Some of these names may be vaguely familiar, some may be obscure. The ideal here is that they are not household names. The other element I utilized is that they must still be alive. Obviously being dead means you certainly become forgotten. Let us begin in no particular order…
1. John Young (age 80)- Astronaut
This 1953 graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology has been on more space flights than any other American. From 1965 to 1984, he was aboard 6 total trips. Two of those trips went to the moon. He not only walked on the moon but he is one of three people to drive the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Good thing he knows how to drive a stick shift. Even though he is not a household name, he still has a highway in Florida named after him. He also has a Planetarium named after him and he was portrayed in the documentary “The Wonder of It All.”2. Kim NG
(age 42)- Baseball Executive
It’s tough to be a female executive. It’s even tougher when you are a Chinese American. It’s toughest when you are an executive for a major league sports team. Kim is defying all those odds as the Assistant GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The beauty of her position is that she was not handed this job because of nepotism or as a token of cultural diversity. She did it the old fashioned way, she earned it. She is a graduate of Chicago University.
She studied public policy and played Division 1 softball. She found herself working arbitration cases for Major League Baseball. She also worked as an Assistant GM for the Yankees in the late 90’s. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that she could one be the first female General Manager. She is relatively young, undeniably smart and very well-respected in baseball. It’s just a question of someone giving her the opportunity to shine. It was thought that day would come in the mid 2000’s when she interviewed for the GM job in Seattle but it was not meant to be. Keep your eye on her because she is one to know.
3. Eric Cantor (age 47) – Politician
I could have selected many politicians for this list. The reality is we know so little about them unless they cheat on their wife, have a lovechild or sell a senate seat. In the case of Eric Cantor, he seems to be a morally clean and respectable family man even though he is a pretty slimy congressional politician.
I personally don’t agree with his tactics or his ideological agenda but I really do admire him. It’s important to know his name for a few reasons. Firstly, he is currently the 2nd highest ranking Republican in the house and after the election tonight, he’ll likely be the House Majority leader. This means we’ll be seeing his face a lot more as the conservative party shapes many new policies these next two years.
I also believe this will inevitably make him a possible candidate for US president or Vice-President in 2012. If I had to guess, I’d lean towards Vice-President. Why does it make sense? For starters he is Jewish and Republicans need Jewish voters to turn the tide in 2012. Not only is he Jewish but he has an outstanding record in causes related to Israel. He also is well-liked by his party and has a good conservative values.
4. Whitney Cummings (age 28) – Comic / Actress
At age 28, Cummings is one of the best up and coming comedians in our country. She has appeared a various “B” television show’s on basic cable but her writing and style as an edgy comic has made her a new fixture on the Comedy Central Roasts and it led to her own comedy special on the same network called “Money Shot”. Variety Magazine made her one of the “Top Ten Comics” to watch and Entertainment Magazine called her “One of the 12 Rising Stars of Comedy.” 5. Roland Martin (age 41)- Columnist and Political Pundit
Chances are that 48% of the country like Roland Martin. Then there is 48% of our population that are Republicans. The other 4% have yet to decide on whether or not they like him. I would classify Roland as a common sense Democrat. That means he has liberal values but is NOT afraid to speak his mind and take shots at his own party if necessary.
You can find him sitting in on the pundit panel of the many political shows on CNN. He comes across as a guy who is both knowledgeable and reasonable. He began his career covering Chicago politics. He hosts a morning talk show in that area and is the editor of the“Chicago Defender.” As a black man in America, he usually provides insights on issues that only he could speak upon. Many of these reflections appear in his book “Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America”
6. Kathryn Bigelow (age 58) – Movie Director
Let me just come out and say that, “The Hurt Locker” was an awful movie. I was completely disappointed but apparently the world disagreed with me and made it the Academy’s pick for best picture of 2009. This also gave Kathryn Bigelow the distinguished privilege of being the first women ever to win Best Director. She learned from the best. She was once married to Avatar / Titanic Movie Director, James Cameron. But is it possible that maybe it was he who lea
rned from the best. In almost all his interviews from the award ceremony, he graciously credited his ex-wife as the brains behind his work. “The Hurt Locker” was the 8th movie she directed but all of Hollywood is a buzz with what she does next. Due to the miracle of the internet, we can determine that project is a TV movie called “The Miraculous Year” starring Frank Langella. It will take 3 more best director awards till she ties John Ford in that category and becomes more of a household name.
7. Jon Favreau (age 29) – Speechwriter – Not the Actor
Remember the old ad campaign when baseball players claim that “chicks dig the longball?” Perhaps you missed the more mundane commercial where a 24-year-old guy two years removed from his graduation at Holy Cross College found himself in the middle of writing speeches for then Presidential Candidate John Kerry and he uttered the words “Girls dig the speechwriting. Every part of this past statement is true except the “girls digging the speechwriting line.” It should read “”The world digs the speechwriting.”
The young writer nearly gave up on his craft after Kerry lost the election until and old buddy gave him a call. This friend was an Illinois State Senator who remembers Favreau from the 2004 Democratic Convention, where he was helped with a keynote speech. It turns out this State Senator decided to run for president himself and he tapped a now 27-year-old Favreau to be his top speechwriter. The rest is history.
Many people recall the epic battle crys and poetic rhythms in rally speeches that led commentator Chris Matthews to tingle in the legs. It was Jon Favreau (the speechwriter not the actor) that made Obama a crowd pleaser an ultimately our US President. Favreau is now the highest paid staff member in the White House and perhaps the most unrecognized person in politics.
8. Ben Folds (age 44) – Song Writer and Musician
In the mid 1990’s, many of us heard the band “Ben Folds Five” Many knew the songs but never really got to know the musicians. Songs like “My Philosophy,” “Army,” and “Brick.” It became those iconic songs where almost everyone was saying “Who sings that?” The leader of this group Ben Fold Five was a hard luck musician. He spent his time at small bars and fraternity parties. He was signed to a music deal in the early 1990’s and hung in Nashville to wait his opportunity.
Some can argue he is still waiting his dues. He is the modern day Elton John. He is a favorite of Independent music artists and often plays smaller venues. In an age of here-today-gone-tomorrow, he has sustained a career of over 4 decades. He is fresh, dynamic and curious looking. Most importantly he is entertaining and often not recognized. His music is melodic, fun and crosses generations.
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1. S.E. (Sarah Elizabeth) Cupp (age 31) Political Commentator and Red Hot Republican
I recognize that we have several other political figures on this list but S.E is quickly emerging as a sexy but reasonable Republican voice. I first came across her on “Real Time with Bill Maier.” She held her own in a very liberal-focused panel. She is not only an Ivy League standout pundit but apparently she is also a classically trained ballerina and an acclaimed writer. Best of all, she lets her mom blog on her website. How cool is that? Don’t be surprised to see more of her on local shows (S.E not her mom). She has the great combination of being gorgeous and being well-spoken. Take note Fox news; This is the kind of talent you truly need. Greta ain’t doing it for us anymore.
10. Dr. Martin Cooper (age 81) – Inventor of the greatest product of all-time
In 1973, a young division worker for Motorola thought “What if we could have a phone that we carry with us wherever we go?” After battling through some red tape at the FCC, he began to build a prototype. The first call went through in April of 1973. The rest is history. The man is now worth millions of dollars and created a device that is now used by more than half the world. It not only revolutionized the way we communicate but it ultimately changed the way we do business and access information. He does hold the patent and is widely regarded in the industry but it’s not a name that rolls easily off the tongue like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Ben Franklin.
