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Nolan's Pop Culture Review 2009!
   Assistant Editor / Co-Moderator:  Terence Nuzum.                 HOME           ARCHIVES
Established A.D. 2000, March 19. Now in our tenth calendar year!
Number 463  (Vol. 10, No. 6). This edition is for the week of February 2--8, 2009.

"He's Just Not That Into You"
2008 Was A Year to Forget, But--December was a Month to Remember! Part 2
A Look Back in Wax
Byron Leftwich Has A Ring, How ‘bout You? .... The New Greatest Game Ever Played? .... Super Commercials? .... Can’t We All Just Get A Bong? .... Texans Violate Agreement .... Other Notes .... .... y
Bonggate .... Sponsor Loss .... Suspended .... Hang In There Dude o
Good Job Honey! .... What's In A Name .... Roy .... Passing On .... .... .... .... .... My Favorite Films, Part 2... o

Tangled Web

Digital TV Delayed Again (formerly Off Again, formerly On Again)
POSTED BY NOLAN B. CANOVA, FEBRUARY 6, 2009

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
Doug Deal, Feb 6, 50 yrs.
Byron Rocher, Feb 8, 42 yrs.
Cathy Wynkoop, Feb 8, 38 yrs.
Andy Lalino, Feb 17, 42 yrs.
William Moriaty, Feb 24, 54 yrs.
Bobby Tyler, Feb 27, 18 yrs.
Last week it was reported that although the Senate approved a delay in the digital turnover of the country's TV signals until June 12th, the House blocked it, insisting on the original February 17th date. Earlier this week, however, the House capitulated, and the delay is back on again, meaning the digital turnover won't happen until June 12th after all.

This is to help ensure that everyone who needs converter boxes has an opportunity to get one, since the government-sponsored coupon program to obtain them ran into difficulty with funding, resulting in a massive waiting list.

To read my original comments on this situation, please review PCR #462.

Tangled Web
POSTED BY NOLAN B. CANOVA, FEBRUARY 4, 2009

My, my, my, what an embarassing week for so many folks in these here United States.

Eight-time Gold Medal Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps was photographed smoking pot from a bong, President Barack Obama has had to issue a major "oopsie!" for two of his cabinet members having income tax problems, and Nadya Suleman, the woman who successfully bore octuplets is being portrayed as, well, trailer trash.

Phelps, clearly, should have known better than to smoke weed in a public place. Of course, I respect those of you who feel he should've known better than to smoke weed at all, being as he's the idol of millions and a role-model for children. Point taken. The cynic in me, however, pretty much assumes that all celebrities smoke something illegal once the money and power trip start their corrupting influence. But, hey, that's just me. The bigger question I have is how long this has been going on. Has he always smoked pot? I mean even through all the rigorous training required for the Olympics? Since I believe they still test for drugs before competition, he must've abstained from toking for some time beforehand -- or else had a hell of a remedy to cloak piss-test results.

So, a few days ago he gets photographed sucking on a bong for all he's worth, but it's not a great photo. When confronted, it's conceivable he could've just denied the whole thing as a case of mistaken identity. But he 'fessed up, which on the face of it is darn noble if not particularly media-savvy. Despite a heart-felt apology to his fans, I'm sure parents all over the U.S. are wrangling with disillusioned kids who're asking, "Hey, why can't I smoke pot? Michael Phelps does and he's an Olympic champion! It can't be all that bad!"

President Obama has repeatedly dealt with the thorny issue of the company he keeps -- or kept. Nancy Killefer, Obama's pick to be Chief Performance Officer, dropped out of contention Tuesday due to income tax issues. Hours later, former Senator Tom Daschle withdrew his candidacy for Health and Human Services secretary after news of his tax problems surfaced.

Oops! Sorry about that. Killefer and Daschle join the illustrious ranks of Wright, Ayers, Balgojevich and ACORN in the ones-I-thought-I-knew-but-now-I'd-like-to-distance-myself-from club.

Nadya Suleman, 33, the woman who gave birth to octuplets this week, already had six children before that, and as it turns out, conceived all 14 of the children through in vitro fertilization. She is also not married, but has been obsessed with having children since she was a teenager, her mother said.

Reportedly, the sperm donor for all of them was the same man, but his identity is being disputed.

Suleman wants something like $2 million for medical bills by being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer and other media giants. But Gerber and other baby-product manufacturers are running in the other direction. The idea of tacitly approving her actions through public support or product endorsement would send an unseemly message, it seems.


Readers' Comments

The Readers' Comments section for this issue of PCR is now closed. To continue to interact, please use the Message Board or write a Letter to the Editor! The comments below are listed starting with the most recent. Thank you.

Crazed FanComments -- We Welcome Reader Feedback on any article(s) on this page.
matthew [09-02-2009 21:24] 
i stand corrected.
Terence [09-02-2009 21:21] 
Blondie? obviously you have never heard Bob Dylan's Subterrean Homesick Blues.
matthew [09-02-2009 20:07] 
the best rapper alive is Blondie.
J Teezy [09-02-2009 17:34] 
But... but... he's the best rapper alive...

:(
Terence [09-02-2009 09:09] 
to my knowledge that was the big thing this year that Hip Hop had its own category.
matthew [09-02-2009 07:14] 
just checked the link and it doesnt work. type in Saturday Night Live in your search bar, then go to the Michael Phelps/Seth Myers video entitled "Really, with Seth".
matthew [09-02-2009 07:13] 
more on michael phelps. seth myers is hilarious. rock on, SNL.

ROFLMAO!!!

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_ Night_Live/video/clips/really-michael-phelps/999101/
JMILLER [09-02-2009 06:18] 
Sorry I meant UNTALENTED...
JMILLER [09-02-2009 06:17] 
Terence - I agree with you about Lil Wayne being talented...But what do you mean by hip hop being added to the grammys?..Hasnt it always been there...

If it hasnt...Then Lil Wayne is the worst possible representation of the genre...

Also...Do the Grammys even count as a legit award show...Every year they reward the worst of the worst...
Nolan [09-02-2009 05:41] 
Paul! Welcome back. That's great news about Bobby Campo. Hope he remembers his friends here now that he's hit the big time!
Paul Guzzo [09-02-2009 05:37] 
A cool little piece of news I learned ... Bobby Campo who played Yentle in 99 is the lead in the new 3D FInal Destination that will soon be released. Good to see a local boy doing good.
Michael [08-02-2009 21:24] 
Also, I updated the end of the "Blue Thunder" piece. I had to work Saturday morning so I kind of rushed through the Rant to get it to bed before Friday. My bad on the abrupt ending. Enjoy.
Michael [08-02-2009 21:14] 
No wonder his fellow Yanks call him "A-Fraud." I'm so glad that the players I worshiped as a kid were clean. At least I sure hope so.

Nolan, thanks for the comments. I'll pass them on to Chris. I forgot to mention that during the week of JAWSFest he spent most of his free time shadowing Greg Nicotero so that probably explains the gore.
Terence [08-02-2009 20:01] 
my Grammy prediction for album the year? probably coldplay because they are the safe version of Radiohead or maybe Lil Waynes talentless ass because this is the year they added hip hop to the Grammys. but in the end it should go to Radiohead. but not really because technically their album was released in 2007 online on their website. so if they did win itd almost be unfair.
Steve \"Treetop Flyer\" Beasley [07-02-2009 15:54] 
Mike.

BoA are greedy bastards. That's who I worked for back home in Tampa, so I can vouch for that.

The parents who saddled their kids with, shall we say...unpopular names will live to regret their choices, or rather the kids will. But as far as not putting their names on the cakes because a company doesn't like the names....that's BS and insensitive to the kids. It's political correctness run amuck. Sure, the parents were insensitive, but two wrongs don't make a right.

However, as Groucho one said, "Two Wrights can make a damned fine aeroplane!"


Just one man's opinion.
Nolan [07-02-2009 09:29] 
Mike: I watched both of Christopher Goudreault's short films and he indeed has promise. Both are excellent productions, and I'm glad I got a chance to see them, thanks for including the links in last week's Rant.

His editing is tight and both stories say what they have to in the briefest time without unnecessary padding; I cannot overstate how important that is. Well done there.

If I had any criticism, it's that I hope he outgrows the subject matter of ritual slayings, mob hits and the like. Like so many young people around here, the fascination seems to be "I'm super hard-core, I get what drives the darkest of criminals, and I'm not afraid of violence!"

I finally concluded it's this generation's rite of passage as filmmakers. In our day, it was making your first zombie movie. Now it's gangsters.

That said, Goudreault's cast and crew are excellent, graphics and sound are great , and I really liked the in-your-face twisted endings. I think I prefer "Springfield" over "Serial Killer Status" just for the wry, ironic ending.

Matt: "A-Roid", haha. You slay me!
matthew [07-02-2009 07:49] 
it's just been reported that, while with the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriquez tested positive for performance enhanceing drugs.

known thru his career as ARod, i will now forever refer to him, who is just another cheater undeserving of his job, as A Roid.

matthew [07-02-2009 07:12] 
the Rail has been updated to reflect the good judgement by Subway to not be a piling on corporate monstrosity of unforgiveness.
Steve [06-02-2009 20:24] 
Ledbelly 78s?!!

I'll give you 5K - in your account tomorrow.
Terence [06-02-2009 19:30] 
yeah we are lucky here in tampa to have Vinyl Fever and Sound Exchange. we even have at least one big vinyl convention but i forget when it is. i have recently started collecting LPs but my true love is 78rpms. blues and jazz. you can have all the Lps in the world but to collect 78s goes farther you are preserving history, a insight into an america that no longer exists. I wont part with my Leadbelly 78s for nothing in the world.
Michael [06-02-2009 18:38] 
And before I forget: Will, great piece on some St. Pete memories. My grandfather used to live about 6 blocks from the bay on 12th St and we used to take in the city sites often.

ED, so glad to see the Record Revolution is coming back. There are a few record oriented stores here in KC, though some have more CDs then vinyl.
Michael [06-02-2009 18:25] 
I was curious if any of you film makers had a chance to view Chris Gourdreault's films from last week's rant. I'd love to send him some criticism. Personally I thought they were pretty good for a kid with a camera!
Michael [05-02-2009 16:29] 
Around here you can find new albums at Best Buy. Apparently more people enjoy the sound....I know I do. And my wife laughed when I told her that one day my 800 plus album collection would be in style again!
ED [05-02-2009 09:29] 
I would not have thought to look in Best Buy or Borders but I don't go in either of those if I can avoid it. We still have a few music specialty stores here and they didn't carry vinyl the last time I was in.
Terence [05-02-2009 09:20] 
Ed- retailers do carry them. Best Buy has a limited selection and Borders carries a little more. of course for the old stuff you have to go to mom and pop record stores. i luckily have Vinyl Fever down here.
ED [05-02-2009 03:32] 
Ter - I had heard that vinyl was making a comeback and that new albums were being released on it. I haven't seen any retail outlet carrying them though. There aren't that many CD stores left around me now thanks to online sales but te few we do have don't carry vinyl. The show I went to was strictly older stuff. Sweethearts of the Rodeo is a great album. That is one I got years ago at the flea market for $1.
Steve \"Treetop Flyer\" Beasley [05-02-2009 02:09]  
Michael Phelps: He should have known better, but let's give him a break. After all....we were young and stupid once...if not more than once. ;)

Barack Obama: There's an issue. He owned up to it. How many times have we seen a President do that? I'm grateful he didn't try to offer a feeble excuse. He just came out and said essentially, "I messed up." That's about as honest a politician as I have ever seen.

Nadya Suleman: Just plain ignorant. She's an attention seeker. Her kids should be taken by the authorities and adopted out. She should go to prison (or a mental institution) for having litters like a freakin' animal. Maybe she's mentally deranged, so...perhaps it's time to bring mental institutions back!
Terence [04-02-2009 18:44] 
Lux Interior lead singer for the cramps. R.I.P. tis a sad day.
Terence [04-02-2009 14:07] 
I dont know if you know it or not Ed but even modern bands put out there albums on Vinyl once that the cd version comes out and in the case of the new Animal Collective album the vinyl came out a week before the cd!! so kids nowadays and music fans in their 20s and 30s prefer the vinyl. sure you cant listen to it in the car but most vinyl that comes out now includes a code that you enter into the record companies or bands website that allows you to download a mp3 of the album you just bought to transfer to cd if you want. they are a bit pricey but i have been trying to buy all new albums on vinyl.
Terence [04-02-2009 14:03] 
Though i have had a collection of jazz and blues 78rmp records for years I have just recently began collecting Vinyl. even when i buy a album by a new band i buy the vinyl. one of the coolest ones i have bought recently is Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick which folds out into like 10 pages of an imaginary newspaper. I also picked up The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo. I cant pass up vintage Gram Parsons on vinyl.
[31-12-1969 16:00] 
End of Comments    


"Mike's Rant" is ©2009 by Michael A. Smith    "Matt's Rail" is ©2009 by Matthew Drinnenberg     "This Week's Movie Review" is ©2009 by Michael A. Smith    "FANGRRL" is ©2009 by Lisa Scherer Ciurro    "La Floridiana" is ©2009 by William Moriaty    "Retrorama" is ©2009 by ED Tucker    "Sports Talk" is ©2009 by Chris Munger      All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2009 by Nolan B. Canova    
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