THE TIME 100

Since I'm writing about magazine issues, I remembered that I've been meaning to write about Time magazine's recent issue dedicated to the 100 most influencial people in the world today. I recently mentioned this in a post about Peter Gabriel.

Of course, I was glad to see Bruce Springsteen included. It's too bad that his latest classic album, Magic, hasn't recieved the acclaim that, say, The Rising did back in 2002. But it shows him to be as relevent as ever. Sean Penn wrote a pretty cool essay about the man for the issue: back in the day Bruce wrote "Dead Man Walking" for Sean's film of the same name, and Sean actually directed a video for "Highway Patrolman" or "State Trooper."

Other people I was glad to see: The Dalai Lama (I wish he was even more influencial, the world would be a better place), Barack Obama, Peter Gabriel (not as an entertainer, but as a "pioneer"), The Coen Brothers, George Clooney and Chris Rock. I was surprised that Radiohead was included in the "Builders and Titans" section but good for them, and that Mariah Carey was included. Sorry, not to hate, but I was just surprised by that. I guess she's proven that she has an enduring career, I gotta give her credit for that. And even if I don't, millions of others do. There were lots of inspiring stories about people who I'd never heard of, like Randy Pausch, a guy with cancer and limited time left to live - so he's been giving lectures about following your dreams and having fun. And Oscar Pistorius, a double leg amputee who is a world class sprinter. A GREAT read, you should check it out.