From http://westhawaiitoday.com/display/inn_news/news1.txt By KEITH KOSAKI/West Hawaii Today HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - Two victims of the fatal tour airplane crash were identified preliminarily as Big Island residents Monday and federal officials began taking steps to determine the cause of the crash that killed all 10 people on board. Names of the victims weren't released officially, but the two Big Island residents believed on board were identified in news reports as Wade Abac, a passenger who worked at the Keauhou Beeach Hotel, and Kentucky native Dennis O'Leary, 53, the pilot of the Big Island Air Piper Chieftain aircraft. Jeff Hammerschmidt, a National Transporta-tion Safety Board board member, said at a press conference Monday while no preliminary cause has been determined, information such as the angle of impact and placement of the wings are important to the investigation. He said the NTSB's top priority is to get two of its investigators to the crash site. "Things of that nature are all very important just to give us basic information from which to further analyze the accident scenario," Hammerschmidt said. He said the wreckage also appears to be contained in an relatively small area, "which makes it easier from an investigative standpoint because you can stay in contained area and try to look at everything you need to," he said. Hammerschmidt said the twin-engine aircraft was not required to have a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder on board, but did have a global positioning system. "If it survived, we hope it contains some good memory-type data," Hammerschmidt said. Six NTSB officials, including Hammerschmidt, who was appointed by President Clinton, arrived late Sunday evening from Washington, D.C., in Kona. An NTSB investigator from Los Angeles arrived earlier that day to begin investigating one of the Big Island. The Big Island Air tour plane took off from Kona International Airport about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The pilot's last radio transmission came at about 50 minutes later, requesting permission from the flight control tower to fly over the Pohakuloa Training Area near Saddle Road. A Coast Guard official said such transmission are routine. The plane was due back at the airport at about 6 p.m., and was reported overdue at 7:20 p.m., though it is not known exactly when it went down. The wreckage was discovered early Sunday morning by Hawaii County Fire Rescue personnel. Hammerschmidt said NTSB personnel met with officials from the Federal Aviation Administration, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Big Island Air early Monday. He said officials from Piper Aircraft and Lycoming, the engine manufacturer, also planned to join the investigation. Hammerschmidt said Monday afternoon that the weather would play a factor in how quickly the investigators made it to the scene. He said one investigator specializes analyzing aircraft structure, such as the fuselage and wings. The other is a system person who looks at hydraulics and avionics, Hammerschmidt said. "Our main priority was to get the two investigators up there as soon as feasible," Hammerschmidt said. The agency hoped to get two of its investigators to the crash site Monday afternoon, but they were stopped by poor weather conditions at the 9,800-foot level where the crash occurred. "We were too socked in," he said. They were to try again at daybreak Wednesday. He said the NTSB plans to be in Hawaii two to three days, and will take any pertinent evidence from the wreckage to Washington, D.C., to continue the investigation. "We don't know right now if we will need any of the wreckage," Hammerschmidt said. Hammerschmidt said he wasn't sure if there were any unusual conditions or and did not have details about Big Island Air's safety record. He said the FAA official did not bring up anything about the Kailua-Kona company's record during the Monday morning meeting. Other victims identified in news reports said Hank Risley, head of the New Hampshire state Department of Corrections, died in the crash. New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen said Monday that Risley his stepmother were on board. Harry Kim, Hawaii Civil Defense Agency administrator, said the families of three victims still were not notified Monday afternoon. The American Red Cross has set up a center for victims' relatives at King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. The center will stay open as long as there is a need, said Red Cross public affairs officer Carole Nervig The crash was the Big Island's worst air disaster since June 11, 1989, when all 11 people aboard a twin-engine Beechcraft plane were killed when it slammed into a Waipio Valley ridge at about the 1,800-foot level. Also in 1989, an Aloha Island Air DHC-6 Twin Otter went down on the island of Molokai, killing 20 people. Since 1974, there have been five fatal air crashes within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, killing a total of 43 people. Hammerschmidt said the NTSB has been proactive is air tour safety and even held public meetings here on the subject in the early 90's.

8 die as trains collide in London 160 injured, at least 17 seriously, in fiery wreck MSNBC staff and wire reports LONDON, Oct. 5 � At least eight people were killed and some 160 injured Tuesday when two trains packed with commuters collided and burst into flames near London's Paddington station. The last survivors were freed from the wreckage some five hours after the crash, NBC's Charles Sabine reported from the scene. AMONG THE injured, at least 17 were in serious condition. Survivors told of a fireball immediately after the collision and the rush to flee. One woman said it was "mass panic" as passengers rushed the doors in the car she was on. The collision occurred about two miles from Paddington, near Ladbroke Grove. Another passenger said her wagon "went up into flames" and tipped over. "There were really badly hurt people, badly burnt people," echoed another commuter. "Some people have been impaled by seats." And one of the passengers who saw the fireball recalled how he wondered if he and others would perish in the flames. SIDE CRASH? Passenger Mark Rogers said he "was reading a book and found myself crashing into the person opposite me. The train was going over and over and over, and people were thrown onto the floor." "People were screaming, a person pretty clearly dead, a woman who was thrown out of the train," he added. The accident happened at an intersection on the busy rail line, and might not have been head on but rather from the side. "I think we hit on an angle, on the side," said BBC radio editor Phil Longman, who was on board the inbound train. An engine and a front car were on their sides, he said, and another was pointing at the sky. One of the train drivers survived the crash, but he could not confirm the fate of the other one. The cause was not yet known, but it comes as public dissatisfaction with the railway system's performance is at an all-time high. Consumer groups and regulators say the system, privatized two years ago, cannot cope with passenger traffic that is growing faster than forecast. They are calling for more investment for train maintenance. The accident happened on the same line as a 1997 train crash that killed seven people and injured 150. EIGHT WAGONS DAMAGED Reuters journalist Wolfgang Waehner-Schmidt, who was on one of the trains, an inter-city Great Western Trains service from Cheltenham to Paddington, said the collision was with a smaller local train. The other train was headed away from London, toward Wiltshire. It had left Paddington Station about five minutes before the accident happened shortly at 8:11 a.m. local time. Waehner-Schmidt said about eight wagons were damaged and smoke was coming from some of them. "We were in one of the last carriages. We got out immediately, smashed the window and jumped out of the train," he added. 'AMAZED WE ARE ALIVE' Andrew Hoskin, who lives near the scene of the crash, said: "It is a terrible mess. One train is completely off the rails." Danny Firth, a passenger on the Great Western train described the crash as "an almighty bang and everything that was in front of me came flying forward. There was fire outside. It was general chaos. People were walking around with burns and bruises." "I am amazed we are alive," said a 21-year-old woman sobbing with shock and relief after clambering out of a twisted carriage. "The first I knew there was a sudden brake. The train flipped over on to its side. There were sparks and screams and seats falling all apart and lots of glass." The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

From the BBC (detail on the below stories http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1999/10/99/london_train_crash/newsid_465000/465503.stm Wednesday, October 6, 1999 Published at 18:54 GMT 19:54 UK Disaster in the rush hour Two trains collide in west London in what looks likely to be the UK's worst crash for more than 80 years, calling safety standards into question yet again. Emergency number: 0171 834 7777. The fatal collision 'At least 70 dead' Police say 28 passengers are confirmed dead and 42 others are believed to have died - with 100 other people still unaccounted for. Driver 'went through red light' Prescott orders rail safety review Train drivers threaten strike over safety Victims fight for life The Paddington train crash in pictures Q&A: Tom Heap answers some key questions Survivor Brendan Batley describes the crash "The death toll is expected to rise sharply..." "The driver went through a red light..." "Dozens of patients remain in hospital..."

Amazing carnage. An incredible tragedy.

Take a look at the BBC's pic of the wreck! (it won't be on here long as they change it frequently)

Oh God. You mean it will automatically change here, too as it does at their website?

No, it will show up as a little pink and blue square - just like when one goofs and the picture does not show up ... I believe just the maps I post in Weather on Geo update auto-magically!

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Morris West, a best-selling Australian thriller writer, died Saturday. He was 83. West, who wrote "The Devil's Advocate," "Children of the Sun" and "Shoes of a Fisherman," died while working on his latest novel, "The Last Confession." He wrote 27 novels, as well as screenplays, radio dramas and plays. His works, which have been translated into 27 languages, have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide.

Chamberlain found dead at age 63 Pro basketball Hall of Famer may have suffered heart attack Associated Press LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12 � Wilt Chamberlain, a center so big, agile and dominant that he forced basketball to change its rules and the only player to score 100 points in an NBA game, died Tuesday at 63. CHAMBERLAIN WAS FOUND dead in his bed at his Bel-Air home at about 12:30 p.m., police said. There were signs that he might have had a heart attack, authorities said. Chamberlain was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat in 1992, and his agent, Sy Goldberg, said the Hall of Famer was on medication. Known as "Wilt the Stilt" and "The Big Dipper," the 7-foot-1 Chamberlain starred in the NBA from 1959 through 1973, when he played for the Philadelphia (later the San Francisco) Warriors, 76ers and Lakers. He later stirred controversy with boasts of his sexual exploits. Chamberlain scored 31,419 points during his career, a record until Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke it in 1984. Chamberlain, who never fouled out in 1,205 regular-season and playoff games, holds the record for career rebounding with 23,924. "Wilt was one of the greatest ever, and we will never see another one like him," Abdul-Jabbar said. Chamberlain, who began his professional career with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1958, was one of only two men to win the MVP and rookie of the year awards in the same season (1959-60). He was also MVP in 1966 through 1968. He led the NBA in scoring seven straight seasons, 1960-66, and led the league in rebounding 11 of his 14 seasons. "We truly lost one of the icons of professional basketball and, more importantly for myself, someone who I've known for almost 40 years," a teary-eyed Jerry West, a former teammate and now the Lakers vice president, said at the Forum. Former Lakers star Magic Johnson called Chamberlain one of the greatest sports heroes ever. "Wilt was my idol, and definitely changed the game of basketball," Johnson said. "As a kid, I loved watching him play for Philadelphia." Chamberlain was such a force that the NBA changed some of its rules, including widening the lane to try to keep him farther from the basket. One of his most famous records is the 100 points he scored in the Philadelphia Warriors' 169-147 defeat of the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, in Hershey, Pa. "I spent 12 years in his armpits, and I always carried that 100-point game on my shoulders," Darrall Imhoff, the former Knicks center, said Tuesday. "After I got my third foul, I said to one of the officials, Willy Smith, 'Why don't you just give him 100 points and we'll all go home?' Well, we did." Chamberlain also holds the single-game record for rebounds, 55, against Boston in 1960. He averaged 30.1 points a game in his career, including a record 50.4 in the 1961-62 season with Philadelphia. He also was one of the most versatile big men ever, leading the league in assists with 702 in 1967-68. He led his team into the playoffs 13 times, winning two world championships. The first came in 1966-67 with the Philadelphia 76ers, the second in 1971-72 with the Lakers, which won a record 33 straight games. His teams lost in the finals four other times and were beaten in the conference final six times. Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics almost always seemed to be the nemesis of Chamberlain-led teams, beating them twice in the championship series and five times in the conference finals. Three times, a series was decided by a seventh game that Boston won by either one or two points. "Wilt Chamberlain had a great deal to do with the success of the NBA," said Red Auerbach, coach of those great Celtics. "His dominance, power, demeanor and the rivalry with Bill Russell says it all." Long after his career ended, Chamberlain made news by claiming in an autobiography that he had had sex with 20,000 women. "The women who I have been the most attracted to, the most in love with, I've pushed away the strongest," the lifelong bachelor said in a 1991 interview with The Associated Press. "There are about five women I can think of I could have married. I cared for them a lot, but not enough to make a commitment." Before his death from AIDS in 1993, Arthur Ashe was critical of sexually promiscuous athletes like Chamberlain, saying the behavior reinforced racist stereotypes. Ashe added that he didn't believe Chamberlain's claim, concluding, "I felt more pity than sorrow for Wilt as his macho accounting backfired on him in the form of a wave of public criticism." Wilton Norman Chamberlain was born on Aug. 21, 1936, in Philadelphia. He didn't begin playing basketball until he was in the seventh grade. He grew 4 inches in three months when he was 15, and was 6-11 when he entered Philadelphia's Overbrook High School. After leading Overbrook to three public school championships and two all-city titles, Chamberlain became one of the most recruited players ever with over 200 colleges interested. He chose the University of Kansas and Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen. In his first game against the Kansas varsity - freshmen weren't allowed to compete against other teams then - he scored 50 points before a packed Allen Fieldhouse crowd of more than 15,000. The next year, Chamberlain scored 52 points against Northwestern in his first game, a total he never surpassed in college, partly because of zone defenses designed to keep him from getting the ball. As a sophomore, he led the 1957 Jayhawks to the NCAA tournament finals, where Kansas lost to unbeaten North Carolina in triple overtime. Disgusted by being smothered by the zone defenses, Chamberlain left Kansas after his junior year and joined the Globetrotters. Chamberlain, extremely agile for his size, ran cross-country in high school and was an outstanding high jumper and shot-putter at Kansas. He remained active after his NBA career and was considered an outstanding volleyball player. He also ran in the Honolulu marathon recently and competed in a 50-mile race in Canada. "We've lost a giant of a man in every sense of the word," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "The shadow of accomplishment he cast over our game is unlikely ever to be matched." In January 1998, Chamberlain made his first official visit to Kansas since his college career ended. His jersey was raised to the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse. "I've learned in life that you have to take the bitter with the sweet, and how sweet this is," Chamberlain said at the ceremony. He seemed genuinely surprised at how much he was loved by the rabid Kansas fans, especially after staying away for 40 years. "Forty years ago I lost a heartbreaking battle, losing to North Carolina by one point in triple overtime," he told the crowd. "It was a devastating thing for me because I felt like I let the university down, I let KU down." The crowd interrupted, yelling, "No, no," before resuming another standing ovation. His huge hand brushed his cheek as he paused again, drowned out by more applause. Chamberlain is survived by sisters Barbara Lewis, Margaret Lane, Selina Gross and Yvonne Chamberlain, and brothers Wilbert and Oliver Chamberlain. Chamberlain�s family had not yet made funeral plans, according to Kim Hill of Angeles Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements.

Thanks for posting this. I walked into the swimming stadium in Hilo right behind him. The was so HUGE!!! He was a frequent visitor to Hawaii!

He was a good friend of former Rainbow coach Bruce O'Neil. He once paid me a $50 tip for playing a request for him at Spat's nightclub in Honolulu when I was the D.J. there. I'd have done it for free. He had good taste in music, as well. His request was "Until You Come Back to Me" by Aretha Franklin.

What a neat memory of him...a really nice guy!

20,000 women can't be wrong!

Yeah....so they say...just ask Magic Johnson!

I watched Wilt on tv (even imagining I saw the 100 point game), and saw him play against the St. Louis Hawks. I consider him the greatest athlete of all time, he excelled at basketball, volleyball, track and field, the NFL drooled over him as a potential wide receiver, boxing (he contemplated getting in the ring with Ali), and who knows what else. The list of 50 point plus games in the NBA is one Wilt game after another, occasionally punctuated by a performance from Jordan or soemone else. Arguably, you can say Jordan or Jim Brown was better, but he was so far ahead of his time that there never be another athlete who stood so tall among every one of his peers. Wilt Chamberlain. What a shock!

Wilt holds the single game rebound record with 55 (it happened during the same historic 1961-62 season during which he had his 100-point game; that year, he averaged 27.2 Rebounds per game and 50.4 points per game. Averaged!). Some wild facts about Wilt's 100-point game -- The final score was Warriors 169 - Knicks 147! Imagine how it must have felt to score 147 and *still* lose by 22! (Three Knicks scored over thirty -- Richie Guerin (39), Cleveland Buckner (33) and Willie Naulls (31)). Wilt's most amazing record from that season is for minutes-per-game -- he averaged 48.5. But... but... there's only 48 minutes in a game! Well, the Warriors were involved in ten overtime periods that season, which means that the team played 3,890 minutes in 80 games. Wilt played 3,882 of those minutes -- that's right, he only sat for eight minutes the entire season, and even then, it was not the choice of Chamberlain or his coach, nor was it due to injury -- Wilt was tossed from the game for multiple technical fouls.

The Denver Nuggets used to score 140 regularly and lose in the mid to late 1980s, but if they had played against Wilt in his prime, he'd have probably scored 130 himself off their non-existent defense. I did not know the story about multiple technical fouls. To me, the most amazing stat about Wilt is that he played over 1200 games in his 14-year career and did not foul out (due to personals) ever. That's a streak that will likely never be matched, like Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, and maybe Cal Ripken, Jr.'s consecutive games played streak. I also doubt there will ever be another undisputed heavyweight champion who retires undefeated after 49 or more fights (Rocky Marciano, 49-0, undisputed champion 1952-56).

Chamberlains teams lost *3 times* in game sevens against the Celtics by *1 or 2* points. Inches away from World Championships three times. And his Kansas team lost a national championship by 1 point in triple overtime to North Carolina. Wilt grew 4 inches in a couple of months in junior high. He entered high school at 6-11. He scored 51 points in his first college game, but later quit in disgust at the zone defenses the college teams were throwing at him and joined the Globetrotters. Who did Wilt think was the greatest basketball player of all time? Meadowlark Lemon. Wilt may go down as the greatest all around athlete of all time.

Jim Moran Dies at 91 Source: Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Jim Moran, known for outrageous publicity stunts in the '40s and '50s to promote products, Hollywood films -- and himself -- died Monday. He was 91. Sell an icebox to an Eskimo? Moran traveled to Alaska and did just that, at the behest of a refrigerator company. Change horses in midstream? Moran performed the feat during the 1944 presidential election, in the Truckee River in Reno, Nev. A longtime resident of Los Angeles and New York City, Moran spent the last three years of his life at the Actors' Fund Nursing and Retirement home in Englewood, said friend Mimi Brace. "He was like an icon to many people, and a mentor as well. The world isn't the same without him. It's the end of an era," she said. Coddling an ostrich egg under a tailpiece of ostrich feathers, Moran managed to induce hatching in 1946. Not by coincidence did he pose during the gestation with a best-selling book, "The Egg and I," which would soon become a comedy film starring Claudette Colbert. Acquaintances described Moran as a tall, rotund, blue-eyed Irish prankster. Gags like walking a bull through Ovington's -- a china shop on Fifth Avenue in New York -- may have been nutty, but Moran "was crazy like a fox," said Herb Steinberg, a retired executive who worked at the MCA, Paramount and Universal film studios. When the producers of a Broadway show, "Fanny," failed to win much ink, they turned to Moran. So Moran put a chimp in the driver's seat of an English taxi that had a trunk bearing the show's name and -- with Moran actually driving from the back seat -- motored around midtown Manhattan, Steinberg said. A picture landed in Life magazine. James Sterling Moran was born in Woodstock, Va., on Nov. 24, 1907. A 1945 Associated Press article said that before entering the publicity business, Moran was an airline executive in Washington and operated a studio where congressmen recorded speeches for their radio stations.

Payne Stewart died today killed in a mysterious plane crash. The plane took off in Florida, went on autopilot and crashed in South Dakota. Stewart was known for his trademark "knickers".

That is very sad, indeed. I though him the best dressed golfer of them all. He will be missed!

Payne Stewart was from my hometown--there's a golf course here named for him. Oddly enough, I never got to meet him.

Your home town would be...? Unless you came from a very tiny town, there is a good chance you would not have met him...or do you hang around golf courses a lot?

Springfield, Missouri, of course! He was here for a lot of golf tournaments and autograph-signings, so I could have seen him if I wanted, but I've never really had any interest in golf.

Me too. I figure if I want to walk that far I'd rather hike and see something more interesting than a little white ball...! (Oh yes, you did tell me about Springfield...getting out a map...!)

Stewart, 42, was a sportsman and a champion, the essence of emotion at the Ryder Cup, playing on three winning teams. He won 18 times around the world, but made his name at home with three major championships - the last on an unforgettable day in June when he thrust his fist into the air to celebrate his second U.S. Open victory. Stewart�s finest moment in a 20-year professional career came on Father�s Day at Pinehurst No. 2, the famed course in North Carolina that became a stage for remarkable drama in the final round. A year after Stewart lost a four-stroke lead in the final round of the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club, he trailed Phil Mickelson by one stroke with three holes to play, then one-putted the final three greens for a stunning victory. His 15-foot par putt on the last hole was the longest ever to decide the Open in its 105-year history. Stewart thrust his fist in the air, an unforgettable image, let out a roar and later broke down in tears. The U.S. Open secured a spot in the Ryder Cup for Stewart, who could wear the Stars and Stripes as easily as his knickers. He never apologized for his patriotism, something he carried to all five of his Ryder Cup appearances. The knickers were not misleading. Stewart was a traditionalist. His father taught him to dance by having him stand on his shoes while he waltzed around the room, and instructed the son to be sure to dance with every woman at the table. Stewart�s most cherished memory was the 1982 Quad Cities Open (in my hometown), because it was the only victory his father saw. William Stewart died in 1985, and when Stewart won the Bay Hill Invitational two years later he donated the winner�s check to a hospital in his father�s memory. While Stewart had an edge to him at times, and was especially surly during an eight-year slump during which he won only once, he never lost his respect for golf�s traditions. Born Jan. 30, 1957 in Springfield, Mo., Stewart went to SMU in Dallas. He graduated with a business degree in 1979 and spent two years playing around the world. He met his wife, Tracey, while playing in Australia. They had two children - Chelsea, 13, and Aaron 10. Stewart�s first breakthrough came in 1989 when he won his first major, the PGA Championship, at Kemper Lakes outside Chicago. Two years later, he won the U.S. Open at Hazeltine by defeating Scott Simpson in an 18-hole playoff. Stewart won more than $11.7 million in a PGA Tour career that began in 1980. He was ranked No. 8 in the world and was third on this year�s money list with just over $2 million. Stewart had planned to go to Spain next week for the final World Golf Championship event, and still had the Grand Slam of Golf next month for the winners of this year�s major championships. "It's a tragedy," said Tiger Woods. "I don't think anyone comprehends the scope of the loss at this point." excerpts � 1999 Associated Press.

A Learjet carrying champion golfer Payne Stewart and at least four other people flew a ghostly journey halfway across the country Monday, its windows iced over and its occupants apparently incapacitated, before spiraling nose first into a grassy field. Everyone aboard was killed. The flight plan said two crewmembers and three passengers were on the jet, but there were reports a sixth person boarded the plane just before it took off from Orlando, Fla. The chartered, twin-engine Lear 35 may have suddenly lost cabin pressure soon after taking off for Dallas, government officials said. Air traffic controllers couldn't raise anyone by radio. Fighter jets were sent after the plane and followed it for much of its flight but were unable to help. The pilots drew close and noticed no structural damage but were unable to see into the Learjet because its windows were frosted over, indicating the temperature inside was well below freezing. Set apparently on autopilot, the plane cruised 1,400 miles straight up the nation's midsection, across half a dozen states. Authorities say the plane was "porpoising," fluctuating between 22,000 and 51,000 feet. It presumably ran out of fuel some four hours after it took off. "The plane had pretty much nosed straight into the ground," said Lesley Braun, who lives two miles from the South Dakota crash site. From FOX news

Stewart had a lot of ties to Austin golfers, like Ben Crenshaw. And a bunch of them had a press conference yesterday. He'll be missed around here. His coach lives in Austin and he had some kind of ties to Golfsmith.

One of my favorite singer/songwriter/character actors, Hoyt Axton, died of congestive heart failure at age 61. He was a mountain of a man, standing over 6-2 and weighing close to 300 pounds. He was one of the original progressive/outlaw country songwriters and his songs were often covered by rock and pop acts in the 1960s. His best known songs are "Joy to the World" (a.k.a. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog..."), recorded by Three Dog Night and included in the soundtrack to the movie The Big Chill, and "The Pusher" ("God damn the pusher man!") recorded by Steppenwolf. I loved his own recordings, such as "Poncho and Lefty," which was also covered by Willie Nelson, "Della and the Dealer (and a Cat Named Kalamazoo)" which he sang in a guest appearance on WKRP in Cincinnati, and "Snowblind Friend." A an actor, Axton was best known as the traveling salesman/narrator in the movie Gremlins. I interviewed him in 1976 at K-108 Radio in Honolulu. He was massive, hulking, and extremely laid back. I found out why, when right in the middle of the interview, he pulled a joint the size of Omaha out of his sheepskin jacket pocket, lit up and started puffing away. He offered me a hit. I politely declined (I got a contact high from the air in the studio, anyway). Despite his lack of concern about illegal behavior publicly, he was otherwise thoughtful and well-spoken. He brought his guitar and did an "unplugged" liver version of "Della and the Dealer" on the air: If he could talk what tales he'd tell about Della and the Dealer and the dog as well but the cat was cool and never said a mumbling word. Hoyt, may you rest in peace in a place where your stash box is eternally full!

And of course, Hoyt played a "live" rather than "liver" version of the song. I'm really bad today. Think I'll vamoose!

And of course, Steppenwolf's "The Pusher" was included on the soundtrack of the legendary film Easy Rider. Hoyt Axton was one of the most important American songwriters of his generation.

That was really nice, John! Thanks for the memories of a truly gifted man.

Despite the fact that many know his face and voice, but not his name, he will be missed.

Although he was best known as a singer/songwriter, his acting resume was quite extensive. Here it is, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database http://www.us.imdb.com Hoyt Axton Birth name: Hoyt Wayne Axton Date of birth: 25 March 1938, Duncan, Oklahoma, USA Trivia: Mother is Mae Axton, who wrote "Heartbreak Hotel." (I did not know that) Actor filmography (1990s) (1980s) (1970s) (1960s) 1.King Cobra (1999) .... Mayor Ed Biddle 2.Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long (1995) (TV) .... Huey P. Long, Sr. 3.Number One Fan (1995) .... Lt. Joe Halsey 4.Season of Change (1994) .... Big Upton 5.Doorways (1993) (TV) .... Jake 6.Harmony Cats (1993) .... Bill Stratton 7."Civil War, The" (1990) (mini) TV Series (voice) aka "American Civil War, The" (1990) (mini) (UK) 8.Buried Alive (1990/II) (TV) .... Sheriff Sam Eberly 9.Disorganized Crime (1989) .... Sheriff Henault 10.We're No Angels (1989) .... Father Levesque 11.Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge (1988) (TV) .... Sheriff Ben Tree 12.Dixie Lanes (1988) .... Clarence Laidlaw 13.Retribution (1988) .... Lt. Ashley 14.Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987) (TV) .... Al Bensinger 15.Guilty of Innocence: The Lenell Geter Story (1987) (TV) .... Charlie Hartford 16.Act of Vengeance (1986) (TV) .... Silous Huddleston 17.Dallas: The Early Years (1986) (TV) .... Aaron Southworth 18.Gremlins (1984) .... Rand Peltzer 19."Domestic Life" (1984) TV Series .... Rip Steele 20.Black Stallion Returns, The (1983) (voice) .... Narrator 21."Rousters, The" (1983) TV Series .... Cactus Jack Slade 22.Deadline Autotheft (1983) 23.Heart Like a Wheel (1983) .... Tex Roque 24.Endangered Species (1982) .... Ben Morgan 25.Junkman (1982) 26.Liar's Moon (1981) .... Cecil Duncan 27.Cloud Dancer (1980) .... Brad's Mechanic 28.Black Stallion, The (1979) .... Alec's Father 29.Smoky (1966) .... Fred Composer filmography (1980s) (1970s) (1960s) 1.Junkman (1982) 2.Mitchell (1975) 3.Legend of Hillbilly John, The (1973) ... aka Ballad of Hillbilly John (1973) ... aka My Name Is John (1973)... aka Who Fears the Devil (1973) 4.Easy Rider (1969) (song "The Pusher") Miscellaneous crew filmography 1."Flo" (1980) TV Series (singer: title theme) Notable TV guest appearances 1."Murder, She Wrote" (1984) playing "Sheriff Tate" in episode: "Coal Miner's Slaughter" (episode # 5.5) 11/20/1988 2."WKRP in Cincinnati" (1978) playing "T.J. Watson" in episode: "I Do, I Do...For Now" (episode # 1.21) 3."Bionic Woman, The" (1976) in episode: "Road to Nashville" (episode # 2.5) 1977 4."McCloud" (1971) playing "Johnny Starbuck" in episode: "Moscow Connection, The" 5."I Dream of Jeannie" (1965) playing "Bull" in episode: "Fastest Gun in the East" (episode #2.7) 10/24/1966 6."Iron Horse, The" (1966) in episode: "Right of Way Through Paradise" (episode # 1.4) 10/3/1966 7."Bonanza" (1959) playing "Johann" in episode: "Dead and Gone" (episode # 6.27) 4/4/1965

Jim Bohannon played his works for bumper music last night. Good stuff!! I had no idea he got around that much in sitcoms, but as a character actor, he was versatile enough to fit in almost anywhere. Thanks for the summary!

Notice he played a lot of sheriffs. In real life, he'd have to arrest himself!

...curious the mantles we choose to wear for the world to see. They are often the flip side of our true personaities...!

I'm basically sure somebody chose his casting. He was a cowboy "type" and sang and spoke with a molasses smooth Okie baritone. He, Waylon Jennings, and Sam Elliott all have those incredible Western voices that are wonderful for narration.

...as in typecasting?! Yes, indeed! He had a wonderful voice, indeed!

Sure, typecasting. I wouldn't mind being typecast, if my type were in demand. There's MY whine! ;)

...too bad I CAN'T have the cheese to go along with it...

When next I see you - IRL - I'll bring the cheese. Please specify your preferences in this area...I am happy to oblige *smile*

and let's not forget the two men who were flying one of the blue angels' jets.

They and the Thunderbirds have a lot of those accidents, it seems (probably not in relation to flight hours). But they do some incredibly high risk maneuvers to entertain the public. Fighter pilots in general must be prepared to die at any time. God bless them. I wouldn't want the job, even if I could do it.

Please more information on this terrible accident.

they said (msnbc) that two blue angels took off together. seconds later, a mushroom cloud was seen over a group of trees. two men pilot the plane. and in this case, the second pilot was in training to become one of the blue angels. both men were in their thirties. i'll try and find a link.

for the latest on the egyptair situation: http://abcnews.go.com/

and on the blue angels: http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters19991029_20.html

Thanks Wolfie...and now we have the Egyptian airliner crash off Nantucket, Rhode Island, USA in the same area as JFK's plane went down. No apparent survivors. Reuters and just about everyone is carrying the story.

It was a 767 which is a fairly new aircraft. President Clinton actually talked to reporters today. Well over 100 Americans on board. He said there is no evidence at this point of any foul play. The plane went into a steep nosedive, just as JFK Jr's. plane did. I wonder if there is a "Nantucket Triangle" with a south end somewhere off Long Island (TWA 800).

My thoughts exactly, John. Hmmmm...Nantucket triangle indeed !

Walter Payton. 45. Sweetness. Payton was diagnosed earlier this year with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease. His only hope for survival was a transplant and he had been on a waiting list since February. Payton rushed for 16,726 yards in his 13-year career, one of sport's most awesome records. And Barry Sanders ensured it would be one of the most enduring, retiring in July despite being just 1,458 yards shy of breaking Payton's mark.

That is so sad.... He was really a great person as well as a superb athlete. His like will not come to Chicago for a long time again, if ever!

He was a regular at the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl every year, both during his career and after it. I interviewed him after one game. His locker was right next to Eric Dickerson's, who was still putting up phenomenal numbers before he got weird and ignored his career. I asked Sweetness "How long do you plan on playing?" He smiled and said "As long as Eric does." He retired before Dickerson, but the latter, who had a legitimate shot of beating Sweetness' records, turned out not to have the heart necessary. It s a shame. Payton was an excellent businessman (he owned the Studebaker's chain of dance clubs, among other holdings), and graduated from Jackson State at age 20. Unlike Dickerson or Barry Sanders, Sweetness did not have great speed or elusiveness. He made his yards after being hit. You had to bring him down. He was not running out of bounds or going out on his own. It is a shame that they could not find a donor liver for him. That could be me in a few years as I have Hepatitis C.

Oh John...do not even say that. I know of your condition as you confided in me long time ago...but its enormity and gravity did not hit home till just now. I am doubly stricken.

I heard late this evening that Sweetness had metastatic liver cancer as well as the other disease, which is why they took him off the waiting list for transplants. It wouldn't have done any good... So sad. :(

They had kept the bile duct cancer a secret until now. The early stories after his death said that he died awaiting a donor liver. That now is obviously not so, and it is extremely tragic. I never heard or read a bad word about him from anyone.

I am so saddened to hear of your medical problems, John...I will certainly keep a good thought for you. My mother-in-law had hepatitis (I don't know which kind) when they still lived in France and has some liver damage as a result. I just read the most interesting story last night about a little boy (age 5?) who needed a liver transplant and his brother gave him 1/3 of his to graft onto his existing liver. Apparently, the older brother's liver will regenerate and both are fine now. Anything could be p ssible down the road.

Thank you for your kind words. I am fairly healthy at the moment and am optimistic about the future. But the news of Walter Payton, with whom I was acquainted, although not a personal friend, hit me hard. He was a class act and as far as I'm concerned, irreplaceable. Although they are farther down the road in Hep B research, Hep C research and indirectly, its patients--like me--cannot help but benefit from it as well. I've read literally thousands of medical articles on it and have become a pain in t e ass for internists. I finally found one who knew more than me and was delighted that I had done my own research. He is now my doctor.

This news of your internest makes me a little less apprehensive...My internests have either died on me or were so sick they left the practice. I now have a GP and do my own homework. (Who is your MD, I wonder...)

No wonder they abandoned the practice = that is an i in their title, not an e...

Sacramento (California) Mayor Serna died of Kidney Cancer according to the Reuters ticker running across my desktop.

john, which form of hepatitis do you have? didn't naomi judd make a full recovery (or go into remission) with hers? hadn't heard anything about mayor serna. was he young?

Joe Serna; Sacramento Mayor, Activist From Times Staff and Wire Reports SACRAMENTO--Mayor Joe Serna Jr., a college professor who picked grapes and tomatoes as a youngster and spent nearly two decades as an elected city official, died Sunday morning of kidney cancer and complications arising from diabetes. He was 60. Serna died in his home surrounded by his family. Although he had expected to finish his current term, the mayor announced in June that he would not seek a third term because of a recurrence of the kidney cancer he first experienced nine years ago. "Joe was a true giant in the Latino community, and a visionary leader for all of Sacramento," said Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante in a statement. "He leaves a great legacy of public service, whether he was standing in the fields fighting for farm worker rights or visiting the White House advocating for the city he so dearly loved." Serna, who was born in Stockton and reared in Lodi, served 11 years on the Sacramento City Council and was first elected mayor in 1992, then reelected in 1996. Because Serna died with more than a year left in his term, a special election will be held to pick a successor. The election will probably take place concurrently with the March 7 primary election, according to mayor's office spokesman Chuck Dalldorf. A follower of the late farm labor leader Cesar Chavez, Serna served on the Sacramento-area support committee for the United Farm Workers, and was a former member of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. In his youth, he served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala as a community development volunteer specializing in cooperatives and credit unions. More recently, Serna was a board member of the League of California Cities. He had also served on an array of municipal bodies, including the Sacramento Regional Transit board of directors, the Employment and Training Agency, the Metropolitan Cable Television Commission and the Air Quality Management Board. Serna earned a bachelor's degree from Sacramento State in 1966 and attended graduate school at UC Davis. He became a professor of government at Cal State Sacramento where he earned the distinguished faculty award in 1991. He is survived by his wife, Isabel, and two children, Philip and Lisa. The public is invited to gather Wednesday in Sacramento's Cesar Chavez Plaza to carry the mayor to a local church for services. Serna's family requested that all donations be directed to the UFW. Copyright 1999 Los Angeles Times

John has Hepatitis C...

ok, and this means? i know there's a couple of vaccines (a and b) and knew they are contagious (kind of, i guess). what about type c? i'll do some research in the meantime. thanks for the info on the mayor....

Type C as I understand it, is the most severe sort and eventually fatal (which is why John did not go on to Law School as he has planned to do...). He is hoping to stay healthy enough to live long enough for them to find a cure for it. I pray that he does...we will all be much the poorer for having lost him if he does not.

THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY - DEAD AT 71 Veteran Pillsbury spokesman, The Pillsbury Doughboy, died yesterday of a severe yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes to the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a slightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out, including Mrs. Butterworth, the California Raisins, Dolly Madison, Hungry Jack, Pam, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, Suzie Q, Captain Crunch, Little Debbie and many others. The graveside was piled high with flours as longtime friend, Aunt Jemima, delivered the eulogy, describing Doughboy as a man who "never knew how much he was kneaded." Doughboy rose quickly in show business but his later life was filled with many turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Still, even as a crusty old man, he was a roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his second wife, Play Dough. They have two children and one in the oven. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

Victims of the Texas A&M Bonfire collapse Miranda Adams, a sophomore in biomedical sciences from Santa Fe, Texas Christopher Breen of Austin, Texas -- 1997 graduate Michael Ebanks, a freshman in aerospace engineering from Carrollton, Texas Jeremy Frampton, a senior psychology major from Turlock, California Christopher Lee Heard, a freshman in pre-engineering from Houston, Texas Jamie Hand, a freshman in environmental design from Henderson, Texas Lucas Kimmel, a freshman in biomedical science from Corpus Christi, Texas Bryan McClain, a freshman agriculture major from San Antonio Chad Anthony Powell, a sophomore in computer engineering from Keller, Texas Jerry Self, a sophomore engineering technology major from Arlington, Texas Nathan Scott West, a sophomore oceanography major from Bellaire, Texas

How sad! I guess it is back to the drawing board to figure out a new "tradition" for the future years. I did not know they made bon fires that big anywhere in the world...but it IS Texas, and everything is bigger in Texas...

The whole bonfire at A&M is "under review"; they might keep it but make it smaller or safer somehow. Some folks around town are wearing arm bands, the flags have been at half staff.

It is even on foreign news...

Doug Sahm died. You probably wouldn't know him unless you were from Austin. He died at a hotel in Taos, NM of a possible heart attack. He was 58 and had been complaining of chest pains for a couple of days. You might have heard his songs. "She's about a mover" and "Mendocino" among others. His band was the Sir Douglas Quintet.

One of his girlfriends was Connie Coulton.

A twelfth A&M student died of his injuries - a freshman (17 years old!)

Madeline Kahn passed on Dec 3 of ovarian cancer.

and let's not forget the three airmen who died after a C-130 crash landed at the Kuwait International Airport. And the 16 injured, please keep them in your prayers.

Nor the chopper crash which claimed 15 servicemen's lives...

that's right, knew i forgot to add something to my post. i know three people in the region so please keep them in your prayers especially during the holidays!

Indeed! I shall, as I will for those near and dear to me here on the Spring. 'Catch 22' Author Joseph Heller Dead at 76 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Joseph Heller, the former ad man who turned his Second World War military service into the tragicomic anti-war novel ``Catch-22'' and gave the English language a new phrase for a no-win situation, has died at age 76, his agent said on Monday. Heller died at his home in East Hampton, New York, on Sunday night of a heart attack, a spokesman for his literary agent, Amanda Urban of International Creative Management, said on Monday. Heller had recently completed writing what would be his final novel, ``A Portrait of an Artist, As an Old Man''. ``Any time a great writer dies there's a great hole no other writer can fill ... because great writers are one of a kind,'' said Matthew Bruccoli, Jefferies Professor of English at the University of South Carolina, which houses an archive of Heller's works and letters. ``'Catch-22' turns out to be probably the most important novel of World War Two because it provided a new way of regarding war as a literary subject,'' said Bruccoli, to whom Heller recently had sent a typescript of his final novel. ``It's unlike any other war novel.'' ``Catch-22,'' written in 1961 and first dismissed by the critics, was named one of the best English-language novels of the century by the Modern Library this year. The darkly comic novel that describes a Second World War bombardier's quest to avoid the horrors of war coined the term ''Catch-22,'' which for millions of readers came to represent the feeling of being helpless against a capricious bureaucracy. For its main protagonist, Yossarian, the ``Catch-22'' is that he claims he is too crazy to fly any more bombing missions, but he is told by the military that anyone who seeks to avoid combat must be sane. ``I won't try to define 'Catch-22,''' Heller said in a 1998 interview with Reuters. ``I believe the book remains relevant in so many ways because it deals not so much with the war situation but our societal situation (in) which people are at the mercy of other people.'' Eliciting a range of reviews from ``pretentious, immoral and poorly written'' to ``the best American novel that has come out of anywhere in years'' the novel and subsequent 1970 film made Heller a millionaire. In 1998 he defended the novel against accusations that it was similar to ``The Sky is a Lonely Place'' by Louis Falstein, a little-known book published 10 years before ``Catch 22.'' Heller's second novel did not appear until 1974. The widely anticipated ``Something Happened,'' a bleak look at a moderately successful but emotionally vacant man who appears unaware he is having a breakdown as he muses about his life, inspired comparisons to John Cheever. Like ``Good As Gold,'' which followed five years later, ''God Knows'' in 1984, ``No Laughing Matter'' in 1986 and ''Picture This'' in 1988, it sold respectably but did not recapture the success of ``Catch-22.'' In 1994, Heller published ``Closing Time,'' a sequel to ``Catch 22'' followed in 1998 by the memoir ``Now and Then: From Coney Island to Here.'' Heller's ``We Bombed in New Haven'' (1968), an anguished response to the American military involvement in Vietnam, had a moderately successful run on Broadway. Joseph Heller was born May 1, 1923, in the Coney Island section of New York City. After high school he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a bombardier but soon transferred to cadet school after hearing bombardiers were turned into gunners and as Heller recalled, ``a gunner's life was worth no more than three days.'' Heller flew more than 60 bombing missions and during his tour of duty came to understand the true horror of his situation. After the war, Heller earned a Bachelor of Arts from New York University in 1948, a Master of Arts from Columbia University in 1949 and ultimately a Fulbright Scholarship to Oxford University. This led to jobs teaching English at Pennsylvania State University, writing advertising copy for Time and Look magazines, and as a promotion manager for McCall's magazine. Though Heller started writing in college, it was not until he was working that several of his short stories were published in Esquire and the Atlantic Monthly. Teaching jobs at Yale University and University of Pennsylvania followed, as well as television and screen-writing work. One day in 1982, Heller entered his Manhattan apartment building and was struck by a sudden weakness in his limbs. The next day he was in a hospital intensive care unit suffering from a rare creeping paralysis called Guillain-Barre syndrome, unable to swallow and nearly unable to move. Heller's struggle with the disease lasted several years before his body was completely back to normal. Heller divorced his wife of 35 years, with whom he had a son and daughter, and in 1987 married the nurse who helped him recover from Guillain-Barre syndrome.

We know this Ranger's wife - also a National Park Ranger. How incredibly sad! Suspect in ranger shooting claiming self-defense FBI, though, says evidence doesn't support his assertion By Suzanne Tswei Star-Bulletin A 30-year-old California native arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Big Island park ranger Steve Makuakane-Jarrell said he shot in self-defense, according to an affidavit filed in federal court. Eugene Frederick Boyce III, described as an unemployed transient, said he shot the ranger Sunday morning during a violent confrontation involving the two men and Boyce�s three dogs, the affidavit filed today by FBI Special Agent Lisa Nielsen says. Makuakane-Jarrell, a 15-year national park veteran, was killed while investigating a vicious dog complaint at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park, where he worked. Boyce said he turned the ranger�s 9 mm semi-automatic pistol against the ranger during the struggle, �which resulted in the ranger shooting himself,� the affidavit says. But Myron Fuller, FBI special agent in charge, said evidence so far does not support Boyce�s claim. Fuller declined further comment. Makuakane-Jarrell fell to the ground after he was shot, but he was still alive and squirming, the affidavit says. Boyce then shot him until he went limp. �If I could have I would have emptied the gun, I shot him as many times as I could,� the affidavit quotes Boyce as saying. Fuller said Makuakane-Jarrell was shot twice, once in the arm and once in the forehead. Boyce dragged the body into nearby bushes to hide it, Fuller said. Boyce also hid the gun by burying it and placing a rock on top, he said. After his arrest, Boyce led investigators to the gun, the ranger�s hand-held radio and a pepper spray canister. Boyce fled on foot with his dogs, one of which had been injured and later was abandoned during the flight. Investigators on Monday released a description of a suspect and asked for the public�s help. Rewards totaling $41,000 also were offered. Boyce was arrested yesterday evening about 20 miles from the shooting. Fuller credited the quick arrest to a well coordinated manhunt by federal and county law enforcement agencies and 130 tips from the public. Boyce is in federal custody without bail on a charge of murdering a federal official engaged in official duties. Conviction on the charge may result in the the death penalty, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Enoki said. Boyce�s three dogs also were in custody, and the injured dog was treated by a veterinarian.

Also departed in the last few weeks: Hank Snow Curtis Mayfield Moondog

Hall of Fame Pitcher Bob Lemon Dead at 80 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hall of Fame pitcher and former New York Yankees manager Bob Lemon died Wednesday. He was 80. The cause of death was not immediately available. Lemon was 23-7 with a 2.72 earned run average on the 1954 World Series Champions Cleveland Indians on a staff that included fellow-hall of famer Bob Feller, Early Wynn and Mike Garcia who beat the New Giants four straight games.

Hedy Lamarr, actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr, the sultry, sexy screen star of the 1930s and 1940s who also conceived the frequency-hopping technique now known as spread spectrum, has died. Lamarr was found dead in her suburban Orlando, Florida, home January 19. She was believed to be 86. Born Hedwig Kiesler in Austria, Lamarr came to the US in 1937 after being signed by MGM. Among her most successful films was the 1949, directed Cecil B. DeMille classic, Samson and Delilah. In her 1992 book Feminine Ingenuity, Lamarr described how she came up with the idea of a signaling device for radio-controlled torpedoes that would minimize the danger of detection or jamming by randomly shifting the frequency. She and composer George Antheil developed the concept and received a patent for it in 1942. The concept was not developed during World War II, but when the patent expired, Sylvania put the idea to use in satellites. Spread spectrum also has found applications in wireless telephones, military radios, wireless computer links, and Amateur Radio experimentation. A more-detailed version of Lamarr's role in spread spectrum is described in the IEEE book Spread Spectrum Communications, published in 1983.

It's a technology that is just now gaining widespread use in cell phone and wireless networking devices, it's somehow hard to put spread spectrum together with a sultry, movie star of the 30s. Amazing.

I had no idea, either. I posted it in Radio as well. I think many will be amazed. Brains and beauty are not always mutually exclusive; some fortunate few have both!

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Jim Varney, the voice of Slinky Dog in the "Toy Story" movies and the bumbling handyman Ernest in TV ads and a popular series of slapstick films, died Thursday of cancer at age 50, friends said. Varney, who lost two-thirds of his right lung to cancer in September 1998, died before dawn at his home in Whitehouse, Tenn., outside Nashville, his spokesman and former wife, Jane Varney said. "He passed away very peacefully," she said. "It all happened rather quickly." His death came just months after he reprised his voice role as Slinky Dog in a sequel to the 1995 computer-animated Disney hit "Toy Story." A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Varney is best known for his role as Ernest P. Worrell, the grinning, tool-belted bumbler he has portrayed in a host of television commercials. His character always appeared opposite an off-camera, silent neighbor, whose attention he got with the line "Hey Vern!" before launching into a hard-sell. His Ernest persona has been the star of a series of nine slapstick comedy films dating back to the '80s, including "Ernest Goes to Camp," Ernest Saves Christmas," "Ernest Goes to Jail," "Ernest Rides Again," "Ernest Goes to Africa" and "Ernest in the Army." The Ernest character originally was created to help promote a newly opened amusement park in Bowling Green, Ky., his longtime attorney and friend, William "Hoot" Gibson, said. His battle with cancer was first revealed publicly in November after questions were raised about his loss of hair when he was seen at public appearances in connection with "Toy Story 2." Following his 1998 lung surgery, he suffered a bout of pneumonia, then underwent radiation treatments after cancer was detected in his brain in January 1999, Ms. Varney said. She said cancer also was believed to have spread to his spine. Friends said he had been a heavy smoker. Still, he continued working, and "it's really been in the last three months that he was laid up, not able to get around," she said. Varney will return posthumously to the big-screen in two upcoming films, according to his friend, Gibson. He co-stars with Oscar-winner Billy Bob Thornton in the comedic love story "Daddy and Them," scheduled for release by Miramax Films later this year. In the film, written and directed by Thornton, Varney plays a character named Uncle Hazel, whose relatives are trying to rescue him from prison. He also will supply the voice of a cook named Cookie in the upcoming Disney animated feature "Atlantis," due for release next year. ------------------ *sniff* i loved ernest!

I'm sorry, Wolfie! (He shouldn't have smoked!)(...which really scares me...)

you don't smoke do ya Marcia?!?!?! or are you referring to the infallable, indestructible ('cept by his own mind), dark-side personified (got in trouble for that once...) Mr. WER? hear that WER... pick up some other nasty habit... like posting here more often! *grin* (sorry, couldn't help m'self)

No, I am not the one I am concerned about. Never thought it made very much sense to smoke, actually. um...yes...! 'sok...

me either, didn't see the coolness in it. i loved jv in beverly hillbillies and i knew that slinky dog sounded familiar! think i saw all the ernest movies.....

Hope you don't mind if I post some of John's comments on Jim Varney... Saw it on TV. Not unexpected. Varney also had a regular role in the Tv sitcoms "Alice" and "Flo" as Flo's boyfriend Milo Skinner, was host of the 1970s TV variety show "Pop Goes the Country," was a regular on "Johnny Cash and Friends" and played Seaman Skinner on "Operation Petticoat." He was great as Jed Clampett in the 1993 big screen version of "The Beverly Hillbillies." Despite the lowbrow image, he was one of Hollywood's most bankable comedic actors. He was successful, if not famous, long before he hit it big as "Ernest." I thought he was hilarious and often smarter than given credit for. Some of his best lines were ad-libbed. When he was being interrogated in the movie "Ernest Goes to Jail," he ad libbed in an angst-filled rant, "All right! I admit it! I kidnapped the Lindbergh baby!" Too damn bad he was a Kentuckian, where tobacco is considered a staple of the fruits and vegetables food group.One other note on Varney's sophistication and self-deprecating sense of humor. In a 1997 episode of the animated feature Duckman (USA Network), Varney played the voice of a tobacco company CEO in an episode titled "You've Come the Wrong Way, Baby."

Tom Landry died

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13 � Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz died Saturday night at his home in Santa Rosa, just as his final strip � a poignant farewell to his readers � was headed for newsstands. He was 77. Schulz delighted the world with the adventures and adversities of Charlie Brown, his friends and a dog named Snoopy. *sniff*

I know. I have a little Snoopy sitting beside me. He has a wee Woodstock sitting on his head. Daisy Hill Puppy Farm's finest graduate is now an orphan! *sniff*

i have a snoopy stuffed animal that i've had for ages and you can tell it was loved on. he went through my son and now my daughter. don't plan on getting rid of it. wonder how i can get him white again!

Cornmeal and/or dry shampoo? Hmmm. Even baby powder? Someone on the internet must have "how do I clean stuffed animals"....Ask Jeeves???!

i don't think he's ever been cleaned (i might have thrown him in the washer once).

Oook. Hand wash gently...if he is stuffed with cotton or kapok you will be sorry if he gets soppy wet. What my mom used to do was make a very sudsy batch and whip it into a blur of teeny bubbles. Use this bubble froth to cleanse your Snoopy. Use an old wash cloth or some thing of this nature to get the best results. Change the place on the wash cloth often!!!