He doesn't look like the same lovable loser from the first couple Rocky movies anymore, but give Sylvester Stallone a break. He turns 63 years old today. That's nearly the same age Burgess Meredith was when played the manager to the Italian Stallion. Yeesh.

Say what you like about some of the stinkers in Stallone's career -- and, well yeah, he had a couple: Rhinestone, Cobra ... and we dare not mention Oscar and Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot. (Hope they paid well, at least.)

These days, Stallone is keeping a lower profile but he's still hard at work in front of the camera. Look for him in 2010 in The Expendables and The Zookeeper. And yes, a Rambo V is reportedly in the works for 2011. (What's the possible plot line? John Rambo running the local VFW?)

But the point here is deep, deep down inside nearly every Stallone flick, there's a nugget of wisdom that can be mined and used when life's got you down. So fire up your DVD player and get ready to learn, because this list is Sly's birthday gift to the rest of us.

TOP 5 LINES OF WISDOM FROM STALLONE FLICKS:

5. "There are no friendly civilians!"  (First Blood)

4. "Your body has to be here, but your mind can be anywhere." (Lock Up)

3. "Boy, sometimes charity really hurts!" (Rocky III)

2. "Rambo's a p---y." (Tango & Cash)

1. "Going in one more round when you don't think you can - that's what makes all the difference in your life." (Rocky IV)

[AP photo]