I was reading the nominations for what TIME magazine calls, “Your TIME 100.” It’s a list of 203 nominations for the world’s most influential in government, science, technology and the arts — according to those who took time to nominate, vote, rank…
The entire list is available here.
We’re completing the fourth month of 2009, so it seems with so much of the year left a bit premature to be determining who and what was influential for the year. Reading through the list I find names I don’t recognize. How can they be on the short list of most influential in 2009, and I not recognize them? Others that I readily recognize make me wonder what kind of society would think they should be influential? Should we denote whether they make a positive or negative influence? Probably other than selling a special edition of TIME, this list has little value. Or maybe we need to look at the list very closely, reflect on our society, and who and what influences us most.
fnord
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
And here is a list of “100 events that helped shape President Obama’s first 100 days.”
THE BIGGIES
1. First African-American President.
2. Signs $787 billion stimulus bill.
3. Bans torture by U.S. military and intelligence agencies.
4. Bails out banks, auto companies and others with a $1.1 trillion tab.
5. Signs Lilly Ledbetter Act, giving women who seek equal pay new legal protections.
6. Extends health coverage to 4 million more children.
7. Launches plan to help 9 million homeowners refinance mortgages.
8. Vows to remove combat troops from Iraq by August 2010.
THE FIRSTS
9. Obama became first President to carry a BlackBerry.
10. Hosts a Seder in the White House.
11. In first formal press conference, Obama takes question from The Huffington Post, the first blog so recognized.
12. Obama invites gay parents and their kids to attend the White House Easter Egg Roll.
13. The President’s Saturday “radio address” can be seen on YouTube.
14. President’s relative faces deportation for over-staying a visa.
15. The White House Web site gets its first presidential blog.
DOH!
16. Retakes oath of office after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts muffs original on Inauguration Day.
17. Veep Joe Biden gets presidential slap for joking about oath flub.
18. Accepts withdrawal of HHS nominee Tom Daschle for failing to pay $120,000 in taxes.
19. Rants when AIG doles out $165 million in bonuses to execs.
20. On “Tonight Show,” says of his meager bowling skills, “it was like Special Olympics” – a gold medal gaffe.
21. Announces with fanfare he was trimming just $100 million from $3.9 trillion federal budget. Er, that’s like shaving $1. off a $50,000 car.
22. Takes three swings on getting a commerce secretary. Washington Gov. Gary Locke finally gets nod.
23. Takes heat in Britain for giving Prime Minister Gordon Brown a cheapo gift.
SO COOL
24. Becomes first Prez to hit late-night TV on “The Tonight Show.”
25. Michelle Obama beats French First Lady/ former supermodel Carla Bruni in fashion stakes!
26. Obama’s pecs make cover of Washingtonian mag.
27. Obama souvenirs take in $2 million during inauguration.
28. More than 300,000 White House wanna-bes submit resumes to work in administration.
29. Michelle decides she has a right to bare her buff arms.
30. Obama installs basketball hoops on White House tennis court.
31. Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire play the White House.
32. Beyonce serenades Obamas during Inauguration Ball.
33. J. Crew sales skyrocket thanks to Michelle.
34. Chia Obama becomes a big seller, but green Afro has some seeing red.
continued at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/04/27/2009-04-27_100_events_that_helped_shape_obama.html
OK Fnord….The Times List…Dear god Zac Efron beats Dali Lama and pregnant man beats Tiger Woods. And where pray tell is Kim Jong Il? Hmm and while I am at it, how friggin influential is Stella McCartney? Please!
AND….why was the friggin loon not listed?
Where’s my man Chuck?
My thoughts exactly Sekan, I would have fitted in quite nicely in that bunch!
Douglas Melton, #125 on the TIMES list, is a scientist, and his lab is where my son did his post-doc.
Ah, Barack Obama behind Rush Pigboy on the list?
Really?
Lil’ Wayne ahead of Barack? The Jonas Brothers?
That list has all of the credibility of Milli Vanilli.
Actually, I think the list is based on the average persons perspective, which, at times, is limited to American Idol, which I watch religiously. Is Ryan Seacrest on the list?
6. Extends health coverage to 4 million more children.
My #2 daughter is having to fight to get her (pregnant) self and 3 children covered. The oldest boy (almost 5) has been diagnosed by THREE different psychiatrists as having ADHD. There’s no doubt. One psychiatrist told his receptionist, “This boy is NEVER to be without his meds.” Guess what? He’s without his meds because there’s no insurance. Hubby was laid off at Hawker Beechcraft and told by the PTB (Powers That Be) that because he took (actually was forced to take) voluntary layoff, he was not eligible for COBRA. Healthwave says she makes too much money…for a family of 5 going on 6? Oh, puhleaz. They did finally discover that hubby IS eligible for COBRA, but even with the new 65/35, they can only afford to insurance hubby & my preggers daughter. ComCare has taken on the ADHD son and will force Healthwave to accept him on his own “income” (child support from his father. Hubby is step-father.) But because of all the dicking around, ADHD son won’t be able to get into see the new psychiatrist until June.
It’s going to be a looooooong month and a half for Nana.
/rant