Best of the Decade

Believe it or not, the first decade of the new millennium is coming to a close. What better way to celebrate than to make a list of my favorite things of the decade?

In no particular order:

1. Fondant. When the decade began, I didn't even know this delicious sugary substance existed. Then I started watching those cake challenge shows, and then I tasted it. OMG, it's wonderful. You can form it into different shapes and then eat it, and cover cakes with it and then eat it. YUM.

2. HBO. I remember when this station just showed the same crappy twelve movies over and over again (I'm looking at you, Just One of the Guys). Now it produces tons of amazing original programming that I love (or have loved). HBO is a force to be reckoned with in entertainment. Good on you, channel.

3. Harry Potter. What would my decade have been without these books (I read the first one in fall of 2000), these movies, and the four HP conferences I attended? HP introduced me to online friends, real life friends, and a group of characters who have inspired me. Truly a life-changer.

4. Cate Blanchett. She's been in everything from Lord of the Rings to Benjamin Button to I'm Not There. How the hell is she so good in everything? You can add Kate Winslet to this one because she too is amazing and chameleon-like and was in one of my favorite movies of the decade: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

5. George Clooney. Michael Clayton and Up in the Air are just two fantastic movies he was involved with this decade. Add Christian Bale to this list entry because he is the hardest working man in show business.

6. YouTube. It has changed the way we do a lot of stuff. You want to hear a commercial jingle or see an old commercial, you can. If you want to share your kid's dance recital with the world, you can. If you want to see Beyonce slip on stage and get right back up like the diva she is, you can. It's changed my teaching because my students can now watch--for free--different versions of the songs we are studying. They can see great performances and hopefully learn from them.

7. The Daily Show. I missed out on this for years, but now that I can enjoy it every night, it's really changed the way I look at news. It's actually encouraged me to pay attention to what's going on in the world and it's helped me figure out how I really feel about issues. I'd been ignoring my own opinions for so long, I almost forgot I had any. But I do. I really do.

8. Writing. Has saved my life. More than once.

9. USC. Where I spent the first half of the decade. No matter where I travel in the world, no matter where I end up, I'll always be a Trojan. Doheny Library will always feel like home.

10. Rock Band. I can play the pretend drums now. There are certain songs that I will associate with Rock Band forever because of how much fun I had playing them with my band, Monkey Deathcar.

11. Dave Chapelle. He did some really funny stuff this decade, and may be the funniest man of the last 10 years. Not so funny when he disappeared, but his stand up and the Chapelle show will live on as hilarious monuments.

12. Pixar. What a magical company. Everything movies should be.

13. Facebook. On any given day, I can see a status line from: current students, former students, work buddies, family, college friends, high school friends, or friends-of-friends. This kind of connectivity is amazing. Even though I don't spend an awful lot of time on Facebook, it's good to know I can communicate with people so easily.

14. Judd Apatow. His movies have made me laugh so much in the last decade. You can add all of his "peeps" to this list entry, like Seth Rogan, et al.

15. Freedom. I don't have the words to describe what freedom feels like. The last year of this decade has been an eye-opener.

16. I just know I forgot a million things, so let's just keep this one as a place-holder.

Happy New Year, everyone!