Category: All Posts

A Little about Annie

Maybe you’ve seen this charming TV commercial. It’s the one that seems it should be from Apple, but it’s from Amazon…

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2009/DEC/KindleCommercial.flv 512 288]

…and maybe you’ve wondered, “wow, who is that?” She’s Annie Little, and not only is that her singing, she wrote the song, too. Annie is an actress with real star quality — beauty, talent, versatility, personality — yet she’s still looking for her big break. Besides the commercial, Annie’s in the first episode of the third season of “Mad Men.”

Another actress who is best known for her TV commercials had a recurring role on “Mad Men.” Know who she is? Roll over the picture to see.

Eye’m all right…

If not for modern medical science, I would be blind. Ten years ago today, the retina in my left eye detached. A piece of plastic was sewn onto the top of that eye, and the vitreous was removed.

Within a few months, both of my eyes developed cataracts, and I now wear the ultimate contact lenses — internal ones. They’re fixed focus, with one eye better for close-up sight and the other optimized for long distance vision.

But now there’s a promising new cataract replacement technology under development. It’s coming too late for me, but for those of you who have yet to experience the world in amber, you’re in luck.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2009/DEC/HDvision.flv 512 288]

Retro Rock-it Xmas

Lia Pamina recommends this great retro Christmas song, harkening back to 1964, the year “Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer” first appeared on American TV. Although miniskirts and go-go boots didn’t really make the scene until ’65.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2010/DEC/MariahCareyChristmas.flv 480 360]

I’ve heard this recording quite a few times on the radio, but not once did I ever happen to hear an announcer say who sings it. Sincerely! Everybody else will immediately recognize Mariah Carey, who I’ve never knowingly listened to, before now.

The second Black cartoon princess

Hearing that Disney is introducing a black princess character called Tiana, animation fans can’t help but recall the most notorious of all mainstream cartoons, “Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs.” Click here to see an article I wrote about it way back in 2002. (It’s funny now to see that I considered 20 MB to be a huge file, but at the time I had only 100 MB available for the entire site.)

It’s interesting to see how the imagery has been updated, and toned down, from 60+ years ago.

If you have never seen “Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs,” here it is. Keep in mind that when this cartoon was released in 1943, “Amos and Andy” was one of the most popular shows on radio; which explains, but doesn’t justify, the depiction of black people. Also, WWII was in high gear, and movie censorship regarding the, uh, earthier side of human nature was relaxed a bit for the duration.


Merrie Melodies “Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs” (1943)
by 100X

Also of interest on that old pre-YouTube DogRat web page is this video that I spliced together from “Bugs Bunny, Superstar.” The quality is barely passable, and the material is worthy of a fresh transfer, so I’ll add it to my to-do list.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2009/DEC/TermiteTerrace.flv 320 236]