Obamicon.me

If you've ever wished you could turn your favorite picture into an "Obama" icon, today is your lucky day.

Just please don't use any copyright-protected material. You know, like Obama did.

The Blog Readability Test

According to The Blog Readability Test, this site is "genius" level.

I think it was "The Day Batman Went Bats" that put me over.

The Japanese Louis Armstrong

Today we examine the Japanese Louis Armstrong - actually, a contestant on what appears to be a Japanese version of Stars in Their Eyes.

The fact that he's wearing blackface, and the inevitable racist comments something like this portends, prove that it's definitely NOT such a wonderful world.

Beatles Christmas Records

A few weeks back, we discussed The Beatles' Christmas Album - a rare collection of recordings made by the Beatles exclusively for their fan club each year between 1963-1969. (The 1965 record - which was never sent to American fans - can be seen above).

Someone was nice enough to post all the records online here, including a handful of session outtakes that I've never heard before.

They are well worth a listen for any Beatles fan - especially the ones from 1966 onward, when things start to get even more experimental and creative.

The Day Batman Went Bats

Let's listen to Christian Bale scream at the Director of Photography on the set of Terminator 4.

Recommendations

For reasons that I dare not decipher, YouTube was suggesting tonight that I watch a clip of Donny Osmond and Lucie Arnaz butchering "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" on an episode of Here's Lucy from the early '70s.

I share it with you here for two reasons: 1) I choose not to suffer alone, and 2) Lucy is inexplicably seated with Jan Brady during the performance.

John and Yoko: Luck of the Irish

In 1972, John Lennon released his third solo album - Some Time in New York City. The record was so overtly political and controversial (radio stations largely ignored the debut single "Woman is the Nigger of the World" for obvious reasons) - that it was Lennon's first real flop.

Some of the songs are worth a listen, however - including today's clip of "Luck of the Irish" from (I think) The Mike Douglas Show. I think it's one of the better presentations of John and Yoko as a duo - too bad you never hear this played anymore. Perhaps it's just a little too edgy. (If you listen carefully in the background, you can hear Mike Douglas strangling whoever it was that booked John & Yoko as guest hosts that week...)

As an added bonus, here they are again - on Dick Cavett defending (and then performing) "Woman is...".