Actor Patrick Swayze has lost his fight with pancreatic cancer. The man best known for playing a ghost seeking closure with his life, passed away yesterday after a bravely fought battle for the last 20 months.

Swayze, who starred in two hugely popular films, “Ghost” and “Dirty Dancing” became a heart throb through his sincere and earnest performances, making women swoon. He even had a hit song, “She’s Like The Wind,” from the “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack.

What makes Patrick unique in Hollywood is his anti-Hollywood persona. Married to his childhood sweetheart for the past 34 years and no hint of personal drama, Swayze was all class to the very end. His film choices and the passion in which he infused in his characters left an indelible mark on popular culture — plus his Texas charm and good looks made him loved by many women. He was like a genuinely gentle cowboy. Sigh.

CNN reports:

Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas. His father was an engineering draftsman; his mother was a ballet dancer and later the director of the Houston Ballet Dance Company.

She led her son into the dancing world, which wasn’t always easy for a Texas male. Indeed, the young Swayze played football, practiced martial arts and was an accomplished diver and track star while growing up, though he was good enough at dance to earn a college scholarship.

After an early professional job playing Prince Charming in an early ’70s version of “Disney on Ice,” Swayze returned to Houston, where he met Lisa Niemi, a student of his mother’s. The two were married in 1975 and moved to New York to pursue their careers. See timeline of Swayze’s life »

Swayze seemed set on a dance career: He studied with the prestigious Joffrey Ballet and joined another company, the Eliot Feld Ballet Company. But surgery for an old football injury ended his ballet career and he turned to acting, nabbing the lead role of Danny Zuko in the long-running Broadway production of “Grease” in 1978, around the time the movie starring John Travolta was hitting theaters. “Grease” earned him some Hollywood attention, and he and Niemi moved West.

After a couple of bit parts, including one in a 1981 episode of “M*A*S*H,” Swayze picked up the role of Darrel Curtis in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film of “The Outsiders,” which also included future stars Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise. Swayze was also one of the leads in 1984’s “Red Dawn,” about teenagers defending their town from a Soviet attack on America.

“Not only did we lose a fine actor today, I lost my older ‘Outsiders’ brother,” said actor C. Thomas Howell, who also starred with Swayze in “Red Dawn” and “Grandview, U.S.A.”

But it was with “Dirty Dancing” that Swayze hit it big. The film about a girl’s coming of age at a Catskills resort in the early ’60s was intended for a limited release but became one of the decade’s biggest sleeper hits and made Swayze and Grey household names.

The film gave birth to a catchphrase — “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” spoken by Swayze’s character to Grey’s domineering father (Jerry Orbach) — and eventually led to a follow-up, 2004’s “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.” Swayze even sang a Top 10 hit, “She’s Like the Wind,” on the film’s soundtrack.

Swayze, known as a down-to-earth, nice-guy actor, was determined not to follow a predictable career path.

I loved Patrick in “Ghost,” perhaps one the most romantic movies ever. His wife Lisa is a lucky woman and our hearts goes out to her and Patrick’s family.

R.I.P

Multiple news sources are reporting Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein was found dead in his NY apartment from an apparent drug overdose on Friday.

This is extremely haunting and sad news, as Adam and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker were the only two survivors of a deadly plane crash which claimed four lives almost a year ago on Sept. 19, 2008.

Adam, 36, was a recovering drug addict, having spent the last 9 years of his life leading a clean and sober existence and using his experience and recovery to try and help others overcome their addiction. Adam dated reality TV star Nicole Ritchie and singer/actress Mandy Moore. Adam was also a very respected club DJ and worked on several albums for major artists. Here’s a bit of his bio from Wiki:

Goldstein was a member of the rock band Crazy Town, known for their hit “Butterfly”. He has also scratched on albums for Papa Roach, Madonna, Will Smith, and Shifty and played concerts with Jay-Z. He has played private events for celebrities like Jim Carey, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Stiller, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, and Kate Hudson.[10] He had had a one-year contract with Las Vegas’ Pure Nightclub inside Caesar’s Palace to play at the venue every Friday and opening a nightclub at Caesars Atlantic City called Dusk.

I loved Crazy Town’s “Butterfly”, featuring Shifty Shellshock’s awesome vocals (also featured on Paul Oakenfold’s “Starry Eyed Surprise.)

Some sources are stating Adam was distraught over a recent break-up with his girlfriend Haley Wood, and it is well known both he and fellow crash survivor Travis Barker have struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder from their brush with death, which including horrific burns requiring hospitalization.

Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein and Travis Barker of Blink-182

Out of respect for DJ AM, who came across as a very sincere and grounded guy, we won’t get into the lurid details of his death. There’s plenty of sources for that.

RIP Adam, I hope you found a respite from the pain in the great beyond, the world will miss your tremendous talent and your friends and family will miss your presence.

Marilyn Monroe died in 1962. She lies at rest at the Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles with other great celebrities such as Dean Martin, Roy Orbison, Truman Capote, Natalie Wood, and recent arrival Farrah Fawcett, just to name a few.

The person buried directly above Marilyn is Mr. Richard Poncher. His last request was to be buried FACING down looking at Marilyn Monroe. Yes I think that is pretty creepy but yet comical at the same time. Richard originally purchased the crypt from baseball great Joe DiMaggio. As you may or may not know, Joe DiMaggio was married to Marilyn and they divorced in 1954.

So when Richard passed, his wife Elsie went along with his wishes and made sure that he was buried as he requested.
Below, in the red sqaure is where Mr. Poncher’s crypt is, which is of course directly above Marilyn.

But Richard Poncher’s final request was about to change. You see Mrs. Elsie Poncher decided to put her hubbie’s crypt up for sale, so she can pay off her Beverly Hills mortgage which was supposedly over one million dollars. She turned to, who else… Ebay.  Now of course his wife wasn’t going to leave Mr. Poncher out on a patio like Aunt Edna in the movie Vacation. She already owned a crypt for herself which is only over one spot from Marilyn, and she has now decided to be cremated. So Richard won’t be too far away from Marilyn, just no longer looking down at her.

Some may find  that not honoring or changing someone’s last request (within reason), is a bit crappy. But I guess his wife thought it was a pretty smart move . Or shall I say it WILL be a pretty smart move, because the ending bid on Ebay, after 21 bids that just ended this past Monday, was a whopping $4,602.100.00!

So poor Mr. Poncher’s request of eternally facing Marilyn will shorty be over. But wait…. the top bidder who was from Japan said he didn’t have the cash after all. So the bid will go to the next highest bidder and so on and so forth until the the deal is sealed. So that will buy Mr. Poncher a little more time next to Marilyn for now.

There were eleven bids over 4 million, so out of the eleven bidders, I imagine someone will eventually come forward with the dough. If you look at the actual auction above, you can see the “No Returns Accepted” in the auction details. I found that pretty amusing. Although “Local Pick-Up Offered” had me scratching my head a little.

Someone else who wanted to be next to Marilyn was Anna Nicole Smith. Her wish has always been to be buried next to her idol Marilyn.

It was brought up in court:

Anna’s mother; Virgie Arthur and boyfriends Howard Stern and Larry Birkhead all commented and testified in court that Anna wanted to be buried in California next to Marilyn Monroe. Virgie added, “She wanted to be buried with the stars.” Howard said he researched the possibility of burial alongside Marilyn, but the cost was an issue. Howard agonizes over money in the most clever ways, doesn’t he?
Anyhow, regardless of court testimony, burying Anna next to Marilyn was never even a remote possibility because of no space, that is, unless Hugh Hefner were to yield his, or somebody move out.

Shame this auction happened so late. Maybe Anna could have got her wish. It seems only fit that Anna Nicole should be laid to rest next to her idol? Maybe some day that will finally happen.

Will others jump at the chance to sell their loved one’s crypt on Ebay if they are near Marilyn? Maybe now that they have seen how much money can be made.

But who owns the crypts surrounding Marilyn?

A Genevieve Haney (if I read the name correctly from a picture) is below her, and to the right of Marilyn is Bruce Fred Fisher Jr. who was there before Marilyn. To the left of Marilyn is Hugh Hefner’s future crypt which he paid a pretty penny for not too long ago.
Fact: Marilyn was his first Playboy Playmate.

Maybe Heff will be struck with a surge of kindness and let Anna have his spot. It would be a very gracious gesture if he did. (and great publicity, not that he needs it)

If you want to know who ALL the stars are resting at this cemetery, go here for a list. It is a VERY impressive list at that. This cemetery is open to the public and anyone can visit. People are dying to get in there. Sorry.. I couldn’t resist.

Seriously… all are free to visit, which is pretty darn cool. It is located on1218 Glendon Avenue,Westwood, CA.

If you are lucky, maybe you will get to see Mr. Poncher getting moved to his FINAL? resting spot.
I wonder if Mr. Poncher will haunt his wife for changing his view?

Well I hope not, and if I was him I would keep quiet. If his wife doesn’t stay out of debt, who knows where Mr.Poncher may end up next? *snicker*

We have watched the endless barrage of stories surrounding the death of pop icon Michael Jackson, who died exactly two months ago. News has centered around the speculation of who will get his three children, whose DNA both maternally and paternally are in question (so far Jackson’s mother Katherine has custody according to his will), what will happen to his estate (including a mountain of debt), to the ultimate question of who or what killed the Thriller star.

If we have learned one thing about celebrity deaths (specifically, Anna Nicole Smith) it has been to wait for the autopsy results before drawing any definitive conclusion. That time seems to be approaching, with news reports suggesting Michael Jackson’s death has been ruled a homicide — though at this time the LAPD and DA’s office have refused to confirm this information.

At the center of the battle to determine how Jackson died is his personal doctor, Conrad Murray, who according to his own admission, administered what many have concluded was a lethal dose of strong sedatives, creating a toxic cocktail causing Michael to go into cardiac arrest. CNN reports:

The Los Angeles coroner has concluded preliminarily that singer Michael Jackson died of an overdose of propofol, a powerful sedative he was given to help him sleep, according to court documents released Monday.

Los Angeles coroner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran reached that preliminary conclusion after reviewing toxicology results carried out on Jackson’s blood, according to a search warrant and affidavit unsealed in Houston, Texas.

The affidavit, used to outline probable cause for search warrants of the offices of doctors who are believed to have treated Jackson, disclosed many details of drugs given to Jackson in the weeks before his death.

Jackson family lawyer Londell McMillan said the report “reaffirms the very sad reality that there was a tragic and gross violation of duty and care for Michael Jackson.”

The publicist for Jackson’s family said the “family looks forward to the day that justice can be served.”

The irony of the Jackson family’s statement is not lost on me, because if justice were TRULY to be served, they would be turning the finger-pointing on themselves as well. It should come as news to NO ONE, Michael’s family has been sponging off of him for years, while turning a negligent eye towards their cash cow’s declining health. While it seemed most of the world was shocked by the death of Jackson, anyone with a keen eye could see the man was on death’s door, regardless of insider information.

According to the Washington Post, Dr. Murray’s actions prior to and just after Jackson’s death had a direct bearing on the 50-year old star’s death:

Conrad Murray, the Las Vegas cardiologist whom Jackson called his personal physician, told detectives that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks, and had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol every night using an intravenous drip, the report notes. The affidavit was unsealed in Houston, where Murray has an office that was raided by U.S. agents on July 22.

Murray said he feared that Jackson was forming an addiction to the drug, which the singer allegedly referred to as “milk,” and that he was trying to wean him off of it. So he lowered Jackson’s propofol dosage to 25 milligrams, mixing it with two other sedatives, lorazepam and midazolam, according to the report. On June 23, two days before the singer’s death, he reportedly gave Jackson lorazepam and midazolam, withholding the propofol.

On the day Jackson died, Murray tried to induce sleep at 1:30 a.m. with Valium; at 2 a.m. with lorazepam; and at 3 a.m. with midazolam, according to the affidavit. After Murray failed to put Jackson to sleep with additional doses over the next few hours, Jackson then demanded propofol. At 10:40 a.m., the report notes, Murray administered 25 milligrams of the drug and continued to monitor Jackson for 10 minutes, until Murray left for the restroom. Murray told investigators that he returned after no more than two minutes and noticed Jackson had stopped breathing.

What happened next is pivotal in building a homicide case against Murray. At question is why Murray waited so long to call for an ambulance (reportedly 40 minutes after finding Jackson unresponsive), why Murray didn’t use a heart monitor while administering such a strong sedative (required for use of the drug) and legally significant, was Murray responsible for obtaining the lethal drug, propofol (Diprivan). Tracing the source has proven difficult, despite multiple search warrants of Murray’s offices. Let’s not forget the lengthy paper trail of Jackson using several aliases to get strong prescription drugs for his personal use. Bottom line, Jackson had a severe drug problem and if Murray hadn’t given him the drugs he wanted, Michael was hell bent on finding a doctor who would.

Dr. Murray is without a doubt guilty of a dereliction of duty in the care of Jackson, and quite likely bears the ultimate responsibility for Jackson’s death, but should he carry that burden alone? Behind Murray is a long list of shady characters who CHOSE not to do what was best for the man whom they were all “enabling.” Doctors, family members, hangers on, music executives, promoters, and of course, Michael himself.

Murray may have administered the final deadly dose, but if we look at this case with an discerning eye, Michael was dead long ago.

[Editors note: Please let this be a cautionary tales to all celebrities - you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Hearing only what you want to hear is the beginning of the end. Trust.]

The Late Jasmine Fiore and Her Alleged Murderer Husband, The Now Late Ryan Jenkins

Reality show, Megan Wants A Millionaire has been officially cancelled. The show which was taped last year, had seventeen millionaires trying for the chance to be picked as a love interest for reality show ditz Megan Hauserman. Megan was previously on Rock of Love, Beauty and the Geek and I Love Money, AND Charm School. She is known for being a giant biotch and in her own words, aspires to be a trophy wife, which was why she was looking for a millionaire.

Ryan Jenkins, picture circled above, was one of the seventeen millionaire contestants. Megan and her “special needs” dog Lilly, starred in the show, but this season’s episodes ended abruptly when Ryan, whose net worth was two million dollars, became a suspect in his wife’s murder. Huh?

Let me explain…Ryan was one of the final contestants in Megan Wants A Millionaire. And of course as you know, these shows are taped WAY in advance, so when you see the show on TV, it is MONTHS after the filming for the show has already wrapped. After the shows filming was over, Ryan met and married Vegas model/actress Jasmine Fiore who he met in a Vegas casino. They married TWO DAYS after they met. Obviously Megan did not pick Ryan as the winner, and boy did she ever dodge a bullet.

Ryan also had trouble with the law this past June after a domestic violence incidence with his wife Jasmine, resulting in a misdemeanor count of battery. Too bad they didn’t hold on to Ryan when they had him. The two reconciled and were headed for a trip to Vegas for a poker game and checked into the L’Auberge Del Mar hotel. Ryan was seen checking out the following morning ALONE. The next day Ryan reported that Jasmine was missing. It was the last trip Jasmine ever took.

Jasmine’s badly beaten and crushed nude body was found strangled and stuffed in a suitcase with her fingers and teeth removed. The suitcase was found in a dumpster in Buena Park Ca. It is assumed, the cutting of her fingers and removal of her teeth was an obvious attempt to thwart off discovering Jasmine’s identity, but that ended when she was identified by the serial numbers on her breast implants. At the risk of sounding crass…and I don’t mean any disrespect, and I apologize in advance — but I guess fake boobs are good for something after all.

Jasmine’s mother said that the couple had argued frequently and Ryan was jealous of Jasmine’s ex-boyfriends. That jealousy unfortunately reared its ugly head in a huge way and ended a 28 year-old’s life.

Authorities said Ryan was headed to Canada where he was born. From an earlier snippet from Eonline,when this story was first unfolding:

Sheriffs in Washington’s Whatcom County, the northernmost, border-sharing county in the state, found Jenkins’ car near an empty boat trailer at a marina. They also had a report of a man of his description arriving by boat in another nearby location, from which they believe he walked across the border.”

But then the tides turned and the manhunt ended when Ryan was found dead in a hotel room. I hate to say karma is a bitch…as I say it in SO many of my articles… but if the shoe fits….

More from Eonline:

The manhunt for murder suspect Ryan Jenkins is officially over. Canadian police found the former reality star dead in a hotel room this afternoon, E! News has confirmed. 

Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death, but police say the 32-year-old died of an apparent suicide. He reportedly hanged himself.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police found his body in a motel room in Hope, British Columbia, a town 84 miles east of Vancouver.

The death ends an international manhunt for the Megan Wants a Millionaire finalist, who fled to his native Canada on foot last week.

“The sadness of all this is that Mr. Jenkins will not be standing before an Orange County jury for his crime,” Buena Park Police Lt. Steve Holliday said in a press conference last night.

The manhunt for murder suspect Ryan Jenkins is officially over. Canadian police found the former reality star dead in a hotel room this afternoon, E! News has confirmed. 

Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death, but police say the 32-year-old died of an apparent suicide. He reportedly hanged himself.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police found his body in a motel room in Hope, British Columbia, a town 84 miles east of Vancouver.

The death ends an international manhunt for the Megan Wants a Millionaire finalist, who fled to his native Canada on foot last week.

“The sadness of all this is that Mr. Jenkins will not be standing before an Orange County jury for his crime,” Buena Park Police Lt. Steve Holliday said in a press conference last night.

“Megan Wants A Millionaire” was immediately yanked after only a few episodes aired. And of course it was before you can find out who Megan picked. Ryan was slated to go on the third season of I Love of Money, and then that show was also canceled.

So what did VH1 have to say about all this?

VH1 was quoted by the Washington Post:

 ”Ryan Jenkins was a contestant on “Megan Wants a Millionaire” — an outside production, produced and owned by 51 Minds, that is licensed to VH1.”

Hmm, so who didn’t do their homework here? I guess 51 Minds has some explaining to do? One has to wonder just how indepth these background checks were of the seventeen contestants prior to the show? Just because you are a millionaire doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be fully screened. The name Phil Spector comes to mind.

Or perhaps 51 Minds is off the hook, especially if Ryan had no prior history of violence. Seems odd though that this would be the first time that he ever lashed out at a woman. People like this usually have a history of abuse. I wonder if any other cases of abuse will come forward and shed more light on his past. It’s also possible he could have hired an accomplice. A man with his financial means could very easily have done so. It’s also being reported this gruesome story will unfold further, as more evidence is brought forward concerning one of Ryan’s cars.

So where is Megan in all this? 

Did the producers of 51 Minds put her in harm’s way? I’d say so. She probably had to sign all sorts of waivers before doing the show, so they would not be liable for anything, but this case is certainly frightening and has highly unusual circumstances, and if she has the right lawyer, as they say…. contracts are made to be broken.

So perhaps Megan will become a millionaire herself now via a lawsuit?  If not for negligence by the producers for putting her in harm’s way, but perhaps financial loss? She must have lost out on a butt-load of cash from the royalties from the show? And there will also be no reunion show. This has also put a big dent in any residuals that she would have received from the show marketing, like photos or appearances with her newly selected millionaire. Maybe VH1 had a spin off show on the horizon for Megan’s life with her new millionaire. Maybe it’s still forth coming. After all she did pick someone. But who?

Yeah.. I know how fake all this reality stuff is, and only one couple in the history of reality shows has ever stayed together. Fans are probably wondering what will happen. I am not sure how all this works, but it seems like there is a lawsuit in there somewhere.

Although this women makes me cringe, and as much as I can’t stand her with her shallow ideals and the way she speaks with EVERY one of her “S’s” overly enunciated until it sounds like steam escaping – which hurts my ears — I wouldn’t wish any harm to anyone.

Looks like Megan made the right choice in not picking Ryan. Which is why Megan is still alive today and thankfully her dog Lilly still has her Mommy to care for her. Perhaps Megan can now pursue her dream of helping “mentally challenged dogs”, which is what she said she would do with the winnings if she won the “I Love Money” show that she was previously on. She has of course, lost that chance. 

Megan once mentioned that her adopted dog Lilly jumped out of her arms when she was puppy and fell and that the fall could have contributed to Lilly’s state of mind today. Megan has said that she also jumped out of her mother’s arms when she was a baby. Hmmm… that explains a lot.

Megan has had troubles with many women in the past, including Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy. The two got in an awful tiff over a lousy comment that Megan had made about Sharon’s ”Prince of Darknesshubby. Even before then, Sharon was not too tickled with the likes of Megan. When Sharon hosted Charm School, she was quoted as saying:

“”She does have a pretty damn good body, but no f***ing brain. Her brain is between her legs.”

Yikes… Well maybe Megan is some how humbled by this experience. Perhaps she has learned that money is in fact the root to all evil? NAH!!

Early Photo OF Les Paul Back In The Day

The legendary Les Paul has died at age 94. A truly great man whose expertise and talent will live on in the hearts and minds of many. His legacy will continue to inspire musicians for all eternity.

Rolling Stone wrote:

Les Paul, one of the most revered guitarists in history and the father of the electric guitar, passed away last night, August 12th at the age of 94. Paul’s manager confirmed to Rolling Stone that cause of death was respiratory failure, and a statement from Gibson indicates Paul was suffering from severe pneumonia and died at a hospital in White Plains, New York.

Look back at Paul’s life in photos: Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen and more stars with the father of the electric guitar.

An inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Hall of Fame, Paul is credited as the inventor of the electric body guitar and the pioneer of recording techniques like electronic echo and multi-tracking. Paul also had a celebrated career as both a solo artist and with singer Mary Ford, his wife until 1964. In 2003, Rolling Stone named Les Paul to our list of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time, and his influence on guitar greats who followed him is undeniable. “He was one of the most stellar human beings I’ve ever known,” Slash posted on his Twitter today, referring to Paul as his “friend and mentor.” Chickenfoot guitarist Joe Satriani released a statement that reads, “Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar hero, and the kindest of souls.”

Slash, Tom Morello and more guitarists remember Les Paul.

In the early ’50s, Paul and Ford had a string of hits including Mockin’ Bird Hill,” “How High the Moon,” “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise” and “Vaya Con Dios.” Paul also began experimenting with the electric guitar, building the Les Paul Recording Guitar, an instrument that allowed for “hot” pickups and “fatter” tone than the Fender on the market. Paul linked up with Gibson Guitars and his six-string became one of the guitar maker’s signatures.

Around this time, Paul also made the first-ever eight-track recording, as well as the dual-pickup guitar, the 14-fret guitar, and various types of electronic transducers used both in guitars and recording studios. For his achievements as a technician, Paul was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005, joining Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.

Read Gibson’s CEO’s memories of Paul’s impact here.

Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1915, a fact noted in the name of the 1980 Les Paul documentary The Wizard of Waukesha. Last November, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honored Paul with its annual American Music Masters Concert, where Slash, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Richie Sambora and the Patti Smith Group’s Lenny Kaye paid tribute to Paul (watch footage from the event, below). Kaye told the audience, “Before Les, guitars were only amplified. Les made them truly electric.” During his acceptance speech, Paul joked, “Everybody thought I was a guitar until I played here tonight.” One thing is for certain: Les Paul is responsible for changing the way rock & roll sounds and he will be greatly missed.

Our many thanks and gratitude to a great man who blessed us with his ingenuity, his talent, his music and of course his guitars.
Sincere condolences to family and friends.

I have a serious case of the sads (hattip MK at Dlisted) today upon learning the man who defined my youth on film has gone to the great big movie screen in the sky.

John Hughes, responsible for some of the greatest movies ever made in the 80’s, died of a heart attack yesterday at the age of 59. Oddly, we’ve recently embarked on a journey of his films, including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Weird Science, Breakfast Club, National Lampoon’s Vacation (the whole series), and Home Alone (1 and 2). This list is merely touching the surface of the films Hughes was responsible for either writing, directing or producing.

John Hughes single-handedly made Molly Ringwald a household name, and quite honestly, no other filmmaker has come close to capturing the teen-angst of Generation X better than he did.

John began his career writing for the parody magazine National Lampoon (responsible for the great Animal House — another one of my favorite movies – though Hughes was not involved in that film.) Specifically, I am most fond of Pretty In Pink, which pretty much summed up my one and only major heartbreak in high school (except mine didn’t end happily ever after) and for that, I will forever be in debt to Mr. Hughes.

Here’s more on the legend from the LATimes:

Filmmaker John Hughes burned brightest in the ’80s, when he defined teen angst in terms of the caste system of the suburban high school experience, a thread that others would pick up again and again.

His films were talky, in a good way. Like the kids whose stories he was telling, he let them ramble. Teen self-absorption was treated with reverence, not ridicule. The world might make fun of them, their classmates, their brothers and sisters too, but never John Hughes.

And a generation of kids and future filmmakers like Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow embraced it.

Hughes, who died Thursday at age 59, was fascinated with the human as outsider. Outsiders like “Pretty in Pink’s” Molly Ringwald who just wanted to fit in. And outsiders who couldn’t care less: Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller on his legendary day off, Judd Nelson’s not quite broken Bender in “The Breakfast Club,” Anthony Michael Hall’s martini-mixing geek in “Sixteen Candles,” all members of the players club before they were 17.

But Hughes’ outsiders lived in a different part of town than, say, Francis Ford Coppola’s gritty, wrong side of the tracks “The Outsiders.” Hughes outsiders were white, comfortably middle-class and probably from one of Chicago’s affluent suburbs, where he grew up and returned in the ’90s when he’d had his fill of Hollywood. Things were only slightly sad or bad in his films, there were no serious train wrecks — only feelings got hurt, and the endings were usually happy ones.

He reflected a very specific slice of Americana that like many, I understood. A pop culture filmmaker adored in the heartland, he knew how to hit all the light notes – an easy sentimentality, a measured angst, an outrageous sense of fun. His was a spoon-full-of-sugar kind of filmmaking that was often exactly what I wanted, if not what I needed.

The slights that life hands us was one of his favorite playgrounds. Forgotten birthdays, forgotten kids, forgotten families — “Sixteen Candles,” “Home Alone,” “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” — someone was forever being overlooked.

When you’re Ringwald, and a soft, pouty, still awkward 16, it hurts; when you’re an 8-year-old screaming terror embodied by Macaulay Culkin, it’s the best Christmas gift ever; and when you’re John Candy’s middle-aged lonely traveling salesman in a life where nothing, including the suit, fits, it’s tragic.

For a period of time, Hughes was so dominant — certainly in the U.S. where he always played best — that it’s hard to believe that he only directed eight films. He wrote 30 others — the “Home Alones,” most notably — that were produced, 16 of them in the ’80s, 13 in the ’90s, and contributed characters or ideas to a handful of others.

Of all of his films, there are two that will forever be quintessentially Hughes for me: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” absolutely swimming in attitude, which captured brilliantly and irritatingly the kind of cockiness that you envy as a teen, hate as an adult, recognize no matter what age you are, and “The Breakfast Club,” life deconstructed in high school detention, the archetypes and the anxiety playing out in real time.

By “Curly Sue” in 1991, Hughes had apparently tired of fighting battles with studio executives who second-guessed him.

He left Hollywood behind and headed back to the Chicago area, where he would still dabble in the business from a distance.

But really, Hughes was a creature of the ’80s, and if he hadn’t left Hollywood, it was on its way to leaving him.

Comedy took on more of an edge, went raunchier, darker, meaner than Hughes ever could.

In the end, like so many of the characters he created, Hughes had become a cinematic memory stream of another time when things didn’t seem so bad.

I will light 16 candles and remember.

As will I. Honestly, I don’t think any person before or after, captured a cultural phenomenon like that of the 80’s as well as Hughes did, therein lies his genius. And quite frankly, the movie industry has yet to replace Hughes’ unique insight into the teen psyche, and for that, we are a little less rich as a society.

R.I.P John Hughes, thanks for smoothing the edges of my teen years and making them seem almost normal.

American Idol contestant Alexis Cohen who was known for her infamous rant and bird flipping exit after her Idol audition, was struck and killed by a drunk driver this past weekend.

Twenty three year old Daniel Bark was charged with reckless driving and leaving the scene of a collision and the judge also charged him with aggravated manslaughter, death by auto and eluding. He is currently in the Ocean County jail in NJ and his bond was set at $185,000.

Cohen was struck early Saturday morning in Seaside Heights and was found at 4 am. Cohen was pronounced dead at the scene and the autopsy report showed she suffered chest, head and abdominal injuries.

US Magazine reported Barks lawyer:

“He’s having an extremely difficult time mentally coming to terms with the fact that there’s an allegation that he caused a death. My client is in a state of mind where he is going to be under suicide watch.”

Alexis Cohen was a feisty gal, and full of life, and had a go for it attitude. She auditioned for the seventh and eighth season of Idol. She showed up for her audition, belted her song out and left in a blaze of glory, and wasn’t afraid to tell snot-nosed Simon Cowell how she felt, and I am glad she did. Someone needs to bitch slap that boy every once in a while. You can watch her famous exit on the above YouTube video.

It saddened me when I watched her background story and her audition on American Idol. She lived in a ONE ROOM apartment with her Mom and they were extremely close. They didn’t have much, but they had each other. Her Mom must be beside herself with grief. Although Alexis never reached her dream of becoming a star, I am sure in her Mother’s eye she will always be her star. RIP Alexis.

The infamous Barneys of New York raised some eyebrows recently with their latest window display. It featured contorted mannequins in death scenes complete with blood spattered windows. The displays were featuring the clothing of designers A.C. L. and Helmut Lang. But stunned passersby of the Madison Ave. store did not waste any time in voicing their outrage, and the displays were quickly removed. The edgy idea backfired because people thought it promoted violence against women and that it basically was in bad taste.

A snippet from the NY Daily News reported:

A bloody window display featuring mannequins apparently being attacked unnerved Barneys customers and was swiftly torn down by the store.

“It’s distasteful,” said Angie Lobo, 50, of Woodside, Queens, who made a face when she noticed the window while shopping with her daughter.

“I was just thinking, ‘What’s the point?’”

Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys, said the displays were installed while he was away overseeing advertising shoots and that he had ordered them dismantled.

They were taken down shortly after the Daily News called to inquire about them yesterday afternoon.

“We encourage our display people to be creative. We give them a lot of latitude, but this clearly crossed the line,” he said. “It’s as if someone saw a bad Hitchcock movie.”

I am on the fence about how I feel about this display. Although I appreciate that people are free to express their creativity these days, is a touristy store like Barney’s the proper venue for this sort of thing? After all, Barneys is a not an art museum, it is visited by thousands of tourists daily who are eager to shop and has been a fixture in NY since the 1920’s. Barneys has also appeared in many big films over the years and was even mentioned on The Family Guy, in the ”A Picture Is Worth a 1,000 Bucks” episode when Peter asks Chris if he wants to go to Barneys to “fart in the suits.” 

So perhaps this artistic display was a bit too over the top for the average shopper, but on the other hand, are people over reacting? I have found over the past years that some people have become too “PC” to the point where it stifles even the most innocent of things. Let’s not forget the story back in 1997, of the town of Kingsville in Texas that has their town employees answering the phone by saying “Heaven-O” instead of using  the word Hello, because Hello has the word Hell in it. I kid you not. You can’t make this crap up.

Now back to Barneys.

Perhaps if Barneys bloody display previewed in October as a Halloween theme, people wouldn’t  have batted an eyelash. But then again, using blood and gore for an October theme wouldn’t have been a very edgy move for such a well known store as Barneys. They need to grab people’s attention.

It is a far cry from Barneys 2008 holiday theme of “Peace & Love: Have a Hippie Holiday!”, which was inspired by the 50th anniversary of the peace symbol, which even included a big dove in the window and a quote about Peace from John Lennon. It seems like they went from one extreme to the other.

So what does anyone really know about the history of  Barneys? I was curious as to how it originated and how it grew globally from one small shop to a chain store giant and also wondered if it always carried top designer clothes and the myriad of products it offers today. Was it always the brick and mortar hub for haute couture?

Nope. Not even close. I was a little shocked to discover Barneys meager beginnings. Barneys goes all the way back to 1923 and was started on a shoe string by Barney Pressman, who pawned his wife’s engagement ring for $500 to rent out a 500 square foot space at Seventh Avenue and West 17th Street in Manhattan to sell discounted men’s suits. Discounted suits? Huh? 

Some of Barneys history courtesy of Wikipedia:

Their original slogan was “No Bunk, No Junk, No Imitations“.

Barney’s was able to sell tailored clothing at discounted prices by purchasing showroom samples, retail overstocks, manufacturers’ closeouts at auctions and bankruptcy sales. It also offered free alterations and free parking to attract customers. As business grew, eventually three floors above street level, starting in 1934, would be gradually added to the store.

By 1973, the store was stocking 60,000 men’s suits, and women’s clothing was not introduced until 1976.

By 1993, the store moved to the current 230,000-square-foot (21,000 m2), 9-story Manhattan flagship on Madison Avenue between East 60th and 61st streets. It was the largest new store in New York City since the Great Depression. The store is housed in a 22-story building with 14 floors of offices above the store.

Woah…Barneys sure has come a long way. It was not without its share of problems though. In 1996 it filed for Chapter 11 and closed down several of its shops. As a matter of fact Barney’s had MANY financial problems: cash flow problems, shady loans and family members dipping their mitts into the cookie jar and subsequently not keeping track of what they were taking.

According to Answer’s.com:

There were tales about how the Pressmans–eight of them on the company payroll–helped themselves to store merchandise without accounting for it, according to the New York Times article “Haughty Couture” and Joshua Levine’s “Let Them Wear Black.”

Hmmm, sounds like the Pressmans were helping themselves to whatever they fancied and it blew up in their face BIG time. There is more detailed information available at Answers.com if you are interested. Their financial history is way too lengthy to list here.

So does Barney Pressman or the Pressman family still own Barneys? No, they haven’t owned it since 2004. With the Pressmans plagued with financial problems, the Pressman family sold its less than 2% remaining ownership to the Jones Apparel Group, they in turn sold it to the top bidder who is a private equity firm in Dubai called Istithmar PJSC for $937.4 million.  A long way from the original story of Barney Pressman’s original $500 investment back in 1923, wouldn’t you say?

For now, Barneys with it’s bright red awnings will remain a place to shop for a pair of Manolo Blahniks, from housewares to luggage and everything in between. With annual sales of way over $300 million, employing over 1,700 employees, my guess is if people were outraged by their display, ultimately, they must cater to the whims and needs of its customers. Especially in this economy, one has to be careful.  I think they are done taking chances with edgy bloody window displays and will leave the horror to the local costume shops for Halloween.

Pity though. I think the display was kind of neat and it certainly got people’s attention, and isn’t that what it’s all about in the retail world? I mean with all the competition out there, to keep coming up with new display ideas with a sense of “gotcha” for your customers must be tough these days. Barneys original slogan…”No Bunk, No Junk, No Imitations”… may have worked fine for them back in the 1930’s, but to push $1,600 Armani suits these days, stores have to be creative and take some chances — but the chance that Barneys took this time around met up with the same demise as Barneys mannequins, DOA.

No, Michael Jackson isn’t going to be buried on the moon. But it wouldn’t surprise me one iota and perhaps LA would agree to pay for that too. *snicker*
Now I promised myself that I wasn’t going to write anything about Michael Jackson, because he is in every tabloid, on every TV channel and everything else in between. I turn on the TV… Jackson, Jackson, Jackson, a newspaper… Jackson, a magazine…. Jackson, the Internet… Jackson. Look up at the moon… Jackson. Wait! Huh? 
Yes the Lunar Republic Society has renamed a crater on the moon in memory of Jackson. Ok, that’s freakin’ it!  The world has spun off it’s axis.
The crater was previously named Posidonius J.
From The Telegraph, a spokesman for the society said:

 ”The official designation of a Lunar crater is a singular honour bestowed upon only a select few luminaries.
“Among those receiving this rare tribute over the past century are Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus, Sir Isaac Newton, Julius Caesar and Jules Verne.”

Evidently, the Lunar Republic Society felt that Jackson was a luminary and deserved the same honor as Columbus the explorer, Newton who discovered gravity and was a brilliant physicists, and da Vinci who painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Hmmm..Their reasoning is a bit ridiculous, to say the least, but then again, do we really care who the Lunar Republic Society names craters after? I don’t. I really don’t have any plans on going to the moon any time soon. It’s the Society’s reasoning that makes me scratch my head. They can go ahead and name a crater after Steve Urkel for all I care, but please don’t lump him in the same group as da Vinci and Newton. Did I do that???

Now you can’t take away the fact that the world has made Michael Jackson into an icon, and that he will be missed by many. Certainly not by all… but many. Ok, we get it . But can we all move on now? PLEASE?
Everyone knows what happens from here. All the admiration in the tabloids will now turn to finger pointing, more scandal, people coming forward with new evidence, writing stories,books, movies, new clothing line, new music releases that were never heard, people wearing sparkly gloves again and then Ben and Jerry’s will name an ice cream after him and then I will move to the moon. 
Trust me, this Jackson mania is only the tip of the iceberg ladies and gents. It’s going to get a whole lot uglier from here.

So remember, the next time you are looking  up at the moon while eating your Ben and Jerry’s Marshmallow Mocha Moonwalk… there is a crater named Michael Joseph Jackson located in the Lake of Dreams, sitting right next to the 1,200 acre parcel that Jackson purchased for himself  previously  in 2005. *sighs* 
Take me back to the day, when I thought the moon was made of cheese.