News of the day

BY CRAIG NEWMAN

If there's a better photo blog on the iInterwebs than boston.com's Big Picture collection, I've yet to see it. Not only do they find a great selection of excellent photography - always colorful, compelling and on point - they also run it in a completely non-Web way that pops it out. No thumbnails or reverse backgrounds or nonsense. Just awesome pictures, run large, on white.

But this gallery from Earth Hour is particularly spectacular. Seventeen great shots from around the world that are set up to allow yo to see them fade to black when you click on the photo. Stunning.

BY CRAIG NEWMAN

Blogger Ann Althouse recently got engaged. Congrats, sister, we're all happy for you!

What's that you say, happens all the time? Umm, not quite like this. See, she's getting hitched to a long-time commenter on her blog. And from the sound of this video interview, one she's barely talked to outside her comment field, much less in the "real world."

Oh, and nobody gets to see the next hubby - much less know his name. So speculation that this is all fake is rampant. Either way, she gets more publicity - call it our wedding present.

OK, so the song selections are a little musty -- classic Def Leppard? the friggin' "Macarena"? -- but you can enjoy these parodies of music videos by themselves or enjoy the literal text: a goofy celebration of our new president.

These songs come from a new CD by the Axe Men, "Barack's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1," available on iTunes and elsewhere online. These "comedians" cover a dozen classic tunes, altering the lyrics to trumpet Mr. Obama -- "Barack'N Me," "Barackin' On Sunshine," "Barack the Casbah," etc.

"B-A-R-A-C-K in the U.S.A."

NSFW?

BY CRAIG NEWMAN Sun-Times editor

I know just enough about Japanese culture to know I don't know much about Japanese culture. And every now and then something like trailer for the new animated film "Apocalypse Meow" -- that's the U.S. release name, the Japanese release is available on the trailer in a slightly less-friendly-for-work way -- comes along to reinforce that fact.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing this thing. A crack commando unit of cute and fuzzy bunnies seeking out an apparent group of what seems to be terrorist camels -- nice racial overtones -- with sniper rifles, explosives and extreme violence? OK, you got me. I mean, will it be in IMAX?

No, the only thing that bugs me is the cat angle. Where exactly are cats involved? The Chuck Norissesque bunny hit squad is cool. The dialogue -- all Japanese, no subtitles -- is awesome. But where do cats come into the picture? It is just a trailer, I suppose. And you know how they cut those things so you never really know what the movie is about. But come on!<

Anyway, this is promised winter of 2010 -- in Japan, anyway. Get locked and loaded, people! And bunnies!

BY MISHA DAVENPORT Staff Reporter

One million people can't be wrong, right?

Unless, of course, they were visitors to a Web site promising to transmit ultraviolet rays through their computer screens, enabling you to tan from work or at home. When users click on the offer for five free minutes of tanning, they receive a message that UV exposure can kill.

The site is apparently so popular, the original site has either crashed or been taken down.

A British skin cancer charity set up the site two months ago to draw attention to the risks posed by tanning beds and other devices.

Grant Wood's iconic "American Gothic" won't be back on view at the Art Institute until mid-April and Rene Magritte's surrealist masterpiece "Time Transfixed" will remain unseen until the museum's new Modern Wing opens in May 2009.

You'll just have to settle with a modern, pop culture twist on those two works for now. The Web site Something Awful has updated those masterpieces and several others not owned by the Art Institute -- with images
from the "Star Wars" films.

As envisioned by Something Awful, "American Gothic" now features Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) as the pitchfork-wielding farmer. Magritte's image of a locomotive emerging from a fireplace instead features a Star Destroyer.

Our favorite has to be the one-eared Yoda subbing for Vincent Van Gogh in his self portrait with a pipe (held in a private collection). Just what happened to the little green fellow's ear? Perhaps that's a story for another "Star Wars" prequel.

-- Misha Davenport

Were there Adam Rich dolls? Grant Goodeve autographs?

Former "Eight is Enough" and "Charles in Charge" star Willie Aames is apparently another victim of the recession. The cash-strapped star tried to sel off his belongings in suburban Kansas City.

Dozens showed up Thursday at a garage sale at his Olathe home, where Aames made deals with bargain-hunters and signed autographs.

Of course, if there's a celebrity plight, can the camera crew be far behind? Sure enough, a production crew filmed the sale for a TV show.

Aames filed for bankruptcy last year and his home is in foreclosure.

Items on sale included antiques, artwork, a piano, deer head mounts and TV and movie memorabilia.

Contributing: AP