Say It Ain't So! [MCA, Maurice Sendak, Utah Jazz]

It's been a rough couple days.

We lost two legends, one each from the music and literature fields.
In addition, my NBA team got swept out of the playoffs. Boo.

MCA (aka Adam Yauch)

As one of the three Beastie Boys, MCA made a huge impact on the world of hip-hop music. I still remember listening to their albums with my older brother when I was a kid, and how cool I felt rocking out to them while driving my first car. He'd been battling cancer for three years, though, which I can only imagine would have been very difficult for both him and his family and friends.

Maurice Sendak

He was the acclaimed and sometimes controversial author of many children's books, and was most-known for Where the Wild Things Are. I didn't know much about him as a person until recently, when Stephen Colbert interviewed him. Such a funny, self-deprecating, and crotchety old man.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 1
www.colbertnation.com

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 2
www.colbertnation.com

Utah Jazz
This is just a quick one. Last night the San Antonio Spurs completed their 4-game sweep of the Jazz in the first round of the NBA playoffs. I didn't expect much from the Jazz against the Spurs, but I'd hoped they'd at least win a game or two. Oh well, there's always next year, right?

The first two are definitely sadder than the last, and/but hopefully the next couple days are bummer-free.

Say It Ain't So! [Etta James]

It's a sad day when a music legend passes on.

Probably best known for her hit song "At Last" (video below), Miss Peaches came on the scene in 1955 with her breakout song "The Wallflower".
Despite/through bouts of addiction, she's been performing ever since.

She even won 6 Grammys during her lifetime and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I won't attempt a comment with the clever use of "at last" being at peace or being able to rest "at last".
Her voice and music were/are too powerful for that sort of pithy punchline.

RIP Etta James.

Say It Ain't So! [Joe Frazier, Joe Paterno, Lindsay Lohan, Notre Dame Football, Duggar Family]

Lots of craziness lately, so I figured I'd stuff them all into one post and just keep each short and sweet.

RIP Joe Frazier

His professional boxing career began right after he won the USA's only gold boxing medal in the 1964 Olympics. He dominated most matches, eventually becoming the official world heavyweight champion in 1970. Perhaps his most famous bout was against Muhammad Ali (pictured above), which he won to retain his title. Frazier lost his 29-0 win streak and the championship belt to George Foreman in 1973. He had a couple comeback attempts, most famously the "Thrilla in Manila" against Ali, but Frazier never regained his former glory or the title. Diagnosed with liver cancer in September of this year, he passed away on November 7th. RIP, Smokin' Joe.

RIP Joe Paterno's Coaching Career

Due his assistant coach being charged in an alleged child sex scandal, the legendary coach of the Penn State football program was fired effective immediately. He holds the record for most wins by a collegiate coach (409), but his failure to report knowledge of the sex scandal to legal authorities appears to have been deemed by the Penn State Board of Trustees as too large too overlook. While I loved him as an icon and coach, I have to agree with them. Farewell, JoePa, and best of luck in retirement.

Lindsay Lohan Continues Streak of Terrible Decisions

It's official. Her career is in freefall. The latest is that she's posing fully nude for Playboy. After her theft of a necklace from a jewelry store, she now has to work at county morgue for 12 days, and is required to attend 18 psychotherapy sessions along with her 53 days of community service [source]. Though unlikely, I hope even the paparazzi will start to pity her and leave her to fight her demons in peace.

Notre Dame Football Fashion Faux Pas

The Notre Dame football program has a proud heritage of excellence. They inspired the movie Rudy, for goodness' sake! When they already have great helmets/logos (solid gold helmets, the interlocking "N" and "D", and the boxing Irishman), it's just lame to use these shamrock helmets [source]. They must be hoping their next opponent's uglier helmets (poor Maryland) will be more distracting than theirs.

Duggar Family Resumes Energizer Bunny Impersonation

They just keep going and going and going and going. 20 kids? Really?!? I'm just flabbergasted by these guys. These guys aren't LDS/Mormon, just in case you were curious (I clearly was). They're conservative Baptists. I've never watched their show, but I've got to imagine it's a madhouse. Are any of you, my friends and readers, from a large family? Maybe 10+ kids? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Duggars.

Say It Ain't So! [Will It Blend? + iPhone 4S]

Apple released the iPhone 4S yesterday, and I know several people who stood in line to get one (you can read my friend Domineau's experience). These phones are hot commodities, and they are expensive.

Which is why I was shocked to see the "Blendtec: Will It Blend?" guy toss a brand new iPhone 4S into his blender and grind it into tiny bits. Oh the horror! The horror!

I suppose Blendtec is going for shock factor, since it's an ad. Well it worked, because I'm shocked.

Couldn't you have given me the iPhone 4S and blended my Android phone instead?

Say It Ain't So! [Steve Jobs, The Simpsons, NBA Preseason, and Arrested Development]

"Say it ain't so, Joe. Say it ain't so!"

Though apocryphal, that's what a young boy reportedly said to "Shoeless" Joe Jackson in regards to his involvement in the 1919 World Series Black Sox scandal (in which Joe hit .375, hit a home run and 3 doubles, and had 6 RBIs).

Clip from the movie "8 Men Out", about the Black Sox scandal.

And so, in the spirit of that little heart-broken boy, I will start another semi-regular series on my blog.
When things happen that actually or sort-of break my little heart, I'll blog about it. Right now there are several, but luckily one positive news story has softened the blow somewhat.

RIP Steve Jobs
This is by far the biggest and saddest "say it ain't so" story of the week. He was a remarkable man who revolutionized our technological world. Our nations' president summed up Steve Jobs' impact well by saying,

"The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented." - President Barack Obama

You will be missed, Steve

In the wake of his passing, many of Steve's quotes are being shared, and I find this one to be especially telling of how clearly he saw life as he neared the end of his own (due to a rare form of pancreatic cancer).

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." - Steve Jobs (Stanford's Commencement, 2005)

No more episodes of the Simpsons?
After 23 seasons, Fox is considering canceling the Simpsons. The studio wants the voice actors to take a 45% pay cut in order to continue making new episodes. The voice actors offered to take a 30% pay cut, if they could also get a small percentage of other revenues (which are undoubtedly massive).

Don't go! We'd all miss your broad topical range!

The Simpsons characters cover the spectrum.

All I know is that Fox and the voice actors had better work something out, because a world devoid of new Ralph Wiggum quotes makes me want to hasten the new Apple Siri's development into Skynet and subsequent hostile take-over of the planet.

Update: Many of the show's top-level producers have offered to take a pay cut [source]. No final word yet, but I sure hope their offer can be worked into the deal somehow and the show can be saved.

Update2: I heard on the radio that an agreement has been reached at least through 2013. Crisis averted for the time being.

No NBA preseason?
The NBA owners and players are embroiled in a lockout and it looks like the real losers will be the fans. Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA preseason was officially cancelled.

Are regular season games next on the chopping block? I sure hope not, but it doesn't look good [source].

Update: The first two weeks of the regular season have been cancelled [source]. Idiots.

On the bright side...
Arrested Development is returning!

According to the tweet below from Jason Bateman, they'll be back for another 10 episodes and then a movie. We're already planning to watch them, and possibly in costumes. I'm gonna need some blue paint to go along with my jorts...