LEWIS AND CLARK AT COSTCO: Yesterday was the 200th anniversary of the start of Lewis and Clark's journey to the Pacific, and to mark the occasion the National Archives released some of the duo's papers, including their shopping lists. Besides the usual assortment of opiates for pain, "thunder clappers" for purging, ink, wax, and quills, the pair got a special rate on the 193-pound container of "portable soup," a paste made of boiled-down beef and cow's hooves, eggs and vegetables. Alas, the soup proved to be something of a dud amongst the men, and was usually consumed only when starvation was nigh.

DON'T YOU LET NOTHING, NOTHING STAND IN YOUR WAY: Good friend and frequent comments contributor Bob Elwood had the following to say about the murder of John Whitehead, which I reprint here with his permission:

It is with great sadness that we note the murder on Tuesday of John Whitehead, a key figure in the "Philly Sound." Whitehead was best known for his hit "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" which he recorded with his longtime collaborator Gene McFadden and which hit #13 on the pop charts in 1979. That song became an unofficial anthem for the Phillies during their World Series championship in 1980 and the Eagles during their run to the Super Bowl in 1981.

Whitehead was a truly amazing talent. He co-wrote the song "Back Stabbers," which the O'Jays took all the way to #3 in 1972. It was the first hit for Philadelphia International Records, which went on to record dozens of soul classics during the 1970's. In 1973, Whitehead wrote "I'll Always Love My Mama", which the Intruders turned into a major hit. He followed that up with two huge hits for Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes -- "Bad Luck", which hit #15 in 1975, and "Wake Up Everybody," which hit #12 later that year. Both of these songs were sung by Teddy Pendergrass, whose gravelly soul voice resembled Whitehead's. Whitehead and McFadden produced countless other soul artists.

What always struck me about Whitehead's songs was the way that he could embody an important message within a hook-laden arrangement. Take his signature hit "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now." You hear it at graduation ceremonies and at sports events. Most people respond to it as a statement of personal empowerment or the realization of a dream, as Leo Sacks notes in the article cited above. But I have always thought there was a deeper meaning hidden beneath the feel good surface. It seemed to me that the song was about the civil rights movement. Consider the lyrics in that light and ask yourself if you can imagine Martin Luther King giving an emotional speech using these very words:

There have been so many things that held us down.
But now it looks like things are finally comin' around.
I know we've got, a long long way to go,
and where we'll end up, I don't know.
But we won't let nothing hold us back,
we're putting ourselves together,
we're polishing up our act!
If you've ever been held down before,
I know you'll refuse to be held down anymore!

Don't you let nothing, nothing,
Stand in your way!
I want ya'll to listen, listen,
to every word I say, every word I say!

Whitehead's songs have a timeless quality. Over 30 years after the fact, "Back Stabbers" is still a powerful song. Each Mother's Day, you hear "I'll Always Love My Mama" on the radio and it makes you smile. In closing, let me note that the following lines from "Wake Up Everybody" seem to apply to the present just as well as they did in 1975.

Wake up everybody, no more sleeping in bed
No more backward thinking, time for thinking ahead
The world has changed so very much
From what it used to be
there is so much hatred, war, and poverty

HOW SWEET THE SOUND: CBS has already given the go-ahead for Amazing Race 6, even before Race 5 starts airing in July. That tells me that we've got another good season in store this summer.

Oh, for the simple pleasures of a show that relies upon the difference between unleaded and diesel fuel for its drama . . . .

WAKE HIS MOTHER AND RING THE BELL: Andy Dick, arrested again.

YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK: What's the biggest problem facing Louisiana today? It is unemployment? Is it massive corruption in government? Is it stagnation in the tourism industry? Is it even how many Hurricanes are too many? No, the number one issue facing Louisiana today is baggy pants. Please do not show your butt in Louisiana. Well, Gallagher ought to be quite happy, as the issue was #4 on his platform in his race for California governor.

I'M LISTENING: Another week, another ballyhooed NBC sitcom finale (where was the hype when "Facts of Life" was cancelled?). This time it's Frasier's time to say goodbye and mess with your Tivo. One of Frasier's signature bits, of course, was the anonymous celebrity voices calling his KACL show and the exhaustive Goodnight Seattle Web site has a list of all of the guest callers from Marv Albert to Pia Zadora, plus the reasons why they picked up the phone. Close to the Doc's fictional home, The Olympian looks at the list of the show's memorable on-camera guest stars over the years, including seven fellow "Cheers" co-stars. And the always great Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Sun-Times recounts his 10 favorite episodes, while the TV critic for the St. Petersburg Times has a list of reasons why you should watch the "Frasier" finale and why it was time for the show to go.

SO WHO WAS ELIZABETH TAYLOR IN A 40 MINUTE RELATIONSHIP WITH, MUCH LESS A 40 YEAR ONE? Today's amusing tidbit from Jeopardy Power Players. Two of the three contestants did not know that in 2003, Barbie Roberts and Ken (whose last name I do not know off the top of my head) announced they were ending their 40+ year relationship through their publicist. Only Aaron Brown got it right. Former Press Secretary Ari Fleischer answered "Elizabeth Taylor," and former MSNBC news bunny Ashleigh Banfield couldn't even come up with an answer at all. Ari still, just barely, beats Aaron, in an underwhelming game.