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The making of theBeatles.org logo
One of the things I likes best about this site, besides the cool mashup concept that we're working on is theBeatles.org logo. I first asked a friend Eric White to help me out because I LOVE his work, I always feel in awe of his creativity... but, alas, his illustration days had long since passed and he's doing very serious art now so I went to plan B, a guy named Steve who does really great caricatures and was very open to my suggestions... a really good collaboration. Other than than fact that the instruments aren't really the ones that The Beatles used (one must allow a certain degree of artistic license) the end result is, well, very cool. Ringo took shape first, then John. John was so good that the bar was raised for the others. Paul and George required a good bit of modification, but in the end they came out great, too. Here are a few early sketches of the logo that didn't quite make the grade. I thought George looked a lot like actor Steve Buscemi in the early sketches...
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Best Selling Beatles Albums
Human behavior never ceases to amaze me.   What I think people will like, they of course don’t.  What I think they won’t like, they most certainly do. Today I was perusing the Amazon.com sales statistics for my favorite group, The Beatles.  Let me say that I was shocked at which Beatles albums were the most popular. If you know nothing about The Beatles or their music, I suggest that you read up about Beatles albums, or Beatles Songs, or at least study up on theBeatles.org because this could go down on your permanent record. Anyhow, I was letting my fingers do some strolling through the Amazon catalog and noticed they were kind enough to publish sales statistics.  Not the absolute type, like such and such album sold x number, but the relative type, as in such and such album sold more than so and so album. They refer to this as Sales Rank.  Given the volume of sales that Amazon.com does, these statistics mean something. And by mean something...
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10 Reasons why Willie Nelson is Cool
Don't like country music much? Well, I have to admit it's not my favorite musical genre either but so what? No matter if you are a fan of country music or not, one has to love Willie Nelson. Outlaw, cowboy, activist, herb smoker, musician, song writer, singer, hippy, and American icon. Here are ten reasons why Willie Nelson is cool: He lives in Austin, Texas Jams with Bob Dylan and Neil Young Willie Nelson plays a back in the day pot smoker in Dave Chappelle’s movie Half Baked In the 1990’s he had all his assets sized by the IRS for failure to pay $32 million in taxes He supports Dennis Kucinich He is an activist for gay rights He has his own Ben & Jerry's flavor called Willie Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler Gets busted for pot, again, at age 77 Willie Nelson is a black belt in taekwondo Long hair and a beard... and if that's not enough, hell, he's Willie Nelson, man!
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Beatle Bar - Jacó, Costa Rica
I have to say to date, the most unexpected tribute to the Beatles I have encountered has to be the Beatle Bar located in the Pacific coast town Jacó, Costa Rica. How it became the Beatle Bar is beyond me other than the fact that the watering hole is dotted with pictures of the Beatles. The owner is a big Beatles fan or there must have been a bunch of Beatles photos lying around Jacó. Now, that a bar boasts lots of Beatles pictures or even that it's called the Beatle Bar is not in and of itself unusual. What is unusual about it is that it is ground zero in the flesh trade on the entire Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. On a given Friday or Saturday night, hippies and tourists mingle with perhaps hundreds of lasciviously dressed Colombian, Dominican and Central American girls "on the game" and has to be the oddest collection of humanity to be found in a single space I have yet to see in this life or probably in any other. Something that has to be seen to be believed. So if you're a...
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Beatles in Acapulco
Had a chance to visit the Acapulco, Mexico club B & B recently which is located on the remote side of Acapulco Bay. It was the lamest club I have ever visited with just about the best view I have ever seen. Picture 50 year old women with love handles dancing to Ghostbusters and you get the fingers on the chalkboard idea it really was. As I was stumbling out, on the wall at the entrance is a picture of The Beatles' Abbey Road cover. About as expected in a place like that as a neon pink Iguana.
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