RIP

Glenn Foden ~ RIP ~ You Will Be Missed by Many

Published by Papa Giorgio

This post is to memorialize the untimely passing of a giant in the cartoon world

Glenn Fish RIP

Almost every day I would look forward to getting a message from Facebook letting me know a new cartoon was out by Glenn Foden. You see, I love cartoons. Every Sunday — as a kid — I looked forward to grabbing the Sunday Funnies from my grandma and reading through them while watching Sunday morning cartoons. As an adult I followed many cartoonists, Chuck Asay, Cox and Forkum, Richard Ramirez,  Eric Allie, Lisa Benson, Gary Varvel, etc. I considered Foden one of the biggies. I even for a very long time had my own “Sunday Funnies,” where I would collect many of the weeks cartoons or humorous pics and post them on my site. Glenn was ALWAYS a part of this early A.M. part of my life as his was one of the first pages I would visit… maybe sneaking in his afternoon Sunday upload or saving it till the next week..

Once in a while he would get a left leaning individual noting how he disliked his cartoons… often times he would thumbs up the comment. I just thought to myself this had two affects: (a) it probably drove the person bonkers, and (b) it showed Glenn’s love of the 1st Amendment. You see, one can tell how a man thinks when he draws a single frame picturing his mind’s view on a complicated issue. The cartoonist shares his complete view in one picture that others (like myself) might take paragraphs to explain.

I used his cartoons in a few things on my site or in my YouTube uploads. The most recent cartoon was used in my upload of Larry Elder talking about the bias of media, giving the example of Chevy Chase:

Glenn mentioned this after I posted the video on his timeline:

  • Thanks, Sean. At one time media would at least pretend to be offended when accused of bias. Now they just smile, shrug their shoulders and say, “So what?”

In a post of mine that grows as more progressive-power-hungry legislators make clear their goals, I used a recent cartoon of Glenn’s to accompany an update to the post:

And in true Glenn Foden fashion, he commented on the post:

  • Green shirts have replaced the brown. Well done, sir!

He had a way of acknowledging those of us who were fans of his talent. Others would even post their own personal cartoons on Glenn’s Facebook to get what his thoughts on it were. He was always gracious and uplifting to the person… always showing grace and care to those starting down the path of their own talents.

I never interacted with his family, but I know he will be missed. Just these simple interactions and ability to pear into his mind, frame-by-frame allowed me to know that he will leave a hole in peoples lives, but overflow it with memories of the man he was. I hope and pray he loved the Lord and I will actually get to meet him in the life originally meant for us by our Creator.

I pray that in these rough weeks and months ahead for the longing of the kinds words of a father, husband, uncle, brother, friend, and author of a legend in the cartoonist world… that comfort and solace will be found in faith and relationships garnered though Glenn’s life.

Glenn, I never met you but I felt like I knew you. Thank you for sharing yourself with those beyond your family and friends,

Sean G

A Fellow Cartoonist Memorial

Bish on Glenn

You Will Be Missed Mr. Scalia (R.I.P.)

Published by Papa Giorgio
  • “I love to argue. I’ve always loved to argue. And I love to point out the weaknesses of the opposing arguments. It may well be that I’m something of a shin kicker. It may well be that I’m something of a contrarian.” ~ Justice Scalia 

The U.S. Supreme Court’s Antonin Scalia discusses his public and private life in a remarkably candid interview with Lesley Stahl.

Dave Mirra ~ RIP

Published by Papa Giorgio

NPR has this:

BMX rider Dave Mirra, who for years dominated his sport even as he helped others embrace it, has died at age 41. Police in Greenville, N.C., say they found Mirra “sitting in a truck with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

Police found Mirra in a parked vehicle shortly after he had visited friends in Greenville, where he had lived for years as an active member of the community. Mirra is survived by his wife and two daughters.

[….]

Mirra’s athletic gifts resulted in 14 gold medals at the X Games — an international competition where he won medals every year from 1995 to 2008. (He was forced to miss the 2006 games due to injury.) For a sense of how integral Mirra was to his sport, consider that the X Games were first held in the summer of 1995.

Those achievements, and his engaging personality, also brought Mirra fame, from appearances on David Letterman’s show to having two video games named for him, and many appearances on ESPN and MTV, where he hosted two seasons of the network’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge.

His death prompted local news WNCT sports director Brian Bailey to say, “Dave Mirra was to BMX what Michael Jordan was to the NBA, what Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron was to Major League Baseball: He was simply the best of the best.”

Skateboarder Tony Hawk, a longtime friend and colleague of Mirra’s, said in a tweetlast night, “Goodbye Dave Mirra, a true pioneer, icon and legend. Thank you for the memories… we are heartbroken.”…Brain CTE

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) may have played a part in this action by Mirra. CNN notes that football players are not the only athletes that need to be worried about this disease:

3. Football players aren’t the only ones who need to worry about CTE

Despite all the talk about football players, they aren’t the only ones concerned about CTE. The disease has been diagnosed in soccer and baseball players, and possibly even in military veterans. In fact, the first mention of CTE was a disease in boxers called “dementia pugilistica” or “punch-drunk” syndrome in a 1928 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association. The article said, “For some time, fans and promoters have recognized a peculiar condition occurring among prize fighters which, in ring parlance, they speak of as ‘punch drunk.’ Fighters in whom the early symptoms are well recognized are said by the fans to be ‘cuckoo,’ ‘goofy,’ ‘cutting paper dolls,’ or ‘slug nutty.'”

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains the causes and symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more commonly known as CTE.

“Pipers Pit” No More ~ RIP “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Published by Papa Giorgio

TMZ Sports has this:

Wrestling legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper has died at the age of 61 … TMZ Sports has learned. 

Piper — born Roderick George Toombs — died from cardiac arrest in his sleep at his home in Hollywood on Thursday night. He was discovered on Friday. 

Piper was a wrestling icon — one of the biggest stars in the WWE back in the ’80s, and even wrestled in “Wrestlemania I” back in 1985 … squaring off against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T….

Ronda Rousey asked “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who’s real name is Roderick Toombs, if she could use his part of his wrestling name, here is the lowdown on this from MMA Fighting:

Ronda Rousey had a chance to meet with Roddy Piper in the weeks leading up to UFC 190.

The UFC women’s bantamweight champion told Ariel Helwani on the FOX Sports 1 post-fight show she sat down and spoke to Piper “for hours” at his home during her training camp preparing for Bethe Correia. Piper died Friday at the age of 61 from cardiac arrest.

“I actually got a chance to sit down and talk to him for a couple hours before this fight,” Rousey said. “I didn’t have time for anything, but I was like, ‘No, I have to go see Roddy. I have to go to Piper’s Pit.’ We talked for hours. I even told him, I promised I’m gonna do the name proud, ‘I’m gonna do you proud, I’m gonna go beat this chick.’ I told him that.”

Rousey (12-0) backed up her words, retaining her title by knocking out Correia in just 34 seconds Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro.

Piper is the one who bestowed upon Rousey her nickname of “Rousey.” The pro wrestling legend, who helped shape WWE as we know it, was the protégé of “Judo” Gene Lebell, one of Rousey’s mentors. Lebell wanted Rousey to use the nickname years ago and he had Rousey call Piper to make sure it was OK. Piper, of course, agreed….

The Driver in the Paul Walker Crash Was Local to Our Valley, Roger Rodas (RIP)

Published by Papa Giorgio

The above is an interview by our local paper, The Signal. The death of Paul Walker is tragic because he was up doing charity work with a friend, Roger Rodas. Roger was a man who invested in his community, and leaves behind a hole in the hearts of their kids (Paul’s and Roger’s). This from The Mirror

Paul (left) and Roger (right)

The eight-year-old son of Roger Rodas bravely tried to save his dad as flames engulfed the supercar following the crash which killed Fast and Furious star Paul Walker.

The boy jumped a fence and ran over to the burning car in a desperate bid to free his trapped father.

Witness Jim Torp told the NY Daily News: “I ran over afterwards, I was trying to find Roger’s son.

“I found out his son had jumped the fence and gone over, he was trying to get his dad out.

“Paul Walker’s best friend was trying to get Paul out of the car while it was still on fire … he was trying to save his friend … there was nothing he could do.”

…read more…

Truly a sad picture this boy will have to deal with. A pretty thorough article on the whole affair can be found in the Telegraph.

While at the event, Walker and Rodas decided to take the Porsche GT out for a spin.

Witnesses at the crash scene posted a video of the scene on YouTube showing debris from the wreckage while emergency workers cordoned off the area. Photographs also show a burnt out shell of a car.

Antonio Holmes told the Santa Clarita Signal: ‘We all ran around and jumped in cars and grabbed fire extinguishers and immediately went to the vehicle. It was engulfed in flames. There was nothing.

‘They were trapped. Employees, friends of the shop. We tried. We tried.’

Holmes added: ‘Him and his buddy, his brother in arms at heart just decided to joyride, take a spin. Something we all do. We’re all car enthusiasts…

Paul confessed to being a Christian (may have been Mormon?), I believe Roger’s wife, Kristine, is a woman involved in the faith (and I pray her husband was as well). So prayers for the family is asked for.

Get to know Roger a bit more by clicking through the link in the pic of Roger.

Honor, Duty, and yes, *Tears*

Published by Papa Giorgio

(Via The Blaze) …As the plane pulled in with a full police and fire escort, front and back, DiScala said that when the jet door opened, another military officer addressed the escort onboard who was standing at attention. The officer then stepped onboard and addressed the passengers:

“I just addressed the escort,” he said. “It is a sworn oath to bring home, to the family, the fallen. Today you all did that, you are all escorts — escorts of the heart.” The officer then thanked the passengers and walked off the plane, DiScala wrote.

“As you can imagine, everyone was silent and no one got up,” he wrote, adding that, “I’m sure most had meteor-sized lumps in their throats and tears in their eyes like I did.”

After deplaning, DiScala said “a large number of passengers, who are normally in a hurry to get home or make a connection” were standing by the window in the waiting area to witness the Honor Guard and family of the fallen soldier waiting while LAX baggage handlers and a military loadmaster removed the flag-covered casket first from the cargo hold — a sight that was “humbling to say the least.”…

Prayers to the Family

Delta Flight 2255 from Atlanta to Los Angeles seemed to be an ordinary flight but it turned out to be everything but ordinary. When the somber captain got on the PA system about 45 minutes prior to landing to inform us we were transporting a fallen soldier the whole plane fell silent. Here’s my video and story http://www.johnnyjet.com/2013/10/fall…

From Johnny Jet:

…But this transcontinental flight turned out to be everything but ordinary. We later learned, when the captain got on the PA system about 45 minutes prior to landing, that we were transporting a fallen soldier. The plane went quiet as he explained that there was a military escort on-board and asked that everyone remain seated for a couple of minutes so the soldiers could get off first. He also warned us not to be alarmed if we see fire trucks since Los Angeles greets their fallen military with a water canon salute. See my video below.

A few minutes after touchdown, we did indeed have a water canon salute, which I’d previously only experienced on happy occasions like inaugural flights. This time, the water glistening on the windowpanes looked like tears.

Passengers in the airport must have been worried when they saw our plane pull into gate 69A, as we had a full police and fire escort, front and back.

I was on the left side of the plane and later realized that the family could be seen off to the right, standing with the United States Army Honor Guard. According to Wikipedia, each military branch has its own honor guard, usually military in nature, and is composed of volunteers who are carefully screened. One of the primary roles for honor guards is to provide funeral honors for fallen comrades.

…read more…

`I Know That Voice` ~ Kevin & Bean Interview Voice Actor, John DiMaggio (Plus: RIP Lou Scheimer [1929-2013])

Published by Papa Giorgio

In a delightful interview about the people behind the many voices we have come to love over the years, John DiMaggio (http://tinyurl.com/l39tlyg) talks about his soon to be released documentary, “I Know That Voice” (http://iknowthatvoice.com/). The history and passion of voice acting comes out in the interview and I suspect more-so in the movie. I am getting a DVD (not Pirate Bay) to support the wonderful work all these guys and gals do.

Also, a quick RIP (via DiMaggio) to Lou Scheimer (1929-2013)

Tommy `the Duke` Morrison, Dead at 44

Published by Papa Giorgio

Via Boxing Scene:

“If Tommy was fighting today, he no doubt would be a world champion,” Holden said. “You have to look at who he was fighting in the ’90s, the guys in that division were Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, George Foreman. There’s no one with that talent today. Tommy would absolutely dominate if he were in his prime boxing today.”