Amy Farris, dead at 40.

So, Comic-Con 2009 is underway. And I'm at home, because I kept putting off buying tickets, and when I finally got around to it, it was already sold out. So it sucks to be me. But I'll live; I think a break from Comic-Con will do me good. And there's still a chance I'll be able to get in Saturday, I've got some connections. But not having tickets doesn't mean I can't enjoy some of the ancillary activities that surround the 'Con. In fact, I just found out Hayao Miyazaki will be at the Pacific Gaslamp 15 Friday night screening his new film, Ponyo. So while some poor suckers who shelled out $50 for Comic-Con passes will have to debate whether to get in line for that screening, or attend the panel celebrating the 80th anniversary of Buck Rogers (tough call, I know), I've got nothing else going for me, so I can go get in line. So suck on that (in looking for a panel to contrast with the opportunity to line up for a Miyazaki movie, I pulled up the schedule for the appropriate time, and the fist panel I saw was with Stephan Pastis, of Pearls Before Swine, a personal favorite of mine, and I made myself sad).

And speaking of Miyazaki, sad news: Studio Ghibli animator Yoshinori Kanada, dead at 57.

Frank McCourt, dead at 78.

Walter Cronkite, dead at 92.

Passing by on the trolley and seeing the tombstones, I'd wondered what the deal was. Now I know.

Bea Arthur, dead at 86.

Colbert turns his attention to Glenn Beck, again:

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Doom Bunker - Jack Jacobs and Stephen Moore

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