Happy New Year: Breaking Down Break It Down!

It's time to Break It Down!

We have been meeting like this for sometime now; nearly 2½ years for those of you who are veterans out there in Blogland, engaged since the beginning. As you know, I try to scale it back around holidays. This is a two-fold in purpose. One, scaling back at this time is a function of the fact I recognize many readers are preoccupied with the more inviting real world matters of holiday observance and celebration. Two…it gives me an opportunity to chill a little as well.

It has been said time flies when you are having fun. I must admit, blogging is still fun for me. I hope Break It Down brings you something of substance, whether it is enlightenment, entertainment, excitement, escape, or just something to think about every now and then.

As I prepare and publish today’s blog, the last for 2009, I am reminded that we are entering what for many is a time of reflection and visioning. It is the norm to examine and review our work, our lives, and our plans. As we navigate the two days between New Year’s Eve Eve and New Years Day, we will, in a number instances, resolve in gritty and grainy details just what it is we plan to tackle and accomplish in Y2KX.

Before fully transitioning I decided to take a look back at the previous issues of Break It Down, not just in 2009, but since the inception. A couple of years ago around this time, when I had penned 27 blogs, I posted my top ten favorites of 2007. At that time I noted:

• A little over 4 months ago, I entered the world of blogdom. As we
close out yet another holiday, I am taking a pause to look back at the
summary of blogs I have written. Twenty-something posts later I believe I
have consistently delivered on my commitment and desire to engage,
entertain, and inform.

• As was the case with Thanksgiving and Christmas, I anticipate most readers
will embrace the tendency to extend their leisure-time activities, while
many others will concentrate on returning to the rigors of work. Based on
the reality associated with those choices, I have decided to borrow from
another tried-and-true, time-honored, formulaic response to Holiday
Scheduling. This week, I devised a Best Of/Top 10 List of the
items I posted in 2007.

More than a hundred blogs later, I still aim to engage, entertain, and inform. Feel free to let me know if I am hitting the mark. Now, as was the case then, there is nothing scientific or objective about the list I will share. In fact this is one instance when I will own my subjectivity in its fullness. The literal translation of that comment is, “My blog; my list!”

The phraseology and rationale I used in 2007 was, “Why do it this way? Because membership has its privileges and ownership (my blog) is the ultimate membership!”
;-)

Below are the 10 stories, I chose and the order I placed them, descending from number 10 to number 1. Feel free to go back and review any or all of the posts, including those not on this list. As always, I appreciate your interest and love to hear your thoughts about the stories, and/or my views.

Now, here’s the list:

10) Obama Plays the Experience Card – 8/20/07 (My first post)
9) The Other Obama – 4/9/08 (A look at the First Lady)
8) One Shining Moment – 4/8/09 (Tar Heels take the National
Title)
7) Three Tableaus: Three Purpose-Driven Lives – 6/10/09 (3 people I
admire)
6) Race…The Final Frontier – 7/29/09 (My take on a thorny subject)
5) Tar Heels Deliver for Obama – 5/7/08 (Obama takes NC
Primary)
4) Total Loss; Nothing Last Forever – 12/19/07 (My Porsche Story)
3) With Supreme Confidence… – 5/27/09 (Sotomayor Nomination)
2) All I Want for Christmas: Health Care… – 12/23/09 (Health Care Reform)
1) The People Have Spoken; Yes We Can! – 11/5/08 (President Obama)

The list is weighted toward this year. It includes two stories from 2007, three stories from 2008, and five stories from 2009. In pulling from 131 posts, getting down to a list of ten was difficult. Three stories in particular were hard to omit. They stand out because they drew the most, and the most intense post-blog discussion. Indeed a case could be made to form a Baker’s Dozen instead of limiting the list to ten. Just in case you are interested, here are the other three posts:

The Blame Game – 10/24/07 discusses Bill Cosby and his take on “responsibility.”

Independence Day; Free at Last – 7/9/08 underscores the irony of former North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms’ death on July 4th.

Is the White House Ready for a Rogue examines former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s methodical effort to re-write history and re-invent her image as she travels the country on a tour to promote her controversially titled book.

Finally, just in case you would like to get a quick peek at the 2007 list, here it is:

10. Whatever Happened To…? (8/24/07)
9. Et Tu Marion: The Rise and Fall of a Track Star (10/17/07)
8. Will Michael Vick Ever Play Again in the NFL? (8/22/07)
7. Rising Like the Phoenix; But You Knew He Would! (11/28/07)
6. Obama Plays the Experience Card – (8/20/07)
5. Jena 6 Does Not Add Up – (8/29/07)
4. Countdown to Election ’08 – (12/1/07)
3. Is The Foundation Crumbling? (9/19/07)
2. Total Loss; Nothing Lasts Forever, R.I.P. (12/19/07)
1. The Blame Game (10/24/07)

I hope that you are having an extraordinary Holiday season, that you will have a fantastic New Year’s Day celebration/observance. Of course, I wish you a Best Year Ever in 2010.

That’s it for me; holla back at the Birthday Boy!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday.