Formulas for success

I know that I talk about movies a lot, and I honestly can’t help myself. One thing that I’ve noticed is that I do seem to figure out some of the “formulas” fairly quickly in a film, which causes me to not be as surprised with the plot as much as the general population (clever bloggers excluded, of course).

I don’t know if this will spoil it for some of you, but I thought it might be fun to make a list of more obvious tricks that we can always seem to get from good ‘ole Hollywood. You’d think with budgets of $50+ million, there might actually be some originality.

Somewhat well known actors, even on the B List, do not do small roles for nothing. If you recognize the guy playing the rather unimportant neighbor, then chances are that he’s the villain our main character is trying to uncover.

Don’t most people watch a preview of a film before deciding to see it? I can guarantee that what happens in the preview, will happen in the film. Seems obvious, doesn’t it? I’m always amazed at how people seem so “surprised” at something that was fairly dominant in the preview.

If a couple gets together in the film and they are really happy and you’re only one hour into it, one of them will usually die before the end.

If the movie starts with a present day scenario and then uses flashback sequences to tell the story and one of the main parties wasn’t in the beginning, chances are that person died in the flashback or married someone else. Think Titanic. If Rose had married Jack, then the granddaughter would’ve known Nana was part of one of the biggest news events in history from the get-go.

If the camera awkwardly focuses on a random actor in the film that really plays no significant part up to that point, he/she is the murderer. Hunt for Red October basically gave away the chef with that tactic.

If a bunch of men are fighting, and there’s only one woman present, it doesn’t matter if she’s a flight attendant, executive, prostitute, or a midget, she will suddenly be able to master weaponry by either wielding a massive sword or firing a gun accurately (and without any recoil).

Rarely is the first suspect the correct one, esp. if it's revealed only 30 minutes into a two-hour film.

Fiancés or girlfriends brought home to meet the family won’t be liked.

No matter how stressful a situation may be, like a natural disaster, gunfight or being chased, there’s always time to declare one’s newfound love for his/her partner – and at least one kiss with tongue action.

If one member of a couple freakishly dies and there’s a single friend or relative around, there’s the next hook-up (and probably the cause of the person’s death in the first place).

Couple friends introduced fairly early in the film that spend a lot of time together mean that there’s at least one affair going on.

When ugly duckling women are made over and the hot guy suddenly notices her, it doesn’t matter that he was a superficial shit the day before. Are there any movies where the guy is made over?

Other obvious villain traits: the one English guy in a group of Americans, creepy facial hair, greasy/slicked back black hair, open shirt with hairy chest/ gold medallion. And if there's a politician, diplomat or royalty as a victim of crime or betrayal, it's his/her #1 assistant.

Okay, I better stop and toss it over to you.

Nah, nah, nah, nah, why I say it's your birthday

As most of you know, I like to link to people that I know are having a birthday. I admit that I don’t remember the dates, but I registered them with BirthdayAlarm.com, after some of you responded to a post where I requested it (and please feel free to drop it again, in case I'm missing you).

Someone pointed out to me recently that it seems as though only a handful of people go on over to these links and offer their well wishes, and it also seems to be the same people. Here’s a perfect example of why I like to post birthday links and try to visit those I see:

You may have seen that my sister’s birthday was last Friday. I called her in the morning and we spoke briefly, but she said she’d call me back later. When she did, she was in tears, for it had turned into the worst birthday/week she’s had in a long time.

My brother-in-law is deployed to Iraq until January, so she’s already dealing with loneliness. Her friends have been asking what they can do to help, and R hasn’t asked for anything. But, she did want to have a Girl’s Night Out and planned the details three weeks ago, along with scheduling a sitter for her three kids.

By the time she called me at 8 p.m. her time, all five of her friends had canceled on her for various reasons, though the stupidest was her best friend’s excuse of “still painting her living room, “ despite the fact she was the last bailer and R had even told the girl she was going to be all alone.

She had also spent two hours at the DMV renewing her license and three hours between a hospital and the Army Family Care practice. Some crazy 8th grade chick punched my nephew in the nose at recess and it fractured in multiple places (needless to say, he didn’t see it coming), and there was a bunch of crap going on with the insurance and whatnot. Oh, and she also found out from the dentist that week that she needs three root canals and the Army will only pay for one.

We’ve all had a shitty birthday at some time or another, including me, and somehow, I always hope that by posting a link to someone’s site and sending people over to say “hi,” it might make what was turning into a crappy day seem a little bit brighter. I know it’s not much, but just something to think about, especially if you liked it when those same 3 - 4 people dropped by your place when it was your turn (and yes, Bud, I know you don’t want any linkage this year:)

Heyyyyyyyy you guys

This weekend, I went down part of the WA and OR coasts with my friends, Brook and Mary, for a girl's thing/early birthday outing. As I child of the 80s, I knew that one of my all-time favorite movies as a kid was filmed in this vicinity (no, I'm not telling yet).

We were driving south, when I looked out at a place called Cannon Beach and said, "Hey, that beach was featured in movie, X." I took some pics and told Brook that I was very impressed with myself for realizing that this particular beach was in the movie, even though it was about 15 miles from the main city that was featured. She said that any one that's familiar with this movie will probably be able to guess it.

Can you tell in which movie this particular view was featured?

I'll have to rely upon the honor system in the comments box, but scroll down if you don't know (and want to see more pics).














Now, you might recognize it (according to some really dedicated fan site, they blue-screened the ocean part next to the Ecola State Park, which is why it's not an exact match-up not to mention tide and ecological changes to the beach over the past 20 years):










Yes, The Goonies! It was filmed in Astoria, OR, which is located in the upper west corner of Oregon. Bee-yooti-ful country. Here's a closer shot of Haystack rock and its beach which was also used in the start of the movie, when the Fratellis join that ORV "race" on the beach and escape from the police.

I thought that the view going the other direction was the last part of the movie where they come out and are greeting their parents, but according to that fan site, it was actually filmed in CA (though they also admitted the similiarities between the two beaches).

We found various other sites almost by accident like the museum where the dad worked, the County Jail, and some of the other buildings but didn't take a picture. Below, is a shot that I took of The Goonies house that some of you might remember (along with the driveway they biked down). There was a sign at the base that said "private, no cars" and I didn't want to walk up b/c that felt stalkerish. The left side is from the movie; the right is my pic. If you think I seem fanatical, they actually hosted a 20-year reunion fan weekend last summer.












I took this from sitting in our hotel lobby at happy hour. I mean, don't you all like shots of a Red Lion Inn? Actually, according to the visitor's guide, this is where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Penelope Ann Miller had dinner during one scene of Kindergarten Cop (also filmed in Astoria). At the end of that boat deck you can kind of see is where they built a fish market for Free Willy.






This was from the balcony of our hotel with this great view of the Astoria Bridge that crosses the Columbia River. It starts out just above the water level and then rises to accommodate the shipping traffic. Approaching it almost looked like a roller coaster upramp. Also, this bridge was apparently featured in Short Circuit where some of the robots jumped off of it (I haven't seen it, as it looked lame even when I was 11). Two other films that were shot here were The Ring 2 and Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 (though the latter was actually supposed to be set in a japanese village).


And the money shot, an unedited pic of the sunset on Friday evening in Westport, WA, which also serves as the surfing mecca for WA/OR.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

A Fool's Gesture

I know it's been a while since I posted a review for MaliciousBitch.com. Not only has it been a very slow time for films, but I've been somewhat busy to write out the reviews for the few that I have seen (and aren't even in the theatres anymore). Plus, at $9.50 per night time ticket (and even $7.50 for days), I'm trimming the fat on my theatre indulgences.

Click here to read my review of V for Vendetta on MaliciousBitch.com.


















Click here to read my review of Failure to Launch on MBc.











And even though she rarely checks my site, unless I tell her to do so, I'm still going to wish my very own sister a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Chewy (childhood nickname b/c her hair looks like Chewbacca)! We will be the same age for the next eight days, of which she will remind me often. And yes, this is why I think Sun really is pregnant with Jin's baby -- b/c doctors aren't always right:)

Have a great weekend everybody!

My turn

Because I just got in and haven't even watched tonight's Lost yet, I thought I'd follow Chris, DB and 3T's request to answer my own questions. I just haven't before because I wasn't sure if I should.

1. Does Tom Hanks’ quasi-mullet in the previews for The DaVinci Code creep you out as much as me? This one is a little rhetorical, but I just think the look doesn't fit both the actor and even the description of Robert Langdon in the book. It's very greasy-looking versus a more traditional cut that I imagined. I'm also not convinced that a receding hair line and long in the back should ever go together.

2. Should people that have to pre-board an airplane to avoid “stopping traffic” have to wait for everyone to get off? I think Stacy said it best in the comments in that it's the people that kind of gloat at you, esp. on Southwest when it's a free-for-all, and then don't hesitate to block the aisle to get kids out of carseats and then out into the aisle when you're trying to get off and catch your connecting flight.

3. What’s the busiest day for your blog hits and why do you think that is? There honestly doesn't seem to be a consistent "high" hit day with the new URL, but Wed/Thurs seemed higher with the older one. Maybe it's b/c I'm not in the search engines yet? What I find interesting is how I can often under or overestimate which posts will bring in the comments.

4. Does the temperature outside determine whether or not you like to cuddle after sex (a friend of mine actually asked me to put this on the blog)? Yes, I kind of assumed that it would be a given that the temperature outside would be what affected the room temp, Barry. I have to admit that when you're in that sweaty suction phase b/c it's so humid outside, I'm usually more eager to jump in the cold shower.

5. What is something about you that no one else seems to know? That the topics I often blog about really don't bother me as much as some of you seem to think they do. I don't know if it's my diction or tone or what, but I pretty much post it because I think it might bring about an interesting discussion and then I move on, unless it's a personal on-going issue.

6. How many bloggers have you met (not people you already knew that became bloggers)? I just hit lucky number 13 when I met Lynn this past Saturday. I would've posted a pic, but I looked like a monkey's taint and figured I might do her more justice after our next meet up in a couple of weeks when we ferry over to Bainbridge Island (where McDreamy lives). I've never been disappointed in meeting bloggers, so if you're ever in my area, or you hear I'm going to be in yours, let me know if you want to meet up.

7. Do you ever wish you had a different first name, and if so, what? When I was younger, I didn't like my name. I remember going through a phase of Cynthia and then Jordan. Now that I'm an adult, I really like Rebecca and wished my parents had just called me that, for I'm now just too used to Becky. If I ever have kids, I don't want to nickname them, for it's just easier when they get older.

8. If I were to come visit you (and your family), what would you make for dinner? As Chris mentioned, I've become a little known for my chicken katsu, which has been kind of fun for me as I don't exactly have a domestic reputation. I do vary from the typical preparation, but the way I make it is cutting chicken breast into nuggets that are dunked in flour, egg wash, japanese panko flakes and then fried to golden brown (preferably in peanut oil). The absolute must is sprinkling kosher salt over them afterward. My new favorite dessert is taking a Sara Lee pound cake and slicing it up. Take those pieces and layer them with melted milk chocolate chips until you run out of ingredients. Top with Cool Whip and then freeze. Take out 30 min. prior to serving, but cut it up soon, as it becomes more difficult when the cake becomes soft and the chocolate is still hard.

9. Is Tony Soprano going to die? No because he is the heart and soul of the show. It would be like killing Jack Bauer off 24 or Harry Potter in the sixth book. No way, no how. If this were the last couple of eps, then I would say he might die, but we still have about 10 to go and then the mini season in 2007.

10. Is it rude for a total stranger to refer to my dog, Kona, as a "gimp?" As I mentioned in the comments, I did think so because it was pretty obvious that it was my dog, and I really don't need to hear that. Nor, do I need a strange old man just walking up to me and telling me to put Kona down. I have to admit that I didn't realize how insensitive the public really is to people (and now dogs) that are different and have different needs until I met my friend Dan and saw the way people behaved, looked at or reacted to him in his wheelchair. Until you or someone you're around a lot has been in this position, it's difficult to understand or relate to. And while I realize that people may not intend to hurt others' feelings with their words/actions, how will they ever know otherwise if someone doesn't say so?

You say terrorist; I say revolutionary

I went to see V for Vendetta today (film review to be written for MBc), and there were several different issues that emerge during the film. For the purpose of this post, I’ll provide a brief premise.

We’re in Britain some time in the future during a period of totalitarian rule. A vigilante called V encourages Brits to challenge their government and reclaim that which was so wrongly taken. Meanwhile, he assassinates the individuals in this government for whom he has a personal vendetta (and rightly so).

I thought I might have read somewhere else in response to this movie that even though he’s considered heroic in many eyes, he is, after all, just a terrorist. I’ve always thought that overthrowing a tyrannical government is called a revolution, is it not? Is it any different because he targeted the individuals responsible, instead of raising an army against another army and costing even more loss of life? Is it justified to use violence to fight violence?

Yep, I go from ass sniffing to revolution. Don't you?

Scratch n sniff

It's a good thing I was wearing pants today, for I was almost sodomized by a pit bull's snout at the dog park today. As I was standing there watching Reese antagonize dogs that are 10x his size and Kona amble about, it occurred to me that it's a lot like speed dating for humans in that judgments are made within the first 60 seconds or so.

And then I wondered if humans might be able to "sniff" out other people's character better, if we employed dog tactics for greeting one another?

Yes, this is one of the more mundane thoughts that run about my head.


Kona: Yaaaaaaaaaaay, going to the dog park! Needless to say, these brown eyes get him everywhere:)

I've got questions; you've got answers

1. Does Tom Hanks’ quasi-mullet in the previews for The DaVinci Code creep you out as much as me?

2. Should people that have to pre-board an airplane to avoid “stopping traffic” have to wait for everyone to get off?

3. What’s the busiest day for your blog hits and why do you think that is?

4. Does the temperature outside determine whether or not you like to cuddle after sex (a friend of mine actually asked me to put this on the blog)?

5. What is something about you that no one else seems to know?

6. How many bloggers have you met (not people you already knew that became bloggers)?

7. Do you ever wish you had a different first name, and if so, what?

8. If I were to come visit you (and your family), what would you make for dinner?

9. Is Tony Soprano going to die?

10. Is it rude for a total stranger to refer to my dog, Kona, as a "gimp?"

Vivaaaaaaaaaaaa Las Vegas!

Click below so you can listen to one of my favorite (and unprotected) Elvis tunes that I have.



I'm back and still trying to catch up on my sleep. I went to bed around 3:30 each morning and still couldn't sleep as late as I would've liked. If you've never been to Vegas, it's an adult version of Disneyland. This is my fifth trip and I'm still not tired of it and there's still so much I haven't done. I gambled the most this time in blackjack and lost my biggest pot of $250, though I was still a major lightweight in the group.

A picture of me and my brother, Patrick. This is the not-so-flattering angle you get when you ask a 4' Asian lady to take your picture on your way out b/c you forgot to take one up to that point with the brother you see once a year, if you're lucky.

Patrick is three years younger than me and I'm already envious of his lifestyle. He's a wine director at one of the restaurants in the new Wynn Las Vegas hotel, and most recently came back from a trip to Spain where he just had to go wine tasting. Last year, he had to go to France and Germany the year before. When we were touring the Wynn, we ran into the wine director of the entire hotel, who asked Patrick to sample some wine in front of some distributors. I still can't believe this is the guy that used to punch us in the arm until we would look at his long shit in the toilet.

When I asked which celebrities he's seen lately, he said that Tom Cruise "and that chick" came in recently. "That chick" = Katie Holmes is very much pregnant and when I asked if it seemed like they were just acting like a couple or did they seem in love, and he said it seemed legit. Also, "the Good Will Hunting dudes" were also in, and Matt Damon was very cool. And, Mick Jagger has some "damn large lips."

You know how it's tacky to talk about how much you paid for something, unless it's a great deal? Well, I got one to stay at the Wynn, so I have to share (Patrick has never been able to get deals on the hotels he's worked at, but can with meals, clubs, etc.). I found a great package through Southwest that wasn't much more than the hotels like NY/NY. I would highly recommend staying there, if you ever find a similar deal at the time you book your trip.

This is the lobby/entrance area to the Wynn. The entire decor of the hotel is elegant, like The Bellagio, but not over-the-top like The Venetian. Btw, they change these real flowers out at 3 a.m., in case you ever wanted to know.

Here's a shot of the room that I stayed in, and this was the cheapest one. I know that people say that you never spend time in your room, so why not pay less. But, I think there's something to be said about having the most comfortable bed ever and a huge ass tub in which you can soak your tired body (ask me how I know).











The view from my room of the strip during the day (duh, right?). It's on the other side of The Venetian toward the Stratosphere. Trump's new place is going up across the street. The slab you see in the middle of the picture is hotel's big fountain/water fall.

The other pic is my homage to my Star Trek fanatical friends. Spaceship or shopping mall?











And, of course, the reason why I went: my friend, Alex's wedding. They had their ceremony at the Excalibur and the preacher looked like Merlin with his long gray hair, beard and purple robe (but no pointy hat). That's Chad in the left pic (go figure) and the girlfriends that came on the right side.











And here's the party starting. We took the champagne bottles from the restaurant, but since we didn't have glasses or cups, we white-trashed it. Let's start with the bride/groom, and then you can all start singing "Mrs. Robinson" for my pic (Alex's brother is the blond and he's also really good friends with my youngest bro, Andrew). The other guy is Alex's step-brother that just turned 21 and kept calling me "ma'am."

After this point, we basically did a casino crawl and went to Paris, Bally's, TI, Mirage, Caesar's and The Flamingo (we'd done Excalibur and NY/NY the previous night). Number of times drunk girls actually asked Alex if she'd "just gotten married": 2. Because women normally just go out on the town in bridal gowns and veils, right?











This picture cracks my ass up, so I had to share. And you also get a shot of the rooms at Excalibur.











Hope you are all doing well. It will take a couple of days to catch up on your blogs, but I'll be there soon. And HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!

It finally comes around

You know how we sometimes think that we may be going through a rough patch in our lives, that nothing seems to be going right and then we remember that friend that always seems have it worse and puts it all into perspective?

Meet my friend Alex. We took this picture sitting on a bunch of old lava on the Big Island just before our 10-year-reunion in 2002. We actually went over there in order for her to return sand that she’d taken 10 years earlier in order to remove what she felt was the curse of Pele. There’s a legend in Hawaii that if you take any lava rock from the Big Island, then you will have bad luck until it is returned (her sand was from pulverized lava). We have been friends a long time, going all the way back to the summer of 1988 just before we started high school.

If people ever think I’m blunt, Alex beats me to the punch. As time goes on, you realize that Alex only means well and is just the one person who will say out loud what everyone else is actually thinking. There are definitely times when it’s wiser to hold one’s tongue, but you eventually also appreciate the fact that there’s at least one person that you know will give you a straight answer when you need it, instead of telling you what you might want to hear.

Alex’s family was the first one that I ever knew to use the f-bomb to each other. In the army officer corp, this was virtually unheard of and somewhat akin to breaking rules of 18th century “society” in that family issues usually stayed behind closed doors. Whenever we went to Alex’s house, she had to enter first and scream out “I’m home with friends, is anyone naked,” for nudity was their norm, even when doing household chores.

Alex’s dad suffered from what I can best describe as “asshole-itis” in that he would swear and berate their mother in front of us, even though we were only 14 years old. The mom would toss it back, though she rarely initiated it. It’s kind of hard to describe in a brief manner, but let’s just say that none of us were envious of her home life.

Alex’s family moved to San Antonio the summer after we graduated from high school. During her sophomore year of college, she went back to Hawaii for a year for an exchange program. Unfortunately, she had to go back home, for her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and later, we found out she also had brain cancer. Alex has a sister two years younger than us that is mentally retarded, so she has frequently pitched in to help with care.

Her mother recovered, and even though she seemed a little spacey before, she didn’t seem quite right after. I moved down to San Antonio to be with my now-ex-husband, (I’d met him through Alex), and I stayed with them for a few days, and her mom offered to make me breakfast. She’d forgotten how much she’d cooked for me, and literally gave me over 10 scrambled eggs in several batches. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I was full and tired of food, so I ate them all.

A few years later in November of 2001, Alex called to tell me that her mom had unexpectedly died while visiting relatives in Pennsylvania. Apparently, she actually passed away on the floor next to her sister (who never woke up) while dialing 9-1-1. Everyone knew what was going to happen, that Alex was going to take primary care of her sister, Tara. Sure enough, her dad was dating someone two months later and married the woman barely one year after her mom’s passing without much concern as to what happened with Tara.

Last time I visited Alex was May 2003 for her younger brother’s wedding, when I bunked at the house she was renting with Tara. She was in the process of building a new cookie-cutter home for the two of them, and was even going to give the master suite to Tara. We spoke frankly about how difficult it is for her to date, and how it might take a while for her to find someone that would be willing to take Tara as part of her overall package.

I haven’t even had the time to go into how great of a friend she has been and continues to be, but I wanted to share this one example of karma coming back to someone who had given so much of herself for others. Alex started dating Chad a couple months after my visit, and amazingly, he was not deterred with the prospect of Tara and her care.

Things have gone well, and I’m leaving tomorrow morning to go to Alex’s wedding in Las Vegas. Words cannot express how excited I am for her, and even though I admit that I’m not always the most emotional person in the world, my eyes are tearing up even as I type this. I can’t wait to see her and I’m looking forward to meeting the man that has made my friend so happy.

I also look forward to visiting with my brother, Patrick, so I will see you on the flip side after I return on Wednesday.

Please go on over and wish Dawn (aka Webmiztris) a HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY! Her direct writing style and observations continually crack me up and actually remind me of Alex, and she is one of my favorite reads. I will forewarn that it's a more adult-oriented site, in case you're at work or have kids standing behind you that can read.

Celebrity Face Match

People have always said that I look familiar. I get stopped by strangers all the time in many places asking me if my name is X, do I know Y, or am I related to Z. Never do I hear that I look like someone famous, so I was kind of curious to see what this little toy called My Heritage might say (thanks to Dawn and Denny).

You upload your pic and then it scans it through the database, so you are somewhat limited to what's included in their system.
Who would you have guessed? I had several different celebs pop up, not realizing how different my "look" could really vary.

This one was my most popular outcome, Kelly Clarkson:










An oldie but goodie: Diane Keaton










The reason why I got lasik four years ago: Chester Bennington from Linkin Park










I only wish, esp. since I asked her for directions and I know I look nothing like her:










And for the grand finale, a french model named Alizee (this honestly seems a little close if I were younger and thinner):










By the way, if any other movie fanatics want a challenge, let me know in the comments. I have this Excel spreadsheet that my friend Denise e-mailed me that has various movie scenes still shots but with the actors' faces removed so all you see is the clothing and background. You have to guess which movie they're from. It's honestly not that easy, as Denise and I are still missing six (out of 60) of them. I think she and I made it to 49 on our own.

When there's a will, is there really a way?

I have a question, and I promise I'm being sincere. This is not meant to be sarcastic or condescending in any way, but a genuine curiosity.

As I've posted before, I believe in God, but I do not belong to a particular religion nor attend church. And as far as anyone else is concerned, to each their own.

For some reason as of late, I've read quite a few phrases about events being part of "God's plan" or "God's Will." And if you subscribe to this theory, then I'm wondering what is the point of praying for things for a particular result?

By that I mean, that someone heals from his/her illness, that people find the strength to endure whatever they're going through, etc. Because if everything that happens is according to God's plan or will, then isn't the outcome already determined?

I asked a friend of mine this question, and she attends church regularly and even majored in theology for undergrad. She said that she prays to open a dialogue with God, but she does not ask for specific "requests," though she acknowledged that many do.

She then asked me how I would answer that, and I responded that it seems that people pray for things to maintain a sense of hope, though it does seem to be more of a placebo (again, if one believes in the overall "plan" theory).

Your turn.

Pride & Too Much Prejudice?

I always liked the quote from Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts tells Richard Gere that “the bad stuff is easier to believe.” I don’t think there’s any question that most of us are hesitant to accept compliments for face value; there’s always a question lingering of what the person really wants.

Even as I read blogs or listen to friends, we are all so quick to self-deprecate and make jokes about our weaknesses and flaws as if it somehow makes us more human, less threatening, more likable, or all of the above. Why are so hesitant to say nice things about ourselves and be proud of what we have accomplished? And conversely, why do we seem so quick to respond negatively to those that do?

In the blogosphere, part of me wonders if it’s because blogs have been notorious as a way for the blogger to vent out some frustration, anger, grief, depression, sadness, etc. and this particular medium doesn’t seem to be as suited (or liked) for emotions of a happier nature? Memes seem to be get-out-of-jail free cards to say something nice about yourself and not worry about repercussions. Even for this post, I felt obligated to someone if I would sound like an ass by saying that facialist have said I have nice skin before I published it.

I think we often hesitate to talk about the good times because we’re worried about offending others, making them feel uncomfortable or coming across as egotistical. And I’m not talking about people who think they’re better than everyone else in every possible way, but people who are simply content, or excited to be genuinely complimented, or happen to mention that they have an asset, instead of thinking everything about them is worthless.

It reminds me of an episode in Sex and the City (as most life’s lessons do), where Miranda went out with a guy who talked most of the time on the first date. On the second date, she felt comfortable and mentioned how much she enjoyed her job, her life, etc. Not once did she make the comparison to anyone else, but the guy told her later on that he didn’t want to go out with her again because she seemed so “full of herself.”

Why does expression of happiness or confidence often equate to conceit?

"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us." Jane Austen

___________________________________

Wait, I'm not done yet. My brother-in-law (let's call him Leo), is stationed in Iraq until next January. Prior to his deployment, he was given a bobble head (I think it's a St. Louis Cardinal player) and Leo has started a blog to document Hungo's secretive whereabouts on this journey called Where is Hungo? I wanted to post the link to get Leo and Hungo some new readers. Leo is a great BIL, has a great sense of humor and I look forward to seeing what he has the balls to post.

No, I'm still not done! Please go on over and wish Ben from TGIF Hounds a HAPPY FRICKIN' BIRTHDAY (it's Tuesday)! Ben used to blog as the Curator, but shut that site down and due to popular demand, brought back a site primarily dedicated to the antics of his two basset hounds (yes, apparently some dogs really do eat tortillas). Remember how much you loved well wishes on your b-day, so go spread the love!

Ugh...........

Between multiple migraines and an upset stomach, I was not feeling irie this weekend and don't have my brain together in order to write much. Go Crash for winning the Best Picture Oscar!

The highlight of my weekend was watching my 'lil 11.5 lbs. Reese (the terrier) attempt to hump a Great Dane at the dog park. No, I do not have a pic:)

And how are you?

And the Oscar should go to...

The Oscars are this Sunday, which as I've said before, are my Superbowl of TV viewing. I watch red carpet recaps all day and the pre-show on E!. Yes, I'm weird that way. I'm also anxious to see Jon Stewart host this year's event. One of the nice things about being on the West Coast now is that it starts at 5 p.m. here, so no staying up past 11 p.m. to see the Best Picture winner.

In the past, I've done pretty well in Oscar guesses, but mainly through the non-exciting categories, like Editing, because the acting, picture and director categories are largely based upon networking and campaining, instead of who might actually deserve it. That throws me off, but I thought I'd go ahead and take a stab at the Big Six. I've seen all the movies except for A History of Violence.

Best Picture
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night and Good Luck
Munich

Who Should Win: Crash (see original rant here)
Who Will Win: Brokeback Mountain

Best Director
Brokeback Mountain - Ang Lee
Capote - Bennett Miller
Crash - Paul Haggis
Good Night, and Good Luck - George Clooney
Munich - Steven Spielberg

Who Should Win: Paul Haggis, Crash
Who Will Win: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain

Best Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Terrence Howard - Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line
David Strathairn - Good Night, and Good Luck

Who Should Win: Joaquin Phoenix. Unfortunately, critics seem to love Hoffman , who was excellent but Phoenix not only also impersonated his real-life counterpart but also sang just like him and learned to play a guitar. Extremely competitive category (unlike last year where Jamie Foxx was a clear winner for a similar type of role in Ray), though Phoenix will surely get his soon enough for another film. A bit of trivia in that David Stathairn refused to allow the studio to campaign for him, nor would he do any personal appearances/interviews to do so.
Who Will Win: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Best Actress
Judi Dench - Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
Keira Knightley - Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron - North Country
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line

Who Should Win: Reese Witherspoon, (even though Phoenix will not be able to share the glory). The other four nominees were great in their roles, but not enough to surpass the varied emotions and scenes that Witherspoon performed...in addition to singing.
Who Will Win: Reese Witherspoon

Best Supporting Actor
George Clooney - Syriana
Matt Dillon - Crash
Paul Giamatti - Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt - A History of Violence

Who Should Win: Matt Dillon
Who Will Win: George Clooney, most likely because the Academy will want to reward him in some way and he's not a serious contender for Director or Screenwriter for Good Night. However, there is always one "upset" category each year, and this is probably it.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - Junebug
Catherine Keener - Capote
Frances McDormand - North Country
Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain

Who Should Win: Rachel Wiesz
Who Will Win: Rachel Wiesz. She is the "life" of this movie as an activist that is murdered in Africa (it's in the preview). Michelle Williams is the next-talked-about-contender, but her scenes are no different than what most pissed off wives experience on a daily basis.

What are your thoughts? Was anyone left out that should've been included? I personally thought Walk the Line and Pride & Prejudice were better than Capote and Munich as an overall film.

Are times a-changin'?

I was telling a guy friend of mine here about the running out of gas post found here, and how several people commented about chivalry and how that type of behavior would not be found in their native areas. My friend (let’s call him Chuck) exclaimed, “What does chivalry have to do with helping someone on the side of the road? Are you saying that any man should automatically stop for any woman?”

I explained that my main frustration with the behavior was not so much that they didn’t help me, but that they actually stopped me from trying to get my problem rectified in order to assist them. It was far more dangerous for me to be on that road, exposed to traffic than for them to be lost and driving around (though I should point out that since they were lost, it’s reasonable to assume they might not be from Seattle).

Chuck then made the statement that it seems hypocritical for women to want equality, yet expect “chivalry” or preferential treatment for their gender. I responded that it’s a statistical fact that women are still earning less than men for the same job, so until there is true equality, perhaps we do have the right to expect certain niceties.

I pointed out that I also thought there was a difference between chivalry and having manners. If a guy doesn’t open my car door for me, it’s not a deal-breaker. But, allowing a door to slam in my face is impolite whether it be a date or a girl friend in front of me. Or, not offering a pregnant woman a seat on the bus.

While Chuck agreed that basic manners and courtesy should be no-brainer, he still did not agree that in this day and age, women should still have the expectation of the traditional sense of chivalry such as the door being opened, the check being paid, the man pursuing, etc. The difference being that chivalry is behavior from a man specifically reserved for a woman, and manners should be applied to anyone regardless of gender, age, etc.

Does chivalry still have a place in today’s society? Why or why not?

You gotta know when to hold it...

You ever notice that you really have to go to the bathroom, as soon as you find out it's logisically impossible? My toilet backed up this morning, for reasons that I will not share. Plunging it 30+ times did not work, so after three years of managing rentals in Hawaii, I knew I needed a plumber to come snake it. If any of you have had this done, you know it takes all of 10 minutes to do.

I opened the yellow pages and started going through the big ads b/c as a marketing person, I appreciate people that spend money in advertising. The first three companies I called refused to tell me what their hourly rate was or their fee for snaking a toilet, claiming "they didn't have that information." BUT, they would come out for a $50 or so service call, give me the estimate and then I could decide to use them or not, but the service fee would have to be paid (and it was not applied to the service if I did approve the estimate). I told each one of them that it made no sense and I would call a company that was more honest.

The reason I wanted to blog about this is so that you don't make the same mistake I did a while back. I called a plumber for one of our rental units where there was something wrong with the toilet. A friend's husband worked for them and said they charged a flat rate for the job, instead of an hourly rate, and I stupidly assumed they would be good people. They wound up invoicing me $238 for them to change the damn toilet flapper and the tenants said the plumber was there for 10 minutes. I refused to pay it and we settled on an amount far less.

If you ever have a plumbing problem, make sure they are willing to be upfront and give you an hourly or task rate, esp. if it's a fairly minor problem. If not, then I would expect them to be underhanded and overcharge you, when they're in your house and you're desperate to get your one toilet fixed or your leak to stop, instead of calling someone new.

And in case you're wondering, the snake has come and gone...and the plumber even showed up five minutes after the start of the time frame they gave me.