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PCR #419 (Vol. 9, No. 14) This edition is for the week of March 31--April 6, 2008.
Mike's RantMike's Bust
Hello gang! Very brief this week -- working overtime for extra honeymoon money! Shall we begin?

MOVIE REVIEW
"Shine A Light"  by Mike Smith
RETRORAMA
The Yellow Submarine Chronicles Part Two: You Could Pass for the Originals  by ED Tucker
MATT'S RAIL
Politico .... Dot Com Me Baby .... New Kid On The Block ....  by Matt Drinnenberg
MIKE'S RANT
Thanks Ed .... 40 Years Ago .... Passing On .... Can I Have Your Autograph .... .... .... .... .... And The Oscar For 1976 Should Have Gone To...  by Mike Smith
LETTERS
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THANKS ED
A tip o' the hat to ED Tucker for his piece this week on "Yellow Submarine" and the Beatles cartoons. I was one of those kids who sat transfixed, singing along while following the bouncing ball. One of my proudest possessions is a video tape containing these cartoons.

40 YEARS AGO
This Friday, April 4, marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I wonder what Dr. King would make of the state of our country these days. He was very vocal about the Vietnam war, so I'm sure he wouldn't be too pleased with Iraq. I can guarantee you that he would have had heads rolling after the way our government handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And I'm sure he would have been proud that a black man is only a few months away from possibly becoming President of the United States.

Dr. King has been dead more years then he lived (he was 39 when he died) but his influence and legacy are still felt. I can remember back to an early September morning in 1997 when I was in Memphis, Tennessee. I woke up early to begin the 8 hour drive to Kansas City. Going down an almost deserted road I saw ahead of me a lighted sign reading "Lorraine Hotel." As someone who prides himself with a decent knowledge of history, I practically kicked myself for not remembering that Memphis was where Dr. King was shot. Only the name of the hotel triggered that memory. I pulled into the parking lot and looked up at the second floor rooms. On one end I could see the roped off area which blocks the room Dr. King stayed in and the balcony he was on when he was shot. A very sobering moment, and one I didn't have again until I finally visited Dealy Plaza in Dallas last year. Now as a sad anniversary comes and goes, it's time to hope that the lessons that were trying to be taught 40 years ago are finally learned.

PASSING ON
Sean Levert, son of the O'Jays lead singer Eddie Levert, and one third of the popular singing group Levert passed away this week after being sentenced to jail for failure to pay back child support. He was 39.

CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH
Just to show he still has a sense of humor, former Roger Clemens trainer Brian McNamee has taken to autographing itmes while giving fans a take off of Clemens signature, which he usually follows with "Cy 07," commemorating the seven Cy Young awards he won. McNamee is now signing items with his name and putting "Ly 0," indicating he hasn't lied about Clemens in his hearing testimony.


AND THE OSCAR FOR 1976 SHOULD HAVE GONE TO...

Peter Finch is mad as hell (and dead) while Stallone is only mad!

Return next week for a full debate on the Academy Awards for 1976.

Well, that's all for now. Sorry I was so brief. More next time I promise. Have a great week. See ya!



"Mike's Rant" is ©2008 by Michael A. Smith.  Webpage design and all graphics herein are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2008 by Nolan B. Canova.