Billy Mays’ show must go on June 29, 2009
Posted by Chris Stover in Cut to the Chase.Tags: Billy Mays, Fox29, Infomercials, Obituary
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Not surprisingly, TV pitchman Billy Mays continued to work on new commercials until the day he died. He was in Bensalem last week finishing up some commercials for Media Enterprises, Inc., the company that produces Mighty Putty and Mighty Mendit. (The rocky landing on a plane from Philadelphia en route to Tampa had nothing to do with his death, an autopsy report said.)
The fate of those commercials has been announced.
Many Billy Mays commercials will be pulled until July 6, the day of his funeral. After that, they will air once again, including new ones premiering July 11.
Here are a few videos from FOX 29. The first features an interview with Billy Mays from June 2008. The second is consumer reporter Michelle Buckman’s memories of meeting the infomercial king.
- A June 2008 visit by FOX 29 cameras to a Billy Mays commercial shoot
- Consumer reporter Michelle Buckman’s reflections on her interview with Billy Mays
Final Titanic survivor dies May 31, 2009
Posted by Chris Stover in Random Rubbish.Tags: Elizabeth Gladys Dean, Obituary, Titanic
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A chapter of world history has, in one sense, been laid to rest.
Elizabeth Gladys Dean, an infant onboard the Titanic, passed away today at the age of 97. She was the last known survivor from the ship, which sank in April 1912.
Dean was on the ship with her brother and parents. Her father died as a result of the sinking while she escaped on a lifeboat with her brother and mother.
Dean passed away exactly 98 years after the Titanic was launched. Her brother, Bertram, died on April 14, 1992, the 80th anniversary of the ship’s sinking.
Here are some additional links — mostly courtesy of Wikipedia — that are useful.
- Cut to the Chase – I did a column for TTN in which I mentioned Dean in December 2007.
- Titanic on Wikipedia – A very thorough Wikipedia page, complete with 92 primary sources.
- Titanic: Adventure out of Time – This is a fun game I bought. CD-ROMs should come back. Here’s the archive.org page, complete with MP3 files from the game.
Photo courtesy CNN.
U.S. to claim world’s oldest person January 4, 2009
Posted by Chris Stover in Cut to the Chase, Random Rubbish.Tags: Cut to the Chase, Gertrude Baines, Obituary, Old People, Wikipedia
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Women generally live longer than men. That we generally know (yet seldom admit).
Just last week, America’s oldest man passed away at 112 years old. But a 114-year-old woman is slated to become the oldest person in the world.
Gertrude Baines from California said she led the life God wanted, which has contributed to her life’s longevity.
Baines takes the title from Portugal’s Maria de Jesus, who held the title for just more than a month. Prior to that, the record was back in the United States with Indiana’s Edna Parker, who had the title for more than a year.
It just so happens that Parker is a local Philadelphia celebrity. She was featured in the very popular Cut to the Chase column, “Notable deaths of 2007: gone but not forgotten.”
Small world, eh?
U.S.’s oldest man dies at 112 December 29, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Random Rubbish.Tags: Obituary, Old People, Wikipedia
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One of my favorite entries in the Guiness Book of Records is the oldest living person record. I like to think of it more as a competition.
The oldest living man in the U.S. recently passed away at the age of 112 years and 206 days. That’s 16 presidencies (and just more than 20 days short of 17).
Old people have always fascinated me for an unknown reason. At the same time, I don’t think I could ever work at a geriatric home. Call me a hypocrite.
For more information on old people, I direct you to the Wikipedia page about supercentenarians.
Bernie Mac makes ‘heaven funnier’ August 9, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Cut to the Chase.Tags: Bernie Mac, Obituary
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Bernie Mac passed away Saturday at the age of 50, one day after his publicist said his condition was “stable.”
He had been in a Chicago hospital being treated for pneumonia.
Mac’s sudden death can only make you think. Think of how short life can be. Think of how your body can play tricks on you. Think of how many other people are personally affected by something like this.
I think that last point is what gets lost in a celebrity death. Why should this one person get all the attention when thousands of other people in the U.S. — and even more in the world — don’t get the attention deserved?
Mac was one of those celebrities you could feel good about because he made you feel good — someone who could make you smile just based on his presence alone. As co-star Don Cheadle said, “heaven just got a little funnier.”
The tributes of Mac aren’t excessive. They’re probably just right. And probably what many other people deserve but never get.
Philly TV newsers respond to Huggins’ death July 30, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism.Tags: Edie Huggins, NBC10, Obituary
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John Morrison did a great job in the DN writing a well-rounded profile of Edie Huggins, who died yesterday at 72.
He spoke to many anchors and reporters, from FOX’s Dawn Stensland to 6ABC’s Lisa Thomas-Laury.
Also quoted:
“We often use the word ‘pioneer’ loosely,” said Marc Howard, retired Channel 6 anchor. “But Edie truly was a pioneer. When she started in television, it was a collection of white males of no detectable ethnicity.
(Note the lack of mention of Channel 3, the station from which he permanently retired.)
And one more quote, from my newfound buddy:
Larry Kane, veteran broadcaster who worked with Edie at Channel 10, said that when he first saw her he was amazed at how she talked directly to the viewer.
“There are very few in this business who can make that electric contact. It was as though she was having a personal conversation with the viewer.
“She was very funny. Had a great sense of humor. She liked to tickle the big egos, bring them down to earth.”
Huggins’ impact on the lives of everyone — from family and friends to coworkers and viewers — has been clearly evident in the countless tributes in the past 24 hours. Undoubtedly, she will be greatly missed.
NBC10 reporter Edie Huggins, 72, dies July 29, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism.Tags: Edie Huggins, NBC10, Obituary
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Edie Huggins, the first African-American female anchor in the Philadelphia area, has died after a “lengthy illness,” NBC10 is reporting.
The anchor and reporter was diagnosed with terminal cancer in the past year. Known as “Ms. Edie” among her coworkers, Huggins was a pioneer in the Philadelphia area as the host of many magazine news shows and segments like “Huggins’ Heroes,” which profiled people who faced challenges with courage and determination.
Still listed on NBC10’s list of on-air talent, Huggins continued reporting for Channel 10 well after retirement age. She has marked 42 years of work at the station.
NBC10 donated most of the first block of its 6 p.m. newscast Tuesday to coverage and reaction of Huggins’ death.
Memorial services will be held Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Bright Hope Baptist Church at 12th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. The service begin at 7 p.m. and are open to the public.
A ‘Golden’ goodbye for Sophia July 25, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Cut to the Chase.Tags: Estelle Getty, Lifetime, Obituary, The Golden Girls
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Estelle Getty passed away Tuesday at the age of 84.
To celebrate the life of Getty, Lifetime is airing 10 episodes of The Golden Girls Friday beginning at noon. That’s five full hours of all the menopausal menacing you could possibly ask for.
I only know that because I watch Lifetime nightly for Frasier between midnight and 1 a.m. And, if I’m lucky, I’m occasionally awake for a double dose of The Golden Girls at 1.
So call in sick from work. Take a half day. Get home and enjoy an afternoon filled with all the Sophia one could want.
Andrea Collins Smith, 38, punk rock mommy, dies July 9, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Random Rubbish.Tags: Cancer, Obituary
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I’m amazed and ashamed I’ve only first read about this family today.
Andrea Collins Smith began a Web site, www.punkrockmommy.org, to chronicle her battle with incurable breast cancer.
She’s a mother of six, ranging from 18 to 20 months. Graduated form Temple University in 2007 with a psychology degree. Enjoyed the punk rock scene on South Street. And has fans worldwide because of her Web site.
I’ve been spending some time — hours — recapping old blog posts, which also come from friends and her husband, Kelly. Reading about her journey and expressing her true feelings, no BS. Some of the things I wanted to express when I went through my treatment, but I never did because I still felt (and feel, and am) like one of the lucky ones.
By reading the posts, you can sense the genuine person she is. The Inquirer quotes her on one of her conversations she said she had with God about the series of events in her life.
”I’m a mother. I just graduated from college. Now I have terminal cancer. I thought you wanted more from me. Besides, it’s very cliched. Very Lifetime television,” she said she told God.
The Web site’s still up and running, and Kelly and the kids will continue to update and talk about the progression of their family. I encourage you to read it and help however you can.
Burial not for the claustrophobic June 3, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Random Rubbish.Tags: Obituary, Pringles
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If you created a revolutionary container for an up-and-coming potato chip, would you want to be buried in it?
Fredric J. Baur of Cincinnati had a final request. He wanted to be partially buried in the can he is famous for creating — the patented Pringles container. So he was.
The can was buried next to an urn with the rest of his ashes.
I have the utmost respect for final wishes. But that doesn’t mean I can’t criticize them, right?
After all, some people want their families to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to have them blasted into space, while others would like a simple Pringles can. Only $2.99 at your local Superfresh.
This situation only begs for the question – did they take the crumbs out first?
