while they did live happily ever after

Steve Jobs passed away yesterday.

So Facebook clued me in, although I had to scroll a ways to get to it, and I am just, like, in shock. I don't even use Apple products. Macs annoy me, and I've never even used iTunes, much less an iPod. But still. What.

My dad said, when he stepped down as CEO in August, that he had basically worked until he had created the computer he'd always wanted to create. Once upon a time when Dad and I were making an eight-hour road trip to visit a college, he gave me a long and detailed lecture about the history of the computer industry, which included things like "crazy Steve Jobs wanted to make a computer with no mouse or keyboard! yeah that was nuts." ("Also people were just taking the code for Windows and running it backwards and marketing it as a completely different product, 'cause there weren't any copyright laws in effect yet.")

but hey! look at the iPad.

Wild.

Rest in peace, Mr. Jobs.

So I heard this morning on the radio that Leslie Nielson had passed away, and I almost called Quark except I thought she was in class. Best response seen so far: a coworker on Facebook: "He will Shirley be missed."

EVEN MORE SADNESS HAS COME MY WAY, however, thanks to cleolinda: Irvin Kershner has passed away. This makes me very sad. Clearly, a movie-watching party in his honor is in order.

... :-(

I'm not even sure how I feel about this at this point, but

Patrick Swayze passed away today.

...oh and RPattz and KStew are engaged making out in front of large groups of people? That actually almost cheers me up.

Also there is a fire and God only knows what else going on outside the window.

[insert profanity about Plato here]

edit: WHAT THE HELL FEDERER. HOW COULD YOU LOSE.

son of adam edit: THIS THREAD CONTAINS SO MUCH WIN no matter what Quark says.

To add another level of WTF universe?ness to this weekend, I have another report for you:

Billy Mays passed away this morning.

...he's the OxyClean guy. And it seems like such a--a little thing, but...like, I've never thought about the person doing commercials being dead. And like, especially him. His voice was loud, and annoying, and...it will never create a new commercial to annoy us.

...

This just feels weird, now.

Natasha Richardson passed away today.  I'm not entirely sure what happened, other than the fact that she hit her head while skiing a couple of days ago, but it's still pretty sad.

Michael Crichton died yesterday.

Thanks to Movie Group friend for the tip.

Gosh dang it all.  philia_fan just alerted me to the fact that Paul Scofield, the original Thomas in A Man for All Seasons, passed away today. 

(Interestingly enough, the publication date on that article is tomorrow.  Fascinating.)

1.  A meme!  Probably to be completed after spring break, but it amuses me, so...
Name a character and I'll tell you how he/she lost his/her virginity.

2.  Gary Gygax, creator of D&D and thus person responsible for many of my creative hijinx, died today.  :-(
edit:  Rich Burlew has an excellent tribute on Order of the Stick today.

Evel Knievel has died.

Thanks to loquaciousquark for the tip.