john lennon
Flotsam & Jetsam
9:24AM Brian Moylan | [A solitary note left on the "Imagine" marker in Central Park's Strawberry Fields section today, what would have been John Lennon's 69th birthday. Image via alan(ator)'s Flickr]
They Say It’s Your Birthday
9:24AM Brian Moylan | [A solitary note left on the "Imagine" marker in Central Park's Strawberry Fields section today, what would have been John Lennon's 69th birthday. Image via alan(ator)'s Flickr] 
Flotsam & Jetsam
Brangelina Will Have To Pry My Gray’s Papaya From My Dead Hands
1:00AM Foster Kamer | Brad and Angelina want to move to the Upper West Side; I’d prefer they didn’t. Shirley Jones wants to get naked; same. Piven’s a perv, Shatner’s sad, Paul McCartney sucks, Stevie Wonder does blow! Here’s your Sunday Morning Gossip Roundup: More »
Ben Lee Covers ‘Woman Is The Nigger Of The World’
4:54PM Jess McGuire | My friend Ang just sent this to me.
The above video was directed by Ben’s fiance Ione Skye.
The back story (from Ben’s blog):
When we made the album, I recorded a cover of John Lennon’s “Woman is the Nigger of the World”, which will be a b-side to one of the singles off the record. I have always loved this song, and it is tied in to the themes of the album. Of course, back when it was released, and still now, many people are unable to get past the use of the ‘N’ word in the title to look at what the song is really saying. In the late 1970’s, the Chairman of the Black Caucas, Congressman Ron Dellums, did much to shed light on this subject by saying:
“If you define ‘nigger’ as someone whose lifestyle is defined by others, whose opportunities are defined by others, whose role in society is defined by others, then good news, you don’t have to be black to be a nigger in this society. Most of the people in America are niggers.”
The song is not just about women, or black people, or any other oppressed group. It’s about all of us, trying to find a way of living our lives in an authentic manner in a world that seems intent on compromising our basic integrity.
And guess what? Yoko Ono is thrilled! More » 
This just in! Swaggering $3 million man and …
6:30AM Defamer Hollywood | This just in! Swaggering $3 million man and new Yoko Ono lawsuit target Ben Stein responds to his latest nemesis via press release: “So Yoko Ono is suing over the brief Constitutionally protected use of a song that wants us to ‘Imagine no possessions’? Maybe instead of wasting everyone’s time trying to silence a documentary she should give the song to the world for free? After all, ‘imagine all the people sharing all the world…You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the World can live as one.’” No doubt a fitting rejoinder from a man who once provided legal counsel to Richard Nixon. Good luck, Ben! [Movie City Indie] More »
