Friday, April 29, 2011

History Shorts: Caesar Marches on Rome (49 B.C.)

Four decades after Sulla marched on Rome and purged the city of his opponents, Julius Caesar marched his troops on the capitol. Caesar made many enemies while serving as consul. He left town to avoid prosecution and persecution to serve as governor of Gaul. He spent nearly a decade campaigning in Gaul and earning fame. His opponents grew jealous and demanded he submit to the Senate. Submission meant probable death. Caesar had to act and marched on the city to protect himself. At the same time, Caesar hoped to end nearly a century of strife between classes within the Republic.



Crossing the Rubicon: (Audio from Gods and Generals narrated by Jeff Daniels and video from HBO's Rome):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZGUQUjRljo

From HBO's Rome:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqoCRsZG1ZQ&feature=related

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Top 200 Albums of All Time: "J" Artists

Off the Wall: Michael Jackson (1979)


Off the Wall has become a trendy pick amongst critics for MJ’s greatest work. The album signaled Michael Jackson’s move away from Motown and included funk, disco, pop, soul, jazz, and soft rock influences. Off the Wall had been forgotten as music fans wanted to forget the seventies and in the wake of Thriller’s success.

Key Tracks:

Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough
Rock With You
She’s Out of My Life

Thriller: Michael Jackson (1982)

For a time, Thriller was omnipresent. Michael Jackson continued his exploration of the same musical influences present in Off the Wall. With Thriller, he really puts his stamp on pop culture and music. Additionally, Jackson broke down racial barriers through MTV with hit after hit. “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” still receive radio airplay nearly 30 years later and the title track has become a Halloween anthem.

Key Tracks:

Beat It
Billy Jean
Thriller
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’

Billy Joel: The Stranger (1977)

Billy Joel broke through with The Stranger. His previous four albums achieved little-to-moderate success. The album is filled with classic tracks and four singles charted.

Key Tracks:

Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)
The Stranger
Just the Way You Are
She’s Always a Woman
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: Elton John (1973)

Elton John did not plan to record a double album. However, he and Bernie Taupin wrote enough material for two albums. The record uses nostalgia for maximum effect. The most memorable works all harken back to simpler time whether its childhood or young adulthood.

Key Tracks:

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleed
Candle in the Wind
Bennie and the Jets
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues Singers (1961)

Robert Johnson died in 1938. In 1961, Columbia released sixteen tracks that had been on 78. Throughout the sixties, blues grew more popular particular with the British Invasion acts. As the decade progressed, his works were covered by the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Led Zeppelin.

Key Tracks:

Cross Road Blues
Terraplane Blues
Traveling Riverside Blues
Hellhound on My Trail

British Steel: Judas Priest (1980)

1980 was a very good year for metal. Judas Priest was in the middle of the action with the release of British Steel. Scott Ian claimed the album defined heavy metal because it eliminated the blues influence that permeated and influenced the genre from the late sixties. On top of this, the album included the iconic and genre defining songs “Breaking the Law”, “Living After Midnight”, and “Metal Gods.”

Key Tracks:

Breaking the Law
Living After Midnight
United
Metal Gods

Monday, April 25, 2011

Chicago Cubs Top 10 Moments

Cubs win the World Series (October 12, 1907): The 1907 Cubs won 107 games during the regular season and then defeated the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. The two teams tied 3-3 in Game One. Afterward, the Cubs took over and swept the series while surrendering three runs in the final four games. The 1907 Cubs were the best team of the “Dead Ball” Era.


Merkle’s Boner (September 23, 1908): The Cubs and Giants were battling for the pennant. On September 23, 1908, the two teams squared off tied for first. With the score tied 1-1 and one man on for the Giants in the bottom of the 9th, Fred Merkle singled the winning run to third. Al Bridwell hit what appeared to be a walk off single. However, Merkle did not advance to second as the crowd rushed onto the field in celebration. Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers saw Merkle’s base running error, found a baseball, and tagged second. The umpire called Merkle out and nullified the run. The game ended in a tie and the Cubs won the rematch which provided the winning margin in the pennant race. Chicago beat New York and Pittsburgh by a single game.

Repeat! (October 14, 1908): The Cubs won their second world title after beating the Giants for the pennant. Once again, they played Detroit in the World Series. Once again, they beat the Tigers in five games. To date, the Cubs have yet to win another championship.

Homer in the Gloamin’(September 28, 1938): The Cubs and Pirates were battling for first place when they met at the end of September. With the score tied 5-5 in the 9th, and darkness threatened the game, Gabby Hartnett hit a walk off home run to propel Chicago into first place. The Cubs eventually won the pennant and then ran into DiMaggio’s Yankees thus ending their dream. The term “Homer in the Gloamin’” was a play on a popular song “Roamin’ in the Gloamin’” .

Banks hits 500 (May 12, 1970): Ernie Banks became the 9th member of the 500 homer club on May 12, 1970 off Atlanta’s Pat Jarvis. The Cubs won the game 4-3 in 11 innings.

Milt Pappas almost Perfect (September 2, 1972): Armando Galaragga’s recent imperfect perfect game in 2010 brought back memories of Milt Pappas. Like Galaragga, Pappas had a perfect game through the first 26 batters when an umpire intervened. With a 2-2 count on pinch-hitter Larry Stahl, umpire Bruce Froemming called the next two pitches balls. The pitches were extremely close. Stahl walked costing Pappas his perfect game. He did pitch a no-hitter.

The Sandberg Game (June 23, 1984): Ryne Sandberg announced his candidacy for the MVP on a nationally televised game. His performance made Sandberg a household name. The Cubs trailed 9-8 in the 9th with Sandberg coming to the plate against St Louis Hall of Fame relief ace Bruce Sutter. Sandberg tied the game with a blast into the left field stand. Undaunted, the Cardinals scored two in the 10th for the lead. In the bottom half of the frame, Sandberg tied it with a two-run shot off Sutter. Chicago won in the 11th on a RBI single by Dave Owen.

Sutcliffe goes 16-1 and Cubs win NL East (1984): The Indians have a habit of trading Cy Young winners. Before Lee or Sabathia left the Tribe, Rick Sutcliffe was sent to Chicago. In the summer of 1984, “Red Beard” went 16-1 for the Cubs (20-6 overall) leading the team to its first postseason appearance since 1945. He won the 1984 Cy Young Award for his effort.

Wood K’s 20 (May 6, 1998): Kerry Wood seemed destined for greatness. He pitched one of the greatest games of all time on May 6, 1998 against Houston. The Astros lineup included Hall of Famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell. Wood allowed only a single hit and walked none in his 20 strikeout performance. This was total dominance.

Cubs win the first post season series since 1908 (October 5, 2003): The Cubs and Braves LDS went to a climactic fifth game. In Game 5, Kerry Wood defeated the Braves 5-1 for the franchise’s first postseason series victory in 95 years. Alex Gonzalez and Aramis Ramirez each homered in the victory. In the 95 years in between series victories, the Cubs had lost seven World Series and three playoff series. They went on to lose the 2003 NLCS and were later swept in the 2007 and 2008 NLDS.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Top 10 Twilight Zone Episodes

These are some of my faves. I guess I like the apocalyptic and time travel scenarios...

1. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet: Imagine being trapped in a tube at 20,000 feet with some creature determined to sabotage your flight. On top of this, no one believes your story. That is what makes this episode so effective. The claustrophobic environment, the helplessness, the knowledge that no one could help, and the monster itself. Having a young William Shatner, aka James T. Kirk, in the title role furthers the ambient fear.


2. Time Enough At Last: Burgess Meredith stars as a man that wants to be left alone with his books. He falls asleep in a bank vault as nuclear explosions signify the end of the world. Meredith awakens to find his dream has come true and then breaks his glasses.

3. Back There: Russell Johnson (the Professor from Gilligan’s Island) finds himself teleported back to the night Lincoln was shot. After some initial confusion, he desperately tries to alert the authorities and comes to the attention of John Wilkes Booth. In the end, Johnson can not change history on the macro level. However, he does manage to change the fortunes of a porter in his high society club after an encounter with the man’s ancestor. When he returns to 1961, the porter is now a rich club member.

4. The Dummy: Before Chucky, there was Willie. A ventriloquist (Cliff Robertson) believes his dummy (Willie) is alive and evil and locks it in a trunk. Why do wooden dummies scare people? Well, in the Twilight Zone, the evil Willie ends up switching places with the ventriloquist. The episode is made especially creepy by the mood lighting, shadows, and Willie’s cackling laughter.

5. The Howling Man: World War I devastated Europe. David Ellington (H.M. Bryant) is wandering through the postwar countryside and gets lost. He stops at a castle for help and collapses. The monks help Ellington who discovers they are holding a man captive. The man begs Ellington to help him escape, but Brother Jerome (John Carradine) warns that the captive is the Devil and if he is set loose, the world would suffer. Ellington does not believe Jerome and sets the Devil loose to launch World War II. Years later, Ellington tracks the Devil down and locks him up. It is his turn to warn his housekeeper to leave the man locked up, but she curiously removes the bar from the door.

6. The Midnight Sun: The world is ending. Earth is flinging itself toward the sun. Or is it? Just as it appears the world is going to be burned to a cinder, it appears that it is actually hurdling away from the sun. The Twilight Zone loved the apocalypse and this episode was prescient in that it predated the global cooling craze which was followed by the global warming craze.

7. The Masks: A dying millionaire makes his family wear masks to supposedly celebrate Mardi Gras. His real aim is to make them wear masks representing their horrid personalities. He forces them to keep the masks on until midnight or be disinherited. They acquiesce and when they remove them, they find that their faces have morphed into their masks.

8. The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms: Three national guardsmen from the present day end up in 1876 at the Little Big Horn. When their comrades search for the missing men, they find their names on a monument to the fallen.

9. A Stop at Willoughby: A poor, overworked, henpecked businessman wants to get away from the modern world. He sleeps on the train ride home from work and is transported to a pleasant turn of the century small town called Willoughby. The people are friendly and life is quiet. He longs for peace and rest. Eventually, he decides to stay in Willoughby rather than wake up. The townspeople embrace him and he goes off happily. His smiling body is found by the train conductor. The man jumped off the train in his sleep and was killed. Willoughby was the funeral home that took his body.

10. A Hundred Years Over the Rim: Another time travel episode…only this one has a happy ending! Cliff Robertson is a pioneer from 1847 and his son is sick with a high fever. So, he sets out searching for water and lands in the 1960s. While there, he procures the medicine that saves his son’s life. As a result of his time travel, the boy becomes a famous doctor.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Sci Fi History: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1869)

A mysterious sea monster attacks ships on the high seas. The U.S. government commissions an expedition to destroy the monster. The expedition fails to find the beast, but encounters Captain Nemo and his submarine. Nemo operates independently of any government and is interested in exploration and vengeance against the modern world. The book describes the use of electricity seven years before Edison’s light bulb, diving suits, and the aforementioned submarine. The crew also battles a giant octopus. Eventually, the members of the original punitive expedition escape from Nemo who disappears into a maelstrom. Other than the futuristic use of electricity and underwater technology, the book delves into issues surrounding the industrial revolution and various revolutions from 1848. Jules Verne also alludes to the 1857 Indian Mutiny. Nemo is presented as a champion of the underdog and a modern day Odysseus. As a result, Verne’s work not only predicts future technology, but also includes political commentary disguised as an underwater adventure.

Monday, April 18, 2011

History Shorts: Sulla becomes Dictator of Rome (82 B.C.)

Rome experienced dramatic social upheaval from the end of the Third Punic War (149 B.C.) until the Battle of Actium (31 B.C.). Conflict between upper and lower classes and Roman citizens and non-citizens dominated politics. In 82 B.C., Sulla decided to end the upheaval by marching his army into Rome, seizing power, and ushering in “reform” designed to strengthen the upper class. As part of his program, he purged the city of political opponents. He stepped down as dictator in 81 B.C. His reforms did not stand the test of time. However, he established a precedent which many generals followed in the subsequent centuries. Julius Caesar remembered the dictatorship and pogrom and followed in Sulla’s footsteps. However, Caesar did not willingly relinquish power nor did he murder his political opponents. Sulla’s actions provided an example to Caesar.



Marius vs. Sulla:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0mWa1zqpm8&feature=related

Friday, April 15, 2011

New York Mets Top 10 Moments

Yes, they have great moments...stop laughing.

The Amazing Mets (October 16, 1969): The ‘69 Mets are the poster children for the old adage that pitching and defense wins championships. The Mets came from nowhere to win 100 games, swept Hank Aaron’s Braves in the NLCS, and then defeated a 109 win Oriole team in the World Series. The Mets won with timely hitting, great pitching, and stellar defense. The Mets flashed their leather in the series against Baltimore and none was flashier than Ron Swoboda’s Game 4 catch off Brooks Robinson’s bat. Swoboda saved the game allowing the Mets to win in 10 innings to take a 3 games to 1 lead. They clinched the championship the following game.


Tom Seaver strikesout 19 (April 22, 1970): Tom Seaver was called “the Franchise” and he demonstrated why on April 22, 1970. On that date, he struck out 19 Padres including the final 10 in a row in one of the most dominant performances in history. Seaver won the game 2-1 on a 2 hitter.

The Harrelson-Rose fight (October 8, 1973 Game 3 NLCS): The Big Red Machine were gunning for their third pennant in four seasons when they played the Mets in the NLCS. The Mets barely finished over .500 while the Reds were the class of the National League. The Mets were unimpressed. Bud Harrelson reflected this attitude when he fought Pete Rose on the field. Before the game, Joe Morgan threatened Harrelson after the Mets short stop made some disparaging comments about the Reds. The Mets led the game 9-2 and the Reds were getting frustrated, so Rose tried to take it out by sliding hard into Harrelson. After the fight, Rose returned to left field. Mets fans pelted him with whatever they could throw. Reds manager Sparky Anderson pulled his team from the field to protect his players. Eventually, the Mets calmed down the crowd and won the game. They would defeat the Reds in five games to face the A’s in the World Series.

Keith Hernandez hits for the cycle in the most surreal game in history (July 4, 1985): The Mets beat the Braves 16-13 in 19 innings. New York led 10-8 in the 13th and the Braves tied the game. In the 18th, the Mets again took the lead. Then, reliever Rick Camp tied it with a home run for Atlanta. The Mets finally beat the Braves in a game that ended at 3:55 A.M. Six minutes later, the Braves shot off fireworks frightening people asleep in their beds. In the meantime, Keith Hernandez hit for the cycle.

Game 6 NLCS (October 15, 1986): The Mets won the greatest LCS game ever in 16 innings over Houston. Mike Scott handcuffed the Mets in two games and would have pitched Game 7. The Mets knew Game 7 meant a playoff defeat and rallied for three in the 9th against Bob Knepper. The teams exchanged runs in the 14th. In the 16th, the Mets scored three and the Astros two. Jesse Orosco struck out Kevin Bass with runners on to win the pennant.

It gets by Buckner! (October 25, 1986 Game 6 World Series): The Mets had no business winning the 1986 World Series, but they did courtesy a patented Red Sox collapse. With the Red Sox leading the World Series three games to two, Dave Henderson hit a lead off homer to give Boston the lead in the 10th. The Sox added another run to take a 5-3 lead to the bottom of the frame. With two out and nobody on, the Mets rallied for three to win the game. Gary Carter and Kevin Mitchell singled. Ray Knight singled in Carter sending Mitchell to third. Bob Stanley came in to pitch for Boston and uncorked a wild pitch to tie the game. Mookie Wilson then hit a roller to first which got by Buckner. It is doubtful that Buckner would have beaten Wilson to the bag had he fielded the ball cleanly. Knight scored on the error to save the Mets.

The Bad Guys Won (October 27, 1986 Game 7 World Series): Boston recovered from their collapse in Game 6 to take a 3-0 lead in Game 7. Then, they collapsed. In the 6th, Keith Hernandez singled in two to ignite the Mets. In the 1982 World Series, Hernandez also singled in two to bring his team back from a 3-0 deficit. The Mets tied the game with a groundout. New York scored three more in the 7th. They went on to win the game 8-5 and the World Series.

Todd Pratt (October 9, 1999): New York defeated the Diamondbacks in the NLDS on a Todd Pratt walk off. It was the highlight for the career backups career.

The Grand Slam single (October 17, 1999): The Mets trailed Atlanta three games to none in the 1999 NLCS. They rallied to win Game 4. In Game 5, the teams battled to a 2-2 tie. The game remained tied until the 15th inning when the Braves scored a run. In the bottom of the 15th, New York loaded the bases. Robin Ventura apparently unloaded the bases with a homer, but his teammates refused to allow him to round the bases. As a result, it went down as a two-run single. The Mets lost the series in 6.

Piazza’s 911 home run (9/21/01): In 2001, the Mets-Braves rivalry was one of baseball’s best. Despite this, 911 united the teams on an emotional night at Shea. Baseball returned from the attacks and Mike Piazza hit a two-run homer to give the Mets the win. After the game, Tom Glavine said it was one of the few losses that a team could live with.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Top 200 Albums of All Time: Iron Maiden

The Number of the Beast: Iron Maiden (1982)


Iron Maiden changed lead singers and course when Bruce Dickinson joined the band. The Number of the Beast marked Dickinson’s debut. He added a theatrical component missing with the band as well as a dynamic voice. Interestingly, while recording the album, the band reported several weird incidents including cold spots in the studio and lights turning off. In a bizarre coincidence, producer Martin Birch was involved in a car accident. The bill came to 666.66 pounds.

Key Tracks:

The Number of the Beast
Run to the Hills
Hallowed Be Thy Name

Monday, April 11, 2011

History Shorts: Han Dynasty (206 B.C.)

China’s greatest empire was founded by a peasant. The Han Dynasty existed for four centuries and represents one of China’s greatest periods. The centralized empire is split into two periods. The Western Han lasted until 9 A.D. At this point, the Xin Dynasty established control for 16 years before the Han reasserted itself. The Eastern Han (25-220) represents the second period. The Han Dynasty is notable for its economic prosperity, technological advances, and military expansion. The Dynasty collapsed as a result of nomadic invasions, corruption, high taxation, weakened central authority, and internal power struggles.


Here are a couple of foreign language films based on the Han:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwssZUoT7ag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JImISmB5Hmg

Friday, April 8, 2011

History Shorts: The Battle of Zama (202 B.C.)

Scipio Africanus studied Hannibal’s tactics and improved upon them. While Hannibal remained in Italy, the Roman general moved on Carthage. Hannibal was recalled to face the Roman invasion. At Zama, Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal ending the Second Punic War in Rome’s favor. As a result, Rome became the Mediterranean’s preeminent superpower and was set on course for empire.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyIPrck7oXk
 


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Top 10 Philadelphia Phillies Moments

Robin Roberts wins 20th and Pennant (October 1, 1950): The Phillies won their first pennant since 1915 behind Robin Roberts 20th victory. He won a 10 inning 4-1 victory over Brooklyn clinching the pennant. Dick Sisler’s 3-run home run in the 10th provided the margin of victory. He was Philadelphia’s first 20-game winner since 1917. The Phillies lost the World Series to the Yankees.


Jim Bunning’s perfect game (June 21, 1964): Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game on Father’s Day 1964. The father of seven struck out 10 New York Mets en route to a 6-0 victory. Of the 90 pitches thrown, an amazing 79 were strikes.

Carlton wins 27 (1972): The 1972 Philadelphia Phillies won 59 games and Steve Carlton won 27 of them. Without Steve Carlton, the Phillies went 32-87. For 1972, Lefty led the league in wins (27), ERA (1.97), game starts (41), complete games (30), innings (346.1), and strikeout to walk ratio (3.56). His Whip was under 1. Considering the Phillies season, Carlton’s performance was one for the ages.

Phils: 23 Cubs: 22 (May 17, 1979): Mike Schimdt’s solo home run in the 10th off Bruce Sutter won the wildest game in decades 23-22. The teams combined for 45 runs, 50 hits, and 11 home runs. Dave Kingman hit three, Mike Schmidt two, and pitcher Randy Lerch hit one.

Maddox grabs liner and ends NLCS (October 12, 1980): The Phillies survived the NLCS against Houston to win their first pennant in 30 years. Four of the five games went extra innings. Philadelphia had to rally against Nolan Ryan with a 5 run 8th and then won the game in extra innings. The series ended with a line drive to centerfielder Garry Maddox.

Boone and Rose (October 21, 1980): The Phillies won their first championship ever in 1980 defeating Kansas City. In the deciding game, a pop up near the dugout was almost dropped by Bob Boone. The ball hit his glove, popped up, and landed in Pete Rose’s mitt for an out. That play really defined the 1980 Phillies.

Schmidt hits 500 (April 19, 1987): Mike Schmidt hit a two-out, three-run shot off Don Robinson in Philadelphia’s 8-6 win over Pittsburgh. The blast was Schmidt’s 500th career homer. The shot solidified Mike Schmidt’s standing as baseball’s greatest third baseman and player of the eighties.

Schilling spits at Braves (October 6, 1993): The Braves had an aura about them. They were the class of the National League and two-time defending champions. That did not impress Curt Schilling. While leaving the field, he spat on the ground to impress the fact he was not intimidated. His Phillie teammates shared his sentiments and beat the Braves for the pennant. They lost the World Series to the Blue Jays.

Phillies: 4 Rays: 3 (October 27, 2008): Philadelphia beat the Tampa Bay Rays for their second championship and first since 1980. Cole Hamels won the Series MVP. After splitting the first two games in Tampa Bay, the Phillies took over and swept the three games at home.

Rollins double (October 19, 2009 Game 4 NLCS): Philadelphia led the Dodgers 2 games to 1 going into Game 4 of the 2009 NLCS. In Game 4, Los Angeles led 4-3 going into the 9th. The Phils rallied against Jonathan Broxton and Jimmy Rollins doubled in two runs for a 5-4 win and a 3-games-to-1 series lead. Philadelphia closed out the Dodgers in Game 5 for their second straight pennant.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Sci Fi History: From Earth to the Moon (1865)

Jules Verne tells the story of three men that create a giant gun that shoots themselves to the moon. The story is notable for Verne’s accuracy. His figures are pretty good for the lack of data. For example, the bullet carrying the men was close in size to an Apollo capsule. Also, the Verne’s travelers are rescued by the navy upon their return to Earth. All in all, Vernes' depiction resembled the actual moonshot. The book inspired the silent film “A Trip to the Moon” in 1902.


A Trip to the Moon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JDaOOw0MEE

Which inspired the video for “Tonight Tonight” by the Smashing Pumpkins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEvVIgCm1zg

Friday, April 1, 2011

Quotes of the Month: March 2011

Quote of the Month:

"They say I have no hits and I'm difficult to work with. And they say that like it's a bad thing."


-Tom Waits


Dumb Quote of the Month:

“It’s modern-day slavery, you know?”



-Adrian Peterson


And the rest...

“I don’t judge a person by what they’ve done and what they’re going to do.”


-SF Giants Pitcher Brian Wilson on Charlie Sheen

"How much is the hockey and how much is the fighting, we don't really know."

Dr. Robert Cantu on Bob Probert’s CTE

“However, the result is that I have ended up sounding like a tormented weirdo who thinks he was at the Alamo in another life, who feels very sorry for himself, and is retiring hurt because of the bad press over the years.”

-Phil Collins

“A small house fire in LA has been attributed to Charlie Sheen's publicist exploding. No one else was hurt.”

-Simon Pegg

“I’m just hopeful the coach doesn’t dismiss me.”

-OSU President E. Gordon Gee

"I've had a player murdered; I've had a player incarcerated; I've had a player get taken into the drug culture and lose his opportunity for a productive life. And so it was obviously tremendously concerning. Quite honestly, I was scared."

-Jim Tressel

“I would hug them and had some ice cream.”

-Ron Artest on the Miami Heat players crying after a loss

“You can tell I did not do very well in Russian."

-Joe Biden after butchering Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s name in a Moscow speech

“Winning.”

-Charlie Sheen

"I never hugged him, I bombed him."

-Margaret Thatcher

“Who wants to go to Europe. It’s not Detroit.”

-Jalen Rose

“It would be wonderful for people to maybe offer a little help to the Japanese people at this time -- as they’re filling out their brackets.”

-Barack Obama setting priorities

"You keep practicing, you'll go places!"

-Neil Diamond to Bruce Springsteen

“That’s the world of prostitution. You never know what you’re going to get.”

-Lawrence Taylor

"The United States cannot afford, nor do we have the authority, to intervene."

-Rep. Dennis Kucinich