Jazzlife - because all of life is jazz

Felix and Oscar may now be together in the Afterlife.

More sad news today: Jack Lemon, star of many films, passed away at 74.

One of my favorite films of all time is Some Like it Hot, the Billy Wilder-directed film that starred Lemon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe. Tony is now the only surviving member of that group…

The film is a prime example of the screwball comedy. Years ago, a film teacher almost managed to ruin the film for me, but couldn’t succeed.

Lemon was a well-loved member of old school Hollywood, an actor famous for great comedies, but also a great dramatist. He was a man so loved and respected, actor Vim Raines gave him his 1999 Golden Globe, because he felt Jack deserved it.

Goodbye, Mr. Lemon. Those of us who remember your work will make sure you’re never forgotten.

The family friend I mentioned a few weeks back died in the early hours of the morning.

She stopped eating more than 2 weeks ago, and she hadn’t opened her eyes in over a week. She’d gone into a coma.

She didn’t feel pain in the end, and her suffering is now over - but what an awful way to go.

It’s something we’ve expected for weeks now, an inevitable ending… but it still hurts. I’ve been on the brink of tears ever since mom told me.

The day after St-Jean. I went out to a banking machine in the morning, but stayed in the rest of the day. It was insanely hot outdoors… I’m not stupid!

I spent a large part of the day copying over my personal diary to another program; problem with Lite versions of some apps is that they don’t provide proper export functions… so, I cut and paste, and re-live some of my older journal entries while I do.

Sunday is Quebec’s major summer holiday, St-Jean Baptiste (Saint John the Baptist). It’s not a holiday I celebrate. Actually, one I haven’t celebrated in many, many years. I call it “St-Jean Alcoholic Day”, because it’s really an excuse for people to get drunk.

(Not that Canada Day next week is any different. The whole “I Am Canadian!” ad campaign for Canadian Beer fits to a T.)

Today brought sad news for both music and TV fans.

Johnny Lee Hooker, legendary blues man, an influence on the Rolling Stones, died at the age of 80.

He was still performing to the end, still recording. He will be missed.

The other I didn’t hear of until a few minutes ago - but his memory will always be significant: Carol O’Connor.

Archie Bunker was a character I grew up with, and played a significant part in my pop culture gestalt. Archie’s favorite chair has been an exhibit in the Smithsonian for years. Now, memories of Archie - and Carol - will be forever in our hearts and minds too.

I got a set of 10 boxes to pack with this morning. At least my bookcases will soon be done!

I wanted to start today, but the heat really slowed me down to a stand-still.

NYPOST.COM Entertainment: CLAPTON BAND’S NEW MEMBER By WILLIAM J. GORTA. He’s not a Jazz musician, but Eric Clapton is a blues man, and that’s close enough!

BTW: if my post about the NBA Finals seemed callous after the news of my family friend: it wasn’t intended as such.

I always try to mix some lighter postings with the heavier ones, for my mental sanity as well as my readers.

A few minutes ago, the LA Lakers won their second NBA Championship in a row, beating the Philadelphia SeventySixers four games to one.

By winning this title, they’ve also become the first NBA champions of the 21st century, and it seems they’ve possibly started a run as the new dominant franchise.

A few things about the games stuck out to me: first, Tyrone Hill of the Sixers is a fantastic player - but he really needs to eat a bit. The guy must be the one player I’ve seen who looks way emaciated.

Secondly, Shaquille O’Neil is a truly dominant player, one of the strongest big men I’ve ever seen on the courts. His size must be the reason he seems to sweat so much, however.

Finally, one of the announcers really annoyed me: PJ-something, a guy who offered commentary off-court. He always looks like he’s in tremendous pain or furious when he speaks.

Regardless of anything though, the Sixers played a hard-fought series. Even from down scores, they fought back to the end.

Some parts of life just stink, make me wonder about the idea of a higher power watching over us:

A family friend, one I haven’t seen in many years, is right now in Paliative care, most likely on her death bed.

The reason: lung cancer.

Was she a smoker? No.

She’s only 53 years old.

About 4 years ago, she went to her doctor for chest pains. He discounted it as nothing serious, gave her some cough medecine. The pain didn’t go away. One of her friends recommended an Oncologist. A few months after her mis-diagnosis by one doctor, it was found to be cancer - a cancer that had spread throughout her body by now.

She had two operations to remove tumors - but now it was inoperable. She had to face four damn years of getting worse, being sick from drugs and radiation, just to lead to this. Death by millimeters.
Sometimes, life really sucks.