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Nolan's Pop Culture Review 2010!
Assistant Editor / Co-moderator: Terence Nuzum

Established A.D. 2000, March 19. Now in our eleventh calendar year!
Number 530  (Vol. 11, No. 21). This edition is for the week of May 17--23, 2010.

Culture
R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio
Oil Spill in the Gulf
Readers' Comments


-- THE FIRST DECADE --
Crazed Fanboy's Most Memorable Moments, 2000--2009
As submitted by PCR writers, compiled by Chris Woods
20,000 LEAGUES INTO THE TOILET
From 2004, ED Tucker's story of greed, deception, and corruption in the Magic Kingdom.
This is morbidly ridiculous. We're in another period of relentless obits. After years of saying goodbye to my pop-culture heroes, it doesn't get any easier.


R.I.P. RONNIE JAMES DIO
POSTED BY NOLAN B. CANOVA, TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2010

A few days ago, I heard the news of the passing of rock/heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio at age 67 from stomach cancer. It came as quite a shock.

There are less than ten instances in my life when a piece of music so impressed me, I actually remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it (Led Zepplin IV and Van Halen are two examples). Hearing Dio sing with Black Sabbath is one of them. I had started my rock band, Blade, in the late '70s as, basically, a cover band meant to pay tribute to rock legends of the day, with an emphasis on Heavy Metal. Without going into intense detail (which would serve only as a needless digression), I was lying in bed relaxing early evening around summer 1980, pondering my band's set-lists and such while listening to 98 Rock's Album Hour (or some such title). Suddenly, this goliath voice jumped from the speakers backed by incredibly heavy guitar riffs. Reverse-engineering my aging memory, it was almost certainly tracks from the album Heaven and Hell. I was only half paying attention up to that point, remembering Sabbath as being non-relevant after the exit of Ozzie Osbourne. Listening to the radio host's ramblings made me aware that this new singer was Ronnie James Dio, formerly of Rainbow. Dio revitalized Black Sabbath from back-burner status to the top of the heap.

When the Heavy Metal movie came out (1981), the chilling sounds of The Mob Rules ("Taarna" sequence) totally transfixed me. When 98 Rock played The Sign of the Southern Cross from the same album, it was so transendental, I changed my set-list to include exclusively Dio Sabbath material (save for Ozzie's Paranoid, War Pigs, and Iron Man, of course!). I remember thinking it doesn't get any better than this. (Ian Gillan's stint with Sabbath was impressive, but Dio was the shit.)

Now, I remember hearing him on Rainbow's Man on the Silver Mountain, and that was great (I probably wasn't even paying attention to who the singer was at the time, I was a guitar-player), but this was different....huge....gothic...mystical and cavernous. All from a diminutive man (5'4") from upstate New York.

His earliest recognition came from blues-pop band Elf, and I still have a cassette tape of them somewhere. I continued to follow his success with Dio (his own band, and the only time I saw him in concert), and hits like Rainbow in the Dark and Holy Diver. I thought it was great when he came full circle to rejoin Sabbath in recent years with their new touring iteration called, appropriately enough, Heaven and Hell.

Despite being diagnosed with stomach cancer last summer, Dio kept touring and intended to exit his chemotherapy with more recordings and tour dates. Alas, it wasn't to be. He died at home May 16, 2010. We've lost one of rock's true greats and he will be sorely missed.


OIL SPILL IN THE GULF
POSTED BY NOLAN B. CANOVA, TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2010

Capped? Well, sort of. Siphoning. Still leaking. And the clean-up. We wait and watch in Florida to see if the Gulf currents bring any sludge our way. More later.



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.
Petrey [22-05-2010 16:22] 
I forgot to say that yes, there are those weird few that are genuinely happy and have been for years. As a matter of fact the Stepfords (Old family friends) were over the other day and they looked fine and she smiled the whole time when fetching her old man a beer. She wasn't faking either because, trust me I can spot a faker a mile away after all these years.
Petrey [22-05-2010 16:14] 
Steve, Every man that is hitched knows it's the truth. I have mostly married friends and their chains don't reach far. The funny thing is that when they scream they are going to 'leave that miserable broad', when it comes time to do so I usually get a phone call from them crying saying, "Pray for us". Hence the balls strapped to the rear view for proof of ownership.

You know from a biblical standpoint (WOW! Everyones eyes lit up!) the bible says we have freedom of choice or something like that which is BS because just about everyone I know who REALLY wants to leave his wife or husband always crawl back with their smell between their legs. It takes drugs sad to say if ya been in the prison yard long. Hey, to each his/her own. Everyone I wish happiness upon to them if they are married. But PLEASE don't call me for 8 months to a year and cry about leaving 'that bitch' when it usually always ends up a cryfe...a cryfes..., BAhaaaa....sniffle, ya see. It's catching, ha!
matthew [22-05-2010 07:58] 
you are still in your birthday week, terence. so continue to do it up right.
Chris Woods [21-05-2010 15:20] 
Nolan - I liked your write up on Ronnie James Dio. I was a fan of his work in Rainbow, Sabbath, and his solo stuff. He was a great fellow Upstate New Yorker and he will be missed.
Terence [21-05-2010 09:33] 
Thanks for the B-Day wishes everyone! Im 31 years of pure heathen.
Bones Beasley [21-05-2010 03:43] 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THESE INSANE FANBOYS!

Jason Fetters, Jason Liquori, Chris Woods, Terence Nuzum
Michael [20-05-2010 20:57] 
Happy Birthday T. Finally, you're at the age where it's mandatory to appreciate the works of Steven Spielberg (except for "Hook").
Steve *The Googler* Beasley [20-05-2010 20:02] 
Petrey: I wish I'd have come up with this line! Hilarious!

*pssst*, (stay away from the sirens). And I don't mean the cops, I mean the ones that have that lovely voice, beautiful eyes and eventually hang your balls from the rear view mirror to add to their car's decor for proof of ownership.
Chris Woods [19-05-2010 18:52] 
New Schlock Review posted: LAS VEGAS LADY
CAP [19-05-2010 18:51] 
I stuff my hands in my pants and cry myself to sleep! WAAAAHHH.... Oooh... that feels good ... WAAAAAHH ... feels good ... WAAAAH!
Simon Lynx [19-05-2010 16:44] 
Congrats Randy Savage on your wedding.
Apollo Hair Care [19-05-2010 12:34] 
Dear GOD, Tez is that young? What happened to Zod's hair? Don't worry, though, lots of men pull off the bald look quite well. Check in with a hair stylist, and go over your options.
Petrey [19-05-2010 10:27] 
Happy Birthday Terence and you are NOW officially in your 30's. Get ready for ideas and feelings about issues in the decade ahead to change from the energized bunny rabbit 20's in a drastic manner. Oh jeez, that sounds depressing. Let's start over, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and *pssst*, (stay away from the sirens). And I don't mean the cops, I mean the ones that have that lovely voice, beautiful eyes and eventually hang your balls from the rear view mirror to add to their car's decor for proof of ownership, ha! :)
Nolan [19-05-2010 08:35] 
Happy Birthday to Crazed Fanboy's second-in-command, Terence Nuzum! To all on Facebook who got a notice of "our" birthday, just a reminder that that page is registered under Terence's name and profile, not mine. Terence and I welcome and appreciate all the well-wishes notwithstanding!
CAPTAIN NEMO [19-05-2010 05:59] 
EDS ARTICLE 2000 LEAGUES INTO THE TOILET IS ONE OF THE BEST ARTICLES I HAVE EVER READ ON YOUR SITE.
Steve [18-05-2010 20:40] 
Well, Mr. Mueller, I'd say you're about as effed up as a football bat!
Tom Mueller, BP spokesman [18-05-2010 19:48] 
Hello, Fanboys. Here is BP's official stance on the oil spill:

“This is all part of reinventing technology. It’s not what I’d call a problem — it’s what I’d call learning, reconfiguring, doing it again.”
ED [18-05-2010 15:14] 
First from Vegas baby!
Petrey [18-05-2010 13:41] 
The oil rigged is capped Nolan? Cool! However I must say that my sister is coming down for a vacation and if it affects her beach time June to July I will take a Cabbage patch kid hostage at gunpoint. If the spill is still not cleaned up and moved away from our beaches then that hostage dies and yet another Cabbage patch kid will be taken hostage. BTW, PLEASE email me with info on what Thrift stores have Cabbage patch kids in stock in your area. Much obliged.

Petrey [18-05-2010 13:32] 
Third turd
Second [18-05-2010 13:10] 
First Contact maker? Are we Borg?
First Contact Maker Lisa [18-05-2010 09:42] 
First!
[31-12-1969 16:00] 
End of Comments    

Please consider making a donation to help support Crazed Fanboy! Click on the "donate" link below and give whatever you can. I sincerely thank you for any and all consideration.---Nolan
"Mike's Rant" is ©2010 by Michael A. Smith     "This Week's Movie Review" is ©2010 by Michael A. Smith     "The Audio Philes" is ©2010 by Terence Nuzum     "La Floridiana" is ©2010 by William Moriaty    "FANGRRL" is ©2010 by Lisa Scherer    "Retrorama" is ©2010 by ED Tucker    "Growing Up Fanboy" is ©2010 by Chris Woods    "Sports Talk" is ©2010 by Chris Munger     "The Asian Aperture" is ©2010 by Jason Fetters     "Lampin' @ the 6th Borough" is ©2010 by John Miller      All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2010 by Nolan B. Canova    
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