Category: Uncategorized

Virginia Mayo
84, played the unfaithful wife of World War II veteran Dana Andrews in The Best Years of Our Lives. Her beauty prompted the sultan of Morocco to write that she was “tangible proof of the existence of God.” Died Thousand Oaks, Calif. Jan. 17, 2005.

I’m working on a year-end review special and covering all the “celebrity” deaths in 2005.
Here’s a preview of A-F:

Don Adams
82, played secret agent Maxwell Smart on Get Smart, which ran on television from 1969 to 1970. Died Los Angeles, Sept. 25, 2005.

Eddie Albert
99, best known for his role as a city lawyer who moves to the country with his wife in TV’s Green Acres. Died Los Angeles, May 26, 2005.

Shana Alexander
79, a journalist and commentator who engaged in heated debates with James Kilpatrick on 60 Minutes. Also wrote for Newsweek and Life magazines. Died Hermosa Beach, Calif. June 23, 2005.

Jack Anderson
83, investigative journalist whose columns ran in more than 1,000 newspapers. Anderson broke stories on the CIA’s plot to kill Fiedel Castro and the savings and loan scandal. He was a Pulitzer Prize winner for his reporting on the roll of the United States I the Pakistan and India war. Died Dec. 17, 2005.

Victoria de los Angelos
81, Spanish soprano who performed with the Metropolitan Opera from 1951 to 1961. Died Barcelona, Jan. 15, 2005.

Anne Bancroft
73, Accademy and Tony Award winner who played Mrs. Robinson in the film The Graduate. Also appeared in The Turning Point and Agnes of God. She was married to comedic actor and director Mel Brooks. Died Manhattan, June 6, 2005.

Barbara Bel Geddes
82, Emmy Award winner who played the Ewing matriarch on TV’s Dallas. Her film credits included Vertigo and I Remember Mamma. She also appeared in the original stage version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Died Northeast Harbor, Maine, Aug. 8, 2005.

Charles Bell
44, former president and chief executive of McDonald’s restaurant. He held the post for seven months. He was the company’s second leader to die in less than a year. Died Sydney, Australia, Jan. 16, 2005.

Saul Bellow
89, Nobel Prize for Literature winner for his portrayals of Jewish American life among disillusioned modern city-dwellers. Died Brookline, Mass. April 5, 2005.

Peter Benenson
83, British lawyer who created Amnesty International in 1961, to fight for human rights and “prisoners of conscience.” Amnesty International won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977. Died Oxford, England, Feb. 25, 2005.

Obie Benson
68, one of the founding members of musical group, Four Tops. He also wrote the popular anti-war song, “What’s Going On.” Died Detroit, July 1, 2005.

Stan Berenstain
82, co-author and co-illustrator of the Berenstain Bears series of children’s books. He created over 250 books with his wife Jan, selling more than 300 million copies. Died Doylestown, Pa., Nov. 26, 2005.

George Best
59, Irish soccer player who earned fame and pop-star status for his image on and off the field. He led Manchester United to its first European Cut win in 1968. Died London, England, Nov. 25, 2005.

Hans Bethe,
98, a leading physicist in the development of the atom bomb for the U.S. government’s Manhatten Project. He championed the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes during the 1980s and 1990s. He won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967 for his discovery on how the stars and Sun continue to burn. Died Ithaca, NY, March 6, 2005.

Oscar Brown
78, singer, songwriter and playwright. His work often celebrated African American culture and denounced racism. He appeared on TV’s Brewster Place. Died Chicago, May 29, 2005.

Fernando Bujones
60, a male ballet dancer who began training at the age of 8 at the school of Alicia Alonso, a famous Cuban ballerina. He was one of the youngest principal dancers in the world in 1974 with the American Ballet Theatre. Died Miami, Nov. 10, 2005.

Lord James Callaghan
92, British prime minister from 1976 to 1979. His administration was plagued by a series of trade union strikes, known as the “Winter of Discontent.” Died East Sussex, England, March 26, 2005.

Johnny Carson
79, legendary comedian who hosted The Tonight Show on NBC from 1962 to 1992. Carson began his career as a magician and went on to write sketches for radio and hosted a daytime television quiz show. Died Malibu, Calif. Jan. 23, 2005.

Shirley Chisholm
80, the first black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. She served seven terms in the House. Died Ormond Beach, Fla. Jan. 1, 2005.

Kenneth Clark
90, civil rights leader whose report on detrimental effects of segregation on children was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1954 ruling, Brown v. Board of Education. The decision stated that “separate but equal” schools were unconstitutional. Died Hasints-on-Hudson, NY, May 1, 2005.

Johnnie Cochran, Jr.
67, trail lawyer best known for defending O.J. Simpson in his 1995 murder trial. Died Los Angeles, March 29, 2005.

Frank Conroy
69, headed the prestigious Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa for 18 years. His memoir Stop-Time about his troubled, lonely adolescence brought him celebrity and acclaim. Died Iowa City, April 6, 2005.

Robin Clark
59, served as British foreign secretary in the Blair Administration before he resigned in 2003 in protest with Britain’s participation in the war in Iraq. Died Scotland, Aug. 6, 2005.

Robert Creely
78, poet, essayist, short-story writer who was a leading member of the Black Mountain school of poetry. In 1999 he won the Bollingen Prize, poetry’s highest honor. Died Odessa, Texas, March 30, 2005.

Lloyd Cutler
87, attorney and mediator who served as White House council to presidents Carter and Clinton. He also served as a member of Sept. 11 investigation commissioned by President Bush. Died Washington, D.C., May 8, 2005.

H. David Dalquist
86, entrepreneur who invented the Bundt pan in 1950. Died Edina, Minn., Jan. 2, 2005.

Ossie Davis
87, wrote the Broadway play Purlie Victorious and appeared in Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever. Davis eulogized Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X. Died Miami, Fla. Feb 4, 2005.

Sandra Dee
62, played innocent tomboys in several teeny-bopper films including Gidget and A Summer Place in the late 1950s. Was married to singer Bobby Darin from 1960 to 1967. Died Thousand Oaks, Calif, Feb. 20, 2005.

John DeLorean
80, left his high-level position at General Motors to start his own automotive company in Northern Ireland. His DeLorean sports car was featured in the Back to the Future movies. Died Summit, N.J., March 19, 2005.

Bob Denver
70, actor who played Gilligan on TVs Gilligan’s Island. He also played beatnick Maynard Krebs on The Many Lives of Doby Gillis. Died Winston-Salem, N.C., Sept. 2, 2005.

Richard Doll
92, British scientist who was among the first to link smoking with lung cancer and emphysema. Also showed that radiation and asbestos can cause cancer. Died Oxford, England, July 24, 2005.

James Doohan
85, actor who portrayed Scotty, the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek. Died Redmond, Wash., July 20, 2005.

Peter Drucker
95, political economist who is best known for establishing management as its own discipline. Several theories are widely practiced today in the business world. Died Claremont, Calf. Nov. 11, 2005.

Spencer Dryden
66, drummer for the rock band Jefferson Airplane. Died Petaluma, Calif., Jan. 10, 2005.

Ralph Edwards
92, a radio and television pioneer who created This is Your Life and Truth or Consequences. Often called “the godfather of reality programming.” Also developed Name That Tune and The People’s Court. Died Los Angeles, Nov. 16, 2005.

Will Eisner
87, comic-book artist who created Spirit, the superhero who lacked supernatural powers. Died Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jan 3, 2005.

Dana Elcar
77, appeared on TVs MacGyver and Baa, Baa Black Sheep. He went blind during the run of MacGyver and his condition was written into the script. Died Ventura, Calif. June 6, 2005.

Fahd ibn Adul Aziz
84, pro-Western king of Suadi Arabia who worked to modernize the Islamic country. He courted the U.S., broadened women’s rights and expanded the economy. King Fahd passed authority to Crown Prince Abdullah in 1995, after a series of strokes. Died Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 1, 2005.

John Flelder
80, best known for providing the voice to Piglet in the Winnie-the-Pooh movies. He also appeared in Broadway’s A Raisin in the Sun and the film Twelve Angry Men. Died Englewood, N.J., June 25, 2005.

Dennis Flanagan
85, editor of Scientific American for 37 years. Saw the magazine’s circulation increase from 40,000 to 600,000. Died Manhatten, Jan. 14, 2005.

Arthur Fletcher
80, known as the “father of affirmative action,” he was a civil rights activist who served as an advisor to Nixon, Ford and Reagan. He also lead the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during the George H.W. Bush administration. Died Washington, D.C., July 12, 2005.

Shelby Foote
88, civil war historian who wrote a three-volume history on the war and provided commentary to Ken Burns’ 1990 Civil War documentary on PBS. Died Mephis, Tenn., June 27, 2005.

Tillie Fowler
62, Republican who served four terms in Congress. Known as the “steel magnolia,” she was once the highest-ranking woman in Congress. She served as a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the vice-chairman of the House Republican Conference. Died Jacksonville, Fla., March 2, 2005.

Peter Foy
79, innovator who used wires, harnesses and pulleys to send theater actors aloft. His Broadway credits include Peter Pan, Angels in America and The Lion King. Died Las Vegas, Feb. 17, 2005.

Christopher Fy
97, author of the Ben-Hur script. Died Chichester, England, June 30, 2005.

Well, it’s Dec. 26 and now its time to focus on another Holiday. What to do for New Year’s and New Year’s Eve?
But before I move to far into the future, I thought I’d throw out a recap of our Christmas weekend. If you’re not interested in the recap – feel free to scroll to the moral of the story at the botttom of this post.
The holiday weekend started with a Feliz Navidad party at work.
Fajitas, chips, tacos and more were enjoyed by all.
We then went right back to work on our Sunday (Christmas Day) issue of the paper.
Despite the dateline, Sunday’s paper was written and went to press Friday night. Sorry if you were looking for the latest news. I guess that’s why we only run local stories and don’t spend much time or money on AP stories.
After leaving work around 5 p.m., I made the treck to my grandparents were we enjoyed food, fellowship and an odd twist on our normal White Elephant gift.
I’m not sure where or why the change came about, but despite the slack I gave my aunt for it, it was fun (if for nothing more than poking fun at my aunt for coming up with the changes.)
I came home with an AMC Theater gift card. I’ve gotten a number of gift cards this year, which I don’t mind, but I need to start spending them because they’re making my wallet that much thicker.
I drove back to the ‘Chie Saturday night and enjoyed a movie before going to bed.
Saturday was a great chance to sleep in before working to finish up a couple gifts.
Saturday evening we went to the Christmas Eve service at my parent’s church and then enjoyed a party at their house with the Lehmanns.
Lots of noise and fun with all the younger Lehmann girls (and boy). We had a good time and discovered that no matter how much money you spend on younger children, a whoopie cushion will be there favorite gift.
Sunday morning our family enjoyed opening gifts. The gifts seem to get fewer and fewer each year, but mean more and more.
We then enjoyed the Christmas Day service with the pastor telling the story of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, dressed as Joseph. It was a nice twist to the normal Christmas Day sermon.
We returned home to a Christmas Day dinner with grandparents and then I believe everyone passed out somewhere in the house for a good portion of the afternoon.
We wrapped the day up with a game of 10-9-8 and Rumicube before I returned home late Sunday night.
THE MORAL
And I shared all of that to say that despite the heartache of losing Amy this year, it was wonderful to know that the Christmas spirit was still alive and well with our family and the Lehmann family.
As my mom said, “Without Christmas and Christ coming to earth, it takes away all our hope that Amy’s in a better place. It’s because of Christmas that we can celebrate Amy’s homegoing and not mourn our loss.”
And Christmas is always enjoyed more through the eyes of a child.
Even if its laughing as Wilson tries to blow out candles at the Christmas Eve candlelight service, or Amelia, Wilson and Hannah enjoying a whoopie cushion on their granddads lap, their innocence and joy is contagious.
So I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, Festivus, Hannukah and Kwanza and have a blessed new year.

There’s an odd smell lurking about my cubicle this morning. I may be the only one who’s noticed it.
I think there are funny colored fumes seeping out of the air vents.
I don’t know what it is, but I keep getting whiffs of a dirty diaper and Lysol spray.
It’s getting to be a little weird.
Do office politics/ethics restrict me from mentioning it to my co-workers in fear of embarasing someone?
Oh the joy.

Look out Dover, PA, according to Pat Robertson, you’ve voted God right out of your city.

According to Dallasblog.com, Gov. Perry has two opponents in the primaries.
Neither of which is Carol Strayhorn — yet.
The filing deadline is Jan 2 and Strayhorn has not yet filed.
Rhett Smith and Larry Kilgore couldn’t be further apart in their reasons for running.
Smith says Perry is too religious and letting conservative Christians run the state.
Kilgore says Perry is not religious enough and protecting bi and homosexuals as a special class.
Gotta love religion getting in the midst of elections.