Justin Cecil's Blog

Growing up as a child one of my favorite cartoons to watch was "Doug." It was one of the first really big animated shows to be featured on Nickelodeon (lovingly called Nicktoons) and featured a boy growing up with his friends, family, and of course, his dog Porkchop. The episodes would go back and forth between the reality of his life and the fantasies in his head. And what for me at least was one of the most prominent features of the show was the fact that he kept a journal, which was often used as the framing device of the show; Doug would often be seen writing in both the beginning and end of each episode, and there would of course be narration. Thus, when I was watching this show on TV, barely knowing how to read (and honestly struggling to do so) I wanted to keep a journal also. I've more or less kept up with the habit of keeping a journal daily. And no matter what I wanted to be when I grew up, whether it be an astronaut (unfortunately I'm really, really ba...

Recently the music video for Guns N' Roses song "November Rain" just reached a billion views. This makes sense; the music video has been up on the band's official youtube site since 2009 and it's both a popular and classic song and music video. I found out about this achievement thanks to an NPR article I was reading online while attempting to come up with a new blog article. I decided to write a quick list of videos I like on youtube that I think should get more views online. Maybe none of these will get a billion views, but I still think people should view them online. Enjoy! 1. Time Bandits Trailer This is probably one of my favorite movie trailers of all time (the movie itself is pretty good too). It's the trailer for the Terry Gilliam film "Tim Bandits." Rather than have traditional narration, the viewer gets to listen to the narrator argue with the director while footage from the movie is shown. It's absolutely hilarious and is sure t...

Every now and again I come across an obscure book that I think should get more attention. Sometimes it's an older book that's out of print, or at least barely in print and has, perhaps, a cult following. Recently I discovered a children's book series titled "A Very Young..." that was prominent in the 1970s and early 1990s. The series was written and photographed by Jill Krementz . She was a photojournalist who, along with her books aimed mainly at children, was in Vietnam photographing the war back in 1965. In addition she was married to the late author Kurt Vonnegut. This particular book series she worked on involved her following the children and their families and friends as they practiced their passions and hobbies while struggling to reach their goals, whether it be for an upcoming competition or a play. The series began in the 1970s with titles such as "A Very Young Dancer," "A Very Young Gymnast," and "A Very Young Circus Flyer....

The above is a picture of a partially eaten container of raw cookie dough. I noticed this container of Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough on the sidewalk as I was leaving work today. It seemed like a very odd thing to see just lying on a sidewalk in the middle of downtown Bellevue, Washington and I figured that there had to be a story behind it. Throughout my life I have of course seen many things just lying around on sidewalks, usually litter. Occasionally I find something especially odd which makes me wonder how it appeared there. For example, at several bus stops I've seen left behind shoes and even shorts. It often made me wonder if there was someone out there walking around wearing just one shoe with their other foot bare. And whether or not there was someone out there wearing only one shoe, what lead them to leaving one behind? Based on the sight of this cookie dough container it appears that someone bought it at a grocery store (there are a couple nearby thi...

Original Title: Reactions to the Film "Her" Original Publication Date: October 9, 2014 Several months ago my Mom went to the movies and saw the movie "Her." She got annoyed and walked out of it as soon as possible. I put it on hold at my library (one of the many things I love about my local library system; I can borrow DVDs along with books!) and watched it this morning. Ultimately I had mixed feelings about the film (something that I tend to have with every Spike Jonze movie I've seen) but was moved by it. Like my Mom mentioned I did get annoyed with Theodore, the protagonist played by Joaquin Phoenix; I kept thinking, "I know you're going through a rough patch, but stop being mopey and get over yourself!" However, like I mentioned I was still very moved by it. Ultimately the feeling that I felt most was sadness, not even necessarily for the characters themselves but for humankind in general. The film "Her" is science fiction (al...

Original Title: Modern Day Renaissance People Original Publication Date: October 1, 2014 If I had a time machine one of top times/places I'd love to visit would be Renaissance-era Italy. One of my favorite artists of all time is Leonardo da Vinci. His art is amazing; I've been fortunate enough to see some of his work at the Louvre, including the Mona Lisa (I swung by Paris for a few days in-between finishing up volunteer work in Israel and heading back to the States, which was amazing). I've long admired da Vinci, not only for his art but also for his whole approach to life. Along with his artistry he also designed machines for flight and underwater travel centuries before they were actually created, played the lyre, and filled countless notebooks. For whatever reason I have always been attracted to the idea of a Renaissance man or woman. I've always been fascinated by a variety of subjects and I suppose I admire people who not only are interested in a lot of thin...

Original Title: Types of Coffee I Like Original Publication Date: September 28, 2014 Growing up in Florida I wasn't much of a coffee drinker. Later on in life I moved to Israel for almost two years, volunteering as a gardener, where I feel in love with Arabic coffee. I currently live in the state of Washington, where Starbucks was created, and I have now become an official coffee drinker. Since writers often go to coffee houses to sit down and write, I thought that it would be an appropriate blog topic. Here are a few of the different types of coffee I often drink on a semi-regular or at least occasional basis. 1. AMPM Coffee - I usually end up getting the French Vanilla Cappuccino from the AMPM store, which is often found at local Arco gas stations. Sometimes I'll simply get a black coffee and add one of many varieties of cream to it (such as Irish Creme, French Vanilla, Hershey's, and more). What I like about AMPM is that one can get a punch card for their coffee; w...

Original Title: Tavi Gevinson Original Publication Date: September 27, 2014 Hi everyone! Just wanted to quickly share this video of fashion blogger turned actress and overall Renaissance Woman Tavi Gevinson being interviewed for CBS Sunday Morning. I've actually read her blog and website a few times and it's really good. Reading about Tavi and seeing her on youtube videos just makes me want to keep blogging and working on my writing. You can also check out her  blog  and  website . Also, if you have yet to purchase my book "Mele the Mermaid," you can do so  here . If you already own a copy then maybe you could purchase it for a friend, family member, or other loved one for their birthday, upcoming holiday, or just a random event.

Awhile ago I had actually started a previous blog titled "Thoughts and Shout-Outs of Justin Cecil." Ultimately I only wrote and published five articles for that blog. One of the main reasons I didn't keep up with that blog was the fact that I was also writing articles professionally for websites. Thus my focus was on those projects. Ultimately I was let go from writing for those websites back in 2016. I'm going to republish the articles I wrote for my previous blog on this one, and plan on deleting it once all of them are reposted. Here is the first one. Original Title: My Journey of Self-Publishing so Far Original Publication Date: September 24, 2014 Hello, my name is J.A. Cecil and I am now officially a professional writer and illustrator. Recently I wrote, edited, illustrated, and self-published my book,  "Mele the Mermaid."  In addition I've also written articles about  Orlando travel  for Examiner.com. This has been a dream of mine, something ...

A little over a year ago, on May 13th, 2017, I visited the final resting place of Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee. At that point I had been living in the state of Washington for about three and a half years, and had also visited the state a few times previously within my lifetime, usually to see relatives and friends. I had by then visited and enjoyed many of the major sites, including but not limited to the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, many of Seattle's museums, and more. But one thing I realized that I hadn't visited at that point was the final resting place of actor and martial artist Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee lived in various places, being truly a world citizen. He was born in San Francisco, grew up in Hong Kong, found his way back to America, spent much of his early adulthood in Seattle, and eventually moved back to Hong Kong for his film career, where he died in his early thirties. While living in Seattle Bruce Lee accomplished much, studying at the University of Washi...

Hello, my name is Justin and after much thought and debate I have decided to start a blog. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and have previously written articles professionally for a few website such as axs.com and examiner.com. My plan at this point is to write at least one article per week. I plan to write about a variety of topics, whether it be about books I read, experiences I have, opinions, and anything else I have an inkling to write about and express. And for my first blog post I have decided to introduce myself by writing down five facts about myself. 1.      I was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. Along with Texas I have lived in Arkansas, Florida, Israel, and am now currently living in the state of Washington. 2.      I am an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. For my Eagle Project (a community service project one is required to organize and lead to obtain the rank) I lead a book drive in Florida for the Semino...