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