Former Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno Dies at Age 85 … Rest in Peace

Joe Paterno has died at the age of 85 …

We knew last night when it was reported that he was in grave condition, near death and had asked for friends, family and loved ones to come to the hospital to say his final goodbyes, that it was only a matter of time. Sadly, JOE PA has passed away at the age of 85 from complications of lung cancer.The winingest coach in Division I college football,  capturing 409 victories and two national championships at Penn State, has died.

Joe Paterno:  December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012, Rest in Peace

His family released a statement Sunday morning to announce his death: “His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled.”

“He died as he lived,” the statement said. “He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community.”

It is obvious that Joe Paterno lost the will to live following the Penn State/Sandusky sex scandal. Joe Paterno loved two things, his family and Penn State. Sadly, many will only see the sex scandal that occurred as Paterno’s legacy; however, nothing could be farther from the truth. In the end Joe Paterno did not die of cancer, he died of a broken heart. He admitted he could have and should have done more when it came to the sex scandal that cost him his job and tainted his legacy. Paterno admitted, “I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was.” However, it would be short sighted and ignorant not to see the good that Joe Pa did for Penn State University and the many individuals whose lives he touched.

No matter what the PSU trustees try to do, Joe Paterno was and forever will be the face of Penn State. His contributions to the University were tremendous. How many sports coaches does any one know who give back to their colleges, rather than just use them as a stepping stone for their careers? The millions he gave back to PSU to make academics at Penn State a better place needs to be remembered.  Joe Pa made an incredible impact on the lives of so many; however, like all of us, Joe was human and not without flaws. He left the game the winningest coaches ever, he leaves us as a flawed man who tried to do his best. Let us remember him for the good he has done and forgive his trespasses.

Paterno became the winningest head coach in Division I football history on Oct. 29, when the Nittany Lions defeated Illinois for his 409th victory. It would be the last of the 548 games he served as Penn State’s head coach, covering almost 46 full seasons.

Statement from Penn State  Trustees and President Erickson on passing of Paterno:

We grieve for the loss of Joe Paterno, a great man who made us a greater university. His dedication to ensuring his players were successful both on the field and in life is legendary and his commitment to education is unmatched in college football. His life, work and generosity will be remembered always.

The University plans to honor him for his many contributions and to remember his remarkable life and legacy. We are all deeply saddened.

We will never again see a coach like Joe Paterno in college football. That is a shame. How many people actually stay in one place and forgo offers from other institutions or the NFL? Seriously, Joe Paterno was an institution. For many of us that grew up in the Northeast and had friends and family in Pennsylvania, Penn State football was our regional team. So many lives this man touched, yet it is the scandal that he is presently remembered for. Sadly, the sex scandal has tainted his reputation, but that is not all that JoePa was. We are all not without sin and I hope the individuals who were sexually abused at the hands of Jerry Sandusky get justice. More now than ever. What Sandusky did was pure evil and his actions continue to cause consequences.  Let us remember the many good things that Joe Paterno did and the many he helped, influenced and lives he impacted. As for his sins, all I can say is the following:

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

Conservative Author and Commentator Tony Blankley Dies at Age 63, Rest in Peace

Tony Blankley, Rest in Peace …

It is a sad day in the world of Conservative politics.  Conservative author, commentator, pundit and former editor of the Washington Times. Tony Blankly has died late Saturday night at age 63.  According to accounts, Blankly had been battling stomach cancer. Honestly, I had no idea he was even sick. Blankly always seemed to be one of the busiest, engaging, thoughtful and insightful pundits as he brought his talents to so many venues.

I always enjoyed Tony Blankley on “The McLaughlin Group,” as Tony would consonantly hand uber-lib Elenore Cliff her lunch and teach her a lesson in civics and the US Constitution. However, see below the Video PSA with Blankley and Swift be on the same side for the animals.

Mr. Blankley was an executive vice president of the Edelman public-relations firm in Washington, a visiting senior fellow in national-security communications at the Heritage Foundation, a syndicated newspaper columnist and an on-air political commentator for CNN, NBC and NPR.

He was also a regular weekly guest on “The McLaughlin Group.”

Mr. Blankley was editorial page editor of The Times from 2002 to 2007, and from 1990 to 1997 he served as press secretary and general adviser to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and present GOP Presidential primary candidate commented on the passing of Tony Blankley:

“Tony was a very special person,” Gingrich said. “Everybody in our alumni who have heard about it have felt something in their hearts because he was more than a great professional. He was a great human being, he was a caring and loving person, he was a tremendous amount of fun, remarkably erudite and educated, and we will all miss him deeply.”

Tony Blankley Wiki

He was also a child actor, appearing as Rod Steiger’s child in The Harder They Fall (1955).[14] He graduated from UCLA[15] and graduated Loyola Law School in Los Angeles (with a J.D.).[16] He was admitted to the State Bar of California Bar in 1972, but has been ineligible to practice law in the State of California since 2002 for a failure to pay his bar member dues.[17] Blankley continued to write for the Washington Times; he also lectured at many universities and institutes. On 19 November 2009, Blankley presented his lecture – A Year out from the 2010 Congressional Elections – National Politics, Policy and their Communication at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.[18]

In Memoriam …Celebrities We Lost in 2011: Liz Taylor, James Arness, Peter Faulk, Steve Jobs and our own 2NJSons_Mom

In Memoriam of celebrities we lost in 2011, and one of our own celebs … We say goodbye, but you will never be forgotten.  So many of these celebs put a smile on our face and made us enjoy life, especially 2NJSons_Mom.

1. 2NJSons_Mom-  In Loving Memory of 2NJSons_Mom … Sadly in 2011, Scared Monkeys lost one of our own.Loss is always difficult and saying goodbye is especially hard when it is one of your own. She was loved by so many, read the many prayers & tributes.Until we meet again, God Bless.Sadly, we learned over the weekend that 2NJSons_Mom, a long time beloved Scared Monkey and moderator had passed away. The shock of the news was only outdone by the tears. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of 2NJSons_Mom as we all at Scared Monkeys deal with her loss. As news spread of her passing, Scared Monkeys members expressed their sorrow, tears, condolences and prayers for 2NJSons_Mom and her family. Scared Monkeys would like to thank the family of 2NJSons_Mom for sharing her with us. She was a special person who touched many lives.  You touched so many of us with your character and just being you. The pain of letting you go is only comforted by knowing that Heaven just became a better place and that you are no longer in pain and in eternal peace with The Father.It is with our deepest sympathies that we say goodbye to 2NJSons_Mom, a special person who helped make Scared Monkeys a special place and the world a better place.  Please know dear God that the memory and spirit of 2NJ’s Son Mom will forever be in our hearts and a part of Scared Monkeys. Until we meet again dear 2NJ’s Son Mom, I only say good bye for now, until we meet again my friend … thank you for making a difference and this world a better place.

   With all of our profound sadness and love,

   Your family at Scared Monkeys … God Bless You and Rest in Peace my Friend.

2. Liz Taylor - Mega actress Elizabeth Taylor has passed away at the age of 79.  She literally was the last of a dying breed of Hollywood actress from the Golden Age of Hollywood whose life on and off the silver screen was larger than life. The two time Oscar winning actress had a list of movies that is just too long to mention. One of my dearly departed  mom’s favorite actresses of all time.
3. James Arness – Marshall Matt Dillon  of  Gun Smoke fame has passed away at the age of 88 from natural causes. From 1955 to 1975 Arness graced TV screens as the larger than life Marshall Dillon keeping the streets of Dodge City safe from outlaws, Indians and desperadoes.
4. Jane Russel – was an American film actress and was one of Hollywood’s leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s.
   Jani Lane – lead singer for Warrant (VIDEO – Heaven) who died August 11 at age 47.
5. Sherwood Schwartz -  the creator and producer of “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch died July 12 at age 94.
6. Peter Faulk – the actor who made detective Columbo a household name died at the age of 83.
7. Steve Jobs – the co-founder of Apple has died at the age of 56. Sadly, we knew this day was coming as Jobs battled pancreatic cancer, but we just did not want to believe it.
8. Gary Moore – guitarist for Irish rock band Thin Lizzy (VIDEO – Boys are back in Town)  died February 6 at age 58.
9. Anne Francis - Better known as ’Alta’ Morbius, she made space costumes sexy in the 1956 sci-fi classic “Forbidden Planet.”  Sadly, she died January 2 at age 80
10. Singer Amy Winehouse – the trouble and talented singer died far too soon. What a crying shame.
11. Andy Rooney – Sadly, Andy Rooney, the TV “curmudgeon” has passed away in a New York City hospital of complications following minor surgery at the age of 92.
12. Essayist Christopher Hitchens passed away at age 66.
13. Jack LeLanne – the Godfather of fitness and health, has passed away at the age of 96. The man who brough fitness and health to households long before it became a cottage inductry has passed.
    Clarence Clemmons – the big man on the sax of the E Street band has passed away at the age of 69 due to complications from a stroke.
14. Jeff Conaway – The troubled TV actor of Taxi and who also starred in the movie Grease passes asway
15. Betty Ford -  the former first lady and the wife of President Gerald Ford, has passed away at the age of  93.
16. Geraldine Ferraro -  the first woman Vice Presidental candidate to run on a major party ticket has died at the age of 75. According to reports, Ferraro passed away from complications from multiple myeloma that she has fought for many years.
17. Cliff Robertson – Oscar winning actor dies at age 88.
18. David Border – Journalist and political pundit dies at age 81.
19. Harry Morgan – better known for his role as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on ‘M*A*S*H’ and Officer Bill Gannon of ‘Dragnet” fame has passed away at the age of 96.
20. Mark Hains – CNBC anchor Mark Haines passed away Tuesday at the age of 65. Haines was the founding anchor of CNBC’s morning show “Squawk Box,” was co-anchor of the network’s “Squawk on the Street.”
21. Rapper Heavy D
22. Michael Gough – the butler from the Tim Burton Batman movies
23. Nick Ashford – The male half of the dynamic singing duo Ashford and Simpson (VIDEO) dies at age 69.
24. Tom Wilson – Ziggy Artist dies at age 80.
25. Knut - the lovable polar bear that captured the hearts of the world
    More of those who passed can be seen HERE.

Sports Athletes Who Died in 2011 … Harmon Killebrew, Macho Man Randy Savage, Bubba Smith, Al Davis and Joe Fraizer to Name a Few: REST IN PEACE

In Memoriam …

Sadly we lost some real icons in the world of sports this year. Among some who died were MLB Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, WWE Pro-wrestling great Randy “Macho Man” Savage, NFL football greats Bubba Smith, Chester McGlockton, Dave Duerison, Ollie Matson and John Macky, PGA golfing legend Seve Ballesteros, Oklahoma State women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna, NFL icon Al Davis and Boxing great Smokin Joe Frazier.

VIDEO

No death was probably more tragic than the terrible Indy car crash and the death of race car driver Dan Wheldon at the season-ending Las Vegas Indy 300. Weldon was just 33 years of age.

Sadly, boxing great and former heavy weight champion of the world, Smokin’ Joe Frazier passed away at age 67 after to battle with liver cancer.

The NFL lost its Commitment to Excellence … NFL Oakland Raider Owner Al Davis Dies at Age 82 … JUST WIN BABY!!!

More athletes who passed in 2011 can be seen here at Sports Illustrated. What is the most tragic thing after  reviewing the far many athletes who died in 2011 was sadly the amount who died due to suicide.

Fellow Monkey and Tarzan Co-star Cheetah dies at Palm Harbor Sanctuary at Age 80

Sad news from the Simian world … Cheetah of Tarzan fame has passed away at age 80.

When I first read this story this morning I had to do a double take. Cheetah, the simian Tarzan co-star died. I thought, surely Cheetah had died long ago, this must be another one. An 80 year old chimp is quite rare. Nope. Cheetah the chimpanzee, who acted in classic Tarzan movies in the early 1930s with Johnny Weissmuller, died of kidney failure  at the age of 80 Saturday at Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida. The chimp was one of the original Cheeta’s who acted in a handful of Tarzan adventures from 1932 to 1934, among them the classics Tarzan and His Mate and Tarzan the Ape Man. Cheetah came to Suncoast around 1950 from Weissmuller’s estate in nearby Ocala and there he remained as one of its most famous residents.

Cheetah acted in the 1932-34 Tarzan movies, Cobb said. Movies filmed during that timeframe starred Johnny Weissmuller and include “Tarzan and His Mate” and “Tarzan the Ape Man,” according to the Internet Movie Database.

Sometime around 1960, Cheetah came to the sanctuary from Weissmuller’s estate in Ocala, Cobb said.

In the wild, the average chimp survives 25 to 35 years and at zoos chimps typically live 35 to 45 years, she said.

Cheetah, the most famous of the sanctuary’s 15 chimpanzees, liked to see people laugh.

UPDATE I: Hmm, I really hope that this story is true and not a hoax. Some are questioning whether was the chimp who died really Cheetah from Tarzan movies?