Hot-Lanta

Word of the day :

Well, everyone in the Fischer household has pretty much recovered from their respective illnesses.  Gabriel is back at school, Julia is doling out exams, and Daisy and I are out on the golf course trying to spot red foxes.

Tomorrow, we're going to Atlanta.  We have free zoo passes and will stop (hopefully, assuming it's not too crowded) at a diner featured on Guy Fieri's triple-D show.

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's post.  Today, I'll keep it shorter.

First, a Soul Track:

 

How about a lost classic, like Ollie and the Nightingale's "Just a Little Overcome"? It's a 1971 track that can be found on the group's 1993 greatest-hits collection  

The group, led by singer Ollie Hoskins, started out as a Memphis gospel group; an early member, David Ruffin, later went on to be the lead singer of The Temptations.  In 1968, the group was signed by the Stax label - that Memphis titan that gave us so many great albums and artists, from Otis Redding to Booker T and the MGs, from Isaac Hayes to the Staple Singers, from Rufus Thomas to Wilson Pickett.  When the group joined Stax, they started making secular music, Deep Soul tracks.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWWLnj3RGPw

New Movies Opening This Week:

Dark Shadows    I'm not really sure why in the world this was remade, but judging by the previews, it seems like we've seen this Tim Burton-Johnny Depp brand of dark, campy, flakiness before.  For those like me who have no idea what the long-running (1966-1971) cult ABC soap opera was about - well, think vampires.  Depp plays a vampire who, after spending 200 years in a coffin, finds himself in a fishing village in Maine i 1972.  Cue the bloody silliness and 70s jokes: macrame, Karen Carpenter, lava lamps, Steve Miller Band.  I'm kinda thinking this one might bomb, but it has a good cast, which includes the always welcome Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Eva Green, and Burton spouse and regular Helena Bonham Carter; a reputed highlight involves Alice Cooper (well, it is 1972).  Critics seem indifferent.

Today is the 135th anniversary of Rutherford B. Hayes' installation of the first ever telephone in the White House.  Who, you might ask, is Rutherford B. Hayes?  Well, here are ten facts that might help you know more about this President with Cincinnati connections (all facts are from http://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/president/):

- He was the 19th president of the United States, serving from 1876-1870
- He was born in Delaware, Ohio.  His dad died when he was but a few months old.  He was raised by his mother and her younger bachelor brother. 
- He graduated from Kenyon College, studied for a year in a Columbus law office, and moved to Cincinnati where he became a successful lawyer.
- He was a Republican, opposed to slavery.
- His wife, Lucy, was the First Lady to graduate from college; the two had eight children.  She was also the first president's wife to be called "First Lady."   
- He was severely wounded in the Civil War at the Battle of South Mountain (in Maryland in September of 1862), a Union Victory.  In fact, he was wounded in the War four times. 
- He served two governorships in Ohio.
- As President, he tried to heal the wounds of the Civil War.  What else?  He sought and got the ball rolling on civil service reform, tried to protect freed African Americans' civil rights, appointed qualified men to government positions, preached the rights of the poor and lower classes, and signed a bill that allowed women attorneys to appear before the Supreme Court.
- He was the first president to travel to the west coast while in office.
- Finally, he was the president to initiate the still-held tradition of the post-Easter "Easter Egg Roll" on the lawn of the White House.

There was some talk on ESPN this morning about the dreaded "legacies," a common enough topic this time of year during playoff season.  If Duncan and the Spurs can win a title (Duncan's 5th!), where would that place Duncan all-time... If Kobe can get the Lakers to the Finals (for the 8th time!), if Lebron finally wins one, etc.  You get the drift.  Which got me thinking...

I've never made a list as far as the NBA is concerned, but here goes.  I will attempt to list the 25 Greatest Players of My Lifetime.  I didn't really start conscienitously watching the NBA until I was maybe 7 or 8, so this list will take into account the years 1987 or so to the present.  Some of the players (Magic, Bird, I saw towards the tail-end of their career, but I will still rank them as if I had watched them from their rookie season on, so indulge me).

I take into account the following: talent, skill sets (obviously, right?), wins, playoff success, titles, MVPs, scoring, rebounding titles, how well they defined their position, the teams they had around them, amongst others.

1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Hakeem Olajuwon
5. Lebron James
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. Tim Duncan
8. Dirk Nowitzki
9. Scottie Pippen
10. Larry Bird
11. Charles Barkley
12. John Stockton
13. Karl Malone
14. Dwayne Wade
15. Steve Nash
16. Kevin Garnett
17. Patrick Ewing
18. Reggie Miller
19. Clyde Drexler
20. Pau Gasol
21. Paul Pierce
22. Kevin Durant (he will obviously move up the list)
23. Dikembe Mutombo
24. Isaiah Thomas
25. (tie) Tony Parker, Allen Iverson
   
Honorable Mentions:  David Robinson, Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Dennis Rodman

Arguments?