MLB All 1920s Team

C- Gabby Hartnett- Cubs
1b- Lou Gehrig- Yankees
2b- Rogers Hornsby- Cardinals
3b- Pie Traynor- Pirates
SS- Joe Sewell- Indians
OF- Goose Goslin- Senators
OF- Babe Ruth- Yankees
OF- Harry Heilmann- Tigers
RHP- Burleigh Grimes- Dodgers
LHP- Herb Pennock- Yankees
SP- Red Faber- White Sox
SP- Waite Hoyt- Yankees
SP- Stan Coveleski- Indians

#31 Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley only had a few hits, but his influence is immense. His “Bo Diddley Beat” is integral to rock music. It has been used by the Stones, Buddy Holly, and the Strangeloves’ hit “I Want Candy.” The latter is best known as an early 1980's Bow Wow Wow hit. His songs rival anyone in music’s. Unfortunately, his halcyon days were over by the time The Beatles hit America. However, he continued to perform live until 2007 and is known for his appearance in Bo Jackson‘s “Bo Knows“ commercial in the late 1980s. He died in 2008.

Rock n Roll Moment: The Bo Diddley Beat is highly influential and important to rock. As such, he is considered a founder father of the genre.

Essential Bo Diddley:

Bo Diddley (1958)
Go Bo Diddley (1959)
Have Guitar Will Travel (1960)

Bo Diddley’s Top 10:

Bo Diddley
I’m a Man
Before You Accuse Me
Who Do You Love?
Hey! Bo Diddley
Cadillac
Love Is Strange
Road Runner
Mona
Memphis, Tennessee

Turning Points: The Peloponnesian War (431-401 BC)

Following the Persian War, Athenian power rose unchallenged. They formed the Delian League which was meant to defend Greece against Persia. However, as the Persian threat never returned, the Athenians turned the League into their Empire. They went as far as using Delian League revenue for the beautification of Athens. When we think of the Greek Golden Age of art and architecture, this is it.

Delian League members resented Athenian power and dominance. Eventually, Sparta felt threatened and war broke out. Athens held the advantage at sea while Sparta held the advantage on land. As a result, Athenian leader Pericles’ strategy was to avoid combat on land. He pulled the population inside the Walls of Athens. Sparta devastated the land, but a stalemate developed. Neither side could win. On top of this, the boneheaded Athenian strategy led to an outbreak of plague which killed Pericles and many Athenians. The war’s first stage ended in 421 BC with the Peace of Nicias.

In 415 BC, the war began anew. Athenian aristocrat Alcibiades persuaded his fellow citizens to renew the war. Athenian general Nicias tried to dissuade the voters from going back to war with Sparta. He put forth a well thought out logical argument for keeping the peace. On the other hand, Alcibiades made an Obama-esque appeal to the population. Fluff trumped logic. Athens invaded Sicily and got creamed.

After the destruction of the Athenian Expeditionary Force, Alcibiades switched sides lest he face the death penalty for the Athenian military disaster. Meanwhile, Sparta launched a new offensive. In 413 BC, Sparta supported rebellions against Athens throughout the Greek world. In particular, Athens lost key ports to these rebellions. This nullified their naval superiority. Sparta, with Persian financial assistance, was able to finally defeat Athens. The Athenians sued for Peace.

After the surrender, Athenian democracy was suspended. They were ruled by the “Thirty Tyrants” for a short period. Athenian power was broken. Sparta continued to be a power until they were defeated in 371 BC by Thebes. Eventually, the Macedonians conquered both. As a side note, the defeat of Athens led to the rise of Greek Philosophers such as Socrates and Plato that held democracy in contempt.

#32 B.B. King

B.B. King essentially influenced every blues and blues based guitarist that followed him. After a failed trip to Memphis, King decided to learn music. His hard work paid off. In 1949, he earned a recording contract. By the 50s, King was one of the most important R&B artists. His biggest hit came in 1968 with “The Thrill is Gone.” King continued to work throughout the 70s. He recorded less frequently by the 1980s. However, in 1988, he recorded “When Love Comes To Town” with U2. It was a smash. Today, he occasionally performs at festivals. In 2008, he performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in honor of Morgan Freeman.

Rock n Roll Moment: He named his guitar “Lucille.”

Essential King:

Singing The Blues (1956)
Indianola Mississippi Seeds (1970)
The Ultimate Collection (2005)

BB King’s Top 10:

Three O’Clock Blues
When Love Comes to Town (with U2)
Worried Life
The Thrill is Gone
Paying the Cost to be the Boss
Please Love Me
You Upset Me Baby
Don’t Answer The Door
Sweet Sixteen (part 1 and 2)
Chains and Things

Presidential Legacies: The Gilded Age 1881-1901

The Gilded Age Presidencies are generally defined by their laissez faire administrations. This reputation is only partially deserved. America changed at such a pace, it was difficult for government to change with the times. The presidents did push for change. However, the party bosses still had a lot of power. That power would not be completely crushed until the advent of the primary system. Even then, it took almost the entire century to rid the system of the party bosses. The first two presidents of this era battled the party bosses and scored some victories. However, one was assassinated by an insane office seeker while the other was shoved aside by the bosses for being too reformist.

James Garfield (1881): Garfield spent his transition period working on a cabinet designed to pacify all his party’s factions. His last appointment angered New York Party Boss and U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling. The feud peaked when Garfield nominated Conkling’s enemy to be Collector of the Port in New York. This was a highly coveted and highly lucrative post. Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling and the boss decided to resign from the Senate in order to vindicate himself. His home state refused to send him back to the Senate. Garfield won a complete victory. By September of 1881, Garfield would be dead.

Chester Arthur (1881-1885): Garfield’s assassination led to Chester Arthur’s ascension. In the aftermath of the assassination, Arthur pushed a reform agenda. The Pendleton Act created the Civil Service Commission and ended the old spoils system. Garfield was murdered by a disgruntled office seeker. Pendleton took federal job appointments away from the politicians and led to less cronyism and more professionalism in government. Like Garfield, Arthur refused to play ball with the party bosses. It cost him the Republican Nomination for President in 1884.

Grover Cleveland (1881-1885, 1893-1897): Cleveland was the first Democrat since James Buchanan in 1857 to be elected president. He would be the last until Woodrow Wilson in 1912. Cleveland’s first term was rather successful. He pushed for several reforms and was a solid economic manager. When he ran for re-election, he won the popular vote. However, his opponent, Benjamin Harrison, won the electoral college. Cleveland swore he’d return. In 1888, he defeated Harrison and then experienced one of the worst economic downturns in history. Cleveland is the only man to be elected to two non-consecutive terms.

Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): Harrison’s economic policies helped bring about the Panic of 1893. Harrison supported the McKinley Tariff which dramatically raised tariffs. He supported the Sherman Silver Purchasing Act which led to inflation. Harrison also passed a Civil War Pension which dramatically depleted federal funds. The combination of inflationary government policy, higher taxes in the form of tariffs, and the pension payments combined with railroad failures to send America into it’s worst economic downturn of the 19th Century. Ironically, the current administration is attempting to replicate the economic policies of the Harrison Administration with high spending, high taxes, and inflationary monetary policy.

William McKinley (1897-1901): America’s economy rebounded under McKinley. However, his legacy is entwined with the Spanish American War. McKinley did not want war. He fought in the Civil War and did not want to put people through that again. However, he had no choice once the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor. Americans blamed Spain. The war was on. America clubbed Spain and conquered Guam, The Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Cuba was later granted their independence, but America negotiated the right to lease Guantanamo Bay in perpetuity. Interestingly, historians rank James K. Polk higher than McKinley despite the fact the two men had similar accomplishments.

Hall of Fame Day

Today is Induction Day for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Being inducted today are Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice, and Joe Gordon. Here are my brief thoughts on each:

Rickey: Best player I have ever seen.

Jim Rice: The most feared right handed hitter in the game from 1975-1986.

Joe Gordon: When I realized he was not already in, I was shocked.

Now that Rice is in, hopefully, the other great players of his generation will start to trickle in. Now that Gordon is in, hopefully, people will re-examine some of the old timers. Now that Rickey is in, he gets to give his induction speech.

I can hardly wait for Rickey's speech...

Major League Baseball All Decade Team: 1910s

C: Ray Schalk- White Sox
1b: George Burns- Giants
2b: Eddie Collins- A’s/White Sox
3b: Frank Baker- A’s
SS: Rabbit Maranville- Braves
OF: Ty Cobb- Tigers
OF: Tris Speaker- Red Sox
OF: Shoeless Joe Jackson- White Sox
RHP: Walter Johnson - Senators
LHP: Eddie Plank-A’s
SP: Grover Alexander-Phillies
SP: Rube Marquard- Giants
SP: Rube Foster- Negro Leagues

#33 Ray Charles

Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles “the only true genius in show business.” Charles lost his sight at age 7, his father died when he was 10, and his mother when he was 15. After bouncing around for a time, Ray broke through with reworkings of Gospel songs. They were not covered by copyright laws and he could change the words without being sued. “I Got A Woman” is one such reworking and it made Ray Charles a star. Charles began to experiment with country and pop music and crossed over. In 1959, Charles wrote “What’d I Say” on stage during the middle of a show.

Unfortunately, his heroin addiction caught up with him in the mid-60s. He went to rehab and returned with the hit, “Crying Time.” In the late 60s and throughout the 1970s, Charles continued to score hits. In particular, he became the king of patriotic anthems as he released “Georgia on my Mind” and “America The Beautiful.”

The 80s did not slow him down. In 1980, he appeared in “The Blues Brothers” and a number of TV shows. He also performed at Ronald Reagan’s second inaugural and on USA For Africa’s “We Are The World.” His best TV performance was probably on Super Dave. He got to drive a car---over Super Dave. He continued to perform into the 2000s. In 2004, Hollywood released a biopic entitled "Ray" based on Charles life and starring the overrated Jamie Foxx. Ray Charles died the same year.

Rock n Roll Moment: Ray is one of the first rock stars to go to rehab.

Essential Ray:

Ray Charles (1957)
At Newport (1958)
The Genius of Ray Charles (1959)
The Genius Sings the Blues (1961)
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)
Greatest Hits (1962)

Ray’s Top 10:

I Got A Woman
What’d I Say
Drown In My Own Tears
Georgia On My Mind
Hit The Road Jack
One Mint Julep
I Can’t Stop Loving You
Unchain My Heart
Busted
America The Beautiful

#34 Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison is known for his dark emotional ballads. He could hit four octaves which gave his work authenticity and an emotional impact few could duplicate. Unlike most artists that oozed masculinity, Orbison portrayed a quiet, mysterious vulnerability. The fact he suffered many tragedies in his life added credibility to his image and his music. His career suffered for a time before an amazing late 80s comeback as a solo artist and as a member of the super group, The Traveling Wilburys. Orbison died on top at the age of 52 in 1988.

Rock n Roll Moment: Orbison was known as the anonymous celebrity. He played to that with his dark sunglasses and clothes. He created a persona based on mystery.

Essential Roy Orbison:

Greatest Hits (1977)
Class of ‘55 (1986)
Mystery Girl (1989)

Roy Orbison’s Top 10:

Ooby Dooby
Only the Lonely
Crying
Oh, Pretty Woman
You Got It
Running Scared
It’s Over
In Dreams
Mean Woman Blues
I Drove All Night

Presidential Legacies: Civil War and Reconstruction

This next grouping is intimately tied to the Civil War and Reconstruction. The war began in 1861 and ended in 1865 consuming Lincoln’s Presidency. Lincoln toyed with Reconstruction in the occupied South. However, he died before being able to start Reconstruction in the South. The Reconstruction issue dominated Johnson’s Presidency and led to his impeachment. In the North, Reconstruction waned as an issue in the Grant Years before ending with the election of Rutherford B. Hayes.

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865): We know the story. The South left the Union and Lincoln brought them back. Lincoln knew he had the edge, but could not find a general to win the war. They all wanted to be Napoleon. Instead, he got guys like Ambrose Burnside. Eventually, he found Grant and the South was pounded into submission.

While on the way to reunification, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Technically, this freed no one, but Lincoln turned the war into a battle against slavery. This undercut the South. They were now the bad guys and the Civil War became a moral war. Lincoln worked on the 13th Amendment to end slavery. He died before it passed.

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869): At first, Johnson appeared to be the right man to punish the South. He talked tough and announced tough policies. Then, he worked to get the Southern states readmitted as quickly as possible with the pre-war status quo. This angered the Republicans. A war between the executive and legislative branches began.

During the 1866 Congressional Elections, Johnson went campaigned against the GOP. Presidential campaigning was unheard of. They were supposed to sit at home and rest on their records while others campaigned. People were suspicious. He compounded his miscalculation by giving the same speech from stop to stop. It was reprinted in the papers. The audience in Cleveland recited the speech as Johnson tried to give it. He melted down. The Republicans won a decisive victory and Johnson was irrelevant.

The Republicans worked to help blacks in the South while Johnson worked to undermine their rights. The two branches of government continued to collide and Johnson was finally impeached. He survived conviction in the Senate. Johnson’s interference in Reconstruction gave a defeated South new life. It helped lead to the Ku Klux Klan, Night Riders, and other paramilitary terror groups in the South. The country remained at war despite the peace at Appomattox. As a result of Johnson’s actions, the South continued to resist and eventually reclaimed the South and instituted Jim Crow. Perhaps if Lincoln had survived, a second Reconstruction in the 1960s would not have been needed.

U.S. Grant (1869-1877): Grant’s Administration avoided Reconstruction where possible to concentrate on economic development. As money flowed from the Feds, a series of scandals rocked the Grant Administration. Grant’s presidency suffered from the most presidential scandals until the Clintons came to town.

While the administration dealt with scandal, it dealt with a destabilizing force in the South. The Klan was running wild. Grant sent in the troops, declared martial law, and crushed the Klan. The KKK would not be a problem again until the 20th century. However, once the economy tanked, and Northerners decided it best to let the South decide their own fate, Grant was powerless to stop Klan-like groups from emerging in Mississippi and spreading throughout the South.

Rutherford B Hayes (1877-1881): Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular vote in 1876. However, three states had suspicious returns. Without Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, Samuel Tilden was one electoral vote short of the presidency. Hayes needed all three states to be president. Democrats worked hard in these states to suppress the vote and stuff the ballot box. Republicans cried foul. Eventually, the two parties cut a deal. Hayes would be president. In return, the military occupation of the South would end. This is a case where the president’s legacy is tied directly to something out of his control. Hayes was a good president and became a hero in Paraguay. However, he is best remembered as Rutherfraud B. Hayes and the Compromise of 1877.

Major League Baseball All Decade Team: 00's

1900-1909 that is...

C: Roger Bresnahan- Giants
1b: Frank Chance- Cubs
2b: Napoleon Lajoie- Indians
3b: Jimmy Collins- Red Sox
SS: Honus Wagner-Pirates
OF: Fred Clarke- Pirates
OF: Sam Crawford- Tigers
OF: Ty Cobb- Tigers
RHP: Christy Mathewson- Giants
LHP: Eddie Plank- A’s
P: Three Finger Brown - Cubs
P: Joe McGinnity- Giants
P: Jack Chesbro - Highlanders (aka Yankees)

#35 Neil Young

Neil Young is the ultimate singer-songwriter. He’s got the most unique voice to go along with his distinctive guitar style and deeply personal lyrics. Young broke in the 1960s and has remained the folk hippy curmudgeon. His music ranges from acoustic to electric; from swing to rockabilly; and from jazz to grunge.

Young was a member of the super group Buffalo Springfield. “For What It’s Worth” is one of the defining songs of the 60s. The band quickly fell apart as a result of tensions between members and with their management. Young moved onto a solo career and immediately recorded “Cinnamon Girl” and “Down by the River.” Then, he joined Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The highpoint of CSNY was “Ohio” about the Kent State Massacre in 1970.

Outside CSNY, Young recorded classics such as “Southern Man” and “The Needle and the Damage Done.” Young’s biggest hit (and only #1) was “Heart of Gold.” He quickly moved to the “Ditch Trilogy” before returning to spotlight in the mid-70s. His last great 70s song, “Hey Hey My My” would have been a grunge classic had it come out in 1992.

In the 80s, Young experimented with his music. After some time off the beaten path, 1988 brought Young back. He lampooned Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson for selling out in “This Note’s For You.” The next year, “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” provided a transition between 1980s and 1990s music. The song had the big 80s sound with early 1990s social consciousness. The feedback used on his Freedom album hearkened back to the 1970s and served as a precursor to the 1990s.

Neil Young was dubbed “The Godfather of Grunge” in the early 90s as Pearl Jam and Nirvana borrowed from his work. In fact, Kurt Cobain’s suicide note quoted Neil Young. At the same time, Young went folk with his Harvest Moon album. He continued to tour and record into the 2000s. In 2006, he stirred controversy with an anti-Bush album, Living With War.

Young has always been an activist. He protested Vietnam, co-founded Farm Aid, campaigns for the environment, and also directs films. He continues to tour and record.

Rock n Roll Moment: Neil Young performed anti-war songs during the Iraq War which resulted in his audience walking out on him. This did not dissuade him from continuing at the next show.

Essential Neil Young:

Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)
After the Gold Rush (1970)
Harvest (1972)
On The Beach (1974)
Tonight’s The Night (1975)
Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Freedom (1989)
Prairie Wind (2005)

Neil Young’s Top 10:

Cinnamon Girl
Heart of Gold
Hey Hey My My
Old Man
Rockin’ In The Free World
Down By The River
Like a Hurricane
The Needle and the Damage Done
Four Strong Winds
Southern Man

Greatest Tiger All Star Moments

Charlie Gehringer plays in first ever game at Comiskey. He plays in 6 games overall and hits .500. (1933)

Ted Williams walk off homer off Claude Passeau gives AL 8-7 win in Detroit (1941)

Virgil Trucks saves 11-9 AL win. (1954)

Al Kaline appears in 18 Games hitting .324 with 2 homers. (1955-1974)

Rocky Colavito homers in 1-1 tie (1961)

At Tiger Stadium, six Hall of Famers homer and Mickey Lolich gets the save in rare AL victory. (1971)

Mark Fidrych starts All Star Game in the Year of the Bird (1976)

Lou Whitaker homers off Dwight Gooden (1986)

Game held at Detroit (2005)

Brandon Inge voted in by fans (2009)

#36 Cream

Cream was rock’s first super group. The trio consisted of Guitarist Eric Clapton, Bassist Jack Bruce, and Drummer Ginger Baker. The band combined Clapton’s blues roots guitar with Bruce’s intense vocals and brilliant bass, Baker’s Jazz influenced drums, and late 60s psychedelia. Their music, technical skills, and live shows inspired acts such as Rush, Black Sabbath, the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin and Phish. They were one of the first heavy groups that provided a link between blues-rock and metal.

Rock n Roll Moment: At one concert, the rivalry between Baker and Bruce was so intense, that Clapton stopped playing. Neither Baker nor Bruce noticed.

Essential Cream:

Fresh Cream (1966)
Disraeli Gears (1967)
Wheels of Fire (1968)

Cream’s Top 10:

I Feel Free
I’m So Glad
Strange Brew
Sunshine of Your Love
Tales of Brave Ulysses
SWLABR
White Room
Sitting on Top of the World
Badge
Anyone for Tennis

Greatest All Star Moments

These are the greatest MLB All Star Moments from games I watched...so no Babe Ruth, Ted Williams...

These are arranged chronologically.

1. Fred Lynn’s Grand Slam (1983)
2. Fernando and Dwight Dwight Gooden strike out six straight (Winfield, Reggie, Brett, Lance Parrish, Lemon, and Alvin Davis) (1984)
3. Lou Whitaker homers off Dwight Gooden. He could have been MVP, but Roger Clemens was at home in Houston, so he got the award (1986)
4. Bo Jackson (1989)
5. Kruk vs. Johnson (1993)
6. Pedro strikesout the side in the 1st (Larkin, Walker, Sosa) and then McGwire in the 2nd (1999)
7. Ted Williams makes an appearance at Fenway and is surrounded by the players in a show of hero worship. (1999)
8. Cal Ripken homers in his last game (2001)
9. I attend the Game at the Copa in Detroit. (2005)
9. Ichiro hits an inside the park home run. This was as exciting a play as I have seen in the game. (2007)

All Century Team

19th Century that is...

C: Buck Ewing- Giants
1b: Cap Anson- Cubs
2b: Bid McPhee- Reds
3b: Lave Cross- Phillies
SS: George Davis- Giants

OF: Sam Thompson- Phillies
OF: Ed Delahanty- Phillies
OF: Willie Keeler- Orioles
UT: Dan Brouthers- Wolverines
SP: Cy Young- Spiders

P: John Clarkson- Beaneaters
P: Pud Gavin- Bisons
P: Tim Keefe- Metropolitans
P: Old Hoss RadBourn- Grays

The Obama Doomsday Prophesy

The Mayan Calendar ends on December 22, 2012. That corresponds with the end of the Obama Presidency. Some think that the Mayans predicted an apocalypse at the end of 2012. With the way the Obama Administration spends money, it could very well be a financial apocalypse.

With spending out of control, tax increases are next. Cap and Trade is nothing more than a tax bill. It will raise taxes on utilities while passing the blame onto utility companies. The cost could be $3000 a year for the average family. So much for the promise to not raise taxes on those making less than $200,000.

The other big ticket item is health care. The administration has already stated it is open to taxing health benefits. Unions would be exempt because they gave Obama a lot of money. So much for changing Washington.

With spending out of control, an economic slump, and tax increases on the horizon, the Mayan Doomsday Prophesy is beginning to look like reality. Of course, what did we expect? The country elected a man without the resume, gravitas, or ability to do the job. Instead, the country elected a celebrity wannabe that has the ability to make pretty speeches on a teleprompter. Take away that prompter and there is nothing left unlike the Mayans who survived their own apocalypse through their artifacts and their descendants.

#37 Simon and Garfunkel

Folk music became huge in the early 60s between Elvis induction into the army and Beatlemania. Simon and Garfunkel found their calling during this period. The childhood friends decided to do music. After a false start, they recorded “Sounds of Silence” in 1966. They continued to release hit singles. In 1968, they worked on the soundtrack to “The Graduate.” In 1969, “Mrs. Robinson” won the Grammy for Record of the Year. Their last major hit occurred in 1970. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” capped their career. The two split in 1970. Paul Simon continued to record (see #56) and was very successful. Art Garfunkel recorded and acted. Simon was clearly more successful. They’d reunite occasionally through the years including the 1981 Central Park concert, the 2003 Grammy Awards, and a two month tour in 2003. They toured again in 2005 and plan a 2009 tour.

Rock n Roll Moment: They played to 500,000 fans at their 1981 Reunion Concert in Central Park.

Essential Simon and Garfunkel:

Sounds of Silence (1966)
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme (1966)
Bookends (1968)
Bridge Over Troubled Waters (1970)

S&G’s Top 10:

The Sound of Silence
Homeward Bound
I Am A Rock
A Hazy Shade of Winter
Scarborough Fair
Mrs. Robinson
The Boxer
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Cecilia
America

My Funeral: Inspired by the Jackson Funeral

I was inspired by Michael....

My Funeral: Hosted by Craig Ferguson

Itinerary

1. Led Zeppelin reforms and opens the show with "In The Evening"

2. Mr. T pities the fools (rides in A-Team van available)

3. Eulogy #1: Dr. Henry Kissinger on Foreign Policy and the State of the World when I was born

4. Chickenfoot performs "Oh Yeah"

5. Crowd takes shot of Tequila

6. Peyton Manning gives a "Priceless Pep Talk"

7. ZZ Top performs "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" and "La Grange"

8. Crowd downs Irish Car Bomb

9. Eulogy #2: Keith Richards on whatever

10. Patrick Stewart and Sandra Day O'Connor do reading of "Merchant of Venice"

11. The Who perform "Baba O'Reilly" and "Listening To You"

12. Eulogy #3: Adam West on fighting crime (free rides in Batmobile available)

13. Keith Olbermann names me "Worst Person in the World"

14. Robert Di Nero wacks Keith Olbermann

15. Eulogy #4: William Shatner on the meaning of the "eeb-plob-nista"

16. Jerry Lee Lewis performs "Great Balls of Fire"

17. Casket is laid in Viking Longboat and set ablaze

This concludes the service

Presidential Legacies: The Crisis Presidents 1849-1861

After the Mexican War, slavery became the dominant issue in the United States. Democrats supported unrestricted slavery. The Whig Party crumbled over the issue with Northerners becoming Republicans and opposing the institution. Southern Whigs eventually became Confederates. As a result, each president from Taylor to Lincoln had their legacy intimately tied to the issue of slavery.

Zachary Taylor (1849-1850): When California wanted admission to the Union, Taylor supported it even when it was clear they would enter as a Free State. The South felt betrayed. Taylor was a Louisiana slave holder, but he opposed the spread of slavery. When a compromise was put forth that would allow California to enter Free while strengthening slavery elsewhere, Taylor opposed it and threatened to start hanging Democrats. Then, he died.

Millard Fillmore (1850-1853): While Taylor opposed the Compromise of 1850, Fillmore supported it. California entered the US as a free state. Utah and New Mexico entered without restrictions of slavery. A tough fugitive slave law was enacted and the interstate slave trade was banned. The Fugitive Slave Law was a particularly heinous creation. Persons of color had no rights if they were accused of being a runaway. So, slave catchers could go North and haul free persons back to the South with impunity under Federal Law. The Compromise was meant to quell sectionalism. Instead, it helped inflame sectionalism especially after Harriet Beecher Stowe published "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857): Franklin Pierce had no backbone. When Stephen Douglas marched into the White House and demand he support the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Pierce folded like a card table. The act split Kansas and Nebraska up into two states. The people of each state could vote on whether they would be a slave state or a free state. It was assumed Nebraska would vote free and Kansas would go slave. Nebraska voted to ban slavery. Kansas was a mess. Several Chicago style elections and an in-state civil war left Pierce in ruins.

James Buchanan (1857-1861): Buchanan attempted to pacify the South. He tried to force a pro-slavery Constitution onto Kansas. He failed. He tried to start a war with the Mormons to bring about national unity. He failed. After Lincoln's election, the South seceded from the union. Buchanan did nothing. James Buchanan was the worst president in history.

#38 The Velvet Underground

Although not commercially successful, the Underground is one of the most influential acts in history. In one sense, they were the American version of Pink Floyd. They loved experimentation and their music was nihilistic. They could be considered the first “Alternative” band long before R.E.M. created college radio. After the breakup, Lou Reed and John Cale experienced success as solo artists.

Rock n Roll Moment: The Velvet Underground were part of Andy Warhol’s underground art scene in the 1960s.

Essential Velvet Underground:

The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)
White Light/White Heat (1968)
The Velvet Underground (1969)
Loaded (1970)

Velvet Underground’s Top 10:

Heroin
I’m Waiting for the Man
Sunday Morning
White Light/White Heat
Candy Says
Pale Blue Eyes
Sweet Jane
All Tomorrow’s Parties
There She Goes Again
The Black Angel’s Death Song

The All Favorite MLB Team

C- Joe Mauer- Twins
1b- Lance Berkman- Astros
2b- Dustin Pedroia- Red Sox
3b- Brandon Inge- Tigers
SS- Rafael Furcal- Dodgers

OF- Curtis Granderson- Tigers
OF- Ichiro
OF- Torii Hunter- Angels

DH- Aubrey Huff- Orioles

RHP- Roy Halliday- Blue Jays
LHP- Tom Glavine- No One

REL- Jonathan Papelbon (he can Riverdance)

The Persian War 490-479 BC

Think the War on Terror began in 2001? It's more like 490 BC. The current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are nothing more than a continuation of a war that began 2500 years ago. It has had different names (Persian War, Crusades, War on Terror). It has had different protagonists (Xerxes, Saladin, Osama and Alexander, Richard, George). It has had different excuses for starting over again (Empire, Religion, Democracy). The East is very aware of this history and celebrate Xerxes and Saladin while lamenting defeats in France and Austria. While the West is clueless about the past. Regardless, one day 2500 years ago, the Persians conquered Greek colonies in Asia minor. That signalled the beginning of a conflict that wages to this day.

In 499 BC, several Greek City states in Asia Minor revolted against Persian rule. Athens supported these revolts. The Greeks won an short lived victory and reestablished rule by 493 BC. The Persians wanted to teach the mainland Greeks a lesson for interfering.

The Persian Empire was the greatest at the time and the Greece was a little backwater. In 492, Emperor Darius sent ambassadors to many Greek cities demanding their surrender. The Spartans tossed them into a well. Athens also executed the ambassadors. Persia could not turn a blind eye to the insult and invaded Attica.

The Persian assault was relentless. Eritrea was razed to the ground and all survivors sold into slavery. The invasion was stopped cold by Athens at Marathon. Following the disastrous defeat, Darius prepared for a full scale invasion.

It took ten years to launch a second invasion. Internal strife, an Egyptian revolt, and Darius’ death slowed the Persians. In 480, there was nothing left to stop Persia. The new Emperor, Xerxes, brought a fleet of 1200 ships and 200,000 men to Greece. Only 300 Spartans stood in the way. After an effective delaying action by Leonidas and the 300 at Thermopylae, Persia ran wild in Attica while the Greeks retreated. The Spartans bought the rest of Greece time to regroup.

Following the destruction of Athens, the Greeks defeated Persia at sea and on land. At Salamis, the Persian fleet was sunk. At Plataea, the Greeks defeated the Persian army. Xerxes’ folly meant Western culture would soon flourish and begin it’s long rise to dominance. Had the Persians won the war, democracy may have died and Greece’s Golden Age would never have occurred. Xerxes is a hero in Iran today. The Greek view of Xerxes is still felt today. Watch the movie 300. Xerxes is still a fool 2500 years later.

#39 Aretha Franklin

If this was a popular music list, Aretha would be in the top 10 and maybe the top 5. However, the Queen of Soul is relegated to #39 on the rock list. Aretha’s versatility led her to branch from soul to rock to gospel to R&B to pop to jazz. She was voted greatest singer of all time and is the first woman in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. In 2009, she created a fashion fad with the hat she wore at Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Rock n Roll Moment: Aretha got into a tiff with Beyonce recently. Beyonce called Tina Turner “queen.” Aretha took it as an insult because Aretha is the Queen of Soul.

Essential Aretha:

I Never Loved A Man the Way I Love You (1967)
Lady Soul (1968)
Amazing Grace (1972)
Who’s Zoomin’ Who (1985)

Aretha’s Top 10:

I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
Respect
Baby I Love You
Natural Woman
Chain of Fools
Think
Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)
Spanish Harlem
Rock Steady
Freeway of Love

Pistons Head Coaches Since 1992

Here are the Piston coaches since Chuck Daly left...

Ron Rothstein (1992-1993): The team got old and collapsed.

Don Chaney (1993-1995): The team stunk.

Doug Collins (1995-1998): No one liked Collins.

Alvin Gentry (1998-2000): Mediocre coach and mediocre team.

George Irvine (2000-2001): Who?

Rick Carlisle (2001-2003): Coach of the Year; fired for being a jerk.

Larry Brown (2003-2005): Won NBA Title and almost one a second; fired for being a diva.

Flip Saunders (2005-2008): Fired for not winning a title.

Michael Curry (2008-2009): Fired because the team stunk and Rip Hamilton did not like him.