Our culture is dying ... literally.

Les Paul passed away today. Les Paul. Guitar God. This man pioneered multi-tracking, over-dubbing, and the solid-body electric guitar (despite what Gibson may claim). Paul McCartney, Springsteen, Neil Young, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page are just a few people who play[ed] Gibson Les Paul guitars.

Isn't it pretty?? I can't play the guitar, but if I did ... I'd certainly want one.

I hate to use ABBA lyrics to tribute Les Paul, but they seem ridiculously appropriate:

Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me

*sigh ... that was nice*

Next item in the death of culture...

John Hughes was the voice on the 80's. Creator of the brat pack, career launcher of Molly Ringwald (should I thank him for that?), a Michigan boy who never really left Lansing (since all of his movies take place in the Midwest), he gave us so many quotable gems, such as:

What's happenin' hot stuff?
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We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all.
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Drinking and driving don't mix. That's why I ride a bike.
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Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.
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-Let me close this conversation by saying that you are one unique individual.
-Unique... what's that, Latin for "asshole"?

Guess those movies!

and finally ... an observation.

I've been scouring the online annals of the LA Times looking for a theatre review, and I've noticed something interesting. Go to the LA Times website, click on "entertainment" in the top bar, let the mouse hover over it. You'll see nine options:

Movies
Television
Music
Celebrity
Arts & Culture
Company Town
Calendar
The Envelope
Hot list

Note where Arts & Culture is on the list. Note that not only is Celebrity in front of Arts & Culture, but it has its own section. Also note how Movies and Television are not apart of Arts & Culture. I'm just saying...I realize that it's the LA Times, but come on.
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[editor's note: John Hughes' name is in italics because like the hypoglycemic monster I occasionally turn into during the mid-afternoons, I wrote John Houston, who is, in fact, Angelica Houston's Father who passed away in 1987, who made The Maltese Falcon, Annie, Prizzi's Honor, The African Queen, and whole bunch more, but John Houston is not John HUGHES, whom I wrote about above. This was pointed out to me by a nameless friend, whom I most humbly thank. Okay fine, her name is Lira, and she wins this.]