Radar Love

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to San Francisco. Our hotel was two blocks from Union Square and one block up from China Town. While strolling through the shops we found a Chinese hat with a fake queue down the back. We immediately thought it would be fun to purchase this, pose my husband in the hat, tweak the photo, and then give it to his dad as a joke.

The reason was that his dad always teases him with the idea that he has a half brother from his dad's stint in the Navy and the reference to having gone to Japan. How does a Chinese hat fit the idea of a Japanese half-brother? It doesn't very well, but, we do happen to live in Sedro Woolley, Washington so I think we're covered. Here's the final product. His dad enjoyed the photo so much that he said he was going to hang it on the wall with his Navy pictures... Now that's love.






















In keeping with the above title and as an ode to my '87 poop-drop brown Celica, here is a salute to the summer of '90, cruising Riverside Drive/College Way, Golden Earring on cassette, and SpongeBob for my boys.

Twist on the Motivational Poster

A picture is worth a thousand words...

My Top Ten Films

With the Oscars coming out next week I thought I'd spend a few minutes thinking about my top 10 movies of all time.
1. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
2. Slumdog Millionare
3. The Matrix
4. The Big Blue
5. American Werewolf in London
6. Highlander
7. Transporter
8. Napoleon Dynamite
9. Dumb and Dumber
10. Scarface

(1) The Passion of Joan of Arc is absolutely amazing. I came across it one morning (I'm talking 4am) when I couldn't sleep and it was on some random channel. They opened the film by explaining that it had been salvaged and later "rediscovered" in storage after surviving a fire. As a result there are portions of it missing but despite this it is truly a powerful and amazing film.

(2) The Slumdog Millionare has been getting a lot of buzz and I hate that. I like to feel ownership of movies and when everyone's raving then it just can't be my discovery. I saw the previews awhile ago and thought that it looked like a good movie, it started getting a lot of attention, as a result I didn't want to see it so much, and only because there was not really anything else playing at the time I decided what the heck. So, I saw it and loved it. I loved the main character, his relationship with his brother, his enduring love for a young girl into adulthood, and above all else, his honesty. I found similarities between it and The Kite Runner movie. I should say that I really loved the book, The Kite Runner but thought the movie was okay. I think of that movie in discussing this one because I loved the relationships in the story and how strong they are from an early time in their life into adulthood. I also loved this movie because I know exactly where in the movie I almost cried, exactly the point where I did cry, and that I was happy in the end. That is the formula for a perfect movie.

(3) The Matrix is one of the psuedo-intellectual films that some people can really over-intellectualize. I'm sure there are philosophy classes centered around the Matrix on college campuses throughout the US. However, I just loved the style found throughout the film. Having had short hair when I first saw this movie I totally identified with the strong and beautiful female character that falls in love with Nemo ;) It had fantastic special effects and was a great story - our reality is an illusion while our illusions are our reality - how cool is that?

(4) This is one of my absolute favorite films based on location. The Greek Islands are gorgeous, the main character is gorgeous, and Enzo is adorable. Despite the fact that Rosanna Arquette was annoying and a terrible actress I loved this movie for it's cineamotography and it's soundtrack. It's also about a misunderstood character who just doesn't quite fit into the world around him but who is able to find his place in the universe in the end.

(5) American Werewolf in London is the very first movie I went to as a teenager, lied about what movie I was going to, and got away with it! The movie is a comedy/horror film with great special effects for the time (1981). It was showing up at the Tri-Cinema and I remember feeling like a terrible liar when I told my dad all about the movie I didn't see. If you haven't seen this film I would encourage you to give it a try. The humor only accentuates the fact that it's a great horror film.

(6) Highlander is a movie I saw at the Lincoln Theater in Mt. Vernon. Christopher Lambert starred in this strange movie the same year I graduated from high school. I think I enjoyed this one so much because I went to see it without a clue what it was about and was totally impressed with a great story. You don't meet a 16th century immortal living in present day New York everyday.

(7) One of my all time guilty pleasures are the Transporter movies with the first one being the best. A great looking guy, driving a great looking car, going incredibly fast, doing incredibly impossible stunts - LOVE IT! Give me a smart-aleck, non-conforming, brutally honest, and butt kicking main character who fights injustice and I will give you my heart!

(8) Napoleon gets one of the top ten spots because it totally caught me by surprise. The boys and I sat down to watch this movie during Christmas break in 2004. We had no clue what it was about and I think we rewound the beginning bus scene like three times because we couldn't believe we were seeing what we were seeing. Was this guy for real? We laughed so hard...

(9) This movie is so dumb and that is the beauty of it's appeal. I actually could not stand this movie the first time I saw it. But I have two boys who loved it and they watched it over and over and after about the 17th time I finally started to enjoy it with them. It is one that we can now watch over and over and laugh as much as we did the first time or in my case the 17th time.

(10) Scarface with Al Pacino when he was in his prime is hard to beat.

Honorable Mentions

300
Repo Man
Breakfast Club
The Snowman
Hamlet (Mel Gibson)
The Punisher
Space Jam :)
Gladiator
This is Spinal Tap (only because I thought it was a real documentary when I first saw it)
Fast and the Furious
The Virgin Springs
Bottle Rocket
Streetwise
To Live and Die in LA (great soundtrack)
The Usual Suspects
All Jane Austen movies including The Jane Austen Book Club

Grace Cathedral in San Francisco

Too Beautiful To Live

No, the title does not directly refer to me but rather to one of my favorite FM talk radio programs that can be heard evenings in the beautiful Northwest. Luke Burbank and gang provide me with laughter and random discussions while I taxi my boys to various activities. Jen is the perfect touch of seasoning to the always entertaining, if not occasionally manic, ravings of Luke.

Calling all Greenlanders -Luke wants you on his map! RAWR!!

I Love My Grandma but...

I know it sounds cruel but she DID vote for Obama. Okay, all kidding aside I have to admit that I am one of the few in the state of Washington who did NOT vote for Obama. In fact, I find a small amount of joy every time I see a "Nobama" bumper sticker and am reminded that I am not alone in the universe. 

Having said this it should come as no surprise that my grandma and I did not see eye to eye on the election. I believe my comments about Obama actually upset her so much that she didn't talk to me for over a week but she did vent to my mom. During one of my last conversations with her on this topic I tried to explain some of my concerns and no, not a single one had to do with the fact that he's black. Despite my efforts in explaining my position to her, our conversation ended with her asking me in her grandmother voice, "Honey, what do you have against Obama?" I wanted to shout, "Didn't you hear me?!" 

The photo below captures Obama on stage during a fund raiser for Sen. Tom Harkin in Iowa with presidential candidates Bill Richardson and Hillary Clinton. Many felt this photo showed his lack of respect to the nation during the singing of the National Anthem. It was reported that Obama was angered that the photo was released (and because the reporter erroneously stated the photo was taken during the Pledge of Allegiance rather than the singing of the national anthem, Obama said: "This is the classic dirty trick. This was not the Pledge of Allegiance. The woman was singing the Star Spangled Banner."

As a sign of respect to their nation, many Americans place their hand over their heart when the National Anthem is played as well as when they recite the Pledge. In his case, Obama said "...I was taught by my grandfather that you put your hands over your heart during the Pledge of Allegiance. The Star Spangled Banner, you sing." Only, when you look at the photo, its very clear that neither Obama nor the others on stage are singing. It was, however, the singing of the national anthem.

In striking contrast below I have one of two newspaper photos showing my grandma watching the inauguration. Take special note of the fourth paragraph and you will notice where her hand is and what song is being played...I'm certain she would not like this blog posting...but I still love her anyway.

Skagit Valley Herald

‘Our country has come a long ways’

By CODI HAMBLIN
Staff Writer

Skagit County senior citizens saw a piece of history Tuesday morning that many didn’t think would happen in their lifetimes.

Dressed in red sweaters and munching on red, white and blue sprinkled doughnuts, about a dozen Country Meadow Village residents celebrated the inauguration of President Barack Obama at the Sedro-Woolley retirement home.

“His speech gave me goosebumps, and it almost made me cry,” said Bernadine Salsman, 88, a Country Meadow Village resident. “History is being made, definitely.” Salsman and her friend, Jessie Miller, 91, another resident, said looking back in history, neither ever imagined seeing a black person become president. “We should be an example for the whole world,” Miller said. “I’m just happy I could live to see this come to pass.” Residents gathered around a flat-screen television wrapped with a blue and white fabric at its base.

As Obama approached the podium to deliver his inaugural address, Salsman raised her arm and waved a hand-held American flag in the air, a smile across her face. The residents clapped with agreement throughout Obama’s inaugural address. Many rose from their seats as “The Star Spangled Banner” was sung. They placed their hands over their hearts and sang along. After the ceremony, Salsman said it was difficult to pinpoint just one thing from the speech that stood out.

Me too Grandma...Unfortunately, what I've found is that when someone has a definite opinion and doesn't want to hear any facts that don't jive with it they refuse to hear you so I recommend you take two aspirins and watch a good movie. 

My recommendation would be Albert Brooks in Looking for Comedy in a Muslim World. Then, to top it off I would suggest a double feature with Defending Your Life. These are hilarious comedies and with Albert Brooks' awkwardness and great sense of timing I would hope that you'd enjoy them as much as me.