I haven't updated in a long time -- no time at all -- but I felt the need to chronicle today/this week as it will become legendary in pop culture history.
Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop," died suddenly today after an apparent heart attack. The artist behind best-selling album of all time died at the age of 50.
Also today, actress Farrah Fawcettlossed her very public battle with cancer. The "Charlie's Angels" actress famous for her pin-up status, Fawcett recently released a documentary depicting her struggles called "Farrah's story." She was 62.
Hollywood lost another legend earlier this week when former Johnny Carson sidekick Ed McMahon submitted to a number of health problems. He was 86.
[NOTE] As promised, here is a tribute to the late Harry Kalas in the form of a special guest post from Dave.
"We lost our voice today" - Phillies President, David Montgomery
The Philadelphia Phillies family and the entire baseball world lost a beloved figure today in Harry Kalas, when he was found collapsed in the broadcast booth just after noon. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Kalas was 73, and in his 38th season of broadcasting Phillies baseball.
While the entire city of Philadelphia is in a state of shock, we must remember that Harry died doing what he loved, which is something that cannot be said for most who have passed on. A man who called over 6,000 games in his career, his voice will always be synonymous with Phillies baseball.
For 38 years Philadelphians welcomed Harry Kalas into their homes whether on TV or radio; many can remember listening on tiny transistor radios when games were not televised. 610 WIP's Anthony Gargano recalled stories of his childhood, when his parents would order him to sleep on a school night, and the Phillies would be playing a 10 p.m. game on the West Coast. He would hide a silver transistor radio and fall asleep to the sweet sounds of Harry The K with the radio under his pillow.
Others in the Philadelphia media echoed these thoughts, affirming that there will never be a classier individual in the business.
"He was just such a genuinely nice guy, and there will never be anyone else like him", said my uncle, KYW 1060's Ed Benkin. "I remember meeting him when I was an intern at 6 ABC in college, and asking him to come on my talk radio show at Rowan. Without hesitation he gave me his home number and agreed. I still have the cassette tape of that show, and will keep it forever."
Baseball is very different from the other three major sports: Because of the downtime between pitchers, you hear stories and anecdotes from the announcers and really get to know them. Harry Kalas was a part of all of our families. Personally, I know there were times at school or work when I would have a rough day, but come home and put on a Phillies game; things seemed just a little better when Harry was at the mic. He could get you through a tough day, or an entire two-hour drive.
Every kid in this area who played baseball with their friends, or little league, has envisioned in their heads Harry Kalas announcing their at bat. I know I certainly did.
Everyone has done an Harry Kalas impersonation. Some are better than others. But there will never be a voice like Harry's.
We'll always remember the "Long Drives" and the "Outta Heres." The "Can you believe it's" and the "Chase Utley, you are the man's." None of us will forget the nicknames of Mitchie-poo and the Krukker, or Mike Schmidt becoming Mich-ael Jack Schmidt.
I am sure when Harry got to the pearly gates of Heaven, his best friend in the world Richie Ashburn, "Whitey," was waiting there with a cigar, a gin and tonic and a few kind words. While we'll never hear him call another inning of Phillies baseball, somewhere up there, he is calling every pitch with "His Whiteness." As for this Phillies fan, I know I'll never be able to watch another Phillies home run without the echoes of "Swing and a long drive..." in the back of my head. He'll never be replaced or duplicated. Growing up -- aside from my father's-- his is the most familiar voice of my childhood.
Harry Kalas is a part of every memory I have of Phillies baseball. From Mitch Williams striking out Bill Pecota to win the 1993 Pennant, to the heart break of Joe Carter's home run. From the Brett Myers curve ball to send the Phillies to the post season for the first time in 15 years, to Eric Hinske chasing a Brad Lidge slider low and away. Harry is a part of everything, and watching a Phillies ballgame will never be the same.
Harry, we'll forever love and remember everything about you. You will be deeply missed by all of us.
As a non-Philadelphia fan living in this area, I've talked a lot of smack on Philadelphia sports teams, but --fan or not-- there's no denying how influential Harry Kalas has been in baseball. I'm sure fans are glad he was able to see and call the Phillies winning the World Series before he passed.
Please check back soon for a heartfelt guest post.
I love offbeat news stories as much as the best person, but I love 'em even more when they hit closer to home:
In what really shouldn't have been an entertaining story, employees at a Philadelphia pet store were shocked this weekend when they opened what they believed to be a shipment of exotic fish and instead found a cadaver.
Jon Kenoyer, of California, died unexpectedly last week and had requested his body be donated to Alzheimer's research in Allentown, Pa. His body, flown across country by US Airways, somehow got mixed up with a shipment bound for Pets Plus USA.
When the package arrived at the store, the owner knew immediately that something was amiss. The package was not opened.
If you take a second to think about it, this story is horrible, but the one shred of lightheartedness was the wife's statement that her late husband was a practical joker and she considers this his one last prank.
Important to note that this should not dissuade people from donating their bodies to research, she added.
Yeah, it's been almost a week since my last update - work is killing me, but hopefully things will calm down soon. Regardless, I'm pretty sure I 'picked' a nugget of story to come back with...
Apparently no one taught Ian Bothwell that picking your nose isn't a good habit to get into. The 63-year-old Manchester man reportedly died 'digging for gold' in his shnoz.
According to a coroner's report, Bothel -who suffered from dementia and alcoholism- died from a nosebleed caused by constant picking. Authorities initially believed the man had fallen and hit his head, but later found his nasal cavity was filled with blood as a result of epistaxis (aka nosebleed).
"There is no explanation for this death other than he died from a nose-bleed, consistent with picking his nose. I do not think for a moment he knew what he was doing was going to cause his death."- Manchester coroner Nigel Meadows
I'm writing this one down to threaten my kids with some day. "Hey, little Jimmy - quit picking you're nose or you'll end up dead in a pool of your own nose blood like Ian Bothwell."
I've never been into the whole Black Friday thing, though I admittedly thought about getting up at 4 a.m. today and hitting the stores from some deals. Unfortunately for my shopping ambition (but fortunately for my dwindling back account), I am working today...not quite sure why, because everyone I need to contact --including the police department-- is off today, grrr.
Anyway. For those of you who got out to the stores or plan to get in on the tail end of the door buster deals, good for you... but be careful! I just caught wind of an incident in Long Island where a Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death by a Black Friday crowd. (*Note, this picture was not taken from the same Wal-Mart.)
The news story seems to have a lot of unconfirmed information, but apparently a pregnant woman also taken down in the stampede and despite previous reports of a miscarriage, doctors say the baby is fine.
The unidentified worker, employed as an overnight stock clerk, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m.
Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him.
"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," said Jimmy Overby, 43, a co-worker. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too...I literally had to fight people off my back."
[UPDATE]11 p.m. Nov. 28: In an unrelated incident, two men were shot dead in a Toys "R" Us in Palm Desert, California, after they argued in the store, police said. The toy company and authorities said the California shootings had nothing to do with shopping on Black Friday
Sad news, everyone: Gus, the World's Ugliest Dog, is dead.
The 9-year-old pooch, who won the ugly crown in June, lost his battle with cancer today.
Gus, a hairless Chinese crested from Florida, had one eye and three legs. His adopted family reportedly rescued him after learning he was being kept in a crate inside someone's garage. He had one leg amputated because of a skin tumor and lost an eye in a cat fight.
Owner Jeanenne Teed said Gus passed away in her arms this morning. The skin cancer he had been battling had wrapped around his spine and the dog had lost half of his body weight. He was in a lot of pain and needed to be put down, she said.
As World's Ugliest dog, Gus had been featured on the Today show, Fox & Friends,Rachel Ray. He even had his own Animal Planet special.
Chinese crested dogs have a reputation for being pretty ugly, but poor Gus...he was hideous.
Famed writer Michael Crichton died unexpectedly Tuesday night after a private battle with cancer, sources say.
Crichton, a 66-year-old medical doctor, was best known for penning "Jurassic Park" and his work with the television show "ER."
He also wrote "The Andromeda Strain," "Sphere" and "Rising Sun" and his 2004 novel, "State of Fear," in which he took on global warming and the theories surrounding it. He directed "Westworld" (1973), "Coma" (1978), "Looker" (1981) and "Runaway" (1984).
Crichton, who graduated from Harvard Medical School, won an Emmy, a Peabody and a Writers Guild of America Award for "ER," and won other awards as well.
Several news agencies are reporting that the mother and brother of singer/actress Jennifer Hudson were found dead today in Chicago.
A male family member discovered the body of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and police later found the body of Hudson's brother, Jason.
The shootings are believed to be domestic.
[UPDATE] Police confirm they have taken a person into custody but are not saying who it is. News reports, however, say that person is Hudson's brother-in-law, William Balfour. Balfour's mother has also acknowledged her son has been questioned about the shootings.
Authorities issued an Amber Alert for Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, and were seeking a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban.
The alert said the child was possibly abducted, and accompanied by a man — considered armed and dangerous — who was a suspect in the double homicide investigation. Records with the Illinois Department of Corrections show the man, who has not been charged with a crime, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.
House Peters Jr., a TV actor who became the original Mr. Clean in Procter & Gamble's commercials for household cleaners, died today.
Peters, 92, died of pneumonia in a Los Angeles hospital. Not to make light of the situation, but it's somewhat ironic to me because when I was little, I used to confuse pneumonia with the ammonia, the agent used in the very products Peters was selling.
Other than his Mr. Clean persona, Peters played supporting roles in "Perry Mason," "Gunsmoke," "The Twilight Zone" and "Lassie," and had many parts in cowboy movies.
He is survived by his wife, Lucy Pickett, a daughter, two sons and four grandchildren.
He died Friday in his home in Westport, Conn, according to spokeswoman Marni Tomljanovic.
Newman appeared in classic films such as "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Exodus," "The Hustler," "Cool Hand Luke," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting" and "The Verdict." He won an Oscar in 1986 for "The Color of Money."
In 1982, Newman and his friend A.E. Hotchner founded Newman's Own, a food company that produced food ranging from pasta sauces to salad dressing to chocolate chip cookies.
"The embarrassing thing is that the salad dressing is outgrossing my films," Newman once wryly noted.
My family and I used the Newman's Own Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette on our salads last night as a tribute.
Click here to read what some celebs are saying about the late Newman.
Newman is survived by his wife, Joanne Woodward, and five children.
It's hard to believe it's been seven years since Sept. 11, 2001, but America will never forget. Send good thoughts and prayers to those affected by the 9/11 tragedy and God Bless America!
You probably have no idea who Dave Freeman is, but I'm sure you've heard of his "100 Things to Do Before you Die" -- the guide on places to go and things to do to live your life to its fullest.
Items in the book include Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, the Iditarod Sled Race, New Years Eve in NYC, Brisbane's World Championship Cockroach Races and more. Family members said the author had done/seen about half of the things on the list; you've gotta admit, his untimely death is a bit ironic, and I'm sure there's an obvious joke in that somewhere, but I'm not heartless enough to make it. Think good thoughts for his family and friends, and maybe try out some of the things in the book - you never know how much time you'll have to do all 100!
BREAKING NEWS - Dave Matthews Band saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, died today (Tuesday) of complications from a June 30 ATV accident, according to several sources.
Moore, who had been in and out of the hospital after puncturing a lung and breaking ribs in the accident, died in Los Angeles today at the age of 46.
[UPDATE] Despite the members' loss, the band played its scheduled show Tuesday at the Staple Center in Los Angeles. Amidst the opening song of "Bartender" -- "if I go, before I'm old/oh, brother of mine, please don't forget me if I go"-- and the rest of the show, repeated chants for LeRoi could be heard. Posts on AntsMarching.org forums describe the pain felt throughout.
Dave also took a moment to describe the first time he met Roi here, saying, "I fell in love with that man, and I'm still in love with him."
Tuesday night, the opening page of the band's Web site was changed to a memorial for LeRoi, with the following post on the main page:
LEROI MOORE 1961-2008
08/19/2008
We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.
For casual DMB fans (or the occasional DMB hater), this probably isn't big news. But unfortunately, this is absolutely devastating news for the band's fanatical and tight-knit community.
My friends and I attended the June 28 show in Bristow this year, which was not only our third and last show of the summer, but turned out to be Roi's last show with the band. It's sad to look back on our conversation that day, planning our summer 2009 road trip to see the band and hoping that 10 years down the road, we'd still be afforded the opportunity to see the best live show on the planet.
After the ATV accident, fans flooded LeRoi's hospital room with e-cards and the band's setlist each night encouraged fans to "send good thoughts for LeRoi."
Absolutely devastating.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Moore family and members of the band.
For an excellent tribute cover of #41 (a song Dave recently announced, ironically, that Roi hated playing), click here.
Warning: This video contains a moderately graphic image of an animal dying. Please don't come after me, PETA. It's kind of sad, but completely not worthy of this spaztastic (and hilarious) performance.
Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.
Mac had a stacked resume, including two movies and two television stints in post-production. He appeared in the "Ocean's" trilogy, "Transformers," "Bad Santa," "Don't Be a Menace...," and of course, "The Bernie Mac Show," for which he was twice nominated for an Emmy and once for a Golden Globe. He also penned a memoir about his childhood entitled, "Maybe You Never Cry Again."
It's 3:30 a.m. and I have work tomorrow...But I just got back from the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight" at the IMAX in Philadelphia, and I am seriously reeling.
I will not write about this movie, analyze it on this blog or post any spoilers. I just have four words for you: GO SEE IT. NOW.
This may be morbid, but it's mildly entertaining...
Atwhenwillamywinehousedie.com, visitors can enter a guess as to the date and time of when Amy Winehouse will take a bow. Get the closest, and you could win an iPod Touch.
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