The ones we lost in 2009

We lost a lot of “famous folks” in 2009. Here's my list of the ones that touched me in one way or another.....some hurt me badly. I get attached to people; even those I've never met. Here we go:

• Sam "Bluzman" Taylor (October 25, 1934 – January 5, 2009) – Blues musician

• Don Galloway (July 27, 1937 – January 8, 2009) – Actor

• Ricardo Montalbán (November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) – Actor

• Andrew Wyeth (July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009) – Artist
  

  
  
  
  
  
  His painting Christina's World

• Gordon "Whitey" Mitchell (February 22, 1932 – January 17, 2009) – Jazz bassist & Television producer

• Bob May (September 4, 1939 – January 18, 2009) – Actor

• John Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) – Novelist

• Billy Powell (June 3, 1952 – January 28, 2009) – Musician

• Clint Ritchie (August 9, 1938 – January 31, 2009) – Actor

• Dewey Martin (September 30, 1940 – January 31, 2009) – Musician

• Philip Carey (July 15, 1925 – February 6, 2009) – Actor

• Paul Harvey (September 4, 1918 – February 28, 2009) – Radio broadcaster

• Natasha Richardson (May 11, 1963 – March 18, 2009) – Actress

• Dan Seals (February 8, 1948 – March 25, 2009) – Musician

• John Mayhew (27 March 1947 - 26 March 2009) – Musician

• Irving R. Levine (August 26, 1922 – March 27, 2009) – Journalist

• Lou Perryman (August 15, 1941 – April 1, 2009) – Actor

• Beatrice "Bea" Arthur (May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) – Actress

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Vern Gosdin (August 5, 1934 – April 28, 2009) – Musician

• Dom DeLuise (August 1, 1933 – May 4, 2009) – Actor/Comedian

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Ean Evans (September 16, 1960 - May 6, 2009) – Musician

• David Carradine (December 8, 1936— June 3, 2009) – Actor

• Peter L. Bernstein (January 22, 1919 – June 5, 2009) – Economic historian

• Johnny Palermo (March 1982 — June 8, 2009) – Actor

• Ed McMahon (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) – Comedian/Announcer

• Farrah Fawcett (February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) - Actress

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) – Musician

• Billy Mays (July 20, 1958 – June 28, 2009) – TV Pitchman/Host

• Karl Malden (March 22, 1912 – July 1, 2009) – Actor

• Walter Cronkite (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) – Journalist

• John Hughes (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009) – Film maker

  
  
  
  
  
  My favorite John Hughes movie
  
  
  

• Ted Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) - Politician

• Patrick Swayze (August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) – Actor/Dancer

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Henry Gibson (September 21, 1935 – September 14, 2009) – Actor

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Mary Travers (November 9, 1936 – September 16, 2009) – Singer

• Soupy Sales (January 8, 1926 – October 22, 2009) - Comedian

• Oral Roberts (January 24, 1918 – December 15, 2009) - Evangelist

• Brittany Murphy (November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) - Actress

• Arnold Stang (September 28, 1918 – December 20, 2009) - Actor/Voice actor for animated cartoons

May they all Rest In Peace.

What do you know about Joe?

Well, it’s inauguration day. I’m sure you know that, it’s all over the place. How could you miss it? And yes, history is being made as our nations first African American president is sworn in.

I believe people have done more research on our new president than they ever did on any president of the past. With the internet available 24/7, news channels devoted strictly to politics and the front page of every major newspaper covering every tiny detail, how could you not know who Barack Obama is?

I tend to believe that people are even aware of Obama’s family. If I said he has a wife named Michelle and two daughters, most people would nod their heads and say I was right. What I’m not sure of is if people know about our new VICE president.

Joe Biden has not received the same amount of publicity that Obama has, his life is not splattered all over the place. While he and his wife did appear on Oprah I was not aware of it until I saw a tiny little story way at the bottom of my news feed.

Biden is just a backup. He’s not the important one. He’s not the president. That’s the feeling I get when I see these very few and far between stories about our new vice president. People just don’t think he’s that important. I don’t agree with that line of thought. If something were to happen to Obama (you have to admit that’s completely possible. In this day and age people would not hesitate to do harm against our president), Biden will replace him.

So who is this man that will be running our country in the event of a tragedy? What do we know about him? Honestly, I knew very little about him. I decided some research was in order...

He was born November 20, 1942 in Scranton Pennsylvania. He comes from an Irish Catholic family and has two brothers and one sister.

He has a wife as I said. Her name is Jill. While I don’t believe physical appearance makes any difference in someone’s ability to be a contributing human being, I’ll tell you she’s beautiful. And it’s not just on the outside. She speaks from the heart and doesn’t hold back (as seen on the Oprah clip below). I feel like she would be incapable of hiding anything. They met in 1975 and they married in 1977. They have one daughter together. But Jill is his second wife.

His first wife’s name was Neilia. They met in 1964 and married in 1966. They had three children, two sons and a daughter. In 1972 she and his one year old daughter were killed when the station wagon they were traveling in was hit by a semi truck. His two sons were critically injured in the accident as well but thankfully recovered.

Biden began his career in the United States Senate at the minimum age to be eligible, 30. He has represented Delaware from that January 3, 1973 day until his resignation on January 15, 2009. He resigned only because of his being elected to the vice presidency.

He's the former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. He opposed the Gulf War in 1991 and voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002. He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. And he helped create the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and the Violence Against Women Act. He unsuccessfully ran for president in 1988 and was originally running for president in this years election. He is the first Roman Catholic and the first Delawarean to be elected Vice President of the United States.

I have the faint feeling that I just struck gold. I’ve already expressed my support and approval of Obama. Now I have to say, I really like Joe Biden. I think he’s going to do our country good. I think the two of them together, Obama and Biden, may be able to make our country great again. I feel it. It’s on its way. I’m practically singing. Happy days are here again…

Joe & Jill Biden on the Oprah show

What is wrong with this world?

I wrote last night on the terrible tragedy John Travolta and his family are suffering through. I understand his pain as a mother who has lost a son. So I spent a lot of time last night reading stories and comments left on stories about it. It's the comments that have me upset.

I don't understand how people can take something as terrible as the death of a child and make it into a joke. I was appalled. The worst comments were on the E! Online story. E! is well known enough that I would think they'd show a little responsibility and remove the offensive comments on a story that should be about condolences.

People made jet ski jokes in reference to Jett's name. They made bathtub jokes. They made tacky Scientology jokes. They even suggested that this poor child would not go to Heaven because of his parents beliefs. Some fool even made the screen name L. Ron Hubbard to bash the Travolta's. How pathetic is what I say.

Just what exactly does Jett's parents religion have to do with any of it? It doesn't in my opinion. The only thing that should matter right now is that parents have lost their child. I know the day will come that those heartless people will be judged and I take comfort in that knowledge.

To the Travolta family, my heartfelt condolences. It's been 8 years since I lost my son and the pain is still there. I hope they find peace in whatever way they can.

To the attention seekers and people with unbelievably bad taste, I hope you never have to go through the pain of losing a child. But maybe if you did you would understand what a terrible thing you did making jokes about a child passing away. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Ringing in 2009...around the world

What a beautiful start to 2009!



Happy New Year Everyone!