Ten on Tuesday: Resolutions!

This is not an official 10 on Tuesday post but follows up last year's T10 about new year's resolutions. It comes in two parts: First, a report card on how I did against last year's resolutions. Second, a bunch of new resolutions in the greatest tradition of election year promises. Also, a question to all my friends: What are your resolutions for 2009?

Last year's resolutions:

1. Vote. For this I get an A-plus because I voted the right way. Unfortunately, much of California voted the wrong way.
2. Write. For this I get a B-plus because I did write some, and composed the Unlucky 26... but I did not write three short stories like I said I would. I did, however, write two.
3. Submit. A solid C on this one. I submitted one story to a contest (no luck) and another to a different contest (honorable mention). But that was about it.
4. Call and write family more often. Um. Maybe a solid D. I didn't quite fail, but close.
5. Stretch. A on this. I now stretch and warm up pretty well before soccer and workouts. Not that it's done much good.
6. Get trained for scouting. A-plus. Not only did I get trained, but I volunteered as a uniformed leader for both Cub and Boy Scouts. Not that I have the time.
7. Revise. Solid B. I have worked hard on Andie's Gold (nee Gold Miner's Daughter), and it's much improved. But it still needs work in the later chapters.
8. Submit. B-minus. GMD/Andie's Gold have been sent out, but only recently and only to a handful of agents.
9. Tell people I care about them. I think maybe B-plus on this. I've been lots better, but I'm still pretty reserved in this area.
10. Carpe diem. I give myself an A-minus on this. Although my writing goals suffered, my day job flourished and I took on several challenges I might have let pass in the past.

Not bad. No total failures. A few good successes.

Now, a few resolutions for the upcoming year:

1. Do something proactive with the Unlucky 26. Agents, small publishers, or self publish. Not sure yet, but something will be done.
2. Be more proactive with Andie's Gold. (Assuming none of the outstanding queries bear fruit.) I have faith that this book should be published, and I just need to find the right combination.
3. Continue to write. I did pretty well until work got crazy; work will continue to be insane throughout 2009, but I should be able to continue writing at least as much as this year, hopefully more.
4. Don't skip the gym. It's so easy to say "today is too busy," but the days that I go I feel so much more energized. When I don't go, I start getting down on myself. It helps that I now have a buddy who goes to the same gym.
5. Be realistic about my time. This fall, I had too many obligations. I need to scale back something to retain my sanity.
6. Reprise #4 of last year: Write and call family more often. Um, yeah. That's a resolution like for every year of my life.
   

How about you? What resolutions do you have this year? Which ones did you break last year or fail to break?

Ten on Tuesday: Olympians!

This week's Ten on Tuesday theme is favorite Olympians of all time. Let me first say that this list has my favorite Olympic athletes of all time. Gotta root for the Old Blues! Athletes like Michele Granger (softball), Joy Fawcett (soccer), Chris Huffins (decathlon), and Mary T. Meagher (swimming) reached the very top level but won't ever make the "world's best" lists. Beyond that, here are the ten Olympians that struck me as I was thinking about this question. In no particular order:

1. Jesse Owens
   With four gold medals in 1936, Owens showed the world that Hitler's idea of a "master race" was truly full of shit.
   
   
2. Bruce Jenner
   The definitive Wheaties box icon, Jenner was magic in 1976. What bigger accomplishment than gold in the decathlon, in our bicentennial year? Wikipedia credits him with starting the "victory lap with flag" trend. And who could forget the hair? I was nine that year, and the Olympics were everything magical about sports.
   
   
3. Carl Lewis
   What an athlete. Had a reputation for being self centered and egotistical, but nine gold medals is an incredible achievement. (Maybe not for you kids whose only Olympic memory is watching Michael Phelps' mom in the Water Cube. She's probably the only woman to get more TV time from NBC than Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor.)
   
   
4. Dorothy Hamill
   Another 1976 Olympian, Hamill is the icon for me from the winter Olympics that year. I don't remember much about her or the competition, to be honest.
   
   
5. Mia Hamm
   Gorgeous and unstoppable, a remarkable soccer player who owned the world of women's soccer for years. She deserves to be named among the sport's greatest of all time.
   
   
6. Matt Biondi
   A Cal grad who lived just up the street from me in Berkeley while I was in school there, Biondi had this amazing wingspan and was genuinely liked across campus. I didn't know him, but his reputation was as a good guy. He has eight gold medals from 1984 to 1992.
   
   
7. Natalie Coughlin
   Another Cal swimmer, we all know Natalie from this year's relentless swimming TV coverage. A charmer who seems genuinely thrilled with any medal she achieves, she's also a local girl who went to high school a mile away from here.
   
   
8. Nadia Comaneci
   Three years before Bo Derek's famous movie, Nadia was the first ever perfect 10. She is now a huge philanthropist and volunteer advocate.
   
   
9. The 1984 US hockey team
   We all know the story. Coached by Kurt Russell, this team achieved a "miracle" by winning gold at the Lake Placid Olympics in 1984. UPDATE: Uh, duh. Make that "we all know the story except me, because the real year was 1980. Doofus."
   
   
10. Artemis
    One of the original Olympians, Artemis was not allowed to compete in the original all-male competitions. She would surely have won gold in all the archery events if she had, however.
    
    

Who have been your favorite Olympians?

Ten on Tuesday: Villains!

This week's Ten on Tuesday theme is favorite movie villains! When I think of my favorite movies, it's rarely for the villains. I mean, really, how are you going to pick a "villain" for a list like this from Mary Poppins, or The Sound of Music, or The Sting (OK, I really liked Robert Shaw as Doyle Lonogan in this, but mostly because of the entire movie, not because he was a particularly outstanding villain). I almost picked Sid, the neighbor kid in Toy Story, but again he didn't rise to the level that I wanted. So here are a few that leapt to mind this morning. I have a feeling my list would be different later in the day after my brain warms up, but... there you go.

In no particular order:

1. Tim Curry as Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers. "You first."
   
   
2. John Malkovich as Cyrus Grissom in Con Air.
   
   
3. Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne in Speed.
   
   
4. Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor in Superman.
   
   
5. Anthony Hopkins as William Bligh in The Bounty.
   
   
6. Bruce Glover at Mr. Wint and Putter Smith as Mr. Kidd in Diamonds Are Forever.
   
   
7. Richard Kiel as Jaws in various Bond movies.
   
   
8. Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook in Hook.
   
   
9. The Predator.
   
   
10. David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King in The Labyrinth.
    

What villains have inspired you or terrified you? Obviously the Wicked Witch of the West and Darth Vader deserve to be on a list like this, but I chose as always to go more obscure for my own (and I hope your) entertainment.

Ten on Tuesday: Olympics!

This week's Ten on Tuesday theme is events that should be in the Olympics!

1. Doubles Parenting Decathlon
   Couples must coordinate activities for three children aged nine years, five years, and six months. Individual events include homework marathon, supermarket sprint medley, sports practice relay, and babysitter hunting. (Future Olympic games may include same-sex doubles parenting, but at this time all couples must be of mixed gender.)
   
2. Singles Parenting Heptathlon
   Similar to Doubles Parenting, but the competitors must accomplish the tasks alone while pestered by creditors and ex-spouse's lawyers. There is no distinction between men's and women's competition--both sexes compete in the same events.
   
3. Poetry Slam
   Even the East German judges couldn't make this any more subjective than figure skating is now. Alternate version: Full-contact poetry slam without pads.
   
4. Financial Obstacle Course
   Competitors, given massive debt, skyrocketing fuel and food prices, and a set of job skills determined by random draw, must navigate a different country's economic and social services system in order to achieve financial stability.
5. Voting
   Competitors are subjected to 48 hours straight of propaganda, split up into 10-minute chunks for each of two political candidates. At the end of the 48 hours, competitors are judged on impartiality and ability to sift fact from the morass of misinformation. Additional points awarded for sticking to a set of previously articulate principles, particularly if that means voting against party lines.
6. Wife Carrying
   WTF?
7. Husband Carrying
   Just because. I mean, really. Though things could get dicey when same-sex marriage is recognized by the IOC, though.
   
8. Scavenger Hunt
   Countries supply teams of four people who start out with only the list of items they need to find, a specified amount of local currency, and their clothing. The teams all set out from the stadium during a specified moment in the opening ceremony, and they must return two hours prior to the closing ceremony, during which the medals will be awarded. As long as no illegal means are used, how the teams acquire the objects is up to them. Certain objects may be designated more or fewer points.
   
9. DDR
   I have seen some teenagers do this successfully at such a high rate of speed that my eyes could not keep up with their feet. Me, I do OK on the basic level for the Wii.
10. Pole Dancing
    I am astonished that this has not been added to the Games. Talk about television ratings.
11. And a special bonus item that should be added to the Olympics:
    Ten on Tuesday blogging!
    

If you played this week, let me know. If not, drop your ideas for additional events in the comments.

Ten on Tuesday: Celebrities!

This week's Ten on Tuesday theme is least favorite celebrities. Um... that would be... pretty much all of them. I don't mind most movie stars and sports figures, but anyone who's a "celebrity" annoys me. So I tend not to pay attention.

But, in the spirit of giving it the old college try, I turned to Wikipedia and found this great page. Who knew there were online lists of celebrity Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, polyamorists, and people with dwarfism. Isn't the internet great?

1. Sanjaya Malakar
   
2. Michael Jackson
   
3. Brett Favre
   
4. Rosanne Barr
   
5. Gary Coleman
   
6. Rush Limbaugh
   
7. Dr. Laura Schlessinger
   
8. Anne Coulter
   
9. Spongebob
   
10. George Clooney
    

I'm not a big fan of "least favorite" lists, but who is loved by the public that annoys the heck out of you? Take a break from your day and visit other T10 lists.

PS: No celebrity list would be complete without a mention of Hayden Christensen.

Ten on Tuesday: Vacation!

This week's Ten on Tuesday theme is memorable vacation moments. Although my dad was no Clark Griswold, we had our share of childhood road trip disasters. Here are ten of my memories.

1. My first trip to Disneyland
   I was nine years old, and it was my first trip west to visit my mom since she'd moved to Las Vegas. We took a few days and drove to Disneyland, and I will never forget staying at the Disneyland Hotel, riding the monorail and the People Mover and the Matterhorn. It rained on us one day, but we didn't care. Magical. This was way before Space Mountain.
   
2. Salzburg at Christmas
   My sister went to Austria for a year in college, and we visited over Christmas break. I was perhaps thirteen. We walked across a frozen lake and toured the very cool fortress, and I got laughed at by Austrian kids on the ski slopes. My dad spoke almost no German, and he left a note for the B&B lady that said something like, "Sorry we left before breakfast. We went shitting." He meant to write "skiing."
   
3. Block Island
   Looking for jellyfish over the ferry's rail. Riding bikes around the island and climbing down the clay bluffs. Getting sandwiches and salt water taffy and tacky souvenirs at Old Harbor. Eating fresh, raw honey from the little farm. I wonder if it still has any of the same charm that it did thirty years ago, or if it's built up beyond recognition now?
   
4. Walking Mt. Katahdin's Knife Edge
   My dad: deathly afraid of heights. Me: A nine year old kid more interested in cartoons than hiking. A mountain trail known as "Knife Edge." Add in a little rain, and you've got a typical Dudley childhood vacation. I loved it.
   
5. Were the Vikings really this tacky?
   In the year before kids, we drove around England. One stop was York, which I loved, but not because of the Jorvik Viking Museum. I am a huge fan of medieval history, particularly the English period around the time of Alfred. But Jorvik seemed a surreal Disneyland treatment, complete with barnyard smells, when I was hoping for something more... museumlike.
   
6. Flooding and Pestilence
   I can never remember whether it was South Carolina or some similar state, but I woke up in my little tent in four inches of water during what was likely a hurricane. We slept the rest of the night in the car. This was not an uncommon part of our vacations.
   
7. Kejimkujik
   We took the Blue Nose Ferry to Nova Scotia and spent a few days at this gorgeous Canadian national park. The rangers ran a wonderful nature program in the evenings. I'll never, ever forget the stargazing we did one night.
   
8. Lunch at the Louvre
   When our oldest was only four months old, I went on a business trip to Paris. Round trip fare was just $500, so my wife joined me for the weekend prior to the conference, leaving the tot with grandma. It was a cold December, but it was a great trip. The Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Elysees.
   
9. The old MGM Grand Hotel
   I spent summers in Las Vegas, and my favorite hangout was the old MGM Grand. Their back section held the jai-alai fronton, the video arcade, a Swensen's ice cream shop, and the movie theater which showed old, MGM classics and had big, puffy seats like recliners and servers who would bring you food and drinks. Too bad it burned down.
   
10. Most recent trip to Disneyland
    We took our boys to Disneyland last December, and it was again magical. After nearly a whole week there, when it was time to leave, my oldest (eleven) teared up and asked when we could come back. He's not sentimental, not in the least. But the magic had gotten into his bones, and it broke my heart to have to leave. (Here he is in the Jedi Training Academy.)
    

Have you been to these places? Have any great suggestions? Now take a break from your day and visit other T10 lists.

Ten on Tuesday: Movie Charcters!

This week's Ten on Tuesday theme is 10 Favorite Movie Characters. I had a difficult time coming up with really, really good ones after the first three or four, until I got my stride. Then I could barely restrict it to ten.

1. Everyone's favorite, Captain Jack Sparrow.
   "You cheated!" "Pirate."
   
   
   
2. My first true love, Mary Poppins. Also any other role the young Julie Andrews played, particularly Maria in The Sound of Music. I am still in love with Mary Poppins and Maria. Le sigh.
   
   
   
   
3. Dory. Has there ever been a better animated character? "I wish I could speak whale."
   
   
   
   
4. Inspector Cluseau (the Peter Sellers version). Sellers bridged Marx Brothers humor with more modern slapstick in a creative, hilarious, and subtle way. Cluseau (along with Dreyfuss and Cato) are among the most memorable characters ever.
   
   
5. Navin R. Johnson. "He hates these cans!" "The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!" Steve Martin's defining role, I think. At least until later in his career.
   
   
   
6. Here's a twofer: Harold and Maude. Neither character rates my top ten without the other, but together they were terrific.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Forrest Gump. A lot of people seem to think this movie is cotton candy for the brain, but I love it, and the character is the main reason. And Lieutenant Dan makes my honorable mention list.
   
   
8. Inigo Montoya.
   "Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
   "You keep using that word. I do not think it means whatta you think it means."
   "Let me explain. No, no. There is no time. Let me sum up."
9. Willie Wonka. I have not seen the remake starring Captain Jack Sparrow, but I knew I had to put a Gene Wilder role in my top ten, and this was the clear, logical choice.
   
   
10. Indiana Solo. I mean Han Jones. You know, those phenomenally awesome cool guy adventure roles played by Harrison Ford.
    
    
    

And honorable mentions:

• Otto from A Fish Called Wanda. Kevin Cline's masterpiece role.
  
• Bill and Ted in their excellent adventure.
• The "I want my two dollars" kid and most of the other wacky characters in Better Off Dead. Like the two japanese guys who spoke like Howard Cosell, and the hot French neighbor, and the mom who cooked the green goop with raisins that slimed off the plate.
• Any and all Bond Girls. Without the Bond Girls, these movies would be just spy thrillers.

What ones did I leave off?

Ten on Tuesday: Sports!

This week's Ten on Tuesday theme is "10 Favorite Sports to Play/Watch." I decided to break it down into five of each.

To Play:

1. Soccer
2. Ultimate Frisbee
3. Racquetball
4. Skiing
5. Bowling... or maybe golf. Or bowling. Does roller coaster riding count?
   

To Watch:

1. College football
2. Soccer
3. Pro football (NFL)
4. Hockey
5. Martial Arts. Or maybe roller derby. Does pole dancing count?
   

Come out and play! What would your list include?

Ten on Tuesday: Inventions!

This week's Ten on Tuesday theme is "10 inventions that have made life easier." I tried to stay away from the obvious like "the internet" and "google." After all, is "being able to do more work in less time" really making life easier? Or is it just making us do more work in less time?

1. The ball point pen. Thank goodness we don't have to use quills any more.
2. Flush toilets. Though I'm guessing they wouldn't be nearly as useful without the sewer system attached.
3. Sunglasses. Now I can check out all the babes at the pool without getting caught.
4. Rhyming dictionaries. How do you think I come up with some of my poems?
5. Pockets. Gives you some place to put your hands when people are looking at you and you're nervous.
6. FastTrak open road tolling. Has reduced the drive to grandma's from 35 minutes to 20.
7. Crumple zones. Without them, my family and I might have been really really hurt.
8. Ladders. Without them, my roof would be covered with frisbees.
9. Wrinkle-free fabrics. I love love love love LOVE not having to iron pants any more.
10. Vacuum cleaners. There is no more efficient way to scare the shit out of a cat.

Play along! What inventions do you think have made life easier?

Ten on Tuesday: Favorite National Moments

I haven't done Ten on Tuesday in a very long time but decided I'd give it a whirl again. This week's theme is "10 favorite moments in your country's history."

As I was compiling my list, I had to think hard about many important events that clearly changed history but which I would have to say didn't fit what I would want my "favorites" to be. In the end, I selected ten dates on which acts of humanity or innovation were realized. That is what I want the essence of the USA to be, and that is what people around the world want the USA to be. Somewhere recently we've lost our way among reality TV, gas prices, Girls Gone Wild, unrivaled military might, and the definition of "is." So thanks, Yano, for giving us a topic that reminds us of some good things we've accomplished in history. These are listed in no particular order.

1. July 20, 1969: First human steps on the moon
   This is such an achievement of technology, innovation, perseverance, and sheer arrogance that it has to be among the greatest achievements of humankind ever. The amount of coordination, planning, vision, and work this took is simply astounding.
   
2. August 18, 1920: 19th amendment ratified, extending Women's suffrage
   It's hard now to imagine that women at one time were not allowed to vote in this country. Ludicrous, right? But it was less than 100 years ago that Congress finally granted women the right to vote. This year we nearly selected our first woman presidential candidate.
   
3. November 16, 1981: The day Luke married Laura
   This is the coveted "guest appearance" slot in my top ten; I had to select from many hopeful entries. I was in high school and had no idea who Luke and Laura were, but every girl in my school was, like, totally obsessed with their wedding. Over 30 million viewers tuned in to watch this episode of a frickin' soap opera. Although I'm no television history expert, I see this event as an indicator of some kind. Maybe the eventual downfall of the free world, or perhaps the Apocalypse.
   
4. July 4, 1776: The day the Continental Congress declared independence
   This is the only criminal act of treason on my top 10 list. I decided I would pick only one event from this period despite the fact that I could have easily selected ten, some of which were also criminal acts. The Boston Tea Party. Patrick Henry's famous speech. The battle of Bunker Hill. The victory at Yorktown. Ratification of the Constitution. The list could go on and on.
   
5. December 6, 1865: 13th amendment ratified, abolishing slavery
   How is it possible that anyone could ever justify, within their own conscience, the atrocity of slavery?
   
6. 1959: Invention of the microchip
   In 1957, the editor of business books for Prentice Hall predicted, "I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." How could he know that two years later the foundation of nearly all of today's technology would be invented?
7. January, 1848: Gold discovered at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California
   There is no telling how California would have grown or stagnated without the Gold Rush. Certainly, San Francisco would not today be the diverse, vibrant, crazy place it is today without the explosive, uncontrolled, totally unorganic growth in the 1850s.
   
8. 1879: Thomas Edison perfects the light bulb
   I had always thought Edison invented the light bulb, but he actually bought a patent and then spent an ungodly amount of effort researching and perfecting it. When I found out the original inventors of the technique weren't even American, I almost removed this from my list. But I kept it in because of the way Edison achieved his 1200 hour light bulb: through sheer effort and dogged determination. It illustrates one of my favorite quotations of his: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
9. May 10, 1869: Transcontinental railroad completed
   Probably a huge number of atrocities were perpetrated on the laborers who made this happen, but it still brought together the entire nation and allowed uninterrupted train travel from one ocean to the other.
   
10. December 17, 1903: Wright Brothers fly at Kitty Hawk
    Flight was being attempted all over the world, but Orville and Wilbur made the first powered flight of a record 59 seconds over nearly 900 feet on this day.

There are so many other moments that could easily make my top ten. If you have a favorite moment I've left off my list, share it with a comment, or play your own Ten on Tuesday and let me know about it.