RIP Bubba Smith!

RIP Grandpa Hamme

A few days before I began blogging again (close to a month ago now), my grandfather passed away. It was a long way down for him, because he had been increasingly suffering from dementia since my grandmother died. Prior to his funeral, I last saw him at the end of August 2008, and for 90% of the visit, I'm not sure he even know who I was. Towards the end of the visit, though, I saw something in his eyes that suggested something clicked in his brain, a connection was made. And if he didn't recognize me finally, he at least knew that I was somebody very near and dear to him (I hate admitting this, but I was always his and my grandmother's favorite grandchild).

His passing saddened me greatly, for many reasons. Not the least of which is, he deserved better. Both he and my grandmother (who died in 2003) deserved to exit this world better than they did (both lingered for quite some time before they died).

And if there's one thing I wish I could have done with my grandfather again before he died, it was for the two of us to go on one more walk. When I was a child and would visit them, he and I would always go on long walks around their neighborhood. And that's the one thing I wish we could have done once more—to go on a walk with my grandfather.

To his memory, I'd like to post this Frank Sinatra jingle. For whatever reason, it seems fitting.

Rest in peace, Grandpa. I miss both you and Grandma very much.

Borders is closing

This is truly a sad day, because I first heard the news this morning on the radio that my favorite bookstore, Borders, is closing its doors for good.

I've spent many a good day at Borders browsing through their aisles, looking at books, movies, and music. My favorite Borders of all time was at 18th and L in Northwest DC, near where I used to work. Almost every day from late 2000 to spring of 2002, I would venture over to that Borders on my lunch break, walk down the stairs to the basement section, and browse through the Stephen King section of books and then make my way over to the classical music CDs, walking my fingers through cases of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, and Chopin. I even had one or two dates at that store, back in my courtship days.

But that Borders closed for good recently when the company announced it was closing many of its stores as a cost-cutting measure. The last time I went into that particular Borders was in late August of 2008. I had just taken a trip to Ben's Chili Bowl and was on walkabout through downtown DC, visiting several of my old haunts—this Borders included. And it saddens me to think that a place that once brought me such joy and peace is no more.

My second favorite Borders has to be the one in Pentagon City, which was within walking distance of Riverhouse. This Borders, while not as fancy as the one on 18th and L, served its purpose well, and I fondly remember the days when that particular outlet was much bigger (it used to encompass a large amount of retail space before being downsized). Other favorites included the Borders in Woodbridge and Springfield, but the most rockin' Borders had to be the three-story Borders at White Flint Mall. (Three stories? How could it not be awesome?)

If asked why I prefer Borders to Barnes & Noble, I honestly couldn't tell you. There are certain outlets of Barnes & Noble that I hold near and dear to me as well, but overall, Borders had a more concrete place in my heart, and I will dearly miss this bookstore when it closes up for good.

Thank you for the memories, Borders. I'll miss you much!

"I've been called, I've been called, to that great boardroom in the sky . . ." (II)

The cast of Are You Being Served?, the long-running British comedy show about the Ladies & Gents Department of Grace Brothers, has lost another member of its troop. For Wendy Richard, the actress who played Miss Brahms, has died from cancer.

Her death comes almost two years after the passing of the great John Inman, who played Mr. Humphries on the show.

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN!!!

And here I thought the biggest news of today was that Patrick McGoohan had died. But it's not. Rather, it's that Ricardo Montalban has died!

He seems to be most remembered for his role on Fantasy Island, but I remember him instead as Vincent Ludwig from The Naked Gun, and especially as the super-nemesis Khan from Star Trek. His climactic starship battle against Captain Kirk at the end of Star Trek II is historic.

May Khan rest in peace.

RIP Lwaxana

She was Christine Chapel. She was Lwaxana Troi. She was the voice of the computer. Hell, she was Gene Roddenberry's wife! She may not have been as big a star as Leonard Nimoy or William Shatner, but Majel Barrett was nevertheless a constant presence on Star Trek—not to mention the show's biggest proponent through all its iterations, films, and spinoffs since the show launched (pun intended!) in 1966. And this morning I heard the sad news that she died yesterday morning at the age of 76.

She certainly lived long and prospered, and her death is a great loss.

Those blue eyes have been closed

I about stopped in my tracks this morning when I learned that actor Paul Newman had died at the age of 83. It's almost impossible to imagine this, as he's been such a landmark in cinema for so many years, starring in such notable films as The Hustler, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cool Hand Luke, The Sting, Slap Shot, and his Oscar-winning turn in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money. Like so many others, I was kinda holding out hope that one day he'd pair up with co-star Robert Redford again, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

This is my favorite Paul Newman scene, as shown in The Sting.



Rest in peace, Paul! You will certainly be missed.

RIP Gregory Mcdonald

When I was in middle school, I read a lot of the books in the Fletch series, written by author Gregory Mcdonald (with the first book adapted into the now famous Chevy Chase movie). This morning, I was saddened to learn that Mcdonald passed away on Sunday.

Has it already been seven years?

I wish I had more to say, but I think the sight of the flag draped over the Pentagon, just to the side of where the plane struck seven years ago today, says it all.

No more salisbury steak!

Okay, enough already! It's bad enough that Bernie Mac dies too young at the age of 50, but now Isaac Hayes, too? This is getting ridiculous, people! Enough with the celebrities dying!

I have to admit, it really hit me hard to learn of Bernie Mac's death, not only because he was a great actor and comedian, but because 50 is far too young for a man to die. I hadn't even known about his respiratory ailments that afflicted him until now. Watching Friday and Ocean's Eleven won't be the same after this. And I have to wonder, with Isaac Hayes now gone, who's going to voice Chef on South Park and sing about making sweet sweet love?

RIP Estelle Getty

For a number of years, The Golden Girls was something of a guilty pleasure of mine. Yes, I freely admit that. Couldn't tell you why, but I always loved the hilarious antics of the four old ladies who shared a house in Miami. And it sure didn't hurt that its main stars were well-established comediennes like Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Rue McLanahan, and Estelle Getty.

So I was saddened today to learn that Estelle Getty, who played the fully unhinged, fully uncensored Italian mother Sophia Petrillo, who often preceded stories of past brushes with greatness with "Picture it!", died this morning at age 84.

And as is my custom, I honor her with YouTube clips of some of her greatest Golden Girls moments.







Rest in peace, Estelle. You will be missed.

I can't believe it's been five years . . .

This is a sad anniversary for me to mark, because it was five years ago tonight that my grandmother, Joyce F. Hamme, passed away.


Odd as it may seem, I remember exactly what I was doing that night. Like this year, July 19, 2003, fell on a Saturday, and that evening I went to the Arlington Drafthouse with Sam and Nicole to see Anger Management. On the way home from the Drafthouse, I got a call from Will and Erica, who had spent the day in Baltimore, asking if we wanted to meet at a halfway point between Baltimore and Alexandria—and the best halfway point proved to be Sam and Nicole's condo, as they were living in Columbia, MD, at the time. Around 11:00 that night, while sitting on Sam and Nicole's back patio, my cell phone rang for the second time that night . . . and somehow I just knew who it was and why they were calling.

I've been to my grandmother's grave site a few times since we buried her (in York, PA), and every time I visited, I still couldn't quite comprehend the fact that she was gone. Somehow it just never felt right, her not being in the picture. Even now, five years later, it's still hard to believe. And I miss the old girl pretty badly sometimes.

There was a lot of spunk in that little woman—a lot of spunk. And a lot of love, too. She had plenty of trademark dotty moments, but you could never call her insincere. My father always said how strong her character was when he was growing up, and for a few moments, several months before she died, I think I was able to see the woman he knew as a young man. Not the weak and frail lady in advanced age, but the strong-willed, heart-of-gold Joyce who always had hope and always believed in me and my family. And that's how I choose to remember her.

So Grandma, wherever you are, I love you and I miss you. May you continue to rest in peace.

George Carlin has died!

I honestly couldn't believe it when I saw the news this morning, but comedian George Carlin has died.

Sadly, I can't honor him with a YouTube clip of his hilarious cameo in Dogma, or as one of the ex-hippies who helped Homer discover his middle name on The Simpsons, but still, godspeed to you, George! Your unique blend of comedy will be greatly missed.

Harvey Korman has died!

I was very saddened last night to learn of Harvey Korman's passing. In honor of his memory, here are a few of his best clips (all from Blazing Saddles).

Sydney Pollack has died!

I was surprised last night to learn that director Sydney Pollack died at the age of 73, from cancer. I have to admit, I'm surprised at his death, because it seems to me that he died too soon.

I think he was known more as a director than an actor, having won an Oscar for directing Out of Africa—though he's probably more remembered for directing Tootsie, the comedic cross-dressing film starring Dustin Hoffman. I have to say that he performed well as an actor, too, most recently with a substantial role in George Clooney's film Michael Clayton.

Think the NRA will give him a 21-gun salute?

I caught the initial news report on the Post last night around 12:15 am (though I was too tired to blog about it then), but last evening actor Charlton Heston, known most for starring in a number of biblical epics, died.

A long, long time ago, Charlton Heston came to Penn State as part of their Distinguished Speaker series, and he was one of two famous people I was privileged to see (the other being James Earl Jones), and during his appearance, Heston appeared quite frail physically—yet the power and charisma behind his voice still remained. Though during the Q&A that followed, he struck me as not being the most personable, which was a stark contrast to James Earl Jones (who struck me as a warm, grandfatherly figure). I don't recall Heston proclaiming "from my cold, dead hands" during his speech at Penn State, but he did utter another of his famous lines: "Guns don't kill people. People kill people."

I really don't have a stance on the issue of gun control, but I do think Heston lost a lot of his standing and took quite a bit of heat when he became president of the NRA. Not the least of which came in Bowling for Columbine, when Michael Moore essentially made an ass out of him when Moore came to visit Heston's home to talk about gun control.

The last time I heard about Charlton Heston in the news was about five years ago, when he made his televised statement about being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. At the time, it reminded me a lot of Ronald Reagan's similar statement during the mid-90s about having Alzheimer's, and I'm guessing this disease was the cause of Mr. Heston's departure.

A bad week for Hollywood

Wow, this sure hasn't been a good week for Hollywood. First Anthony Minghella (director of The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley) dies, then Arthur C. Clarke (famous science author renowned for collaborating with Stanley Kubrick on 2001), and now Paul Scofield (actor from Quiz Show and A Man for All Seasons). I'd ask who's next, but I don't want to jinx an already bad situation.

RIP Roy Scheider

I was saddened to learn that actor Roy Scheider passed away this weekend at the age of 75. His cause of death wasn't released, but from the sound of it, I'd guess it was skin cancer.

His line from Jaws is probably one of the most quotable moments of cinema history, so I guess that's the most appropriate video to post in his memory.

Heath Ledger has died!

Jennifer, our receptionist at work, pulled a Columbo moment on me this afternoon: as I was walking out the door and we exchanged our good-nights, out of nowhere she says, "Heath Ledger's died." I about froze on the spot.

Heath Ledger? Brokeback Mountain Heath Ledger? 10 Things I Hate About You Heath Ledger? Soon to be playing The Joker in The Dark Knight Heath Ledger? When I went back to Jennifer's machine to look at the news article she'd pulled up, sure enough, it was the same Heath Ledger! The first thing that crossed my mind was, "His poor daughter!" Because he and Michelle Williams had had a daughter not too long ago, right around the time they both went to the Oscars for Brokeback Mountain.

Initial reports says that his death appears drug-related, and that he was found in (of all people) Mary-Kate Olsen's apartment. It's a damn shame he died, because here was a really great actor who was just coming into his own.

Godspeed, Heath! You left this earth too soon.

The bachelor couch has been retired!

Today marks the end of an era, as the bachelor couch has been retired from service!

The bachelor couch

For those unfamiliar with the bachelor couch's legacy, this was actually the first couch I ever owned, and it was given to me as a thank-you gift by my friend Wayne after assisting him in several moves (I think something like three). It earned the nickname "bachelor couch" because up to that point, it had been owned only by bachelors—and the proud tradition was thus being passed on to me.

This all took place in the late summer of 2002, and after five and a half years under my command (and associated bachelor activities that need not be discussed), it has now been replaced by a new couch.

New couch

This couch had previously belonged to Will and Erica, who today acquired a set of matching living room furniture for their condo. Will's plan was to donate their two current couches and love seat to The Salvation Army, but like Wayne, Will kindly offered me dibs on any of his outgoing furniture. Realizing that I was in need of a new couch, I accepted Will's generous offer and took the above-pictured couch.

Word of the bachelor couch's retirement spread fast—and to my surprise, it was heartily welcomed by many! My family never cared much for that couch, nor did several girlfriends. Will even went as far as to suggest tossing it in the incinerator! . . . I guess I was the only one who loved it.

Be that as it may, the bachelor couch has led a successful life, and its legend shall forever be honored. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to give the new couch the nap test!