2010: A clean slate.

New Years resolutions, in my option, are doomed from the get-go. While the new year is a good time to reflect on the past year and make goals for the next, I feel that announcing to friends and family (hell, even if you just keep it to yourself) that “This year I will [insert an unrealistic goal here]” adds unneeded pressure to the new year. I don’t need any more pressure in my life. 2009 was too difficult to stomach. It had it’s high points, but it ended on quite a sour note. For me, 2010 is a clean slate. Here’s a list of what I’m looking forward to in 2010:

New career

Note, I did not simply say “new job”. 2010 will be a year where I try something new. I don’t know what it will be quite yet, but I am looking forward to a future outside of newspapers.

More time with friends and family

Having worked as a newspaper journalist since graduating college, I’ve not had a single Christmas or New Year’s off in many years. My weekends have fallen on just about every combination other than Saturday and Sunday, too. In 2010, I’m planning to spend the holidays and weekends with my friends and family. They come first in 2010.

The elusive Apple Tablet

Rumors surrounding the Apple tablet are running rampant. At the time of writing this, it seems likely that the tablet will be announced January 26th. Catch up on all the rumors and “news” on Gizmodo (tag:appletablet).

Grooveshark for iPhone

If you haven’t tried Grooveshark, the streaming music site from a start-up out of Gainesville, you’re missing out. Supposedly, an iPhone app has been submitted to Apple for approval, but it’s been a while since we last got an update on this. We can only assume Apple hasn’t yet gotten around to it yet. Find it in the app store soon.

EVENTS

Olympic mascot ice sculpture in Whistler, Canada. Creative Commons photo by Flickr user Tim Gillin

2010 Olympic Winter Games

Vancouver, February 12 to 28

I’ll be watching the games from the comfort of my couch. Or my bed. Or online, even. The Olympics are one of my favorite sporting events and the Winter games allow me to imagine a world with seasons. Sure, I love watching figure skating, but in the past few years I’ve learned to appreciate the fine art of curling (Etienne’s infatuation sparked my interest) and ski jumping (thanks to Wii Fit).

For more information on the games, visit the official website at Vancouver2010.com. In the US, you can catch the games on television on NBC (and NBC HD) for free. Visit NBC’s Olympic website for TV listings.

South-by-Southwest Interactive Festival

Austin, March 12 to 16

I’ve been planning to attend this conference for over a year now. Things didn’t work out this past year because there was no budget at the paper to send anyone. This year, even if I’m still unemployed, I plan to (somehow) attend SXSW. I simply cannot pass up the opportunity to experience it for myself. Not to mention it’s a great excuse to see all my Austin buddies.

This year, many South Florida techies will be in attendance and I am hoping that we can make our presence known to the greater geeky audience. Brian Breslin, Davide Di Cillo, Alex de Carvalho, and Peter Martinez will be holding a panel discussion on our burgeoning tech community called “Coconut Valley: Building a Tech Community on the Beach.”

Some of the speakers/sessions I plan to attend include:

• “Yelp Effect: When Everyone’s A Restaurant Critic” by Addie Broyles (my former colleague and food writer for the Austin American-Statesman)
• Clay Shirky’s unnamed presentation
• “DSLR Filmmaking: Unlocking New Visual Possibilities” by Philip Bloom
• “Why Self-Promotion Will Save the World” by Peter Shankman from Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
• “StoryCorps 2.0: Social Networking Meets Storytelling” by Suneel Gupta, The Kahani Movement
• “PayTV vs. Internet: The Battle For Your TV” by Avner Ronen, boxee
• “Interactive Infographics” by Casey Caplowe, GOOD magazine
• “I Don’t Trust You One Stinking Bit” by Chris Brogan, New Marketing Labs
• “Funemployed: Success Stories From the Laid Off Community” by Chris Hutchins, LaidOffCamp

2010 FIFA World Cup

South Africa, June 11 to July 11

I remember watching Brazil win it’s fourth World Cup title in 1994. I was just a kid, but it was the first time I remember watching a sport on my own. My interest waned since then, sparked only for a summer when I abroad in Prague in 2004 and we watched the Czech Republic games broadcast live in Old Town Square. In 2008, I was glued to the television, watching each game, and even DVR’ing the games I missed while at work. This year, I can’t wait to be sucked in again. On my couch.

Visit the official site at http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/ for more information and the latest news. In the meantime, watch this really cool video that shows how the official match ball is made, from start to finish:

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Comments ( 2 )

thanks for using my Flickr pic! happy N.Y.

Tim added these pithy words on Jan 04 10 at 1:38 AM