It was a sad day, November 29, 2001, when we learned of the passing of George Harrison. We were all still trying to get used to a new world order after 9/11, 2 1/2 months earlier. George lost his battle with cancer, so on this day, we want all of you to know we lost a Beatle because of cigarettes. For those few who still do smoke, take this day and give them up in George’s memory. Most of the public gives the praise to John Lennon (and deservedly so) for giving us music and message of peace, love, truth, and reality. Let us never forget that George’s 2nd Number One song Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) had an equally strong message. While John’s journey was outward in the public eye, George chose the inward method, improving the world through inner strength and awareness. Both ways worked. and we are forever grateful for their journeys. We must take this day to celebrate George’s amazing life and help make the world a better place for all. We welcome any thoughts or ideas on this subject. In the meantime, put some George music on your Record Player, CD Player, iPod, iPhone, iTunes or however you listen to music and just marvel at the body of work he left us. There aren’t many musicians/songwriters who created such an amazing musical legacy. I can think of two others at this moment. I am going to listen to the Living In The Material World CD now. Peace and Love.

These absolutely Brand New Beatles Yellow Submarine Plush Toys were just announced yesterday and are not in our Holiday Catalogue. They’re soft, unusually cuddly, and stand 12 inches tall. We are thrilled to announce that the makers of our very popular Blue Meanie and Yellow Submarine Plush toys have released this fantastic addition to the collection – The Beatles themselves. Just in time for the holidays (And in stock next week!), snuggle up with your favorite Beatle, available for just $20 a piece, or get the whole fuzzy Fab Four set for $75. These hot new items make the perfect gift for young fans, fans young at heart – or perhaps something for ♫ youuuuu. You-ooo-oooooooo! ♫

We have noticed the dates for next summer’s Chicago FEST were nowhere to be found on our site. We will fix that in the next few days. In the meantime, the dates are August 9-11, 2013. We did announce the dates in the Program book from this year’s FEST, and it will be in the new Holiday Catalogue, being mailed out by tomorrow. Look for them in your mail box by next week.

We thank all of you for your thoughts and concern after last week’s Hurricane Sandy. We were lucky. We did not lose power but did lose phones and internet access. Very eerie.

Today is Election Day and we urge all to get out and vote. It is our obligation and our right as citizens. “Power to the People” as John sang about. Today, we have the power and we are the people!!