Isn’t There a Band Called the Dead Presidents?

Here is a list of the great Americans I have had the privilege to honor in person:

GEORGE WASHINGTON MOUNT VERNON, VA

THOMAS JEFFERSON MONTICELLO, VA

ANDREW JACKSON THE HERMITAGE- NASHVILLE, TN 

JAMES K. POLK STATE CAPITAL BUILDING- NASHVILLE, TN 

JOHN F. KENNEDY ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY- WASHINGTON, D.C.

And then this summer I’ll be paying a visit to….

ANDREW JOHNSON GREENEVILLE, TN 

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY- WASHINGTON, D.C.

ULYSSES S. GRANT NEW YORK, NY 

JOHN ADAMS QUINCY, MA

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS QUINCY, MA

MARTIN VAN BUREN KINDERHOOK, NY

…. among others to be determined.

Swan Songs I Have Seen- Feature Films

Fred Astaire- Ghost Story, 1981

James Cagney- Ragtime, 1981

James Dean- Giant, 1956

Clark Gable- The Misfits, 1961

Burt Lancaster- Field of Dreams, 1989

Marilyn Monroe- The Misfits, 1961

Paul Newman- Road to Perdition, 2002/ Cars, 2006

Pat O’Brien- Ragtime, 1981

Edward G. Robinson- Soylent Green, 1973

Spencer Tracy- Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, 1967

John Wayne- The Shootist, 1976

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bogart, 21/73

Flynn, 19/53

Newman, 16/57

Gable, 15/68

Robinson, 15/86

Cagney, 14/62

Brando, 12/39

Stewart, 11/ a lot

Tracy, 10/a lot

Desperate Times Calls for… These Guys!

My fellow Americans,

In light of the recent political scene that is rapidly engulfing our nation for the next year, I find it appropriate to reconnect with our past and look at the Presidents who actually did great things. These men achieved their administrative agendas, stuck to their guns in spite of political backlash, passed executive orders when shit needed to get done, and successfully willed their visions of a strong and unified America into being. If any one of these guys came back they would find a country sorely in need of their leadership.

George Washington

 Of course Washington was the first President, and in being so, had a unique opportunity to do what other presidents wish they could- set precedents. What made Washington remarkable was that he had the chance for everything he could ever dream of, however, he rejected such titles as “Your Majesty” and “Your Excellency” and insisted on being called “Mr. President.” To have someone in office today with such a humble attitude and strong moral fiber, while still being able to push your agenda forward would be miraculous. Shunning the idea of political parties, he wouldn’t be swayed by lobbyists or one side of the aisle over another. He would simply do what he thought neccessary to make American great.

 

 

Andrew Jackson

 Now Andrew Jackson is remarkable because he was truly a no BS president. If something needed to get done, it would get done without Congress standing in the way to muck it up. Now thet may sound rather extreme, but sometimes a president needs to step up and issue those executive orders or else nothing is ever going to be accomplished. When South Carolina wanted to break away from the Union in 1832, Jackson stopped that notion real quick. He also got rid of the Federal Bank and put it into the private sector and believed that the States and people could be entrusted with more powers (to an extent) that they had been given credit for. He was a true man of the people who loved nothing more than the United States of America, and our country loved him back just as strongly. Were some of his ideals controversial? Sure. But they were neccessary evils in order to bring prosperity to our land, and shape America into the power it soon became.

 

 

Theodore Roosevelt

 Now this is the guy we could use these days. Teddy was a Republican, but unlike the Republican presidents before him, he decided that big business had gotten way out of hand. Businessmen and their companies seemed to weild more power than the actual government all of a sudden! Now, any Republican today would tell you that Washington should lay off of Wall Street and let the engine run itself. But anybody with common sense would say that there has to be a point when enough is enough and the President is in fact leader of the country. Would you believe that Roosevelt was such a Republican? What he was trying to do was move the GOP forward and later became a leader of the Progressive Party. However, he was not about to let people push him around. Teddy’s foreign policy was a major buildup of our military but only to deter, never to draw first blood. Afterall, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for ending a war! And last but not least, he realized the importance of conservation and founded the National Park System which is, perhaps, the greatest treasure we as Americans enjoy today.

 

 

 

Abraham Lincoln

 Oh, you knew Honest Abe was on the list. I like to think of Lincoln as embodying attributes from all the aforementioned presidents- the moral integrity of George, the no BS attitude of Andrew, and the common sense of Theodore. It takes a special kind of person to lead a country through a civil war, and have plans of peace and goodwill towards the rebels. In the wake of his assassination, Lincoln was called the South’s best friend, for those plans that went with him to the graves. As a politician before the White House, he was an elequent speaker with tremendous foresight into what lay ahead, and didn’t wait for the shit to hit the fan before doing somthing about it. The first Republican, who would share little in common with today’s Tea Partiers, he honestly believed that all men were created equal and everybody deserves a world without judgement and hate. It is for this reason, that Abraham Lincoln is our greatest president, and why he is the preeminent model to which our congressmen, governors, and president should look up to.

AC/DC: For Those About to Rock

Most people who know me fairly well will also know that my favorite band is AC/DC. I can say that hands-down, forever and always, because like my adoration, their music is timeless. Tales of trying to snare girls within our teenage clutches and the subsequent rejections of those girls, having a drink, and in general cutting loose and raising a little hell.

Now of course, those examples are not exactly elequent pieces of poetry. As a music lover and artist, I will tell you that I am immediately drawn to deep, thought-provoking lyrics, however AC/DC does in fact go much deeper- to the music itself. I don’t believe there is a finer rhythm and blues rock n’ roll band out there. Magazines and VH1 will label them as “hard rock” or “heavy metal,” but the band members themselves will tell you that they only think of themselves as simply rock n’ roll.

And what exactly is the essensce of Rock n’ Roll? For me, it is a calling to challenge the rules a little- to turn up the volume a little too loud, to drive my car a little too fast, to have a little too much fun! Now believe me, when infused with the boogie woogie that is AC/DC, nothing is more infectious, and you see it in the band when they’re onstage. They may be nearing their sixties but it’s still the some rockin’ energy from when they were young and when I saw them live in 2008, I knew I was a part of something special.

This band is fun and there’s a reason they’re the biggest selling band in the history of popular music, because sometimes folks want to get away from the rock operas and poetry and just shake a leg.

PS

Don’t misunderstand me either, AC/DC does have a few songs that are the definition of Blues music, and I can’t not have them inspire me (specifically “Ride On”, “It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock n’ Roll”, and “Aint No Fun (Waitin’ Round to be a Millionare”). I don’t know, something about those songs speaks to the artist in me.

1. Highway to Hell (1979) “Highway to Hell” “Touch Too Much” “Shot Down in Flames” and “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”

2. Back in Black (1980) “You Shook Me All Night Long” “Hells Bells” and “Back in Black”

3. Powerage (1978) “Down Payment Blues” “What’s Next to the Moon” and “Sin City”

4. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) “Ride On” “Aint No Fun (Waitin’ Round to be a Millionare)” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”

5. Black Ice (2008) “Rock n’ Roll Dream” “Big Jack” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train”

6. Let There Be Rock (1977) “Whole Lotta Rosie” “Bad Boy Boogie” and “Hell Aint a Bad Place To Be”

7. For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981) “Lets’ Get It Up” “Put the Finger On You” and “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”

8. High Voltage (1976) “The Jack” “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n’ Roll)” and “TNT”

9. Ballbreaker (1995) “Hail Caesar” “Boogie Man” and “Ballbreaker”

10. Flick of the Switch (1983) “Nervous Shakedown” “Bedlam in Belgium” and “Flick of the Switch”

11. Fly on the Wall (1985) “Shake Your Foundations” “Sink the Pink” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers”

12. Blow Up Your Video (1988) “Heatseeker” and “That’s the Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll”

…. And from there I can’t really discern the rest of their albums. Not because they’re not worthy! But because until I haven’t listened to them all (can you believe I haven’t?? Neither can I!) I can’t really order them, can I?

But in case you’re curious the rest are The Razor’s Edge (1990)  and Stiff Upper Lip (2000)

Thank you and goodnight!

RIP Pokemon

The other day on the drive to Gainesville, my brother and I got to talking about a favorite subject of ours, our old Game Boy Pokemon games and the rosters we assembled. Now for me, as silly as it all sounds, my Red Version was always one of my most valuable possessions. Red and Gold version were practically the only Game Boy games I ever owned and played, not to mention one of the few video games in general.

Therefore, because all this was so important to me, I would never even consider starting over with a new game and erasing all that I had worked to achieve. And what would that be exactly? What were my main goals? Well, after defeating the Elite Four it was not to amass all 151 pokemon (as my brother did), but to train the ones I did have to the nearly impossible level of 100!

And after a decade of playing those two games I was able to achieve, what I felt like, was a pretty good team. From my first pokemon Bulbasaur to Mewtwo, I was able to train eighteen different pokemon to level 100.

Now I say, “Rest In Peace,” because like all great things this story came to an abrupt end the other day. Wishing to reflect on my proud childhood, I turned on my Gold version to discover that the game had restarted itself due to age. I had lost all the pokemon that mattered to me, for my Red was still alive and kicking (ironic, eh?) but I had transferred everybody to Gold for what I thought was safekeeping. Guess I was wrong and at least thirteen years of effort was gone forever.

So now I end with the Hall of Fame in memorial to those who reached the 100 Milestone and to the next generation who were currently in training.

Red Version

Total Time 213:54

Total Pokemon 116

Venusaur*

Gyarados*

Mewtwo

Electabuzz

Kabutops

Raichu

Alakazam

Arbok

Pidgeot

Primeape

Dragonite

Aerodactyl

Blastoise

Charizard

Snorlax

Snorlax

Gold Version

Meganium*

Ho-Oh

Charmeleon (Mr. Ferraro)

Noctowl (Great British Ninja)

Golduck (Mr. Gibbs)

Raticate

Elekid

Starmie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Battlefields in Florida

As part of my recent obsession with visiting historical sites and battlefields, especially those right here in Florida, I’ve compiled a list of the ones I can visit on a weekend trip. Accessible, inexpensive, and unique- these are the criteria for excitement.

CIVIL WAR

Fort Pickens and the Battle of Santa Rosa Island, Gulf Islands National Seashore- Pensacola

Battle of Natural Bridge- Tallahassee

Battle of St. John’s Bluff- Jacksonville

Battle of Ocean Pond- Olustee

Battles of Fort Brooke and Tampa- Tampa

Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park- Key West

Confederate Cemeteries- Miami

SEMINOLE WARS

Battle of Dunlawton- Port Orange

Battle of Lake Okeechobee- Okeechobee

Fort Gadsden Historic Site, Apalachicola National Forest- Franklin County

Battle of Wahoo Swamp, Withlacoochee State Park- Sumter County

Battle of Jupiter Inlet- Jupiter

Dade Massacre, Dade Battlefield Historic State Park- Bushnell, Sumter County

A Little Bit More Than Fiction

The Fantastic Four

Always there to lend a hand to the other heroes and save the world in their own special way, my absolute favorites are The Thing and the Human Torch.

Captain America

Representing the best in all of us and truly championing American patriotism, Cap is someone we should all look up to.

Superman

Much like Captain America, Superman symbolizes the best we can be.

Wolverine

Sometimes you just have to smoke a cigar and kick ass.

Spider-Man

The most human of the superheroes. I can never say enough about Peter Parker and the price he pays.

 

Tough Guys and Funny People- Favorite Actors

Hello world, you guessed it: another list!

This time the rundown features my favorite actors, the guys who have given me the inspiration to do what I love best- acting! Often times these individuals are more than just legends of the screen, but genuine decent men off stage as well. All except Brando are role models for anybody, not just actors. But since I happen to be an actor as well as a man it works out even better.

1. Errol Flynn (1909-1959)

In the spirit of Adventure! Flynn’s real life adventures were more than any Michael Bay film could ever hope to be. Gold mining in Papua New Guinea, wars in China and Spain, sailing the world, and all while enjoying the comfort of many a good woman. However, Flynn was also a damn fine actor at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age despite being unfortunately typecast as the swashbuckling pirate or cowboy.

Vincent’s Picks: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and They Died With Their Boots On (1941).

2. Paul Newman (1925-2008)

Now earlier when I talked about these guys being more than just role models for actors, I was talking about Paul Newman. I will say that he is perhaps the world’s greatest actor and that’s in large part for what he did with his talents. Philanthropy, charity, humanitarianism, and a fantastic line of sauces. This is the guy every celebrity should aspire to be.

Vincent’s Picks: Cool Hand Luke (1967) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Verdict (1982)

3. Marlon Brando (1924-2004)

Oh boy, Brando is Brando. What can I say? This actor literally revolutionized Hollywood by summoning the end of the Golden Age. Guys like Errol Flynn were outdated over night by Brando and The Method acting brought over from the New York stage. His career may have fizzled and his personal life and attitudes may have been a total wreck, but his lasting influence and ultimate greatness can never be disputed.

Vincent’s Picks: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) On the Waterfront (1954) and Sayonara (1957)

4. James Dean (1931- 1955)

Along with Brando, Dean helped usher in the Method to movie audiences. Look past his larger than life cultural image and you will truly witness a great actor. His role in East of Eden is by far one of the most captivating performances of the past century and with his other two films, he established a legacy of quality that it many ways outshines that of his contemporary, Brando.

Vincent’s Picks: East of Eden (1955) Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956)

5. Clark Gable (1901-1960)

Gable was nicknamed “The King of Hollywood” and for good reason. During the Golden Age of film he was number one. But his popularity was not based necessarily on good looks and charm. Gable had perfect comedic timing and a natural sense of dramatic emotion. People often label George Clooney as the modern Clark Gable and that is totally accurate.

Vincent’s Picks: It Happened One Night (1934) Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) Gone With the Wind (1939) The Misfits (1961)

6. Leonardo DiCaprio (1974-)

Without a doubt the most hardworking and talented actor today, DiCaprio rose above his teen-idol image and turned himself into a gritty dramatic actor who throws himself entirely into his characters. Like the Method Actors, DiCaprio is someone I truly wish to emulate when it come to my own career.

Vincent’s Picks: The Aviator (2004) The Departed (2006) Revolutionary Road (2008)

7. James Cagney (1899-1986)

Out of all of the actors of the Golden Age (including Bogart, Gable, Stewart, Grant) I would put money on Cagney as being the greatest. His approach, unlike the others’ was almost like that of modern day actors. And not only was he a powerfully subtle dramatic actor but he could give Astaire and Kelly a run for their money when it came to tapping. Comedy too, Cagney was extremely versatile and today I put him up there with Brando, Newman, and DiCaprio.

Vincent’s Picks: Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) White Heat (1949)

Top 100 Favorite Comedies!

Just like previous list of top 100 movies in general, this one chronicles the films that fall under the “comedy” genre. Why another list? Simply because so many of this are my favorite movies that I could not include them in the other list. So here we gooo!

1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

2. The Blues Brothers (1980)

3. National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)

4. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

5. Young Frankenstein (1974)

6. It Happened One Night (1934)

7. The Graduate (1967)

8. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)

9. Office Space (1999)

10. This is Spinal Tap (1984)

—————————————————————————————————————-

11. The Producers (1967)

12. Wayne’s World (1992)

13. Shakespeare in Love (1998)

14. The Mask (1994)

15. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

16. Tremors (1990)

17. Scrooged (1988)

19. Major League (1989)

20. Ghostbusters

21. The Jerk

22. Caddyshack

23. Stripes

24. Dumb and Dumber

25. Ghostbusters 2

26. Wedding Crashers

27. National Lampoon’s Vacation

28. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

29. The Cable Guy

30. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

31. Weird Science

32. Sixteen Candles

33. The Breakfast Club

34. Biloxi Blues

35. Joe Dirt

36. Raising Arizona

37. The Big Lebowski

38. The Sandlot

39. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

40. Burn After Reading

41. One, Two, Three

42. Some Like It Hot

43. The Odd Couple

44. Libeled Lady

45. A Night at the Opera

46. Weekend at Bernie’s

47. Liar Liar

48. Spaceballs

49. Blazing Saddles

50. Silent Movie

51. Monty Python’s Life of Brian

52. Singin’ In the Rain

53. Groundhog Day

54. Annie Hall

55. As Good As it Gets

56. Mystery Men

57. Meet the Parents

58. Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny

59. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

60. Mars Attacks!

62. Space Jam

63. The Flintstones

64. Tropic Thunder

65. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

66. Revenge of the Nerds

67. Porky’s

68. The General

67. The Thin Man

68. My Man Godfrey

69. Bringing Up Baby

70. Jerry Maguire

71. Wayne’s World 2

72. Superbad

73. Pineapple Express

74. Boogie Nights

75. Knocked Up

76. Happy Gilmore

77. The Waterboy

78. Little Nicky

79. There’s Something About Mary

80. Tommy Boy

81. The Great Outdoors

82. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

83. Tootsie

84. The Philadelphia Story

85. National Lampoon’s European Vacation

86. Arsenic and Old Lace

87. Harvey

88. Big

89. Mrs. Doubtfire

90. A Day at the Races

91. City Slickers

92. Beetlejuice

93. Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn

94. Goodburger

95. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

96. Life

97. Night at the Roxbury

98. Continental Divide

99. What About Bob?

100. Three Amigos!

101. The Simpsons Movie

Books I’ve Read

The Catcher in the Rye

The Great Gatsby 

1984

Animal Farm 

Slaughter House V

The Lord of the Flies

Jurassic Park

The Invisible Man

The Island of Dr. Moreou 

Frankenstein

Harry Potter (series)

Jaws

The Old Man and the Sea

Night

The Lost World

War of the Worlds

The Time Machine

Great White

Columbo: The Helter Skelter Murders

Cujo

Misery 

Rose Madder

The Red Badge of Courage

Heart of Darkness

Where the Red Fern Grows

Old Yeller

The Yearling

The Black Stallion (and series) 

Big Red (and series)

Their Eyes Were Watching God

The Stranger

Junky

A Tale of Two Cities

The House of the Spirits

The Pearl

Hamlet 

Macbeth

Julius Caesar 

Twelfth Night

Romeo and Juliet 

All Quiet on the Western Front

True Grit

A Land Remembered

Rifles for Waitie

Dante’s Inferno

Things Fall Apart 

The Scarlet Letter

The Good Earth 

To Kill a Mockingbird 

Brave New World

The Name of the Rose

Watchmen

Franny and Zooey

Most Popular Author: William Shakespeare (5) H.G. Wells (4) Stephen King (3) Peter Benchley (2) Michael Crichton (2) J.D. Salinger (2) George Orwell (2)