happy birthday, dr. king

Today is the third Monday of January. It also happens to be Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Regretfully, I usually don't take the time to stop what I'm doing and observe the holiday for what it is, but after talking to my niece this morning I decided that I should. She told me that she didn't have school today because, 'Martin Luther King, Jr. turned the world upside down.' For some reason, after we hung up, that phrase kept creeping back into my mind. So, I decided that today I would not only acknowledge the holiday for what it is but that I would also celebrate the life of one truly remarkable man. And oh, what an extraordinary life it was.

As a stereotypical white girl raised in the 1990's, I can't fathom such an ignorant, cowardly America like the one that existed 50 years ago. The place where racial discrimination was actually legal in many areas of American life. The time when one could be excluded from restaurants, hotels, theaters, or even turned down for employment, all on the basis of his or her race. The system that actually allowed some states to prevent black people from voting. But even though I'm not old enough to remember these events personally, I can still reflect on them and honor the legacy of the individual that changed them all.

It is through the life of this man that I can truly recognize that the greatness and beauty of our country exists in its people. People like MLK who have the freedom and courage voice their opinion and demand change. A person who would fight for the freedom and justice promised to us by our founding fathers. A person with the patience and determination to end racial segregation through a peaceful means of protest. A person committed to exercising this nonviolent resistance in the massive struggle for civil rights. A person who's unyielding hope for a better future and willingness to face head on the political, social and racial injustices of his time continues to provide inspiration and strength to people all over the world.

Unfortunately, the English language doesn't provide me with adequate enough words to express just how special this man was. But I hope we can all take a moment to reflect on this great American. And especially in this day and age, when our country is in the midst of fighting two wars, I hope we can all remember that even in times of violence and suffering, there is always hope.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

"I have a dream..."

favorites of 2009

Another year has come and gone. If there's one thing I am sure of, it's that life goes by so quickly. For this reason, I decided it would be fun to take a moment to look back on the past year and create a few lists about some things that I enjoyed. It'll be fun to look back in a year (or three) and see what I had to say.

Songs

This category was inevitable. Music is everywhere. It has a very unique and important niche within our culture that brings us all together. Rich, lonely, beautiful, lazy, music is something we all can count on. The following are my favorite songs of the year,

Litztomania by Phoenix
French Navy by Camera Obscura
Hey Soul Sister by Train
Eet by Regina Spektor
Blood Bank by Bon Iver
Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear
Hell by Tegan and Sara
Use Somebody by Kings of Leon

1901 by Phoenix
Melody by Kate Earl

...And of course, my favorite 'Guilty pleasure' songs

Party In The USA by Miley Cyrus

Paparazzi by Lady Gaga

Down by Jay Sean

Celebrity Baby Names

This one is a little odd, I admit. But no one knows this category like I do. So instead of shying away from my admittedly creepy fetish with Tinseltown's tots, I have decided to embrace it. And as per the usual, there were a whole bunch of girl names I loved, so that list is a bit longer.

Best

Seraphina Rose Elizabeth (Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner) - surprising and lovely and a perfect compliment to big sister Violet Anne, this name was my favorite of the year.
Helena Grace (Kelly Rutherford) - classic, original and stunning.

Stella Luna (Ellen Pompeo) - this one struck me because of it's simplicity. it's timeless and spunky.

Adele Georgiana (Molly Ringwald) - this name was a favorite because it is simple yet bold and feminine.
Mabel Painter (Chad Lowe) - this is a charming and quirky name that doesn't seem like my type, but it's original and vintage and I adore it.
Harper Willow (Dave Grohl) - this is an adorable and fun combination of trendy, soft and sweet.
Paloma Louise (Ana Ortiz) - the flow of this one just seems exotic and exciting.

Phoebe Margaret (Julianne Nicholson) - I love the biblical and mythological connection of this one.
Marion Loretta (Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick) - an older and dated, but quite refreshing name that works well with big brother James Wilkie.

Lilah Grace (Erinn Hayes) - though popular, this is a sweet and girly name that will never get old to me.

Asher Liam (Campbell Brown) - simple and classic, this was my favorite of the year.
Beckett Edward (Nicole Sullivan) - very close second, this name is a little trendy, but still awesome and striking.
Walker Nathaniel (Taye Diggs) - perfect mixture of originality and modernity.
Atlas James (Anne Hesche) - different, but in a fabulous and refreshing sort of way.
Sebastian Thomas (Tommy Hilfiger) - masculine and charming, i think this is an excellent combination.

And then of course there are some celebrities who feel the need to name their children something completely wacky,

Worst

Bandit Lee - sounds like a criminal.
Mars Merkaba - why not Jupiter or Saturn?
Petal Blossom Rainbow - although I find Petal and Blossom quite refreshing, I can't get past Rainbow.

Sparrow James Midnight - cool enough, but i just couldn't get into this one.
Kaydnz Koda - kool, man, check out the yoonique spellingz.
Ikhyd Edgar Arular - I feel like he'll get called icky, which is just sad.

Movies

Another one of our culture's very important art forms is that of film making. Movies provide a glimpse into the human experience. Each year, millions of us flock to theaters and willingly suspend our disbelief in an attempt to be transported into another world, one that appeals to the deepest and darkest corners of our psyche. The following movies are the ones that I enjoyed the most in 2009,

Up

Inglorious Basterds

(500) Days of Summer

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Coraline

The Hangover

Avatar

Status Updates

Facebook provides me with many things. Procrastination, friendship, entertainment. I went searching through my very own profile the other day and found five of my favorite status updates of the past year,

January 20: Caitlin Brown loves how President Obama immediately escorts W to a helicopter that will take him to retirement in Texas.
January 28: Caitlin Brown is loving the Michelle Obama pregnancy rumors.
February 18: Caitlin Brown has softball seam marks on her head.
October 24: Caitlin Brown says dear U of O, your obsession with how many different uniform combinations you can wear is just stupid.
November 25: Caitlin Brown is Astoria bound and so very, VERY excited about seeing her wonderful family.

I hope everyone had an excellent year of 2009 filled with peace, love and happiness! I think we all benefit from taking a moment out of our busy lives to remember the little things that make us smile, cry and laugh throughout the years. Happy 2010, everyone!

the kid is the man

When I told people I met Griffey at the Seahawks game, they were understandably a little confused. "But he's a baseball player!" Well, yes, that he is. But he's also one of the most prolific and beloved athletes in the history of Seattle sports. As tradition goes, the Seahawks invited Griffey to hoist the "12th man" flag at Sunday's game, which was also the last game of the season. So, we (not so) patiently waited around the flagpole for about an hour, hoping that we would get some good pictures of 'The Kid' himself. Luck was on our side, though, and we ended up shaking his hand! And getting an autograph. "Thanks Ken" I said, as he handed me back the ticket... as if I'd known him for ages. Metaphorically, I have known him for ages.

Needless to say, I had a hard time wiping the grin off of my face afterward. Ken Griffey Jr! Best baseball player of his era. 10 time Gold Glove winner. 13 time all-star. AL MVP. 7 time Silver Slugger. Essentially, one of the Game's all time greatest. Awesome.

When Griffey returned to the Mariner's for the 2009 season, he was greeted with open arms. This alone was something of a phenomenon, as generally cities are unwelcoming of their former stars (A-Rod, anyone?). And while he didn't produce memories of '97 or anything like that, just being there, being himself, was something special. Griffey is one of the last remaining true heroes of the game and quite frankly, his presence alone, accompanied by his experience and talent provided stability for the M's clubhouse (and they kinda' needed it... new manager, young team, Ichiro's aloofness, etc). But perhaps my favorite thing about Griffey is his integrity and unbridled love for the game. He has worked tirelessly for his achievements and fame. He's one of the few elite players of his generation that is not suspected of steroid use. And, if you will remember from this post, that is a touchy subject for me. He's a legend because he is talented, not because he knows how inject himself with performance enhancing drugs. His records and fame are not tainted by lies and steroids like countless others of his era. And yet, he still produced better numbers than those clowns. Way to go, Ken. You're a hero. We forgot to tell you that we love you.