The 69th episode arrives Sunday

Presidential politics as only a podcast devoted to really old stuff can portray it – that's this weekend's show. Listen for a debate among William Howard Taft, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, who were running for president 100 years ago today.

I've also got some memorable World War I music, and my computer friends help me decipher the dialogue in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace.

This particular episode is unusually well organized. Don't worry, I'll try not to make it a habit.

If you haven't yet subscribed to the Uncle Warren's Attic podcast, what's taking you?

And if you haven't yet heard that UWA is back, here's where to find

Number 66,


Number 67,


and Number 68.

The music of possibilities

Myke Phoenix Quarterly #1

The adventures of Myke Phoenix are available every month absolutely free in electronic form – but some people just like the feel of paper in their hands. There's something about turning pages to see what happens next ...

For those who like their old-fashioned superhero adventures the old-fashioned way, Myke Phoenix Quarterly will collect these adventures three at a time – and released two weeks before the third e-magazine in the series. In this case, the timeless tale of "The Strange Ultimatum of Quincy Quakenbos" will be available only on paper until the ides of March.

Click here to buy your collectible Myke Phoenix Quarterly #1 for a mere $7.99 plus shipping.

I Wanna Be Free - The Monkees

R.I.P. Davy Jones

Last chance clearance: The Adventures of Myke Phoenix

When Myke Phoenix Quarterly #1 arrives on Thursday, March 1, the original 2008 book The Adventures of Myke Phoenix will be retired. For these final few days, the book has been discounted to an astonishing price of $7.46 plus shipping.

Inside these pages you will find the original versions of the stories "Our Best Hope: The Origin of Myke Phoenix" (#1), "The Prince of the World" (#2), "The Strange Ultimatum of Quincy Quakenbos" (#3), "The World's Nicest Bad Guy" (#5), and "Ghosts" (not currently slated for publication in the Myke Phoenix monthly emagazine). Admittedly, the revisions to these tales are relatively minor – not even rising to the level of Greedo shooting first – but this is your last opportunity to own the Myke Phoenix stories as they first emerged from my little brain back around 1990.

Now, Myke Phoenix Quarterly #1 and its successor editions will be an awesome experience, but as Myke Phoenix becomes a worldwide phenomenon during the 21st century's second decade, wouldn't it be fun to own what will soon be the rare collectible book where it all started?

Click here for your last chance to buy the original Adventures of Myke Phoenix. Offer absolutely ends after Feb. 29, 2012.

Uncle Warren's Attic #68

"I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men... and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom?"

One thing you could do is spend a half-hour plunking around in my Attic with me ... I've got a couple of big hits before they were big hits, Les Paul making a guitar sound like a trapeze, and the inspiration for Betty Boop among other intriguing odds and ends.

Click on the pod icon or this link to hear/download Uncle Warren's Attic #68.

Among the goodies you'll find inside:

• Vintage ads for Pall Mall, Camel and Carnation Instant Breakfast
• "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" by Jerry Lee Lewis - before Kenny Rogers and The First Edition
• "In the Mood" by Edgar Hayes - before Glenn Miller
• "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" by Les Paul
•  "I Want to Be Bad" by Helen Kane
• "Giggling Gertie" by Vaughn de Leath
• "Campus Crawl" by Jimmy Tolson

What are you waiting for??

Click on the pod icon or this link to hear/download Uncle Warren's Attic #68.

And as always, if you'd rather have your computer or other electronic toy do all the work for you, just subscribe to the weekly podcast here.

'Here Comes The Sun' lost guitar solo found again

A fascinating visit with Beatles producer George Martin, his son Giles Martin and Dhana Harrison (son of the quiet Beatle) tinkering around the mixing board with the original tracks of "Here Comes the Sun."

"Suddenly Dhani opens the channel with the 'lost solo guitar.' And now, with the master track in the background, you can hear how it sounds in music."

Coming Sunday, a 68th trip to the Attic

Beginning with my little computer buddies taking on Braveheart, we'll sweep into a couple of familiar tunes before they were famous, Les Paul on a flying trapeze, Betty Boop and another song or two calling out from between the grooves of ancient 78 rpm records.

In short, it’s another typical mix of old shtuff without rhyme or reason, just as you’ve come to expect here. You'll find it right here when you wake up Sunday morning, or it'll already be inside your favorite electronic toy if you subscribe now.

Somebody That I Used to Know - Walk Off the Earth

This is fun to listen to and fun to watch. That must be why it has (at the time of this posting) in excess of 58.6 million views.

Here's the band's website.

Uncle Warren's Attic #67

We twist the radio dial, move past a vintage episode of The Shadow, and settle into a rendition of "Dearest" by George Slater and his Harmonizers - yep, it sure sounds like another episode of Uncle Warren's Attic!

As promised, another week begins and here is another venture into old stuff that otherwise would just gather dust in my Attic.

Click on the podcast symbol or this link right here to hear/download Uncle Warren's Attic #67.

Here's your roadmap:
"Dearest" - George Slater and his Harmonizers from The Road to Ruin
"Seems Like Old Times" - theme song by w.p. bluhm
Revelation of the contest answer from UWA #66
Vintage ad for Schaefer beer
Promo for Myke Phoenix, a free monthly superhero emagazine
"Ain't Nobody's Business What I Do" - Beverly White from Killer Diller
"Texas and Pacific" - Louis Jordan with his Tympany Five from Reet, Petite and Gone
Vintage ad for Robert Burns cigars
"Red Wing" - Esmereldy and her Novelty Band
"Now He Tells Me" - King Cole Trio (Killer Diller)
"Flick's Tongue" - the classic radio anecdote by Jean Shepherd

Click on the podcast symbol or this link right here to hear/download Uncle Warren's Attic #67.

Remember you can have your Attic visit delivered automatically by subscribing to the RSS feed. I also have joined the 21st century and set up a Facebook page - "Like" the podcast and check back there and here for updates. Oh, and I wouldn't be hurt if you let your friends know what a fun little podcast we have here. Thanks for listening!

Good show comin' overnight

The best part about collecting an Attic full of shtuff is finding things you collected some time ago but never got around to looking at or listening to. This weekend's show features some of that.

Major sources are a couple of movies from a collection of 50 public-domain films called "Classic Musicals." Now, when you pay 20 cents a film, you can't expect loving film restoration and world-class audio, but the good shtuff shines. I think the show turned out nicely.

And it doesn't hurt that the show also includes an old radio story that has been dramatized in one of my favorite movies of all time. (If you were paying attention a couple of months ago, you can probably guess which one.)

Speaking of guesses, the audience for Uncle Warren's Attic #66 has been surprisingly gratifying for a podcast that took a 13-month hiatus, but I've never encountered such shyness in the ranks. As of Saturday morning still no one has answered the clearly obvious question of the common bond linking four songs in the show. The answer is revealed in the already-recorded #67, which will appear online at 2:01 a.m. CST on Sunday. So be one of three listeners to email me now with those answers and win those valuable prizes – or else, I'll save them for a rainy day.

And I do mean rainy – have you heard about the weather in Wisconsin? February feels like April. It has most of us believing in (and celebrating) global warming.

The joy of punctuation

I've got nothing to say, but it's OK. Good morning! Good morning! Good morning!

Meaning: I have nothing to say, but that's alright. It's a good morning anyway.

I've got nothing to say but it's OK. Good morning! Good Morning! Good morning!

Meaning: The only thing I have to say is that it's OK. And that's good!

Commas rule.