Hey howdy hey to all of you reading this. Well, lately I've been wanting to do a multi-entry countdown, but I've also wanted the topic to be original. And so after much thinking, I've finally decided to list the Top 20 Celebrities Who've Changed Who I Am Today. Let's not waste any time and get right into the list.
#20:
Jack White
Jack White is the singer and guitarist for The White Stripes and has also done many other side projects. White showed me that even in these days of over-produced music, that there's still room for the raw stuff. He's also a prime example of being yourself, and not being afraid to be strange.
#19:
Jon Stewart
I don't watch muchof the news, because I prefer to get my current events from The Daily Show. Let's face it, there's a lot of bad stuff happening out there right now, and what's great about Jon Stewart is that hegives you the news seriously, but still makes you laugh. He also doesn't beat around the bush with anything,he speaks the truth andsays what everyone else is thinking. But I'm a little biased towardshis political commentary seeing were both pretty far left on the politics scale.
#18:
Mohandas Gandhi
Well, yeah. If Gandhi hasn't inspired you in some way, then you probably just don't know who he is. Gandhi really is an inspiration to everyone, he's a symbol of standing up for what you believe in and what you deserve, but without having to shed blood over it. He knew how tolead a revolution but withoutviolence, only through words. And that's something that everyone shouldadmire.
#17:
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was the first writer I really ever knew about. My Dad is a Poe scholar and he's traveled around the world to talk about him, so naturally I know a lot about Poe. His writing hasn't necessarily inspired mine, but he was the guy who made me want to become a writer.
#16:
Barack Obama
Obama has really inspired me as a speaker. The man really knows how to get people pumped and how to make people think, and I can really admire that. And while I'm not terribly active in terms of politics, Obama really helped me look at the political world in a whole new way.
#15:
Jack Nicholson
Whenever someone asks me what I think of myself, I always end up describing Jack Nicholson. Not necessarily Jack himself, but more the characters that he plays and the way he plays them. Kind of odd but still likeable (I hope), friendly in our own ways,and we both think we're funnier than we probably are in reality. Also, being a creative writing major, I have to read aloud alot, and whenver I have to present something, I always think to myself "How would Jackdo this?"
#14:
Pete Seeger
Yeah, I bet a lot of didn't see this coming. Yup, I, a 15 year old boy who listens to deadmau5 and wears tight clothes, was inspired greatly by a '50's and '60's folk singer. Well, as odd as that may sound, Pete Seeger was actually the first musical act that I ever really got into. What I still love about Pete Seeger is the fact that he was one of the founding fathers of "Musical Revolution". He was one of the first guys to speak out for what he believed in through lyrics, and if it weren't for him, we'd be missing a lot of great bands these days.
#13:
Brian Wilson
This man is a mad genius. Brian Wilson has really shown me how it's okaygoinsane sometimesand to embrace who you are. He also has a wonderfully quirky sense of humor and just a really interesting character. He doesn't really act like a pitcher, more like a rock star, and that's something to admire. He uses his status to his advantage, but he doesn't exploit it like other athletes, which is a nice change from your typical modern day athlete.
#12: 
Clint Eastwood
Yeah, you could see this coming from a mile away. But, it's true. Clint Eastwood has changed the way that I see movies and storytelling in general for that matter. He knows how to keep you interested and knows exactly when and how to do things in movies, which is a skill that every storyteller has to master in order to be one of the best. And Eastwood is the guru of that.
#11:
George Harrison
George Harrison is definitely my favorite Beatle. But he didn't only inspire me to become a guitar player, he also inspired me in terms of religion. He showed me that just becauseyou live in a society based around one dominate religion,that doesn't mean thatyou can't branch out and see a new way of life. While he was a Hindu, and I'm now a Buddhist, he still changed the way that I seepeople in general. I also like how he spread a message of peace without hammering everybody over the head with it like some other musicians of his era.
Part 2 of the list will be up sometime within the next week, so look out for it! ;)
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Song of the Day:
Fitz & The Tantrums - MoneyGrabber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb6cBKE3WzQ
Picture of the Day: