There is only one way to settle the ongoing feud between Palestra Jon and Bob T.: a dance marathon.
Cuban Cliff’s Notes
Cuba’s been in the news a lot lately, due to the fact that Fidel is stepping down. Here’s a few things you might wanna know about the place:
- It was the first island discovered by Columbus. He immediately enslaved and killed most of the indiginous population (especially the ones who resisted Christianity), and within a century almost all of the native population had been destroyed by the Spanish.
- Cuba was a Spanish possession from 1511-1898.
- In 1848, James Polk commissioned his ambassador to Spain to offer them $100 million for the island, but the Spaniards refused the offer.
- Cuba’s national hero is a poet named Jose Marti, who was a leader of the movement which resulted in Cuba’s independence in 1898.
- Remember the Maine! To Hell With Spain! The sinking of the USS Maine is one of the original conspiracy theories. Donspiracist, can you clear this up for us?
- An American, Charles Magoon, was appointed of governor of Cuba and retained his position as leader of the supposedly independent nation three years (1906-1908).
- Fulgencio Batista was running a distant third in the 1952 elections when he decided to just say the hell with it and staged a coup, becoming leader by force.
- In 1956, hundreds of Cuban officers attempted a coup against Batista. It failed, but the result was that the army was weak when Castro staged his coup a couple of years later.
- As is depicted in Godfather 2, there were a lot of casinoes in Cuba before the Revolution, almost all of them owned by the US Mob.
- Thousands of Batista backers were executed by Castro following the coup.
- Most cars in Cuba are US 1950s models, which are called yank tanks. They have usually been modified to accept replacement engines.
- The Mariel boatlift, depicted in Scarface, was a diabolically sharp maneuver by Castro in 1980 to rid his country of criminals and malcontents.
- The Cuban government still regularly imprisons journalists who question the direction of the country.
- Cuba has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, as 99.8 of it’s people are literate.
- According the WHO, Cuba and Canada have the lowest infant mortality rates in the Americas. Life expectancy in Cuba is similar to that in the US. Doctors in Cuba make $15 a month.
William Buckley quotes and writings
- Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could.
- Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.
- The central question that emerges…is whether the White community in the South is entitled to take such measures as are necessary to prevail, politically and culturally, in areas where it does not predominate numerically? The sobering answer is Yes—the White community is so entitled because, for the time being, it is the advanced race.
- Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.
- I’d rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.
- (Of George W. Bush): If you had a European prime minister who experienced what we’ve experienced, it would be expected that he would retire or resign.
- A Conservative is a fellow who is standing athwart history yelling “Stop!”
- I won’t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.
Toughest questions from last week
- Joaquim Phoenix played Commodus in Gladiator. True or False: Commodus was an actual Roman emperor who fought in gladiatorial events.
- What is Daisy’s last name in the Great Gatsby?
- This Philadelphia Eagle led the team to two championships and his #15 is retired by the organization.
- Stanford White designed the 2nd incarnation of this famous edifice, then was shot and killed in it’s rooftop garden.
- Who was the only 20th century president to not get a college degree?
- Which of these players scored the most points while they were a member of the 76ers?
a) Charles Barkley b) Allen Iverson c) Julius Erving d) Wilt Chamberlain - This street in San Francisco, which share a name with a Philly street,is known as the crookedest street in the world.
- Formerly known as the Bank of America Tower, the Columbia Center, a 967 foot tall buiding made of granite, is what cities tallest building?
- The first one of these books was issued in February of 1878.
- Under what president did John Foster Dulles serve as Secretary of State?
Sponsors for Quizzo Bowl IV
Off to the dentist yet again. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. In the meantime, quick note: I have two sponsors so far for Quizzo Bowl IV, which I’ll be telling y’all about soon. If your company would like to be a sponsor (It’s not expensive and it’s gonna get a lot of exposure), please get a hold of me ASAP. I am going to try to get the sponsorships lined up by the end of the week, so I can put out the press release next week.
Automatons Thrown into Disarray!
Starbucks is going to close for three hours today. If this upsets you, I hear that there are some great rental properties in Manayunk. You should look into them. Oh, and Applebee’s now has karaoke on Thursdays. Just thought you might be interested. Also, a quick reminder: Starbucks has been named Philly’s Best Coffee by Philly Style Mag for two years running. As for my picks: I like Beauty Shop Cafe at 20th and Fitzwater, La Colombe at 19th and Walnut, Mugshots at 21st and Fairmount, and La Va at 21st and South.
Hooray for Ralph Nader
Here they come again.The Nader haters, crying about how Nader is going to screw things up again. I don’t think Nader will get a lot of votes this year, especially if Obama wins the nomination. I voted for Nader in 2000, and will vote for him again if Hillary makes a comeback. I don’t think that if Obama wins he should enter the race. But I appreciate his hutzpah. Nader has proven himself more of a man of the people than any of the other 3 candidates, and isn’t that what a president supposed to be? On top of that, who are the Democrats to think that a two party system is their Constitutional right? I think the Founding Fathers would welcome more than two trains of thought, especially when the two ruling parties are at all time lows in terms of popularity with the American people. Of course, the media seeks conflict, not substance, so every story you read about Nader will be about his role as spoiler, not about his bringing to the table major topics such as corporate malfeasance and the situation in Israel and Palestine.
Also, I am a man who enjoys entertainment, Nader will certainly bring that to the table. My hope is that he makes Ron Paul his running mate. That would make this the greatest election in the history of mankind, and we’d see more blimps than we’ve seen since that fateful day in 1937.
RELATED: Huffington Post has a good story about why Ralph running is a mistake.
What’s the worst movie to win a Best Picture since 1990?
I think that this is a no-brainer, but I wanna see what you guys think. Feel free to defend your vote below.
Question of the week
What female sex symbol got top billing in the first film to ever win the Academy Award for Best Picture, Wings?
Am I the only person who liked this movie?
I feel like American Beauty is one of the most hated on Best Picture award winners, and I really liked it. I thought it had a unique plot, and really, how many movies are made about midlife crisis that aren’t just predictably crappy (Wild Hogs, anyone?). I thought their were several hilarious sequences, and “The King” was a great character. I thought the movie kind of made light of it’s own pretentions, and I liked it’s creepy overtones. Anyways, feel free to rake me over the coals below. Tonight I plan on watching the Magnificent Seven, which was on late last night so I taped it. Will let you know what I think. I watched Born Into Brothels over the weekend and thought it was really good.