Listosaurus Rex

This list of the most memorable TV moments was determined by TV Guide and TV Land in 2004. It initially appeared as a TV special a few years back. Here is the complete 100.

1. September 11 Terrorist Attacks (9/11/01)
2. One Small Step for Man (7/20/69)
3. The Challenger Disaster (1/28/86)
4. I Have a Dream (8/28/63)
5. The Beatles Debut in America (2/9/64)
   “The Ed Sullivan Show”
6. John-John’s Salute (11/25/63)
7. The Whipping of Kunte Kinte (1/24/77)
   “Roots”
8. The M*A*S*H Finale (2/28/83)
   “M*A*S*H”
9. Lucy at the Candy Factory (9/15/52)
   “I Love Lucy”
10. Who Shot J.R.? (3/21/80)
    “Dallas”
11. The O.J. Simpson Verdict (10/3/95)
12. The O.J. Simpson Chase (6/17/94)
13. Tiananmen Square: Man vs. Tank (6/5/89)
14. Ruby Shoots Oswald (11/24/63)
15. The Bombing of Baghdad (1/16/91)
16. The Royal Wedding (7/29/81)
17. The Death of Dale Earnhardt (2/18/01)
18. Sammy Kisses Archie (2/19/72)
    “All in the Family”
19. The President Denies an Affair (1/26/98)
20. The Contest (11/18/92)
    “Seinfeld”
21. The Miracle on Ice (2/22/80)
    “1980 Winter Olympics”
22. The Fugitive Finale (8/29/67)
    “The Fugitive”
23. Princess Diana’s Funeral (9/6/97)
24. Newhart’s Final Surprise (5/21/90)
    “Newhart”
25. Bookworm in The Twilight Zone (11/20/59)
    “The Twilight Zone”
26. Edith Talks Back (1/8/72)
    “All in the Family”
27. Michael Jackson’s moonwalk (5/16/83)
    “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever”
28. Olympic Tragedy in Munich (9/5/72)
29. Nixon Waves Farewell (8/9/74)
30. Eddie Murphy Does James Brown (11/5/83)
    “Saturday Night Live”
31. 60 Minutes with Ayatollah Khomeini (11/18/79)
    “60 Minutes”
32. Saving Baby Jessica (10/16/87)
33. Nadia’s Perfect 10 (7/18/76)
    “1976 Summer Olympics”
34. Hank Aaron Breaks Ruth’s Record (4/8/74)
35. Luke & Laura’s Wedding (11/17/81)
    “General Hospital”
36. Tony’s College Killing (2/7/99)
    “The Sopranos”
37. Clinton Plays the Sax (6/3/92)
    “The Arsenio Hall Show”
38. The Wardrobe Malfunction (2/1/04)
    “Super Bowl XXXVIII”
39. Have You No Sense of Decency? (6/9/54)
40. The Death of Henry Blake (3/18/75)
    “M*A*S*H”
41. Bette’s Farewell to Johnny (5/21/92)
    “The Tonight Show”
42. The Fall of Saigon (4/29/75)
43. Ellen Comes Out (4/30/97)
    “Ellen”
44. The Kennedy-Nixon Debate (9/26/60)
45. Picard Goes Borg (6/18/90)
    “Star Trek: The Next Generation”
46. Mark McGwire Hits #62 (9/8/98)
    “St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs”
47. Curtains for Carol Burnett (11/13/76)
    “The Carol Burnett Show”
48. Sam & Diane’s First Kiss (3/31/83)
    “Cheers”
49. Brandi’s World Cup Strip (7/10/99)
    “FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals 1999″
50. Brody Kisses Berry (3/23/03)
    “The 75th Anniversary Academy Awards”
51. The Oscar Streaker (4/2/74)
52. Sullivan Censors Elvis (1/6/57)
    “The Ed Sullivan Show”
53. Susan Hawk: Snake and Rats (8/23/00)
    “Survivor”
54. The Battle of the Sexes (9/20/73)
55. Gold Medals: Black Power (10/16/68)
    “1968 Summer Olympics”
56. A Charlie Brown Christmas (12/9/65)
    “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
57. Bill Buckner’s Error (10/25/86)
    “1986 World Series: New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox, Game 6″
58. Oliver North Gets Sworn In (7/7/87)
59. Lucy Goes to the Hospital (1/19/53)
    “I Love Lucy”
60. Death of Chuckles the Clown (10/25/75)
    “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”
61. Jordan’s Last Championship Shot (6/14/98)
    “1998 NBA Championship: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz, Game 6″
62. America Held Hostage (11/29/79)
    “Nightline”
63. Elvis’ ‘68 Comeback Special (12/3/68)
    “Elvis Presley’s ‘68 Comeback Special”
64. The Rumble in the Jungle (10/30/68)
    “Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman”
65. Kirk Kisses Uhura (11/22/68)
    “Star Trek”
66. Ross & Rachel’s First Kiss (11/9/95)
    “Friends”
67. Letterman’s Velcro Suit (2/28/84)
    “Late Night with David Letterman”
68. Tim Russert Tallies the Vote (11/7/00)
    “Decision 2000″
69. Belushi’s Samurai Deli (1/17/76)
    “Saturday Night Live”
70. The Cosby Show Debuts (9/20/84)
    “The Cosby Show”
71. An American Family: the Louds (3/8/73)
    “An American Family”
72. Hill and Renko Gunned Down (1/15/81)
    “Hill Street Blues”
73. The First Millionaire (11/19/99)
    “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”
74. Al Capone’s Vault (4/21/86)
    “The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vault”
75. NYPD Nude (9/21/93)
    “NYPD Blues”
76. Alexis & Krystle: Wet & Wild (4/13/83)
    “Dynasty”
77. Schweddy Ball (12/12/98)
    “Saturday Night Live”
78. Nixon Asks, “Sock it to me?” (9/16/68)
    “Laugh-In”
79. Kerri Strug’s Golden Vault (7/23/96)
    “1996 Summer Olympics”
80. Idol Final: Clay vs. Ruben (5/21/03)
    “American Idol”
81. Rosalind Gets the Shaft (2/21/91)
    “L.A. Law”
82. Florida’s Husband Dies (9/29/76)
    “Good Times”
83. Andy Kauffman’s Smackdown (7/28/82)
    “Late Night with David Letterman”
84. The Day After (11/20/83)
    “The Day After”
85. Gary’s Sudden Death (2/12/91)
    “thirysomething”
86. John Dean Testifies (6/25/73)
87. Hugh Grant and Jay Leno (7/10/95)
    “The Tonight Show”
88. The Saving Heart (11/16/83)
    “St. Elsewhere”
89. Rather Gets Roughed Up (8/27/68)
    “The 1968 Democratic Convention”
90. That’s My Boy? (9/25/63)
    “Dick Van Dyke Show”
91. Kramden’s $99,000 Answer (1/28/58)
    “The Honeymooners”
92. Laettner’s Buzzer Beater (3/28/92)
93. Sinead Rips the Pope (10/3/92)
    “Saturday Night Live”
94. Peter Pan Flies (3/7/55)
95. Clarabell Speaks (9/24/60)
    “The Howdy Doody Show”
96. Sam Gets Fired (1/21/04)
    “The Apprentice”
97. Puck Gets the Boot (9/2/94)
    “The Real World: San Francisco”
98. Marcia Brady’s Broken Nose (2/9/73)
    “The Brady Bunch”
99. Brenda & Dylan Do It (5/2/91)
    “Beverly Hills, 90210″
100. Miami Vice Debuts (9/16/84)
     “Miami Vice”

It’s an impressive list. There are a few items — such as #96, the Apprentice and maybe something from Survivor in 2000 — that probably wouldn’t have made the list had it been made more recently, but I still think it stands as a fantastic memoir of unforgettable moments from the first seventy-ish years of television.

One controversy that came about from this list was whether 9/11 really was more memorable than man landing on the moon. However, TV Guide and TV Land put a disclaimer at the very end of the show saying they believe hundreds of years from now, the landing on the moon will be considered a more important event in human history, but that they believe 9/11 was more memorable as a TV event.

Of these 100 moments, I only saw seven live. Several others I’ve seen reruns or clips separate from the show. Then, when I saw the specials revealing the moments, I watched clips from just about every one.

I’m a bit disappointed that no moment from the Simpsons was included, and as a sport aficionado, I wish more sports events had been included. But, overall, I don’t think they left too much out.

I can’t help but wonder what events since mid-2004 would be included on the list if it were re-made today.

As far as sports go, certainly the Red Sox’ amazing comeback against the Yankees to enter the 2004 World Series would be on the list.  I also think Boise State’s Statue of Liberty should be a lock, as I’ll never forget it.  A few other personally memorable moments since then are Notre Dame losing to USC 34-31 in October 2005, the Redskins comeback to beat the Cowboys 14-13 in September 2005, and Tiger Woods’ amazing shot at the 14th hole of the Masters, but I understand those probably wouldn’t stand a chance.

For news and history, definitely Hurricane Katrina and probably the tsunami of 2004.  I’m sure something involving Obama and Clinton would end up there, and maybe something from the War in Iraq.

And for entertainment television, I think something from Ken Jennings miraculous run on Jeopardy would deserve a spot.  The finale of The Sopranos and Friends were both quite memorable, and I think Pam and Jim’s kiss from the end of the show’s second season deserves a spot on there.

What moments would you like to have seen included?  What do you think that’s happened since mid-2004 that would be included today?

Note: I transcribed the list from TVLand.com. The site claims to have some videos of these events, but none of the links worked. That may just be my computer not working properly, though, I don’t know. Either way, clips from many of these can just as easily be found on YouTube.

Bartleby, over at AssociatedContent.com, has ranked the top thirty Ben Folds songs “with and without the Five,” by which he means he’s ranking songs both from Ben’s solo albums and albums by the trio he was in, Ben Folds Five.

Bartleby’s top ten:

1. Annie Waits
2. Evaporated
3. Brick
4. The Luckiest
5. Philosophy
6. Gone
7. Not the Same
8. Don’t Change Your Plans
9. Magic
10. Landed

Though I don’t agree with some of the picks, the list is clearly a product of love, attention, and thought. He’s got some level-headed analysis despite the fanatics who loathe “Brick” because it’s the only Ben song that got major airplay. I respect “Brick” at number three.

In fact, he picked ten very good songs for the top ten. Not a stinker among the bunch. I’m particularly surprised and impressed to see “Gone” at number six. I always thought of it as a “personal favorite,” but I’m glad to see others giving props to it.

Fan favorite “Philosophy” gets a mention pretty high up at number five. Many Ben Folds fans I talk to consider it his masterwork. It is indeed a great song.

My biggest gripe about the list is how “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces” is down at number 28. It’s my absolute favorite Ben Folds song. It’s a bitterly funny revenge song full of some of the catchiest, craziest piano gymnastics you’ll ever hear in the song. A wonder to be heard, indeed.

But overall, I can’t complain about too much. Lots of great picks all around. If you are any sort of Ben Folds fan, I recommend you give his complete list a look, as he has a lot of great analyses and thoughts.

ESPN recently put together a list of the greatest seasons of all time for individuals in college football history. Here is their top ten:

1. 1988 Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State
2. 1924 Red Grange, Illinois
3. 1963 Roger Staubach, Navy
4. 1976 Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh
5. 2005 Vince Young, Texas
6. 1968 Al Worley, Washington
7. 1980 Herschel Walker, Georgia
8. 1984 Doug Flutie, Boston College
9. 1980 Hugh Green, Pittsburgh
10. 1948 Doak Walker, SMU

When it comes to college football, I’m not much of a stat hound or history buff, so I don’t have particularly strong reactions here. The one thing that surprised to see Vince Young so high. That was a great season for him, but top five all time high? Eh. Better than defensive back Al Worley’s astronomical interception-record setting season that they discuss for slot six? Not sure I buy it.

For me, it’s impossible to see Doug Flutie 1984 without thinking of The Hail Mary, and sure enough, it’s mentioned. Talk about a great ending to a football game.

If you want to read the writer’s reasoning for each pick, check out the site.

If you are like me, then stumbling across well-made and well-written lists stirs in you a desire to make a similar list of your own. AFI’s 100 Greatest Movies, Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs, FilmCritic.com’s 50 Greatest Movie Endings, EGM’s 100 Best Video Games… It’s happened to me many times. I read the list, and I’m captivated, and want to delve into the presented material myself, and prove them wrong or very that they’re right.

So, for me, it’s highly inspirational to read people’s ranked lists of life goals. That’s exactly what 43things.com is: any user can join and assemble a list of life goals. The site has gone through each member’s list and presented their users’ cumulative top ten life goals:

1. lose weight
2. stop procrastinating
3. fall in love
4. write a book
5. be happy
6. get a tattoo
7. drink more water
8. go on a roadtrip with no predetermined destination
9. get married
10. travel the world

I think this taps into human nature’s most intrinsic desires: expression and individuality (4, 6), adventure (8, 10), romance (3, 9), health (1, 7), productivity (2), and, of course, overall contentment (5). Nothing about wealth, nor fame, just private happiness. I like that. I think we all could learn a lesson from this marvelous site and its broad base.

Do yourself a favor: give it a look. Maybe you’ll like it, like I did, or maybe you’ll scoff at it as idealistic. But you never know what might be a spark to lead you to being a lot happier in life.

Thanks, Tessa, for the suggestion to spotlight this site! If any other readers have ideas on lists or web-sites for me to spotlight, send me an e-mail at listosaurusrex@gmail.com.

I watched The Shawshank Redemption for about the fifth or sixth time last night, and I still love it. What a good movie. That ending never fails to pump me up.

I’ve decided that the best part of the movie is the script. It ranks right up there with Pulp Fiction, Casablanca, and Annie Hall as my favorite scripts ever. There are so many brilliant moments in the script.

This got me thinking. What exactly are the best moments of this exceptional script?

After several hours of combing through the movie and pulling out the best moments, it is my pleasure to present what I believe are the greatest quotes from the script.

Let it be known that this post is a SPOILER WARNING! If you haven’t seen Shawshank, don’t read this post. In fact, don’t read anything else about the movie. Just go see it as soon possible, it’s a mighty fine movie.

Without further ado, I present my twenty-five favorite quotes and exchanges from The Shawshank Redemption.

——–

(n) = narration

25.

Red (n): I must admit, I didn’t think much of Andy first time I laid eyes on him. Looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over.

24.

Andy: How could you be so obtuse?

23.

Board member: Do you feel you’ve been rehabilitated?
Red: Rehabilitated? Well now, let me see. You know, I don’t have any idea what that means.
Board member: Well, it means that you’re ready to rejoin society…
Red: I know what you think it means, sonny. To me it’s just a made up word. Politicians word, so young fellows like yourself can wear a suit and a tie and have a job. What do you really want to know. Am I sorry for what I did?
Board member: Well, are you?
Red: There’s not a day goes by that I don’t feel regret. Not because I’m in here and because you think I should. I look back on the way I was then, a young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. Try and talk some sense into him. Tell him the way things are. But I can’t. That kid’s long gone, and this old man is all that is left. I gotta live with that. Rehabilitated? That’s just a bullshit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. ‘Cause, to tell you the truth, I don’t give a shit

22.

Warden: Lord, it’s a miracle! A man up and vanished like a fart in the wind.

21.

Red: It’s just shitty pipe dreams. I mean, Mexico is way the hell down there, and you’re in here.

20.

District Attorney: And that, also, is very convenient. Isn’t it, Mr. Dufresne?
Andy: Since I am innocent of this crime, sir, I find it decidedly inconvenient that the gun was never found.

19.

Red: I’m telling you, these walls are funny. First you hate them. Then you get used to them. Enough time passes, it gets so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized.

18.

Red (n): I could see why some of the boys took him for snobby. He had a quiet way about him. A walk and a talk that just wasn’t normal around here. He strolled like a man in a park without a care or a worry in the world, like he had on an invisible coat that would shield him from this place. Yeah, I think it would be fair to say I liked Andy from the start.

17.

Red (n): Geology is the study of pressure and time. That’s all it takes, really. Pressure and time.

16.

Red: Only guilty man in Shawshank.

15.

Heywood: Count of Monte Crisco.
Floyd: It’s Cristo, you dumb shit.
Heywood: By Alexan-dree Dumm-ass. Dumbass?
Andy: Dumm-ass? Dumas. You know what that’s about? You’ll like that, it’s about a prison break.
Red: We ought to file that under educational too, oughtn’t we?

14.

Red (n): And that’s how it came to pass that on the second last day of the job, the convict crew that tarred the plate factory roof in the spring of ‘49 wound up sitting in a row at ten o’clock in the morning drinking icy cold Bohemia-style beer, courtesy of the hardest screw that ever walked a turn at Shawshank State Prison.
Captain Hadley: Drink up while it’s cold, ladies.
Red (n): The colossal prick even managed to sound magnanimous. We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders and felt like free men. Hell, we could have been tarring the roof of one of our own houses. We were the lords of all creation. As for Andy, he spent that break hunkered in the shade, a strange little smile on his face, watching us drink his beer.
Heywood: Hey, want a cold one Andy?
Andy: No thanks, I gave up drinking.
Red (n): You could argue he’d done it to curry favor with the guards or maybe make a few friends among us cons. Me? I think he just did it to feel normal again, if only for a short while.

13.

Andy: You know what the Mexicans say about the Pacific?
Red: No.
Andy: They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory.

12.

Red: They send you here for life, that’s exactly what they’re taking.

11.

Andy: So you don’t forget… forget that there are places in the world that aren’t made out of stone. That there’s something inside that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. It’s yours.
Red: What are you talking about?
Andy: Hope.
Red: Hope? Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. It’s got no use on the inside. You better get used to that idea.
Andy: Like Brooks did?

10.

Andy: I understand you’re a man who knows how to get things.
Red: I’m known to locate certain things from time to time.

9.

Red (n): Sometimes it makes me sad, though, Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty when they’re gone. I guess I just miss my friend.

8.

Brooks: Easy peezy Japanesey.

7.

The Warden: Salvation lies within.

6.

Red (n): Andy crawled to freedom through 500 yards of shit-smelling foulness I can’t even imagine. Or maybe I just don’t want to. 500 yards. That’s the length of five football fields, just shy of half a mile.

5.

Red: This is wear she does that shit with her hair.

4.

Red (n): I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don’t want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I like to think they were singing about something so beautiful it can’t be expressed in words and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away. And for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.

3.

Red: Same ol’ shit, different day.
2.

Andy: I guess it comes down to a simple choice. Get busy living or get busy dying.

1.

Red (n): I find I’m so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it’s the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.