look at me like that. Its not like I'm the one who made you join! HOpe all is well in cyber land (and in your real lives too!)

She Wants Revenge

So if you use revenge to raise money, is it still bad?

Because I've always had an idea for a fundraiser for the library that was kinda our chance to get back at our patrons - celebrity boxing. (OK - that should really be "celebrity" because it's just my coworkers, but we get recognized everywhere). So the deal is this - the employees get to pick patrons that we want to beat the crap out of, and if they agree, we box and charge admission. Patrons can also pay to box any employee that they want to . We could also have the Friends of the Library run a betting station. It's genius! Well, except for the fact that I'd probably get all the pervy guys who would like me beating them a little too much.

Until then I am left with only 2 ways to exact revenge on the patrons that have crossed me:

1. Kill them with kindness, and hope that somewhere in their tiny brains or shriveled hearts they feel a pang of regret for being a jackass.

2. Be an evil bitch and brutally enforce every rule in the library. See - normally I'm a little lax. If a cell phone goes off, and the conversation lasts less than 2 minutes, I let it slide. Kids get a little rowdy in the quiet section, as long as it doesn't seem to be disturbing anyone - I can let it go awhile. However, cross me once, and I turn into the library Nazi - making people go to the lobby every time a phone goes off, bringing up the issue of fines every time they check out - I can be a bit of a bother when I want to. However, I am just being totally professional and enforcing rules - nothing more.

not so sweet

the world's best revenge:
i once got to have a guy who had cheated on me walk in on me with his brother the "morning after"... i felt horrible about it from that first second. oh, but imagining punching all the mean people... that'll keep me going for days.

Hatred and Revenge...

...are self destructive, and I will not touch them.

Ah, sweet revenge

I’ve had several conversations lately with various men about how long women can hold grudges. I’m talking years, decades even. I know I’m one of these women, and I know how freaking long I’m willing to hold grudges.

After a while, though, I stop planning revenge. My grudge turns into a dull hatred, a negative reflex upon being reminded of a particular person. The way the mention a certain type of food can get stuck in your throat after you’ve gotten food poisoning from it. When I see these people face-to-face, I usually just ignore them, but not in an overt way. I may ask them to pass the salt, or I may say ‘pardon me’ if they’re in the way, but I don’t ask them any personal, direct questions and rarely look at their faces.

But I will admit to entertaining some pretty awful revenge fantasies. Although for most people I just imagine all their friends leaving them to hang out with me or something, there are a few people I wanted much more severe revenge against. One person I imagined not only hitting with my car (then reversing to hit him again), but I actually hoped that next time I saw him I would have something heavy and blunt available, like a shovel maybe, and smack him in the head with it.

I’m a little aggressive, I’ll admit, but I’ve never intentionally hurt anyone. I think part of the joy and freedom in these fantasies is that I was nearly certain I would never see this person again. Plus, those of you that know that situation understand how royally abused I was and how long (in years) it has taken me to get over some of the emotional (and other) baggage I was left with.

And if I saw him today? I’d still consider hitting him in the face, but probably with my fist instead of a shovel. If I saw him sleeping on the street (the place I most likely expect him to appear), I’d probably kick him, but not suffocate him. See? I’m maturing! Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be over it all enough to simply ignore him as if he were an otherwise decent human being.

Revenge!

A week or so ago I was looking through some old correspondence with a girl I used to like. Anyway, it reminded me of some of the feelings I had whenever the relationship or whatever it was ended. Basically, it ended like most of my relationships: she found somebody she liked better than me, and I was crushed. No big deal now, but at the time, (as I'm sure many of us have felt) I was filled with thoughts of revenge. Not revenge like "I'm going to let the air out of her tires, that'll show her not to break my heart," or "I'm going to burn down her home, then she'll see I'm the one," but emotional revenge. That is, I was miserable and heartbroken, and I felt that if she was miserable and heartbroken, too, it would make me feel better. So basically I wanted either her new relationship to end horribly, or for me to immediately meet some woman who was a million times nicer and hotter as though that would break her heart somehow.

Well, neither of these scenarios ever happened, and since I'm now in a place when I don't feel any kind of ill will toward anybody I can look back and say that it was pretty dumb of me to want any kind of revenge, emotional or otherwise. It wouldn't have made me feel better. Probably. But for some reason, we seem as a culture wired to desire vengeance. At some point in the future I'll probably have a girl leave me for some better guy, and I'll feel the same things. The only reason I'm remotely interested in going to my high school reunion is for revenge. (Psychological. Like if I was a millionaire or famous I could rub it in everybody's face that I hated). Many (of my students, anyway) would argue that the reason we're in Iraq is to get back at "them" for what they did to us on 9/11.

Where does this come from? Are we just a culture of revenge? Certainly, it's not just America. Look at all the great Japanese or Italian revenge films. Is it humans? So this week's topic is revenge. Feel free to take the philosophical route with it, but I think hearing people's actual revenge stories would be very interesting, too. The only revenge I've ever actually gotten is in poetry form. Or the time there was this girl we all hated in Tallahassee we called Punk Rock Amy, so I made her into an unflattering character in Weed Time. Not that she ever saw Weed Time. Or knew that we called her Punk Rock Amy. Or would have cared. She probably just would have punched and/or flashed me, which is basically how she rolled all the time anyway.

PS - This revenge thing has nothing to do with my most recent ended relationship, which ended on good terms. There's no ill will there. There might be annoyed will if I stub my toe on these boxes again. But that's my own clumsy fault.

PPS - The situation can basically be applied to almost every other time I liked a girl and she broke my heart. So nobody take this personally or anything if you happen to be a girl I liked and broke my heart at some point. I probably got some good poems out of it.

PPPS - Courtesy of Nick:

Weird Food

Sorry to take so long. I just started a new job. Plus, BSG has been kind of sparse lately. We should change that.

Well, I don't really have weird snack foods I like, but I have plenty of food I like people might consider weird. For instance, I love kimchi. Well, maybe love is not the right word. Every time I eat it, I'm like "Wow, this is so gross. But I can't stop eating it!" Which is probably the best reaction for a food that is buried in a jar before one eats it.

Also, I love eating pho, a Vietnamese noodle dish. Which isn't weird in itself, but whenever I go to a few of the good pho places around town, I always get the one that has tripe and tendon in it. In my youth I would have said totally gross. But I guess in my youth I also would have said Sepultura is one of the best bands ever. So young Glenn was dumb for a lot of reasons.

There's a Mexican restaurant here called La Tapatia that has great and cheap burritos. Usually I get the lengua (tongue) burrito or the birria (goat) burrito. Some of my friends are grossed out by that, but I say I like to pretend like I'm french kissing my burrito. Is there anything really wrong with that? The answer is no. No there's not.

None of these foods are snack foods, I guess, and none are especially weird. So I guess I failed on this week's topic. As for global warming, of course politicians talk about it for their own benefit. However, most scientists talk about it for the benefit of science, and the majority of them are in agreement that human activity on earth is changing the climate. Who knows if it's for the better or worse? But there's no harm in trying to be more conservative with energy and resources. Because most of you would hate it if the Earth got so hot that all that unpopulated area in Canada became prime real estate, and then everybody would emigrate there and it would get all its NHL teams back. Actually, now that I think about it, fuck the earth. I'm leaving the a/c on when I go out today. Go Winnipeg Jets! Stanley Cup 2015!

for fun/or for serious: you decide

so i know this is random, but i'm thinking weird snacks would be a fun topic. i just ate applesauce with maple syrup, pecans, and crunched up pretzels - and enjoyed every bite. then i started thinking about all the other random combinations that have turned out to be really yummy - carrot sticks dipped in nutella, tater tots in cream of anything soup, and i know that chips in a sandwich has been done before, but can i just say yum!
if we want to be serious, we can also blog about global warming. i'm constantly amused by all the people who believed gore's movie. now i know that our average temperatures are going up and all, but rumor has it that gore's "carbon offsets" mostly go to Generation Investment Management, a company he himself chairs. It would have been more honest to just make a commercial for the company instead of pretending Gore is actually eco-friendly in his own day-to-day life. Back to the movie though: the filthy river that's all polluted with mining byproducts... well, it's just barely downstream from a mining operation on his own land (the Gore farm in Carthage, Tenn.). I hear that the Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation has twice failed the mine in zinc monitoring tests, and last year, served the mine operation notice that it was in violation of the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act. If Gore really wanted to clean up the environment, he could have, oh, not renewed the mining lease. Now that we all have filthy water, we'll have to drink bottled water, and http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070815124541.xzix4g4s&show_article=1 says that's going to cause more global warming. for shame, al!
of course, then we get to talk about why global warming is so bad:
http://heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=14022
oh, wait - if global warming (losing some coast land, and yes, some people's homes, etc.) is holding off another ice age (glaciers covering half of the earth, drastically reducing the amount of arable land for producing crops)... I say crank up the a/c! I think that there's enough time before the flooding for most of the coastal folks to plan to move inland, and that's probably much lesser of an evil than going back to frigidity and only enough resources to support about 5 million people. hmmmm. i wonder if any of us non-fabulously wealthy people would get to be in that 5 mil.
so now's the part where i beg commenters to have a sense of humor and understand that people freaking out about global warming and then driving their SUVs to the store a half mile away is all pretty ironic and that i don't actually want the ice caps to melt. Then you all get to argue away. i'm sure i'll come up with some clever retorts after i've had a nap, and maybe a weird snack.

Not sure what happened here...

but it's not a bad time for a summer break.

I saw this today, burst out laughing, and decided to share it with the group (especially those group members highly interested in who does what to whom in public restrooms). The quote below is from a Slate story about hypocrisy.

"God's latest gift to columnists and standup comedians is Florida legislator Bob Allen, arrested this summer in a public restroom for offering an undercover cop $20 and a blow job (yes, that's $20 and a blow job, not $20 for a blow job). This story has everything. First, there's Allen's risible defense—that as the only white guy in the men's room, he got scared and needed a way to fit in. Then there are the exquisite details, like Allen's Web page, which lists his sole recreational interest as "water sports." And the crowning glory: Allen's long history as a staunch defender of family values, including an attempt to outlaw masturbation in the presence of a consenting adult. Oh, the hypocrisy!"

Almost perfectly cast

For years I wished that someone would come along and create a film version of the Lord of the Rings that would do justice to the books... and then Peter Jackson did. I loved his LOTR films. Yes, there are plenty of things that appear in the books which didn't make it into the movie. (How many people who just want to see an action flick would get into action-hero Aragorn reciting poetry? Or that diversion with Tom Bombadil? Great writing, but not essential to the plot. Of course, I'm still disappointed that there was no Scouring of the Shire, as I felt that chapter exemplified the growth of its characters over the course of the story. I'm also annoyed that Jackson didn't do more to show that Eowyn and Faramir fall in love, other than having them stand next to one another while smiling.) Yes, there were some scenes which weren't actually penned by Tolkien (Elves coming to Helm's Deep? Arwen kicking ass? Faramir taking Frodo to Osgiliath?) but which I felt did work well into a movie.

I've mentioned before how absolutely thrilled I was with Peter Jackson's choice of Orlando Bloom for Legolas in his LOTR trilogy... and I think Jackson did a splendiferous job in his casting choices for LOTR *except* for his choice of Liv Tyler as Arwen. Yeah, he gets points for giving her a sword and letting her save Frodo from the Ringwraiths, but Liv Tyler? For those who never read the books, Arwen is supposedly the most beautiful woman (er, elf) on the planet. Can you honestly tell me that this chick is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen?

I'm not entirely sure who I would choose as the most beautiful woman in the world (suggestions?) but not Liv!

For some reason she was also cast as Tatyana in the 1999 screen adaptation of Pushkin's Eugene Onegin. As a lover of Russian lit and language, I've read Onegin quite a few times (in both English and Russian, I might add). For those who aren't familiar with the story, there's this rich cat Onegin who is essentially above it all - love, duty, responsibility - he's wholly disinterested... and then he runs across this Tatyana chick and she totally discombobulates his reality. He falls hard. Again... Liv Tyler?? Are you kidding me?

stephanie took my movie choice

i would so love to see american gods made into a film. the author, however, has declined and insists that it wouldn't work as a movie (at comic-con san diego a couple of years ago). so sad! that said, i can sure comment on the casting of stardust! michelle pfeiffer? give me a break! the witch is supposed to be a chilling, alluring, haughty, and terribly frightened semi-sympathetic character. bah! maybe nicole kidman could pull off the witch role, or possibly (in a bit of a stretch) angelina jolie (no, this isn't a commentary on her life, just on what she can convey as an actress). i have never seen that much depth in michelle pfeiffer.
i like the choice of an unknown as the unlikely hero. i don't think deniro fits in the story at all though. i think crispin glover might be fun (think charlie's angels) as the duke, and although i don't think claire danes is a bad choice for the star, i also think that she's a little old for the role. i don't watch enough teenager movies/shows to have someone in mind though. and there went the train of thought... i'll try to update later.
with regard to what glenn posted: there are so few books made into movies in which the movies are better, but i think there are even fewer novelizations that come even close to being as good as the movie - even when they're written by the screenwriter (braveheart, anyone?). it just goes to show how incredibly important a good director is to the overall film. not that i don't think people know that, but i've been thinking about it.
i thought that the first narnia movie was thiiiiis close to doing the book justice (too much christian push - c.s. lewis had a little of it in there, but they took it too far). amen to most of glenn's list (does this mean i don't have to read out of sight, since the movie was so great?) "the sign says shut the fuck up..." it just doesn't get better than that! i'd also like to add that 300 was an amazing adaptation of the graphic novel, and that baz luhrman's romeo and juliet was, not better than shakespeare's original, but the first time i was able to see a performance set like a play - the extravagant costumes, the dancing, the monologues... i feel like it was a pretty faithful modern-style version of how the original play would have appeared to old globe audiences.
and there's my post - a day late, and a dollar short. can anyone loan me a dollar?

A message from Neil Gaiman

Since this *definitely* fits in with our topic, I just wanted to link you guys to this podcast, in which Neil Gaiman discusses the movie-ization of his book, Stardust.

Movies Vs. Books

Hey, Steph, congratulations on getting BSG's 200th post. And your birthday, too. I mean, not congratulations, but happy birthday.

I'm going to take this in a little bit of a different direction. As many of you know, the only books I read are poetry books (and those pretty much never get made into movies unless they are by Homer or whoever the hell came up with Beowulf) and comic books (which pretty much always get made into movies that suck with the exceptions of Batman Begins, the original Superman, Spider-man 2, X-Men 2, Hellboy, Constantine, and Sin City).

But I want to take this opportunity to explain something about me, books, and movies. You see, everybody is always telling me I need to read the Harry Potter books. I always tell them that I don't need to, because they're making them all into movies. Same with Lord of the Rings. Why would I invest hundreds of pages of my potentially poetry/comic book reading time in a novel if they're just going to make it into a movie that I can watch in two hours? I know this rationale is flimsy, especially coming from somebody who is in graduate school for English. But if I'm going to read fiction (which I rarely do, and when I do it is not in novel form because I have ADD), then I am going to read fiction with literary merit. There. I said it. Sorry. I'm a big jerk. This isn't just because of personal preference though (since my personal preference is to watch a movie or read poems), but just academic necessity. In six years when I am done with school I'll need to apply for jobs and demonstrate that I have a pretty deep knowledge of so-called literature, and I doubt they'll ask me questions about hobbits or Hogwarts in my interviews.

Ok, you guys got me. I'm just lazy is the real reason I don't read novels.

To close this out, I want to mention that my favorite book, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, has already been turned into a shitty movie. Which goes along with what people say about movies adapted from books. However, I do think that there are examples where movies take on a life of their own and surpass the books they're based on (or at least do something completely different but equally great). So here's my brief list.

Every Kubrick Movie
Blade Runner
Munich
JFK
Out of Sight (a million times better than the shitty book it's based on)
Solaris

Now I'm tired. What am I missing as far as movies that surpass the books they're based on?

From the Casting Couch

I'm just doing a short post now to get the topic out on the board. I'll update with my own response later tonight.

I'm fairly certain we all read. A lot. And I'm sure we all have some book we'd love to see turned into a movie. Well here's your chance to cast it. Give us a synopsis, and then tell who you'd cast in what roles. If you have a favorite director, hell, tell us that too.

Or, if there's a movie already made that you would've done casting differently, talk about that.

UPDATE:

Well an author I’ve recently become slightly obsessed with (and I know Jane’s with me on this) is Neil Gaiman, so I’m going to cast the first novel of his I read, American Gods.

The basic synopsis is that a convict, Shadow, is let out of prison a few days earlier than his original release date due to the death of his wife. He heads home, ready for the funeral and to start his new life, when he meets a strange man named Wednesday, who is offering him a job as a bodyguard. He rejects it, but then finds out his new job is gone due to the death of his best friend, who died in the same car accident as his wife. In fact she was was giving him a blowjob in the car. Oh - and she comes back from the dead too. Well it turns out Wednesday, is a god, Odin, and is on a crusade to gather up all the other gods in the country to rebel against the new ones America has created. The old gods were brought over with believers from other countries when they immigrated. However, as time passed, and the generations stopped believing, the old gods were forgotten, and were left to live normal lives. America replaced them with things like the internet, television, and money.

Czernobog - Peter Stormare - Slavic god that makes a bet with Shadow that if he wins a chess game, he gets to smash his head in with a hammer. Unsettling - just like this guy always is to me.

Anansi - Morgan Freeman - Lively, witty god - trickster of African folklore. Actually a bit more prominent in another Gaiman novel - Anansi’s Boys.

Shadow - Gary Dourdan (Yes, that’s the guy from CSI - I think he could totally pull off convict - at least one with depth - I could have easily just said Vin Diesel or The Rock, but that’s a bit of a cop out)

Wednesday - Billy Drago (Ok - this is where I have to admit that I watch Charmed, and he played Barbas, and was super creepy looking - btw Wednesday is not always a trustworthy character)

There are a ton more gods - several of which I might have to cast once I get to a computer with a faster internet connection. You can check out the list on Wikipedia - and feel free to add to this if anyone has read this book. I’ll try to get some links up to these actors’ pages on imdb, but in case I don’t, is it really that hard for you to look for yourself?

dear fake abby

i know a guy who is really annoying. he constantly criticizes people and complains about whatever we're doing, but then afterwards he says he had fun. i want to stop hanging out with him because i'm tired of all the whining, but all his other friends have already abandoned him and i feel guilty leaving him all alone. i want to be able to tell him that if every single person he spends time with decides not to spend time with him any more, that it might not be every single other person in the world who has the problem, but i don't know how to say it without sounding really mean. please help.
-spineless in denver

Dear Supergroup, (for real this time)

Hi everyone! This is Jane writing as myself, not as some fictional advice seeker. The thing is, I *do* actually need some advice. I've written all about it over on my blog, so please click here and advise away! Thank you, thank you!

Dear Supergroup

I am a blond, slim, 5-foot-10 female -- single and in great shape. People tell me I am beautiful. I am also HIV-positive.

I would like to meet someone special and settle down. But as soon as I meet a man I like, I struggle with the question of when to reveal my health situation. I have told them right away and I never hear from them again, which I find very insulting.

Some of my friends tell me I should date a guy for a few months and then say something, but I'd feel betrayed if someone waited that long to tell me.

I don't want to just blurt out the information at a first meeting. I'm very confused. Please help me. -- WANTS TO BE MARRIED, GAINESVILLE, FLA.

*This was shamelessly ripped from Dear Abby. I thought it was interesting that the first one I read was from good ol' G-ville*

Dear Supergroup,

For years I've been interested in dream analysis. For a long time I have consulted with an expert on this topic... although over the years she and I have become good friends. As such, I am no longer comfortable sharing my most intimate dreams with her. Last night's dream is one such example: I dreamt that I was outside, at my childhood home, next to a chicken coop - except instead of chickens, it was full of old clothes. I had a vibrator, and was masturbating while standing next to the chicken coop. Suddenly, before reaching orgasm, something popped out of my vagina (or as you spell it over here, vagnia). It was a small fleshy ball, covered in blood. I continued to masturbate - but then the battery in the vibrator died AND another fleshy ball popped out of my vagina. I awoke unsatisfied and confused. What can this mean???

~Seeking Analysis in the Dreamworld