Top 200 Albums of All Time: "H" Artists

All Things Must Pass: George Harrison (1970)


The Beatles underutilized George Harrison. As a result, the “quiet Beatle” accumulated an amazing amount of work that he released as a solo triple album in 1970. The release shocked critics and fans who often overlooked Harrison. This is amazing considering Harrison was responsible for some of the band’s greatest work.

Key Tracks:

My Sweet Lord
What is Life
All Things Must Pass

Are You Experienced: The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)

Are You Experienced is the debut album for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. No one had ever heard anything like it before. Hendrix’s use of distortion, feedback, and psychedelic sounds proved revolutionary. At the time, some of rock’s greatest guitarists believed Hendrix spelled their doom. Every guitarist since has tried to be Hendrix whether he knows it or not.

Key Tracks:

Purple Haze
Manic Depression
Hey Joe
Foxey Lady
Fire

Electric Ladyland: The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968)

Hendrix’s last album before his death is one of the few groundbreaking double albums. The band incorporates a number of musical genres into the mix. From psychedelic to blues to pop, Electric Ladyland raised the bar.

Key Tracks:

Crosstown Traffic
Voodoo Chile
All Along the Watchtower

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill: Lauryn Hill (1998)
Lauryn Hill left the turmoil of the Fugees and released a landmark album. The work dealt with her pregnancy, religion, and the drama surrounding the Fugees. Hill incorporates several musical genres including R&B, soul, gospel, and reggae.
Key Tracks:

Doo Wop (That Thing)
Ex-Factor
Everything is Everything

History Shorts: Hannibal and the Battle of Cannae

Hannibal inherited his father's hatred of Rome and invaded the Italian peninsula. His actions helped start the Second Punic War. He dealt the Romans devastating losses at Trebbia (218 B.C.) and Trasimene (217 B.C.). In 216 B.C., Hannibal’s 50,000 man force met the Romans at Cannae. The 86,000 man Roman army fell into a trap. Hannibal ordered his center to slowly collapse while swinging his flanks around the Roman force. The Romans advanced against the Carthaginian center and then discovered they had been surrounded. Around 50,000 Romans died making it one of the costliest defeats in ancient history. Europe would not suffer battlefield casualty rates this high again until World War I. Despite the victory, Hannibal could not achieve victory. He lacked siege equipment to starve out the city. Meanwhile, Rome refused to surrender and switched to a guerrilla strategy. Hannibal remained in Italy for the next decade unable to finish off the republic.

The following clip is from a BBC production.  Hannibal is portrayed by Alexander Siddig of Star Trek fame.


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

Montreal Expos Greatest Moments

Expos: 11 Mets: 10 (April 8, 1969): The Montreal Expos won their first game in franchise history against the eventual World Champion Mets. Rusty Staub, pitcher Dan McGinn, and Coco Laboy homered in the victory. The Mets made it exciting with a four run 9th inning, but the Expos held on for the win. They finished 1969 with a 52-110 record.


Bill Stoneman throws first no-hitter (October 2, 1972): Bill Stoneman not only threw the first no-hitter in Expos history, but the first one outside of the United States. Stoneman’s control left him that day as he walked 7. However, he did strikeout 9 in the 7-0 victory.

Gary Carter’s 3 home run game (April 20, 1977): Hall of Famer Gary Carter was a one man show against the Pirates. He hit three homers and drove in 4 in an 8-6 loss to Pittsburgh. All three came off of starter Jim Rooker.

Ross Grimsley wins 20 (October 1, 1978): Ross Grimsley defeated the St Louis Cardinals 5-1 to win his 20th game of the 1978 season. Grimsley made the All-Star team and finished 7th in Cy Young balloting that season. He is the only pitcher to win 20 for the Expos/Nationals franchise.

Bill Gullickson strikesout 18 Cubs (September 10, 1980): By 1980, the Expos emerged as contenders in the NL East. They had a strong core of young players including pitcher Bill Gullickson. On September 10, Gullickson beat the Cubs 4-2 while striking out 18 batters. The Expos finished second to the World Champion Phillies that season. Gullickson enjoyed a successful major league career.

Expos advance to NLCS (October 11, 1981): The 1981 strike led to an extra playoff round in which first and second half division winners faced off for the right to play in the LCS. In the NL East, Montreal battled the World Champion Phillies for five games in the Divisional Series. Montreal won Game 5 behind Steve Rogers by a score of 3-0. It remains the only postseason series victory for the Expos/Nationals. Montreal lost the NLCS to the Dodgers.

Pete Rose gets 4000 hit (April 13, 1984): Only Pete Rose and Ty Cobb reached 4000 hits. Interestingly, Rose got his 4000th hit as a member of the Expos. He is best known for his days as a Red or Phillie. Montreal beat Philadelphia 5-1 that day. Rose did not remain an Expo for long. He soon took over as player/manager in Cincinnati.

Dennis Martinez perfect game (July 28, 1991): Dennis Martinez and his Dodger counterpart, Mike Morgan, hooked up on July 28, 1991. Morgan allowed no earned runs, but lost 2-0 because Martinez was perfect. El Presidente struck out 5 Dodgers and allowed no base runners.

Best Record in Baseball (1994): The 1994 Montreal Expos had the best record in baseball when the season ended. Unfortunately, the players and owners spat cancelled the postseason. As a result, the best team in franchise history did not get a chance to play for something. The team was subsequently broken up. Failed politicians and squabbling between the team and province of Quebec eventually led to the Expos moving to Washington D.C.

Pedro is perfect (June 3, 1995): Pedro Martinez was unhittable one June game in 1995. The Padres boasting a lineup that included Tony Gwynn could not get on base. However, the Expos could not score on Joey Hamilton either. Pedro took perfection into extra innings. With no one out, Bip Roberts breaks up the perfecto with a double. The Expos beat the Padres 1-0.

Top 200 Albums of All Time: G Artists

Peter Gabriel: So (1986)


Peter Gabriel decided to take a more commercial approach when writing So. Despite recording several radio friendly hits and filming breakthrough commercially successful videos, Gabriel also continued his unconventional career. While “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time” reflect eighties pop music perfectly, “Red Rain” and “Mercy Street” are far from commercial.

Key Tracks:

Red Rain
Sledgehammer
Big Time
In Your Eyes

What’s Going On: Marvin Gaye (1971)

Marvin Gaye shed Motown’s restrictions on social commentary and created an album examining society itself. Since other artists tapped into social issues for inspiration, Gaye felt free to investigate and question. Motown boss Barry Gordy refused to accept the material. Gaye stood his ground and the album was eventually released. Gaye’s lyrics tackle poverty, the Vietnam War, injustice, and drug use. Stylistically, each song leads into the next and the work ends with a reprise.

Key Tracks:

What’s Going On?
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Inner City Blues

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway: Genesis (1974)

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a double concept album about a Puerto Rican youth swept into the New York City underground to battle monsters in a quest to save his brother. Although the character is searching for his brother, he is also searching for himself.

Key Tracks:

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
The Carpet Crawlers
In The Cage

Abacab: Genesis (1981)

Genesis began as a progressive rock act. As the musical scene changed and members departed, the band moved toward a more commercial sound. The transformation began with their previous album Duke and continues into Abacab. As a result of their efforts, Genesis scored their first platinum selling album in America and four hit singles.

Key Tracks:

Abacab
No Reply At All
Man on the Corner
Keep it Dark

Dookie: Green Day (1994)

Dookie reintroduced many Americans to punk rock. The album’s popularity with radio friendly songs provided some controversy as many in the punk community believed the band sold out.

Key Tracks:

Longview
Welcome to Paradise
Basket Case
When I Come Around

American Idiot: Green Day (2004)

For a time, it appeared Green Day had faded. After some inspiration from the headlines, The Who, and some imagination, the band produced American Idiot. Ironically, the album was almost never made. Originally, they began work on another project when the masters were stolen. Rather than re-record, they decided to start over with a rock opera covering the story of an American anti-hero.

Key Tracks:

American Idiot
Jesus of Suburbia
Holiday
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Wake Me Up When September Ends

Appetite for Destruction: Guns n Roses (1987)

With over 28 million in sales, Appetite for Destruction is the greatest selling debut in history. At a time in which radio was filled with hair metal and candy pop music, Guns n Roses provided an alternate vision. The dirty, gritty album describes descent into drug and substance abuse. The seminal album provided a jump start to rock music which lasted into the mid-nineties.

Key Tracks:

Welcome to the Jungle
It’s So Easy
Paradise City
Sweet Child o’ Mine
Mr. Brownstone

Use Your Illusion I: Guns n Roses (1991)

Although some of the early vinyl releases came together, Use Your Illusion I and II are not double albums. The band recorded so much material, they released two albums. Use Your Illusion showed an expansion in Guns n Roses’ music. They incorporated classical, blues, country, and progressive into their repertoire.

Key Tracks:

November Rain
Don’t Cry (Original)
Dust n Bones
Right Next Door To Hell

Use Your Illusion II: Guns n Roses (1991)

Use Your Illusion II debuted at #1 when released. The album was slightly more popular than its counterpart due to the inclusion of familiar radio songs. GnR’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” received radio play for a couple years before release. “You Could Be Mine” appeared on the Terminator II soundtrack. Despite this, Use Your Illusion I is the stronger album.

Key Tracks:

Civil War
Yesterdays
Pretty Tied Up
Estranged
You Could Be Mine

Sci Fi History: The Last Man by Mary Shelley (1826)

After Frankenstein, Mary Shelley decided to tackle a happier topic. In The Last Man, the world is wiped out by a plague leaving one solitary figure to live out his last days alone. Isolation was a theme in Romantic works. Additionally, Shelley questions her own political ideals that emerged in the Romantic movement. She lost friends to political naiveté and their attempts to create a modern Camelot. Also, Shelley only had one child survive to adulthood. The book allowed her to express her feeling of loss and loneliness. Meanwhile, the plague represents the French Revolution which questioned man’s special nature. Essentially, the idea of progress wiped out humanity leading to isolation. However, her own isolation was the result of Romantic ideals gone awry and the high child mortality rate of the early nineteenth century.

Sci Fi History: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

Frankenstein is part gothic horror and part reaction to the Enlightenment and Napoleonic Wars. The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement preaching universal rights. It attacked the aristocracy, monarchy, religion, and inequality. The American and French Revolutions and Napoleon were all the result of Enlightenment thought. The bloodshed of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars led to a visceral reaction against modernism and intellectualism. Frankenstein reflects this conflict between nature and science. It is also an early example of Sci Fi warning against science and technology.

History Shorts: Ancient Greece and others (1250-320 B.C.)

The Sea Peoples (1200-1150 BC):
http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/sea-peoples-and-death-of-civilizations.html

Trojan War (1200 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-trojan-war-1200-bc.html

Rise of Greek City States (800 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-rise-of-greek-city.html

The First Olympics (776 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-first-olympics-776-bc.html

The Draconian Code (621 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/draconian-code-621-bc.html

Solon and Athenian Reform (594 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-solon-and-athenian.html

Confucius (551-479 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-confucius-551-bc-479-bc.html

Cyrus the Great (559 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-cyrus-great-forms.html

Buddha (528 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/11/history-shorts-buddha-attains.html

Marathon (490 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/12/history-shorts-battle-of-marathon-490.html

300 Spartans (480 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/12/history-shorts-300-spartans-at.html

Plataea and the end of the Persian War (479 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/12/history-shorts-plataea-and-end-of.html

Parthenon (447 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/12/history-shorts-parthenon-construction.html

The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/01/history-shorts-peloponnesian-war-431.html

The Death of Socrates (399 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-shorts-death-of-socrates-399-bc.html

The Death of Plato (347 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-shorts-death-of-plato-347-bc.html

Philip of Macedon Assassinated (336 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/search/label/History%20Shorts?max-results=20

Alexander and Gaugamela:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/02/history-shorts-alexander-great-and.html

Alexander’s Death (323 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/03/history-shorts-alexander-greats-death.html

Aristotle’s Death (322 BC):

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2011/03/history-shorts-aristotles-death-322-bc.html

History Shorts: 5000-1250 B.C.

The Ten Commandments:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/10/history-shorts-ten-commandments-1250-bc.html

Atlantis:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/10/history-shorts-atlantis-1600-bc.html

The Code of Hammurabi

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/09/history-shorts-code-of-hammurabi-1790.html

The Domestication of the Horse:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/09/history-shorts-domestication-of-horse.html

The Birth of China:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/08/history-shorts-birth-of-chinese.html

The Pyramids:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/08/history-shorts-pyramids-2600-bc.html

Story Telling:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/07/history-shorts-story-telling-and.html

Mesopotamia:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/06/history-shorts-mesopotamia.html

History Shorts: Prehistory to 5000 B.C.

Quick review of the history shorts involving prehistory.


Agriculture:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/06/history-shorts-almost-invention-of.html

Man Discovers Fire:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/05/history-shorts-man-discovers-fire.html

The Dawn of Man:

http://cicero390.blogspot.com/2010/05/dawn-of-man.html

History Shorts: Aristotle's Death (322 B.C.)

Aristotle was the universal philosopher. Plato’s student covered every conceivable topic including physics, metaphysics, politics, rhetoric, theater, music, medicine, astronomy, biology, and ethics. His influence extended long beyond his death. In fact, scholars looked to Aristotle for guidance well into the Renaissance. Some of his scientific observations were not confirmed until the 19th century. His work is still examined and studied to this day.


From Alexander (Christopher Plumber):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW7m_9NOYzI


Quotations (Leonard Nimoy narrates):

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

The Big Aristotle (Shaq):

http://pottheiser.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/smjp2_26723.jpg

Florida Marlins Top 10 Moments

Marlins: 6 Dodgers: 3 (April 5, 1993): The Marlins won their first game 6-3 over the Dodgers behind Charlie Hough. Jeff Conine was the hitting star going 4-for-4. Walt Weiss had two hits and two RBI. Benito Santiago also had two hits and one RBI. Bryan Harvey finished up for the save. Florida finished their inaugural season 64-98.


Al Leiter’s no-hitter (May 11, 1996): The Colorado Rockies could rake. On May 11, 1996, their bats fell silent in the face of Al Leiter. The lefty walked just two without surrendering a hit in Florida’s 11-0 destruction of Colorado. It was the first no-hitter in Marlins’ history.

Livan strikes out 15 (Game 5 NLCS October 12, 1997): With the help of a generous strike zone, Livan Hernandez struck out 15 Atlanta Braves en route to a 2-1 victory. Amazingly, Hernandez surrendered three hits and a run. Umpire Eric Gregg was the main story. His strike zone that day was ridiculously large.

The Marlins win the Pennant (Game 6 NLCS October 14, 1997): The fish took the momentum they gained in Game 5 and parlayed it into a 7-4 victory over the two-time defending NL Champion Braves. The victory ended Atlanta’s stranglehold on the NL Pennant and sent Florida to its first World Series.

Edgar Renteria’s Single (Game 7 World Series October 26, 1997): Edgar Renteria ended an exciting World Series between the Marlins and Indians with a walk off single in the 11th inning of Game 7. The Fish trailed 2-1 in the 9th. However, Cleveland could not hold onto the lead. Tony Fernandez committed a key error leading to the tying run and sending the game into extra innings. Thirteen years later, Renteria had the key hit for the Giants in their improbable World Series victory.

Pudge holds the ball (Game 4 NLDS October 4, 2003): The Marlins defeated the Giants in an exciting four game NLDS. The Giants won the first contest 2-0. Florida bounced back for a 9-5 win in Game 2. Game 3 went 12 before Florida rallied for 2 in the final frame. In Game 4, they led 7-5 in the 9th and almost blew it. Ugeth Urbina allowed one run and had the tying run thrown out at home to earn the world’s ugliest save. J.T. Snow plowed into Ivan Rodriguez who held on to the ball for the win. The game eliminated the NL Champion Giants and advanced the Fish to the LCS.

Bartman (Game 6 NLCS October 14, 2003): The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908. They have not appeared in a Fall Classic since 1945. In 2003, they were a couple of outs away from advancing. Then, a ball sailed toward the stands and the rest is history. The Cubs collapsed. The Marlins forced Game 7.

Marlins: 9 Cubs: 6 (Game 7 NLCS October 15, 2003): The Marlins and Cubs entered into a slugfest to win the pennant. Cubs starter Kerry Wood did not have his good stuff, but did hit a homer. It was not enough. Miguel Cabrera homered for the Marlins, Brad Penny and Josh Beckett pitched 5 relief innings surrendering one run, and the Fish won their second pennant.

Fish upset Yanks (Game 6 World Series October 25, 2003): In one of the biggest upsets in World Series history, the Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games. Josh Beckett won Series MVP with a 1-1 record, complete game shutout in Game 6, 19 strikeouts in 16 innings, and a 0.796 WHIP. Brad Penny won 2 games for the Fish.

Anibal Sanchez No-Hitter (September 6, 2006): The Diamondbacks were used to good pitching. The franchise boasted Schilling and Johnson. However, it was Marlin Anibal Sanchez who pitched like an ace on September 6, 2006. Sanchez won his seventh game allowing four walks and no hits. Not bad for a rookie who made his debut that June 25. He finished the year 10-3 and would not complete a full major league season until 2010. The Fish won 2-0.

Cincinnati Reds Top 10 Moments

Charles “Bumpus” Jones throws a no-hitter in his Major League debut (October 15, 1892): Charlie Jones made his Major League debut on the last day of the 1892 season. In his only appearance of the season, the Reds rookie defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 issuing four walks and allowing no-hits. The Pirates scored an unearned run on an error. Jones made his final big league appearance on July 14, 1893. He finished his career with a 2-4 record and a 7.99 ERA.

Johnny Vander Meer’s two consecutive no-hitters (1938): On June 11, 1938, Johnny Vander Meer no-hit the Boston Braves in a 3-1 win. Four days later, he repeated the feat against Brooklyn. The Dodger fans openly supported Vander Meer as the game moved into the late innings. After the double event, Vander Meer pitched 3 2/3 additional hitless innings to set a record. To date, no one has surpassed his 21 2/3 consecutive hitless innings.

Reds: 2 Tigers: 1(October 8, 1940 Game 7 World Series): Cincinnati and Detroit battled to a seventh game in 1940. Detroit led 1-0 behind Bobo Newsom until the bottom of the 7th inning when the Reds scored two. Paul Derringer held the lead and the Reds won their first title since 1919.

The Moose Wild Pitch (October 11, 1972 Game 5 NLCS): The defending World Champion Pirates led the Reds 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth of Game 5 of the NLCS. Johnny Bench led the inning off with a game tying shot off Dave Giusti. With two on and two out, and Bob Moose on the mound for the Bucs, George Foster scored on a wild pitch. The Reds won the game 4-3 and the pennant three games to two.

The Big Red Machine finally breaks through (October 22, 1975 Game 7 World Series): The Reds led the Red Sox three-games-to-two heading back to Fenway for Game 6. The Sox won a spectacular battle in extra innings on Carlton Fisk’s home run. It seemed that Boston had the momentum. In Game 7, Boston raced out to an early 3-0 lead. The Reds scored two in the sixth to make it a game. In the seventh, Tony Perez tied the game with a solo shot. The teams remained tied until the ninth when Joe Morgan won the World Series with a single to center scoring the winning run. It was the Reds first title in 35 years.

Sweep! (October 21, 1976 Game 4 World Series): The Reds coasted through the 1976 postseason winning all seven games. In Game 4 of the World Series, the Big Red Machine pummeled the Yankees. Johnny Bench slammed two homers in the 7-2 win. Manager Sparky Anderson stirred some controversy earlier in the week when he claimed it was not fair to compare anyone to Johnny Bench. It was meant as a compliment to Bench, but New Yorkers took it as a slam against Thurman Munson.

Pete Rose’s 44 game hitting streak (1978): It started on June 14, 1978 with a two hit game against the Cubs. It did not end until August 1. Pete Rose became the first person to seriously challenge Joe Dimaggio’s 56 game hitting streak when he extended it past 40. The streak ended at 44 games and sixty-six hits when Gene Garber struck out Rose. Garber leapt for joy and that particular at-bat is what he will be remembered for.

4192 (September 11, 1985): On September 11, 1985, Pete Rose surpassed Ty Cobb to become baseball’s all time hit leader. Between Cobb’s retirement and Rose’s accomplishment, only Hank Aaron (3771) and Stan Musial (3630) came within striking distance of 4000 hits. The Riverfront Crowd roared for their hometown hero. Steve Garvey called it the loudest ovation he had ever heard (and Garvey was present for Reggie Jackson’s three homers at Yankee Stadium). Rose admits he did not know what to do and finally broke down.

Browning’s Perfect (September 16, 1988): Tom Browning won 20 games as a rookie and a World Series in 1990. In between, he tossed a perfect game against the eventual World Champion Dodgers. Adding to the drama, the Reds only scored one unearned run on Tim Belcher. Browning finished the perfect performance in the ninth by retiring Rick Dempsey, Steve Sax, and pinch hitter Tracy Woodson.

Rijo trumps Stewart (October 20, 1990 World Series Game 4): The Reds led their division wire-to-wire in 1990 and upset the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS. They led the World Series against the heavily favored World Champion A’s three-games-to-none. Oakland led early in Game 4. As the game progressed, Reds starter Jose Rijo seemed to get stronger. Eventually, he emphatically rallied the troops. The Reds responded with two in the eighth to take the lead. Randy Myers pitched the 9th for the save and the Reds achieved the improbable by sweeping the A’s. Jose Rijo won the World Series MVP award with two wins and a microscopic 0.59 ERA.

Sci Fi History: Gulliver's Travels (1726)

Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is a satirical take on the popular “traveler’s tales” of his time. The main character finds himself the prisoner of people 1/12th his size, visits a land of giants, fights pirates, chats with dead historical figures, and so on. One of the main themes is an examination of the modern world and the past. It also mocks European government and religion. Additionally, Swift investigates whether man is inherently corrupt. Science fiction traditionally deals with such themes in metaphorical fashion. Gulliver’s Travels is the first such example.

History Shorts: Alexander the Great's Death (323 B.C.)

Alexander the Great created the world’s largest empire to date. His hegemony began in Macedonia, extended through Greece, included Egypt, Persia, and expanded into India. (Map: http://www.newgenevacenter.org/02_The-West-to-1900/maps/MHH_323-BC_Alexander's-Empire.gif). Along the way, he transmitted Greek culture throughout his realm. The conquered peoples incorporated Greek culture into their societies creating a Hellenistic world. This is Alexander’s greatest and most lasting accomplishment. In 323 B.C., Alexander died without an heir. This fractured his kingdom in three essentially ending Macedonian domination of the Ancient world.

This is how Oliver Stone portrayed Alexander’s death:

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

A music video about Alexander the Great using clips from Oliver Stone’s film and music from Iron Maiden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnhG2Drm4_k

The History of Sci-Fi: Somnium (1634)

Somnium is considered the first science fiction novel in history. Johannes Kepler’s book describes how a student of astronomer Tycho Brahe is transported to the moon. Additionally, it is the first scientific examination of lunar astronomy. The book is the first known piece of science fiction. Who would have thought it would lead to a TV channel?

Houston Astros Top 10 Moments

The Astrodome Opens (April 9, 1965): Not sure if indoor baseball on Astroturf qualifies as a great moment, but it is noteworthy. The Astrodome was the world’s first domed sports facility. The idea originated in the early fifties, but it took Houston’s brutal climate to motivate someone to build it. The first ballgame was an exhibition between Houston and the New York Yankees. Mickey Mantle hit the first homer in the dome’s history. The first regular season game occurred three days later with the Phillies beating Houston 2-0 behind Dick Allen’s home run.


Houston: 1 Philadelphia: 0 (October 10, 1980 Game 3 NLCS): The Astros took a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five NLCS with an 11 inning win over Tug McGraw and the Phillies. They won the game in the 11th inning on a sacrifice fly by Denny Walling. The Astros failed in their two attempts to close out the series. Four of the five games went into extra innings with Philadelphia winning the last two for the pennant.

Nolan Ryan’s 5th No-Hitter (September 26, 1981): Nolan Ryan passed Sandy Koufax for most career no-hitters in 1981. By this point in his career, it seemed unlikely that Ryan would be able to toss another no-no. He beat the Dodgers 5-0. Later in his career, he’d throw two more no-hitters.

Mike Scott’s no-hitter wins NL West (September 25, 1986): Almost five years to the day that Nolan Ryan tossed his gem, Mike Scott equaled the feat. In this case, Scott victimized San Francisco and clinched the NL West with the win. Scott struck out 13 in the 2-0 win. It remains the only no-hitter to clinch a postseason berth.

Scott k’s 14 Mets (October 8, 1986 Game 1 NLCS): Mike Scott capped off his Cy Young campaign with a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of the 1986 NLCS. He bested Dwight Gooden and the Mets by scattering five meaningless hits and striking out 14. He returned to even the series at 2 with a Game 4 win. Luckily for the Mets, they managed to win the series in six. Mets players admit they had no chance against Scott in a Game 7.

The 22 inning game: Astros: 5 Dodgers: 4 (June 3, 1989): It took 7 hours and 14 minutes, but the Astros outlasted the Dodgers. Jim Clancy beat reserve infielder Jeff Hamilton. The Dodgers ran out of pitchers, so Tommy Lasorda used Hamilton in the 21st inning. The Astros won on a walk off single by Rafael Ramirez which scored Bill Doran. The following day, Houston beat Los Angeles in 13 innings. The two teams combined for 35 innings and 11 hours and 31 minutes of baseball over two days.

Chris Burke’s 18th inning home run (October 9, 2005 Game 4 NLDS): The Astros have a history of extra inning playoff games. From a Houston perspective, the Braves and Astros NLDS game is perhaps the best of the lot. The game lasted nearly 6 hours and Houston ran out of pitchers. Roger Clemens was forced to pitch three innings in relief before Burke ended the series with a dramatic home run off Joey Devine.

Clemens in Relief (October 9, 2005 Game 4 NLDS): It’s rare that the same game will score two appearances on a best of list, but that NLDS game has to be considered one of the greatest ever played. Roger Clemens lost three days earlier to John Smoltz. He wanted a measure of revenge and was given the opportunity. He pitched three lockdown innings to win the game and save Houston’s bacon.

Astros in pennant in 6 games (2005): Houston lost a hard fought series to St Louis in 2004. They avenged that loss and advanced to their first, and only, World Series with a six game NLCS victory over the Cardinals. Roy Oswalt earned MVP honors and a tractor from Houston’s owner. The ‘stros went on to lose the World Series to the White Sox.

Craig Biggio gets 3000 hits (June 28, 2007): Craig Biggio scored five hits, including his 3000th, in Houston’s victory over Colorado. Carlos Lee won the game in the 11th with a slam, but Biggio was the story. He needed three hits to reach the magic number and he managed five safeties to finish the game with 3002. He finished his career with 3060 hits and is the only Astros player to ever reach the 3000 hit plateau.