Happy New Year (1-1/2 weeks late)

Happy New Year y'all! I trust you had a good set of holidays. I've still mourning the end of my vacation but thanks to MLK next weekend is a long one. Woo hoo!

While the rest of the world comes up with resolutions for themselves this time of year, my buddies Shandon and Howard have come up with other far more entertaining New Year's challenges. This year I've decided to join in on the fun.

The first is referred to simply as The List. Shandon explains The List origins far more succinctly than I ever could over on her blog. Bottom line: I'm going to try to check out the following movies before this year's Academy Awards. Those in red indicate the films I've already seen.

1. Up in the Air
2. Avatar
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Precious
5. Inglourious Basterds
6. Invictus
7. An Education
8. Up
9. A Serious Man
10. The Messenger
11. Julie & Julia
12. A Single Man
13. Crazy Heart
14. The Blind Side
15. The Last Station
16. Nine
17. Star Trek
18. District 9
19. Fantastic Mr. Fox
20. The Lovely Bones
21. (500) Days of Summer
22. It's Complicated
23. The Young Victoria
24. Bright Star
25. The Informant!

As you can see I've only got 11 to go. (500) Days of Summer and District 9 are in Netflix envelopes on my DVD player waiting to be seen. I plan to watch them this weekend. With the exception of Invictus and District 9, I probably would have seen them all on my own anyway. It's therefore not such a daunting list. In fact I look forward to seeing them all except that damn Invictus. At least it's got Clint Eastwood going for it.

The other random challenge I've joined in on for 2010 is called The Dead Pool. There is a bit of guilt involved and I'm sure my karmic health will take a hit for it, but some things you've just got to try. So, what is this Dead Pool? Shandon, Howard, Sean and Curtis come up with a list of celebrities they think might die in the coming year. Howard took 2009 with three deaths on his list but admits to feeling bad about Karl Malden. Here is the list I submitted for 2010:

• Rush Limbaugh (I admit that this is my aspirational pick. *fingers crossed*)
• Steve Jobs (Sorry dude. I love your stuff but you're looking very ill.)
• Ariel Sharon (Yes, he's still in a coma.)
• Kirk Douglas (Poor Kirk.)
• Phyllis Diller (I had to look Ms. Diller up since I wasn't sure she was alive or not.)
• Lena Horne (I love me some Lena but she's getting up there even though she looks younger than me.)
• Joan Didion (Poor Joan. She wrote one of my all time favorite books but she just hasn't looked well since she lost John.)
• Amy Winehouse (This one makes me mad because I think she's a genuine talent but if she doesn't turn it around fast, she's a goner.)
• Elizabeth Taylor (The woman has 9 lives but I think her time is drawing near.)
• Zsa Zsa Gabor (Another that I had to check the breathing status of. Yup, she's still kickin'.)

There are no rules to The Dead Pool except that the list must be comprised of celebrities only. We all seemed to top each list with an aspirational pick this year. Shandon is still pulling for Andy Rooney while Curtis remains hopeful about Dick Cheney's death. While The Dead Pool is in no way a hit list it helps to include a few who just need to exit this world. Whoops of joy will be heard 'round the world if some of these folks finally leave us alone.

That's right Rush... keep on smoking. Just keep on smoking. *maniacal cackle growing*