2010 - Year In review Part. 1 (Life, Movies, TV)

I'm happy to leave certain things in my past while wondering how certain things stayed left behind. Started with two jobs and ended with freelancing in San Diego and looking for permanent employment.

RIP: Guru, Teena Marie, John Wooden, Bob Feller, George Steinbrenner, Jose Lima, Teddy Pendergrass, Lena Horne,  Gary Coleman, Dennis Hopper, Leslie Nielsen, Howard Zinn, Bro. Mack and many more.

Biggest News Stories

1. BP destroying the Gulf Coast (5 years after Katrina, this could have even more crazy long-term damage)

2. Haiti earthquake (you might have it on the backburner, but we won’t forget)

3. SB 1070 – AZ going back to the Stone Age of immigration.

4. Dems get smashed in November (Christine Donnell’s loss aside, the Tea Party made gains and somehow we still kept talkin bout Sarah P’s celebrity self)

5. Wikileaks making Jullian Assange either the new Woodward/Bernstein or the biggest renegade in years.

6. Health care passing – Hoping this will benefit folks who need it.

7. Iraq war quietly ending (If you blinked you missed it, but it's time to say Hallelujah)

8. Chilean miners (A great story but I hope one day, miners is a outdated job)

9. Korean flare up – the No. 1 story to watch in 2011. Please believe it.

Finally read A People’s History of the US and Lies My Teacher Told Me and my mind was blown further into smithereens. As much as I knew, there was a whole lot I didn’t. Must-read books by any American who wants to truly know their history. I owed it to Mr. Zinn to honor his life by buying that book and I don't regret either purchase

Movies

Inception might be the one of the greatest summer blockbuster films ever. It’s rare to find a film that grossed so much money, attracted 6 Oscar winners or nominees to star in and dominate and be a well-executed film in every facet of the word. Christopher Nolan can say that he not only has two of the highest grossing films of the last 5 years, but two of the best summer movies ever in Dark Knight and Inception.

For someone like me who loves the idea of dreams, this movie was almost like eating cheesecake with raspberries. And it may not get any Oscar love thanks to brilliant films like Social Network and The Fighter but I hope that it gets at least a nomination for Best Picture. It’s one of those movies that’ll make you think with so many layers involved. Was it just about dreams or was it a film about filmmaking creating a world for us to be in? Reminded me a lot of “The Matrix”

Book of Eli and The Town were also great films I watched. But this year moviewise, I finally watched some classics for the first time in Godfather 1&2 and Shawshank Redemption.

Television.

No TV moment impacted me more than the end of 24. The first show I watched from start to finish. The show that defined the post-9/11 era as far as terrorism and our fascination with the government’s inner workings. If Jason Bourne updated the James Bond model, Jack Bauer did the same in a different way as the super agent who goes to distance to serve his country but isn’t afraid to challenge them in the name of the greater good. My Mondays will feel boring in 2011 now.

I never saw The Wire so my penance is watching David Simon’s latest slice of genius “Treme”  - a great show I loved about New Orleans post Katrina. I also watched another dose of HBO goodness in “Boardwalk Empire”, well-acted and delivered week by week. Law and Order: Los Angeles steps in the shoes of its ancestors perfectly. 

I finally started watching Modern Family this year and loved it as one of the hilarious shows on TV. Hopefully I’ll finally get into 30 Rock more and maybe in 2011, I’ll finally catch up on Mad Men

CSI said goodbye to Grissom and hello to Dr. Ray Langston – I’ve said it before that Gil Grissom is one of the best characters of the last decade and history will prove that.

Also, I realized that as good TV shows slowly come back, the rise of reality shows isn't slowing down. The next decade is probably gonna see more great shows on TV but the water cooler/Twitter talk will probably revolve around To Catch a Predator or Jersey Shore or the like. Sign O'The Times like the Purple One said.

And of course, the best commercial of the year. The Old Spice Guy - darn near had a 6 month viral campaign. Brilliant marketing!



Next up, Music and Sports.

2010 Parting Shots (San Diego, Teena Marie, Junior)

Haven't been blogging this week because I've been working the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic for ESPN Rise. After all that's happened to me this year, it was sweet justice that I ended it working in my 2nd home (San Diego) and watching my favorite sport. Here's the link for y'all and just click on the Headlines to find my stories from each day of the tourney.

Last night I was driving to my friend's house out here and I heard Nelly's "Just a Dream" in the drive-thru line. It made me smile because 1) it reminded me how I felt a decade ago when I enjoyed Nelly as a new artist and 2) that no matter how crazy this year got for me personally, I'm still living parts of a dream I had 5 years ago here as a senior.

The year has taken me through a lot personally and professionally. I started this year with 2 jobs and I end the year with none. I started with some friends and I lost them. Thankfully death didn't hit so hard this time but the last death I saw close to me was hard because it's another church mentor gone.

I'm grateful my health was much better this year and I had a consistent gym routine that I want to improve next year. I'm grateful for the friends who got closer to me and the new lady in my life. But ultimately, I'm still sportswriting and I'm glad for one last chance to do it this year. Who knows what 2011 holds but I trust in the only One who does.

I'll do my usual year in review blogs next week. There's too much I want to reflect on. Here's some parting shots from the last week.

All you need to know is this. Teena Marie is one of the greatest soul singers ever. Teena Marie is one of a kind that will never be duplicated. Teena Marie touched as many R&B souls as anyone within the last 30 years. If you want to hear good music, excellent singing, beautiful songwriting and just something that hits your soul, youtube her name and select her classics like "Square Biz", "Lovergirl", "Ooh La La"

Many will eulogize the Ivory Queen far better than me. One of my friends was nearly dumbfounded as he told me his memories of his parents dancing to her music and him growing up with it. For people growing up in the 80's when music was more segregated, R&B fans heard this amazing voice and thought she was Black. Imagine a White artist now that is solely marketed towards an R&B crowd, not pop. Robin Thicke comes to mind but that's it.

The Santa Monica native embraced that audience and culture as well as anybody and it's a huge loss for music. May she rest in peace singing with the angels. I had the blessing to hear her live in 2007 at a local church talk about how much at home she felt in the church and the Black community. She sang "Ave Maria" so beautifully and we'll always have that voice.

It was blogged in my mind but never delivered as I wanted to say a few words on my favorite MLB player's quiet retirement. Ken Griffey Jr. waved goodbye to the game 20 years after taking the world by storm as "The Kid" with 5-tool skills, an 1,000 watt smile and one of the sweetest swings in the game. If fate wasn't so cruel, he'd be hailed as one of the 15 greatest players ever instead of maybe one of the Top 50/60.

Griffey was one of the reasons I liked baseball. Every year, I'd root for him to get 40+ homers and 100+ RBI's. I remember one night before I started school in 1999 or 2000, he hit a home run before I went to bed. I knew then my year would be great. One of the best fielders in MLB history and one of the best home run hitters ever. And after the 1994 strike, he did just as much as Big Mac/Sammy Sosa to bring the game back but without cheating.

I bought the video games, wore the hat backwards and every season, hoped he'd still healthy and finally win a World Series. Maybe I'll do a true blog solely for him later but if not, see you in five years, Junior. Thank you for the memories growing up and it's fitting that your final hit was a walk-off win for Seattle, the team and city you saved baseball for.

Finally there's going to be a big change on this blog next year. I'll announce it in a few days along with my usual year-in-review blogs next week. But it's a change I've thought about and it best suits the vision of what I want to do here. I'll give you a hint, think Southern food and the wide variety of topics I have here. My final words of 2010 come from my Facebook post this morning.

"Another year ends. Another time to reflect. A toast to both successes and fails. A prayer for next year's hopes and the past year's unfulfilled dreams. Raise the glass but lift up your heart. Remember those who left us and celebrate those still with us. Tonight's a beautiful spot between two places so like William Blake, embrace the 3rd place. Experience Gone By and Innocence Yet to Come. Happy New Year!"