Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion

Hopefully this will be a short discussion this year. I think 2016 must have set some kind of record for number of deaths by well-known people. I saw a list that had 190 names on it. Some were more obscure but someone apparently knows them.

Well, I suppose we can expect more biographies of them...?
Must admit I don't really know all those people.

I guess it's not over yet. At this morning's team meeting, my boss announced to a co-worker that the dad of a client they both worked with was just killed by a drunk driver, so they're going to the viewing; another co-worker walked in a day early after her vacation, saying she has to miss work tomorrow because a (much younger) relative just died and she needs to attend the funeral. The supervisor also lost an old friend and a cat just before the turn of the year.

I don't know if this is inappropriate, but this thread does remind me of this book ...The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action
it is a list of people that died through their own actions. Darwin because its 'survival of the fittest'. I don't necessarily agree with Darwin though, sometimes the people that survive are no better than the ones that died.

Selina wrote: "I don't know if this is inappropriate, but this thread does remind me of this book ...The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action...I don't necessarily agree with Darwin though, sometimes the people that survive are no better than the ones that died. "

I think the take-home message of that book series, to some extent, is that who lives through the day and who dies can be pretty random. Certainly there are all kinds of idiots doing dumb stuff who get away with it for years. It's the downside of our intelligence; we've learned to make it feel safe to be stupid, with our seatbelts, helmets, Narcan injections and CPR.

Author William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist. Age 89, died from mutltiple myeloma.

Koren wrote: "Author William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist. Age 89, died from mutltiple myeloma."

Hard to believe he could ever die! And this comes just months after we lost Frank De Felitta!

Fishface wrote: "Selina wrote: "I don't know if this is inappropriate, but this thread does remind me of this book ...The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action...I don't necessarily agree with Darwin thou..."

Well nobody gets out of this world alive...we all have to die! Some just seem to do it in a more spectacular way than others.

That's true! Sometimes it's "go big AND go home..."

The Princess Diarist is still on my TBR list. I was thinking on Carrie Fisher the other day.

She did say something about if she went, she wanted it to be known she was strangled by her bra in space.

Ironically she was in mid-air when she had a cardiac arrest. I don't know if it was from a too-tight bra though. I heard she had a coke problem (coca-cola, not cocaine). She said she was sipping up to 16 cans a day. That's a lot of sugar.

I have heard of people dying from drinking too much coca-cola.

Selina wrote: "The Princess Diarist is still on my TBR list. I was thinking on Carrie Fisher the other day.

She did say something about if she went, she wanted it to be known she was strangled b..."

Well, they said she died from a heart attack, but too much caffeine can effect the heart.

Now, could she have been sipping DIET Coke? Because that's a lot of aspartame.

Fishface wrote: "Now, could she have been sipping DIET Coke? Because that's a lot of aspartame."

Aspertame poisoning is a thing. Don't know if it effects the heart.

Gene Cernan
1934-2017
Last man on the moon

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/Obitu...

Tommy Allsup
1931-2017
Guitarist who lost the coin toss that kept him off the Buddy Holly plane that crashed
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/ar...

Julie wrote: "Tommy Allsup
1931-2017
Guitarist who lost the coin toss that kept him off the Buddy Holly plane that crashed
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/ar......"

Man, he dodged that bullet for a long time!

Julie wrote: "Tommy Allsup
1931-2017
Guitarist who lost the coin toss that kept him off the Buddy Holly plane that crashed
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/ar......"

I also know that Waylon Jennings gave up his seat to someone, I think it was Buddy Holly. Were there two people that gave up seats that night?

Koren wrote: "Julie wrote: "Tommy Allsup
1931-2017
Guitarist who lost the coin toss that kept him off the Buddy Holly plane that crashed
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/ar...-..."

OK, I will answer my own question (thank you Google). There were 2 people that night that gave up their seats.
Tommy Allsup gave up his seat to Richie Valens, Waylon Jennings gave up his seat to the Big Bopper.

So here's a coincidence, this weekend my niece was here. When we weren't out shopping (so she could take advantage of auntie's generous nature and credit card) we were in my apartment knitting and watching "Curious and Unusual Deaths", kind of reminded me of this thread.

Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "So here's a coincidence, this weekend my niece was here. When we weren't out shopping (so she could take advantage of auntie's generous nature and credit card) we were in my apartment knitting and ..."

LOL. Glad you were thinking of us.

Koren wrote: "Koren wrote: "Julie wrote: "Tommy Allsup
1931-2017
Guitarist who lost the coin toss that kept him off the Buddy Holly plane that crashed
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/ar......"

Yes, those two guys lucked out and did not get on that flight.

Koren wrote: "Julie wrote: "Tommy Allsup
1931-2017
Guitarist who lost the coin toss that kept him off the Buddy Holly plane that crashed
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/ar...-..."

I believe there were two, yes, but it was Buddy Holly who chartered the plane so he was the first to have a seat. IIRC, Waylon Jennings gave his seat to the Big Bopper because he had a bad cold and could not withstand any more time on the band's unheated bus.

Miguel Ferrer
1955-2017
Actor
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/20...

Julie wrote: "Miguel Ferrer
1955-2017
Actor
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/20..."

Best known for Crossing Jorden, Iron Man 3, and Robocop. I did not know his father was Jose Ferrer, a well-known actor in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, and his mother was Rosemary Clooney, which makes him George Clooney's cousin.

NOOOOO, not Miguel Ferrer! A friend of mine went to high school with him...

Fishface wrote: "NOOOOO, not Miguel Ferrer! A friend of mine went to high school with him..."

Sorry.

Royals' Yordano Ventura and Ex-MLB's Andy Marte Dead http://dlvr.it/NBDGgG

Kansas City Royals' World Series champion and ace pitcher Yordano Ventura and former MLB third baseman Andy Marte were killed in two separate car accidents in the Dominican Republic on Sunday. Ventura was 25 years old; Marte was 33.

A beloved 70's icon- Mary Tyler Moore has died at the age of 80.

Koren wrote: "A beloved 70's icon- Mary Tyler Moore has died at the age of 80."

For a great read- checkout
Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made The Mary Tyler Moore Show a Classic by
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong It is a fascinating read.

It seems that simply turning the calendar page has not stopped the rash of celebrity deaths. The latest is Mike Conners, star of the 70's show Mannix. He was 91.

Koren wrote: "It seems that simply turning the calendar page has not stopped the rash of celebrity deaths. The latest is Mike Conners, star of the 70's show Mannix. He was 91."

I used to watch that show.

And another. Barbara Hale, who played Della Street in the old Perry Mason shows also died yesterday. She was 94.

John Hurt
1940-2017
Actor

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment...

Rest in peace, MTM. We are losing so many wonderful icons.

While I'm at it, RIP Robert Vaughn.

Is it just me but doesn't it seem like a lot of famous actors have died these last couple of months?

Julie wrote: "Is it just me but doesn't it seem like a lot of famous actors have died these last couple of months?"

Yes, there have been a lot even in the last year. I know some of the people we have lost were fairly young, but I think a lot of our icons are getting up there in years. After all, how hard is it to believe that Mary Tyler Moore was 80!! So most of the icons from my growing up and young adult years are getting up there.

John Hurt.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000457/?r...

I'm not very familiar with this guy, but looking at his accomplishments, he did a lot of stuff.

Masaya Nakamura
1925-2017
Father of Pac-Man
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/bu...

Brunhilde Pomsel
1911-2017
Secretary to Joseph Goebbels
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-n...

Koren wrote: "John Hurt.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000457/?r...

I'm not very familiar with this guy, but looking at his accomplishments, he did a lot of stuff."

He played the first guy to succumb to the xenomorph in the first ALIEN movie. In space, no one can hear your sternum crack.

Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "John Hurt.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000457/?r...

I'm not very familiar with this guy, but looking at his accomplishments, he did a lot of stuff."

He played the first gu..."
What a great movie and he was a great actor!

There is a statue in Minneapolis, Minnesota honoring Mary Tyler Moore. Just a few days after Mary's death the woman who created the statue, Gwendolyn Gillen from Wisconsin, has passed away. She was 76.

Public education in the USA .

Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Public education in the USA ."

Fishface wrote: "Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Public education in the USA ."
"

Nice gif. Appropriate.

Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Public education in the USA ."
"

Nice gif. Appropriate."

I cant believe she got approved. But then again...you cant believe anything anymore.

Koren wrote: "Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Public education in the USA ."
"

Nice gif. Appropriate."

I cant believe she got approved. But then again...you cant believe anything..."

She gave $200 million to the Republican Party.

Julie wrote: "Koren wrote: "Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Lady♥Belleza★✰ wrote: "Public education in the USA ."
"

Nice gif. Appropriate."

I cant believe she got approved. But then again...you cant be..."

Apparently that is all we need to do to earn a cabinet post.

hmm apart from Carrie Fisher, I don't really know or have heard of any of these people!!!

Although I have heard of Mary Tyler Moore as a name but don't think I ever saw her acting.

I guess well-known people from before I was born like actors/actresses ARE getting on in years.

Has any of you been to the cemetery lately to visit graves. I mean, at least when you go there you know they are resting in peace, as opposed to washed up on the shore somewhere.

Selina wrote: "hmm apart from Carrie Fisher, I don't really know or have heard of any of these people!!!

Although I have heard of Mary Tyler Moore as a name but don't think I ever saw her acting.

I guess well-..."

Selina, I live right next to a cemetery. I have worked in nursing homes for 30 years so I know a LOT of the people there. I view death as a part of life and we will all have to do it some day. I know that they no longer have pain or troubles and we will see them again some day.