Obama makes it to the Museum of American History

I’ve strolled through the presidential exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington D.C. in the past, but I’ve got to admit, my heart skipped a beat when this afternoon I took in the vast wall featuring the names and faces of our forty-four presidents. Seeing President-elect Barack Obama on that wall was enough to make me – and everyone within a ten foot radius – whip out a camera.

Click several times to enlarge:

It was so powerful a sight.

The Vatican forgives John Lennon

I’m sure Beatles fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief when the Vatican announced recently that it had forgiven John Lennon for saying 40 years ago that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ.

What a crock-of-shit media spin that was.

Lennon said in the spring of 1966 what many ordinary people say regularly nowadays:, Jesus was all right, but his followers are a drag.

Here’s the exact quote:

“Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. We’re more popular than Jesus now – I don’t know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity. Jesus was alright, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.”

But of course, idiotic journalists spun it to suit their needs and make a huge controversy out of it.

Here’s a not-quite-contrite Lennon a few months later explaining what he meant by the comment:

Lennon’s Jesus comment was also a critique of young people around the world putting more emphasis on the words of John Lennon than they did the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Now, the Roman Catholic Church, in its latest effort to appear less stodgy, has “forgiven” him, which is ironic because John Lennon’s music has done more to promote the ideas of universal peace, harmony, and love in the past 40 years than the church has done in its history.

Elf Yourself

If you watch and relate to Will Ferrell in Elf, you’re not alone. Now there’s a web site for people like you called Elf Yourself.

This is dumb. Why can’t people put on a little hat themselves? Who would do this?

(P.S. If you put yourself in the little dance sequences, please send them to me: GVivinetto@gmail.com).

Why is Lisa Kudrow in a commercial?

WTF? I just saw Friends alum Lisa Kudrow in a commercial for a Nintendo gadget that helps you cook in the kitchen. Does Lisa need money? Weren’t the Friends making one mil an episode at the end of their NBC reign? Is she desperate for work? Are the critically acclaimed indie pictures not enough for her?

Here’s the commercial:

Ugh! It’s even worse because this King Pao chicken-cooking mommy taints the memory of daffy (but compassionate!) vegetarian Phoebe Buffay.

Why, Lisa, why?

Note to HBO: Bring back The Comeback so this woman can do meaningful work.

Did ‘Rosie Live’ really stink?

I’ve been reading the abysmal reviews of Rosie Live, Rosie O’ Donnell’s live variety show that aired the night before Thanksgiving. I wanted the show to work because I grew up on 1970s variety shows that combined sketch comedy with music, shows like like The Sonny & Cher Show, The Carol Burnett Show, Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters, The Hudson Brothers Show, The Richard Pryor Show, The Red Foxx Comedy Hour, Hee Haw –Wait, wow, was every show on TV in the ’70s a variety show?

I guess some sad and pathetic amount of viewers tuned in to Rosie Live and those who did had to endure “live” guest spots like this one with Clay Aiken and Rosie trading yucks about the things they have in common:

On the plus side, comedy king Alec Baldwin also stopped by. But I guess it was not enough to redeem the show. The L.A. Times titled its review of the show “What Was She Thinking?”

Of course, if I remember correctly, all of those 1970s show had mediocre material, too, which is fine– when you’re five.

Did any of you watch it? I might have tuned in, but we were prepping for our big Thanksgiving dinner.

Come inside the homes of ’70s rock stars’ parents

Apartment Therapy is a lovely site featuring snapshots of beautiful homes and decor. Every once in a while the site tosses in a nutty, priceless piece like this one where they’ve dug through an old Life magazine and reprinted photos from an article showcasing the homes of parents of 1970s rock stars including Elton John, David Crosby, Eric Clapton and Grace Slick.

These were some of the era’s most flamboyant stars, so, naturally, it’s fun to see their parents’ utter normalcy.

Here are a few that I liked (click on any picture to enlarge):

Here’s Frank Zappa with mom and dad:

Elton John with his mum and step dad:

Grace Slick with her mom:

That nice, young man Eric Clapton with his grandmother:

David Crosby with his dad (the grandad of Melissa Etheridge’s kids, when you think about it):

There are several more on the site. Click here to see the homes of the parents of Donovan, the Jackson 5, and others.

Bing & Bowie: ‘Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth’

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and the official Christmas season has begun! Let me be the first to whip out this little chestnut. Here’s Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing a medley of “The Little Drummer Boy” and “Peace On Earth” (from Bing Crosby’s 1977 Merry Olde Christmas television special):

Don’t feel foolish if you’ve never heard the “Peace on Earth” song before. The writers of Bing’s special hastily put it together for Bowie, 30, to sing hours before the show because he refused to sing “The Little Drummer Boy.” So, Bing, 73, sang it and Bowie sang the new lyrics and melody over it.

Incidentally, a month later, Bing was dead.

Thanks, boys.

The White House Hanukkah invite gaffe

Several news outlets are reporting that the White House this week sent invitations to leaders in the Jewish community for an upcoming Hanukkah celebration.

The only problem is, the cards feature an image of a Clydesdale horse approaching the White House, drawing a wagon with a gigantic Christmas tree in it! If you look closely at the wagon, the words “”White House Christmas Tree 2008″ are written on it. (The White House, too, has a Christmas wreath on the door).

Laura Bush’s spokeswoman Sally McDonough, explained that the in the Bush’s hecti final days in the White House, there has been an oversight:

“Mrs. Bush is apologetic,” she said. “It is something that just slipped through the cracks.”

Sounds like her husband’s entire presidency.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from your vegan friends at Gina Vivinetto’s Greatest Hits.

Gay adoption ban overturned in Florida

Okay, first Florida went blue for Obama, now a Miami judge has overturned the state ban on gay couples adopting.

Wait. Why did I leave Florida? Oh, right! I got fired. For my Myspace comments making fun of a homophobic bigot (who passed her own unconstitutional ban).

Let’s hope in the Obama Age, politicians like that won’t get elected anymore and gay people like me won’t have to make fun of them when they’re about to take away our civil liberties.

At least, let’s hope the tone of the country shifts and those values of bigotry and small-mindedness that were fashionable while Bush was in office will go out of vogue again.

Well, cheers, Florida! Baby steps.