David Bowie, Dead at 69

Bowie looking utterly normal.

When I was little, I remember being up late--Mom usually let us stay up late on weekends--and watching The Midnight Special. I don't know how young I was, exactly. But young enough to be baffled at what I was seeing. A man in a bright red fright wig, bright makeup, high-heeled  platform shoes, and a strapless feather dress, singing.  "Does not compute," I thought, if not in those exact words. I had no idea what I was looking at, but I recognized it as daring, different, intriguing.

It was David Bowie, and my first concrete realization that maybe I was different too. I'm not saying I got why, exactly, and I'm not saying that whatever was driving Bowie to be a gender-bender in those days has anything to do with my own sexual identity (especially since I was clueless on that front at the time), but I felt kinship. and though I may have one or two details wrong, I never forgot it.

Along the way, as I started paying attention, I'd catch Bowie being Bowie, and still feel that pull of kinship (but alarming, unspoken kinship), when I saw his Diamond Dogs album cover. And as with Freddie Mercury and Elton John (more of that familiarity for no yet known reason), he was considered to be edgy and cool. I still don't know how he and they managed rock star status in the 70s without any notable backlash.

Bowie's memorable look from Labyrinth

Bowie dropped the glam-rock image over a few more years, and by the time I was in high school, Bowie had gone from Space Oddity to the MTV era. Suddenly, he was simultaneously a rock legend and a hip, with-it, video star. He had hit after hit, and was part of the soundtrack of my teenage years, culminating with a charity duet with Mick Jagger (he of similar otherness and legend status) with Dancing in the Streets.

Bowie started popping up in movies too, and whether the films themselves were notable or not, his image always was. There's something riveting about how Bowie looked, even when he wasn't trying to shock or alarm. The magnetism of his character in Labyrinth for instance is more memorable than anything else from the film.

There have undoubtedly been many other Bowie eras in his career that I didn't take such note of. He was noted for his constant reinvention, perhaps only rivaled by Madonna in that regard. But beyond the remixing and reissue of his 70s classic Fame (which featured John Lennon), they don't stand out in my memory. It doesn't matter. He was solidly, permanently part of the rock and roll Mount Olympus.

The passing of David Bowie is more than the death of a celebrity. And though it's not a personal gut punch, I'm positive it is for a lot of people. To some, I'm sure it's as momentous as the passing of Mercury, Elvis Presley or John Lennon. He's at least as important of an icon. RIP, Mr. Bowie. And RIP to another part of my life's soundtrack.

[Excerpt]

David Bowie Dies at Age 69 After Battling Cancer

David Bowie has died after a battle with cancer, his rep confirmed to Billboard. He was 69.

"David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief," read a statement posted on the artist's official social media accounts. . ."

Read more at: MSN


I couldn't find the exact Midnight Special that I can conjure from my memory, but here is David Bowie (in his Ziggy Stardust era) looking every bit as shocking, from that period.



And a much more mainstream, handsome Bowie from my high school years.

Actor and Presidential Candidate Fred Thompson Dead at 73

Image from source, Raw Story

Fred Thompson has passed away. I know it's awful, but I heard the Law & Order "duh-duh!" sting in my head when I saw this news. I wasn't particularly stunned or saddened by the news, because I'd assumed he was much older than he really was. He's just one of those guys who seems to have been born old, seems to have looked the same for decades. 73 is not so old, and so, learning that I felt a little sad. It's no spring chicken, but it's not so old, not anymore. Especially not now that I'm watching my odometer spinning past 49.5.  RIP, Mr. Thompson. I'm very glad you were never president, but I liked your acting.

By the way, it's worth noting that if Mr. Thompson had managed to get elected to the presidency and have two terms, he would have been our first president to pass away in office since John F. Kennedy.

[Excerpt]

Fred Thompson — ‘Law and Order’ actor and former U.S. Senator — dead at 73
 
Actor, politician and former Republican presidential candidate Sen. Fred Thompson has passed away at the age of 73. The Tennessean newspaper reported Sunday that Thompson died after a recurrence of lymphoma. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

For Guys Only: Get to Know Your Nuts (NSFW)

Okay, here's the deal, guys. The girls have a whole genre of "lady calamities" that are best left unsaid by those of us unfamiliar with that sort of thing. But there are also problems of the dude variety that are just as uncomfortable to discuss. The funny part? When we talk medically, full frontal nudity is allowed! Squeee! Kidding. This is serious. Well, semi-serious. Most of us will be okay, and those of us who discover a problemo can likely head off that problem at the pass. Because, seriously guys, which of us isn't intimately familiar with every bump and crevice? If you find something scary, take care of it right away, and things will most likely be fine.
 

CDC Launches Graphic Anti-Smoking Campaign

You know what would really freak the kids out?
This picture, and Rule 34. Image from HuffPo.

It has been long enough since my last cigarette (14 months ago) that I can confidently call myself a non-smoker. But I smoked for almost 20 years. And you know what didn't make me quit? Threats. Taunts. Finger-wagging. None of that stuff works on a smoker, it just makes you more defiant. It's not like smokers are in the dark about the negative health consequence of the habit. They know. But those consequences seem somehow off in a possible but not certain future. After all, everybody knows somebody who smoked from the age of 14, and died sometime in their nineties, right?

As a current non-smoker--one who is very happy he quit, and wonders why he waited so long to do it--I am rather indifferent to this current campaign. It won't make many current smokers quit. $5 per pack would have done that, were it that easy. But it might make cigarette smoking a bit less cool to the kids who haven't started yet. Or maybe not, who knows? Kids love gory movies, and kids think they're indestructible. If I could rationalize that health consequences were a ways off in my forties, certainly to kids it seems like a hundred years away. So, I don't know.


[Excerpt]

CDC Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign Set To Launch 

In a graphic new ad campaign announced Thursday, the government is trying to shock smokers into quitting with the sometimes-gruesome stories of people damaged by tobacco products.
The new effort confronts a hard truth: Despite increased tobacco taxes and bans in many public places, the adult smoking rate hasn't really budged since 2003. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Lizz Winstead on the Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood Fracas

You might not know Lizz Winstead by name, but you know of her. She's a comedian, writer, feminist, activist and. . .oh, yeah. . .co-creator of The Daily Show. As I watched the commentary of the Florida Primary on my Twitter feed, I watched Winstead's live reaction to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure decision to defund Planned Parenthood.

If you follow politics at all, you know that Planned Parenthood is a lightning rod of controversy, with constant attacks from the right wing. This is because PP provides abortion services. Though this is only a small part of their mission, they are public enemy #1 to many on the right. There are a couple of ironies here. One being the fact that family planning (contraception, for instance) reduces the need for abortions. But the bigger irony is that PP provides breast cancer screenings and promotes awareness, especially for poor women. Komen's mission is also part of Planned Parenthood's. And by pulling their funding, poor women will be more at risk for breast cancer! Unbelievable. This is far from my issue, but come on.

The Best Excuse Not to Do Laundry: It Causes Cancer

Image from Raw Story

Yep, good old new and improved laundry detergents and dryer sheets may cause cancer. At our house, we use an unscented/undyed variety. But let's face it, it's from Big Lots. Do you really think we're safer? Oy. Anyway, these scents are not regulated, and neither emissions from dryer vents. And some people want less regulations (or like Rick Perry, no regulations). Great idea.


[Excerpt]

Top-selling scented laundry products release hazardous chemicals: study

Laundry vents emit hazardous air pollutants when people use popular fragranced laundry detergents and dryer sheets, according to research published in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Former Presidential Hopeful John Edwards Indicted

Image from source, New York Times

More than four years ago, the Democratic field for the 2008 presidential campaign was very strong. Late in March 2007, I went with my friend Stupid Monkey Planet to an SEIU event here in Las Vegas featuring all of the candidates: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich (?) and John Edwards. This was right after Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, announced the relapse of her cancer, and all eyes (and cameras) were on the couple. The Monkey and I were right behind her in the bleachers, so we even ended up in the video of the event.

At the time, it was clear that Edwards, Obama and Clinton were the three it was going to boil down to. Obama was impressive with his intelligence and unscripted answers to questions (asked by Margaret Carlson, I think), and no, there was no teleprompter. Clinton worked the crowd like a pro, and really wowed me. But Edwards was my choice after that day. There was something so earnest, so sincere about him. And there was my empathy for Elizabeth, and let's face it, Edwards cut a dashing figure. I could really picture him as president. Then, he turned out to be a scumbucket. And the Democratic Party really dodged a warhead, didn't they?

[Excerpt]

Edwards Indicted in Campaign Fund Case

John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina and presidential candidate, was indicted Friday morning by a grand jury in Raleigh on charges that he violated campaign finance law during his 2008 presidential campaign. . .

Read more at: New York Times

Elizabeth Edwards Loses Battle With Cancer

Image from source, CNN

It's alarming how quickly these things can happen. I mean, I know that Mrs. Edwards has had cancer for a while, but it was a day after the announcement that she was quitting cancer treatment. Shocking and sad.

[Excerpt]

Elizabeth Edwards loses battle with cancer

Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of 2004 vice presidential candidate and former North Carolina senator John Edwards, died Tuesday after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was 61. . .

Read more at: CNN

Elizabeth Edwards Gravely Ill

Image from source, Washington Post

Very sad. I was in the audience a day or so after it was announced that Elizabeth Edwards was terminally ill, at an SEIU forum here in Las Vegas. All of the Democratic Candidates for President were there, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson and John Edwards. It was a very interesting day, and seeing all of the candidates was inspiring. Clinton wowed me, Obama impressed me, and Edwards won the day, for me anyway (not anymore, obviously). Part of that feeling may have been empathy, since the press seemed to be focused on Elizabeth more than anything else, and I felt badly for her.

The poor lady has been through an awful lot.

[Excerpt]

Elizabeth Edwards gravely ill with cancer



Elizabeth Edwards, stoic as her husband's presidential ambitions collapsed, her marriage crumbled and cancer sapped her strength, thanked her supporters online Monday as word spread the disease may take her life within weeks. . .
 
Read more at: Washington Post

Oh, Great: Sunscreens Might Accelerate Skin Cancer?

Irony alert!  What say we just party like it's 1999. . .eat bacon, smear the grease on our skin, sit in the sun, smoke filterless Camels, drink wine straight from the box, and just enjoy life while it lasts.

[Excerpt]

Study: Many Sunscreens May Be Accelerating Cancer

Almost half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A or its derivatives, according to an evaluation of those products released today.


AOL News also has learned through documents and interviews that the Food and Drug Administration has known of the potential danger for as long as a decade without alerting the public, which the FDA denies. . .

Read more at: AOL News

Science is Cool: Beer Cures Cancer? Woo-Hoo!!!

Image from Around the Sphere

Well, then I just might live forever!

[Excerpt]

Why beer is the latest hope in fight against cancer

It might be your preference to crack open a bottle of red wine at the end of a hard day but you may be better off pouring a pint.

Researchers at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg have discovered that beer contains a powerful molecule that helps protect against breast and prostate cancers. . .

Read more at: Daily Mail

KFC's Grilled Chicken Might Cause Cancer?

And here I thought it was the fried chicken that would get you. Who knew?

[Excerpt]

Doctors' suit: KFC grilled chicken a danger

After losing its first battle against fast-food restaurants, a doctors group went back to court Wednesday and accused the KFC chain of selling grilled chicken with dangerous levels of a cancer-causing chemical.

In a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine accused KFC of violating California's Proposition 65, which requires businesses to warn customers if they are being exposed to substances that cause cancer or birth defects. . .

Read more at: SFGate

Rememberences of Farrah Fawcett

Image from NY Daily News

Since Farrah's Story aired on NBC a few weeks ago, I've expected to get the news of Farrah Fawcett's death. It was made clear that she was terminal, and by the end of the documentary, she wasn't even lucid. So, her death--while no less sad--was not a surprise. More surprising, of course, was the out of the blue death of Michael Jackson on the very same day.

Which is sad all by itself, but doubly so for Farrah. As the celebrity reporter on MSNBC said, they were working on a Farrah Fawcett retrospective when they got the Jackson news. After that, Fawcett is now a footnote. And she deserved more than that.

I had Farrah's iconic poster on my wall as a 'tween, as all little boys (even us gay ones) did in 1976. I struggled to stay up late to watch Charlie's Angels, even though bedtime that year was 10:00 pm. I managed to catch up during the summer, and was excited that the show moved to 9:00 pm the next season. But where was Farrah? She'd left the show! My sadness was short-lived, due to the brilliant casting of Cheryl Ladd.

But Farrah still held my attention. I watched Logan's Run (still a favorite) and Saturn 3. The weeks when she was contracturally bound to appear in guest shots on Charlie's Angels, I was front and center. Years later, I'd be interested enough in her to check out movies like The Burning Bed, and Extremities, which I'd have been almost certain to skip otherwise.

When Farrah's Story aired, I was given a new perspective on Farrah, who had--lets face it--been rather strange in her last decade or so. She appeared dizzy (or drugged) on The Late Show with David Letterman and the William Shatner roast. So to see her so spirited, courageous and real may have been one of the best things to come out of an otherwise depressing program.

So, RIP, Farrah Fawcett. You are one of many pieces of my childhood, but one of the only ones I will always be able to picture--in that red bathing suit, with the dazzling smile--in perfect clarity, as you looked then. You may not get the same coverage as Michael Jackson, but you had quite an impact, just the same.

Farrah Fawcett Has Died at 62

Image from source, MSNBC

At work, no time to write. Very sad. More later.

More at MSNBC: Farrah Fawcett succumbs to cancer at 62

AmericaBlog Notices Something About McCain's Left Eye

I found this story fascinating, because I too have thought there was something odd going on with John McCain's face, but I couldn't put my finger on it exactly. It reminds of the strange, intermittent jaw-wiggling George W. Bush sometimes does when finishing a sentence.

I've already noticed for some time that John McCain blinks a lot. And he has these little button eyes that make it extra noticeable. So it isn't surprising that a change in the way his eyes look was setting off alarms. It will be interesting to see if anything comes of this, or if it has anything to do with yesterday's bizarre behavior.

[Excerpt]

Anybody else notice anything weird with McCain's left eye recently?



Joe and Rob both mentioned this to me in the past week, and now several readers have brought it up. I also just noticed that Atrios picked up on this too today. Something wrong, changed, droopy or puffy with McCain's left eye. Anybody else notice anything? I just searched Google a bit more and found references to his eye being droopy in April and May of this year as well. But whatever it is, it seems to be intermittent. (McCain has had 4 bouts of melanoma, and did in 2002 have a benign growth removed from under his left eye.). . .

Read more at: AmericaBlog

What About John McCain's Health Records?

Several issues seem to be mostly "off the table" in this Presidential campaign, at least as they pertain to John McCain. His philandering in the 70s. His involvement with the Keating Five in the 80s. His age.

But the one that gets far too little attention may be the most important. His health. McCain released his medical records in only the most cursory way. He let a limited number of reporters comb through his voluminous health records for a very limited amount of time. Then, he withdrew them.

Many people, including some doctors, are very worried about this. McCain has had cancer four times, and he's no spring chicken. When you add in his selection of Sarah Palin--a supremely inexperienced politician--for his number two spot, the matter of his health is extremely relevant. So why don't we know more?

McCain is 72. He's had cancer 4 times.

Robert Novak Has Brain Tumor

Photo from source, Politico

This might explain Robert Novak's recent very odd traffic altercation. And maybe a lot more. How long has he had this thing? Seriously, I wouldn't wish such a condition on anyone, but it would explain a lot.

[Excerpt]

Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak says he has brain tumor

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak said today he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor but says that, “God willing,” he plans to be back at work soon.

Novak said he was diagnosed Sunday with a tumor and will soon begin treatment at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. . .

Read more at: Chicago Sun-Times

Former Press Secretary Tony Snow Dies

Image cribbed from Free Republic, where Tony Snow was revered and idolized

When Sen. Jesse Helms died last week, I publicly pondered, "What do you do when a person you totally revile passes away?" In the case of Tony Snow, you might think I'd feel the same way, but I don't. While I take issue with his career choices, he seemed like a man of great intellect and humor. As a non-political talk show host, he probably would have really made a splash (without ticking anybody off).

53 is just way too young to go. And it somehow seems unfair that both Tim Russert and Tony Snow--very political animals--would be deprived of seeing the outcome of this fall's election. There is a noteworthy difference between the deaths of Russert and Snow. Russert's death provoked an outpouring of fond rememberances from colleagues, to the point of over-saturation on the news channels. I read several mentions in the blogosphere, but never got the feeling that bloggers and commenters were actually grieving.

By contrast, conservative bloggers and commenters are very, very upset by this. Their reaction seems deeply personal in a way I don't quite understand. As you can tell by the graphic above, conservatives--at least those who consider their political ideology to be a core identity--loved Tony Snow. And they really seem to be feeling grief today. Ordinarily I might say something snarky about that, but right now that doesn't feel right. RIP, Tony Snow.

[Excerpt]

Tony Snow, Former Bush Press Secretary, Dies at 53

Tony Snow, a former press secretary to President George W. Bush who brought his outspoken style as a Fox News commentator to the White House, died in Washington early today of cancer. He was 53.

"It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day,'' Bush said in a statement. "He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work. . ."

Read more at: Bloomberg

Sen. Ted Kennedy Battling Brain Tumor

Photo from MSNBC

I'm too young to have experienced "The Kennedy Mystique." Camelot to me still conjures imagery of Merlin and Lancelot, not Jackie and John. So my connection to the Kennedys is tenuous at best. Still, Senator Edward Kennedy has--whatever his shortcomings--done a lot of good over a lot of years. Hopefully, his health crisis can be beaten. Because even though I didn't see most of their travails happen, I really think that the Kennedy's have had enough strife to deal with. Good luck, Teddy.

[Excerpt]

Sen. Kennedy battling brain tumor

Friends and colleagues of Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy instinctively reached for the same word Tuesday as they learned that the last remaining representative of Camelot had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

They called him a fighter. They said he had fought for children, the poor, African-Americans and immigrants during his nearly 46 years in the Senate. He fought for access to health care, for quality education, for civil rights and for workers' rights. And now, they said, he would fight for himself. . .

Red more at: Chicago Tribune

Science is Cool: Coffee Cures Cancer?

Image from ScienceBlogs.com

There is simply no way I could get through my Monday morning (or any morning) without a cup of coffee. Oh, who am I kidding, I usually drink about 3/4 of a pot of the stuff. Until 9:30 - 10:00 am rolls around, and then I hit my "coffee wall" and switch to good ol' Diet Mountain Dew.

So, as you can imagine, I'm 90-something percent water, and the rest is caffeine. People warn me about it, tell me to cut back. . .but it turns out I've been right all along! Hold the Sanka, give me high test.

[Excerpt]

Fighting Cancer With Caffeine

Do you enjoy that morning cup of coffee or afternoon soda? Well maybe your skin would like a dose of caffeine too. Scientists are finding that caffeine can help our skin get rid of damaged skin cells before they become cancer.

Paul Nghiem from the University of Washington School of Medicine says, "It looks to us from several types of experiments that caffeine can selectively kill those damaged cells. . ."

Read more at: KSFY

Previously: Science is Cool: Coffee Protects Brain