I thought it'd be kinda cool to do a Mt. Rushmore meme, where people can make their own monuments to the best "_________" of a particular field.

US Presidents:

Currently has Lincoln, T. Roosevelt, Jefferson, and Washington. I think they got the wrong Roosevelt on there, but that's just me. Sure Teddy kind of kick started the United States as a Superpower, but FDR guided our country through both the Great Depression and World War II.

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The Mt. Rushmore of Sports:

Babe Ruth - this one's pretty obvious to me. The fact that even non-Baseball people know his name and what sport he played is a sign that the man is larger than the sport he played.

Muhammad Ali - He's the best ever at his sport, but he also transcended it.

Michael Jordan - The greatest basketball player...EVER. The fact that kids in underdeveloped countries know who he is just shows that...they make his shoes. hahah

the last one's pretty tough, but I think I'm going to have to go with

Pele - Soccer is the world's sport, period. Pele is the most recognizable soccer player in the world, so I have to give it to him.

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Movie Directors

Stanley Kubrick - He was a true cinematic artist. How can you leave the man who directed "Dr. Strangelove," "Paths of Glory," "2001," "A Clockwork Orange," "The Shining," "Full Metal Jacket," "Barry Lyndon," and "Eyes Wide Shut" off this list?.

Akira Kurosawa - Like Kubrick, he was incapable of making a poor film. He was consistently brilliant.

Steven Spielberg - Never has any artist melded the pop with the art on such a high level. It's like the man has a pipeline from the human soul to the movie screen.

this last name is difficult because my knowledge of European cinema is sorely lacking. So for now, I'm going to have to put

Francis Ford Coppola - If all he directed were the first two "Godfather" films, he'd deserve to be on this list. But when you add "Apocalypse Now," fuggedaboutit.

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Superheroes

Superman - Duh. The grandaddy of them all.

Batman - The crazy uncle of them all.

Wolverine - The family outcast of them all.

Wonder Woman - The Amazonia queen of them all. Plus because she has an invisible jet. How wacked out is that?

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World Citizens

Martin Luther King - MLK and Malcolm X both represent all that is great about our country. They were our greatest citizens.

Mahatma Gandhi - If this man had been alive 2000 years ago, they would create religions about him. He quite simply represents everything that humanity should be.

Mother Theresa - Why she hasn't been sainted yet is beyond me. She's charity personified.

Moses - I have to put him on here. The fact that a Prince of Egypt saw the error of his ways and became a leader of slaves is quite amazing.

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Food Network Stars

Emeril Lagasse - There wouldn't be a Food Network without him.

Julia Child - I don't think she's technically ever been on "the Food Network," but there certainly wouldn't be such a thing as the Food Network without her.

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto - Iron Chef. Japan. That's all you need to know.

Bobby Flay - Big flavors. If I were asked which F. Network star's food I'd most like to taste, he'd win hands down.

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The Worst US Presidents

Andrew Johnson - Talk about being on the wrong side of history. He completely bungled the Reconstruction effort. It's sad to think how great our country would be today had Lincoln survived to serve out the entirety of his second term.

Richard Nixon - It's hard to imagine a more controversial president than Nixon. I think he also holds the record for lowest approval rating.

James Buchanan - Although it's unfair to heap all of the blame for the disintegrating Union on his shoulders, the man was pretty ineffective as a President.

this last one's hard. I think I know who might belong here, but as he says, "history will determine his successes and failures." ;-)

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US Authors

Mark Twain - I think this is a slam dunk and needs no explaining. But if you need a reason, read "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

John Steinbeck - I struggled with him versus Hemingway, but I can't vote against "The Grapes of Wrath," "Of Mice and Men," and "In Dubious Battle."

Stephen King - I think history will look back VERY fondly on Stephen King. Although a lot of his stuff is total pulp, his great books rank right up there with anything that's ever been written in our country.

Edgar Allen Poe - Like King, he gets high marks for being read by both intellectual and common folk. And the fact that everyone knows the expression, "Quote the Raven, nevermore" says something about his writing...or the Simpsons, I'm not quite sure.

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Movie Villains

Darth Vader - DUH! The voice and the suit. They seal the deal.

Hannibal Lecter - DUH! The scaries thing about him is that he'll get you by getting into your mind. That's just f'ed up.

The Wicked Witch of the West - She scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. Who am I kidding, she still scares the crap out of me.

Mr. Potter - In true mythological fashion, you can't have a man as good as George Bailey without a man as twisted as Mr. Potter. Good stuff.

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that's all for now. That was fun. More to come later! :-)

matt out