#63 Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is a classic rock band that formed out of the ashes of the now classic underground band, Mother Love Bone. They broke during the early 90s Alternative Revolution that spawned Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden. Their breakthrough album, Ten, has outsold Nirvana’s Nevermind, and is considered a classic.

Pearl Jam was never really an alternative band. Instead, they were a throwback to The Who, Neil Young, The Doors, and other classic rock bands. They were labeled alternative because they were not 80s hair metal and dealt with real issues as opposed to partying and getting drunk. The band struggled with success and continued to release hit albums. Lead singer Eddie Vedder is perhaps the last of the rock stars.

The band supports leftist causes and during the early 00s were castigated by fans for attacking President Bush. After a departure, they returned to their original sound in 2006 and in 2009 are reissuing Ten.

Rock n Roll Moment: Pearl Jam took on Ticketmaster over ticket prices and fees. They lost.

Essential Pearl Jam:

Ten (1991)
Vs. (1993)
Vitalogy (1994)
Pearl Jam (2006)

Pearl Jam’s Top 10:

Even Flow
Alive
Black
Jeremy
Daughter
Elderly Woman Behind A Counter In A Small Town
Better Man
Corduroy
Nothing As It Seems
Do The Evolution

George Kell (1922-2009)

Hello everyone and welcome to Tiger Baseball!

Hall of Fame Third Basemen, Tiger Announcer for 37 years, and all around gentleman.

In today's world, most announcers are cookie cutter and clueless. George Kell was neither. He knew the game inside and out and painted a picture for the listener. George also brought out the best in his broadcast partner, Al Kaline.

As a player, he was a great hitter and fielder. His signature moment was beating out Ted Williams for the batting title on the last day of the season back in 1949.

Goodbye George! We will miss you!

http://www.freep.com/article/20090324/SPORTS02/90324034/1048/rss03

What Does Obama Do??

He's been in office for 60 days or so and all he has accomplished is tripling the debt and play celebrity. Is he President or is he Lindsey Lohan?

So far, Obama is not like any Crisis President in history. However, he is a bit like the Roman Emperor Nero. Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Historians will say Obama twittered while Rome burned.

Here's the recap:

-He attacked Rush Limbaugh

-He appeared on Jay Leno

-He approved the AIG bonuses and then decided it was a bad idea

-He spent a day with Sportscenter explaining his NCAA Brackets

-He piped in on Jessica Simpson's weight

-He finalized a book deal

-He laughed at us all on 60 Minutes


What's left for Obama to do?

-Appear on Dancing With The Stars

-Serve as a lifeline on Millionaire

-Become a contestant on American Idol

-Learn how to speak without a teleprompter (Obama without a teleprompter makes Bush look like Einstein).

#64 Guns n Roses

They came from the LA underground and took the world by storm. Then, they flamed out. In between, they wrought destruction and changed the direction of popular music. GnR emerged at the right time. They were dirty, gritty, and edgy while everyone else used aquanet. “Welcome to the Jungle” was the first nail in the coffin of the 1980s pop music scene and pushed audiences away from Warrant, Winger, and Whitesnake. In the early, 90s, they released the “Use Your Illusion” albums and became one of the biggest bands in the world while other 80s bands died off.

During their rise, they did everything to excess. Hotel rooms were smashed, riots started, drugs consumed at an alarming rate, and in the middle of it all, Axl Rose lost his mind. After releasing a punk cover album, the band disintegrated.

Controversy followed the band. Axl liked to wear Charles Manson t-shirts. They have been attacked for misogyny, homophobia, racism, and sexism. The recording of “Rocket Queen” contains a recording of Axl having sex with Steven Adler’s girlfriend (she got a bottle of Jack in return for allowing the recording for the album). On top of it all, Axl’s antics led to all out rioting in St Louis and Montreal.

In late 2008, Axl returned without the original lineup. The disappointing “Chinese Democracy” album was 15 years in the making. A reunion of the original band is off the table according to Axl.

Rock n Roll Moment: Which riot should we discuss here?

Essential GnR:
Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Use Your Illusion I (1991)

GnR’s Top 10:
Sweet Child o Mine
Patience
Paradise City
Welcome To The Jungle
You Could Be Mine
Don’t Cry
November Rain
It’s So Easy
Yesterdays
Rocket Queen

Atlantis Discovered!

There have been many theories regarding Atlantis. There have been many candidates as well. Some claim it was just beyond Gibraltar. Others think it is in the Bermuda Triangle. Still others believe it was Ancient Ireland. However, the best candidate appears to be the Minoan Civilization from Crete.

The Minoans (2700-1450 BC) had a highly advanced trading civilization on Crete. They were the most advanced civilization in Europe at the time. Their maritime civilization was rich in culture as well as material wealth. Around 1450 BC, they ceased to exist.

Minoan Civilization collapsed at the same time the Santorini volcano erupted. The Santorini Volcano is on the Ancient Island of Thera. The Minoans homebase was Crete, but they had a colony on Thera. The eruption was one of the strongest in human history. The eruption caused a tsunami with waves upwards of 500 feet. Ash from the eruption was found in Turkey and Egypt. The tsunami, ash fall, and earthquakes associated with the eruption destroyed the Minoans.

Were the Minoans the basis of the Atlantis myth? Well, they were very advanced as were the Atlantians. Santorini has rock quarries matching Plato's descriptions. Plato's description of the Atlantian Apocalypse matched the Minoan demise. Their civilization was destroyed by earthquakes and floods as described by Plato.

The one problem is the date. The general consensus is the Santorini event occurred between 1650-1600 BC while the Minoans collapsed about 1450 BC. Perhaps, the volcano wiped out the Minoans, they rebuilt, only to be wiped out by the geologic activity as a result of the volcano. Perhaps Atlantis was based on the Minoans on Thera only and not the whole Minoan civilization.

Greatest Movie Battles

Now for something different...here are my top 10 movie battles...

1. Omaha Beach (Saving Private Ryan): Actual Omaha Beach Vets claimed it was too real.

2. Battle of Stirling (Braveheart): Completely inaccurate; but Mel gives a great speech.

3. Pearl Harbor (Tora Tora Tora): The defining moment in perhaps the defining World War II film.

4. Little Round Top (Gettysburg): Out of Ammo? Affix bayonets and charge! The Rebs won't know what hit them!

5. The Death Star (Star Wars): No one had ever seen anything like this before. Now, the ending might be considered cliche.

6. Germania (Gladiator): Does a great job showing the Roman Tortoise and Roman Discipline; Shows how they could conquer.

7. Ft. Wagner (Glory): As the dead are buried, they are all shoeless...symbolic of the whole film.

8. Helicopter Raid (Apocalypse Now): Flight of the Valkyries, Robert Duval, Napalm, Surfing; an allegory for the entire Vietnam War.

9. Helms Deep (LOR: The Two Towers): The greatest land battle in fantasy/sci fi movie history

10. Battle of the News Crews (Ron Burgundy): Brick killed a man with a trident!

#65 Sly and the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone were a funk/soul band out of San Francisco. They emerged in the mid-1960s, peaked in the early 70s, and sputtered out in the early 80s. They have greatly influenced pop, rock, soul, funk, R&B, and hip hop. One rock historian summed up Sly’s influence by breaking up African-American music into two periods: Before and After Sly and the Family Stone.

Rock n Roll Moment: Sly got married on stage and then divorced shortly thereafter when his wife refused to participate in an orgy.

Essential Sly:
Stand! (1969)
There’s A Riot Going on (1971)
Fresh (1973)
Small Talk (1974)

Sly’s Top 10:
Dance To The Music
Everyday People
I Want To Take You Higher
Stand!
Family Affair
Que Sera Sera
I Get High On You
Hot Fun In The Summertime
If You Want Me To Stay
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

Baseball Preview

Here's my preseason picks (not that I am ever right)...

AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Twins
AL West: Anaheim
AL Wild Card: Rays

NL East: Mets
NL West: Dodgers
NL Central: Cubs
NL Wild Card: Cardinals

World Series: Cards-Angels (Anaheim wins in 6)

#66: Bob Marley

Bob Marley’s influence and popularity transcended reggae. He grew up in abject poverty and became an international star in the mid 1970s. Reggae was his art form, but his popularity came from his charisma, optimism, and talent. Marley influenced the punk movement, was covered by Eric Clapton and Joe Strummer, and was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame by Bono. The lyric that best summed up Marley came in “Redemption Song”: “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, None but ourselves can free our minds.”

Rock n Roll Moment: Marley gave writing credit for “No Woman, No Cry” to his friend Vincent Ford. Ford ran a soup kitchen in the Jamaican ghetto where Marley grew up.

Essential Bob Marley: Catch A Fire (1973), Burnin’ (1973), Exodus (1977), Legend (1984)

Bob Marley’s Top 10:
Redemption Song
Jamming
I Shot the Sheriff
Get Up, Stand Up
Buffalo Soldier
Could You Be Loved
No Woman No Cry
Exodus
Waiting In Vain
One Love

#67 Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke was a soul singer that strung together 29 Top 40 hits over an eight year period. He was innovative and ahead of his time with songs such as “You Send Me.” He tapped into the dance craze with ‘Twistin’ The Night Away.” Cooke also defined the Civil Rights Movement with “A Change Is Gonna Come.” He was gunned down in a Los Angeles hotel by the hotel manager. Cooke took a woman up to his hotel room, she stole from him, and he chased her through the hotel. The manager saw a naked black man chasing a woman through the hotel and shot him. Cooke was 33.

Rock n Roll Moment: A Change is Gonna Come became a defining song in the Civil Rights Movement.

Essential Sam Cooke: Portrait of a Legend: 1951-1964 (2003)

Sam Cooke’s Top 10:
You Send Me
Chain Gang
Twistin’ The Night Away
Another Saturday Night
A Change Is Gonna Come
Shake
I’ll Come Running Back To You
Wonderful World
Bring It On Home To Me
Cupid

US Economic Downturns 1929-2009

Event: Great Depression (1929-1941)
Cause: Worldwide collapse, US Banking Collapse, Over extension of Credit, Overproduction of consumer goods
Government Response: The Hoover Administration attempted to pump money into businesses, raised taxes (income tax hit 63%), and raised tariffs. FDR launched the New Deal which included massive government spending, income tax rates up to 89% and new excise taxes on things ranging from gas to movie tickets.
Results: Hoover made the depression worse. FDR’s programs saved the banks, but the New Deal may have prolonged the depression. People began using a barter economy to escape taxation.
How it ended: Japan bombed Pearl Harbor

Event: Recession of 1937-1939
Cause: A series of labor strikes crippled the economy.
Government Response: More spending & a rhetorical campaign by FDR
Results: The stimulus failed.
How it ended: The economy began to recover with the increase in military expenditures and an end of the labor strikes.

Event: Recession of 1953-1954
Cause: End of the Korean War led to a cut in industrial production & fed policy
Government Response: None
Results: Economy recovered on its own
How it ended: Economy recovered and began to boom.

Event: Recession of 1957-1958
Cause: Worldwide downturn; Fed policy
Government Response: None
Results: Economy recovered on its own
How it ended: Economy recovered on its own

Event: Recession of 1960-1961
Cause: Fed Policy
Government Response: V.P. Nixon pushed for a looser fed policy to increase credit; Ike refused. JFK cut taxes.
Results: Long period of growth
How it ended: Tax cuts and later military spending led to a boom.

Event: Recession of 1973-74
Cause: Arab oil embargo, end of military expenditures with end of Vietnam War, stagnated wages as a result of the Great Society
Government Response: Wage and Price Controls
Results: Led to stagflation
How it ended: The economy came around, but remained sketchy for the remainder of the decade as a result of a number of factors including the energy crisis, government action under Ford and Carter, and The Great Society.

Event: Recession of 1979-1982
Cause: Iranian Revolution led to an energy crisis, fed monetary policy, the cost of Great Society programs, and general government mismanagement.
Government Response: Carter attacked the American people in the malaise speech, deregulation, tight fed policy, increased social spending. Reagan cut taxes and increased military spending.
Results: Carter’s policies led to hyperinflation and the misery index. Reagan’s led to an economic boom.
How it ended: Deregulation under both Carter and Reagan worked. Both deserve credit for saving Chrysler Corp. Reagan’s tax and military policies led to a boom. The energy crisis ended as the Middle East stabilized following the Iranian Revolution.

Event: Recession of 1990-1991
Cause: Cuts in military spending, a tax increase, spike in oil prices due to Gulf War, and S&L Crisis.
Government Response: Bush raised taxes and put the country on the course for a balanced budget. The private sector adapted.
Results: The recession was over relatively quickly, but the general public did not realize it until mid-1993.
How it ended: The private sector adapted. Tech boom.

Event: Recession of 2000-2001
Cause: Tech bubble burst, a series of business scandals, and 911
Government Response: Clinton did nothing. Bush cut taxes.
Results: The economy survived and boomed for a short time.
How it ended: Tax cuts kept the economy afloat.

Event: The current downturn (2007-present)
Cause: Collapse of housing market, bank failures, over extension of credit due to government interference, high energy prices, and a worldwide downturn.
Government Response: Under Bush, Fed loosened monetary policy, bailouts, and stimulus plans. Under Obama, increased government spending and tax increases.
Results: Thus far, the recession has deepened and since Obama’s election, the stock market has lost 20% of its value.
How it ended: ????

#68: The Grateful Dead

Few bands have as varied a sound as the Dead. They incorporated country, folk, rock, psychadelic, reggae, bluegrass, jazz, blues, and whatever they felt like into their work. They were born of the San Francisco hippie movement and the surviving members have stayed there for 40 years. Their loyal fans, called deadheads, follow them from concert to concert; place to place eternally reliving 1967’s Summer of Love. In later years, the band went commercial and sold out.

Rock n Roll Moment: The Dead have played over 2300 concerts. They were the house band for San Francisco’s counter culture acid tests, played Monterey and Woodstock, and played three nights before the Great Pyramid in Giza. In 1973, they played before 600,000 at Watkins Glen.

Essential Grateful Dead: Anthem of the Sun (1968), Live/Dead (1969), Workingman’s Dead (1970)

The Dead’s Top 10:
Truckin’
Touch of Grey
Casey Jones
One More Saturday Night
Box of Rain
Fire on the Mountain
Uncle John’s Band
Friend of the Devil
Sugar Magnolia
Mexicali Blues

#69 Wilson Pickett

Detroit’s Wilson Pickett’s raspy gospel style was the second coming of Little Richard. His career broke with “In The Midnight Hour” in 1965. His success continued into the 1970s. His influence is felt on works by Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, The Stones, Aerosmith, Booker T. and the MGs, Hootie, Bruce Springsteen, Los Lobos, and many others. His music inspired the 1987 movie, “The Commitments.”


Rock n Roll Moment: Pickett liked his guns. Being temperamental and guns don‘t mix.

Essential Wilson Pickett: The Exciting Wilson Pickett (1966)

Wilson Pickett’s Top 10:

In The Midnight Hour
Land of 1,000 Dances
Mustang Sally
Funky Broadway
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
I’m In Love
Don’t Knock My Love Part 1
634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)
Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You
Fire and Water

Turning Points in History: Prehistoric Version 2

The next turning point in history came with agriculture. When humans began to grow their own food and develop a surplus, civilizations were born. Alongside the onset of civilization came trade, governments, legal codes, role specialization, class distinctions, etc.

The key was the development of a surplus. A surplus of food meant time for others to do things other than farming and led to wealth creation. The human race would remain in the agricultural age until the time of the American Revolution.

Agriculture began around 8000 BC in Mesopotamia and the earliest civilizations began around 5000 BC.

Why Rush?

Why is Obama attacking Rush Limbaugh? There is more than one answer. There is a long term and a short term strategy working here.

In the long term, the Dems lack a boogie man now that Bush is gone. Rush is not going anywhere, so it gives them someone to attack for years on end. Second, they need someone to demonize and tie to the GOP. So, Limbaugh becomes "The Leader." It's false. If the GOP listened to Limbaugh then they would not have acted like Democrats for a decade. Third, they hope to marginalize the Republicans and make them look extreme. Over the past decade, the GOP has been like Democrats of old. However, by attaching them to Limbaugh, they hope to drive a wedge between the Republicans and Independents.

The short term strategy is obfuscation. Their policies cutting tax deductions on housing and charitable donations and the out of control spending has many worried that Obama is a classic liberal. Democrats are calling his policies extreme and several senate Dems are in revolt. Attacking Rush Limbaugh is a distraction. Instead of talking about national bankruptcy and the destruction of the middle class and poor which will happen with many of these policies, they are talking about a talk show host.

There is one major drawback to this strategy. By attacking Limbaugh, Obama admits his policies are not working. So, as the economy continues to tank, Limbaugh may gain listeners and Obama could lose support as he tackles irrelevancies such as Limbaugh while ignoring the important issues.

#70 Jeff Beck

Jeff Beck is one of Rock’s Greatest Guitarists (#14 all time according to Rolling Stone). He began in the Yardbirds and was an early proponent of blues rock. He has also delved into metal, hard rock, jazz fusion, and worked on some of Stevie Wonder’s groundbreaking early 70s funk. In 1990, he played on Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory.” He will be inducted (belatedly) into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame this year.

Rock n Roll Moment: Jeff Beck played in the Yardbirds which also produced Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

Essential Jeff Beck:
Truth (1968)
Beck-Ola (1969)
Blow by Blow (1975)
Flash (1985)
Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop (1989)
Beckology (1991)

Jeff Beck’s Top 10:
People Get Ready (with Rod Stewart)
Train Kept A Rollin’
Freeway Jam
Goodbye Pork Hat
Diamond Dust
The Pump
Love is Green
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Escape
Get Us All In The End

Turning Points in History (Stone Age edition)

If we go back far enough in time, there were several species of hominids (human types) alive in the world at the same time. Many of them became overly specialized and went extinct. For whatever reason, only Homo Sapiens Sapiens survived. Had those other species not become overly specialized, the world might be a lot more like Star Trek today with a variety of humanoid species running about.

Around 70,000 years ago, human kind almost ceased to exist. According to genetic studies, the human population may have dropped to 2,000 individuals. The trigger for the near complete extinction may have been a drought. Whatever the case, those 2,000 individuals survived and now there are over 6 billion people in the world today.