Greatest Movie Scenes #41-50

41. Put your lips together and blow-To Have and Have Not (1944):  Lauren Bacall was 19 years old when she made her debut in this film. Wow. Simply wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY4zkWUTvQM

42. A boulder- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Ford did the stunt himself. Although not a real boulder, it still could have seriously injured him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgnlu-kpdOs

43. The parachute- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977): This might be the greatest Bond movie stunt. The British flag on the parachute was a nice touch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaEU_A405zA

44. Laser- Gold finger (1964): This might be the most iconic Bond scene. Do you expect me to talk? No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wyp909mQPM

45. The Indianapolis- Jaws (1975): You’d think Robert Shaw (Quint) served aboard the Indianapolis. This scene immortalized the experience of that crew during the Second World War.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nrvMNf-HEg

46. The Conversation: Pacino meets De Niro- Heat (1995): This is the scene fans waited 20 years for and neither actor disappointed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYSzx_zy-98

47. The Battle- Gladiator (2000): How did the Romans conquer the world? Watch the opening scene in Gladiator. Although not completely accurate, the scene demonstrates superior Roman discipline, technology, and tactics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=331clHFsnpY

48. Win one for the Gipper- Knute Rockne: All American (1940): Even if Reagan had not become president, this scene would have been remembered. Reagan’s political career turned it into legend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIHNUt1gw7A

49. Fredo goes fishing- Godfather II (1974): Michael Corleone proved completely heartless when wacking his brother and then blaming his death on drowning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7oms_hG-Pc

50. Kong vs. airplanes-King Kong (1933): Kong was not the villain in this Depression-era film. Instead, it was the capitalists and those that wanted to conquer nature.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dytJJrpxwDw

The Greatest Movie Scenes #51-60

51. Who’s on First?-The Naughty Nineties (1945): The classic baseball sketch from Abbott and Costello.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M

52. Apes to Man-2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Thanks to Alien monoliths, mankind evolved from apes to man. In this version, tool use was the key. In real life, chimps, wasps, and octopus all use tools.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML1OZCHixR0

53. The Funeral Oration- Julius Caesar (1953): One of the great speeches in history delivered by Mark Antony. It fired the crowd up against Caesar’s assassins and changed the course of Western History.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNRoeMvzMVo

54. The filibuster-Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939): Jimmy Stewart was a Republican!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWyEc7FAMTg

55. I’m Melting/Ding Dong the witch is dead-The Wizard of Oz (1939): When I worked at Comerikkka, a really obnoxious bitch got fired. People around the office sang this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfV_ENR5IZE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oVfBrD04oo

56. Girls don’t float-Frankenstein (1931): One of the creepiest scenes ever. A little girl throws flower petals into a pond. Frank digs it, so he decides to see if a little girl can float like the petals.

57. The Speech-The Pride of the Yankees (1942): Lou Gehrig probably played a few years with ALS. Amazing considering the high standard he set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbNrCxqxzgo

58. What is your major malfunction Private Pyle - Full Metal Jacket (1987): Back to back Kubrick. R. Lee Ermey basically wrote his own part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD4q3leE5Uw

59. Here’s Johnny!- The Shining (1980): Jack makes a great psychopath.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TVooUHN7j4

60. The question- Dirty Harry (1971): Once again, Clint Eastwood teaches us how to deal with criminals. While we are at it, perhaps we could deal with the ACLU the same way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnMLGkj91Og

Merry Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qE6WQmNus

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame: Who didn't get in

Now for the acts that did not make it this year and will have to wait for another opportunity.

The Chantels: They were the first real “girl group” to emerge and set the sound of the early 60s. However, they did not last very long and other, more famous girl groups are already enshrined.

Kiss: They scored many hits, but most of their songs lack substance. Musically, they did not provide anything earth shattering, but their stage shows are legendary. They are overly commercial, yet have a very loyal following. They represent cheese at its finest, yet are unique. These contradictions keep Kiss from being elected. On one hand, they are very rock n roll while on the other hand, they are processed cheese.

LL Cool J: With Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC in the hall, it is surprising LL Cool J did not make it. He was groundbreaking and showed hip hop was not a fad by being a consistent big seller. He also did not follow trends and did his own thing.

Darlene Love: Love belongs in the Hall, but falls in between the cracks because she rarely got credit for her work. She scored hits, but no one knew her name because producers always attributed her work under assumed names or for others.

Laura Nyro: She is well known for writing songs for others. Perhaps she belongs in another category.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: I am shocked they did not make it. They were completely original for rock, good musicians, have a lot of hits, and have personalities which fit nicely into the Hall.

Donna Summer: Another one I thought would make it. Since they have opened the door to hip hop, the queen of disco should go in. Plus, she did mix disco with rock at times which does make her unique.

2009 Story of the Year: The Return of the Terrorists

While President Obama wishes to focus on health care and other domestic priorities, his administration is increasingly distracted by the specter of terrorism. The terrorists are coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches. Perhaps the terrorists feel safer to emerge now that Bush is out of office. Maybe it is coincidence. Whatever the reason, the terrorists seem to be back and in force both at home and abroad.

This year, the government has broken up terror plots in Texas, New York, and killed a radical Imam in a shootout in Dearborn, Michigan. Homegrown terrorists have sought help abroad. The Pakistan Military arrested five Americans that tried to join El Queda. They should be charged with treason. There seems to be an increase in domestic arrests with would be terrorists.

While the government has broken up terror rings at home, the country suffered the first terror attack since 911. On November 5, an Islamic terrorist attacked the Fort Hood. The alleged terrorist was a soldier that could not reconcile his faith with his career. This was not the actions of a deranged lone gunman. This was thought out rationally. He decided to go on a jihad and murdered 13 and wounded 30. It appears political correctness intimidated those that could have come forward to report this fellow’s behavior. He is currently charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Unfortunately, Congress refuses to hold hearings on the matter in order to avoid possible embarrassment for the Administration.

While America suffered its first terror attack on the homeland in eight years, Iraq seems relatively secured. However, the terrorists have been on the move in Afghanistan. The Pakistan military has hammered them and they have probably moved back into Afghanistan. All the while, President Obama agonized for months over a decision to send more troops to combat terrorists. He eventually decided to increase troop strength, but does not seem to know what else to do. It is entirely probable that the delay in deciding to send troops cost American lives and perhaps wasted an opportunity to nail some terrorists.

Lastly, Obama has decided to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and ship its prisoners stateside and elsewhere. There is some concern over what happens should some of these terrorists escape. Additionally, some detainees will be tried in civilian court despite pleading guilty in military tribunals. The administration has promised convictions even if the accused are found innocent. So, the integrity of the trials are questionable at best. Meanwhile, other detainees will stay in the tribunals. In both cases, the administration is making moves for propaganda purposes.

2009 will be remembered as the year terrorism reemerged. Every couple months it seemed the government was busting up another terror ring. The country also experienced the first terror attack since 911. On top of this, Afghanistan dominated much of the news as Obama dithered on whether or not he wanted to win the war there, if the war was winnable, and what victory meant. The administration even played politics with terrorists in captivity. If 2009 is any indication, there will be an upswing in terror violence on American targets over the next couple of years.

Songs of the Year 2009

Here is my list of songs of the year. I tried to go with a variety of genres as opposed to whatever I liked…

Check My Brain- Alice in Chains: It’s 1995 again. The 90s are making a major comeback. We seem to have jump skipped right over the 80s and right to the flannel.

East Jesus Nowhere- Green Day: If you are religious, this is not for you. Green Day goes off on organized religion and sings “of blasphemy and genocide.”

I Got a Feeling- Black Eyed Peas: They had quite a year. This song touched a chord. The basic premise is everyone is stressed, so let’s spend all our money and drink.

(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To- Weezer: Classic Weezer.

Mean Old Man- Jerry Lee Lewis: Jerry Lee covers Kris Kristofferson and still sounds good.

No Rest for the Wicked- Cage the Elephant: Everyone has heard this one even if they don’t know it. It’s appeared in a few commercials. Interesting that a bunch of white guys around 20 are the ones doing the Mississippi Delta thing.

Oh Yeah- Chickenfoot: Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani, and Chad Smith bring back 80s hard rock. Since they are the only ones doing it, they had a hit record.

Outlaw Pete- Bruce Springsteen: Bruce channels old school cowboy tales into an 8 minute epic.

That’s Not My Name- The Ting Tings: This reminds me of “Mickey” from the early 80s. Who hasn’t forgotten a girl’s name the morning after?

Uprising- Muse: Muse brings back the synthesizer and sings about rebellion. This should be the Tea Party Movement’s anthem. It’s a mishmash of everything that has come before and gets played as bumper music on every sporting event out there.

Football Picks

With Indy playing tonight, I am doing my picks today.

Last Week: 4-1

Season: 50-18

Picks:

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State over Wyoming

Beef O’Grady’s Bowl: Rutgers over UCF

Indy over Jax

New Orleans over Dallas

Arizona over Detroit

Man of the Year

Well, it’s that time again. This is my 4th annual person of the year. This is sooo much better than Barbara Walter's thing. Previous winners include: Rahm Emmanuel (2006), Al Gore (2007), and Barack Obama (2008).

and the nominees:

Glenn Beck: Who would have thought Glenn Beck would become the next biggest thing? He helped organize the Tea Party Protests, exposed ACORN, and brought down Van Jones.

Central Michigan Football and Dan LeFevour: Does he have to graduate? LeFevour is the all-time touchdown record holder for NCAA Football, the team scored its third MAC title in four years, and
CMU is #25 in the nation.

GOP Governors: Bob McDonnell (Virginia) and Chris Christie (New Jersey) sweep into office. They won the independent vote big in a probable portent for the 2010 midterms.

Hockey Hall of Famers: Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, and Luc Robitaille: All members of the 2002 Red Wings and all inducted this year. There will be more Hall of Famers to follow from that team.

Leonard Nimoy: Spock returns and then lands a gig on Fringe. Not a bad retirement.

Sarah Palin: Has the best selling book of the year, became an Obama-esque celebrity, and dueled Shatner on late night.

Shaquille O’Neal: Shaq paid for the funeral of that little girl murdered after her mother sold her into prostitution.

Bruce Springsteen: Bruce had a big year with a new album. He finished a 2-year tour, spent the last few months playing entire albums live, and was the closing act for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame concert. Is it 1985 or 2009?

Sully Sullenberger: Sully landed that plane in the Hudson River saving all hands.

The Black Eyed Peas: Big year for the Black Eyed Peas with the big album, several #1 hits, and Will.I.Am's bodyguard beat up the worthless Perez Hilton.

And the winner is: Leonard Nimoy!!!

2010 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

Here are the 2010 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The top 5 vote getters are elected each year. Of course, there has been rumors of vote fraud by one Jan Wenner, but that is just alleged.

and now the Class of 2010:

Abba: I don't get this one and neither does Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba. Oh well. They are best known for their disco hit, "Dancing Queen." Amazing the region that brought us the 9th century Viking invasions also gave us Abba.

The Stooges: The Stooges were punk before punk. Not sure why it took so long for them to get in. Madonna may have helped by asking them to perform at her induction. Their signature song was "I Wanna Be Your Dog."

Jimmy Cliff: Cliff is one of the great Reggae artists. His signature song is probably "Many Rivers to Cross." Although, his best known song is a cover of "I Can See Clearly Now."

The Hollies: They came with the British Invasion and should have been inducted 20 years ago. They are best known for their unique harmonies. Their hits include "Bus Stop" and "Carrie Anne."

Genesis: Genesis began as Prog Rock and evolved into a pop band. They survived the departure of Peter Gabriel by replacing him with Phil Collins. Guitarist Steve Hackett's guitar style predated Eddie Van Halen and they influenced acts such as Dream Theater. In the early days, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway stands out. During the Collins era, they hit their zenith with the Invisible Touch album. They should have been inducted long ago.

2009 Entertainment Awards

Song of the Year: Magnificent-U2

Worst Song of the Year: Pokerface-Lady Gaga

Worst Act of the Year: Lady Gaga

Most Overrated Act of the Year and All Time: Jay-Z

Act of the Year: Blackeyed Peas

Album of the Year: No Line on the Horizon- U2

Movie of the Year: Star Trek

Best TV Show: Fringe

Best New Show: V

2009 Sports Awards

Best Team: New York Yankees

Game of the Year: CMU: 29 MSU: 27 (Like I was going to pick anything else!)

Athlete of the Year: Peyton Manning

Play of the Year: Curtis Granderson's catch against Cleveland saving the game.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sportsprose/2009/05/detroit_tigers_center_fielder.html

2009 Quotes of the Year

1. “We’re all victims of our gene pool. Someone peed in yours.”

-Walter Bishop (John Noble) from Fringe

2. “I'm in the Batcave learning to tweet.”

-Adam West

3. “Attila liked to hang by the pool when he wasn’t raping and pillaging.”

- Documentary on Attila the Hun

4. "I started to cry and I said, 'I'll never be able to climb up that hill,' And he lifted me up in his strong, gentle arms and said something I will never forget. He said, ‘I‘ll help you if it takes all day. I know you can do it. There is nothing that you can't do.”

- Ted Kennedy Jr at his father’s funeral

5. “I’m the Reverend Jesse Jackson.”

- Jesse Jackson after being misidentified as Al Sharpton on MSNBC

6. "I think he's that good a melodist, but he's a wanker." Bono added that Martin was "obviously a completely dysfunctional character and a cretin, but he happens to be a great melodist and up there with Ray Davies, Noel Gallagher and Paul McCartney."

-Bono on Chris Martin of Coldplay

7. “I never understood how a great man, a nice guy coached the Bad Boys.”

-Charles Barkley on Chuck Daly

8. “Like Kennedy, we failed to give the Cubans air cover!”

-Pat Buchanan on Watergate

9. “There is no I in team, but there is in win.”

-A humble Michael Jordan at his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame

10. “Kill All The Lawyers!”

- Sandra Day O’Connor at a Shakespeare reading

Douche Bag of the Year

Now it is time for my first annual Douche Bag of the Year Award. There were about 20 contenders. I narrowed it down to ten. Here are the nominees for Douche Bag of the Year:

1. ACORN: Now we know what community organizers do. They organize pimps and hos!

2. Anita Dunn: The former White House Communications Director and all around lousy human being loves Chairman Mao and likes to quote him to students. Mao killed 60 million.

3. Global Warming Advocates: Turns out they are not only wrong, but cooking the information as well.

4. Perez Hilton: Gets mad at Carrie Prejean for supporting “traditional” marriage, attacks Fergie, and the cries on his webcam after someone in Will.I.Am’s entourage beat him up. He was the odds on favorite to win this until recently.

5. Notre Dame University: Refusing to go to a bowl game against CMU. COWARDS!

6. Barack Obama: Barack Obama is now the most disliked president of all time at this stage of his presidency. No president has been as low in the polls 11 months into office as Obama. The stimulus failed, the job seminar was a useless photo op, he’s ignored the economy to focus on a health care plan NO ONE wants, Iran has completely snubbed him, it took forever to decide to help the troops in Afghanistan, and world leaders consider him a joke. Lastly, he keeps blaming all the world’s problems on the Republicans, but he was in Congress just as responsible as anyone else for today’s problems. On the bright side, he is going to do a holiday special with Oprah.

7. Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow: If you liked Joseph Goebbels and Eva Braun, these two are for you! Goebbels may have been less hateful than Olbermann.

8. Reality TV Wannabes: Balloon Boy. White House Party Crashers. One of these days, these reality star wannabes are really going to hurt someone.

9. Kanye West: How do you diss Taylor Swift??

10. Tiger Woods: This has become rather amusing. Karma strikes a true phony.

The Winner: Reality TV Wannabes!

Political Quotes of the Year

1. “He’s God!”

-Evan Thomas on Barack Obama

2. “Leave us alone. That’s all we want. Leave us alone.”

-Person at a health care Townhall

3. "There is certainly no pay-to-play involved, because I don't have no money,"

-Illnois Senator Roland Burris

4. "On a more serious front, I sincerely hope that when the president goes in for his annual check-up, the doctors at Bethesda will do a brain scan. Surely something must be terribly wrong with a man who seems to be far more concerned with a Jew building a house in Israel than with Muslims building a nuclear bomb in Iran."

--columnist Burt Prelutsky

5. "My husband is not secretary of state, I am. If you want my opinion I will tell you my opinion. I am not going to be channeling my husband."

-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

6. “You lie!”

Representative Joe Wilson during an Obama speech

7. “We controlled the media for a year.”

-Anita Dunn: White House Communications Director and all around lousy human being.

8. “There’s usually not a good reason and then the third lesson and tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers - Mao Tse Tung and Mother Teresa, not often coupled with each other but the two people that I turn to most to basically deliver a simple point, which is you’re going to make choices.”

- Maoist Anita Dunn (quoting Mao is like quoting Hitler)

9. “China is such a populous nation, it is not as if we cannot do without a few people.”

- Chairman Mao (to add some context to Dunn's stupid comments)

10. "It's bullsh*t. It's disgraceful. You wonder which side they're on,"

- Congressman Peter King on the CIA investigation

Speech of the Year: 2009

Daniel Hannan MEP attacks British PM Gordon Brown, becomes an internet sensation, and American hero despite being British. He attacks leftist economic and regulatory policies which have failed Britain. It serves as a warning to the U.S. about the goofy policies advocated by the Obama Administration.
The Youtube video and text are included...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs

The speech:

'Prime Minister, I see you've already mastered the essential craft of the European politician: namely the ability to say one thing in this chamber and a very different thing to your home electorate. You've spoken here of free trade, and amen to that.

Who would have guessed, listening to you just now, that you were the author of the phrase 'British jobs for British workers,' and that you have subsidised - where you have not nationalised outright - swaths of our economy, including the car industry and many of the banks.

Perhaps you would have more moral authority in this House if your actions matched your words, and perhaps more legitimacy in the councils of the world if the United Kingdom were not sailing into this recession in the worst condition of any G20 country.

The truth, Prime Minister, is that you have run out of our money. The country as a whole is now in negative equity. Every British child is now born owing around £20,000. Servicing the interest on that debt is going to cost more than educating the child.

Now, once again today, you have tried to spread the blame around. You spoke about an international recession, an international crisis.

Well, it's true that we are sailing together into the squalls but not every vessel in the convoy is in the same dilapidated condition. Other ships used the good years to caulk their hulls and clear their rigging - in other words, to pay off debt. But you used the good years to raise borrowing yet further.

As a consequence, under your captaincy, our hull is pressed deep into the waterline under the accumulated weight of your debt.

We are now running a deficit that touches 10 per cent of GDP, an almost unbelievable figure - more than Pakistan, more than Hungary; countries where the IMF has already been called in.

It's not just that you are not apologising - like everyone else I've long accepted that you are pathologically incapable of accepting responsibility for these things - it's that you are carrying on wilfully worsening our situation, wantonly spending what little we have left.

In the last year 100,000 private sector jobs have been lost and yet you have created 30,000 public sector jobs. Prime Minister, you cannot carry on forever squeezing the productive bit of the economy in order to fund an unprecedented engorgement of the unproductive bit.

You cannot spend your way out of a recession or borrow your way out of debt. And when you repeat, in that wooden and perfunctory way, that our situation is better than others, that we are well placed to weather the storm, I have to tell you, you sound like a Brezhnev era apparatchik giving the party line.

You know and we know and you know that we know that it's nonsense. Everyone knows that Britain is worse off than any other country as we go into these hard times.

The IMF has said so. The European Commission has said so. The markets say so, which is why the pound has lost a third of its value.

In a few months, the voters will have their chance to say so, too.

They can see what the markets have seen: that you are the devalued Prime Minister of a devalued Government.

-Daniel Hannan MEP to British PM Gordon Brown

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1165027/An-internet-sensation-Tory-told-Brown-face-hes-disaster.html

Football Picks

Last Week: 3-2

Season: 42-16

Goodbye Bobby Bowden! This really is an end of an era. I hate FSU, but Bowden brought speed to football.

Picks:

Florida over Alabama (only because Mel Kiper picked Alabama)'

Cincinnati over Pitt

CMU over Ohio

Texas over Nebraska

Bengals over the Lions (Good lord, even the Bengals are better than the Lions)

Greatest Movie Scenes #61-70

61. Head in a box: Seven (1995): Yeah, Gwenyth Paltrow getting beheaded by Kevin Spacey should probably rate higher...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnV6Lu0dmkI

62. Butch and Sundance vs. an army: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969): Now THAT is a way to go out.

63. Lector meets Clarice: Silence of the Lambs (1991): Welcome to Hell Clarice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGG84nUlgYg

64. I never drink wine: Dracula (1931): Poor Renfro...he is receiving an ominous warning and does not know it.

65. They call me Mr. Tibbs: In The Heat of the Night (1967): Ties into the Civil Rights Movement. Want to understand the South prior to the 70s, watch this one.

66. The Shower: Psycho (1960): ree ree reee reee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4

67. Get your stinking paws: Planet of the Apes (1968): Charlton Heston must have the largest catalogue of great quotes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbpsXAJguYo

68. Don‘t Stop at the Tollbooth : Godfather (1972): Sonny pays the toll.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e55LYplVo8

69. Bonnie and Clyde eat lead: Bonnie and Clyde (1967): This may have been the first super violent film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhIZ9URHlrQ

70. Eastwood rides into hell: Unforgiving (1992): Eastwood rewrites the Western again.

In the News: Weird Headlines of 2009

Clinically Depressed Poodle Mauls Former French President Chirac

“Mexican Midget Wrestlers Killed by Fake Prostitute”

“Bad acting. Bad script. No story. What did they have to worry about?” (NY Times on GI Joe)

“Taylor Swift Caught in Swastika Scandal”

“Matt Millen was president of the Lions for the worst eight-year run in the history of the NFL. Knowing his history with the team, is there a credibility issue as he now serves as an analyst for NBC Sports?” (Scroll running on Channel 4-Detroit while Millen was acting as an analyst for Football Night in America).

Greatest Movie Scenes #71-80

71. The Catina: Star Wars (1977): The Cantina reminds me of some places in Flint..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSRwzP23ifI

72. My Kingdom for a Horse: Richard III (1995): This is just clever. Fascist Richard in World War II-era Britain. His jeep gets stuck in the mud...

73. Jimmy Stewart’s Nightmare: Vertigo (1958): If this came out in 1968, people would have really been tripped out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9UiyfXibP8

74. Hal can read lips: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): What made this movie terrifying was the astronauts reliance on technology that runs amok and the fact no one could help them.

75. The Overdose: Pulp Fiction (1994): Ouch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGSIvuDUkpI

76. The Stateroom: A Night at the Opera (1935): This must have been what Harry Reid's office was like as he crafted the Health Care bill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZvugebaT6Q

77. Ol Lang‘s Eye: It‘s a Beautiful Life (1946): Lot of interesting references in this movie that audiences today miss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErrzjGCi3gY

78. The Dance: Reservoir Dogs (1992): More Sadism; this time to Super Hits of the 70s!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLTqecGbdCc

79. I’ll be back: The Terminator (1983): If only Arnold governed like this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8I4zFSipKs

80. Bruce Willis is dead: The Sixth Sense (1999): I figured this out before the film ended, but it was still cool.

Greatest Games in Michigan History: 1970s #1-10

1. Michigan State: 75 Indiana State: 64 (March 26, 1979): The game that changed basketball. It began the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Their popularity and skills changed the NBA as they joined the two most important franchises. Before Magic and Larry, the NBA Finals were played on tape delay at midnight. A decade later, it was in prime time and the NBA and NCAA experienced amazing growth.

2. American League: 6 National League: 4 (July 13, 1971): The 1971 All Star Game. At Tiger Stadium, six Hall of Famers homered in the game, Mickey Lolich, Bill Freehan, Norm Cash, and Al Kaline all played for the AL. Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, and Harmon Killebrew homered. Reggie Jackson’s homer hit the power transformer.

3. Tigers: 5 Yankees: 1 (June 28, 1976): The Bird Game. On Monday Night Baseball, Mark Fidrych dominated the Yankees. Rusty Staub homered in the victory. The Bird would win the Rookie of the Year, 19 games, start the All-Star Game, finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting, led the majors in ERA, pitched into extra innings five times, and then blew his arm out in 1977 while playing in the outfield.

4. USC: 17 Michigan: 10 (January 1, 1979): Charles White scored a touchdown while on the 1 yard line on a fumble recovered by the Wolverines and Michigan lost another Rose Bowl in bizarre fashion.

5. UM: 10 Ohio State:10 (November 24, 1973): Both teams entered the game unbeaten. The winner went to the Rose Bowl. They tied 10-10. Big Ten Athletic Directors gave the Rose Bowl to Ohio State. Bo howled. UM quarterback Denny Franklin was injured and the Big Ten wanted to send the team most likely to win, so OSU went. Michigan blamed MSU for this, but the balloting was secret.

6. A’s: 2 Tigers:1 (October 12, 1972): ALCS Game 5. Billy Martin benched Willie Horton and a bad call led to an Oakland run. It was a farewell for this generation of Tigers. All that remained was to play out their careers, reach milestones, and wait for Morris, Parrish, Gibson, Whitaker, and Trammell.

7. Orioles: 5 Tigers: 4 (September 24, 1974): Al Kaline got his 3000th hit. Too bad the team couldn't win for him.

8. Cowboys: 5 Lions: 0 (December 26, 1970): Detroit went 10-4 and won the Wild Card. The Lions had a great defense, but their offense could not score against the Cowboys. Dallas went to the Superbowl and the Lions went home for over a decade.

9. Red Sox: 8 Tigers: 6 (September 9, 1977): The Tigers rapped out 16 hits in a 8-6 loss. Oh yeah, Lou and Tram made their debuts.

10. Lions: 17 Broncos: 14 (Thanksgiving 1978): The Doug English Game. English sacked Craig Morton 4 times and the Lions defense dominated the defending AFC champs.

Greatest Games in Michigan History: 1970s #11-20

11. Michigan: 10 Ohio State: 7 (November 21, 1971): Michigan capped off an undefeated regular season with a 10-7 win against Ohio State. Then came the Rose Bowl…

12. Tigers win by forfeit (July 12, 1979): Disco Demolition Night. Chicago DJ Steve Dahl sensed an anti-disco backlash and hooked up with crazy White Sox owner Bill Veeck and his son Mike for a special promotion between games of a doubleheader with the Tigers. They blew up disco records, chanted disco sucks, and a riot broke out. The Tigers won the second game because the Sox could not restore order.

13. Buffalo: 27 Lions: 14 (Thanksgiving, 1976): OJ Simpson of White Bronco fame ran for 273 yards on Turkey Day. Lions lose.

14. Denver: 31 Lions: 27 (Thanksgiving, 1974): The Lions final game at Tiger Stadium was a loss to Denver.

15. Indiana: 86 Michigan: 68 (March 29, 1976): Michigan made an amazing tournament run in 1976 and made it all the way to the finals. In the finals, they met one of the greatest teams of all time. Indiana finished 32-0. It was the first time two teams from the same conference met in the NCAA Finals.

16. Pistons: 139 Nuggets: 137 (April 9, 1978): David Thompson scores 73 vs. Pistons. Thompson and George Gervin were in a tight race for the scoring title. Gervin needed 58 to win and scored 63. Thompson lost the NBA scoring title to Gervin 27.22- 27.15.

17. Red Wings: 8 Maple Leafs: 1 (March 27, 1973): Mickey Redmond scores 50 goals. At the time, he was the seventh player in league history and the first Wing to do so. Mickey also broke Gordie Howe’s team record of 49 goals in a season. Mickey had come over from Montreal, “The year before I was traded, I had 27 goals,” he said. “Scoring 27 in Montreal, on what amounted to my first (full) year -- that to me was very important with that team. A 30-goal season in those days was considered a very good season.”

18. MSU: 43 Purdue: 10 (October 30, 1971): Eric Allen rushes for a ridiculous 350 yards in the Spartan victory.

19. CMU: 54 Delaware: 14 (December 14, 1974): Central Michigan wins the National Championship. Yes, it was Division II, but a title is a title.

20. Detroit: 116 Buffalo Braves: 109 (March 17, 1974): Pistons win 50 for first time in history.

Movie Scenes: #81-85

81. I’m Your Father: The Empire Strikes Back (1980): This has become rather iconic. At the time, shocking. It had the whole country talking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdc7v4vkbJI

82. Make my day: Sudden Impact (1983): We need more Dirty Harrys in the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6-Snl4a1RI

83. Truck chases bike: Terminator 2 (1991): It captured the feeling of a mouse being chased by a mountain lion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7ETNeeZBe4

84. Blowing up the roof: Die Hard (1988): Three parts to this. 1. John McClane (Bruce Willis) jumps off the roof of a skyscraper. 2. He is tethered by a fire hose and has to shoot a window open to avoid being dragged down to the pavement. 3. He swings in and then is dragged toward the window. He is able to untie himself, but has to contend with the broken glass without shoes.

85. Say hello to my little friend: Scarface (1983): Nothing like the drug trade. Another iconic 80s scene. Al Pacino is besieged by assassins. He decides to go out in style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M59I8eShAr8

Greatest Movie Scenes #86-95

86. I’m a Comedian?: Goodfellas (1990): Don't mess with Joe Pesci.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4jz00Eelbk

87. Redford bleeds:The Natural (1984): Hollywood is often criticized for not being realistic. The Natural seemed to fit this bill...until Kirk Gibson in 1988.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54-6yimtjtA

88. Band of Brothers: Henry V (1989): Next to Antony's funeral oration, this is Shakespeare's greatest speech. Kenneth Branagh delivers it seamlessly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvmLDkAgAM

89. Ripley in the suit: Aliens (1986): Women can be bad-asses too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqzHdKqZAmo

90. The Twist: Pulp Fiction (1994): Travolta's second iconic dance scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLZl6R7JGCc

91. Asteroids: The Empire Strikes Back (1980): Star Wars set a new standard for special effects. Empire took it up a notch with this scene and the snow battle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gzf0kR5AvE

92. I’m Batman: Batman (1989): Before Christian Bale, there was---Michael Keaton! This is still iconic despite the film series itself being outdated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9G18qHPhcM

93. The Battle in the Snow: The Empire Strikes Back (1980): Stop motion reached its apex in this scene. Nowadays, it would be CG'd. It also showed why the Empire was bad ass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWjj8EKTkWE

94. Communication: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): Another iconic scene from when aliens were not out to destroy the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUcOaGawIW0

95. It’s a trap!: Return of the Jedi (1983): One newspaper called it a seminal moment for Generation X.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY0ClsW1QX4

Greatest Games of the 1960s

1. Tigers-Cardinals World Series Game 7 (October 10, 1968): Lolich vs. Gibson. The game is scoreless until the 7th. Curt Flood slipped on a fly ball by Jim Northrup. Three runs scored. Tigers win 4-1. Mickey Lolich went the distance for his 3rd win of the series. The two teams still trash talk about this series.

2. Michigan 24 OSU 12 (November 22, 1969): The previous year, the Barbarian Woody Hayes went for a 2-point conversion to add insult to injury and drop 50 on Michigan. The next year, the greatest team of all time went into Ann Arbor to face a former OSU assistant coach. Michigan beat Ohio State 24-12 ruining their year, returning Michigan to prominence, and launching the 10 year war.

3. 10-10 tie MSU-Notre Dame (November 10, 1966): This is sometimes called “the game of the century.” #2 MSU took on #1 Notre Dame. It ended in a tie and both teams claimed the national championship. Michigan State and National Championship go together like peanut butter and tuna fish.

4. Tigers-Cardinals World Series Game 5 (October 7, 1968): Tigers are down 3-1 in the series and down 3-2 in Game 5. Detroit rallies to take a 5-3 lead. Al Kaline had the big hit. Earlier, Willie Horton threw out Lou Brock at home. That 5th inning play turned the series. Why didn't Brock slide???

5. Tigers-Cardinals World Series Game 1 (October 2, 1968): Gibson (1.12 ERA) vs. McLain (31 wins). Cards win 4-0 and Gibson strikes out 17. Next to Don Larsen’s perfect game, it’s the greatest pitching performance in World Series History.

6. McLain’s 30th win (September 14, 1968): The Tigers rally in the 9th to beat the A’s 5-4. Norm Cash hit a 3 run shot in the 4th. Reggie Jackson homered for Oakland. In the 9th, Willie Horton singles in Mickey Stanley for the winner. McLain struck out 10 and became the first pitcher since 1934 to win 30 games.
7. Lions 17 Browns 16 Playoff Bowl (January 7, 1961): This was also known as the “Runner Up Bowl.” The second place Lions played the second place Browns. With the Lions winning 17-16 in the final seconds, Night Train Lane blocked an extra point and the Lions win.

8. Angels: 8 Tigers: 5 (October 1, 1967): The Tigers lost the second game of a double header on the final day of the season. This gave the pennant to the Boston Red Sox. It provided the motivation for 1968.

9. Jim Northrup hits 2 slams in one game (June 24, 1968): Tigers beat the Indians 14-3. Northrup hit a slam in the 5th and again in the 6th. He hit another one 5 days later. Player of the week anyone?

10. Howe breaks Rocket Richard’s goal scoring record (November 10, 1963): Gordie Howe would win the MVP that season. Wings beat Montreal 3-0.



　



　

Greatest Movie Scenes #96-100

96. Sadism- A Clockwork Orange (1971): Alex de Large (Malcolm McDowell) and friends go on a sadistic crime spree. The scene shocked people for its indiscriminate violence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v90KPJ6n4Ew

97. You Came Back. Why? - Magnificent Seven (1960): Eli Wallach had beaten the Seven, but they came back despite the fact the Mexicans did not want them to return. A confused Wallach asks Yul Brynner why they bothered to come back.

98. The Enterprise-Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979): The producers wanted to show how far special effects and model building had come since 1969. So, they spend seven minutes flying to the ship. The new movie pays homage to this scene briefly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSvV2QTAcHY

99. Zed’s Dead- Pulp Fiction (1994): A very short scene that ended Pulp Fiction, but amusing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Yp2L6c2KM

100. The Walk-Reservoir Dogs (1992): Reservoir Dogs introduced us to Quentin Tarantino and the now famous Tarantino Super Slo-Mo Walk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLZ5AVHfnCs

Presidential Legacies: The Post Cold War Executives 1989-2009

The world remained full of challenges after the Soviet Union fell. The Balkans exploded in a fury of ethnic cleansing. China and India were joining the ranks of industrial nations. The Middle East was an even more dangerous place as Islamic nations sought nuclear weapons and harbored terrorists. Additionally, the world's economy destabilized and de-industrialized. Technological advances changed communications, journalism, commerce, warfare, and everything else. The greatest challenges for American presidents during this period turned out to be the Middle East, the changing economy, and themselves.

George H.W. Bush was not the first president to have to deal with the Middle East. Jefferson had to fight a war there in the early nineteenth century. Like Jefferson, Bush led America to war against a lawless force. Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. This violated the post-war international consensus against offensive wars of conquest. President Bush went to the United Nations and garnered support to remove Iraq. Despite diplomatic initiatives, Saddam Hussein dragged his feet and dug in. The American-led coalition launched an air campaign lasting four weeks. Then, ground forces routed Iraq in 100 hours. It was a dramatic victory. Shell-shocked Iraqi soldiers surrendered to news crews. Today, most view the war as necessary to stop aggression. Hussein invaded Kuwait, threatened Saudi Arabia, and had to be removed. If the world allowed the conquest to stand, others might decide to launch offensive wars. Historically, the Gulf War and Korean War are the only instances where the United Nations stopped aggression. Bush’s approval rating hit 91%.

Bush’s popularity peaked too soon. A mild economic downturn and a third party candidate doomed the Bush Administration. Bill Clinton came out of nowhere to win the presidency. The Clinton Administration faced a new enemy born out of the Gulf War. El Queda began launching attacks against American interests. At first, Clinton treated it as a law enforcement issue. Eventually, he launched missile attacks on suspected El Queda bases (and an aspirin factory). However, by that point, he was mired in scandal.

The Clinton Administration was the most scandal-ridden in history. The biggest scandal led to his impeachment. At first, an independent counsel investigated a land deal in Arkansas. The attorney general expanded the independent prosecutor's mandate to include a wide range of improprieties. Eventually, those improprieties led to Monica Lewinsky. Clinton could have escaped had he admitted the affair immediately and apologized. Instead, he lied under oath. The cover up led to his impeachment. The House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton on the charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Two other charges, abuse of power and perjury in a civil case, failed to pass the House. Clinton was tried in the Senate in 1999 and escape conviction and removal. However, the United States was rudderless for about a year as Clinton fought the charges. Had the president admitted the affair earlier or resigned, the country would have been better off. Instead, the battle polarized the country and allowed El Queda time to prepare for attacks on the USS Cole and 911.

Clinton’s peccadilloes severely damaged the Gore campaign. Gore did not know whether to use Clinton or to run and hide from him. The indecision doomed the campaign. Gore lost to George W. Bush. The country entered a recession in 2000 and Bush was determined to combat it. He cut taxes and then came the 911 attacks. El Queda and Osama bin Laden slaughtered 3000 people as airplanes leveled the World Trade Center in New York, struck the Pentagon, and crashed in Pennsylvania. Bush’s response to the crisis was widely lauded. His address to congress following the attacks echoed Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor speech and his visit to Ground Zero with the bullhorn just about ensured re-election.

After a brief buildup, American forces moved into Afghanistan to battle the Taliban and El Queda. The Americans secured a temporary victory in short order. Unfortunately, Osama bin Laden escaped. Then, began to dawdle unsure what to do next. American policy in Afghanistan remains unclear to this day. Meanwhile, the Administration began focusing its attention on Iraq.

While waging war in Afghanistan, the Bush Administration prepared for another conflict. Since Saddam Hussein failed to live up to the Gulf War cease fire, the United States had the legal right to re-engage. The administration used several arguments for war including the spread of democracy and stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The greatest firestorm since Vietnam ensued. At this point, war could have been avoided had Hussein allowed weapons inspectors back into the country. He didn’t and Bush launched the Second Gulf War. Hussein was later captured and executed. No weapons were ever found despite Saddam’s past use. Hussein later admitted plans to continue a program once the heat was off.

After the invasion, Bush declared victory. However, an insurrection broke out. American policy failed to confront the insurgents. The military did not have enough boots on the ground and the American government dissolved the only entity that could have helped, the Iraqi military. The war grew increasingly unpopular. Bush remained stubborn and patiently waited for victory. Finally, in 2007, Bush launched the surge. This, combined with diplomatic initiatives, defeated the radicals. As his term expired, Bush announced American troop withdraws.

Before Bush left office, the economy collapsed. A decade old government plan required banks to lend money to low income borrowers. Congress blocked reform attempts earlier in the decade. One senator opposing those reforms was Barack Obama. Ironically, Obama’s opposition to reforms that could have stopped the meltdown, helped his election in 2008.

Upon taking office, Obama began the greatest spending spree in history. The Bush Administration and Republican Congress had created massive deficits as a result of two wars, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, and insane spending. Upon assuming office, Obama turned into Bush on steroids. Instead of being pragmatic and dealing with the economy and two wars, he has been a blind ideologue. The Obama stimulus plan failed to fix the economy and cost $700 billion. He plans more spending while the dollar collapses. Unless some fiscal sanity overcomes Obama and/or the Pelosi Congress, then the Misery Index (hyperinflation and double digit unemployment) will be the result. One influential economist compared Obama’s economic policy to that of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. However, Obama’s Administration is just beginning and perhaps reality and common sense may strike before he can turn the U.S. into a third world country.

It is harder to discern a legacy for recent presidents. Sometimes, things ignored now become important later. For example, Clinton Administration rules forcing banks to lend to borrowers unable to repay loans led to a worldwide economic collapse. While he was in office, people celebrated Clinton's economic brilliance. Now, he is often cited as one cause of the economic collapse. In Obama’s case, he has not been in office a year yet, so he has a very limited body of work. This last grouping of presidents also provide an interesting psychological study. Clinton's inability to tell the truth and predilection for women, Bush's stubbornness, and Obama's blind adherence to a failed ideology handicapped these three chief executives. With that in mind, each president in this group dealt with the Middle East, the ups and downs of a changing economy, and with the possible exception of Bush 41, their own personality failings.

Greatest Movie Scenes: 101-105

101. The Pencil Trick: The Dark Knight (2008): Heath Ledger's greatest scene. It almost made me pee my pants laughing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QehZjjwb7-I

102. Lector gets loose: Silence of the Lambs (1991): Classical music provided the background as Hannibal Lector beats a guard to death and skins another.

103. There’s Character: Glory (1989): The 54th Massachussets charges into Fort Wagner. Robert Gould Shaw (Mathew Broderick) eats a minie ball which rallies his troops. The men run into a cannon. The end was poignant as Shaw is buried shoeless with his men in a common grave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2c_BvVBd-Q

104 Phone Home: ET: The Extraterrestrial (1982): An iconic 80s scene.

105. Pickett’s Charge: Gettysburg (1993): More Civil War action. If you want to know why the Civil War cost 600,000 lives, watch this scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GupEJXlNKCE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iT0Hmu5bXY

Greatest Games of the 1950s

1. 1950 Stanley Cup Finals: Game 7: Wings beat the Rangers in double overtime 4-3 to win the Stanley Cup. Ted Lindsay began the parade of champions tradition on the ice after the game.

2. The Snow Bowl: One of the worst blizzards ever hit Columbus. The two teams combined for 45 punts as each side waited for the other to make a mistake. Michigan blocked a punt for a safety and another one for a touchdown. Michigan wins 9-3. Ohio State fired Coach Fesler and hired Woody Hayes.

3. 1954 Stanley Cup Finals: Game 7: The Wings won 2-1 in overtime beating the Canadiens.

4. 1952 Stanley Cup Semi-finals Game 4: Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay got death threats. Wings beat the Leafs 3-1 sweeping the series. After the game, Howe and Lindsay skated around the rink making machine gun motions at the crowd. The Octopus made its first appearance during this playoff run.

5. 1957 Western Conference Playoff Game: Detroit vs. San Francisco: Y.A. Tittle and the 49ers led 24-7 at half time. Lions won 31-27.

6. 1952, 1953, and 1957 NFL Title Game: In 1952, the Lions made their first championship game appearance since 1935. They won 17-7 over Cleveland. In 1953, they repeated 17-16 over the Browns. In 1957, they won 59-14 over those same Cleveland Browns.

7. 1954 Stanley Cup Finals: Game 5: Montreal: 1 Detroit: 0 (Overtime). Yeah, the Wings lost, but what a game.

8. No Hitters: Virgil Trucks went 5-19 in 1952. He no-hit Washington on May 15 and the Yankees on August 25. So, he was 3-19 when he did not no-hit someone!

Jim Bunning no-hit the Red Sox on July 20, 1958. He later threw a perfect game against the Mets while with the Phillies. When he retired, only Walter Johnson had more career strikeouts than Bunning.

9. 1954 Rose Bowl: Michigan State joins the Big Ten and wins the national title. MSU: 28 UCLA: 20.

10. 1951 All Star Game (played at Briggs Stadium): The AL beat the NL 8-3. George Kell homered. Ty Cobb threw out the first pitch and Harry Heilmann died the day before the game.

Greatest Movie Scenes: 106-110

106. Khan and his pets: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982): Montalban gives a great performance and Chekov gets to scream.

107. Old friend for dinner: Silence of the Lambs (1991): A downright creepy end to this film. Hopkins wearing a silly wig, Foster scared out of her wits, and just a creepy line to end it all.

108. Helm’s Deep:Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002): Just a great battle scene.

109. The dentist chair: Marathon Man (1976): I hate going to the dentist enough as it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPQ7KMCrPLE

110. Bogart vs. Robinson:  Key Largo (1948): A tension packed conclusion to a tension packed movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OV-BRbcV0M

Presidential Legacies: 1969-1989

The Johnson Administration’s folly in Vietnam led to Republican Executive Branch dominance for the remainder of the century. The Cold War continued and the Republicans were enlisted to end it and fix an economy damaged by the Great Society. The presidents between 1969 and 1989 battled recession and Russians. In the end, both were conquered.

Richard Nixon benefited politically from Lyndon Johnson’s downfall. His political career was dead. However, he worked hard in 1966 and became the Republican nominee in 1968. Once in office, Nixon worked to thaw the Cold War and end the Vietnam conflict. It took almost four years for the Vietnam War to end. The North Vietnamese refused to negotiate in good faith through much of Nixon’s first term. They finally came around when it appeared he would be re-elected.

The war’s end coincided with two major Nixon diplomatic coups. He became the first president to go to China. This opened China to the United States, set in motion their economic renaissance, and isolated the Soviet Union. The Russians felt threatened and isolated by the U.S. and China. As a result, they welcomed Nixon’s diplomatic overtures. Détente has been criticized by the right, but there was no way for Nixon to know that the Soviet Union would collapse in his lifetime.

While Nixon was racking up the accomplishments, his administration became immersed in the Watergate Scandal. Basically, a group of White House operatives broke into and bugged Democratic Headquarters. The Johnson Administration bugged the Nixon Campaign, so this was nothing new. However, word of the break-in made it into the papers. Nixon made the mistake of attempting to cover it up. He should have fired those involved immediately and claimed ignorance. Instead, he waged war on the press. Events steam rolled and he was forced to resign.

Gerald Ford took over for Nixon. Initially, Ford was very popular. However, he pardoned Nixon and that popularity collapsed. The president from Michigan decided it was best to get beyond the Watergate Scandal. He wanted the country to heal and move forward. Ford did not want to put the country through the agony of a trial. Additionally, Nixon’s health declined dramatically and some worried the former president would not survive a trial. So, Ford pardoned Nixon and that cost him the election of 1976.

Ford lost to Jimmy Carter. Carter was an inexperienced nobody in 1975. In 1977, he was president. Carter’s tenure was marked by disaster. He refused to work with Congressional Democrats. Carter did not see much of a difference between them and Nixon. Then, the economy collapsed. Unemployment and inflation each hit double digits. The country’s confidence was gone. On July 15, 1979, Carter went on national television and chewed out the country. Carter called it a “crisis of confidence.” However, Carter’s tone was that of a fire-and-brimstone preacher and it fell flat. At the end of the year, Iran kidnapped 52 Americans and held them hostage. This paralyzed the Carter Administration even further. The economy and Iran Hostage Crisis cost Carter the White House.

Carter left America searching for a white knight. Ronald Reagan literally came out of central casting. Reagan won two massive electoral victories. Upon taking office, it appeared his economic policy was D.O.A. Then, John Hinkley Jr. tried to kill him in an effort to impress Jodie Foster. Hinkley failed on both accounts. This was a turning point. Reagan got his economic policies through congress. The economy continued to struggle for a time before exploding. By 1984, it was “Morning in America.” In his first term, the economy turned around. In his second term, he would face down the Russians.

During his first term, Reagan had little diplomatic contact with the Soviets. The Soviet leaders kept dying. Additionally, the Russians had been trying to expand in a fashion similar to the Nazis before World War II. By the early eighties, the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan, declared martial law in Poland, and stepped up their proxy wars against American allies. People questioned whether democracy could survive. In response, Reagan began a massive arms buildup. The plan was to outspend the Russians. He succeeded.

By 1985, the Soviet economy was strained. By 1989, it had completely collapsed. The Soviets had overextended and now had to try and keep up with the American arms buildup. The Reagan arms buildup was only part of the reason. The other factor was the new Soviet Premier, Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev attempted to reform the Soviet economy. He did not want to end communism. However, socialism is failed economic theory. Under Gorbachev's socialist reforms, the Soviet economy, and with it the military, collapsed. The Soviet Union itself ceased to exist in 1991.

In 1989, it looked like anything was possible. Communism was collapsing around the world. Dictatorships were on the wane. The world economy was expanding. Freedom was expanding. Would things continue to improve and would mankind enter into some new enlightened phase or would mankind blow it?

#1 The Beatles

The Beatles formed in Liverpool, England in 1960. The band moved from its working class roots to become the most popular and influential group in history. In 1957, John Lennon formed The Quarrymen. Paul McCartney and George Harrison joined soon thereafter. Stuart Sutcliffe and Colin Hanton rounded out the band. Sutcliffe would die of a cerebral hemorrage in 1962. It was Sutcliffe that suggested “Beetles” as a name for the group. Drummer Colin Hanton quickly left the band and was replaced by Pete Best.

The Beatles earned their chops touring Hamburg, Germany. They began earning a name for themselves and soon came to the attention of Brian Epstein. Epstein became their manager in January, 1962. Their new manager contacted producer George Martin. Martin took an interest in the band, but did not like the drummer. The Beatles fired Pete Best and replaced him with Ringo Starr.

In 1963, they experienced modest success in England. In 1964, the world exploded. No English band had experienced success in the United States. The Beatles debuted in the states and Beatlemania was born. People went nuts. Girls would faint and soil themselves. The record companies began searching for other British groups.

Musically, the Beatles represented a British reworking of American Rock n Roll. Rock had been shoved aside due to scandals in the late fifties. With the exception of the Surf Craze, popular music had no edge. Lyrically, the Beatles were nothing extraordinary until they met Bob Dylan. Dylan dug the Beatles sound, but was critical of their lyrics. The lyrics did not say anything. John Lennon took the advice to heart and began writing more personal songs.

After the Dylan meeting, the Beatles work improved dramatically. Rubber Soul and Revolver represent a fundamental reworking of rock music. Meanwhile, the band tired of touring. They could not hear each other on stage and that bothered them. As a result, they stopped touring. This, combined with their popularity, gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted.
Creativity and freedom led to Sgt Peppers. The band experimented and created a masterpiece. The album changed the rules of the game and other acts scrambled to keep up. It drove Beach Boy Brian Wilson over the edge. The Rolling Stones countered with their own take on the album with Their Satanic Majesties Request. One month after Sgt Peppers’ release, the Beatles performed “All You Need Is Love” for a worldwide satellite audience. It was one of the first satellite feeds to go around the world.

After the worldwide performance, they went to India to investigate the mysteries of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and transcendental meditation. Yogi proved a fraud and the band was disenchanted. At this point, Paul decided to do another movie. Their previous movies were well received. However, The Magical Mystery Tour was perceived as the first real chink in the Beatles armor. The unscripted movie came across poorly to audiences. It lacked direction and most T.V. sets were black and white which meant the colorful film lost its impact.

The Beatles continued to record. They followed the film with Yellow Submarine, The White Album, Let It Be, and Abbey Road. By the end, tensions within the group tore it apart. Many blamed John Lennon’s partner Yoko Ono. However, the real cause appears to be financial. After the Brian Epstein died, the Beatles took control of their finances and had no idea what they were doing. Eventually, they hired Allen Klein. Klein was a shady character and Mick Jagger warned Paul McCartney not to hire him. Paul advocated another candidate, but John, George, and Ringo lined up against Paul. The band eventually fell apart, Paul announced he was going solo and lawsuits followed.

The Beatles reunited in 1995 for the Anthology Project. They released a couple of new songs. Unfortunately, John Lennon was murdered in 1980 amidst rumors of a reunion. George would pass in 2002 of cancer. Paul and Ringo performed at The Concert for George. Ringo continues to record. Paul had a smash hit album in 2007 and scored some minor hits in the 2000s. The Beatles are in Rock n Roll Hall of Fame as a group and John, Paul, and George are in the Hall as solo artists.

Rock n Roll Moment: John claimed the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. He was right.

Essential Beatles:
Please Please Me (1963)
With the Beatles (1963)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Rubber Soul (1965)
Revolver (1966)
Sgt Peppers (1967)
The White Album (1968)
Abbey Road (1969)
Let it Be (1970)

The Beatles’ Top 10:
Please Please Me
I Want to Hold Your Hand
A Hard Day’s Night
Can’t Buy Me Love
Yesterday
Norwegian Wood
Eleanor Rigby
A Day in the Life
Strawberry Fields
Something
Here Comes the Sun

Rock Countdown: Complete List

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. Bob Dylan
4. The Rolling Stones
5. The Who
6. Led Zeppelin
7. Pink Floyd
8. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
9. Chuck Berry
10. Buddy Holly

11. Jimy Hendrix
12. The Clash
13. U2
14. Little Richard
15. Jerry Lee Lewis
16. James Brown
17 The Beach Boys
18. Stevie Wonder
19. Diana Ross and The Supremes
20. The Eagles

21. John Lennon
22. Eric Clapton
23. David Bowie
24. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
25. Johnny Cash
26. The Police
27. Queen
28. Tina Turner
29. The Doors
30. AC/DC

31. Bo Diddley
32. B.B. King
33. Ray Charles
34. Roy Orbison
35. Neil Young
36. Cream
37. Simon and Garfunkel
38. Velvet Underground
39. Aretha Franklin
40. Elton John

41. Black Sabbath
42. Nirvana
43. Metallica
44. Fleetwood Mac
45. The Talking Heads
46. Janis Joplin
47. The Ramones
48. The Kinks
49. The Byrds
50. Elvis Costello

51. The Yardbirds
52. George Harrison
53. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
54. Billy Joel
55. Paul McCartney
56. Paul Simon
57. CSNY
58. REM
59. Radiohead
60. Prince

61. The Sex Pistols
62. Aerosmith
63. Pearl Jam
64. Guns n Roses
65. Sly and the Family Stone
66. Bob Marley
67. Sam Cooke
68. The Grateful Dead
69. Wilson Pickett
70. Jeff Beck

71. Steely Dan
72. CCR
73. Blondie
74. Ozzy Osbourne
75. Rush
76. Bill Haley and The Comets
77. The Animals
78. Fats Domino
79. Dion
80. Genesis

81. Bon Jovi
82. Carlos Santana
83. ZZ Top
84. The Mamas and the Papas
85. Lynyrd Skynrd
86. Allman Brothers Band
87. Dire Straits
88. Judas Priest
89. Coldplay
90. Green Day

91. KISS
92. Smashing Pumpkins
93. Rage Against The Machine
94. Soundgarden
95. Motley Crue
96. Def Leppard
97. Weezer
98. Tool
99. Foo Fighters
100. Ringo

Greatest Movie Scenes #111-115

111. Anchor fight: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004): No Commercials and No Mercy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APGGKrMyZ3o

112. The nanny hangs: The Omen (1976):  This was creepy. Barack's...er I mean Damien, the son of Satan's, nanny commits suicide at a birthday party. She had a big old smile on her face and it allowed the Satanist nurse to come care for the boy. Not even Gregory Peck could defeat the Son of Satan.

113. What we do in life, echoes in Eternity: Gladiator (2000): One of the great movie speeches. It was short and informal showing you don't have to wear blue face to inspire troops.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=331clHFsnpY

114. Nuclear Rodeo: Dr Strangelove (1964): The world is ending, so why not ride a nuclear bomb all the way to the ground?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueuauKKjPZI

115. Hackman grabs Rooker by the balls: Mississippi Burning (1988): Hackman was so intense, people on the set feared for Michael Rooker during this scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vayL_-DBuLs

#2 Elvis Presley

Elvis is the King of Rock n Roll. He is the American icon. Elvis combined rockabilly, country, and R&B to create his own sound. He was extremely controversial at first. People were uncomfortable with the musical “race mixing.” Additionally, his sexually charged shows further rankled critics. Elvis also used a back beat to change the direction of music. Some consider “That’s All Right” the first rock song. However, “Hound Dog” was the major cultural milestone. It truly marked rock’s emergence. Also, Elvis was one of the Young Turks of the fifties that defined rebellion, but had nothing to rebel against.

The fifties generation can remember where they were when Elvis broke, when he was on Steve Allen, or when he was on Ed Sullivan. They were the ones that attended and watched his comeback special in ‘68 while in their thirties. Elvis’ voice is amongst the most versatile in rock music. His music covered every possible genre and he even won Grammy Awards for his Gospel work. At his height, Elvis dominated like no other act in Rock History with the exception of the Beatles. After an amazing run, he was drafted into the army.

After returning from the service, Elvis scored some hits, but he spent most of his time making bad movies. After several years away, Elvis made a comeback special in 1968. The King was back. Over a billion people watched his Hawaiian Special in 1973. By the late seventies, he was a shell of his former self. He died in 1977 and has been hanging out at Burger Kings ever since. Interestingly, Elvis scored a #1 in the early 2000s with a remixed version of "A Little Less Conversation."

Rock n Roll Moment: Elvis ran out onto a tarmac, flashed his DEA badge, and stopped a plane taxiing on the runway.

Essential Elvis:
Elvis Presley (1956)
Elvis (1956)
Elvis (1968)
The Sun Sessions (1976)

Elvis’ Top 10:
That’s All Right
Heartbreak Hotel
Don’t Be Cruel
Hound Dog
Love Me Tender
All Shook Up
Jailhouse Rock
A Little Less Conversation
Can’t Help Falling
Suspicious Minds

Greatest World Series Moments

Finally! The Top 10 World Series Moments of my lifetime (that I remember)….

Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!: Game 6 (October 18, 1977): This is my first World Series memory. Reggie hit three homers on three pitches off of three pitchers. He had homered in his last at bat in Game 5, so he hit four in a row.

Tug McGraw: Game 6 (October 21, 1980): I remember seeing the end of this series. It was an interesting one. Hemmorrhoids, circus catches, and Tug McGraw. McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to end the series and give the Phils their first title ever.

Goosebusters: Game 5 (October 14, 1984): Goose Gossage refused to walk Gibson. Gibson deposited a Goose pitch into the upper deck. Gibson literally roars around the bases. Tigers win their first series in 16 years.

Royal Comeback: (1985): Kansas City came back from 3-1 down to win the ALCS. They did it again to win the World Series. In Game 6, Don Denkinger blew a call at first. Instead of bearing down, the Cards collapsed. In Game 7, KC won 11-0.

The Walk Off is born: Game 1 (October 15, 1988): Kirk Gibson does his Roy Hobbs impression. Afterward, Dennis Eckersley coined the term “walk-off.” Gibson’s two big series’ home runs were off Hall of Famers.

Morris vs. Smoltz: Game 7 (October 27, 1991): Perhaps the greatest game ever played. John Smoltz and Jack Morris match zeros. Lonnie Smith slips rounding the bases. Morris pitches into the 10th. Twins win.

15-14: Game 4 (October 20, 1993): WTF?

Torre sticks with Cone: Game 3 (October 22, 1996): Yankees are down 2 games to none in their first series since 1981. They are up 2-0 in the 6th inning of game 3. David Cone gets himself into a bases loaded jam. Torre leaves Cone in and he escapes with only 1 run scoring. New York scores three in the 8th to bust it open. Atlanta never recovers.

The 2001 World Series: The greatest series ever. The Diamondbacks led 2-0 going back to New York. Then came three incredible games (and Yankee wins) which included homers by Jeter, Brosius, and Tino Martinez. The Yanks led 3-2 going to the desert. Game 6 was a clunker and I went to bed early. Game 7 was a classic. Schilling vs. Clemens. Randy Johnson comes out of the pen (I remember thinking “that’s not fair.”) Yanks led 2-1 in the 9th. Mariano makes an error. Diamondbacks win on the Luis Gonzalez single. Wow!

Red Sox win: Game 4 (October 27, 2004): Never thought I’d see it. I thought the apocalypse was around the corner.

Honorable Mention:

1978: Reggie strikes out vs. Bob Welch: This was a mighty matchup and Reggie goes down swinging.
1979: Pops homers: We are family...Stargell leads Pittsburgh back from 3-1 down.
1980: Boone and Rose pair up for a circus catch: You knew KC was done when things like that happen.
1986: Buckner: This has lost its meaning since Boston won.
1989: The Earthquake
1990: Reds sweep A’s: Too bad. hehe
1993: Joe Carter: Never thought I'd see a Bill Mazeroski moment.
1995: David Justice homers to give the Braves the series
1997: Edgar Renteria singles in extra innings in Game 7. Poor Cleveland.
2002: Game 6: The Glaus double and a Giant choke. Poor Barry.
2005: Weird guys hit home runs: Pods? Blum?
2006: Tigers pitchers can’t field

Greatest Movie Scenes #116-120

116. Anakin vs. Obi-Wan: Revenge of the Sith (2005): Steven Spielberg allegedly helped formulate the battles between Yoda and Palpatine and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. Anakin's transition from hero to villain is complete as he literally descends into hell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY-mbzr_pl8

117. Euthanized: Soylent Green (1973): The joys of Obamacare! Edward G. Robinson gets to commit suicide courtesy the government. As the Kevorkian-style drugs enter his veins, he watches video images of Bambi and grassy fields.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbJTBBoDFH0
118. Punching out of a coffin: Kill Bill (2004): Mythbusters showed this was not possible, but it was a fun scene. The bride requesting water at the diner afterward is awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZpw8NgL_2M

119. Missing Breakfast: Falling Down (1993): Michael Douglas just misses breakfast at the local fast food establishment. He complains. They refuse to accommodate him. He pulls out an automatic weapon. Who hasn't wanted to do that? Later, he blows up a construction zone. So much for traffic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eREiQhBDIk

120. Beatles on the Run: A Hard Day’s Night (1964): This is an iconic film moment and has been imitated several times. The most notable imitator was Austin Powers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD4TAgdS_Xw

#3 Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is America’s greatest songwriter. He broke in the early sixties and is considered the chronicler of those times. He became known for his Anti-War and Pro-Civil Rights sentiments. He defined the period. However, Dylan was more than the folk counterculture poet laureate. He expanded his music and even committed the cardinal sin by plugging in. Some folk music fans refused to forgive this sacrilege.

Dylan refused to be pigeonholed and typecast as a folk artist. On “Maggie’s Farm”, he declared his independence from the folk community. Dylan has done Country, Gospel, Jazz, and just released a Christmas Album. Bob Dylan has released 33 albums, won a gazillion awards, and even got the Beatles to expand their music and awareness.

Rock n Roll Moment: Dylan plugged in at the Newport Folk Festival. He was booed and left the stage. The Folk Music Community went nuts. One fellow tried to cut the cords running to the amps.

Essential Dylan:
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)
Bring it all Back Home (1965)
Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
Blonde on Blonde (1966)
John Wesley Harding (1967)
Nashville Skyline (1969)
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
Blood on the Tracks (1975)
The Basement Tapes (1975)
Modern Times (2006)

Dylan’s Top 10:
Blowin’ in the Wind
Maggie’s Farm
The Times They Are a-Changin’
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Like a Rolling Stone
Positively 4th Street
Lay Lady Lay
Rainy Day Women #12 and #35
Just Like a Woman
Tangled Up in Blue

#4 The Rolling Stones

The Stones formed in 1962 and are on the verge of celebrating their 50th anniversary. The original band consisted of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Brian Jones, and Ian Stewart. Keyboardist Stewart was quickly dumped because he did not fit the “teen idol” image. He did stay on as road manager and session keyboardist until his death in 1985.

The band’s main influences came from the blues world. Eventually, they came to write their own stuff which was heavily influenced by that genre. When they broke, they used that background to become the anti-Beatles. While the Beatles came off as nice clean cut gents, the Stones were dark and dangerous. Mick Jagger cultivated this image. While the Beatles sang of love, the Stones expressed “Sympathy for the Devil.” This image was reinforced at their Woodstock West concert at Altamont in 1969. The Hell’s Angels provided security and stabbed a fan to death.

Mick and Keith became the band’s main creative force. As they became more popular, they edged the band’s founder, Brian Jones out. Jones eventually died under mysterious circumstances. An investigation into his death has recently been reopened. Jones was replaced by Mick Taylor. For no apparent reason, Taylor quit in 1974 and was replaced by Ron Wood. Wood has been with the band ever since.

The Stones halcyon years ran from the Aftermath album of 1966 through their Exile on Mainstreet in 1972. However, they remained consistent hit makers into the early-to-mid eighties. Then, tensions between Mick and Keith blew the band apart. At Live Aid, Mick took the stage with Tina Turner while Keith (and Ron Wood) played with Bob Dylan.

In 1989, Mick and Keith made up and the band remerged with Steel Wheels. Once again, they scored a series of hit songs and records into the new millennium. During this renaissance period, bassist and band historian Bill Wyman retired. He was replaced by Darryl Jones. The Stones last album was released in 2005 and stirred some controversy with the song “Sweet Neo Con.” The album also produced a stripped down style which critics loved. In many respects, A Bigger Bang gave the public a glimpse at the sixties-era Stones. They are still together and their music and their image is something artists since from the sixties to today have tried to emulate.

Rock n Roll Moment: Keith Richards (yes that is all I am going to say)

Essential Stones:
The Rolling Stones Now! (1965)
Aftermath (1966)
Between the Buttons (1967)
Beggar’s Banquet (1968)
Let it Bleed (1969)
Sticky Fingers (1971)
Exile on Main Street (1972)
Some Girls (1978)
Tatoo You (1981)
Voodoo Lounge (1994)
A Bigger Bang (2005)

The Rolling Stone’s Top 10:
Satisfaction
Paint It Black
Let’s Spend the Night Together
Gimme Shelter
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Honky Tonk Women
Brown Sugar
Tumblin’ Dice
Miss You
Start Me Up

Presidential Legacies: Cold War Democrats (and Ike): 1945-1969

The next set of presidents faced a drastically changed world. Following World War II, Europe was in shambles, the Soviet Union was throwing its weight around, and America was the last man standing. As such, the post-war presidents filled the vacuum left by collapsed European powers. America became the world’s policeman. As such, the United States moved to thwart Soviet expansionism. The U.S. did this for three reasons. First, the Soviets moved into Eastern Europe and refused to leave. Second, the Soviets’ stated purpose was worldwide revolution. Third, Hitler already plunged the world into a global conflict that took millions of lives. Stalin was not that much different than the German dictator. So, checking Soviet expansionism became a way to stop World War III.

Harry Truman was the first president to face this threat. His response was decisive and set the policy that was essentially followed by his successors through 1991. When George Kennan wrote his long telegram arguing that the U.S.S.R. respected strength and would back down if confronted, Truman made it his own. American policy toward the Russians would be based on containment. Communism would not be allowed to spread beyond its current borders. In order to achieve these ends, Truman pumped money in the form of the Marshall Plan into Europe. The plan got Western Europe back on its feet by the early fifties. He backed the Democratic forces in Greece and Turkey when Communism threatened. They survived. When North Korea invaded South Korea, Truman sent in MacArthur. Despite Chinese intervention, South Korea remained free. Despite his foreign policy achievements, including ending World War II, Truman was unpopular. Due to his low approval ratings and advanced age, he stepped down from office. However, his Containment Policy survived the Truman Presidency by forty years.

Truman’s immediate successor was General Eisenhower. Ike continued his predecessor’s policies and balanced the budget. Ike also created the Interstate Highway System which created Modern America. The system was designed with defense in mind. It ended up creating the suburbs. Americans were no longer shackled. They did not have to either live in the country or the city. They could now more easily go on cross country vacations, work far from home, and so on.

Eisenhower faced international crises as well, but being Ike, he was able to confront them and calm the nation. John F. Kennedy being John F. Kennedy, and not General Eisenhower, gave the Soviets no pause. After a failed attempt to overthrow Cuba’s Fidel Castro, the Soviets decided to place offensive nuclear missiles on the island. What followed was a textbook example of crisis management. Kennedy ordered a blockade. Technically, this was an act of war. However, Robert Kennedy was negotiating behind the scenes and an agreement was reached. The Soviets backed down. The world did not incinerate. The Soviets would remove the missiles from Cuba. The U.S. would remove antiquated missiles from Turkey. The Soviets would not mention the deal. America would not remove Castro. The Cuban Missile Crisis ended and the world survived.

While Kennedy stepped to the edge, Lyndon Johnson went over it. Lyndon Johnson managed to anger everyone. His Great Society angered Conservatives, led to large deficits in subsequent decades, and is generally considered a failure. His Civil Rights policies angered the South and sent the entire region over to the G.O.P. Freeing African-Americans (with more Republican support than Democratic) should have been his crowning glory. However, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Fair Housing Act of 1968 are overshadowed by Vietnam.

The Vietnam War destroyed Johnson. As it dragged on, more people became disillusioned. After three years, the administration told Americans that the war was almost over. Then, the enemy launched a daring attack on the Tet New Year. In 1968, they attacked every major city in South Vietnam and fought in the American Embassy in Saigon. The U.S. won a major victory, but it did not look like it on television. Walter Cronkite declared the war lost. Johnson later announced he would not seek another term as president. The Democratic Party after 1968 fell to the McGovernites and has yet to recover.

Greatest Movie Scenes #121-125

121. Order 66: Revenge of the Sith (2005): The march on the Jedi Temple looked sweet. The Jedi's eradication is similar to the murder of Chinese Monks by a Chinese Emperor from long ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKQ8_ZJiwqo

122. The President takes down the Duke: Escape from New York (1981): We need a president like this nowadays...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfotQ1YQrvk

123. Train Wreck: The Greatest Show on Earth (1952): Nothing like carnage on the rails.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUtf_RE6r5Q

124. The quest: Excalibur (1981): Excalibur had a dream-like quality to it. This scene with the Knights of the Round Table hunting the Holy Grail to classical music is very romanticized. It really appeals to the western mindset of the noble knight on crusade.

125. Hello Cleveland: This is Spinal Tap (1984): Spinal Tap is ready to go onstage and gets lost underneath the stadium. I have heard interviews with bands that claim to have done the same thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C21yssFhCsk

#5 The Who

The Who were four distinctly different personalities that emerged from Shepherd’s Bush to become one of the greatest bands of all time. They were known for their energetically aggressive stage shows, innovative records, and attitude. Pete Townsend came from art school and was the band’s chief songwriter, conceptualizer, and world class guitarist. Roger Daltrey is one of rock’s greatest vocalists and front men. He’s a brawler and could probably still kick a 20 year old’s ass. John Entwhistle is rock’s greatest bassist and turned the bass guitar into a lead instrument. Keith Moon is rock’s greatest drummer and its court jester. The band came from the London Mod scene and were the antithesis of peace and love. Instead, they pioneered instrument destruction and stage mayhem. From “Can’t Explain” to “My Generation”, there was something different about The Who.

Imagine being a hippie at Monterey in 1967. The San Francisco sound dominated the Summer of Love and the Monterey Pop Festival. Then came The Who. They blew up the stage and probably frightened some hippies. Before going on, Pete Townsend and Jimy Hendrix fought over who would close. Neither one wanted to follow the other. They almost came to blows, but settled the dispute. Townsend won and Hendrix closed. Hendrix then expropriated Townsend's antics and took him one better.

After a couple of years, the band was at a crossroads. Where to go? Pete Townsend put together an ambitious project. It was the first rock opera, Tommy. The album was a smash and propelled the Who to superstardom. In 1969, they played Woodstock and The Who continued to record smash albums well into the seventies.

In 1978, drummer Keith Moon died. After Moon's death, the band lost its way. Pete Townsend went into a tailspin. Singer Roger Daltrey admits to doing things he had never done before. The band eventually dissolved in 1982. They reunited for Live Aid in 1985, for a tour in 1989, and for their induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. In 1996 and 1997, they got together to tour for their 70s classic, Quadraphenia. Then came the concert for New York following 911. They owned the show and reunited for good. On the eve of a tour, bassist John Entwhistle died. Roger and Pete have continued on and even recorded their first album since the early 80s.

Rock n Roll Moment: Keith Moon took a horse tranquilizer before a show and passed out on stage. The band invited a fan on stage to play the drums and The Who finished their set. He also got banned from the Holiday Inn after driving a car into the Flint Holiday Inn’s pool.

Essential Who:
My Generation (1965)
A Quick One (1966)
The Who Sell Out (1967)
Tommy (1969)
Who’s Next (1971)
Quadrophenia (1973)

The Who’s Top 10:

Can’t Explain
My Generation
A Quick One While He’s Away
I Can See For Miles
Pinball Wizard
Listening to You/See Me, Feel Me
Baba O’Reilly
Won’t Get Fooled Again
5:15
Who Are You?

#6 Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin was not a metal band. They were a blues based classic rock band. Their interpretation of folk and the blues defined their music. Zeppelin did not limit themselves however. They also included rockabilly, reggae, soul, classical, Indian, Arabic, pop, Latin, and even country into their work. Then, they would take the music into new directions.

Zeppelin’s themes also separated them from the pack. Robert Plant’s interest in history and fantasy found an outlet in songs such as “Stairway to Heaven”, “The Immigrant Song”, and “Ramble On”. He brought a Medieval feel to the work. Guitarist Jimmy Page’s embrace of the occult has been overblown, but it fit into the band’s narrative and music, and complimented Plant's interests. Drummer John Bonham is second only to The Who’s Keith Moon amongst rock’s elite drummers. Bonham experiment and did things on the drums people are still trying to copy. Bassist John Paul Jones held the music together with innovative and time shifting bass lines.

Led Zeppelin experienced unbridled success throughout the seventies. They were the greatest band of the era and many critics place them behind only Stevie Wonder as greatest act of the seventies. During this period, “Stairway to Heaven” was released and is still considered by many to be the greatest rock song of all time. Additionally, they have sold over 200 million albums. Then, it ended. Like Keith Moon, John Bonham died young. Unlike The Who, Zeppelin broke up.

In 1982, Zeppelin released an album of out takes. They reunited with Phil Collins on drums for Live Aid in 1985. The performance was not released on the Live Aid DVD because the band felt their performance was substandard. Page and Plant reunited without Jones in the mid-90s for a pair of albums and tour. This was a point of contention between the three at the Rock n Roll Induction ceremony in 1995. In 2007, the band reunited once more for the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert. Afterwards, rumors about a reunion tour went out of control. Plant shot them down and went onto Grammy success with Alyson Krauss.

Rock n Roll Moment: The Fish Story

Essential Zeppelin:

Led Zeppelin (1969)
Zeppelin II (1969)
Zeppelin III (1970)
Zeppelin IV (1971)
Houses of the Holy (1973)
Physical Graffiti (1975)

Led Zeppelin’s Top 10:

Whole Lotta Love
Heartbreaker
Ramble On
Immigrant Song
Black Dog
Rock and Roll
Stairway to Heaven
Kashmir
Houses of the Holy
In the Evening

#7 Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd emerged in the sixties as the premier psychedelic space rock band. They were founded by Syd Barrett who was at the cutting edge of the psychedelic movement. The Floyd were known for their experimentation and trippy shows. Unfortunately, their leader succumb to mental illness and became less dependable. At one show, he acted normal during warm ups and then just stood and stared at the audience during the show. The band brought in David Gilmour to pick up the slack. Eventually, they stopped picking Syd up for shows.

Eventually, songwriting duties fell to Roger Waters. His vision led to Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, Wish You Were Here and The Wall. Waters’ philosophical and political outlook shaped Floyd albums. Waters’ dominance did not occur overnight. It was gradual and eventually annoyed the band. By the time The Wall was released, they were one of the biggest artists on the planet. Waters’ head was the size of the Earth and he commandeered the band. He went as far as firing founding member Richard Wright. It had become a dictatorship. The band revolted and David Gilmour took over.

Roger Waters’ dissolved Pink Floyd and declared the group “a spent force.” However, Gilmour, Wright, and drummer Nick Mason decided otherwise. For the first time since the mid seventies, the whole band had input in Floyd. They recorded and toured without Waters. This led to a series of lawsuits and squabbles in the press. While Gilmour’s Floyd filled stadiums, Waters played to audiences of 1500. The band toured for the last time in support of 1994’s Division Bell album. They reunited in 2005 for Live 8. In 2006, Syd Barrett died and Richard Wright followed in 2008.

Rock n Roll Moment: David Gilmour and Roger Waters engaged in rock’s greatest feud.

Essential Floyd:
Pipers at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
Meddle (1971)
Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
The Wall (1979)

Floyd’s Top 10:
Arnold Layne
Astronomy Domine
Echoes
Time
Money
Us and Them
Wish You Were Here
Another Brick in the Wall
Comfortably Numb
Run Like Hell