What Might Be Right For You May Not Be Right For Some

Gary Coleman died today at age 42.

As everybody knows, he was the child superstar of Diff'rent Strokes, a TV sitcom that ran from 1978 to 1986.

Yeah, the show was saccharine and contrived, but it entertained us. All the while, Gary suffered from a congenital kidney disease that stunted his growth. All the while, his parents misappropriated the millions of dollars he earned on the show. In the end, he was famous but not wealthy. That's a nasty combination. The public never forgot about the cute child star, so he got all the press any time something in his life went wrong, and yet he had few of the resources to shelter himself from the mockery.

Looking back at the history of Gary and his child co-stars, it seems they gave up a lot in order to entertain us.



Everybody's got a special kind of story, but Gary's real story never seemed funny. Rest in peace.

Theodore C. Olbermann, 1929-2010

Keith Olbermann's father died today.

I guess this won't seem like much of a blog post, but it felt necessary. I have been following Keith's comments about his ailing father, and his reports have always been intertwined with his passionate call for health care reform. I thank Keith for sharing his personal story, because every struggle was a reminder how, even with health insurance, one illness can be a hardship. Without health insurance, it could break a family. Keith was lucky enough to have the resources to take care of his parents, but he never lost sight of the many who can't afford basic care.

Last week, as his father lay unconscious in the hospital, Keith presented a much needed lesson on living wills. Such clarity has been missing in the recent hyperbole over "death panels."

Keith, you have my condolences. Rest in peace Theodore.

RIP, RIP

We saw the passing of two important men yesterday.

Howard Zinn was an anti-war activist and historian. He's best known for his book A People's History of the United States in which he presented a very different perspective of US history through the often-submerged voices of blacks, women, American Indians, war resisters, and poor laborers of all nationalities.

His friends, though, will remember him for much more than books. Daniel Ellsberg, well known for leaking the Pentagon Papers, knew Zinn as a passionate and peaceful war protester. He recently described Zinn as "the best human being I’ve ever known. The best example of what a human can be, and can do with their life."

I'm a little embarrassed to say I only started reading A People's History this year, but I think that's a bittersweet attestation that his work will enlighten people for many more generations.

Howard Zinn died of a heart attack on Wednesday. He was 87. Rest in peace.

J.D. Salinger was an influential American writer. His novel The Catcher in the Rye was a cultural phenomena that defined teen angst. And maybe because of this, and because Salinger was the type of writer you wanted to have a drink with, just like his most famous protagonist, Holden Caulfield, would have admired, Salinger became a reluctant celebrity and then a recluse. Though he last published in 1965, fans are hopeful that he continued to write and that his archive will one day be released.

J.D. Salinger died on Wednesday. He was 91. Rest in peace.

Thank You Ted Kennedy

"He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it's hard to imagine any of them without him. " — statement from Edward Kennedy's family.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy died late Tuesday night. He was 77 years old and fighting brain cancer. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1962 until his death.

I know there will be many glowing and not-so-glowing tributes to this good yet flawed man, but here I would like to simply state my thanks for his diligent work towards progressive causes: the National Cancer Act, the Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments, the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Ryan White AIDS Care Act, the Civil Rights Act, the Mental Health Parity Act, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Despite being born to privilege, Senator Kennedy was clearly an ally to every minority that faced discrimination and diminished opportunities. His compassion was reflected in his legislation, and he changed America for the better.

And quite possibly he was able to effect 46 years of change because he was never president:

But his failure to get to the presidency opened the way to the true fulfillment of his gifts, which was to become one of the greatest legislators in American history. When their White House years are over, most Presidents set off on the long aftermath of themselves. They give lectures, write books, play golf and make money. Jimmy Carter even won a Nobel Prize. But every one of them would tell you that elder-statesmanship is no substitute for real power.

Sadly, Ted Kennedy has died just as the "cause of his life" -- health care reform -- needs his vote. I hope this dream doesn't die with him. I hope there is a renewed zeal to provide quality health care for all. And I hope we can honor Ted Kennedy by naming such a landmark bill after him.

Rest in peace Teddy Kennedy.

Michael Jackson, 1958-2009

Michael Jackson died today. A lot will be said about his unusual life and transformations, but all I want to replay right now is this little message he sang as a teenager: "You don't have to change at all."



(YouTube video)
You didn't have to change, Michael. Rest in peace.

Andrew Wyeth

"I don't really have studios. I wander around—around people's attics, out in fields, in cellars, anyplace I find that invites me." — Andrew Wyeth

Andrew Wyeth was an American painter. He died Friday at his home in Chadds Ford, Pa. He was 91. The New York Time's obituary was quite a shock to me because I assumed he was already dead.

I don't know why I had that misconception. Maybe it was the rural and sentimental subject matter of his paintings. His realistic style seemed out of place in the modern world.

Wyeth's painting titled Christina's World was perhaps his most famous:


It's also one of my favorite works of art. I'm not sure "beautiful" can describe it on a superficial level. But on an another level, it touches my soul. The sense of aloneness is very personal. The woman is in a field. She is skinny and weak and crawling through tawny grass. She wants to get to that house in the distance, where it is probably warm and there are people there, but it's going to be a long struggle. You can't see her face, so I suppose we simply project our own emotion onto her. Sorrow? Fear? Despair? Longing? The house itself seems isolated too. Its dilapidated features recall the great depression and add to the sense of melancholy...

Well, I'll never be a great art critic. My emotional response is ineffable. However, knowing that Christina was real, knowing the story of her life, and knowing why she was crawling through that field helps explain my love for the painting.

Andrew Wyeth died in his sleep. Maybe he's been invited to wander someplace else now.

Carlin, Gone But Not Forgotten

George Carlin made me laugh, but he is gone now. I found this video of Carlin giving his thoughts on the Persian Gulf War... you remember, it was that war we fought back in 1992? But everything he said then could have been said in 2008. And I'm afraid everything will need to be said again in 10 years, and again in 20 years, and again in 30...



Too bad he won't be around to say it.

I'd post a wreath of flowers and a flag at half-staff, but I too prefer to "leave symbols to the symbol-minded."