On Cancer.....

No, this isn't my audition to be one of Santa's next reindeer....

I heard today that syndicated columnist/pundit Robert Novak has a brain tumor and has been hospitalized for treatment. This adds another name to the list of a growing number of celebrities and other adults who have been diagnosed with brain tumors, notably among them Senator Edward Kennedy.

I'm not one to talk about it much unless asked, but I am celebrating 34 years this year in remission from brain cancer myself, and 23 years since I was declared "cured". In 1974 I was diagnosed with a grade 2 Astrocytoma. I didn't really know what it meant. I just know that I spent the better part of my childhood going from doctor to doctor and getting poked and prodded and stuck with needles and all the other (not so) fun stuff that goes with a cancer diagnosis.

I can't honestly draw conclusions about Novak's tumor because little has been said about it as of yet. As you probably know, Mr. Novak hit a pedestrian with his Corvette last week in DC. I don't condone his callous disregard (or outright contempt) for pedestrians(of which I am one)...on any other given day I'd be inclined to drag him out of his Corvette and beat him. But not now. I can't say that his tumor had anything to do with his hitting that pedestrian last week, as much as his contempt for pedestrians disgusts me and that he's made that point in the past. The only thing I can hope for him is a speedy recovery.

Here's to a speedy recovery, Mr. Novak.

MM

Cha cha changes......

OK, so Mad Mike has taken leave of his 6th floor hellhole in Alexandria and moved to....Fairfax County. After all those years of swearing up down and sideways that I'd never move outside the beltway again....whaaaaaaaale.....there goes the neighborhood.

No, really....I got sick and tired of paying all my money to duh man....or duh woman...whoever my landlord/lady was....and finally got a spine and bought myself a condo.

so now the 6th floor window looking out over 395 is no more. And I'll work on changing whatever else needs to be changed when I get a round tuit.

So let's hear it for homeownership!!!

Re: They happen in threes....

Somehow, I overlooked the death of another young actor, Brad Renfro, 25, who also died last week. So either Ledger's death completes the 3-fer of Melvin-Pleshette-Ledger, or Pleshette completed the 3-fer of Renfro-Melvin-Pleshette. Dunno....guess the younger generation probably wouldn't even recognize Melvin and Pleshette in it, and thus they are waiting on another young one to die. Whatever...anyway, I'm not going to sit here and continue to dwell on death.

RIP, all ye celebs and non-celebs who have recently passed.

MM

They happen in threes....

I just heard that Heath Ledger died today. The actor, 28, apparently died in "an" apartment in New York City. Could have been a drug overdose.

It's creepy, but Ledger's death completes the 3rd link in another series of celebrity deaths:

Allan Melvin, 84, best known for his role as Sam the Butcher on "The Brady Bunch," as well as numerous roles on other TV shows, died January 17.

Suzanne Pleshette, best known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife on "The Bob Newhart Show," died January 20.

And now, Ledger.

I'm not much into this whole thing, but it is rather odd. I woke up this morning, read a short death notice from the Associated Press about Melvin's death in the Washington Post, and subconsciously wondered what the 3rd link would be. Ledger was probably the last person on my list. I was reading a message board earlier and saw a message titled "Take Britney, give Heath back!!"...I didn't read the message, but that sentiment makes sense on a number of levels, if you consider what Spears seems to have gotten herself into recently. I dunno....about the only movie I'm real familiar with of Ledger's is "10 Things I Hate About You." Not saying that Britney deserves to die any more than Ledger, or anybody else for that matter, but Ledger surely shouldn't have gone out the way he did. So anyway....

RIP, Heath Ledger

MM