The Silver State Chronicles

Now, that’s weird

I overheard a twentysomthing begging for change comment on the matter say “Dude, that’s like, ironic!”  Read more at Wired’s Gadget Lab…

Owner of Segway Company Dies in Segway Accident
By Brian X. Chen

The owner of Segway died on Sunday riding one of his company’s electric scooters off a cliff and into a river.

The 62-year-old millionaire Jimi Heselden crashed into the River Wharfe in Northern England while inspecting his North Yorkshire estate, according to multiple reports.

Heselden was riding a rugged-country version of the Segway, which was also recovered at the scene, according to the Telegraph.

Unveiled in 2001, the Segway was invented by Dean Kamen, who dreamed of launching a transportation revolution. The scooter contains five gyroscopes linked to a set of computers to monitor a rider’s center of gravity.

Heselden, chairman of Hesco Bastian and a former miner who earned millions from defense contracts, purchased the Segway company in early 2010.

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Farewell To The Captain

Captain Lou Albano

RIP 1933-2009

LordsofPain.com just reported that WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano (Louis Vincent Albano) has passed away. He was 76 years old.

Captain Lou enjoyed a 40+ year career in the pro wrestling business as a wrestler and manager. He was a one-on-a-kind personality and a longtime favorite of wrestling fans.

The “manager of champions” guided 15 different tag teams and 4 singles competitors to championship gold. Fans may remember that his association with Cyndi Lauper helped usher in The Rock & Wrestling Connection, which helped mainstream pro wrestling and helped lead to the first Wrestlemania.

I’d like to extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Captain Lou Albano. He shall be missed.

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Mad Men Get A Little Cheeky

Special thanks to hellcat for sending this pic my way!

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Remembering Mary Jo Kopechne

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Mr. Malden shall be deeply missed

RIP Karl Malden

1912-2009

USA Today reports…

Actor Karl Malden dies at 97

The family of Karl Malden says the actor who won an Oscar for his role in A Streetcar Named Desire has died at age 97.

Malden’s family informed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences of his death on Wednesday. Malden served as the academy’s president from 1989-92.

He made his screen debut in the 1940 movie They Knew What They Wanted, and was praised for his role as Mitch in the 1951 classic A Streetcar Named Desire.

His greatest fame came as Detective Mike Stone in the 1970s TV series The Streets of San Francisco, in which he co-starred with Michael Douglas.

Malden also was a pitchman for American Express in a series of commercials airing over 21 years.

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One of my favorite personalities

Just got the news that acor David Carradine died in Bangkok.  Evidently, he chose to end his own life.  He shall be missed.

RIP David Carradine

1936-2009

From Yahoo News…

Actor David Carradine found dead in Bangkok

Actor David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu” who also had a wide-ranging career in the movies, has been found dead in the Thai capital, Bangkok. A news report said he was found hanged in his hotel room and was believed to have committed suicide.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but he could not provide further details out of consideration for his family.

The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation cited unidentified police sources as saying Carradine was found Thursday hanged in his luxury hotel room.

It said Carradine was in Bangkok to shoot a movie and had been staying at the hotel since Tuesday.

The newspaper said Carradine could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the rest of the film crew on Wednesday, and that his body was found by a hotel maid at 10 a.m. Thursday morning. The name of the movie was not immediately available.

It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the room’s curtains. It cited police as saying he had been dead at least 12 hours and there was no sign that he had been assaulted.

A police officer at Bangkok’s Lumpini precinct station would not confirm the identity of the dead man, but said the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel had reported that a male guest killed himself there.

Carradine was a leading member of a venerable Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and brother Keith.

In all, he appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby. One of his prominent early film roles was as singer Woody Guthrie in Ashby’s 1976 biopic “Bound for Glory.”

But he was best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American frontier West in the TV series “Kung Fu,” which aired in 1972-75.

Read more…

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