Hello gang! Not a lot going on this week, which sadly saw the loss of three great men that I admired. Shall we begin?

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WOO HOO
Congrats, Matt, on finally returning to the ranks of the employed. Hope you enjoy many years of success, and don't forget to send me some cool Tommy stuff!

MOVING ON
Sad to have to report on the passing of three men who achieved the highest levels of their chosen careers:
   Ted Williams: The Kid, The Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame..........or, to put it best, the greatest hitter that ever lived. Beloved by baseball fans the world over, his accomplishments on the field only told half of the story of this incredible man. He lost most of five seasons, in the prime of his career, to serve with the Navy Air Corps in both W.W.II and Korea. A fighter pilot, he later served in the First Marine Air Wing, with a little known officer named John Glenn as his wing man. In 1966, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During his induction speech, he called for the recognition and induction of many of the great Negro league athletes! As of press time, a hearing was being scheduled on Williams' last wishes. His daughter, from his first marriage, maintains that Williams' last wish was to be cremated with his ashes scattered over the Florida Keys. However, his son from marriage number two has had the body frozen. His sister maintains that he told her he plans to one day sell Williams' DNA. Pretty sad if you ask me.
   John Frankenheimer: film director who pretty much created the blue print for the political thriller. After getting his start directing live dramas for television in the 50's, Frankenheimer shot to fame in 1962 when "The Manchurian Candidate" was released. Starring Frank Sinatra, Lawrence Harvey and Angela Lansbury, the film was described by film critic Pauline Kael as "the most sophisticated political thriller ever made in Hollywood." The film developed cult status when, at Sinatra's request, it was removed from circulation following the assassination of President Kennedy. Reissued in the early 90's, it gained a whole new following. Among his other films: "The Iceman Cometh, " "Black Sunday," " Seven Days in May" and "The Birdman of Alcatraz." His 1966 release, "Seconds," starring Rock Hudson and Will Geer, has also gained cult status. A close friend of Robert Kennedy, Frankenheimer went into a personal and professional funk following RFK's assassination. Frankenheimer actually drove Kennedy to the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles the night he was murdered, and that fact weighed heavy on him for some time. He resurrected his career in the early 90's by directing a string of made for cable tv films. He won Emmy's for his for on "Against the Wall," "The Burning Season," "Andersonville" and "George Wallace." His most recent cable film, "Path to War," recently aired on HBO. I had the opportunity to meet with and speak to Mr. Frankenheimer a few years ago. He was an extremely gracious man who truly loved his work.
   Rod Steiger: One of the greatest film actors of his generation, Steiger passed away this week after a long time illness. Best known for his Oscar winning role as the small town southern sheriff in "In The Heat of the Night," Steiger played many larger then life roles, including Napoleon and W. C. Fields. He first gained fame as Marlon Brando's brother in "On The Waterfront." In 1965, he looked like a shoo-in winner for the Best Actor Oscar for "The Pawnbroker," but lost the award to Lee Marvin's drunken cowboy in "Cat Ballou." But there was nothing that could keep him from his 1967 win for "Heat." As Sheriff Bill Gillespie, Steiger created a character that was both flawless and flawed. He turned down the lead role in "Patton," fearing the film would glorify war. His most recent appearance was as the judge who finally sets Ruben Carter free in "The Hurricane."
(And I would hasten to add Steiger's memorable performance in the movie adaptation of Ray Bradbury's "The Illustrated Man"---actually the first Rod Steiger movie I ever saw! And it still gives me chills.---Nolan)

Well, like Nolan said, it's been a quiet week. That's it for now. See ya!