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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.

D-Day In Full Color (high quality)

Published by Papa Giorgio

D-Day, 6th June 1944: the launch of Operation Overlord. The battle that began the liberation of Europe. The last moment the German Army might have rescued the fate of Adolf Hitler. The beginning of the end of the Second World War. D-Day is a date permanently etched in our nation’s memory.

From the makers of ‘Britain At War In Colour’, this documentary takes an in-depth look at the events and experiences of the greatest sea-borne invasion in history, focusing on the personal stories of those involved including not only the men in combat but also the family and friends anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.

Narrated by John Hurt, ‘D-Day In Colour’ relives the events of those decisive yet perilous days and reflects on the private triumphs and personal tragedies that proved crucial to the outcome of the Second World War. It provides an intimate first-hand account of the arduous months and crucial hours that shaped the future peace of the civilised world. The vivid colour film and personal witness material combine with original sound archive to illustrate the reality of battle, the complexity of human emotions and the sacrifices that were made in the fateful summer of 1944.

Whitney Houston ~ Dead (Whitney Singing the National Anthem on January 1991)

Published by Papa Giorgio
Whitney Houston’s family was told by L.A. County Coroner officials … the singer did not die from drowning, but rather from what appears to be a combination of Xanax and other prescription drugs  mixed with alcohol … this according to family sources.

No illegal drugs have been found in the hotel room where Whitney Houston died — at least not yet — but prescription drugs were present, and it’s possible the singer drowned in the bathtub … TMZ has learned.

Some DAILY FIX updates:

Update #5: Fox TV celebrity journalist Flo Anthony says it was Houston’s brother Michael who found her dead in the bathtub and not Ray J.

Update #4: The Beverly Hilton Hotel Staff has told TMZ that Whitney “partied heavily” last night at the hotel with a group of friends. Apparently Whitney and her friends were in the bar for a long time and the group was drinking and very loud.

Update #3: The video [below] shows Whitney Houston’s last performance. She performed briefly with R&B singer Kelly Price on Thursday night at a Grammy party at Tru Hollywood.

Heart-Wrenching Image: Dog Keeps Watch Over Fallen SEAL’s Casket During Funeral

Published by Papa Giorgio

Navy SEAL U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson was among the 30 American troops killed August 6 when Taliban insurgents downed their Chinook helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade. At his funeral in Iowa, his dog Hawkeye paid his last respects, walking up to the casket, lying down in front of it, and heaving a sigh.