Its My Blogoversary, but,...

Gentle readers,
I started this blog 7 years ago on a lark and it helped me connect to a lot of great, right-minded people.

I've seen the re-election of "W" and the slow undoing of our glorious Republic; I've seen the Phillies phinally make it to the Big Show, the Flyers, Wings, Soul and even the Beagles put Philadelphia on the map.

But this year, too many personal issues have taken their toll and I find myself just not having the heart to invest the time and energy to put together post after post railing against the injustices of the world.

Its been a great ride, but now I have to walk away. I'll still be shooting my mouth off on Facebook, if you're interested.

I'd like to thank some of the great people who've shared my journey, among them:

Denny a/k/a Captain America

Wyatt Earp


Bill Shaw

Lisa Corleto

Alex Charyna

The entire gang at PAWaterCooler

and many others who've gone by the wayside.

Goodbye,

Godspeed,

Fare Thee Well!

Physician Heal Thyself,...Um,..Oops!

Assisted Suicide Advocate Jack Kevorkian Dies at 83

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the Michigan pathologist who championed physician-assisted suicides, died early Friday after being hospitalized with kidney problems and pneumonia.

The 83-year-old Kevorkian, who said he helped some 130 people end their lives from 1990 to 1999, died about 2:30 a.m. at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., close friend and attorney Mayer Morganroth said.

An official cause of death had not been determined, but Morganroth said it likely will be pulmonary thrombosis.

"I had seen him earlier and he was conscious," said Morganroth, who added that the two spoke about Kevorkian's pending release from the hospital and planned start of rehabilitation. "Then I left and he took a turn for the worst and I went back."

Nurses at the hospital played recordings of classical music by composer Johann Sebastian Bach for Kevorkian before he died, Morganroth said.

Time to Say it Again,...

This is a celebrity,...

This is a celebrity on drugs?

Get the picture?

'Taxi' Star Jeff Conaway Dead at 60

After spending weeks in a coma thought to be brought on by a prescription drug overdose, “Taxi” star Jeff Conaway has died. He was 60 years old.
Conaway, who is perhaps best known for his role as Kenickie in the iconic film “Grease,” fell into a coma after the reported overdose and was taken to a hospital on May 11. He never woke up.
On Thursday, Radar Online reported that the family of the star, who had a long and public battle with drug addiction, was looking to take him off of life support. Doctors had previously told the family that no brain activity was detected from the star.
The decision had to be delayed when his ex-girlfriend, Vikki Lizzi, took the family to court over the decision.
Conaway had a restraining order against Lizzi, so she was not permitted to be at the hospital.

And the Rapture Claims Its First Victim,....

Pro Wrestler Randy 'Macho Man' Savage Dies in Car Accident

Pro wrestlling superstar Randy "Macho Man" Savage died after having a heart attack while driving his Jeep Wrangler, Fox News confirms.

The accident happened in Seminole, Fla.

A source tells Fox News that he "suffered a heart attack while driving and hit a tree."

Lanny Poffo, Randy's brother, told TMZ the accident happened Friday morning when Savage lost control of his vehicle.

Florida Highway Patrol said Savage leapt a concrete median, veered into oncoming traffic and smashed into a tree head on.

He died from his injuries at largo Medical Center.

Savage, 58, had just celebrated his first wedding anniversary with his wife Lynn. It was his second marriage. His first wife died of a drug overdose shortly after their divorce in 1992.

The wrestling world took to Twitter to grieve over the former wrestler.

"He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him," Hulk Hogan posted on his Twitter account.

"RIP Randy 'Macho Man' Savage - you were one of my childhood inspirations and heros. Strength, love and prayers to the Savage/Poffo family," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said on Twitter.

"I lost a close friend today. If anybody in heaven is wondering who the cat in the ugly cowboy hat is it's Randy. Love you Bro. Never another," Kevin Nash tweeted.

Savage helped put WWF wrestling on the map in the 1980s and '90s, becoming, along with Hulk Hogan, one of its biggest draws. His outrageous outfits and bellowing voice made him a fan favorite.

Hmmm,....I guess he snapped into one Slim Jim too many???

Don't Let the Door Hit You in the $15M Ass,...

Katie Couric Announces Departure from CBS News

After months of speculation that she would leave CBS News at the end of her contract, Katie Couric confirmed Tuesday she would indeed be stepping away from the anchor's chair.

"I have decided to step down from the 'CBS Evening News'," Couric told People.com. "I'm really proud of the talented team on the 'CBS Evening News' and the award-winning work we've been able to do in the past five years."

Though the 54-year-old is staying mum on her future plans, she has hinted she would like to develop her own syndicated talk show because of "the creative freedom to pick subjects, to really dig deep, to have a smart, intelligent conversation (and ambush a real woman and threat like Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann)... it might be nice to have a little more wiggle room to show my personality," she said during a "Today" show interview earlier in April.

ABC News is also said to be wooing Couric with an offer of specials, conventions and "everything but the 'Evening News,'" according to The Daily.

"They are offering her the keys to the castle. It won't leave much for Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters and Christiane Amanpour," the source said.

The salary offer from ABC was said to be far less than the $15 million Couric currently takes home for her duties at CBS. (Imagine how many quality shows CeeBS could have funded on that dime??)

Couric gained national attention when she became co-host of NBC's "Today" show in 1991.

She left the popular morning show in 2006 for CBS, becoming the first woman to serve as anchor for a nightly network news

Though her ascent to the anchor's chair gained considerable press, the CBS news show failed to jump in the ratings during her tenure.

Passings,...

Director Sidney Lumet Dead at 86

NEW YORK -- Sidney Lumet, the award-winning director of acclaimed films such as "Network," "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "12 Angry Men," has died. He was 86.

Lumet's death was confirmed Saturday by Marc Kusnetz, who is the husband of Lumet's stepdaughter, Leslie Gimbel.

Lumet was nominated for Academy Awards four times as a director. He never won, but he did receive an honorary lifetime achievement Oscar in 2005.

"Network," a scathing view of the television business, proved to be his most memorable film and created the enduring catch phrase, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Many of his films, including "Serpico" and "Dog Day Afternoon," showed the grittier side of New York City.

His movie directing debut was 1957's "12 Angry Men," starring Henry Fonda.

"12 Angry Men" is STILL on of my favorite movies,too!

Manny Ramirez at Peace With Retirement Despite Failing Drug Test

NEW YORK -- Manny Ramirez walked away from baseball on Friday, abruptly ending the mercurial career of one of the most talented -- and tainted -- hitters to ever play the game.

The slumping Tampa Bay Rays slugger tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug during spring training, sources told ESPN.com, and informed Major League Baseball that he would retire rather than face a 100-game suspension.

"I'm at ease," Ramirez told ESPNdeportes.com via phone from his home in Miami. "God knows what's best [for me]. I'm now an officially retired baseball player. I'll be going away on a trip to Spain with my old man."

Ramirez served a 50-game suspension for violating the drug policy in 2009 while he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and second-time offenders get double that penalty.

This is why I support my beloved Phillies - they don't bring attention to themselves off the field, they play by the rules and they steer clear of the law.  Is it any wonder why they win every year??

Another Legend Passes,....

Silver Screen Legend Elizabeth Taylor Dies at Age 79

Screen legend Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday at the age of 79.

Her rep told FOX News she died in the early morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Taylor had been hospitalized for over a month at Cedars-Sinai, where she was being treated for symptoms of congestive heart failure.

Taylor announced her congestive heart failure diagnosis in 2004.

The Oscar-winning actress had been receiving friends in her hospital room, and watched the Academy Awards to celebrate her birthday last month.

Taylor first gained stardom as a child and appeared in more than 50 films. She won Oscars for her performances in "Butterfield 8" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

She was equally famous for extraordinary beauty and her stormy personal life, including eight marriages.

In later years, she was a spokeswoman for humanitarian causes, notably AIDS research. That work gained her a special Oscar in 1993.

Taylor is survived by her children, Michael and Christopher Wilding by her second marriage, Liza Todd by her third, and Maria Burton, who she adopted with Richard Burton, to whom she was twice married. She also had nine grandchildren.

One of Our Greatest is Silenced,.....

'Band of Brothers' Inspiration Dies at Age 92

PHILADELPHIA -- Richard "Dick" Winters, the Easy Company commander whose World War II exploits were made famous by the book and television miniseries "Band of Brothers," died last week in central Pennsylvania. He was 92.

Winters died following a several-year battle with Parkinson's disease, longtime family friend William Jackson said Monday.

An intensely private and humble man, Winters had asked that news of his death be withheld until after his funeral, Jackson said. Winters lived in Hershey, Pa., but died in suburban Palmyra.

The men Winters led expressed their admiration for their company commander after learning of his death.

William Guarnere, 88, said what he remembers about Winters was "great leadership."

When he said 'Let's go,' he was right in the front," Guarnere, who was called "Wild Bill" by his comrades, said Sunday night from his South Philadelphia home. "He was never in the back. A leader personified."

Another member of the unit living in Philadelphia, Edward Heffron, 87, said thinking about Winters brought a tear to his eye.

"He was one hell of a guy, one of the greatest soldiers I was ever under," said Heffron, who had the nickname "Babe" in the company. "He was a wonderful officer, a wonderful leader. He had what you needed, guts and brains. He took care of his men, that's very important."

Winters was born Jan. 21, 1918 and studied economics at Franklin & Marshall College before enlisting, according to a biography on the Penn State website.

Winters became the leader of Company E, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division on D-Day, after the death of the company commander during the invasion of Normandy.

During that invasion, Winters led 13 of his men in destroying an enemy battery and obtained a detailed map of German defenses along Utah Beach. In September 1944, he led 20 men in a successful attack on a German force of 200 soldiers

Advancing but Overshadowing Tradition,..

Goodbye, Nostalgia: Fire Stations Scrap Poles

Quick means of descent was major safety hazard

They may be cool, but they’re just not safe: fire departments around the country are getting rid of their classic poles, Time reports. Instead, they’re opting for stairs and slides. “The pole is something we associated with as kids," says a Seattle architect. "But the pole has been one of the biggest sources of firefighter injury”—resulting in a $13 million lawsuit in the city, which has banned poles.


Some fire stations still have poles, but the National Fire Protection Association is working on getting rid of them, or at least enclosing them “so nobody stumbles into it in the middle of the night,” says a former fire chief.

A Sad Passing,...

Turn out the lights,....

Football

Former Cowboys Quarterback Don Meredith Dies of Brain Hemorrhage at 72

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Don Meredith, one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys and an original member of ABC's "Monday Night Football" broadcast team, died Sunday. He was 72.

Meredith's wife, Susan, told The Associated Press on Monday her husband died in Santa Fe after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma. She says a private graveside ceremony is being planned and that family members were traveling to Santa Fe.

"He was the best there was," she said, describing him as kind, warm and funny. "We lost a good one."

Meredith played for the Cowboys from 1960-1968, becoming the starting quarterback in 1965. While he never led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl, Meredith was one of the franchise's first stars.

Over his nine-year career, Meredith threw for 17,199 yards and 111 touchdowns. He retired unexpectedly before the 1969 season.

Just two years after retiring from football, Meredith joined Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell in the broadcast booth as part of the "Monday Night Football" crew.

He quickly became one of the most popular broadcasters in sports because of his folksy sayings and country humor.

Meredith's signature call was singing the famous Willie Nelson song "Turn Out the Lights" when it appeared a game's outcome had been determined.

Don't Call Him "Shirley"

Comedy Legend Leslie Nielsen Dies At 84

LOS ANGELES -- Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in "Airplane!" and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in "The Naked Gun" comedies, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.

The Canadian-born actor died from complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home at 5:34 p.m., surrounded by his wife, Barbaree, and friends, his agent John S. Kelly said in a statement.

"We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin in 'The Naked Gun' series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television," said Kelly.

His first film for that studio was auspicious -- as the space ship commander in the science fiction classic "Forbidden Planet." He found his best dramatic role as the captain of an overturned ocean liner in the 1972 disaster movie, "The Poseidon Adventure."

He became known as a serious actor, although behind the camera he was a prankster. That was an aspect of his personality never exploited, however, until "Airplane!" was released in 1980 and became a huge hit.

Its My Blogoversary!

Yes, gentle readers, six long years ago, I started experimenting with this thing called "weblogging." It was going to be my on-line stream-of-consciousness.

Incidentally, I started it just before the 2004 Presidential election and this "blog" quickly took on the role of conservative supporter to "W."

In the intervening years, we've seen our country go from a feared and respective world power down through the rise of the liberal apologist to its 2008 nadir of "The One" trying to "hopelessly change" our country into a Euro-Socialist banana republic.

Locally, Philadelphia's sports teams, notably the Phillies and Flyers, have climbed to national dominance in stark contrast to the city's headlong economic rush to bankruptcy and Detroit-like squalor.

I'm rapidly approaching 50,000 visitors, something uber-bloggers see in a week.

I've made quite a few friends along the way and even got to meet the humans behind the viewscreen, like Wyatt Earp and Captain America, as well as Alex C, Bill from WriteMarsh, Midnight Blue, Lisa from Bluftooni, Tony Phyrillas in all his iterations and the entire PAWaterCooler crew.

The 2010 election, and REJECTION of "The One's" policies, is just around the corner and, while my job and need to relocate out of Sillydelphia have monopolized my energies, I'll still be around for quite awhile making sure the Democratic Party NEVER gets another chance to run this country without first purging its ranks of every Marxist, Socialist and nutjob capable of bringing this country to its knees.

Thank you one and all again for tolerating me for these past years and God Bless You All!

An Icon Passes,...

Music's over for Sony Walkman

The iconic Walkman has come to the end of its run.

Sony has pulled the plug on the original portable cassette-tape player, Japanese media report.

The company made its last shipment of the cassette Walkmans to the Japanese market earlier this year -- and when they're gone from stores, they'll be finished.

Sony is outsourcing some manufacturing to a Chinese company for sales to people who still use obsolete cassette tapes.

Launched in 1979, the Walkman became a global hit and symbol of tech cool, with Sony selling roughly 220 million of the boxy devices.

Modern MP3 players like the iPod eventually trumped the Walkman and portable disc players -- despite Sony's effort to market a digital version of the 1980s staple.

Fewer Happy Days,.....

'Happy Days' Dad Tom Bosley Dies

Tom Bosley, the actor who played mild-mannered hardware store owner Howard Cunningham on the classic sitcom 'Happy Days,' died on Tuesday, his agent confirmed.

Bosley was 83.

His family said Bosley died of heart failure at a hospital near his Palm Springs home. Bosley's agent said he was also battling lung cancer.

TV Guide ranked Bosley's Happy Days character No. 9 on its list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" in 2004.

Bosley's death comes just days after that of another beloved TV parent. Barbara Billingsley, who played mom June Cleaver on 'Leave It to Beaver," died this past weekend.

Bosley also starred in the "Father Dowling Mysteries" series in the late '90s, but he was best knows as Richie and Joanie Cunningham's dad, and Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli's landlord, on "Happy Days," which aired from 1974-84.

The show depicted middle-class life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the 1950s just as rock and roll was taking hold of the American consciousness.

Bosley's character was typically the calm at the center of the storm, often dispensing his reasonable advice from the comfort of his easy chair in the Cunninghams' living room.

There's No Dying in Baseball!

Oops,....

Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Dies at 80

NEW YORK -- George Steinbrenner, who rebuilt the New York Yankees into a sports empire with a mix of bluster and big bucks that polarized fans all across America, died Tuesday. He had just celebrated his 80th birthday July 4.

Steinbrenner had a heart attack, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and died at about 6:30 a.m, a person close to the owner told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not disclosed those details.

His death was the second in three days to rock the Yankees. Bob Sheppard, the team's revered public address announcer from 1951-07, died Sunday at 99.

For more than 30 years, Steinbrenner lived up to his billing as "the Boss," a nickname he earned and clearly enjoyed as he ruled with an iron fist. While he lived in Tampa he was a staple on the front pages of New York newspapers.

Bye-Bye Birdie!

Robert Byrd, Longest-Serving U.S. Senator, Dies at 92

Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the longest-serving senator in American history, died Monday at the age of 92, a spokesman for the family said.

Byrd, a Democrat who served in the U.S. Senate since 1959, had been plagued by health problems in recent years and was confined to a wheelchair. He had skipped several votes in Congress in the past months.

Jesse Jacobs, a family spokesman, said Byrd died peacefully at about 3 a.m. at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va.

He was the oldest member of the 111th Congress.

The passing of Sen. Byrd will not affect the balance of power in the Senate. West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, a Democrat, will appoint a replacement senator to serve out the remainder of Byrd's term, which ends in 2012.
Byrd threw his support behind Barack Obama a week after the then-senator lost the West Virginia Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton during the 2008 presidential campaign -- an endorsement that symbolized the shift in his views on race.

Once a member of the Klu Klux Klan, it was the defining moment in his lifelong effort to convince the American public of his changed views on race.

"I have done my best to do the right thing," Byrd said during a March 2005 interview with Fox News, during which he was questioned about his KKK membership in the early 1940s.

Less Stormy Weather,...

Legendary Singer Lena Horne Dies At 92
VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Lena Horne, the enchanting jazz singer and actress who reviled the bigotry that allowed her to entertain white audiences but not socialize with them, slowing her rise to Broadway superstardom, died Sunday. She was 92.

Horne died at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Gloria Chin. Chin would not release any other details.

Horne, whose striking beauty and magnetic sex appeal often overshadowed her sultry voice, was remarkably candid about the underlying reason for her success.

"I was unique in that I was a kind of black that white people could accept," she once said. "I was their daydream. I had the worst kind of acceptance because it was never for how great I was or what I contributed. It was because of the way I looked."

In the 1940s, she was one of the first black performers hired to sing with a major white band, the first to play the Copacabana nightclub and among a handful with a Hollywood contract.

In 1943, MGM Studios loaned her to 20th Century-Fox to play the role of Selina Rogers in the all-black movie musical "Stormy Weather." Her rendition of the title song became a major hit and her signature piece.

Another Passing Icon Hits the Road,...

Donald Frey, designer of the original Ford Mustang, dead at age 86

On the day we've reviewed two descendants of his original creation, we find out that the man who designed the Mustang, Donald Frey, passed away at 86. As with the car's decades of success, the inspiration for it was unlikely: the Chevrolet Corvair.

Frey, who was assistant general manager and and chief engineer of a Ford Motor Company still suffering dry heaves over the Edsel, said he watched GM put bucket seats in the Corvair and rename it Monza, and it began to pick up with customers. There was also the dinner table motivation of his kids telling him his cars stunk.

Frey's first take on the Mustang was a mid-engined convertible in 1962 which, while working with Ford General Manager Lee Iacocca, he would develop into the car introduced to the World's Fair in 1964. When the coupe predicted to sell 80,000 units a year actually sold a million-plus units in its first two years – and then sold and sold and sold – Frey became an American legend. The rest is not just history, it's the present and the future, with the Mustang certain to be a staple in the Ford portfolio for years to come.

From Autoblog and Mustang fans around the world, our condolences and best wishes go to the Frey family.

Another Piece of Our Television Iconography Gone,...

'Daniel Boone' star Fess Parker dies
By Alan Duke, CNN
March 18, 2010 4:07 p.m. EDT

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Fess Parker, best known for playing Daniel Boone in a 1960s television series, died Thursday at his home near Santa Barbara, California, his publicist said. He was 85.

Parker followed his acting career with successful hotel and winery ventures around Santa Barbara.

A statement issued by his family did not reveal the cause of death.

Parker is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marcella, their son and daughter, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild who "spent a great deal of time with Fess in his final months and weeks," the statement said.

A native of Texas, Parker served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before graduating from the University of Texas-Austin in 1950.

Good-bye and Godspeed, Phelps!

This message will not self-destruct!

'Mission: Impossible' Star Peter Graves Dead at 83 AP LOS ANGELES

Publicist Sandy Brokaw says Peter Graves died at his Los Angeles home just after returning home from brunch with his family.

Peter Graves, whose calm and intelligent demeanor was a good fit for the intrigue of "Mission Impossible" as well as the satire of the "Airplane" films, has died.

Graves passed away Sunday just a few days before his 84th birthday outside his home in Los Angeles, publicist Sandy Brokaw said. Graves was returning from brunch with his wife of nearly 60 years and his family when he had what Graves' doctor believed was a heart attack, Brokaw said.

Graves first gained the attention of many baby boomers with the 1950s TV series "Fury," but remained best known for the role of Jim Phelps, leader of a gang of special agents who battled evil conspirators in TV's "Mission: Impossible."

Normally cast as a hero, he turned in an unforgettable performance early in his career as the treacherous Nazi spy in Billy Wilder's 1953 prisoner-of-war drama "Stalag 17."

He also masterfully lampooned his straight-arrow image when he portrayed bumbling airline pilot Clarence Oveur in the 1980 disaster movie spoof "Airplane!"

He'll be missed, but at least he didn't pass away watching gladiator movies with Timmy!